Well, it finally happened...last Wednesday (the 15th) my hair started falling out. Actually, I pulled and it came right out. By Thursday it was pretty patchy so I went to Sport Clips (move over guys) and had them take it as short as they could then came home and had Teri shave my head with an electric razor. I look like my brother, without his beard!
Besides not liking the patchy look, my scalp was kind of itchy and just weird feeling -- almost a "crawling" feeling. With it shaved, the scalp doesn't have that feeling...thankfully!
This past week hasn't been bad symptom-wise. Had a couple of days that was like a really bad Fibromyalgia flare up. This next week is a week off. I will have 3 weeks on and 1 week off for 2 more cycles.
Good news today, my son, daughter-in-law, and granddog are coming for Christmas. For the first time in about 10 years my whole family will be together...what a great gift that is!!!
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Namaste.
Jan
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Chemo Update
Sorry it has been so long between updates...sometimes we just need a break from thinking about all the details.
Chemo started on the 30th of November...Abraxane once a week for 12 weeks...2 down 10 to go. One of the reasons it took so long for me to write about it is because the first session sucked. Isabella (granddaughter) couldn't be in the child care for more than 2 hours. I had to be there at 1pm for a chest xray, 2pm for blood work (where Isabella couldn't be because she isn't 12), then 4pm for chemo. Well, the 4pm for chemo stretched until almost 6:30pm. Hurt like heck when they tried to access my port -- one lady tried twice then called another person who got it the first time. They no sooner got the IV going and I started feeling weird...then I realized that it was withdrawals from the pain meds I take at night. (This wouldn't have been a problem had they been on schedule!) Let's just say I was stressed because it was the first time and even with all my reading I wasn't sure what to expect, then on top of that I was stressed that they were running so far behind and we had Isabella to worry about. It all worked out but I was maxed out on the stress scale.
Second session was the total opposite! I went by myself and there were only 2 patients when I got the the chemo floor...AND they called me back prior to my actual appointment time! The guy accessed my port on the first try and I just hung out. On top of this being a much better experience, I also got the most awesome bag at the gift shop for carrying my quilt and other paraphernalia (shopping always makes things extra special!!).
This Tuesday, Teri thinks she may have a babysitter but the person's kid got quite sick on Sunday so now we aren't sure. It really isn't a big deal for me to go alone at this point because I am not getting real sick from it.
I found out that MD Anderson has a beauty salon/barber shop that provides free hair cuts (don't really need that) and also wigs. I am thinking that I may go early on Tuesday so that I can check out the wig selection...never know, I might like the mullet look that my friend Kristin passed up!!!
As far as side effect from chemo, they have been mild thus far (hopefully I am not jinxing myself by saying that!). Most of the symptoms are ones I have experience due to other health issues present long before cancer (irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia). The FDA in their infinite wisdom has now banned Darvon (MD Anderson's drug of choice for pain relief) so the doc has prescribed tramadol (Ultram) and that pretty well takes care of the fibromyalgia type symptoms. The other is handled by imodium.
The one side effect I was hoping to avoid was loss of taste. No such luck! Everything was fine until the morning after the last session. I got up Wednesday, got a cup of coffee, peeled a banana and sat down for breakfast...the only problem was that if my eyes had been closed I would not have known what the mush was in my mouth. So this week has been about trying to find things that have at least some flavor -- for example, we had leftover potato soup. I put sour cream on top and I could taste that but the only "potato" taste was that of the skins...weird! By Saturday more tastes were coming back but still a little off. I saw a recipe (with picture) of skillet tacos that looked great...Teri made it and I could actually get some tastes. Needless to say I scarfed it down. Payed for it the next day with the ol' IBS flaring up. Was it worth it? You bet!!
Another challenge is fatigue. I am letting myself adhere to my natural body rhythms (I am naturally a night owl so I am staying up late and getting up late -- but still getting my normal 6 hours) but find there is an element of fatigue no matter what. This falls under what I am now calling "chemo normal"...the day after the infusion is the worst.
Today was a GREAT day. I had a lot of energy (must be all that resting I have been doing!) so I went to the Christmas party my dog trainer throws every year and took Abby (the Chinese Crested). One reason I really wanted to go was because Abby needed the outing and I wanted to give her the chance to run the obstacle course again. OMG...we hadn't done that in about 2 years and she was so excited and ran it like she had been doing it every day! It was such a joy to see her joyfulness!! She had never done the teeter totter before but she did it like she had always done it...then she jumped a jump that high enough for a dog twice her size. For me it was great because I could actually run the course with my new knee...prior to knee replacement it was more like a hobble than a run!!
After the party a friend of mine and I went browsing for baby stuff because she just found out she is preggers. She isn't ready to buy but wanted to get some ideas (first baby at 39!). I, on the other hand, bought Isabella's toddler bed and a matching toy chest -- fairies theme of course!! Teri and I went in together to get the toddler bed for her as one of her Christmas presents. Talk about JOY!!! when she saw the box she just started saying "nite nite"...and for her first night in a big girl bed she just went right to bed and to sleep...amazing!! One of the coolest things about it is that Teri and I put both of them together as a team...with Teri doing most of the work but me lending a hand as needed, and of course Isabella was helping too. No really, she was. I would hand her a part and she would hand it to Teri...it was so adorable!!
We have also been busy trying to get Christmas decorations up...slow going with the fatigue factor. The other day I just muscled my way through the fatigue and got the tree in my bedroom up and decorated. It was a good feeling because I have had the tree for 3 years and this is the first time it has been up! A friend came over and put lights across the front eaves of the house. I won't bore you with the details but it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! (And tonight is is feeling like Christmas with lows in the 20s...brrrrr!)
So as I sit here writing this at almost 2am, I am feeling blessed. There is such wonderful love and compassion from my friends, family, and neighbors. I see everything so differently now...and that is such a wonderful blessing.
Namaste!
Jan
Chemo started on the 30th of November...Abraxane once a week for 12 weeks...2 down 10 to go. One of the reasons it took so long for me to write about it is because the first session sucked. Isabella (granddaughter) couldn't be in the child care for more than 2 hours. I had to be there at 1pm for a chest xray, 2pm for blood work (where Isabella couldn't be because she isn't 12), then 4pm for chemo. Well, the 4pm for chemo stretched until almost 6:30pm. Hurt like heck when they tried to access my port -- one lady tried twice then called another person who got it the first time. They no sooner got the IV going and I started feeling weird...then I realized that it was withdrawals from the pain meds I take at night. (This wouldn't have been a problem had they been on schedule!) Let's just say I was stressed because it was the first time and even with all my reading I wasn't sure what to expect, then on top of that I was stressed that they were running so far behind and we had Isabella to worry about. It all worked out but I was maxed out on the stress scale.
Second session was the total opposite! I went by myself and there were only 2 patients when I got the the chemo floor...AND they called me back prior to my actual appointment time! The guy accessed my port on the first try and I just hung out. On top of this being a much better experience, I also got the most awesome bag at the gift shop for carrying my quilt and other paraphernalia (shopping always makes things extra special!!).
This Tuesday, Teri thinks she may have a babysitter but the person's kid got quite sick on Sunday so now we aren't sure. It really isn't a big deal for me to go alone at this point because I am not getting real sick from it.
I found out that MD Anderson has a beauty salon/barber shop that provides free hair cuts (don't really need that) and also wigs. I am thinking that I may go early on Tuesday so that I can check out the wig selection...never know, I might like the mullet look that my friend Kristin passed up!!!
As far as side effect from chemo, they have been mild thus far (hopefully I am not jinxing myself by saying that!). Most of the symptoms are ones I have experience due to other health issues present long before cancer (irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia). The FDA in their infinite wisdom has now banned Darvon (MD Anderson's drug of choice for pain relief) so the doc has prescribed tramadol (Ultram) and that pretty well takes care of the fibromyalgia type symptoms. The other is handled by imodium.
The one side effect I was hoping to avoid was loss of taste. No such luck! Everything was fine until the morning after the last session. I got up Wednesday, got a cup of coffee, peeled a banana and sat down for breakfast...the only problem was that if my eyes had been closed I would not have known what the mush was in my mouth. So this week has been about trying to find things that have at least some flavor -- for example, we had leftover potato soup. I put sour cream on top and I could taste that but the only "potato" taste was that of the skins...weird! By Saturday more tastes were coming back but still a little off. I saw a recipe (with picture) of skillet tacos that looked great...Teri made it and I could actually get some tastes. Needless to say I scarfed it down. Payed for it the next day with the ol' IBS flaring up. Was it worth it? You bet!!
Another challenge is fatigue. I am letting myself adhere to my natural body rhythms (I am naturally a night owl so I am staying up late and getting up late -- but still getting my normal 6 hours) but find there is an element of fatigue no matter what. This falls under what I am now calling "chemo normal"...the day after the infusion is the worst.
Today was a GREAT day. I had a lot of energy (must be all that resting I have been doing!) so I went to the Christmas party my dog trainer throws every year and took Abby (the Chinese Crested). One reason I really wanted to go was because Abby needed the outing and I wanted to give her the chance to run the obstacle course again. OMG...we hadn't done that in about 2 years and she was so excited and ran it like she had been doing it every day! It was such a joy to see her joyfulness!! She had never done the teeter totter before but she did it like she had always done it...then she jumped a jump that high enough for a dog twice her size. For me it was great because I could actually run the course with my new knee...prior to knee replacement it was more like a hobble than a run!!
After the party a friend of mine and I went browsing for baby stuff because she just found out she is preggers. She isn't ready to buy but wanted to get some ideas (first baby at 39!). I, on the other hand, bought Isabella's toddler bed and a matching toy chest -- fairies theme of course!! Teri and I went in together to get the toddler bed for her as one of her Christmas presents. Talk about JOY!!! when she saw the box she just started saying "nite nite"...and for her first night in a big girl bed she just went right to bed and to sleep...amazing!! One of the coolest things about it is that Teri and I put both of them together as a team...with Teri doing most of the work but me lending a hand as needed, and of course Isabella was helping too. No really, she was. I would hand her a part and she would hand it to Teri...it was so adorable!!
We have also been busy trying to get Christmas decorations up...slow going with the fatigue factor. The other day I just muscled my way through the fatigue and got the tree in my bedroom up and decorated. It was a good feeling because I have had the tree for 3 years and this is the first time it has been up! A friend came over and put lights across the front eaves of the house. I won't bore you with the details but it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! (And tonight is is feeling like Christmas with lows in the 20s...brrrrr!)
So as I sit here writing this at almost 2am, I am feeling blessed. There is such wonderful love and compassion from my friends, family, and neighbors. I see everything so differently now...and that is such a wonderful blessing.
Namaste!
Jan
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