Good day/Bad day?: not good, but good moments
So what normally is an 8AM-noon at the latest chemo day went all the way to 3PM today. Ugh. Little long. There were a couple of things going on. The suture line for my port has not really healed well and lookks to be pulling apart in the middle. Not great, but no signs of infection. They will keep an eye on it weekly, but it may warrant removing the port, not sure what the replacement options would be. I don't want to think about going through chemo without a port or line and putting my veins at risk. Hoping for the best.
The other thing I didn't mention here was I found what I thought was a swollen lymph node under my L armpit last week. Told the oncologist about it when I found it, and she examined it today, sent me down for an ultrasound. Not a node, but a fluid collection in the same area that they aspirated with a needle. Looked good, again no signs of infection, just kind of random. So it just wound up taking a long time with the suture line and the fluid. Then chemo, then turned green a couple of hours later as usual. Sorry--that was all boring, but I remind you that cancer is boring! Especially the waiting rooms. But we had a fun night with Olive, as much as I could keep up with her...
Tomorrow...MonikAndy come to visit! Yay! It's been too long.
Extra thanks for Mia watching Olive last night while went for one more window appt--sorry she was Cranky Olive! BTW, windows may be on hold, because the water heater is pooping out. I'm waiting for a pleasant surprise to balance it out.
October 8, 2010
October 6, 2010
Lamenting
Good day/Bad day?: Good
The title refers to me absorbing that another summer has gone by without much opportunity to partake in it--second year in a row! (Last year I was heavily pregnant.) Out of the last 2 years, I've gone to the beach and swam once. Sad. Not that I don't love fall--it's a delightful season. It just seems a shame. I haven't even gotten out to weed in the garden during that time.
But anyway, the day was good, then went out to a lovely dinner with friends (thanks to Julie for sitting!). Tomorrow morning, acupuncture and then work...
The title refers to me absorbing that another summer has gone by without much opportunity to partake in it--second year in a row! (Last year I was heavily pregnant.) Out of the last 2 years, I've gone to the beach and swam once. Sad. Not that I don't love fall--it's a delightful season. It just seems a shame. I haven't even gotten out to weed in the garden during that time.
But anyway, the day was good, then went out to a lovely dinner with friends (thanks to Julie for sitting!). Tomorrow morning, acupuncture and then work...
October 5, 2010
Business as usual
Good day/Bad day? Good
(Except Olive was really cranky in the evening...after being up at 4AM and not getting back to sleep for 45 min. Ugh. Then for some reason I couldn't get to sleep again--which is not ever my issue.) Cross your fingers for a full night's sleep!
Feeling better with the cold thing except one nostril alternates between plugged and runny. I am no advocate of antibiotics for every symptom, but I take them 2 days a week as part of this clinical trial. Apparently there is a slight risk with this regimen of PCP pneumonia, the same type that takes advantage of immunocompromised HIV patients. Don't you love this stuff? So the abx are meant to prevent it. So I'll take them.
After my rhetorical questions about baldness yesterday, I've decided to largely go bald at work. I have a hat or 2 on hand. So far all feedback has been positive, though I don't know if anyone would direct the negative to me.
BTW, I don't think I ever told you, but Olive's going up the whole flight of stairs. Easily. She has been for a while, and now she's getting fast!
(Except Olive was really cranky in the evening...after being up at 4AM and not getting back to sleep for 45 min. Ugh. Then for some reason I couldn't get to sleep again--which is not ever my issue.) Cross your fingers for a full night's sleep!
Feeling better with the cold thing except one nostril alternates between plugged and runny. I am no advocate of antibiotics for every symptom, but I take them 2 days a week as part of this clinical trial. Apparently there is a slight risk with this regimen of PCP pneumonia, the same type that takes advantage of immunocompromised HIV patients. Don't you love this stuff? So the abx are meant to prevent it. So I'll take them.
After my rhetorical questions about baldness yesterday, I've decided to largely go bald at work. I have a hat or 2 on hand. So far all feedback has been positive, though I don't know if anyone would direct the negative to me.
BTW, I don't think I ever told you, but Olive's going up the whole flight of stairs. Easily. She has been for a while, and now she's getting fast!
October 4, 2010
Betterish
Good day/Bad day?: Didn't get worse!
I took the AM off, took a good, needed nap, and woke up...not ready to face the day and I was very ready to take the rest of the day off. But then I mustered up some gumption and went in for a few hours. Glad I did, because I actually made some mental progress on a few things.
So, this is all my own thought process and nothing proposed by anyone at work. My debate right now is about going bald. Pros--I am totally comfortable with it, I don't have to get more scarves, I haven't bitten the bullet with the wig yet. Cons (a little trickier)--I work at a hospice, so how would patients and families feel about seeing me walk around bald? Is it professional attire when I have other options? Is is distracting for me to teach a class bald? I've got some thinking to do...
I took the AM off, took a good, needed nap, and woke up...not ready to face the day and I was very ready to take the rest of the day off. But then I mustered up some gumption and went in for a few hours. Glad I did, because I actually made some mental progress on a few things.
So, this is all my own thought process and nothing proposed by anyone at work. My debate right now is about going bald. Pros--I am totally comfortable with it, I don't have to get more scarves, I haven't bitten the bullet with the wig yet. Cons (a little trickier)--I work at a hospice, so how would patients and families feel about seeing me walk around bald? Is it professional attire when I have other options? Is is distracting for me to teach a class bald? I've got some thinking to do...
Down & Out
Good day/Bad day?: yesterday was bad. Today?
Sat went along pretty well as Saturdays go, and I felt well enough to be a bowling spectator for a little while that night. Thanks to Kathy for all the help!
Yesterday I started coming down with some sort of upper respiratory thing and was tired and icky. Gotta call in to the MD today and make sure I don't need to do anything else, because I've got swollen nodes, too. But no fever. But I did have a good breakfast out with Val before I felt like crap. Wish me luck.
Sat went along pretty well as Saturdays go, and I felt well enough to be a bowling spectator for a little while that night. Thanks to Kathy for all the help!
Yesterday I started coming down with some sort of upper respiratory thing and was tired and icky. Gotta call in to the MD today and make sure I don't need to do anything else, because I've got swollen nodes, too. But no fever. But I did have a good breakfast out with Val before I felt like crap. Wish me luck.
October 1, 2010
Round #6 (of 15, and then 8 more!)
Good day/Bad day?: Eh
Chemo first thing in the AM. Thanks to Julie--she & Ben have been my chemo buddies every week so far. Not because it's traumatic and they have to wheel me out, but it's nice to have someone around during the waits--BORING! They even got rid of the art cart. Just when I was going to make everyone magnets... I just wound up feeling more heavy-headed right after this treatment than the last rounds. Quiet day since.
Getting used to the head, and Olive & Ben weren't afraid of me, so that's good. Thanks for all the nice feedback on it! I wore a hat to chemo to start because there was a chill in the AM, but then I went without/bald and really don't care that much. I've said to other people, I'm amazed that almost all people wear their wigs to chemo--it seems the one place where it shouldn't matter. But everyone has their line in the sand, don't they? Not sure what mine is yet.
Chemo first thing in the AM. Thanks to Julie--she & Ben have been my chemo buddies every week so far. Not because it's traumatic and they have to wheel me out, but it's nice to have someone around during the waits--BORING! They even got rid of the art cart. Just when I was going to make everyone magnets... I just wound up feeling more heavy-headed right after this treatment than the last rounds. Quiet day since.
Getting used to the head, and Olive & Ben weren't afraid of me, so that's good. Thanks for all the nice feedback on it! I wore a hat to chemo to start because there was a chill in the AM, but then I went without/bald and really don't care that much. I've said to other people, I'm amazed that almost all people wear their wigs to chemo--it seems the one place where it shouldn't matter. But everyone has their line in the sand, don't they? Not sure what mine is yet.
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