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 carolmcb's Cancer BlogJanuary 29, 2008
My continuing diary of events: Last week was my off week from chemo. My husband and I were really looking forward to it. We had such good news about my status on News Year’s Eve that we were going to really going to celebrate on my off week from chemo. My first 2 weeks went without too many side effects. I had a little dizziness and a little fatigue but that was about it. However, late in my third week (when I should start feeling better) I started having the urinary problem that I frequently have as a side effect of chemo. It is usually mild and only lasts a day or so. Well, this kept getting worse and worse and lasted all through my off week. Spoiled the whole week. It was the worst side effect ever. It lasted to this Sunday. Well, Monday was my scheduled monthly oncologist visit. We got there early to be sure that they could take my blood and urine and process before we saw the doctor. The waiting room was over flowing with some cancer patients having to stand up. There were people mobbed around the room where the phlebotomists work. I went to sign in there and there were over 2 pages of unprocessed patients. I went ahead and signed up. Finally found a seat for me and my husband. A few minutes later I was called by my doctor’s nurse. I told her I hadn’t had by blood and urine done. She said that she had already checked and it was going to be a very long time before I was at the top of “that list”. She was going to have me see the doctor first then come back for the blood and urine. They had a new phlebotomist and she was very slow. Anyway, the nurse took my vitals. Every thing was normal except my blood pressure which was 130/100. I have never had anything like that before. I bet it went up even higher once I knew how high it was. We went back to the examination room and my doctor came right in after us. I have never had that happen with any doctor. (We found out later, that due to the back up with the phlebotomist, doctors were waiting for patients rather than than the usual opposite.) The good news on my thyroid is that it isn’t cancer but I need to see an endocrinolist. I may have some type of auto-immune disorder that is causing the problem with the thyroid. (What in the world now!) Oh well, add another doctor to the growing list. For now I continue on Synthroid. As for my high blood pressure, we have known that it is one of the most common side effects of the Avastin that I take for chemo. Frankly, the oncologist has just been waiting for it to show up. The doctor told me that I would have my blood pressure taken one more time when I got down to the Chemotherapy area. If it was still high, I would be put on high blood pressure medication. Not what I wanted to hear but not unexpected. Then we discussed my finger nails which I may loose. I can’t even imagine what this could be like. I am having pain in some of the nail beds and those nails are discolored. The oncologist slightly decreased my prescribed chemo dosage of Taxol. If I continue to do as well as I have, I may be able to totally come off the Taxol just remaining on Avastin. Wouldn’t that be something! Then we discussed the “side effect” that I had over the past weeks. I described it as like “the worst bladder infection you have ever had”. Well, said the doctor, maybe it was. Whoa! I have described this side effect to the doctor before. I had a severe episode with the first round of chemo. But to be fair to the doctor, since that first time, I haven’t pushed it since it has been so mild. We put it in the side effect column. The doctor ordered a urine culture. The nurse called today, Tuesday. Enough bacteria showed up in the urine culture to show that it had been a severe urinary track infection. I am now looking at my new bottle of antibiotics. I won’t ever put up with what I think are “only side effects” again. I wasted almost 2 weeks of my life and my husband’s life, how stupid! When we were through with the doctor, I went to sign up for labs again and found that they hadn’t yet gotten to my name. About 10 minutes later they called me. The new “port nurse” was slow, slow, slow. Nice as can be and disorganized as can be. She finally got the hook up to my port done and my blood draw done. We then went down to chemo. I was hoping since we had a later appointment I would have my regular chemo nurse back but she had the day off. Anyway, I had an hour wait in the chemo waiting room. Not their fault, they kept calling for my labs that hadn’t yet been processed. I’m finally in my chemo chair and the nurse comes to take my blood pressure. It was 120/80 and the nurse said she was sure that it would continue to come down. So no blood pressure medication is required. Hooray! The treatment went as usual with no more surprises. Of course, I collapsed on the sofa when I got home and snoozed the rest of the afternoon away.
Posted on January 29, 2008 at 11:24:55 PM by Carol (
 Doctor's Visit & Chemotherapy for January 28, 2008,  3 comments)
January 15, 2008
(The reason that these posts are so long is that I use these to jog my own memory about what has happened and when it happened. I’m too lazy to keep a separate diary.) I had the last round in this cycle of chemotherapy yesterday. I’m sure that it won’t be my last round of chemo. For that, I thank the Lord. My condition was so bad to begin with, I think of chemo as a gift in my life. The last two appointments were at 7:30 in the morning. Not a good time and really impossible to make on time. However, being late is not from lack of trying on our part. We get up at 5:30 and get ready to be there at 7:15 for the blood draw. However, the nurses that do the blood draws aren’t really open for business until after 7:30. So, I’m always late to chemo. Lack of coordination between 2 closely related departments of the same hospital located only one floor away from each other. No more 7:30 appointments for me. Other than being late to chemo and my blood and urine results being a little late this session of chemo went fairly well. My main problem with early chemo is that my usual chemo nurse isn’t in that early and I have missed her. She is great. I know that she will be off at some point in the next couple on months since she is having a baby and I want to try and get on a schedule for chemo that lets me have my favorite nurse until she has her baby. The nurse I had yesterday was OK. She was nice but she was pulling hard on the tubing attached to my port when she was hooking me up to the IV machine. She didn’t notice even when I came half way out of the chair to keep the tubing from being pulled out. I also had to ask for a blanket and pillow. This is what the nurses are automatically supposed to ask you about. But to be fair, she was adjusting to a new patient and what I was taking for chemo. She was very attentive to being sure that the meds were correct and being sure that I wasn’t having any side effects from the pre-treatment, the Taxol or the Avastin. I’d rather have to ask for a blanket than have the wrong med. When the clerk scheduled my chemo appointments for this cycle, she also scheduled an ultrasound on my thyroid. Trying to save my husband and me an extra trip to the medical center, she scheduled it for yesterday afternoon. I really didn’t notice at the time. Of course, later when I looked over my schedule, I was upset. All I feel like doing after chemo, especially the long chemo session which yesterday was, is go home a lay down on the sofa. A problem with my thyroid was identified when I had my mastectomy but never really resolved. Was it a goiter or mets from the breast cancer. The last bone scan seems to lean toward the goiter position. So, it was really past time to get this question resolved. If it isn’t cancer, then I need get treatment for the thyroid problem. We got through with chemo before 11:30 and the ultrasound wasn’t until 2:30. So, we ate at the McDonald’s at the medical center instead of having a healthy lunch at the hospital cafeteria. My fault, I had a craving for McNuggets and fries. Why? Well, I’m sure that it’s the fault of the chemo drugs. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Any way, it didn’t agree with me. So there I sit with stomach cramps and pain, pain, pain. Any way, at about 1:30 my husband gets me to agree to go check in early for the ultrasound. Since it listed Radiology for the ultrasound location, I went to the main radiology check-in at the medical center. Right outside was a gentleman who asked if he could help us and he did. He found out that the ultrasound was located in out-patient radiology in the clinic area. That is, of course, where the cancer clinic and the chemo treatment area are. These two areas, while in the same huge building, are quite a distance apart. He offered to show us the most direct route and took us to where the check-in was for the ultrasound. Turns out he was a doctor there. Can you believe! (That was the third person that stopped us in less than 10 minutes asking if they could help. The hospital must be having some type of program going on relative to “customer service”. I’m not saying that employees haven’t been helpful in the past but that was when you asked for help. These people yesterday were totally unsolicited.) Anyway, I checked in at 1:30. The check-in clerk said it was very unlikely that they could take me before my scheduled time but that she would let them know I was there. Five minutes later I’m called for the ultrasound and at 2:00 my husband and I are on our way to the parking garage. My husband says we should have checked it right after chemo and we might have been out of there by 12:00. I think we probably would have been sitting there for hours. I couldn’t really tell from the ultrasound’s technician’s reaction what the results may be. I’ll have to wait a week until my scheduled doctor’s appointment. That is, unless the results are so bad that they call in me. Well, today I have my usual minor dizziness. This starts 12 to 24 hours after chemo and lasts about the same length of time. It’s irritating and I can’t even think of driving. However, I am so grateful that I seem to be doing well. I have been blessed with relative minor side effects from chemo. You know that you are doing well when you are bored and looking for activities to do outside your home and sofa. I think of all of you and the wonderful fight you put up against our enemy, cancer. I wanted to share this good news story with you. My sister-in-law’s cousin has been fighting breast cancer for over 4 years. It was turning into a loosing battle. She had developed tumor sites that were becoming visible through her skin. Rather as a last resort, they put her on Avastin. In one month, she has had a dramatic turn around and her doctors are greatly encouraged about her condition. This is an additional encouragement to me since I am also on Avastin. Good luck to all of us this year. Carol – That sounds like a long day and it started so early. Glad to hear they folks at the hospital were so helpful and you sound fantastic. In great spirits. Thanks for the update! Jill What wonderful news about your sister in laws sister! Ihave heard that about Avastin (sp?). Sounds like a very promising drug. Good luck to you being on it too Jill! I meant to say your sister in laws ‘cousin’. :-)
January 2, 2008
Sorry that I’ve haven’t been communicating with you all. I’ve been having problems logging into this site. Just figured out my problem a few minutes ago. Well, last Friday, December 28, 2007, I had my CT scan and my bone scan. These were the first since I began chemo. The initial tests done on me were not good at all. My husband and I were simply hoping that these tests showed either no deterioration or only minor deterioration. Under either of these scenarios, the oncologist would be willing to continue treatment. Well, we arrived early for the tests and got caught up in some hospital melodrama about the CT tests being backed up. I never did find out exactly what was going on, and to tell the truth, really don’t care to know. The lateness of the CT pushed back the bone scan but everything finally got done. The hospital gave us (my husband and me and everyone else waiting) $5.00 vouchers for the cafeteria. This upset the CT tech who said that it wasn’t enough to get any type of decent lunch in the cafeteria. I told him in the larger picture of life it really didn’t matter. I had to wait until Monday, December 31, 2007 to get my results from the oncologist. Yes, that’s how my husband and I spent New Year’s Eve. But, as my husband has put it, we got the best Christmas present ever on New Year’s Eve. The test results were great. Everything is showing an improvement. The spots on my lung are actually gone. I know that this may be only temporary but what a great way to start the new year. I have always had chemo on Fridays but, since we were at the medical center and I had been off chemo for 2 weeks, I decided to start right back on that day. So I’m tied to Mondays for the next cycle. So that’s how we finished our New Year’s Eve—chemo. But what a relief, since I went in to the see the oncologist not knowing if treatment could be continued. I did tell the oncologist that I had one wish. Someone needs to figure out how to let you keep your eyelashes. Hair on your head is vanity, you can do without your eyebrows but your eyelashes have a purpose—keeping stuff out of your eyes. Oh well, that’s the worst complaint I currently have so I had better shut up. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hold you all in my thoughts and prayers. Carol what chemo are you on? You go girl! You just keep on truckin’ because you’ll beat this thing. I agree about the eyelashes. I wasn’t thrilled to lose them. I had Adriamiacin (sp) and Taxol before and that stuff is harsh! Hang in there, Carol. Nothing but great news is coming your way. Huge hug…Grace Keep going! I agree that losing eyelashes is worse than hair. I had the same problem. My eyes were watering all the time. On the plus side, I can tell you they grow back very quickly. Your news is thrilling. What a great way to see in the New Year. Hope is one of the best gifts any of us can get. And yes, I agree with you all,I am in the process of losing my eyelashes for the second time (they have been the last hair to go both times). Very annoying. The good part last time was my new lashes were very thick and long. I felt so pretty…until recently. I am so happy for your results. Gaile Hey my name is zara milligan i am doing a paper for my english 12 class dealing with breast cancer and i need your help. I am supopst to interview 3 people who have had or are living with breat cancer. I need to know how it has changed your life. I also need to know whatever you want to tell me about your experience please email me at zara_692002@yahoo.com with imformation i support all of you and hope all is weel and god bless.
December 15, 2007
Yesterday was my last chemo treatment before Christmas and the last before my “big tests” on December 28th. It was an early appointment, 8:30AM. To get to the medical center and not get tied up in rush hour traffic meant we had to leave home early and get to the medical center early. I checked my temperature when I got up. It was normal. Since the problem of the 100.7 temperature that I had when seeing my oncologist before Thanksgiving, I am fanatical about checking my temperature before any doctor visit or chemo treatment. Since it was the long chemo treatment, Taxol and Avastin, we stopped to pick up coffee and biscuits on the way to the treatment. I was drinking down the hot coffee as quickly as possible since I have to do urine as well as blood on Avastin days. I had to make sure that I could make the proper “donation” when required. We got to the medical center at 7:30 and I kept drinking coffee. At 7:45, they were taking patients for their blood and urine so I went ahead to have mine done. My favorite “port nurse” was there. She is so efficient. I asked about what her substitute had told me last week—that my port was twisted and turned and had dropped out of position. No, she said. It is in the same position and not twisted and turned in any way. What a relief. This is a nurse I trust totally. I also told her what had happened about my blood work last week and the crisis mode we had been in due to all my blood counts being off. She said that the medical center had 2 days of computer problems last week, Friday was one of them. She said that she wasn’t surprised that my blood work showed up wrong and that it was probably related to the computer problems. She also told me that it was a good thing that we were still in the chemo treatment area when the bad results had come back because they would have called us at home but we would have been sent to the ER and not back to the chemo treatment area. That would have been hours in the and hours of waiting and mess until it was resolved. And, we would have been charged with the ER visit even though the messed up blood work was the labs fault. Well, we got to chemo early. Unfortunately, my chemo nurse wasn’t in yet. They put me in the secondary treatment area with a different nurse. Actually, the secondary treatment area is nicer than the primary area. The secondary treatment area is all individual rooms. Each room actually has a window! The secondary area is much smaller than the primary area with only about 8 rooms. The primary treatment area is much larger, has a couple of rooms but is mainly small cubicles separated by curtains. It’s very busy and rather noisy. My substitute nurse was very nice, very efficient and very prompt. Since we were so early, there were almost no patients in the secondary area so she wasn’t split between multiple patients. The only issue was my temperature! What! It was 99.4 when the tech took my vitals. She asked if I had been drinking coffee. Yes, I had been drinking a lot of coffee. The temperature was not so high that I couldn’t have chemo but they would have to keep an eye on me. Well, the tech came back shortly and took my temp again. It was 99.8. What! I already know that at 100 everything stops and the doctor is called. She goes to report it to the nurse. I panic. I don’t feel ill and I don’t feel like I am running a fever. The nurse came in and took my temperature herself. Normal! These people may kill me off with a heart attack before the cancer gets me. At least the rest of chemo went like clockwork and we were out of there around 10:00. As for today, so far no bad side effects. I am fatigued and don’t feel as well as I have been feeling. I hope that the cumulative effects of this round of chemo don’t kick in like they have before but we will have to wait and see. At least I have exited “cancer world” until after Christmas. Wishing everyone and their families the very best Holiday Season they have ever had. Congrats on your last treatment. I know what you mean about the temp thing for me it’s my Blood Pressure. I watch it so carefully day or two before my treatments if its to high they won’t give it to me. Any postponement is head ache. Enjoy the holidays and I pray you will feel good thought out the season… Cheryl Carol, have a very Merry Christmas. I’m praying for nothing but good news to come your way. Hugs…Grace
December 8, 2007
Well, yesterday was chemo. It’s the short version with only Taxol, no Avastin. I am now fixated on my temperature on chemo days. I should have taken it as soon as I got up. But decided to wait until after I had my shower and eaten breakfast. What a mistake. When I took it—100.3. Panic and terror. However, by the time we were in the car pulling into the medical center garage, it was 99.3. I think I may have taken too hot a shower. What a non-crisis I created. The best we could do is a 2:00PM chemo appointment. But, sometimes (not always) you can get in early if you just show up early. I tried to get my husband rolling before noon so we could get my blood drawn before lunch time, but I failed. We got there while the “port nurse” was at lunch. In fact, she was late getting back from lunch. The “regular nurse” was just about to go ahead a draw my blood and then let the chemo nurses downstairs put in the tubing for chemo when the “port nurse” got back from lunch. She wasn’t the regular “port nurse” but one that had been borrowed from chemo. She was very nice but not as fast and efficient as the regular “port nurse”. She also had trouble with accessing the port and told me that she thought the port had slipped and turned sideways. When I asked if I shouldn’t report this to the doctor immediately, she said no since the doctor wouldn’t be able to do anything about the slippage. (I am telling the doctor. I know if the vein line crimps up I can be subject to blockage and infection.) In any event, she took the blood and I got down to chemo early. Then we were just waiting for the blood results to start me up. My plan didn’t work very well today since I got called back only 10 minutes before my appointment time. Bottom line, I got hooked up 20 minutes past 2:00PM. My husband does not drive after dark. It’s a self-imposed ban but still very real to us. But, we still should have had time to have the treatment and get home before dark. Usually the chemo area is freezing cold. I keep my coat on as well as use a blanket. Today, it was burning hot to me. I thought they had turned up the thermostat too high until I realized that I was having one of my night sweat episodes in the day time for the first time. I had never had night sweats in my life until the steroids from my first chemo treatment kicked in. At least, now I have some things else to bond with my sister-in-law over. She has suffered with them for years. Well, it’s getting late now since my chemo nurse was tied up with another patient when it was time to start my Taxol. So that was 10 minutes lost. Still, we should have had just enough time to get home by dark. I see my nurse coming into the cubicle. OK, she will unhook me and we are out of here. No, I have what is called crisis blood work. My full blood work is back and all my values are “bad”. It may be that somehow my blood sample was messed up or I could be “pretty sick”. I am lost. They won’t start your treatment until they get your blood work. AH HA! I now learn that they wait only for your CBC and not the full blood work before they start your treatment. Anyway, I have to have my blood work done again. It will be done high priority but it will still take an hour. If the blood work is still “bad”, I will require 2 extra hours of infusion of electrolytes before I can go home. My nurse knows our situation regarding driving home in the dark and she has already called the hospital social worker regarding getting us a paid ride home. My nurse tries to reassure us. But, I (trying to remain calm and cool externally) am in a panic. I (other than the new day sweat) feel fine. Some of the screwy values in my blood work would be indicative of a chemo patient having violent vomiting and dehydration for several days. I have had no such problems. Well, bottom line—my retest was fine with all values where they should be. They have no idea how the first test got messed up. We took a taxi ride home paid for by the medical center. We have to negotiate with them on paying for the return taxi ride we have to take back to pick up our car that spent the night at the medical center parking garage. The social worker hadn’t taken that into account when she agreed to compensate us for their error. This is one episode of “medical center mess up” that I am having a hard time finding amusing afterward. I know that mess ups happen. Tests can be wrong but how scary is that. Carol – That sounds like an intense day. oh man! I hope you are relaxing today and feeling better. Snowy here in Colorado. I don’t plan to leave the house. Total rest day for me. ;-)
WOW….what a lot of wasted time waiting for people to do their job! That’s terrible. Take a good rest today…
You poor dear. How stressful. I had a weird Friday too. All I had to do was get my Neulasta injection. It is 30 minutes to drive to the cancer center, and of course 30 minutes to get home. My son had an appointment and needed my car. So I allowed myslf 2 hours. One hour for travel and one hour at the center which is more than enough time for a shot! I waited 40 minutes and started getting anxious so I begged the office staff to call and see why I was waiting so long. She said I could go back and wait in the infusion center. When I got there, the nurses were talking about how slow it was and they were putting Christmas decorations and the I.V. pump stands! I got out of there after 65 minutes. Crazy. But I zoomed home and my son made his appointment.I think they forget that we have lives that require our attention and we are not just Cancer patients! I agree with the last post, they do forget we actually have lives outside of cancer and chemo. Carol, Thank you again it helps to hear other cancer patients with their experience to compare to I am sure glad I found this blog… What can I say best laid planes never work out as you think they will. Take it easy today and try and enjoy the season,,,, Get a good rest…. :-) Cheryl
December 3, 2007
Well, this past Friday I got back on chemotherapy. First thing when I got up, I took my temperature—98.8. Great! Last thing before we left the house, I took my temperature—98.8. Great! I made my husband sit with me in the external waiting room to the cancer clinic so I could take my temperature just before I had to go in and donate blood and urine and have my official temperature checked. I had 99.1. Well good enough. The oncologist didn’t find anything to be worried about in my blood and urine tests. So my schedule now is last Friday, this Friday and the following Friday on chemo. One week off and then the CT and bone scans. Those will happen on 12/28. Then a few days later I’ll see the oncologist for the results. Knocking knees on this. I’m going to do everything that I can to be sure that I don’t let this interfere with Christmas. But, it’s probably going to keep creeping into my thoughts. Strange the way I felt about resuming chemo—like I won a battle. It’s also strange about wanting to resume chemo since I felt so wonderful for the 2 weeks that I was off chemo. One was a scheduled off week and the other due to the fever. During the second week, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. We went and did something different every day that week. We didn’t live in cancer world at all. Now I’m back on chemo. No big side effects but, since I had two weeks off, the drugs aren’t accumulated like they will be on this Friday and the next. I hope everyone is looking forward to the Holidays and intends to live in the real world and ignore (as much as possible) cancer world. Love to everyone. Congrats on your week off to to fun things with your husband. I am offically checking out of “cancer world” after this week so that I can concentrate on the meaning of Christmas and be very thankful that I am here to enjoy it once again. God Bless, Patty Please never feel that it is your fault that you have cancer! I hope your symptoms if any are mild this time. Thinking of you…Sue I know many of us recognize the feeling of being thrilled to feel good off of chemo, but terrified not to be getting it. Do indeed enjoy your cancer-free world. I will follow your lead. I have chemo the day before and the two days following Christmas. But for one whole day I will try not to think about it! Gaile It’s normal to feel the way you are about chemo. I will also be doing my best to get back into “life” and out of “cancer world” for the holidays. Have a happy holiday and a blessed New Year! Love those weeks off. The new drug I am getting not much side effects So enjoy your down time and keep on keeping on.. Cheryl
November 24, 2007
Well, we had a wonderful time at my in-laws for Thanksgiving. I was able to get my temperature down from 100.7 to 99.9 and later to normal. I never did feel ill at all. While, I was totally unable to sleep the night before, we drove down Thanksgiving morning. We had a great time seeing everyone and it was wonderful to do something that wasn’t centered around cancer. There really ought to be more holidays so that we can have those types of experiences. They are good for the soul and spirit. The only bad thing is that it emphasizes how much my husband and I miss our family and how much we wish we could live closer together. I am glad things went well for you. It is good to get together with family and friends. And talk about something other then the Cancer. I know we think about it most of the time. I spent time with friends this year my family are all in CA. They do have family things they like to do. Love All Sherri Sherri Hi Carol, Jennifer Hi carol let us know about the TV show if and when are contacted. Hug Sherri Hey sweetie, haven’t heard from you in a while. I hope you’re doing okay. Hugs and prayers…Grace
November 21, 2007
Well, today was my monthly visit with my oncologist. It is usually on Fridays scheduled before one of my chemo sessions. But since of Thanksgiving, I needed to see the doctor today. Then my chemo was still scheduled for this Friday. Well, of course, things didn’t go well. First of all, let me say that today I felt better than at any other time since I started chemo. I was looking forward to seeing the doctor and then driving to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. Since the trip is over 150 miles and it was raining cats and dogs, we wanted to get going as soon as possible. Well, when they took my vitals, I was running a fever of 100.7. Boy was I in trouble with the nurses and with the oncologist. The doctor wasn’t pleased that we would be driving for a couple of hours and I had to do some convincing on how well I felt. She canceled Friday’s chemo since she won’t be in to check on me. So, I have the oncologist again and chemo next Friday. Now, if they had just let me reschedule today’s oncologist visit like I tried to, then I probably wouldn’t be facing another appointment next week. I also probably wouldn’t be looking at a bottle of antibiotics that cost in excess of $100 for 7 pills. Of course, this could be something more serious than the normal excess temp I run in the Fall due to my allergies. So we will have to see. By the time we got through at the medical center and got the prescription, it was too nasty to drive down to the in-laws. So, unless my temp starts exceeding 101 and I get to have Thanksgiving in the hospital, we are driving down early tomorrow morning. Keep your fingers crossed for me. One interesting thing, the oncologist has postponed the big testing (CAT, bone scan, etc.) until after another round of chemo. Carol, I’m so sorry to hear you’re having a rough time of it. That just sucks. Fevers suck. Cancer sucks and if it were a person, I’d probably want to kick the s**t out of it. I’d even let you get in a few jabs. LOL! Well, sweetie, I hope the fever goes down and that you make it to your in-laws. But if not, I’m sure you’ll make the best of it. Hugs…Grace I just read your blog and was so sorry to read of your fever, I know it really suck when you have plans and something precents it. My prayers are with you and I wishyou well. I hope you are feeling better today and you got lots of sleep last night. Hope you make it to your in-laws for thanksgiving. If you are not feeling well though don’t push it. Keep us posted. ;-)
November 20, 2007
Somehow I have run out of time to get ready for Thanksgiving. We have to travel about 150 miles to my sister-in-laws. It’s going to take us longer than normal since one of the current side effects of chemo is having to use the restroom frequently. Also, for over a week, I’ve been trying to change my oncologist appointment which is scheduled the day before Thanksgiving and my chemo treatment which is scheduled the day after Thanksgiving. Finally today, I was able to talk to someone that said it would be well into December before my oncologist would be available again. So, no reprieve on Wednesday. This means that we will have to keep our fingers crossed that the oncologist visit will be fairly on time so that we can hit the road mid-afternoon on Wednesday. If not, we will have to get up crack of dawn on Thursday to go down to my sister-in-laws. I’m still trying to move my chemo treatment from 9:15 Friday morning to later in the day. That would give us a chance to get back into town Friday morning. Now how did I create this mess? Well, these appointments were set up a long time ago and I wasn’t even thinking Thanksgiving at that time. Shows you how complicated cancer makes your life. adding my 2 cents. I thank that we feel well with a false sense of no limitations, and that causes us to push ourselves too much. Same thing happened after a colonscopy, I felt well went shopping, then my body told me I needed to rest. So that happens with more than chemo. regarding not feeling well before. One day as the nurse was setting up the chemo bags, I said, I have a metallic taste in my mouth, I feel anxious and having difficulty with breathed. The nurse said she didn’t start the medication. I learned about anticpation symptons. Sometimes its just hard to tell reality. Oh Carol, you really weren’t thinking Thanksgiving were you? LOL I hope you’ll be able to reschedule that chemo treatment. I have so done that many, many times and now my best friend helps me keep track of things. Hang in there, sweetie. Just relax and enjoy these holidays. Think of wonderful things and presents, and mistletoes and turkey and stuffing and all those relatives you’ve wanted to see for years and those you’d pay to avoid for even longer…I know, I know, I’m getting carried away. LOL Have a splendid Thanksgiving, Carol, and may God bless you like you’ve never been blessed before. Hugs, chocolate kisses, and prayers…Grace I hope things work out for you and you get on the road early. It is hard to schedule a trip with the constrains of working around treatments and Dr. appointments. Have a great Thanksgiving and a safe trip.
November 11, 2007
Well yesterday I didn’t expect to be writing a chemotherapy update part II. It was Saturday morning after a Friday morning chemo treatment and I felt great, as I posted. I felt great until about 8:00AM. Then it struck. Why the delay I don’t know, just being sneaky and trying to keep me on my toes. Well, at least it wasn’t severe as normal, so far. I did begin feeling better around 6:00PM Saturday evening. And, I was able to sleep for part of that time. I had hoped to spend Saturday out shopping but maybe today, if I can get some more sleep. A funny thing has happened the past two Wednesdays and I want to get my thoughts down so I can discuss it later with my oncologist. We go grocery shopping on Wednesdays. I have felt well each of these past two Wednesdays and looked forward to going out, even with a chill in the air. Both times, I started feeling ill after we began driving. By the time that we got to the store, I was really feeling ill. I was sweaty and just felt tired and ill. I can’t describe it any better. I was able to go into the store but we had to do a quick shop. When I got home, I started to feel better very soon after I laid down on the sofa. My thoughts are—is this some type of reaction to the chemo or is the cancer doing something. This didn’t happen on Friday when we drove to chemo. I felt fine during the drive and after at the medical center. While my husband hasn’t mentioned those 2 episodes again, I know I worries him because he has modified his behavior. Every day he tried to get me to go do something out doors, run an errand, take a walk, etc. Since Wednesday, he hasn’t suggested it at all. He just gets ready and tells me he running to the store to pick up whatever we need. No suggestion of me going with him. I don’t think it’s because he’s sick and tired of me, I just scared him. I don’t want to do that. I feel that I should be able to be fairly normal part of each week and let us have some normalcy in our lives. We can’t be cancer world all the time right now. I’ve had episodes like that, too, where I felt fine until I left the house, and then I just felt sick. It doesn’t happen very often so I didn’t think to ask my doctor about it. Probably a good idea to mention it to your oncologist…Grace I get the same thing. I just have to go home an lay down. This happens at the second week of my chemo xeloda. Cannot figure it out….becasue sometimes I am ok…feel well. Sue Happened everytime to me. It was kind of funny I guess. When I’d get the chemo I found out through experience, too much experience, that I’d feel ok, good even for about 2 hours, then it’d hit, and damn it’d suck.
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carolmcb's…Cancer Blog (21)
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06.22.08 - 
Thanks for your support -
Don’t you just love the additional sideshows that we experience while going through this adventure? I find it pretty entertaining. So glad you are doing so well.
What an epic adventure. It is strange how so many things change at once that you don’t know what pain is coming or caused by what. I remember thinking, Is that the cancer? side effects? something normal? me just over reacting? I never knew. Made me feel insane.
Carol – How are you these days?