Upcoming Scans

So July 8th (next Friday), I'm getting a CT scan.  That will show how much the tumors in my chest have shrunk from the first few rounds of treatment.  Which will tell us both how well the chemo is working, and when I might be at a safe place to try that clinical trial drug instead of chemo for a while.

I emailed Dr Kang to ask about whether this scan would also tell us if I can go back to riding or not.  I didn't get a direct answer, but after the email he scheduled me for a PET scan a week later.  The PET scan is more of a head-to-toe cancer screen, it shows us all cancer activity in my entire body in better detail.  So I'm guessing/hoping that after THAT scan, we'll be able to sit down and talk about whether I can ride again or not.  And also it will give us more data to work with as far as my overall treatment and the clinical trial.  That scan is scheduled for Friday the 15th.

We have been in touch with the trial people by the way, we're working on getting them all the information they need from Hopkins so that I'm all enrolled and ready to go whenever the time is right.

Full speed ahead!!

Home Again

Home from the beach.  I stepped on a scale for the first time since treatment day-  apparently a quiet week on the beach is a great thing for post-chemo!  Only 10 days out from treatment and my weight was actually a couple pounds HIGHER than on treatment day!  That is excellent.  Trying to keep my weight up is one of the biggest concerns during all this, and to be up a couple pounds after 2 rounds of treatment is more than I hoped for or expected.

I'm also back off all support meds again- I didn't check to see exactly when I stopped them last time, but I think I'm roughly on the same schedule.

So, lots of good news!  Now to get the house together so I can get back to work tomorrow.  :-)

Quick Hello

Sorry for the silence-  been away at the beach and my laptop has been uncooperative.  We head home tomorrow-  it's been a thoroughly relaxing trip, but we're ready to be home. 

Overall, I think this round went a little easier than last round.  It helped to have an idea of when my low points would be and prepare for them.  I was also able to manage some of the side effects better- again, mainly through knowing what was coming when.  The Neulasta definitely hit me harder this time though; next time I'll probably need to get on an Advil regiment the day I get the shot and stick to it a few days.  But the rest definitely went smoother.  I'm ready to be back at work. 

Well that's all for now.  I'll post some updates over the next couple weeks, but the next big-news day will be July 8th when I get my CT scans and talk to Dr Kang about progress.   Keep sending those good thoughts and prayers!!!

Tired But Good

Had a busy week of vacation prep, but I'm still feeling good.  A little burnt out today- definitely glad we hit the road tomorrow and I get to spend some time relaxing with good friends.  Side-effect wise, still fine!

So it looks like it was a no-go on getting the Neulasta injection dispensed via the pharmacy, so I have an appointment at noon tomorrow to get the 24-hour clip on version instead.  We're going to pack the car, swing by for my appointment, and then get straight on the road and hopefully get out of town before traffic gets too ugly.  Fingers crossed!

Not much else to report.  Getting a few things finished up tonight, then getting some sleep so we can be up early tomorrow.

As always, thanks for checking in!  Love you all.

Happy Humpday!

Got some really good sleep last night, woke up feeling much better than yesterday.  Today's agenda:  Do nothing until 3pm, then meet the girls for lunch and shopping.  :-)

I started my oral rinses right away, hoping if I keep on top of them from the start I can minimize the soreness this time.  Currently not experiencing any side effects... appetite is good, and now that I got some good sleep I'm not having any fatigue.  As before, the pump is the most annoying part- one of these days I'm going to snag it hard on something and destroy it, I just know it.  :-P

Waiting to hear from my nurses- my Neulasta shot is supposed to be administered Saturday, and we're supposed to be at the beach Saturday.  They gave us 2 options- see if our pharmacy and insurance will allow us to obtain the injection and administer it ourselves on Saturday, or else I go in Friday and they hook up this nifty little device that goes on my arm and will administer the injection 27 hours later.  Either one would be fine, but we need to know which one it's going to be so we can plan what time we need to leave town on Friday.

Alright, time to stuff my face and chug water like a good little patient.  :-)

Round 2, Day 2

Woke up feeling good.  Having some breakfast and my morning pills now.  In a couple hours I've got some errands to run- we leave for the beach in 4 days, and there's still a lot to do.  Later on I have to run to the shop and get payroll information, plus double check the schedules for while I'm gone.  I think I'll call it a day at that- tomorrow I'll do some housework and then go spend my afternoon with the girls, and Thursday will be a day to finish everything I missed the rest of the week.

Nothing else new to report- Day 2 is usually pretty uneventful.  :-P

Home!

Just a quick update for the night, treatment went great again, no problems whatsoever during the infusions.  We went out and got some dinner afterwards and did some work for the shop- they're in really good shape for the 2 weeks I'm gone now, which gives me great peace of mind.

Just unwinding for a bit now and then heading to bed.  Tomorrow I'm going to take it fairly easy, just some housework and errands, and Wednesday I have a very full day of pre-vacation stuff to get through.  :-)  We leave in just 4 days, can't wait!

Night all.

Chemo Round 2

Second verse, same as the first...  :-P

Just started at 10am.  The first hour or so is just them filling me up with fluids and support meds in preparation for treatment.  But I'm all settled in, got my cooler full of snacks, my laptop, and all my little goodies and gadgets to keep myself amused for the day.  This time I even remembered headphones, so I can watch my movies on the computer.  They have a TV, but only basic stations and there's not usually much good on.  Last time I watched Dr Phil out of boredom.  Bonus:  I put one of my gift cards onto Google Play, so now I can rent movies to watch.  :-)

I'm also taking advantage of the fact that on chemo days, I get to eat anything and everything I want.  Doritos and Little Debbies for the win!!!  Plus I can pretty much taste things mostly normally again, so I'm enjoying that before it fades away in a few days.  :-P  Salt is the one thing that hasn't come back strongly yet, but pretty much everything else tastes right again.

And now I'm watching Maleficent.  :-)

Blood Results & Updates

So all my blood work today was great. My white blood cells and platelets rebounded to their normal levels. My electrolytes are great. Organ function is all good. Nothing at all to interrupt the course of treatment, which is good. Basically I could not have done any better if I tried. :-)

Chatted with one of my medical team, and she was very pleased with everything, both my blood work and my physical well being after round 1. We went ahead and scheduled Round 3, 3 weeks after this Monday, and right before that round, we'll be doing a CT scan to check on my progress. So July 8th, we'll start to get a handle on how the treatment is working and start answering all the other questions, like when can I ride again, and if/when I can go to the clinical trial in New York, etc. We can't really answer any of those types of questions until we see how the chemo is working, so until July 8th, the focus will just be getting me through Round 2, and hopefully getting me back to normal just as quickly as the first time.

Today is the first day I gave in and wore a head scarf. I still have some hair, but it's pretty ratty looking. I imagine I'll break down and shave it soon. :-P

So that's all I've got for today! Have a happy Friday everyone. :-)

Same old, same old...

I feel like I should check in every now and then, but sometimes there's just not anything new to say.  :-P  Tomorrow I have my blood work and a quick visit with one of my medical team.  I do have a few specific questions I'll be asking, including:

-When do we start evaluating my progress (as in, doing more CT/PET scans to find out how well the treatment is working) ?

That's the big question, because most of the other questions hinge on the results of those tests, such as:

-When can I ride my horse again?

-When (if ever) will I be able to switch to the clinical drug trial instead of continuing chemo?

-How long will I be continuing chemo?

And so forth.  So I guess really, the first question is the most important, and hopefully we'll get an answer to that.  It will be nice to have a timeline for when some of these other questions might start getting answered.  If I do get any information tomorrow, I'll be sure to post it.

Meanwhile, just moving along with life.  Still feeling good, still working hard.  Two more days of work this week and then I get my week off for treatment, and then another week off for a vacation to the beach!  Definitely looking forward to that.  :-)

Keep those prayers coming!

Monday, Monday...

Not a lot to update, but figured I'd check in with ya'll.  Still feeling good.  Working another full week this week.  Friday is my blood work and follow-up appointment before my next round of chemo on Monday.  As far as I know right now, it will be exactly the same as last time:  Another 4-6 hours hooked up in the infusion center, and another week on the pump.  I don't know what the follow-up appointment is going to entail, but maybe we'll get some idea of how the next few months are going to go, and perhaps when I will be getting a CT or PET scan to check on my progress (and hopefully get me back on my horse! ).  If nothing else, the blood work will give us some idea of how well my immune system and general organ functions are holding up after treatment.  Hopefully I'm doing as good as I feel.

I reckon I only have another week or two with hair- it's starting to come out pretty rapidly.  Once it starts looking visibly ratty I'll have to buzz it off.


Other than that, it's still same old same old... work, trying to eat right, trying to eat a lot.  Resting when I need to.  Getting stuff done and kicking ass when I don't.  :-P

Happy Monday!

And it starts...

I still feel great.  Worked 6 days this week.  Still off all my support meds.  I don't even have to take the Advil for my throat any more.  The only thing I am still taking is cough suppressants.  So on the health front, I'm doing fantastic.

The bad news is...  my hair has started shedding fairly profusely.  I ordered my first set of chemo caps and wraps, including a very pretty white one for the wedding.  I've decided against a wig.  It seems silly- everyone is going to know it's not my hair anyway, so why bother?  Plus they look uncomfortable.  So caps it is, or maybe I'll just rock the shiny head.

Once again, please, please, PLEASE do not shave your heads when I go bald.  I love you all and I appreciate the fact that so many of you WOULD do it for me, but I promise you it's not necessary.  I've always liked standing out from a crowd- this will just be a new way to be unique.  :-)

Cheers everyone!

Two Days Drug Free!

Well, okay, not TOTALLY drug free.  But, I think I'm off the nausea meds for good until my next round of treatment!  Two days without and I'm feeling great.  Just taking a little Advil for soreness and my cough suppressants- between the allergen load outside, and the fact that dry nose/mouth/throat is a side effect of the treatment, my cough has been extra aggravated lately.  My energy and mood are still both doing great though.  :-)  I'm back to my regular work load at the shop (I'm not over-doing it, I promise!) and all my regular activities at home (except for riding, since that's currently not allowed).

Working tomorrow and Saturday, and then I'll get a break on Sunday.  Gotta squeeze in all the work I can before my 2-week absence!

Thanks for following guys.  :-)

Ditching the Meds!

Today was my first full day with zero anti-nausea meds.  I've been steadily weaning off of them since the weekend- after Saturday I was allowed to stop my prescribed regiment and only take them as needed.  But today, no pills!!  Well none of those pills.  I did have to take some cough suppressant, and still a LITTLE Advil for the throat.  But compared to the 10-odd pills a day I was taking before, still a vast improvement!!

Had a good day- did a full day's work, came home and hit Costco to stock up the house and shop with supplies, and had some tasty ribs for dinner.  My sense of taste is down to about 70, maybe 80 percent at this point.  I have some residual taste left, but it's very dull, and there are certain flavors that don't appear to show up at all.  But it's still enough to enjoy eating, even if it doesn't taste perfect.  (And chocolate seems to be one flavor that still shows up pretty strongly, so hey, I've got that going for me!)

I was absolutely elated to get an email today from Dr Kang saying that I can go ahead and get my dental work done before my next round of chemo.  Dental work and chemo don't always mix, due to the compromised immune system issues, but since we're still early on and I got the Neulasta shot, he feels comfortable letting me get the work done now.  Getting my teeth perfect before wedding pictures was a huge deal for me, so I'm so happy I don't have to put it off any longer.  Next Thursday I will have a pearly white smile again!

I opened up a few more appointments at work- I'm feeling good even working full days, so I want to make a little extra money and take care of some more of my request clients before I have to be out for 2 more weeks.  Don't worry- I'm not overdoing it!  :-P

Well, that's all for tonight.  Gonna chill out another hour or so and then get some sleep.

Happy Tuesday

Second day back was sooo much easier.  I got really good sleep last night, for one thing.  Got up before my alarm, had extra time for a shower.  Got through 4 dogs at work.  Ran a bunch of errands before and after.  Got home around 5pm, and I don't feel like melting into the couch and passing out today.  Just having some food and relaxing.  Aside from the sore throat, today is probably the closest I've felt to normal.  I'm off most of the support meds, and I've only taken sparing doses of the remaining ones (I figure settling my stomach in the morning isn't a bad thing- don't want to start off feeling rough and have it get worse all day).

So at the rate I'm going, I figure I'll be feeling totally back to myself right around the time they hook me back up for my next dose.  :-P  Well, if the best I can do is getting back to normal by the time I have to go in again, I'll take it- it'll sure beat still feeling crappy by the time I have to get hooked up again.

Time to raid the fridge.  :-)

Back to Work

Survived my first work day!  Pretty tired, but it wasn't unbearable.  I kept my schedule light and took my time, and stopped for breaks and snacks.  Now I'm home melting into the couch and planning an assault on the fridge.

Other than fatigue and sore throat, still feeling about the same.  Nothing too horrendous.  Hoping the sore throat fades soon, it'd be easier to stay well fed if everything didn't sting a little going down.

Not much else to report.  But I suppose that's for the best.  :-)

Sunday

Well, today I definitely felt the accumulative effects of this week and weekend.  I am exhausted.  I got a few things done thing morning, ran to the barn, and then pretty much crapped out the rest of the day.  My family came over and helped with the housework, which was huge...  Ty will be gone for a few days on business this week, so getting a handle on the cleaning is always a good thing.

Still, going back to work tomorrow.  I've rested a substantial portion of the day, and I'll be going to bed nice and early.  My days are booked pretty light this week, so I'm sure I can putter through.

Not much else to report-  other than the fatigue and a sore throat, I'm holding up pretty well.  Another day down!

Yay Weekend!

Happy Saturday!!

I got some great sleep sans-pump, and had my first REAL SHOWER!!!  Ahhh...  Hibachi dinner sat well.  Got up this morning and ran to Hopkins for my Neulasta shot.  They said I could feel a little bit of achiness in the next 48 hours, but other than that it shouldn't affect me.

I think I'm going to dub my new obsession "The Cancer Sandwich".  :-P  I have seriously been non-stop on these things all week:  Wheat bread, swiss cheese, chicken breast, fresh tomatoes, fresh kale, and a little mayo.  Incredibly tasty.  Tonight we're making a huge pot of baked potato soup- it's super high in potassium, which is one of the minerals they worry about me losing in the chemo process.  The other is magnesium, which is apparently easily found in whole wheat (hence the sandwiches).  I'm sure it won't be all so easy, but it's been nice this first week at least that I can still eat pretty much anything comfortably.  My appetite hasn't suffered at all either.

Went down to the barn for a bit- it was hot and buggy, but it was nice to see my petulant little pony for a few minutes.  Leah got some nice shots of us for the benefit flyer.

And now- a whole lot of resting, because I've probably already overdone it today.  :-)

Freedom!!

Well, the pump is off!  No more of that until the 20th.  To celebrate we went out to dinner- my first "real" excursion since Monday, not counting the 5-minute grocery store runs.  Feeling good!  Excited to sleep without anything attached to me for a change.  Wondered a little about dinner, but knock on wood, it's agreeing with me just fine.

Now for some relaxing, and tomorrow I get to take a REAL shower for the first time all week.  It's funny the little things you miss when they get taken away from you.  :-P

Going to try to keep the weekend fairly low-key, I have a few things to do, but I'm warned that between tomorrow's injection, and the end of my 5-day high level support meds, I could be in for a couple rough days coming up soon.  Hopefully we can mitigate them if we just keep doing what we've been doing, keeping me fed, hydrated, and rested.

Night all!  Cheers.

It's Unplugging Day!

Just a few more hours and I'll be a free woman!  The Home Care nurse should be here around 6pm tonight to unhook me.  Now I just have to keep from going nuts until they get here.  :-P

Woke up feeling good again.  Ty's working from home today, and hopefully tonight we'll be going out and grabbing some dinner for a change.  It'll be nice to be able to get dressed properly anyway!

Tomorrow I go up to Hopkins for my Neulasta injection- time to wake up those lazy bone marrow cells and tell them to get back to work!

Other goals for the weekend:  Taking pictures at the barn with Leah, cleaning up the house, and dyeing my roots because seriously, OMG.  ;-)

Feel Those Cancer Cells Dying Now...

Starting to feel the very beginnings of my "low point" (on a cellular level that is).  There's a point in every chemo cycle where your cell counts (good and bad) drop the furthest- for one of my drugs that starts at day 4-5, which is pretty much now.  I still feel pretty good, but I definitely notice an increase in overall fatigue.  I'm not sleepy exactly, I just don't feel like I can do very much when I'm up and about.  I also feel cold quickly when I get up off my cozy, blanket-wrapped couch spot.  So, time to keep the shawls and sweaters on hand I guess.

Due to the number of support meds I'm on, I don't anticipate that it will get too terribly bad, especially this first cycle- it sounds like I'll mostly just be very fatigued for a few days.  They gave us a breakdown of particular nutrients that can be sapped from the body during this time, so I'm eating foods high in all of them daily to try to counterbalance that.  Beyond that, it's just a lot of resting.   You know, cause I haven't been doing THAT all week long... :-P

So that's about it... just wanted to keep the updates flowing.  The icky-feeling days may be coming, but that just means the cancer cells are dying, and that's a good thing!

Day 4

Sleeping in bed last night was a great idea...  got so much more sleep!  Ty's still up there passed out, and so is Ruff.  They both enjoyed being back upstairs as well.  :-)

Not much new to report- still feeling pretty good, still bored.  Tomorrow is my un-hooking day!!  Counting down to that.  Today looks like another day of sitting around playing "what do I eat next?"  (Although Ty stopped at Wegman's last night and brought me home some extra goodies, so my options have broadened for today.  :-)  ).

Guess that's it for now!

Day 3

Well, last night I found my first unacceptable food:  apparently a large bowl of macaroni salad does not sit well.  Everything else has been fine though, and so far no taste alterations, so I won't count that as a huge loss (although it's awfully tasty).

Slept much better last night- thinking tonight we might actually be able to ditch the couch and go back upstairs to the bedroom.

Today will just be another day of the same- resting, eating, staying on my med schedule.  My pump is easily portable, but there's just only so many places I want to go with a needle still sticking out of my chest, so...  pretty much I'll be staying home til they unhook me Friday afternoon.

Talked to my doc via email today, and they don't want me riding just yet, due to the affected bone areas of my back.  But, because they're giving me the immune boosters, they're not worried about infection at this point, so I can at least go down to the barn and visit in the meantime.

That's about all for now... just going to be a long week of boringness.