Things are looking up. I don't have a constant upset stomach, I can eat tasty food again, and I'm generally feeling more upbeat. It's amazing how cancer drugs can affect every facet of your life.
Still not loving my job, but some days can make up for the bad ones. My co-page designer was gone today (daycare problems, it seems) so I did page one, and on a day when we had a big story. Wednesday afternoon, there was a chase on the interstate that ended in a shootout. The two people in the car were killed, and it turns out they are suspects in a Utah murder. Add to that the student teacher who was arrested after almost 40 pounds of pot was found in his car on school grounds, and it's been an interesting week around here. That doesn't happen often. When it does, though, there's kind of an electricity in the newsroom, and that reminds me of one of the reasons I got into this business in the first place. Tomorrow, back the to drudgery, though: it's wedding page day.
I think I might still look into finishing my degree (that would be my bachelor's, by the way). I was looking at the local university's online course catalog the other day, and it wouldn't take too much, I don't think, but if I took just one course a semester, it might take a year or so. If I went for my journalism degree, I figure it'd be around 11 hours. There's another required course for the journalism degree they added (on electronic media), and I'd have to finish the Spanish III course. I might be able to do those online. There's also a couple of lab classes I'm not sure I ever took. On the other hand, I might be able to get a bachelor of general studies with even less work. I think there, I might have a course in the sciences to meet the requirements. I've probably got enough hours in communication to meet the area of concentration requirement, but I'm not sure about the electives requirement. I'm having lunch next week with a prof from my college days, so I'll probably ask her what she thinks.
I finally got around to finishing cleaning my room. Now I just have some filing and organizing to do. Got my taxes started and that refund is looking good! I should use it to pay bills, but I might splurge and get me a nice new chair for the living room or my bedroom, or use it to paint the rest of the rooms in the house and do some decorating and landscaping.
Next week, I have three days in a row of medical appointments: Monday is a MUGA scan to make sure the Herceptin isn't damaging my heart; Tuesday is my appointment to set up for radiation and also Herceptin day; and Wednesday is my checkup with the urologist on my kidney stone. I guess at least I'll have some time away from work. That's always one way to look at it.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
Hello again
Things didn't necessarily improve after my last post. I guess Neupogen is trying to get its last shots in on me or something. My stomach was upset for days, I couldn't eat much and I got a bit depressed. I'm still not really out of it totally. I'm still feeling a bit down, and my stomach was still a bit upset today, plus I've got some heartburn. I'm just so tired of being sick and tired all the time. I just want to feel good again, and it's not happening fast enough.
Then on top of it all, I go to a job that I don't feel all that good about, either. Somehow, I just feel like I don't fit in there anymore. Even when I was back in the newsroom, it didn't feel like I was part of things. I go in, do the mundane tasks, and go home, and only a few people -- not anyone who decides how much or what work I do -- really tries to include me in anything. I've tried getting myself back into things, with little response. Maybe I just don't care enough about this place anymore to try that hard.
Maybe this next year would be a good time to take some classes, learn some new skills and then when I'm all done with my treatment (and don't have to worry so much about the insurance issues) move on. It's too late to enroll in this semester, so maybe I should look into that before summer.
Then on top of it all, I go to a job that I don't feel all that good about, either. Somehow, I just feel like I don't fit in there anymore. Even when I was back in the newsroom, it didn't feel like I was part of things. I go in, do the mundane tasks, and go home, and only a few people -- not anyone who decides how much or what work I do -- really tries to include me in anything. I've tried getting myself back into things, with little response. Maybe I just don't care enough about this place anymore to try that hard.
Maybe this next year would be a good time to take some classes, learn some new skills and then when I'm all done with my treatment (and don't have to worry so much about the insurance issues) move on. It's too late to enroll in this semester, so maybe I should look into that before summer.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Things just got worse
After Monday's post, it certainly did. The bone pain got so bad I could not comfortable and could not really sleep, even after taking Loratab, a prescription painkiller I got from after my surgery to put my port in. It relaxed me physically some, especially after I moved out to the couch to sleep, but I hated what did to my head. I was picking up conversations with people I haven't seen or heard from in a decade. I wouldn't have made it through the night if it weren't for Mom, rubbing my back and reminding me to take my antibiotics on time. I was in tears a lot from both the pain and frustration. Thanks, Mom! You need a raise, too.
We visited with my oncologist Tuesday, and told her about the bone pain and about how the Novelbine had been affecting me as far as a stronger fatigue and my emotions up and down, and she said we could end that part of my treatment! And also no more of the Neupogen shots for a few days, until we see what my blood count is. So the good news is, that part of my chemo is over! I couldn't be more relieved, honesty, because this was becoming hard. I don't think I could have taken another week of it. Now I understand where some of the women on the breastcancer.org board were coming from, and some of them seemed to have it a lot worse. It's not just your body that suffers, but your emotions, your sense of worth (when you don't know from day to day if you can go to your job or do anything around the house).
I'll continue with the herceptin for about the next year. The doc said she's confident enough about where I'm at that losing the few weeks of the Novelbine won't be any harm. The herceptin is the drug that will do it, she said. She also said she's had another bc patient who had kidney stones, so the company is looking into any connection. Turns out that patient is the sister-in-law of a co-worker who was diagnosed about the same time I was. And then Monday, I also found out another co-worker's sister-in-law has just been diagnosed. It's almost scary how much there of this going around.
I'll also be starting my radiation treatment earlier. That wasn't supposed to be for another couple months, after the Novelbine, but now I'll meet with the radiation oncologist in two weeks, so I'll probably start soon after. I know there's a lot of prep work they do (including putting little tattoos on you so they can line up the equipment to zap the right spot. I always thought if I got a tattoo, it'd at least be something cool. Oh well.)
I did throw up yesterday, after we got home from the doc's visit. I just attributed it to all the stress and sleeplessness of the night before, but I've felt kinda nauseous off and on since then. It's really annoying, because I really just want to wake up and feel good for once.
We visited with my oncologist Tuesday, and told her about the bone pain and about how the Novelbine had been affecting me as far as a stronger fatigue and my emotions up and down, and she said we could end that part of my treatment! And also no more of the Neupogen shots for a few days, until we see what my blood count is. So the good news is, that part of my chemo is over! I couldn't be more relieved, honesty, because this was becoming hard. I don't think I could have taken another week of it. Now I understand where some of the women on the breastcancer.org board were coming from, and some of them seemed to have it a lot worse. It's not just your body that suffers, but your emotions, your sense of worth (when you don't know from day to day if you can go to your job or do anything around the house).
I'll continue with the herceptin for about the next year. The doc said she's confident enough about where I'm at that losing the few weeks of the Novelbine won't be any harm. The herceptin is the drug that will do it, she said. She also said she's had another bc patient who had kidney stones, so the company is looking into any connection. Turns out that patient is the sister-in-law of a co-worker who was diagnosed about the same time I was. And then Monday, I also found out another co-worker's sister-in-law has just been diagnosed. It's almost scary how much there of this going around.
I'll also be starting my radiation treatment earlier. That wasn't supposed to be for another couple months, after the Novelbine, but now I'll meet with the radiation oncologist in two weeks, so I'll probably start soon after. I know there's a lot of prep work they do (including putting little tattoos on you so they can line up the equipment to zap the right spot. I always thought if I got a tattoo, it'd at least be something cool. Oh well.)
I did throw up yesterday, after we got home from the doc's visit. I just attributed it to all the stress and sleeplessness of the night before, but I've felt kinda nauseous off and on since then. It's really annoying, because I really just want to wake up and feel good for once.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Yucky Monday
Got my blood drawn for lab work this afternoon and the results are not good. My white blood cell count is so low, they won't let me have my treatment tomorrow. I'll still see my doc, and I'm going to ask her about possible having treatment every other week. Even though that will stretch out my treatment, I'd rather have time in between to build my immune system, strength and emotions back up. More Neupogen shots are on tap for today, tomorrow and Wednesday, too. The bone pain is manageable when I'm at home, but when I went to work for a few hours this afternoon, I hard time not moaning and groaning a lot. Which would have been embarrassing, since the managers were having their meeting in the next room. (Reason no. 32 I do not want to be a manger: you spend a lot of time talking about really boring stuff in a LOT of detail. "Should it say 'the' here? Does that arrogant? Is it even grammatically correct?" Yawwwwn!)
Thanks all for the support. I need some cheering up once in a while!
Thanks all for the support. I need some cheering up once in a while!
I know it's been awhile
Truthfully, I haven't been feeling as good as my last post may have sounded. Through the last week I've just felt dead tired. Since treatment last Tuesday, the fatigue has hit hard, not to mention the digestive problems. I haven't felt much like eating more than liquids anyway. I went to work only half days Wednesday and Thursday, managed to get through a full day Friday and then had to work the desk (about 11 hours) on Saturday. I was walking like an old, arthritic person, as one buddy at work put it. On top of all that, it was hard keeping my spirits up last week. Nipper and I spent a lot of snuggle time together.
My white blood cell counts are way down again, so not only am I in my little "office" again, but I'm on antibiotics and had Neupogen shots Friday, Saturday and Sunday to bring the count up again.
Sunday was spent all day in bed still dead tired. Some scrambled eggs from Mom in the evening perked me up a bit, but I ended up staying home from work this morning. I got up and went through my usual routine, but was pretty exhausted after my shower. So I called in sick for the morning, and glad I did. About the time I would have got to work, the bone pain from the Neupogen shots kicked in. Imagine the worst ache you've ever had (ladies, that's probably not too difficult, guys I don't know what your equivalent would be ), and imagine it coming from deep inside every big bone in your body -- not just hips, but the lower back, thighs, shoulders, arm, sometimes even the ribs. This is from deep inside the marrow, too. Fortunately, painkiller and the heating pad seem to help.
I have to go in for lab work today to see if I'm up for chemo tomorrow. I might put in an hour or two at work (God forbid a man should have to do the Food Page). It's an awful blustery day today, too. At least we're not getting the snow they were predicting earlier. But I wish I'd been feeling better yesterday when it was about 70 and sunny and my poor dog should have been out enjoying it instead of comforting me. He needs a raise.
My white blood cell counts are way down again, so not only am I in my little "office" again, but I'm on antibiotics and had Neupogen shots Friday, Saturday and Sunday to bring the count up again.
Sunday was spent all day in bed still dead tired. Some scrambled eggs from Mom in the evening perked me up a bit, but I ended up staying home from work this morning. I got up and went through my usual routine, but was pretty exhausted after my shower. So I called in sick for the morning, and glad I did. About the time I would have got to work, the bone pain from the Neupogen shots kicked in. Imagine the worst ache you've ever had (ladies, that's probably not too difficult, guys I don't know what your equivalent would be ), and imagine it coming from deep inside every big bone in your body -- not just hips, but the lower back, thighs, shoulders, arm, sometimes even the ribs. This is from deep inside the marrow, too. Fortunately, painkiller and the heating pad seem to help.
I have to go in for lab work today to see if I'm up for chemo tomorrow. I might put in an hour or two at work (God forbid a man should have to do the Food Page). It's an awful blustery day today, too. At least we're not getting the snow they were predicting earlier. But I wish I'd been feeling better yesterday when it was about 70 and sunny and my poor dog should have been out enjoying it instead of comforting me. He needs a raise.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
A better day
I'm feeling much better today, although I woke up this morning with a headache, so I didn't get a lot done earlier today. All week I felt pretty crappy -- tired, bloated, etc. -- and just wound up each day on the couch with the heating pad and then to bed with the heating pad. I suffered through work with an upset stomach all day. I hope this isn't going to be the way I react to the new chemo regimen, 'cause it would really suck to feel that awful for the next two months. If it happens again next week, I guess I'll need to talk with my doc about it.
I'm glad I'm feeling better today because we have more of the unseasonably warm weather that's been pervading this winter. It's about 60 right now, and as soon as the laundry in the dryer (with some clean sweatpants) is done, I'm taking Nipper for a walk. We both need to get out in the sunshine and fresh air.
This morning I did get a couple loads of laundry done. I need to finish the cleanup/organizing I started on my bedroom last week and start taking the decorations off the tree. Since I didn't feel great, I did at least watch "Kill Bill Vol. 1," which I've had sitting around for a week or so. It's the first Tarantino film I've seen. Most of the first half was pretty dull, I thought, and a couple of times I almost turned it off. It didn't really get my interest until she went to Tokyo to kill the first of the assassins. And the violence is pretty over the top, what with the fountains of blood and cheesey '70s music, so it's not like it's gory violence -- more comic, really. Still, it's probably not something my mom would want to watch.
Well, laundry's done. Time for a nice walk.
I'm glad I'm feeling better today because we have more of the unseasonably warm weather that's been pervading this winter. It's about 60 right now, and as soon as the laundry in the dryer (with some clean sweatpants) is done, I'm taking Nipper for a walk. We both need to get out in the sunshine and fresh air.
This morning I did get a couple loads of laundry done. I need to finish the cleanup/organizing I started on my bedroom last week and start taking the decorations off the tree. Since I didn't feel great, I did at least watch "Kill Bill Vol. 1," which I've had sitting around for a week or so. It's the first Tarantino film I've seen. Most of the first half was pretty dull, I thought, and a couple of times I almost turned it off. It didn't really get my interest until she went to Tokyo to kill the first of the assassins. And the violence is pretty over the top, what with the fountains of blood and cheesey '70s music, so it's not like it's gory violence -- more comic, really. Still, it's probably not something my mom would want to watch.
Well, laundry's done. Time for a nice walk.
Christmas pics
Some Christmas-time pics from us:
Nipper gets into the Christmas spirit:
Nipper and me:
Nipper shows off one of his gifts:
Me with the curio cabinet my mom, dad and brother gave me. That's just part of my Peanuts collection in there:
Nipper gets into the Christmas spirit:
Nipper and me:
Nipper shows off one of his gifts:
Me with the curio cabinet my mom, dad and brother gave me. That's just part of my Peanuts collection in there:
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Blahg entry
I haven't posted for a few days because I haven't been feeling that great. I've been a little ... blocked up, let's say, and bloated and it's not a great feeling, especially when combined with fatigue. I hope this is just a temporary thing and doesn't happen every week, since I'm getting the Navelbine every week for the next seven weeks along with the Herceptin. I don't want to get to feeling better only to have this happen all over again after treatment Tuesday. It would really suck to feel like this for the next two months.
Dinner's been really simple the last couple days -- last night was just mashed potatoes. Tonight, I'm thinking a milkshake. Then an evening on the couch with the hot pad. Exciting life, eh?
Dinner's been really simple the last couple days -- last night was just mashed potatoes. Tonight, I'm thinking a milkshake. Then an evening on the couch with the hot pad. Exciting life, eh?
Monday, January 02, 2006
Dinnertime
Tonight I made dinner for myself. I know that sounds unremarkable, but I don't really cook much. Mom (if you're new here, SHE moved in with ME) does most of the cooking. Cooking every day does get to be a drag, but there is a good feeling from making your own meals. Mom didn't feel good tonight, so she just had Cream of Wheat.
I like to cook, but I'm not real fancy about it. I mean, it's not like I have all day to make a big meal. There's always something out of a box or a can or frozen, but I like to stay away from the over-processed stuff when I can. Tonight was pretty simple. A baked chicken breast, some mashed potatoes, corn muffins -- one my favorite quick meals. I also made enough I that I can take some for lunch later in the week. I need to do more of that kind of thing (see the previous post). Prepackaged, store-bought meals are convenient and all, but especially having had cancer, I should be cutting my intake of highly processed foods.
I actually have one of those FoodSaver vacuum sealers. I don't use it as much as I did at first, but maybe I'll get back into using it. I know the infomercials are goofy, but it really works as well as they say it does. Of course, I bought one BEFORE they added the feature that lets you vacuum seal breads and other soft foods. Oh well. If I got a new one, they'd just come up with some new features.
I like to cook, but I'm not real fancy about it. I mean, it's not like I have all day to make a big meal. There's always something out of a box or a can or frozen, but I like to stay away from the over-processed stuff when I can. Tonight was pretty simple. A baked chicken breast, some mashed potatoes, corn muffins -- one my favorite quick meals. I also made enough I that I can take some for lunch later in the week. I need to do more of that kind of thing (see the previous post). Prepackaged, store-bought meals are convenient and all, but especially having had cancer, I should be cutting my intake of highly processed foods.
I actually have one of those FoodSaver vacuum sealers. I don't use it as much as I did at first, but maybe I'll get back into using it. I know the infomercials are goofy, but it really works as well as they say it does. Of course, I bought one BEFORE they added the feature that lets you vacuum seal breads and other soft foods. Oh well. If I got a new one, they'd just come up with some new features.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Obligatory resolutions post
So it's 2006, and time for resolutions. Here we go:
1) Get through the rest of my treatment with the same ease I did the first part.
2) Stay healthy the rest of the year.
3) Finish the kitchen/dining room decorating project I started the summer before last.
4) Paint my bedroom and living room. Worry about making everything else in the rooms match next year.
5) Use at least one week of my vacation time to travel somewhere.
6) Take my lunch to work more than I eat out.
That's enough. Can't overdo it, after all.
1) Get through the rest of my treatment with the same ease I did the first part.
2) Stay healthy the rest of the year.
3) Finish the kitchen/dining room decorating project I started the summer before last.
4) Paint my bedroom and living room. Worry about making everything else in the rooms match next year.
5) Use at least one week of my vacation time to travel somewhere.
6) Take my lunch to work more than I eat out.
That's enough. Can't overdo it, after all.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Not a party gal
My New Year's Eve started out with a stomach ache. So I spent most of the morning in bed. I felt better after a grilled cheese for lunch and then a shower.
This afternoon, I took Nipper for walk, which made him a happy boy, and then Mom and I took off for town, where she picked up her prescriptions and I picked up a new TV for my bedroom. For quite some time, the picture has faded in and out on the old one, so when we got $20 in gift certificates for our Christmas bonus at work (whoo-hoo!) I thought I'd get a new TV. It's nothing special, just a little 13-inch. It's at least got a headphone jack, so if I watch TV while Mom's sleeping, I don't have to have the sound down almost all they way.
Tonight, I spent a good part of the evening making some minor updates and improvements on my Web page. Nothing big, just editing some outdated stuff and changing the navigation to drop-down menus. Yeah, I'm at the forefront of Web design all right. I got through most of the site. Maybe I'll finish it up tomorrow.
And that's as exciting as my beginning of 2006 will be. If I even manage to stay awake long enough to see it come around.
Happy New Year, everyone!
This afternoon, I took Nipper for walk, which made him a happy boy, and then Mom and I took off for town, where she picked up her prescriptions and I picked up a new TV for my bedroom. For quite some time, the picture has faded in and out on the old one, so when we got $20 in gift certificates for our Christmas bonus at work (whoo-hoo!) I thought I'd get a new TV. It's nothing special, just a little 13-inch. It's at least got a headphone jack, so if I watch TV while Mom's sleeping, I don't have to have the sound down almost all they way.
Tonight, I spent a good part of the evening making some minor updates and improvements on my Web page. Nothing big, just editing some outdated stuff and changing the navigation to drop-down menus. Yeah, I'm at the forefront of Web design all right. I got through most of the site. Maybe I'll finish it up tomorrow.
And that's as exciting as my beginning of 2006 will be. If I even manage to stay awake long enough to see it come around.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Friday, December 30, 2005
Happy birthday!
Yes, today is my birthday. No. 37. I suppose I should have some deep, introspective entry here about What I Have Learned in the last six months or something, but I'm not feeling that deep today.
I really hate having a big to-do about my birthday anymore. I mean, once you're not interested in the latest toys from whatever hot movie, it's not as much fun, right? Better to just have a few people wish you happy birthday and maybe have a special dinner with friends or family and hope your presents are something that's useful or sentimental, depending on who gives it.
A few people at work said happy birthday to me today, and one gave me a card. I passed up an invite to go out after work. I just really wanted to get home for a quiet evening.
Mom's taking her nap before she goes to work, Nipper is busy with his rawhide chew he got for Christmas (it's about half gone!) and I'm watching reruns and playing on the happy.
... and many more!
I really hate having a big to-do about my birthday anymore. I mean, once you're not interested in the latest toys from whatever hot movie, it's not as much fun, right? Better to just have a few people wish you happy birthday and maybe have a special dinner with friends or family and hope your presents are something that's useful or sentimental, depending on who gives it.
A few people at work said happy birthday to me today, and one gave me a card. I passed up an invite to go out after work. I just really wanted to get home for a quiet evening.
Mom's taking her nap before she goes to work, Nipper is busy with his rawhide chew he got for Christmas (it's about half gone!) and I'm watching reruns and playing on the happy.
... and many more!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Tired
The fatigue has hit. Actually it hit last night. I took Nipper for a walk -- the first time in several days, so he was happy -- but maybe I overdid it. I spent the rest of the night on the couch, barely awake, and went to bed a bit early. Today wasn't much better. I went to work, but was still pretty tired all day.
I had lunch with another friend who was visiting family for the holiday from Muncie, where she works for the newspaper there. Another co-worker joined us, but another ex-co-worker wasn't able to make it, since she had a migrane. We met at a classy micro-brewery and diner downtown. It was our first time there, and it was actually pretty good. I've heard mixed reviews about the place, but my chicken club was good. I don't drink, so can't tell you anything about the beer (although my friend said the pumpkin ale was pretty good). She gave me a ceramic star Christmas ornament that she made at one of those pottery shops where you paint the thing you want and they fire it for you. I thought it was cool she would do that.
My parents and I celebrated my birthday early at my dad's house tonight (tomorrow is the real day). We had a simple dinner, since none of us seemed to feel that great, and chocolate cake, and then I got my gifts. The big one I saw right off as I walked in the door. Mom, Dad and my brother got me a curio cabinet to keep all my Peanuts collectibles in. There's even a good spot for it in the bedroom. Mom and Dad put it mostly together at his house, so we had to load it up in Mom's truck and bring it home. We're both too tired to finish putting the door on and the shelves in, so maybe that will be a weekend project.
Mom also got me a Snoopy & Woodstock statue to put in the garden. They're in they're Beagle Scout gear and it's really cute.
That's it for now. I'm going to go get comfy and crawl into bed and watch reruns until I fall asleep.
I had lunch with another friend who was visiting family for the holiday from Muncie, where she works for the newspaper there. Another co-worker joined us, but another ex-co-worker wasn't able to make it, since she had a migrane. We met at a classy micro-brewery and diner downtown. It was our first time there, and it was actually pretty good. I've heard mixed reviews about the place, but my chicken club was good. I don't drink, so can't tell you anything about the beer (although my friend said the pumpkin ale was pretty good). She gave me a ceramic star Christmas ornament that she made at one of those pottery shops where you paint the thing you want and they fire it for you. I thought it was cool she would do that.
My parents and I celebrated my birthday early at my dad's house tonight (tomorrow is the real day). We had a simple dinner, since none of us seemed to feel that great, and chocolate cake, and then I got my gifts. The big one I saw right off as I walked in the door. Mom, Dad and my brother got me a curio cabinet to keep all my Peanuts collectibles in. There's even a good spot for it in the bedroom. Mom and Dad put it mostly together at his house, so we had to load it up in Mom's truck and bring it home. We're both too tired to finish putting the door on and the shelves in, so maybe that will be a weekend project.
Mom also got me a Snoopy & Woodstock statue to put in the garden. They're in they're Beagle Scout gear and it's really cute.
That's it for now. I'm going to go get comfy and crawl into bed and watch reruns until I fall asleep.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
A good day
Of all my chemo days, this one has been one of the best. We went in this morning and I got weighed and got the usual questions from the nurse. Then I visited with the doctor -- not my doctor, she's on vacation, I think. But this guy was pretty nice. He said the dry skin on my face was something that happens a lot, but showed a bit of concern about the rash on my chest and neck. My nurse (one of my favorites today) said it could be from the morphine I had when I was in the hospital with the kidney stones, even more than a week later.
We had to wait awhile before starting the chemo, because they had to do lab work. I was supposed to have it done yesterday, at the path lab that's just off the hospital's main lobby, but when I went, it was closed. So they drew the blood this morning and it took about an hour to get the results back. The herceptin was first and took about an hour through the IV drip. I got lunch delivered -- not bad for hospital food: baked chicken breast, corn, baked potato, chicken and rice soup, and cake for dessert. The new drug, Navelbine, was a "push," meaning the nurse uses a syringe to infuse the drug over a certain amount of time (about six minutes in this case).
It will probably bring my white blood cell count down, so I'll have to go back to my "isolation chamber" at work -- basically a storage area off the conference room. It can also cause some numbness or tingling in my hands and feet, but my doctor said this one doesn't have it as bad as the Taxotere can. So far, no nausea, and not really any fatigue. I didn't fall asleep during this one and I actually feel pretty good. I'll still take tomorrow off, because you never know, it could all hit me after a day or so.
Mom probably had it rougher than I did this morning. The store must have been busy, because she didn't get home until almost 8 a.m., and I think she was already tired from working Christmas night! The treatment room I was in this morning was one of the smaller ones with only one cushy recliner in it, so Mom was trying to get comfortable in the waiting-room type chair. She did manage a short nap or two, but it couldn't have been comfortable.
After we got home, we watched "Gangs of New York," and by the time that was over, we both needed naps. Now we're just lazing around watching the Kennedy Center Honors, and I have to say Robert Redford is still kinda hot.
P.S. Welcome to new readers. I've gotten a couple of plugs that have sent some traffic this way from here and here. Thanks for the links and kind words, guys!
We had to wait awhile before starting the chemo, because they had to do lab work. I was supposed to have it done yesterday, at the path lab that's just off the hospital's main lobby, but when I went, it was closed. So they drew the blood this morning and it took about an hour to get the results back. The herceptin was first and took about an hour through the IV drip. I got lunch delivered -- not bad for hospital food: baked chicken breast, corn, baked potato, chicken and rice soup, and cake for dessert. The new drug, Navelbine, was a "push," meaning the nurse uses a syringe to infuse the drug over a certain amount of time (about six minutes in this case).
It will probably bring my white blood cell count down, so I'll have to go back to my "isolation chamber" at work -- basically a storage area off the conference room. It can also cause some numbness or tingling in my hands and feet, but my doctor said this one doesn't have it as bad as the Taxotere can. So far, no nausea, and not really any fatigue. I didn't fall asleep during this one and I actually feel pretty good. I'll still take tomorrow off, because you never know, it could all hit me after a day or so.
Mom probably had it rougher than I did this morning. The store must have been busy, because she didn't get home until almost 8 a.m., and I think she was already tired from working Christmas night! The treatment room I was in this morning was one of the smaller ones with only one cushy recliner in it, so Mom was trying to get comfortable in the waiting-room type chair. She did manage a short nap or two, but it couldn't have been comfortable.
After we got home, we watched "Gangs of New York," and by the time that was over, we both needed naps. Now we're just lazing around watching the Kennedy Center Honors, and I have to say Robert Redford is still kinda hot.
P.S. Welcome to new readers. I've gotten a couple of plugs that have sent some traffic this way from here and here. Thanks for the links and kind words, guys!
Monday, December 26, 2005
Do they make Chapstick for your face?
The skin on my face is so dry today. You know that burning feeling you get when your lips are really dry? That's what my whole face feels like, especially under my eyes and on my eyelids. I slathered my face with lotion last night and this morning, but it didn't really help. I felt a little better after drinking about four cups of water, but it still kind of burns. I also have a slight rash around my collar bones that itched quite a bit this afternoon. And the skin on my neck is so sensitive that under normal conditions, I touch it and I get a long-lasting red blotch, so you imagine how this looked. When I was in the hospital last weekend, my doctor noticed a rash then, but it wasn't really bothering me. So I guess I have a couple questions for her tomorrow.
On the good side of the day, I got to see a good friend I haven't seen in a while, since her wedding this summer. They live in Connecticut, and it's obvious the distance is taking a toll on both of them. They plan on coming back to the Midwest, but both need another year or two of good experience before they want to move on career-wise. Probably a good choice, but I miss having her around. So we had a good evening, at her in-laws house. She asked me to bring Nipper, I think because she misses her own dog, and they're all dog people, so he had a good time too. He got cookies and some grilled beef and ice cream ... they spoiled him like he was their own. My friend gave Nipper a vanilla-flavored rawhide chew and gave me a cool picture frame. It was good to see her and get caught up. I only wish they could be here longer. But that's life, isn't it? Maybe sometime next year I can go see them.
On the good side of the day, I got to see a good friend I haven't seen in a while, since her wedding this summer. They live in Connecticut, and it's obvious the distance is taking a toll on both of them. They plan on coming back to the Midwest, but both need another year or two of good experience before they want to move on career-wise. Probably a good choice, but I miss having her around. So we had a good evening, at her in-laws house. She asked me to bring Nipper, I think because she misses her own dog, and they're all dog people, so he had a good time too. He got cookies and some grilled beef and ice cream ... they spoiled him like he was their own. My friend gave Nipper a vanilla-flavored rawhide chew and gave me a cool picture frame. It was good to see her and get caught up. I only wish they could be here longer. But that's life, isn't it? Maybe sometime next year I can go see them.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas!
Hope everyone had a good day, whether or not or you celebrate a holiday today. Ours was quiet and simple. We slept in late, had apple cinnamon muffins for breakfast and read the paper. Dad came over around 10:30 a.m. and we opened the presents. Dad and I got a lot more than Mom did, but I think she always enjoys the giving more than anything. Nipper even got his share of presents, mostly edible.
We grilled KC strip steaks this afternoon, since it was such a nice day -- almost 60 degrees. We didn't do anything special to them, just put them on the grill. The smoky taste was perfect enough for December. Mashed potatoes, a salad and Dutch apple pie rounded out the meal. Afterwards, Dad headed to his place to watch the game, and Mom, Nipper and I took naps.
Mom has taken off for work at the Major Discount Store. She'll be cleaning the front end as others stock the shelves for the big after-Christmas sale and happy returns. I head to work in the morning. All in all, a good day, but in the end, it's back to the grind.
We grilled KC strip steaks this afternoon, since it was such a nice day -- almost 60 degrees. We didn't do anything special to them, just put them on the grill. The smoky taste was perfect enough for December. Mashed potatoes, a salad and Dutch apple pie rounded out the meal. Afterwards, Dad headed to his place to watch the game, and Mom, Nipper and I took naps.
Mom has taken off for work at the Major Discount Store. She'll be cleaning the front end as others stock the shelves for the big after-Christmas sale and happy returns. I head to work in the morning. All in all, a good day, but in the end, it's back to the grind.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
'Twas the ... oh you know
I had to work today. This is the second year in a row I've worked Christmas weekend. Doesn't seem fair, but what can you do? I was gone most of the week, and I didn't want anyone else to have to change their plans on short notice, but still. Maybe next week I'll put myself down on the newsroom calendar to be off for Christmas.
There was a fatal accident here Friday night. A car with five teenagers ran a stop sign on a county road and collided with a car driven by a local woman. A 16-year-old died and three others plus the woman in the other car were flown to a larger hospital overnight. One of the other kids might be paralyzed, but our reporter didn't get any confirmation on that. It would be horrible to lose a loved one or have them injured like that at any time, but at Christmas it must be a hundred times worse, with the unopened presents reminding them of the tragedy long after they should have been opened. I don't know any of the families, but I send some prayers their way.
Tomorrow for us, just a quiet day is planned. It's supposed to be around 60 degrees, so we're planning on throwing some steaks on the grill sometime in the afternoon. Presents in the morning, of course. Not too early, because we like to sleep in. Although, even though I'm all grown up, I do find it difficult to get to sleep on Christmas Eve, just like when I was a kid.
Hope you and yours have a good one Sunday, no matter what (of if) you celebrate.
There was a fatal accident here Friday night. A car with five teenagers ran a stop sign on a county road and collided with a car driven by a local woman. A 16-year-old died and three others plus the woman in the other car were flown to a larger hospital overnight. One of the other kids might be paralyzed, but our reporter didn't get any confirmation on that. It would be horrible to lose a loved one or have them injured like that at any time, but at Christmas it must be a hundred times worse, with the unopened presents reminding them of the tragedy long after they should have been opened. I don't know any of the families, but I send some prayers their way.
Tomorrow for us, just a quiet day is planned. It's supposed to be around 60 degrees, so we're planning on throwing some steaks on the grill sometime in the afternoon. Presents in the morning, of course. Not too early, because we like to sleep in. Although, even though I'm all grown up, I do find it difficult to get to sleep on Christmas Eve, just like when I was a kid.
Hope you and yours have a good one Sunday, no matter what (of if) you celebrate.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Back to work
I went back to work this afternoon. Everybody seemed pretty glad to see me, which always makes you feel good. It was pretty slow around the office, as it always is this time of year. We really have to stretch to fill the paper some days at the end of the year. Hence, all the end-of-the-year wrapups and top ten stories of the year type of stuff we publish. We started the top ten last year, and it's a pretty good idea, at least from the aspect of filling some space.
Tomorrow, a full day, and then I work Saturday on the desk for Sunday's paper. We're looking at a 7 p.m. press time (as opposed to the usual midnight), so that won't be so bad. Then back to work Monday, and chemo on Tuesday. I'll take an extra day Wednesday to recover from that, and then it's probably back in my little "office" since I think the drug I'll be starting Tuesday is also one that affects my immune system. Well, I'll have a private place to gripe about things again at least.
Feeling better from the kidney stone adventure. Still a little sore in the kidney area, but it doesn't seem that bruised. Had a bit of "pebbles" last night move through, I think, but they said it could take up to two weeks for all the pieces of the stone to flush through my system. Yay.
Tomorrow, a full day, and then I work Saturday on the desk for Sunday's paper. We're looking at a 7 p.m. press time (as opposed to the usual midnight), so that won't be so bad. Then back to work Monday, and chemo on Tuesday. I'll take an extra day Wednesday to recover from that, and then it's probably back in my little "office" since I think the drug I'll be starting Tuesday is also one that affects my immune system. Well, I'll have a private place to gripe about things again at least.
Feeling better from the kidney stone adventure. Still a little sore in the kidney area, but it doesn't seem that bruised. Had a bit of "pebbles" last night move through, I think, but they said it could take up to two weeks for all the pieces of the stone to flush through my system. Yay.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
I'm back!
Man, I feel better than I have since Friday night.
Spent the entire afternoon at the hospital to get the soundwave treatment for my kidney stone. They put me under for the procedure, so I don't remember any of it. All I know is that after I woke up and got over the grogginess, I felt about 80 percent better. I just have a little soreness in my back, and the nurse said I was starting to show some bruising.
I think how I feel is mostly just mental. I was so down in the dumps yesterday and not looking forward to being in the hospital again, it just made me cry. Nipper had to put in a lot of comfort time for me this morning.
We left the hospital a little before 5 p.m., stopped to pick up some KFC to satisfy my craving, and headed home. As we walked in the door, the phone was ringing. It was co-worker calling to see if she could bring over the bonus we got at work this week -- a couple of Chamber of Commerce gift certificates for $10 each. Hey, that's much more than we've gotten the last two or three years!
I might go to work for awhile tomorrow afternoon. I'll see how I feel. It may just be the Percocet making me feel like I could do that.
Getting kind of sleepy, and Nipper is really wanting to snuggle with me, so I think I'll sign off and go lie in bed for while. Thanks to everyone for your e-mails and good thoughts!
Spent the entire afternoon at the hospital to get the soundwave treatment for my kidney stone. They put me under for the procedure, so I don't remember any of it. All I know is that after I woke up and got over the grogginess, I felt about 80 percent better. I just have a little soreness in my back, and the nurse said I was starting to show some bruising.
I think how I feel is mostly just mental. I was so down in the dumps yesterday and not looking forward to being in the hospital again, it just made me cry. Nipper had to put in a lot of comfort time for me this morning.
We left the hospital a little before 5 p.m., stopped to pick up some KFC to satisfy my craving, and headed home. As we walked in the door, the phone was ringing. It was co-worker calling to see if she could bring over the bonus we got at work this week -- a couple of Chamber of Commerce gift certificates for $10 each. Hey, that's much more than we've gotten the last two or three years!
I might go to work for awhile tomorrow afternoon. I'll see how I feel. It may just be the Percocet making me feel like I could do that.
Getting kind of sleepy, and Nipper is really wanting to snuggle with me, so I think I'll sign off and go lie in bed for while. Thanks to everyone for your e-mails and good thoughts!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Looking for an end
I am so tired of the hospital. The people who work there are great, I will say, but I am just tired of being there, seeing the institutional colors and answering the same questions 20 times in one morning. And I get to do it all again tomorrow afternoon.
I had the procedure to put in the stent this morning. It went OK and I was home before 1 p.m., when the Home Depot contractor came by to install my Christmas present from my mom and dad -- a storm door for the front entrance to the house. It works rather well. We had the front door open for awhile and couldn't really feel any cold air coming in. If only we'd had this for the last couple snow storms! It has a retracting screen in the upper part, so that will be nice when warm weather comes again. Nipper didn't even try to walk through it. He just stood and had that "open, already, wouldya" look on his face he does with other doors.
Poor dog is starting to go stir crazy. He pulled a small football out of his basket of toys and played with it for a bit, and Mom and I kind of tossed it around for him. He's not really a plays-with-toys kind of dog, so that's a sign he's bored and has a lot of pent-up energy. I don't go back to the hospital until noon tomorrow, so maybe I can take him out in the morning and throw the old shoes he likes to play with in the yard or take him down to the creek and exercise his sniffer, too.
I'm really grateful for Mom & Dad being here, and Nipper too, because I can't imagine going through all this stuff by myself. I know my brother would be here if he could, but your e-mails are a big help, bro. And same for those long-distance friends and even you complete strangers who have wandered by here somehow and left comments. It's been hard these last few days to keep upbeat about everything. It seems like everything was going so well, and then BAM this happens to knock me down a bit. I'll keep going though, because what choice do I have?
I had the procedure to put in the stent this morning. It went OK and I was home before 1 p.m., when the Home Depot contractor came by to install my Christmas present from my mom and dad -- a storm door for the front entrance to the house. It works rather well. We had the front door open for awhile and couldn't really feel any cold air coming in. If only we'd had this for the last couple snow storms! It has a retracting screen in the upper part, so that will be nice when warm weather comes again. Nipper didn't even try to walk through it. He just stood and had that "open, already, wouldya" look on his face he does with other doors.
Poor dog is starting to go stir crazy. He pulled a small football out of his basket of toys and played with it for a bit, and Mom and I kind of tossed it around for him. He's not really a plays-with-toys kind of dog, so that's a sign he's bored and has a lot of pent-up energy. I don't go back to the hospital until noon tomorrow, so maybe I can take him out in the morning and throw the old shoes he likes to play with in the yard or take him down to the creek and exercise his sniffer, too.
I'm really grateful for Mom & Dad being here, and Nipper too, because I can't imagine going through all this stuff by myself. I know my brother would be here if he could, but your e-mails are a big help, bro. And same for those long-distance friends and even you complete strangers who have wandered by here somehow and left comments. It's been hard these last few days to keep upbeat about everything. It seems like everything was going so well, and then BAM this happens to knock me down a bit. I'll keep going though, because what choice do I have?
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