To update, this round was better than the worst 2. My mouth went wacko this time - I really could not tolerate much in the way of food. I spent one day sipping every few minutes from a water bottle. It was so dry and cottony. I described it to others like this - think of burning your tongue on a hot drink. Now, imagine that feeling that you get on your tongue your whole tongue and roof and inside of the whole mouth. It lasted for a lot longer than other times. Physically I bounced back pretty well this time. I never went as down deep as #1 and #4.
We came to Salt Lake for Christmas. Carter, Tori and Jesse all couldn't take time off from work. Maggie could have if it would have been something they could have done to come up to WA for Christmas. But we decided to come ahead on down here - it all depended on last minute how I felt and how the weather was for driving. Both were favorable, so south we came. We did hit a couple of blizzardy spots on the drive through Montana, but most of the drive the roads were either just wet or bare and dry.
Maggie's parents went to Issaquah for Christmas, and they were kind enough to let us stay in their house in Lehi. This way we have more room than if we stayed with C&M, and N is not having to be on high alert with a dog in the house all the time. She has warmed up to Korah, and pets her and follows her around now, but she still is on edge not sure what K will do.
Since we got here, we have gotten a few inches of snow. This morning it was blowing so hard at the same time that it was snowing sideways. We got in at dinner time on Saturday. We met everyone at an Italian restaurant in Taylorsville. Carter couldn't make it as he had a call to go to in Layton to fix a client's computer system that had gotten a really bad virus. Sunday we went to C&M's ward then went to Jeff's sister Jan's house for a Howell family get together. Valerie was there visiting her son Jason and family (they came too). Mike and his family, all of our family, Mom came with Mike and Mom's brother in law Garth Porter and his daughter Mary were there. It was so fun to see and spend time with everyone there.
Monday the girls played with Korah in the snow. Maggie and I went shopping. Then Carter and I went to see the new Star Wars movie! I wasn't up for going out to dinner - it had been too long of a day. We went to Costco and got pizza then went home for that and games. Yesterday, Tuesday, we hung out with Maggie. Jeff went to get some tubes to go tubing, but took a long time as the first place he went didn't have any and it was crowded shopping. They all left the same time I did. I went downtown to Tori's house to help her make peanut brittle and have dinner. That was fun spending time teaching her Grandfather's technique to make the best peanut brittle! It was snowing when I left, but not really sticking on the ground. I got back to C&M's and we all came down here to Lehi. It was another long day. My stamina isn't great, but I am able to do most things. I had a hard time carrying a bag of groceries up a flight of stairs - Tori had to take it from me the last couple of steps.
So far, we are all healthy. N just came in from playing outside complaining she was going to throw up, but didn't. I think she just got overheated - so they rested a bit and are out again.We are going to go up to Riverton and maybe see a movie (everyone is working today). Carter and I will go out to dinner, since I had to back out on it on Monday. I did miss dinner out with Brenton and his family last night, but I really wanted to spend the time with Tori, and this was the only time we had, mostly so she could take the candy into work with her, but it really was the only night we could have done that. Tomorrow, everyone is going to stay here for the night, then we'll have Christmas to relax and play games and visit some more! I am loving the time with all my children together. I am getting tired obviously, but I am resting and not doing anything that is taxing to my energy.
One week from today I will be sitting in the chemo room for the last time for infusions! 2 weeks from today I should be out of all the icky stuff and feeling better and getting on the mend again but for the last time!
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
5 Down 1 To Go!!
Although I am not through this round, yet, I can happily say I have gotten 5 of my 6 infusions over and done with. From the last round, I am not looking forward to the next few days in terms of how I will feel. I had one round that wasn't too bad, and that was round 2. I expected then to just hit the wall like I did with the 1st one, but I didn't. The 3rd round was almost as bad as the first, and #4 I had a couple of really bad days where I just couldn't stand going through. I am not looking forward to having that happen again. I made sure to tell Dr. Sri how much I didn't like it, and to point out all the side effects that I have had this time. One of them is that my fingernails started hurting really badly. I had the middle, ring and pinky fingers on both hands get this red spot in the middle of the nail. It would hurt to pull on my socks - that grabbing and pulling motion. I just now took the picture and the redness has gone down quite a bit and the soreness is not really noticeable. I just hope that I don't loose my nail. The left middle finger was the worst. It was so bright red, that I kept thinking I had gotten a spot of paint or nail polish on it.
The soles of my feet also get really tired-sore if I walk or stand too much. The day before Thanksgiving when I was in the kitchen most of the day I really only did too much in regards to my feet. But the next couple of days with just sitting down mostly helped that to go away. I mentioned before my question as to am I getting more tired because I am not exercising, or would that get worse if I did some type of exercise? Well Dr. Sri did say that my red blood count is bordering on anemia, not enough to get a transfusion, but enough to feel the side effect of fatigue. So this time is one where energy will not beget energy. I feel like I should keep up my stamina, but at the same time, I don't want to overdo it. My heart is faring well according to the echocardiogram. The ultrasound showed that both lumps have shrunk by half which the doctor was really pleased with after 4 rounds of chemo. So all in all, this is great news here.
I also have not lost my eyebrows or eyelashes, which is nice to not have to deal with. I have a few (very few) hairs growing back on my head. A couple of the strands are even almost an inch long. Weird that hair will fall out, and then not grow, but some of the strands will actually grow. I guess I am getting ready to be done with this whole thing. I was told that surgery can happen as early as 3 weeks after my last round. I will be meeting with Dr. Moline sometime this month to discuss what will happen. I made it clear to Dr. Sri that grandbaby #1 comes the middle of February and I want to be healed and well enough to travel and be there for that.
Well, here's to a good next couple of days! It feels weird to have the infusion, feel good for a couple of days and just sit here waiting for the inevitable hit the wall time. I wish I could run around that wall really quickly, but since I can't walk up the stairs without getting winded, I guess I am not up to running around any walls. I am determined to rest, rest, rest so I will be up for travelling for Christmas to Utah in 2 weeks!
The soles of my feet also get really tired-sore if I walk or stand too much. The day before Thanksgiving when I was in the kitchen most of the day I really only did too much in regards to my feet. But the next couple of days with just sitting down mostly helped that to go away. I mentioned before my question as to am I getting more tired because I am not exercising, or would that get worse if I did some type of exercise? Well Dr. Sri did say that my red blood count is bordering on anemia, not enough to get a transfusion, but enough to feel the side effect of fatigue. So this time is one where energy will not beget energy. I feel like I should keep up my stamina, but at the same time, I don't want to overdo it. My heart is faring well according to the echocardiogram. The ultrasound showed that both lumps have shrunk by half which the doctor was really pleased with after 4 rounds of chemo. So all in all, this is great news here.
I also have not lost my eyebrows or eyelashes, which is nice to not have to deal with. I have a few (very few) hairs growing back on my head. A couple of the strands are even almost an inch long. Weird that hair will fall out, and then not grow, but some of the strands will actually grow. I guess I am getting ready to be done with this whole thing. I was told that surgery can happen as early as 3 weeks after my last round. I will be meeting with Dr. Moline sometime this month to discuss what will happen. I made it clear to Dr. Sri that grandbaby #1 comes the middle of February and I want to be healed and well enough to travel and be there for that.
Well, here's to a good next couple of days! It feels weird to have the infusion, feel good for a couple of days and just sit here waiting for the inevitable hit the wall time. I wish I could run around that wall really quickly, but since I can't walk up the stairs without getting winded, I guess I am not up to running around any walls. I am determined to rest, rest, rest so I will be up for travelling for Christmas to Utah in 2 weeks!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
A Time of Thanks!
Well, it seems like it's been a long time since I have written, and then I realize that it has been. Mostly because I got to have a 4 week break between treatments this time. Also, my time has been full when I have been able to do stuff.
This last round really did it to me. I had a really bad day on the Sunday following the infusion. I took a while coming back from that. I guess I did write about that already. I have been more tired this time. Before I've had a week where I can't and don't do anything. Then about a few days of taking it easy and then a week and a half of pretty much doing normal things. This time I probably had a week and a half of not doing anything. Then a full week of just getting tired everytime I did any kind of activity. Before I was able to ride bikes to school for the 2 weeks before my next treatment. This time there is no way I could have done that. I have been getting a little short of breath just climbing the stairs. Not huffing and puffing, but dragging my feet the last couple of steps. I don't go downstairs very often, so it's not like that is happening all the time. But then again, I don't go downstairs, so I am not used to that activity. I don't know if I should be doing any kind of exercise. The bike riding (1/2 mile each way which took me maybe 10 minutes) was perfect and I felt good afterwards. Since the weather changed, the girls haven't been riding so I am not and so I am not getting any exercise what so ever! If you know me, I hate exercise in any form, so I guess I should be happy I am not doing it. But at the same time I want my heart to be healthy and to be able to climb the stairs and other normal activities. I will have to ask the doctor about that. When I can start again in January, I will be so rock bottom when it comes to fitness I will have to start from scratch.
Good news!! I had an echocardiogram yesterday to check how my heart is holding up as some of the drugs can do damage to the heart. I will hear about that test on Thursday from Dr. Sri. But today I had an ultrasound to check the size of the lumps and the radiologist said "they have significantly decreased in size"! I am really happy about that.
Back to how I have been feeling. So last week I was more tired than I have been on my 3rd week before. I was realizing how nice it was to have an extra week because I would be starting out this round no up to par. I am, yesterday and today, feeling much more normal. I have done things around the house and even decorated for Christmas. I don't have a lot of decorations, so it doesn't take me much time to do that. I do have a new house, so things don't have an automatic place to go. I got it all finished today and the storage boxes are put away and it looks festive around here. Tomorrow I will be able to finish a few things that need doing before me being out a week. By the time I start feeling normal again, it will be just a week before Christmas. I am going to have to turn over a lot of the gift portion of Christmas to Jeff. He actually does most of the stuff normally, so that shouldn't be too hard on him. He is a last minute shopper, though, so I will have to get on him to get some things done so we can get what needs getting in the mail on time.
I have been thinking that if I had kept on my 3 week schedule, then my 5th treatment would have been a week ago and I would be starting to feel better right now. But I can't dwell on that too much. I can say that in a week I will have been through the worst part of number 5 and will only have one more to go!!! I am so ready to be done. I am not looking forward to this - not that I have looked forward to any of them at all. I just have those couple of days that I am dreading. I shouldn't end on that note. I guess I can say that I still feel the prayers that are being offered on my behalf. I do know that my Savior Jesus Christ has been sustaining me through this ordeal. I have not understood the Atonement very much in my life, and I can't say that I really understand it all that much still. But I can say that I know that it is real. Jesus Christ did a lot more than teach us the way to live and love. He paid for our sins. But he did a lot more than that. He took upon Him ALL of our infirmities, not just our sins. All that we suffer, He has suffered. He did this and so He can understand and sustain and support us through anything that we go through. This knowledge and understanding has been the only thing that has gotten me through some hard hours. And being on the other side of this is so good that I don't want to go back into it again, but I will and I know that I will come out on the other side with even more understanding and strength.
This last round really did it to me. I had a really bad day on the Sunday following the infusion. I took a while coming back from that. I guess I did write about that already. I have been more tired this time. Before I've had a week where I can't and don't do anything. Then about a few days of taking it easy and then a week and a half of pretty much doing normal things. This time I probably had a week and a half of not doing anything. Then a full week of just getting tired everytime I did any kind of activity. Before I was able to ride bikes to school for the 2 weeks before my next treatment. This time there is no way I could have done that. I have been getting a little short of breath just climbing the stairs. Not huffing and puffing, but dragging my feet the last couple of steps. I don't go downstairs very often, so it's not like that is happening all the time. But then again, I don't go downstairs, so I am not used to that activity. I don't know if I should be doing any kind of exercise. The bike riding (1/2 mile each way which took me maybe 10 minutes) was perfect and I felt good afterwards. Since the weather changed, the girls haven't been riding so I am not and so I am not getting any exercise what so ever! If you know me, I hate exercise in any form, so I guess I should be happy I am not doing it. But at the same time I want my heart to be healthy and to be able to climb the stairs and other normal activities. I will have to ask the doctor about that. When I can start again in January, I will be so rock bottom when it comes to fitness I will have to start from scratch.
Good news!! I had an echocardiogram yesterday to check how my heart is holding up as some of the drugs can do damage to the heart. I will hear about that test on Thursday from Dr. Sri. But today I had an ultrasound to check the size of the lumps and the radiologist said "they have significantly decreased in size"! I am really happy about that.
Back to how I have been feeling. So last week I was more tired than I have been on my 3rd week before. I was realizing how nice it was to have an extra week because I would be starting out this round no up to par. I am, yesterday and today, feeling much more normal. I have done things around the house and even decorated for Christmas. I don't have a lot of decorations, so it doesn't take me much time to do that. I do have a new house, so things don't have an automatic place to go. I got it all finished today and the storage boxes are put away and it looks festive around here. Tomorrow I will be able to finish a few things that need doing before me being out a week. By the time I start feeling normal again, it will be just a week before Christmas. I am going to have to turn over a lot of the gift portion of Christmas to Jeff. He actually does most of the stuff normally, so that shouldn't be too hard on him. He is a last minute shopper, though, so I will have to get on him to get some things done so we can get what needs getting in the mail on time.
I have been thinking that if I had kept on my 3 week schedule, then my 5th treatment would have been a week ago and I would be starting to feel better right now. But I can't dwell on that too much. I can say that in a week I will have been through the worst part of number 5 and will only have one more to go!!! I am so ready to be done. I am not looking forward to this - not that I have looked forward to any of them at all. I just have those couple of days that I am dreading. I shouldn't end on that note. I guess I can say that I still feel the prayers that are being offered on my behalf. I do know that my Savior Jesus Christ has been sustaining me through this ordeal. I have not understood the Atonement very much in my life, and I can't say that I really understand it all that much still. But I can say that I know that it is real. Jesus Christ did a lot more than teach us the way to live and love. He paid for our sins. But he did a lot more than that. He took upon Him ALL of our infirmities, not just our sins. All that we suffer, He has suffered. He did this and so He can understand and sustain and support us through anything that we go through. This knowledge and understanding has been the only thing that has gotten me through some hard hours. And being on the other side of this is so good that I don't want to go back into it again, but I will and I know that I will come out on the other side with even more understanding and strength.
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