Twelve treatments down, four treatments to go...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Cut in Dosage
I am having some neuropathy issues which is causing pain in my feet and hands associated with one of the chemotherapy drugs (Taxol). Essentially, it started out as feeling like I had a mild sun burn on my skin to now it feels like when your hands and feet get really really cold after you've been outside in the winter and then start to burn warming up and my hands and feet now have numb patches. I have felt these effects after each treatment, but after the first few treatments the effects were mild and they resolved themselves, but since the last two treatments, the side effect have only gotten worse and won't go away. So after chatting with the IT ladies at our local hospital and someone in the Oncology Department in GF, they have decided to cut my dosage of Taxol back by 10% starting this Friday. Neuropathy can resolve itself after treatment ends, but sometimes it doesn't. So the medical field walks a fine line with the patient in treating with Taxol once neuropathy presents itself. They want to use as much Taxol as possible to kill the cancer, but they don't want to leave the patient with a painful side effect that lasts the rest of their life either.
Friday, June 11, 2010
No Reaction!
I had another treatment this morning, and all went well. My oncologist felt that my body didn't like the instant influx of Benadryl into my port, so he cut my dose of Benadryl in half and administered it orally so my body would absorb it more slowly. I still felt a slight tightness in my chest about 20 minutes after I took the Benadryl. It passed in about 20 minutes, and all went smoothly after that. My oncologist decided since all went well we can do the next three doses at our local hospital. This makes things a lot easier for us... a whole lot less travel and scheduling to do. Phew!
I'm still having a little trouble sleeping... my oncologist talked about cutting my steroid dose in half, but I'm not sure that actually got passed on to the pharmacy today, so we'll see how tonight goes.
We are celebrating my son's three year birthday tomorrow and my niece's 10 year birthday at my in-laws, so it should be a fun weekend. One of the bonuses of going to GF for treatment is family lives in the area, so we get to spend more time with family. Hmmmm.... family in GF and family in Rochester.... do you think God has provided for such a time as this? I know he has!
Ten treatments down, six treatments to go!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Excellent News and Not So Excellent News
Last Wednesday, I had a repeat MUGA scan to see what my heart function was doing. If it dropped more the 4% more, they would have to discontinue the Herceptin drug, which from my understanding is probably the most important drug in our toolbox to prevent a recurrence. My heart function had already dropped 6% during the first eight weeks of chemotherapy, so I knew that another 4% drop was not unrealistic. But I just had a real sense that God had me covered. He is in control and He knows the treatment which is best for me. If my heart function continued dropping and we had to discontinue the Herceptin, I would have been discouraged, but I knew God would still be taking care of me. My Oncologist wanted to meet with me Friday (two days later) to discuss my MUGA results.
My Oncologist told me that there usually isn't a decrease in the heart function once Herceptin is started, unless the post Adriamycin (Red Devil) MUGA shows a decrease in heart function during that treatment (like mine did). Well, here is the excellent news... my MUGA results didn't get worse and they didn't stay the same, they actually improved, and not just a little... A LOT! My MUGA results came back at 63%, which is 3% better then my prechemotherapy baseline and a 9% improvement from my last MUGA (post adriamycin). I am not a doctor, but I interpret those results as God is taking care of my heart so I can complete some more of the Herceptin.
The not so good news is I ended up having a very scary reaction to one of the chemotherapy drugs on Friday. My Oncologist isn't entirely sure which drug I reacted too, but most bets are on the Benadryl, of all things. That is one of the drugs that is supposed to prevent me from having a reaction, but apparently my body does not like it. I got nauseated, flushed, sweaty and had a very hard time breathing (it felt like I had a very heavy weight on my chest)... it was a terrifying experience that I hope I never have to go thru again. My husband said the worst of it lasted less then a minute, but it seemed like a very long time to me. Once they pushed some more medication to offset the reaction, things improved quickly. One of those drugs really knocked me out, and there are portions of that day afterwards that apparently I was walking and talking, but don't recall at all. And much to my husband's amusement we stopped at Walmart to do some shopping and I was weaving thru the aisles like a drunkard. And boy did I sleep good that night!
Since I had a reaction, my Oncologist is not comfortable with me doing treatment unless he is on site, so he can be consulted if another reaction occurs. So it looks like at least the next two treatments with be in GF. This does make things a little more complicated for us, but we will make it work. We are just thankful my Oncologist is taking such good care of me.
After chemotherapy on Friday, we decided to take the kids on our first ever family tenting trip this weekend. It turned out to be a very relaxing time, which we all needed. Sleeping in tents wasn't even all that bad and the kids did great! We hope to get some more tenting in this summer.
The older kids are done with school, so routines are changing around here and there is more activity. The days are flying by, and before we know it chemotherapy will be done. We just completed treatment 9 out of 16, so only 7 more treatments to go!
My Oncologist told me that there usually isn't a decrease in the heart function once Herceptin is started, unless the post Adriamycin (Red Devil) MUGA shows a decrease in heart function during that treatment (like mine did). Well, here is the excellent news... my MUGA results didn't get worse and they didn't stay the same, they actually improved, and not just a little... A LOT! My MUGA results came back at 63%, which is 3% better then my prechemotherapy baseline and a 9% improvement from my last MUGA (post adriamycin). I am not a doctor, but I interpret those results as God is taking care of my heart so I can complete some more of the Herceptin.
The not so good news is I ended up having a very scary reaction to one of the chemotherapy drugs on Friday. My Oncologist isn't entirely sure which drug I reacted too, but most bets are on the Benadryl, of all things. That is one of the drugs that is supposed to prevent me from having a reaction, but apparently my body does not like it. I got nauseated, flushed, sweaty and had a very hard time breathing (it felt like I had a very heavy weight on my chest)... it was a terrifying experience that I hope I never have to go thru again. My husband said the worst of it lasted less then a minute, but it seemed like a very long time to me. Once they pushed some more medication to offset the reaction, things improved quickly. One of those drugs really knocked me out, and there are portions of that day afterwards that apparently I was walking and talking, but don't recall at all. And much to my husband's amusement we stopped at Walmart to do some shopping and I was weaving thru the aisles like a drunkard. And boy did I sleep good that night!
Since I had a reaction, my Oncologist is not comfortable with me doing treatment unless he is on site, so he can be consulted if another reaction occurs. So it looks like at least the next two treatments with be in GF. This does make things a little more complicated for us, but we will make it work. We are just thankful my Oncologist is taking such good care of me.
After chemotherapy on Friday, we decided to take the kids on our first ever family tenting trip this weekend. It turned out to be a very relaxing time, which we all needed. Sleeping in tents wasn't even all that bad and the kids did great! We hope to get some more tenting in this summer.
The older kids are done with school, so routines are changing around here and there is more activity. The days are flying by, and before we know it chemotherapy will be done. We just completed treatment 9 out of 16, so only 7 more treatments to go!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Five Treatments Down, 11 Left to Go
A couple of days after getting home from my last treatment, we acquired a stomach virus. It started with my husband and then proceed to attack each of my children sequentially starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and finally hit me. When it hit the two youngest, I was still in bed pretty wiped out from chemo, so my husband ended up taking a couple of days off from work to clean up barf and wash bedding over and over and over again. I have an awesome husband! I don't know of many men who would volunteer for such a nasty job. He did great taking care of the sick kids, and I once again, could rest well knowing they were in good hands. By Thursday morning, I had the stomach virus and was still really struggling on Friday. When I went in for my scheduled blood work on Friday morning, they saw how rough I was feeling, so they gave me a dose of an IV anti-nausea med and IV fluids. I felt so much better after that... it was amazing!
Yesterday and today I started the next phase of my chemo treatment. It started with a visit with my Oncologist. He gave me the results of my second heart (MUGA) scan which I completed a little over a week ago. My first pre-chemo heart scan result was 60%... right smack dab in the center of the normal range. They wanted to retest me after I'd finished the Adriamycin (Red Devil), as it is known to occasionally weaken the heart muscle. The next drug I start (herceptin) can also be hard on my heart, so they wanted to know how my heart was functioning before I started that drug. My second scan result was 54%, still in the normal range, but dropping to a level that makes me nervous. If I drop below 50%, they have to stop giving me the herceptin, which from my understanding, the type of cancer I have has a much higher recurrence rate without that drug. I was not surprised to see a drop in my heart function, as I've been having some bizarre symptoms such as time frames where I can feel my heart race which makes me feel icky, my blood pressure keeps creeping lower and lower, my hands and feet have had some minor swelling, I've had a few near passing out episodes and I tire so easily. So please pray that my heart would stay strong so I can finish the drugs that are needed to treat my cancer!
Thursday, I took my first dose of herceptin. It was easy peasy! No side effects what so ever! As a matter of fact, that same night, I visited a new Mexican restaurant where they served me the largest and most delicious burrito I have ever seen! Think Chipolte, but probably a good 30-40% larger. I think this must be the phase where I gain the 20-30 pounds I've been warned of... food finally looks and tastes good again, which I certainly am enjoying and hoping it stays that way!
Today, I had my first dose of Taxol, which is the drug they were most concerned I would react to. They gave me a premed IV steroid and IV Benadryl and Pepcid to help fight off any allergic reaction and stomach issues. Other then the Benadryl knocking me into a fightful sleep where I attractively drooled all over the hospital's pillow, there were no other side effects! I can tell I'm still very tired, but my mind is so much clearer now then it ever was on the Adriamycin and Cytoxin. This a blessing because I hated that foggy minded feeling that lasted nearly a week with the last chemo treatments. And as of now (8 or so hours post Taxol) I have had zero nausea! Hopefully this continues. I was knocked down to only two oral anti-nausea pills (they've cut out the two strongest - and one of them was the most expensive) and I really don't even have to take those unless nausea rears its ugly head. They've also cut out my oral steroid as well. I also don't have to get an immune system boosting shoot anymore (Neulasta) either, which was a very painful shot I had to receive the day after chemo. Yeah!
So, all in all we are doing well, and I am optimistic that life may return a small piece of normalcy to our crazy household. Thank you to the multitude of you all who have helped carry us this far! I realize that the road is still long, but most days on this road I have felt blessed, thanks to an amazing Heavenly Father and amazing family and friends! I know all of you have your own struggles as well. My hope for you is that you can see the blessings in the dark times. God does love all of us. I must admit, I've had many days where I don't FEEL God's love or blessings, but I KNOW it is there. Some days I CHOOSE to look hard enough to see His hand and blessings in my life and those days turn out to be some of my best. Unfortunately, some days I CHOOSE to give up and not see Him in all of this. I guarantee my lack of vision is not a reflection of God's workings or presence, but a reflection of my poor mindset and lack of faith. But I KNOW in those times that God's loving hand is holding me and my situation. God has big hands and I KNOW He's holding you as well!
Yesterday and today I started the next phase of my chemo treatment. It started with a visit with my Oncologist. He gave me the results of my second heart (MUGA) scan which I completed a little over a week ago. My first pre-chemo heart scan result was 60%... right smack dab in the center of the normal range. They wanted to retest me after I'd finished the Adriamycin (Red Devil), as it is known to occasionally weaken the heart muscle. The next drug I start (herceptin) can also be hard on my heart, so they wanted to know how my heart was functioning before I started that drug. My second scan result was 54%, still in the normal range, but dropping to a level that makes me nervous. If I drop below 50%, they have to stop giving me the herceptin, which from my understanding, the type of cancer I have has a much higher recurrence rate without that drug. I was not surprised to see a drop in my heart function, as I've been having some bizarre symptoms such as time frames where I can feel my heart race which makes me feel icky, my blood pressure keeps creeping lower and lower, my hands and feet have had some minor swelling, I've had a few near passing out episodes and I tire so easily. So please pray that my heart would stay strong so I can finish the drugs that are needed to treat my cancer!
Thursday, I took my first dose of herceptin. It was easy peasy! No side effects what so ever! As a matter of fact, that same night, I visited a new Mexican restaurant where they served me the largest and most delicious burrito I have ever seen! Think Chipolte, but probably a good 30-40% larger. I think this must be the phase where I gain the 20-30 pounds I've been warned of... food finally looks and tastes good again, which I certainly am enjoying and hoping it stays that way!
Today, I had my first dose of Taxol, which is the drug they were most concerned I would react to. They gave me a premed IV steroid and IV Benadryl and Pepcid to help fight off any allergic reaction and stomach issues. Other then the Benadryl knocking me into a fightful sleep where I attractively drooled all over the hospital's pillow, there were no other side effects! I can tell I'm still very tired, but my mind is so much clearer now then it ever was on the Adriamycin and Cytoxin. This a blessing because I hated that foggy minded feeling that lasted nearly a week with the last chemo treatments. And as of now (8 or so hours post Taxol) I have had zero nausea! Hopefully this continues. I was knocked down to only two oral anti-nausea pills (they've cut out the two strongest - and one of them was the most expensive) and I really don't even have to take those unless nausea rears its ugly head. They've also cut out my oral steroid as well. I also don't have to get an immune system boosting shoot anymore (Neulasta) either, which was a very painful shot I had to receive the day after chemo. Yeah!
So, all in all we are doing well, and I am optimistic that life may return a small piece of normalcy to our crazy household. Thank you to the multitude of you all who have helped carry us this far! I realize that the road is still long, but most days on this road I have felt blessed, thanks to an amazing Heavenly Father and amazing family and friends! I know all of you have your own struggles as well. My hope for you is that you can see the blessings in the dark times. God does love all of us. I must admit, I've had many days where I don't FEEL God's love or blessings, but I KNOW it is there. Some days I CHOOSE to look hard enough to see His hand and blessings in my life and those days turn out to be some of my best. Unfortunately, some days I CHOOSE to give up and not see Him in all of this. I guarantee my lack of vision is not a reflection of God's workings or presence, but a reflection of my poor mindset and lack of faith. But I KNOW in those times that God's loving hand is holding me and my situation. God has big hands and I KNOW He's holding you as well!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Bye Bye Red Devil
Yesterday afternoon, I received the last dose of Adriamycin (aka The Red Devil) and Cytoxan. I am thankful that there are such powerful drugs out there to treat my cancer and to give me a much better chance of being a survivor, but I am just as thankful that phase of treatment is done, and we can move on. God willing, I will never have to go thru that particular treatment again. Everyone tells me these drugs were the toughest drugs in my schedule, and I am the type of person that if there is something tough I have to do, bring it on and get it done so I don't have to think about it. So I am thankful the hardest part was first.
My visit at the clinic was a little more eventful then we had initially planned, since unknown to myself, I was still running a low grade temp when they checked my vitals. I felt fine (or as fine as one going thru chemotherapy can feel), other then that nagging tenderness in my lower abdomen, and the fact that the lump under my arm had returned and was also very tender. The oncologist feel both issues of tenderness were of no coincidence or worry, but he did feel inclined to repeat the work-up I received at my local hospital earlier in the week. He truly felt I was fine, but being that he'd just had a patient come in with a septic (infected) port, he wanted to check and make sure that was not my case, as well. They also ran a urine analysis as well, to continue keeping an eye on my abdominal pain. I have heard nothing of the test results, which I assume is a good thing.
So in another two weeks we head to GF for more chemotherapy. I will be receiving two new drugs (Herceptin and Taxol) and since both run a higher chance of allergic reaction I will have to receive each drug on two consecutive days, so my reaction to each drug can be monitored clearly. This means my husband and I will probably have to leave the kids again for a couple of days and the way the timing falls it means I will also miss the two older kids' Spring program. Initially, this made me very sad and angry, that cancer could take that away from me, but I got over it and choose to realize there is so much more that it hasn't and can't take away.
After this initial dose of the two new chemotherapy drugs, the remaining eleven doses can be given together on a weekly (every Friday) basis. And our understanding (maybe more of an assumption and a wish at this point) is that those doses can be done at our local hospital. It makes setting up childcare so much easier if we don't have to add four hours to the time frame we are gone for travel.
My visit at the clinic was a little more eventful then we had initially planned, since unknown to myself, I was still running a low grade temp when they checked my vitals. I felt fine (or as fine as one going thru chemotherapy can feel), other then that nagging tenderness in my lower abdomen, and the fact that the lump under my arm had returned and was also very tender. The oncologist feel both issues of tenderness were of no coincidence or worry, but he did feel inclined to repeat the work-up I received at my local hospital earlier in the week. He truly felt I was fine, but being that he'd just had a patient come in with a septic (infected) port, he wanted to check and make sure that was not my case, as well. They also ran a urine analysis as well, to continue keeping an eye on my abdominal pain. I have heard nothing of the test results, which I assume is a good thing.
So in another two weeks we head to GF for more chemotherapy. I will be receiving two new drugs (Herceptin and Taxol) and since both run a higher chance of allergic reaction I will have to receive each drug on two consecutive days, so my reaction to each drug can be monitored clearly. This means my husband and I will probably have to leave the kids again for a couple of days and the way the timing falls it means I will also miss the two older kids' Spring program. Initially, this made me very sad and angry, that cancer could take that away from me, but I got over it and choose to realize there is so much more that it hasn't and can't take away.
After this initial dose of the two new chemotherapy drugs, the remaining eleven doses can be given together on a weekly (every Friday) basis. And our understanding (maybe more of an assumption and a wish at this point) is that those doses can be done at our local hospital. It makes setting up childcare so much easier if we don't have to add four hours to the time frame we are gone for travel.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
3/4 of the Way Done With Double Dose Chemotherapy
Friday, I had my 3rd and second to last dose of the double dose chemotherapy. We had to go to GF to meet with my oncologist and have the treatment. Other then having a hard time finding a way to get across the red river, the trip was uneventful. In two weeks, I will have my final dose of the double dose chemotherapy! Then we are on to the next type of chemotherapy administration, which should last about three months.
My oncologist said my chest xray from urgent care last weekend looked just fine... nothing to worry about. I don't know what made the difference, if it was the breathing treatment or the antibiotics, but my cough is 95% better, which is a relief. My asthma is also well under control. I kind of think I had some sort of bacterial infection going on, as it took 4-5 days after starting antibiotics for my cough to go away.
I am very exhausted after this last treatment. I can sit up for small periods of time, but am most comfortable lying down and resting. My husband and the kids are gone for the weekend, as his grandmother unexpectedly passed away. This is very sad news, and it was very hard for me to stay back while he and the kids attend the funeral, but we all knew it was best for several different reasons. Grandmother Darlene will be greatly missed and I am so sorry I will not be able to attend the funeral.
My oncologist said my chest xray from urgent care last weekend looked just fine... nothing to worry about. I don't know what made the difference, if it was the breathing treatment or the antibiotics, but my cough is 95% better, which is a relief. My asthma is also well under control. I kind of think I had some sort of bacterial infection going on, as it took 4-5 days after starting antibiotics for my cough to go away.
I am very exhausted after this last treatment. I can sit up for small periods of time, but am most comfortable lying down and resting. My husband and the kids are gone for the weekend, as his grandmother unexpectedly passed away. This is very sad news, and it was very hard for me to stay back while he and the kids attend the funeral, but we all knew it was best for several different reasons. Grandmother Darlene will be greatly missed and I am so sorry I will not be able to attend the funeral.
Monday, April 5, 2010
It Feels Good to Feel Good (or at Least Better)
I'm finally back to pretty much full energy. I really think this last round of chemo was a little easier on me. I don't know if it just felt easier 'cause I knew what to expect, or if my body truly didn't react as badly. The nausea was not nearly as bad, however, the tiredness was probably worse. I have decided, though, that feeling like I need to sleep all the time is easier to deal with then feeling like I have to vomit all the time. My next chemo is on Friday in GF.
Having the two youngest in daycare last week went very well. They seemed to love it. They rush to the door to leave in the morning and rush to my side when they get home. I get lots of hugs and kisses and playtime when they come home. I can tell they have missed me (and I them) but I can also tell they had a wonderful time at daycare. Their provider is amazing and I can rest well knowing she is taking wonderful care of them. And the reality is, I needed every moment they were at daycare last week to rest and recuperate.
Last Friday morning, I went in to have my blood levels checked. Everything checked out fine, as far as I know, but I discovered my body does not like the Heparin that they use to "flush" my port with after blood draws. It makes me very dizzy and light headed... drops my blood pressure down very low. I had to lay down for 15 minutes or so after the Heparin was administered before I felt that I could walk w/o passing out. A very minor inconvenience... I'm still thankful for my port.
We had a nice weekend with family, celebrating my two oldest's birthdays with family and Easter, as well. I did end up having to visit the doctor (urgent care) on Easter, as my asthma was flaring up and my meds were not helping at all. I ended up getting my blood work rechecked (everything was fine except I had very low blood sugar - I figure that just gave me a good excuse to eat extra Easter candy :-) ), having a nebulizer treatment (which help my asthma improve so I can maintain with my prescription meds at home), having a chest xray (which the doctor phrased "I think it looks okay" and suggested I have my oncologist look at it due to the fact my lungs looked grainy... probably from chemo), getting a shot in the butt (ouch!) of antibiotics, a take home prescription of antibiotics and a prescription for cough syrup with codeine (which apparently helps my cough but makes me vomit violently w/in a few minutes of taking it). I'm avoiding going to bed tonight, as I haven't quit decided if I should take the cough syrup which helps me sleep better after I've vomited a few times. Vomit or cough? Vomit or cough? I'm leaning towards vomiting, as I really like my sleep and I can't sleep if I'm coughing all night long. At least the vomiting only lasts a few minutes and then I can go to sleep.
Having the two youngest in daycare last week went very well. They seemed to love it. They rush to the door to leave in the morning and rush to my side when they get home. I get lots of hugs and kisses and playtime when they come home. I can tell they have missed me (and I them) but I can also tell they had a wonderful time at daycare. Their provider is amazing and I can rest well knowing she is taking wonderful care of them. And the reality is, I needed every moment they were at daycare last week to rest and recuperate.
Last Friday morning, I went in to have my blood levels checked. Everything checked out fine, as far as I know, but I discovered my body does not like the Heparin that they use to "flush" my port with after blood draws. It makes me very dizzy and light headed... drops my blood pressure down very low. I had to lay down for 15 minutes or so after the Heparin was administered before I felt that I could walk w/o passing out. A very minor inconvenience... I'm still thankful for my port.
We had a nice weekend with family, celebrating my two oldest's birthdays with family and Easter, as well. I did end up having to visit the doctor (urgent care) on Easter, as my asthma was flaring up and my meds were not helping at all. I ended up getting my blood work rechecked (everything was fine except I had very low blood sugar - I figure that just gave me a good excuse to eat extra Easter candy :-) ), having a nebulizer treatment (which help my asthma improve so I can maintain with my prescription meds at home), having a chest xray (which the doctor phrased "I think it looks okay" and suggested I have my oncologist look at it due to the fact my lungs looked grainy... probably from chemo), getting a shot in the butt (ouch!) of antibiotics, a take home prescription of antibiotics and a prescription for cough syrup with codeine (which apparently helps my cough but makes me vomit violently w/in a few minutes of taking it). I'm avoiding going to bed tonight, as I haven't quit decided if I should take the cough syrup which helps me sleep better after I've vomited a few times. Vomit or cough? Vomit or cough? I'm leaning towards vomiting, as I really like my sleep and I can't sleep if I'm coughing all night long. At least the vomiting only lasts a few minutes and then I can go to sleep.
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