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Weekend Updates
Mom Update I finally have a handle on what’s going on with my mom. The surgery for the broken bone in her neck is done and went well. They’ve got her pretty immobile, but she has physical therapy. She’s got a feeding tube in and is on a ventilator. I was able to “talk” to her today while she was conscious (they keep her on pain meds which make her sleepy) – my dad was relaying thumbs-up from her. I sent some pictures of the kids for him to show her. Told her I was feeling great. I’m planning on going to see her on Monday when my WBC is…
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Nothing Else Matters
I don’t know why, but the Metallica song keeps playing through my head. I was so excited to feel well enough to be in the office today – wig and everything! You explain to people, I feel great but my mom literally broke her neck. And then you get a text randomly that notifies you that your mom has been given her last rites and after that, I don’t really know what to say. Thank you to my cousin who read between the lines and suggested I call the hospital. The nurse explained the priest had been walking around the floor, my mother is no closer to death now than…
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Going into Round 3
It’s been a hard couple of weeks, and not really because of the cancer treatment. That’s icing on the cake. (That’s some sarcasm.) If I needed verification that I was more stressed than usual, my Apple Watch told me so. My heart rate has been trending higher for the last two weeks (and that was on top of a higher heart rate). The good news is that I’ve been pretty good about taking care of myself. I drank all the water and took the naps. Talked to my therapist. Meditated. Slept well. And if I ever forget to do any of it, Lindsay reminds me. 😉 Shout out to all…
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Knockdown in Round 3
Knocked down but not out. This week hasn’t been fun. My heart rate has been quite high, even while just laying down. This was also the case for the third infusion. I think my mom is doing ok, but I don’t get lots of information without a lot of effort, so I’ve been trying to roll with it. There is a lot riding on this whole process and I don’t want any setbacks. And speaking of setbacks, we only have one working toilet, and it’s downstairs. No fun for me who gets winded on the trip alone. The upstairs toilet was leaking into the basement ceiling. We assume this has…
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Hanging in there
Hi friends, long time no type. I’ve been a bit in my own head, or rather, bed…in some instances. This round was not kind to me. I threw up for the first time during this whole process – it was not fun. Luckily, it was not like my drinking hangovers where it lasts for the next couple days. It’s over once it’s over, so that’s something, Puking is THE WORST thing for me, but I powered through it like a champ! I think the key here is continuing to take the nauseous medication throughout, rather than just at the outset. Some of the chemo drugs can really eff up your…
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Chemo Infusion #4
Today was fun! I made another chemo buddy. 🙂 This is why I don’t mind the infusion part – it gives me time to get to know folks. This infusion was about an hour shorter than normal. One of the drugs they gave me in half-time, maybe two of them. But first, I got there at 8:30 for a blood draw. I was meeting with the oncologist nurse at 9, so the bloodwork got done early (sometimes you have to wait for it to come in). I’ll give you the “bad” news first: my platelets are low, and there’s nothing really we can do for that other than give it…
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Post-Chemo #4 – Day 2
TLDR; I’m doing pretty well today! But first, a… Mom Update The current place where she’s at is pretty crappy, it sounds like. It can take 20 minutes to an hour for a nurse to show up in her room after she’s pressed the call button. The nurses aren’t following care directions either, so sounds like Mom is pretty frustrated. She’s supposed to be moving to a different facility for Medicare reasons, but she also has another lung infection. The “care coordinator” doesn’t know what’s causing it, so she can’t really go anywhere until they solve that. The halo is staying on for at least 12 weeks, as the trach…
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Working While on Chemo
Having done four rounds of chemotherapy at this point, it’s clear that the 8th day out of chemo is where it really gets better. The first week after was not bad at all this round, but it’s that 8th day that really gives me some energy back! So it was easier to move around today. I don’t get as winded, and my heart rate even calms down a bit. It’s almost like a switch turns on somewhere. I’ve been busy with work this week! It’s so nice to have that while I’m going through this. As I said, I love what I do, so having the “distraction” is great. Even…
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New symptoms
I am very unhappy to report a new symptom: leg swelling. Once again, I am brought back to those days I was pregnant with Evelyn at the end of the summer. Why does chemo seem so much like pregnancy?! ???? The swelling isn’t too bad. I make sure to keep my feet elevated while I’m working (using an ottoman under my desk). Makes it harder to go places, though. I was hoping to get back into the office but I’m starting to feel uncomfortable straying from my house on the chance I’d start bleeding uncontrollably from the nose or even start to feel nauseous. Plus with the COVID cases being…
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Chemo Eve: #5
I was up early this morning for a blood draw. Only Josh was a little late and then right around the corner, there was a 5-car accident that had just happened. I was about 10 minutes late. But then I waited to get into the room, then another 5 minutes with ice to numb the port area (much better than the lidocaine). Then I have to check back in with the receptionist for the appointment with the oncologist. At this point, it’s probably 8:30/8:45. While I was sitting there, I got a VM from the oncologist’s nurse asking me to let them know if I was planning to come in…
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