Friday, July 23, 2010
July 22, 2010
little info given. I knew i would not get much info from Dr Nibley. All he did was take my blood. I am looking forward to my meeting on August 2 with Dr. Thomson. I will have more info from that appointment.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
July 21, 2010
I have an appointment with Dr. Nibley, chemo doc, tomorrow morning. I am assuming i will get some blood taken for a CBC and then chit chat with the doctor about the blood test. I think this is just an appointment to squeeze a little more money out of me.
I am healing fast, i have a no feeling in my surgery scar from my first surgery, lymph node removal. The swelling is going down and my stomach is starting to look somewhat 'normal'. My bowels are normal again and i have little to no heartburn. I am having a hard time sleeping without sleep aids. I have been trying not to nap during the day so that i am plenty tired but it's not working. I have stopped menstruating. My friend mentioned she was about to have her period and i remembered I should be having mine about now. I know you ladies out there might be jealous that i don't have a period but i actually miss it. My period was a great reminder of what i was able to do, as a woman, have children. Crazy how a treatment that is trying to save my life kills things in my body that can give life.
Less than two weeks until my pelvic exam. The Dr. Thomson should be able to tell if the cancer is not there. I know no matter what happens i will be able to deal with what is next.
Remember if you have doubt with what your doctor is suggesting to you for treatment that you have options. You have to research it yourself. Much love to all you wonderful people that have been there for me and my family.
I am healing fast, i have a no feeling in my surgery scar from my first surgery, lymph node removal. The swelling is going down and my stomach is starting to look somewhat 'normal'. My bowels are normal again and i have little to no heartburn. I am having a hard time sleeping without sleep aids. I have been trying not to nap during the day so that i am plenty tired but it's not working. I have stopped menstruating. My friend mentioned she was about to have her period and i remembered I should be having mine about now. I know you ladies out there might be jealous that i don't have a period but i actually miss it. My period was a great reminder of what i was able to do, as a woman, have children. Crazy how a treatment that is trying to save my life kills things in my body that can give life.
Less than two weeks until my pelvic exam. The Dr. Thomson should be able to tell if the cancer is not there. I know no matter what happens i will be able to deal with what is next.
Remember if you have doubt with what your doctor is suggesting to you for treatment that you have options. You have to research it yourself. Much love to all you wonderful people that have been there for me and my family.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
July 7, 2010
What an amazing day! I can't believe how smooth today went. Got to the hospital a little late and got checked in by 6:05am. The nurse came in and got me hooked up to the saline in no time. We sat in the room watching a little TV but mostly just thinking. Thinking about how relieved we are to have this day finally here.
7:05am I get wheeled down to room 12. The pain doc comes to talk to me and i make some jokes, he is not amused. Dr. Thomson comes over to greet me and has the biggest smile on his face. "Today is the last day, but all the staff has enjoyed you so much we want you for two more procedures." Hey I can come back to visit but i am not doing any elective procedures. They wheel me in the room and the pain doc gives me something while Dr. Thomson was still talking to me, I fall fast asleep.
Recovery room is tough. I have pain in my pelvis but i can't figure out exactly where the pain is, just my pelvis area. I can't wake up and I feel real doped up. The nurse offers me ice chips and spoon feeds me, awesome. I don't know how long I am in recovery because i am having a hard time seeing the clock. I am really drugged up, hate that feeling when i can't shake it. I guess I came around enough to wheel me down to radiation.
Radiation is ready for me and wheels me right in to the CT scan room. I can barely remember being there but i remember I felt like forever. I think I talked to the nurse about a kitten but I can't remember everything. Crazy how sleepy and incoherent I was.
I finished up in the CT scan and got wheeled to the hall to wait for the planning. I was parked next to a man that was nauseous and actually vomiting. I felt so bad for him. He looked so uncomfortable and could barely sit up or roll over enough to vomit in the pan. I had it good, poor guy.
Time passed and they wheeled me to the radiation room. The chemist Keith hooks me up to the machine and lets me know it will be 13 minutes long. Geeez, this is going to be the longest 13 minutes. I am still really sleepy and I fade in and out of sleep. I am trying to stay awake to remember everything but i am so tired. The door opens and I'm finished. I'm finished with my last internal radiation. I get a little teary. Dr. Thomson tells me they used a new product on me, two balloons that are used instead of gauze. Oh great i thought, more pain. Dr. let me know he was going to start pulling it out and i tensed up, of course. No pain, no nothing. I couldn't believe how easy that was. The ovoids were the worst pain and they didn't really hurt that bad. Nurse January came in and took out my catheter and IV and I was finished. What a wonderful day! I feel so great. I know I still have to have check ups but I made it through my treatment. 3 months of hell was finally over. What is normal life? How can I express my joy of being alive and being able to be with my husband and two beautiful daughters? I have a body that works. I have more strength now than before this all started. Not physically but emotionally and mentally. I am so proud of myself for making it through. Words can't express how grateful I am to all the people that have helped us stay fed and everything.
I will write again on July 22 after my first check up with Dr. Nibley, chemo doctor. He will check my blood count and give me a check up. In 4 weeks I will meet with Dr. Thomson for a pelvic exam to see the tumor. If needs be, he will give me a CT scan.
LIVESTRONG!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
June 30, 2010
Yesterday, Tues June 29, i went to the chemo nurses at IMC to get my port accessed for today's procedure. I also got blood labs done while i was there. I did this so i wouldn't have to wait for a nurse that knew how to access my port at LD.
The blood transfusion really made a difference. I was tired the first day but the second day i was more awake and was feeling more like myself.
Radiation is now on Wednesdays. Chris and I arrived at LD around 5:45am. The waiting room was full, at least 4 couples ahead of us and one of the groups waiting had a baby. I was surprised to see a baby there, surprised they didn't go to Primary Childrens. We waited about 15 minutes and then got called back. We got in the room, got changed and the nurse came in. She was happy to see I was already accessed and all she had to do was a saline flush and hook up the saline bag, almost too easy. I was rolled down to the OR around 7:15am. Again, Lindsey Lloyd was my driver, and a new orderly in training. We chatted the whole ride down, good times. This was going to be a good day i thought to myself. They dropped me off at the OR, room 17. Dr. Thomson came over to talk to me. He mentioned that I only have one more treatment left and everything was going great. I was so relaxed and ready for today's events. I got rolled into the OR and i told the pain doc that the falafel meds don't work on me. He laughed and said, "you mean fentanyl?" Oh yeah, I mean fentanyl. He wasted no time getting me fast asleep. I didn't even get a chance to make any jokes, except for the one.
Recovery was good. Little to no pain. The catheter is an acquired, what is the word I'm looking for, acquired something, it didn't hurt like last Friday. I was coming out of sedation very quickly. The nurse asked me if i wanted some ice chips. "Yes please!" Never been offered ice chips before, so exciting! I few minutes passed and I could here the little baby coughing. Crazy hearing a baby coughing in the recovery room.
The nurse wheeled me down to radiation, i actually had to tell her where to go because it was her first time down to radiation. Weird how I am telling the nurses what to do in their hospital. I am feeling more like an empowered patient instead of a helpless one. Chris wasn't there! Where was he? I was worried but then I thought maybe he was out getting coffee or a snack. He was actually up in the other waiting room and didn't know i was out already since the prep went so fast. The CT scan went fast. Dr. Thomson actually stayed to do the mapping this time, which was awesome because I had the chance to ask him questions I had about my treatment. Out into the hallway to wait while they plan my radiation time. Chris played his game while i rested.
They wheel me into the radiation room. Dr. Thomson came into hook me up to the machine. "13 minutes Sara." He said to me, longest one yet. I just laid there and looked at the ceiling thinking about getting home and seeing the girls, thinking about how I'm going to get my life back to normal after this is over, thinking about how hard it's going to be to get my life back to normal, not just my life my families. Me having this disease has changed my whole families routine. I will celebrate when treatment is over but i will also celebrate when I get me and my families routine back. Removal of the packing went fast, only a little spotting. Dr. Thomson stayed in the room to answer some more questions we had.
What happens after my last treatment? In six weeks I will do an exam and a possible CT scan to check for the tumor.
When should I get my port removed? After the last treatment or unless you want to keep it in incase of a CT scan.
We had other questions but these were the two i remember and the most important.
We left the hospital at 10:30am. That is the fastest time yet. Can't wait to get next Wednesday over with. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me and my family through this. I appreciate everything you do, even the little things help us out a lot.
The blood transfusion really made a difference. I was tired the first day but the second day i was more awake and was feeling more like myself.
Radiation is now on Wednesdays. Chris and I arrived at LD around 5:45am. The waiting room was full, at least 4 couples ahead of us and one of the groups waiting had a baby. I was surprised to see a baby there, surprised they didn't go to Primary Childrens. We waited about 15 minutes and then got called back. We got in the room, got changed and the nurse came in. She was happy to see I was already accessed and all she had to do was a saline flush and hook up the saline bag, almost too easy. I was rolled down to the OR around 7:15am. Again, Lindsey Lloyd was my driver, and a new orderly in training. We chatted the whole ride down, good times. This was going to be a good day i thought to myself. They dropped me off at the OR, room 17. Dr. Thomson came over to talk to me. He mentioned that I only have one more treatment left and everything was going great. I was so relaxed and ready for today's events. I got rolled into the OR and i told the pain doc that the falafel meds don't work on me. He laughed and said, "you mean fentanyl?" Oh yeah, I mean fentanyl. He wasted no time getting me fast asleep. I didn't even get a chance to make any jokes, except for the one.
Recovery was good. Little to no pain. The catheter is an acquired, what is the word I'm looking for, acquired something, it didn't hurt like last Friday. I was coming out of sedation very quickly. The nurse asked me if i wanted some ice chips. "Yes please!" Never been offered ice chips before, so exciting! I few minutes passed and I could here the little baby coughing. Crazy hearing a baby coughing in the recovery room.
The nurse wheeled me down to radiation, i actually had to tell her where to go because it was her first time down to radiation. Weird how I am telling the nurses what to do in their hospital. I am feeling more like an empowered patient instead of a helpless one. Chris wasn't there! Where was he? I was worried but then I thought maybe he was out getting coffee or a snack. He was actually up in the other waiting room and didn't know i was out already since the prep went so fast. The CT scan went fast. Dr. Thomson actually stayed to do the mapping this time, which was awesome because I had the chance to ask him questions I had about my treatment. Out into the hallway to wait while they plan my radiation time. Chris played his game while i rested.
They wheel me into the radiation room. Dr. Thomson came into hook me up to the machine. "13 minutes Sara." He said to me, longest one yet. I just laid there and looked at the ceiling thinking about getting home and seeing the girls, thinking about how I'm going to get my life back to normal after this is over, thinking about how hard it's going to be to get my life back to normal, not just my life my families. Me having this disease has changed my whole families routine. I will celebrate when treatment is over but i will also celebrate when I get me and my families routine back. Removal of the packing went fast, only a little spotting. Dr. Thomson stayed in the room to answer some more questions we had.
What happens after my last treatment? In six weeks I will do an exam and a possible CT scan to check for the tumor.
When should I get my port removed? After the last treatment or unless you want to keep it in incase of a CT scan.
We had other questions but these were the two i remember and the most important.
We left the hospital at 10:30am. That is the fastest time yet. Can't wait to get next Wednesday over with. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me and my family through this. I appreciate everything you do, even the little things help us out a lot.
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