Monday, October 31, 2011

Those That Have Gone Before

Samhain is here, and deep feelings for my departed friends and family are rampant today.

To my Dad; thank you for all your hard-won life lessons.  You passed them on to us, and you taught us the values of truth and sharing and compassion.

To my Mom; I still miss you so much.  We had a wonderful life here in Arizona.  For all your neuroses, Mom, you were still the strongest woman I have ever known.

To my Auntie; you were the great balancer between Mom and Dad, the third parent, the older sister, the friend.  I will always have "Travels With My Aunt" in mind whenever I think of you; that and "Stormy Weather!"

To my brother Bunny; You were always so handsome, and strong and kind.  You raised a fine family and gave them your gifts of love and compassion.

To my brother Pico; The world is not quite right here without you.  But you know, your boys are simply wonderful, and your daughter is making one hell of a good woman.  I love you.

To my brother Jes; The first Halloween without you, my brother, and it's very hard.  I'm so happy you had Lauri by your side for so many years.  I will miss our phone calls.  When next we meet, I'm going to hug you SO hard, and you won't be able to get away. :)

There are so many lessons each of you taught; we have only ourselves to blame if we didn't choose to learn them.  Cousin Helene, we found each other through the gift of the world wide web, and I was blessed to have you in my life for even the shortest of times.  But I will keep in touch with Noe, that I promise.

And all my family still here with me, you can't imagine how much love I have for you.  You have sustained me in so many ways.  I could not fight these hideous cancers without your support, love, encouragement and comfort.

Have a happy Halloween everyone; keep your Trick-or-Treaters safe!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Cough... Cough

Well, whatever this malady is that is now affecting my lungs, it seems to be pretty tenacious.  I had lots of liquids today, some chicken soup, and still, the goopiness persists.


Doc called to tell me to stop the coumadin for a couple of days because my INR was up to 5.  Ai carumba!  Don't get a paper-cut, or bang your knee on a table.   I have to go in to see him on Monday afternoon.  Got more lab testing on Monday morning; the regular PT/INR and then my pre-chemo stuff, the CBC and platelets with differentials.


The worry I have is that they won't let me do my chemo on Tuesday if this coughing is still active.  Although, frankly, I can't see how it will make a difference.  But that's me... I worry.


Oh yes, I am sucking on my hookah again.  I figure if I do it just before I try to get to bed, I should have a better chance at getting to sleep, despite being wired up.  Much easier to sleep when you can breathe. :)


Sometimes it just gets overwhelming, the things you have to do to try to survive cancer.  My left leg is swelling again, at the foot and ankle.  I was hoping that would go away with the coumadin and the dissolving of the DVT.  Maybe it is just going to take longer than I want.  At least the pain in my thigh is a thing of the past.


Then, there's the watching of the glucose levels, my heart rate, my oxygen saturation, my temperature, my weight, the condition of my feet and my hands, and good gods, how on earth do we survive as a species?  We're so complicated and have so many systems that can break down!


I need to go get new glasses, but my vision changes almost every day.  That's the chemo.  It's just all so weird.


But, it's time to try to get some sleep.  Monday is Samhain, or Halloween, and I have lots and lots of family and other loved ones that have passed beyond this world, and I want to honor them and remember them and ensure they know that  death doesn't end the loving.  


Peace and love.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Gorgeous Morning!

It's bright and sunny out, and there is a cool breeze blowing.  This is one of those rare Fall mornings in the desert that makes you realize it really IS Fall.  Today's high is showing at 80 degrees.  Considering that was our overnight low last month, this is exciting news.


The lungs are really being quite problematic; having a heck of a time getting all the goop out of them.  I'm doing a breathing treatment right now, which should help.  And I have a huge 24 oz glass of water at my side.  But I'm thinking I may have to have some chicken soup for lunch. ;)  And I'm being a good girl and taking my Prednisone.  Blech.  I ask you:  How many drugs can one body take before it has had enough?


Dr. Fastenberg, my oncologist, looks at my lab work and tells me I have the strongest liver he's ever seen.  Good thing, too!  It would be nice to have at least one decent organ left in my body. :D


So, for tonight's guilty pleasure, it's the finale of "Project Runway," but I must say, I'm rather ambivalent about it.  This season hasn't had stellar talent like past seasons.  Where is a Christian Siriano?  Where is a Mondo Guerra?  This batch seems totally forgettable.  What this season has had is one mean-spirited drama Queen in Joshua McKinley.  Ai chihuahua.  So yeah, I am kinda not caring all that much.


Now, I think I'll go get some hot tea; hot beverages are good when you need to loosen up the goop in your chest.


Love to all.   

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Hookah Power!

It's 4:33AM and I am using my nebulizer once again.  Actually, I am doing MUCH better since yesterday morning when I went to get my PT/INR.  I had to take the scooter because I was WAY too weak to walk.  That's nothing to worry about; mostly a combination of the chemo and this cold I have that is running its course.  I hope to be back to walking on Thursday when I have to return to the lab for more blood-letting.

There really is nothing new and exciting to tell you about for this post, but I wanted to let you all know that I am feeling better.  And most happily, my breakfast dose of Xeloda this morning will be the last of this round, and then I have my chemo week OFF. :)  YAY, I need a break.

My hands are definitely beginning to feel the effects of Hand-Foot Syndrome.  There are many things I can't do with my hands at the moment, like open bottles, make coffee (our carafe's handle, the one we fill with water to pour into the coffee maker, has a very uncomfortable handle for me.)  It hurts to grasp anything, which is a bit problematic for someone who, when she walks either uses a cane or a walker.  But the good news is that Hand-Foot Syndrome clears up once the chemotherapy drugs are withdrawn.  So, I shall just suck it up. :)

And that's it.  I'm looking forward to Halloween on Monday; hopefully we will have trick or treaters, and I can watch them from a distance. 

Love and hugs to all.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Ugh, no Sleeping

I had to get up and do a breathing treatment, and if you know anything about albuterol, which is what I nebulize in my hookah, you know it makes your heart race, and wires you for sound.  For instance, I'm sitting here at my computer, and my HR is 122, and I can't stop shaking my left leg.... that's one way to get exercise, I guess. ;)


So, I've been playing World of Warcraft.  I just mute my system so I don't wake up the whole household.  There seem to be plenty more insomniacs on line tonight, so I was enjoying a chat with Smacky, a very handsome Orc warrior that is totally epic'd out.  He had kindly notified me that a rare was up, if I was interested in taming it as a pet, since I was on Kauket, my lovely Orc Hunter.  Alas, I would have needed some druid back up, and since I had just started the Firelands quests on Kauket, I did not have them at my disposal.  And believe me, Kauket is NOT epic'd out. :)


Playing World of Warcraft (WoW) when you are having trouble breathing serves an important purpose; it helps me relax, believe it or not.  That way, I stop getting anxious and feeling impending doom.  Anxiety is the worst thing you can develop in the face of an asthma episode.  And yet, it's almost always going to happen because let's face it, it's scary when you can't breathe!  But with the anxiety comes more shortness of breath.


I like to use both WoW and the power of numbers to keep me from getting too neurotic.  For instance, I have my Pulse Oxymeter, which tells me my HR and my Oxygen saturation level (the level of oxygenation in my blood).  Obviously, if my O2 level is showing at 99%, I am in really good shape.  And the breathing treatment that I did earlier is having good results.  I got a little worried I'd be heading to the ER this evening, but I think I'm going to be fine.  I'll just keep an eye on my sats.


Now, I guess since I am nowhere near being able to sleep, I should return to World of Warcraft.


Peace!



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Oh My Nose

I am sick.  I don't know if I caught a cold somehow, or if I've got the beginnings of a sinus infection, but I can't breathe through my nose and my throat is sore from post nasal drip.  Of course, not being able to breathe through my nose means I can't use my CPAP when I sleep, nor my O2.  I hate having blocked sinuses.  I don't have a fever though, so that's a good sign.


We had a virtual ticket to BlizzCon for this weekend.  Watching was a double-edged sword.  There was so much information about what's coming in the future, including Diablo III, and the new World of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria.  I'm happily anticipating being able to play both, and yet I have to wonder if I will still be able to play by the time they go into production.  I'm thinking that if this current chemo regimen continues to have good results, then I should be able to partake of both DIII and the new WoW expansion.


Back to the "I am sick" part; I'm hitting my hookah even as I type.  This whatever has already started to impact my lungs.  But I will keep an eye on it and call my pulmo if things take a bad turn.  I do have Levaquin and Prednisone here on hand if I need it.  Hate them both, though.


On a happy note, I have decided to get my sisters Kindle Fires for Winter Solstice.  No worries about spilling the beans as they already know what they are getting.  At least Jane and Nancy, that is.  Cathy is getting completely different stuff, and Wendy and Dean; well the jury is still out on them. :)


Now, I think I'm going to play a little bit of World of Warcraft, then get to bed early.  I'm feeling so puny and weak.  It IS chemo week, so that's not surprising.


Love, hugs and kisses to all!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Bougainvillea!

This is a quick post to share a picture I took of my Bougainvillea this morning.  Isn't it beautiful?

And this is what I get to gaze upon out the patio door of my bedroom.  YAY!

Just got back from my Thursday blood-letting.  And they keep wondering why I am so anemic. :D  Silly doctors.

I had a lovely breakfast of Greek yogurt with some Kashi mixed into it.  That gives it a nice crunch, and some extra fiber.  It's so weird; this chemo regimen I'm on, one of the major side effects is life-threatening diarrhea.  And here I am having to chow down on prunes and high-fiber cereal. ;)  I guess that is the better of the two options.  Hehe.

Have a great day, all!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

All is Not Lost

I called the finance people over at Ironwood Cancer and Research Center this morning, and after doing some research on their end, they told me that it isn't the Chemo that my insurance company is denying coverage upon, it's the Aranesp shot that helps me keep my white cells where they need to be.  And wow, I had no idea each shot was $4040!

There was nothing on the insurance paperwork that specified what they were denying, and I was so freaked out yesterday.  Sally at Ironwood told me NOT to worry; they had faxed over the required information at least three times, and by gods they'd do it three more times, if they had to.

So, I'm in a much better place today and hopefully I can get some sleep tonight.  I did manage an hour and a half this morning, and it's amazing what that little bit of sleep can do for your spirit.

The nausea was pretty bad today, though.  I'm thinking the stress of the insurance company fiasco (and note, I never say which insurance company I have, as I don't want them suing me for telling the truth about them.)  So I did take a compazine and I think it's about time for another.  But the pain in my thigh is totally gone now, and I can walk pretty well again.  Still, I'm taking the scooter to my lab tests tomorrow, just because I'm feeling so puny from the chemo.

Thank heavens for all the folks at Ironwood.  They are such professionals and always have great attitudes.  You can't help but be impressed.  There's nothing worse than a good doctor with crappy staff, but at Ironwood, you have the best of BOTH worlds. :)

Peace out. :D

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Never SAY You are Lucky

I got home from my chemo today to find NUMEROUS letters from my insurance company telling me in several pages of gibberish that they have denied my claims on my chemo treatments.  They are telling me I now owe my oncologist just over $28,000.  Um, yeah.

So, I called them and they said the data my oncologist had provided was not enough.  They needed more justification.  They decided this back on my first treatment in August, but just now decided to let ME know.    Well, if they needed more information, why didn't they contact my doctor?  Oh, not their job!  How odd, I could have SWORN it WAS their job.  But, hey, they don't want to pay that $28,000 either, nor $4040 for any additional chemos.

And I ask myself.  WHY do I have medical insurance if they don't cover crap I need to stay alive.  Or get some sleep.  But note the lack of question marks there... it's all rhetorical.  They don't give a flying rat's ass.

Well, I'll be sure to call my oncologist's office tomorrow, because if my insurance is not covering it, we're going to have to stop the one treatment regimen that was actually saving my life.  I will not put my family in jeopardy and debt.  Granted, I'm sure this will all be resolved once I talk to the Oncologist.  HIM I have faith in.

I'm sure it would all look less dire in the morning, after a good night's sleep, but WAIT!  It's the Dreaded Decadron Insomnia night, for which they denied me a good night's sleep.  Alas.

Instead, I'm sure I'll be even more of a sarcastic bitch in the morning.  Pray for whomever answers the phone at my oncologist's office.

I Love Fall

I think Fall is by far my favorite season.  Even here, we have leaves changing colors; certainly not as showy and impressive as over in New England, but it's here, nonetheless.


Today, I'll be heading off to see the oncologist at 1PM, then if all is well with my labs, I can have my Camptosar infusion.  How amazing that after being so skittish in the beginning of this treatment regimen, now, I WANT it!  Doesn't matter that it makes me nauseated; it's saving my life, and I want it.  Oooh, that sounds like a three-year-old, doesn't it?  I WANT IT!  :D


On the other hand, this means the beginning of my Xeloda cycle, too.  You know, I'm exceedingly lucky, because other than the nausea, I'm not getting the more harsh side effects from these two chemo drugs.  Oh well, yes, there IS that little problem with blood clots, but I was lucky there, too!  That Pulmonary Embolism was found before it killed me.  That's luck!


But perhaps, luck has nothing to do with it.  I know I have so many supporters out there; family, friends, even strangers I have never physically met.  With all those prayers, good mojo, best wishes and love, you know that HAS to play a part in my so-called 'luck.'  And I am most appreciative of every bit of support that comes my way.


Our house is now decorated for Halloween.  We have a HORRIBLE giant spider on the front porch, and his web is full of plastic cockroaches.  I kinda helped out yesterday, putting cockroaches in the web, but frankly, they kept sliding and looked FAR too real for my taste, but in the spirit of the season, they are perfect.


Jane made another batch of cupcakes yesterday with my favorite Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting, but instead of cocoa powder, which we didn't have, we used Mexican Chocolate... with cinnamon.  Holy carp, these cupcakes are to die for.  And if I eat too many, I will. :)  The cake part is spice cake, too, so believe me, the Mexican in us is VERY happy with these cupcakes.


So that's it for this post.  All is well, and if anything comes up at the oncologist today, I'll let you all know.


Love, hugs and kisses, too!



Saturday, October 15, 2011

AC's Back On

And the reason this is?  We want to sleep.  It was just not cooling down enough last night, but I wasn't about to go around the house at 2AM shutting windows, so I didn't turn the Air Conditioning back on until this morning.  Oh, and yes, it was a bit warm today. :)


Jane and Nancy have soccer tomorrow, so Cathy and I are going to do something in the crock pot.  I got the recipe from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook."  A rather unwieldy title, but it does have some freaking awesome recipes.  Any book that includes SEVERAL recipes with Hominy has GOT to be good! ;)


I can't remember exactly what the recipe was but it definitely involved turkey smoked sausage and a jar of good salsa.  We're going to slap it over whole-wheat pasta; whichever type we have in the pantry is fine.


Today, I decided to get up and put on my compression socks.  Holy carp, what a workout.  I guess they wouldn't work well if they were not a job to don.  Did they work?  The jury is out, only because I didn't put them on right out of bed. I think my ankles had already started swelling before I put them on my lotion-slathered feet.  Don't forget, I'm still trying to stave off the nasty Hand-Foot Syndrome from my chemo.  


On the agenda for this week?  Monday, a plethora of blood tests; my PT/INR, and some exciting pre-chemo checks...CBC, platelets with differentials and something called a D-Dimer to check my clottiness, so to speak.  Thankfully there is no test to check my snottiness.  I think the results might be pretty fascinating, though, if there were.


Then, Tuesday, it's Camptosar infusion time, followed by the start up of my week of Xeloda, and of course, the Dreaded Decadron Insomnia.  After that, the remainder of the week will be filled with me trying not to be nauseated.  Although, on Thursday, it'll be back to the phlebotamist for another PT/INR.  


But on the happy side, my sisters and I will be attending BlizzCon, virtually of course.  Wouldn't want to barf all over an actual convention, and I think the airlines would charge me a fortune to pack up my scooter, Darth Vader (my oxygen concentrator), and my CPAP.  


And now, it's time to take my night time bevy of pills and read a bit before I head off to slumber land.  I hope you all have a great upcoming week full of peace, sleep, and much happiness.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Hell's Bells!

Ok, I had turned off the Air Conditioner last week, when we were experiencing high 70's through high 80's weather and it was great, but this week, we're back to high 90's again.  This is actually normal for us here in the Phoenix metropolitan (dang, that word is a pain to type!) area for this time of year. 

If you notice on my Weather Channel widget, our lows are great; tonight we'll hit 64... blanket weather! ;)  So, now that the sun is long past being down, all my windows and doors are open and the fans and cross currents are bringing that cooler air into the house.  And it's LOVELY!

Jane says she heard our Great Horned Owls last night, so I hope I get a chance to hear them soon.  Our bats were back again this evening as we were all out enjoying the sunset and the cooler temperatures.

Went and had my PT/INR today, since Dr. R has changed my schedule from Monday and Friday to Monday and Thursday.  Had a chat with my case worker from my insurance company, wondering WHY this time, they wouldn't cover the Coumadin Clinic.  She's going to find out.  Seems my insurance isn't covering quite a few things these days, not the least of which is the only sleep aid that I, as a person with advanced lung disease, can actually use.

Yes, I broke down and asked Dr. R for a sleeping pill to use on my Dreaded Decadron Insomnia nights.  He prescribed Rozerem, which doesn't have a sedative effect, which would be a bad thing for a person with lung disease and sleep apnea.  But my insurance company said "prescribe Ambien" to which my doc said... diplomatically... "NO!"

Oh sure, I could spring for it myself, but for two nights in a month, they can bite me... I'll just stay up all night.  It's not cheap, by the way.  And frankly, I have other, much more important, priorities on my finances right now.  But, you know, I'm freaking sick of non-medically trained bureaucrats (dang, that's even harder to type!) telling MY DOCTOR how to prescribe medicine, when they don't know crap about me as a patient.  Yeah, I'm perturbed... which is nicer than saying this pisses me off royally.  Probably because I'm sleep-deprived.  Alas.

Still, all in all, life as I know it is fantastic, beaurocracy-ridden insurance companies notwithstanding, and so, I have a smile on my face, a song in my heart and a glass of red wine at my side.  I have a huge family that loves me to bits, friends that give me shoulders galore, and chihuahuas that provide unquestioning adoration.  For what more could one wish?  A freaking good night's sleep on Dreaded Decadron Insomnia nights!!!!!

And could I also ask to be rid of this silly twitch in my left eye?

Love to all. :)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

In the Spirit of the Season...

... we were visited by three tiny bats, flying around our circle (cul de sac) at sunset.  They were finding a feast of flying bugs, apparently.  They were easily viewed in silhouette against the waning light from the west.  Bats are a wonderful controller of pests that would eat our crops.

And speaking of crops, this weekend we're planting our winter veggies.  Artichokes, Brussels Sprouts, heirloom tomatoes (purples and pinks), Broccoli, and Red Cabbage.  And of course, our rampant chili plants are producing and should continue well into the season.

I painted three canvases today.  I had gotten a shipment of paints that I was salivating over and just HAD to use them.  But, I have to say, painting really tired me out today.  As I mentioned earlier, I took my last dose of the weekly chemo pills, Xeloda, today, but I was not feeling very good.  I am still having some problems with nausea, which will hopefully start to go away.  I can barely eat.  I've lost four pounds since I left the hospital...those guys were really making me chow down! ;)


That's one of the paintings I did today.  Wendy said it reminded her of a Military Macaw, and I can see that.  I did try to make it feathery.  Speaking of Military Macaws, here's a picture of my beloved Gypsy.

I think there IS a resemblance!

Now, sleep well, all... be safe, keep warm or cool as the case may be. :)

April 2012!

HBO says the second season of "Game of Thrones" will premier in April of 2012.  That's not so far away.  Must try to stay healthy so I can enjoy it.  I get most of my information from a site called Winter-Is-Coming.  They do keep me up to date. :)

I started re-watching the first season of "Game of Thrones," since I'm not exactly at my most mobile at the moment. The final scene of the first episode still makes me gasp despite having read the books and having seen the episode at least twice before.  I think HBO is fantastic for giving us the tools to re-watch any program at any time, via HBO GO.

As for my mobility, the pain in my thigh has lessened considerably, and I find that getting up from a sit is no longer the groan-out-loud experience it has been.  Seriously, it took me minutes to get up the COURAGE to try to get up from a sit, it hurt so badly.  Our thigh muscles are pretty important; more important than I ever gave them credit for at least.  Because until this, I never gave them a thought.  Sorry, thigh muscles... you guys rock!

It's amazing how much cancer makes you learn things.  I know so much more about the physiology of my own body than I ever dreamed I'd learn.  Or really cared to learn, actually.  But, frankly, it's all very fascinating.  Makes you wonder how the hell we've survived all this time as a species when so much can go wrong with our very complicated systems.  I mean just eating; getting the nutrition right (which many of us fall short being successful) is insanely complicated, and we've made it much more difficult with all the stupid processing we've done to make food less nutritious, but supposedly more palatable.  To that I say HORSE HOCKEY!

Take grains, for instance.  Have you had a good serving of Quinoa pilaf lately?  I'll guess not.  Whole grain Quinoa, Millet, Barley, Wheat Berries:  all delicious in their natural states, and packed full of nutrition.  Cook them correctly, and they are satisfyingly toothsome, adding great texture, flavor and goodness to any plate.

Today is my last dose of Xeloda for this round, and after I take my breakfast foursome, I get a week off from the pills.  And food is starting to look good again. :)

Be happy, everyone.  Hug someone or something you love today.  Don't forget!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Sleeping A Lot

Vicodin makes me sleepy so if I take one, I have to sleep at least two hours.  I took my last Vicodin yesterday.  I started to get nauseated and decided I'd rather have pain than nausea.

But even so, I'm still sleeping quite a bit. Maybe my body just needs some rest.  Must listen to the body. ;)

Tomorrow I go to Sonora to get my PT/INR tested again.  I'm at 2.5 mg of Coumadin at the moment.  I wish it would hurry up and get rid of that damned clot in my thigh so I could walk again.  I should stop the whining, I know, but it hurts.

So anywho, that's why I'm not posting so much; I'm too busy sleeping.  But I think I detect a lessening of the pain, so maybe the coumadin is working and I just need to be patient.  HAHAHAH, yeah, that's me, patient. ;)

Love to all!


Friday, October 7, 2011

Pain Continues

The pain from the DVT in my left thigh is not being managed very well.  That's my fault, of course, as I hate painkillers, and I've waited far too long to start taking them with regularity.


But some time after 2 AM, when I discovered I could not get out of bed, it seemed time to just take the creepy Vicodin.  I have to say, though, it's not really getting rid of the pain.  I think it's lessening it a bit, but um, it still hurts.


I took the pre-emptive dose of compazine, an anti-nausea drug, after I got home from my Friday blood-letting.  I waited about 1/2 hour and then took the Vicodin. And then I fell asleep.  Essentially, every time I take a Vicodin, I fall asleep, so maybe that's what I have to do; sleep through the pain.  


Anyway, I'm trying to take the Vicodin now on a continual basis without barfing my guts out.  Which reminds me, it's time for another compazine.  When Dr. Ramaswamy calls about today's PTR, I shall tell him about the level of pain, etc.  Maybe I need something stronger than Vicodin... oh yuck.


Well, have a great weekend, all.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Good Bye, Steve Jobs... rest well

I think when you have cancer, you feel an empathetic connection to everyone else that is battling the evil crap.  And when one of us dies, it hurts us all.  We understand that some of us won't win the war, no matter what, and I think we feel diminished in some way when any of us succumb.

Yesterday was not my normal Tuesday for chemo, it should have been last week, but I was in hospital, so it was a totally different crowd.  But crowd it was not.  There were lots of empty chairs.  Jane was disconcerted because of the about 20 people there getting their infusions, I was the only one that had someone with me.  It's rare to see that.  But, I surely understand that when you are sitting around having toxic stuff dripped into your chest, it's not the most exciting of ways to pass the time.

Jane either reads, or does the jigsaw puzzle of the day, or we just jabber.

I went out and picked one of my hibiscus.  I would, if I had more hair, have worn it, but I forgot how HUGE my blooms are.  It's bigger than my head!

Here is a shot of it on a tea towel.  We tried to just take it on the quartz counter top, but it's pretty much the same color, so it needed a bit of contrast.

I love flowers.  They brighten up the world so much!  Oh, please note, I was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt today.  It was only like 84!  You know, kind of chilly to us. ;)  And as you can see, the hair is coming back... slowly and very, very straight.  Ai carumba!

Oh, Polly, if you read this, Jane brewed up some of the lovely tea you brought me back from England.  It's fantastic!  Nicely full-bodied.  Gotta love the British and their tea.  I could probably substitute coffee willingly for this.... well, maybe not, but it would be close. :D

Ok, love and hugs to all!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Decadron Insomnia

I'm happily adding this post via my Motorola Xoom, which is the reason for reverting back to a regular Blogger template.  Plus, I missed my gadgets and widgets and the ability to go wild with colors. :)

So I saw Dr. Fastenberg today and he was concerned about the pain in my leg from the DVT.  He says that sometimes, in the presence of malignancies, blood clots require more than coumadin.  He gave me orders to have a D-dimer test done along with my normal CBC and platelets with differentials.  In the meantime he wants me to be hyper aware of my breathing, and to check my O2 saturation and my heart rates.  You just know that the Queen of Neuroses is chomping on the bit to be released from my non-existent basement!

I'll be seeing Dr. Ramaswamy, my primary care doctor, on Thursday, so I'll be sure to discuss the pain issue with him.  He knows that I don't do painkillers very well.  I think I may discuss other options with him.  Acupuncture is being used for cancer-related pain, and I believe my insurance would cover it.  And believe me, any fear I used to have when it comes to needles is long gone!

Now, I'll try to at least get some rest, as I know how the dreaded decadron insomnia will screw with me. :)

Love and hugs to all!

Back to an OLD Template

The dynamic template wasn't working for mobile applications, so I couldn't post from my infusion today.  Yes, I had another chemo today, and it looks like we'll be doing this until I can't do it any longer.

So bear with me on this.... while I try to get it back to normal. :)

Monday, October 3, 2011

Comments Having Problems

Blogger came out with new Dynamic Templates, and this is one of them.  I'm not sure I'll stick with this one.  But the main thing is, in the process of making Blogger better, the ability of people to leave comments is having some problems. 

So, bear with 'em.  I haven't a clue how long these upgrades will be continuing, but .. yeah, it's an adventure!

Hey, interestingly enough, looks like the "Preview" button doesn't work either.  So this one is going to be published COLD!  Scary! :D  Oooh, and I can't change the font.  Ai carumba!

A New Week Begins

Today, I have a noon appointment to get my clotting factor measured.  I hope Dr. R. gets me set up at the Coumadin Clinic at Banner Baywood soon.  I'm almost out of veins to be tapped.


Tomorrow I'll see Dr. Fastenberg and we'll decide if I am well enough to return to my chemos.  Plus I want to see the final CT result for myself.  I'm so happy about the shrinkage of my adrenal gland tumor, and thankful for some good news for a change. :)


Nancy and I are going to make three-bean turkey chili for dinner tonight.  We're using black beans, kidneys and great northern beans.  Jane had made a bunch of sauteed veggies yesterday:  Asparagus, red onion, orange, yellow and red bell peppers and jalapenos.  We'll finish them off tonight.  Actually, I think they'd be great as a topper for the chili.


The turkey chili is a slow-cooker thing so we'll get that put together when we get home from the blood-letting.  It will make the house smell so good!


I'm feeling strong enough to take my walker to the lab today, rather than my scooter.  Even with the Handicapped parking space, their actual location withing the building they occupy is about as far in as you can get. :D  But I'm looking forward to walking on my own two feet.  Keep those blood clots at bay!!


Speaking of walking, I'm off to take a gander at my back garden.  It's nice and cool this morning, so I must take advantage of the temperature.


Love and hugs to all!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Coumadin... ai chihuahua

So, I went to Sonora Quest to get my PT/INR.  I was happily anticipating a quick finger prick and then I'd be out of there.

But NO!  "We can't do the finger prick; we're not technicians, and we don't have the equipment."  But, after looking at my arm and examining the vein options, the phlebotomist says to me, "Don't worry, I'm really good at getting blood from you challenging types."  She smiled reassuringly.  Frankly, I believed her.  After a thorough arm going-over, she went for my hand.  It was a perfect job. :)

Then off Nancy and I went to Walgreen's to get the Coumadin.  They were surprised to see me.  I've had my prescriptions there, at least the ones I can't wait on for my mail order joint, for probably a year... and I've never been in the place until yesterday.  Jane and Nancy have always gone to get my drugs.  I think they didn't believe I existed.

I was on my pretty red scooter, and thankfully, the aisles of the Walgreen's were uncluttered enough to get through.  Plus, I didn't hit a soul.  YAY! :D

Jane brought me my favorite salad for dinner, and I made inroads into the See's candy that my friend Annette had brought me in the hospital.  Oh lord, they have chocolate covered ginger.  WOW, that is SO good!  And despite those inroads, my glucose was great this morning.  I'm just about back to my weird normal. :)

Dr. Ramaswamy had said that as soon as he got the results from the PT/INR, he'd call to tell me how much Coumadin to take that evening.  At 4:30 PM, I decided to call, and they said they didn't have the lab results yet.  Gloria, Dr. R's nurse asked me if he'd put STAT on the orders.  I couldn't remember.  They were odd looking to begin with because they were generated in the hospital, and were not in any way like his normal lab orders.

By 9PM, I was half asleep at my keyboard, so I took my regular evening drugs and went to bed.  I figured it was better to not take ANY coumadin than to try and guess what to take.  Guessing and blood thinners do not mix.

The phone rang at 11:45PM.  Jane got it; Dr. Ramaswamy, beside himself and very apologetic said the test results were still not available, but take a half of one of the coumadin.  I did that, and took a Vicodin because my left leg was making it hard to get back to sleep.  .... I woke up at 9:15 this morning.  Holy moses!  I haven't slept that late in years!

And speaking of the devil; just got off the phone with Dr. Ramaswamy who told me how to dose myself for the next couple of days.  Then Monday, it's back for another blood letting.  Joy. :D

All in all, I'm doing really well.  I feel a bit fragile yet, but I think I'm getting stronger every day.  Hugs to all!

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