Dizzy Broad

I'm getting pretty dizzy upon standing, now.  Yes, the leg pain is still there, and pretty hellacious.  Putting a heating pad on it does help, though.  Cathy's been quite adept at knowing when I need my herbal heating thingy warmed up.  I won't do any more Naprosyn since it's an NSAID and I don't want to make my stomach start bleeding while I am on my anticoagulant.

And still coughing up goop; it doesn't seem to want to let up.  I'm trying to stay nicely hydrated, but it's pretty hard when on Lasix.  I keep an eye on the skin of my hands, and if it's looking wrinkly and fragile, I know I need to drink more. 

I'm sick to death of pills.  Just sick to death of them, but I know they are keeping me from the big sleep, so what can you do?  My hands are really becoming problematic.  I can't grip anything, so I have to ask someone to open containers, open car doors, etc.  And it's getting quite painful to grip my canes.  I'm putting a ton of lotion on them, several times a day to try to stave off the Xeloda side effects, but it is getting harder every day.

Dr. F may be right, and I am nuts to want to return to work, but surely it can only help me to get my mind on something bigger than me and pain.  I can do it; I know I can.  I'll be home; I won't have to go across an atrium to get to the Ladies', nor traverse long halls to get to my desk.  It should NOT be physically taxing. 

Speaking of pills, I'm taking my night time allotment; B6, Iron, Singulair, Magnesium, Zantac, Protonix, and Lipitor.  Morning is not so bad; it's just Januvia, two Turmeric, a Glipizide if my glucose is over 150, my B6, and a krill oil capsule.  Of course, since it's still chemo week, I then have to take the four Xeloda with my breakfast, and the other four with my dinner.  Yeah, those are not my favorites.

At least tomorrow I have no need to hit the phlebotomist. :)  I'll head to Ironwood on Tuesday just to get my shot of Aranesp, and I'm doing well I think with the shot of anticoagulant I give myself every day.  Definitely not bothered by that.  It's a piece of cake. :)  Considering I've been around syringes for most of my life, I don't really have a problem with needles.  And lest that sound rather suspicious, remember that both of my parents were insulin dependent diabetics.  I've even given injections to my cockatoo, which is REALLY scary, since hers was in her chest, and you had to avoid putting it into her lungs.  Yeah, that was a nerve-wracking experience.  Not to mention, birds don't WANT to have needles stuck in their chests, and they have very strong beaks with which to make their displeasure known.

Anywho, you can probably tell that I'm not exactly at my most optimistic at the moment, but it's chemo week, and that's pretty par for the course.  After Tuesday, when I don't have to take the Xeloda for a week, I'll improve every day. :)

Hugs to all, and sleep well!

Ugh, Leg Pain

It's back with a vengeance.  I took a Naprosyn today.  Yesterday I got a call from the Apothecary Shop that my prescription for the anti-coagulant shots would be delivered today.  Dr. F had told me to not take Coumadin the day before I started the shots, so I didn't take anything yesterday.

Having given myself Lovenox injections many years ago, I figured I'd be fine to do these.  And I was, but I pretty much had to stare at the needle for about a minute before I finally put it into my flesh.  You couldn't feel a thing.  The med wasn't as stingy as I recall the Lovenox being.  Oh, this stuff is Fondaparinux Sodium.

The happiest part of taking this shot is that I don't have to go twice a week for blood draws any more.  My poor arm can heal.  It's ... colorful at the moment.

Also, happily, now that my asthma exacerbation is almost over, my glucose numbers are back where they should be.  You see, any time you body gets stressed out by illness, it plays havoc with your glucose.  Plus many different meds can influence your glucose levels, as well.  It sometimes gets pretty difficult to keep these numbers under control.

Oh, I like that the Apothecary Shop also brought me alcohol swabs and a sharps container.  But according to the note in my meds delivery, they still owe me 21 syringes of this stuff.  I do have a copay for these shots, but it's manageable.

So, that's what's been happening this week; leg pain, change of anti-coagulant, no more phlebotomist twice a week, although I'll still see them for my pre-chemo testing.  Now I must go drink lots of water.  Oncologist has me on Lasix again, hoping to reduce the swelling in my foot and ankle.  I have my circulation socks on, but I don't really think they work all that well.  And I'm tired and I don't feel so hot, so I'm going to go have a nice lie down. :)

Hugs to all!

Chemo Week begins Anew

I went to see my oncologist, Dr. Fastenberg, today.  I so appreciate all the time he takes with me, answering my questions, and analyzing test results with me.  He's worried about blood clots, since of course, I had the pulmonary embolism.  I may not be so lucky next time.  He's decided to ditch the coumadin in favor of an inject-able  but first he has to get it approved by my health insurance.

If we can go that route, I won't have to get blood draws twice a week and subject my neutropenic self to hanging about with sick people.  Dr. F says my lung disease is a very limiting factor in my ability to fight cancer of any kind. He was also quite appalled by my battered right arm, which makes me look like a junkie.  And of course, he was dismayed that I'd had another exacerbation.  Well, it is Fall and Winter, if I have to be a regular patron of the blood lab, will be quite a challenge.  So anyway, let's hope he can get that inject-able anticoagulant approved.  My money is on him... :)  Oooh, quite literally. :P

Then I told him I would like to go back to work, and he said I was nuts.  However, he said, I could telecommute.  It's hard to explain, but I love my job; I love analysis and people and numbers... I never knew I wanted to do this, but when they put me there, I was so happy.  It was my niche; I was good at it, and it's fun and challenging and makes my brain feel good. :)

I've already spoken to my manager, and he's good with it all, and so I got my "Return to Work/Functional Capacities Form" all filled out by Dr. F, with a return to work of 28 November.  YAY!  This will be a very THANKFUL Thanksgiving, for sure.

I have to go back next Tuesday and get my Aranesp shot.  Oh, and I got lots of mail from my insurance company; they have approved the shots and are covering them.  I love my oncologist and every single person at Ironwood Cancer and Research Center.

Of course, I had my Camptosar infusion today, so I'm feeling a bit blecchy right now.  Must drink lots of fluids and get this stuff to run its course.

Love to all, and hugs as well.