Hey everyone:
Well, Pete and I went to London Tuesday. Actually we left on Monday night because my appointment was early Tuesday morning. I can't handle driving for five hours and do four to five hours of testing in one day. I will tire out and get way too sore. After a hearty breakfast we got to the hospital a bit early and registered in. They right away sent me for blood work (eight tubes) and then I went to get a chest X-ray and last was sent for an ECG. The tech put about twelve stickers on me and clipped on the wires, I was just settling back when she ripped all the wires & stickers off - I was done already!! In between those three tests I had to fill out the same form I do every time I go to London - all about your symptoms and if anything has changed or if you need a social worker etc. Everything was running on schedule and we met the doctor on time to discuss the transplant. First I had to have a physical and than we went over any questions. Apparently I will still be feeling pretty good after I get chemo on the 15th of October. The doctor said I could go out on day passes or out for dinner/shopping whatever. I was surprised. The side effects won't hit until six to eight days later - than I have to be very careful!
I was supposed to have a tour of the 7th floor where I will be living for three weeks, but the nurse was tied up in a family crisis and they don't let people just wander around up there. They did show me where I would get dialysis done. They said don't drink too much water because you can't drag that machine into the bathroom like you would an IV pole! Instead it's the "trusty" bed pan. It looks like I'm able to go through with the transplant from the test results they have so far. There was a nurse that retired in London in the last couple days/weeks and she was in charge of doing the transplants from a sibling to a patient. Now there is a huge waiting list until they hire a new nurse. Thankfully I'm my own donor and there are nurses and doctors to carry out my procedure. Pete and I got out of London a lot sooner than expected and made it home at a decent time. I napped on the way back of course!
The last two weeks I have been getting more sore and achy and the pain begins to burn a bit. My skin feels like it would when you have the flu and it hurts to brush your hair or wear a shirt against your skin. I have a bit of a bloated tummy from the steroids (and maybe my appetite). The other night at dinner the kids eyes lit right up and they squealed "Your pregnant!!". I said "Nooo, the drugs would not be good for the baby - I'm not pregnant". "Well", they said, If you WERE pregnant how far along would you be?". "Four months!" I answered.
It's almost time for the next haircut - Oct. 1 - I'm going short. That will last till I go to the hospital. At first I thought to just shave my head the day before I go in so I don't have to worry finding a razor at the hospital. The doctor told me not to shave it off because they don't want nicks on my scalp. (The nurses will do it when my hair falls out). He did say to go wig shopping. There is a place about half hour away from here where a lady has a business in her home. She books fittings for just one customer at a time so we aren't rushed. The girls want to come with me. It's almost like a bridal fitting except we are just doing the headpieces!
I have one more stretch of steroids (four days) and than I hope to never have to take those again. I'm looking forward to having my own moods backs - which are usually good. I hate what the drugs do to you (for me they make me very grumpy and moody), it hasn't be fun for my family or me! Anyway, the first week in October I will be getting a new drug to get the stem cells moving, healthy and multiplying so that by the 7th of October I can get a permcath and have dialysis and get a good enough harvest. On Oct. 14 (Pete's & my anniversary) we'll be going to London so I'm there for the transplant and the month.
Well, I was reading my daughter a book for bed, but she took over the reading and I fell asleep. Now that the blog is updated I should probably get to bed myself. In all things I leave it with the Lord to see how He sees best to deal with all these tests and appointments. I will show up for everything and know that He will hold my hand and hold my family till all this is done.
Thanks again to everyone for the endless support and love!!
Love Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather & Shaun
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hi everyone:
Last week I went to my family doctor for a check up and to update him on all the tests and things I've had to do. Basically, I told him I'm a healthy cancer patient!! He said, "Um, okay I'll put that on your charts and let all the other doctors know". He started to laugh a bit. I don't imagine he gets told that everyday! He said he was going to come and do a house visit because he'd been getting a lot of info on me, but hadn't seen me in a while. I said he was welcome any time and actually thought that was quite nice (he's a VERY busy man). The reason I said I was "healthy" was because all the tests were coming back pretty good, my cell count was good, the calcium in my blood is doing it's job, blood work is good etc. So I told him my opinion on the whole situation. Obviously I'm not a doctor, but I'm a good patient!
Last week before all the rain I decided to cut the grass. There was a lot of jolting happening in the back yard and I think maybe I hurt my back doing that (maybe I'm not a good patient). Anyway, the pain seems to be getting worse since Sunday/Monday especially and I figured it might ease up or go away. The steroids are supposed to help with the bone pain and I started those up again today, but the pain is still there. I went to oncology after I got the kids from school just to let them know this was happening (they said to inform them of any different/unusual pain that I might have) and they decided to schedule a MRI on my full spine and back hip bones. Then I have to go to oncology for an update on the MRI. Hopefully they don't have to radiate anything before the transplant because that just won't work out with the stem cell harvest. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
That's the update for now, I have to get dinner on the table. Thanks for the done of cards and emails this week, I really appreciate it. Also a bunch of girls from school might try and come up in the next couple days to visit! All the support is wonderful. Oh, Pete said he can't wait to update the blog - something about my eating habits. Most cancer patients lose their appetite but mine is good....REEEALLY good!!!!
Love from Pete, Sharon & kids.
Last week I went to my family doctor for a check up and to update him on all the tests and things I've had to do. Basically, I told him I'm a healthy cancer patient!! He said, "Um, okay I'll put that on your charts and let all the other doctors know". He started to laugh a bit. I don't imagine he gets told that everyday! He said he was going to come and do a house visit because he'd been getting a lot of info on me, but hadn't seen me in a while. I said he was welcome any time and actually thought that was quite nice (he's a VERY busy man). The reason I said I was "healthy" was because all the tests were coming back pretty good, my cell count was good, the calcium in my blood is doing it's job, blood work is good etc. So I told him my opinion on the whole situation. Obviously I'm not a doctor, but I'm a good patient!
Last week before all the rain I decided to cut the grass. There was a lot of jolting happening in the back yard and I think maybe I hurt my back doing that (maybe I'm not a good patient). Anyway, the pain seems to be getting worse since Sunday/Monday especially and I figured it might ease up or go away. The steroids are supposed to help with the bone pain and I started those up again today, but the pain is still there. I went to oncology after I got the kids from school just to let them know this was happening (they said to inform them of any different/unusual pain that I might have) and they decided to schedule a MRI on my full spine and back hip bones. Then I have to go to oncology for an update on the MRI. Hopefully they don't have to radiate anything before the transplant because that just won't work out with the stem cell harvest. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
That's the update for now, I have to get dinner on the table. Thanks for the done of cards and emails this week, I really appreciate it. Also a bunch of girls from school might try and come up in the next couple days to visit! All the support is wonderful. Oh, Pete said he can't wait to update the blog - something about my eating habits. Most cancer patients lose their appetite but mine is good....REEEALLY good!!!!
Love from Pete, Sharon & kids.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Hello:
Thursday I went to London with my friend for a follow up on the radiation I had in July. It was something I probably could have done over the phone. The doctor wanted to know if the radiation helped - my back does feel much better since the radiation, it doesn't hurt as quickly as it used to. They want me to come back in January for another follow up. We did get to the Mandarin again though!!
On Friday I went to Owen Sound and had a breathing test done. I had to sit in this "plastic bubble" - it reminded me of a mini helicopter cockpit. I thought of all the astronauts practising for space! I had to put my mouth around this big air tube and have a clothespin on my nose and than they shut the door on me. Through the speaker the tech would tell me how to breath. First I had to breath normal and suddenly take a deep breath in and right away blow out as hard and fast as I could. The second set I had to pant like a dog and resistance would build up in the tube so I couldn't breath anymore. The third set they put oxygen through and I had to breath it in and do what I did in the first set but just normal paced. Than it was all done. I also had to do blood work. After blood work I went to the van and I noticed the inside of my elbow where I had the needle was all swollen in a big cone shape bubble and was blue. I went back to the lab and asked the tech that took my blood what she thought of it - maybe an air bubble? She said it wasn't an air bubble, but it would probably bruise (as I'm looking at my blue arm). I asked if I should worry about it and she said no. The kids were quite impressed when I picked them up but also a little grossed out. The next morning the bubble was gone and a few new colours joined in with the blue shades.
Saturday I ended up with a migraine and threw up in Shopper's Drug Mart (an employee managed to get me to the bathroom just in time). What a proud moment. The headache lasted through till Monday.
This morning I went to the Owen Sound hospital for my monthly 2hr IV which every time gets better results. The calcium floating around in my blood is starting to stick to my bones. The oncologist was behind today so I saw the nurse who said I was doing really good with all my tests results so far and monthly check ups. This afternoon I had a muga test - which is a test that checks the blood pumping through my heart. I had a needle (in the other arm!) which had a drug that sticks to my blood cells. Twenty minutes later the tech gave me another needle with a nuclear drug that would stick itself onto the first drug. Than they brought me to the same room that I had my bone scan in and lay me back on that skinny bed that they strap you onto so you don't fall off. The tech put patches on my chest and stomach with wires to monitor my heart while they took three pictures -five minutes per picture. The camera is the big monitor screen that they lay a centimeter from your chest. It's kinda claustrophobic and I couldn't nap like I usually do through all my tests.
Tomorrow I go to my family doctor and there won't be anything to say about that visit. On the 23rd is the visit to London for the rest of the tests. So far so good. Anyway, that's all for now. I still tire easily, but since the kids have gone to school I don't get mentally tired as quickly.
Thanks to you all for remembering our family and we'll see when the next blog is.
Goodnight,
Love Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather & Shaun.
Thursday I went to London with my friend for a follow up on the radiation I had in July. It was something I probably could have done over the phone. The doctor wanted to know if the radiation helped - my back does feel much better since the radiation, it doesn't hurt as quickly as it used to. They want me to come back in January for another follow up. We did get to the Mandarin again though!!
On Friday I went to Owen Sound and had a breathing test done. I had to sit in this "plastic bubble" - it reminded me of a mini helicopter cockpit. I thought of all the astronauts practising for space! I had to put my mouth around this big air tube and have a clothespin on my nose and than they shut the door on me. Through the speaker the tech would tell me how to breath. First I had to breath normal and suddenly take a deep breath in and right away blow out as hard and fast as I could. The second set I had to pant like a dog and resistance would build up in the tube so I couldn't breath anymore. The third set they put oxygen through and I had to breath it in and do what I did in the first set but just normal paced. Than it was all done. I also had to do blood work. After blood work I went to the van and I noticed the inside of my elbow where I had the needle was all swollen in a big cone shape bubble and was blue. I went back to the lab and asked the tech that took my blood what she thought of it - maybe an air bubble? She said it wasn't an air bubble, but it would probably bruise (as I'm looking at my blue arm). I asked if I should worry about it and she said no. The kids were quite impressed when I picked them up but also a little grossed out. The next morning the bubble was gone and a few new colours joined in with the blue shades.
Saturday I ended up with a migraine and threw up in Shopper's Drug Mart (an employee managed to get me to the bathroom just in time). What a proud moment. The headache lasted through till Monday.
This morning I went to the Owen Sound hospital for my monthly 2hr IV which every time gets better results. The calcium floating around in my blood is starting to stick to my bones. The oncologist was behind today so I saw the nurse who said I was doing really good with all my tests results so far and monthly check ups. This afternoon I had a muga test - which is a test that checks the blood pumping through my heart. I had a needle (in the other arm!) which had a drug that sticks to my blood cells. Twenty minutes later the tech gave me another needle with a nuclear drug that would stick itself onto the first drug. Than they brought me to the same room that I had my bone scan in and lay me back on that skinny bed that they strap you onto so you don't fall off. The tech put patches on my chest and stomach with wires to monitor my heart while they took three pictures -five minutes per picture. The camera is the big monitor screen that they lay a centimeter from your chest. It's kinda claustrophobic and I couldn't nap like I usually do through all my tests.
Tomorrow I go to my family doctor and there won't be anything to say about that visit. On the 23rd is the visit to London for the rest of the tests. So far so good. Anyway, that's all for now. I still tire easily, but since the kids have gone to school I don't get mentally tired as quickly.
Thanks to you all for remembering our family and we'll see when the next blog is.
Goodnight,
Love Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather & Shaun.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
September 3, 2008
Hi to everyone!
It's been awhile since the last blog update, actually a whole month!! August was a quiet month and our family took a couple weeks of camping in. The first week was very relaxing after a busy July of doctor's appointments, but the second week started to tire me out mentally. By the end of summer everything became overwhelming. Phone calls, people asking about doctor's appointments, the kid's bickering, trying to take care of myself and still run the household. (This is when the family ran away to camp - just to get away from everything). When I'm on all these drugs and off again it takes a toll on you mentally and you become very irritable about everything! I seem to snap at everyone, especially my own family, and that's hard to deal with because they aren't doing anything wrong. You can't really control it though, but you feel bad for doing it all the time. It's nice that the kids were looking forward to school and I was looking forward to some down time myself. I seem to be really tired all the time, but now that I can rest during the day again hopefully that will get better too.
This week I have doctor's appointments everyday. London wants to start all kinds of tests on me to see if I'll physically be up to doing a stem cell transplant. In Owen Sound I'll be doing all kinds of blood work, 24 hr urine test, a breathing test and a heart test. My lungs, kidneys and heart have to be in good shape or I won't even be allowed to follow through with the procedure. Later in the month I go to London for another four hours of testing. More blood work, chest x-rays, an ECG and a physical. Than they give me the tour of the area where I'll be living for a couple weeks after the transplant. I'll also be getting a permcap in above my heart for all the meds and will also act as a feeding tube if I can't eat on my own.
Come the first week of October I'll have a nurse come in everyday for a week and inject me with drugs to get the stem cells moving and healthy. At the end of the week they do dialysis (harvest) in London and hopefully they get a good "crop" or else I'll have to stay for another day of dialysis. On October 15 I get a heavy dose of chemo to kill everything off in my body and on the 17th the doctors will transplant my thawed healthy stem cells back into my body. Hopefully this all works because you only get one chance with this transplant in your life. It's nice to have the dates to look forward to and hopefully I can start the long recovery back to good health again.
At first when the doctor called with all the dates, times and procedures I was a bit nervous because everything was suddenly happening. Now I am not nervous, but have peace with whatever happens. I don't look that far ahead, so I have nothing to worry about. It's all about one day of testing at a time. I know the Lord is with me every step of the way and He will guide and protect me in all things. He is our strength when we are weak, our Rock to hold on to!
I almost forgot to mention, I got my hair cut - about 15 in.- and I donated it to the Cancer Society. I'm working my way to baldness. I'm almost due for my next do!! This haircut is about up to my chin I guess. The hairdresser called it a bed-head style, I said "perfect!". The next one is going to be short and wild (I guess another bed-head one!).
Anyway, this is the update for now. By mid October I hope to be on the road to recovery which will still take a couple months, but at least it will be going uphill! I still receive cards in the mail and it's nice to know so many people care about my family and continue to offer help in so many ways. Your prayers keep us going! Thank you to everyone.
Love from Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather and Shaun.
It's been awhile since the last blog update, actually a whole month!! August was a quiet month and our family took a couple weeks of camping in. The first week was very relaxing after a busy July of doctor's appointments, but the second week started to tire me out mentally. By the end of summer everything became overwhelming. Phone calls, people asking about doctor's appointments, the kid's bickering, trying to take care of myself and still run the household. (This is when the family ran away to camp - just to get away from everything). When I'm on all these drugs and off again it takes a toll on you mentally and you become very irritable about everything! I seem to snap at everyone, especially my own family, and that's hard to deal with because they aren't doing anything wrong. You can't really control it though, but you feel bad for doing it all the time. It's nice that the kids were looking forward to school and I was looking forward to some down time myself. I seem to be really tired all the time, but now that I can rest during the day again hopefully that will get better too.
This week I have doctor's appointments everyday. London wants to start all kinds of tests on me to see if I'll physically be up to doing a stem cell transplant. In Owen Sound I'll be doing all kinds of blood work, 24 hr urine test, a breathing test and a heart test. My lungs, kidneys and heart have to be in good shape or I won't even be allowed to follow through with the procedure. Later in the month I go to London for another four hours of testing. More blood work, chest x-rays, an ECG and a physical. Than they give me the tour of the area where I'll be living for a couple weeks after the transplant. I'll also be getting a permcap in above my heart for all the meds and will also act as a feeding tube if I can't eat on my own.
Come the first week of October I'll have a nurse come in everyday for a week and inject me with drugs to get the stem cells moving and healthy. At the end of the week they do dialysis (harvest) in London and hopefully they get a good "crop" or else I'll have to stay for another day of dialysis. On October 15 I get a heavy dose of chemo to kill everything off in my body and on the 17th the doctors will transplant my thawed healthy stem cells back into my body. Hopefully this all works because you only get one chance with this transplant in your life. It's nice to have the dates to look forward to and hopefully I can start the long recovery back to good health again.
At first when the doctor called with all the dates, times and procedures I was a bit nervous because everything was suddenly happening. Now I am not nervous, but have peace with whatever happens. I don't look that far ahead, so I have nothing to worry about. It's all about one day of testing at a time. I know the Lord is with me every step of the way and He will guide and protect me in all things. He is our strength when we are weak, our Rock to hold on to!
I almost forgot to mention, I got my hair cut - about 15 in.- and I donated it to the Cancer Society. I'm working my way to baldness. I'm almost due for my next do!! This haircut is about up to my chin I guess. The hairdresser called it a bed-head style, I said "perfect!". The next one is going to be short and wild (I guess another bed-head one!).
Anyway, this is the update for now. By mid October I hope to be on the road to recovery which will still take a couple months, but at least it will be going uphill! I still receive cards in the mail and it's nice to know so many people care about my family and continue to offer help in so many ways. Your prayers keep us going! Thank you to everyone.
Love from Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather and Shaun.
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