tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53134232011-04-21T18:56:15.201-04:00My mom HAD cancer.You can do it!Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-18202872497022769802008-02-01T12:41:00.001-05:002008-02-01T12:45:23.329-05:00Well. It's been quite a few years. Mom is doing fine now. Early last year she had a double knee replacement, we think partially because of the chemo, partially because of bad knees. But she's doing great now.I'm hopefully getting ready to graduate this year. I'll have my PhD!Good luck to anybody who's going through rough times out there.Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1079534393582323332004-03-17T09:39:00.000-05:002004-03-17T09:43:06.733-05:00Scar tissue. Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated. I guess you just take for granted when things go right. Mom is doing great. She is back to work, full time most days. She is still on blood thinner but she is doing well. She has grown her hair back, and would you believe it came back CURLY. I mean, old lady at the beauty shop curly! She has had the straightest hair for her Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1073660026297934662004-01-09T09:53:00.000-05:002004-01-09T09:55:30.170-05:00SOOOO long time. Well, yesterday she called and said that she felt a "lump" or a mass of tissue under her scar that didn't feel right. I told her to call the doctor and she did. She has an appointment today. I hope it's just scar tissue.
She's doing really well. Getting stronger everyday. We got her a computer for christmas and she's been burning up the net with it every day! I am so gladChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1069772247798307912003-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:002003-11-25T09:58:11.560-05:00The muscle spasms are all but gone. She is sleeping now. It hurts to ride in the car she says but it's not near as bad as it was. She has officially stopped radiation. My grandmother had a round in the hospital for the last few days. She was nauseated, vomitted, had chest pain and was a little confused. When she got to the hospital they determined that she was low in potassium and possibly Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1069170753107144322003-11-18T10:52:00.000-05:002003-11-18T10:53:06.750-05:00She is feeling better. The muscle spasms are getting less and less. It still hurts to breathe, because pleurisy is so painful. Her family doctor told her that he thought the radiation oncologist was being a bit "overly aggressive" with the radiation anyway, and that he didn't see a problem with her quitting. He also said that if she hadn't already had 20+ treatments and if she had had any Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1069099128150022902003-11-17T14:58:00.000-05:002003-11-17T14:59:20.640-05:00Flew back friday. She hasn't slept more than a couple of hours a night since the surgery. She is trying her darndest not to have to take pain medication. SHe is still having the recurring muscle spasms. She told me that she is going to quit radiation. She's done about 20-24 treatments...and only needed like 10 more to finish. She is going to her family doctor today to "coordinate" this Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1068643978347870962003-11-12T08:32:00.000-05:002003-11-12T08:33:24.293-05:00Ok, back.
Found out Wednesday that she not only has the blood clot, but she also has pleuresy in that lung. From Monday to Thursday she was hurting so bad that they had to keep her "doped up" out of her mind to help the pain. She didnt know who she was, where she was, what day it was....nothing. She told funny, but after a while, annoying stories and made up things constantly. She told me Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1068060971242027922003-11-05T14:36:00.000-05:002003-11-05T14:36:28.513-05:00Still in the hospital. She is supposed to be staying for "days". One of her doctors also suggested a possible gall bladder thing. So they're going to check that out this afternoon. She is now on Dalaudid (sp?). She was on morphine for a while. Her side still hurts really bad and it comes on quickly. My grandfather said she had a bad night last night, with the pain and all. I'll update Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1067978054574739012003-11-04T15:34:00.000-05:002003-11-04T15:34:30.606-05:00They tried to do a CT scan or MRI last night, but they waited so long, her pain med's wore off and she was hurting too bad to get into the correct position for the scan. So, they waited until this morning. They found that she has a blood clot in her lung. So, they're going to give her blood thinners and pain meds I guess. Still, they didn't explain the severe muscle cramps, I guess they're Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1067890151110479432003-11-03T15:09:00.000-05:002003-11-03T15:09:26.013-05:00She just called me and told me they have her in the hospital for the muscle spasms. They have her on "valium and oxy something" I assume oxycodone=perocet. In the middle of talking to her she started rambling incoherently about the "kitty boys" and then her speech got so bad i couldnt understand her.. .it was like talking to somebody who has had a stroke. I asked to talk to my grandmother whoChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1067867183695401522003-11-03T08:46:00.000-05:002003-11-03T08:46:37.750-05:00For the past 2-3 days, mom has had INTENSE muscle spasms in the area that her breast was removed. When she went for radiation friday, they said "we can see it contracting". The spasms are SO painful she cant sleep or rest or get comfortable. The doctor prescribed her vicodin, but on saturday she had to call him and he prescribed her an antiinflammatory and a muscle relaxer...... those didnt Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1067271017146682102003-10-27T11:10:00.000-05:002003-10-27T11:10:22.640-05:00She got her pathology report from the big nasty tumor... she hasn't called to read it to me yet.. but said that it basically states "BIG NASTY TUMOR!".
Radiation... same ole. Once a day. She has to keep this vasoline-esque stuff on herself to keep the area moist. My grandmother said her hair is getting longer now, about an inch long and solid black, and she said it looked like it was going to Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1066223999131734852003-10-15T09:19:00.000-04:002003-10-15T09:19:59.043-04:00Mom called last night and said that she had chest pain the night before. Like squeezing chest pain. Then she got nauseated and sweaty! She called my grandparents who said "let's go to the ER" and she said nah!
The next morning she told her radiation oncologist who sent her to see her oncologist who sent her to a cardiologist. The cardiologist said he didn't think it was a heart attack, maybe Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1066139313224397202003-10-14T09:48:00.000-04:002003-10-14T09:48:32.726-04:00So she's off. Radiation underway. She says the area stays warm and dry and looks kinda sunburned. She says that the actual radiation part only takes about 2 minutes. It's the getting into position that takes the longest. She will be finished with her radiation on her birthday! What a great birthday present.... to be cancer free and done with treatment after a year of hard work!
I guess I Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1065725610012783182003-10-09T14:53:00.000-04:002003-10-09T14:53:29.426-04:00She went yesterday and they drew on her with a permanent marker. SHe will have radiation for 6.5 weeks every day (except weekends). She's ready to be done! Her hair is about 1/2 inch long and she says it looks like "skunk head" white with a black stripe. I told her we will have to dye it!Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1064586389526947982003-09-26T10:26:00.000-04:002003-09-26T10:26:29.350-04:00She's picked out a little gray kitten at her brother's house. Meowie will surely torture it.
In other news, I'm going to school in the spring to get my PhD in Cellular Biology and Molecular Physiology. I'm scared. I'm afraid that when I get out, I won't make any more money than before I went in. I'm starting to second guess my decision. I should have just applied to pharmacy school or Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1064421421883588492003-09-24T12:37:00.000-04:002003-09-24T12:37:01.576-04:00Less swollen, less red. She's doing well. She went to the doctor yesterday and they said her bloodwork was ok. RBC's are down, but they are just going to wait a while. She will see her radiologist very soon to find out about radiation treatments. She doesn't see her oncologist again until like January.
Notice how I am updating less frequently. There isn't that much going on. I'm glad.
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1063723566968371462003-09-16T10:46:00.000-04:002003-09-16T10:46:06.873-04:00Mom's really swollen up. She still has the rash, no sinus problems, however, she is having a bit of an intestinal issue. I'll leave that up to your own imaginations. Taxotere has some pretty nasty side effects. But the other types of chemo have their own nasty side effects that are even worse than swelling and rashes. She did have her neupogen shot last week, she went to the Dr. yesterday Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1063114134454828392003-09-09T09:28:00.000-04:002003-09-09T09:28:54.390-04:00Yesterday was her last chemo treatment. She said she felt ok when I talked to her last night. Just tired. She has to go today for a WBC shot (neupogen). And she'll go weekly for blood tests to make sure her blood cell counts are ok but that's it folks, she's done with the chemo. They are waiting 1 month before starting radiation. She will have around a month's worth of radiation 4-6 weeks Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1062085291156069662003-08-28T11:41:00.000-04:002003-08-28T11:41:31.056-04:00She spent 2 nights in the hospital. She said the worst part was the headache. They decided that it must be a sinus infection, and while they were checking the CT-scan they noticed a deviated septum. She will need to have that repaired. I sent her flowers on Tuesday, and spent all day yesterday trying to figure out where they were. Finally they got to her and I think the company might send Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1061906481459677492003-08-26T10:01:00.000-04:002003-08-26T10:01:21.326-04:00Mom went into the hospital yesterday. She's been battling this fever since last week and they gave her some strong antibiotics to fight whatever it was but it didn't help. She called them yesterday and told them her fever was still up and they told her to come in. She spent last night in the hospital. They did bloodwork and a CT-scan because they thought maybe it was her sinuses or maybe herChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1061217261972325992003-08-18T10:34:00.000-04:002003-08-18T10:34:21.910-04:00Mom says that this new chemo makes her not sleep well for the first week or so. She feels tired, but not as sick as the old stuff.
She even feels well enough to go on a road trip with my grandparents out west for 10 days between the 5th and 6th chemo. They will be leaving next week sometime! She also wants to start back to work in November or December. This has been a long year for her. She Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1060957332848644762003-08-15T10:22:00.000-04:002003-08-15T10:26:35.390-04:00Got my stitches out last night.
Mom said she was feeling ok. Still rashy. Kinda tired. But not nauseated or anything. She's doing really well. She had a shot of Procrit but not neupogen. Neupogen is hard on her, it makes her bones hurt. Only ONE more chemo to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know she's ready to be done with this crap!
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1060782204046187942003-08-13T09:43:00.000-04:002003-08-13T09:48:12.390-04:00Mom's 5th chemo is today. I'm sure she will have the rash again. Well, she said the rash never really went away from the previous chemo. She also said her hair was about a 1/2 inch long and mostly white now. I don't know if this chemo will cause her to lose that hair or what. So far, it hasn't.
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1060605923948810092003-08-11T08:45:00.000-04:002003-08-11T08:45:24.733-04:00I'm back! Let me just sum it up, we saw a shark, almost got stuck by lightning and then I had to get stitches but that was when I got back home. STITCHES?? yeah, I fell and busted my chin...what was I doing? Wrestling aligators. Ok... I was mopping the floor...shut up.
Mom, her new chemo makes her have a rash. But she's feeling really good compared to the old stuff. 2 more rounds and she'sChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1059661764729473652003-07-31T10:29:00.000-04:002003-07-31T10:29:24.686-04:00I'm going on vacation. I won't be back until August 11th. Have a great time with my archives while I'm gone!
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1059572060330277952003-07-30T09:34:00.000-04:002003-07-30T09:36:28.220-04:00Talked to mom last night. She is doing so good! I think she goes for bloodwork tomorrow, however, I don't feel like her counts will be low. She's a little tired, but not near as bad as when she was on the first type of chemo. 2 more chemos and then she's onto radiation!!!!!!Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1059399879872644962003-07-28T09:44:00.000-04:002003-07-28T09:44:39.750-04:00She said that this chemo was not near as bad as the other chemo. She did turn red one day, but I read somewhere that Taxotere causes a rash and sometimes swelling. She really didn't sound bad at all and not tired. Her blood cell count was good so she didn't need a neupogen shot or a procrit shot! I will finally be able to breathe when the last treatment is over! I know she will be so happy Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1059143601746761282003-07-25T10:33:00.000-04:002003-07-25T10:33:21.660-04:00Whatever damage was done to her heart is reversible according to her oncologist.
Her new chemo is called Taxotere or Docetaxel. So far no bad side effects, except for the fact that they said she turned red yesterday. They think it might have been an allergic reaction, they gave her benadryl. She's still taking the Emend, it seems to be combatting the nausea after chemo. And they are giving Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1058882729471867202003-07-22T10:05:00.000-04:002003-07-22T10:05:29.450-04:00Ok, so, mom told me the other day that the chemo they had her on before has "done something" to her heart. So, they're changing the type of chemo she's getting. She starts chemo #4 tomorrow. They said the side effects might be worse with this new type. Ugh. She doesn't know what it did to her heart, all she said was "they said 49"??? 49 was, apparently, some number from some test they did, Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1058363626595880842003-07-16T09:53:00.000-04:002003-07-16T09:55:07.396-04:00No updates. This month is going to be slow because she's just healing up. She has a doctor's appt friday with her surgeon, maybe he'll take her drains out. She called me the other day and told me her drain bulb popped off so she called the doc on call and he told her to either come in and let them put it back on, or just tie it off. Her and my grandfather rigged it up and somehow got it back Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1057944051953771032003-07-11T13:20:00.000-04:002003-07-11T13:20:51.943-04:00Nothing new today. She called me the other day and said she was bored. What else do I know? Nothing. "Thanks for your support" -Bartles... or James... or both of them
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1057842081280280702003-07-10T09:01:00.000-04:002003-07-10T09:01:21.263-04:00I'm back.
We got up wednesday morning early. Mom took a shower and washed with this betadine wash that they gave her at the doctors office the previous visit. We arrived at the hospital around 6am. They told us to go to outpatient admitting....and when we got there they told us to go to regular admitting. ALWAYS.
So she had already pre-registered so all they did was give her a wrist band and Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1056979680131171952003-06-30T09:28:00.000-04:002003-06-30T09:29:41.850-04:00Mom's surgery will be on Wednesday. She is having a radical mastectomy (removal of the lymph nodes as well) with no reconstruction at this time. The surgeon told her that he didn't want to reconstruct or even reduce the other breast at all until after the radiation.... ok, whatever.
I'm leaving tomorrow to go home. There probably won't be any updates for at least a week. Cross your fingers Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-1056650338009184902003-06-26T13:58:00.000-04:002003-06-26T13:58:57.850-04:00Bloodwork good. Her oncologist's office faxed over all her records to the surgeon's office so she is SET to go for the appointment tomorrow. Tomorrow we will know when her surgery will be.
Sorry that I dont have anything else to report.
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-960164302003-06-25T10:28:00.000-04:002003-06-25T10:28:22.410-04:00Mom's going to the doctor today for bloodwork. She's driving herself.
Also, Friday she goes for her Pre-OP meeting with her surgeon. She is NOT excited about surgery. She keeps saying that they're going to take half of her body off. Negative Nelly! The glass is always half empty. Couldn't she look at this, not as losing half her body, but gaining....a nice sized scar and plenty of bed rest?Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-959815802003-06-24T10:28:00.000-04:002003-06-24T10:48:54.000-04:00Mom called me yesterday and told me that they had raised $1300 dollars for her at her work. I don't know if I told you but they had a cookout and sold tickets to it for $5 a piece. Not bad! I'm sure she is not thrilled with the fact that people raised money for her. She's never been a taker of money....as you can see, she mailed my $20 back to me. She says she feels better than she did. AllChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-959531622003-06-23T14:03:00.000-04:002003-06-23T14:03:41.396-04:00I forgot to mention that I shaved her head on Saturday night. She said it snagged her pillow because her hair was like velcro... It was about that long....I shaved it clean..and she put her head on her pillow and said "it feels like heaven!"
GLORY BE!
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-959517742003-06-23T13:20:00.000-04:002003-06-23T14:05:17.000-04:00Well, I'm back. I drove to Nashville, met my Aunt and we drove from there to home which is about 2 hours. Avoiding a near death collision along the way. When we pulled up in the yard, my granddad was walking around outside. And then I got out of the car and saw mom on the porch. She was wearing a hat. I was afraid that I would cry, but I didnt. I went up and hugged her. We all went insideChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-958654102003-06-20T11:33:00.000-04:002003-06-20T11:33:37.000-04:00Ha, you guys are gonna laugh. My mom lied to everybody. She told everybody she was cancelling her appointment today but in actuality she didn't. My grandad just fell and hurt his hip and in order to keep him and my grandmother from trying to take her to her appointment (they can be very convincing) she told them she cancelled. So she's driving herself, and even has a back-up friend to help inChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-958400822003-06-19T17:00:00.000-04:002003-06-19T17:00:43.370-04:00Note: I just reset my archives, so they should be viewable now. Sorry for any inconvenience to the 1 reader I have heh.
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-958383252003-06-19T15:57:00.000-04:002003-06-19T15:57:30.670-04:00Mom called today and cancelled her bloodwork for tomorrow. She goes once or twice a week to get blood drawn. I think she's just tired of being poked in the veins. Who wouldn't be. She wrote me a letter, I got it in the mail yesterday. She wrote it at 3am one night, just after having a halucination about 3 prairie dogs wearing chiffon. ??? She says it's all the drugs in her... I think that Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-957955322003-06-18T12:23:00.000-04:002003-06-18T12:28:49.000-04:00Sad news, Litta (her sick cat) died on Monday night. Mom was so upset about it. She said that Litta just layed in a coma all day and when Litta got up to go to the bathroom, she fell down getting out of the litter box. Mom said she just layed her down and petted her and told her that she was a good girl. She said that it just looked like Litta went to sleep and was chasing mice in her dream Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-955903632003-06-12T10:19:00.000-04:002003-06-12T10:19:38.223-04:00She went for her third chemo treatment yesterday. Good news! The doctor that the chemo had shrunk the tumor enough that he didn't think she needed chemo #4!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's great, and scary at the same time, because surgery is next. We're betting that they'll wait 3 weeks before surgery. She sees her surgeon again on the 27th of June to discuss the details of the surgery. Mom and I saw Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-954793002003-06-09T16:37:00.000-04:002003-06-09T16:37:44.610-04:00She felt good enough yesterday to get out and go to Walmart. That's a huge step. Well, just as she started feeling better, she has to go for chemo # 3 on wednesday. She went for her bloodwork friday and all her counts were up so the procrit and the neupogen have done their jobs. Poor mom I feel so bad for her. I'm going home the weekend after next, hopefully she will be feeling better. She Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-953334652003-06-05T12:45:00.000-04:002003-06-05T12:45:32.686-04:00She's feeling a little better. She called last night and isn't feeling as bad. She will go tomorrow for more bloodwork. I told her I was coming home to visit the weekend of the 19th of this month. I have not seen her since she started all this, I'm a little nervous. :( She's still eating ok, she mostly just lays around and watches TV when she can focus. Cancer SUCKS!Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-952466742003-06-03T14:02:00.000-04:002003-06-03T14:02:20.753-04:00She caught a cold or something. I didn't give it to her, remember, I didn't go home. Sore throat, fever, tired, the usual. She went for her weekly blood work on friday, her WBC's and RBC's were down. They gave her antibiotics (Levaquin) for the cold and told her to come back on monday for more bloodwork. She had a rough weekend. She went yesterday (Monday) for bloodwork and they gave her Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-949374392003-05-27T08:52:00.000-04:002003-05-27T08:55:07.000-04:00Mom had a rough time with this chemo. A couple hours afterward, she was back home at my grandparents house and then she said she felt really hot and nauseated all of a sudden. She threw up several times and then went home and threw up several more times. She took her Phenergan and Compazine like she was supposed to. My aunt stayed the night with her that night. The next day she was very Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-947950812003-05-23T13:44:00.000-04:002003-05-23T13:44:27.353-04:00It's chemo #2 day. Her appointment was at 8:30am. I haven't talked to her yet about it. I hope all goes well. I hope the Emend does what it is supposed to do. I was supposed to go home this weekend to visit her, it's my grandmother's birthday today I think. My dad's was the 22nd. But I got sick. I have a cold or something and I cannot be around my mom if I am sick. So I'm staying home :(Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-943949452003-05-15T11:41:00.000-04:002003-05-15T11:41:48.813-04:00It was my birthday yesterday. 14 days after mom's first chemo too. Her hair is falling out. She says everywhere she goes she leaves a trail of hair. She said she has no "personal hair" left. Why didn't she just say pubic hair? I don't know. And here I thought pubes grew slowly and had bet on them to be the last to go. Bloodwork yesterday was fine. Her neupogen shot did what it was Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-942096162003-05-12T12:08:00.000-04:002003-05-12T12:08:29.066-04:00All seems well. She said she's a little sore, but no worse for the wear. Still has her hair too. She says it's getting dryer and dull looking, it's changing a funny color, almost brassy (it's dark brown normally). I gave her til wednesday for it to fall out. She went to work half-day today. This is the first day she's been back to work since her first chemo. Not too shabby. Nothing else Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-940523662003-05-09T10:16:00.000-04:002003-05-09T10:19:28.000-04:00She went in at 6:30am yesterday, and got home around 4-5pm. She said it was a breeze. They blew 3 veins before they got her IV in place, they said that the chemo had already affected her veins. She has to go weekly to have blood drawn, she says her arms look like a heroine addict ("that's been in a car wreck"). They gave her Versed or something to calm her way down before they did the Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-939908332003-05-08T10:14:00.000-04:002003-05-08T10:14:07.456-04:00Sorry It's been a couple of days...We've had some bad weather.
She's gone to get her port this morning. The surgery shouldn't take too long. It's been 8 days now since her first chemo treatment and her hair still hasn't fallen out. The doctor said it would take 6 days, however, I guess he was wrong. I always heard it would be exactly 14 days from your first treatment, but when he said 6 days,Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-935932762003-05-01T09:37:00.000-04:002003-05-01T09:37:56.086-04:00I talked to her last night, she said she felt only slightly nauseous and she had taken only 25mg of Phenergan. The Emend seems to be really helping with the nausea! She said she felt a little like you feel when you're getting the flu, really tired. She also said that the food all tasted the same. I called her again this morning, she said she feels extra tired and slightly nauseous but not badChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-935415082003-04-30T13:12:00.000-04:002003-04-30T13:12:07.133-04:00Her first chemo was today. I haven't talked to her yet. My aunt called and said that she is taking Cytoxan and Ellence (or Epirubicin). I think she got there at 9:30 and it's probably over now so she made good time. I hope she is doing well.Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-934619752003-04-29T08:53:00.000-04:002003-04-29T08:53:40.203-04:00I went home to see mom. She had a great haircut. The mood was good, with an underlying tone of uncomfortableness. Nobody was afraid to talk about anything, chemo, surgery etc... but then sometimes my aunt or mom would say.. "ok i dont want to talk about this". She's nervous about starting chemo. The doctor gave her a new drug called Emend made by Merck. It's supposed to block receptors in Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-932404522003-04-25T10:15:00.000-04:002003-08-18T10:35:31.230-04:00She went yesterday for an EKG. I guess baseline. I think the chemo may affect people with pre-existing heart problems. I'm going home to see her tomorrow. She asked that if I saw a scarf or bandanna that I think she might like to buy it for her...I told her that we would go shopping when I got there and she could pick some out. She's going to lose her hair. She went and got her hair cut Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5313423.post-931142672003-04-23T10:44:00.000-04:002003-04-23T10:44:11.736-04:00My mom has cancer. She fell and hit her breast in February 2003, and felt a lump. She said at that time the lump was the size of half a pea. She ignored it. Two weeks later she said it was the size of a shooter marble (the big marble that you shoot with, work with me). She made an appointment. Her appointment was for March 24, 2003. Her doctor felt it, said, "this doesnt look good" and sheChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16983404044403518939noreply@blogger.com