Radiation Going Good

Radiation is going well.  It only takes about 15 minutes and that includes undressing and dressing!!  They said it would be between the 3rd and 4th weeks before I would feel like a "sunburn", but I'm lotioning the area twice a day and hopefully that will help some.   I'm also going to occupational therapy for the lymphodemia in my left arm.  Therapy doesn't seem to be working their way, so I've taken matters into my own hands and the swelling is finally going down. 

Our stay at the Hope Lodge is going well too.  It is very nice and the staff is very nice.  Hope Lodge was donated tickets to the Twins game from Mauer and Morneau and we were fortunate enough to get to go to the game and sit in the M&M Suite.  The seats were awesome and the food was delicious.  It was a fun way to see the new stadium for the first time.  I think I'm spoiled now .... I could get used to sitting in the suites!  :)

As always thank you for your prayers and support.  Things are going good.

A New Journey - Radiation

These past 2 weeks havc been horrible.  The shots to boost my white blood count knocked my socks off.  I have hardly been eating because of the weird tastes.  For example, Tom's Coca Cola tasted like orange and raisens tasted like pickles.  Today is the first day things have tasted "True".  Yesterday I had a heart scan (MUGGA) done and a consultation with the radiologist.  Next Thursday I will go and they will make a cast mold of me laying with my arm over my head.  That way everytime I have radiation I will be laying in the EXACT position.  They also will tatoo the area they are going to radiate.  I will have to go every day (minus weekends) for 33 days.  I can expect a pretty good sunburn by the end of the treatments.  But, they have lotions I can use to ease the pain.  All our arrangements are made with Hope Lodge and we will be moving in there on June 27th.  My hair hasn't started to come back yet, but I suspect that will take a while.  And what I can see of it, it is white!!!!  Yikes ....  Thank you for continued prayers and support.

CHEMO DONE!!!!!!!!!

It was touch and go ..... again.  Thursday I had to go get the filter for the bloodclots taken out of my stomach.  They go through a vein to take it out.  The procedure took about an hour and I had to be put out.  Don't remember a thing and everything went well.  Friday I went in for the chemo and everything was out of whack.  Temperature of 100.4, high pulse rate (made me go get an EKG which was okay), low blood pressure ... then they redo the vitals and the temp was 98.5, pulse still high and blood pressure high.  Well, the dr. still okayed the chemo, but the nurse was leary of doing it because my white blood count was 1.8 (very low).  I had a total meltdown and said if they sent me home without the treatment I would not come back.  And I meant it.  She went and talked to the dr. who said I could have the chemo, but I would have to take one shot a day for 4 days to boost the white blood count.  So, tonight at bedtime I start the shots.  It is nice to know that now I can start moving the other direction.  Maybe taste coming back, fingers and toes not so painfully tingly, hair growing back and appetite too.  There are a lot of pluses to look forward to.  They changed my radiation to begin June 27th instead of June 20th, but that's okay with me.  In between I will have a consultation with the radiologist, a MUGGA (heart) scan, a bone density test and go in for my herceptin treatmeat which I will continue to have for 9 months.  The journey isn't over yet, but it's moving along.  Thank you for your support and prayers as always.  Knowing I have your support keeps me going.  CHEMO OVER!!!!!!!!!!  Yeah Me!!!!

One ..... hear me ... One to go!!!!!

I went in today and I have a urinary tract infection.   :(   And I had a little temperature, but chemo was still a go.  All my numbers looked pretty good.  White count fell some (2.8), but still okay for chemo.  Next Thursday I go in and get the filter taken out that was put in for the blood clots.  I'm a little nervous about that .... then Friday ... THE LAST ONE!!! Hopefully, once chemo is done all these side effects will go away like the burn on my nose, the congestion in my nose, the tingling in my feet and hands and the burn on my hands.  It will feel good when they all go away.   Keep me in your prayers that my numbers stay good enough for treatment.  Take care and I thank God for you every night!!!

Two to go!!!!!!!!

Well, my blood count numbers were fine and I had another chemo today.  TWO left.  Can't wait to get it all done.  I didn't have to take very many pain pills this week.  My nose is really plugged and has been for weeks so they did do a CT scan on my sinuses, but they were not infected.  Now I have some spray to put in there and hopefully that will help.  My poor nose is so sore and now I have to put vaseline in it to try and heal it.  My INR is low so now I have to start giving myself the shots in the stomach twice a day again.  Yuk.  Just until next Friday.  I refuse to do it any longer because they are $200 for 2 weeks and we cannot afford that.  So, he better get the dosage of the pills correct soon.  My appetite is really good and I think that helped keep my numbers up.  Pray I get through these last two with minimum trouble.  We're almost there!!!!!

Nine down ..... 3 to go!!

Well, got to have a treatment and I'm finally down to 3 left.  Hopefully, they will go by uneventful.  Stayed at Toby and Diane's house this weekend and Diane found a bunch of food that I can tolerate.  I was eating really well and if I can keep that up, maybe these last treatments won't be so bad.  Had a nice heart to heart with the dr. and he explained some things to me and while I would have loved to not have a treatment this time, it is important to have it because some of the chemo can lose it's effectiveness if the treatments are too far between.  I certainly don't want that to happen so we did a treatment on Friday.  I don't want to miss any more either.  I'm ready to be done.  Thanks again to all of you for your support and prayers ... we are getting near to the end .... thanks for hanging in there with me.  :)

Eight down ... Four to Go (It didn't happen)

Well, the treatment finally took a toll on me this week.  It was the worst week so far.  Tried to eat, but my stomach had other ideas ... just about everything came back on me.  I took more pain pills than ever and it was just plain miserable.  Dr. J. decided I needed at least a one-week break to recoup my body and build it back up so I can take these last four treatments.  He gave me some new medicines for nausea.  Hope that helps.  So, we're still at 8 down, 4 to go, but I will get there.  I haven't been known to take the easy way, so why start now.  Looking forward to having this behind me.  One disappointment is that Dr. J. would like me to get all my treatments out of the way before I go on a vacation, so Colorado is on hold until August. Thanks for all your support.  Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!!

Eight down .... Four to Go ... (It almost didn't happen)

On Friday, April 29th my dear friend Nancy accompanied me to chemo.  We were excited to do a lot of catching up and connecting again.  What a good day it was to be!!  Then the nurse did my vitals and my blood pressure was very high, so she did my blood pressure standing up ... down a little ... then took it again sitting down and it went down a bunch, so I thought I was in the clear.  She took my temp and it was 100.  She says I was probably dehydrated and may need to be admitted to the hospital.  At first I thought she was joking, but she wasn't.  She went and found my dr. and he reviewed all my blood work and "numbers" and came in to my chemo room.  When he came in he said he didn't need to duck (because he thought I hit him ...lol) because he WASN'T going to admit me, but give me fluids in the chemo room before my chemo treatment after I had an EKG.  So, we were relieved of that.  My blood work looked good and I then started the long process.  I have to start drinking a lot more and they said to quit worrying about the not eating, that would come back, but concentrate on fluids for sure.  I'm going to try and build myself up a little bit and I'm going to start a yoga tape on Monday ... I'm hoping I can do things to build me up and hopefully at the same time try to avoid hitting rock bottom after every treatment.  Last week was bad again, but all I do is sleep.  I have to start moving around or something.  I'm so happy that we are nearing the end and my hair can start growing back, my eyelashes start growing back and my eyebrows start growing back, but the leg and arm hair can take their time ... lol.  Well, anyway, Nancy and I did have a wonderful visit and the rest of the treatment went like clockwork.  Thank you to my friend for sharing the day with me and making the time pass so quickly.  It's support like this that gets me through ... you get me through ... because there are days I could easily throw in the towel and I know I can't because of all of you supporters out there ... thank you again and again and again for thoughts and prayers!!!

Seven Down ...... Five to Go!

I'm down to one hand of counting!!!!!  This week seemed like a week of total weakness ... you could say a weak week.  It seemed like the only thing I wanted to do was sleep.  Eating has turned into a dirty word, but I know I have to eat even if food has a terrible taste and/or different than it should.  I eat a lot of noodles.  "Noonies and Mato Mato", what my kids called noodles and tomato soup.  Tom is also getting good at making Macaroni and Cheese ... nope, no nickname for that although I suppose I could call it noonies and cheesie weezie, but that sounds dumb.  I'm going to really deviate this week and have Buttered Noodles!! 

My numbers were up this week so chemo was a go.  I just want to get this done.  I will be so happy to have it behind me.  Just the fact that I can count on one hand how many I have left is wonderful.  I will probably hit my low on Monday-Tuesday, which are days I come to dread.  I can literally sleep around the clock, but I'm just going to go with the flow and do what my body dictates.  There is stuff that needs to be done around the house (men aren't the best of housekeepers).  Tom does stuff that really shows, but cleaning the bathrooms don't seem to be on his agenda or dusting the furniture.  LOL    Bless him though .... he dotes on me and that's all that counts.  One good cleaning will take care of the other stuff, but I can't replace how well he takes care of me.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  It makes me feel all the support I have from you, all those well wishes and prayers and God as my pilot, there is nothing I can't accomplish ... and right now getting through this chemo will be a great accomplishment.

Whoooo Hooooo ----- Half way there!!!!

I have 6 down and 6 to go!  Finally hit the half-way point.  I was on the fence AGAIN.  So again, pray that I can continue these.  This week was a really tough week.  I had 3 1/2 real down days.  Aching so badly that I had to take pain killers that I had left over from my surgery.  My doctor renewed the pain killers so this week I will have enough so when the pain in my bones gets so bad, I can at least alleviate that pain.  Tom was not happy I opted for the chemo.  He felt I should take a week off, but my numbers weren't any different than last week and I made it through that, but my dr., nurses and I all felt I should forge ahead.  I just want this over with and it definately makes me feel good that I'm half way.  My down days are spent sleeping mostly.  It's nothing that I sleep 12 hours a night and then nap away half the afternoon.  I just let my body dictate what I should do.  So, please continue to keep me in your prayers that I will weather this week and be ready for another chemo treatment on Friday.  Thank you and love you all!!!!

5 down with 7 to go.

Well, today I finished #5 .... #6 looks "iffy".  My numbers are down and I may have to build up a couple of weeks before I have the next one.  I'll come down next week, but I don't know if I'll have a treatment.  Yesterday I drove down to the cities all by myself (first time Tom's let me drive since September when I was diagnosed) and it was great.  I turned up the tunes and opened the sun roof and voila ..... instant happy and instant summer!  I met some special high school friends for lunch at Red Lobster and what fun we had.  Talk ... talk .... talk as only a bunch of women can.  :)  So, your assignment (if you choose to accept it) is to please pray that I'll be able to continue treatments.  I don't want to postpone any of these any longer.  I need this phase of treatment done.  So, thank you (in advance) for the prayers.  Happy spring!!!!!  Don't you just LOVE it?  Thank you God!!!!

One-Third of the Way Done - 4 down .... 8 to go!!

God is good!!!!  I've had another uneventful week.  I now see a pattern in this chemo.  Monday and Tuesdays are my DOWN days.  I feel really awful on those days, but on Wednesday mornings I feel like a totally different person.  But, I will take a couple of down days versus a hospital stay every other week!!  I am a third of the way done and that makes me excited.  I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!!  God has brought me through this ordeal and He's giving me such hope and expectation that I can hardly contain my joy!  It's been a hard journey to get to this point, but building my relationship with God along the way has made this journey well worth it.  Would my relationship have come this far if I hadn't gotten sick?   Hmmmm.......

The countdown continues --- 3 down 9 to go!

The countdown continues .... I am in single digits!!!  I had a pretty good week.  Wendy and the kids came up and visited last Saturday and I overdid it a bit.  I was fine on Saturday, but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I was soooooo tired.  I think one of the hardest things is to know my limitations.  It is going to take some time to gain back my strength and be able to do what I used to be able to do.  You know it's funny, you don't even realize you're getting weak.  I'll just have to be patient and gain it a little at t time.  As the countdown continues, I'm one step closer to the final phase of my treatment.  I have gone two weeks with no catastrophies (hospital stays) and I'm praying that it will continue for the rest of the treatments.  Thanks for the prayers because they are definitely working.  I pray for you each and every night.  :) 

2 nd chemo in progress ..... 10 to go!

You know I was going to blog during the past week to tell everyone that things were going well.  I was worried I would "jinx" it.  But I am getting my second dose and I'm here to tell you last week was really pretty good.  I had a couple of days where I was kind of achy and my fingertips and tongue were (and still are) tingly, but that's the extent of it.  I am praying that this week mirrors last weeks' chemo and all I'll get is those couple of side effects.  It feels good to feel somewhat normal.  I know it will take a while for me to gain all my strength back.  When I'm tired, I nap and if I feel like sleeping until 10 in the a.m., I do.  I'm just letting my body dictate to me what it wants to do.  I say "Thank You, God" for every day that I get closer to when I can say "LAST CHEMO" day!!!  Right after I finish with the chemo I will start radiation.  Today I had my doctor send a referral to Hope Lodge.  Hope Lodge is where cancer patients can go during treatment and stay for free.  Being I live more than 40 miles from treatment, am in the middle of treatment and treatment is daily for 6 1/2 weeks, I qualify to live at the Hope Lodge for those 6 1/2 weeks.  It is like a hotel room.  There are 6 kitchens you can cook meals in, a dining room, a library, fitness center, media room, etc. that can be used by everyone.  We have to bring our own t.v. for the room but bedding and towels are supplied.  It will be nice to be able to stay down in the cities for the treatment.  Things are falling into place and I see God's hand on every single thing.  Pray I'll have another uneventful week (thank you for that) and I'll blog more next week!

One Chemo down .... Eleven to go

One chemo down with eleven to go.  These chemos will be weekly.  I have to admit I was rather nervous to have it yesterday.  I feel really good today, so am hoping for an uneventful chemo for a change.  This is a chemo called Taxol and doesn't attack the white blood cells as much as the other chemo did.  That was where I'd get my socks knocked off ... the white count.  I could get achy in the next couple of days, but I can take Tylenol if that happens.  I get to go on coumedin instead of the shots too for thining the blood for the blood clot.  I'm happy about that.  No more shots in the stomach once my blood starts clotting between 2 and 3.  My poor stomach is just green with bruising and I don't know where to give the shot anymore!  Hopefully, I will be off the shots by the end of the week.  Just wanted to keep you posted on what was going on.  Keep me in your prayers .... please.

Just an update ...

Got out of the hospital yesterday.  We stayed at Erin's last night and got home today.  Good to be home.  Feeling pretty good.  Have to remember to walk around on my leg and not just "veg" out .... which I would much rather do. 

The Journey just keeps getting longer ... with more and more twists and turns.

You know a journey is never a straight road from Point A to Point B, but enough of the "scenic route".  I want to get there as quickly as possible now.  After the last chemo, I had an appointment to see the dr. to "prevent"  having to go into the hospital again.  Well, that didn't work, although my hospital stay this time didn't have anything to do with the chemo.  How ironic is that?  Tom and I went to my brother's house to stay for a couple of days because Tom thought I was getting sort of down.  Well, I was down all right.  I couldn't walk from the bathroom to the bedroom without having to sit on the bed and huff and puff for 3 minutes.  Anyway, my very astute and watchful sister-in-law, Diane, saw this wasn't right and she called the dr. and INSISTED (and I do mean insisted) that I get 10 minutes of the dr.'s time.  Well, the dr. said of course come in and within 1/2 hour of seeing him, I had an EKG, an ECHO, an ultrasound of my leg and after figuring out what it was, I was in surgery having a filter put in my main artery (in the stomach via the neck) to catch clots.  They found a PE in my lung (which will dissolve now that I am on blood thinners) and a BIG clot in my right leg.  I was put in ICU.   My leg was a little sore, but it felt like a charlie horse that needed to be straightened out.  My hemoglobin also was low again, so I got another blood transfusion.   I'm in the hospital now and should be out tomorrow.  I will be giving myself bloodthinning shots in the stomach twice a day from now until my chemo is done. Actually I gave myself my first one today and it isn't bad at all.   I will be starting the new chemo on March 11th, so please everyone continued prayers.  God has been with me all along and I have to tell you that even though this was very serious, I had such a sense of peace and calm because I KNEW God was carrying me every step of the way.  As I said in the very first blog of my journey .... God must have something very special planned for me because he is bringing me through many many trials and situations for a reason.   Shhhhh ... I'm listening to Him.   

Some Good News ... at last

Had my chemo yesterday and my doctor has decided that he would count the first chemo I had in November and that yesterday's chemo would be the last of my "hard" ones.  I am so relieved.  Also, as a precaution, because I can't get past the Tuesday "down" day, he is having me come in next Tuesday and they will do blood tests and if I need fluids or anything else, they will do it there and possibly avoid another hospital stay.  Then, March 1st I start my last round of chemo which will be 12 weeks, one time per week.  They said it is a lighter chemo and hopefully I will be able to tolerate that well.  You know, I think I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

You know, it's funny how your mind works.  How it can go through your brain and pick up random things that you haven't thought about in 20-30 years!  What I'm getting at is that the other night I woke up out of a dead sleep and had the words to a verse in the Helen Reddy "I Am Woman" song.  And it fit my current situation so perfectly.  The words were "You can bend, but never break me, cuz it only serves to make, more determined to achieve my final goal.  And I'll come back even stronger, not a novice any longer,  Cuz you've deepened the conviction in my soul."  That is exactly how I feel, I have been bent, but I'm not broken and I am more than determined to get through this and I WILL come back strong ... that conviction is in the bottom of my soul.  But isn't that strange that that particular verse would wake me from a sound sleep?  Hmmmm.   Well, thank you for listening to me ramble .... I thank God for each and every one of you supporters ... You've been with me from the beginning of this journey ... you're the best.

I Just Can't Get Past Tuesdays ...

Well, just when I think things are going well, Tuesday comes along.  Last Tuesday the fever came again ... this time 100.7 and we called the care line at Regions and were instructed to come down.  So, at 9:00 at night we get in the car and drive 2 hours to the Emergency Room.  At this point I can hardly walk without having to stop and rest and I have no voice at all.  They found an infection ... Bladder ... again.  The worst part was that my white blood count was at 200 ( should be between 4,000 and 10,000) to be normal.  They told me I needed to be on antibiotics to fight the infection.  Well, of course, this scared me because it was the antiiotics that caused kidney failure the last time.  They said if I went home without antibiotics an infection could rage through my body very quickly because I had nothing to fight it off and it would be hard to control an infection if it got through my body.  So, after praying and talking with doctors, the decision was made to go on the antibiotics.  I had to stay at the hospital so I could have frequent blood tests to be sure there was no reaction and that the kidneys were functioning properly.  Well, not only was my blood count at 200, but my hemoglobin was 6.3, so I needed to have a blood transfusion to bring that up.  I was put in a sort of isolation because of how low everything was.  I gradually started feeling better and the trip across the room to the bathroom didn't require a four hour nap.  On Friday, the blood count went up to 2,800 and my hemoglobin was 8.3 and my kidneys were tolerating the antibiotics very well and they let me go home.  Spent the night at Erin's house and we came back to Cloquet on Saturday.  Next Tuesday, the 15th, I go in for another round of chemo.  They are going to talk about maybe giving me preventive antibiotics so I won't get a fever and an infection every time.  I am so tired of feeling like a dish rag and being in the hospital, I hope they can find something that will allow me to at least be home.  I sure am glad I only have 2 more of this "hard" chemo before I start the other kind.  Can I ask that you all pray I can get past these Terrible Tuesdays?  Thank you!!!!!

Finding the Joy

God wants us to be happy ... He wants joy in our life and I have made a concious decision to find joy and happiness in every day.  Whether it is a bright blue, cloudless sky, or a one-of-a kind snowflake or maybe a day when I feel better than the day before.  There is so much to be thankful for and find joy in.  Today my joy was in spending time with my bestest brother and sweetest sister-in-law and loving husband.  Diane brought a whole yummy lunch with dessert (spaghetti, bread and apple pie) and then we played some cards.  How much loved ones mean to us.

I had my treatment last Tuesday (2/1) and it went very well.  Another joy ... my white blood count which had been at 300 the week before soared to 8,000, right in the middle of the normal range.  I can be sure that I will be feeling fatigued around Sunday, Monday and some of the week, but maybe not as bad as last time.  Tom is monitoring my temperature very closely, but I don't think I'll be in panic mode if I get a little temp this time, now I know what is happening.  I feel I'm tolerating this round of chemo quite well and I only have 2 more rounds of this kind and then I go to a milder chemo treatment.  Albeit ... it's 12 weeks, but not so potent.  Then I will be done with the chemo part!!!!!

Here's wishing all my friends and family out there something to find joy in today and thank you all for your continued support.  LOVE YOU!!!

Just some thoughts ...

One in Eight　
As I gaze out the window at the world I know,
I recall the date that it changed so.
The date is emblazed and is one that I hate,
It’s the date I became the 1 in 8.

The words that I did not want to hear,
The words that I had come to fear.
The words that sealed my very fate,
The words that I was 1 in 8.

With strong support of family and friends
I started the road to the other end.
I had to start - I could not wait
I wanted to survive the 1 in 8.

My body marred with surgical scars
My hair falling out like exploding stars
So tired, so tired, so very sedate
Is how I was as a 1 in 8.

I look to my God so way up high
I look for a promise in the sky
A rainbow He shows me as my fate
I have HOPE I will survive the 1 in 8.
　
By ~ Linda Sullivan
1 in 8
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Just when I think I'm out of the woods .....

Well, today, I got up with a fever ... again.  Tom and I drove down to Region's (after calling the oncologist) and they did blood work and my white blood count is 300 (normal is 4,000 - 11,000).  They put in "isolation" at home for a few days.  They are worried I'll get something.  I'm not to come in contact with anyone  for the next 5 days.  My temp was 100 when I called the dr. and when we got down there it had gone down to 99.7.  By the time we got home it was down to normal.  Thank you God.  I'm so scared I'm going to have another hospital stay .... and next Tuesday I have chemo again.  I guess I can look forward to a lot of time feeling fatigued.  Keep those prayers comin'!!!! 

So far, so good!

Well, today is Saturday, January 22, 2011.  It has been five days since my chemo treatment and it is going extremely well.  I haven't gotten sick, I have only had to take one pain pill, and it worked, and I have a good appetite.  The only effects so far is that I start to lose my voice and I feel a little fatigued.  I feel like I have taken a pharmacy of drugs, but hey ...... they're working.  If these chemo sessions keep up like this, I'll be on the road to recovery in no time flat!  I'll have to start taking my temperature and be sure that it stays under 100.5, but so far I think that's under control too.  Keep the prayers coming because they are working!

Okay, Let's Try this Chemo Thing Again

Yesterday, January 17, 2011, I made the trek to Regions Hospital (seemingly my home away from home) and had another MUGA (heart scan).  Everything turned out fine, that is, normal.  Had blood work done and my creatine was in the normal range again (yipee!) and everything else is in the normal range.  Could use a little calcium and potassium, but have pills for that so that should come up into the normal range too.  Today, January 18,  I went to see the oncologist totally NOT expecting to have chemo yet, but he looked at all my "numbers" in my bloodwork and decided I was ready for it.  I am on a different regimen than the first time and hopefully that regimen will be "nice" to me.  One huge thing they are doing differently than the first time is that I will be getting a booster shot of platelets tomorrow.  That way the platelets shouldn't drop so low that it will  leave me vulnerable to infections like the last time.  Please pray that I will get through this session of chemo uneventfully.  No fevers, no dramas.  If this works out, I will go back in two weeks for the next chemo session.  I should be done with all my chemo by mid-May.  That seems like a long time now, but at least I'm getting some behind me.  I'm not sure if they will even count the first session, but I hope so.  Starting in May I will have herceptin (every three weeks for 9 months), but that isn't chemo.  It is a cancer blocker and it doesn't have the effects of chemo.  My hair will start to grow back and it usually doesn't cause nausea.  So ... I'm thanking you for the prayers and support.  I have asked God to hold my hand, carry me or drag me .... whatever it takes .... to get through this chemo!!!!  The journey continues ... thank you for coming along.

Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer!!!!

Yesterday, January 7, I went to the oncologist and kidney doctor.  I got the best news.  Kidneys are back and functioning normal!!!  No more renil diet!!!  Everything looks good except for some low potassium and I will be taking some potassium pills for a while.  They are weaning me off the prednisone and going to watch my kidney function for a month.  My oncologist ordered me to take another MUGA scan (look at the heart) and if that is all okay, I will begin chemo on January 18.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared stiff to start chemo again, but I trust my dr. and he will not do anything that will harm me and they will be watching me very closely.  For one thing, they will not let my platelets drop to a one ... the day after chemo I will go in and get a "booster" shot for the platelets so they will not drop like they did before.  I don't know the exact schedule of the chemo because he hasn't exactly mapped it out.  Please, please keep the prayers coming.  I pray for an uneventful round of chemo and then I can work on getting better and getting past this.  I am so thankful to God for bringing me through this last ordeal and I trust He will bring me through everything else that plops in my way.

Road to Recovery

Well, it's a week since I've been home and today I feel really really good!!  My legs are coming back (I've been a bit wobbly because of 21 days in the hospital) but I feel stronger every day.  When I went to the dr. last week, my creatin level was 2.1 and I'm hoping when I go on Friday,January 7th, they will be back to normal which is below one.  I'm doing what they want me to do, eating low sodium diet, drinking 60 oz. of water per day, etc.  I want to get better so that we can get on with the business of taking care of the chemo.  I see the oncologist on Friday also and I'm not sure what he's going to say or do.  I suppose he'll set up a schedule for the chemo.  I have now lost all my hair and brrrrrrrrr .... below zero weather sure is chilly with a hairless head.  I have also found that being bald is very humbling.  I never really thought about my hair that much before, but boy I think about it now that it's gone.  I wear little caps all the time because when I look in the mirror and I'm feeling good ... and then see my bald head, I look sick .... too much contrast.  This has been a rollercoaster ride that really put a speed bump in the road, but with all the love and support that has surrounded me (my God and my family and friends) ... the road to recovery was bound to come.  Happy 2011 to all of you ... keep the prayers coming.