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Chemo- 1 Down 5 To Go

I have one chemo treatment done and will be getting #2 on July 24. So, that means that this week will be a good week. My blood counts have been holding steady which is good, especially for just starting chemo again. My body didn't have a lot of time to stabilize after the last round. I just found out that my blood sugars are out of whack, so I need to take insulin pills and test my blood sugar twice a day. It is just another thing I have to do in order to feel better and to stay healthy. It seems that my health is taking up more and more time, but it is worth it. Sometimes I get discouraged because I don't have as much energy as I would like to have. I have to keep reminding myself of the things I can do and not think of the the things I can't do.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | God login or register to post comments | | | | 222 reads

Here I go Again

Here I go again- I'm starting chemo again on Tuesday, June 26. It has only been 3 months since I finished my last round. This time I will be on a drug called Doxil that is more selective about the cells it attacks. The results of my biopsy showed that my tumor is mainly one type of cancer cell with the rest of it a combination of two others. We are going to attack the main type of cells with chemotherapy. So, we are getting ready to fight the war once again.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | Health 1 comment | | | | 156 reads

Cancer Sucks

Pardon me for using the word "sucks". I usually don't us it because it is such a strong word and really not very nice. That's exactly how I feel about cancer- it is strong and not very nice. The proof of my cancer's strength is the fact that it has decided to declare war on my body once again. This time on my liver.

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Posted in Cancer | cancer recurrence | chemo | chemotherapy | Health login or register to post comments | | | | 133 reads

So, Now What?

I have been in remission for almost 3 weeks now. It is great to feel pretty good on most days. I get tired very quickly, but I can handle being tired. I went to see my GYN/Oncologist in Milwaukee on Thursday and got another good check-up. I like that. My days are no longer consumed by blood work and Dr. appointments. I also have the freedom to eat fresh fruits and veggies again. Strawberries taste delicious.

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Posted in aromatherapy candle | Cancer | remission 3 comments | | | | 320 reads

Remission is oh so sweet.

The big news of this week is that I am in remission!! I had a CAT scan done last week and got the results back on Mon. The scan showed that there is no eveidence of cancer at this time. They scanned my lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, and intestines. It is such a relief to be done with chemo and then to have such a great report. I will continue to go in for monthly blood checks and bi-monthly Dr. visits. But, I feel like now I can begin to get my life back again.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | Easter | remission login or register to post comments | | | | 204 reads

I'm Done With Chemo Treatments

I'm done with chemo treatments. Yahoo! Last week Monday was my last treatment. My blood counts were very low, but my Dr. decided to go ahead with treatment anyway since it was my last one. I felt pretty crummy last week, but I just kept thinking that each day will get better. Yesterday I had to have my blood work checked. My platelets were in the danger zone, so I needed a transfusion. I never had one before, so I didn't know what to expect. But, it wasn't a big deal. It just took a while because they had to get the platelets from a different city and then I had to stay at the hospital for a while to watch for any allergic reaction. I came through with flying colors. Today I felt much perkier, probably because I have some platelets now. I go back on Friday for another recheck. Next week I need to have a CAT scan to check everything out. I will get the results on April 2.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | control login or register to post comments | | | | 456 reads

Is this a Vacation?

I know I haven't written in a while. I feel like I've been on vacation from chemo. My mom flew in to help take care of me and the household for my treatment on Feb.12. However, my blood counts were too low to be able to get chemo. So, I had to skip that treatment and just get my counts up so that I will be well enough for the next round on March 5. I guess that was good news and bad news in a way. I feel like I've had a much needed respite from feeling yucky. I needed to stay in while my mom was here to avoid germs and getting overtired. We worked on a quilt for my daughter to take to college. It has an African theme and turned out beautifully. Mom took it back home with her so that she can finish it up. It will be a memorable graduation gift.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | God login or register to post comments | | | | 267 reads

A Week Off

I just enjoyed a nice one week vacation from cancer treatment. I had no chemo, no appointments, no shots, not even a blood test. I didn't have to go to the clinic for anything. Needless to say, I had a good week. I am still very tired, which will probably take a long time to go away. But, I had lunch out with friends on Monday, got some things around the house done, and wrote quite a bit.

The girls had their formal last night. They looked so nice all dressed up. We took pictures here first, then a bunch of kids came over after the dance to play DDR. They stayed late, but were just having fun in a safe environment. It's fun to hear all the giggling and goofing around.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | God | treatment login or register to post comments | | | | 407 reads

A New Normal

After two weeks of not feeling well from chemotherapy, I'm having a good week so far. I am not scheduled for any Dr. appointments, no chemo. That means no blood work, no shots, not pokes. I usually go out for ice cream after getting poked, but I'll just have to get ice cream anyway just for good behavior or something.
I'm a teacher, but am now on medical leave. I was out at school on Monday just to say "hi" to my teacher friends and go out for lunch. It was their grade and report day. It is so emotional going back. It's like another world that I've left behind. I miss the people and the kids, but I don't miss the stress, the problems, and the rat race. My world seems so small and isolated now. Everything revolves around my chemo schedule, apppointments, and keeping the household going. Under the circumstances, it really can't be much different.

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Posted in blogcritics.org | Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | God login or register to post comments | | | | 294 reads

Chemo treatment #4-

This week I faced the challenge of chemo round #4. I knew mentally that it would be a difficult treatment. The fun and excitement of Christmas and New Year's is done, and the kids are back at school. Here I am still at home trying to get better. But, I just need to keep on going. My numbers continue to look excellent and my body is responding to treatment and bouncing back when it should.
Last weekend, before I had chemo on Mon., my daughter and I spent Saturday shopping. We had just a great day. We shopped, went out for lunch, got special coffees, and browsed in Barnes and Noble. It was a day I will treasure for a long time. I found a book that was just what I needed. A devotional by Don Piper and Cecil Murphy just hit the market. It's a companion book for 90 Minutes in Heaven. The devotional is aimed toward people that are healing or hurting, so it really speaks to me at this time. God sure takes care of us.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | God 1 comment | | | | 360 reads

No news is Good News

I haven't been keeping up with the blog with the holidays, but I guess no news is good news. We had a good Christmas, except for the fact that daughter had the flu. She missed Christmas Eve, but we just had another celebration later when she was feeling better. We also had a New Year's Eve party at our house with some of the girls' friends. There was a lot of giggling, dancing to the Playstation, and eating junk food. It was fun. My two nieces from Illinois came for a few days and joined in the festivities.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | Christmas 1 comment | | | | 380 reads

1/2 way through chemo

Two days ago I marked the half way point of my chemotherapy treatments. It is a milestone to celebrate. During the past three months my tumor marker, CA125, has continued to go down which is a sign that the treatments are working. The next three months will be tough going as the poison in my body builds up and wears me down. So far my physical body is hanging in there and is staying strong. Mentally, I try hard to stay positive and not dwell on the things I can't control. There are always bright spots.

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Posted in Cancer | chemo | chemotherapy | Health 1 comment | | | | 236 reads

Emmanuel- God with us

This morning in church we read part of the Christmas story in Matthew 1:18-25. One part in particular struck me. It said that His name shall be called Emmanuel which means "God with us". I had heard these words many times before, but today they had a bigger meaning. The very name of Jesus, also Emmanuel, means that God is with us. God sent His Son to earth to be with us, to become human. His whole name reminds us that we are never alone.

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Posted in Cancer | Christian | Christmas | inspirational login or register to post comments | | | | 317 reads

CA125 update

On Monday I had my usual check-up with the Dr. Everything is going well and I have no serious complications with the chemo. But the best news was my CA125 number. The CA125 measures how much protein the tumors for ovarian cancer make. Normal is below 20. My number is now at 7!!! Before surgery it was 44, then at the first chemo it was 24 and now 7. So, that is terrific news that the numbers are going down. It indicates that the chemo is working and the cancer that is left is responding to the chemo. My cancer isn't very good at making protein, so we know not to rely heavily on the numbers, but we are looking for good signs that the treatment is effective.

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Posted in domestic violence | victims login or register to post comments | | | | 342 reads

Are We Having Fun Yet?

I am heading into a good week, so I plan to have some fun. This past weekend I experienced some bone pain due to my Neulasta shot earlier in the week. Neulasta stimulates the bone marrow to make white blood cells. White blood cells help to fight infections, so they are necessary if I want to get out and about. The main side effect is bone pain- usually in the large bones- tailbone, hips, sternum. The hot tub felt really good. : )

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Posted in Cancer | chemotherapy | Neulasta | prayer login or register to post comments | | | | 338 reads