Sorry I've been so bad about posting. I haven't been feeling very well for awhile. But the good news is my doctor talked to me about ending chemo last Friday. I readily agreed!
I'm just sooo happy to have it behind me.
This week has been very difficult. My appetite has been slow in coming back. I've been really tired. But I feel great knowing chemo is finished and I will recover.
Thanks so much to all of you for your prayers and support. I have felt so encouraged and loved thru this time.
I'm watching the Penn State game as I write. Looks like they will survive and enjoy another win!!!!!
love
Franny
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
New Chemo developments, Sept 20
Well, it has been several weeks since I last posted. Hopefully you all have not abandoned checking the blog.
I have been in and out of the hospital several times since Sept 5, my last post.
I thought I was getting thru the last heavy dose of chemo ok but then I couldn't keep anything down on Wednesday nite-almost a week from the chemo treatment. I called the 24 hour emergency number and the next morning the doctor wanted me to come in for IV liquids. I was there most of the day-Thursday and on Friday they gave me the lighter chemo and kept me all day for more IV fluids. I was finally able to eat again on Friday nite-pasta!!!!! and this past week was much better.
Except...I started having trouble with my right foot and ankle. It started on Monday and by Wednesday I was hobbling around at work. When I got home I realized my ankle was swollen and I called my sister, Kate, for advice about how to get the swelling down. Good thing I did!!!! She told me to call the 24 hour emergency number, that it was probably a blood clot.
They wanted me to go the emergency room right away and get it checked out. Thursday morning my friend, Mary, and I went back for an ultrasound and an appt with my doctor. We were there most of the day and the result was--yes--I do have a clot in my ankle. The doctor wants me on blood thinners-not the ones I can take a pill for--no--I have to have a shot every day for the next 3 months!!! which unfortunately means I have to learn to give myself these shots. Yuk!!! But I did give one yesterday and will have to do it again tomorrow. Surprisingly it isn't as bad as I had thought. I guess when you have to do it, you do!!!
So that catches you all up to present day. I have been busy trying to get myself better and when I'm at home all I have been doing is resting/sleeping/eating.
This Friday, Sept 26, I will have the 3rd heavy chemo. Yea!!! only 1 more of those after this week. The others will be the lighter one that is much more tolerable. So this weekend I will stay with Kate and family and with more drugs and IV fluids I am confident this weekend will be better than the last 2. At least I now know when things are going wrong and I should cry for help.
Love,
Franny
I have been in and out of the hospital several times since Sept 5, my last post.
I thought I was getting thru the last heavy dose of chemo ok but then I couldn't keep anything down on Wednesday nite-almost a week from the chemo treatment. I called the 24 hour emergency number and the next morning the doctor wanted me to come in for IV liquids. I was there most of the day-Thursday and on Friday they gave me the lighter chemo and kept me all day for more IV fluids. I was finally able to eat again on Friday nite-pasta!!!!! and this past week was much better.
Except...I started having trouble with my right foot and ankle. It started on Monday and by Wednesday I was hobbling around at work. When I got home I realized my ankle was swollen and I called my sister, Kate, for advice about how to get the swelling down. Good thing I did!!!! She told me to call the 24 hour emergency number, that it was probably a blood clot.
They wanted me to go the emergency room right away and get it checked out. Thursday morning my friend, Mary, and I went back for an ultrasound and an appt with my doctor. We were there most of the day and the result was--yes--I do have a clot in my ankle. The doctor wants me on blood thinners-not the ones I can take a pill for--no--I have to have a shot every day for the next 3 months!!! which unfortunately means I have to learn to give myself these shots. Yuk!!! But I did give one yesterday and will have to do it again tomorrow. Surprisingly it isn't as bad as I had thought. I guess when you have to do it, you do!!!
So that catches you all up to present day. I have been busy trying to get myself better and when I'm at home all I have been doing is resting/sleeping/eating.
This Friday, Sept 26, I will have the 3rd heavy chemo. Yea!!! only 1 more of those after this week. The others will be the lighter one that is much more tolerable. So this weekend I will stay with Kate and family and with more drugs and IV fluids I am confident this weekend will be better than the last 2. At least I now know when things are going wrong and I should cry for help.
Love,
Franny
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Chemo 9-5
Another tough weekend after receiving the more aggressive chemo. I got many more drugs and even steroids to help me through the aftermath but still I've been throwing up and not able to eat much. Jello and ginger ale are my mainstays!
We discovered that the trigger baddie is water. So I cant drink that. Yesterday (Saturday) was a blur of sleeping and ... wont talk about it any further.
Today is the Steeler game. So hopefully it will be a GOOD day!!! Love the black & gold!!!
Here's the good news!!! Only 2 more doses of this type if chemo. The other type is not at all hard to deal with. So I'm 1/2 done with the bad stuff!!!
love,
Franny
We discovered that the trigger baddie is water. So I cant drink that. Yesterday (Saturday) was a blur of sleeping and ... wont talk about it any further.
Today is the Steeler game. So hopefully it will be a GOOD day!!! Love the black & gold!!!
Here's the good news!!! Only 2 more doses of this type if chemo. The other type is not at all hard to deal with. So I'm 1/2 done with the bad stuff!!!
love,
Franny
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Veggie weekend
I am trying to build up my white count while having fun!
Yesterday we went to Lauren's fall ball baseball game. She was awesome, making many outs herself and lots of assists especially from first base. She got 2 walks and scored but the ump called her out -we believe to shorten the last inning since everyone was wilting in the heat - players, coaches and fans! One of the other mothers gave me a fold up chair with a canopy-another perk for the sick one!!
We got home and went right back out to meet Aunt Mary, our cousin, Janet and kids at the Olive Garden!!!! We had lots of laughs and came right home and crashed from the big day!!!
Today is Chris's birthday-we plan to have a celebration day!!!
I brought my ironing to do and spent the morning reading the Sunday paper! Life is good at the Werwies!!!
Then back to my house to veg there for one more day!!
love,
fran
Yesterday we went to Lauren's fall ball baseball game. She was awesome, making many outs herself and lots of assists especially from first base. She got 2 walks and scored but the ump called her out -we believe to shorten the last inning since everyone was wilting in the heat - players, coaches and fans! One of the other mothers gave me a fold up chair with a canopy-another perk for the sick one!!
We got home and went right back out to meet Aunt Mary, our cousin, Janet and kids at the Olive Garden!!!! We had lots of laughs and came right home and crashed from the big day!!!
Today is Chris's birthday-we plan to have a celebration day!!!
I brought my ironing to do and spent the morning reading the Sunday paper! Life is good at the Werwies!!!
Then back to my house to veg there for one more day!!
love,
fran
Friday, August 29, 2008
chemo 8-29
They turned me away for chemo today due to my low white blood cell count and slightly low platelets count.
Instead, if my counts are better, they will give me both types of chemo next week. Meantime I will need to stay away from crowds and build myself back up. There is a complicated diet that encourages things like Velveeta and processed cheese squares and excludes fresh fruit and vegetables.
This is the time I might see some hair falling out (normally between the 2nd and 3rd week) so I have been checking my pillow every morning and the drain when I shower. But I have not seen any abnormal hair loss as yet. They have been hanging on for dear life so far. A further report next week.
I am at my sister, Kate's, this weekend again since we thought I would have chemo today. If all goes well I might go back to my house early and veg there.
So bye for now!
and love
franny
Instead, if my counts are better, they will give me both types of chemo next week. Meantime I will need to stay away from crowds and build myself back up. There is a complicated diet that encourages things like Velveeta and processed cheese squares and excludes fresh fruit and vegetables.
This is the time I might see some hair falling out (normally between the 2nd and 3rd week) so I have been checking my pillow every morning and the drain when I shower. But I have not seen any abnormal hair loss as yet. They have been hanging on for dear life so far. A further report next week.
I am at my sister, Kate's, this weekend again since we thought I would have chemo today. If all goes well I might go back to my house early and veg there.
So bye for now!
and love
franny
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Chemo-day 2, week 2
First let me say, "My life is upside down!!!!!!" East is West, up is down!!!!!
I've had 2 milkshakes and a chocolate sundae this past week and my doctors are encouraging it!!! My whole way of eating (which of course is LIVING) is turned around.
Yes, I'm living in Chemoland!!!!
They say everyone is different in how they react to chemo. Apparently I'm an "upset stomach" type.
This week and next week are "gem" chemo only. (a nickname for it-cute huh???) It is the less agressive one. They gave me IV anti nausea medicine yesterday which is a lot stronger, and I'm still fighting nausea today.
The women at work have been giving me their pregnancy hints of what to eat. One I will try next week is supposedly fabulous chicken rice soup from Chinatown Inn. It's not even on the menu but if you call in the order they will give you a big container of it. It's like drugs!
I am still staying at my sister's to make sure I make it thru the weekend ok. I will call the 24 hour hotline a lot sooner than last week if Sunday is a problem to head off any more major problems. I'm learning from week to week how to live, survive and even thrive in chemoland!!!
My sister, Trail, has gone with me wig shopping the past 2 weeks and I now have a wig everyone tells me is attractive. The chemo I am taking does not have the side effect of losing all of my hair but I will probably lose at least some. And I can't color it until next March at the earliest. So I wig sounds like a better option. If I can get my techie niece to post it for me, I will include a picture of me in the wig for your amusement in my next post.
Love,
franny
I've had 2 milkshakes and a chocolate sundae this past week and my doctors are encouraging it!!! My whole way of eating (which of course is LIVING) is turned around.
Yes, I'm living in Chemoland!!!!
They say everyone is different in how they react to chemo. Apparently I'm an "upset stomach" type.
This week and next week are "gem" chemo only. (a nickname for it-cute huh???) It is the less agressive one. They gave me IV anti nausea medicine yesterday which is a lot stronger, and I'm still fighting nausea today.
The women at work have been giving me their pregnancy hints of what to eat. One I will try next week is supposedly fabulous chicken rice soup from Chinatown Inn. It's not even on the menu but if you call in the order they will give you a big container of it. It's like drugs!
I am still staying at my sister's to make sure I make it thru the weekend ok. I will call the 24 hour hotline a lot sooner than last week if Sunday is a problem to head off any more major problems. I'm learning from week to week how to live, survive and even thrive in chemoland!!!
My sister, Trail, has gone with me wig shopping the past 2 weeks and I now have a wig everyone tells me is attractive. The chemo I am taking does not have the side effect of losing all of my hair but I will probably lose at least some. And I can't color it until next March at the earliest. So I wig sounds like a better option. If I can get my techie niece to post it for me, I will include a picture of me in the wig for your amusement in my next post.
Love,
franny
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Chemo nitemare
Hopefully the past week will be the worst I will experience on chemo!
I dont hurl; I dont stop eating; I dont curl up in a ball and give up...except this past week.
It was lots of all 3!!!!! The medications they gave me for nausea didnt work well for me and by Sunday I was not feeling well at all!!! It was a downhill slide from there as I couldn't keep anything down and didnt keep as well hydrated as I should have. By Monday the medical staff called for me to go to the hospital on Tuesday. 2 more days off of work but not the vacation I had hoped for.
I was at the hospital all day Tuesday hooked up to IVs. I did put in a full day but not at work as expected!
Today I returned to work in much better physical shape and am feeling soooo much better tonight!!! I have been grazing all day today and had a real dinner tonight.
Three more weeks until I have to take the "bad" chemo drug again. 2 weeks of the "gentle" chemo and a week of testing until I have another go at it.
The really good news is there was just one weekend I was hoping to have as a testing week-my nephew, David, and his new wife, Brittaney's reception in Ohio. If all goes well, it looks like that will be the testing Friday and I will be free to enjoy the weekend in Ohio!!!
love to all!!!
franny
I dont hurl; I dont stop eating; I dont curl up in a ball and give up...except this past week.
It was lots of all 3!!!!! The medications they gave me for nausea didnt work well for me and by Sunday I was not feeling well at all!!! It was a downhill slide from there as I couldn't keep anything down and didnt keep as well hydrated as I should have. By Monday the medical staff called for me to go to the hospital on Tuesday. 2 more days off of work but not the vacation I had hoped for.
I was at the hospital all day Tuesday hooked up to IVs. I did put in a full day but not at work as expected!
Today I returned to work in much better physical shape and am feeling soooo much better tonight!!! I have been grazing all day today and had a real dinner tonight.
Three more weeks until I have to take the "bad" chemo drug again. 2 weeks of the "gentle" chemo and a week of testing until I have another go at it.
The really good news is there was just one weekend I was hoping to have as a testing week-my nephew, David, and his new wife, Brittaney's reception in Ohio. If all goes well, it looks like that will be the testing Friday and I will be free to enjoy the weekend in Ohio!!!
love to all!!!
franny
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