10-18-2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chemo-day 2

It's Saturday and I had my first chemo yesterday as well as getting a port on Thursday.

It was great having them use the port for the chemo! Not at all uncomfortable!

I am having the promised "flu like symptoms" and am tired. But I have been eating normally and had fresh choc chip cookies last nite when we were watching Michael Phelps miraculously win his 7th medal. No problem eating those!!

I am ok so far with the port although it is really itchy where the tape is. Kate is watching it carefully and I am planning to go tape shopping today!

Love you all!

franny

Chemo news

I talked to my oncologist and am scheduled to start chemo this Friday and have a port put in on Thursday.

I am looking at it as a 3 day work week!!! !! And a 4 day weekend at my sister, Kate's house. Woo-hoo!!! There is an up side to everything!!

So Kate will take care of me and see how I am doing and hopefully I can stay at home after that.

So, thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers!

love
franny

P.S.

One more thing. I am now back to work which is why I havent posted in awhile. I have just enough energy to work and at night I eat dinner and crash! The 2 weekends have been the same - just relaxing and napping. I kind of think that will be the way for the next 4 months.

I feel like I lost the summer since I spent a lot of it recovering from surgery.

My Memphis vacation was great. We had sooo much fun and ate and ate!!!

love
franny

Chemo around the corner

Sorry for the lack of updates to the blog. Here is the latest and hopefully I will have a good update tomorrow because I have 2 doctors appts on Friday.

I will see the doctor that puts in the port. That is something they put under the skin to use to give the chemo and for blood tests. It makes life a lot easier than having people constantly looking for a good vein.

Next I will also see my oncologist and set up the schedule for chemo. It will probably be next Friday, the 15th for the first session.

The chemo will be 3 weeks on, 1 week for testing and scans. There will be 4 rounds taking me to early December if all goes well with my blood counts and tests.

Please keep praying that everything goes well and thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

Love,
Franny

Sorry I have been silent-was in Memphis and Pickwick Lake for 1 1/2 weeks then have been trying to get ready to go back to work next Wed the 23rd. Somehow I never feel like I have the energy or time to do a post.

Plus I keep waiting to get a definitive time that I will be starting chemo. I should know these types of things always take time then suddenly happen.

My boss was sorry he asked me when it will start because the answer is more info than he wanted. I have to first go to the butt doctor about my hemmoroids. If all goes well, I can put that behind me and will start chemo in late July or early August. It will be every Friday for 3 weeks, then a week off to recover and do testing with 4 rounds. I had hoped to be done before Thanksgiving but it doesnt seem that will happen now. So definitely before Christmas? I can certainly hope!!!

As usual, thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts for me! I feel the love from you all!!

The vacation was so fab!!!! I cruised thru the airports in a wheel chair going to Memphis and those carts coming back. My energy and strength is much better than even a week ago! I do feel ready to go back to work and am happy my doctor insisted on a Wednesday return that will give me a short first week back and a quick weekend!!

love,
Fran

Friday update

Well, after feeling the best ever on Tuesday and walking all through the hospital I had a major relapse Tuesday overnite and Wednesday. I ended up in bed all day Thursday and am now feeling back to normal (as I define normal post op 6-8). My body is slow to react to my mind's specs. I want to be exercising and rebounding but I now see it will be a lot slower than I would like. The home nurse yesterday said it will take up to a year for the inside tissue to heal. Bah humbug!!

It appears that chemo is in the future-starting late July for me. Everyone I talk to recommends it. We'll see if my insurance agrees but I am gearing up for a nice vacation and then back to work and chemo.

My return to work day is July 21 and as friends have told me, the time so far has gone by like the wind. Hmm... I thought I would be having fun and relaxing. It turns out I have been actually in bed, resting and recovering from the surgery. I guess that's why the doctor said it would be 6 weeks disability.

That's all for now!

love
Franny

Dr. visit 6-23

Kate and I talked to the oncologist today. He is pleased with my recovery. I am also pleased-it's good to feel more like myself again (much thanks to my sister, Kate, and Chrissie and Lauren's care as well as my other family babysitters). Yesterday was the first time I was alone for a few hours. It was a big step forward for me!!!

He has put forward the options of chemotherapy and/or scans every 4 months to monitor and make sure nothing suspicious shows up. There are no studies or much to guide me since this is a very rare form of cancer even worldwide. He did assure me that the cancer was confined to the kidney which is a good thing.

It's a tough decision and one that I will be thinking and praying about over the next few weeks.

Kate and the girls, my sister Maggie and I will be going on vacation next week to Memphis to visit our brother Kevin and family. That will be a good time to just rest and have fun!

My appetite is still much less than normal which I am very happy about!!!! Hoping to lose some weight in the process in preparation for the vacation.

love and hugs to my family and friends!!!
franny

P.S.

I forgot to say that I have a dr's appt on Tuesday morning at 830 with my new kidney oncologist, Dr. Appleman, to discuss treatment options. I will go to work with Kate and we will meet with him together.

It's Sunday afternoon. I have been lazy and napping often and not much on the internet. So here is my report of Saturday-big day!!!

We had blueberry coffeecake for breakfast-mmm!!!

Friends of mine stopped by for a visit during the afternoon. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap in preparation for their visit and the girls and I played Tripoly!

We picked up my mail from my landlady and also pizza for dinner!!!

That was all it took to tire me out and I went right to bed. Kate and I watched "27 Dresses" and part of "Garden State" and both fell asleep.

After such a big day, I slept in til 1130 today to recover.

I am trying to always remember that I am a recovering person and I try not to overdo. With the support of the pain pills, I am doing well. I try to cut back some pain pills every day.

It's a wierd life for me. It's so strange to be living the veggie life!

Today I went thru many emails in my inbox going all the way back to March. I am cleaning up pieces of my cluttered life.

love and blessings to all!!
Fran

Dr visit

Went to the dr with my sister, Kate, today.

Most importantly, yes they took the cath. I'm a free woman!!! I should have asked to burn it. I was very passionate about getting rid of it!!!

Dr. M says they got all of the cancer with good margins. (That's good!! I had plenty of surgery, no more desired - Thanks very much!!!)

She was kind of in a rush and we didn't get to talk much. She is sending us on to the oncologist. So I will have more detailed info after we talk to him. Kate will set up an appt for asap.

There is the threat of chemo but it sounds like I may get away with no further treatment. The oncologist will give us our options and explain more.

I can drive again after 2 weeks out from the operation if I am off of pain pills by then. Watch out world, I'm coming back!!!

Still very tired but much better than last week!!!

love
Fran

Thanks for the comments!

I am just so exhausted! The 6 weeks st disability seems about right. I have started reading but am not able to concentrate much. My recommendation-read the Sophie Kinsella books. Most are one ups but there is a series of "Shopaholic" books that are really side splitting. My favorite of hers is "The Undomestic Goddess"-for those of us who work in an office and may not be the neatest with our papers.

Anyway, Tuesday is the big day for my dr appt. I hope to post results tomorrow later in the day.

I'm staying at my sister's in Mt. Lebo with the nurse and her 2 girls. We've had some laughs and have been watching DVDs! this is so wierd for me! I'm not the relaxing type.

So, good bye for now
franny

Update June 14, 2008

I give up. I just cant keep up letting you all know what is going on with me. I have made the huge decision to set up a blog (with the help of my techie niece, Chrissie)!

Having never had major surgery before, I am feeling like a person who is relearning how to walk and move. I tried to get up by myself today and landed \on the floor. Chrissie heard the thud and came right up. Everything is peachy now but my confidence is a little too much and my sister the nurse, Katy, has been having trouble with her sickest child.

I'm staying with my sister Kate and nieces, Chrissie & Lauren. I have my cell but I dont always answer due to exhaustion!!!

We wont have results from the pathology lab until Tuesday. Meanwhile, I am sleeping a lot and every morning I say to myself, "Only 3 or (whatever#) days left until they take the catheter off." Yes, life is simple! I'm not very hungry-not the usual for me!!!!! So, I'm happy about that!!!!

I really appreciate all you all's notes of encouragement and I will try to keep in touch as much as possible. It's these times that really let me know how much I am loved.

Thanks!!!!

fran