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
Sunday, August 31, 2008
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
Saturday, August 16, 2008
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
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
Sunday, August 10, 2008
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
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
Thursday, August 7, 2008
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
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
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
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