Doctor Visit Today

So here's the short of it,
So I have something called myopathy.


And here's the long

When I called in with my symptoms today, Lori asked me to come in and get checked out. She checked me over thoroughly and found high blood pressure, good oxygen saturation, and was concerned about my being weak and out of breath after just a short walk across the room. I saw Dr. Schlabach and he checked me out pretty thoroughly. He had me test my strength pushing and pulling against his arm with my toes, feet, legs, knees, hands, arms, and shoulders. He believes that I have developed myopathy from the steroids that have to be given with the Taxotere.

Apparently Taxotere has to be given in a solution which can cause aniphylaxis - so it has to be given with pre-medication steroids. And the steroids are in all likelihood causing this myopathy. It is primarily causing muscle weakness in the muscles originating in my pelvic region - and for walking that would be, I suppose, my thigh and gluteus muscles. When Dr. Schlabach asked me to push against him with my knees - in any direction - I had hardly any strength at all. Apparently he expects that I will regain my strength, but is concerned enough to be thinking about changing the Taxotere for something else for my last two treatments. I'll also be having an echocardiogram before my next treatment so that we can rule out any heart function problems.

I've been sleeping off and on most of the afternoon since I got back. Dr. Schlabach scolded me about not eating or drinking enough, so I've made a concerted effort to drink and eat this afternoon. Alan stopped on the way home and got me a big unsweetened tea from Sonic, and I managed to drink it all!

I am feeling very relieved to know what's causing the weakness. While I was at the doctor's office, I got blood work done, and my white blood counts are way down. So I suppose I'm staying home at least until I'm back on Wednesday for my Herceptin treatment and more blood work.

So Weary

So here's the short of it,
I have NO stamina.

And here's the long

I am having some of my diarrhea and nausea symptoms today. Medication is helping keep them manageable. The biggest difference this treatment cycle is how I have absolutely no energy at all. If I walk twenty or thirty steps, I feel like I've run a half mile or more. My legs get weak, I break out in a cold sweat, and my heart starts beating like crazy. I'm sleeping most of the time - but that's no different really. Twice I've taken Sophie out, to see if she can run off some energy. By the time I would get to the chair out back I could hardly lower myself into it! But Sophie wouldn't run around because I was just a lump in the chair; she got no energy run off at all! Thankfully, Liga took her out this evening for a bit and gave her a chance to play a bit. I'm going to call the doctor's office tomorrow and just make sure that it's within normal expectations.

So this isn't very long for the long of it, but it's the best I can do tonight.

Very Weak Today

So here's the short of it,
My symptoms have not been horrific today, but I'm very weak.

And here's the long

My symptoms have been bearable today, but I have been so weak! Just a slow walk to the kitchen and I feel like I've run a marathon. My heart races, I break out in a sweat, and I get light headed. I've spent most of the day on the sofa once again, napping off and on.

I'm having more nausea than I have before, but the medicine is keeping it calm. I suspect that the medicine is part of the reason I've been so sleepy as well.

I'm hoping to feel stronger tomorrow.

Sleep

So here's the short of it,
I've been napping most of the day and the diarrhea has started.

And here's the long

I've spent most of the day napping on the sofa with the TV on and Sophie watching out for me. My Mom and Aunt Joyce and Valdis stopped by and she made sure that she was right between me and them until she figured out they were OK. The sofa is really close to the bathroom so that has been good.

I'm not feeling awful, but I think the big anti-nausea medicine that I take for two days after the Chemo treatment makes me very sleepy. The really awful is still to come - if it's coming. Even though I've slept most of the day, I think I'll sleep most of the night. I've just taken some additional anti-nausea medicine and it always makes me sleepy.

I know that these drugs are killing cancer cells, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be treated. Thanks to everyone for your positive thoughts and prayers.

Good news on Dad's progress. Check out his blog.

So here's the short of it,
I'm very tired, but my huge symptoms haven't kicked in yet.

And here's the long

I am very tired and have mostly laid around all day today. Sophie has kept me company. Mom stopped by to check on me, once by herself and once with Aunt Joyce, and Sophie gave her throaty woof and came over to stand next to me to make sure no one was going to bother me.

My horrible symptoms haven't kicked in yet, but Alan has reported that my face is red and swollen - a new development for sure. I've got heartburn which my night medicine should take care of in just a bit, and I'm really ready to sleep for a bunch of hours!

When Mom stopped by late this morning she had great news about Dad which you can catch on their blog. You can also check out the blog Debdave forPat's sister to check on her latest news. Her surgery went well, and the wait now is for pathology results.

I'm holding on - I am so happy to have reached the 2/3 mark in my treatments. Once these are over, I think I'll be able to manage the weekly Herceptin treatments pretty well. I know I haven't even thought yet about radiation. I think I'll keep it that way until that time comes.

Thanks to everyone for your positive thoughts and prayers.

Celebration and Prayers

So here's the short of it,
Today's Chemotherapy treatment makes me 2/3 of the way through my series of Taxotere and Carboplatin.

And here's the long

My doctor's appointment went very well today. Dr. Schlabach explained that Taxotere, which is the drug that has such harsh side effects, is one of the Chemotherapy drugs that does not have lasting effects. I'm sure he had told me this before, but I just processed it today. I'm especially pleased because one of the problems that many of the drugs cause is heart damage. And that is certainly more important than any of the others. So when the hard stuff happens this time, I'll just remember that Taxotere is really my friend! So today is a celebration that I'm 2/3 of the way through my Chemo treatments, and that side effects are only temporary.

Once I got to the infusion part, there was a problem! My port wasn't doing what it was supposed to do. In order to use the port for Taxotere, it has to "give blood". They have to be able to get blood out as well as push medicine in. This is only necessary for the Taxotere. Well, it never would work. When Lori tried to get blood, the syringe just acted like it encountered a dead end and popped, like a vacuum had formed. Let's see - she explained that Taxotere can cause really bad sores and other horrible side effects if for some reason it pools or doesn't go exactly where it's supposed to. So I got to have an IV for my Taxotere in my right hand! She ran all my pre-meds, the anti-nausea, steroids, and whatever else through my port, and then the Taxotere in my IV. The plan was to then switch back to the port for my Carboplatin and my Herceptin, but I fell asleep and Lori didn't want to wake me, so the Carboplatin went through the IV as well. By the time I woke, she decided just to finish the Herceptin that way as well.

Next week when I go in, I'll go early enough to have a flouroscopic x-ray to see what's going on with the port. Apparently sometimes the body thinks it's something to fight and creates a fibrin which may have to be removed either by dissolving it or snaring it. This is not the first time the port hasn't wanted to cooperate, but Lori has always gotten it to aspirate before. I hope whatever it is, it's an easy fix.

I am doing OK tonight. I'm having the predictable hot flashes and cold chills, but I'm fine this evening. Sophie got to go outside for a bit tonight because the neighborhood girls took her for a bit of a walk - that was really nice.

Here's a bit of family information I want to share. Debbie is Pat's (my sister-in-law) baby sister. A couple of weeks ago she went to the emergency room because of abdominal pain. In running tests to try to determine what was causing the problem, they found a tumor on her pancreas. Apparently only 10% of pancreatic cancers are operable, and hers was! In addition the location of it made it an operation that would only take about 2 and 1/2 hours instead of a more complicated location that would take 10 hours and disturb more internal organs. Her surgery was today in Atlanta at Emory Hospital. It will be a week before the pathology reports are back. Join our family in prayers for Debbie.

Exhausted and getting ready for Chemo

So here's the short of it,
I was exhausted after work today.

And here's the long

I came home from work today and made it no further than the back sofa. (I come in the house through the back door). I guess I slept for 2 1/2 hours. I'll be eager to hear more about my blood counts tomorrow. I'm wondering if my low platelet counts could be what's making me so tired. Or maybe it's just because I'm not really sleeping well at night.

Anyway, dear friends brought dinner by, so I haven't had to exert myself at all! I made it outside to let Sophie have her evening social time. She is growing and becoming much less timid from her opportunities to socialize with neighbor dogs, people, and of course her time outside playing with Lola (our cat). They are really beginning to come to a living arrangement. Lola is sure to let Sophie know who is in charge when she gets a little out of hand.

I had an opportunity to see Dad today. He looks like he is doing better. His pressure is down to 8 and his supplemental oxygen is at 30. Dr. Brice, the surgeon who takes care of his pressure wound, told Mom today that getting him of the ventilator remains the most pressing medical problem he has. Getting him off the ventilator will positively impact all his other medical issues.

My 4th big Chemotherapy treatment is tomorrow afternoon. I see the doctor and have lab work and then have my infusions. It is taking much less time now that they can see that I'm not having any horrible reactions at the time of the infusion. I should be OK tomorrow night. Well, if it's like the times before, I will probably have alternating hot flashes and chills, and my taste will be absolutely gone, but I'll be generally OK. After that I'm going to just live in the moment and not have any great expectations for how good or bad things will be.

I may sound ambivalent, but I am extremely grateful to live in a time when chemotherapy is available and I can have it to help defeat this cancer.