Around the Bend

Chem 1, Day 8

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EVENING UPDATE: Life is beautiful and I have tastebuds. I got to work 4 hours today, whoo hooo!!!! Met with Oncologist who reviewed the side effects and came up with new treatment plan during the infustion on Oct 23. More drugs. Nurses were so apologetic that I have had a rough time. Very tired tonight after work, doctor visit and dinner. . . .but more energy than last weekend!!
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Oh, I think things have changed for the better! I actually tasted blueberry yogurt this morning. What a wonderful taste!

But, alas, let you think I am perfect . . . I didn't call the Oncologist or onc nurse yesterday since I didn't want to be a "bother". How female of me. About 7 pm, I couldn't take it any longer and called the Onc, who prescribed a form of marijuana. This isn't something that the local Bartell's carries so we came away with a transderm scop. Between increased dosage of Ativan and the transderm patch, I feel so much better this morning. Taking things slowly in movement, eating, and getting dressed, I am going to make it to work today. Oh joy!

I came across one pamphlet - out of about 30 they give you at your first diagnosis - that addresses CINV; Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Imagine, they have an acronym for it. I've had a few other acronyms but since mom may be reading this, I won't list them here.

It states:
You may be more likely to become nauseous from chemotherapy if you:

• Are younger (less than 50 years old). Well, does 53 at diagnosis count?
• Are female. Yep!
• Are prone to motion sickness or anxiety. Double yep!
• Became sick from earlier cancer treatments. Nope!
• Are a light drinker (people who drink more alcohol are less likely to become nauseous). Give me back my younger days where this would have been a "nope".
• Had morning sickness when you were pregnant. Had afternoon sickness, does that count?

Given this, I'm heading straight for the marijuana after the next infusion - real or medicinal kind, I don't really care. Now THAT is my younger days!

Peace be unto you and your household.

Joke for Today Courtesy of Sandy

'WHERE IS MY SUNDAY PAPER?' The irate customer calling the newspaper office loudly demanded, wanting to know where her Sunday edition was.

"Ma'am," said the newspaper employee, today is Saturday. The Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on Sunday.

There was quite a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition.... As she was hanging up the phone she was heard to mutter, "Well sh**t ... so that's why no one was at church today."

Chemo 1, Day 5

Out of bed at 2 am due to mouth sores and swollen-feeling tongue/throat. Made some rose hips tea that is to help mouth sores - seems it worked some. Took Zofran and feeling good. Eating, active, cleaning up, finding some recipes for Vic or I to cook that won't trigger nausea smells.

Then wham! Again! Down for the count this morning with nausea. . . and 2 break-through pills. Hope sleep comes back soon.

Talk to you later . . . .

8 am - dry heaves. Not good for chemo. Called doctor who had us come in so onc nurse could assess. No IVs, thank goodness. Just more drugs and advice. Waiting now (12 noon) for meds to be prepared.

Guess it's going to be a bad few days.

8 pm - Thanks to all you wrote in giving advice. The chemo just fouled up my gastroesophageal area. It's a weird feeling to be nauseous but also have a swollen throat and what feels like a killer heartburn from your belly button to your throat (and beyond), but none that you've ever known or wish to ever know.

The new meds are helping some and I will be on them for the next 2 days. One of the meds is lidocaine, benadryl and Maalox or some combination of that. But it's also like opening your bottle of Dove dishwashing soap and being asked to swish it around. It does the trick of numbing, that's for sure! Oh, and if you want to swallow a little, you can.

Chemo 1, Day 4

Vic woke me up early to give a Compazine pill before I got out of bed. I was able to doze a bit more, but when I got up and started making my breakfast, I got whammed again. I guess the trick is to not get up so fast and start moving right away. Ease on down the road a bit. Or maybe poached eggs just aren't my cup of tea.

Finally called the doctor for something beside Compazine. It has been keeping me agitated to the extreme. Like being on speed. Well, if you ever tried speed, not that I have. She prescribed Zofran which has seemed to help release the tightness in the stomach and the nausea. I've had to take Ativan, which is used for the "breakthrough nausea". Seems Zofran or Compazine should help all day, but neither have 100%. So the little "break through" meds are needed.

I'm not allowed near the stove or knives; now the microwave has been taken away. I was mixing some peanut butter and Nutella together for a banana. I need to eat a banana a day but dislike their taste. Well, the Nutella and peanut butter weren't coming off the spoons - 2 spoons. So I put them in the cup with the pb/Nutella and nuked them. The spoons touched and a big fire started in the micro. I don't know why he looks at me the way he does sometimes! Is this chemo brain already? lol Okay, I'll blame it on that!

Vic did a huge bad thing today! I've been nauseous off and on all day. Can't get it under control or find what I can eat or the timing of what I can eat or drink to keep it at bay. My Mr. Wonderful starts cooking dinner, without thinking or me asking what he was cooking. All of a sudden these barf-making odors were wafting through the house. He was frying up some bacon and onions with some other herbs and I almost lost it. I barricaded myself in the bedroom with the windows and fans open.

Finally all was quiet. I tip toed out to see where or what he had done. Here's what I found:



He's sitting on the back porch eating his dinner out in the cold. What a guy!!!

Chemo 1, Day 3

Yesterday evening was extremely hard. Couldn't get the nausea to stop, but the Compazine was causing the crazies. I was itching to get out of my skin, like being on a high energy that even sitting or laying caused me to do the hibby-jibby dance.

Today, I took Compazine at 4:30 am, yes, 4:30 am. Got out of bed about 5:30 am and felt okay, but then started fixing my breakfast. And it hit again. The wam! I felt the same way as I did last night, so no more Comp for me!

Chemo 1, Day 2

This morning started off well. Got to have some snuggle time with Vic. Seems so long since we've had that given the ta-tas and his stomach hurting. I sure miss it!

Got out of bed to start picking up the clutter from last night and, then, wham! I am down for the count. Nausea and so much fatigue. Not tired, but fatigue. It felt like I could barely put a foot in front to get to the couch. My vision is blurry as well, so it's hard to see tv, read or be on the computer. A little scary.

I've been trying to create a cheat sheet from all the computer print outs, handouts from the doctors and magazines so it's all in one place. To show when to call the doctor and when to do something for the symptom. It's too hard :-)

Thank you Mike & Steph for the balloon bouquet! It sure brightened my day and will for quite a few. They are in the living room where I hang out.

I heard about creating a "woman cave" with a bed, recliner and soft music just for those quiet times needed during the chemo. I was going to make one before I started chemo, but Vic didn't feel that well to move furniture, so I didn't ask. That would have been a lovely place to go to today when the above fatigue and nausea hit. The sound of the dryer was amplified a zillion percent, or at least it felt that way. I was able to put on the iPod with guided imagary relaxtion to tune out the noise and gentle my system with breathing and relaxing.

Did you know that iTunes has more than music? I found some great relaxation tunes (water, rain, forest) and some guided imagery where someone is talking you through to a quiet place. Well worth the $.99!! One is Stress Relief with Dr. Siddharth Ashvin Shah, Five Minute Resuce by Splendor of Meditation (awesome for a little rest at work!)

Guess I should close as I just saw a bright light. It was Vic taking a picture of me sleeping with my fingers on the keyboard.