Slowly Recovering

I did not sleep that well last night even though I took Ativan because my ankles and feet started aching about the time I went to bed. Ibuprofen didn't help and having the heating blanket cranked up didn't do the trick either. So instead of sleeping I just laid in bed drifting 1/2 in and 1/2 out of loopiness and wishing I had something to kill the pain. I did get some sleep but it was pretty restless. As a result I felt more out of it today than I did yesterday. I "feel" better but the fatigue is really setting in again. I think I'll try the Ambien tonight. A friend also suggested trying "Icy Hot" on my achy legs and feet and see if that helps so I'll give that a try, too.

I still haven't heard anything from the Doc about the lump on my head either. He must be out of town this week. I hope I hear something next week. Until I have an answer I'm just assuming the worst -- that it's another tumor, and that's just depressing.

I Love Ativan

I don't want to jinx myself but I have to say that having Ativan available to let me sleep has made a significant difference in how I feel today. Every single time I've had chemo in the past I get virtually no sleep between Day 3 and Day 4. I have always felt pretty bad on Day 4, running into Day 5. Last night I took an Ativan when I went to bed at 9:00. I can't say I slept like a log but I actually slept and got some real rest. I woke around 3:00am and probably would not have gotten back to sleep but I took a second Ativan and went right back to sleep. I didn't wake again until Darcy was leaving for work at 7:00am. I got up for an hour or 2 and then went back to bed for a couple more hours. I actually feel like I have a little energy today... more like I would typically feel on Day 5. So I have my fingers crossed that this is a meaningful difference in how I'll feel and that I won't be just crashing later than usual. My appetite is even better than it has ever been historically on Day 4. I'm really pleased. :)

Chemo Number 2

I went in for chemo on Friday the 26th. I really liked the chemo nurse I had that day. She had helpful suggestions for dealing with side effects. I didn't get a private room this time, but she set me up in a pretty private corner that was surrounded by glass walls. It would have been really nice on a sunny day, but it was a little cold with the snow outside. The nurse kept us well supplied with warm blankets so it wasn't a problem. Being out in the more public area you could overhear other parties' conversations and I was a little taken aback at how demanding and snippy some of the patients were. I think the only problem I had with the spot was the TVs are set way in the ceiling so I had to recline way back to comfortably watch TV. At least I was able to get online so I could entertain myself in other ways.

I've had surprisingly more energy so far this time around. Of course tomorrow is the bad day and tonight should be a bad night. I'll be at least taking the Ativan in hopes of getting more sleep than I did last time. I actually made it out shopping this morning. I went to get my own latte at 7am and then accompanied Darcy to Northgate Mall to get some slippers. I can't find my old slippers and I wanted new ones for Christmas but we didn't get a chance to go shopping for them with the bad weather. I wasn't having a lot of fun at the mall this morning, but at least I made it out. And maybe the extra walking boosted my energy a little. :)

Radiation -- Finished!

Last session was yesterday. I'm going to kind of miss the techs... they were all very nice and made what could have been an unpleasant experience much less so. I won't miss having a chunk of time taken out of everyday. And the good news is my hip seems much better. Actually the hip doesn't hurt at all. I still have the tweekiness right in the crease of my leg... the thing that made me think it was a ligament thing all along. But all the problems I had walking last week are gone. Maybe it was all the rest I got with all the snow last week.

I also had my pre-chemo appointment today. Blood counts were all good so I'm a go for chemo on Friday. I don't have the latest CA125 though. I'll be curious to see where that is at. I also got a prescription for a couple of sleep aids [Ativan and Ambien] so I will hopefully get more rest in the days immediately following chemo. Hope it helps. They also went ahead and scheduled a session for 1/16/09. She will let me know if the oncologist wants a CT scan before then. I've also got an odd lump on my right temple that I just noticed when my hair fell out. He may want to do a head scan as well to see if they can tell what that is. It has definitely been making me nervous since I noticed it.

We also talked about taking L-glutamine to help with the neuropathy. I've had some numbness in the middle toes on my right foot. I had heard that might help but didn't know how much or how often to take it. The PA said to take it every day. I had been taking it like every third day. She concurred that studies are showing that it actually does help.

I also asked about the discomfort I had been experiencing down my left side. She asked a bunch of questions most of which I answered "no" to so she didn't seem too concerned. What they would be worried about is that I am at a higher risk for a blood clot so she was most concerned about shortness of breath. I feel like I have that but it's moreso that I get a stabbing pain when I breathe deeply so I'm am breathing very shallowly when that starts acting up. It's been bothering me a little the past few days so I am a little worried it's going to much worse with this round of chemo. She also said she had heard from some patients that the area where their tumor is does get achy after chemo so it could be that as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that is not a big issue this time around. I'm going to watch the fluid intake a little more so I'm drinking only a couple liters everyday instead of the 4 I was drinking last time.

Actually, I did make it to radiation

After I posted the previous entry, Darcy got her broken chain fixed. She shoveled out the area at the front of the driveway and got her car manuvered into a spot where she could get the chains on. We took a spin around the neighborhood to make sure they were working properly, had lunch and off we went. Today was supposed to be my last day but after missing Thursday, tomorrow will be the last. I did see the radiation oncologist for the last time. He said the fatigue will continue for another 4 weeks or so and to take it easy for about 10 weeks while the bone heals. No skydiving. :) I actually had been a bit sore again after walking into Columbia City in the snow on Saturday. The nurse suggested I not overdo it. If it's hurting after some activity... don't do that!

I also got pretty tired today. I've been assisting clearing the sidewalks and today noticed I was particularly unable to go for long without getting exhausted. So no more of that.

I went over for my blood draw after finishing with the radiation appointment, but the office was closed. That means I'll have to try to get in tomorrow... if they are open then. We have a little break from the snow until tomorrow night so I hope they are open tomorrow. The roads were pretty bad out there today, but it was above freezing so there was some melt off. It'll just be icy in the morning tomorrow. I wonder if court will delay opening.

I won't make radiation today

We got more snow yesterday and overnight that gives us a total of about a foot of snow. The only vehicles we see moving are those with chains and 4 wheel drives. I tried getting my car out of it's spot and no way. Even Darcy, who managed to get me there after our 8 inches Thursday, was only barely able to get out of the driveway. She was slipping and sliding on the level street. Alaska has not been plowed and I doubt it's even been sanded, but there is so much snow on the street I don't think it would matter.

I was also due for a blood draw today prior to my appointment on Wednesday. There is more snow in the forecast for tomorrow, but hopefully not as much as we have been getting. It is above freezing today, but only barely, and it's not really melting off except where we have shoveled.

My head is getting pretty bald but the pace of the fallout has slowed a little, probably because there is less hair to fall out. :)

Made it to Radiation -- and got a Haircut

I made it to radiation yesterday but not without some drama thrown in. The weather was clear but the streets were still icy, especially the one that runs in front of our house. Darcy agreed to take me because she had chains for her car that she had purchased last spring for a trip to Rainier. The weather had been so bad then she hadn't gone so they were still new in the box.

We decided to leave about 2:00 to give us plenty of time for a 3:45 appointment. Just as we were getting dressed, a big cherry picker truck pulled up blocking our exit to the main road. It was the power company and they had come to trim a neighbor's tree away from the power lines in anticipation of the big wind storm that's expected today. We could not get straight out onto Alaska. We decided to try Oregon which is much steeper. We tried without the chains first... no way. So we put the chains on, but they weren't terribly tight. This time we made it maybe twenty feet up the hill before the wheels started spinning.

We turned around facing down the hill and decided to go down to the next street. We slid a good protion of the way but Darcy managed to maintain a controlled slide and made it onto 33rd. From there, we rechecked the chains. One of the inside cables had gone under the tire so the attachment link was bent and not holding. We took the chains off and decided to give getting up Alaska a try. It was a little dicey but we made it with no real problems because the street had been sanded and the slope isn't as steep. From MLK the rest of the way in was snow covered in spots, but definitely passable. Some hills were completely bare and wet. That's a good indication that if Seattle had the equipment and resources they could clear streets for travel... even the hilly ones. Anyway, we made it in and home safe and sound.

While we were up on First Hill, we decided to get another set of hair clippers. My hair was really coming out today and it's itchy and messy. Darcy cut my hair last night to a little under an inch on top and a little shorter on the sides to even it up. The clippers we got were crap but we got it done. I don't want to go down to skin because last time my hair continued to grow [some of it] and it got really prickly. I wanted to leave enough that it would stay soft. There's a pic below to see my new do. After sleeping with a cap last night to catch the fallout, it's really matted down this morning. And one side has rubbed away in particular. I may just give up on it and go for the shave again.