Week 3 Complete...

this was a rough week for me... after treatment on monday i ended up with an awful headache... the physian assistant for chemo said it was probably a migraine... and it lasted 3 days... but thursday it wasn't there when i woke up... and friday was a better day too.  i have to be really cautious to stay hydrated... and it is difficult... i drink about a gallon of water a day now... and i still get dehydrated.

that didn't stop me from going out today tho... it was a gorgeous day... and there was an event for little man's school.  we went for about an hour and a half... basically just long enough to have lunch so the proceeds would go to the kids' school... and for the little people to get crazy amped up... 

we also tried to take those crazy children to the store... but we ended up leaving early because i don't have the energy or the patience i used to... i even had to take a break on a random empty bottom shelf in the store... an older lady offered me assistance... i explained i was just tired.... but there was alot of concern in her face so i briefly explained "i am in chemo monday through friday... my energy just isn't what it used to be."

i have one more week of daily infusions at the cancer center... then it is on to self injections for the next 11 months... they are sub cutaneous shots so i have been told they go someplace fleshy... i have plenty of cushion so it shouldn't be too awful... it's just the idea of giving them to myself that is wicked scary...

week 2 done

i am  halfway through my first month of interferon... still no internet at home... that should be back on late next week... and i will write more then... just wanted you to know i am alright

Friday the 13th...

friday the 13th and the last day of my first week of interferon.  my iv cocktail infusion has been making me super tired.  i got home from my cancer center around 1pm then slept til almost 5pm.

to be honest i am still kinda out of it.  i just wanted everyone to know i am ok.  i will write more another time.

Day 3...

i just came from my third infusion... day 1 was monday the 9th... they had to do lab work first... then saline drip connected to my picc line... then 3 more little iv bags- 1 was for nausea, one was for pain, and one was benadryl... i had never knowingly had benadryl before and told my nurse... she said it will go one of two ways- it would either knock me out... or it would give me restless legs... but before she could get that last sentence out my legs were jumping all over the place... so she gave me something for that too... then the interferon after all that... so i was kinda out of it on day 1.  i ended up sleeping most of the day away.

day 2 seemed to be much better at first... my iv cocktail was only the saline, half the amount of benadryl, and the interferon.  i felt great after the infusion... i had energy and wasnt all groggy... until early afternoon i noticed my hip was hurting again... i took a tylenol, it kinda helped... but within the hour i was getting the chills.  i ended up under 3 large quilts... with a space heater aimed at me... it wasnt warming me so my hubby came home early to take care of me... once he got me warmed up i fell asleep.   when i woke back up i was dehydrated and feverish... took more tylenol and tried to eat... not the greatest idea... but i tried.

day 3 just finished my infusion about an hour ago... so far i feel fine, but i learned yesterday that doesnt mean much...  i just wanted to update everyone on how things are so far...

Just My Luck...

picc line was inserted yesterday... my hubby drove me... that is both fantastic and frustrating... he is not patient when at a drs office or similar... especially if they provide free coffee in their lobby... or if they go more than half an hour over a scheduled appointment... and yesterday was 1 1/2 hrs after my scheduled time.

after i was given a gown, changed, then brought to procedure room... my hubby calmed as i was changing... thank goodness he did or i might have ended up running away after you hear what happened next... the nurse called 911 to rush the person who was ahead of me to the hospital.  fortunately my hubby was in good spirits at this point and started cracking jokes to keep me mellow.

there was some question over why a picc line and not a port for treatment... i am hoping to have a better idea monday.  but i believe picc line was prefered because the first month of interferon is daily infusions.  i do know they placed the picc line in my dominant arm... the non dominant arm has a severely atypical mole that will be getting cut out.  i am hoping my arm will feel normal again once this thing heals...

MIA...

sorry i have been MIA... i wasnt trying to be... but first my comp had 123 viruses... and then we let the internet bill lapse to make a better christmas for the little people.  not sure when i will be back online since the bill is part of a bundle... but i will be back.  i go in thursday to have a PIC line inserted... then start interferon on the 9th.  i am not looking forward to it, but i am doing it...

i hope the holidays were pleasant for all... i know i discovered another warrior lost her battle just before the new year... the silver lining is she was able to spend christmas with her family... just didnt make the new year... randi will be greatly missed.  she was an inspiration to me and many others.  my thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends...

i was also trying to stack my luck for this new year... i have heard if you eat black eyed peas on new years day then you will have a good year... the last time i tried this was 2006... and that was the year my son was born, and i married my soul mate.  since hindsight is 20/20 i see that was a really good year... and even if i didnt like the taste of em... i shoveled as many black eyed peas as i could stand... 2011 was a mixed year- some good, some bad... but i gave in to my superstitious side this new years and tried to stack a little luck to make this year a good one... i know it sounds a little crazy... but if you knew me then you knew i was already a little crazy... then a cancer diagnosis.  i am just happy 2011 didnt bring me a rubber room... but i am learning i have more strength than i knew i had...

i will try not to be absent so long before my next post... i want to be able to share my experience on interferon... since that starts next week i will try to pop in at some point and update...