Wednesday

I have been having an increasingly rapid pulse and shortness of breath. I called the pulmonologist today & went in to see him. He thought there may be a pulmonary embolism. I ended up at NSH for a CT scan of chest and ultrasound of the legs. They were negative for clots. He's supposed to call me back tonight or tomorrow to see what's next. Still have a very rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath on any exertion. Going to nephrologist tomorrow & CT of abdomen on Saturday. They couldn't do it today because they didn't want to wait for the prep. I would have liked it to be all done together, but just didn't work out that way. Linda

Friday, March 26, 2010

I went in to get fluids today, along with steroids & anti-nausea meds. I was feeling very weak, tired, fast pulse, short of breath on exertion, you name it. My Dad took me so we had a nice long visit at chemo (all 4 hours of it!) I asked my nurse when I would feel better. She said anywhere from 6-8 months. Although the drug leaves the body sooner than that, the effects hang around forever! The drugs all have a cumulative action, so their effects just keep building & building in your system. Now that they have worked their magic and practically did me in, they can start leaving any time now. Good riddance. Shirley C., thank you for your constant stream of inspiration. Carole T., thank you for the gift card. Karen L., thank you for your loyal following on the blog ~ and Happy Belated Birthday! Tonight, Karlynn & Mackenzie came over...the best medicine of all! Linda

March 22, 2010

Very hard to believe.....after going through chemo since last summer and into the fall, then beginning again in December and finishing up in the spring....I am done! I went through every season having chemo. It felt incredibly long to me and it was incredibly difficult. For everyone who tells me it went fast and they can't believe I'm done, "No, it was NOT fast, it was horrendous." If I didn't have my family & good friends, I never could have completed this. It was a monumental challenge and I JUST WANT TO FEEL BETTER ONE OF THESE DAYS! I would like to stop taking Zofran around the clock, being in a constant state of exhaustion and nausea. OK, I'm done complaining. I want to send condolences to the Grunenwald & Lalama families. I am so sorry about Moosie. Kara, please get better...I need you.
Linda

YOU DID IT, MOM!!!!!!

We are so proud of you! Congratulations on being DONE with CHEMO! YEAH!!

Sunday, March 21

Well, it's hard to believe, but tomorrow should be my last chemo. As long as my red & white blood cells are sufficient and the platelets are high enough, it will be a go. I am so ready to be done with this. I'm about maxed out on feeling miserable. Tuesday, I went to the audiologist who confirmed significant hearing loss in both ears. (I knew that!) He also said he does not expect it to come back. Thursday, I went to the Dr. because I was coughing up junk (I won't elaborate) and had a fever & chills. Now, I'm on one more med.-just what I need. Kara's still miserable and now has pinkeye. It's been a week since I've been able to see them. After I washed my hair today, I left a nice little pile of hair in the backyard for the robins to feather their nests. They could use it more than me :) Wish me luck tomorrow, Linda

Tuesday, March 16

My counts were adequate for chemo yesterday. Next Monday is my LAST treatment. I can hardly believe it. It has been such a long, long & difficult journey. However, the end is right around the corner. I had a long talk with one of my nurses yesterday and she really improved my mental outlook. Last week was a week that I was floundering. Yesterday was Shawn's birthday & I was remembering the time we went and surprised him down in Charlotte. Not in the cards for this year. Kara, I'm so sorry you are so sick. I wish I could come and take care of you. Hang in there. I can really sympathize with the nausea & vomiting! Try to rest. Everyone else, enjoy the sun. Linda

Saturday, March 13, 2010

We had a bright spot this week looking forward to Karlynn's birthday party this afternoon. Kara had already rescheduled it several times and this seemed like a good week because I had a break from chemo. It was going to be a very small family party. Well, Thursday, Karlynn had huge red circles around her eyes reaching up to the eyebrows and down to the cheekbones. Kara took her to the pediatrician and she has pinkeye. She had no itching or redness of the eye itself, but the surrounding area was red & puffy. Of course, with the highly contagious nature of pinkeye, the party was cancelled and the Riccitellis are isolating themselves for at least 24 hours. The Dr. said she had to be on the eyedrops 24 hours before she was safe to be around. Another strange phenomenon I have been experiencing is scalp pain. It feels like every single one of my hair follicles is aching. My hair did thin quite a bit so I hope this isn't another weird thing waiting to happen. My brother-in-law is taking me to chemo on Monday and after that...just one more treatment. Yay! Dr. C., thanks for the flowers-they are gorgeous. Linda

Saturday

This turned into a BAD week. I got sick Wednesday evening-GI problems, tons of nausea/vomiting that went on for hours & hours. I was so weak by Thursday morning, I could only get up to the bathroom & then back to bed. I ended up in bed for 36 hours, weak, dehydrated and in pain from all of the vomiting. Of course, I couldn't keep anything down to take anything for pain. Karen C., you were a lifesaver to come over and draw my blood. I never would have made it to the lab. Friday, I went in to UPMC and had 4 hours of intravenous fluids, anti-nausea drugs and steroids. Anyway, I am out of bed now and trying to eat so I can take my potassium & magnesium. As always, I keep telling myself this won't last forever! (Sometimes it seems like that.) Carole T., if you didn't see my other blog, I wanted to thank you for the gift card. I have such wonderful friends-I'm very lucky. Linda

Tuesday Morning

My counts were good enough to receive chemo yesterday. I was quite exhausted after. I also got the shot of Neulasta. I am definitely feeling the results of that. Especially the femurs, hips, ribs, arms & lower legs.
I just took a pain pill & have my trusty heating pad on. Still getting blood drawn twice a week for potassium & magnesium and taking those supplements three times a day. Next week is my "off" week from chemo, so hoping to regain a bit of energy by the end of next week. That's my latest info. And Carole - thank you for the Handel's gift card!
Linda