Well, it looks like I'll be headed home on Wednesday. Now, for those of you who read this and are not from Cheyenne, Wednesday is a special day. It's the only Wednesday of Cheyenne Frontier Days and it has been set aside as Cheyenne Day. A couple things happen on that day . . . the Thunderbirds put on their air show in the morning and all the locals cram into the more popular bars in the afternoon/evening where they will see people they only see that one day every year. (Should I mention I met my husband on Cheyenne Day in 1983?)
So, is there anything bad about getting out of here on Cheyenne Day? First, I have an outstanding view to watch the Thunderbirds, so I might miss that. Second, I don't have the strength to fight the crowds at the local bars. Of course, I don't even know which bars are the current favorites and those planes do the same tricks year after year, so . . . NO! there is nothing bad about going home on Wednesday.
But, there is lots of good. I can eat fresh fruits and vegetables. I can sleep in my own bed . . . well, maybe. I might be sent off to the guest room until my husband gets used to waking up and seeing a bald wife. I can get fresh ice water whenever I want. I won't be listening to the beep, beep of an occluded IV line. Nobody will be coming into my room at 4:00 in the morning to stick a needle in my arm. Oh, yeah, it's going to be heaven.
They will take me off all the intravenous meds tomorrow morning and provided I do OK for 24 hours, I'll be headed home. The IV meds right now include two antibiotics (cefepime and vancomycin) and neupogen which is for building up my white blood cells. The vanco and neupogen have wreaked havoc with me since they started me on them a few days ago. Lots of headaches, nausea, and joint pain. Needless to say, they can't quit those too soon.
For the first few days, I am going to just relish being in my own home and then I'll probably pay a visit to the office. I will keep using this blog to post updates on my future treatment. Again, thank you all for your words of encouragement, your prayers, and just all the positive energy you were sending my way during the past 6 weeks.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
No Pain, No Gain
On Tuesday I had my bone marrow biopsy to see how well the second round of induction chemotherapy had worked. They started me off with a little demerol, but did not add the concious sedation this time. And, I now know that was the more important ingredient of that little cocktail.
Because they didn't have a long enough needle, the local anesthetic did not get completely into my bone. Suffice it to say, it was one painful test. But well worth it.
Today I received the initial results which showed I have less than 2% leukemic cells in my bone marrow, making it possible to declare me in complete remission!
By sometime next week, if my marrow has started to produce enough red and white cells and enough platelets, I get to go home. Then it's back down to Denver for a consultation with Dr. Rifkin at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center before beginning consolidation chemotherapy.
I know there is still a long way to go, but it feels fantastic to make it past this first giant hurdle.
Because they didn't have a long enough needle, the local anesthetic did not get completely into my bone. Suffice it to say, it was one painful test. But well worth it.
Today I received the initial results which showed I have less than 2% leukemic cells in my bone marrow, making it possible to declare me in complete remission!
By sometime next week, if my marrow has started to produce enough red and white cells and enough platelets, I get to go home. Then it's back down to Denver for a consultation with Dr. Rifkin at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center before beginning consolidation chemotherapy.
I know there is still a long way to go, but it feels fantastic to make it past this first giant hurdle.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Contraband!
Anyone who has been confined to the hospital for even more than a few days will most likely at some point HAVE to talk about the food. It's not likely that you will hear from many patients about how GOOD the food is, either.
Around here, they have a selection of seven main entrees. You have your baked fish, baked chicken, dry roast beef, drier yet roast pork, soggy roast turkey, spaghetti with runny meat sauce, and coagulated macaroni and cheese with overcooked broccoli. Because I am on a pathogen free diet, I don't get offered any fresh fruits or fresh salads. Now, all of those who know me well, know I would much rather eat a big, healthy fresh salad than a quarter pounder with cheese any day, RIGHT? OK, maybe not before this, but today I would cross a polluted river barefoot if I could have fresh food when I reached the other side.
Well, today my sister-in-law Gwen got me the next best thing. An order of french fries! They came from the hospital grille and they are just those generic crinkled frozen potatoes, but with enough ketchup, did they ever taste good!
When I first got admitted, I counted the hours between the meals just as a way to make time pass; now, I count the hours between meals with dread at what I might be asked to choke down next. In the meantime, I have to have my tv remote very close by so I can change the channel quickly when commercials for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, The Outback, etc. come on. And I have to be extremely careful that I don't stop channel surfing on the Food Network.
My energy level is increasing each day since the second round of chemo finished on Tuesday. I was even able to go for a short bike ride this morning. It's true! I have a set of portable pedals and I rode for about 15 minutes this morning. There is a mural of a moutain meadow on one wall and I can stare at that and imagine I'm out for an early morning ride, surrounded by the fragrance of the pines and the ponds.
And, I want to share some personal good news. My oldest son and his wife are going to make me a grandmother for the fourth time in aoubt 7 months.
Around here, they have a selection of seven main entrees. You have your baked fish, baked chicken, dry roast beef, drier yet roast pork, soggy roast turkey, spaghetti with runny meat sauce, and coagulated macaroni and cheese with overcooked broccoli. Because I am on a pathogen free diet, I don't get offered any fresh fruits or fresh salads. Now, all of those who know me well, know I would much rather eat a big, healthy fresh salad than a quarter pounder with cheese any day, RIGHT? OK, maybe not before this, but today I would cross a polluted river barefoot if I could have fresh food when I reached the other side.
Well, today my sister-in-law Gwen got me the next best thing. An order of french fries! They came from the hospital grille and they are just those generic crinkled frozen potatoes, but with enough ketchup, did they ever taste good!
When I first got admitted, I counted the hours between the meals just as a way to make time pass; now, I count the hours between meals with dread at what I might be asked to choke down next. In the meantime, I have to have my tv remote very close by so I can change the channel quickly when commercials for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, The Outback, etc. come on. And I have to be extremely careful that I don't stop channel surfing on the Food Network.
My energy level is increasing each day since the second round of chemo finished on Tuesday. I was even able to go for a short bike ride this morning. It's true! I have a set of portable pedals and I rode for about 15 minutes this morning. There is a mural of a moutain meadow on one wall and I can stare at that and imagine I'm out for an early morning ride, surrounded by the fragrance of the pines and the ponds.
And, I want to share some personal good news. My oldest son and his wife are going to make me a grandmother for the fourth time in aoubt 7 months.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
These Little Piggies Ain't Going Nowhere
Well, I've come full circle. With nearly 150 ml of fluid being pumped into my system 24 hours a day, my feet and legs are now even larger than when I first went to the doctor in May. At that time, they were the circumference of good-sized aspen trees; they are now the size of the ancient redwoods. Instead of five toes on each foot, I just have one big, long slanted sausage at the end of my feet and they don't want to bend too easily.
I guess it's a good thing I don't have to go for long walks in the sunshine or up the stairs to the solarium or anywhere farther than the bathroom, for that matter.
We're entering the home stretch of the second go round of chemo. I should finish by noon on Tuesday and then the waiting for the next biopsy starts. I've done really well with this session, too. No fevers, only one blood transfusion, and no platelet transfusions, yet. That may all change in the days following completion of the chemo, but for now, I'll take it all as blessings from above.
Somedays I can't get my computer to connect to the internet or to the County intranet and those are the times I feel isolated. It is just good to be able to read emails, even though I may not always have the gumption to respond, and to read the comments many of you are leaving on this blog. All your good wishes cheer my soul and help each day pass more quickly. Thank you all.
I guess it's a good thing I don't have to go for long walks in the sunshine or up the stairs to the solarium or anywhere farther than the bathroom, for that matter.
We're entering the home stretch of the second go round of chemo. I should finish by noon on Tuesday and then the waiting for the next biopsy starts. I've done really well with this session, too. No fevers, only one blood transfusion, and no platelet transfusions, yet. That may all change in the days following completion of the chemo, but for now, I'll take it all as blessings from above.
Somedays I can't get my computer to connect to the internet or to the County intranet and those are the times I feel isolated. It is just good to be able to read emails, even though I may not always have the gumption to respond, and to read the comments many of you are leaving on this blog. All your good wishes cheer my soul and help each day pass more quickly. Thank you all.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Road Trip
Monday I got out of this room for the first time in more than two weeks. I traveled through the tower into the old part of the hospital and down to radiology on the first floor. The nurse pushing my chariot said the trip was too short to bring any road food. I was sorely disappointed --- I was looking forward to at least a bag of cheetos for this big adventure.
They did the MUGA heart function test and the results showed only a 2% differential in function from the first go round of induction chemotherapy, so we are repeating the exact same treatment regimen. I finished the first bags this morning at around 5:00. I still feel pretty good. I have no nausea, no pain, and I have decent energy --- enough to get around the room and take care of myself without any assistance from the nurses.
During the first week of chemo, they were doing the daily blood draws from my picc line, so I didn't get a needle in the arm every day. Apparently that was not what my doctor wanted and so now I get a needle draw every morning between 4:00 and 5:00. Needless to say, I don't have to rely on an alarm clock --- that poke in the arm pretty much brings me to full conciousness.
The hair is starting to go. I'm not totally bald, yet, but each day more and more hair is left in the bottom of the shower in the morning and in my sleep cap at night. The sleep cap is something I resorted to to keep the hair off my pillow and out of my face at night. Before I put it on, I spent one night with my face covered in hair. I'm pretty sure I looked a lot like Joe-Joe the Dog Faced Boy from the circus.
It's kind of exciting to think that for the next several months at least, I can be anything I want . . . a blonde one day, red head the next.
They did the MUGA heart function test and the results showed only a 2% differential in function from the first go round of induction chemotherapy, so we are repeating the exact same treatment regimen. I finished the first bags this morning at around 5:00. I still feel pretty good. I have no nausea, no pain, and I have decent energy --- enough to get around the room and take care of myself without any assistance from the nurses.
During the first week of chemo, they were doing the daily blood draws from my picc line, so I didn't get a needle in the arm every day. Apparently that was not what my doctor wanted and so now I get a needle draw every morning between 4:00 and 5:00. Needless to say, I don't have to rely on an alarm clock --- that poke in the arm pretty much brings me to full conciousness.
The hair is starting to go. I'm not totally bald, yet, but each day more and more hair is left in the bottom of the shower in the morning and in my sleep cap at night. The sleep cap is something I resorted to to keep the hair off my pillow and out of my face at night. Before I put it on, I spent one night with my face covered in hair. I'm pretty sure I looked a lot like Joe-Joe the Dog Faced Boy from the circus.
It's kind of exciting to think that for the next several months at least, I can be anything I want . . . a blonde one day, red head the next.
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