Tuesday May 6 2008

How About THAT Cleavage?

Yesterday went to my chemo appointment. Left here at 7, went to recycling, picked up Judi about 8 at the Rendezvous Pointe. We took the pants that didn't fit to the UPS shipping place to be returned. Then tried to run through the carwash, but there was a line so we didn't do that. The back window was so dirty we could hardly see through it. Judi cleaned it off later this afternoon while she was waiting, and what a difference! On through Wyoming's Serengeti - we saw so much wildlife today, mostly deer and antelope everywhere, both coming and going. The Hoback River is flooding and muddy this time. The Snake is green and clear but much higher up the banks. Still plenty of snow up at Bondurant and through the mountains.

Got up to Jackson about 9:30 and the appointment wasn't until 11:30 so had time to go take back more clothes that didn't fit to Corral West, then went to Eddie Bauer but it wasn't open for a few more minutes so we went in a restaurant next door and had coffee and toast and used their restroom. That hit the spot. Back to Eddie Bauer where I exchanged the skirt I bought to wear to Tayler's graduation for a SMALLER size. It had gone on sale so I got two more pretty t-shirts for just a few $$ more. That was a nice surprise because I nearly mailed the skirt back too and would have just got the refund. Then we had nearly another hour so went to shop in KMart. I got lots that was on my list there, mainly some new glasses for the kitchen, bath rugs and a set of sage color bath towels. I will discard an old tattered set of towels, and use the old rugs for dog and cat beds discarding the oldest of those.

Over to the hospital and they were very busy today. Most all of the people there were from Sublette County. They are getting a shuttle bus going that will run on Tuesdays from Pinedale to the hospital in Jackson for people with appointments. I for one will probably use it. I'm sure a lot of people will say "wrong day for me" or "don't want to wait that long". Whatever. I just hope they might give you a chance to go get prescriptions or things like that too, maybe even shop if it fit in with the schedule.

Judi took pictures of all of us for Kickin' Cancer which is a charity to help people just in Sublette County. They are backing the shuttle bus I understand. I was going to put one of those pictures on the blog too, but couldn't get it to save or copy so far. The lady who started that very successful Kickin' Cancer program when she got cancer was there and I was glad to meet her. They have a big auction and party that's coming up soon. (I'm donating a painting.) A nurse with breast cancer who has worked at the Pinedale Cinic was also there. All with their friends or husbands. The youngest gal there just had a baby and her fallopian tube cancer was found when they did the sonogram. The baby girl is 10 weeks old now. She said it was the baby that saved her life, by getting the sonogram.

Since they were busy I was slow getting started although they got the IV in the port and got the blood for the white platelet count right away. We ordered lunch which was good as ever. Judi shared her french fries with me as I didn't think to order them separately from my patty melt. She was so good to me all day, I'm thankful to her for taking such good care of me, getting me toast, putting my shoes on and off, taking notes, sharing french fries and cheesecake, washing the back window. And WAITING!

O.K. here's the scoop on the new chemo cycle. I do NOT go every week now, but every two weeks for two months (4 treatments) and then have CT scans and doctor appointment again. That is nice so with the extra time off, I may be able to get a few trips and traveling in this summer. That is 12 days off between each treatment. I do wear the pump for two days after every treatment.

Doctor Ward and Dr. Kim Jones, Oncologists, went over what Dr. Jones has been studying about my pathology and what Dr. Ward is seeing with the scans and came up with this new regime. It's not what Dr. Ward told me about two weeks ago. It's totally different, so toss that old info. This is the one that's FULL FURY. I am having Leucovorin (Wellcovorin) - kills cancer cells; Fluorouracil (Adrucil) called 5-FU - (someone with a sense of humor??) kills cancer cells; Irinotecan (Camptosar) - kills cancer cells; Bevacizumab - kills cancer cells - this one stops circulation to the tumors. They don't all drip at once, but two in succession ?? Anyway we waited for two drips one after another. Before that a few other small things drip in to enhance the treatment or protect and help you have fewer side effects, as well as a big bag of saline solution that starts as soon as I sit down.

I was in the chair for six and a half hours. They got me so full of fluid I was hauling that IV stand to the bathroom about 4 times. Between all of the different chemos, there are bunches of possible side effects, but the worst of it sounds like diarrhea and increased chance of infection, possibility of bleeding, nausea, more. I probably will loose my hair this time. I got Imodium to take for the diarrhea. So then at the end of the drips Judy hooked me up to a pump and it continues to give medicine through the port for two more days. I wear the box for two days (see the photo at the top - it took about 15 photos to get a decent one.) and will go to the Pinedale Clinic about 5:30 Wednesday to have them take it off. I'm not sure what exactly is in the pump, didn't ask that. Then take the pump back to Oncology next time to be used again. Wearing the pump has been o.k. so far and I slept fine with it just laying beside me.

It was a very long day, with shopping and 6 hours driving added on. We stopped at Taco Bell for very fast food since it was getting late. After I let Judi off back at Rendezvous Pointe, I got all the things on my grocery list. It wasn't that much, but back tracking in the store made it longer. I only put away the cold stuff last night and the rest this morning. I am still feeling fairly good, but pretty tired. Just a little nauseous or a little feeling of stomach discomfort so far. Judy Basye will call me to get the list of medications all the doctors have prescribed since the surgery, mainly for nausea and pain so they know what to ask for in prescriptions. And she will call the Pinedale Clinic and set up a time to get the pump removed and let me know - that's tomorrow. I asked Judy B. lots of questions this time, and got good answers. It's never going to be cured. I asked her if this treatment was likely or possible to shrink the tumors in the liver. Now I'm not sure the exact word she used, but she said something like "Absolutely!" So am still feeling optimistic that this may give me time, maybe a lot of time..... maybe not.

That's about it for now.