Well, we hit a bump in the road yesterday. I came to the clinic for some testing to see how well my chemo is working and the CT scan showed I have a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in my right lung). So I was immediately admitted. It stinks because I feel great right now and yet here I am sitting in a hospital bed.
I am thankful that they found the PE, since they can actually be fatal if not treated. But it stinks that I got it. Dr H says that it isn't an uncommon thing to have happen for chemo patients and that I will need to be on blood thinners for quite a long time to prevent more. We're waiting for some insurance approval right now. If our insurance approves a home injection, I can go home soon. If they don't I will be here for at least 3-5 days on an oral med instead.
As far as results from the tests about how well my chemo is working...we're still waiting on those. I do know thee CT showed no cancer BUT I don't think the cancer showed up in my CT before either. I need to get some clarity on that before I start jumping for joy. Hopefully today will be a multiple post day and I'll have some good news to share later!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Losing My Hair
I've had a few people ask me just how quickly my hair is falling out. Well the best way to explain it is to show you. This is what a chemo patient's bathroom sink looks like after brushing their hair before bedtime...
I have very thin hair right now with a few bald spots (but today I was able to hide them still). My sister was going to shave my head for me tonight, but didn't have the clippers she needed when I was there...I was slightly disappointed, but also kind of relieved. I get to keep what little bit of my hair I have left for a few more days.
I also received some amazing news this evening! During my time in the hospital, in addition to my cancer they found a mass on my spine. They weren't sure if the mass was cancerous or not, but were pretty sure it was the source of most of my pain since it was pushing on my spinal cord. I went today for a follow-up MRI and tomorrow I was supposed to meet with doctors in radiation treatment and neurosurgery to consult about the mass. I unexpectedly got a call from Dr H (my oncologist) this evening telling me my appointments tomorrow were cancelled because the mass on my spine was GONE!
Today's MRI showed there is no longer a mass on my spine! After one round of chemo it is gone! That means that the mass was probably cancerous, but it also means it responded amazingly well to the chemo. I am praying that means my NETS cancer is also responding really well to the chemo!
I have an appointment to get lab work done on Thursday morning (7:30am) and then an appointment with Dr H (8am) and if my blood counts have come up enough then I will start my next round of chemo that day at 8:45am. It's a long day (7-8hrs) of chemo. Then I have 2 more days (Friday & Saturday) but they're each 2 hour sessions. That will be it for chemo then until my next round, 3 weeks later. Please say a prayer that my blood counts are up & that I can tolerate my chemo well (I didn't do very well with day 1 of the first round). Thanks everyone! I know all these prayers are working and I am looking for my own little miracle, just like each of my kiddos have had.
I also received some amazing news this evening! During my time in the hospital, in addition to my cancer they found a mass on my spine. They weren't sure if the mass was cancerous or not, but were pretty sure it was the source of most of my pain since it was pushing on my spinal cord. I went today for a follow-up MRI and tomorrow I was supposed to meet with doctors in radiation treatment and neurosurgery to consult about the mass. I unexpectedly got a call from Dr H (my oncologist) this evening telling me my appointments tomorrow were cancelled because the mass on my spine was GONE!
Today's MRI showed there is no longer a mass on my spine! After one round of chemo it is gone! That means that the mass was probably cancerous, but it also means it responded amazingly well to the chemo. I am praying that means my NETS cancer is also responding really well to the chemo!
I have an appointment to get lab work done on Thursday morning (7:30am) and then an appointment with Dr H (8am) and if my blood counts have come up enough then I will start my next round of chemo that day at 8:45am. It's a long day (7-8hrs) of chemo. Then I have 2 more days (Friday & Saturday) but they're each 2 hour sessions. That will be it for chemo then until my next round, 3 weeks later. Please say a prayer that my blood counts are up & that I can tolerate my chemo well (I didn't do very well with day 1 of the first round). Thanks everyone! I know all these prayers are working and I am looking for my own little miracle, just like each of my kiddos have had.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
4 Foods...
that I can eat without my anti-nausea meds (I can't even eat most foods with them!)
- mashed potatoes
- grapes
- Katie B's chicken soup
- chocolate covered pretzels
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)