Wow, what a busy week we have had. Between Thanksgiving break with the kids, the actual holiday & getting everything finished that I wanted before I go back into the hospital, lets just say its been nuts! Sorry I have not taken the time to sit down & update this thing.
I did make it in to the Hospital on Friday for my lab work...
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0---------7.9---------03-------1 Unit P
19 Nov------78----26.9------14,000------8.3---------11---------1 Unit P
21 Nov------80-----12-------9,300------7.9---------55---------1 Unit B
24 Nov------83----5.1-------2,200-----10.1--------179------------N/A
28 Nov------87----2.2-------1,500------9.9--------286------------N/A
As you can see my counts are still holding, even though my ANC dropped a little it has stayed above 1,000 which keeps my Dr happy & I have been able to maintain my blood levels for a week without any blood products. I did not nee near the amount of infusions that I had the first round of Chemo so I take this as a good sign.
I need to back track to earlier in the week. I received a package in the mail from my coworkers at ODH on Wednesday that was filled with many different types of hats. The kids & I had fun trying them all on & making funny faces at each other, it was rather comical.
Misty was in the kitchen most of the day on Wednesday preparing for Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving day she was in the kitchen all morning & had all the food on the table by 1:30. We only had one minor spill over in the oven for all the dishes that she made. It is really quit impressive to watch her in action, the food was just unbelievable. It turned out so good & it still amazes me that it takes 2 days of preparation for 1 meal, but then it was a great meal. She told us you it with your eyes first, it is all about the presentation. You will have to see for yourself if I ever get the pictures uploaded (hopefully by Monday or Tuesday.
Needless to say I was so psyched for Christmas that I did not waste any time as soon as the dishes were done I started putting up the decorations. Marcus & Brandon hung up the lights outside & I started unpacking all the boxes & sorting out what goes where. Typically we always remove the leafs on the dining room table & put the tree up in the dining room but Misty said that was not going to work, since there would not be room for everyone to sit down & eat. So we moved the living room around to accommodate the Christmas tree, it is very large. I did not get to the tree until Saturday.
On Friday after I got back from the hospital Paula & Angie came over. After Zack's Spanish inquisition they decided to take me out of the house for a nice change of pace. Angie gave me a beautiful leukemia awareness bracelet that she had made for me. We went to Apple Bees for lunch & then to Target to scope out Black Friday deals.
Later Friday night we got a call from Donnie to come out to the club house, Kim got her Christmas present early, Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii. By the time we arrived there were quite a few people out there. We stayed out until 1:30 in the morning & had to call it a night. It has been quite some time since I have stayed up that late for fun.
Saturday morning I slept in. Once I was up & moving we started in on the Christmas tree. I don't really care for it too much in the living room, but I think it will just take me awhile to get used to it. I was like a crazed woman with the decorations. I felt so compelled to get them all up before Monday, because I know I will not have the energy to do it when I get out of the hospital next weekend.
I am not sure what time I have to go into the hospital tomorrow since they did not start my Chemo until 8pm the last time I went in. I am going to call them first thing & try to find out if I can come in later. I hated sitting there all day for no reason. So if all goes well I should start updating the Blog daily on Monday.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
November 27, 2008
This week has went pretty fast & we have been busy. The kids got out of school early on Tuesday so I have not had time to update the Blog. I have to go to the Hospital Friday for Labs & PICC care, there should not be any infusions if my counts hold. I am anxious to see what my ANC is especially since I go into the hospital for the next round of Chemo on Monday. I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully I will be able to take some time & upload all the pictures from our Thanksgiving day it was really great!
Monday, November 24, 2008
November 24, 2008
Friday night Katie, Marc & Bubby were not home & Misty was still not feeling well so Zack, Paige & I headed to Sonic for dinner. They have the best milkshakes!
We have some cold & rainy weather this morning. The sidewalk outside our backdoor was pure ice. I let Spike out ahead of me & he went sliding across it. It was so funny & a great heads up or that would have been me I'm sure.
After a mad dash to get Zack out the door this morning I dropped the kids off at school & went to the hospital for my lab draws.
My labs results were...
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0---------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0---------7.9---------03-------1 Unit P
19 Nov------78----26.9------14,000------8.3---------11---------1 Unit P
21 Nov------80-----12-------9,300------7.9---------55---------1 Unit B
24 Nov------83----5.1-------2,200-----10.1--------179------------N/A
No infusions needed today Woohoo, looks like my Platlets are recovering on their own now & my hemoglobin is holding from the infusion. My neutraphils & WBC counts are dropping quite a bit but they are not below 1,000 so they are still good so keep your fingers crossed.
Friday night we found out Alan's mother died. You may have seen him from earlier Blogs in some of my pictures from the hospital, he is in our Missing Link Chapter & a very dear friend. The funeral is today up in Parma, Ohio I think is a suburb of Cleveland. It is too far for me to drive myself, Donnie & Bennie had to finish a job they are working on & Marc offered to take me up, but I sent him to work. He needs to save what little time he has, if any for when I really need him. So for all you prayer warriors out there, when you praying for me & the family please add Alan in your prayers as well.
I need to send a special thank you out to the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, my Unit at Wright Patterson AFB. Saturday SMSgt Fowle called while we were at the game, he was on his way to drop off Thanksgiving basket for us from the Unit. Luckily Misty & the kids were at the house to receive it, unfortunately Marc & I could not get back to the house in time to meet him. It was very nice, Misty raved about how sweet (& tall) SMSgt Fowle was. So thank you to everyone down there at the Unit, we really appreciate all you have done for us. As long as my counts continue to cooperate I plan to try to make it down to the base this week.
It is hard to believe it has been 3 months since I have been down to the base. I sent my certified packet back to the medical squadron at the base along with a supporting letter from my Dr. with information about my diagnosis, prognosis, progress notes, current status & working restrictions. I also sent in a letter as well requesting to see a military physician to clear my P4. So we will see what happens.
We had a really good time at the OSU vs Michigan Party. I have the pictures under this post, they are also on the Missing Link Website, I updated that this morning. The game was such a blow out I did not even pay too much attention to the 4th quarter. There was so much food it was unreal. There was hot wings, mild wings, smoked chicken, cabbage rolls, cheesy potatoes, sloppy joes, chili, chips, tons of dips & desserts. It was a ton of fun. I think both Marc & I need that for a change.
Sunday was a complete down day for everyone in the house. We all lounged around & ate leftovers. Marc got me up & out to Walmart long enough to get a new heater for the upstairs. There are no registers from the furnace for the upstairs so it can get pretty chilly up there. I am really hating the cold, I just can't tolerate it at all any more with my anemia.
As luck would have it my Dr. does not have me back in the hospital until December 1 to start the next round of Chemo, this way I get to be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas & the New Year. I can't say that I am excited to go back in the hospital but I am excited to be home for the holidays!
We have some cold & rainy weather this morning. The sidewalk outside our backdoor was pure ice. I let Spike out ahead of me & he went sliding across it. It was so funny & a great heads up or that would have been me I'm sure.
After a mad dash to get Zack out the door this morning I dropped the kids off at school & went to the hospital for my lab draws.
My labs results were...
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0---------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0---------7.9---------03-------1 Unit P
19 Nov------78----26.9------14,000------8.3---------11---------1 Unit P
21 Nov------80-----12-------9,300------7.9---------55---------1 Unit B
24 Nov------83----5.1-------2,200-----10.1--------179------------N/A
No infusions needed today Woohoo, looks like my Platlets are recovering on their own now & my hemoglobin is holding from the infusion. My neutraphils & WBC counts are dropping quite a bit but they are not below 1,000 so they are still good so keep your fingers crossed.
Friday night we found out Alan's mother died. You may have seen him from earlier Blogs in some of my pictures from the hospital, he is in our Missing Link Chapter & a very dear friend. The funeral is today up in Parma, Ohio I think is a suburb of Cleveland. It is too far for me to drive myself, Donnie & Bennie had to finish a job they are working on & Marc offered to take me up, but I sent him to work. He needs to save what little time he has, if any for when I really need him. So for all you prayer warriors out there, when you praying for me & the family please add Alan in your prayers as well.
I need to send a special thank you out to the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, my Unit at Wright Patterson AFB. Saturday SMSgt Fowle called while we were at the game, he was on his way to drop off Thanksgiving basket for us from the Unit. Luckily Misty & the kids were at the house to receive it, unfortunately Marc & I could not get back to the house in time to meet him. It was very nice, Misty raved about how sweet (& tall) SMSgt Fowle was. So thank you to everyone down there at the Unit, we really appreciate all you have done for us. As long as my counts continue to cooperate I plan to try to make it down to the base this week.
It is hard to believe it has been 3 months since I have been down to the base. I sent my certified packet back to the medical squadron at the base along with a supporting letter from my Dr. with information about my diagnosis, prognosis, progress notes, current status & working restrictions. I also sent in a letter as well requesting to see a military physician to clear my P4. So we will see what happens.
We had a really good time at the OSU vs Michigan Party. I have the pictures under this post, they are also on the Missing Link Website, I updated that this morning. The game was such a blow out I did not even pay too much attention to the 4th quarter. There was so much food it was unreal. There was hot wings, mild wings, smoked chicken, cabbage rolls, cheesy potatoes, sloppy joes, chili, chips, tons of dips & desserts. It was a ton of fun. I think both Marc & I need that for a change.
Sunday was a complete down day for everyone in the house. We all lounged around & ate leftovers. Marc got me up & out to Walmart long enough to get a new heater for the upstairs. There are no registers from the furnace for the upstairs so it can get pretty chilly up there. I am really hating the cold, I just can't tolerate it at all any more with my anemia.
As luck would have it my Dr. does not have me back in the hospital until December 1 to start the next round of Chemo, this way I get to be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas & the New Year. I can't say that I am excited to go back in the hospital but I am excited to be home for the holidays!
Friday, November 21, 2008
November 21, 2008
It was super cold out this morning, I did not like going out to the hospital first thing with my big bald head even with a hat on it was freezing. My labs were...
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0---------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0---------7.9---------03-------1 Unit P
19 Nov------78----26.9------14,000------8.3---------11---------1 Unit P
21 Nov------80-----12-------9,300------7.9---------55---------1 Unit B
So far my ANC has not dropped enough to be alarmed without the neupogen shots. My Platelets are holding well from the infusion on Wednesday. My Hemaglobin went down a little & I went ahead & got an infusion of blood since I am still having the shortness of breath. I didn't have my camera with me for any blood infusion pictures, your all bummed I am sure...
This weekend has a lot going on. Our Chapter of Missing Link is hosting a big OSU vs Michigan party. It is sure to be a good time. I am making taco dip & Marc will be up at the crack of dawn to start smoking chickens. There should be lots of good food & a great time with friends. I am happy my counts are up & I do not have to wear a mask for a change.
Zack had another rough day at school, he did not go to the principals office but according to him he kicked the same kid he was in trouble with the last time...I don't know what I am going to do with this boy.
Last night I fixed homemade Mac & Cheese that turned out really good according to everyone but Katie. I though I put chicken tenders in the oven but it turned out to be catfish needless to say that part of dinner was a disaster. Misty is supposed to cook breakfast for dinner tonight!
Katie will be going to a Birthday Party sleep over.
Brandon is at Wrestling. Marc is out at the club house unclogging a drain. The rest of us are chilling out at the house.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
November 19, 2008
Nothing like starting out your day with a little blood work...
I talked with my Dr. about all of the side effects I am having, she is most concerned with my vision problems & is contacting my Ophthalmologist to get additional information.My labs came in
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0---------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0---------7.9---------03-------1 Unit P
19 Nov------78----26.9------14,000------8.3---------11---------1 Unit P
We were at the James until about 2 in the afternoon. One thing seemed to lead to another. My ANC & WBC counts went through the roof so for now she is pulling me off the neupogen shots. If my counts drop then I will have to start them again but for now my levels are very high. Although I am nervous about not taking the shots since my levels can rise & fall so drastically. One nice thing about it, this should save a little money since the neupogen shots are my most expensive medicine at $469.15 each. To date I have racked up $15,049.20 in prescription costs at home. I must admit that I am very blessed to have decent insurance, they have covered the bulk of this bill, but there is still a hefty sum that I pay upfront, so again thank you everyone who has donated money to help with the costs.
My doctor was a little concerned because I am still having some shortness of breath. She ordered some Blood to go with my Platelet infusion. I told her I would like to try & hold out until Friday for the blood infusion. I want to see if my body will continue to make more blood & correct itself. She went ahead & gave me a standing order to give to Madison County Hospital for infusions. This will allow Sue, my RN, to give me an infusion of Platelets any time I drop below 20 or my Hemoglobin drops below 8. No more waiting for an order like last weekend & the other day.
As you can see Marcus got real bored waiting...
We did find out when they do the Platelet infusion out patient it only takes about 30 minutes to an hour, but when I was in-patient it took about 2 hours. Blood infusions only take 2 hours but when I was getting that it in-patient it took 4...
When they went to give me the platelets, my purple port would not flush at all. They drew my labs out of it earlier with ease so I was surprised it clogged so fast. The whole time my PICC has been in the red port is usually the sluggish one. They tried to flush them simultaneously to see if that would be enough pressure on it to open up, but we had no such luck.
They had 3 different nurse come in & try it. Sharon will be going nuts when she sees these pictures because one of the nurses didn't wear gloves. I was so out of it from the pre meds for my infusion I was looking right at her & didn't even notice.
They finally brought in a PICC Nurse, after using altaplase (kinda like roto rooter for your veins) & a stopcock they were able to get my lines cleared.
Needless to say it was a long day, we stopped at Sams Club to pick up a few things for the house & headed home. Zack has been having a much better week at school. Misty is sick with the Stomach virus Zack had. Paige & Brandon are engaged in cheer leading & wrestling every week night & Katie well, she draws & reads a lot. She has no desire to participate in school sports & there are no art programs locally to put her in. Marc & I lounged the rest of the night.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
November 18, 2008
I ended up getting an infusion of platelets around 1:30pm yesterday.
My RN at Madison County Hospital said that she would hate to see what my counts were if I was not taking the neupogen shots. She said the lab freaked out when my counts came back in that morning they are not used to seeing counts that low. She said they scare the hell out of her & she does not know why the James took so long yesterday to send my order for an infusion in. She said they never should have let my counts get that low over the weekend & was surprised they did not bring me in on Saturday or Sunday. After my infusion the James did not order a post infusion lab draw, which really surprised me because they have always done this after each infusion in the past. I have no idea what my platelets jumped up to, I know they had to come up some because my gums finally stopped bleeding but how much I am not sure since I have the pin head bleeds & bruises that are not going away.
It was snowing yesterday afternoon on my way home from the lab. I think we might have a white Christmas this year!
I did not sleep very well last night. Brandon put Spike in his kennel & he usually sleeps with Paige so he started whining around 11, so me & Misty both got up. I tried to go back to sleep but when I did it was real broken. Marc was tossing & turning his back was hurting & my night sweats were ridiculous. My head was sweating so much my pillow was saturated & I am sure the sheets were getting damp. I have noticed the sweats have been increasing even during the day now. I had a head ache so I took some ibuprofen & then later realized when I was looking to see what time my doctors appointment is tomorrow that it is on my list of medicines not to take in my discharge paperwork.
My tunnel vision is gone for the most part. I have regained my peripheral vision it is still a little fuzzy around the edges especially in really bright light but I can see without straining to much. Marcus is taking me to my appointment tomorrow. I am pretty sure I will be getting more blood products then.
I started searching the web for ideas for Zack's Christmas. We have the big kids covered this year, but Zack is a tougher one to crack because he wants everything. He has been looking at the "Christmas books" the Sunday adds every week & marking just about everything in sight with his green marker. I keep reminding him everyday Santa is watching & he has to be good, he keeps telling me Santa can't see him...he is at the North Pole... he is so rotten.
Zack's latest passion is setting up the Christmas decorations everyday he keeps asking if we can put them up. I am ready but Marcus is not. Between all of he decorations we normally put, which is a lot and all of Misty's Christmas decorations I keep telling Marcus it is going to look like Santa pucked Christmas at our house this year. I can't wait it is going to fun. Christmas is everyones favorite holiday in our house, you will not find a Scrooge here.Katie was getting a cooking lesson from Misty last night, she actually did real good. She cooked 2 chickens & red potatoes. I lost the majority of my taste buds last Friday but it fades in & out, what I could taste of it was good & everyone else said it was good to. So I am happy to report she is well on her way to being a better cook than me.
I have to tell you I made one heck of a mess last night with or little green machine. I had taken an Oxy earlier for pain so I was not in a very clear state of mind. Spike had an accident & Katie was getting the green machine out to clean it but it was out of cleaning solution. SO I went to add more in & saw that the old/dirty water needed to be dumped out. Long story short I tipped it the wrong way when I pulled it out of the machine & the stuff went everywhere. It was so gross. I ended up getting it on Katie & me/ I was so flustered thank god Marcus walked in because I was ready to have a heart attack. He ended up fixing it & we got it all cleaned up but wow what a fiasco. I was not operating any heavy equipment but I guess that rule will apply to all household items...
Monday, November 17, 2008
November 17, 2008
Sunday was a major down day; I stayed in bed 1/2 of the day just resting. My low counts are starting to catch up with me physically. I talked to Aunt Lynn & Aunt Debbie for a while on the phone, I did not realize when Debbie donated blood for me it was her first time donating as well. There are so many first time blood donors that have been a direct result of my disease. There is a lot of good that has come out of such a terrible situation.
I received another card with a very generous donation from my colleagues in the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness - ODH. They have our heartfelt thanks. I am so encouraged by the support that keeps coming in. I know many people cannot send in donations & that is ok, you have no idea just how important the phone calls, e-mails, letters, visits... keep me motivated. I am very lucky to have so many people out there that love & care about me. It encourages me to fight that much more even on the toughest of days.
We all watched the Jeff Dunham Christmas special last night on TV it was pretty funny. If you have never seen him you should check it out. He is a ventriloquist
I was really surprised this morning when I woke up & saw snow covering everything! We had flurries Saturday but nothing stuck. Spike got his first experience in it. He was prancing around all over the place. He was so excited he wouldn't go to the bathroom for a while because he wanted to play so much.
After we got Zack on the bus I loaded Brandon & Katie up & dropped them off at school on my way to Madison County Hospital for my lab draws.
Sue, my RN was ready for me when I got there, it’s a pretty nice chemo lab they have here. We talked about the side effects I have been having. She drew my blood from the purple port & my red port on the PICC would not flush, so a little heparin in & it was cleared. I was in & out in less than 20 minutes.
When I got back from the hospital I took a short rest on the couch with spike & then went up to take a shower. I knew my counts were low, but I did not realize how low until I saw...
I know the pictures are gross, but this is the reality. I have pinhead bleeds & brusies all over my body. I had to take some nausea medicine because the blood keeps pooling in my mouth & it was making me feel real nasty. Hopefully when I get juiced up this afternoon it will be enough to clot them off.
Sue just called me with my labs
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0-------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0-------7.9---------03----------pending
We are waiting for the James to call me & see what they want to do, no matter what I have to get an infusion of platelets, possibly 2 if the first one does not bump me up enough.
In the mean time I am just waiting & playing with Spike. More to come tomorrow.
I received another card with a very generous donation from my colleagues in the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness - ODH. They have our heartfelt thanks. I am so encouraged by the support that keeps coming in. I know many people cannot send in donations & that is ok, you have no idea just how important the phone calls, e-mails, letters, visits... keep me motivated. I am very lucky to have so many people out there that love & care about me. It encourages me to fight that much more even on the toughest of days.
We all watched the Jeff Dunham Christmas special last night on TV it was pretty funny. If you have never seen him you should check it out. He is a ventriloquist
I was really surprised this morning when I woke up & saw snow covering everything! We had flurries Saturday but nothing stuck. Spike got his first experience in it. He was prancing around all over the place. He was so excited he wouldn't go to the bathroom for a while because he wanted to play so much.
After we got Zack on the bus I loaded Brandon & Katie up & dropped them off at school on my way to Madison County Hospital for my lab draws.
Sue, my RN was ready for me when I got there, it’s a pretty nice chemo lab they have here. We talked about the side effects I have been having. She drew my blood from the purple port & my red port on the PICC would not flush, so a little heparin in & it was cleared. I was in & out in less than 20 minutes.
When I got back from the hospital I took a short rest on the couch with spike & then went up to take a shower. I knew my counts were low, but I did not realize how low until I saw...
I know the pictures are gross, but this is the reality. I have pinhead bleeds & brusies all over my body. I had to take some nausea medicine because the blood keeps pooling in my mouth & it was making me feel real nasty. Hopefully when I get juiced up this afternoon it will be enough to clot them off.
Sue just called me with my labs
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0-------9.2---------22----------N/A
17 Nov------76-----0.7----------0-------7.9---------03----------pending
We are waiting for the James to call me & see what they want to do, no matter what I have to get an infusion of platelets, possibly 2 if the first one does not bump me up enough.
In the mean time I am just waiting & playing with Spike. More to come tomorrow.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
November 14 & 15, 2008
I spoke with the James on the 14th & they are comfortable with my lab reports from Thursday, they said unless I have some complications over the weekend or get sick they believe I can hold out for the infusion until Monday.
Zack had a really bad day at school, the principal called me around 11:00am & I heard Zack crying in the background. He bit another kid at school! I could not believe it. A boy kicked him & he got mad , luckily he did not hurt him or break the skin but still I could not believe he did that. I was going to go up & get him but the principal said not to that he was taking care of it. Later in the afternoon he ended up in the school nurses office with an upset tummy, when he got home he had diarrhea & the he threw up. He did not have a temperature & after he got sick he was acting fine. I let him have some jello, I figured that would be light on his stomach, but nope he threw up cherry jello all over the dining room floor. After that he was fine again, no temperature but I heard him crying about 11:00pm & I tried to get him out of bed but he was so heavy & wrapped up in his blankets by the time I was able to get him lifted up he threw up over my shoulder & all over the rug by his bed. I felt so bad for him. After I changed his clothes he fell asleep for the rest of the night.
I heard that there is a 24 hour stomach virus going around & it sounds like he may have it. He woke up this morning feeling good so far & has not thrown up so I take that as a good sign.
Brandon went for his body fat test this morning he weighed in at 156lbs & we are waiting for the calibration results. He should be able to wrestle 145 to 160 weight classes.
I took 2 Oxycodones about 2:00am I was having a lot of bone/joint pain & my chest pain actually woke me up. I have only had to take them twice since I have been home so considering I am doing pretty good with pain tolerance.
With Zack being sick I have been washing my hands really good & more than normal just to be safe. Other than the usual I feel like I am a little outside of myself today, everything feels like it is on a 5 second delay.
OSU plays at noon today so I plan to mask up & go watch it for a little bit if Zack is feeling better. If not Marc & all the other kids will go out to the clubhouse without us. I want to send a special thank you out to Micheal & Sonja for donating blood in my honor on Friday, Sonja donated blood for the first time in her life which is fabulous!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Novemeber 13, 2008
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
7 Nov------66-----5.9-------5400--------9.3--------128----------N/A
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0-------9.2---------22----------N/A
I went to the Madison County Hospital Chemo Lab for my blood work & PICC care. Sue my RN, is going out of town to Michigan for the weekend so I may need to go to the James if I end up needing anything. They called me 5 times yesterday to check on me & to stress how careful I need to be. My labs dropped drastically, I was hoping the neupogen shots would work their magic & provide a little immunity, as you can see above with my ANC (Absolute Neutraphil Count) I literally have no immune system defenses. I never dropped this low, even when I was in the hospital for a month. I will find out where I am going tomorrow for Platelets. I suspect at the rate I am dropping I will have 0 Platelets by tomorrow.
Marc & I had parent teacher conferences with Zack's teacher, I masked up & off we went. He is doing real well academically but struggles with the listening, talking to much & taking his time. He always tries to rush through everything & be the first to get it done. I wonder where he gets that from...
Physically, my eyes are still messed up & I I think they are starting to over compensate for the blurriness a little. I notice that I am constantly fatigued to the point of being lethargic, but I am not sleepy. I have really cut back on doing anything so I know that I am not pushing my body to this point but it is just there. If that is not enough my meds have really been making me on edge/irritable, more so than what I have been, last night & tonight it has been real bad it comes & goes just like the sweats, cold chills & the hot flashes. I cannot wait for my counts to recover so I can get off of them. Everyone is walking on eggshells around me & I feel like I have no control over anything. This is probably the most difficult because those of you who know me, know how much of a control freak I am. It just really sucks. I guess I am in the thick of the battle right now, some days I swear it is trying to break me but at the same time it makes me want to beat it that much more. I just want things to be normal again...
7 Nov------66-----5.9-------5400--------9.3--------128----------N/A
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
13 Nov------72-----0.5----------0-------9.2---------22----------N/A
I went to the Madison County Hospital Chemo Lab for my blood work & PICC care. Sue my RN, is going out of town to Michigan for the weekend so I may need to go to the James if I end up needing anything. They called me 5 times yesterday to check on me & to stress how careful I need to be. My labs dropped drastically, I was hoping the neupogen shots would work their magic & provide a little immunity, as you can see above with my ANC (Absolute Neutraphil Count) I literally have no immune system defenses. I never dropped this low, even when I was in the hospital for a month. I will find out where I am going tomorrow for Platelets. I suspect at the rate I am dropping I will have 0 Platelets by tomorrow.
Marc & I had parent teacher conferences with Zack's teacher, I masked up & off we went. He is doing real well academically but struggles with the listening, talking to much & taking his time. He always tries to rush through everything & be the first to get it done. I wonder where he gets that from...
Physically, my eyes are still messed up & I I think they are starting to over compensate for the blurriness a little. I notice that I am constantly fatigued to the point of being lethargic, but I am not sleepy. I have really cut back on doing anything so I know that I am not pushing my body to this point but it is just there. If that is not enough my meds have really been making me on edge/irritable, more so than what I have been, last night & tonight it has been real bad it comes & goes just like the sweats, cold chills & the hot flashes. I cannot wait for my counts to recover so I can get off of them. Everyone is walking on eggshells around me & I feel like I have no control over anything. This is probably the most difficult because those of you who know me, know how much of a control freak I am. It just really sucks. I guess I am in the thick of the battle right now, some days I swear it is trying to break me but at the same time it makes me want to beat it that much more. I just want things to be normal again...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
November 12, 2008
My vision still has not improved, I called the James & they wanted me to go see an eye Dr. I was not able to get in until the afternoon, I could not drive so Marcus took me. I can honestly say it was the most intense eye exam I have ever had. Its not the Chemo Brain making me nuts, there is very visable cloudiness over both of my cornea's that is causing my tunnel vision & white out. They told me to quit the Dexamethazone eye drops & use regular eye drops & see if this helps. It could be a result from my eyes drying out so bad from the chemo. In 3-4 weeks if it is not better it could be a condition that they will take a different approach with but with my Chemo it is to soon to tell, but he said not to worry it will not make me blind...
I have to go in for lab draws first thing tomorrow. I had a good bit of chest pain all day & I have noticed today that I cannot climb the stairs without becoming seriously winded, so I know my counts are dropping fast. For the past few days I have not felt very good, so little things have been working my nerves but I had been trying not to say anything. I can't tell if it is my meds making me on edge or not but it is a delicate balance that I thought I had in check but with each day passing I am not handling it very well. I got so used to to a quite hospital room to recover & I am dealing with the real world full of life & drama now that I am home. It will get better once my counts come up, I am sure my oxygen levels are down because of the counts as well & this could be making all the difference in the world with how I am perceiving things at the moment.
I received a ton of beautiful handmade cards in the mail today from my co-workers at the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness at ODH, It is a great boost of support half way through my hospitalization treatment protocol. It sounds weird to say half way through because there is still such a long way to go but, the hospitalization portion is partially complete. Thank you so much Viola for gathering them from everyone & sending them all.
I expect 2 trips to the hospital on Thursday one for lab draws & then back for blood products in the afternoon, their protocol is less than 20 platelets & I get an infusion, when I was at the James the protocol was less than 10 so we will see what my Dr orders. Who knows I may not need them until Monday. My cousin Amber called me yesterday she was in the process of donating blood for the first time in her life that s so cool, Thank you so much Amber!!
I told you guys Spike is all legs & here is the proof, he is growing like crazy. I must admit he has been rather theraputic for me since I have been home. He just lays with me & it is real nice.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
November 11, 2008
Did you thank a Veteran today? I did you should to. It is good to hear that our country is grateful to our nation’s military service members, active duty, guard, reserve and veterans, for their dedication, courage, accomplishments and sacrifices to protect our everyday freedoms.
I woke up with the tunnel vision still, I can't say that it is worse than yesterday but it is definitely not going away. I called my Dr.s Office but they were closed, Ohio State University, I didn't make the connection all state & federal offices closed... I left a message with the on call service & a Nurse Practitioner called me back. My only option today is to go to the Emergency Room & be seen that way, so I asked her to relay my issues & I am going to try to get into my Dr. first thing Wednesday morning. They don't have any eye doctors in the ER & they would have me follow up with my Doc the next day no matter what so, I though I would rather rest at home comfortably & stay out of the light, especially since any type of light seems to make it worse.
Marcus, a veteran also, got today off so I was happy to have time alone with him, at home. This rarely ever happens, with 4 kids we are typically always on the go.
I almost fell out of the shower yesterday so later in the afternoon when I was moving around a little better he took me out to K-Mart to look for a shower seat, they did not have any but he got me a new shower head for some reason, he's the plumber so I didn't question it. We went to the Medicine Shoppe here in town & were able to find a shower seat without having to go into Columbus.
We were not out long & I started not to feel so good, Marcus brought me home. I talked to Kim on the phone & I could not even remember the conversation. I was starting to get a headache & a little chest pain. I have been battling heartburn for the past 2 days so it is hard to tell if it is really chest pain or indigestion. My bones were aching so I threw the towel in. took an Oxycodone & laid down. Spike took a nap with me on the couch, neither one of us moved for 2 hours until Paige got home.
Marcus went out to the Clubhouse while I was resting to re-wire the speaker system out there, so they will be on 2 different systems. The TV Room is bigger then the pool room so when the game is on it deafens you in the pool room. Hopefully he can get that taken care of since the Big Game is in a couple of weeks.
Misty made BBQ meatballs for Katie so she went to town on those when she got home from school. Zack had a rough day at school yesterday so I would not let him watch Beetlegeuse because of it, today he was all excited when he got home because he had a good day at school so he is watching it now with Katie. Wrestling season has started so Brandon is fully engaged.
I feel a little better but my eyes are still driving me nuts, hopefully tomorrow we can figure out what the heck is going on with them.
I woke up with the tunnel vision still, I can't say that it is worse than yesterday but it is definitely not going away. I called my Dr.s Office but they were closed, Ohio State University, I didn't make the connection all state & federal offices closed... I left a message with the on call service & a Nurse Practitioner called me back. My only option today is to go to the Emergency Room & be seen that way, so I asked her to relay my issues & I am going to try to get into my Dr. first thing Wednesday morning. They don't have any eye doctors in the ER & they would have me follow up with my Doc the next day no matter what so, I though I would rather rest at home comfortably & stay out of the light, especially since any type of light seems to make it worse.
Marcus, a veteran also, got today off so I was happy to have time alone with him, at home. This rarely ever happens, with 4 kids we are typically always on the go.
I almost fell out of the shower yesterday so later in the afternoon when I was moving around a little better he took me out to K-Mart to look for a shower seat, they did not have any but he got me a new shower head for some reason, he's the plumber so I didn't question it. We went to the Medicine Shoppe here in town & were able to find a shower seat without having to go into Columbus.
We were not out long & I started not to feel so good, Marcus brought me home. I talked to Kim on the phone & I could not even remember the conversation. I was starting to get a headache & a little chest pain. I have been battling heartburn for the past 2 days so it is hard to tell if it is really chest pain or indigestion. My bones were aching so I threw the towel in. took an Oxycodone & laid down. Spike took a nap with me on the couch, neither one of us moved for 2 hours until Paige got home.
Marcus went out to the Clubhouse while I was resting to re-wire the speaker system out there, so they will be on 2 different systems. The TV Room is bigger then the pool room so when the game is on it deafens you in the pool room. Hopefully he can get that taken care of since the Big Game is in a couple of weeks.
Misty made BBQ meatballs for Katie so she went to town on those when she got home from school. Zack had a rough day at school yesterday so I would not let him watch Beetlegeuse because of it, today he was all excited when he got home because he had a good day at school so he is watching it now with Katie. Wrestling season has started so Brandon is fully engaged.
I feel a little better but my eyes are still driving me nuts, hopefully tomorrow we can figure out what the heck is going on with them.
Monday, November 10, 2008
November 10, 2008
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
7 Nov------66-----5.9-------5400--------9.3--------128----------N/A
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
I got my labs back from Madison County this afternoon & you can see the neupogen shots are working my neutraphil count is through the roof but my platelets are starting to drop so I am thinking I may need to have an infusion by my Thursday lab draws, so I will be planning for 2 trips to the hospital.
I have been out since Saturday afternoon & I am starting to feel the effects of the Chemo. My vision has been really screwed up today, I guess you could call it tunnel vision, it is clear in the center but everything around it is in a white fade out & it has been like that all day. Its worse when there are florescent lights or a window with sun coming in. If it is still like that tomorrow I will try to tone it down with sun glasses & I will call my Dr.
I have been doing some cleaning around the house but nothing major, I woke up at 5am this morning with Marcus because I got a good nights sleep for a change. After he left for work & a few cups of coffee I was bored so I straightened Zack's room up. I am under the eagle eye from Marcus, he questions every sound I make so it's not like I am outdoing myself, he won't let me.
It was weird I went to Walmart this afternoon to pick up a few things, I took Katie with me & I even had a list but I just felt lost in there. I have been in there a hundred times & I just could not find the things on my list, they were there I was the one with the disconnect, Poor Katie had to help me quite a bit. She pushed the cart but I had to hold the edge of it, it was just weird I can't explain it.
When I got home from Walmart Paige brought me the mail, I cannot say thank you enough to Aunt Sue & Uncle David for there very generous donation towards my medical expenses. My prescriptions are very expensive & that is the upfront cost I worry about the most. They have covered all of my at home medicine costs for this Chemo round recovery phase. I am blown away & so grateful, thank you is just not enough.
The holidays are fast approaching & the economy is tougher than I have ever seen it. So for anyone to be able to donate I know it may be tough. Please pass my blog on to your friends & family & encourage them to circulate it to their friends & family. Prayers, encouragement, donations it is all support & it is all needed. I will beat this.
7 Nov------66-----5.9-------5400--------9.3--------128----------N/A
8 Nov------67-----6.4-------6000--------9.0--------109----------N/A
10 Nov------69-----8.8-------8200-------9.3---------74----------N/A
I got my labs back from Madison County this afternoon & you can see the neupogen shots are working my neutraphil count is through the roof but my platelets are starting to drop so I am thinking I may need to have an infusion by my Thursday lab draws, so I will be planning for 2 trips to the hospital.
I have been out since Saturday afternoon & I am starting to feel the effects of the Chemo. My vision has been really screwed up today, I guess you could call it tunnel vision, it is clear in the center but everything around it is in a white fade out & it has been like that all day. Its worse when there are florescent lights or a window with sun coming in. If it is still like that tomorrow I will try to tone it down with sun glasses & I will call my Dr.
I have been doing some cleaning around the house but nothing major, I woke up at 5am this morning with Marcus because I got a good nights sleep for a change. After he left for work & a few cups of coffee I was bored so I straightened Zack's room up. I am under the eagle eye from Marcus, he questions every sound I make so it's not like I am outdoing myself, he won't let me.
It was weird I went to Walmart this afternoon to pick up a few things, I took Katie with me & I even had a list but I just felt lost in there. I have been in there a hundred times & I just could not find the things on my list, they were there I was the one with the disconnect, Poor Katie had to help me quite a bit. She pushed the cart but I had to hold the edge of it, it was just weird I can't explain it.
When I got home from Walmart Paige brought me the mail, I cannot say thank you enough to Aunt Sue & Uncle David for there very generous donation towards my medical expenses. My prescriptions are very expensive & that is the upfront cost I worry about the most. They have covered all of my at home medicine costs for this Chemo round recovery phase. I am blown away & so grateful, thank you is just not enough.
The holidays are fast approaching & the economy is tougher than I have ever seen it. So for anyone to be able to donate I know it may be tough. Please pass my blog on to your friends & family & encourage them to circulate it to their friends & family. Prayers, encouragement, donations it is all support & it is all needed. I will beat this.
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They call me Rooster
& Leukemia did not snuff this one!
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