Ladies and Gentlemen: Dolly has entered my body...

Yesterday is the day that I had my port a cath put in (Dolly as we all know her.) My mom picked me up at my house around 6 AM. When we arrived at the hospital we did the normal registration process. After only sitting in the waiting room maybe 5 mins I was called to come on back.  Had to to take a pregnancy test just to be sure. Then she stuck in my IV. And did all the other "normal" routine things that they do. (I think I could do all of this in my sleep). They gave me one of my most favoritist things ever! A WARM BLANKET! :)

The were explaining how the port works - So here is my stab at what they said.  It is implanted completely under your skin. and there is a line that gets connected into one of your heart values.  When they give you the Chemo meds they just hook up the Huber needle by injecting your skin above your port.

The model they showed me was a little larger height wise and said that there is a newer model that is much smaller if I would like to have that one because I am so small.  I said of course.

So the docs came and said it was a go and I walked on my way to the surgery room. Everyone got me all prepped me up, then gave me the night night drugs and I was good to go. I was a little in and a little out the whole time.  But didn't feel any pain during the procedure like on my stupid bone marrow biopsy. 

I had to stay and recover after for about an hour.  Munched on crackers and had some soda.   Pain didn't really start to pick up until I was getting ready to leave. So nurse was able to get me a vicodin. 

Here comes the funny part!!!

So the vicodin makes me feel all loopy but I am "starving". I ask my mom if we can go to Bob Evans.  So we do and the whole time we are waiting for our food I can't keep my eyes open and I feel all nauseaus. Food finally arrives I take two bites and say ew I can't I just can't!  But I did eat most of my banana bread. My mom asked for the check and we high tailed it out of there. 

Next thing I remember was being at home hitting my pillow and going to sleep for a couple of hours.  I did feel better at this point at least! LOL.  Kalli came home and I played with her as much as I could.  Kurt helped with all the rest.  Thanks Honey!

What a fun day huh???


This is Dolly!

Introducing......

So for those of you that don't know, I have found a name for my port.  Some of you make think all this is funny or odd.  Well I look at it this way, this thing is going to be a part of me for quite sometime.  So I figured a fun way to welcome it to my body would be to give it a name.  I  put  a poll of Facebook that generated a few good suggestions.  But not really too many people even tried.  (NO FUN)  Today I was laying on the couch taking a nap and BAM I suddenly wake up and out of my mouth comes Dolly Porton!! (No Joke) I started cracking up! So that is her (my port's ) name.  I am going to have to figure out a way to bedazzle her now LOL

Strangely, I loved Dolly when I was a kid. I remember watching all of her Christmas specials with Kenny Rogers while I was at my grandparents house.  I always thought she was the prettiest thing and I always wanted to be her! 
I get Dolly put in tomorrow! We are getting so much closer to treatment I am getting excited. I was feeling like it was never going to get here.  I will post tomorrow on how Dolly's arrival went!

Night Megan

PET Scan Day

Today I went to have my PET Scan (PET can help physicians effectively pinpoint the source of cancer. This is possible because many cancer cells are highly metabolic and therefore synthesize the radioactive glucose (sugar) that is injected in the patient prior to the exam. The areas of high glucose uptake are dramatically displayed in the scan imagery, as opposed to the anatomical imagery of CT or MRI, which cannot detect active, viable tumors.
If cancer is found early, it can often be cured. A PET scan can be used in early diagnosis, assisting physicians in determining the best method for treatment. A whole body PET scan may detect whether cancer is isolated to one specific area or has spread to other organs before a treatment path is determined.)

I had a special diet the day before to obide by:
Low Carb
No Bread
No Pasta
No Rice
No Cookies
No Candy
No Pop
And No Alcohol
On top of that I had to drink 24 to 32 oz of water.

I arrived at Good Sam today at 8:00 AM.  Was taken to the trailer where the PET Scans are done (Most hospitals cannot afford a PET Scan so a mobile ones comes to each hospital) They injected with me with some radioactive dye then send back inside the hospital to wait for a half an hour.
After that half hour passed they came and got me and put me under the machine which looks like a CT scan. That took about 25 mins or so.  So the whole process was super easy.

More news about me...

A couple of weeks ago I was put on some anitbiotics for a cough I had.  Monday night was my last dose.  Strangely this medication seemed to mask some of my Lymphoma symtoms. Because boy the last few days I have been so tired and my appetite is gone.  I am forcing myself to eat. For those of you who know me I am already a freaking stick so I can't stand to lose anymore wait.  I am hoping some of these things go away after I start treatment but from what I hear Chemo makes you lose your appetite and makes you tired.  I guess I will just have to wait and see. 

Next big thing coming up for me is on January 27th.  I get my port put in.  I am going to name it.  The only name I can think of so far is Port O Potty!  LOL  So suggestions are greatly appreciated.  I will be also running a poll on Facebook.

Talk to you soon......

Long Day.....

Yesterday (Jan 18) I went to Good Sam to have some procedures done.  My mom picked me up and we arrived at the hospital at 8 AM. 

First I went to have blood drawn. 

After that we headed to have my MUGA scan done.  (A MUGA scan is performed by attaching a radioactive substance, Technetium 99, to red blood cells, then injecting the red blood cells into the patient’s bloodstream. The patient is then placed under a special camera (a gamma camera), which is able to detect the low-level radiation being given off by the Technetium-labelled red cells. Since the red blood cells (including those that are radio-labelled) fill the cardiac chambers, the image produced by the gamma camera is essentially an outline of those chambers. With some fancy computer manipulation, the the final product is a movie of the heart beating.)

Then we headed to have my Pulmonary Function Test (Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a series of different breathing tests led by a trained pulmonary function technologist, usually done at a hospital or clinic. Most of these breathing tests are done by blowing into a tube while sitting in a chair.) And let me tell you I did not like this test at all.  It was hard to breath so many different ways so many times.  I was in there for over an hour. 

The reason for these two tests are because the Chemotherapy I am getting can affect both my lungs and my heart. So they need to make sure both are strong enough to handle the Chemo.

So now we are at 11 AM
We then went to get my bone marrow biopsy. I got called back for prep to a small hospital room at 11:45. They asked tons of medical history then put my IV in. My test wasn't scheduled until 2 PM so my mom and I just sat there and talked. (FYI - I was starving at this point. I had a Carnation Instant Breakfast before I left the house. Then no more food or drinks allowed) At about 2 ish they carted me off to a "patient holding" area. I then sat there until 3. The doctor doing the procedure was running behind.
Okay right here I am going to step back a minute - When I went to see my oncologist he assured me that I would be put to sleep for this procedure. Because I have heard that it is painful and he says he does that for all his patients.  Okay back to story - So they called me back at 3. I was in a room where they do CT scans.  The doctor came and the explained procedure. He said that he would cut a small hole on the back of my hip bone then basically "drill" into bone a bit, take some marrow and a bone sample. (Ouch right?) So I asked if I was going to be put to sleep. He told me that they would put anti anxiety meds and pain meds through my IV and that I would be in my happy place and possibly fall asleep and also that he would be putting lidocaine on my hip to numb it. They had me lay on my stomach, prepped me for the procedure, ran me under the CT scan to get an image of where they would be doing their thing.  The nurse injected me with the meds.  I started to fall asleep.... then WOW I felt a huge sting (them entering my bone) I instantly grabbed the pillows and flinched with pain. The nurse then gave me some more meds.  A few second later OUCH!!!! I felt him pulling out the marrow. I instantly teared up.  That was super painful.  The nurse asked if I was okay.  I said that hurt!! She told me that the procedure was all over.  Wooo thank goodness.  They then wheeled me back the "patient holding" area and I downed some juice and Lorna Doone cookies. LOL
I was here for about 15 mins and was taken to a recovery room.  I wasn't allowed to leave for 2 hrs!  Not sure why because I was wide freakin awake!! And not happy.  I was given a Turkey sandwich and some pop then discharged at 5:30ish.  I didn't make it home until 6:30. I was in some good pain at this point. Hurt to sit or bend over.

Well needless to say I am feeling much better today.  But I will be having some words with my
oncologist the next time I see him. LOL

Sorry so long........

First visit with the Oncologist

My Oncologist's name is Dr. Draper.  My first visit with him was on January 12, 2011.  Basically he told me that my staging wouldn't be complete until I had a couple more tests ran.  One being a bone marrow biopsy and the other being a PETscan.  He also explained that the Chemotherapy that I would be receiving (ABVD) could have an effect on my heart and my lungs and I would have to get a MUGA scan (to test heart function) and a pulmonary function test (to test function of my lungs) before I could start treatment.  He informed me that my first treatment would start on February 2, 2011.  The staging of my cancer would then determine the amount of treatments I would need.

He explained that you receive treatment once every other week and that is one cycle.  He said that I shouldn't get sick b/c he will give me an anti nausea medicine to help with that.  Oh and that most important thing he told me was the cure rate for Hodgkin's Lymphoma is 95%!

News travels fast!

As soon as my sister in laws (Anne and Angie) and one of my Aunts (Sheila) got the news of my diagnosis they started planning a fundraiser for me.  They are planning to have a dinner/dance and have lots of prizes to raffle off.  Let me tell you these ladies are wonderful.  They are getting donations from so many different businesses and people.  It is really quite breathtaking to see how many people are willing to volunteer and donate. 
It still hasn't sunk in for me that I am that sick to need a fundraiser.  But I do know that me and my husband Kurt will need all the help we can get with all the bills from my treatments and everything else rolling in.

Chain of Events

So here is how I got to my diagnoses...


It was the first week of October 2010 and I am sitting at my desk at work.  I happened to touch my neck just above the collarbone on my left side.  There was a strange lump there.  I kept touching and comparing to my other side.  It didn't feel right. It was hard and painless.  I went to see our building nurse (Mary) she told me that it may be a muscle spasm to just take some IBprofin and put ice on it.  Well I didn't agree with her prognosis but did what she said anyways.  A week or so went by and I woke up one night soaked I mean drenched in sweat.  I had to change my entire outfit.  My sheets and pillow were also soaked.  It was strange because I felt just fine no fever or anything.  But I just ignored that and went on with my day.  Also with in all this time I was feeling tired and just not myself.  Well a month or so went by and the night sweats and fatigue continued.  I looked up my symptoms on the internet and most signs pointed to Lymphoma.  I finally decided to go to my doctor in the end of November.  I told him all my concerns and he felt my nodes and said that I also had some swollen nodes in my groin as well.  He did a blood draw to test my complete blood count.  He told me that he felt I had a bacterial infection.  I was told that I would get results the next day.  Well two days later the doctor's medical assistant called and told me that I did indeed have a bacterial infection. And that I needed to go get cultures ran to see if it was in my blood stream. I asked about getting antibiotics and the MA said that she would have to get back to me about that.  So another day went by I got the meds and my cultures ran.  Cultures came back negative for infection in my bloodstream.  I ask MA what I should do if meds don't seem to help.  She said well I guess come back.  Let me just say this whole situation with that doctor was very unsettling to me. He just did seem to take me seriously.  Okay we are almost done....
So during this time I had a close relationship with a different nurse in my building than who I mentioned before. Her name is Elaine.  She agreed my doctor was a quack and even called and told him so LOL.
She refered me to a woman named Dr. McCoy.  I went to see Dr. McCoy on Decemeber 30, 2010.  At this point I had lost 4 lbs in a month and had a strange deep pain in my chest.  I went on to tell Dr. McCoy about my new and old symptoms.  She too felt my nodes and she told me flat out that she was concerned it was Lymphoma.  She scheduled a CT scan for me that night.  So that was a Thursday and on Monday I got the call from the doctor stating that the CT showed nodules on my lungs, spleen, abdomen and my neck.  She got me in to see a surgeon that night to talk about a lymph node biopsy.  The surgeon's name is Dr. Grannon and he also agreed that I most likely had Lymphoma.  The biopsy was done that Friday (January 7) and the following Monday is when I got the news.  Dr. Grannon called me at 8PM and told me that I had stage 3 or 4 Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Honestly I was happy to finally have answers and I had a gut feeling for a while that I had had lymphoma.  I did cry when I called and told my mom. I cried a lot.  It just sucked hearing that I had cancer....

About Me

Hi, my name is Megan.  I am 28 a wife to my wonderful husband Kurt and a mother of a 22 month old girl named Kalli.  I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma on January 10, 2011.  I have decided to create this blog to document my thoughts and also the events that occur during my journey to getting healthy.