DAY 1 - (March 19, 2011) -
Well I slept well last night. Found myself a new trick that has been working wonders. I just simply read for a bit before I go to bed and I sleep great. I guess it just gets everything off my mind and I am able to just get right to sleep no problem.
I woke up today totally exhausted again. Which is not normal for how the last 3 treatments went. Kurt had to work tonight so my wonderful mother offered to come pick up Kalli and keep her for the night so that I could get some well needed rest. I just can't believe how tired I was and am. I didn't take a nap. I actually tried but couldn't. The most productive thing I did today was take a shower. And while in the shower I noticed a significant amount of hair loss. It was coming out pretty good and it was all over my arms and chest. So yeah that sucked. Haha. My taste isn't as off today as it was after the last treatment. Still not quite right though. Other than that I don't really have anything else to report for today.
DAY 2 - (March 20, 2011) -
Was pretty tired today again. I was able to get out and go to a family birthday party and dinner. But I am exhausted now. My taste was way off today. Not much hair loss. Which I guess makes me happy. Not much more to say. Too tired to write. LOL Sorry this one is short and sweet.
DAY 3 - (March 21, 2011) -
Was so tired last night that I didn't even have to read. I fell right asleep. I was very tired all day today. Sitter was on vacation so I had to keep Kalli home with me. Wasn't too bad. I just laid around on the couch most of the day. My appetite is way off. I didn't eat well. My taste is still off too. Also had heart burn all day. I am guessing that and the taste didn't help my appetite. Lost a little more hair today. But nothing crazy. Again sorry for the short and sweet but it late and my bed is calling my name. I can definitely say that this around of Chemo is kicking my butt!!
DAY 4 - (March 22, 2011) -
Was tired again today. Was able to take Kalli over the sitters. I relaxed most the day. I didn't feel the need to take a nap until after I took a shower. Lost a good amount of hair in the shower. Not sure how much longer I will have hair. LOL. Still had heart burn today but my taste was better. Oh and my appetite is getting better. My shoulders are starting to hurt again. I am thinking this is a side effect of the Chemo. It is something I am going to have to discuss with Dr. Draper. Well that is all for today.
DAY 5 - (March 23, 2011) -
Not as tired today. I did however take a really good 2 hour nap. It was much needed. Still having alot of heart burn and shoulder/Joint pain. My taste and appetite are back to normal. Lost some hair again today in the shower. Nothing else to report for today.
DAY 6 - (March 24, 2011) -
Today I was pretty much back to normal. Still some joint pain but not too severe. Also had a good amount of hair loss again. I really don't have much more to report. Sorry pretty boring. But that is for sure a good thing!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Fourth Chemo
Today was my fourth Chemo treatment. My cousin Alicia came along for the ride this time. I gained another 3 and a half pounds!!
Before each treatment is started the nurse takes a blood sample to check my counts. She came back and told my white blood count was low. Particularly my neutrophils. She said that Dr. Draper said it was okay to go ahead with treatment. But I really need to avoid large crowds, stores and sick people. I guess I will have to be real careful! More so than I have been. Nothing super exciting happened. Got there at 11 and was out by 2:45.
When I got home boy was I exhausted and still am. It has never hit me like this on the first day of chemo. I took a nap when I got home. (my mom watched Kalli today) And I will be going to bed very shortly.
HAIR REPORT -
I still have hair! A lot has been falling out though and it is thinning. But you wouldn't be able to tell. I am unable to style it the way I used to because it is thinner. So I had to cut the back a little to give it a better shape. Yes you heard me I cut my hair. It isn't perfect but I figured I had nothing to lose. LOL
I actually like the way it looks and it is easier for me to deal with.
I guess I have nothing else more to say. I will update you tomorrow.
Before each treatment is started the nurse takes a blood sample to check my counts. She came back and told my white blood count was low. Particularly my neutrophils. She said that Dr. Draper said it was okay to go ahead with treatment. But I really need to avoid large crowds, stores and sick people. I guess I will have to be real careful! More so than I have been. Nothing super exciting happened. Got there at 11 and was out by 2:45.
When I got home boy was I exhausted and still am. It has never hit me like this on the first day of chemo. I took a nap when I got home. (my mom watched Kalli today) And I will be going to bed very shortly.
HAIR REPORT -
I still have hair! A lot has been falling out though and it is thinning. But you wouldn't be able to tell. I am unable to style it the way I used to because it is thinner. So I had to cut the back a little to give it a better shape. Yes you heard me I cut my hair. It isn't perfect but I figured I had nothing to lose. LOL
I actually like the way it looks and it is easier for me to deal with.
I guess I have nothing else more to say. I will update you tomorrow.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Days following my Third Chemo Treatment
DAY 1 (March 5, 2011) -
Well I slept pretty well last night. (Without my melatonin bc I don't have it yet). I have been pretty tired all day. Didn' t do too much. Didn't get to take a nap but really wanted/needed one. My taste has been really off today. It is pretty bad. Not a one thing has tasted good. My head has been very tender today. Not sure if that is a sign that my hair may start falling out soon or not. Guess we will see...
DAY 2 - (March 6, 2011) -
Slept well again without any meds. Woke up very tired today and stayed tired all day. Again my taste was waaaayy off. I did get to take a nap. Wish it were longer but I guess 2 hrs isn't so bad. LOL
Trying to eat well but it really is hard when food and drinks just don't taste good. I feel like my hair is falling out a little bit. But that could just be my mind playing with me. Well that is all I got for today.
DAY 3 - (March 7, 2011) -
Slept okay last night (no meds) until Kalli woke me up at 5:30. I was up with her until about 7ish and we both went back to sleep. Once we woke up for the day I was extremely tired and had a headache. I took her to the sitters and came back home and slept most of the day. I didn't eat well today. Things still don't taste right. Noticed some hair on my pillow this morning and strands were falling all day. Still nothing crazy but it is starting!
Will be taking the melatonin today so we will see how it works out for me.
DAY 4 - (March 8, 2011) -
Well didn't sleep any different after taking the Melatonin. Was pretty tired again today and I had this sharp annoying pain on my right shoulder. It was so bad that I needed to take some pain meds for it. I called my Doc just to make sure that the meds wouldn't interfere with my Chemo. The nurse insured me it was fine to take them. And guess what? They didn't even work. Well it took the edge off a little. They pain has nothing to do with my cancer. So I am not sure if I have a pinched nerve or what. But I may have to call my primary doc if this doesn't clear up soon. Sorry to rant! So my taste is back to normal YAY!! But my appetite still not that good. Hope tomorrow is a better day....
DAY 5 - (March 9, 2011) -
Slept decent. Woke up at 5 something when Kurt was getting ready for work and it took me over an hour to fall back alseep. But I didn't feel as tired today. Still needed a nap. My shoulder still in a lot of pain. Appetite is starting to come back which is good. I had a hard time pushing myself to eat this week. It really is hard to try and eat when nothing taste good. And this time around was the worst my taste has been. I was blowing my hair dry today and hair was flying around. It still isn't a ton that I am losing but I am definietly losing some hair. Slowly but surely!
DAY 6 - (March 10, 2011) -
Slept good until Kalli woke me up at 5 and decided she wasn't going back to sleep. LOL. Woke up feeling pretty good. (Still have shoulder pain) Today is Kalli's 2nd Birthday and my mom and I took her to the Cincinnati Children's Museum. We spent a couple of hours there and had a nice time. Needless to say I was exhausted by the time we got back to my moms. I was unable to nap despite how tired I was. So I should hopefully sleep great tonight. My appetite is back to complete normal now. I am happy for that. I want to be able to continue gaining a few more pounds. Had more hair blowing around today as I was blow drying. I just keep wondering if my hair is going to A) Continue to slowly fall out and just become rather thin. B) Start out slow and then become large sections and become patchy or C) Not do much at all. It is kind of driving me crazy. I have been preparing myself to lose my hair and I kinda just want whatever is going to happen to happen already. Not that I want my hair to fall out but I am just so antsy about it I guess.
Welp that is all I got for Day 6.
DAY 7 - (March 11, 2011) -
Had the best sleep that I had all week! I was able to get a few things done around the house. Still had to take a nap but wasn't as exhausted as I was earlier in the week. My hair is starting to come out even more now. When I run my hands through my hair I get a pretty good amount that comes out. But at this point you can't tell a difference. Will keep you updated on the hair loss if anything crazy happens. Otherwise I won't post until next chemo.
Well I slept pretty well last night. (Without my melatonin bc I don't have it yet). I have been pretty tired all day. Didn' t do too much. Didn't get to take a nap but really wanted/needed one. My taste has been really off today. It is pretty bad. Not a one thing has tasted good. My head has been very tender today. Not sure if that is a sign that my hair may start falling out soon or not. Guess we will see...
DAY 2 - (March 6, 2011) -
Slept well again without any meds. Woke up very tired today and stayed tired all day. Again my taste was waaaayy off. I did get to take a nap. Wish it were longer but I guess 2 hrs isn't so bad. LOL
Trying to eat well but it really is hard when food and drinks just don't taste good. I feel like my hair is falling out a little bit. But that could just be my mind playing with me. Well that is all I got for today.
DAY 3 - (March 7, 2011) -
Slept okay last night (no meds) until Kalli woke me up at 5:30. I was up with her until about 7ish and we both went back to sleep. Once we woke up for the day I was extremely tired and had a headache. I took her to the sitters and came back home and slept most of the day. I didn't eat well today. Things still don't taste right. Noticed some hair on my pillow this morning and strands were falling all day. Still nothing crazy but it is starting!
Will be taking the melatonin today so we will see how it works out for me.
DAY 4 - (March 8, 2011) -
Well didn't sleep any different after taking the Melatonin. Was pretty tired again today and I had this sharp annoying pain on my right shoulder. It was so bad that I needed to take some pain meds for it. I called my Doc just to make sure that the meds wouldn't interfere with my Chemo. The nurse insured me it was fine to take them. And guess what? They didn't even work. Well it took the edge off a little. They pain has nothing to do with my cancer. So I am not sure if I have a pinched nerve or what. But I may have to call my primary doc if this doesn't clear up soon. Sorry to rant! So my taste is back to normal YAY!! But my appetite still not that good. Hope tomorrow is a better day....
DAY 5 - (March 9, 2011) -
Slept decent. Woke up at 5 something when Kurt was getting ready for work and it took me over an hour to fall back alseep. But I didn't feel as tired today. Still needed a nap. My shoulder still in a lot of pain. Appetite is starting to come back which is good. I had a hard time pushing myself to eat this week. It really is hard to try and eat when nothing taste good. And this time around was the worst my taste has been. I was blowing my hair dry today and hair was flying around. It still isn't a ton that I am losing but I am definietly losing some hair. Slowly but surely!
DAY 6 - (March 10, 2011) -
Slept good until Kalli woke me up at 5 and decided she wasn't going back to sleep. LOL. Woke up feeling pretty good. (Still have shoulder pain) Today is Kalli's 2nd Birthday and my mom and I took her to the Cincinnati Children's Museum. We spent a couple of hours there and had a nice time. Needless to say I was exhausted by the time we got back to my moms. I was unable to nap despite how tired I was. So I should hopefully sleep great tonight. My appetite is back to complete normal now. I am happy for that. I want to be able to continue gaining a few more pounds. Had more hair blowing around today as I was blow drying. I just keep wondering if my hair is going to A) Continue to slowly fall out and just become rather thin. B) Start out slow and then become large sections and become patchy or C) Not do much at all. It is kind of driving me crazy. I have been preparing myself to lose my hair and I kinda just want whatever is going to happen to happen already. Not that I want my hair to fall out but I am just so antsy about it I guess.
Welp that is all I got for Day 6.
DAY 7 - (March 11, 2011) -
Had the best sleep that I had all week! I was able to get a few things done around the house. Still had to take a nap but wasn't as exhausted as I was earlier in the week. My hair is starting to come out even more now. When I run my hands through my hair I get a pretty good amount that comes out. But at this point you can't tell a difference. Will keep you updated on the hair loss if anything crazy happens. Otherwise I won't post until next chemo.
Third Chemo
Had my third Chemo treatment yesterday. My appt was at 11 AM. This time I went by myself. I gained another 3 and a half pounds!!!!! (Total of 8 and a half pounds)
They gave me benedryl upfront this time due to the reactions I have been having. It made me sleepy but I drank some coffee and didn't fall asleep. Overall the treatment went well. I also had a check up with the dr. Well he was running behind so I met with a nurse practitoner. She was just asking how things were going. I told her that I was doing pretty well. I did mention that I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. So she prescribed me Melatonin. That is pretty much it for the appt.
Everytime I go for treatment I see some of the same people. This time one of the couples I see ended up sitting next to me. (Their usual seats were gone. They were off being cleaned) The husband is sick and the wife brings him to the treatments. She was the one sitting next to me. We ended up talking about a bunch of random things and he was sleeping. I asked what kind of cancer he had she said it was cancer of the esophagus. She said this is the third time it has come back. He has had surgery and radiation as well as chemo and nothing seems to be working. I told her I was so sorry to hear that. I didn't know what to say. It very depressing when you have no more hope. It just makes to you appreciate life and makes me want to live my life to the fullest.
Check back each day this week for updates.
Thank you all for you support. Lots of love...
They gave me benedryl upfront this time due to the reactions I have been having. It made me sleepy but I drank some coffee and didn't fall asleep. Overall the treatment went well. I also had a check up with the dr. Well he was running behind so I met with a nurse practitoner. She was just asking how things were going. I told her that I was doing pretty well. I did mention that I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. So she prescribed me Melatonin. That is pretty much it for the appt.
Everytime I go for treatment I see some of the same people. This time one of the couples I see ended up sitting next to me. (Their usual seats were gone. They were off being cleaned) The husband is sick and the wife brings him to the treatments. She was the one sitting next to me. We ended up talking about a bunch of random things and he was sleeping. I asked what kind of cancer he had she said it was cancer of the esophagus. She said this is the third time it has come back. He has had surgery and radiation as well as chemo and nothing seems to be working. I told her I was so sorry to hear that. I didn't know what to say. It very depressing when you have no more hope. It just makes to you appreciate life and makes me want to live my life to the fullest.
Check back each day this week for updates.
Thank you all for you support. Lots of love...
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