Fun?!? Is that you?!?

It just dawned on me that I hadn't made a blog entry this week.  To tell you the truth, I was just flat out exhausted this week!  Not sure if it was a combination of chemo, allergies and quite possibly just catching up from last week's lack of sleep, but I haven't been online much.  Regardless, I'm feeling much better after getting some much needed rest!  Plus, my father in law is doing much better... still chillin' at Seton, but at least he's out of icu and on his way to a full recovery!  Go Mike Go!!!  

As for this week, I of course have my toxic tuesday scheduled as usual... I even have another appt w/ the nurse prac to discuss being put back on the investigative study drug (at a lower dose this time around... anything to avoid the can-sores) and also to go over the results of an mri I had earlier this week.  Have you ever had an mri???  What a crazy little "contraption."  And why is it SO loud???  Well, thank goodness I'm not claustrophobic, but I would have liked a little heads up or quite possibly an explanation of what to expect PRIOR to being thrown right on in there.  Seriously, as I'm laying down about to be crammed in this machine, the tech is shoving ear plugs in my ears, placing a "helmet" on my head (really?!?  a helmet?!?) and yelling at me not to move as I'm being propelled into this capsule.  After 30 minutes, which seemed like an eternity and of course having the worse possible itch on my nose, I was finally out of there!  Whew!  Another test down!  

Other than that, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my weekend!  So far it has been an awesome weekend... yesterday I went to the Jester King Brewery grand opening w/ my favorite Damen twins and a friend of ours and we had a great time!  Great beer, live bluegrass/folk music, classic cars and the Austin Facial Hair Club hosting a facial hair competition... hello, is that fun calling?!?  ;)  

Victory is Mine

After 3 gruesome weeks of absolute miserable pain, annoyance of not being able to drink or eat my favorite foods and not being able to socialize... I have FINALLY overcome what has become known as my can-sores!!!  I wasn't quite sure if I'd win this battle, but victory is mine... sweet victory is mine!!  It's chow time...

A Favor to Ask

When it rains... shit hits the fan!!  What?!?  That's not how the expression goes???  

Thursday night/early Friday morning my father in law ended up in the ER w/ a perforated small intestine.  After a 5 hr surgery he's now recovering in the ICU.  Good news is that doctors are optimistic that he'll make a full recovery and will be even better off then when he went in!   We're of course still looking at several days in the ICU.  If you don't mind... help me direct some of this positive energy, good thoughts, prayers, good vibes, etc that I've been receiving from all of you and please keep my father in law in mind!!  Thanks!!  ;)

Follow Up

On Friday I mentioned having my temporary catheter removed, but I wanted to share a little more info on it... especially b/c I have a picture I've been wanting to post and share with you, but I finally got permission to post it online from one of my chemo nurses that happens to be in it!  Ya, ya, ya I'm sure I could have done a little photo shopping, but as easy as that sounds, I don't have the time for it. Not that I really know what I do w/ my time anymore... Jason was on the phone with, well who knows who, but they asked what I was doing and Jason's response was something like, "Oh, she's just wondering aimlessly around the house."  Really?!?  I'm sure I had some really important things I was doing... whatever they were!!!  Anyway, some of you may have heard me refer to it as my PICC Line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) and it is a small, flexible catheter (tube) that is placed into a vein in your arm and then guided into a larger vein in your chest.  If you refer to the picture attached, this is actually my PICC line that was removed on Friday.  The butterfly looking thing in the middle is what was attached to my arm and the long cord to the left of it is what was threaded through my veins and ultimately ended up in my Superior Vena Cava (What?!?  Of course I knew what that was before this ordeal... I mean who doesn't know what a Superior Vena Cava is?!?).  A diagram will be posted below that helps show what I'm talking about...

Other than that, it "appears" that the sores in my mouth are getting better... after close to 3 weeks they better!!  In the meantime I'm making a list of all the things I'll be able to eat (and drink) when they clear up... I'm fully aware that it's likely I'll gain 20 lbs this weekend (I'm being very optimistic that these sores WILL clear up by then)!  And you know what, I'm going to enjoy every second and pound of it!!!  

Catching a Break

Well, not only are my mouth sores NOT better, they're BIGGER!  For the love!!  Can't I catch a break?!  Shesh!  I saw the Nurse Prac yesterday and she decided to pull me off the investigative study drug which is believed to be causing the sores so hopefully I'll get some relief in the next couple of days. Fingers crossed!!  In the meantime I'll continue to swish w/ my Lidocaine to ease the pain and dream of that frozen rita w/ a salted rim!  Mmmmmmm!

While I was a few steps away from the Infusion Room I decided to drop on in for a "drink"... Nothing like 2 liters of saline to keep me hydrated.  The best news (could this be my break?!?)... My Chemo nurse accessed my new port and not only did the infusion of saline go smoothly... She removed the temporary catheter from my arm!!!  Woohoo!! You have no idea how excited I am!  So yes, I caught a break!  Port #2 (what I am now referring to as my new body art) was a success!  Hallelujah!

Robbed of my Recovery Day

Good news is that my blood counts from this week's lab work is looking good.  Yeah!  


Bad news is that I've had unbelievable sores in my mouth (side effect to the investigative study drug I'm taking).  The sores in my mouth have gotten worse over the last 2 weeks so the Nurse Prac prescribed some kind of anti viral something or other pill for me to take.  If it hasn't started working by tomorrow, I may have to go in for another appt and hopefully another remedy!  In the meantime, I can barely talk (yes Jason, your prayers have been answered) and eating and drinking is pretty darn painful.  


For even worse news... my "day after chemo/recovery day" was stolen from me... no, really!  We were robbed yesterday in broad daylight!  I had an early morning drs appt and routine heart scan yesterday, I came home, ran back out to pick up prescriptions and a few things at HEB, came home and there was a cop standing in my doorway w/ the front door wide open (that can't be a good sign).  Cops are thinking the guys were probably watching the neighborhood and happened to see me leave... so we ended up being the lucky house.  Thank goodness I wasn't home though!  It appears that they tried busting in the front door, were unsuccessful so they jumped the fence and busted in the back door.  Yeah!  We're getting 2 new doors installed today.  As far as we know they only took a flat screen and a digital camera.  They drug J's safe out of a closet (scratching our hardwoods... bastards), leaned it up against a chair, took an ax out of the garage (probably the first time it's ever been used) and went to town on it.  Thankfully they didn't get in.  Of course they would have been disappointed to find our passports and marriage license!  


Anyway, our neighbor actually heard "loud noises" coming from our house so she called the cops and reported seeing 2 males pulling out of our driveway and speeding off in a white dodge stratus.  In the grand scheme of things we're lucky they didn't take more or destroy more.  But it still sucks.  I really believe this break in was random and I don't think the guys are coming back (unless they want another go at the safe... in which case, please, oh please I hope they knock!  I would be happy to show them our passports and marriage license), but of course it was a restless night.  And before you have time to ask... new alarm system is being installed tomorrow!

I can only hope that next week won't be as eventful as this one... I'm exhausted... isn't cancer enough?!?

Power Port - Take 2

I'm feeling great after today's surgery and the new port is looking awesome!  Well, as awesome as anything protruding from your body can look... it's actually quite disturbing "looking," but who cares!!  It's going to make things so much easier and I'm glad to have my port back!  I just know we'll have better luck this time around... my surgeon actually told me that he had planned on inserting it deeper this time around, so hopefully this one will take.  We'll continue to use my temp cath during my next chemo session and possibly even the week after before we actually access the port.  As much as I'm dying to get rid of this temp cath, I'm all about playing it safe to make sure we don't have anymore problems.  Anyway, it's looking like I'll be doing a lot of resting this weekend... lots of naps in my near future!!  YES!  Any excuse to take a nap!  TGIF!  ;)

Happy New Year!

Good news for what's going to be a great year... I'm getting my new Port this week!  Woohoo!  My surgery is scheduled for this Friday and should be a piece of cake.  I think the odds are in my favor this time... I mean who has heard of someone getting 2 infected ports????  Is that nervous laughter I hear?!?  

To refresh your memory, here's a little info on the Power Port they are putting in... again...
http://www.bardaccess.com/port-powerport.php?section=Overview

Anyway, they should be putting the new port in on my right side/upper chest, right below my collar bone... nothing like offsetting the scar on my upper left chest.  I am a big fan of symmetry, you know.  My doctor wants to keep the temporary catheter in my arm for at least another week or two to make sure the new port is healing properly.  I have to admit I'll be a happy camper when they take this temp cath out of my arm.  Right now I'm having to flush it every 12 hrs w/ saline and heparin to prevent clogging and taking a shower is no easy chore... I have to be extremely careful about not getting it wet so I have to wrap my upper arm in saran wrap and tape.  Not easy and not fun!   

Other than that, I survived another Toxic Tuesday and thankfully my blood counts are still looking good.  It's going to be a great year!  Did I already say that?!?  I swear I'm not trying to convince myself of that!  ;)

Happy New Year!