Peritoneal Cancer Journey Phase XIX
Next Doctors appointment and chemotherapy is on July 25th,
CA 125 up to 3939, yikes an 1100 jump.
Okay that is definitely not what I wanted to hear and weirder yet is I
feel good. I was so confident that
my CA-125 was going to be a good drop this month… Obviously the doctor and us are not happy, a bit frustrated… The Doctor decided that I would have a
CAT Scan before treatment… I asked if this would be a problem because I ate a
light breakfast before my mega dose of steroids this morning? He said no I am not concerned about
your stomach… Ahhhh, So next door
I go to get the lovely Barium drink…
They have a new flavor now apple, which is actually pretty good
considering I am drinking the first bottle warm… Yum, breakfast of champions <Smile>. I will be asking for this flavor from
now on. <laughing>… Barb, my sister, came with me today as
Lynn is in a training class for work, so Barb is taking very good notes… I always have someone with me, as it is
difficult to relay what occurred discussion wise in the doctors’ office after
chemotherapy. I seem to leave
stuff out which makes Lynn not so happy then me frustrated... Today is going to be a very long day
with the CAT scan first; though I would need one before my next treatment anyways
so I might as well get it over with.
At least that is what we were thinking. My hemoglobin is 7.9, my platelets are like 205,000, and my
white count is good. Sigh, this
doctor visit is turning into lots to do.
Starting with the CAT Scan then, with my hemoglobin at 7.9 I will have
to have a transfusion on Friday to counter the continued drop in my red cells
(primarily my hemoglobin) after chemo today. It is also time for me to have another MUGA scan before my
next appointment… Oh lucky me…
Well I’m having the CAT Scan done now, my transfusion will be Friday, so
I only have to schedule the MUGA…
After the CAT Scan I am back in the exam room to discuss the
results with the doctor. It was a
little disheartening as there is fluid built up in my abdomen now, dang… Okay
not a happy outcome and feeling concerned, so we discussed my regimen. My doctor is not ready to switch it
yet, so we are going with the same combo.
The only change is reducing the Carboplatin by 10 % to try and ease the
effect this is having on my red cells (platelets and hemoglobin). So I agree. After sitting in the infusion clinic Barb and I were
chuckling that Lynn will not allow anyone in the future to come with me because
each time someone does something different happens. We delayed as long we could in telling her as she is in a training
class at work and we knew there would be a whole bunch of text’s asking a bunch
of questions that we probably would not know the answers too… <smiling> The one fun thing
today (yes, there is fun…) is when I walked in the Infusion clinic one of the
infusion nurses, Jackie had it decorated like a beach day!!! All that was missing was sand to put
your toes into, laughing… I have a
great imagination so I imagined my feet in the sand. My Chemotherapy treatment didn’t start unit like noon… So Barb ran out to get us some lunch, we
will not be done until like 4-4:30pm.
After I ate lunch the benadryl kicked in… I slept for like 3 hours, when I awoke we were finishing
up Carboplatin which is the last drug in my combo of Avanistan, Doxil, and
Carboplatin… We were done for the
day and both of us were exhausted.
Now I have to drink LOTS of water to counter the Barium and chemo
effect… Oh boy things will really be slowing down now so I have to make sure I
take my marilax daily and senekot if things don’t move in a couple days,
otherwise I will not feel well…
Things moving make me a happy momma, laughing…
On Friday I go to get my transfusion, the place is crazy because
this clinic is moving to a sister hospital and the nurses are learning to use
an electronic medical records system which is really slowing them down by at
least 30 to 45 minutes per patient. My appointment was at 8am and they didn’t get to me until
after 8:30. I didn’t get my 1st bag of blood until like 20 minutes
from then. To say the least it was
another long day. I didn’t get
home until like 3:30-4pm. I went
straight to the couch as between this past Wednesday to today I am whipped… The whole weekend I just napped and
made sure I ate something every time I was up. Can’t say every 2 hours because I am sleeping like 3 hours
at a time. Even on Monday I was
sluggish and couldn’t focus at work.
So at 3pm I left early so not to over do it. I went home to try and help rebound tomorrow. This cycle was really tough on Lynn too,
seems it is taking its toll on both of us… Sometimes all that we are going through we forget it is
really difficult on those watching us go through chemotherapy and all that goes
with it. There isn’t a whole lot they
probably feel they can do for us…
I want to say here that being there to say do you need anything, or
coming with us, or asking what we think we can eat really is a HUGE thing and
comforting… My support family is
amazing and I pray they are taking care of themselves when I am not up to
it… Doing what they need… Okay a teary eyed with that; note to
self don’t do CAT Scan and Chemotherapy the same day, then a transfusion on Friday,
way to much, way to hard on everyone involved… <smile>…
My next blood work is on 8/6 and yes I got a call on 8/7, my
platelets are down to 13,000, Oh
My, okay that’s not good. All
right, I figured I would get a call, as I noticed Sunday I had some bruising
starting. We had a Family picnic
at our house yesterday, so getting ready it is easy to see why I bruised… Though my Hemoglobin is 8.4, that is
good. So yes, I have to go for a
stat blood draw on Wednesday, that actually works out, as I will be at the
hospital getting my MUGA Scan, so I will get the blood draw done there. Laurie faxed the order to the
hospital’s lab and I arrived to knock two birds with one stone… Yes, I got a
call on Thursday, my platelets are now critical at 7,000, and I had to go
directly to another hospital that could accommodate a platelet
transfusion… So I grab my stuff
from work, yes I was at work and off I go to another hospital. I arrived in admissions and they had my
entire paperwork ready, and sent me off to the outpatient treatment center of
this hospital. This transfusion
took only 30 minutes… Really
quick, the paperwork took longer at the outpatient clinic than the actual
transfusion. The upside is the
Olympics are on so I can watch them, which was fun. They start the infusion and I get this head rush, I’m
thinking oh no I’m not reacting am I?
I look in the mirror and no I look like me, no read face… Then I do chuckle a bit; probably the
volume of platelets they are giving me is giving my blood some much-needed
volume… I have another stat blood
draw for tomorrow, okay now I am cranky with this whole cycle, feeling like I
am just running from one appointment to another, which I am… I am running from one thing to another
and it is just kicking my butt… It
is what it is… This too shall
pass… Right?
Just a poke right now and I bruise; I do not like this at
all… I am feeling very frustrated
by the whole thing, really need an emotional adjustment here… So lets see, listen to momma’s jams and
read a funny book… Also it really helps the Olympics are on, I love watching
all the amazing athletes and what they all can do is amazing… That really helps keep my mind
off of it. I talked with Laurie one
of my chemo nurses on Thursday who said my platelet draws now need to be always
done in a special blue top vial as they are clumping and they can’t get a good
reading… Okay, send the order and
I will have it done. She did say
they are rising, last draw before clumping was 23,000, so I am sort of
relieved. I mean really, I’m
cautiously relieved… She said if I
weren’t able to the platelet transfusion when I did they would have had to
admit me to get it… Yikes, I didn’t even think of that, all righty then that is
something definitely to be grateful for…
Okay now that is helping me to count my blessings, I seemed to have
forgotten for a few… phew, all it
takes is something to put this venture back into perspective and I am back to
myself… <smile>
My sisters rent cottages up in Long Beach, Canada every year
same week in August. I went up for
the day on Wednesday the 15th to visit and hang out at the beach,
watching the kids play and relax, read, and enjoy. It was a beautiful day… So glad I went.
The next day we had our first on
the water sailing lesson, I really thought about cancelling it as it has
been a difficult week at work (well except for Wednesday Beach Day), but I
didn’t. I am so glad I didn’t it
was GREAT, lots of fun… It totally
changed my mood for the rest of the week…
The instructor told us 3 newbie’s that we did great holding the
different points of sail. I am
still struggling a bit with the terminology; he said that would come in
time. He told the one instructor
that we were ready for man overboard.
I am thinking not quiet… lol
