More of the Same

There's not much new to share from yesterday's report. I'm still feeling the aches and still taking Tylenol to make them go away. Soon, I hope. Soon.

Weather-wise, I had no excuse not to get out and walk, so out I went. I took the shorter, 3-mile route, around the neighborhood, but the hill on this route was quite a challenge today. I plodded upwards at a snail's pace but eventually made it to the top and then back on around to home again. I better get out walking more often. I feel really out of shape. Of course, my legs aren't feeling their best right now.

For the majority of the day, I was busy working with my wrestling photos. I have quite a collection from the many meets I shot. I needed to sort through them all, selecting my best. These will be used by the Athletic Boosters Club in an "all-sports" PowerPoint slide presentation. My choices are made, but tomorrow's work will be to clean them up a bit using photo editing software. With work beginning next week, I need to get some of these last tasks taken care of before heading back to the office.

Continued Achiness

With no rest for the weary, the Neulasta drug kept up its kick, bringing aches throughout my hips, thigh bones, shins, and knees. I continue to take Tylenol every six hours but it doesn't completely erase the pain.  I believe the worst of it should be just about over. Just another day or two and my bones should stop singing the blues.

My mouth and throat haven't gotten any worse in spite of the fact that I am not using the salt/baking soda rinses. I'm gambling that I'll get over the mouth side effects without it. If all goes as before I should be feeling pretty much like myself by this next weekend.

I wasn't as tired today, so that's an improvement. Aside from church and a couple of quick errands, we kept close to home. The rain has gone and the sky was blue, but the air was definitely chilled. We can see snow in the nearby mountains. It was another day to stay warm and bundled up. During our mall excursion yesterday, I had bought a "Perfect Tea Maker" and some loose leaf tea. Today my son and I had fun making Youthberry tea and Peach Cran-Tango tea. Throw in some Girl Scout Shortbread cookies and we were  feeling fine.

A Book and a Blanket Kind of Day

The weather alone would have had me cuddled in a blanket with a good book. But the chemo drugs and Neulasta shot were causing their usual havoc to my body and I would have enjoyed the blanket and book on a warm and sunny day too. I'm definitely feeling under the weather, tired, and the aches come and go. I knew today was going to be a bit rough. Moving as little as possible seemed just fine with me.

Later in the afternoon, my son was bored from an overload of homework and we decided to head to the mall for a little bit of shopping and to just get out of the house to move around a bit. I don't think it helped me any but it didn't hurt either. The walk was probably good for me since I haven't got out in a while. He scored on some clothes and I found some tea and a tea maker. More Tylenol was needed when I returned home.

The rain has returned and there was even some hail. Did you hear that? My blanket and book are calling to me.

Tired Again Today

I'm still dragging today. If I could get a good night's sleep once in a while that would really help. I woke up too early today at 4:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. So another nap was needed before lunch.

I haven't had any real problems with achiness yet. I took the Claritin again this morning and will do so through Sunday. I'm also taking Tylenol doses every 6 hours. It seems to be working so far keeping the aches away. Saturday is usually the toughest day so I'll see how things progress tomorrow. I was hoping to go out for a walk today before the big cold storm rolls in but I just didn't feel up to it. Probably best to rest right now.

Food and water taste funny again. My mouth and tongue have the prickly feeling too. I probably should be using the salt/baking soda rinse but I just can't force myself to do it. The taste makes me gag. I'm going to go without and see what happens. If my mouth seems to take a turn for the worse, I'll start gargling away with the stuff.

The Neulasta Shot is Also a Thing of the Past

I had my last Neulasta shot today and I still don't like them. There's no pain when they put the needle in, but the cold drug burns uncomfortably as it is injected. The pain goes away right afterwards so it's only a temporary nuisance. The nurse tried to warm it up a bit with her hands but it felt no better than the last. I'm just thankful I don't need anymore of those and it did its job keeping me healthy these past couple of months.

So with the Neulasta shot comes the Claritin and Tylenol regimen. So far so good. I'm not feeling the aches yet. I'll take some more Tylenol in just a bit before bed and should sleep fine.

Speaking of sleep, I'm still catching up from Tuesday night. I forgot to mention I had only two hours of sleep the night before my chemotherapy. I just couldn't shut my mind down and was reading into the early morning. By 4:00am I finally fell asleep and that left me only two hours until the alarm went off. I got more sleep last night which helped, but I had to break for a nap after lunch today. I was just too pooped out. I'm feeling much better now and should sleep well tonight with the Tylenol in me.

My mouth is getting that funny feeling and taste is a bit off. Nothing I haven't experienced before. And again, still no nausea. The anti-nausea drugs work exceptionally well for me, but many of the patients I saw yesterday were complaining of nausea during treatment and were given more drugs to help them and prescription refills to fight it at home afterwards. I have two untouched bottles of pills that I've never needed. I'm still amazed how blessed I am to not have this problem and am able to keep a good appetite.

This evening I joined the ladies from our support group for a women's event held at our church. We enjoyed good food, fellowship, music, and a terrific speaker. The message was: "Our Faith: Are you Growing Up or Just Growing Old?" The speaker was awesome with a very inspirational and relevant message. Her humor kept us laughing throughout. It was a great way to end the day.

Yay! Last Chemo Infusion Done!

I know I still have that darn Neulasta shot tomorrow and the achiness that follows, but I'm enjoying tonight's good feeling - "No more chemotherapy!" Woohoo!

My red blood count and hemoglobin results were just about like last time, a little bit below the low bar but the nurse praised how good the results were for a person at my point in chemotherapy treatment. So no new shots or transfusions were needed to bring it up. Another blessing.

Getting the needle into my arm went much smoother than last treatment. And it was done by another nurse I hadn't seen before. My anxiousness was unnecessary and I was hooked up with minimal pain and effort. Whew! And I was good and kept the needle in throughout the infusion. The lady next to me was not as lucky and had her needle slip out at the end of her treatment and her arm was puffing up just like mine did that first time. The nurse hurried on over to her and took care of things very quickly. For her, it was just the final saline solution dripping into surrounding tissue. My needle slipped out during the infusion of one of the chemo drugs but they had diluted it quite a bit with saline since it was my first treatment and they were nervous how I might be affected by it especially because they were going to be closed a day early for the Christmas holiday.

I discussed my return to work with the administrator that handles the disability insurance stuff and the doctor okay'd my return date of March 9th, two weeks from today. I like the idea that it is a Wednesday so I have a short first week before the normal forty-hour weeks kick back in. I'm going back with no restrictions so no part-timing, just going to jump right back in there. Tomorrow I call the insurance company and have them start the return to work processing.

As for my next steps regarding my treatment plan, I have an appointment with the doctor March 7th to discuss what is needed next. I don't know if I will need any new tests or scans at this time. I do know I will be starting the hormone therapy, Tamoxifin, once a day for 5 years. I need to visit the lab again next Wednesday to have blood drawn to make sure the blood counts don't drop any lower causing concern. And finally, I'll find out how long I have to wait before I can have the next surgery to complete the reconstruction. It seems like I still have a lot ahead of me, but I'm getting there. One day, one week, one month at a time.

Here We Go Again

The last treatment cycle begins today. I've taken my first doses of Decadron and am ready to go for tomorrow. I am feeling great with no cold and with plenty of energy. My blood must be good enough.

I had lunch today with a friend from work. I enjoyed both the food and the visit. Afterwards I decided to follow her back to work and visit with all my friends, many I hadn't seen since before Christmas. I did my best to be disruptive and kept them from their work. :-)  Asking when I would be back to stay, I told them two weeks from tomorrow. I know I'll be ready to go by then. I just need to get my doctor on board to agree to the date so the disability insurance people can process the paperwork.

My son spent most of his last day off finishing his homework which consisted of two essays and studying for tests. We had some time together visiting a coffee house after dinner, enjoying a gourmet coffee and pastry.

The day and holiday weekend are just about over and tomorrow is business as usual for my husband and son. And for me - chemotherapy! ONE MORE TIME. Yay!!!

Presidents Day

School is out for my son today and tomorrow. A day off for each of the two presidents' birthdays. Unfortunately for him, he is spending these last days of his long weekend writing papers for school. That left me with some time on my hands.

I spent a fair part of the day caught up in a new book I had just started. It really has me hooked. I will probably finish it tomorrow. I did stretch my legs and went out for a walk today. It had been a while since I last walked due to the rain storms. The day was cool and a little breezy, but it felt good to get outside.

After taking my son to his scout meeting, we spent the rest of the evening watching "The Social Network". I really enjoyed the flick. That Zuckerberg dude seems like a real jerk, if the movie portrayed him correctly. But what a phenomenal website he has with Facebook. 

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end for my chemotherapy. It's time to take the Decadron again, the start of my last treatment cycle. My cold is pretty much gone so I am ready to go. Almost at the finish line.

A Quick Drop In

My cold is almost gone and I am as ready as I am going to be for Wednesday. I get antsy about this time as treatment day approaches. I just want it to get here and then be over. Patience, patience, patience.

The rain has let up but the temperatures are colder than usual. I kept a low profile most of the day. We did go out for dinner to check out the new "Tavern + Bowl" place at the mall. It's an 8-lane bowling alley with food and sports bar. The bowling looked like fun but the food was just the usual bar and grill type menu. We'll have to go back some day soon just for bowling. Bowling and beer...aahh...the good ole days.

Well, it's getting late and I need to catch up on some sleep. I didn't sleep very well last night waking up around 4am and having a hard time falling back to sleep. There will be no alarm clocks to wake us up tomorrow due to the holiday. I'm planning to sleep in. I sure hope I can stay asleep to enjoy it.

Rain, Rain and More Rain

The second storm has moved in and we are getting pounded by it. We did venture out into it but dodged the heavy stuff. Lucky me, I was able to spend some time with my son today, enjoying lunch together and a trip to Barnes & Noble. We love book stores! It runs in the family. We didn't actually buy any books at B&N but browsed the shelves and ended our visit having a Macchiato and slice of cheesecake at the store's Starbucks cafe. Mmmm....good stuff! I'm trying to squeeze in tasty food while the taste buds are working. After Wednesday, I'll be tasting lifeless food for awhile.

My cold continues to clear up. Just a little stuffy today. I'll be fine by Wednesday. I'm still not feeling any fatigue so my red blood cell count must be good enough. I can't be too anemic, if at all.

My son is patiently waiting for me to finish this post so we can squeeze in a quick game before bed. That will wrap up our Saturday.

Still Nursing My Cold

I feel better than yesterday, but am still dealing with a stuffy nose. The rest of the head cold symptoms are diminishing so maybe this cold is on its way out. I should be as well as I can be by Wednesday. No calls about blood deficiencies so still good news in that area too. Of course, the doctor may not have the results yet. I really don't know how long it takes to get the results from the lab to the doctor.

The rain has returned today and should last into tomorrow. I stayed in most of the day doing laundry but had to get out into the wet weather for a couple of errands. I bundled up and was lucky to miss the heavier showers when I needed to leave the car. I stayed warm and dry and none the worse for wear.

My son has a four-day weekend ahead of him due to the Presidents Day holidays. I'm hoping to spend some time with him. I'm usually third in line after his homework and his girlfriend. It could be worse. He could have his driver's license and a car.

This Cold is Keeping Me Down

It's so hard to get moving with a head cold. But I knew it would be best to lay low and take care of myself today. So I wrapped myself in a blanket and watched a Netflix movie, did lots of reading, watched last night's episode of American Idol, and tried to take a nap. I say 'tried' to take a nap, because I never really fell asleep, but was too tired to keep my eyes open to read. At least I was resting. The cold is no worse than yesterday. I'm hoping it stays in my head and doesn't move into my lungs adding a cough with it. So far so good.

I received two calls from the disability insurance company today. One was the "Return to Work Coordinator" checking on how I was doing. I asked her how to go about getting back to work. Seems easy enough after I talk with my doctor and set the date to return. The second call was someone asking me to talk with my doctor's office and ask them to release my records. Seems like they are slow to do their part. The insurance company needs to keep getting updates regarding my status to keep the claim open and their paperwork needs to be in order to transition from short-term disability to long-term disability. The long-term disability won't be needed since I plan to return to work before my 12-weeks of short-term disability runs out. I just need to get my doctor's admin moving on releasing my records with my return-to-work date.

The rain has taken a break today, but the weather report is showing it is coming back tomorrow and Saturday. If I had been feeling better, I would have gotten out for a walk in-between the storms. Looks like I'll be stuck indoors for the next day or two. Oh well, more rest will be good for me.

Oh, It's Definitely a Cold

Yes, I really have a cold this time. Just an annoying head cold but it has the classic symptoms, stuffy/runny nose, burning eyes and nose, popping ears. I hope I can knock it down in a day or two. I really want to be well by next Wednesday.

I gave up some more blood today at the lab. I keep crossing my fingers that my blood counts stay up there. I am so close to having these treatments over, I don't want anything to delay this last one. I don't feel fatigued at all so maybe the red blood cells are hanging in there.

The rain came today as predicted so indoor activities were on my agenda. After the lab visit, I decided to go shopping and check out Ross's again for new merchandise. I just love their low prices which agree with my budget. I found a couple of shirts, a couple of workout pants (I will get back to the gym someday soon) and a cute pair of shoes. Another successful trip. Next I headed to the movies. I chose a chick-flick, "From Prada to Nada". I found it entertaining enough.

To wrap up the day, this evening I attended the monthly Athletic Boosters meeting. I'm the wrestling team representative so I'm expected to go to these. And now it's time to call it a day. I really need to get to bed and take care of this cold.

Sewing Day Today

The day began looking like the rain was going to come early so I hurried out for a walk right after breakfast. As it turned out, the day got nicer and nicer as it went on. Looks like the rain will come tomorrow as predicted. 

My sewing and mending got done today. Well, almost. I still have a pair of my son's shorts that needs a zipper replaced. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the pain to fix them or should we just go buy another pair. This particular pair of shorts has some history though. One day my son came home with gum all over the back of these shorts. With the help of the Internet, some ice, a scraper, Goo Gone, Shout, and the washing machine, I amazingly removed all the pink gum from his grey shorts. Unfortunately, the very next time he wore them, the zipper breaks! I hate giving up on these shorts. They are in excellent condition aside from the zipper. Removing the old zipper wasn't difficult, but now it looks quite complicated to put the new one in correctly. I'll just set them aside for a day or two...or three...

It feels again like I'm getting a cold, but it's hard to tell anymore. I'm all stuffy once again. Maybe it's the weather, or allergies, or chemo or...who knows? I'll probably be fine tomorrow or the next day. Well, I'm getting pretty tired and will now head off to bed. It's lab day tomorrow. Fun, fun.

Happy Valentines Day!

Today I found myself with lots of energy. I started my day with a walk after breakfast. I need to squeeze in a couple of walks before the rain comes on Wednesday, if the weatherman's predictions are correct. I went for the longer route today and had no problem doing the 4 miles.

With my energy level high, I felt it was time for another cleaning project. So I started attacking my office desk. I have accumulated way too much stuff that fills the shelves from top to bottom. There is a lot of outdated computer disks and books that surely won't be missed. And then there's the saved boxes from software purchases, old magazines, papers, and lots and lots of other clutter. I didn't finish the job, but put a good dent into it. I'll get back on it tomorrow.

I had also wanted to get some sewing done today. I have some clothes that need seam or zipper repairs. The problem was I needed more bobbins. My sewing machine is quite old and as I found out today, the bobbins are quite difficult to locate. I drove all around town to several stores searching for them. At last I found the bobbins and grabbed a dozen of them, worried I might not find them the next time I needed some. By the time I had them, it was late afternoon and almost time to pick up my son. I decided to hold off on the sewing until tomorrow and worked a little bit more on my desk instead.

I haven't received a call from the oncology center regarding my blood test results from last week. In this case, no news is good news. My red blood cell count must be hanging in there. Whew!

A Routine Sunday

There has been nothing out of the ordinary to report today. I am feeling pretty good overall. The weather is still very dry. Because of this, my mouth gets drier than usual and my lips burn due to the lack of moisture. I always have a bottle of water near me. Thankfully, this Santa Ana weather is not expected to last much longer. By Wednesday we will have quite a dip in temperature and rain is expected for 2-3 days. The moisture will be much appreciated.

I decided to check my weight today. I hadn't done that in a while. It registered almost 118 lbs. I guess I am eating well enough. If I was working out with weights, I would probably have a few more pounds of muscle weight on me too. But I'm just sticking to walking for now. No need to exert myself until I'm done with this last treatment and I've recovered from it. I'm looking forward to getting back to the fitness center though. I really need to get my muscle tone back.

Finally - Wrestling Season Over

It was another long day for wrestlers and wrestling parents. I survived seven more hours in the bleachers today.  But it is over now for the Freshman and JV wrestlers. My son didn't medal but had a lot of fun with his team. When we got home at 4:30pm, he dropped onto the couch and fell asleep. He has just woken up to take a shower. It's 10:20pm. I've been enjoying the past hours with a good book and a well-cushioned chair. I want to mention, back in December when I was getting ready for chemotherapy, I was so worried I would miss some of the wrestling meets and tournaments due to the expected side effects of the treatment and worries of being in crowds where I could pick up germs and get sick. How different it all turned out. How lucky I was to be able to attend all meets and tournaments. Of course, at some of them I wasn't feeling my best, but I still enjoyed being there and watching my son and his team compete.

My mouth and throat are better today than yesterday. The salt/baking soda mouthwash I used last night really helped. I should use some more tonight but I'm not going to stomach that taste today. I will see how my mouth feels tomorrow and will use the yucky mix if my throat doesn't improve on its own. It's been a long day, so I'm going to head off to bed for some well-needed sleep.

A Very, Very Long Day

I started my morning with a walk after breakfast while the laundry was doing its thing. I ran some errands after lunch and then headed out to the wrestling tournament.

I find wrestling tournaments are quite brutal for both the wrestler and for the parents who have to sit in bleachers watching for hours. Today's JV Rumble tournament started right after school at 4:00pm and ended around 9:30pm. And then it continues again tomorrow with weigh-ins at 7:00am and wrestling at 9:00am. This is our first 2-day event. The kids are exhausted. They had school yesterday, their league match last night, school today, the tournament afterwards, and then they still need to make it through a long day wrestling tomorrow. It's crazy!

My mouth is not feeling so well today. I know the dry weather is not helping. The back of my mouth is getting a little sore, my tongue burns a bit as well as my lips. I'm going to try the yucky salt/baking soda mouthwash after this post to see if I can heal it up. I'm hoping I don't come down with a cold either. There were a few of our wrestlers as well as other teams with kids sick and coughing. I'm counting on that bone-aching Neulasta shot to keep on shielding me. I'll do my mouthwash and then to bed. Gotta stay well.

Santa Ana Weather is Nice and Warm but Way Too Dry

The dry Santa Ana winds are really messing with my sinuses today.  I feel like I have a head cold. My mouth and nose are drier than the usual effects of chemo. My tongue and lips are burning in protest. And for most of the evening, I suffered a headache. This was finally a day of no achy bones or joints and I thought I would not need any Tylenol. But the headache would not go away on its own so I had to take some Tylenol anyways. I'll be glad when this Santa Ana moves on out of here. But I think it is going to hang on through the weekend. Hmmph.

I got out this morning for another volunteer event at my son's school - bagging donuts for the "Student of the Month" awards. Later I stayed out of the dry weather by heading to the mall. I've been needing some smaller jeans since my weight loss. All my pants have to be cinched up with a belt. It turned out to be a good day shopping. I brought home several pairs that fit more snuggly.

For our evening entertainment, it was the last league wrestling meet for the season and another brutal defeat for us by a rival school in our city. But for my son, it was an awesome night! He won his first varsity match tonight, pinning his opponent within the first 2 minutes. His match was one of  the two winning matches for our team and he was the only one to pin for a win. Woohoo! The last tournament he will compete in is the JV Rumble tomorrow and Saturday. Then the season is over for the JV team. I'm crossing my fingers he does well in the tournament.

Just a Routine Lab Day

The blood draw at the lab went without a problem. I was more nervous than usual taking the needle stick. After last week at the oncology clinic, I'm afraid for my veins. But all turned out well. This lab has been doing a great job.

I had a more productive day today, accomplishing most of what I wanted to get done. I made one change on my list though, swapping out my walk for a nap instead. I was getting drowsy while reading in the afternoon and decided to lay down for an hour. Well, I didn't want to get up and went back to sleep for another hour. I missed my walk because of that. You would have thought I'd feel more energetic afterwards, but I just felt more tired. Naps usually do that to me and I avoid them for that reason. I think if I keep them short, no longer than an hour, I feel more rested.

I haven't needed any Tylenol today and might skip tonight's dose if my legs continue to feel okay. I'll take some if I need it though. I want a good night's sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow.

Stayed Put Today - Just Plain Lazy

I hung out around the house today. I got stuck in a lazy mood and couldn't motivate myself to get more done.

I went out for a walk early in the morning before my mood became tainted. This time I had more pep in my step. I did the park route which is 4 miles but there are no hills. It was a much improved performance from yesterday's crawl around the neighborhood. I was thinking about getting out for a movie, but chose to watch a rental instead. The movie was "Eat, Pray, Love". A 'chick' flick pretty much.

I continue to heal from the aches and pains. I still need a couple of Tylenol doses per day, one in the afternoon and one before bed. Maybe I will get away with only one dose tomorrow, just before bed. Then off of them as soon as I can.

It's lab day tomorrow. I'm going to dream red blood cells tonight so the results come out good.

I Was Fine When I Didn't Leave the House

Today would have gone smoother if I had never left the house.

This morning I stayed in and did some house cleaning and catching up on my American Idol recordings from last week. Everything was just fine. But bad things happened when I decided to venture outside. After lunch I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. I took a couple of Tylenols an hour earlier to help with knee aches. The walk was as slow as molasses, especially up the hill. I was not at my best for sure. I did make it around and soon, the end was in sight. Unfortunately, what was not in my sight, was the wood sticking out of my husband's truck that I stupidly ran into when I was coming into the driveway. I had my head down and not paying attention, then "wham!", I was dazed by the collision. Sheesh! As if I didn't have enough problems to worry about I had to add a lump on my forehead. I'd love to blame this one on 'chemo brain' and lack of focus, but I'll just chalk it up to stupidity. 

Then later on, I headed out to pick up my son from wrestling practice. As I was waiting for him, I had the car off, radio on, and was reading a book. He showed up a bit later than usual due to helping clean up mats. We were one of the last few cars in the parking lot. So I start up the car...or, at least I tried to start up the car. The battery had died! What bad luck I was having. I had to call home to have my husband come and give my battery a jump. We found the battery had a terminal that was quite corroded. The car started successfully on its own after we got home and cleaned up the terminals. I hope that is all it needed and that there is not a short causing trouble. We'll see how it behaves tomorrow.

I need some more Tylenol tonight. My knees, calves, ankles, and right shoulder are still causing some discomfort. Nothing serious, but I won't be able to fall asleep until the aches go away. I'm only taking Tylenol as needed now. My bones and joints are getting better each day. Food is still funny tasting but everything else is going okay. I hope I do better during tomorrow's walk. I guess 'my' battery was running low today too.

Joined the Masses and Watched the Super Bowl Anyways

I had a different idea of how I was hoping to spend today, but change happens and I had to mix things up a bit. The weather was beautiful, around 78 degrees. My idea was to head to the park with my son for some disc golf. We hadn't done that in a while due to my treatment schedules or his homework load. Unfortunately for 'Mom', his girlfriend beat me out. Sigh. Through the magic of text messaging, they threw together plans to meet as we were heading home from church. And guess where their plans led? To the park for a picnic and disc golf. Ha ha. At least we all have the same interests. I really was happy to drop him off with her. He doesn't get to see her very often since they go to different schools, so the time they get together is important. But now I needed something to do. Well, there was that big football game on...and maybe some cool commercials. Okay, I'll give it a try.

So I stuck around the house and watched the game, rooting for my old team the Pittsburgh Steelers. They certainly kept the game interesting. The ending was disappointing but I hadn't watched them all year, so I couldn't be too crushed. I was surprisingly disappointed with the commercials this year. Nothing really over the edge. Even Budweiser failed to amuse me. Sigh...I think I should have headed to the mall instead. It wasn't a total bust. While watching the game I worked on some new crocheting stitches and techniques.

Related to chemotherapy and its side-effects, I feel a whole lot better today than yesterday. I continue to take around-the-clock Tylenol and today it was keeping the aches subdued. The hour before my last dose was a tad achy but the pills are kicking in and I should sleep fine tonight. The aches are not so much in the big bones now. The aches have moved into my joints, like my knees and shoulders. Oh well, a couple more days and I should be off the pain meds. Everything else is manageable. I went to bed much earlier last night and was able to get a well-needed rest. It really helped. I had lots more energy today and didn't feel like I was plagued with the flu. I guess I'll just keep plugging along now, getting myself stronger and ready for that last round. Almost there.

Rougher Than Usual

It wasn't one of my bestest days today. I survived an all-day wrestling tournament, but had to deal with achy bones throughout. I'm sure sitting on wooden bleachers for 6 hours wasn't helpful. I continue to take two Tylenol every 6 hours but it isn't quite working today. My hips, thighs, shins, and upper arms feel like they have been battered and beaten. My head, mouth, and nose don't feel quite well either. I guess I feel pretty much like I have the flu today, except without the fever and chills. A fever would be a BAD thing. It's the kind of day when you feel like curling up under a blanket with a book. I believe that is were I'll be headed after this post.

It's the Super Bowl tomorrow. I wonder what  I will do with myself. I really don't care who wins this one so I'll be looking for another diversion. Maybe if the aches subside, my son and I will head to the park for a round of disc golf. I think I'll just be his caddy this time, but the walk will do me good and the weather is supposed to be in the mid-70's. It may be doable.

An Up and Down Kind of Day

Let's get the "downs" out of the way. Downer #1: Oh those pesky bone aches are back again! I'm taking Tylenol, but I do feel the aches this evening. I messed up on my timing of taking the pills and won't be able to take another dose until midnight. I'm expecting to be asleep by that time. If the aches get bad, I'm sure they will wake me up. Downer #2: I am so tired. I haven't had a good sleep in the last three days and am running low on energy. The steroids were probably the culprit there. In the afternoon, I dozed a bit in a chair when trying to read but should have just laid down for a solid nap. I'm definitely heading to bed early tonight. I have to get up early tomorrow for a wrestling tournament.

But the day brought some great "ups" too. This morning we had another one of our Women's Cancer Support group meetings. I always enjoy this time with my new lady friends. We had lots to praise about today. It was a good morning. Then, later in the afternoon, I met up with a small group of friends from work for happy hour. Of course, I was not partaking of any 'happy' beverages, but was content with my glass of water and my friends all around me. I really miss hanging out with them all and can't wait to get back to work and be part of the team again. Sounds like there is a lot going on. I need to hurry back!

And how is this last chemo round affecting me? Still no nausea - that's good news again. My tongue tingles and food is tasting funny or lifeless again. Nothing bad, just different. And as I mentioned above, I ache and I'm tired. Nothing new, and all pretty much expected. In a few days I'll be back up to feeling myself. At least I hope so, if I can keep from getting anemic.

Another Neulasta Shot - Hoping the Tylenol Does It's Job

I'm not liking these Neulasta shots. And I'm not even complaining about the bone aches it causes. It burns when they give it to me. The nurse tells me as I'm gritting my teeth, "It's funny, some people don't feel this shot at all". And I also know, some people don't get the bone aches from it either. I guess since I don't get as many chemo side effects, this one shot is making sure I get my treatment's worth! Sheesh! Maybe it's just needles in general. They haven't been playing fair with me lately. The positive out of this is, round 3 is almost over and only 1 more round to go!

I'm on my scheduled Tylenol doses, every six hours. It's working so far, but the bone pain usually kicks up in the next 1-3 days. Hopefully, I can get through this round as well as the last one. I went out for my walk early today before the shot had a chance to take affect.

It was Thursday wrestling night again. Not a good night for either the JV or Varsity teams. My son almost had his guy but got flipped around wrong and was pinned. A real bummer. He has been wrestling the last few meets on the Varsity team due to the wrestler in his weight class being injured. We've been up against some tough teams. He has two more tournaments the next 2 Saturdays and a final dual meet next Thursday and then the season is over for him. The regular varsity guys have a couple more tournaments before state finals if any of the wrestlers qualify. But for my son, he's moving on. He's going to join the track and field team this spring...as a pole vaulter! Yikes! Should be an interesting season for us.

Treatment is Over, but It Wasn't as Smooth as I Would Have Liked It

I was so ready for today. So ready. I walked into the back room to pick my chair. Then I became very uneasy when I saw that there were different nurses on duty today. I really looked forward to seeing the team from the first 2 rounds. But one had finally moved on to retirement and the other was subbing for a doctor doing patient office visits. The new nurses were really friendly and very nice, but when it comes to putting needles in me, I trusted the two others who hadn't done me wrong.

So there I am, a bit nervous, but hoping for the best. It was not to be. It took 3 tries, into 3 different veins to get the needle in. The first nurse called over the second nurse after her first two tries failed. The second nurse got it in without any more damage. Ouch! That was not a good beginning at all. I can't blame the nurse, she was doing great with other patients. And I noticed the second nurse also had some trouble with another patient. I guess my veins just weren't cooperating today. Thank goodness I only have to go through that one more time.

The appointment lasted an hour longer than usual today, 4 1/2 hours total. The office had experienced delays getting the drug deliveries due to the storms and flight cancellations from the Midwest. This caused delays getting the preparation of drugs to us. And it was a full house today, all chairs taken. But at last, the last drip dripped and the alarm sounded that my last fluid bag was empty. Whew!

I am feeling fine as I have felt after the last two rounds. Still no nausea. The anti-nausea medicines are a blessing. They really work for me. My blood results weren't as solid as the last two times. My white blood count was up due to the Neulasta shot. That's good. But my red blood count was a bit low as were a couple of other related results. I guess I'm bordering on anemic. They told me it's nothing to worry about now. The numbers aren't slowly sliding down. They are just bouncing around a bit, fluctuating around the low border line. Sometimes acceptable, this time on the low side. They will keep a watch for the blood test results as I go in on my Wednesday lab days. If it gets too low, they'll call me in. They mentioned something about how I might need a transfusion. Oh, no! More infusion needles! I can't have that. I will make sure to take my multi-vitamins daily and eat more spinach! There is also another shot, similar to the Neulasta shot that they give me to increase my white blood cells. This other shot would help increase the red blood cells. They could choose that route but the insurance company would have to approve it and they don't like to. And then, maybe I'll just need to take an iron supplement, though I don't like those either. I guess I'll just concentrate on what I can do with my diet and One-A-Day Vitamins for now.

Tried Some Cleaning, but a Movie Sounded Like More Fun

Today I started taking the premed Decadron pills again, getting my body ready for the Chemo drugs. Two little green pills, twice a day, the day before Chemo and the day after.

After breakfast, I set out with an honest effort to get some housecleaning done as I had planned to do. I got both bathrooms cleaned and a load of laundry. That seemed like an honest effort to me. I had also planned to see a movie today, so this seemed like a nice place to stop. I can always do more cleaning Thursday and Friday before the aches set in. The steroids should keep my energy levels up for the next couple of days so I can get the dusting, mopping and vacuuming done then.

The movie I saw today was "The King's Speech". If you haven't seen this one yet, I highly recommend it. It is the story about King George VI of England, who reluctantly becomes king in 1936 when his older brother abdicates the throne. King George VI has a stuttering problem and works to overcome it with the help of a crazy dude named Lionel Logue. This movie has grabbed a lot of Oscar nominations, twelve total, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Original Script and Best Actor. It's a must see!

And then comes tomorrow.....Chemo Day! Finally!