Radiation

Wow.  I post that I got a new car, and then apparently drove off into the sunset in it, never to post to my blog again.  Or maybe I've been back to working full time, doing radiation treatments, and getting my social life back.  Boy, is it nice to accept dinner invitations again.

I started radiation on Monday.  I have a standing appointment at 8am every weekday.  On Monday, I left work too early because I didn't know how long it would take me to get there.  20 minutes is the most it takes, so I allow 30, in case there is traffic.  Yup, I'm driving straight into Kansas City during rush hour.  I haven't had any troubles, though.  Plus, I have an amazing new car to drive!

I got there Monday and they had to do some Xrays.  Because of this, I was there between 20 and 30 minutes.  I guess I'll get a couple Xrays every Monday, but not sure if it will take as long as the first time did. On Wednesdays, I will always have an appointment with my radiation oncologist.  I've found that I can leave work, go to the hospital, park the car, get to the radiation department, undress from the waist up, put on a gown, get radiation, change back into my clothes, and drive back to work....all in an hour.  40 minutes of that is driving!

Yes, it goes fast.  Those ladies know what they're doing, and they're super efficient.  It is a vulnerable feeling to be lying on that table in a big empty room while a machine shoots radiation into you, but there is no pain or discomfort of any kind involved.  They position me, leave the room, the machine does it's thing, and they reposition me again...three times total.

Most of the folks that I know who have had skin reactions do so around 4 weeks in or later.  I'm a week in right now.  I've done 5/33 treatments.  I have a ways to go.  A lot of them have been told to use a certain lotion or some such to the area from a week before starting to the end of radiation therapy.  I haven't been told to use anything.  Most people are told not to use antiperspirant, although some are allowed to use the organic kind.  I haven't been told either of these things.

My Wednesday appointment was a bit different because my Dr. was in a meeting that ran long.  He asked another doctor to see me so I didn't have to wait.  We were together about 90 seconds at most.  I have a couple of questions for this week (about the lotion and antiperspirant, etc.) but it still shouldn't take long.  I can't believe that the visits go that fast, but it makes it easier to keep up full time at work.

This Tuesday, I have an appointment with my medical oncologist as a follow-up to chemo.  I hope she tells me that I can stop being a germaphobe.  My father got sick at a MOST inopportune time, as I was just starting to feel like my old self!  I'm sure I'll be fine, but I want her to tell me so.  I do NOT want to wind up in the hospital again.

Wow, I get long winded when I wait a week to post.  That's all that is going on in the wonderful world of cancer.  I just keep moving forward.  What else can I do?  Move forward through treatment and move forward into our busy season at work.  I know I'm still supposed to rest when possible and not overdo it, so I'm being careful.  I'm just glad that, so far, I'm feeling a bit stronger each day.

Brief Update (Complaint Warning)

When I finished the A/C portion of my chemo and started Taxol, I was under the impression that it would be easier.  I got my first infusion on Thursday, and felt pretty darned good.  Friday, I went to work, still feeling good and thought I had it made.

After work, I had to stop for my Neulasta shot (it brings up my white count and is always 24 hours after chemo) and noticed, by the time I got there, that I was VERY tired.  Oh well.  I felt enough better that I may have overdone things a bit, and the weekend was here for me to recover.
 
Saturday, I was shocked at how badly my bone hurt.  Traditionally, Neulasta causes bone pain, but it's been very predictable for me.  I get the shot on day 2, and have pretty rough bone pain for 1 or 1 1/2 days around day 6.  This was much worse, and much sooner, so I did some research and realized that Taxol causes bone and joint pain, too.  Great.

Sunday was even worse, and by the afternoon, a fever had joined the party.  WooFreakinHoo.  Kevin called the on-call doctor (why do I never get sick during office hours?) and she told him to give me Tylenol and see if that brings it down.  It was too early for me to be nutropenic (super-low whites, which hospitalized me last time) from the chemo, so she was willing to give it time to work itself out.

The Tylenol slowly brought down the fever, which had reached 101.8 at it's highest.  With the fever down, we avoided a trip to the ER and I was told to go get blood drawn this morning.  I woke feeling like I'd been drug behind a horse through the desert like in an old western, but showered and managed to get to the car.  It was one of the few times ever that I was sorry to drive a standard transmission.  My legs were screaming.

My blood counts were OK, but they drew a couple more vials to do some cultures on.  I was then told to go home and rest.  I did, which I will regret greatly on payday, but the four hour nap sided with the fact that I needed it.

The chemocare page on Taxol says that the pain duration should be "a few days."  I am truly hoping that means I'll be able to tell a marked difference in the morning.  I have pain pills, but I'd rather not take them at work unless I have to.  I'd also like to be able to walk without wincing (and sometimes crying.)  Mom made dinner for my family tonight, or it would have been ramen for sure.

Here's to a better tomorrow.

Chemo has been Scheduled

So yesterday, I just sat here.  Yup.  That's pretty much what I did.  I let the HVAC guy in to fix our a/c, and then I wrote a check to him.  I changed the channel several times, took medication and logged drain output.  Quite possibly the laziest day I've participated in for a LONG time.  If that's what it takes to get better fast, I'm going to have to heal slowly.  Jeez, what a long day.

I'll avoid running errands that aren't necessary (we'll leave those up to Kevin,) but I'm not going to sit in this chair 24/7, THAT'S for sure.  Today, I think I'll walk up to the post office.  All the way up town, by myself.  (Those who know this town will get the joke.  We're talking 4 blocks.)

I got a call from someone yesterday (I cannot keep track of what nurse is from what office anymore) but she was somehow affiliated with the oncologist.  I am to go in at 10:15 on May 22.  I'll have a meeting with the oncologist and then have my first chemo treatment.  I'm supposed to plan on being there for many hours, especially for the first visit.  Maybe as many as six!

The problem that I see (and it may not be a problem, but I'll be asking) is that I expect Jaxson to still be hanging around then.  I still have not dropped under 100cc in a 24 hour period, and it's got to get under 30.  If you aren't familiar with Jaxson, go to this post and read the last paragraph.  I didn't think to ask yesterday, but I have an email in to my favorite nurse/source of information to see what to do about it.  Maybe Jaxson will just go along for the ride.  LOL  He's always enjoyed a good road trip.

I slept in my own bed last night, and I believe I slept better than I have in three weeks.  Can you believe it's been three weeks?  I may try to make the transition back into there now.  This poor recliner deserves a break.  :)

I Suppose I Should Just Sit Here

I think I overdid things on Saturday, so I spent Sunday recuperating.  I was exhausted, sore, and even had a pretty big chip on my shoulder by the end of the day (I know!  Shocking!)  I was slowly but steadily recovering, and the setback just ticked me right off.

I got up this morning after sleeping a bit longer than usual, and still wasn't great.  What the heck?  Fine, I'll take another easy day.  Mom even offered to take me with them to McD's for breakfast (not that I eat breakfast, especially theirs, but she knows I look for chances to get out of the house.)  I turned her down.

I tried to take my daily nap, but after 4 interruptions, I gave up on that pipe dream.  Maybe tomorrow I'll pull my head out and silence my phone and put a DND sign on the door, huh?  I got up and fixed one of the meals provided by my wonderful coworkers (which was easy and amazingly delicious) and then asked Kevin to take me to the store.  I was relatively sure I felt well enough to go.

Wrong.  I did well 3/4 of the way through the trip, and then started fading fast.  I almost felt feverish.  I'm on antibiotic, so I'm sure I'm not, but I was just "off."  Got settled in for the night and decided that I shall not move for at least 2 days.   I'll read, I'll surf, I'll sleep, and I'll twiddle my thumbs, but I'm going to quit jeopardizing my recovery, which is what I was inadvertently doing.

Oh, and I had also planned to be back to work by now, at least part time.  Yeah right.  Satan drain Jaxson is still putting out over 100cc per day.  It's still gotta get under 30.  I can't drive, I can't work, I can even make it to the damn store with a chauffeur without issues.

If you need me, check this recliner.  I'll be here.  Likely pouting.