My last chemo therapy session is Thursday, July 31st. I should be jumping for joy. Instead I am filled with anxiety and apprehension. Chemo has kicked my butt. Hard. Nausea is horrible, this last time I haven't had any days without nausea and vomiting has become common. My brain is foggy, I swear my eyesight is a little off the glasses prescription, and I don't trust myself driving.
I really can't blame the Chemo for everything. The radiation has had a hand in my daily situation, too. I've had 24 sessions of radiation, 11 to go. The radiation does play a role in the vomiting since it is my tongue that is getting the radiation, some things I eat or drink cause gag reflexes. The radiation is also causing my neck to darken and sores to appear on my neck. I put on Silverdene three times a day. Overall, my skin is getting more blotchy looking. My radiologist says much of the blotchy appearance will even out in a couple of months after we stop radiation. I certainly hope so or I need a good recommendation for a new foundation. Probably Hollywood strength!
Good news: no hair loss and I'm down 15 pounds in weight. I'll take the good where I can get it.
Thanks are over due to my neighbor Jan Houston, my daughter Tammy Griffin, and my significant other, Ken Sanchez for chauffer services. Ken has been fantastic at arranging his schedule to make sure he can attend the doctor appointments with me, If he didn't, my chemo brain would likely forget what I am being told. Yes, it is that bad.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
It's what you don't expect....
I had the best intentions in doing this blog at least once, it not twice a week. Well, that didn't work as planned.
I had a rough time with my first chemo treatment. Headache, sick to my stomach and extremely dehydrated. I spent most of the time in bed with a "don't bother me, don't even come near me" attitude.
The AZoncology center added a midweek hydration appointment and added another medication to the anti-nausea regimen. These actions helped; now I have another problem. The nausea medicine impairs my thinking. I can't think of the last word in my sentences, numbers get reversed, and my thought processes have s-l-o-o-o w-e-d. This side-effect freaks me the most. I described it to the doctor yesterday as jogging on land versus jogging in a pool in chest-deep water.
Okay, what else have I forgotten to share......
The MRI showed the size of the tumor to be just into the Stage 3 cancer range, 4.3cm. The treatment plan is radiation five days a week for eight weeks; and chemo of 170mg of cistplatin (changed to 140mg yesterday due to all the side effect problems I had) on day 1, day 22, and day 43. After the treatment plan is complete we have to wait 30 to 60 days before I can have another PETscan to see if all the cancer is gone.
I had a rough time with my first chemo treatment. Headache, sick to my stomach and extremely dehydrated. I spent most of the time in bed with a "don't bother me, don't even come near me" attitude.
The AZoncology center added a midweek hydration appointment and added another medication to the anti-nausea regimen. These actions helped; now I have another problem. The nausea medicine impairs my thinking. I can't think of the last word in my sentences, numbers get reversed, and my thought processes have s-l-o-o-o w-e-d. This side-effect freaks me the most. I described it to the doctor yesterday as jogging on land versus jogging in a pool in chest-deep water.
Okay, what else have I forgotten to share......
The MRI showed the size of the tumor to be just into the Stage 3 cancer range, 4.3cm. The treatment plan is radiation five days a week for eight weeks; and chemo of 170mg of cistplatin (changed to 140mg yesterday due to all the side effect problems I had) on day 1, day 22, and day 43. After the treatment plan is complete we have to wait 30 to 60 days before I can have another PETscan to see if all the cancer is gone.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Hurry up . . . and wait
Went to the oncologist today hoping to get my cancer staging diagnosis and the "plan". Well, that happened, sort of.
The PETscan showed the cancer was localized but wasn't conclusive to show if the lymph node was involved as well. The MRI of the neck done on Saturday was to provide that clue. Unfortunately, the oncologist hadn't received that report yet. Now mind you, I had a brain MRI done at the same time and she received the brain MRI report, just not the all important one for the neck. --Oh, in case you are wondering, the brain MRI was normal, or as normal as I'll ever be!
Bottom line is, we caught the cancer early. Because it is an aggressive form of cancer, the treatment will be aggressive. Three doses of chemotherapy spaced three weeks apart, radiation five days a week for seven to eight weeks. And they have changed the prognosis of no hair loss to possible hair loss. Sigh.
If my health insurance carrier gets their act together with all the approvals, we should start the chemo and radiation on Thursday. I hope the approvals come through. While I am dreading the pain they tell me I will be in, I do want to get going with the treatment. If I could have started treatment the day I was told I had cancer, I would have done so. Waiting adds to the stress.
Speaking of stress, I have a few theories on ways to reduce stress using creativity. I will be blogging about my theories and personal experiences in putting my theories into action as I go through this Cancer whirlwind. If you are interested in stress reduction through creativity, visit: WWW.unleashbliss.com.
The PETscan showed the cancer was localized but wasn't conclusive to show if the lymph node was involved as well. The MRI of the neck done on Saturday was to provide that clue. Unfortunately, the oncologist hadn't received that report yet. Now mind you, I had a brain MRI done at the same time and she received the brain MRI report, just not the all important one for the neck. --Oh, in case you are wondering, the brain MRI was normal, or as normal as I'll ever be!
Bottom line is, we caught the cancer early. Because it is an aggressive form of cancer, the treatment will be aggressive. Three doses of chemotherapy spaced three weeks apart, radiation five days a week for seven to eight weeks. And they have changed the prognosis of no hair loss to possible hair loss. Sigh.
If my health insurance carrier gets their act together with all the approvals, we should start the chemo and radiation on Thursday. I hope the approvals come through. While I am dreading the pain they tell me I will be in, I do want to get going with the treatment. If I could have started treatment the day I was told I had cancer, I would have done so. Waiting adds to the stress.
Speaking of stress, I have a few theories on ways to reduce stress using creativity. I will be blogging about my theories and personal experiences in putting my theories into action as I go through this Cancer whirlwind. If you are interested in stress reduction through creativity, visit: WWW.unleashbliss.com.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Just a Sore Throat
The sore throats started in August 2013. Scratchy nuisances that had me wondering if I was coming done with a cold or if an air-born irritant could be to blame. The sore throat progressed and I went to an urgent care facility where they did a strep test. It was negative, but since a post-nasal drip had begun they gave me an antibiotic and called it a sinus infection.
The sore throat improved, but didn't go away. Since I have an health plan that allowed me to see a specialist without a referral, I set up an appointment with an ENT, Dr. Peter Kaiser.
Dr. Kaiser did an laryngoscopy of my throat. He saw a white spot straight back in my mouth that looked like a sore, the type you would get on the roof of your mouth when you eat something too hot and burn yourself. He ordered a CT scan and a barium swallow scan to see if there was anything else since my throat pain extended to the juncture of my head and neck. Both of those tests were negative for anything concerning. Dr. Kaiser prescribed a steroid to shrink the swollen tissues and a nasal spray to help control the post nasal drip to give the sore spot an opportunity to heal. I went back a couple of months later for a laryngoscopy recheck. The white sore at the back of my mouth was gone, but I was still suffering from sporadic sore throats and sometimes earaches. Dr. Kaiser suggested allergy testing. I didn't think it was allergy based and since it was almost Christmas I put off allergy testing.
By February 2014 the sore throats were back on an almost daily basis along with earaches. I did an Internet search on chronic sore throats and found several articles about acid reflux, particularly LPR, or silent reflux as a possible cause. I knew I had GERD, I was already taking an acid pump inhibitor medicine, and the symptoms matched, so I started on a low acid diet, eliminating carbonated beverages, citrus, tomatoes, onions etcetera from my diet and started buying water that had a higher PH value, like Evian and Fiji water. These steps did relieve the worst of the pain, but did not make it go away. In March I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist. This gentleman doubled my dose of medicine and said to come back in August. Needless to say, I was less than happy with this doctor's approach.
By April the sore throats were 24/7 and were accompanied by an earache in my left ear. I suffered through it since the change in diet did help reduce the pain but by mid May I had had enough. I went back to Dr. Kaiser. He did another laryngoscopy and this time saw some bumps on the root of my tongue and on my left tonsil. He said I should have these biopsied.
May 30th the biopsies were taken. On June 9th at 3:30 pm I received the results: the tonsil tumor was benign. The base of the tongue showed basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.
Medical literature on the Internet says basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an aggressive form of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Causes are generally tobacco, alcohol, or HPV.
That diagnosis was like entering a whirlwind. Wednesday, June 11th I met my oncologist and radiologist, both dynamic women (more on them as this blog continues). Thursday was a PETscan, Friday a mask was made to hold my head rigid in place during radiation, and today I will have an MRI of the head and neck. Monday, June 16th I will meet with my oncologist to learn the battle plan.
And so it begins.
The sore throat improved, but didn't go away. Since I have an health plan that allowed me to see a specialist without a referral, I set up an appointment with an ENT, Dr. Peter Kaiser.
Dr. Kaiser did an laryngoscopy of my throat. He saw a white spot straight back in my mouth that looked like a sore, the type you would get on the roof of your mouth when you eat something too hot and burn yourself. He ordered a CT scan and a barium swallow scan to see if there was anything else since my throat pain extended to the juncture of my head and neck. Both of those tests were negative for anything concerning. Dr. Kaiser prescribed a steroid to shrink the swollen tissues and a nasal spray to help control the post nasal drip to give the sore spot an opportunity to heal. I went back a couple of months later for a laryngoscopy recheck. The white sore at the back of my mouth was gone, but I was still suffering from sporadic sore throats and sometimes earaches. Dr. Kaiser suggested allergy testing. I didn't think it was allergy based and since it was almost Christmas I put off allergy testing.
By February 2014 the sore throats were back on an almost daily basis along with earaches. I did an Internet search on chronic sore throats and found several articles about acid reflux, particularly LPR, or silent reflux as a possible cause. I knew I had GERD, I was already taking an acid pump inhibitor medicine, and the symptoms matched, so I started on a low acid diet, eliminating carbonated beverages, citrus, tomatoes, onions etcetera from my diet and started buying water that had a higher PH value, like Evian and Fiji water. These steps did relieve the worst of the pain, but did not make it go away. In March I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist. This gentleman doubled my dose of medicine and said to come back in August. Needless to say, I was less than happy with this doctor's approach.
By April the sore throats were 24/7 and were accompanied by an earache in my left ear. I suffered through it since the change in diet did help reduce the pain but by mid May I had had enough. I went back to Dr. Kaiser. He did another laryngoscopy and this time saw some bumps on the root of my tongue and on my left tonsil. He said I should have these biopsied.
May 30th the biopsies were taken. On June 9th at 3:30 pm I received the results: the tonsil tumor was benign. The base of the tongue showed basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.
Medical literature on the Internet says basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an aggressive form of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Causes are generally tobacco, alcohol, or HPV.
That diagnosis was like entering a whirlwind. Wednesday, June 11th I met my oncologist and radiologist, both dynamic women (more on them as this blog continues). Thursday was a PETscan, Friday a mask was made to hold my head rigid in place during radiation, and today I will have an MRI of the head and neck. Monday, June 16th I will meet with my oncologist to learn the battle plan.
And so it begins.
Friday, June 13, 2014
New Direction for this Blog
When I created this blog in 2009, I had grand ideas of what I was going to do with it. It was just one of many directions I was going in as I was unemployed and trying to find myself. And thereby lay the problem, not the unemployment, but the too many directions, too many projects. So the blog idea never got off the ground.
Until now -- 2014
This blog will be my cancer journey blog to share with family and friends and anyone who needs to understand this cancer journey.
Until now -- 2014
This blog will be my cancer journey blog to share with family and friends and anyone who needs to understand this cancer journey.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Coaching Group Reunion
In February I signed up for a coaching group called "Mastermind Coaching" facilitated by Arlene Rosenberg. We met every other week for 12 weeks as a group and on the off weeks in sub groups. We were eight individuals coming together from different industries, life styles and circumstances -- the self-employed looking to get through the recession, entrepreneurs, would be entrepreneurs, the unemployed (me), and the frustrated at work employed. Under Arlene's guidance we explored where we are now and where do we want to be. What is our vision?
Last night five of the group were able to get together for a dinner reunion and an update on what has happened since out last meeting six weeks ago.
While our lives have progressed -- for some on the paths discussed in the sessions, for others in different directions -- what struck me was the sense of certainty within the group, a sense of being centered. The challenges we each face haven't gone away, though for some they have changed. If you had asked me when the sessions were finished what I got out of the group, I would have spouted off some personal benefits, but I would have missed the core truth. What we came away with is belief in ourselves no matter where life takes us.
The dinner was fun, entertaining, and enlightening. We decided to have another reunion dinner in August, hopefully with all of the alums. I'm looking forward to it.
Last night five of the group were able to get together for a dinner reunion and an update on what has happened since out last meeting six weeks ago.
While our lives have progressed -- for some on the paths discussed in the sessions, for others in different directions -- what struck me was the sense of certainty within the group, a sense of being centered. The challenges we each face haven't gone away, though for some they have changed. If you had asked me when the sessions were finished what I got out of the group, I would have spouted off some personal benefits, but I would have missed the core truth. What we came away with is belief in ourselves no matter where life takes us.
The dinner was fun, entertaining, and enlightening. We decided to have another reunion dinner in August, hopefully with all of the alums. I'm looking forward to it.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Teen Texting
Over the weekend I read several articles on teen texting with opinions ranging from it's dangerous to forget it, it's teens being teens.
When my youngest daughter was in high school, few kids had cell phones. They carried pagers, and they had a language of number codes for what they said to each other. That was eight years ago.
Today teens have cell phones and text constantly. And when they are not texting through their phone they are instant messaging each other on the computer. I don't find texting particularly harmful, what I object to is the context in which it is done. So I have set a few rules for Ken's niece who lives with us.
No texting at the dinner table
No texting while we are talking to her
No texting in class
This last rule was originally on the honor system and woefully ignored. First only a little (she swore it was an emergency), growing to 80 to 100 in and out text messages during school hours. Those emergencies multiply like rabbits, you know.
Since her having a phone was a reward for consistently going to school and getting there on time -- something that did not occur when she lived with her grandparents, we did not want to take it completely away. My solution was to change her phone service to one with parental controls. I blocked texting from occurring doing school hours. And you know, a funny thing happened after I did that. Her grades went up.
My take on texting? I'm on the side of it's not dangerous, it's teens being teens. However, it's up to us as parents and guardians to lay down the context rules, and then enforce them.
When my youngest daughter was in high school, few kids had cell phones. They carried pagers, and they had a language of number codes for what they said to each other. That was eight years ago.
Today teens have cell phones and text constantly. And when they are not texting through their phone they are instant messaging each other on the computer. I don't find texting particularly harmful, what I object to is the context in which it is done. So I have set a few rules for Ken's niece who lives with us.
No texting at the dinner table
No texting while we are talking to her
No texting in class
This last rule was originally on the honor system and woefully ignored. First only a little (she swore it was an emergency), growing to 80 to 100 in and out text messages during school hours. Those emergencies multiply like rabbits, you know.
Since her having a phone was a reward for consistently going to school and getting there on time -- something that did not occur when she lived with her grandparents, we did not want to take it completely away. My solution was to change her phone service to one with parental controls. I blocked texting from occurring doing school hours. And you know, a funny thing happened after I did that. Her grades went up.
My take on texting? I'm on the side of it's not dangerous, it's teens being teens. However, it's up to us as parents and guardians to lay down the context rules, and then enforce them.
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