Things Are Looking Up :-)

Looking up ... AND, Looking GOOD ~

The Tumors Appear to be Shrinking!!!

Today, Friday, was one of those great days in my life right now. After taking care of things around the farm, we headed into Redwood Regional Cancer Center for my semi-weekly appointment to  do a blood draw and meet with the Doctor or NP. Today, Dr. Anderson is on vacation, so we will see the NP, Theresa.

Prior to the blood draw in the infusion center, the nurse noticed that the edges of my port incision looked a little "angry"; probably because the ends of the stitches were still hanging out. I told how we had tried to clip them, but they were just too short to get a hold of. She was able to get one side out, which was so good, since these had really been bothering me since the Port procedure. We will work on the other side on infusion day.

Then it was off to wait a bit to get the blood results back and see NP Theresa. The blood work is good to go for next transfusion - YEAH. I am a bit anemic, so we will be watching this as time progresses. But this changes nothing at the moment. Then we went over some of my questions and again the big "sleep" question. Theresa confirms that yes, the pre-meds are a steriod so hence the "amped up" feeling I get for several days after infusion. And chemo is putting my body through a lot so I need to do my best to find what works for me and then "roll with it", as Mark says. If I'm overly tired and fatigued, sleep whenever it hits me. If I'm not, make the best of the awake hours I have and then sleep when I can. I'm finding the Ambien helps me to get, at best, 5-6 hours of solid sleep, Which is about 2 more than I seem to get on my own. Theresa did write me a prescription for,  which my Pharmacist Niece Sharleen has suggested I give a try. So I will get that filled this weekend.

We talked about how now I probably have noticed a routine from chemo to chemo and can predict good and bad days. And that is so very true. So I can try to be proactive with my schedule and life, things I take and when, and then "roll with it".

But the great news is that at the end of the session Theresa did a physical exam. She estimates that the tumor area is down to about 3 cms, from the original size of 6 cm, which is what Dr. Anderson recorded on my first exam. WAHOO. 

That is so fabulous. All this crappy feeling is a good thing.

The chemo is blasting those cancer cells to smithereens and they are retreating and giving up the fight.  

I am a warrior, AND I WILL SURVIVE! 

So... this is not yet the end of the great day Friday was. Mark and I celebrated  this good news with a late lunch at Betty's Fish and Chips and brought home a little berry pie for tomorrow night. Then we headed home for a little nap. You see, I had planned a big date tonight with my dearest girlfriends from high school. Our plan was to meet at 6:30pm at London Lodge to do some catch up, hang out, laugh and have fun. And boy did we ever! It was so great to get together with Jerry, Gwenn, Jan, Jo, and Marian. But we missed Eileen too. We started at the Lodge and then headed over to Fig Cafe when we realized the lodge stopped serving food at 8pm. The laughter and silliness continued until 10:30pm, when I called for my car and my knight in shining armor Mark arrived to charriot me home the couple of miles from downtown Glen Ellen. Boy did we laugh and have fun. It was fabulous and hopefully we can do it again real soon.

Here's to more great days like today!!!

Hugs, Debbie... aka the cancer warrior; AND survivor 

LIVESTRONG: 

I AM STRONG. I AM LOVED. I AM HEALTHY. WE WILL WIN!

Prepping for Chemo #3

Well, the last few days have been very, very good. We had a busy weekend with some farm visitors and our first cria of the year is due to arrive soon. Donna returned on Sunday after taking the weekend to visit our two other sisters, Nancy and Tina, and spend time with their families, and to see brother Dan. It sounds like they all had good visits. Then Sarah and Chris came up for a visit Sunday evening.

So today, Monday, Donna and I spent the day relaxing and having fun. That last day before the next chemotherapy infusion is bittersweet. It's like having dessert and knowing you may feel sick from it the next day. Good, but anxious at the same time. And wondering why in the heck we do this to ourselves.

But for me, the sick part is something I try to look forward to. It really isn't that the infusion (don't you love this word?) itself is uncomfortable. There actually is little to know negative feeling during the process. It is the several days of feeling yucky, blah, and just not right that follow treatment that I dread. Then there is this almost exhilarating feeling of, "Oh my goodness, I'm feeling normal again, and this FEELS SO FABULOUS." All the while knowing you are leading up to that yucky feeling again.

So, self I say, tomorrow is a wonderful day. Tomorrow is Blast the cancer Cells to Smithereens day. (NEVER give cancer the weight of a capital c).  And besides, this time around I get to share the experience with my dear sister and sweet daughter, and Mark will get a break for a change. It will be a first for each of them; and I know they will be relieved to see that chemo is really not all that eventful, and they can feel better about what I am going through during the actual treatment.

Die, cancer DIE.

Hugs, Debbie... aka the cancer warrior; AND survivor 

LIVESTRONG: 

I AM STRONG. I AM LOVED. I AM HEALTHY. WE WILL WIN!

Blast it all to Smithereens, version II

Today is THE DAY.

The day Mark and I head off to Redwood Regional Cancer Center to blast the puny cancer cells to smithereens, to quote a friend. I keep singing the verse in my head, "I'm gonna wash that guy right out of my hair"; although I substitute cancer for guy, and body for hair.

Stay tuned for my update later tonight or tomorrow. I'll most likely key some of it in on my iPad while there, and then post later.



Hugs, Debbie... aka the cancer warrior; soon to be survivor 

LIVESTRONG: 

I AM STRONG. I AM LOVED. I AM HEALTHY. WE WILL WIN!