Round #3

It doesn't seem like 12 days have passed since I lasted posted something. Sorry about that.
I'll try to remember things since the 8Th of May to catch you up. I do have the "chemo brain" so you'll have to excuse me if I can't remember much.
Between the 8Th and the 11Th I had very good days. Ate for loss days from the week before. I think I lose 2-4 pounds my chemo week and end up gaining it back my non-chemo week. On the 12Th we spent the evening around a campfire and Jack and Lois', (my parents) for Mother's Day. It was relaxing. On Sunday the kids gave me a real nice lounge chair for the deck. Now I want to find an umbrella that has a base on it. Our neighbors recently bought one. I need to be in the shade and there isn't any in our back yard. The kids will be in the pool soon. We also celebrated two nieces birthday's and our Aunt Junes house and that was nice too.
Then back to reality. Round 3 of Chemo was Monday the 14Th. I see the doctor prior to every treatment. Dr. Campbell is my oncologist. He thought that the tumor has shrunk. And I agreed. I questioned how many treatments I will have and he said for now his plan is for me too have 6 rounds of the current chemo I am taking and then 4 rounds of another mix of chemo. I was happy with that answer because it is 2 rounds less that what he said in the beginning. The last four rounds in a different mix to try to trick those cancer cells that may a little different but still cancerous. More or less the stubborn ones. So I was happy when I left to his office. By the time I was in my chair to receive treatment my mood changed drastically. My nurse told me that the doctor wrote orders to increase my dosage of chemo. Kelly was not a happy camper! My port is a pest. The nurse has to get a blood return before she can start any IV and mine has not without having me wait 15 minutes. That always puts me behind on the schedule. Well to say the least it was a bad week. I'm sure the fluids that I received on Tuesday helped. I probably would have felt worse without it. I still get a real bad head ache starting on Tues evening and lasting through Wednesday. Friday I started to feel better, but Saturday was more like my Friday's of the past.

Rachel broke her arm on Monday of Round 3. She was riding her bike and fell off. Dad and her spent 6 1/2 hours at ER. We see the orthopedic doctor on Thursday for her. Her hand was too swollen for them to cast it. She had a rough week with the pain but she pulled through and even participated in her GIRLS ON THE RUN 5k race on Saturday. We were real proud that she finished because she has had trouble with her foot for so long. But she jogged and walked and she was real proud of herself.
Emily and James and Paul are doing great. We signed the kids up for some summer activities. School is almost done for the year.


Round 4 shall be interesting. The office is closed on MEMORIAL DAY. YEAH! However all the patients that normally go on Monday's will be seen on Tuesday along with all the Tuesday Patients. HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK! I will also request my old dosage. I can at least ask right?

This week is full of appointments. Monday I see the surgeon. Wednesday I see the thyroid surgeon and Thursday Rachel has her appointment.

Thanks for the prayers. I know there are a lot of you out there saying them. I know all of them help me feel better.

The great love of GOD is an ocean without a bottom or a shore. C.H. Spurgeon

Updates

Overall I think I had a clearer head with the 2ND round of treatment. I was still down for three days after though. So this next treatment coming up on Monday the 14Th, I will get 2-3 hours of IV fluids the day after. Hopefully this will give me some energy to get out of bed and eat or drink something. I figured it was worth a try.
People are asking about my bone scan results and I see it isn't posted anywhere. The bone scan was clean.
I made one of my goals last week. That was I made it to my nephews graduation on Saturday. I did give in to the first goal of trying to make it to Lansing on Friday too. I do seem to try to make up for lost days once I am feeling good. On Sunday I woke up in time to make it to 8:30 mass, then we went to Holland to watch a different nephew play a baseball game. Monday and Tuesday I went to work, Rachel and Emily had a game of their own tonight and Rachel made an out so we got to go to the ice cream store. YEAH!
I think it is going to be an up and down thing for me. It could be all down so I can't complain about it in that respect. The hair started falling out last Wednesday I think. So I went and had my head shaved. I bought a wig. Some people say they like my new hair, and others say they couldn't tell. I think it looks pretty real myself. The kids are comfortable with it.
I do like when I take it off. It feels like freedom when it is off. I guess imagine wearing a brace on your head and then taking it off. The release of pressure is such a relief. I am not bald yet. I don't look in the mirror too much with out something on my head. I am sure in time I will be able too. Paul offered to shave his head too. But I asked him to grow his since I can't have any. I'm not sure if I will win that suggestion.
Again, I want to thank everyone for their support. In whatever you have done. A thought, a prayer, an act of kindness. It all means a great deal. Tears come to my eyes every time I write to tell you thank you. It is awesome what you do. And you know what you have done. Feel the love come right back to you. Thank You!

Round #2

I'll start off by complaining. The doctor's office request that you arrive 1/2 hour early for your appointments. So Paul and I arrived at 10 for my 10:30 appointment. At 10 15 they called me for my blood tests. This is in a different area than the doctor's office. I sent Paul back to the doctors waiting area in case they called my name then he could let them know where I was. They are suppose to draw blood through my port. After three tries and no blood she gave up and said she would try again after my Dr. appointment. So back to the other side of the building I went. I think we waited another 15 minutes and then I saw the doctor. They gave me a steroid perscription to take to help with my energy level. They were very surprised about how hard the chemo effected me.
After the doctors appointment I had to wait in yet another waiting area for the chemo treatment. That was suppose to start at 11 am. It was noon and I was starving so I asked Paul to go get us some lunch. So he left and came back with lunch and I was finally called back to start the chemo. I was not doing anything but sitting in the chair until finally At 1 o'clock the nurse tried again to draw blood but couldn't get any to come out of the port. That is scary to me. And then finally started the chemo. I left the place at 5pm. NOT A HAPPY PATIENT. I did eat dinner when I got home but then went straight to bed. Your head just feels so full of muck. I had the dry mouth and eyes again. And between the nausea and the thunder it was a sleepless night for Paul and I again. I slept from 5 am 9 am and that felt good. I got up and took a shower and that took all my energy out of me. I fell asleep again with out drying my hair. After I had some soup I knew I had to get ready to go get my nulasta shot. So I had to wet my hair and dry it with the dryer. Well hair started to fly around in the air. Like falling out of my head. Not a lot but a sign of what is to come. Then it was time to go get my shot at 4pm today. My mom came to bring me and we arrived at 3:50. At 4:30 I asked someone to please find someone for my shot. They called me back but I waited another 20 minutes before I was helped. Just not my luck this week so far.

I'm feeling not so out of it today. Yet I am fatigued still. I didn't even think of going to work today. I've asked work people to send me home when they think I look out of it like the last time I showed up.

The meals that people are bringing are of great help. With never knowing when I'll get home from appointments and the kids coming and going there is no way Paul could add cooking to his HONEY DO List.

We again thank you for all the thoughts, prayers and cards.

10 more rounds to go!