Patty's epic adventure

  4/30/21 - Friday Night before last, I slept 11 hours.  Last night, 10.  I guess I'm finally getting caught up, huh?  The new meds are helping my lesions and I no longer look like a leper.  They're not gone, but diminishing.  The Benadryl makes me tired, so I'm not driving (nowhere to go anyway) and I rest a lot during the day. I've been wondering...... is the 'S', or the 'C', in 'scent', silent?

  4/28/21 - Wednesday Last night was a real buggar.  I fell asleep around midnight and woke up with my heart racing at 2 a.m.  I could not go back to sleep.  I moved out to my recliner, but even that didn't help.  I sat and did my puzzles till the newspaper came at 6 a.m., then read it and did the puzzles in it.  I cleaned up the kitchen and watered my plants outside.  I tried to keep busy till 9:00 when the doctor's office would open.  Last night I broke out into lots more splotches on my skin.  Over 60 spots.  That's when I quit counting, anyway.  Some of them broke open and some are 1/2" in diameter.  They're all over my chest, arms, back, even some on my face now.  Lovely lesions.  They're SO becoming.  The doctor called in more Rx for me and David went to pick them up.  I'm back on steroids, Benadryl, and something else, whose name I've already forgotten.  She said I'm having an allergic reaction t...

  4/27/21 - Tuesday This was chemo day.  I nearly flunked my blood tests today.  Again.  I've been cutting it pretty dang close the past few weeks, but my grades were at least good enough to get my infusions this morning.  I was warned, however, to do my best not to let them slip any more.  Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of control over that.  I eat all the iron and protein I can stomach already. I had to go see the triage nurse today because my doctor, and her staff, work in Jacksonville on Tuesdays.  The chemo nurses didn't like the lesions I've acquired, so they sent me down to triage.  She didn't like them, either, so she faxed my oncologist and she ordered some more tests.  She gave me an Rx for the sores on my tongue and I took some tonight.  It's gross, but it works.  I swish it, then swallow.  I do it 3 times in a row and then in another 3 hours, etc.  It has Lidocaine in it, so that's mostly what numbs my ...

  4/26/21 - Monday Chemo day tomorrow.  I'm packing my 'chemo bag' my friend gave me when I first started treatments.  I've taken it every week.  I fill it with snacks, puzzle games, book, Ipad, tissues, chapstick, etc.  Most of it stays packed all week so I don't forget anything.  Well, I'm not supposed to forget anything....   I still have my cold.  Day 10.  I'm feeling better, tho, so it's not all bad.  I have a list of questions for the nurse tomorrow, so perhaps they won't nag at me for another week when I see the doctor. Reflecting today, sort of.  I first found the lump on my lymph node 29 weeks ago.  That seems like such a long time.  Tomorrow will be week number 12 for chemo so far, and I have at least 8 more weeks to go.  I'll have a couple of weeks to recover, then I will start radiation for 5 weeks.  I will go every day, Monday through Friday, during that time. I've had 2 surgeries for my heart d...

  4/24/21 - Saturday Yesterday was pretty slow, but I'm determined that today will be different.  I think maybe I might possibly I hope I'm pretty sure cross your fingers perhaps that I feel a little better.  Or I'm just imagining it.  Whatever works.

  4/22/21 - Thursday A bit of a tough week, this one.  I've been battling a cold since Saturday and it's wearing me down.  This morning was pretty good, but this afternoon went all to Hell.  Body just isn't fighting this crap off like it should.  Everything hurts tonight.  Dang it.  Tired, weak, sore throat, cough, and my joints are being real buggars today.  So, no good news.  Sorry.  Maybe tomorrow. And, my funny is gone, too.

  4/20/21 - Today is Monday.   It's been several days since I've written, but they were slow news days.  My Sweet's Syndrome was gone on Thursday, but that was the only newsworthy item.  I felt good enough for a car ride on Friday, so David took me to Pearland (south of Houston) for a 200 mile ride so I could see my Grandson play T-ball on Saturday morning.  It was SO worth it.  It was freakin' hilarious!  He's 4, and by far, the best player on the team.  Most of them hit the ball and then go get it themselves.  I laughed and laughed and laughed.  It was good for the soul.  We spent the weekend down there and drove home yesterday.  I slept in the car and slept pretty well last night, too.  I only got up twice in the night, and was able to go right back to sleep. My fingernail never did come all the way up, so that's good news.  I haven't lost any so far, but they're breaking off below the quick and it's a pain....

  4/14/21 - Today is Wednesday.  I had a pretty rough night last night, so am awfully tired today.  Trying to take it easy and get my strength back.  I absolutely hate just sitting around when there's tons of stuff needing done, but I know working is not the answer just now.  My back and hips are screaming today, so sitting is good.   One of my thumbnails came up and hurt like a bugger.  I put some Neosporin on it, pushed it back down, and put a bandaid on it.  We'll see what happens next. My Sweet's Syndrome is getting better, but not gone.  Dang it.  I wish I could knock that out. Remember:  Exercise makes you look better naked.  So does wine.  Your choice.

  4/13/21 - Today is Tuesday.  Chemo day.  I passed a milestone today, too.  I drove my car.  Haven't driven in months.  It felt weird, but I think I did just fine.  No errors, no close calls, no speeding tickets.  I drove myself to chemo, was there 4-1/2 hours, then drove myself to my second appointment where I was fitted for my new arm compression suit.  Apparently, Medicare won't cover the cost of the torso suit until I've worn this one for at least 4 weeks.  Private insurance does, but Medicare is stupid.  So, I ordered one and it will arrive in a couple of days and I'll wear it for an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening.  After another month passes and my seromas in my left sister continue to grow, I can get the torso suit shipped to me.  They've been there for 3 months, but apparently Medicare just wants them to have a chance to get a little worse before they will cover the cost.  The compression...

  4/11/21 - Sunday.  I don't want to jinx anything, but I think the lesions on my leg and bottom of my foot have improved a little.  Cross you fingers, everyone!  Maybe they got a little prayer boost - you never know!  I went outside a bit today and did a tiny bit of watering and cutting some dead stuff off my plants.  I'm supposed to stay out of the sun and away from all bugs (and their bites), so I'm no super gardener, by any means.  I mostly sat and watched David work, but I was a good supervisor.  I'm pretty sure.  It's a good day. When I was able to consume alcohol, (BC - Before Chemo) I consumed a glass of wine each night for its' health benefits.  The other glasses were for my witty comebacks and flawless dance moves.

  4/10/21 - Saturday now.  I haven't written because I don't have much news.  Well, not any good news.  My Sweet's sores are not getting better and I now have a new one on the bottom of my foot.  Sigh.  My arm is swelling a bit more, too.  I'm having trouble with my eyes.  I have to put drops in them many times a day now and even in the middle of the night.  They get so dry I rub and rub and rub them, even in my sleep.  Can be a side effect of chemo and also Sweet's.  I'm on a pretty hefty dose of steroids, so I'm hoping they will kick in soon and knock this out.  I have chemo every Tuesday morning now for the next 3 months, so I need something to give.  I just can't seem to catch a break lately.  It feels like I'm moving backwards instead of forward.  Maybe someone just needs to give me a good swift kick in the butt to get me going in the right direction.  I'd ask for volunteers at this point, but you'd pro...

 Today is Wednesday the seventh. I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics last night, so I took a couple of Benadryl and that took care of it. I had a bad night and kept David awake a lot, unfortunately. My heart was going to boopity-boo most of the night. I called the doctor this morning and they got me in this afternoon. Said the trouble with my heart is it is a side effect of the chemo, so I’m stuck with that. My heart seems to like going into overdrive a lot these days. My oncologist took a look at my lower leg today and agreed with me it was not an infection. Turns out, it’s sweets syndrome. I know all too well what that is. David sister, Susan, had that. Hers was severe. However, they have caught and diagnosed mine early and I am on steroids. Hopefully, this will nip it in the bud. Still, it was rather disconcerting news, to say the least. The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe. Eat cake.

 April 6, Tuesday. First day of new chemo drug, Taxol. I had blood work first thing this morning and my grades were good enough to get the poison. My white blood count went up, so that is very good. My hemoglobin went down a hair, though, and that is not so good. If it goes down 2/10 of 1%, I have to get a transfusion.  So, more liver for lunch and dinner. Good thing I love liver. David can’t stand the smell of it, so that sucks for him.  No little machine on the back of my arm any longer, so I’m really grateful for that. No more red devil and no more peeing read, either. So, there were good things about today. Unfortunately, I was at the cancer center for 5 1/2 hours today. That was a lot longer than they first told me. Next week should be four hours, and the week after that should be only 2-1/2.  Apparently, this drug can cause a lot of allergic reactions, so they have to infuse it very, very slowly. They keep a close eye on me the whole time. After I have two trea...

 Today is Monday. I had a nice Easter and it was a good break, because tomorrow is my first session with my new chemo drug. I have no expectations, so the day ought to go just fine. I got some get well cards in the mail the past few days, and those always make me smile. I got another care package from my niece and it was a wonderful surprise, also.  Yesterday, I yelled from the other end of the house and asked my husband, “Do you ever get a sharp, shooting pain across your chest? Like someone’s got a voodoo doll, and they’re  stabbing it? “ He said no. I said “how about now?“

  4/2/21 Today is Friday.  I didn't write yesterday - just forgot, sorry.  I polished my fingernails yesterday - sparkly pink.  Matches my shirt today.  I painted them for a couple of reasons.  1) I wanted to look pretty.  2) So I could find them on the floor (or bed) when they fell off.  Did that gross you out?  Oh, wah.  Deal with it.  I got a care package in the mail a couple of days ago from my niece and her daughter.  Inside was a wig she was passing on to me and 2 t-shirts they had made.  Both pink, both with owls on them.  They say "Save the Hooters".  They heard about me burning a hole in my last shirt and wanted to replace it.  I cried.  I'm wearing one today and it matches wonderfully with my fingernails. I thought I would feel better by now, since it's been 1-1/2 weeks since my last treatment, but apparently the poison has other plans.  Not quite up to par yet and I have chemo again on T...