The week of July 8th -13th was a great one because we got to spend time at our cabin on beautiful Flathead Lake with most of our kids and grandkids. Only Clint & Ashlie and the 4 boys were missing. We love spending time at the cabin, and taking the boat out on the lake. My boys love to waterski, so it's always a good time. Jamie's family, Rick, Cathy & Kelsey came up and spent a few days with us. It was so fun to have them.
The weather did not cooperate at all the few days they were there, though. It was so cold and windy that we didn't even dare put the boat in the water. I was so looking forward to taking them out in the boat to see the sights. Very disappointing that it never happened. The day after they left it was nice again, and the boys waterskiied some more, even though they were
The weather did not cooperate at all the few days they were there, though. It was so cold and windy that we didn't even dare put the boat in the water. I was so looking forward to taking them out in the boat to see the sights. Very disappointing that it never happened. The day after they left it was nice again, and the boys waterskiied some more, even though they weresore!
The next week I was back in Rexburg for Chemo #6, my last chemo - or so I thought. As the nurse was hooking me up to a bag, I asked her when I would get to have the port taken out of my chest (The port is rather sore and uncomfortable at times, so I have really looked forward to
The next week I was back in Rexburg for Chemo #6, my last chemo - or so I thought. As the nurse was hooking me up to a bag, I asked her when I would get to have the port taken out of my chest (The port is rather sore and uncomfortable at times, so I have really looked forward to
getting it out). The nurse told me, "Oh no, you need to keep that in for the maintenance doses of Herceptin for 7 more months." HUH? Wait a minute - that was never mentioned to me in my consult! The doctor must have inadvertently left that out of his "Chemo spiel." Even though I'm done with the toxic chemo drugs, they want me to stay on the Herceptin for 7 more months (to
get a full year dose) every 3 weeks like usual. I was just so shocked to hear that. I had no idea! That means the trips to Rexburg will continue through the whole winter! They told me that if the hospital in Dillon can get Herceptin in, I could do every other treatment there at home. Then I'd only have to travel to Rexburg every 6 weeks. I guess I'll have to contact Barrett Hospital. Gee, that stinks!
Even though I was very bummed to hear about the continued treatments, I guess the good news is that I am officially done with the toxic stuff, so I can look forward to some of the side effects to start wearing off. I am most looking forward to the anemia going away, so I can lose the 80 year-old legs, and getting my hair to grow back! Oh man, am I ever tired of wearing scarves and such all of the time! So in honor of my last "long" chemo day, I am including a picture of two of my chemo nurses (my drug pushers) abusing me. Christy is pushing a "flushing" agent with a syringe in my port on one side, and Brenda is giving me the "white blood cell" shot in the arm on the other side. Fun stuff!
After my "last" Chemo, we dashed to Idaho Falls where I had a consult appointment with Dr. Calvin McAllister, a Radiation Oncologist. Having had months now to resign myself to the probability of having Radiation treatments, I was prepared for the doctor recommending the Radiation, which, of course, he did. This was based on the proximity of the tumor to the chest wall, and the aggressive nature of the tumor, even though it wasn't real big yet. It's still pretty discouraging though, because there will be 33 treatments, Monday thru Friday for about 7 weeks. Such an imposition on my life! So much driving! This is the one time that living in a small town is really inconvenient (I'm not one who cares too much about good shopping & the other amenities big towns have to offer.). If I had to just drive across town for my treatments, it wouldn't be so bad. Even though Chemo is considered a lot more "nasty," at least for me there were only 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart.
For anyone who's really interested - here's a list (starting from the top of my head & working down) of all of the annoying little side effects I have experienced from chemo. I am genuine when I call these side effects "little," because chemo is nothing like it was 20 years ago when it caused people to be so sick, nauseous, and weak that they would rather crawl in a hole and die than take the next treatment. I feel very blessed and fortunate that I'm doing it now instead of then. Also, 20 years ago I would have had five little kids at home. I can't imagine how hard that would be! Anyway, here's my list attempt:
1. The Bald Head: Yep - I have hated the hair loss. Not just the bald head, but the super tender bald head. Hair has been so protective of that skin, that when it gets exposed, it is very tender, wimpy skin. Scarves, bandana's, wigs and such cause pressure points on the head that make it very sore. When I'm at home, I don't wear any of them. Poor Rich has to look at my ugly bald head all of the time!
After my "last" Chemo, we dashed to Idaho Falls where I had a consult appointment with Dr. Calvin McAllister, a Radiation Oncologist. Having had months now to resign myself to the probability of having Radiation treatments, I was prepared for the doctor recommending the Radiation, which, of course, he did. This was based on the proximity of the tumor to the chest wall, and the aggressive nature of the tumor, even though it wasn't real big yet. It's still pretty discouraging though, because there will be 33 treatments, Monday thru Friday for about 7 weeks. Such an imposition on my life! So much driving! This is the one time that living in a small town is really inconvenient (I'm not one who cares too much about good shopping & the other amenities big towns have to offer.). If I had to just drive across town for my treatments, it wouldn't be so bad. Even though Chemo is considered a lot more "nasty," at least for me there were only 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart.For anyone who's really interested - here's a list (starting from the top of my head & working down) of all of the annoying little side effects I have experienced from chemo. I am genuine when I call these side effects "little," because chemo is nothing like it was 20 years ago when it caused people to be so sick, nauseous, and weak that they would rather crawl in a hole and die than take the next treatment. I feel very blessed and fortunate that I'm doing it now instead of then. Also, 20 years ago I would have had five little kids at home. I can't imagine how hard that would be! Anyway, here's my list attempt:
1. The Bald Head: Yep - I have hated the hair loss. Not just the bald head, but the super tender bald head. Hair has been so protective of that skin, that when it gets exposed, it is very tender, wimpy skin. Scarves, bandana's, wigs and such cause pressure points on the head that make it very sore. When I'm at home, I don't wear any of them. Poor Rich has to look at my ugly bald head all of the time!
2. Folliculitis: A few months ago after my hair fell out, my head broke out all over in these icky sores. I found out it was folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles. Nice! So I had to rub an antibiotic lotion on my head for a couple of weeks. It finally cleared up, but the little pink scars seem to be hanging in there.
3. Drippy Eyes & Nose: Totally annoying! Out of the blue my eyes and/or nose would start to just run water. I had to buy boxes of lotion tissues so my nose wouldn't get too sore wiping it all of the time. The runnyness has made my eyes gooey and blurry, so reading the newspaper and books is a lot harder.
3. Drippy Eyes & Nose: Totally annoying! Out of the blue my eyes and/or nose would start to just run water. I had to buy boxes of lotion tissues so my nose wouldn't get too sore wiping it all of the time. The runnyness has made my eyes gooey and blurry, so reading the newspaper and books is a lot harder.
4. Mouth Sores - My Medical Oncologist (Chemo doctor) gave me a folder that listed all of the possible side effects of Chemo. One of them was mouth sores. I thought that sounded awful. I got them, but I was lucky because mine weren't painful. Whenever I eat, I will often get a big bubbly blister in the back of my mouth, which will then pop and break open, but the resulting sore never seemed to hurt. So mouth sores ended up no big deal, thank goodness!
5. Fried Taste Buds: Oh Yeah - Chemo has definitely ruined my love affair with food! It would be easier if it just wrecked the appetite, but no. I have still felt hungry, even starved at times, but food just tastes so metallic, so bland, so off, it's downright hard to eat it no matter how hungry I feel. So my weight has been on a yo-yo. I have lost about 20 pounds at the lowest, but then the tastebuds start to improve on week 3, so I start putting a little weight back on. Then it's time for the next chemo, and my tastebuds & weight go back down again. OK, let's get real, I have been packing an extra 25+ pounds for a number of years, so I haven't missed the 15-20 pounds. I'm just afraid that when my tastes finally come back, I will eat with a vengeance and put it all back on and even more. Now that would be a bummer!
6. Fried Fingers: One of the toxic chemo drugs causes sort of burns on the palms of the hands. I used ice packs on my hands quite a bit during chemo to help keep that down. It wasn't too bad, but a little weird. The only place I had a problem was on the tips of my fingers, where my skin did look kind of burned, and it would split into these little cuts that were just like paper cuts. Pretty sore and slow to heal. My fingertips are shiny and smooth, and the fingerprints seem to be gone. It is crazy how hard it is to turn the pages of a book without fingerprints! My fingertips are also numb. I'm hoping that goes away some day.
7. Bruised Fingernails: The info in my folder advises keeping the fingernails trimmed short. That's because they can start to detach from the quick of the finger, and catch on something, getting easily torn off. I've tried to keep mine short, but my fingernails have been very bruised looking & sore. They are also growing with these little ridges in them. Like the rings of a tree for each new year, I think each ridge on my fingernails represents a new Chemo treatment. Strange!
8. Stomach Issues & Diarrhea: After some of the Chemos, I have had issues with stomach pain & diarrhea. That contributes to the weight loss as well. The info say some women experience diarrhea, & others experience constipation. Both are crummy, but I'll take the diarrhea over constipation any day!
5. Fried Taste Buds: Oh Yeah - Chemo has definitely ruined my love affair with food! It would be easier if it just wrecked the appetite, but no. I have still felt hungry, even starved at times, but food just tastes so metallic, so bland, so off, it's downright hard to eat it no matter how hungry I feel. So my weight has been on a yo-yo. I have lost about 20 pounds at the lowest, but then the tastebuds start to improve on week 3, so I start putting a little weight back on. Then it's time for the next chemo, and my tastebuds & weight go back down again. OK, let's get real, I have been packing an extra 25+ pounds for a number of years, so I haven't missed the 15-20 pounds. I'm just afraid that when my tastes finally come back, I will eat with a vengeance and put it all back on and even more. Now that would be a bummer!
6. Fried Fingers: One of the toxic chemo drugs causes sort of burns on the palms of the hands. I used ice packs on my hands quite a bit during chemo to help keep that down. It wasn't too bad, but a little weird. The only place I had a problem was on the tips of my fingers, where my skin did look kind of burned, and it would split into these little cuts that were just like paper cuts. Pretty sore and slow to heal. My fingertips are shiny and smooth, and the fingerprints seem to be gone. It is crazy how hard it is to turn the pages of a book without fingerprints! My fingertips are also numb. I'm hoping that goes away some day.
7. Bruised Fingernails: The info in my folder advises keeping the fingernails trimmed short. That's because they can start to detach from the quick of the finger, and catch on something, getting easily torn off. I've tried to keep mine short, but my fingernails have been very bruised looking & sore. They are also growing with these little ridges in them. Like the rings of a tree for each new year, I think each ridge on my fingernails represents a new Chemo treatment. Strange!
8. Stomach Issues & Diarrhea: After some of the Chemos, I have had issues with stomach pain & diarrhea. That contributes to the weight loss as well. The info say some women experience diarrhea, & others experience constipation. Both are crummy, but I'll take the diarrhea over constipation any day!
9. Nausea: Hey, I'm counting my blessings here! For me, a better word would be queasiness. After 5 months of chemo, I only threw up one time. Sometimes I felt pretty yucky, but real nausea was never a big issue. They just have pretty good anti-nausea medications these days, thank goodness!
10. Chemo Brain: As a Math teacher, seeing this side effect on the lists just thrilled me. "Impairment in memory & cognitive skills". That's just great! Problem is, I think I have experienced it some. The fact that I get easily confused & forgetful (even more that usual) is cause for concern. I hope that clears up before I start teaching again, because I was already a bit of a Space Cadet as a teacher as it was!
11. Menopause: Before treatments started, I hadn't started a single symptom of menopause. Chemo pretty well took care of that. The menstrual periods are gone, and the hot flashes have kicked in. I certainly don't miss the periods, but the flashes are obnoxious. The doctor told me though, that sometimes after the Chemo clears out of the system, the menopause goes away, and the periods start up again. Hmmmmm! Not so sure if I want that.
12. Anemia: Along with my bald head, the anemia has been one of my most unfavorite things to put up with. Feeling so weak & fatigued has really been a challenge. I guess it takes time for the red blood cells to come back. I guess I'll wait it out, but not very patiently.
13. Unannoying: Every single side effect can't be annoying, right? Well, besides weight loss, which hasn't caused me to shed any tears, there are a few other things that have been A-OK with me. My baby smooth arms & legs! I haven't missed shaving my legs a single bit! And it's been kind of fun to have such smooth, hairless arms. I'll even admit, with the bald head, I've
10. Chemo Brain: As a Math teacher, seeing this side effect on the lists just thrilled me. "Impairment in memory & cognitive skills". That's just great! Problem is, I think I have experienced it some. The fact that I get easily confused & forgetful (even more that usual) is cause for concern. I hope that clears up before I start teaching again, because I was already a bit of a Space Cadet as a teacher as it was!
11. Menopause: Before treatments started, I hadn't started a single symptom of menopause. Chemo pretty well took care of that. The menstrual periods are gone, and the hot flashes have kicked in. I certainly don't miss the periods, but the flashes are obnoxious. The doctor told me though, that sometimes after the Chemo clears out of the system, the menopause goes away, and the periods start up again. Hmmmmm! Not so sure if I want that.
12. Anemia: Along with my bald head, the anemia has been one of my most unfavorite things to put up with. Feeling so weak & fatigued has really been a challenge. I guess it takes time for the red blood cells to come back. I guess I'll wait it out, but not very patiently.
13. Unannoying: Every single side effect can't be annoying, right? Well, besides weight loss, which hasn't caused me to shed any tears, there are a few other things that have been A-OK with me. My baby smooth arms & legs! I haven't missed shaving my legs a single bit! And it's been kind of fun to have such smooth, hairless arms. I'll even admit, with the bald head, I've
gotten to experience what it's like to be a guy when it comes to showering. Just get out, dry off, throw on your clothes, and you're good to go! No blow drying, no curling irons. Men have it made! But...... when my hair does come back, I am not going to complain about having to spend
time fixing it!
Now what everyone (?) has been waiting for - the BALD PHOTOS! Well, not 100% bald. I had a few little tough hairs hang in there, about 3 of them per square inch. I know, these are pretty creepy, but it's definitely part of the experience!
First: Before and after! Which do you like better?! Arf!
First: Before and after! Which do you like better?! Arf!Next: "Clayface" - after my head broke out in sores, and before I knew it was Folliculitis, I thought maybe they were zits, so I put a clay mask all over my face & head to see if it would dry up the zits. I looked so funny (don't know if that's the right word) I decided to take a picture. To heck with the "Blue Man Group", "Green Woman Solo" is way cooler!
Last: "Dramatic" lighting shot taken by Chase. Notice the "angelic" glow he gave me. Also notice the "conehead" bone bump on top of my head! Arf again!
Lalove: In spite of what medical knowledge I know with the classes I am taking, if was very refreshing to hear the details of what a person goes through when on chemo. Just so you know hair or no hair you are indeed one beautiful lady!! We think of you all the time and you are included in our prayers always. Hope to see you this fall when if you come to the Cabin with Rich. Did not get much chance to visit with you when you were here with your family.
ReplyDeleteI love all the pictures mom! Those are great!Your face in the take off the wig picture was perfect and loved the green all over :)
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