After putting in a full day at work yesterday, Pete had 2 appointments scheduled for this morning. The first was with the neurologist. He said it was a good visit and that the doctor was much more pleasant this time. When he described the headaches he's been having the doctor asked him whether he grinds his teeth at night. Pete's headaches generally do seem to be at their worst in the morning and subside as the day goes on. He recommended trying a mouth guard because the way that Pete described the headaches made him think that they may be stress related and the pain similar to TMJ.
The second appointment later in the morning was for the echo-cardiogram to be done at our local hospital. Ifosfomide, the "I" of the AIM chemo-cocktail, can damage the heart muscle so patients undergoing this drug therapy must be monitored regularly. From there he went directly to work.
The next big event will be Tuesday. When he goes in to start the next round of chemo on the 30th the oncologist will have the report on the CT scan. Pete did mention just yesterday that the pain he was having in the area beneath his shoulder blade has eased recently. That may be an indication that the lesions in his lungs are shrinking and that's exactly the news we'll be hoping to hear next week.
The power of positive thinking...
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Blizzard Changes Chemo Schedule - February 10, 2010
Pete and I drove up for his scheduled appointment to resume his chemo treatments that had been put on hold but we were both wondering what to expect because of the dire weather prediction for another blizzard. We had just come through one that lasted all day Saturday into Sunday and covered us with about 20 inches.
We began by meeting with Dr. W, who gave us the disappointing but somewhat expected report of the CT scan that showed there are new lesions on his lungs and existing lesions have increased in size. I was hoping that nothing would have changed, but since the chemo schedule had been so disrupted, it was not surprising to hear the report.
Because this treatment requires 3 consecutive days of 7 hr long infusions each day we were faced with the following options: 1) go ahead and begin day 1 and then report to one of the hospitals for day 2, as the oncologist's office was anticipating closing due to the weather, and then figure out where to go, office or hospital, for day 3 depending on what that day's weather dictated; 2) reschedule all 3 days.
The weather forecast was so bad Pete chose to hold off and resume chemo next week, and it looks like he made a very wise decision. The storm right along the coast where we live had begun as a wet mix, changed to snow (accumulations of about 5 to 6 inches when I got up this morning), then back to a wet mix since about 8 AM. Away from the coast it's been all snow, but the weather reports continue to predict falling temps everywhere, including the coastal areas, with snowfall and wind increasing through tonight with snow totals of a foot or more for us by the time the storm moves out around midnight.
Schools are closed, officials are telling people to stay home, our governor has declared it a state of emergency. All this and we're still trying to recover from the last blizzard that dumped about 20" of snow on us on Saturday.
We began by meeting with Dr. W, who gave us the disappointing but somewhat expected report of the CT scan that showed there are new lesions on his lungs and existing lesions have increased in size. I was hoping that nothing would have changed, but since the chemo schedule had been so disrupted, it was not surprising to hear the report.
Because this treatment requires 3 consecutive days of 7 hr long infusions each day we were faced with the following options: 1) go ahead and begin day 1 and then report to one of the hospitals for day 2, as the oncologist's office was anticipating closing due to the weather, and then figure out where to go, office or hospital, for day 3 depending on what that day's weather dictated; 2) reschedule all 3 days.
The weather forecast was so bad Pete chose to hold off and resume chemo next week, and it looks like he made a very wise decision. The storm right along the coast where we live had begun as a wet mix, changed to snow (accumulations of about 5 to 6 inches when I got up this morning), then back to a wet mix since about 8 AM. Away from the coast it's been all snow, but the weather reports continue to predict falling temps everywhere, including the coastal areas, with snowfall and wind increasing through tonight with snow totals of a foot or more for us by the time the storm moves out around midnight.
Schools are closed, officials are telling people to stay home, our governor has declared it a state of emergency. All this and we're still trying to recover from the last blizzard that dumped about 20" of snow on us on Saturday.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Whatever He Wants, He Gets - November 11, 2009
Pete lost his appetite around the start of the second round of chemo. He says nothing tastes good anymore. There are some days when all he'll eat are a few pretzels; there have been days when he's eaten nothing. So when he does feel like having something, I'm ecstatic.
He had a craving for pork roll and cheese on a potato roll a few weeks back, so I make sure I have those in the house. He's eaten that a few times. Another day he felt like having meat lasagna, so I called the Italian restaurant down the road and got a take-out order. Of course, even when he does feel like eating that doesn't mean he's going to eat very much. He ate about 1/3 of the lasagna, so I split the remaining piece in 2, and froze them in case he might feel like having that again. The days when he actually eats some kind of food have become few and far between.
He's lost quite a bit of weight. I suppose it was fortunate that he had some to lose at the start of all this. He wasn't terribly overweight, but at 6'4" he was maybe 40#s or so over where he should be. Right now I'd say he's somewhere between "normal" and "thin", but he's got more chemo, then surgery followed by more chemo down the road.
At least he's still maintaining a pretty positive outlook and that's a really good thing. As for eating, whatever he mentions he feels like having, I'll make sure he gets it.
Oh, for those of you who are not familiar with "pork roll", aka "Taylor ham", it's this greasy pork, chopped and mixed with spices and shaped like a roll of bologna stuffed into a cotton casing (think spam, but not in a can). It has a very distinct flavor. It's a NJ original and has been around since the mid 1800's.
He had a craving for pork roll and cheese on a potato roll a few weeks back, so I make sure I have those in the house. He's eaten that a few times. Another day he felt like having meat lasagna, so I called the Italian restaurant down the road and got a take-out order. Of course, even when he does feel like eating that doesn't mean he's going to eat very much. He ate about 1/3 of the lasagna, so I split the remaining piece in 2, and froze them in case he might feel like having that again. The days when he actually eats some kind of food have become few and far between.
He's lost quite a bit of weight. I suppose it was fortunate that he had some to lose at the start of all this. He wasn't terribly overweight, but at 6'4" he was maybe 40#s or so over where he should be. Right now I'd say he's somewhere between "normal" and "thin", but he's got more chemo, then surgery followed by more chemo down the road.
At least he's still maintaining a pretty positive outlook and that's a really good thing. As for eating, whatever he mentions he feels like having, I'll make sure he gets it.
Oh, for those of you who are not familiar with "pork roll", aka "Taylor ham", it's this greasy pork, chopped and mixed with spices and shaped like a roll of bologna stuffed into a cotton casing (think spam, but not in a can). It has a very distinct flavor. It's a NJ original and has been around since the mid 1800's.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Rescheduled - November 03, 2009
Because of the pneumonia, my son's CT scan and next chemo treatment have been rescheduled. He'll finish the antibiotics next Monday so the scan appointment is on Tuesday and the next round of chemo will begin that Friday.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Back to Worrying About My Son - October 15, 2009
I don't know if it's the weather (cold, rainy, dark) that's affecting him, but he's hunkered down in his bed. I finally got him to eat 1/2 bowl of soup early this afternoon, but aside from that all he's had is some ginger ale.
I'm worried about him. Of course, this is the 3rd day after chemo, and that is when he usually has been feeling some unpleasant side effects. If that's it, then he'll hopefully start coming around in a few more days. The problem is that the chemo is cumulative, and it takes a bit longer to get back to "normal" after each treatment.
He's scheduled to continue this regimen for another 3-4 months.
I guess writing about it just helps me express my frustration instead of keeping it all cooped up inside of me.
I'm worried about him. Of course, this is the 3rd day after chemo, and that is when he usually has been feeling some unpleasant side effects. If that's it, then he'll hopefully start coming around in a few more days. The problem is that the chemo is cumulative, and it takes a bit longer to get back to "normal" after each treatment.
He's scheduled to continue this regimen for another 3-4 months.
I guess writing about it just helps me express my frustration instead of keeping it all cooped up inside of me.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
And So It Starts Over - September 02, 2009
Tuesday the chemo started over with the single dose. Next Tuesday, the double dose followed by white blood cell booster on Thursday.
His reaction so far, is good. He wasn't completely wiped out like he was after the last 2 times. Tomorrow will be the real test, though, as he felt pretty good the day after each of the other treatments and didn't really feel lousy until the second day.
The 17th is the big day. That's when he's scheduled for the CT scan. The nurse said that if there is any change they should be able to see it then.
My routine gets all thrown out of whack when I drive into the city. I don't track what I eat on those days, at least not on the computer. I still keep track mentally, but I know I don't wind up as "balanced" as I do when I enter it into the nutrition tracker.
The fire out near where my daughter lives in California is still burning, but it is contained.
Tomorrow is another day.
His reaction so far, is good. He wasn't completely wiped out like he was after the last 2 times. Tomorrow will be the real test, though, as he felt pretty good the day after each of the other treatments and didn't really feel lousy until the second day.
The 17th is the big day. That's when he's scheduled for the CT scan. The nurse said that if there is any change they should be able to see it then.
My routine gets all thrown out of whack when I drive into the city. I don't track what I eat on those days, at least not on the computer. I still keep track mentally, but I know I don't wind up as "balanced" as I do when I enter it into the nutrition tracker.
The fire out near where my daughter lives in California is still burning, but it is contained.
Tomorrow is another day.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Is It the Chemo? - Friday, August 14, 2009
When Pete came home from MSKCC on Tuesday, he looked to me like someone who had been through a difficult time. He was pale, and though he tried to be "up", it seemed to be an effort, so unlike his usual self.
He said he felt fine and that the chemo was not a problem, but by the next morning he admitted he was tired and chose to stay in bed instead of joining me on our morning walk. He was quiet and rather pensive most of Wednesday, but Thursday morning he said he was fine and we went for our walk around the reservoir.
On our walk he told me that he was again having trouble breathing and that he had not slept well in several nights. It was plain to see that he was tired, as the pace he set was not our normal speed. I'm tall (5'7"), but he's 6'3" and for both of us a good part of our height is leg. Most people I walk with have trouble keeping up with me and tell me I'm a speed walker. One of the reasons that I like walking with him is because I have to hustle to keep up with him. Thursday's walk was more like a stroll.
He passed on the walk again this morning. Again, he didn't sleep well, and said that he thought he had run a slight fever over night. He looked even paler this morning, so I was getting more concerned. He got up when I came back from my walk and I made him a Swiss cheese omelet and an English muffin for breakfast and we sat and talked and drank coffee before he retreated back to bed.
He napped off and on throughout the morning. I had a physical therapy appointment at 1, and when I got back, Bruce and I went to run some errands. On our way home he and I talked about mowing the lawn after dinner, but as we pulled in the driveway, there was Pete on the riding mower, just about finished with both front and back yards (it's about 1/2 acre in size). When I looked at him I was surprised and happy to see that his color was back to normal. He said that he had started feeling better and better as the day went on and so decided the lawn needed some serious cutting.
One of his buddies was coming down for a visit this evening. Pete had called him this morning and said that he wasn't feeling up to taking the boat out, so they were just going to hang out. By the time Domingo arrived, however, Pete was just about done preparing the boat so off they went, fishing poles at the ready.
I'm hoping that these not-so-good days since the chemo were due more to nerves and anxiety than to the actual chemo. Tuesday is the next infusion. That one will take 3 hours, twice as long as the first one. They will repeat the one med and introduce the second, which is the one that reportedly has some not-so-pleasant side effects.
He said he felt fine and that the chemo was not a problem, but by the next morning he admitted he was tired and chose to stay in bed instead of joining me on our morning walk. He was quiet and rather pensive most of Wednesday, but Thursday morning he said he was fine and we went for our walk around the reservoir.
On our walk he told me that he was again having trouble breathing and that he had not slept well in several nights. It was plain to see that he was tired, as the pace he set was not our normal speed. I'm tall (5'7"), but he's 6'3" and for both of us a good part of our height is leg. Most people I walk with have trouble keeping up with me and tell me I'm a speed walker. One of the reasons that I like walking with him is because I have to hustle to keep up with him. Thursday's walk was more like a stroll.
He passed on the walk again this morning. Again, he didn't sleep well, and said that he thought he had run a slight fever over night. He looked even paler this morning, so I was getting more concerned. He got up when I came back from my walk and I made him a Swiss cheese omelet and an English muffin for breakfast and we sat and talked and drank coffee before he retreated back to bed.
He napped off and on throughout the morning. I had a physical therapy appointment at 1, and when I got back, Bruce and I went to run some errands. On our way home he and I talked about mowing the lawn after dinner, but as we pulled in the driveway, there was Pete on the riding mower, just about finished with both front and back yards (it's about 1/2 acre in size). When I looked at him I was surprised and happy to see that his color was back to normal. He said that he had started feeling better and better as the day went on and so decided the lawn needed some serious cutting.
One of his buddies was coming down for a visit this evening. Pete had called him this morning and said that he wasn't feeling up to taking the boat out, so they were just going to hang out. By the time Domingo arrived, however, Pete was just about done preparing the boat so off they went, fishing poles at the ready.
I'm hoping that these not-so-good days since the chemo were due more to nerves and anxiety than to the actual chemo. Tuesday is the next infusion. That one will take 3 hours, twice as long as the first one. They will repeat the one med and introduce the second, which is the one that reportedly has some not-so-pleasant side effects.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Chemo Begins Tuesday - August 09, 2009
Pete will be going for his first chemo treatment. His father will be driving him to MSKCC. I had asked if I could go also, but he said he wanted to have the one-on-one time during the drive up and back. I told him I'd be on "stand-by" just in case there are any problems.
He's been coughing and not sleeping very well. Consequently, I haven't been either.
We're switching rooms around, moving him into the master bedroom; my husband and I will move into the other bedroom (currently our computer room) and Pete’s bedroom will become the new computer room. All the rooms really need a good, thorough cleaning and we'll be able to do that during the switch. The master bedroom is large enough so that he'll be able to have an area for a couple of sitting chairs, maybe even the futon, so that if he has company they'll have someplace comfortable and private to sit and visit. There are many more reasons why I want to make this switch, but most I hope will never come to pass.
He's been coughing and not sleeping very well. Consequently, I haven't been either.
We're switching rooms around, moving him into the master bedroom; my husband and I will move into the other bedroom (currently our computer room) and Pete’s bedroom will become the new computer room. All the rooms really need a good, thorough cleaning and we'll be able to do that during the switch. The master bedroom is large enough so that he'll be able to have an area for a couple of sitting chairs, maybe even the futon, so that if he has company they'll have someplace comfortable and private to sit and visit. There are many more reasons why I want to make this switch, but most I hope will never come to pass.
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