Shot of instant fatigue

Yesterday I went for my Neulasta injection, and it was like they gave me a shot of instant fatigue.  Just wiped me out.  Had to come home and sleep for an hour and a half.  Felt pretty wiped out the rest of the day.  Sadly, the shuttle launch was scrubbed, but hopefully it will go on Monday.  Last night I took a sleeping pill and slept great.  Feeling a bit tired this morning, even after 9 hours of sleep.  Maybe once I get moving, I'll feel better.  I've been taking my anti-nausea meds on a regular schedule, and that seems to be working great.  A little bit of nausea the evening of chemotherapy and the next morning, but it was tolerable, and that was it.  Not too much other news to report at the moment. 

Chemo round 2 is history.....movin' on.......

A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.   - Anonymous

I'm happy to report that chemo #2 went very smoothly.....and quickly....once we got into the chemo room.  My plan of getting there early, hoping to get in earlier didn't work, unfortunately.  My original appointment was at 1045, but I called the office yesterday to see if by chance there had been any cancellations earlier in the morning.  She told me to come in a little before 1000, and Dr. Sprawls could probably see me at 1000.  So, we arrived there at 0945, but Dr. Sprawls was already running way behind.  They finally called us back to an exam room at 1030, and we were excited because that was earlier than my original appointment!  However, he didn't actually come into the exam room until 1115!  By that time we were pretty antsy, upset, and worried about the timing.  You see, the issue is that I have to have a Neulasta injection on Friday, but it can't be sooner than 24 hours after the chemo finishes (and it has to be within 72 hours).  I was worried that if all the little PacMan guys didn't finish entering my system to "do their thing" until 1400 or 1500, then I couldn't get my Neulasta until 1400 or 1500 tomorrow, and I would probably miss the shuttle launch or see it from some traffic jam.  ANYWAY, Dr. Sprawls was his usual funny, laid-back self, and he had us laughing and joking and talking, even though we were a little grouchy when he first walked into the room.  He's a really likable guy, though, and we forgot about our troubles for the time being.  We finally got back to the "chemo suite" around noon, and they hooked up the various bags of poison.  The first one (pushing the Adriamycin) only took about 15 minutes, and the second one (Cytoxan) took about an hour, so I was all finished at 1325.  And I made my appointment for the Neulasta for 1330 tomorrow at the Merritt Island office!  I should have no problem making it back to the RV to see the launch -- this is a great park to see the launches from!  Okay, well, I realize I just got a little long-winded with a few too many details about nothingness when I could have just gotten right to the point and said I'm going for Neulasta at 1330 tomorrow.  I don't feel like erasing it all and starting over, so just skip over the "nothingness." 

After chemo, Ken and I went and had a nice lunch at Grill's in Port Canaveral.  Sat outside and enjoyed a nice breeze. 

Now I'm about ready to head to bed.  Starting feeling slightly nauseous with a headache around 1830ish.  I've taken my anti-nausea med, had some ginger ale, took some ginger root capsules.  Feeling a little better now, although quite tired.  Got up at 0420 to get transcription done before my appointment.  I was totally overwhelmed with work yesterday -- 250 minutes of dictation for one day (another useless detail, but that's a LOT) -- but 2 of my girls responded to my S-O-S and so willingly said they'd take on even more work than they already had!  Don't know what I'd do without 'em! 

G'night, folks!  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Hugs from Florida.

White count up : )

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.  – Eleanor Roosevelt


Went for the blood draw yesterday morning and was very distraught to find out that Katie wasn't there after all.  That girl can get blood from a stone!  Thankfully it wasn't the same girl that was there on Friday -- it was Marsha yesterday.  She had trouble getting the blood to flow at first but then got it going.  Yay!  She said the results would probabbly be ready by 1530 yesterday -- they weren't.  But they were ready this morning, and my white count was back up in the normal range.  Double yay!  And everything else looked fine, too, at least to my untrained eyes.  Nothing was flagged, and I'm sure they would have called me if there was a problem.  So I guess that means I'm good to go for chemo round 2.  I'm a little worried about the timing of the Neulasta injection on Friday.  I'm afraid I'm going to miss the shuttle launch or be stuck in the dreaded traffic.  Just found out that they are letting the schools out early around here on Friday because of the launch and traffic, etc.  It's unprecedented -- they have never done that for a shuttle launch before. 

Ken and I went out to dinner this evening -- to a local "haunt" to listen to one of our favorite local musicians.  He's so entertaining.  And it was a relatively fun evening, except that Ken opted for the wig for tonight's head gear -- my first time out in public since the big head shaving (other than to the lab for blood work).  Oooooeeeee!  That thing is going to take some getting used to!  I was SOOOO uncomfortable.  Felt like some kind of impersonator and was very self conscious.....not to mention that it was scratchy on the scalp, it itched like hell, it was crushing my ears.....and I couldn't wait to get home and take it off!  I don't think I'll be doing the faux hair thing too often.  Bandanas are definitely more my style. 

Not much other news.  I'll keep you posted on how chemo #2 goes.  Hopefully it will be smooth sailing with minimal side effects.  Thanks for all the positive thoughts and good wishes!  Sure do appreciate all the love!    

The epitome of bad hair days!

Ken just finished shaving my head with the dog clippers, and it was very traumatic!  (And I had to wear ear plugs because the clippers were so loud!)  I was hoping I was kidding that we would be spending Easter shaving my head, but I lost a TON of hair in the shower today.  Don't want to clog the RV drains, so it was time for the hair to go.  Losing my hair was way more traumatic than losing my boobs!  Go figure.  This whole journey is so much more "real" now.  I felt like I could hide "the evidence" before.  I could hide the lack of boobs behind a baggy shirt (sort of), but the lack of hair just makes it all so obvious.  But, alas, it's only hair, and it will grow back eventually.  I have some cute hats and bandanas and wigs to help me get through the period between now and "eventually."   

Right now I am wearing the cute pink camo bandana that my sister, Nancy, gave me (along with several others in various colors), and I'm going to go sit outside with my Kindle and get lost in "another world" for the time being.

By the way, that is as close as Ken could get with the dog clippers, but I'm sure the peach fuzz will be going, too.  (photos below)

The photos are titled:  Stage 1 - very short, Stage 2 - Mohawk, Stage 3 - hair be gone, with a wig, with a hat, with a bandana

Happy Easter Eve!

One of the best actions we can take, with courage, is to relax.  – author unknown

This is my good friend, Debbie, and me.  She had (much-needed) breast-reduction surgery a few weeks after my mastectomy, so I nicknamed us the “Bosom Buddies.”  Her sweet sister bought us these adorable shirts, and we wore them out for Mexican dinner last night.  A fun evening!  It was a nice finish to an otherwise interesting day.  My weekly blood draw was yesterday morning, so we got to the lab around 8:40 a.m.  After waiting about 45 minutes and realizing that the receptionist had called 3 people back that came in after me (no appointments; first-come, first-served basis), I said something to her (usually I don’t have to wait any longer than 10-15 minutes).  She realized she had made a mistake and finally called me back next.  Finally!   Only problem was that I am a “tough draw,” and the “fill-in” phlebotomist (due to Good Friday?) could not get a drop of blood from me!  How frustrating was that?!......after waiting 45 minutes!  It doesn’t help that they can only draw from the right arm (no blood draws or BP from left arm due to lymph node removal), so the options are limited.  She offered to try the back of my hand, but I didn’t have much faith in her capabilities at that point.  I asked her when Katie would be back – she’s really good and can always manage to get blood from me – and she said Monday.  So then I had to call the cancer center to see if I could wait until Monday or if I had to go someplace else to be a pin cushion.  My white count was really low the previous week (1.32), but it was expected to be low because the Neulasta hadn’t “kicked in” yet.  Anyway, they said it would be okay to wait until Monday.  Hopefully the numbers will be up, and I’ll be good to go for chemo round 2 on Thursday (4/28). 

After the frustrating start to the morning, we (Ken and I) went to the Barking Gecko for breakfast and then down to the American Cancer Society gift closet in Melbourne.  It was quite an experience “shopping” for cranial prostheses (wigs), head coverings, bras, and foobs (fake boobs)!  I tried on some pretty hilarious wigs – just for the fun of it – and because we needed a good laugh.  I looked just like Bozo the Clown in one of them!  Oh my!  It was something else!  Wudda made a great Halloween costume.  But, alas, I’m not looking for a Halloween costume….I’m talking everyday life here.  So I put the Bozo hair back on the mannequin and settled on 2 rather cute wigs, along with 4 hats/head coverings, 4 bras, and 2 foobs (1 for each side) – all of these items compliments of the ACS.  Pretty nice service they provide, eh?  I’m not actually all that excited about wearing the wigs or the foobs, but I think they will be good to have for nights out or whatever.  Ken expressed an interest in having “a little something there” occasionally instead of the totally flat-chested look; I’m hoping it’s just occasional because I’m really fine with the flat look and was REALLY excited to never wear a bra again!  I might have to change the name of my blog if I have to wear them too often…..LOL!

On our way home from the ACS, we stopped and picked up our mail and had 2 nice packages from Wendy, my sister-in-law, with 2 wigs and 4 hats/head coverings – from her previous journey with breast cancer.  So it was like Christmas yesterday!  And my friend, Debbie, gave me a very interesting book called “Life Over Cancer” – chock full of good info and advice.

The timing on the wigs is perfect because my hair started falling out yesterday afternoon.  I didn’t really notice it until I took a shower before going to dinner.  Suddenly I was standing in about an inch of water…..because the drain was totally covered with hair!  Waaaaahhhhhh!!!  It’s really happening.  I thought my Redken Extreme products were going to save me!  Now it looks like Ken and I might have an Easter head-shaving “party.”  I wonder if we can find some non-toxic paints and color my bald head like an Easter egg??!! 

Today was a fairly relaxing day.  Did some transcription in the morning and then did my 2.2 miles on the Pioneer Trail.  We were trying to think of something fun to do for the rest of the day.  Decided the beach would be way too crowded on a holiday weekend with the Ron Jon Easter Surf Festival going on.  So we opted to go to Cocoa Village for lunch and then walked around the Village window shopping in all the neat little boutiques and shops.  Walked over to the marina to gaze at all the beautiful boats.  And walked back along the river.  It was a nice afternoon.  Of course, all the walking wore me out, and I came home and took a nap! 

And now here it is time to call it another day…….

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!  HUGS to everybody!!

Kayaking was fun!

I have learned to use the word impossible with the greatest caution.  ~Wernher von Braun

 

The kayaking adventure was a success!  Oh, it was so nice to get out in the kayaks once again.  There were about a million (maybe a trillion) mosquitos at the launch site but, once we got out on the water, they weren’t a problem.  It was just so beautiful out there in “the wild.”  We didn’t see any gators…..or any wildlife for that matter……but it was so peaceful and relaxing….just so nice to be out on the water again.  The only other drawback to the whole adventure (besides the mosquitos) was that we kayaked for a little over an hour….and then I came home and slept for 2 hours!!  Seriously!  Eeeh gads!  This fatigue thing is getting a little annoying.  I am NOT a napper – hate ‘em – but I find I just have to give in nowadays.  At any rate, if fatigue is my biggest problem, I’m not going to complain.  I can certainly deal with that.  Things could be so much worse. 

I did change my next chemo appointment to Thursday (4/28) instead of Friday (4/29) with the Neulasta injection on Friday instead of Monday.  I want to see if that works out better as far as the side effects go.  It kind of wreaked havoc with my work week getting the Neulasta injection on Monday (with the nausea all day Monday and Tuesday).  So we’ll see how it goes by changing the schedule.  Also, the next (and possibly final) shuttle launch is on 4/29.  I definitely don’t want to be sitting in a chemo chair and missing another spectacular piece of history.  We have seen so many launches, living here on the Space Coast, and they NEVER get old.  They still bring tears to my eyes.  

I guess I don’t really have much else to report on today.  Feeling great.  Been busy with work.  Walking and/or bike riding every day. 

Now it’s time to curl up with my Kindle and call it a day. 

Good Morning, World!

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.  ~Thomas Carlyle

Bosun and Dory on the RV dash -- right next to my work station -- always ready with unconditional love and kisses......

It’s a beautiful Monday here in Merritt Island (Florida) – sunny, breezy, and 70 degrees, although I’m sure it will be warming up considerably.  We might even take the kayaks out today, which will be a first since my mastectomy 7½ weeks ago.  I’ve come a long way since then and feel that I have regained most of the strength and range of motion in my left arm (where the lymph nodes were removed).  There is still a lot of numbness, and I guess there will be some residual numbness for quite awhile……maybe forever.  But that’s not going to stop me from using a kayak paddle!  I did get a compression sleeve, which the lymphedema therapist said I should always wear when working out, exercising, kayaking, etc. – to help prevent swelling in the left arm. 

Had a fun weekend with 2 other couples/good friends joining us here at the campground.  One couple came for a week, which was really nice, and the other couple came for a long weekend.  It was so nice having them here – such a nice diversion for me.  It was Don’s birthday, so we all chipped in and got 3 dozen steamed crabs (big ones!) Friday night and sat around the picnic table picking crabs.  It was great fun!

The only drawback to the weekend was the “hard hit” I took from the Neulasta injection (that I had on Monday, 4/11).  One of the nurses told me that I would probably experience the side effects within 1-3 days of the injection, which I guess is why I felt so terrible last Monday and Tuesday.  Another nurse told me that the Neulasta has a “peak period” of 7-10 days.  I didn’t really know what she meant……until 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning!  WOW!  Did it ever peak!!  I had the most excruciating lower back pain I’ve ever felt – to the point of tears.  It was unbelievable.  I took 2 Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release gel caps, and Kenny gave me a back rub with some special cream, which didn’t seem to help much, but then he got up and made me a hot pack – so sweet at 3:00 a.m.!!  I didn’t even want to wake him up, but I guess he heard me tossing and turning, moaning and groaning……and crying…..   (I consider myself to have a pretty high pain tolerance, too, but the pain was something else).  The hot pack and the Tylenol helped, and I was actually able to get back to sleep for a few more hours.  It was pretty painful all day yesterday but, as long as I took Tylenol every 4 hours, it was bearable.  The nurse had also told me that the bone/joint pain that I “might” experience would be most prevalent at sites of previous bone injuries – and the pain is caused by the bone marrow regenerating itself.  Who wudda thought bone marrow regeneration could cause so much pain??!  Anyway, I figured I would feel the pain in my right ankle – site of a trimalleolar fracture in 1997.  However, I didn’t feel a thing there – maybe because of the plate and all the screws?  Instead, it decided to zero in on the low back – site of a compression fracture in 1974. 

Anyway, enough of that.  I don’t want to bore you with all these details.  I feel great today, and THAT is what matters!  No low back pain at all, and it’s a beautiful day!  Time to get out and enjoy it!  Hope it’s a nice day wherever all of you are, too!