Happy post 4th of July to everyone. I am finally done with all of my treatments!! Hurray!!
My last radiation treatment was on Monday, 7/2 and everything went well. I definitely have a "sunburn" area on my chest and continue to apply aloe vera gel to my skin, but that's a small price to pay for peace of mind.
I had a check up with my oncologist last week and he said I was doing "fabulous". He's a very nice man who does a great job of providing information in easy to understand language. He's a rather formal guy though, who always greets me with a handshake. He said that I should be fine and don't need to see him again for 3 months. When my appointment was over, he gave me a big hug before saying good-bye. I was quite surprised by his move as we usually just shake hands. I assumed it wasn't the Corleone Hug-of-Death but a true show of affection. I had to laugh, although his behavior is usually formal, he has been examining and touching my breast for over 6 months, so we've definitely moved past the formal stage of our relationship.
This will be my final entry to the blog as there's not much else to write. Once again, my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has provided me with support during this ordeal. You have no idea how much it means to me to know there are so many friends and family out there who cheered me on. It may take a village to raise a child, but it also takes a community of loving friends and family to support people with challenges. Thanks so much!!
I love you all!!
Jean
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Radiation Therapy Begins
Hi all: Yes, the 2nd phase of my treatment began on Monday, May 21st as I started radiation therapy. I've had the first 5 out of 30 treatments (6 weeks X 5 treatments). So far, it's been a breeze. Side effects are skin burns (apply 100% aloe gel 3 times a day) and fatigue (take a nap).
The preparation before the radiation therapy was interesting. Once again, I exposed my breast to a whole new crowd of strangers but at this point, my modesty is totally thrown out the window.
On one of my initial visits, the radiation therapists and nurses took X-rays to determine where the radiation beams should be aimed to avoid hitting my organs, such as my heart and lungs. A good idea!! After they determined the correct beam path, the nurse tattooed 4 little dots on my chest to line up the rays. But before she applied the tattooes, she made a bunch of measurements with a ruler and drew lines on my chest. Now mind you, I was lying on my back with my hospital gown open in the front, so I couldn't see what she was doing. When I got home I took of my shirt and was shocked to see what she had drawn. There were about 15 lines criss-crossed across my chest. I looked like some kind of victim on the TV show "CSI", but instead of a psychopathic killer attacking me with a knife, it looked like a crazed 3-year old had attacked me with a purple felt pen.
There's a waiting room just for the radiation patients and we all sit around in our hospital gowns and chat. There's a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that people work on while waiting. I'm the only one in our morning group who works on the puzzle, but every day there's more and more pieces completed, so there must be other fellow puzzlers working on it when I'm not around.
The actual treatment only lasts 2-3 minutes. I just lie there with my arm raised and this giant round X-ray machine rotates and zaps me with radiation. It's really very easy. No skin burn so far and the fatigue shouldn't hit for a couple of weeks.
Red Mountain Spa
Our trip to the spa was fabulous. Red Mountain Spa is in southern Utah just above the Arizona border. It's in the middle of No-wheresville. It's the high desert (over 3,000 feet altitude) with incredibly clean air and warm weather.
Annette and I utilized as many of the activities as we could in 4 days -- exercise classes (yoga, stretch and Pilates), cooking demonstrations, massages, horse back riding, delicious meals, educational seminars (meditation, self-discovery, lymphatic system) and just hanging out in their hammocks. Annette also took a 3-hour morning trek in the mountains as she's a total stud muffin.
We met guests who came from all over -- Oklahoma, New Jersey, Boston, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, LA, and Washington DC. The place is fabulous that accommodates only 190 guests so it's not too big. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgable. After you've been there a couple of days, they start to know you by name.
They claim to have 60% return rate from their guests and I believe it. Annette and I had such a great time, we signed up to go again in May 2008.
The preparation before the radiation therapy was interesting. Once again, I exposed my breast to a whole new crowd of strangers but at this point, my modesty is totally thrown out the window.
On one of my initial visits, the radiation therapists and nurses took X-rays to determine where the radiation beams should be aimed to avoid hitting my organs, such as my heart and lungs. A good idea!! After they determined the correct beam path, the nurse tattooed 4 little dots on my chest to line up the rays. But before she applied the tattooes, she made a bunch of measurements with a ruler and drew lines on my chest. Now mind you, I was lying on my back with my hospital gown open in the front, so I couldn't see what she was doing. When I got home I took of my shirt and was shocked to see what she had drawn. There were about 15 lines criss-crossed across my chest. I looked like some kind of victim on the TV show "CSI", but instead of a psychopathic killer attacking me with a knife, it looked like a crazed 3-year old had attacked me with a purple felt pen.
There's a waiting room just for the radiation patients and we all sit around in our hospital gowns and chat. There's a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that people work on while waiting. I'm the only one in our morning group who works on the puzzle, but every day there's more and more pieces completed, so there must be other fellow puzzlers working on it when I'm not around.
The actual treatment only lasts 2-3 minutes. I just lie there with my arm raised and this giant round X-ray machine rotates and zaps me with radiation. It's really very easy. No skin burn so far and the fatigue shouldn't hit for a couple of weeks.
Red Mountain Spa
Our trip to the spa was fabulous. Red Mountain Spa is in southern Utah just above the Arizona border. It's in the middle of No-wheresville. It's the high desert (over 3,000 feet altitude) with incredibly clean air and warm weather.
Annette and I utilized as many of the activities as we could in 4 days -- exercise classes (yoga, stretch and Pilates), cooking demonstrations, massages, horse back riding, delicious meals, educational seminars (meditation, self-discovery, lymphatic system) and just hanging out in their hammocks. Annette also took a 3-hour morning trek in the mountains as she's a total stud muffin.
We met guests who came from all over -- Oklahoma, New Jersey, Boston, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, LA, and Washington DC. The place is fabulous that accommodates only 190 guests so it's not too big. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgable. After you've been there a couple of days, they start to know you by name.
They claim to have 60% return rate from their guests and I believe it. Annette and I had such a great time, we signed up to go again in May 2008.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Chemo No More
My wonderful world of chemo is over!! My last treatment was on April 18th and as I told the nurses, "Although I like you, I hope to never see you again." The treatment itself went as before. But that night, at about 7:30pm, my arms became itchy. I looked in the mirror and my whole torso and face were red and swollen. I called my oncologist and he said that I was probably having an allergic reaction to the Taxol. So, I took some Benadryl and the redness diminished. It was my first reaction to any of the chemo medication and am glad it didn't happen until the last treatment.
The next step is 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy. I have a consultation meeting with the radiologist this Friday to set-up my radiation schedule. From what I've heard, the side effects of radiation are minimal. To avoid sun burn-like reactions, I have to apply Aloe cream to my skin and apparently patients become tired. Sounds like a walk-in-the-park compared to chemo.
Wellness Spa
To celebrate the end of chemo, my friend, Annette and I are going to the Red Mountain Spa, a wellness spa in Utah. I was looking for a place in a tranquil setting that had classes to build up my strength. Red Mountain has it all: fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, healthy meals, massages/facials and seminars in a beautiful setting. Guests can participate in as many activities they want, or they can sit by the pool and do nothing at all. Just what Dr. Jean ordered!!
Family Reunion
This weekend, my family on my father's side had a reunion in San Luis Obispo. My uncle organized the whole thing including group dinners, a mini-golf tournament, and lodging. We hadn't all gotten together for about 4 years, so it was fun to hang out. This year we included some people who have been family friends for over 50 years. Unlike families in the movies and on TV, we all get along very well and really never argue. Whenever we get together, it's all about eating, laughing, reminiscing, and appreciating each other. A great time was had by all.
My next blog will probably be in a few weeks after we've been to the spa and I start radiation. Jeannie: Don't worry if I don't post for a while, there just might not be anything to say.
The next step is 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy. I have a consultation meeting with the radiologist this Friday to set-up my radiation schedule. From what I've heard, the side effects of radiation are minimal. To avoid sun burn-like reactions, I have to apply Aloe cream to my skin and apparently patients become tired. Sounds like a walk-in-the-park compared to chemo.
Wellness Spa
To celebrate the end of chemo, my friend, Annette and I are going to the Red Mountain Spa, a wellness spa in Utah. I was looking for a place in a tranquil setting that had classes to build up my strength. Red Mountain has it all: fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, healthy meals, massages/facials and seminars in a beautiful setting. Guests can participate in as many activities they want, or they can sit by the pool and do nothing at all. Just what Dr. Jean ordered!!
Family Reunion
This weekend, my family on my father's side had a reunion in San Luis Obispo. My uncle organized the whole thing including group dinners, a mini-golf tournament, and lodging. We hadn't all gotten together for about 4 years, so it was fun to hang out. This year we included some people who have been family friends for over 50 years. Unlike families in the movies and on TV, we all get along very well and really never argue. Whenever we get together, it's all about eating, laughing, reminiscing, and appreciating each other. A great time was had by all.
My next blog will probably be in a few weeks after we've been to the spa and I start radiation. Jeannie: Don't worry if I don't post for a while, there just might not be anything to say.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
One more chemo to go
This Wednesday, 4/18, will be my last chemo treatment!!! As I've said before, in some ways the time has flown by but in other ways it's been a long haul. At my last check-up with my oncologist, he even said, "There's light at the end of the tunnel, Jean."
In early May, I have a consultation appointment with a radiologist to discuss the 6-week radiation therapy that I'll start after chemo. My current plan (without talking to the radiologist) is to finish chemo, go to a wellness/fitness spa with my friend Annette in early May, and then begin the radiation in mid-May. My oncologist thinks that plan should work.
As my chemo regimen draws to a close, I must thank each and every person who has sent me cards, gifts, flowers, emails, prayers, and thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how much your support has helped me through this ordeal. Most of my strength comes from you!! Thank you so much.
TV Update
I forgot to provide an update on the saga of my new TV. The repair guy eventual brought over a new CPU and power supply. Everything was fine, but 20 minutes after he left, the TV turned itself off again. I literally stood up, pointed to the TV and said something that shouldn't be repeated in this blog. I called the support line and to make a long story short, I was sent a replacement TV and everything's fine now.
Movie Review
"The Hoax" -- Richard Gere (with a prosthetic nose and permed brown hair) stars in a movie about author Clifford Irving who in the early 70's convinced a publisher that Howard Hughes has contacted him to write Hughes' authorized autobiography. I remember this whole story in the 70's as it was big news. Howard Hughes was a notorious recluse at that time, supposedly living in the penthouse of a hotel in Las Vegas with an extreme case of paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (although it wasn't given a name at that time). He was viewed as just plain crazy and the brunt of jokes. The movie is really good as it illustrates how Irving weaves his complex lies and pulls in his researcher and wife. Gere proves that he's a good character actor. With the fake nose and weird hair, he doesn't look like the Sexiest Man Alive.
That's it for now. In my next blog, I'll let you know what the radiologist says and if she agrees with my plan.
Take care,
Jean
In early May, I have a consultation appointment with a radiologist to discuss the 6-week radiation therapy that I'll start after chemo. My current plan (without talking to the radiologist) is to finish chemo, go to a wellness/fitness spa with my friend Annette in early May, and then begin the radiation in mid-May. My oncologist thinks that plan should work.
As my chemo regimen draws to a close, I must thank each and every person who has sent me cards, gifts, flowers, emails, prayers, and thoughts. I can't begin to tell you how much your support has helped me through this ordeal. Most of my strength comes from you!! Thank you so much.
TV Update
I forgot to provide an update on the saga of my new TV. The repair guy eventual brought over a new CPU and power supply. Everything was fine, but 20 minutes after he left, the TV turned itself off again. I literally stood up, pointed to the TV and said something that shouldn't be repeated in this blog. I called the support line and to make a long story short, I was sent a replacement TV and everything's fine now.
Movie Review
"The Hoax" -- Richard Gere (with a prosthetic nose and permed brown hair) stars in a movie about author Clifford Irving who in the early 70's convinced a publisher that Howard Hughes has contacted him to write Hughes' authorized autobiography. I remember this whole story in the 70's as it was big news. Howard Hughes was a notorious recluse at that time, supposedly living in the penthouse of a hotel in Las Vegas with an extreme case of paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (although it wasn't given a name at that time). He was viewed as just plain crazy and the brunt of jokes. The movie is really good as it illustrates how Irving weaves his complex lies and pulls in his researcher and wife. Gere proves that he's a good character actor. With the fake nose and weird hair, he doesn't look like the Sexiest Man Alive.
That's it for now. In my next blog, I'll let you know what the radiologist says and if she agrees with my plan.
Take care,
Jean
Monday, March 26, 2007
Hair -- growth and loss at the same time
Last Monday, I have my regular check-up with my oncologist and he said that I'm "doing great". He's not the most ebullient guy on the planet so I was pleased by his comment. He couldn't say whether my neuropathy would ever go away, but decided to give me a drug at my next chemo (on 3/28) to help curb the severity.
Hair growth and loss
The side effects of the chemo continue to surprise me. The hair on my head is starting to come back slowly, slowly, slowly. My hair looks like a combination of peach fuzz and newly planted grass -- soft but sparse. I've definitely got more white hair than before --ugh!! Known as "chemo hair", the first growth isn't indicative of what it will look like in the long run. The chemo hair may even get curly, although its much too short to know at this point.
While the hair on my head is growing, I'm rapidly losing my eyelashes and eyebrows. I can actually count the number of eyelashes and I'm sure after the next chemo, I won't have any eyelashes left. I used to have to pluck my eyebrows, but that exercise is no longer necessary. Instead, I fill them in with an eyebrow pencil.
When I asked the nurse why I'm growing hair on my head, but losing it around my eyes, she just shrugged. Just another inconsistency in the side effects.
Movie Reviews
"Music and Lyrics" -- This romantic comedy with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, isn't one of the best, but it's entertaining. As an aging 80's pop star, he seems a bit old for her, but the pseudo 80's video that is shown is hilarious. He also has a weird signature dance where he swivel his hips and jerks his hands as if driving a motorcycle. Very funny.
"Amazing Grace" -- Based on the life of William Wilberforce who fought for 20 years to get anti-slavery laws passed in the House of Parliament in the late 18th century. Because many of his colleagues were landowners in the new America, he fought for 20 years on his anti-slavery platform. The movie gets its title from Wilberforce's relationship with John Newton, a former slave ship owner who wrote the song "Amazing Grace". Newton is old and blind and lives a poverty-strickened monastic life as his personal penance for the thousands of people he enslaved. The lyrics of "Amazing Grace" refers to Newton's life -- "I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see." While not a perfect film (a bit too long), it's worth seeing.
"Starter for 10" -- Another quirky British comedy about a working-class guy who gets into Bristol University in the 80's and joins a College Bowl-type of team to gain acceptance with the students. James McAvoy stars in the film. He was so great in "The Last King of Scotland" as Idi Amin's physician and plays a completely different role in this film. He's really cute and enduring in this film and may be on his way to become a big star.
Next chemo
My next -- and 2nd to last -- chemo treatment will be on Wednesday, 3/28. At this point, I'm want to get the whole thing done. As I keep saying, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter and brighter with each day. Soon it will be a white hot light and time to celebrate!!
Hair growth and loss
The side effects of the chemo continue to surprise me. The hair on my head is starting to come back slowly, slowly, slowly. My hair looks like a combination of peach fuzz and newly planted grass -- soft but sparse. I've definitely got more white hair than before --ugh!! Known as "chemo hair", the first growth isn't indicative of what it will look like in the long run. The chemo hair may even get curly, although its much too short to know at this point.
While the hair on my head is growing, I'm rapidly losing my eyelashes and eyebrows. I can actually count the number of eyelashes and I'm sure after the next chemo, I won't have any eyelashes left. I used to have to pluck my eyebrows, but that exercise is no longer necessary. Instead, I fill them in with an eyebrow pencil.
When I asked the nurse why I'm growing hair on my head, but losing it around my eyes, she just shrugged. Just another inconsistency in the side effects.
Movie Reviews
"Music and Lyrics" -- This romantic comedy with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, isn't one of the best, but it's entertaining. As an aging 80's pop star, he seems a bit old for her, but the pseudo 80's video that is shown is hilarious. He also has a weird signature dance where he swivel his hips and jerks his hands as if driving a motorcycle. Very funny.
"Amazing Grace" -- Based on the life of William Wilberforce who fought for 20 years to get anti-slavery laws passed in the House of Parliament in the late 18th century. Because many of his colleagues were landowners in the new America, he fought for 20 years on his anti-slavery platform. The movie gets its title from Wilberforce's relationship with John Newton, a former slave ship owner who wrote the song "Amazing Grace". Newton is old and blind and lives a poverty-strickened monastic life as his personal penance for the thousands of people he enslaved. The lyrics of "Amazing Grace" refers to Newton's life -- "I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see." While not a perfect film (a bit too long), it's worth seeing.
"Starter for 10" -- Another quirky British comedy about a working-class guy who gets into Bristol University in the 80's and joins a College Bowl-type of team to gain acceptance with the students. James McAvoy stars in the film. He was so great in "The Last King of Scotland" as Idi Amin's physician and plays a completely different role in this film. He's really cute and enduring in this film and may be on his way to become a big star.
Next chemo
My next -- and 2nd to last -- chemo treatment will be on Wednesday, 3/28. At this point, I'm want to get the whole thing done. As I keep saying, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter and brighter with each day. Soon it will be a white hot light and time to celebrate!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
March into spring
Sorry I haven't submitted a blog lately. I've been reminded by several people, including the infamous Jeannie, that I've been remiss. Nothing's wrong, just getting a bit lazy I guess.
Treatment update
I had my 6th chemo treatment on Wednesday, 3/7. My good friend, Nancy, drove me to the appointment and we had a great chat -- in between my frequent naps.
Unlike the previous treatment, I had limited muscle and joint pain, which was good. I did, however, get neuropathy (numbness) in my feet and fingers. It's a weird sensation because of the prolonged time. Unlike when you fall asleep on my hand and it goes numb, with neuropathy you can't shake off the tingling by simply flapping your fingers around. The numbness and tingling remains for several days. The feet are the worse as it's difficult to walk around, but since I'm not going anywhere anyway, I just continue my deep relationship with my couch.
TV on the fritz
As they say, timing is everything. 2 days before my chemo, my semi-new 42" plasma TV decided it wanted to turn itself off all of the time. Not conducive to watching anything for more than 2 minutes. Ugh!!! So I called tech support who walked me through some steps that helped temporarily. Called again and received more instructions (unplug the TV from the power strip and plug it directly ino the wall, change the source on the remote) which didn't help. So, they said they'd send over a part to the technician who would call and repair the TV on Friday. FRIDAY!! That's 2 post chemo days without a TV.
Now, I'm trying to manage my treatments with limited sympathy, but every once in a while it's helpful to throw out the Cancer Card. While the support guy was sympathetic to my plight ("I'm having chemo in 2 days and all I do is watch TV for a week!! Can't you help me?"), he couldn't speed up the process.
So, then I get a call on Thursday from the technician who said that the part has been back ordered and they don't know when it will be available. If they can't get the part within 10 working days of my request, they're going to send over a new TV. Until then, I'm watching my little 20" TV that I moved from my kitchen. Not the end of the world, but inconvenient to say the least.
Embrace your baldness, part II
So there are definitely pros and cons to being bald. The obvious downside is that you look like a dork -- despite what Ms. Brittany Spears may have thought. Mother Nature intended women to have hair on their head. Even Cleopatra had a perm. Guys look okay bald -- Yul Brynner, Bruce Willis, Michael Jordan all look great. Name me one woman who looks good bald. Even Sinead O'Connor looks better with hair. By the way, whatever happened to her?? Probably opened a wig shop in Dublin.
But the upside is that you save tons of time and money. Getting ready in the morning is a breeze. I can shower and be done in 5 minutes. No shampoo or expensive conditioner that I get from Japan. No blow drying in an attempt to create a coiffure. Just towel dry and I'm done. Also, no shaving is necessary -- another time savings.
I'm losing my eyebrows and eyelashes now though and that creates other issues (besides looking dorky). When I exercise, there's no hair to stop the sweat from flowing directly into my eyes. You kind of take it for granted when you've got eyebrows. Beside framing your face, eyebrows protect your eyes. So I just have to keep a towel handy when I'm at the gym and wipe down my head.
6 down, 2 to go
Only 2 chemo treatments left and I'll be done in mid-April. HURRAY!!! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
Treatment update
I had my 6th chemo treatment on Wednesday, 3/7. My good friend, Nancy, drove me to the appointment and we had a great chat -- in between my frequent naps.
Unlike the previous treatment, I had limited muscle and joint pain, which was good. I did, however, get neuropathy (numbness) in my feet and fingers. It's a weird sensation because of the prolonged time. Unlike when you fall asleep on my hand and it goes numb, with neuropathy you can't shake off the tingling by simply flapping your fingers around. The numbness and tingling remains for several days. The feet are the worse as it's difficult to walk around, but since I'm not going anywhere anyway, I just continue my deep relationship with my couch.
TV on the fritz
As they say, timing is everything. 2 days before my chemo, my semi-new 42" plasma TV decided it wanted to turn itself off all of the time. Not conducive to watching anything for more than 2 minutes. Ugh!!! So I called tech support who walked me through some steps that helped temporarily. Called again and received more instructions (unplug the TV from the power strip and plug it directly ino the wall, change the source on the remote) which didn't help. So, they said they'd send over a part to the technician who would call and repair the TV on Friday. FRIDAY!! That's 2 post chemo days without a TV.
Now, I'm trying to manage my treatments with limited sympathy, but every once in a while it's helpful to throw out the Cancer Card. While the support guy was sympathetic to my plight ("I'm having chemo in 2 days and all I do is watch TV for a week!! Can't you help me?"), he couldn't speed up the process.
So, then I get a call on Thursday from the technician who said that the part has been back ordered and they don't know when it will be available. If they can't get the part within 10 working days of my request, they're going to send over a new TV. Until then, I'm watching my little 20" TV that I moved from my kitchen. Not the end of the world, but inconvenient to say the least.
Embrace your baldness, part II
So there are definitely pros and cons to being bald. The obvious downside is that you look like a dork -- despite what Ms. Brittany Spears may have thought. Mother Nature intended women to have hair on their head. Even Cleopatra had a perm. Guys look okay bald -- Yul Brynner, Bruce Willis, Michael Jordan all look great. Name me one woman who looks good bald. Even Sinead O'Connor looks better with hair. By the way, whatever happened to her?? Probably opened a wig shop in Dublin.
But the upside is that you save tons of time and money. Getting ready in the morning is a breeze. I can shower and be done in 5 minutes. No shampoo or expensive conditioner that I get from Japan. No blow drying in an attempt to create a coiffure. Just towel dry and I'm done. Also, no shaving is necessary -- another time savings.
I'm losing my eyebrows and eyelashes now though and that creates other issues (besides looking dorky). When I exercise, there's no hair to stop the sweat from flowing directly into my eyes. You kind of take it for granted when you've got eyebrows. Beside framing your face, eyebrows protect your eyes. So I just have to keep a towel handy when I'm at the gym and wipe down my head.
6 down, 2 to go
Only 2 chemo treatments left and I'll be done in mid-April. HURRAY!!! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Embrace your baldness
Embrace Your Baldness
It's taken me a while to get used to being bald. I was really self-conscious at the beginning, but about a month ago I freed myself from anxiety during a yoga class. I always wear a hat -- even at home -- primarily because my head gets cold. As mentioned earlier, I even sleep with a ski cap on. But sometimes when I get a hot flash, I have to remove the hat as my head begins to sweat.
Well, I wear a baseball cap when I work out. I started taking yoga at the beginning of the year and one day during class my cap fell off while lying down. My head was sweating at that point, so I just left the cap off. When we sat up, I left the cap on the ground. I looked around and realized that everyone was continuing their yoga and could care less about my bald head. At that point, I just let go of my self-consciousness. "Embrace your baldness, Jean!!"
One day, though, I was walking out of the shower at the gym and as I past a woman, her head whipped around and she had a shocked look on her face. I'm sure she was thinking "there's a bald guy in the women's locker room!!" She got over it.
Check up with my oncologist
I had my regular check up yesterday and everything is going well. All of my lab tests are good but my hemaglobin has been decreasing with each chemo session, so my oncologist put me on weekly shots of Procrit. It's typical procedure.
He said I'm doing well and that I "look good on paper". Yeah, except for that small cancer thing, I'm healthy.... ;-)
Academy Awards
My favorite night of TV was Sunday. Although the show was really long, I thought it was a pretty good show. They needed more time for Ellen Degeneres to do her thing and less time on the minor award categories. Do we really need to see the winner for Best Animated Short Filmed on a Tuesday from a Foreign Country with Less than 1 Million People? Snore.... Get to the good stuff.
I loved Forest Whitaker's acceptance speech and am glad that Martin Scorese has finally won an Oscar. I saw all of the Best Picture nominees and agree that The Departed was the best. Apparently the movie studio is trying to put together a sequel to The Departed, but Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin are the only characters left alive at the end of the movie. The sequel could be a very short film.
It's taken me a while to get used to being bald. I was really self-conscious at the beginning, but about a month ago I freed myself from anxiety during a yoga class. I always wear a hat -- even at home -- primarily because my head gets cold. As mentioned earlier, I even sleep with a ski cap on. But sometimes when I get a hot flash, I have to remove the hat as my head begins to sweat.
Well, I wear a baseball cap when I work out. I started taking yoga at the beginning of the year and one day during class my cap fell off while lying down. My head was sweating at that point, so I just left the cap off. When we sat up, I left the cap on the ground. I looked around and realized that everyone was continuing their yoga and could care less about my bald head. At that point, I just let go of my self-consciousness. "Embrace your baldness, Jean!!"
One day, though, I was walking out of the shower at the gym and as I past a woman, her head whipped around and she had a shocked look on her face. I'm sure she was thinking "there's a bald guy in the women's locker room!!" She got over it.
Check up with my oncologist
I had my regular check up yesterday and everything is going well. All of my lab tests are good but my hemaglobin has been decreasing with each chemo session, so my oncologist put me on weekly shots of Procrit. It's typical procedure.
He said I'm doing well and that I "look good on paper". Yeah, except for that small cancer thing, I'm healthy.... ;-)
Academy Awards
My favorite night of TV was Sunday. Although the show was really long, I thought it was a pretty good show. They needed more time for Ellen Degeneres to do her thing and less time on the minor award categories. Do we really need to see the winner for Best Animated Short Filmed on a Tuesday from a Foreign Country with Less than 1 Million People? Snore.... Get to the good stuff.
I loved Forest Whitaker's acceptance speech and am glad that Martin Scorese has finally won an Oscar. I saw all of the Best Picture nominees and agree that The Departed was the best. Apparently the movie studio is trying to put together a sequel to The Departed, but Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin are the only characters left alive at the end of the movie. The sequel could be a very short film.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Chemo Cycle 5
My last 4 chemo treatments are with a different drug -- Taxol. I had my first treatment on 2/14 and it was a challenging day. Taxol is administered through an IV that takes 3 hours, plus a 1-hour prep time.
I had a reaction to the Benadryl for the first time -- tightness in my chest and rapid heart beat. So the nurse gave me Adavant to decrease my anxiety and it completely wiped me out. I fell asleep and when it was time to go home, I was really wobbly. Thank goodness my dear friend, Annette, had driven me to the treatment as I wouldn't have been able to drive home.
When I got home, Annette helped warm up some lunch for me and then I fell asleep. That evening my phone rang and I had been sleeping so soundly, I was completely disoriented as it was dark outside. I had some dinner -- thanks to Charlene -- and then went to bed.
Although I wasn't as nauseous from the Taxol as I had been with the first 2 drugs, I did have muscle and joint pain for about 4 days. The pain was primarily in my lower body -- hips, legs, knees, ankles and feet. Another possible side effect is neuropathy (numbness in feet and hands). While my feet didn't feel numb, they definitely were sore. I've been sore in my joints from exercising, but never in my feet. It was a strange feeling. I have a check-up with my oncologist next week and will ask if my reaction was neuropathy or just joint pain.
So between the joint pain and the overall crappy feeling from the chemo, I once again, spent quality time on my couch for a week. I'm feeling better today but am having problems sleeping at night -- which is par for the course. I usually don't sleep through the night until Week 3. Thank goodness for Unisom.
I had a reaction to the Benadryl for the first time -- tightness in my chest and rapid heart beat. So the nurse gave me Adavant to decrease my anxiety and it completely wiped me out. I fell asleep and when it was time to go home, I was really wobbly. Thank goodness my dear friend, Annette, had driven me to the treatment as I wouldn't have been able to drive home.
When I got home, Annette helped warm up some lunch for me and then I fell asleep. That evening my phone rang and I had been sleeping so soundly, I was completely disoriented as it was dark outside. I had some dinner -- thanks to Charlene -- and then went to bed.
Although I wasn't as nauseous from the Taxol as I had been with the first 2 drugs, I did have muscle and joint pain for about 4 days. The pain was primarily in my lower body -- hips, legs, knees, ankles and feet. Another possible side effect is neuropathy (numbness in feet and hands). While my feet didn't feel numb, they definitely were sore. I've been sore in my joints from exercising, but never in my feet. It was a strange feeling. I have a check-up with my oncologist next week and will ask if my reaction was neuropathy or just joint pain.
So between the joint pain and the overall crappy feeling from the chemo, I once again, spent quality time on my couch for a week. I'm feeling better today but am having problems sleeping at night -- which is par for the course. I usually don't sleep through the night until Week 3. Thank goodness for Unisom.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Journey to Wellness Mid-Point
I've completed half of my chemo protocol!!! Whoopee!! 4 down, 4 to go.
Treatments #5-8 are with a different drug -- Taxol. Yesterday my oncologist indicated that Taxol is usually easier to handle than the first 2 drugs I took. I shouldn't feel as nauseous but there are 2 possible side effects -- muscle/joint pain and neuropathy (numbness in hands and feet). Not everyone is affected with these side effects. If neuropathy occurs, it usually is not until the 4th treatment. The numbness could eventually go away, but it could take years! That's not very good news, but I'm keeping a positive outlook and hoping for the best.
Medical Care
If you read my list posting, you might have seen the comment posted by Laura, one of my chemo nurses. She and all of the staff in my oncologist's office are great. They're incredibly supporting and caring and make my journey much easier and more pleasant. When my friend, Tulin, came with me to chemo, she was impressed by the caring and friendly attitude of the staff and said "you're lucky to be getting such loving care." I couldn't agree more!!
In nurse Laura's comment she says that I'm "kicking cancer's butt" which made me laugh. But it also made me realize that I'm viewing my situation as enduring chemo vs. fighting cancer. Maybe I'm in total denial, but in my mind my cancer is gone. My lumpectomy was successful -- got all of the tumor, the area around the tumor was clear as were my lymph nodes. Chemo is an insurance policy that's killing any microscopic cancer cells looming in my body.
Rewarding Myself -- True Confessions
During my journey, I started rewarding myself in odd ways.
McDonald's French Fries -- I've never been a big fast food addict but enjoyed McDonald's fish sandwich and French Frieds occasionally. I really love their fries. They're the closest thing to a perfect food. I hadn't been to any fast food restaurants since I started Weight Watchers over 2 years ago. But after my lumpectomy, I splurged and bought a order of large fries at the drive through window. I couldn't wait to eat them at home, so I parked in the lot and sat there and ate them -- with ketchup of course. They were great!! After 2 years of no McDonald's fries -- they didn't disappoint.
Clean sheets 2 times/week -- When I began chemo, I started having a hard time sleeping at night. Prior to chemo, I would sleep through the night without ever getting up. But now I wake up 2-3 times a night and often can't get back to sleep for 3-4 hours. Since I'm not working, I can sleep in so I eventually get 7-8 hours of sleep -- just not in a solid block. I love sleeping in clean sheets and if it wasn't an environmental "no, no", I would wash my sheets every day. I usually do my wash once a week, but since chemo I reward myself by washing sheets twice a week. I feel bad about it, but rationalize it as a temporary situation and will go back to weekly washings after my chemo is done.
Banana split -- My potassium levels were low yesterday, so my oncologist told me to eat more bananas. That's easy. But rather than just eat a banana, I bought a Baskin Robbin's Banana Royale which is 2 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, walnuts, cherry ... and a banana. Why not? I deserved it as my check-up went well. ;-)
That's it for this week. Take care everyone. I love hearing from you.
Jean
Treatments #5-8 are with a different drug -- Taxol. Yesterday my oncologist indicated that Taxol is usually easier to handle than the first 2 drugs I took. I shouldn't feel as nauseous but there are 2 possible side effects -- muscle/joint pain and neuropathy (numbness in hands and feet). Not everyone is affected with these side effects. If neuropathy occurs, it usually is not until the 4th treatment. The numbness could eventually go away, but it could take years! That's not very good news, but I'm keeping a positive outlook and hoping for the best.
Medical Care
If you read my list posting, you might have seen the comment posted by Laura, one of my chemo nurses. She and all of the staff in my oncologist's office are great. They're incredibly supporting and caring and make my journey much easier and more pleasant. When my friend, Tulin, came with me to chemo, she was impressed by the caring and friendly attitude of the staff and said "you're lucky to be getting such loving care." I couldn't agree more!!
In nurse Laura's comment she says that I'm "kicking cancer's butt" which made me laugh. But it also made me realize that I'm viewing my situation as enduring chemo vs. fighting cancer. Maybe I'm in total denial, but in my mind my cancer is gone. My lumpectomy was successful -- got all of the tumor, the area around the tumor was clear as were my lymph nodes. Chemo is an insurance policy that's killing any microscopic cancer cells looming in my body.
Rewarding Myself -- True Confessions
During my journey, I started rewarding myself in odd ways.
McDonald's French Fries -- I've never been a big fast food addict but enjoyed McDonald's fish sandwich and French Frieds occasionally. I really love their fries. They're the closest thing to a perfect food. I hadn't been to any fast food restaurants since I started Weight Watchers over 2 years ago. But after my lumpectomy, I splurged and bought a order of large fries at the drive through window. I couldn't wait to eat them at home, so I parked in the lot and sat there and ate them -- with ketchup of course. They were great!! After 2 years of no McDonald's fries -- they didn't disappoint.
Clean sheets 2 times/week -- When I began chemo, I started having a hard time sleeping at night. Prior to chemo, I would sleep through the night without ever getting up. But now I wake up 2-3 times a night and often can't get back to sleep for 3-4 hours. Since I'm not working, I can sleep in so I eventually get 7-8 hours of sleep -- just not in a solid block. I love sleeping in clean sheets and if it wasn't an environmental "no, no", I would wash my sheets every day. I usually do my wash once a week, but since chemo I reward myself by washing sheets twice a week. I feel bad about it, but rationalize it as a temporary situation and will go back to weekly washings after my chemo is done.
Banana split -- My potassium levels were low yesterday, so my oncologist told me to eat more bananas. That's easy. But rather than just eat a banana, I bought a Baskin Robbin's Banana Royale which is 2 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, walnuts, cherry ... and a banana. Why not? I deserved it as my check-up went well. ;-)
That's it for this week. Take care everyone. I love hearing from you.
Jean
Monday, January 22, 2007
1 day to half-way point
Tomorrow I have my 4th round of chemo which marks the half-way point in my treatment!! In some ways it seems like the time has gone by fast but in other ways, it seems like a long time. I can't explain it, but there it is.
Good Week
Last week was my "good" or week 3, so I did as much activity as possible. I went to the gym 5 times, went out for meals with friends (Tulin, Ann, Phil and Karen) and family (Sei and Karen), saw several movies (more below) and the Book Club came over our monthly meeting. It was a great week.
During my good week, I should be doing the hundred projects around my house, but I get cabin fever because I've cooped up for the 2 prior weeks. Tomorrow I'm back to week 1.
Movie Reviews
"Notes on a Scandal" -- Oscar buzz has been centered around Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren and while both of them were fabulous in their respective movies, Dame Judi Dench is far superior in this film. "Notes" begins as a simple story of a new art teacher joining the staff of a working-class neighborhood school. Dench's character appears to be a lonely, spinster school teacher who has become cynical after years and years of teaching.
The art teacher (Cate Blanchett) has an affair with a young, male student and Dench finds out. Rather than tell the schoolmaster, Dench confronts Blanchett, asks her to stop the affair and then leaves the information in her back pocket as "it will be useful at a future date". At this point, it becomes apparent that Dench is not as harmless as she appears. Over the course of the film, you realize that she is evil, scary evil, dangerously evil -- Shakespearian level evil. Lady Macbeth has nothing on Dench.
The director unfolds the story slowly, building to its climax. Both women are flawed and their actions are reprehensible. But which one is worse? The music by composer Philip Glass is really heavy handed at the end, but that's the only flaw in the film. It's a must see!!
Last King of Scotland
As if Dench's character wasn't scary enough, Forest Whitaker's portrayal of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, was equally impressive. Whitaker's Amin is charming and engaging one moment and then a mass killing, megalomaniac the next. But the real star of the film James McAvoy who portrays Nicholas Garrigan, a young Scottish physician working in Uganda. Garrigan's story arch is much more intereseting than Amin's. Maybe because Amin's story and fate are well known, I found Garrigan's story more compelling.
Garrigan starts out as an idealistic, young physician who goes to Uganda to work in a small clinic to help the natives. Due to a chance encounter, he's asked to become Amin's private physician. Although he first declines the offer, Amin charms him into taking the job. Over the course of time, Garrigan is seduced by the money, noteriety and influence he wields because of his position. Once he realizes he has sold his soul to the devil, the question is whether it's too late for him to redeem himself. McAvoy is very convincing as the young doctor and it's too bad he hasn't received as much publicity as Whitaker for the film.
The ending of the film is really violent but that reflects the end of Amin's regime. I closed my eyes during a torture scene. It was pretty bad. Other than that, the film is worth seeing.
Chemo cycle 4
After each chemo cycle, it takes me a little longer to bounce back -- which is normal. So, I expect to be pretty tired for a week beginning tomorrow. My friend, Sue gave me the entire series of "The West Wing" on DVD for Christmas, so I expect to be spending the next few days on my couch with Jed Bartlett and his staff. It's my favorite show so I'm not complaining.
Best to you.
Jean
Good Week
Last week was my "good" or week 3, so I did as much activity as possible. I went to the gym 5 times, went out for meals with friends (Tulin, Ann, Phil and Karen) and family (Sei and Karen), saw several movies (more below) and the Book Club came over our monthly meeting. It was a great week.
During my good week, I should be doing the hundred projects around my house, but I get cabin fever because I've cooped up for the 2 prior weeks. Tomorrow I'm back to week 1.
Movie Reviews
"Notes on a Scandal" -- Oscar buzz has been centered around Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren and while both of them were fabulous in their respective movies, Dame Judi Dench is far superior in this film. "Notes" begins as a simple story of a new art teacher joining the staff of a working-class neighborhood school. Dench's character appears to be a lonely, spinster school teacher who has become cynical after years and years of teaching.
The art teacher (Cate Blanchett) has an affair with a young, male student and Dench finds out. Rather than tell the schoolmaster, Dench confronts Blanchett, asks her to stop the affair and then leaves the information in her back pocket as "it will be useful at a future date". At this point, it becomes apparent that Dench is not as harmless as she appears. Over the course of the film, you realize that she is evil, scary evil, dangerously evil -- Shakespearian level evil. Lady Macbeth has nothing on Dench.
The director unfolds the story slowly, building to its climax. Both women are flawed and their actions are reprehensible. But which one is worse? The music by composer Philip Glass is really heavy handed at the end, but that's the only flaw in the film. It's a must see!!
Last King of Scotland
As if Dench's character wasn't scary enough, Forest Whitaker's portrayal of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, was equally impressive. Whitaker's Amin is charming and engaging one moment and then a mass killing, megalomaniac the next. But the real star of the film James McAvoy who portrays Nicholas Garrigan, a young Scottish physician working in Uganda. Garrigan's story arch is much more intereseting than Amin's. Maybe because Amin's story and fate are well known, I found Garrigan's story more compelling.
Garrigan starts out as an idealistic, young physician who goes to Uganda to work in a small clinic to help the natives. Due to a chance encounter, he's asked to become Amin's private physician. Although he first declines the offer, Amin charms him into taking the job. Over the course of time, Garrigan is seduced by the money, noteriety and influence he wields because of his position. Once he realizes he has sold his soul to the devil, the question is whether it's too late for him to redeem himself. McAvoy is very convincing as the young doctor and it's too bad he hasn't received as much publicity as Whitaker for the film.
The ending of the film is really violent but that reflects the end of Amin's regime. I closed my eyes during a torture scene. It was pretty bad. Other than that, the film is worth seeing.
Chemo cycle 4
After each chemo cycle, it takes me a little longer to bounce back -- which is normal. So, I expect to be pretty tired for a week beginning tomorrow. My friend, Sue gave me the entire series of "The West Wing" on DVD for Christmas, so I expect to be spending the next few days on my couch with Jed Bartlett and his staff. It's my favorite show so I'm not complaining.
Best to you.
Jean
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Health update -- I saw my oncologist on Thursday and apparently I didn't have the flu last week as my white count was normal. He said it was probably just a virus. He can't predict if I'd get it again, but said to call him if I ever get a fever again. Whatever... Either way, I'm fine now. This begins my "good" week, so the plan is to see lots of people, go to the gym and catch a few movies.
What you learn when you stay at home -- Although I've only been off work for almost 1 month, there are a few things that I've learned:
Days of the week are irrelevant -- With the exception of my doctor and chemo appointments, it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is. If the Wall Street Journal isn't delivered to my doorstep, then it must be Sunday. While this all might sound desirable, it really isn't. I feel unproductive -- even though there are tons of projects around the house. I'm so tired on Week 1 and part of Week 2, I don't do much. Then on Week 3, I feel so much better, the last thing I want to do is stick around the house.
Mail delivery time is random -- My mailman must like variety in his delivery route as my mail arrives anywhere from 9:00am to 5:00pm. I'm sure if I had to deliver the mail everyday, I'd try to spice up the day with variety as well.
Daytime TV is crap -- First of all, this statement does not reference the daily soap operas. Although I no longer view the soaps, during college I was addicted to "Ryan's Hope", "All My Children", and "General Hospital". In those days, the soaps were only 30-minutes long, so the cast lists were smaller. Most of the people I saw on the soaps must be either dead or grandparents by now.
No, the crap on TV I'm talking about is the confrontational talk and judge shows (grammatical should say "judicial" shows, but that would give them too much credit). The topics and guests usually revolve around the paternity of a child.
Here's a typical show:
Host/Judge: "We're here to determine the paternity of Female Guest 1's (FG1) 4-year old son. Please tell us your story."
FG1: "Four years ago I was close with Male Guest 1 (MG1) and I know that he be the father of my child. He needs to start taking care of his family and payin' some money." [FG1 is an overweight, gap-toothed women who wears shirts and skirts that are 4 sizes too small for her. She dons purple and gold eye shadow to match her purple finger nails. She's a Glamour Magazine "don't" in every category imaginable.]
MG1: "I know that FG1 was [bleeping] with 3 other guys when we was together and I know he aint my kid 'cuz he don't even look like me." [MG1 isn't any prize either. He's usually missing a few front teeth and wears ripped jeans with his butt hanging out.]
FG1: "How can you say such a [bleeping] thing? I know he's your baby 'cuz in my heart I love you and we should be a family."
MG1: "He aint my kid, whore!! Them 2 other guys said that they was [bleeping] you at the same time we was livin' together. He aint my kid!!"
FG1: "No, I wasn't!! They be lying [bleepers]!!!" [FG1 stands up and jabs her finger in MG1's chest, yelling and screaming at him. He pushes her away and she slaps him.]
MG1: "Why would they lie, bitch?"
Host/Judge: "We can solve this issue as I have the results of the paternity test and it shows that MG1 is NOT the father of the child."
At this point, all hell breaks out. FG1 starts to cry, scream and falls to her knees, pounding the stage with her first. MG1 struts around the stage, raising his arms in victory. The audience is screaming and cheering.
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??? And why are they allowed to vote and procreate???? If there's a question regarding the paternity of your child, why would you go on national TV to find out the results? As my mother would say, "why can't they just leave their personal problems at home?"
My friend, Monika, who lives in Germany has said that these types of shows are now getting popular in her country. Great!! It's not bad enough that we export the questionable talents of Paris Hilton and Britany Spears to the world, now we're infecting their television programming with garbage. No wonder the world hates us.
That's my ranting for today.
What you learn when you stay at home -- Although I've only been off work for almost 1 month, there are a few things that I've learned:
Days of the week are irrelevant -- With the exception of my doctor and chemo appointments, it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is. If the Wall Street Journal isn't delivered to my doorstep, then it must be Sunday. While this all might sound desirable, it really isn't. I feel unproductive -- even though there are tons of projects around the house. I'm so tired on Week 1 and part of Week 2, I don't do much. Then on Week 3, I feel so much better, the last thing I want to do is stick around the house.
Mail delivery time is random -- My mailman must like variety in his delivery route as my mail arrives anywhere from 9:00am to 5:00pm. I'm sure if I had to deliver the mail everyday, I'd try to spice up the day with variety as well.
Daytime TV is crap -- First of all, this statement does not reference the daily soap operas. Although I no longer view the soaps, during college I was addicted to "Ryan's Hope", "All My Children", and "General Hospital". In those days, the soaps were only 30-minutes long, so the cast lists were smaller. Most of the people I saw on the soaps must be either dead or grandparents by now.
No, the crap on TV I'm talking about is the confrontational talk and judge shows (grammatical should say "judicial" shows, but that would give them too much credit). The topics and guests usually revolve around the paternity of a child.
Here's a typical show:
Host/Judge: "We're here to determine the paternity of Female Guest 1's (FG1) 4-year old son. Please tell us your story."
FG1: "Four years ago I was close with Male Guest 1 (MG1) and I know that he be the father of my child. He needs to start taking care of his family and payin' some money." [FG1 is an overweight, gap-toothed women who wears shirts and skirts that are 4 sizes too small for her. She dons purple and gold eye shadow to match her purple finger nails. She's a Glamour Magazine "don't" in every category imaginable.]
MG1: "I know that FG1 was [bleeping] with 3 other guys when we was together and I know he aint my kid 'cuz he don't even look like me." [MG1 isn't any prize either. He's usually missing a few front teeth and wears ripped jeans with his butt hanging out.]
FG1: "How can you say such a [bleeping] thing? I know he's your baby 'cuz in my heart I love you and we should be a family."
MG1: "He aint my kid, whore!! Them 2 other guys said that they was [bleeping] you at the same time we was livin' together. He aint my kid!!"
FG1: "No, I wasn't!! They be lying [bleepers]!!!" [FG1 stands up and jabs her finger in MG1's chest, yelling and screaming at him. He pushes her away and she slaps him.]
MG1: "Why would they lie, bitch?"
Host/Judge: "We can solve this issue as I have the results of the paternity test and it shows that MG1 is NOT the father of the child."
At this point, all hell breaks out. FG1 starts to cry, scream and falls to her knees, pounding the stage with her first. MG1 struts around the stage, raising his arms in victory. The audience is screaming and cheering.
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??? And why are they allowed to vote and procreate???? If there's a question regarding the paternity of your child, why would you go on national TV to find out the results? As my mother would say, "why can't they just leave their personal problems at home?"
My friend, Monika, who lives in Germany has said that these types of shows are now getting popular in her country. Great!! It's not bad enough that we export the questionable talents of Paris Hilton and Britany Spears to the world, now we're infecting their television programming with garbage. No wonder the world hates us.
That's my ranting for today.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Wednesday, January 10th
Just after I wrote about my susceptibility to infections on Days 7-11, I got the flu on Monday -- Day 7.
My oncologist had told me that if I get a temperature over 100.5 degrees, then I should call into his office. That happened on Monday, so he called in a prescription for antibiotics for me. It was a 3-day course and I took the final pill today.
Over the past 2 days my temperature has run from 100.5 to 102.5. With the fever, I got headaches, so I also took lots of Tylenol. I ingested 9 pills in a 12-hour period and then read the bottle which said "do not take more than 8 pills over 24-hours." Oops!! So I stopped popping those things.
I asked my parents to bring over some lunch yesterday as I'd run out of food. I asked for some cooked chicken, fruit and orange juice. True to form, my parents arrived 1 hour early (they'll be early to their own funerals) and brought tons of food including some of my favorites -- avocado, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, broccoli, and Wheat Thins. But they also brought 5-pound bags each of oranges and tangarines, 2 half-gallons of orange juice and the biggest bag of oyster crackers I've ever seen (but no soup). They also brought leftovers from a funeral they attended on Monday night. According to my mother "the temple was surprisingly only half filled!! She [the deceased] was a member of the church for over 50 years!!" So lucky for me, there was lots of leftover food.
Then my Book Club buddy, Cindy brought over a delicious pasta and ground chicken dish, so I'm set for food for the rest of the week.
Today is much better. I slept a fair amount last night and my fever seems to be gone. I have my regular check-up with my oncologist tomorrow.
Just after I wrote about my susceptibility to infections on Days 7-11, I got the flu on Monday -- Day 7.
My oncologist had told me that if I get a temperature over 100.5 degrees, then I should call into his office. That happened on Monday, so he called in a prescription for antibiotics for me. It was a 3-day course and I took the final pill today.
Over the past 2 days my temperature has run from 100.5 to 102.5. With the fever, I got headaches, so I also took lots of Tylenol. I ingested 9 pills in a 12-hour period and then read the bottle which said "do not take more than 8 pills over 24-hours." Oops!! So I stopped popping those things.
I asked my parents to bring over some lunch yesterday as I'd run out of food. I asked for some cooked chicken, fruit and orange juice. True to form, my parents arrived 1 hour early (they'll be early to their own funerals) and brought tons of food including some of my favorites -- avocado, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, broccoli, and Wheat Thins. But they also brought 5-pound bags each of oranges and tangarines, 2 half-gallons of orange juice and the biggest bag of oyster crackers I've ever seen (but no soup). They also brought leftovers from a funeral they attended on Monday night. According to my mother "the temple was surprisingly only half filled!! She [the deceased] was a member of the church for over 50 years!!" So lucky for me, there was lots of leftover food.
Then my Book Club buddy, Cindy brought over a delicious pasta and ground chicken dish, so I'm set for food for the rest of the week.
Today is much better. I slept a fair amount last night and my fever seems to be gone. I have my regular check-up with my oncologist tomorrow.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Happy New Year!!
Happy 2007 to all. My holidays were full of friends, family, food, films and football -- more about that later.
My life is now broken up into 3-week segments:
Week 1: Chemo week. Rest, TV and naps. I had my 3rd chemo treatment on January 2nd (great way to ring in the New Year!!). My friend, Tulin, accompanied me to the treatment and we had a great lunch afterwards. Day 1 of chemo isn't usually too bad, but Days 2-4 are not too much fun. I definitely feel as if I'm getting the flu on those days -- nausea, headaches, low energy levels and inability to focus. Those are days are Couch Potato Days.
Week 2: On Days 7-11, my white blood count is down and am susceptible to infection. So that means avoiding crowds, stay warm, and no visits to the gym -- which is a hotbed of germs. Especially now as the New Year Resolution Exercise Newbies flock to the gym. They don't follow gym courtesy and wipe down the weight and cardio machines when they're done. But you can always count on them dropping off the exercise regime by late February.
Week 3: My best week. Have my energy and appetite back. Feel pretty normal. Time to go back to the gym. I took a beginning yoga last last month, which was fun. The plan is to return later this week -- days 12-14. Luckily, last month's Week 3 coincided with the week between Christmas and New Year's. Saw lots of friends and family and ate way too much goodies.
Film reviews
During that week, I saw several films -- all of which were pretty good. Here's a rundown:
"The Departed" -- Another Martin Scorsese near-masterpiece. Not up to par with "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" but really good. Great performances by all of the actors but high body count by the end of the film. According to Scorsese, there aren't any more Irish-Americans left alive in Boston...
"Blood Diamond" -- 2nd film I saw with Leonardo DiCaprio. He's becoming an extremely talented, adult actor. Very violent but tells an important political story. (Sue D.: I wouldn't recommend that you see either of these films. Too violent for you.)
"DreamGirls" -- I saw the play about 25 years ago and the movie doesn't disappoint. Supporting actors, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, steal the movie from the stars (Beyonce Knowles and Jamie Foxx). If you like musicals, this is a must see. If you don't understand the appeal of people breaking out into song during a conversation, this isn't the movie for you.
"Casino Royale" -- Last but not least, "Bond is back". The franchise has moved back to the beginning of Bond's story -- how he became 007, his family background and why he's the way he is. Daniel Craig is a great actor ("Munich", "Road to Perdition", "Layer Cake", and "Sylvia"), so he adds depth to Bond and he's not bad on the eyes. What a hunka, hunka burnin' love!! Word on the street is that the movie studio is scrambling to get the next installment of the franchise out by the end of this year. That would be "007 in 007"!! Can't wait.
CAL Football: And finally, CAL walloped Texas A&M at the Holiday Bowl, 45-10. My long-time college friend Ken, came over and we watched the game on my new 42" HDTV. Great fun!! Go Bears!!
That's all for now. Please post your thoughts or send me an email. I love hearing from everyone.
Jean
My life is now broken up into 3-week segments:
Week 1: Chemo week. Rest, TV and naps. I had my 3rd chemo treatment on January 2nd (great way to ring in the New Year!!). My friend, Tulin, accompanied me to the treatment and we had a great lunch afterwards. Day 1 of chemo isn't usually too bad, but Days 2-4 are not too much fun. I definitely feel as if I'm getting the flu on those days -- nausea, headaches, low energy levels and inability to focus. Those are days are Couch Potato Days.
Week 2: On Days 7-11, my white blood count is down and am susceptible to infection. So that means avoiding crowds, stay warm, and no visits to the gym -- which is a hotbed of germs. Especially now as the New Year Resolution Exercise Newbies flock to the gym. They don't follow gym courtesy and wipe down the weight and cardio machines when they're done. But you can always count on them dropping off the exercise regime by late February.
Week 3: My best week. Have my energy and appetite back. Feel pretty normal. Time to go back to the gym. I took a beginning yoga last last month, which was fun. The plan is to return later this week -- days 12-14. Luckily, last month's Week 3 coincided with the week between Christmas and New Year's. Saw lots of friends and family and ate way too much goodies.
Film reviews
During that week, I saw several films -- all of which were pretty good. Here's a rundown:
"The Departed" -- Another Martin Scorsese near-masterpiece. Not up to par with "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" but really good. Great performances by all of the actors but high body count by the end of the film. According to Scorsese, there aren't any more Irish-Americans left alive in Boston...
"Blood Diamond" -- 2nd film I saw with Leonardo DiCaprio. He's becoming an extremely talented, adult actor. Very violent but tells an important political story. (Sue D.: I wouldn't recommend that you see either of these films. Too violent for you.)
"DreamGirls" -- I saw the play about 25 years ago and the movie doesn't disappoint. Supporting actors, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, steal the movie from the stars (Beyonce Knowles and Jamie Foxx). If you like musicals, this is a must see. If you don't understand the appeal of people breaking out into song during a conversation, this isn't the movie for you.
"Casino Royale" -- Last but not least, "Bond is back". The franchise has moved back to the beginning of Bond's story -- how he became 007, his family background and why he's the way he is. Daniel Craig is a great actor ("Munich", "Road to Perdition", "Layer Cake", and "Sylvia"), so he adds depth to Bond and he's not bad on the eyes. What a hunka, hunka burnin' love!! Word on the street is that the movie studio is scrambling to get the next installment of the franchise out by the end of this year. That would be "007 in 007"!! Can't wait.
CAL Football: And finally, CAL walloped Texas A&M at the Holiday Bowl, 45-10. My long-time college friend Ken, came over and we watched the game on my new 42" HDTV. Great fun!! Go Bears!!
That's all for now. Please post your thoughts or send me an email. I love hearing from everyone.
Jean
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