The past month has been a steady pace of radiation treatments. Nothing exciting, just going in everyday at 9:20 am, spend 20 or so minutes getting the radiation treatment (lovingly called getting zapped). I had 17 total treatments and the…
First a good news update. Remember that DVT (blood clot in my arm)? I had an ultrasound to check on it and it is gone! No blood clot, no need for blood thinners so I get to stop one pill.…
So…I have good news and I have not as good news. First the good news. The eight weeks I was waiting has come to an end. I had another PET scan on Wednesday. I got the results on Friday. The…
There is a lot of waiting involved in cancer treatment. A lot. Even when there is some urgency to begin treatment or perform a procedure, there is waiting. Sometimes it feels like you will wait forever. Maybe they forgot you.…
I had the 4th PET scan on May 20th to determine how well the chemo worked (or if there was any cancer remaining). The results were inconclusive. I have a Deauville score of 4. There is still something there. It…
This is it. The last Chemotherapy cycle. 6 cycles, 21 days each 126 days 18 weeks 4.5 months 30 days inpatient in the hospital 24 chemo bags 6 Neulasta/Fulphil shots 8 Rituxan treatments 43 Complete Blood Counts W/Auto Diff 43…
Cycle 5 has been very much like the previous cycles. In the hospital the nurses all know me and stop by my room to say hi even if they are not assigned to me. The routine is the same. I…
This week I had a third PET scan, the second since I started treatment. The results show continued progress in shrinking the tumor even if the results are not as dramatic as the last PET scan. Looking at the results:…
There is a routine to these cycles and cycle 4 had very little deviation from previous cycles. Monday I went in, had lab work done, saw my doctor, got the Rituxan injection, and then got admitted to the hospital where…
A long time ago (well, 20 years) I was pregnant with twins at age 35 and I had placenta previa. This was a high risk pregnancy. My OB sent me to a perinatologist for the ultrasounds, amniocentesis, and to make…
Here we are at cycle 3. I have to admit that I went into this round of chemo with a little more enthusiasm since the results of the PET scan were so positive. Knowing that I am getting the right…
I have been through two of six cycles of chemotherapy. So far I am tolerating it well and have minimal side effects. Honestly, aside from the hair loss I have fatigue and a tiny bit of peripheral neuropathy. So how…
The first chemo cycle was a completely new experience filled with many unknowns. The unknowns definitely added to my anxiety. This second cycle had far fewer unknowns and the anxiety levels have been significantly lower. In fact, it felt a…
Our hair is a huge part of our identity. It is often called a woman’s crowning glory. I have had long and very long hair most of my adult life. By very long, I mean past my butt. My hair…
My treatment is what they call EPOCH – a combination of very nasty drugs that kill cancer (die you f*cker). Due to the nature of my chemo treatment, I am in the hospital for each round. I will have 6…