Got my port implanted yesterday. Procedure went as expected. Can't lift anything heavy for a few days and cannot play tennis for two weeks! Just as I was getting back into it. Well, that won't stop me from getting back to it again! Today the area is sore, I'm taking ibuprofen and icing it. Later we'll leave for SCCA for my first chemo treatment. How fun is that? But it is treatment one of eight, so the countdown begins. My friend, Stephanie, who is also a nurse, is going to meet me there and stay for a while. Good to have someone like her by my side - she is also a breast cancer survivor.
Right now I'm looking at getting an IPad to keep entertained for future treatments. Though I still have enough books to keep up with my reading spree.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Port of call, and I don't mean a cruise ship
Well, I was scheduled to have my port put in today, but it got pushed back to tomorrow. I was supposed to show up at the UW Surgical Pavilion at 8, but now it's the UW Hospital at 7 (same location, different entrances).
But let me back up to the teach I had on Friday, which was to review the port and chemo procedures. I lost it when the nurse said I'd have the port for a year! My chemo is 4 months! What the ... ? I'll be losing the stoma in February 2014 so why does the port have to hang around (any port in a storm)? Turns out, she was misinformed. Oops. I'd left a message with the medical oncologist's nurse and she called back and said I will have it removed after chemo. Sigh, big relief. People, after my surgery in February I want to forget this whole episode of my life, except for the extraordinary support I have gotten from friends, family and co-workers! And, of course, my husband David!
So tomorrow I get this thing stuck under my skin with a bump where the port is and a tube going directly to my heart. On Wednesday, I first get blood drawn (now through my port rather than my arm), then wait an hour for my provider (really doctor) to see results, and then they start the infusion - first with steroids and antibiotics and saline solution and I don't know what else (except vodka!). Then I get the chemo started and they give me this, I'm sorry, really ugly 'fanny pack' to wear with a pump and two days supply of chemo that I get to wear all of the time. It's like being a drug addict without any of the benefits! Then on Friday I get disconnected, just in time for happy hour!
Well, I will deal with this. I was able to play tennis recently and have begun my workouts with Bronsa. I've been walking and I've climbed the stairs by our house - all 196 of them. As far as I'm concerned, I'm in the home stretch and the rest of what I will have to deal with is just getting back my fitness while working around these treatments.
The lioness is back.
But let me back up to the teach I had on Friday, which was to review the port and chemo procedures. I lost it when the nurse said I'd have the port for a year! My chemo is 4 months! What the ... ? I'll be losing the stoma in February 2014 so why does the port have to hang around (any port in a storm)? Turns out, she was misinformed. Oops. I'd left a message with the medical oncologist's nurse and she called back and said I will have it removed after chemo. Sigh, big relief. People, after my surgery in February I want to forget this whole episode of my life, except for the extraordinary support I have gotten from friends, family and co-workers! And, of course, my husband David!
So tomorrow I get this thing stuck under my skin with a bump where the port is and a tube going directly to my heart. On Wednesday, I first get blood drawn (now through my port rather than my arm), then wait an hour for my provider (really doctor) to see results, and then they start the infusion - first with steroids and antibiotics and saline solution and I don't know what else (except vodka!). Then I get the chemo started and they give me this, I'm sorry, really ugly 'fanny pack' to wear with a pump and two days supply of chemo that I get to wear all of the time. It's like being a drug addict without any of the benefits! Then on Friday I get disconnected, just in time for happy hour!
Well, I will deal with this. I was able to play tennis recently and have begun my workouts with Bronsa. I've been walking and I've climbed the stairs by our house - all 196 of them. As far as I'm concerned, I'm in the home stretch and the rest of what I will have to deal with is just getting back my fitness while working around these treatments.
The lioness is back.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The next segment in my journey
On Monday, after I met with the ostomy nurse and had a blood draw, David and I met with the medical oncologist and the surgeon.
I'll go the the short part first. The surgeon reviewed the results of the pathology test with us and, again, said the results were very good. He said I could start incorporating foods that had been restricted into my diet and I could get back to tennis and working out! He quickly reviewed the final surgery I would have in mid-February which would take an hour and require a 3-5 day hospital stay. Then I am free, baby, free!
Now the more involved part. I will need to have a port surgically placed for the chemo. I am calling my port my Bot fly (the pictures of them under the skin are too gross for me to post here, check out on your own if you want to). The type of chemo, Folfox, is too toxic to feed directly into veins. It looks like I will have the port installed this coming Monday. I will be under conscious sedation and from prep, through surgery, to recovery it will take 4-5 hours. Then, my chemo treatments will begin just two days later on Wednesday. The appointments start at 12:20 with a blood draw that lasts half-an-hour (they have to access the port, that means inserting an IV line). Then at 1:30 I meet with my provider (doctor). Then at 3:00 they start the pre-chemo infusion of steroids, anti-nausea medication and some of the Folfox. Then around 6:30, I get outfitted with a fanny pack with a pump that I will wear for two days while it pumps the chemo into me. Friday around 4:30 they will disconnect the Alien monster from my body (the one that pops out of the guys chest as he slumps face down into his spaghetti). This will be the routine, every two weeks for four months. On weekends, I'll get to recover. I get a teach on all of this on Friday, I can't say I completely understand all of the details yet but here are some images from the web.
I'll go the the short part first. The surgeon reviewed the results of the pathology test with us and, again, said the results were very good. He said I could start incorporating foods that had been restricted into my diet and I could get back to tennis and working out! He quickly reviewed the final surgery I would have in mid-February which would take an hour and require a 3-5 day hospital stay. Then I am free, baby, free!
Now the more involved part. I will need to have a port surgically placed for the chemo. I am calling my port my Bot fly (the pictures of them under the skin are too gross for me to post here, check out on your own if you want to). The type of chemo, Folfox, is too toxic to feed directly into veins. It looks like I will have the port installed this coming Monday. I will be under conscious sedation and from prep, through surgery, to recovery it will take 4-5 hours. Then, my chemo treatments will begin just two days later on Wednesday. The appointments start at 12:20 with a blood draw that lasts half-an-hour (they have to access the port, that means inserting an IV line). Then at 1:30 I meet with my provider (doctor). Then at 3:00 they start the pre-chemo infusion of steroids, anti-nausea medication and some of the Folfox. Then around 6:30, I get outfitted with a fanny pack with a pump that I will wear for two days while it pumps the chemo into me. Friday around 4:30 they will disconnect the Alien monster from my body (the one that pops out of the guys chest as he slumps face down into his spaghetti). This will be the routine, every two weeks for four months. On weekends, I'll get to recover. I get a teach on all of this on Friday, I can't say I completely understand all of the details yet but here are some images from the web.
Basic placement of port (it will look like a bump or bot fly under my skin)
An infusion chair. I hope they let me walk around since I can't sit still for even half-an-hour!
What I believe the fanny pack will look like (I know, not as scary as the alien monster).
And now, some folks sporting the fanny pack look! Not so bad, right? Right?
World order has been restored!
Not really. There's still the situation in Syria, super bugs out pacing antibiotics and members of Congress trying to derail the economy, but I got to play tennis last night for the first time in months! At the new tennis center too! It's beautiful, close and a wonderful facility! I switched out playing games with David, since I'm not up to playing even a full set, but it felt great and I didn't do too badly! David said he was proud of how well I did. Is he awesome or what?
Then, for dinner we stopped and picked up a Brooklyn Bridge pizza from Pagliacci on Sand Point Way.
The perfect ending to my first day back to tennis!
I've also started to work with my fitness trainer, Bronsa. She is great, check out her web site!
Then, for dinner we stopped and picked up a Brooklyn Bridge pizza from Pagliacci on Sand Point Way.
The perfect ending to my first day back to tennis!
I've also started to work with my fitness trainer, Bronsa. She is great, check out her web site!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Interesting graphic from SCCA site
I was looking around the site after my last post and noticed this graphic. So, don't eat more that your fist can hold!
Leaks, and I don't mean Wiki
Sorry for not posting anything in a while. My mother-in-law, Lois, came into town for a visit as well as for an appointment at SCCA. She has late stage ovarian cancer and was getting information on any options that may be open for her. She didn't get any new information but got reinforcement and options for the treatment she is getting. I didn't plan a lot for us to do as I wasn't sure what she would be up for. But we did go to the movies, The Butler (go see it!), did some shopping (she bought comfy shoes at Nordstrom!) and had a BBQ gathering with friends. David fired up Bertha, a competition smoker friends gave to us.
Lois and my mom met for the first time via Skype. If you have relatives in different areas and want to communicate with them, Skype is a great option. I know it helped my mom to see me during my treatments, since she couldn't be here.
Dealing with my ostomy bag has been a frustrating process. I was told that it would take about six weeks to get the system down and this Thursday will make it five weeks since my surgery. My ostomy nurse has been terrific. If I don't have an appointment, she answers emails within a day, if not sooner. After a leak (all over the bathroom floor) with one system, I tried a second one. Both of these are two part systems, with a skin shield to which the bag attaches. Early one morning the bag separated from the shield and, well, shit was everywhere. I was not happy but I have to say David handled it quickly and coolly by gathering sheets and getting them downstairs into the laundry. How'd I get so lucky to be with such a guy?
So now I'm going back and forth between the two systems, seems that none of them are perfect. So this is what I will have to deal with for the next 5-6 months. Welcome to hell.
On a lighter note, we've been having torrential rain, lightening and thunder storms lately, unusual for the northwest. But today is gorgeous and we do get the benefits of the occasional rainbow.
Lois and my mom met for the first time via Skype. If you have relatives in different areas and want to communicate with them, Skype is a great option. I know it helped my mom to see me during my treatments, since she couldn't be here.
Dealing with my ostomy bag has been a frustrating process. I was told that it would take about six weeks to get the system down and this Thursday will make it five weeks since my surgery. My ostomy nurse has been terrific. If I don't have an appointment, she answers emails within a day, if not sooner. After a leak (all over the bathroom floor) with one system, I tried a second one. Both of these are two part systems, with a skin shield to which the bag attaches. Early one morning the bag separated from the shield and, well, shit was everywhere. I was not happy but I have to say David handled it quickly and coolly by gathering sheets and getting them downstairs into the laundry. How'd I get so lucky to be with such a guy?
So now I'm going back and forth between the two systems, seems that none of them are perfect. So this is what I will have to deal with for the next 5-6 months. Welcome to hell.
On a lighter note, we've been having torrential rain, lightening and thunder storms lately, unusual for the northwest. But today is gorgeous and we do get the benefits of the occasional rainbow.
You can see a seaplane taking off towards the right hand-side.
We got to attend the wedding of a friend - she looked gorgeous! Unfortunately, I was too tired the next day to go to the reception. I really do have my limits these days. But here are few images from the wedding.
Check out the dress!
Happy ever after!
Cake by Sarah's mom! With two whales on top!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)