Saturday, October 31, 2009
Round Two: Infusion #8
Woo hoo ... I cooked dinner tonight! It is the first time in months that I have cooked anything other than scrambled eggs. I made stew which meant that I could sit on a bar stool for most of the preparation. The best stew ever must have Emeril's Original Seasoning - paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, thyme, oregano and a pinch of caynne pepper. Mix the seasonings with flour in a Ziploc bag - add bite sized cuts of roast beef and shake, shake, shake. In a stove top/oven proof casserole, brown the meat in oil and add all of the vegetables: carrots, celery, onion, red potato, and sweet potato. Add beef broth almost to the top, cover and place in a 300 degree oven for a couple of hours. Those luscious brown bits in the bottom of the casserole will have mixed with the broth and you will have a wonderful gravy - be sure to serve some great bread or rolls to sop up the gravy. Have your grandchildren over for dinner and it's a perfect meal! I will admit that I'm very tired but it was well worth it!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Round Two: Infusion #8
I am very blessed and fortunate that treatments 6, 7 and 8 have been easier; with each of these treatments I have not had to have Lukine injections until the second week following treatment and the fatigue has been better. Treatments 6 and 7 only required 4 injections; I did require a Procrit injection a few days prior to the eighth treatment but that was only because the hemoglobin level was raised from 10 to 10.5 and mine was at 10.
With less fatigue I feel more like myself and I am now able to do some things around the house like unloading and then loading the dishwasher. My appetite has increased and I now weigh 114. It is wonderful to feel more like myself.
The tumor markers have not changed but I am not worried since two tests are at zero and one and the third test is well within the normal range. I would prefer that all three tests be at zero but that may not happen and considering what the numbers were to begin with I've decided to be happy with what they are.
I did find out that I am scheduled for ten treatments and that I have been receiving a 75 percent dose of the chemo drug Taxotere; treatments 9 and 10 are scheduled for a 60 percent dose. I have asked that Dr. Patel be informed that I am willing to continue at the same dose if it is in my best interest. Veronica is one of the clinical trial staff and she said that she would discuss it with him but she also explained that my platelets had been very low so it might be in my best interest to have the reduced dose.
The 9Th treatment is scheduled for November 12Th; I will have a PET and CT scan, an MRI and an Echo test on the 18Th and 19Th; the 10Th, and hopefully final, treatment is scheduled for December 3rd. I am scheduled to see Dr. Patel on November 25Th and of course I am very hopeful that he will tell me that the tumors can no longer be seen and that there is no presence of cancer in my body.
This has been a very long journey and at times it has seemed unbearably long and difficult. Just when I thought I could no longer be strong the fatigue became easier - what a blessing the last few weeks have been.
I decided during Round One that if I wrote a book it would be titled, When the Rubber Meets the Road; if I were to write a book about Round Two the title would be, In His Time. Round One was a test of my faith. Round Two has been a test of my patience which is also a test of faith. I can now relate on some level to the Israelites who cried out to God asking him how long (how much longer would they have to bear their burdens). The answer for me has been to stay focused on what I have which is today - tomorrow has not arrived and so it is not mine to wonder or worry about.
I can handle today.
With less fatigue I feel more like myself and I am now able to do some things around the house like unloading and then loading the dishwasher. My appetite has increased and I now weigh 114. It is wonderful to feel more like myself.
The tumor markers have not changed but I am not worried since two tests are at zero and one and the third test is well within the normal range. I would prefer that all three tests be at zero but that may not happen and considering what the numbers were to begin with I've decided to be happy with what they are.
I did find out that I am scheduled for ten treatments and that I have been receiving a 75 percent dose of the chemo drug Taxotere; treatments 9 and 10 are scheduled for a 60 percent dose. I have asked that Dr. Patel be informed that I am willing to continue at the same dose if it is in my best interest. Veronica is one of the clinical trial staff and she said that she would discuss it with him but she also explained that my platelets had been very low so it might be in my best interest to have the reduced dose.
The 9Th treatment is scheduled for November 12Th; I will have a PET and CT scan, an MRI and an Echo test on the 18Th and 19Th; the 10Th, and hopefully final, treatment is scheduled for December 3rd. I am scheduled to see Dr. Patel on November 25Th and of course I am very hopeful that he will tell me that the tumors can no longer be seen and that there is no presence of cancer in my body.
This has been a very long journey and at times it has seemed unbearably long and difficult. Just when I thought I could no longer be strong the fatigue became easier - what a blessing the last few weeks have been.
I decided during Round One that if I wrote a book it would be titled, When the Rubber Meets the Road; if I were to write a book about Round Two the title would be, In His Time. Round One was a test of my faith. Round Two has been a test of my patience which is also a test of faith. I can now relate on some level to the Israelites who cried out to God asking him how long (how much longer would they have to bear their burdens). The answer for me has been to stay focused on what I have which is today - tomorrow has not arrived and so it is not mine to wonder or worry about.
I can handle today.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Round Two: Infusion #7
Well another cycle has been completed and cycle number seven has started; I received the seventh treatment on October 1st. The sixth cycle was much easier requiring only four Lukine injections spaced throughout the 11th day through the 17th day. I did still experience fatigue but it was not as intense.
I would say that the toughest experience of the sixth treatment was my expectation of greater energy since the white blood cells did not begin to fall as early. I thought I would have more energy however I found that physically I still was not able to do what mentally I wanted to do. Sometimes it is very disappointing and I must work hard to control my impatience. I continue to combat the negative with the positive - if I fill my mind with everything good then there is no room for ugly thoughts that do nothing but bring me as well as everyone around me harm.
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15: 13
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:6-8
I am not perfect; there are times when I have failed to diligently watch over my heart. What I have learned is that with practice I fail less often and I fail better each time.
This past Monday I had a CT scan and an Echo test; the drug trial requires these two tests following every third treatment. The Echo measures the efficiency of the heart to determine if the two biologic drugs are damaging the heart muscle; the test results were good and I am able to continue receiving both drugs. Our prayers continue to be answered, the CT scan shows that the tumors no longer look like tumors!
Dr. Patel had an emergency so I only saw him for about two minutes - long enough for him to tell me the good news and to tell me that he wanted to add more treatments. Now how do you say no to more treatments when the treatments are working? The answer is that you don't say no. After the eighth treatment on October 22nd I am scheduled for three more treatments at a reduced dose of taxotere - the chemo drug. Following the eleventh treatment I am scheduled to have Bone and PET scans, an MRI, and any other tests Dr. Patel may have ordered. Right now I don't have all the details because he was still giving the orders to his assistants as he was leaving the room to rush off to the emergency. I will find out the exact details in the next week or two and in the meantime I can trust his decision.
God has blessed me with a knowledgeable and caring doctor and the right drug combination; I can keep on trusting that He is in control - He has his job and I have mine. I am constantly grateful that the treatment is working and I try to keep everything in perspective: on the one hand I have lost a summer to this disease but on the other hand, I have lived through another summer and later this month I will celebrate my fourth birthday since the original diagnosis.
Everyday we decide our attitude and everytime we fail, and we will fail from time to time, we decide if we get back up - the decision is ours to make.
Thanks for checking in on me.
I would say that the toughest experience of the sixth treatment was my expectation of greater energy since the white blood cells did not begin to fall as early. I thought I would have more energy however I found that physically I still was not able to do what mentally I wanted to do. Sometimes it is very disappointing and I must work hard to control my impatience. I continue to combat the negative with the positive - if I fill my mind with everything good then there is no room for ugly thoughts that do nothing but bring me as well as everyone around me harm.
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15: 13
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:6-8
I am not perfect; there are times when I have failed to diligently watch over my heart. What I have learned is that with practice I fail less often and I fail better each time.
This past Monday I had a CT scan and an Echo test; the drug trial requires these two tests following every third treatment. The Echo measures the efficiency of the heart to determine if the two biologic drugs are damaging the heart muscle; the test results were good and I am able to continue receiving both drugs. Our prayers continue to be answered, the CT scan shows that the tumors no longer look like tumors!
Dr. Patel had an emergency so I only saw him for about two minutes - long enough for him to tell me the good news and to tell me that he wanted to add more treatments. Now how do you say no to more treatments when the treatments are working? The answer is that you don't say no. After the eighth treatment on October 22nd I am scheduled for three more treatments at a reduced dose of taxotere - the chemo drug. Following the eleventh treatment I am scheduled to have Bone and PET scans, an MRI, and any other tests Dr. Patel may have ordered. Right now I don't have all the details because he was still giving the orders to his assistants as he was leaving the room to rush off to the emergency. I will find out the exact details in the next week or two and in the meantime I can trust his decision.
God has blessed me with a knowledgeable and caring doctor and the right drug combination; I can keep on trusting that He is in control - He has his job and I have mine. I am constantly grateful that the treatment is working and I try to keep everything in perspective: on the one hand I have lost a summer to this disease but on the other hand, I have lived through another summer and later this month I will celebrate my fourth birthday since the original diagnosis.
Everyday we decide our attitude and everytime we fail, and we will fail from time to time, we decide if we get back up - the decision is ours to make.
Thanks for checking in on me.
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