Better safe than sorry.....

I showed up today, bright and early at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, only to be sent home :(. I woke up this morning with an eye infection and they didn't want to take the risk of the infection getting worse, so now I have to push it back a week.

It is a good thing that I don't have a white towel, because I think I would have thrown it in today. :( I know that everything happens for a reason, and maybe it is because Heavenly Father knew that I was not emotionally ready for this week. Or my service was needed some where else.

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

There is no place like home.....

Holy Crap.....I finally made it home from the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
My stays in the hospital generally last from Monday morning to Friday afternoon, but this week the nurses decided to "mix it up a bit" so I ended up staying there until Saturday until about 4pm. I felt like Dorothy, crazy dreams and crazy weather- but no matter how hard I clicked my heels together, I could not get home.

They normally give me demorol when I rigor, but this time they decided to give me dilaudid instead. I also started the week off with a head cold so I am sure that didn't help either. I came unprepared this week, I usually take extra clothes that I come home with so this week I figured I would pack lightly.... HA HA HA. When I saw myself in the mirror I thought "Oh my heck, I hope no one RED-NECK-ED-IZED me! Really I wore a wife beater with a black bra....ughh!

The nice thing about having dilaudid was that I was more awake this week, so I rememeber more of the visitors, and more of the nurses. But I also remember the birthdays that I missed and more of the rigors that happened and the "change" that didn't happen, and how much I missed my kids ( I always miss them.....I just don't let it affect me as much)!

So while I was in the hospital I caught an intestinal infection, which meant that I had to be watched more closely and my status was moved to ICU instead of IMU (In my situation, it just meant how much attention and care I got). My blood pressure kept dropping so I had to stay until it became more steady. So everytime a nurse, Dr or visitor came in the room, they had to put on a plastic "robe" and gloves.

So I came home with an extra 18lbs, crazy hair that took over an hour to comb through, ANOTHER prescription, and more itchy dry skin because of the blood pressure cuff :(

After 4 days, I finally feel a little more like a normal person. Only one more week of this IL2 treatment. WOO-HOO!

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving, and don't forget to TELL people in your life how greatful you are for them. You may think they know...but they need to hear it.

Thank you for all of the visitors, family, friends and Doctors and Nurses that have made this journey a little less bumpy.

Last Round

          After chugging the barium I had to drink, and tasting the saline and feeling the contrast I survived the CT and MRI scans.

     Dr Grossman was pleased with the results of the scans, I do not have any new tumors , and the ones I do have are not changing alot. Some of them are changing by millimeters, but he said it might be because they are being attacked or simply because I have a cold, and my lymphnodes are doing what they should be doing (fighting the cold).

    I am scheduled to go back to the HCI on Monday November 5th (yes I already sent in my VOTING BALLOT). My goal this time is to stay the entire week, and get the most doses I can.

     I am not saying that I am excited to go back, but my head and heart are in it this time better than I was last time. Trying to put the stresses of my life (job etc) away and focus on fighting this!

I am grateful that I get to celebrate ANOTHER birthday this weekend. I feel truly blessed.
Thank you for all your well wishes, and prayers!

LUV YA!


 

Round Two.....ding ding

Hey everyone, I apologize for not writing more but the last couple weeks and treatments have kicked my BUTT!

I went to HCI (Huntsman Cancer Institute) for round 2..treatment A on Sept 17th. I was there until Friday pretty much of the same except the side effect that I brought home with me was the itchy, peeling skin.....ARGHHH. I am going to scratch myself crazy. I have tried every fancy lotion they gave me at the hospital, every home remedy and nothing helps.  The week following the treatment nothing tasted good, sounded good or looked good. If my kids were not counting on me driving them to school, I probably would have stayed in bed all day.  That week on top of the itchy skin, the nausea came too. The crappy thing about this is, just when I start to feel good....I have to go back in.

All of my family members say that if you want a cheap comical experience, you should come see me at the hospital. The only days that I really remember are Mondays. The rest of the days are all a blur. P.S.....don't let your sister-in-law (no matter how much you love her) let her talk you into buying ebooks on your tablet. TRUST ME, your checking account will thank you later. LOL!

Round 2B was set for Sept 30. When I checked in and talked to Joan (the head honcho) at HCI she was ECSTATIC about the side effects that I had been experiencing. To her that showed that the treatment was working, and that in Melanoma patients itchy skin is a good thing. She also noticed a couple "halo's" (told you I was an angel ;) which means that around some of the moles on my arms and my back there are "rings" meaning that the IL2 is affecting them also. I have also started to loose the freckles on my face.

IDIOT TEST
Every morning the nurse gives me what we lovingly call "the idiot test" which basically lets them know how and if your brain is functioning. There are simple questions like: what is the date today, what I am I holding in my hand, repeat the phrase "no if ands or buts". Then they get harder: How many nickles in $1.25, what is the total of 93 and 17 etc. Then they give you a connect the dots sheet...only the dots don't "create" anything. They next page is you connect the dots to the numerical and alphabetical 1-A, 2-B etc.
Most days I fly through the test....but this week, I failed it three times on Wednesday. At that point they decided not to give me any more doses because they were afraid that I would/could go into a comma. So this week I only got 3 doses instead of the average 7.

Good thing this week....I figured out a way to keep my "blood pressure cuff" arm from crusting over....I cut a sock off and put it underneath, so much better this week. Now if I can just figure out a way to stop the pain from the dilator when they insert the PICC line, I could be rich.

I love the nurses at HCI, they are so nice and make the experience not so dreadful. Some talk to me about being a red-neck and wanting to own a pig, and treat me like I am high maintenance every time I push the call button  LOL! Others are just nice Eye-candy (married) Autumn-laughs at me every time she injects the benadryl because she thinks it is funny that I can taste it and it makes me cough. Chad because he knows that his sister told me I could beat him up if he was not nice to me. Everyone knows my name, and they are always glad I came.....wait isn't that a theme song to a TV show?
Seriously that is how I feel.

I don't always remember who came to sit with me or who came to see me, but I really appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their day, or taken the day off of work to help me or my family and hopefully in the process you get a little comic relief!

I go back in for scans October 26th, and if everything is doing what it should round 3 starts November 5th. So until then....everyone get a little R&R.

Love ya!

On the next episode...

I saw my Oncologist today and after he went over my CT scan and MRI results with a fine tooth comb he told me that my MRI was great, and that I had a brain :) but there were not any tumors there.

My other tumors showed a little growth (in millimeters) with a growth rate of 9%, but in cancer patients as long as the growth is under 20% then you are considered a "stable" cancer patient. But it might just mean that the IL2 is working and the tumors are inflamed because they are being "attacked". (which has been my feeling all along..wink wink)

Dr. Grossman was excited about the way the treatment is going and said that I was a perfect candidate for the next round. Round 2. I was sooo confused when he said Round 2...I was like, what are you talking about....I thought after this 3rd admittance I was done. HA HA  NOT!  This treatment next week will be the beginning of round 2a, then I will have 2b a week after- then run more tests and if all is still going well..Round 3a and Round 3b. Which goes thru the end of November........DEEP SIGH.

Everyone else seemed to understand that from the beginning but me...oh well, it is what it is.

Apparently that is not the only thing that I do not remember. While I was waiting for the Dr to come in I read my Mom's notes that she had taken while I was in the hospital. I have to say...I do not remember 3/4 of the things that happened. Here are a couple that made me laugh.

• Nurse: Let me turn the lights down so that it will be easy on your eyes
• Amy: Yeah...easy on the eyes like Channing Tatum.

I gave a nurse advice on how to potty train her son (using stars)...(she came back and told me that it was working.)

I told my friend how hot the nurse "Josh" was...thank goodness that he was not the one in the room at the time.

Watching the movie...Crazy, Stupid, Love

Getting mad at my daughter because she didn't grab a jacket. (she was not there)

Getting mad at my "wus-band" for not helping our little boy with an extension cord. (they were not there with me either)

Ordering  a tuna-salad and asparagus..I actually remember ordering the asparagus, but not eating it.

Eating chocolate Ice-cream.

Stay tuned for the next episode....GOTTA LOVE DEMEROL!

Bottoms up

Today was the day that I went in for the follow up CT scan and MRI, can I just say that Barium is so gross! I got the dry heaves after drinking the first bottle (16oz), but I told myself to suck it up and then pretended that I was drinking a Jamba Juice....I fnished the second bottle...Woo-hoo!

The contrast that I get gives a warm sensation, and makes me feel like I pee'd my pants (no...I didn't) and continues through my entire body. I swear everytime that I get the contrast it gets hotter. It is hotter than the heated blankets they give you.

The thing that some people may not realize about the Huntsman Cancer Institute is that everyone you see there is affected by cancer. They may be there for treatment, to visit a loved one who is going through treatment, for follow-up on treatment.  There is no question. Other hospitals you can be there to see a newborn baby, outpatient surgery etc.

When I was waiting in the lobby to get my blood work done, a sweet bald lady said to me "What do you have?" After talking, we discovered that we both have Melanoma. She is going through IL2 treatments also....she lost her hair after the first week of treatments. Her husband explained that while she was in the hospital she was doing great, but then she got home and went downnhill...she was so sick. She looked as if she had lost 40lbs...she couldn't believe that I hadn't lost any weight, or lost any hair. It turns out that we were doing treatments at the same time.

The Dr. told me that each person is different, and that was proven to me today. I feel very fortunate that my treatments have gone the way they have gone.

I should know the results tomorrow after meeting with Dr. Grossman.....I am staying positive that treatments are doing what they are expected to do.

I'll keep you posted :)

Blah..........

So this week has not been as "fabulous" as the first week after the IL2 treatments.

The first time I went back to work and felt great...not so much this time.

I had to go back to the hospital on Monday because I could not get a full breath, after 4 hours they diagnosed me with a bacterial infection in my abdomen, and were concerned that my my oxygen levels were not ideal so they sent me home with oxygen and prescriptions and told me to come back on Friday.

When they said that I was going home with oxygen I didn't realize what was involved. They brought a machine and 50ft of green oxygen hose. (I feel like I need to get 50 cats to go with this machine). I can't stand the smell of the oxygen tubing, but the alternative is not an option.

My kids always make sure that I have the oxygen in my nose and will sometime "pinch" the hose just to make sure that I am not lying.

I have lost about 10lbs, but still don't feel like myself. They were right...every treatment will be different. Lets hope the next one goes better.

Everyone have a "more-fine" night.


Thank you to all my neighbors and friends for the meals and the "check-ins" Luv-ya