Thursday, May 19, 2011

And This Week

So.. I skipped a week for chemo. Yesterday, I got it. It went well. The last two rounds of chemo have been 5 week rounds instead of 4 week rounds. Last time it was because I wanted a break. This time it was because I felt so yucky, I wasn't up for it. I had a fever for a little over 3 weeks. I think it is gone now, but I am playing it super safe. The tumor marker went down to 146. That is good. All of my bloods are good, except the ALT, a hormone from the liver that goes up when there is too much of it in the blood, and the biliruben, another liver test. The biliruben is not as high as it was before, but yesterday's chemo was only half a does because of how high it was. I am glad it was only a half a chemo.
It seem that the side effect having the biggest effect on me is appetite. I am just not eating enough. I am very skinny. Haven't weighed this since something around 10th grade (that is before my growth spurt....) I am trying to eat more. Official permission to eat chocolate daily because the fat will slow the sweet to move through my body.
Today is steroid day number one. I am laying in bed buzzing. I have been a bit dizzy when I stand up, so I am not doing it that much. Steroids mean that I feel like I have buzzing energy and want to do a ton, but really, I am wiped out. I have to not use this 'false' energy because it will really do me in when the steroids wear off. Good movie suggestions always appreciated. I like light hearted, thoughtful, comedy is good...nothing depressing, unless it is also really funny.

love to you all
rebecca

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Overdue update

The last few weeks have been tough... Rebecca has had a nasty cough. Having the paralyzed vocal chords means that she doesn't clear phlegm very effectively so she coughs and coughs and coughs... and laying down coughing... her back finally gave up and started to spasm. Yesterday we got her some muscle relaxants and some pain killers (with the obligatory supplemental 'softeners').

Today I sent this email to her oncologist in anticipation of tomorrow...

Dear Dr Gordon,

It is the Tuesday before a chemo Wednesday for Rebecca and she is doing pretty poorly. We saw Dr. Jordan yesterday because of her general shortness of breath, yucky feeling, on-going low grade fever, etc... A chest x-ray concludes that she does not have pneumonia but leaves me continuing to wander why she had a 101 fever during the night and is now upstairs coughing up her proverbial lungs (largely but not entirely unproductively).

Given how she's feeling I find it hard to imagine her having chemo tomorrow... what do you think?

As Always, THANKS

Love to you all!