Chemotherapy, Radiologists and Family Doctor Visits

Well, after my Chemo treatment yesterday I came home and ate a light lunch and sat at the computer going through emails and cleaning up some of them. Then I left for the 6-month check up with my Family Doctor Steve and it went quite well. Since my BP was 175/85 at the Chemo Treatment and it was still high at the Visit with Dr. Steve, he decided to put me another BP Med to help with the one I am currently on. So today when I went to the 4 month follow up with the Radiologist, it was only 155/82. Mind you I just taken the BP meds before leaving the house and I drove 20 minutes to Radiologists Office, so the chances of them being completely in my system are slim. Anyhow, I have another appointment with Dr.Steve next Thursday as a follow up and he also wrote an order to have more blood work down for a follow up there. He started asking me questions about how I was feeling and I was just so full of P & V, from the Steroids I was giving during the Chemo, and was joking around with him and I came out and said "I am felling fine and Global Warming should've been addressed 20 years ago!" He started laughing and shaking his head and replied "I think the Chemo is affecting you, or your Crazy!" So I was happy to hear the Family Doctor tell me that I was crazy, so I guess I can take this as my first official conformation on me being crazy, LOL...
I think it was more of Chemo Brain kicking in and making me a little more weirder then my Normal self. I know last night I could not fall asleep right away and Carmen sensed this and we talked a little about our relationship and how I thought it was going. I told her that for everything that we have faced so far we are doing well, even with her being unemployed for a while, we did agree that this has put a bit of strain on things and that if she could find a job it would help out a little more with the fiances.
Today at the Radiologists Office, the Nurse Practitioner checked me over and said how well I looked and was doing great. Carmen and I did express some concern over the last PET Scan results and how the Chemotherapy Doc Schaefer, devaited from the report and said the noidals in my lungs where not the size as reported, since he looked at them while I was there and meassured them to be smaller. The Nurse Practitioner did show us the written report and did comment on the report being a very goos one with no new formations in the lungs or anywhere else and did mention that the initial radiation treatment site was still a little radioactive and that it was shown on the report, but not of any concern. She also mentioned that the office was in the process of getting the PET Scans so that they can look them over and give me a clear picture of what has transpired since May. Carmen and I was able to see the PET Scan from May and went over that one in detail with the Nurse Practitioner and she was really upbeat about what was seen there being good. I have an appointment next Thursday afternoon to see the Radiology Doc Rubin and gets his "official" word on the PET Scan. I feel a little more comfortable knowing that with the clarification I am on my way to being Cancer Free.
Speaking of Cancer Free, what is it with Christina Applegate going on National TV and claiming that she is "Officially Cancer Free" after going through her Breast Cancer Treatments and Surgery? Don't get me wrong I admire a Celebrity who comes forward to admit that they have a disease like any other Normal Human, but to say that she is Cancer Free after just completing the Treatment phase is pretty naive'. She still has to go through the 3-6 month check ups like the rest of us and after 1 year the doctors will start relaxing a little more, but not until she has survived 10 years can she proclaim 100% assured that she is Cancer Free. I know this since my older sister had been diagnosised with Breast Cancer over 11 years ago and she went through all the Therapies and Surgery, then was happy to be able to be around to see her 60th birthday. Enough with this and lets get on with our lives now.
I am finally starting to get crossed eyed from typing this and see that it is after midnight and should have been in bed about an hour ago, but I was wired still from having a old friend stop over and ask my assistance in locating some music for a cousin of his. Needless to say I was able to find the music like he did, but it looks like it will have to be bought off of the Rhapsody website and downloaded and burned to a CD. He admitted that this was a short notice type of attempt, since his cousin was suppose to get with him sooner. Anyhow, we tried and came up wth the same results and he will be handling it frome here, knowing that I will help him out if needs it.

Road Trips and Chemotherapy

Well we started to head out last week after my Chemo Treatment and everything was going great. We made it through Ohio and just past Elkhart, Ind. I had just taken the CD out of the Deck and was putting it into the Overhead Visor Caddy when it flipped opened and I overcompensated on the curve and ended up in the ditch. Dirt, Grass and Dust flying all over the place.
High Drama over with, the car did not flip over, no major injuries. Minor injuries where: 2 flat tires, a bruised knee and elbow, 1 tow bill for $134 and a night's stay in the local Quality Inn. That is the tally of the situation. needless to day that we did not make it Wisconsin for the Olson Family Reunion and instead opted to return home and relax, until Sunday when Noah came home on the Megabus from Milwaukee.
With damage being minor and our lives safe again. We took stock in the stark realisation that we could have become another Highway Statistic and chages in our immediate lives. I have been thinking about how my Dump Irish Luck kept the situation from getting worse and now it is time to move on with our lives and get things back to as normal as possible with the Chemotherapy and Doctors appointments in between.
This week I see my Family Doctor and the Oncology Radiologist, which will be fun, since I have been diagnosised with lesions on my lungs and the Chemo Treatments are working to stop new occurrances from developing. I see my Family Doctor on Tursday afternoon, with my Chemo Treatment in the morning. Radiologist appointment is on Friday, then more fun next week.

Working through the Spin Cycle Called Chemotherapy

Well, since I had my treatment on Friday morning, I've been doing pretty lousy with my stomach churning away with excess acid and me chewing on Rolaids and Prilosec OTC, followed by Oyster Crackers before bed last night.
When I awake this morning at 4:15am, I was not much better, so I called off work, slept until around 9a, then got up and ate a small bowl of Cheerios with my usual spot of Tea. Sipping the Tea slowly and not gulping down the first draught helped to settle my stomach a little, then slowly eating breakfest and going through some the emails that I've received in the last 24 hours and emptying out my Junk Mail Folders, these are really great to have; since all you have to do is hightlight the first piece of junk then Ctrl-A, to select all, and then Ctrl-D, to delete, and viola the deleted items folders gets filled up with a few more pieces of trash.
I laid back down and glanced at the local Newspaper and watched the Movie called No Country for Old Men with Tommy Lee Jones, talk about a dark thriller, it was hard to follow the plot-line and how the characters came together in the end was sorta weird too...Perhaps if I find a blog online that explans it better will help me to understand it more.
With my stomach dancing around and me not getting enough sleep last night, really didn't make my day, since I was not looking forawrd to taking off the day like this, but I guess this is part of the right of passage for the Chemo Treatments that I'm going through. Carmen asked me this evening if we should go through with our plans of going to Wisconsin and to her Family Reunioin next weekend and I told her that I'm felling fine, just that my stomach is bouncing around and will do some good to get away for a few days, especially since we have plans to pick up Noah, Carmen's Youngest Son, who is visting with his father for the last couple of weeks. Well, I'm off to do some more work on getting rid of some more emails that I've been putting aside and getting them taken care of. Work is going to be interesting tomorrow, seeing how Monday's always brings the good calls with the Commerical and Residential Customers calling in with their tales of woe.
I end this with this little slice of my Technical Support tid-bit that I've statrted to collect:
Me "What version of Windows do you have installed?"
Customer "Well you the one I bought from your Company!"
Me "I am sorry, but we do not sell Windows!"
Customer says with nervous laugh "Oh, yeah!, I mean I'm not sure which version I have, I think it is Windows 2007"
Me with a slight chuckle "Ok, so you have Windows XP, then?"
Customer "Yes, that's it, Windows 2007 XP!"

Chemotherapy, Blood Tests,Waking Dream Songs and Older Sisters

So, I started the first of my 8 eight Chemotherapy treatments today. The nurse that I had was one that I really am not thrilled with getting, since she is an older nurse and seems to be scattered brained and tends to forgets things. I asked her about the 25-hydroxyvitamin D Blood Test and whether it had been ordered and she that she would look, upon looking in the orders, it wasn't there and I explained to her that I had discussed this with the doctor the last time I saw him and he was agreeable to having it done this time. She drew the 2 vials of blood as usual, then trotted off to the lab with them. She returns and informed me that I would not have the results of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D Test today since they have to send out for that test to be performed. I said that was fine since I figured that the lab would not be able to preform it at the Clinic.
The nurse asked me if I wanted the results of my blood work, since I like to compare it to the last time, I told her that I did. She said that she would get it to me, then proceeded to administer the treatment of drugs. When she was half through the treatment I asked her if she was going to give atropene, since the last time I was given the compastor, I ended up with abdominal cramps and cold sweats and was told thjat I would be getting the atropine from now on. The nurse said that she would have to check to see what the file said. It struck me as kinda odd that she had not looked prior to starting the second half of the treatment to see if there was any special notes to this. I will be seeing about not getting this nurse again, if she cannot check the notes and make sure that I'm getting the drugs administered that I am. What would've happened with me if I was sleeping when she started the 2nd half of the treatment and I ended up with bad abdominal cramps? A sweet apology and the compustor stopped while she rushed to administer the atropine? I think that I would've been really pissed off about this and had to discuss this with the person in charge and make it known that I wanted this nurse wrote up for this, but fortunately I was awake and asked her about it.
While taking a knap yesterday afternoon I woke up to the Monkees Song Day Dream Believer rolling around inside my head and Carmen coming into tell me that my 2nd oldest Sister called and the two of them getting into a discussion about me and chemotherapy.....Anywhoo, Carmen was upset about a few comments that was said by by Sister. Let's just say that my call back to my Sister didn't go much better, especially when I tried to play peace keeper and tell my Sister that I was staying on Chemotherapy as long as my Insurance paid for it. This is a typical thing with my Sister, whom I love, but there are time when she gets a little overbearing and pisses people off. So I let her go and didn't let her comments bother me, so I told her that I was 1 course away from getting my Concealed Weapons Certificattion and I'll be amazed at the results of how the story will be embellished.

Chemotherapy Continues this Week

OK, So I've not posted in about a week. Busy with work and hanging out at home. I have been informed that my Chemotherapy appoint for this week is Friday at 8:30a, then I will continue once a week and see what happens. The good news is that no new lesions have formed in my lungs and the 2 nodals in my lungs have not grown, YAY!!!!!
Anywhooo....Carmen has been busy with making Scrapbook Pages and looking up some of her old Recipes, plus getting things ready for the Family Union coming up in a couple of weeks. She has started cleaning Noah's room, since it looked like a trash bin. Typical teenager boys room, clothes on the floor along with other things that have been dropped or torn up. So far the carpet is now visible and I'll be helping her with getting the rest of the room cleaned up and the room painted again, since there is one wall that has the paint peeled off it.
More to follow on this happy trail. :)

Doing the Chemo Dance Again

It's a slow dance, that is rarely seen by the general public. For those of us who have entered into the secret underground world of Cancer, we know this Dance too well. It starts with a Port being inserted into the Upper Chest, then we go to a clinic and sit anywheres from 2 1/2 to 4 hours a day and have a recipe of Drugs pumped into our bodies, with the hope of the ending being a good result. No Cancer!!, but this is not the case all the time, especially when the cancer decides to metastasize and travel through the body to other areas. Breast Cancer is the most heard about and publicized of the Cancers, heck there is even Races and Walks for Breast Cancer. Don't start labeling me as a Breast Cancer hater, since I have an older sister who went through the Breast Cancer Ordeal 10 plus years ago and is still around to talk about it, when she talks about it, which is not that often.
I have been diagnosised with Rectal Cancer, even though the Surgeon told me that it is technically called Colo-rectal Cancer, but I like to be more specific and let people know that I have been diagnosised with Rectal Cancer, this way they have a better idea of the location and not some vague descriptor of it.
The Chemotherapist debated and even disagreed with the findings of the Report on the most recent Pet Scan that was done last week, the "Official" report notes that the nodals in my Lungs have increased in size to 2.5cm-4cm, up from 1cm-2cm, but when the Doc viewed the scans he comparatively measured the Nodals and he comes up with the size being 1cm, which he says is a good thing that the nodals have not grown. He also noted that there are no new lesions in my lungs, which is another good piece of news.
I'm awaiting the call from the Chemotherapy Nurse to see when they want me to start again and I will make sure that it is scheduled for Thursday or Fridays, since these are my days off and the treatment is only for 2 1/2 hours once a week, which is what I really enjoy. I also see the Oncology Radiologist in a few weeks, so I'll be happy to see what he says about the PET Scan results also.
I'm anxious about starting treatment again, but like I've read ion other blogs online, you have to be grateful for the little advances and not ungrateful for the lost battles. For every piece of good news,is a blessing in itself and being thankful for these small pieces of good news is something to be cherished. So it looks like the Chemo Dance is going. Then in 2 months I'll have another PET Scan done again, then we'll see what happens.
In the mean time life goes on, with working my 10-hour days for 4 days, then getting 3 days off. I will be looking forward to the 2 days off that I'm not getting Chemo and being able to relax and not worry about the treatment.

Post-PET Scan and Chemotherapist Vists

Well, I had the PET Scan on Thursday afternoon. The San went really well and I liked getting it done at the Toledo Clinic, since the machine is newer and can do a little better job of scanning. I didn't have to put my arms above my head and get my elbows hitting the bottom of the Tube when they moved me in and out. The only down side was that I had the appointment at 1:30p instead of the morning like I usually do these types appointments, so from now on I'll make sure that the PET , MRI Scans, etc... are scheduled for the morning and I don't have to wait for long to get back to my regular schedule.
I go to see the Oncology Chemotherapist this afternoon and I'm sorta apprehensive about this appointment. I know that I will be facing at least 1 or 2 more Chemotherapy Treatment, but I'm concerned with what will happen next; especially after completing Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatments in April of this year, then finding out that I had lesions on my Lungs, that was not there with my last PET Scan in October 2007. I was feeling really proud of myself that I had jumped through 28 Radiation sessions and continuous Chemotherapy. Then getting the news that the Cancer had seemingly metastasized and went into my lungs and formed lesions, this just blew the wind outta my sails and made me feel like I had lost the battle and was slipping backwards, ever so slowly, then my Chemotherapsit came up with the new course of action with me doing 6 weeks of Chemotherapy and taking 2 weeks off between the 4th and 5th treatment, so the PET Scan could be done.
My biggest concern is that I will become the life-timer who spends the rest of my natural life cycle on going between Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatments to combat the disease and end up with no complete solution to the problem. I plan on asking the Chemotherapist about this today, since the last time he mentioned that he would be able to help me and that I didn't have to worry about the end of life cycle. But, i still have this urge to get my things in order, like one friend told me this is the "Pregnant Woman Syndrome", where towards the end of the Pregnancy the woman just wants to get it over with and have the baby and get on with it. I haven't got any type of arrangements set for the final days of my Life Cycle, but I've been sorta pointing this off, since I really don't want to face that right now.
Yes, I have a will which stipulates my wishes for the State of Ohio's Probate System, but it is out dated and was done when I was married about 9 years ago and one lawyer told that I could just add a codicil to it which would update my wishes and let me stipulate who I wished to be the Executor of my Estate and how I wanted my assets distributed in a timely manner. I already have a codicil stipulating that I want to be cremated, since I cannot see the sense behind spending money on a box and a plot to put my body until it decays. If my Executor cannot find a little room on the bookshelf for me then I guess I really not liked that well and they can decide what to do with me.
Anyhow, enough with the depressing stuff and time to concentrate on getting through today and finding out what the Chemotherapist says. I have found some information on the web about the correlation between Vitamin D Deficiency and Cancer and I'm interested in seeing what the Chemotherapist says about this.
Well until the next blog update, I'm ending this here, before I get into the ongoing rant and whine mode, which doesn't do me any good.