Wednesday, February 1, 2023

I had an appointment with my family doctor yesterday morning. All is fine and he had a note in his file saying they weren’t going to do my 4th chemo round but were going to move on to the second series. 

Then, late yesterday afternoon, we had a call from my doctor at the Vancouver Cancer Clinic. I’m not sure if it was my recent hospital stay but my case had been a topic for a conference. After either reviewing (or redoing) the pathology report they have decided I don’t have the more aggressive HER2 cancer.

What this means going forward is that I will get only one drug for the next four rounds of chemo rather than 3 different drugs. It also means that I won’t be needing the expensive drug we were going to pay for on our own.

I will still require the three weeks of radiation in Vancouver but following radiation I won’t require the next round of 13 chemo treatments. After radiation I think I’m done.

Thanks to everyone who has kept me in their thoughts and prayers. This is good news!

Sunday, January 29, 2023

After my prolonged stay in hospital it is great to be home. I’m on a lot of medications and it keeps me busy just keeping up with the schedule. Pat put everything into the calendar which makes it so much easier for me. Particularly because over the next couple of days some of them stop or some will change the dosage.

I’m pleased that I really have no pain, but I’m a long way from feeling “myself”. I tire really easily and I have very low energy. I’m trying to build up my strength – in spite of the cool days we’ve managed to get out for short walks.

I almost have to force myself to eat. I have no appetite no matter what yummy meals Pat prepares. After half a dozen bites I’m done. I know I need to eat to get my strength back so I keep trying.

I’m also dealing with some “mind” issues – some anxiety and a very easy slip into depression. I try to keep myself busy but even though I have things I could do I have little to no interest in doing them. 

I want the woman back who could hardly wait to start her day at six in the morning and who could tackle and solve almost any issue. These days I’m barely able to drag myself out of bed for my 8 AM meds.

This is not meant to be a “woe is me” post. I’m just finding it hard to deal with this new reality.

Saturday, January 7, 2023

My first week of the New Year wasn’t great. Not sleeping well, so tired I didn’t even want to read, and such acid reflux that I stopped eating anything except oatmeal, soda crackers, Babybel cheese and chicken broth. When I had my appointment on Thursday the doctor gave me a prescription for the acid reflux, as well as a sleeping aid. I’ve been eating much better these last few days – everything tastes good. I know the steroid I’m on messes with my sleep so I haven’t tried the sleep aid. I’ll try it if I need to though.

I had another change in my medications – he has cut the steroid pills in half so hopefully my “down” won’t be so bad when I come off them. I’m taking them for a day longer this time. The nurse had trouble getting the IV into me for my treatment yesterday – even though at my first treatment she said she was probably the best at it in the hospital. It turns out it probably wan’t the IV site but my blood pressure was low and I was probably dehydrated so one of the three tests she had to do before my first injection was failing. After giving me lots of fluid she got the positive result she needed and we were on our way.

I felt a bit nauseous most of the day so lay on the couch for the most part. I thought that might be the case for everyday with the reduced steroid but I’m okay today. I even had enough energy to go for a walk around the block – Pat says our walk was probably the equivalent of once around the track. The rain has started so I’m glad we were out early.

There have been some bright spots in the week as well. On Tuesday we went over to Comox for my echocardiogram and we had time before my appointment to have breakfast and a visit with Peggy and Bill. It is always good to see them but after not seeing anyone for so long it was doubly nice.

I also had a sewing day with Stacia and Deloise, although my sewing was minimal. We were all working from a book we had purchased on our summer trip. I would do a few seams or a bit of trimming and pressing and then I’d go across the hall and have a rest on the futon. The pieces are all cut so whenever I feel like it I can stitch a few more blocks. Today is the first day that I’ve managed to even make it upstairs and my desk is covered in papers that I need to deal with.

I think I have accepted that there will be days when all I can manage is moving from the bed to the chair to the couch but I hope there won’t be too many days of that and I’ll have a bit more energy for these next two weeks.

January 1, 2023

Happy New Year!

I made no attempt at chronicling my achievements for 2022. I know there were very few in comparison to what I had planned. Going forward I’m not making any resolutions and will try to take each day as it comes, with whatever that day brings.

We put away the tree and the trim yesterday and Pat moved everything to the shed this morning. I didn’t have a very good night last night and Pat thinks I did too much, even though I stopped and rested after only a very short time of work. I went to bed early but couldn’t sleep so I managed to be awake to see the new year start; I’ve not done that for years.

My plan for the year is to try and accomplish something every day. That something may only be a few stitches or a bit of tidying but I will be able to go to bed at the end of the day knowing something got done. This round of chemo has been harder than the last but I think I’m struggling with my lack of energy and being able to tackle everything that I want to – right now! I guess I’m at a place of acceptance in realizing I can no longer do it all; not that I ever could do it all but I sure liked to try!

Today we’ve moved the puzzle downstairs and I’ve reworked a pattern that I hope to be sewing on Wednesday when Stacia, Deloise and I stitch for a day. I’m not sure how I’ll manage but I’m sure I can make the check-ins even if there is nothing to show.

All the best to all of you for 2023!