Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Finally...
...starting to get some energy back, not sleeping 23 hours out of the day, and keeping food down...just in time for chemo tomorrow! Hoping for minimal side effects and things continue to look up!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Cruddy
Felt pretty cruddy yesterday: tired, weak, nausea, vomiting...need I go on? I really haven't had an appetite since after chemo which I was aware might happen. I've gotten a few things down and kept them down...but very little. While lying in bed right now my previous symptoms from yesterday don't seem as in full force...so I guess we will see. Hopefully things are starting to look up as I really need to get some food in this body and keep it there!
Friday, January 25, 2013
TGICS!!!
Thank goodness I can shower!! All those things you all do on a daily basis are now daily struggles for me due to all the swelling I'm having along with weakness! Therefore, I need someone to assist me with a lot of things: getting out of bed, going up stairs, shower, making food, ect. An OT came out this week though and she's putting some things into place for me to help me be more independent and now that the swelling is going down I am becoming more independent also. The biggest hurdle now would just be the weakness...the littlest things take it all out of me. So...today is a big day! My mom is picking up a chair for my shower so I'm able to sit while I'll shower helping me with not only showering but there is no way I'd be able to stand long enough to get a shower in. But I will also probably lose any pride I had left...due to the swelling I'm unable to reach my toes and such so my mother will be shaving my legs and bathing me again like she did many moons ago! Oh the things you'll do to feel clean again...sponge baths just weren't cutting it!
Other than the shower chair I will also be getting a wheel chair so I can get out into the community! I should have that by tomorrow or Monday! I'm looking forward to that so I can go to a movie with my husband, shop a little with friends, just things I used to do!
I hope everyone has a great weekend...mine is shaping up to be pretty busy...I hope I can hang in there and get everything in!
Other than the shower chair I will also be getting a wheel chair so I can get out into the community! I should have that by tomorrow or Monday! I'm looking forward to that so I can go to a movie with my husband, shop a little with friends, just things I used to do!
I hope everyone has a great weekend...mine is shaping up to be pretty busy...I hope I can hang in there and get everything in!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Short but not sweet
Had chemo yesterday...feeling the effects today...kinda blah...
I know you all want frequent updates and I will give them to you but they will be more like this...sorry!
I know you all want frequent updates and I will give them to you but they will be more like this...sorry!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Straight from the horse's mouth...or fingers I guess!
We met with Dr. Subbiah yesterday after the CT scans on Tuesday. Since I haven't been on treatment for a month he didn't tell us anything we already didn't know. My tumors are progressing. Because of this and because of the protocol for the trial I was on, I am unable to participate in that same trial. Therefore he gave me the options of finding something else to travel back and forth to in Houston or have Dr. Westin (Gyn Oncologist) find something that I can do in Omaha. I chose to find something in Omaha. We met with Dr. Westin today and she had two options for us. She is going to be in touch with Dr. Morris, as will I, and I'll get started ASAP. Each option is a chemo drug. We're headed home early tomorrow and I'm looking forward to being home. My legs are still very swollen and fluid filled so I have been in some pain from those but otherwise I'm doing ok!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Third times a charm!
Well my mom, aunt Kris, and I made it down to Houston yesterday! I had CT scans last night and meet with Dr. Subbiah this morning regarding where we go from here! Feels good to be back at it again!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Home
Just got home from the hospital!
I'm feeling pretty good besides my legs being full of fluid, swollen, very sore, and it being hard to maneuver around.
Pray that the fluid goes down quickly...really quickly...like really really really quickly!!!
I'm feeling pretty good besides my legs being full of fluid, swollen, very sore, and it being hard to maneuver around.
Pray that the fluid goes down quickly...really quickly...like really really really quickly!!!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
LOOOOOOOOOOONG overdue!
I am so very sorry for how long it has been since I have blogged, especially with all the recent happenings...but I guess that would be the reason it has been so long. I know so many of you are on Facebook and have been able to stay somewhat updated on my little updates. But believe it or not there are a few people out that there, that I know follow my blog, who do not have Facebook or are not friends with me on Facebook (which is a shame...you should be my friend if you have Facebook.)
So...this blog is going to be the 2:00 in the morning version of the last couple weeks.
First of all, I made it through Christmas feeling well, which included a quick trip to Boelus. It was a quick Christmas and kind of a whirlwind, but it was a blessed Christmas at that. Once we returned home from Christmas on Wednesday the 26th, that evening after getting out of the bath tub the left side of my back started to hurt pretty bad. At first it felt as if I had pulled something, which I thought was quite ridiculous that I pulled something getting into or out of the tub, but leave it to me to do something like that. So anyways, I tried to find a position that was comfortable so I could put some heat on it, but the pain just kept getting worse and got to the point that it was unbearable. This is when I told Jerrid that I thought it was more than just pulling something and we should probably go to the ER. Here is where the next few days run together and I've probably forgotten some things so bear with me. While there they did a scan to find that it was my kidney and ureters causing the pain because they were not draining properly so they admitted me. By Thursday morning early I had already seen the Urologist and decided to get a stent put in to hopefully help them drain correctly. They would do this through the bladder so while going through the bladder they would take a look to see what was causing the bleeding I was having too. By 11:30 that morning I was in surgery and out an hour later...things were moving quickly which was great. Having the stent put in was kind of a 50/50 shot that it would work and that it wouldn't cause me more pain. So far it seems to be working ok...probably not 100% but things are much better than before. I also am not having any pain with it yet which is great. I have a follow up with the Urologist next Friday and then will go back in 3 months to either have the stent completely removed or have a new one put it. As for the bladder and the bleeding he did find that a tumor is causing the bleeding so he did some cauterization while up there to try and stop it. It stopped it some, but not all so after I talk to my doctor in Houston about it I'll probably have the Urologist go back up there and scrap off more tumor and do some more cauterization. We could possibly just wait on this until that 3 month mark when he has to go back in to remove or replace the stent, as at this point we aren't in any hurry to get that done. So...after all this and recovery I left the hospital on Saturday afternoon just in time to get to my Grandma McCarthy's Christmas! As always a McCarthy function doesn't disappoint it was great seeing family that I hadn't seen in some time!
Sunday things were going well and then Sunday night/very early Monday morning I started throwing up. When Jerrid witnessed me take a bite of Lucky Charms and then immediately throw it up along with my intestinal enzymes we were off again to the ER. This time scans showed an upper bowel obstruction. So therefore, everything I put in came right back up...it couldn't keep moving down like it was supposed to. There are a couple things to do for bowel obstructions and my doctor decided we were going to try and let this one work itself out as she called my bowel sleepy. So for the first day I ate ice chips, for the second day I drank water, and the third day I started introducing soft or "blenderized" foods as they call them at the hospital. Anything that was once something and they "blenderize" though does not appeal to me and I don't think I could gag down at all. So I stuck with popsicles, pudding, yogurt, and tomato soup. Things were going so well that, that evening she let me have mac and cheese from Panera. So slowly but surely I was just working my way up to "hard" foods and everything was going well. By Wednesday the 2nd they let me out. Upon returning home I immediately swelled up from my waist down due to all of the fluids I had pumped into my body within the last week. This got so bad that it was painful to move...so I didn't do a lot of moving besides getting up to go to the bathroom. Other than the lower body pain I wasn't feeling too bad until Friday. On Friday, I came down with some sort of flu bug or something that put me down for the count again. By Saturday afternoon though, things seemed to be getting better so I decided I NEEDED to get out of the house...even if it was to a Titan boys basketball game! So that evening we went to supper and then to the basketball game and I hung in there pretty well. On Sunday the boys had tickets to the Kansas Jayhawks game so they were going to be gone all day. Since they were going to be gone all day I went to my parents for the day and night. I felt great on Sunday just tired.
By Monday (January 7th) morning I had done a 180. I could barely walk on my own I was so weak. Mom and I were planning to head back to the city that morning after getting Mogi her rabbies shot. So we did that and headed back. On our way back I tried to get a hold of Dr. Morris's nurse but she was busy so I just had to leave a message. I knew my magnesium had to be low, so I wanted to get a treatment before having to travel to Houston. After dropping Mogi off at her hair appointment since I still hadn't heard from from Dr. Morris's nurse we just headed to the ER. By this time it was noon and magnesium treatments take 4 hours, and the infusion center at the doctor's office closes at 4 so they wouldn't have had time to give me a treatment anyways. Upon arriving at the ER and getting all checked in and through triage...my heart rate was 150. My heart rate runs higher to begin with (nowhere near this high), but this just showed how out of whack my blood levels had to have been and how walking two steps raised my heart rate that much. This was very concerning to the ER docs, more so than me just wanting magnesium so they did a lot of extra blood work. The blood work came back and both the doc and I were right. My magnesium was a .7 (it's never been that low before... .9 is the lowest) and then my white blood cell count was 28,000 (should be around 12ish.) The white blood cell count being that high means that there is some sort of infection and in my case it's a bad one. So, once again I'm being admitted and we are postponing our trip to Houston! They started IV antibiotics and magnesium right away and by Tuesday morning my WBC was back in normal range, but that doesn't mean I'm out of the woods at all. I have been on continuous antibiotics through the IV and depending on how my blood counts look this morning, I may switch to oral today, but then will be on oral for quite some time. So...good thing that my WBC was getting back to normal, but magnesium as always is taking it's sweet little time. It was up at a 1 yesterday which is good...but still has a ways to go...so we'll see where we are at today. My hemoglobin came back low yesterday at an 8, so I also got some blood yesterday which usually makes me feel a world of difference by the next day and at almost 3:00 am the next day...so far I'm feeling pretty good! :) My husband will just be shaking his head at me that I am up at this hour!
So...what's the plan now? Well...I don't really make plans anymore...just take things hour by hour. Dr. Morris is bound and determined to get me to Texas next week so it's sounding like he's going to keep me here til Friday...which seems like a long time, but I'm ok with it. By then I'll be pumped full of great stuff, my levels should be "normal", I should be feeling "my best", and as long as I'm here I'm not able to be readmitted! :) So we will see how things go, but however they go...I better end up in Houston by Tuesday or Wednesday or next week!
Lastly...this has nothing to do with my post at all, but I've had a lot of people ask about bringing food and ect. Food is definitely welcome as I am finding, I'm not always up to par to help with things like cooking and/or cleaning up afterwards. Jerrid does such a great job of cooking meals for us and at the same time keeping Brayden busy and playing with him constantly, but then the kitchen and meal dishes often get left for awhile because Jerrid just can't do everything apparently! :) The things that have been appealing to me the most have been comfort type foods: meat, potatoes, and gravy; tuna/chicken and noodles; mac and cheese; soups; pasta. I can't do anything too spicy anymore because the treatment has caused sores on my tongue, but Jerrid loves spicy foods and will eat just about anything so on times I'm gone those types of foods would be good for him.
In conclusion a HUGE thanks to all of you for your continued and overwhelming support! The kindness and generosity that has been shown to us over the last year and a half has been so humbling and it just keeps coming! It has been a very long road and we've still got a long road ahead of us and you have all been so kind, loving, and supportive through it all! Thank you!
Love,
Meighan
So...this blog is going to be the 2:00 in the morning version of the last couple weeks.
First of all, I made it through Christmas feeling well, which included a quick trip to Boelus. It was a quick Christmas and kind of a whirlwind, but it was a blessed Christmas at that. Once we returned home from Christmas on Wednesday the 26th, that evening after getting out of the bath tub the left side of my back started to hurt pretty bad. At first it felt as if I had pulled something, which I thought was quite ridiculous that I pulled something getting into or out of the tub, but leave it to me to do something like that. So anyways, I tried to find a position that was comfortable so I could put some heat on it, but the pain just kept getting worse and got to the point that it was unbearable. This is when I told Jerrid that I thought it was more than just pulling something and we should probably go to the ER. Here is where the next few days run together and I've probably forgotten some things so bear with me. While there they did a scan to find that it was my kidney and ureters causing the pain because they were not draining properly so they admitted me. By Thursday morning early I had already seen the Urologist and decided to get a stent put in to hopefully help them drain correctly. They would do this through the bladder so while going through the bladder they would take a look to see what was causing the bleeding I was having too. By 11:30 that morning I was in surgery and out an hour later...things were moving quickly which was great. Having the stent put in was kind of a 50/50 shot that it would work and that it wouldn't cause me more pain. So far it seems to be working ok...probably not 100% but things are much better than before. I also am not having any pain with it yet which is great. I have a follow up with the Urologist next Friday and then will go back in 3 months to either have the stent completely removed or have a new one put it. As for the bladder and the bleeding he did find that a tumor is causing the bleeding so he did some cauterization while up there to try and stop it. It stopped it some, but not all so after I talk to my doctor in Houston about it I'll probably have the Urologist go back up there and scrap off more tumor and do some more cauterization. We could possibly just wait on this until that 3 month mark when he has to go back in to remove or replace the stent, as at this point we aren't in any hurry to get that done. So...after all this and recovery I left the hospital on Saturday afternoon just in time to get to my Grandma McCarthy's Christmas! As always a McCarthy function doesn't disappoint it was great seeing family that I hadn't seen in some time!
Sunday things were going well and then Sunday night/very early Monday morning I started throwing up. When Jerrid witnessed me take a bite of Lucky Charms and then immediately throw it up along with my intestinal enzymes we were off again to the ER. This time scans showed an upper bowel obstruction. So therefore, everything I put in came right back up...it couldn't keep moving down like it was supposed to. There are a couple things to do for bowel obstructions and my doctor decided we were going to try and let this one work itself out as she called my bowel sleepy. So for the first day I ate ice chips, for the second day I drank water, and the third day I started introducing soft or "blenderized" foods as they call them at the hospital. Anything that was once something and they "blenderize" though does not appeal to me and I don't think I could gag down at all. So I stuck with popsicles, pudding, yogurt, and tomato soup. Things were going so well that, that evening she let me have mac and cheese from Panera. So slowly but surely I was just working my way up to "hard" foods and everything was going well. By Wednesday the 2nd they let me out. Upon returning home I immediately swelled up from my waist down due to all of the fluids I had pumped into my body within the last week. This got so bad that it was painful to move...so I didn't do a lot of moving besides getting up to go to the bathroom. Other than the lower body pain I wasn't feeling too bad until Friday. On Friday, I came down with some sort of flu bug or something that put me down for the count again. By Saturday afternoon though, things seemed to be getting better so I decided I NEEDED to get out of the house...even if it was to a Titan boys basketball game! So that evening we went to supper and then to the basketball game and I hung in there pretty well. On Sunday the boys had tickets to the Kansas Jayhawks game so they were going to be gone all day. Since they were going to be gone all day I went to my parents for the day and night. I felt great on Sunday just tired.
By Monday (January 7th) morning I had done a 180. I could barely walk on my own I was so weak. Mom and I were planning to head back to the city that morning after getting Mogi her rabbies shot. So we did that and headed back. On our way back I tried to get a hold of Dr. Morris's nurse but she was busy so I just had to leave a message. I knew my magnesium had to be low, so I wanted to get a treatment before having to travel to Houston. After dropping Mogi off at her hair appointment since I still hadn't heard from from Dr. Morris's nurse we just headed to the ER. By this time it was noon and magnesium treatments take 4 hours, and the infusion center at the doctor's office closes at 4 so they wouldn't have had time to give me a treatment anyways. Upon arriving at the ER and getting all checked in and through triage...my heart rate was 150. My heart rate runs higher to begin with (nowhere near this high), but this just showed how out of whack my blood levels had to have been and how walking two steps raised my heart rate that much. This was very concerning to the ER docs, more so than me just wanting magnesium so they did a lot of extra blood work. The blood work came back and both the doc and I were right. My magnesium was a .7 (it's never been that low before... .9 is the lowest) and then my white blood cell count was 28,000 (should be around 12ish.) The white blood cell count being that high means that there is some sort of infection and in my case it's a bad one. So, once again I'm being admitted and we are postponing our trip to Houston! They started IV antibiotics and magnesium right away and by Tuesday morning my WBC was back in normal range, but that doesn't mean I'm out of the woods at all. I have been on continuous antibiotics through the IV and depending on how my blood counts look this morning, I may switch to oral today, but then will be on oral for quite some time. So...good thing that my WBC was getting back to normal, but magnesium as always is taking it's sweet little time. It was up at a 1 yesterday which is good...but still has a ways to go...so we'll see where we are at today. My hemoglobin came back low yesterday at an 8, so I also got some blood yesterday which usually makes me feel a world of difference by the next day and at almost 3:00 am the next day...so far I'm feeling pretty good! :) My husband will just be shaking his head at me that I am up at this hour!
So...what's the plan now? Well...I don't really make plans anymore...just take things hour by hour. Dr. Morris is bound and determined to get me to Texas next week so it's sounding like he's going to keep me here til Friday...which seems like a long time, but I'm ok with it. By then I'll be pumped full of great stuff, my levels should be "normal", I should be feeling "my best", and as long as I'm here I'm not able to be readmitted! :) So we will see how things go, but however they go...I better end up in Houston by Tuesday or Wednesday or next week!
Lastly...this has nothing to do with my post at all, but I've had a lot of people ask about bringing food and ect. Food is definitely welcome as I am finding, I'm not always up to par to help with things like cooking and/or cleaning up afterwards. Jerrid does such a great job of cooking meals for us and at the same time keeping Brayden busy and playing with him constantly, but then the kitchen and meal dishes often get left for awhile because Jerrid just can't do everything apparently! :) The things that have been appealing to me the most have been comfort type foods: meat, potatoes, and gravy; tuna/chicken and noodles; mac and cheese; soups; pasta. I can't do anything too spicy anymore because the treatment has caused sores on my tongue, but Jerrid loves spicy foods and will eat just about anything so on times I'm gone those types of foods would be good for him.
In conclusion a HUGE thanks to all of you for your continued and overwhelming support! The kindness and generosity that has been shown to us over the last year and a half has been so humbling and it just keeps coming! It has been a very long road and we've still got a long road ahead of us and you have all been so kind, loving, and supportive through it all! Thank you!
Love,
Meighan
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