As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be going into chemo again. I talked to the medical oncologist today and I feel much better about the situation than I did after talking to they gyn/onc. Today I was told that I will be starting tomorrow and instead of using regular taxol, he is using a more expensive form because of a reaction he had not been informed of. When he first started treating me in August, they did the infusion slowly to make sure I wouldn't have any kind of reaction. The next time I was at a different location and they gave it faster and I started having extreme back pain. When they slowed it down, the pain didn't occur. The only problem is, they didn't inform him of the reaction. It was decided that I would get treatments at the location where the doctor is rather than the location closer to where I live (both are close to home, but the other one is much closer). That way, if I have any kind of reaction, he is there and can take action.
I will still be getting taxol, but apparently the form they will be giving me is bound to something derived from humans (I don't remember the word he used right now) so it won't require the benedryl to prevent a reaction but it is more expensive and most insurances won't cover it unless there is a reason for it. Because of the past reactions, it should be covered. I just hope that it goes ok.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Back on the Roller Coaster
I went to the doctor today (March 11) and got a rude awakening. Not that it wasn't totally unexpected, but it sure wasn't appreciated. I knew that my CA-125 was on the way up again (I had been told that during a previous visit with the medical oncologist two weeks ago), but hearing it from the gynecological/oncologist made it much more real. They were both in agreement that something needed to be done, but the way it was presented to me today was really scary.
I accept the fact that my condition is chronic and that I will be in chemo the rest of my life, but when the doctor told me today that I could choose between chemos and that my options were now much more limited than previously available it was hard to hear. Especially when she said it was either that or look into hospice. In my mind, looking into hospice is giving up and saying there is nothing more to do. Personally, I am not at that point yet. Other than a few aches that hadn't been there before, I feel fine. I have to many things to do in life to throw in the towel and accept that defeat! So I am getting back on the chemo as soon as I am able to get in with the chemo doctor again, which will be next Monday.
They want to put me back on the weekly taxol, but that means I will lose my hair again. The other option I was given was to go on doxil. I talked to one lady recently who had been on that and she shared her horror story with it and I decided that I would rather be bald again than to face the possibility of having blisters all over the place; besides which that is what the chemo doctor suggested since it had been successful before. Most of the other options they use have been ruled out because of reactions I had in the past.
There was one strange thing the doctor told me to do. Normally, I eat a lot of produce and mostly organic foods. Today she told me I should eat more processed foods so that all digestion would take place in the stomach so that I wouldn't face another bowel obstruction like I had in January. I need to do a little research on that to see if I can figure out a healthy way to be on a low residue diet. All I can say is I will KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!
I accept the fact that my condition is chronic and that I will be in chemo the rest of my life, but when the doctor told me today that I could choose between chemos and that my options were now much more limited than previously available it was hard to hear. Especially when she said it was either that or look into hospice. In my mind, looking into hospice is giving up and saying there is nothing more to do. Personally, I am not at that point yet. Other than a few aches that hadn't been there before, I feel fine. I have to many things to do in life to throw in the towel and accept that defeat! So I am getting back on the chemo as soon as I am able to get in with the chemo doctor again, which will be next Monday.
They want to put me back on the weekly taxol, but that means I will lose my hair again. The other option I was given was to go on doxil. I talked to one lady recently who had been on that and she shared her horror story with it and I decided that I would rather be bald again than to face the possibility of having blisters all over the place; besides which that is what the chemo doctor suggested since it had been successful before. Most of the other options they use have been ruled out because of reactions I had in the past.
There was one strange thing the doctor told me to do. Normally, I eat a lot of produce and mostly organic foods. Today she told me I should eat more processed foods so that all digestion would take place in the stomach so that I wouldn't face another bowel obstruction like I had in January. I need to do a little research on that to see if I can figure out a healthy way to be on a low residue diet. All I can say is I will KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Life goes on in the new year
Since my last post, a lot of things happened. I spent five days visiting friends in Moose Pass, Alaska (about 100 miles south of Anchorage). That was between December 24 and 29 of last year. The trip was not too bad until we were about 20 miles south of Anchorage. Some joker tried to pass us and then pulled into our lane before he had cleared us and we both went off the road. He came to check that we were ok and then he hitched a ride into town and that was the last anyone had seen of him. At least the state troopers had a warrant out for his arrest since this was not his first hit and run apparently. When we first came to a stop, I saw steam coming out of the vents so we got out of the car thinking it was going to blow or something, but that didn't happen. My sister and I and our two puppies were taken by ambulance to the hospital in Anchorage where we were both checked out and later released. The entire time I was being checked out, Sam (our miniature St. Bernard) was laying on my bed and when they let me get up to make sure I could walk ok he wanted back up the bed after he had a drink. Poor puppy was so scared and he still is hesitant to get into a car.
The next day, we got a rental car to use until we either get our car back or get a settlement so we can get a replacement. By the time I got back home, my stomach had really started bothering me. My sister didn't feel comfortable driving so I had to wait until our roommie got home and he took me to the ER. It turns out that I had a bowel obstruction and boy, was I miserable! I was admitted that night and had an NG tube put in. That was miserable since it made my throat hurt every time I tried to swallow so I spit a lot. At least the doctor treating me here listened to me when I said that it was because it was easier to spit than to put up with the pain of swallowing and they did allow me to have pain medication for that purpose. The last time it happened (Dec 2011) the doctor treating me kept saying I was vomiting and delaying the removal of the tube. I was finally release Friday after being on a liquid diet for a day and solid food for a day. And I am told that poor Sam kept laying outside my door because he missed me so much. So cute!
One good thing came out of that. I found out from the gyn/onc that was the attending physician that my tumor markers were at 11 (anything below 35 is considered normal) and there was no evidence of disease on the CT except maybe one enlarged lymph node in the groin area that may eventually be biopsied. I am still on the blood thinner shots they started after finding blood clots in both lungs, but I guess I can live with that. Now I guess that it will be a game of wait and see what happens. Happy New Year!
The next day, we got a rental car to use until we either get our car back or get a settlement so we can get a replacement. By the time I got back home, my stomach had really started bothering me. My sister didn't feel comfortable driving so I had to wait until our roommie got home and he took me to the ER. It turns out that I had a bowel obstruction and boy, was I miserable! I was admitted that night and had an NG tube put in. That was miserable since it made my throat hurt every time I tried to swallow so I spit a lot. At least the doctor treating me here listened to me when I said that it was because it was easier to spit than to put up with the pain of swallowing and they did allow me to have pain medication for that purpose. The last time it happened (Dec 2011) the doctor treating me kept saying I was vomiting and delaying the removal of the tube. I was finally release Friday after being on a liquid diet for a day and solid food for a day. And I am told that poor Sam kept laying outside my door because he missed me so much. So cute!
One good thing came out of that. I found out from the gyn/onc that was the attending physician that my tumor markers were at 11 (anything below 35 is considered normal) and there was no evidence of disease on the CT except maybe one enlarged lymph node in the groin area that may eventually be biopsied. I am still on the blood thinner shots they started after finding blood clots in both lungs, but I guess I can live with that. Now I guess that it will be a game of wait and see what happens. Happy New Year!
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