Fun short hair! We're cooking now!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Hello everyon've!It's been too long since my last post. I've been doing great and having fun! I went to Colorado last weekend and spent the time up in Breckenridge with my awesome friends! It was a real pshchological boost for me and I've been sleeping much better since then.
OK-I'm having a couple of REALLY emotional days. I just had Jason shave my head last night. My hair has started falling out and I'm mourning the loss of it. I know its temporary, and I know it will (most likely) grow back but I'm just having a really difficult time with it! Its funny because I had to have Ziggi shaved the day before because she was so badly matted. She looks silly and is cold and I feel like she looks! Thats really FUNNY! (makes me laugh).
Here are some pictures. Ziggi with me looking tired. That picture was taken on a Sunday after chemo on Wednesday. I was on the up swing from feeling bad from chemo. The next pic is me having chemo and eating a very BIG bear claw with apples in it. There wasn't much at the hospital to eat and we had to be there so early! It did taste good! The next pic is my Oncologist's PA Caroline. I really think she's great! Very supportive and great to talk with!
I'll post more pictures in another blog. I had my hair cut short last week. It looked really cute. Eugenia cut it for me, Thanks Eugenia!!!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Feb 18th. Chemo Brain!
Hello all,
I'm tired so won't type much. Fischer has been sick all last week with a fever and cough. I haven't hugged him since over a week ago. It is really difficult to not hug your child! I'm getting a bit down about it but there is no way I can afford to get sick! Such is cancer!
I've been feeling a bit yucky. My stomach is hurting and I have some indegestion/heartburn. My head feels fuzzy and kind of aches at times. Almost like a hangover. My memory?....forget it! There is no such thing a a memory for me right now. So if you have called and I haven't called you back, call me again because I've forgotten and forgot to write it down! My leg joints and muscles were really hurting on Saturday. They were better yesterday morning and started hurting again yesterday afternoon. I actually drove Fischer to day care this morning! It gets uncomfortable standing for any length of time. My stomach just starts hurting. I keep saying that I may wish I feel like this in several months, this may be a good day instead of an ok kind of yucky feeling day! We'll see....
I'm off to take a nap! You all enjoy your day!
KO
I'm tired so won't type much. Fischer has been sick all last week with a fever and cough. I haven't hugged him since over a week ago. It is really difficult to not hug your child! I'm getting a bit down about it but there is no way I can afford to get sick! Such is cancer!
I've been feeling a bit yucky. My stomach is hurting and I have some indegestion/heartburn. My head feels fuzzy and kind of aches at times. Almost like a hangover. My memory?....forget it! There is no such thing a a memory for me right now. So if you have called and I haven't called you back, call me again because I've forgotten and forgot to write it down! My leg joints and muscles were really hurting on Saturday. They were better yesterday morning and started hurting again yesterday afternoon. I actually drove Fischer to day care this morning! It gets uncomfortable standing for any length of time. My stomach just starts hurting. I keep saying that I may wish I feel like this in several months, this may be a good day instead of an ok kind of yucky feeling day! We'll see....
I'm off to take a nap! You all enjoy your day!
KO
Thursday, February 14, 2008
First Day of Chemo!!!
Good Morning All. Happy Valentines Day!!!
I drove myself to Billings Tuesday afternoon to pick up Mary jane at the airport and then go see my oncologist. It was the best two hours of the past two months! I was in coltrol of something (the car) and I was not hurting at all and I was blasting the music and singing my heart out. It really made me feel like a non-sick human being!
I did not have my port put in yesterday (wednesday). I have a seroma in my pelvis and it has been leaking fluid out of me for over a week. DG (Doctor Gibb) said there was a great chance of me getting infected if he did the surgery and we really don't want that. That would put me way behind in the chemo route and we don't want to go there. They will wait until my body takes care of itself and then put in the IP port. Ironically I stopped leaking the fluid yesterday! I feel I don't want to jynx myself so pretend I didn't tell you that! It feels so good not to be leaking that gross fluid! DG says the seroma probably started as a little hematoma from my anticoagulants and then it formed a seroma to help try to get rid of it. It was measured by CT as about 3x5 inches. Speaking of CT, I spent a good part of Monday at the Bozeman hospital getting tests to fugure out why I was leaking this fluid. I first went to x-ray where they took a picture then they stuck a catheter into my bladder and filled it up with this dye liquid. They took all kinds of pictures to see if I had a fistula (you can look that one up on line its between the bladder and the vagina). Then they wanted me to pee on the table to see how my urethra was doing. I couldn't do it!!!! Arent we taught to not do that????? Tha catheter was so much fun, NOT! My bladder is still very sensitive from the surgery. Then I went to Ct where they gave me an IV and took many pictures while shoving a contrast fluid into me. Again they were looking for the fistula of which they did NOT find but found this seroma. It was a long tiring day and I was wiped out by night time. Bob got a massage so I took Fischer to dinner. There we played (at the table) and he told me I "wasn't being very much fun right now". I at first felt really bad but then realized that he is absolutely right so I told him that he was right and that I would be fun again (someday!). He said "I know, right now its because you're kind of sick" He was so cute! By the way he does know that I have cancer and that I'm taking harsh medicine and that I may be sicker for a while and that my hair is going to fall out. He said I will look silly with no hair and that I will look like a bald eagle! How perceptive! (speaking of bald eagles, I saw three of them on the way to Billings on Tuesday! They were just sitting in a field right bedside the highway doing nothing. No carrion or anything!)
So, no port for now. They did chemo via IV. It was a 5 1/2 hour visit. I fell it really went well. They loaded me up with pre-meds. Benedryl, pepsid, anti-nausea drugs, saline. then slammed me with taxol and carboplatnin. I felt fine, well maybe a little sleepy so I slept for a while. The chemo nurses were having a baked sale so I wheeled my IV pole out the the main part of the hospital and bought myself a little treat! Mary jane had gone to get my presctiptions for me and when she came back I was gone! They told her I left, she was surprised! We were done at 12:30 and ate lunch at the cafeteria waiting for another prescription to be filled. Then we went to a couple of thrift stores (bought a couple of has for when I lose my hair!) and then drove home. I was feeling a bit tired but overall pretty darned good! Yea! I guess I might get tired as the days pass. I'm taking anti-nausea drugs to help me not kack. I had a bit of the runs last night (just what you needed to hear! ((having cancer leaves you with absolutely no dignity! so what the heck!)))
Bob and Fischer stayed at home. Fischer was sick over the weekend and I've been trying to stay away. I can NOT afford to get sick!
So thats the scoop. If I feel good enough, I'm flying to Colorado next weekend the 22,23 and 24th. It's for a girl's ski weekend, of course I won't ski. Ill be swooped up at the airport and taken to the mountains, then swooped back to DIA Sunday night. I'm really looking forward to it!!! Hopefully I'll feel good enough to go! I really think I will!!!
Thank you again for all your support! Keep it coming! I love hearing from all of you!
I'll put on some pictures when MJ wakes up. The camera is in her room!
Love,
Katie
I drove myself to Billings Tuesday afternoon to pick up Mary jane at the airport and then go see my oncologist. It was the best two hours of the past two months! I was in coltrol of something (the car) and I was not hurting at all and I was blasting the music and singing my heart out. It really made me feel like a non-sick human being!
I did not have my port put in yesterday (wednesday). I have a seroma in my pelvis and it has been leaking fluid out of me for over a week. DG (Doctor Gibb) said there was a great chance of me getting infected if he did the surgery and we really don't want that. That would put me way behind in the chemo route and we don't want to go there. They will wait until my body takes care of itself and then put in the IP port. Ironically I stopped leaking the fluid yesterday! I feel I don't want to jynx myself so pretend I didn't tell you that! It feels so good not to be leaking that gross fluid! DG says the seroma probably started as a little hematoma from my anticoagulants and then it formed a seroma to help try to get rid of it. It was measured by CT as about 3x5 inches. Speaking of CT, I spent a good part of Monday at the Bozeman hospital getting tests to fugure out why I was leaking this fluid. I first went to x-ray where they took a picture then they stuck a catheter into my bladder and filled it up with this dye liquid. They took all kinds of pictures to see if I had a fistula (you can look that one up on line its between the bladder and the vagina). Then they wanted me to pee on the table to see how my urethra was doing. I couldn't do it!!!! Arent we taught to not do that????? Tha catheter was so much fun, NOT! My bladder is still very sensitive from the surgery. Then I went to Ct where they gave me an IV and took many pictures while shoving a contrast fluid into me. Again they were looking for the fistula of which they did NOT find but found this seroma. It was a long tiring day and I was wiped out by night time. Bob got a massage so I took Fischer to dinner. There we played (at the table) and he told me I "wasn't being very much fun right now". I at first felt really bad but then realized that he is absolutely right so I told him that he was right and that I would be fun again (someday!). He said "I know, right now its because you're kind of sick" He was so cute! By the way he does know that I have cancer and that I'm taking harsh medicine and that I may be sicker for a while and that my hair is going to fall out. He said I will look silly with no hair and that I will look like a bald eagle! How perceptive! (speaking of bald eagles, I saw three of them on the way to Billings on Tuesday! They were just sitting in a field right bedside the highway doing nothing. No carrion or anything!)
So, no port for now. They did chemo via IV. It was a 5 1/2 hour visit. I fell it really went well. They loaded me up with pre-meds. Benedryl, pepsid, anti-nausea drugs, saline. then slammed me with taxol and carboplatnin. I felt fine, well maybe a little sleepy so I slept for a while. The chemo nurses were having a baked sale so I wheeled my IV pole out the the main part of the hospital and bought myself a little treat! Mary jane had gone to get my presctiptions for me and when she came back I was gone! They told her I left, she was surprised! We were done at 12:30 and ate lunch at the cafeteria waiting for another prescription to be filled. Then we went to a couple of thrift stores (bought a couple of has for when I lose my hair!) and then drove home. I was feeling a bit tired but overall pretty darned good! Yea! I guess I might get tired as the days pass. I'm taking anti-nausea drugs to help me not kack. I had a bit of the runs last night (just what you needed to hear! ((having cancer leaves you with absolutely no dignity! so what the heck!)))
Bob and Fischer stayed at home. Fischer was sick over the weekend and I've been trying to stay away. I can NOT afford to get sick!
So thats the scoop. If I feel good enough, I'm flying to Colorado next weekend the 22,23 and 24th. It's for a girl's ski weekend, of course I won't ski. Ill be swooped up at the airport and taken to the mountains, then swooped back to DIA Sunday night. I'm really looking forward to it!!! Hopefully I'll feel good enough to go! I really think I will!!!
Thank you again for all your support! Keep it coming! I love hearing from all of you!
I'll put on some pictures when MJ wakes up. The camera is in her room!
Love,
Katie
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
"I'm too sexy for my stockings....too sexy for my pole" This was me trying to pole dance when in the hospital. I think just standing there was the exercise for the day!
Now I am going for SHORT walks outside. It feels good to get the fresh air. I really miss running and hope to get going with that in a few weeks!? I'm now three weeks out from surgery. They said six weeks so I"m half way there!!!!!
I'll post more later this week. I'm going to Billings today to see the doc. Having a minor set back and may not be able to put the port in tomorrow. They'll do chemo via IV tomorrow if no port. I just want to get this ball rolling!!!!!
Thanks to you all for the generous support! I couldn't do this without all of you!
KO
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Chemo update
Hello All
Me again, of course who else are you expecting????
I go to get my IP port put in on Wednesday the 13th. This will make for a fabulous Valentines Day but what the heck!? I'm the forst one on the dockett for surgery Wed. Then I recover for a few hours then they slam me with my first chemo treatment. They say the chemo day 1 is a 7 hour day! They put in drugs via IV for about 3 hours then put in 2 liters of fluid into my IP port and then make me lay on my left side, then my right side then they tilt me so it goes to the top of my abdomen, then they tilt me kind of standing up so my guts on the bottom get soaked. 2 LITERS! I'm a fairly small gal so they tell me I may be uncomfortable with some bloating. I think more like I'm gonna look 15 months pregnant! (Have you ever seen a 15 month pregnant woman? HUGE!!!!) :) Then they will send me home. They say we will be able to do it in one day. Drive over, get treatment and then drive back. I'm sure it will be a fun trip home for two hours in the car! So this is day 1 of week 1.
Day 8 or week 2, I get JUST IP chemo. I guess its not the gut washing experience of day one and it is only supposed to be about three hours, then I get to go back home. :) YEA!!!
The next week I will have OFF! I will be recovering for the next session of gut washing. They will monitor my blood levels every Friday here in Bozeman. I will also get one of those Neulasta shots on day 2 (after the gut washing experience) and I can do that here in Bozeman too. Guess how much ONE of those shots costs??????? ...don't fall over, I almost did....... $4,000.00 FOR ONE SHOT! I will need six of them. I guess this is why we pay so much for health insurance!!!
I will do this three week dance for six sessions. If my blood work gets bad they may have topostpone a week or so. I've already made up my mind that my bloodwork will be ok and we'll get through this right on schedule. I have my life to live and I want to get this part over! Also my hair will start to grow back once I'm done with the chemo. Yes, I'm probably going to lose my hair! I have a breakfast date tomorrow morning with three gal friends. We are going to eat then go try on wigs. I won't actually buy one tillI start losing my hair. They are expensive and who knows, I MIGHT not need it! Bob seems to think I'm not going to lose my hair. The doc says very, very, rarely do people not lose their hair, but you never know!
I'm not too thrilled about going back under the knife to have this port put in. The Doc didn't think I needed it when he did the surgery (this is a good sign) otherwise he would have put it in!
I think its the thought of having some foreign object in my body for a while tha creeps me out. But if this is what it takes to make me live,.......BRING IT ON!!!!!!! I CAN handle it!
My Oncologist feels sure I will only have to do the six sessions, remember, he is out to cure me!!
They have great anti nausea drugs now and I'm gonna take full advantage of them. I need to keep an appitite and eat well and not get sick with any colds etc. OK.
We are going to talk with Fischer more about this whole thing this weekend. This part is the most scary for me. How do you tell your 4 year old that you are really sick and are going to go through hell and that everything is going to be ok? You just do. Because it is. He is an awesome human being and a very compassionate child. I know he will have some difficulties but I think this is going to make our family so strong to work through this. Just imagine what is going to be on the flip side!!! (I can't wait:))
Guess I'm rambling now. I'll be soliciting rides from all of you who live here in Bozeman! Wanna take a Tuesday off and drive on nasty icy roads while someone is complaining of a bloated belly??? Just email or call me to sign up! I also have friends, you all are my WONDERFUL friends, coming up from Colorado and other parts of the country, Boston, New York, to help out. My sister has already made her reservations for April! (Thanks Stacy!)
The meal train is rolling, We received a wonderful gift certificate for cafe couriers, I'm getting flowers and iTunes gift cards ( great for downloading chemo music!). You guys all rule! I'm going to pay it forward BIG TIME when this is all done, just you wait and see!!!
TTFN,
I Love You All,
Katie O
Me again, of course who else are you expecting????
I go to get my IP port put in on Wednesday the 13th. This will make for a fabulous Valentines Day but what the heck!? I'm the forst one on the dockett for surgery Wed. Then I recover for a few hours then they slam me with my first chemo treatment. They say the chemo day 1 is a 7 hour day! They put in drugs via IV for about 3 hours then put in 2 liters of fluid into my IP port and then make me lay on my left side, then my right side then they tilt me so it goes to the top of my abdomen, then they tilt me kind of standing up so my guts on the bottom get soaked. 2 LITERS! I'm a fairly small gal so they tell me I may be uncomfortable with some bloating. I think more like I'm gonna look 15 months pregnant! (Have you ever seen a 15 month pregnant woman? HUGE!!!!) :) Then they will send me home. They say we will be able to do it in one day. Drive over, get treatment and then drive back. I'm sure it will be a fun trip home for two hours in the car! So this is day 1 of week 1.
Day 8 or week 2, I get JUST IP chemo. I guess its not the gut washing experience of day one and it is only supposed to be about three hours, then I get to go back home. :) YEA!!!
The next week I will have OFF! I will be recovering for the next session of gut washing. They will monitor my blood levels every Friday here in Bozeman. I will also get one of those Neulasta shots on day 2 (after the gut washing experience) and I can do that here in Bozeman too. Guess how much ONE of those shots costs??????? ...don't fall over, I almost did....... $4,000.00 FOR ONE SHOT! I will need six of them. I guess this is why we pay so much for health insurance!!!
I will do this three week dance for six sessions. If my blood work gets bad they may have topostpone a week or so. I've already made up my mind that my bloodwork will be ok and we'll get through this right on schedule. I have my life to live and I want to get this part over! Also my hair will start to grow back once I'm done with the chemo. Yes, I'm probably going to lose my hair! I have a breakfast date tomorrow morning with three gal friends. We are going to eat then go try on wigs. I won't actually buy one tillI start losing my hair. They are expensive and who knows, I MIGHT not need it! Bob seems to think I'm not going to lose my hair. The doc says very, very, rarely do people not lose their hair, but you never know!
I'm not too thrilled about going back under the knife to have this port put in. The Doc didn't think I needed it when he did the surgery (this is a good sign) otherwise he would have put it in!
I think its the thought of having some foreign object in my body for a while tha creeps me out. But if this is what it takes to make me live,.......BRING IT ON!!!!!!! I CAN handle it!
My Oncologist feels sure I will only have to do the six sessions, remember, he is out to cure me!!
They have great anti nausea drugs now and I'm gonna take full advantage of them. I need to keep an appitite and eat well and not get sick with any colds etc. OK.
We are going to talk with Fischer more about this whole thing this weekend. This part is the most scary for me. How do you tell your 4 year old that you are really sick and are going to go through hell and that everything is going to be ok? You just do. Because it is. He is an awesome human being and a very compassionate child. I know he will have some difficulties but I think this is going to make our family so strong to work through this. Just imagine what is going to be on the flip side!!! (I can't wait:))
Guess I'm rambling now. I'll be soliciting rides from all of you who live here in Bozeman! Wanna take a Tuesday off and drive on nasty icy roads while someone is complaining of a bloated belly??? Just email or call me to sign up! I also have friends, you all are my WONDERFUL friends, coming up from Colorado and other parts of the country, Boston, New York, to help out. My sister has already made her reservations for April! (Thanks Stacy!)
The meal train is rolling, We received a wonderful gift certificate for cafe couriers, I'm getting flowers and iTunes gift cards ( great for downloading chemo music!). You guys all rule! I'm going to pay it forward BIG TIME when this is all done, just you wait and see!!!
TTFN,
I Love You All,
Katie O
Sunday, February 3, 2008
This is Lori, Rebecca and I in the hospital. I think it was the day I was released. Isn't it funny they call it releasing you from the hospital? I'm showing off my SEXY leg stockings with the pumps attached to prevent clotting. The pumps inflate every minute or so to help prevent you from getting too much sleep while being in the hospital! See how the stockings have holes at the bottom so you can show off your pretty pedicure?
Superbowl Sunday- go Pats!!!!!!
Fischer at a fish tank in Billings Hospital. He is carrying the eagle I gave him. I have seenmore bald eagles since I've been sick than I've seen in all my life. Their symbol is strength and endurance. I go Bob, Fischer and I all eagles before going into the hospital.
I'm feeling better and better each day. I'm in the stage where I'm getting bored lying/sitting on the couch but yet don't have the energy to get up and do much. It still takes a lot to go up the stairs to our bedroom. I've been sitting outsied for the past few days. The fresh air and sunshine feel good on my face. I actually took Ziggi across the street to go potty the other day and got in big trouble from Bob. It is really icy out and I can fall easily. He fell the other day coming back from the mailbox.
I go to the oncologist for an update in Billings on Tuesday. I'll let post the news on the blog on Wednesday. Going to a Superbowl party today! My biggest outing in over two weeks! I'm looking forward to laying on somebody else's couch for a couple of hours!
Thank you everybody for all your support! It will help carry me through until I am cancer free!
Love to all,
Katie
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