March 12, 2011

  • 20 days of backpack fun...

    Posted by Stephanie  10:30pm CST  from the apartment  Houston, TX

    My absence from posting was longer than I planned.....I didn't realize until I logged on that it was two weeks ago when I was on last!  My apologies.  I've been a busy gal!

    Ang was here for a week over her spring break.  I only get to see her a few times of year, so I was super excited for the extended time together.  She's been to Houston numerous times over the years, but mostly for just a couple days surrounding my surgeries.  I know she enjoyed not having to spend all her time this visit in the hospital staring at me unconscious.  :)  We had a great time, although we didn't do too many things--a little shopping, some great dinners out, trips to the hospital, etc.  Mostly we just hung out and relaxed.

    I finished the chemo part of round 2 on Tuesday. However, Dr. Benjamin ordered not three extra days of I.V. fluids (like last round), but five days.  FIVE extra days, oof.  My body needs all the additives in the fluids to get my electrolytes back in balance from the time on chemo.  It's been rougher this second round to keep the main culprit, my C02, where it needs to be.  The amount of sodium acetate in my fluids had to be increased several times, plus every other day I was getting extra pushes (giant syringes) of soda bicarb or even bags of it that had to be infused over a couple of hours.  My medical team is doing everything they can to keep my body working so this treatment can do it's job!  The last bag of these extra fluids got hooked up tonight, so tomorrow around dinner time, after 20 continuous days, I'll be free of this backpack!!!  While that is quite the cause for celebration, it also means we'll have to take drastic measures to keep my C02 up with just oral medication.  I'm dreading how many he'll suggest....

    Monday I have the normal battery of scans (bloodwork, chest x-ray, CT scans) and see Dr. Benjamin to find out if this regiment is working.  I'm starting to get nervous about it.  On one hand, Ifosfamide has always worked for me, but on the other, this is such a different way of administering it....Dr. B isn't even sure what to think yet.  I can only pray it's doing it's usual knock-out job.

    After the nail-biting, exhausting adventures of this coming Monday, I'll be flying home Tuesday for just a couple of days.  I really wanted to find the time to get home for a quick visit A) because it's been 7 weeks since I've been home, and B) to take care of tax stuff, which can be rather extensive with all my medical expenses and my Arbonne business.  I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, with my own cat, see my husband and hang out with my friends.  It'll be a much needed boost to my spirits!

    Alright, gonna go to bed.  I've felt a little puny today--achy from the Nuepogen injections, tired, and running a low-grade fever.  It's just because my counts are low, and it's certainly NOTHING in comparison to side effects in the past, but it was enough to keep me sacked out on the couch all day.  Night all!

    -Steph