Play Ball!

Murray Hill Little League All Stars are off to a good start! It was a perfect day at the ball park - sunny and high seventies. Four of our boys hit homers, one of them hit three! The game ended with a brilliant catch by our shortstop of a hard hit ball - so fast you could have missed it - he then tossed the ball to first for the final out of the game. MHLL 14, Tigard 5. Next game, 10AM tomorrow. Note to church friends: I will be at the game. Um, it's a once in a lifetime ride these boys are on - we have to put up with a few Sunday games . .

I'm back up to 95% of my usual self - thank you God! Just in time to enjoy the game, and the pre-game potluck! My appetite has returned - big time. Major craving for potato salad - satisfied!

I think sleeping yesterday evening and all night helped immensely. I woke up feeling fairly decent - even though I still had the chemo pump at that time. The morning errands included turning the pump back in to St Vincent's. I think there is a psychological impact from getting rid of the thing. It's no trouble to have, but I appreciate not having to have it sitting on my waist making its quiet but relentless little pumping sound.

I am not being bothered by radiation at this time. I guess that one day was just my system being startled by the burn. I haven't turned red or felt sore since then.

Now I get to look forward to a normal day tomorrow - no treatments to upset the status quo - and another ball game to enjoy. I've had a taste of feeling rotten (due to chemo) so I can better appreciate a return to feeling good. And - I will be better prepared when it's time for the second and final chemo in 4 or 5 weeks.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Weekend

Weekend means two days off from radiation.
Saturday means the chemo drip is done and I turn in the pump.
Saturday means opening game of the District 4 Majors All Star tourney. (4:00, Alpenrose Main).


Now means tired. came home and slept 4 hours. I think that's a reaction to the radiation.

It is now time to sleep some more.

Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers. G'nite.

Three . . .

Hey All!!
Thanks for praying and caring!
I am grateful that right now that I feel OK. Grateful because I so wanted to make it out to the ball field to join in painting our cars with Go MurrayHill Little League All Stars! and stuff like that. Looks like I'm gonna make it! 

I will probably post more on this entry later, but for now, phew. All is well.

Hooray! My car, and all the team cars, got painted! Excitement is building for the first game on Saturday - Alpenrose Main - opening pitch at 4:00 

Play Like Champions! One Team, One Dream! One Team, One Goal! Go MHLL All Stars!

9:30AM, July 8 - Good Morning.
Burp. Grump.
Ordered anti nausea med. Burp. No, I'm not throwing up miserable, and water is helping a great deal, but I am happy to take a stab at abating lingering queasiness and (oh no!) disinterest in food. The banana I ate is doing fine, but I am having trouble getting excited about an egg, or even a potato. So, I'm off to the pharmacy.
Thankfully, I am having no particular discomfort from radiation - proactive applications of aloe gel have that handled for now, but tired. Definitely tired. Will now focus on getting at least semi presentable for the outside world. The pharmacy anyway. I think I will come back here and let the med do its work, eat, and hopefully have more energy to get a bit more presentable and go to work, and treatment after. It's payroll day and Lisa hasn't been taught how to do that.
 

Two Treatments Behind Me.

OK - Two treatments are behind me.
However, this morning my poor little tail seems to be dragging.
Now I'm writing for my own benefit. I need a mental/spiritual boost.
Gotta dig a little deeper to get the happy juice flowing.

Chemo:
Mercifully, I am not at all bothered by the chemo drug dripping into me.
I'm very grateful that I checked with Nurse L to see if there was an upper limit to how much water I can be drinking during chemo - my concern being that too much water would dilute the drug. Her answer - No!! Water won't do that! Drink all you want! This is wonderful news to me, because I find that I want A LOT of water! I'm thinking lots of water is a significant contributor to good tolerance for chemo.

Radiation:
After Rad. Treatment #2 I did one errand, came home, made a yummy dinner (Ate too much?? See, friends, It takes more than chemo, etc. to keep me from loving food!) and flopped on the couch.
Alternatively napped and read stuff.
Could feel much of my energy going into the radiated area - pelvis - working to do damage control.
At bedtime, I noticed radiation burn - already - ugh. Put on aloe.

General:
Slept well, and slept in an extra hour.
See, everyone - I am taking good care of myself.
Took a walk, although it was a relatively slow-pokey one.
I am not at work. I am home, blogging.
I think now I can fix a breakfast and head for the office for awhile.
And see what the day brings. Yeah, Rad treatment #3. woohoo

Ah - I'm wearing a bit of a happy face again. Nothing like laughing at your own jokes.
Hee hee, ha ha, chortle, giggle, etc.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you his saints. for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8-10

Heeeere We Go!

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

I’ve been chemo-ed. I’ve been rad-zapped.

Little cells are under attack. Some are being killed by radiation. Many are being prevented from dividing and growing by two chemo drugs. The good ones will die with the bad ones. Cells that have short lives and are replaced often under normal circumstances won’t be replaced. That’s why chemo patients get mouth sores and loose hair. Those cells have a short live/die/replace cycle. Mouth has the shortest cycle, so mouth sores is the first side effect to show up. I have a special mouthwash that should help with them. Listerine has been sent to the back of the cupboard. Hair cells have a somewhat slower regeneration cycle, so I should escape with only slight hair loss – none noticeable to the untrained eye.

Radiation:

No issues. There probably won’t be any during the first two weeks. Then the burn begins to build . . .

Chemo:

Lots of action today!

Anti Nausea Med: It’s a steroid. Besides abating nausea that could come from the other drugs, its anti-inflammatory property is making the ol’ arthritic hip happy. It also could amp up your energy. Nurse L told of a woman who was up running her vacuum at one in the morning. Ugh. Earlier I felt sleepy, but now I do feel a bit hyped – blogging will do that . . .

Chemo drug #1 was sent into me over a 10-minute period. It was a lovely pale purple color. Still is. Mixed with B vitamin yellow, diluted by lots of water, my pee is now pale tan.

Chemo drug #2 comes in a pouch and is fed into a rather amazing little pump. 151 ml of solution is being pumped at the rate of 1.6 ml/hour. Do the math – it takes 94 hours and change to finish. That will be Saturday, about noon. Plenty of time to catch the boys’ opening ball game!

Feelings – physical and other:

Feeling just a little sludgey. The closest thing I’ve ever felt to this (waaaay back in the day) is a mild hangover. I keep thinking I should go walk it off. But the pump keeps pumping.

No nausea issues. May have felt an occasional oopsy feeling – but barely worth mentioning.

Drinking water seems to reduce the sludgey feeling.

I have NOT lost my appetite. Today, at least, I have had to apply the same portion control rules as any other day, with the goal to have 10 pounds gone at the end of this. I am giggling, wondering if I will not lose any of my urge to eat more than I should. I guess in these circumstances that’s a good thing . . .

Good news – I’m cleared to do as much of my workout as I want. The PICC line and the little pump are of sturdy construction and there really isn’t anything I can do to ‘break’ them. I had thought I had trashed the PICC line insertion site by over-using my arm – but as it turns out, not. Phew. Lift that sack of cat litter. But watch out! Don’t sweat on the insertion site.

So, to you faithful readers who have read the whole thing here, Thank you! Thank you for caring and praying and sending good thoughts. I wish I could hug each one of you. You are warming my heart, and making me smile.

God bless us, every one!

Tiny Tim/Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

‘Twas the Night Before Treatments

Here we go.

Prepare for the worst.

Hope for the best.

Again, I find the best remedy for my feelings of annoyance, concern, anxiety and fear is to pray.

Specifically, to pray for those whose suffering is far greater than any I can expect from this course of treatment.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18

As I pray that these others know the Lord is with them, and that they can trust His perfect will, and that they remember that He is using their situation in ways they cannot imagine for His glory . . a ha! I am comforted, and am at peace.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits -

Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5


Some of you readers will enjoy remembering 10!! (can it be??!) years ago exactly as we studied and memorized this Psalm and sang it together set to music written by our gifted friend Martha.

All Systems are Go

Yes! Almost all the bits are in. The preliminary pathology report on those lymph nodes in my groin shows no issues. The caveat is the final report might show issues. However, it doesn’t alter the area to receive radiation. Only the dosage levels of the later treatments would be changed. So no worries with these.

Chemotherapy

Thursday a device called a PICC line was installed in me. If you want details, I am sure you could Google it and learn as much as you would like to know. It is used to drip chemo fluids into me, draw blood for tests and administer any other fluids as necessary, such as electrolytes in the event I become dehydrated. Quite a brilliant device, actually. Do Google it if you have a spare moment.

Yesterday the dressing on the PICC insertion site was changed. All is well. There’s a slight conflict of opinion about how much exercise is permissible with this device in. The team who put it in seemed to think I shouldn’t do much of anything at all. Nurse J, who changed the dressing today seemed to think I could do anything I wanted as long as I didn’t get the site wet from showering, swimming or sweating. Watch that sweat! I’m going with Nurse J.

The first of two chemo sequences begins July 5. I get an immediate dose through the PICC line of one drug, and a five-day drip of another drug is begun at the same time, and I will pack a little pump around which is housed in a fanny pack. I was told the names of the drugs, but I have forgotten them. Neither was one I recall hearing of in my limited experience with chemo.

Radiation

Got part two of the two part set up process for radiation treatments. The team headed by Dr. H is happy with their work. First treatment is set for July 5.

Spent some time with Nurse L who reviewed what to expect during radiation treatments. Compared to what I experienced with radiation for breast cancer – this will be nasty. Definitely nasty. Compared to what many people experience every day with chronic pain and other chronic conditions – cakewalk. Hold that thought. Revisit in 4 weeks.

Life goes on – or not.

I have two sources of Internet. This evening neither one is working. What kind of evil joke is this? I had a fine evening planned relaxing, doing all manner of Internet activities. Not to be. I’m going to shoot over to the near by rec. center where there is wifi and get this sent, and do some other odds and ends. Breaking news – the rec. center wifi is down as well! Oh no! Conspiracy!  – Unplugged! How about that! I accept the gift.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Saturday afternoon 

Here I am at my office using that internet. It's OK, I was planning to get some stuff done here anyway. I've been a busy little bee today - did a full workout (watch that sweat!) and a full dusting of the house. All prepped for what I expect will be the last vacuuming until October! I can live with this.

Now to get some office work done, and attempt to fix what's wrong with at least one of the internet access programs.

Oh, and big thanksgiving for the first two days of July being absolutely perfect. Cloudless and around 80 degrees. Yummy.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4