Last Chemo - Wahoooo

Hello Everyone!

Today was a great day! Had my last chemo session! And it went off like clockwork!

Sandy once again came with me - she has to be sick and twisted to want to come and watch toxic chemicals being dripped into me!!! Of course we went out afterwards for a lovely sushi meal and shake of course!!!

I had a new nurse, Trace, and he was great! Good sense of humour and asked me lots of questions and gave lots of answers! Felt very comfortable with him - as I have with almost all of the chemo nurses, one exception. And yes, I will miss them - they are such a wonderful group of people who are so caring and understanding with what a cancer patient is going through.

Nothing over exciting happened - other then when I got my card back. There were appointments I should not have had and ones I should have had weren't there. Like my CT scan, I got called yesterday to say my appointment was for July 13. But I have since found out my CT is on July 14 at 11:50, so have to be there for 11:20 and will have had to have gone to the Medical Day Care to have the IV put in place. And have to phone the oncologist to get the right day for the appointment to see him - will be a week after the CT give or take a day. Also found out that I have a year's worth of flushing booked with the Medical Day Care - the port has to be flushed every 4 weeks to prevent it from clogging. So we know it is there for at least that length of time. Trace said he has heard of the ports being left in for 6 years!



That is about it - told you nothing exciting! I do have to keep an eye on the incision. Lesley who took the IV out, noticed that it hasn't totally sealed, so wants me to keep an eye on it for a bit, any signs of infection or fever, I have to either see my family doctor or go to the hospital. And ya know, I really have had my fill of hospitals for a long time.

And as I left, I said to Trace and Lesley - hope to never see you again (well in the chemo room)!!!

And who knows, maybe back to work - now that would be great!

Roni

Update

Hello Everyone!

Let's try this a second time!!! Went to put in a picture and everything disappeared!!

Just a quick update seeing as it has been a bit since I posted last!

Saw Dr. P this morning - with good news - which is always nice!! My tumour markers are down again and my blood count is good! So, that was good to hear!!! He listened to my heart and lungs and said they sounded good.

He has booked a CT scan for me three weeks after the last chemo - which is this Thursday and then we go back and see him the following week for the results and to get the port flushed. Hopefully start a new drug therapy of anti-hormonal drugs. But we shall wait and see!

Since the last post, have had the Relay for Life and my team The Country Dancing Boobies did fantastic - 16 members and we raised $4,690.19 - way to go team! We are already gearing up for next year with another Hot Dog sale in August.

Brian and I just before the start of the Survivor and Caregiver Lap.

The team - missing two team members in the picture though. Ryan was sleeping in his stroller and Alexus was asleep in her stroller.

Well, all for now, will do a short post Thursday evening!

Roni

Chemo - what a breeze

Hi there

Thought I had a lot to report, but forgot that I already put in the info on getting the pic line in!The staples are actually on top not to the right, but shows you the rigging they use to set up the lines.

This is so much easier to get your chemo - you can move around a lot easier. And I did find out that my oncologist is not one to push the ports - so my nurse was surprised when she remembered who my doctor was. But I do wish it had been in ages ago for sure!

How is everyone like this heat? 34c is just a tad too hot for this gal...... we have had it hot for over a week and this is so early for us to have heat! But we won't complain too loudly - it could be all rain!!!

Saw Dr. P on Tuesday morning. He said the pic line was healing nicely from what he could see. He said he would book a CT scan for three weeks after the next chemo treatment which will be on June 25 - so I think that would be the week of July 13. And then decide where to go from there. He said that my blood work would be done at the Medical Day Care - which I thought was odd, but then it made sense, you want someone specialized in this way of taking blood. So, I was booked for Wednesday, June 3.

Patrick and I headed to the hospital for my 2:30 appt - we were early, so we decided to get the supplies for the Relay for Life this Saturday that I needed for the Survivor Tent and for our tent of course!

Once I was signed in and then got the hospital bracelet, we headed to the Medical Day Care unit to get hooked up. The nurse was really good which I liked! She got out her tray of goodies and the first poke hurt and she didn't get any blood which meant she would have to do it again and she felt so bad. But the second poke worked like a charm and she put in the tubing, took my blood and then taped down the tubing and such to be used for my chemo treatment on Thursday.

Well, it is Thursday and off Brian and I went to the Chemo Room. Sounds like a nightclub - well you do get cocktails, just not the type you drink! I got Donna again, I love her, she is such a blast! She was waiting for me in the waiting room. Into pod 1 I went, pick a comfy chair (yeah right) and she made sure I took my meds including a new one that is about $40 per pill. Then she started the chemo - no IV push this time. First the red devil goes in and then the other drug. And of course, I get the usual headache from the last drug - but it was almost at the end so good. All done - off come the dressings and just a bandaid for where the needle was in.

That is it for another three weeks. See Dr. P. on the 23rd of June and get the blood work the same day but an hour earlier. Then chemo on the 25th - no time yet. Sure hope it is earlier in the day - these 3:45 appts suck - you get stuck with major rush hour traffic!

Relay for Life is this Saturday, June 6!! Weather sounds like it is going to be nice for it, which is what we want. Will have a full report on it Sunday or Monday. And Ryan's birthday party is on Sunday - hard to believe he will be 2 on the 11th!

All for now......

Roni