Need caffeine!

I have cut my consumption of caffeine down tremendously since beginning chemo.  But these last few days I need a jolt!

The doctor said the effects of the weekly Taxol would be cumulative.  I am here to say this is so true.  I have had more fatigue the last few days.  I mean like "Sleeping Beauty" sleep.  (Of course I wish it would help the beauty part!)  It began on Thursday and has just stayed with me.  I cannot let my body go horizontal because I will be out.  Anyone who knows me knows sleep is not part of my life.  I am good if I get 6 hours of sleep a night.  Let me tell you I am making up for lost time.  I figure if this continues I have only 3 more weeks of it!  Otherwise things are good.  I still have several side effects but I am getting use to them.

After sleeping most of the day on Thursday I told Rick I could sleep anywhere.  It has really bothered me that I have not been able to see Chris and Karmen's new restaurant.  So mid morning on Friday we loaded up the pillows and blankets and went to Washington.  I was so excited to see The Blue Duck and my family.  Of course they were super busy but I got to eat with Ceci and listen to her stories.  We then took Ceci home for Karmen and got Annie off of the bus.  They had a babysitter for the evening but I got to see them for awhile and get my granddaughter fix.  What a great day!  I slept like a champ Friday night and most of Saturday morning.  Then we were off to watch Ethan and Emerson while Karlene and Adam had a dinner engagement Saturday evening.  As Papa put Ethan to bed Mimi settled into the couch and began her catnapping for the evening!   Nothing helps my spirit more than my family and friends.

If you are in KC I hope you are able to enjoy this beautiful day God has given us.  I am so thankful for all of you and your continued support of me on this journey.  I am on the "short end" of this.  I thank God everyday for His guidance.

Psalm 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Number 9!

I am sitting here getting all of my premeds before the actual chemo infusion!  Three more to go!

We spent a lot of time with the oncologist today.  I had lots of questions for what will happen after this chemo finishes.  Hopefully I will be done with chemo on October 15th.  I will still have to do weekly blood draws for a month after it finishes.  Then when my counts are back to normal I will start the estrogen blocker pill which I will take daily.  As usual I am a different case! Since I had two different kinds of breast cancer he feels he needs to do some research as to what drug will be best for both of them.  He does not feel I need to remove my ovaries at this time since I am post-menopausal and will take an estrogen blocker. I need to keep the port in for at least 3 months after I finish chemo.  It is just an insurance protector.  He ordered a bone density test because the estrogen blocker drug will decrease the bones density.  One more part of this journey!

I have been feeling good.  I got to spend Friday and Saturday with my grandsons.  They always make me smile and pass the time.  Nothing planned the for the coming week but definitely will enjoy the fall like weather we are having.

Take a breath and rest at some point this week.  My confidence is in God.  I know He will guide me as this journey continues.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."
Jeremiah 17:7 

Number 8!

After today only 4 more infusions!  My counts are still all over the place but good enough for an infusion.  I can't wait until my counts become somewhat normal and I don't have to be so anxious about them.

It is a cloudy rainy day in KC.  What a way to spend the day!

If nothing is posted remember things are good!

New Beginnings

I hope I don't scare anyone with this pic but I am so excited to see hair growing.  Now it looks like a newborn baby's head but it is more hair than I have had in 6 months!  New beginnings are happening:)

The week has been the usual.  I have the infusion on Tuesday.  I am awake all night on Tuesday night and wired on Wednesday.  Wednesday evening I begin to slow down and Thursday is my fatigue day.  Friday I start to feel energized again and I am good until the following Tuesday.  As I have said in between time I have some weird things go on but I seem to figure out how to handle them with additional meds or rest.  Five more weeks of this and on to figuring out the next step with the pills I will take to stop my body from making the estrogen.  New beginnings will happen to my body once more.

The weather has finally cooled off in KC.  Friday was absolutely gorgeous so we played most of the day.  It ended with listening to some music at a local neighborhood festival and enjoying the company of good friends.  I don't know why but when the temps drop I begin to get in my cleaning mode.  I move slow so it is a good thing I am not entertaining.  I have several rooms in disarray.  I blame it on my chemo brain that I forget what I have started!  I am going through boxes of photos and papers that need to be streamlined and organized. This takes forever and I get bored so the basement is a mess.  I then move on to closets.  Once again I get started and decide to move on to something else.  But I have thrown away a lot and donations are piling up.  I need to get this all done because as soon as I am free to go Rick and I will not be home much!  Lots of trips planned and places to see.  New beginnings are around the corner.

This is the beginning of a new week.  Remember to enjoy it and praise God for all that you have.

Lamentations 3:25

25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

Prayers Work!

I was so stressed that my counts were going to be low but God answered my prayers!  I am getting #7!  Five more to go!

Yesterday I had a new side effect. I called the doctor but he felt it was normal.  That is the first time I really was super scared on this journey.  As you all know I have a very strong faith and God walked me through it!  I am good!

It is still very hot in KC today.  It looks gorgeous by the end of the week!  I can't wait to enjoy being outside.

I can't stress it enough times for you to take time for some sort of enjoyment for yourself every day!  I know "things" get in the way but everything will wait.

Enjoy!

Broken Record

There really isn't anything to report these days.  Which is a good thing:)  I seem to know what to expect from this chemo after 6 weeks.  I hope it stays the same for the next 6 weeks.  As I have said that doesn't mean I don't have some side effects from it but I seem to be able to work through them.  One of the side effects are mouth sores.  Although I think I may have contributed to them by eating the homegrown tomatoes!

I have been pretty much staying inside.  First of all it is very hot in KC and I cannot tolerate the heat.  Second there are a lot of "viruses" that seem to be going around right now.  I have stayed well this long and do not intend to get sick now.  I have not seen my "Petrie dishes" for a few days.  Emerson had his vaccines on Friday and I cannot be around him.  Ethan has been running a fever so that takes care of my visits to my boys.

Tomorrow I have physical torture.  I haven't seen the physical therapist for several weeks so hopefully she won't torture me too much.  I have faithfully done the exercises even on the days I really could have cared less.  Hope it has been enough.

Tuesday I have infusion number 7.  Please say prayers that my counts are up enough to have the treatment.  It is one day short of the week between treatments so I hope my body is ready.  I will see the nurse practitioner before I receive the chemo.  I am so fortunate that the team of doctors are always checking up on me.

I will post on Tuesday as soon as I have the results from my bloodwork.  Hopefully this heat will break and later this week we will have some cooler fall weather.

2 Samuel 22:33

 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

Have a good week!

Count Down Day!

I have only 6 more weekly Taxols left. I knew this was going to be a long trip and I tried to prepare myself mentally.  But it has not been like the trips we have taken in retirement the last two years!  This has felt like driving 18 hour days with no potty breaks.  Yet I am on the last leg of the journey.  I  hope to pick up speed and this will go fast.

With this being said my body is having a hard time to keep up my counts.  It is taking a chemo beating.  They were lower this week but just barely high enough for a treatment.  I did cut the pre-steroids in half before the infusion.  The infusion nurse said they do keep give the bloodwork a false positive reading.  So next week will only be 6 days between infusions and I will go back to taking the 4 steroids prior.  I will do anything to keep the treatments on schedule.

Also some side effects are happening that have never happened in the last 4 months so I know my body is just getting zapped left and right.  More of my good cells are being destroyed. I am good with this as long as it is attacking and eating up the cancer cells.

I don't have much planned this week.  Karmen and Chris are doing family and close friends trial dinners this weekend at their new restaurant.  Rick and Karlene are going down Saturday night but I just can't make the trip.  I hope to help Adam for a bit with the boys.  Otherwise since it is hot out I think I will begin some fall cleaning.

Take time to enjoy something for yourself everyday!

Fuzz!

Yippee I have a little white fuzz growing on my head!  At this rate I may have hair by Valentine's Day:)

It has been a busy last few days but so much fun.  I was able to visit with my cousin from Portland, OR which meant I had some adult conversation.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday was filled with grandkid conversation.  They are so much fun.  Needless to say I slept well last night.  This was a conversation I had with Ethan.  I always wear my mask and gloves when I am changing his or Emerson's diapers.  He proceeded to say,  "Mimi you have a mustache"!  He now thinks I have a mustache and wear a hat like Papa.  Shoot since I have no boobs, hair and burp constantly he may just start calling me Papa too!

Nothing really new to report.  There are still some little side effects with this chemo but I seem to be able to plow through them.  This week I will have my infusion on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.  With the holiday and the clinic going live with a new computer system Tuesday we decided Wednesday might be a little better.  The next week I will get back on my Tuesday schedule.

I hope all of you have a nice holiday tomorrow.  As I have been reading the Bible I decided this would be my verse for the week.  I will be half way through with the Taxol on Wednesday and feel like I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

1. Jeremiah 29:11 - 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'