Had my first chemo session yesterday. Everything went well....no adverse reactions to the carboplatinum. I actually got done faster than we thought I would, we were out of there just after 3pm! And next time it will be even faster, as I got a bit of a late start as they had to do an EKG on me before I got started yesterday.
Sandy took me for the chemo, I think she will be taking me to all of these. We brought Lily with us as we didn't want her to have to stay in the kennel for that long. She loved being in the car and slept out there. Sandy would go out and take her for a walk and sat out in the car with her for awhile as I was sleeping in the chemo chair. Sandy went to Wendy's to get me lunch and Lily got all upset, thinking they were leaving me behind. Sandy said she whined and fussed, until Sandy told her they were just going to get lunch! She settled down when they came back, and was really happy to see me when I was done.
I felt really good after the chemo and right up until this afternoon, and then all the extra steroids I had taken yesterday wore off and I had to go upstairs and crash in bed. I had forgotten what that feels like, now I remember! HA HA!
My taste buds are already "off"....food tastes blah. Oh well, I know that doesn't last too long, this too shall pass!
Tonight I'm enjoying watching the Huskies humiliate the Irish. I was hoping for a great game, but this is fun too! When it's over, it will be time for beddy-bye. Jean is staying with me tonight, to see how I do. If the dogs want to get up, we'll see if I can handle it. I think I will be able to, but if I can't, she'll help.
The only problem right now is the damn bowel thing again. I'm "stopped up" again, so it's back to the Miralax for me! Yuck! Oh well, may that be the worst thing that happens....
Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, with my little boy, Rocky, snuggled up to me. And maybe my little girl, Bubbie, snuggled up by my knees.
Nighty night!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Chemo Day Eve
Yesterday I drove myself for the first time since my surgery. Big trip to Backus to get my blood drawn and then over to Stop and Shop to get an RX I had called in.
I did fine. Came home and took a nap.
Today I stayed in bed late and got up, showered, came downstairs and cleaned up a bit, just in time for a visit from Jean and Dorothy. We had coffee and goodies Sandy picked up from the bakery and had a nice visit. Then I collapsed on the recliner. Have to save my energy for dinner tonight at Ruby Tuesday's with David and Lynne, we're meeting them there at 6:30.
Teddy Pendergrast died yesterday. One of my favorite singers. I fell in love with his voice when he was the lead singer for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Then when he struck out on his own, his singing became even sexier. I love "Close the Door", "Turn Out the Light," "Come and Go With Me," all of them, really. I will miss him. He was a nice guy, who turned the tragedy of being paralyzed into good in his life. RIP Teddy.
Tomorrow the Chemo Project starts. Sandy will be with me, watching me closely for signs of allergic reaction. It will be an all-day affair as they have to pass the stuff slowly to see how I tolerate it. Lily will come and stay in the car so we don't have to worry about her being left in the kennel at home. Maybe they will let her come in with me. We'll check on that. There may not be enough space in the room for her though.
I can't get the poor people of Haiti out of my mind. I had to shut the CNN coverage off as it was driving me crazy. They have nothing and now the dead bodies, the poor to non-existent sewerage system, no clean water, what a mess.
I am going to send money and whatever else they need. The Red Cross is already out of supplies down there. Unbelieveable the devastation.
Watched the Husky men get outplayed again last night and really have to wonder about their desire and determination. I don't think that they have what it takes to be winners....not now anyway.
The women, on the other hand, are a different story. They are well on their way to breaking the school record for consecutive wins. I don't see anyone beating them for a long time.
I have to sign off and rest up.
Later
I did fine. Came home and took a nap.
Today I stayed in bed late and got up, showered, came downstairs and cleaned up a bit, just in time for a visit from Jean and Dorothy. We had coffee and goodies Sandy picked up from the bakery and had a nice visit. Then I collapsed on the recliner. Have to save my energy for dinner tonight at Ruby Tuesday's with David and Lynne, we're meeting them there at 6:30.
Teddy Pendergrast died yesterday. One of my favorite singers. I fell in love with his voice when he was the lead singer for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Then when he struck out on his own, his singing became even sexier. I love "Close the Door", "Turn Out the Light," "Come and Go With Me," all of them, really. I will miss him. He was a nice guy, who turned the tragedy of being paralyzed into good in his life. RIP Teddy.
Tomorrow the Chemo Project starts. Sandy will be with me, watching me closely for signs of allergic reaction. It will be an all-day affair as they have to pass the stuff slowly to see how I tolerate it. Lily will come and stay in the car so we don't have to worry about her being left in the kennel at home. Maybe they will let her come in with me. We'll check on that. There may not be enough space in the room for her though.
I can't get the poor people of Haiti out of my mind. I had to shut the CNN coverage off as it was driving me crazy. They have nothing and now the dead bodies, the poor to non-existent sewerage system, no clean water, what a mess.
I am going to send money and whatever else they need. The Red Cross is already out of supplies down there. Unbelieveable the devastation.
Watched the Husky men get outplayed again last night and really have to wonder about their desire and determination. I don't think that they have what it takes to be winners....not now anyway.
The women, on the other hand, are a different story. They are well on their way to breaking the school record for consecutive wins. I don't see anyone beating them for a long time.
I have to sign off and rest up.
Later
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Maine and more
We headed up to Maine Friday around noon, in Charmine's new car. Very nice car too, I might add. We picked up Maria, stopped at a Chili's on the way for lunch (got the bottomless tostados and salsa....great) and a cup of chili. Then it was on to Ogunquit.
The day had started out snowy, Sandy had to drive me to Waterford in the snow in the AM, for my hygienists check-up. That went well and by the time we got out of there, the snow had stopped. It did "clean everything up" as Charmine said, and it made for a pretty ride north.
We settled in our room and met up with everyone. We all went to a restaurant in Kittery, named Roberts. I had the lobster bruschetta, which was totally delicious! I concentrated on eating the lobster first, but did have some of the bruschetta too. There were nice big hunks of lobster, so I was very satisfied. Afterwards we headed back to the room...I was bushed.
I was bushed, but I couldn't sleep. Dunno why, but I did have some trouble falling asleep.
We all met at 9am in the "tea room" and headed to Bessie's for breakfast. No Mustafa this year, as he was freezing in Florida. I did bring the little UConn gnome which we named after him last year, too bad he wasn't there to see him again.
After breakfast we went for a ride to Wells, along the shore, to the place where Deanna and Lorraine stay. Charmine and Pat have also stayed there and they wanted me to see it. I guess they let you bring dogs with you. Hmmmmm......
Then it was time to hit Reny's. No sale this weekend...bummer. I roamed around but nothing really caught my eye. Then we went over to the clothes store and I roamed around there. Maria got some stuff, but I didn't spend. It didn't bother me to come up dry at the two stores. I enjoy saving money as much as I do spending it!
We headed back to the Meadowmere and got into our bathing suits and went to our favorite spot: the Roman Spa. Charmine was there and was just getting out, but hopped back in when she saw us. My stomach was crampy from breakfast and the water felt great. The temperature was perfect....everything settled down and I felt wonderful.
Then it was time to get ready for the big game. We met up with Jack in the hotel's theater and got the snacks out. Mary and Debbie came with Avery, great to see them again. Ann Marie was a little loaded, probably from the fact that she had two mudslides, made extra strong without her knowledge, after going in the sauna, steam room, Roman Spa AND hot tub! Of course she was going to be "under the weather," drinking after getting dehydrated!
Anyway, Ann Marie sat down front with some people she met by chance, who were trying to fix her up with their friend who lives on the Cape. They even got her on the phone with him during the game. They all talked and talked their heads off, down front and did not watch one second of the game. We couldn't hear the game's announcers throughout the whole game!
Suffice it to say, the Huskies pasted North Carolina. For crying out loud, Tina Charles outscored the entire NC team in the first half! No contest.
For dinner we ordered from a local Italian place and had it delivered to the hotel's pub, where we all gathered. Maria and I split an antipasto, which was pretty good. We agreed that they could have had more cheeses and some olives and onions would be nice. But it sufficed.
I slept almost like a log that night.
Next morning, Bessies for Breakfast again and then down to the beach to have our photo taken. Then we all hit the road to home....happy and looking forward to next year's gathering.
I had yesterday "off" which was good as all the activity caught up with me and I was very tired.
Carol sent over some cabbage and sausage soup. I made the mistake of having one and a half bowls of this delicious brew. First I felt a bit "icky" and then the deluge began. That cabbage did what it does to me and I spent the rest of the evening and night, in the bathroom, in fifteen minute intervals.....fifteen minutes on the pot and fifteen minutes off.
I can say with some conviction that "these pipes are clean!"
Good thing, just in time for me to pour that horrible chalk stuff down my throat in preparation for today's CT scan. Jean picked me up and we tootled off to Providence as I continued to drink the chalk. We had to stop once along the way, I couldn't make it all the way to the hospital...had to avail myself of Wendy's facilities.
Now I'm home and still visiting the can on a more than regular basis. Sandy has left with her folks to go to Woodstock to see Ryan play in a bball game. I'm here with the pooches, trying to get them tired out so I can go upstairs and nap....and not be disturbed.
I am very tired, h aving been up all night and the leftover effect from the weekend. But it's a good tired. I'm doing more, moving more, eating more, everything is starting to settle down. Just in time for chemo Friday. YEOW!!!
I'm looking forward to getting that first chemo under my belt. The first time could be a bit dangerous as the doctor explained it to me. Some people have an allergic reaction to one of the drugs if they have taken it before and have to restart it. So I have steroids I have to take to help with that....I have to take them at midnight Thursday and again at 6am Friday. Hopefully this will protect me...but if I have any problem I will have my own nurse there with me (Sandy) and she will be keeping them all on task.
So, tomorrow I'll drive for the first time since surgery, to go down and get my bloodwork done and then to Stop and Shop to pick up one more medication. They all know me down there now. It's really sickening. I'm looking forward to being able to slide behind the wheel of my wonderful car. Another sign that things are getting back to normal, more and more.
Nighty night!
The day had started out snowy, Sandy had to drive me to Waterford in the snow in the AM, for my hygienists check-up. That went well and by the time we got out of there, the snow had stopped. It did "clean everything up" as Charmine said, and it made for a pretty ride north.
We settled in our room and met up with everyone. We all went to a restaurant in Kittery, named Roberts. I had the lobster bruschetta, which was totally delicious! I concentrated on eating the lobster first, but did have some of the bruschetta too. There were nice big hunks of lobster, so I was very satisfied. Afterwards we headed back to the room...I was bushed.
I was bushed, but I couldn't sleep. Dunno why, but I did have some trouble falling asleep.
We all met at 9am in the "tea room" and headed to Bessie's for breakfast. No Mustafa this year, as he was freezing in Florida. I did bring the little UConn gnome which we named after him last year, too bad he wasn't there to see him again.
After breakfast we went for a ride to Wells, along the shore, to the place where Deanna and Lorraine stay. Charmine and Pat have also stayed there and they wanted me to see it. I guess they let you bring dogs with you. Hmmmmm......
Then it was time to hit Reny's. No sale this weekend...bummer. I roamed around but nothing really caught my eye. Then we went over to the clothes store and I roamed around there. Maria got some stuff, but I didn't spend. It didn't bother me to come up dry at the two stores. I enjoy saving money as much as I do spending it!
We headed back to the Meadowmere and got into our bathing suits and went to our favorite spot: the Roman Spa. Charmine was there and was just getting out, but hopped back in when she saw us. My stomach was crampy from breakfast and the water felt great. The temperature was perfect....everything settled down and I felt wonderful.
Then it was time to get ready for the big game. We met up with Jack in the hotel's theater and got the snacks out. Mary and Debbie came with Avery, great to see them again. Ann Marie was a little loaded, probably from the fact that she had two mudslides, made extra strong without her knowledge, after going in the sauna, steam room, Roman Spa AND hot tub! Of course she was going to be "under the weather," drinking after getting dehydrated!
Anyway, Ann Marie sat down front with some people she met by chance, who were trying to fix her up with their friend who lives on the Cape. They even got her on the phone with him during the game. They all talked and talked their heads off, down front and did not watch one second of the game. We couldn't hear the game's announcers throughout the whole game!
Suffice it to say, the Huskies pasted North Carolina. For crying out loud, Tina Charles outscored the entire NC team in the first half! No contest.
For dinner we ordered from a local Italian place and had it delivered to the hotel's pub, where we all gathered. Maria and I split an antipasto, which was pretty good. We agreed that they could have had more cheeses and some olives and onions would be nice. But it sufficed.
I slept almost like a log that night.
Next morning, Bessies for Breakfast again and then down to the beach to have our photo taken. Then we all hit the road to home....happy and looking forward to next year's gathering.
I had yesterday "off" which was good as all the activity caught up with me and I was very tired.
Carol sent over some cabbage and sausage soup. I made the mistake of having one and a half bowls of this delicious brew. First I felt a bit "icky" and then the deluge began. That cabbage did what it does to me and I spent the rest of the evening and night, in the bathroom, in fifteen minute intervals.....fifteen minutes on the pot and fifteen minutes off.
I can say with some conviction that "these pipes are clean!"
Good thing, just in time for me to pour that horrible chalk stuff down my throat in preparation for today's CT scan. Jean picked me up and we tootled off to Providence as I continued to drink the chalk. We had to stop once along the way, I couldn't make it all the way to the hospital...had to avail myself of Wendy's facilities.
Now I'm home and still visiting the can on a more than regular basis. Sandy has left with her folks to go to Woodstock to see Ryan play in a bball game. I'm here with the pooches, trying to get them tired out so I can go upstairs and nap....and not be disturbed.
I am very tired, h aving been up all night and the leftover effect from the weekend. But it's a good tired. I'm doing more, moving more, eating more, everything is starting to settle down. Just in time for chemo Friday. YEOW!!!
I'm looking forward to getting that first chemo under my belt. The first time could be a bit dangerous as the doctor explained it to me. Some people have an allergic reaction to one of the drugs if they have taken it before and have to restart it. So I have steroids I have to take to help with that....I have to take them at midnight Thursday and again at 6am Friday. Hopefully this will protect me...but if I have any problem I will have my own nurse there with me (Sandy) and she will be keeping them all on task.
So, tomorrow I'll drive for the first time since surgery, to go down and get my bloodwork done and then to Stop and Shop to pick up one more medication. They all know me down there now. It's really sickening. I'm looking forward to being able to slide behind the wheel of my wonderful car. Another sign that things are getting back to normal, more and more.
Nighty night!
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