2nd Day ~ Usual Side Effects

Well...nothing out of the ordinary for my 2nd day after chemo; pretty much the same side effects as last time. "Sunburn" on my chest, and flushed face which usually goes away by the 3rd or 4th day. Orange juice and lemonade seem to taste best; iced tea I can tolerate without too much dislike or discomfort, but I believe the Cokes are gone from my list. Not sure what is on the menu for dinner since I slept through breakfast and lunch; probably one of my Lean Cuise or Smart Ones pasta dishes; always good!

Tomorrow is a movie day here at the house with a dear friend; looking forward to that!

Love to all ~K~

4th Round Chemo ~ Let's Go!

Well, I know it's been a while since my last post, and I apologize; let's see where I left off.

I made it through my previous three rounds without any complications, and those weird side effects from the Oxaliplatin are really, really not that bad; the sensations to touching cold things is bearable, and the odd mouth sensations...well, they are usually the same; I've basically given up Cokes due to the fact that they now are way too sweet. Iced tea and lemonade are my standard choice of drink now days; didn't need to be drinking those Cokes anyway! LOL

No aversions to foods or them tasting different, which is nice! With the exception of jaw spasms after the first bite of something, everything is still pretty much the same!

Note: People really shouldn't bring in Panda Express while you are going through treatment! Makes the peanut butter crackers I brought in look like day old bread! Bring enough for me, or be prepared to share! LOL

Love to all ~K~

Today Was Spent Mostly In Dreamland

Yesterday was my third and final (for now) chemo session. Had the usual "chemo headache" after I got home, but nothing unusual. Tim and I went to eat Mexican food for lunch; and I took to the "light side" of the menu w/ my usual order of rice, corn tortillas and guacamole. Since I am allergic to that wonderful herb cilantro; which is used in just about every Mexican dish, I had to take my Benadryl afterwards. Between by anti-nausea med, Bendaryl, and some Advil PM for my headache, it was time to put on the pj's and crawl into bed. Slept well, and woke up somewhat refreshed this morning.Today, was spend mostly in bed; after breakfast, it was back in bed to read and watch television. At some point, I fell asleep, and didn't wake up until 6:00; didn't even know Liz had come home from school; or if she did wake me, I don't remember. Good 'ole chemo brain!
Managed to fix some mashed potatoes and tomatoes and okra for dinner, but after that was ready to crawl into bed......AGAIN!
Oh well! Tomorrow is a brand new day, and I know that by the end of the week, most of my side effects will have diminished. Here's to a new day!

Love to all ~ K~

"Repeat Patient" Button

For those who remember what three ring circus I went through during my last hospital stay, then you'll know what I'm talking about when I mention my "Repeat Patient" button!
So in order to commemorate my last said hospital visit, and so that I will be at the ready for any future said hospital visits, I have decided that I am going to design one of those buttons you can wear! I do believe that the said button would compliment those beautiful designer hospital gowns that we all know and love! Here is what I think I will put on that said button......
Proud bearer of the...
"Repeat Patient" button!
Being told you have cancer = Frightening
Living, laughing and loving each day = Awesome
Having wonderful family and friends to support you = Beautiful
Surviving those 4,674,932 irritating questions every time you
grace the hospital doors, and having yahoos look at you like
you don't know what is wrong with you or what is going on = PRICELESS!

And while I'm at it, I think I will add a tiara to the design!
Queen Repeat Patient will not be accepting questions today!

Rise Up

Eddie Vedder's song "Rise Up" is one of my favorite songs to listen to especially now in this time of my life...to me the song says don't look back, but rather rise up, and move forward so that you can truly enjoy every moment.

The lyrics are below, or you can click on the highlighted "Rise Up" link above to listen to the video clip from YouTube......

Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow

Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold

Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold

Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole

Second Round And A New Chemo

I know it's been a while since my last post; everything has been going well, and I have been feeling good! I had some additional fatigue with my first round of chemo, but nothing too major; I was able to enjoy working out in the yard and planting new plants for the season (although I managed to pull something in my back), and it was a blessing to be able to enjoy time with my family during Easter.

Tomorrow (Monday) starts the second round of chemo with a new one being introduced. Avastin will be added, and much like Oxaliplatin, it will work in the same way by cutting off blood supply, which is what those nasty little cancer cells love!
Basically, here is a little lesson in how this particular chemo works ~ Avastin binds to the target VEGF (Vascular Epidermal Growth Factor), rendering it unable to then bind with its receptor which in turn by blocking the formation of new blood vessels then interferes with the growth of the tumor. When cancer cells spread to another part of the body they try to form a lump or tumour mass. In order to do this, they need to rapidly stimulate the local blood vessels and capillaries to grow into the tumor mass in order to nourish the cancer cells with food and oxygen (a process called angiogenesis). They achieve this by releasing a chemical into the surrounding tissues called Vascular Epidermal Growth Factor. Avastin, being a monoclonal antibody which attaches to circulating VEGF, effectively blocks its ability to bind to its receptors in the tissues of the body, most importantly those surrounding tumors. Avastin, therefore interferes with the tumors ability to recruit new blood vessels reducing their ability to grow and spread to other areas of the body. There is also evidence that Avastin enhances the effect of chemotherapy. It is thought they make tumour vessels less "leaky" and so allows chemotherapy to reach the tumour more effectively.

So now you know how Avastin works......class dismissed!
~K~

Weird Science......Weird Sensations

Okay......picture this if you can. You think an apple for dessert after lunch would hit the "sweet spot" right? Well, Nina goes to take a bite of what should be a sweet something, and I would expect a sweet taste in return, right? Oh no!!! It was like biting into the most sour lemon you could find! Thank goodness though, consecutive bites returned to normal.
Then just "for grins", and Nina being Nina and pushing that envelope, (those of you who know me well, know what I'm talking about), I thought I would get a glass of homemade iced tea with chipped ice and some fresh mint; oh so good, and just what a Southern girl likes! Well, talk about the sensations of sensations! The iced tea upon reaching my lips, felt like I was drinking something carbonated...then as it entered the good 'ole mouth and I swallowed, it felt as though I had eaten a few York Peppermint Patties...oh that cool sensation! I felt like my mouth had packed its bags and taken a trip to the North Pole while packing some fizz to go with it!

Oh the joys of chemo side effects! From what I've been told, and what I've read, this is one of the most common side effects of Oxaliplatin.

~K~