Hello there :)
Well, the chemo finally seems to have caught up with me. I have been feeling a little under the weather for the past two days with a very sore throat, aching in my joints, and overall exhaustion. The doctors warned me that days 7-10 following treatment would be the hardest because my white blood cell count would reach its lowest point, and they seem to be right. Today was day 7 and I'm definitely feeling it. The sore throat got somewhat better today though, so I'm pretty sure it's just this cold working its way out of my system. Hopefully I won't deal with that after future chemo cycles. I have been spending a lot of time in bed, which is discouraging. It's nice out and I really wish I felt up to going places.
I did manage to tag along with my dad and Keen for their annual trip to see Lauren Hart and Dar Williams at the Concert Under the Stars in King of Prussia, PA on Sunday. We got Charcoal Pit on the way there and brought along a cooler full of drinks and some lawn chairs. It was really an amazing night, despite the fact that thunderstorms cut the concert short. What made it all worthwhile for me was getting to meet Lauren Hart. For those of you who aren't familiar with her, she is a singer/songwriter and "The Voice" of the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey games. Needless to say I was extremely excited to see her perform since I am a huge Flyers fan; however, I was even more interested to meet her because she is a survivor of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma!
After her set, my dad, Keen and I walked up to the table where she was autographing CD's. I wanted a copy of her latest CD and was curious to see if she had any advice for me as I begin my treatment for NHL. When I told her about my recent diagnosis, she immediately stood and hugged me. It felt so good to talk to someone who has been there! I can't even begin to tell you...She had such great advice for me, and even gave me her personal e-mail address so that I can keep in touch with her. Lauren was diagnosed in stage III like I am, and has been in remission for 5 years after 6 months of chemo. Perhaps the most reassuring thing she told me was that if I'm feeling good now, that means I'll most likely continue to feel good throughout my chemo treatment. She told me to focus on caring for my emotional health, because that will be the most important battle. It means so much to me to have her encouragement....what an incredible experience.
Having ended the weekend on that amazing note, I had a pretty low key Memorial Day. I spent the morning attempting to medicate my throat, which was really bugging me, and then went to Dan's house later to watch game one of the Stanley Cup finals. I enjoyed sitting and relaxing with Dan and his parents. They really are a second family to me.
Today was a pretty sickly day. I spent most of it in my bed or on the couch. I felt sort of dizzy, and I can definitely tell that the steroids are wearing off because I can hear the wheezing in my chest again from where my lung is partially collapsed. Hopefully the drugs will get to work shrinking this tumor so I can finally breathe normally after all these months.
The women from Dr. A's office have really been a huge support system for our family, and they came through yet again today. They collected money and got us a gift certificate to the Macaroni Grill (one of my favorite restaurants!), and sent me a beautiful carved wooden Angel of Healing which I placed beside my bed. We ordered takeout from Macaroni Grill for dinner, which really cheered me up. I know it has been a huge relief for my mom to not have to worry about cooking dinner. I'm glad she has such a caring group of friends at work.
Oh, I suppose I should also fill you all in on some news that I received today. I have been waiting to hear the results of my PET scan and bone marrow biopsy because my oncologist was on vacation for a few days. The PET scan is what took pictures of my whole body for about an hour to see if the cancer had spread anywhere besides the tumor in my chest. The biopsy was meant to determine if the cancer had spread to my bone marrow, which would elevate me to a stage 4 (the most advanced stage) of NHL. If the cancer spreads to any vital organs or bone marrow, they consider it stage 4. Thankfully, I got a call today telling me that my bones are cancer free! HOORAY!! The PET scan also showed that the cancer has not spread anywhere besides the original tumor, which is also a huge relief. I was SO happy to get this news!!
Anyway, I really need to get to bed. I'm still pretty achy and very tired. Dan came over tonight and kept me company while I drifted in and out of sleep. He takes good care of me :) I promised him I would get some rest, so I'm going to go do that. I will update again soon and let you know if I'm feeling any better.
Lots of love,
Lauren
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
weekend update
Hello all :)
Well, my trip to the beach was lovely. My parents and I drove to Ocean City early yesterday morning (I slept most of the way there) and spent the day cleaning up the house with Aunt Pat and Uncle Will. It was SO nice to be back at the shore! It makes me so happy just being in that house. So many memories have been made there. Even though we were down there to get work done, it was still very soothing for me to just be by the ocean for the day.
I was feeling pretty good physically yesterday, so I set to work cleaning the venetian blinds. They had collected quite a bit of dust from the winter months, so I soaked each one in the tub, scrubbed them, and dried them. I was very proud of how they turned out, although it took me basically the entire day to get them all done. I need to learn to be a little less OCD with cleaning so I can accomplish things faster.
Aside from the cleaning, I got to enjoy some of my favorite Ocean City eats yesterday. Uncle Will picked up lunch for all of us at Kessel's Corner. I got a cheesesteak and fries, which were heavenly. I also made a trip over to Dot's Bakery and picked up some of their cream-filled donuts for everyone. As if that weren't enough unhealthy food for one day, we stopped at Creamland for ice cream on the drive home. It was truly a day of gluttony!
Once we arrived home, I got cleaned up and headed down to Newark with Dan to go dancing with some of our friends. The University of Delaware had their commencement ceremonies yesterday, so Main Street was packed with people celebrating. About 10 of us met up at Klondike Kate's bar and restaurant for their "80's Night" dance party. I'm not allowed to drink, of course, but most of you know I'm not much of a drinker anyway. We all had a great time enjoying the guilty pleasure music of the 80's: tons of Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, Talking Heads, etc. I danced for most of the night, stopping for only a few breaks. Hopefully I worked off some of that fatty food from the beach! I was happy to see that I didn't feel worn down despite the busy day that I had. I hope I can continue to maintain a fairly active lifestyle like this in the coming months.
After a fantastic night with my friends, I came home and collapsed. I slept in rather late this morning, but I'm hoping to get a lot of cleaning done with what remains of the day. I still have quite a bit of unpacking to do with all that I brought home from college, so hopefully I can make a dent in that.
As for my post-chemo status, I've had a progressively worsening sore throat for the past few days that finally got too painful for me to ignore, so I called the oncology office this morning to see what I should do for it. The chemo drugs make my body produce less saliva, so I'm having a hard time swallowing things and I feel a lot of discomfort, especially when I first wake up. The fact that I'm also getting over a cold is probably complicating things as well. Dr. Biggs, who was on call, advised me to take my Tylenol/Codeine pills that I was prescribed for pain. They seem to have helped, thank goodness. Aside from that I am feeling great. With each good day that passes, I am more certain that everything is going to be just fine.
To Aunt Anna and Uncle Len: I would love to donate my red hair to Locks of Love so that it could be made into a wig for someone else, but unfortunately I had it cut to ear-length (the shortest I've ever gone!) just before I found out about the lymphoma. I suppose that's a blessing in disguise though. I'm getting used to having really short hair, so maybe that will ease the transition to having no hair. haha. In the past I have never grown my hair long enough to cut the 6 inches required for hair donation, but this experience has definitely made me want to do something like that in the future. A great suggestion :)
On that note, I definitely want to try to find some non-profit/community service type work to get involved with this summer. Perhaps the most important thing I learned during my years at Loyola is how much that kind of service benefits not only those that I'm serving, but me as well. It just feels so good to make even a small difference, and I have learned so much from seeing how others are able to overcome life's challenges. That has been something that has made this entire cancer experience much easier for me to face.
I keep thinking about the women I met during spring break outreach when I lived at My Sister's Place for the week. They slept out on the street each night without guarantee of food, shelter, or safety, and yet they greeted me with warm smiles and positive attitudes every morning. They really taught me a lot about facing things one day at a time and being thankful for each moment of life. Though they have few material possessions, they have much in terms of what is truly valuable: strong faith and true friends that see them through their daily struggles. They trust that God has a plan for them. Having seen this, I am doing my best to trust in God's plan for me as well.
I want to try to write individual responses to everyone who has left me messages on this journal, so watch for those in the coming entries. One very special thank you must go to my cousins Evan, Christian, and Molly for the wonderful cards that you made for me. They were the first thing that I received in the mail after my diagnosis, and I cannot tell you how much they meant to me. Evan's poem was absolutely beautiful. I want to share it with everyone on here because I love it so much. I hope you don't mind, Ev. It says "Roses are red, violets are blue, you remind me of a beautiful butterfly flying up so high in the sky." What a sweetheart. I look at those cards every day and smile :) You are the best cousins a girl could ask for!
I suppose I should get cracking on my cleaning before this medicine makes me too groggy. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who is supporting me. I just can't say it enough. I love you all so much. Thank you for being with me on this journey.
-Lauren
Well, my trip to the beach was lovely. My parents and I drove to Ocean City early yesterday morning (I slept most of the way there) and spent the day cleaning up the house with Aunt Pat and Uncle Will. It was SO nice to be back at the shore! It makes me so happy just being in that house. So many memories have been made there. Even though we were down there to get work done, it was still very soothing for me to just be by the ocean for the day.
I was feeling pretty good physically yesterday, so I set to work cleaning the venetian blinds. They had collected quite a bit of dust from the winter months, so I soaked each one in the tub, scrubbed them, and dried them. I was very proud of how they turned out, although it took me basically the entire day to get them all done. I need to learn to be a little less OCD with cleaning so I can accomplish things faster.
Aside from the cleaning, I got to enjoy some of my favorite Ocean City eats yesterday. Uncle Will picked up lunch for all of us at Kessel's Corner. I got a cheesesteak and fries, which were heavenly. I also made a trip over to Dot's Bakery and picked up some of their cream-filled donuts for everyone. As if that weren't enough unhealthy food for one day, we stopped at Creamland for ice cream on the drive home. It was truly a day of gluttony!
Once we arrived home, I got cleaned up and headed down to Newark with Dan to go dancing with some of our friends. The University of Delaware had their commencement ceremonies yesterday, so Main Street was packed with people celebrating. About 10 of us met up at Klondike Kate's bar and restaurant for their "80's Night" dance party. I'm not allowed to drink, of course, but most of you know I'm not much of a drinker anyway. We all had a great time enjoying the guilty pleasure music of the 80's: tons of Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, Talking Heads, etc. I danced for most of the night, stopping for only a few breaks. Hopefully I worked off some of that fatty food from the beach! I was happy to see that I didn't feel worn down despite the busy day that I had. I hope I can continue to maintain a fairly active lifestyle like this in the coming months.
After a fantastic night with my friends, I came home and collapsed. I slept in rather late this morning, but I'm hoping to get a lot of cleaning done with what remains of the day. I still have quite a bit of unpacking to do with all that I brought home from college, so hopefully I can make a dent in that.
As for my post-chemo status, I've had a progressively worsening sore throat for the past few days that finally got too painful for me to ignore, so I called the oncology office this morning to see what I should do for it. The chemo drugs make my body produce less saliva, so I'm having a hard time swallowing things and I feel a lot of discomfort, especially when I first wake up. The fact that I'm also getting over a cold is probably complicating things as well. Dr. Biggs, who was on call, advised me to take my Tylenol/Codeine pills that I was prescribed for pain. They seem to have helped, thank goodness. Aside from that I am feeling great. With each good day that passes, I am more certain that everything is going to be just fine.
To Aunt Anna and Uncle Len: I would love to donate my red hair to Locks of Love so that it could be made into a wig for someone else, but unfortunately I had it cut to ear-length (the shortest I've ever gone!) just before I found out about the lymphoma. I suppose that's a blessing in disguise though. I'm getting used to having really short hair, so maybe that will ease the transition to having no hair. haha. In the past I have never grown my hair long enough to cut the 6 inches required for hair donation, but this experience has definitely made me want to do something like that in the future. A great suggestion :)
On that note, I definitely want to try to find some non-profit/community service type work to get involved with this summer. Perhaps the most important thing I learned during my years at Loyola is how much that kind of service benefits not only those that I'm serving, but me as well. It just feels so good to make even a small difference, and I have learned so much from seeing how others are able to overcome life's challenges. That has been something that has made this entire cancer experience much easier for me to face.
I keep thinking about the women I met during spring break outreach when I lived at My Sister's Place for the week. They slept out on the street each night without guarantee of food, shelter, or safety, and yet they greeted me with warm smiles and positive attitudes every morning. They really taught me a lot about facing things one day at a time and being thankful for each moment of life. Though they have few material possessions, they have much in terms of what is truly valuable: strong faith and true friends that see them through their daily struggles. They trust that God has a plan for them. Having seen this, I am doing my best to trust in God's plan for me as well.
I want to try to write individual responses to everyone who has left me messages on this journal, so watch for those in the coming entries. One very special thank you must go to my cousins Evan, Christian, and Molly for the wonderful cards that you made for me. They were the first thing that I received in the mail after my diagnosis, and I cannot tell you how much they meant to me. Evan's poem was absolutely beautiful. I want to share it with everyone on here because I love it so much. I hope you don't mind, Ev. It says "Roses are red, violets are blue, you remind me of a beautiful butterfly flying up so high in the sky." What a sweetheart. I look at those cards every day and smile :) You are the best cousins a girl could ask for!
I suppose I should get cracking on my cleaning before this medicine makes me too groggy. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who is supporting me. I just can't say it enough. I love you all so much. Thank you for being with me on this journey.
-Lauren
Friday, May 25, 2007
TGIF
I'll try to keep this entry short since I have to be up early. I am still feeling great, which honestly really surprises me. I hope it lasts through the weekend so I can enjoy all the fun things I've got planned. Tomorrow I'm heading to Ocean City, NJ to help get the beach house ready for the season with my parents, Aunt Pat, and Kate. I am so excited to see them! It will be great to be back at the shore too since I missed out on last year's family vacation while I was studying abroad in Italy.
Tomorrow night I will hopefully be heading out with Chiya, Colleen, Justin, and two of Chiya's friends to downtown Newark. One of the two is Christy Weaver (Carolyn, somehow Christy and I have never met despite how close our families are!). It will be good to finally get to know her. I haven't really seen any of my friends yet since I got home (aside from Dan, of course), so it should be fun. Chiya stopped by this past Monday, but I barely remember the visit. I was pretty sick coming off of the oxycodone from my biopsy. She sat by me in bed for a while and kept me company though, which was really nice of her. I am lucky to have such a good friend.
Sunday evening my Dad is hoping to take Keen and I to see Dar Williams play at the Concert Under the Stars. I really hope I'm feeling up for that.
Today was another good day though. Mom and I went to Booth's Corner and bought all sorts of delicious food, but had no luck finding any wigs. I will have to try the other farmer's market at Hare's Corner (I think that's the name) down by the airport. That must be the one my doctors were referring to when they talked about a wig shop.
I am really eager to get going with this search for my new hair. Dan has offered to shave his head with me so that I don't have to be bald alone. That should be an interesting bonding experience for us. I am told it will be better to shave it before it falls out on its own so that I feel more of a sense of control. It is likely to fall out in clumps, too, which probably wouldn't be a pretty sight. Losing my red hair is probably the aspect of this cancer treatment that I'm most nervous about. But I suppose it's just hair. It grows back.
Aunt Kara also stopped by today. She brought Lindt truffles (my FAVORITE!) and told us all about the new boat she and Uncle John just purchased. She invited us down to visit sometime this coming week to take the boat out and enjoy some Chesapeake seafood. Yum :)
On that happy note, I'm headed to bed. I may not get a chance to post tomorrow since I'll be in Ocean City for most of the day, but I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend thus far. I certainly am! Thank you to all who have sent me cards and prayers in the mail. I am going to make a chain of the well-wishes I receive to hang around my bed so I can look at them on the days when I'm feeling really yucky. Hopefully I don't have too many of those though...so far so good.
Lots of love,
Lauren
Tomorrow night I will hopefully be heading out with Chiya, Colleen, Justin, and two of Chiya's friends to downtown Newark. One of the two is Christy Weaver (Carolyn, somehow Christy and I have never met despite how close our families are!). It will be good to finally get to know her. I haven't really seen any of my friends yet since I got home (aside from Dan, of course), so it should be fun. Chiya stopped by this past Monday, but I barely remember the visit. I was pretty sick coming off of the oxycodone from my biopsy. She sat by me in bed for a while and kept me company though, which was really nice of her. I am lucky to have such a good friend.
Sunday evening my Dad is hoping to take Keen and I to see Dar Williams play at the Concert Under the Stars. I really hope I'm feeling up for that.
Today was another good day though. Mom and I went to Booth's Corner and bought all sorts of delicious food, but had no luck finding any wigs. I will have to try the other farmer's market at Hare's Corner (I think that's the name) down by the airport. That must be the one my doctors were referring to when they talked about a wig shop.
I am really eager to get going with this search for my new hair. Dan has offered to shave his head with me so that I don't have to be bald alone. That should be an interesting bonding experience for us. I am told it will be better to shave it before it falls out on its own so that I feel more of a sense of control. It is likely to fall out in clumps, too, which probably wouldn't be a pretty sight. Losing my red hair is probably the aspect of this cancer treatment that I'm most nervous about. But I suppose it's just hair. It grows back.
Aunt Kara also stopped by today. She brought Lindt truffles (my FAVORITE!) and told us all about the new boat she and Uncle John just purchased. She invited us down to visit sometime this coming week to take the boat out and enjoy some Chesapeake seafood. Yum :)
On that happy note, I'm headed to bed. I may not get a chance to post tomorrow since I'll be in Ocean City for most of the day, but I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend thus far. I certainly am! Thank you to all who have sent me cards and prayers in the mail. I am going to make a chain of the well-wishes I receive to hang around my bed so I can look at them on the days when I'm feeling really yucky. Hopefully I don't have too many of those though...so far so good.
Lots of love,
Lauren
post-chemo progress
Hello hello :)
It's been 2 days since I finished with my first dose of chemo, and so far I'm feeling fine....well, except for a sore throat each morning. Hopefully that doesn't mean I'm headed for any ulcers. I've been obsessively using the baking soda, but we'll see how effective that is. No nausea as of yet though ::knock on wood::
I must say that I'm amazed at how many people have found their way to this journal. I am so excited to have readers! It makes me smile every time I see a new comment :) I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the support and advice.
Yesterday I was finally able to get out of the house for some fun. These past 2 weeks have been a blur of graduation, moving home, hospital visits, pharmacy visits, and lots of time spent drugged up on the couch or in bed. I got a much-needed break from all of that at last. After spending the morning enjoying some time with my Mom and Keen, I headed over to Dan's for lunch. We had pizza and some fruit cups. Not being able to have fresh fruit this summer is definitely going to take some adjusting. I am craving strawberries like nothing else! I have also found that my taste buds have become much more sensitive to spicy foods, so I suppose I'll have to cut back on my intake of salsa for a while. I'm just glad to see that my appetite is still healthy.
After lunch Dan and I headed out to do some shopping. We stopped by Target for some medical supplies for me, including my favorite purchase: a fancy new pill-organizer. It's pink and green and divides my medications into days of the week as well as morning and evening. The best feature is that you can snap off each individual day so that you don't have to lug around the whole box. How very handy!
Next we checked out the silver flatware that my mom asked for at the mall. I had no idea that forks could be so expensive...Dan thinks perhaps we should settle for plastic utensils when we get our own house someday. That sounds good to me. Once shopping was finished, we headed back to Dan's to relax for a bit. I'm doing my best not to push myself too much, which is a change. I really enjoy having a busy schedule. But I suppose this whole experience will be a lesson for me on the importance of patience and down time.
The evening was action-packed though. Dan and I went to opening night of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End with his dad and his brother Jon. It was pretty good. Maybe not my favorite installment of the series, but a great summer movie nonetheless. I think there were a few too many subplots, but it was funny and full of great special effects as usual. I pigged out on nachos and cheese and we managed to smuggle in some Bruster's ice cream too :) I figured if I got caught sneaking food in I'd just play the cancer card and make up something about needing ice cream to wash down my meds. How could anyone argue with that? I probably shouldn't get into the habit of using my disease as a means for getting away with ridiculous things like that, but it made me laugh thinking about it.
In all, yesterday was fantastic. I hope that there are plenty more "normal" days like that ahead. So far this morning I'm feeling great, so I plan to head over to Booth's Corner to shop for a wig and maybe a fruit pie to satisfy my strawberry craving. Dr. G wrote me a prescription for a "cranial prosthetic" to take with me. I'll let you know if I find anything good. I may try a new hair color for the first time in my life. We'll see.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I love you all,
Lauren
It's been 2 days since I finished with my first dose of chemo, and so far I'm feeling fine....well, except for a sore throat each morning. Hopefully that doesn't mean I'm headed for any ulcers. I've been obsessively using the baking soda, but we'll see how effective that is. No nausea as of yet though ::knock on wood::
I must say that I'm amazed at how many people have found their way to this journal. I am so excited to have readers! It makes me smile every time I see a new comment :) I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the support and advice.
Yesterday I was finally able to get out of the house for some fun. These past 2 weeks have been a blur of graduation, moving home, hospital visits, pharmacy visits, and lots of time spent drugged up on the couch or in bed. I got a much-needed break from all of that at last. After spending the morning enjoying some time with my Mom and Keen, I headed over to Dan's for lunch. We had pizza and some fruit cups. Not being able to have fresh fruit this summer is definitely going to take some adjusting. I am craving strawberries like nothing else! I have also found that my taste buds have become much more sensitive to spicy foods, so I suppose I'll have to cut back on my intake of salsa for a while. I'm just glad to see that my appetite is still healthy.
After lunch Dan and I headed out to do some shopping. We stopped by Target for some medical supplies for me, including my favorite purchase: a fancy new pill-organizer. It's pink and green and divides my medications into days of the week as well as morning and evening. The best feature is that you can snap off each individual day so that you don't have to lug around the whole box. How very handy!
Next we checked out the silver flatware that my mom asked for at the mall. I had no idea that forks could be so expensive...Dan thinks perhaps we should settle for plastic utensils when we get our own house someday. That sounds good to me. Once shopping was finished, we headed back to Dan's to relax for a bit. I'm doing my best not to push myself too much, which is a change. I really enjoy having a busy schedule. But I suppose this whole experience will be a lesson for me on the importance of patience and down time.
The evening was action-packed though. Dan and I went to opening night of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End with his dad and his brother Jon. It was pretty good. Maybe not my favorite installment of the series, but a great summer movie nonetheless. I think there were a few too many subplots, but it was funny and full of great special effects as usual. I pigged out on nachos and cheese and we managed to smuggle in some Bruster's ice cream too :) I figured if I got caught sneaking food in I'd just play the cancer card and make up something about needing ice cream to wash down my meds. How could anyone argue with that? I probably shouldn't get into the habit of using my disease as a means for getting away with ridiculous things like that, but it made me laugh thinking about it.
In all, yesterday was fantastic. I hope that there are plenty more "normal" days like that ahead. So far this morning I'm feeling great, so I plan to head over to Booth's Corner to shop for a wig and maybe a fruit pie to satisfy my strawberry craving. Dr. G wrote me a prescription for a "cranial prosthetic" to take with me. I'll let you know if I find anything good. I may try a new hair color for the first time in my life. We'll see.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I love you all,
Lauren
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Chemo - Day 2
Hello again :)
I finished up my first round of chemo today. After a morning of sitting around the house reading cancer literature, Dad and I drove to HGCC at 11:40am for me to receive the CHOP drugs. When I got there, there were two doggies in the office visiting!! They looked like golden retrievers. I stopped and petted them for a bit. HGCC is such a warm place and there are always fun things going on. I'm really glad that treatment is so advanced and so comprehensive.
Once I signed in and said hello to the many nurses who treated me the day before, I picked out an easy chair and got my IV inserted (this time in a much more comfortable spot on my hand). After that I was given some anti-nausea medication through the IV and a large bag of saline that would help to flush all the drugs through my system.
After the nausea meds finished, one of the nurses came over to give me CHO: Cytoxan, Vincristine, Adriamycin. First I got two big syringes pumped directly into my IV filled with Adriamycin, which looks sort of like cherry cough syrup. Those took about 10 minutes to inject. Then we went immediately onto the next drug: Vincristine, which came in a much smaller syringe. That one was quick and painless. Finally I was given a drip bag of Cytoxan, which is sort of the eeeevil one. It causes pretty much all of the negative side effects, although the others cause some too. This one was dripped into my IV over the course of about 30 minutes. It made my nose burn a little towards the end, but nothing too painful. The nurse warned me that this might happen. If the pain was bad, they could slow down the drip next time, but I don't think that will be necessary.
Finally I was left to wait for the bag of saline to finish emptying. That took about another 2 hours. Not all patients are given this much saline with their chemo, but Dr. G felt it would be good for me to have plenty of extra fluid to help me avoid the negative side effects and move the medicine quickly through my body. Hopefully he is right and I don't feel too yucky tomorrow.
The nurses explained to me that each drug will attack my cancer in a different way. I am being given this chemo because it has proven to be the most effective type for treating my disease. If it doesn't work, they will try another group of drugs instead. But I'm praying it does! I am likely to feel the nausea and other negative side effects beginning some time in the next few days. I have medicine for that though, so I intend to be ready for it if it comes.
I have also begun washing out my mouth regularly with baking soda/water mixtures, which is really not very tasty, but oh well. If it prevents mouth ulcers, I'll do it. After my treatment, which took a total of about 3 and a half hours, I came home and had some of the subs that the ladies from my mom's work dropped off. They are dropping off dinner each night this week for us :) It's really amazing how people are taking care of my whole family during this crazy time. I also found a whole bunch of messages from friends left for me on aim. You can't imagine how great they made me feel. It's just overwhelming to know so many people are pulling for me!
Dan and his sister Kathleen also stopped by this evening and brought me beautiful pink roses. Aaaah Dan is just so amazing. I don't know what I'd do without him. He has a calming effect on me. He also knows the answers to virtually every question on Jeopardy...::rolls eyes:: I can't watch it with him. He kicks my butt. haha but anyway, they stayed for a bit and it was great seeing Kathleen. She is such a sweety and she doesn't treat me any differently, which is a nice change of pace.
Tomorrow, depending on how I'm feeling, I want to try to get out of the house and do something besides go to the hospital. I think I'll do some shopping. I owe my mom a mother's day present. Instead of getting one on mother's day, she got the news that I have cancer. I need to make up for that one...hah.
Kristen also told me about an awesome website tonight called Planet Cancer. It's a place for young adults dealing with cancer to connect. I love it! I am already a member and have started posting on blogs and e-mailing other members. I hope this will be a place for me to get some advice and learn what to expect in the coming months.
Thanks for reading these entries. I know they're long. I want to remember all of this myself once I get finished with treatment, so I'm trying to write down everything. I want to know how far I've come. Anyway, time for bed. I need to get as much rest as possible and try to ward off the nausea for as long as I can.
I love you all,
Laur
I finished up my first round of chemo today. After a morning of sitting around the house reading cancer literature, Dad and I drove to HGCC at 11:40am for me to receive the CHOP drugs. When I got there, there were two doggies in the office visiting!! They looked like golden retrievers. I stopped and petted them for a bit. HGCC is such a warm place and there are always fun things going on. I'm really glad that treatment is so advanced and so comprehensive.
Once I signed in and said hello to the many nurses who treated me the day before, I picked out an easy chair and got my IV inserted (this time in a much more comfortable spot on my hand). After that I was given some anti-nausea medication through the IV and a large bag of saline that would help to flush all the drugs through my system.
After the nausea meds finished, one of the nurses came over to give me CHO: Cytoxan, Vincristine, Adriamycin. First I got two big syringes pumped directly into my IV filled with Adriamycin, which looks sort of like cherry cough syrup. Those took about 10 minutes to inject. Then we went immediately onto the next drug: Vincristine, which came in a much smaller syringe. That one was quick and painless. Finally I was given a drip bag of Cytoxan, which is sort of the eeeevil one. It causes pretty much all of the negative side effects, although the others cause some too. This one was dripped into my IV over the course of about 30 minutes. It made my nose burn a little towards the end, but nothing too painful. The nurse warned me that this might happen. If the pain was bad, they could slow down the drip next time, but I don't think that will be necessary.
Finally I was left to wait for the bag of saline to finish emptying. That took about another 2 hours. Not all patients are given this much saline with their chemo, but Dr. G felt it would be good for me to have plenty of extra fluid to help me avoid the negative side effects and move the medicine quickly through my body. Hopefully he is right and I don't feel too yucky tomorrow.
The nurses explained to me that each drug will attack my cancer in a different way. I am being given this chemo because it has proven to be the most effective type for treating my disease. If it doesn't work, they will try another group of drugs instead. But I'm praying it does! I am likely to feel the nausea and other negative side effects beginning some time in the next few days. I have medicine for that though, so I intend to be ready for it if it comes.
I have also begun washing out my mouth regularly with baking soda/water mixtures, which is really not very tasty, but oh well. If it prevents mouth ulcers, I'll do it. After my treatment, which took a total of about 3 and a half hours, I came home and had some of the subs that the ladies from my mom's work dropped off. They are dropping off dinner each night this week for us :) It's really amazing how people are taking care of my whole family during this crazy time. I also found a whole bunch of messages from friends left for me on aim. You can't imagine how great they made me feel. It's just overwhelming to know so many people are pulling for me!
Dan and his sister Kathleen also stopped by this evening and brought me beautiful pink roses. Aaaah Dan is just so amazing. I don't know what I'd do without him. He has a calming effect on me. He also knows the answers to virtually every question on Jeopardy...::rolls eyes:: I can't watch it with him. He kicks my butt. haha but anyway, they stayed for a bit and it was great seeing Kathleen. She is such a sweety and she doesn't treat me any differently, which is a nice change of pace.
Tomorrow, depending on how I'm feeling, I want to try to get out of the house and do something besides go to the hospital. I think I'll do some shopping. I owe my mom a mother's day present. Instead of getting one on mother's day, she got the news that I have cancer. I need to make up for that one...hah.
Kristen also told me about an awesome website tonight called Planet Cancer. It's a place for young adults dealing with cancer to connect. I love it! I am already a member and have started posting on blogs and e-mailing other members. I hope this will be a place for me to get some advice and learn what to expect in the coming months.
Thanks for reading these entries. I know they're long. I want to remember all of this myself once I get finished with treatment, so I'm trying to write down everything. I want to know how far I've come. Anyway, time for bed. I need to get as much rest as possible and try to ward off the nausea for as long as I can.
I love you all,
Laur
Chemo - Day 1
Well, I had my first dose of chemo yesterday: a drug called Rituxan. Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody which will hopefully eliminate the cancerous B-cells that are multiplying in my body. Before I was given Rituxan, I went over to the hospital for my PET scan. This was an interesting experience...
I arrived at 6:30am and was given and IV which injected me with radioactive fluid. I then waited in a room for about an hour while the fluid circulated through my body. It was bizarre being radioactive...all the doors to the rooms I was going in had big hazardous materials signs warning people not to enter. The nurse Teresa was very nice though, and she set me up in a big reclining chair with tons of blankets and pillows and my very own TV! I watched a few episodes of Family Matters and drifted in and out of sleep.
When it was finally time for the scan, they took me into a room with a giant machine similar to a CT scan but bigger. It was somewhere between a doughnut and a tunnel in shape. I was placed on a flat sliding board and they propped up my head and legs with foam pads specially shaped to hold me in place. Then they strapped Velcro over me to keep me totally still. So I was basically in a cocoon. For someone who is claustrophobic, this experience would have definitely been traumatic, but I'm thankfully not!
For the next half hour, the machine moved me slowly into the tunnel, taking pictures of sections of my body. Then suddenly it stopped and I waited for what felt like ages. Finally Teresa came in and explained that the machine had broken! Good grief. Just my luck! Apparently that happens once every four months or so. This meant they had to do the entire scan all over. So I had to stay strapped in the bed for another 30 minutes....::sigh:: I counted the minutes in my head, and then it was finally over.
After grabbing a quick bagel and smoothie in the hospital cafe, my family and I rushed over to HGCC for my chemo counseling. I sat in a room with my parents and a nurse who explained the drugs I would be given and the various side effects I should expect. She also gave me tips on how to stay healthy and minimize negative side effects. In order to avoid getting sick, I'm not allowed to eat fresh fruit or vegetables for a while, especially during certain stages of my treatment. I also have to rinse my mouth with baking soda and water 4-6 times a day to prevent mouth ulcers from forming. I will be receiving treatment once every 3 weeks. The first 2 weeks after treatment I will probably feel sick or tired, and then the 3rd week will be my recovery week to prepare me for my next round of chemo. I should expect to lose my hair about 3 weeks from today :(
Then it was finally time for chemo. Dan arrived and stayed with me for most of the process, which took about 6 hours total. The drug is administered through an IV, and they start the drip really really slow on the first day of treatment because many people have adverse reactions to it. I was fine for the first hour or so. I sat in my easy chair with an afghan and my pillow and Dan and I worked on a crossword and watched the movie Happy Feet on a portable DVD player. Then I started to feel achy and nauseous. The nurses gave me some sedatives, but I started cramping up in my stomach, and had to be moved to a bed. I felt HORRIBLE. Luckily I had Dan there to hold my hand. He sat by the bed the entire time. Finally I dozed off and when I woke up, my dad was there and my stomach cramps were gone. At around 5:30pm, I was finally done and free to go home. I was so tired.
I felt pretty good for the remainder of the evening, though. Dan came over and we watched Night at the Museum, which was surprisingly really good. My mom made us blueberry muffins and we just relaxed. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive, loving boyfriend. I felt so gross yesterday, and he kept saying "you look beautiful". The nurses were all saying what a great guy he is, and they're right. My family is so great too. They spent a very long day at the hospital with me yesterday. I was lucky enough to be asleep for most of it. I also ran into Mrs. Torgerson, my friend Jenny's mom, at the hospital. She bought me a little stuffed kitten :) It means a lot to me to have so much love and support around me all the time.
Anyway, this is getting long, and I have another appointment at HGCC today for my second round of chemo. Today I will get the CHOP drugs: Cytoxan, Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Prednisone. I actually already took the Prednisone. It is a steroid and I take 5 pills of it each day. I'm headed out now for a 3-hour stay in my easy chair in the chemo room.
Lots of love,
Laur
I arrived at 6:30am and was given and IV which injected me with radioactive fluid. I then waited in a room for about an hour while the fluid circulated through my body. It was bizarre being radioactive...all the doors to the rooms I was going in had big hazardous materials signs warning people not to enter. The nurse Teresa was very nice though, and she set me up in a big reclining chair with tons of blankets and pillows and my very own TV! I watched a few episodes of Family Matters and drifted in and out of sleep.
When it was finally time for the scan, they took me into a room with a giant machine similar to a CT scan but bigger. It was somewhere between a doughnut and a tunnel in shape. I was placed on a flat sliding board and they propped up my head and legs with foam pads specially shaped to hold me in place. Then they strapped Velcro over me to keep me totally still. So I was basically in a cocoon. For someone who is claustrophobic, this experience would have definitely been traumatic, but I'm thankfully not!
For the next half hour, the machine moved me slowly into the tunnel, taking pictures of sections of my body. Then suddenly it stopped and I waited for what felt like ages. Finally Teresa came in and explained that the machine had broken! Good grief. Just my luck! Apparently that happens once every four months or so. This meant they had to do the entire scan all over. So I had to stay strapped in the bed for another 30 minutes....::sigh:: I counted the minutes in my head, and then it was finally over.
After grabbing a quick bagel and smoothie in the hospital cafe, my family and I rushed over to HGCC for my chemo counseling. I sat in a room with my parents and a nurse who explained the drugs I would be given and the various side effects I should expect. She also gave me tips on how to stay healthy and minimize negative side effects. In order to avoid getting sick, I'm not allowed to eat fresh fruit or vegetables for a while, especially during certain stages of my treatment. I also have to rinse my mouth with baking soda and water 4-6 times a day to prevent mouth ulcers from forming. I will be receiving treatment once every 3 weeks. The first 2 weeks after treatment I will probably feel sick or tired, and then the 3rd week will be my recovery week to prepare me for my next round of chemo. I should expect to lose my hair about 3 weeks from today :(
Then it was finally time for chemo. Dan arrived and stayed with me for most of the process, which took about 6 hours total. The drug is administered through an IV, and they start the drip really really slow on the first day of treatment because many people have adverse reactions to it. I was fine for the first hour or so. I sat in my easy chair with an afghan and my pillow and Dan and I worked on a crossword and watched the movie Happy Feet on a portable DVD player. Then I started to feel achy and nauseous. The nurses gave me some sedatives, but I started cramping up in my stomach, and had to be moved to a bed. I felt HORRIBLE. Luckily I had Dan there to hold my hand. He sat by the bed the entire time. Finally I dozed off and when I woke up, my dad was there and my stomach cramps were gone. At around 5:30pm, I was finally done and free to go home. I was so tired.
I felt pretty good for the remainder of the evening, though. Dan came over and we watched Night at the Museum, which was surprisingly really good. My mom made us blueberry muffins and we just relaxed. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive, loving boyfriend. I felt so gross yesterday, and he kept saying "you look beautiful". The nurses were all saying what a great guy he is, and they're right. My family is so great too. They spent a very long day at the hospital with me yesterday. I was lucky enough to be asleep for most of it. I also ran into Mrs. Torgerson, my friend Jenny's mom, at the hospital. She bought me a little stuffed kitten :) It means a lot to me to have so much love and support around me all the time.
Anyway, this is getting long, and I have another appointment at HGCC today for my second round of chemo. Today I will get the CHOP drugs: Cytoxan, Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Prednisone. I actually already took the Prednisone. It is a steroid and I take 5 pills of it each day. I'm headed out now for a 3-hour stay in my easy chair in the chemo room.
Lots of love,
Laur
Monday, May 21, 2007
tests tests and more tests
Today was another busy day spent at the Christiana Hospital and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. I arrived at 8am for my MUGA scan at the hospital, having taken 2 oxycodones in the car to prepare me for the bone marrow biopsy. When we found the office where my heart would be scanned, I was excited to discover that the waiting room had a fish tank!! Yay! There is something very soothing about watching fish swim. I am glad that so many of my doctors' offices have fishies for me to enjoy :) After a few minutes I was called back for my first injection of the radioactive dye that would allow the technicians to see my heart and how well the valves are working. The tech who worked with me was a fairly young guy who seemed to be new to the job. He was very nervous and missed my vein on his first attempt at sticking me. Luckily the second try worked. I was pretty out of it from the oxycodone at this point. After waiting 20 minutes, I was given a second injection of the radioactive fluid. Then the techs hooked me up to some EKG-style heart monitor thingies, and lowered a big x-ray camera down over my chest. I waited while they took pictures of the top of my heart for 10 minutes, and then the left ventrical for another 10 minutes. Then I was done! Not a bad procedure....
Next I went over to HGCC (Helen Graham Cancer Center) for my bone marrow biopsy with Dr. Guarino, my oncologist. He is a fantastic guy, and his approach to treating my cancer is very aggressive, which I like. So today I was taken to a bed and given an IV and an injection of some sedatives. I was already feeling pretty loopy from the oxy, but this stuff really knocked me out. I drifted in and out of sleep for most of the procedure, which involved taking samples of bone marrow from both sides of my lower back as well as one small sliver of bone. I vaguely remember waking up to hear Dr. Guarino yelling "her bones are too strong and healthy!!! ::grumble:: I can't cut it!!" So I suppose that's a good sign :) After much pressing, he was able to extract a sample. I could feel most of what was going on, but it wasn't really painful. It just felt strange to have someone pulling small pieces from my body. The doctor's nurse, Cheryl, held my hand the entire time and talked to me. I'm sure I was speaking gibberish. Once the procedure was over, they rolled me onto my back and I passed out for about 45 minutes.
When I woke up, my parents were in the room. Nurse Jen came in and talked with me about some options I have for a clinical trial. I have decided I will probably agree to one that involves about 6 months of regular CHOP-R chemo followed by a possible white blood cell transfusion. Some patients will be given the transfusion and others won't. I am hopeful that I get randomly selected for the group that DOES get it though, since my doctor seems to think it would be a good way to ensure that my body is full of completely healthy cells.
Before I left, they drew some blood and then had me go for a quick chest x-ray. I barely remember both since I was still pretty woozy. Thank god they did the blood-drawing while I was already sedated, because losing blood usually makes me feel faint.
Tomorrow I will begin my chemo. The final diagnosis appears to be Diffuse Large B-cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is fairly common, but usually affects older people. It is fast-growing cancer, but the doctor said that means that it will most likely be fast-disappearing too. My chemo is called CHOP-R, and the letters stand for the various drugs that I will receive. Tomorrow I get the R, a drug called Retuxin (sp?). The process can take up to 4 hours. I will also be getting a PET scan, which is like a CT scan except much more advanced. It will scan my entire body for cancer and take about 2 hours. So I'll let you all know how that goes. Then Wednesday I'm back for the rest of the chemo: the CHOP drugs. After that I will return for more chemo every 3 weeks. Over all I have to go for 8 cycles of chemo. You do the math on how many months that adds up to. I'm too sleepy. Bedtime for me. Treatment begins at 6:30am tomorrow. Yikes!
Nightnight everyone and thanks for all the love :)
Laur
Next I went over to HGCC (Helen Graham Cancer Center) for my bone marrow biopsy with Dr. Guarino, my oncologist. He is a fantastic guy, and his approach to treating my cancer is very aggressive, which I like. So today I was taken to a bed and given an IV and an injection of some sedatives. I was already feeling pretty loopy from the oxy, but this stuff really knocked me out. I drifted in and out of sleep for most of the procedure, which involved taking samples of bone marrow from both sides of my lower back as well as one small sliver of bone. I vaguely remember waking up to hear Dr. Guarino yelling "her bones are too strong and healthy!!! ::grumble:: I can't cut it!!" So I suppose that's a good sign :) After much pressing, he was able to extract a sample. I could feel most of what was going on, but it wasn't really painful. It just felt strange to have someone pulling small pieces from my body. The doctor's nurse, Cheryl, held my hand the entire time and talked to me. I'm sure I was speaking gibberish. Once the procedure was over, they rolled me onto my back and I passed out for about 45 minutes.
When I woke up, my parents were in the room. Nurse Jen came in and talked with me about some options I have for a clinical trial. I have decided I will probably agree to one that involves about 6 months of regular CHOP-R chemo followed by a possible white blood cell transfusion. Some patients will be given the transfusion and others won't. I am hopeful that I get randomly selected for the group that DOES get it though, since my doctor seems to think it would be a good way to ensure that my body is full of completely healthy cells.
Before I left, they drew some blood and then had me go for a quick chest x-ray. I barely remember both since I was still pretty woozy. Thank god they did the blood-drawing while I was already sedated, because losing blood usually makes me feel faint.
Tomorrow I will begin my chemo. The final diagnosis appears to be Diffuse Large B-cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is fairly common, but usually affects older people. It is fast-growing cancer, but the doctor said that means that it will most likely be fast-disappearing too. My chemo is called CHOP-R, and the letters stand for the various drugs that I will receive. Tomorrow I get the R, a drug called Retuxin (sp?). The process can take up to 4 hours. I will also be getting a PET scan, which is like a CT scan except much more advanced. It will scan my entire body for cancer and take about 2 hours. So I'll let you all know how that goes. Then Wednesday I'm back for the rest of the chemo: the CHOP drugs. After that I will return for more chemo every 3 weeks. Over all I have to go for 8 cycles of chemo. You do the math on how many months that adds up to. I'm too sleepy. Bedtime for me. Treatment begins at 6:30am tomorrow. Yikes!
Nightnight everyone and thanks for all the love :)
Laur
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Hello!
Hello all :)
I have created this journal as a means of updating family and friends on the progress of the treatment of my Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. As of today, I am feeling great and am excited to get started with chemo on Tuesday. That's all for tonight though. I have an early appointment at the hospital tomorrow for some tests. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and support!!!
Lots of love,
I have created this journal as a means of updating family and friends on the progress of the treatment of my Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. As of today, I am feeling great and am excited to get started with chemo on Tuesday. That's all for tonight though. I have an early appointment at the hospital tomorrow for some tests. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and support!!!
Lots of love,
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