tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86730616738931264072024-03-12T18:17:16.961-07:00My Life With CancerJFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-24868133956057342922011-01-03T10:14:00.000-08:002011-01-03T10:20:47.486-08:00I AM DONE!Well, I had my last Herceptin treatment December 20th and had my port taken out on the 30th. I am officially FINISHED with breast cancer. I don't go to the oncologist again until May. No more blood draws every 3 weeks, no more treatments, no more poking, prodding, or crazy side effects! I almost feel like something is missing I've gotten so used to all this stuff. Hopefully, in a couple of months, everything will be mostly back to normal. The side effects of chemotherapy can last up to 2 years after treatment is completed. My next treatment would have fallen next Monday if I had another one, so I am figuring to be pretty out of sorts most of next week. Your body actually goes through some type of withdrawal when you don't get your treatments, especially the hormone treatments I've been taking. Hopefully, we will all survive next week (say big prayers for Luke and Jeremy). I can get pretty moody and emotional when I'm having withdrawal symptoms. Anyway, I'm thrilled to be through and optimistic that I won't ever have to deal with anything like this again! I will never be able to thank everyone who has prayed for me, called, written, and encouraged me. Your love and support have amazed me.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-40349608868262502742010-10-29T07:35:00.001-07:002010-10-29T07:42:22.363-07:00Apparently I'm only pretty with lots of effort!Well, men are as predictable as ever! (Sorry guys.) I went back into the Sherwin Williams store to pick up my paint after getting myself dressed and made up for the day. I had barely stepped in the door before the same guy that couldn't wait to brush me off earlier hollered from the back of the store, "Can I help you?" He obviously didn't recognize me because I told him who I was and why I was there, and he couldn't believe I was the same person. His eyes actually widened a little, and he made a face before he caught himself (one if those surprised, I can't believe it faces). Once again, I'm no beauty, but apparently make up makes an enormous difference!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-90945199257641990512010-10-28T07:04:00.000-07:002010-10-28T07:16:17.671-07:00Am I pretty?Just FYI, this has absolutely nothing to do with cancer. It is an observation I made and thought was interesting, so I am sharing!<br /><br />Last week, I went into Sherwin Williams to buy some paint to redo Luke's old playroom into my new office (YEAH!). Anyway, at the time I originally went into the store, I had just left the house and was as decked out as I get. Not that I'm a stunner or anything, but I was dressed nice, had on make-up, and my hair was as good as it currently gets. Anyway, the guy in the store was very friendly, attentive, and even gave me a contractor discount on my paint. He was not inappropriate in any way, but he did go above and beyond as far as I'm concerned. Fast forward to today. I went back to Sherwin Williams after dropping Luke off at school. This time, I was coming back home to work on the house so I was wearing old clothes, no make up, and a hat. I was the only person in the store. I needed them to darken up some paint I bought last week because it was too light. The guy took one look at me and told me they would work on it and give me a call later. I asked how long it would be (again, I'm the ONLY person in the store). He <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">kind've</span> sighed and said, "Well, if we stay slow like this, it probably won't be long. Just leave your number and we'll call you." They weren't rude per <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">se</span>, but come on, I'm the only one in the store. You can't just go ahead and get to work on it, and then if you get busy tell me to come back later. Seriously! So, now I'm curious. When I go back to Sherwin Williams later today to pick up my paint, you can bet I'm going to be looking a lot better than when I went in. Once again, I'm no beauty, but apparently a little make up makes a HUGE difference in how I look. I'm just going to conduct a little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">experiment</span> and see if how I look makes a difference in how they treat me. Unfortunately, I'm willing to bet it does. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Maybe I should become an investigative journalist...JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-46837057293353155592010-10-14T06:07:00.001-07:002010-10-14T06:20:48.448-07:00Pink RibbonsSo, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This means there are pink ribbons EVERYWHERE! There are pink ribbons on the cereal, the toilet paper, tape dispensers, plastic bags. You name it, there are pink ribbons on it. As a survivor, sometimes I find this somewhat uncomfortable at times. When I go to the store to buy things for the house, I do not want to be reminded every 10 seconds about breast cancer. It's kind've like getting punched in the stomach repeatedly. Yet at other times, I almost find the ribbons comforting. What can I say, I'm a complicated person. For instance, I have a pink ribbon bracelet that I like to wear. It does not bother me at all...I wear it as kind've a badge of honor; however, when I buy toilet paper, it drives me crazy that it has pink ribbons on it. This probably is not making any sense. That's alright, I seldom really make any sense anyway. I'm glad there is a Breast Cancer Awareness Month and so many products help raise money for breast cancer research. I just wish I didn't have it shoved down my throat repeatedly for an entire month. The fact that I was diagnosed during October doesn't help things either. This month has been really hard on me so far. I'm so thankful to be alive and healthy today, but I can't help flashing back to everything I was feeling last year this time. I've posted it before, and I will probably post it again. Each time I get discouraged or feel anxious (which is a lot lately), I can find comfort in this..."Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3-5.<br /><br />P.S. It has not escaped me that my background for my blog is covered in pink ribbons. Like I said, I'm a complicated person!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-1989877429489334812010-08-30T06:34:00.000-07:002010-08-30T06:38:05.006-07:00Kidney StoneYeah, seriously...I had a kidney stone last week. Apparently, chemotherapy can cause kidney stones. No one ever told me this. I was none to happy about it. In fact, I was downright ticked off! I did not have a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pity</span> party when I found out I had cancer, but the kidney stone almost through me over the edge. I definitely sank into one of those why me, it's not fair, what's next moments for a little while. I think I'm better now, but the whole thing still really ticks me off. Anyway, hopefully it was just the 1 stone. And, in case your curious, it is as painful as child labor. It was awful, I never want to do it again, and I'm glad they make really good pain drugs.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-26675753347985017132010-08-19T15:01:00.000-07:002010-08-19T15:04:50.281-07:00Hair!As promised, here is a picture of my hair. It is somewhat darker than it was before, and is starting to get curly in the back. I have a terrible feeling it's going to be a nightmare to do anything with in another few months because I apparently have cowlicks everywhere. We'll see... <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgl9WYnZ4O-QkYtraY4mPnthgujYgOLUU0NtYz3G3_-gHzIDsnX2AXHsesNvB3C6BBipulGmHqaXfQSVE7FvicItRD53iul0FbydEvkxtLyJaH69KyryhakYwlKTfvZ9SmAfYVr4Pmzkk/s1600/Short+Hair.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507245204668526770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgl9WYnZ4O-QkYtraY4mPnthgujYgOLUU0NtYz3G3_-gHzIDsnX2AXHsesNvB3C6BBipulGmHqaXfQSVE7FvicItRD53iul0FbydEvkxtLyJaH69KyryhakYwlKTfvZ9SmAfYVr4Pmzkk/s320/Short+Hair.JPG" /></a></p>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-19503839003762609412010-08-02T09:26:00.000-07:002010-08-02T09:43:49.903-07:00Feelin' good!Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I'm trying to resume normal life and have been really busy lately. I'm feeling great in general; I'm almost back to normal. Other than running out of steam a little faster than I would have a year ago, I can pretty much do whatever I want. I'm exercising and doing some light weight lifting and having no trouble with that at all. My body is still in limbo, but that is to be expected. It can take 2 full years to get completely back to normal. I'm still in full menopause, but something seems to be kicking back into gear as I gained about 6 pounds over 1 weekend and can't lose it no matter what I do. My only guess is that some long-dormant hormone has started back up. That is incredibly irritating, but I'll get it off eventually. My hair is growing back in for those of you who don't see me regularly. I need to get a picture posted. Luke will start Kindergarten on the 19th, so we are gearing up for school. I can't believe he is starting school. It's been a crazy year for us to say the least. Anyway, that's the update for now. I'll try to be better about posting, but this blog probably has limited time left. Here's a picture of Jeremy and I in Times Square from our New York trip. If you don't know, Jeremy took me to New York the middle of June as a treat for finishing up the worst of the chemo. <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAwABz0g262ePbK1yHLtQYPdIUIXwlG5tIqtdLw8pkxJL67MvyWf10mztFlgQJ51ITsPpk9fNIydP_ACnITA9Gv2Slc8zniT4VrMuNjiEQ7OWhssG0cXRHS9ZEfiOT4Gi-idt8725a0Bt/s1600/Me+and+Jeremy.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500854116417797330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAwABz0g262ePbK1yHLtQYPdIUIXwlG5tIqtdLw8pkxJL67MvyWf10mztFlgQJ51ITsPpk9fNIydP_ACnITA9Gv2Slc8zniT4VrMuNjiEQ7OWhssG0cXRHS9ZEfiOT4Gi-idt8725a0Bt/s320/Me+and+Jeremy.JPG" /></a></p>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-11953276005960147532010-06-15T08:41:00.000-07:002010-06-15T08:47:39.858-07:00Side EffectsIf there is a single part of your body that chemo doesn't mess with, I want to know about it. Overall, I'm doing really well. I'm still having some emotional side effects, but I've pretty much physically gotten back to normal. My biggest problem at the moment is menopause. The chemo has thrust me headlong into menopause at the age of 33. I have minor symptoms like hot flashes and other symptoms that are much worse. I can't take oral hormones because of the cancer, so I'm pretty much stuck. This stinks beyond comprehension. I'm hoping any day now my ovaries will kick back into gear and start working again, but, the truth is, they may never start working again. I guess I'll just have to deal with that when I get there. Oh great, I'm having a hot flash right now.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-49941039574324726462010-04-26T18:46:00.000-07:002010-04-26T18:53:03.875-07:00FINISHED!!!I had my last full throttle chemo treatment today. In about 4 weeks, my hair should start to grow back in, I should start getting some energy back, and most of my bodily functions should start returning to normal. I'm so excited I'm giddy! I do still have to take 1 of the drugs (Herceptin) every 3 weeks for the rest of the year, but it does not have the side effects of the 2 drugs I am finished with. It also only takes about 30 minutes to have the Herceptin administered whereas the treatments I've been taking up through today took about 4 hours. <br /><br />All I can say is WOO HOO!!!!!!!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-70335396106658386002010-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:002010-04-24T11:24:26.603-07:00Race for the CureLast night we had a wonderful pasta party with the team to get ready for the big race complete with petit fours from Shelby Lynn's! Unfortunately, the weather was so bad today we decided to just go eat breakfast instead of actually participating in the race. (I really did not want to catch a cold 2 days before my next treatment!) We still had a great time, and I was reminded once again that I have the greatest friends in the world. Not only did they throw a party for me and bring hats, masks, and special shirts for the race, 3 of my friends came all the way from Little Rock to be here. I am so very blessed!<br /><br />Thanks and I love you guys!!!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33KGhAMkSgjRgY9WL8WItTxDokEfWxXUSPCu2igOKbifzE6i6wHC7TPupibj-7-dbKZTONKyyiFaV-x10i32fe8PcS6MQIKfQvCBqhT00w097B7uknGlAY2_3O0iS9q5mJmfa2A3gmyWa/s1600/Group+Race+Pic.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769251247289874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33KGhAMkSgjRgY9WL8WItTxDokEfWxXUSPCu2igOKbifzE6i6wHC7TPupibj-7-dbKZTONKyyiFaV-x10i32fe8PcS6MQIKfQvCBqhT00w097B7uknGlAY2_3O0iS9q5mJmfa2A3gmyWa/s320/Group+Race+Pic.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORjTvQkPdY3cr-dmDFCeWBVtxVj0WHeMn34SNE0-Lm_l5nmPVojyzDTeVrCewkYMXL5rcUMy3JDu7udxdbxpeC2zT4Yurzrm1tEivkAMxJ_zW5zx3nF3NE9TEc3j1aRk7c6zzJ7fTqiYF/s1600/Race+for+the+Cure.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 214px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463769311287889074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORjTvQkPdY3cr-dmDFCeWBVtxVj0WHeMn34SNE0-Lm_l5nmPVojyzDTeVrCewkYMXL5rcUMy3JDu7udxdbxpeC2zT4Yurzrm1tEivkAMxJ_zW5zx3nF3NE9TEc3j1aRk7c6zzJ7fTqiYF/s320/Race+for+the+Cure.jpg" /></a></div>JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-60979245809826250052010-04-20T16:31:00.000-07:002010-04-20T16:35:55.981-07:00Men EverywhereSo where have all the female nurses gone? On my last visit to UAMS Friday, I had 4 male nurses, 3 male doctors, and 1 male nursing student. (We were there for 7 hours because no OR was available.) Seriously!!! And, it's not like I'm having knee surgery. You know they have to come in and "mark you" before your surgery. I had my right breast autographed no less than 2 times Friday night by 2 different men. I really don't think this could get more embarrassing. Nothing like having a wound check in a sensitive area by 5 different men in the course of 2 hours. Next time, I'm requesting female nursing staff!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-78973152063590737382010-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:002010-04-20T16:26:01.494-07:00Unexpected SurgeryI'm sure you've all heard by now that I had some unanticipated surgery on Friday. I have had a small hole on my right breast that has never healed since my initial surgery. It has never been infected and seemed to be healing very slowly, so I really didn't think too much about it. I had a followup with my plastic surgeon on Thursday, and he seemed to think it was a very big deal. The long and short of it is I had to have surgery on Friday to have the hole closed up. Not only that, but since the hole had been there for so long, the doctor felt like my implant needed to be replaced as well. So, now I'm on my 3rd implant. I'm really hoping this will be the last surgery I have for, oh, say 40 years or so. Anyway, I'm doing well. I have a little pain but nothing major. I'll be going back and forth to Little Rock for a month or so now to have the area checked, but nothing should affect my chemo treatments. I am still scheduled to have my final heavy chemo treatment on Monday. Unless something changes, this should go on as scheduled. All I can say is, it better go on as scheduled. I don't need <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">anything</span> else coming up!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-4288780331316738152010-04-11T19:45:00.000-07:002010-04-11T19:51:04.287-07:00Stomach pains and workSo, I nearly died Friday night. Apparently the chemo has decided to attack my colon this time around. Suffice it to say, besides the birth of my child, I have never experienced anything so painful in my life. I am feeling much better today; although, I am still a little more weak than usual. I also found out a couple of weeks ago that I am going to have to start working again. My job has been really good to just let me be off, but they have extended me every <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">courtesy</span> they can. I will be trying to get in 20 hours a week but will have a flexible schedule. I hope I'll be able to do it. It's hard enough to make it without working. Please be praying about that. I'm also really looking forward to AYC this weekend and Race for the Cure in 2 weeks. It's nice to have pleasant things to look forward to. It seems to make the time go by faster.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-19054163661573061092010-04-07T19:12:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:14:22.490-07:001 To Go!I had my 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> treatment on Monday, so I only have 1 bad treatment left. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it is really nice! I'm feeling pretty good; although, I am a little tired and worn out. Just keep praying everything continues to go smoothly.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-69787054455047623822010-03-30T18:35:00.000-07:002010-03-30T18:38:29.301-07:00Blood cells, anemia, and aches...oh my!I had blood drawn Monday for a check, and it was not great. My white blood cell count is lower than it has ever been. As a result, I was given a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Neupogen</span> injection Monday and another today to help stimulate my bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. Unfortunately, the stimulation of the bone marrow makes your bones ache. I feel like I have the flu. It's not fun, but it's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">livable</span>. I'm also anemic again, not blood transfusion anemic, but anemic nonetheless. As long as my treatment doesn't get delayed on Monday, I can live with it!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-42025099678528481682010-03-28T18:55:00.000-07:002010-03-28T19:14:58.006-07:00BabiesI've had a few very polite questions lately about any possible future Flanagan babies. Many of you already have heard this from me, but I thought I would explain to everyone else. To keep you from too much suspense, Luke WILL be an only child (apart from any miraculous intervention from above). Basically, the type of cancer I have makes it very dangerous for me to get pregnant. I actually have 2 different types of cancer. One of these types is what they call hormone-receptor positive. This means that any surge in hormones, such as from pregnancy, make the cancer grow at a very accelerated rate. In fact, my doctors believe based on the size of my cancer that I probably developed it in my late 20s. They also believe that my pregnancy with Luke probably caused the cancer to take off and develop much more quickly than it would have without being pregnant. After Luke was born, the growth rate slowed back down, and it was able to fester for 4 years before I found it. Pretty scary, huh! Even though they believe all of my cancer was successfully removed with my surgery and now subsequent chemo, it would be very dangerous for me to get pregnant. If there is even 1 cell of cancer left anywhere in my body that might have remained dormant for years or even for the rest of my life, it could begin to grow again if I become pregnant. If I did become pregnant, and the cancer did take back off, I could not (or would not) treat it until the baby was born. This could basically be a death sentence for me. Often times, by the time the baby is delivered in these cases, it is too late for the mother. I realize this is all very morbid and sad, but Jeremy and I are fine with it. I often thought I might like to have another baby someday, but to be perfectly honest, we were about 75% sure Luke was going to be an only child anyway. Those of you who know Luke will understand why! <br /><br />We are very happy with our 3-person family. Jeremy very lovingly told me he could live without another baby but could not live without me. Please don't think of this as something sad, but instead think of it as yet another way God has allowed my life to be spared & shown me His will. I have felt very guilty about only wanting 1 child, and God made that decision very easy for me. Not to mention had I gotten pregnant again before I discovered the cancer, there is a good chance I could have died due to another growth spurt of the cancer. Luke is the joy of my life. I am very content to be his mommy and only his mommy!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-52494200100748694552010-03-23T23:56:00.001-07:002010-03-23T23:59:14.859-07:00PlateletsMy platelets came back completely normal on Monday. YEAH! This should mean that my treatment won't get delayed again. Apparently, the carboplatin dose was the major culprit with most of the problems I've had. I still feel really great and am enjoying some quiet time without my boys; although, I do really miss them. On a much sadder and somewhat pathetic note, I have now watched New Moon (which I purchased on Saturday) 3 times. I'm pretty sure I need help with my Twilight addiction.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-14487275454950457322010-03-18T11:05:00.000-07:002010-03-18T11:10:44.829-07:00Feeling Good StillEvery time I post about how good I feel I get sick, so I will say I feel good so far. This is actually probably the best I've felt after a treatment. They cut my carboplatin dose in half to try to help my platelets, and apparently that made a big difference. I've also developed a wonderful habit of taking an hour long bath every night with jacuzzi jets on, candles, bath scrub, and a good book (currently Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice). This has been working wonders on my emotional well being. It's amazing what a little relaxation will do for you!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-472855731780750242010-03-15T18:12:00.001-07:002010-03-15T18:19:44.817-07:004 Down 2 To Go!I finally got to have my 4th treatment today. My platelets were still well below normal but were high enough for me to go ahead with treatment. My doctor cut the dose in half on one of my drugs (carboplatin if you care) which hopefully will resolve the platelet issue. Everything should be back on track now. Hopefully, nothing else will go way down and my last 2 treatments will stay on schedule. I do have to get my blood drawn once a week now for a while to see how things are, but I would rather do that and have an opportunity to fix anything that is too low before treatment. <br /><br />On a side note, I bought and read The Notebook during treatment today. I actually liked the movie better than the book. I also thought Twilight ran circles around The Notebook. I don't know if I'll ever be able to read another book again without thinking it doesn't compare to Twilight. I know; I have a serious problem and need to seek addiction counseling. I wonder if they have a support group for Twilight addicts.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-8544786500147087702010-03-14T16:21:00.001-07:002010-03-14T16:27:45.451-07:00Hoping for tomorrow...I will hopefully have chemo tomorrow. I am going back at 9:30 (so say a big fat prayer about then) to have my blood counts checked again. As long as my platelets are up and nothing else has taken a dive, I should have treatment tomorrow. I can tell you right now, you do NOT want to be around me for a few days if my treatment gets delayed another week and I end up needing another transfusion. You may be wondering, it's only a week or two so what's the big deal. I'll tell you what the big deal is. It's another week without hair. It's another week to be exhausted and feel like poop. It's another week of hot flashes and crazy mood swings. It's another week of not having my life back. I know 1 or 2 weeks off schedule doesn't sound like much to you; but if you put everything into consideration, I think you can see where 1 week makes a HUGE difference to me. I will certainly keep everyone posted on what happens. I will try to have a perkier post next time, but I won't make any promises about that! :-)JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-74806361288845319922010-03-09T07:24:00.000-08:002010-03-09T11:25:48.545-08:00Stupid Chemo!Warning: I am ranting today.<br /><br />I'm pretty ticked off. I have been very even tempered about this whole thing, but today I am angry. This isn't fair, it stinks, and I don't have to like it. I'm starting to have a lot of anxiety problems no doubt caused by the chemo since everything else is. There is no part of your body the chemo doesn't mess up. Let me give you a short list here: hair falls out all over your body, mouth sores, spasms from eyelids to stomach to legs, my hands look like I'm 80 with wrinkled skin and very dry, tired ALL the time, bloody nose, upset stomach, very irritable and grouchy (sorry Jeremy and Luke), anxiety that can be mild to severe, sudden mood swings, can't sleep even when exhausted without heavy medication, lethargy, I'm either starving and stuffing my face or I can't eat at all, and very dry skin. I'm sure I've left out several things but these are the most irritating. I really, really hate this. I need to go to the beach or something. I need a break...now!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-25770019365680532642010-03-08T09:48:00.001-08:002010-03-08T09:50:02.726-08:00BummerI was not able to have my treatment today. My platelets are very, very low so they can't do it. Assuming they come back up, I'll have treatment next Monday. I'm pretty bummed. I really don't want to add another week to this whole thing. I realize a week really isn't that much, but it sure feels like it.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-61498022145681876622010-02-24T11:33:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:34:43.061-08:00IckyWell, that's what I get for saying I feel good in my last post. I have felt terrible for 2 days now. My stomach is upset and I have no energy. I don't know if I've got another virus or if this is just part of the treatment side effects. I think the latter because the symptoms seem to always hit me about a week out from treatment. Oh well, I'll make it either way. I just hope I feel better by Luke's birthday party on Saturday.JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-89554887791013965342010-02-22T18:44:00.000-08:002010-02-22T18:47:33.219-08:00Nothing NewI really have nothing new or exciting to report. I guess that is a good thing. My last treatment seemed to make me more tired than usual, but I was also recovering from a stomach virus so that definitely could have had something to do with it. I am doing great otherwise. I have recently become obsessed with the book series, Twilight, and have read about 1500 pages worth of books in about 5 days; but other than that, we are all doing well. It's nice to escape now and then even if it is to fantasy world with teenagers and vampires!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8673061673893126407.post-87204121295381712632010-02-17T17:02:00.000-08:002010-02-17T17:06:49.570-08:00Whoa, Half Way There!Today marks treatment 3 of 6 for the nasty ones. I will still have the Herceptin to take for the rest of the year, but it will be a walk in the park compared to the other 2 drugs I'm on. We survived the stomach virus mostly unscathed and are all feeling much better. My mom is still pretty weak but should feel much better tomorrow. I am very tired but am feeling pretty good. I'm hoping for more relatively benign side effects, so keep your fingers crossed and a prayer on your lips!JFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08210364861063439570noreply@blogger.com0