The Sleep Continues

Thankfully, I am not sick and I think I could probably go off of the one nausea medications at this point. I am still so worn out. I sleep for long stretches, but I know I need to eat. I have no appetite and I'm sleeping so much. When I wake up I have to force myself to eat. I am trying to drink Ensures as well to get some more calories in me. I have been elevating my feet while I sleep, so my foot swelling is better. I was awake for just a little while this afternoon, and I went to watch TV with my mother-in-law, and after a few minutes, I was ready for another nap! I feel like I am missing a lot by sleeping so much, but I must need the rest, and it is better than throwing up! I am having blood work done tomorrow to see if my body is ready to do this again on Thursday.

Still Sleepy

I am sleeping like crazy. This chemo really wipes me out! But I am happy to report that so far, I am not sick. I'll have more to say when I have more energy, right now, I am just trying to sleep as much as I can.

Tired

I have spent today recovering from my chemo yesterday. It really just wipes me out. I slept all day. I haven't felt sick yet, just really tired. There's not much to report, just that I'm sleeping all I can. I'd much rather deal with being tired than being nauseous. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Chemo

I had a good chemo day, if there is such a thing. It was the 4 hour chemo, so it makes for a long day. I found out I gained some weight since last time, which I was really happy about. Sheryl took me today and stayed for a while, then right after she left to do errands, Alex came and stayed with me for the rest of the time. I also had a friend that I haven't seen in ages come to visit while I was there, so the time during chemo was enjoyable. Because my liver counts were good this time, I am able to have two nausea meds instead of one. We will see how I do, but if my body can handle it, the doctor would like me to have chemo again next week. After my previous chemos, I have still been recovering a week later, but maybe this time will be different.

I wore my compression socks today. It took me about 10 minutes to put each one on. They kept the swelling down, but my legs and feet are still sore. The doctor said my swelling was nothing and it can still get a lot worse. I didn't get home from Reno until about 6:00 tonight. I ate some, but I feel really bloated and it's hard to eat. I am going to lay down and elevate my feet and hopefully get some rest tonight. Thank you for your prayers.

Bili Count!

I got the results from my blood work and my bili count was 5.3! That is the lowest it has been since my diagnosis. I hope it wasn't an error and it was really 15.3 or something. I think I'll check on that possibility. I was sure it would be higher because I hadn't been draining as well, but maybe I've had some internal draining going on too. This also means I am eligible for chemo tomorrow, so I'm going in tomorrow for another round. I'm not really looking for ward to it, I'd rather have a foot massage like yesterday.

I had a cleaning team come in today and it was surprisingly emotional for me. I have always cleaned my own house. I have enjoyed having it clean and I have been very diligent about my cleaning over the years. It's surprising what is hard for me in this journey, and watching someone else clean my house because I'm not able to do it myself made me feel a little helpless. However, the cleaning team will be coming every other week, so I told the kids we have to be neat and make it last until then. While they were cleaning, I had lunch and had a nice nap, and I woke up to a clean house, so it wasn't all bad!

Back to School

Sending the kids back to school today went better than I thought. I was worried about spending the day alone in a quiet house, but I had plenty of company and the time flew by. I had visitors and wonderful foot massages that really helped both the pain and swelling in my feet. I went to get my blood work done. I don't expect my numbers to be too good because my right side hasn't been draining, but then it started draining a little more today. I was fitted for compression socks that hopefully will be in tomorrow. I had time to visit with my kids after their school days and practices. All in all, it was a nice day.

Swelling Feet

It is almost bedtime now and I am sitting massaging my own feet to try to do something about this swelling. I talked to the doctor today who said that the swelling comes from my liver not functioning like it should. I am getting fitted for compression socks tomorrow. I will shower at night, then put these socks on before my feet touch the ground in the morning. They should keep the pressure and swelling down.

I'm going to have blood work done tomorrow and the doctor wants to check my protein as well.
My right side has really not been draining like it should over the past 48 hours, so I don't know what that will do to my numbers.

I also want to thank everyone who has been bringing in meals. I know I say we don't need it, but really, you don't even know what a huge help it is to me. Thank you, thank you! You're helping me so much.

Quiet Day

Today was an uneventful day, the kind of day I have come to appreciate. I had to decide early in the day if I wanted to have a back ache from lying down all day or to have swollen feet from being out of bed and on my feet. I decided to take the back ache and keep my feet from swelling. I did pretty well but got up later in the evening, and sure enough, they swelled right up. David and Logan massaged them, which gets the fluid out, but it comes right back. I wouldn't mind it so much if it didn't hurt, but it hurts my feet and legs all the way up to my knees. I will be talking to the doctor tomorrow and get his suggestions for managing this latest inconvenience. I had a tiny bit of pain on my right side today, and I don't think it's draining like it should. I plan to have blood work done on Tuesday so we'll see what the numbers say.

Good Day

My mom came to visit and help today. I was feeling good enough that I went with her to run some errands. I even went into Raley's with her. The parking lot was pretty empty and we just had a few things to get, so it was okay. My pain is much better, but I still have some pain in my back. My feet are swelling up, and it is happening more quickly. By the time I walked out into the kitchen in the morning, they were already swelling, and it is kind of painful. The swelling starts in the morning and continues to get worse as the day goes on. Standing makes it worse and having someone rub my feet helps. So I guess I should be sitting around all day having foot massages. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? We had a delicious tri-tip dinner with a cherry dessert that a friend brought over and I got to visit with my mom and a friend. So overall, it was a good day.

Last Chance for Birthday Book

Dear Blog Readers,
Thank you to the many of you who wrote your thoughts for Sheri's birthday book. We have many, but we'd like more. If you didn't write your memories yet, please take a minute to write something now. If you can get them e-mailed to Anne Hyde at pioneerway9@hotmail.com by Friday night, she will still have time to get it ready for Sheri's birthday.

Anne told Sheri that we are compiling this memory book and she is so excited. This book will be a great opportunity to remember good times with Sheri and show our love to her. Love and laughter have an amazing power to uplift and strengthen the spirit. Your thoughts don't have to be long and if you haven't written yet there's still time. We don't want anyone to miss the chance to be a part of something wonderful for Sheri.

Thank you,

Anne Hyde
Julie Stockard

Feeling Better

Today I took my new recommended dosage of pain medication. I can't believe how much better I felt! I had more energy and I didn't need to take a nap this afternoon. I was able to be out of bed and even do a few dishes during the day. This evening, David was roping and Logan was riding horses and I felt strong enough to take a short walk outside. It was so nice. The one problem today is that my feet are pretty swollen. I'm told it is from poor circulation, and I stayed off my feet for a lot of the afternoon, but it didn't seem to improve the situation. I have to say that swollen feet are preferable to persistent pain.

Medication

I got some good news about this pain I've been having, or at least some news about how I'm medicating it. After talking to two doctors today, they both agreed that my medication dosage needs to be changed to accommodate this new level of pain. David reminded me that when we were first starting out with this, I told the doctors that I didn't want to be on heavy pain medication, so my pills have low milligrams of the drugs and I can be taking more without becoming a drug addict. So, instead of taking one pill in the morning and one in the evening, I will be taking two in the morning and two in the evening, with the option to take another one midday if needed. That will be a significant increase in the drugs I'm taking, but I think I need it to deal with the pain. I was getting discouraged thinking that the pain was too much for the meds, so it was a relief to find out that I can safely use more medication to fight the pain.

Less Pain...Finally!

Today has been better with the pain. I'm not sure, maybe the pain is the same, but at least I have been able to manage it better with my meds. After talking with the home health nurse, I got the go-ahead to increase my dosage of my pain medication. It was encouraging to talk to her. I thought that the pain was because I have cancer and it's getting worse, but she said I shouldn't have pain that is so bad that I can't move, and that if it gets that bad, there are things I can do about it. It was nice to have things not getting worse at least today.

Today our family celebrates Logan's birthday. Alex helped me out with some birthday shopping and a few of Logan's friends planned a lunch for her. Logan has been my constant companion this summer. She has stepped up to do anything that needs to be done here, taking on way more responsibility than I ever wanted to give her. It's hard to believe she is fifteen!

Increasing Pain

How can it be that this pain keeps getting worse? Every day since it started, the pain seems so bad, but it still continues to get worse. I am on the maximum dose of my pain medication, yet the pain continues to increase and spread. It is like a burning in my back that won't go away with medication and whether I stand, sit, or lay, I can't get seem to get any relief from it. David rubbed my back for a while tonight which helped, but otherwise, I can't find any combination of patches, pillows, or positions that make it any better. It is really discouraging. I didn't have blood work done today. There is no way I could get in the car even to get to the hospital. I feel like I can hardly move. I don't know what the next step is for pain management, but for now, I am just trying to get by.

Moving Day

I still have the pain, and it has moved some to my right side. I accidentally slept 3 1/2 hours past the time to take my pain medication one day and I could really tell that I missed it. Even with the pain meds, I still have the pain, but the medication makes it much more bearable.

I was able to go to Reno on Saturday. I rested at my mom's house while my family helped Alex move into her new apartment in Sparks. Then I was able to go see where she and her friends are living. It is a nice apartment, it looks a lot nicer than what you'd imagine for a college freshman, but she has a great situation with her friends there. Her things were all unpacked and it looks really nice. I was even able to walk up the stairs by myself, although I had about 18 people standing closely nearby just in case! I was so glad to see where she is living. I had really been dreading the day when she would leave home. She's got a lot in front of her with starting college, and I'm not physically able to give her the kind of support I'd like to, but I can see that she has grown up a lot and she is ready.

Still More Pain

The pain has been worse today. I have done nothing, and I mean nothing, all day. I just try to get comfortable so the pain isn't so bad. I have upped my pain meds, but it doesn't take the pain away. I guess this is just part of cancer - but it hurts and it's discouraging to have this pain. I hope tomorrow brings some relief. My doctor wants me to have another chemo treatment on Wednesday and I hope I'm strong enough for it.

More Pain

Today I woke up with a new pain in my right side. It is a sharp pain and it gets worse when I lay down, but even when I'm standing and sitting, it's still bad. I haven't been able to sleep at all today. The pain meds are not helping, at least it doesn't feel like they are, and having a new pain makes me worry. I don't know what is causing this pain or how it will progress.

My mom came today. She had planned to come anyway, but with this pain it was really nice to have her here with me. I have still not had the nausea I had after the last chemo. I haven't had much of an appetite, but I'm still eating anyway. I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow, I guess time will tell.

Bili Count

I went in to have my blood work done today. My bili count was a 9.7. That is probably too high for chemo on Wednesday. I'll talk to my doctor tomorrow to get the official word, but I'll be a little surprised if it happens. I have been really tired, but I am not feeling sick yet, so that is some good news.

Not Sick Yet

I don't know what is making the difference, but I am still not feeling sick. I can hardly believe it. I am not doing anything different from last time, but the sickness hasn't hit me. I am still very tired. I have not done anything at all today, I mean nothing. I have no energy, but I am not sick, so I can't complain. I am scheduled to get my blood work done tomorrow, so that is the plan.

So far so good...

I have been waiting for the nausea to hit me like it did after the last chemo, but I am pleased to report that I have felt pretty good today. I am keeping up on my nausea meds, which must be helping. I am really tired, but tired is so much easier to deal with than sick. What a blessing!

Speaking of blessings, I can't let today pass without mentioning that it is my 22nd wedding anniversary! I have been so blessed to have David by my side through all of the ups and downs of the past 22 years, and especially wth what we've been through in the last few months. I can't imagine life without him, he is exactly what I need - what our family needs. I love him more now than ever!

Tired

I started my day off with a great sleep last night after the chemo. I was up a few times, but I was able to go back to sleep. I actually felt fine this morning. I was up for a while but started getting tired before I could even finish getting ready for the day. I stayed up and ate a good lunch, but then I was so tired I felt like I just couldn't keep my eyes open. This is how it was with the last chemo. I was really tired before I got really sick. It seems to be following the same pattern, so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Second Chemo

I made it to my second treatment today, where I got the four-hour treatment instead of the one-hour variety I was expecting. I was glad to be able to have it today, but I have to say, it was a different experience from last time. We started with talking to the doctor. Dr. Abrass assures us that this blend of drugs I'm getting for chemo has been shown to shrink tumors in similar cancers. It won't cure what I've got, but he hopes it can keep it at bay.

To start with, the people were quiet in the room today. No chatting and "partying," just a lot of tired people who seemed to prefer a quiet room. Joyce, my chair neighbor from last time, was there earlier in the day. She called me and waited for me for 1 1/2 hours, but our appointments didn't overlap after all and I missed seeing her. Maybe it was the quiet room, maybe the drugs, but I was a little emotional about all of this. It's hard to be alone with your thoughts for so long sometimes. Also, the chair was not as comfy as I remembered it from last time. I went into a jam-packed chemo room and "my chair" was taken, so I had to sit in a different place. The nurse gave me another back patch to help with the pain in my back. As the patients cleared out, I moved into my first chair, which had an empty seat for David. By the time I was finished, it was just us and the nurse.

I am home now, and hoping to eat and rest. The doctor hopes I am able to get blood work done on Monday, talk to him with the new blood work results on Tuesday, and hopefully have chemo (the 1-hour variety) again on Wednesday of next week.

Sheri's Birthday

Dear Blog Readers,
As many of you know, Sheri's birthday is coming up this month. We would like to invite you to contribute to a memory book for her. Please type your your memories and thoughts for Sheri (in Microsoft Word format if possible). Then e-mail your memories in an attachment to Anne Hyde. She will print them out and put them in a book. Feel free to spread the word so that we get a good response for Sheri.

Please have your memories to Anne no later than August 17. If you prefer to mail or hand deliver to Anne, her address is 9655 Pioneer Way.

Anne's e-mail: pioneerway9@hotmail.com.

Thank you for contributing. We think this will be something that Sheri and her family will enjoy.

Sincerely,
Anne Hyde
Julie Stockard

Chemo tomorrow

Dr. Abrass says I am ready for another chemo treatment tomorrow. I don't know that chemo by itself is something I look forward to, but I know this is something I need, so I am glad I am able to have it tomorrow. My appointment is at 11:50 and it is a one-hour treatment.

Today I have felt good. I was mostly pain-free, until the early evening when I started getting pain in my back and abdomen. I'm hoping for a restful night before my big day tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers and concern - it really gives me strength!

Bili Count

I got my blood work done early enough to get the results back before the lab closed for the day. My bili count was a 6.6. That is a slight increase from what it was in the hopital over the weekend, but I think it is low enough for chemo on Thursday. I'll talk to the doctor tomorrow to see what he thinks, but I'm optimistic. I am feeling good and I hope we're in agreement that I'm ready for another chemo this week.

Fever

The Home Health nurse came today and I had a temperature of 100.5 and my feet are still swollen. I was surprised about the fever because I have felt good today. She called my doctor because having a fever so soon after surgery is not a good thing, but they say it is not a real concern unless it reaches 101.5. As for the feet, I need to stay off them as much as possible, to keep the swelling down. I was under orders to rest and drink lots of fluids today.

I have felt fine. I ate small but frequent meals today and I am still draining. I go in for blood work tomorrow and hopefully I will have the results by the end of the day. I'm hoping for low numbers!

Day of Rest

I planned to rest today, since I have seen from past experience that I need to rest after a stay in the hospital. My sisters wanted to come out to visit, and I said that I would be resting and maybe another day would be better. As the day got going, I actually felt stronger than usual, so I called and said to come on out. They came out and we visited and had a nice day. We even walked over to my mother-in-law's house and I felt good.

The one complaint I have is that my feet are swollen, which is a little painful for me. I have tried icing them, which was uncomfortable and didn't really help. I tried a few other things, and in the end, having David rub my feet was what helped the most. As long as I stayed off my feet, they were o.k., but when I got up again, the swelling came back. I am going to try sleeping with them up on a pillow tonight so we'll see how they do tomorrow.

For the upcoming week, I have blood work on Tuesday, I'll talk to the doctor on Wednesday, and hopefully I'll have chemo on Thursday. Thank you so much for the prayers and kind words. It means so much to me!

A Bit of Good News

Well, all my new hardware seems to be working…lots of draining all the way home from San Francisco today. We got home around 2 this afternoon. I have some internal aches and pains from the work that was done, but nothing that is more than I can handle at this point.

It’s TOTALLY worth some discomfort though because not only do things seem to be draining better, but get this….my bili count was down to a 6 (SIX!) today. That’s low enough to start chemo again. Now I just need to rest up from my trip and hope my new tubes keep doing their job.