Me and Henry

Me and Henry
March 2009

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Checking In

I’m sorry I haven’t written for a couple weeks. Time has been flying by as I had hoped it would having chemo very week.

Chemo days are still very much the same, I go in have my blood work done, meet with Dr. Ellis and have my infusion. The time is about the same as it had been rather than the nearly five hours it took for my first infusion of Taxol/Herceptin. The infusion is usually about three and a half hours now, not so bad. I didn’t have an allergic reaction to the Taxol at all so Dr. Ellis reduced the steroids I have to take prior to going in for treatment…YEA!!!! I’m so thrilled, because I hate the way they make me feel and any reduction in the amount helps as far as I’m concerned.

The new drugs are so much easier than the last. I still have some side effects, water tastes terrible for a couple/few days after treatment. Food still tastes weird too, most things are just tasteless. I’ve been eating a lot of spicy foods so I can taste something. I still get pretty tired a couple days after treatments, but I'm not sleeping well, it's is my only big complaint. Everyone I’ve talked to who’s been through this has had the same complaint, they can't sleep. I think it’s a combination of the steroids and the huge change in hormones, either way it's hard not to have a good night's sleep.

My hair is growing back!!! It’s so soft and about a half inch long (in some places). My mom said its lots of different colors, I might look like a Calico when it comes in! I’m just looking for the red to come back. I'm going to attach a picture, although I'm not sure you can really tell how much is there, I think you can get the idea.



Hope all is well with everyone!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

New Year, New Chemo

Happy New Year to all!! I hope everyone had wonderful Holidays. We had a very nice Christmas and a very quiet New Year. Henry came home on Christmas and was home through New Years Day. Jenna was home for Christmas too, she hadn’t been home for six months so it was really nice to see her. Shari, Kurt and the kids came over for Christmas too, lots of fun.

Henry and I went to see Lynette again a coupe of weeks ago to have more photos done. Lynette has posted some of my favorites on her web site. Please take a look. http://www.soulumination.org/kristingallery3.html Click on “more Kristin” to see the rest.

I went in for my first round of Taxol and Herceptin yesterday, the first of 12. I'm now going once a week, every Wednesday. Everyone I've talked to has told me this round, the Taxol and Herceptin, is much easier that than the previous round. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

My new chemo process began at midnight, when I had to take my first round of steroids. My second round was at 6:30 in the morning. The steroids are supposed to help minimize the side effects, but also with this round help to minimize the possibility of an allergic reaction to the Taxol.

Mom and I got to the hospital at 11:30, I had my blood work done (WBC 5,700, yea!) and saw my Doctor. We got to the chemo unit about 1:00 and into my room at 1:30. I think the drug list got bigger yesterday...Ativan (to relax), Zofran (for nausea), Decadron (more steroids), Benadryl (In case I had an allergic reaction to the Taxol), Pepcid (again for nausea), Taxol & Herceptin (the actual chemo drugs). It was a long day at the hospital, luckily I slept through 2 of it (ativan and benadryl makes a good sleeping pill). We left the hospital at 6:30. Long day…

I didn't have an allergic reaction to the Taxol, I guess it's rare, but they prepare for it just in case. The nurse sat and watched me for the first 20 minutes of the infusion and took my blood pressure every 15 minutes through the whole infusion to be sure I wasn’t having a reaction. My Doctor told me that if I didn't have a reaction over the next couple of weeks she would cut back on the amount of steroids I'm being given. This would be a thrill for me because they make me pretty shaky.

I feel pretty good today, but I usually feel pretty good the day after chemo. I’m hoping the crash won’t be so big this time, or maybe I won’t even have one, since the drugs are supposed to be easier on the system…fingers crossed again.

I think I’ve sufficiently filled eveyone in although I’m sure I’ve missed something.

Happy New Year again to all. I hope 2008 is a fabulous year for all of us.

Love and Peace