Hello, Everybody!

Hope all is well with everybody? I’ve finally got an update for you! I went to see the chemo DR today, and got the scoop on what the future is going to be like, and some options.

If I got it correctly, I’ll be doing an 8 wk series of treatments, once every two weeks. This will be followed by radiation, how much radiation will be determined nearer the end of my chemo. I will also be on a follow up medicine for the next 5 yrs.

I also have the option of particpating in a clinical study being done with a drug that has been proven effective with colorectal cancer and higher stages of breast cancer, and is now being tested on the lesser stages of breast cancer. It is a double blind study, so I could easily enough be taking a placebo instead of the new drug. The study would add an additional 3 to 6 wks of treatments, if I decide to participate. I’m going to do some research on the drug & studies over the weekend and make my decision on Monday.

Whether I participate in the study or not will make the difference in whether my treatments start the end of next week or the first of the next. It will take an extra test (Echocardiagram) and some extra paperwork, so will add a day or two to the start time. But, 1.5 wks at tops for the first to begin.

They did a blood draw using my port today. And that was a learning experience! First, I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect it to hurt so much. But, the skin still isn’t completely healed and the port area does still hurt. I just kind of didn’t think about the fact that it is still a needle going into your skin, and it mostly surprised me.

She did have trouble getting it started at first. She had me turn my head to the left, then the right, then asked me to cough. To which I responded with an immediate “NO!” She looked at me, and I said “Will that hurt?” she told me no it wouldn’t and chuckled. So, I went ahead and coughed a couple times. Such a baby, aren’t I

Then I thought about it, and suggested that perhaps if I relaxed my arm that was currently clenched in a fist, it might help. Sure enough, the blood immediately started to flow out into the tube. Marcus said it was an instant effect! Hahahaha, I told her next time she has trouble, she should check to see if her patient has a relaxed arm or not! We all had a good laugh over it.

I’m still having pain throughout the incision areas and chest muscles and particularly the port area. But, it’s getting better. My sugar is still wacko and I just don’t understand the way my DR wants me to handle the insulin, so that makes it harder. I am working hard at watching what I eat, but somethings still jack it up more than I expect and it’s just very frustrating to have to be so careful what I eat. I want so badly to get it consistently down so that I can at least have a hope of getting off the insulin, but I’m afraid that is a lost hope until after the chemo at least, because that’s one thing the DR said today, that the meds for nausea will cause my sugar to go up, plus the chemo may affect my appetite which will cause difficulty too.

Also, I had an appt with my regular DR on Tuesday. We spent a good deal of time going over my meds, and did some changes and adjusted up or down on some of them. We discussed some other things for the future and it was a very good visit. He said my hernia where I had the second entry when they did my gall bladder removal was not bad enough to worry about until after the chemo and such is all done, even tho it does hurt me sometimes, I shouldn’t do anything with it at this point. He did increase one of my pain meds so that maybe my fibro pain will subside more. We will see how it does.

The insurance change finally went into effect yesterday. Right in the middle of the pharmacy filling some prescriptions! So, they wouldn’t go thru on the old plan, and I don’t have the new card for the new plan. Hopefully, it will get here in the mail tomorrow! Geesh, if it weren’t for bad luck somedays, I wouldn’t have any luck at all!!!

Anyway, I think that’s about the brunt of the news I have to share with you, and I’m starting to hurt from typing too much, so I guess I’ll close for now. (Oh, and if you happen to notice the time and wonder what I’m doing up so late… I slept all evening! It was a long afternoon, I guess hahahahaha) I hope each of you have a great weekend!

Blessings to all, goodnight.
Sherry