Sunday, December 26, 2010

Well, that last one got me.  I had my last treatment of the two drugs on Wednesday,and by the time I got home that night, I had pretty bad skin sensitivity across the top of my back.  Throughout Thursday it escalated, but by Friday morning, I was pretty well done in.  I was weepy all day, and PJ and family changed plans and came to my house early instead of going to Auntie Roxann and Uncle Henry's.  I told him he didn't need to come babysit me, but he didn't care what I said.  Good boy I have there, huh?  I haven't felt great for over two weeks, and I really don't like that feeling!  I didn't take the steroids this time, and I wonder if that's why I had the pain I had.  The steroids were for nausea, and that has not been a problem, so I chose sleeping over preventing nausea when I hadn't had that problem.  The previous treatment, the steroids gave me insomnia and sleep-deprived Chris is not a nice girl!  The pain is now gone, I am sleeping, and only had a little nausea last night and eating oatmeal and Tums took care of that!  The next 4 treatments are a different drug, and nausea is not a side-effect, so no Emend ($110 a pill) no steroids, (Yea, I get to sleep) and longer treatment time.  I will miss those 4 Wednesdays working at the restaurant, but so far that will have been all I have missed.  On to treatment 5!

I had a great Christmas with PJ, Cassy and their boys.  They kidnapped me on Christmas Eve so I wouldn't be alone Christmas morning.  I think they wanted my orange sweet rolls I bought to enjoy all by myself.  Dad always used to make the orange ones for Jean and I because we didn't like the cinnamon rolls.  I love the cinnamon rolls now, but have to bake the orange ones for the warm fuzzy it gives me!  We took tons of pictures of Braeden and Gavin, enjoyed our rolls, and then went to Mummuu's and PaPa's house for lunch.  Great food, lots of family, and new hats from Tonya!  You should see that woman knit.  She is amazing.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas.  Thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts, they are working!
Love, Chris

Cold and Blustery

Still feeling very well, just trying to stay warm!  Some of you are commenting on having problems with this blog, and I am trying to figure out what I am doing!!  You do not need the www before the toomuchawareness in the title,  I don't know why.  I have redone the comment part so anyone can comment, but I don't know if I've done it right!  If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to let me know.  I am thinking maybe my format is too simple, but I'm not sure. Try, try again!  Hope all is well with you all, and keep warm if you are in the midst of this storm.
Love, Chris

Three down and Five to go!

Had my third chemo treatment yesterday, and so far I feel good.  Those anti-nausea drugs are FANTASTIC!  Today I went for my Neulasta shot to keep my white blood cells in the normal range.  I told her to take it out of the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before I got there, and what a difference!  The last one I got hurt like a !@#$% and this one didn't hurt at all.  I am a happy camper.  It snowed today, and my neighbor Jerry Saier called to let me know he will plow my driveway/yard whenever I need him to.  One of my patients offered to take me to treatments if I needed, as did another neighbor, Diane LaChapelle.  Another patient offered to clean my house or run errands if I need her to.  I sure am blessed to be around so many wonderful people.  Yesterday Cassy brought me to my treatment and PJ picked me up.  Cassy made the most wonderful chicken enchiladas!  Braeden was kneeling on my lap and put his hand right over my PowerPort and leaned up to point to something and I almost went through the roof!  I grabbed his wrist and pushed him back and told him Grandma had an owie!  He looked at me and said 'urts'?  I said yes, it really hurts!  Then I showed him the band-aid Chuck the nurse put on it so he understood.  He just kept saying 'urts'.  What a dolly.  Those boys sure great for lifting my spirits! I stayed at their house until the Ativan wore off and went home.  I'm glad I did, because I slept like a rock!  Neulasta's side effects are mainly bone pain, so we'll see how tomorrow goes!  Last time my left hip was killing me by the time I got home from working at the restaurant, but 2 Extra-Strength Tylenol took care of it.  That I can live with. 

It's been a good week.  I got a beautiful bracelet from Emily's boyfriend Aaron, a prayer shawl from my Auntie Karen, and a chemo cap and sox from my sister-in-law Tonya.  The chemo cap I knew about, because Emily bought the kit and asked Tonya to knit it for me!  If Emily would have done it my hair would have grown back before she got it done!  I love you, honey!!! The sox, however, were a wonderful surprise.  They kept my feet very warm yesterday.  I have some pretty wonderful people around me, hey? 

Thanx for all the positive thoughts and prayer, and I hope everyone is happily getting ready for Christmas and feeling as good as I do!
Love, Chris

Sad Sunday

So, many tears as Emily left this morning!  She is an amazing young woman, and all I'll have to do is think of all the times we laughed this week, and I'll have a smile on my face for months.  I did find out she has her father's ability to put things together.  Move over, please, let Mom do it.  More laughter.  We were in Shopko looking for hats or scarves, and I had a tight winter hat on.  Packer hat to be exact.  I plopped a pretty cream wool bell-shaped hat on my head and it looked really cute!  Then I took the Packer hat off, and, of course, the wool one was HUGE!  You should have seen and heard my daughter.  I will never be able to walk into Shopko with a straight face again.  I guess I looked pretty ridiculous.  Things are going well, I feel good, and I certainly have some pretty wonderful people around me.  'That damn lump' is disappearing, and that makes me feel much better.  My next treatment is Dec. 8, so we'll see how #3 goes!

Keep praying, you are helping to keep me here!
Love, Chris

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many reasons to give thanks today.  Being alive is the main one, and having the determination to keep it that way is another!  Monday my hair starting falling out in earnest, and after waking up three times last night with a mouthful of hair, Emily buzzed my hair off today.  Before I took a shower I stood over the garbage can in the bathroom and we gently pulled as much out as we could so it wouldn't go down the drain!  The weird thing was it had turned almost black!  It was pretty strange.  But now I'm hair-free and pretty curious as to how it's going to come back!  I hope it comes back!!!   I actually have a pretty even head as far as bumps and stuff goes.  You should have seen the looks on Susie's grandkids faces.  I just told them the medicine they have to give me made it fall out, and it was all over, so Em buzzed it.  Preston and Laila felt it, but Corbin was way too busy.  We had a pretty good crowd at Mom and Dad's this year.  It was good to have so many of us together.  We have pictures of the brothers and sisters, and I'll post one as soon as Em gets home.  She forgot the cord to her camera, so she'll send it to me!  I didn't wear a hat, so you'll get to see the new me!

Thanx for all the prayers and good thoughts, I feel them all.
Love, Chris