I received a call from Tiffany about 4:20 this afternoon that she was on her way home from the hospital and that she was doing alright thanks to all of the medications they had given her. She was pretty sleepy but she was recouperating much better than the last couple of time that she has to go in. She will be resting at home tonight but will try to log on soon.
Karen
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
June's latest
Hi all-
June 30th, I will be having a biopsy of my sternum & surrounding soft tissue. For weeks now, I've had discomfort in my chest area. However, this last weekend discomfort turned into pain. The pain feels like someone punched me square in the chest, and in my chest muscles, like I've bench pressed hundreds of pounds. (neither has happened)
Since Monday, I've been taking MS Contin ( a kind of morphine) and Vicodin. As you can imagine, I look like I'm half asleep;good thing is that, I'm not in any pain! Doc says that my body will get used to taking these meds, and eventually I wont be so lethargic..... lucky me!
Please think of Steve, and I on Monday. I'll blog again as soon as I feel up to it, so until then, take care.....Tiff
June 30th, I will be having a biopsy of my sternum & surrounding soft tissue. For weeks now, I've had discomfort in my chest area. However, this last weekend discomfort turned into pain. The pain feels like someone punched me square in the chest, and in my chest muscles, like I've bench pressed hundreds of pounds. (neither has happened)
Since Monday, I've been taking MS Contin ( a kind of morphine) and Vicodin. As you can imagine, I look like I'm half asleep;good thing is that, I'm not in any pain! Doc says that my body will get used to taking these meds, and eventually I wont be so lethargic..... lucky me!
Please think of Steve, and I on Monday. I'll blog again as soon as I feel up to it, so until then, take care.....Tiff
Monday, June 16, 2008
A week of estrogen
Hi all-
Thought I'd post how my last week has been.
As you can imagine, my emotions have been on that roller coaster again. When I got the remission news in February, I thought I was done with that darn roller coaster. I'm okay and am trying to stay positive. After all, I have metastatic cancer and will probably be in and out of remission a lot during the rest of my life, right? If anyone has any wisdom to share about living with disease, please email it, or post it so that others can benefit from it.
This last week on estrogen has been hot! Not because its 90+ outside, but because its a symptom of the drug. Doc say's its only going to get worse too! Yikes... Steve has been extremely helpful in reminding me to take the darn stuff daily; but then Steve has been wonderful through all this! I wont go get all sappy about my husband, but he sure does deserve an award or something for being so wonderful throughout this entire ordeal.
So, I'm feeling well with the exception of being steaming hot inside under than fan. I'm working on updating pictures. I've grown a lot of hair since we last posted pictures, although I don't think its anything special. Most men we know and love have less than me, which still doesn't make me feel good, but hey.
Thought I'd post how my last week has been.
As you can imagine, my emotions have been on that roller coaster again. When I got the remission news in February, I thought I was done with that darn roller coaster. I'm okay and am trying to stay positive. After all, I have metastatic cancer and will probably be in and out of remission a lot during the rest of my life, right? If anyone has any wisdom to share about living with disease, please email it, or post it so that others can benefit from it.
This last week on estrogen has been hot! Not because its 90+ outside, but because its a symptom of the drug. Doc say's its only going to get worse too! Yikes... Steve has been extremely helpful in reminding me to take the darn stuff daily; but then Steve has been wonderful through all this! I wont go get all sappy about my husband, but he sure does deserve an award or something for being so wonderful throughout this entire ordeal.
So, I'm feeling well with the exception of being steaming hot inside under than fan. I'm working on updating pictures. I've grown a lot of hair since we last posted pictures, although I don't think its anything special. Most men we know and love have less than me, which still doesn't make me feel good, but hey.
Monday, June 9, 2008
PET scan news for Monday
This latest PET scan shows that I have metabolic activity in my sternum, that has only gotten bigger since my April scan. It also shows a positive lymph node in my right clavicle area, that was not there in April. This node is .6cm in size, currently to small for biopsy.
In a nut shell, my cancer has returned.
I"m going to wait until the end of August to have my next PET scan, this way I'll get to have all summer without worrying about being a patient. In the meantime, I'm going to try an estrogen blocker to see if this makes a difference with my latest cancer. Don't know if you recall or not, but my cancer didn't grow in estrogen (meaning my cancer was/is estrogen negative). This medicine wont hurt me, only make my hot flashes worse. BUT.... it "might" help; its a reach. Lets just wait to see in August.
Don't know what else to say.....
Hey, at least I get to keep my hair with this treatment
In a nut shell, my cancer has returned.
I"m going to wait until the end of August to have my next PET scan, this way I'll get to have all summer without worrying about being a patient. In the meantime, I'm going to try an estrogen blocker to see if this makes a difference with my latest cancer. Don't know if you recall or not, but my cancer didn't grow in estrogen (meaning my cancer was/is estrogen negative). This medicine wont hurt me, only make my hot flashes worse. BUT.... it "might" help; its a reach. Lets just wait to see in August.
Don't know what else to say.....
Hey, at least I get to keep my hair with this treatment
Friday, June 6, 2008
Number 5, I think
Hi friends and family!
Don't know if anyone still checks this website or not, but I thought I should keep the updates coming as anything different happens.
I had another PET scan today; I think it was my fifth one. I read back to my first PET scan experience and I had to shake my head. I had forgotten how horrible that day was. Since that experience, Steve and I've learned that for those 90minutes of waiting, my mind needs to be occupied. He's provided me a way to stay entertained during that time, all the while checking on me. If anyone ever reads these blogs, and then has to have a PET scan themselves, learn from my first mistake. Take something to keep your mind busy. Don't sit there in the dark, by yourself, and comtemplate why your in the nuclear medicine department.
We should get the results from this latest scan Monday afternoon. I'll blog again when I have the results.
Otherwise, I am doing well, and feel really good. Most of my strength is back, as well as my stamina. Did I tell you that we are training for a marthon? Yes, a marathon. Training is hard, but its easier than chemotherapy, or a deployment. Wish us luck. My hair has grown out alot in the last few months. I can almost part it and the hair actually stay put. I've learned to use mousse and gels. Now that it is summer, I've gotten a health tan, which has taken that chemotherapy sick look away. All in all, I say that I've made great progress in the last five months.
I'm doing good, and staying positive. I hope each of you are too! Please stay in touch we me/us when you can.
p.s. Remind the women in your life to do breast exams and/or get their mammograms!
Don't know if anyone still checks this website or not, but I thought I should keep the updates coming as anything different happens.
I had another PET scan today; I think it was my fifth one. I read back to my first PET scan experience and I had to shake my head. I had forgotten how horrible that day was. Since that experience, Steve and I've learned that for those 90minutes of waiting, my mind needs to be occupied. He's provided me a way to stay entertained during that time, all the while checking on me. If anyone ever reads these blogs, and then has to have a PET scan themselves, learn from my first mistake. Take something to keep your mind busy. Don't sit there in the dark, by yourself, and comtemplate why your in the nuclear medicine department.
We should get the results from this latest scan Monday afternoon. I'll blog again when I have the results.
Otherwise, I am doing well, and feel really good. Most of my strength is back, as well as my stamina. Did I tell you that we are training for a marthon? Yes, a marathon. Training is hard, but its easier than chemotherapy, or a deployment. Wish us luck. My hair has grown out alot in the last few months. I can almost part it and the hair actually stay put. I've learned to use mousse and gels. Now that it is summer, I've gotten a health tan, which has taken that chemotherapy sick look away. All in all, I say that I've made great progress in the last five months.
I'm doing good, and staying positive. I hope each of you are too! Please stay in touch we me/us when you can.
p.s. Remind the women in your life to do breast exams and/or get their mammograms!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)