Just a quick update on my cancer. I still have it, and I'm still fighting. I have my up and down days, and the day's I choose not to even think about my disease. Those are the good days, me feeling almost "normal" (at least in my head!)
The bad news is that, cancer has invaded more of my bones, to include my total spine, long bones, short bones, all of them. Also, my liver is so diseased now, that my Oncologist is making that his priority. I"m not jaundice, but odds are that might be the case soon.
The good news is that, my lungs are totally disease free. No metabolic activity what's so ever! The many lymph nodes through out the body, that once were growing out of control, and completely gone as well. But the best news of the year, is that I'm no longer in need of oxygen. I can walk around and my oxygen saturation level stay in the mid 90's! Compared to late November, or even December, this is huge!
I'm still sore, and need to take lots of pain meds, but I'm making the best of each day. I choose to be happy, and durn it, cancer isn't going to take that away!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
First day of the New Year
Hi family & friends!
I hope this note finds each of you happy & healthy on this first day of 2009. Since I received chemo yesterday, I slept six hours prior to the midnight count down. I didn't have to set an alarm because I just wasn't sleepy. (Steve was out & I had to wake him up a few minutes ahead of time).
The sleeping after chemo seems to work. I sleep past any nausea or vomiting, usually waking up just a tiny 'normal'. I'm thinking the best way to handle Navalebine, is to rest constantly.
While getting my vitals taken, yesterday, Steve & I thought to test what my oxygen saturation level would be, without oxygen. With oxygen, the levels are anywhere from 99%-100%. Without oxygen, and taking 5-6 steps, my level drop down to the mid 80's. Proving, that I still need to remain on oxygen. I still have "slight", I mean super small, crackles in my lungs, but nothing to impair me. In fact, I eat with no oxygen now (tubing gets in the way), and during the middle of the night, I often wake up with the oxygen & tubing on the floor. Wonder if that's why I'm waking up, because I need help. Steve & I often think I'm doing better daily, especially if you take into account where I was a month ago. Yesterday's check, just showed us, that we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, due to being eager! I don't think anything is wrong with wanting to be eager, wanting to be back to 'normal'.
Officially knowing that I"m not 100%, is when I get upset, even mad at what was done to me. Then the snowball starts rolling down hill, when I think about EVERYTHING that happened to me. Since being that angry doesn't do me any good, I focus on remaining positive. After all, I'm alive, and that almost wasn't the case.
On that note, I want to thank my husband & son publicly, for saving my life! Listening to the story of what happened, it was their constant vigilance & encouragement& plain ole will power, that saved me. There are a lot of friends to thank as well, (some drove hours, two different days in a row to see me), but I was either intubated, or so drugged up that I don't remember them coming to support, or even give Steve a cup of coffee. (Can I share with you that, I don't even remember my father being here; he was here two days)I really am thankfully for my friends! I know all your prayers have helped, so if you can, please continue to remember me in them.
I reckon I got a bit off subject! I apologize for that. With the new year, first day of new beginning, I can't help but feel blessed, thankful, and encouraged. That's probably why I got off subject, because I ended 2008 needing to thank EVERYBODY, for rallying around me and my family.
I plan on waking up everyday, in 2009, appreciating the fact that I even woke up! I hope you have a blessed 2009.
I hope this note finds each of you happy & healthy on this first day of 2009. Since I received chemo yesterday, I slept six hours prior to the midnight count down. I didn't have to set an alarm because I just wasn't sleepy. (Steve was out & I had to wake him up a few minutes ahead of time).
The sleeping after chemo seems to work. I sleep past any nausea or vomiting, usually waking up just a tiny 'normal'. I'm thinking the best way to handle Navalebine, is to rest constantly.
While getting my vitals taken, yesterday, Steve & I thought to test what my oxygen saturation level would be, without oxygen. With oxygen, the levels are anywhere from 99%-100%. Without oxygen, and taking 5-6 steps, my level drop down to the mid 80's. Proving, that I still need to remain on oxygen. I still have "slight", I mean super small, crackles in my lungs, but nothing to impair me. In fact, I eat with no oxygen now (tubing gets in the way), and during the middle of the night, I often wake up with the oxygen & tubing on the floor. Wonder if that's why I'm waking up, because I need help. Steve & I often think I'm doing better daily, especially if you take into account where I was a month ago. Yesterday's check, just showed us, that we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, due to being eager! I don't think anything is wrong with wanting to be eager, wanting to be back to 'normal'.
Officially knowing that I"m not 100%, is when I get upset, even mad at what was done to me. Then the snowball starts rolling down hill, when I think about EVERYTHING that happened to me. Since being that angry doesn't do me any good, I focus on remaining positive. After all, I'm alive, and that almost wasn't the case.
On that note, I want to thank my husband & son publicly, for saving my life! Listening to the story of what happened, it was their constant vigilance & encouragement& plain ole will power, that saved me. There are a lot of friends to thank as well, (some drove hours, two different days in a row to see me), but I was either intubated, or so drugged up that I don't remember them coming to support, or even give Steve a cup of coffee. (Can I share with you that, I don't even remember my father being here; he was here two days)I really am thankfully for my friends! I know all your prayers have helped, so if you can, please continue to remember me in them.
I reckon I got a bit off subject! I apologize for that. With the new year, first day of new beginning, I can't help but feel blessed, thankful, and encouraged. That's probably why I got off subject, because I ended 2008 needing to thank EVERYBODY, for rallying around me and my family.
I plan on waking up everyday, in 2009, appreciating the fact that I even woke up! I hope you have a blessed 2009.
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