Billy is doing a lot better with improving appetite. He has lost approximately 20 lb in the last few weeks. He still cannot get up because of dropping blood pressure. The information they are getting is the stroke was caused from a drop in blood pressure. He is in a facility located only a few miles from his home. Please continue to pray for his improvement.
ChemoSabe is still going in for weekly labs and getting very, very good reports. He is full speed ahead at work and will be traveling each day this week. He is not home as I write. He began his steroids again for four days on Saturday so for that I am thankful with his busy week. I just hope he takes the time to eat and keep his strength up while on the road.
We have heard from Roger (Oklahoma) and he went home on the 24th with no meds except for his heart meds. He will be coming back around Nov. 30 for his second stem cell transplant. They think he will be done by Christmas. He had a rough few weeks with a rash, high fever and chills. I have heard that from a few patients and after the rash their skin peels like a sunburn. ChemoSabe did that on his wrist surgery and it was the Keflex and Oxycodone. Which takes us back to --- if the illness doesn't kill you, the medication will.
We had a wonderful weekend as we traveled on the bikes to Fayetteville for the Bikes, Blues and BBQ festival. We stayed at my older brother's in Ft. Smith which is about 65 miles away from Fayetteville (home of the Razorback losing team). He was so happy we stayed he even made parking signs for the bikes -- "Kemosabe" and "Kat". He made us breakfast each morning and his brother-in-law fixed burgers on Saturday night. They gave up their bedroom and bath to us and it was better than staying in a high dollar suite.
Saturday we met Rainman and Stretch along with eight other bikes and we took off into the Ozark mountains and headed up to the Missouri border. The weather could not have been better. On our trip home on Sunday, ChemoSabe and I came through the back way around the Ouachita National Forest and around to Hot Springs, then home.
ChemoSabe made the trip like old times as he had good energy, good color and felt good the whole trip. I was with Poppy all weekend.
The dogs were furious with us when we returned. Sissy was our sitter and she did a heck of a job, but they love mommy and daddy. I gave the three little ones a shower yesterday and they crashed the rest of the evening. Parker is having a sick spell today with his sugar levels. What use to be once a couple of months, now has turned into once every two weeks. I believe he ate a half gallon of grass this morning so I had to leave him out with Maxie during the day.
We have been so discouraged with hearing about Billy's problems that we are considering asking the doc about not doing a second stem cell. ChemoSabe feels his body is just not ready. Will they refuse us future treatment if we dictate our preference? Well, what can they do? We don't have insurance so most physicians would not want to treat you anyway. That will be a Paul Harvey ending. We have a MRI and bone marrow set for October 10 with a follow up visit with the Big Dog on October 14. That tells me if all the reports are okay they would want to do the transplant the following week. He would have to be off the Thalidomide for seven days before the transplant. His body and mind is just not ready for another massive dose of the Melphanin chemo.
Well, need to do some house work I put off so we could play over the weekend. I will try to do better about writing.
Good night and Love -- Pepper
Chemo Sabe
- ChemoSabe
- Benton, AR, United States
- Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma-- May 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
PRAYER REQUEST -- Sunday, September 28, 2008
We received an update on our friend, Billy Smith, from Alabama. I had left his wife a message last week and never heard back from her. We did hear from her today and were advised when Billy had his port pulled three weeks ago, the same week as ChemoSabe, they were on their way home and got as far as Memphis. Billy had a stroke and has been in and out of the hospital since. He was paralyzed on one side which was a result of a bi-lateral stroke. I will be finding out more in the next couple of days.
It was the first time the RN that pulled his port had ever done the procedure. It is just my opinion, but I believe it might have been the result of a blood clot. I am thankful ChemoSabe in still on the stomach shots.
I am putting his photo at the top of the page so you can see for whom you pray.
Please pray for Billy and Sherry. It has been a hard road for them the last three weeks. I will keep you posted.
Good night and Love -- Pepper.
It was the first time the RN that pulled his port had ever done the procedure. It is just my opinion, but I believe it might have been the result of a blood clot. I am thankful ChemoSabe in still on the stomach shots.
I am putting his photo at the top of the page so you can see for whom you pray.
Please pray for Billy and Sherry. It has been a hard road for them the last three weeks. I will keep you posted.
Good night and Love -- Pepper.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Insurance -- Word for the Day -- Monday, September 22, 2008
Insurance
Definition: coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril
Hummmm.... Doesn't make much sense, does it, this word -- Insurance? We struggle again, today, with this deal and the matter of non compassionate individuals with the medical facility. It doesn't matter if you make monthly payments -- they set the minimum. I do not know how people without total insurance survive.
Enough of that.... Now to the good news.
Stacie is improving each day. She was moved into a brain rehab facility. Her therapists are meeting tomorrow to make a decision on her length of stay. She does remember what year it is. The main focus right now is the physical therapy and it is progressing each day. She is walking with a walker and can take a shower without assistance.
Stacie and her husband, Bruce had been married for five years. He is a marine and she is a former marine. What does that tell you? They are fierce in their struggle for survival. With that, I know your prayers have made her stronger and she will continue to improve.
ChemoSabe has been doing extremely well, also. He does get tired, but not nearly as much as before. He is now down to two pills in the morning and five at night with his nightly Lovenox (blood thinner) shot. I have given him another small bruise, but I believe I am getting better. He doesn't flinch like he use to.
If you have ever looked at a syringe needle closely you will notice a slight slant to the tip. I think I have figured out if you put the very longest, sharpest point in slowly, it pricks the skin slowly and eliminates the bruising effect. I have seen some nurses just jab it in quickly. I just can't do that. I'm afraid I will miss and hit my own finger! ha It makes me wonder how many bruises in the last two years I have given Parker. He is our silkie and he has long black hair. He gets two shots a day in his shoulder area.
We took advantage of the cooler weather and got out on the bikes Saturday. We rode up past Heber Springs to our favorite bike shop. We wore our chaps and a light jacket. It was a very overcast day and we did have a few sprinkles, BUT, that didn't stop us from getting a burn on the ole forehead. Our cheeks got the brunt of it, too. All-in-all it was a great day to ride.
ChemoSabe spoke with his Transplant RN this morning and she is indicating that one of the doctors and herself feel he can wait until after January to have the second transplant. They are pushing us to talk to the Big Doc about it. With his reports being clear of the Myeloma and their big word is "Remission", they are certain he will be safe. Wouldn't it be great to have that time for his body to recover from the massive chemo treatments he has had? Cross your fingers. We don't have an appointment date, yet.
I have been burning piles of limbs, leaves and twigs in the back yard from Gustav and Ike. It still looks bad back there. AND, the mosquitoes are massive. I even have had to spray insect repellent on the kids (dogs). These things just hover around you. I can spray my whole body and they always find at least 1 cm uncovered and they go in for the kill. Kinda makes me wish now I wouldn't have had my head shaved.
ChemoSabe's hair is growing back. His eyebrows are coming in very quickly. He has begun to shave his whiskers again, also. He keeps shaving his head in spite of the fact I wanted to see what color and texture it is. It is the reverse from when he didn't want to lose his hair. He has gone from one extreme to the other.
His appetite has also come back. I have to watch him though when we go out to make certain he doesn't order more than he can eat. I don't believe his stomach has grown back to what it was. I am certainly glad he doesn't get rid of the clothes he grows out of, as now he is back into them. The Thin Man is he.
Nothing more exciting right now. We are just enjoying the 'feel good' and catching up on work.
Please keep praying for Stacie, our other MM friends and for my little brother's granddaughter. He and his wife adopted her when she was a baby. She is now six. She has been in the hospital since last Thursday and it is believed she has spinal meningitis. Since she may be in the contagious stage and because she is a sick child, ChemoSabe and I cannot be around her. I will keep you posted.
Good day and Love, Pepper
Definition: coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril
Hummmm.... Doesn't make much sense, does it, this word -- Insurance? We struggle again, today, with this deal and the matter of non compassionate individuals with the medical facility. It doesn't matter if you make monthly payments -- they set the minimum. I do not know how people without total insurance survive.
Enough of that.... Now to the good news.
Stacie is improving each day. She was moved into a brain rehab facility. Her therapists are meeting tomorrow to make a decision on her length of stay. She does remember what year it is. The main focus right now is the physical therapy and it is progressing each day. She is walking with a walker and can take a shower without assistance.
Stacie and her husband, Bruce had been married for five years. He is a marine and she is a former marine. What does that tell you? They are fierce in their struggle for survival. With that, I know your prayers have made her stronger and she will continue to improve.
ChemoSabe has been doing extremely well, also. He does get tired, but not nearly as much as before. He is now down to two pills in the morning and five at night with his nightly Lovenox (blood thinner) shot. I have given him another small bruise, but I believe I am getting better. He doesn't flinch like he use to.
If you have ever looked at a syringe needle closely you will notice a slight slant to the tip. I think I have figured out if you put the very longest, sharpest point in slowly, it pricks the skin slowly and eliminates the bruising effect. I have seen some nurses just jab it in quickly. I just can't do that. I'm afraid I will miss and hit my own finger! ha It makes me wonder how many bruises in the last two years I have given Parker. He is our silkie and he has long black hair. He gets two shots a day in his shoulder area.
We took advantage of the cooler weather and got out on the bikes Saturday. We rode up past Heber Springs to our favorite bike shop. We wore our chaps and a light jacket. It was a very overcast day and we did have a few sprinkles, BUT, that didn't stop us from getting a burn on the ole forehead. Our cheeks got the brunt of it, too. All-in-all it was a great day to ride.
ChemoSabe spoke with his Transplant RN this morning and she is indicating that one of the doctors and herself feel he can wait until after January to have the second transplant. They are pushing us to talk to the Big Doc about it. With his reports being clear of the Myeloma and their big word is "Remission", they are certain he will be safe. Wouldn't it be great to have that time for his body to recover from the massive chemo treatments he has had? Cross your fingers. We don't have an appointment date, yet.
I have been burning piles of limbs, leaves and twigs in the back yard from Gustav and Ike. It still looks bad back there. AND, the mosquitoes are massive. I even have had to spray insect repellent on the kids (dogs). These things just hover around you. I can spray my whole body and they always find at least 1 cm uncovered and they go in for the kill. Kinda makes me wish now I wouldn't have had my head shaved.
ChemoSabe's hair is growing back. His eyebrows are coming in very quickly. He has begun to shave his whiskers again, also. He keeps shaving his head in spite of the fact I wanted to see what color and texture it is. It is the reverse from when he didn't want to lose his hair. He has gone from one extreme to the other.
His appetite has also come back. I have to watch him though when we go out to make certain he doesn't order more than he can eat. I don't believe his stomach has grown back to what it was. I am certainly glad he doesn't get rid of the clothes he grows out of, as now he is back into them. The Thin Man is he.
Nothing more exciting right now. We are just enjoying the 'feel good' and catching up on work.
Please keep praying for Stacie, our other MM friends and for my little brother's granddaughter. He and his wife adopted her when she was a baby. She is now six. She has been in the hospital since last Thursday and it is believed she has spinal meningitis. Since she may be in the contagious stage and because she is a sick child, ChemoSabe and I cannot be around her. I will keep you posted.
Good day and Love, Pepper
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
PRAYER REQUEST FOR STACIE -- Tuesday, September 16, 2008
We are asking for a special prayer request for ChemoSabe's V.P., Mrs. T. I have spoken of her before in that she comes into town to help him out when he is not able.
Mrs. T. has a son in the military. He and his wife, Stacie, were jogging this week and she ran ahead of him. She slipped and fell which put a hole in her head. It caused swelling in the brain. When she became conscious her last recollection was back to 2001.
Please pray massively for this young lady. Pray especially for her husband and family. Pray they will have the strength and courage to withstand whatever may come to them. Pray she will be lifted up and healed with God's special power. Please pray for Mrs. T. She is such a very special person in our lives.
I have posted Mrs. T's photo so you can know for whom you will be praying.
Good night and Love -- Pepper (Kathy)
Mrs. T. has a son in the military. He and his wife, Stacie, were jogging this week and she ran ahead of him. She slipped and fell which put a hole in her head. It caused swelling in the brain. When she became conscious her last recollection was back to 2001.
Please pray massively for this young lady. Pray especially for her husband and family. Pray they will have the strength and courage to withstand whatever may come to them. Pray she will be lifted up and healed with God's special power. Please pray for Mrs. T. She is such a very special person in our lives.
I have posted Mrs. T's photo so you can know for whom you will be praying.
Good night and Love -- Pepper (Kathy)
Abbreviate -- Word for the Day -- Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Abbreviate
DEFINITION: (verb) to make briefer, to shorten.
Seems each time I write lately I am apologizing for the length of time in between the updates. Reason? We have been enjoying our time off from UAMS!! Hoorah! I will try to abbreviate the update as I have a lot to catch up on.
ChemoSabe is going to lab once a week, on Mondays. His counts have been very well. Yesterday his WBC was 7.5 and his platelets were 183. Massively high which means it is good. His meds have been cut down through the bridging process. He is now at two pills in the morning and six in the evening. We have added Geritol for extra iron and energy (my idea with the doc's approval). I believe it has helped his appetite, too.
He is working full steam ahead. Last week he made a trip to Shreveport on Monday and Thursday and a mid week trip to Eudora. The Shreveport is a four hour trip, one way. He was a champ. Since he was on the steroids the first part of the week, he still had energy when he got home.
Friday night we were riding to Hot Springs for a bike rally. It started to sprinkle so we stopped at a restaurant we frequent. As we began to eat the skies opened up and the bottom fell out. It stormed for about 30 minutes, heavily. We did not abbreviate our meal. We didn't continue on to Hot Springs. It didn't rain anymore, but the bikes sure got dirty from the damp roads.
We looked at Harleys on Saturday. I was sitting on a massive one and a little sales girl asked if I needed any help. I told her I would only if I dropped the bike. She got a sour look on her face and left. It rained massively that day as well with tornado warnings at our neighborhood. No, we weren't on the bikes.
Sunday was a beautiful day. I can't say the same for our yard. Limbs, huge branches and leaves cluttered the yard from the night before. We went to church and when we got home I got my back pack blower out and went to work. After about two hours of that and ChemoSabe wiping off the bikes, we decided it was time to ride. We rode out to see Roger and Ruthie. We overstayed our visit, but only because we truly enjoyed their company. Roger's WBC was 0.06..... He has about two weeks to go before he will be coming back up good.
I am still giving ChemoSabe his Lovenox stomach shots (blood thinner) nightly. He has bragged to the RNs that my shots don't hurt or bruise him. Well, Sunday night I gave him a shot and he flinched. When he pulled up his shirt last night for his dose a golf ball sized black/blue spot jumped out at me. It truly brought tears to my eyes. I apologized to him immediately and being his good natured self he just said, 'those things happen". I could hardly bring myself to give him the next shot through my tear filled sockets, but I had to.
The last week it has been like old times with Poppy. We have laughed at the simplest things and have enjoyed the cooler weather. He has been helping out a bit more at the house. Well, actually helping out with the chores he likes more than what needs to be done. He cleans on the bikes, cleans his truck, shines my boots and piddles in the yard. He has done the dishes a time or two, but grumbles as he goes.
We watched Coco Chanel last night and it was a pretty good movie. It reminded me of my aunt which lives about two hours from us. As I was growing up my most vivid memory of her was she wore Chanel #5. Because of that, I thought she was one of the richest women in the world. She is very rich in character and compassion. I wanted so much to be like her that I dyed my hair jet-black, like hers, when I was a senior in high school. My mother almost pulled me bald for that. Whew! My natural color was ash blond. Now it is ash white! ha
ChemoSabe's stubble is coming back. I have asked him to let it grow a little so we can see if it has changed texture or color. He wants to keep it shaved. I believe he fears it will be wispy as some of the others we have seen. I promised him if it doesn't come back in evenly I will let him know. AND, I had mine cut two weeks ago. It is about 1/4 in. all over. After 36 hours without power I got tired of trying to fix the hump in the back. I now tell everyone I fell off the new riding mower and got my head caught in the blades.
ChemoSabe was in the shower last week and scrubbed his forehead with a face cloth. As he did he pulled back when he remembered his thinning eyebrows. TOO LATE! He had scrubbed the three or four he had completely out. When he looked in the mirror he claimed he saw a couple so he took the electric razor and shaved his eyebrows. I just about fell out. I told him how they would grow back massively over his forehead if he continued to shave.
He has lost his arm pit hair, legs and arms hairs. He still has chest hair, but everywhere else is absolutely vacant. He feels the prickly coming back and I demonstrated to him last night how he would be walking pretty soon. Snork!!
Hey.... My sun roof leaked again last week in the bout with Ike. I took it in again on Friday and basically dared them to charge me after they indicated the problem might not be warranty. With a huff and puff I turned and went back home. We took it out deliberately in the rain on Saturday and thus far, no leaks. They claimed they had replaced the whole roof the week before, so how does a leak happen after that? Well, the gasket wasn't tight enough.. I'm telling you --- it's a woman thing. The next time Poppy will be taking it back. I am still aggravated that I paid $20 to have it washed two weeks ago and I could have spit on it and got it cleaner. I washed it after I got it home.
Which brings me back to --- "Why Count Your Blessings When You Can Complain?"
How did I do with abbreviated version for the last week? Good, huh?
Good day and Love -- Pepper.
p.s. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
DEFINITION: (verb) to make briefer, to shorten.
Seems each time I write lately I am apologizing for the length of time in between the updates. Reason? We have been enjoying our time off from UAMS!! Hoorah! I will try to abbreviate the update as I have a lot to catch up on.
ChemoSabe is going to lab once a week, on Mondays. His counts have been very well. Yesterday his WBC was 7.5 and his platelets were 183. Massively high which means it is good. His meds have been cut down through the bridging process. He is now at two pills in the morning and six in the evening. We have added Geritol for extra iron and energy (my idea with the doc's approval). I believe it has helped his appetite, too.
He is working full steam ahead. Last week he made a trip to Shreveport on Monday and Thursday and a mid week trip to Eudora. The Shreveport is a four hour trip, one way. He was a champ. Since he was on the steroids the first part of the week, he still had energy when he got home.
Friday night we were riding to Hot Springs for a bike rally. It started to sprinkle so we stopped at a restaurant we frequent. As we began to eat the skies opened up and the bottom fell out. It stormed for about 30 minutes, heavily. We did not abbreviate our meal. We didn't continue on to Hot Springs. It didn't rain anymore, but the bikes sure got dirty from the damp roads.
We looked at Harleys on Saturday. I was sitting on a massive one and a little sales girl asked if I needed any help. I told her I would only if I dropped the bike. She got a sour look on her face and left. It rained massively that day as well with tornado warnings at our neighborhood. No, we weren't on the bikes.
Sunday was a beautiful day. I can't say the same for our yard. Limbs, huge branches and leaves cluttered the yard from the night before. We went to church and when we got home I got my back pack blower out and went to work. After about two hours of that and ChemoSabe wiping off the bikes, we decided it was time to ride. We rode out to see Roger and Ruthie. We overstayed our visit, but only because we truly enjoyed their company. Roger's WBC was 0.06..... He has about two weeks to go before he will be coming back up good.
I am still giving ChemoSabe his Lovenox stomach shots (blood thinner) nightly. He has bragged to the RNs that my shots don't hurt or bruise him. Well, Sunday night I gave him a shot and he flinched. When he pulled up his shirt last night for his dose a golf ball sized black/blue spot jumped out at me. It truly brought tears to my eyes. I apologized to him immediately and being his good natured self he just said, 'those things happen". I could hardly bring myself to give him the next shot through my tear filled sockets, but I had to.
The last week it has been like old times with Poppy. We have laughed at the simplest things and have enjoyed the cooler weather. He has been helping out a bit more at the house. Well, actually helping out with the chores he likes more than what needs to be done. He cleans on the bikes, cleans his truck, shines my boots and piddles in the yard. He has done the dishes a time or two, but grumbles as he goes.
We watched Coco Chanel last night and it was a pretty good movie. It reminded me of my aunt which lives about two hours from us. As I was growing up my most vivid memory of her was she wore Chanel #5. Because of that, I thought she was one of the richest women in the world. She is very rich in character and compassion. I wanted so much to be like her that I dyed my hair jet-black, like hers, when I was a senior in high school. My mother almost pulled me bald for that. Whew! My natural color was ash blond. Now it is ash white! ha
ChemoSabe's stubble is coming back. I have asked him to let it grow a little so we can see if it has changed texture or color. He wants to keep it shaved. I believe he fears it will be wispy as some of the others we have seen. I promised him if it doesn't come back in evenly I will let him know. AND, I had mine cut two weeks ago. It is about 1/4 in. all over. After 36 hours without power I got tired of trying to fix the hump in the back. I now tell everyone I fell off the new riding mower and got my head caught in the blades.
ChemoSabe was in the shower last week and scrubbed his forehead with a face cloth. As he did he pulled back when he remembered his thinning eyebrows. TOO LATE! He had scrubbed the three or four he had completely out. When he looked in the mirror he claimed he saw a couple so he took the electric razor and shaved his eyebrows. I just about fell out. I told him how they would grow back massively over his forehead if he continued to shave.
He has lost his arm pit hair, legs and arms hairs. He still has chest hair, but everywhere else is absolutely vacant. He feels the prickly coming back and I demonstrated to him last night how he would be walking pretty soon. Snork!!
Hey.... My sun roof leaked again last week in the bout with Ike. I took it in again on Friday and basically dared them to charge me after they indicated the problem might not be warranty. With a huff and puff I turned and went back home. We took it out deliberately in the rain on Saturday and thus far, no leaks. They claimed they had replaced the whole roof the week before, so how does a leak happen after that? Well, the gasket wasn't tight enough.. I'm telling you --- it's a woman thing. The next time Poppy will be taking it back. I am still aggravated that I paid $20 to have it washed two weeks ago and I could have spit on it and got it cleaner. I washed it after I got it home.
Which brings me back to --- "Why Count Your Blessings When You Can Complain?"
How did I do with abbreviated version for the last week? Good, huh?
Good day and Love -- Pepper.
p.s. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Obtrusive - Word for the Day -- Sunday, September 7, 2008
Obtrusive
DEFINITION: (adjective) overly prominent.
What an obtrusive storm Gustav became! We were without power early Wednesday until late Friday (36 hours). Son and friend brought us over a generator late Wed afternoon. I told them all I was worried about was "America's Got Talent". Ha... They hooked up the freezer, the refrigerator and yep... the TV... My baby boy does anything for mama...
Through all this, ChemoSabe worked half days and then to clinic. We saw the doctor on Thursday afternoon and he is discharged for a month only. We have about four weeks and then the chemo and second stem cell will begin. We started the bridging medications yesterday. Chemo by mouth, steroids and bacterial prevention. The dose of blood thinner (Lovenox) was increased from 80 to 150 a day. I had pharmacy chores on Friday while he went out of town on business. I made the Outpatient pharmacy, the Infusion Center pharmacy and then our hometown pharmacy.
We were instructed to purchase a blood pressure machine because ChemoSabe will only be doing labs once a week. His blood pressure has always run low for years, but they are not convinced of that. So, I got one and we are doing both our pressure each evening. I learned something about myself with it already. I have a history of migraines, but I only have them now about every six months. I started getting one on Wednesday. It kept trying to creep up until Friday. When we took our pressures on Friday evening mine was sky high. Hmmmm... I wonder why? ha
We were lucky with the storm besides losing power. We had a lot of limbs down and I got them all taken care of in the front yard. I worked all day yesterday with the new rider mower. What an awesome machine. I haven't even started on the back yard. It will be a week long job.
ChemoSabe's counts are well. His CRP was at 35 on Thursday, but they scheduled his port to be removed anyway. We got outta there around 5:30 p.m. I didn't give him any Lovenox on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the possibility of having the port pulled. By Thursday evening his legs were giving him fits. We got up around 3:30 Friday a.m. and I gave him a Lovenox, but on Friday night they were hurting again. Yesterday morning he was still in discomfort. Hurting in the calves was very obtrusive. I made his breakfast. I convinced him he needed to walk around much of the day to keep up the circulation instead of sitting in the recliner. The pain is at night when he is relaxing. Well, he got out in the yard and piddled while I was on the mower. He shoveled a little dirt...and I mean little. About four shovel fulls. He pulled up some weeds and picked up a few limbs. He huffed and puffed a bit. I had helped him put his bike up on the rake and he came up to the garage. He polished and waxed on it. By the end of the day he was feeling a lot better. He got a full night's sleep without having to go downstairs to the recliner.
He slept so good we were able to go to church this morning. And, what a sermon it was. KJ, my boss, is the preacher and he was on a roll today. Afterward we met them for lunch and had an enjoyable rest of the day.
Heard from Roger today and he had his stem cell on Friday. He has been having the hiccups (sound familiar?) and stomach problems, but seems to be doing okay. There are three others that are in our time frame that are having high CRPs. It looks like everyone is right on schedule. Just doesn't seem right that you have to be very, very ill to be normal at this stage. That's protocol.
The steroids are working on ChemoSabe already. He will be a job keeping down this week. He is traveling to Shreveport tomorrow. He has already rescheduled his lab for this week so he can do some work. His appetite has increased and he seems to be enjoying food more the last couple of days. He is having some problem with acid reflux, but I believe that is because of the steroid.
Well, kids... I am going to hit the rack early. I just bathed Parker and Kipper and now I need to take care of Maxie and Pete.
Keep those prayers coming. Especially for our friends still going through the first phase.
Good night and Love --- Pepper
DEFINITION: (adjective) overly prominent.
What an obtrusive storm Gustav became! We were without power early Wednesday until late Friday (36 hours). Son and friend brought us over a generator late Wed afternoon. I told them all I was worried about was "America's Got Talent". Ha... They hooked up the freezer, the refrigerator and yep... the TV... My baby boy does anything for mama...
Through all this, ChemoSabe worked half days and then to clinic. We saw the doctor on Thursday afternoon and he is discharged for a month only. We have about four weeks and then the chemo and second stem cell will begin. We started the bridging medications yesterday. Chemo by mouth, steroids and bacterial prevention. The dose of blood thinner (Lovenox) was increased from 80 to 150 a day. I had pharmacy chores on Friday while he went out of town on business. I made the Outpatient pharmacy, the Infusion Center pharmacy and then our hometown pharmacy.
We were instructed to purchase a blood pressure machine because ChemoSabe will only be doing labs once a week. His blood pressure has always run low for years, but they are not convinced of that. So, I got one and we are doing both our pressure each evening. I learned something about myself with it already. I have a history of migraines, but I only have them now about every six months. I started getting one on Wednesday. It kept trying to creep up until Friday. When we took our pressures on Friday evening mine was sky high. Hmmmm... I wonder why? ha
We were lucky with the storm besides losing power. We had a lot of limbs down and I got them all taken care of in the front yard. I worked all day yesterday with the new rider mower. What an awesome machine. I haven't even started on the back yard. It will be a week long job.
ChemoSabe's counts are well. His CRP was at 35 on Thursday, but they scheduled his port to be removed anyway. We got outta there around 5:30 p.m. I didn't give him any Lovenox on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the possibility of having the port pulled. By Thursday evening his legs were giving him fits. We got up around 3:30 Friday a.m. and I gave him a Lovenox, but on Friday night they were hurting again. Yesterday morning he was still in discomfort. Hurting in the calves was very obtrusive. I made his breakfast. I convinced him he needed to walk around much of the day to keep up the circulation instead of sitting in the recliner. The pain is at night when he is relaxing. Well, he got out in the yard and piddled while I was on the mower. He shoveled a little dirt...and I mean little. About four shovel fulls. He pulled up some weeds and picked up a few limbs. He huffed and puffed a bit. I had helped him put his bike up on the rake and he came up to the garage. He polished and waxed on it. By the end of the day he was feeling a lot better. He got a full night's sleep without having to go downstairs to the recliner.
He slept so good we were able to go to church this morning. And, what a sermon it was. KJ, my boss, is the preacher and he was on a roll today. Afterward we met them for lunch and had an enjoyable rest of the day.
Heard from Roger today and he had his stem cell on Friday. He has been having the hiccups (sound familiar?) and stomach problems, but seems to be doing okay. There are three others that are in our time frame that are having high CRPs. It looks like everyone is right on schedule. Just doesn't seem right that you have to be very, very ill to be normal at this stage. That's protocol.
The steroids are working on ChemoSabe already. He will be a job keeping down this week. He is traveling to Shreveport tomorrow. He has already rescheduled his lab for this week so he can do some work. His appetite has increased and he seems to be enjoying food more the last couple of days. He is having some problem with acid reflux, but I believe that is because of the steroid.
Well, kids... I am going to hit the rack early. I just bathed Parker and Kipper and now I need to take care of Maxie and Pete.
Keep those prayers coming. Especially for our friends still going through the first phase.
Good night and Love --- Pepper
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Disparity -- Word for the Day -- Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Disparity
DEFINITION: (noun) difference in quality or kind.
Hope this evening finds all of you well, for the most part and surviving the storm. We have had several large, large branches down and we believe one fell on Kipper. He has a bulge and can hardly lie down. That or he felt off the deck during the storm. I left all four in the sunroom today because of the storm and let them out only for a few minutes when I got home.
I apologize for not writing since last Wednesday. I honestly didn't realize it had been so long, until I got some strong hints from some of you... After our doctor's visit last Thursday our balloon was busted. We really believed CheomSabe would be discharged for a break. His counts have been very good, BUT he still has a low grade infection and they do not know what it is. So, the port did not come out and we are scheduled to go back for a visit this Thursday. Therefore, he is still getting labs each day. He told one of the nurses Saturday he wanted to call in 'sick' on Sunday so she spoke with the APN and they gave him the day off.
God is still amusing us. Had to have my dryer fixed on Friday. Something else to keep our minds occupied. Saturday as I was cleaning the fish tank, I stubbed my toe and think I broke it. It is black and blue and hurts like a (sailor word)...
Saturday, the son and Big E took me over to my boss' house and we picked up the riding lawnmower I told you about. The son still has it after putting a fuel line on it, fixing a tire and buying a new battery. He enjoyed it so much at his house he mowed two of his neighbors yards. He says it is a fine machine. ChemoSabe felt well enough Saturday late to meet the kids for pizza. I must admit I truly enjoyed it and believe I had a bit too much wine. Needed it!
Since we had Sunday off from lab I let ChemoSabe sleep a little late. We had intended to go to church, but he hasn't been resting very well. He has been craving fish and we didn't want to go to our favorite spot in Heber Springs. Too far. So, we decided on North Little Rock. The two places we picked -- one was closed and the other was no longer in business. So we headed for Conway. That place was closed also. We ended up at the Market Place in Conway, of which we really like. We got there before the dinner rush. Conway is about 40 miles from us. After we finished our meal we just lingered and watched the people coming in. An elderly couple seemed anxious to sit down before anyone else. They didn't even wait on the hostess to seat them. They seated themselves at a table next to us. I noticed he had a port so I went over and asked him if he were a MM patient. This little man with a big grin on his face looked up at me and said, "You bet cha bippy, Baby." He has been a patient since August 28, 2001. Their 55th wedding anniversary was August 27. They had been in Infusion all day and had taken a sheet cake into the nurses to celebrate his progress and their anniversary. These two were quite the characters. He commenced to tell me he told the doctor what he wanted done. His doctor is the same as ChemoSabe's. He tells him he will 'do it my way'. Then he asks me if I know who sang that song. I told him Frank Sinatra, of course. At that he told me his name was Frank and the wife was Mary. I know now why we traveled to so many places to find food. God brought us together.
ChemoSabe has yet to get his appetite back. He is eating like a bird. He doesn't even eat a whole piece of pie. He had gained about 15 lb. last week and on Friday they started him on lasix. I hate that stuff. I tried to convince them it was the growth factor shot that made him gain. They claimed it was too much fluid. He took it for three days. He has lost all but three pounds of that. He is very tired.
Back to my last writing where I thought our RN niece was going to have to take him in because of the dry heaves the night before. I had a class on Thursday morning and when I got out I tried to call him at home and on his cell. No answer. I called the niece and she had not heard from him. I started home instead of going to work (30 miles) so I could check on him. I got half way home and he called. Are you ready for this??????? When I asked where he was -- AT WORK! I was so upset with thinking something was wrong, I just hung up... Relieved, angry, afraid, stressed, p.o. You name it... all those feelings in one second.
He seems to feel better that last couple of days, but the tiredness is still heavy. He did go to work this morning after labs. I am still giving him his blood thinner shots daily and his meds are the same. Again, his counts look very good except for the crap (CRP). It is hanging steady at 50.
I am going now. Not writing for a couple of days ties us all up. I write too much then and take up too much of your time. I haven't even used the Word for the Day in this writing -- Disparity. But, now at least you know what it means. Might be something I test you on later.
So, the holiday weekend came and went. Can't really plan much with the daily visits. Even Sunday was not enough for us to recoup and regain our strength. ChemoSabe went to lab again yesterday and I went to work. I don't get paid holidays. Gotta have that money, honey.
Good night and Love -- Pepper
DEFINITION: (noun) difference in quality or kind.
Hope this evening finds all of you well, for the most part and surviving the storm. We have had several large, large branches down and we believe one fell on Kipper. He has a bulge and can hardly lie down. That or he felt off the deck during the storm. I left all four in the sunroom today because of the storm and let them out only for a few minutes when I got home.
I apologize for not writing since last Wednesday. I honestly didn't realize it had been so long, until I got some strong hints from some of you... After our doctor's visit last Thursday our balloon was busted. We really believed CheomSabe would be discharged for a break. His counts have been very good, BUT he still has a low grade infection and they do not know what it is. So, the port did not come out and we are scheduled to go back for a visit this Thursday. Therefore, he is still getting labs each day. He told one of the nurses Saturday he wanted to call in 'sick' on Sunday so she spoke with the APN and they gave him the day off.
God is still amusing us. Had to have my dryer fixed on Friday. Something else to keep our minds occupied. Saturday as I was cleaning the fish tank, I stubbed my toe and think I broke it. It is black and blue and hurts like a (sailor word)...
Saturday, the son and Big E took me over to my boss' house and we picked up the riding lawnmower I told you about. The son still has it after putting a fuel line on it, fixing a tire and buying a new battery. He enjoyed it so much at his house he mowed two of his neighbors yards. He says it is a fine machine. ChemoSabe felt well enough Saturday late to meet the kids for pizza. I must admit I truly enjoyed it and believe I had a bit too much wine. Needed it!
Since we had Sunday off from lab I let ChemoSabe sleep a little late. We had intended to go to church, but he hasn't been resting very well. He has been craving fish and we didn't want to go to our favorite spot in Heber Springs. Too far. So, we decided on North Little Rock. The two places we picked -- one was closed and the other was no longer in business. So we headed for Conway. That place was closed also. We ended up at the Market Place in Conway, of which we really like. We got there before the dinner rush. Conway is about 40 miles from us. After we finished our meal we just lingered and watched the people coming in. An elderly couple seemed anxious to sit down before anyone else. They didn't even wait on the hostess to seat them. They seated themselves at a table next to us. I noticed he had a port so I went over and asked him if he were a MM patient. This little man with a big grin on his face looked up at me and said, "You bet cha bippy, Baby." He has been a patient since August 28, 2001. Their 55th wedding anniversary was August 27. They had been in Infusion all day and had taken a sheet cake into the nurses to celebrate his progress and their anniversary. These two were quite the characters. He commenced to tell me he told the doctor what he wanted done. His doctor is the same as ChemoSabe's. He tells him he will 'do it my way'. Then he asks me if I know who sang that song. I told him Frank Sinatra, of course. At that he told me his name was Frank and the wife was Mary. I know now why we traveled to so many places to find food. God brought us together.
ChemoSabe has yet to get his appetite back. He is eating like a bird. He doesn't even eat a whole piece of pie. He had gained about 15 lb. last week and on Friday they started him on lasix. I hate that stuff. I tried to convince them it was the growth factor shot that made him gain. They claimed it was too much fluid. He took it for three days. He has lost all but three pounds of that. He is very tired.
Back to my last writing where I thought our RN niece was going to have to take him in because of the dry heaves the night before. I had a class on Thursday morning and when I got out I tried to call him at home and on his cell. No answer. I called the niece and she had not heard from him. I started home instead of going to work (30 miles) so I could check on him. I got half way home and he called. Are you ready for this??????? When I asked where he was -- AT WORK! I was so upset with thinking something was wrong, I just hung up... Relieved, angry, afraid, stressed, p.o. You name it... all those feelings in one second.
He seems to feel better that last couple of days, but the tiredness is still heavy. He did go to work this morning after labs. I am still giving him his blood thinner shots daily and his meds are the same. Again, his counts look very good except for the crap (CRP). It is hanging steady at 50.
I am going now. Not writing for a couple of days ties us all up. I write too much then and take up too much of your time. I haven't even used the Word for the Day in this writing -- Disparity. But, now at least you know what it means. Might be something I test you on later.
So, the holiday weekend came and went. Can't really plan much with the daily visits. Even Sunday was not enough for us to recoup and regain our strength. ChemoSabe went to lab again yesterday and I went to work. I don't get paid holidays. Gotta have that money, honey.
Good night and Love -- Pepper
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