Hiccups
Definition: a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound.
Here we are -- ready for bed. It is 10:30 p.m. and Chemo Sabe has developed the hiccups again from the chemo. He had them massively with the first round of chemo, if you recall. We got a prescription then and we still have it. He has had them about an hour and can't even talk without bellowing out a loud 'peculiar sound'. Funny? Yes. But annoying to him as they are uncontrollable.
We had a great evening with friend and co-worker from Chemo Sabe's work. She is the VP we have bragged about that is always available when he needs her. Ms. T..... Slim, beautiful woman with a great personality. Oh..... in September she will be 50... Everyone is invited to her party in New Jersey!!! We'll keep you posted! ha
Had good lab results today with a chemo bag change. Had to have a skin prick vein test for another lab function, too. That will be done once a week. Started the steroids yesterday so the energy levels have kicked into high with flushing in the face. Still working on his computer this late at night. He had his dose of about 15 pills this evening with four of them being Thalidomide. That is a chemo in pill form that will make his drowsy. He slept every well last night. So good I finally went to the couch downstairs around 4:00 a.m. because of snoring. One thing about his cancer and meds, I have not heard him snore in months until last night.
Dexamethezone (10 pills a day -- steroids) to get him up and running and Thalidomide to put him down at night.
Drove himself to work this morning and also to UAMS alone. Kept me posted during his bag change and then afterward. Got a schedule for his bag disconnect on Friday with his daily labs for the next two weeks. His growth factor shots will not begin until his WBC drops to 1.5. He is at 3.85 now so that means we have about a week to 1-1/2 weeks before he drops quickly. Below one will be when the stem cell transplant begins. Probably in two weeks.
If I am repeating myself it is so we will be reminded of the process and also be reminded that the process changes slightly, occasionally.
Hiccups -- slowing down some, but the steroids are still hanging in. I can't keep up with him. I am thinking if I just leave the 'computer' room he will not want to be in here alone and mosey on into the bedroom.
With that -- I again thank the Lord for a good day.
Please remember Chemo Sabe's mom that is still in the hospital. He was informed this afternoon she has a blood disorder related to ecoli. That is why the urinary tract infection began.
My mom received a good report on her follow-up visit regarding her cataract surgery. No pressure in the eyes and she has been released to see her regular eye doctor in three weeks.
Thank you again, Ms. T, for a wonderful evening away from stress and to you, our son, for coming by and letting the dogs out so we could get away a couple of hours, and the rest of you for your continued prayers.
Love -- Pepper
Chemo Sabe
- ChemoSabe
- Benton, AR, United States
- Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma-- May 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Curtail -- Word for the Day -- Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Curtail
DEFINITION: (verb) to shorten.
Okay, Kids... Curtail your complaints. I know I haven't written since the end of last week, but, Hey... had honey-dos to do. I have heard through the grapevine of several of you wanting to catch up on Chemo Sabe and there wasn't any new news. Well, here we go...
We had a long, deserved weekend. We did get to ride on Saturday with 30 min. of that being in the rain. It had chased us all day. We got out in the Tahoe on Friday to do some necessary shopping and it poured on us -- IN THE TAHOE. My sunroof is leaking again. Chemo Sabe used at least a half box of Kleenex to stop it, but it came on through to the front and collected in the rear air controls. There we have God's sense of humor again.
We had the Cook port inserted yesterday. Remember that is the spaghetti sized insert with the three tubes for collecting labs, doing transfusions, platelets and the chemo. It was a little painful because a new kid on the block was learning. Got four deadening shots. No step for a stepper.
Had a little confusion today on our schedule. We were told last week that our 9:00 a.m. Big Dog appt was not necessary. Only the chemo bag hook up at 3:00 p.m. Chemo Sabe got a call from a nurse asking if he had been in an accident. He was certainly confused. She informed him he missed the 9:00 a.m. appt. So we both took off work early (1:30) and met at the Myeloma Center. Got the MRI results. Curtail your excitement. This is where, if you remember from last week, we felt we were too excited about the Remission results. See next paragraph.
The lesions that appeared in the beginning are still visible. The exact word used throughout the report was "unchanged". That should have been the Word for the Day, actually. BUT, unchanged is not bad, because there are not any more reported. There is mention of three on the area of the right and left rib cage on the 3rd and 4rd ribs. Don't tickle yourself as you count down your own. They should be right under your breast area.
There are still some lesions along the spine with a small fracture still being reported, but as before, no mention of a cement repair surgery, as yet. The left hip has some indication of lesions, but the right hip that supports the prosthesis shows no signs of lesions.
So, you see, no changes are good. His weight is staying normal. I can't tell you that as he is watching me write this. His blood pressure is excellent since is usually is a low recorder. He is now normal.
We were incorrectly informed of labs today, also. We didn't know anything about them so the chemo bag could not be hooked up until we received the labs back.
WBC -- 3.83 on Thursday and 3.73 today
Platelets -- 111 on Thursday and 85 today
Crap -- staying way below the normal level meaning no sign of infection.
We have been blessed. We received the Thalidomide today. If you remember, some of our chemo friends had a deductible of $860.00 and $650.00. Ours was charged to clinic last time because of insurance matters. We haven't gotten that bill, yet. This is the drug we were informed is $1,000.00 a pop. Well, picked up the second set today with check book in hand. I will have to admit this morning I transferred big bucks out of our savings account so I wouldn't write a hot check! ha... Well, our deductible was a whooping ------ are you ready??????
$50.00
As I mentioned, we are truly blessed.
Started on the steroids this morning again, along with four other prescriptions. We take ten each of the steroids for four days. He will be King Kong by week's end. He takes about the same amount at night to put him down of the Thalidomide.
Things have been up and down in the families this week. My mom is getting over her cataract surgery. She is having pressure problems and had gone back for follow up visits twice. They increased the meds she inserts into her eye, but she did tell Chemo Sabe she could see his bald head through the phone.
His mom is currently in the hospital with some urinary tract infection issues, Please pray for her strength in health and strength in personal decisions she needs to make.
All is well here at the home front. Had two sick pups yesterday, but they ate some good ole steak bones we brought home last night. So they seem fine today.
We will be working the rest of the week. We got hooked up with a 3:00 bag change out so that schedule will make it a lot easier for us to make our commitments at work. The bag comes off on Saturday.
Oh, Oh, Oh..... we also heard today after this chem is finished and the labs and the growth factor shots, there is a possibility of a two to three week break before the transplant. Gosh, won't we be wild and crazy before he has to go back. Think we could go AWOL?
Please try to curtail your complaints. Be patient or I may go AWOL myself. ha
Love you all...... Pepper
DEFINITION: (verb) to shorten.
Okay, Kids... Curtail your complaints. I know I haven't written since the end of last week, but, Hey... had honey-dos to do. I have heard through the grapevine of several of you wanting to catch up on Chemo Sabe and there wasn't any new news. Well, here we go...
We had a long, deserved weekend. We did get to ride on Saturday with 30 min. of that being in the rain. It had chased us all day. We got out in the Tahoe on Friday to do some necessary shopping and it poured on us -- IN THE TAHOE. My sunroof is leaking again. Chemo Sabe used at least a half box of Kleenex to stop it, but it came on through to the front and collected in the rear air controls. There we have God's sense of humor again.
We had the Cook port inserted yesterday. Remember that is the spaghetti sized insert with the three tubes for collecting labs, doing transfusions, platelets and the chemo. It was a little painful because a new kid on the block was learning. Got four deadening shots. No step for a stepper.
Had a little confusion today on our schedule. We were told last week that our 9:00 a.m. Big Dog appt was not necessary. Only the chemo bag hook up at 3:00 p.m. Chemo Sabe got a call from a nurse asking if he had been in an accident. He was certainly confused. She informed him he missed the 9:00 a.m. appt. So we both took off work early (1:30) and met at the Myeloma Center. Got the MRI results. Curtail your excitement. This is where, if you remember from last week, we felt we were too excited about the Remission results. See next paragraph.
The lesions that appeared in the beginning are still visible. The exact word used throughout the report was "unchanged". That should have been the Word for the Day, actually. BUT, unchanged is not bad, because there are not any more reported. There is mention of three on the area of the right and left rib cage on the 3rd and 4rd ribs. Don't tickle yourself as you count down your own. They should be right under your breast area.
There are still some lesions along the spine with a small fracture still being reported, but as before, no mention of a cement repair surgery, as yet. The left hip has some indication of lesions, but the right hip that supports the prosthesis shows no signs of lesions.
So, you see, no changes are good. His weight is staying normal. I can't tell you that as he is watching me write this. His blood pressure is excellent since is usually is a low recorder. He is now normal.
We were incorrectly informed of labs today, also. We didn't know anything about them so the chemo bag could not be hooked up until we received the labs back.
WBC -- 3.83 on Thursday and 3.73 today
Platelets -- 111 on Thursday and 85 today
Crap -- staying way below the normal level meaning no sign of infection.
We have been blessed. We received the Thalidomide today. If you remember, some of our chemo friends had a deductible of $860.00 and $650.00. Ours was charged to clinic last time because of insurance matters. We haven't gotten that bill, yet. This is the drug we were informed is $1,000.00 a pop. Well, picked up the second set today with check book in hand. I will have to admit this morning I transferred big bucks out of our savings account so I wouldn't write a hot check! ha... Well, our deductible was a whooping ------ are you ready??????
$50.00
As I mentioned, we are truly blessed.
Started on the steroids this morning again, along with four other prescriptions. We take ten each of the steroids for four days. He will be King Kong by week's end. He takes about the same amount at night to put him down of the Thalidomide.
Things have been up and down in the families this week. My mom is getting over her cataract surgery. She is having pressure problems and had gone back for follow up visits twice. They increased the meds she inserts into her eye, but she did tell Chemo Sabe she could see his bald head through the phone.
His mom is currently in the hospital with some urinary tract infection issues, Please pray for her strength in health and strength in personal decisions she needs to make.
All is well here at the home front. Had two sick pups yesterday, but they ate some good ole steak bones we brought home last night. So they seem fine today.
We will be working the rest of the week. We got hooked up with a 3:00 bag change out so that schedule will make it a lot easier for us to make our commitments at work. The bag comes off on Saturday.
Oh, Oh, Oh..... we also heard today after this chem is finished and the labs and the growth factor shots, there is a possibility of a two to three week break before the transplant. Gosh, won't we be wild and crazy before he has to go back. Think we could go AWOL?
Please try to curtail your complaints. Be patient or I may go AWOL myself. ha
Love you all...... Pepper
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Elusive -- Word for the Day -- Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Elusive
DEFINITION: (adjective) hard to capture, grasp, or understand.
Remission has been elusive for us this week. Everything seems to be in a haze. Were we dreaming of the MM? Are we dreaming of the remission now? We seem to be in a daze, just as we were when we heard the news of the cancer. Is it because it was caught at such an early stage that makes it so soon to cure?
Labs were done this morning and tonight at 7:30 the MRI will be done. This will tell us of the 27 lesions along his spine, hip and neck area. We have our hopes up that this too will give us news of the lesions disappearing. We will know the 'rest of the story' on Tuesday at the 9:00 a.m. meeting with the Big Dog.
We have an 8:00 on Monday a.m. to have another port put back in. Chemo Sabe wants it in another place, but the options are few. Under the arm or in the left juggler vein. The Big Dog even laughed and said if he wanted it in his forehead area he could probably make it happen.
It has been a busy week thus far. Chemo Sabe and I have been working. Doesn't seem quite the same working full days instead of trying to cram everything into a couple of hours and dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's.
I have not really seen Chemo Sabe since Thursday, June 26 when we had the bone marrow biopsy. I have been spending last weekend and this week with Poppy. More energy, better appetite and better resting. Doing a few more things around the house and riding the 'beast'. He laughed last night when helping me carry new cushions in for our patio chairs. Claims he can only carry up to two pounds. He flinched when I got the big stick out. It works every time.
Riding Monday evening to meet Stretch and Rainman, we enjoyed the cool night air on the way back. Just like old times. We are ready to buckle down and begin the process again.
The dome has many freckles now and there is talk of not letting the new hair grow back, but keeping the Kojak look. He has been wearing his security ID badge so when he goes to job sites he can show them his photo with hair so they will recognize him. What a chuckle he gets from doing this.
We are meeting at the house this afternoon and taking the bikes to the hospital. We hear of rain for the weekend so we want to get as much riding in as possible. When we ride we eat out. I will soon have to get another new seat --- a bigger and wider one to carry this trunk!
God is good...ALL the time! ALL the time, God is good!
Your prayers are working continuously.
Love -- Pepper
DEFINITION: (adjective) hard to capture, grasp, or understand.
Remission has been elusive for us this week. Everything seems to be in a haze. Were we dreaming of the MM? Are we dreaming of the remission now? We seem to be in a daze, just as we were when we heard the news of the cancer. Is it because it was caught at such an early stage that makes it so soon to cure?
Labs were done this morning and tonight at 7:30 the MRI will be done. This will tell us of the 27 lesions along his spine, hip and neck area. We have our hopes up that this too will give us news of the lesions disappearing. We will know the 'rest of the story' on Tuesday at the 9:00 a.m. meeting with the Big Dog.
We have an 8:00 on Monday a.m. to have another port put back in. Chemo Sabe wants it in another place, but the options are few. Under the arm or in the left juggler vein. The Big Dog even laughed and said if he wanted it in his forehead area he could probably make it happen.
It has been a busy week thus far. Chemo Sabe and I have been working. Doesn't seem quite the same working full days instead of trying to cram everything into a couple of hours and dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's.
I have not really seen Chemo Sabe since Thursday, June 26 when we had the bone marrow biopsy. I have been spending last weekend and this week with Poppy. More energy, better appetite and better resting. Doing a few more things around the house and riding the 'beast'. He laughed last night when helping me carry new cushions in for our patio chairs. Claims he can only carry up to two pounds. He flinched when I got the big stick out. It works every time.
Riding Monday evening to meet Stretch and Rainman, we enjoyed the cool night air on the way back. Just like old times. We are ready to buckle down and begin the process again.
The dome has many freckles now and there is talk of not letting the new hair grow back, but keeping the Kojak look. He has been wearing his security ID badge so when he goes to job sites he can show them his photo with hair so they will recognize him. What a chuckle he gets from doing this.
We are meeting at the house this afternoon and taking the bikes to the hospital. We hear of rain for the weekend so we want to get as much riding in as possible. When we ride we eat out. I will soon have to get another new seat --- a bigger and wider one to carry this trunk!
God is good...ALL the time! ALL the time, God is good!
Your prayers are working continuously.
Love -- Pepper
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