Recuperating
1: to get back : regain
2: to bring back into use or currency : revive
3: to regain a former state or condition ; especially : to recover health or strength
CRP today was 65. I am still not happy with it, but it is coming down. We are in the recuperating stage.
ChemoSabe didn't let me go with him to UAMS yesterday or today. He believes the sitting is too hard on me. Plus he went into the office for a little while yesterday. I guess I could catch up on house cleaning and such. I still have not sat down to pay bills. I am telling myself I will do that tomorrow evening when he does his computer work. No, I am not behind or late.
He got up at 6:30 to get ready to make his trip for his IV. When he is resting he doesn't cough as much. He has slept well the last two nights as I have been giving him my itch medication (Hydroxzine). It is helping his rash caused from the antibiotics.
I waited for him to leave this morning before I got out of bed. I knew if I got up he would think I was up to something. I didn't even comb my hair. I rushed out and soaked a bandanna with ice cold water, wrapped it around my neck and headed to the storage building for the mower. I only did the boulevard and front yard. I had weedeated excessively last week so the edges and trees weren't too shabby. It took me 45 minutes and a tank of gas. I had on a tank top and shorts. I was soaked by the time I got back to the garage. It was only 10:00 and already 93 deg.
I got a bottled water out of our little frig in the garage and sat. I recuperated and then this bottle of insect killer kept staring me in the face. I have been a little ticked off about a mole in the front that pushed up my metal shafted landscaping lights along the driveway. So, I pulled out the hose, connected the chemical and away I went. The day just got hotter.
My face turns blood red when I get out in the heat. So, I sat again and cooled off. It usually takes about 4-5 hours for the redness to go away and I really wanted to get my nails done. I had not had my two allotted cups of coffee and the pot was still on so I had them. I guess the hot liquid did the trick. My face was back to normal in about an hour. I felt safe to take a shower then. Maybe I should send that in to Heloise. Drink hot to cool off. Big E says spraying him with cold water makes him hot... He is so funny.
ChemoSabe caught up with me at W-M... He was on his way home. You are not going to believe what he wanted to do... RIDE THE BIKES. I just couldn't see it. I came on home and we had two movies left to watch. He mentioned a nap, so I felt comfortable we wouldn't be riding. I fixed us a sandwich and we started a movie.
Our new neighbor came over for about two hours. We enjoyed it. She is originally from El Salvador. I love to listen to her. ChemoSabe napped off and on while she was here.
His face is still red with rash and he looks pewny, but his attitude is better. After the movie he was craving fruit so we headed to Kroger. Ran into some of our old church buddies.
He was given some more meds for coughing. They look like Vitamin E pills. Yellow/gold jelly-like. They have helped tremendously. At least when he gets up and moves around now he is not coughing like his insides are about to erupt.
If we can just get the CRP down, I will feel better. That will be when I know he is recuperating. I know it may sound silly, but I have cried a lot the last few nights thinking this would get the best of him. I haven't wanted to really stick my head out of the house, but I needed to get out. Especially when he is at UAMS. If I stay in I will brood and he will be able to see it when he comes home. This week has been similar to my feelings last year when he was diagnosed. I look at him feeling so sick and it crushes me. I can't loose him.
Are you thinking ?????? Talk, talk, talk, talk???? I am just relieved he is so much better. He is eating a lot better, too. He promises to fix me his famous bacon in the morning and bring me breakfast in bed. I can't wait. He is pale and he still looks strained, but he is moving around more. He has cabin fever, even though he is gone a half a way to Infusion every day.
Thank you so much for listening. You have been my strength through it all. Together we will continue learning about Multiple Myeloma, caregivers and sometimes our own diagoses and medication. We WILL make it.
Good evening and Love -- Pepper.
p.s. I got a pedicure, too. I have an American flag on my big toe nails... ChemoSabe flipped over them. Especially since they are hand painted and not a sticker. It made him laugh..... That's all that counts.
Chemo Sabe
- ChemoSabe
- Benton, AR, United States
- Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma-- May 2008
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Pneumonia -- Word for the Day -- Friday, June 26, 2009
Pneumonia
A disease of the lungs characterized especially by inflammation and consolidation of lung tissue followed by resolution and by fever, chills, cough, and difficulty in breathing and that is caused especially by infection
I wish I could tell you that ChemoSabe is better, but he isn't. His CRP was at 133 on Wednesday and then came down to 50 on Thursday. He has been getting IV antibiotics every day along with Levaquin by mouth at night. I had my hopes up yesterday, but then he called from lab this morning and CRP is up to 73. They left the IV in his arm so they can give him another round of antibiotics tomorrow and Sunday.
He has a rash on his face and I am certain that is from the antibiotics. Infection causes it, too. I have seen this in other patients that stayed at our cancer houses and their end result wasn't good. I am getting worried. It has been a week.
His coughing got a lot better on Wednesday, but now when he gets up to go to the kitchen or bathroom he starts coughing so bad he bends over. It is a crackling, deep down cough. The Infusion center doesn't seem to be worried.
He has been eating good. Although, night before last all he wanted was cheese toast. He has been snacking, as well. I went to W-M today and got some more snacks and he said he has been craving a cook out...(hamburgers) So, we talked about chili dogs for supper. It is just too hot to go in and out from the deck. I will just boil the wieners.
As soon as I got home I fixed him a bologna/salami sandwich and he ate it like he was starved. I noticed a cereal bowl in the sink so that tells me he ate before I got back. For that I am thankful.
He has been asleep in the recliner since about 1:00 p.m., but he does wake up to talk to me and give me that smile.
He has done so well over the past year. I would hate for something like this to bring him down.
CelGene Corp. called today to advise they are sending his new prescription of Revlimid. That is another sort of chemo by mouth. They have been sending it free. Another one of those $3,000/mo meds. For this, we are blessed. I have been surprised they call us to let us know when it is coming. I told the young lady about him being sick all week and lo and behold, she called him on his cell and told him pneumonia wasn't in the picture... They laughed.
If you remember, in October when my mom was in hospice, these people sent ME a FedEx package and I thought it was more paperwork to fill out. It was a card of encouragement from a young lady that worked with me. She has since been transferred and now the girl that called today is just as considerate.
I have chores I need to do, like pay bills, and I just don't want to. I sit in the den with him and watch him. When he goes upstairs early to bed, then I pack things up and head up with him. I did stop by Hastings today and picked up four movies. I don't much think he will stay awake to watch them, but they are good ones.
The kids have been extra quite today as if they know he is sick. I have not let them in to our part of the house. They have been in the sunroom much of the day because of the heat. I do have a floor fan on the deck for them, but it just blows the heat. We have been putting ice in their bucket.
Well, I just wanted to give you an update. If you want to call you can, but he is generally refusing to talk to anyone. His sis called last night and he said, "Hello, here is ____". (I don't use our real names on here).
Our two little zebra finches had four eggs about two weeks ago and one hatched today. It isn't as big as my fingernail or a milk dud. He did smile and laugh about that... He is so amazed at the tininess of it.
Good evening and Love -- Pepper
A disease of the lungs characterized especially by inflammation and consolidation of lung tissue followed by resolution and by fever, chills, cough, and difficulty in breathing and that is caused especially by infection
I wish I could tell you that ChemoSabe is better, but he isn't. His CRP was at 133 on Wednesday and then came down to 50 on Thursday. He has been getting IV antibiotics every day along with Levaquin by mouth at night. I had my hopes up yesterday, but then he called from lab this morning and CRP is up to 73. They left the IV in his arm so they can give him another round of antibiotics tomorrow and Sunday.
He has a rash on his face and I am certain that is from the antibiotics. Infection causes it, too. I have seen this in other patients that stayed at our cancer houses and their end result wasn't good. I am getting worried. It has been a week.
His coughing got a lot better on Wednesday, but now when he gets up to go to the kitchen or bathroom he starts coughing so bad he bends over. It is a crackling, deep down cough. The Infusion center doesn't seem to be worried.
He has been eating good. Although, night before last all he wanted was cheese toast. He has been snacking, as well. I went to W-M today and got some more snacks and he said he has been craving a cook out...(hamburgers) So, we talked about chili dogs for supper. It is just too hot to go in and out from the deck. I will just boil the wieners.
As soon as I got home I fixed him a bologna/salami sandwich and he ate it like he was starved. I noticed a cereal bowl in the sink so that tells me he ate before I got back. For that I am thankful.
He has been asleep in the recliner since about 1:00 p.m., but he does wake up to talk to me and give me that smile.
He has done so well over the past year. I would hate for something like this to bring him down.
CelGene Corp. called today to advise they are sending his new prescription of Revlimid. That is another sort of chemo by mouth. They have been sending it free. Another one of those $3,000/mo meds. For this, we are blessed. I have been surprised they call us to let us know when it is coming. I told the young lady about him being sick all week and lo and behold, she called him on his cell and told him pneumonia wasn't in the picture... They laughed.
If you remember, in October when my mom was in hospice, these people sent ME a FedEx package and I thought it was more paperwork to fill out. It was a card of encouragement from a young lady that worked with me. She has since been transferred and now the girl that called today is just as considerate.
I have chores I need to do, like pay bills, and I just don't want to. I sit in the den with him and watch him. When he goes upstairs early to bed, then I pack things up and head up with him. I did stop by Hastings today and picked up four movies. I don't much think he will stay awake to watch them, but they are good ones.
The kids have been extra quite today as if they know he is sick. I have not let them in to our part of the house. They have been in the sunroom much of the day because of the heat. I do have a floor fan on the deck for them, but it just blows the heat. We have been putting ice in their bucket.
Well, I just wanted to give you an update. If you want to call you can, but he is generally refusing to talk to anyone. His sis called last night and he said, "Hello, here is ____". (I don't use our real names on here).
Our two little zebra finches had four eggs about two weeks ago and one hatched today. It isn't as big as my fingernail or a milk dud. He did smile and laugh about that... He is so amazed at the tininess of it.
Good evening and Love -- Pepper
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
CRP - CRP - CRP (in other words) Crap, Crap, Crap -- Word for the Day -- Tuesday, June 23,2009
Sorry for the bad mouthing, but that's what happens when you are a caregiver and worried.
If you read the post yesterday, ChemoSabe's CRP was 113 yesterday with 10 being a high range. Today, after the IV antibiotic yesterday, he was given another IV of the same and he waited for his labs. ARE YOU READY!!! If you don't like bad news, close your eyes and scroll down to the next paragraph. His CRP today is 133.....!!!!!
Infusion told him not to worry. He needed to give the antibiotics time to work. BULL CRP!!!
I looked up Staph infection and didn't like what I read. Staph leads to pneumonia, spreading of bacteria in the blood stream and possible organ failure, if not taken care of.
So, Pepper, (remember I'm called that because I can get hot!) emailed our old research nurse and told her what was going on. She emailed me back and she had contacted ChemoSabe's doctor. They decided he needed to get up there asap and be checked by a doctor. Not the one 'on call' in Infusion.
I was very proud of myself when I called him. He wasn't so happy that I interfered. Pepper emerged again! While I had been waiting for my email he had contacted the clinic and they basically told him the same thing. So two people called his doctor. They told him to come back up and his response, you ask?..... He said he had sat up there all morning and he would make plans to see them Wednesday a.m. My Pepper turned to tears.
Okay, enough of my harping. That's not why I am here.
He goes in tomorrow for a CT scan to make certain he does not have pneumonia. They will be doing another nose swab to check the extent of his infection. The kicker is, his blood counts are okay.
Well, he has been resting, he is so exhausted, but I hear him puttering around. I better go before he catches me or there will be Pepper!!! ha
I will keep you posted.
Good evening and Love -- Pepper
p.s. I made our new neighbors a pumpkin pie and took it over... They were overjoyed... That was the good part of my day!
If you read the post yesterday, ChemoSabe's CRP was 113 yesterday with 10 being a high range. Today, after the IV antibiotic yesterday, he was given another IV of the same and he waited for his labs. ARE YOU READY!!! If you don't like bad news, close your eyes and scroll down to the next paragraph. His CRP today is 133.....!!!!!
Infusion told him not to worry. He needed to give the antibiotics time to work. BULL CRP!!!
I looked up Staph infection and didn't like what I read. Staph leads to pneumonia, spreading of bacteria in the blood stream and possible organ failure, if not taken care of.
So, Pepper, (remember I'm called that because I can get hot!) emailed our old research nurse and told her what was going on. She emailed me back and she had contacted ChemoSabe's doctor. They decided he needed to get up there asap and be checked by a doctor. Not the one 'on call' in Infusion.
I was very proud of myself when I called him. He wasn't so happy that I interfered. Pepper emerged again! While I had been waiting for my email he had contacted the clinic and they basically told him the same thing. So two people called his doctor. They told him to come back up and his response, you ask?..... He said he had sat up there all morning and he would make plans to see them Wednesday a.m. My Pepper turned to tears.
Okay, enough of my harping. That's not why I am here.
He goes in tomorrow for a CT scan to make certain he does not have pneumonia. They will be doing another nose swab to check the extent of his infection. The kicker is, his blood counts are okay.
Well, he has been resting, he is so exhausted, but I hear him puttering around. I better go before he catches me or there will be Pepper!!! ha
I will keep you posted.
Good evening and Love -- Pepper
p.s. I made our new neighbors a pumpkin pie and took it over... They were overjoyed... That was the good part of my day!
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