It's been a little over a week since my first Doxil treatment and my side effects have been minimal. I had a couple of days where I just felt like sleeping but they were also hot with high pollen counts so I'm not sure what caused the tiredness. My guess would be that it was a combination of all three. I'm definitely more sensitive to temperature than before and more prone to sunburn so I'll have to be extra careful this summer.
If that's as bad as it gets, I'll be thrilled.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Doxil chemo #1
Today was my first dose of Doxil. It only takes about 2 hours vs 5 hours for Carbo/Taxol. So far, I don't have any side effects. We'll see how the next few days are.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
2nd round of chemo
I'll be starting the Doxil chemo on May 2. I don't have a full schedule yet but my oncologist said it would be once every 28 days for 6-8 treatments.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
More updates
I know I haven't been keeping this updated like I should, but it's a rough couple of months.
My husband passed away on February 26. Please don't ask me to talk about it. It's just too painful right now. I've had to give up our apartment because I couldn't afford it and even if I could've, I couldn't handle being there anymore.
I found that not only did the tumor not shrink on the Carbo/Taxol, it actually grew! My oncologist had some tests done on samples from my tumor. It's what's called platinum resistant. He was thinking about starting me on Doxil, so I had to have an echocardiogram to make sure that my heart is healthy. Thankfully it is. My oncologist and I talked about it and decided that we'd try Doxil next. There were other options, but the side effects were more severe. I'm waiting for my new schedule. All I know is it will be once every 28 days for 6-8 cycles with weekly blood tests.
My husband passed away on February 26. Please don't ask me to talk about it. It's just too painful right now. I've had to give up our apartment because I couldn't afford it and even if I could've, I couldn't handle being there anymore.
I found that not only did the tumor not shrink on the Carbo/Taxol, it actually grew! My oncologist had some tests done on samples from my tumor. It's what's called platinum resistant. He was thinking about starting me on Doxil, so I had to have an echocardiogram to make sure that my heart is healthy. Thankfully it is. My oncologist and I talked about it and decided that we'd try Doxil next. There were other options, but the side effects were more severe. I'm waiting for my new schedule. All I know is it will be once every 28 days for 6-8 cycles with weekly blood tests.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
ER follow up
I went back to the ER per instructions to get my finger rechecked. They said it looks better and to keep soaking it and taking the antibiotics. I was in and out in about a half hour.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Paronychia
That's the medical term for an infection near a fingernail or toenail. I'm suppose to soak it several times a day in hot water and Epsom salt. They also gave me Keflex. I'm so glad to be back home.
Infected hangnail
I had a hangnail that tore and is now infected with a red line going to my wrist. I called my oncologist who told me to call my primary. She told me to come to the ER for IV antibiotics because she wasn't sure oral antibiotics would work because of the chemo. So I'm waiting to be called back.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Last chemo
I know I haven't been posted much, but I get tired of posting about the side effects all the time. Anyway, today was the last chemo. I have labs in 2 weeks & Dr. Ryu the week after that. I'm guessing that he will want more tests. Fun, fun
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Kudos to the purse holders
I didn't write this. I found it on a Facebook group called Sisterhood of Ovarian Cancer Survivors. My purse holder is an absolute Godsend.
KUDOS TO THE PURSE HOLDERS!
You know they are there-we see them everywhere in our CANCER WORLD. They are the spouses and partners who sometimes smile back as we pass from waiting rooms to treatment areas. They are our silent soldier sentinels in this uninvited often terrifying life of ovarian cancer treatment.
Like ourselves, they are bewildered and often stunned at immersion into CANCER WORLD. They spend days and hours offering support, drinking lousy cafeteria coffee, watching their own lives also tick by. Some of them find purpose taking notes, making sure appointments are confirmed, doing additional research. They also help us shuffle along to the car, adjust our seats, make sure we are well supplied with alkaline water, etc.
My own purse holder has been snatched from the dreams of bucket list retirement adventures to having his whole world defined by the course of my disease. He too suffers in CANCER WORLD. The retirement adventures he dreamed of have been squelched or at least shelved.
Instead, while purse holding, he has muscled through the 3000 pages of THE LAST LION—fittingly about Churchill’s “never, never, never give up” spirit. He has engaged in numerous open discussions about the end of my life—at least I get to decide on where, right?
For both of us, the gut punches would take a thousand purses to fill. He is right there with me as we talk with our children, friends, relatives—and carries the stress in the noblest of ways.
Like many men, my purse holder is a deep and quiet ponderer as opposed to my constant chatter and processing. The disease’s silent shadow is always there as he stoically carries on.
Purse holders are everywhere. Just yesterday I watched one down on his knees next to his wife’s chemo infusion chair. When I commented “you sure know how to display love”, this large man thanked me as tears ran down his face.
Just think of all the things our purse holders do!? They take notes, change bandages, give injections, keep water bottles filled, try to cook, HOLD HANDS, HUG, and support us as both our hearts break. They also manage visitors, share updates and try to keep their own sanity grounded.
Getting to share joy, sunsets, jokes fill up our purse holders as much as ourselves. We try to focus on the AWESOME WORLD Mother Nature keeps providing: clouds, birds, water - all refill our often numb spirits. Seeking out large vistas also seems to help.
Above all, my purse holder has earned sainthood for his implacable tolerance of my moods. This disease sure can rip my “natural charm” to shreds. Often I fly from joy to deep angst within one minute. “Living for the moment” seems great, though I suspect only dogs truly practice this. Yet, my purse holder shoulders us through it.
Who knew we would be lucky enough to have purse holders willing to journey along with us? These guys deserve so much more than a cold beer and hug. My “kudos” to my own purse holder is for how gently he supports my baffling diseased life. You say?
KUDOS TO THE PURSE HOLDERS!
You know they are there-we see them everywhere in our CANCER WORLD. They are the spouses and partners who sometimes smile back as we pass from waiting rooms to treatment areas. They are our silent soldier sentinels in this uninvited often terrifying life of ovarian cancer treatment.
Like ourselves, they are bewildered and often stunned at immersion into CANCER WORLD. They spend days and hours offering support, drinking lousy cafeteria coffee, watching their own lives also tick by. Some of them find purpose taking notes, making sure appointments are confirmed, doing additional research. They also help us shuffle along to the car, adjust our seats, make sure we are well supplied with alkaline water, etc.
My own purse holder has been snatched from the dreams of bucket list retirement adventures to having his whole world defined by the course of my disease. He too suffers in CANCER WORLD. The retirement adventures he dreamed of have been squelched or at least shelved.
Instead, while purse holding, he has muscled through the 3000 pages of THE LAST LION—fittingly about Churchill’s “never, never, never give up” spirit. He has engaged in numerous open discussions about the end of my life—at least I get to decide on where, right?
For both of us, the gut punches would take a thousand purses to fill. He is right there with me as we talk with our children, friends, relatives—and carries the stress in the noblest of ways.
Like many men, my purse holder is a deep and quiet ponderer as opposed to my constant chatter and processing. The disease’s silent shadow is always there as he stoically carries on.
Purse holders are everywhere. Just yesterday I watched one down on his knees next to his wife’s chemo infusion chair. When I commented “you sure know how to display love”, this large man thanked me as tears ran down his face.
Just think of all the things our purse holders do!? They take notes, change bandages, give injections, keep water bottles filled, try to cook, HOLD HANDS, HUG, and support us as both our hearts break. They also manage visitors, share updates and try to keep their own sanity grounded.
Getting to share joy, sunsets, jokes fill up our purse holders as much as ourselves. We try to focus on the AWESOME WORLD Mother Nature keeps providing: clouds, birds, water - all refill our often numb spirits. Seeking out large vistas also seems to help.
Above all, my purse holder has earned sainthood for his implacable tolerance of my moods. This disease sure can rip my “natural charm” to shreds. Often I fly from joy to deep angst within one minute. “Living for the moment” seems great, though I suspect only dogs truly practice this. Yet, my purse holder shoulders us through it.
Who knew we would be lucky enough to have purse holders willing to journey along with us? These guys deserve so much more than a cold beer and hug. My “kudos” to my own purse holder is for how gently he supports my baffling diseased life. You say?
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Genetic testing
I got my genetic testing (including BRCA) done today. It'll be 2-4 weeks for the results.
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