The end of January was not pleasant. Georgie and I had picked up the wandering crud. Both of us had terrible coughs with fever and I had a sinus thing going on as well. The Doctors wanted to do surgery on January 31 to excise more tissue from the tumor sight and remove my ovaries, but I didn't feel like it was a good idea to do surgery when I felt so terrible. I called to cancel the surgery and then received a call from my surgeon. He didn't want to wait on the surgery. He felt that the urgency to get that extra skin and tissue removed was more serious than the possibility of pneumonia. So we went ahead with the surgery as planned.
The surgery was suppose to be about two hours but turned in to six. When he removed my left ovary and tube the side of my uterus took exception and began to bleed. He had to get in there with stitches to get it stopped. So because I had lost so much blood they made me stay in the hospital over night. They felt that I was doing pretty well by that evening and sent me home.
We came back to Vernal rather than me staying with my family. My mom is sick with a terrible cold and everyone else works so there wouldn't be anyone to help take care of me and George anyway so we came home. Geo had to work the next day so my daughter Miquel took George and I slept the day away in my chair.
The next morning about 3:00 am I started having a terrible pain when I breathed deeply. So I stopped breathing deeply but then I was not getting enough oxygen. I was getting worse by the hour. Geo got up about 8:00 am and checked on me. He was freaked out. I didn't think it was anything but a bubble from the ooferectomy(they fill the abdominal cavity with air so they can see what they are doing) but he was insistent that we go to a doctor. I called the surgeons office to see what they thought and the nurse said "YOU GO TO THE ER" So we got a sitter for George and went to Roosevelt ER.
After many tests and several tries to get an IV going they told us they thought I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). They wanted to get me going on blood thinners and possibly a transfusion, because my hermaticrit was at 24, normal is 36. No wonder they couldn't get an IV going I didn't have enough blood in my veins to even find them. Plus every time someone came into the room they were taking more blood (or so it seemed).
I was admitted to the hospital about 5:00 pm. The med/surg doc came to see me after he had studied all the tests and talked with a few of my doctors. He said that he had looked at the films of my lungs and while there were areas of collapsed lung he didn't feel that it was a PE. But he was really concerned that I hadn't had a bowel movement since before surgery, so four days. So he had the nurse do whatever it took to get me going in three hours and changed my diet to clear liquids. It didn't take that long only about 30 min. and I never stopped going for the duration of my stay there.
By the next day I still didn't feel any different than when they had admitted me. I was still in pain and couldn't breathe and was incredibly weak. They came in and gave me a transfusion at about 1:00 pm and when they were done I felt much better. Still in pain and breathless but not so weak. But the pain was only if I moved and the doc felt that it was post op pain rather than the PE. Especially since the pain was on the opposite side of the questionable PE.
We had another CT scan of my lungs a week after all of this. The doc called this morning and said that he didn't see any clots but there is still spots of collapsed lung or not aerating lung and fluid around my lungs. He wants me to have another x-ray in two weeks to make sure it is not getting worse. We also went to a post op visit with my surgeon the same day. He said the tests had all come back negative for cancer and so they feel pretty confident that they got what they needed.
I am feeling much better everyday. At times I still feel short of breathe but for the most part I am not in pain. Haven't taken a pain pill in more than a week. I am getting my hair back, even my eye lashes are coming in thick. I wish that the hair on my legs and pits where not growing again but alas I think they grow faster than any other hair on my body.
We have been really blessed in that when we have needed something there has been someone to help. It is amazing to me that the Lord is so mindful of our every need and provides the needed help exactly when it is needed. Thank you to all you angels out there that do the Lords work lovingly and quietly.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Bi-Lateral Mastectomy
On January 4, 2011, I went to surgery for a bi-lateral mastectomy with sentinel node dissection and reconstruction. The surgery took seven or eight hours, I don't remember which. I was suppose to stay over night and then go home the next day, but the doctors decided that I should stay another day. I actually stayed two more days for a total of four days in the hospital. Most of my stay I was in a drug induced sleep.
My family talked me into staying at my brothers while Geo worked for a week. That way they could take care of Georgie and I could rest. The first day home was a Saturday, so Leonard was with me most of the day. He made sure I ate a couple of times that day but I was asleep for the better part of the day. That night I tried to sleep in the bed but repeatedly awoke with a head ache, racing heart and heaving breathing. I realized that I was going so sound to sleep that I would stop breathing. So I went down to the easy chair.
By Sunday I was ready to get up and fix my own meals. Mom had taken Georgie to church and a family get together, so I didn't have to worry about him. That night I tried to sleep in the bed with Georgie again but this time I had the weirdest dream. At first I just saw really bright rays of light, then there was a lady that I recognized but didn't not call by name, she was really beautiful and kind of a golden color. I asked her what was going on and she said its OK but its nothing like what you have been told your whole life. Then I was in a truck and was watching the clean up of a horrible accident where a horse trailer had been mangled. They were using a back hoe to pull a horse out of a ditch. I awoke standing next to the bed, with a terrible headache, racing pulse and breathing heavily. I am not sure what got me out of bed but it probably saved my life. I didn't try to sleep in the bed again.
On Monday I was suppose to call the plastic surgeon, I wasn't sure why, he had just left instructions for me to call. The receptionist told me that I was to or have someone with me remove the pain pump from my chest. Since no one was home, I got to pull two tubes 18" in length from my chest. They wound around where each breasts had been. It hurt a little doing it but the rest of the day was intense pain and I am so very grateful for modern drugs.
I went to see the surgeon on Wednesday. He had gotten the pathology report back. He spent several minutes explaining to me that they had a hard time finding where the tumor had been and how they had to get radiology to find where the markers where so they could then dissect that section to see if they could find any cancer cells. At this point I could tell that he was trying to tell me something but wasn't sure why he was so upset. Then he said that they found scattered cells on the anterior margin. He was going to present it to the tumor board and he wanted me to see the radiologist and the plastic surgeon before the tumor board the following Wednesday.
I went to see the radiologist, who said that radiation would only kill microscopic cells and that these cells were too large to be effected by the radiation. He suggested that they remove the skin. The plastic surgeon felt that I am so "redundant" that there would be no need for skin grafts. I am guessing that redundant means that I was huge and have plenty of skin. So I go back to surgery at the end of the month to have 5 cm up my chest removed.
I came home after my meeting with the plastic surgeon on Tuesday, January 18,. I am getting around really well. I can even drive. I rarely take the pain meds now. If I do it is at night when I have less energy to fight the pain and Georgie. I have several exercises to do everyday to get the mobility back in my arms. I still have drains in each breast area. I think they are planning on leaving them til the next surgery and then they will remove the right one and reset the left one, which is not draining very well. I do not miss those huge boobs, but I am really tired of been in pain. For the most part, I think things are going great.
My family talked me into staying at my brothers while Geo worked for a week. That way they could take care of Georgie and I could rest. The first day home was a Saturday, so Leonard was with me most of the day. He made sure I ate a couple of times that day but I was asleep for the better part of the day. That night I tried to sleep in the bed but repeatedly awoke with a head ache, racing heart and heaving breathing. I realized that I was going so sound to sleep that I would stop breathing. So I went down to the easy chair.
By Sunday I was ready to get up and fix my own meals. Mom had taken Georgie to church and a family get together, so I didn't have to worry about him. That night I tried to sleep in the bed with Georgie again but this time I had the weirdest dream. At first I just saw really bright rays of light, then there was a lady that I recognized but didn't not call by name, she was really beautiful and kind of a golden color. I asked her what was going on and she said its OK but its nothing like what you have been told your whole life. Then I was in a truck and was watching the clean up of a horrible accident where a horse trailer had been mangled. They were using a back hoe to pull a horse out of a ditch. I awoke standing next to the bed, with a terrible headache, racing pulse and breathing heavily. I am not sure what got me out of bed but it probably saved my life. I didn't try to sleep in the bed again.
On Monday I was suppose to call the plastic surgeon, I wasn't sure why, he had just left instructions for me to call. The receptionist told me that I was to or have someone with me remove the pain pump from my chest. Since no one was home, I got to pull two tubes 18" in length from my chest. They wound around where each breasts had been. It hurt a little doing it but the rest of the day was intense pain and I am so very grateful for modern drugs.
I went to see the surgeon on Wednesday. He had gotten the pathology report back. He spent several minutes explaining to me that they had a hard time finding where the tumor had been and how they had to get radiology to find where the markers where so they could then dissect that section to see if they could find any cancer cells. At this point I could tell that he was trying to tell me something but wasn't sure why he was so upset. Then he said that they found scattered cells on the anterior margin. He was going to present it to the tumor board and he wanted me to see the radiologist and the plastic surgeon before the tumor board the following Wednesday.
I went to see the radiologist, who said that radiation would only kill microscopic cells and that these cells were too large to be effected by the radiation. He suggested that they remove the skin. The plastic surgeon felt that I am so "redundant" that there would be no need for skin grafts. I am guessing that redundant means that I was huge and have plenty of skin. So I go back to surgery at the end of the month to have 5 cm up my chest removed.
I came home after my meeting with the plastic surgeon on Tuesday, January 18,. I am getting around really well. I can even drive. I rarely take the pain meds now. If I do it is at night when I have less energy to fight the pain and Georgie. I have several exercises to do everyday to get the mobility back in my arms. I still have drains in each breast area. I think they are planning on leaving them til the next surgery and then they will remove the right one and reset the left one, which is not draining very well. I do not miss those huge boobs, but I am really tired of been in pain. For the most part, I think things are going great.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The tumor is gone.
I had an MRI on November 30, 2010. They were not able to find the tumor. Yea!!!!!. My oncologist called to give me the results and I could tell she was excited. She said that this rarely happens that a patient responds so well to chemotherapy.
We saw the surgeon the next day and he gave me three options for surgery. 1. do a lumpectomy, remove the lymph nodes and do the oophorectomy (remove the ovaries). 2. do a mastectomy of the effected breast with reconstruction and lymph nodes, the oophorectomy will have to wait (too long on the table). 3. do a bi-lateral mastectomy with reconstruction and lymph nodes, again no oophorectomy. Big decision to make.
Geo thinks the lumpectomy is enough. I am leaning towards the bi-lateral mastectomy. I am afraid of the cancer coming back and being lopsided (yes, I am vain).
Last week I met with the radiologist. I will be having radiation five days a week for seven weeks. It will take about 30 min from start to finish and most of that time is setting up the machine and getting me positioned under it. I am suppose to go see him three weeks after my surgery. Then he will decide how soon to start the treatments.
I feel great. I am a bit tired some days but for the most part I am peachy. We are on the green smoothies. Geo is drinking them also, his blood pressure is through the roof and he doesn't want to take medication for it. So he is trying the smoothies to see if it will bring it down without medicine.
We are all set for Christmas other than I need to wrap presents. For some reason I always leave that til the last minute. I think I better get it done though in case they schedule my surgery for right before Christmas. But I guess they can't schedule it unless I tell them what I want to do. What to do, what to do.
Thank you so much for all of your prayer and good thoughts. I often wonder how all of this would have turned out if not for the prayers, blessings and inspiration to myself and others. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. My burden has truly been lightened and like Alma, I can do all things in the strength of my God(Alma 26:12).
Thanks everybody, Merry Christmas.
We saw the surgeon the next day and he gave me three options for surgery. 1. do a lumpectomy, remove the lymph nodes and do the oophorectomy (remove the ovaries). 2. do a mastectomy of the effected breast with reconstruction and lymph nodes, the oophorectomy will have to wait (too long on the table). 3. do a bi-lateral mastectomy with reconstruction and lymph nodes, again no oophorectomy. Big decision to make.
Geo thinks the lumpectomy is enough. I am leaning towards the bi-lateral mastectomy. I am afraid of the cancer coming back and being lopsided (yes, I am vain).
Last week I met with the radiologist. I will be having radiation five days a week for seven weeks. It will take about 30 min from start to finish and most of that time is setting up the machine and getting me positioned under it. I am suppose to go see him three weeks after my surgery. Then he will decide how soon to start the treatments.
I feel great. I am a bit tired some days but for the most part I am peachy. We are on the green smoothies. Geo is drinking them also, his blood pressure is through the roof and he doesn't want to take medication for it. So he is trying the smoothies to see if it will bring it down without medicine.
We are all set for Christmas other than I need to wrap presents. For some reason I always leave that til the last minute. I think I better get it done though in case they schedule my surgery for right before Christmas. But I guess they can't schedule it unless I tell them what I want to do. What to do, what to do.
Thank you so much for all of your prayer and good thoughts. I often wonder how all of this would have turned out if not for the prayers, blessings and inspiration to myself and others. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. My burden has truly been lightened and like Alma, I can do all things in the strength of my God(Alma 26:12).
Thanks everybody, Merry Christmas.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Catching up.
It is easier to stay up to date than to catch up, but I haven't been up to it.
The fourth treatment went about as well as the others but there was no way I was choking down a green smoothie. Just the smell made me gag. What I craved and had to have was chocolate pie and prime rib. I indulge in those terribly unhealthy foods. They didn't even taste good because my taste was gone. By the end of that cycle I was able to start drinking the smoothies again, just to start over with another treatment.
This treatment I have been drinking fruit smoothies made with plain yogurt with several pro-biotics in it and all the fruit I froze for my green smoothies. I cut up all the veggies including the kale into a soup which even though my taste buds where screwed up tasted pretty good. After having the soup my taste had pretty much cleared up. So the kale must have been able to do the job even in a soup.
I think the most frustrating thing that has happened is the loss of my eye sight. I have always had better than normal vision. My children and I would have contests when we drove to see who could see the road signs first. I always won by a long way. Eagle eyes, that was me. After the fourth treatment I tried to thread a needle and could not do it. I immediately went to see the eye doctor. I need reading glasses 1.25 magnification on the right eye and 1.50 on the left. He says my vision is normal for distances. I am not sure how they can call that normal. I feel like my whole world is fuzzy. I am hoping that when this is all over some of my vision will return. I am aware that I am wishful thinking but I can dream.
Anyway, I go in for my last chemo treatment in a week. I will be staying with mom afterwards. Then will come the surgery and radiation. We will decide when all that will start and in which order after the MRI which will happen a week after the treatment. I guess I will be staying with mom for a while. Not exactly the way I want to spend the holidays but I am grateful to have my mom, her love and help in invaluable to me.
The fourth treatment went about as well as the others but there was no way I was choking down a green smoothie. Just the smell made me gag. What I craved and had to have was chocolate pie and prime rib. I indulge in those terribly unhealthy foods. They didn't even taste good because my taste was gone. By the end of that cycle I was able to start drinking the smoothies again, just to start over with another treatment.
This treatment I have been drinking fruit smoothies made with plain yogurt with several pro-biotics in it and all the fruit I froze for my green smoothies. I cut up all the veggies including the kale into a soup which even though my taste buds where screwed up tasted pretty good. After having the soup my taste had pretty much cleared up. So the kale must have been able to do the job even in a soup.
I think the most frustrating thing that has happened is the loss of my eye sight. I have always had better than normal vision. My children and I would have contests when we drove to see who could see the road signs first. I always won by a long way. Eagle eyes, that was me. After the fourth treatment I tried to thread a needle and could not do it. I immediately went to see the eye doctor. I need reading glasses 1.25 magnification on the right eye and 1.50 on the left. He says my vision is normal for distances. I am not sure how they can call that normal. I feel like my whole world is fuzzy. I am hoping that when this is all over some of my vision will return. I am aware that I am wishful thinking but I can dream.
Anyway, I go in for my last chemo treatment in a week. I will be staying with mom afterwards. Then will come the surgery and radiation. We will decide when all that will start and in which order after the MRI which will happen a week after the treatment. I guess I will be staying with mom for a while. Not exactly the way I want to spend the holidays but I am grateful to have my mom, her love and help in invaluable to me.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Enzymes and Probiotics
With this last treatment, I was also taking an antibiotic. The result: not being able to digest my food. I bloated up like an Ethiopian malnourished child. At first I didn't realize what was going on. I was just getting more and more uncomfortable. I had terrible gas and diarrhea, but it was of undigested food. Really gross. When I was finally able to get out an about I went to Wal-mart and bought the only bottle of digestive enzymes I could find. Luckily it also included pro biotics. I took 3 doses that day and was feeling better with in 30 min of the first dose. Since then I have been taking at least one dose a day and trying to get more raw veggies. Raw Veggies are full of naturally occurring enzymes that break down our food.
I have also started eating plain yogurt. I have a pink smoothie most every day in addition to my green smoothie. I put strawberries and banana with the plain yogurt, a little agave, and wah la, tasty snack with probiotics for my digestive track.
One more thing I have started is sour dough bread. Again naturally occurring critters. I haven't had a very good loaf of bread yet. Our house is way too cold. I have an idea tho for the next batch. I will let you know how it turns out.
I have also started eating plain yogurt. I have a pink smoothie most every day in addition to my green smoothie. I put strawberries and banana with the plain yogurt, a little agave, and wah la, tasty snack with probiotics for my digestive track.
One more thing I have started is sour dough bread. Again naturally occurring critters. I haven't had a very good loaf of bread yet. Our house is way too cold. I have an idea tho for the next batch. I will let you know how it turns out.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Third treatment results
I have good news. The tumor has shrunk. The Doc had a hard time finding it. I was so excited to know that it wasn't just my imagination. When we started all this, all I had to do was put my hand on my breast and the tumor would fill my palm, now I have to dig for it. Cool huh.
I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping. So when they gave me the Benydryl it made me groggy but I didn't go to sleep. So for the first time I was able to feel the chemo course though my veins. It felt like pressure and slight burning. I felt it first in my liver then across to my pancreas and gallbladder, to my stomach through my intestines, down my legs and my arms. Very interesting feeling.
I feel great today. I think the steroids are giving me the energy, or maybe the green smoothies are the trick. The Doc was all for the smoothies and said that the chemo does all that it will do in the first three hours. So I waited three hours and had another smoothie. Then when we got home my Blendtec was here and I had to try it out so I had another smoothie before bed.
When I was done with treatment I called mom to come and get me, at that time she told me that George had been throwing up and had a high fever. Miquel was going to watch George for my while I went to treatment but Attisyn had the flu and we didn't want George to get it. Too late. Atti only threw up a couple of time, George puked up his toes several times and his fever reached 103 degrees from him arm pit so I am sure it was really higher than that but I didn't want to traumatise him anymore by putting a thermometer up his butt. He is feeling much better today. He doesn't really want to eat but he is drinking almond milk and water. Can't get Pedialite down him.
More good news the scoma in my arm pit where they removed the sentinel nodes has finally started to go down. I started taking an antibiotic a couple of days ago. The redness and tenderness are less and the the lump is much smaller. yea.
I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping. So when they gave me the Benydryl it made me groggy but I didn't go to sleep. So for the first time I was able to feel the chemo course though my veins. It felt like pressure and slight burning. I felt it first in my liver then across to my pancreas and gallbladder, to my stomach through my intestines, down my legs and my arms. Very interesting feeling.
I feel great today. I think the steroids are giving me the energy, or maybe the green smoothies are the trick. The Doc was all for the smoothies and said that the chemo does all that it will do in the first three hours. So I waited three hours and had another smoothie. Then when we got home my Blendtec was here and I had to try it out so I had another smoothie before bed.
When I was done with treatment I called mom to come and get me, at that time she told me that George had been throwing up and had a high fever. Miquel was going to watch George for my while I went to treatment but Attisyn had the flu and we didn't want George to get it. Too late. Atti only threw up a couple of time, George puked up his toes several times and his fever reached 103 degrees from him arm pit so I am sure it was really higher than that but I didn't want to traumatise him anymore by putting a thermometer up his butt. He is feeling much better today. He doesn't really want to eat but he is drinking almond milk and water. Can't get Pedialite down him.
More good news the scoma in my arm pit where they removed the sentinel nodes has finally started to go down. I started taking an antibiotic a couple of days ago. The redness and tenderness are less and the the lump is much smaller. yea.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Third treatment
My friend Kathy will be taking me to my third treatment tomorrow. Geo has to work. But then he will have 4 days off so he will be able to take care of me and George. I am so excited to be able to stay home this time. Miquel was going to watch George for me but Atti and Cougan are sick so we will take him with us; mom will care for him.
I forgot to get my steroids til this morning, so I was late taking the first dose. But I got it before lunch so I am guessing that I am OK. Again the steroids made water taste like chlorine and I have a very scratchy voice, almost horse.
I wonder if this treatment will finish off my hair. I have never lost all of it. I shaved it off last time thinking is would all fall out and then I wouldn't have the mess. All that did was give me really bad razor burn and lots of ingrown hairs all over my head. Not pleasant or pretty. My hair grew about an eighth of an inch in two weeks, some very fine blond hair is a quarter of an inch. Anyone know if this is normal?
Geo and I spent the last week in Winnemucca NV. We took Georgie to see his grampa Gibb and Lisa. We had a great time. Georgie loves his gampa. They had a great time playing. Gibb took us on a tour of the city and then to see old abandoned silver and gold mines. It was really interesting. He showed us a hoist with a really deep hole under it. It had been caved in so we couldn't go investigate further (thankfully). I was worried that Geo and Gibb might get to adventurous and try to get into one of them but rationality prevailed and we all returned home safely.
Another high lite of the weekend was being invited to Zachary's Patriarchal blessing. It was really special to be there and participate in the spirit that was there. I knew Zach was a special person but it was fantastic to have it manifest in a blessing from Jesus Christ thru the Patriarch.
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