I am officially 3 rounds down in my 6 rounds of chemotherapy. This new nausea medication worked surprisingly well and allowed for me to function on Friday and Saturday without being completely confined to bed. I will admit that I still had my nausea episodes, but I felt that they were better controlled this time around and I was able to run errands on Saturday and work on Friday this time. This is very comforting because I wasn't sure what to think about the medication since I only take it on day 1-3 of chemo and my nausea doesn't usually become an issue until day 4.
I am due for a 3 month MRI at the end of next week (First of April). My neurosurgeon hopes this next MRI provides a little more information on the progress of my healing. I am feeling better, so I am hoping that the MRI reflects that healing as well, but I am cautious because I am still undergoing chemotherapy and I have had several oncologists mention that radiation/chemotherapy can cause areas of increased signal intensity on imaging. I almost expect there to be continued signal intensity in the area of my right frontal lobe until Chemotherapy is complete and I have gone several months without any toxins in my body. I also have enough medical knowledge to know that MRI's are not always an accurate tool and it is challenging to rely on them as the sole diagnostic indicator. Clinical correlation is equally relevant and as someone who feels to be improving, I am not sure that my imaging can truly reflect the improvements I have made over the past few months.
I have been spending time on the weekends and afternoons (when it isn't blowing dust) working in the garden and flower beds. We have planted bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic in pots outside and then have our hydroponic garden indoors. The hydroponic garden is overflowing with dill, basil, mint, chives, cilantro and several other herbs for cooking. We are likely going to plant some tomatoes in our large pots and then maybe we can grow a few more veggies in pots this year. I plan to hang some from the patio and so I am excited to see how it turns out. The peach tree continues to do well. It has begun flowering (which also puts it at risk). It is typical for us to get a late season freeze, so we will have to take preparedness actions to keep the tree alive if it does freeze again. I am hoping not because last year the tree bore peaches and we'd like for that to be the case this year as well. I almost regret living so close to cotton farmers because they make it very challenging to keep any vegetation alive when they spray their pesticides. It is the reason we decided not to put in a bee box and harvest our own honey. Our neighbor mentioned that the cotton farmers are liable if any vegetation is killed off as the result of their sprays, so we have been looking and trying to research into what to look for when the plants die. Out of all the plants we put in last year, 3 of our Indian Hawthorne bushes died, but the rest of our plants seem to be doing well. The dessert willows are late season bloomers so I don't expect to see much from them until closer to summer.
I have been doing Yoga once a week with an instructor, Lindsay Kerr (who is fabulous by the way). I have to admit that at first I was a little skeptical on what to think because I've tried yoga before and never saw any long term success with it (I think I never had much of an open mind to begin with). Turns out, I was wrong :). The most amazing aspect of yoga workouts for me is the fact that I can achieve that same "runner's high" utilizing yoga techniques as I do when I'm running, and that has been something I have been desperately craving for the past 3 months. It is a mentally and physically challenging program that also provides the same stress relief feelings that I get when I run. This has been huge for me. So much so that I had an epiphany with it awhile back. My ultimate goal is to return to running, because that is what I enjoy doing more than anything. I do however, feel a sense of relief because if for some reason I am never able to return to running, I can continue with yoga and get the same benefits. It is like when you have a craving for a food, that can only be satisfied by eating the food; this is how I feel about running and now, thankfully, yoga. This has brought me piece of mind that I have not had for some time. I was almost confident that there was no other way to experience that same "runner's high" in any other sport or exercise; but I have been proven wrong. I will make time in my schedule from here on out to do yoga as regularly as I can.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
A life changed
I returned to my oncologist's office today for my monthly follow up and received some encouraging news. I have completed 2 rounds of chemotherapy and start my 3rd round next week. The nausea that I experience day 3/4-6 is often extreme and prevents me from being able to get out of bed and do much. I assumed that this was just going to be an unfortunate side effect of the treatment because none of the nausea prescriptions have worked well for me so far; but Dr. Radhi insisted that we get the nausea under better control because I shouldn't have to be miserable in bed all day.
We tried phenegren (I can't handle it). Then we tried compazine (I had severe anxiety as a side effect and refuse to take it again. Then we tried marinol, which did absolutely nothing but make me hungry. Now we are going to try a combination of zofran and aprepitant. The aprepitant works by blocking substance P from the brain so it is a way to prevent nausea (not stop nausea that already exists). The plan is I take my zofran in combination with the aprepitant and it will hopefully prevent me from experiencing extreme nausea. I spoke with a friend who also happens to be an oncology nurse and she mentioned that they have been having good success with it. Side effects are minimal and I'm all for that. Prayers that maybe this round will be a little easier.
I do have to have weekly blood draws now because my platelet levels were a little low, but nothing that was concerning or requires us to stop treatment. I'm very happy to know that Dr. Rahdi thinks we can get my nausea under control so that I can function and work during the week and feel I'm in great hands.
I continue to feel better and have more energy each day, so I am very happy to continue to feel like I'm on still on the road to recovery. Baby steps are starting to feel like toddler steps and I think we've found a good balance on my seizure meds (for now) to help me get through the day without significant visual disturbances. I was able to assist with the Guns Up Volleyball Club Texas Tumbleweed Tournament this past weekend and I was amazed at my ability to do more than I honestly expected that I would have been able to.
Now, I have to vent some frustration (not because I am angry with anyone, but because I am angry at a situation). To my conservative friends, I will warn you in advance, that you will not agree with my opinions that I am presenting. I urge you to keep an open mind and hope that you will read this anyway as it is always important to weigh both sides when forming your own opinions (many of you may not realize this, but I read through your thoughts thoroughly and consider your ideas before I comment on your posts because I respect you as an individual and more importantly as my FRIEND). I would never stop being your friend just because we share differing opinions on many subjects. I have taught myself to enter into debate with removed emotions, because otherwise there is no such thing as a constructive discussion and I want to be challenged, not belittled. It is a tough thing to do because it is easier to respond with emotion than it is with rationality at times.
I recently read a blog article that came across my newsfeed on the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare" as so many people in my area choose to call it. It listed statistics recently released by an independent research company providing information that over 9 million Americans have signed up for healthcare since the implementation of the ACA. I then made the mistake of scrolling down to read the comments at the end of the article (I did not know these people, but they made some comments that struck a note with me). One comment in particular made a lengthy argument about how they had lost their health insurance because of the implementation of the ACA and had to switch to a plan that included increased premiums and deductibles and higher monthly payments for their family to be covered. While I recognize that this is an unfortunate downside of some of the aspects of the ACA, I was taken aback because this family still had the opportunity to afford to purchase insurance and as someone who has seen and experienced some of the unfortunate aspects of insurance with cancer treatment, I felt they were blowing the situation way out of context. They made the comment that it was incredibly UNFAIR that this happened to them.
Here is the thing....yes, you have to pay more, yes your premiums increased, yes it is unfair, but it could be WORSE. The fact of the matter is that out of all the people who lost insurance coverage from the ACA, it accounts for less than 1% of total insured coverage in the United States. That is not even statistically significant, not to mention that these folks still had the ability to receive insurance from another company.
I know that many of my friends have lost their coverage as a result of the ACA as it had a bigger impact on those who purchased private insurance plans than those who work for a larger business and had an employer based plan. While I sympathize for you, I do not empathize for you and here is why.
Prior to the ACA, at some point I would likely be dropped from my insurance plan because I "cost too much" to insure. As someone who now qualifies as having a pre-existing and chronic condition, I would not have been able to get health insurance after that, which means my cancer treatments would soon become out of pocket expenses. Trust me when I say, that is not cheap. To discriminate against someone because of illness is an atrocity I cannot put into words and I have had patient's in the past who have gone through this very thing. While I will thankfully never have to experience this thanks to recent changes in healthcare law, it gives me an understanding on the issue that many don't take into account. These patient's have been forced into the indigent program where the taxpayers pick up the bill. Unacceptable. Period.
Until the next post!
We tried phenegren (I can't handle it). Then we tried compazine (I had severe anxiety as a side effect and refuse to take it again. Then we tried marinol, which did absolutely nothing but make me hungry. Now we are going to try a combination of zofran and aprepitant. The aprepitant works by blocking substance P from the brain so it is a way to prevent nausea (not stop nausea that already exists). The plan is I take my zofran in combination with the aprepitant and it will hopefully prevent me from experiencing extreme nausea. I spoke with a friend who also happens to be an oncology nurse and she mentioned that they have been having good success with it. Side effects are minimal and I'm all for that. Prayers that maybe this round will be a little easier.
I do have to have weekly blood draws now because my platelet levels were a little low, but nothing that was concerning or requires us to stop treatment. I'm very happy to know that Dr. Rahdi thinks we can get my nausea under control so that I can function and work during the week and feel I'm in great hands.
I continue to feel better and have more energy each day, so I am very happy to continue to feel like I'm on still on the road to recovery. Baby steps are starting to feel like toddler steps and I think we've found a good balance on my seizure meds (for now) to help me get through the day without significant visual disturbances. I was able to assist with the Guns Up Volleyball Club Texas Tumbleweed Tournament this past weekend and I was amazed at my ability to do more than I honestly expected that I would have been able to.
Now, I have to vent some frustration (not because I am angry with anyone, but because I am angry at a situation). To my conservative friends, I will warn you in advance, that you will not agree with my opinions that I am presenting. I urge you to keep an open mind and hope that you will read this anyway as it is always important to weigh both sides when forming your own opinions (many of you may not realize this, but I read through your thoughts thoroughly and consider your ideas before I comment on your posts because I respect you as an individual and more importantly as my FRIEND). I would never stop being your friend just because we share differing opinions on many subjects. I have taught myself to enter into debate with removed emotions, because otherwise there is no such thing as a constructive discussion and I want to be challenged, not belittled. It is a tough thing to do because it is easier to respond with emotion than it is with rationality at times.
I recently read a blog article that came across my newsfeed on the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare" as so many people in my area choose to call it. It listed statistics recently released by an independent research company providing information that over 9 million Americans have signed up for healthcare since the implementation of the ACA. I then made the mistake of scrolling down to read the comments at the end of the article (I did not know these people, but they made some comments that struck a note with me). One comment in particular made a lengthy argument about how they had lost their health insurance because of the implementation of the ACA and had to switch to a plan that included increased premiums and deductibles and higher monthly payments for their family to be covered. While I recognize that this is an unfortunate downside of some of the aspects of the ACA, I was taken aback because this family still had the opportunity to afford to purchase insurance and as someone who has seen and experienced some of the unfortunate aspects of insurance with cancer treatment, I felt they were blowing the situation way out of context. They made the comment that it was incredibly UNFAIR that this happened to them.
Here is the thing....yes, you have to pay more, yes your premiums increased, yes it is unfair, but it could be WORSE. The fact of the matter is that out of all the people who lost insurance coverage from the ACA, it accounts for less than 1% of total insured coverage in the United States. That is not even statistically significant, not to mention that these folks still had the ability to receive insurance from another company.
I know that many of my friends have lost their coverage as a result of the ACA as it had a bigger impact on those who purchased private insurance plans than those who work for a larger business and had an employer based plan. While I sympathize for you, I do not empathize for you and here is why.
Prior to the ACA, at some point I would likely be dropped from my insurance plan because I "cost too much" to insure. As someone who now qualifies as having a pre-existing and chronic condition, I would not have been able to get health insurance after that, which means my cancer treatments would soon become out of pocket expenses. Trust me when I say, that is not cheap. To discriminate against someone because of illness is an atrocity I cannot put into words and I have had patient's in the past who have gone through this very thing. While I will thankfully never have to experience this thanks to recent changes in healthcare law, it gives me an understanding on the issue that many don't take into account. These patient's have been forced into the indigent program where the taxpayers pick up the bill. Unacceptable. Period.
Until the next post!
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