Mom is in the middle of her second side effect cycle. Some of the issues (specifically stomach issues) that she had directly after the first treatment didn't happen this time around, because she knew how to handle them. However, she is more fatigued this time around and her legs ache her a bit more than the last treatment. The goal is to get her out and doing things, even if it is just for an hour outing. Getting out and walking is very important. Tomorrow, Mom will be at her low red, white and platelet blood cell counts. This is when she will be especially tired. Then, she will start on the upward steps to feeling better, just in time for the next treatment!
Mom feels that she is suffering from chemobrain. It is an actual side effect from chemotherapy. Mom doesn't feel that she can focus or can concentrate as she had before chemotherapy. She is a bit afraid to drive because of this. I took her out to do some shopping yesterday afternoon because she didn't feel focused enough to drive. After her first treatment, I teased her about having chemobrain and she actually got upset with me, so now, I don't tease her about it, only if she brings it up.
We have family events coming up this weekend, so Mom will be doing a few things. My cousin Bruce and his wife will be in town on Friday to visit. Easter morning will be spent at Sue's house watching Beckett and Brynn find their Easter baskets and then Sunday evening is our family gathering back at Sue's house. Mom got out of preparing her usual strawberry salad for the dinner and she will be bringing dinner rolls instead. We'll have Mom and Aunt Marilyn sit on the couch and have everyone come to them! By the way, Aunt Marilyn was released yesterday from the rehab facility. She is now getting adjusted to the apartment at the "independent" living apartment.
Mom is getting used to wearing her scarves and hats. Her hair has definitely thinned, but she still has some of her hair. She keeps saying that she doesn't have any, but she does. Beckett, with some prodding from Sue, told Mom "Mama looks pretty" on Sunday when he saw her with the scarf on. He wanted to pull at it, but we told him no. He kept looking at Mom like something was different. Of course, he knows, but I'm sure that she doesn't understand. But, telling Mom that she looked pretty was so important.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
2 Down.....2 More to Go
Mom is half way through her chemotherapy treatment!!! Today was a very long day, but thankfully, it went much more smoothly than Mom's first treatment 3 weeks ago. I got to the Moll Center (at Fairview Hospital) at 9am. Mom was just finished with get her blood drawn as I arrived. We then had to wait nearly an hour to meet with her oncologist, Dr. Bagai. He met with us for maybe 10 minutes max. I walked him through a list of mom's side effects, which looks quite intensive, but actually are the normal side effects that occur with the two chemotherapy drugs that she is on. He also talked about the extreme reaction to the taxotere that Mom had during the first treatment. He said that the infusion of the drug will be even slower this time and Mom would get an additional dose of a steroid to help against any allergic reactions as well. Dr. Bagai said that she could be more fatigued with this treatment. So, we have to make sure that she stays as active as possible. Naps are fine, but walking, going out and about, etc are even more important.
Mom had received a list of supplemental vitamins from her chiropractor. I asked Dr. Bagai about using the supplemental treatment, but he said that these supplemental drugs could cause an adverse reaction to the chemotherapy drugs and that the drugs are not FDA approved. He doesn't mind Mom having the chiropractic treatment, but not any additional supplements.
After meeting with the doctor we headed to the chemotherapy lab for the rest of our day's adventure. Mom was started on her pre-medications (steroids, anti-nausea, pepcid and benadryl). These medications take nearly an hour to go drip. Finally at nearly noon, Mom got her taxotere. We (including her nurse) were all watching for any of the immediate side effects. Thankfully, with the drip being so slow, her body was able to absorb the drug. No immediate side effects!! Mom was on the taxotere drip for 3 hours. When Mom got her lunch, Dad and I went out for lunch. We got back and still had a good hour to go on the taxotere. That finally finished and then Mom got her cytoxan.. This is a 1 hour drip what doesn't have immediate side effects. We left the chemotherapy lab at 4:30pm.
Long day. Mom was very tired, but wired at the same time. The steroids make you restless and unable to sleep. However, I really hope that Mom can get some sleep tonight. She needs to get some rest. Tomorrow, we go to Fairview Hospital to get her neulasta shot. Then, we start the side effect cycle all over again.
Sitting in the Chemotherapy Lab for 6 hours is quite an eye opening experience. You see people in all different stages of their treatments; some with cancer, some with other diseases that need to have special infusion treatments. Mom doesn't bring books or things to do while she is on treatment because she really likes to take in everything that is going on around her. She will strike up conversations with other patients or the nurses. For example, she was asking another patient about the hat that she was wearing to cover her chemotherapy bald head and compared their types of cancers. The nurses do their best to make everyone as comfortable as possible during their treatments while running around the lab. They really are a great bunch of people.
I'm so happy that treatment #2 is done. Two more treatments to go! The next treatment is April 16th and the final one will be on May 7th.
Mom had received a list of supplemental vitamins from her chiropractor. I asked Dr. Bagai about using the supplemental treatment, but he said that these supplemental drugs could cause an adverse reaction to the chemotherapy drugs and that the drugs are not FDA approved. He doesn't mind Mom having the chiropractic treatment, but not any additional supplements.
After meeting with the doctor we headed to the chemotherapy lab for the rest of our day's adventure. Mom was started on her pre-medications (steroids, anti-nausea, pepcid and benadryl). These medications take nearly an hour to go drip. Finally at nearly noon, Mom got her taxotere. We (including her nurse) were all watching for any of the immediate side effects. Thankfully, with the drip being so slow, her body was able to absorb the drug. No immediate side effects!! Mom was on the taxotere drip for 3 hours. When Mom got her lunch, Dad and I went out for lunch. We got back and still had a good hour to go on the taxotere. That finally finished and then Mom got her cytoxan.. This is a 1 hour drip what doesn't have immediate side effects. We left the chemotherapy lab at 4:30pm.
Long day. Mom was very tired, but wired at the same time. The steroids make you restless and unable to sleep. However, I really hope that Mom can get some sleep tonight. She needs to get some rest. Tomorrow, we go to Fairview Hospital to get her neulasta shot. Then, we start the side effect cycle all over again.
Sitting in the Chemotherapy Lab for 6 hours is quite an eye opening experience. You see people in all different stages of their treatments; some with cancer, some with other diseases that need to have special infusion treatments. Mom doesn't bring books or things to do while she is on treatment because she really likes to take in everything that is going on around her. She will strike up conversations with other patients or the nurses. For example, she was asking another patient about the hat that she was wearing to cover her chemotherapy bald head and compared their types of cancers. The nurses do their best to make everyone as comfortable as possible during their treatments while running around the lab. They really are a great bunch of people.
I'm so happy that treatment #2 is done. Two more treatments to go! The next treatment is April 16th and the final one will be on May 7th.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Most Noticable Side Effect
Mom is now experiencing the most noticeable side effect of chemotherapy: hair loss. We knew that it was coming (2-3 weeks after her first treatment), but it arriving doesn't make it any easier. A chemotherapy patient can hide the side effects of fatigue, bone pain or stomach issues. However, they can't hide hair loss. I personally think that this is going to be the hardest side effect for mom to deal with. She could work through the nausea, the bone pain and fatigue, but hair loss is not something that can be worked with or worked around. Now will be the time to wear hats and scarves (once we figure out how to tie them!)
Mom started mourning losing her grey/brown/white curly short hair yesterday. It is now coming out in clumps. A person that doesn't know what she is going through might not notice it, but of course she does. I told her that it is okay to mourn her hair, it is all part of the process. This is a big thing for her, because now she will look like someone who is battling cancer and all along, she hasn't looked like that at all. She hasn't looked like she had breast cancer (but, really who does?) I told her that now she will have a badge of honor. She is battling to make sure that cancer doesn't come back. And she is going to win this battle!!
I haven't seen her yet and I won't see her until Friday morning, when she has her treatment. I already told her that she is beautiful to me no matter if she has hair or not. That is the most important thing.
Mom started mourning losing her grey/brown/white curly short hair yesterday. It is now coming out in clumps. A person that doesn't know what she is going through might not notice it, but of course she does. I told her that it is okay to mourn her hair, it is all part of the process. This is a big thing for her, because now she will look like someone who is battling cancer and all along, she hasn't looked like that at all. She hasn't looked like she had breast cancer (but, really who does?) I told her that now she will have a badge of honor. She is battling to make sure that cancer doesn't come back. And she is going to win this battle!!
I haven't seen her yet and I won't see her until Friday morning, when she has her treatment. I already told her that she is beautiful to me no matter if she has hair or not. That is the most important thing.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Feeling a Bit Better, Just in Time for Treatment #2
Mom has had an uptick of energy the past two days. She's feeling a bit better, just in time for treatment #2 on Friday. We sat down yesterday and walked through all of the side effects that she has had in the past two weeks. I wanted to have this list when we talked to the doctor on Friday morning (before her treatment). It is a pretty long list, but thankfully, it was nothing that couldn't be dealt with with the nausea medication or the pain medication. The roughest 2 side effects are the body pain (especially in her legs) and the fatigue. I'm not sure if the leg pain was from her neulasta shot or if it is a regular side effect. I'll ask the doctor about that. She also had pains in her head, like someone was pulling her hair, which is the signal that the chemotherapy is going at the new cells (or hair growth).
The most visual side effect is starting this week-hair thinning/hair loss. Mom has noticed today, where she didn't notice it before. She went to lunch with 2 girlfriends today and they didn't notice anything different. But, now mom will be self-conscious. I told her to start wearing the cute hats that we bought last week at Elegant Essentials. She had some training on how to tie a scarf, but I don't think that she remembered how. She looks cute in the hats, so I think that she will lean towards that.
I wanted to give an update on her battle with her insurance company for her stomach medicine, protonix. After spending most of Friday on the phone with the insurance company, she finally got word from them that she can have the stomach medicine (at the higher rate, of course) until September. She was given a reference number to use if she gets another letter next month from the insurance company that the drug won't be covered. Oh, the joys of insurance.
The most visual side effect is starting this week-hair thinning/hair loss. Mom has noticed today, where she didn't notice it before. She went to lunch with 2 girlfriends today and they didn't notice anything different. But, now mom will be self-conscious. I told her to start wearing the cute hats that we bought last week at Elegant Essentials. She had some training on how to tie a scarf, but I don't think that she remembered how. She looks cute in the hats, so I think that she will lean towards that.
I wanted to give an update on her battle with her insurance company for her stomach medicine, protonix. After spending most of Friday on the phone with the insurance company, she finally got word from them that she can have the stomach medicine (at the higher rate, of course) until September. She was given a reference number to use if she gets another letter next month from the insurance company that the drug won't be covered. Oh, the joys of insurance.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Health Care Debate
Fatigue has set in for Mom. Add a seasonal allergy attack and Mom is just exhausted. Yesterday, we celebrated Brynn's official birthday with ice cream at Sue's house. Mom and Dad stopped by to celebrate after having dinner with other family members. Mom barely made it through dessert, she was just that tired. She was also afraid about about being so tired and driving home. The literature about side effects and the information from the nurse say that fatigue is a very big side effect for chemotherapy treatment. The literature also say to work with the fatigue, for example take short naps. However, the nurses say that staying in bed and not being active also leads to more fatigue. It is a Catch-22! So, the challenge for Sue, Dad and I is to make sure that Mom stays active to a point. We don't want her to overdo it, but she does need to be active.
An issue that I know is weighing very heavily on my mom's mind is how to pay for the cost of her treatment that is not covered by her insurance. Currently, Mom is under Medicare and a supplemental insurance (I will not name the company due to Mom's request) that is required for Medicare participants. Mom has already had issues and discussions with her insurance company about other drugs that she is on. In fact, she has been battling them more recently for one of the drugs that she takes, protonix, for her stomach issues. The insurance company is saying that this drug will not be covered by insurance anymore. First they told her that the drug has been put into a different tier and she will have to pay $85 for refills of the drug compared to the $7 that she used to pay. Now, they are saying that the drug will no longer be covered under insurance. So, Mom is battling with them about the drug. She has had the primary doctor and her pharmacist send information to the insurance company as well, but it is to no avail. I have done research on the drug and she has even tried others, but they do not help her stomach issues. This is very worrisome, because who knows what the insurance company will end up charging for her chemotherapy drugs and treatment. If they can pull the coverage of one of the drugs, what says that the insurance company will cover her treatment? Mom has been talking to a nurse from the insurance company on a weekly basis. It seems Mom has been "red flagged" because of her fighting the company. So, the nurse asks about all of her drugs, her treatment, etc. The nurse is also recommending adding anti-depression drugs (which I personally don't think is right on her part to do). Maybe, if Mom keeps talking to the insurance company, they will help in the long run? I don't know.
I don't want to get overly political on this blog, but all of the issues that my mom is going through is showing that the health care system has to be reformed. This includes reforming insurance companies, so they don't have all the say in how a patient is treated. The health care debate is the biggest political story as Congress is voting on this very important issue this weekend. This debate will affect us all.
One week from today is the 2nd chemotherapy treatment. 2 more to go after that one. I want to make sure that we have a complete list of Mom's side effects. We will meet with the doctor before her treatment and I want him to know everything that she has gone through with her treatment.
An issue that I know is weighing very heavily on my mom's mind is how to pay for the cost of her treatment that is not covered by her insurance. Currently, Mom is under Medicare and a supplemental insurance (I will not name the company due to Mom's request) that is required for Medicare participants. Mom has already had issues and discussions with her insurance company about other drugs that she is on. In fact, she has been battling them more recently for one of the drugs that she takes, protonix, for her stomach issues. The insurance company is saying that this drug will not be covered by insurance anymore. First they told her that the drug has been put into a different tier and she will have to pay $85 for refills of the drug compared to the $7 that she used to pay. Now, they are saying that the drug will no longer be covered under insurance. So, Mom is battling with them about the drug. She has had the primary doctor and her pharmacist send information to the insurance company as well, but it is to no avail. I have done research on the drug and she has even tried others, but they do not help her stomach issues. This is very worrisome, because who knows what the insurance company will end up charging for her chemotherapy drugs and treatment. If they can pull the coverage of one of the drugs, what says that the insurance company will cover her treatment? Mom has been talking to a nurse from the insurance company on a weekly basis. It seems Mom has been "red flagged" because of her fighting the company. So, the nurse asks about all of her drugs, her treatment, etc. The nurse is also recommending adding anti-depression drugs (which I personally don't think is right on her part to do). Maybe, if Mom keeps talking to the insurance company, they will help in the long run? I don't know.
I don't want to get overly political on this blog, but all of the issues that my mom is going through is showing that the health care system has to be reformed. This includes reforming insurance companies, so they don't have all the say in how a patient is treated. The health care debate is the biggest political story as Congress is voting on this very important issue this weekend. This debate will affect us all.
One week from today is the 2nd chemotherapy treatment. 2 more to go after that one. I want to make sure that we have a complete list of Mom's side effects. We will meet with the doctor before her treatment and I want him to know everything that she has gone through with her treatment.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Recovery Week
This is technically a "recovery week" for Mom. Her side effects should be subsiding and her system will be building itself back up just in time to have her next chemotherapy treatment on March 26th. At the moment, mom is suffering from seasonal allergies. They are hitting her even harder this season. This is, of course, enhancing her achy body and fatigue side effects. The stomach related side effects are at a minimum at the moment, so that is a good thing.
Brynn's 1st birthday party was Saturday, March 13th. I would say that both Brynn and Mom were the center of attention. Family and friends came over to Mom to ask her how she is doing. Then, they would come to me to say, "You're Mom looks great for what she is going through". Of course, I totally agree with that, but she's just been through one treatment and there are 3 more to go. Anyways, Mom did great during the party and really enjoyed herself. That was most important to me. She even made new friends with a stuffed polar bear that Brynn got from her other grandparents. The next test will be Easter family gathering. This will also be a week after her chemo treatment.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Side Effects and Fittings
It's been 8 days since Mom's first chemotherapy treatment. She is still dealing with different side effects and they seem to change on a daily basis. The one that is continuing is the achy legs and fatigue. Mom's fibromyalgia of course doesn't help matters much with the pain. The stomach issues are still on-going, but not as bad as they were in the beginning of the week. Mom did discover a small dime-size sore on her right arm yesterday. This is a signal that her platelet count is low. Mom called Cindy, the nurse about it and she said for Mom to keep an eye on it. Mom is at the lowest point of her blood counts (red, white and platelets)right now. This takes place 7-10 days after the chemotherapy treatment. After this weekend, her blood counts should start going up again just in time for her next treatment in 2 weeks.
Mom went to a program provided by the American Cancer Society on Tuesday evening. It was called "Look Good Feel Better" . This was a 2 hour seminar for women going through chemotherapy. It helps with make-up tips,(Mom rarely wears makeup)hair tips, and how to wear a scarf or hat during chemotherapy. She got some suggestions on hats from other survivors that were at the seminar. Mom is going to try to go to another seminar at the end of the month for breast cancer survivors.
Today, Mom and I went to Elegant Essentials to purchase bras and her prosthesis. We also picked up two hats and a pink ribbon scarf. Having the prosthesis is a great next step in her recovery. She's more comfortable and that is the most important thing.
Tomorrow is Brynn's 1st birthday party. This will be the first time that alot of friends and family will see mom since the surgery and since treatment started. Mom has definitely been looking forward to this party. We all have!
Mom went to a program provided by the American Cancer Society on Tuesday evening. It was called "Look Good Feel Better" . This was a 2 hour seminar for women going through chemotherapy. It helps with make-up tips,(Mom rarely wears makeup)hair tips, and how to wear a scarf or hat during chemotherapy. She got some suggestions on hats from other survivors that were at the seminar. Mom is going to try to go to another seminar at the end of the month for breast cancer survivors.
Today, Mom and I went to Elegant Essentials to purchase bras and her prosthesis. We also picked up two hats and a pink ribbon scarf. Having the prosthesis is a great next step in her recovery. She's more comfortable and that is the most important thing.
Tomorrow is Brynn's 1st birthday party. This will be the first time that alot of friends and family will see mom since the surgery and since treatment started. Mom has definitely been looking forward to this party. We all have!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Oh the Joys of Side Effects
Sarcasm...Really.
Side effects of chemotherapy are not so fun. Mom has been a trooper so far, but the side effects really started to hit her Saturday. She has said that her legs ache very badly, she's fatigued and she was/is having issues with constipation. We were told that the achy legs would be a side effect of the neulastra shot that she had on Friday. But, it is also a side effect of the chemotherapy drugs. Plus, Mom has fibromyalgia, so her body aches alot. Adding the chemotherapy drugs into her system isn't helping that pain, but is accenting it.
Mom has been out and about shopping, running errands in the past few days and today was having lunch with Sue, Dad, the kids and me. She's probably doing too much at the moment, but she is doing all of this in moderation. We shopped and ran errands for 90 minutes yesterday and then she went home and napped. I think that much activity is all that she can handle at the moment. Mom called Cindy, the head oncology nurse yesterday with her concerns about the constipation and the achy body. Cindy told us what to get for the constipation (which we already did) and gave her a prescription for the achy body. (which make Mom a bit loopy!) As for the fatigue; Mom will just need to rest when she is tired. Short naps are good.
Sunday evening meal at my parents was a total meltdown between Beckett having his own constipation issues and Mom's issues. That was not a fun time. Luckily, both Beckett and Mom corrected their issues since then. (so to speak)
It's been nearly a week since the first treatment. I'm keeping an eye on Mom for any other side effects that might pop up. This weekend is Brynn's 1st birthday party. We already have a plan to keep Mom away from anyone with a cold and have lots of hand sanitizers on hand! I know that Mom wouldn't want to miss the birthday party for the world.
Side effects of chemotherapy are not so fun. Mom has been a trooper so far, but the side effects really started to hit her Saturday. She has said that her legs ache very badly, she's fatigued and she was/is having issues with constipation. We were told that the achy legs would be a side effect of the neulastra shot that she had on Friday. But, it is also a side effect of the chemotherapy drugs. Plus, Mom has fibromyalgia, so her body aches alot. Adding the chemotherapy drugs into her system isn't helping that pain, but is accenting it.
Mom has been out and about shopping, running errands in the past few days and today was having lunch with Sue, Dad, the kids and me. She's probably doing too much at the moment, but she is doing all of this in moderation. We shopped and ran errands for 90 minutes yesterday and then she went home and napped. I think that much activity is all that she can handle at the moment. Mom called Cindy, the head oncology nurse yesterday with her concerns about the constipation and the achy body. Cindy told us what to get for the constipation (which we already did) and gave her a prescription for the achy body. (which make Mom a bit loopy!) As for the fatigue; Mom will just need to rest when she is tired. Short naps are good.
Sunday evening meal at my parents was a total meltdown between Beckett having his own constipation issues and Mom's issues. That was not a fun time. Luckily, both Beckett and Mom corrected their issues since then. (so to speak)
It's been nearly a week since the first treatment. I'm keeping an eye on Mom for any other side effects that might pop up. This weekend is Brynn's 1st birthday party. We already have a plan to keep Mom away from anyone with a cold and have lots of hand sanitizers on hand! I know that Mom wouldn't want to miss the birthday party for the world.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
The Day After
I was keeping an eye on (babysitting) Mom all day yesterday. I wanted to keep an eye on her for any side effects that would have us calling the nurse and doctor right away. I didn't know what I would expect to happen, but I wanted to be there just in case. Mom was fatigued, but otherwise she was doing pretty well considering what she went through during her first treatment. Mom got a really good night of sleep (7 hours straight, which is a rarity for her). I think that was a big help. We had to go get the Neulasta shot at our new home away from home, The Moll Center at Fairview Hospital in the afternoon. We headed to the Moll Center after she had a good lunch. She was taken in right away to get her injection. Patty saw us and asked how she was doing and if she felt flushed in the face in the morning. Mom said she was doing okay and no, she didn't feel that. The nurse who gave Mom the injection asked how she was doing, especially after what happened during the treatment. Mom said doing okay. I said no major side effects at the moment, so that is a good thing.
As we were leaving, I asked Mom if she was up for doing a walk thru at Kohl's. It's Brynn's 1st birthday next week and I was looking for an additional gift. Mom said sure. We did a walk through and Mom of course bought the most! But, that trip tired her out. We headed home and she just rested a bit. Sue and Jeff brought the kids over and we had take out from Stonehouse Grill for dinner. I think that having the kids there was an extra boost for mom. Beckett was keeping an eye on his Mama. He wasn't quite sure what was going on. Sue has been telling Beckett that Mama would be going through treatment and that she could lose her hair and be sick. He needs to be gentle with her. Sue passed along that she overheard Beckett talking to Jeff and out of the blue said "Mama is going to lose her hair". Obviously, he's paying attention to what Sue is saying! Does, he fully understand it, probably not.
I just checked in with Mom a bit ago and she said that she did wake up feeling nauseous in the middle of the night. She took some of her anti-nausea medication, ate a few pretzels and went back to bed. I'm trying to find information on the timeline for the side effects, but I'm not having any luck. For example, do they hit all at one time or happen over a series of days? Back to researching for me.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
One Down...3 More to Go
What a long day. I'm exhausted mentally and physically. We were at the Moll Center Chemotherapy Lab from 9am until 4:30pm today and then I worked at my part time job at Steinmart from 5pm until 9pm. I'm beat, but wired at the same time (must be from all the caffeine I have been drinking!)
Mom's chemotherapy didn't go exactly like we thought it would, hence the long day. We got there at 9am to start the labs portion, so they can check her blood levels. We then waited a good 20 minutes outside the lab before we went to the chemo room. Mom finally got settled into a recliner in the room about 10am. They started the pre-treatment about 10:30am. We talked to the center social worker as well. She gave Mom some info on wigs, (I don't think Mom was going to get a wig), seminars and other services that she can help set up and provide. Mom's pre-chemotherapy treatment included pepcid, a steroid and benadryl. These were to help against the immediate side effects of the first drug, Taxotere Mom's sodium was still a bit low, so she got a saline drip as well. The nurse, Patty, started the Taxotere and was going through some basics for the side effects and what should be done, all the time watching Mom for immediate side effects. About 3 minutes into the infusion, Mom started complaining of intense pain in her lower back and right leg. Patty immediately turned off the infusion, called for help with nurses and called for a doctor who was in the center (Mom's doctor was not in the office today). The doctor prescribed a small dose of morphine and more steroids. Mom got those right away and one nurse brought oxygen. Mom was in alot of pain. It was scary to watch. All of this happened very quickly and was taken care of very quickly. Within 5-10 minutes the pain subsided and mom relaxed (or as much as you could relax after that episode). Patty got in touch with Dr. Bagai and he said to made the infusion slower and to see how she reacted to that. So, 30 minutes later, Patty tried it again, but at a slower drip. Patty kept an eye on my mom for any reactions and thankfully, there was none. The Taxotere took 2 hours to drip. At 3pm, she was ready for the next drug, Cytoxan. Thankfully, there was not immediate side effects from this drug. This drug took an hour to drip. Once that was finished, her IV was flushed with saline solution and then she was released at 4:30pm.
I know that the first treatment is always the hardest. We weren't prepared for how hard it actually turned out to be. But, thankfully, Mom pulled through this all and was able to handle the two drugs. Watching her have the reaction was very hard to do and I think that my heart was still racing at least a few hours after it happened. I can't even imagine how she was feeling. Tomorrow, we are going back for her to get a neulasta shot. This will help stimulate white blood cells and help prevent infection. I'll be watching mom for any side effects as well.
She made it through this one....3 more to go. I figured out that she will be done with treatment May 7th. Let's hope the time flies.
Mom's chemotherapy didn't go exactly like we thought it would, hence the long day. We got there at 9am to start the labs portion, so they can check her blood levels. We then waited a good 20 minutes outside the lab before we went to the chemo room. Mom finally got settled into a recliner in the room about 10am. They started the pre-treatment about 10:30am. We talked to the center social worker as well. She gave Mom some info on wigs, (I don't think Mom was going to get a wig), seminars and other services that she can help set up and provide. Mom's pre-chemotherapy treatment included pepcid, a steroid and benadryl. These were to help against the immediate side effects of the first drug, Taxotere Mom's sodium was still a bit low, so she got a saline drip as well. The nurse, Patty, started the Taxotere and was going through some basics for the side effects and what should be done, all the time watching Mom for immediate side effects. About 3 minutes into the infusion, Mom started complaining of intense pain in her lower back and right leg. Patty immediately turned off the infusion, called for help with nurses and called for a doctor who was in the center (Mom's doctor was not in the office today). The doctor prescribed a small dose of morphine and more steroids. Mom got those right away and one nurse brought oxygen. Mom was in alot of pain. It was scary to watch. All of this happened very quickly and was taken care of very quickly. Within 5-10 minutes the pain subsided and mom relaxed (or as much as you could relax after that episode). Patty got in touch with Dr. Bagai and he said to made the infusion slower and to see how she reacted to that. So, 30 minutes later, Patty tried it again, but at a slower drip. Patty kept an eye on my mom for any reactions and thankfully, there was none. The Taxotere took 2 hours to drip. At 3pm, she was ready for the next drug, Cytoxan. Thankfully, there was not immediate side effects from this drug. This drug took an hour to drip. Once that was finished, her IV was flushed with saline solution and then she was released at 4:30pm.
I know that the first treatment is always the hardest. We weren't prepared for how hard it actually turned out to be. But, thankfully, Mom pulled through this all and was able to handle the two drugs. Watching her have the reaction was very hard to do and I think that my heart was still racing at least a few hours after it happened. I can't even imagine how she was feeling. Tomorrow, we are going back for her to get a neulasta shot. This will help stimulate white blood cells and help prevent infection. I'll be watching mom for any side effects as well.
She made it through this one....3 more to go. I figured out that she will be done with treatment May 7th. Let's hope the time flies.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Time flies when you are having fun....
The next step to Mom's treatment against breast cancer starts tomorrow morning. It has been nearly 2 months since she was diagnoised. The time has flown by. I really hope that the next 3 months will go by just as quick. The sooner that chemo is over and the recovery fully begins, the better it will be.
I have alot of people asking me how I am doing through all of this. I'm taking it all in strides. I have my up and down days. Noone wants to hear that someone that you love has cancer and then has to go through chemotherapy. It is not a fun thing. I want to find out as much information as I can about what my Mom is going through, what drugs she will be taking and her side effects. I seriously thought (and hoped) that Mom was going to get through this without chemotherapy, but alas that didn't happen. She is doing this as a preventative measure, so the cancer will not have a larger chance to recur in the next 10 years. I would much rather have Mom around than for her to have to go through this again. I have to keep thinking that and I know that she will get through this. The side effects could hit her hard and that will be scary for us all or they could not hit her at all. I'm just hoping that it is leaning towards the "not at all" side.
I'll be with Mom and Dad tomorrow at the Moll Center for Mom's first chemo treatment. I don't know if I can be with her the entire time as the center only allows one family member in with the patient at a time, so Dad and I will have to trade off. I'm prepared with a couple books to pass the time. Her treatment could take up to 4 hours. She has two one hour long infusions of her two drugs.
I've seen the effects of chemotherapy on two of my friend, Barra, who is now cancer free and Andi, who lost her year long battle with leukemia 2 1/2 years ago. Those are two different types of cancer and two different types of chemotherapy. Leukemia is brutal. Andi stayed strong throughout her battle and that is something that I will never forget about her. We would call her chemotherapy, "Ajax", as it looked just like the cleaning agent and we said that it was being used to "clean her out". Barra has been an inspiration through her own battle with breast cancer (and a great source for information!).
Thanks to my friends and family who have been asking about my mom, my family and me! It is very very appreciated. Thanks for being there for me!
I have alot of people asking me how I am doing through all of this. I'm taking it all in strides. I have my up and down days. Noone wants to hear that someone that you love has cancer and then has to go through chemotherapy. It is not a fun thing. I want to find out as much information as I can about what my Mom is going through, what drugs she will be taking and her side effects. I seriously thought (and hoped) that Mom was going to get through this without chemotherapy, but alas that didn't happen. She is doing this as a preventative measure, so the cancer will not have a larger chance to recur in the next 10 years. I would much rather have Mom around than for her to have to go through this again. I have to keep thinking that and I know that she will get through this. The side effects could hit her hard and that will be scary for us all or they could not hit her at all. I'm just hoping that it is leaning towards the "not at all" side.
I'll be with Mom and Dad tomorrow at the Moll Center for Mom's first chemo treatment. I don't know if I can be with her the entire time as the center only allows one family member in with the patient at a time, so Dad and I will have to trade off. I'm prepared with a couple books to pass the time. Her treatment could take up to 4 hours. She has two one hour long infusions of her two drugs.
I've seen the effects of chemotherapy on two of my friend, Barra, who is now cancer free and Andi, who lost her year long battle with leukemia 2 1/2 years ago. Those are two different types of cancer and two different types of chemotherapy. Leukemia is brutal. Andi stayed strong throughout her battle and that is something that I will never forget about her. We would call her chemotherapy, "Ajax", as it looked just like the cleaning agent and we said that it was being used to "clean her out". Barra has been an inspiration through her own battle with breast cancer (and a great source for information!).
Thanks to my friends and family who have been asking about my mom, my family and me! It is very very appreciated. Thanks for being there for me!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Anxieties
It is two days and counting before Mom's first chemotherapy treatment. The anxieties about the possible side effects are on everyone's mind. Obviously, the biggest worries are about the possible nausea and the reaction to the steroids that mom will be receiving from the Taxotere. (The steroids will affect her blood sugar level to the extreme. Mom really has her diabetes under control, with her insulin shots, but the steroid use could cause her blood sugar levels to go sky high.)She is also worried about the other side effects-mouth sores, problems with her blood counts and of course hair loss. I keep telling her that she might not get all of the side effects, so she shouldn't focus on them. Be prepared, if they happen, but we'll deal with them as they come up.
Mom made it through the mastectomy so well. I know that she can do it through chemotherapy, too. This is going to be tougher on her system, but she can do it. She has to do it. We DO NOT want the cancer to come back!!
Mom made it through the mastectomy so well. I know that she can do it through chemotherapy, too. This is going to be tougher on her system, but she can do it. She has to do it. We DO NOT want the cancer to come back!!
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