Still hanging in there...

So, for whatever reason, I feel much better this time around than my last round. This is excellent news...but I don't want to jinx myself, so I'm not going to go on too much about it. I do think that the Claritin helped with my bone pain this time so I will continue to take it during my last 2 rounds. This round I took about 3 Lortab (total) which is great. I don't like how knocked out I get on Lortab so I really don't want to take them if I don't need to.

Yesterday, Dave & I went over to the new park near our house and walked. I did one lap (about 1.4 miles), but I was very happy with that. Dave did a second lap (which I usually do 2 - 3 laps), but I didn't want to push myself and it was starting to get hot. There's nothing worse than having hot flashes when you're walking and it's pushing 80 - 90 degrees outside. I know the walking is doing me good though and I will continue to do so, especially when I can get up and out when it's cooler (like at 6:30 in the morning). Crazy, crazy weather. I'm getting to be a softy this summer because I'm inside so much, but then I look around and so is everyone else! It's almost too hot to go to the pool! I'm not going into anything about global warming and whatnot, it's just plain hot here in Atlanta, that's all there is to it!

Well, I guess that is about it for now. Thank you for your continued support, I'm so glad that I'm on the downhill side of my chemo. I can handle one in July and my last in August! I'll be so happy to be done with this, you don't know! I guess it is helping me deal with this round knowing I'm more than 1/2 done! Yippee...whoo hoo and all that stuff! :-)

Round 4 Chemo is done....

Now to get through the next 6 days or so....it's always the hardest part of the chemo round. Each day is different so you never know what to expect and it is certainly a roller coaster ride. Hopefully this round will be kinder to me and my body. I know I'm fortunate to only have to go through 6 rounds as I met a gal today, that had to go through 12 rounds. Wow, I can't imagine that and to make it worse, it was her 2nd time having to go through chemo. We each certainly have our own stories, she's a real neat lady and I hope she will be cancer-free from here on out.

Not too much else is news around here...the boys are in day camp again this week which helps me out a bunch. Bryce's group went tree climbing in downtown Atlanta (with harnesses and all), which he really enjoyed. Kyle's group is going to an Animal Safari in Pine Mountain on Friday, I'm sure he'll have a good time. It's been good for them to be busy and it allows me to have some rest time which is much appreciated during my "rough" weeks.
I'll write later when I have more to say....that's all for now!

Happy Father's Day (and some other stuff)

Yes, it's Father's Day...I miss my Dad, he's been gone almost 5 years now (Aug. 11th), that's just hard to believe. We know we'll be reunited with him one day, but it's still a bummer knowing that he's not here with us anymore. The one thing we can be thankful for is that he's not suffering anymore...he really got the bum rap after his stroke, you never want to see anyone who was so full of life go through what he did. Oh well, I don't want to be sad today, because on the other hand, we're thankful that Dave is celebrating Father's Day. We're blessed with 2 healthy boys, sometimes a bit difficult, but after trying for 6 years to have kids, we know that they really are a blessing from God. Also, Dave's dad is 79 and in relatively good health, for which we are thankful too! He's a very neat man and I'm blessed he's been in my life for 22 years!

My week with the boys being gone was definitely refreshing. The boys loved their time with Grandma and at VBS, they really did enjoy themselves. I picked them up on Friday and I think they truly realized how much they missed us. Bryce was crying because he was so happy to see me and Kyle practically knocked me over when running up to hug me. Absence does make the heart grow fonder! Mom kept the boys busy and I think the break was good for the whole family. At first, it was so quiet around here, Dave and I didn't know what to do. Then we got used to it and now that the boys are home, it's never quiet! Also, I know where my time goes when they are here...in the kitchen, picking up their stuff and doing laundry! Oh well, I can handle that, for sure! We're glad they had a good time and really did appreciate the time apart!

Yesterday (Saturday) the skin on my forearms (up to my elbows) and knees starting itching like crazy. Also, the skin on my neck got really itchy. Red little bumps popped up all over the place. I was going nuts and started taking Benadryl, using hydrocortisone cream and tried to get the itching to go away. I took an Aveno bath last night which helped a lot and then today put some ice packs on my arms which helped also. I thought it was some kind of heat rash or dry skin problem, but after Dave talked with Barbara, we found out it's actually a side effect of one of my chemo's, Taxotere. I can't wait to get this stuff out of my system and get back to "normal" if I ever truly will. Anyway, I will call the doctor's office tomorrow morning if it's still bothering me...what an annoyance! My skin is so fair I shouldn't be surprised, I just wasn't expecting this to pop up out of nowhere!

I am scheduled for Round #4 this coming Tuesday. I hope it isn't as hard as Round #3 was, that really was the pits. I'll just really be happy to be on the downhill side and it's reassuring to know I'm over halfway through!

No news is great news...

Yes, it's been a few days since I've done an update, but that's a good thing right now. Thank goodness I have 2 weeks where I feel good again before I go back for my next chemo. I'm scheduled to go in every 3 weeks so, next Tuesday is Round #4...whoo hoo, at least I'm on the downhill side of chemo! I have never wanted anything to be done and over with in my whole life as I want to get through my chemo. It's just the pits and I hate feeling lousy...actually, I've never met anyone who likes feeling like they have the flu. Did I mention the salty, metalic taste that I've had this time...eww...it's just nasty. I feel like I have a constant salty taste in my mouth, and right now it's not as bad as it was right after the chemo. Oh well, I know it'll go away, eventually when I'm all done with this. Like I said, I just want to be done with it!

We've been staying busy around here with the boys and enjoying summer. I am trying to do things that are fun with the kids when I'm feeling good. Actually, my mom has given us a reprieve this week by having the boys spend the week with her and they are going to Vacation Bible School (VBS) at her church. They spent a few nights with her last summer, but this time they are gone for 5 nights. Wow, what a break! They were looking forward to spending the week with "Grammy" as Bryce has nick-named her, so it's good all the way around. The house is sooooo quiet! Oh well, I will try to get some things done this week as well as rest a little. I do feel good though, so I want to get some things done as well as getting out and exercising.

We're so excited about a new County Park that has opened less than 1 1/2 miles from our house! We took the boys there this weekend and I went this morning also to go walk/jogging. The park is beautiful and I know we will make such good use of it. The boys loved taking their scooters there while Dave and I walked. Dave is going to get set of Frisbee golf discs (Happy Father's Day!) and put them to good use. Our county is known nationally for their awesome parks, so we are very fortunate to have one so close by.

Speaking of Father's Day, wow, that just hit home. We went to Knoxville last year on Father's Day to see Dave's dad and his sister, Barbara. It was at that time that she and his mom encouraged Dave to get his leg (big muscle) checked out when we got home. I can't believe everything we've been through this past year. Well, we're just going to keep on, keeping on, one day at a time! So much has happened in this past year that we ever could have imagined. OK, sorry for the rabbit trail! I'm going to close for now...gotta get some stuff done while I've got the opportunity!

Feeling Better All the Time

Thank goodness for counts coming back up and my body feeling better again! Round 3 so far has definitely been my hardest, but it's done and I'm on the mend. It's amazing what 24 hours can even be like when going through treatment for cancer. I do think that the cumulative effect of chemo will make it harder each time, but there could so many other variables in how one's body responds. So, with that being said, I'm back on the upswing and so thankful to be feeling good again!

I must say, for me, cancer has taught me to be introspective. Before, I never would have taken the time to do a journal, let alone think of blogging. I know for a fact that God has a plan for me and I'm just waiting to see how it all unfolds. Each day though, someone new is introduced to me which is awesome. I think because I'm a "cancer patient" right now, I draw attention to myself that otherwise, I'd just go around and never be noticed. I always smile and try to be friendly, but it's sweet how people just take the time to do the "extra" stuff for me...there are a lot of nice people out there, really. People are just more sensitive than I ever could have imagined, so maybe it is just giving me a chance to see the world through a different pair of glasses. Yesterday, I was at Wal-mart (seems like I go there too much), but anyway, I was making a return and the Greeter lady just starts talking to me like I was having a cup of coffee with her. First she asked me how I was doing, where I was in my treatment, then she starts to tell me about her husband and how he faired through his battle with cancer. Cancer is life changing, but again, it's for a good reason.

I'm so happy that I'm doing better, it's scary to feel so down and out, but once my counts are back up, it's nice to feel almost "normal" again. I went out for my walk/jog this morning, even that is so nice, to feel strong enough to jog a little. Exercise is so key for me and I'm thankful I was in a good place in my life when my cancer hit. Because of Dave's cancer, I made it a point to walk (and eventually walk/jog) 5 times a week. It helped me so much, just getting outside for at least 30 minutes a day. I'd put on my headset and just go...the sun, the serotonin, fresh air was so therapeutic for me. I have had a history and family background of having a problem with turning to food for solace and being overweight. I didn't want to undo the good I had been doing with Weight Watchers last year when Dave was diagnosed. So, I kept up my exercising and it was just such a healthy way to deal with the stress. When I got diagnosed with Breast Cancer, I eased up on myself a bit and "unjoined" Weight Watchers as I didn't want to worry about my weight, the actual number on the scale and not knowing how I'd respond to chemo and all. But, I also told myself that I'd deal with my treatment the best I could and exercise when I felt my body would tolerate it. I usually don't go out the day after my infusion or the few days following. Hmm, let's see...I went out last Tuesday morning, the day of my infusion. Then I went out for a short walk on Thursday and Friday. The weekend was out of the question. I was feeling better on Monday and went out for a good walk and took yesterday off. This morning, I was out early, feeling strong and had a great time. I know that studies have been done that show exercise is beneficial for people going through chemo. How could it not be? Just the fact that you're exercising is good! For me, I'm so glad I had started this before either of us were diagnosed and I'm thankful to be able to continue my regime even while undergoing chemo. I hope to be in better shape after chemo than before I was diagnosed. How's that for a goal? :-) I've got a busy day planned with the boys so that's all for now!

Update on Round 3

Well, it's been a while since I've done a post so I figured I'd catch everyone up on how things are going. Suffice it to say, it gets harder with each round. I'm six days out right now and still feel kind of crummy. I had a really rough time early Saturday morning, almost to where I wanted Dave to take me to the E/R. I think my white counts were at their lowest then and I could just feel every ache and pain inside me times 100. It was just horrible, I don't want to go into details, but trust me, I could feel everything happening inside me and it felt like my insides were on fire...now it's Monday night and I'm still not back to feeling "normal"...I can't wait to feel normal again.

Although I'm half-way through with my chemo, I feel like everything is hitting me at once. Maybe I've suppressed some of my feelings, but I just had a pity party this time around. I want my hair back, I'm tired of cancer, of being the "family with cancer", of just not being normal. My sister put it this way, "Get used to your new normal". Well, I want the old normal back. I guess we'll never have the old normal. After getting diagnosed with cancer and dealing with it, going through the treatments and living with the scars of it, life will never be like it used to be. I know that we'll get through this, I'm just so ready for it to be over.

It's ok for me to feel like this, it's got to be...dealing with all the emotions is just exhausting and I wish I didn't have to process all of this. I need to though, to work through it and understand how I can be a better person because of it. I do know for a fact that so many people care for us, are praying for us and that we've got great friends, family and neighbors. Also, it could be a lot worse. Dave and I often remind ourselves, although our situation is not "normal", we're fortunate in that either of our cancers could have been so much worse. There are so many people that aren't as lucky as we are, to have insurance, a company that supports and believes in us and cares about us, to have doctors that are awesome available to us, that we're going to be SURVIVORS and that we're making it through our treatments rather unscathed.

I still don't know how Dave made it through the chemo that he went through. I get a fraction of the amount he'd receive and I feel like crap. I know he had some rough times, but really, I don't know how he made it through. I just truly hope and pray that a cure for cancer can be found during our lifetime that won't require chemo. Chemo just plain stinks...I wouldn't wish it on anybody...ever.

So, I guess getting this stuff "out on the table" is good for the soul. I know I'm on the upswing and look forward to the days that I don't have "tummy troubles". I look forward to feeling good again and have my wits about me. Chemo-brain and chemical-induced menopause aren't a good match...aye yae yae, good thing I have 3 guys in my house that love me a lot! Well, that's all for now...take care.

Short and sweet

Just wanted to let you know that the Claritin doesn't work on me. Last night, about an hour after I finished my other post, my jaw, sinuses, back, ribs, arms, just about any bone I have, started to hurt. Like Dave said this morning though, at least we know the Neulasta is working! I will keep trying the Claritin, but I'm also using the Lortab...whatever it takes. That's it for now!

Half-way Through, So Far, So Good

Well, yesterday's infusion went smoothly and so far, I'm feeling alright. It's hard to say if I'm good or bad, because, I'm pumped full of chemo, I'm a little "off", but right now, I'm doing fine. I've tried the ginger that everyone is suggesting nowadays, but, to be honest, I don't know how much of a difference that makes. Dave has helped me get a "cocktail" of anti-nausea meds so I'm not overdoing anything, but it seems to be just enough to help me get by. Suffice it to say, my regime is a lot less than what he went through, but he is certainly more sympathetic than most husbands ever could be.

Something else that is different this time, is that I received a call from the Breast Consultant at the hospital who recommended I take Claritin, to help with the bone pain associated with the Neulasta injection. It's really early right now to tell if it's helping or not, since I just had the Neulasta injection today at 1:00 pm, but, so far, so good. So, we'll see if there is some merit in taking Claritin. It helps with my seasonal allergies too! Two-fer one!

We're all hanging in there though, and I'll be glad to get to feeling normal again (by next week). We have the boys going to a Summer Day Camp this week which is so helpful. They are really enjoying it and it's giving me time to recuperate and have some peace and quiet. So, I think I will wrap up this entry about now. Sorry I don't have more to say, but, sometimes it's just good to get by and not say too much, you know?

Getting Ready for Round 3

Well, we're back from our vacation to Hilton Head and I'm going in tomorrow morning for Round 3 of my chemo. It was sooooo nice to get out of town, relax, enjoy the beach, the waves, decent weather and just have fun. Dave's whole family was there (minus Zach who is in the Navy), but it was just so nice to be with the family, have a good time and forget about all the cancer "stuff" that we've been going through for almost a year now. Our family and one of Dave's sisters and her family stayed at the Hilton Head Disney Resort...we love it there, lots to do, fun pool, neat activities and just plain ol' Disney fun. His parents and other 2 sisters and their families stayed across the highway in Palmetto Dunes (on the beach) so we were able to enjoy the best of both worlds. We cooked out, went out, played at the beach, played at the pool, played ping pong, went crabbing and just had a great time. OK, so now the vacation is over and back to reality...

I'm ready for tomorrow and to be able to officially say, "I'm 1/2 way through"...it'll be like I'll be on the downhill side of chemo. It just stinks that you get to feeling good, almost normal, and then you go in and they make you feel crappy all over again. One thing for sure, I'm having A LOT more hot flashes. I guess that means the chemo is working in that it is slowing down or stopping my estrogen and progesterone production since that is what the cancer feeds off of. So, yes, I'm going into early menopause...oh well, it could be a lot worse, you know? Another plus, I don't have to shave my legs this summer! I didn't even take a razor on vacation! It was a snap getting ready too, no hair products, no blow dryer or curling iron, just throw a scarf on and I am good to go...got to keep looking for the silver lining in all this, you know.

So, I know this is short, but really, this is all I have for now. I'm sure I'll be doing another post to keep everyone up to date on how things are going. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!