Feeling Stronger Every Day!

I am feeling so much better. It has been 1 month since my last treatment and I am finally starting to feel a little normal again. I went to work Friday and Monday. Monday I didn’t last the entire 2 hours. I got really tired and could not stand up any more. I got home and crawled into bed and stayed there for a while. It was such a beautiful day, and I thought I should be outside but then I knew there would be more nice days ahead of me. Jeff made me stay home from work today. He thinks I overdo it. And I do. I go until I drop.

My son's girlfriend Bonnie moved in with us over the weekend. I came home from work yesterday and she was like Cinderella cleaning everything in the house! I told her you clean and I will feed you…hee hee. I can’t believe that in 3 months I will be a grandma! They are so cute together and love each other so much.

I am so proud of Megan, she is a great artist. She is so good at portraits. She can take a picture of someone and draw it perfectly. She just sold another one and she has 3 more orders. If anyone is interested email me and I will hook you up with the best up and coming artist!! She does a great job. She does animals too! I posted some of her work. I am a proud momma!

I have a doctor’s appointment April 2. I still don’t have the results of my CT scan. I am thinking no news is good news!

I think I made my dog lazy. All he does is lay around all day now. I don’t even have to be there. He used to follow me around all day, but all I did way lay around the last 2 months so he got used to it.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Relay for Life. I will walk a lap in honor of you at the Relay. If anyone is interested in the Relay there is a link on the side bar of my main journal page.

 

Good Weekend, and the Relay for Life

I went to my family doctor Monday for a follow up from the hospital. She has treated my asthma for years so she knows all about my lung issues. I still have some wheezing so she put me on some other asthma meds. I also told her about the hot flashes I have all night long and she suggested eating soy products. She said that it really helps some people. I am ready to try anything..bring on the tofu!

Friday I went to the show with my sister. I called her earlier that day and said…”I have to get out of the house and do something.” We had a really good time. We ended up meeting my family at a bar for a late dinner afterward. It was nice to get out and do something.

Saturday I woke up feeling good too. I went to my nephew’s basketball game and then I had to go buy Megan some drawing paper so I visited my mom were she works at JoAnn’s. Then from there I went to Target and walked around for about 2 hours. I bought popcorn and a pop and just wandered around the store. I ended up in the baby section and bought something for the baby. I bought a shirt that says What happens at Grandma’s stays at Grandma’s! And some little booties to go with it. I spent about half an hour in the trail mix section. I really don’t eat the stuff, but I was fascinated by how many different kinds of mix there is! I ended up buying something covered in chocolate, and some honey crunch nuts. When I got out to the car, I sat there for 10 minutes eating trail mix. Not a care in the world. By the time I got home, I was exhausted but I really needed to get out.

Sunday I went out to breakfast with my family, then Jeff took me to the grocery store. So I have been doing ok, I just lose my energy really fast. I am still not supposed to be around people that are sick. That is kind of impossible right now since everyone I know is sick. I was paranoid to touch the shopping carts. I think I will carry some antibacterial wipes in my purse.

I have had a headache for 2 days now. Nothing I take helps but I will take a headache over the chemo misery any day!! I think I just over did it on the weekend. When I feel good I try do too much. And then I just hit the wall.

Below is the link to my Relay for Life page. If i can get it to work...(There is also one to the side of my main journal page) I am in charge of getting all the entertainment and I am starting to plan. I still have to confirm a couple bands, call some clowns and make sure all the special laps are in place. It is so much fun. I am hoping some of you can make it out to visit our booth. My mom is making her famous mostacholi. That is what we sell at our booth to raise money and last year it went over really good. We still need people to join our team! We would love more team members. If you live nearby please come and hang out with us for a while and walk a couple laps. Honestly, this is just something you have to experience to know what I am talking about. I got involved 5 years ago and have been involved since then.

http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=206040&lis=1&kntae206040=E10838D84FB54128B366AD8931F6C6BD&supId=157296771

I'm Home

I am home now. They released me from the hospital on Monday and I am slowly getting my strength back. The good thing is I can breath! I was so congested that it was wearing me out. It was so weird, I would start to feel good and then it would hit me again. This went on for 3 weeks until my sister Sue finally made me go to the hospital on Friday. I was still in denial that I had to be there while I was in the waiting room with my sisters. I kept saying...."I feel better now...can we go home"....lol.Sue said.."get up and walk to the atm machine and back and we will see".. The thought of it exhausted me so I knew I was in the right place. I have to say, you see the strangest things in an emergency room. Just random people with the strangest things going on. I wanted them to set my bed up out there so I could just watch people all day. Although people might have though we were the weird ones. I was sitting there with my bald head in between my sisters, and one was rubbing my back and the other was rubbing my head. hee hee

When they finally called me back Sue came with me and we followed to the exam area. We kept walking and walking and finally I said to Sue...I have to stop..and the guy turns around and says.."I should have gotten you a wheel chair" and the stubborn side of me said "I'm ok" and I kept walking.

They gave me triple dose of breathing treatment and started my IV in my port. The doctor came in and was really funny. He cracked a couple jokes and Sue said..."who does he think he is Doctor McFunny. (you know like Dr. McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy). So when he came back in that's what I called him. At this point I was still ready to go home, but he decided to keep me under 24 hour emergency care watch. After many breathing treatments and antibiotics they decided I needed to be admitted. I had so many steroids that my face is really round and my stomach is bloated. I know it will go away but when your bald and feeling not so cute, the last thing you need is a moon face.

I had my bone scan and my CT scan while I was there. My bone scan came back clean! I am still waiting for the CT results. I go to the Dr. on Monday for that. I also had a heart ultrasound, (chemo can cause heart damage), and an electrocardiogram.

My dog missed me so much that when I came home the window shade was broke from where he was sticking his head out waiting for me to come home!  When I walked in the door he went nuts. Following me and crying and whining. I love my dog!

I was planning on working this week until all this happened. I feel so lost. I haven't been to work in weeks. I enjoy the kids and my friends so I miss it. I still have a lot ahead of me with the raditaion so I know I won't be back at work everyday. They have to "tatoo" me and get me set up for it. Then I have to be there everyday for 6 weeks. (5 days a week).

My poor mom is going to drop taking care of me. She is here everyday doing the dishes and laundry. I enjoy having her here. We have always been really close but this time we are spending together means so much to me. I am so happy to have her here with me through this.

My cousin MaryLyn came over On Thursday, the day before I went into the hospital and brought my family dinner. It was so good. They were chicken rollups, with cheese and salsa. She even brought the sour cream to go with it. Brownies too! My family loved it, and it was nice to have something ready for Jeff when he got home from work. Thank you so much MaryLyn.

Megan drew some pictures of me in the hospital. They are so cute so I thought I would show them. She is working on a picture of her dad right now. I can't wait until she is done so I can show it off. It is amazing!

I am particpating in the Taylor Relay for Life again this year and I am also the entertainment chair. It is a 24 hour walk for The American Cancer Society. I've  known so many people touched by cancer that I have been doing this even before I was diagnosed. This will be my 5 year. It will be very different for me this year as a cancer survivor. It is still hard to believe it. I have had a hard time with this. I always did this for other people and it is hard to accept that I am a part of the reasons to relay now. I will try and post a  link to my Realy for Life page. If you have one in your city or town you should try and go just to experience it once. It is amazing!

Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and concern. It means so much to me.

Not Feeling So Well...

Hi everyone, this is Trish's sister Sue again.  Trish has not been feeling too well and on Friday we had to take her to the ER department.  She is so weak and was very close to having pneumonia.  She has been on antibiotics for 12 days now and they are concerned about why she is not getting better.  Needless to say, we are very worried.  She feels a little better today, but is on oxygen and just has absolutely no energy.  They have been giving her breathing treatments since yesterday, and some other medicines in her IV.  They are bringing in an infectious disease doctor to see if they can pinpoint what is going on.  She will be there until at least Monday.  She has her scans (right there) on Monday too.  We'll keep you posted - please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 

Feeling better!

I went to the oncologist Monday and when he saw how sick I was and how bad my chest was rattling they hooked my up with  IV antibiotics.  I also had a shot of steroids. I am already starting to feel better! I had more energy today than I have had in 3 weeks! I even cooked for my family!  I had to sit down a lot but it was nice to get up and do something.  Monday I couldn't even walk to my bathroom and today I cleaned it! hee hee. I can honestly say that the way I feel today makes me know that I will be ok. I was getting scared there for a while when I wasn't bouncing back from that last chemo.

My mom came today and did all my laundry. I just can't walk up and down the stairs.  She has gone to all my appointments with me!  I love her so much.

Megan's 18th birthday is tomorrow!  I can't believe my little baby girl is growing up. :(

I have to go next Monday and have all my scans done. A bone scan, and a CT scan of my abdomen, thorax and pelvis. I just know that it will all turn out ok.  I will start radiation after my tests are done. I am so ready to have my life back. This had been one heck of a ride. One that I don't ever want to get on again!

Still Waiting to Feel Better.

I have been so sick!  I started to feel better last Sunday but by the time my mom came to take me to the doctor on Monday I went downhill. I took a shower before she got there and then had all I could do to get dressed. My white count was .05 and that wasn't good.  I did my shots to boost my white count for three days. (Yay no more shots) My mom stayed with me a few nights because I was that miserable. I have a chest cold now too and I am losing my voice again! Thank god for my family. I haven't done anything or left my house since I went to the doctor on Monday. I am on antibiotics AGAIN and I feel a little better but I have been doing breathing treatments because I can't breath. I am hoping to get back to work soon. I have no energy so I am worried that I might get tired too easy. I mean I only work 2 hours but I am on my feet and I have to say, I get tired just walking to the bathroom. That last chemo really did me in. I think I will start to feel better by the end of the week. I have a doctor appointment Monday, and he will set me up for radiation. I am just glad to be done with chemo. Two of my finger nails are sore and falling off. I know gross!! And my toes hurt so bad about 3 weeks ago and now they are peeling. Ewww. I am getting all the weird freaky side effects.  No mouth sores this time thanks to my mom and my Aunt Ann! They ordered some ST 37 from the pharmacy and it worked miracles for my mouth! My mom used to buy it when we were kids and we haven't been able to find it any where. My aunt said it was a special order thing from the pharmacy and she ordered for me. I wish we would have tried it sooner, but at least I didn't have to suffer through mouth sores this last time. 

I felt my little grand baby kick yesterday! I am starting to realize I am going to be a Grandma and it makes me so happy!

Well back to the couch for me. I am so sick of my house right now. :(