New spot on spleen

I had a CT scan on Monday October 26, 2015.  The spots in my lungs have not grown since I started the chemo pills (Votrient).  They found a new spot on my spleen.  When they looked at my last abdominal ct in April there was no spot.  My Oncologist decided to wait until my next CT scan the end of January to make a decision on what to do.  The spot is very small right now.  I did some research and found out the a spleen is 5" x 3" x 1".  It's main job is our immune system.  My doctor wants me to have four immunizations before January in cause I have my spleen removed.  The spleen has a lot of blood flow so it isn't a good idea to do a biopsy. Yesterday I started to have some pain in my right arm pit.  I'm pretty sure that I have a lump there.  I did some research and found that we have a lump nod in our arm pits.  I've messaged my doctor to see what she wants to do.  See me before my next appointment in January or see me before that date.  I don't know if she will keep on the same chemo pills or do something else.

Ken and I had a very dear friend pass away on Tuesday of this week.  She has been struggling with breast cancer for the last six year.  We were blessed to visit her and her husband a week before she passed away.  It was a very spiritual visit.  She and her family had accepted what was to come.  She said she felt a lot of peace and love.  When we found out she had passed it really hit us hard.  Ken especially was struggling.  He had to come home from work the day after because he was so sad.  I had to tell him that I was still here with him and that we had to work to be thankful for each and every day that we had together. Cancer makes our future so uncertain that it changes your perspective and makes you so thankful for small things and of course big things.

My dear sweet Dad has really been struggling as of late.  We moved in with him in February of 2014. We have noticed small changed along the way.  His memory has been failing for the passed few years. He has gone from driving to not driving any more.  From paying the bills to not paying them any more.  From fixing his breakfast and blending his meals to not being able to any more.  I have been giving his pills since we moved in.  In June of this year he woke up and was screaming.  I thought he was having a heart attack.  His nose was bleeding and it just went on an on.  We called the paramedics and he was taken to the ER.  He woke up from that episode soon after getting to the hospital.  He had tests run and nothing could be found to be wrong.  He had a terrible fall on September 12th.  He was out walking and I think he was disoriented and passed out.  He didn't even put his hands out to catch himself.  He feel right on his face.  He broke his nose and had a cut stitched up on the bridge of his nose.  He had a terrible goose egg size bump above his right eye.  They couldn't get his nose to stop bleeding so they had to pack it for three days.  The skin on his right hand was all laid back and bleeding.  They couldn't see anything broken but his nose.  It was really awful.

Since his fall he has had episodes to were he would be in a coma like episode.  When we first noticed it we were having Sunday dinner on September 20th.  Kelly was visiting and he asked dad a question and dad just stared forward.  That happened twice at dinner.  They lasted about 20 seconds each. Then he started having episode that lasted much longer.  He was taken three move different times to the ER.  The longest lasting nine hours.  The doctors were baffled.  They didn't know what was going on.  His CT scans didn't show anything and his labs were good.  He would wake up from these episodes and not remember any thing that had happened.  On the third trip to the ER (Halloween night) the doctor wondered if it my be seizures.  He was given a seizure medication in his IV and he finally came out of it. Dad stayed over night in the hospital for observation.  He had a good night and was released Sunday afternoon. He started the pills for seizures on Monday.

On Thursday dad and I were out for a drive and I noticed he was having a hard time breathing.  Then he started crying and howling uncontrollably.  I drove him over to his family doctors office.  It was during lunch time and luckily the doctor and his staff were still there.  Dad was having such a terrible time.  Dr. Bruce looked at the EEG results that dad had on October  30th and talked on the phone to dad's neurologist and felt like he didn't have seizures.  It looked like he had PBA.  It's a neurotic problem connected to dementia and or traumatic brain injury.  It's were the person cries or laughs uncontrollably.

Cancer update

I had a CT scan on October 26th.  The spots in my lungs had not grown since I started the chemo pills which is great news.  But a new spot was found on my spleen.  It is small so we will wait until my next scan January 25th.  The spleen is important in our immune system.  There are four immunizations I need to get before I have my next scan in cause they decide to remove it.  I will continue taking the chemo pills.  I was taking four each night but was having a bad time with diarrhea so my doctor changed me to three a night.  I have lost 25 pounds since I started the pills in July.  My taste buds have really been affected.  There isn't much I can eat that settles well.

New update on my Dad

I think we may have the reason for my Dad's behavior as of late.  Have you seen the TV commercial with Danny Glover on PBA?  It's a neurological problem connected with dementia and or traumatic brain injury. It's when to person cries or laughs uncontrollably.  Other symptoms are periods of unresponsive staring  and moments of hallucinations an anxiety.  He has all of these symptoms.  He's been at the ER five times in the last four months.  He has been put on Hospice and we will be getting home help with Doctor care.  Also nursing and personal hygiene care. We are pretty much home bound at this point.  I do try to take him for a drive each day to get out of the house.  He's mostly very quiet and sits in his chair and rocks.  Most of the time he doesn't want the TV or music.  He's very sweet and complaint most of the time.  My heart drakes for him.  I pray that he will be able to go and be with my Mom soon.  He is such a wonderful person!  He is the best father a child could have asked for.  He has always been there for me.  I pray I can always be there for him.

    

Chemo Pills

It's now been 4 weeks that I've been taking the chemo pills.  The name of the pills is Votrient (Pazopanib).  I take 4 every night.  I was scared to death to first take them.  The unknown is why.  I was given the paper with the side effects, but it's different with each unique person.  After the 1st day and week, for that matter, there were really no side effects.  But  now that I'm 4 weeks into it I do have side effects that I would like to write about.

This is going to be very personal, so if you don't want to read any further, I understand.  Diarrhea is the biggest side effect that I'm having right now.  It may just be how it is.  I stay pretty close to home most of the time.  But if I'm out and about I travel with an emergency bag. The essentials that I may need in case I don't quite make it in time to the bathroom.  The biggest problem with that is that I'm so sore!  Need I say more?  I didn't think so.

Just this week I've noticed how sensitive my fingers are.  I was drying off after a shower and the towel felt so rough.  When I dry my hands off after washing my hands it's very uncomfortable.  The ends of my fingers are very warm and a deeper color than the rest of my hands.  My feet have never been the same since my other two bouts with chemo.  They are just getting worse.  It's really hard to describe.  It's almost like they are numb but yet they aren't.  Sometimes it feels like there are little pins in them.  It's hard to make my toes curl up.  It's just a very weird feeling.

My gums are so sour.  When I brush I have to be so gentle.  I've got to find a different toothpaste.  Something that's not so hot.  It feels like my mouth is on fire.  The inside of my mouth feels like I ate something too hot and I got burned.  It's also changed my  taste buds.  Food tastes so different.  It's just not as enjoyable to eat.  Then I've really got heart burn.  I'm having to be very picky about what I eat.  The chemo pills enhance and intensify with some heart burn medications.  I just started a medication my oncologist said I could try.  I just to take it opposite from when I take the chemo pills.  I take the chemo pills at night and I take the heart burn medication in the morning.

Tiredness is another thing I'm experiencing.  I'm up at night running (walking fast) to the bathroom a lot and that goes on all day.  If it's not that it's heart burn.  My energy level is much lower than usual. The longer I'm on these pills I wonder if all these side effects will get worse or just level out.  I don't know yet.  I am scheduled for my next CT scan in October so I guess it depends on that scan to see just how long I'll be on these pills.

To sum it all up,  it feels like I'm being cooked from the inside out.  My skin feels so dry.  My face has never been dry but now I'm putting on a lot more lotion.  I sure hope that these things won't get worse.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful that I am fortunate enough to take these chemo pills.  I'm so grateful for my doctors and for the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I'm not complaining.  I just wanted to make a record of the side effects from this medication.

New CT Scan

I had a CT scan on Monday the 13th.  The scan showed two new spots in my right lung and two new spots in my left lung.  My oncologist felt like it would be a good idea to start taking daily chemo pills.  I got a call that said the insurance had okay-ed the pills.  I will be getting them home delivered on Friday.  It has all been quite fast.  I don't think I'm quite mentally prepared.

I shouldn't lose my hair but it may turn white.  The other side effects are tiredness diarrhea  and nausea.  From what I understand, this chemo pill is quite new and it's for sarcomas.  I will go in for labs in August and them for a CT scan in October.

It wasn't the news we were expecting but not totally surprised either.  I've had a 19 month vacation from chemo.  It's been wonderful!  My hair has grown back so I didn't get (looks) any more.  I had days go by that I didn't even think of cancer.  I was just me.  Not the person with cancer.  I new that it was probably going to come back but you are never quite prepared for it.  The thing that's the hardest for me is telling the people I love and care about that it's back.  I hate the worry and sadness that it brings.  Not to mention the cost etc.

We new of two spots already.  I had an ablation in May the biggest one.  I thought that the other one would probably be getting to the size that it would be ready for that procedure.  I wasn't expecting to hear about the two in my left lung.  We will just have to see what happens between now and October.  Ablations could still be an option in the future.

My sweet Dad is really having problems with his memory.  That is becoming more and more of a worry for us.  He has had, what I call, night terrors.  They are really scary!  He was with me on Monday when we met with the doctors.  I don't think he understands what is going on.  That is probably a blessing.

I am so tired tonight but I'm sick to my stomach and can't sleep.  This is probably bothering me more than I think.  I do have a peace about this though which I am so grateful for.

On a more happy note.  Jenny and her five daughters came and stayed with us for five weeks.  It was so much fun having them here.  My Dad just loved having them stay with us.  He especially loved little Isabella.  She has such a sweet spirit and loved being held.  She would smile and sing the song of her people.  Dad and Becca had fun too.  She liked to sit with him and would ask him to take his teeth out.  The house is so quite without them.

Jason graduated from Olympus on June 5th.  That was such a great day.  We are so proud of him.  He really had to work extra hard to make up credits so he could graduate.  He is living with one of his band mates family in Salt Lake.  He just started working in retail selling watches.  He is planning on going to SLCC this fall.

Tracee's daughter, Ruby, was baptised last Saturday.  It was such a great event.  She was so excited and she was so beautiful.  We had a fun get together after.

Ken's mom got a pass maker last week.  I took her to get her hair done today.  She is doing so much better.  It's so fun to be with her.  We go grocery shopping and out to lunch on Wednesday's.  I am so blessed to have such an incredible Mother-in-law.

This summer is just flying by!

Ken's Sinus Surgery

On Monday May 11th Ken had Sinus Surgery.  We arrived at the Ogden Regional Hospital at 1:00.  It is such a cute little hospital.  It's so much smaller than we are used to.  Ken was taken into surgery at 3:30 and was done just before 6:00.  The doctor said that everything went well.  We got home about 8:30.  Ken has had a pretty good night.  He has a stint in his nose but no packing so he can breath through his nose.  What a blessing.  I have given him Tylenol for pain because he gets so sick on the pain meds.  He will be pretty miserable for the next few days.  He is scheduled to go back to work on Monday.  We will have to see how he feels.  We really hope that this surgery helps and that he doesn't get sinus infections anymore.  I'm also hoping that it helps his sleep apnea. We are so thankful for health insurance and living at a time when there is so much medical abilities.  We live at a great time.  I love my husband and family so much!

Lung Ablation Procedure

On Friday May 8th 2015 Ken and went to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for the Lung Cancer Ablation procedure.  We arrived at 7:00 a.m.  I was nervous because it was something new and wasn't sure what to expect.  I had heard that it was so much better than the lung surgery that I had in January of 2014.  From what I could gather, I was the second patient of my doctor that day.  To make a long story short, I was taken into the CT room at 2:35 p.m.  To say the least, I was beyond anxious!  I was put to sleep and the procedure took three hours.  I stayed over night at Huntsman that night.  A small chest tube was left in the draw any fluid out.  I was put on steroids to keep the swelling down.  I didn't sleep a bit that night.  I was taken very good care of.  The nurses were great! When I first got to my room I asked the aide if a nurse named Karen happened to be working.  She said she did work on that floor but wasn't there.  Well guess what?  The next morning Karen was my nurse.  I was so happy to see her.  When I was going through chemo the last time I stayed for a 48 hour infusion for six different times.  I was very lucky to get Karen as my nurse many of those times. She is so great!  She is very caring and compassionate and so open and friendly.  She is sure in the right line of work.

I was in a little pain on my right side until the chest tube was taken out of Saturday. I'm just amazed at how good I feel.  No pain at all now.  I was discharged at 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening.  I got pretty sick to my stomach on the was home and through up a few times.  I'm pretty sure that it was from pain medicine so I stopped taking them and  felt so much better.

I was able to go to church on Sunday and lead the choir at choir practice with no pain.  I did have a headache though.  I'm sure it was from the anesthesia.  A little Tylenol and all was well.  We came home from church and a little lunch and had a giant nap.  The kids came over that evening and we had such a great time.  I didn't to a thing.  Loni and Mark provided and hamburgers and Mark barbecued them.  He is an excellent barbecue r.  Tracee make a 7 layer dip with tortilla chips and salsa and a yummy broccoli salad.  Shawnee had a tummy bunt cake for dessert.  We ate out on the patio and it was so much fun.  After Ruby and Macy had a fun Mother's Day party downstairs for us all to enjoy.  We had stations that we would rotate to.  One stations was making Mother's Day cards.  One was singing, and one was a memory section.  You would look at photo albums.  They are just so cute.

Jason went to Senior Prom on Saturday with his girlfriend Carley.  He showed us the pictures and told us about how much fun they had.  It was so fun the hear him tell us about it.  He also showed us the video of his band, Yedi when they performed at the State battle of the bands.

It was just a lovely, lovely day!