Half-way on/off the Blog Wagon...

"Alright, alright, alright" (please read in a Mathew McConaughey voice)!!!  So I promised to start bloggin' more (shout out to Olga for keeping me honest) and technically I have since it was almost a month between posts at the end of the year and it's only been 20 days since my last one....

Cycle 3 Summary: 
After my recent experiences with nurses having a really difficult time getting an IV started, my oncologist suggested that I consider getting a port.  Initially I was hesitant to get a port because I didn't want to go through an unnecessary procedure and was really on the fence about it.  So going into chemo day - I really tried to up my hydration game in hopes that it would buy me a "one and done" IV placement and prove that I didn't need a port after all.  Unfortunately that was not how it would go and the nurses at the new infusion center found out why people should call me Jaimee "hard stick" Bible.  After a few attempts the nurses were finally able to get an IV in my hand (ahhh how those hurt).  That being said, overall the chemo infusions went well and before I knew it I was on my way home to rest.  Oh, and by the end of the day I was leaning toward getting that port!!

Ain't Nobody Got Time For a Bloody Nose: 
All was going pretty well in the chemo recovery cycle until Thursday afternoon when I developed a nose bleed that just wouldn't stop.  I won't bore you with all the "bloody" details but after two trips to the emergency department (one Thursday and one Saturday) the physicians were able to get my nose bleed under control (👃 packing definitely doesn't feel good but it does the job).

Bloody nose >>> hard to drink water >>> DEHYDRATION: 
Monday morning Nathan and I went to my port consult appointment to review the procedure and get it scheduled (on the books for Friday 1/26/18).  During the visit I started to really not feel well and my vitals didn't look so hot (my blood pressure was low and my heart rate was much higher than normal).  Being stubborn me, I thought I could just go to work, drink some water and that I would start to feel better.  However, that's not how it all played out.  By about 10:30 am my symptoms were getting worse and I was feeling light headed.  So back to the ED I went and had me wondering - does 3 times in 5 days make me a "frequent flyer"??  After about a 5 hour wait I finally was taken to an exam room.  Nathan and I spent another 5 hours in the ED where they "tanked me up" with IV fluids and some magnesium and sent me home to get some much needed rest.

Up Next:
Getting a port on Friday and continuing on the chemo recovery plan with my next chemo scheduled for Tuesday February 6th.

2 Cycles Down, One Year Wiser, and Ready for 2018

I fell off the blog wagon.... but I'm getting back on and back to blogging more regularly.  Not just so that you all can stay informed but also because I do think that it has become a therapeutic part of this experience.

So what has been happening since my last blog?  I have finished two cycles of my new chemo regimen so I am one third of the way through!

Cycle 1 Recap:
As I shared in my last blog post the actual chemo infusions on Thursday November 30th went pretty well.  This new chemo regimen includes additional pre-medications to help prevent nausea/vomiting since the risk of this is much higher with this treatment.  I felt pretty good the evening after chemo and the next day.  The chemo nurses warned me that you start to feel crappy about 2-3 days after chemo and they were spot on.  That weekend I spent most of the time resting and taking my post chemo anti-nausea medications.  Overall it took me about a week to recover to the point where my appetite was back and my energy level was improved.  Shout out to my IT friends who really lifted my spirits with an AWESOME gift basket when I really needed it!!

Bald IS Beautiful:

The nurses informed me that about 2 weeks after chemo I would start to lose my hair and once again they were right.  At first, my hair just seemed to come out if there was a tangle and with any slight pulling but then it started to fall out by just running my fingers through it.  As most of you know, I'm not really that attached to my hair.  I've had short hair for most of my life and like to try bold hair styles.  So rather than let my hair loss be this long drawn out process, I decided to go all GI Jane and just have it shaved off.  I contacted Abby, my hairstylist, and she was able to fit me in to her schedule with only a few days notice (she is amazing!!) and on Friday December 15th she gave me a buzz cut while Nathan and my mom watched.  It feels liberating to have a shaved head and as the weeks have passed my hair has continued to fall out and become a bit more patchy but I'm rocking it!! 

Cycle 2 Recap:
My second chemo cycle was originally scheduled for Tuesday, December 19th (would be 2 days shy of 21 days in order to get my appointments on Tuesdays so I could be seen by my oncologist).  I had my labs drawn on Monday, December 18th and unfortunately my white blood cell counts were too
low to get treatment so cycle 2 was pushed to Tuesday, December 26th.  On a positive note, this 1 week deferment allowed me to enjoy visiting with friends and family and all the holiday food 😋.  Other than the nurses having a difficult time placing the IV line, cycle 2 chemo infusions went pretty smoothly.  However, it was the recovery that got a little complicated.  About 24 hours after chemo I started to feel really tired and crappy and ended up not being able to work on Thursday or Friday.  By Friday evening Nathan started having symptoms consistent with a GI bug and before I knew it I was too.  I ended up spending the rest of 2017 and the first day of the New Year house bound, trying to stay hydrated and getting as much rest as I could.  Thankfully, on January 2nd, I woke up on my birthday not only one year wiser but feeling much better!!

What's next:
Cycle 3 is scheduled for Tuesday January 16th.  My oncologist added a supportive medication (Neulasta Onpro) to help my white cell counts recover in between cycles so here's to hoping that it works!!