Not Much Has Change

Sorry I haven’t posted anything lately, but not much has changed in the last week. I guess the nausea is a little better and I am getting used to the bad taste in my mouth. At least nobody has complained if I had bad breath or not. The tingling and numbness in my hands isn’t getting any better and I am not getting use to it. If I use my hands a lot, I have a bit more discomfort, especially at night. It is to the point, which I might slip in a pain pill to help me get to sleep. Not looking forward to treatment number four on June 2nd, but it is the best option I got.

Nothing else happening in our lives, except the Relay For Life in July. Brandy and Debi with a little help from me have been making and cooking stuff that, I have been taking into work. Everyone at work has been splendid about donating and eating what I bring in. I have already expanded to two different locations with “Fred’s Fantastic Foods” food boxes and have about a $150 to donate. I think that is great for the short time I have been doing it. We are planning to bake more on Monday morning, so I can bring that in that night for Tuesday. But then unfortunately I have to close down for a couple weeks for Chemo. I might have to make a extra couple trips down to work or maybe, there are couple people who don’t live too far away from me, that maybe I could work out a deal with. Free food for deliver service.

Brandy also sent me a couple links to some places to get Cancer related T-Shirts. I am going to buy the family a shirt for the Relay For Life. Some of them are pretty funny about the serious subject of Cancer. But you have to laugh. Both Debi and like “Yes one is fake, but the other is a real Hooter” Support Breast Cancer Research. Or “I have Chemo Brain, What Your Excuse”. Or “I have a new Barber, my Oncologist”. Just stuff like that. There were over 10,000 designs associated with just this one web site. We are going to check with a local shop that we have dealt with in the past also just to see what they have. My daughter-in-law did it for her sister’s get together. I just think it will look real cool with the family at the Relay For Life dressed alike. And I was thinking with my chemo brain, that I might go ahead and get Zander and Lucas (who hasn’t even be born yet) a shirt. Maybe we can get a picture of everyone together in September, when they come up for a visit. But I haven’t cleared that one with the significant boss yet.

SSDD, Same Stuff, Different Day

Well nothing has changed except the weather. The bad taste, the nausea, and the tingling are still here. The bad taste may have even gotten a little worst. I really have to concentrate on eating now. I have to more or less make myself eat. Which is a big thing, because when I don’t eat often enough, the nausea gets worst? I also think that, where initially I gain a little weight, now I am losing a little. The last few days haven't been good at home, haven’t felt like doing much. I been napping more, I might have gotten a sinus / head cold. This has a lot of drainage, which cause more nausea. Nasty cycle. But I am back to work until the next treatment June 2.

The grand kids got a new thing going, they like to rub my head or pat it. I guess I help this along a little when they got to put shaving cream on my very light stubble. Zoey was practicing writing her name on my head.

We are trying to teach them about their heritage with the farm and watermelons. The granddaughter was all for it, but the grandson wasn’t so sure.

Brandy is trying to help me get organized on getting some fund raiser stuff. She is going to help me make some chocolate covered strawberries for my work. Debi is getting me going on some bake goods. But I am not a salesman, so I don't push the issue like I should. Hopefully I can sell some.

I think The Side Effects Have Moved in PERMANENTLY

Just thought I would put in a short note. The bad taste, the nausea, and the tingling have all taken up permanent residency. They have all been hanging around a lot longer this time. I have been taking nausea medicine daily and I am not sure if it has let up that much, it is not real bad, but constant. Besides the tingling and numbness in my fingers and hands, I am also having a little in my toes. Not as bad, but you know it is there.

Haven’t done much the past few days, just haven’t had the desire. Sunday went to see Young Frankenstein with Brandy. She had brought the tickets for my Birthday in March, before this cancer stuff started. It was a good show and very good day. Came home and helped her with her chocolate covered strawberries that evening. Monday was out in the barn mostly sitting in a chair sorting small things. Debi and the grandkids came out and played.

Who Said You Couldn’t Compound Side Effects

When I talked with the doctor Wednesday about the bad taste, the nausea, and the tingling in my fingers. Of course all of these are all normal side effects and they could be worst. They are controllable with drugs, RIGHT. Sometimes we aren’t as smart as we think we are. They all got worst.

The nausea didn’t get as bad as the very first night after I took chemo, where I thought I was going to throw-up, but luckily didn’t, but that time it started to go away the next night. But this time it isn’t going away so easily. Its three days later and I’m still taking the strongest nausea pills I got daily. Which I found out is the same one that my pregnant daughter-in-law has been taking. I am sure glad I found out with the first ultra sound that I wasn’t pregnant. It hasn’t slowed me much, but that feeling is always with me. The bad taste in the mouth got worst, water taste like it has something metal in it. Sour stuff taste OK to me, so I drink lemonade, regular, pink, and green, whatever Debi can find. It is getting old fast. Soda is out; carbonation hurts my stomach and compounds the gas. Which I already have too much of. Still have the tingling in my fingers and my hands are little numb. The doctor reduced the amount of Vincristine that I received. This is another one of its nasty little side effects like the abdominal cramps I had on Easter. Then the insomnia is back, I am getting about four or five hours per night. But I don’t feel that tired during the day.

I went back to the doctor’s office Thursday and got my routine shot of Neulasta, which is used to stimulate the growth of "healthy" white blood cells. But its effects your joints and makes them hurt. Oh goody. Found out that after my fourth chemo treatment on June 2, I go back into the hospital for more pictures and tests to see how I am doing. But I guess I am doing well. I am still taken back a little about the doctor’s funny face and questions when I told me that I was going back between treatments. I guess a lot of others don’t. He didn’t say I couldn’t. I guess now my next worries will be with the company doctor, whenever my sick leave papers catch with him. He might not let me back to work. Hee, Hee, I have al ready been back to work.

Friday was a real day, went to the end of the school year ice cream social for my granddaughter in the morning, took my mother out to lunch, and met my sister and her family at the Roxana Homecoming. Had a good fish sandwich to support my nephew and the local fire department.

And that bring everyone up to Saturday morning 4:00AM when I got up and started writing this.

Except just to let everyone know who I work with, that I have join the Cancer Walk in Highland with my daughter Brandy’s team, over the weekend of July 9th. She is a 25 year cancer survivor and has been doing for awhile, but this year we are making it a family affair. My other daughter Tally’s two girls are joining us. My 87 year mother is making necklaces and selling them at another cancer walk with her ladies club team. Brandy last year raised $3,000 and has long head start on me. She is cooking and making things and selling them at her work. Sunday, she is coming over to the house and making over 200 chocolate cover strawberries that she has presold. I going to check with my work, about our rules and policies and when I feel good, I am going to try and make some of my fantastic homemade desserts that I used to make, when I worked on a unit. So everyone needs to have a sweet tooth ready.

All tethered up and no placed to go.

Well I finished up my last midnight shift, gave a three and half hour deposition, got my tractor tire fix, worked an extra shift yesterday afternoon, and everything went fine. It was a just a long day and after that, I slept about eleven hours. Like I said before, I was a little more exhausted this last week, than I normally am on midnights, but as long as I got enough sleep I was fine. I haven’t been able to do anything but work and sleep. Saturday I only slept four hours, but then on Monday I slept all most ten hours. This is truly unusual for me, especially lately with the insomnia that I have been having.

I am still having what I call T-N-T. A bad Taste in my mouth, Nausea, and the Tingling in my fingers. All they are controllable with drugs. Life is not the same without drugs. But I talked to the doctor about it, to ease my mind. The one thing that I am a little worried about is that going into Chemo with the nausea. If I already have some nausea, will it get worse with the treatment? I know the nausea has stayed with me the entire three weeks since the last treatment and it didn’t do that on the first treatment.

I think prepped for my treatment as best I can. I stopped taking my blood pressure medicine so hopefully my BP won’t drop like it did last time. I am trying to drink as much as I can, to keep myself hydrated. And since I am spending a lot of time in the bathroom, because of all the water I drink, I have doubled up on the laxatives to eliminate those problems that the Chemo drugs cause.

So I am sitting in the doctor’s treatment center, tethered to an IV pump, getting part three of a nine part treatment. This takes about five hours, so I am still bringing my computer into the doctor’s office. Ironically I had to tether my computer to the wall, because I ran out of battery power, because I was on it so long.

Talked with the doctor this morning about the bad taste, the nausea, and the tingling. Of course all of them normal and they could be worst. He said that some people get so bad on tingling in their fingers that they can’t even button their shirt. So I guess I am very lucky. The company HR temporary secretary finally caught up with me and gave me my paper work for being off work two weeks for my first treatment, the first of April. When I gave the doctor the paper this morning, he looked at me strangely and asked “You went back to work?” I told yes, and told him that after the first treatment I was able to work a week before the next treatment. Then after the second treatment, even with the nausea, I was able to work two weeks. I also said that I was hoping to go back to work this time in about a week. He said amazing. I always thought I was.
So I don’t know what will happen, but we will find out.

Feeling OK, But.

The last few days have been pretty good. Monday I was still working around the house and did some yard work. Went down to my brother’s green house and told him I needed enough tomato plants to plant my EAST 20 acreage. Debi & I decided that since I couldn’t get any grass started and I didn’t care what anyone thought about my yard, that I would put a small garden in right next to the house to make it easier to keep up with. Last year I had large garden that I couldn’t take care of. So this year, I rototilled up an enough ground to have about four 20 foot rows of plants, hence the EAST 20. Eastern most row, about seven tomato plants. I also rototilled up enough ground that the five year old granddaughter could have a dirt pile. She announced that the best year of her life was when she had a dirt pile. That was two years ago, when we were building the house.

Started working midnights Tuesday and I am doing OK. I have four done and three more to go. I will be done with them next Tuesday morning. I feeling more fatigued than normal. I make it through the shifts OK, but I am very tired when I get home. I am sleeping better, through modern chemistry with a prescription for sleeping pills.

My fingers tips are still very sensitive / numb feeling. I wear gloves when I work, but typing and writing things out bothers me a little. I still have the strange taste in mouth, but I am gaining weight. Food tastes peculiar, but when I eat, I lose the bad taste in my mouth, so I continue to eat. I also think the Prednisone is also affecting my eating habits. But then you have the nausea. It has stayed with me a lot longer and worse on this second treatment than the first treatment. The first time after the first week I was able to control it with ginger root and the way I ate, but this time I am using more of the prescription nausea medication. But according the every third Wednesday Chemo Club, where we are just sitting around the doctor’s office hooked up to tubes, some people say they are getting worse with each treatment and some say they are getting better. We will see after next Wednesday when I get my third treatment

Still Feeling Good

Well I started my days off feeling really good. The weather didn’t cooperate with me working in the yard with the high wind. But I did work outside moving some of tools over from the old place to the new. But Debi had to keep reassuring all day long. I got the bright idea to combine my nine tool boxes together. As I did this, I kept thinking that I had too many tools. But Debi said along as I as didn’t have more than 25 of the exact same thing I was all right. Just because I had 200 of something, there still wasn’t 25 exact matches, so I am OK.

Friday it was me and the grandson staying inside while Debi and Zoey went to school in the morning. It was her special day. In the afternoon our daughter-in-law, Nicole, from Houston came in for a visit. We really, really enjoyed this, but I think I messed myself up. Debi got a truly cute this cake. Every one loved the details on it. Well I ate too much of it and the diabetes and the nausea kicked in that evening.

Saturday we spent the day out, I still had some nausea, but I am getting used to it. That evening we went a benefit for Nicole’s sister who also has cancer. It was a great turn out for her, with probably over 300 people. They raised a lot to help her. Debi and Zoey were having fun, so we stayed a little longer than we planned. But like I said they were having fun. My nausea wasn’t too good, the main thing was the gas. It was coming from both ends. Debi gave me a little static about telling her sooner, but they were having fun and I wasn’t that bad.

Sunday, it was still a good day, except for the gas and nausea. Burps are the worst, the family is really supportive. They just tend to move awhile from me very quickly. I think even the dog moves away, so I can’t blame him. Still not sleeping very well and my fingers are still sensitive. So just a few more questions for the doctor next time I see him.

One last thing, I still just don’t see why the family thinks I look like Uncle Fester?