I got this tweet today - @ctough24 Yours was one of our 51 most magical travel moments. Thank you :-).
Here is the tweet I entered - @ctough24 After a year of surgery/chemotherapy. On the beach at sunrise. Thankful to God for family and healing and the beauty I’m seeing.
Below is the article with the other winning tweets.
Thank you @Cheapflights
Written by: Oonagh Shiel on December 30, 2013.
Earlier this year we held a competition on Twitter. We asked our followers to tell us their #MagicTravelMoment and their answers were a heart-warming blend of love, travel, family, friendship and adventure.
Here are the 51 most magical travel moments of the past year by our friends:
@ReltinRooy My # MagicTravelMoment was when we flew over Africa on our way to Thailand, what an awesome view and experience. :-)
@DilaraLit A month after wedding, was away from hubby for three weeks. Flight delayed, almost missed, hugging him was best feeling!
@kgbearclaw Watching our son put our prayers at the Western Wall was our #MagicTravelMoment Still brings a chill.
@mariab76 The first time I ever went on a plane, it was to Vegas and flying over the Grand Canyon was amazing.
@natmmom My #MagicTravelMoment was the moment I saw my new soon-to-be son in Colombia in his foster home. Magic happened!
@martiferg #magictravelmoment Finding out we were expecting while at the beach last year. :)
@lord_vimes5 Proposing on a Portuguese mountain overlooking the sea at sunset and she said yes!
@Black_Fire79 I was in Tombstone, Arizona late at night and it started to snow. Wasn’t expecting that. Looked like a dream!
@_EricaDawn Seeing my mom waiting for me after five years of not seeing her. #MagicTravelMoment
@eleenie The day when everything was late … plane, bags, car. Walk out of the airport as the car pulls up. #Reunited
@neutkidz My #MagicTravelMoment is when I was away from my hubby and kids for a while. Seeing them again was pure magic!
@iheartmykids Watching my daughter’s face light up to see Disney On Ice.
@sweetmatcha Our helicopter ride over the lush, breath-taking landscape of Kauai.
@ctough24 After a year of surgery/chemotherapy. On the beach at sunrise. Thankful to God for family and healing and the beauty I’m seeing.
@ameecq The moment that my boyfriend proposed to me at sunrise in Maui.
@SpecialRach Going 400km to my destination by rickshaw, bus and train with just smiles, hope and kindness due to the language barrier.
@LuckyLauz7 This! Disneyland Paris 2011! Seeing the smile on my little boy’s face was magic.
@SaraOC230765 Can’t afford tickets to see family in Malaga, just by luck we managed to get a good deal and saw them all!
@mrmikesharman Flying back into Manchester from working anywhere – because I am then almost back home with my family.
@dublrs Last year we got to take our 13-year-old-twins on our first real family holiday to Cancun. It was amazing!
@kzarr In Saint Lucia where the Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans meet!
@sarahlucy8825 Climbing Mt Tongariro and finding the energy to run most of the way down! A must-do for all. Beautiful sights.
@MaxxBpm Riding camels in Israel was one of the best experience I’ve ever had!
@PhyliciaSP Gondola ride up to the top to overlook Lake Tahoe! Scared of heights!
@andreama13 When my daughter (now a cancer survivor) went on her “wish trip” to Disney World, I still have goose bumps.
@For_Kate Breaking down on tour in the Arizona desert and hitching a ride with another tour – 16 of us in an 8 seater!
@LisaAnnNola Watching my grandkids play on the beach after travelling six hours to visit them!
@debbutterflys Being able to have family fly out to visit with us, priceless!
@f1nallyr1ch Having a well-behaved little man on my first and his first flight. Great first!
@govols111 My #MagicTravelMoment taking daughter to Disney and all characters were real to her. Nothing like seeing child meet Mickey. :)
@kelandab Watching the sunset on our honeymoon with the kids x.
@lorikeet8 First trip with my boyfriend (now hubby!). Travelling is a true test in a relationship! :)
@BallParkBlues Seeing my sister for the first time stepping off the plane. Never forget that.
@HollywoodHeathy Travelling on my honeymoon! Visiting the Mexican Rivera for the first time!
@MOM4EVEREVER Taking my mother on her first-ever flight as well as her first true holiday – no work at all.
@sdiego1717 The conductor stopped the metro on a bridge so we could see the Eiffel Tower light up.
@CAnGoNiNNy My #MagicTravelMoment was two months ago finally getting to fly for the first time in my life. Now I want to fly everywhere!
@textiff Standing at Makapuu Point, Oahu with my husband was my #MagicTravelMoment. Breathtaking and inspiring!
@CathBrad Seeing my Mama at the airport when I got off the plane, after not seeing her for a year! Priceless!
@ShannonAnne23 Seeing my grandmother’s name at Ellis Island. That was a #MagicTravelMoment.
@gracepap My #MagicTravelMoment was when we approached Yosemite and saw Half Dome for the first time. It stopped us in our tracks!
@mummycat111 Sitting with the pilot taking off from Rome to help me lose my fear of flying.
@faewings My most magical #MagicTravelMoment was flying down to see my first granddaughter for the first time! She’s so beautiful!
@DilaraLit One of my first flights was Rome to Mumbai, long for a 5-year-old. Pilot gave me a quick tour of cockpit at night.
@carley222 When I got to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. So beautiful!
@hannahmdy The first time my big brother, who lives in Canada, met his nephew. Such a special holiday.
@durstslovepens My #MagicTravelMoment was standing at the feet of President Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial and his words carved on the walls.
@AZcomm Climbing China’s Great Wall.
@LindseyClark20 Going to Rome one Easter and hearing the Pope giving Mass to the crowd from the Square by the Vatican.
@mrsbee1234 Seeing the Indian Ocean from Mullaloo beach in Australia for the first time! Wow!
@SooperSandy My #MagicTravelMoment was visiting Graceland and Memphis after being a fan of Elvis since I was young!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, April 23, 2011
They've Found Me!!!
The germs have found me and won’t go away. It started about two weeks ago. Sore throat, congestion, and just plain blah!!! Then in settled in my chest…cough, cough, cough. From there it slithered into my stomach all the while staying in my chest and sinuses. It hasn’t been real bad and hasn’t been keeping me at home (except last night…my tummy was not happy) but its very annoying. I’ve been hiding from germs for the past 6 months. God watched over me (as always) through the surgery and the chemo and the plastic surgery. I was very very careful to stay away from sick people and crowds. I didn’t get sick even when the germs were right in my own home (B and Hubby). So I guess I shouldn’t complain about getting this now. I hope it doesn’t last much longer. Baseball season is in full swing and I don’t want to miss any games. It has been very rainy so lots of baseball games have been canceled.
Baseball season means more than just games for me. It also is media guide season. If you’ve been a long time reader you might remember my rants this time last year (and the two years before that) about the media guide. I was determined not to do it this year but well seeing that its B’s senior year I wanted his last baseball media guide to be great. I didn’t want to leave that up to someone who doesn’t have a clue. That and of course no one “could” do it! One mom said she could help a little and then another mom said she could help a little too. Big whoop! So I am delegating. I have given them all the running around duties - distributing the information to the players, collecting their ads and money on the due date, collecting the ads and money on the extended due date, and guess what??? Even though I wanted to be done last week I am still getting ads. My part involves putting all the information about and pictures of the teams and coaches, pictures of the new field, and highlights of the previous season into my original template. Scanning in all the ads and putting the finished product onto a disk to be taken to the printer. I was planning on giving the disk to them to take to the printer but its getting so late I’m just going to do it myself. After its done and I pick up all the copies I’ll have them distribute them to players and businesses.
I’ll be going right from baseball and media guide season into planning B’s graduation party. The good news is that I’ve done one graduation party already for J and I plan on doing a lot of the same things. I also will have a lot of help from my family :)
Oh I have to also tell you that coach jackwagon (aka coach ff in previous posts) is not coaching varsity this year. He has moved on down to JV where he is (so I hear) just as much disliked by players and parents. He should have never been allowed to come back after all the things he did last year. I feel for the JV team but I’m so happy we don’t have to put up with him this final year. We do have a new coach on varsity. We haven’t seen him since he coached J back when he was in 9th grade on the freshman team. He coached JV for a few years then took a break from baseball. Thankfully he has returned and is assisting with the varsity team. We loved him when he coached J and we love him even more now. He is not only a great coach he is also a wonderful person. I’m sorry that we only had him as a coach for two years.
Btw it may be my imagination or just that my crohns was so active during chemo but lately it seems to be very well behaved (except for this bout of cold/flu/crud)…maybe even better than before all this cancer stuff. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if that continues :)
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Baseball season means more than just games for me. It also is media guide season. If you’ve been a long time reader you might remember my rants this time last year (and the two years before that) about the media guide. I was determined not to do it this year but well seeing that its B’s senior year I wanted his last baseball media guide to be great. I didn’t want to leave that up to someone who doesn’t have a clue. That and of course no one “could” do it! One mom said she could help a little and then another mom said she could help a little too. Big whoop! So I am delegating. I have given them all the running around duties - distributing the information to the players, collecting their ads and money on the due date, collecting the ads and money on the extended due date, and guess what??? Even though I wanted to be done last week I am still getting ads. My part involves putting all the information about and pictures of the teams and coaches, pictures of the new field, and highlights of the previous season into my original template. Scanning in all the ads and putting the finished product onto a disk to be taken to the printer. I was planning on giving the disk to them to take to the printer but its getting so late I’m just going to do it myself. After its done and I pick up all the copies I’ll have them distribute them to players and businesses.
I’ll be going right from baseball and media guide season into planning B’s graduation party. The good news is that I’ve done one graduation party already for J and I plan on doing a lot of the same things. I also will have a lot of help from my family :)
Oh I have to also tell you that coach jackwagon (aka coach ff in previous posts) is not coaching varsity this year. He has moved on down to JV where he is (so I hear) just as much disliked by players and parents. He should have never been allowed to come back after all the things he did last year. I feel for the JV team but I’m so happy we don’t have to put up with him this final year. We do have a new coach on varsity. We haven’t seen him since he coached J back when he was in 9th grade on the freshman team. He coached JV for a few years then took a break from baseball. Thankfully he has returned and is assisting with the varsity team. We loved him when he coached J and we love him even more now. He is not only a great coach he is also a wonderful person. I’m sorry that we only had him as a coach for two years.
Btw it may be my imagination or just that my crohns was so active during chemo but lately it seems to be very well behaved (except for this bout of cold/flu/crud)…maybe even better than before all this cancer stuff. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if that continues :)
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Monday, March 28, 2011
Its almost April…why is it so cold!!!
Its because I don’t have any hair isn’t it???? I have to go and sit at baseball games in the cold (30ish degrees) with three hats on and I’m still cold??? (Plus the layers and layers of clothing) But I do love to watch my boys play baseball and so far my crohns beast has been cooperating. If I eat an early lunch I’ve been able to make it through the game. Double headers are another matter! Now that things have settled down after the surgeries and chemo I need to get back to my gluten free diet. That should help baseball season go a little smoother. I still haven’t called to schedule my GI appointment…shame on me. I need to do that soon. I’m wondering what he is going to say about meds. I don’t want to go back on the cimzia (I don’t even know if that’s an option). Right now the Pentassa is working well so hopefully I can just stick with that. Of course he is going to want me to have the dreaded colonoscopy but that’s going to have to wait till all my plastic surgery is done. Turns out I may have to have some touchups done sometime in May or June. That’s ok thou because after everything I’ve been through I want my new boobies to look their best so I’ll do whatever I have to do :)
I’m happy to say that my hair is starting to grow back YEAH. Unfortunately its growing back on my legs and under my arms the fastest!!! BOO
Well no early lunch for me today (no lunch at all). I am off to meet J at the eye doctors and then B has a game at 4:00…Its 32 degrees right now!!! I think I need more hats!!!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
I’m happy to say that my hair is starting to grow back YEAH. Unfortunately its growing back on my legs and under my arms the fastest!!! BOO
Well no early lunch for me today (no lunch at all). I am off to meet J at the eye doctors and then B has a game at 4:00…Its 32 degrees right now!!! I think I need more hats!!!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Here I am
So…..here I am….I didn’t get swallowed up by the couch! As a matter of fact I am happy to say I am spending less time on the couch. I had my swap surgery and I’m praying that all the painful stuff is behind me now. I am slowly, slowly getting my energy back. I’ve started exercising again and I will never complain about dragging myself out of bed to exercise. I actually missed it.
As for my behind (and intestine) I am doing pretty well. I’m back to my normal bathroom runs. The four to six times a day seems like nothing compared to the 12 to 16 times a day during the chemo. I’ve stopped taking the flagel and so far the fistula has been calm. I have started the Tamoxifen which is causing horrible hot flashes…blah!
I’ve shared with you many times how much I HATE needles! Well before my swap surgery, when the very nice pre-op nurse came into start my IV she said the words I dread “You have very small veins”. This is never a good sign. So after tap tap tapping my arm and hand she gives it a try in the side of my left hand…strike one! She tries in my right hand…strike two. Sorry Ms. Nice Nurse today rule is two strikes and you’re out. She goes to get another nice nurse who isn’t very confident either but she does get it into my left hand on her first try. Ughhhhhhh!
At least this surgery was not as uncomfortable as the last. My new perky boobs are in and hopefully once the swelling goes down and everything falls into place they will look great (at least under my clothing :)
I am due for an appointment with my GI doc. During my last visit, before all the cancer stuff, he wanted me to have a colonoscopy in March. The last time I talked to the nurse I told her it was going to have to wait. I need a break from poking, prodding, and removing things. She completely understood.
Well it is March already and March for us means BASEBALL. J already went to FL for his spring baseball trip. His team did very well. He has a DH today but it’s away. His first home game is Friday so I’m looking forward to that. B however has his first scrimmage game today Yeah! I am very very excited. They will be playing on the brand new high school turf field.
I’ll let you know how that goes!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
As for my behind (and intestine) I am doing pretty well. I’m back to my normal bathroom runs. The four to six times a day seems like nothing compared to the 12 to 16 times a day during the chemo. I’ve stopped taking the flagel and so far the fistula has been calm. I have started the Tamoxifen which is causing horrible hot flashes…blah!
I’ve shared with you many times how much I HATE needles! Well before my swap surgery, when the very nice pre-op nurse came into start my IV she said the words I dread “You have very small veins”. This is never a good sign. So after tap tap tapping my arm and hand she gives it a try in the side of my left hand…strike one! She tries in my right hand…strike two. Sorry Ms. Nice Nurse today rule is two strikes and you’re out. She goes to get another nice nurse who isn’t very confident either but she does get it into my left hand on her first try. Ughhhhhhh!
At least this surgery was not as uncomfortable as the last. My new perky boobs are in and hopefully once the swelling goes down and everything falls into place they will look great (at least under my clothing :)
I am due for an appointment with my GI doc. During my last visit, before all the cancer stuff, he wanted me to have a colonoscopy in March. The last time I talked to the nurse I told her it was going to have to wait. I need a break from poking, prodding, and removing things. She completely understood.
Well it is March already and March for us means BASEBALL. J already went to FL for his spring baseball trip. His team did very well. He has a DH today but it’s away. His first home game is Friday so I’m looking forward to that. B however has his first scrimmage game today Yeah! I am very very excited. They will be playing on the brand new high school turf field.
I’ll let you know how that goes!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Looking Forward!
Well its been a while since I’ve posted anything. I’m very happy to say that I had my last chemo on Feb. 8th. This one went well like the one before. No major diarrhea YAY = no need to go in for fluids three days a week. Now I just need to get my strength back. The oncologist is very pleased. I should be able to go off the flagel next week (looking forward to that). I hope that goes well because the abscess has been flaring off and on. I can’t stand taking the flagel. If I don’t swallow it just right it leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. My GI’s nurse has been keeping in touch with me. I will need to make an appointment after all my plastic surgery is done. (My swap surgery is next week double YAY hahaha.) I’m suppose to have my annual colonoscopy in March but I told nurse P that I’m going to wait for a while…I just want all my doctors to leave me alone for awhile. She completely understands. I’m really looking forward to NOT having a doctors appointment every two weeks.
Speaking of looking forward…its almost baseball season. I’m so excited to see my boys play. I should be feeling much better by the first game. J will be a starting pitcher this year!!! B is a senior so it will be his last high school season. I hope it is a great one for him. I also have to plan a graduation party for him and enjoy his last summer of travel baseball. After that I want to go to the BEACH! I think I deserve a wonderful vacation with sun, sand, ocean, and of course a fabulous hotel suite :) Hubby travels to FL a lot for work and since both my boys will be in college I’m hoping to get to go with him in the fall and winter and spring and summer lol…every chance I can. Now that is something to look forward to!!!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Speaking of looking forward…its almost baseball season. I’m so excited to see my boys play. I should be feeling much better by the first game. J will be a starting pitcher this year!!! B is a senior so it will be his last high school season. I hope it is a great one for him. I also have to plan a graduation party for him and enjoy his last summer of travel baseball. After that I want to go to the BEACH! I think I deserve a wonderful vacation with sun, sand, ocean, and of course a fabulous hotel suite :) Hubby travels to FL a lot for work and since both my boys will be in college I’m hoping to get to go with him in the fall and winter and spring and summer lol…every chance I can. Now that is something to look forward to!!!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Happy New Year!
Well I had my second chemo and it went about the same as the first with a few improvements. I still had a lot of diarrhea and some abdominal pain but my fistula did not flare and I didn’t have nearly as much bleeding. I really do think that this is just a side effect of the chemo and not that my crohns is flaring because once I get through the rough part I am back to my normal normal. I did call my GI doctor about the severe diarrhea and he proscribed Lomotil. It did seem to help a little bit but not much. I was able to stay hydrated enough to stay out of the hospital. That however was quite an ordeal with a nasty nurse. If you want you can read about that in my other blog http://yourboobsoryourlife.blogspot.com/ Thankfully my GI doc understands what I’m going through and will help in any way he can. My appetite is good and I am very glad that I haven’t lost any weight so far. I really hope that doesn’t happen. Since I only have 2 more treatments left I don’t think it will. Well I hope everyone had a nice new years and that 2011 will be very happy and very healthy for all of us!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Post I Forgot to Post!?!
I started this post after Christmas and then forgot to post it (chemo brain) so here it is :)
Once again this is on both blogs :p
Being home and hydrated made me feel very good. I haven’t had much energy but I also haven’t had much pain and I’m back to my normal for me poo routine. The fistula has also been behaving.
My hair started falling out (2 weeks after 1st chemo) so we had a little buzz cut event. My boys already have buzz cuts and B and J’s friend Jeff needed a trim so J buzzed Jeff first and then B. Then off with my hair :( but I have to say it doesn’t look that bad. J already looks a lot like me and now we look like twins hahaha. We took pictures but I don’t think I’ll post those. I went to pick up my wig the next day and it is wonderful. The color and style are just like my real hair. People will never guess it is a wig (if they don’t already know that is)
I was very disappointed to miss my beautiful niece CSD’s wedding. I just wasn’t feeling well enough and my doctors don’t want me to be around any large crowds to prevent being exposed to germs. Thankfully I have the most wonderful family in the world. My niece CRSA and my sister CAE sent me pictures during the ceremony and reception….THEN my amazing, beautiful, wonderful niece and brand new bride CSD, brand new hubby N, and her Mom (sister CAE) came to my house on Christmas Eve to reenact the wedding reception. With the wedding dress on, Mother of the bride dress on, bouquets in hand; they came down my staircase escorted by my son (in shorts and a tee-shirt hahaha.) I cried! I also dressed for the occasion and wore my wig. They brought a center piece, snacks, cookies, and cake. We took lots and lots of pictures, and then we ate, and the bride and groom cut the cake. My beautiful niece KRS and brother RJS and sister in law RJS were also in attendance. I can’t even find the words to express how wonderful and special this day was for me. I love you all so much xoxo.
I finished my online Christmas shopping but everyone got a lot less than normal. They weren’t disappointed tho because they are wonderful. Hubby wrapped everything for me on Christmas Eve evening…nothing like waiting till the last min. (of course I do that just about every Christmas ;) This year we did a 2 fishes Christmas Eve Dinner (as opposed to the 7 fishes). Christmas morning was very nice. We opened our presents and then went to CRA’s for a wonderful Christmas morning breakfast. The rest of the day was relaxing. Hubby cooked a nice Christmas Ham dinner and we watched our boys play Wii. I use to be good at these games but apparently it’s not like riding a bicycle!
xoxoxoxoxo
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Once again this is on both blogs :p
Being home and hydrated made me feel very good. I haven’t had much energy but I also haven’t had much pain and I’m back to my normal for me poo routine. The fistula has also been behaving.
My hair started falling out (2 weeks after 1st chemo) so we had a little buzz cut event. My boys already have buzz cuts and B and J’s friend Jeff needed a trim so J buzzed Jeff first and then B. Then off with my hair :( but I have to say it doesn’t look that bad. J already looks a lot like me and now we look like twins hahaha. We took pictures but I don’t think I’ll post those. I went to pick up my wig the next day and it is wonderful. The color and style are just like my real hair. People will never guess it is a wig (if they don’t already know that is)
I was very disappointed to miss my beautiful niece CSD’s wedding. I just wasn’t feeling well enough and my doctors don’t want me to be around any large crowds to prevent being exposed to germs. Thankfully I have the most wonderful family in the world. My niece CRSA and my sister CAE sent me pictures during the ceremony and reception….THEN my amazing, beautiful, wonderful niece and brand new bride CSD, brand new hubby N, and her Mom (sister CAE) came to my house on Christmas Eve to reenact the wedding reception. With the wedding dress on, Mother of the bride dress on, bouquets in hand; they came down my staircase escorted by my son (in shorts and a tee-shirt hahaha.) I cried! I also dressed for the occasion and wore my wig. They brought a center piece, snacks, cookies, and cake. We took lots and lots of pictures, and then we ate, and the bride and groom cut the cake. My beautiful niece KRS and brother RJS and sister in law RJS were also in attendance. I can’t even find the words to express how wonderful and special this day was for me. I love you all so much xoxo.
I finished my online Christmas shopping but everyone got a lot less than normal. They weren’t disappointed tho because they are wonderful. Hubby wrapped everything for me on Christmas Eve evening…nothing like waiting till the last min. (of course I do that just about every Christmas ;) This year we did a 2 fishes Christmas Eve Dinner (as opposed to the 7 fishes). Christmas morning was very nice. We opened our presents and then went to CRA’s for a wonderful Christmas morning breakfast. The rest of the day was relaxing. Hubby cooked a nice Christmas Ham dinner and we watched our boys play Wii. I use to be good at these games but apparently it’s not like riding a bicycle!
xoxoxoxoxo
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Think Again
(This post will appear on both my blogs…so if you follow both you only need to read this one today :)
The bad days after chemo continued with all the aches and pains and constant diarrhea, bleeding, and fistula problems. On Sunday my temperature was back up to 101.5 and my heart rate was high. My hubby called the oncologist on call and he of course wanted me to go to the emergency room. So off I went thinking they would draw some blood, check me out, and send me home…Think again!!! Not only was my temp. and heart rate elevated, my blood pressure was high also. Their major concerns were of course infection. They put me on a heart monitor, drew lots of blood, started me on fluids, and did a chest x-ray. The next concern was “did the chemo flare the crohns?” If you haven’t guessed already they admitted me. They said they wanted to keep an eye on me for the next 24 hours. They gave me an IV antibiotic and settled me into a room and hung an isolation sign on the door…no germs in…no germs out! They increased the dose of Flagel. Clear liquids only and a pelvic CT Scan in the morning. They also hung another sigh behind me to alert other nurses
A precaution due to the lack of lymph nodes in both upper arms
I got absolutely no sleep that night. My IV pump (aka Fabio)
KAS don't look at the next picture :)
was SO LOUD. If I had something nearby resembling a baseball bat I would have beat the crap out of it. Around 4:00am I finally just turned the TV on. Early Monday I had my CT Scan and was expecting to get some real food but they still had me on clear liquids. When the GI from my group who was doing rounds and who I didn’t like at all came in (not my GI by the way) she was #1 rude to my husband and #2 gave me a hard time about letting me have a general or even a soft diet. Lets see…you want the diarrhea to go away but if all that goes in is liquid then ummmm what do you think is going to come out??? Besides that I know my body better than anyone esp. someone who has only looked at me for 5 minutes. I could see if I were in pain or had no appetite. She finally agreed to let me try a general diet and if things got worse I would have to go back to liquids. So she leaves and guess what??? She doesn’t write the order for a general diet. The nurse was wonderful. She kept trying to call and get an order. Of course the beotch would not call back. Four calls and hours later another doctor from the group called back and gave her the order. He said start with a general and if I have a problem tweak it. THANK YOU. In the mean time many other doctors came in, my PCP, the infectious disease doctor, and oncologist who all agreed I needed to stay another day. My white count was high but that was most likely due to the chemo. My potassium was low so they gave me some to drink :( Now if you’ve never had liquid potassium you’re lucky because it tastes like crap. After gagging my way through I got about ¾’s of it down.
Fluids, fluids, and more fluids = lots of peeing. Hubby brought me my iPod so that I could plug my ears with Christmas music during the night (to drown out Fabio). It worked…I slept very well. Tuesday was another full day of IV fluids. Fabio and I are becoming very close…he follows me around everywhere. They are still waiting on blood work results to rule out certain infections. The GI beotch doctor hasn’t been back, just her PA who is very nice. They are leaning towards this not being a crohns flare but just a bad time with the chemo. But just to be sure they want me to have a pelvic ultrasound tomorrow…yes another night with Fabio. The fluids have been very helpful. I haven’t had any muscle or bone pain since they started them. I definitely was severely dehydrated. I slept well again with my Christmas music. Wednesday morning I went down for the ultrasound. It turns out the CT Scan showed a little something something near the uterus and they wanted a closer look. Well if they would have said something I could have told them it was probably the same little something they saw on my CT Scan in the spring which turned out to be fluid in my fallopian tube…that’s exactly what it was. The infectious disease doctor came in and said I was negative for all the infections they were testing for but thought they might keep me for a few more days. NOOOOOOOO. My oncologist came in and decided that she did not want me to have the port put in. She is going to reduce the dose of chemo and have me come in early that day and if I appear to be dehydrated again they will give me fluids and if need be more fluids between then and the next chemo. If however I have another bad time with the chemo they will probably not do anymore. Then my PCP came in and said I could go home YAY. I got myself dressed and waited for my discharge instructions and the nurse says your potassium is still low so after I get that for you you can go. NOOOOOOO…she comes back with a pill…are you kidding me…this comes in a pill??? Where was your stupid pill a few days ago when I was gagging??? I took it and then on my way to Home Sweet Home!!!
Xoxoxo
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
The bad days after chemo continued with all the aches and pains and constant diarrhea, bleeding, and fistula problems. On Sunday my temperature was back up to 101.5 and my heart rate was high. My hubby called the oncologist on call and he of course wanted me to go to the emergency room. So off I went thinking they would draw some blood, check me out, and send me home…Think again!!! Not only was my temp. and heart rate elevated, my blood pressure was high also. Their major concerns were of course infection. They put me on a heart monitor, drew lots of blood, started me on fluids, and did a chest x-ray. The next concern was “did the chemo flare the crohns?” If you haven’t guessed already they admitted me. They said they wanted to keep an eye on me for the next 24 hours. They gave me an IV antibiotic and settled me into a room and hung an isolation sign on the door…no germs in…no germs out! They increased the dose of Flagel. Clear liquids only and a pelvic CT Scan in the morning. They also hung another sigh behind me to alert other nurses
A precaution due to the lack of lymph nodes in both upper arms
I got absolutely no sleep that night. My IV pump (aka Fabio)
KAS don't look at the next picture :)
was SO LOUD. If I had something nearby resembling a baseball bat I would have beat the crap out of it. Around 4:00am I finally just turned the TV on. Early Monday I had my CT Scan and was expecting to get some real food but they still had me on clear liquids. When the GI from my group who was doing rounds and who I didn’t like at all came in (not my GI by the way) she was #1 rude to my husband and #2 gave me a hard time about letting me have a general or even a soft diet. Lets see…you want the diarrhea to go away but if all that goes in is liquid then ummmm what do you think is going to come out??? Besides that I know my body better than anyone esp. someone who has only looked at me for 5 minutes. I could see if I were in pain or had no appetite. She finally agreed to let me try a general diet and if things got worse I would have to go back to liquids. So she leaves and guess what??? She doesn’t write the order for a general diet. The nurse was wonderful. She kept trying to call and get an order. Of course the beotch would not call back. Four calls and hours later another doctor from the group called back and gave her the order. He said start with a general and if I have a problem tweak it. THANK YOU. In the mean time many other doctors came in, my PCP, the infectious disease doctor, and oncologist who all agreed I needed to stay another day. My white count was high but that was most likely due to the chemo. My potassium was low so they gave me some to drink :( Now if you’ve never had liquid potassium you’re lucky because it tastes like crap. After gagging my way through I got about ¾’s of it down.
Fluids, fluids, and more fluids = lots of peeing. Hubby brought me my iPod so that I could plug my ears with Christmas music during the night (to drown out Fabio). It worked…I slept very well. Tuesday was another full day of IV fluids. Fabio and I are becoming very close…he follows me around everywhere. They are still waiting on blood work results to rule out certain infections. The GI beotch doctor hasn’t been back, just her PA who is very nice. They are leaning towards this not being a crohns flare but just a bad time with the chemo. But just to be sure they want me to have a pelvic ultrasound tomorrow…yes another night with Fabio. The fluids have been very helpful. I haven’t had any muscle or bone pain since they started them. I definitely was severely dehydrated. I slept well again with my Christmas music. Wednesday morning I went down for the ultrasound. It turns out the CT Scan showed a little something something near the uterus and they wanted a closer look. Well if they would have said something I could have told them it was probably the same little something they saw on my CT Scan in the spring which turned out to be fluid in my fallopian tube…that’s exactly what it was. The infectious disease doctor came in and said I was negative for all the infections they were testing for but thought they might keep me for a few more days. NOOOOOOOO. My oncologist came in and decided that she did not want me to have the port put in. She is going to reduce the dose of chemo and have me come in early that day and if I appear to be dehydrated again they will give me fluids and if need be more fluids between then and the next chemo. If however I have another bad time with the chemo they will probably not do anymore. Then my PCP came in and said I could go home YAY. I got myself dressed and waited for my discharge instructions and the nurse says your potassium is still low so after I get that for you you can go. NOOOOOOO…she comes back with a pill…are you kidding me…this comes in a pill??? Where was your stupid pill a few days ago when I was gagging??? I took it and then on my way to Home Sweet Home!!!
Xoxoxo
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Crohns Meet Chemo
Well its been a while since I’ve posted. I’ll try not to take too long to catch you up. I’ve been spending a lot of time dealing with the breast cancer treatment which has not been agreeing with my crohns beast. Even before my first chemo I was anemic and had to have some iron transfusions. I did have some side affects but I don’t think they bothered the beast. Those treatments were followed by a very busy week which included my first chemo treatment (Mon.) The treatment itself (4 hours) went well. I was just very tired that day and the next and I had an increase in diarrhea. I figured heck, diarrhea, I can handle that. Then Wed. night I started to feel horrible, even more diarrhea now with some bleeding and the constant diarrhea flared the fistula. That night every inch of my body hurt. It was like tiny knives/shards of glass racing through my body stabbing me. The pain and diarrhea and bleeding and fistula flare continued Thurs. which was the day I had a consult appointment with the surgeon who was suppose to put the chemo port in the next day. My heartrate was high and I had a slight temperature so needless to say they postponed that procedure. Friday the muscle and joint pain eased up a little but I had bouts of nausea and esophageal spasms and stomach/intestinal cramping. It felt like my entire digestive tract was in a knot. I’ve continued to have moderate diarrhea with some bleeding off and on and occasional spasms. The fistula is starting to feel better but is still making it clear that he is there and not going anywhere. I have a call in to my GI (who won’t be back in the office till Monday) and I’ve spoken to the oncologist (the surgeon called her too) I’ll have my blood checked on Monday and see the oncologist on Tuesday. My temp. is back to normal and my heart rate has lowered. I’m hoping I’m on my way back to feeling normal (for me) for the next few weeks before I have to go through it all over again. I’m hoping that this first treatment just woke the beast up to say HEY what is going on??? Maybe the next time he will just say “oh you again” and go back to sleep. A girl can dream!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Lets Make a Deal
I don’t like to complain so much but come on…. Why can’t I just have one disease at a time or at least only one active at a time. I’ve accepted that I have Crohns disease…after all I’ve been dealing with it for more than 20 years. I’ve almost accepted having breast cancer after all its only been three months (wow it has only been three months…it feels more like three years). So crohns (looking down at my belly), yes I’m talking to you. Could you please just back off till I get through the reconstruction and the chemo. Could you just sit back and let me put all my energy into growing new boobs and killing any stray cancer cells. Wouldn’t you rather hide from me while I’m bald and nauseous. You don’t need to keep reminding me that you were here first. You don’t need to be jealous…I will always like you better than cancer. You can relax and enjoy some time off. You’ve worked so hard all these years so how about taking a well deserved vacation. Better yet how about joining forces with me and fighting this cancer together. Instead of chewing on my intestine go gobble up any bad cells that are hanging around. Ya know if you would quit flaring my fistula I could have more energy to get through the cancer treatment. Just so you know the sooner I get through the cancer treatment the sooner it can be just you and me again. You could attack the cancer instead of me. You could be the crohninator, my very own Arnold. Tell the cancer “Hasta la vista, baby!” You could be Batman and I could be Robin. Come on, Crohns, to the Bat Cave! There's not a moment to lose! You can be Mario and I’ll be Luigi: Strap your belt on, kid. We're going in! Come on what do ya say??? Don’t make me come down there and kick your, well I guess it would be my ass!…PLEASE…I’m begging now!
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Monday, November 15, 2010
Not Your Average Patient
I went to see the oncologist Friday. She was very nice and I liked her very much. She is also very thorough; she spent a lot of time with me. After going through my entire medical history and examining me including abdomen and fistula (joy joy) she explained the treatment. Since I am not your average patient she will be watching me very closely. She is very concerned about how the treatment will affect my crohns and the fistula. She is going to work with my GI through the treatment. We may have to change my meds a bit. Since the chemo can cause inflammation she wants me to take steroids the day before, the day of, and the day after the treatments which will be every three weeks for 3 to 4 months. The fistula will be a challenge because in reality it is a chronic infection so we have to be very careful that it doesn’t flare and get worse. She wants me to be on an antibiotic during the treatment. She also thinks that she will need to watch my blood count and iron count even more than most patients due to the crohns and fistula. She wants me back on the B12 and depending on the results of my blood work possibly iron. I will probably have my treatments on Tuesdays because that is the only day of the week that she has office hours at the hospital that is closest to me. This way if there is a problem or I need to see her I can do it on the same day. I will probably start the treatments in two weeks. We have to get insurance approval and she wants me to have a PET scan first. Everything is going very quickly which is fine. I want to be feeling good by the spring baseball season. J and B are doing their winter workouts and conditioning and B is still in search of the right college to attend after graduation. Since I will be bald during the baseball season J’s coach gave me a redhawks knit cap to wear to the games. It will be perfect.
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
New Med = Less Bathroom (so far)
I went to see my GI the other day and we discussed the Pentasa I’ve been taking for longer than I can remember. 2 pills 4 times per day. I was out of refills and needed a new script called in. He told me if I wanted I could take 4 pills 2 times per day or he could switch me to a different drug (Asacol ~ mesalamine ) that was 2 pills 2 times per day. I said sure I’ll try the Asacol. About a week later, after my insurance company approved it (don’t you just love insurance companies) I got it filled and started taking it. I’ve been taking it for about a week now and it is helping better then the Pentasa. I don’t have to go to the bathroom as often woo hoo. As a matter of fact it is 1:42 and I haven’t gone yet. This is like the closest I’ve ever gotten to constipation lol. Going less should be very helpful during mastectomy post-op. My surgery is scheduled for October 22nd which is creeping up on me quickly. I’ve found some very informative blogs that have given me lots of ideas of what to take with me to the hospital and what to expect after the surgery. I’ve started packing a bag already so that I don’t forget anything that I read about. The bad news is my fistula has been acting up. I got a script for Cipro so I hope that gets it under control FAST. I don’t want anything to postpone my surgery. I just want to get this over with. I’m also getting back on track with my gluten free diet. All the junk food is gone. B had some friends over and the gobbled it all up. I want to eat as healthy as I can leading up to the surgery (something I should have been doing all along). Since I’ve been off the vitamin D3 my joints have been hurting more and the past few days have been really bad. This could also be because of the change in the weather. I hope I can get back on the D3 quickly after the surgery is over. Well I will try to update you a few times between now and my surgery. Until then
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Oh NO Not Again
Scene: Doctors waiting room
Enter: Sweetpea and B
There again (or still there…not sure): Smelly perfume lady
Really…REALLY! We walk into the waiting room and immediately B and I look at each other and say OMG she is here. Sure enough there she is, sitting to our left, wearing her bottle of the worst smelling perfume ever. I go over to the window to sign B in and I lean in and tell the receptionist that I have a request. She asks what and I say, “Please tell the patients not to wear awful perfume”. She leans toward me and say’s, “Oh I know I’m getting a headache we have the sign up but they still wear it”. I said “It makes me want to…” and she finished “Throw up”. In addition to the smelly perfume lady we also had the crying baby with noisy toys…at least she was cute.
Well I went to my GI doc Monday just to touch base with him about EVERYTHING. The good news is my Crohns beast seems to be calm even with all the stress. He told me that if anything changes even a little bit to call right away and they will help me any way they can. We talked about all the tests I’ve had done and he ordered blood work to check several things including my liver levels. He wants to keep an eye on that now and especially through the chemo. He told me that he has other patients with Crohns who have gone through cancer treatments and they did not have any additional problems with their Crohns. I told him I would follow up with him after my surgery and after I see the oncologist. He gave me a big hug…he is so wonderful.
Okay ready for some chemo humor:
Top 10 Reasons That Chemo-Induced Baldness is Awesome
#10: Blonde jokes no longer apply to you.
#9: Increased aerodynamics. (important for runners, sky divers, human
projectiles)
#8: You can finally drive your convertible to work. (no more 'wind-tunnel'
hair-dos)
#7: You've got a blank canvas for new tattoos.
#6: You're now ready to audition for the Blue Man Group.
#5: Time to get a new driver's license...Hair Color: Invisible. (see how
that one goes over with the cop the next time you're pulled over)
#4: Think of the money you'll save...no more barber/hairdresser,
shampoo, hairspray, dandruff medication, hair dye, etc.
#3: Everyone knows that bald people make better lovers. (and if they
don't, perhaps it's time that you showed them)
#2: It distracts attention from your face. (alright, that was completely
uncalled for)
And the #1 reason that chemo-induced baldness is awesome:
Bald = Sexy (just look at Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Natalie Portman and Britney
Spears...ok, she's hot in a bald and crazy kind of way)
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
Enter: Sweetpea and B
There again (or still there…not sure): Smelly perfume lady
Really…REALLY! We walk into the waiting room and immediately B and I look at each other and say OMG she is here. Sure enough there she is, sitting to our left, wearing her bottle of the worst smelling perfume ever. I go over to the window to sign B in and I lean in and tell the receptionist that I have a request. She asks what and I say, “Please tell the patients not to wear awful perfume”. She leans toward me and say’s, “Oh I know I’m getting a headache we have the sign up but they still wear it”. I said “It makes me want to…” and she finished “Throw up”. In addition to the smelly perfume lady we also had the crying baby with noisy toys…at least she was cute.
Well I went to my GI doc Monday just to touch base with him about EVERYTHING. The good news is my Crohns beast seems to be calm even with all the stress. He told me that if anything changes even a little bit to call right away and they will help me any way they can. We talked about all the tests I’ve had done and he ordered blood work to check several things including my liver levels. He wants to keep an eye on that now and especially through the chemo. He told me that he has other patients with Crohns who have gone through cancer treatments and they did not have any additional problems with their Crohns. I told him I would follow up with him after my surgery and after I see the oncologist. He gave me a big hug…he is so wonderful.
Okay ready for some chemo humor:
Top 10 Reasons That Chemo-Induced Baldness is Awesome
#10: Blonde jokes no longer apply to you.
#9: Increased aerodynamics. (important for runners, sky divers, human
projectiles)
#8: You can finally drive your convertible to work. (no more 'wind-tunnel'
hair-dos)
#7: You've got a blank canvas for new tattoos.
#6: You're now ready to audition for the Blue Man Group.
#5: Time to get a new driver's license...Hair Color: Invisible. (see how
that one goes over with the cop the next time you're pulled over)
#4: Think of the money you'll save...no more barber/hairdresser,
shampoo, hairspray, dandruff medication, hair dye, etc.
#3: Everyone knows that bald people make better lovers. (and if they
don't, perhaps it's time that you showed them)
#2: It distracts attention from your face. (alright, that was completely
uncalled for)
And the #1 reason that chemo-induced baldness is awesome:
Bald = Sexy (just look at Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Natalie Portman and Britney
Spears...ok, she's hot in a bald and crazy kind of way)
Love, Laugh, and Always know where the nearest bathroom is
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