update

The Dr. called yesterday evening to say that the CT scan showed no cancer, so that is great news. I was quite stressed about it. Thank you for all the prayers and positive energy sent my way. Now it is time to relax and enjoy some family time.

I will see the oncologist on Tuesday morning and have the chemo on Thursday. They wanted to move the whole appointment to the following Monday but I didn't want to because that would mean that I would get two chemo cycles after the semester starts, rather than just one. Plus having the chemo on a Monday means being sick Wednesday - Saturday, not so great...

Wishing everyone a great weekend.

Half way point - CT scan

So last Thursday was my last Taxol. I finished 12 weeks, can you believe it? My blood values were just above the threshold, so I could still get it. This weekend hit me harder than usual. I actually got a nagging heartburn/nausea that made me not want to eat anything for a few days. I feel lucky that of 12 weeks of chemo it has been only one where I actually felt bad.

My pink eye got worse last week. The oncologist I saw on Thursday prescribed an antibiotic eye drop, but by the Thursday evening it had gotten better (without drops), and Friday it was almost gone and on Saturday it seemed even better. Then on Sunday it started getting pink again, and it has been been pink yesterday and today. Yesterday I started using the antibiotic drop, we'll see if it will help. But I really think it is allergies and the steroids/other drugs that they give me on Thursday suppress it for a few days and it comes back again.

This morning I had a CT scan of the chest. It is a planned scan but still it makes me nervous, so any prayers/positive thoughts my way are greatly appreciated. Today we are going to have Ada's birthday party, so I welcome the distraction.

This weekend we'll try to squeeze in a family vacation before starting FEC next week. It will be nice to be together and travel..

Cheers,

11 down 1 to go..

This weeks Taxol went event less, so that is good. We had a little scare in the morning. I had had a pinkish eye for the last two days, so I decided to call the cancer center and ask them if the oncologist wanted to see me or if I should go to my PCP. And their response was to go to the PCP and then let them know of the situation, because they were going to decide if I was going to get chemo that day based on what the doctor said. I had not thought that they would postpone a chemo treatment due to a pink eye.. and mine was not even a real bad one.
So I went to the PCP and she thought it could be either viral or allergic conjunctivitis, and told me to take Clearatin for the next week.. no reason not to take chemo. Yaaay!

Blood withdrawal went with no problems, the blood values were fine, I even took a nap during the infusion. The nurses didn't want to wake me up so they asked Dan to wake me up...

Today, being Saturday, is of course my down day. Neuropathy is back, my nails are bothering me more and more - they are still attached to my fingers but tasks like taking off my watch or opening a ketchup bottle makes me appreciate how much we actually use our finger nails. Who knows maybe I will get to keep my nails since I have only one more Taxol to go.. They hurt, they hurt as if you closed the drawer on them, they also changed color. Oooh, listen to me, complain complain complain.. This is really nothing, we'll see what kind of side effects we'll observe with FEC. I finally had the guts to read all the info sheets they gave about those. One of the drugs is toxic to your heart, so they monitor your heart function to make sure that you won't lose more than acceptable. As I understand it the nausea and fatigue will be real issues, but everybody experiences these differently, so I will wait and see rather than worrying about it now.

My mom is back, yaaay! She came last night, the girls were very excited to see their anneanne (grandma).

OK, it is time to rest.. I hope everyone is having a great weekend, and will have an awesome Father's day tomorrow..

Smile, life is good.

have I mentioned hot flashes?

For several weeks now, I am having what we believe are hot flashes.. you know, those instant feeling of being really hot, sometimes followed with a sweat.. So I now understand what women who go through menopause feel :) and I sympathize with them..

I also sympathize with people (mostly men) who are bold.. I know it is not a big deal but have you ever been attacked by mosquitoes? Never in my life have had to protect my skull from them, all that hair had a lot of function, that I did not appreciate..

Neuropathy is definitely there.. I am hoping that it will be reversible after the treatments are over.

Otherwise I am doing well, getting ready for Merry Maids tomorrow.. boy do we have a lot of stuff, I am trying to get rid of as much as possible..

Ceramics class yesterday was fun and worked perfect to make me forget about everything for 3 hours and focus on making one thing..

OK, gotta get back to tidying..

Enjoy this beautiful summer day ( I know it is not officially summer yet, but it sure feels like it)..

taking the 10th taxol

Here I am. Being infused with 10th cycle of taxol. Only 2 more left after today. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We will give only 2 weeks of a break between taxol and FEC, So July 7th will be the first day of FEC. That means that I will have to get only one cycle of FEC after the fall semester starts. Yaaay!

Today my ANC (actual neutrophil count) came back fine. Last week it was below 2000, this week it is over 2200. I am guessing my body has recovered from the cold I had. Yaaay!

In addition to neuropathy I started having this weird pain on both of my index fingers yesterday. It feels like I closed a drawer on the tip of those fingers. The doctor thought that it might be that the nails are getting hit by taxol, just like hair did, so I might lose those fingernails.. Creepy :).. but they are supposed to grow back.

By the way I have been compiling a list for what is good about hair loss.. the points are not necessarily in order but here it goes:

- no need to worry for hair removal (especially handy in the summer months :) )

- very little shampoo use

- no need to use conditioner

- a lot of time saved from washing, brushing, drying hair

- no use of hair dryers - lower electricity bill

- get to wear cute hats, scarves, and get complimented for it

- impress/shock your kids' friends with your bold head

- removal of bandaids is not painful (this one is from Deniz)

- being told that you look like Demi Moore, or for that matter Yul Brynner

I am feeling well, busy with the girls' schedules. They started swimming lessons on Tuesday. It is at the swimming pool on campus, the teachers are members of the swim team (some of them were my students this year). Both girls enjoy it and have been doing well, I hope that by the end of the summer we'll have made some progress. Girls whose names mean "the sea" and "island" gotta know how to swim, right?

With Deniz going to art camp and Ada to the day care I actually have been able to go to work everyday and do a little of work. Got a little work done in the lab, it feels great to be at the bench again.

Wishing everyone a great weekend..

9th taxol down, 3 to go

OK, this week I slacked.. I meant to write several times but never got to it. Chemo went well. I forgot to put my EMLA cream on before arriving at the cancer center, so instead we put on an icebag over my port. It worked OK, not as good as the cream, I did feel the poke, not a bad one but a poke never the less. I will try not to forget about putting on the cream next time.

No rash during or after chemo. so yaaay!

With the help of the antibiotics I finally got over the cold/sinus infection. On Saturday I got tired but not too bad, and on Sunday we actually worked on the yard, started and adjusted the sprinklers (our neighbors started watering their lawns back in April, we waited for June :), the girls ran under the sprinklers with their swimsuits on, they had a picnic with watermelon dripping down their chins. I made this dish with whole wheat spaghetti with shrimp, lambsquarter, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes and basil. In short, Sunday was a beautiful and great day.

Neuropathy was almost non existent on Saturday but became noticeable on Sunday and it is still here today (Monday).

Today I started a ceramics class. This was a dream of mine for many many years. Last time I worked with clay (I am not counting girls' play dough) was college.. I had made a few pieces that I was very proud of. So when I signed Deniz up for art camp, I signed myself up for ceramics class. I had to talk to the instructor because she only wanted intermediate/advanced students in her class and they had cancelled the beginners class, after some talking she agreed to take me on. And then today after she gave me a few looks when I had no idea what she was talking about, I mentioned my diagnosis and how I always wanted to do it, etc etc - basically played the cancer card and it looks like it worked. Plus I am a quick learner. It was fun, it was therapeutic, I am looking forward to next week. The class is pretty small, there are only 5 students, I am the youngest. One of the ladies is a breast cancer survivor.. I am beginning to think that there is a secret sorority of cancer survivors, we are everywhere but do not stand out in everyone faces.

Today I finally got a call from Merry Maids. We will find a time next week when they come and clean our house. So here is the deal, there is a program called "cleaning for a reason" and if you have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment they come and clean your house for free every month. Isn't that great?? I am not sure how long they stay and what kind of cleaning they do, but even if they could mop the floors and vacuum the carpets and maybe clean the bathrooms that would be awesome. So cancer sucks but there are a few perks :)

OK, it is time to sleep, have a great night everyone! don't let the bed bugs bite ;)