Monthly Mom Messages\n
My mom and I touch base by e-mail every morning. I decided to \"mine\" these e-mails for notes that can provide a record of happenings, and state of mind. Here's August 2024:\n\n- Aug 1: The last two days were really rough with my chemotherapy. Today seems to be starting off better. Wish me luck.\n
- Aug 2: I think I’m through the worst days of this round of chemo. It’s been a horrible week but hopefully I’ll start getting better now.\n
- Aug 3: I’m finally starting to feel a little better, which is a relief but I’m still expecting another week or so of feeling pretty sick before I get about one good week until my next chemotherapy. \n
- Aug 4: I don’t seem to have any nausea at all this morning!! Yay! I’m still going to take my anti-nausea meds though. It’s too soon for my nausea to be gone for this round of chemo. \n
- Aug 5: I’m finally starting to feel well enough to be able to come to Red Deer for a visit one of these days. \n\nDo you have a preference for any of the following days? August 7, 10, 12, or 13?\n
- Aug 6: I feel good enough this morning that I’m going to try going without any anti-nausea meds today. Brent and I are going to go pick up Jumbo from the shop and I’m getting an ultrasound on my leg just to make sure I don’t have a blood clot. Exciting day. ;P\n
- Aug 7: I’m feeling good today and my immune system should be good enough so we’re heading to the VIP theater this afternoon to see the Deadpool and Wolverine movie. I like the VIP theater because they have big cushy recliners, and food service right to your seats. It’s expensive, but I can use my Scene points to get tickets. \n
- Aug 8: The movie we saw yesterday was called Deadpool and Wolverine. It was extremely weird, violent and funny. Brent and I enjoyed it more than we expected to. It was Nancy’s choice, but I’m glad we went. \n
- Aug 9: I have been wearing the heart monitoring gear since yesterday afternoon and boy is it cumbersome. Ugh. I'm glad I don't have to wear it beyond this afternoon.\n
- Aug 10: Brent and I will leave here around 9:00 and arrive at your place around 11:00. We'll bring Tim Horton's with us.\n\nI want to talk with you about yesterday's scam, and how you can move forward from it. There are some chores for Brent to do in the house while we talk.\n
- Aug 11: We really enjoyed visiting with you yesterday. On our way back to Edmonton, Nemo’s muffler fell off and started dragging. Brent pulled over and took the muffler right off and we drove the rest of the way without it. Eek!\n
- Aug 12: I got a moment of good internet at the campground so I thought I’d say good morning. \n
- Aug 13: After we’ve had breakfast and a walk we’ll head home from camping. We’ve had a great little getaway and I almost managed to forget that I need to go for more chemo on Friday. \n
- Aug 14: Today we have a couple of video visits in the morning and then Tannis is coming by in the afternoon. I’m making the best of the days that I feel good before I go back in for more chemo. \n
- Aug 15: Today I have to go in for my blood work and oncology consult so that I’ll be ready for tomorrow’s chemotherapy. Sigh. I’m not looking forward to it. \n
- Aug 16: Well, chemo day came too quickly again. It is my fourth round of six today. I’m glad that I’ll be more than halfway through but I’m dreading the two weeks of being sick and nauseated. Wish me luck. \n
- Aug 17: Yesterday was my fourth chemotherapy infusion. It knocked me on my butt but I’m not feeling nauseated yet. That’ll come soon enough.\n
- Aug 18: I’m still feeling pretty normal today other than some fatigue. I know the nausea is coming but it’s not here yet so that’s nice. \n
- Aug 19: I seem to be doing reasonably well so far today. Maybe the new anti-nausea regime is just what I need. We’ll see. The fatigue is still pretty bad but still not as bad as from my previous chemo sessions. \n
- Aug 20: Well so far the chemo side effects are less bad than usual, thank goodness. I have to be careful all this week though because it takes that long for my immune system to start back up after chemo. \n
- Aug 21: I’m having very mild side effects from the chemo this time. I keep expecting them to get worse but they just aren’t. I’m even thinking about suggesting to Brent that we go out camping for a couple of days. Wouldn’t that be awesome! \n\nOne thing you might find interesting. Chemo has all kinds of weird side effects. Something that has been happening to me is I’m getting these twinge’y feelings in my teeth. The closest thing I can compare them to is when you can feel a seam come apart one stitch at a time. Weird eh? I hope it’s not causing permanent damage to my teeth. \n
- Aug 22: Brent and I did come out camping. We’re at Wabamun Lake until Friday. Yay! I have some mild nausea and fatigue but hey, I’m camping during my ‘worst week’ so it can’t be too bad. :)\n
- Aug 23: Well, going camping my first week after chemo was a bad idea. I had some diarrhea yesterday morning but not bad so we stayed. Last night it started at 11:30, and at 2:00 this morning we had to pack up and come back to town. Diarrhea when you’re camping is no fun… especially when you have to keep walking down to the outhouse to do it!\n
- Aug 24: As much as I hated having to leave Wabamun early yesterday, it was good that I was at home. I slept most of the day. I think I pushed myself too hard. I don't feel nauseated or anything, just really tired. Hopefully I'll have a little spunk today. \n
- Aug 25: I’m feeling not bad today. I’m finally out of ‘worst week’ but still laying low today. Brent is going to a party this afternoon. I won’t be going along. \n
- Aug 26: I'm feeling pretty good now. I think most of the side effects are behind me for this round. I have a medical appointment this morning - they're going to check to make sure that the chemotherapy isn't damaging my heart. Tomorrow (coming to visit you) will be more fun.\n
- Aug 27: Some good news from yesterday. My echocardiogram yesterday showed no\ndamage to my heart - everything looks the same as it did in May\n(pre-Herceptin). Yay!\n
- Aug 28: I'm feeling good today. I'm sorry I crashed so bad and fast\nyesterday. I guess it's just one of those things I have to manage,\nbut hopefully only until mid-October when I'm completely done with the\nchemotherapy.\n
- Aug 29: I'm doing fine today. I really burned myself out over the last couple of days, first with the visit to Red Deer on Tuesday, and then yesterday I had a medical appointment and then went to a movie. It was a little too much and I crashed as soon as we got home from the movie (around 5PM) and slept most of the way through the night. I feel good and refreshed now though.\n
- Aug 30: I’m feeling pretty good, although I tire easily. I think that will be the case up until I’m done chemo. The new thing that is happening is that I’m getting small nosebleeds now. This is my third day of it happening. I’m concerned about it because my oncology nurse said that nosebleeds can mean that my hemoglobin is too low for me to have my next chemo on schedule - they might have to postpone it to give me a blood transfusion. I don’t want my chemo to be delayed. I want to get this over with!!\n
- Aug 31: I got turned away from my heart stress test yesterday. My hemoglobin from my last blood work was low enough that they said the test would not be accurate. But they looked at the results from my echocardiogram on Monday and said everything looks good so I’ll take that answer. I just hope that the low hemoglobin doesn't result in them postponing my next chemo. Ugh.\n
Monthly Gratitude Posts:\n\n- Aug 1: I’m grateful to be two years finished with the OPGT. I miss some of my colleagues but none of the BS.\n
- Aug 2: I’m grateful to be through the worst days of this round. This one was really rough. I’m still not great but at least I can function a little.\n
- Aug 3: I’m grateful for Brent’s ‘Donny Domestic’ side - he made me a bunch of pickled ginger, which is helping a lot with the nausea.\n
- Aug 4: I’m grateful for 16 wonderful years with Brent. With a little luck maybe I can have another 16 (or more).\n
- Aug 5: I’m grateful for the rain!\n
- Aug 6: I’m grateful to feel well enough today to attempt the day without nausea meds.\n
- Aug 7: I’m grateful for my immune system, which is going to allow me to go out in public for a few days, starting with a trip to the VIP theater this afternoon with Nancy.\n
- Aug 8: I’m grateful to feel good. If I didn’t know I was sick, I wouldn’t know I’m sick.\n
- Aug 9: I'm grateful that I only have to wear the heart monitor gear for 24 hours. Holy crap it's a lot!\n
- Aug 10: I'm grateful for my brilliant and caring surgeon. She drained another 90ml of fluid from my persistent seroma yesterday.\n
- Aug 11: I’m grateful for a wonderful visit with mom yesterday, and I’m grateful that Brent is so manly - he was able to pull Nemo’s muffler right off on the highway on our way home when it disconnected and started dragging. Eek!\n
- Aug 12: I’m grateful for Jumbo Camping! Yay!\n
- Aug 13: I’m grateful to have been able to walk 5km yesterday, and I plan to do it again today. The paths are one of the best things about the Devon Lions campground.\n
- Aug 14: I'm grateful for a printer that just... works.\n
- Aug 15: I'm grateful for visits with friends during my 'good days'\n
- Aug 16: As much as I complain about chemotherapy, I'm grateful to be receiving fast and efficient care. RIP Steven Wong\nand Don Agnew, and any other Albertans who die before they even got to see an oncologist.\n
- Aug 17: I’m grateful for the two-day delay in between chemo and the onset of the nausea. It knocks me on my butt right away but at least there’s a small delay before the nausea sets in.\n
- Aug 18: I’m grateful that there were soooo many episodes of Star Trek made.\n
- Aug 19: I'm grateful I don't have to worry about holding down a job while I have this chemo brain. OMG it is awful.\n
- Aug 20: I’m grateful for oscillating fans and filter furnaces, without which I would certainly roast to death.\n
- Aug 21: I’m grateful for chemo dreams. At least there’s something fun about chemotherapy. The dreams are wild!\n
- Aug 22: I’m grateful to feel well enough during ‘worst week’ to go Jumbo camping. We’re out at Wabamun Lake!\n
- Aug 23: I’m grateful that Brent is a man of infinite patience. Breaking camp and driving home at 2am because your partner was over-confident about how she was feeling during ‘worst week’ has got to be completely awful, but here we are and he’s just rolling with it.\n
- Aug 24: I’m grateful for the Edmonton Public Library, which has Star Treks that Netflix is missing. Watching Discovery now, and soon, Strange New Worlds.\n
- Aug 25: I’m grateful for all you Star Trek fans giving me advice. I’ve set Discovery aside, watching Strange New Worlds, and put a hold on Picard at the library.\n
- Aug 26: I am grateful for ondansetron and metoclopramide for controlling my nausea, for pantoprazole for reducing my stomach acid, for akabutu for getting rid of the thrush, for ferrous gluconate for helping me make hemoglobin, for pegfilgristim for helping me make various white blood cells, and for bisoprolol for protecting my heart. \n
- Aug 27: I'm grateful that my echocardiogram yesterday showed no damage to my heart - everything looks the same as it did in May (pre-Herceptin)\n
- Aug 28: I'm grateful to have had the beautiful collection of family photos on my wall, and I'm grateful that Eli and Emma found a loving new home with Joey and Jake. This autumn, the Schneider family will go to live with Natasha.\n
- Aug 29: I'm grateful for fun and understanding friends. Thanks Nancy for the outing yesterday, and for understanding when I had to cut it a little short. <3\n
- Aug 30: I’m grateful for an excellent online Mojito recipe. They turned out grrrrreat!\n
- Aug 31: I'm grateful for fluffy sweaters as the mornings get colder.\n
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