I am not feeling well today

That's about all I have to say, feeling nauseous even though I took my compazine.

Going back to sleep.

My wonderful Tom and today

First and foremost Tom on his way home from the store today saw a car smashed against a tree, the motor still running.  He stopped and went to investigate.  The windows were rolled down, the air conditioner going, the radio and engine running.

The  man had suffered a stroke or a heart attack and from watching CSI Tom knew this because although the man had cuts on his legs from the crash, no blood came from them which means the mans heart stopped before the crash.  Tom could not get the man out, the drivers door was against a tree and the man was really big.  Tom said the man had a colostomy bag or catheter or something and some pills in a pill bottle easily seen.  Also there was vomit on the mans mouth. 

Another car stopped and called 911, the EMT's got there and got the man out, worked on him with CPR then took him away then the cops got there after a time and took Tom's statement, the other man's statement and a woman's who had pulled up statement.  Then Tom came home.

I think Tom is a great man for being so observant and trying to help, he checked for pulse and everything but knew there was nothing to do for the man but he stayed to help in any way he could even if it was just giving the information he had observed.

I wonder if the man had family, how long it took or will take the police to contact them and I know how they will feel.  I pray to the Lord above to take the man's soul to heaven and to comfort his family and friends and to give Tom the knowledge he did all he could and he is a good and kind man.

Today I cleaned the house except for vacuuming and will do two out seven loads of laundry (Tom made me promise to two today so he can help tomorrow with the rest before he goes to work.  I want to get the house clean before the fatigue hits so a light dusting or sweeping or something will see the house and laundry through to the end of the fatigue phase.  Not a lot of fatigue yet, just had to rest between doing some of the cleaning and haven't gotten to the laundry yet, am resting before I do that.

I had bad stomach pains last night and a bad headache but was finally able to go to sleep and today am feeling better.

Oh and Friday I have to call to try to get a Monday appointment for a full bone scan.  I saw my orthopedist and he ordered a bone scan of my tibia (because of the pain of my shin) but I guess my oncologist got wind of  it and decided to make it a full body bone scan in case.

So will write more when there is more to tell, hope everyone is doing well and having a good day.

Chemotherapy day

So here it is, chemotherapy day after three weeks off.  Woke up this morning as every morning with a pounding headache and took a vicodin.  Tom and I had coffee on the front porch and read the paper.

I was apprehensive as the anxiety started to mount.  Even with a three week period between chemotherapy I have gotten to the point I do NOT look forward to chemotherapy day.  My stomach rolled and pitched and then it was time to get ready.

We got everything together; books, computer, Charmed DVD's to watch and headed down to the "Hoopdie" Tom's van, Tom was ahead of me and stopped, I wondered what was going on.  The side slide door to the van was all the way open and yes it had been broken into.  One of the back hinged windows had been opened so the hinge was broken and they had pulled it wide open and crawled into the van. 

His stereo was taken out and his box and bag with work tools in it was gone, as was the middle not fixed down console, that held some oil and such but the registration was still there and the van started.

We live in a wonderful community, our the front of our condo overlooks the 13th hole of a Golf course and the houses about us are worth hundreds of thousands if not a few in the millions.  A very well kept and nice area and people.  Who would do this?  I feel so bad for Tom but thank God they did not pop the hood and steal anything from under it and they van itself was not stolen and still runs.

Tom did not want to call the police as he says they really won't do anything and the stereo system wasn't that much (it was a nice one though) and it will make his insurance goes up, but if we get home in time or if not tomorrow I am calling the HOA to make a complaint, not they they will do anything without a police report but at least they can be aware there are thieves breaking into cars.

So we get here to the Cancer center and check in, I get my blood taken through my port in my chest and when they flushed the saline and heparin solutions I thought I was going to get sick, I don't know if it's in my head or not but I get very anxious on chemotherapy day and now not only the saline solution but the heparin solution are making me nauseous.  So now we wait for me to be called for treatment, it's been almost 45 minutes since they took my blood. 

Okay they called me into the day treatment, premed's started, takes about 1/2 an hour, then the Camptasar, about 90 minutes, then the Avastin, about 30 minutes.  I took a compazine as I was experiencing nausea just from the saline and heparin solution taste right before they started the premeds.

Will update  more later.



Marsha

Sometimes something happens that make you stop and go WOW!

This morning while Tom and I had our coffee on our front porch a hawk appeared, gliding upon the air currents in lazy looping patterns, I am not a birdaphiliac (is that a word? (grins) so have no idea what kind of hawk it was but Tom assured me it was a hawk. Suddenly from the left side of our vision a crow (I think it was a crow, could have been a black bird I guess) appeared, flying fast and hard.


I thought nothing of it until I saw it approaching the hawk and told Tom to look, He and I watched as the Crow (?) attacked the hawk, swooping at it and working it's wings hard, trying to drive the hawk away.

The hawk seemed not to even notice the crow, just rode the air currents in the same lazy looping pattern with no effort while the crow expended tremendous energy on attacking the hawk.

After a time both disappeared from view but it was one of those moments of time where all you can do is watch and stop what you are doing and go WOW.

Just WOW.

CEA levels

Well, finally got Amy my Oncologist's Assistant to call me back and my CEA level from seeing the Oncologist and getting blood drawn on 04/13/10 is 100.9 and from when my last chemotherapy and blood draw before that was 100.0. The one before that was 88.9. So although it is not rising in leaps and bounds it is rising, which is a bit worrisome to me.


I am trying to look at it as my Oncologist said that this is a disease like diabetes or heart disease and we have to work at fighting it, and not get freaked out at every little change in CEA levels or PET scans but I will speak to him about it when next I see him whether it's this coming Monday when I have chemotherapy, or the week in between chemo treatments (Monday after this one) as I don't really know when I will be seeing him at this time.

Yesterday

Well I seem to have gotten my strength fully back and yesterday Tom and I went to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, we are members of both it and the Zoo so our passes are paid for, essentially we got in for "free" meaning we didn't have to pay just show our passes.  Parking was $6.00 for members and we got to park not too far away, section 2, last parking space so short uphill walk to the main entrance.  We then walked through the bird aviary and then down and around the monkey area, but instead of going right to the Gorillas we went left to the elevator lift to take us down to the Journey Into Africa Tram Tour. 

Tom had planned the day to make the walking as minimal for me as possible (with my ankle) and to make it as stress free with the heat (for March it turned out to be a bit of a hot day).

So we walked from the elevator not too far to the Journey Into Africa Tram Tour and had about a 10 minute wait, then boarded the Tram.

There are reviews on this site of the wild animal park and I intend to put my words from here there to lean toward the favorable:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-diego-wild-animal-park-san-diego

The tram ride was great and free with our membership passes, it took us over 2 1/2 miles: we saw a cheetah dozing in the sun, she actually picked up her head and alerted on something so got a good view of her (Considering she sleeps 20 hours a day our tour guide (funny and informational guy) said that was a burst of energy for her (grins).  Lots of gazelle and water buffalo, giraffe's, large and about a year old  rhino's,  wildebeest with a baby in the middle of their U shaped defensive positions different types of birds, and at the end or the beginning as you can walk by it before you go on the ride, there were two female lions lounging on a jeep top and hood and a  male lion, sleeping on a big box set up right before a big window in a wall you could look at, I mean you will NEVER get that close to a lion in your life.  Poor thing though, every time he opened his eyes someone would take a flash picture and he'd have to close his eyes again.


I have to say the animals were not hard to see at all, and only someone who expected to be nose to nose with them like at a zoo and they are right in front of you with only glass between you would be disapointed.  We did not need binoculars or anything and the Tram went around so if you did not see an animal close enough from one side of that area of the park when it made it's way around you would close from the other side.

So then we got off the tram and walked over to see the side view of the lionesses and the front view of the male lion, and walked to a cooling off area (children mostly (made up like a playground) but adults were welcome also and I splashed my head and upper body with water while Tom took a picture without me knowing it LOL.

Then a bit more walking and a ADA van came along and the gentleman gave us a ride up the hill to the administration building where we had a short walk out of the Wild Animal Park and down to the car..

You can bring in your own drinks and food if you want, we had eated before we went and we brought in water bottles and refilled them at the many water fountains over the area of the park we went through.

So total not counting the price of the year long Zoo/Wild Animal Park pass? $6.00 for parking.

Next time Tom wants to rent two scooters at $30 a piece so we can see the whole park, not a bad price, and probably pretty good for me with my ankle and my fatigue from the chemo and cancer.

Then we came home, rested, ate a bit and then went out to see a movie: "Date Night" Great movie, very funny and a lot of good previews we are vowing we want to see.

A wonderful day and time and Thank You so much to my Love, my Life, my Miracle, Tom for making it so.

(Today is rest day for me (grins) although I don't feel bad right now, don't want to get to where I do, especially as next Monday is chemo treatment once again).

A wonderful thoughtful caring love man

That's my miracle, my greatest and last love of my life, my Tom.  He came home from work last night and brought me the most beautiful amazing bouquet of flowers I've ever seen or been given, for no reason at all.  Thank you my darling for simply being you and being with me through this life and through this disease, for loving and caring for me and for all the things you do and say that make my life better than it  ever has before.  I love you.

Tired

My Oncologist is giving me another weeks break from chemotherapy as I am so tired, so fatigued.   So the 26th of April is chemo day.

I am a bit irritated that I still a few days shy of two weeks do not have my last CEA numbers.  To me these are very important as they are a good indicator for me how my cancer is doing.

(What is CEA?


CEA stands for carcinoembryonic antigen. CEA is a type of protein molecule that can be found in many different cells of the body, but is typically associated with certain tumors and the developing fetus. The word "carcinoembryonic" reflects the fact that CEA is produced by some cancers ("carcino-") and by the developing fetus ("-embryonic").

How is CEA measured?

CEA is most frequently tested in blood. It can also be tested in body fluids and in biopsy tissue.

What is the normal range for CEA blood levels?

The normal range for CEA in an adult non-smoker is <2.5 ng/ml and for a smoker <5 ng/ml before therapy are associated with cancer which has already spread (metastatic disease).

What conditions can cause an elevated CEA?

Both benign and malignant (harmless and cancerous) conditions can increase the CEA level. The most frequent cancer which causes an increased CEA is cancer of the colon and rectum. Others include cancers of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer. Benign conditions which can elevate CEA include smoking, infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors in the same organs in which an elevated CEA indicates cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a temporary rise in CEA due to the death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream. Benign disease does not usually cause an increase above 10 ng/ml.

What are the limitations of CEA testing?

CEA is not an effective screening test for hidden (occult) cancer since early tumors do not cause significant blood elevations. Also, many tumors never cause an abnormal blood level, even in advanced disease. Because there is variability between results obtained between laboratories, the same laboratory should do repeat testing when monitoring a patient with cancer.

For some people it is an ongoing indicator of how their cancer is doing ~ (like me) for others (Like REB) their CEA has never risen so is not a good indicator of how the cancer is doing.)

So it's kinda of important to "me" to know what it is each time after I have chemo (takes about a week usually to get it, have no clue why it is taking so long this time)
 
Right after chemotherapy I am okay but then the fatigue hits and I can stay in bed, can get on the computer for short periods, and watch tv, but then usually after about 4 days I am back to tired but can function, this time almost two weeks and I am just barely getting my energy back a bit.
 

Dr's visit today

Went to see the Dr. today, all blood counts normal ( except for we don't know about my CEA levels until Thursday) and no reason he can see for the fatigue, but he is giving me another week off chemo so my next chemo is on the 26th. He mentioned rehydration but we didn't have time as Tom had to get to work. Also I think part of it is I "think" I have a cold (sniffling, sneezing, blowing my nose) and yes Tom and I have changed our diets and are eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meats. (But it sucks in one week of the "new eating" I've only lost 1/2 a pound. So am just going to take it easy for awhile more and put the "housework" aside until I feel better. Thanks everyone for your words and concern and will keep ya'll updated.

More depressed more tired

The title says it all.

Not a good time

I am depressed, I ache all over and am not feeling well, I just am so tired and I cry easily at anything, I don't know what to do.

This weeks side effects

I am feeling the side effects hard from the latest chemo session, no energy at all and the simpliest thing like walking to the mail box has me having to sit or lay down to catch my breath and to get some kind of energy. This week I have done no housework other than to make dinner for Tom, I just cannot seem to find the energy to do anything. Have been having headaches almost every day except for today so maybe that side effect is going away.

This was in our local paper today, so thought I'd share, seems they are a long way off from "Clinical Trials" but..... who knows.

New method shown to attack cancer tumors


La Jolla scientists’ work on mice still preliminary

By Scott LaFee, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Friday, April 9, 2010 at 12:43 a.m.

Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti

SOLID-TUMOR CANCERS

These are diseases in which abnormal masses of tissue form in the body. They may be benign or malignant. The top 10 cancers in the United States, based on incidence rate, are all solid-tumor types.

1. Prostate, 152.6 (per 100,000 people)
2. Female breast, 119.3
3. Lung and bronchus, 66.8
4. Colon and rectum, 46.8
5. Corpus and uterus, 23.7
6. Urinary bladder, 20.5
7. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 18.7
8. Skin melanomas, 18.2
9. Kidney and renal pelvis, 15.0
10. Ovary, 12.3

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Solid cancer tumors can resist a doctor’s most powerful weapons, hunkering down to prevent drugs from penetrating far into their masses of diseased tissue. The physician can up the dosage, hoping for better results but also risking nastier side effects.

The battle’s dynamics may change soon.

In a study published yesterday in the journal Science, cancer scientists at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla say they have developed a new method of attack, one that essentially induces tumors to pull medications deep within them. The technique, tested in lab mice, produced significantly better therapeutic results with smaller drug doses and fewer side effects.

“This may be a very important innovation,” said David A. Cheresh, a professor of pathology at the Moores Cancer Center, which is part of the University of California San Diego.

We have plenty of drugs that work. The problem has always been getting the drugs to the right location,” said Cheresh, who is not involved in the project.

In their report, Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti and his colleagues describe injecting the mice with a variety of anti-cancer drugs and a peptide — a chain of specific amino acids. These mice carried grafts of human breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers.

The peptide is key.

During the 1980s, Ruoslahti showed that a peptide called RGD could find and attach itself to receptors on solid-tumor cancer cells. Last year, he published a paper documenting how iRGD, a variant of RGD, not only homed in on cancer cells but also activated their internal transport systems. As a result, the peptide could pass through cell after cell, moving farther toward the tumor’s core.

The study in Science, whose co-authors include Dr. Kazuki N. Sugahara and Tambet Teesalu at the University of California Santa Barbara, said anti-drugs lingering near peptide molecules get pulled into and through tumor tissues as well. Seven to 40 times more of the medications entered tumors with the peptide as compared to those without it.

By their nature and architecture, solid tumors are well-equipped to fend off cancer drugs.

They have poor vascular systems, which reduces their exposure to blood-borne drugs. They are densely fibrous, which serves as a kind of physical armor. And they have high internal pressures, which means “anything trying to get in is basically swimming upstream,” Ruoslahti said.

The iRGD peptide acts like a key, switching on the internal transport system of cancer cells so they pull in anything that’s knocking on certain surface receptors.

Based on early findings, the approach promises to have wide application. Researchers said iRGD penetrates many types of tumors and might be useful in treating most, if not all, solid-tumor cancers. The peptide also was shown to enhance the therapeutic effects of several cancer medicines, including a small molecule drug, a monoclonal antibody and two nanoparticle drugs.

In tests, some mouse tumors that showed resistance to a drug were effectively treated when that drug was delivered with iRGD. Other tumors that only partly responded to a drug were eradicated by the combined approach.

Another encouraging aspect of the research is that iRGD and cancer drugs are effective together without being chemically attached to each other, said Robert Brackenbury, a professor of cancer and cell biology at the University of Cincinnati, who also wasn’t part of study.

That means scientists “can use drugs that have been previously approved for therapy without having to seek approval for a new, covalently-coupled compound,” he said.

The result might be a simpler and shorter path to actual clinical use.

“This could cut years off the testing process,” Ruoslahti said.

Both Cheresh and Brackenbury cautioned that more research remains to be done.

Scientists aren’t sure whether the new treatment strategy will work as well in humans as in mice. Also, iRGD might open up a tumor’s blood vessel walls too much and allow cancer cells to escape into the general bloodstream, possibly spreading the disease faster, Cheresh said.

“It’s still early in the process,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I can see how this approach or something like it could lead to more efficient therapies. It could change the way we treat cancer patients.”

Chemotherapy yesterday.

Had chemotherapy yesterday and talked to the Dr. Had my blood drawn and have to wait till Monday to get my CEA results. 

Chemo was fairly uneventful, I slept through part of it then Tom and I talked to a very nice lady who was getting chemo also in the small room we were in.

But last night had horrible side effects; nausea, headache, and a bit of loose stool, not quite diarrhea. Compared to others side effects last night wasn't much of anything but kept me in discomfort.

Also my hernia acted up last night and ended up balled up and crying twice I think as it hit me like a bad cramp then went away, hit me again and then went away and I was able to sleep.

Took a vicodin for the headache and Compazine for the nausea, no Immodium AD as not full fledged diarrhea.

Today have a bit of headache and some nausea but took a Vicodin and Compazine so slowly feeling better.

And today that's about all the news that's fit to tell, wishing everyone a great day.

Have to lose weight and eat healthy

Okay, I HAVE to lose weight. (and so does Tom) This sounds weird coming from someone with my stage cancer huh? Anyways, we are going grocery shopping tomorrow morning and I need good ideas on food or diets someone can direct me too on the internet. (Taking a nap in a few so not doing my own research for once (grin)


So here's what our diet is usually like:

BREAKFAST:

Bagel slathered with cream cheese and strawberry jam 2 whole bagels for Tom (4 halves), 1 (2 halves) for me.

or

Bicuits and sausage with gravy, 4 biscuits (8 halves) for Tom, 2 biscuits (4 halves) for me. Both slathered with sausage fried and white home made gravy mixed with cooked sausage bits and grease.

or

Cereal with milk ~ BIG bowl for Tom, half his size bowl for me. (Golden Grahams his preferred kind, Captain Crunch or some kids sugary cereal for me)

or

Frozen breakfast bag cooked in a bit of oil and eggs scrambled and mixed in. Tom eats his burrito style with cheese slices and I eat mine just like it is.

or

Bacon and eggs and toast.

or

French toast and bacon or Homemade pancakes and bacon ~ 6 slices french toast or three big pancakes for Tom and about 5 pieces of bacon, 2 slices french toast or one big pancake for me and the same amount of bacon.

or

We go out to eat at Denny's or IHOP sometimes

LUNCH

I pack his lunch and he is a creature of habit so each day Tom's lunch is the same (The days he is working: Two double meat sandwhiches with 1 1/2 slice provolone cheese with mustard, one orange, one apple, one chocolate boost (he works 2pm to 10 or 11 pm so takes the boost if he feels tired), one granola snack bar, 8 rollos (chocolate covered carmel candies), 6 chocolate chip cookies or one package of two Little Debbie snack cakes)

My lunch is soup and a lunch meat sandwhich or two lunch meat sandwhiches or a bowl or plate of leftovers (varies)

I snack later during the day; chocolate, make homemade nachos, cookies, ice cream, etc.

DINNER:

Usually premade frozen dinners in bags, and steam fresh vegetables that I put too much butter on, easy to make and fast. One dinner and vegetable bag feeds 2 people, but I dish him out a much larger portion of both the dinner and the vegetables. (Remember dinner is when he comes home from work and after he relaxes for a bit so usually we are eating about 11:30 pm.

Then sometimes a snack after dinner; Ice cream, cheesecake, etc.

I am getting to the point I know I am unhealthy and am worrying about Tom's weight (He is over 350 at this point I know and 6' exactly and I am 5' 3 1/2" and 242.

So before I see my Dr. on Monday for treatment and have to ask him to see a dietician, thought I would ask for help here.

Thanks a bunch all and headed to lay down for a time ((((((((((hugs))))))))))

And in reply to a post someone put down on the colon cancer forum:

Shame faced ~ Sheila we do have vegetables with each dinner the steam fresh kind, easy to fix, I just have to stop putting loads of butter on them and learn to eat them the way they are and enjoy the taste and also buy fresh vegetables and use them before they go bad. Also I do try to do salads once in a while for dinner but the bag salads or the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc do go bad most of the time before we are half way through them as we don't eat them as much and ranch is our favorite with bleu cheese the next in line for salad dressing so out they go and I am buying vinegrette dressing. Also am going to use your suggestions on buying fresh meat, lean chicken breast, lean turkey, etc and work more on actually cooking than using the store bought high caloric frozen dinners. And going to go to egg beaters and turkey bacon and wheat type bread, more rice also as a side dish (have a rice cooker so why not put it to use?) Also am going to work on other things as I went through our cupboards and am doing a shopping list.


Thank you for your help and ideas Sheila and if anyone else has any ideas before about 11am PST tomorrow let me know, they will be appreciated. (((((((((hugs))))))))))))

Okay back from grocery shopping and Tom is at work.


I woke up this morning before him and cleaned out the bad stuff from the freezer, refrigerator and cupboards (Donated some unopened stuff to a family with kids downstairs and to the right of us).

I made breakfast and coffee for Tom and then spoke to him about what I wanted to buy and how I wanted us to start eating starting Monday, he balked a bit but hey I was buying groceries this time so, my call (grin) and he knows the truth of us both having to lose weight and get healthier.

So, bought fresh vegetables and fruits, salad fixings, Turkey bacon, skinless boneless chicken breasts and skinless boneless turkey breasts, also bought some thin lean steaks, bought vinagrette dressings (low calorie), Egg Beaters and a bunch of other healthy things. I asked Tom to get me wheat bread but he apparently did not hear me so I didn't realize until we were home and I was putting away the groceries that he bought white bread.

Well I guess he can have that for his sandwhiches for lunch which I told him would now consist of two sandwhiches still but with one piece of lunch meat and one piece of provolone cheese instead of the two pieces each he was eating before, (he really didn't like that but I make his lunch so I am going to do what I need to do to make sure he also eats well) and one apple and one orange or another fruit, a banana and a snack bar, no more cookies, Little Debbie cakes or chocolate for either him or me.

I did tell him every Sunday we could have a treat like a small ice cream cup or a small piece of pie or something.

So tomorrow we are having a big nice Easter dinner and then Monday starts the healthy eating and hopefully I will have good news to report in not too long a time in us both feeling healthier and losing some weight.

(smiles)