At the hospital for the isotope injection then chemotherapy then the totally body bone scan

Thank you all for the well wishes and I am here at the hospital waiting to get the isotopes injected (at first they looked at me like they had no idea what the hell I was talking about when I said why I was here) then I go over to get chemotherapy. So will update in a bit........

Isotopes injected, (poor guy tried to go in my arm and couldn't get past the scar tissue so went in my hand (OUCHIE) then over here to get my lab work done through my port (BTW the gum did not help, still tasted the saline and heparin and stomach rolled but managed to hang in there).

Saw my Oncologists Assistant, told her about the nausea I have been experencing the past few days and with the saline and heparin flushes, she is checking to see if they put Amend in my premeds and going to talk to the Oncologist about giving me a week off chemo.

Okay time for them to start treatment, be back in a few.....

Thank you all for your words and you have no idea how much I appreciate them.


So, to finish up yesterday (It's now Tuesday), the Oncologists Assistant listened to me about dizziness and the nausea even through the compazine so she wrote two prescriptions, one for Emend and one for it looks like Folrun? Today I will get those filled. And I lost 2 lbs. She said she would talk to the Oncologist about pushing my next chemotherapy session back to three weeks from yesterday from two weeks.

I felt sick on and off during the chemotherapy treatment although I did eat a cafeteria tuna fish sandwhich (purposely asked Tom to get my sandwhich from there as it is the most bland I could think of as he usually goes to Rubio's or something and I eat and then feel worse) Also wanted pudding but he said they had none, a hospital cafeteria with no pudding? What is this world coming to???? (grins)

Then had side effects of stomach hurting but toughed that out and then my hands wend numb, have had this happen before and the nurse kept coming to check on me but I guess there was nothing she could do. It was like they were asleep but no pins and needles just numb but hurt at the same time.

So we were running right at the 5 hour max timeline for the isotopes when they unplugged me from the machine and flushed the port so Tom stayed behind to get my next appoinment and I rushed (as much as I could) to the main hospital and down to radiology. They took me right in and put me on this NARROW (what they think everyones a size 0?) table, head on pillow, pillow under my knees, and slide in panels for my arms to rest on, then they took the full body bone scan, came back in and had me turn on my left side and did another bone scan of my ribs, the tech took pains to tell me it was not because they saw anything just the way they always do it.

So then helped me sit up and then the kicker Tech: "Miss, are you planning on going on a trip by plane anytime soon?" Me: "No, why?" Tech: "Well if you do you will probably set off the alarms as you will be a bit radioactive for a time" Me: "NOW you tell me this?" LOL

So then Tom and I came home, watched TV where I dozed off and on and he made me a grilled cheese sandwhich and soup and I fought off nausea and stomach pains and head ache. Then he went to sleep and I had insomnia till about 1am.

So this morning I took my heartburn medicine, my compazine and my valium, have a teeny bit of a headache but am okay, ate cereal just now and in a bit we are headed to the store and drugstore.

I hope all are doing well and my thoughts and prayers are with you this day as everyday.

No bone scan for Monday

Well, I called like they told me to, this afternoon to try and get in for my total body bone scan.  And guess what? No openings for Monday.  Now in case you are wondering and I have not explained before why Mondays.  Tom is off Sunday and Monday and works Tues-Saturday 2pm to 10pm so  there is no way I can ask him to get up at say 7am  to get me down to the hospital by 8am, do the waiting to be seen thing, get the isotrope injection, wait the three hours for the isotope to do whatever the hell it does and then do the scan for forty-five minutes, that brings us from 8am to say anywhere from noon to 1pm then 45 minutes drive home and turn back around and drive the (thankfully) ten minutes to work and then for him to work 8 hours.

So Mondays are the day I can do this total body bone scan and this week again no openings so she told me call this coming wednesday afternoon to try to get in on the next Monday.  I will try but I have a feeling by the time I get this total body bone scan thing done it won't be needed anymore LOL.

So Monday all I have to deal with is labs, seeing the Oncologist and chemotherapy.

EDITED TO ADD:


A wonderful woman from the bone scan center called me back and with me on the line she was able to coordinate me going to the bone scan center (in the hospital right next door to the cancer center) getting my injection of isotopes from them at 8am then going to the cancer center to get my chemotherapy at 8:30am, after my chemotherapy I will go back to the bone scan center to get my full body bone scan so it's all in place and will be all done Monday, now have to call my Orthopedist and tell him all this so we can then make an appointment to go in and see him after the scan so pray for me everyone that all comes out okay. And thank you God for having that woman call me (all smiles now)

Oncologist called me and appointment Nurse called me

My Oncologist called me today, my CEA is down to 67 Yeah! Still a ways to go but it has reveresed trend and is going down instead of us. Then we talked about my cholesterol which is actually quite good (more good cholesterol than bad) I forget the number but he is pleased with it.


Then because the last time (last Monday) I was at the Cancer Center the Nurse who makes the appointments was at lunch so I was told she would call me to set up the next appointment for this coming Monday. Well no one called so I had left a message and was called back, she told me yes Monday the 24th at 9:45 for labs then see my Oncologist then chemotherapy (the MINUTE she said chemotherapy my stomach started lurching and I had to take a nausea pill) So this Thursday I will call the radiology department of the hospital to try and schedule my total body bone scan for that afternoon.

Wish me luck.

I have been going through phases of okay and not okay, okay is good, as my Oncologist said when I started chemotherapy, I would not feel 100% while on it. not okay is ucky and fatigued. Hopefully when I see the Oncologist on the 24th he will tell me when my next PET scan is scheduled and we can see where we go from there. A vacation from the chemo would be really nice as even the words "Chemotherapy appointment" are triggering an adverse mental reaction that is affecting me physically.

Oh and today during grocery shopping with Tom, I FINALLY remembered to pick up some gum to help with that god awful taste when they adminster the saline and heparin flushes. Got "Wrigley's 5" a strong gum in both "Elixer, a mouthwatering berry" and "Rain, a tingling spearmint". I was told that this is very strong gum so will see if it helps. During grocery shopping today Tom suggested I use one of the store motarized carts so I wouldn't be so worn out and my ankle hurting at the end of shopping. At first I was like "Oh no, I don't need to use that" and then thought about it and went ahead and used it with him coming behind me with a bigger cart. Man I do not feel half as tired as I did when walking the whole store so that is one lesson well learned (grins)



Prayers and thoughts for all of the forum and their family and friends and caregivers.

Can I stop chemo now or have a break from it? Please?

Yesterday was blood work drawn then see my Oncologists Assistant then get my chemotherapy.  When they inserted the needle in the port for the first time it hurt and stung when they flushed with the saline and heparin solution. I almost threw up from that taste in my mouth and was not doing well when we went to see my Oncologists Assistant.  We talked about my weight, about the hernia, about my CEA levels but all in all she was just there to fill in and jot down my answers and questions for my Oncologist to see and talk to me about next time I see him.

So then off to the chemotherapy.  The started with the premeds (Steroids, benadryl and other things)  this took about 30 minutes and then the Camptosar which took 90 minutes, then the Avastin which took 30  minutes and finished off with unhooking the machine from me and leaving the needle to the pump open which the RN then flushed again with saline solution and heparin. 

During this time we watched CSI Miami on my laptop, then I fell asleep for a bit woke up with nausea and cramping stomach.  Tom went and got us something to eat as we had not eaten before going to chemotherapy.  I don't know if it helped or not because by the time we left the Cancer Center I was so nauseous I wanted to throw up and kind of did in the parking garage but no solid food just kind of a bile drool.

Last night I was so nauseous and had a headache so bad.  Took like 4 Motrin all together and 2 compazines and finally, finally went to sleep, but Tom held me while I cried.  First time the day of chemotherapy it has hit me this hard.

So today, feeling better but am gong to be taken it easy.  Not much getting done around the house today.

Say prayers for me everyone and mine go out to you.

Marsha

Trying to schedule another full body bone scan

Well I called today like they told me for a Monday afternoon appoinment. "Sorry we have no appointments open, call next Thursday late afternoon to see if we can fit you in on that coming Monday."


Okay, chemotherapy is this coming Monday, by the next Monday I "might" again be having side effects. I am wondering if I should call Thursday to try to get in for that Monday or just wait until the following Thursday for the Monday of the next week (I guess that will again be a chemo day for me unless something happens) as will not have side effect then.

Will talk to Tom about it when he gets home from work.  Also am getting suggestions from the colon cancer board.

CEA level from 04/26/10

CEA level from 04/26/10 is 157, the one before that was from 04/13/10 which was 100.9 and the one before that was 100.0.  So my CEA level is rising, it had gotten as low as 29 a few months ago but is again on the rise, at first a few numbers but this last jump is a 56.1 number jump.  I am starting to get worried, not there yet, but starting to get worried that this chemotherapy (Camptosar with Avastin) has already stopped working or the cancer has become immune to it).  I am not worried to panicking yet, but if it continues to climb will definitely speak to my Oncologist about it.

I got a lecture today :(

Short as I am not on the computer for long as I was on it earlier and big mistake, thought I could be online and was for a time then had to get off and take care of  myself.

I was supposed to go get the full body bone scan today. Well during the night the full side effects of the chemotherapy last Monday hit; diarrhea, nausea, weakness, fatigue, headache, dizziness, etc.

And still going strong today so I call to cancel my appointment.

You would think I had committed murder, I got lectured did I know how much the Isotopes cost, did I realize what they had to go through to give me that appointment, did I understand the isotopes would go bad. And I feel like a three year old being scolded by an adult.

Finally whoever I talked to talked to someone else and told me to call this Friday to get an afternoon appointment next Monday after my chemotherapy (when I am not feeling side effects). I then called my orthopedist who ordered the test and left a message of my having to cancel and when I would call back to try to get an appointment for next Monday, yada yada yada and then called my oncologist and talked to his assistant and went through the same routine then asked her for my CEA levels. She said she would have to get my chart and call me back I said okay. and hung up.

I am duly chastised and am going back to bed feeling horrible, both physically and now mentally and emotionally for being such a bad person for breaking my appointment.

Hugs and thoughts and prayers.