As if I didn't have enough crap going on, I ended up having to get my last two wisdom teeth pulled today because they were infected and had cavities in them. So, that really wiped me out. Now, I'm on Vicodin for the pain. Yay!
Some of you might be wondering what I've been doing during the day to occupy my time. Mostly, I've just been laying around watching TV when I'm not out and about getting treatment. The last few weeks I've had chemo 4 days a week for half the day, so it makes the days go fairly quick sometimes. I watch movies too, and try to do things around the house to make time pass. I can't play guitar or do my models because my hands simply shake too much and I can't always control them in a concise way. It's gotten too hard to play Xbox because of this too. So, my options have become limited.
My wife and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary today too. And today is my brother Justin's birthday - so happy birthday bro!!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Day 57: Good News with a Toothache
Yesterday was a good day aside from the horrible toothache I developed in the evening that made me nausous. My lower left gums are swolen from this tooth and I'm not sure why, but it really hurts. I'm concerned about going to the dentist with my blood counts being so low, but I have a call into my doctor to find out the details about that. If I need oral surgery of some sort, I'm not sure if that's a good idea with my white counts being dangerously low as it is. But something has to be done because it's really painful right now.
The new pain meds have really made a difference with my headaches. They don't make me groggy or loopy, and they take care of the pain, so that's good.
I also heard back from Dr. Artz yesterday about the bone marrow biopsy I gave on Wednesday. As it turns out, a lot of the cancer is being wiped out, but there are still some bad cells there. But he stressed that a significant amount of progress has been made and we're going to continue on this same course of treatment because the Leukemia seems to be responding well to it. We are also still pursuing the bone marrow transplant as well. I'll have more details on that as they become available. We don't return to Chicago until March 30 for another biopsy. So, we have some time to work with.
The new pain meds have really made a difference with my headaches. They don't make me groggy or loopy, and they take care of the pain, so that's good.
I also heard back from Dr. Artz yesterday about the bone marrow biopsy I gave on Wednesday. As it turns out, a lot of the cancer is being wiped out, but there are still some bad cells there. But he stressed that a significant amount of progress has been made and we're going to continue on this same course of treatment because the Leukemia seems to be responding well to it. We are also still pursuing the bone marrow transplant as well. I'll have more details on that as they become available. We don't return to Chicago until March 30 for another biopsy. So, we have some time to work with.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Day 55: Chicago Day
My entire day was spent in Chicago getting a variety of things done. Most of my time was spent counting ceiling tiles, finding imperfections in wall paint, and listening to my iPhone's music. I started off getting a lumbar puncture with chemo, followed by a bone marrow biopsy. We believe it was 4th or 5th one. We've lost count now. So, my lower back feels a bit like a crater at this point. Then, I had to do a pulminary test of my lungs and heart. That was kind of interesting. They injected me with a contrast dye, much like they do with a CT Scan, and then they placed me in front of a machine that takes photos of my heart and lungs about every .3 seconds. The tech told me that my heart and lungs looked good. And then, because of my headaches, they scheduled me for a blood patch on my spinal column. For those that don't know, the blood patch can actually help seal off any leakage of spinal fluid that is as a result of the lumbar puncture. This leakage can cause severe headaches which is what we're suspecting I'm enduring. However, as it turns out, having the blood patch done depends greatly on what your platelet levels are in your bloodstream. Mine are currently at 47,000. They won't do a blood patch unless the levels are 70,000 or above. Obviously if my blood won't clot enough, the patch really isn't going to help anything. So that was a bust. Instead, I got some new medication for the headaches called Fioricet. Apparently it's not quite as strong as Percocet, but has codine and caffeine in it to help, and it's regularly used to treat migraines and high tension headaches. So, hopefully, it'll provide me some relief when they get bad enough.
I don't have anything going on the rest of the week except for a blood draw tomorrow at Dr. Park's office.
This week has been riddled with nausea too. Nothing sucks more than trying to eat when you feel like it's going to come right back up. I have been fortunate enough not to have thrown up yet, but I've been close a few times. Hopefully not having as much chemo this week will help with that some too.
I don't have anything going on the rest of the week except for a blood draw tomorrow at Dr. Park's office.
This week has been riddled with nausea too. Nothing sucks more than trying to eat when you feel like it's going to come right back up. I have been fortunate enough not to have thrown up yet, but I've been close a few times. Hopefully not having as much chemo this week will help with that some too.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Day 53: Not as Planned
Even when you think you may have your day figured out, someone is bound to throw you a curveball and change it all up. I was scheduled for chemo and a lumbar punture today, but all that was changed this morning upon arriving at the Dr.'s office because the drugs weren't there. I'm still not exactly sure what happened. But, my chemo has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning in Mishawaka. Because of my recent battle with headaches, they postponed my lumbar puncture today too, but will do it in Chicago on Wednesday. In addition, they ran my blood this morning and decided that I will get platelets in a transfusion tomorrow as well. So, after my chemo in the morning, I'll be going to the hospital for that.
Today started with another horrible headache in the morning that lasted until around lunch time. I took a half of a Percocet and that knocked me out for a little while and did dull the headache some. My doctors aren't sure why my headaches have intensified, unless it's from the lumbar punctures. It's possible that the imbalance of fluid in my spinal area is causing the headaches, but we don't know for sure. They did tell me there's things they can do like a blood patch to help with that imbalance. Which, is why they'll take a closer look at the situation on Wednesday in Chicago. I certainly hope they can do something, because these headaches are miserable! They completely incapacitate me.
More to come...
Today started with another horrible headache in the morning that lasted until around lunch time. I took a half of a Percocet and that knocked me out for a little while and did dull the headache some. My doctors aren't sure why my headaches have intensified, unless it's from the lumbar punctures. It's possible that the imbalance of fluid in my spinal area is causing the headaches, but we don't know for sure. They did tell me there's things they can do like a blood patch to help with that imbalance. Which, is why they'll take a closer look at the situation on Wednesday in Chicago. I certainly hope they can do something, because these headaches are miserable! They completely incapacitate me.
More to come...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Day 52: Hopefully an Easier Week
This week should be a little easier for me as I only have 1 day that I have to get chemo, and that's tomorrow. (Monday.) Wednesday we go to Chicago for more preliminary bone marrow tests and another bone marrow biopsy to see how I'm responding to treatment. It's quite possible that I could be in remission or at least partial remission by then. That's what we're hoping for.
Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Park at the SB Clinic and I receive chemo in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we go to St. Joe Med Center once again for a lumbar puncture with chemo.
Hopefully the headaches and fatigue won't be as bad this week. We'll have to see.
More later.
Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Park at the SB Clinic and I receive chemo in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we go to St. Joe Med Center once again for a lumbar puncture with chemo.
Hopefully the headaches and fatigue won't be as bad this week. We'll have to see.
More later.
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Day 58: Wisdom Teeth Out
As if I didn't have enough crap going on, I ended up having to get my last two wisdom teeth pulled today because they were infected and had cavities in them. So, that really wiped me out. Now, I'm on Vicodin for the pain. Yay!
Some of you might be wondering what I've been doing during the day to occupy my time. Mostly, I've just been laying around watching TV when I'm not out and about getting treatment. The last few weeks I've had chemo 4 days a week for half the day, so it makes the days go fairly quick sometimes. I watch movies too, and try to do things around the house to make time pass. I can't play guitar or do my models because my hands simply shake too much and I can't always control them in a concise way. It's gotten too hard to play Xbox because of this too. So, my options have become limited.
My wife and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary today too. And today is my brother Justin's birthday - so happy birthday bro!!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Some of you might be wondering what I've been doing during the day to occupy my time. Mostly, I've just been laying around watching TV when I'm not out and about getting treatment. The last few weeks I've had chemo 4 days a week for half the day, so it makes the days go fairly quick sometimes. I watch movies too, and try to do things around the house to make time pass. I can't play guitar or do my models because my hands simply shake too much and I can't always control them in a concise way. It's gotten too hard to play Xbox because of this too. So, my options have become limited.
My wife and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary today too. And today is my brother Justin's birthday - so happy birthday bro!!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Day 57: Good News with a Toothache
Yesterday was a good day aside from the horrible toothache I developed in the evening that made me nausous. My lower left gums are swolen from this tooth and I'm not sure why, but it really hurts. I'm concerned about going to the dentist with my blood counts being so low, but I have a call into my doctor to find out the details about that. If I need oral surgery of some sort, I'm not sure if that's a good idea with my white counts being dangerously low as it is. But something has to be done because it's really painful right now.
The new pain meds have really made a difference with my headaches. They don't make me groggy or loopy, and they take care of the pain, so that's good.
I also heard back from Dr. Artz yesterday about the bone marrow biopsy I gave on Wednesday. As it turns out, a lot of the cancer is being wiped out, but there are still some bad cells there. But he stressed that a significant amount of progress has been made and we're going to continue on this same course of treatment because the Leukemia seems to be responding well to it. We are also still pursuing the bone marrow transplant as well. I'll have more details on that as they become available. We don't return to Chicago until March 30 for another biopsy. So, we have some time to work with.
The new pain meds have really made a difference with my headaches. They don't make me groggy or loopy, and they take care of the pain, so that's good.
I also heard back from Dr. Artz yesterday about the bone marrow biopsy I gave on Wednesday. As it turns out, a lot of the cancer is being wiped out, but there are still some bad cells there. But he stressed that a significant amount of progress has been made and we're going to continue on this same course of treatment because the Leukemia seems to be responding well to it. We are also still pursuing the bone marrow transplant as well. I'll have more details on that as they become available. We don't return to Chicago until March 30 for another biopsy. So, we have some time to work with.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Day 55: Chicago Day
My entire day was spent in Chicago getting a variety of things done. Most of my time was spent counting ceiling tiles, finding imperfections in wall paint, and listening to my iPhone's music. I started off getting a lumbar puncture with chemo, followed by a bone marrow biopsy. We believe it was 4th or 5th one. We've lost count now. So, my lower back feels a bit like a crater at this point. Then, I had to do a pulminary test of my lungs and heart. That was kind of interesting. They injected me with a contrast dye, much like they do with a CT Scan, and then they placed me in front of a machine that takes photos of my heart and lungs about every .3 seconds. The tech told me that my heart and lungs looked good. And then, because of my headaches, they scheduled me for a blood patch on my spinal column. For those that don't know, the blood patch can actually help seal off any leakage of spinal fluid that is as a result of the lumbar puncture. This leakage can cause severe headaches which is what we're suspecting I'm enduring. However, as it turns out, having the blood patch done depends greatly on what your platelet levels are in your bloodstream. Mine are currently at 47,000. They won't do a blood patch unless the levels are 70,000 or above. Obviously if my blood won't clot enough, the patch really isn't going to help anything. So that was a bust. Instead, I got some new medication for the headaches called Fioricet. Apparently it's not quite as strong as Percocet, but has codine and caffeine in it to help, and it's regularly used to treat migraines and high tension headaches. So, hopefully, it'll provide me some relief when they get bad enough.
I don't have anything going on the rest of the week except for a blood draw tomorrow at Dr. Park's office.
This week has been riddled with nausea too. Nothing sucks more than trying to eat when you feel like it's going to come right back up. I have been fortunate enough not to have thrown up yet, but I've been close a few times. Hopefully not having as much chemo this week will help with that some too.
I don't have anything going on the rest of the week except for a blood draw tomorrow at Dr. Park's office.
This week has been riddled with nausea too. Nothing sucks more than trying to eat when you feel like it's going to come right back up. I have been fortunate enough not to have thrown up yet, but I've been close a few times. Hopefully not having as much chemo this week will help with that some too.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Day 53: Not as Planned
Even when you think you may have your day figured out, someone is bound to throw you a curveball and change it all up. I was scheduled for chemo and a lumbar punture today, but all that was changed this morning upon arriving at the Dr.'s office because the drugs weren't there. I'm still not exactly sure what happened. But, my chemo has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning in Mishawaka. Because of my recent battle with headaches, they postponed my lumbar puncture today too, but will do it in Chicago on Wednesday. In addition, they ran my blood this morning and decided that I will get platelets in a transfusion tomorrow as well. So, after my chemo in the morning, I'll be going to the hospital for that.
Today started with another horrible headache in the morning that lasted until around lunch time. I took a half of a Percocet and that knocked me out for a little while and did dull the headache some. My doctors aren't sure why my headaches have intensified, unless it's from the lumbar punctures. It's possible that the imbalance of fluid in my spinal area is causing the headaches, but we don't know for sure. They did tell me there's things they can do like a blood patch to help with that imbalance. Which, is why they'll take a closer look at the situation on Wednesday in Chicago. I certainly hope they can do something, because these headaches are miserable! They completely incapacitate me.
More to come...
Today started with another horrible headache in the morning that lasted until around lunch time. I took a half of a Percocet and that knocked me out for a little while and did dull the headache some. My doctors aren't sure why my headaches have intensified, unless it's from the lumbar punctures. It's possible that the imbalance of fluid in my spinal area is causing the headaches, but we don't know for sure. They did tell me there's things they can do like a blood patch to help with that imbalance. Which, is why they'll take a closer look at the situation on Wednesday in Chicago. I certainly hope they can do something, because these headaches are miserable! They completely incapacitate me.
More to come...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Day 52: Hopefully an Easier Week
This week should be a little easier for me as I only have 1 day that I have to get chemo, and that's tomorrow. (Monday.) Wednesday we go to Chicago for more preliminary bone marrow tests and another bone marrow biopsy to see how I'm responding to treatment. It's quite possible that I could be in remission or at least partial remission by then. That's what we're hoping for.
Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Park at the SB Clinic and I receive chemo in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we go to St. Joe Med Center once again for a lumbar puncture with chemo.
Hopefully the headaches and fatigue won't be as bad this week. We'll have to see.
More later.
Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Park at the SB Clinic and I receive chemo in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we go to St. Joe Med Center once again for a lumbar puncture with chemo.
Hopefully the headaches and fatigue won't be as bad this week. We'll have to see.
More later.
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