Archive for cancer

Hey, 2012 – bring it on!

January 1, 2012 cancer, survivorship 7 comments
A plastic yellow bucket.

A plastic yellow bucket for my 2012 bucket list - how LiveSTRONG appropriate! Image via Wikipedia

I know that my last post was a bit darker than usual for me, and for that I apologize. One thing I’ve learned about cancer is that pain control is job #1, and without adequate pain control, it’s very difficult to focus on anything else. It’s also easy peasy to get dark about looking forward.

So yesterday and today I’ve bitten the bullet, and increased the oxycodone. I seem to be mentally functional for a good part of the day if I take 600 mg Ibuprofen plus 5 mg oxycodone in two doses about 12 hours apart, with a booster dose around mid-afternoon of 400 mg Ibuprofen plus another 2.5 mg oxycodone. It’s more oxycodone than I want to take.  I DO sleep more soundly and longer at night, and want badly to nap during the day. But at least I am sleeping, and I’m not spending every waking minute counting the time down until my next dose. So, fingers crossed that this will keep working. Read more

Stage IV rectal cancer: 7 years and 9 months in…

December 26, 2011 cancer, survivorship 9 comments

Where's the "strong" in LiveStrong?

Normally, I’m more upbeat than this post. But today I sat (or rather, laid) here reading a support forum post about “hope for Stage IV” from a caregiver, where the patient is less than a year out from diagnosis…overjoyed to be converted from inoperative to potentially eligible for surgery.

I remember that feeling. I was excited, too.

I read a post from a 27 year old Stage IV colon cancer patient two weeks out from colon/liver resection surgery, who wants to know about her fertility options. She wants to bear a child – even though, even if she could, her chances of living long enough to raise that child to adulthood are still slim and none.

What I found, after my visit to the support forums, was a crystallization of thoughts that have been floating in and out of the pain meds all weekend. Someone needs to say this out loud. I guess it might as well be me. Read more

Chemo treatment #28

November 2, 2011 cancer, survivorship One comment

I am two hours into my 28th chemo infusion since April 4, 2011. If you count the two disastrous Folfox infusions in March, that’s 30 infusions since my recurrence was dx’d. But I’m only counting my new weekly 6+2 5FU + Erbitux regimen. We skipped two weeks – one for blood values, one for a fever and UTI flare-up. So – 28 continuous weeks of chemo.

I can feel the energy draining out of me with each drip in of Erbitux. The Dunkin Donuts small coffee isn’t even touching the fatigue that is piling on, along with the brain fog. So much for working in the infusion chair.

Kirshner suggests that my options, if Saturday’s scan shows stable disease, are to:
1) continue on 6+2 regimen
2) drop the 5FU and just do weekly Erbitux
3) take a short break (with intense monitoring) from all chemo.
I’ve never thought taking a break while I still have active (even if controlled) disease was a good choice. Seems too risky to me. On the other hand, it would be good to feel “normal” through December, and I could start 6+2s again after Christmas.

And feeling “normal” would be really nice right now.

In praise of avgolemono soup

September 7, 2011 cancer, nutrition 3 comments
The rind of a lemon is exceptionally bitter, w...

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve recently been on a liquid diet, the quickest way to avert a full-blown bowel obstruction. But after three days of protein shakes and broths, the obstruction had resolved enough to add in “liquids with body” – purees, yogurts and thin, very smooth mashes. And I was getting really bored buzzing canned soups into puree oblivion in my Magic Bullet.

And then I saw the lemon in my fruit basket, and I remembered avgolemono, a wonderful Greek-herbed chicken broth thickened with a mixture of beaten eggs and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I had chicken broth in the freezer, and eggs in the fridge. It was the perfect food for this incredibly dreary, rain-all-day, temps in the 60s central New York day. Read more

Loving someone through it

August 21, 2011 cancer, survivorship One comment
SU2C Logo

Image via Wikipedia

Three days ago, country music star Martina McBride released the official version of her cancer support anthem, I’m gonna love you through it.

The song’s been out for awhile, but the “official video” version features vignettes with patients and families – regular folks, and a batch of celebrities including Sheryl Crow, Hoda Kotbe, and Katie Couric.

Some folks on cancer support community forums sighed after watching the video, and said “oh – another promotion that’s all about breast cancer. Well, yeah – there are some people in the video wearing pink. Maybe – for some folks – a LOT of pink. ;) Read more

« Older Entries   Recent Entries »