The fifth week at Duke Raleigh Hospital Cancer Center went pretty well, although I have no energy and tire out just walking to the car. I was so weak I couldn't even make it out to the porch and only went out a couple of mornings. Been too hot to be out there, but I did miss it.
Monday was my last scheduled chemo treatment, but Dr. Agawar decided to add another round next Monday due to the aggressive nature of esophageal cancer, so I still have one more to go. My white blood count is down below normal range, so I am susceptible to infections, so I guess it's good I'm not venturing very far.
I'm still fighting dehydration and the radiologist sent me down for IV fluids last week after radiation since I can't get water or food down. I can't even swallow my own spit. He suggested Mucinex to thin the mucus out and it has made a huge difference.
Earlier in this adventure, I noticed how much food was featured on TV and Facebook. It bothered me at first because I wanted everything I saw and couldn't eat any of it. Now, it has become my personal food porn. Forbidden morsels I will one day be able to indulge in. It's no longer torture, but a goal. I can't wait for the day I can take a big bite like Guy Fieri and cram it in in a disgusting motion with juices running down my chin.
Trouble is, I don't know what the first meal will be. One day I see green beans with new potatoes and crave them, but there's visions of lasagna and pulled pork running through my mind. I have no idea what it will be, but be assured there will be pictures!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Fourth Week Of Treatment Update
Relatively speaking, the forth week of chemo and radiation went pretty well. I still can't eat or drink and have been getting IV fluids several times a week to prevent being totally dehydrated. Time has been going by faster, so I am not totally bored silly being stuck at home all day. We do take the scenic route home after radiation down the back roads now and then, just for excitement.
My hair is starting to fall out, but it's not noticeable yet. Won't be long before I will look my age. Bad thing is, I don't own any hats! It would be bad to get a sunburn on the top of my head when sitting on the porch.
The radiation is making me feel like my ribs are bruised, but pain medicine keeps it under control for 8 hours at a time. Not only that, liquid Tylenol is on buy one, get one free!
The view from the porch revealed several hummingbirds feeding from the sugar water, but there's one red throat hummingbird that runs the others away when they try to drink. At first I thought he was being a bully, but I saw him cower when a bug and a wasp was trying to drink from it. I guess he's just shy. We added another feeder and he has found that, so maybe they can all share at the same time.
In the weird, that never happens news, Time-Warner Cable surprised me. I switched from AT&T/DirecTV last year, and when I signed up with TWC, the guy made me a custom "package" and assured me it would only go up ten dollars after the year. They were still cheaper, so I took the deal. A few weeks ago a lady called about the year term stating it would go up ten bucks, but I could add a movie channel and keep the package I had. I agreed and after several stumbles and stutters, she hung up on me. Last week a more polished dude called and said my package would go up twenty dollars. I told him otherwise and he said hold on and let me look up your package. After several minutes he came back and offered the same package I had for TEN DOLLARS LESS per month! I don't know what custom package I have, but that was not expected from TWC!
Weird!
My hair is starting to fall out, but it's not noticeable yet. Won't be long before I will look my age. Bad thing is, I don't own any hats! It would be bad to get a sunburn on the top of my head when sitting on the porch.
The radiation is making me feel like my ribs are bruised, but pain medicine keeps it under control for 8 hours at a time. Not only that, liquid Tylenol is on buy one, get one free!
The view from the porch revealed several hummingbirds feeding from the sugar water, but there's one red throat hummingbird that runs the others away when they try to drink. At first I thought he was being a bully, but I saw him cower when a bug and a wasp was trying to drink from it. I guess he's just shy. We added another feeder and he has found that, so maybe they can all share at the same time.
In the weird, that never happens news, Time-Warner Cable surprised me. I switched from AT&T/DirecTV last year, and when I signed up with TWC, the guy made me a custom "package" and assured me it would only go up ten dollars after the year. They were still cheaper, so I took the deal. A few weeks ago a lady called about the year term stating it would go up ten bucks, but I could add a movie channel and keep the package I had. I agreed and after several stumbles and stutters, she hung up on me. Last week a more polished dude called and said my package would go up twenty dollars. I told him otherwise and he said hold on and let me look up your package. After several minutes he came back and offered the same package I had for TEN DOLLARS LESS per month! I don't know what custom package I have, but that was not expected from TWC!
Weird!
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Third Week Of Treatment Update
Last week was rough, mainly from the heat and humidity. Even inside with air conditioning it was yucky. Since the steroids jack my blood sugar levels, the Doctor didn't include them last week which could have also contributed to my malaise. It was certainly tolerable, but not my best week so far as far as feeling good. I still can't eat, but can drink a little water some days. They have me scheduled for IV fluids on Wednesday and Fridays to keep me hydrated.
I did catch the Sunrise on Sunday morning. There were a couple days I didn't even venture out to see it as usual. When it is near 80 degrees that early in the morning, it's going to be a hot day. Even the birds didn't do much singing early in the morning because it was so hot. We did see more humming birds taking a drink of sugar water and it is cool to watch them.
I'm not really sure why, but I have been fascinated with water; ponds, creeks, rivers and an uncontrollable desire to dip my feet in the cool water. I guess the Chemo is making my feet warm, but being raised near water all my life I absolutely love bodies of water. I could never live in an landlocked area with no ocean or rivers to play in. Bertie County is surrounded by water on three sides from the Roanoke River, Chowan River and the Cashie River in the middle. Each one is different and awesome in its own way. The Roanoke is a narrow, but deep fast moving river that has some great fishing. The Cashie is also narrow, but usually calm and perfect for water sking. The Chowan is huge and offers the best of everything. Even the creeks are amazing.
I was able to dip my feet in my cousin Gail's pool on the Forth of July, but it didn't really satisfy me. Last Sunday I adjusted the hot tub chemicals, PH and alkalinity and watched it run a few hours. It didn't take long before I was in it! I spent several hours in it as a matter of fact and only came in when a cloud came up. (I didn't want to get my bathing suit wet). Actually, I turned the heater off earlier this summer and the water temp was a cool 85 degrees and perfect to cool off in. My tub has a step inside it that I sat on so I didn't wash off my alignment marks and it kept my feeding tube above water, but was perfect to feel the jets and play in the bubbling water.
It reminded me of summers past, when Aunt Christine would round us kids up at Grandma Bill's house and take us to the river to swim. I'm pretty sure she taught me and all my cousins how to swim, either at the end of the Eden House Bridge on the Chowan river or at Sheep's Landing. I always preferred Sheep's Landing because the waves were usually rough at the bridge. I remember very well when the waves would knock me down as a little kid and make me so mad I'd tell her to make them stop. Sadly, all those places are private now, and the new Eden House Bridge was built right where I cursed the waves so many years ago.
Mom and Dad had a place near the mouth of the Chowan, Roanoke, Middle and Albermarle Sound several years ago. I miss that place since they sold it, but had a lot of fun there. We had pig pickin's, bluegrass and gospel singing out there. Good food and good neighbors. You can't beat it!
Uncle Thomas and Aunt Tine had a place there, Uncle Eugene and Aunt Inetta had a place. There best friends Shelby and Mary and Barbara Jean were neighbors. Mom and Aunt Inetta had paddle boats at the dock that were lots of fun to ride in. Mom's had a leak somewhere, so you had to drain it before and after each use, but it was not hard to handle on the shore.
Keith caught a catfish that pulled us down the river in it and we had to fight it to get it in the boat. We do have pictures somewhere, but I don't think it has been digitized yet, so maybe I'll post it later. Uncle Thomas skinned it and prepared it for cooking. There was always a fish fryer and oil ready to go at one of the houses. Dad always had his boat there, but at the mouth of the Albermarle sound, the wind would cause the water to get rough. Very rough indeed with very little warning. Even the mouth of the Roanoke River would get a bit choppy with waves. Not a big deal, because Dad always had botas that could handle waves since he loved Hatteras and Ocracoke so much.
Just the sound of the water jets brought all these memories to me of a time I wish I could go back to and spend more time enjoying them. I do miss the water and will always love being in it, on it or looking at it.
I was able to dip my feet in my cousin Gail's pool on the Forth of July, but it didn't really satisfy me. Last Sunday I adjusted the hot tub chemicals, PH and alkalinity and watched it run a few hours. It didn't take long before I was in it! I spent several hours in it as a matter of fact and only came in when a cloud came up. (I didn't want to get my bathing suit wet). Actually, I turned the heater off earlier this summer and the water temp was a cool 85 degrees and perfect to cool off in. My tub has a step inside it that I sat on so I didn't wash off my alignment marks and it kept my feeding tube above water, but was perfect to feel the jets and play in the bubbling water.
It reminded me of summers past, when Aunt Christine would round us kids up at Grandma Bill's house and take us to the river to swim. I'm pretty sure she taught me and all my cousins how to swim, either at the end of the Eden House Bridge on the Chowan river or at Sheep's Landing. I always preferred Sheep's Landing because the waves were usually rough at the bridge. I remember very well when the waves would knock me down as a little kid and make me so mad I'd tell her to make them stop. Sadly, all those places are private now, and the new Eden House Bridge was built right where I cursed the waves so many years ago.
Mom and Dad had a place near the mouth of the Chowan, Roanoke, Middle and Albermarle Sound several years ago. I miss that place since they sold it, but had a lot of fun there. We had pig pickin's, bluegrass and gospel singing out there. Good food and good neighbors. You can't beat it!
Uncle Thomas and Aunt Tine had a place there, Uncle Eugene and Aunt Inetta had a place. There best friends Shelby and Mary and Barbara Jean were neighbors. Mom and Aunt Inetta had paddle boats at the dock that were lots of fun to ride in. Mom's had a leak somewhere, so you had to drain it before and after each use, but it was not hard to handle on the shore.
Keith caught a catfish that pulled us down the river in it and we had to fight it to get it in the boat. We do have pictures somewhere, but I don't think it has been digitized yet, so maybe I'll post it later. Uncle Thomas skinned it and prepared it for cooking. There was always a fish fryer and oil ready to go at one of the houses. Dad always had his boat there, but at the mouth of the Albermarle sound, the wind would cause the water to get rough. Very rough indeed with very little warning. Even the mouth of the Roanoke River would get a bit choppy with waves. Not a big deal, because Dad always had botas that could handle waves since he loved Hatteras and Ocracoke so much.
Just the sound of the water jets brought all these memories to me of a time I wish I could go back to and spend more time enjoying them. I do miss the water and will always love being in it, on it or looking at it.
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