Tuesday March 7

Friday - I was having a lot of pain in my leg and hip so I stayed in bed all day.  We thawed some chili we had in the freezer and I made some cornbread muffins and that's what we had for dinner.  Lunch was leftovers.  Colin spent the day doing laundry.  For two people we make a lot of dirty laundry.  That was our exciting Friday!  

Saturday - I was feeling a little better and it was a beautiful day except for the high of 30 temperature.  I got showered and dressed and we decided to go to the outlets to walk around.  They have really nice outlets here.  I was excited to get out of the house.  We bundled up and went to Tanger.  It is so much nicer than the tanger outlets in Lancaster.  Colin pushed me around in the wheelchair.  We spent about two hours browsing and looking around.  They have different stores then we have at our outlets.  We left the outlets around lunchtime so we stopped at Kings Restaurant to grab a quick, inexpensive lunch.  I see commercials for them all the time and have never been to one.  It was kind of like a Denny's.  I ordered pot roast and Colin had a Cobb salad.  Mine was really good.  I had a lot left over.  We ate and headed back home.  We got home and I was starting to have pain again so I put on my pjs and relaxed.  I ended up getting out my heated blanket because I was freezing.  I cocooned myself in the blanket and watched the Say Yes to the Dress marathon.  I'm hooked on that show!  We had leftovers for dinner and I went to bed.  

Sunday - I woke up in a lot of pain.  I showered and changed into a different set of pjs.  Colin left to run some errands and I took a nap.  He got home and we watched tv.  I started to feel hot and cold so I took my temperature.  I had a fever of 100.7.  We waited about an hour and took it again.  It went down a little to 99.7.  We waited another hour and took it and it was 101.7.  We called the coordinator to let her know and see what she thought we should do.  She told us to go to the emergency room and that they needed to draw blood cultures to rule out infection.  It was about 5, so we ate dinner, grilled cheese and potato soup and got ready to go to the hospital.  I packed a couple outfits because I had a feeling they would keep me.  We left and headed to the ER.  The coordinator called to let them know we were coming so when we got there they took us to a room almost immediately.  The ER doctor came in and ordered the blood work and a chest X-ray.  The on-call small bowel resident came to see me and said they were going to admit me for observation.  They got me a room and got me settled.  Colin went home and I went to bed.  

Monday - Bill came in in the morning and said they were going to send me for a Ct scan of my face and an MRI of my back.  The Ct scan of my face is because I have what started as a pimple and swelled up my entire cheek and eye.  They think there is some sort of infection going on.  The MRI of my back is to see if the fracture on my sacrum is healing or if something else is going on causing all my pain.  He checked my g-tube site and changed the dressing.  He left and I ordered my breakfast.  I had a bacon egg and cheese English muffin.  Hospital food is the greatest. (Sense my sarcasm).  Dr. Cruz and the team made their rounds and he confirmed what Bill told me.  I also needed some replacements.  My potassium was low and so was my mag.  He also put me on Iv antibiotics to try and knock out any source of infection before it gets worse.  My white cell counts were really low so they put me on neutropenic precautions.   That basically means anyone that comes into my room has to wear a mask and gown.  The team left and I layed in bed.  They came and got me for the Ct scan in the morning.  It was quick and painless.  They brought me back to my room and I layed in bed.  Colin and I just hung out most of the day.  Bill stopped back in to let us know the results of the Ct scan.  He said it's cellulitis on my cheek which basically means infected tissues.  He ordered an ointment to put on it and said we are going to continue the antibiotics.  He also told us that the blood cultures were negative which is a good thing.  Colin left around dinner.  The nurse came in around 5 and said they were going to come soon to take me for the MRI.  They came and got me around 5:30.  The MRI was about an hour and a half.  I was so tired from not sleeping the night before that I actually fell asleep.  Not sure how with all the loud grinding and cluncking noises.  They gave me earplugs so it helped.  I got back to my room around 8.  When I got back I smacked on some cheese curls Colin had left and layed down.  I missed dinner.  It was too late to eat anyway.  The nurse came in finally around 8:30 and gave me my meds.  A lot of them were wrong.  I went over everything with her and she gave me the ones I needed.  She came back in an hour later and gave me my 8:00 meds.  At this point it was after 11:00.  She hooked me up to some antibiotics via iv and was in and out of my room most of the night with different things.  In the morning she gave me my 6am meds but only gave me 2.  When I asked her about the other ones I needed to take she told me she would let the day nurse know.  She was probably one of the laziest nurses I've had.  She basically blew me off and wouldn't change the times in the computer and left it for the poor nurse who was coming in.  I told Colin about it when he came in.  He wasn't very happy.  When the day nurse came in to evaluate me, we told her what happened and she was wonderful.  She sat with Colin and went over everything.  She changed all the orders in the computer so they were correct.  She took her time to make sure everything was right.  

Bill came in to my room bright and early.  My white cell counts are trending up so as long as that keeps happening I may be discharged on Thursday.  He said they are going to continue the antibiotics and see what tomorrow's labs show and we will go from there.  Dr. Cruz and his team came around about an hour later and  said pretty much the same thing Bill had already told me.  The MRI results still weren't back yet so he said they would let me know as soon as they had the reports.  They left and Colin and I watched tv.  Nothing too exciting.  A little after lunch Colin saw Bill and he told him that the MRI shows the fracture is still in my sacrum but is healing.  It looks a lot better than the MRI they did if it in December.  It is just taking longer to heal because of the chemo drugs and the steroids.  Once the chemo is done and out of my system, things will start to heal faster.  The steroids are still going to effect the healing process in my body but not as bad.  Bill told Colin that a lot of the pain I'm having is from the neulesta and neupogen and that I'm going to be weak and in pain as long as I'm getting the chemo drugs.  Hopefully we only have one chemo treatment left and everything will be in the clear.  Then I will finally be able to start healing and be on the road to a healthy life again.  Colin left after lunch to go home and clean up.  I stayed in bed and watched tv.  I also spent some time researching wedding stuff for Shawn and Courtney.  It gave me something to do.  Around dinner the nurse unhooked me from everything and I showered.  It felt so good!  I hadn't showered in two days because I was on a heart monitor.  After my shower I had my lovely hospital dinner comsisting of chicken noodle soup and buttered noodles.  

 

Looks delicious doesn't it!!!

After dinner I got into bed and chilled out.  I'm in bed now watching tv and chilling out.  My nurse today was awesome.  She was on top of everything and was pleasant and knowledgeable.  She was a breath of fresh air compared to the nurse overnight.  I didn't have to wait for anything and she answered my call bell immediately every time I pushed it.  It's 7 now so she's going home for the day.  I hope that I have a better nurse tonight.  We will see.   

I have to say.....chemo affects people differently and there is a wide array of side effects.  I feel like I am extremely lucky because I haven't had too many side effects.  There are people who are extremely nauseous and have bouts of vomiting etc.  I have heard horror stories of side effects from chemo.  There are people who get so sick they live in their bathrooms because as soon as they move they get sick.  There are others who are in so much pain that they can't function or do normal daily activities that we take for granted.   I feel blessed that God has helped me through this and know that I could have it much worse.  I can get through this and will get through this.  I believe that my faith and prayer will help me through.  I pray for those who are extremely ill and have horrible side effects from the treatments.  It is a horrible feeling.  

I am going to bed now.  Please take the time to say a little prayer for me and for those who are undergoing treatment and need the support.  I will update you later.  Have a good night!