Doctor visit and Herceptin treatment

Psalm 118: 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I wrote this yesterday but somehow I lost all that I wrote so am redoing it today. I was too tired yesterday to redo it then. Anyway, I went to the onocologist this past Monday. Talked with his nurse practioner too. My heart test that I had a couple of weeks ago was great. Shows that my heart hasn't changed at all from the first one which is great news. However, I did have a disappointment. I was hoping to have my port taken out after the last herceptin treatment which is on August 9. But, the doctor says I have to wait until I have a CT Scan of my abdomen, pelvis, and chest which won't be done until mid October. Then I see the doctor again on Oct. 20. If the CT Scan is good, no cancer evident, then I can have the port taken out. That means I have to continue taking coumadin for a few more months...oh, well....that is okay. Since I won't be having any treatments in Sept. or Oct., I will have to go to the chemo clinic to have a heparin flush to keep the port working. Heparin is a blood thinner and is use to keep lines open. They flush with heparin after each of my treatments. Guess I will be having surgery in Novemeber to have the port taken out (at least I hope). I talked to the nurse practioner about my joint stiffness. She says it is mainly from chemo. Could be some from getting older and some early arthritis but mainly from chemo. I have the joint stiffness mainly in the morning when I get up, when I get out of a chair, and especially when I get out of the car. I am sure people laugh at me when I go to Walmart or some store, and can't even stand up straight when I get out of the car. I must look like a old woman....lol.

I also had my herceptin treatment after seeing the doctor. It was going well which was good for I needed to hurry because I was babysitting that afternoon. Well, I had a float nurse who doesn't usually work there. My medicaton quit infusing but my nurse was starting an IV on a patient. Most patients have ports but once in a while, someone needs an IV started. Well, my nurse had trouble so I couldn't get her to fix my medicatin and wouldn't you know, the other nurse was also starting an IV. Then my nurse took off (maybe to lunch) so it was over 30 minutes before I could get someone to fix my medication. I was frustrated for it only takes 3o mintues for my medication to infuse and here it was....an extra 30 minutes. Usually it wouldn't bother me but that day I was in a hurry...oh, well....there was nothing I could do. I just have one more treatment left. Yea!!!

My hair is looking pretty good these days. I am getting used to short hair...um..maybe I should keep it short. Ummm....lol. We'll see...I am just happy to have hair. That was one of the hardest things about my cancer. For a woman, that is hard. Thanks to all for you love and interest in how I am doing. Thanks for your prayers. Love you all..

Psalm 118:28-29 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Hair

Here is how my hair looks now. This is how it looks naturally....I just let it dry on own without blow drying or using a curling iron.

Great week

Romans 5:3 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.

This past week has been a good one for me. I had my last 2D echo heart test done this past Tuesday. I am sure all is okay...heart sounded good and I could see it pumping on the screen as she was testing my heart. Also, on Friday, I had a coumadin level check and it was great--2.6!!! (needs to be between 2.0-3.0) I finally get to have one month checks ---yea!!! I have my next Herceptin treatment on July 20 which is coming up soon. I have been feeling pretty good these days. My hair is growing and looking pretty nice these days. I am getting to like it short...nice on these hot summer days. However, I still would like for it to grow longer to see what it will look like.

The only problem is my husband's health. He's having heart spasms that occur at times and makes him faint or have dizzy spells. The doctors can't figure out yet what is the cause of these spasms. He almost fainted yesterday in HEB. Just pray that they will find the cause so they will be able to treat his problems. Every time he does some exercise or activity using his arms, he seems to have these spells. He played Wii golf the other day and now the spells. Poor guy....I ended up having to finish mowing the lawn today since he started to have a spell again. Thanks for your prayers.

I John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

Doing well

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I am so sorry that I've not posted in quite a while. I am feeling much better these days. My fatigue is even better....still get tired at times but not like it was. Praise the Lord. I had Herceptin this past Monday (June 28) and all went well. The nurse scared me though for she had trouble getting a blood return from my port. They always check to be sure the port is working by pulling back the syringe to see if blood comes out of the port. They have never had any problems with my port. So, here it is near the end of my treatments and I thought my port was acting up. The nurse decided that the needle was next to the edge. She finally got some blood back so all is well. I have only 2 more Herceptin treatments left. Yea!!! I plan to have my port taken out when the treatments are done so that means I will have to have surgery to have it removed. It will be simple and a day surgery procedure but I hate having surgery. Oh, well.....

My hair is growing. The front is finally down to the bottom of my ear lobes. It's somewhat curly in the back but I hear that it's like baby hair and will grow straight after awhile. I will get someone to take a picture of me soon so I can post it and you can see it. I am liking it much better.

We have a horse and the farrier came out last week to shoe the horse's hooves. Turns out he has rectal cancer and we have the same doctor so we enjoyed conversing about our cancer and treatments, etc. He wears a pump to have his chemo infusing all day long for 5 days in a row. He is doing this for 6 weeks. It doesn't make him sick so he just carries on like usual but he gets tired. My brother-in-law just has a few days left of his radiation treatments so I know he will be happy to have that behind him. Hopefully all is well. I think he'll have a PSA test soon but not sure about that.

I still have problems with chemo brain (so they call it) where I can't always come up with the correct word or name of things. My kids tell me that I am just getting old but I know that it is from the chemo because I wasn't that bad before cancer. Oh, well....it's not too bad so I won't complain.

Tonight is our breast cancer support meeting but not sure I will go or not. I learn some things there but really find it hard to meet people there. It's a rainy day here and I don't have to go to town, so it will be real easy just to stay home. I've been busy this summer babysitting some kids so not home alot. Thanks for checking up on me. Love you all.....Keep praying for me!!

Galatian 6:2a Carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.