chemo

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In the mountains

August 14, 2009 in Moments by admin | Comments

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Me on the trail

I have been enjoying my “time off” since chemo ended in early January, although I’m still receiving one drug every other week. It has taken my body quite a while to recover from the heavy-duty chemo; I’m not there yet and am learning to live with the chemo after-effects that still remain. If they improve with time, great. In the meantime, I will keep enjoying my life.

My hair grew in a tad curlier than before. The older I get, the curlier my hair gets. I can’t believe I used to have perfectly straight hair when I was young.


I have PET/CT scan scheduled for early September.


A friend and I drove to Rocky Mountain National Park yesterday to hike and sketch. We packed a lunch and art supplies – various kinds of colored pencils and watercolors – and hit the trail to two lakes. Yes, I made it, and with an 18-pound pack!


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Nymph Lake

I will never carry so much again. All I really need for art is a sketchpad, an eraser, and a couple of pencils – no color. I do need my camera, always.


In addition to an excess of art supplies, I toted heavy lunch portions of way too many veggies and grapes, which are full of water. (And I also carried in [but not out] three trays of ice cubes to keep the food cool!) We had enough bottled water and didn’t need more water in the food.


But we made it and had such a wonderful time! One of the lakes had water lilies in it with yellow blooms. Gorgeous place.

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Tuesday

June 16, 2009 in Moments by admin | Comments

Today I have my infusion of my med and an appointment with my local (as in within a 15 minute drive) oncologist. I’m looking forward to talking with him. I have some deficits from the chemo that I suspect I’ll have to learn to live with. That’s okay.

I have had so much fun with art lately, trying different things. My art lesson was postponed until tomorrow, so I painted for quite a long time yesterday and would like to get back to it today before my appt.

The cat’s chin is on my arm, bobbing up and down, as I type. I type quickly, so sometimes his head is almost vibrating. Why does he enjoy that, I wonder?

Maybe it’s like babies falling asleep on car rides. The rhythmic activity is lulling.

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Good news, but back in the chemo room

February 3, 2009 in Uncategorized by admin | Comments

Saw both oncologists last week. Good news! My PET/CT scan was still all clear.

Since the scanner cannot detect things that are smaller than 3 mm, one of my oncologists wanted to go after the cancer on a microscopic level. So I now receive Avastin every other week in the chemo room for half an hour.

Avastin cuts off the blood supply to any cancer cells that may be lurking about so they can’t form a blood system and grow into a tumor. My oncologists got on the phone with each other, and they are both in agreement about this treatment.

I don’t seem to have any side effects from it, and I’m glad my oncologists are treating the cancer aggressively, because colon cancer can be persistent.

My biggest challenge right now is fatigue and neuropathy, which has numbed my feet to the ankle and all my fingers. It’s difficult to type – I’ve never made so many mistakes before! And walking must be done with care because it’s like walking with feet that are asleep.

But the neuropathy should recede slowly this coming year. In the meantime, I’m starting two yoga classes a week, hitting the gym, continuing art, and trying not to let the neuropathy interfere with my daily activities.

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Third round of chemo completed

September 19, 2008 in Update by admin | Comments

The new nausea meds have helped a great deal. I am keeping food down and gaining some much-needed weight back. I’m still going in for hydration because I can’t keep liquids down yet. I try to get liquids in me through fruit, soup, etc., but it’s not quite enough.

Anyway, I’m grateful for this turn of events. Three rounds of chemo down, nine to go.

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First round of chemo

August 18, 2008 in Update by admin | Comments

I began my first round of FOLFOX and Avastin chemo on August 4th. It is now the 18th, and my second round begins tomorrow.

During my first week, I threw up constantly and couldn’t even keep a sip of liquid down. When I began throwing up in the oncology office, the chemo nurse whisked me back to an easy chair and began an IV infusion. I went in for another infusion the next day.

Two days later, I was in the hospital (on a Sunday morning) for a third infusion, and I was able to take my first food — a bit of mashed potatoes.

Well, this non-stop throwing up and extreme dehydration is definitely not going to work for 24 weeks of chemo. My oncologist plans to reduce one chemo drug a bit and change all of my nausea meds for the second round. We’ll see how it goes.

I have not been able to go near the computer or do anything that requires attention. Mostly I have been curled up on the sofa in fetal position for two weeks. Hope these new meds are effective.

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