Since my last post, I have continued to have the chemo Elahere every three weeks with a scan at the end of December.
Praise the Lord, the CT scan showed a reduction in all of my tumors. My cancer marker continues to decrease as well, all pointing that this chemo is working!
I continue to see my Symptom Management NP Deby who is amazing. Gabapentin wasn't working for my neuropathy pain and Lyrica at the increased dose leaves me with no pain at all. I still deal with tingling and numbness which is manageable. I rarely have to take my oxycodone for it now.
She also put me on Ritalin to help manage my chemo related fatigue a couple of weeks ago. I take it twice a day and it just makes me feel normal again. The week after starting it was the best I have felt since I started having bowel obstructions almost two years ago. I don't take the Ritalin right after chemo since it decreases my appetite and it is also dampened by chemo.
We were able to have a wonderful Christmas since I didn't have chemo until two days after. Wilson asked Santa for a Tarsier (a small primate found in Asia), a megalodon tooth, and a Zipline. He got two out of three. Parker asked for a toy pony.
Wilson is in the middle of his basketball season and he has the same wonderful coaches as last year, Sierra and Kit. He has had quite the large cheering sections most games!
Parker is taking swim lessons and is loving it. She will be doing Quickball in the spring while Wilson does baseball.
We also got to celebrate both of our dogs' adoption days. Of course, they got a whipped cream treat!
I have also started an exercise program for cancer patients. We meet twice a week doing cardio and strength training. Since I have the Ritalin, I've had the energy to work out in the first time in more than 6 months.
My Gtube still causes me issues. The granuloma that keeps forming around it causes pain, bleeds, and oozes. We have used silver nitrate on it three or four times and it knocks it back for a few weeks but keeps coming back. I haven't had to use it (meaning empty my stomach because I have a bowel obstruction) since July. That in and of itself is a huge praise. We are meeting with Interventional Radiology (the ones who placed it) to see what the process is to remove it and recovery, if they would be able to place another one if we needed. The downside to taking it out would be having to go through the agony of getting a tube shoved down my nose and into my stomach if I get an obstruction again. Having the tube down your nose for a week is no cake walk either. It hurts and makes it hard to talk since it wiggles the tube.
Prayer requests:
1. Huge praises for the chemo working and meditations working to manage the side effects giving me a better quality of life.
2. For guidance for Wil and I and our medical team as we decide whether or not to remove my Gtube.
3. For protection from further neuropathy damage (which can lead to walking and hand issues) and continued protection for my eyes (these are doing good so far).
4. For our kids to be able to use our family's cancer journey to help others and their own spiritual lives.
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