I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I ate entirely too much. But, boy, was it good. Plus the leftovers are awesome! Starting to think about Monday. Round 5. Almost done -- but it is so hard to get my mind in the right place to be ready for it. I'm crying just thinking about it. (((LONG PAUSE as I compose myself)))

I'll be spending Sunday packing, (it won't take too long, I know exactly what I need).

Talk to you all on Monday, I'll let you know what I had to go through to get admitted.

Love you all,
Lori

Great news! My hemoglobin count is going up. 8.8 on Monday. So.....no transfusion this time around. Yeah! Thank you for all of the prayers and good thoughts! Going in to work this afternoon. Really looking forward to it. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! We have a lot to be thankful for.
Lori

What a great week. I worked 3 afternoons - it was great to be out among people again. The girls at work are really good to me, making sure that I don't tire myself out or do too much.

I had a blood draw yesterday. Got a call from the nurse in KC. Seems my hemoglobin is still going down. Right at the cutoff of 8.0. She wanted to know how I was feeling. I told her really good, considering. She said that I might need another transfusion if I go below 8.0 on Monday's blood test. GREAT! Oh well, not much I can do about it.

Have a great weekend.
Lori

What a difference a weekend makes! I am feeling so much better! I had my blood drawn yesterday and got really good news. My white count is over 11 - due in part to the shot that I get. Hemoglobin is 8.3, just high enough that I don't need a transfusion. (8.0 is the cutoff) Yeah! So I'm going to go into work this afternoon, can't wait to get out of the house.

Have a good week!
Lori

Hi Everyone! What a long week. Haven't felt like doing anything, so I haven't been. Which means I haven't been on the computer to post anything. Sorry. I know that you all are wondering what is happening with my health and my life. This last treatment seems like so long ago, yet it was just 5 days ago. Must be how my brain is dealing with the trauma of it. 4 down, 2 to go. With all of your support and encouraging words, I know that I can make it through it.


My next treatment is after Thanksgiving. Dec 1. I think the Dr. knew that I needed to be home during the holiday for my sanity.


Have had 2 blood draws this week. Tues, my white count was 1.7 hemoglobin was 9.5 (normal, not low enough for blood transfusion). Went in again this morning, won't hear results until this afternoon. Probably a drop in the white count (usual for day 5) this weekend should bring the count back up and Monday's count should show a marked improvement. That's when the hemoglobin has been dropping, though. Let's hope that I'm able to keep the number up.

If you guys ever need and update, and are afraid to call, just leave a message on this site, or drop me an email.
Thanks for everything
Lori

I'm home. Tired really tired. Going to KC for my shot. Not much else to tell. Just that the treatments get harder every time.
Love you all lots.
Lori

I guess I had to do it. Throw up that is. Didn't want to. Asked for meds that didn't come soon enough. All over myself and the floor. One of the nurses said I blessed the floor. Hit the orange button on the wall. All of the other nurse call buttons are orange. This one is the code button. You should have seen the nurses rush in to my room. Of course, I didn't see them. I was bent over the sink and trash can. They just told me later.

I can't even think about eating, but I guess I'll order breakfast. I didn't eat any lunch or dinner yesterday, and I'm still gagging, but I'll try to see what I can get down. Wish me luck.

Going home today.

Friday was my crying day. Why do I always have to have a day where I can't keep from crying. All day long. Even extra meds didn't help. Mom & Dad came to visit thank goodness, otherwise I would have been a basket case.

Dr. IS speeding up the meds. I'll finish chemo at 4 today, and the bladder protection between 2 & 3 on Sunday. YEAH!

I didn't sleep very well last night. Up at 3, didn't fall asleep again until 6.

Thanks for listening to me complain!
Lori

Sleeping a lot today. Hard to do anything when your eyes won't stay open. Probably the meds that I'm on. Oh well, makes the time go by when there's nothing else to do. Finishing one chemo med tonight. Two more days to go on the other, then the med to protect my bladder.
Dr. asked today if we're on time or running late, (with the meds) I told him a little late on Sunday, so maybe he'll hurry up the protection med so I can get out a little earlier on Sunday.

Well it's day 3 and I'm doing pretty good. Taking the mental health meds as a preventative instead of waiting till I feel bad. This is helping, it think. Thinking about things going on at home doesn't help. I have to concentrate on me.

Today my port got blocked somehow. The nurses had to de-access the port and then re-access it about 5 minutes later. Luckily I didn't have ANY PAIN with any of it.

Keep you posted if anything else comes up. Seems like the past few stays have been pretty boring. OH well!
Lori

Hey everyone,
Well all of the prayers and good thoughts for a quick admission were answered. By the time I saw the doctor at 11:30, they already had a room for me. We stopped for lunch before we went to the hospital, but I was in a room by 2 and the chemo was started by 4. YEAH!!!!! My doctor stopped by the room at about 7 and said that this is the way it should be.
Amen.

Talk to you tomorrow
Lori

The past three days have just flown by. I feel really good, so I've been doing more, worked Wed. & Thurs. afternoons. Taylor & I got out this afternoon and went to Walmart. Just two more days and I'm going back in for round number 4. Doesn't seem like I've had much time between rounds this time, but most of it I didn't really feel good.

This round we are hoping for a quick admission. Don't want to spend 7 hours in the admissions office this time.

Have a great weekend.
Lori

It was another LONG day in KC. I had a blood draw at 12:00 to type my blood. It was 3:30 before they started administering the blood. A 3 and half hour wait!!!!! Nothing is quick, I might as well resign myself to that fact. It was 9:30 when I got home last night. I do feel better today. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers.
Lori

Hi,
Ok - the good news white blood count and platelets are up. Don't even remember the numbers right now. Too much going through my head. Seems hemoglobin is low. If I don't get a blood transfusion, my recovery could take a long time and delay my next treatment. So mom & dad are taking me to kc tomorrow for a blood transfusion. NOT what I want, but what can I do??? All done outpatient, so I won't be admitted. I guess that is good. minimally.
Lori

Hope everyone is as glad to see the sun as I am. Even though it is still a little cold outside, the brightness still helps. I had another blood draw yesterday. Not good news. My white count is .4 --- way down. Guess I won't be going anywhere this weekend. Will try again on Monday to see if it increases. I woke up this morning with severe bone pain, a sign my shot of neulasta was working. Hopefully my bone marrow is really busy making white blood cells and platelets, the two things I'm low on. The dr. said I should just be careful about cutting myself or with bruises because of the low platelet count. Since I don't do anything, it shouldn't be a problem.

Enjoy your weekend.
I'll let you know the results of Monday's blood draw.
Lori

4 days post chemo and my temp is staying below 99 degrees. YEAH! Tomorrow will be the defining moment however. Day 5 is when my temp spiked last time. I was able to stay in bed all night last night. Tossed a little bit, but able to go right back to sleep.
Not much else to share, a pretty boring existence right now. BUT THAT'S OK!!!!
Lori

Hi. Today was a better day. I actually felt more normal again. Even sooner than the last two treatments. Went in for a blood draw. Numbers are low- white count 3.0, but the good news is that's better than 3 days out for the previous two times. I forgot to take anything to put on my head when I went in to the hospital (I do my blood draws at stormont). Decided I didn't care, my chauffeur Drew asked if I wanted to go back, I said no. So I am being really careful in public places and using a mask. If I didn't look a sight. One lady in the waiting room asked me if I had cancer. Told her yes, she said I had good color. If you can call a two toned bald lady having good color, I guess that's OK. Felt good enough to cook a casserole for dinner tonight. I was just too tired to clean up. I have good help though. Both Monte and Taylor pitched in.

Thanks for listening to the exciting as well as the mundane.
Lori

Hi, everybody. Thanks for putting up with my sporadic writing. Sometimes it's just to hard to set in front of the computer and write.

Sunday was hurry up & wait. Again. (does it seem like I'm doing a lot more complaining now?) Monte stayed Sat night, we left the hospital about 3. (not without roadblocks from the nurse from HELL Judy) More about her later. Stopped at Kmart for 2 prescriptions. I just can't get comfortable at home either. Can't take too many pills. So I slept for 4 hours, up for 3, slept for about 3 more.

Time to go to KC for my $4,000 shot. Did you know the reason I have to go to KC is because a Dr. from Topeka won't take orders from at Dr. from KC. Can it get any worse?????


Here's to a brighter and more comfortable tomorrow.
Lori

Saturday was long and boring. Monte came up at dinner time and spent the night. I am done with chemo, just waiting on the extra medicine that protects my bladder. They say I should be done by 5:00! Yes!

Friday has been a lazy day. Spent most of the morning dozing. I guess that's better than crying. Monte's sisters visited this afternoon, as well as my Mom & Dad. Good to have company, makes the day pass by faster. Drs. say they are going to work it out so that I can get out of the hospital Sunday evening. Keep your fingers crossed it works out. Just two more days, keep telling myself that it's only two more days. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. I do want you to know that I read all of the comments that are left. I really appreciate them.

Happy thoughts from here on out.
Lori