I had a hard time sleeping last night because I was suffering from a heinous case of "shouldn't have done that." Chris started feeling under the weather yesterday and whenever this happens there's a major dilemna about what's for dinner. I'm happy to graze on whatever, but he feels that it's his sworn duty to be sure that I eat something balanced. He's right, of course, but I'm pretty sure a cheese sandwich and a banana constitutes a balanced meal. He, however, does not.
Since his throat was hurting, I suggested an ice cream run which perked him up considerably. I'm still gun shy about public outings after the whole flu incident, so we agreed on drive thru. He got soft serve and *gasp* I got my first fastfood hamburger in over a year. What was I thinking? I wasn't and that was the whole problem. Here's my rationale: I've been off Prograf for over a month and I've managed to survive the flu. Add to that, Chris wasn't feeling like himself and I was able to sneak it in.
It was horrible! I microwaved it for a full minute just to be sure that most microbes would die and I stripped it of all vegetation. Gag. Why do people feed these things to their children? What are we thinking? I made myself eat half of it since I was feeling guilty about actually ordering it. It sat like a boulder in my stomach for the rest of the night. My little digestive system was definitely not up to the challenge and I suffered for my own stupidity for the rest of the night.
Lesson learned. Fast food is bad. To put this in perspective, I was eating quinoa the night before. Superfoods generally grace my plate and I make an effort to eat a lot of vegetables. It's the whole cancer thing.
So there you have it. I have confessed and feel better for it. Chris is smirking.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Day + 265
WBC 2.7 K/uL
RBC 3.98 M/uL
HGB 12.3 G/dL
PLT 321 K/uL
ANC 1.3 K/uL
Ann had her bi-monthly blood check up with our local hematologist yesterday, and he reports that her blood work looks "pretty consistent with someone recovering from the flu". Translation: normal. There have been no fevers in the last week and Ann says that she is back to feeling she like she thinks she should. So it looks like the baby stem cells have earned their first "immunity" the hard way and she is now bouncing back.
I'm pretty sure I was exposed to her flu, because while caring for her even though she tried not to, she coughed on me a couple of times. I'm happy to report that after a week I still have no symptoms. So I am assuming that the stain of Influenza B that Ann picked up must have been a pretty mild variety, i.e. baby flu, that a healthy immune system wouldn't have trouble identifying and crushing on the spot.
Following up the good news we have a little puppy update....
We saw our neighbor with her yesterday as we came back from the doctor. The Puppy's name is now officially "Minnie" and she is now taking supervised trips out on the the front lawn for "business". Minnie currently needs lots of dilaudid just to be comfortable and can only walk for short periods of time. When she is out she has to be wrapped up with plastic wrap to help keep her splint nad dressing clean and dry. As it turns out, the Vet performed all the work on Minnie free of charge.
WBC 2.7 K/uL
RBC 3.98 M/uL
HGB 12.3 G/dL
PLT 321 K/uL
ANC 1.3 K/uL
Ann had her bi-monthly blood check up with our local hematologist yesterday, and he reports that her blood work looks "pretty consistent with someone recovering from the flu". Translation: normal. There have been no fevers in the last week and Ann says that she is back to feeling she like she thinks she should. So it looks like the baby stem cells have earned their first "immunity" the hard way and she is now bouncing back.
I'm pretty sure I was exposed to her flu, because while caring for her even though she tried not to, she coughed on me a couple of times. I'm happy to report that after a week I still have no symptoms. So I am assuming that the stain of Influenza B that Ann picked up must have been a pretty mild variety, i.e. baby flu, that a healthy immune system wouldn't have trouble identifying and crushing on the spot.
Following up the good news we have a little puppy update....
We saw our neighbor with her yesterday as we came back from the doctor. The Puppy's name is now officially "Minnie" and she is now taking supervised trips out on the the front lawn for "business". Minnie currently needs lots of dilaudid just to be comfortable and can only walk for short periods of time. When she is out she has to be wrapped up with plastic wrap to help keep her splint nad dressing clean and dry. As it turns out, the Vet performed all the work on Minnie free of charge.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Puppy Update
I just wanted everyone to know that the little puppy returned home and she is in stable condition. The Vet is reasonably sure that she will make it. I'll try to get a picture of her when she is feeling a little better.
10 minutes. That's all it took today to get my injection. What a relief! I've been getting a little bone pain in the usual places--femur, hip, and my knuckles have been aching on and off. I'm also experiencing some really crazy foot cramps. I don't think that has anything to do with the neupogen. I've gotten cramps on and off since I first started chemo and I know of several other transplant patients who have the same problem. I've been told that it can sometimes mean a deficiency in magnesium. I suppose that's pretty likely since once you've received chemo, your body develops difficulties maintaining certain minerals and vitamins. So, take your magnesium and folic acid. It's essential for your bones and cognitive ability.
I've been waking myself up at night coughing my brains out, so I'm not getting the kind of rest that I could wish for. My temperature was 99.1 this morning, and I'm feeling a lot more like myself. I still feel like I could benefit from a nap, but that's par for the course for me whenever I'm recovering from a bug. That's if I'm remembering life before leukemia correctly.
No appointments tomorrow as far as I know. Chris has a job interview later and that's all that's on the agenda for the rest of the day. I'm off to have a nap and benefit from the recuperative power of doing absolutely nothing. ;)
I've been waking myself up at night coughing my brains out, so I'm not getting the kind of rest that I could wish for. My temperature was 99.1 this morning, and I'm feeling a lot more like myself. I still feel like I could benefit from a nap, but that's par for the course for me whenever I'm recovering from a bug. That's if I'm remembering life before leukemia correctly.
No appointments tomorrow as far as I know. Chris has a job interview later and that's all that's on the agenda for the rest of the day. I'm off to have a nap and benefit from the recuperative power of doing absolutely nothing. ;)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Don't stick angry
I hate to have to say it, but today's doctor's visit wasn't any better than yesterday's. The waiting room was packed and it more closely resembled an airport terminal than a place full of cancer patients, crying baby and all. We waited for a little over an hour just to get the injection. Chris finally asked one of the receptionists how much longer it would take and as it would turn out they had forgotten to tell the injection nurse that I was there. The same thing happened yesterday. They sent me straight back and I got the impression that the nurse that was going to give me the shot wasn't in the best mood.
She confirmed this for me when she jabbed the needle into my stomach. Ouch! When I was previously getting neupogen, I was always instructed to very slowly dispense the drug to lessen the burning sensation. It actually works. I'm not sure if this nurse was familiar with this fact or if she just didn't care, because she just pressed straight down on the plunger. It definitely burned going in and 8 hours later the site of the injection still stings. When it was time to remove the needle, she just yanked it straight out which caused some bleeding.
After we left the office Chris observed that she had the kind of demeanor associated with health-care workers who have essentially given up. I shudder to think of the other geriatric patients being stuck by this woman. After a life time of accumulating wisdom and taking care of friends and family, the last thing they deserve during cancer treatment is the callousness of this nurse.
Tomorrow, I have to return for yet another shot. If it appears that the same nurse will be injecting me, I'm going to offer to do it to her first, just so she can see what a horrible job she does. I'm betting she refuses. Sincerely, if it is her, I'm going to refuse the shot. I won't cause a scene, I just won't ge manhandled again. My doctor can fire me as a patient, I don't really care. He's got plenty of clients willing to put up with the practice's mismanagement. Don't get me wrong, not everyone is incompetent. I can think of at least three employees who are absolute stand-outs. Unfortunately, they tend to get canceled out by some truly awful individuals. Sigh.
The highest my temperature got up to today was 99.1, so yippee for that. We haven't heard anymore about the little puppy, but I'm really hoping that no news is good news. Cross your fingers and say a little prayer for her because it was a really big truck and she's a very small dog.
She confirmed this for me when she jabbed the needle into my stomach. Ouch! When I was previously getting neupogen, I was always instructed to very slowly dispense the drug to lessen the burning sensation. It actually works. I'm not sure if this nurse was familiar with this fact or if she just didn't care, because she just pressed straight down on the plunger. It definitely burned going in and 8 hours later the site of the injection still stings. When it was time to remove the needle, she just yanked it straight out which caused some bleeding.
After we left the office Chris observed that she had the kind of demeanor associated with health-care workers who have essentially given up. I shudder to think of the other geriatric patients being stuck by this woman. After a life time of accumulating wisdom and taking care of friends and family, the last thing they deserve during cancer treatment is the callousness of this nurse.
Tomorrow, I have to return for yet another shot. If it appears that the same nurse will be injecting me, I'm going to offer to do it to her first, just so she can see what a horrible job she does. I'm betting she refuses. Sincerely, if it is her, I'm going to refuse the shot. I won't cause a scene, I just won't ge manhandled again. My doctor can fire me as a patient, I don't really care. He's got plenty of clients willing to put up with the practice's mismanagement. Don't get me wrong, not everyone is incompetent. I can think of at least three employees who are absolute stand-outs. Unfortunately, they tend to get canceled out by some truly awful individuals. Sigh.
The highest my temperature got up to today was 99.1, so yippee for that. We haven't heard anymore about the little puppy, but I'm really hoping that no news is good news. Cross your fingers and say a little prayer for her because it was a really big truck and she's a very small dog.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Small Victory
Day +257
Ann and I had just gotten back from the hematologists office and had just finished lunch when I heard a sharp howl of pain from outside. I opened the door and our neighbor's little doberman puppy was dragging itself from the street into the neighbor's front yard. A pickup was a few yards down the street, slowing down with it's break lights on. I had momentary eye contact with the driver, and we both knew what he had done. Then as I crossed to the puppy he hit the gas and accelerated for the thoroughfare at the end of our street. He escaped all responsibility for his crime a few seconds and a right turn later.
What an unprincipled and conniving coward.
The puppy was in a very bad state. There was profuse bleeding from the mouth and anus. The truck had actually run over the puppy because feces had been forced out of it and was smeared on the road at the point of impact. None of her ribs felt broken and she didn't cry when I examined her as gently as I could. Nor did she complain when I felt her head and neck for loose bone under the skin. However, her right front leg layed at an odd angel and I assumed it to be broken so I didn't touch it.
I left the dog and banged on the neighbor's door. She answered in a bath robe and looked at me bewildered, and I don't think she fully processed what was going on until she saw the little dog. Then she fell apart and started crying.
"Do you have your car"? I asked. Her husband had taken it to work, he wasn't going to be home until later tonight. The shivering little puppy obviously couldn't wait that long. "Where is your vet?", turns out she didn't have one. If you have pets you really should have a regular vet or at least know where the ones are near you.
About this time Ann had made it from the house and trotted up behind me. I told her to get our Saturn and pull it up into the front yard as close as she could. The neighbor started complaining about the dog not really being theirs, it was a stray that wandered in, and not knowing how she was going to pay for it's treatment. Like leaving it to bleed to death on her front lawn was somehow humane! News flash, if you allow a stray to come into your home and you feed it and give it shelter then you and no one else is responsible for it's well being. If you can't handle that then call the ASPCA or a pet adoption agency and they will place the animal in a good home.
As an aside Ann actually ran today! Maybe it was the adrenaline but she fairly sprinted from the neighbor's yard back to the house to get the SUV. I guess the baby stem cells are getting the upper hand on the flu and she does say that she feels "a little better today". I had to remind her to slow down (I was afraid she would fall when running). So by the time she pulled the SUV up next to me and the puppy the neighbor (Christina) was dressed and we piled in and raced to the nearest vet. Which it turns out was a huge mistake.
You see the nearest vet doesn't actually have a Doctor as part of it's permanent staff. Which was explained to us in a very "pass-the-buck" manner by the receptionist. Right...so if you have a pet and live in the Baton Rouge/Denham Springs area I would not recommend using the vet located at the intersection of Range and Florida. You apparently can't depend on anyone with a veterinary degree actually being present when you arrive.
So we headed back into the SUV and got directions to a vet, with a veterinarian on the premises, thanks to OnStar (I really can't say enough nice things about them). Ann drove like she was racing, hazards on and honking at people who must have thought we were nuts. Meanwhile the little dog's breathing had become shallower and shallower. When it turned into short pants I knew she was going into shock. As we got closer to the vet we hit more traffic and the puppy's breathing started to become labored and she lapsed into unconsciousness.
Finally we made it and I carried the little dog directly to the OR, while Ann waited in the car. The vet, a tall curly grey haired man with a very kind face and wire rimmed glasses went to work straight away checking for breaks and other trauma. IV fluids were started and the puppy's leg was wrapped up. The staff kept asking "who's dog it was" and Christina kept looking at me like I was going to jump up and say "Me! It's mine"! However, the vet kept cross examining her and she finally admitted that she had been feeding the puppy and letting it stay in their house at night. She owned up to it being her responsibility and she didn't want it to die so "please do anything you can to save it".
I don't think she is a bad person. Just that she was thinking that her and her husband don't have many resources and she was afraid that the vet bill was going to be outrageous. It's an understandable reaction. I remember thinking "How are we going to pay for all this?" briefly when Ann's problems began. She must have been thinking the same thing when the vet went on to lay out the list of problems the puppy has: probable internal injuries, possible skull fracture, broken leg, loss of blood and so on. The vet explained that they have ways of working things out, payment plans, etc. Once that was out of the way she looked noticeably relieved.
I explained to her that I needed to get Ann home, and if she needed a ride back she could call my mobile. Christina thanked me tearfully and by the time I was leaving the puppy had opened its eyes again. I guess thats a good sign, but I don't know enough about dogs, veterinary medicine or internal injuries to be a good judge.
The vet's official prognosis is "guarded", so the little dog has a chance. At least that's a small victory.
Ann and I had just gotten back from the hematologists office and had just finished lunch when I heard a sharp howl of pain from outside. I opened the door and our neighbor's little doberman puppy was dragging itself from the street into the neighbor's front yard. A pickup was a few yards down the street, slowing down with it's break lights on. I had momentary eye contact with the driver, and we both knew what he had done. Then as I crossed to the puppy he hit the gas and accelerated for the thoroughfare at the end of our street. He escaped all responsibility for his crime a few seconds and a right turn later.
What an unprincipled and conniving coward.
The puppy was in a very bad state. There was profuse bleeding from the mouth and anus. The truck had actually run over the puppy because feces had been forced out of it and was smeared on the road at the point of impact. None of her ribs felt broken and she didn't cry when I examined her as gently as I could. Nor did she complain when I felt her head and neck for loose bone under the skin. However, her right front leg layed at an odd angel and I assumed it to be broken so I didn't touch it.
I left the dog and banged on the neighbor's door. She answered in a bath robe and looked at me bewildered, and I don't think she fully processed what was going on until she saw the little dog. Then she fell apart and started crying.
"Do you have your car"? I asked. Her husband had taken it to work, he wasn't going to be home until later tonight. The shivering little puppy obviously couldn't wait that long. "Where is your vet?", turns out she didn't have one. If you have pets you really should have a regular vet or at least know where the ones are near you.
About this time Ann had made it from the house and trotted up behind me. I told her to get our Saturn and pull it up into the front yard as close as she could. The neighbor started complaining about the dog not really being theirs, it was a stray that wandered in, and not knowing how she was going to pay for it's treatment. Like leaving it to bleed to death on her front lawn was somehow humane! News flash, if you allow a stray to come into your home and you feed it and give it shelter then you and no one else is responsible for it's well being. If you can't handle that then call the ASPCA or a pet adoption agency and they will place the animal in a good home.
As an aside Ann actually ran today! Maybe it was the adrenaline but she fairly sprinted from the neighbor's yard back to the house to get the SUV. I guess the baby stem cells are getting the upper hand on the flu and she does say that she feels "a little better today". I had to remind her to slow down (I was afraid she would fall when running). So by the time she pulled the SUV up next to me and the puppy the neighbor (Christina) was dressed and we piled in and raced to the nearest vet. Which it turns out was a huge mistake.
You see the nearest vet doesn't actually have a Doctor as part of it's permanent staff. Which was explained to us in a very "pass-the-buck" manner by the receptionist. Right...so if you have a pet and live in the Baton Rouge/Denham Springs area I would not recommend using the vet located at the intersection of Range and Florida. You apparently can't depend on anyone with a veterinary degree actually being present when you arrive.
So we headed back into the SUV and got directions to a vet, with a veterinarian on the premises, thanks to OnStar (I really can't say enough nice things about them). Ann drove like she was racing, hazards on and honking at people who must have thought we were nuts. Meanwhile the little dog's breathing had become shallower and shallower. When it turned into short pants I knew she was going into shock. As we got closer to the vet we hit more traffic and the puppy's breathing started to become labored and she lapsed into unconsciousness.
Finally we made it and I carried the little dog directly to the OR, while Ann waited in the car. The vet, a tall curly grey haired man with a very kind face and wire rimmed glasses went to work straight away checking for breaks and other trauma. IV fluids were started and the puppy's leg was wrapped up. The staff kept asking "who's dog it was" and Christina kept looking at me like I was going to jump up and say "Me! It's mine"! However, the vet kept cross examining her and she finally admitted that she had been feeding the puppy and letting it stay in their house at night. She owned up to it being her responsibility and she didn't want it to die so "please do anything you can to save it".
I don't think she is a bad person. Just that she was thinking that her and her husband don't have many resources and she was afraid that the vet bill was going to be outrageous. It's an understandable reaction. I remember thinking "How are we going to pay for all this?" briefly when Ann's problems began. She must have been thinking the same thing when the vet went on to lay out the list of problems the puppy has: probable internal injuries, possible skull fracture, broken leg, loss of blood and so on. The vet explained that they have ways of working things out, payment plans, etc. Once that was out of the way she looked noticeably relieved.
I explained to her that I needed to get Ann home, and if she needed a ride back she could call my mobile. Christina thanked me tearfully and by the time I was leaving the puppy had opened its eyes again. I guess thats a good sign, but I don't know enough about dogs, veterinary medicine or internal injuries to be a good judge.
The vet's official prognosis is "guarded", so the little dog has a chance. At least that's a small victory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)