Sorry I haven't kept you all updated lately...but most of you know what has been going on. Surgery was 2 weeks ago...Dr. D. wasn't able to get rid of the cancer physically so we will attack it chemically! She was able to put a drain in my abdomen so that excessive fluid will no longer weigh me down...losing 30 lbs. of fluid alone is a huge deal for how I'm feeling right now. Apparently, cancer cells produce this fluid...I can't tell you how uncomfortable I've been for weeks prior to surgery..."not enough to drain"...my ass! She drained 6 liters which is equivalent to 24 pounds of fluid all in my abdomen...surrounding my stomach...suffocating my lungs...running down my thighs...bloating my calves...swelling my eyes...it's been the best party of them all!
The drain she installed is a tube that protrudes from my abdomen and runs into a bag that Velcros around my calf...I can drain it anytime. It will also helps us to indicate if chemo is working...fluid is one of the first things that chemo clears up...so we will be monitoring that and my CA125 very closely. So far, I've been draining about a beer can a day.
I had surgery on Wednesday 10/08...chemo in the hospital the following Monday. I watched the movie "IronMan" the night before chemo and I imagined IronMan being ChemoMan inside my body...blasting away all the cancer! I told my Dr.'s therapist and the next day she came in with a gift...it was an IronMan action figure. He's sitting next to me right now as I type...reminding me to visualize the casualties of cancer cells exiting my body.
Monday...they started pre-meds in the morning about 9am...then the Taxol cocktail for 24 hours at about 4pm. It ran through me until the following afternoon...then they gave me 2 hours of fluid...followed by the 2nd cocktail they poured through my port for a couple hours...chase that all with 2 more hours of fluid. I was done by Tuesday night about 9pm. All in all...the 36 hour chemo treatment went pretty well...they let me out Wednesday AM...I was ready to get home to be with my kid! My niece, Katie Jo, came in town on Thursday...her and Mom stayed at my house with us. It was great having her around and I felt pretty good until Saturday...that's when the steroids wore off and the nausea began. In the past, I've never had much nausea to speak of...I'm getting a taste of it now.
Today is Thursday...the morning went well...that time of day usually is my worst. Nausea has just started to sink in a little after lunch...but not nearly as bad as it has been...I'm turning the corner. I will be doing 30 hour chemo treatments in the hospital once every 3 weeks...next time will be Nov. 3rd.
My stomach has definitely shrunk and I get scared about eating...but I have and I'm feeling stronger everyday!
It's so much easier to feel positive when your heart and stomach are no longer in the pit of your gut.
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You go, girl. You rule. I am so proud of you and your attitude (for starters). love, love, Aunt Jo
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