July 19th

I guess we left the house too early today. lol. When we got to the doctor's office, we were told the n.p. had an emergency and wasn't in.  So now my appointment is on Monday. 

The receptionist did talk to the nurse about my shortness or breath and weakness, come to find out, I should have gone to the  E.R.

Next time I feel that badly, I guess I will.  

So home we went. What a waste of gas.

I've got a new side effect.  It hurts down the sides of both of my legs.  The annoying pain is like that of sciatica. I wish I had some pain meds for it.  I know when I tell the nurse about it, she'll want me to take neuorntin.   I'm not keen on taking more meds, but it's very unlikely that she would give me pain meds for it. I may just have to tough it out.

July 17th

I got an appointment with the nurse practitioner for Friday.  I want to talk to someone about my symptoms before I start another velcade cycle.  I want to know if my side effects are normal and if indeed they are from the velcade.

I am starting to feel better. Still very  weak, but not debilitating.   

I don't like feeling sick, which I do all the time now.

1st Velcade Injection

Excuse the less than stellar body.  I thought maybe you'd  want to see the injection site.  I had never seen one and so didn't know what to expect.  

Here is my first velcade injection site after about  one month. Unlike the other sites, this one bruised up.  It turned red and purple.  No itching.  No pain.  Just a big ol' bruise.

 

The other sites never did turn purple.  The 2nd and 3rd sites I rubbed straight lavender oil on them.  The 4th one I did nothing to.  The lavender, surprisingly, didn't make a difference.

July 12th

Feel worse than usual.  Can't stand long enough to brush my teeth.  No appetite. Weak and tired.

I went in to get a glass of water and wore the blood pressure cuff.  As I was standing at the counter, not even for 1 minute, my b/p was 87/67! Needless to say I felt sick and faint.  That's how I feel when  ever I have to get up and do anything.  I have since read that it's a side effect of the velcade.  I will tell the doctor about it though.  Maybe my dose should be lowered.?

My sternum has been hurting since probably Monday.  I'll have to tell the doctor about that too.

I start my 3rd cycle of the velcade on   July 16th.

Right now I am just waiting for the Vanderbilt doctor to review my biopsy results and schedule my appointment.

July 11th

Still feel bad.  Is this the new "normal"?  If so, I don't like it!

My biopsy site started hurting at around 6:00p.m.  So I took 1/2 a Lortab at about 8:00 and went to bed.

July 10th

Woke up still feeling bad. Absolutely no energy. Can barely hold myself up. I've lost 4 pounds since Monday.

11:00 I called the oncologist office to see if I could come in and get some i.v. fluids. They said to come on in.

It took 2 hours for the saline drip.  I don't feel very much better.  I'm surprised.  Spent the rest of the afternoon in bed.

July 9th

I feel bad, bad, bad. I have spent most of this day in bed.  I see now that the day after the vecade shot, the explosive, watery diarrhea starts.  Better get used to that I guess. Still, it's better that being constipated in my book.

Nothing tastes good.  That bad taste in my mouth that makes everything so unpalatable has been back for at least a month.

I ate today:
                  2-3 spoonsfull of brown rice (yuck. don't like br. rice)
                   3 graham crackers  (tasted bad but ate them anyway)
                  1 banana (that hit the spot)
                   2 glasses apple juice
                  1 scrambled egg

I'm very hungry, but nothing tastes good.  I did learn the hard way that I need to eat even with the diarrhea so I don't throw my electrolytes off balance.

I really, really want some white rice, but Mark's asleep so can't go to the store for me.

I have absolutely no energy.  It is a feat just to hold myself up. I am exhausted 24/7 and I hate it.

I am tired of being sick.

July 8th

Today I have my bone marrow biopsy and my velcade injection.  The office scheduled them both on the same day for some strange reason.  

Mark drove me to Parkwest at 7:00 a.m.  No waiting at that time of day! So that's good.  I went back and did the  usual, answer questions, give blood, put on my hospital gown and wait....I went back for the procedure at 9:15.  No fears, this would be my 3rd biopsy.  Parkwest uses "conscience sedation". You feel nothing and remember nothing but you are still "awake".  It's nice.

I think I got done around 10:00 because they had to monitor me for 2 hours afterward and that would be noon. So I laid in my bed in the recovery room and enjoyed a turkey sandwhich, a small bag of vanilla wafers and 2 glasses of juice. I was so hungry from having nothing to eat since 6:00 p.m. the night before. I dozed off and on. The nurse kept coming in to check my bandages and my vital signs.  All went well and I was discharged at noon.

Instead of going home, I had to go get my velcade shot.  I showed up but my medicine didn't. They assumed when I didn't show up at 10 for my appointment, that I wasn't coming.  Of course, the pharmacist's were at lunch til 1, so I had to wait to get the shot.  But get it I did and finally went home.

July 6th

Woke up at 1:00 a.m. with the same explosive diarrhea . So it is the velcade. Well ain't that grand. I've got at least another 2 shots to go.  This is an awful way to lose weight! ha ha.

I have spent most of my day in bed and on the toilet.  I've decided to eat lightly to avoid the electrolyte imbalance i think I had last time.

I've had                   3 cups juice

                                2 crackers

                                1/2 slice Am. cheese

                                3-4 mini pretzels

I just had Mark go up to Krogers to get some things. Some bananas, bread, bullion, and I don't know what else if anything.  I would like to make some cream of cauliflower soup tomorrow. I think that would be good for me and not hurt my stomach. 

I am soooooo sick of this all!  Before the velcade troubles, I honestly didn't feel "sick".  I actually forgot that I was sick most of the time.  Now I feel sick ALL the time.  Last night I actually understood why people wanted to die; not to kill themselves, but just die.  I felt that too.   

July 5th

In for my followup doctor's appointment and my velcade shot.

The followup visit was with a nurse practioner, Kelly. She was very nice, very friendly and explained things plainly.

Basically, it boiled down to anything could have caused the diarreha but, if it happens again for as long as it did, I'm to call the office or go to the e.r. and get some fluids.  I agree!

Asked the nurse about my diarrhea and flu like symptoms. He said it sounded like the velcade.

A Rainy Thursday

I feel a little better today.  Not my old self, but better. Before this episode, I didn't feel "sick" and most of the time I forgot I was sick. But not this week. No siree bob. I feel sick as a dog.

I stopped the cipro Wednesday. I suppose I'll hear an earful tomorrow at my doctors appointment.

I managed to eat 1/2 a fried egg, 
                          6 oz hot cocoa
                          1 handful Cheeze-its
                          1 tortilla w/ roast beef
                          1 mixed berry smoothie ( plain Greek yogurt, raw milk)
                          1 handful mini pretzels

Still have diarreha, but it isn't all day long. Usually just in the morning and I can handle that.

Tomorrow I go for my follow up appt. because of the infection & I get a velcade shot. I am not gonna get the zofran. I am not going through those side effects again. I cried at the drop of a hat til that stuff wore off!

Still Sick

It's Wednesday, July 3rd and I'm still sick.  I've been taking my cipro so I guess the infection is under control.  I go to see the nurse practitioner on Friday about it.

Still having diarreeha and am very very weak. After I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of juice, I am literally ready to pass out.

What I've had to eat today:
                                         2 cups white rice
                                          1/2 c mashed potatoes(tasted disgusting)
                                         3 ritz crackers
                                         1 cup juice
                                         1 smoothie(mixed berries, raw milk & plain Greek yogurt  (delicious)

As you can see, it's been a carb fest. But I'm scared to eat things that are to hard to digest while I have this awful diarrhea.

Tuesday, the 2nd

Still have this debilitating diarrhea.  I did eat some though.  I had 2 Ritx crackers and some white rice. Still in bed most of the day.  By the time I walk up the 12 steps to my bedroom, I am exhausted, and gasping for air.. I just feel awful.

My husband and I decided since I got that infection that I should stop going out in public. I should limit my exposure to just doctor visits.  I'm just too weak to fight off germs. I don't know how in the world I got that infection. I wasn't around anyone who was "sick" that I know of.

I had to tell my daughter that I could no longer babysit.  Her kids get sick alot and I just can't risk it. Also my eldest daughter, Jillian and her family were planning to come over this coming Friday.  We had to cancel that.

I feel so lousy.

I will call today and get a follow up appt. with my oncologist.

The next day...

Still sick, but the fever is gone and I feel somewhat better.  The diarreah of course is still with me, still explosive, still just yellow water. I still haven't eaten anything.

This morning I went to a gynocologist to get another exam because of an abnormal pap smear at my primary care doctors.

Well, I waited and waited then finally went in.  I saw an intake nurse first. She took my medical history basically.  She was very sweet and pretty. Then back to a new waiting room.

It was a short wait there.  The nurse came and took me back to the exam room where I was to wait for the doctor.  I got instructions on what was to happen and shown where the bathroom was. Thankfully!  It was accessed right from the exam room.  I ended up using it 3 times.  Blasted diarrhea!  I was so afraid I have an accident while I was being examined!

The exam was ok.  A couple times there was pain.  but thankfully she didn't see any abnormality.  She said one section bled when she touched it though, so she was gonna take a sample and have it sent off to the lab.  With that the visit was over.  I got an appointment to come back in 2 weeks to discuss the lab results.

I no longer had fever and chills but the diarrhea was still with me.  :(

All I do now is sleep or sit in my recliner, mostly I am in bed.



 

Monday, July 1st

Went this morning for my velcade shot.  I had the same nurse I had last time. The room was quiet; Mondays are always slow. I like it quiet though. Today the TV was off which was nice.

I sat down and waited for my turn.  An older lady started up a conversation with me. I just assumed everyone was there for chemotherapy, but she was there for iron only.  She has a very low iron count.

The nurse brought me two little white pills. Zofran. I never took it before and I didn't really want it now, but I took it.  I put it under my tongue til it dissolved.  At first it wasn't too bad, kinda fruity tasting...but then yucky! I had to wash the taste down with water.

Ok, my turn  Into the " torture chamber" we went. ha ha, it's just the supply room so I can have privacy. He has to inject me in the lower stomach. My fat stomach is not something I want the whole room to see.

That was at 10:30, by 6:00 that evening, I was sick, sick , sick.  I had chills, and couldn't get warm, I had a fever of 102.4 and felt miserable.  I would cry at the drop of a hat.  My nurse daughter said anxiety was a side effect of the zofran and was probably why I was crying like that.   

By the time 9:00 rolled around my husband was very concerned that I might have an infection.  He had me call the oncologist's office and talk to the on call doctor.  I did and he called in a RX for antibiotic, cipro.  He ran up to Walgreens and got the cipro then had to shower and get ready for work.

I took a phenergan only because I knew it would put me to sleep and get me out of my misery.  Mean while, as if that wasn't enough, the diarrhea started full blast. Explosive,totally liquid yellow stuff.  I hadn't eaten since 6 that evening.

I don't know why I can't change the above blue type to red.  Sorry.

I took my meds and went up stairs to bed.