Rewarding Day

Treatment Change

This morning I received a call from my radiation oncologist’s nurse and my first visit for the new round of treatment has been changed from Monday to Wednesday of next week. The doctor needed to make a change and that requires the medical physicists to redo at least part of their work and that will take them until next Tuesday to complete correctly. Calibrating for this type of radiation is a very complex procedure. I would rather wait three days and make sure they have it right than take a chance. While I was talking to the nurse I told her how anxious I am about wearing the head mask. I then asked her if the doctor would be willing to give me a prescription for something to help me be calm. She said he would and that it is not uncommon to for him to do this for his patients. The doctor will review what scripts I currently take and write a script for something that I can safely take. I am mildly concerned about drug interaction. Between my doctor checking for that and then having my pharmacist doing the same I am sure I will be fine.

I should explain that this next appointment is a dry run to check the markings on the mask with the calculations. And on Wednesday I will learn how long each treatment will take, how often I will have them and just how many he wants me to have. It is so reassuring to be able to talk to these doctors and nurses about any concerns I have. It is another part of what is putting me at ease with dealing with this cancer. The biggest reassurance actually comes from YOU my friends and family standing by and supporting me. I am surprised at just how large and deep this circle of people actually is. It is truly wonderful.

I think I did a silly thing this afternoon. I felt so tired that I couldn’t keep my eyes open so I laid down and took a nap, but I never thought to put my oxygen back on. I ended up sleeping for almost 2 ½ hrs. I wonder if I would not have slept a shorter time and felt better if I had put the oxygen back on. The next time I feel tired like that I will try to remember that it is a sign that my body may need more oxygen than I am getting off the machine. Your right I find the thing annoying, but it is much better than not breathing! I will adjust. I have it on NOW.

Hurray, I just completed my first course, on Military Records and how to use them to do genealogy research. I really learned a lot and enjoyed taking the one lesson. Now to go back and decide what to take next.

Kidney Fuction

Kidneys

Seeing has kidney function is very important to good health I am being followed by a kidney specialist. Not only are they tracking and caring for me, but they are very interested in how adrenal cancer affects the kidney. (Reminder, the adrenal gland is located on top of each kidney) I am glad they are looking at for both reasons if they can learn anything about this cancer to help other patients in the future I am all for it.

I had great news today, based on the blood tests done to monitor my kidney function it seems that my kidneys object to the body being treated with either radiation or chemotherapy, however, once those treatments are over my kidneys have gone back to proper kidney function. We are all believing that this means that little to no harm is being done to my kidneys. On the graft my doctor showed me he could tell exactly when I had the chemotherapy because then the kidneys started to shut down.  My doctor is so encouraged by this that he doesn’t feel he needs to see me for 3 months. If I get any concerns I can call the office before my next appointment in September. I feel that this is great news. The graft he showed me showed the same affect to my kidneys when I had radiation with the same accuracy. So for the duration of my next round of radiation I am going to try to be sure I keep drinking the Gator Aid daily so that I can help compensate for the irritation the radiation causes the kidneys. I want to do my part to prevent any kidney problems that could develop if I didn’t do this.

I also learned today that the Resource Breeze nutrition drink will be delivered on Saturday. My primary oncologist wants me drinking about 6 bottles of that each day. This is due to my dietary problems with solid food. They will be giving me 8 cases of the stuff. I comes in two flavors orange and wild berry. I have already had the wild berry it was good so I thought I would like to try the orange flavor and give myself a little variety. I also learned from my VNA nurse that there is a way to massage the bladder and that doing so helps to get the last ounce of urine out of the body, this helps reduce bladder infections. That sounds great to me so I have already started doing it. It is very easy and I found it very affective. The kidney doctor was glad to hear that I had been taught that and was going to make it a normal routine in my life. I really think part of the reason the doctors like me so much is because I am very proactive about my health. But it doesn’t matter why they like me I am just overwhelmed with how well they treat ME!

Oh, the doctor and his staff complimented my on both my scarf and hat. So all around I would say I had a great day. I choose each day to concentrate on the blessing of the day instead of the bumps that come along in everyday life for all of us.

Quiet - Good Day

Today has been a nice quiet day. I have gotten a few things around my room done.

I started my college course. I am taking my time. I have to read 28 pages. I am taking a lot of notes to keep for later. This course might take me two days because I keep taking breaks, like this one. The entire course consists of just ONE lesson. I must say I am only half way through the lesson and wow, there is a lot of things to learn. I know when I want to actually use the military records to do my research I will need the notes I am making now. There is too much to try and remember it all.

I have already selected one of the next courses that I want to take. It is one about the Old Testament. They offer one course on just the book of Genesis. I am fairly certain that will be a lot more lessons than what I am taking right now. I will also take another genealogy course once I am done with this one.

Tonight I tried just a single scoop of chocolate ice cream, now I am waiting to see if it will agree with my body. In the meantime I have given some thought to wearing the mask next Monday for the radiation treatment. After I see how I handle this treatment, if I found it too difficult then I am going to ask for help. I am going to ask for some valium so that I can take it about ½ hour before a treatment to relax me. I believe that my doctors would give me that or some other tranquilizer for that purpose if I simple ask.  Although through a blessing of comfort I will already have asked for the Lord’s help, sometimes He wants us to take advantage of modern medicine has well.  

Results of the CT Scan's

CT Scan Results

My doctor called me today with the results of the first CT scan. It confirmed what we knew about the mass on my neck being larger. It also showed that the tumor on my adrenal gland was the same size has before. So I believe that this means that the radiation did prevent the growth of that tumor. Radiation was only done on the adrenal tumor and not on the mass on my neck when we did the first round. This new round of radiation will be focused on the mass on my neck.  The doctor in charge of the radiation intends to use a higher amount of radiation for this round. He says it is not the highest level that could be used, but he believes it is the correct level for this exact case.

I liked being told that. I really trust this man. I believe that between him and his team, a physicists and some sort of engineers and other technicians that they will calculate the correct amount of radiation to treat ME. It was interesting yesterday to learn that it would take a full week to do all those calculations, it is not just about how much radiation but also about exactly were to have the beam aimed on the mass.

I would like to clarify that there will be no “results” so to speak from the 2^nd ct scan. The results there will be where to aim the radiation, how much radiation to use and how many treatments I need. I expect to be given that information next Monday when I receive my first treatment of the new round. Again the hard part will be wearing the head mask for each treatment.

The doctor wants me to drink nutritional supplements to keep up my weight and body strength through all of this. She tried to get me a prescription for Ensure Clear. No way, the insurance company says no they won’t pay that bill. Instead we have to choose between Ensure Enlive or Resource Breeze. I have had the Breeze the last time I was in the hospital and it tasted good and I was able to tolerate it. So the doctor is cancelling the script for the Ensure Clear and replacing it with a script for Resource’s Breeze. Her nurse told her that she thought she could get it preapproved so I am hopeful of getting that in just a couple of days.

2 CT Scan's in 1 Dayt

Busy Monday

It started with a trip down to the hospital to have a contrasted CT Scan. This is to compare what was there back in February to how my cancer is now. It will be 2 or 3 days before I expect to hear anything from my doctors. It could take that long for the radiologist gets the chance to read the scan and write up the report, and then send it to the doctors.

Then I got home and had a visit from my VNA Nurse, she is really good. She wants me to have a consult with a speech pathologist. She says that by learning exercises to strengthen my jaw and tongue I could learn how to swallow differently and therefore get more food into my stomach. Sounds, like it is worth checking out, what have I got to lose.

I now have the protein drink to try. Also Mary sent over some breakfast food for me to try tomorrow different ways she fixes cream of wheat, and baking soda. Sounds strange but I will try it I have nothing to lose.

The medical supply store called asked for insurance information and left the message that it could take up to three weeks before I can get the script filled. It takes that long for the insurance company to approve it. Mind you meanwhile how much I can eat is VERY limited. I hate insurance, even when I worked for them I hated how they operate.

Then I went to D’Amour for the 2^nd CT Scan. This one is to mark my body for the next -round of radiation. Only that isn’t exactly what happened. First I had a great talk with my doctor. I explained to him that Mom is very concern about my ability to breath. He asked if she was able to come in with me and when I said yes he asked to see her. He wants to talk to her himself and put her fears to rest in the meantime he said she did not need to worry. Then I worked with the technicians. They explained to me before they started what they were going to do to me and why. Because it is VERY important that a patient be in the same position each time they come in for radiation they have learned that when it is the throat they have to do things very differently. They had to create a mask of my head! I will have to wear it each time I get a treatment. But this will keep my head and neck in just the right position. Also instead of me walking around with goofy marks on my face the marks are placed on the mask. If a person is claustrophobic this would be very difficult. To be honest I don’t think of myself has being claustrophobic but towards the end of this process I was just starting to feel a little panicky. So I think that the next, round of treatments, are going to be a little harder to handle than the last one was. But if that is what I need to do I believe that I can make it through it.

Mom was very happy to hear that she does not need to worry and that the doctor wants to talk to HER. I tell you I have great doctors. What a wonderful doctor that will take the time to talk to my mom and help put her fears to rest. I don’t think I could find better care anywhere else. I am very grateful for this blessing in my life. I hope that my having this confidence in this doctor will help my Mom to believe in him also. I feel very hopeful about the coming round of radiation. I was told to expect a very sore throat through all this, but told they would help me deal with the sore throat. So I believe that with God’s help, and your continued prayers for me,  I can get through this.