Updates

Not much to update.. feeling really well. A little more tired than normal I think.
Still fighting with Kaiser about my co-pays. Chemo is considered a specialty office visit and is $25.00 each time. Since I have met the deductible and the out of pocket amount, I don't have to pay any more co-pays for the year. However, every time I go, Kaiser bills me later for the copay, I call them and we go through this routine. They tell me that it has been coded wrong in the computer and they change it.
I have a call in to two people who work in the billing dept to see why the computer keeps "un" coding my account every time I go. I probably wont hear from them since Kaiser is really bad with returning phone calls.
Today was informed that at work that on June 1st there will be a fundraiser for me. Yo, Sharla and Kris have banded together and will be in charge of selling cookies at the Main branch, the Kelso branch, the 30th ave branch and the call center.
Its nice to know that so many people care. Here is the email that went out:
WE WILL BE HAVING A COOKIE FUNDRAISER FOR NANCY SMITH ON TUESDAY, JUNE 1ST.
COOKIES ARE FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES AND WILL BE $3 EACH.
COOKIES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT 15TH, KELSO, 30TH AVE AND THE CALL CENTER.
DEDUCTION SLIPS WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT
ANY Q’S SEE YOLANDA, SHARLA OR KRIS B.
Richard talked to an old school friend in California tonight and his friend Randy said to tell me that I can do it, hang in there and that he is a cancer survivor also. Its nice to think if survivors and cancer in the same thought.
Still dreading June 3rd for my next treatment.

Sick

So I guess my last report was done a little early. I tried to go to work on Tuesday. I had to be there at 8am. I got there about 7:50am and by 8:05am I think I was in my car going home. The feeling of throwing up was so strong, I didn't know if I could even talk on the phone at work to one member, none the less all day long. I felt horrible, so went home. And I got the feeling from my work mates, that I looked horrible! Called my mom at 11am hoping she would tell me she was on break from being in the door to door ministry work and was at Safeway. ( I wanted lunch and had no food, and Richard was in Portland). My wonderful mom, dropped what she was doing, brought me the lunch I wanted from Safeway (just a turkey sandwich, my all time favorite lunch food) and spent the day with me. While I slept, she did my ironing! What a mom! By about 4:30pm the food I had, one piece of toast for breakfast, half of a little container of applesauce, and half the sandwich I had decided it didn't want to stay in me and I was in the bathroom puking. This is a first for the actual throwing up.I always feel like I can, but haven't until now. Once I did throw up, I felt a little better for a while until the nauseated feeling came back. Spent a rough night in the spare bedroom alone tossing and turning and feeling sick, but close to the bathroom! When I am nauseated, I have difficult time eating. So then I don't know if I am just super hungry or sick to my stomach. They say to eat a little bit when your nauseated, but that's really tough to do. Today, Wednesday, I went to work. Spent most of the morning eating saltines, 7UP and peppermint life savers, with my head down on my desk. But by the time it was going home time rolled around and even now I feel pretty good. I think from here on out to the next appointment should be much better! This time, it seems to have kicked my patootie for several days!

Round 3 sickness

So far the only sickness I have really felt this time is some pretty bad nausea Thursday night. Went to bed feeling sick. But Friday morning, woke up feeling pretty good. Sat outside in the fresh air and took it easy in the afternoon. By Friday evening I was really tired and have been spending most of the days sleeping. Napping every couple of hours. Kris brought over some home made lasagna, french bread, veggies, ice cream and flowers Saturday evening (more for me since Richard doesn't eat lasagna!!) But I haven't had much of an appetite. The only nauseous feeling I have had was Thursday night. So this is a little different, but easier to deal with than the constant having to throw up feeling. I have still been taking my all meds to keep the nauseous feeling down. And tonight is my last 2 pills for this round! One more round of chemo scheduled for June 3rd with the Adrianmyacin and Cytoxan drugs and I will be half way done with my chemo. Thanks for every ones kind words, gifts,phone calls and help so far. Its so appreciated!

Chemo Round 3

Today was my third treatment of chemotherapy. Richard had to work so mom took me to Kaiser. She stayed with me through my Dr's visit and then left for a little while. Dr. Richert-Boe asked how I was feeling? Any mouth sores? Any fevers? and then checked my heart beat, ankles for swelling ( a sign the heart is having problems) and said I was doing good. As she was ready to leave the room and said I was doing good,I am almost half way done, she patted my leg and that set me off. I started to cry and then the Dr. have me a hug and reminded me that crying is good, it relieves stress. I had told Richard this morning that I didn't want to go today. maybe I just wont show up. I hate going there knowing I am doing something that is so terrible to my body and is going to make me sick. In the treatment room, there was only one man there, so I sat at the other end of the room so there was some privacy. By the time I left, there were about 3 other patients that had came in. So my visit was a quiet one. Since I was there by myself, I had the TV on and sat and read. Everything went very smooth this time, no hang ups. I went in at 10am and mom and I were home by 1:30pm. Richard got home right after I did. I was tired so crawled into bed and took a nap until 4pm. Am feeling pretty good so far..... just waiting for the nausea to hit, and I know it will. So I am sitting here at 5:08pm eating cookies and milk!!

Blood Test

Since today is the day before my next scheduled chemo appointment, I went to Kaiser on my lunch hour to have some blood drawn to see if I am healthy for treatment tomorrow. I got right in to Kaiser. However, I was a little disappointed that the lab said they could not use my port to draw blood. I was under the impression that they could and would use my port and save the arm from being stuck with a needle each time. The lab tech called down do triage to see if they could but was told they very rarely use a port to draw blood and its only on Dr.s orders when they do. Tomorrow I will be asking about that. Every thing went fine today. Tomorrows appointment is again scheduled with Dr. Richert-Boe.

Food Cravings

Beth asked if I am craving any certain foods. Thanks for the question!! Lets see... a big bottle of wine, a margarita,home made pomegranate martini, home made sangria, all sound really good!!!! Seriously, I don't seem to be craving anything specific.. During the sick days, I do seem to want tortilla chips.. I think its the salt from them that I want. One night for dinner on a plate I had wheat thins and tortilla chips. Not the healthiest, but it was something. Another night we had grilled cheese and tomato soup.. seems like food during my sick days do not have much flavor and kind of taste like metal-not real appetizing! With the nauseated feeling and not eating much due to this, some times I have a hard time telling the two apart so eating a little of anything during that time is good. The Dr. wants me to be drinking a lot of liquids to flush the drugs through my system. This I have a problem with as I am not a big liquid drinker to begin with. but I try to always have something close to be sipping on. Whether its apple juice, orange juice, water, ginger ale, 7-up or milk. I try to stay away from the soda pops and coffee during these sick days. Apple juice is my favorite.

Feelin' Good

I have included pictures of the two wigs I found on Saturday when mom and I went back to Portland to the Wig Gallery on Broadway.
    I think we were in there for one and a half to two hours!!! I think I tried on 20 wigs. Its harder than one thinks to buy a wig! I wanted something close to my natural color .. everything that is semi dark has a black tone and I don't look good in black hair! Or it has a red/orange tint and I don't look good in that either.

    I was determined I was not leaving with out at least one wig! The guy working in the store was helpful and his mom who owns the store offered to trim the bangs for me if I bought one. I ended up buying two! The long one, is really full feeling and I have wore it twice, both times with some of it pulled back with a barrette. I really like both that I found, and mom was so patient with me. Thanks mom!!
    For those of you wondering how I am feeling, I am feeling really good. If it weren't for the fact that i have no hair and have to wear a wig all the time, I wouldn't know that I have been getting chemo treatments.
My energy level is good, my appetite is good (wish that could change!), my attitude and outlook are good.
So far, its the 4 or 5 days following chemo that I am sick, than it goes away and I feel like my old regular self again.
    I asked my oncologist, Dr. Richert-Boe if as time goes on and the more treatments I have, will the sickness time last longer? She said it shouldn't.
Next time I go back is next week, May 12th to have my blood tested to make sure the white blood cell count is not too low. If its not too low, I go back the next day on the 13th for the chemo. If it is too low, than I go back, I think its a week later.