Oh vey! So much info from yesterday...I'll try not to make this entry as long as my day was yesterday!
First off, the Male Nurse named Derek who was trying to draw blood from my port couldn't get a drop out of me...We tried every angle possible in a chair that can tip your head lower than your feet..I swear if I didn't know better I looked pretty much like a porn star is some of those positions! lol Turn on this side, then that side then this arm up over my head, then that one...Good Lord they would of made for some interesting pictures...Derek finally gave up and had another nurse take the blood the good ole fashioned way..through a vein that finally cooperated!
Then it was off to see Dr. Serious...my first question was "What didn't work? Was it the chemo itself of the Tomaxifen?" He said, "probably both"...then I asked, "Does that happen a lot?" I was told very rarely. Great....I just have to be difficult! lol As far as the chemo plan this time it will be in the pill form, the drug is called Xeloda....but I was unable to start it yesterday because your typical drug store doesn't carry this drug and it would take days for them to order it...I don't want to wait for anything at this point...so they (Dr's) deal with a company that does all the leg work for both the Dr's and the Patients and it will be delivered to my home sometime today or no later than tomorrow....side effects? 3 serious ones which I am to call Dr. Serious immediately of I experience either of them.
1: Diarrhea (my warped thinking oh yeah more weight loss..BONUS! 2: Mouth sores.....still thinking weight loss..I know I'm twisted! lol
3: Hand and Foot disease....not looking forward to that! Had that with a round of chemo last time....burning and blistering of hands and feet...still had a bit of the chits and giggle with the name though..sounds like Mad Cow Disease to me! lol lol lol
He also stated that recent studies have shown this drug is more effective given one week on then one week off....so that is what I will be doing for 2 months....I'll see him again in the month to check up on me...there is also another drug that really boosts the hell out of the chemo drug but I have to have a Brain MRI first to make sure that there isn't any evidence of cancer in my brain....it could cause bleeding if cancer is found there...the drugs name is Avastin...it's an antibody that blocks the blood supply to the tumors and kills them off. If the brain MRI comes back clean then I will have Avastin every 3 weeks intravenously....I can handle that! I also have to have a Thoracic MRI to check for cancer in the spine...I am having some pain and that could mean something is interfering with a nerve...that would be bad news so let's hope there isn't any evidence of disease in my brain and my spine. Back to back MRI's scheduled for this Friday afternoon...I'm gonna be in that MRI machine so long they will probably charge me rent that day! lol
I asked Dr. Serious point blank.....Do you think you can get me into remission...he was very confident that he could because of the abundance of treatments to try...he doesn't make statements like that unless he truly feels it....So after our meeting Jim, My Mom and myself felt a little bit better...I had dinner out with Mar and Michelle and we laughed till I hurt....good times! lol lol lol
Oh yeah.....one more thing....YIKES on the Xeloda cost...I was told it's like 2 grand a prescription! Thank God for insurance...$10 bucks co-pay here!!!
I will be having a total jammie day today....it's raining, I'm really wiped out, but my intuition is very calm at this point...that's a very good sign! And the kids have only half a day....so much for peace and quiet huh?? lol lol lol
Thanks for your love and your support and for my silent readers that have introduced themselves to me.....Isn't J-Land AWESOME!!!!!
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43 comments:
I pray that these new treatments work for you without any of those side effects. Enjoy your half day of peace and quite. Helen
Hang in there, Kimberleigh, and trust in Dr. Serious! All of Jland is pulling for you!!
Have a good day and get some rest!
Hugs,
:) Carol
Hi Kim-I found your journal a couple of weeks ago and I am one of your silent readers. I must say that I have been touched by your strength and courage. I look forward to your entries; you truly have a way with words. I have been reading your journal archives and the entries where you described your children brought me to tears with their beauty and emotion. Please know that I am praying for you. Hugs and prayers.......Rosa
Praying that all goes well for you and that you have no side effects from the drugs.
Loved the porno position descriptions...the mind boggles! Lol! Jeanie
The confidence of Dr. Serious is very important...almost as much as your own!
Nancy
You make your entries as long as you want, my friend. Plus, it gives me some idea as to what is really going on over there, so you just keep up that updating!!
You....difficult???? NO WAY. But....you are a tough cookie, so I guess the "cancer meanies" sent over the strongest, toughest germs they had. HOWEVER, no matter how mean they are, those germs have nothing on you! It may take you just a little bit longer...but you will get these "cancer meanies" and they will be outta here before you know it.
Hang in there my friend, take that pj day today....and any other day you think you need one. You need your body to be strong to fight the beasties!!!
((hugs)) and love,
Jeanne
Hi Kim, It sounds like you have a plan now. Have you ever checked out bcmets.org? There's a wealth of information there from women with stage4. I had just recently been reading about some women that their protocols for Xeloda being one week off and one week on because of a study. Good luck with your MRI's. I had to LOL about the diarrhea. I always wanted that but unfortunately got the constipation ;-) Hang in there.
Viki
Have a comfy cozy day in your jammies!
Linda :)
I love your positive out look, that alone is what cures you..... I will keep praying for you. you are such a angel!!!!!
bless you!
patty
here is my Journal address: http://journals.aol.com/littlelady1699/pattys-wagon-undercover..lol..../
if you want to drop by!
hope you have a nice jammie dayto day! Big hugs and loads of prayer!! Hugs,TerryAnn
I notice at the top of your j, you have this j under copyright. Excellent idea.
My father has LC via the KidneyC, he also went on the oral chemo Xeloda. He did wonderful. After he finish his round of it and went back for his scan to check the increase, decrease you know what I'm speaking of. His tumors stayed the same, then after 3 more months they have decreased. So as of today he has 4 years under his belt with LC. His quality if life is very good. He is spoiled rotten now, he lives everday doing exactly what he wants.
So I wrote all that to say this, my fishy killer friend. Hope walks with you.
Sweet Honey in the Rock.......Brenda
h
joey had one drug that was three thousand for a months supply.. his insurance didnt cover it.. thank god we had the benefit and raised so much money... joey was on the chemo pill... it made him really tired.... but other then that no side effects... i am praying the same for you... please know you are always in my thoughts and prayers.... love, gina
O.K.... basically all good news... well, except for those side effects <shudder> we'll hope you don't get any of those!! {{{{{Hugs}}}} Hang in there Kid!
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind/
http://adventuresofaneclecticmind.blogspot.com/
Thanks for making me laugh yet again! I have been Ms. Crabby-Pants all morning, and visualing you in that chair in porno poses brought a smile to my face and made me laugh out loud.
Sending you an internet hug and a virtual plate of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies to go along with your jammie day - plus my continued thoughts and prayers for you. =)
You were confusing your Mad Cow Disease and Foot & Mouth but it sounds like you might get Hand, Foot AND Mouth. I do hope the side effects are less this time.
Linda x.
Hang in there girl and prayers!!!! Sounds like jammie day is definitely in order. Hugs,
Lisa
Kim, what is really awesome is you dear and you're wonderful attitude. Good hearing your Doctor being positive in your new treatments you'll be doing. Yes thank goodness you have have insurance and only have to do the copay. Check out at Wal-Mart their Eqate product - hydrocortisone plus with 12 moisturizer and aloe, it come in a 2 oz. box and runs about $4.99 - I developed eczema after going to the Dermatologist and all the prescription stuff they gave me only made my skin worse Kim, then someone told me about this equate product and it has truly has been a godsend for my skin. Give it a try and see if it helps you dear.
Enjoy your jammie day, sit back, relax, have a nice cup of tea, you desrve a comfy day like that. Bless you....Arlene (AJ)
Hey, I have only read this post in your journal but I really wanted to comment. My mom is on Xeloda right now and OMG I couldn't believe it when the insurance company said that they would have to ship it to us from their office because of the cost. Their office is in PA and we live in AL. Then on top of that she takes a shot of Louvenox everyday and they are a little over $100/shot. It's expensive to be sick!!
It seems like you have a really great attitude. The kind of attitude I could SO see myself having. ANYWAY I'm off to read more of your entries.
Tammy
Sounds like a positive slant is creeping into proceedings, Kim. Anti-cancer drugs are hideously expensive, and you're lucky your insurance covers it. Keep going!
Hey Kim, just a heads up on the Xeloda...my husband takes it five days a week and has been for several weeks now, and he is just fine. A little fatigued, but no diahrea and no hand and foot disease. So, you never know...you might be as fortunate as my honey. I will pray that the side effects are minimal for you. You are doing so well. I so appreciate your candor. You are giving me insight into the things that my husband experiences mentally and physically. He chooses not to talk about it. So, the fact that I can come to your blog and read and learn is so tremendously helpful to me. I will keep praying for you my friend. God Bless, Jamie
Please make sure you get some rest too.Please.
Hi Kim,
I hope that you have fun on your jammie day today. I admire your positive attidude.
Love,
Kat
Yay for insurance! I know you are anxious to start, so I hope the pills come soon! The sooner you start the sooner you finish. That's a lot of MRI time. I hated those alien noises. Maybe you can get a sedative so you can get a nice little snooze out of it. Praying for you that it turns out well. It's good that you can ask Dr. Serious the hard questions and trust his answers.
Take care, Stephanie
I'm glad you had some time to relax today (even if it was only a HALF day!) and I sincerely hope that you took full advantage of that time. I'm also thrilled to hear you spent the evening dining out with friends and that smiles and belly laughs were abundant! Laughter truly is the best medicine, and you always seek to find it, even in the face of uncertainty and fear. Not only that, but you give it away as well, and I always leave here feeling uplifted, despite all that you are going through.
My prayers and thoughts are with you!
Chelle
I have ha a gown and housecoat day today.... :-) tomorrow I have to go back to work....... :-( lol
Hope you were able to relax a little even with the kids home!
Wow! The cost of that mediine is outrageous...Wonder what the poor folks that have no insurance do???
love ya,
carlene
Well, it sounds like you have the plan and are on the way! Good! Why the MRI's and not a PET? Just curious...if you happen to know their thinking on that!!! I will be having my ct scan on Friday... we can think of each other in the tubes!
lol
be well,
Dawn
klove ya smooches...thinking bout ya,....
kelly
h
h
I hope you had a great day lounging in your jammies. BIGHUGS!!!
Lahoma
sometimes jammmie day is just what the doctor ordered. :)
gina
I don't know why those medications have to be so expensive. I took Procrit shots for low white cells. Had to have the blood drawn each time as they had to be so low before Medicare would pay. Hope your pills come soon and you can get started. Paula
If your intuition is good, the future is good, I just know it
Marti
Oh boy, this does sound a bit better. I was in 2 ERs yesterday. Called an ambulance I was in such excruciating pain in my right hip, which they had MRId last friday & just found some slight inflamation. So the first ER gets me out of pain but then when I go to leave my foot is numb & feels "asleep" and my hip feels like it is giving out. Long story but when I called my doc she told me to go to her hospital's ER. They gave me some more meds & did xrays & didn't find anything unusual so tomorrow MRI of my lower spine & pelvis. Ugh! The bottle of Vicodin is on my desk here but I'm hoping I don't have to take any, at least until after my MRI gets done. I really dont' like taking it. Just knocks me out & I wake up in the same amount of pain. Just seems after one thing is going away I get another thing....I know, I know...
Good luck with all this. You are in my prayers!
WOW, 2 thousand, man your not kidding , thank god for copays!
Hugs
Ang
h
I agree that copays are wonderful...I had NO insurance when I began my treatments (hubby and I had been truck drivers, gotten off the road and both of us had been unable to find permanent jobs. I was working as a temp.)
Thank God the hospital and doctors who eventually handled my treatments had a health fair at one of the local churches (thank God for that church! It was a Catholic Church, Redemptorist in Kansas City. Their food bank and other people working there were amazingly helpful to us at that time.) where I got a mammogram that showed a suspicious spot.
The hospital had social workers who also helped me get Medicaid that covered the cost of my treatment. It seems that since cancer is considered a communicable disease, treatment IS covered by Medicaid if you are working, but have no insurance (at least it was at THAT time). My prescriptions cost $1 for generics and $2 for other things.
I have tears in my eyes again, thinking of just how fortunate we were that we found that Church and Hospital (St. Lukes was the hospital).
Hang in there...we are praying for you.
Ginny Sherer
Thank God for insurance! My monthly scripts run $2 grand a month with 50 cents -$3.10 copays depending on the medicine. I'll be praying for your MRI results.
Hugs,
Dana
http://journals.aol.com/rainy35/RoadToSuccess
you have every prayer and good wish i have to offer. you are an amazing woman.
prayers for you are lifted up...God bless you! you are a truely awesome!!!!!
patty
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
June
Love and Prayers May God continue to be with you and give you strength
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