2 Pints and 7 hours later and I feel great

So Yesterday I went to the Hospital to receive a blood transfusion. I received 2 pints of blood because after each round of chemo my body is having a harder time building itself back up so it needed a little help.

So I was also supposed to start round 5 today but because of my below parameters blood count and impending radiation treatment I did not. So I am still waiting to hear back from the Radiation Oncologist to start radiation. I have been wearing th radiation stickers on my chest for 3 weeks now. I do sure wish he would call so that we can continue the treatment.

Well I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. 2009 should be an amazing year for everyone. There will be up and downs but it is all about perspective.

Shots: 43

Pills: 125

Pints of Blood: 4

Just a lil' bit of Chemo

So today was another trip to the hospital and it was just for another"push" of chemo. My blood counts came back and they were borderline needing blood transfusion again but I did a few jumping jacks to show that I had enough energy and so that convinced the nurses that I did not need blood.

I have been getting a lot of christmas cards in the mail lately and today I got an awesome package from Ash to the Mick. She gave me a tie and a ring. I thought that would share what is written on the ring.

It says "What cancer cannot do"
it cannot steal eternal life
conquer the spirit
suppress memories
Kill friendship
cripple love
corrode faith
shatter hope
destroy peace
silence courage
and invade the soul

It is amazing when you keep the eternal perspective.

Thanks Ash

Shot: 37

Pills: 120

Round 4-Final Day

So the final day of round 4 where to begin....

So we left my house at 6:45 to get to the hospital early so that we could get this final day of round four behind us and so that I could get home and get in the shower which is something that I look forward to all week long.

So as we are driving to the hospital after drinking all my fluids I have to go pee way bad..and I mean WAY bad. This is the worse I have had to go pee during all my treatment it comes to the point when I truly feel as if I am going to pee my pants and we are still on the freeway a good 10 minutes from the hospital. So as my bladder is filling up I am repeating in my mind I am a grown man..and grown men do not pee their pants...I also start to breathe as if I was trying to get myself through contractions building up to having my first child. So we get off the freeway and we stop at the 7 Eleven on the corner just three blocks from the hospital and I run in to use the restroom but they do not have public restrooms. AHHHH...So in desperation I run behind the store and just let it go. So there went my clear pee and my ticket to passing the required urine test to get my chemo done in record time...

So we get to the hospital at 7:45 and I am the first one there all the beds are empty and I am hooked up to my fluids in record time. Things were going so good that my chemo arrived even before I took my pee test so all we were waiting for was a passing pee test and then they were lock and load them and chemo to start before 9 o'clock which I believe would be a record.

So after sometime on fluid I have more pee and it passes so I am starting chemo before 9. This is going to be such a great day. No better day to set record then on shower day.

So the time passes and the hour and a half infusion of my chemo is up. Then my doctor comes in to see how I am doing. She asks to look at the palms of my hands. They are pale white compared to hers. She then orders a CBC (complete blood count) to se how my blood counts are. Ok no big deal I have these all the time.

So the results come back and my hemoglobin is a 6.8. And the proceed to tell me that once the count hits 7 you are in need of a blood transfusion. Which I required two pints, meaning that for a two pints of blood transfusion takes about 3-4 hours. So much for record time and showering by noon.

So They hook me up to the blood and it is about 12:30 so that means that at best we will be leaving at 4:30. So my mom and I unpack our computers and get ready for a very long day at the hospital. but it wasnt all that bad...about half way through the transfusion the nurses and I had a very mini dance party and we started make jokes and just enjoying the time since there is no use just being annoyed and grumpy.

So finally the transfusion is done and my mom is out the door and into the car at about 5:00 or so. we are home free home by six. At least I still had my shower to look forward to. So we drive out of the parking lot and get on the freeway and about one-third of the way home GRID LOCK IN THE CAR POOL LANE. It is rush our and everyone is on their way home from work. HOORAY!

So by the time we get home it is 6:45. weird that was the same time we left this morning. 12 hours. So lets just say my mother and I had a lot more bonding time then we were planning on and we were just excited to be home and I was overdue for my warm shower.

But other than that we had a great day.

Shots: 30

pills: 108

Round4-Day 4

Once again we had the day begin early. We arrived at the hospital 8:15.

Everything went very smoothly and things are going good.

Sorry this isn't more exciting.

Thanks again for all your prayers of support.

again if anyone has any questions feel free to post a comment or email me at cansirboi1986@gmail.com

Love ya all!

Pill: 106

Shot: 30

Round 4-Day 3

So Today were at the hospital by 8:00 in the morning so I was excited because today was going to be a lot quicker than Day 1 and 2.

So the only problem with today was that my urine did not clear I am slacking when it comes to drinking so much fluid. So I had to do an hour of pre-hydration and then we did chemo but we were home by 12:30/1:00 so today was a lot quicker and it was a relief to finally have a quick day and take a long nap after I got home.

So things are progressing nicely and I will more likely than not have next week off from everything and start radiation on Monday the 22nd of December.

So that is day three

Pills: 104

Shots: 30

Round 4-Day 2

So today it started out that I had a 10:30 appointment with Dr. Murphy who is the Radiation Oncologist and he said that I would be starting my radiation treatment sometime in the near future. They had me have another CT Scan and then made 7 sharpie marks on me and covered the marks with a solvent and then covered with clear tape. This is to set up the site where the radiation will be targeted as I go through radiation treatment. 

So after that appointment My mother and I headed to Childrens for day 2 of Round 4. So when we started the day we knew we were in for a long day.

So we arrived to Childrens at about 1230. And since I had the radiation appointment before I was not able to hydrate my self so my first cup of pee was declined and I needed to have an hour of pre-hydration and then tested my pee again and I passed the second time. So during this the whole time the whole hospital was quite busy so I knew he were in for a long haul.

So at about 3 o'clock my chemo was ready and we started the hour and a half infusion. We during so I took a nap because of the long day of just sitting. 

So from tomorrow on the appointments are early which will allow for quicker days. 

Pill Total: 100

Shot Total: 30

Round 4-Day 1

Sound day one was going to be exciting. First off the earliest appointment we could get wasn't until 10:45. We are use to going in at 8 in the morning and so having it later is the after noon when it is way busy was not that exciting. 

So we got the hospital and then had an appointment with the doctor which outs another delay in the getting the chemo as fast process.

So it was a long day and we didn't get home until little after 5.

Tomorrow will be just as long!

Yeah! 

Chemo and Doctors Visit!

Well yesterday I went to the hospital after 10 day vacation to Oregon. I received a push of chemo and had a appointment with my doctor.

We discussed the whole surgery situation. She told me that she had talked to Dr. Hilfiker ( my surgeon) and they came to the conclusion that surgery to remove the mass from my lower left lung would not be a good idea because it is to close to my diaphram (sp?) So my doctor said that I will not be having surgery on my lungs. We concluded that we would continue with the next round of 5 day chemo starting on Monday. Then on Tuesday I will meet with the radiation doctor and start radiation and that the radiation doctor (Dr Murphy) has had a lot of success with using radiation to treat patients very similar to my case. So we are very optimistic. so I Tuesday I will have a better idea of when we will start radiation.

So that was another day in the books and one more treatment of chemo behind me.