Reaction to New Chemo Treatment

August 16, 2015

The first treatment with the new chemo regimen turned out to be quite difficult.  I felt pretty well on Wednesday, when the chemo was given, as well as Thursday and Friday, except I vomited more frequently than with the prior regimen.  However, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, I started to feel very sick.  This was surprising as I had been on a bike ride Saturday morning, even walking half mile with my bike because the chain broke. My body ached, my legs felt heavy and were difficult to move.  I felt like a 90 year old lady.  I continued to experience quite a bit of nausea and my head ached.  My mouth sores returned.  (I was so happy that the sores had been gone for more than a week) Overall, it was extremely difficult and discouraging.  I cried and asked how will I be able to live with this pain.

Ready for a Bike Ride BEFORE my chain broke!

My second treatment, which I took this Wednesday (August 12), seems to be going a bit better.  On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the pain was much less and more tolerable.  We went to our lake house, and I walked 3 miles each day on Thursday and Friday.  We walk in the mornings, as that is when I feel so much better.  On Saturday, we had a group of singles from our Church (approximately 50) that we had worked with for the past several years.  I was able to spend some time on the dock with them.  It has been fun being at the lake, but it is hard to do the lake activities, like getting in and out of the boat.  I am not as strong, and my mobility is reduced, especially later in the day.  Also, it disappointments me that I cannot play all the games with the kids, and that I am not able to play as well with my grandchildren.   

My children bought me this outfit to wear during chemo. It is cold in the room. The beautiful roses are from Steve 

This past week my spirits have been lifted by my children’s visits.  Troy, Katie (Troy’s girl-friend) and Brooklyn (Troy’s daughter, our granddaughter), as well as Stacey, Brock (Stacey’s husband) and Justin, have all been visiting me.  We have had so much fun together.

Even though I did not feel well, I am so thankful for being blessed to be able to do the things described above.  I thank my Heavenly Father every night for all the blessings he has given me.  For example, Sunday night when I was so sick (3 am) I was only able to sleep when Steve gave me a sweet tender Priesthood blessing.  The blessing described Heavenly Father’s love for me and that he knew how much I was suffering.  After the blessing, I was finally able to sleep.  I felt peaceful and calm.  This allowed me to begin to feel better again.

New Chemo, Still Able to Wink

On Friday, July 24, I got the chemo pump removed after my second chemo regimen.   The nurse, Jackie, was my angel.  She was so kind and caring.  She took my hands, and I felt of her love as if an angel were touching me.  Later on that night when it had been a hard night, I thought of her and her kindness.

After returning home that day, I experienced extreme abdominal pain and bloating.  I also had a lot of nausea and felt very tired.  Stephanie and Lee arrived here for a night on their way home from a Europe trip so at least I was able to enjoy a night with them even though I did not feel well. 

Since Friday, I have had some nausea, but the main problem has been the swelling and bloating in my lower abdomen.  I have also had a lot of fatigue.  However, I have been able to do yoga with Justin and walk some on the treadmill and lift a few weights.

 On Tuesday, July 28, I had another CT Scan of my abdomen.  It showed a little fluid in my upper abdomen and a moderate amount in my lower abdomen.  More significantly, it showed additional cancer growth in the abdomen.  With this new information, my oncologist is modifying my chemo treatments.  I will be receiving weekly treatments of Taxol and biweekly treatments of Ramucirumab.  I won’t be using the pump any more.

The CT Scan results are discouraging.  When I read through them, I became so discouraged.  I prayed and cried.  Although I did not receive a precise prompting, I was given an overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort.  With that, I was able to go forward without focusing exclusively on the scan results. 

I continue to appreciate everyone’s love and support.  The experience this past week reminded me of the song, “His Hands”.  The song depicts the Savior helping us through other people.  I feel the Savior’s love through so many people’s hands serving me.

In the photo below, we are enjoying the beautiful sunset.