Phase 4 Month 2 Round 2

I went to the doctor's office for a count check today: they've all dropped a lot. Yesterday I was getting short of breath and dizzy when I would get up - today not so much. This is from my hemoglobin getting low. I may need a red blood cell transfusion later this week if it gets worse, I'll definitely get one within the next week because my counts will continue to drop. I'm losing hair again, but some of it is still hanging on. Tomorrow at 6:45 AM we're going for another spinal tap w/ chemo, and then tomorrow through Friday I get the Ara-C shots again... but then I'll be done with them forever!

Thanksgiving

First thing's first - yesterday was Thanksgiving.
I honestly am simply thankful to be alive. I was diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer seven months ago, and as corny as it may sound, I am so thankful for the small things in life, just to wake up and be alive. My experiences with leukemia throughout 2009 have taught me many things, but I think the most powerful thing I will take away from this experience is that.

I got the four shots of Ara-C this week, and all the other stuff on Tuesday. My expectations were for me to feel crappy, and even though I have, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. Is my body finally just used to this nasty toxic stuff floating around now? I hope not... it's just not natural. Nevertheless, I've conquered one week. One more to go next week.













I wrote this down today. Much of this has been part of my life mantra for a while now. Other parts have been definitively shaped by leukemia.

Seek out beauty everyday.

Don't take anybody's sh*t.
Speak your mind.
Fight for what you believe in.
Reject negativity.
Make your dreams come true.
Embrace those you love.
Be thankful for life, for it is a gift.

The Big Day

Tomorrow morning I'm going in the clinic for a spinal tap with chemo. I'll also be getting 5 hours of hydration with Cytoxin (chemo, third and final dose) and the first of my Ara-C shots of the week. I'll get a chemo shot Wed-Fri as well, and then Tues-Fri next week. I'll also be starting 6TG, a nightly chemo pill, that lasts for two weeks. FUN FUN FUN!

WEAK

Well I'm still recovering from my fun with the steroids... my muscles (if you can even call them that at this point) are incredibly weak. A 15-minute walk today in the neighborhood took the wind out of me, and walking down into the greenbelt felt more like hiking down into a mountain. The shift of body fat all to my middle has me feeling a little off-balance. I still had insomnia last night and woke up with the sweats. Hopefully this nastiness will leave my system soon and my body can start fighting back!

One day and week at a time

Well this week on chemo and steroids has been slightly less horrific than two weeks ago. In fact, it has been much better: no halter monitors, no skipping heart beats, no constipation. My mood has been stable so far (we've got until Tuesday people, though) and since yesterday I have had plenty of energy to work on my school work. I had the usual exhaustion, fatigue, body and head aches, and general not-feeling-well, but I keep reminding myself that the end - the end to all of this high-dose, highly-toxic CRAP - will be over in just a matter of weeks now. And so I think I'm too excited to actually be getting back to a normal life and normal routine, that I just don't care how much I suffer the next few weeks... the light at the end of the tunnel is within reach now! Take a look, I pretty much have four more weeks left before Maintenance:

This week (11/15-11/21) : Stop steroids Tuesday, no chemo, and a count check with oncologist on Tuesday.

Next week (11/22-11/28) : Chemotherapy shots (ARA-C) 4x /week, oral chemo nightly (6MP), and a spinal tap procedure (Methotrexate) with IV-Cytoxin (final dose ever).

Week of (11/29-12/5): Chemotherapy shots (ARA-C) 4x/week (12/4 scheduled to be my last dose ever!) & oral chemo nightly.

Week of (12/6-12/12): Final dose of Peg (which means no more blood-thinning shots three weeks after this dose), and IV-Vincristine. I will most likely need blood and platelet transfusions early in this week as I recover from the ARA-C shots. This week will be rough, but my body will begin to recover and I will be on the road to maintenance!

An Opportunity for You to be a Hero

I received this alert from a friend. Long story short - a young man named Lee in the Phoenix area was diagnosed in July with Leukemia - just the type that I have (ALL). Unfortunately for Lee and his family, he is in need of a bone marrow transplant and his family members have not come up as matches for a transfusion.

If you will be in the Phoenix area Friday November 13th they will be sponsoring a drive at Allstate's Regional Office from 11:00a-5:00p
5343 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85016 (first floor in the Maddison Room)

To participate in the Online drive (for anyone not in the Phoenix area) please follow the instructions below:
1. Visit www.bethematch.org BEFORE NOVEMBER 30th
2. Click on "Join the Registry" --> Join Now
3. Fill out the required information
4. Enter promo code: Lee
5. Fill out the consent form online
6. Please only make a monetary contribution if you feel inclined, this is not required
6. A swab kit will be mail to your house. Swab and send the kit back ASAP

If you can participate, PLEASE DO - you can help save this young man's life!

One Box Checked

Today I got the final dose - EVER - of Doxorubicin. Yes!!!! That's it there to the right. I also got Vincristine and started another week of steroids (dexamethasone). My counts were pretty good overall, and I get a week off chemo next week. I felt decent today but this evening the cloud is coming over, and I can start to feel the bus as well.

This week

I did not feel well at all this week until Friday. I have felt pretty decent since then. I got the H1N1 vaccine this week. Tuesday I get the final dose of doxorubicin (amen) and then start another week of steroids...

La La Land

Yesterday was a count check and a chemo day. I got hooked up to a halter monitor for my heart afterward and wore that for 24 hours. I also got to try a fun experiment with a colon cleansing medicine which kept me in the bathroom for long periods of time for most of yesterday evening and last night. My stomach and constipation issues are now on their way to being resolved... with some nausea and weird stomach feelings today. Monday I had excruciating nerve pain in my back and butt. But, since it was only a day of suffering, the doctors are not concerned about it. Today I woke up with a headache and I have been pretty sore and weak throughout the day. I feel a little as if I'm in La-La Land today... hope the writing doesn't reflect that.

Steroids - Part Deux

I am tired and exhausted. I have no energy. My face looks weird and is turning round. My head is aching. My body is aching. My face gets hot and flush throughout the day. I am moody, but mostly just grumpy. I am constipated. I don't have much of an appetite. I have problems focusing on my schoolwork. I don't really care about my schoolwork. I feel so weak.

If this is not from the chemo drugs - and, five days out, I doubt it - it is from the new steroid I am on this phase, dexamethasone. I'm on day 5 of 7 right now, and then have a week without it, and then another week on it.

I know Maintenance is right around the corner... but can this damn treatment be over, already?