You are keeping busy, you have a great attitude, and you are strong; a perfect recipe for success!!!

Hugs,
Karen 😊

Tuesday 26 July.

What a strange day, I'm in bed and it is getting close to midnight, I have had radio and 5 hours of chemo.

Chemo ended up being a Monty Python session. My blood picture looked bad as my neutrophils and lymphocytes were low (both needed to fight infection) and there was discussion among the nursing staff in the Infusion suite about what to do. The oncology registrar was AWOL (maybe it was the guy I had a go at?) in the end I was asked what to do, so we had another blood test and this time neuts and lymphs were going back up, so I said I was happy to go on Chemo. Oncology Registrar still AWOL so we went for it. I was happy with that (so were the staff). Tolerated the infusion really well.

I was talking to one of the nursing team about a difficulty getting xylocaine syrup and she said, 'Oh we use to use that but it went out of favour, we have a few bottles, I'll give you one.'  (I have some on order but it was great just finding out it works.)

Oh relief!!!!!!! Within minutes my poor throat was pain free. I could swallow without gripping my stress ball, my high energy fruit drink went down like elixir. No need for PEG feeding until the pain ramps up again.

Guess who is going to try sausage and eggs for breakfast? I may not be able to taste them but I can sure swallow them; anyone else eat sausage and egg with maple syrup and tomato sauce? I can just about taste something

I know this will be temporary but I'll take what I can get.

I left in the dark with foul weather moving in, Adelaide has been hit by a series of cold fronts and it is a lot colder than usual. We have had our yearly rainfall several times over already. I contemplated if this would be an easier journey in the heat or in the cold? I decided that curling up in my bed in the cold with a hot water bottle and if available a hot man was far preferable to being flaked out on a sweaty bed under the air conditioner and if available a sweaty man.

Nice part of the day feeling (with TMI). I know many of us carry a tampon or a sanitary pad in case someone needs one. On chemo it is suggested that we may decide to wear pull up disposable diapers as sudden and severe bowel issues can occur. I went to the loo and a woman (in a stall) was in obvious distress (sobbing). Remember it is a cancer unit; people cry. I asked if she was OK and she said she had had an accident and had no clean underwear. I of course (following Dena's wonderful advice) had packed a few spares in my Chemo support bag!!

I made her day in giving her a few pair to see her through.

To be honest, pain relief, tolerating the infusion (so far), and helping someone literally putting up with the ->-bleeped-<- in life, has lifted my spirits even more.

So far so good.
Cindy

Quote from: Joanna50 on July 15, 2016, 11:00:42 AM
Cindy,

You rock our world here. Some quick levity(hope nothing offends you).

Q: Does a radioactive cat have 18 half-lives?


"Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"Not your white blood cells, that's fer damn sure."


Call him ChemoSabe.


A truck driver who had been delivering radioactive waste for the local reactor begins to feel sick after a few years on the job. He decided to seek compensation for his ailment. Upon his arrival at the workers' compensation department, he is interviewed by an assessor.Assessor: I see you work with radio-active materials and wish to claim compensation. Trucker: Yeah, I feel really sick. Assessor: Alright then, Does your employer take measures to protect you from radiation poisoning? Trucker: Yeah, he gives me a lead suit to wear on the job. Assessor: And what about the cabin in which you drive? Trucker: Oh yeah. That's lead lined, all lead lined. Assessor: What about the waste itself? Where is that kept? Trucker: Oh, the stuff is held in a lead container, all lead. Assessor: Let me see if I get this straight. You wear a lead suit, sit in a lead-lined cabin and the radio-active waste is kept in a lead container. Trucker: Yeah, that? s right. All lead. Assessor: Then I can't see how you could claim against him for radiation poisoning. Trucker: I'm not. I claiming for lead poisoning.



From one of my favorite online comics.











Hope your day looks up.

Warmly,

Joanna

Is that comic from XKCD? If so, do you have the link?

TechGirl,

Yes, I will PM you the link.

Joanna

You continue to inspire with your positivity and courage.

Any more word on how Cindy is doing?

Cindy, the way you handle this is really something to admire. I hope the bad weather did not cause any additional health issues and you are all right.

Quote from: Asche on August 01, 2016, 02:07:50 PM
Any more word on how Cindy is doing?

Hot from the press! I'm an inpatient at the moment after a bad weekend. I had bad mucosistis from radio and swallowing was not good.
I had bad shortage of breath and a PE was a concern but I'm clear thankfully. I have gout in a toe from chemo which hurts like bejeeysus!
My dehydration has been resolved, kidneys are back working, but I'll get more tests this morning.

Looks as if I dodged one so everything is pretty good.  I have a radiation rash that looks like lava more than spots!

But I'm good. Care has been great.

I should be fighting fit for my next round of chemo!

After me now.......

Always Look on the bright side of Life, Ta de Ta da

Oh my, you are one tough cookie and aren't we glad of that!  Keeping a light burning for you and knowing you will win this fight!

We're all whistling the chorus along with you!

Sounds like good news after going through heck.  Thanks so much for the update!  Go for the win!

- Michelle

I am sending good thoughts your way.

Well the good outcome of the CT P was I do not have blood clots in my lungs. A very good thing, I do have the beginnings of a chest infection, which since I am immunosupressed is not a good thing, so more tablets.
Kidneys have decided they want to think about things and have opted for having a bit of a rest, they are being spoken to in stern terms.
I have developed a quite impressive radiation burn down the right side of my neck, it is inflamed and the skin is torn and sort of itchy. I'm using sorbelene in layers and an interesting South African conditioner based on Calendula plant. I think this will stay with me as the smell of radiotherapy.
Even though I'm in hospital radiation continues, the girls have got placing me, fitting the mask, running to the door, hitting zap and getting me out before I throw up down to an Art form. They can get me set and out in about 8 minutes, 5 of which are radiation. Amazing the damage 5 mins of radiation can do to you! I reckon I could have two slices of bread either side of my neck and make toast for breakfast.

The care has been great and the respect and vibes from all the staff has been wonderful. Some know I am TG, it hasn't been brought up by anyone. Certainly I have been treated as I would expect any female patient to be treated.

Where from here? I may be released tomorrow if my kidneys decide to cooperate and then I have another 8 days of radio before my next chemotherapy session. That could be a doozy! I might sell tickets 😄

I'm due to go to my hairdresser on Thursday, I've lost some hair but it is more damaged from radiation than anything else. Considering how sensitive my skin is I'm not sure what we will do, I'm not sure if I could tolerate colouring to hide my roots. Oh well that is a big issue item that can wait.

Final thought for the evening, even when your sense of taste has been destroyed, hospital food still tastes like crap! Just in case you where wondering.

Many Hugs, Cindy! I am amazed and encouraged by you strength and sense of humour that you demonstrate on this particular journey!

Yes, sternly keeping those kidneys in line I think is a wise course of action.

Thanks for the update on the hospital food, I am often accused of being tasteless so...

Hang in there.

Joanna

It's funny how as we age, our scars tell the story of where our lives took us. Sending positive thoughts to you.

Hugs, Devlyn

It seems to me that your radiation treatment is going well. I hope you will be released soon to be recovered within a few months. Yes. We have all kinds of scar in our life time.

barbie~~

Quote from: Cindy on August 02, 2016, 06:25:56 AMFinal thought for the evening, even when your sense of taste has been destroyed, hospital food still tastes like crap! Just in case you where wondering.

My hospital food during hysto was not bad at all, but I still have vivid memories of horrible food during a hospital stay when I was five. But honestly, the cafeteria food at my elementary school a year or two later was much worse. I would refuse to eat it--it really was wretched--so the monitors forced me to sit there in front of my tray in an empty cafeteria for the entire hour when everyone else had been excused to the playground. Bastards.

Maybe it's good that you can't taste anything at the moment . . .

Your a fighter and it shows. I hope everything clears soon and your feeling better again. Hugs
Mariah

8 August.

25 Days of Radiotherapy gone with 20 days left. Two rounds of chemo done and one to go.

Last week was rough and as posted I ended up as an inpatient. Funny how it can be brought home with stunning clarity. My kidneys had started to close down and the side effects were quite immediate. The most painful being gout in a toe. Agony. This was due the deposition of salt crystals in the joint of the toe that the kidneys had not removed following on from the chemo. The concern was, is it gout or is it an infection? If an infection in my condition with ongoing chemo planned there was a possibility of profound illness and at the extreme, losing my leg.

Cindy gulped a few times and realised she had better take this seriously.

One reason stuff happened was inadequate monitoring by one part of the medical team and I have put in a formal complaint. There is now a plan in for my next round of chemo and how to deal with the side effects, that starts next week.

Good comments are that I can still use my throat and can swallow and sort of talk - if whispering counts. The thoughts being that I'm close to the maximum amount of damage and if I can get through the next week or so then I may have something left to work on to repair - sounds a plan to me!

I have a very interesting radiation scar on my neck that I'm covering with Bepanthen and wrapping in a combine. I look like a character for the "Mummy". If it looks this bad from the outside then I am pretty sure that 'goose' is well and truely burnt on the inside.

I'm feeling very positive, my support group, including here, have been wonderful and I am very determined.

Now to get through this week.

Cindy,
In some ways your saga brought back painful memories to me at the start. I lost my father to cancer at age 11, my mother in my mid 30's and my mother-in-law shortly after. When you started this all that made me greatly fearful for you. But you're getting through this like a champ and I'm beginning to breathe easier. So much so that I can now admit this you. You, and all the others here have become an important part of my life and losing, or risking losing, any of you is unbearable to me. You're all like my family and it's much to soon to have to bear the loss of anyone here. I'm so very glad that you feel you're over the hump and I will continue to sacrifice chickens to keep that going.

Be Well!

P.S.: No, I don't actually sacrifice chickens.