I haven't fallen since the day my left leg broke in 2002 (also the day I learned about the mets and went home on crutches. I'd never used crutches before.).
That's a long time without falls when you have metastatic breast cancer in your bones. But the weather has been so rainy here in Seattle that a week ago I fell while grabbing the walk rail from the driveway to house. I slipped on the mossy sidewalk and boom! went down on one knee. Just a scrape, but it shook Rik and I.
On Friday morning at 4 am I got up to use the toilet and didn't turn on the hall light. This is my usual habit. I tripped on my own feet and went down on my tusch. Not eve a bruise, but again it shook Rik and I a lot.
I went in later that day to see Dr G and he was concerned about a couple of reasons for the falls. Leftover issues from brain radiation? More brain mets? So he put me on steroids (8 mg dexamethasone daily) and then ordered labs. Guess what? I was anemic. So he also ordered a blood transfusion for the weekend.
Rik and I spent all day Sunday from 930 am - 4 pm at the Swedish Cancer Institute. I got two units of red cells and my cheeks were pink by the time we left.
If you are able, please sign up to give blood the next time there's a blood drive in your neighborhood. Or don't wait for a drive but head over to Blood Works NW (formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) and make a donation. For various reasons, Rik and I are no longer eligible to give blood, but we thank and appreciate those who do so on our behalf.
Showing posts with label blood transfusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blood transfusion. Show all posts
March 14, 2016
September 20, 2015
The latest
What with the Jewish new year last week, chemo and a medical surprise, I haven't had time to write lately. Here is a recap of the latest.
Even though Rosh Hashanah came at the end of my weekly chemo cycle, I overdid it with baking and socializing on Sunday. By Monday morning I didn't have enough energy to go to services, even to see Rik receive the honor of being called to the Torah. (Evidently at 9:20 am I was moaning, "I'm getting up," even as Rik was getting ready to walk out the door.) We did manage to enjoy lunch with friends on Monday.
On Tuesday I actually made it to synagogue for the second day of the holiday, just in time to hear the shofar blown. There is also one part of the new year's service that I love. We bow before God, as in the daily prayer services, but on Rosh Hashanah one can choose to actually prostrate, getting down on the floor and kneeling. I have done this along with the cantorial soloist for many years, partly because I want to know that I can, and partly because this is the one moment in the year when I acknowledge that I don't have control over everything in life. By kneeling before God, I remind myself that it's not all about me. I believe God has a plan, even if I don't know it or can't understand it.
Okay, back to last week.
On Wednesday afternoon I had chemo. When I woke up in the morning, I did something rare and unusual. I called the Amazing and Wonderful Nurse Jacque to say that I felt awful, my feet were in terrible shape from the neuropathy, I'd had an indifferent holiday at best, and to please ask Dr G to consider dropping one of the two chemos. Dr G agreed to drop the Taxol and only give me the carboplatin.
I also complained about a possible urinary tract infection and later I gave a sample to be tested for infection. Dr G prescribed something to help with the frequent need to urinate, which actually hasn't helped much. I'm waiting for tomorrow to call Nurse Jacque about the final results of the urinalysis and hopefully get an antibiotic. Even if it's only a slight infection, something has been going on for ten days. And if it's not an infection, what is it?
While at chemo Dr G decided my red blood cell count was borderline and would likely dip further after that dose of carboplatin. He ordered a blood transfusion. Surprise!
Thursday I went to my support group as usual. The nurses at the wound center changed my chest bandage and decided it hadn't healed much in two weeks. My former port-a-cath site is almost completely healed. At last some good news! The doctor in the wound center said keep on with what we're doing and that he'd been in touch with Dr G about possible options. I see Dr G this week and will learn more then.
The blood transfusion took all of Friday, mostly because I couldn't get up early in the morning. A friend visited until I started to drowse from the IV Benadryl. I slept for more than an hour and missed my 1 pm visitor. Thankfully she came back, brought lunch, and we had a good talk. Good surprises in the making!
I'm still having insomnia, even with my naturopathic doctor's recommendation of WellMind. Last night I didn't fall asleep until almost 2 am. My feet still hurt tremendously. I'm now taking medication for high blood pressure likely caused by the chemo. This has been a rough time. I look forward to a week or so break from chemo.
As I said, I see Dr G later this week and hope to have a plan, even if it's another brain MRI. Let's hope the carboplatin lowers my tumor markers and has killed some brain mets!
Even though Rosh Hashanah came at the end of my weekly chemo cycle, I overdid it with baking and socializing on Sunday. By Monday morning I didn't have enough energy to go to services, even to see Rik receive the honor of being called to the Torah. (Evidently at 9:20 am I was moaning, "I'm getting up," even as Rik was getting ready to walk out the door.) We did manage to enjoy lunch with friends on Monday.
On Tuesday I actually made it to synagogue for the second day of the holiday, just in time to hear the shofar blown. There is also one part of the new year's service that I love. We bow before God, as in the daily prayer services, but on Rosh Hashanah one can choose to actually prostrate, getting down on the floor and kneeling. I have done this along with the cantorial soloist for many years, partly because I want to know that I can, and partly because this is the one moment in the year when I acknowledge that I don't have control over everything in life. By kneeling before God, I remind myself that it's not all about me. I believe God has a plan, even if I don't know it or can't understand it.
Okay, back to last week.
On Wednesday afternoon I had chemo. When I woke up in the morning, I did something rare and unusual. I called the Amazing and Wonderful Nurse Jacque to say that I felt awful, my feet were in terrible shape from the neuropathy, I'd had an indifferent holiday at best, and to please ask Dr G to consider dropping one of the two chemos. Dr G agreed to drop the Taxol and only give me the carboplatin.
I also complained about a possible urinary tract infection and later I gave a sample to be tested for infection. Dr G prescribed something to help with the frequent need to urinate, which actually hasn't helped much. I'm waiting for tomorrow to call Nurse Jacque about the final results of the urinalysis and hopefully get an antibiotic. Even if it's only a slight infection, something has been going on for ten days. And if it's not an infection, what is it?
While at chemo Dr G decided my red blood cell count was borderline and would likely dip further after that dose of carboplatin. He ordered a blood transfusion. Surprise!
Thursday I went to my support group as usual. The nurses at the wound center changed my chest bandage and decided it hadn't healed much in two weeks. My former port-a-cath site is almost completely healed. At last some good news! The doctor in the wound center said keep on with what we're doing and that he'd been in touch with Dr G about possible options. I see Dr G this week and will learn more then.
The blood transfusion took all of Friday, mostly because I couldn't get up early in the morning. A friend visited until I started to drowse from the IV Benadryl. I slept for more than an hour and missed my 1 pm visitor. Thankfully she came back, brought lunch, and we had a good talk. Good surprises in the making!
I'm still having insomnia, even with my naturopathic doctor's recommendation of WellMind. Last night I didn't fall asleep until almost 2 am. My feet still hurt tremendously. I'm now taking medication for high blood pressure likely caused by the chemo. This has been a rough time. I look forward to a week or so break from chemo.
As I said, I see Dr G later this week and hope to have a plan, even if it's another brain MRI. Let's hope the carboplatin lowers my tumor markers and has killed some brain mets!
December 12, 2014
Two of three problems fixed
1. A head cold since November 8th;
2. A sinus infection since last week;
3. Anemia (low red blood cell count)
In somewhat different order:
Last week the pounding in my head and pain in my sinuses was clearly, in my experience, a sinus infection of great magnitude. It took me a few days to get a referral and an appointment with an ear-nose-throat doctor (ENT). Yet another one of my ever-growing medical specialists, Dr Burgoyne diagnosed me right away, prescribed antibiotics, and told me to call by Thursday if things hadn't improved. Which they have.
At Wednesday's chemo session, Dr G took a look at my labs and told the nurse I had anemia and needed a blood transfusion. This has happened only once before over these past 12+ years. (I love saying "12+ years!") They type and cross your blood each time and yes, I'm still O+, and give you Benadryl and Tylenol before you get the blood.
On Thursday I received two liters of blood, which took almost seven hours, from 9:30 am to 4 pm. I picked up a mocha on the way to the hospital and noshed on chocolate throughout the day. Plus I had the usual delicious Swedish lunch of soup, tuna sandwich on rye, and chips for the second day in a row. I napped most of the day but did manage to read the newspaper. I drove home and went to bed at 6:00.
Today I felt in recovery mode after being at Swedish two days in a row. I slept in, eventually waking up to shower, change the sheets, start laundry, feed myself, etc. My friend G and I were supposed to go to the local Star Trek convention today, but I lacked the energy. I didn't even have enough energy to walk the dogs, so they have been canoodling with me all day instead and nobody complained. Rik will be home soon and he will walk them. I'll roast a chicken in honor of Shabbat and the fact that my cheeks are now pink once more!
PS I still have the head cold. What can you do? Send me some virtual chicken soup, please.
2. A sinus infection since last week;
3. Anemia (low red blood cell count)
In somewhat different order:
Last week the pounding in my head and pain in my sinuses was clearly, in my experience, a sinus infection of great magnitude. It took me a few days to get a referral and an appointment with an ear-nose-throat doctor (ENT). Yet another one of my ever-growing medical specialists, Dr Burgoyne diagnosed me right away, prescribed antibiotics, and told me to call by Thursday if things hadn't improved. Which they have.
At Wednesday's chemo session, Dr G took a look at my labs and told the nurse I had anemia and needed a blood transfusion. This has happened only once before over these past 12+ years. (I love saying "12+ years!") They type and cross your blood each time and yes, I'm still O+, and give you Benadryl and Tylenol before you get the blood.
On Thursday I received two liters of blood, which took almost seven hours, from 9:30 am to 4 pm. I picked up a mocha on the way to the hospital and noshed on chocolate throughout the day. Plus I had the usual delicious Swedish lunch of soup, tuna sandwich on rye, and chips for the second day in a row. I napped most of the day but did manage to read the newspaper. I drove home and went to bed at 6:00.
Today I felt in recovery mode after being at Swedish two days in a row. I slept in, eventually waking up to shower, change the sheets, start laundry, feed myself, etc. My friend G and I were supposed to go to the local Star Trek convention today, but I lacked the energy. I didn't even have enough energy to walk the dogs, so they have been canoodling with me all day instead and nobody complained. Rik will be home soon and he will walk them. I'll roast a chicken in honor of Shabbat and the fact that my cheeks are now pink once more!
PS I still have the head cold. What can you do? Send me some virtual chicken soup, please.
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