All's well

So my computer decided to crap out so haven't updated in a bit. Last oncology appointment was good. Dr is very happy with how I am recovering and feeling. Was quite impressed to hear I was back to the gym and resuming a pretty normal life. I am very fortunate to feel so good so fast, and taking advantage of it!
We have decided to do a few more ct scans over the next while just to check on things. My next one is the end of March after spring break. They wanted it done right before and I didn't want to spend  vacation fretting about scan results! So I will enjoy vacation and then go through the scanxiety!
So all is well, working on getting rid of the extra weight I gained during chemo and being healthy!

Endo update

Ok, ok, ok... a little late with the update from my endocrinologist, but late is better than never!

So I had a really good discussion with him. Spent 45 minutes talking and figuring out what was the best thing to do for me and my situation. Because I am still so young, we decided on a cyclic hormone replacement therapy. It seems to be the best thing for me. Dont have the same risks I would have if I was taking it all the time. Seems this way is healthier for the body when it should still be functioning properly and ovaries are intact. So for 25 days I take an estrogen pill, then on days 16-25 we add progesterone, stop day 26 and start again on day one. I am just going to follow the calendar days as that will be ok according to the doc and easier to remember when to take what!

So thats all for now, see my regular oncologist on Friday so will check in next week with that appointment!

6 months post transplant and we have some fun!!

Sure, fun, that is what we will call it...

As some of you may not know all that happens during a stem cell transplant, the outcome is your immune system is wiped out and rebuilt... guess what happens when you wipe out a previously immunized immune system...

you got it... you have no immunizations left in your system!!

So yesterday was the first series of my immunization... 4 shots total, 2 in each arm... I can really feel for babies right now I tell ya. After all the needles and crap I have been through the shots themselves were fine. Barely felt them. The after affects of them is another story. My poor arms hurt so much I cant lift them up!! No wonder babies scream, lol...

But this is just another step in the journey of rebuilding so it is what we must do... not looking forward to 5 of them next month though!!

Other than that all is going well, I will update after my appointment in vancouver with the endocrinologist on monday to fill you in on that aspect :)

Thanks for sticking through this with me... if there still is anyone, lol...

Getting back to 'normal', if there is such a thing...

Ok, Ok, I admit, I am really bad at this blogging thing... i will try to be better but I find it hard sometimes, or just dont know what to write anymore...

So I will start with the fact that I had a great holiday with my family and friends, happy kids are going back to school tomorrow so I can work on getting me back into routine. Tomorrow morning i am going to go back to the gym, not sure how well I will do but its something I have to get back into as I do love it. I have also starting making green smoothies for breakfast and yoga dvds when I squeeze them in. I am trying to recover and be as healthy as I can, but still enjoy the finer things in life like wine and chocolate, lol...

On the medical side all is pretty good. I am now in menopause from the transplant so that is adjustment at 33 years old. I have an endocrinologist who I see later this month to discuss my options on this front.

My hematologist who has seen me since my relapse is very happy with how I am doing and transferred my care back to my primary oncologist, woohoo!!

Other than that things have been good and just adjusting back to life and having to remind myself it ok to be tired some days as my body did just go through hell and back!!

Quick update- all is well

So I realize I kinda left this blog and my readers on a cliff hanger, I want to first off apologize for that. It was not my intention.
After my transplant I got quite sick and did not want to do anything. Still not sure I am ready to write about it as it was not a pleasant experience, so I will leave that for another day. The transplant itself went well and was successful. My latest PET was all clear. So now its trying to move forward, which is harder to do than I even thought. Guess it gets tougher when you have already been through a relapse.
It is my goal to start to write again, but I am struggling with the motivation to do so. So those of you who have hung in there, thank you. I will try not to leave you hanging so long next time

BEA...M

Well we are working on the BEA portion of BEAM, I had B the first day, the 4 days in-between I am loaded up with EA and on day 6 (Thursday) I get M. Friday is transplant day... day zero, re-birthday, what ever you want to call it I have heard many names, lol... but a big day none the least.

So I am fairing pretty good, getting a little nauseous but nothing extreme, getting a little tired and emotional due to the tiredness but what can you expect when you are woken up multiple times a night to go pee and get vitals done. Its a fun time I tell ya.

I have a great roommate and great nurses which is fantastic. Our one male nurse has a blast with us and holds pissing contests to see who peed the most. She beats me everytime by a few hundred ml buts its always close, lol... gotta make fun where you can around here!

Starting to go a little stir crazy, walk figure 8s in the halls between the two wards to maintain my sanity. Provided there is any left at this point, lol...

Hubby spends lots of his days here which helps a lot, just having a tough evening missing the kids like crazy tonight.  Skype is helpful but you cant get cuddles through it :(

Still got my hair, falling out slowly, should be interesting to see how long it takes to all fall out.

Well Im going to go do some figure 8s and enjoy the views.

Goodnight my dear family, friends, and followers

Catch up time

As I sit in my 150 sq ft. apartment (if you can even call it that) rental in Vancouver I have some time to take a breath and catch everyone up with the last week. It has been a crazy one so its nice to have a little unexpected downtime today.

I will start off with the G-CSF shots... not horrible, but not nice by any means. The shots themselves hurt 2/4 days. We experimented with different parts of the body and the spot that was virtually pain free was the stomach. My poor stomach. I had 2 doses of the G-CSF so that meant 3 shots to the belly on those days... its bruised pretty bad to say the least. The bone pain wasn't too bad for me, Claritin did not help. I had a dull ache in my lower back, and sometimes if I moved too fast I would get shooting pains up through my back but it subsided quickly thankfully. So all in all not too bad of an experience.

So that will bring us to Monday when I go in for my Tri-fusion line insertion. I hadn't been told much about it to start off with, so imagine my surprise when I get there and they tell me I need an IV. I completely broke down. As we all know by now I have no veins which is why I was getting the line in to start with. So they try to console me and tell me they are experts, not to worry. I have heard that line before so I was not reassured. So the nurse comes in and beats the crap out of my hand. I am glad they are able to use a small IV as any bigger veins are completely gone. The nurse gets the IV in my hand the first time. Thankfully. So going in I am told they give me a sedative and fentanyl for the pain, and there's a good chance I will be loopy and not remember the procedure. Sounded good to me. After the problems with the PICC line going in I would rather not remember any of this. But do you realize what happens when you are mentally freaked out... the drugs don't work too well... I was very coherent for the whole procedure... which sucked because as usual with me it wasn't just a straight forward procedure. Needless to say anytime I felt any twinge of pain I was asking for more fentanyl, which they gave me, but I ended up having a LOT more than they usually use... oh well... It wasn't major complications they were running into, but with the Tri-fusion line the tubing is thicker and stronger and therefore not as flexible as they are used to with a normal Hickman  line so it took a bit more to get it in place. But they got it, and unfortunately I remember the whole thing... its not pleasant to feel them tunneling under the skin for the tube I tell ya, nor is the fact I can feel the tube under my skin if I run my hands over it too pleasant either, but it is worth it for how easy it made yesterday.

So this takes me to yesterday, stem cell collection day...

 

 

Here I am all hooked up with the blood flowing out of one lumen, through the machine, and back into my body through another lumen. (I have 3 lumens, hence the name tri-fusion).

 

 

here is the cell separator machine

 

 

So I lay in the bed for about 6 hours while the machine does its job and I watch tv, not too bad of a day but it makes it kind of long when you can't do anything but lay there. So after the 6 hours they take a sample and send it to the lab and tell me to come back in 2 hours for results. The doctor who saw me in the morning was optimistic we might get all the cells in one day based on my counts in the morning, my age, and the lack on chemo I have had previously. Well he was right. I go back for my results and they tell me I am good to go!! Woohoo... hence why I have some unexpected downtime today.

 

So today I get to pop over for a quick dressing change as my incision to my line still likes to bleed a little (I can never be straightforward now can I, lol), then a Dr.s appointment in the afternoon. Tomorrow we have another dressing change set up Friday just in case I don't get admitted. I wont find out till lunchtime Friday if I go in, so its all very last minute. So for today I will enjoy time with my hubby, some sunshine if it pops through, and not having to spend another 6 hours in the hospital. Just wish I could be with my kids too!