Wednesday July 29, 09
I spoke to Val's friend Donna from Kennebunk ME this morning on the phone. I asked her to be the news release person for us up in ME to let all Val's beach friends know she will be there next Tuesday thru Saturday.
Val's nurse Mary came today. Val's chest wound looks better almost as if it is on the verge of healing. Dad has it covered with a band aid now. Val's BP is running low when she is lying down 80/60 and goes up to 100/60 sitting. Val ate dinner sitting up in the leather recliner for dinner tonight whihc is something she hasn't done in a month or so now. She has to spend a little more time up in chairs and not so much time lying down so she can tolerate the wheelchair and her sitting time at the beach. So now is the time to have her walk a little more each day too ( she won't be so much against it if she knows her goal actually going to happen in one week). She has been eating more every day a few more bites and a few more sips to gain a little more strength.
Everyday Dad and I are checking our list and talking about the rental car and all we are bringing and all we need to do ahead of time. Going to ME is something Val really wants to do and we will do everything in our powere to make it happen.
Love and Prayers to Val always......Salynn
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Minday July 27, 09
Val has had two better days! She began eating a little more yesterday and a little more today. She woke up today asking Dad "When are we going to Maine?" She and Dad were watching a reality show on Sunday night about a cooking cook off the final show is next Sunday night and Val is looking forward to watching it.
Mary the nurse came today. The WBC continues to increase from last Friday. Val is fever free though, and all the results trying to find the reason for the increase WBC count have come back negative. So maybe the Nulasta shot has risen the WBC up as all other reasons are unexplainable. The RBC is up to 9.2 and the platelet number has risen showing us that her body is working to produce the platelets herself. The thrush in Val's mouth has lessened too.
Love and prayers to Val always.....Salynn
Val has had two better days! She began eating a little more yesterday and a little more today. She woke up today asking Dad "When are we going to Maine?" She and Dad were watching a reality show on Sunday night about a cooking cook off the final show is next Sunday night and Val is looking forward to watching it.
Mary the nurse came today. The WBC continues to increase from last Friday. Val is fever free though, and all the results trying to find the reason for the increase WBC count have come back negative. So maybe the Nulasta shot has risen the WBC up as all other reasons are unexplainable. The RBC is up to 9.2 and the platelet number has risen showing us that her body is working to produce the platelets herself. The thrush in Val's mouth has lessened too.
Love and prayers to Val always.....Salynn
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Saturday July 25, 09
Val 's blood was drawn twice yesterday, once in the morning out of her arm, and then because the blood levels weren't so good again in the evening out of her infusaport in her chest. The evening draw out of the of chest port was to check that site specifically for an infection there. Val's WBC count is up to 15,000 (normal is 4-10,000). She has an infection somewhere, but now the hard part is finding it. So a urine sample was taken also. The nurse Mary thinks Val has a thrush like infection in her mouth as her tongue is coated with a white layer. Mary brought Val some special swabs to help this problem.
Val's RBC count is down from 9.2 to 8.7. Her platelets are down t 44 from 60 so Dad has to stop her coumadin for now. The miralax keeps her bowels going daily. The fentanly patch remains at 100mg with one or two vicoden daily to supplement so her pain is well controlled.
Val is veeerrry tired. She refused to take the shower yesterday which would adhere to the every other day schedule, but Dad was able to coax her today. She is eating almost nothing.... a few sips of soup for breakfast, a half a white bread sandwich of 4 small squares of mayo and tomato, and 1/2 half a peach and some blue berries for dinner. This is with much reluctance and much coaxing on Dad's part. Despite her weakness, she is still walking downstairs to spend the day in her hospital bed, visit with her parents downstairs, but return to her bedroom upstairs to sleep a night.
Love and prayers to Val always...Salynn
Val 's blood was drawn twice yesterday, once in the morning out of her arm, and then because the blood levels weren't so good again in the evening out of her infusaport in her chest. The evening draw out of the of chest port was to check that site specifically for an infection there. Val's WBC count is up to 15,000 (normal is 4-10,000). She has an infection somewhere, but now the hard part is finding it. So a urine sample was taken also. The nurse Mary thinks Val has a thrush like infection in her mouth as her tongue is coated with a white layer. Mary brought Val some special swabs to help this problem.
Val's RBC count is down from 9.2 to 8.7. Her platelets are down t 44 from 60 so Dad has to stop her coumadin for now. The miralax keeps her bowels going daily. The fentanly patch remains at 100mg with one or two vicoden daily to supplement so her pain is well controlled.
Val is veeerrry tired. She refused to take the shower yesterday which would adhere to the every other day schedule, but Dad was able to coax her today. She is eating almost nothing.... a few sips of soup for breakfast, a half a white bread sandwich of 4 small squares of mayo and tomato, and 1/2 half a peach and some blue berries for dinner. This is with much reluctance and much coaxing on Dad's part. Despite her weakness, she is still walking downstairs to spend the day in her hospital bed, visit with her parents downstairs, but return to her bedroom upstairs to sleep a night.
Love and prayers to Val always...Salynn
Thursday, July 23, 2009
July 23, 09 Thursday
Val was not in a good way this morning. Her two vicoden and one ativan was not touching her pain this morning and she was not eating. By lunch she was a little more comfortable and ate some sorbet. Dinner she was back to her Campbell's tomato soup. Lea had made some small pancake like things that Val had requested, but they were "too heavy" and Val sent them home with Lea. Rudy went out and bought 14 pints of strawberry sorbet that Dad hadn't found. It might be a little excessive in the amount of pints, but the gesture was out of pure love for his daughter whom he thought was eating a pint a day. She barely eats anything these days though.
Val's platelets were 80, 000 yesterday, but they went down to 60, 000 today. We learned that Val won't be ready for a platelet transfusion until her platelets are down to 10,000. She does have to bring her coumadin from 3.5 down to 2.5 due to this platelet level.
Love and prayers to Val always......Salynn
Val was not in a good way this morning. Her two vicoden and one ativan was not touching her pain this morning and she was not eating. By lunch she was a little more comfortable and ate some sorbet. Dinner she was back to her Campbell's tomato soup. Lea had made some small pancake like things that Val had requested, but they were "too heavy" and Val sent them home with Lea. Rudy went out and bought 14 pints of strawberry sorbet that Dad hadn't found. It might be a little excessive in the amount of pints, but the gesture was out of pure love for his daughter whom he thought was eating a pint a day. She barely eats anything these days though.
Val's platelets were 80, 000 yesterday, but they went down to 60, 000 today. We learned that Val won't be ready for a platelet transfusion until her platelets are down to 10,000. She does have to bring her coumadin from 3.5 down to 2.5 due to this platelet level.
Love and prayers to Val always......Salynn
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday July 21,09 Four days past chemo # 13
Wow. I didn't realize I hadn't blogged since last Wednesday. Busy summer days down here in Jersey.
Val was able to go to chemo last Friday July 17, 09. Steffan Ryan's wife was able to visit that day during chemo. Dad said that Val was alert and speaking with a really nice couple from Plattsburg NY (she has stage 3 ovarian cancer). These women were discussing their pain patches. Val feels no real effect per say when the 100mg patch is put on whereas this other woman who receives 25mg feels something within the first hour. Don't get me wrong the pain patch is working for Val and giving her relief, but the actual feel of it working is something she doesn't perceive.
Saturday Val was resting most of the day. Baine and Denise wanted to visit, but Dad said no as he was too exhausted and don't forget they have Rudy and Lea everyday visiting for two hours. Saturday, Val received her nulasta shot to help keep the white blood cell numbers up. Speaking of blood cells, Val's RBC count was actually a 10! Wow a number she never really sees as she is usually 8 and normal is 14-16. We do believe it was from her two pints of blood she received last Wednesday and the shot of aranesp she got the previous Friday kicking in ( it works in a 1-3 week time span to boost RBC).
At chemo on Friday, the chemo nurse Tony mentioned that we could get a prescription for steroids to give Val a boost during her trip to ME that we are planning. I thought it was a great idea as she seems to feel a little less pain when she is taking them. Also, Val said that she would wait the full 21 days before having the CAT SCAN. But if she feels well enough we would go to ME before that time. It is really a Russian roulette game as to when we go to ME. It is a decision that Dad ,Val, the nurses Tony and Mary are making together. We want her to be as stable as possible to avoid having to take her to the hospital up there for infections or blood transfusions. Val is getting excited as she told Rudy and Lea that Salynn is going to come and take us to ME when I am feeling stronger. It is great she is looking forward to it.
Love and prayers to Val always. Salynn
Wow. I didn't realize I hadn't blogged since last Wednesday. Busy summer days down here in Jersey.
Val was able to go to chemo last Friday July 17, 09. Steffan Ryan's wife was able to visit that day during chemo. Dad said that Val was alert and speaking with a really nice couple from Plattsburg NY (she has stage 3 ovarian cancer). These women were discussing their pain patches. Val feels no real effect per say when the 100mg patch is put on whereas this other woman who receives 25mg feels something within the first hour. Don't get me wrong the pain patch is working for Val and giving her relief, but the actual feel of it working is something she doesn't perceive.
Saturday Val was resting most of the day. Baine and Denise wanted to visit, but Dad said no as he was too exhausted and don't forget they have Rudy and Lea everyday visiting for two hours. Saturday, Val received her nulasta shot to help keep the white blood cell numbers up. Speaking of blood cells, Val's RBC count was actually a 10! Wow a number she never really sees as she is usually 8 and normal is 14-16. We do believe it was from her two pints of blood she received last Wednesday and the shot of aranesp she got the previous Friday kicking in ( it works in a 1-3 week time span to boost RBC).
At chemo on Friday, the chemo nurse Tony mentioned that we could get a prescription for steroids to give Val a boost during her trip to ME that we are planning. I thought it was a great idea as she seems to feel a little less pain when she is taking them. Also, Val said that she would wait the full 21 days before having the CAT SCAN. But if she feels well enough we would go to ME before that time. It is really a Russian roulette game as to when we go to ME. It is a decision that Dad ,Val, the nurses Tony and Mary are making together. We want her to be as stable as possible to avoid having to take her to the hospital up there for infections or blood transfusions. Val is getting excited as she told Rudy and Lea that Salynn is going to come and take us to ME when I am feeling stronger. It is great she is looking forward to it.
Love and prayers to Val always. Salynn
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday July 15, 09
Val has been sleeping a lot these past two days due to fatigue and low blood levels. On Tuesday she had a short visit from her friend Ginny. Val was able to give her back a pair of gold earrings Ginny had given to Val. She had intentions of doing this for at least a month as I had made her write Ginny's name in the box so I wouldn't forget to whom I was suppose to give them to. How special that Val got to do it herself!!! I am sure the visit was very special to both women.
Today, the WBC is 7ooo normal low is 10,000. Her RBC dropped from 7.5 to 6.5 so she went up to CVH at 11:45 today for two units of blood. She is still there at 6pm as I type this as they had a difficult time matching her blood today. Dad is with her as well as Rudy and Lea who always stay the entire time she ever gets a transfusions. Pray for no transfusion side effects for Val as she has experienced some bad ones from transfusions in the past.
Love and prayers to Val always....Salynn
Val has been sleeping a lot these past two days due to fatigue and low blood levels. On Tuesday she had a short visit from her friend Ginny. Val was able to give her back a pair of gold earrings Ginny had given to Val. She had intentions of doing this for at least a month as I had made her write Ginny's name in the box so I wouldn't forget to whom I was suppose to give them to. How special that Val got to do it herself!!! I am sure the visit was very special to both women.
Today, the WBC is 7ooo normal low is 10,000. Her RBC dropped from 7.5 to 6.5 so she went up to CVH at 11:45 today for two units of blood. She is still there at 6pm as I type this as they had a difficult time matching her blood today. Dad is with her as well as Rudy and Lea who always stay the entire time she ever gets a transfusions. Pray for no transfusion side effects for Val as she has experienced some bad ones from transfusions in the past.
Love and prayers to Val always....Salynn
Monday, July 13, 2009
July 13, 09 Monday Three days past chemo
Val has slept the days away starting Saturday and Sunday. She needed the rest. She did make it down stairs each day to sleep in her hospital bed. Dad has been letting her eat all her meals in bed again, but being down stairs makes it easier for him. Dad actually had to wake her to eat lunch and dinner. She continues to eat very little, maple creemee with berries, ensure protein drink, ginger ale, and tomato soup are her staple foods. I know she continues to lose weight as she eats so little.
Val has kept all her food and pills down since Friday's chemo. She continues on her antibiotic for the UTI. Sunday she was fever free for the first time in almost a week.
Love and prayers to Val always......Salynn
Val has slept the days away starting Saturday and Sunday. She needed the rest. She did make it down stairs each day to sleep in her hospital bed. Dad has been letting her eat all her meals in bed again, but being down stairs makes it easier for him. Dad actually had to wake her to eat lunch and dinner. She continues to eat very little, maple creemee with berries, ensure protein drink, ginger ale, and tomato soup are her staple foods. I know she continues to lose weight as she eats so little.
Val has kept all her food and pills down since Friday's chemo. She continues on her antibiotic for the UTI. Sunday she was fever free for the first time in almost a week.
Love and prayers to Val always......Salynn
Friday, July 10, 2009
July 10, 09 Friday Chemo day
Val hasn't had the best of weeks. It really basically was rotten. Here it was suppose to be her best week the third week after her chemo and all week she fought a fever and didn't feel well. As it turned out, she has another urinary tract infection. She started the antibiotics on Tuesday, but come Thursday she started vomiting in the morning, by afternoon she was eating a little tomato soup and held down dinner also. Friday morning, today, started off the same vomiting with added diarrhea and a fever. At 8:30 she wasn't going to chemo at 9:30 she was going to chemo. What a roller coaster for Dad emotionally.
The good news is her chemo CA-125 marker is down to 30. She was able to get her IV fluids, her anit-nausea meds and her gemzar chemo today from 10:30-2:30. Ryan and Steffan were at chemo today as Ryan has never witnessed the chemo yet. Val saw the MD after chemo. Dr. Eltabackh, couldn't explain the fever except to say most likely it is the UTI, or the cancer itself. The doctor continues to say that the abdomen has less distention and less fluid which tells us her abdomen is not filling with cancer. She does have the tumors on the pancreas and liver that has been there since the last cat scan. The next chemo is next Friday and 3 weeks following is the Cat SCAN. .
I myself saw her chest wound site on Thursday morning in between the vomiting and I can say the wound looks great...smaller, less deep and not at all infected. It looks like a wound that might actually close in the next month. Hooray.
On Thursday, I was at Val's for the morning. I actually drove down a Yukon car so Dad and I could sit in it and put Fuller into it. This is the type of car we will rent to go to ME after the CAT SCAN. We analyzed the car and discussed where we will put the oxygen and the rental wheel chair. I drove it on the lawn in front of Val's window as she wanted to see it. She liked it!!! Then Dad and I went through her clothes to find her large and extra large sized clothes to take to ME. We also found all the travel bags. Dad and I also tried to make a big, giant list of all the things we will need for the trip. Something to look forward to!!!!
Love and prayers to Val......Salynn
Val hasn't had the best of weeks. It really basically was rotten. Here it was suppose to be her best week the third week after her chemo and all week she fought a fever and didn't feel well. As it turned out, she has another urinary tract infection. She started the antibiotics on Tuesday, but come Thursday she started vomiting in the morning, by afternoon she was eating a little tomato soup and held down dinner also. Friday morning, today, started off the same vomiting with added diarrhea and a fever. At 8:30 she wasn't going to chemo at 9:30 she was going to chemo. What a roller coaster for Dad emotionally.
The good news is her chemo CA-125 marker is down to 30. She was able to get her IV fluids, her anit-nausea meds and her gemzar chemo today from 10:30-2:30. Ryan and Steffan were at chemo today as Ryan has never witnessed the chemo yet. Val saw the MD after chemo. Dr. Eltabackh, couldn't explain the fever except to say most likely it is the UTI, or the cancer itself. The doctor continues to say that the abdomen has less distention and less fluid which tells us her abdomen is not filling with cancer. She does have the tumors on the pancreas and liver that has been there since the last cat scan. The next chemo is next Friday and 3 weeks following is the Cat SCAN. .
I myself saw her chest wound site on Thursday morning in between the vomiting and I can say the wound looks great...smaller, less deep and not at all infected. It looks like a wound that might actually close in the next month. Hooray.
On Thursday, I was at Val's for the morning. I actually drove down a Yukon car so Dad and I could sit in it and put Fuller into it. This is the type of car we will rent to go to ME after the CAT SCAN. We analyzed the car and discussed where we will put the oxygen and the rental wheel chair. I drove it on the lawn in front of Val's window as she wanted to see it. She liked it!!! Then Dad and I went through her clothes to find her large and extra large sized clothes to take to ME. We also found all the travel bags. Dad and I also tried to make a big, giant list of all the things we will need for the trip. Something to look forward to!!!!
Love and prayers to Val......Salynn
Monday, July 6, 2009
July 6, 09 Tuesday
It was a great day for Val and she is very proud of herself and what she has accomplished today. She dressed, rode down to Foss Street in Barre and walked from her house to the end and back!! She went into her parents house after her walk. This was the first time since last summer she has been there!!! She has been thinking and planning this walk and visit to her house for several weeks so all of us are smiling from ear to ear for her today.
Mary the visiting nurse came this morning before her walk and this afternoon after her walk. The reason was the regular blood was drawn this morning with the WBC unchanged, but low. The RBC is also low at 8.4. Val's fever was up to 100.9 last night. The MD requested a second round of blood to be drawn along with a urine sample and a chest wound culture (I think)
Despite the fever, Val did not let it hold her back and she did something she has been wanting to do ...the walk.. go get'em Val!! Carpe diem..
Love and prayers to Val.......LoveSsalynn
It was a great day for Val and she is very proud of herself and what she has accomplished today. She dressed, rode down to Foss Street in Barre and walked from her house to the end and back!! She went into her parents house after her walk. This was the first time since last summer she has been there!!! She has been thinking and planning this walk and visit to her house for several weeks so all of us are smiling from ear to ear for her today.
Mary the visiting nurse came this morning before her walk and this afternoon after her walk. The reason was the regular blood was drawn this morning with the WBC unchanged, but low. The RBC is also low at 8.4. Val's fever was up to 100.9 last night. The MD requested a second round of blood to be drawn along with a urine sample and a chest wound culture (I think)
Despite the fever, Val did not let it hold her back and she did something she has been wanting to do ...the walk.. go get'em Val!! Carpe diem..
Love and prayers to Val.......LoveSsalynn
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4, 09 Saturday
Happy fourth of July to all the followers. Dad and Val spent the day fighting the fever that was present yesterday as well. She was running a 100.5 both days which lowers slightly with a vicoden. This is the fever temperature to call the MD, but since the nurse Mary is coming tomorrow there is no real urgency to call. Dad would like Mary to call the MD office and get orders to draw blood tomorrow on Monday as her RBC count is low at 8.4. The white blood cell count is low also, but he didn't tell me the number. The fever can be of unknown origin or from the chest wound site so nurse Mary will take a look at it tomorrow. We already know the wound carries a staph bacteria.
Val plans to have chemo this Friday July 10 and Friday the 17 . Our whole family (Ryan from TX, myself from NJ and Baine from Morrisville Vt are all at Alison 's for the Fourth) is in town so someone will drive them to and from chemo on Friday and someone will visit with them during chemo as well.
This is suppose to be the "best week" in between chemo cycles so lets say some psoitive things. Val was in good spirits talking and laughing when we all stopped for a short 45 minute visit on Wednesday. That was the first time she has seen her grandchildren (with the exception of Reed and Jazanne) since last Aug 08. Almost a whole year has passed, as we have kept our young children away due to germ reasons and her risk of catching almost anything that comes to her new. She has had a couple of better nights enjoying some TV time with Dad at night. She even mentioned to Dad she wanted to take a walk on Foss Street in Barre when the rain stops. It is nice she has the desire to do some special things.
Love and Prayers to Val always......Salynn
Happy fourth of July to all the followers. Dad and Val spent the day fighting the fever that was present yesterday as well. She was running a 100.5 both days which lowers slightly with a vicoden. This is the fever temperature to call the MD, but since the nurse Mary is coming tomorrow there is no real urgency to call. Dad would like Mary to call the MD office and get orders to draw blood tomorrow on Monday as her RBC count is low at 8.4. The white blood cell count is low also, but he didn't tell me the number. The fever can be of unknown origin or from the chest wound site so nurse Mary will take a look at it tomorrow. We already know the wound carries a staph bacteria.
Val plans to have chemo this Friday July 10 and Friday the 17 . Our whole family (Ryan from TX, myself from NJ and Baine from Morrisville Vt are all at Alison 's for the Fourth) is in town so someone will drive them to and from chemo on Friday and someone will visit with them during chemo as well.
This is suppose to be the "best week" in between chemo cycles so lets say some psoitive things. Val was in good spirits talking and laughing when we all stopped for a short 45 minute visit on Wednesday. That was the first time she has seen her grandchildren (with the exception of Reed and Jazanne) since last Aug 08. Almost a whole year has passed, as we have kept our young children away due to germ reasons and her risk of catching almost anything that comes to her new. She has had a couple of better nights enjoying some TV time with Dad at night. She even mentioned to Dad she wanted to take a walk on Foss Street in Barre when the rain stops. It is nice she has the desire to do some special things.
Love and Prayers to Val always......Salynn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)