Shaky day

My tumour started bleeding this morning and has been seeping all day.  It hurts to walk, so I spent the day in the Lazy Boy.

Cancelled geocaching tomorrow.  Don't do that very often.

CT Scan

Was at the Cancer Agency at 8:45 for a scan and home again by 9:30.

Pain in my leg is making it uncomfortable to walk.  Cancelled lunch with Jane.  Fell asleep for a while. Bit feverish tonight but my temperature is dropping now.  Will they stop the trial since it's not working on the one tumour?  Today's scan will let them measure some of the others.

Extra caching day

Lori picked me up this morning and we set out to clean up odd caches.  We covered Van Dusen, North Van, Point Grey and Dunbar.  Didn't log many, but they were quality.

The tumour on my leg is biggest and painful.  There is now swelling on the pubic bone.  Scan tomorrow.

Quick cache

Met Pam at a nearby new cache.  I couldn't find it yesterday and she went right to it. I checked that tree but I'm loosing my geosenses.  Picked up some lunch at Oakridge.

Love TV on Subday night - Bletchley, Selfridge, Midwife, Game of Thrones...   Watched the first two episodes of Foyle's War on my iPad this afternoon.  Comfort TV.

My leg is seeping much more than before and hurts.  Will try a shower tomorrow.

Geocaching breakfast

Attended a geocaching breakfast event still the Boundary Bay Airport.  Good crowd came.  They moved on to pick up garbage at a CITO event.  The CO told me to count it even if I couln't walk and pick up garbage.  Too many germs with no immune system.

Bought some goodies at Cobs on the way home.  Tired enough that I fell asleep for a while.

Bloody morning

Had a shower and brushed my teeth before heading back to the bedroom.  Suddenly realized both legs were covered with blood.  Had to get back in the shower and then wash the floor.  Talked to my trials nurse later and she thinks the hot shower started the bleeding where the tumour in my right leg had broken through the skin.  It usually just seeps a clear fluid and has only bled a few times.  Nothing like today.  It stopped fairly quickly so I didn't panic and stayed quiet all day.

Recovery day

Pretty tired after yesterday.  Woke up for a bit around 4, but did sleep in until 9:30.

Worked my way up to a chicken sandwich for dinner.  Feeling a bit sick and my leg is hurting more tonight.

65!

Well, I am now an old age pensioner.  I celebrating by having chemo.  Took a cake from M & M Meats for the nurses - TOO TALL^® Tuxedo Truffle Cake.   The treatment went well and was only an hour.  

Had a hamburger at White Spot on the way home.  Had my couple of hours of shivering later in the afternoon.  Really didn't feel well.  Am better now, but weak.  No geocaching tomorrow.  I plan a quiet day.  

Got a big basket of Purdy's goodies from Janet $ Marilyn.  Arrived just before I went out.  It contains several of my favourites.  

Long day

Freemasons picked me up at 8:15 and I was home at 3:45.  My bloodwork was at 10.  Had a scone and yoghurt in the cafeteria.  Spent the rest of the time in a waiting room with tea and my iPad and Kobo.  I take the iPad on the long days to read the newspapers.

Had the same nurse as last Monday.  She tweaked the delivery of the prep drugs and the a Taxol.  Made it through without the allergic reaction.  Slept a bit as I was so full of benedryl.


Slept again when I got home.  Was able to make dinner and all the dishes are done.

Easter Monday

Filled my little cart at Safeway and pulled it up the stairs. I'm good at estimating how much to buy.  Got a BBQ chicken that will last days.

All set for tomorrow's treatment.  Patience sent beautiful flowers for my birthday.

Easter lamb

Had a quiet day and then headed to John's for a family Easter.  Jesse cooked a great lamb dinner.  Don't get that very often.

Home by 9 and really tired out.

Lazy Saturday

Out for a bit of shopping at London Drugs and M&M Meats.  Dull day but I avoided the rain.

Really tired tonight.

Sunshine

Beautiful day.  Went to Richmond for some groceries and a drive to enjoy all the Spring colours.  Came home with a taco salad for lunch.

Still feeling good.  Just really tired.

A good day

It was raining, so Maureen and I spent the day at Pam's.  It  took over an hour to get to Ladner as a semi jackknifed just before the tunnel.  We worked on Maureen's netbook and on a few puzzles.  Pam fed us tomato soup and egg salad sandwiches - my favourites.  She also did my laundry.

The rain stopped for a bit so we found two caches for me an two for Maureen.  I left about 4:30 for home. It was a long group of lines converging on the tunnel but it didn't take too long.  Everyone was polite about merging into one lane.

Feeling pretty good tonight.  I'm tired and my leg is still hurting and seeping (yuck) but the rest of me is okay.

A better Wednesday

Felt better today than the last couple of Wednesdays.  Was awake for a while around 4 but slept until 9:30.  Able to eat a bit all day.  Hopefully this is a trend and I'm tolerating the Taxol.

Lost file

Drove to the Cancer Agency for my 10:15 appointment.  The nurse hooked me up to a saline drip but couldn't find my file.  Yesterday it was put on the shelf for returning patients.  They looked for a couple of hours and finally got a verbal okay from the trials nurse and oncologist covering for mine.  The file mysteriously showed up on the desk at 12:30.

Picked up a latte and sandwich on the way home.  Started shivering at 3:00.  Wrapped myself up in the electric blanket and it lasted about 3 hours.  Feeling a bit better tonight.

Another reaction

Had to get up early this morning. Freemasons picked me up at 7:45. Bought a scone and a yogurt after my bloodwork.  Sat in the lounge with my Kobo, iPad, iTouch (music), iPhone and wireless headphones.

Started chemo at 10:20.  Doubled up on pretreatment drugs.  Got half was through the Taxol before allergic reaction.  Started with shortness of breath.  I called the nurse as it started.  My face flushed dark red and my back ached.  By the time the on call doctor arrived, I was much better.  I was really drunk on all the drugs.  We started again once everything felt normal

Freemasons had me home by 3.  Slept on and off after eating a bit.  Really thirsty.

Chores

Felt pretty good today.  Bought a bunch of stuff at Safeway.  Tried to anticipate what I might drink or nibble on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Finished with Chinese takeout at their deli that took care of lunch and dinner.

Sorted through several piles of paper.  The tax date has been moved a week so I'll do it next weekend.  Think I have everything and will try simple form on an app.

 

Late birthday

Finally bought books for Sadie's birthday yesterday.  Drove out to Matt's in the afternoon.  Lots of traffic.  Spent the afternoon and then Andrea made pizza. Really tasty.  Spent quite a bit of time sitting on the deck.  A breeze drove me in.

Was home just after 6.  A much calmer drive.  Ate another piece of that pizza.  Kept switching between hockey and soccer - both lost.

Sunshine

Renewed my driver's license this morning.  Took all of 10 minutes.  My new photo is perfect - no smile, no glasses, no hair.

Picked Pru up at John's, which was only a few blocks away.  Had Eggs Benny at the Sunshine Diner.  Took her back and went to Kidsbooks for birthday presents.  Got parked right outside the door.  Great help and free wrapping.

Headed straight home.  Was really tired.  Jesse made me some soup that made for a perfect dinner.

Much better day

A perfect spring day in Vancouver.  I slept well but didn't feel well this morning.  I stuck it out and went geocaching with Pam, Lori & Maureen at 10.  We worked around UBC and ended up at Spanish Banks by fish and chips.  I had a small order and really enjoyed it.  I did get pretty cold as there was a bit of a breeze.  The bald head wants heat.  We found a few more snd I was home by 4.  My angels delivered a bag of clean clothes and took another.

I'm feeling much more normal tonight.  I just have to plan better for the cycle of side effects.  At least they are predictable and I know they only last a few days.

Lost day

Felt sick all day.  Kept falling asleep.  Feeling more normal tonight.  Not eating much.  At least it should wear off tomorrow.

Electric blanket

Drove myself to Tuesday's treatment.  It went well and I was done in an hour.

Got really cold in the afternoon and started shivering.  Wrapped myself up in my new electric blanket.  Way better than last week.

Another attack

Luke drove me to the Cancer Agency this morning.  I took a Dexamethasone with breakfast to see if it would help keep the allergic reaction at bay. The predrugs took an hour and then the Tamoxifen.  Three minutes in, the pain started in the right sloulder and across my chest.  It was hard to breathe and mt face was dark red.  The nurse called through the hole in the wall for help.  She stopped the drip and pushed in more Benadryl and some Hydrochortizone.  The othe one crook my vitals and the on call doctor came to check me.  I had a sore back but not last week's spasms.

Once I felt better we tried again.  Went well and the Reolysin took another hour.  Freemasons took me home.  Left at 9:45 and got back at 3:30.  Really doped up and slept a lot.  Bit feverish tonight.

Hats

Went to the newish mall on Marine Drive.  Don't know what to call it.  Bought a hat and a couple of tops at Sport Chek and a couple of hats at Mark's.  Rounded the trip off with a latte and a Quizno's beef dip.

Head is at the prickly stage.  Forgot to book a ride on time Friday.  Hope to get a ride with Lucas but haven't heard from him.  Correct that.  He is picking me up.

Hairless

My pillow and bath towel are full of hair!  Finally got to my hairdresser and she buzzed me.

Wasn't too bad as Mei was gentle.  

Bought a new hat at Granville Island and a couple of bags of groceries.  

Pretty tired tonight and my head is a bit prickly. 

Checkup

Fell asleep last night before the news without blogging or charging.  Woke up at 1:20 and went to bed.  Slept until 9:00.

Bloodwork was at 10:00.  Spent an hour at Kits watching the clouds give way to blue skies and reading.  Started out my doctor's appointment with a long interview by my trial's nurse.  A doctor then examined me.  Karen then came in to look at my leg.  The tumour has been seeping and bleeding where it broke through the skin.  I looked with a mirror today.  Now I know why I didn't look before. However, the consensus was that it is smaller.

All in all, Karen was pleased, so we carry on.  Will start my 3 weeks of chemo again on Monday.  I'll take a Dexamethasone tablet on Monday mornings.  It's one of the 3 drugs I get intravenously before the Taxol.  The delivery of the Taxol will be slowed down.  This, hopefully, will prevent another allergic reaction.

Had a great lunch at the Sunshine Diner and went to Safeway to fill the prescription.  Brought home a bunch of groceries.

Hair is everywhere.  Combed out a bunch at the beach and left it for the birds.  My pillow is now bushy.

Hair everywhere

My hair is falling out.  Mei is back from holidays but can't see me until Saturday.

Slipped out before the rain for a latte and a taco salad.

Bluetooth

Finally made it to my mets group this morning.  Not well enough the last couple of Wednesdays.

Glenn found a Sony Bluetooth headset at Walmart, so I drove to Queenborough to buy them.  Way better than the one that stopped working.  Like not having wires during chemo when I listen to music on my iTouch.  

Great lunch at Boston Pizza.  Caesar salad and a 6" pizza.  Cost less than $10 with the tax.  Grabbed a latte on the way home.

Feeling pretty good. A bit of nausea and a little headache that comes and goes.  My big tumour is seeping and sometimes bleeds, but I think it's smaller.  Glad the doctor will look at it on Friday.

Pajo's

Enjoyed halibut and chips in Steveston.  Only place in Canada that you can eat on the beach right now.

Decided to buy an electric blanket in case I start shivering again.  Great service at The Bay.  Got a twin size with digital controls.  Price was $189 but it was on sale for $79.