Shaky

Really shaky today.  I expected it, so was organized.  Didn't do much and managed not to have to stand for long.  Not feeling sick, just weak.

Reasonable day

Had to have bacon and tomato sandwich for lunch as it is International Bacon Day.  Stong's brought two boxes of food in the afternoon.

Spent the day reading and watching Ennius and soccer.  Whitecaps bombed.

Not feeling too bad today.  Just the sore back.

Love those steroids

Today I take a steroid at breakfast and at dinner.  Means I feel pretty normal.  Will miss them tomorrow.  They do hype me, so it was restless start last night.  Woke up at 9:30, so must have slept for a big chunk.

Decided to put in a small Stong's order and ended up spending over $100.  Had a Max's chicken pot pie for dinner and a pasta, pesto, shrimp salad for lunch.

Only needed one pain killer today.

Chemo

Drove myself to the Agency today.  Once again, my bloodwork was booked for the lab.  Went back to 3 and brought the requisition up to 6 where they fit me in to access my port.  The nurse was great and she left the line in for my chemo.  Had to carry the blood back to the lab on 3.

I was fine driving, but finding it hard to stand.  The elevator gods were with me all day.  Had a tasty toasted egg salad sandwich in the cafeteria and headed to the 6th floor loung to wait for chemo in a big, soft recliner.  Instead of reading, I listened to some geocaching podcasts (Podcacher) and sipped mint tea.  Actually fell asleep for a bit.

Woke up at 2:29 and straightened up just as the chemo nurse came for me.  Made a new cup of tea and filled a cup with ice water before going in. Chemo went well and I continued with the podcasts and dozing.

Had planned to stop at Safeway on Oak, but there was parking at Max's.  Produce at the grocer's and treats from Max's.  Dinner tonight was a veal cutlet, tomato & bocconcini salad, fresh corn & a fresh raspberry tart.  More thing left for tomorrow.  Spent a lot but thought I earned it.

I was home by 5:00.  My back and leg started hurting during the treatment.  Guess they didn't like the recliner.  It must just hit the tumours I the wrong spots.  Feeling better tonight.

Quiet day

Felt better today but decided to just stay and take it easy before tomorrow's chemo.  The pain is definitely not as bad or often but still have lots of lumps and a swollen foot.  Hope next week's radiation will help.

Last day of heat for a while.  Thank goodness.

Geocaching day

Lori, Pam and Maureen picked me up at 10:30 this morning.  Traffic coming through Richmond was chaos due to accident and a sinkhole on Hwy 99.  We stuck to Vancouver and I logged 8 caches.  Stopped at White Spot for lunch.  Didn't eat much but enjoyed it.  Brought a blueberry tart home for dinner.

Reall felt terrible when we started.  It took all my will power to stick it out.  Actually felt better as the day rolled on.  My leg is so swollen, the stairs are hard.

Still shaky

Slept better last night but I'm still pretty shaky.  Couldn't do much all day.

Dozed and read.

Bad day

As long as I stayed still, I felt pretty good all day, except for the back pain.  Getting up was much harder.  My back and hips hurt when I stood still and I was really weak.  My right foot is really swollen and uncomfortable.  Managed to get my meals, but didn't attempt anything else.  Tomorrow should be better.

So many good things on TV tonight!

Sleepy

Poor sleep last night.  The steroids had me hyped.  Best sleep was in the morning.  Dozed a bit through the day.

Watched the last three parts of Secrets & Lies.  Had suspected the truth early on but then dismissed it.  

Bit shaky tonight.  My back hurts when I'm up.  Still feel better than previous Saturdays.

Reasonable day

Still taking steroids today so felt pretty good.  Pain comes and goes.  Stomach a bit upset so trying ginger Gravol.  Slept better last night.

Cycle 2

Had a quiet day.  Went to bed early and got more sleep.  Still up and down with the pain.  Felt a bit sick all morning.  Some soup seemed to help at lunch.

My chemo was 3:15 and I drove this time.  Forgot my Tylenol 3’s but the nurse got some fir me.  After a while, the pain in my back and abdomen subsided.  Chemo went smoothly.

Stopped at Safeway and got a BBQ chicken.  Home by 6.

Check up

Arrived for bloodwork at 8:15.  It was ordered for the lab and I was able to get it moved to the 6th floor so they could use my port.  Much easier.  Went to Granville Island for bacon and fruit. Nice and quiet early in the morning.

Karen was away but I knew the doctor I saw.  A nurse and pharmacist also talked to me.  The PET scan showed all the skin lessions and lymph nodes involved.  There are some nodules on the back of the abdominal wall and on one lung.  We're going to increase the strength of one of my chemo drugs. I also have some hydromorphone to help with the pain and will be referred to the pain clinic.  The radiation oncologist will be asked about some more radiation to help with the swollen leg.  The tumour causing this has opened a wound again.  I'll also have a biopsy on one of these skin tumours.

Dropped the prescription off at Safeway and was home at 11:30.  Pam picked me up at 5:30 and we went to a geocaching event held by a couple from California at the Burger King near the PNE.  They had no idea how close they were to the fair.  I now have all my geocache souvenirs for August - Traditional, Multi, Puzzle, Virtual, EarthCache and Event.

We had dinner there and Pam went in to grab my pills at Safeway.  They couldn't find them, so had to refill the prescription.  I stayed in the car.  So glad to finally get home.  Early to bed again tonight.  Actually got a pretty good sleep last night.  Let's see if the new pills let me repeat that.

Richmond caching

Pam and Maureen picked me up and we headed to Richmond.  By the end of the day we all had a bunch of finds.  Usually one or two of us had already found one, so could help the other.  Both Pam am Maureen ended up with several wasp stings at a cache we'll leave for the winter.  Delicious lunch at Pajo's on Garry Point.

Had to head home early.  The tumours on my back didn't like sitting in the car.  Two Tylenal 3's didn't help.  Pain is better tonight but I don't feel well.  Another night of poor sleep.

Dentist

Important to be friends with the dental technician.  She realized my back and leg were acting up and worked quickly.  I was done in 49 minues.

Stopped at Safeway for a load of groceries.  Lots of frozen entrees for nights like this when I don't have the energy to cook.  My cart helped me get everything upstairs.

Not feeling well this afternoon.  Took some Gravol and it helped.  Think I'm just overtired.  Couldn't stay in bed again last night.

Sleepless

Couldn't lie in bed in any way that didn't hurt.  The tumours down the right side of my leg ached so much, I moved back to my chair.  Two Tylenol 3's did no good.  I dozed until 5:30 and then it eased and I went to bed.  Woke again at 9:30.

Decided to have a quiet day.  The leg and back hurt on and off.  Getting boring!

Sore leg

My leg kept me awake last night.  I think the swelling is making the tumours down the right side worse.  I went to Cobs and got some stuff for the freezer.  Bought Chinese food on the way home at Yaoban Mall.  $8.50 got more than enough for lunch and dinner - hot & sour soup, fried rice, sweet & sour pork, 3 little chicken drumsticks and green beans.

Not a comfortable day, although I did sleep for a while.

FTF

Woke up to a new geocaching puzzle with puns from the periodic table. Took Lori, Maureen and I all day to solve it.  I went out shopping but a new cache popped up on my email as I got into my car.  It was only 1.6 km away, so I went for it and scored my 14th first to find.

There was so much traffic on Granville, I couldn't deal wth shopping.  Grabbed a latté and a Quizno sandwich and went home.

Pain did seem better today.

Geocaching day

Maureen picked me up this morning and we worked our way East along River Rd. in Richmond.  There was only one that was too slippery to get to.  Crossed back over the river in Queenborough ans headed West.  Excellent pizza and salad at Boston Pizza for lunch.

My back hurt all day and I'm starting to get some mouth sores.  There's also a purple area at the top of my swollen right leg.  Hope this chemo starts to have an effect soon.  Other than that, I'm feeling much stronger.  I like this week free of treatments.

Pirate Pack Day

Today was Pirate Pack Day at the White Spot.  Couldn't get in last year so I was there at 11:00 today. Had a Legendary Hamburger and blueberry pie.  Home again at noon.  Far too tired to do any grocery shopping.

Feeling a bit sick tonight, so took a Gravol.

PET Scan

Started fasting at noon for tonight's PET Scan.  Could only drink water for 6 hours.  Arrived at 17:45 and finished at 20:15.  The first task was to put in an IV.  The first fellow tried twice with no luck.  Two strikes and you're out, so he called in another tech.  She found a vein in the side of my hand.  The needle was small, so it didn't hurt much at all.  I was then given the radioactive isotopes and had to rest in the dark for 45 minutes.  The scan took 24 minutes.   It was really hard to lie still as the tumours on my lower back started hurting - a lot!

Glad to get home.  Had grabbed takeout to break my fast.

Why do I have to keep listening to the Emery duo?   Self made celebrities.

Perkier day

Felt better.  Really tired of all the detailed dreaming.  Dozed most of the day.  I guess I'll just get used to not going out for a few days after chemo.  At least I get a break from it this week.

Another tired day

Really couldn't do much today.  Pru wanted to have lunch but I was just too tired to dress.

Watched Vancouver South Little League win the Canadian championship.  PGA was good and then the Whitecaps beat last year's winners.

Better day

Slept most of the night with no painkillers needed.  Still dozed off in the afternoon.  Pru asked me over but I was so tired while dressing, I gave up.  A bit shaky but still cooked dinner.  Nothing wrong with my appetite but stomach just a bit queasy.

Spent the day watching TV and finished reading Silkworm, JK Rowling's latest.  Hard to put it down.  Now reading the history of the Penthouse.

Lousy night

Didn't sleep much last night.  The Dexamethasone hypes me up and the tumours were painful.  Finally got up after a couple of hours.  No side to lie on.  Took another Tylenol 3 and dozed in my chair.  Went back to bed at 6.

The day wasn't bad.  The pain was minimal and I felt okay.  Stayed quiet and drank lots of water.

Chemo, day 2

Always tell Freemasons an earlier time for my appointments, so when today's driver was late, I arrived on time.  Turns out my bloodwork was booked for the lab at 2:15.  The nurses on the ward rewrote the orders and drew it from my port,leaving the line in for the chemo.  Much easier.

Waited in a recliner for 2 hours for my 4:15 chemo.  Good music on my iTouch and JK Rowling's latest detective book on my Kobo.  Dozed a bit.  Met another teacher that I knew in the chemo room. Everyone was talkative so the time went quickly.  Moved into another room near the end so the nurses could start going off shift.  The nurses were good at explaining the treatment side effects - Cisplatin and Gemcitabine.

Finished at 6:40.  Maureen came for me and I was soon home.  Took my 4 pills before treatment and 1 with dinner.  Two more tomorrow.  Hopefully these will stave off nausea, but I am wired.  Ate some macaroni and cheese with a fresh cob and a bowl of blueberries and ice cream for dinner.  Was really hungry.

Lots of groceries

Went to Richmond Country Market at 9:30.  Much quieter than my Friday attempt.  Their own corn is worth the effort.  Picked up a scone and latté at Starbucks and was home quickly.  Stong's delivered at 12:30.  He used a dolly to get up the stairs.  Great way to get heavy stuff like bottles of cranberry juice.

Still feeling a bit sick all the time.  The tumours seem as numerous but the pain is definitely less. Hopeful thinking?

Souvenirs of August

Maureen and I headed to West Vanvouver looking for different types of geocaches to get our
7 Souvenirs of August. We found an EarthCache, a Virtual,  a Multi, a Puzzle and a Traditiomal.  We only need an Event to earn the bonus 7th Souvenir.  Had lunch at Milestones - the Milestones Trio (2 turkey sliders, mushroom soup, Caesar salad). 

I was home by 2:30.  Maureen carried up the load of laundry she had done for me.  I was glad to be home.  I felt much better than the last few days.  Still a bit shaky and my left leg and foot are swollen.  The tumour at the top is back blocking the lymph drainage.  

Sorted out my appointments.  Changed the PET Scan to next week.  

Achy

Still sore around my middle and on the lower back.  These skin tumours are such a bother.  Also a bit of an upset stomach.

It's supposed to cool down a bit this week and I'll welcome it.

Still shaky

Didn't need the anti nausea pill today but was pretty shaky.  Kept dropping things.  Getting hard to stand for any time.  Did eat pretty normally, so that might help.

Watched the end of the Commonwealth Games all afternoon.  Really good closing ceremony.

Shaky day

Started out okay but by afternoon was not feeling great.  Finally took a Prochlorazine.  Stayed quiet in front of a fan.  The heat isn't helping.  Had a sandwich for lunch but just nibbled the rest of the day and kept drinking.

Watched 3 hours of Commonwealth Games and 5 episodes of Crossbones.  John Malkovich makes a perfect Blackbeard.

Grocery run

Gave up at Richmond Country farm, where I usually buy produce - too many people and no buggies. Went to IGA instead.  Got a BBQ chicken that will take care of several meals.

Think I didn't take this morning's pill but felt okay.  Took one at dinner and have one more tomorrow.  Still hurts to drive.  My plan is to stay in watching the Commonwealth Games for the next two days.  Enjoyed the Lion's win over Calgary.  Nail bitter.