It was an interesting and trying weekend. Friday evening (of course it would be Friday after hours) I developed shortness of breath when I went to bed that resulted in multiple calls to Hospice, ...
December 17, 2009 - 8:28am
After my second visit from my Hospice nurse and my first visit with the social worker I am ensconced in my recliner with my son’s laptop and a pretty rotten day is winding down very nicely. I ...
December 10, 2009 - 7:17am
Sorry to be away for a while, but between Thanksgiving and a fairly rapid decrease in my strength and abilities resulting in a more sudden start to my work disability than I expected, I have been ...
December 3, 2009 - 7:20am
That’s what my life is centered around, right now - searching for some energy. My pain is controlled except for some mild discomfort in my left hip when I’m walking around on it. Occasional mild ...
November 19, 2009 - 7:32am
That’s about the sum of it. I suspect the answer to that question is that I got behind on pain control again and for the last couple of days, after increasing my oxycontin dose and promptly ...
November 12, 2009 - 7:20am
I’ll admit it, it’s been a tough week.
I flew to New Mexico for a long weekend with my family and had a lovely time. I was waited on hand and foot, ate lots of green chile (and brought a fair ...
November 5, 2009 - 7:37am
I read a news release this last week about an article published in the International Journal of Cancer about survival improvement in people with stage IV lung cancer and bone metastases who are ...
October 29, 2009 - 7:33am
I had my every two week appointment with my oncologist yesterday. I was on my own, something that doesn’t happen too often. There were two things on my agenda - the increased hip pain and the ...
October 15, 2009 - 7:19am
The big news of the week is better liver function tests!
Whether due to Gemzar, steroids, or all your good thoughts, the two major liver transaminases are normal and near normal. My alkaline ...
October 8, 2009 - 7:30am
Earlier this week I developed a little shortness of breath when I went to bed. This is a new symptom for me so I called my oncologist on Tuesday. He examined me and everything seemed fine, but ...
October 1, 2009 - 7:42am
It’s been a very busy week, hence Friday morning before I can get out my update. I had chemo on Tuesday and that went without any problems. My oncologist is out for a family emergency so I saw ...
September 24, 2009 - 7:37am
My life with cancer, right now, has many limitations.
I no longer see patients because of my pain medication regimen. I have very limited reserves of energy and must rest after a single flight ...
September 17, 2009 - 7:24am
Wow! I am very thankful to report that the last two weeks seem to have been an anomaly of feeling miserable and I am much, much, much better this week.
I haven’t had to take anything at all ...
September 4, 2009 - 7:35am
It’s been a rocky week. Monday I got hit with that overwhelming discomfort thing from which I am always unable to get any relief.
I told my husband that I wanted him to find me a recliner but ...
September 3, 2009 - 7:49am
I feel like a bear stumbling around after winter hibernation even though it’s only been three days. As I’ve been reporting, I always seem to have some level of nausea. It was a little worse when ...
August 27, 2009 - 7:50am
Seventeen months ago I didn’t expect to be here now, but here I am! Even though I will be going in for Gemzar on Tuesday, the majority of my cancer treatment is symptom control at this point - ...
August 20, 2009 - 10:20am
I saw the oncologist yesterday and wound up having a good cry in the office. That happened when he mentioned the possibility of trying the Navelbine again and then got a call that he had to leave ...
August 6, 2009 - 8:27am
Overall, this has been a much better week than last. I really have only one complaint, so we’ll get that out of the way early. Navelbine stops my gastrointestinal tract dead. I am still fine ...
July 30, 2009 - 8:26am
It’s been a busy week and there’s much to catch up on, but the sentinel event of the week has to do with my work. My supervisor asked for a meeting to let me know that hospital administration has ...
July 23, 2009 - 8:23am
Well, it’s been a week. To make a long story short, last week’s Navelbine just kicked my butt. I felt awful Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. Saturday I got some sort of weird reprieve that let ...
July 16, 2009 - 7:48am
Being a cancer patient continues to teach me new things as a physician. The general level of discomfort that I described last week just kept getting worse. As bad as the general feeling of ill ...
July 9, 2009 - 8:06am
After the radiosurgery on Thursday, I had less neck pain and no arm tingling on Friday, which was a great big yay. Saturday we headed down I-95 to Bridgeport, took the Ferry to Port Jefferson and ...
July 2, 2009 - 7:56am
I had a scan last Thursday. Scan days are always a little crazy. I don’t sleep well the night before. I don’t get breakfast. I have to drink the berry smoothie contrast yuck. I get stuck for a ...
June 25, 2009 - 8:03am
I had a lovely porch-sitting weekend with my friend. There’s not a whole lot new to report this week. I had chemo number two yesterday with no adverse events. Overall I seem to be getting weaker ...
June 18, 2009 - 6:53am
Well, I survived yesterday, and I consider that quite an accomplishment. It was the day from HELL in an already overscheduled week. My radiation oncologist decided that he wanted MRIs of my ...
June 11, 2009 - 7:48am
I know that by now I shouldn’t be surprised at how difficult it is to achieve anything like a steady state in my life.
I’m a slow learner, though, and it still surprises me how many highs and ...
March 24, 2009 - 2:26pm