Chemo Update (#4)

Hi everyone.  Beth here, with a quick update.  Yesterday, 2/22, was another chemo day (Round #1, Treatment #4, for those of you keeping score at home).  Got this note from Anne.

“NOW- medical talk. I had a great chemo today. They cut my Benedryl in half so I didn’t have my ‘junky’ phase afterward. Just a delightful 4 hours of drip (carboplatin and taxol today) and great conversations with the folks in the other chairs.”

She is losing her hair a bit, but aside from that, we are happy to report that she is handling the other side effects of chemo remarkably well.  She’s maintaining her weight, still has a good appetite, no nausea or vomiting, and is only slightly tired.  And fortunately, she’s smart enough to take a quick “lay down” when she does feel tired, and is usually refreshed within a half hour or so.  We’re tracking her weekly CBCs, and her white blood cells and platelets and Neutrophils are still within the “normal” range.  Hooray for that!  And she continues to work regular hours.

Tammi loves reading the comments you all leave around the site.  Thank you so much!

—Beth

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9 Responses to Chemo Update (#4)

  1. Becky Thompson says:

    I’ve got to say — this website thing is the coooolest! I love that I can check when I’m wondering (which is often, and often at the WRONG time to be calling you folks on the “right” side of the country). One of the thing that was so hard for me when I was going through all that stuff in 1997 was that after you repeat yourself once or twice, you get tired of hearing the story yourself! So, even tho I had lots of folks that wanted to love on me, I got tired of keeping them in the loop and pulled into myself, mostly out of self-preservation, I think. I was so hungry to hear about other people’s lives and was so tired of the focus being on “sick me”. So, this makes me so happy to be a part, while remotely, of what’s going on. So thanks!!! 🙂

    • Tammi says:

      I think we all learned from your situation and Gwen’s back in 1996. And a website seemed like the way to go. Of course, I had no idea that Dave and Beth would come up with something as cool as this…. It’s great, isn’t it?
      But it still doesn’t bring you one inch closer and we were missing you like mad last weekend. Love you Becky!
      Anne

  2. Becky Thompson says:

    Also, really glad to hear chemo is going so well! I have some tricks up my sleeve if your blood counts start to drop, but no need to go there unless they do! 🙂

    So, on my side of the world, just finished up the crazy-busy part of the month for me and whew! now I can get on with the regular pace. Had a laptop crash (ok, yeah, I spilled water all over the keyboard, so alllll on me, lol) a week ago and got my replacement on Monday, so it’s made it even weirder for the last week. Today, I got a belly laugh when I called tech support (my computer keeps going to sleep and I can’t wake it up, we’ve got to fix this) only to realize that I have plugged my laptop into the cord, but alas, forgot to plug the cord into the power. Ha! Still makes me giggle!

    Well, off to bed, hope tomorrow is sunny for you.

    Love you!

    Becky

    • Tammi says:

      You crack me up!

    • Tammi says:

      Gol, you sound like that old computer tech phone conversation with a customer that was doing the joke email circuit, where after he asks the customer on the phone all the logical questions, he finally asks if the computer is plugged in – and the customer says. “ah, no.”
      Lol

  3. Tammi says:

    Wow – thanks for getting that chemo info up Beth. My mind is still all taken up with reporting about the rest of last weekend. Guess I’d better get going on that before a whole week has gone by.
    WASHED my remaining hair today – oy! Sticks on the head much better when kept dry.
    Good thing I’m not a daily washer of hair or I’d be a cue ball by now.

  4. cristina says:

    i just wanted to say thank you to beth for keeping us all informed. i am one of those weird ones who “keep score at home” and i truly appreciate the excel file that you created for the blood work – makes it a great deal easier to follow the trends. if there is any way i can help, please let me know. i am just an email away, and as tammi knows, i am never far from my computer so if there is any slack in the grunt work (haha), maybe i can be of assistance 🙂

    and tammi, i don’t know where you get your energy! between the fun family weekend, regular work hours, and the drama you-know-where, i’d be flat on my back in bed (putting my sore foot up like i should)! i’m inspired 🙂

  5. Bev says:

    Great news. It just keeps on being good.
    Sending my love,
    Bev

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