Tomorrow is my last chemo treatment in this round of six. It was supposed to be last Wednesday but, I ended up with a stupid Diverticulitis attack and landed on anti-biotics Cypro and Flagyl...heavy duty drugs...not good with chemo.
So, tomorrow morning is chemo...right after lunch is LRHT and then we play the waiting game again. The CT scans keep showing some spots gone, some spots micro larger and some spots stable. Not too sure where we are going from here but, will have consults with doctors (chemo and naturopath) to see what our game plan is.
In the meantime...I am going to get my energy level back and head off on our cruise on the 12th. We had to miss the Panama cruise and it was our idea...I have earned this! I want "normal" for awhile.
Besides...I need to celebrate. The radiation oncologist gave me two years....still here! The chemo oncologist gave me four months with no treatment to eight months with...still here! You bet I am still here!
Swimming, diving, blowing bubbles...
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
It's Been Awhile....
Been busy with life and doing "normal" things like camping, visiting with #2 son and daughter-in-law (who are expecting their first child) doing touristy things...finally getting to Red Lobster...like I said...normal things.
I have had three more chemo treatments followed by the LRHT's with the final one for this round scheduled for October 21st. Each one seemed to be worse than the one before...apparently the side effects compound. This last one has taken a week to get the vertigo to stop...the world was spinning so bad I was nauseous. Thankfully, today is the start of getting some energy back and maybe I will get out of my pajamas tomorrow.
Got the CT scan results from September...cluster of nodules and patchy opacification in the left lower lobe seems to be gone with only scarring in the area now. Partial collapse of my left lung...Dr. Keith says it has been like that since radiation last year. Some nodules have enlarged and some have stayed stable. Good news and bad news...a real mix. I have another scan scheduled for the 16th to see what, if any, changes there are from that report. I guess that result will dictate the direction we go with the chemo in the future. The doctors caution me that the increase in size is millimeters...tiny, tiny growth...and not to get too worked up right now about the changes. Not too happy with that as I had been stable for so many months.
Did the bank account up today and paid all the bills. We have been using one credit card for my treatments and paying it off with my RRSP's. However...the funds are running out and not enough to pay off the card in full...plus, I do have enough left in savings to cover the 21st...but, that is it. I may have enough for another round in my RRSP's....I will know more when I get my next statement. Each round so far has consisted of six chemo treatments with LRHT's on day 1, day 3 and day 5. Each LRHT treatment costs $501.00 and the supplements run around $600.00...basically, $10,000.00 for each round.
One other option is a reverse mortgage on the house but, that leaves Rick in debt. I don't know how other people are doing it. One man has had over 38 full-body treatments at $1,500.00 each. To be honest...I am now scared and trying not to let it get to me. I even googled GoFundMe the other day to see about it...but, I just can't ask family and friends. I can't believe our federal government will not cover any of this. BC Medical covers the chemo but, I have to pay for any prescriptions...they do not cover anything of the naturopathic treatments. I get to claim the treatments (not the suppliments) on my tax return...big deal! I guess that is their way of population control...yeehaw!
So...I will get the CT scan results and sit down with my chemo oncologist and see what my options are...then I will sit down with my naturopath oncologist and see what my options are.
I am going to take some more "normal" time and...who knows...maybe I will strike it big in Vegas at the end of November (just couldn't pass up the trip...$377 US funds...for two people, three nights, four days including airfare) and our 7-day Caribbean cruise just before that.
So...no matter how scared I am or get...I am swimming strongly...head above water...singing "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swim, swim.
I have had three more chemo treatments followed by the LRHT's with the final one for this round scheduled for October 21st. Each one seemed to be worse than the one before...apparently the side effects compound. This last one has taken a week to get the vertigo to stop...the world was spinning so bad I was nauseous. Thankfully, today is the start of getting some energy back and maybe I will get out of my pajamas tomorrow.
Got the CT scan results from September...cluster of nodules and patchy opacification in the left lower lobe seems to be gone with only scarring in the area now. Partial collapse of my left lung...Dr. Keith says it has been like that since radiation last year. Some nodules have enlarged and some have stayed stable. Good news and bad news...a real mix. I have another scan scheduled for the 16th to see what, if any, changes there are from that report. I guess that result will dictate the direction we go with the chemo in the future. The doctors caution me that the increase in size is millimeters...tiny, tiny growth...and not to get too worked up right now about the changes. Not too happy with that as I had been stable for so many months.
Did the bank account up today and paid all the bills. We have been using one credit card for my treatments and paying it off with my RRSP's. However...the funds are running out and not enough to pay off the card in full...plus, I do have enough left in savings to cover the 21st...but, that is it. I may have enough for another round in my RRSP's....I will know more when I get my next statement. Each round so far has consisted of six chemo treatments with LRHT's on day 1, day 3 and day 5. Each LRHT treatment costs $501.00 and the supplements run around $600.00...basically, $10,000.00 for each round.
One other option is a reverse mortgage on the house but, that leaves Rick in debt. I don't know how other people are doing it. One man has had over 38 full-body treatments at $1,500.00 each. To be honest...I am now scared and trying not to let it get to me. I even googled GoFundMe the other day to see about it...but, I just can't ask family and friends. I can't believe our federal government will not cover any of this. BC Medical covers the chemo but, I have to pay for any prescriptions...they do not cover anything of the naturopathic treatments. I get to claim the treatments (not the suppliments) on my tax return...big deal! I guess that is their way of population control...yeehaw!
So...I will get the CT scan results and sit down with my chemo oncologist and see what my options are...then I will sit down with my naturopath oncologist and see what my options are.
I am going to take some more "normal" time and...who knows...maybe I will strike it big in Vegas at the end of November (just couldn't pass up the trip...$377 US funds...for two people, three nights, four days including airfare) and our 7-day Caribbean cruise just before that.
So...no matter how scared I am or get...I am swimming strongly...head above water...singing "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swim, swim.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
