Yeesh

I felt chilled all day. I finally took my temperature and it was 100.0. Dangit! I don't know if it's a cold/flu virus (I have been coughing, but usually after having a little bit of dairy (butter on a bagel) or a bit of sugar. Maybe my wound is infected.

I also had a really bad charley horse last night in my left calf at 3:30am. I finally got back to sleep and when I woke up, my right foot (underneath) and calf were cramping up. Sheesh!

So, I tried to drink lots of water today. But just a few minutes ago, the top of my left foot started cramping. Luckily, my brother is a night owl so I sent him to the local 7-11 to get tonic water since everyone on facebook said that it helps. Thanks, Scott!

In the meantime, they decided that dad had a mild case of pneumonia. She had a bit of a temperature last night and then I guess they had to change her gown three times because she broke out in a sweat. So, they put her on antibiotics today and they have lowered the oxygen level. They also took out the pacer wires and did some kind of procedure where they thumped her back while she breathed into a tube. I think it was supposed to shake up her lungs. But it means that she won't come home for another couple of days. When I visited her, she was more animated, so that's good.

No word yet on when my own surgery may be.

Abraxane Tomorrow

I saw the wound care nurse today - she feels everything is fine and she gave me enough dressings to last until Thursday.

I still had a low grade fever, but I still went into my class to update them on what's going on with me and to explain the film "The Fast Runner". They also started watching "An Inconvenient Truth".

Then I get a phone call from my doctor's office scheduling me for a port insertion on Thursday. WHAT?? Last we discussed, Dr. K said that I shouldn't have one!

I also asked whether or not I really should do chemo tomorrow since I still had a fever. To me, the Levaquin and Flagyl were not working, my immune system was depressed, and therefore no chemo. I get a call back from the nurse after they talked to Dr. K and he said, "chemo tomorrow". I then filled the nurses in on what had happened while Dr. K was out of the office and my visits with Dr. O and Dr. F. But still the message was not to delay.

I sat and stewed for about 30 minutes because first he tells me one thing last week and then tells me another. And, apparently, the docs from Thurs and Fri had not filled Dr. K in on their diagnoses and actions. So, I called back and said that Dr. K and I needed to talk and I was going to refuse chemo until I got the lab results and asked him about the fever and the port.

He called me back awhile ago. First, he said that he ordered the port because the nurses had called him and said that my veins couldn't handle Abraxane and I needed a port. Nice of everyone to talk to me about this - the nurses should've called me and/or Dr. K's office to tell me WHY I was scheduled for the port.

Then, we discussed the lab results. There's no evidence of an anaerobic infection or of an "invasive" infection (by which he means that it's gone into the blood stream, I think). He feels that my continued low grade fever is caused instead by inflammation and by my immune system trying to fight the cancer and keep any infection at bay.

He also felt that Abraxane won't affect my blood counts too much. So, Abraxane tomorrow, if my veins can handle it. I believe he also said that I may feel worse for awhile until I feel better. And, I will get a port on Thursday, that is, if the nurses felt it necessary, although Dr. K doesn't really want that to happen.

I also asked him if he has ever heard of a case of a body expelling the tumor and he said he hadn't. I asked him what might cause the necrotic tumor to raise a cone like that. He didn't really have an answer.

Okay, I need to begin my visualization of Abraxane, sending the alarm so the t-cells can attack the cancer throughout my body.

A Fever By Any Other Name . . .

is still the same. Since I did a play on Shakespeare "To Port or Not to Port", I thought I would continue the theme!

Since last night, I have had a slight fever. It ranged from 99.5 to 100.6 last night. So I have been taking Tylenol and a half dose of Ibuprofen. Also, my neck and shoulders are achey -my arms have been achey, too, and last week, on one of the days, Imhad a headache all day. The headache is back today. My temp about 15 min ago was 100.3.

In other words, I am having flu-like symptoms.

But, is it because I have picked up some garden variety flu bug? Or, could it mean that the vaccine I had 11 days ago is kicking in and my body is now producing a lot more Herminator-2 cells and they are out fighting the cancer? Or do I have an infection in my open wound - home of Mr. Exu Date?

Lord knows.

I see the wound care nurse tomorrow morning and then about lunchtime, I see my oncologist, Dr. K. I will ask their opinion about whether my wound is infected.

Dr. D. from UW said that when the Herminator-2 cells are activated, I will have flu-like symptoms, which is why I got a fever and chills and achiness after the Herminator-2 infusions and after vaccines. Dr. D. says that thw chills, fever, and achiness are due, NOT to the virus or bacteria causing the illness, but rather to the t-cells that are "cytotoxic", meaning that they are killing the invader cells, like a flu or bacteria bug. That death of the invader cells causes the flu-like symptoms. So, here's hoping that the vaccine has unleashed a new assault on those satellite lesions . . . And other cancer cells throughout my body.

So, I need to rest. Should be easier tomorrow as I don't teach. Today was the first class for Circumpolar Peoples and Climate Change. It went well, I think. But it took a lot of energy. Hanging out in my room watching reruns and resting. Lots of liquids. Still have an appetite. May need more Ibuprofen.

The Fever Strikes Again

Eddie walked in this morning with tears forming in his eyes. He said, "I'm really really cold". Poor guy. He was bundled up in a sweatshirt and a coat over that and his hood on. So, I cuddled up with him, tried to get him a bit warmer and then took his temperature. It was 101.2 with one thermometer and 101.8 with the other.

He doesn't have any other complaints - no headaches, no stomachache, no sore throat. My mom checked to see if he had a rash - nothing there. He finished his course of antibiotics a week ago. Not sure if we should take him in again to see if he needs more. Hard to tell with everything that's going around.

So, he's home with my folks and I'm at work. Gotta get a bunch of grading done. And, some other administrative stuff. Organizing a lecture series and a nomination for an incoming grad student. I'm getting there, though!

Two days and I start my trip to Norway - yay! I need the break!

Just Call Me Seven of Nine

. . . except that I don't near have the size of boobs that Jeri Ryan has in Star Trek Voyager. You'll understand the reference here in a minute.

My wound pump, the "Vac", was delivered to my house today. There is a little suitcase, and three boxes, about shoebox size. Holy cow! So, two of the boxes have different kinds of dressings and the other box has canisters. The suitcase has the actual pump and the tubing.

So, my nurse will pack my wound with a dressing, although I'm unclear if these are the ones in the boxes or she will use others. Then, the tubing will go in through the existing hole, which will be threaded to a type of lid that will cover the whole hole. The tubing will then be outside my body, under my shirt, and connected to the pump which I will wear as a fanny pack, day and night. Apparently, I can shower with this although I assume that there will be some way to cap off the tubing and take off the pump.

As I typed that, I realized that I will have a tube coming out of my body, much like one of the Borg on Star Trek Voyager.

I guess I won't be Seven of Nine because she no longer has any tubing.

Darnit. I liked that reference.

In other news, the nurse thought the wound was already healing. A raw spot she noted on Tuesday is no longer there. My plastic surgeon's office called and stated that there was nothing growing in the culture they took from the wound on Tuesday, so it doesn't appear to be infected.

I didn't take Tylenol all yesterday and did some running around because I felt okay. Then, late in the afternoon, my forehead felt hot. My temperature? 100.9.

Okay, okay, I'll keep taking the Tylenol. Something's going on. Interestingly, my cough and chest congestion are much better. Perhaps I had a low-lying lung infection?

Ah hell. It's my blog. Call me Seven of Nine anyway. I'll be the Seven of Nine before she was changed back to human by Voyager. : )

Doing better now

I'm doing better today. I see the wound care nurse in about half an hour to see about this vacuum wound pump.

My fever is more or less under control because I started taking a full dose of Tylenol every six hours. More because of the pain, but luckily it takes care of the fever, too. I couldn't get comfortable last night before bed. Both because of the fever and because I started feeling more uncomfortable with the yanking out of the tissue expander. I have decent range of motion, it's just when I try to lift myself up from a laying down position and/or I cough, then I'm uncomfortable.

I saw my counselor today and it helped me to process the events of yesterday. I came out of her office feeling like I let go of whatever grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of the tissue expander. I knew that it had to go, but I thought I had until at least September before that happened.

The Tylenol seems to be helping with the fever and the pain.

My oncologist felt that the wound looked fairly good, under the circumstances. He did not feel or see any cancer in the skin. My CEA was 1.1 (under 3.0 is normal) and the CA 15-3 was 18 (under 31 is normal). Overall, he is pleased with how treatment is going and seems fairly hopeful. He has ordered a CT scan, which will occur sometime in the next couple of weeks. Then we will see if there's any sign of cancer lurking anywhere else. He felt that it might be 3 months for the wound where the expander is to heal. He will talk to my plastic surgeon to ask how soon he thinks I might be able to have reconstruction surgery. Other than that, we stay the course. He did say that I should slow down - that I need to be saved from myself (by wanting to do too much). He gave me a little hug. I like a doctor who does not act all stiff and professional. He has compassion and I like that. My white and red blood cell counts are low, but he said that they were actually quite good for all the treatments I get. He also said that my fever could be due to my body trying to expel the tissue expander and that I might not necessarily have an infection, but taking an antibiotic is a good plan in any case.

I'm glad I feel better. That always helps my mood. So does a good report from my oncologist!

Still kinda reeling

I saw my rad onc and my temp was 101, even though I'd taken 500mg of Tylenol about 3 hours before. Then, she looked at the wound and she said that there was some "gunk" in it and thought that I should ask the plastic surgeon for an antibiotic. So, I did and I just took it.

I cried while I was there, more from anxiety because I didn't know what to expect and my rad onc also said that it's probably due to the fact that I don't feel well with this fever - no energy, etc.

She also checked my tumor markers from the blood tests I took last week. And, the CA-15.3 was 18!! Down, even from June's count which was 23! Anything lower than 31 is normal. In March, it was high as 36. YIPPEE SKIPPY!

There's some uncertainty, now, because I don't know how long this open cavity (where the tissue expander was) will take to heal. Having a vacuum wound pump in there will be interesting. Don't know what to expect. I guess I'll have my answers tomorrow.

I think that's why I'm still weepy - too much uncertainty.

My rad onc did say that it will heal and that this is the worse that'll be. And, no more radiation! That's what I need to focus on. I just feel bad because I can't do too much and my son gets bored.

Okay. Focus on the positive. I guess it's time for a gratitude list.

I think it's a ruptured tissue expander

I finally got up the nerve last night to really feel those two areas - one that's more black and the other that's turned clear but sorta grayish in color. I didn't want to feel them if 1) it was healing tissue or 2) it was cancerous tissue. But the area grew a bit yesterday and exposed more of the surface - so I felt it and it feels like plastic.

I think radiation caused the tissue expander to rupture. My body's trying to get rid of this tissue expander and that's why I have a fever. When I changed my dressing today, the whole area was clear, with a grayish tint and it was poking out more. Sorta like those cones Madonna wore for a bra in one of those videos, but it was pointing about 45 degrees to the right instead of straight ahead.

That's what I think anyway. I find out for sure at 10:15am this morning, when I see my plastic surgeon. If I have a chance, I'll post a blog about what it is and what he plans to do. If not, I may be out of touch for a few days.

Fighting My Third Bout of Fever

So, I had a fever July 30-31, then again August 3-4, and then I came down with a fever again last night and still have it today. I get chills and achey leg muscles. Scott was accommodating and took care of me as much as possible (I still wanted to go out to eat). I was 101.6 yesterday evening. I just checked it a bit ago and it was 101.3.

Does it have something to do with the tissue expander (which I think has ruptured)? Does it just mean that my body's immune system is still weakened so the instant I feel good and try to do a little bit more, my body rebels? Is it because my body just can't regulate my temperature because it's busy trying to heal the radiated area? Inquiring minds want to know . .. but I have to be patient and see if I can see my doc tomorrow.

I'll let you know as soon as I know. In the meantime, I'm feeling pretty tired. I plan to get a good night's sleep.

Frustrated!

While still in good spirits, I have briefly cried in frustration a few times the past couple of days. I can't seem to fall asleep before midnight and then my sleep is broken up. I have been fatigued off and on for the past couple of weeks and almost constantly for at least a week now. I had a fever last Wed and Thurs, seemed okay Fri and Sat, then last night, after softball, I got the chills and I checked my temperature - it was 100.9. I checked it an hour ago and it was 99.9. I felt well enough to be running some errands and to get some things done at work. I must've overdid it. My assignment tonight is to rest and watch movies and color mandalas.

I have had almost constant chest congestion and coughing since early June. It's gotten worse the past couple of weeks. I've had shortness of breath while running the bases and also walking up to the cancer center for awhile now, too.

It could be allergies (they say the peak of the allergy season here in the Willamette Valley was a week or so ago). But I've never really had allergies before, but perhaps because my immune system is compromised at the moment, allergies are affecting me more.

The fever, chills, and achey muscles are something that Eddie and I picked up last week - maybe even while we were in Seattle, at the Seattle Center around all those people.

But the cough and shortness of breath seem to date to my starting radiation. Here's the NIH website on Tykerb side effects:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a607055.html

(Thanks to the Cheeky Librarian for finding me this information!!) Note the comment that if you have coughing and/or shortness of breath, to call your doctor. I have a call in to him.

Another site I found this morning said that one side effect is "interstitial lung disease". (Scroll down past the charts, just below the "decreased left ventricular ejection fraction" paragraph.)

I looked that up on the internet and apparently, this means that the tissue surrounding the air sacs in your lungs become inflamed (and may cause scar tissue) which makes it hard for the air sacs to fill with oxygen. I looked up other causes of "interstitial lung disease" (see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interstitial-lung-disease/DS00592/DSECTION=causes and apparently, radiation to the chest and/or for breast cancer can also cause it.

Who knows? I hope it's not the interstitial lung disease. Let's hope it's just a temporary effect and will go away.

I just talked to my doctor's office. They want me to monitor the fever and if anything changes related to that, then to give them a call. They also suggested that I keep taking my chemo meds, but I'm going to write them off for today and maybe try to start them up again tomorrow.

In the meantime, wish me a good night's sleep, please!