Not Crazy about the New Google

I am so confused about the whole Google mess! I haven't been able to get on this blog because my ISP evidently is using my regular email address for a google account. Well, son of a gun, I was using that same address also. So I couldn't log into the blogger dashboard because I was already logged in, but I didn't have the dashboard on the "ISP account", and I could find where my "personal account" went. Jeez!!! I really didn't want all of this hassle!! I don't want google+, or circles or messages or Piccaso. I think Google is trying to be a facebooking social network. I want my old Google home page where I had a little bit of news, my horoscope, weather/time and my links to websites that I use often. So finally I get a page pop up that says I have two accounts and I must change my email address from my personal account. Why does my ISP get to use my personal email address for their google account for me? UGH!! So now to making up a new address....I have 9 available email accounts with my internet service. So I choose one of the unused ones and make up something for my Google account. It's been easier since then, but still a hassle.

A Good PET!

Husband and I finally met with one of the drs for his scan results. It seemed like we have been waiting forever since last Thursday!! We get in the exam room and wait another boring hour for Dr. J to show up!! Come on God, quit teasing us, please.....
First.......Mr. LD gained 6 pounds since his last visit. This is a good thing. Now for the results:
PET scan was very good! All of the nasty, evil tumors have shrunk & the nasty cancer cells are dying as I write this post. Again, as always, there are several options to go with now.
1. Stop treatments
Results:
a. cancer cells could regroup and come back stronger this time and move further around in body. Revenging cancer cells!

2. Continue same severe TPF treatment as before.
Results:
a. cancer cells will die, but so will good cells in his body at a faster pace then before.
b. Body will get weaker with this type of treatment.

3. Get more chemo, just not as severe.
Results:
a. Drugs will continue to kill cancer cells, but the new treatment won't have Cisplatin or Fluorouracil that came in the pump.
b. Carboplatin, which is Cisplatin's younger, not so strong little sister will be used and Taxotere (Docetaxel) again.
c. These Chemo drugs will still take a toll on the body, just not so bad.

You probably have a good guess at the one we chose. Yes, number 3. It's pretty obvious which one of these choices we should go with. He will start his first treatment next Monday. Wait 3 weeks as before and have the second one and then the same for the third. A few weeks later another PET will be given. We see how the drugs affected the tumors and we re-evaluate.
I feel really bad for my husband, he thought that he was finished with chemo. Forever. Bless his heart, he lives in a fantasy world where if the Drs say "this will be your last treatment, then we will re-evaluate" that that means no chemo ever again. Never mind the fact that in the beginning, the Drs said "you will probably have treatments the rest of your life."
Ohhhhh poor hubs! I think he was sadly discouraged about the visit with the dr today. Last time, when the dr said "the tumor on your tongue is gone" he was ecstatic! He was a little dismayed at me for not jumping up and down. I am just a little more realistic and know that there are 7 or 8 or even more tumors spread out in his body that are twice as dangerous. I'm not saying I wasn't happy, yes I was. That is one hurdle we overcame......now let's move on to the next ones.
I think he was in denial about the metastasized tumors. All that he was focusing on was the original one on his tongue. Oh well, he is something else, that one is!!
Glad I had some good news to share. Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers!
Love and light....

PET Scan Ordered

Today was another visit with Dr. Chronowski. He checked L's throat again with the scope to see if anything has changed since he checked a month ago. Good news again!! The tumor is still gone. He really didn't expect it to come back, especially this soon, but you never know. Dr. C said he wants the PET scan now, then depending on the results, they will decide what to do next, more chemo or radiation. I really hope not radiation, that scares me a bit. I don't like the stories that I've heard about the results of radiation. I know that there are some success stories, but I've heard more bad than good. L's scan is scheduled for next Thursday, May 31st at 7:30 in the morning. We'll know more after that.

Getting Back to Normal

Everything has been going quite well with my husband. He's been feeling really good and starting to get out and do work outside. He cleaned the garage yesterday and helped me with my bags of mulch, opening them and dumping them into the wheel barrow! Lol Doesn't sound like much for him normally, but I'm insisting that he take it a little slower right now.
We drove about 2 hours North of Austin last week to look at a small, 105 acre ranch that he has been leasing for deer hunting. The owners want to sell it and L wants us to buy it. (if I liked it....lol) In all honesty, it probably didn't matter whether I liked it or not, I think he had already made up his mind! Hehehe
Anyway, it was about a four hour drive from home, that's his first long trip since he was diagnosed with cancer. It was sunny and hot, but he did well. We walked around the property, looking at the barns and the pond (tank). Up and down some hills and he didn't get tired or start feeling bad. The house is three bedroom, built in the 1920's. It's really in very good shape, I think the owners have done a lot of work keeping it up. Well I liked it, he liked it and Chloe liked it, so we are definetly buying it. It will be more than a place to hunt. When hubs retires next year, he will have a place to go and "push dirt around". I am sure he will buy a big tractor the first chance he gets!! He'll have a lot of little projects to work on out there. The barn will need fixing up (I will help with that.) so I can have a horse or two and probably some baby goats for the grand kids. Gotta have those!! Don't think we will be moving out there permanently and getting rid of our house here. NO WAY!! At least not me for many years. Have a great week friends!! Thank you all again for your prayers, I know they have helped L in his recovery from the nasty disease! Love and light to all.

Does cancer really love sugar?

The following post is copied from The International Wellness Directory:
One theory:
Every doctor learned back in medical school all about Otto Warburg's discovery; a discovery of humongous proportions, because way back in the thirties Otto discovered the main biochemical cause of cancer, or what differentiates a cancer cell from a normal, healthy cell. So big a discovery was this, that Otto Warburg was awarded the Nobel Prize. Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body's cells by an anaerobic [i.e., oxygen-deficient] cell respiration. -Dr. Otto Warburg.... But what else does Warburg's discovery tell us. First off, it tells us that cancer metabolizes much differently than normal cells. Normal cells need oxygen. Cancer cells despise oxygen. In fact, oxygen therapy is a favorite among many of the alternative clinics we've researched. Another thing this tells us is that cancer metabolizes through a process of fermentation. If you've ever made wine, you'll know that fermentation requires sugar. The metabolism of cancer is approximately 8 times greater than the metabolism of normal cells. Okay, so here is what we can put together knowing the above: The body is constantly overworked trying to feed this cancer. The cancer is constantly on the verge starvation and thus constantly asking the body to feed it. When the food supply is cut off, the cancer begins to starve unless it can make the body produce sugar to feed itself. The wasting syndrome, cachexia, is the body producing sugar from proteins (you heard it right, not from carbohydrates or fats, but from proteins) in a process called glycogenesis. This sugar feeds the cancer. The body finally dies of starvation, trying to feed the cancer. Now, knowing that one's cancer needs sugar, does it make sense to feed it sugar? Does it make sense to have a high carbohydrate diet? The reason Food Therapies for cancer even exist today (beyond the fact that they work) is because someone once saw the connection between sugar and cancer. There are many food therapies, but not a single one allows many foods high in carbohydrates and not a single one allows sugars, BECAUSE SUGAR FEEDS CANCER.

Why doesn't your physician tell you this? Hard to tell. Maybe your doctor feels it is his job to cure your cancer, not yours. Maybe because your doctor learned about Warburg, but never put the rest together, never placed nutrition into the equation. Maybe because your physician didn't study nutrition. Heck, as late as 1978, the AMA's official position (found in the Congressional Record) was that nutrition had nothing to do with disease. However, those who've paid attention to this sugar craving cancer stuff have come up with some remarkable therapies for cancer. Laetrile is just one. Hydrazine Sulfate, which stops the process of glycogenesis in greater than 50% of all patients with cachexia is another. A while back (2004), at the University of Minnesota, they were experimenting with a chemotherapy delivered in a "smartbomb." Here's the scoop: the drug is wrapped in a coating that stays intact as it travels through the body, that is until it reaches a location of no oxygen. When it reaches this "no oxygen" location, the coating falls apart releasing the chemotherapy to destroy the cancer, because the only place in your body where there is no oxygen is the cancer site. The results of this study have been buried. Nothing exists on it. There are, however, lots of articles on cancer smart bombs, but the U of MN research just cannot be found. Searching for a few key words, we've found only this article (republished at quite a few sites) mentioning this study. Then there are the food therapies: aimed at starving cancer. Knowing what cancer loves, the cancer patient avoids them. Cancers likes cooked foods over raw (cooking destroys enzymes and heat sensitive vitamins). And, do not forget, cancer loves sugar. If you dislike your cancer, then don't feed it.

The following post was reproduced from The Cancer Survivor's Network
Sugar and Cancer: Is There a Connection?

The facts about sugar and cancer can be confusing. They often are presented in a way that is misleading and anxiety-producing for people with cancer. However, if you learn a bit about the science behind the connections between what we eat and cancer risk, you can make wise nutrition choices for better health. The concept that sugar feeds cancer is not useful. Sugar feeds every cell in our bodies. Our bodies need glucose, or simple sugar, for energy. Even if you cut every bit of sugar out of your diet, your body will make sugar from other sources, such as protein and fat. So cancer cells need sugar to grow, just like healthy cells. It helps to remember that there is nothing particular about sugar that “feeds” cancer cells any more than sugar feeds all cells in our body. Do I need to be concerned about sugar? Even though sugar doesn’t exactly “feed” cancer cells, it is a good idea to limit the amount of simple sugar you eat. This is because when you eat a lot of sugar, your body produces a lot of insulin. Insulin is a natural substance made by the body. Insulin can tell cells to grow. In simple terms, insulin can “rev up” cell growth. For healthy cells, this is a good thing. This is because the cells in your body grow, divide, die, and are replaced as part of the natural process of living. However, cancer cells can be encouraged to grow more, too, when our bodies produce too much insulin. So while some insulin in the body is normal, excess insulin may encourage cancer cells to grow more, which is not a good thing. This is the downside of insulin: Our bodies need it to function, but it’s unhealthy if we make too much of it. In summary, sugar does not “feed” cancer cells. However, a lot of sugar can cause our bodies to produce too much insulin, and this is not good for health. Should I avoid all sugar?You don’t have to avoid every bit of sugar in your diet. Nor should you avoid all carbohydrates. In fact, the best sources for healthy, complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and legumes (beans), are the very foods that appear to fight cancer best. So if you do not need to avoid all sugar and other carbohydrates, what is the answer?There are three other things in the diet that can help reduce the amount of insulin produced by the body when you eat sugar and carbohydrates. These are protein, fat, and fiber. When eaten along with even the simplest sugars, these three items help the body to make less insulin in response to simple sugar. If you eat sugar with some protein, some fat, or some fiber, your body won’t produce as much insulin. Eating this other food helps your body process sugar more slowly, and this means that your body does not overproduce insulin. In short, protein, fat, and fiber help your body process sugar in a more healthful way. The amount of insulin your body makes after you eat a piece of fruit is much lower than the amount of insulin produced when you drink fruit juice. Whole fruit contains fiber and that fiber helps balance out the sugar in fruit. For another example, think about eating specific foods together to get a healthier snack or meal. Instead of having two pieces of fruit as a snack, try having one piece of fruit and a small handful of nuts. The nuts contain protein, fat, and fiber. These three things help your body keep insulin in balance. The most important point is that sugar itself is not bad. However, too much sugar, without enough protein, fat, and fiber to balance it out, can cause our bodies to make too much insulin. It is not the sugar, but rather the insulin that may be a problem for spurring cancer cell grow. To prevent this, you should limit the simple sugar in your diet. There is no need to follow a stringent diet and swear off every single dessert. The key is moderation. Use the following tips to help yourself find a healthy balance with your food choices:
•Stick with naturally occurring sugar, such as the sugar that is found in fruit. This is a much healthier option than processed sugar that is found in candy, cake, desserts, pie, and baked goods.
•Avoid concentrated sources of sugar, such as soda and fruit drinks. It is OK to have 100 percent fruit juice in moderation. Stick to a 6-ounce serving. But avoid fruit drinks that don’t contain any real fruit juice.
•Limit your “treats,” such as dessert, to just a couple of times each week. Have a modest serving size.
•Focus on whole, healthy, unprocessed food, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts, and seeds.

When you understand the science behind the headlines, you can relax and focus on eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that you can enjoy and that will put you on the road to wellness.

The Best Nutrition for Chemo Patients??

I am learning a lot about nutrition lately, whether it's right or wrong, I probably won't ever know. There are so many theories "out there" and each one says they are better than the others. I was told by the doctors to only read information on the internet from MD Anderson, Mayo Clininc or the American cancer Society. Between you and I, there are a lot more sites that have far better information about food than these. Like I have said before in another post, I don't think that these doctors really want us to know or maybe it's just that they don't know what the best foods are for cancer patients.

My mother was a Registered Dietician for most of my life and I heard all the time about which are the best foods for this and best foods for that. Now, that doesn't mean I ate what I was suppose to eat to keep me healthy, but I did hear her and retained some of that info. Mom is 96 years old now and has been very healthy for about 90 of those years.
What I have learned: Our immune system is what keeps us healthy or lets us get sick. If it's not healthy, it lets bad things in.......like bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins, parasites and yes, even cancer cells. Our immune system works around the clock in thousands of different ways, but it does its work largely unnoticed. One thing that causes us to really notice our immune system is when it fails for some reason. We also notice it when it does something that has a side effect we can see or feel. Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy. There are several on the list, but this is the one I'm interested in. Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
**Sugar and cancer: American cancer Society, Mayo Clinic and MD Anderson believes that sugar doesn't make cancer grow faster. All cells, including cancer cells, depend on blood sugar (glucose) for energy. But giving more sugar to cancer cells doesn't speed their growth. Likewise, depriving cancer cells of sugar doesn't slow their growth.
This misconception may be based in part on a misunderstanding of positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which use a small amount of radioactive tracer — typically a form of glucose. All tissues in your body absorb some of this tracer, but tissues that are using more energy — including cancer cells — absorb greater amounts. For this reason, some people have concluded that cancer cells grow faster on sugar. But this isn't true.
**Quoted from Mayo Clinic.com

I don't know what to believe anymore.....what about you?

No "Honey Do's" Today!

Hubbs is not feeling good today. It might be because of the "honey do's" I had for him to do today OR it could be the nasty drugs that are in his system, killing everything that's in their way--bad cells and the good ones that he still needs! Sometimes I just don't know what to do for him. Poor fella.......feeling dizzy and just not good at all.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Getting into the Routine~3rd Treatment

L's third and final infusion of this cycle went well without a hiccup. They shot him up with two of the drugs and sent him home with the pump full of the third drug I think he's getting the hang of all the processes. After 4 days the pump was removed, then exactly 24 hours later he got his shot of Neulasta. It seems that he is suppose to get that shot after each infusion, but for some reason didn't after treatment number two. Not sure why, I think they just forgot to schedule it. I know for sure he was suppose to get it, so oooops!
L's getting along much better each time, no nausea or any major problems, but this time his tasters are giving him a metallic flavor in his mouth. That doesn't work well with the meals I cook and he still won't eat his vegetables. He's loving any kind of cookie, so I'm bribing him with that to drink the juice I'm making from veggies and fruits. "Whatever works" is my motto!! Mother's Day is this weekend, so I would like to wish all if my "mother" friends a Very, Happy Mother's Day. Love to all of you!!

Some Good News

This appointment turned out to be more informative than we thought it would be. We met with the radiologist Dr. Chronowski this morning. (even though he is listed as an Oncology radiologist, Dr C is part of L's team of drs that we meet with, doesn't mean necessarily L is having radiology) We talked for a minute then Dr C said he was going to feel down L's throat, to the base of his tongue to check the tumor. I had to step out of the room until they were finished, because the doctor's fist down my husband's throat seems to make him choke and make awful choking noises that set off a gagging reflex with me. It wouldn't be too pretty if I started throwing up in the dr's office especially when I'm not the patient! Think about it..............Yikes!!! Dr. C said it would be about 30 seconds and then he would come get me. I don't think it was even that long, because I was trying to escape to the waiting room & didn't even get 1/4 of the way down the hall, when I was called back. L said it wasn't too bad. Anyway, Dr. C said he didn't feel anything at the base of L's tongue where the tumor was. Really??? Could that be true? Well now he's going to scope him to take a looksy at it. (I like this procedure, it's very cool watching by way of camera through someone else's nose down to the throat and voice box). When the camera got to the base of his tongue where I saw the tumor 2 months ago, what I saw was a slightly darker, small outline of a circle. Dr. C said, it's gone. Being the all inquisitive person that I am, I asked "how do you know that it's gone? Beside the fact that you are an expert and have seen this stuff for years, tell me how I know it's gone just by looking at it". He explained very patiently that 2 months ago we saw a pink hard knot and that's also what he felt. It was probably about pea size. There was an obvious texture difference, feeling and seeing. Now looking at it, it's not pink and no knot, the area where it had been is actually a hollow spot.
Still, when I look at the area, I can't see that it's all gone. That's why he gets the big bucks and I just get a pat on the back. Lol
So, this is good news for a change! The chemo worked well on the original tumor and the ones in his neck. After L's next infusion, maybe as early as 2 weeks after, the dr will order a pet scan to be done. I can't wait to see what that will show. Dr C seems to be somewhat positive about how well the chemo might have worked on the other tumors, I think they still don't believe it will all go away, but, you never know.

Chills

LD came home early from work yesterday with serious chills. He was pale and shivering even though it was 80+ degrees outside. He put his heavy camo jammies on and I found one of my big pullover winter hoodies from our softball days. I fixed him some hot orange/spicy tea and added some chamomile to it to help warm him up from the inside. He was all covered up with 2 blankets and fell asleep in his recliner. Checking for side affects from the chemo drugs, I read that Zometa is probably the cause of this one. What I read said that they didn't last long and usually only happens with the first treatment. After his nap, he still had chills and now felt a little achey, I made him some freshly juiced carrot/apple/lemon juice and told him to drink up! Apples are always my go to fruit when one of us is feeling bad. Next I fixed my newest find.......organic soup in a box. Pacific Brand Organic Butternut Squash Bisque with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Sounds delicious and it really is!! I've picked up several different flavors at HEB lately, they're very handy to have in the pantry. Classic fresh organic carrot, roasted garlic and ginger soup with coconut milk, cashews and spices. This one has a bit too much ginger spice for me and might not be appealing to everyone but L liked it. Tomato bisque is my new favorite soup now, it's wonderful on a rainy day with a grilled cheese sandwich. Back to the sick boy, about 3:00 am he started feeling better. It was all of my TLC.

Mac & Cheese

Great week so far!!    Beautiful weather (after the stormy Monday), it's been fairly cool during the day....no humidity which is wonderful!!  L felt good enough to go to work on Monday, all of the ladies loved his shaved head.  lol  But, he's still grouchy and I can't get him to eat his vegetables. 
This is totally a first for the books.......he always loves his veggies.  I found myself telling him what he used to tell the kids,  "eat your vegetables, they are good for you".  I used to laugh at him when he told the girls that, saying "oh that will definetly work to get them to eat their vegetables!......really dear?  Do you really think that is going to make them eat? hahahahaha"  It never worked, they just looked at him like he was crazy and thought, who cares if it's good for me, I'd rather eat my Mac & Cheese.  So here I am years later, saying the same thing to him and what does he ask for last night????   Mac & Cheese.

By Moday evening his tasters were starting to go numb again, so I had to go heavy on the spices.  All he wants to eat is junk food!!  This is seriously not good for his health, so I'm going to start juicing more and MAKE him drink them.  And it's back to the smoothies again, whether he likes it or not!

I did however try to make a healthier meal tonight.  I made spaghetti and meatballs, with toast.  Now before you go thinking that's not so healthy, let me tell you what I made it with.  I used whole wheat noodles, better than regular pasta, it's lighter in the carbs and sugar. I bought the HEB brand and it's was wonderful to cook with, delicious and cheaper!!  Ground Chicken, turkey and small amount of beef  mixed together and spiced the heck out of it. The meatballs were excellent, actually the whole meal was pretty good.  The toast was oatmeal bread, again low in carbs and sugar.  It's more important for me to watch his carbs & sugar than the fat content, but this meal wasn't really fattening anyway and was really very good.

Today, he went in just for the pump removal, but they surprised him with another injection. This is a medicine called **Zoledronic acid (Zometa.) The injection lasted at least 15 minutes and he was on his way.

**Zoledronic acid (Zometa) is in a class of medications called bisphosphonates. It works by slowing bone breakdown, increasing bone density (thickness), and decreasing the amount of calcium released from the bones into the blood. Zometa is used along with cancer chemotherapy to treat bone damage caused by multiple myeloma [cancer that begins in the plasma cells (white blood cells that produce substances needed to fight infection)] or by cancer that began in another part of the body but has spread to the bones. Zometa is not cancer chemotherapy, and it will not slow or stop the spread of cancer. However, it can be used to treat bone disease in patients who have cancer.

Infusion.....Treatment 2

This time Hubbs appointment was pretty much uneventful. He arrived at 9:30, was given his pre-hydration of fluid through his port before the *Cisplatin to keep his kidneys working normally and will get the same after the Cisplatin bag is finished. Docetaxel was the next drug that was given and then he was out by 4:00pm.  He slept most of the day and when he wasn't napping he watched a little tv....Such a life, although I'm sure he would rather be somewhere else.  At least they try to make you comfortable while you're there. 

Doctors sent him home with his little fanny pack pump of  *5-Fluorouracil  (flure oh yoor' a sill) that he will wear until Tuesday.  It's a small, portable pump that allows a controlled amount of the drug to be pumped into his bloodstream over a set period of time. The pump is small enough to be carried in a belt or holster.

Not starting out in pain before a chemo treatment is probably the key this time to feeling better for L.  Last time his chest was hurting from the port surgery and his neck was hurting from the tumor.  He's not used to pain medicine and the way they affected him, so he was pretty much was miserable. This time however, he's feeling better but extremely grouchy. 
I did shave his head on Saturday, since the hair was pretty much falling out in patches now.  He looks pretty good with a bald head.  I think it looks better than the hair, one daughter disagrees with me.  lol 

I like it!

Have a great week!

Love to all.........

*Cisplatin and 5FU chemotherapy can reduce the number of white blood cells, which help to fight infection. White blood cells are produced by the bone marrow. If the number of white cells is low you will be more prone to infections. A low white cell count is called neutropenia. This begins 5-7 days after treatment and your resistance to infection is usually at its lowest 7-10 days after chemotherapy. The number of white blood cells will then increase steadily and usually return to normal before your next cycle of chemotherapy is due.

I HAVE to add this bit of info:
Contrary to some belief,
house plants and flowers DO NOT present a problem with the chemo patient.  They don't have to be removed from the house when patient is taking chemo.  Also fresh,  raw vegetables and fruits may be eaten during chemo, they are not a danger to the patient.  Just wash them good! 
Unless the person in question is a transplant patient (bone marrow, heart, liver etc.) and their immune system is extremely deficient, these minor things are not relevant.  This information came from Dr. J.
You still need to keep someone that is sick away from the chemo patient, pretty much all of the time they are being treated.  And definetly wash, wash, wash your hands all of the time and dry them with disposable paper towels.  Don't forget to use anti-bacterial disposable wipes to clean counter tops, toilet seats, toilet handles, door knobs, telephones, remotes, sinks and it's knobs, trash cans.......I could go on, but you get the idea.

Lab Reports & Hair

My husband's CBC shows his white blood count to be 10.8 which is in the normal range. I am a little concerned though, the last WBC was very high....25. So yes, it's come down to normal range, but does that mean if it had been in normal range last time, that it would be really low this time because of those nasty drugs killing everything inside him?? Anybody? Is it dropping as we speak? I would LOVE some feedback. :))

His hair has started falling out. It started at the end of last week, I forgot to mention it. L was complaining of pain on his scalp when it started, like a serious burning rash. He insisted that I check his head but I found nothing there and it hurt him when I touched his hair.

I told him that it was probably his hair follicles dying from the chemo meds. I googled to see if there was anything topical for the pain and came up with nada. The only thing that has stopped other cancer patients pain is to shave their heads. I read also that some people had the same pain when their hair started growing back. This week Hubbs whiskers are falling out, but his pain has gone away. Thank goodness! I hate to see him in pain and he's such a baby! Lol

Tomorrow he goes in for his second round of chemo. It'll be the same as last time, all day infusion of Docetaxel & Cisplatin, then he'll wear the pump with 5-Fluorouracil for 4 more days.

5 days of full dose TPF.

I will say that I'm glad this go round he is starting off feeling a heck of a lot better than his first round. Maybe it won't kick his a$$ as bad. Here's hoping.
Light and love to all. Nightie night

Jesus Calling

From my Jesus Calling app on my iPhone........

The one daily devotional that has inspired me the most lately is this one so I really wanted to share with all of you!

Bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Take nothing for granted, not even the rising of the sun. Before Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, thankfulness was as natural as breathing.
Satan’s temptation involved pointing Eve to the one thing that was forbidden her. The garden was filled with luscious, desirable fruits, but Eve focused on the one fruit she couldn’t have rather than being thankful for the many good things freely available. This negative focus darkened her mind, and she succumbed to temptation.

When you focus on what you don’t have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted life, salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from Me. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until that is “fixed.”

When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through. Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving.

This one had me smiling all day & talking nicely to my plants and flowers! :))

Wed. Dr J Appointment

Today's the day to have Hubbs lab work done, a complete CBC and then visit Dr. J which I was going to meet L for. His lab appt was at 1:45 and would see dr at 2:20pm. I arrived at the medical building at 2:05. Yes, on my own, I was even a little early.

L was walking out of the building when I was walking in. WTH?? You're finished? No way!! Yes, he was. So needless to say, my early was not good enough and I didn't get to ask my questions....... I know Hubbs forgot to.
Anyway, he got his blood work done, weighed, blood pressure etc. he gained 5 lbs. since his last visit, I think it was 2 weeks ago. Woo hoo that's wonderful news!!! He's looking so much better than the last couple of weeks. He has color back in his face, doesn't look so sickly. Guess cause he's not so sickly right now. His knotty neck has gone down a great deal and it's not hurting him anymore unless he turns his head really far to the right, so I told him not to. After the nurses got through taking all of the blood they needed, L left the lab and went into the exam room to wait.

Dr. J was roaming the hallway, obviously looking for something to do, so he saw L a whole 20 min before appointment time. Can they do that?? I always thought it was in their rule book that they must keep patients waiting no less than 30 minutes.

Hubbs said the entire visit lasted about three minutes. He didn't ask any of the questions that I had prepared for him. Dr said he looked great, everything sounded wonderful and he will see L back in 3 weeks. Dr did mention that after these next two rounds of chemo, they would get a PET scan done, see how much the tumours have shrunk (hopefully) and then after that, they will do something else........ Ok.... L, "what is something else?" He doesn't know and didn't ask.
MEN!! Seriously, I don't know how they can make it through the day? So much for anymore info.

I'm hoping his CBC report will be online tomorrow so I can see how his white blood cells are doing. I really need to know something, if they are too low, then I'll have to change meals around and practically sterilize the house and dogs. Here's hoping for a good lab report. He doesn't look bad and has good energy, so let's keep our fingers crossed for good numbers!!

Thank you for all the prayers for L and I. I can tell they are working!!

Sending Love and light to all....

Tasters Out of Whack!

It's been another good week for my husband. He's eating well, still has that sweet tooth going but his taste buds have changed. I can totally see it, but he doesn't seem to. I fixed a wonderful tasting meal right before his chemo started......it was sautéed garlic in olive oil, seasoned with fresh basil, (I added chicken also) take it from the heat and add cubed tomatoes and avocados to the pan, mix well till veggies are warm, then put all of it on a bed of freshly cooked angel hair pasta.

I found the recipe from my Betty Crocker's "Living with cancer" cookbook. Hubs loved, loved, loved it before chemo! I cooked it the other night and he thought it was disgusting. He kept saying that I cooked it differently. Nope, not different at all, fixed it the same way. Tastes the same as before, so delicious!!

                    It's his tasters, they're out of whack!!

Anyone ever had or heard of that side effect from chemo?

He keeps asking me to add more seasonings when I'm cooking and he's putting salt and pepper on his food. He has never used salt.

Oh well, I'll ask Dr. J on Wednesday at L's appointment. He goes in for blood work, then a chat with the doc.
Have a great week!!

What a Difference A Week Makes

WOW... Really. What a difference in my husband this past week!! The turn around started on Sunday, April Fool's Day, when our son in law was coming over to mow our yard. L got up and started the lawnmower to get the yard going. He was zipping around the yard on the mower with a mask on his face to keep the germs out. WTH?? I walked out, hands on hips, with my stern bossy face. (I had to try to be scary! lol probably wasn't)....."what are you doing?? "SIL is on his way over to mow, why are you out here?"

He just wanted to do something, was starting to get antsy in the house. "I'm sure this is true but just last night you could hardly walk to bed, you were so weak and really, you don't need to be doing this because SIL is on his way. In fact, there he is now".

Men!! My husband is so funny when it comes to HIS yard and his precious new lawnmower. He has one of those Zero turn mowers, Cub Cadet RZT Pro and is very proud of it! And truthfully, he has every right to be. It's pretty sweet, for a lawnmower. Anyway, he got off, let SIL get on and finish mowing our 2 acres.

Don't get me wrong, I'm relieved that he's feeling better, just worried. There's not a rule or play book about how to treat your husband when he's going through chemo and one week he's weak/hurting, then all of a sudden he's feeling better. It's like magic, someone just waved their magic wand and POOF he's got energy and feels great!

For the rest of the week it was pretty much the same. He went to work every day......all day.

Oh, the first day I was bossy and told him to only go a half a day. I didn't want him to overdo it and then be home the rest of the week. I'm still thinking back a little over a week ago when he did that. Went to work, wore himself out and was home feeling bad, & exhausted.....you guessed it.....the rest of the week. I think that was even before his chemo started, so now it could be worse. Well, he didn't listen to me and got home at 4:30, just in time to watch his new favorite afternoon show, Jeopordy. Haha....I can answer about three or four questions and that's it. Guess not everyone can be a Jeopardy geek. Despite working all day, he felt good and each day felt better.

One thing different is his appetite. He's hungry all the time and is really liking sweets. He's not usually a sweets kinda guy. He's liked them once in a while, but now, jeez!!! He is craving sweets. I'm trying to give him good foods to eat and he's liking the junk foods. We have totally switched places in that department. It's kinda funny, because he usually did the grocery shopping, because I hate it! I never can decide what to cook or what to go with it, so I let him start doing it a long time ago. I would always have to tell him to get some "good stuff" from the store and he would say, define good stuff. You know, chips, cookies, pizza, ice cream....good stuff. He never liked buying that, but did it for me. Isn't that sweet? So now, I'm back to doing the shopping & trying to feed him "good stuff" but it's not the same kind of "good stuff" as I meant before.

Now my good stuff is healthy, nutritious foods. I've started juicing and making smoothies. Let me tell you, juicing is the best stuff!! I have been drinking them myself (I can't give my husband something that I haven't tried first, right?) and I've been finding myself with so much energy after a glass. I've even started craving a juice drink every morning.

Carrot juice seems to be the king daddy of juices.
• no other vegetable contains as much beta-carotene as carrots. In our body, beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A, which assists in improving our eyesight and the functioning of our immune system, strengthening our bones and teeth, preventing possible problems with the functioning of the thyroid gland.
• Vitamin A also has positive effects on our hair, nails and skin.
• Vitamin A is associated with good cleansing effects: it can clean our liver from fat and other unnecessary elements.
However, for receiving max results for the liver, it is necessary to drink carrot juice on a regular basis.

Beet root and it's green leaves juiced is really great for you as well, and wonderful for cancer patients but I've read that you shouldn't drink that everyday. Beet root juice has some side effects also:
1. Beets have a powerful cleansing effect on the body. The Cancer Nutrition Center warns that large amounts of undiluted beet juice may dump toxins into the liver in such large amounts that the liver cannot process them efficiently.
2. The Cancer Nutrition Center notes that temporary loss of their vocal cords may occur after drinking beet juice. The Center suggests this effect can avoided by using only organic beets and combining beet juice with other juices, such as carrot and celery.
3. The Cancer Nutrition Center urges moderation in drinking beet juice because of its strong effect the lower digestive tract. Beet juice is also not recommended for people who suffer from kidney stones, peptic ulcer or duodenum disease.
The benefits of beet root juice are so numerous that the good out weigh the bad.
• Drinking beet juice has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain in older people, that suggests the dark red vegetable may fight the progression of dementia.
• There have been several very high-profile studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure
• Beets have been found to increase the body`s production of glutathione, which helps the body detoxify cancer-causing poisons.

Before any of you start juicing, do your own research on fruits and vegetables to fit your own lifestyle.
My favorite is carrot, beet, green apple, spinach and lemon. I juice the whole lemon, peel and all. So, when I make one for me, I make the hubs drink one too. He's not crazy about it, he'd prefer the smoothies, I guess because they're like "pretend milkshakes." But, he knows better than to fight me on it. I research this stuff night and day to learn as much as I can about beating this disease.

I told him today exactly why he needs to start drinking juice everyday especially during his chemo. I think for once, he actually listened & heard me.
This is what I said:
1. The juice requires hardly any digestion, so all its nutritional goodness gets rapidly into your system. It's not using up any of your energy to digest food.
2. When you juice, you use more fruits and vegetables than you could actually eat and in my case, the vegetables that I WOULD NEVER eat. As a result, you are drinking a densely packed amount of vitamins, minerals and other plant-based nutrients.
3. Liver detoxification
I actually could have gone on, but I think he got my message.
I'm trying to help him beat this beast that has invaded his body with whatever it takes. Just wait till I try talking him into enemas!! Wanna take bets on how that will go?

I hope all of y'all have a great Easter!

Thank You Friends & Family

I’m so thankful for all of you. I have so many wonderful longtime friends, online friends that I’ve become so close to over the last several years and of course the best family, who are also my friends. Everyone's thoughts, hope and prayers are what makes this horrible, nasty time in our lives easier to cope with. I really believe in the power of prayer and know that everything will be as it should be. For that I want to give a huge THANK YOU and hugs!! Also sending protective light/love and praying for GOD to bless each one of you.....my precious friends.

On aside note:
I'm looking forward to the 1940 census that has come out today and will now be on Ancestry.com! I'll have some new genealogy research to keep my mind busy.

Week 1 after Chemo

This past week has been a rough one. Nausea, which is the first thing we've been asked about, was not one of the side effects that my husband experienced. He had numerous other symptoms going on though. His main complaint was the pain in his knotty neck caused by this awful beast of a disease that invaded his body. We can't seem to find much to relieve his pain other than pain pills. He has tried ice packs, sleeping with pillows on the left side, right side, no pillows, sleeping in his recliner, and on and on and on. I finally brought out one of my all natural treatments, which gave him some relief. I put some Apple Cider Vinegar dilluted with a little water in a bowl and a small towel. I microwaved about 20 seconds then making sure towel wasn't too hot, wring out excess liquid (so it wouldn't run down his shirt) and put folded towel on his sore neck. I just held the towel on his neck until it cooled off, then dipped it in liquid again, wrung it out and repeated until either the water cooled off totally or my back started hurting from bending over. The warmth gave him some relief, but he wasn't crazy about the smell. (it dissipates eventually and smell goes away, or you can shower....that will take care of it!)
I did this a couple of times one day and the next day some of the swelling had gone down. So we can believe that it was the towel compress of ACV or the chemo is starting to kill the cancer knots in his neck. Who knows, but it doesn't hurt anything to do this.

ACV has always been a common item in my household. My daughters grew up taking it for all kinds of problems. It's an ancient folk remedy, touted to relieve just about any ailment you can think of. It can't be bad, it's made from apples and anyone that knows me very well has heard me one or twice spouting the old addage about an apple a day, keeping 'ol doc away. I have proven that numerous times over the last couple of years. When I was diagnosed with type II Diabetes, I started eating very healthy. One of my daily foods was a delicious Granny Smith apple, I'm not really crazy about the red or yellow sweet ones. After eating them everyday for awhile the good vitamins and nutrients built up in my system, and I never got sick with colds, flue, sinus problems etc... Before, I was always catching something from other people when they were sick.
My youngest daughter, when in school, always got sick and fluish around Valentines Day every year like clockwork for years and would miss at least one softball game and feel pretty horrible at other games around that time of year. Her senior year I made her eat an apple every day, she never got sick and never missed a game. I am a definite believer in apples and ACV.

L got his pump IV taken out and blood drawn on Tuesday. I asked him to bring me a copy of his lab report so I could compare it to the report prior to chemo. I know he was really happy about leaving that fanny pack pump behind!
He seemed to feel a lot better without it. The lab report that was run on him and he brought home was not exactly what I wanted.
It was not a CBC like I thought it was going to be, so I couldn't compare his WBC count to the last one.
CBC (Complete Blood Count) WBC (White Blood Count)
I also wanted this one :
White Blood Cell Count Differential (identifies different types of WBCs)
There are five different types of WBCs that the body uses to maintain a healthy state and to fight infections or other causes of injury.
They are :
neutrophils: Normally the most abundant type of white blood cell in healthy adults
lymphocytes: Leukocyte (white blood cell) that normally makes up about 25% of the total white blood cell count but can vary widely. Lymphocytes occur in two forms: B cells, which produce antibodies, and T cells, which recognize foreign substances and process them for removal.
basophils: Type of white blood cell (leukocyte), with coarse granules that stain blue when exposed to a basic dye. Basophils normally constitute 1% or less of the total white blood cell count but may increase or decrease in certain diseases.
eosinophils: Leukocyte (white blood cell) with granules that are stained by the dye, eosin. Eosinophils, normally about 1-3% of the total white blood cell count, are believed to function in allergic responses and in resisting some infections.
monocytes: Leukocyte (white blood cell) that functions in the ingestion of bacteria and other foreign particles. Monocytes make up 5-10% of the total white blood cell count.
They are present in the blood at relatively stable percentages.
These numbers may temporarily shift higher or lower depending on what is going on in the body. For instance, an infection can stimulate a higher concentration of neutrophils (a "shift to the left") to fight off bacterial infection.

Neutrophil is the WBC that I was most interested in seeing. If this test goes lower than the normal range it should be, then I will need to change L's diet. I would have to be more careful with fruits and raw vegetables and a lot stricter with the foods that he was eating.
Hopefully it will be run the next time he goes in to see dr.
On Wednesday he was still feeling a lot better and went toL work. L had an appointment at 3:00 to get a shot that will boost his WBCs. It has to be given no sooner than 24 hours after chemo. Neulasta is the name of the drug in the shot.
Neulasta is a prescription medicine called a white cell booster that helps reduce the risk of infection (initially marked by fever) in patients with some tumors receiving strong chemotherapy that decreases the number of infection-fighting white blood cells. A sufficient white blood cell count may enable your doctors to administer chemotherapy according to their treatment schedule.

With the help of a white cell booster, you can help maintain a sufficient white blood cell count. Most doctors agree that sticking to the planned chemotherapy schedule may be the first step to success. Studies have proven the effectiveness of Neulasta® in helping to protect chemotherapy patients against infection due to a low white blood cell count.

An improvement in your white blood cell counts will show that Neulasta is doing its job.
Neulasta helps provide protection with just 1 injection per cycle of Chemo Therapy. It is given 24 hours after chemotherapy is administered. Neulasta is for people with some tumors—solid tumors and lymphomas, for example.

I was really hoping that this shot would miraculously make him feel all better. I was wrong. One of the side effects of this drug is flue like symptoms. Thursday L stayed home feeling achy all over and pretty tired. I think the tiredness came from working the day before and is a normal chemo side effect. He had an upset stomach and diarrhea all day. He couldn't really get any rest because it was pretty much up and down to the bathroom the entire day. Kaopectate helped him a little, I guess what will really help is time.
Today, Friday, he has felt worse than any of the other days and is dealing with being lightheaded, fuzzy in the brain and now constipation. These damn drugs!!!!! I sure hope they are killing the hell out of the cancer cells!!

First Treatment

The last couple of days with L's new port in his chest hasn't been very comfortable for him at all. I think the surgery caused his neck to swell even more, which makes the skin tighter on his neck and pretty darn painful. Bless his heart, he's been in pain non-stop for over three months now. He's been eating good, everything I cook for him, he eats. I have purchased several books on nutrition that I want to share with you all later, but right now, I'll get to the treatment.

L arrived at the Dr's office about 7:30am, his appt was for 8:00am. He always likes to get someplace extremely early.....not me! That's a waste of valuable time that could be spent at home, in my opinion.

Anyway, the office opened at 8:00 sharp and L checked in along with , maybe 5 other people. I got there about 5 min after 8:00 and he was sitting in the waiting room. He already wasn't feeling too well. His neck and those horrible beast knots are hurting him so much! One after the other, all 5 of the early patients were called back behind "THE DOOR". New people started arriving and checking in and then going back.

Ok, now wait just a darn minute....LD won't say anything, so I got up and politely asked the nice ladies behind the desk, when did she think we would be called for our 8:00am appointment. She was very nice, I'm not being sarcastic (this time).
She apologized for our wait and said that they were waiting on Dr's orders for L's treatment.
I'm sorry....what????
You're waiting on Dr's orders for L's treatment for Today?..........as in, today....today??
This same appopintment that Dr. Jasani personally made himself last Friday when we were in here?
(I really didn't say all of that to her, but I sure was thinking it!)
The nice lady said she would see what was going on and let us know.

The clock keeps ticking away and the second wave of new people have arrived AND gone behind "THE DOOR". We were alone in the waiting room, once again.It's about 9:30 now, I have to leave to pick up my precious granddaughter and take her to gymnastics.
This is crazy!
I always heard that chemo patients never had to wait....long. I wanted to be in there for L when he started, leave for a little bit and then be back for the rest of the day.
Well, here comes the nice lady from behind the desk. She said the orders for treatment finally came and she was personally going to take them, to whoever needed to have them and it wouldn't be much longer now. I said my see ya laters and left.

L said that he finally got called back about 10:00, a nurse took him to his private room behind the curtain and got him situated. And he waits........
Now, treatment can't start yet because "they" need some kind of addendum to the first order for his port. The port was not put in where the first order said it was going to be, so the chemo people need an addendum.
I didn't think that MD Anderson was part of the government??? Oh wait!!!
Yes they are, kind of...only worse....it's the state. Anderson is a part of University of Texas. How could I forget??
I used to work for them....I was the Front Office Manager at Anderson Mayfair Hotel that used to be across from MD Anderson's main building (it's torn down now and a new hotel built). It's was where all of the out of town cancer patients stayed when they came for treatments. So many rules and so much paperwork!! If I wanted to buy pencils, for example, I had 10 different forms that had to be filled out, before I could purchase them. All of this addendum and orders nonsense is NOW, starting to make perfect sense.

Getting back to the port.
The first "order" stated that the port would be inserted into his chest on the right side about 3 inches down from his collar bone. I believe instead of 3 inches, it was 5 inches. So there you have it!! We must have an addendum for 2 whole inches!Dr. Jasani came in to see L, while everyone was waiting on, who knows who, to fill out that damnation of an addendum and asked if he wanted to change his treatment to Monday.
Now he asks??
No sir, I'm already here and in the chair. I will wait.
So, I think the actual treatment started about Noon. From about 11:00 to Noon, non medicated fluids were going in.
I got back about 11:45 right before the harsh drugs were administered. Nurse Carol was checking on the IV drip and L was watching tv.

The first drug today is Cisplatin.
Before the Cisplatin infusion, extra IV fluids are given, care is taken to ensure adequate hydration before, during and after Cisplatin, to protect the kidney's function. The next drug will be Docetaxel. And the drug that will be in the pump that he wears home for 4 days is Fluorouracil.

While we sit, watching tv or L sometimes napping, the nutritionist came in to talk. I was really looking forward to talking to her and getting some good advice.
I have to tell you, I was not happy with our conversation at all. She didn't tell me anything that I haven't already read in the last 3 weeks and then couldn't answer my questions about which foods were more beneficial to a person with on chemo.Very disapointing conversation....
I might be wrong, just gonna throw this out there...
It's my opinion and I'm just now realizing that these doctors and cancer facilities might not want to encourage patients to eat the proper fruits and vegetables that will help to kick this Oropharyngeal cancer's a$$.
I sorta baited Dr. Jasani the other day asking which vegetables were good for helping the liver out during chemo. He said none that he knew of. Wrong answer Doc!

For the record: I still believe that MD Anderson is the best cancer fighting facility in the country...possibly world.
But, I believe that proper nutrition is also needed to keep the body alive and well before, during and after cancer treatments, but especially during chemo. The drugs that are given during chemo cannot tell the difference in normal cells and cancer cells, so therefore destroys all cells.
I will talk about my research and findings about nutrtion at another time....I got off on a tangent and didn't mean to.
L's chemo lasted today until 4:00pm, that a long day for someone not feeling well!! They unhooked him from the big IV and hooked his pump up through his port and away he went, heading home.

The Port

My husband's surgery to insert his port was set for 9:00 am, Tuesday March 20th. The drive in was pretty treacherous with heavy rain, wind and high water. It was one of those days one would prefer to stay home & watch the storm from inside your cozy, warm.....SAFE house. But we aren't at home, so we make the best of a unpleasant situation.
We arrived at Methodist West, you guessed it, 45 minutes early. I've never been to this hospital before, much less paid attention to it, but now that I have, I think the landscaping and outside of hospital is gorgeous, I'm betting the inside will be too. I think it's pretty new, maybe was built about 15 months ago.
We walked in the front entrance, into a beautiful atrium style lobby, with a large water fountain, trees, statues and a piano playing. Right off of the lobby is a small, welcoming chapel......a perfect, quiet place to pray, meditate, or just sit.
Which is what I did while LD was checking in/registering. I sat and prayed.....I need to do that more often.
L finished checking in, then we went down to the waiting area for radiology. Not sure whyI we were sent to radiology just that the surgery was in their Operating Room. We were called back about 8:45 by a really nice nurse name Maria. Hubs was the only patient in the pre-op room, quite a bit different from MD Anderson the other day. Trust me....I am not complaining at all, it was quite nice and very quiet!! It's not like it is early, I'm guessing it's because it's a new hospital. No signs that said I couldn't use my cell phone either. Gotta love that!
Maria got busy getting L prepared. He won't be put under this time, just a light sleep. The surgical doctor's assistant, Adam Gonzales, came in to meet us and shortly the surgeon, Dr Jerry Polasek came in. Holy cow!!! I think that both of these guys are out of their 1st period class this morning with a hall pass. I don't think they could possibly be older than Jr. High students! Geez....these doctors are getting younger all the time! Hope they know there stuff!
Well it's time for L to go, Dr. Polasek told me he would come talk to me after the surgery was finished. Maria took me around the corner into the next hallway to a waiting room. She asked if I would like anything to drink or snack on and said that if I got cold, I could grab a blanket out of the warmer. Snacks, drinks, warm blanket, how awesome is this place?? I watched a little tv and almost fell asleep in the comfy chair.
About an hour later, Dr. Polasek came to the waiting room to let me know how the surgery went. He said they got the port in easily, everything went well, they just had to wake my husband up every once in awhile because he was snoring. That is definitely him!!! Lol.....Oh thank goodness!!! No problems at all! The other doctor and nurses would be taking L to recovery very soon, then Maria would come get me.
In recovery we will have to go through the same routine as last time except not the breathing exercises since he wasn't on anesthesia or oxygen. He ate lunch (have you ever heard of lunch being served in post op? Not me!) and was ready to go by 1:00pm.
Outside had turned out to be a beautiful day. I got the truck, while Maria wheeled LD to the front door for me to pick up.....and away we go!!

Discussing Chemo Drugs with The Doctor

We met with the General Oncologist the next day to finally discuss L's treatment. Dr. Jasani is a part of Dr. Zafereo's medical team. They all met this morning to discuss my husband's case. He will have the port put in next Tuesday, the 20th at Methodist West Hospital in Katy. Then next Friday, the 23rd of March he will start his chemotherapy. This is exactly one month from the day he was told that he had cancer. The day our lives changed forever.
We all decided that it would be best to go after this cancer, aggressively.....to use the most extreme medicines, Full Dose TPF. The first two drugs listed are the meds that will be given at the time of treatment at MD Anderson, one after another. The third drug will be administered by a pump worn home for four days after the initial chemo treatment.

1. Cisplatin: belongs to the group of medicines known as alkylating agents.
Cisplatin interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal body cells may also be affected by cisplatin, other effects will also occur.
How Cisplatin Is Given:
• Cisplatin is administered through a vein (intravenously or IV) as an infusion.
• There is no pill form of Cisplatin.
• Cisplatin is an irritant. An irritant is a chemical that can cause inflammation of the vein through which it is given.
If Cisplatin escapes from the vein it can cause tissue damage. The nurse or doctor who gives Cisplatin must be carefully trained.
• Before and/or after the Cisplatin infusion, extra IV fluids are given, care is taken to ensure adequate hydration before, during and after Cisplatin, to protect your kidney function.
• Cisplatin also has been used as an infusion into the abdominal cavity (contains the abdominal organs).

2. Docetaxel: belongs to a class of chemotherapy drugs called plant alkaloids. Plant alkaloids are made from plants. The taxanes are made from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree (taxus). The taxanes are also known as antimicrotubule agents. The plant alkaloids are cell-cycle specific. This means they attack the cells during various phases of division.
Antimicrotubule agents (such as docetaxel), inhibit the microtubule structures within the cell. Microtubules are part of the cell's apparatus for dividing and replicating itself. Inhibition of these structures ultimately results in cell death.
Chemotherapy is most effective at killing cells that are rapidly dividing. Unfortunately, chemotherapy does not know the difference between the cancerous cells and the normal cells. The "normal" cells will grow back and be healthy but in the meantime, side effects occur. The "normal" cells most commonly affected by chemotherapy are the blood cells, the cells in the mouth, stomach and bowel, and the hair follicles; resulting in low blood counts, mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea, and/or hair loss. Different drugs may affect different parts of the body.

3. Fluorouracil: belongs to the category of chemotherapy called antimetabolites. These are very similar to normal substances within the cell. When the cells incorporate these substances into the cellular metabolism, they are unable to divide. Antimetabolites are cell-cycle specific. They attack cells at very specific phases in the cycle. Antimetabolites are classified according to the substances with which they interfere. The ability of chemotherapy to kill cancer cells depends on its ability to halt cell division. Usually, the drugs work by damaging the RNA or DNA that tells the cell how to copy itself in division. If the cells are unable to divide, they die. The faster the cells are dividing, the more likely it is that chemotherapy will kill the cells, causing the tumor to shrink. They also induce cell suicide (self-death or apoptosis).

Nadir: Meaning low point, nadir is the point in time between chemotherapy cycles in which you experience low blood counts.

Onset: 7-10 days
Nadir: 9-14 days
Recovery: 21-28 days

Laryngoscopy

Our trip to MD Anderson for hubs Laryngoscopy, went well.
We arrived at the hospital in true Brown fashion........45 minutes earlier than we were suppose to be.

Fortunately the surgical team was ready for us to come in to the pre op room. What a happening place today! Rows of beds curtained off on both sides of a long area about 8ft wide for walking with equipment here & there. Doctors, nurses, assistants, orderlies and patients were everywhere, but it all seemed very organized. It looked like the rows of beds and walkway made a U shape with about 20 beds on each side of the U. L's bed was #6, hope that's a lucky number!! Then we saw signs everywhere that read "No Cell Phones" or "Turn off All Cell Phones". Ugh!! That's a bummer, what am I going to do to make the time go by faster? There are no magazines or books, nada. Oh well......

We did have a wonderful team of Doctors and nurses that streamed in to see us. Dr. Zafereo will be doing the scoping, with Dr. Felt assisting, 4 or 5 nurses and 3 anesthesiologists (one of which was a student). All very young and bubbly, oh how nice it would be to have that much energy again!

Preparing for the surgery, everything was going smoothly until the anethisiologist Dr. Carlson (a real cutie) checked the lab reports that had been taken the day before. It showed L's potassium (K) at a high level- 6.5. Normal levels are 3.6 to 5.2. After questioning L about his past K screenings (never high like that!), Dr. C figured that it could be Hemolysis. Sounds pretty scary and serious!! Yikes!!!
Although It's not at all......Love learning new things, I just wish I didn't have to learn about cancer.

Hemolysis explained
Evidently when blood is taken and the plunger is pulled back quickly the red blood cells are broken and is called hemolysis. The concentration of potassium inside red blood cells is much higher than in the serum and so an elevated potassium is usually found in biochemistry tests of hemolysed blood.

Anesthesia folks can't have his potassium levels too high to begin with, because the meds they give during surgery will make K levels go higher, so Dr. Carlson ordered a blood test.......aaannnndddd we wait. An hour later, no one has shown up to get his blood. Guess the lab right across the hall was too far for techs to come from. Jennifer, the student anesthesiologist, wanted to draw the blood, AND was actually excited about it. She took it over to the lab herself and waited for it. Lol. Cute girl!! It wasn't too much longer that the Lab work came back, normal, so away he goes to the OR.

I head to the surgical out-patient waiting room, which is on 2nd floor overlooking an area of beautiful water walls. I hear a piano playing wonderfully soft music somewhere below. The sitting area had cushiony chairs, free Wi-fi and a really nice volunteer sitting at a desk with a computer, phone and a list of patients in surgery. I was to check in with the volunteer to let her know who I was with. The area wasn't sloppy or crowded, but a place of peace, comfort and beauty, to wait for loved ones in surgery....My sis had come by to wait with me for a bit, before her next appointment. Had everything been running on time, she could have stayed with me the whole time, but shortly she had to leave. Please don't get me wrong about the delays, yes they are a pain in the a$$ and I'm complaining a little, BUT, we are in the best hospital that we could possibly be, with very competent doctors and nurses......that makes the waiting worth it. Plus, we were 45 min early to start!!

L's surgery lasted about an hour. Dr. Feldt came to the waiting room to give me an update. I was right in the middle of eating, putting a waffle fry in my mouth when he walked up. Nicely done....I kinda apologized for eating crap food while my husband was in surgery for a biopsy, Dr. F laughed and said not to worry, he had just eaten some candy his self and said I was eating "comfort food". YES!! That's exactly what I was eating!! Now I don't feel so bad.
Surgery went well, they were able to see the marble size tumor on the base of his tongue and get a sample of it.
They also looked at his voice box, found it clear then went farther down his esophagus and found it clear as well. Here it is.......the name of the cancer he has, Oropharyngeal cancer.........pronounced Ora-fa-rin-g-ul or you can just call it tongue cancer.
Hubs has gone to recovery and I would be able to go back where he was in a little while. A volunteer would come get me as soon as he was waking up from his anesthesia.

It was about another 15 or 20 minute wait before an older gentleman came to get me. We went into the same area where we were earlier, just on another side of the U shape. This time the bed # is 26. Hope for luck again! It was a lot quieter on this side, I'm guessing that every patient over here is post op.
For every 3 patients there was a nurse. Quite different from all the other hospitals that I've seen, where you have one nurse for about 20 patients. Anderson is a wonderful place to be, when your life is on the line.

L had just woke up, was a little groggy and very thirsty!! I was able to talk his nurse into letting him have some ice water. They are always concerned that anything on the stomach, so soon after anesthesia, will make him nauseous. He was fine drinking the water. His blood pressure and heart rate were getting back to normal, but he was still on oxygen. We wouldn't be able to go home until he was off of oxygen and his levels were above 93%. It took a little over 2 hours for oxygen to be normal without help. L had to use this breathing device after the surgery for the breathing exercises that will hopefully keep the patient from getting pneumonia. Basically you inhale and then exhale into the tube, keeping inhaling steady to hold this floating object in between these two markers. The cylindrical body shows you the volume measurement of your inhaled air. This exercise had to be done three different times today, each time consist of 10-15 inhaling/exhaling repetitions. After his third time, his oxygen levels stayed at a good percentage and we were ready to go!!

The Good Doctor

So, our really bad news day was on Friday, March 2. We saw the new Dr on Monday, March 12. His name is Dr Mark Zafereo, Department of Head and Neck Surgery at MD Anderson cancer Center. Very impressive young Doctor.
He came in to the examining room where we were waiting, said his hellos, shook hands, and told us that the tumor was on the base of LD's tongue. How the heck did he know that without examination and looking at the CT or PET scan? The not so friendly and negative Dr.N said it was on his voice box and had they tried to remove the tumor it probably would have taken part of his vocal cords which can't be duplicated and replaced. My husband would have had an electrolarynx, which is a handheld, battery-operated device the patient places on the throat to produce vibration and make speech. I know he wouldn't have wanted that, we joked about it a little and I told him that if he got mad and tried to yell, I'd take the batteries out and we wouldn't be able to hear him at all!
Back to Dr. Z, (amazing man with an amazing resume,) he put a scope through L's nose to look at tumor, VB, and Esophagus. I was excited that I got to watch on the screen while he was doing it!! Sure enough, tumor was at the base of the tongue, VB is clear as well as the Esophagus.
Dr. Zafereo's plan:
1. L will talk with his "team" Radiologist, Dr. Chronowski on Tuesday, 13th.
2. Anesthesia Assessment, which includes an EKG* and Echocardiogram**, & Stress Test***. Blood work and repeat CT Scan of Neck and also of Chest this time is scheduled for Wednesday, 14th.
3. a Laryngoscopy****--biopsy Scheduled for Thursday, 15th.
4. speak with his "team" General Oncologist, Dr. Jassani on Friday, 16th
5. Insertion of a port***** put in on Tuesday, 20th.
6. Start treatment....chemo or radiation, whichever the Head and Neck Surgical Team decided on scheduled for Friday, March 23rd.

In case you didn't know or remember, here is an explanation of some of the terms:

*Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. An EKG translates the heart's electrical activity into line tracings on paper. The spikes and dips in the line tracings are called waves.

**Echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. The picture is much more detailed than a plain x-ray image and involves no radiation exposure.
An echocardiogram allows doctors to see the heart beating, and to see the heart valves and other structures of the heart.

***Stress Test leads (wires) to an ECG machine attached to your chest, and a blood pressure cuff is placed on your arm. A clothespin-like sensor may be placed on your finger to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood. After a baseline ECG is obtained, you will be asked to begin performing a low level of exercise, either by walking on a treadmill, or pedaling a stationary bicycle. The exercise is "graded" - that is, every three minutes, the level of exercise is increased. At each "stage" of exercise, your pulse, blood pressure and ECG are recorded, along with any symptoms you may be experiencing.

****Laryngoscopy--biopsy: A special flexible scope will be inserted through the mouth and into throat. Through an eyepiece on the scope, the doctor will examine the larynx. The doctor may then collect specimens (biopsy), remove growths, or retrieve a foreign object trapped in the throat. This method is often done in the operating room under general anesthesia.

*****Port (sometimes called portacaths or subcutaneous ports)

is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin with a tube inserted into a vein.....They use this port instead of sticking a vein each time to deliver chemotherapy to cancer patients who must undergo treatment frequently. Blood can also be drawn by using this port.

I Have Never Felt This Way

As I left the doctor's building, I drove past flower beds with beautiful petunias in them. I am an avid flower/plant person and always love to look at beautiful flowers as well as plant them in beds all over my yard.

Today as I looked at purple petunias, my thought was "I hate flowers". I really did feel hatred towards those innocent flowers. I was shocked!! WOW! Where did that come from? I drove past my favorite fast food restaurant, Wendy's. I have loved this place since the first time I stepped foot in one in 1976. My thoughts....I hate Wendy's food!
I HATE cancer!!
I started driving to my daughter's work to give her the news about dad in person. On the way, I had to pull off of the road because I was crying so hard I couldn't see to drive. I have never had feelings like this, ever! Anyone ever felt this much hatred for everything? Not people, just things....things I usual love or have a great fondness for.
After I left my daughter, I thought maybe I would go to one of my "happy places". JoAnns and Hobby Lobby. I always get so happy when I walk in one of these stores......I don't even have to spend money.

Well I didn't make it to happiness, another thought popped into my head I stopped by Barnes & Noble to buy some books on Juicing, Building your immunity and a cookbook, Living With cancer. I am going to research and learn everything I can about good nutrition to kick cancer! I felt so sick walking through that book store, my heart, stomach, mind still felt like someone had kicked me from head to toe....I feel so horribly bad for my husband. If I could change places with him, I would.

I was walking back across the parking lot to my car and a guy in a truck didn't seem to want to stop for a couple of us walking. Normally I get mad and say something inappropriate, but this time.....nothing. Guess I was sorta in a daze. Driving away I thought that if he had hit me with his truck, it wouldn't hurt as bad as I was hurting for my husband and family right then.
WOW......I seriously had to get out of that frame of mind!! And I would, it just took a day or two, which by the way were somewhat of a blur until we saw Dr. from MD Anderson.

The Rest of a Really Bad Day

We are out in the chemo area waiting for the nurses to talk to us. Dr N tells us to sit in the chairs and wait. That is, sit in the chemo chairs right next to the chemo patients getting their treatments. I don't know about you all, but it kinda made me feel really uncomfortable and creeped me out. Don't get me wrong, I mean no offense to the patients, after all my husband will be doing the same thing soon. It's kinda like sitting in a wheel chair or walking with crutches when you don't have anything wrong with you. To me, I'm superstitious and that is bad luck. Now sitting out where the patients are and talking to nurses about our brand new health problems is uncomfortable because I think that should be a private thing and their treatment should be a private thing. And......mostly because I'm about to lose my composure.
All righty, one nurse starts talking to my hubs about rules and treatment, tears were already streaming down my face. I don't remember what she said that made me totally lose it, but I broke down, right there. I tried to hide my face away from them, then she said "are you allright?" The second nurse walked up to me and asked the same thing. Whenever someone asks that and I'm sad or kinda tearing up, I can never hold it back. That question just makes matters worse!! So here we go, my first melt down in public....2nd nurse grabs my arm and hauls me off to a back office. First she asked what was wrong. I'm sorry, what? Seriously you don't know?? I just found out that my sweetheart has a serious, life threatening disease invading his body and that it can't be cured. I don't know about you Ms Nurse, that alone is enough to break anybody down. She talked, telling me how important it is to be strong for my husband. Never, ever let him see me crying again. Gosh ma'm I didn't exactly do it on purpose, nor could I stop myself. I promise that I will never let him see me do that again!! I've sorta been holding it in for awhile.
Goodbye Oncologist Consultants........We are out of here. We are going to get in MD Anderson for the best treatment and doctors.

The PET Scan

Last night I couldn't eat a thing, my stomach was churning. I went to bed early so I wouldn't think about the appointment and know that my stomach was upset. I was asleep by 6:00pm. I can't imagine what LD was feeling like.
Here we go......L and I meet at Dr.N's office for the appointment. The time went by about as fast as a turtle in a race. Finally we go in...... Dr. no personality and no compassion pulls the images of the PET Scan out and starts explaining. I'm thinking "come on, get to the point. I got it the first time you explained it!!" He was talking so slow and bland, if it wasn't such a serious subject, I swear we could have taken a nap. Finally he gets to the bad news.
The cancer started in the throat, Dr.N says the tumor is on the voice box. Now he starts talking fast......here's the conversation:
Dr: "The cancer cells then spread to the lymph nodes on the right side of the neck, the mass that we can see sticking out under the skin. Next, there is a spot on the right shoulder,"
Dr. asks if LD has arthritis.
LD: I could have......maybe..... possibly, why do you ask?
Dr: "Uhm ok, On we go to the next spots, left hip shows two, maybe three. Now we look at the spine, two spots there and an iffy one on the liver." (Good news he says proudly,)
"I don't see any on the lungs!"
Me thinking: (Oh, that makes us feel tons better.)
Dr: "Any questions?"
Me: what is the treatment?
Dr: "Chemo.....but we we will never get it all, it's not curable. We'll get you out to talk to the nurses in a minute and set you up for treatment. We'll need to put a port in you, next week or the week after, then after that sometime, we will start the chemo."
I am dumbfounded!! My eyes start filling up with tears and the Dr smiles at me then swats me on the leg with his folder and starts to get up to leave.
Me: Wait!! Excuse me doc. I have a few more questions. What stage is it?
Dr: "Ummmm four, stage four, anything else?"
Me: Could the spots on his hips be inflammation? I ask because three weeks ago he hurt his hip pretty badly jumping down from...(dr. interrupting me)
Dr: "NO, it's cancer, I have read thousands of these reports and know what I am reading. It's cancer. Now are there any more questions? I need to get you out to the nurses"
Me: No, I have nothing else for you, Dr.N, do you L?

Now We Wait

Now it's time to see an oncologist.
Dr.T's office was to make the appointment for us to see Dr.N
It was four or five days before we get a call with a date. We were told that Dr.N is with MD Anderson. You don't get any better than that!
Oh, remember my questions to my husband about What kind is it? How far along? Suggestions on how to get rid of it? CAN we get rid of it?.
My hubs didn't know any of the answers to my questions.......why? Because he didn't ask any questions. Why? I don't know.
So, from now on, I will have to go with him to all of his appointments if I want information.
Back to Dr.N, we arrive at his office in Katy. No where does it say MD Anderson. Getting a little suspicious, I snooped around. It's what I do..... Not necessarily proud of that nor am I ashamed. It is what it is, and works most of the time.......Guess where we are not? That's right, not MD Anderson, the number 1 cancer hospital in the world. Nope, this is not even close.....well actually we are close as far as distance because we're on the third floor. Anderson is on the 1st & 2nd floors of this building. The ladies were nice enough, but Dr.N must have been absent the day that personality and compassion were taught because he was severely lacking in those two qualities. Ok, we're here, so let's get on with it. He wants a PET Scan. It's set for 2 days later.
My research showed me that A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a unique type of imaging test that helps doctors see how the organs and tissues inside your body are actually functioning.
The test involves injecting a very small dose of a radioactive glucose, called a radiotracer, into the vein of your arm. The tracer travels through the body and is absorbed by the cancer. The cancer shows up on the images as a glowing spot on the body. There is downfall to this test however, arthritis and inflammation shows up as hot spots too.

What Is cancer, exactly?

(I'm still not going to captilize the c in cancer)
cancer cells, in layman's terms, are *abnormal cells that grow uncontrolably within one's body. Most of the time, it is normal cells that have turned bad and attack the host instead of protecting the host.
The beginning......We were all born with a system called the IMMUNE SYSTEM that is broken down into many immune systems in every part of the body. Each system has a built-in monitor or protective mechanism that keeps that system functioning up to par. If we have a problem somewhere, it is because this immune system for that particular system failed us and permitted the enemy to enter. Examples of the various culprits that put a strain on our immune system are viruses, parasites, bacteria etc...you get the idea.
When these abnormal cells start growing and "bump" into each other, they multiply and continue to grow, even if they are running out of room in that particular part of the body, then lumps or tumors are formed. When cells get too numerous for this particular "home",(jump the "fence" into another part of the "neighborhood") they detach themselves from the tumor and move via the bloodstream to other parts of the body where they begin to form further tumors. This process is called metastasis.

When a cancer spreads from its original site to another area of the body, it is termed metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer cells invade lymph vessels and blood vessels near a tumor and migrate to other parts of the body. The cells in a metastatic tumor resemble those in the primary tumor and are usualy named the same as the primary. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lungs and forms a metastatic tumor is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.

Some Key Points about Metastatic cancer
~Some people with metastatic tumors do not have symptoms. Their metastases are found by scans or other tests
~The most common sites of cancer metastasis are the lungs, bones, and liver.
~Treatment for metastatic cancer usually depends on the type of cancer and the size, location, and number of metastatic tumors.

Stages of cancer
Staging describes the severity of a person’s cancer based on the extent of the original (primary) tumor and whether or not cancer has spread in the body.

Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III
Higher numbers indicate more extensive disease: Larger tumor size and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ in which it first developed to nearby lymph nodes and/or organs adjacent to the location of the primary tumor.
Stage IV
The cancer has spread to another organ(s).

*abnormal cells: abnormal number of chromosomes in some cells, where certain ones have incorporated a number of extra chromosomes while others wind up with too few.

The Worst News

I never dreamed that LD would ever have a life threatening disease, bad things happen to someone else or on tv. Everyone knows that!

It is cancer....squamous cell carcinoma. His knotty neck is full of horrible, nasty cancer cells. (I will not give cancer the respect of capitalizing it's c. Not that it really cares or is even insulted, cancer's going to live where it wants to whether I capitalize or not.) Moving on.........Have you ever heard this phrase "I have cancer" from a loved one, friend, acquaintance? If you're like me, the moment you hear those words, it's like someone has just kicked you in your stomach. Of course, the days and weeks before the results came in, my stomach was tied up in knots....the pun is intended. I can't even begin to imagine what my husband was going through.
Ahhh but remember back after the CT Scan?? The radiologist's report said it definitely was not that nastiness of a disease, so my husband probably wasn't expecting to hear "cancer". I know that he truly believed it was something else, because after all, the professional's findings reported it wasn't cancer. So, if there needs to be a moral of this paragraph, it is even professionals can get it wrong. That's why we have second opinions. Don't be afraid to get one.

Back to that day, February 23, 2012, the day after LD's birthday. I will always remember watching him drive up to the house, walk slowly out to the back yard where I was sitting on the swing and then our daughter walking to us, already tearing up. Our lives are now changed forever........it seems that everything was moving in slow motion. The words that I didn't want to hear came out and I couldn't do anything to stop them..............It is definitely cancer.
A few minutes of our daughter crying, me in shock and the three of us hugging in the middle of the back yard, my senses finally came back to me. I started asking questions. What kind of cancer? How far along is it? What were his suggestions on how to get rid of it? CAN we get rid of it?.