Thursday at the VA

Larry had a follow up with his oncologist today, he doesn't need a blood transfusion (right now) and I get to give him a shot every week he's not in the hospital! I don't think that's going to be fun, I gave him blood thinner shots after surgery but this is a bit different. He says I'm gleeful at the prospect! I'm not. He still kind of weak and hoarse, not sleeping well, etc BUT he says the icky taste is gone and that coffee now tastes good. He's able to drive again, he mostly drives short distances because I worry that he'll over do and not be able to drive home. Since Rob is driving the Truck (the Dinky died) that would put me in a fix! He had all his hair cut off today which is weird but it was due to fall out any day and he just didn't want to bother with it. He has a nice head for bald. He will loose all the hair on his body soon.

I'm finally finished with the basement room and I'll start cleaning upstairs this weekend. Tomorrow is my big shopping day so I'll be out and about all day. Then on Saturday I'll mow those leaves! We thought about going for a short trip but have decided against it, I think. Getting a new roof on Wednesday weather permitting so someone needs to be here to pay them.

Nothing really exciting going on just doing what we can each day until it's time for chemo again.

After the weekend

We had a pretty busy weekend. Scott and Bri were here Friday and Saturday for Rob's birthday dinner. We had a full house with our four, Beth's three and Chad and Kelly Rogers everyone seemed to enjoy Rob's pick of French Dip for dinner. Saturday, Tanya and I joined Beth, Lucas, Brayden and Jensen (Lucas's niece) for the Halloween Parade on the Square. The last time I'd gone Beth was a Sophomore and marching in the band! We had fun and ate a little candy. Lots of cars and motorcycles, but most interesting were all the firetrucks, both current and historic. We left Larry at home as he poops out really quickly and his Mom and sister were coming. They had arrived when I got home and we all went out to the Cracker Barrel for dinner, a table for eight. Rob kept us up to date on the Mizzou game. MIZ-ZOU!! Everyone had a good time and a good visit then Mom, Marie, Scott and Bri all headed back to Columbia, while we headed home to crash and watch the MIZZOU game. Happily our Tigers won! On Sunday, I worked outside clearing out the shed and moving stuff up to the attic, emptied the sand box and packed up the outside toys (sorry Brayden!) Larry watched the Chiefs, who did not win, sigh! He's been watching the World Series as well, I think he's cheering for Tampa Bay, oh well. Today I tried to find our basement, my sewing area, and my desk. I only partly succeeded, but it will still be here tomorrow, dang it! Larry did alot of computer work and drove himself to the bank! His first time driving since his surgery August 20th. Some normal anyway.

He's home!

Larry was discharged from the hospital and I have him home and tucked into bed for a nap before the party tonight. First thing he did was take a shower! He's been pretty nauseous today but getting the "hospital smell" off his skin should help. It's quiet here and no one is going to wake him up to take his blood sugar, blood pressure, or give him a sleeping pill! I have the baby monitor on again, you just never know when that little gadget will come in handy! He has 6 or 7 new scripts and an appointment for blood work and to see the oncologist on the 30th. I'm glad to have him home! Maybe I can get some work done around here, I hope. I'm tired of having a dirty house. Starting my deep cleaning for fall on Monday, then it'll be ready for the holidays. Once those Christmas decorations go up cleaning is just a lick and a promise! I'm glad the weather has finally turned cool, maybe for good, and the trees are beginning to turn. I always love the colors of the fall leaves against that brilliant blue sky! It's so beautiful my heart hurts!

Chemo, Day 4, Cycle 1

So the last of the chemo dripped in about 1:15 and was replaced with a 24 hour drip of Mesna, a drug to protect his bladder and other inards. So tomorrow about 1:15 he'll be done with that and will get to come home. The only side effects he's had are bouts of nausea primarily caused by smells. His thigh it still draining and may have become infected, at least the nurse is calling the Doctor to see about antibiotics for him. He should be home tomorrw afternoon in time for our celebration of Rob's birthday! Rob's birthday isn't until next Wednesday, the 29th, and he'll be 27! I can hardly believe it, all my kids are getting OLD. I, however, I'm still young!

Chemo, Day 3, Cycle 1

Larry received his last "push" chemo and has he last bag containing chemo drugs up and dripping. The bag tomorrow only has the protectant medication added to it. He is getting drugs for the nausea so he doesn't vomit any more. His blood sugar has been really dropping and they have decreased his meds for that hoping to prevent any more 46's. Between the blood sugar and the nausea meds he was looking pretty peaked and said that was how he felt. He slept most of the afternoon but perked up after dinner. The food leaves alot to be desired, of course, in both flavor and quanity. Imagine hospital food that was fit to eat! I sometimes take him food from home, he especially wants more breakfast! As well as decent coffee!!

Chemo, Day 2 Cycle 1

Well, Larry's into his second bag of chemo and has has his second push, so far without any major side effects, a little nausea treated with meds. His red blood count was down to 9 so they are watching that if it goes below 8 they will transfuse him. His leg had completely stopped draining when chemo started and there didn't seem to be any build up in the leg so we were hopeful that it was done, silly us, tonight he got up to change cds in his laptop and fluid went everywhere. I wasn' t there but he said the nurses were trying to get it under control. Wound care had put a soft latex cover on the opening this afternoon so he wouldn't have to have any tape but it won't hold much in the way of liquid, the mesh stocking didn't stay in place very well so I don't know what they ended up with. Ortho is mystified, so are we. Lucas and Beth took me out to dinner tonight which was very nice of them I always enjoy spending time with them and will Brayden, of course. I'm still coughing when I need allergy meds and even though I slept 10 hours last night I'm beat. It's off to bed for me.

Chemo, Day 1 Cycle 1

Larry began chemo today and in usual medical style we were at the hospital at 8am and they didn't get him started on chemo until 2pm. He won't get out until Friday afternoon, probably late, they count days in 24 hour segments (Imagine that!) and the segments began with his first bag and push. When I left about 3 they still didn't really have their act completely together but he was doing well and wanted a nap. He's in room 8143 bed 1 at the VA, his phone number is 816-922-5893. His leg is still draining but the people in oncology seem a tad more concerned than ortho did last Friday so I feel like we may get some resolution there this week as well. His skin just won't tolerate any more tape on that leg--considering the fact that there has been some kind of tape on that thigh for three months it's a wonder he's managed this long. He's wearing fishnet stockings to keep the bandages in place, not really as sexy as it sounds! His port is really nifty! He especially likes the fact that they draw blood through it as well. Dr ordered some meds to help him sleep but otherwise he's pretty much pain free and that's good. He has a small room, a roommate, and no chairs for visitors so it's a bit uncomfortable to stay with him. Rob and Tanya are visiting him now and I'll head over before lunch tomorrow. I'm beat, and fighting allergies and asthma so I'm fixing something to eat and heading for the bed.

Another day at the VA

Larry and I began the day with a major mess, his incision re-opened yesterday and it had soaked through the dressing I had put on it. This kind of thing has happened before and we always hope it's one time thing and it never proves to be. Knowing that this was Friday off we went to the VA. One of these appointment-less visits is never short and several hours later we came home with the leg still draining and a big bag of bandage materials. We are getting really tired of going to the VA! We made three trips over there this week, boring. We have to just let it drain and change the bandage when it is soaked until Monday. Monday he goes into the hospital for his first Chemo session so they can deal with it. It has been three months since his first surgery and healing still eludes us. We got back home about noon and I went right back out as this was grocery day. So I'm beat! Tomorrow Rob and his friend, Troy are putting in an attic ladder then we're having a mexican feed. I'd like to just deal with one issue at a time but I guess that's not possible!

Drain's out, port's in

The good news is that Larry's drain finally quit draining and was removed yesterday. Today they installed his chemo port, so he had about 24 hours without a foreign substance in his body! Poor guy. They were really behind at the hospital today so we sat from 11am until almost 4 pm. This is the first time we've had to wait a really long time in Radiology and of course I did not take enough to do for such a long wait! After he "recovered" from the happy juice we went to dinner at Cracker Barrel. Then to Home Depot (sorry Lucas) to look for attic stairs and hardware for a refinishing project of mine. We didn't like the ladder but I found the hinges I wanted. Now we are home watching the playoffs. We are both tired from sitting around all day. My mammogram came back normal, normal as did the ultrasound so as I suspected there was much to do about nothing (and not by me.) I am sick again, I think with allergies, I am so tired of being sick every fall! It's my absolute favorite of all seasons and I miss too much of it being sick. Plus the holidays are coming and I don't feel like getting ready. I am finally finding the house, although Brayden says my basement is a mess. Too true, too true but I'm working on it.

Silly Saturday

Fall is here and the weather forecast is looking lots cooler so I spent the day out in the yard, mowing, pulling up the stuff that's done in the garden and cleaning the cobwebs off the house. Fall cleanup. Since it's fall and there are leaves (read allergic) and the mold count is pretty high (read allergies, again) I wear a face mask so I don't get sick. I really can't afford to be sick! I mowed, and began clearing veggie beds etc., when I stopped to have lunch I took it off, when I got ready to go back out I could not find the darn thing. So.. I got out another one, put it on and went back out to work. Quite a while later Rob and Tanya come out and laughed at me because I'm wearing two, count 'em two masks! One on the top of my head and one over my nose and mouth! Man did I feel silly! Then later I was ready to water the plants in front and turned on the water without connecting the hose, duh! I didn't feel too bad as Rob told the Tanya the dryer didn't work when he hadn't turned it on!

I nearly finished all my outdoor chores, just need to clean up the back and under the deck. Will get that done tomorrow and pull the patio cover down as well. This will be the last time I'll be able to deal with the leaves by just mowing, next Saturday I'll have to bag, oh fun.

My check up was pretty good, just a few little niggles to remind me of my age! Next a mamogram.

We had a ball with Brayden on Wednesday and Thursday playing with all the cars and his Thomas trains. We read a lot to him and this week was no different except the reading material was a flyer showing all the Thomas trains, we turned it into a "Wish List" for Christmas and he WANTS IT ALL!! He's so much fun.

Larry's drain seems to have finally slowed down, here's hoping he gets it out this week.

Well, I have to go give serious attention the MU vs OSU game.....MIZ ZOU, go Tigers!!

My attempt at blogging

I decided to begin this blog to save repeating the same information 20 different times! Be patient with me! I will use this post to keep everyone updated on Larry's treatment, our adventures, and my thoughts. And so I begin...

Larry will have a "port" put in next Wednesday afternoon, he's actually excited at the prospect as he abhors needles and this makes IV's obsolete! Chemo starts on the 20th, four days in the hospital then two weeks at home and repeat. After the second series he has a CAT scan to see if the tumors are responding then two more etc. If everything goes by the good doctor's plan he'll be finished in late February or early March (I hope by his birthday on the 13th!) Just in time to meet our second grandchild, Brayden gets a brother or sister--both he and Larry are certain it's a girl.

I had another vision appointment today on the cataracts, the verdict of this doctor is to wait six months and look again. I have never liked this particular group of eye doctors but that's the one our insurance has a contract with so that's where I go, at least until I change insurance! Will have to have some new glasses anyway. I have my annual physical on Friday, no complaints but it's time, I need a flu shot and I have to take care of my health to take care of Larry.

We spent part of last weekend out in the trailer, our time at Truman Lake had to be cut short as Larry's drain became clogged and no matter what I tried I could not get it moving so home we came on Saturday. The Trailer went in the shop on Monday and after repairs are completed it will be winterized, no more weekends away for a few months. We're sad.

I picked up Brayden a Day care today as he was running a low grade fever and did not feel good, coughing etc. We had fun playing and we get to play again tomorrow as he can't go back to school for 24 hours. Hope he brings His trains!