Instead of posting twice, here is a link to Noelle's blog... We couldn't be happier!!!
http://theallens04.blogspot.com/
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Happy New Year!
Lots of news that I should have posted a few weeks ago. News first, update on cancer stuff later...
The baby is coming earlier than expected and will be here on Friday!!!! Noelle has a cyst that has been bothering her more and more throughout her pregnancy. The doctor was concerned with the cyst possibly rupturing if they let Noelle go to full term so they bumped up the C-section to this Friday. I think the realization that we would have another baby in the next few weeks kicked us into gear. We've been so distracted with chemotherapy that the baby has sometimes, unfortunately, been an after-thought. Noelle has been making blankets and car seat covers. We transitioned Brynnley into her new room and Noelle has had fun getting the baby room ready for the new little girl. I've been trying to help where I can with patching walls and trying finish projects here and there. It's fun and busy and I'm grateful that I've had some time at home to spend with Noelle and Brynn before the baby comes.
I finished up chemo on Dec 24 and couldn't be happier. That 4th cycle took a lot longer to get over. I still have days where I feel like crap and end up in bed by 730 or 800 but overall I'm just excited to be done. I can feel my strength very slowly coming back to me but I can tell it's going to be a long road. I even went to the gym one day this week and shot some hoops for 20 minutes or so. It was pretty pitiful but it felt great to shoot a basketball again. At the beginning, with my lack of form (I hadn't touched a basketball since July) and lack of strength, I literally couldn't get the ball to the rim. But by the end of the 20 minutes, with my heart rate somewhere near 180 and feeling like I might pass out, I had gotten enough form back to make a few 3-pointers so I was happy.
I'm planning on going back to work towards the end of the month and I couldn't been more excited about it. It's been great being able to spend so much time with my family but I need to get back to being a productive member of society. I'm still amazed at the work situation that I am in and how everything has worked out over the last 8 months or so. I can't wait to get back in the swing of things and hopefully help out those who have shown us so much support over the last 4 months. I'm not sure how Noelle will handle it with a newborn and an almost 3 year old. I've been around the house so much and for so long, it's going to be an adjustment for both of us for sure.
I go in for PET/CT 1st thing on Wednesday morning. I'm not looking forward to the 45 minutes I'll be in the scanner or the anxiety waiting to hear that the scan comes back clean. We are hopeful that the chemo drugs did the job and wiped out anything that might have been left in body. I'll update when we know the results and look for baby pics sometime this weekend :-)
The baby is coming earlier than expected and will be here on Friday!!!! Noelle has a cyst that has been bothering her more and more throughout her pregnancy. The doctor was concerned with the cyst possibly rupturing if they let Noelle go to full term so they bumped up the C-section to this Friday. I think the realization that we would have another baby in the next few weeks kicked us into gear. We've been so distracted with chemotherapy that the baby has sometimes, unfortunately, been an after-thought. Noelle has been making blankets and car seat covers. We transitioned Brynnley into her new room and Noelle has had fun getting the baby room ready for the new little girl. I've been trying to help where I can with patching walls and trying finish projects here and there. It's fun and busy and I'm grateful that I've had some time at home to spend with Noelle and Brynn before the baby comes.
I finished up chemo on Dec 24 and couldn't be happier. That 4th cycle took a lot longer to get over. I still have days where I feel like crap and end up in bed by 730 or 800 but overall I'm just excited to be done. I can feel my strength very slowly coming back to me but I can tell it's going to be a long road. I even went to the gym one day this week and shot some hoops for 20 minutes or so. It was pretty pitiful but it felt great to shoot a basketball again. At the beginning, with my lack of form (I hadn't touched a basketball since July) and lack of strength, I literally couldn't get the ball to the rim. But by the end of the 20 minutes, with my heart rate somewhere near 180 and feeling like I might pass out, I had gotten enough form back to make a few 3-pointers so I was happy.
I'm planning on going back to work towards the end of the month and I couldn't been more excited about it. It's been great being able to spend so much time with my family but I need to get back to being a productive member of society. I'm still amazed at the work situation that I am in and how everything has worked out over the last 8 months or so. I can't wait to get back in the swing of things and hopefully help out those who have shown us so much support over the last 4 months. I'm not sure how Noelle will handle it with a newborn and an almost 3 year old. I've been around the house so much and for so long, it's going to be an adjustment for both of us for sure.
I go in for PET/CT 1st thing on Wednesday morning. I'm not looking forward to the 45 minutes I'll be in the scanner or the anxiety waiting to hear that the scan comes back clean. We are hopeful that the chemo drugs did the job and wiped out anything that might have been left in body. I'll update when we know the results and look for baby pics sometime this weekend :-)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, last day at CCNW
Today I'm getting my last treatment and Cancer Care Northwest in Spokane. They are closed for the next two days so I will get my last 2 infusions at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Its sort of bitter sweet because the staff at CCNW is really great and are very friendly. Not that I will miss sitting in their "Chemotherapy Suite." Cancer sure does hit anyone and everyone. I look around and the room and see healthy and strong looking people, young and old. I've also heard some interesting stories and met some interesting people. I wish them all well but hope I never have to see any of them again.
At the moment I'm on 4 different types of anti-nausea medications and while they stop the physical vomitting, they do nothing to make me feel less like I want to vomit. Really loving this feeling. Unfortunately my parents are on their way to visit and help out over Christmas but I really don't think I'll be leaving the bed too much over the next 5-6 days. Hopefully they understand and can enjoy the time with Brynnley and Noelle, I know they will.
It's so nice to know that I'll have a few weeks recovery while my body cycle the remaining drugs out of my system and then I can get back to normal. I can't wait to start playing basketball again. I haven't touched a bball since July. Then, before we know it we'll get to try our hand on the boat with 2 little ones! I'm super excited, I think Brynnley will be getting a new wetsuit for her birthday so she can do some more surfing with me. I don't remember if we ever posted these pictures on Noelle's blog but by the time the water/air was warm enough last year in late July/early August this was the only good opportunity we had to try and she loved it. I'm definately looking forward to a lot more this next year.
Lots to be thankful for and lots to look forward to at this point. I feel a little bad because Noelle's pregnancy has been pushed to the side because of my little mess. We haven't taken nearly enough pictures of her big beautiful belly to track the growth of this baby girl like we were able to with Brynnley. But make no mistake I am so excited for this little girl to get here. The end of a sad, messy time in our life starts over with something as beautiful as a new baby girl. How cool is that! She should get here right around the 21st of January if everything goes according to plan. Just a few more days of hell and we can move forward. I can't wait!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Cycle #4
Well, this is it, the last week of chemotherapy!!! I honestly can't believe it is already here. After the 1st cycle I didn't think I could make it through but now that I'm almost done it feels like it has gone by so fast. I'm definatly grateful for that. I know this week is going to be brutal but I'm not worried because my outlook now is so completely different from what it was in the beginning. I'm so grateful for good friends that help keep me distracted, a loving wife who is always by my side, a great job that I am so looking forward to going back to and the most supportive family in the world (at least from my perspective) !!!
I know I've been terrible at writing on the blog and I've kept a lot of people in the dark for a few weeks. My good friend Rob hit the nail on the head in his comment on my last post, I've been feeling good and have been so busy that I've almost forgotten about writing. My wife sort of scolded me a little bit last night. She said she's sure people would enjoy reading that I'm doing well and enjoying myself so I should be writing on my good weeks as well as my bad weeks. I feel bad for not writing but we have been busy getting ready for Christmas and spending time with my girls so I don't feel too bad.
Over the last 2 weeks I've been trying to enjoy some good family time and have been trying to eat as much yummy food as I can. For anyone who can go, I'd definatly recommend 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. We just got one in Spokane and its right across the road from Noelle's work on the South Hill. Brynnley and I met her there for lunch one day. Yummy yummy! I've also been spending a lot of time in my "Man Cave" playing with my Christmas presents. Building shelves, calibrating speakers, painting and moving furniture around... It's such a man thing but boy has it been fun.
Since I will be out of commission this weekend, we decided that Santa was going to come early to our house. He came yesterday and it was awesome to watch Brynnley get so excited. She's at a stage where she is starting to really grasp the meanings of some things so we've tried to teach her some of the true meaning of Christmas. It's pretty cool when she remembers that we are celebrating Christ's birthday before she remembers that Santa is coming to bring her presents. But, boy did that girl get a lot of new toys! So much so that she had a little toy meltdown by mid-morning and needed a break. It was a lot of fun watching her tear through wrapping paper and get excited about everything. The steak and king crab we had for dinner on our Christmas Eve was a really nice treat as well!
As far as chemotherapy goes, my body is getting sick and tired of these drugs. While I've felt good overall, I get knocked back to reality when I go in to have my blood checked. I was in having it checked 3-4 times in the last 2 weeks and I've also had 5 neupogen shots. I'm borderline neutropenic. In addition, I've been anemic and my platelets have been low. It's super fun to walk up the stairs and be so winded that I have to sit down. The doctors say my bone marrow is tired and taking longer to recover from each treatment. It also means that I feel the effects of the neupogen even more. The last two shots where effective in boosting my numbers but holy crap were they miserable. The hip/back and joint pain was ridiculous and they made me slightly nauseated. It was not very fun few days. I've been extremely lucky to not catch a cold or any type of infection so far. I think even a common cold might land me in the hospital at this point. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
I know I've been terrible at writing on the blog and I've kept a lot of people in the dark for a few weeks. My good friend Rob hit the nail on the head in his comment on my last post, I've been feeling good and have been so busy that I've almost forgotten about writing. My wife sort of scolded me a little bit last night. She said she's sure people would enjoy reading that I'm doing well and enjoying myself so I should be writing on my good weeks as well as my bad weeks. I feel bad for not writing but we have been busy getting ready for Christmas and spending time with my girls so I don't feel too bad.
Over the last 2 weeks I've been trying to enjoy some good family time and have been trying to eat as much yummy food as I can. For anyone who can go, I'd definatly recommend 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. We just got one in Spokane and its right across the road from Noelle's work on the South Hill. Brynnley and I met her there for lunch one day. Yummy yummy! I've also been spending a lot of time in my "Man Cave" playing with my Christmas presents. Building shelves, calibrating speakers, painting and moving furniture around... It's such a man thing but boy has it been fun.
Since I will be out of commission this weekend, we decided that Santa was going to come early to our house. He came yesterday and it was awesome to watch Brynnley get so excited. She's at a stage where she is starting to really grasp the meanings of some things so we've tried to teach her some of the true meaning of Christmas. It's pretty cool when she remembers that we are celebrating Christ's birthday before she remembers that Santa is coming to bring her presents. But, boy did that girl get a lot of new toys! So much so that she had a little toy meltdown by mid-morning and needed a break. It was a lot of fun watching her tear through wrapping paper and get excited about everything. The steak and king crab we had for dinner on our Christmas Eve was a really nice treat as well!
As far as chemotherapy goes, my body is getting sick and tired of these drugs. While I've felt good overall, I get knocked back to reality when I go in to have my blood checked. I was in having it checked 3-4 times in the last 2 weeks and I've also had 5 neupogen shots. I'm borderline neutropenic. In addition, I've been anemic and my platelets have been low. It's super fun to walk up the stairs and be so winded that I have to sit down. The doctors say my bone marrow is tired and taking longer to recover from each treatment. It also means that I feel the effects of the neupogen even more. The last two shots where effective in boosting my numbers but holy crap were they miserable. The hip/back and joint pain was ridiculous and they made me slightly nauseated. It was not very fun few days. I've been extremely lucky to not catch a cold or any type of infection so far. I think even a common cold might land me in the hospital at this point. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday 12/2
When I woke up this morning I knew today was going to be one crappy day. I've been sleeping well but the nausea is starting to catch up to me. During my chemo session they dose me up with Adovan which allows me to sleep for 2 hours or so and then its time to go home. I try to stay awake but end up napping in the afternoon as well. By Thursday, today, its 7pm and I'm ready for bed. A little more Adovan to help with nausea and let me relax and I'm outty. Thankfully this week has been better than the previous 2 cycles so it has been tolerable.
Plus, Christmas came early for me this year! I've spent almost 2 years planning out and building my home theater room in our basement. I finished the basement with a bedroom, bathroom and storage room and a perfect spot for an awesome home theater. This also means that I've had my eye on a specific set of speakers, a subwoofer, a new A/V receiver, projector, blu-ray player, PS3, blah blah blah.... All the man toys that I can handle. As you can imagine, finishing the basement was no small feat (and it's still not completely finished) and was no small cost. Then, for me to add all my "man toys" is just begging for a fight with my wifey. She knows how hard I've worked and how much I wanted this stuff so when Black Friday/Cyber Monday rolled around, she consented to let me get a few things. Last night I was greeted by the lovely FedEx man AND who some might call Brown Santa (Mr. UPS). So between last night and this afternoon, I've been trying to stay distracted by setting up my speakers and new A/V receiver. Man toys are so much fun!!!! Even if only temporarily, it gives me something to do and keeps my mind occupied. Yes, its a little frivolous and I know I could do without, but whats the point if you can't live a little. I'll state it here and now, I'm a dork and I like electronics, yes I'm a geek. LOL! My wife and mother-in-law probably think I'm nuts but I think the speakers sound phenomenal and I couldn't be happier so far. Awe the little joys in life. Anyways, I can feel the Adovan creeping in so I'm going up to bed. I can't believe Thanksgiving is past and Christmas is only 3 weeks away. I could have sworn it was just September.....
Plus, Christmas came early for me this year! I've spent almost 2 years planning out and building my home theater room in our basement. I finished the basement with a bedroom, bathroom and storage room and a perfect spot for an awesome home theater. This also means that I've had my eye on a specific set of speakers, a subwoofer, a new A/V receiver, projector, blu-ray player, PS3, blah blah blah.... All the man toys that I can handle. As you can imagine, finishing the basement was no small feat (and it's still not completely finished) and was no small cost. Then, for me to add all my "man toys" is just begging for a fight with my wifey. She knows how hard I've worked and how much I wanted this stuff so when Black Friday/Cyber Monday rolled around, she consented to let me get a few things. Last night I was greeted by the lovely FedEx man AND who some might call Brown Santa (Mr. UPS). So between last night and this afternoon, I've been trying to stay distracted by setting up my speakers and new A/V receiver. Man toys are so much fun!!!! Even if only temporarily, it gives me something to do and keeps my mind occupied. Yes, its a little frivolous and I know I could do without, but whats the point if you can't live a little. I'll state it here and now, I'm a dork and I like electronics, yes I'm a geek. LOL! My wife and mother-in-law probably think I'm nuts but I think the speakers sound phenomenal and I couldn't be happier so far. Awe the little joys in life. Anyways, I can feel the Adovan creeping in so I'm going up to bed. I can't believe Thanksgiving is past and Christmas is only 3 weeks away. I could have sworn it was just September.....
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Up and down
Day 12 is done, only 8 more days! I slept pretty good last night until about 430am when all the water and saline in body decided I need to get up. Unfortunately I couldn't go back to sleep. I took some pills and forced myself to eat a good breakfast hoping that it wouldn't come back to haunt me later. By the time I got my chemo session at 9am I was exhausted and feeling a little nauseous so I asked them to give me some IV Adovan. This is lovely little drug that "relaxes" you and helps with nausea. I was out for the next 2.5 hours. After lunch I tried to keep busy to keep my mind off of feeling sick but by 4pm I was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch. Noelle told me that Brynnley was talking to me trying to wake me up for a few minutes and I wasn't responding so Brynnley was getting scared. I woke up to her crying because she didn't know what was going on, super sad... I tried to calm her down and then went upstairs to finish my nap. I slept until 715pm! I never take naps, so this day has been quite a wierd day. I can't say its been a bad day, I've slept through almost all of it. The extra rest and fluid definatly helps as well. I just finished a nice small plate of Thanksgiving leftovers that was even better than the real meal, good stuff! Who knows what tomorrow will be like but I'll enjoy a decent day while I can. The up and down of everyday is really mentally taxing, I have no idea what to expect each day and just pray it is tolerable. I've officially mounted my picture collage so I'm able to look at each time I come into my office at home. That thing is awesome! At 1st I just cried like a little girl because I couldn't believe all the people in the pictures... co-workers, doctors/nurses/techs that I work with, old roomates and college professors, family members I see far too little of, old friends, new friends, basketball teams and people I hardly know. Now I'm able to look at it and it makes smile knowing how many people are thinking of us and are praying for us. Ask me in 3-4 days and I might have something different to say, but I can say it now. Thanks again for all your support!
Monday, November 29, 2010
9 days left
Day 11 of my 20 days of chemotherapy is over with so I'm officially over the hump! It was the 1st time for the nurses to use my port so I was nervous. They prescribed me some Lidocane gel that I was supposed to rub on the site about an hour before my treatment. The gel just numbed the area up a little bit so that the needle wouldn't hurt so bad. Needless to say, I forgot to put the gel on. Turns out that having a nurse access the port with a larger needle is MUCH LESS painful than having her miss 3-4 IV's in my hand with a tiny little needle. It was quick and relatively painless. I had my computer out cruising for some killer Cyber Monday deal (of which there were many) and was feeling relatively good. I was even able to take a quick nap during the Cisplatin infusion. BTW, this is the daily regimen when I am getting treatment...
~ 600 cc of saline for hydration = 1 hr
Decadron (steroids) and Anzemet (anit-nausea) = 20 min
~ 251 mg of Etoposide (Chemo drug #1) = 45 min
~ 51 mg of Cisplatin (Chemo drug #2) = 50 min
~ 600 cc of saline = 1 hr
Towards the end of the last saline infustion I started feeling it. The ache nausiousness that always rears its ugly head. The crummy thing is that for my 2nd cycle this feeling didnt hit me until Wednesday morning. I downed almost an entire footlong from Subway and a bag of chips at lunchtime and felt great. I drove myself home, took a nap, and Noelle's mom fixed a yummy dinner. As I sat down to eat I realized I had no desire whatsoever to eat anything. Bummer. I forced myself to eat some chicken and rice but it was maybe 1/4 of what I would normally eat. I guess its true that the more chemo you are exposed to, the quicker your body reacts to it. So, thats that, looking forward to another long week. It is tolerable though, after tomorrow's session I'll only have 8 days left. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! It sure does make it easier with this little girl around.
I can't wait to meet her little sister. Sorry for the poor quality but was the best I could pull off with ultrasound pictures. Enjoy!
~ 600 cc of saline for hydration = 1 hr
Decadron (steroids) and Anzemet (anit-nausea) = 20 min
~ 251 mg of Etoposide (Chemo drug #1) = 45 min
~ 51 mg of Cisplatin (Chemo drug #2) = 50 min
~ 600 cc of saline = 1 hr
Towards the end of the last saline infustion I started feeling it. The ache nausiousness that always rears its ugly head. The crummy thing is that for my 2nd cycle this feeling didnt hit me until Wednesday morning. I downed almost an entire footlong from Subway and a bag of chips at lunchtime and felt great. I drove myself home, took a nap, and Noelle's mom fixed a yummy dinner. As I sat down to eat I realized I had no desire whatsoever to eat anything. Bummer. I forced myself to eat some chicken and rice but it was maybe 1/4 of what I would normally eat. I guess its true that the more chemo you are exposed to, the quicker your body reacts to it. So, thats that, looking forward to another long week. It is tolerable though, after tomorrow's session I'll only have 8 days left. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! It sure does make it easier with this little girl around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)