Doctor Today

By the time this post appears, I will be at the doctor with Sandi. She has not been doing at all well the last couple of days. Not sure what is going on. I am worried that there is a new issue with her. I expect the blood work will tell us she definitely needs more blood. My concern is with another  infection problem as well as a couple of other things. I am pretty sure something is going on.....just don't know what now.

Even if I am wrong about other things, if they do blood, it is going to be a long day there. Will update when I am back home.

CT Scan Today

Assuming we survived the trip down, by the time you read this post we should be at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital. Sandi is scheduled for a CT Scan of her head with specific emphasis on the sinuses. They are trying to determine the cause of her issues and to rule out cancer making another ugly appearance. Odds are in favor of cancer according to her new Ear, Nose, And Throat doctor, but we hope not. 

We will not have the results today. When we will I have no idea. If you will, spare a moment for her today and think a good thought or two. She has had a hell of time of it these last several weeks.

CT Scan Scheduled

Sandi's CT Scan is now scheduled for early Tuesday morning at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas. Hopefully, all will go well.

From a weather perspective, always a worry this time of year, the forecast is for severe weather tomorrow and Saturday and then dry for the next six or seven days. That should mean the weather should not be a potential issue Tuesday.

Yesterday At The Cancer Doc With Pictures

While there yesterday we took a couple of pictures. When we got home yesterday afternoon, we both were pretty wiped out for far different reasons. I totally forgot we had taken any pictures.

So, here you are.

This is Sandi in infusion awaiting the start of the IVIG. She is hooked up to a bag of saline and has had her premeds. Those are starting to hit her so she is a little sleepy.  

Sandi donated a number of hats she had made in recent weeks. They took some and put them on each side of the room. This is the batch that was closest to us.

Doctor Day

As this post appears this hour, if things have gone right, we are at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital awaiting Sandi's scheduled appointments for blood work and a visit with her doctor. The past week she has not felt very good and is back sleeping in the afternoon for several hours each day. In the past, this has often meant bad things were going on.

I am sure the time change has not helped as it has really thrown both of us way off track at night. I know she is having a very tough time with her allergies. So, hopefully, nothing else is afoot.

It better not be. Not just for her. For me too. I am exhausted and stressed out. Yesterday was the two month point of my Mom passing. It was like it was happening all over again. I was a basket case. I am coping with everything as best as I can. I just can't deal with a crisis with Sandi too right now.

Oncology Visit

Finally home as they were running way behind due to a mandatory staff meeting that went way over their planned time. Sandi's blood work was good enough that the decision was made to pretty much leave things alone right now. A couple of drug doses have been bumped up a little bit, but they were minor tweaks.

They want to give her further time to recover from all the radiation she has had, including the various scans, so the next Pet Scan is moved back at least a month. Resumption of chemo is therefore also on hold for now. We go back in a month.

Sandi Update

Sandi had an appointment this morning for labs and a visit with her cancer doctor. Thankfully, everything with her seems to be really good right now.  We go back in a month.

Home

Things went as well as they could have have for doing this deal. Sick and sleeping now.

Texas Oncology Day

By the time this appears, assuming the creek don't rise and the traffic don't stop us, we will be down at the hospital for Sandi. Today she is to have the IVIG infusion that will take all morning and maybe a piece of the afternoon. After more than thirty of these treatments just over the last couple of years, we have this routine down and pretty much know what to expect not only today, but the next few days.

Still, if you would and have the time, please keep a good thought for her. It isn't chemo, but this stuff hits her pretty hard too.

Sandi Yesterday at Infusion

Yesterday while we were at infusion Sandi asked me to take a picture of her. This was pretty rare, but I was more than willing to do so by way of her cell phone. She wasn't in the shape to make her phone do whatever it does to get a picture to me until this morning. As you can see below the sun was starting to stream into the room as the blinds could not be fully closed. This was about two hours in when the drugs had started hitting her system hard causing her to be cold and sleepy.

IVIG Completed

We have just gotten home as Sandi had a multi hour infusion this morning of IVIG. This is the stuff that supports her immune system and keeps it from collapsing. Sandi did fairly well though there were concerns over her high blood pressure when we first got there. That seemed to resolve on its own so they went ahead with the infusion.

She does not have to be back at Texas Oncology until the 15th of December. At that time they will do blood work and she will have a visit with the doctor. At that time they will also schedule another IVIG deal for the end of the year between Christmas and New Years Day.

Cancer Doc Day

By the time this post appears, we will be on the way to Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital. Sandi has an appointment to do blood work, have her port flushed, and see the doctor. Today, we are supposed to get the results of the PET Scan.

Sandi's cancer fight is an elaborate game of whack a mole. She has tumor sites everywhere from head to toe. So, they do things and some tumors shrink and others grow. Then, things change and the original growers go away and new ones pop up.

Best case scenario is that the spinal tumor that was radiated all of July has shrunk and the others in various places have not grown very much. In that case, they may or may not restart chemo today.

Worst case scenario is the radiation did not work AND other sites have also exploded in growth. They would restart chemo with that too though it most likely would be a more experimental type of chemo.

Her chemo options are increasingly limited as her body build up a tolerance and then the chemo stops working.


So, we just don't know. We both are worried and upset though she handles all this far better than I do.

Between all that and the financial stress as everything is past due and we are facing cutoff of power and such in a week or so the stress around here is pretty damn grim.

So, if you have a moment this morning, please keep a good thought in mind for us. Thank you.

Medical News

Sandi had her appointment with the cancer doc folks this morning. Blood work seems to indicate things are relatively stable. They did a minor in office procedure and will be running some tests to make sure what was removed was/is nothing. All in all they seem pleased at how she is doing and recovering from the radiation treatments.

The current plan is to have her do a PET Scan as soon as possible. Hopefully, that will happen in about two weeks.

In a month she is back to see the cancer doctor and get everything checked and to discuss the planned treatment from that point.

While we don't have any clue what the cancers are doing right now, everything they can assess seems to indicate things are stable and she is regaining her strength. 

Sandi's Latest Creations: Angel Rings

As we grind closer to another visit with her cancer doctor and probably a resumption of chemotherapy, Sandi has been working on angel rings. She now has them for sale over at her iOffer store along with lots of other stuff. These sell for $5.00 each and that includes shipping. You can order here and pay through the paypal widget over to the left or there at iOffer.

We have a mandatory monthly installment payment of $270 due in just a few days to Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital so it would really be nice to sell some things as we do not have any of it.

23 Done, 2 More

This morning Sandi has completed her 23rd radiation treatment. We also met with the radiation doctor as we do each Monday. He is very pleased at how well she has done so far.

She has tomorrow and Wednesday treatments to do. After the deal on Wednesday she will be given discharge instructions. Then, the radiation doctor and the main cancer doctor will plan the imagery test that will be needed to see how successful the radiation was for shrinking the tumor.

Chemo Wednesday

By the time this goes up, we will be at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital as Sandi has an appointment for blood work, doctor visit, and her next round of chemo.  It has been a shaky last few days for her as she has been in tremendous pain. So, we shall see how things go.

Another Chemo Round Done

We just got home from the latest round of chemo. She is awake and doing okay right now. We got a little good news on her blood work as all the numbers had come up a little bit. So, all in all, things were positive today.

In two weeks we go back for the IVIG infusion. This is the stuff to support her immune system.

Another Doctor Day Completed

Sandi had a doctor visit down at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital this mroning. Things went as well as they can these days. Her bloodwork is stable and they are pleased at all of her test results.

The plan is for to start the next round of chemo on December 16.

Sometime in early February after she has completed her fourth round of chemo they will do another Pet Scan to re-image the cancers and see how she is doing.

Chemo Wednesday

Finally home after Sandi had her multi hour infusion of IV chemo. Tonight she will start the oral chemo pill for this cycle. Her bloodwork seems to indicate that for now things are stable.

Her next appointment is December 1.

Sandi's Hats and Slippers for Kids

Beyond the stuff she has added to her iOffer site, my wife Sandi has these for sale. Quantities are very limited and are first come first served.

The hats come with either one eyeball or two. They fit children age 3 to 10. The cost is $7.50 plus postage.

She also has pairs of slippers. Slipper is five and a half inches long. The cost is $7.50 plus postage.

Sandi will do special orders on request. But, one has to understand there may be delays due to her health issues with chemo and her cancer. Her next round of chemo starts Wednesday. 

Below are two pictures featuring just some of the staff at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital who have been our support these past many months. They are sporting the hats Sandi made them for their Halloween dress up day as they worked to not only save lives, but make folks a little happier while at treatment.