Sandi Update

Sandi is now back home after blood work at Texas Oncology that determined she absolutely had to have platelets today. We have been warned to expect to be the hospital into the evening after her doc and lab appointments on Thursday as they expect she will have to have another unit of platelets as well as two units of blood.

Other than that she is doing okay.

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.

Home from Cancer Doc

Back home from the cancer doctor.  Blood work was done and things are okay. The dosage was increased on one of Sandi's meds that is used to treat the neuropathy pain as well as the pain she is having from the scar tissue caused by the radiation.

As it stands right now she will do another IVIG infusion on December 28th.

Then, come mid January she will do another doc visit with blood work.

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 and Pet Scan Results

Sandi had another round of the IVIG today and we are now back home. This is the stuff that is supposed to help stabilize her immune system and keep it from utterly collapsing yet again.

The results of the Pet Scan are inconclusive and a mixed bag. Some hot spots or tumors have vanished. But, she has new ones in places that she has never had them before. They want more time to take another look at the imaging, but it seems to be a bit of a wash as to whether or not the chemo is really working.

With no compelling reason to change things one way or another--at this point--she is scheduled for her next round of chemo in two weeks.

IVIG Done

IVIG was done and we are home. Hopefully, this will help.

Infusion Done

We are back home as Sandi has had her chemotherapy infusion today.  This was the monthly IV under the new treatment plan. All the many moving pieces are still trying to get together so that she can have her daily oral pill.

Her bloodwork looked really good today so all involved are very happy about that. We go back next Tuesday for bloodwork and a doctor visit. The hope is that by then the oral pill will be in place and she can start that by the middle of next week.

IVIG Infusion Completed

It is done and we are back home. This was blood work and IVIG infusion only. In two weeks she has a doctor visit. At that point they will be looking at everything and planning out the next several months.

Back Home

Did the IVIG infusion for Sandi and we are back home. She is not feeling well and has gone to bed where she is already back asleep after sleeping the entire car ride home.

Next up is an endocrinologist on Monday afternoon.

Home

Just got here as after a rough start things got going quicker than normal. Sandi is going to bed after her IVIG infusion. She is doing okay.

Back Home

Everything went okay and a little faster than expected.  That is a good thing.

Immune System Infusion Completed

Minutes ago we arrived back home and Sandi is already back to sleep as today has not been an easy one. After blood work this morning, they gave her the first dose of IVIG. This is supposed to stabilize her immune system and will be given monthly until the summer. At that point, a session will be skipped and her numbers checked. She tolerated the infusion fairly well and those in charge seemed happy about that.

What was not good news was the fact that her kidney function seems to have taken another major nose dive along with a troubling trend with her protein levels. Both are dropping and that does not help with her worsening swelling in her feet and lower legs. Water and protein shakes are advised for now though if this does not get better more tests will have to be planned to check various major organs.

One hopes that does not become necessary. In the meantime, we are to watch for any sort of allergic reason or anything out of the ordinary.