CA picked the WRONG girl!

Let me see if I can catch everyone up...and YES, before anyone asks…my therapist is constantly on standby at this point. lol 2023 started with my 6th and final chemo treatment on Thursday January 5th.  AH...what a relief that truly was!  Although I did not have a bell to ring...sadly, I honestly felt slighted just a little.  Having that process over was such a relief.  As my Oncologist says, now we wait...  Next up PET SCAN was on February 6 th . WELL...That fucking PET MACHINE let me down AGAIN! Here were the updates.  We will start with the good news! Spleen/Liver - They look good, REAL GOOD.  My spleen is back to its normal size, however, it is still NOT functioning like a typical spleen should.  My Oncologist said that I might not ever get any of its use back.  What does this mean in laymans terms...I have to NOT get sick.  lol...easier said than done with FOUR kids in the house.  THIS will be a constant struggle.  ...

5th chemo treatment is a wrap!   I hear you loud and clear! More updates you say...so here is where we are right now.  Present Challenges. Having Stage 4 Cancer is a FULL TIME FRIGGIN JOB. After my original diagnosis, Non Hodgkin's Double Large B Cell Lymphoma, DLBCL for short. I have had the following symptoms relating to the treatment, medications and the cancer. Night Sweats, Hot Flashes, rash and open wounds on my left foot, lack of sleep, muscle aches, backpain, complete numbing of both of my hands, Mouth sores, extreme fatigue, and a level of nauseousness that no one would ever be prepared for. The medication that was prescribed for my hands is not working and sadly, there is nothing else that I am able to take until after the chemo treatments end. SO I am pretty miserable every single day. The PET scan was LIT, and not in a good way!  Several weeks ago I had my second PET scan. It showed that the cancer was out of the spleen and liver, but unfortunately it showed ...

Hey there! SO just to catch everyone up.  I was discharged over 2 weeks ago.  YAY!  There is honestly no place like home.  Specially to heal and recharge.  We have gotten into quite the routine and with minimal sickness over these last few weeks I have been able to do more leading up to my second dose of Chemo.   So here I sit, the youngest one in the room, I was the first one here today and I will be the last to leave.  I hope that this is not contusive to how aggressive my cancer is.  But that is all that I can think about as I sit in this room.  That and how my hair started falling out in clumps in the shower this morning.  I knew it was coming, but it definitely put me into a dark place today.  The side effects from these medications are no joke.  I've had peripheral neuropathy in both of my hands since the beginning, I am on a medication for that but it is not helping much.  All of my fingers are affected, and I ...

Monday September 12th. I started my first Chemotherapy round today which took 9 hours and totally kicked my ass, which to be honest, I wasn't prepared for.  It was exhausting.  I slept most of the day.   Tuesday September 13th.  Today was tough,  the side effects came up fast and furious this morning.   In a quick 5 minutes, I was feeling all of them.  I slept most of the day away to try to stay healthy again.  So much fluid is still on board and diuretics can't be given as frequently as they would like.  So much pressure and pain in this excess 23lbs of fluid retention in my abdomen and legs.  PT starts tomorrow. Wednesday September 14th.  More terrible side effects happened today, again they were fierce.  Sweats, nauseousness, vomiting, which then in turn causes pain from the convulsing in my swollen abdomen.  Its quite a cycle.  Switched to oral pain medication, which takes a lot longer to process through...

Sunday September 4th, 2022 More excruciating pain.  It was unbearable, Tony asked, "What Boston hospital are we going to because you are NOT going to Worcester again?"  We went to Newton Wellesley, where my Rheumatology team was. Within minutes, I was wisked to a room bypassing the 25 other people in the waiting room.  CT scan, EKGs, all showed internal bleeding and the lacerated spleen and a liver double the size that it should be.  Tons more tests and bloodwork commenced.  I was admitted.  Monday  Typical holiday, lots of students, more testing.  Waiting game.  Tuesday Lots of discussions happened today, met a wonderful team of MDs and RNs who have great bedside manners on the USEN floor.  Haven't slept.  More status quo, bloodwork and testing begins tomorrow.   Wednesday Update I got my PICC line today, and tomorrow they will be moving me to the Hem/Onc floor where the staff is more specialized in cancer treatment....

To tell my story, I must go back several weeks. May 2022 My mother and aunts have just retired and my cousins and I went to Aruba with them on their retirement trip.  I felt GREAT!  It was the most relaxing trip that I have ever had.  Seven days of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I returned from the trip and had to have a "girlie" procedure at the beginning of June called and Endometrial Ablation.  Essentially, the medication that they were giving me to stop my painful "cycle" was not working and due to my previous stomach surgery, it could have been a malabsorption issue.  Again, I had a follow up from this procedure and felt great!   On June 29th, I went to Urgent Care with face and severe neck pain.  I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and sent along my way with antibiotics and Flonase.  Two weeks later, I was still not feeling well and had ear pain still so I went back to Urgent Care.  I was diagno...