Thursday, December 22, 2011

Christmas is Coming

Here at Highland for treatment as usual, last one before Christmas though, I guess next to last one in 2011. January starts a whole new year, not that it will change a whole lot, I do go to Little Rock for testing and I will see Dr. Barlogie to get new orders, but they probably won't change a lot. This is short today but just wanted to post before Christmas, Jonah sees the presents under the tree at our house but doesn't really seem too interested. I'm sure when the time comes that will change, the excitement will be there and paper will start flying. I'm sure he will be the center of attention this year.

Everyone have a wonderful Christmas.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Winter Weather, Dallas & Christmas

Wow its been along time since I posted, this time of year is so busy & where does the time go anyway......We did make the trip to Dallas/Canton and had a good time, we hit the ground running off the plane that is. The trip was alot of fun, tiring but fun, enjoyed the time with Candes. Christmas is just around the corner, hope everyone is ready, we are very close, just a few loose ends to tie up and we will be ready. I can't wait to see how Jonah reacts this year to the whole present unwrapping idea. I have been doing pretty good lately, still having alot of problems with the neuropathy, the last medication they added has some different issue that comes with it, I get the shakes of the morning pretty bad, I just deal with it though. Does it help I'm not really sure. I have worked on this post about 3 different times but just never have finished it. Can't believe Christmas is here, only 6 more days, with the weather being warmer it doesn't really seem like Christmas time. I think our shopping is finished now so no more trips to the mall or to town to shop. Now this week is for baking and fixing snacks & finger food, I made a batch of the old fashion fudge on Saturday and by Sunday it was almost gone. (Clay loves this fudge.) Needless to say I will be making more in a day or two. I made the Walmart run early, early this morning so that would be done, I don't want to be there later this week cause it will be a mad house. Tomorrow is just a being at home day, getting some things done, Wednesday I'm going in for a massage. Thursday is my usual treatment day, this doesn't change even with it being Christmas week. So it is kinda a laid back week getting some things done, baking & enjoying not stressing over last minute shopping. (December 19th)





Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Beautiful Color

Just in the last few days the trees have really started to turn to beautiful fall colors. Clay & I took a drive last Sunday afternoon, down old 71 to Lake Fort Smith expecting to see alot of color but we were really surprised. We need to take a drive now because I think there would be a big change, it is just amazing what a few days will do. It is Wednesday but I am here at Highland for treatment, I changed my appointment this week so I could take a little road trip with Candes to the Dallas area. She has a friend in Dallas we will be staying with, we are going to do a little shopping, a little flea marketing and I'm sure a little eating out. It's just a long week-end little trip but it should be fun.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Brrrrrr it's cold

Well you would think winter had arrived but we know better, fall is definitely in the air. Love living in NW Arkansas!!!!! Of course it's Thursday and I am at HOG getting treatment. Things have been going pretty good lately, I have been feeling decent these days. I always have back pain & other pain areas, I have good days and bad. Having lunch today with Candes and an old friend at Zaxby's.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Change Of Plans

I guess there was a misunderstanding between Little Rock or me with this Thyroid testing. I had my shots Thursday & today and I need my bloodwork on Monday, well 6 months ago I was told by them that I could have the bloodwork drawn at HOG and they just fax the results to them. This is where the misunderstanding came in, I will have to make a trip to Little Rock on Monday just for a blood draw, seems a little crazy but what has to be has to be. I tried very hard to convince them that HOG would work with them anyway they could to do this but they want it drawn there and send it off to the out of state lab that they use all the time. Pam Neal is going to be my driver on Monday, we will make the best of the road trip and maybe find something fun to do while we are there. So from day to day this is how things can change. Oh well its the name of the game. Speaking of the game. Go Hogs!!!!! WPS



Thursday, October 6, 2011

October & Fall Are Both In The Air

Love, love, love this weather, to have cool mornings and then beautiful afternoons. What more could you ask for? I know it will change soon enough but we can sure enjoy it while it's here. Everyone is decorating for Fall, I just love this time of year, I'm not much on Halloween but I love to decorate for Fall. When the kids were little we would do Halloween but now I just like the Fall deco. I'm at HOG right now doing treatment, it's a heavy load today, something different than ever before, regular treatment, plus my bone strengthening push (which I get every 2 months) & my thyrogen shot. I will come back in tomorrow for another thyrogen shot as well, I will do blood work Monday for my thyroid doctor at UAMS in Little Rock.

I picked Jonah from school yesterday, we had alot of fun, we went to visit my mom which is his Great Grandma Walker. We played outside, pulled her wagon, rode the Gator, went to the barn to see the kittens and of course found the toy closet inside. We went back to our house where we of course played inside and out, I love this little guy.

Get out and do something this week-end and enjoy this weather.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Added Another (B)

By the time my treatment was over they had called another prescription in for the Neuropathy. I will continue to take the one I have been taking for several months, just take this one in addition to it. This medication is one that I will ease into, the first 5 days I will take it at night, then the next 5 days of a morning, after that 3 times a day. It just gets really scary when you can't hardly feel your feet or legs. Hopefully this will help, it will probably take close to 30 days before I can tell a difference though.


Again get out and enjoy the beautiful weather this week-end!!!!!!!

Fall Time (A)

I love this time of the year, even though some of the afternoons have been warming up it just feels good. These cool mornings and cool evenings are great, fall is in the air. One more day in September and we will start a new month, before you know it Christmas will be here. Time always flies seems like this time of year, I hope fall stays a while so we can enjoy this weather. In years past we sometimes didn't really get to enjoy the fall because it jumped right into freezing winter weather.


Well I think I am finally feeling better as far as the viral infection goes, hopefully it is out of my system now. After the fever, sore throat, and no voice for a week then it seem to have settled in my neck, shoulders and back, I think a week of that was actually worse than the first week. With antibiotic, heat & alot of do nothing I think I'm better. Now its just back to the usual bone pain & Neuropathy which is getting alot worse. I have had issues with the Neuropathy but with time it is getting more severe, my feet stay tingly all the time now and it seems to be traveling up my legs as well. I take one medication for this but it is not really doing the trick, Little Rock has said that they could prescribe another drug as well but that my oncology clinic could do this as well. So I am here today we will see if that happens if not I will have to call Little Rock back. It is just a terrible feeling when you can't really feel your feet, it's the same feeling when your feet go to sleep and they are waking up, but then they just stay that way all the time. I finally was able to keep my dentist appointment for my crown, came into HOG to get my shot on Monday to boost my counts and back on Tuesday for bloodwork, to see if it did the trick, and it did. So it was on to the dentist for the crown. It's been a long time in the planning for this crown, glad to finally get it done. So with treatment today I have been to HOG three times this week. Next week will be about the same type of week, I have needed to have some things done for Little Rock since April and its just now going to come about. My thyroid doctor in LR ordered Thyrogen injections two days in a row and then blood work a few days later, this medication has been on back order since April and just now has came in. There evidently was a shortage in Arkansas even at UAMS in LR, this is to check to make sure there's no cancer left in the thyroid area. Its been a year since I had my radiation for thyroid cancer.


Everyone enjoy this weather and have a great week-end, whether you take in BBB or stay away.

Friday, September 9, 2011

How Things Can Change

Since just a few days ago things have really changed alot, when I woke up on Tuesday morning (the day of my last post) my throat was a little sore but that can happen overnight so didn't worry. As the day went on it pretty much passed, I felt ok, Clay has had the crud or whatever since last Friday, he ended coming home from work around 10 that day (Tues) because he felt so bad. He slept alot that day, went to work the next day as well as Thursday & today, he just can't knock it. He decided to run to the dr at noon, got a shot, antibiotic & something for his cough. Now mine seems to be a little different than his, Tuesday night mine started in, so I guess that sore throat was telling me something after all. I started feeling bad and chilling, had 101 temp, after laying around awhile & after taking Tylenol my temp went up to 103. On Wednesday I decided I might should call Highland to see what they would have me do, they wanted me to come in to see an APN, my mother in law took me in since I felt so bad, they did a throat culture thinking it could be strep. Well it wasn't strep, it is a viral infection so great that means no antibiotic will help, so it will just have to run its course. It just really wipes you out, light headed, achy, very sore throat, voice gone & just over all beat. So this probably changes the plans for next week as far as getting my crown done. If I'm still not up to par the dentist won't want to work on me and you can understand that, since this viral thing has been contagious, no one else wants it. That means I will have to reschedule my appointment yet again and that means I will have to change my shot on Monday & bloodwork on Tuesday till the week that I do get back into the dentist. It is all a domino effect, one thing depends on the other. It is always so interesting, something is always going on to keep my life exciting. I am hoping at this point this infection runs its course soon and gets out of my system, Clay and I both have just been dragging around and its not fun. Being lazy is one thing but having to be lazy because you don't feel good is a different story, it gets old. At least I can stay home, he has to go to work not feeling good cause it just drags on, one day you think you might be feeling better & the next day you are worse. So this is my life and how it has played out in just a few days time, you never know how things can change.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Cooler Days

I'm sure everyone is enjoying these cooler temperatures the last couple of days, I also hope you all had a nice 3 day weekend and did something fun over Labor Day. Ours wasn't real productive but it was very nice especially since we weren't having those 100+ temps. Jeremy, Kara & I took Jonah to the County Fair last Thursday night to see the animals, he wasn't too impressed with any of it but the rabbits. I think he liked the rabbits because he could get down on their level and actually touch them, he did also like some of the chickens. I think he felt a little safe because they were in their cages. We did not do the carnival scene, but after we ate we went into the livestock auction to see some of the 4-Hers sell their animals. We decided it was time to have as Jonah calls it "a snack" so Kara & I headed out with Jonah to get a snack. We mentioned a few things to him and of course he would just agree to anything that sounded good, or maybe he would take one of each. Well we decided on cotton candy & ice cream. You will have to remember that last week it was still very hot, we were smart enough to have them put it in a cup not a cone. Jeremy probably wasn't very happy with Mimi getting him sugared up before bedtime but I think he did OK that night after all. We had a fun time, he enjoyed riding the tractors & mowers most of all I think, just like every other little boy.


I have been doing pretty good these last couple of weeks, having alot of bone pain, leg pains & back pain but I think that is just part of this Multiple Myeloma business, I don't think it ever goes away. I will go in for treatment on Thursday as usual, then next Monday I will go in for a Neupogen shot to boost my WBC so I can have a crown put on one of my molars. We have rescheduled this appointment I think 4 times now due to my counts, there is a #inside the WBC that has to be at a certain level before you can have a big procedure done and mine is just not where it should be. When I was in Little Rock, August 10th Dr. Barlogie told me that I could have Highland to give me this shot to see if it will boost it up to where it needs to be, I will go back in again Tuesday morning to do blood work to see if it raised it up enough, it so on to my 10 dentist appointment if not reschedule one more time.



Everyone have a good week, tomorrow is already hump day. Take time to enjoy this beautiful weather.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Take A Break

The wedding is over and we can finally take a little break from wedding plans, arrangements, ordering, picking out and up every other day. It was great, a very beautiful wedding if I do say so myself. It was a perfect day, a little warm for the ceremony but toward the end a cool breeze came through then some rain moved in during the reception. We needed the rain so bad I don't think any complaints were heard. I think that the ceremony and reception went just as Kara had planned for them to go, I hope her every dream came true. They flew to Costa Rica Sunday morning, I know they will have a good time, I'm sure the resort will be amazing, can't wait to hear about it and see pictures.

I skipped my treatment last Thursday due to running errands for the wedding, they had said that I could miss once in a blue moon, I thought this was the right time. I have had alot of swelling in my left foot, ankle and leg. They still haven't decided why this happens whether it is the chemo, the fluid, being up on it way too much or what but starting Sunday I started having pains in my upper leg deep inside. Decided to hold off calling for a day or two, took it easy Sunday & Monday then I called today, went in for a nurse consult, had a Doppler ran to look for blood clots. Good news there was not a clot but I have sluggish blood flow in the main vein, they are thinking there might be some blockage somewhere so they suggested I have a CT ran but I had just had one a month or so ago. They will study it a little closer in the meantime I am ordered to bed rest or at least down with my leg very elevated applying heat. I will do this rest of today as well as all tomorrow, I go for treatment on Thursday and Dr. Rosenfeld will decide what needs to be done if anything. We just hope for the best and can only think that I have been doing a little more than I should, we do know that I need to take it easy, things will slow down now I know.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Thank You Jesus

We are so thankful for the much needed rain and little cooler temps, we just hope the temps stay down for the wedding. We really were not looking forward to a wedding with 108 degree temps. Just a little over a week away to the wedding, we have been really busy with last minute things, there are so many things that can't be done until the last little bit. We are getting very excited as the time gets so close.
Made a trip to Little Rock last Friday, Candes and I left at 7:30 to head down for testing. This visit my only orders called for blood work and a bone marrow biopsy. The biopsy wasn't too bad this time, it was a little painful but they always are. We ate lunch at On The Border then headed back home, kinda a quick trip down and back. Then this week Clay and I went down yesterday to see Dr. Barlogie to get the results, things are going good he seems to think so just keep on doing what I'm doing. I will go back in January for my next appointment for testing, at that time there will be alot more testing involved so it will be an overnighter. But that is about 5 months away so I don't even have to think about that now. The only thing different is that I will take a Neupogen shot in September to boost my Grans count inside my WBC so that I can have my crown done. When this count is so low you are not suppose to have dental work done, so I will get a shot on a Monday, come back in on Tuesday to see if it raised it before I go to the dentist. After the wedding, things will have to slow down, I need to take a little easy for a change and rest a little more.


Hope everyone has seen the rain at some time or another, I sure there has been no complaints.


Have a good weekend.







Thursday, July 21, 2011

It's Thursday

Well it is Thursday again, I always know what I am going to be doing on Thursday from about 9-11:30 or 12. Things go pretty smooth with the chemo, I am so thankful it is not a chemo that makes me sick, with the wedding coming up I don't have time to be sick.
Jonah stayed with us Monday night and I kept him till mid morning Tuesday till Jeanette picked him up. We will get him again Friday afternoon and we will keep him till they get home, maybe Tuesday morning, since they don't get in till 9:30 Monday night, they did make it safe to Haiti.

Saturday the wedding will only be 4 weeks away and we still have things to do but we are trying to wrap it up. They have had 2 showers already that have been really nice, and have received lots of really nice gifts. They have 2 more showers coming up next weekend as well, after that they should be ready to set up house keeping. Seeing all the new things just goes to show you what we all realize, that it should be a rule that you get a shower every 10 or at least 20 years, it just makes sense. We can only pray that temps lower just a little bit before August 20th.

Have a great weekend, stay cool if you can.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Count Down

Time is getting close for the wedding now, only 5 weeks from Saturday. Trying to tie up loose ends and finish up things, just keep thinking of more things that need to be done or that hasn't been done that needs to be done. I've been feeling pretty good lately, so glad to have the weather be just a little bit cooler even if it is just for a day or two. We sure didn't get much rain at our house but we will not complain and be thankful for what we did get.


Jeremy and Adrienne along with David and Catherine are Haiti bound next week so between Jeanette (A's mom) and us we will get to share Jonah for the week. They are excited about getting to go, there are alot of issues that go along with it, like no refrigerator, very little electricity and water is always a problem. The girls will be working in the orphanage and the guys will be doing some construction.


Treatment went fine on Thursday, my counts were pretty good this week, I'm sure they will drop next week though, they always go back and forth. Have a good weekend and try to stay cool.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Hot, Hot, Hot

I don't remember it ever being so hot in June, and to stay this hot for such a long time. We can only hope that we are getting August weather now and then in August we will get spring June weather, thinking of the outdoor wedding that is. Things are moving forward with all the wedding plans, it is getting within a few weeks now, time to tie up all loose ends. I still haven't found my dress yet, I have been looking but just haven't found anything yet, there are just not many places around here to look. We are going to run over to Tulsa one day this week to see if I can find something there. I want to have my dress so I don't have that to worry about.





Things with me are going pretty well, I have a lot of swelling some days in my left leg/foot and even toes. They have been watching it and decided to schedule a Doppler to check for blood clots. Having had clots before I knew that this wasn't the same but we would check it out. They found out that I have a chronic blood clot that had probably been there for some time but it should be ok just continue to take am aspirin a day. Nothing acute and that was a good thing.





They had tested my CA-125 a couple of weeks ago and I got the numbers back last week, it was elevated, not good news. This is the tumor marker they go by for ovarian cancer, even though we don't know what my original numbers were 6 years ago, because no one knew that could have been the issue then. Between Dr. Rosenfeld and Dr. Hightower they feel like I needed to have a cat scan ran, so here I am at Highland drinking that yummy drink waiting the hour until its time for my scan. (Tuesday) Hopefully it is just something weird going on and not that they would find cancer again. To not have ovaries and to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer once is bad enough but if they found it again I just don't know what I would think.






(Thursday) I am here at Highland again, had lab work and saw Dr. Rosenfeld to get the results of the scan, Clay met me here because I think in both of our minds we thought we would be getting bad news. We were so relieved Dr. Rosenfeld said the scans were clean, no sign of cancer there, they are going to keep a eye on the tumor marker to stay on top of things. I have been really struggling with this for a couple of weeks just dreading the outcome, but now I can breathe easier. So thankful.....




(Wednesday) To back up a day, made the trip to Tulsa yesterday for dress shopping, it was a 8-8 long day, I was totally worn out by the time we got home. But the main thing is I found my dress for the wedding, this is something I just wanted to be able to mark off my list and know that it was done. I am very pleased with my find.




HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND & A HAPPY AND SAFE 4 TH OF JULY

























Thursday, June 9, 2011

Long Time

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted, I'm kinda behind. Doing my usual Thursday routine at HOG right now, getting fluid, getting chemo & today I'm taking the bone strengthening bag as well. We are really having issues with my counts right now, my WBC is always low seems like, but there is a # within the WBC that is so low they have to either call Little Rock or check with Dr. Rosenfeld before they treat me. It is 0.7 and it needs to be at least 1.0 before treatment is given. It would be nice to know how you could get these numbers up but the nurses say there is nothing I can do to raise it up. So we just carry on and hope for the best, it would be nice to have normal blood counts for a change but that's probably not going to happen anytime soon. Been feeling pretty good lately, just issues with the back pain still, think it is time for another massage. It helps for a little while anyway.


Things are deep into the planning and doing stages for the wedding now, it will be here before you know it. It is a busy time trying to get everything done at the right time and trying not to leave something undone. It will be a fun time the next few weeks leading up to the event in August.


Summer is so here even though the calendar says its not yet, it has been so hot lately, we complain when it is raining too much and then when it turns off hot with no rain we complain. We are never happy......


Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy this hot weather, out in the pool, doing something fun or staying inside in the cool which ever you decide to enjoy it.





Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mother's Day

Last weekend was really nice, the weather was beautiful for a Mother's Day weekend. Candes and I took our mother to eat lunch at Briar Rose on Saturday, it is such a nice place to eat, so glad it is open. Sunday evening I wanted to go to Tims on mission to eat, so we all met there for dinner, it was so good. After we ate everyone came to the house for awhile. I got some really nice gifts for Mother's Day.


I've been having more low back pain than usual, probably starting Sunday, but not really thinking about it being anything but the normal. Monday it just got worse as the day went on, still not putting it all together. Yesterday morning I ran into HOG lab first thing. Between Monday night and Tuesday morning I had put it all together, having other issues to go along with the back pain. I no more than got back home and they were already calling me, I have a very bad UTI so I had to go back in later to pick up the antibiotic. The nurse said it would probably be a good 24 hours before I felt any better. I can tell this morning I think the antibiotic has kicked in, in a day or two I'm sure I will feel much better.


I still haven't put out any flowers, first it was the cold nights then the wind and now its just doing it. You just hate to go to all the trouble working your beds then have to cover everything or lose it one. I am ready to get started though, Clay usually helps me with the beds, I always like the finished product but its just having the energy and strength to get it done.



Have a good week......

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Back to normal

Things are getting back to normal around the home front after the wedding and Easter. Since the wedding was on Easter weekend we didn't have a family meal together, even though we were all together. We did get together Sunday night at the house for ham and all the trimmings along with strawberry shortcake.


I am having a lot of pain in my lower back, hips and shoulders, whether this is the bone pain that they said I might have with the new bone strengthening drug or not I don't know. I had an issue Sunday that was a little scary, the Praise Team was singing at church and at the beginning of the second song I felt like I was going to pass out, I felt very strange. I didn't feel like I could sing, focus, or even function. I thought if I didn't sit down I would fall down so I found a seat till the song was finished. I stayed for preaching then I left very quickly, when I got home Clay had to help me out of the car due to the hip pain I was having, I couldn't turn to get my legs out of the car. I tried to take it a little easy in the afternoon even though we were having all the kids over to eat. Clay is always a great help in the kitchen, the kids pitched in too. Monday was a pretty restful day so it helped me gain some strength back. These are just issues that you don't really know why or what to blame it on, you would just like to know why or what causes things like this. Had to make a trip to Little Rock yesterday for a doctor visit on my thyroid, it was a 6 month checkup. He felt like everything looked good, he did an ultrasound, watching 1 lymph node but he said it was benign. I will have to have some shots in a week or two and then some additional blood work, he wants my thyroid count to be at zero to know the cancer is all gone. I should be able to have this done at HOG, they are checking right now to see if they can do it here. It would sure be better than having to go to Little Rock for a shot one day then at the same time the next day, then blood work three days later. So it would just really stink if I couldn't do it here at HOG.

The wedding was very pretty, Kara had put a lot of thought into what she wanted. Everything turned out and came off without a hitch and they are married. The hit of the night was the Hot Dog man coming in at 9pm, I didn't know she had booked him but it was a nice treat, the hot dogs were awesome.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Count Down

Time has really flown by, the wedding is this weekend. Kara and Andrew will be married this time next week. Things are coming together and final preparations are being made. It's getting very, very close now. I have my list of things to do this week each day, I have to write it down so I won't forget. Call it age or chemo, whatever. This week sounds a little rainy and stormy, we just hope that for Saturday night it will hold off so that everyone can get inside without getting drenched.


As for me, things are going pretty good, I have had alot of new pains that I haven't had before so you ask yourself is it the new medication? I started with the new drug for my bones and they said there could be side effects and bone pain was one of them so who knows. To help with one issue you have to be in pain for another. Never ending.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter!!!!!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spring Has Sprung

Well it seems like Spring is actually here, the weather has been really nice lately. I am so ready, now if the wind will just calm down a little things will be much better, I guess we can't complain though but we would like to have some rain. Since my last post I think I am finally on the mends, this upper respiratory infection has hung on forever, I still have a little cough but nothing like I had before.

I had a wonderful birthday, one thing about being sick on my birthday it was spaced out over probably a two week period, so it lasted a long time. Our plan was to go out to eat on the Saturday after my birthday, trying to get 8 people together sometimes can be difficult. I really didn't feel like going out to eat so they ordered Catfish Hole and brought it to the house. Everyone enjoyed it, and there was also a cookie dough ice cream cake that was yummy. Then there were gifts, I always like that part, I'm still a kid at heart.

The wedding is getting really close now, all last minute things are being tended to and things are being finalized. It's getting to the excitement stage now, only 16 days to go and there will be another Kara Woody in the family.

I am at Highland taking my treatment right now, we have added something new to my treatment, it is a bone strengthening drug that I will take every two months. Hopefully this will help, it is given to Multiple Myeloma patients. This is given with my fluid through my port, infused over a three hour period. There are some side effects with this drug but hopefully they will be mild. There could be flu like symptoms the next day or two and a few other things I will have to watch for, we will just have to see how it goes.

Have a great weekend, get out and enjoy this beautiful weather.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Birthday Week

The weekend of the 12th I started with a cough, I assumed it was just allergy related so just kinda ignored it. The cough hung on into the week, by Tuesday late afternoon I was feeling pretty rough, went on to bed early. I had plans on Wednesday since it was my birthday, had breakfast plans with my mother in law and sister in law Darcy and then a late lunch was planned with my mom and sister, well all of these things were cancelled due to me being sick and running 102 fever. I was in bed most all day on my birthday as well as the next day too. I didn't take a treatment on Thursday, I just felt too rough, they called me in antibiotic on Wednesday. My fever broke on Thursday but I still just felt bad. I feel a little better one day then the next day I feel really bad again, I'm tired of it, I feel so light headed and woozy most of the time and my sides and stomach are so sore from coughing so much.


Well here I am another week and I'm not over it yet, I saw the APN here at Highland today, it's an upper respiratory infection, I'm still on the antibiotic and she called me in some really good cough syrup (hopefully it helps). I am taking my treatment now and then I will head home to rest. I feel bad that I haven't been able to go to Loving Choices last week or this week, I enjoy volunteering there but I just haven't been able to go. I sure have enjoyed the nice weather we have had lately, I have set out on the porch a couple of days. Now this morning was a little cool for me, we haven't been in the 30's in awhile, we've been in the 50's when morning comes. I am still just ready for Spring to get here and stay.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Little Rock Visit

Clay and I made the trip to Little Rock on Tuesday, another rainy day. We left home about 5:45 in the drizzle but the farther we went the heavier the rain, it rained the entire way there. My appointment was at 10, there was some waiting but it wasn't too bad. Dr. Barlogie was pleased with all the test results, he thought everything looked fine. He wants to start me on a bone strengthening medication, this would be a drip through my port that I would get in addition to the chemo I take each week. There are alot of issues with this drug so I won't be starting it right away but I think when I do start it could help me. I hope so anyway. I have alot of bone pain and he seems to think this would help. I am at Highland now, leaving here to head to the dentist for a quick repair, I chipped a tooth last night. I called to see if I could get in and luckily I called when I did because my dentist is just going to be there till 1 today and they are closed tomorrow. He is having his other knee replacement surgery on Monday so he will be out awhile. So I came here earlier trying to get to the dentist by 11, that is the only time they said they could look at my tooth, so it is a race to get there.
We also drove home in the rain, allthe way till we got close to the tunnel.
Looking foward to warmer days ahead this week.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Starting A New Month

Can you believe it is already March, seems like it was just Christmas and now we are into the third month. March brings Spring, hopefully in weather not just on the calendar. I am so ready for the nicer weather to be here, we may very likely have some more bad weather though, I have heard people talk of a big snow the end of March, who knows. Things are going pretty well with me these days, Candes and I went to Little Rock February 24th and 25th. That was the stormy Thursday that we traveled in, we wanted to get down there so maybe we wouldn't have to be caught in it. We did pretty good, there was only a few miles that we ran into really hard rain, making it a little hard to see. We got to the apartment before it hit, unloaded the car and decided to sit tight for awhile, it got very stormy there, the sirens were going off and there was alot of rain, thunder and lightning going on. Luckily it was a fast moving storm, it moved on out of the Little Rock area and we ventured on out to have dinner and run some errands.

We had an early start Friday morning with my testing, check in and blood work at 8:30 then on to the MRI area after that. Candes left then to go to her doctor appointment over at Baptist, she had scheduled this appointment with her thyroid onocologist since we were going to be in Little Rock. It worked out well because she was back in the waiting room when I came out of the MRI. We got a bite of lunch there at the hospital and then onto the bone marrow biopsy, there was some waiting but it really wasn't bad, I had the last appointment of the day so they are always ready to go home and they have kinda caught themselves up by then. We started out of Little Rock pretty quick and decided to stop at Conway a little while, they had told me it would help with the soreness to walk a little so we walked and shopped a little at Belk. Headed on toward home then, made it home about 5, Kara came down to Candes' house to pick me up and bring me on home. I was very, very sore this time maybe just a little more than usual.

Clay and I will go back to Little Rock this week to see Dr. Barlogie and get the results of the tests.

I started volunteering at Loving Choices a half a day a week, I just wanted to do something to help out somewhere, it is a very good cause.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Beautiful Days

The weather sure has been nice this week, we deserve it after all the snow we have had the last couple of weeks. I actually went for my treatment on the regular scheduled day, which is Thursday this week with no snow. My counts are still low but they were up a little this week. My WBC was 2.4 that is up from 1, that's where it has been for the past three weeks. I am feeling good, finally pretty much over the crud if that is possible this time of year. Can you really ever get over the crud?
Jonah is going to spend the night with us tonight, it is always fun to have him around. He is growing into quite a little boy, he is so funny. We might even get to go outside to play since the weather is going to be fairly warm, he loves to be outside.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Back To Snow Part II

Well I made it in for treatment on Friday, even though they said we wouldn't get much snow. Clay came out to get me to take me to HOG, I was there a little over two hours then Jeremy came by to pick me up to bring me back home. This was the first time I had been out of the house since last Saturday, partly due to the weather but mostly due to this crud that I have had. My WBC this week was critically low, it was down to 1.3, it hasn't been that low in a long, long time. You just have to be really careful being around other people, right now there are so many bugs out there and this makes me very susceptible to pick up something. Since I have already had the crud I don't need to add another bug to it. I didn't get my chemo delivery before I left home so I was afraid I would miss it, Clay tracked it again to find out that beyond UPS control it would not be delivered until Monday. So ok this was just great, after all the waiting, watching for and wondering, it was not coming. So hopefully it will come today and this nightmare will be over for another month anyway. If we get the next snow storm they are talking about I may have an issue with my treatment again this week. It makes it hard for them to get everyone in when they have either closed for a day or open up at 10 instead of 8 for a couple of days, it throws everyone behind.

Friday, February 4, 2011

And Back To Snow

Wow, what a week we have had, but it sounds like we are in store for another week of much the same. I started with the crud or a bad head cold late Saturday night and I still have it so needless to say I haven't been out of the house this week. I have been waiting two days for my chemo delivery, due to the weather it still hasn't arrived. This has to be shipped from Chicago or Ohio and they are alot worse off weather wise than we are, it has messed me up going to Highland for treatment waiting for it. Normally I go every Thursday but my delivery didn't get here, so they changed my appointment to Friday thinking I would have my delivery on Thursday and I would be good to go. Here it is Friday and still no delivery, just hope it gets here before I have to leave, it's just that I have to be here to sign for it so it makes it hard. Well it just started snowing here again, we are not suppose to get very much this time but it is coming down. Stay warm and safe if you are out and about.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

From Snow to Spring

Can you believe this weather??? Oh yes we live in Northwest Arkansas, this is normal for us. It sounds like we are going to have a couple of really nice days before it gets cold again. I am so ready for spring to be here or even summer, I miss getting to set out on my back porch but it is way too cold to do that.
I am at HOG right now doing my weekly treatment, my counts are still not really where they need to be but oh well. I can't believe it is almost February, that means the April wedding is getting very close. Excitement is in the air.
Enjoy the nice days coming up, we are going to have Jonah on Saturday so we can probably be outside just a little bit.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Snow or No Snow

I am scheduled to go to Highland tomorrow for my Chemo, but it sounds like the weather could be bad tomorrow. I tried to change it to today but there weren't any openings, so I guess I will just wait and see what tomorrow brings and go from there. The treatments are going pretty well, they make me a little tired but they haven't made me sick. I am still having issues with my WBC staying low, I have been trying to stay away from crowds of people since it is the flu season. My kidney numbers aren't really where they need to be either, so they are trying to get a handle on that.
Andrew was off today so we met for lunch, it's always good to see him, since he lives in Rogers I don't see him very often. They have a lot going on right now, not just the wedding but they are building a house as well. Andrew is really enjoying being at the Rogers Police Department.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

It's a New Year

Well the Holidays are over and things are getting back to the norm now. We are thinking on to other things now, weddings to speak of. It will be a busy year with two weddings coming up. April will be here before you know it, that will be the first wedding of the year. Andrew and Kara will get married April 23rd and then Kara and Shelby are getting married August 20th. So needless to say it will be an exciting year for the Woody family.

I am taking my treatment right now at Highland, thought I should do something useful with my time here. Things are going pretty well with my treatment, it seems to make me a little on the tired side but it hasn't made me sick. They told me today that I need to be real careful about being around people, my WBC is real low again this week. My platelet count is way down again as well, you never really know what causes these things to happen.