Hopefully A Little Better

I have been on the meds almost two full days now, I am still having alot of pain but I think it is getting less. There have been things that I have done today that haven't been as painful as they were yesterday. I feel like this is a good sign. The swelling is still there and the redness but I feel like we are on the right track, I didn't report in today since I felt there was a little improvement. I go in for blood work again on Monday, so if I don't feel alot better then I will talk to the oncologist. My prayer is that it will be much, much better by Monday, I want to enjoy next week without leg pain.

I have had a great today, it was a beautiful day and I actually set out on the back porch all day long, just in and out for whatever. It was so peaceful, I haven't gotten to do that in a long time.

Have a good weekend and enjoy this weather.

Blood Clots

I guess I thought being home, doing some walking and taking my shots the clots would disappear, but they haven't, they only got worse. Yesterday was a miserable day, my leg hurt so bad, it hurt to set, stand, walk. It just doesn't seem to be improving, I had an appointment at Highland Oncology this morning, I thought I would talk to them about the clots. Dr Travis was in today, I felt good about this since he came from UAMS Myeloma Insitute a few years ago. He put me back on steroids and another drug as well, I still take my blood thinner shot as well. I hope by tomorrow things will be improving. Besides my leg I feel pretty good, I just want my leg to get better so I can enjoy my second week at home.

Results and Heading Home

Only two things standing in my way right now, before getting in the car to head home.

1) Removing the line from my jugular vein

2) Getting the Doppler Ultrasound on my left leg

Waiting with phone in hand this morning for a call from the scheduling nurse, to let me know what time to go in to have the Doppler done and my line taken out.

Our plan was to have these things done early (which was mentioned to us yesterday) this morning and be on the road by noon. Well when I did get the call it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was told to come on in to get my line taken out, but they would have to work me in. When we checked in we saw the waiting room was packed so we were sure that this wasn't a good sign, but I probably didn't set there 10 minutes and my buzzer went off. So this was a good thing. The other thing the scheduling nurse told me, they couldn't get me in until 2 for the Doppler, not what we wanted to hear. After they pulled my line (and I do mean pulled) Andrew and I grabbed a sandwich at the hospital and headed on down to the vascular lab, we thought they might try to get me in a little sooner. First they told us that there were no other openings so it would be 2. But it was just a little before 1 they called me back, I was very grateful. I was in alot of pain, I knew something was wrong I just didn't know what. The pain was in my left inside calf area but had also moved up into my upper thigh as the day has done on. I was getting to feel a little worry and concern. The results were that I did have 2 blood clots, the are superficial, they say that is the better ones to have unlike the deep ones. But I am here to say they are very painful, it hurts to walk, stand, set and lay, so there is not a real good position to be in. The plan is to use blood thinners for a week and do some walking(which I said is very painful but I have to force myself)and hopefully this will take care of it. I got the first shot before we left, Andrew got instructions on how to give the shots, he will be giving them to me for the next 6 days. Yes, back to the shots in the stomach. We finally got out of there and went to the apartment to load the car, of course Andrew had to do all the loading since I can't lift, squat, bend over or about anything else due to my line being taken out just a little early. We don't want any unnecessary bleeding to start. We were on the road for home, we stopped to let me walk around alittle on the way, we pulled in the driveway right about 8pm. It is sure good to be home, I will be home for almost 2 weeks.

One Step Back

Our trip to the infusion center was fast and painless today, just blood work, no fluids. So in and out. Now with time to kill before my 4:00 Dr. appointment we headed back to the apartment. At my appointment we had to talk to the nurse, Physicians Assistant, research nurse and one more nurse before we actually saw the dr. There is alot involved at a discharge appointment, you have to get your instructions for home and go over your medications.

Dr. B. released me to go home for two weeks to build my strength, before coming back to get ready for my transplant.

There was only one little set back today, I have mentioned before that I had a problem with my leg wanting to make a blood clot. It didn't ever happen last time but today of all days it is trying again, it is very red and holding heat. They felt like to be safe we better have a doppler ultrasound ran on my leg. Hopefully it won't show up anything but we can't take a chance before heading home. I will also get my line taken out tomorrow, it will be so nice to have that out, even if it is just for 2 weeks. So we wait to see what tomorrow will bring. I am just ready to head home for while.

More Of The Same

Much of today was the same as every other day, with a couple of fun things thrown in to boot. On the way to the infusion center Clay and I stopped at "The Academy" shoe and much more store. We hadn't ever been there and I wanted to look for some tennis shoes, it is a huge store. I pretty much stayed in the T-shoe section since that was what I was looking for, yes I found a pair. Then we headed on to the infusion center, I needed potassium today, so I came home with an infuser that Andrew unhooked at 8 tonight. All other counts were good. As I mentioned a day or so ago my eyes are the issue right now, they are driving me crazy. They are still so itchy and irritated, I talked to the nurse about it today she mentioned it was probably due to my eyelashes falling out. I had decided that maybe they wouldn't fall out this time, due to the length of time between loosing my hair and now. I have always been fond of my eyelashes so I hate to face the fact that they will slowly be disappearing. They put me on Benadryl for the itching and suggested holding cold packs on my eyes. Hopefully this will help, having to wear my glasses means no sun glasses and the sun makes my eyes so sensitive, my eyes water all the time now anyway. The other fun thing was I rode in the golf cart with Andrew while he played 9 holes of golf. It got me out of the apartment and it had cooled off enough that the fresh air was good for me.

A Shorter Day

Today we got up, ate breakfast and decided we would go to the Farmers Market in Bryant. It is a fairly new market to the area so we didn't know what to expect. On the other hand I think I was expecting more like our Farmers Market in Fayetteville. I was a little disappointed but oh well it was an outing. We came back to the apartment to eat lunch and headed to the infusion center, today was probably the shortest time ever spent there. I had to get fluids and have blood drawn, my WBC had gone down just a tiny bit, it was 4.3. They say it could do this, as it is coming up, go back and forth a little. So another good day, Clay is going to cook out and we are just going to stay home tonight.

A Better Day

Things started looking better today, I started out this morning feeling pretty good for change. Today was the first day I could actually go anywhere, I felt like I had been let out of prison, Clay and I decided to go to Cracker Barrel to eat breakfast. When you are down here taking treatments you loose all track of time, you don't know what day it is little on the date. It honestly seems like I have been here at least a year. But I know better. Today was another good day with counts, my WBC was up to 4.61 and my RBC is now at 9.8, I did get blood today but hopefully that will be all I need. I am just excited about feeling better for a change, just hope it continues. My throat is still getting better but not well, new symptoms that started late yesterday: fever blisters and dry itching eyes. My eyes did this last round, my eye dr. said it was due to all the steroids I had taken. It will probably last close to a week. It is very irritating, and so hard to keep your hands off your eyes, I am not able to wear my contacs right now and I hate that. Saturday, Sunday and Monday we will do blood work and maybe fluids, then I we see the dr. late Monday afternoon hopefully to plan a trip up North.