If the Cubs lose one more game, they're out.
If they win tonight, they will travel back to Cleveland for one or two more games.
The Series is a best of 7. There have been 4 games, and the Cubs have only won 1.
This is very frustrating, but it's giving me something to focus on, and helping me adapt, and just continue to live my life, despite being back on a chemo regime.
Feeling good, though. I have been getting up and doing my morning work outs, and the weather has been decent, so I have been able to get out and walk, too.
I get a little fatigued in the afternoons, but it's really not bad.
The only side effect I've noticed so far is that my mouth is "off" a little. It's almost like I burned it with hot coffee or something.
Food tastes normal, though, so it's not a big deal. Just.... strange.
Today will be about carving pumpkins and setting up how we will pose our life size plastic skeleton in the window this year.
Hoping we get a good showing of trick or treaters tomorrow.
Dave is also going to put away the wind chimes, and the plastic flamingos, and maybe cut back the ornamental grasses in the flower bed.
Go Cubs, Go!
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sunday, October 23, 2016
So far, so good...oh, and CUBS WIN!
My first few days on the chemo pill have been fine.
The first set of injections (turns out the injection med is the new hormone blocker, and it is administered in two large doses to my glute muscles) were painful as hell going in, but did not leave me in too much discomfort.
The injection sites themselves were sore for a couple of days, but I anticipated not being able to walk from muscle pain, and that did not happen.
Dave did a little research into the cost of the pills, and it comes out to almost $10,000.00 a month.
In January, this will probably require me to do another fund raiser, as my deductible and out of pocket will start over and need to be met before the insurance will resume payment.
Each pill is $469.00
There may be a couple of assistance programs available, too, which we will investigate.
Last night, the Chicago Cubs came home to Wrigley Field for the 6th game in the National League Championship Series.
They won. SOUNDLY.
This is the first time since the fall after World War Two ended that the Cubs have won the National League Pennant.
My dad's ghost must be very happy.
I know my dad's descendants are very happy!
I sobbed for joy, and will never forget how exciting it was to watch them win this game.
Now, onward to the World Series.... may that other number on the Eamus Catuli sign return to 0 as well! (look it up if you don't know what I am talking about)
The first set of injections (turns out the injection med is the new hormone blocker, and it is administered in two large doses to my glute muscles) were painful as hell going in, but did not leave me in too much discomfort.
The injection sites themselves were sore for a couple of days, but I anticipated not being able to walk from muscle pain, and that did not happen.
Dave did a little research into the cost of the pills, and it comes out to almost $10,000.00 a month.
In January, this will probably require me to do another fund raiser, as my deductible and out of pocket will start over and need to be met before the insurance will resume payment.
Each pill is $469.00
There may be a couple of assistance programs available, too, which we will investigate.
Last night, the Chicago Cubs came home to Wrigley Field for the 6th game in the National League Championship Series.
They won. SOUNDLY.
This is the first time since the fall after World War Two ended that the Cubs have won the National League Pennant.
My dad's ghost must be very happy.
I know my dad's descendants are very happy!
I sobbed for joy, and will never forget how exciting it was to watch them win this game.
Now, onward to the World Series.... may that other number on the Eamus Catuli sign return to 0 as well! (look it up if you don't know what I am talking about)
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Chemo Lite
After a week and a half of waiting, I am finally approved for my new medication protocol.
I always choose not to read about the drugs I am being given, because I don't want to imagine myself experiencing side effects.
I let Dave read all about the medications, and then I ask him if something I am experiencing is listed as a potential side effect.
We did this all through a year and a half of IV chemo treatments, and it worked for us. Maybe I was not sick from chemo because I didn't expect to be.
As a result, I have not read about the new medication I will be taking, and so I did not realize previously that it IS a chemo protocol.
i thought it was just a different way of blocking the hormones that stimulate the cancer cells.
I found that out the other day during a rally of phone calls that I had to make to get everything set up so that I could be approved.
Dave calls is chemo lite, so I will go with that. He did read that alopecia (hair loss) is NOT one of the potential side effects.
Be that as it may, I still experienced a wave of intense anxiety upon realization that I AM, indeed, going back into chemotherapy.
The oral med should arrive at my home on Tuesday, and I get my first injection on Thursday.
Please send all of your good thoughts my way so that I can stay healthy and strong as I have all along.
The process of getting the oral medication was quite involved. The doc said that it's new, which may be why the process was so crazy, and it is apparently VERY expensive.
I had to spend an hour on the phone with the specialty pharmacy branch of CVS (CVS is who our insurance requires us to use).
The rep who was getting me set up said that the co-pay amount shocked her, and she refused to tell me what it was, since I do not currently have to pay it.
Our deductible and out of pocket were met in January of this year, thanks to the extreme expense of my chemo treatments at the beginning of the year.
This "shocking" co-pay in my future has me VERY worried about January when we go back to $0 paid on our deductible, out of pocket, and co-pays.
I may have to do another fund raiser in order to be able to pay for my medication next year.
Great.
This is not helping my anxiety.
In other news, the Cubs did not lose their first game in the National League Championship Series. They have, in that sense, made it further now than they did last year, when they were swept by their opponents.
We were at a little bar last night for a watch party for the game. We were the oldest people there, and also the loudest. It was fun.
We sat outside, and it was breezy and in the upper 70s under a bright Hunter's Moon.
The weather has been un-seasonably hot, and will be again today.
We were putting up Halloween decorations yesterday in 90 degree weather. Ick.
We're heading out for a little walk in the only nature preserve in town. Then, later, I have a couple of cooking projects.
Time to get going on the day.....
I always choose not to read about the drugs I am being given, because I don't want to imagine myself experiencing side effects.
I let Dave read all about the medications, and then I ask him if something I am experiencing is listed as a potential side effect.
We did this all through a year and a half of IV chemo treatments, and it worked for us. Maybe I was not sick from chemo because I didn't expect to be.
As a result, I have not read about the new medication I will be taking, and so I did not realize previously that it IS a chemo protocol.
i thought it was just a different way of blocking the hormones that stimulate the cancer cells.
I found that out the other day during a rally of phone calls that I had to make to get everything set up so that I could be approved.
Dave calls is chemo lite, so I will go with that. He did read that alopecia (hair loss) is NOT one of the potential side effects.
Be that as it may, I still experienced a wave of intense anxiety upon realization that I AM, indeed, going back into chemotherapy.
The oral med should arrive at my home on Tuesday, and I get my first injection on Thursday.
Please send all of your good thoughts my way so that I can stay healthy and strong as I have all along.
The process of getting the oral medication was quite involved. The doc said that it's new, which may be why the process was so crazy, and it is apparently VERY expensive.
I had to spend an hour on the phone with the specialty pharmacy branch of CVS (CVS is who our insurance requires us to use).
The rep who was getting me set up said that the co-pay amount shocked her, and she refused to tell me what it was, since I do not currently have to pay it.
Our deductible and out of pocket were met in January of this year, thanks to the extreme expense of my chemo treatments at the beginning of the year.
This "shocking" co-pay in my future has me VERY worried about January when we go back to $0 paid on our deductible, out of pocket, and co-pays.
I may have to do another fund raiser in order to be able to pay for my medication next year.
Great.
This is not helping my anxiety.
In other news, the Cubs did not lose their first game in the National League Championship Series. They have, in that sense, made it further now than they did last year, when they were swept by their opponents.
We were at a little bar last night for a watch party for the game. We were the oldest people there, and also the loudest. It was fun.
We sat outside, and it was breezy and in the upper 70s under a bright Hunter's Moon.
The weather has been un-seasonably hot, and will be again today.
We were putting up Halloween decorations yesterday in 90 degree weather. Ick.
We're heading out for a little walk in the only nature preserve in town. Then, later, I have a couple of cooking projects.
Time to get going on the day.....
Sunday, October 9, 2016
A step back
The scan results weren't great.
They weren't horrible, but they weren't great.
There are "a few" new, small spots in the liver. The doc said they may have been there all along, but were previously too small to see.
Now, they're growing ever so slightly.
He impressed upon us that this is not the end of the world. It hopefully just means that the maintenance medication I am on is not sufficient.
So, the plan is to change the maintenance medication to a newer drug that has had phenomenal success in studies, and to add another monthly injection.
I will continue to receive the monthly injection I already get for the bones.
The part of the scan that WAS good news is that everything else....EVERYTHING else... is stable.
The doc said this is about a 1% change. Dave was the one who said the words, "minor setback," but the doc whole-heartedly agreed with those words.
He verified that my lab work is still perfect, and I myself verify that I am perfectly healthy.
The insurance hasn't approved the new protocol yet, though, so I am still just taking the hormone blocker. Hopefully, this coming week, I will make the trip to the pharmacy for the new pills, and get a phone call about when they want me to come in for my first injection.
I did switch back to the original hormone blocker that I was on, because the second one made my joint pain really bad.
In just a few days, I have seen a change in that. It's still bad, but the way in which it is bad has returned to how it was before. It's mostly a problem during the night, instead of all the time.
The "trigger" action of my thumb has not improved, though. That may take a visit to an orthopedist. Yay.
I am really hoping that this new drug doesn't cause joint pain. That would be a blessing.
Anyway....
The Cubs are ahead in the first round of post season play offs! We went out to a watch party on Friday with a group called Cub Fans in Oklahoma. That was really fun, but we can't afford to have to go out and spend money to see every game, though, so we signed up for an internet tv channel called Sling.
We get 7 days free, then it's $25 per month, and we can cancel at any time.
They supposedly carry all of the post season, though, for some reason, they didn't carry last night's game.
From what I have been seeing on facebook, there was some kind of special black out for last night's game only, and if you didn't have access to the MLB NETWORK specifically, you could not see last night's game.
All we could get of last night's game was radio. Lots of folks were in that boat.
So we put the radio stream through the stereo, and got our one beer a piece, and our Cubs peanuts, and listened. It was fun!
Yesterday was all about getting caught up on house work.
I was so busy last weekend that I didn't get any chores done at all. This morning, almost everything is done. I just have to tidy up the dining room table, where all the mail lands, and Dave has to do the stove.
I even cleaned the tile walls in the bathroom and kitchen.
Actually...aside from the dusting and blinds/windowsills not being done...this house has not been this clean since just before my surgery 18 months ago.
We are also going to mow and do yard work when Dave gets back from his dad's.
I have some pansies to plant. Yes, in Oklahoma, you plant pansies in the FALL.
We spent about an hour in the hot tub last night, and I slept really well after that, and after the celebratory Cubs Win shot of whiskey.
I love weekends and days off from work. Maybe some day I will be able to retire...sigh....
Off to the shower!
They weren't horrible, but they weren't great.
There are "a few" new, small spots in the liver. The doc said they may have been there all along, but were previously too small to see.
Now, they're growing ever so slightly.
He impressed upon us that this is not the end of the world. It hopefully just means that the maintenance medication I am on is not sufficient.
So, the plan is to change the maintenance medication to a newer drug that has had phenomenal success in studies, and to add another monthly injection.
I will continue to receive the monthly injection I already get for the bones.
The part of the scan that WAS good news is that everything else....EVERYTHING else... is stable.
The doc said this is about a 1% change. Dave was the one who said the words, "minor setback," but the doc whole-heartedly agreed with those words.
He verified that my lab work is still perfect, and I myself verify that I am perfectly healthy.
The insurance hasn't approved the new protocol yet, though, so I am still just taking the hormone blocker. Hopefully, this coming week, I will make the trip to the pharmacy for the new pills, and get a phone call about when they want me to come in for my first injection.
I did switch back to the original hormone blocker that I was on, because the second one made my joint pain really bad.
In just a few days, I have seen a change in that. It's still bad, but the way in which it is bad has returned to how it was before. It's mostly a problem during the night, instead of all the time.
The "trigger" action of my thumb has not improved, though. That may take a visit to an orthopedist. Yay.
I am really hoping that this new drug doesn't cause joint pain. That would be a blessing.
Anyway....
The Cubs are ahead in the first round of post season play offs! We went out to a watch party on Friday with a group called Cub Fans in Oklahoma. That was really fun, but we can't afford to have to go out and spend money to see every game, though, so we signed up for an internet tv channel called Sling.
We get 7 days free, then it's $25 per month, and we can cancel at any time.
They supposedly carry all of the post season, though, for some reason, they didn't carry last night's game.
From what I have been seeing on facebook, there was some kind of special black out for last night's game only, and if you didn't have access to the MLB NETWORK specifically, you could not see last night's game.
All we could get of last night's game was radio. Lots of folks were in that boat.
So we put the radio stream through the stereo, and got our one beer a piece, and our Cubs peanuts, and listened. It was fun!
Yesterday was all about getting caught up on house work.
I was so busy last weekend that I didn't get any chores done at all. This morning, almost everything is done. I just have to tidy up the dining room table, where all the mail lands, and Dave has to do the stove.
I even cleaned the tile walls in the bathroom and kitchen.
Actually...aside from the dusting and blinds/windowsills not being done...this house has not been this clean since just before my surgery 18 months ago.
We are also going to mow and do yard work when Dave gets back from his dad's.
I have some pansies to plant. Yes, in Oklahoma, you plant pansies in the FALL.
We spent about an hour in the hot tub last night, and I slept really well after that, and after the celebratory Cubs Win shot of whiskey.
I love weekends and days off from work. Maybe some day I will be able to retire...sigh....
Off to the shower!
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Dance, dance, dance...
It's finally over.
My return to being on stage, in one six minute class recital routine, has been accomplished.
I feel that I did not dance very well, because I was feeling a sense of "guarding" in my posture, and my shoes got caught in the "seams" on the temporary stage they had for us....but, all in all, it was very good to get out there again.
One more thing accomplished, so that the next time, I will be more relaxed, and will do better.
Dave didn't get any good pictures, and no one thought to get a picture of our class together with our feather fans and in our costumes. Never fails.
Oh well.
Today, I am taking a workshop with the "star attraction" of last night's show. This was an old fashioned "seminar show," like my troupe back home used to perform in a lot.
There were two seminars yesterday, and one today, and everyone performing was required to take at least one seminar workshop.
I chose the least threatening one, "Artful entrance choreography." While it still calls for knee pads, it's not going to be as intense as the classes for drum solo and stage tricks, like dropping to your knees!! I will just skip the floorwork parts, or do them standing.
We went to OKC Pagan Pride Day yesterday. It was a beautiful day, and it was fun to go and see, once again, that we are not alone here.
I bought some earrings from a friend, and we participated in the public ritual that was an observation on the seasons of the year and their holidays in our various traditions.
Not much time for anything to get done today, so there will be an easy roasted chicken for dinner.
My return to being on stage, in one six minute class recital routine, has been accomplished.
I feel that I did not dance very well, because I was feeling a sense of "guarding" in my posture, and my shoes got caught in the "seams" on the temporary stage they had for us....but, all in all, it was very good to get out there again.
One more thing accomplished, so that the next time, I will be more relaxed, and will do better.
Dave didn't get any good pictures, and no one thought to get a picture of our class together with our feather fans and in our costumes. Never fails.
Oh well.
Today, I am taking a workshop with the "star attraction" of last night's show. This was an old fashioned "seminar show," like my troupe back home used to perform in a lot.
There were two seminars yesterday, and one today, and everyone performing was required to take at least one seminar workshop.
I chose the least threatening one, "Artful entrance choreography." While it still calls for knee pads, it's not going to be as intense as the classes for drum solo and stage tricks, like dropping to your knees!! I will just skip the floorwork parts, or do them standing.
We went to OKC Pagan Pride Day yesterday. It was a beautiful day, and it was fun to go and see, once again, that we are not alone here.
I bought some earrings from a friend, and we participated in the public ritual that was an observation on the seasons of the year and their holidays in our various traditions.
Not much time for anything to get done today, so there will be an easy roasted chicken for dinner.
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