Cancelling vacations not due to flu...:(

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Just checking in. I haven't seen any Bezerk posts recently, so just thought I would send a few more and prayers.

I sure hope you are doing better. How many more chemo treatments?

My hubby got his cath port out on the 24th!!! All three of his doctors said to make an appointment to see them next July.

pittle....I had a setback, long post to follow on that...Congrats to your hubby on port a cath removal, what a great thing!

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Just an update once again......


Sorry for causing many of you to worry, but I am still kicking, just had a 5 week complication or setback. Haha..Just had like it was nothing...it was for me terrible. I am back now though. I want to thank all of you who were so concerned etc. I am so fortunate to have such a support system here. Thank you all so much, words cannot express how I feel after seeing so many inquiring about me etc. I love you all. I am trying to respond to all the PM's so please be patient.




If weird, strange things can happen they happen to me.

First I had the fever at home, the Oncologist put me on Cipro and an anti-fever med. Well no better. Called in 6 days, days before my next chemo treatment and was told, no way you can receive your chemo treatments and since Cipro works in 80% of cases you need to see an Infectologist ( Dr. of Infectious Diseases). He gave me number of bilingual Dr. of such but lo and behold, his secretary could not speak very good English and could not seem to get my spanish either. My son was not around at the time so I called my cancer Surgeon ( he is my favorite on my team of Dr's anyway). I explained the situation and while I waited on the telephone he got a hold of the DR. They both agreed it would be best if I went to hospital as many tests would be needed to be done, plus they could also do my 4 month checks while I was there. Now I am petrified. I pack a few things, locate my son and well he bring me to ER at hospital an hour away in Guadalajara. My port a cath is immediately hooked up for blood draws and IV antibiotics etc. In the coming days I am poked, prodded, tested, more than ever in my life. Plus I am petrified and feel horrible and the fever just keeps climbing and or returning. Hubby has flight due in on the 10th, but has been cancelled by airline so won't get here til the 11th boo hoo.

Well they find I have a urinary tract infection, but that is not the biggie. My chest X-Rays look bad so they want to do a bronchoscopy. So now I am off to surgery. They are checking for any and all lung diseases, like swine flu, TB, cancer, etc. etc. ( They also checked me earlier for dengue fever but that was negative). Okay I have the bronchoscopy and lo and behold I have a seasonal influenza virus,( not swine flu) pneumonia, and mold ie candidia has grown on top of it all, so I have all these germs and fluid in my lungs along with a small area of lung collapse. Lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now I am on anti-fever meds, anibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and the list goes on. They continue doing tests relative to my illnes and also to get those 4 month cancer check tests done.....here we go again......my liver is fine, but oh something is up with gall ladder. Off to nuclear medicine I go and I have gall stones, one quite large, along with what they call a diseased bladder which has to come out. The Ca Surgeon and I agree we should do this during this hospital admssion as soon as infection is gone due to distance for me from hospital, but after speaking with oncologist he says no, best to wait till chemo treatments done unless an emergency arises. Okay whatever, hope luck stays with me on this one.

In about ten days I have been fever free for 3 days so they say I can go home tomorrow, hahaha.......that night the fever returns.....they are baffled and blood work shows extremely low potassium levels, this is quite painful, all you skin actually hurts. They cannot figure out why the potassium has gone so low. They put me on immediate cardiac monitors, whih means I am now totally bedridden..ugh......then they pump me with potassium, next morning my potassium has been dumped again. They are now in agreement with me that is something strange can happen it will happen to me. They review all my drugs and find one drug, an antifungal that can cause this, so they change that. Well needless to say I spent 3 weeks in hospital and finally was potassium stable and fever free for 48 hours. Discharge............but I am weak and well not feeling too great and very blue thinking of all the chemo treatments I have to make up, plus hubby leaves in just a few days. I cannot return to chemo for another ten days until all oral meds are complete and I get a clear bill of health. crap!!! I just want this over.

I am home 3 days and develop a skin rash and weakness in my legs. Call the Pnuemonologist as I think it might be the antifungal drug, he agrees and has me stop it. Thinks I should be fine without any antifungals. Few days later I develop unstoppable diarrhea ( does this ever end), call Dr. again, he has me stop Potassium and also take probiotics. Well finally after another week, other than a persistent rash to my hands I am actually beginning to recover. I return in ten days from discharge to Pnuemonologist and my Chest X-Ray is clear. I do have a new strange rash to palms of my hands, which he says he could give me steroids for, I refuse, I have enough steroids with my chemo, I have gained 20 pounds and look like a swollen balloon LOL. He calls the oncologist and yes he says I can return to chemo.......who would have thought I would be happy, (petrified it is like starting over again from the beginning), but I want it to be over. So I schedule my first of the remaining 6 treatments for Oct 13th, strangely the actual day I would have completed all my chemo treatments...cry!!! I spend the remaining days before the treatment recovering and in a funk, a big blue, depressive funk.

On Oct 13th, I had that chemo treatment ( taxol). I was really anxious but all went well. For 3 days I felt okay, well almost good to say, today beginning to feel a bit foggy and tired but I am back on track ( trying to catch up on so many missed things, like bills, emails etc.) so 5 treatments left, if I can just get thru these without any complications or setbacks, then I can have my gallbladder surgery and then in Jan. my 4 month cancer check tests again. Wish me well.

Oh good news, I had all the cancer check tests, blood, scans etc., except the digital mammogram as DR. says the machine is old in hospital and he does not like it, so referring me elsewhere but I forgot to get info, so have to do that, but either way, all was free of disease ( cancer) ( NED) with exception of missing digital mammogram an one blood test that was elevated but dr. feels due to body being ill, so will repeat in Jan. or before. This is of course all good news.

So anyway I am sorry for all your worrying, I was worried too. Was a long 5 weeks of illness of which I thought I would never feel better again LOL.

Thank you all again for your never ending support. Many hugs an dhappy vacations to all.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

You were very much missed welcome back

[pittle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pittle]

WOW!!! You have had a tough time. I sure was glad to get the notification email for this thread and see your name and read your posts.

I will keep praying for you and send more .

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I cannot believe what you have gone through. How awful but you still sound so positive, bezerk. Keep it up as it must help you. We really have missed you so thank you for the update.

[Mybobalong Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mybobalong]

Hi Pam,
So nice to hear from you again.....all this would be over soon,take care and God bless.
Angie

[mpizza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mpizza]

Praying for an uneventful next few months of treatment so you can put all of this behind you.

Maria

[IreneLF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close IreneLF]

Wow Pam, you have been through a lot. I"m focusing on the good news in your posts, and will hope you can have an uneventful end to the chemo treatments, get them over and done with asap and then move on the road to more pleasant things -- like your vacations.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

[Pat H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pat H]

I can't even believe you were able to write such a detailed post. It exhausted me just reading it. Here's hoping things will go right from now on. Sending you good thoughts and

[Hophop4 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hophop4]

Pam,
Glad to finally hear from you. I have been thinking of you also. Sorry you had to go through all that but the final good news is great and the treatments are working.

Hop

[Kay H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kay H]

Oh, Pam. I can't believe all you have been thru. As if a diagnosis of cancer, surgery, and then chemo aren't enough. Then to top it off, you apologize for worrying us. You are one fine lady.

I am so elated that you are finally on the road to recovery that I am crying. Hopefully all the bad stuff is behind you.Your 1st vacation after this will be one he** of a celebration.

You have been in all of our thoughts and prayers and I hope to meet you in person one day and give you the tightest hug you have ever gotten.

Continued good health to you, Pam. You certainly deserve it.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I second everything Kay just said. Except I give bigger hugs I have been worried about you. Glad things are going better. What an ordeal!!

shaggy

[susieq Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close susieq]

Soo-oo-o glad to hear from you, Pam. Hopefully you can soon put all this behind you ~ and enjoy that much anticipated vacation!!

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

I'm thinking of you Pam - keeping hanging in there!!!