NEUROPATHY

HAD CHEMO YESTERDAY - 6 MORE WEEKLY CHEMO'S TO GO AND COUNTING DOWN!  And boy was it a busy day around the clinic!  The nurses were really hustling with backed up patients, IV pumps beeping in crazy harmony all down the room as they apologetically tried to get to each one, and none of the nurses were able to take a lunch.  They were grabbing mouthfuls at best when they could - and if anybody deserves to clockout and sit down for at least thirty minutes away from the chaos, its an oncology nurse.  I have to give a shout out of appreciation, admiration, and respect to the nursing staff there at Florida Cancer Specialists in Tampa - Jean, Ginger, Jen, Linda, and Melissa.  From day one each one has been awesome, very patient, professional, kind and helpful and treat each of us like we're their only patient.  I treated them a couple of weeks ago with a Brown Sugar Poundcake I made and they were so appreciative.  It felt like such a small payback for all they do for me.  Actually the whole staff at FCS is great from my Dr. and PA, to the front desk staff, phlebotomists and even the insurance girl who has to take money from me - she's does it with a patient smile.

NEUROPATHY IS THE SYMPTOM OF THE HOUR, a side effect from the chemo causing nerve tingling and numbness in hands and feet off and on, sometimes more painful than others.  Since the neuropathy started my arms and chest wall are tighter and more uncomfortable like they had been earlier which I'm attributing to the heightened nerves.  They put me on 800 units a day of Vitamin E which takes time, but is supposed to help.  If not, there are drugs like Neurotin they can prescribe if it gets too bad.  I will try to avoid that.  The neuropathy is common and can take sometimes a year to go away - eek!  Not something I want to think about with clinicals (hopefully) starting back for me in August!  Dr. Wright wants me to skip a week next week of chemo and give my body a break especially with the neuropathy getting worse.  He's hoping that will calm it down some.  I'm grateful for the break, but know that it just delays the finish a little longer.  How about we skip the next 6 treatments and the final two surgeries too??  A girl can dream.  

MY NEWEST PAIN PILL, Tramadol, works okay.  Supposed to be better than too much Ibruprofen, and not as addictive as the hydrocodone, but gave me nausea issues last week which I'd hadn't had to deal with to that degree since I finished the A/C drug.  Besides all that...I'm doing pretty good!  Like my husband likes to say..."Besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"  LOL.

Cheryl and I 

ENJOYED A GOOD EASTER WEEKEND.  Helped with our church's annual Easter Egg Outreach at the football field, then enjoyed lunch with my father-in-law, Steve and his wife Dona who were in town for a few days.  Sunday service our choir performed with all of our energy and passion proclaiming the resurrection.  Then Sunday lunch was at my sister's for good food and fun with all the cousins.

Tyler, Brittni, Ashley, Derek

Cayler and Sami