Zzz Zzz Zzz

I’m into my second week of crockpot radiation. We met briefly with my radiation oncologist after my appointment today. Apparently I am going to be even more exhausted this time, since this is re-treatment radiation.

Yup… I’d say so. I took a 4 hour nap today with Jinx. I fell asleep during treatment too. My life has become a series of naps.

I think I'm catching up from the lack of sleep Monday night. I got radiated at 6:45am Monday morning so that I could go to the Packers game in Lambeau on Monday night with my ladies. It was so worth it.

Treatment isn’t the most pleasant since the titanium screws that are now in my skull press into the hard plastic on which I lay for radiation. The techs have been very sweet in trying to cushion it for me, but there’s not much that they can do because they have to be able to strap my head to the table with the Jason mask. I can get myself into a position where it doesn’t hurt too much and make it through the 30 minute sessions. I still manage to fall asleep.

At least we’ve been able to control the nausea this time. [I already knew this but…] Zofran is a lovely drug. The first night I got a little nauseated, but we figured out that I need to take a full pill before bed instead of a half pill. That seems to have solved the waking up in the middle of the night feeling barfy problem. I am yet to puke this time from radiation. [::knocks on wood::] The lack of appetite is starting, though. I’m forcing myself to eat. What a change that is from the steroids, where I had to feed the steroid machine to stave off the hangry.

The hair loss should start in the next week or so. From what I understand from the techs, I’ll have a bald spot on either side of my head and then most of the top of my head will be bald too. We’ll see how it falls out, but if I end up with a skullet, I’m shaving my head. No hair, don’t care.

Fight like Hell.  

KJ Gets Cooked Low & Slow

Yesterday was my first infusion of Avastin. Besides it taking Pharmacy an hour to formulate the drug and get it to me, the infusion was cake. I had to get labs drawn to start the day; I’m glad I didn’t have to do much pleading to get her to just put in an IV and draw off that. One stick day – FTW! [It’s sad when I have to measure a good day by how many times I got stabbed.] I needed an IV because my port isn’t ready for use yet, but it will be by the next time I get an infusion. Once Pharmacy finally got the drug to me, it was smooth sailing. I was able to be in my own little bay, lay on a bed with a warm blanket, and take a nap while the Avastin was pumped in. Piece of cake!

Today I got to take off my bandages from the port placement. Hurray for a normal shower this afternoon! [And holy bruises – yeesh!]

This evening begins my radiation treatments. The last time I saw my radiation oncologist, he confirmed that cooking me low and slow won’t change the radiation nausea or fatigue. I actually have good anti-nausea meds this time, though. The Zofran is ready to go before I get radiated tonight. My appointments won’t always be in the evening, but it was the only space available since it was a quick decision to change my treatment timetable. I’m hopeful that I won’t be as sick this time. I will be the queen of naps. That’s okay, though; the boy kitty and I have our afternoon couch nap routine down.

Let’s burn the Bitch to the ground! Fight like Hell.

[I'm terrible at selfies]

Port Day

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." 

- Proverbs 31:25 -

A good friend of mine posted this verse on Facebook for me. I think this is my new mantra.

Today, I got a port installed in my chest. Since I’m such a hard stick (again thanks, gadolinium] and since I’ll be getting infusions of Avastin every 2 weeks, my oncologist wanted to put in a port. I was more nervous for this procedure than I was for the big ass brain surgery. Thankfully, I remember almost nothing. Yay sleepy drugs and FentanyL! I started waking up toward the end when they were gluing my skin together, but that’s about it. The worst part of the procedure was getting the IV. I know better, but I didn’t want to be a giant BiA to the nurse. I shouldn’t have even let her stick me; we ended up paging the IV team.

There’s been a change of plans. I will be getting my first infusion of Avastin on Wednesday, and I will be starting radiation on Thursday. My oncologist just learned today that there’s been a change to the Avastin procedures, so we can actually start earlier than the 30^th. We want to begin treatment as soon as possible based on the bitch tumor’s proximity to my brain stem. I’m just ready to get this show on the road and burn the bitch to the ground.

Fight like hell.

Badgers Game Day

I am helping UW Carbone Cancer Center promote “Beat Cancer” buttons. They are being sold at the Badger Bash before football games and also online at uwhealth.org/beatcancer. Proceeds will go to Cancer research and patient services.

Fight like hell.

Battle Plan - Phase 2: Burn the Bitch to the Ground [Revisited]

On Wednesday, we found out that the bitch tumor was not methylated, so chemo would not work for me. Today, I had an MRI and met with my oncologist and radiation oncologist. The bitch has shown signs of regrowth – not to the same size as before, though. Oh, and she’s trying to spread to another part of my brain again. Bitch. [My radiation oncologist has assured me that radiation will stop her meddling.]

I have a CT scheduled for tomorrow to make a map for radiation. I finally get to have imaging done without getting injected with contrast! I will have my super sweet Jason mask made tomorrow, too. I start radiation on the 30^th for 5.5 weeks (M-F with weekends off].

I will also be receiving a drug called Avastin, in conjunction with my radiation treatments. Avastin is given intravenously and inhibits the bitch tumor from growing by blocking her ability to find new blood vessels. I will receive infusions every two weeks. Because of the frequency of my infusions and my crappy veins [thanks, gadolinium], I will be having a port placed on Monday. My doctors are both very positive about my prognosis; I’m an ideal candidate for success on this treatment protocol.

On a more fun note, I’m going to be helping the Carbone Cancer Center and UW Hospital promote “Beat Cancer” buttons [with proceeds going to research and patient services]. The website isn’t live yet, but I will post the link when it is ready. Buttons will also be sold at football games. N. and I will be sporting the buttons at Saturday’s game against Troy.

Fight like hell. 

One Month

Today marks one month since the Big Ass Brain Surgery. It has been such a whirlwind, and it doesn’t seem like that much time has passed. My eyes have steadily improved since surgery, but they aren’t back to normal yet. My depth perception is still off, and I’m still restricted from driving.  

I have an MRI on Thursday to make a map for radiation. I also have appointments with my oncologist and radiation oncologist that day. We should find out if I’m going to be doing chemo along with radiation on Thursday, too. I believe that I will start radiation next Monday; i will be radiated Monday through Friday with Saturday and Sunday off [same as last time].

Fight like hell.

First Home Game

The first Badgers home game was Saturday, which means my game day bibs finally made their true debut. Our new season ticket seats are awesome, and the Badgers steam rolled the other team [as they should have].

There’s another home game on Saturday, and I’m ready to jump around again!

Fight like hell.

Badgers and the Best Time of the Year

I have been waiting far too long for this day — Badger Game Day!

In a normal world, N. and I would be in Texas right now, getting ready to watch the badgers take on Alabama. It’s a good thing that we decided not to go, given the situation. We’ll just have to go to Lambeau next year for the LSU game. We have a score to settle from Houston last year — Tiger bait, my ass.  

I’ll be cheering extra loudly from our couch tonight, wearing full game day garb. Also, I have all of my phalanges crossed that sunshine has gotten over his case of the yips this year. C'mon, we need a quarterback ... 

Tonight’s game means that it’s only one week until the first home game. There’s a certain magic surrounding Camp Randall on Game Day. I get goosebumps every time the badgers run out of the tunnel to “Where the Streets Have No Name” [and I really dislike U2]. I’m extra pumped for this season, as well, since our season tickets were upgraded to row 18. It’s going to be a fantastic year.

Thankfully, I get weekends off from radiation, so I should be able to stay awake for the games ;) It’s a bummer that I’ll be getting radiated for a large part of my favorite time of the year, but at least I’ll have things that I love to distract me [and my oncologist promised to medicate correctly so that I won't be so miserable this go 'round]. 

Come to me, button up flannels and crisp weather [where I'm not such a sweaty kid]. Put all of the apple things in and around my mouth. pumpkin things — get in mah bellay. And if you ruin the pumpkin things with chocolate, I.will.cut.you. 

Ahhh, Fall. You complete me. 


Beat 'Bama. Go Badgers!

Fight like hell.

Slide Show

Since Facebook thinks I’m infringing on copyright laws, I will try to post this here. Nate’s cousin made this for us – so awesome!

Fight like hell.

Battle Plan - Phase 2: Burn the Bitch to the Ground

I had 30 sutures removed from my skull by my neurosurgeon’s NP to start our super fun day at UW Hospital and Carbone Cancer Center today. It feels so much better to have the sutures out; they were pretty tight at the bottom and starting to pull. Also, I’m glad that I took an oxy beforehand, otherwise that would’ve been a bit much to sit through. As it was, I was feeling no pain. ;)

We found out last week that the bitch tumor was a cancerous grade 4 tumor. Today, we found out that the bitch tumor was also a glioblastoma. Another question we got answered today was – yes, I do still have cancer. And I will wear that scarlet C like a badge of honor. Though my neurosurgeon was able to remove 100% of the tissue that was picking up the dye on my MRI, the cancer cells still exist in my brain.

Onto Battle Plan: Phase 2…

In two weeks, I will have an MRI to make a map for my radiation treatments. I will be doing 27 treatments of a special kind of radiation that one of the UW doctors created. Of course, UW has THE guy. . The radiation treatment I had 6 years ago was given in higher frequency/shorter length doses. This radiation treatment will be lower frequency given over a 30 minute time frame. Our cells naturally repair themselves when exposed to radiation in the world; this lower/longer dose allows normal brain tissue to repair itself as it would naturally when exposed to radiation. I’m not sure if this will have any effect on how I will feel after radiation treatments, but it will be better for my body.

One of the pathology tests wasn’t back yet today, so we don’t know if I will be doing pill form chemo along with the radiation or not yet. If the bitch tumor pathology comes back as methylated, then I will also be doing the same chemo that I did last time. My oncologist thought that the test should be back within the week. The UW Carbone Cancer Center will be my new home for the next several weeks

We don’t know and won’t know why or when the bitch tumor started growing again. We only know that it transformed from the site of the original tumor.

We have an uphill battle for sure, but it is one that I refuse to lose.

Fight like hell.              

       

D-Day

It's D-Day! We're UW Hospital and Carbone Cancer Center bound for most of the day. I'm very much looking forward to having Battle Plan Phase 2 - Burn the Bitch to the Ground. 

Fight like hell.