Easter was wonderful. A really adorable Easter bunny named Haley brought the boys Easter baskets with some really cool stuff in them. Then an amazing Easter bunny from my radiation group and my Easter bunny oldest sister added to them. Those boys had some amazing loot let me tell you! Then, if that wasn't enough, my dear and sweet neighbor Easter bunny hid eggs in the front yard and the boys had an Easter egg hunt! Then, a wonderful ward member Easter bunny brought us Easter dinner complete with ham and cupcakes! We have had quite a few bunnies come 'round this year and we are amazingly grateful to each and every one. My boys had a wonderful day because of them and ONLY because of them.Thank you Easter bunnies. You know who you are. :)
The move is progressing nicely. Bub and Cary have been slowly but surely taking loads over to the new house and they have most all the big stuff done now. It was really helpful to have Haley take the kids for as many hours as she did! The boys had a blast with her and it kept the little munchkins out from under the workin' men's feet. The guys still have the family room and appliances, as well as day to day clothes and dishes to take over, but as I said the bulk part is pretty much finished. And I haven't done squat.
Haley and Brian (Haley's boyfriend) took me back to LA and it was nice to be able to spend time with them. They are such amazing kids. I guess Carly Sue is in New York now and Aaron is on his way back to Bakersfield. I always keep a prayer in my heart for them, but when they are far away it seems all that much more important. I just love my family so much.
Ok now to the part as to what they don't tell you about cancer and its treatments and meds... First, the gastric flip flops ~ already wrote about THAT subject, next, I was told I might get a really sore throat from the radiation. How 'bout raw, open wound sore throat where the radiation hits and ONLY where the radiation hits and heartburn that would make a grown man fall down and cry. Tired, fatigue, nausea, all expected and warned of.
After each infusion I can have NOTHING cold. Even room temp seems to set off "pins and needles" in my fingers and hands. I get really cold when I take the infusion, and because cold = pain, I wear gloves and my blanket. I need to warm up even water to drink, but not too hot or it could do more damage, hence no heating pads or electric blankets. I have found that everything luke-warm is perfect. On top of all that, I get violently ill for about the next 24 to 36 hours and just feel lousy for about the whole next week after the infusions. Zofran doesn't seem to help all that much, so I will be asking about a drug called Emends. Its costly, but other patients swear by it. Of course one patient swears by young coconut milk and active manuka honey, but since those are both just a bit - ok a LOT costly - and haven't been really tested or studied, I think I'll stick with the tried and true. If I get desperate I might be changing my tune on those...
I also need to watch to make sure my vein doesn't break during the infusion. That is what caused the swelling and pain at the top of my arm from the last one. Pain at the infusion sight and somewhat above it is apparently normal, but not all the way up to my arm pit.
Can not wait to find out what I don't know about the surgery!
