Nov:Day 7...While I patiently wait & Chemo

Well it has now been 2 days since my ct scan and I am patiently (or at least trying to) waiting.  I have called my oncologist office and fingers crossed they will still call me today or for sure tomorrow. I can't go through the weekend with waiting and wondering what those results are. Please keep the prayers coming. 

So while I wait...I know I am NOT the only one that feels this way waiting. I ask that if you happen to be in the "medical" field...please remember how this makes us "patiently" waiting patients feel. Results STAT please...Thank you!

To keep myself busy today...just went and got 2 suspicious moles cut off. You know...just a typical day in the life with Jamie D.  I have gotten several moles taken off in the past and with my history my dermatologist doesn't want to mess around and is very cautious with anything that looks "not" normal.  So now I have added 2 more scars amongst my body and will get the stitches taken out  when I have been directed to do so.  Thanks to Dr. M for being cautious!

After that little outing...I had the opportunity of meeting another FIGHTER "J"...she is fighting stage 4 Breast.  We got to talking and got on the subject of our chemotherapy treatments.  Which leads me to this next portion of this blog entry.

Chemotherapy

 

When we hear that nasty word..."CHEMO"...we all of the sudden think oh my that's horrible. Think how the patient is going to be bald...and probably hooked up to some poisonous looking medicine that must be like neon-green with steam coming off of the vial. Almost a visual picture as the witch in Snow White as she is stirring her brew to poison poor innocent Snow White. 

 

What many of us don't realize unless you are in the health care field or have been a patient or watched your family or friends go through it...know this is NOT the case.  Many chemotherapy treatments look anything from "sprite" to dark red kool-aid and anything in between.  There are several different types of chemo or several different types of cancers.  There are chemo drugs that are administered via IV and then there are also chemo drugs taken as pill form by mouth.

 

What we also don't realize are all the side effects and the aftermath of receiving these harsh treatments.  As I sat there and talked with "J" she stated how she was doing Taxol, I told her that was part of the chemo I got with my breast cancer fight.  Then she was almost happy to know she's not the only one that has encountered the side effects such as neuropathy.  Numbness and tingling in your hands and/or feet is never fun. 

 

There are soooooo many more side effects to chemo than just "going bald"...not everyone is your typical text book patient.  Heck! With this PAN-CAN fight  I was able to save most of my hair...although it has thinned out...I still have hair! So just because pamphlets say one thing...don't ever get discouraged.  Your side effects might be very minimal and then again...there might be some that we just have to face each day and keep our dukes up as we are fighting. 

 

I just chuckle to myself when I tell people I have been fighting PAN-CAN for almost a year now.  They look puzzled and say, "Well you have your hair still!"  Unless you know me personally...many people tell me how great I look, etc...its almost at times I think people don't believe me. It isn't until I start telling my story...their mouth drops open and I even show off my scar every now and then when explaining how I was able to get the whipple surgery.  It's not about just losing hair, or having neuropathy, etc...its about how we want to face this horrible disease.  We can face it with a feeling of defeat before we even start the fight...or we can give it our all and go in fighting and not backing down for NOTHING!  

 

These are types of chemo therapies that are available for Pancreatic Cancer patients.

Gemzar (which I had 10 treatments of)

Abraxene

5-FU (which I had on me continuously into my port as I carried a pump around for 5 weeks...yes even in the bath, while I slept, while I drove, while I ate...)

 

These chemo therapy drugs maybe used in conjunction with other chemo drugs. 

 

So here's a small list of what we might or have experienced:

nausea and vomiting

loss of appetite

hair loss

mouth sores

diarrhea

blood cell counts become low

bruising and bleeding

fatigue

shortness of breath

kidney damage

neuropathy

 

I am thankful on most days for chemotherapy and how I have had the opportunity to wake up another day...just wish the side effects weren't so harsh to my body.

 

So here's to those fighting the fight...keep your dukes up! You are NOT alone!!!  Attitude is everything!  Stay strong and NEVER give up.