So I've really been slacking with my blog. I'm going to try and be better about it because I know that quite a few people use this to keep up with what is going on with me.
Right now I'm still doing the "every 3 weeks treatment". My schedule for June is chemo on the 3rd, CAT scan on the 17th and chemo/CAT scan results June 25th.
I'd been not feeling too well. I have had 4 episodes of bad upper stomach pain that would last for a couple days, accompanied by nausea and an all around feeling of yuck. The first time it happened was March 30th (Saturday before Easter). I was sick all day Easter and finally went to the ER Monday April 1st after getting the kids all in bed (didn't want to worry them). I had bloodwork done, and an EKG. Chemo can wreak havoc on your heart so that had me concerned. It can also cause blood clots, but all that was ruled out. They gave me strong IV heartburn medication which did nothing and sent me home.
We attended the NNU cancer awareness baseball game on April 20th. I got sick half way through the game with the same pain. It went away on it's own after a few days. When I went in for Chemo I was dehydrated and had protein and bilirubin in my urine. I got two bags of fluids along with my Avastin and was told to come back if my pain didn't go away.
To make a long story short, after several episodes of this pain, nausea and feeling like crap I did a lot of research because I knew it wasn't heartburn and I was getting scared and frustrated. When reading the side effects of all the medication I am on I came across Cymbalta (which I am taking daily for peripheral neuropathy, and one of the most common side effects is "Upper stomach pain, and gastritis". UGG. I hate the fact that I take one thing to help combat something and it seems to cause another issue which leads to another medication to help that issue etc. It's a vicious circle. So even though I knew from reading that there would be not-so-nice withdrawal symptoms from stopping Cymbalta cold turkey (mostly because it is also used for depression and anxiety) I quit taking it. I have a little more numbness in my hands and feet but I haven't seemed to lose any motor function. I felt like I was losing my mind for a few days, but now....what a difference. No more chest/stomach pains! No more constipation. I feel like a new woman and things are looking up! Now as long as my scan results come back good I feel like I have a renewed hope. I was beginning to get really worried that something was just not right with my body and I thought something horrible was going on. I feel so much relief now, physically and emotionally. :)
My mom and sister came to visit for a week in April. We had a really good visit, but it is really hard to see my mom in the physical/mental state that she is in. She's in her 80's so I guess it is to be expected to some extent, but none the less I wish that she were in better health and it is hard to see a parent in that condition.
