My White blood count has dropped yet again and is now at 1.7 ( I should be at 10-13) My body basically cannot fight anything off right now if I came in contact with it. I will be starting an antibiotic today and getting labs again tomorrow. If it doesn't get better by tomorrow, we will start injections.
Second, I have been experiencing some on and off again chest pain and just mentioned it to my doctor today. He is concerned I could possibly have a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches. This can be severe and even deadly. I will be receiving a chest xray and ultrasound tomorrow morning now because of this.
Seems like things are not slowing down for me and it's really starting to get me down. Please pray this chest pain is nothing and pray that my WBC go back up so I have the energy and strength to fight off anything.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
AHHH!
So what we didn't want to happen, happened. My White blood count dropped from the chemo. Before Chemo it was at 13.5 and now I am at 3.4 which is in the dangerous zone I guess. This makes me super prone to infection and sickness. No wonder I'm so tired!!! I have to go in again tomorrow morning to get it tested and if it is low again, I will be receiving another injection! Ahhh! I'm sick of these labs and injections and doctor appointments!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Having a MUCH better day!
Feeling a lot better today, not as frustrated which is good. Thank you for all the emails of support on Wednesday, it was what I needed on a day like that!
I have stopped fighting the 4am wakeful period and instead started embracing it. I now, let myself lay in bed until 4:30 and TRY to get back to sleep and after realizing it isn't happening, I get up and make lunches for the day and then work out! Seems to be working out well since this is the only time in my day I have the energy to do this! Nolan has also decided he would like to keep mommy company at 4am because he too decides to wake up at this time and talk in his crib until I finally come in there and put him in bed with daddy. He must know I am wide awake and bored:)
Starting next week I will begin working 4 days a week and have Wednesdays off. I will still be full-time so my days will be a little longer. I have been noticing Wednesdays are my hard day. I think this will be a good change. Wednesdays now will be my day to get my appointments done and hopefully catch a nap in there too. I'm very thankful I work for such a great company that lets me do this!
I also just got approved to start selling some small business insurance in addition to my marketing and advertising responsibilities! I am so very excited about this challenge and it keeps my mind off my health! I will be focusing on flower shops, fitness clubs, hair salons, spas, gift shops, etc. Stuff that I am actually interested in. If you have any good prospects for me, let me know! I can't wait to get out there and sell!
Lastly, one of my sister in laws, Celeste, just told me that her and her husband,Troy, want to put on a Lupus Fundraiser this winter in honor of me. January/Februarish. She would like to do a dinner and charge a cover for it and the proceeds go to the Lupus Foundation! I was so excited to hear this and thought it was such a wonderful idea!!! Hopefully we will get more info put together soon and let you all know and hopefully we can have a huge turnout! I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive extended family too!
That's about it for today, hoping to get some good sleep this weekend and feel refreshed on Monday!
I have stopped fighting the 4am wakeful period and instead started embracing it. I now, let myself lay in bed until 4:30 and TRY to get back to sleep and after realizing it isn't happening, I get up and make lunches for the day and then work out! Seems to be working out well since this is the only time in my day I have the energy to do this! Nolan has also decided he would like to keep mommy company at 4am because he too decides to wake up at this time and talk in his crib until I finally come in there and put him in bed with daddy. He must know I am wide awake and bored:)
Starting next week I will begin working 4 days a week and have Wednesdays off. I will still be full-time so my days will be a little longer. I have been noticing Wednesdays are my hard day. I think this will be a good change. Wednesdays now will be my day to get my appointments done and hopefully catch a nap in there too. I'm very thankful I work for such a great company that lets me do this!
I also just got approved to start selling some small business insurance in addition to my marketing and advertising responsibilities! I am so very excited about this challenge and it keeps my mind off my health! I will be focusing on flower shops, fitness clubs, hair salons, spas, gift shops, etc. Stuff that I am actually interested in. If you have any good prospects for me, let me know! I can't wait to get out there and sell!
Lastly, one of my sister in laws, Celeste, just told me that her and her husband,Troy, want to put on a Lupus Fundraiser this winter in honor of me. January/Februarish. She would like to do a dinner and charge a cover for it and the proceeds go to the Lupus Foundation! I was so excited to hear this and thought it was such a wonderful idea!!! Hopefully we will get more info put together soon and let you all know and hopefully we can have a huge turnout! I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful, supportive extended family too!
That's about it for today, hoping to get some good sleep this weekend and feel refreshed on Monday!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Having a bad day
I'm having a hard day today...I'm super tired, was wide awake from 1:30-4am. I get up to pee 4-5 times a night so I'm basically getting no sleep. I'm tired, frusterated and crabby.
I feel fat and ugly, my face is turning into the horrible "prendisone moon face" and though everyone swears they cannot tell, I can, and that bothers me. I feel like a chipmunk. My stomach is also starting to get bloated. I have no energy to work out when I get home from work, I barely have the energy to put dinner on the table and play with Nolan until 7pm when he goes to bed. Once, he goes to bed, I am basically checked out for the night.
I keep telling myself this feeling is normal and temporarily but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier.
Hopefully tonight I can just go home and relax and feel better tomorrow!
On a side note, I have been ordering some natural makeups, lotions, etc and I received this information from one of them. This is a list of synthetic cosmetic ingredients known or strongly suspected of causing birth defects or endocrine disruption. Please read your labels on your soaps, makeups, shampoos and try to stay away from these. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach knowing most of my cosmetics I used and used on Nolan contained them. I threw them all away and bought all new stuff.
1. Methyl & Propyl and Butyl and Ethyl Paraben
2. Imidazolindyl Urea
3. Diazolindyl Urea
4. Petrolatum
5.Propylene Glycol
6. PVP/V Copolymer
7. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
8. Steralkonium Choloride
9. Synthetic Fragrances
10. Synthetic Colors
11. Phthalates
12. Triethanolamine
I feel fat and ugly, my face is turning into the horrible "prendisone moon face" and though everyone swears they cannot tell, I can, and that bothers me. I feel like a chipmunk. My stomach is also starting to get bloated. I have no energy to work out when I get home from work, I barely have the energy to put dinner on the table and play with Nolan until 7pm when he goes to bed. Once, he goes to bed, I am basically checked out for the night.
I keep telling myself this feeling is normal and temporarily but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier.
Hopefully tonight I can just go home and relax and feel better tomorrow!
On a side note, I have been ordering some natural makeups, lotions, etc and I received this information from one of them. This is a list of synthetic cosmetic ingredients known or strongly suspected of causing birth defects or endocrine disruption. Please read your labels on your soaps, makeups, shampoos and try to stay away from these. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach knowing most of my cosmetics I used and used on Nolan contained them. I threw them all away and bought all new stuff.
1. Methyl & Propyl and Butyl and Ethyl Paraben
2. Imidazolindyl Urea
3. Diazolindyl Urea
4. Petrolatum
5.Propylene Glycol
6. PVP/V Copolymer
7. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
8. Steralkonium Choloride
9. Synthetic Fragrances
10. Synthetic Colors
11. Phthalates
12. Triethanolamine
Monday, September 8, 2008
1 down...5 to go...hopefully!
Today I started my first treatment of chemo. It took about 6 hours. Wasn't that bad, just boring!!! I started getting a little allergic reaction so they gave me some benedryl and that put me out for a little bit too. I'm just really tired right now, but other than that I feel good.
My labs looked good, except the BUN levels, which was almost double what it has been. I guess this just proves that I do need this treatment. Hopefully that will start coming down and my kidney function can get better!
The doctors said about 7-10 days after chemo I will notice more symptoms like being really tired. This is due to the low white blood cell count. I am also very prone to getting sick so I have to make sure I am careful around others that are sick too. I'm really hoping my hair doesn't fall out, but they gave me some contact people to meet with if it does. We'll have to cross that bridge if it comes.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts today and everyday! Hopefully I will only have to do this 5 more times!!!!
My labs looked good, except the BUN levels, which was almost double what it has been. I guess this just proves that I do need this treatment. Hopefully that will start coming down and my kidney function can get better!
The doctors said about 7-10 days after chemo I will notice more symptoms like being really tired. This is due to the low white blood cell count. I am also very prone to getting sick so I have to make sure I am careful around others that are sick too. I'm really hoping my hair doesn't fall out, but they gave me some contact people to meet with if it does. We'll have to cross that bridge if it comes.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts today and everyday! Hopefully I will only have to do this 5 more times!!!!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Prayers Needed!!!!
As my first round of chemo is quickly approaching I am in great need of some prayers these next few days....
Please pray for increased strength from me as my body receives these powerful & life saving drugs. Please pray my body can handle the drugs well and can continue with my everyday activities.
Pray that as my immune system gets weaker from chemo, my body can stay strong and fight off the illnesses that try to attack it.
Pray that my husband can continue to stay strong for me, & our love for each other continues to grow through this struggle.
Pray that I will still have the strength to continue being a good mommy to Nolan and that he will not notice I am tired and weak.
Pray that my kidneys keep fighting and don't give up, and the scars on them can heal to increase my kidney strength.
Thanks for your prayers! I will update on how it went on Monday!
Please pray for increased strength from me as my body receives these powerful & life saving drugs. Please pray my body can handle the drugs well and can continue with my everyday activities.
Pray that as my immune system gets weaker from chemo, my body can stay strong and fight off the illnesses that try to attack it.
Pray that my husband can continue to stay strong for me, & our love for each other continues to grow through this struggle.
Pray that I will still have the strength to continue being a good mommy to Nolan and that he will not notice I am tired and weak.
Pray that my kidneys keep fighting and don't give up, and the scars on them can heal to increase my kidney strength.
Thanks for your prayers! I will update on how it went on Monday!
Monday, September 1, 2008
First week down!
Well it's officially been a week since I got the diagnosis and treatment has begun. The good news is that this horrible IV is out of my arm....
Bad news is that I am now taking 6 more pills a day....
So far I am tolerating the medications very well. They make me drowsy, and a little nauseous, but other than that I have had no bad reactions. Chemo was suppose to start this week, but I couldn't fit it in with their schedule and my schedule so we will wait to start that a week from today instead, September 8th. It will be pretty much an all day extravaganza. I will have to sit there for 6-8 hours with an IV in. They don't have Internet either so I'm going to go insane pretty much. I guess I will catch up on all the talk show drama for the day. I'm really hoping I am one of the lucky ones and don't have any side effects of the chemo. Some side effects include: vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, sterility, etc.
Other than that, I have been trying to research a lot on Lupus and Kidney Disease and the technical term for my diagnosis is "Lupus Nephritis." I'm definitely learning a lot and becoming more educated on the disease and trying to educate others also.
So far, I am still working full-time. Some call me crazy, however I believe I need to keep my life as "normal" as possible. Since I am still feeling fine to work full-time I want to continue doing that. If it gets to the point where I am jeopardizing my health, we'll have to re-evaluate it then.
My kidneys are still a little sore from the biopsy, but mostly when I do too much lifting or walking. One more week to go until I can start working out which I can't wait for!
Thank you all for your positive comments, cards and prayers. I'm confident that in 6 months I will be posting that I am in remission!!!!!
Here's a little video of Nolan and Daddy playing... these are the guys that keep me positive and strong throughout this battle.....
Bad news is that I am now taking 6 more pills a day....
So far I am tolerating the medications very well. They make me drowsy, and a little nauseous, but other than that I have had no bad reactions. Chemo was suppose to start this week, but I couldn't fit it in with their schedule and my schedule so we will wait to start that a week from today instead, September 8th. It will be pretty much an all day extravaganza. I will have to sit there for 6-8 hours with an IV in. They don't have Internet either so I'm going to go insane pretty much. I guess I will catch up on all the talk show drama for the day. I'm really hoping I am one of the lucky ones and don't have any side effects of the chemo. Some side effects include: vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, sterility, etc.
Other than that, I have been trying to research a lot on Lupus and Kidney Disease and the technical term for my diagnosis is "Lupus Nephritis." I'm definitely learning a lot and becoming more educated on the disease and trying to educate others also.
So far, I am still working full-time. Some call me crazy, however I believe I need to keep my life as "normal" as possible. Since I am still feeling fine to work full-time I want to continue doing that. If it gets to the point where I am jeopardizing my health, we'll have to re-evaluate it then.
My kidneys are still a little sore from the biopsy, but mostly when I do too much lifting or walking. One more week to go until I can start working out which I can't wait for!
Thank you all for your positive comments, cards and prayers. I'm confident that in 6 months I will be posting that I am in remission!!!!!
Here's a little video of Nolan and Daddy playing... these are the guys that keep me positive and strong throughout this battle.....
Updated pic of me and Nolan.....
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