beachwalkinmama's Cancer Blog

August 4, 2008

Living with chemo

Views: 118

I’ve now finished 7 of 12 chemo treatments. Had some delays with white count being low & having to get the neupagen shots for weeks on end. Then another delay with low platelets, skipped another week. That helped immensely. My platelets jumped to 244 & my white count was 7.4 last week so they were able to give me another treatment. I hate living with the chemo bag – I know it’s only two days, but two days of listening to the pump steadily do it’s job & stay in the house except for walking the dogs is tough. Then the nausea & fatigue hit and I sleep for a couple of days. Thankfully my family has been coming down to help me during that time. There’s not much they can do except walk the dogs & a few household chores.

Living alone is eating away at me. I’ve not been able to get the info the attorney needs to finish my husband’s estate. Sometimes I feel so stupid, even the simplest chore escapes me. I’m limited with what I’m physically able to do & my obsession with HGTV & TLC networks have me believing I’m capable of anything – hence a house full of unfinished projects. Got to get the house finished so I can sell it when I’m done with chemo & move closer to NC and my family. Can’t leave the state of South Carolina because of insurance – I’m in the high risk pool of course – but I can get about 175 miles closer so they don’t have such a long drive to help me.

Reading everyone else’s blogs is such inspiration. There are so many great fighters out there and so many heart wrenching stories. It keeps me in the battle.

Posted on August 4, 2008 at 12:20:57 PM by Rhonda ( Living with chemo, 1 comment)

I will say a prayer that you will be able to move. My mom’s show that she loves lately is the Game Show Network… It is mindless and funny to watch. Chain Reaction keeps is thinkin’... I hope you are having a good day today.

Posted on August 4, 2008 at 12:40:24 PM by naunie

April 19, 2008

The long battle

Views: 368

It’s been a long six weeks since I first started this blog. Unfortunately my dear husband lost his fight on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. He contracted pneumonia & had no immune system to fight it. I don’t think I ever really believed it would happen, especially not so quickly. He was just diagnosed with NHL in July 2007. I’m putting one foot in front of the other & trying to make sense of all this.

My PET scan came back normal (yeah!) so I had high hopes my doc wouldn’t insist on going through chemo, especially with all that I’ve been through recently. He was also my husband’s doc & sometimes it’s difficult just to walk through that door. But, he’s looking out for me & has convinced me that this is the best thing to do. I just finished my first round of chemo & was disconnected from the Infusion bag yesterday. I really didn’t have a reaction that was significant until last night when I was fighting nausea most of the evening & was extremely tired all day. Everyone is volunteering to help (thank you especially Susan & Pat and to all the other volunteers that I’ve turned away), but I was feeling well enough that I asked them to let me bank some time with them. I don’t know that I want anyone just sitting around feeling helpless with me. I do have two small dogs that require feeding & walking, but they have been good babies and not stressed me out too much (so far).

Being the executor of Joe’s estate & trying to close his tax business has kept me preoccupied through much of this. The days seem to fly by & I’m trying just to get one thing taken care of everyday.

My daughter gave birth to another grandson on April 3, 2008. Poor little fellow has had a rough battle so far. He had an ear infection in both ears when he was three days old. Compliments of his older (2-1/2) brother going to nursery school I’m sure. So, this has been going on for two weeks & it’s not gotten any better. He has an appt.to see a specialist at Chapel Hill next week.

Posted on April 19, 2008 at 5:48:44 AM by Rhonda ( The long battle, 2 comments)

Dear friend, I am sorry for loss. I will keep you in my Prayers. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

When you feel like you need a helping hand, even though I am far away,”Just close your eyes reach out and take my hand ,I will be there.”

Posted on April 19, 2008 at 11:22:09 AM by karlak

Dear Rhona; Welcome to the “Cancer Sucks” blog and we all hope you keep on writing to tell us your story. If you go further into the blog you can click on any persons bio and then click on all their posts. That really helps to guide you into any person’s real story from the beginning. I am truly sorry for the loss of your husband who also fought courageously this dreaded Cancer. I am most amazed at your ability to even write to us since you are still in mourning over your recent loss plus you are fighting for your own self as well. You must have the strength of Goliath. You know I was thinking the other day (god forbid), on how I even found this website to begin with and I just can’t remember how or when but somehow God had his hand in this one. I am so grateful to so many people on Blog for A Cure. They have taught me so much, I really mean that. I was going to join a Cancer help group but why, since I have the best support right here at my fingertips. I hope you keep writing to us on your progess because we can always add your story to the rest of ours and get something out of it. Thanks for writing in and stay strong for yourself. Weezie from Canada eh.

Posted on April 20, 2008 at 6:02:56 AM by weezie