Hair Change

With a lot of the reading I have been doing online it seems that a lot of people started losing their hair after their second round of chemo.  Since I had just done my second time I thought I would just cut off my hair.  I kept reading people saying that it got hot and itchy when it was falling out, and I didn't want to go through that discomfort so I thought it would just be easier to cut it off.  Taylor's mom Cindy has been cutting my hair ever since Taylor and I started dating, even the summer before when we were hanging out a lot too, so I asked her to do it.  If it had started falling out before I got there I would have had it done elsewhere, but luckily that didn't happen.  Cindy wanted to have a little fun with it, here are some pictures of the night.

A before photo.

Me with blonde hair!

Side view mohawk, notice the back is still brown.

Front mohawk, looks odd.

BALD

Chemotherapy #2

So it has been a week since my second chemotherapy session, which brought me to the end to cycle one.  Two sessions is one cycle, and I'm set up for six.  This time I had my chemo done in Saint Cloud, because I was home for Veteran's Day weekend.  Taylor and I got to enjoy a extra day home, which was really nice, but it still went really quick.  Anyway the day started very early.  We had to be there at 8am for labs.  So we woke up nice and early, Taylor stayed over so she could come with.  When we got to the Coborn Cancer Center I thought the place looked nice, it was big.  The Altru center is smaller in Grand Forks.  We parked and went in. At the desk to sign in the lady had me sign of a few things since it was my first time at the place, and then she told me I was here for labs and to meet with the doctor.  I told her that I had chemo that day too, but she said I did not and that the earliest I can get in is Monday.  This was not a good thing, because Dr. Gorouhi wants me to do it every two weeks on the Friday, not even waiting a day.  My Dad was really upset about this and tried explaining what needed to happen, then the lady made a call to see why my chemo wasn't scheduled.  After a bit we were told that I was going to receive my chemo on this day, but the doctor just wanted to see me before it was on the schedule, or something?  I'm not really sure.  I was given a paper and told to go put it in this slot and wait for my labs.  Right away I was brought back and had my blood drawn.  The lady didn't use my port, instead she used my arm.  That was okay I thought since I would have another needle soon in the port for the chemo.

There was a lot of waiting now after the labs.  We got there around 8 and got into chemo after 10.  While we were waiting there was another mix up that had to be fixed, something with the insurance.  Something had not been done prior to our little sort-of-transfer to Saint Cloud.  It wasn't good, but the lady who told us about it got it fixed fairly quickly.  Needless to say it stressed my Dad out some more.  So far he wasn't too pleased with the Coborn Cancer Center.  He kept saying that the people at the Altru Cancer Center were friendlier.  I thought this place wasn't bad.  Another strange thing happened while I was sitting there waiting.  A girl who I worked with in my previous two jobs now works there.  She came out to call for a patient, and no one was coming up.  I recognized her and waved and she came over and called for the patient again.  I looked at her and she asked if I was the patient, so I asked if she recognized me.  She said no, so I said okay.  Then she walked off.  Taylor thought the whole situation was very awkward, I was okay with it.  Ha ha.  Finally though it was time to go back!  I was brought into room number 5, which was a double room.  There is just a curtain separating my room from room 6.  Room 6 was empty, however.  There was a bathroom right across from me so that was nice because if I have to use it I have to drag along this thing that I am hooked up to with me.  There was a small television in a weird spot, to l watch it you had to really look up.  Since it was my first time in Saint Cloud, or maybe because it was still cycle one I had to do a test of the bleomycin (the B in ABVD).  This time it was only a half hour to watch for side effects instead of an hour.  No side effects so we went ahead with all of the chemo real smoothly.

Chemotherapy # 2

I had a bunch of visitors this time.  My dad and Taylor were there with me the whole time.  Samantha came to visit, and so did my dad's friend, and I got to meet my great aunt who was there because she also had a form of cancer.  Also the girl who who didn't recognize me earlier popped in and apologized saying she knew who I was.  I thought that was funny.  Turns out there was a calender in the room that had a very old photo of my great aunt on it!  Crazy!  

My great aunt when she was younger

Snow!

As I left my Microbiology class today I was surprised to see snow!  First snow of the year here in Grand Forks.  It came down heavy for a few minutes, but has died down now and looks as if it has stopped.  None on the ground, but the ground is wet.  Hope it doesn't snow tomorrow at all, because Taylor and I will be headed home to Saint Cloud around 2:30 PM.  If I could have gone home earlier I would have, for multiple reasons.  One, just to be home, but more importantly since I can't leave early I am missing my Grandma's funeral.  She passed away earlier this week.  I am sad that I didn't get to see her one last time, and it was awhile since our last visit.  Over the weekend while I am home I plan on visiting her grave, since I won't be able to go to anything else.

Update on Bone Marrow

I was just looking over the blog and I realized that I forgot to mention something.  The Bone Marrow test came back negative so the cancer is not Stage 4.  Stage 3bs.  There is some good news!

Also, for my next Chemotherapy session I will be at home in St. Cloud, MN.  It is scheduled for 11/11/11.  A week has passed since my first Chemotherapy and I am feeling just fine.  Every morning I do feel some nausea but it usually doesn't go further, besides the first couple days after the chemo when I did actually get sick.  Not to worry though, I have some nausea medication and turns out the one that I thought I had lost I have found!  Some more good news.

Anyway, just wanted to give that quick update for anyone who might be checking this regularly.  I am surprised on how many views the blog has gotten since I posted about all this.  I'll try to update more often for you guys, even if it is something short like this.

Have a good weekend!

POWER Portacath and my first Chemotherapy

THURSDAY:

Thursday was the day I was allowed to shower after getting the bone marrow biopsy which I was waiting for, however I wanted more sleep so I did not wake up early enough to shower.  Instead I woke up a half hour 45 minutes before my procedure, got ready, and went to warm up the Explorer.  When I got outside the windows were frozen.  After waiting 10-15 min of letting it heat up while I sat right inside the dorm watching it I decided it was time to go check it out.  Inside wasn't freezing anymore, but the windows were still frosted so I had to scrape them.  After that I got in and was on my way.  My destination today was to the Emergency / Urgent Care entrance.  When I got there I parked and headed in to check in at the front desk.  Immediately I was brought back instead of waiting for so long.  After that I was asked to sit in the waiting room and was there not even 10 minutes before someone came to get me.  I was brought back to the a room with a bed and was asked to change into the gown.  Only had to take off my shirt and shoes.  Then I crawled into the bed, where they gave me those warm hospital blankets.  Those are nice.  Now it was time for the I.V. (Should be the last!)  Everyone always comments on how great my veins are.  The nurse said if they had a student nurse around she would have asked if it would of been okay for them to poke me.  I would have let them, because if I get into the nursing program I will have to do it to people too, and my veins are big so it would be easy for them.  Soon after being hooked up with the I.V. and questions finished somebody came to take me away.  On the way we passed the place where I had my CT scan.

Power Port!

I was brought back to another room where I was greeted by a couple nurses.  They went over some stuff with me about what was going to happen and then I was moved again into the room for the procedure.  I was awake for the whole time, they put some sedating medicine through the I.V. but kept me awake.  A Power Portacath is what was being implanted into my chest. With this I won't have to be poked in my veins anymore.  This thing will be used for my Chemotherapy and for labs.  Pretty neat.  Anyway, in the room I transferred from the bed I was wheeled in on onto a thin operating table kinda thing.  Some lady did a sonogram to locate my vein that they wanted to use.  After everything was all set up they cut me open and put it in and I transferred back to the bed that I came in on.  The doctor said twice there will be a burn and a poke and at those times it did hurt, but other than that I didn't feel anything going on.  Was a real quick procedure.  After I was wheeled back to the first room I went to with the bed where I drank plenty of apple juice and water and watched the History channel for an hour before my buddy Eric picked me up.


FRIDAY:

Friday was the day I did my first Chemotherapy.  When I got to the cancer center I was with my Dad.  He came along, and says that he will be at every chemo.  He doesn't have to be, but if he wants to be there that is okay with me.  We talked to a nurse as usual first and after a little wait Dr. Gorouhi came in.  He was telling me that we could wait til Monday to start or start today.  Starting Monday would give a very accurate baseline, as I had a pulmonary test on Monday, but starting today would be just fine too.  I opted to go today, because of later scheduling and my Dad had already came up there for it and I just wanted to get it started too.  It was more convenient to go on the Friday I thought.  So that is what we did.  I was brought back to the Chemotherapy room and was told to choose a seat.  They had plenty to choose from.  I went with room number 7 I do believe.  We just sat there for awhile because they had to get everything ready for me.  A couple different nurses came by to talk and a volunteer came by with a menu that we could order food off of.  We both ordered some food that was supposed to come around 12:30ish.  After awhile I was hooked up through my port and everything started.  All I had to do was sit there, and watch TV.  I had the History channel on.  Taylor finished class and had a break so she came to visit for as long as she could.  She wanted to be there for the whole thing, but couldn't due to class.  She didn't miss much.  After about a half hour from when Taylor arrived our food arrived and Taylor had to head back to class and work.  The food wasn't bad, I had a personal pizza with fries and pretzels and chocolate milk.  I don't remember what Dad had, but he said it wasn't bad either.  He did have chocolate pudding though I remember that because it looked good.  While I ate the nurse pushed the 3 medicines into my port and then set up the last one which had to drip and would last about an hour.  During this time my buddy Brian Weyer got in town and came to visit.  He was already in Fergus Falls before so he didn't have to drive far to get there, but on his trip home later would have to go all the way back to St. Joe.  It was good to see him because it had been quite a long time, and anyone wanting to come visit me is welcomed.

Me getting receiving my chemo through my port

Not much to say past that.  Since Friday I have been doing just fine.  Tired, but some of my medication can do that and I've just been tired lately.  A good nap takes care of that though.