Hello All,
I had blood work today and a meeting with my medical oncologist. Great news - the tumor is shrinking. It felt as though it hurt less over the last week and sure enough, it's smaller.
This is once instance where shrinkage is good.
Kip
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, Sept. 6
Hello everyone,
Another good day...feeling more like myself again. Tomorrow I do blood work at 10:00 and then meet with the medical oncologist to go over the results and ensure I'm ready for another round of chemo on Thursday. I'm sure all will be fine.
Catherine left last night for Edmonton. Tomorrow evening she is giving a eulogy at Sharon Rosenberg's memorial service (Sharon, Catherine's closest friend, died of cancer at the end of July). I hope you will join me in sending her love and support for tomorrow evening and the rest of the week in Alberta.
With much love,
Kip
Another good day...feeling more like myself again. Tomorrow I do blood work at 10:00 and then meet with the medical oncologist to go over the results and ensure I'm ready for another round of chemo on Thursday. I'm sure all will be fine.
Catherine left last night for Edmonton. Tomorrow evening she is giving a eulogy at Sharon Rosenberg's memorial service (Sharon, Catherine's closest friend, died of cancer at the end of July). I hope you will join me in sending her love and support for tomorrow evening and the rest of the week in Alberta.
With much love,
Kip
Sunday, September 5, 2010
My dream...
Hi Everyone,I had a dream this week that I logged on to this blog and looked at some of the photos. While the pictures traced my progress and happenings, in none did I see my face. In fact, they were similar to those that appear with the "Financial Facelift," a weekly article in Saturday's Globe and Mail (the Report on Business section is my favorite...not a widely-known fact about me). The first picture in the blog was that shown above, my recently-cut hair at my feet. So we are going to play with that direction for a bit. Today's activity went well, and I'm now sporting a trim new haircut, courtesy of Catherine and Julie.
Love,
Kip
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Saturday, Sept. 4
A very good day.
Today, Catherine and I went to High Park for a walk, came back and cooked soup, and then rested. It was so wonderful to walk in the cooler outdoors and appreciate the smell of the soup (a recipe from today's Globe and Mail). I do find myself appreciative for energy, smells that I love, and food that goes down really well. The only side effect today was my mouth, which continues to worsen and be quite sore. I can live with that.
Catherine borrowed an electric razor, and tomorrow we cut my hair so I don't have clumps falling out this week. I'd rather take control of that from the get go and will start with a brush cut.
Who knows, perhaps it will even suit me.
Kip
Today, Catherine and I went to High Park for a walk, came back and cooked soup, and then rested. It was so wonderful to walk in the cooler outdoors and appreciate the smell of the soup (a recipe from today's Globe and Mail). I do find myself appreciative for energy, smells that I love, and food that goes down really well. The only side effect today was my mouth, which continues to worsen and be quite sore. I can live with that.
Catherine borrowed an electric razor, and tomorrow we cut my hair so I don't have clumps falling out this week. I'd rather take control of that from the get go and will start with a brush cut.
Who knows, perhaps it will even suit me.
Kip
Friday, September 3, 2010
Day Ten: Our trip to ER
Early in our relationship, Kip and I made a trip to ER. When Kip apologized to me about the day I said 'oh honey, this is my idea of quality time'. This remains true.
Last night I dreamed that I was visiting Kip in hospital and was sleeping on a couch in a visitor's area and snuck in to see how Kip was doing. Of course, there was a party in the room.
It wasn't quite like that today at Toronto General (we were worried Kip's platelets were dangerously low, but they were fine), but it was a little bit. Kip's amazing personality and great sense of humor continues to wow and amuse me.
Early in our relationship, Kip and I made a trip to ER. When Kip apologized to me about the day I said 'oh honey, this is my idea of quality time'. This remains true.
Last night I dreamed that I was visiting Kip in hospital and was sleeping on a couch in a visitor's area and snuck in to see how Kip was doing. Of course, there was a party in the room.
It wasn't quite like that today at Toronto General (we were worried Kip's platelets were dangerously low, but they were fine), but it was a little bit. Kip's amazing personality and great sense of humor continues to wow and amuse me.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday, Sept. 2
Hi Friends,
I'm in a highly immune-suppressed moment, so I'm staying close to home. My platelets are quite low (worst at days 7-10 after treatment), and I can feel the effects when I stand up - dizziness, fatigue. But the good news is that I'm off the anti-nausea medication and doing well with that.
Susan Fast brought a lovely dinner tonight from Burlington and we ate outside with a full appetite. Catherine bought a case of wine yesterday and is now next to me enjoying a few well-deserved glasses of a nice red. Fortunately, I have no taste for wine at all...amazing what chemo can do.
While searching for information, I found a blog support group for new cancer patients, aptly named the "chemo-sabis." It's encouraging to read posts that describe my symptoms exactly. I've also been in touch with Shannon Lord, Susan's sister (thank you for getting us in touch, Susan), who recently went through chemo and surgery and has lots of tips for managing what she calls all of this "cancer crap." She reminds me that a cancer diagnosis is frightening, angering, and sometimes, just laugh-out loud funny.
Thanks for reading and for your ongoing love and support. I can truly feel it.
Kip
I'm in a highly immune-suppressed moment, so I'm staying close to home. My platelets are quite low (worst at days 7-10 after treatment), and I can feel the effects when I stand up - dizziness, fatigue. But the good news is that I'm off the anti-nausea medication and doing well with that.
Susan Fast brought a lovely dinner tonight from Burlington and we ate outside with a full appetite. Catherine bought a case of wine yesterday and is now next to me enjoying a few well-deserved glasses of a nice red. Fortunately, I have no taste for wine at all...amazing what chemo can do.
While searching for information, I found a blog support group for new cancer patients, aptly named the "chemo-sabis." It's encouraging to read posts that describe my symptoms exactly. I've also been in touch with Shannon Lord, Susan's sister (thank you for getting us in touch, Susan), who recently went through chemo and surgery and has lots of tips for managing what she calls all of this "cancer crap." She reminds me that a cancer diagnosis is frightening, angering, and sometimes, just laugh-out loud funny.
Thanks for reading and for your ongoing love and support. I can truly feel it.
Kip
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, Sept 1
Ahhh...
Not to wish my life away, but if my estimations are correct, I will be finished chemo on December 2nd. Now that it's September, that means three months from now. Mentally, it was helpful to turn the calendar over this morning. I'll be finishing the same day I was to teach my last class this term at Queen's. I know that surgery and radiation will follow in the new year, but having this part over will be a blessing.
Speaking of chemo, today we were down to the hospital for a bone density scan (chemo and post-treatment drugs can play a number on density, so they were getting a baseline). They want me off the anti-nausea drugs because of possible side effects. They agreed to give me more in case I run into trouble over the long weekend, but they asked me to go off them today if I can. I'll do my best.
My energy is better today, and if I can go drug-free, it will improve more soon. Fingers crossed. I feel more like myself than I have all week, and for that I'm grateful.
Much love,
Kip
Not to wish my life away, but if my estimations are correct, I will be finished chemo on December 2nd. Now that it's September, that means three months from now. Mentally, it was helpful to turn the calendar over this morning. I'll be finishing the same day I was to teach my last class this term at Queen's. I know that surgery and radiation will follow in the new year, but having this part over will be a blessing.
Speaking of chemo, today we were down to the hospital for a bone density scan (chemo and post-treatment drugs can play a number on density, so they were getting a baseline). They want me off the anti-nausea drugs because of possible side effects. They agreed to give me more in case I run into trouble over the long weekend, but they asked me to go off them today if I can. I'll do my best.
My energy is better today, and if I can go drug-free, it will improve more soon. Fingers crossed. I feel more like myself than I have all week, and for that I'm grateful.
Much love,
Kip
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