Errinlee's Cancer Journey

Another day closer to my next treatment.  Bloodwork Thursday and chemo at 3:30 on Friday. Breakfast was pancakes and eggs, lunch was grilled cheese, tomatoe basil soup and salad and dinner was salad, pork chops, potatoes, and asparagus. Did painting today.  Some northern lights.  Worked for the day and got a lot of emails cleaned up. Had to have a nap before dinner today.  The day seemed to peter me out. Watched a movie tonight and heading to bed shortly.

I have noticed that my day of chemo and the next are ok for energy.  The Sunday and thereafter, I start lacking energy and get really tired and have to start having naps but that is ok.   It was a rainy cloudy day but not an issue cause it was a work day today so we did not have plans on going anywhere. Breakfast was french toast and eggs; lunch was quiche, maccaroni salad and soup; dinner was almond crusted haddock, rice and way over cooked cauliflower.

Woke up just after 4am today.  Not fun and could not go back to sleep till around 6:45am.  Had about an hour sleep and then up for breakfast which was yogurt, boiled egg and a danish.   Headed down to Aerie to make an exchange for Kiarra, and then stopped into a few other stores while down there.  We then headed to meet Landon at the Cineplex to watch Deadpool and Wolverine.   We then went to the beach for a short walk but it was hot and muggy and I was tired so we did not go to far.  We thought we would stop for a beverage and snack but I was done for the day and Landon took us back to the lodge. Tommorow, it is back to work time.

Bagel, hard boiled egg, and yogurt for breakfast.   Spent the morning researching beauty salons looking that provide hair cuts and lash extensions.  We had difficulty finding somewhere we liked so we went on walkabout and stopped into a few shops.  We found one called Rachel's Hair Salon.  No lash extensions but the vibe was really good there and the lady who was available for hair cut right away was very nice and gave off a calming vibe and so I decided to get my hair cut.  Since I am loosing my hair, I thought it would be easier if it was shorter but was not ready for a buzz cut yet.  I will play it by ear as it continues to shed.  The hairdresser also had lash extensions and gave us the information of the women who did hers.  Miranda now has an appointment on Wednesday to get hers done.   Look kids, what we found on our walk, School of Rock! We made it back to the lodge and were really tired so we both had an hour nap.  We r...

Had poached eggs, turkey sausage, small bowl of yogurt and one piece of cinnamon raison toast today for breaky.   My appointment for my infusion was for 9:15 today and at 8:40, I realized that I forgot to go to the pharmacy for my required pre-chemo meds.  I called but got voicemail, so off we trucked to the pharmacy.  Good thing it is only one block down and three blocks to get there.  They were very good and got my prescription ready right away.  I left Miranda to grab it and I headed to BC Cancer because I am a much slower walker than she is.  Got to the clinic ahead of schedule so all good.  And Miranda arrived shortly after me. So it was a no go with the first attempt at getting a good vein.  None of the ones in my hand looked any good so the nurse had a vein finder (never saw that before, it was very cool) and she found one in my arm and it worked out.  No pain from the Gem this time which is awesome!  Deeper, bigger vein I th...

Let me start by saying, somehow, I have accidentally deleted my original post for July 25.  Thanks to Ralph for helping me try and remember what I had originally wrote. Still working while here in Van but I did have appointments today.  Blood work and oncologist appt.   I got a last minute call from the BC Cancer Lodge and they had a room open up for my sister and myself,  Makes life so much easier to not have to take transportation every time I have to go to the clinic.  I am less than 5 min walking distance away. Back from the Dr appt and she told me that my tumour marker counts have gone from 200 to 33.  This is super exciting news!  Before getting too elated, this does not mean that my cancer will be cured, I will always have cancer, it is not curable.  The nodule is just shrinking, according to the numbers.  I have a CT scan Aug 5 so hopefully more good news will come and confirm what the numbers are saying.  This, I hope, will...

Off to Vancouver I go.  Got a last minute call from BC Cancer Lodge and they have room for me and my sister.  So glad, it is so much easier getting to and from appointments when staying at the Lodge.  Miranda is meeting me there on Thursday. The kids head out for their vacation tomorrow to Florida and then on a cruise.  I am very excited for them and hope they have the best vacation ever!   Love you forever!

Dina, Kiarra and myself went to Chadburn lake to paddle board.  I bought mine last summer (near the end) and never even got it out of the box.  Dina purchased her around the same time and I think she had it out once or twice.  I also bought an electric pump cause there was no way that I was pumping that puppy by hand.  I watched Kiarra do it last time and I pretty much would have dropped after the first few minutes. We had a great afternoon, after I finally got on the board.  Nothing like having a beach full of people watching you try and sit on your paddle board for the first time.  I am none to graceful at this point in my life and was very grateful that Kiarra gave me a hand. Dina and I tried standing once we were out of eye shot of the beach.  Dina went first and was successful but not sure she wants to do it again....lol.  I went second.  I managed to get part way up and then proceeded to belly flop onto front end of my board and then in...

Breaky was poached egg, turkey sausage, raison toast, yogurt. Woke throughout the night but that is not unusual these days.  Not feeling the greatest this am so worked a a while and then had a nap.   Worked more this afternoon and this evening.  It keeps my mind busy and focused on something other than not feeling well.   So cool on a very hot day Jacob and I headed out for dinner to the Cactus Club at English Bay.  Boy was it hot out but what a great view to eat dinner from.  We had chicken tenders and sea salted fries and I had two bellinis.  OMG!  Were they ever delicious.  

Breakfast was waffles, toast, hard boiled egg, tea and juice this am.  Sorry, no pic, am falling down on my duties there. Blood work this am.   I am very tired and this am I seem to have a sore tail bone/lower back/area pain happening.  Not sure what that is about but happened as I walked out of my room to breaky Jacob took me out to get my daily dose of exercise.  Boy was that hard to get moving but he is very supportive.   We went to the movie, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.  During the movie, my phone rang and it was the hospital.   Bad news, my white blood cells are too low and so no chemo on Friday.  Well, not that I am jumping at the chance of getting chemo but........ya so not good.  Skipping this dose now and then back on schedule for the next. Jacob took me out to the Keg for steak!  Oh do I love a steak!  My most favourite meal!  So delicious. My back lower back has been throbbing.  Hopefully i...

Cheese omelette and hash browns for breakfast this morning.  Florentine soup, grilled ham 'cheese and quinoa salad for lunch.  Swedish meatballs with buttered egg noodles and corn and salad for dinner. Jacob arrived today on the early morning flight.  So happy to have him here,  We went on walk about to get in some exercise.   Worked this am but was not feeling the greatest so had a nap.   Started loosing my hair Saturday.  Not sure how long it will take to all fall out.  Seems like a lot that comes out on my hands when I am washing my hair and when I blow dry it it looks like the bathroom was attached by a wookie.

Breakfast was pancakes, hard boiled egg, slice of raison toast, tea and juice.  Lunch was hot ceasar salad, and split pea soup.  I forgot to take pictures of all the meals today.  Arrgghh! Working this am and then joining a painting session at 2:00.  We painted a cherry blossom tree.  We had a great time but it was oh so hot out.  You can see how red out faces are. Cherry Blossom Tree  Dina heads home today.   It's been great having her here.  Thanks for coming down to support me Dina on such short notice. Jacob comes in tomorrow for my day 8 treatment on Friday and I am looking forward to having him here.  We fly home Saturday. 

Breaky this am was french toast, scrambled eggs tea and juice.  They always have other options such as yogurt, toast, cereal or fruit salad but it always has cantaloupe or honey dew melon in it which I do not like. Working this morning but am very tired today from two early mornings so might have a nap before lunch.  We had a nap.  Yay us! Lunch was eggs benny with potatoes and salad and soup. We headed out to Horseshoe Bay for my daily does of exercise and it was great.  It was very hot but we took shelter under a tree at a picnic bench and had an ice cream cone. Massive hedge around someone's house We made the trek around the area which was not that big.  We walked along the shore and saw some, unfortunately, dead starfish and a crab a bunch of mussels.   We saw two seals and one was playing around in the water which was cool to see.  There were Canada geese, crows, seagulls and some tiny tiny birds around. We stopped at Winners on the way back ...

Woke early this am, 5:24 and couldn't go back to sleep.  Too many things running through my head.  Going to be a long day and will probably need a nap. My sister was scheduled to be here yesterday until the 10th but she got sick.  So sucky for her and I will miss her but she is scheduled to be here for my next session so it won't be too long till I see her again.  My wonderful sister-in-law, Dina, has graciously volunteered and is flying in today.  It will be really nice to spend time together. To keep my energy up...ha ha...seems like I am always trying to deplete it, we will try and get out to some sites these next few days.  One gets so tired but I noticed that if I do not go out and walk about, it is just harder the next time I do.  I try and balance with a 1/2 for 3/4 day of being out and the next day is a bit of a physical rest day (I work more on these days).  I am balancing work with how I feel when I am here.  You all know me and fam...

So....I have started loosing my hair.  I noticed in the shower Thursday and yesterday that when I washed my hair, there was a lot of hair on my hands every time I rubbed my head and rinsed off my hands.  Then when I blow dryed my hair the bathroom was covered in hair.  Looking on the positive side of things, I did not loose my hair during my first set of chemo treatments last summer.  Still not thrilled about it now though.  They did say that the Gem was less likely to cause hair lose but I guess I drew the short straw.  Anyway, time to book an appointment with a wig and head covering place.  They have one here in the cancer lodge so I will try and get an appointment this week before I head home on Sat. Kiarra and I had breakfast with a very nice couple yesterday.  They mentioned to us in the dining hall that when it was nice, they take their breaky up to the outside sitting area.  I thought that that sounded like a great idea so Kiarra and I...

Today is chemo day.  Working this am and then heading over for chemo.  It's triplet therapy week meaning I get two chemo drugs and one Bev (study drug).  Longer session today.  Bringing a book to read if I do not nod off.   Lunch today is tuna sandwiches and vegetable soup which I am not too fond of so we will head over to the hospital for lunch.  Hopefully we can get one of their cornbread muffins.  They are so delicious! We got cornbread muffins...yay!  Had egg salad sand for lunch. Burning was very bad today.  Managed my way through it.   After chemo, as the day wore into evening,  my ✋️ was increasing in pain.   It ended up swelling along the vein so I left a message and the Dr called me back.   They're was concern regarding my anaphylaxis tendencies with drugs but we came up with a plan.  Heat,  ice. monitoring.   I was doing ice already so added the heat as well.  Dinner w...

Breakfast this am was waffles and warm boiled egg, tea and juice.  So delish. Working this am and then have a Look Good, Feel Good workshop for skin and hair health while doing chemo. Looks like it will be another really nice day today.  Will be out this afternoon getting my daily dose of exercise to keep me in the "best" of health...lol. Tasty. Tasty, loved boiled eggs.  🥚 Lunch is Italian Wedding Soup, Hamburger, savory potato wedges and tossed salad. The Look Good, Feel Good workshop was good.  The ladies were very nice and informative.  We received a kit of products to use and information about wigs. Went to Richmond today and did a bit of shopping and had dinner.  There are no tvs in the rooms here but Kiarra bought a projector and there is a perfect blank white wall that we can project on to.  It's perfect.

Early morning today.  Breakfast at 7:30 so that we could get over to BC Cancer for blood work and then for the oncologist appt.  Had a cheese omlette and hashbrowns. My white blood cell count is low but has recovered enough to continue with chemo.  All the other side affects from last treatment are normal and have mostly subsided for the moment.  Chemo is scheduled for Friday at 1:15. Lunch options today are mushroom soup, chicken souvlaki, nann bread, greek, tzatziki and tossed salad.  Unfortunately, the chicken was a bit pink so we didn't finish that. Today, Kiarra and I are getting our nails redone.  It's our little treat.  

Cycle two of six.  Kiarra and I are waiting for our flight to Vancouver.  We secured accommodation at the BC Cancer Lodge this time.  It is kitty corner to BC Cancer so we will not have to rely so much on the buses to get to and from appointments.  I stayed at the lodge Jan 2023 for my second Cancer surgery and the folks there were great. Kiarra drove back from Destruction Bay this am to go with me.  I imagine we will both have a nap on the flight. Missed dinner last night so Kiarra and I went to Wendy's and then we picked up a few things from London Drugs and headed back to the lodge.

Apologies on the lateness of this post.  I started it on time, updated and still delayed.  My bad. 2nd Chemo day.  Today is just the Gem.  Gem is the one that hurts as it enters your veins, it burns and works it's way up your arm.  The site from last week still hurts but it is minimal so one shall not complain to much.  I am worried I'll run out of sites to use......  Anyway, that is this afternoon's chore!   I am looking forward to going home tomorrow and being in my own place.  Don't get me wrong, the Easter Seals house is great.  You have everything you need...other than a big ass tv and a couch.... in your room.  There is a lounge upstairs but I have not really felt like leaving my room and having to smile and potentially converse with others while in pain. Update: Couldn't get a good vein on my left hand, two tries and they switched back to the right.  Found one along the side of my right hand and that worked.  B...