Trusting you all had a wonderful Christmas.                          Jan.1, 2013
I am wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year.


Today is the first day of 2013 WOW where did the days go...I had a request to expound a little more in the Iron Infusion. All I can say is that when I had my first treatment due to anemia I had a reaction and did not know it, I told the nurse when I went back next week and she advised me then that I should have returned to the treatment area asap, well no one told me there may be a reaction ! I asked her what she would have done to help me, she said she would have given me Benadryl.

Thankfully this time I did not have any type of reaction but the Nurse did make me wait an additional half hour just to be safe and sure.

I had a Pulmonary Function Test done on December 27th. I will get those results on the 11th. of this month when I see my Pulmonologist, I found that test to be very taxing on my lungs well let's face it they are not getting better. Just have to make the best of what I am dealing with.

So, until next time my friends,

Remember,

Inhale~~~123

Exhale~~~1234

Breathe Easy,

Sandy

Iron Infusion

Can you believe this I am posting again within only a few days ! I wanted to share the experience I had today with the Iron Infusion. I had to go to the Caner Center to have the procedure done. First they take blood then you go to the treatment room and sit till the nurses get your blood results. Then they take your vitals before the treatment begins which by the way takes about 30 min., everyone is different some can last for up to 2 hrs. Well, the nurse came to me, started the IV and came back in a half hour, checked my vitals again, reason being is that some folks can have a reaction to the Iron again after another 15 minutes the nurse checked my vitals and and one more time I was checked and was done for the treatment.

Now, one of the side effects is shortness of breath and of course I am a cancer 2yrs. surviver and currently having a really tough time with my COPD exacerbation's and SOB. I have one more treatment for next wk. once I get to the Cancer Center I will talk to the nurse about my reactions

I had to have the nurse put me in a wheel chair to take me to my car. Once I got home the burning in my chest was awful along with the SOB, so I did two Nebulizer Treatments and took another stomach pill for the burning in my chest and it worked ! Took a nap for about 45min. I feel better now.

As I said earlier everyone is different if you have any medical questions best to talk them over with your Dr. If you have any questions for me, I will be happy to reply.

Until we meet again my friends remember,

Breathe Easy,

Inhale ~~~123

Exhale~~~1234

Sandy

COPD EXACERBATION AGAIN

Hello to everyone !   Trust you all are doing well as can be expected. I have a lot of space to cover today let's start with the COPD Exacerbation's again of which I have had several attacks of which have landed me in the hospital several times this year. So now I am involved with Home Hospice Care which means a Hospice Nurse comes in to see me each week, does the usual vitals, listens to my lungs and makes recommendations to me if she hears something suspicious in my lungs, then calls the Dr. at the Hospice House who may call in a script for an antibiotic. What's good about that is it kept me out of the hospital since I got involved with Hospice in June of this year, prior to that I had been hospitalized each and every month prior to June of this year.  Now, the latest I had another sleep study done and WOW ! can't imagine how I went this long without a new Sleep Apnea machine the setting is on 10, prior to that it was on 6....what a difference it has made I tried the full face mask didn't work I felt like I was smothering so I continue to use my other one which is working out just fine.

I saw my Pulmonary Dr today and he advised me on what steps to take should I have another exacerbation, let's hope it doesn't happen it scared the heck out of me.

Slow and easy are the words I have to live by or not live ! Any exertion puts such labor on my breathing so I have to walk really slow and not do anything that would cause any kind of exertion.

Sometimes I think I would like to go back to N.H. because it is so hot and humid here  but then I think of the cold, ice and snow and say to myself...OK stay right here in Florida and deal with the weather...LOL

I trust and hope this post will enlighten some folks if not all. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to respond.

Until we meet again my friends,

Inhale~~~123

Exhale~~~1234

Breathe Easy,

Sandy

Hospice Care is not what you think...

Good Evening to all !..I know it has been a very, very, long time since my last post. Reason being is that I have been so sick for the past year or so and had so many things going on, now I think I have a handle on it all... Where do i start hmmmmm, well as of my last post i was doing ok hanging in there if you will, take the good with the bad and hope for the best.

This year has not been a good year health3wise for me, From December of 2012 to current I have been in the hospital for an Upper Respiratory infections, bladder infections, stomach viruses..you name it i got it !

so now the plan of action to keep me out of the hospital is joining up with hospice care, it's not the typical hospice where we (i) thought was the end of life care cause i was so sick, what hospice care does is to keep you out of the hospital and try to  keep you at home and treat any health concerns, or  problems you may have, and if they cannot treat your health issues at home they will admit you to one of their facilities for further observation and medical treatment.they have drs. on staff and nurses as well, i, however am not in any hurry to try them out...

recently i was treated for an upper respiratory infection, i was put on a 7 day antibiotic treatment for the URI. The only problem i have had is that i have lost my appetite and weight...which i could afford to lose, the weight, that is lol ! it was a side effect from the antibiotics which is not uncommon.

I called hospice  and asked to speak to a nurse this was last Sunday and within an hour a nurse came to my house and brought me medicine to settle the nausea in my stomach and hopefully the little solids i ate today will stay down, so far so good ! I have been sleeping a lot which is part is due to copd exasperation's which have been a problem for me, and as the nurse explained it,look for the warning signs: low grade fever, increase use of rescue meds. change in color or thickness of sputum, fatigue that last more than a day new or increased swelling....that should be enuf for you to be aware of.

now that i can sit up and take nourishment,Gatorade and jello...lol

so until we meet again my Friends,

breathe easy,

inhale ~~~123

exhale~~~1234

sandy

Good Afternoon Everyone !
Wow ! what a year it has been for me with the ups and downs of this Lung Cancer stuff, being on prednisone so often has dropped my immune system into the bottom of the ocean..lol

I just got out of the hospital with double pneumonia, I went to the Dr cause I did not feel well he looked at me and said, you are going into the hospital You do not look good..no kidding.. so off to the hospital I go, got admitted and all settled in and then comes the nurse with all the good stuff to hang off the intravenous they pumped me with a very strong Antibiotic as well as more steroids 60mg every 6 hrs. yup I look like the moon with the nice round face gotta have a good laugh every once in a while. Then they woke me every other hr it seemed to give me more meds or breathing treatment (nebulizer) you can never rest in the hospital.

When I came home I had two prescriptions one for Prednisone to start 40mg, then ween off to none. The other was for an antibiotic can you believe with my health ins. it would have cost me $400.00 !!!!!! needles to say I called the Dr and he called in another prescription for me which by the way was free at our local Publix supermarket, I lucked out on that one.

When I go out now I make sure I wear a mask over my oxygen just in case someone sneezes or coughs and I always use the sanitary wipes they have for the shopping carts.

I am still pretty tired but this too shall pass with plenty of rest.

I guess that's all for now, any questions or commentss for me feel free to reply to this post.

Until we meet again my friends,

Inhale...123

Exhale....1234

Breathe Easy,

Sandy

Radiation & Chemo Treatments Continue

Good Evening to everyone here "At Welcome To My Little Corner of The World"
Another day dawns and more treatments continue, as of today Thurs, 11-18- I have 17 more Radiation treatments and not quite sure of the amount left on the Chemo I should find that out when I see the Chemo Dr. on Tues. The chemo continues with a 6hr treatment to include Chemo for one hr, steroids for 20 min and another drug used to treat nausea. Now remember everyone is different and how they handle their treatments I have found out that receiving chemo for 5 days with Steroids is doing a job on my sleep pattern also in some cases it's called "Chemo Rage" and is not uncommon, so the next step get something to bring down the anxiety level..jeez always something to keep the ball rolling ! Soon the cure will be in sight.


I had to have a ct done this am then saw the Radiation Oncologist who suggested I get a chest x-ray cause my right lung (with the tumor) was congested well, thank God nothing showed I was allowed to go home, possible wheezing from the Pulmonary Fibrosis which we knew may happen.

So that's about all for today I will try to do better and keep you all posted.

Until we meet again my friends remember,

Inhale~~~123

Exhale ~~~~1234

Breathe Easy,
Sandy

More Tests

Good Morning to all here at "Welcome To My Little Corner Of The World" !

I know it's been a reallly long time since my last post, reason being is that I have been sick and in and out of the hospital, having tests after tests. First test a Bronchoscopy not a comforting test either altho, I was in la la land during the test however, the first part when they numb your nose and throat.made me gag a little yuk!
Anyway test was done and part of my lung was biopsied, results were inconclusive, so the Dr. could not make a positive diagnosis. More x rays to follow it's a wonder I don't light up at night from all of the radiation !

The next step a fine needle aspiration of my right lung and the Dr. went thru my right side to obtain the tissue needed for the lab. So now it's the waiting game again.

The following week I saw the Pulmo. Dr. for the results which came back positive for Large Cell Carcinoma. So now I need to see a Medical Oncologist for evaluation of the situation and then onto see a Cancer Specialist for treatment.

Here we are again faced with yet another challenge and by God I will take this challenge head on and keep you all apprised of the progress and treatments.

Now remember, everyone is different in their own ways with regards to their health, my situation is unique to me and may not be the same for anyone else.

Until we meet again my friends remember,

Inhale~~~123

Exhale~~~~1234

Breathe Easy,
Sandy