What could be the worst side effect of them all?

I have had terrible pain which kept me awake at night, super dry skin, a terrible rash, my hair has fallen out (does anyone feel sorry for me yet?), low blood counts...blah, blah, blah, but I have decided the king kong side effect is bloating. No it is not just tee-hee, hee I have slipped a little gas. It is like I am so bloated I cannot get my pants on. Terrible, it has only been five days since I could wear my jeans, loose mind you, what the crap?!??!??! My new wardrobe, comfortable as it is, is pajama pants and t-shirts. Yeah, I joked with Craig I am going to have to buy all new clothes if this doesn't go away, and I just plan to go to the wal-mart and get tight yoga pants and little baby tees that don't cover my new gut. The actual side effect I am experiencing is possibly related to a new chemo drug, which here is what it says: call your care manager if you experience an increase in girth (awesome), or it could be related to another GI incident I had, and the drugs they gave me afterwards, OR in the fun way I like to roll all three!

So, let me catch you all up. I have had some stuff (crap) going on. In late September I was hospitalized with what was discovered to be an upper GI bleed, those side effects equaled Sharon just feeling really bad and having to lay down a lot, with all her nice family having come to visit. At that time I received my first transfusions of blood, and an extended three day vacation at the hospital, but all was well, and within a week I was back as regularly scheduled to the CTCA for scans, plans, and chemo.

The trip to the CTCA was more eventful than I would have liked as apparently some cancer was confused and the current chemo I was on didn't faze it anymore, so there was a "mixed response." Sucky. After talking to the oncologist and we being his prodigy patient and her husband, we all came quickly to the decision to make a change to new and fun drugs. I have now changed regiments. That was just last week on Thursday (10.21) which seems forever ago now. I actually was pretty excited about one of the drugs he picked because I had been on it before and it was awesome, so I expect the same thing to happen now. So I got the new chemo and it actually is pretty nice too that they don't take long at all to infuse.

The latest fun was on Saturday (10.23). I got up and kept feeling like I was going to pass out, maybe it was nerves right before the OSU game? Hmmm.... but no. I had some breakfast and thought that would help, nope. Plus my body was telling me for sure something was wrong, like the last time I went to the hospital, we knew I was probably bleeding again, so off to the hospital we went. Funny, after you do this a couple times, we packed. I had a bag of stuff so that I was prepared. Total mess. We got to the ER, I couldn't even walk my dang self in because of my pass out problems, that was weird not to be able to actually take myself somewhere. Turns out that during the OSU games in Columbus the ER is pretty empty, plus when you act all weird because you are going to pass out you get lots of attention. Anyway, they figured the bleed, but before they addressed it, fluids, blood, GI scope and some fixin' they decided to do the worst thing I have experienced, (this is still better than the bloat because it was over in 5 minutes). They took this thing to prove I was bleeding into my stomach or in my stomach by shoving this piece of crap up my nose and down my throat!!!! They promised to get the GI doctor to fix the bleed if this happened and I was on board with that. Turns out they are not ER people of their word, no scope that day. They took that dang thing out pretty fast though and probably irritated the bleed I had because later we learned it was in the throat. Ugh, just thinking about it now, totally gross! They did do the scope on Sunday, in the meantime I received blood, platelets, fluids, antibiotics...blah, blah, blah... and was super doctored. I was on a floor they were watching me close, all hooked up to monitors, not allowed out of bed for anything. I learned that yellow socks with the grippies (which my question was why are they on the top and bottom of the feet, what the crap was that all about) meant fall risk. I felt like I was on the super old person sick floor which sucked! Anyway...after Sunday things certainly settled down and I felt much, much, better. Then it just became a matter to ensure I was stable enough to go home, it was a bit complicated because my platelets and red blood fluctuated as it should have because I had just received the chemo, so Tuesday it was looking good for going home, but I had to wait till Wednesday. We got back after 6:00. Long days.

I have to give kudos to my husband Craig though. He worked the whole time, had to run all around to take care of the dogs and was visiting me. I think it is also hard to have to watch the person you love go though hard stuff, but he always brings encouragement and stability to the situation(s). I am always amazed at his faith because it is simple and final. He decides that something will be good and just takes good faith in it right away, like changing drugs. He never seems to return to that decision to wonder about it or anything.

Anyway...where I am now is working on growing some platelets and just recovering from sitting around all day. I have to go to my family doctor next week for a check up and then we all can decide when I am well enough to return to chemotherapy, which I failed to mention will be two weeks on one week off like before but I have to travel once a week for the infusions, that will be the main change, unless this bloat business doesn't get taken care of and then I will be needing the doctor and a drug switch!