one pill makes you larger.......

"one pill makes you larger

and one pill makes you small

and the ones that mother gives you

don't do anything at all"

You know I have been wondering lately if perhaps Gracy Slick is talking about constipation here.

Wondering which of the the pills she is on is the one that is causing her constipation.

All and all I have been thinking perhaps constipation is a rather overlooked malady. I currently have enough thoughts on constipation I think I would start a weekly  "CSI like" show on it.....I won't expand on that concept, trying to keep this blog clean.

Perhaps even a new religion.........

The very lovely cloth bag in the photo is one that Ken and I went all the way over to Coos Bay, to "Ross dress for less" to purchase.  The reason for this lovely floral bag.......is to keep my pills in.

There could be a few operatives in play here:

1) we have WAYYY too much time on our hands

2)we have wayyy too many pills on our hands

3)we are taking this all WAYYY too seriously.

what can I say.....it was Ken's idea.

Serially now, they are stacking up.

As a physician I always try hard not to get into the scenario where you give pill D to treat the side effects of pill C, which you were giving to  treat the combination side effects of pill A and B, which have done nothing to treat the problem X.

The problem with Chemo is that you are giving drugs that by their  very nature  cause side effects, and though "hopefully" it is "taking care of a little problem", it is killing cells.

So prior to taking the carboplatin and paclitaxol, you have to take 3 fairly high doses of steriods to prevent a reaction to paclitaxol, you also receive benadryl IV to prevent a rash and 

cimetadine to prevent a stomach upset and another long acting drug for nausea.

Then the following day a dose of Neulasta, which stimulates the bone marrow (and causes bone pain and heartburn and consipation)

THEN THE RACE BEGINS:

I have compazine for the nausea, too sedating

I have zofran for the nausea, it would have helped if I had known that if you take this with in 2 days of the  the other nausea med it also causes headaches (it also causes constipation)

Ativan, which is alittle like valium, which really works well for nausea.

Percoset which treats the bone pain, but REALLY causes constipation

tylenal for the bone pain, but can also elevate the liver enzymes, which are already up from the chemo meds, so I have been careful with tylenal.

Somehow I am SURE that my hair falling out will seem pretty minor after all of this!

So nurse Kenny  and I have little pieces of paper all over the house with attempts to keep track of when and what dose of which I have taken (same filing system as my song writing).

HELP!!!!

Ken and I have decided that this really has not worked well, and perhaps we need more help. (We have 5 more chemo treatments to survive)

At the advise of one of the nurses at the local hospital, who also works at the north bend cancer center, I called on the nurse specialists there yesterday. (she is an old friend)

I went over all that was happening, including the very high white blood count and the terrible headaches.

She explained that the very high white blood count was as a result of the Neulasta and that I had had a very good response in the bone marrow boosting.

However a very good response takes its toll.  The large bones all over the body, are where all the blood cells are formed and when the bone marrow goes into overdrive it causes pain EVEN IN THE SKULL bones.

She also suggested another medication that might help the heartburn more.

Perhaps this is a long way of explaining that we have decided to do our chemo in North Bend.

They have 2 nurse specialists who are obsessed with this stuff.

I have decided that chemo is far more than just choosing the drugs and infusing them, it would seem to me that that is where the work really starts. From what I have read, there really is no need to suffer any more with chemo, with all the meds that are out there.  Its just meds need close supervision and individualization  and from what I have found out this week, I think I will get more of that in north bend.

ALSO would be cool to sleep in my own bed after getting chemo.

The kind of person I am, EVERYTHING is on a  need to know basis, I need to know exactly what is going on, other wise it frightens  me, and I think most people are like me.

So I have appt to see north bend doc on April 9th, 

I will do my radiation in Eugene still.

I am trying to make these blogs as informative as possible, because the medical system  has become so complex and expensive for people to access, I feel that being informed is the most valuable tool you can give anyone.  I have heard that an article was written in local paper with link to this blog. I was unaware of this, however support it whole heartedly. 

If there is something you like, be sure and drop me a note.... jankenb@gmail.com 

I continue to be overwhealmed by all the love, and the the very lovely people who surround me.

Love and peace

Janet Bates