LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

[PeterZ]

The sleeping pills he gave don't do diddly....When I read the side effects I debated not taking them....Side effects include sleep walking, sleep eating and having sex without remembering....I sure don't recall any of the above...

Life is Good!!!!

Are you sure he didn't prescribe you a ruffie?

 

[swillologist]

I'm glad your treatment went well. It's good that theyhit the right vain this time. They have been having trouble with me on that too.


I know all about the weeds.My grapes are a disaster.


Great website.some people willnever know how true most of that is.


Chins up girl we are winning.

 

[smokegrub]

NW:

I happened to be browsing around the site and came across this thread. I am a colon cancer survivor--surgery was 5 years ago. I will be praying for you.

This disease has a sobering effect on those who have had it. Life is sweeter and never taken for granted. Family and friends become more important than ever and you begin to not sweat the little things. Chats with God are more frequent and forgiveness of past offenses is easier.

May the Lord bless and keep you and those you love.

 

[NorthernWinos]

NW:



I happened to be browsing around the site and came across this thread. I am a colon cancer survivor--surgery was 5 years ago. I will be praying for you.



This disease has a sobering effect on those who have had it. Life is sweeter and never taken for granted. Family and friends become more important than ever and you begin to not sweat the little things. Chats with God are more frequent and forgiveness of past offenses is easier.



May the Lord bless and keep you and those you love.

Thank You for joining with your unfortunate experience.... This thing just touches everyone....

I thought I was a survivor...Had Colon Cancer in 2006...Had a colonoscopy a few months before and nothing showed up...My Cancer was on the outside of the Colon....The outcome of exploratory surgery was a surprise to everyone..including the surgeon....That 6 month treatment went well, everything was gone and life went on.......

Then 18 months later, with CT Scans every 3 months Cancer showed up in the lymph nodes in my pelvis...growing like wildfire.....I felt 100%, but there was no doubt about what was going on.....So off to treatment again.

Hopefully these Chemo cocktails will knock it out once more....Get another scan next month...so just have to wait it out and pray....

I don't worry about many things any more....Today is the important day...It is all that matters.

Life is Very Good!!!!


Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[OilnH2O]

NW, hang in there - you're even more of an inspiration to know the particulars of your disease's progression! I wear my yellow "LiveStrong" bracelet for a friend's son but you "live strong" in ways that make me feel you're on top of this challenge!

BUT, no worries -- you're still on the prayer list!

(Not to make you jealous, because I know you'll appreciate the sentiment, but off tomorrow with my son's Boy Scout troop for 5 days in Glacier. The boys will be fishing, canoeing and hiking -- I'll be searching for the elusive, wild huckleberrious giganticus, and hoping to avoid using the bear spray! But even if I only find the huckleberrious minor I'll still try to bring back enough for lots of goodies!)

 

[NorthernWinos]

OilnH20...Hope you get buckets of berries....

Life is a trip....enjoy the journey.

 

[NorthernWinos]

The sleeping pills he gave don't do diddly....When I read the side effects I debated not taking them....Side effects include sleep walking, sleep eating and having sex without remembering....I sure don't recall any of the above...

Life is Good!!!!

Are you sure he didn't prescribe you a ruffie?

Peter....

...I had to look up a ruffie.....

He gave me Temazepam...It doesn't overtake the Steroids/Cortisone...

I still only sleep for a couple hours...then by 2 or 3 AM I am wide awake....Listen to the clock gonging, fridge starting, aquarium bubbling....The dogs do their crazy barking at any hour of the night....Then at 4 AM the cat does it's jump on the bed, purr, run through the house tricks...then 5 AM this farmer gets up for no reason...Then 6 AM the aerial crop sprayer fires up his plane for his days work...so by then I am ready to get up.... Sleep will eventually come....I get a lot of stuff done during the day, know it's all these drugs...but whatever...I should catch up on the weeding and gardening soon.

So it goes.
Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Waldo]

Where are you oh Lord
I cry in the night
Give me more strength
To fight this fight.
My body cries out,
every nerve ending frayed
I know you have heard me,
because I have prayed.
Each day dawning
as did the last
Sunsets spawning
a pain
I hope
will very soon pass.
I am strong,
In You I survive.
By faith alone
I remain alive.
I cherish each moment,
each fresh scent in the air.
The sweat on my brow,
As my garden I tenderly take care.
You would be there beside me,
I knew you would
I smile and go on
knowing full well.....Life Is Good !!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Waldo...You made me cry!!!!

 

[Waldo]

I am sorry NW..I just opened my heart and typed what was there.
You are such an inspiration to us all.

 

[Wade E]

Gave me goosebumps Waldo! That was awesome!

 

[grapeman]

Group hugs to everyone touched by all these terrible things and give you each strength to endure and overcome.

 

[rgecaprock]

Waldo, That is so beautiful!!

 

[joeswine]

waldo thats magic,good show







http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&ref=12

 

[NorthernWinos]

This is my week without any drugs.....I do feel different.
No Steroids/Cortisone this week...and took the last Chemo pills till next Tuesday's treatment....

I am not as wound up, not as energetic, not as productive....Is this called feeling 'normal'???

I am sleeping more...without the Rx sleeping pills...However I want to sleep in the mornings....Good sleep now...even dream....but still only a couple hours at a time, but I do return to sleep easier.

So...I guess this is feeling more 'normal'....I try to accomplish something everyday, other than daily chores....Just something to make the day worthwhile.

Things are going good...Got rain so the field crops, veggie garden, fruits and flowers are happier....and, I don't feel the need to maybe drag out some hoses and help Mother Nature along.

So...life goes on....and..Life is very Good!!!

 

[Waldo]

And hopefully each day will get better and better for you NW

 

[NorthernWinos]

And hopefully each day will get better and better for you NW

Thanks Waldo....

And...I Thank You again for the poem.


Where are you oh Lord
I cry in the night
Give me more strength
To fight this fight.
My body cries out,
every nerve ending frayed
I know you have heard me,
because I have prayed.
Each day dawning
as did the last
Sunsets spawning
a pain
I hope
will very soon pass.
I am strong,
In You I survive.
By faith alone
I remain alive.
I cherish each moment,
each fresh scent in the air.
The sweat on my brow,
As my garden I tenderly take care.
You would be there beside me,
I knew you would
I smile and go on
knowing full well.....Life Is Good !!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Round 4.....

Left before 7AM to make my 8AM Lab appointment...was quite excited as the Dr.'s appointment was at 8:30 and Chemo was scheduled for 9AM....Thought I would be out of there quickly today and Jim could maybe combine a little wheat when he got home.

The lab was right on time...The Doctor was not in the house till near 9....then the nurses were all with a Drug Representative...so I didn't get my first infusion of pre-meds till 10....

This Chemo patient thing is good practice for learning patience....didn't get home till a bit after 4PM....long days...

So we all have to share these nurses with the other patients...so when their alarms signal the end of their infusions they are tended to...then your alarm goes off....so some wait while getting flushed with Dextrose or Saline....got more Dextrose today while waiting than before...More trips to the ladies room....What goes in comes out and with 6 bags of various drugs...that's a lot of liquid.

Seems a few patients are regulars and we share the same days and times...so we are visiting. The elderly Blueberry People are still out picking, they said the ones in the woods are still good. Now possibly they are going to share their Morel Mushroom sites.....they pick them by the 5 gallon bucket full.

There was a new patient [always scary for them] The elderly guy must have had all his Grand daughters show up...they filed in caring banners and posters saying the love him...It was really nice.

So, time passes during the treatments...I did nod off for a few minutes and drooled on my self...

...figured it would be the last rest I'll have for a few days with the Dexamethasone running through my veins...so will be racing for a few days, then will crash about Sat-Sun and back for another dose next Tues.

The last few days have been pretty good, my 'drug free week', had no drugs since last Wed...REAL sleep is a blessing. As for the side effects of these drugs....
I guess I am getting stronger and able to take them as I did 2 years ago with not many side effects... Get another round in 3 weeks then a CT/Scan and will know what's going on inside this well used/abused old body.

So...life goes on...and...Life is Good!!!

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

Today I went in for treatment...what they call The Day 8 treatment.

The hardest part of my treatments seems to be the waiting...patience is not my best virtue....but I'm trying.

They had forgot to have me come in for Lab work...so spent the first hour waiting for blood work to be completed...seems apologies don't make up for time...but time is all I really have....

Meanwhile I got to visit with some of the regulars who share the same day/time treatment schedule....got to visit with the elder 'Blueberry People' and others whom we all seem to becoming 'family'.

I look at the people taking treatments...quite an array...
The Elders...[You expect elders to have health problems]
The Women...[Probably breast Cancer. or other female problems]
The Young Men...[This one doesn't sit right with me..It doesn't seem fair...Not that any Cancer is fair...but young men should not be there...That's not right]
Then...
The Children...[this one is just wrong]...makes you say WHY???

Blood was good...so proceeded with the treatment. My treatments begin with the premeds....

Dexamethasone and Palonosetron....these are to prevent nausea/vomiting and allergic reactions....

Oxaliplatin...the drug that I have to take in 2 doses a week apart...it is hard on the veins.... Today's vein was shallow, so I got to feel the side effect right away....it's main side effect is a tingling sensation in the hands and feet, especially when I touch anything cold. I can only describe it as a feeling like you've touched Stinging Nettle. This sensation subsides over the week, but I wear gloves to get stuff out of the fridge and freezer and eat and drink room temp food and drinks....by the 3rd week I can eat ice cream and other cold treats.

Now I take more Cortisone/Steroids for 3 days in pill form...so will be awake till Sat or Sun....I have actually really been sleeping better lately, still only 2-3 hours at time, but sleep returns faster and deeper.

As well I take Xeloda in pill form for the first 2 weeks....quite a drug cocktail to try to trick these Cancer cells into dying.

So...the treatment passed over 4½ hours...this was the 'short' day. I feel great....Seems I am more frustrated from waiting than anything...and I really have to work on that. Sitting still is hard for me. 2 years ago when I had treatment I was like that too..especially at the end....Would want to stay home..."Why should I be there with all 'those sick people'"..."Give my appointment to someone who needs it"...Jim would drag me there and sit with me...saying it is necessary. Now, I look like the rest of the 'sick people'...No hair like many...but I never realize it till I see my reflection or shadow and go "Oh...that's me"...Hair for winter would be nice....but whatever!!!!

So...I feel really good...and wonder if the treatments are doing anything...I felt 100% before treatment....I am not 100% yet...but seem to be maintaining well. I get a CT Scan next month...that will tell the tale of what's happening inside this impatient body.

Meanwhile...I have a wonderful spouse, family and friends.....and...
Life is Good.

 

[Waldo]

Be as patient with your body as you would a fine wine NW..Both are delicate yet strong and bold.