With everyone's support and praying for me, I have felt so humbled and blessed to have you all around me. Today was stressful and it did take a lot from me. More about that in a bit. The best news I could hear! I only have stage 1 small cell lung cancer. It has NOT spread anywhere else in my body. Everything looks good except where the cancer is which is limited to my right lung only. It is in a bad spot but with chemo and radiation, I will whip this dude with God's help and all of your support! The areas of cancer are in lymph, and also inside and around a large bronchial branch. He doesn't want that branch cut off and is confident we are getting it in time. I was so relieved to hear this news. I felt like the world jumped off my shoulders.
Ok, about today, I had no idea what to expect with chemo as I have never had it. I had many different medicines put into my IV but 2 of those were chemo medicines that I couldn't repeat if I tried. Because the chemo is so strong and can hurt organs they also gave me: benadryl, ativan, zofran, lasix, heparin thru IV, iv steroid, and a couple of others that I don't remember the names. The lasix was because before each chemo medicine they gave me a 1,000 liter IV of normal saline in about an hour's time. I never knew an IV could run so fast but it did. Then the chemo med, then another IV of normal saline solution. In between I am encouraged to drink all of the liquids I can to keep my kidneys functioning as well as the other organs flushed well with hydration.
I started out today weighing 228 clothes off, I got there weighing 331 at the start clothes on. I ended up back home with clothes off weighing 334.9. A lot of fluid running around in me at this time. The better news than this is that the place is amazing. It is almost like a spa. I got a recliner and a pillow and the nurse is so super attentive I couldn't believe it. She was a doll. I come out of the bathroom just saying to myself that I felt funny and she rushed over helped me back to my chair which is when she gave me the pillow, a cool cloth to my forehead and notified the doc, who ordered chemo be paused for 15 minutes. Then she gave me some other meds which made me feel better and the doc then came and saw me personally. The place is arranged in a semi-circle with big open windows where we sit. It is just a beautiful building. I was able to take a small diamond painting with me and got my nurse so interested in it. I am going to give her one to do as I have tons and she likes chickens so I am going to make her a rustic chicken diamond painting. She was sooo good and she laughed with me all day when she wasn't busy. Husband was by my side the whole time. Tomorrow I can stay there by myself and my son will pick me up and drop me off.
My schedule will be: 1 day of long chemo like today, followed by two days of shorter chemo, then for two weeks I will do radiation therapy-10 sessions, then back to chemo for the three day regimen. They will do this for 3 cycles he said and then rescan.
I am tired today. I tried to eat when I got home and got sick to my stomach but I couldn't throw anything up. Took one of the nausea meds and laid down. I think I have peed 50 times today but not enough to make up for all of the fluid going in....LOL because on top of IV, I drank decaf coffee in a mug, a large styrofoam diet sprite, a large water on ice and when I got home I had some lightly flavored crystal light and another decaf coffee.
In two weeks I get a port in my chest done by a radiologist there at the clinic. I am a bit scared about that, but if I can go through two heart cath procedures while awake, I can go through a port being placed in my chest. It will be much better than getting poked five times each day trying to find a vein.
Did I mention God is so good! Folks I have the non-extensive kind of small cell right now which gives me much greater chances of surviving much longer than I thought! I may have that 5 years longer or more! NOPE (not one puff ever) and thank you, thank you to all of you who have prayed. I also had a prayer circle going on in my diamond painting FB group and I believe in the power of prayer.
Now I need support getting through all of this chemo and radiation. I don't deserve any of it, but then again yes I do because I am God's child like a very good friend here told me and he does love me. He also loves when we get together to pray for others and I will pay this all forward for our creator and others here who need support.
Sorry this was so long,
❤️ Sherri
