My next chemo before the trip is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 24, pump off and fluids Friday, Jan.26 and Sunday (Jan.28) at the hospital for another liter of fluids. Usually my platelets are not high enough after 2 weeks from a treatment, but are after 3 weeks. This time it will be 2 1/2 weeks. If they are low, I will make the choice to go 6 days later which will interfere with my feeling well for the trip or just not take treatment and it will be a long time between treatments which she really frowns on:( Hm. I will just wait and see as I do a lot of these days.
My doctor is very happy with the way I look and the results of tests. I wait until tomorrow for the tumor marker number. For the last 3 treatments, it has been at 8.
She also mentioned that she doesn't recommend patients on chemo to use suppositories but a stool softener swallowed is better for keeping the intestinal bacteria in place. That was a new one for me.
She changed the anti-nausea part of chemo to another drug called Varubi). It is supposed to last longer than the other ones...I guess she means during the week. We shall see(?) Yesterday was particularly unpleasant including nausea and the chemo "funk" (terrible weakness)..but I ate little bits and got through the night with another movie.
I find now I am enjoying some of the international movies looking at the English subtitles since I don't understand a word they are saying:) But it is surprising how much I understand just from the subtitles, the actions and tones of voice, etc. Don't ask me names of movies off the top of my head, can't remember those unless I go back and look them up. Watched in Spanish of course, Hebrew and now French.., have also watched in Russian.
Now to travel thoughts. I am thinking a lot about germs, food and water down in Colombia. Don't get me wrong, my immune system is suppressed so I really do have to be careful as I do here. I don't want to be rude or make anyone feel embarrassed in my family down there, but I really want to be careful about what I eat, how it is prepared, what I drink, etc. I am thinking of getting a water testing kit to take with me so I can be careful. Here I drink the ionized alkaline water (PH balanced #11) from a local health store. I really don't want friends or relatives to be worried about me not having that down there.
Also, I want to be careful that I eat only cooked veggies, peeled fruit, no seeds, low fat, nothing fried, no pork or beef, to wash hands before handling food and wash the food well. It would be great to have antibacterial dish washing detergent to use too as well as changing the washing cloth often.
If there are folks in the house or visitors who may have virus germs (colds, fevers), I would be so grateful for them to let me know so I can wear a mask.
I am really looking forward to this whole trip. I really never thought I could go again to see the family and friends.
We will travel directly to Bogota, Colombia, and change planes for Armenia. We will get there late but altogether the trip will only take 8 hours. We don't have to leave DC until 3 in the afternoon. Coming back, we will get to DC about 1:30 PM, spend the night in the hotel again having parked our car there for the whole trip.
My next chemo will be as soon as I get back, Feb. 26.
These are the thoughts for today since I am feeling pretty well considering it is the day after chemo. However, I know already from experience that Wednesday, Thursday and part of Friday I will still be UTI....(under the influence of chemo:)
How I appreciate all the prayers that are prayed for my well being. It is so hard to pray sometimes, but as a friend so aptly puts it, "I will prayerfully be thinking of you".
I continue to be very thankful for family and friends who reach out to me with prayer, food from the kids and friends, foot massages and help from my adoring husband. I also am thankful for uplifting books and the Bible.
"God Himself is with us,
let us now adore Him
and with awe appear before Him."
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