Getting Through Another Chemo Treatment

Jan 26

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Yesterday, my new oncologist prescribed dexamethosone.  It’s a long, nightmarish story for why that is necessary.  In summary, it is due to another oncologist administering a chemo drug to me that was unnecessary just because he had the authority to do so.  It started in October with this being a reaction to the same drug;

That’s necrosis, folks.  After it healed in late November, the oncologist appeared to not like that another oncologist jumped in leading to that healing, so on December 6, 2018, he had to try to undo it.  This time around, things did not end up with outright necrosis, but some of the skin texture did change, with purple swelling and burning pain.  The administration of that same drug did result in me being admitted to the hospital for 4 days because of life-threatening issues it caused.  That oncologist resigned his practice on January 17th.

By the way, the leak of that chemo drug also caused a DVT, (blood clots) in my upper left arm.  The results of an ultra sound last week shows that the blood clots have dissolved.  (Hallelujah) Because it was caused by an event, I go off blood thinners next week rather than having to take them for the rest of my life.

The most serious side-effect I’m looking at by taking dexamethasone is the possibility of becoming diabetic.

Anyway, one of the nurses in the cancer center told me to take the medication early in the day because it has the tendency to cause lots of energy.  We laughed with me asking, “You mean I’ll clean my house at the speed of light, shovel the expecting 3 inches of snow and write a book in several hours?”

Well, today I experienced some of that “anxiety” and turned on my stereo — thought I’d share some of the music with you.

We start off with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, followed by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.  No day of being on dexamethasone can go without jazz by the Braxton Brothers.  No day can start or activity end with what my mother used to say, “Don’t forget to thank God in all things” so here’s an inspirational song by Kirk Franklin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on 01/26/2019, in cancer, music and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. 29 Comments.

  1. eurekajim | 01/26/2019 at 5:03 pm

    Chemo was the worst part of having Cancer, I ended up losing about 50lbs.
    If nothing else try to get a couple of cans of Infamil or something similar down and eat some Yogurt daily too to keep the bacteria in your stomach healthy and if you have access, Pot does help with the Nausea and also will help you to sleep.
    Hang in there Xena, I still say having a positive mental attitude is one of the most important things if you want to beat this thing.

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Xena | 01/26/2019 at 5:24 pm

      Jim,
      I had no idea you had been through the journey. Thanks for your words of sharing.

      I eat like a pig, but dropped about 20 pounds because the day after my diagnosis, I gave up soft-drinks, sugars and white potatoes. That included my favorite snack food potato chips too. Because of soy allergy discovered shortly after my diagnosis, that eliminated pre-processed food from my diets — all that contain soy. That also means that I eat less bread. The only bread I can find without soy is in a grocery store across town. Most of the soy free products are also sugar free.

      I have the application for CBO but have not yet completed the process. In Illinois, medical marijuana and CBO cannot contain THC, or there is only a minimal amount, so that was encouraging to me since I’ve never done pot and never liked the feeling of getting high. I get high off music. 🙂

      Thanks for your encouraging words.

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  2. beholdinghimministries | 01/26/2019 at 5:06 pm

    Praising God for bringing you through! 🙌🙌🙌

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Xena | 01/26/2019 at 5:17 pm

      AMEN! More good news — cancer marker tests (which my first oncologist should have had done before staging me), were ordered by my new oncologist, and no cancer cells are found in my blood stream.

      The doctors are amazed that there was “significant response to the treatment” after only 2 treatments, but you, I, and some others know that all credit cannot be given to chemo. I’ve now completed all of besides one schedule treatment and am ready for surgery to remove the tumor.

      Liked by 3 people

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    • Xena | 01/26/2019 at 5:17 pm

      AMEN! More good news — cancer marker tests (which my first oncologist should have had done before staging me), were ordered by my new oncologist, and no cancer cells are found in my blood stream.

      The doctors are amazed that there was “significant response to the treatment” after only 2 treatments, but you, I, and some others know that all credit cannot be given to chemo. I’ve now completed all of besides one schedule treatment and am ready for surgery to remove the tumor.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • beholdinghimministries | 01/26/2019 at 5:43 pm

        Hallelujah! Praise the Holy Name of the Lord! 🙂

        Liked by 3 people

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        • Xena | 01/26/2019 at 5:57 pm

          Amen! I have so many testimonies that have helped total strangers (until we met) that are related to this that I can write a book about them. Believing that nothing in God happens by coincidence, last week I called customer service about business and ended up learning that the rep has someone in their family recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The rep cried and said that what I shared really encouraged and lifted her, and she was going to pass it on to her recently diagnosed aunt.

          “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thy own understanding.” Lesson learned. (((((Hugs)))))

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          • beholdinghimministries | 01/26/2019 at 6:03 pm

            Yes, God wastes nothing… all things for His glory! I am sure He is using you to draw His glory down to earth as He walks you through this season! Your testimony has caused me to rejoice in Him! (((((Hugs)))))

            Liked by 2 people

          • Xena | 01/27/2019 at 12:05 am

            I’ve learned so much. People living in torment who are spiritually dead and refuse to repent, who look to those close to God for comfort that only lasts for awhile because they are responsible for their own torment, and witchcraft prayers from believers are two things that I glorify God in teaching me these past months. I’m still learning, along with rebuking attacks from such manipulative people. And, I can tell you that rebuking the individual who the Lord showed me resulted in some serious healing.

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        • Xena | 01/26/2019 at 5:57 pm

          Amen! I have so many testimonies that have helped total strangers (until we met) that are related to this that I can write a book about them. Believing that nothing in God happens by coincidence, last week I called customer service about business and ended up learning that the rep has someone in their family recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The rep cried and said that what I shared really encouraged and lifted her, and she was going to pass it on to her recently diagnosed aunt.

          “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thy own understanding.” Lesson learned. (((((Hugs)))))

          Like

          Reply
  3. curi56 | 01/26/2019 at 5:06 pm

    SCOAN TB JOSHUA IN NIGERIA LIVE Sunday Service At The SCOAN With T.B. Joshua (20/01/19)

    Emmanuel TV

    93.112

    Watch the FULL broadcast of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations Service on Sunday 20th January 2019!! The service was …

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. cindy knoke | 01/26/2019 at 5:37 pm

    Sending you healing hopes & prayers!

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. Carol A. Hand | 01/26/2019 at 6:00 pm

    I am so glad to hear you have a more trustworthy doctor, Xena. Sending love, hugs, and healing thoughts. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Xena | 01/27/2019 at 12:07 am

      Hi Carol. I accept your love, hugs and healing thoughts and thank you for them all. Yes, I really like my new oncologist. It is a blessing to have a doctor who takes my concerns seriously.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Robert A. Vella | 01/26/2019 at 6:35 pm

    Wishing you all the best, Xena.

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. Two sides to a story | 01/27/2019 at 2:25 pm

    Best wishes for smooth sailing! You can’t go wrong with CDB oil and can take it with chemo. My mom had great success with using it in tandem with chemo for her lung cancer – she’ll turn 89 this year and was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was 80. She also takes tons of nutritional supplements.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Xena | 01/27/2019 at 5:05 pm

      Two sides,
      I remember your comment about your mom earlier and it encouraged me to look into getting the license to purchase the oil. I’ve almost completed the application process. It was delayed when I went into the hospital, and I’ve not gotten the strength to fill-out yet another form. 🙂

      I’m a believer in nutritional supplements and herbs.

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  9. Angela Grant | 01/28/2019 at 12:11 pm

    Xena so happy you have a new oncologist who is competent. Your mindset and pre-morbid health will help you pull through. Furthermore, you are a strong woman with many praying for remission and a return to health, sending you hugs.

    Btw, great music for the soul!

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. Gronda Morin | 02/01/2019 at 3:45 pm

    Dear Xena,

    I’m thrilled that you have been blessed with some good news that the cancer marker tests produced a good report. Your faith is a tribute to God and to others.

    The other great news that you finally have a competent oncologist who gives a damn, is a comfort. Otherwise you’d be in fear every time you were due for a treatment.

    Music is God’s gift to all of us.

    There’s no way around it. Chemo is a bitch. Life can be a bitch. This is where you just take one step at a time and treasure those times when there’s peace.

    You will overcome this. Meanwhile, start writing a book, when you can see straight. I’ve started one but I haven’t gotten very far. The first few chapters were such dribble, that I’ve had to rewrite everything.

    Hugs, Gronda

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Xena | 02/02/2019 at 6:22 pm

      Gronda,
      Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. There are days when in spite of good news, there comes a reminder in my body that the war is not over. I looked forward to the target drugs and actually, they are not as bad as actual chemo, but they still attack healthy cells — not just all cells. For example, Herceptin paralyzes Her2 cells by attaching to receptors preventing them from dividing. However, we have Her2 cells all through the muscles of our body. That is why Herceptin causes muscle pain, and also why it weakens heart muscles. Some patients have experienced congestive heart failure after being treated with Herceptin. I had an Echo yesterday and will be monitored again because the treatment plan is for me to continue receiving Herceptin for a year.

      Write a book? I’m smiling. I’m far from being a book writer. The best to you on your journey of book writing!

      Liked by 1 person

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  11. smilecalm | 02/03/2019 at 4:57 pm

    wishing you healing,
    well-being & happiness
    with each calm breath 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  12. mindyme62 | 02/19/2019 at 2:06 am

    http://www.cleaningforareason.org Will clean your house once a month for 4 months for those undergoing chemo and cancer treatment.

    We all have to be our own health advocates! Thank you for demonstrating how WE can manage our care and not sit idly by while others dictate our needs!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Xena | 02/21/2019 at 11:45 pm

      Mindyme!! So great to see your fonts.

      Thanks for the link to the home cleaners. Surgery is coming up soon and there is an agency that is arranging for me to have a personal assistant during my recuperation period. I should know more about that next week.

      You are so right — we do have to be our own health advocates, and that includes educating ourselves. A friend called me last night. He is much younger than myself. I shared with him about an article in the AARP magazine back around 2000 that was about aspartame being the leading cause of MS in adults. He had not heard about that. I told him that he wasn’t 50 back then to be a member and read the article. LOL! Unless the older folks pass information on to the younger generation, there’s a possibility that they will not know and not knowing might effect their health.

      Liked by 1 person

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