Professional

These came from my radiologist, very cool photos!!

Cool Entry

The radiologists allowed Peter to take as many photos during this procedure. Very neat photos. The even took some Medical photos for me from their machines and asked for my email address and emailed them to me. I wonder how many people get that option!! AND she became a friend on facebook!!. Over the last 2 days I have had 3 radiologists : Sarh, Julie and Beverly. They were fabulous. VERY professional but also caring, sweet, smiling and so very kind.

So this is how the procedure works. You will see in photos what I am talking about. The room is massive. It's very different from CT scans and MRIs because NOTHING touches me. I lay on the bed, my head lays on a hard service. The radiologists  snaps on my specially made mask that is completely stuck on my face, I cannot budge. Then the procedure begins. Things whizz, shake, buzz, turn in the air, at one point this big round thing comes close to my head but does not touch me, it looks like an alien!! It's just the coolest thing I've ever seen. There are photos taken from the ceiling and so much more. Here are the photos of my hour in outer space lol.

What a fabulous day!!

I didn't sleep much today, about 3 hrs only but that's okay. I decided to get out of bed at 4:30 am and cross stitch. I do have to complain about the beds, they are like bricks SO hard and uncomfortable but I suppose a bed is better than none.

I started cross stitching and got quite a bit done, I was very happy. Peter finally woke up later in the morning and we decided we would go and get some breakfast as soon as the cafe was open. I had eggs, sausages, bacon, toast and potatoes. Delicious. Peter had about the same. 

Back to the room and hung out until we had to go to my appointment. Nice bathroom and huge locking storage cabinets.

  

So what's really great about this Maurice J. Grimes Lodge is it's complimentary, has all kinds of reading rooms, tv rooms, pool table, puzzle rooms, DVD/VCR room, several TV rooms and a huge kitchen with lots of refrigerators and microwaves to cook anything you want to bring. So far, Peter and I just go out to eat lol.  There is a shuttle that takes us back and forth to the hospital for my appointment in the morning so we don't have to pay astronomical costs for every time you park. Still have to pay $13 a couple times if we leave off the hospital but that's okay. 

View out out lodge

  

Entrance to the Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Clinic. This hospital is stunning. It is so clean, beautiful, the staff is incredibly helpful There are so many volunteers, all you have to do is ask for help and they will walk you to the very exact place you need to be. Talkative, smiling. The staff, reception, nurses, radiologists AND the doctors will take all the time you need for them to answer every single question you have. I felt very special and felt as if they wanted to be sure you had every detail answered. 

I will end this entry and make a new entry for the Medical portion.

Oops

After my blog post I showed Ashlee my tummy and when I lifted my shirt I was bleeding like crazy.
With my blood so thin, it was POURING down my belly. Called cancer clinic they told me to get to ER.
Considering, I got in pretty quick. Apparently they think my last injection I hit a blood vein and boy did it bleed! I'm going to have to be more careful.  I'm okay now.

!!!!!!!!!! WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS !!!!!!!!!

Several months ago my oncologist had told me about another oral chemo pill specifically for my lung cancer. This would have been a medicine from heaven. I started the pill and took it for about a month. During my regular check ups, x-rays, CT scans etc, it was discovered that suddenly my lungs were filled with blood clots. We still are unsure whether the new Xalkori  oral chemo began causing these clots. Bad news is blood clots are not good. It's imperative that they be kept under control. It took about 2 months and various amounts for the doc to feel that I was being given the right amount to keep it on a stable stream. I suppose it's a good thing needles don't bother me, they showed me how to inject myself and it began. I was taken off the Xalkori. Currently I do not take any chemo meds for my lungs. My blood thinner is called Fragmin.

I have to admit that I am so tired doing injections. I have to take 2 injections a day of 10 000 UI shots each. One problem I have is I also have an old hernia on my left side and I'm not allowed to inject there. Hernia is a tennis ball size so it removes a large area I could have been using. I can't do my legs it's too excruciating. Sometimes it's really hard to find another tiny spot. Each time I inject, it leaves a small bump under the skin and a bruise on top.

The very large black one you see is because sometimes the bruises just all amalgamate together and look horrible. Under the skin in that spot, all the little bumps have also rolled together and is now a big bump the size of a thick triscuit cracker. It will take so much time for these bumps to shrink and the skin to go back to normal colour.

I always said I would show ya'll the real thing. To me this is gross and disgusting. Not only my fat, saggy, belly ( thanks 3 c-sections in my early days and unable to lose weight) but it's what I deal with on a daily basis

Hopefully it doesn't gross you out too much.



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WARNING

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Relay for Life at my daughter's school

Relay for Life: Today the school hosted the relay. We arrived and listened to a speaker from the Cancer Society who talked about various things they provide. She teased us not telling us what the school raised financially just yet. The people who were invited were those who were fighting cancer and their families. One young student, and if there were students who had family members with cancer those were the invited guests. For example. Zoe being a student with me, her mom with cancer, another student with her grandma with cancer. I believe there were 9 people invited along with their families. The students and family went outside to make a circle, all the Cancer participants went out and walked in a circle in the middle and all the people clapped and cheered for us, it was heartful. We then went back in and went into the Luminaria room where our family had decorated bags in our honour with glowing candles. They were so beautiful in the dark. Then we had munchies! It was a very special afternoon. Thank you Zoe  Ana Grace. for being with your mom during this time <3 <3 <3 Oh yeah!! Raised nearly $5000!!!!!!

Maurice Grimes Lodge

While Peter and I have to stay in Ottawa for 3 days, the hospital is providing us with a free lodge to stay in. It seems nice. It has a room for us. In the building  they have a fridge, microwaves, freezer, tables to eat at or in our bedroom (Or go to RESTAURANTS!! lol) etc. The lodge is right near the hospital in case of emergency. There are ladies there 24 hrs a day at the front desk. We only have to bring our own clothes, towels and food and toiletries. Everything else is provided at no charge.

It's called Maurice Grimes Lodge.

Final set of appointments

I have my brain mapping Tuesday June 10th.

Ottawa Hospital called. They have my 3 intense appointments planned for me. I will have to stay Monday June 23, Tuesday June 24, and Wednesday June 25th. I hope it will all work out and I can come right away. We will stay at one of 2 lodges while there. My nurse is Nurse Pascal and the doctor is Dr. Malone. I've met him, he is very nice, friendly and I really feel comfortable with him. My procedures will take place at radiation North Ottawa Hospital.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers during this time. Still a little scared.

Next Ottawa Appointment

My masking Gamma Knife brain tumor appointment is on June 10th at Ottawa General Hospital. It will take about 1 hour. Thankfully I can go there at 9:30 am  and and come home for the kids from school., Sadly this is on my beautiful daughter Ashlee's birthday :( <3 Hopefully everything will work out just fine.

Ottawa General Hospital

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  6:08am

  
  

  
  

  Dear family and friends

  
  

  Unfortunately I have some cancer news to share with you. First off this is messing up with my speech so I am having troubles coming up with words and vocabulary that I normally have so I am apologizing in advance. Last Wednesday I need to start with a different story to bring you to what has happened. At 4:30 AM last Wednesday morning, my cat attacked my face. He pushed his fang into my face which went into my eye and his other fang went very tiny into my cheek. It was bleeding very badly, ended up at the ER. To make a long story short, I had to have it frozen, opened, cleaned, eye drops and amoxicylin. I don't know why my cat did that. He is my baby and I love him so much. I know no longer sleep with him at night and sleep with my bedroom door closed. Please do not judge my cat, he is my baby.

  
  

  I lead with that story for a reason. My short story in ER ended up being 14 hours and so much more. For some reason the nurse/doctor decided that my speech seemed funny at the ER that morning. I didn't notice. The visit led to blood work, a CT scan of my brain. It turns out I have a 3cm turmor in my brain that is sitting on the left side of my speech. I have not had chemo therapy for awhile as I have been working on blood thinners. Because of this, there is a chance that one of these blood clots has also gone to my brain. Sadly nothing can be done in Kingston. Last Wednesday was my first trip to Ottawa General Hospital Cancer Clinic. What a beautiful state of the art hospital WOW!!! They were VERY good to me and Peter. I was explained every thing. I ended up immediately with blood work, a CT scan and I was masked with the personalized head mask I will need for my MRI. I am claustrophobic so this part is really scaring me. It was this heated fabric thin mesh that was really warm and it was put around my face, locked onto my head and I had to lay there for 5 minutes for it to harden to my exact shape. Then we came home. This coming week we have to go back again. Probably Wednesday again. 2.5 hrs there, an hour or 2 at the procedure and 2.5 hrs back again. It's exhausting. This week they will be masking the tumor in my brain to have it ready for the major procedure. I am not looking forward laying there completely still for that long but I know it's necessary.

  Then comes the big procedure. We will be going to Ottawa again for 3 days IF everything goes okay. The bleeding is the worry says doc. They are performing a Gamma Knife Stereotactic procedure, altho it has nothing to do with a knife. It is VERY precise. The doc has to do it for a period of time for 3 days in a row and then hopefully over several months the tumor will shrink. I just hope that my speech doesn't totally collapse. I have already been missing and forgetting my vocabulary and it's way to frustrating for me who never shuts up lol. If you continue to read my blog, this is where my updates will be since this is private.

  Thank you always for all your love and support.