Physically, I am still struggling to adjust to this stupid deafness in my right ear. Not only can I not hear but it just feels like the right side of my face is just clogged up, kind of like a giant cold in my sinuses but there isn't any cold. I don't know if it's from the increased dosage of steroids that my doctor had me on or what it is but its annoying. Then to top it off I chipped a stupid tooth which has me paranoid that a) that tooth is going to fall out and b) the rest of my teeth are going to start falling out. As MaryEllen wrote previously, one of the drugs I am on (zometta) tend to has a bad effect on teeth and jaw bones, etc.
The newest issue that has popped up is that my leg strength has decreased to the point where I cannot get out of a chair without assistance from someone. This started slowly when I was having a couple of infections where I just started losing strength all over. Well at this same time is when the hearing went away and the doctor increased the steroid dosage. We had no idea that a steroid of all things would cause me to lose muscle strength but when at chemo on wednesday, my primary oncologist found out my current steroid dosage and said it is way too much and is definitely causing decreased strength.
Dexamethasone isn't a drug you can just cut cold turkey so I have to take the next few weeks and slowly get off this drug with high hopes that strength starts coming back. It is very disconcerting to basically be bed ridden while home alone because you are afraid if you go anywhere else you might sit down (or better yet fall) and not be able to get up. Its very tough mentally to always have this on my mind. You take it for granted being able to do everyday things like going out the back steps and coming right back inside until you find yourself on your back waiting for someone to get home and help you up (theoretical scenario of course).
Medically, everything else went decent this week. I had what was I think my fourth treatment of gemcitabine on wednesday which went well. We got to meet with Dr. Ye for the first time in a couple of weeks and actually get some questions and concerns hammered out. One thing that was decided by MaryEllen and I was that we want to take a break from zometta, which is a bone strengthening drug that I get a monthly IV for but upon researching we came across many cases where it has very adverse effects on the mouth and jaw so with a chipped tooth and all I just want to take a break from that and try to eliminate another source of frustration. Otherwise, all the blood levels from my labs were promising. Red cells are staying high for how far away we are from the last transfusion and platelets which have been in the tank were actually up a bit although I did spend a couple of hours at the hospital yesterday getting a platelet transfusion.
Anyway, there's the current edition of the wild ride known as my life. I guess a lot of that sounded really negative and depressing but it really was just a tough week that I don't expect to continue. For one, ITS FOOTBALL SEASON!!! That alone makes me look forward to every weekend. Huskies have a huge game against Nebraska tomorrow. Not really expecting a win, just hoping for a solid performance and improvement. Right.
That is quite a post for someone who has had a lot to contend with. Garrett...did the USANA vitamins make any difference...or were they too hard for you to take? I hear it can take up to 4 months to really build up your immune system and get the best results. If you do feel they help I will gladly pay for them and send them to you, just let me know. I was hoping they would give your immune system a boost and make chemo a little more tolerable. You two are real life warriors. God bless you both. Love, Rochelle
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