Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 3:51 PM
Subject: Karla Update


> Well, it seems that it has been awhile since I did one of these things. 
> Sorry, everyone.  Hope you didn't miss me too much.  Let's see....
>
> I finally got moved in to Sally's.  It's a little hectic around here with 
> all the animals, but getting used to it.  It will be fine for a temporary 
> situation.
>
> Well, I have had 2 treatments since the last time I wrote.  Three weeks 
> ago was my last one with the AC (Adriamyacin/Cytoxan) mix.  That didn't go 
> so well.  The doc decided to try a different anti-nausea recipe than my 
> previous 3 treatments.  Didn't go well, to say the least.  That was the 
> sickest I have been so far.    Usually they do an IV with Decadron and 
> Zofran before the chemo.  This time they did the Decadron and a Kytril, in 
> pill form.  No,no,no,no, no!!  Doesn't work!  The pill doesn't kick in 
> fast enough before the nasty stuff does and then it's too late.  Four days 
> of headaches, and nausea.  Never threw up (although it might have helped), 
> but felt awful.  Mom had to come over on Wednesday and nurse me back to 
> health.  She didn't mind, I know, because that's what Mom's do, and she 
> wants to feel useful.  Thanks Mom!  So, needless to say I was pretty 
> useless that first week, and then the other two weeks just kinda went by. 
> I still worked, but had a lot less energy and the headache persisted.  The 
> fact that my neck was out didn't help either.  Finally went to the 
> chiropractor too and that really helped.
>
> So, now we are in the 3rd day of my 5th treatment.  This one took place on 
> Monday.  This was the first one with the new drug, Taxol.  I had my choice 
> of Taxol or Taxotere.  They both work the same way, except I guess the 
> Taxotere makes your eyes teary all the time!  (Helps you remember the 
> name!)  Taxol has been around longer, therefore there are more studies to 
> show it's effectiveness.  Taxotere is the new kid on the block and is 
> supposedly better or just as good, but not enough studies to show that 
> yet.  So, I went for the Taxol.  The side effects are pretty much the same 
> as the AC, however, there are some allergic reactions that can happen with 
> this one.  You can have shortness of breath, hot flashes (like I need 
> those to be intensified anymore!), and chestpain, as well as peripheral 
> neuropathy ("pins & needles", cold, prickling, pinching or tingling in 
> your toes, fingers, hands and feet.)  So, they give you a 1cc injection 
> into your IV and watch you for 5 minutes so see how you react before they 
> continue, because you will know RIGHT AWAY!  Well, thank God I didn't have 
> any of that.  I guess some people have severe reactions to it and they 
> can't use that drug, or they have to give it to them in smaller doses 
> everyday or every week over a period of 3 weeks and then give them a week 
> off, and start over.  Here again, I consider myself lucky that I wasn't 
> one of those.  I took it all at once, but it takes 3 hours to administer. 
> So, my day Monday was a long one.  I was at the hospital from 10 in the 
> morning until 4 that afternoon.  I did manage to get a nap and mom brought 
> me lunch.  So, it wasn't all that bad.  Plus, I complained about the 
> anti-nausea stuff so they gave what I had been having before, Decodron and 
> Zofran together in that nice little plastic bag!  Felt a bit tired, but 
> now today is Wednesday, which would normally have been my worst day, and I 
> feel fine!  So, I am hoping that these next 3 treatments will sail by and 
> we can get on with the next phase.  I still get tired more easily but I am 
> not feeling sick, so HURRAY!!!  I asked Dr. Lee about getting a B-12 shot 
> for the fatigue and he said that was fine, so I think I will get that from 
> my primary.  They don't do those there at the cancer center.  Plus, I 
> started taking Glucosamine, because my joints are really starting to ache, 
> more than usual.  All these years of waiting tables has taken a toll on 
> the ol' bod and my joints ache anyway, especially in my hips, but the 
> chemo just adds to that.  That is one of side effects too.  So we can add 
> that pill to the 50 thousand that I am already taking.  I feel like an old 
> lady with my pill box with every day of the week on it, so I can remember 
> what I took and didn't take.  Oh, well, it works.  I will hang on to it, 
> because you know in another 20 years I will need it again!
>
> Dr. Lee says that the tumor has gotten smaller.  The lymph nodes under my 
> arm have severely decreased in size, but some detection still.  The 
> smaller tumor that was to the right of the main tumor is pretty much gone. 
> The main tumor is at about 6 cm. (about 3 in.) across, which is 
> substantially smaller than going into this, so the chemo is doing what 
> it's supposed to be doing.  So we all need to pray for more shrinkage! 
> Never thought I would be asking for my boobs to be smaller,... well, just 
> one anyway.  There is noticable difference in the looks of it too.  The 
> color is almost normal and it's almost the same size as the other boob. 
> Love it!
>
> Been running around with so scarf lately too.  That's interesting.  People 
> are so weird.  I have noticed they are more apt to be sympathetic and look 
> me in the eye with the scarf than without it.  I think without it, people 
> are not sure if I am going through chemo or just trying to make a 
> statement.  It is kind of hard to tell because phyically I not any 
> different looking.   I am not pukish looking, walking around all 
> lathargic.  I look normal.  That has been my observation.
>
> Anyway, I guess that's all there is to report right now.  Sorry it took me 
> so long.  Thank you for all of you and your continued support.  Couldn't 
> do it without ya!!!
>
> Love ya,
> KJ
>
>