“Ring this bell / Three times well, / It’s toll to clearly say / My treatment’s done, / This course is run, / And I’m on my way.”
Marking a life event date in pictures until I have the words.
Checking in at Clinic D | Gynecologic Oncology
Paper Cranes
Sleepy Pamda
Zen Garden Bull
Last bag hanging
Ring This Bell
Resume Worthy?
Some Beauty at Fresh Market
Peach Fuzz
Shout Out To Roberta
Having ovarian cancer doesn’t scare me, but not having access to affordable healthcare terrifies me.
I try not to focus too much on the discussion surrounding the plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) because I believe the mere thought of being stripped of my coverage before a replacement has been identified is detrimental to my continued success. The very thought terrifies me and can send me spiraling into depression if I’m not careful. I was taught to have my next job lined up before quitting my current one, so being laid off by greedy small business owners after 13 years of loyalty to them and dedication to my position reiterated why having the next thing lined up is important to continued success for ALL involved.
My surgery and hospital stay ALONE were over $35,000… That does not include the subsequent tests and treatments I have received to insure that I have a fighting chance at surviving this ONE killer that claims over 14,000 lives per year…
#TeamPamda – There’s a protocol in place should I spike a fever and last night it earned me a trip to the ER. Not to worry, I’m home now safe, sound, and resting comfortably!
They took blood, urine, swabs, & chest x-ray to make sure I didn’t have an infection lurking anywhere and while we waited for results they pumped me full of antibiotics. Only one bit of excitement (other than the trip there and back over icy roads) was a reaction I had to the IV drip of vancomycin. It started with an itchy head and progressed to me looking like a tomato (a very itchy tomato) from the chest up.; not my best look. Some Benadryl helped me through the rest of the IV, and eventually it all cleared up once the IV was done.
Thankfully all of the tests came back negative and after a quick consultation with my gyn-onc doctors, it was determined I could go home to nurse my cold in peace…yeah, all that because I caught a cold. I felt like a nitwit, but was assured that they don’t like to risk it when we of the low neutrophil count feel puny and pop a fever.
On a fun note, it was entertaining having doctors proceed to explain microbial infections to the microbiologist. I then got to share some of my applied science adventures from my field research days…they were thrilled people came to them and not the other way around when I was done 😉
Don’t worry, I got this…
Labs came back good and I’m cleared for my 6th and final chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday!
Ring my belllllllllll. Ring my bell.
Don’t worry I got this…
Prior to surgery, my CA-125 was elevated to 165 and it was still relatively high afterwards (150), but Dr Gehrig reassured me that inflammation from surgery could raise things up. On October 24th, my levels had dropped significantly to 37.3 and were more in line with what she was expecting, but were still outside the range of normal.
Before they began my 3rd treatment on November 14th, they collected a blood sample to once again see how my CA-125 levels were responding to the chemo. According to Dr. Gehrig, she wanted to see my levels within the normal range (0-34.9) after my 3rd treatment and she wanted to see how we were doing on achieving that goal. Happily, the results were awesome and levels were found to be solidly in the normal range at 14.9!
Results from yesterday’s blood work is back and I received word that everything looks good. I’m cleared to have my 3rd treatment on Monday. Halfway mark here I come!
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 75. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 100. Of that 1 in 75, and if you are reading this, we personally know one.
Pam was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer on August 25, 2016, had surgery to remove the mass on September 6, 2016 and began her anti-neoplastic chemotherapy treatment on October 3, 2016. She still has a road ahead of her and has treatments scheduled through January 2017.
You often hear the phrase “money talks” — but it is so hard to actually talk about money. It is even harder to ask for it. This is one reason I chose to pen this letter on Pam’s behalf; because I know her well enough to know she won’t ask.
Pam lost her job in September 2014 and since that time has robbed Peter to pay Paul on her own, and with the help of very close family members. She has never asked for a hand out, or even a hand up. She has done anything she can to make money here and there until she is able to find a role in her profession. These jobs have not paid much, but they have kept the lights on.
As you can imagine, her medical bills are very quickly piling up and are surmounting to a level of unmanageable on top of meeting her “normal needs”. She has tapped into family as much as they have been able to help financially; and that help is leaning out too. This is where you come in. Pam is not planning some grandiose vacation to the Caribbean, or buying a new home or car; but she is at risk of losing the home and car she does have. We are entering winter and the heat and lights need to stay on.
Some of the side effects of cancer and chemo treatment are:
All of these above symptoms limit one’s ability to aggressively seek employment and/or work the job they already have – further causing financial stress and strain.
This is where you come in! Pam needs our help. She will not ask for it – so I am! Many of you have sent thoughtful gifts to keep her head warm, her hands warm and her belly fed when she can eat and she is eternally grateful. But she needs more. Her car note needs to get paid, her mortgage is still due, she has power, water, sewer, trash and phone – the most basic needs – that need to be paid. ANY amount that you can send is the “right amount” and is gratefully accepted. You can help in a few ways:
THANK YOU ALL from the bottom of my heart, Pam’s heart and her Mama’s heart who can’t be here all the time and is home in Alaska nursing her own recent surgery.
Truly,
Jenipher (just a friend who is trying to help, just like you)
*ding*
“go to sleeeeeeeep” admonished my mother from Alaska via Instant Messenger.
*ding*
yawning kitty sticker
I let her know that I had, but I could not stay asleep or fall back to sleep easily after waking up and it sucks.
*ding*
“I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”
oh law.
*ding*
“Once upon a time, there was a princess who was the most beautiful child of the queen”
(suck on that, siblings)
*ding*
“Her mother had bought her queenship when she won the publishers clearing house sweepstakes”
*ding*
“So the princess grew up to bring great joy and happiness to the queen and all that she knew.”
*ding*
“Well, except when she didn’t get her sleep and then she was called Princess Grumpisocks…”
*ding*
“But now she knows that it is far worse to not sleep because the writer of Goldipam and the 3 Bears would tell her totally ridiculous bedtime stories if she didn’t sleep.”
*ding*
“And soon she was enjoying blissful sleep and lived (and slept) happily ever after.”
My mother, everyone, the originator of long distance mothering via text. STILL killing it from Alaska!
don’t worry, I got this…
I should have know when his first degree was in Psychology that it would come back to kick me in the arse one day. Remind me to thank him for that kick, I really needed it.
I got off schedule with my antidepressant and got stuck in a bit of a negative spiral this weekend. Certainly there are a number of things happening at the moment worthy of being depressed and usually I am able to re-frame and re-focus so I can soldier on, but now and again a kick is in order. This was one of those times.
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
But he was not done there so he continued with, “Now is especially not the time to be so negative. Lie to yourself if you have to. Negative thoughts can be very damaging to the body, mind, and spirit.”
I responded that I knew that, but DAMN.
That earned me a stern, “nope, no damn” so I called him bossy. Seriously, he’s bossy. He claimed it is only when he needs it…
I railed back that I have been lying to myself about things getting better for so long now while things just keeps getting worse that I no longer believe that particular affirmation.
He suggested, “Find the things that are positive and focus on them.”
A 5 yr old said I was beautiful Saturday; so kids dig me.Dogs dig me.
Yes, so are couples doing happy shit.
The Xanga!
#TeamPamda 