Six Hours in the ER

Six hours in the ER is not how we wanted to spend our Saturday. During the night Friday I had a coughing spell didn't feel anything different and actually spelt good. When I got up Saturday morning there was blood on my nightgown and we both said "Oh no". So I laid down and Scott checked me out and said we need to go the emergency room, your incision has opened up. So we prayed and got ready to go to the ER. Scott had to call Bro. Richard to take care of Saturday visitation and soulwinning. Praise the Lord for Bro. Richard. We arrived at the hospital around 9:15 am, didn't take long to get to a room. The nurse said at first not to eat because I might need a CAT scan. Right there we were not happy. That is when all the waiting began. I saw nurses but no doctor until around 11 am. He came in looked, pushed and said it probably will need a couple of stitches and it didn't look infected. But he was going to call one of my doctors attendants. Whatever they are called. In the ER rooms at MD Anderson there is a big comfortable chair with a bed, phone access and TV. Volunteers came by to offer coffee, tea, lemonaide, and water. Another volunteer came by to ask if we needed anything. Yes, this is in the emergency room. So we hadn't eaten and we both were getting hungry. Finally they said I could eat, so Scott went to the cafeteria and got us something to eat. So finally my doctor shows, checks me out and starts poking inside of me and says she is going to pack it and looked at Scott and said will you be able to do this. It will need to be done twice a day. She goes to check my blood work and it seems like forever before she comes back. In fact, Scott got a little nap. So she comes in and starts packing and I am sweating and feeling some PAIN now. She says did they give you any pain meds, I said NO. So we continue on. We got out of there around 3:15 pm. So we get home, now Scott has to run to Walmart to drop off my new prescriptions. A strong antibotic and pain meds. So around 8:15 pm I take my pain meds, so I am thinking I won't feel anything. So around 9 we start, injection went fine (only 2 left) but pulling out the packing and repacking was another story. I felt it all and I was crying, Scott was praying and sweet talking to me. I kept telling him it was OK. After all done I went to sit down at the computer to relax a little bit. Now I am feeling dizzy and sick to my stomache. It was long I was in the bathroom throwing up. I did that twice and decided to go to bed. Only to wake up at 2:30 am and was awake until around 5 am. While awake I finally got up read my Bible and prayed. I decided I wasn't taking any more pain meds and just taking "JESUS". So I told Scott that this morning, I took a shower, I got my MP3 player and it was a whole lot better this morning. So as I get you caught up to date, please pray for my honey. He is running ragged and taking very good care of me. I go back to MD Anderson on Tuesday. Pray I heal quick so this packing can quit. Thank you to my neice Pam for posting to my Care Page. Again, I can't you enough for all your prayers.

January 28, 2010

Sorry it has taken so long to give you an update. As I have said before there are good days and not so good days. What I want to do is start from the beginning and get you all caught up to date. I will be posting a picture of a pillow. I call it my "Cancer Pillow". When I had cancer before my sister was here to help me. One day while up at MD Anderson waiting to have blood work done, the volunteers were passing out crafts. I picked this little girl craft to make a pillow. After my sister had gone back home I made this pillow. When we went to Illinois after my chemo was all done, I brought this pillow to my sister. So this time when she got here, guess what she pulled out of her suitecase? The "Cancer Pillow" what a moment.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

January 22, 2010
First of all, I want to thank my Jesus for answering our prayers for my first chemo treatment. Also, I want to thank all my family and friends for praying for me.
This is how my day went yesterday. I had to be at MD Anderson at 11:00 am to start the day with blood work, then at 11:30 am to my doctor's appointment and then 2:00 pm for chemo. Bro. Richard from church brought my sister and I up to the hospital. What a blessing he is to us! Well, the blood area was very busy, but only one stick and unto the doctor's, which took some time. Of course, they have to wait for the blood results to see if the chemo is on. She came in, said every thing looks good so on we go. So the doctor said go to the 8th floor to the infusion center, so that is where we went. I went to the window signed in and then I started feeling alittle nervious. They called my name around 12:00, I thought oh boy we are going to get started early. So we go in and they stick me in the back of my right arm and it blows. Oops, now we have to try the left arm. She gets a vein and we are all glad, especially me. So now we have to go to the Ambulatory Treatment Center, Blue Suite, just down from where we were. I sign in and we wait, and wait, and wait. The funny thing about going to the infusion center was not on my appointment sheet, it just said go to the Ambulatory area. But I heard the doctor say infusion area so that is where I went. The good thing is she said that is where I will have to go everytime since I am a hard stick. Or I may even have to get a pic line. They called me in around 2:30 pm, so we didn't get in early. Already knowing it is at least going to take 5 hours or more. Yippee! So they get the pre-meds started around 2:50 pm. A little while after they start I begin with the restless leg stuff. I thought I was doing it on purpose but I wasn't. When they started the Benadryl I started feeling sleeping. So I told my sister we better call Scott. He was going to pick up my neice and her friend at our house and come up to the hospital. So we had to let them know where we were at. So here is a couple of pictures right after getting hooked up. The Benadryl was working as you can see.

Scott and the girls got up to the hospital around 5:30 pm. Sure was glad to see them. I was now awake and ready to eat. The chemo started around 4:15 pm. So we ate and just sat there and waited and waited and waited.
Here is a picture of me with my sister Paula and my neice Pam.

I had no problems and when it when I was done the nurse told me I had done good. We got out of there around 9:00 pm. So you can see how long these treatment days are going to be. I have 5 more chemo treatments, please pray they go as good as this one.
I didn't sleep good last night but woke up feeling great, that is considering I just had a chemo treatment. Us girls got up went to Walmart and Kroger and then home. Now it was time for my new hairdo. It will probably only last a couple of weeks. So what do you think!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Sorry, it has taken me so long to update my blog and Care Page. Those of you who have had cancer or someone close to you, know this can be a roller coaster ride. Some days you are up and some days you are down. Sometimes I just don't want to talk about it. Yet everyday my soreness gets better, there is still a big scar down my stomach to remind me. Also, every night around 8:00 - 8:30 pm I get an injection into my stomach. Scott is doing so good. I sure will be glad when those are done, I think around the 1st of February.
This is what is coming up. On Thursday, I have blood work at 11:00 am, doctor appointment at 11:30 am and if my blood work is OK, I will have my first round of chemo around 2:00 pm. These chemo treatments last anywhere from 5 or more hours. It just depends. Please pray I have no side effects such as nausea, etc. I know I will loose my hair and hopefully it won't be as bad as last time.
My sister will go with me Thursday so Scott will be able to work. My neice comes in Thursday from Oklahoma with a friend. She is going to cut my hair and then on Sunday, she will take her mom, (my sister) back to Oklahoma with her.
After this week maybe I will get back to the beginning of this journey and get you caught up to some of the blessings. The Lord knows exactly what He is doing. I can't thank you enough for all your prayers and good wishes.

January 14, 2010

Well, I will try to get you an update. I am still working on my journal that I have been trying to keep during my week at the hospital. I will go back and let you know of things that happened and some good stories in how the Lord blessed. But for now, let's just do today.
I had a doctor's appointment to go get my staples out. YEAH!!! We are sitting in the exam room waiting and a nurse comes in. She is very tall and starts bringing me up to her height. Wow, I was pretty high up! That part was free! Ha! She then tells me the doctor was busy and she would be taking out my staples. She had already put me down and now I am going back up. She says this shouldn't hurt. YEAH! RIGHT! Let me be the first to tell you it HURT! Only 33 staples to be pulled out. It feels better now.
After all that then the talk and questions about chemo began. Dr. Soliman asked us when we wanted to get started. We both said the sooner the better. So my first chemo treatment will be next Thursday, Jan. 21. I have blood work at 11:00 am, doctor appointment at 11:30 am and chemo at 2:00 pm. So this is an all day thing. Now we have to go over all the side effects, drugs, etc. sign consent forms. As we leave the doctor's office and walk to the elevator, I start getting weeping eyed. Here I go again. When going through something like this you just never know when the crying spells will come. So I guess today was one for me and my sister. My sister Paula, will be going with me next Thursday and then she will be heading back north.
Thank you so much for all your prayers.

January 13, 2010

Sorry I haven't been updating much. Still not able to sit long at the computer at a time. Just wanted to get on here to remind y'all to be praying tomorrow for George Doering, he will be having another cancer surgery at MD Anderson. Those who have been following my blog may remember George. We work with his wife Kathy and she is the one that encouraged me to start this blog. Please, please be in prayer for them tomorrow.
I go to doctor tomorrow to get my staples out and to find out about chemo. Thank you for much for your prayers.

Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010

Well, it is 10:20 pm on Sunday evening. The dreaded night before surgery. Why is when you can't eat anything you want to, and when you can eat you don't want to? This morning at church alittle girl asked me if I felt sick. I told her no and proceeded to ask her when you are sick, isn't that when you go to the doctor. She said yes, well, how come I feel OK and I am going tomorrow and the doctor is going to make me feel bad. Something is wrong with this picture.
I've talked with several members of my family, laughed, cried and had several members of the family pray with me. I sure do love my family!!!! My nephew, Jim, really made me feel good when he told me I was going to have a BIG bobo! He is an OR tech. He knows all that medical lingo, I had to ask him to speak English.
Now that it is bed time, now the medicine is starting to kick in. I had to stop for awhile, because I was drinking the stuff 8 oz. every 10 min. until gone. I had about 2 or 3 glasses left and I loss some of it. My stomach became so upset. They ought to make this stuff taste good.
I'm so thankful for everyone's prayers and good wishes. I am totally trusting the Lord, but while we wear this ole flesh we still have nerves. I think my are kicking in some. Again, please continue to pray for Scott's health. Well, I better finish doing my typing. Talk to you in a few days or maybe a week or so.
Love ya,
Debbie
Jer. 33:3; II Kgs. 20:5