Hi all,
Well, I was really pumped after leaving the hospital yesterday, ate dinner, and then I was wiped out. Jordan blogged and gave you the most important information that we got yesterday. My chemo oncologist hunted me down in the radiation dept. to give us the news about the PET scan. I don't think I realized how those results were wearing on my family until I saw their expressions when we were told that no cancer showed up anywhere outside the rectum...what a relief, and a lot of tears. My radiation oncologist, Dr. Card was really upbeat also, but adament about shrinking the tumor...

We had a busy Monday and Tuesday. Monday we got to Methodist at 8am to get the chemo port put in. They didn't put me all the way under so I felt a lot of pushing...I am beeping, low battery on my pump...no fear, they trained us all on it yesterday. They must be cheap ass batteries...they were supposed to last 2 days, liars. Ok, I am back on track. So it was only supposed to take a short amount of time to get the port in and then I could have lunch and go on to my next appointment, the PET scan at 2:30. Of course that didn't pan out, they didn't even get me into surgery until 11am, then with the proceure and recovery, I barely made it to the PET scan on time, which was at IU. My family fasted with me, probably out of guilt...The PET scan didn't take too long, maybe 30 minutes. We left Indy after 5pm and I was whipped.

Tuesday I could eat and I didn't have to worry about fasting. We started at 10am in the IU med center, Infusion dept. for two bags of blood, the transfusion. It took about 5 hours. I got to eat and drink, watch TV, listen to my I pod, and read...I even napped. It was very comfortable. We left there, had a quick lunch and went to radiation oncology in the Cancer Pavilion right there in the basement. A Clarian Home Health care provider cleaned my port area, and prepped it for the chemo pump. She gave us instructions, how to work it, and did a lot of trouble shooting about the monitor...so far I have only tried to strangle myself once, in the middle of the night. It weighs about 4 lbs...not the prettiest fanny pack but there is room for lipstick and credit cards.

So by 3:30, my chemo was a drippin and we went into radiation...nothing to it. I just layed there. No zaps, sparks, neon lights, it was absolutely painless. I was really feeling pretty good when we left...everyone of my family members said that I had more color to my skin after the blood transfusion and the nurse thought I would feel the effects within 2 days. I still need an iron infusion. I think they are planning it on Friday morning, it will take 6 hours so they will do it after radiation.

The rest of the week my schedule is...today, Wednesday, radiation at 2 pm, Thursday radiation at 1 pm, Friday radiation early morning followed by the iron infusion, Saturday radiation early morning and the chemo pack comes off and they will do blood work to prep me for Mondays chemo order.

Then next week, my appointments should all be 2pm, we will start on Monday hooking up a new chemo pump followed by radiation, radiation on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A doctors appointment on every Wednesday with Dr. Cardenes, and then the pump comes off on Friday with blood work to prep for the following week...sounds pretty simple, yah.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble. You can't know how much I and all of my family appreciate all of the prayers and well wishes. I will keep you posted. Judi