Well, I had to post these days together, as they just merged into one blah, nauseating blur for me. Just when I was on top of the world and feeling great, the rug was pulled right out from under me. So this is what my Doctor meant, by the steroids would alleviate the pain and nausea. They worked. So well, that I didn't realize I would be needing more for next few days. I just thought, I was wonder woman. Some lessons are hard learned. I will be prepared for the next round in February.
I didn't wake up until 11:00am on Thanksgiving. So much for an early Chicken dinner and ride through the German countryside. My husband had cooked dinner and I ate, but I was tired and went to take a nap that I didn't wake up from until 8:00, or so. I started feeling slightly nauseous, and was glad I had eaten earlier to keep my strength up. I tried to force down fluids and stay in bed. I was feeling nauseous, tired and fidgety, and whiny, I am a BABY when it comes to nausea.
Yucky Thursday turned into icky Friday, whine, whine. My biggest concern was that I would still feel this way when I had to board the plane at 7am Monday. We would have to be up by 4am and out the door, I couldn't imagine being able to do that.
Early Friday evening, the nausea started easing up, and I took advantage of it by getting some sleep.
As my eyes opened up to an early Saturday morning in Basel, Switzerland, I became aware that the nausea was gone but I felt like I had been hit by a bus. No problem, I rolled over and got a couple hours more of sleep.
Mid morning I was able to check out facebook, and eat some cornflakes. Saturday was looking good for me. I have a very heavy, headed feeling, and I am tired, but no nausea, thank goodness.
Later in the day, we took the fifteen minute drive over the border to France, and picked up the best pizza I have ever eaten. One more day of rest and then we come home.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
DAY 3 OF PRRT TREATMENT BASEL, SWITZERLAND
I was looking forward to a good night sleep last night, and ready to leave the hospital for the apartment today, but life is unpredictable. I'm fine, the sleep didn't really happen for me though. My poor roommate, who has pancreatic cancer, not carcinoid, also suffers from extreme diabetes since having surgery on her tumor. Her sugar levels will plummet rapidly without warning, putting her at risk for coma. The doctors in her hometown of Strasbourg, France, are having a hard time finding the perfect balance of insulin and sugar, to keep her levels steady. She arrived for her PRRT treatment in rough shape. She required nightly 2 hour sugar checks, and it was usually very low, which meant she had to eat sugar cubes, jam and crackers with orange juice. Who could put up with that nightly? I felt so sorry for her. She breathed very heavily. When your system is out of whack, it effects how the whole body works.
She normally snored, loudly, but last night was different. Around 12:30, she started talking in her sleep and thrashing around, I thought she was having a nightmare. I tried to roll over and sleep. Then she seemed to be having a hard time breathing, and she was now whining, more than talking. I rang the buzzer for the nurse, who wasn't due to check on her for another half hour.
He came right in, and recognized that she was in danger of going into coma. I felt so bad that I hadn't called him in sooner. He put a sugar cube in her mouth and she was not chewing it, so he ran out and got a new IV bag, that must have been more potent. When he left, she cried reaching out to him as he ran out of the doorway. So I jumped out of bed and went to her side, and rubbed her arm, and told her she would be ok. Not sure that she understood, she seemed to be looking through me. When the nurse returned, I went for a cold cloth for her head. We both rubbed her arms, and told her she would be ok, he in French, and me in English. Then he looked at me and said, "you speak English ?" and I said, "you speak English ?" and we laughed.
Lillian took about ten minutes to come around. She was exhausted from the experience and had no memory of what happened. But she was so grateful that we were there. The nurse made her comfortable, I went to bed, but didn't take my eyes off her for an hour.
The morning came fast, and I jumped in the shower, and came out to a delivered breakfast waiting for me. When the morning nurse came in, I asked when he thought I would be able to be dismissed. "Well," "he said," "you can leave whenever you are ready, I will have your paperwork sent to you and your doctors. "
Love it ! I called my husband, he came in ten minutes and picked me up. We grabbed a few groceries at the COOP, while I was careful to stay three meters away from children and women. The COOP's (pronounced Cope) are everywhere, with the largest ones like a less expensive Wholefoods.
Tomorrow, I will make my chicken Thanksgiving Dinner, the Turkeys were $50 swiss francs, so no thanks. Then we are going for a ride through the German Country side an hour away. The weather here is so nice. I hope everyone has as wonderful, and as thankful a Thanksgiving, as I am having.
Love to all. XOXOX
She normally snored, loudly, but last night was different. Around 12:30, she started talking in her sleep and thrashing around, I thought she was having a nightmare. I tried to roll over and sleep. Then she seemed to be having a hard time breathing, and she was now whining, more than talking. I rang the buzzer for the nurse, who wasn't due to check on her for another half hour.
He came right in, and recognized that she was in danger of going into coma. I felt so bad that I hadn't called him in sooner. He put a sugar cube in her mouth and she was not chewing it, so he ran out and got a new IV bag, that must have been more potent. When he left, she cried reaching out to him as he ran out of the doorway. So I jumped out of bed and went to her side, and rubbed her arm, and told her she would be ok. Not sure that she understood, she seemed to be looking through me. When the nurse returned, I went for a cold cloth for her head. We both rubbed her arms, and told her she would be ok, he in French, and me in English. Then he looked at me and said, "you speak English ?" and I said, "you speak English ?" and we laughed.
Lillian took about ten minutes to come around. She was exhausted from the experience and had no memory of what happened. But she was so grateful that we were there. The nurse made her comfortable, I went to bed, but didn't take my eyes off her for an hour.
The morning came fast, and I jumped in the shower, and came out to a delivered breakfast waiting for me. When the morning nurse came in, I asked when he thought I would be able to be dismissed. "Well," "he said," "you can leave whenever you are ready, I will have your paperwork sent to you and your doctors. "
Love it ! I called my husband, he came in ten minutes and picked me up. We grabbed a few groceries at the COOP, while I was careful to stay three meters away from children and women. The COOP's (pronounced Cope) are everywhere, with the largest ones like a less expensive Wholefoods.
Tomorrow, I will make my chicken Thanksgiving Dinner, the Turkeys were $50 swiss francs, so no thanks. Then we are going for a ride through the German Country side an hour away. The weather here is so nice. I hope everyone has as wonderful, and as thankful a Thanksgiving, as I am having.
Love to all. XOXOX
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
DAY 2 OF PRRT TREATMENT IN BASEL
Hello everyone, this day continues to be comfortable and symptom free. I feel better than ever. The Doctor says they have good reviews using the steroid pills, that they have placed me on, helping with symptoms. I will be on them for the three days of treatment and decontamination.
I am amazed, happy, relieved, and full of promise for the future. My husband's nerves have calmed down, and to see him relax, also makes me feel happy. I have had fun with the English / French translator in the computer, in order to communicate with my roommate, Lillian.
Dr. Mass, who gave me the injection, of Y90 and Professor Wild, head of the Nuclear Department, came to see me, to go over results about 6 pm. My uptake of the radiation was very good, and my body has efficiently removed about 80 percent already. Dr. Wild determined the many small tumors, throughout my body, would respond well. When I return in ten weeks, I will receive the LU177, which will be more effective on the larger tumors. He says nothing in life is perfectly predictable, everyone is different, but he expects me to do well. Love it !
It's 9:00PM here and I am getting tired and I know my roommate wants to sleep, so on those good notes, I will sleep well. Maybe dreaming of a slow and steady roller coaster.
Gute Nacht. :)
I am amazed, happy, relieved, and full of promise for the future. My husband's nerves have calmed down, and to see him relax, also makes me feel happy. I have had fun with the English / French translator in the computer, in order to communicate with my roommate, Lillian.
Dr. Mass, who gave me the injection, of Y90 and Professor Wild, head of the Nuclear Department, came to see me, to go over results about 6 pm. My uptake of the radiation was very good, and my body has efficiently removed about 80 percent already. Dr. Wild determined the many small tumors, throughout my body, would respond well. When I return in ten weeks, I will receive the LU177, which will be more effective on the larger tumors. He says nothing in life is perfectly predictable, everyone is different, but he expects me to do well. Love it !
It's 9:00PM here and I am getting tired and I know my roommate wants to sleep, so on those good notes, I will sleep well. Maybe dreaming of a slow and steady roller coaster.
Gute Nacht. :)
Monday, November 19, 2012
DAY 1 OF PRRT TREATMENT
We arrived at the hospital at 8:50 am and were easily directed to the waiting area of the Nuclear Medicine Department. Most of the nurses and doctors here speak, German, French, and English and it was quite entertaining watching them switch languages, seamlessly, from one patient to the other.
We arrived on the 4th floor and were greeted by my nurse, Kerstin Portmann, who showed us to my room. Its a large room for two, with a bathroom and shower, a table for two, two beds with thermopedic mattresses and a bench seat running along the large picture window. There is also an iron half wall, near the door that the nurses and my husband will stand behind, after I have been treated. This is to reduce their exposure, but of course, some things do require them to be in closer contact.
There are two of us in this room, but my roommate speaks French and German, we manage to communicate with pictures and the internet translation sites, and then, some things are just universal. There are two more nurses, Pierre, and Martin, as well as, a student nurse, that come in to check on us and deliver meals.
Kerstin took right over, explaining the room, procedure, schedule and then translated and ordered my meals for the next three days. It felt more like a guest experience than a hospital stay. Let me explain. First, you receive an invitation to be treated. At the hospital you will wear your own clothes, there are no johnnies. The room is large with a double door entry, so it is very quiet. There are no wristbands, and no continual blood pressure, or temperature checks. We are, after all, radioactive, no need to get to close.
Dr. Mass, came by to see me, he works under Dr. Wild, and explained the procedure again, I signed some documents, and he proceeded to give me my IV for the treatment. Right there, in the room, on the same table we eat off of ! My hand was placed on a pillow, wiped with alcohol and the IV went in smoothly. Again, this isn't surgery it is a procedure, I felt comfortable and relaxed, but I am so used to going to a special hygienic room with a fresh, clean paper pad, for IV placements. I come from a land of Mercers hospital infection scares, and Purell everywhere. So at first, I was taken aback, but then, I had to laugh at myself. Maybe we overdue it a bit here. The Dr. had everything neatly prepared on his tray and it was a relaxed, easy, comfortable placement.
After blood tests to confirm that my cell counts were acceptable, I received a treatment, through IV, to protect my kidneys from the harmful effects of radiation. I received an anti nausea pill to dissolve under my tongue. An hour later, I was brought down to the treatment room. Dr. Mass came in, put on protective clothing and gloves, and prepared the Radioactive injection. He then placed it in a protective case, put on glasses and gave me the injection, which lasted about 5 minutes. I was surprised it was that quick.
I was asked, with a smile, if I felt anything. No, honestly I didn't. Back to my room I went, waiting to feel sick, but I never did. At 2:45 exactly, as they said, I was brought down for a scan of my kidneys. I am now resting comfortably in my room for the night. This roller coaster is riding smooth, and I like it.
We arrived on the 4th floor and were greeted by my nurse, Kerstin Portmann, who showed us to my room. Its a large room for two, with a bathroom and shower, a table for two, two beds with thermopedic mattresses and a bench seat running along the large picture window. There is also an iron half wall, near the door that the nurses and my husband will stand behind, after I have been treated. This is to reduce their exposure, but of course, some things do require them to be in closer contact.
There are two of us in this room, but my roommate speaks French and German, we manage to communicate with pictures and the internet translation sites, and then, some things are just universal. There are two more nurses, Pierre, and Martin, as well as, a student nurse, that come in to check on us and deliver meals.
Kerstin took right over, explaining the room, procedure, schedule and then translated and ordered my meals for the next three days. It felt more like a guest experience than a hospital stay. Let me explain. First, you receive an invitation to be treated. At the hospital you will wear your own clothes, there are no johnnies. The room is large with a double door entry, so it is very quiet. There are no wristbands, and no continual blood pressure, or temperature checks. We are, after all, radioactive, no need to get to close.
Dr. Mass, came by to see me, he works under Dr. Wild, and explained the procedure again, I signed some documents, and he proceeded to give me my IV for the treatment. Right there, in the room, on the same table we eat off of ! My hand was placed on a pillow, wiped with alcohol and the IV went in smoothly. Again, this isn't surgery it is a procedure, I felt comfortable and relaxed, but I am so used to going to a special hygienic room with a fresh, clean paper pad, for IV placements. I come from a land of Mercers hospital infection scares, and Purell everywhere. So at first, I was taken aback, but then, I had to laugh at myself. Maybe we overdue it a bit here. The Dr. had everything neatly prepared on his tray and it was a relaxed, easy, comfortable placement.
After blood tests to confirm that my cell counts were acceptable, I received a treatment, through IV, to protect my kidneys from the harmful effects of radiation. I received an anti nausea pill to dissolve under my tongue. An hour later, I was brought down to the treatment room. Dr. Mass came in, put on protective clothing and gloves, and prepared the Radioactive injection. He then placed it in a protective case, put on glasses and gave me the injection, which lasted about 5 minutes. I was surprised it was that quick.
I was asked, with a smile, if I felt anything. No, honestly I didn't. Back to my room I went, waiting to feel sick, but I never did. At 2:45 exactly, as they said, I was brought down for a scan of my kidneys. I am now resting comfortably in my room for the night. This roller coaster is riding smooth, and I like it.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
BASEL, SWITZERLAND
Here I am in Basel, Switzerland after a very successful fundraiser. This is a beautiful city and the weather is mild, low 50's and sunny. We are staying in a rented apartment, which is more comfortable and cheaper than a hotel. The Landlord lives upstairs, and his mother lives across the hall. The church bell tower rings every hour, but that's ok. We took a drive through the Alps, which are not yet covered with snow, and are surprisingly still very green. The farms are littered all over the hills, and it is so peaceful to just ride through the towns.
I look for positive signs everywhere, that all will go well with the treatment. In the cabinets, I find mugs, and two are black and white with a zebra on the front. That's a plus. In town, there is a store called Zebra, in black letters with a pink background. That's a sign. I am feeling good as I write this.
So good night for now, I will fill you all in on tomorrow's events.
I look for positive signs everywhere, that all will go well with the treatment. In the cabinets, I find mugs, and two are black and white with a zebra on the front. That's a plus. In town, there is a store called Zebra, in black letters with a pink background. That's a sign. I am feeling good as I write this.
So good night for now, I will fill you all in on tomorrow's events.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Fundraiser Tomorrow !
Hi everyone. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I have been busy with medical appointments and working on the Fundraiser. I hope to have the site up to date by Sunday, so I can bring you daily posts of my PRRT experience. So check back. ; )
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