Got flu shot and blood drawn

Monday afternoon went to Weinberg where RN Gale drew blood for the labs and gave me my annual flu shot. Not sure if/when the H1N1 vaccine will be available and if I will be able to get it. No one seems to know. In the meantime I'm washing my hands like crazy and trying to sneeze into Kleenexes or into the bend in my arm if no Kleenex is available.

Renewed ID Card

September 15, 2006, just before my ovarian cancer surgery, I renewed my Common Access Card (CAC photo and fingerprint ID) which allows entry to the U.S. Naval Academy and other federal areas. Its expiration date was 9/21/09. At the time, I wondered if I'd expire before the card did. Yesterday I had to renew my CAC. The expiration on the latest card is 9/14/2012. My driver's license expires in 2014. I hope I'll be around to renew these two identity cards.

Avastin #2 treatment

Got second Avastin treament 9/10/09 at Weinberg. Nurse Terri Buzby put in lines in both lumens of my port just in case I might also need magnesium or potassium. Good thing as I was low on both and had 40 millequivalents of potassium (10meQ/hour) and 4 grams of magnesium (2gms/hour) so the bag of both took 4 hours by IV. Meanwhile I got the hour-long Avastin in the other lumen. Avastin was done at 12:54 pm but didn't finish mag/potass bag until 4:04 p.m. Have blood work scheduled for Sept 21 in afternoon with next Avastin treament on Oct. 1. The further I get from my previous Taxol treatments the less I feel of its cumulative side effects: edema in my ankles and feet and achy legs. Knees are still stiff after I've been sitting a while but that could just be old age. But I'm still getting older so that's a plus not a negative in my book.

Speaking of books, my neighbor accidentally cut my cable line while digging in his front yard. Because of the Labor Day holiday when no one works, I was off the grid--no phone (except cell), TV or internet--for two days. How quiet it was in the house. I read a lot of books and my newspapers.

Blood work ok

Oncology nurse Terri Rowley called me after she viewed the results of my blood work which was drawn and sent the their labs Monday afternoon, 8/31/09. She said my white and red cell counts were good. Only magnesium level a tad low. So she asked that I take 6 rather than 4 mag pills for the next few days. Next Avastin treatment scheduled 9/10/09.

Avastin is the new drug of choice

Went to Weinberg yesterday and found out that my CA125 went up to 89.3 (up 20.9 points). Dr. Im changed me to Avastin, which is not a chemo but an anti-angiogenic therapy--or a biological as RN Pauline called Avastin. It is supposed to cause the blood vessels to shrink from the cancer tumor, blocking the supply of oxygen and nutrients, and hopefully, causing the tumor to starve. Side effects are possible nosebleeds, high blood pressure, kidney malfunction, reduced white blood cell count which can increase chances of infection. The good news about Avastin is that, unlike chemotherapy which attacks all fast-growing cells whether good or bad, it only works on the blood vessels leading to the tumors. Avastin also doesn't attack hair follicles so I may have hair re-growth. I get it by IV once every three weeks. Then get blood work 10 days after each infusion to check that it's not doing damage to anything it shouldn't. A cancer killer that allows me to have hair, what a wonderful drug! Die, tumors, die! Hope it works.

Jenna (3 mo) and Tyler (2.75 yrs)

Megan and Alex took Jenna for her 3 month photos 8/15/09, added some of Tyler and then both. Tyler had a great time, telling me later over the phone about a wagon he got to sit on. He loves that they are going to the babysitter together. He reminds everyone she's his little sister. Isn't it great being a big brother!

Taxol 13

Wrapped up #12 series of Taxol 8/6/09 and have a "bye" next Thursday. Dr. Im is still deciding whether or not to continue Taxol #13 when I go back for chemo 8/20/09. Since Taxol is holding the 3 nodes static, changing to another chemo doesn't seem necessary. Don't know what a new drug might have in the way of side effects and don't know if it would even work. So think it will be a wait-and-see situation. Main side effect for Taxol is the neuropathy with my fingers and feet. Feet are more dangerous as I don't want to fall and possibly hurt/break something. So I'm careful when walking and/or going up/down stairs.