Got H1N1 flu shot when I had blood drawn

Monday wasn't a good day. A right click with my mouse helped overwrite a 26-page file I had been working on for months. Fortunately I had last year's version and a hard copy of what the file included. In a bummed out mood, I drove thru pouring rain and dark to get to Weinberg OPC to have my blood drawn. Luckily the H1N1 flu shot was available (I qualify in the impaired immune system category) so I got the vaccine. Combination of work, BCBS crap and shot kept me from sleeping last night so am operating on 2 hours' sleep. Received my 25-year pin at work today. As of Oct. 25, I have worked at USNA 25 years. Too bad I gapped from '86-99 or I'd have 38 years of federal service. Oh, well, at least I'm vested and have health insurance into retirement. Finished re-creating the lost file pages. Amazingly I think the new ones look better that the original s. It was a lot of work. Ugh. I hate when computers (and I hiccup). Thanksgiving will be at M&A's with a ham I'm par-boiling then baking while M, A and Dylan do the rest. A blessed holiday to all.

CA125 inching down

Had Avastin #5 Nov. 12. My CA125 measured 44.5 which is down 2.4 points from Oct. 22 but still higher than the "normal" range of 0-35. But down is good. My magnesium level was once again 1.5 which meant I didn't need to get mag by IV this treatment. That saves time. Nurse Franca put lines in both lumens of my port in case I needed mag in one line, but only needed to have the Avastin. Thus, I wrapped up everything and was on my way home by 2 p.m. Yeah!

On the way home stopped by the framers to help JoAnne pick out matting and framing for my mother's photograph which was taken by my grandfather in 1906 when my mom was 4 years old. Wearing a middie dress and stockings, Mom's holding a beautiful porcelin-faced doll whose dress and bonnet my grandfather tinted blue. The portrait will be hung in my back bedroom which I hope to use as a guest bedroom. I had Hugh paint the back bedroom a light blue to coordinate with the doll. Slowly Dylan and I are getting the house purged of basement excess and trying to put things back together. Megan is supposed to come and help decide what photos/art are hung where.

CA125 going down with Avastin

Forgot to mention that my CA125 went down 12 points to 46.9 (normal is between zero and 35) last time I went for my Avastin treatment Oct. 22. With good results from CT scan and CA125 I should be feeling good, right? Wrong. I have been hurting. My right knee was giving me a lot of pain and from the knee on down to my ankle was aching all the time. I popped Naproxen (muscle relaxer) and Tylenol with codeine (for pain) but felt like an old lady when I tried to get up from a sitting position. Even dug out my step-mom's uncle's cane.

Monday I went to Weinberg to have my blood drawn for labs (to keep tabs on how the Avastin is working on my blood). Nurse Karin asked me if I had an Ibuprofen. I had some at home but not with me. She gave me a 400mg Ibuprofen and by the time I got home, I felt much better. Last Ibuprofen I had prescribed from Dr. Im was in 2007 so e-mailed Nurse Terri for a new prescription for 800mg pills. Took one before I went to bed and slept like a baby. Yes, an old baby with creaky joints, but not waking numerous times thru the night to find a comfortable position! Yeah. Won't be running any marathons or running up and down stairs, but can walk more comfortably.

Good CT scan results

The 10/12/09 CT scan showed "stable exam with no evidence for metastatic disease." It noted a 2.3x1.7cm low density lesion adjacent to intrathoracic inferior vena cava is stable. Talking to Dr. Im yesterday at the OPC (outpatient clinic) he said that after the 4th Avastin treatment I had yesterday, I should plan on two more (the power of 3s) before he determines whether or not I can have a "vacation" from treatment. It might be a Christmas present.

Hair is veerrryy slowly growing back but is baby-fine. Jenna and I are matching baldies. I can see teeny-tiny eyelashes on me. Hers are longer and colored. The Avastin is letting my fingernails alone so they are looking better. Went to foot doctor to have my toenails "debrided."

On the home side, my kids and their spouses/significant other had an intervention. Cleared my house of excess papers, furniture, clothes, etc. after many trips to the dump with trash and recycling and to the Salvation Army for things to donate. SIL Hugh has painted the rooms in my house in colors determined by Megan and Deborah (with my ok). The white doors, trim and ceilings just pop! Am getting dark handscraped hardwood floors installed next week in place of wall-to-wall carpeting. Perhaps we'll put up the Christmas tree this year.

Avastin appears to be working

Drove to Weinberg for my 3rd Avastin treatment Oct. 1. RN Pat drew my file. She asked me to give her a urine sample for a kidney check. Sample and blood labs showed my kidneys are working well and blood counts are ok. Potassium was ok but low on magnesium so Dr. Im ordered 4 grams of magnesium (2gms/hour by IV). Good thing I had Pat put lines in both port lumens. Avastin #3 can go in at a faster rate so it only takes 30 minutes. Pat questioned why I needed pre-meds (steroids) with Avastin so only had to take a Benedryl and 2 Tylenols orally. When Pat pulled out one of my lumens, a little yellowish gunk appeared. She swabbed it and sent it to the lab. Terri called in an antibiotic for me just in case the gunk was an infection and the needle had pushed it thru the port.

CA125 came back 58.9 which is down 30.4 pts from the 89.3 on 8/20/09. Between 0-35 is considered normal. The two Avastin treatments gave me a 34% decrease. Yeah! To check cancer activity, Terri set me up for a CT scan Oct. 12 p.m., on the Columbus Day holiday, right after I get my blood drawn at Weinberg.

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.