The infusion went well yesterday. Same routine with no problems.
We didn’t get a Dr. to look at her ribs, so we’re going back to Indy tomorrow to have X-Rays done to check on that possible crack.
I still haven’t heard back from the MDA POC, so I’ve sent some follow-up emails. We expect to hear back soon.

Lori and I are just about to head out for another infusion appointment in Indy. This week, Lori has felt pretty good overall with the exception of one rib that hurts more than the others. Even through the morphine (she uses a slow release morphine now instead of the hydrocodon)she feels that rib hurting. She suspects it may be broken or cracked, so we’re going to ask about that today. She heard it pop the other day when she was leaning down to pick something up. It’s very possible that it was just very frail and it now may have a small fracture or something. Other than that, she’s doing very well. Hair is thinning more and more, but it isn’t falling out in clumps as it does for many chemo patients.

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We had our first check-up visit with Dr. S. yesterday morning. He examined Lori’s tumor and found that it is definitely smaller than it was three weeks ago! Also, the lymph nodes felt normal, and Lori felt no pain when he examined her there. Three weeks ago, the lymph nodes were sore and there were solid lumps. This week, the lymph node lumps are either gone or much much smaller, and it isn’t sore. So, Dr. S. seemed very happy about her progress under Taxol, and we are relieved to hear such good news! I had begun to think the tumor had actually grown since her first appointment last month. I certainly didn’t expect to hear a good progress report this early. Continue reading

This morning, Lori is in Indy getting her port installed. The port will sit just under the skin at the top of her chest. The port has a silicone bubble through which the chemo will be injected in the future. It feeds directly into the blood stream. It’s an easier way of administering the drug vice using the IV method. The install requires a minor surgery using local anesthesia. Continue reading

Last Monday, Lori had her third chemo infusion. She has begun to fall into a bit of a routine as far as her reaction to the drugs. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she is still very lively due to the steroids. On Thursday and Friday, she tends to sleep much more. On the weekends, she does very well with pain medications, and life seems pretty much normal. Now that her third infusion is done, that wraps up the first cycle. She’ll likely go through two more cycles of three infusions each. Continue reading

Lori’s second appointment went well. Her brother and sister-in-law were in town visiting, and they drove to Indy with us Monday morning. On the following Tuesday and most of Wednesday, Lori felt great due in large part to the steroids, I assume. Today, the steroids will have run their course, so I’m interested to see how she will feel. This morning very early, she was awake with some pain in her ribs, but she slept well overall. Continue reading