10-28-2019 Another MRI

  We went this morning to Thompson Cancer Survival Center to have another MRI, they are still looking for the 2 tumors that disappeared. After the MRI I had a follow-up with Dr. Norman who had already viewed the MRI along with Dr. Clark.

  There was a very small shadow, possibly a ghost image from movement or some blood vessels knotted up, either way, both said they were not concerned with it. So I will have another MRI in 3 months.  

I go tomorrow for another infusion of Keytruda. 

10-23-2019

   Back up and down again from this joint and muscle pain. I took 2 Loratabs yesterday during the day, started out yesterday morning with one and again in the middle of the day. Tonight I took 2 then eventually took 1/2 another one and got a few hours sleep only to wake up in intense pain. Again I couldn't go to sleep and took another one. I've been using Livingwell Rub On Relief cream along with APC Cream in addition to the pain pills. Hopefully, in an hour or less, I can go back to sleep. This is turning out to be harder than the Chemo was.

  On a positive note, my blood work was good. 

10-18-2019

   This bone pain is unrelenting in its pain. I've had to use Loratabs every day. My foot seems like it is healing one day, then back to scratch the next, but that pain is overrun from the bone pain. The Tractor wouldn't start yesterday so I jumped it off. I should have noticed the ark when I adjusted the jumper but I didn't. I went to take off the battery today and the positive terminal just snapped so I went and found a similar one at O' Reilly's Auto Parts. (I usually don't trade there).

  I was going to do all of this yesterday and got into a Yellow Jackets next, stung my arm 7-8 times and the back of my head more than that. I  moved quicker than I knew I could, lol. I am fatigued, today a little worse than most days. I think I'm done for the day. I went to Food City Midnight Madness sale and bought some stuff, went back after talking with Denise to get her drinks (RC). Used the lawnmower and trailer and took enough feed to refill the barrels at the chickens, usually 6 bags of feed. I fed the cows and donkeys and sheep yesterday, I'm still not allowed to feed the chickens yet. I just not at 4:30 took a pain pill.        

10-15-2019

   I had a visit from a Nurse Practitioner Humana pays for. She is nice and it is OK to have someone else look in from time to time. I'm not sure exactly what else she does. This week and next are good, no doctor appointments. I got to tell her like I have the others that my foot was broke, she had, like the others, said it wasn't broke.

  I worked on 2 pens outside today, putting old tin roofs on them. This was day 2 of it and I worked until I was in major pain, so I stopped, but only after those 2 were done. I lack 1 big pen next. Tomorrow it looks like rain, thank the Lord. That will give me time to heal, the Keytruda is taking a toll on my body.
  

10-08-2019

    Well, I bragged too soon, it has all gone to Hell today. First was Denise calling me on her lunch hour and reminding me I had an appointment to have another Krytruda infusion today. I had worked on a couple of pens at the chickens and had managed to get muddy as a hog in slop. Enter bath 2 for the day. I checked my home phone and cell phone both, nothing. No missed calls. Then, later on, yesterday I see I have a new message on my voicemail. I listened then got curious and saw another number, it was the hospital computer telling my answering machine of my appointment. So I call and I do have an appointment.

   Now comes the strange part. I did bloodwork prior to my appointment, which is typical. Then usually I see the doctor except now you don't get to see him unless you requested to see him. Then I was told I'd see his associate... unless my bloodwork comes back good, then I'd go to the chemo part. I told her I have some prescriptions they need filling. She said I would meet with the secretary and could tell her. Strike 2. Two people working back there, neither of them seemed impressive. Still, Rachel assured me she would call me this evening with my follow-up date and call in my prescriptions. She said it had been a hectic day, which she seems to have plenty of. Well, the call never came, nor did she call in the prescriptions. In part I blame her, she does not seem to manage her time well. In part, I blame Dr Ghandi (took Dr Flanders place). Keytruda has plenty of side effects, especially with someone who has a T Cell Lymphoma. So why would the prescribing doctor not want to check? They say he is old school, maybe that is why MHH was considered a dog clinic just a few short years ago. I have gone from impressed heavily with MHH to... Not So Much.

    This stuff has caused pain in my joints and bones. I have R.A. already so I know about joint pain, this goes that pain times two. Right now I am debating two things. 1- Changing doctors and hospitals. 2- Continuing the Keytruda. I will know a lot more tomorrow when I give Rachel a call. I'm not expecting much.        

10-01-2019 Foot Doctor Time

   Well, I finally got in to see the Podiatrist today, Dr. Demoiny, a very nice guy. The staff and nurses were nice too. He took 3 X-Ray of my foot from different angles. I did this fall on August 8th and just now got in to see him, had another appointment but the referring doctor forgot to tell me he had arranged this appointment. I got a call and had no clue who or what he was or what it was about. I had seen Dr. Yaird and he said nothing could be done, end of the story. Dr. Flanders, however, did set up an appointment but his staff did not call to tell me. Humana sent a P.A. to interview me and she said it was not important and that story ended too.

   Once I found out who he was and what he was seeing me for I rescheduled the appointment, but October was his soonest he could see me. So today we found out why it is still swollen. He said they couldn't do surgery due to where they broke at, but that I needed to wear a special shoe or boot like thing to keep it immobile. He asked if it hurt and I said yes, I can feel my heartbeat in the big toe most days, especially if I walk a lot. I can't do anything for the swelling due to the blood thinners I'm on. I told him for the pain I take a pain pill, but only at night, I don't want to drive with that crap in my system so daytime is off. I have a thing on my IPhone that counts your steps called step up and over the last 7 days I've averaged 2.6 miles each day, some days more and some days less.

   Lately, too I've been thinking about having cows. I can no longer work them, Mark is in the same boat. Both of us have always had cattle or grew up with parents who had cattle. No more than they are bringing it may be time to say enough. Mark doesn't eat his cows but we do, so we will keep a few. My lungs may also have stopped me from raising chickens and Guineas.

      

09-30-2019

  I have stayed in the last few days. The air is bad, really bad and the temperatures are breaking records. I'm not sure if it is lung cancer or the COPD, but I have to limit my time outdoors in this stuff.

  I go in October to see about my foot. It is still painful and swollen. Then later on another MRI brain scan. Then next month I see a new doctor on my CTCL (T-Cell Lymphoma), and they will tell if the ImmunoTherapy is doing more damage. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas are not curable whereas Lymphomas can be if caught early.

I tried weaning off the O2 like this new doctor wants me to and it damn near killed me 2 weekends ago. I am still healing from that move. If I could find out where Dr Flanders went and it was close I would switch.

Friday night I was asked to speak at a Gala for Dr. Rama. I had notes Denise and I prepared. There were 200 plus people there. We ate before and that takes O2. It was hot in there and even hotter on the stage and with a dress coat on. I walked on stage and couldn't breathe so I asked if I could remove my coat, which they said yes. This helped me breathe. I looked down and went off the paper for the hello part, then I just spoke from the heart and what was on my mind. I had people laughing, which is always a good thing. I gave Dr. Rama a lot of praise, well deserved praise. I told everybody that Denise was probably saying oh no when I started ad-libbing the speech.

  Dr. Rama got up and for the first time told the story of how I died on the operating table and about my Near Death Experience. He told about the 2 heart attacks I have had that have resulted in each time to 2 stents for a total of 4 now.    

  I'm going to guess my weight now at about 238-240 lbs, time for a diet.