(no subject)
Okay, so I just checked my last journal entry, and I have a lot to catch up on. I'll try to be succinct.
I have had five major seizures total, ones that lasted several hours and usually ended up with me in the ER. But we adjusted my anti-seizure meds, and I've gone from grand-mal to petit mal. Or something - they don't actually use those terms any more. For the last month or so, I've settled into seizures that happen every day or two and last only a few minutes. Needless to say, this is much easier to deal with. Basically, I get a ringing in my ears or a twitchy feeling in my left hand, and I sit down until I'm clear-headed again, usually less than five minutes later.
The last thing I wrote about my cancer treatment is that I was going to try out Lapatinib. I took it daily starting in May, and stopped taking it in October. Side-effect wise, it wasn't fun, but I've dealt with worse. But it doesn't seem to have stopped the regrowth of the cancer, and new studies are showing that it only has about a ten percent chance of doing so within the brain. So, I stopped it, but I may end up starting it again in combination with other drugs. I'm sure I'll write more about the chemo options again later.
In October, my old roommate, the college student, moved out and a new roommate moved in. The new roommate is an old friend, so that's been fun. Let's see, I'm supposed to make up a pseudonym for him, right? Let's see; how about ... is there a male version of Yenta? Oh, that's not fair... how about Meshugener. According to an online glossary, it's Yiddish for "madman". :D I like that. Okay, so Meshugener is a friend who used to be my roommate, then he got sick and was in hospice, then he got better. Seriously, he's got AIDS and they thought he was going to die, but he was too stubborn. That was a couple of years ago, and there's more to tell, but the upshot is that in September he and his partner broke up rather dramatically, he ended up needing a place to stay, and now he's my roommate again and I'm happy with that. It really is great to have him around - because we both have to deal with words like "diagnosis," "prognosis," "treatment," etc. on a regular basis, we can talk to each other about things that make other people (including me) uncomfortable.
Let's see, what else? Work is still a pain, and I'll want to write more about it soon. I'm not exercising at all, which is a source of guilt. I'm involved with a Wicca group, but I've been skipping so many get-togethers that I think they want their money back (okay, there wasn't any money involved). I've had a total of three Gamma Knife sessions and I am in massive debt because of medical bills. Another brain surgery isn't going to help my financial situation any. Too bad I'm not Canadian.
All caught up now? I'll plan on writing more tomorrow.
I have had five major seizures total, ones that lasted several hours and usually ended up with me in the ER. But we adjusted my anti-seizure meds, and I've gone from grand-mal to petit mal. Or something - they don't actually use those terms any more. For the last month or so, I've settled into seizures that happen every day or two and last only a few minutes. Needless to say, this is much easier to deal with. Basically, I get a ringing in my ears or a twitchy feeling in my left hand, and I sit down until I'm clear-headed again, usually less than five minutes later.
The last thing I wrote about my cancer treatment is that I was going to try out Lapatinib. I took it daily starting in May, and stopped taking it in October. Side-effect wise, it wasn't fun, but I've dealt with worse. But it doesn't seem to have stopped the regrowth of the cancer, and new studies are showing that it only has about a ten percent chance of doing so within the brain. So, I stopped it, but I may end up starting it again in combination with other drugs. I'm sure I'll write more about the chemo options again later.
In October, my old roommate, the college student, moved out and a new roommate moved in. The new roommate is an old friend, so that's been fun. Let's see, I'm supposed to make up a pseudonym for him, right? Let's see; how about ... is there a male version of Yenta? Oh, that's not fair... how about Meshugener. According to an online glossary, it's Yiddish for "madman". :D I like that. Okay, so Meshugener is a friend who used to be my roommate, then he got sick and was in hospice, then he got better. Seriously, he's got AIDS and they thought he was going to die, but he was too stubborn. That was a couple of years ago, and there's more to tell, but the upshot is that in September he and his partner broke up rather dramatically, he ended up needing a place to stay, and now he's my roommate again and I'm happy with that. It really is great to have him around - because we both have to deal with words like "diagnosis," "prognosis," "treatment," etc. on a regular basis, we can talk to each other about things that make other people (including me) uncomfortable.
Let's see, what else? Work is still a pain, and I'll want to write more about it soon. I'm not exercising at all, which is a source of guilt. I'm involved with a Wicca group, but I've been skipping so many get-togethers that I think they want their money back (okay, there wasn't any money involved). I've had a total of three Gamma Knife sessions and I am in massive debt because of medical bills. Another brain surgery isn't going to help my financial situation any. Too bad I'm not Canadian.
All caught up now? I'll plan on writing more tomorrow.