Saturday, September 24, 2011

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn

I'm going to try and make Fridays my regular posting day. We'll see how long that lasts but it's nice to have goals.

It's 4 am and I haven't slept a wink. Actually, an hour ago I was in mid-wink (thanks to 25 mg of trazadone) when the admitting resident threw the lights on to admit my new roommate who arrived at midnight. Oh, did I mention I am in the hospital? AGAIN?!

Yes, if one could earn frequent visitor points at a hospital, I would be in a presidential suite right now. This is my fourth hospital stay since April. It's become my home away from home. So what is it this time? Last Friday around 7:30 am I started to feel extremely woozy. Not a spinning of the room woozy but a stumbling drunk woozy. I was alone with Sadie because Nathan had already left for work. It was significant enough that I called my neighbor/bestie/attorney, Amanda, to come over even though she has a two week old infant, Isaac, and Alice, her toddler.

I was petrified of having an other seizure. I was literally squatting on the kitchen floor praying not to pass out or worse. Thankfully, Sadie was still asleep and only woke up when Amanda and the kids came over.

Okay it's outline time. Writing this series of events in long hand sucks. It's like reading an instruction manual. I am going to go for the Cliff Notes version of the past week's events.

Friday, Sept 16th- extremely bad dizzy spell early in am. Alone with Sadie. Petrified. Call for back up (friends/cousin). Call my docs. Oncologist and neurologist. Onc calls me back in less than 15 minutes. Will consult w/neuro. More symptoms: slurring of speech, sensation of droopiness on left side of my face, left eyelid twitching. Onc prescribes Decadron (a steroid) at 4mg every 12hrs. Thinks it may have to do with brain mets or swelling around them in the cerebellum which is what controls balance. Talk to neuro. She wants to admit me to hospital for observation to make sure I am not having mini-seizures. I beg her not to. Sadie's birthday parties (yes, 2 parties) are sat and sun. Don't want to miss them. She let's me off the hook with the agreement that should I get worse, I will call her and come in.

Sat/Sun/Mon- I feel great. Steroids give me tons of energy and we all have a great Sadie celebratory weekend. Tuesday onc's nurse practitioner, Peggy, checks in on me. Since I am doing so well they are going to drop me to 4 mg once a day in the am.

Wed- I am scheduled for a PET scan to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else. I have to fast from 8 am until the test at 2 pm. I eat 2 hardboiled eggs at 8am. Feel sleepy. Take a nap from 10-11 am. Wake up and feel same kind of woozy as fri before. Try to shrug it off. Take a shower. Shaving my legs. Wooziness gets worse. Abort hair removal. Get out of shower immediately. Get dressed. Hop in car service to cancer center. Arrive at 34th street. Zig zag across the street trying not to vomit. Seek medical attn at cancer center. Onc wants to send me to emergency room via ambulance. I reluctantly agree to hospital but no ambulance and no ER! Nathan arrives. Onc says we can wait at cancer center until there's a bed open & then head straight to admitting.

Ok- I haven't finished this entry but it is now sat evening which makes it almost 48 hours since I started this post. I want to be more consistent about posting so I am doing it now. Yes, I am entering an unfinished post. Is one allowed to do that?  Does anyone do that?  Well, here goes.

This is no cliffhanger but I hope you will continue to check back to find how the hospital stay ends. If just want to skip the rest of details, they do release. I am free. For now.

20 comments:

  1. Elisa, thank you for posting. I don't care if it doesn't make sense, is disjointed, whatever. Just hearing what is going on with you guys is great. You don't know me but I check your blog often and think of you guys even more often. I love your wit and sense of humor, especially in the face of everything you are going through. I hope you find out soon what this wooziness is and that is goes away soon. And Happy Birthday Sadie!

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  2. I am like Sue above and I am glad you write to keep us informed. I am holding you in the light. I take 50mgs of Trazadone and it works wonders. Ask if you can up the dose. Hoping they will get all these symptoms under control. Glad the birthday weekend worked well.

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  3. Keep up the posts! Love to hear from you guys.

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  4. So great that you are posting, it no doubt is giving you a strength you might think you not have had. I think its probably theraputic in some sense. Continuing to keep you in my prayers. I so believe in them.

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  5. i guess what i am most taken aback by is the fact that in spite of losing your head hair, you still have to shave your legs??? can't a girl get a break??

    SO glad you had a happy birthday weekend and, despite being a total stranger, i think of you and your precious family daily. you're changing lives, for what it's worth.

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  6. Hey,

    I read your post on a regular basis and just wanted to say that I think both of you guys are incredible and I think of your family often. Thanks so much for sharing your story as it will help others in no small measure. Keep up the good work!!

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  7. I, too, am a stranger who reads your posts... keeping you in prayer, hoping you kick the crap out of these cancers and move on with life. Thanks for sharing your story, very courageous and your sense of humor shines through...

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  8. Hoping and praying for the best results for you.

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  9. Although I love the updates forget about being consistent with posting. I want you both to concentrate on healing! Even if it's one sentence it's a blessing to see that you're feeling well enough to type. I can't wait to hear that and Nathan have beat this to the ground...my thoughts and prayers are with you always.

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  10. Bless your heart. You don't know me, I don't know you, but I pray for you, Nathan, and Sadie daily.

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  11. Just another stranger, praying and thinking of you daily. Be strong, you're an amazing woman!
    ***hugs**

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  12. We are here. All of us, thousands of us, waiting for a call so we can be the ones to hold you or Sadie or whoever (do you have a dog? I'll walk him!)... Seriously. You're an amazing woman and an amazing mom and there's no reason this is happening to you, it's wrong wrong wrong and you don't deserve it, but thank you for being your fabulous self. Sadie is a lucky, lucky girl. (Steroids rock, BTW-- take 'em any chance you can get 'em).

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  13. (((HUGS))) for all of you! Thank you for the updates. I really do appreciate them and know how hard it must be to try and keep us informed. I keep your family in my prayers.

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  14. Aww, you have really been going through so much, both you and Nathan. I wish I was there to help but I am stuck out here in VA. I am praying for you and sending lots of love and hugs and believing for you that God will heal you. xo

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  15. You (and your wonderful family) are in my thoughts. Yes, just another stranger who feels that while I don't know you (or Nathan & Sadie), I'm so there for you! Really appreciate the updates. We're all pulling for you. Sending major healing energy your way!

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  16. Hi there,

    I found about your situation on the today show.
    Do you have an email I can contact you at?

    I would like to feature your story on a new web-site I am starting that can provide assistance, information and support to individuals in tough situations like yours.
    Hope to hear from you and I am saying a prayer for you and your family.
    Kristina

    you can email me at: wishingwellcharities@gmail.com

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  17. You are in my prayers....Keep us posted. I come to this blog very often to find about your and Nathan's health. Love your sense of humor....when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Have faith and patience, everything will be alright.
    NYC girl

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  18. Elisa,

    One of my best friends went to HS with your hubs and turned me on to your blog. So sorry about the amazing WTFery going on in your life right now and will keep you and your family in my thoughts. My daughter L is just 3 mos older than Sadie. I just finished my first round of chemo for recurrent ovarian cancer and it super-sucks. Hard to believe this is my life now, but then again I woke up today and snuggled my girl while we watched sesame st. Hope you are home from the hospital with your family.

    Maya

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  19. It is so good to hear from you, Elisa. And, I can't speak for others, but many emails I send to friends take a day or two to finish them. It is transparent to the reader, but life has a way of interfering with continuity. It sounds like you are really having a rough go of it. I hope you PET scan came back with some positive results. You are a very brave woman. Love, Blazer & Mom, Vicki

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