A LIVESTRONG Day Event | LIVESTRONG Day 2010 | LIVESTRONG.org

A LIVESTRONG Day Event LIVESTRONG Day 2010 LIVESTRONG.org

Well…..at this time things are not what I’d like them to be. Nancy’s weight has dropped to about 99lbs. Last week Nancy was sick for a number of days w/something? Cold…...maybe but she was having a lot of issues w/sinuses and her eyes matting up, headaches, fever….guess that should be enough.


Okay….so I started this back in the middle of March. So now I’m picking back up from there. Had a lot of things come about since then (including my job change, etc) but more w/Nancy.


I’ll just start of w/the visit to see Brenda (Keep’s PA) a coupla of weeks ago. Port flush, usual stuff – checkup, questions, answers, etc. So…then a week later Nancy noticed that her feet /ankles were swollen. Okay…this is a concern since most of the time these symptoms are heart related and I wasn’t quite up to a heart attack in the middle of the night. She made an appointment to which they made “room” for her (she is extremely special at this place) and we were there the next afternoon. So after a lot of this & that and more questions and answers Brenda decided that it “could” be advantageous to pump some fresh blood into her system. So last Friday-4/9 Nancy went to Mercy and had a transfusion of 2bags pumped into her system that took about 4 hrs.


I picked her up around 1:15pm and came directly home and she basically just slept all day long. That was the complete take for the entire weekend. Sleep-watch some TV and still eating very little and the eating very little is the major cause of all the above.


Brenda stated that this wasn’t heart related but basically a sever lack of nutrition. The red blood count is way down and Nancy is extremely anemic. I really don’t think that there is any one thing that is going to work at this point. This Megace (appetite stimulant) does not seem to do anything for her. No change what so ever in the eating habits. She isn’t even able to eat 4-5-6 “small” meals throughout the day. What can ya do? Nothing at this point I don’t think.


Fatigue: always and ever present – can’t get past it. It’s basically like being under nourished. No calories-no energy. Her heart rate sky rocket off the charts just doing basic “walking” (very, very slow pace) from one part of the house to the other….and our house is not big!


That’s about all I can expound on at this point. I am a nuisance most of the time ‘cuz I don’t let anything slide. Someone’s gotta do….it’s my job!


I really will try to do another update before it gets too far off this next time. I just feel like it will be a repeat only on a more accelerated level.


So groovy peepz…..as usual….keep your head down and your back flat!


Train hard, train smart and you will kick ass at the races!!


Mucho love,
Roger

Well…..here it is the week before Valentine’s Day and about nine months since my last blog. Yeah I know…..I was supposed to update a lot more often than this ….but…I just didn’t want to get into it….until now. I guess that things didn’t really escalate w/Nancy’s health like I,we,she,they thought that it might. Actually, I have been quite astonished in the way things have progressed up until this point. I was truly anticipating things being escalated a lot quicker and more severe than I thought. And I suppose Keef thinks, feels the same way to. I know that the coupla times that we have seen him he was quite surprised at how good Nancy looked. One of the last times he stated that fact. He was expecting her to be quite worn down and very pale looking….quite the opposite!

So here’s the scoop….Nancy does look quite good! Her skin color is great, skin still looks smooth and her hair has grown out enough that she hasn’t had to wear the wig for quite awhile….now that’s all good. The downside….is that….she isn’t getting any better. I would have to say that since last May when she quit doin’ chemo she weighed ….oh…let’s just say….maybe (guessing since I was neva given this info) 125#’s. close I’d say. I’m sure she will be pissed off that I’m talkin’ openly & publicly about her weight….but so what.
 Let’s just go back to last summer and work up to today. This will be short since I’m not goin’ to give a play by play – month to month. The summer was good…we had fun. I didn’t race too much so we didn’t go out of town but three times. This last race of the season was in September the Saturday before her Monday 9/14 birthday. So I had a brilliant idea such as all of mine are and I said….let’s go to the Grand Canyon for your birthday! Awesome idea!! Now, Nancy didn’t really do back flips over this but I believe that she figured it was goin’ to be a done deal. I know she had reservations about how she would do over a look extended period of time bein’ away from home and the issues that potentially arise from that…but…you just do what you want and let the other take its course or you would just sit around sayin’ …..gee…we shoulda!
I knew this would cost a buncha money (that we didn’t have) but I have told Nancy over a period of time that there are two things that people who are true Americans should see before they die…one is the Canyon…the other is the Statue of Liberty. Now, I knew that the Canyon would be the most feasible and affordable and the quickest to get to. Besides, goin’ to NYC w/o doin’ the marathon at the same time is …well….you get it I’m sure.

So this was a phenomenal trip!!! Absolutely!! We had so much fun…the weather was perfect! The only issue that Nancy had was the altitude factor that left her short of breath (more than she was already experiencing) and we would have to stop and rest quite often which was not an issue. When you stop at a place like this….you have a beautiful view of life. I know if an effect on Nancy had though….she would state that she was goin’ downhill and fast…I would have to reinforce that this was not a health issue but an altitude issue. It will be something that I will remember forever!! I do believe that this was and is the last “real trip” that we will eva take together. Sometimes in these instances you just have to see things how they truly are and cherish them as well as accept them and know that at least you took advantage of the time ignoring the expense. This is time that you can’t put on a budget or plan for….just take it and live for the moments that you have left together…..
Alright, the holidays…Thanksgiving/Christmas, they were both great and I won’t take any time on those.

New Year’s Eve….I stayed up barely...but...Nancy couldn’t make it and went to bed.

Present; now things have changed. All of this previous time Nancy has had some issue or another with random pains, always the ongoing exhaustion and the day to day functions that we all take for granted. Her weight is now down to 105#’s (I really think a little lower….but she seems to be tellin’ me truthfully. She has no appetite whatsoeva...as in no appetite. Nothing sounds good...nothing really tastes good and has no interest in eating….anything. I figure that if Nancy was in a normal state and for her size, height and normal weight she would be consuming at least…minimum of 1500-1800 calories a day. Well, let me tell ya that she is maybe…just maybe…consuming around 800 calories a day. I try to stay on top of it but how can you get someone to eat when they have to “force feed” themselves as it is. She is having extreme difficulties with her digestive system. When she does eat something it takes forever…as in a long time. Example: take the big sandwich you’re holding that has everything on it….now cut it in half and removed everything but the main content…leaving only two slices of bread w/a small amount of meat. This would take Nancy about 20mins to eat …minimum….and she would be quite full…”THEN”…she would have to deal with the cramping/discomfort, etc from her system trying to get this digested. THIS OCCURS WITH EVERYTHING SHE EATS AT ANYTIME! GET IT!

Now, she has been for the course of 5wks (ending 5 goin’ to six) taking “consistently” this medication called hydrocodone 5mg’s. Why? Since the first of the year she has started having these previous pains that were moving around being more…what ….prevalent/consistent/intense around her abdomen and back area(s). At the first steps of taking this the dosage was 3 a day. Now it’s consistently up to “5 a day” which means that every night she wakes up with the pain (usually at 2:am to take a pill). These pains are a constant. No relief. Only from when the meds kick in, Nancy goes to bed w/pain and awakes w/pain….an always…always,always,always this constant fatigue and exhaustion….BUT…BUT….she still continues to go to work every day….every….day … as in 40hrs/wk. She is quite the inspiration! I know that this is out of stubbornness and the will to live but I know if beats her down so hard sometimes that she would really just like to go to sleep some night and not wake up. Which I understand why….this is now….well…let me put it in months….91months….ninety one….and she has endured at least…at least…..95 individual chemo treatments…which some had some very severe side effects. How does one deal w/that? I know Nancy’s faith has kept her in check for a long, long time but there has to be a limit to what a person can persevere….just has to.

So there you have it….I can write more but at this point it’s wearin’ on my head and I’m up to 1,160 words which is more than most read in the course of any given day…

Sorry for the long delay in the update. I have a stat counter and I get results every week on returning peeps and stats on first time visitors who do return. To those that I know that light upon this blog to see the status….thanks for your concern for Nancy! For those that land here randomly and take it in….think about Nancy as she deals with all of this….I know she’s wearin’down!
Okay…so I will be back next month….yeah…I’ve stated this before….but I will….’cuz I believe that things are closing in.

So groovy peepz…if you race….as always….train hard, train smart, keep your back flat…AND….KICKASS AT THE RACES!! And do it for yourself!

As always,
Mucho love,
Roger