Under the Weather....Yet Again

This morning I went the doctor because of a soar throat, nasal congestion, and a low grade fever. It turns out that I have a nasty sinus infection. I feel absolutely miserable, and it was just about a month ago that I was sick with a cold. I know that this is par for the course when your on chemo but it still sucks to no end. Luckily, the doctor started me on an antibiotic, and my fever isn't very high, if it gets over 100.5 and nearing 101 than I have to go to the ER, I'm crossing my fingers that that doesn't have to happen. If anyone has been sick with a cold or flu, and has had a fever, than you know what its like when your body, muscles, and joints just ache all over. When you have arthritis, and other autoimmune issues, its that x 10. Im just trying to stay relaxed drink, hot tea, and getting plenty of rest, what sucks even more is that it is cold and rainy outside, which makes feeling bad even worse. I am just trying to lay low and get over this thing as quickly as possible. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Can't Stop Sleeping

At my last chemo treatment, which was here in Austin, my blood tests showed that not only was my white blood cell count low but I was also very anaemic. Both of these uncomfortable medical problems cause one to be extremely fatigued. I find myself taking three hour naps in the middle of the morning, and even an after noon siesta, and still going to bed at nine o'clock and sleeping ten hours. My mom says that this is completely normal for someone who is a anaemic and going through chemotherapy. But still, I hate that I can't stop sleeping. I feel as though I am lazy and not doing anything, but part of me knows that my body needs rest to heal. For those of us who have a chronic illness or are going through need to remember that there is no reason to feel bad about how tired and fatigued we are or how much we sleep. Our bodies are not like those of a normal healthy individuals, and it takes more energy for us to do simple tasks. So for those who think were just being lazy, you try living just one day in our shoes, and you will see why we are so tired, and why we can't stop sleeping.


Joyful Love
          &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Doctor's Visit

This past Thursday was my doctor's appointment in San Antonio with the Hem/Onc doctor. The appointment went well, the blood tests showed that the chemo is doing what its supposed to, because I am neutropenic, which means that my bone marrow is suppressed so I have to be extra careful of germs and getting sick, especially during cold and flu season. We also learned that I have something called Post-thrombotic Syndrome (PTS), its a condition where I have more pain in the are of the clot is, because of blood flow restriction due to the clot. The pain can last up to nine months, but thankfully the doctor prescribed me some medicine that should help with pain. I am also going to be continuing with my chemotherapy, and hope that I can have all the nausea and other unpleasant symptoms under control. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

ER and Cold

Last Wednesday, I went to the ER because my neck, on the side where the clot is, was very painful and swollen, my arm on that side was also swollen. I was also feeling faint and had a headache, I nearly passed out at the dinner table. Concerned, my mom and grandfather took me to the ER to get the clot checked out. A CT scan of my neck was done, and so was blood work. I was in so much pain, that they had to give me dilloted for the pain. The scan showed that the clot was the same as the previous scan, and the blood work showed that my white count was a bit low because of the chemo. The doctor who examined me knew that I was immunocompramised, and still chose to examine me even though she had a cold. She was coughing, sneezing, and blowing her nose, and she still examined me. Unfortunately because of my weekend immune system, I developed a cold/virus that I caught from the doctor. All weekend I was miserable. I had body aches, congestion, headaches, a soar throat, and a slight cough. Im doing a bit better today. Because of my immune system being low, it takes me longer than a normal person to get better from things, and my symptoms are more severe. Luckily I wasn't running a fever with this virus, so that was a good thing.


My family, as you can imagine, was very upset at the doctor for coming around me when she was sick, it was very unethical. We couldn't say anything to her at the time because we didn't want to upset her, and have that hinder my treatment. My grandfather did send an e-mail to the HR department, and hopefully she will be talked to about the incident. If a physician or anyone who works with patients is ill with something like a cold or any other communicable diseases, they should not be at works, and putting people at risk for becoming ill themselves. Its just good old common sense. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Pre and Post Surgery

Yesterday I had a small surgical procedure, that was my eighth one this year. Although the procedure was something minor, each time I have to go into the operating room, or under anasthesia. I still get nervous each time. I usually am not nervous about he actual surgery, but more going under anasthesia. While going under, you feel as though you're losing control. Having experienced it so many times you not only get used it, but some how come to like it. I know that sounds crazy, but one of my friends who as gone under anasthesia probably more times than I have says he likes it as well. People like my mom and grandmother who have had a  few surgeries don't like the feeling of it at all, so I guess it depends on the person.


Then there is the pain when you wake up. Even though they tell you might be in pain, you are still not prepared for how much it hurts (depending on how invasive the surgery is), luckily they I have IV pain meds that just knock you out. The first few days our the hardest. Sometimes you feel as though the pain is worse than it was before the surgery, but it is a different kind of pain. For me, what helps the best , is knowing that the surgery is going to help me in the long run. Keeping this in mind, pushing through the pain, forcing your self to get up and move around, and taking your pain medication so that you don't let the pain get ahead of you will help you make a fast and safe recovery.


Joyful Love
          &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Clots and Chemo

So yesterday I went for my second dose of chemo, of course it was so much fun sitting in a chair from 9:00 AM to about 4:00 PM and then coming home with a horrible headache and throwing up, and feeling as though I have a terrible case of the flu. Waking up today I didn't feel much better, except for the headache being gone, I'm still very nauseous and achy. I hate the fact that after every chemo I have to take a pump home full of fluids and a medication called Mesna that helps protect my bladder and kidneys from getting damaged by the chemo. We will hopefully know maybe by month 3 or after the third treatment whether or not the treatment is working. 


Now, the issue of what is going on with blood clot that is in the jugular vein in my neck and extends all the way to the brachial vein. Even after being on the anticoagulants for a little over a month the clot shows now signs of getting smaller. Because of what the latest imaging shows I had to go on two blood thinners at the same time, one being a shot and the other being a pill. I developed horrible bruises from the shots so my doctor took me off of them and increased the dosage of the blood thinner pill I am taking. Hopefully this will help the clot go down. The doctor says that busting the clot directly with clot busting medicine is to risky with my history, so that probably will not be done, but who knows. As for now I am just trying to take each day one day at a time and get through chemo and all the joys that comes with it. I know with my family and God, I can get through this.


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Side Effects

The first week after chemo was harder than what I had expected. I had deal with almost constant nausea and vomiting, and aching all over, feeling as though I had the flu. I've had to watch what I eat to making sure I don't eat anything that makes me sick. Luckily, I have medication that helps me get through and deal with the side effects. My hair started to come out, so I shaved it all off. It will be interesting to see if more will come out later. Im trying to just learn how to deal with feeling this way after chemo, because I will have to deal with it for the next 18 months. I know that I have many people supporting me through this process, and knowing that keeps me fighting. No matter how hard it is, how bad I feel, I'm never going to stop fighting and give up. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta