Baldies' Blog began originally in the UK by a 26 year old journalist with a blood cancer on a mission to inform the world about bone marrow donation.

He has since died, and I took on the cause of making cancer care more transparent for everybody.

Cancer is a disease that will touch everybody through diagnosis or affiliation: 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed and 1 in 3 woman will hear those words, "You Have Cancer."

I invite you to read how I feel along my journey and
how I am continuing to live a full life alongside my Hodgkin's lymphoma, with me controlling my cancer, not my cancer controlling me.

I hope that "Baldies' Blog" will prepare you to handle whatever life sends you, but especially if it's the message, "You Have Cancer."

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rip Van Hillary Sleep

My lungs hate this time of year: allergy season.


They have ever since I was officially diagnosed with asthma after starting chemotherapy. 
My horrible lung function is absolutely a side effect of treatment, not of cancer. 
I had weak lungs to begin with. I was very sensitive to smoke, acquiring  pneumonias and bronchitis starting in first grade,  far earlier and easier than I ever should have. 


The therapy exploited this weakness and turned it into a full fledged serious asthma that acts up starting in my and lasting into July, or anytime when pollen combines with humidity. During this time I NEED my albuterol, but I haven't found a good long acting inhaler or therapy. I've been through most: advair, singulair, etc.


Talking to Dr. G today, we may try the non-steroid inhaler that starts with an  "S." I forget the name. I asked about it after seeing a commercial, because I want away from steroids.


I have tapered my prednisone to 7.5mg! That is the lowest I've been since starting steroids in Dec. 2009. Dr. Wong stated I "don't have a chance" if I continue to have steroids as a crutch. 


I agree. I've always agreed, but they've kept me alive and going since Dec. 2009. I think I accidentally did not take my 5mg of prednisone yessterday morning.


I was tired to begin with. I had a LONG exciting weekend with fabulous friends. If the end had come, I would have been perfectly happy being with my companions, but it was exhausting. 



I'm waking up from my rip van winkle sleep a full 24 hours later. 

I woke up for yesterday periodically for some meals, or food, and my medications. 

I was so quesi-comatose I missed X's baseball game last night, and this morning, I could not wake up and move to feed, dress, and get him to school. 

I made an emergency call to my parents and they came to the rescue (again) getting X ready and off to learn. I did not here anyone enter my house. I didn't hear him eat or leave. I woke up at 9 am and refused to allow myself to sleep more. 

I sat up, turned on Nancy Grace, took my medications making especially sure my prednisone was there, and made myself coffee. I even showered. 

Then I started on housework, which I'm feeling a little guilty that Jon has completely taken over. I put away the wash after he washed and folded it. 

This weekend we've planned to stay home with NO PLANS. We need to schedule in staying at home weekends. We're cleaning, organizing, and purging our home. I'm excited, but if anyone wants to recommend we get "HGTV'd" I'd love that even more. 

We're working on making the basement friendly enough so I can at least go into it. I hadn't been to the basement in years because it would send me into respiratory distress. I still live in fear of it, but we're now clearing a lot of things out then cleaning the area.


Please ask, hope, pray that I stay awake and keep breathing to do the family things I hope to do to enjoy the weekend. I'll let you know the plans for therapy coming up.

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