Our Walk With Stage IV Prostate Cancer: Doctor appointment tomorrow

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Doctor appointment tomorrow

I'm a little nervous about tomorrow's appointment with the cardiologist. I have high hopes that tomorrow will put me on the road to feeling better but then part of me says I am expecting too much.

I'm sure the pacemaker needs adjusting -- I can often feel it going too fast -- but what do I know... Then there's the medications. I think I'm having side effects but to which medication? Metoprolol (rate control med) or Flecainide (rhythm control med) or Warfarin (blood thinner). I'm having scary dizzy spells, bloating, constipation, and the tip of my tongue is sometimes numb. (And, by the way, the dizzy spells only come on when I'm up and walking around, never when I'm sitting down or laying down, so I feel okay driving.)

In the morning I wake up feeling fairly good and start to get optimistic. I then take my Metoprolol and Flecainide and within 30 minutes I start feeling sick and dizzy. Then around 3:00 in the afternoon I slowly start feeling better. At 8PM I take the Metoprolol, Flecainide and Warfarin and in a little bit I start feeling crappy again and my heart starts pounding. I check my pulse constantly and it will go down to 25 or 30 and then the pacemaker will bring it back up to 68 or 70 and then down to 35 or 40 or 50 and then the pacemaker brings it back up again, etc. etc. I feel jittery.

Tomorrow they will "interrogate" the pacemaker and I think they will be able to see the whole two weeks of pacemaker/heart activity and that should tell them if adjustments are necessary. I think.

They will also check my blood to see if I am successfully keeping my INR in the 2 to 3 range. I had a little bleeding (gums) on Tuesday so I need to talk to the doctor about that.

I'm scared to leave the house but today I had to go to Walmart to pick up a prescription so I forced myself to walk around the store for 30 minutes. And tomorrow I'm actually going to my doctor appointment by myself!

I will report tomorrow on how the appointment goes.

I made an appointment to take Coco to the vet on Monday just to get him introduced to his new vet. He's not doing well at all and I am trying to spend quality time with him. When we first moved here, he appeared to enjoy going for short walks on the sidewalks around the complex. Now when I take him out he refuses to walk. There is a commercial on TV about a guy going through a Bucket List for his aging dog. Every time I see it I think of me and Coco.

When I'm at the vet, I will see if they have any recommendations for pet sitters. I really need to get a pet sitting relationship going because if I need to go back into the hospital (which seems imminent almost every day), I want to be sure I can get someone to take care of Coco and the cats.

I am fortunate, very fortunate, to have so many friends who are always there for me and yet I've never felt so alone. I've been trying to find a grief support group because I think it would help me tremendously but so far I haven't had any luck. Tomorrow I'm supposed to call a guy at the University of Colorado Hospital to see if he's found a group for me.

Thanks for listening.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

1 comment:

TspoonFebruary 24, 2016 at 9:44 PM
Sounds like with all that going on a little adjustment is in order, but...what do I know? Good luck I will be with you in spirit. ☺

I hope you find someone as nice as you to help you out and visit with.
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Marshall's Story (condensed)

On 3/14/12 went to emergency room with severe chest pain (turned out to be bone pain)
3/17/12 diagnosed with Stage IV Prostate Cancer (metastasized to the bones), PSA was 49
3/29/12 Biopsy confirmed advanced cancer, with a Gleason Score of 8, PSA had risen to 95
3/29/12 Received a double injection of Firmagon hormone therapy (very painful!)
Early April 2012, within less than a week, bone pain subsided, and he was out of bed!!
4/30/12, PSA had gone down to 9! Hormone therapy changed from Firmagon to Lupron (a 3-month injection) Side effects: fatigue & hot flashes
6/11/12, PSA now down to 3.9! Considering a clinical trial.
6/19/12, decided against the clinical trial.
7/10/12, lab work done at request of VA regarding Agent Orange claim.
7/12/12, evaluation by a private doctor at request of VA.
7/26/12, visit to oncologist. PSA remains at 3.9!!! Very good news. Bone strengthener postponed for 6 weeks. Next appointment 9/13/12.
8/6/12, VA approved Agent Orange-prostate cancer benefits; Marshall is now considered 100% disabled. This decision will be reviewed again in six months.
9/4/12, passed out, chest pain, pale, sweating, clammy, rushed to hospital by Flight for Life. Doctors were unable to find a cause, but it wasn't cancer related. Left the hospital 9/6/12.
9/13/12, PSA went up to 6.6 ... depressing. CT scan, bone scan and another PSA test scheduled for 10/11/12.
10/11/12, Bone scan showed no change from prior bone scan; CT scan showed slight increase in "activity"; PSA up to 10.01. Casodex is started as well as megadoses of Vitamin D2.
10/18/12, Excruciating back pain, thought it was a Casodex side effect; oncologist says it is not SE. Went to clinic, got x-rays of spine, showed nothing, maybe hairline fracture, got injection of "aspirin" and started feeling better.

10/25/12, Lupron injection; Xgeva injection; flu shot. SE from Lupron was pain at injection site for several days.

11/21/12, PSA 10.22, Xgeva injection.

12/17/12, Kavanaugh (radiation oncologist)

12/20/12, 12/21/12, 12/22/12, first 3 radiation treatments

12/27/12, 12/28/12, last 2 radiation treatments

1/1/13, called 911, stomach pain, taking laxatives per instructions of Dr. Yeh, radiation oncologist. In hospital 3 days, diagnosed with radiation colitis. PSA 12.3. Colitis can't be treated, needs to resolve itself. Sent home 1/3. Advised that white blood cell count was low, get it retested.

1/7/13, went to clinic for lab work

1/8/13, appointment at clinic, white blood cell count heading back up but sugar very low and dehydrated. He was put on intravenous fluids for 40 minutes, felt better.

1/17/13, PSA 13.2, Vit D in normal range, Lupron shot, Xgeva shot, discontinue Casodex, white blood cell count almost back to normal after radiation.

1/28/13, went to emergency room with excruciating pain in right leg; no blood clot, no hairline fracture, no sciatica. Advised that fracture was imminent and to get wheelchair.

2/7/13, saw oncologist to get tests after emergency room visit. They do not agree that fracture is imminent and thought pain may be caused by withdrawal of Casodex. We go back on 3/1 for PSA test and discussion of clinical study of GTX (estrogen therapy) added to the treatment plan.

3/1/13, saw oncologist; PSA almost tripled to 31.06; started process to participate in clinical study for GTX-758.

3/4/13, not accepted in clinical study, bloodwork showed "low threshold" for clotting; will start Zytiga & prednisone on 3/12/13, started Zytiga with Prednisone;

3/17/13, FIRST PAIN FREE DAY IN MONTHS!

4/7/13, STILL PAIN FREE

4/8/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good; PSA DOWN TO 10.23!!

4/22/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good. Received Lupron shot. Xgeva will be stopped until calcium levels go up. STILL PAIN FREE.

5/8/13, lab work; all good. PSA down to 5.1. Got Xgeva shot.

6/12/13, lab work; PSA down to 1.45. Dehydrated, hemoglobin low. Need to come back in a week to re-check kidney function.

6/18/13, lab work, kidney function back to normal; need to start iron supplement for anemia caused by Zytiga.

7/9/13, PSA down to 1.04 !!!!!

7/31/13, PSA down to 0.88 (woo hoo!)

8/28/13, PSA 0.88, got Xgeva shot

10/7/13, PSA 1.28, Xgeva discontinued because of side effects

10/16/13, CT scan, bone scan, MRI

10/21/13, results of tests showed healing in the bones, no evidence of new metastatic disease

11/13/13, lab work normal, got referral to psychologist

12/11/13, PSA 2.16, doctor says not to worry

1/6/14, saw psychologist, went well

2/4/14, CT scan, bone scan

2/6/14, PSA 2.8, scans look good, CT showed healing, got Zolodex injection, still off of Xgeva

3/5/14, PSA 2.45, all lab work normal

4/7/14, PSA 4.64, lab work normal, doubling the antidepressant, saw psychologist

5/15/14, PSA 3.72, lab work normal

6/19/14, PSA 7.46, lab work normal, bone scan showed new activity in upper spine

7/17/14, PSA 9.4, repeat scans set for 8/12

8/14/14, PSA 11.23, cancer progressing slowly, may start chemo in a few months.

9/15/14, PSA 20.8, new scans set for 10/14, then we find out what happens next.

10/16/14, PSA 33, Zytiga discontinued; started on Cytoxan; radiation scheduled for early November.

11/18/14, PSA 35.6, Zoladex injection, could he be suffering from radiation "flare?" Radiation oncologist says no.

12/1/14, discontinued Cytoxan.

12/22/14, PSA 28.0, he is in nursing home for physical therapy.

1/15/15, PSA 33, scans scheduled for February

2/9/15, scans cancelled; emergency surgery to remove tumor wrapped around spine; PSA 40

3/9/15, PSA 43, spots found on liver

4/13/15, PSA 45.62, spots on liver are probably fatty tissue. We will watch closely. Continue on oral chemo Cytoxan.

5/13/15, PSA 64.9

6/4/15, PSA 65, got quarterly Zolodex injection

7/2/15, PSA 262, will get radiation and will try Zytiga again

7/9/15, Hospice.
7/22/15, R.I.P.