On Monday I called the doctor to check on the lab results and although it took awhile everything indicates that it's OK for me to start taking the Cytoxan.
Yesterday I felt a little yucky around 11:00. Today I don't and I consider that to be a very good thing. I am drinking the required water and much more. Easily I drink 96 oz of water a day and after that I stop counting. This will continue to be very important because I don't want the drug to be sitting around my body messing things up. The water will flush away what's not suppose to be there.
I finished my pulmonary rehabilitation on Monday afternoon. It was very valuable experience. I learned a lot and met some wonderful people. One of the wonderful people I met was Marguerite. I know I have mentioned her before. She died last week. Her lung transplant didn't come in time. Meeting Marguerite opened my eyes to many of the blessings this diagnosis has brought me. Although Marguerite also had interstial lung disease, it wasn't diagnosed right away. The early symptoms shortness of breath and a dry cough wouldn't cause too many people to seek medical attention and even if you did, they might be inclined to tell you that there is nothing wrong.
A blessing that continues to present itself in my life is that early on while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me I received a baseline test for just about everything...the acronyms MRI, CT, EKG, EMG all became too familiar...they looked at everything and took a baseline picture of everything. Over the years I have also learned how important it is to listen to my body. If something's not right, I don't sit around and wonder about it very long. That's what happened with my lungs. One morning I just said enough is enough. I should not be coughing every morning. There was a baseline CT of my lungs and a new picture was taken and there you have it, a new diagnosis, caught in the very early stages and treatable. What a blessing!
The end of my pulmonary rehab means that my schedule opens up a little and gives me some flexibility I didn't have before but before I go filling it with new things I need to figure out a way to continue that commitment to exercising at least three days a week. Today I have to take Jacob to swimming lessons so I am committed to swimming during that time. There...it's on the schedule. I have an appointment to get it done.
My friends, thanks for checking in. I appreciate your continued thoughts, prayers and support.
Kris B
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
60 + and other information...
T-shirts
I submitted my t-shirt order for printing.
63 t-shirts were ordered and many of them will be participating in the walk on September 19th.
Ohhhhh...I hope the weather is nice that day.
I also collected $490 in donations for Myositis Research and Awareness.
Many thanks for your generosity. I know that this is a very hard time to be asking for donations and I feel blessed that so many find this to be a worthy cause.
Walk
A few people have asked about the upcoming walk.
There is no required distance, meaning it's not a 5K, 10K or anything else. It's just whatever you can do. Remember...."I____ because I can" is the t-shirt message. Just do what you can do, that's it.
We are going to total up the combined number of laps people walk and that will be our record to break in future walking events.
Medication
I haven't started my new medication yet. There was some confusion with my lab work from last week and I had to have some additional tests run yesterday. The results should be in over the next few days and then I'll get started. I've been practicing drinking a lot of water. It's always important but now it's even more important. I am up to 96 oz of pure water usually by 3:00. After that I switch to LaCroix or something like that. I keep four pennies on my desk and each time I finish a 24 oz bottle of water I move a penny to the other side of my desk. It's an easy way to help keep track of my progress. The goal is to have all four pennies need to move before I can leave work.
Singing
I went to a funeral yesterday afternoon. I have been thinking about participating in our church choir for awhile now and it just seemed right to honor Chuck's life and join the choir voices for his service. Unfortunately that didn't work out for me. Humidity makes it a little harder for me to breathe and my pulmonary rehab has taught me a new way to breathe which is not conducive to the breathing you do while you are singing. A deep breath in and and an exhale (3 count out) doesn't work when you are singing. I guess I will continue to raise my voice from the church pew versus the choir loft and of course, in the car too...much to my family's dismay.
Have a great day.
Kris B
I submitted my t-shirt order for printing.
63 t-shirts were ordered and many of them will be participating in the walk on September 19th.
Ohhhhh...I hope the weather is nice that day.
I also collected $490 in donations for Myositis Research and Awareness.
Many thanks for your generosity. I know that this is a very hard time to be asking for donations and I feel blessed that so many find this to be a worthy cause.
Walk
A few people have asked about the upcoming walk.
There is no required distance, meaning it's not a 5K, 10K or anything else. It's just whatever you can do. Remember...."I____ because I can" is the t-shirt message. Just do what you can do, that's it.
We are going to total up the combined number of laps people walk and that will be our record to break in future walking events.
Medication
I haven't started my new medication yet. There was some confusion with my lab work from last week and I had to have some additional tests run yesterday. The results should be in over the next few days and then I'll get started. I've been practicing drinking a lot of water. It's always important but now it's even more important. I am up to 96 oz of pure water usually by 3:00. After that I switch to LaCroix or something like that. I keep four pennies on my desk and each time I finish a 24 oz bottle of water I move a penny to the other side of my desk. It's an easy way to help keep track of my progress. The goal is to have all four pennies need to move before I can leave work.
Singing
I went to a funeral yesterday afternoon. I have been thinking about participating in our church choir for awhile now and it just seemed right to honor Chuck's life and join the choir voices for his service. Unfortunately that didn't work out for me. Humidity makes it a little harder for me to breathe and my pulmonary rehab has taught me a new way to breathe which is not conducive to the breathing you do while you are singing. A deep breath in and and an exhale (3 count out) doesn't work when you are singing. I guess I will continue to raise my voice from the church pew versus the choir loft and of course, in the car too...much to my family's dismay.
Have a great day.
Kris B
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know that I am God"
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be
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