Sunday = One day away from Monday....

Well my dear people.... It is Sunday. I have been taking one pill every other day. I am feeling much better today than I was earlier this week. I am only having headaches now. I am counting myself lucky.

I have been feeling pretty good. I have been able to walk my 3 mile route a couple of times this weekend. I would have yesterday morning, but it was raining. I have been pretty busy with school and then I have had quite a few tutoring hours.

I am getting more and more excited for my doctors appointment. I have taken the Thursday off. The appointment is at 10am. I am so hoping I can completely be taken off of this darn Prednisone. I am already starting to lose some of the water weight. You can almost feel my collar bone again!

I hope y'all had a great weekend! Can you believe I only have 4 more weeks of school! I am so ready for break!

Exhausted

So yesterday was the first day that I did not take a Prednisone. I made it until about 3:30 in the afternoon before I completely fell apart. I was driving home and was literally falling asleep. When I got home I barely made it into bed before falling asleep at 4:00pm. Jacob woke me up at 6 to see if I would be going to our small group, and I said yes, got up and made it out to the couch. It was there Jacob pretty much told me I looked horrible, and he was "suggesting" I not go. So I did not go, and fell back asleep as soon as he left at 6:30.

When Jacob came home he woke me up to move me to the couch. I had the worst headache ever. It was then that we put two and two together and realized I was going through Prednisone withdrawal. As to me 10mg is not a lot of a drug, but I guess in the real world 10 mg of Prednisone is still a really crazy drug and my body is craving it hard core.

I woke up this morning sweating, and with a nasty headache. I will be taking a pill today, but then possibly Friday will be another crash day....oh I hope not. I had no idea that this drug was so powerful.....

Way too Busy!

Well I have to tell you I feel like my life is non stop right now. I guess that is not a bad thing. Last week flew by as we were preparing for my kids state test.

Friday Jacob and I played tennis. Only for about 30 minutes, but at the 30 minute mark I was getting tired, and didn't want to push it.

Saturday I had a tutoring meeting and found out I am the teacher of the month! YAY! I was excited, and honored! I try to do my best at every job and I guess it is showing! I went to the gym after the meeting, and walked for 45 minutes on the treadmill. Again felt pretty tired afterwards, but hey, this is way more than before! Then I went ice skating with two of my students. Let me explain a little about that.... At the auction each teacher is encouraged (read required) to come up with an outing that the parents of your class can bid on. Now it has to be kind of creative, and has to be outside of school hours. I am sorry, but seriously.... in the community that I work in, these kids don't need me to spend any more money on them. Now in my old school, in the ghetto as many put it, yes I spent money on those kids and went to events, and did things on the weekend with them, here they don't need teachers to spend money on them. Anywho my outing was to go ice skating for 2 hours on a Saturday. It ended up lasting about 5 hours, from the driving there (ice rinks are hard to find in the South), skating, and then driving the girls back home. All in all, I think I complained too much because it was fun and enjoyable. The girls also wanted me to kidnap them, so I think they enjoyed themselves also.

Sunday Jacob and I walked our nice 3.2 mile walk. I tutored from 1-5pm, and then one of our small group peeps got baptized at our 6pm service. It was so amazing! I am so happy for you Ashley! Then we had a nice dinner (well I had brinner - breakfast for dinner).

Then this week has been testing. That means I watch the kids take a test from 8 -11am. It is SUPER boring. But my kids have been doing well! I did want to let everyone know that I have rescheduled my doctors appointment to Thursday May 1st. Just some school conflicts, made Tuesday really difficult to take off.

I hope everyone is having a good week! I hope mine slows down soon!! But the end of the year seems to have a downhill slide to it.

261,000!!! OH MY!!

Yes you are reading the title right. We went to the docs today and I in fact have 261,000 platelets. AMAZING! The first treatment may have cured me!

So what happens next? I have a plan! I have a plan! I will go down to 10mg of Prednisone for the next week, then I will only take 10mg every other day. Then on the 29th I will go in and get blood drawn again. I can not imagine with no Prednisone even falling close to 120,000, so the next draw should take me completely off of it. I will be off of my daily steroid, that has bloated my face, my middle, and ankles! I will be able to exercise again! I am actually taking the whole day off of school. It is the week after my kids test, and I am sure I will need a personal day.

I still can't fathom not taking daily medication, but it may be a real possibility before the month of May! Goodness I can only hope, and pray of course.

People have asked me what Jacob and I are doing tonight to celebrate....well we are waiting until the big day when the doc says " You are in REMISSION" On that day I am going to go out and get a tattoo. I have wanted the same tattoo since I was 16 and I am going to get it on remission day! It will be one of the swirly suns. I have not decided if it will be yellow, or orange, but I am leaning towards orange. I know so many of you are like...oh my goodness, not a tattoo, not Amanda....but it will not be any bigger than a half dollar coin. NO WORRIES! I also think I deserve it! :) Then I will go and get a drink....an "adult" drink. Something fruity of course! :) AHH I dream big!

Such good news! I am flying high, and so is Jacob! We both are almost at a loss of words, but I am not quite as seen above :)

PRAYER WORKS!!!

First Day Back

I know, I know...2 days and 2 updates! Amazing! What else can I say but Jacob and I are totally working opposite schedules so I have a lot of time alone here at the house. The animals of course keep me on my toes, but right now they are all sleeping....Lola on the couch next to me, Simon is on my lap , and Earl is in the bedroom lounging on my pillow I am sure.

Well I did pretty good today! I was pretty tired, but my kids just make it SO worth it. Even being away a week made me really miss them. For their morning work I asked the to write me two short stories from their spring break. Of course most of them complained about the assignment, but I just finished reading them and adding comments, and they just make me laugh. Kids have the funniest memories, and the things that they tell about is hilarious. I love my kids. I can not believe that I only have 29 more days with them. I am going to bawl my eyes out when I hand them their diplomas. My first class has put me through so much, and I have had quite a few adventures, but in the long run they will all have a lasting spot in my heart. All 24 of them :)

My kids have their big CRCT test. For those who don't know what that is, all kids take a state standardized test, but in 5th grade they have to pass ALL of the sections to go onto 6th grade - this is all part of No Child Left Behind. This test is really important to the kids and they take it next week. For other standardized tests I have given the kids "brain pills" (which are really tic-tacks). The kids love the pills and of course for the whole week of CRCT I will be giving them the pills before the test. But I was thinking of giving them like a little test baggy on the first day of testing. With a personal message in it, and some brain pills and maybe some inspiration quotes, so they can look at it right before the test. Something like "I know you can do it" You know the cheesy stuff like that. If you are reading this and have any good quotes ( I teach 5th grade if you haven't figured it out) leave them in the comments or email, or facebook or get me the quotes somehow. I would like at least 6 different quotes, one for each day of testing. Also if you know of some fun "test" stuff to put into the bag let me know. I think that would really help the kids and their confidence. The kids get really worked up about this, I mean it is a big deal, just rough because little 10 and 11 year olds shouldn't have to feel this kind of pressure.....okay I am off that soap box....

I guess that is about it. I have some cause and effect of human impact on landforms lesson plans to write. Then I get to cut out some laminate! I know you are jealous! ;)

Until next time.....

Last Day of Spring Break

Well today is it...my last day to essentially do nothing. Which for the most part I will be doing. Jacob has already left for work, and it is suppose to be cold. Well by cold I mean 50's, but that is too cold for me.

I am going to try to do three things today before we have parking team at church. I want to bring Lola to the dog park, get my hair cut, and do a little grocery shopping. I am hoping to stay up all day. No naps. I am planning on going to school tomorrow, where I won't really be able to take a nap at 1 in the afternoon. HAHA

Nothing else is really going on. I have a hard time taking my time getting well. I think to myself that I can do anything, like play tennis, go to the mall, run around town....but my body just can't do it. It makes me mad when my body doesn't cooperate.

Have a great Sunday!

Up and About

Well I have made the 24 hour mark and everything is all good! No fevers, chills, aches, pains, and I guess no real appetite. I am eating however....I know I have to. I tire out pretty fast. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling so great I was like listing all of these things that Jacob and I could do, and after taking Lola to the dog park, and saying goodbye to the Larkins, I had to come back to the apartment to rest. So much for running those 3 miles.... HAHA

Everything else is good. Jacob goes back to work today. That is always sad. We rarely get to spend time together, or have the same days off, so I have enjoyed spending the last few days with him. I also know that we want a house so bad he has to return to work to make money!

I will leave you with some pictures of Simon because he is adorable. The other night he was so tired, that he was like a rag doll, so Jacob had a little fun with him. He is such a good sport!

All Done

Well I made it through! Here is a low down of the day!

We got there nice and early at 7:30 this morning. I went in with Jacob and Mom and Dad Larkin. They took my blood (which my platelets were up to 92,000...good but not great) and then they set me up in the Chemo Room. It took awhile for pre-op meds. I took two Tylenol pills, then had Benadryll through the drip, and then a steroid I can't remember the name through the drip. Then we started the Rutuxan. They have different speeds that the drip can go. They increase it at a slight amount. You start at 100 and then 150 and then 200 and so on.

I feel asleep for the first two speed increases. Then the the nurse (who I don't know her name but she was AMAZING!) came over to put me up to the 200 and with in minutes it felt like a million Lola's were sitting on my chest and the back of my throat and tongue became numb. I looked over at Jacob and told him I thought I would need someone, and he got the nurse. Within seconds, and I mean seconds I had like 3 nurses, a doc, and oxygen tanks brought over. It became really hard to breath so the doc listened to my lungs, and ordered the nurse to put in the antidote. The whole time I was thinking this is it, I am going to have to try this all over again, what waste of today and blah blah blah.

But to my surprise the antidote Demerol worked immediately. I felt better with a few minutes. Then the doc came over and told us that it happens sometimes the first time the drug goes into the system. She suggested that we try again, but Jacob would have to leave to get more of the antidote. You have to have a permit to carry the stuff in your building because it is such a crazy narcotic. Jacob wasn't happy about leaving but he went and got more and we started again.

I slept for the rest of the time. They were able to get me all the way up to the speed 300. I still have little tinglies in the back of my throat, but all is good. We were officially all the way done at 3pm!

I came back to the apartment and slept. And then slept some more, and Mom and Dad Larkin are headed over here with some McDonald's in hopes I will eat. I have had a few chips all day. I just not hungry. I will eat because I know I have too!

As for results I will go back to the docs next Wednesday at 3:15 to get my blood drawn, talk to Ellen and figure out where to go from there. I am still on the Prednisone just because my levels are not stable yet, remember 120,000 is our magic number!

Thanks for all your prayers! I am just tired now and want to go to sleep.

Blizzards Rock my World

So I am officially on Spring Break and couldn't be happier! I have seriously not touched any of the school stuff I brought home! I am proud of myself.

The Larkins got here Sat. night. We were able to go to dinner. Than today we went to church, The World of Coke, a pizza place, and Dairy Queen (hence my title)! It was really a pretty busy day. I am kinda warn out. Tomorrow we are thinking Stone Mountain sounds fun. How great on a Monday not to be going to work. And Jacob is off, so that is great too!

Not much else to report. I am feeling pretty okay about this treatment coming up. No real fears about the procedure itself. More nervous, and I know I should not think negative, but a fear of this being yet another dead end. I know, I know, think positive, but that thought creeps up in the back of your mind....what if.... Okay that is all of the the negative thoughts, but if we were all honest we all have thought about the negative at some point. Like my mom says "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst" I am a planner y'all know.

Oh and the sweetest thing ever! Jason, Michele, Jackson and Emma (Brother and Sister In-laws) got me a basket full of snacks, drinks (Mountain Dew!!), card games, magazines, vending machine change, pencils, and puzzles for Wednesday. How awesome! It was the best treat! Thanks to you guys if you are reading!!! I loved it, and we will call very soon!

Okay well like I said not a lot to report, and will be sure to get on after Wednesday afternoon. Keep those prayers and good thoughts pouring this way!

Answers!!

Okay so the doc actually called today. Made me wait until 4pm but either way he called. I am in fact going to START the IV treatment next Wednesday the 9th.

Here is what I know....the drug in the IV is Rituxan (I think this is how to spell it). On Wednesday I will go in and they will take my blood to get a base count. I will then be given Benadryll to keep the side effects down. Then I will be hooked up to the IV. The IV drip on average lasts 6 hours. It could last up to 8 hours if the IV has to go slow, if they can make the drip go faster than it could take only 6 hours. I will be allowed to sleep, and eat during the time I am there. It will pretty much just be a long, boring day. Ellen told me to bring a book and a snack...exciting! :) Jacob will be there for sure to have some good 'ol conversation.

The side effects can vary, but Ellen said that she has seen very few people actually have any side effects. I have been told that I won't even feel nausish so I can eat like normal. I am hoping for no side effects!

As for other treatments after this initial treatment....anything is possible. After the treatment we will wait a week and then take blood and look at my counts. If they are high we are all good and I get to be taken off the of the Prednisone! YIPPIE! If they are low...we will try the IV again. Ellen told me that I can only try the IV 3 times. If it isn't working we will know by then. Then we will talk about other options with the doc. Lets not think about that...as I have faith this IV stuff will do something.

I will be on Spring Break next week so I will be able to recover if needed. Once again the Lord had everything planned out, and I was worried. :)