Showing posts with label chemotherapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemotherapy. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2018

Only 6 Hours Until Biopsy

In just about 6 hours from now I’ll be having a biopsy done on a growth on my liver.  There is a presumption that since my CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) results shot up and out of the normal range, and a 1.4 cm mass on my liver was discovered in a follow up CT Scan following the CEA test.  My colon cancer appears to have reemerged on my liver and now is at stage 4.  That’s all really disheartening, but the fight will continue.

So the biopsy is to confirm whether the growth is cancerous or benign.  I’ll try to be positive, but, come on!  My history of cancer this past year, cancer was discovered in my lymph nodes after surgery last February, my CEA has been in the normal range until a few weeks ago ... all the pointers are pointing in one direction.  So, in my opinion, the most important reason for the biopsy is to collect tissue for testing and determination of the proteins specific to my cancer.  That is a huge step down of what’s really happening, that’s my uneducated layman’s description of what they are doing.  If its benign, I'll throw the party.

Depending on the proteins discovered and determining they are associated with my cancer, then, it can then be determined if there are possible targeted immunotherapy options to help me, to perhaps cure me.  God willing, there is.

I'm surely praying for positive results, meaning, it’s either benign or they can at least identify the protein(s) involved AND there are immunotherapy treatments available.  The horrible part is that it can take 3-4 weeks for that determination.  I see my new research, colorectal cancer specialist in Boston on Wednesday.

I want to know all the details of my disease, but dread the thought of hopeless news.

If you can help, even with a $5.00 gift to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, given in my name to my Team Director Dan, I’d be forever grateful, as will all others fighting this battle.  This money goes to the research and discovery of ways to eliminate cancer, please give what ever you can, every little bit helps emensely. You’ll receive a tax deductible donation receipt from the ACS.  You can make a tax deductible donation in support of me and my team by clicking here:  My Relay For Life Donation page

Am I concerned? You bet I am.  Am I fighting?  You bet.  Join me in the fight.  Thank You!






Sunday, May 13, 2018

I Wish I Felt Better

Only 25% of the way through my scheduled chemotherapy plan, yet I feel no better.  In fact, I often feel physically much the same as I did before hospitalization, surgery, and diagnosis.  I feel the same stomach like rumbling or upset feeling.  Mentally I feel worse. I’m just as tired as I was before. I’m probably more scared now knowing my self diagnosis was so out in left field and I was full of cancer instead.  I feel cancer is still there, still eating away at me.

My support structure is doing all the right things.  There are things I wish for that are not happening, but, those around me are doing more than I would have ever dreamed.  I feel busy and doing what I can, but don’t feel good about it.  I don’t have an inner feeling of love, peace, and recovery.  

I pray for strength and the feeling that I really am positive and #HaveBelief and #HaveFaith, and that those around me do as well.  I may be surrounded by family, friends, and supporters, but I feel alone and empty.

I’m not where I should be mentally.  God help me.  

Happy Mother’s Day mom, wish I could get there to hug you and hold you.  I miss you so much.



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Check out my Scentsy Web store at: http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us
Want to join my amazing team of consultants?  http://bit.ly/JoinDan

Interesting in reading about my fight with cancer?

Read about Take Them A Meal page my daughter setup

Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!

Friday, May 11, 2018

Reaching Milestones, Side Effects Somewhat Under Control

I’ve written before, the side effects from this 3rd round of chemo has been the worst.  While that’s still true, the side effects (well, most of them) have subsided significantly.  Looking forward to a good weekend before we start round 4 next Tuesday.  Nevertheless, I look forward to round 4, chemo is my friend right now.  I should be having my first post op scan sometime around June 1st.  Fingers crossed for good results with that.

Most of the side effects aren’t bothering me too much, just causing frustration, lots of frustration.  I feel like I’m at least awake now, which is great, looking forward for some energy to come with being awake.  Cold sensitivity and a few other issues are under control for the moment, also good.  The jury is still out on other stuff.  All is good, I will get through this like many of you have before me.  Those that have gone through chemo, radiation treatments, or dealing with cancer at all have me in awe.  It’s not a fun road, but it’s the road we’re on and we can make it past the bad and restart the good.  #HaveBelief  #HaveFaith 

There have been several great things happen though that created happiness despite the chemo cloud.  Tuesday I was about to go to a local business to discuss my Relay for Life Fundraiser and Carol the Caretaker asked me to wait so she could go too. Although that may have been a little abnormal, I felt she just wanted to go with me to ensure I would be OK.  While waiting, I see a car pull in the driveway, wasn’t sure who it was until I saw the New York license plates.  Two of my amazing cousins drove here to pay me a visit.  How cool was that!  Not only did they come to visit, the brought dinner and made it, brought me all kinds of healthy snacks... I am so blessed to have such a great family.


I also closed a couple of Scentsy basket parties and started another.  One of the parties was the biggest basket/catalog party I’ve had since I began as a Scentsy Independent Consultant.  Then, to top it off, someone connected with me that wants to join my Scentsy team, that super stokes me up. That surely made my Scentsy month feel great.  I’d love to have you earn free Scentsy products and half priced items by hosting a basket party yourself.  Simple, easy, no hassle.  Please connect with me or visit my Scentsy Web site at http://www.DirectorDan.com

Next, after attending a Relay for Life meeting Monday night, I created a Facebook Fundraiser to help raise money for cancer research and all the other important services offered to cancer patients and caregivers.  I captain a Team at this years Relay for Life event at the Quaboag Valley event on Belchertown, MA on June 8th and 9th.  My Facebook Fundraiser reached my $1,000.00 goal in less than 4 days!  I’m in awe of your generosity.  You can find it On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/donate/230226174395325/ or you could consider joining my team and or donating to my team by going to http://bit.ly/DDRelayTeam, find my name and click join, donate, or both

The weeks successes are awesome.  All my kids but Tyler, who lives in Florida, were able to meet with their cousin Steve for dinner near the airport.  Steve is a pilot for United Airlines and happen to fly into Hartford/Springfield yesterday and had a night layover. I missed it, but so happy the cousins and siblings got to hang out.  Makes my heart happy.


                                            - - -  
Check out my Scentsy Web store at: http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us
Want to join my amazing team of consultants?  http://bit.ly/JoinDan

Interesting in reading about my fight with cancer?

Read about Take Them A Meal page my daughter setup

Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Worst Week Yet, but, There’s a Silver Lining

At the end of the first week after my third chemo infusion I feel this has been the worst week so far.  I keep saying chemo is my friend and ridding those nasty cancerous cells we can’t see from my body, but it’s kicking my ass this week. I’m just very frustrated, on many different fronts, none of which I like.

From a side effect perspective, I’ve been so tired the past three days.  On Friday I got up, after 1:00 pm, showered and dressed in time for my caretaker wife to be my Uber like driver and take me to a few stops in the late afternoon.  Upon getting home, I did a few hours of Scentsy paperwork from my chair, my second best friend, only to fall asleep for the count.  I do wake up often, but without energy to do much of anything.  I got up Saturday morning, showered, dressed and laid back down in bed for a longer nap.  Tired, tired, tired.

My daughter Tina drove up from Connecticut to spend some time with Carol and me, which I greatly appreciated, I just don’t have the energy to drive her way yet.  I can’t wait for energy and ambition to return!  A nice couple hour visit, while sitting in the chair, always pleased with visits... then back to sleep.  What a boring post this is, that’s how I feel.

Awake again every hour of the night... no energy until I went to make a piece of toast and get a glass of OJ, at 4:00ish, that was my thrill of the night.  Woke up again mid morning with out the ability or energy to get up, which just created even more frustration, I’m so tired, out of energy, and lack of ability to get anything done.  That’s what I miss right now more than ever.

So what’s the silver lining?  There were several.  One of the stops Friday afternoon was to pick up a Scentsy catalog/basket party from a customer. It was the biggest and best basket party I’ve had since becoming a Scentsy Independent Consultant.  This amazing customer will end up with $249 worth of FREE and half price products for only $71 and change.  Awesome.  If you would like to help me during this medical hiccup, please host a catalog/basket party for me.  If only takes a total of $200 in orders to qualify for FREE and half priced items.  No home party, I’ll get you sample to try and scent samples to sniff, it’s really just that easy.



OK, the week has been physically and somewhat emotional draining, but, a second silver lining is that I heard from three of the four guys I hung out with the most during my high school days... received a few more cards from old friends and one of my amazing foster kids from New Mexico.  Those connections made a world of difference, including how I have to change one of my bucket list things to include a Blooming Onion - Barry and Ruth Ann - that’s a done deal whenever you can get to Massachusetts, or, you’ll need to wait until this fall when I can get to New York.  Carol has been amazing while taking care of not only me, but so many things around the house which I know must drain here.  Thanks Cooch!

Love you all, appreciate your love, support, and concerns.  We will get through this.  So happy I have found so many of you that have gone through similar circumstances before me, it just confirms my #HaveBelief and #HaveFaith thoughts.  Thanks to those of you that have let me know you have scheduled colonoscopies, mammograms or any other cancer related screenings. Early screening leads to early detection and early medical intervention.  We’ve got this, together. ❤️

If you were faced with chemo, would I recommend it to you?  Absolutely.  There are side effects, but at this point, I think it is the best chance for recovery and living... a restart on life.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Round 2 Hasn’t Been All Roses


Round 2 seems to have gone pretty much as planned, but the last couple of days have had their challenging moments.  As much as chemo is my friend and working to rid my body of any micron-sized cancer ridden damaged cells we can’t even see, there are a few side effects I am learning to deal with.  Annoyances by some standards, Godsends by others - this is part of the recovery and elimination of that which ails me.  It’s not that I’m not positive and fighting right now, I’m just at a complete lack of energy.

I began feeling tired and exhausted before this infusion was complete this round.  That’s a few days earlier than in round 1 and I don’t feel I’ve made the turn yet and feeling better.  It’s a 2-week cycle ... infusion for 3 days, knocked on my butt mostly sleeping for a couple days and then turn the corner and begin feeling a bit better.  I’ve really been in a “fog” the last 2 days, mental slow motion, some balance issues, and really tired.  The weird thing is there are some things going through my head that don’t seem foggy at all - it’s just different.

It’s not all bad.  I also had plenty of good things happen which really raised my spirits.  In no special order except it’s always best when my kids come to visit... but here are some of the standout things that blessed me

  • My daughter Rebecca and a couple of my grandkids visited with a few new treasures.  A 12 picture frame to document my infusion journey with room for a picture a week.  
  • I received a bags of goodies from my daughter Tina.  The two books, WTF and Weird but True will keep me occupied and filled with knowledge if I ever appear on Jeopardy or Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Best of all, a gift card to Outback so I can knock that steak and lobster tail dinner off my bucket list.
  • FaceTime with My Guy Hudson is always fun.  David and Aimee connected with my from their Myrtle Beach vacation so I got to talk with Hudson.  He’s so cute and smart!
  • I’ve launched 3 Scentsy basket parties in the past week with the third going out this weekend.  This thrills me!  It’s helping me make a difference Helping me with my business, helping me financially, and getting me closer to my Scentsy goals even while I’m in recovery.  Anyone can be successful in network marketing regardless of your situation, it just takes work.  No matter where you live I can help you with a Scentsy basket party too, just connect with me.
  • My son Travis came and spent the better part of the day Saturday with us, might have been so he could do laundry, but I enjoyed just having him here.
  • I received cards in the mail from people I honestly didn’t expect to hear from. People from my past that I’ve lost contact with. I also received a card from my daughter's former in-laws how touching is that? It’s often just a little thing we can do to really make a difference in someone’s lives. Thank you, Madeline and Janie.
  • I also launched a fundraiser this weekend in support of my team at Relay for Life.  We’re selling the “check your colon” T-shirts for $20 with all the net proceeds going to relay for life and cancer connection. Check it out at http://bit.ly/checkURcolon. Shirts are on sale through May 10, 2018.
  • Earlier this week, there was a huge post on the GoFundMe page Ryan set up from “John Doe”.  I am in awe of the generosity I have received and want to give John Doe, public thanks to whomever you are.
Hopefully this funk I’m in right now will pass and I’ll have more energy and stamina ... soon!  Continued thanks to all for all the support, encouragement, and love.  I love you all.
           
                                              - - -  

Check out my Scentsy Web store at: http://DanGreeley.Scentsy.us

Want to join my amazing team of consultants?  http://bit.ly/JoinDan

Interesting in reading about my fight with cancer?


Read about Take Them A Meal page my daughter setup


Never, ever, forget how amazing you are and can be!