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  • Hang in there, champ.

    Over a month later and I’m still feeling only about 75%. My energy is still pretty low, body weight is still low too, my mouth is still insanely dry and my eyes are also not doing great. 

    We saw Dr. Finn on Thursday, he basically told me, “hang in there, champ” and ordered a CT scan for mid December. After we get that back we’ll plan out our next step. 

    I just saw my optometrist who informed me that my corneas are dry and inflamed and it’s making a major impact on my vision. I’ve got some pretty heavy duty eye drops I’m to use at least 4 times a day (until I get to AZ, where he told me to just “constantly dump them in” hahaha) and an anti inflammatory eye drop to use 4x a day too. I have a follow up with him after Thanksgiving to determine if I should get a new perscription or if I’ll be in better shape. 

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  • Rollercoaster

    Megan may love rollercoasters, but this is one ride she is ready to get off!  It has been overwhelming for her and Danielle, things changing daily, sometimes hourly.  I will try to reconstruct the past few weeks:

    10/14 First immunotherapy.  Followed that evening by a trip to ER with severe pain.  Pain diminished, ultrasound showed nothing and she was released at 2 am.

    10/17 Last time Megan was well enough to go to work.

    During the week she developed among other things: flu like symptoms, including fever (sometimes very high), chills, aches, diarrhea, etc.

    10/22 Was a major effort on the part of Megan and Danielle, but at Megan’s insistence they make a 1.5 hour drive (one way) to attend Gupta and Erin’s wedding.  M&D were so happy to be a part of their celebration, sure hope the pictures are good.

    10/24 Symptoms continued to worsen, Dr. Finn’s office wanted her to come in for an appointment.  It was decided she should be admitted to the UCLA Santa Monica hospital.  Between fighting with insurance company and waiting for a bed to open, Megan began to feel worse.  Her heart rate was up and she was vomiting.  She was told to go to ER, after waiting in at the dr. office for nearly 6 hours.  Once finally admitted, did blood work (twice) and a plethora of other tests, daily.  Began treating all her symptoms.

    10/25 No signs of infection, doctors think all symptoms were related to immunotherapy.  Fever continued off and on, rash would come and go.  Some back pain.  Medications for all the symptoms.  Danielle spent a second night with her in the hospital.  Normally no side effects from immunotherapy appear until at least after six weeks of treatment.  My daughter, the trail blazer.

    10/26 Thought she would be released and I decided that I needed to be in CA with my girls.  High fever returned, so they decided to keep her another night.  I flew into LAX instead of Long Beach and went to the hospital.  She was not doing well at all when I got there, fever high, ice packs all around her, curled up in a little ball. Not what a mother wants to see.  Worst part is that my kiss did not make it all better.  Sent Danielle home to get a good night’s rest in a bed while I stayed with Megan.  So grateful Danielle is part of our family!

    10/27 Fever continues to come and go, she now has thrush and a sore throat, so she is not eating.  Her diet is basically ice chips and applesauce. Her mouth is extremely dry, as are her eyes.  They decided to let us go anyway, checking out at 4 pm, with a terrible drive ahead for Danielle to get us to Long Beach.  Took about 2 hours to get home.   Dropped Megan and Danielle off and I went to pick up Megan’s 7 prescriptions!

    For the next several days she continued off and on with fever, very fatigued, dry mouth and eyes and throat getting worse, not eating much of anything other than ice chips, applesauce and sometimes a protein shake that Danielle makes for her.  Megan compared a normal sore throat pain as a 3, this pain was an 8!  Almost everyday someone stopped by to visit her.  Even though she wasn’t very sociable, the visits were always welcome, thanks to those of you who were able to stop by.

    11/1 Appt with Dr. Finn.  He reminded her immunotherapy is non-toxic so this wasn’t supposed to be happening.  He thinks the pain in her throat is an ulcer on her uvula, and that it’s quite possible that she has more down her throat.  She has an appt with an ENT Dr on Thursday, at 4:30 in Santa Monica.  If it is a virus, which is what Dr. Finn thinks it will just have to run its course.  He gave Megan an RX for lidocaine, which she said is by far the worst thing she has ever put in her mouth and unfortunately did not numb the pain much. She has lost 14 lbs in 8 days.

    Dr. Finn thinks this is all related to immunotherapy.  His main goal right now is to get her symptom free.  She has her next appt with him in two weeks.  He will order CT scan and re-evaluate her treatment plan.  I too want to see her symptom free, so I continue to stick around until that happens, or until they throw me out.  Hopefully she is at her worst with the ulcer in her throat and tomorrow I can start on a wonderful task – Fattening her up!

    Thank you for all your positive thoughts, cards, flowers, presents and visits.  They all make a difference so please keep them coming.