AML: Salvage Chemo - Update

So far things are going quite well.  When I arrived at Mayo I could barely walk because of pain in my hip and groin areas.  My heart rate was also high.  A normal resting heart rate for me is about 80-100 beats per minute.  When I came in my resting heart rate was about 125.  The doctor kept asking me if this was normal but up until now, I hadn't paid attention to what normal was for me.

At first the doctors said it wasn't anything to be worried about but they did order some tests which I have mentioned in my prior post.  I was also scheduled to have a CT scan to see if they could find out why my heart rate was so high.  In the meantime we started the chemo. 

When I woke Friday morning I no longer had pain in my hips.  I could walk around with little evidence of the searing pain I had before.  In fact, I felt quite well... better then I have since back in October before this all started again. As an added bonus, my heart rate has returned to normal levels.

When the doctors did their rounds Friday morning, they were quite happy that the chemo acted so quickly to relieve the pain and heart rate.  Their comments led us (Ira and I) to the conclusion that they were much more concerned about my high heart rate then they originally let on. 

I have just started day 3 of chemo.  The doctors are impressed that I have not had an nausea or stomach issues yet.  They even suggested that if I continue to tolerate the chemo this well I may be able to switch to an outpatient some time next week.  The main advantage of being an outpatient is that the food is better. I guess I was spoiled at Sanford.  The food here really is quite poor.

Mom and Dad arrived last night. Uncle Mike is watching the cattle so Dad could make the trip (Thanks Mike!).  The girls are at the Sioux Falls Storm cheer camp today along with their cousin McKinley.  They really enjoy dancing and this is Layla's first time performing with her big sisters. They perform at halftime of tonight's Storm game.

Today they stopped the IV pain meds.  My blood sugars spiked above 300 so I have been getting insulin.  I don't generally have blood sugar issues but I was given steroids yesterday and that resulted in the higher sugar levels. The huge piece of Bunnie's coconut cake from the Canadian Honker also might have had something to do with it (Thanks Ellie!). 

So far so good seems to be the common answer for how things are going now.  Thanks for all the messages.  I can feel the love.