March 6, 2012

I've been "absent" for awhile.  Forgive me.  I have been enjoying not have chemo and not feeling so tired and not feeling nauseous every day and not having a sore mouth that prevents me from eating.  It was amazing to discover that I don't have to have radiation and that I just have to have maintenance medicine once every three weeks. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but a new health issue has arisen.  It seems that the medicine has only one side effect - high blood pressure.  So for the past few weeks we have been trying to find the right formula to keep it in a good range.

A week ago, Feb. 28, I had to go to the emergency room it got so high.  They kept me a few hours and got my pressure back down.  Then Thursday, March 1, I was so bad they put me in the hospital for tests and to help me.  The tests showed that my heart and carotid arteries are good.  There seems to me no other cause for the high BP except the Avastin.  I came home Friday afternoon and that night my BP went too low!!  Had to call the cardiologist and ask what to do.  I was told to stop some of the medicine.  So now we are adjusting the medicines day to day to come up with the magic formula!  I could not receive my medicine today because my BP was too high, so I will go back tomorrow at 1:30 and try again.

I would appreciate your prayers that my BP will get stabilized and I can continue with my medicine.  Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Sandra

P.S.  Dana could use some support and encouragement too, I think.  Thanks.