May 2016 - Fran Cannon Slayton

Infections, Steroids, Mammogram Callback – Really?

May 28, 201618 CommentsInfection, Mammogram, Metastisis, Steroids, Urinary Tract Infection, UTI

Monday I felt good. Then it went downhill. I took two long, slow walks this past Monday – it was the furthest I’d walked in months. It felt great. In fact, I felt so good that I forgot to take my 5 p.m. steroid dose until 9 p.m.. It would have kept me up if I’d taken it so late in the day, so I opted to skip it and then email my endocrinologist the following morning for instructions. My endocrinologist told me I could use this as an opportunity to try tapering down the steroid from 12.5 mg […]

Tapering Steroids & Bisy Backsons

May 19, 20165 CommentsSteroidsBisy Backson, Dexamethasone, Different Kinds of Steroids and Cancer, Hydrocortisone, Side Effects of Steroids, Steroids and Cancer, Steroids and Fatigue

I emailed my endocrinologist on Monday, telling him I’d really like to get off the steroids as soon as possible. So as of this past Monday, with his blessing, I have gone down from 15 mg of hydrocortisone to 12.5 mg each day. Until today, I was feeling pretty good. Today, I’ve been tired since I woke up. But fatigue is a common symptom of weaning off steroids, so I don’t think it’s any big deal. I am currently reading The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It’s pretty good reading for someone with cancer, I think. The chapter “Bisy […]

Oncology Visit and MRI: When Black and White Becomes Gray

May 16, 201629 CommentsCancer Milestones, Infection, MRI, Oncologist Visits, Scanxiety, Steroids, Urinary Tract Infection, UTI

It has taken me awhile to mentally and emotionally process the results of last week’s 3-month follow up Oncology visit and MRI. I don’t know what I was expecting – clear answers, perhaps? But I’m getting the feeling I’m not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Clear answers seem few and far between on this unexpected journey of mine. The Bottom Line: My MRI Results. My MRI results on Wednesday were not bad, but they were not definitive. (The more I read this sentence, the more amusing it becomes. When is anything definitive? Why did I once think anything was?) The MRI […]

Celebrating Feeling “Okay!”

May 10, 201610 CommentsCancer Milestones, Oncologist Visits, ScanxietyCancer Milestones, functional MRI, Hospital Visits with Cancer, MRI and cancer follow up, Scanxiety

Too Much Doom and Gloom Lately: So Let’s Celebrate Feeling “Okay!” I felt okay all day yesterday! And I’ve felt okay all day so far today! YEAH BUDDY!!! We know how to celebrate around here. Meeting with Oncologist Tomorrow… Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my first three month follow up appointment with my oncologist. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, one hugely positive byproduct of having to go to the emergency room last week was a “sneak peek” CT scan showing that there was no edema and no tumor regrowth. I imagine we’ll hear more specific details tomorrow, but […]

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 9, 201612 CommentsCancer Milestones, Seizures and Brain TumorsCancer and Mother's Day, Seizures, Seizures and Brain Tumors

I’m the tall one, in case you couldn’t tell! Being this girl’s mom is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I thank God for her everyday. This Mother’s Day we all went out with Mom and Dad to brunch. Towards the end of our meal I had another little episode of feeling bad. My muscles felt like they were going rigid, especially in my stomach and face. It was difficult to smile – my cheek muscles became very weak. We went home and I crawled into bed and slept for several hours. I still felt tired when I […]

Brain Tumors, Seizures, and Me – Oh My!

May 6, 201616 CommentsHospital Visits, Steroids, Suffering

I made an unexpected visit to the UVA Emergency Room yesterday. I thought I was having another seizure. I’d woken up feeling horrible – like I was going to pass out. My muscles were twitching. I felt spacey and very tired. Scariest of all, I had pressure and twitching on my craniotomy scar, and my face looked a bit puffier (I didn’t think that was possible – but it was). We were afraid it might be a brain bleed. Marshall called my oncologist’s office and she suggested I take an ambulance to the emergency room. So Marshall called 911 and […]

Another Trip to the Emergency Room this Morning

May 5, 20162 CommentsHospital VisitsEmergency Room and Cancer, Hospital Visits with Cancer, Hydrocortisone, Side Effects of Steroids, Steroids and Cancer, Steroids and Fatigue

An Unexpected Twist on My Unexpected Journey. Woke up feeling bad – faint with muscles twitching. Very similar to when I first went into the emergency room when I was diagnosed. Scary. Marshall took me to UVA ER. Possible seizure. CT scan shows no brain bleed, which is good news. Most labs are normal. It’s 12:50 pm and we are still at the ER. I’m not feeling as bad as this morning, but not feeling very good either. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

My First Birthday With Brain Cancer

May 3, 20168 CommentsCancer Milestones, The SocietyBirthday Presents for Cancer Patients, Birthday Wishes for People with Cancer, Birthday with Cancer, Cancer Milestones, Having a birthday when you have cancer, Join the Society

April 20th was my birthday! I turned 49. I don’t know if all people who have cancer feel this way, but I was certainly happy to be able to celebrate another birthday this year. But I have to admit, it did make me look at the day a little more wistfully, a little more philosophically, than usual. I appreciate the opportunity to get older. I have always abhorred TV commercials and magazine advertisements that play to women who have been told their whole lives (by similar commercials and ads) that they need to look young forever. This is utter horse […]