Everyone meet KIKI...

this is KiKi! my free-loader hate-hate relationship!!!

Hi everyone! I haven't been able to update my blog for quite a while now. I was really busy with all the "don't do this! and don't do that!"  from my doctors. By the way, the encircled black cluster is the lump of tumors in my neck and chest area - KiKi. It's just above my heart and the rest of the dark spots i can explain thru PMs..LOL

Let me tell you some things about KiKi. Because of "K" (KiKi's street name) i get to be poked on various parts of my body with nasty needles so the docs can find out if K is cranky or not, or in other words trying to still literally kill me from the inside. Because of K i have suffered insurmountable amount of pain all over my body from time to time. Because of "K" I'm stuck at home balding, bloated and isolated from the rest of the world. Because of K my life depends on toxic chemicals that make me vomit like my insides wanna come out. That's all because of K!

See how selfish KiKi is? No matter how much i tried to get rid of K, still! hangs around like nothings going on. Tried cutting K with a scalpel but it seems K is wrapped around my blood supply like a huge parasitic leech! So when docs suggested to "poison" her, i said yes right away even though it will also poison me in the process. It's now a matter of who's stronger, KiKi or Me? We have 7 rounds of pound per pound chemical warfare. So far the score is 1-0. In my favor of course! 

I just can't wait for the final round where i knock KiKi out and can finally leave me alone. And just to be sure I'm filing for a restraining order. "KiKi not allowed within Lloyd's lifetime!"

Chemotherapy #1

1 down! 7 more to go!!! I guess it really is too early to say i'm ok after today's treatment but being ok today is better than sick today right? They say it's beginner's luck. hmmmppp! Let's see.

Went to chemotherapy floor by 9am. No waiting today so that's a good news already. My nurse is Ms. Bello. She is very very very pleasant. She explained to me everything that's going to happen during my chemo sessions. She was gentle, funny and very professional AND she is Filipina!!! YEY! I'm just super happy 'coz i don't have to ask the same questions over and over because it's in a very fast english. At least i can use my own dialect. In other words communication was way better hehehe.Plus did i mention i'm Filipino and she's Filipina? hehehe

Anyway,  my medications were consists of 4 (thousand-dollars-worth each) drugs:Adriamycin (doxorubicin),Bleomycin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine. Generally known as ABVD, these concoction of very powerful drugs are the cancer assassins! But just like any war, there are a lot of casualties - my poor healthy cells! BUT they are my necessary evil. I just have to know how to work with them. One of the medications was very scary looking. It was BLOODY RED. I just can't imagine that thing going in my body. But thank goodness my nurse reminded me of cherry flavored kool aides. It does sound better than blood i think? hehe So to sum the whole day, i came in 9 a.m. and went home 3:30pm. It seemed quick since i have my mom, dad and one of my very close friends throughout the procedure. Thank you guys!!! :) And oh! they served free lunch!!! hahaha tuna or turkey and cheese sandwich, apple and  milk. 

Here's a couple of pics we took inside, though it wasn't really allowed..sssshhhhh

My best weapon is my SMILE!!! :)

and of course a whole lot of bullcrap talk with my bud Edward! LOL

Until now i don't feel anything bad at all. Maybe just tired. I ate well. Ate a lot actually! I even had the time to blog. :) 

And thank you for your support everybody. They mean so much to me! ;)

Port A Cath

I finally have the time to write again. I was highly drugged for the past few days since i had my port a cath placement on June 1st. As expected from any other surgery, i was and still am sore. So percocet (pain pill) is helping me a lot. I usually take 1 every 4 hours but lowered my doze to 1 every 6 hours. I hate being immobile. That's what percocet does to me. Knocks me off really bad i end up sleeping the whole day and night. Then i wake up very hungry and thirsty i start shoving whatever food and drink i find in the fridge up my mouth. So comes bloating and constipation! Arrghhh I sound like a complaining b*tch today but i just wanna let you guys know how it really goes. Here are some pics taken of my port a cath placement.

Just woke up from the surgery.. i'm all high and puffy! Thanks mom for taking the pic ;)

closer look at the port a cath in my chest.. yes IN my chest! see the long line going up? that's a tube connected to my main artery on the neck..and YES! it feels really really weird!!!

So far that's what's been going on with me lately and yeah i did my PET scan number 2 already. And Chemotherapy starts next week June 8. It's a little rough on me this days. But i have to hang on! Good part is, my family and friends have been there every step. I even got a surprise "Save Lloyd Foundation" from my college friends and their families. Thank you so much guys for you generosity! I am truly grateful.