Lung cancer kills

Another day in real life cancer care. Three patients with lung cancer that is slowly taking the life they each have away. I wish my smoking friends would stop it. I pray young folks who are tempted to smoke won't do it. This was a tough day on many people and on those trying to care for them.

Now I am at home and trying to process how the day went. Do my patients and their families know we did everything we could do? Do they know how much we really care that our treatment did not work for them? Do they know that I care about them?

It was hard to kiss my dying patient as she left and know that precious woman probably won't be on this earth many more days. It was hard watching her daughter leave with her, crying as she pushed her out to take her home for hospice care.

Thankfully, the weekend (for me) is here and I'll try to rest and regenerate myself for another week caring for people with cancer.

Libby

I am following a pattern from a blogger that I enjoy (Whitney) so here goes.

Seeing//My paper crafting area with my Cricut and Stampin' Up stamps.

Reading//Sex, Lies and Religion by Randy Elrod, book of Luke and Diary of Ronald Reagan

Listening//Laura Ingraham radio show

Traveling//Soon to New Orleans with hubby.

Praying//For our church and the pastor search committee to be chosen by our church tomorrow.

Planning//Educational seminar for nurses in August for our local Oncology Nursing Society chaper.

Wearing//Still in PJ's, NFL jersey, big dog pants (at this writing); any vintage jewelry I can afford.

Anticipating//the arrival of my pink Cuttlebug embossing machine and my latest Stampin' Up order.

Loving//Being able to video chat with my sister and niece who are in Alabaster, AL.

Watching//You Tube papercrafting videos.

Later... Lizumlu

Getting creative

I'm addicted to YOUTUBE and watching people who do papercrafting. Now what I need to do is stop collecting supplies and start creating. A new locally owned craft store will be opening on February 20th here in Mobile, AL. I look forward to the opening and for an opportunity to support a local business person in the papercrafting industry.

I have made six valentine heart frame that I cut from my Cricut using Sure Cuts A Lot software for my 6 X 6 Stampin' Up club tomorrow but what to do with them is a question I have answered yet. I'll figure it out.

Senior Bowl is on TV and I think I go watch it with hubby.

Later,

Libby

Last day of 2009

Here I am on New Year's eve, enjoying my family and home. Didn't say much this year on this blog. Sometimes I think what I think is dumb and no one would be interested. Does that matter? Shouldn't I blog for me?

Happy New Year everyone. The Crimson Tide is playing for a national title on January 7th and I am super excited about that. Roll tide roll. Here's to all of you for a blessed and healthy 2010!

Libby

Real life cancer care

Hugging my patient today as she cried, in front of her teenage grandson, she has lost control. The cancer now seems to have control. She takes her shots for neutrophil recovery, yet she is still too low to treat. She's off schedule because now she has to interrupt the schedule for the next treatment since she cannot be treated today. She can't get a full dose of chemo either because of protracted neutropenia. How can she experience a cure like this? What can I do? Listen, offer support, tell her I'm with her as she is on this journey. I hugged her. She is a survivor. This is war for her. The battle for her life.

Another patient, her son crying, she has cancer that has spread to the liver, lung, bones and adrenal gland. Answered many questions from her long distance granddaughter who is in the medical field. How long will she survive? Will this new treatment for kidney cancer work? Thank God we have something to offer her since there used to be nothing to offer patients with renal cell cancer. We will begin to treat tomorrow... pain patch and Dilaudid for breakthrough pain to try and make her comfortable.

WBC greater than 300,000... that's AML for sure, and it was. Just a young kid in his early 20's. Induction... didn't work. A top medical transplant center suggests a more aggressive second induction to try and get him to a remission so maybe he can be transplanted. Probably his only hope. We will start the matching process on his siblings soon. The dubious quote from this guy, "I've lived a good 20 plus years, I'm not going to let you do a bone marrow biopsy on me." What in the world?! Give me a break, you are just a kid.

This was a day in the life of my career as an oncology nurse. I love it and I work with the best doctors and nurses ever.