Anna V. Price Health Updates

Today was like the last few days… nausea, fatigue and pain.  It was so cold we didn’t even step outside. Little David came by and hung out for a few hours which was a nice addition to an uneventful day. Anna managed to eat a decent breakfast and a bowl of pasta for dinner and didn’t have to take any Magic Mouthwash or Tylenol!  It’s hard to stay hydrated or eat so we’re finding ways to cheat. Cancer patients need a gallon of water and plenty of calories every day. Our mom uses this jug to measure and we’re trying to bulk up with protein shakes and Boost drinks to supplement calories.

Anna has 7 more radiation treatments and 2 rounds of chemo to go. Then we do the scans and procedures to see if the treatments have been successful (pray).  In the meantime we lay low spending our days going to doctor appointments, napping, reading, eating and watching movies. After the hospital visit we are extra careful not to do much in an effort to minimize the amount of germs or illnesses that float around stores, banks, gas stations, etc. Anna is enjoying our company which we hope helps pass the time. After noticing a vast difference between her skin (pale and dull) and ours the other day we have made the extra effort to get her in the sun again. It’s been cold, but we make it work!

We are 3 weeks into radiation and just coming off a second round of chemo and Anna is not feeling well. The chemo from last Monday is wearing off, but the radiation is taking it's toll. She is finally feeling the raw pain of constant radiation. We are trying to balance a mixture of Magic Mouthwash, 2 separate nausea pills every 3 hours and 650 milligrams of Tylenol on occasion to ease the discomfort and pain.  Most days are spent sleeping. Nights are spent awake taking pills or using the restroom (she's drinking a gallon of water each day). She wakes up dizzy sometimes so we are always on standby.  We've resorted to writing down the times she is taking her medicine because it's hard to keep up. She's starting to struggle taking the pills. The radiologist said she was doing really well and didn't think she would need a feeding tube, but we have 2 weeks to go so we are just praying she gets through this. 

 It's been 4 days since our mom left the emergency room. Her tests were good, but the PA found a small spot on her lung, which they believe is a residual of COVID. She was given 2 antibiotics that are upsetting her stomach, but hopefully helping to wipe out any infection. The antibiotics also help boost her immune system, which is so important 5-7 days out from a chemo infusion when they tend to nosedive.  We are trying to get her to eat and she managed to put down a Whopper, which she woke up craving on Tuesday. At 750 calories a piece we are hoping to get her to eat more! It's important to keep the weight on right now. The next two weeks are going to be rough. 

 After feeling pretty bad for a few days and having a hard time swallowing our mom went to the ER yesterday to look into the pain in her upper stomach. The radiation may be aggravating it, but we cant say for sure. Luckily, all of her tests looked good and she made it home 5 hours later. For now we’ll focus on softer foods and plenty of liquids.  This is a crucial time as her white blood cells plummet for a few days. Day 5-7 post-chemo is tough and infection is risky. Please continue to pray and check in here for updates.  Most days Anna is exhausted so please leave your loving comments here and be patient if you don’t hear back from her. She loves the support, but has a hard time responding to everyone. Each of you is appreciated. Hopefully, this blog will continue to answer many of your questions and concerns. Feel free to ask any questions here on the blog and we will help get them answered.