Good News....Kim Gets To Continue Her Treatment at Mayo

I just heard from the Medical Director at United and they did make an exception and Kim will be able to continue to get her care and chemo at Mayo. This is great news, the care at Mayo was exceptional!! Friends and family...your prayers are working...let's keep them going.
Aunt Kathy

October 30th, 2008

The last two days have been good. I'm having a hard time with the pain meds they have me on. My body has been given more drugs in the last two weeks than I've had my entire life. I'm told my body will get used to it and it won't be so bad in the coming days. I take this medication at 9am and 9pm. The only problem is it totally spaces me out...that is if I don't just fall asleep on you. lol Deron and I were having a great conversation on the way to the chiropractors office yesterday and that medicine kicked in...I looked over at him and apologized for having no clue what we've been talking about. I'll forget mid sentence what I'm saying. We laugh about it but it has been pretty frustrating. I expected to come home and be able to somewhat get back to normal...go for walks, take the kids to school...little things. I've been too drugged out of my mind to accomplish those little things. I'm counting on my body getting used to this stuff so I can feel a bit more like normal. The only thing accomplished outside the house yesterday was our chiropractor's appointment. It was great seeing them. They are the neatest couple ever and best chiropractor ever.

Today has started out good. I've been able to eat...we all know how much I love food. I rested for a while earlier...once my pain meds put me to sleep. I got ready...like a normal person (lol) and went to see Brea play at Millennium at 4pm. I've missed all her other games so far and they have done awesome this season. She didn't have the playing time today because she had to miss practice yesterday. When she was in...she did awesome. I'm home right now resting and we will all head back to see Deanna play tonight at 6pm. This will be the most activity I've had in 2 weeks. It feels great. And to all you worry-warts...Yes...I'm wearing my mask!

We've had to cancel my appointment tomorrow at Mayo clinic because it sounds like our insurance company is not willing to pay for my chemo treatments "outpatient". That is a bummer but I know we will find another great Oncology team. We've already started treatment so we know what our standard of care will be over the next few months. We'll just need to find the place to administer the chemo. Don't we all love insurance companies!!!! I'll keep you posted on our next location. Sweet dreams to you all. Keep sending the prayers! I love prayers!

I'm Home!!!

Hello...That's right...I'm home. It feels so good to just sit on my sofa with my hubby. We are excited to get our lives somewhat back to normal. We can at least have us all at home sleeping under the same roof. We got a call from the nurse at Kiki's school this afternoon saying she possibly has an ear infection. Kiki's doctor happens to be my doctor as well and they were more than willing to get her into their office as soon as school was out with me coming home today. Dylan and Kiki are both being put on antibiotics to make sure we have no other germs coming into our home right now. I'm wearing my mask for now and the kids might stay at my mom's tonight until the kids have been on their antibiotics for 24 hours. We will be taking as many precautions as possible to keep my healthy.

I'm feeling great. I haven't really had any symptoms which the nurses thought I might have had. My next round of chemo will be on Nov. 7th.

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and support. This will be a long road but we will take it one step at a time and we are ready to fight!!!!

Kim and Deron Are On Their Way Home

Good news.....I just got a call from Nan and Kim and Deron are on their way home right now. The next chemo will be on Nov. 7th.

Kim hopefully going home today

Over 20 family members visited Kim at one time at Mayo last night....we are lucky Mayo is so good about letting us fill up the room with so much love at once!! We all celebrated with a loud cheer (I'm suprised they didn't kick us out), when Kim's first chemo treatment ended at around 8:00 p.m. So far she has had very few side effects and the good news is that they were able to move her to a new pain med that is working well. If her blood counts are good this morning, hopefully she will be discharged. Dylan and Kiki came up yesterday and Kim had to put on a mask and meet them in the lobby. Kiki asked what the mask was and Kim told her that she was getting ready for Halloween and asked Kiki if she wanted to wear one too. Kim is very appreciative to everyones thoughts and prayers and I'm sure she will be writing on the blog soon.

Update from Aunt Kathy

I just spoke with Kim and she had a much better night last night than she had the night before. She slept well and her pain was much better. Nan spent the night and they enjoyed the time together. Kim is an amazing gal with the best attitude and will beat this cancer beast! So far she has sailed through two days of chemo with very few side effects. If things continue to go as they have been she should go home tomorrow. She told us last night she cannot wait to get out of the hospital and home to Dylan and Kiki. Please keep your prayers coming....we know they are working!!! Regards, Aunt Kathy.

Deron

Hi baby. The kids and I just said prayers and we love you ! I'll see you soon....Gnite you.

Love me.

Deron

How it all started...

My name is Kim Miller. I'm a 29 year old mother and wife. My husband, Deron and kids, Deanna 17, Dylan 7 and Kyrstin (aka Kiki) 5 are my world. Deron and I have been married for 8 years on Nov. 12th. I've been an athlete since I was 5 and I've always lived a very active lifestyle. I have the most amazing family with my parents, brother and his family, all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I would say I've always lived a normal life. I've always been healthy...continued to play my sports...chased the kids around...worked full time...watched and helped coach our kids sports.

Back around June or July I started having some back pain on my lower right rib cage area. I thought nothing of it. Once I could no longer keep the pain away on my own I started seeing my primary doctor. We first thought I had kidney stones...so we did an ultra sound of the kidneys...that came out good. Then after the x-ray of the back, MRI of the spine...they all came back fine. I then had an CT scan with contrast of the abdomen....those results showed a large amount of blood vessels at my liver location. Two days later I had an MRI of the abdomen and the radiology department said it was not masses on my liver...it was fatty tissue in my liver. We thought we were in the clear. We then thought maybe we were looking at a gallbladder issue. After dealing with my doctors office not getting my next tests going in the time I thought they should...I finally went to Estrella Hospital through the ER. That's when it all started...

I was admitted into Estrella Hospital on October 15th, 2008 for what they call portal vein thrombosis (blood clot in the main vein to the liver). After more tests...that was all clear. Again we came back to the gallbladder issue. I actually had a general surgeon come in the see me about going into surgery to remove my gallbladder. I was not convinced, either was my family. We then had our "angel doctor" Dr. Hector Rodriguez-Luna come into my room at about 8pm. He spent about 45 minutes with us and he as well was not convinced it was a gallbladder issue. He ordered more tests and blood work and he is the one that found my cancer. After my colonoscopy, Dr. Rodriguez came out crying to Deron. He knew from the biopsy, that I had cancer. He has been the most amazing doctor I've ever had the chance to meet. I was diagnosed October 20th, 2008 with stage 4 colon cancer.

I WILL beat this cancer!!! I am young, strong willed, confident and determined! This is just another trial in life. Our Savior, our Lord is with me and will save me from this. I know a lot of good will come from this.

I just completed my first round of chemo therapy at 7pm tonight, October 26th, 2008. I have done wonderful. Within the next couple of weeks...I will be loosing my hair with the chemo I'm taking. I'm expecting it...but I know it might be hard. I'm trying to find out how to tell my kids about losing my hair.

I should be going home tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 27th. I'm excited to get back home to my normal life. I'll be keeping everyone posted on our journey.

Update from Cousin Kandus

This blog has been created to update all of our loving and supportive friends and family on Kim’s fight with colon cancer. The support that Kim has received so far is amazing. She is currently at the Mayo Hospital on the 101 & 56th st. We are lucky to have the best medical team in the valley trying to come up with the best treatment for her. Kim will be starting chemo today. As you all know, Kim is very strong and she will make it through this. Our family has already gone through a few battles with cancer, and everyone has survived. We know that Kim also will survive.

Please visit the page often for updates on Kim and her progress. We are in the process of organizing a fundraising event for a tentative date of November 22nd. This will also be your source for any news regarding the event. If there is anything that you think you can do to contribute, please post a comment or send an email to kimfightscancer@gmail.com.

Please continue to pray for Kim and our family. Thanks!