My last chemo treatment was April 3rd. While at Mayo, I was told that I would need to be off chemo for 6 to 8 weeks before I would be able to go into surgery. I'm now being told that I could go into surgery between 4 to 6 weeks. We meet with our surgeon this Friday to go over all the details of my surgery. I received a phone call from his office yesterday telling me that I am scheduled for surgery on May 5th. That is next Tuesday. I'm a bit nervous to go in that soon. If I never had the pleasure of meeting Susan Turley than I don't think I would be so nervous. I know that our situations are very different, especially this far along in my recovery but I can't help but have these feelings. In our meeting on Friday I will be requesting to put surgery off for another week and hope to have surgery the week of May 13th. That way, both kids will be done with baseball and they will be getting ready for their last week of school. I should be recoverd enough to be home for Dylan's birthday on May 25th. This is what I'm praying for. I'll keep you all posted after Friday's appointment. I also learned that my port should be flushed every 4 to 6 weeks as well.
Kim
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Amazing News after a very hard weekend...
This weekend was extremely difficult for my family. Grandpa Keith lost his battle to cancer this past Saturday about 12:15pm. All his kids were with him when he past. With him living with Uncle Kirby and Aunt Kathy, this has been hard for them to even go back into the room where Grandpa Keith stayed. We lost Smitty just before Christmas and now Keith on Saturday. The three of us were diagnosed within months of each other. Even though we were years apart in age, we were still fighting a similar fight. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to lose him. I am now the only one left. That is harder than you think. It's been hard to see myself striving while my loved ones are losing their battle. So as you can imagine, my family has been through some really hard times over the past few months but especially this past weekend. Please say a prayer for my family as we go through this challenging time AGAIN.
However, today was such a good day. We saw our new doctor, Dr. Zafar. After reviewing our results, their is no trace of active cancer in my liver. Yes, you read that correct. The Pet Scan showed NO ACTIVE CANCER IN MY LIVER!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! My primary tumor in my colon will have to be surgically removed which is always the case. We will be meeting very soon with our surgery team. We will be having the surgery at Good Sam Hospital probably the first week of June. Dylan's birthday is May 25th and I don't want him to come to the hospital to see me on his birthday. We will also have one of the best liver surgeons present in case they get in there and see something small on the liver and they can cut it out while I'm under. That means NO MORE CHEMO for now. I'm so excited. My family really needed this news as we prepare for the funeral this Thursday.
I feel so blessed!! Thank you so much to everyone who continues to say prayers, bring us dinners, support us in any way you've been able to support us. We have made it this far with the help of you all. Thank you...Thank you!!!
Much love,
Kim
However, today was such a good day. We saw our new doctor, Dr. Zafar. After reviewing our results, their is no trace of active cancer in my liver. Yes, you read that correct. The Pet Scan showed NO ACTIVE CANCER IN MY LIVER!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! My primary tumor in my colon will have to be surgically removed which is always the case. We will be meeting very soon with our surgery team. We will be having the surgery at Good Sam Hospital probably the first week of June. Dylan's birthday is May 25th and I don't want him to come to the hospital to see me on his birthday. We will also have one of the best liver surgeons present in case they get in there and see something small on the liver and they can cut it out while I'm under. That means NO MORE CHEMO for now. I'm so excited. My family really needed this news as we prepare for the funeral this Thursday.
I feel so blessed!! Thank you so much to everyone who continues to say prayers, bring us dinners, support us in any way you've been able to support us. We have made it this far with the help of you all. Thank you...Thank you!!!
Much love,
Kim
Friday, April 17, 2009
Results day...or so we thought
Today was kind of a disappointing day to an extent. We were under the impression that we would get our game plan...surgery or extend chemo. We got NO game plan. Instead of the radiologist at Banner Thunderbird doing a comparative report on the Pet Scan from November and the one on Tuesday, then the radiologist at Banner Estrella doing a comparative report on the MRI from Wednesday with the MRI's from two months ago, one person did a report combining the Pet Scan and MRI. We needed to know if the lymph nodes were clear...not mentioned in the report. Would have liked to have know the size of the tumors now...not mentioned in the report. Really the only thing mentioned in the report that had any importance to what we were looking for was that they now only see 1 tumor in the liver. There were 3 visible in the last MRI two months ago. Yes...that is awesome news! However, I was disappointed that now we need to wait til some time next week so Mayo's radiologists can review the images (that I brought cause they were not sent) and come up with their own report. The images will also be sent to our liver surgeon so he can review them as well. So...our game plan is to "HURRY UP AND WAIT!!!!" Sorry to sound so frustrated but I need a game plan. I want to know what is next. This waiting game is irritating. But we did get great news about my liver. The chemo I'm on (Irinitecan and Avastin) have not been researched to be used together without the 5FU drug that I can not take...but it's still working. There is only one explanation for that...God is so good!!!!! We meet with our new Oncologist on Monday.
And as for the rest of my family...
My mom took Dylan and Kyrstin to the doctor today while Deron and I were at Mayo for our appointment. My mom and Kyrstin have Strep throat and Dylan has all the symptoms to be getting it very soon. I have a viral infection that hopefully doesn't turn into Strep. The kids and I have had slight fevers but nothing over 100.4 degrees. For me, over 100.4 means a trip to the hospital. With my immune system being so low, if a fever gets to 100.4 then my body will not be able to stop it on its own. No fevers...no fevers!!!!
I'll keep you all posted as soon as we hear something next week. Have a great weekend.
Much love,
Kim
And as for the rest of my family...
My mom took Dylan and Kyrstin to the doctor today while Deron and I were at Mayo for our appointment. My mom and Kyrstin have Strep throat and Dylan has all the symptoms to be getting it very soon. I have a viral infection that hopefully doesn't turn into Strep. The kids and I have had slight fevers but nothing over 100.4 degrees. For me, over 100.4 means a trip to the hospital. With my immune system being so low, if a fever gets to 100.4 then my body will not be able to stop it on its own. No fevers...no fevers!!!!
I'll keep you all posted as soon as we hear something next week. Have a great weekend.
Much love,
Kim
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Emotional round 12 at Mayo
Friday was my last official chemo treatment at Mayo Clinic. My insurance company had allowed a GAP exception for me to even be treated at Mayo (since they are "out of network") when this whole thing started but only for 6 months. I had to say goodbye to some of my favorite chemo nurses. There were tears, hugs and some laughs. Deron and I have really come to love all of our nurses. They have been so wonderful to us. My scans will actually be completed the day after Easter and get our results that Friday the 17th with our Oncologist at Mayo. That will be our last time at Mayo. Since my treatment is available at other "in network" facilities we will have to continue care at an "in network" provider...you've got to love insurance companies! We are looking into the Cancer Treatment Centers of America which is 5 minutes from the house and also the Palo Verde group has come highly recommended to us as well. They have an office in the neighboring city, Avondale, which is about 10 minutes away. Given the sensitive nature of my liver surgery and the fact that there are only a handful of liver specialists in the country, my insurance company will allow me to have my surgeries at Mayo. We have heard many wonderful things about Dr. Zafar at the Palo Verde group and my Aunt Kathy has met him and really liked him. So if we didn't have enough stress this past week, which we over came...we now have another hurtle to over come this next week. We will be praying that God sends us in the right direction on who to trust my life with. Please be praying with us.
Kim
Kim
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Cancer Etiquette 101
I thought this would be helpful since we all know someone that is being affected with cancer and we are not taught how to react. I really liked this when I received it and wanted to pass it along.
What do you say when you learn that someone
you care about has cancer?
What do you do?
Is there any “right” way or “wrong” way to respond
to the news?Most cancer survivors we’ve talked with have stories
to tell of comments and gestures made by friends
and family members, some of which were hurtful
and some of which were helpful. Based on those
survivors’ stories as well as our own experiences,
we offer the following "do's" and “don’t’s”.
First the "don't's":
1. The worst thing you can say or do is to say or do
nothing at all. Almost every survivor we’ve ever
spoken with can tell of at least one person who, upon
hearing the news, disappeared and was never heard
from again. Maybe the fact that your friend or loved
one has cancer is the worst news you’ve ever heard
and you can’t stand the thought of him being this sick.
You don’t know what to say or do, and it’s too
painful to see him without hair, and the house smells
like a hospital, and, well, it’s all so just so scary. We
don’t mean to be harsh here, but this really isn’t
about you. Stick around, please. Your loving
presence alone can be the healing salve for a
wounded, frightened spirit.
2. We know you mean well when you say, “God
won’t give you more than you can handle,” but we
wish you would listen to the implications in that
comment and refrain from using it. It implies that
God gave us cancer which inference often leads
newly diagnosed patients to wonder if God is
punishing them for something they did or failed to
do, and that's the last thing we need to be worrying
about right now.To clean up a popular phrase, stuff happens.
People get cancer (1 in 3, in fact). People get lots of
other awful diseases, too. Babies are born with
defects. Long-distance runners have heart attacks.
Brave men and women go to war and get killed.
Supermen fall from horses, and maniacs fly airplanes
into buildings. And, yes, many people do get more
than they can handle as evidenced by suicide rates.
We don’t mean to step on anyone’s religion here, but
we refuse to believe God is the one causing all this mayhem, destruction and chaos.
Conversely, we believe God grieves with us when
these things happen, and He is there for us and with
us in the treatment room, in the delivery room, on
the racecourse, on the battlefield, in the emergency
room, on the airplane and inside its target. Instead
of telling us that God gave us cancer, tell us that
God will be with us every step of the way.
3. Don’t predict the future. Acknowledge the
seriousness of the diagnosis without being morbid
(Oh, my God! My aunt had the very same thing and
she died 8 months later!”) and without being
unrealistic (“You’ll probably outlive me. I could get
hit by a bus tomorrow!”). We don’t know what’s
going to happen to us, and neither do you. Tell us
happy stories of other long-term cancer survivors
(but refrain from saying someone had “the very same
thing”; no two cancer diagnoses are ever the
same).
Never, ever tell us stories with unhappy endings.
Now for the “do’s”:
1.Things to say: “I’m here for you.” “You can cry
with me.” “I love you.” “I won’t leave
you.” “Whatever you’re feeling is okay.”
Just be there. Follow our lead. We’ll let you know if
we want to “talk about it,” and if we do, please let
us. Don’t change the subject. When you don’t allow
us to talk about our disease, it makes us feel alone
and isolated.
2.Things to do: Take my kids out for pizza and a
movie or, better yet, for the weekend. Offer to
pick up prescriptions, take the dog to the groomer
and run other errands. Clip cartoons and funny
pictures and send them in a card. Bring thoughtful
gifts (a book or magazine, a tabletop fountain, a
meditation tape or CD); avoid things with strong
smells (bath sets, flowers, food, etc.) until you
know how I'm reacting to my treatments.
Ha Ha Ha...I just figured out how to change the color of the text...lol...I've only been typing on this thing for 6 months now. lol
I hope this helps some of you in your life if you are ever faced with "what the heck do I say or do?"
Kim
What do you say when you learn that someone
you care about has cancer?
What do you do?
Is there any “right” way or “wrong” way to respond
to the news?Most cancer survivors we’ve talked with have stories
to tell of comments and gestures made by friends
and family members, some of which were hurtful
and some of which were helpful. Based on those
survivors’ stories as well as our own experiences,
we offer the following "do's" and “don’t’s”.
First the "don't's":
1. The worst thing you can say or do is to say or do
nothing at all. Almost every survivor we’ve ever
spoken with can tell of at least one person who, upon
hearing the news, disappeared and was never heard
from again. Maybe the fact that your friend or loved
one has cancer is the worst news you’ve ever heard
and you can’t stand the thought of him being this sick.
You don’t know what to say or do, and it’s too
painful to see him without hair, and the house smells
like a hospital, and, well, it’s all so just so scary. We
don’t mean to be harsh here, but this really isn’t
about you. Stick around, please. Your loving
presence alone can be the healing salve for a
wounded, frightened spirit.
2. We know you mean well when you say, “God
won’t give you more than you can handle,” but we
wish you would listen to the implications in that
comment and refrain from using it. It implies that
God gave us cancer which inference often leads
newly diagnosed patients to wonder if God is
punishing them for something they did or failed to
do, and that's the last thing we need to be worrying
about right now.To clean up a popular phrase, stuff happens.
People get cancer (1 in 3, in fact). People get lots of
other awful diseases, too. Babies are born with
defects. Long-distance runners have heart attacks.
Brave men and women go to war and get killed.
Supermen fall from horses, and maniacs fly airplanes
into buildings. And, yes, many people do get more
than they can handle as evidenced by suicide rates.
We don’t mean to step on anyone’s religion here, but
we refuse to believe God is the one causing all this mayhem, destruction and chaos.
Conversely, we believe God grieves with us when
these things happen, and He is there for us and with
us in the treatment room, in the delivery room, on
the racecourse, on the battlefield, in the emergency
room, on the airplane and inside its target. Instead
of telling us that God gave us cancer, tell us that
God will be with us every step of the way.
3. Don’t predict the future. Acknowledge the
seriousness of the diagnosis without being morbid
(Oh, my God! My aunt had the very same thing and
she died 8 months later!”) and without being
unrealistic (“You’ll probably outlive me. I could get
hit by a bus tomorrow!”). We don’t know what’s
going to happen to us, and neither do you. Tell us
happy stories of other long-term cancer survivors
(but refrain from saying someone had “the very same
thing”; no two cancer diagnoses are ever the
same).
Never, ever tell us stories with unhappy endings.
Now for the “do’s”:
1.Things to say: “I’m here for you.” “You can cry
with me.” “I love you.” “I won’t leave
you.” “Whatever you’re feeling is okay.”
Just be there. Follow our lead. We’ll let you know if
we want to “talk about it,” and if we do, please let
us. Don’t change the subject. When you don’t allow
us to talk about our disease, it makes us feel alone
and isolated.
2.Things to do: Take my kids out for pizza and a
movie or, better yet, for the weekend. Offer to
pick up prescriptions, take the dog to the groomer
and run other errands. Clip cartoons and funny
pictures and send them in a card. Bring thoughtful
gifts (a book or magazine, a tabletop fountain, a
meditation tape or CD); avoid things with strong
smells (bath sets, flowers, food, etc.) until you
know how I'm reacting to my treatments.
Ha Ha Ha...I just figured out how to change the color of the text...lol...I've only been typing on this thing for 6 months now. lol
I hope this helps some of you in your life if you are ever faced with "what the heck do I say or do?"
Kim
Great News...Thank you Father God!!!!
This last week has been very stressful. I've been going over in my head "How can my tumors be shrinking and going in the right direction and the cancer spread to my bones at the same time?" It's been driving me crazy on how that could be possible. In the last two days I've had a bone mineral density scan, full body bone scan, MRI of the Thoracic spine, MRI of the Lumbar spine and a check up with my angel doctor (Dr. Rodriquez), my GI doctor. The density scan came back NORMAL, my bone scan also came back NORMAL (NO CANCER IN THE BONES!!!!!!), MRI's were just completed this afternoon but I'm sure they will be fine. My fracture in my spine is actually an anterior wedge fracture, therefore, my two vertebrae are pretty much teeter tottering to one side almost touching each other. So, I'm sure my MRI will show a bulging disk at T6. I don't believe this is a new fracture. I actually had an MRI of the spine back in Sept. before we found the cancer and it stated a bulging disk...I just can't remember where in the spine (go figure). I've probably had this problem for a few years and it just decided to really flare up on my this past weekend.
The need for my GI appointment was due to me having some bleeding for about 5 days last week after my last chemo treatment. I am now on two major high risk bleeding drugs in my chemo, so I was bleeding really easily. My Oncologist wanted the GI to check everything out to make sure it was my "little friends" vs. internally bleeding. As my nurse put it, "they want to make sure that I won't bleed out after my next treatment"...nice! It was so awesome to see my angel doctor again. I haven't seen him since I left the hospital back in October. He printed out my different scan reports over the last few months and was so excited to see that we have made such great progress.
All of my reports from this weeks scans and Dr. appointments were fax to my team at Mayo and I got the phone call at 4:45pm that they are letting me get my treatment tomorrow. I've never been so excited to get a chemo treatment. This means that early next week I will have a PetScan done. Please pray for clear lymph nodes!!!!!!! If they are clear then we will be talking about surgery. Yeah!!!
I was thinking today about all the people that read this blog that I know and don't know, that see me on a regular basis and the ones I don't see and all the "intimate details" you know about my life and body parts. lol After two kids and all the test in the hospitals over the last 6 months...there is no modesty left...lol
Thank you to all. I also wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful families that continue to feed us, Shannon and Paula that get everything scheduled for us and to Beth and Jimmy who have pretty much become the adopted parents to my children, especially on chemo weekends. God has put the most incredible people in my life to help us continue to hold our heads high and continue to fight! You all mean the world to Deron and I.
So much love,
Kim
The need for my GI appointment was due to me having some bleeding for about 5 days last week after my last chemo treatment. I am now on two major high risk bleeding drugs in my chemo, so I was bleeding really easily. My Oncologist wanted the GI to check everything out to make sure it was my "little friends" vs. internally bleeding. As my nurse put it, "they want to make sure that I won't bleed out after my next treatment"...nice! It was so awesome to see my angel doctor again. I haven't seen him since I left the hospital back in October. He printed out my different scan reports over the last few months and was so excited to see that we have made such great progress.
All of my reports from this weeks scans and Dr. appointments were fax to my team at Mayo and I got the phone call at 4:45pm that they are letting me get my treatment tomorrow. I've never been so excited to get a chemo treatment. This means that early next week I will have a PetScan done. Please pray for clear lymph nodes!!!!!!! If they are clear then we will be talking about surgery. Yeah!!!
I was thinking today about all the people that read this blog that I know and don't know, that see me on a regular basis and the ones I don't see and all the "intimate details" you know about my life and body parts. lol After two kids and all the test in the hospitals over the last 6 months...there is no modesty left...lol
Thank you to all. I also wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful families that continue to feed us, Shannon and Paula that get everything scheduled for us and to Beth and Jimmy who have pretty much become the adopted parents to my children, especially on chemo weekends. God has put the most incredible people in my life to help us continue to hold our heads high and continue to fight! You all mean the world to Deron and I.
So much love,
Kim
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