Lots of joy!

Today was an awesome day! Ian came home from his two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 7th. He spoke in church today and shared with us how he learned to recognize and follow the Spirit. He shared how his understanding of the gospel grew as he studied. And how when he learned of my cancer just as he was beginning his mission he studied harder and learned for himself the plan of salvation and spoke of the peace he felt when he understood it. His testimony is firm. I can't include everything he said here but it has brought me great joy to see his growth, and to know that he knows.

On the evening of the 7th, after picking up Ian, I wasn't feeling well. I went to lay down and when I woke up a couple hours later, I had a fever. I'm supposed to call into my doctor any time I have a fever. I haven't had a fever in a long time. But I know that because they only seem to happen at night, it means a trip to the ER. Sure enough we found ourselves in the ER. I was so afraid that I was neutropenic and that I would be admitted and our trip to Atlanta on the 9th would have to be postponed. But as sure as everybody seemed to be that I was neutropenic and would be admitted, it turned out not to be the case. They determined that I had picked up some kind of virus and would be fine to travel. Yay! So by the end of the next day I was feeling back to myself again and we were anxiously packing to go and see our new grandson!

Our trip was awesome! We stayed with my son-in-law's parents who are also friends of ours. They were very gracious for putting us up and putting up with us for over a week. It was nice to see them and catch up. I had all of my children together in one place and seeing my grandson was amazing. He is adorable and already you can see some if his personality.  It was incredible watching my daughter be a mother and seeing how my sons adored their nephew. We were exited to see Eddie's brother and his wife an their daughter. They flew down for a day to see everyone. It was nice catching up with them. Between Valerie and I we couldn't go out and do as much as we would have liked but the boys did a few fun things like going shooting and visiting the aquarium and playing basketball together. My favorite was going to story corps. It is free and their mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. What an awesome idea! You get to go into a room, record your story and they preserve it and you get a copy! We originally were going to go in and have my husband record his 9/11 experience but at the last minute we decided that I would go in with my three sons and we would talk about this cancer experience and how it has affected each of us. What a special time that was. I enjoyed that conversation and the time spent with them so much. It was the right conversation to have.

So, now I'm back home ready to settle into a routine again but feeling so blessed with life's greatest blessings. A grandson. A son who has come home a man, ready to do what the Lord wants him to do. A daughter who has become a mother and her husband who is good and patient and helpful. A son who is serving his country and has such high ambitions and goals for his life. And another son who is preparing to go out on a mission and serve. I am grateful for all these things and more. It's a wonderful life!

Now back to January 6th and the ct scan results. There are two things they look at when making a determination on how treatment will go. The first is the tumor markers and the second is the ct scan. The scan is more heavily relied on than the tumor markers. This scan showed that right now things are stable meaning things are not growing  (they're not shrinking either) but the tumor markers have gone up. This chemo has been a hard one on me. He reduced the chemo a couple of rounds ago and I have done better. But he's thinking that the reduction is what has caused the numbers to go up. So he is going to increase the chemo back to 100% but take out the 5FU part of the chemo which is what is in the pump that I bring home for two days. The thought of not coming home with a pump makes me want to jump for joy and may be the only reason I agreed to go back up to 100%. We'll see how this goes. Hanging on till my next scan in a couple of months.

Change is in the air

I woke up early this morning, to head into Seattle for chemo and the air was crisp and cool. I love the Fall and I think it has arrived. Time to get out my boots and sweaters and quilts (well, they're always out) and jackets!

I had a CT scan on Friday and was anxious to find out the results of that. it had been scheduled for the 27th but they bumped it up because my liver function tests had been running high over the pasts few months and they continued to climb. The blood work from today showed they are a little better than last time but still high. The CT scan showed that most everything was stable but the tumors in my lungs once again were growing a little. My cancer markers doubled to 404 from two weeks ago. So the doctor gave me a choice. I could continue the same chemotherapy and see if we could squeeze out a few more good rounds or go ahead and change chemos which was already going to happen sometime soon. He said there is no wrong answer and that sometimes there is a very clear line when it can be determined that the chemotherapy is no longer working and you move to the next one. But in this case it wasn't so clear. Things are kind of going up and down.

After weighing the pros and cons we decided to change chemotherapys. One thing that helped me make that decision is when they told me that we can come back to this chemotherapy later if we need to. So after my visit with my sister, I will come home and begin a new chapter in chemotherapy. It will be a matter of getting the dosage adjusted to the right amount and adjusting to the new side effects.

Just as I can feel Fall in the air I have felt this coming and hope that the miracle continues.

Here's to Family

The results of the CT scan my mom had a few weeks ago showed no growth in her tumors. Only the tumor in her thyroid shrunk just a little. Because of these results, the doctor decided to keep her on folfox (the current chemo she has been on) for another two months of treatments. She will have another CT scan at the end to check the progress again and decide from there if there will be any changes.

From the talks I've had with her and check in calls, she gets tired more frequently now. Her hair has started to thin again. She has even started feeling nauseous and throwing up (sorry mom, but friends should know). I will catch her working on her quilts and doing things she loves which makes me feel so grateful. I am so happy she has energy to keep going. However hard it is and however sick she feels sometimes, I know she keeps going for us, her kiddies. I wish our family was closer so that we could be more helpful and share more memories together, but I know even when we can't see the daily struggles and feelings she has, that she thinks of us and finds it in her to keep going. I know we all think of her often and are amazed. There is nothing better than family and I feel so lucky to have mine. For those who haven't heard, the youngest in our family, Jason, is leaving in August to serve a two year LDS mission in the Philippines. I know it was a hard decision for him to make, but hard as it was our family is so proud of his decision. In January, we will welcome home Ian who is serving his mission in San Diego. My mom has been holding strong especially for him. He was gone when we learned about the cancer. I know when the two of them meet again, it will be a very sweet reunion. There is something about our family being apart, but feeling close. I love knowing I have them forever.

Good News and News

The good news is...Valerie followed me back to Seattle for what started out as a two week visit and has now turned into three! She came out to help with putting the house back together from the water damage. The new floor is in, and GORGEOUS! We all love it! Downstairs is all painted. The bathroom is nearly complete. It feels like a new house downstairs. Thanks to friends who came to help us in such stressful times. We appreciate the support and feel very loved!

Now for the news. After the last four rounds of chemo my numbers have dropped to 345. Today was my CT scan and we went over the results with my oncologist. The CT scan showed that the tumors in my liver and thyroid are stable...not growing, but the tumors in my lungs are growing and multiplying. He wants to be 100% sure that the new growth is cancer so I will be going in for a biopsy in the next couple of days. If it is not cancer, we will continue the treatment I am on now, folfox. If it is cancer, the chemo regimen will change, to folfiri. I qualify for a clinical trial. It will be an addition to the folfiri. Some of the side effects with the new chemo will be nausea, anorexia, acne rash and no more neuropathy (cold sensitivity and tingling in hands/feet).

It was expected that I would stop responding to the folfox at some point and would be switched to another chemo. There are four chemo regimens. All that I have done up to this point has been the first. If we switch, it will begin the second. There is a 50/50 chance that the clinical trial could be a better treatment. We have the choice to participate. I feel it is worth a shot.

CT Scan

Monday was my latest CT Scan. It showed that most of my tumors have remained the same but a couple of the tumors in my lungs have grown just a little bit and my numbers have gone up a little. They are 269. Also my thyroid is low so I am now taking medication for my thyroid.  My doctor said overall he is happy with the scan. Considering where I was in the beginning, this is still a good place to be, and believe me, I agree. I still feel good. Sometimes I get really tired but hopefully the new meds will help with that.
I've tried several times to respond to your comments and for some reason I can't, but I want all of you to know that I read and appreciate each of your comments. I am thankful to have the support of amazing and wonderful friends in my life.

CT Scan Results

Monday was my mom's first CT Scan that I did not go to. I was bummed and it seemed like I heard about 50 cancer commercials at work. She is sick with a cold and not feeling too well, but it did not effect anything and the appointment went on as usual.

Great news!! Her cancer markers are down, way down, to 209! Remember, that's all the way from 16,000!

The tumors are shrinking a little bit, not anything significant, but they are at least still responding to the treatments and a little smaller is better than nothing. She is still on the pill version of chemo which has been more convenient to do. And so far so good since the last dosage adjustment. She has felt more herself these days, which is amazing!!!

She is now enjoying a week with one of her brothers, and his family. Wish I was there!

Coming Up

My mom is currently at a girls camp, for our church, as a guest speaker. She was feeling well enough to go! I can not believe the progress she has been making since January, it has been incredible to witness.

In July I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and it has been hard being so far away from her. I have been home since the beginning of it all and not being able to see the day to day has been...an adjustment. It is comforting to know she is feeling good!

I would still prefer to be closer to her.

Her next big appointment is another CT Scan on August 6th,

three days from now.

Let's pray those tumors have shrunk lots more!

I am still in shock how widespread the cancer is. It is hard to believe. But as along as she is still responding to treatment, it is good news and things are continuing to look up...right?

Results from the 2nd CT Scan

I just got back home from an all day adventure at SCCA. First we did the CT scan and then had 3 hours to kill before meeting with the Doctor to get the results. We went to the mall and had brunch...I love brunch. :)
Then we browsed through some stores and had fun window shopping...wishing money was no object.

The results of the CT scan showed that all tumors are smaller and nothing new has cropped up. Good news!
My cancer marker is now 877! Again, that's down from 16,000 and just last month 1400!
So chemotherapy is working! The Doc gave me a couple of choices. I could continue on chemo as we have been doing or I could go on the chemo pill. The downside of going on the pill is that he doesn't know what dosage will be right for me so we need to start and then tweak it til we get it right. But I chose the pill anyway. Once it's tweaked just right it sounds easier. I still have to go in every three weeks for some kind of infusion...sorry I can't remember what but it's just a small part. And every 2 months I go in for another CT scan.

With all the love and prayers being sent in our behalf it's no wonder the cancer is running scared. I do not feel alone in this battle. I can feel so many warriors standing behind me and beside me in support.
Thank you to all of you for your love, support and prayers. I am glad to have the love of family and friends through all of this.
Ultimately it is not what the doctors say and it is not what we want for ourselves but it is in God's hands and I put my trust in Him.

Time for a CT Scan

Mom's sister came to visit for a week!

Her trip was pushed back because of the surprise trip to Hawaii.

She was really helpful around here.

She even made us goodies like cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls!

I am still kicking myself for not getting a picture of the two of them together.

Here's an update on Mom's health....

For the past week she has been feeling sick.

She caught pink eye.

She has had a sore throat that is so painful its hard to eat and even drink,

and her temperature has been climbing, nearing the ER visit number, the dreaded 101
She has also been coughing more lately.

A little hair has been falling out, but just thinning. No bald spots or big chunks or anything like that. Just thinning. It started while she was in Hawaii.

She went to the doctors yesterday and they gave her 2 prescriptions. Only one has been helpful with the pain. They didn't know for sure at first what was going on. A good friend of ours also had a mom go through chemo and thought it may be Thrush. Mom's tongue is also really white/grey. She doesn't have any sores in her mouth, which is what the doctors keep asking her. Her pain is really deep in her throat. Today the doctors confirmed she has a sinus infection.

She is just feeling yucky, which is not fun to watch. She had been feeling good for a while so the thought of cancer was practically out of my mind. Until now.

Today I took her in for a blood draw and the big,

long awaited CT scan.

The blood draw was through her port so I had to wear a mask when they poked her. It was soon over and then afterwards she had to drink a bottle of liquid that preps her for the scan over the span of an hour. We sat by the window in the waiting room enjoying the view of the water. (I just love Seattle!) We laughed and talked and hooray-ed at each milestone of the drink being gone with increments of time. There was a man that sat across from us and as he sat he said, "Wanna trade?!" He had TWO bottles of what looked like lemonade, but he went on to talk about how nasty the stuff was. My mom's was similar to tap water. Just goes to show you there is always someone worse off.
They called her in for the CT scan, which was about 3 minutes. Then I could sit with her for the 20 minutes they kept an eye on her in case of any reactions to the liquid she may have. They gave her a treat and a warm blanket. I was cold too so...

No reactions 20 minutes later and we were free to go!

(We won't have the results until Monday)

We stayed and ate lunch at their cafeteria since we were both starved.

YUM!

She fell right asleep when we got home.

I'm so happy I spent the day with her. Just the two of us.

She makes me laugh,

what will I do when we move 3,000 miles away??

Hopefully she gets plenty of rest and feels better soon

so we don't have to go to the ER Easter weekend

and so she can get chemo on Monday.

Lots of prayers!

*After calling the nurse since her temp has gone up near 102,

because of the sinus infection awareness they said we are ok to take care of her at home.

Hopefully things look up and don't get worse.

Family Visits and Cancer Updates

Mom's brothers took turns to come see her.

She has 6 brothers and 1 sister.

5 out of 6 brothers came and

her sister is coming at the end of this month

Uncle Lee with Mom

Uncle Dan with Mom

Us with Uncle Dale, Uncle Tom, Aunt Angela and Uncle John

Cancer Updates

Mom had her third treatment this week and everything went well! She is feeling good. It amazing me how with all of the chemicals they are pumping in her, she can feel the way she does.

I expected so much worse (and it can be).

We are all feeling the strength of your prayers.

It really makes a difference! In more ways than you think.

_______

From Mom's blood work there are numbers called cancer
counters that represent how much cancer is in her.

She started off with 16,000 and was down to 11,000.
The doctor called today to say it is now down to 6,000!

To give some perspective...normal is 5. Not 500 not 5,000 just 5.

It seems to be working but we have a long way to go.

April 6th is a CT Scan that will tell more of the progress of the

treatments and will determine future treatments.