Good morning, friends and family :)
We docked in Venice this morning and all the bells in the churches in St. Mark's Square were ringing as we sailed through. Awesome! We have to wait for the Italian health inspectors to approve the "medical condition" of the boat before we can disembark. I guess with all the H1N1 scares, they are being cautious. Everyone had to fill out a health form and will have their temp. scanned as we leave the boat.
I am doing great and having the time of my life on this trip. I return late Tuesday night and look forward to a day or two of rest.
Prayer needs: I have a scan on July 30th and will get the results when I see Dr. Karamlou on August 3rd and prayers are appreciated.
I plan to send pictures on the next blog update.
Love to all,
Susan
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
"Scan Results - The Cancer is Trying to Kick Back"
Wow, seems like I blinked and June is over. These past few weeks have gone so quickly and it's hard to believe tomorrow is July 1st. Summer weather has finally arrived and it's wonderful....sunny, warm days and the long summer nights we love so much here in the NW. It stays light until almost 10:00 pm and it's so beautiful. Definitely worth the soggy cold winter and spring months to enjoy this lovely summer season. A balmy evening, baseball game on the radio and a popsicle or two (my new favorite treat :)........ahhhhhh.
Scan results are in and, disappointingly, the news is not too good. There is fluid in the lower lobe of my right lung and the lymph node around the pancreas is slightly larger. Also, there are spots on the liver that weren't there 6 weeks ago - an indication the cancer is moving. Clearly, the Gemzar and Tarceva weren't working and Dr. Karamlou took me off them immediately and has started a new chemo protocol of Abraxane and Carboplatin. Both are very potent chemo agents (more "big guns") and I will lose my hair again with this round. Darn, I was really getting to like my short little summer "do", but at least with the warmer weather, my head won't get cold as much.
I had my first IV treatment with the new drugs on June 19th and will have chemo once every three weeks. The next treatment is July 10th and then we'll do another scan at the end of July to monitor progress. Needless to say, I was discouraged with the latest news since I look and feel so good. It's just plain bizarre to be talking with the doctor about how sick I really am and yet have no physical indications of the disease at all. It is truly a gift God is giving me, to be so protected from the symptoms of this cancer and I am grateful for every day that I feel good.
Dr. Karamlou was encouraging on a few things....there have been good responses to this chemo protocol and, with cancer, it is not unusual to have to try a variety of chemo combinations to find the drugs that will work. Since I had such a good response on the first round, perhaps another "platin" will do the trick. He also said I am in good physical condition and very healthy (well, except for this little old cancer thing) to take on this chemo protocol. Sometimes people are too sick to handle it, but my body is strong and able to do this. Another blessing God has given me.
The side effects from this chemo protocol are definitely more evident than the first two rounds. A little nausea (good meds for that) and neuropathy (tingling and tenderness) in my feet but that hasn't been too bad. The biggest surprise was the fatigue, much worse than anything I've experienced before. Truly debilitating - the few days after the chemo were spent sleeping a majority of the time and it was a huge effort to even get up and walk across the room. That took me by surprise as I had been tired before but not flat out like I was this time. Thankfully, each day has been progressively better in terms of getting my mojo back and I can honestly say my energy levels are pretty much back to normal now.
The battle continues and I am up for the fight. Like everyone else, I really wanted to hear something different and there have been tears and swallowing hard more than a few times as I absorb this news. But as I've said before, I am fighting this disease with everything God is giving me to do so and more importantly, He is in charge and I still trust His plan for me.
I'm not one to sit around waiting for things to happen and these past few weeks are no exception. Had a wonderful time in California for my niece's graduation from college and the family celebration for her and my nephew, Michael's, graduation from high school.
Came home from CA to finish the last week of school with the kids and it was the usual end of the year bedlam. No matter how well it's planned out, the last few days are always chaos and this year was no exception. Although crazy, it was a fun week and I was so glad to be able to end the school year with the kiddos. They are my medicine!
Went up to Coeur D'Alene to watch my sister-in-law compete in (and finish!) the Ironman Triathlon. Kathy did great, finishing in 14:00:19. It is such a grueling event, I can't imagine why anyone would want to put themselves through all that but we sure are proud of her. My idea of a competitive event these days is navigating the hallways during passing times, getting from one side of the cafeteria to the other without hearing "Miss McCormick!" 50 times and herding children to the buses at the end of the day. Ever try to push a string across the floor with your foot? Eventually you get there but the energy it takes...well, you get the idea :)
Matt, Kathy and my nieces, Maddie and Mallory, came to Portland a few days after the CDA event and stayed with me. We had a great time and the house was just too darn quiet when they went home on Monday.
The next big adventure, of course, is the cruise through the Mediterranean. I leave for Barcelona on July 12th and return home on July 28th after traveling to Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo and Turkey. Am I over the moon about this trip? Oh my gosh, yes. It will be an amazing time there. I'm going with my brother Mike and his family, but my ticket is a gift from my whole family. I am so excited I can hardly stand it and I have promised not to try and stalk George Clooney while in Italy :) I've never been on a cruise ship before and that in itself will be beyond cool! I will take lots of pictures and share the stories that go with them.
Even though the scan results weren't what we wanted, life is good and I am enjoying every moment. The days are filled with all sorts of pleasures, from time with family and friends to savoring lime popsicles in the evening. Circumstances may change, but my joy is still in the strength of the Lord and this wonderful life He has given me to enjoy so abundantly. I hope your summer days and evenings are just as delightful as mine are.
Love and hugs to all of you,
Scan results are in and, disappointingly, the news is not too good. There is fluid in the lower lobe of my right lung and the lymph node around the pancreas is slightly larger. Also, there are spots on the liver that weren't there 6 weeks ago - an indication the cancer is moving. Clearly, the Gemzar and Tarceva weren't working and Dr. Karamlou took me off them immediately and has started a new chemo protocol of Abraxane and Carboplatin. Both are very potent chemo agents (more "big guns") and I will lose my hair again with this round. Darn, I was really getting to like my short little summer "do", but at least with the warmer weather, my head won't get cold as much.
I had my first IV treatment with the new drugs on June 19th and will have chemo once every three weeks. The next treatment is July 10th and then we'll do another scan at the end of July to monitor progress. Needless to say, I was discouraged with the latest news since I look and feel so good. It's just plain bizarre to be talking with the doctor about how sick I really am and yet have no physical indications of the disease at all. It is truly a gift God is giving me, to be so protected from the symptoms of this cancer and I am grateful for every day that I feel good.
Dr. Karamlou was encouraging on a few things....there have been good responses to this chemo protocol and, with cancer, it is not unusual to have to try a variety of chemo combinations to find the drugs that will work. Since I had such a good response on the first round, perhaps another "platin" will do the trick. He also said I am in good physical condition and very healthy (well, except for this little old cancer thing) to take on this chemo protocol. Sometimes people are too sick to handle it, but my body is strong and able to do this. Another blessing God has given me.
The side effects from this chemo protocol are definitely more evident than the first two rounds. A little nausea (good meds for that) and neuropathy (tingling and tenderness) in my feet but that hasn't been too bad. The biggest surprise was the fatigue, much worse than anything I've experienced before. Truly debilitating - the few days after the chemo were spent sleeping a majority of the time and it was a huge effort to even get up and walk across the room. That took me by surprise as I had been tired before but not flat out like I was this time. Thankfully, each day has been progressively better in terms of getting my mojo back and I can honestly say my energy levels are pretty much back to normal now.
The battle continues and I am up for the fight. Like everyone else, I really wanted to hear something different and there have been tears and swallowing hard more than a few times as I absorb this news. But as I've said before, I am fighting this disease with everything God is giving me to do so and more importantly, He is in charge and I still trust His plan for me.
I'm not one to sit around waiting for things to happen and these past few weeks are no exception. Had a wonderful time in California for my niece's graduation from college and the family celebration for her and my nephew, Michael's, graduation from high school.
Came home from CA to finish the last week of school with the kids and it was the usual end of the year bedlam. No matter how well it's planned out, the last few days are always chaos and this year was no exception. Although crazy, it was a fun week and I was so glad to be able to end the school year with the kiddos. They are my medicine!
Went up to Coeur D'Alene to watch my sister-in-law compete in (and finish!) the Ironman Triathlon. Kathy did great, finishing in 14:00:19. It is such a grueling event, I can't imagine why anyone would want to put themselves through all that but we sure are proud of her. My idea of a competitive event these days is navigating the hallways during passing times, getting from one side of the cafeteria to the other without hearing "Miss McCormick!" 50 times and herding children to the buses at the end of the day. Ever try to push a string across the floor with your foot? Eventually you get there but the energy it takes...well, you get the idea :)
Matt, Kathy and my nieces, Maddie and Mallory, came to Portland a few days after the CDA event and stayed with me. We had a great time and the house was just too darn quiet when they went home on Monday.
The next big adventure, of course, is the cruise through the Mediterranean. I leave for Barcelona on July 12th and return home on July 28th after traveling to Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo and Turkey. Am I over the moon about this trip? Oh my gosh, yes. It will be an amazing time there. I'm going with my brother Mike and his family, but my ticket is a gift from my whole family. I am so excited I can hardly stand it and I have promised not to try and stalk George Clooney while in Italy :) I've never been on a cruise ship before and that in itself will be beyond cool! I will take lots of pictures and share the stories that go with them.
Even though the scan results weren't what we wanted, life is good and I am enjoying every moment. The days are filled with all sorts of pleasures, from time with family and friends to savoring lime popsicles in the evening. Circumstances may change, but my joy is still in the strength of the Lord and this wonderful life He has given me to enjoy so abundantly. I hope your summer days and evenings are just as delightful as mine are.
Love and hugs to all of you,
Susan
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