tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88095920660710163562024-03-07T01:21:54.082-08:00~~Expresso Yourself~~<center><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/mommieof2lovebugs/thblack_coffee.gif">A place to keep family and friends updated on my life.<img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/mommieof2lovebugs/thblack_coffee.gif"></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-82640389747337996752010-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:002010-12-30T15:19:30.500-08:00Memorial Service 12/18/10<div>To Kate's friends,</div>I wanted to share with you part of my eulogy to Kate, but it was long & now feels so personal. I am sharing a poem that was read at the end of the service<div><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_GoBack"></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">FOR THOSE I LOVE, FOR THOSE WHO LOVE ME<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">When I am gone, release me let me go.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have so many things to see & do.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">You mustn’t tie yourself to me with tears.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Be happy that we had so many years.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I gave you my love.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You can only guess how much you gave me in happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I thank you for the love you each have shown.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">But now it’s time I travel on alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">And let your grief be comforted by trust.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">It’s only for a while that we must part.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">So bless the memories that lie within your heart.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I won’t be far away, for life goes on.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">So if you need me, call & I will come.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">If you can’t see me or touch me, know I’ll be near.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">If you listen with your heart, you will hear all of my love around you soft & clear.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">And then, when you must come this way alone….<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I’ll greet you with a smile & say “Welcome home.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;Tahoma","sans-serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-63750290814317293422010-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:002010-12-13T17:27:27.304-08:00Our KateThis sad message is to all of you from Pat, her mom, & Rob, her husband,<div>Our beloved Kate passed away on Sunday, December 12 at about 8:45 in the morning. She is finally at peace at last. </div><div>We will let you know more information about her celebration of life services coming up this weekend.</div><div>I know she would have loved to talked to all you before she left us. Know that she spoke about many of you with great joy & stories often to her family & was glad to have so many caring friends.</div><div>Pat and Rob</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-2315090416811965282010-12-04T17:58:00.000-08:002010-12-04T18:23:26.228-08:00Very sad newsThis is Pat, Kate's mom, writing again to all of you for Kate. Hi to everyone that has wanted to keep up on what is happening with Kate & our 22 month journey with cancer. I am so sorry to give you bad news that has been coming for some time.<div><br /><div>Kate is very sick & the physicians & specialists have all said that there is no further treatment they can do for her. They believe she has pancreatic cancer & that is what has been causing all the secondary problems of vomiting, extreme weight loss & fluid in her abdomen. The best that can be done now & in the future is help her be very comfortable at all times. We don't know when she will pass away from all of us--it just depends upon her body's ability to keep functioning despite her disease. Right now she is able to keep down popscicles & an occasional frappachino (eggnog is her favorite) if she takes it down very slow. Rob, I and her family are all spending time with her in the hospital so she knows she is loved. Right now she is still receiving IV medication for nausea so she will be staying in the hospital at Vacaville Kaiser for the time being. Friends are visiting only for very short periods. Thereafter she will be going to in-home hospice & will be able to be with her loving cats & family at home. Rob & I will learn how to give medications IV & be supervised by the hospice nurses who will be available 24 hrs/7 days & a hospice specialist MD will supervise everything.</div><div>I am sure many of you would like to send messages to Kate. I will do my best to make copies of your responses & read them to her or give them to her to read. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I will keep you all updated since I know that all of you care for her & she wants you to know she cares for you too. Keep Kate in your thoughts & prayers.</div><div>Pat</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-36510918981602124932010-11-11T18:22:00.001-08:002010-11-11T19:07:11.155-08:00Hi Everyone. It's Kate's mom, Pat, writing to you for Kate. I'll try to give you enough information in her blog like she does. She wanted to keep you all up to date about what is happening. Kate went into the hospital in the beginning October to remove fluid from her abdominal cavity. They did put a cannula needle into her abdomen after carefully looking to see where all the fluid was located by an ultrasound imaging. On 10/9 they took out 5 1/2 liters of fluid. She felt so much better. Three days later her MD took out 7 more liters (think 2-liter soda bottles) but it was too much--that much fluid loss pulls fluid from her veins & arteries such that she had severe pain & cramping beyond belief. Her pain meds were increased & she started to feel better but had difficulty eating much more than a couple bites of sandwich or a juice box. They had to change her pain meds because she started hallucinating (without LSD :)) & became very confused. So her pain meds were changed again. After 3 weeks she came home but was having real problems keeping food down--even the special nutrition through her feeding tube. So the radiology doctors had a tube put into her abdomen so she could herself slowly drain fluid from her abdomen so she wasn't in pain on Thurs. But on Friday she couldn't keep anything down.....so back to the hospital in Vacaville she went. An X-ray showed she might have an obstruction in her intestine so she had another tube put down her nose & throat into her stomach to drain out bile & fluids (which helps digest food) so she stops throwing up. [Sorry for all the nasty details]. The doctor & a consulting surgeon do not believe the obstruction is cancer--THANK GOD! And it worked! She's able now to take in fluids, jello, & ice chips without losing it all. She's going to have another X-ray tomorrow. The doctors want to see that any closure of her intestines has gone away. Today she was walking around the huge nursing station, talking to everyone & able to stay out of bed for at least 5 hours. We were able to laugh about things & I am so happy to see her back to being close to herself. Her pain meds are in control & she won't leave the hospital until she can take in nutrition by mouth & tube.<div><br /><div>I know she thanks all of you for your support, concern & prayers. There is one more step we need to take to fighting her cancer. Yes, they found cancer cells in the fluid taken from her abdomen & her blood tests indicate she has cancer again. Her PET scan & CT scan were inconclusive. Cancer is such a terrible disease--normal cells growing out of control! Her oncologist wants to get her back on chemotherapy once she gets stronger to fight off this disease (chemo worked last year to stop progress of cancer). Rob her husband & all her family are all there to help support her. Please add your support & loving concerns too to this long hard fight.</div><div><br /></div><div>She would laughingly tell you she's now 196 lbs. & has no fat on her body. She is still our beautiful Kate no matter what size she has become. We're looking forward to having her home soon--maybe before Thanksgiving. Her wonderful sister-in-law is taking over the job of a traditional meal for the whole family. Her grandfather from Arizona is coming to be with her for her birthday on Nov. 30. I won't tell you her age, but it's a major milestone.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will try to keep everyone updated until Kate can write her own posts--hopefully soon! I'm so proud of her keeping up her will & determination to keep fighting in her own quiet way.</div><div>Thank you all for your posts & support! And also to Rob who works long hours & is there for her at the end of the day no matter how tired he has become.</div><div>Love to all of Kate's supporters, family & friends.</div><div>Pat </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-65009836241076669332010-09-27T23:34:00.000-07:002010-09-27T23:39:51.071-07:00Sadness and ReliefI just read my dear friend Mary's blog and her brother wrote that she passed away today at 2:45cst. I am so very thankful that her pain and suffering is over I just didn't think that she would pass so fast going into hospice care.<br /><br />I'm grateful she was a loving wife and was given the gift of being a mommy to their adopted little girl Annika. I will miss her like mad and am sad I didn't get to talk to or see her in her final hours. She is with God and the world will miss her.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-31393350225775492232010-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:002010-09-23T21:06:14.487-07:00What a dayI read my girlfriend Mary's site that keeps family and friends up to date on her condition. Today was bad news. Last night they, Mary and Jerry, decided that her body can fight no longer and they aren't going to take anymore precautions to slow the cancer down. I'm so tired of crying, I never thought that this would happen so soon, not to my Mary.<br /><br />I met Mary in college around 1992 and when we're together it's as though we've never been apart. I hate that I can't go see her before pain and suffering ends, I'm just glad that it will be over for her. She's fought a good fight and now it's time to let her body be at peace. To think that last year before she found out she had everything she has ever wanted. An awesome loving husband and a brand new baby girl, Annika, who they adopted Jan. of '08. Just kills me that she won't remember her mommy, I sure hope that the family and friends remind her everyday of what her mommy looked like and later in life all the fabulous things she did.<br /><br />Mary was my maid of honor and she rocked!!! We spent a week together before the wedding, I think Rob was jealous of our relationship, well that and we hadn't seen each other in a few years. She has touched so many lives and have only made their lives better for knowing her. During the week she was here we called her Navy Seal Mary as there was nothing that she couldn't do or find out how to do it.<br /><br />She will be in my mind , heart, thoughts and prayers that this last transition goes easily.<br />I love you Mary!!!<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-44437299502960884592010-09-22T20:57:00.000-07:002010-09-22T21:17:26.788-07:00What's on my mindI read yesterday an email from my oncologist about my lab results and it just makes me cry. My<br />CA19-9 is a marker for the pancreas and it's at 286 which is pretty high. My oncologist thinks that my "disease" (cancer) has progressed. Well what a fine way to tell me in an email. She has a very poor mode of communication and if anything is off she's positive that the cancer has progressed. Just gets old.<br /><br />Tomorrow I have a PET scan where I get to drink this nasty banana contrast liquid and then lay in the chamber for 45 mins. or so. The whole process takes 2 hours and my appointment isn't until 5:30 in Walnut Creek. Needless to say, it's going to be a long day.<br /><br />The last couple of days I've been feeling kinda crappy. Very tired, no appetite, just blah. I've been reading the posts from my girlfriend Mary in MN, who's going through this same shit but her's is progressing. Just makes me sad. I love her so much and I hate to know that she's going through so much pain. She and I are way too damn young for all this crap. And for the really shitty part is that she adopted a sweet baby girl on Jan.30,2009. I know she is the best mom and I'm sure it's just killing her that she can't be with her baby girl. I think and pray for her every day and we seem to keep getting shitty news.<br /><br />My PET has me a little scared tomorrow. I'm scared that the results will show glowing in my abdomen, meaning cancer has spread. My weight is down to 220, but my abdomen looks as if I'm 7-8 months pregnant. I so wish that were the case instead of this fluid build up.<br /><br />My wound on my abdomen is almost healed and I'll finally be able to take a shower. Having the home health aide wash my hair in the kitchen sink is getting old, although I do enjoy having lotion rubbed on my legs and feet. That part is relaxing.<br /><br />Well that's it for now. Going back to playing sudoku online.<br />Until later,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-86798801087023134512010-09-15T10:25:00.000-07:002010-09-15T11:33:49.263-07:00September 15, 2010<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello everyone! I know it's been a very long time since I've posted and I apologize, but I am here now to bring everyone up to date on my health.<br /><br />Starting in Jan. and Feb. I began to gain water weight. We're talking fast! I gained 70lbs. in 5 weeks and it was awful! I couldn't dress myself, I couldn't get in and out of the car by myself (I think that was the most frustrating part). Plain and simple I was just miserable.<br /><br />I went into the hospital in March and they gave me IV lasix and I lost 10 lbs. in a week which was awesome but they were unable to tell me what happened and why I gained all this weight. So without a great plan or a follow up plan they sent me home after a week. So I'm back at home and still not losing any water weight and I'm taking a fairly high dose of lasix and this goes on for the next few months.<br /><br />My abdomen is so distended I look as though I'm 9 months pregnant. I believe on June 6th is when I bumped my stomach on the counter in the kitchen, we have tall counters. Didn't think much of it and then I noticed a bruise and by the 8th it was black and raised. That night I went to sleep and woke up with this wet feeling. The bruised area had opened up and was leaking all over me. Then it hit me, the smell. It was infection, there's just something about that smell that you never forget or mistake what it is. So I call Rob and I get some paper towels and I start pushing on my abdomen and try to get the puss and nastiness to come out but there was so much. Needless to say we went to the ER in Vacaville.<br /><br />This is what I remember: We got to the ER and they weighed me, I was at 310, and I had been 232 in Jan., so I was quite shocked. They put me in the wheelchair and took me back into the ER area and that's all I remember. Once I was in the ER they prepped me and took me to surgery, I had an infection in my abdomen that was going to kill me and they had to get it out immediately. This is Wed., then on Thurs. morning they took me back to surgery to clean more out of my open wound.<br /><br />I was in ICU until Friday night or Sat. not sure, I was pretty out of it. I had all sorts of hoses coming out of me. They hooked me up to a wound vac, which is this machine that suctions the fluid out of the wound. I can't even explain the pain and I have a very high pain tolerance and the meds they were giving me weren't working right away.<br /><br />So with this wound vac, they had to change the dressing every Mon., Wed., and Fri. Betty was her name, and she was awesome (wound care specialist). The first time I had the wound vac bandages changed I about lost it. I know I screamed a little and cried a lot. They had put so much tape on me and when she was pealing it off it was like pealing your skin off slowly. Needless to say I hated M,W,and F and Betty knew it. We up'd my medication a half hour before she began the procedure and it just took the screaming part away. I kept telling myself, this won't last forever, over and over again.<br /><br />I believe after a week or so they decided that I needed to have supplemental feeding as they believed that I was not absorbing the nutrients that I needed. I was very malnutritioned. The biggest concern was my prealbumin which is an indicator of protein absorption. My level was at it's lowest 1.9 (in June) and the range it should have been in is 18.0 to 41. So they put in an NG tube (feeding tube through my nose and into my stomach) and did feedings while I slept. Slowly my prealbumin began to increase. I started out with clear fluids at first and advanced to eat regular food during the day. <br /><br />At some point one of the Drs. decided that he was going to take some of the fluid out of my abdomen and run some tests. So I went to ultrasound so they could pin point a location of the fluid and then the Dr. went in and took out 3 liters of fluid. It felt so good to not have that pressure anymore, but unfortunately it didn't last, only 2 days and the fluid was back.<br /><br />I stayed in the hospital just over a month as they monitored my blood levels and took care of my open wound. I was scared to come home. I was taking so many different medications and vitamins and I didn't have to worry about preparing food and so on and so forth. Everything was being taken care of.<br /><br />I was discharged I believe on July 9th and they had everything set up for me. I have a hospital bed in my living room to keep my head elevated while I get feedings as I sleep. I have a nurse that comes M,Wand F to take blood for labs to monitor my levels since I'm on a high dose of Bumex (stronger than lasix). The nurse also checks on my wound and it's almost done healing. It started around 27 cm long across my abdomen and 15 cm wide. Now it's 8 cm long and 3 cm wide. When the nurse isn't here I do my own dressing changes twice a day. I also have an in Home Health Aide come to the house 2 times a week to help with washing my hair in the sink and washing my back and feet and legs. Everyone has been so helpful I don't think I would have made it without them.<br /><br />When I left the hospital I weighed 246 and I now weigh 215. I haven't weighed this since high school, so a very long time ago. I still look like I'm about 7 months pregnant with the fluid in my abdomen but we think the fluid is slowly being absorbed.<br /><br />I will try my best to keep up to date and I'll write more if I have forgotten some important info that has happened.<br /><br />Thank-you all for your thoughts and prayers!!! I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you.<br /><br />Until next time,<br />Kate<br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-46332442911505894052010-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:002010-01-31T19:24:33.002-08:00It's been awhile again..........Don't mean to scare anyone but things here have had it's ups and downs. I managed to do 3 chemo treatments in a row and have found that I won't be doing that again. Really kicked my butt!!! I still have 3 more sessions to go, so just 3 more treatments and then I'm done with the current plan. We're supposed to do a CAT scan afterwards to make sure nothing has come back and then I'm not sure where we go from there. Still lots of good thoughts and prayers needed.<br /><br />I did get some good news, my job offered me my job back and I'm so excited and nervous at the same time just because it's been so long.<br /><br />Sorry this is so short, but I just wanted to get a little blurb in about how things are going and I will write more later.<br /><br />Take care and thanks for the prayers and well wishes as always.<br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-16397637839235198742009-12-20T13:34:00.000-08:002009-12-20T13:53:51.964-08:00Just amazing...So as most of you know I have been slowly or quickly, depending on how you look at it, losing weight and mom and I went and did a little retail therapy at Coldwater Creek Outlet in Vacaville and I now fit into size 18 jeans. I haven't been this size since high school, we're talking over 20 years ago, just amazing. The funny part is that I seem to be more self conscience about my shape, the curves and bumps and lumps of me than when I weighed almost 400 lbs. I'm now somewhere around 235 or so and as chemo continues I will continue to lose weight.<br /><br />So speaking of chemo I wasn't able to have treatment this last week because my levels were too low. My White Blood Count (WBC) was only .4 which means I don't have the greatest defense against getting sick. I have been very fortunate that no one around me has been sick and I haven't run into anyone being sick in stores and what not. I was thinking that Christmas shopping was going to have to stop and that the online option was it. But I've been out and feeling pretty good.<br /><br />I have labs tomorrow so I hope that they are good and I can continue my chemo and get this over with. That means chemo on Tuesday and then that completes the first round. I believe I will then have another week off before I start the next round of 3.<br /><br />This has been a relatively good week, only a little tired, but no bone pain, but achy like I have the flu without having the flu. So let's keep fingers crossed that after treatment that things will be ok and no bone pain, that's the only thing that seems intolerable.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and the hats I keep receiving it's very cool, I have quite the collection. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, may you all be safe and happy.<br /><br />Until next time, maybe even next year,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-28211243745003321212009-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:002009-12-09T12:35:28.787-08:00Update on chemoI'm not sure if you've noticed but at the bottom of the posts there's a label and it used to say My Journey. I changed it to Our Journey as I'm not the only one going through this and having to live with this crap. I've been a little angry lately that this disease has affected so many and changed so many lives, it just makes me mad. I am of course grateful that I have all the support that I do have I'm not sure where or how I would be without it. Thank-you.<br /><br />So yesterday I had my second dose of Gemzar and I had to go to Vallejo for the treatment as they were understaffed in Vacaville. It was a very different experience. I was in a very tiny room with no windows and very gloomy. My mom was with me and she read to me for a little bit and then the meds kicked in and I was tired so I rested as she read to herself. Before I knew it, it was over and we got to go home.<br /><br />Last week wasn't so horrible, but I did have 2 days of bone pain in my legs only and I was able to get to sleep with the wonderful Ambien. On Saturday I had a low grade fever and I'm not sure if that made me vomit or it was just the Gemzar rearing it's ugly head. I've heard this is one of the more easier chemo treatments to have, but it seems to kick me down a few times. <br /><br />So on Sunday I was up early and we, Rob and I made Thanksgiving Day turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, greans and grean beans with onions and bacon. It was an awesome day, oh yeah we baked a pumpkin pie also. Family and friends came to celebrate and I did pretty good, I only had to lay down for a little bit. <br /><br />The next day, Monday, was a stay in bed day, but I guess that's the price I payed for trying to do an all day event. But like my mom told me if that's the price to pay for a very good day, it's worth it.<br /><br />So with chemo I had a headache last night and a small fever again, but other than that things are going well. Today I'm supposed to meet up with my old boss Dr. Dian Allen and I'm really looking forward to it. It's been along time since we've seen each other and I'll be picking up my things that I left there when I had to leave.<br /><br />So that's it we're up to date again. Up and coming things are keeping an eye on my blood counts so that I can continue treatment and the losing of my hair. I'm thinking I need to let Rob buzz my hair again so I don't have all these little hairs everywhere, which will be annoying I'm sure as I've heard that from my dear friend Mary who is going through this battle also with cancer.<br /><br />Thank-you for all the awesome thoughts and prayers that you all have been sending my way, we know that it's working without it doubt. I can't thank-you all enough.<br /><br />Until next time.<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-14705633769259889252009-11-30T17:17:00.000-08:002009-11-30T17:24:12.679-08:00The best news!!!Happy Birthday to me without a doubt. I had my appointment with my oncologist today for the results of my PET scan and there is NOTHING glowing inside me!!! <br />WOOHOO<br />JUMPING UP AND DOWN<br />So this means that I don't have any growing tumors in my abdomen or anywhere else either. Dr. Huang said 1 cm. or bigger would show up, but we've read that PET scans show things smaller than that and still no glowing.<br />I'm so damn excited it was the best birthday present I could have asked for.<br />I start chemo again tomorrow, so I hope all goes well, but I had the Gemzar chemo in the beginning of this whole process and it wasn't so bad so I can only hope for the same.<br />Until next time,<br />(still jumping up and down)<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-50256842313179235382009-11-25T20:43:00.000-08:002009-11-25T21:06:10.849-08:00It's been awhile...So it's been awhile since I've written and although not too much has happened I do have a few updates. The most recent being that my Gramps' wife Marte has lost her fight with cancer this past Tuesday. She was in hospice care and wasn't doing well and then suddenly her fight ended. I'm very sad as she was an awesome person and someone whom I loved and cared about. We had said that we were in this fight against cancer together and I will keep fighting. I know that Marte was in a lot of pain due to the cancer so I'm glad she is now pain free and cancer free. My Gramps is doing ok although I know he is very sad to lose his wife whom he loved very much. I really wish I could be with him in AZ to help him through this, but Marte's kids are going to be there to help him through this difficult time.<br /><br />I'm not sure if I had meantioned that I was going to have a PET scan done, but that was done on Tuesday. I didn't think it was that bad, but the liquid I had to drink was this thick milky banana flavored substance. Not bad going down but my system didn't like it one bit and I will definately have to take some digestive enzymes next time. I think it was way too much for my little pancreas to take.<br /><br />I meet with my oncologist on my birthday, the 30th so I'll find out my results then. They better be good I'm not sure I can handle anymore bad news. But then if it is, I'll get through it and move on to the next step. I also have a radiology appointment also, not for radiation but just as a follow up appointment from radiation that ended earlier this month. I also have labs I have to do since I start chemo again on the 1st. So that will be the start of my 9 sessions of Gemzar. I'm really hoping that I am able to handle it well and get through the holidays.<br /><br />I just got an invitation to meet up with some old friends from high school in January and I'm totally excited!!! I so hope that I'm doing ok and that when we meet in January I'll be able to enjoy our time together.<br /><br />Well, I've enjoyed my month off from chemo and radiation, although I'm still tired from the radiation and tend to sleep a lot. But it's nice not being poked and proded.......lol Not too much has been going on but trying to spend time with family. I talk to my mom every day and we get to see each other on the weekends and it means the world to me that we live close together and have that kind of bond. I can't even express how awesome my mom is.........she's AWESOME! In fact I'm so lucky with the wonderful family and friends that I have I couldn't ask for more. My family has been so wonderful and supportive that there's no way I could be doing this well and staying this strong without them.<br /><br />As far as how I'm feeling I'm doing pretty good except for the being tired, but I'm hoping that that will go away soon. I do have a little more pain in my abdomen that scares me a bit but it just could be my body reacting to the radiation. I will update again after my appointment with the oncologist and hope to be bringing good news.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and positive thoughts. I love you all and wouldn't be able to do this without all of you.<br /><br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-88961889147194435512009-10-28T09:31:00.000-07:002009-10-28T10:03:04.146-07:00Some great news<div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday started out with getting rid of my chemo pack that was attached to me......woohoo, that alone was exciting.....I'm FREE. I didn't have to worry about when I would get up and go somewhere that I would get reminded that I had a pack that I had to take with me. I looked at my port in my chest and it looks like a bruise. I'm not sure if that's because it is a bruise or that my skin is so pale that you can actually see the color of the port under my skin. The port is purple. Kinda weird. <br /><br />Next, I had my appointment with my oncologist and Rob and my mom accompanied me so that they could ask questions if they wanted to and to hear what she had to say. We talked about taking some digestive enzymes to help me out with digestion. Digestion is a little harder without my gallbladder and missing apparently a very large portion of my pancreas. Dr. Huang showed us a comparison of CT scans of my pancreas before and after surgery and it's almost half of what I started out with. But everything seems to be working well and it's a good thing I'm not so into sweets these days, might be a little rough on my little pancreas. <br /><br />Then, Dr. Huang told me that there was one good thing that she saw on my last CT scan when I was in the hospital and it was the margin of the mass inside me and that the margin was shrinking. <span style="font-weight: bold;">IT'S SHRINKING!!!!</span> I about busted out of my skin, did a little a dance (I'm dancing, I'm dancing). All I can say as I sit here softly crying is that these are tears of joy and thank-you thank-you for all your prayers because they are working!!!! We will make it through this, without a doubt. I have no doubt!<br /><br />Now for some more cool news is that I have the entire month of November off from Chemo. I asked Dr. Huang if we can do a PET scan (this scan messures the growth of cells by lighting up the glucose they use to divide and create new cells) and we'll be doing the scan but I have to be finished up with radiation first or it messes up the results of the scan. So I finish radiation on Nov. 6th and then we're going to do the scan the 23rd or 24th of Nov. Then I have a meeting with the Dr. on my birthday (the 30th) and then I start Gemzar chemo again on Dec. 1st.<br /><br />I was wrong as to how the new sessions of chemo are going to progress, but I get it now. So I still have 9 sessions of Gemzar to go. So it's 3 weeks in Dec. and one week off then another 3 weeks and one week off and then the final 3 sessions. So if my body can tolerate it all and I don't have to skip any weeks I'll be done with chemo on Feb. 9th, 2010. The Dr. did say that this is going to be a little harder on my system and we'll be looking very closely at my lab results, which right now btw ARE AWESOME!!!! So if my counts are too low then we would skip that week and then try again the next week.<br /><br />I have been so very fortunate to have so little issues compared to what could have happened that this will be the real test of how my body can handle this. <br /><br />I'm proof that positive thoughts and all your prayers are working so please please don't stop, I love you all so very much and can't say thank-you enough. We are so very blessed to have such awesome family and friends and we wouldn't be in such a great place without all of you.<br /><br />Until next time,<br />Kate<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-76957785474330913312009-10-22T10:48:00.001-07:002009-10-22T11:13:40.030-07:00Just a little updateThings are going well, my energy is pretty good on most days and all my levels are very good. The only thing that is a little low is my platelets, but they are still ok. Most days I'm up in the a.m. and just get through waking up, taking meds and vitamins and getting ready to get picked up to go to radiation can be quite the chore. As of my last check up with the nurse I'm weighing in at 255 now and I'm pretty sure that's what I weighed when I met Rob in 1999. Amazing huh. It feels awesome even though everything isn't quite bouncing back like I thought it all would. Guess the weight came off too fast. Regardless it makes me happy.<br /><br />I don't really have any secrets as to how the weight has come off, but I do tend to survive on cheese quesadillas. There's enough cheese in there to make the two sides stick together so pretty low on calories. But they are one of the things that doesn't bother my system and I don't have to take anything. It's kind of an on going joke with mom and I since she thinks I should eat things that have more nutrician in them. Moms.........lol But seriously, it really has to do with portion control and I just have a much smaller stomach, so it decides when I'm done even though I would love to eat more, I just can't. Old habits try to sneak in, but I do my best to stop them.<br /><br />On Tuesday the 27th I was going to be done with radiation and chemo together but I found out yesterday that I have to do so more radiation, an additional week and a half. I guess it's good to do it now, just to keep the process going, but I was really looking forward to it being done. But if the Dr. thinks that I need more who am I to complain. <br /><br />So that's the latest update. I don't start chemo again until Nov.17th and that's the Gemzar again and possibly another chemo agent. I'll be talking with my oncologist on the 27th to see what the plans are and also get her to give me a PET scan. I would really like to know what's going on in my body rather than all this speculation about whether or not the cancer is back and where it is. Just need to know.<br /><br />Thank-you, thank-you to everyone for all your prayers and wonderful positive thoughts, we wouldn't be able to get through all of this without all of you.<br /><br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-43198446972439311502009-10-10T13:04:00.000-07:002009-10-10T13:13:15.064-07:00How things are going....Surprisingly enough, things are going very well. I've just started my 3rd week of chemo and radiation and I haven't had too many side effects happen. My abdomen is a little sore where the radiation goes, but no outward signs of burns or anything like that. My blood counts are awesome, just like a "normal" person, which all in all is awesome to say the least. Going to radiation everyday is getting a little annoying, but what can ya do, it's not going to last forever.<br /><br />Carrying around my chemo everywhere with me is kind of drag, occasionally I forget that it's there and try to walk off without it. I get a friendly reminder that I'm attached to the machine and it drags me back. The 27th is my day of freedom from the chemo/radiation and then I'm supposed to have 4 weeks off before we start with the Gemzar again, but that may be up in the air. My oncologist may want to add another chemo agent to add to the Gemzar and I'll know more about that when I see her on the 27th.<br /><br />All in all things are going well.<br /><br />Thank-you everyone for you help and support I don't know what I would do without all of you!!!<br />Love you all,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-21909582256073942852009-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:002009-10-10T13:04:08.802-07:00Wigs!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bHsYi4TP0NTGhC6Odx94VBfnnt8ZktZuRKqfWGcWJNvZpl0x5ptG3CmrKxuCS-mmDj2wwWi4HwvwE7AMCFVJgvqx-OxQHafcb6jlPYBppI0if7pONE7UVX1cyHkbj3TUmykJRDfD_B8/s1600-h/DSC04304.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bHsYi4TP0NTGhC6Odx94VBfnnt8ZktZuRKqfWGcWJNvZpl0x5ptG3CmrKxuCS-mmDj2wwWi4HwvwE7AMCFVJgvqx-OxQHafcb6jlPYBppI0if7pONE7UVX1cyHkbj3TUmykJRDfD_B8/s320/DSC04304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391063479066698274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FdddW2cRgLV3c5NnyvRTfmpGO1arVb6hQaOQ2AaOaLZWgD2D7thcG0vd-Hq3FSRTFjXOoJbIhmH1tZaYDXMuVeW41TceuKWF6FB3tOzzwNSR2VZTDehKwt0eU0ODJ4SI5Nm_3Y2kdXI/s1600-h/DSC04305.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FdddW2cRgLV3c5NnyvRTfmpGO1arVb6hQaOQ2AaOaLZWgD2D7thcG0vd-Hq3FSRTFjXOoJbIhmH1tZaYDXMuVeW41TceuKWF6FB3tOzzwNSR2VZTDehKwt0eU0ODJ4SI5Nm_3Y2kdXI/s320/DSC04305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391063591712757250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWiivSkV9W_gd61YB-vVrW5llpBLQmNI0_e1CtNwOdYq9t32XpR46OR4ic2_NysiwgEnKGd3q_KM9yUe5BWbGt35E-bTn3Z9ufcZXWSnxFBT8z5xQvfPYqoRXD4fIFCVJMh02u4hpmEk/s1600-h/DSC04302.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWiivSkV9W_gd61YB-vVrW5llpBLQmNI0_e1CtNwOdYq9t32XpR46OR4ic2_NysiwgEnKGd3q_KM9yUe5BWbGt35E-bTn3Z9ufcZXWSnxFBT8z5xQvfPYqoRXD4fIFCVJMh02u4hpmEk/s320/DSC04302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391063344491644722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfEqehZNoTjeJG4EnopbkXFZqnstU4qpznwoDD4RZPcKI6hAkHNgDu2khWR6FQaJ7cwjX_A3jmuiE339c00BDgcvmIuCTcTbFCLyDZRZJ4nDSY8xu7i4MSJNAcxPYMMT83ZyDiMMZ93w/s1600-h/DSC04306.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfEqehZNoTjeJG4EnopbkXFZqnstU4qpznwoDD4RZPcKI6hAkHNgDu2khWR6FQaJ7cwjX_A3jmuiE339c00BDgcvmIuCTcTbFCLyDZRZJ4nDSY8xu7i4MSJNAcxPYMMT83ZyDiMMZ93w/s320/DSC04306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391063725422020770" border="0" /></a><br />So what be the fun of having no hair if I didn't have any wigs. We have only named one, if you have any suggestions for the other 2 let's hear 'em. The very top one has a name and that's Lola. Not sure why, but it seems to fit. Lol. I must say that my head is not bumpy at all and it's a pretty good shape........lol And let's talk low maintenance shall we??? Not that I fussed a lot about myself before, but this put a new spin on low maintenance.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-59046408765834560972009-10-10T12:32:00.000-07:002009-10-10T12:57:02.958-07:00Hair Day!!!!Ok, so here's the long awaited pictures of "The shaving of my head"!!! It was actually very relaxing, very different experience, but one that so needed to be done. Rob did an excellent job and he'll be in charge of the up keep. Right now with the chemo that I'm on, it's not attacking my hair follicles like the Gemzar did so I actually have some hair growth. Enjoy the pictures!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefrhWqmHUvNTdpqZB-lpkTntVFs4ScwIgJ8q_dhYNVsGlaeFbGhpj1JK4nNO8XjN-0Qf6Hc76BLWxwGoAACyv0UrD2h-c86fmLM5ueRo9OieNfHfz5UXd_9f2LLvl4wJm6irvEMrFlbA/s1600-h/DSC04191.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefrhWqmHUvNTdpqZB-lpkTntVFs4ScwIgJ8q_dhYNVsGlaeFbGhpj1JK4nNO8XjN-0Qf6Hc76BLWxwGoAACyv0UrD2h-c86fmLM5ueRo9OieNfHfz5UXd_9f2LLvl4wJm6irvEMrFlbA/s320/DSC04191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391057315545532242" border="0" /></a><br /><with lol=""><br /></with><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5svPEV8Wj4oSG3OfRK5dT0X_xyOi6n-yulg9ARC3yw-hDHjg7ywU0ez8GhqEf4xQBHY44y66OzixOp_UwjL19wjKj5hhwAGWNT0B_KRlS_bHPZ5FO911eqtQ03_jUtj_HaQAEFz48MA/s1600-h/DSC04208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5svPEV8Wj4oSG3OfRK5dT0X_xyOi6n-yulg9ARC3yw-hDHjg7ywU0ez8GhqEf4xQBHY44y66OzixOp_UwjL19wjKj5hhwAGWNT0B_KRlS_bHPZ5FO911eqtQ03_jUtj_HaQAEFz48MA/s320/DSC04208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391057710928340066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjfYEp36_Z8_9PwH-Cgjps6_-fbEeGTq5GgBn9FyP1wHQQAlXAfPF184LmcKzmbuo2hHJ2ln4kRBDZfxNidoXDiTwthLNAv5Q8YS-xprFBbYslDSI6WDJ4_B7HLQt-lCFiw7xKuZqcMU/s1600-h/DSC04211.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjfYEp36_Z8_9PwH-Cgjps6_-fbEeGTq5GgBn9FyP1wHQQAlXAfPF184LmcKzmbuo2hHJ2ln4kRBDZfxNidoXDiTwthLNAv5Q8YS-xprFBbYslDSI6WDJ4_B7HLQt-lCFiw7xKuZqcMU/s320/DSC04211.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391062429862208802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KgfryG35A2_edfLwPJFcJVEwR-D21LZk3TOXaT-TcRyiOUJGP3NeLMgPCepOTXoFzDYvggPTtveSkt4p_O7845rWuHn6cLaB3xLfa9qPQWVfrrjcZxluonfcuqahnwEgeBdSiiKdYu8/s1600-h/DSC04228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KgfryG35A2_edfLwPJFcJVEwR-D21LZk3TOXaT-TcRyiOUJGP3NeLMgPCepOTXoFzDYvggPTtveSkt4p_O7845rWuHn6cLaB3xLfa9qPQWVfrrjcZxluonfcuqahnwEgeBdSiiKdYu8/s320/DSC04228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391059990729637314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeELC_s5QDJrz_TCMWdx5U2MlqXSACJ3C6JfgXc-chYbWrjeQ3p-9R_QvxiZg5D5Z6XPThJpZRRRSS7TFDYCGu3CR0wd2hE5Z1rI1aKqOsvrXiuynfTDe-O9k1Imf1zjkpzylo-XyIJI/s1600-h/DSC04250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeELC_s5QDJrz_TCMWdx5U2MlqXSACJ3C6JfgXc-chYbWrjeQ3p-9R_QvxiZg5D5Z6XPThJpZRRRSS7TFDYCGu3CR0wd2hE5Z1rI1aKqOsvrXiuynfTDe-O9k1Imf1zjkpzylo-XyIJI/s320/DSC04250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391060735601519746" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-5932742607614972092009-09-23T06:32:00.000-07:002009-09-23T06:53:48.138-07:00Another step has started.A few things have happened as of late. Mom and I had a good "retail therapy" day on Sunday. We went to the outlets in Vacaville and went to Coldwater Creek. What a cool store, very earthy and all those browns, how could I resist and how did I not know about this place earlier??? It is official, I'm wearing a size 24 in jeans now, I can't remember when or how long it's been since I wore that size, heck I may have even skipped that size, just don't remember. After Vacaville we went back to Fairfield and went to Lane Bryant and I got one of those bras that was shown on Oprah, the one that doesn't give you lines on your back. It's very cool and super comfy. Mom of course remembered that I needed to have labs done before chemo so we raced to Vallejo so I could get my blood drawn and I was ready for Monday.<br /><br />Monday came and went. The radiology/oncology dept. called me and said their machine was down, so I wasn't able to come in and start radiation. Since I wasn't able to start radiation they didn't want me to start the chemo either. So now it's Tuesday and Rob and I went to radiation. It's just a big x-ray like machine that rotates around to do the top and bottom of my body. Didn't feel anything, just layed there. I've heard that there's a cummlative effect and that it's like a bad sunburn. Oooohhh something to look forward to........lol<br /><br />After radiation Rob and I went to Vacaville to get my chemo. I've started the 5-FU and it's being infused. That means that I have a little pack that's attached to me with a dispensing unit that gives me small doses of chemo. At first I was told that I would have it for 5 days and then I would get disconnected and then hooked up again after the weekend. Not my luck. I'm doing 7 days of chemo, so every Tuesday I'll go in and they will just change the dressing and give me a new pouch of chemo. Oh yeah, so I can't get any of this wet, so showering is going to have to get creative. So far I'm not feeling any effects of the chemo, which is good, but it could be cummlative also, but I'm hoping since it's going in so slow that my body will be ok with it.<br /><br />It's time. This weekend Rob is going to shave my head, or I should say, buzz my head. Miss Emily will finally get to play with my hair and give me a mohawk and we'll spray it pink. Yes there will be lots of pictures taken, before and after. I think it's time to model my wigs too, so there will be pics of those also.<br /><br />I know this gets repetitive, but I can't thank everyone enough for all your thoughts and prayers, it really means so very much to Rob and I.<br /><br />Love you all,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-81750356271722385922009-09-18T06:57:00.000-07:002009-09-19T03:28:45.651-07:00Another trip to the ER you say???Wednesday night Rob and I had dinner and I felt like I had over eaten, but I hadn't, and I figured it would just go away. So when you know you've over eaten and then your abdomen gets even tighter and hurts more before it gets better, well it never got better. I made it through the night thinking by morning my body would process and all would be well. Not my luck this time, I could barely bend and getting out of bed was extremely painful. I texted Rob and then I called the advise nurse and of course they say come to the ER immediately.<br /><br />So we get to the ER immediately and I was checked in within 30 minutes but then sat in the hallway on a gurney for about 6 hours and that's how long it took to get pain medication also. Finally, a wonderful nurse was assigned to me and got me on IV fluids and got pain medication and I had some relief. They did a chest x-ray, CT scan with contrast and then because they couldn't control the pain they admitted me to the hospital. After about 17 hours from the time I got to the ER I finally was in a room and getting constant care. <br /><br />Shortly there after they took me do an ultra sound and then Dawn from Radiology came over to see if I was up to still getting my port put in. Of course, let's put in the port, I'm here. The port being put in wasn't so bad, hurt a little but over all was ok.<br /><br />I then spent the next 6 days in the hospital and I saw my oncologist and she believes that my cancer is back and is attacking my liver causing it to enlarge which causes pain. So, our plan is to continue with the treatment we talked about and possibly adding another chemo agent after I'm done with chemoradiation.<br /><br />I start chemoradiation on Monday and today I have to go in for another CT scan for my radiologist to ensure they are hitting the right spots when I start radiation.<br /><br />Exciting news: It's nails and toes day!!! Woohoo!!! Mom and I are getting our nails and toes done and spending some time together today. It's a good day!!!<br /><br />So we got some crappy news and I really haven't digested it all yet, but this damn thing will not take me down, not an option.<br /><br />Thank-you everyone for all the prayers and positive thoughts, please keep them coming as this journey may have gotten a little longer.<br /><br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-25597892590796656982009-09-09T08:23:00.000-07:002009-09-09T09:24:05.386-07:003rd Chemo Treatment - Last one this roundHello everyone, here's an overview of the last week. The 2nd chemo treatment wasn't too bad, only one bought of a fever but it only got to 99, so that wasn't bad. Only a few times did I get bone pain, but it wasn't bad either. More nausea seemed like this time, but was controlled with Compazine, so no vomiting. So all in all, not a bad week.<br /><br />Spent time with the Hollands on Sunday and Emily and I made brownies and had our own girls night with myself, Miss Moomoo and Krystal. Granted the boys were here too, David and Derrick, so it wasn't completely a girls night until they left, but then we went to bed shortly there after. But the next morning I had to go do labs for my chemo appointment on Tuesday so Miss Moo and Krystal went with me to Vallejo. Miss Moo went back into the blood draw room and asked what the tubes colors meant and what was the stuff in the bottom of the one tube. She's so fascinated by all medical things and especially when it has to do with me. So we let her know that the teal topped one was for my coumadin levels, which is how thin my blood is. The Red topped one tests blood chemestry and the yellow one does the CBC panel and the stuff in the bottom of the tube stops the blood from clotting. Miss Moo watched as the tech put the needle in my arm and asked if it hurt, and I told her it felt like a pinch. I told her the tech held the needle against my arm as she took the tubes in and out so that the needle didn't move in my arm and hurt me. She was just so fascinated, it just makes me happy that all this medical stuff doesn't scare her and she can be involved in what happens to me. Although she is a little too excited for my hair to fall out in patches so we can do mohawks and color them, but that's ok, that day will come eventually and she just has to wait.<br /><br />Tuesday was my final Gemzar treatment for now and mom was there to hang out with me. We set up my next appointments for when I have my 5-FU infusion and I found out that it will most likely start on Sept. 21st and I come in and get the pump hooked up to my port and then I have it in for 5 days and on Fridays I'll get disconnected, so I'll be pump free over the weekends. Then I repeat that process for 5 weeks. During the same 5 weeks I'll be getting radiation everyday, Mon. thru Fri. and my hope is that I don't get the burns and soreness until much later in the process, but I know that it will happen and I'll get through that too regardless of when it starts to hurt.<br /><br />After we were done mom and I went to Subway and shared a BLT sub for lunch. I've been so very fortunate that my appetite hasn't been too affected by the treatments. Granted I still can't eat very much, but that works to my advantage. At my highest weight I weighed 383, I know, amazing huh? As of yesterday I now weigh 260 almost the same weight I weighed when I met Rob over 10 years ago. I must say it feels wonderful although all my clothes are a bit loose, but I'm ok with that too. The only thing I don't like much is that I get cold pretty fast and easily, but I just bundle up and move on. Yes I will post pictures hopefully today.<br /><br />So I meantioned my port of which I don't have yet because no one told me to stop taking my coumadin and my INR (clotting rate) was way to high for a surigical proceedure. So I'll be getting my port this Friday. I stopped taking my coumadin and started taking Lovenox injections, which of course aren't that bad, but leave little bruises on my abdomen.<br /><br />All in all everything has been going ok. I do get tired often and sometimes just spend the day in bed, but when I have the good days I manage to get quite a bit accomplished which is very cool and makes me feel "normal" whatever that means.......lol<br /><br />Thanks for everyones support and help through this process and journey, it is greatly appreciated!!!! Rob and I can't thank-you all enough for the prayers and positive thoughts.<br /><br />Be well,<br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-18221720434227368752009-08-31T20:33:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:41:32.344-07:002nd Chemo treatmentToday was my second treatment and Rob went with me this time. I had an awesome view of the mountains (hills) this time and I-505. I had a different RN, his name is Sam, but Danielle did come over to see how I was doing, making me feel very comfortable, it was very nice.<br /><br />So I've lost another 3 lbs. since last week, so not too bad. Treatment started like it did last week and I got the anti-nausea meds. and started an IV in my other hand. I'm so happy I'm getting my port tomorrow, no more poking and pain putting IV's in my hand. Sam did a wonderful job, he minimized my pain which of course is always good, and got the vein on the first try. My temp was at 99 so he called my oncologist and checked to make sure it was still good to proceed since all my labs came back in really good shape.<br /><br />Here's where just a few of my blood levels are at:<br />Last week: white blood count 7.2, hemoglobin 11.4, and red blood count 4.37<br />This week: WBC 3.7, HBG 9.8, red blood count 3.74<br /><br />Once again the Gemzar started and Sam cut it down with saline since it was burning again. Then to completely get rid of the burn he put a cold compress on my hand, worked perfect. So Rob and I hung out and talked. I did get a little tired and nauseated towards the end so Sam gave me some Compazine and it knocked it out.<br /><br />We then went to Big and Tall and got Rob some pants and a cool Wolverine Marvel t-shirt, very cool and then we went to Avenue, because I was in serious need of a belt and found one, YEAH, and then for lunch we went to Bay Sushi!!! I had the tempura shrimp and veggies and then a Reno Roll.<br /><br />I am happy to report that I have had an awesome day!!!! I was a little tired so I layed down and took a little nap, woke up with a little headache, but not bad. So far no bone pain, no nausea, nada!!! I love good reports.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I want to thank all of you for your support, calls, emails, positive thoughts and prayers. I can't even explain how important it is and means so very much to Rob and I that everyone has been incredibly supportive. Thank-you so very much.</span><br /><br />Until next time,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-85984932886522235652009-08-30T08:13:00.000-07:002009-08-30T08:37:56.234-07:00Me and the ERYesterday I had been feeling not so great and spent my entire afternoon in bed. At some point I realized that I was really warm and took my temp. 101.6. My usual temp is 97.6, so 4 degrees was a big deal. I call my friendly Kaiser advise nurse and the ER Dr. said I need to come in and have some blood work done to make sure I don't have an infection brewing somewhere.<br />The ER. It's the place I hate the most, not that anyone likes it, but from my past numerous experiences, it has been a pain in the ass. Sitting in the waiting room for hours and then sitting in the ER bed for hours, which usually ended up lasting over 12 hours. Granted the last 4 times I was in the ER I was also admitted to the hospital and I knew this time that wasn't going to happen for a fever.<br />I had taken some tylenol and my temp. had gone down a degree but we drove to Vallejo anyway. Side note, I can't wait for the ER in Vacaville to open!!! (for those that don't know, it's closer and just a nicer town to go to) So we're sitting outside of the ER and I check my temp again and it's gone down another degree. I figure what can I lose, I'll call the advice nurse again and maybe I can avoid this whole senerio. Needless to say they still wanted to do blood work.<br />I check in and ask for a mask since I had forgotten one of my own and I sat in the waiting room for less than 5 minutes and was called into triage. And then it happened......I didn't have to go back to the waiting room, I went immediately to a bed. Yes, it's sad to say, but I was so excited, that right there cut 4 hours out of our long expected stay. They took many viles of blood and a urine sample, good thing I had to go, and then I waited. I'm not sure where these tests go, but it sure did take a long time for the results to come back. While waiting the nurse had put in an IV and after all was said and done I didn't even need it. My results were all good, white blood cell count was good......woohoo. <br />So the ER Dr. came in and said that it all was good and that I may be a little dehydrated would I like some fluids (through the IV) I said nope I'm good let me out of here. He responded with not a problem.<br />We got to the ER around 9:30pm and left at 1:10am, it's a new ER record!!!<br /><br />Just an update of what happens next:<br />Monday I have my 2nd chemo treatment.<br />Tuesday I have my port put in.<br />The following Tuesday I have my 3rd chemo treatment and then I have 2 weeks off.<br />I'll update after my next chemo treatment.<br />Til then keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming!!!<br />Love you all,<br />KateUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-81098145096273053922009-08-25T11:18:00.000-07:002009-08-25T12:01:35.932-07:001st Chemo TreatmentMy day started at 6am, not that I wanted to be up then but wasn't able to fall back asleep. I thought a lot about how the treatment was going to go today and whether or not I would feel any of the side effects or if this would be my freebee week and I wouldn't feel anything at all.<br />Mom picked me up at 8:30 and we were off to Vacaville to the new building B, 4th floor. Since it's a new building it was very quiet and seemed very empty. We checked in and they took me back to the where all the chairs were for the chemo patients and everyone has this wonderful view of the mountains and I-80.....lol, but a nice view non the less. My nurse today was Danielle and she was wonderful. I had some anti nausea meds first and then she put in my IV and started some saline. She asked why I wasn't going to have a port put in and having a PICC line as that would have to go in and out and she said that she could ask my Dr. about having a port put in and I said yes, I would prefer it. A port is put in surgically into my chest and will be there permenantly until they remove it. What it does is give immediate access and I won't have to be poked repeatedly for IV's and when I have my infusion of 5-FU, which will be coming home with me, it will be easier than having the PICC line coming out of my arm. So Danielle called my Dr. and she put in a referral for that to happen.<br />Danielle then gave me all sorts of support information and numbers to call should I need to talk to someone and reassured me that I was not alone in this process. She also told me that I would lose my hair with in 2-6 weeks. We had to wait for awhile as the lab was taking it's time making up my Gemzar. Finally it arrived and Danielle hooked it up and said that it might burn going in and to let her know. After about 30 seconds, indeed it began to burn and she ran saline with it and it helped a lot.<br />Mom and I then played a game of cribbage. She kicked my butt of course........lol But we only had time for one game as the Gemzar is given within a 30 min. time period. So after that was done we were all good, I was feeling good, so we ran a few more errands at Kaiser and then we were off to the Olive Garden for lunch.<br />Olive Garden of course was awesome. Mom said that I needed to try the Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara. OMG!!! So rich and creamy......everyone must try it!!! I also had their peach tea and they put slices of peach in it, was also very good. We made it back to my house and mom hung out until I was ready for a nap around 3. <br />I went upstairs and slept for about an hour and woke up with chills and a headache. I took some anti nausea and pain meds and it didn't work. I can't explain, all over body aches, couldn't get comfortable, it was just awful. Around 6pm or so I finally gave in and vomited which of course is just gross but my body felt a little better and I fell asleep for a little bit. When I woke my head was about to explode and my legs felt like I had run a marathon and all the lactic acid was built up and wasn't going away. I just couldn't get it to stop. I took more pain meds and I finally fell back asleep around midnight. Phew, I survived. Man, if this is what it's going to be like after each treatment, I would just rather sleep right through it. Well no one said it was going to be a walk in the park, but wouldn't that be nice???Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8809592066071016356.post-41188240662642980052009-08-25T11:01:00.000-07:002009-09-09T15:03:11.546-07:00Girls Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOpxMPSea2PuWsX2wkXNOT6geCRR3hLUWbrEn4Br4eym_hvTKVpSFf1-O67Tu9Z-hMr1n2sVz5RzZfw1uXccZQMkTUs2xSnjevxPohhxRuJ1hV5teDkU0PQIPGcY2QpSxFNI2n5n6PfY/s1600-h/DSC04119.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOpxMPSea2PuWsX2wkXNOT6geCRR3hLUWbrEn4Br4eym_hvTKVpSFf1-O67Tu9Z-hMr1n2sVz5RzZfw1uXccZQMkTUs2xSnjevxPohhxRuJ1hV5teDkU0PQIPGcY2QpSxFNI2n5n6PfY/s320/DSC04119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379591619153316434" border="0" /></a><br />This last Friday was very exciting and packed with all sorts of things.<br />It started out with mom picking me up to have my labs done for coumadin levels and all my other levels for chemo on Monday. From there we went to Black Bear for breakfast and even when I ordered from the "lighter side" of the menu it was still way too much food. Guess I'm just going to have to get used to that.<br />Then we went to Beauty Etc. in Suisun, it's in the Raley's shopping area next to the tanning place. Never knew it was there and holy cow do they have everything you could possibly want in wigs and hair pieces and everything to do with hair. So I tried on a few wigs, which was a little weird but as I had them on and got used to the different look, it was pretty cool. So mom was awesome and said do you want to get these and I said yes and she bought my new hair for when I lose mine. Very cool!!!!<br />We then made a trip to costco for a few items for the girls night and the best part was that I had the refund check from having the black premium card from costco and it didn't cost me a penny. Woohoo!!!<br />Mom dropped me off at home and Rob was home around 1 and we went and picked up moomoo from school. She was very excited to see us and we brought her back to our house where Krystal and David had already arrived. Then the cleaning began.......it wasn't as bad as I thought but it was quite exhausting. I made my famous taco meat and cut up tomatos and onions so everything was ready for tacos for dinner.<br />People showed up around 6 and there after drifted in and it was a good night. I showed off the wigs and everyone liked them. Tami bought all of us girls bandanas for those days that I'm not going out and just being at home that I have something to put on my head. On girls night we will all be sporting our bandanas and I have extras for those that weren't at this first one. It was very nice to have friends and family at my house. Granted it felt like I had done a marathon that day, but it was good all the same.<br />I look forward to our next girls night next month. As of yet, nothing has been scheduled but will let the girls know when the next one is.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1