Waiting ... Waiting

Surprise! Surprise!

I had the most wonderful surprise last night. I had made plans to watch Tapanga and the CHS cheerleads warm-up before the big football game. Tapanga my wonderful sweet grandaughter surprised me with a cake!

                                     Congrats on your fight with BIG C

                                        With candles!

                                  And there was singing!

                                    Oh ....what cuties!    I was all misty eyed.

After the girls warm-up, we were off to the game. I set down on the field where I had a great view of tapanga belting out those cheers.  We all had a great time..... it was a bit chilly....and CHS won the game.
 

Happy Feet!

Bras For a Cause

Every October, Creative Crafts and Frame Shop partakes in a breast cancer fund raiser called Bras for a Cause.  The staff plus the community enter decorated bras then for $1.00 per vote we all choose which one we like best.  So the more bras, the more votes, equals more money raised for cancer research.

Here is my entry!

     














                 
                                      I called it "Save the Bosom"

Stop by Creative Crafts and check out all the other entry's or online at www.creativecraftsandframeshop.com

Party Time !!!

Ready to Rumble!

Ten Good Things about Being Bald!

Spoiled Rotten !!!

Good Reason Not to Do Drugs!

Last Monday I had Chemo Session Two.  The first week is a little daunting to say the least and requires a few pain meds.  I didn't feel like doing much so I thought I'd play it safe and clean out my e-mail in box. All was going along smoothly the drugs were washing over me and the pain was being numbed when I nodded off with my finger on the delete key. When I came to......  I had deleted two years worth of e-mails. Sure made the decision making process easy.  

My Chemo session went pretty well...... I think I sleep through most of it. My wonderful  friend Linda went and did my grocery shopping for me. Thank you!  I  even got the big room with a window view and Linda brought flowers to dress the place up a bit.

My Best Hair Cut Ever!

Hats Hugs and Humor

Now for some FUN.....as you know this chemo makes your hair fall out. So here are a few new looks.

Don't we look spiffy......

Emerging from HELL!

Tumer Markers

First Chemo Today

  

 Today I had my first round of Taxel and Carboplatin. Started the morning with a weigh in then numbing my accessing  port.

Two vials of blood drawn to check blood counts. These are then sent to lab to be analyzed as we wait for the results a saline solution is dripped in. Finally after a
little over an hour the test results are in.









The blood test are good so we're a go..... Before they can start the Taxel I'll need some anti-nausea med's (Zofran).  Lots of  drugs to keep you from all the side effects of chemo and more side effects from the drugs they give you for the side effects.......I've had more drugs pumped into me than I've had in my whole life.

Next I get a corticosteroid so I wont have an allergic reaction and Benadryl for motion sickness. Last I was given Famotidine (Pepcid) to help with stomach acid so you don't produce to much.

                          
Triple checks ...... to calculate the amount of chemo drugs to be given they take your weight and height and put it into a magic formula and come out with your body surface area. I'm a  1.8. The system goes to three checks, first Dr kenyan does his calculations, next nurse Catrina second check and finally, last check is done by cocktail man from the pharmacy.  All check complete he's ready to mix.




                                                                  Wow..... I think we're ready!



Meet cocktail man. Young, good looking and very nice for a guy who is about to poison you.  He mixes all my drug cocktails.




 



Catrina, my nurse, suiting up so she can plug me into the Taxel.  What does this say..... Don't I get a protective gown and gloves?



 





Getting plugged in ...... no turning back now!

 Here we go pumping in the poison ......Taxel.
BP check every 10 minutes to make sure I have adverse reactions.
It will take 3 hours to empty that bag ...... slow poisoning.
Then an other 30 minutes for the Carboplatin.  Then 51/2 hours later I'm cut loose ........ Freedom at last!

Happy Dance!

I think I've found one good thing about having cancer......Weight loss!  I was digging through my summer box of Biking and camping clothes and before packing it back up I started trying on stuff. A pair of hiking shorts that were to small when packed away .... now fit.  Alright!  Tried on some biking tank tops, wow also fit. I'm getting excited now. Tried on more stuff, it all fit. OK check the closet.... I tried a couple button shirts, I could button them up with room to spare. Oh happy day!! For someone who has spent three fourths of their lives trying to loss weight and keep it off this is a good thing. I know a lot of people with cancer need to keep their weight up but for me losing the fat will help keep the cancer from coming back.  I  have lost about 25 - 30 pounds seeing my clothes fit better is inspiring me to keep it up........I'm doing the Happy Dance!

Thumbs Up!

Dr Dotters gave me a thumbs up on my last check-up. Now I'm on to phase3 of treatment the dreaded Chemo. Dr kenyan has decided on four rounds every three weeks. It takes three weeks for your white blood cells to return to normal. I will be injected with Taxol and Carboplatinum. Taxol is from the Yew tree and you can have a allergic reaction and the Carbo kills all fast growing cells. Yahoooo.... So I'm in for a new hair cut! Although  they tell me when your hair grows back it can come in curly or straight and a different color. Wow it will be a whole new me!

I have to admit I'm not crazy about doing chemo......It scares the crap out of me!  I have seven days to buck up.....and just getter done!

Feel like a turkey with a pop-up timer!

Wow....finally done with the probe radiation. I had three treatments a week apart, where a tube is inserted, a wire is attached with a radioactive seed at the other end. The doctor inserts the tube, then a brace contraption is used to hold the tube in place. The tube has a maker wire inside so when they take the digital x-ray they can see if the placement is correct. When they get it just right the maker wire is pulled out and the seed wire is attached. Joe the Driver with his remote control drives the seed up the tube. This is the turkey part, lay perfectly still for six minutes, the turkey timer pops-up... DONE... the seed will retract to it's lead lined container. Joe the driver comes in with geiger counter to make sure the seed has left and is safely home. 

Now the good news.....with all the radiation treatment I'm down to a 2 % recurrence rate in that area.

On the table ...ready to go!

 In the turkey position .... all plugged in!

Stand up to cancer.... Fight back!

Sunburned Butt!

Hooray!!!  Phase two treatment complete! It has been a long five weeks, but we're finally done. We have had 25 radiation zaps to the butt area. Well, really more than that 25 x 4 = 100 and I'll still be cooking for about 6 week while the body begins to heal. So just imagine one hell of a sun burn in that tender region, thank heaven for lidocaine cream. I have done well with treatment with few side effects.

The  next step is three  rounds of  Bracytheraphy, internal radiation which will be a week apart. This involves inserting a tube and then sending in a radioactive seed which will sit at the cervix for 3 to 8 minutes. This will be a high dose of radiation administered right to the top of where the cervix used to be. This will reduce a recurrence to this area to about 2%. Sounds pretty good. The rest will be up to me to keep it at bay.

I'm posting a couple images of the radiation treatment zapping center. Lovely position face down, butts up.

Standing up to Cancer!

 

Hump Day

Today I'm at the half way mark of my radiation  treatment. Only two and a half weeks to go for the external radiation. But, we discovered a complication today. Last week I had complained of my right arm hurting this week I noticed my hand and arm were swollen, they did an ultrasound on my arm ..... yes, I have a blood clot. Talked with the Doctor he said they would start me on blood thinners tomorrow. Then his nurse called wanted me to return corvallis and pick up the drugs today. At first I said yes I'll be there, then I called her back and said it will wait till morning.  Maybe a mistake if the clot makes a run for it to the lush land of the lung.   All this because of the stupid power port that was put in. I have enough problems keeping my blood counts up and now they have to thin it down and with all those side effects that go with it. Darn.....I'm just a little ticked......

Week Two - In Zap Land

We made it through another week. I so look forward to the weekends when we don't have to go any where and I can sleep in.... Pure heaven!  So here is a quick recap of  last weeks events in Zap land.
Monday ran into an old friend, she is also getting treatment. Plan on coffee and a chat later next week. Tuesday I was a little late but they got me in and out in record time. Wednesday I was early, good thing too because they have a massage therapist and I received a 15 minute shoulder and neck rub....ahaaa.  On  to the table where I have to lay face down with my little butt in the air as the machine rotates around me zapping me with my four daily doses. Today while I'm still on the table the tech's take x-ray's to double check my positioning. With all that complete, I'm off to see the Doctor. The nurse took my weight....shit lost 5 pounds (never thought I'd be saying that).  BP, blood draw, and a million questions. Doctor's a little concerned with the weight lose. More protein....need to keep the cells feed. Rick even has me eating meat to keep my protein up. Thursday we had to be in town extra early so Rick could go to the Chiropractor.  A quick trip to Home Depot and and then up to zap land. Today the social worker left me some gas cards to help out with our daily commute. Friday .....yahoo!  They were running a little behind.....nice group of tech's always interested in how your feeling and what your up to. Last zap of the week, but then I had to get a cat scan where the take pictures to see what the radiation is doing to my innards and if they need to make any changes. The tech said things looked normal for week two. I ask him how long the radiation stays in our system....well it takes about 6 weeks for the body to completely build new cell, that's when radiation ends. But with daily zaps it will accumulate getting stronger till I'm done. So every day I increase my army - go get'm guy's!

Waging War - Made it through week one!

Week one over and I'm almost feeling normal again. Monday we started the day with my first radiation treatment. I was on time at 9:30 but the staff was running late and I had my chemo appointment at 10:00. I'm still waiting .... at 10: 15 they sandwiched me in. I'm feeling like a rush job, what a way to start treatment.  It only takes about 10 minutes to actually do the radiation. I'm being treated with 4 beams to the pelvic area, both sides, front and back. I have three tattoo dots so the tech's  can line me up in the same position each time. I will get this 5 days a week for 5 weeks.
Off to the infusion center for chemo, 45 minutes late. I'm a little un-nerved but the staff wasn't worried, didn't even realize I was behind schedule. OK... relax, just RELAX....deep breathe.... this was the tough part of the day for me. I'm thankful Rick, and my friend Linda were there to keep me me centered and my mind occupied.  We started by having to access my power port which was implanted about 2 weeks earlier.  Painful...so they numb the area to get me plugged in, took two tries. Once plugged in they took blood samples to send up to the lab to check my blood counts and chemistry. If I'm not up to snuff no chemo. While we waited for the results a fluid IV drip was started. The chemo drug I'm receiving is called cisplatin and very hard on the kidneys. I was well hydrated a week before treatment and after. The blood test all came back excellent. It was a go for the chemo......
Chemo makes you feel quite nausea's, wanting to vomit, but they drugs to help you to the tune of $500 per pill. Get real, maybe holy shit... was my reaction! My doctor had not scheduled me for these little wonder pills, but those dedicated nurses managed to score me some. Thank you, thank you. You only need three one in the infusion and then a pill on days one and two. All the chemo  now cursing through my veins, time for more fluids. The whole infusion took six and a half hours. I'll need to do one more cisplatin treatment in 28 days. So now we are over the river and through the winding hills to radiation every day.

Wraping My Mind Around It

Waffling...... not sure this is a word but, this is what I've been doing. When I found out I had cancer I was adamant about not doing Chemotherapy. Now I'm faced with to do or not to do! I saw the chemotherapy doctor last Friday along with the Radiation doctor. I was there for a consultation, why did they think I need to add chemotherapy to my treatment?

Well, my grade three, aggressive cancer has a 75% chance of returning to the cervix area, hence the radiation plan. The chemotherapy that is being planned, called Cisplatin, is to enhance the effectiveness of the external radiation. The plan is to administer two rounds of Cisplain three weeks apart, at the same time as the external radiation, for a duration of  five weeks everyday but weekends. Then I'll return to Willamette Valley Cancer Institute in Springfield to receive the internal Bracy radiation therapy followed by three or four more rounds of chemotherapy with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel.

I talked again with Dr Dotters, her feelings, throwing everything I can at this cancer now, will help stop it's return. I'm young, I'm in good health and I have a can do attitude.

So... I prepare for war!

Good news .... Bad news

 Well, I know it has been a while since my last post. I've had some major decisions to make. My post op appointment  yielded good news and some bad. The good news, I'm healing up nicely from the surgery. I'm all most back to my old self.  The pathology report showed Endometrioid  Adenocarcinoma stage2b grade 3. Twenty three lymph nods were negative as well as ovaries, fallopian tubes both negative. All great news! 

Now for the not so great news. The cancer invaded the cervix to a depth of  1.6 cm out of 2.0 cm max wall thickness and the cancer is aggressive.

OK....so what does all this mean. First surgery did not totally take care of the problem. Follow up treatment will be needed. Dr Dotters felt that radiation therapy was a must, because of the aggressive nature of this type cancer it would likely return to the cervix area. It was also recommended to sandwich the radiation with chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that might have escaped and are hiding that the radiation would not get.

Wow,  radiation OK I can do that.....I can see that's a no brainer.  But, Chemo No No No! Please No! I need to think. We set up consultations with both the Radiation and the Chemotherapy Doctors so I could get my questions answered. I had time to think and do some research.

Decisions .... What to do now!

Big day ...Post Op checkup!

I must say I'm a little nervous. I have only spoken with the nurse when my pathology report came back and there were no red flags. I'm really hoping that Dr Dotters got everything. I'm not to keen on doing chemo or any radiation treatments. I would prefer to take a more natural course of treatment with nutrition and supplements. Changes have to be made and I'm the only one who can make the change. Build up the immune system so the body can heal it's self. We'll see how tomorrow goes!

Sugar, Sugar, Everywhere

Everything changes when you here the word cancer. One of the biggest for me was no more sugar....I believe that cancer feeds on sugar. I felt  we ate quite healthy. Most everything was organic, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains. My down fall "SUGAR". I like the sweet stuff but especially ice cream. I could eat a bowl every night .... and sometimes I did. Sugar, feeding my cancer everyday. When I was told I had cancer that ended all my sugar consumption, including high glycemic fruits. Starve the cancer was my moto.

I'm not having any sugar cravings so does that mean I've not gotten all the sugar out of my diet. Sugar hides in so many of the food products out there. Read the labels and know all the names sugar can hide under. We eat leaner, greener and organic when ever we can....shop only the outside perimeter of the store. A strong healthy body can fight cancer ...... So 1st step don't feed it....stave it!

Naps Oh Wonderful Naps

I have never been a nap taker..... what a waste of time.  Even as a small child I hated taking a naps, just ask my mom. I was afraid I might miss something...something important! Well I've done a 180 on my nap thinking.

I know the body does most of it's healing when we are sleeping. We live in such a fast passed frenzy who has time to take a nap. We need to slow down... how can we enjoy the moment if it's passing by at lighting speed.

Yesterday I went to take a short nap. My short nap lasted 4 hours, I woke refreshed, and I don't think I missed a thing. Naps are helping me to slow down not to be in such a rush, to listen to what my body needs. Take the time to slow down whither it be a few moments of deep breathing, a power nap or a long lazy nap.  Lay down when your tired, get up when you naturally wake up, put the clock away... listen to your body, find its rhythm.

Only one down side Rick says I need a nap muffler.  Here's to naps and more of them.

Dreams, Drugs and Pancakes

Or drugs and dreams ..... I've been experinceing very vivid dreams. Before this I usually wouldn't remember what I dreamt, but now I'm all over the board the good the bad the ugly and everywhere in-between. I'm sure its just the drugs and I'll be glad when I don't have to depend on them.

I still don't have much of an appetite....But, being it's Sunday I feel something special is in order. Lets try a couple of pancakes topped with some fresh fruit.  Yum!  Don't let your eyes get the best of you because you know you can't eat that much. Oh lets go back to Yummmm!

No beans after surgery

Wow talk about painful! We had a wonderful dinner of fresh homemade burritos, beans and pepper jack cheese, grilled red peppers and green onions, avocado, lettuce and of course the taco sauce. They were yummy. In the old days, two weeks ago, I could have eaten 3, now 1 is just fine but I managed to down 2. Well I paid dearly for that  glutinous act. Gas pains are extremely painful after surgery ....bombs were exploding in there. So... I'm backing away from the beans for a while.  Live everyday 100%

All Points Bulletin

The moment we have all been waiting for....finally news from the Pathology lab. It's been one week and a day since the surgery, but it seems like forever. The good news they only found a few cancer cells outside of the uterus and in the cervix. No big red flags. I have a follow up appointment on the 16th with Dr Dotters, so we'll see if I'll need any follow up treatments and what she recomends at that time.

I got my tummy salve today....it's suppose to help with healing the incision. Looks loaded with good stuff, organic Calendula, Comfrey, Vitamin A & E ,organic olive oil and beeswax. Thanks Sis.

Working on New Blog

I can't believe the month of February is all most gone, March is just around the corner....Oh yes Spring.

This has been a very trying month for me medically. You realize just how fragile life is and yet how strong we can be! How patient, and the limit to your patients. When you make it, your still standing on the other side, It's all different and yet nothing has changed.....the only change was you. Rick said the other day if you want to know what it's like after your gone, just pull up a chair, close your eyes, and listen. Try it some time....it's most profound!

I received a spring garden full of flowers....Here are a few.

The sad news....I won't be able to make it to a Texas Wedding.   My Sis has put her creative juice on over drive......Making  five bridesmaid dresses and has started her own CAKE co.  www.sweetcakeslady.blogspot.com Check out her cute cakes.   She's also sending me some very special cream to help my poor tummy when I get these beautiful staples out. Pictures....maybe or maybe not.

I'm working on the  new blog so I can keep my photography separate  from  a few of my other life challenges. I'm not sure of a name yet but one will come ...in the middle of the night .....while I'm fast asleep, so I  may not remember in the morning anyway.  Till tomorrow!