Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!!!

I just wanted to post a short message to let everyone know that My CT Scan came out STABLE. The tumor in the chest area reduced a bit but not enough to get my doc excited. It’s hard to explain the emotions you go through waiting for results. Every twinge, ache or pain makes you wonder if it’s something normal or the lesions growing. You hate it when you have to have another scan knowing the stress associated with it, yet not having one makes you wonder if something’s growing that you want to catch early. For now I’ll just be thankful for the good news. Next big event is the Brain MRI to see what’s going on up there at the end of February.

Chemo yesterday was as usual. As many ways we have tried to get the paperwork going so they could start making the chemo drug we have failed. Yesterday was a long day. Arrived at the hospital at 12:45pm and left at 5:30pm. It doesn’t sound bad except my chemo treatment is 30 minutes. All the rest of the time is waiting.

Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I couldn’t do this without the love and support of my family (especially Mark) and friends.

Let’s put on those fancy Dancin’ shoes and welcome in the New Year.

My best to you and your families for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Feliz Año Nuevo

Keep on Dancin’

Friday, December 20, 2013

Tis’ the season……..

I didn’t want to miss writing a holiday message. Life has been hectic the last few weeks. Chemo has gone on as scheduled. My potassium is low but I’m sure it’s due to not eating correctly. Since the brain radiation my senses (as in taste, sight and hearing) have been off. I have terrible dry mouth which I believe is affecting my taste buds. I can no longer tolerate garlic, onions, sweets and any strong tastes and it’s affecting my eating. Also bread, crackers, potatoes and anything dry turns to paste in my mouth. It’s hard to find something to eat that the thought of doesn’t make me nauseous. The best analogy I could come up is next time you get the stomach flu, think of eating a chili dog with onions and cheese. You get that sick feeling just thinking about it. That’s how I feel all the time.

I’ve also noticed I’ve been having trouble hearing especially certain pitches. My eyes are getting better especially since allergy season is over. Some mornings I can see clearly while others it’s like looking through a fog. Not complaining as I was warned all these side effects could happen. I’m just trying to live with it. I wish I could find a high calorie food that doesn’t turn my stomach. I seem to be living on soups and Stouffers Turkey frozen dinners (where every day is a holiday).

Due to the holidays my chemo schedule has gotten changed a bit. I have a CT scan on Saturday, December 28 and chemo on Monday, December 30. Send me some positive energy because as you’ve learned from me “you’re only as good as your last CT Scan”.

On a sad note, my dad Larry Huro, died peacefully December 10 in Arizona. He was 84 years olds and lived what I think was a good life (those who knew him well knew he always had his dancin’ shoes on). A memorial service is planned for mid-January. He will be missed by family and friends and remembered as someone who was always there to help. Rest in Peace Daddy.

I wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Time to put on the sparkly Christmas shoes – Keep On Dancin’

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of the year again where we reflect and give thanks. Looking back over this past year I’ve had several challenges put in front of me that I wouldn’t have gotten through without the help and support from my family and friends. For this I am eternally thankful to all of you. From Mark hauling me around to tests, doctor appointments and chemo, my friends and family sending me cards and emails with words of encouragement to that smile which said “I’m behind you and support you”.

Please take time between the turkey and pumpkin pie to reflect and be thankful for all of those in your lives.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Putting on those Pilgrim shoes – Keep on Dancin’

Monday, November 4, 2013

THE TOP TEN REASONS I DON’T MIND BEING BALD:

10. I’m saving money on hair cuts.

9. I get to wear all the pretty hats people have given me over the years.

8. I’m putting Aveda out of business by not needing shampoo or conditioner.

7. I had an instant Halloween costume – just throw on a robe and go as Uncle Fester from the Adams Family

6. I save 20 minutes in the morning not having to do my hair.

5. I’m not constantly pushing my hair out my of eyes and away from my face.

4. When children stare and point I tell them it’s from not eating my vegetables.

3. When people automatically assume they know why you have lost your hair (chemo) and I inform them that it’s due to brain radiation for the tumors growing in my brain. Most don’t know what to say. Seems the brain commands more respect.

2. My kitties Kiki and Zoey take turns wrapping themselves around my head at night to keep me warm.


And lastly (drum roll please) the number one reason I don’t mind being bald..........

1. Being bald is what I look like and not who I am. A good example to how you should look at a persons inner self and not wallpaper on the outside.

I hope this brings a smile to your face.

Keep on Dancin'

Friday, November 1, 2013

Feliz Dia' de Muertos Today is the Day of the Dead as celebrated by our neighbors to the south in Mexico (along with several other countries and cultures). For some reason this day has always intrigued me. It's a day of honoring and remembering those friends and family members who have gone before us. It's celebrated with parades, visits to the cemetery and shrines where the deceased favorite foods are left. Seems like an honorable way to remember those who have helped shaped our lives abd have gone before us. It's been a rough week. Brain MRI Monday, Doctor visit to get results on Tuesday and chemo on Wednesday. I'm happy to report that the MRI shows the tumors in the brain shrinking. Since it's only been 6 weeks since the last radiation treatment it's hard for them to tell on the smaller lesions if they are active or dead brain tissue. I have another MRI scheduled in February which will give a bigger picture. I'm still bald as a cue ball. I really don't care except the colder weather is moving in and my head is always cold. I need to keep a knit hat on even indoors to keep warm. I hope all are doing well and I promise to start writing some awe inspiring entries in the coming weeks now that we are over this hurdle. Get out those winter boots and Keep On Dancin'

Friday, October 25, 2013

Just wanted to keep you all in the loop. Next week is going to be another rough week. Brain MRI Monday morning to see if the radiation treatments worked. In other words they want to check if anything is going on up there (and we all know that answer)! Tuesday I meet with the Radiation Oncologist for results and Wednesday is chemo. Please keep me in your thoughts next week. I'll post more as son as I get the results. Keep on Dancin'

Monday, October 14, 2013

Last week was a very long week to get through. Tuesday was my CT scan to see if the chemo was still working on the liver, lung area and bones. As expected (even though I did my due diligence the day before) when I got there the manager came out with the oral contrast. I had dealt with this tech so as soon as I mentioned it was suppose to be IV Contrast Only he remembered me. Problem was is that I got there at 6:45AM and my doctor who was the only one who could change the order wasn't in until 8:00AM. Another frustrating morning. T add injury to insult the tech informed me that the same contrast was in both the oral and IV and why didn't the IV contrast bother me. How should I know??? All I know is that when I drink the contrast I get stomach pains, sick to my stomach and a bladder infection. (as it turns out the IV contrast also gives me a bladder infection). Now we play the waiting game..... Why is it that whenever I am getting test results the doc gets behind in her schedule??? The next day was chemo and I had an appointment with my doc to review the results. Sat waiting for over an hour before she finally arrived. Thankfully the results showed STABLE. A weight off my shoulders. She did mention to me that she was sorry about the screw up the day before with radiology and hopefully they have it fixed....we'll see. Chemo was uneventful besides the fact that I was 1.5 hours late. Of course the hospital couldn't give me at least 24 hours to relax after the good report before they called my the next day to let me know the Radiology Oncologist wants me to have a Brain MRI at the end of the month (Oct 28) to see if the radiation did its job. I'm trying not to think about it until it gets closer. Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, emails and smiles. You have no idea the strength I get from all of you. Keep On Dancin'

Thursday, October 3, 2013

It’s been a while since I last posted. I finished my last radiation treatment on Monday, September 16. By that time all my hair had fallen out and I am now officially bald. Hopefully it will start to come back in before the cold winter weather. Wednesday, September 18 I was cleared for chemo and had a treatment. Between the radiation, chemo and the bone injection I get every six weeks by the time Saturday came around I was exhausted. Good thing we were on our way to West Pam Beach for some much needed R & R. I was active up to a point but by late afternoon I was exhausted and spent the time reading or napping. Back home and still tired but pushing myself to keep going – just that Energizer Bunny (or for the older crowd a Timex Watch – takes a lickin’ and keep on tickin’). I have a CT Scan to check how the chemo has been working on the other areas next Tuesday. They won’t do a brain MRI for 3 months after the last radiation treatment. There is so much activity from the radiation going on in the brain (plus all that thinking) that they won’t get a good reading until it settles down. So it’s wait and see right now. Otherwise I feel good and am keeping busy. Sorry for the short version and I will post more as information becomes available. Keep those dancin’ shoes on! Keep on Dancin” Sorry this is all bunched together but I've having problems with this site and hope to resolve it by next posting.

Monday, September 3, 2013

 

Dr. Frankenstein – It’s Alive!!!!!

That sort of sums up the last 6 radiation treatments. Started last week Monday for my first treatment. As you may remember all the issues I had getting an early morning time. Since I’m always early I arrived at 6:45AM for my 7:30AM appointment. Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find no one waiting. Sure enough a tech came in the waiting room right away to get me set up for treatment. In fact I have been taken at 7:15AM every day since. I’m still wondering why all the drama with my appointment time. Sounds like someone thinks they’re more important and can control a schedule without taking the patient into consideration. Of course I was done after my first treatment at 7:15AM and they had me scheduled for a 8:00AM appointment to see the doctor. Now remember I’ve been through all of this before so I knew exactly how it was going to work. I wait until 8:30 (if I’m lucky) before the doc strolls in and asks me how I’m doing, how do I feel, blah, blah, bah. It was my first treatment so in my mind there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of information being traded. So in my own “Doreen” way I just forgot about the appointment (what – my brain is being zapped. I had an excuse) and left. I thought I was in the clear until Thursday when I got a call from the nurse reminding me I didn’t stay for my appointment (what appointment??) and scheduled me for today (well truth be told she told me Wednesday at 8:00 but when I tried to leave today they ganged up on me and told me it was today). My doc is on vacation so I saw another doc who was really funny. He couldn’t get the computer to work – kept turning it on and off before he gave up and basically asked how I was doing. Fine I said and that was the end of the visit. Like I said a waste of time.

So, what are the treatments like? Way different then the last time I had them. Since they are radiating the whole brain the beam is on for approximately 9 seconds on each side. I get a funny chemical taste/smell when the beam is on. Almost like smelling burning flash and getting that taste you get when you smell something that sticks at the back of your throat. Really, I’m not trying to freak you out. Although my eyes are closed you can see a bright light and hear a buzzing that sounds like EEEEEERRRRRR. Reminds me of an old Frankenstein movie when old Frank gets hit by lightening and comes alive. Otherwise I’m just tired and I have terrible dry mouth (which hasn’t stopped me from talking). I have attached some pictures taken of me on the table and my mask straight out of another horror movie. Once the mask is put on and attached to the table you can’t move an inch. You can’t talk or hardly swallow. Imagine having it out, hearing the buzz, seeing the flashing lights and getting that taste. I think I’m starring in my own horror movie.

Otherwise, no loss of hair yet - just an itchy scalp.

Until next time…..

 Keep on Dancin”

Tuesday, August 20,2013

It’s been a crazy week with a flurry of activity. Last Wednesday I was at the hospital for a CT Simulation. This is where you lie in the table and they build a mask around your head to keep it in place while they do the radiation to prevent the beam from hitting other areas (eyes, glands, etc) which can cause problems. Good thing I don’t have panic attacks because once the mask is in place you’re glued to the table. Now imagine not being able to move and having the knowledge that they are zapping your brain. Get the picture???? I just go to my happy place with furry little kitties to keep my mind off things. Once the mask is made and you’re in place they take a CT Scan of your brain to determine where the radiation should be pointed. I was told it would take approximately ten days for them to develop a treatment plan before I could start the treatments. In the mean time that afternoon my doctors nurse called me to see what was going on with radiation and if I had started yet. It took everything I had to tell her that she worked at the hospital and if she looked in the computer she could get all the information she needed. Since I like her I gave her an update on that mornings visit. The next words out of her mouth was that she was canceling my chemo treatment for the following week. Why I asked – because I can’t have chemo and radiation at the same time (which I knew). I explained to her that at that moment I didn’t have a radiation schedule and wasn’t sure when they would contact me to set up a schedule. I didn’t want to go not having chemo for three weeks, plus three weeks of radiation plus and lag time waiting for them to contact me. To me it seems a little silly to attack the brain tumors while everything else is not being treated and having the chance of it growing in another area. Her response was she would keep the appointment and it probably was a good thing since if you miss 42 days between treatments you get thrown off the study. Let’s think about this for a minute, three weeks since my last chemo (21 days) plus three weeks of radiation (21 days) plus any lag time – looks like I was going to be thrown off if I didn’t insist on having chemo tomorrow. My question is why I had to figure this out and they didn’t?? As Murphy’s Law would have it of course I got a call the next day from the radiation scheduler telling me that my plan was complete and I could start radiation the following Monday. I explained to her that I had chemo that week that I couldn’t miss since I was on a study and didn’t want to be dropped since it paid for my treatments. After conferring with the doctor it was agreed I would start radiation on Monday, August 26. Should be a no brainer from there you would think until I was told that the times they had open were 10:45AM or 2:30PM. All along I had told the Radiation Oncologist that I worked full time and my office was two hours from the hospital. I needed an early morning appointment which would allow me to get to the hospital, have the treatment and get on the road before rush hour traffic. I was assured this would not be a problem. I explained this to the scheduler who told me that she would have to call me back. It wasn’t until Monday that I received a call back telling me that they could schedule me for 4:00PM. This would mean I would have to leave my office by 2:00PM to get to the hospital and then turn around and drive another two hours in rush hour traffic to get home. Maybe if it was one treatment but it wasn’t going to work for three weeks. I tried again to explain to her that if I don’t work I don’t have insurance and if I don’t have insurance they don’t get paid. I was told that the in-patient have priority over out-patients for morning appointments. This really makes sense since they are at the hospital all day and just need to be wheeled downstairs for treatments. After going back and forth and my threatening to go to another hospital she said she would have her supervisor call me. As most of you know I’m not one to sit around and wait so I immediately emailed my doctor advising him of the situation and asking if “maybe I should look at another hospital that is more convenient for me” as well as bringing up the fact that I was diagnosed June 7 with these tumors and two months later I still see no sense of urgency on their end. Is wasn’t more than 15 minutes I had an email back saying he would look into it and within the hour I had a phone call from his nurse informing me that I was scheduled for 7:30AM for my treatments. So besides keeping you updated on the current activities I hope I have shown that you have to be the driver of your own destiny. I could have easily excepted their plans and not said a word knowing it wasn’t in my best interest. Instead I stood up for myself and until they gave me a very good reason of why what I wanted wasn’t going to work I didn’t except their answers. Unfortunately I see and hear a lot of patients blindly going along with what they are told without questioning why. If you have learned anything about my experiences it should be to stand up for yourself. Enough of the soapbox – hopefully chemo tomorrow will go off with no issues. One can hope! I’ll let you know next week how things are going. Keep on Dancin”

Thursday, August 8, 2013

It’s amazing how fast things could change in four weeks. I went from the brain tumors being stable and not attached to the brain to last weeks phone call saying one of the two was now believed to be attached to the brain to yesterday’s appointment with the Radiation Oncologist telling me I now had four tumors which are growing in the brain. The verdict is full brain radiation everyday for three weeks.


What is most maddening about this whole scenario is waffling back and forth to the lack of sense of urgency. This has been going on for two months now and it will probably take another 2-3 weeks before I even start radiation. Next week I go in for a CT Simulation which is where they position you on the table and do a scan so they can make sure that they only radiate the brain area and no other areas (eyes, mouth, etc). They then make a mask that forms to my head and is attached to the table to prevent any movement during the treatments. If you look back in my blog to three years ago I actually have pictures of me on the table wearing my mask.

No chemo while I’m having the radiation which shouldn’t be a problem since I have it every three weeks anyway.

Of course they have to give you the whole disclaimer of side effects – memory loss, hair loss and burns being the main ones. One slip and they can turn you into a veggie. Of course I’d like to be a green bean – tall and skinny although green isn’t my favorite color.

I’ll keep you updated as this new adventure begins.

Keep on Dancin’

Thursday, August 1, 2014

Just when you think it was safe to let your guard down something comes and hits you between the eyes like an icy snowball on a cold bitter day.

After getting a very positive report from the Neurology Oncologist who (and I quote) said “this is a good report, you’re practically perfect” I get a call Monday morning from my Oncologist (a week and a half later after getting this news) who tells me they (the tumor board that consists of a Neurology Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Surgeon, Pathologist, etc) reevaluated my brain MRI and now they feel that one of the tumors is in the brain.  I need to go see the Radiation Oncologist for evaluation.  Of course it’s taking over a week to get in to see him even with my Oncologist making the appointment.  This is going on for almost 2 months and I see no sense of urgency which is frustrating.  In the mean time I have something on my brain that doesn’t belong there. 

Not only does this news bring more visits to the hospital and probably radiation treatments, but will upset my chemo schedule since radiation + chemo = burning a hole in your brain (like I need anymore).  My doctor is talking about putting me on another study with another chemo but I have strong feelings that if the chemo I’m on has been working why change now.  Hopefully the radiation will destroy the brain tumor (without destroying anything else up there) and I could go back and resume the same chemo.

I have an appointment for next Wednesday morning with the Radiation Oncologist so after that meeting I’ll know more and what my options are with treatments.

I’ll update you more after  my appointment next week.

Keep on Dancin”

Monday, July 22, 2013

Friday started out very early with a 7AM Brain MRI at the hospital. I was the first patient in and thankfully everything went well and the machine didn’t go down. Only minor issue was the tech who for some reason wouldn’t listen to me when it came to putting in the needle for contrast. Note to my healthcare professional friends – listen to your patients! We are not trying to tell you how to do your job. We are trying to tell you what has worked in the past to help you. The contrast (this is what lights up the cancer cells so the can see and measure them accurately) they use for an MRI is injected via a syringe so a typical IV is not needed. With my past MRI’s it was found that using a “butterfly” and injecting it into one of the veins in my hands was most successful. I mentioned this to the tech who decided he would rather use and IV needle and put it in my arm. OK, since he has the needle he’s the boss so I let him do it his way. After several attends he says, “maybe I’ll try putting it in your hand using a butterfly since it looks like you have good veins popping up”. He actually said this with a straight face like it was his idea. Again, he had the needle in his hand so I wasn’t about to argue with him.

After the MRI we headed up to see the Neurology Oncologist for the results. After waiting 45 minutes “Larry and Curly” (his residents) came in to “practice” on me and let me know Dr. K was measuring the results of the MRI but everything looked the same. Once he was finished he joined us and confirmed that the tumors had not changed and remained stable. It was his guess that they were there before I started the chemo trial and were being held in check by the chemo. His recommendation was not to do any treatments (i.e. radiation) and to watch them.

To those of you who have been following my progress with this issue may be a little confused with them going back and forth on treatments. Originally I was told that in order for chemo to work on the brain they would have to drill a hole in my skull and put in a port so that the chemo went directly to the tumors on the brain. Chemo isn’t effective when the tumors are directly on the brain due to the brain blood barrier which acts like a fortress to keep toxics from attacking the brain. My tumors are between the protective skin that covers the brain and the skull which allows the chemo to get to them. I know – too much info but take a step back and it’s really quite interesting.

The rest of the appointment was spent with him doing another neurology exam so he could demonstrate to the residents on how to perform the test. Unfortunately for them I have a very good memory and was answering his questions before he asked them which he found amusing. He once again confirmed that I was crazy and passed the testing with flying colors.

So it’s a wait and see situation. Good news is that it’s not growing – bad news is that I still have something up there that doesn’t belong. Small steps……..

Thanks for all of you hanging in there with me.

Keep on Dancin’

Monday, July 1, 2013

It’s been a crazy few weeks. Went to see a Neurology Oncologist to review MRI and determine treatment plan. The afternoon before I received a call from his nurse who informed me he may want to do a spinal tap so I should have someone with me to drive me home. Met the next morning with this new doc and I have to say I really like this guy. He’s around my age and very down to earth. He doesn’t fit the typical U of C physician type (i.e. no shirt and tie – instead a golf shirt, sense of humor). He put me through a regiment of verbal and physical exercised and pronounced me crazy. What was really interesting was that he showed me the MRI and explained it in detail. If it wasn’t for the fact that this was so serious it would have been fun.

For some reason where the tumors are (front lobe) and the shadow they cast on the MRI he wasn’t sure if they were attached to the brain or the scalp so he had to do a spinal tap. They got me ready and on with the show. I have to give Mark a lot of credit. They allowed him to stay in the room and watch as long as he didn’t pass out (too much paperwork to do on family members taking a nose dive). After about what seemed like an eternity and several needles he still couldn’t get to the spinal sac and decided to stop. I needed to be scheduled to have it done in surgery where they could use a fluoroscope to aid the needle down the spine into the sac. (did I mention that the needle are about 12 inched + long and the go through your back inside your spinal column until they hit the sac?) This was a Friday ( or yadirf which was one of the verbal tests I have given) and I was scheduled for the following Tuesday for another attempt.

We arrived at the hospital early Tuesday morning for another fun filled day. As mentioned in past postings this new hospital is amazing. Waited once again in the “Sky Lobby” with our beeper until they were ready to personally escort us down to pre-op. Got into one of those glamorous hospital gowns and hooked up to an IV and was ready to rock and roll. The doctor who performed the procedure was a Fellow and from my calculations was about 31 yrs old. He listened to my concerns about how local anesthesia and I aren’t always on the same page and assured me he would go slow and make sure the area was numb before proceeding. Again, I was very pleased with him and his team. They were very compassionate and friendly. Their biggest concern was my comfort throughout the procedure. Again it took several insertions of needle to locate the sac despite using the fluoroscope (by that point between Friday and that day I was beginning to feel like a pin cushion). You would think it would have been easy going from this point but NO, for some reason the fluid didn’t want to come out. It took almost an hour of body contortions as well as tipping the table to get 9cc’s of fluid. After a spinal tap you have to lie on your back for 6-8 hours or you could get a severe migraine. Because he had to insert the needle several time and the difficulty of getting the fluid out the doc told me my chances of getting a migraine was way up. Down in post-op they had me lying on my back for about 2 hours before they sent me home. I spent the rest of the day flat on my back drinking Coke (because of the caffeine which is another preventative) to avoid any complications. By the next morning I was up and back to my old routine with no headache.

You would think that would be the end of the story but by Thursday I knew something was up. I woke up vertigo and just feeling lousy. Unfortunately I had a lot going on and didn’t have the luxury of lying in bed all day. For the next five days I felt horrible. Between the vertigo and just being tired I was barely able to function. Plus I had chemo that Wednesday adding to the mix. I spent the whole weekend in the recliner with my eyes closed. Due to the steroids which increase your chances of infections, I felt a bladder infection coming on so I got a script from the doc for and an anti-biotic. Had it filled and a major drugstore (who advertises they catch drug interactions). It wasn’t more then 30 minutes after taking one I knew something was wrong. The next thing I knew both calves and feet started to cramp. My feet were so cramped they were actually twisted and started to curl. I was so thankful Mark was home and spent the next three hours massaging them to relieve the cramping. It wasn’t until 1:30AM that I was able to drink enough water to flush the drug out of my system. I didn’t sleep that night for fear I’d be waken up with more cramps. It wasn’t until the next morning that I found out that this drug and steroids should not be taken together and could cause tendon rupture. Did I mention I had both filled at the same pharmacy????? I don’t think it was until this past Friday that I finely feel back to normal.

Results of the spinal tap shows no cancer cells in the fluid. This translate that the tumors have not attached to the brain but the scalp. Believe it or not they sure are not certain how the course of treatment. I am not having the usual symptoms the normally see (blurred vision, dizziness, difficulty walking straight, etc). They actually discussed my case at a Neurology Conference and between what they saw on the MRI, the spinal results and how I present they couldn’t come to a decision. Originally they thought targeted radiation which is what I had last time but for these it is not an option (yet). Another option was to drill a hole in my head (like I need more) and put a port so the chemo goes straight to the brain. After further discussions with the doctors we decided to wait until July 19 and have another MRI before a course of treatment is selected.

So until then I know nothing more then I have two things stuck inside my head that I want OUT!

Otherwise my life has been boring and uneventful. LOL

I’ll let you all know as soon as I know something.

Keeping a positive attitude in my new dancin’ shoes.

Keep on Dancin”

Monday, June 10, 2013

Typical day at the hospital on Friday. Checked in to find that one MRI machine was down. Either this is an every day occurrence or it just seems to happen when I’m there.

Was finally called and was set up for the test. Entered tube and waited for it to start (for those of you who have had a MRI you know when it’s running). Next thing I know I’m being pulled out only to be told that this machine just went down (must have been my magnetic personality). The third machine was running and it would be approximately 40 minutes before I could get tested. OK – at this point what was another 40 minutes. Funny side note – the tech went out to advise Mark of the situation and the way she phrased it had him in panic mode. Said there was a problem with “fluids” and of course he’s thinking of an IV issue and had visions of me on the way down to ER. It wasn’t until she clarified that the fluid issues were with the machine and it overheated and shut down (maybe the problem is I’m HOT STUFF) and they couldn’t get it restarted that he calmed down a bit. In the mean time another tech came to see me and they decided to send me over the Brain Research Lab in another building so I had to get dressed and trekked about a mile through maze of halls to this dark area of the hospital (think your worst horror movie), through the doors and into the MRI area to get ready. The whole time I was thinking I didn’t want to see what was behind the closed doors to the lab. Once again set up and they started the test. Should be end of story – right?? Well with the MRI I have they run the machine for about 15 minutes taking 3D pictures, then pull me out to inject contrast and back in for another 12 minutes. The injection they give me is a butterfly needle so no honking big IV needle to worry about. The first stick in my inner elbow she missed. I suggest she use the hand where I’ve had them before. Got it in but because my veins are small and thin (at least something on me is) I believe she got some of it into my system but went to fast and blew through my vein. Although at the time all I could think of was how this wasn’t feeling to good but kept my mouth shut because all I wanted to do was get out of there. It wasn’t until we were in the car that Mark noticed my hand was all swollen up from what I assumed was the contrast that didn’t make it into my vein.

Since it was Friday and by the time I got out of there it was after 11:30AM I wasn’t expected any results until Monday so I tried to push it from my mind. I wasn’t too surprised when I got a call from my doctor on Saturday morning letting me know that the results were not too good. Seems there are two confirmed brain tumors and a couple that need more investigation. She is getting with the radiation team today to map out a course of treatment and options. She was surprised with the results since I am not exhibiting any of the usual signs – headaches, vision lost, etc. More surprisingly was the fact that I initialed the MRI because I felt a lump where my last tumor was and there was no signs of cancer in that area. I told her that maybe my body was trying to send me a message because if it wasn’t for the lump I detected we wouldn’t have pursued an MRI. Lesson Learned here is to listen to your body. From those of you have been following my journey over the past three years might remember that it was pleurisy that sent me to the hospital only to find that the cancer had returned. If it wasn’t for my body giving me serious enough signs to have a CT scan I probably wouldn’t be writing this today. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Don’t be afraid to approach your physician with concerns. That’s what they are there for and you shouldn’t be embarrassed or think you bothering them.

So I’m in the waiting game right now to see what the next course of action will be. I’m back on those dreaded steroids again. My doctor remembers how much I hated taking them so I’m only taking them 2x a day vs. the 4x a day they had me on last time. If you remember these make “Mean Doreen” come out besides the swelling and increasing my appetite. I’m trying to keep veggies and fruit around me to avoid scarfing down whatever I see.

I’ll try to post whatever I know to keep you in the loop. Not to bore you but there may be several postings this week depending on what I hear.

Keep those good thoughts and prayers coming my way. I truly believe that between keeping busy and my life normal I can get through this. It’s my family and friends who keep me going.

Keep On Dancin’

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Don't Be An Ostrich!

I could never understand when I hear people with life threatening conditions say they have had enough and basically give up. To me giving up has always been a sign of weakness. My motto has always been “fight to the finish”. On my pink ribbon checks I even have the words “Never Give Up” printed along the bottom. To me, giving up has never been an option as demonstrated by running more then one marathon on a bad knee and refusing to stop until I limped across the finish line.

These past three years have brought new light to the words Never Give Up. The words are easy enough to say, but until you’re put in a position what do they really mean. When I first started this journey a good friend of mine who was diagnosed a few years before me with the same condition told me that this would now consume me and be a way of life from now on. I remember wondering what the heck she meant. I went through it once 8 years before so what would be different now?? Well it took awhile for it to register but I now understand exactly what she was telling me and how the words never give up would change. Once you’re “sentenced” you can never get away from it. It’s on your mind 24/7 with sleep as your only escape. You may not show it in words or actions to your friends and family but believe me it’s there. 

By nature I’m a very positive person. My nickname with close family and friends has been Pollyanna throughout the years (for those of you who don’t get it look up the Disney movie Pollyanna with Halley Mills). Like Pollyanna I too like to play “The Glad Game” which consists of finding something good in every situation. But the more time goes by it’s getting harder and harder to stay focused and keep a positive attitude. I think a lot has to do with dealing with doctors. Don’t get me wrong, I love my doctors and have a lot of faith in them. But as the late Gilda Radner said “It’s always something”. I call it the “but” clause.

Case in point – I had an appointment yesterday with the Pulmonary Doctor to get the results of the bronchsoscope. I was feeling pretty confident since after the procedure he gave a positive report and just needed to get back the results of the specimens he was growing to see if there were any infections. At chemo last week my Oncologist's nurse mentioned to me that so far from what they saw there was no signs of infection and everything was looking good. So I was feeling pretty good when I met with him. As expected he said everything looked good when he did the procedure and every viral, bacterial and fungal infection he tested for all came back negative. No signs of infection or cancer cells were detected. Great news until the big BUT (and I’m not talking about what I sit on) came out of his mouth. What followed his BUT was that if the inflammation on my lungs doesn’t show signs of improvement by my next CT Scan (July 9) that he wanted to do a biopsy to get more tissue to test. Ok, as much as I don’t want to go through the procedure I could live with it. Then came the next BUT – if nothing shows up then they will have to assume (although with no positive proof) that it’s the treatments causing it and I would have to stop the chemo. WHAT??? Stop the drug that has improved and kept stable the cancers for almost a year and a half?? You're kidding me??? Basically it’s called CYA (as in cover your ass). In my opinion doctors and hospitals would rather take the routine way of treating patients, even though history has shown it’s not successful, then be a pioneer and explore new ways to treat diseases. I understand it has to do with liability and lawsuits (maybe we should blame the attorneys) but let’s not sugarcoat it. Those with advance stages of cancer are going to die eventually. There is currently no cure, just advances in prolonging life. Maybe if there wasn’t such a cavalier attitude towards filing lawsuits we wouldn’t put the medical profession in this position. But until things change, the protocol in administering drugs such as chemo is always going to be business as usual instead of pushing the envelope. It make you wonder how a drug such as chemo was ever developed (it was actually developed during WWII for chemical warfare and further developed at Yale as a treatment for cancer) and the first patient treated with this sort of attitude. Maybe there weren’t as many lawsuits back then. Until we push the envelope with treatments we’ll continue to have Band-Aids and never a cure.

So, getting back to my opening statement about people giving up, you could see the BS that’s thrown at you until you finally have enough. Gone are the days of just getting positive news from your doctor without the dreaded BUT (I should have t-shirts printed with the words NO MORE BUTS). Today is filled with test being ordered by doctors in order to cover their butts to avoid lawsuits. Unless something changes, tomorrow will be filled with robot-like physicians taking in the information and spitting out a predetermined answer based on the disease rather then taking the patient into consideration.

With that said, being the positive person you've grown to love, I’ll continue to fight for my treatments and do whatever it takes to see they continue. If there’s one thing I’ve learned is you have to become your own advocate and question things that you don’t understand or doesn’t make sense. Don’t be that ostrich with your head in the sand letting everyone else make decisions for you, Be a part of the team and when you don’t agree with the ways things are going speak up. Take charge of your most precious possession – your life!

Don't be an ostrich! (I've been waiting for a chance to use this picture I took over a year ago)

Thanks for listening!

Keep On Dancin"

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

I finally had a bronchoscope on Friday. The procedure was done in the new U of C Center for Care & Discovery which opened three months ago. We arrived at the new building and proceeded to the 7th floor reception area appropriately named the “Sky Lobby”. OMG – it’s the size of a football field and all glass with a view that overlooks the city. The area is broken into different areas by walls of glass so you feel like you’re in a smaller area but can see the view no matter where you sit. Each area is broken up into sections with chairs, sofas and lamps. They have a Starbucks and believe it or not a Wolfgang Pucks!! You feel like you’re in an upscale hotel complete with a grand piano. Once we checked in with the receptionist we were handed a buzzer like you get at a restaurant. When the buzzer goes off you go back to the receptionist and are assigned a personal escort who brings you down to pre-op. Mark was able to come down while I was checked into my assigned area and they took vitals and hooked up my IV. Once they were ready for me I was on my way to the procedure suite and Mark headed back to the Sky Lobby with his buzzer to wait until it buzzed again for him to be escorted back down to post-op.

Compared to the old procedure suites (notice they no longer call them operating rooms) these are amazing. They are four times bigger and much brighter. There are about six flat screen monitors all around the room to watch the patient and record the procedure.

I really like the doctor who did the procedure. Easy to talk to and understand. I jokingly asked him if he ever had a bronchoscope and he proceeded to tell me that he actually gave himself one to see what it was like so he understood what the patients were talking about when they described it to him. He did say he stopped short and only went up to his vocal cords since he was alone when he did it.

Well as expected the anesthesia they gave me didn’t work too well. The nurse gave it to me and asked if I felt anything. My response was no. She gave me more and asked again if I felt anything and again I said no but added "give me lots of drugs!!!!" They thought that was funny and gave me a little more. Still not much happening but they started. To tell you the truth they had numbed the nasal passage and throat so all I felt was pressure but no pain. It just felt strange. In fact I told the doctor it itched. I was able to watch it on one of the overhead screens when the docs head wasn’t in the way. At one point the nurse mentioned I was trying to see the screen but his head was in the way and he moved and knocked his head into the screen. Seemed funnier then…….

The only uncomfortable part was when they inserted 150ml of water into the lung and he used what looked like a tiny bottle brush to scrape cells from the interior of the lung. They then suctioned it up so they can grow it and check for viral, bacterial or fungal infections. I felt a choking sensation and had to cough which they warned would happen. Unfortunately they were only able to suck up 50ml of fluid and the balance will hang around for about a week before it’s gone. Until then I have coughing/chocking jags every so often.

I was able to talk to the doctor right after the procedure and he said everything looked normal. No masses, fluid, etc. It’s going to take about a week to grow the cells they removed so we won’t know anything until next week.

Post-Op

All and all it wasn’t a bad experience. The U of C team was great and took good care of me. The weekend was spent resting.

Next up is chemo this today which I hope goes smoothly (LOL).

Besides that did I mention that I have another lump on my head where the last lesion was three years ago? If you remember I had radiation which destroyed the cancer and only left evidence of medical treatment. My doctor thinks it may be from the radiation but it seems funny it would just pop up now. Anyway I have a Brain MRI scheduled for June 7th. There’s always something happening…..

Until I have more to report….

Keep on Dancin”

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Chuckle of the Week........

If you read my posting earlier this week you know that my bronchoscope procedure was canceled due to "not enough workers".  I received a call yesterday afternoon from the hospital that I needed to share with you.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

UCMC:  I'm calling to reschedule your colonoscopy.

ME:   aaaaaaaa......What???!!!!

UCMC:  I'm calling to reschedule your colonoscopy procedure that was canceled earlier this week.

ME:  I think you have the wrong end!

UCMC:   (shuffling of papers)  Oh,  ummm   (embarrassed)  I'll have to call you back.....

ME:   Have a nice evening.


Really, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

Keep on Dancin'

Monday, May 6, 2013

The saga continues.....   I just can't believe I'm the only one who encounters issue after issue when dealing with the hospital.  So here's the "rest of the story".......

Pulmonary doctors' office called me to tell me that the appointment I had scheduled for May 8th was "inappropriate".  So thinking she meant that I needed an earlier appointment I said yes and she proceeds to tell me that there were three doctors I could see and she was to give me the earliest appointment that one of them had.  She then tells me that she could schedule me for May 15th.   Wait a minute.... I was trying to move up my "inappropriate" appointment and she proceeds to give me an appointment for a week later.  I think I'm missing something here.  So I mention to the scheduler that the reason to change to appointment was to get one earlier then May 8 and she again tells me that that appointment was "inappropriate".  OK - I had to ask what she meant by "inappropriate" where she informed me that the doctor I currently was scheduled with was not able to perform broncoscopes.  WHOA.....  who said anything about a broncoscope?????    I guess I missed that part.  I again told her I needed an earlier appointment then May 8 because my Oncologist wanted me to see the doctor before my next chemo infusion which was May 8.  Long story short I was scheduled to see the Pulmonary Doctor April 30.

So went to see the specialist last week and I do say I really like him.  Seems practical in his approach (so far).  He explained that he felt doing a broncoscope is far less invasive then a traditional biopsy and scheduled me to have it May 6 (which by the way is today).  He went on to say that he didn't feel by looking at my CT scan that I should stop chemo and he called my Oncologist right away to let he know.  He did share with me that although he would do the scope it (or even a biopsy) would not tell them if the chemo was effecting my lungs.  In his opinion it was not,  but he couldn't be certain (so why am I having it???).   I did mention I went from a bad head/chest cold that was hanging around for several months right into allergy season.  He gave me a nasal spray and I must say that I have seen a big difference in my breathing.  No more stuffy nose.

So fast forward to last Friday afternoon at 4:00PM and I get a call from the hospital.  Seems they have to cancel my procedure scheduled for today due to "not enough workers".  HUH??????  World Class Hospital my @$$!!!!   You have to be kidding me.  So they scheduled me for May 8th - NOT!  There must be something about May 8 because they seem to want me to spend all day at the hospital.   I have chemo Wednesday and there is no way I'm going to get there at 7AM and wait until 2:30 for chemo and finally leave at 6:00PM.  Not going to happen.  So now I wait for them to call me back and let me know when I've been rescheduled.  At this rate by the time they figure it out we will be out of allergy season and everything will be back to normal.

Is it a wonder I get all bent out of shape when dealing with all of this?  I'll keep you informed when I get more news.

Keep on Dancin"

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Wow - it's hard to believe April is almost over.  What a crazy month. 

Sorry for the late update but things have been hectic and I've been out of town.  I had a CT scan on April 9 showing STABLE.  It's funny where before I would have been frustrated with the word stable in regards to anything else; it actually has become a favorite word in my world.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to hear improved, but stable will work.

Same old BS when going for the CT scan.  You would think that after three years and many, many scans that they would get things right especially at a world class hospital.  But no I still had to argue with the tech who insisted that my orders state I needed to take the oral contrast.  It wouldn't be so bad but I have made a habit of checking the day before to make sure the orders are correct only to walk in at 6:45AM and be told the opposite.  I have to give the tech credit though in this case, after telling him to scan down the order and look at the notes he did come back to me with a printed copy to show me that indeed it said NO ORAL CONTRAST,  Seems the Radiologist can't read.  But lets focus on the results - STABLE.  That's what gets me through.

Wednesday was a doctor appointment and chemo.  After a while you can tell when something is going on and as usual my radar was working.  First saw the Fellow who asked a bunch of questions (why isn't all this in the computer so they stop asking the same questions every three weeks???   It's not like it's been a year since I was last seen).  I got a lecture on my non-healthy eating habits.  You would think she would understand that after working 9+ hours a day I just don't feel like cooking when I get home.  Then the nurse came in and I could usually read her like a book.  I knew something was brewing.  Sure enough my doctor came in and said she couldn't give me any more chemo until I saw a Pulmonary Specialist because my lungs showed having opacities (cloudiness).  I almost hit the roof thinking that I have been sitting and waiting all this time only to be told I wouldn't have a treatment.  Luckily she clarified and said I could have the treatment that day but no more until she  (covered her butt) talked to a Lung Specialist.   So of course the next open appointment with a spcialist is May 8 at 8:00AM (three weeks later).  Problem is that I have chemo that day at 2:30 and there was no way I'm going to be at the hospital at 8AM and wait around until 2:30 for chemo.  I usually don't get out of chemo until 6PM so that's 10 hours of sitting around.  Supposedly they are trying to get the appointment for an earlier date but I have half a mind to start calling on  my own to see if anything is available.  They have over 15 Pulmonary Specialist.  You would think one would be available!   You could see my frustration!  I really believe part of the problem is that most of my doctors patients are on disability and have all the free time in the world.  They forget that those who work really need to be at work and not sitting at a hospital wasting time!   Well, hopefully we can get this resolved in the next few days.

Through all of this I still have managed to keep my blood pressure in check:

Otherwise I feel great except for a slight head cold and cough.   I just can't wait for the warmer weather so I'm not so cold all the time.

I'll try to update you all in a more timely manner.  Until then keep a smile and your face and a positive attitude!

Wearing my waterproof dancin' shoes!

Keep on Dancin"

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Sorry I have been out of touch for the past several weeks but there really hasn't been much to write about (which I guess is a good thing). 

Chemo last week was pretty typical.   I did get a new nurse who learned a valuable lesson from our time together.  Although I have tried not to interfere with how they insert the IV needle, let's face it after three years I'm pretty much aware of what's going to work and what's not.  So when he laid down the IV kit and I noticed he had a blue (22 gauge) instead of a yellow (24 gauge).  Experience tells me that due to the fact that my veins are small that a yellow works much better then a blue because they are able to advance it into my vein without it breaking through.  So I mentioned to him that I usually have a 24g but it was his call what to use (see I'm getting better at letting them do their jobs).  He decided to use the 22g and proceeded to insert it and advance it right through my vein.  Second try was with a 24g with no problem except now I have a huge black and blue mark where I bled out under the skin.   To his credit when all was said and done he did tell me he should have listened to me since I knew better having gone through this so many times.   Lesson Learned in this scenario is as a patient speak up and be a part of the team instead of a bystander.  As a health care professional listen to your patients as they have valuable information to share.

The only other thing on the horizon is a CT Scan scheduled for April 16.  It will be 12 weeks since my last and I'm feeling a little nervous.  I know how quickly things could change and how imperative it is to catch it quickly.  Fingers crossed for good results.  As I always say when I'm asked how I'm doing "you're only as good as your last CT Scan".  Not being negative but stating a fact.

Otherwise I'm just tired and cold as usual.  I can't seem to shake this head cold and stomach virus that's been going around.

Waiting until I can put on my dancin' flip flops.

Keep on Dancin"

Friday, March 8, 2013

Wednesday was my 19th chemo treatment with the trial drug T DM-1.  Hard to believe it's been a year since I started the trial.  As you may have seen from my last post this drug was finally approved for limited use (whatever that means) by the FDA after many years of testing and fighting.  It's been good to me so far ( but as you all know I'm cautiously optimistic ) and I hope others will benefit from this drug.  It's a good feeling to think that I am a "pioneer" (or guinea pig as I like to say) who's participation in this trial will help those in the future to fight this battle. 

I saw the doctor before my treatment and she advised me that even thought this therapy has been approved, the drug company has chosen me to stay on trial and continue to gather information on my tolerance to it and any side effects as well as results.  This is a good thing since the trial covers the cost of the chemo (rumor is that the cost is close to $10,000 per treatment) and testing (CT Scans, ECHO, etc).  Although I have good insurance I would hate to think I would have to fight with BCBS for them to cover the cost of the treatments.  So I continue my quest to make history....

All and all everything is good.  Just very tired and constantly cold.

Thanks for all your support!

Keep on Dancin'

Friday, February 22, 2013

Breaking News.........

F.D.A. Approves Breast Cancer Drug  
By ANDREW POLLACK


The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new type of drug that combines the widely used breast cancer medicine Herceptin with a powerful toxin to more effectively kill cancer cells while potentially reducing side effects.

The drug, which will be called Kadcyla but was known as T-DM1 during its development, extended the median survival of women with advanced breast cancer by nearly half a year in a clinical trial.

Genentech, which developed the drug, said it would cost about $9,800 a month, or $94,000 for a typical course of treatment. That is about twice the price of Herceptin itself, which is also made by Genentech, but it is similar to the price of some other new cancer drugs. It is approved for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, about 20 percent of cases.
Kadcyla is one of the first successful examples of a new class of drug that link toxins to proteins known as monoclonal antibodies. The antibodies latch onto tumors and deliver the toxic payload. Because the toxin is not activated until it reaches the tumor, some side effects are avoided.

Such medicines, known as antibody-drug conjugates, are a hot area for cancer drug developers, with around two dozen such drugs in clinical trials. Another antibody-drug conjugate, Adcetris, developed by Seattle Genetics, was approved in 2011 as a treatment for two rare types of lymphoma.

The linker and toxin used in Kadcyla was developed by ImmunoGen, based in Waltham, Mass., which will receive royalties on sales of the drug. This is the first approved product for ImmunoGen, which has been working on antibody-drug conjugates for three decades.

The main clinical trial leading to approval of Kadcyla involved 991 patients with metastatic breast cancer that was worsening despite treatment with Herceptin and a taxane chemotherapy drug, such as paclitaxel. Half the women were given infusions of Kadcyla and the other half took two pills now commonly used for such patients: Tykerb, also known as lapatinib, and Xeloda, also known as capecitabine.

The patients getting Kadcyla lived a median of 30.9 months, compared with 25.1 months for those getting the two pills. The median time before the disease worsened, a measure known as progression-free survival, was 9.6 months for those getting Kadcyla, compared with 6.4 months for those getting the other drugs.

While having greater efficacy, Kadcyla also had fewer side effects. About 43 percent of patients on Kadcyla had serious side effects compared with 59 percent for those getting the two pills.



Still, the label of Kadcyla has a warning saying the drug can cause liver toxicity, heart toxicity and death. It also can cause serious birth defects or fetal death, so women of childbearing age taking the drug are urged to use contraception.

Herceptin, also known as trastuzumab, binds to a protein on the surface of breast cancer cells called HER2. Since Kadcyla incorporates Herceptin, it too is approved only for the roughly 20 percent of breast cancer cases with an overabundance of HER2.

Kadcyla’s approval is for use after a patient has already failed to respond to Herceptin and a taxane. But Roche, the Swiss company that owns Genentech, is already testing it for use as an initial treatment for metastatic cancer. It is also testing it in combination with Perjeta, another of its drugs for HER2-positive breast cancer, which was approved last June.



Roche executives say they hope that Kadcyla, along with Perjeta, will make Herceptin somewhat obsolete by the time it could face competition from cheaper biosimilars, which are similar to generics. Roche says the United States patent on Herceptin expires in 2019.

Herceptin had global sales of 5.9 billion Swiss francs ($6.3 billion at current exchange rates) in 2012. It was the world’s best-selling drug used only for cancer in 2012.

Genentech tried to win approval for T-DM1 in 2010 as a treatment for breast cancer patients who had run out of options, based on a small trial without a control group. But the F.D.A. turned down the application, angering some patients and patient advocates.


Dancin' the Happy Dance - Keep on Dancin"

Friday, February 15, 2013

A Belated Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

Not much to report.    I had an ECHO on Wednesday to make sure the old ticker is tolerating the chemo treatments.  So far so good.  Next was chemo which besides being stuck twice and it leaving a very colorful black and blue mark was uneventful.

Rumor is that this trial chemo (Hercepton DM-1) I have been on for one year now should be approved by the FDA the end of this month.  There are so many women out there who have been trying to get it that I hope this isn't another false alarm.  I try not to read too much about others experience because it could really start bringing you down when you hear some of it, but I did glance at a few comments from those who have been on it for the past few years and are doing remarkably well.  As I always say your only as good as your last CT scan and I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

I declare that March 1 is the start of spring.  I'm so tired of being cold.

Until there is more to report.......  Lace up those dancing shoes!

Keep on Dancin"

Friday, February 1, 2013

My Birthday

Today’s my birthday. In the past I wouldn’t have cared much except for the fact that I was growing older. Just another reminder that I couldn’t do the same things I did ten or twenty years ago which would be reinforced every time I looked in the mirror and saw the increase of lines on my face (although no gray hair yet). Evident in my slower pace, falling asleep in the recliner and the fact that I would rather spend the evening watching TV or reading a good book then going out.

But birthdays since my diagnosis have taken on a whole new meaning. In fact I have instituted an event called “birthday week” where I celebrate all week instead of one day. Birthdays now mean I have made one more year then I thought I would. It’s not about celebrating turning a year older, it’s about life. Time I have been given to be with my family and friends. When I was at the hospital last week the nurse who checked me in mentioned we shared the same birthday. My response was something positive (sorry I don’t remember my exact words because her come back to me knocked me for a loop) and she said “just another year closer to dying”. For once I was speechless. Here she was working in a department where all the patients she saw were hoping and praying to see many more birthdays and saw them as positive events in their lives while she looked at the negative of getting older. My guess is that every patient having chemo that day would have gladly traded places with her,

So, did I mention today’s my birthday??? I have been celebrating it all week and will continue to into the weekend. As I look at the cake glowing brightly with one more candle added to it I’ll be thankful that I’ve added yet another year.

Wearing my new birthday Dancin’ shoes and singing Happy Birthday to me!

Friday, January 25, 2013

It's been a long week to say the least.  CT scan Tuesday morning, blood test Monday and Tuesday (still having bilirubin issues) and chemo on Wednesday.  I feel like a porcupine with all the needle sticks I've endured this week.

Good new on the CT scan.   One doctor opinion was a slight reduction in tumors in liver and lung area.  My doctor who is  a little more guarded in interpretation said she sees it as being stable.  Either way she was happy with the results.

No real side effects except being tired.  This weekend should tell a story if the past few months have been a cold or if the fever and head cold symptoms are a result of the chemo.  Stay tuned.....

Looks like winter has arrived if only for a few days since it's suppose to be in the 50's on Tuesday.

Until next time I have my snow shoes on and ready to dance1

Keep on Dancin"

Friday, January 11, 2013

Happy New Year!   Sorry I've been out of touch for a while but the holidays were busy.  I was all set on writing about new years resolutions until it took me one day to break mine.  I was going to strive to have more patience which was promptly broken on January 2 when I waited 4 hours from my appointment time until I was called for my chemo treatment.  They explained it was due to the holiday and being closed on January 1 for which I replied that New Years Day was not a new holiday that popped up on the calendar and happens every year so how could they not be prepared.  Of course you just get blank stares when you start thinking logically so I just sat and kept quiet.

I've been under the weather fighting a head cold this past week which hopefully will be gone by the end of the weekend.   Just planning on resting this weekend with no big plans.

Next CT scan is January 22 to see how the chemo is working.  No matter how many times I've gone through in the past + 2 1/2 years I still get nervous.  Speaking of CT scans I counted that I had 20 scans last year.  With all the radiation I could be lighting up the streets of Chicago. 

Until I feel better and have more to share I'll be putting on my dancing slippers and resting.

Keep on Dancin'