It's so good to be feeling better! On Sunday Bill and I went to Lowe's to get a quote for the materials to build a deck on the back of our house. Later in the day we took Kelly to a movie with us and went out to dinner. Iwas really exhausted by the time we got home, but it was a good day.
There is a poem in the sidebar that was written for me by Jim Hume. I have worked with Jim at the City of Fort Collins for the last 13 years. It makes me feel so special. Jim also dropped by a book of his poetry. Thanks Jim.
New Hope
My Mom (Sharon) and Dad (Ron) met with an oncologist at the Virginia Piper Cancer Center today. The doctor discussed some clinical trails that may be a possibility with one trial in particular she recommended. She also mentioned it would be good to get a biopsy of one of the tumors in her liver to see if it had mutated and see what drugs the tumors would be sensitive to. My Mom is scheduled for a liver biopsy on Thursday. So after last week with no options, there is renewed hope that there are multiple options to choose from. The doctor was excited to see what good shape my Mom is in for being 70 years old! Please pray that the liver biopsy goes well and she is accepted into the clinical trial.
Thank you for all of the prayers and have a great week.
Michelle
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
More Good News
I have been off all pain medication for almost a week and a half. What a difference. I have more energy and am feeling better. I still get tired going up and down the stairs, but it is getting better. We had a beautiful weekend here. It was in the seventies. I sat out in the yard for a little bit on Sunday. It was so peaceful sitting there listening to the birds and having a nice warm breeze blowing. Then Monday we had a high of 40 degrees with strong winds and snow predicted. What a change.
Another sign of healing. I am wearing jeans. I have spent the last 4 1/2 months in sweat pants.
We had an awesome prayer circle on Monday night. The parents of our friend Jill are visiting from Ohio. Her dad is a 15 year cholangiocarcinoma survivor, which is the same cancer I have. He came to the prayer circle last night and described the healing and peace he experienced through Jesus Christ.
Jill playing the keyboard and Bob on his guitar rocked the living room with song. It was wonderful. I love singing. Cindi led the Polarity Circle. I laid on a massage table with different prayer group members laying hands on me sharing their energy while praying my intentions to God. My prayers were for continued healing and thanksgiving for all of the healing I have experienced. The experience is energizing.
Please keep my Mother in your prayers. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 1999. After being cancer free for 6 years, in 2005 she had a recurrence. She has been doing chemotherapy on and off the last 4 years. For the last 5 months she has been doing the same chemotherapy drug that I am on. She had a CT scan last week and saw the doctor today. Her tumors are growing and this chemotherapy drug isn't working. The doctor recommended checking on a clinical trial, but didn't have good news about trying another drug. Her name is Sharon Beyer.
Have a blessed and peace-filled week.
Michelle & Bill
Another sign of healing. I am wearing jeans. I have spent the last 4 1/2 months in sweat pants.
We had an awesome prayer circle on Monday night. The parents of our friend Jill are visiting from Ohio. Her dad is a 15 year cholangiocarcinoma survivor, which is the same cancer I have. He came to the prayer circle last night and described the healing and peace he experienced through Jesus Christ.
Jill playing the keyboard and Bob on his guitar rocked the living room with song. It was wonderful. I love singing. Cindi led the Polarity Circle. I laid on a massage table with different prayer group members laying hands on me sharing their energy while praying my intentions to God. My prayers were for continued healing and thanksgiving for all of the healing I have experienced. The experience is energizing.
Please keep my Mother in your prayers. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 1999. After being cancer free for 6 years, in 2005 she had a recurrence. She has been doing chemotherapy on and off the last 4 years. For the last 5 months she has been doing the same chemotherapy drug that I am on. She had a CT scan last week and saw the doctor today. Her tumors are growing and this chemotherapy drug isn't working. The doctor recommended checking on a clinical trial, but didn't have good news about trying another drug. Her name is Sharon Beyer.
Have a blessed and peace-filled week.
Michelle & Bill
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I didn't study for the test....
...but I received a good grade anyway. On Friday I had a PET Scan. (PET = Positron Emission Tomography: after being injected with radioactive sugar they create a 3D image of my entire body with CT scans. The sugar metabolizes faster in areas where cancer cells are, so that is how they can see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.)
On the scan in December they saw fluid in my lung cavity and in my pelvis, a spot on my liver and on my spine. I received 14 radiation sessions for the cancer on my spine for pain management, and so far 5 treatments of systemic chemotherapy to treat all the other tumors.
The scan on Friday showed no fluid anywhere, the spot on the liver gone and scarring on the spine consistent with radiation treatments. So very good news. The sweetest words on the report were "no metabolically active malignancy in the abdomen or pelvis is evident." Can I hear an AMEN!
Neither this scan nor the one in December picked up the tumors in my bile duct and hepatic ducts. The doctors said this is because they are long and thin. We already got great news on those tumors from the doctors down in Denver when I had my last stent procedure on February 13th and they found there was significant improvement. We'll hear more about that progress in 4 weeks when I return to Denver for my next ERCP/stent check.
I also had some bloodwork done this week. The tumor marker CA19-9 was better. It was 5100 in January and 1093 just 3 weeks ago. Last week it was 603. Less than 60 is normal. So it is headed in the right direction. Our understanding from previous discussions with the medical oncologist is we will continue the chemotherapy until the tumor marker is back in the normal range. We meet with the medical oncology team this week Tuesday (St. Paddy's Day!) to review my progress and update my treatment plan. Immediately after meeting with the doctor, I'm scheduled for my next chemo treatment. As you may recall, they have me on a 2 week on/1 week off schedule for the next several rounds.
Last week was my week off from chemotherapy. I have been able to reduce my pain medication to almost 1/4 of my January dosage, which is great news. I have, however, still been battling both extreme nausea and extreme fatigue. I'm still taking about the same dosage of nausea medications as I have been since starting chemo, and while my energy seems to be a little better on some days, the smallest activity just wipes me out. I frequently have to stop at the landing half the way up the stairs, and while I've been able to venture out of the house more often, even small trips send me back to bed for several hours and sometimes the next day, too.
Words seem inadequate to express my gratitude for all the prayers from all of the people who care about me. It's very clear to Bill and me that it is those prayers more than anything else that account for my astounding progress. It was almost impossible for us to see arriving at this point in my treatment so quickly, and while we know we're not out of the woods yet, we find ourselves filled with gratitude and renewed hope. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and please keep those prayers coming!
I would like to thank my ride coordinator Karen for driving me to my PET Scan appointment on Friday. I would also like to thank my personal chefs, Brenda who brought me over a wonderful lunch and stayed with me through the afternoon and Suzanne who brought me up to speed on all the City of Fort Collins IT Department gossip and cooked us a delicious chicken dinner, also on Friday. Turns out they haven't boxed up my cube just yet. Chris and Kelly both were working on Friday and Bill felt more comfortable having someone here to baby sit me.
Have a peaceful week.
Michelle (Bill helped a little bit this week, too)
P.S. I heard the coolest thing on a TV commercial this week:
On the scan in December they saw fluid in my lung cavity and in my pelvis, a spot on my liver and on my spine. I received 14 radiation sessions for the cancer on my spine for pain management, and so far 5 treatments of systemic chemotherapy to treat all the other tumors.
The scan on Friday showed no fluid anywhere, the spot on the liver gone and scarring on the spine consistent with radiation treatments. So very good news. The sweetest words on the report were "no metabolically active malignancy in the abdomen or pelvis is evident." Can I hear an AMEN!
Neither this scan nor the one in December picked up the tumors in my bile duct and hepatic ducts. The doctors said this is because they are long and thin. We already got great news on those tumors from the doctors down in Denver when I had my last stent procedure on February 13th and they found there was significant improvement. We'll hear more about that progress in 4 weeks when I return to Denver for my next ERCP/stent check.
I also had some bloodwork done this week. The tumor marker CA19-9 was better. It was 5100 in January and 1093 just 3 weeks ago. Last week it was 603. Less than 60 is normal. So it is headed in the right direction. Our understanding from previous discussions with the medical oncologist is we will continue the chemotherapy until the tumor marker is back in the normal range. We meet with the medical oncology team this week Tuesday (St. Paddy's Day!) to review my progress and update my treatment plan. Immediately after meeting with the doctor, I'm scheduled for my next chemo treatment. As you may recall, they have me on a 2 week on/1 week off schedule for the next several rounds.
Last week was my week off from chemotherapy. I have been able to reduce my pain medication to almost 1/4 of my January dosage, which is great news. I have, however, still been battling both extreme nausea and extreme fatigue. I'm still taking about the same dosage of nausea medications as I have been since starting chemo, and while my energy seems to be a little better on some days, the smallest activity just wipes me out. I frequently have to stop at the landing half the way up the stairs, and while I've been able to venture out of the house more often, even small trips send me back to bed for several hours and sometimes the next day, too.
Words seem inadequate to express my gratitude for all the prayers from all of the people who care about me. It's very clear to Bill and me that it is those prayers more than anything else that account for my astounding progress. It was almost impossible for us to see arriving at this point in my treatment so quickly, and while we know we're not out of the woods yet, we find ourselves filled with gratitude and renewed hope. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and please keep those prayers coming!
I would like to thank my ride coordinator Karen for driving me to my PET Scan appointment on Friday. I would also like to thank my personal chefs, Brenda who brought me over a wonderful lunch and stayed with me through the afternoon and Suzanne who brought me up to speed on all the City of Fort Collins IT Department gossip and cooked us a delicious chicken dinner, also on Friday. Turns out they haven't boxed up my cube just yet. Chris and Kelly both were working on Friday and Bill felt more comfortable having someone here to baby sit me.
Have a peaceful week.
Michelle (Bill helped a little bit this week, too)
P.S. I heard the coolest thing on a TV commercial this week:
I don't have an Expiration Date!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Painkillers and Reality TV
Bill is going to regret showing me how to do my own blogs. He forgets that I am home all day on strong painkillers. I need the strong painkillers so I can stand all of the the reality TV. I watch alot of Home and Garden TV, so Bill's "to do" list is getting longer and longer. So did anyone TIVO Flip that House? Where did they say the got the South Pacific Marble?
On to business, I had chemotherapy on Tuesday. The next few days were spent in bed with plenty of nausea medicine. This week I don't have chemotherapy. I have blood work I need to get done on Tuesday, an appointment with my Radiology Oncologist on Wednesday, and a PET Scan on Friday. We are praying the PET Scan shows significant improvement in the areas the cancer had spread.
May you have a peaceful week.
Michelle
On to business, I had chemotherapy on Tuesday. The next few days were spent in bed with plenty of nausea medicine. This week I don't have chemotherapy. I have blood work I need to get done on Tuesday, an appointment with my Radiology Oncologist on Wednesday, and a PET Scan on Friday. We are praying the PET Scan shows significant improvement in the areas the cancer had spread.
May you have a peaceful week.
Michelle
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Fatigue and Nausea
My radiation treatments for the cancer on my spine ended on Tuesday. Yea! The radiologists gave me a cake with a candle for my final day. All together I had 14 treatments. Talking with the doctor, the peak of the pain relief should come in 2 weeks. The nausea should peak in 2 weeks also. They said the fatigue should last 4 – 6 weeks. I have been having a lot of nausea and fatigue this week. I will have a follow-up MRI in 6 weeks to take a look at that area of the spine. In the meantime, I need to avoid falling as that is a weakened area of my spine. Luckily we haven’t had much snow and ice this winter.
I had chemotherapy on Tuesday with a reduced dose, so my blood counts shouldn’t go too low. They will check them this Tuesday when I get chemo again. I should have the week of March 10th off from chemo. The doctor wants to do 2 weeks of chemotherapy with a week off at the reduced dosage and see how things go for a couple of cycles. I should have a PET scan the week of March 10th or early the following week to see how the spot in my liver and fluid in my lungs and pelvis are doing. Dr. Marschke said he expects everything to have improved like my bile duct tumors have. He said that with this treatment either everything gets better or everything gets worse. It’s unlikely that some things would be better and others worse.
On Friday, I had a wonderful experience. A friend of mine has been certified in massage therapy, so Kelly and I had massages on Friday. It was relaxing and restful.
Kelly is signing up to take the Certified Nurses Aid classes starting March 16th. She will be doing the class for 3 weeks from 8:00am – 5:00pm. This will help move her toward her dream of going to medical school to become a neurologist. I am going to need some rides to chemo or hydration, so don’t ignore me when you see my name pop up on the caller id. ☺
We will be doing prayer circle again on Monday, March 2nd at 6:30 at my house. We will be having a celebration of healing. We will do communion and prayer along with some little treats.
The picture is of me and my 2 cats. Kira is the Siamese and is 5 years old. Scotty is the striped kitten and is 7 months old. Oh, and that’s my new La-Z-Boy chair we’re sitting in. It’s SOOO comfy!
I had chemotherapy on Tuesday with a reduced dose, so my blood counts shouldn’t go too low. They will check them this Tuesday when I get chemo again. I should have the week of March 10th off from chemo. The doctor wants to do 2 weeks of chemotherapy with a week off at the reduced dosage and see how things go for a couple of cycles. I should have a PET scan the week of March 10th or early the following week to see how the spot in my liver and fluid in my lungs and pelvis are doing. Dr. Marschke said he expects everything to have improved like my bile duct tumors have. He said that with this treatment either everything gets better or everything gets worse. It’s unlikely that some things would be better and others worse.
On Friday, I had a wonderful experience. A friend of mine has been certified in massage therapy, so Kelly and I had massages on Friday. It was relaxing and restful.
Kelly is signing up to take the Certified Nurses Aid classes starting March 16th. She will be doing the class for 3 weeks from 8:00am – 5:00pm. This will help move her toward her dream of going to medical school to become a neurologist. I am going to need some rides to chemo or hydration, so don’t ignore me when you see my name pop up on the caller id. ☺
We will be doing prayer circle again on Monday, March 2nd at 6:30 at my house. We will be having a celebration of healing. We will do communion and prayer along with some little treats.
The picture is of me and my 2 cats. Kira is the Siamese and is 5 years old. Scotty is the striped kitten and is 7 months old. Oh, and that’s my new La-Z-Boy chair we’re sitting in. It’s SOOO comfy!
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