Well, got to sleep in some but hurried around making sure last minute things were done. We had to finish shopping at Cracker Barrell (LOL!!) on the way home from Duke as we still had not finished up. Anway, got everything wrapped, sealed and delivered. Chris and his Mom Gin cooked up our Christmas Eve dinner which was pork loin, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole and rolls. Angela cooked up the macarooni and cheese which completed the meal and we ate around 5:00. We of course ate on paper plates and used plastic utensils but it was so nice not to have to cook one thing and all of the food was delicious. Gin almost made her famous Turtle Puffs which are so good, Mom brought her famous lemon cake and we made our brownies. We were all sitting by the tree enjoying the
laughter, talking and thinking about how blessed we are. Alanna was at her home in NC with her brother and sister and we are so thankful that her surgery went so well. It does not look like she will have to be on insulin long and her liver has already started doing the processes the pancreas had done before, so we know she does not miss the pain! I will be starting my chemo soon which will treat the liver, bone and breast cancer all at one time. It has been a fast Christmas and all of the snow went away in one day! Temperature was 54 degrees today and it all melted. Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and will look forward to a wonderful New Year! Love, Janice & Danny
Saturday, December 26, 2009
12/26/09 Late Update
Sorry for the late update. My internet has been down since the snowstorm and just got fixed today. We had intermittant internet and it worked when it wanted to, not when I wanted it too!
Anyway, last Monday, ended up being a 2 day trip. I had my last radiation treatment then saw my doctor. I had to review the new clinical trial being offered called ABC then I found out I was not having chemo. Apparently, I needed several tests before I could start any chemo so they wanted me to go ahead with the tests and schedule the chemo for Wednesday, 23 Dec and it did not take me very long to say no way! If I've waited this long for chemo, then another week would not make a difference. I would have any tests that they wanted but I wanted to come home Tuesday and not be home on Wednesday night and then possibly be sick for Christmas. So, my doctor agreed to let me take the tests, which were a brain scan, a heart ultrasound, a biopsy of the breast again and some blood tests. I was unable to schedule all of the tests that Monday so I had to have my heart test on Tuesday but we got home around 5:30. By the way, I got to go with my friend Joy and her husband to see the Rockettes on Wednesday, 23 Dec at 4:00 p.m. in a borrowed wheelchair, which was great. But with the snow still hanging around, I needed snow tires and a seat belt (LOL!!!) boy, did we make some memories. I never laughed so hard in my life trying to get over the snow in a wheelchair that did not want to go! We were supposed to be on 23L which is up a lot of steps but since I was in a wheelchair, we got to sit a lot closer in a special area for wheelchairs. I'm so glad that the radiation worked so well and most of the pain in my left leg is gone...it's 90% better and I can get around so much better, if I just had the energy. Anyway, I have to go back this Tuesday, 29 Dec for my first chemo treatment. Bloodwork is at 0755 a.m, doctor at 830 and chemo at 930. We have decided to go on up Monday night and stay so neither one of us has to get up sooo sooo early. Hopefully, we will be able to come home Tuesday afternoon and then go back next Monday. I'll post Christmas Day on another blog so stay tuned!
Anyway, last Monday, ended up being a 2 day trip. I had my last radiation treatment then saw my doctor. I had to review the new clinical trial being offered called ABC then I found out I was not having chemo. Apparently, I needed several tests before I could start any chemo so they wanted me to go ahead with the tests and schedule the chemo for Wednesday, 23 Dec and it did not take me very long to say no way! If I've waited this long for chemo, then another week would not make a difference. I would have any tests that they wanted but I wanted to come home Tuesday and not be home on Wednesday night and then possibly be sick for Christmas. So, my doctor agreed to let me take the tests, which were a brain scan, a heart ultrasound, a biopsy of the breast again and some blood tests. I was unable to schedule all of the tests that Monday so I had to have my heart test on Tuesday but we got home around 5:30. By the way, I got to go with my friend Joy and her husband to see the Rockettes on Wednesday, 23 Dec at 4:00 p.m. in a borrowed wheelchair, which was great. But with the snow still hanging around, I needed snow tires and a seat belt (LOL!!!) boy, did we make some memories. I never laughed so hard in my life trying to get over the snow in a wheelchair that did not want to go! We were supposed to be on 23L which is up a lot of steps but since I was in a wheelchair, we got to sit a lot closer in a special area for wheelchairs. I'm so glad that the radiation worked so well and most of the pain in my left leg is gone...it's 90% better and I can get around so much better, if I just had the energy. Anyway, I have to go back this Tuesday, 29 Dec for my first chemo treatment. Bloodwork is at 0755 a.m, doctor at 830 and chemo at 930. We have decided to go on up Monday night and stay so neither one of us has to get up sooo sooo early. Hopefully, we will be able to come home Tuesday afternoon and then go back next Monday. I'll post Christmas Day on another blog so stay tuned!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
12/19/09 Happy Birthday Stacy
Happy Birthday Stacy! Glad we got to see her yesterday for dinner as I don't think anyone is going anywhere today! LOL!!!! Supposed to be going on a limo ride tonight for what they call in Richmond, the tacky light tour. I guess the only tacky lights we will see will be on tv tonight!
I know where I was 30 years ago today - delivering a very sweet, blond hair, blue eyed girl!
HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY STACY!!!
Love,
Mom & Dad
I know where I was 30 years ago today - delivering a very sweet, blond hair, blue eyed girl!
HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY STACY!!!
Love,
Mom & Dad
Update from week of 12/14/09
Well, been on a lengthy trip again which I did not have plans for. When I got to Duke on Monday, I was given 3 options due to my leg bone pain:
(a) Immediate admission to hospital for IV pain medications
(b) Start radiation to pubic bone
(c) Start chemo treatment
By the time I got to duke on Monday, my treatments had changed again. The liver biopsy showed that my tumor markers had changed
so I was no longer acceptable to the clinical trial which I had been contemplating. My only treatment now is for pure chemo called ABC
which is given on a weekly basis. I decided to go with option B above as radiation would help shrink the size of the tumor (unable to
determine size of this tumor) and help with the pain. So, Monday afternoon I was sent to the Radiation clinic and they did some initial
cat scans to determine the areas where chemo would hit, then scheduled me for radiation at 11:30 on Tuesday for 5 days. We have
been looking at the same 4 walls for 5 days so finally got home today and glad to be here, especially since they are calling for snow.
I have to return on Monday for final radiation treatment @ 11:30, appointment for bloodwork at 1:00, 2:30 with my doctor and 3:30
for chemo treatment. Hopefully, we will be able to return home on Monday evening, but do not know that for sure. I'm so grateful
to Duke for suggesting the liver biopsy as the biopsy showed that my tumor markers had changed from Estrogen negative to
Estrogen positive and is breast cancer related, but I know for sure that I am getting the right treatment as the Arimidex I had been
taking was no longer treating the cancer. Sneaky little cancer cells, aren't they? Even though I haven't started my chemo treatments, I have had weird tastes and a lot of nausea and they have changed my nausea and pain medications. Angela says she is
going to come spend the weekend with me, since I have alcohol and plenty of pain meds, between the two of them, we won't care
about the snow! Just kidding. So, will start on the chemo road again which I thought might be later down the road, but guess
I kept my wig and hats for some reason. I'm donating all of them this time! Hope that I will be able to update everyone on Monday
evening as I love being at home. There is nothing like your own bed and pillow. Merry Christmas to all.
(a) Immediate admission to hospital for IV pain medications
(b) Start radiation to pubic bone
(c) Start chemo treatment
By the time I got to duke on Monday, my treatments had changed again. The liver biopsy showed that my tumor markers had changed
so I was no longer acceptable to the clinical trial which I had been contemplating. My only treatment now is for pure chemo called ABC
which is given on a weekly basis. I decided to go with option B above as radiation would help shrink the size of the tumor (unable to
determine size of this tumor) and help with the pain. So, Monday afternoon I was sent to the Radiation clinic and they did some initial
cat scans to determine the areas where chemo would hit, then scheduled me for radiation at 11:30 on Tuesday for 5 days. We have
been looking at the same 4 walls for 5 days so finally got home today and glad to be here, especially since they are calling for snow.
I have to return on Monday for final radiation treatment @ 11:30, appointment for bloodwork at 1:00, 2:30 with my doctor and 3:30
for chemo treatment. Hopefully, we will be able to return home on Monday evening, but do not know that for sure. I'm so grateful
to Duke for suggesting the liver biopsy as the biopsy showed that my tumor markers had changed from Estrogen negative to
Estrogen positive and is breast cancer related, but I know for sure that I am getting the right treatment as the Arimidex I had been
taking was no longer treating the cancer. Sneaky little cancer cells, aren't they? Even though I haven't started my chemo treatments, I have had weird tastes and a lot of nausea and they have changed my nausea and pain medications. Angela says she is
going to come spend the weekend with me, since I have alcohol and plenty of pain meds, between the two of them, we won't care
about the snow! Just kidding. So, will start on the chemo road again which I thought might be later down the road, but guess
I kept my wig and hats for some reason. I'm donating all of them this time! Hope that I will be able to update everyone on Monday
evening as I love being at home. There is nothing like your own bed and pillow. Merry Christmas to all.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sat, Dec 13, 2009
Well, on Thursday afternoon, I started getting sick and could not keep anything down and was having bad pain in the pubic area. So, I called Duke and they said I had to go to a local ER. Since I was being so sick, I went by the emergency crew. Danny could not drive and take care of me too. Anyway, they could not find a nausea medication that would work and I kept going to sleep until I got sick again. Finally, phernergan worked and then the xray did not show any fracture or anything, so I was sent home on percocet. I don't remember getting home, eating supper or going to bed and not much of yesterday. Today, is a little better, at least I'm not getting sick any longer and the high temperatures are gone. I called Duke again on the pain and they said just keep taking the percocet, yea, right, and keep on being doped up. Not if Tylenol for Arthritis works, that's a good medicine believe me. I can't take Motrin or Aleve. So here we go with the Tylenol again. I have an appt. on Monday because of my tumor markers changing so my medication will change but I bet they will also be sending me for 5-10 days of radiation therapy for the bone pain. We shall see. One of my doctors at Duke, Dr. Kimberly Blackwell was written up in the paper today on Duke's discovery of two drugs that work better together for breast cancer. Alanna, my grand daughter, is doing better I believe, poor baby, she has really been thru it. She's a very brave 14 year old. It's something when you lose your gall bladder, pancreas, spleen and appendix all in one surgery. She was on a medically induced coma but woke up anyway....shows she a real fighter like her Nana! LOL!!! Well, guess I will sign off for now and probably update again either Monday or Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, 12/7/09
Bloodwork at 1:30
Doctors appt at 2:30
Treatment at 3:30
Danny and I left around 9:45 so that we could stop along the way to rest and eat after we arrived in Durham. We got to Duke around 12:45 and I had my bloodwork around 1:15 and then we waited. Too many patients and not enough rooms so the doctor saw me at 4:15. The liver biopsy showed that the cancer was breast cancer and the same type I had the first time. So, the program changed to Aromasin, which is a pill along with a possible clinical trial. In the meantime, because of my bone cancer pain, I was sent for an IV treatment which I can take twice a year. It does have side effects as I found out on the way home. Anyway, we discussed the clinical trial some but was advised that the nurse would call me for that and I would have to go to Duke North for some additional tests to be done on an outpatient b asis. I was scheduled for hip xray and EKG. Anyway, we could not find out where to get the EKG done and by this time, it was after 7:00 so we decided to stay the night. Looks like most everytime I go, I will have to stay the night. We got up Tuesday morning and went to the clinic for the EKG and then came home. On the way home, I started getting chills and could not get warm. Once I got home, my temperature was over 100 and this is two of the side effects along with bone pain. I had heel pain this morning and my temperature at 4:00 a.m. this morning was almost 103 so Danny stayed home. One day at a time! sorry this email is late but have not felt like sending anykind of update. Am still awaiting word from Duke on the clinical trial and thinking I will have to go back next week. I checked out the train schedules but its 3 and a half hour by train due to the stops I guess. Anybody got a small plane? I don't mind planes but I'd have to leave Danny at home. LOL!!! Anyway, hope to be much better tomorrow, so keep me in your prayers. Janice
Doctors appt at 2:30
Treatment at 3:30
Danny and I left around 9:45 so that we could stop along the way to rest and eat after we arrived in Durham. We got to Duke around 12:45 and I had my bloodwork around 1:15 and then we waited. Too many patients and not enough rooms so the doctor saw me at 4:15. The liver biopsy showed that the cancer was breast cancer and the same type I had the first time. So, the program changed to Aromasin, which is a pill along with a possible clinical trial. In the meantime, because of my bone cancer pain, I was sent for an IV treatment which I can take twice a year. It does have side effects as I found out on the way home. Anyway, we discussed the clinical trial some but was advised that the nurse would call me for that and I would have to go to Duke North for some additional tests to be done on an outpatient b asis. I was scheduled for hip xray and EKG. Anyway, we could not find out where to get the EKG done and by this time, it was after 7:00 so we decided to stay the night. Looks like most everytime I go, I will have to stay the night. We got up Tuesday morning and went to the clinic for the EKG and then came home. On the way home, I started getting chills and could not get warm. Once I got home, my temperature was over 100 and this is two of the side effects along with bone pain. I had heel pain this morning and my temperature at 4:00 a.m. this morning was almost 103 so Danny stayed home. One day at a time! sorry this email is late but have not felt like sending anykind of update. Am still awaiting word from Duke on the clinical trial and thinking I will have to go back next week. I checked out the train schedules but its 3 and a half hour by train due to the stops I guess. Anybody got a small plane? I don't mind planes but I'd have to leave Danny at home. LOL!!! Anyway, hope to be much better tomorrow, so keep me in your prayers. Janice
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Visit to Duke Hospital, Durham, NC
Monday, Nov 30 - 12:00 lab work, 1:00 appointment with Dr. Erica Hamilton
First, lab work was done, then my weight, blood pressure, etc. then we waited. We got there at 10:00 a.m. because we were not sure where we were going and it gave us time to eat. Around 1:30, we got in the back and Dr. Hamilton came in. She's very young, new and graduate
of UNC. She went over my file with me, asked some questions, then stated that her and her team leader would go and look at my CD's that I had brought and then come back in to discuss. About an hour later, Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Blackwell, came into the room. Dr. Blackwell is a graduate of Mayo and her internship was at Duke. She advised that some of the breast cancer cells were left in the tissue from my lumpectomy and had returned. Over the years, I have been on a cancer drug called Arimidex which has held off the cancer and had done a very good job. She told me I should not be concerned about the cancer cells being left, as that could have also happened at Duke. She also advised that the largest tumor had been
in my lymph nodes, size 3.5 cm and 10 out of the 17 lymph nodes were cancerous. I did not know that the largest tumor was in the lymph nodes, I did know about the # of lymph nodes involved. She also wanted to proceed ahead with the liver biopsy as that would show what the tumor markers were and the type of cancer in the liver. A bone biopsy would not show this as there are too many layers in the bone. Dr. Blackwell advised that she was
a medical oncologist with her specialty being breast cancer and that a team would be meeting to treat my entire body, not just the breast cancer. They wanted to move right away based on my decision whether I wanted to be totally treated at Duke or work thru MCV. The treatment she would recommend is to receive treatment from a cousin drug to the Arimidex which would be via a shot that I would receive every two weeks. She does not recommend chemotherapy at this time. Based on the results of my ultrasound guided liver biopsy, will determine how they will treat the liver and bone cancer. I could also be considered for some trial drug treatments if I become a good candidate based on my tests. She wanted to redo the bone scan and a cat scan to the abdomen and pelvic areas. During my treatment, I will be retested and have scans at 8 and 16 weeks. I felt a calm come over me since I would not be taking chemotherapy - no sickness, no hair loss, no port needed and I would be going every 2 weeks
for the shot. I decided to go with this treatment as Duke is a Cancer Center - there are only 10 in the United States and I will have a team that will treat the entire body not just the breast cancer. Yes, there is a chance that the cancer in my liver and bone is the same as the breast cancer, but in order to treat those 2 areas, you have to know for sure so a biopsy was needed. MCV did not want to do a biopsy as they were pretty sure it was breast cancer related. But suppose it does not have the same tumor markers as the previous breast cancer which was Her2 negative? Then if I become Her2 positive, I would need to change from Arimidex to Herceptin. There is a difference in the treatment. Sorry, this is so long but wanted everyone
to understand. Danny, Stacy and Joy were with me and we returned home Monday evening by 8:00 p.m. awaiting a call for the tests to be set up. Tuesday morning I got up and at 10:15 they called, and said that my liver biopsy was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. that day and I needed to get there by 1:30. Angela decided to take me and the trip takes 2 hours, so we arrived at Duke North Hospital at 1:35 p.m. But guess what? They called about 10 minutes
before we got there and said my cat scan and bone scan were scheduled for the next day at 8:00 a.m., so we decided to stay the night. Good thing because my biopsy took 1 hour and 2 hours in recovery room. We got out of the hospital at 5:45 p.m. and went straight to the hotel that Angela had booked. I had my CT scan at 9:00 a.m. and my bone scan at 10:30 and we left from Duke at 11:05 p.m. We stopped and ate and got home around 2:30 p.m. yesterday.
Needless to say, I'm very tired but I know that I have made the right decision. All of the doctors, nurses, assistants at Duke are wonderful and I have to go back on Monday for the test results and my first treatment. So, I'll try to keep everyone posted on my blog or via separate emails. It's very odd that because I had no chemotherapy treatments that I'm able to have this treatment at Duke. I was wondering why it had taken me almost 5 weeks to
find someone that would move forward with no second thoughts or changes. Dr. Blackwell said that if I had started chemo that she would not have been able to help me......God works in such mysterious ways! I'm so glad he is on this path with me. Jesus Is The Reason for The Season!
First, lab work was done, then my weight, blood pressure, etc. then we waited. We got there at 10:00 a.m. because we were not sure where we were going and it gave us time to eat. Around 1:30, we got in the back and Dr. Hamilton came in. She's very young, new and graduate
of UNC. She went over my file with me, asked some questions, then stated that her and her team leader would go and look at my CD's that I had brought and then come back in to discuss. About an hour later, Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Blackwell, came into the room. Dr. Blackwell is a graduate of Mayo and her internship was at Duke. She advised that some of the breast cancer cells were left in the tissue from my lumpectomy and had returned. Over the years, I have been on a cancer drug called Arimidex which has held off the cancer and had done a very good job. She told me I should not be concerned about the cancer cells being left, as that could have also happened at Duke. She also advised that the largest tumor had been
in my lymph nodes, size 3.5 cm and 10 out of the 17 lymph nodes were cancerous. I did not know that the largest tumor was in the lymph nodes, I did know about the # of lymph nodes involved. She also wanted to proceed ahead with the liver biopsy as that would show what the tumor markers were and the type of cancer in the liver. A bone biopsy would not show this as there are too many layers in the bone. Dr. Blackwell advised that she was
a medical oncologist with her specialty being breast cancer and that a team would be meeting to treat my entire body, not just the breast cancer. They wanted to move right away based on my decision whether I wanted to be totally treated at Duke or work thru MCV. The treatment she would recommend is to receive treatment from a cousin drug to the Arimidex which would be via a shot that I would receive every two weeks. She does not recommend chemotherapy at this time. Based on the results of my ultrasound guided liver biopsy, will determine how they will treat the liver and bone cancer. I could also be considered for some trial drug treatments if I become a good candidate based on my tests. She wanted to redo the bone scan and a cat scan to the abdomen and pelvic areas. During my treatment, I will be retested and have scans at 8 and 16 weeks. I felt a calm come over me since I would not be taking chemotherapy - no sickness, no hair loss, no port needed and I would be going every 2 weeks
for the shot. I decided to go with this treatment as Duke is a Cancer Center - there are only 10 in the United States and I will have a team that will treat the entire body not just the breast cancer. Yes, there is a chance that the cancer in my liver and bone is the same as the breast cancer, but in order to treat those 2 areas, you have to know for sure so a biopsy was needed. MCV did not want to do a biopsy as they were pretty sure it was breast cancer related. But suppose it does not have the same tumor markers as the previous breast cancer which was Her2 negative? Then if I become Her2 positive, I would need to change from Arimidex to Herceptin. There is a difference in the treatment. Sorry, this is so long but wanted everyone
to understand. Danny, Stacy and Joy were with me and we returned home Monday evening by 8:00 p.m. awaiting a call for the tests to be set up. Tuesday morning I got up and at 10:15 they called, and said that my liver biopsy was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. that day and I needed to get there by 1:30. Angela decided to take me and the trip takes 2 hours, so we arrived at Duke North Hospital at 1:35 p.m. But guess what? They called about 10 minutes
before we got there and said my cat scan and bone scan were scheduled for the next day at 8:00 a.m., so we decided to stay the night. Good thing because my biopsy took 1 hour and 2 hours in recovery room. We got out of the hospital at 5:45 p.m. and went straight to the hotel that Angela had booked. I had my CT scan at 9:00 a.m. and my bone scan at 10:30 and we left from Duke at 11:05 p.m. We stopped and ate and got home around 2:30 p.m. yesterday.
Needless to say, I'm very tired but I know that I have made the right decision. All of the doctors, nurses, assistants at Duke are wonderful and I have to go back on Monday for the test results and my first treatment. So, I'll try to keep everyone posted on my blog or via separate emails. It's very odd that because I had no chemotherapy treatments that I'm able to have this treatment at Duke. I was wondering why it had taken me almost 5 weeks to
find someone that would move forward with no second thoughts or changes. Dr. Blackwell said that if I had started chemo that she would not have been able to help me......God works in such mysterious ways! I'm so glad he is on this path with me. Jesus Is The Reason for The Season!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
