Mom's First Chemo Treatment

Mom did her first chemo treatment on Thursday. It was a 3 1/2 hour treatment. She felt "blah" on Friday, but on Saturday was feeling a little better. The kids and I had a nice visit with Mom. Sunday, Mom was sounding much better and Christi and Mrs. Roma both brought Mom food. Christi and the older girls were also able to visit with Mom. She said they had a nice visit.

Mom's next chemo treatment is on Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed and pray that she continues to take the treatments well.

Mom's latest doctor appointments

Mom's tumor markers have been increasing over the last 4 months. We tried a different hormone, but it did not control the cancer. The cancer has now spread to her liver. After several doctor appointments and weeks of research; Mom will be doing a new chemo beginning today. It is not suppose to make her sick like traditional chemo. It is relatively new, but effective according to all reports. She will take it for three weeks and then off for a week. She will do this for 4-6 months; as long as it is working.

Please keep her in your prayers that she will have the strength to tolerate the chemo emotionally and the physical side effects that comes with receiving chemo.

Radiologist Oncologist Update

I meet Mom at the Radiologist Oncolgoist (Dr. Wood) on Friday afternoon. He gave her the all clear for 6 months. This is the best news we have heard since this all began in August. Her condition appears stable from his perspective and no additional radiation is needed. YEAH MOM!

Orthopedic Doctor Visit Update

Aunt Pat and I took Mom to the Ortho Clinic and to get her infusion. Amazing enough, we were out of there in 2 1/2 hours. The ortho doctor did not tell us anything new, but did give Mom the clearance to continue her physical therapy. She is still not allow to walk or put any weight on her lower extremities, but this was to no surprise. We will not go back to see the ortho doctor again unless her conditions changes and she wants to proceed with the surgery (putting the rods in); which they have said would not work and would lead to more surgeries. So there really is not an option of surgery. Mom does not want surgery anyway so all is good.

Infusion went well as usual.

Next week, Mom will get the re-scans done and a follow-up visit with the radiology oncologist. I will try to update as soon as we get the results.

Take care and thanks to all for the continued prayers and emails of support.

Bloodwork Results

The bloodwork came back late yesterday. The swelling is NOT caused from kidney failure; which is what we feared. The upcoming scans will help determine if the swelling is caused from the cancer spreading. The doctor did say that she needed to sit more in a recliner and thanks to Vic, Jr. who once again pulled through and delivered one to Mom yesterday at lunchtime. She said this morning that the chair has already started to reduce the pain in her back and the swelling is starting to go down around her knees. The pain in her areas that are swollen are no longer sensitive to the touch. These are all huge steps in making her comfortable again.

The bloodwork did show that her calcium and protein levels were low, but she is taking meds for her calcium. Protein levels were slightly low, but could be a cause for swelling of the legs along with not using them. Nothing she can really do about these - diet and physical therapy should help keep it consistently low. Mom's tumor marker count has decreased from 450 in November to less than 250. The Tumor Marker is a count performed during each blood test. "The tumor markers are substances, usually proteins, that are produced by the body in response to cancer growth or by the cancer tissue itself. Some tumor markers are specific, while others are seen in several cancer types. Many of the well-known markers are also seen in non-cancerous conditions. Consequently, these tumor markers are not diagnostic for cancer."

In the next couple of weeks, we will be going back and forth to the doctor for rescans and follow-ups with the oncologist and radiologist oncologist.

Thanksgiving Update

Thanksgiving was great. We were all at Christi's house for the holidays. Maw-maw came in with Nancy, Darrell, Christina and Patrick. Her back is still hurting her. Results should come back this week. Karen and her bunch came into town; as well as, Angela and Heath with Baby Eli. The kids were all great and loved playing with all their cousins. The adults enjoyed cooking, eating, and visiting with all. The only ones missing were Ashley, Hanna and Austin - hopefully for Christmas. Mom did great and was not too exhausted for another adventure out of the rehab on Friday; but due to my shopping mayhem she waited until Saturday. Friday, Aunt Linda and Maw-maw went and watched the LSU game with Mom. Saturday, Mom spent the afternoon with us cleaning house and resting up from all of the shopping. Sunday, well - I don't know of anyone who opted to really get out of bed due to the cold and wet weather.

I hope to post some pictures from the holidays soon.

What's been going on?

Well, work has officially blocked me from using blogspot at work now. Therefore, I am getting a little behind on posting.

For the last two weekends, Mom has come to spend the day with us. She seems to be getting stronger and was able to actually walk a couple of times to stretch out her legs. She said that it is such an amazing feeling; even though it is so painful. She feels so free being out of the wheelchair. Some of you may be wondering if she is able to walk again. No, but at my house the wheelchair cannot fit into the bathroom; therefore, she must walk or be carried to the throne. She does not seem to mind this at all.

She was able last Monday to finally get her infusion (anti-cancer drip). Her calcium level was still low but improved and she needed to get it as it has almost been 6 weeks since the last infusion. She returns to the oncologist on Wednesday of this week. Not expecting any life-changing news - just a routine follow up. But I will keep you posted.

She is beginning to plan the holidays and who will be where and what we will be eating. This is something good that is keeping her occupied as she gets bored being so idle at times.

Please keep in your prayers...
Ben (my friend Pam's son) who is a quadriplegic from an automobile accident and is now suffering from severe headache and they are unable to determine the cause.
Mr. Doug (Pam's stepfather and friend) who has been recently been diagnosed with cancer and now fighting a battle of his own.
My friend Shannon's father who has been battling cancer and recently determined he is 95% better; just a few more rounds and hopefully he will be all clear.
Uncle Sam (my grandmother's brother) who is either in the hospital or just released.
His daughter (Sara-Louise) who needs guidance to get her life straight.

Maw-maw who is suffering with a ailing back from either arthritis or a pulled muscle.
And my family that we continue to find the strength to continue moving forward especially into the holiday season.

Sorry if I forgot anyone on the list. Just please comment and add.

I just wanted to let everyone know that Mom has had a great last couple of days.

Here is a picture of Mom from Tuesday.

Mom came home from the hospital on Friday night (10/12). On Tuesday, she went to her radiologist appointment and all went well. We will go back in 3 months to see Dr. Wood. He ran his finger down her back and she had no pain. He will not do additional radiation at this time. Yesterday, Christi and Aunt Nancy took Mom to meet with the oncologist. He did not tell us anything new from our visit last week with him. The medicine will take a couple of months before he can tell if it is helping. We will go back in a month to see him again. Mom will go to get her infusion this morning.

She seems to be doing okay - the riding is difficult and bumpy; but I think she is happy to get out of the rehab for a brief period of time.

Special thanks to Christi and Karen for taking turns spending the night at the hospital. Also to Aunt Linda, Uncle Paul, Aunt Pat, and Mrs. Linda for sitting with Mom during the days.

Pictures

Mom

Go Lauren! Go Rebels!

Ortho appointment results :(

I have typed, erased, and re-typed now six times. I seem to be having trouble finding the right words today so I am going to just type what I think.

Mom will NOT be getting the rods put into her femurs. The risks are too many compared to the positive. Because the bones are so brittle... she is prone to fractures. Because the bones are so brittle... she has a 50-60% chance that the screws at the head of the femur that hold the rod will probably come out. Because of the lesion (under her breast)... this increases the chance of infections if they were to place the rod(s) in the femur(s). If they were to place the rods and the screws would come out, then she would have to go into another major surgery and have the whole area (pelvis/hip/leg) rebuilt. All of these surgeries would not guarantee that she could or would be able to walk. With each surgery the pain could increase; which these are not the root of any pain she is currently having.

The good news is that at this time, she is in good spirits, has no pain other than the initial complaint (L2 area shooting down her buttock/side to her knee), her appetite seems to be coming back, the tumors treated with radiation seem to be shrinking, and she has everyone supporting and praying for her.

Update on scans

On Friday, Mom and I went and had the CT scan done of her chest and abs. They were testing to see if the cancer had spread to her lungs and liver. These test came back good. There were no signs of cancer in her lung or liver, but we did get a scare. They saw a defect on the top of her lung. We had to go back to the ER for more testing Friday afternoon to see if it was a bloodclot. All was okay.

More good news from the scans, the soft tissue mass that was located in her pelvic region did not show up on the scan. After hearing this news, Mom was reminded that the pain in her back is not as bad. Thank God the radiation did its job.

Although, Friday was rough... her weekend seemed to be good. Lots of visitors and rest. Her appetite seems to be getting better.

Thanks again for all of the continuing prayers and kindness. We need them tomorrow is the othopedic appointment. We should find out if Mom is strong enough to get the rods in her femur.

With Love,
Kim and family

Oncologist Appointment

Mom and I went yesterday morning for her full body bone density scan and CT scan of her pelvis. On the scans, we did not learn anything new. Her bones are filled with cancer from her head to her toes. This makes the bones extremely brittle.

She is scheduled for a CT scan of her chest and abs next Friday to determine if she has cancer in her lungs and liver. Preliminary test show that they do not suspect that there is cancer in these areas.

The oncologist appointment with Dr. Hanson also went okay; nothing new. Mom will not be doing chemo at this time. Her cancer is a hormone receptor-positive type breast cancer with mets. They started her on a pill to block female hormones (Arimidex). Side effect is that this pill will speed up the aging process; stiffness, mood swings, hot flashes, etc... After the appointment she when to "Infusion" to get a anti-cancer bone drip (Zometa). She will continue to get this infusion once a month. The cancer feeds off of the hormone "estrogen"; therefore, reducing them from her body should eliminate the spread of the cancer. She will continue on the pill and drip for 6 months or unless something changes.

Links to the medication she will be taking:

Infusion: http://www.us.zometa.com/info/cancer_bones/breast_cancer.jsp

Daily Pill: http://www.arimidex.com/

Thanks for all of the continued support and prayers!

Updates on all

Just to catch everyone up to speed…………………

I have been busy out of town working on a project that will continue to consume most of my life until the end of September. Trying to get well (from a cold) and balance family life. Lauren and Annalise are beginning to adjust to being in their own rooms again.

Todd is working in Lake Charles during the work week and helping us on the weekends; as well as taking care of his business. Sanielle and TK are doing well. Sanielle took full advantage of spending time with most of her cousins this weekend. TK is Todd made over.

Christi is busy juggling work, Mom, and her family. We are desperately trying to keep the girls life as normal as possible while maintaining the proper care and assistance to Mom. Caitlyn and McKenzie are busy with gymnastics and soccer, respectively. School is going well for them. Cameron and Annalise had a great weekend playing together. They are just getting to the age of real involvement with one anther (3 months apart). Kennedy is an angel – full of smiles for all.

Karen is also a great asset to us. She is coming into town for all of Mom’s major appointments and to help clean out Mom’s house. She is also busy running her business and chasing after the kids. Jake is on the school soccer team, Maddie is in dance and Sydni is the next gymnastic champion.

Carl has undertaken the tax business. He is busy getting the files and information transferred into his system. Ashley came to visit from Florida with his grand-daughter Hanna. She is absolutely beautiful and when I held her so happy.

Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul has been remarkable in helping with Mom. They have taken over visit times while we are at work, washed her clothes, and taken her things as she requested. Aunt Linda has also been sick, but Uncle Paul was able to keep up the visit and help by going to a doctor’s appointment with Mom when we could not go for various reasons. Thank you Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul – you have a lot on your plate and still find time for us. By the way: For those of you who don’t know they will be first time grandparents very soon (Angela is due on October 10).

Mom finished radiation yesterday and was really nauseated when she made it back to the rehab center. She is off today from all doctors appointments, but return to a busy day tomorrow. She will start with a full body bone scan and then we will meet with the oncologist. Hopefully between the two, we can go to my house for some R&R.

Special thanks to all the spouses Chris, Delilah, David, AJ, and Cheryl and the in-laws for the help with the insanity; oh, and the kids.

Prayers, generosity, kindness, etc… I would like to thank everyone for keeping my mom, Carolyn, in your thoughts and prayers; we could not have the strength to battle onwards with you. The thoughtfulness of everyone reminds me daily at what a great Mom that I have been blessed with; as well as amazing people she has touched. Thank You!

Radiation Trial Run

I just got off of the phone with Mom. She sounds incredible. She just left MBPCC and the trial run went well. Uncle Paul, Aunt Linda and Mom met two of the four who will be working with her. She seemed very please with the process and also with the fact that she was in and out of there with little wait time. You know there is very few doctors that don't make you wait. With the pain that Mom has been having, sitting is very difficult and gives her excruciating pain.

Thanks for all of your support!

Wound Care appointment and Radiation Therapy

Ms. Linda took Mom to her wound care appointment and everything went great. She was sent home with a care package of goodies to clean and sanitize the lesion under her breast each day. Yeah! The lesion is looking much better and in my opinion has significantly visually improved in a week and a half.

Mom will go tomorrow for a dry run on her radiation and will begin her first round of radiation to her lumbar area on Monday. She will continue this for 3 weeks.

For those who called, yesterday was a rough day; but today is a new day and things are going a little better today. Mom is not in as much pain as yesterday. She was able to get a good night sleep (thanks to ambiem) that she so needed.

Mom will be at my house again this weekend and we will try to finish all the paperwork and get her settled into the rehab center on Monday. As I have shed many tears in us making this decision, I know that it is the best solution for her getting well. She will have 24 hour medical care, wound care for her lesion will be on site, assistance whenever needed, and transportation to and from all appointments. The transportation will be great in the fact that she is a mile from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC). (I live 30 minutes away.)

We are looking forward to the process of healing so that we can have our mom back at home as her self and the pain reduced to a comfortable level.

Radiologist

Today was another hard day, we went to meet with the radiology oncologist (Dr. Wood). He did his exam and decided that the best course of action at this time will be to do radiation to help relieve her back pain. The main focus will be on the L2 area which seems to be where most of the pain is coming from. The tumor is actually growing inside out and with this it is causing pressure on those nerves; hence the pains in her lower back and leg. They also did a CT scan of her lumbar area to pinpoint exactly where they will be doing the radiation.

The mediport surgery went great yesterday and she did not have any problems with it over night, but that area is still tender from the surgery. She is in quite a bit of pain this afternoon from all of the moving and transporting.

They will call me with the radiation schedule; but we are looking at 3 weeks of radiation treatment focusing on the L2 area. He will also be meeting with the oncologist (Dr. Hanson) about Mom to determine the best overall treatment. After radiation will come the chemo. The chemo treatment has not yet determined.

We also went to the rehab center. It looks as if she will be going in on Monday.

My family and I need all the prayers we can get right now. Please pray and continue to send those words of encouragement that we make the right choices for Mom and ourselves.

Placement of Mediport

Mom is at the hospital getting her mediport this morning. I will update you as soon as I hear something. Uncle Paul, Aunt Linda, and Ms. Linda are with her this morning.

We are home

Mom was finally released yesterday after a few final test (i.e. EKG) and directions (appt, meds, etc...). Mom and I made it home about dark. It was intially tough getting her in the house, but my neighbors came to my rescue. They gave her medicine to help her sleep about a half and hour to an hour before we left, then had to make sure it was working. Crazy, but we are home. Yeah! It was a long night for me, but Mom got lots of needed sleep and was uninterrupted except for me roaming the house.

Mom is so proud of our little "beast": Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul had left out house not too long before and Mom started to call needing to go to the restroom. I assisted as Annalise watched intently on what I was doing to help Mom. After Mom was finished and I started to help her up, Annalise reached her tiny hand and said "Maw-maw give me your hand, I will help you". Mom was so proud and at the moment stopped walking with my help and stood up straight as possible and let Annalise help her to the bed. I decided to repeat this story as I sit and type because I have heard her say the same story twice this morning; ending with the story she is in everyone's prays and surrounded by angels.

Thanks for all of your prayers and words of encouragement.

For those of you asking about visiting, please call first.