The "Hat Party" and Chemo #2

PREFACE:

I want to begin this post with an expression of my heartfelt gratitude to my "army of supporters". For the last three weeks, I have been overwhelmed by all the prayers, touching emails, books, cards, journals, caring phone messages, baskets of goodies, fruit arrangements and oh yes, the chocolates!

Sorry it's been so long between posts. At first, because there really was no new information to share; then later (after the second chemo), because I was just too wiped out to even sit at the computer. I’ve become very attached to my ice packs and massage chair.

Also you'll notice a very SMALL slideshow of Hat Party Pics over to the upper right side of the blog. Mike has figured out how to make it work, but says the formatting limitations of this blog won't allow the pictures to be made bigger. He claims, however, that if you think you see a pic that you recognize, and would like to see it bigger, that you can "single click" on the picture and a new page SHOULD open showing your selection (and all of the pics in the slideshow) in a larger, and easier to see presentation. Please try it, and let us know if it doesn't work - Mike is still experimenting. By the way, the pics of me show me with one of my new wigs. I don't think it looks too bad - I may just stay with the Sinead O'Connor look.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I was warned that within 2-3 weeks of my first chemo treatment, my hair would get brittle and start to fall out. On day 15 (8/12), my scalp started to feel tender & tingle. My hair was still shiny and looked healthy, but I knew it was about to happen. By 8/14 (my daughter Lisa’s birthday) I decided it was TIME……I gently brushed about 4 inch sections straight out & held them away from my head as Mike took the scissors & cut it about ½ from my scalp. Many of you won’t be surprised that I methodically placed each section of hair on a strip of packing tape to possibly later use inside of a hat as bangs or a ponytail. So, I still have MY hair – it’s just in a new location! We then went into the garage & Mike just buzzed it…..surprisingly, it was very liberating…..it had dawned on me when I was dealing with the migraines that we are meant to lose our hair because it’s the LAST thing we want to deal with when we feel like crap! I can now be ready to leave the house in about ½ hour!

Day by Day

Saturday, 8/15: I had my first "Healing Touch" energy treatment. It was very relaxing and intended to move the body’s energy in a positive way. I have a second session schedule later this week.

Sunday, 8/16: My dear friend of 24 years, Cindy Kelley (with the help of her daughter, Nicole) hosted a fabulous "Mad Hatter" Tea Party ( Alice in Wonderland). About 40-45 guests enjoyed the various flavors of tea, tea sandwiches, fruit trays, & muffins.

Mike’s cousin, Cindy who lives in Connecticut, surprised us with a 2-tier cake in the shape of a hat – complete with pink hat band and peacock feathers. My good friend, Marje provided the scones from the Chantilly Tea House. Lisa had name tags appropriately made from a deck of cards for each guest. Cindy had asked everyone to bring an inspirational quote or verse - to write on pink tags - made by a friend of Nicole’s (who I don’t even know). These all now hang from my living room "inspiration" tree. It truly IS an inspiration and I have already read them over and over.

We spent about an hour with me trying on the assortment of fun hats and scarves that everyone brought. Some were silly, others were frilly, in the mix was a "Cat in the Hat" hat, and of course, the "Mad Hatter" hat – not to mention a coonskin cap – complete with tail (because of a Daniel Boone comment I had made weeks ago while trying on wigs). It was a lot of fun…..and I’ve heard that Cindy’s idea is growing into similar parties for others around town! Cindy, you may have a new calling.

By the way, (free marketing plug to follow) Cindy has been writing screenplays with Michael Landon, Jr. for the past 10-12 years and has just finished her 3rd novel, The Silent Gift that will be published in October. (Had to plug your book!)

Monday 8/17: I opened my garage door to take my heaping trash can down to the street. Before the door had fully opened, two of my neighbors were standing outside the door ready to take it down for me! Thanks Dick & Katie, you’re awesome neighbors!

Tuesday, 8/18: Chemo treatment #2: I felt the best I’d felt since the last treatment (almost normal). Claire drove me and stayed until Ronnie came to pick me up and drive me home. My white blood count was high, (this is good) I was hydrated and ready for the "starch" (Mike got a kick out of me using this "Northeastern" type reference) to be knocked out of me! I had started taking Imitrex (for the migraines) the night before and continued throughout the day. Thankfully, it did the trick and no migraines this time!!

Wednesday, 8/19: It was also a good day……I actually showed a house in Pima Canyon , wrote and presented an offer. However, we were competing with 6 other offers so we didn’t get the house. :0(

About 3pm, I had to go back to the oncologist for my (day after) white blood shot. This shot is intended to help regenerate bone marrow damaged by the chemo, and almost immediately started causing all of my bones/joints to ache and have sudden sharp pains. We ran a few errands and didn’t get home until about 5:30pm. I was exhausted!

Thursday, 8/20: There was a wonderful balloon bouquet attached to a care package left in my driveway. The card was from "one of my support team", but I don’t know who???? I realized I probably overdid it yesterday, because all I could do was sleep.

Friday, 8/21: My dad’s 82nd birthday…. We’ll have to celebrate later – I’m still sleeping about 20 out of 24 hours -- but no nausea or migraines.

Saturday, 8/22: Mike leaves for work, and I feel a LITTLE better, (no, not just because Mike left for work, Ha Ha) but still feel like I have weights tied to my legs and arms. Boy, is my body saying, "not so fast"….it is clear that I’m no longer in charge. The tough part for me – I want to do things that I normally do, but have no energy or strength.

Sunday, 8/23: I started to "turn the corner" today. I’ve napped a little, but haven’t spent all day in bed. This is definately NOT for sissies!! It will be the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life! My kittens think I’m just here spending extra time with them. They have been a great source of comfort & joy.

As I remind myself everyday - With the awesome support of all of YOU, I will beat this!

7 Days After First Chemo

Just a little preface if you don't mind. And oh by the way - sorry for this post being so long. For those that know me, you of course realize that I could take 10 minutes, and 1000 words to convey that "The house is on fire, and you need to leave".

To start, let me again say thanks to all of the well wishers. Whether accomplished by phone, email, or blog comments, all of the support shown to Glenda has been incredible and greatly appreciated. Whichever form each of you chose to use, please NEVER underestimate the positive impact it has had on both of us, and particularly Glenda.

Having been on the other side of this "cancer" thing very recently (a close friend passed away from lung cancer about two months ago), Glenda and I both know and can appreciate the feelings of inadequacy you might be experiencing as you try to express your love and support. I'm fairly sure that you think words just aren't enough. Trust me, we now know that each and every one of those expressions are magical, and tremendously uplifting!!! They do help the healing process. By all means, please feel free to continue if and when you choose.

Coming up on a month since the initial news, we are now starting to actually wrap our heads around the diagnosis, treatment plan, and most of the possible future considerations. But yeah, the first three weeks or so were incredibly scary. I mean when you hear a Doctor say the big "C", it's pretty tough to deal with at first. You watch this exchange take place hundreds of times on TV and the movies, but hearing it in real life is completely different.

By now, however, we really do anticipate a positive outcome, and we both believe with all of our heart and mind that everything is going to be ok. The statistics are in our favor, and we are convinced that we literally have the best doctors available. Most importantly, God has been, and will continue to be an enduring rock for both of us. Prayer is proving to be an incredibly powerful tool.

To close this little intro, both of us know that most of you have had the misfortune to have experienced cancer yourselves - either first hand, or within your "family and friends" group at an earlier time. And we realize the devastating impact the experience can have on everyone involved, even if it eventually ends well. Please know that we are NOT trying to make Glenda's situation more significant, or more special. This blog is simply an available tool (not even available in the not too distant past) that allows us to:

• keep our family and friends updated in a fairly simple way, and to
• inform and educate any/all of you on what YOU might expect if YOU, or someone close to you has to travel down this frightening path sometime soon.

Okay, enough of the blubbery emotional stuff. I won't cover it again.

On with the update.

Well, one week down, and Glenda is probably about 80%. By the time I got home from a trip on Sunday afternoon she was beginning to feel better. (by the way I didn't WANT to leave, but for some strange reason, Glenda needed me to go to work - apparently I was hovering way too much). Can you imagine??????????

To those of you who actually talked to her last week, you know just how bad she sounded, at least through Friday. As of today, however, although still pretty tired, she's generally much, much better. We are hopeful that this general chronology will be close to the same for the future treatments, as knowing what to expect really does help a lot.

By far, Glenda's worst post-treatment side effect was the chemo induced migraines. By Friday of last week, the intensity was the highest she had ever had, and she was ALMOST to the point of going to the ER. The imatrex did help, but the dosage/number of pills were too low, and there turned out to be some insurance issues, that are hopefully now resolved. We are optimistic that she can get ahead of this thing prior to the next treatment.

Note: To all of you that she didn't respond to last week, she wants you to know that reading any type of text was just not possible for her while the pain was at it's highest. If you don't actually hear back from her, please know that she will read everything in the coming days.

Yesterday, (Monday) we met Glenda's radiology oncologist, Dr. Croghan. She works in the same facility, and for the same medical group as Dr. Brooks the chemo guy. (We think this will work to Glenda's advantage throughout the process). Dr. Croghan was without a doubt the most patient, kind, caring, empathetic health professional that we've met yet. She sat with us for over 30 minutes and discussed anything and everything. Including:

• the radiation treatments to come probably in the late Nov/early Dec timeframe (after the chemo and surgery)
• objective opinions on single vs. double mastectomy
• expected radiation side effects like tiredness, red skin, loss of elasticity
• info on future reconstruction choices, potential problems, realistic expectations, etc.
• she actually found/identifed the tumor itself, which previously, had not been successfully accomplished by other doctors.
• for the FIRST time we saw the actual mammogram films in a chronological order for the last two years or so. You could actually see the progression of the tumor growth. In fact you could see it so clearly that we can't help but wonder (even though it's not productive to the cause NOW) why it wasn't identified earlier. Admittedly hindsight is 20/20, and we had the advantage of knowing it was there of course.

The point to be made here for the women readers, is that in the future when you go over the results of your mammogram with your individual OBGYN's, demand that they actually do a "contrast and compare" with earlier films.

Glenda truly has no bitterness about this. She loves and trusts her OB/GYN (of 35 years). I have met her as well, and she is an incredibly caring and involved physician. Who knows"? Maybe a regressive comparison WAS accomplished. These things just happen sometimes.

Anyway, we walked out of Dr. Croghan's office with a renewed sense of optimism and strength. She was incredible.

Today, we got up at 4 a.m., and headed to the hospital (TMC) for the surgical implant of the "porta-cath". Mentioned briefly before, this "porta-cath" was the STRONGLY recommended procedure whereby a small incision is made in the upper chest area, and into which a catheter is placed. This access point is intended to allow much easier access for future chemo, blood work, medication etc.

Instead of going under general anesthesia, Glenda opted for a local combined with another drug that basically made her very sleepy. (We have always been told to minimize general anesthesia as much as possible). The procedure went well EXCEPT that the intended vein - positioned right under her left collar bone - was apparently too "dry" and therefore un-usable. So, the port opening was instead positioned fairly low down, on the left side of her neck. Who knows all of the ramifications of this, but we're being told this re-location doesn't present any out-of-the-ordinary problems.

Home about 10:30 with some pain meds, and ice packs. She is sore, and sleepy, so the rest of the day will be very low profile. Physically, however, she just told me that she feels the best she has since the chemo treatment.

Tomorrow is her scheduled follow-up with the Chemo doctor to have her white blood cell levels checked. They were very low this morning, and we can only hope that observed levels tomorrow won't impact the scheduling of her next chemo. We are guessing it will be around the 18th, and she wants it all done as soon as possible - as you can imagine. She is really glad to be feeling better. Maybe she'll have a couple of fairly normal weeks, before it all starts again. She is being very strong.

I think this version of War and Peace brings you all up to speed as of today. More to follow when there is more to follow.

Thanks again for all the love and prayers.