Hello, Family and Friends,
Well....some of you ask me all the time what 's going on and I say the same ole same ole, Still dealing with 4 cm and yet another pet scan after the next.
I haven't posted to the blog in a long time because there wasn't anything new to report. I've been going through "costly" pet scans every 6 months for the last year and a half and every time no change. The Lymphoma was remaining the same and still lighting up. Which meant active, but not growing. In February of this year after the last pet scan the oncologist said the intensity had gone down some so lets try a CT Scan instead of a PET Scan (take a picture instead of the nuclear sugar test) & see if we can physically look at it and determine what we are dealing with.
I had that last Monday August 19th, and met with Dr. Badias this morning one week later to find out the results.
Kevin couldn't to with me because of a meeting he would't get out of. So I went by myself. I was extremely nervous for some reason. Couldn't eat before just out of nervousness. The nurse weighted me and said I had lost 4 pounds. That surprised me since I feel like I've gained weight. Blood pressure 120/80. good for being nervous I thought.
The doctor finally came in & started asking the the routine questions. How am I feeling, how am I sleeping etc etc. And I thinking oh geez it's still the same.... Crap
Then he hit me with it. I believe that the CT Scan came back that the mass is a scar tissue and calcification of the tumor. I felt like the room froze and all time stood still for a couple of minutes.
OH....MY.....GOD...I started shaking and was afraid to ask but did anyways.
What does that mean? Am I in remission? And he said YES! It's as close as we're going to get I think. We're going to check you again in 1 year & see what it's doing. But I'm very comfortable with telling you it's in remission. You ended your chemo and radiation the first part of 2011 and your tumor has remained the same until now.
FINALLY I'm cancer free. I can remove my port in 1 year from now.
HALLELUJAH PRAISE GOD!! Thank you ALL for your continued prayers and words of encouragement these last couple of years.
I'm now going on a weight lost plan to take of the steroid lbs that I got too comfortable carrying around. And get back into some of my favorite clothes hanging in my closet.
I'm playing on a new tennis team. This team is truly a "family" filled with encouraging teachers. My game has improved 10 fold since joining them. I play 4 days a week, one of them my league night.
Work is crazy busy. I'm putting in a lot of extra hours trying to catch up. But I'm blessed with doing a job that I love and work with people I look forward to seeing everyday. Thank goodness for the building business had been steadily picking up for some time now. Which is good for all of us.
I pay off my car in Oct. YAY only 2 more payments. Then hopefully I can get the hospital bills payed off as well. The scans are just stupid expensive. Now it'll only be once a year instead of every 6 months! Relief! I couldn't imagine not having insurance and going through this mess.
So again....THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, CARDS AND GIFTS.
Prayer for healing works, it just takes it's time some times...
So until next scan...
Make it a great day!
Love you all,
Patsy
Monday, August 26, 2013
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Oct~2010
Hello again family & friends,
I had another PET/CT Scan the beginning of the month along with blood work. Yesterday (Monday) Kevin and I met with Dr. Badias to review the results.
He always starts with how I'm feeling, any pain?...night sweats...shortness of breath etc....etc...
That's never good in my head. In my head I'm thinking OK, It's still there or he wouldn't be asking me the same questions....
Plus we waited for 1 hr in the room before he came in. That alone makes you nervous.
Basically the lymphoma is still there, It's gone down a little less than 1 cm. It's now 3-1/4 in size. But still has activity. Which is the heat in the core.
That was concerning him. It should be bone by now. He doesn't understand why it's still lighting up in the center of the lymphoma. So he wants to do another biopsy to determine if it's positive or negative. It may be scar tissue making up the excess. Which doesn't excuse the lighting in the middle of it.
It's not trying to grow which is good. So the surgery team has to determine if they can biopsy something so small first at all. You've got to remember the first time he said it was the size of an eggplant. Now it's the size of a golf ball. It may be harder to locate.
Dr Badias loves the analogy's of food and sports balls for sizes....but that's my way of explaining what size they are..
So they will be calling me sometime this week to let me know & hopefully set up the biopsy.
Dr. Badias say's there's a 70% chance it's going to be negative. If it's is then we wait another 4 months & do another Pet/Ct Scan. My insurance company is fighting us on the Pet Scan. So we may just do Ct Scan's. The problem with that is the Ct Scan only takes a picture of the size but doesn't measure or detect the core lighting up.
If the biopsy comes back positive then we go to Moffitt in Tampa. Have the "extraction" which is stem cells removed from my port and stored then returned to me after an intensive chemotherepy. Dr. Badias said it's 3 X's what I got here at MD Anderson.
The sucess rate is very high. He insures me that it will elumunate any cancer left in my body.
The only draw back is I will be out of work for 2 weeks. Which means no paycheck. So we are hoping I won't have to go that route.
Meanwhile I'm a highly functioning lymphoma patient.
I just reciently joined a tennis team. I've been waiting about a year to join a team because I wasn't sure where this journey would take me. But like I told my team caption last night at clinic, I refuse to let this cancer define me. I'm in charge.
I've played twice so far. Lost the first game two weeks ago in a tie breaker and this past week won with Paige's help 6-3,6-1 on line 3. This week I'm playing line 3 again. I plan on giving it all I've got.
There are 4 lines in tennis. Line 1 being the best, down to line 4. I feel very honered to be playing with these girls. They have welcomed me on every level. I can't express how good it feels to be a part of something so challenging and fun.
Our team is number one right now...no pressure...ha ha
It's fall here in Orlando. We've gotten lots of rain which is not typical of this season. We are coming into the season of Art Festivals. And Kevin and I love to walk through and enjoy the whole experience. We just reciently went to Maitland's Art's Festival with Kevin's sister Krissy and her fiance. Sat in the grass under the stars and listened to a band play. There was a breeze off the water, it was so nice.
Our 10th anniversary is coming up the 19th of October. We are planning on having a couples massage and a nice dinner. We are so blessed to have each other.
Then we're in to the holidays and we all know Kevin's obsession with Christmas. He wishes he could start decorating now, so he could enjoy it longer. Here comes It's a wonderful life and Christmas story playing on a loop over and over.
On a more serious note. I'd like to ask for prayers for a freind of mine Lisa Dukes. She's one of my long time designers at Lightsyle. We go back several years. She's just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It's in both lungs. She's never smoked nor does any of her family. She has 2 children one of them is away at college and it's ruff on him not being home for his mother, her daughter is here at home. Her husband is trying to stay strong but it's not easy. She was just admitted into Orlando Regional yesterday with the flu because her emune system is low. She recieving fluids to hopefully boost her system. She's a strong christian and knows God is in control. She's part of a women's bible study who are praying faithfully for her.
So if you'd please put her on your prayer list at church and in your private prayers each day I would greatly appreciate it.
And as always Make it a Great Day!
Love to you all,
Patsy
I had another PET/CT Scan the beginning of the month along with blood work. Yesterday (Monday) Kevin and I met with Dr. Badias to review the results.
He always starts with how I'm feeling, any pain?...night sweats...shortness of breath etc....etc...
That's never good in my head. In my head I'm thinking OK, It's still there or he wouldn't be asking me the same questions....
Plus we waited for 1 hr in the room before he came in. That alone makes you nervous.
Basically the lymphoma is still there, It's gone down a little less than 1 cm. It's now 3-1/4 in size. But still has activity. Which is the heat in the core.
That was concerning him. It should be bone by now. He doesn't understand why it's still lighting up in the center of the lymphoma. So he wants to do another biopsy to determine if it's positive or negative. It may be scar tissue making up the excess. Which doesn't excuse the lighting in the middle of it.
It's not trying to grow which is good. So the surgery team has to determine if they can biopsy something so small first at all. You've got to remember the first time he said it was the size of an eggplant. Now it's the size of a golf ball. It may be harder to locate.
Dr Badias loves the analogy's of food and sports balls for sizes....but that's my way of explaining what size they are..
So they will be calling me sometime this week to let me know & hopefully set up the biopsy.
Dr. Badias say's there's a 70% chance it's going to be negative. If it's is then we wait another 4 months & do another Pet/Ct Scan. My insurance company is fighting us on the Pet Scan. So we may just do Ct Scan's. The problem with that is the Ct Scan only takes a picture of the size but doesn't measure or detect the core lighting up.
If the biopsy comes back positive then we go to Moffitt in Tampa. Have the "extraction" which is stem cells removed from my port and stored then returned to me after an intensive chemotherepy. Dr. Badias said it's 3 X's what I got here at MD Anderson.
The sucess rate is very high. He insures me that it will elumunate any cancer left in my body.
The only draw back is I will be out of work for 2 weeks. Which means no paycheck. So we are hoping I won't have to go that route.
Meanwhile I'm a highly functioning lymphoma patient.
I just reciently joined a tennis team. I've been waiting about a year to join a team because I wasn't sure where this journey would take me. But like I told my team caption last night at clinic, I refuse to let this cancer define me. I'm in charge.
I've played twice so far. Lost the first game two weeks ago in a tie breaker and this past week won with Paige's help 6-3,6-1 on line 3. This week I'm playing line 3 again. I plan on giving it all I've got.
There are 4 lines in tennis. Line 1 being the best, down to line 4. I feel very honered to be playing with these girls. They have welcomed me on every level. I can't express how good it feels to be a part of something so challenging and fun.
Our team is number one right now...no pressure...ha ha
It's fall here in Orlando. We've gotten lots of rain which is not typical of this season. We are coming into the season of Art Festivals. And Kevin and I love to walk through and enjoy the whole experience. We just reciently went to Maitland's Art's Festival with Kevin's sister Krissy and her fiance. Sat in the grass under the stars and listened to a band play. There was a breeze off the water, it was so nice.
Our 10th anniversary is coming up the 19th of October. We are planning on having a couples massage and a nice dinner. We are so blessed to have each other.
Then we're in to the holidays and we all know Kevin's obsession with Christmas. He wishes he could start decorating now, so he could enjoy it longer. Here comes It's a wonderful life and Christmas story playing on a loop over and over.
On a more serious note. I'd like to ask for prayers for a freind of mine Lisa Dukes. She's one of my long time designers at Lightsyle. We go back several years. She's just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It's in both lungs. She's never smoked nor does any of her family. She has 2 children one of them is away at college and it's ruff on him not being home for his mother, her daughter is here at home. Her husband is trying to stay strong but it's not easy. She was just admitted into Orlando Regional yesterday with the flu because her emune system is low. She recieving fluids to hopefully boost her system. She's a strong christian and knows God is in control. She's part of a women's bible study who are praying faithfully for her.
So if you'd please put her on your prayer list at church and in your private prayers each day I would greatly appreciate it.
And as always Make it a Great Day!
Love to you all,
Patsy
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hello Friends
Hello Friends!
Just wanted to send out an update. A few of you have asked. I've been off for the summer enjoying life like I don't have this cancer. If you remember from the last post. The cancer has remained the same size since the second chemo. It's remained a size 4 cm throughout all 8 chemo's and a month of radiation. The last visit with my oncologist. It had gone down in intensity which is the heat in the core. It went from a 7 to a 5. Our prayer is it will have gone down more. Size would be nice as well. But anything going in the downwards direction would be awesome. I go in for a pet scan on the 3rd of Oct & get the results on the 10th of Oct.
My hair has grown back! It came in straight & thick. I "LOVE" it! It came in blonde, light brown & grey. I decided to color it closer to the grey so you could tell it was grey....Yuck. So I decided to color it with a rinse out semi permanent very lightest blond for now. So I'm a beautiful bright light blonde now. I've also decided to keep it short for now. I have to say it's SO easy getting ready to go anywhere these days! I don't even have to brush it. Just finger comb it and go. Having it short has been awesome for yard work and tennis too!
Which is a good time to mention. I was invited to join a tennis team. I was reluctant to join before my journey with this lymphoma is done. But I refuse to let it define me!!
I'm excited beyond words where this team is going, and the community of the girls on the team. We had a clinic last night (Monday) and I had a chance to meet them all. And Im very impressed with the kindness of them all.
On a sadder note. My mother-in-law Sara from my first marriage passed Sunday 9.11.11 after a long battle with dementia. She passed going to a peaceful sleep. She was a wonderful person. She always considered me one of her children. The daughter she never had. Her heart was so kind and pure. She made me a better person. She will be missed by SO many. My heart hurts that I can't call her anymore and hear her beautiful Georgia accent. But I know our Father God needed her more. He knows when we come into this world and he knows when we are going to leave it. It's his plan not ours.
And like I've said before. One day I will stand before him and thank him for the body he's loaned me.
Until the next post.
Make it a great day!
Love you all very much!
Patsy
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Hello Friends & Family
Hello Friends & Family
I recently had a Pet Scan & CT Scan after being off for 2 months, from my stint of radiation for one month.
Dr. Badias my oncologist reviewed the results of the scans.
It appears the diameter of the mass has NOT changed in size. But has decreased in it's intensity. Which is the measure of the heat within the mass. It went down from a 7 to a 5. Which means it's NOT trying to grow. YAY!
After reviewing my options. Dr. Badias decided to give me the next 4 months off from any treatment. He said I was OK for 2 months, that I would be fine for 4 more months. After that time I will have another series of scans which will be in September. Depending on the results of the scans, we'll determine what direction to go in.
If it comes back that it is still an active Lymphoma, I will have a bioposy, and depending on those findings.
If positive, I will be going to Moffet Cancer Center in Tampa Florida. There they will extract my bone marrow by pherisis & store it. Then give me a very intense chemo. More powerful than any I have had. (Yes my hair will fall out again but quicker) Monitor me for 2 weeks, then return my bone marrow to me.
I would be staying in Tampa @ a hotel next door to the hosiptal so they can monitor me daily.
If the biopsy comes back as negitive, which would be no signs of Lymphoma we would leave it alone and just monitor it from there with scans several months apart.
Dr. Badias thinks it could be scar tissue accumulated after the radiation was completed. Which is unlikly being that the cancer was 4 cm & the scar tissue is also 4 cm's. If the cancer has shrunk & the scar tissue had taken it's place with the same size.
But my take away from this meeting with the doc is that it had infact decreased in it's intensity. And that to me says it's going to keep dying in the next 4 months & will eventually lie dormet & no further chemo will be necessary.
That is my prayer.
And with that said I thank each and everyone of you for your continued prayers. Have a great summer. I am! Both our neices have had beach weddings and we've stayed at each for the whole weekend and enjoyed being around family. Kevin's neice was in Cocoa Beach in April and my neice was in Daytona Beach this past weekend. The weekend before my last scan we stayed at Kevin's sisters condo at Satalite Beach. And I went away for a girls weekend with my sister Lori and a dear friend Theresa to a friends condo in New Smyrna Beach. Other's were invited but couldn't make it at the last minute. So we now are stuck in "beach" mode. I'm getting a deep wonderful tan. And the color is making me look even healther. I'm playing a lot of tennis, which I LOVE! I have an adorable short blond hair cut, which is SO easy and fun to take care of I don't know if I'll ever grow it back out again. My weight had gone down due to no more drugs!
Work has slowed for the summer which is normal. But the increase of houses is way up! And that is a blessing for sure.
I'm living life like I don't have cancer and come September I will have good news and continue to love and appreciate the wonderful life I'm blessed with.
So enjoy the gift you've been given and live life to the fullest......
And....
Make it a great day!
Patsy
I recently had a Pet Scan & CT Scan after being off for 2 months, from my stint of radiation for one month.
Dr. Badias my oncologist reviewed the results of the scans.
It appears the diameter of the mass has NOT changed in size. But has decreased in it's intensity. Which is the measure of the heat within the mass. It went down from a 7 to a 5. Which means it's NOT trying to grow. YAY!
After reviewing my options. Dr. Badias decided to give me the next 4 months off from any treatment. He said I was OK for 2 months, that I would be fine for 4 more months. After that time I will have another series of scans which will be in September. Depending on the results of the scans, we'll determine what direction to go in.
If it comes back that it is still an active Lymphoma, I will have a bioposy, and depending on those findings.
If positive, I will be going to Moffet Cancer Center in Tampa Florida. There they will extract my bone marrow by pherisis & store it. Then give me a very intense chemo. More powerful than any I have had. (Yes my hair will fall out again but quicker) Monitor me for 2 weeks, then return my bone marrow to me.
I would be staying in Tampa @ a hotel next door to the hosiptal so they can monitor me daily.
If the biopsy comes back as negitive, which would be no signs of Lymphoma we would leave it alone and just monitor it from there with scans several months apart.
Dr. Badias thinks it could be scar tissue accumulated after the radiation was completed. Which is unlikly being that the cancer was 4 cm & the scar tissue is also 4 cm's. If the cancer has shrunk & the scar tissue had taken it's place with the same size.
But my take away from this meeting with the doc is that it had infact decreased in it's intensity. And that to me says it's going to keep dying in the next 4 months & will eventually lie dormet & no further chemo will be necessary.
That is my prayer.
And with that said I thank each and everyone of you for your continued prayers. Have a great summer. I am! Both our neices have had beach weddings and we've stayed at each for the whole weekend and enjoyed being around family. Kevin's neice was in Cocoa Beach in April and my neice was in Daytona Beach this past weekend. The weekend before my last scan we stayed at Kevin's sisters condo at Satalite Beach. And I went away for a girls weekend with my sister Lori and a dear friend Theresa to a friends condo in New Smyrna Beach. Other's were invited but couldn't make it at the last minute. So we now are stuck in "beach" mode. I'm getting a deep wonderful tan. And the color is making me look even healther. I'm playing a lot of tennis, which I LOVE! I have an adorable short blond hair cut, which is SO easy and fun to take care of I don't know if I'll ever grow it back out again. My weight had gone down due to no more drugs!
Work has slowed for the summer which is normal. But the increase of houses is way up! And that is a blessing for sure.
I'm living life like I don't have cancer and come September I will have good news and continue to love and appreciate the wonderful life I'm blessed with.
So enjoy the gift you've been given and live life to the fullest......
And....
Make it a great day!
Patsy
Monday, May 16, 2011
EDIT!!
Oh My Gosh!! I forgot the most important person and I feel like a heal. I would never had the power turned back on if it weren't for Kathi my dear friend. She could hear the frustration in my voice when I was on the way to Ace to buy another extension cord. And got on the computer and called in a power outage at my address. After me being on the phone while waiting on customers, (thanks to the patience of my wonderful clients on Saturday) all day trying to get the power turned back on. There's such red tape with the city. I was exhausted from just everything I've been through lately and just giving up to having no power for the weekend and knowing that I had a "cleansing" to go through on Sunday with no power. I was just over it..... She said...on NO your not. If you have to you pull the cancer card out and show it! You WILL Have power tonight!
So after the trucks pulled up at my house I burst out in tears SO thankful to see them. It reminded me of the hurricane's back when Charlie disabled my street and neighborhood.
So just want to Thank someone very special, if it weren't for her I still would be without power tonight.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all of you that came to my rescue. I owe each and everyone of you! Love you KR
Make it a great day!
Patsy
So after the trucks pulled up at my house I burst out in tears SO thankful to see them. It reminded me of the hurricane's back when Charlie disabled my street and neighborhood.
So just want to Thank someone very special, if it weren't for her I still would be without power tonight.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all of you that came to my rescue. I owe each and everyone of you! Love you KR
Make it a great day!
Patsy
We Are SO blessed!
We are SO blessed! Some of you may not know but Friday night we had a really bad lightning storm and lightning hit a branch on the huge oak tree in our back yard. It came crashing down missing my planters, house etc. It did hit the fence and crushed it to pieces. It was 68' long and 2' in dia.
That's were the luck starts. Fire dept came because we smelt smoke in the foyer. And stayed with us till one in the morning waiting on Progress Energy to get there and disconnect the power from the main transformer. The next morning called a friend that owns an electrical company in Orlando (need one I can hook you up) I had to go to Lightstyle and open the store and work to close. But in the mean time, tree guys were busy cutting the tree (for fire wood) and The electrician repaired the damages for nothing. Called the power company and they were there at 8pm to hook me back up. Blessings two and three...
Blessing four I called Bright House after discovering the cable had gotten knocked out as well. And because we have a bundle that included the phone they moved us up from Tuesday afternoon, to that day, which was on Sunday!! We thought our TV was blown because it wouldn't turn on even without cable. But with the cable hooked up it works perfect. And its all good!!! YAY!!....and the icing on the cake and blessing number five. The inspector came today to tell us we should have had a permit and and was SO nice! Said..." I can tell by your home that you are obviously good home owners. Do me a favor go down to the permitting office and get a permit and here's my card, tell them I sent you and they'll schedule me to come out and sign you off. I can see by where I'm standing all looks good". And smiled at me and said "no fines!!"
Thanks also to my wonderful neighbors, Lucy (and her girls Rita & Riley) for coming to my rescue (Kevin was gone on an all night film shoot) bringing me battery operated lanterns, fans and help getting organized. To Amy and her wonderful children McKenzie and Conlin who brought me dinner and desert! To Steve and Lori wanting to help with the generator. Oh and the electrician that got the generator running after cleaning the spark plug. Yay Nate.
When you do good ...... good comes back :~) and by the way did I mention that I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy this morning... And everything is good!!
I don't have to go back to the hospital until June for a pet scan to find out what the next course of treatments will be. I'm enjoying NOT going to the doctors at MD Anderson for the months of April and May. Just enjoying being normal for a while. Playing a lot of tennis and enjoying dinner out with friends.
Until test results....
Make it a great day! Patsy
That's were the luck starts. Fire dept came because we smelt smoke in the foyer. And stayed with us till one in the morning waiting on Progress Energy to get there and disconnect the power from the main transformer. The next morning called a friend that owns an electrical company in Orlando (need one I can hook you up) I had to go to Lightstyle and open the store and work to close. But in the mean time, tree guys were busy cutting the tree (for fire wood) and The electrician repaired the damages for nothing. Called the power company and they were there at 8pm to hook me back up. Blessings two and three...
Blessing four I called Bright House after discovering the cable had gotten knocked out as well. And because we have a bundle that included the phone they moved us up from Tuesday afternoon, to that day, which was on Sunday!! We thought our TV was blown because it wouldn't turn on even without cable. But with the cable hooked up it works perfect. And its all good!!! YAY!!....and the icing on the cake and blessing number five. The inspector came today to tell us we should have had a permit and and was SO nice! Said..." I can tell by your home that you are obviously good home owners. Do me a favor go down to the permitting office and get a permit and here's my card, tell them I sent you and they'll schedule me to come out and sign you off. I can see by where I'm standing all looks good". And smiled at me and said "no fines!!"
Thanks also to my wonderful neighbors, Lucy (and her girls Rita & Riley) for coming to my rescue (Kevin was gone on an all night film shoot) bringing me battery operated lanterns, fans and help getting organized. To Amy and her wonderful children McKenzie and Conlin who brought me dinner and desert! To Steve and Lori wanting to help with the generator. Oh and the electrician that got the generator running after cleaning the spark plug. Yay Nate.
When you do good ...... good comes back :~) and by the way did I mention that I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy this morning... And everything is good!!
I don't have to go back to the hospital until June for a pet scan to find out what the next course of treatments will be. I'm enjoying NOT going to the doctors at MD Anderson for the months of April and May. Just enjoying being normal for a while. Playing a lot of tennis and enjoying dinner out with friends.
Until test results....
Make it a great day! Patsy
Monday, March 28, 2011
HELLO FRIENDS
You may want to read this when you have a few minutes. It ended up being longer than I thought it would. Kevin asked me a couple of times if I was writing a book.
I recently discovered some facts from the American Cancer Society. It sort of explained what my cancer actually is.
The body is made up of hundreds of million living cells. Normal ones grow, divide and die off. Normal cells (when your young) divide faster to allow a person to grow. When you grow into an adult they divide only to replace worn-out ,damaged or dying cells.
Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There's many different kinds, but they all start because of the out of control abnormal cells.
The cells instead of dying, they keep growing and invading the other tissues & that's called a cancer cell and grow into a tumor. Some cancers like leukemia, rarely form tumors. Instead these cancer cells are in the blood or bone marrow. Sometimes both.
When the cancer cells travel to other parts of the body they can spread cancer to other areas besides where the cancer started. For example, If you get breast cancer and it spreads to the liver and forms cancer there. It's still called breast cancer not liver cancer. I found that fascinating.
I would have never know that if I hadn't read though this information.
My cancer is called Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It's cells that start in the lymph nodes, which are not removed because your lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system. Several people have asked that very question. "Why don't they just take it out?"
Now we know why.
There are 2 different kinds of lymphoma's Hodgkin's lymphoma and non Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Hodgkin is named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first described it.
The difference can only be detected under a microscope, and in some cases, special lab test may be needed to tell them apart.
One of the other doesn't make it better or worst. It's just the type of cell format. There are 2 main types aside of the Hodgkins or Non Hodgkin, which are B cell or T cell. And all that is, is they do different jobs with in the immune system.
B cells help protect the body against germs by making protein called antibodies.
The antibodies attach to the germs and attract other immune system cells, surround & digest those germs. Antibodies also attract certain blood proteins that kill bacteria.
T cells are more common. Some T cells help protect the body against viruses. Fungi and some bacteria. T ells are thought to destroy some types of cancer. T cells can boost or slow your immune system.
So you can see they are just different. I have the B cell Lymphoma. One difference from what I've been told and read is that it drives the type of treatment path.
The B cell lymphona makes up 1 out of every 3 cases of lymphoma. The cells are large and they grow very fast. Mine grew several cm from the time it was detected to the time that I first started treatment.
And another fasinating fact I found is that my type is usually (mostly) found in much older patients usually 60 and older. And usually men. And in the white race. Asians & blacks rarely get it.
The cause is unknown. Some studies say chemicals, some radation exposure, like survirors of atomic bombs, nuclear reactor accidents etc. Weakened ummune systems autoimmune deseases, which is your immune system. Certain infections like arthritis and lupus, stomach ulcers, hepatitus C. Those are risk factors. Non of which I have, which makes it even more of a mystery.
Mine....I have no idea. It came totally out of left field. They said a weak immune system. But my doctor said to me at the first meeting. That I was the healtiest patient with no symthoms that he had, had in his office. I don't know if he says that to other patients or not. All I know is that I had a back ache after sleeping and that's it.
They didn't determine that the cancer was in my back at that time. So they didn't consider that a symthom.
They did how ever determine that after a Pet Scan. They found so many cancer cells that they couldn't count them the doctor said.
I told Kevin that I thought we needed a new mattress. Ha Ha.
Normally you'd have generalized symtoms such as.
*Weight loss with out a known reason.
*Fever
*Heavy night sweating (enough to soak through clothes and sheets)
These are called B symthoms. B symthoms are linked to again faster type of growning cancer cells. That's why mine grew so fast so quickly.
First a needle biopsy is done, which is a thin needle inserted though the skin to remove a small amount of fluid and tiny bits of tissue from the tumor. If that's not enough to make a diagnosis a core needle which is a larger needle to remove a slightly larger piece of tissue. Which was the case in my biopsy which was done under anastesia in an opperating room.
I also had a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy which was one in the doctors office. I layed on my stomach and the doctor numbed my back hip area. I can tell you about this because I was awake and aware of the whole process. He inserted a thin hollow needle that removed a small amount of liquid bone marrow (about a teaspoon full). Then a piece of marrow & bone were removed. That's done with a slightly larger needle that is twisted and pushed down into the bone to retrieve a piece of bone for testing. There was some pain but was over pretty quickly, but to me lasted for an eternity. I kept looking at Kevin sitting in the chair mouthing if I was ok? I just smiled back and said just do it and get it over with. I suprised the nurse holding my feet and legs that I didn't move. She said most patients wiggle and move and I didn't. He pushed so hard that he was up on his tip toes baring down as hard as he could. He said that I have strong back muscles. Which I attribute to tennis.
Blood test are done then to determine amounts of certain types of cells and chemials in the blood. It doesn't diagnose lymphoma just how advanced that lyphoma is and how fast it's growning. In my case fast! It will however tell if it's in the liver or kidneys. they do blood tests through out the chemo treatments to insure the lyphoma cells don't spread to those other organs. And your counts stay up. Like your platetet count and white blood counts for example.
The staging, 1,2,3,4 & 5 are done simply by where the cancer is.
STAGE 1 is a small tumor located & contained to a specific area.
STAGE 2 is large & may be more than one. In my case I was a stage 2, and what they called "Bulky". That was explained, because there was a large tumor (11.5 cm) size and a couple more beside it. One the size of a golf ball & th e other one the size of a quarter. And of course the ones in my back. I stayed in this stage because the tumors were contained to the central area. What I called the "tire" area. Just around the middle of the body, front and back.
STAGE 3 is if the lymph nodes area affected anywhere else in the body for example: neck, arm areas, or lower in the legs and ankles.
STAGE 4-5 are if the cells are detected in the bone marrow.
There are several types of scans used in and thoughtout the treatment. The first one was an ultrassound.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture. Like what is done for a pregancy. A wand is moved over your skin outlining the different organs & measuring the tumor or tumors. It's kind of a fuzzy picture so a CT scan is done next.
A CT Scan which means (Computed Tomography) An x-ray done when a white milky substance is taken by mouth. Which outlines the intestine for the scan. They also intravenously inject "dye" to out line the structures of the body. You feel a flushing of warmth as the dye courses through your body. The tech told me I may feel like I'm peeing. But not to be alarmed, because I wasn't. Ha Ha...
All the while your laying on an x-ray table while they do the imaging. This took a clearer picture. And that's the one the doctor showed Kevin and I in the doctors office. He warned us that what we were about to see was alarming and really huge. I told him my primary doc already told me. So I was prepared. Yay doc Cindy! He took us to his computer in his office and showed us the image. It was SO big, I now realized why I couldn't eat much. It literally took up so much room in my abdomal area that it was crowding my other organs out of room. And pushing my stomach up into my chest wall. He pointed out the main one and the other two. All in which were a white. So you could see what was a tumor and what was the stomach and liver, kidneys, splean etc.
Next was the Pet Scan.
A Pet Scan (Postron Emisson Tomography) This is a scan I continued to have throughout the treatment. It was the only one that detected the ones in my back in addition to the ones in my front.
Basically the day before your scan. Your instructed to eat only protein and vegs. No carbs or sugar. No carbs because they turn to sugar once digested.
They insert an IV and take a sample of blood which tests the level of glucose. They have to make sure your levels are low because they then inject you with a sugar mixture of radioactive sugar. And the ones injested by mouth won't through off the levels You wait for one hour until the "nuclear sugar" travels thoughtout the body attaching itself to any cancer cells prescent.
You lye on a table and go though what is best described as a donut that takes pictures of your body while you lay perfectly still. Your head is taped down to the table so you don't move. You can breath as normally and the test takes about 20 minutes.
The cancer cells light up a bright yellow. They then measure the cancer in different stages of growth or reduction. In my case it lit up a brighter than the normal yellow. The doctor explained that it was very active.
It was trying to grow but the chemotherphy was keeping it from increasing in size.
Staging the cancer was named after Ann Arbor Staging System. And as I mentioned before staging 1-5.
Staging is done at each Pet Scan to determine how many chemos are needed. Or whatever the treatment will remain the same or change as needed.
In my case the first two chemo's worked very well and the last 6 only kept it from growing not eliminating it. This is why radation was added to the treatment plan.
The chemotherphy is inserted through a "port" that was surgically implanted in my chest. Which also serves as place to get blood drawn. And that makes it alot nicer than being stuck over and over in the arm.
My chemotherphy was called R-Chop. The R is Reytuxan and a mix of drugs in the chop part often refered to as a cocktail. Mixed at the time of the chemo from the pharmacy on location. Delivered to the room by a nurse and check and crossed checked by both the administrating nurse and the nurse that delivers it, both while wearing gowns and gloves. Makes you think about what they are about to inject into you huh.
Your given a couple of tynenol and you sit in a reclining chair. First your given a dose of benadryl to make the body relax. Then they start the flow of the mixture. Your there for about aprox 6 hours. Depending on how fast or slow your body can take it. (I started at 8 but then stayed at 6 hours.)
I went on Mondays which is my day off work. That way my job wasn't affected. And fortunatly I didn't get sick.
After all the chemo treatments were completed, I started radation.
That was a different experience all together. I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasently suprised.
They give you a card with an UPC label on it. And you self check in a tthe front desk by scanning the card which alerts the nurses that you are there. You go back to a back waiting room where other "patients" are sitting waiting to be called in.
My slot was at 8:20am. I was to be there at 8:00 am because sometimes if all was running smoothly they would take me in earlier & I was out by 8:20.
The nurses come out and call your name. You enter a room that has a huge machine with a table coming out of it. I layed flat on my back and the nurses line you up to beams located on either side of the room on side walls. And one beam that comes out of the ceiling to previously tatooed on dots/marks on your body. They also draw on your "area" with a purple marker that outlines your targeted area. It doesn't wash off but if it fades they will just reapply it for the next day. The machine then comes down to cover the area the girls (nurses) to to an area behind a heavy door that sucludes them from the radioactive waves ommitted from the machine. The beam then kicks on for about 10 seconds and then it rotates under the table and kicks back on for another 10 seconds and radiates from the back side. The whole process takes about 8-10 minutes. And it's all filmed so the doctor can change the layout if needed and the patient is lined up properly each time.
The nurses then reset the room for the next patient. This is repeated everyday for a month. You don't feel anything. But the radio active waves are attacking the tumor and frying it from the inside. Hopefully killing all the remaining cells from forming new cancer cells.
The nurses get to know you very well & are really genuine. They make the process a extreamly easy and pleasant experience. They greet you with a smile and call you by your first name. Not like a number on a chart.
After the radation treatment is completed. The process of the radioactive waves continue to work according to the radation doctor, for one month. After that one month has passed. Another Pet Scan is done to determine (again staging the tumor) what if any is left of the tumor. The nurses told me not to worry, that it always works.
That's good enough for me.
Through out this experience I have maintained an upbeat attitude which I believe in my heart has helped my healing and prevented me from getting sick. I truly believe that in my heart.
I feel like I'm blessed and that God is using me to teach people. Cancer effects every family one way or the other.
In mine it's changed the way we feel about the future & what our purpose is on this earth. It makes you appreciate what a gift our lives truly are. And God gave us one shot. And it's up to us how we treat it and what we do to the enviroment we live in.
One day and we don't know when or the time but the earth as we know it will change. So treat your body like it is the gift that it is. And one day you can think the man that intrusted it to you.
Make it a great day!
Patsy
P.S. I will have my next Pet Scan on April 6th and meet both with both doctors on April 7th to get my results. Thank you to those of you that continue to pray for me.
I love each and everyone of you more than you know.
I recently discovered some facts from the American Cancer Society. It sort of explained what my cancer actually is.
The body is made up of hundreds of million living cells. Normal ones grow, divide and die off. Normal cells (when your young) divide faster to allow a person to grow. When you grow into an adult they divide only to replace worn-out ,damaged or dying cells.
Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There's many different kinds, but they all start because of the out of control abnormal cells.
The cells instead of dying, they keep growing and invading the other tissues & that's called a cancer cell and grow into a tumor. Some cancers like leukemia, rarely form tumors. Instead these cancer cells are in the blood or bone marrow. Sometimes both.
When the cancer cells travel to other parts of the body they can spread cancer to other areas besides where the cancer started. For example, If you get breast cancer and it spreads to the liver and forms cancer there. It's still called breast cancer not liver cancer. I found that fascinating.
I would have never know that if I hadn't read though this information.
My cancer is called Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It's cells that start in the lymph nodes, which are not removed because your lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system. Several people have asked that very question. "Why don't they just take it out?"
Now we know why.
There are 2 different kinds of lymphoma's Hodgkin's lymphoma and non Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Hodgkin is named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first described it.
The difference can only be detected under a microscope, and in some cases, special lab test may be needed to tell them apart.
One of the other doesn't make it better or worst. It's just the type of cell format. There are 2 main types aside of the Hodgkins or Non Hodgkin, which are B cell or T cell. And all that is, is they do different jobs with in the immune system.
B cells help protect the body against germs by making protein called antibodies.
The antibodies attach to the germs and attract other immune system cells, surround & digest those germs. Antibodies also attract certain blood proteins that kill bacteria.
T cells are more common. Some T cells help protect the body against viruses. Fungi and some bacteria. T ells are thought to destroy some types of cancer. T cells can boost or slow your immune system.
So you can see they are just different. I have the B cell Lymphoma. One difference from what I've been told and read is that it drives the type of treatment path.
The B cell lymphona makes up 1 out of every 3 cases of lymphoma. The cells are large and they grow very fast. Mine grew several cm from the time it was detected to the time that I first started treatment.
And another fasinating fact I found is that my type is usually (mostly) found in much older patients usually 60 and older. And usually men. And in the white race. Asians & blacks rarely get it.
The cause is unknown. Some studies say chemicals, some radation exposure, like survirors of atomic bombs, nuclear reactor accidents etc. Weakened ummune systems autoimmune deseases, which is your immune system. Certain infections like arthritis and lupus, stomach ulcers, hepatitus C. Those are risk factors. Non of which I have, which makes it even more of a mystery.
Mine....I have no idea. It came totally out of left field. They said a weak immune system. But my doctor said to me at the first meeting. That I was the healtiest patient with no symthoms that he had, had in his office. I don't know if he says that to other patients or not. All I know is that I had a back ache after sleeping and that's it.
They didn't determine that the cancer was in my back at that time. So they didn't consider that a symthom.
They did how ever determine that after a Pet Scan. They found so many cancer cells that they couldn't count them the doctor said.
I told Kevin that I thought we needed a new mattress. Ha Ha.
Normally you'd have generalized symtoms such as.
*Weight loss with out a known reason.
*Fever
*Heavy night sweating (enough to soak through clothes and sheets)
These are called B symthoms. B symthoms are linked to again faster type of growning cancer cells. That's why mine grew so fast so quickly.
First a needle biopsy is done, which is a thin needle inserted though the skin to remove a small amount of fluid and tiny bits of tissue from the tumor. If that's not enough to make a diagnosis a core needle which is a larger needle to remove a slightly larger piece of tissue. Which was the case in my biopsy which was done under anastesia in an opperating room.
I also had a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy which was one in the doctors office. I layed on my stomach and the doctor numbed my back hip area. I can tell you about this because I was awake and aware of the whole process. He inserted a thin hollow needle that removed a small amount of liquid bone marrow (about a teaspoon full). Then a piece of marrow & bone were removed. That's done with a slightly larger needle that is twisted and pushed down into the bone to retrieve a piece of bone for testing. There was some pain but was over pretty quickly, but to me lasted for an eternity. I kept looking at Kevin sitting in the chair mouthing if I was ok? I just smiled back and said just do it and get it over with. I suprised the nurse holding my feet and legs that I didn't move. She said most patients wiggle and move and I didn't. He pushed so hard that he was up on his tip toes baring down as hard as he could. He said that I have strong back muscles. Which I attribute to tennis.
Blood test are done then to determine amounts of certain types of cells and chemials in the blood. It doesn't diagnose lymphoma just how advanced that lyphoma is and how fast it's growning. In my case fast! It will however tell if it's in the liver or kidneys. they do blood tests through out the chemo treatments to insure the lyphoma cells don't spread to those other organs. And your counts stay up. Like your platetet count and white blood counts for example.
The staging, 1,2,3,4 & 5 are done simply by where the cancer is.
STAGE 1 is a small tumor located & contained to a specific area.
STAGE 2 is large & may be more than one. In my case I was a stage 2, and what they called "Bulky". That was explained, because there was a large tumor (11.5 cm) size and a couple more beside it. One the size of a golf ball & th e other one the size of a quarter. And of course the ones in my back. I stayed in this stage because the tumors were contained to the central area. What I called the "tire" area. Just around the middle of the body, front and back.
STAGE 3 is if the lymph nodes area affected anywhere else in the body for example: neck, arm areas, or lower in the legs and ankles.
STAGE 4-5 are if the cells are detected in the bone marrow.
There are several types of scans used in and thoughtout the treatment. The first one was an ultrassound.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture. Like what is done for a pregancy. A wand is moved over your skin outlining the different organs & measuring the tumor or tumors. It's kind of a fuzzy picture so a CT scan is done next.
A CT Scan which means (Computed Tomography) An x-ray done when a white milky substance is taken by mouth. Which outlines the intestine for the scan. They also intravenously inject "dye" to out line the structures of the body. You feel a flushing of warmth as the dye courses through your body. The tech told me I may feel like I'm peeing. But not to be alarmed, because I wasn't. Ha Ha...
All the while your laying on an x-ray table while they do the imaging. This took a clearer picture. And that's the one the doctor showed Kevin and I in the doctors office. He warned us that what we were about to see was alarming and really huge. I told him my primary doc already told me. So I was prepared. Yay doc Cindy! He took us to his computer in his office and showed us the image. It was SO big, I now realized why I couldn't eat much. It literally took up so much room in my abdomal area that it was crowding my other organs out of room. And pushing my stomach up into my chest wall. He pointed out the main one and the other two. All in which were a white. So you could see what was a tumor and what was the stomach and liver, kidneys, splean etc.
Next was the Pet Scan.
A Pet Scan (Postron Emisson Tomography) This is a scan I continued to have throughout the treatment. It was the only one that detected the ones in my back in addition to the ones in my front.
Basically the day before your scan. Your instructed to eat only protein and vegs. No carbs or sugar. No carbs because they turn to sugar once digested.
They insert an IV and take a sample of blood which tests the level of glucose. They have to make sure your levels are low because they then inject you with a sugar mixture of radioactive sugar. And the ones injested by mouth won't through off the levels You wait for one hour until the "nuclear sugar" travels thoughtout the body attaching itself to any cancer cells prescent.
You lye on a table and go though what is best described as a donut that takes pictures of your body while you lay perfectly still. Your head is taped down to the table so you don't move. You can breath as normally and the test takes about 20 minutes.
The cancer cells light up a bright yellow. They then measure the cancer in different stages of growth or reduction. In my case it lit up a brighter than the normal yellow. The doctor explained that it was very active.
It was trying to grow but the chemotherphy was keeping it from increasing in size.
Staging the cancer was named after Ann Arbor Staging System. And as I mentioned before staging 1-5.
Staging is done at each Pet Scan to determine how many chemos are needed. Or whatever the treatment will remain the same or change as needed.
In my case the first two chemo's worked very well and the last 6 only kept it from growing not eliminating it. This is why radation was added to the treatment plan.
The chemotherphy is inserted through a "port" that was surgically implanted in my chest. Which also serves as place to get blood drawn. And that makes it alot nicer than being stuck over and over in the arm.
My chemotherphy was called R-Chop. The R is Reytuxan and a mix of drugs in the chop part often refered to as a cocktail. Mixed at the time of the chemo from the pharmacy on location. Delivered to the room by a nurse and check and crossed checked by both the administrating nurse and the nurse that delivers it, both while wearing gowns and gloves. Makes you think about what they are about to inject into you huh.
Your given a couple of tynenol and you sit in a reclining chair. First your given a dose of benadryl to make the body relax. Then they start the flow of the mixture. Your there for about aprox 6 hours. Depending on how fast or slow your body can take it. (I started at 8 but then stayed at 6 hours.)
I went on Mondays which is my day off work. That way my job wasn't affected. And fortunatly I didn't get sick.
After all the chemo treatments were completed, I started radation.
That was a different experience all together. I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasently suprised.
They give you a card with an UPC label on it. And you self check in a tthe front desk by scanning the card which alerts the nurses that you are there. You go back to a back waiting room where other "patients" are sitting waiting to be called in.
My slot was at 8:20am. I was to be there at 8:00 am because sometimes if all was running smoothly they would take me in earlier & I was out by 8:20.
The nurses come out and call your name. You enter a room that has a huge machine with a table coming out of it. I layed flat on my back and the nurses line you up to beams located on either side of the room on side walls. And one beam that comes out of the ceiling to previously tatooed on dots/marks on your body. They also draw on your "area" with a purple marker that outlines your targeted area. It doesn't wash off but if it fades they will just reapply it for the next day. The machine then comes down to cover the area the girls (nurses) to to an area behind a heavy door that sucludes them from the radioactive waves ommitted from the machine. The beam then kicks on for about 10 seconds and then it rotates under the table and kicks back on for another 10 seconds and radiates from the back side. The whole process takes about 8-10 minutes. And it's all filmed so the doctor can change the layout if needed and the patient is lined up properly each time.
The nurses then reset the room for the next patient. This is repeated everyday for a month. You don't feel anything. But the radio active waves are attacking the tumor and frying it from the inside. Hopefully killing all the remaining cells from forming new cancer cells.
The nurses get to know you very well & are really genuine. They make the process a extreamly easy and pleasant experience. They greet you with a smile and call you by your first name. Not like a number on a chart.
After the radation treatment is completed. The process of the radioactive waves continue to work according to the radation doctor, for one month. After that one month has passed. Another Pet Scan is done to determine (again staging the tumor) what if any is left of the tumor. The nurses told me not to worry, that it always works.
That's good enough for me.
Through out this experience I have maintained an upbeat attitude which I believe in my heart has helped my healing and prevented me from getting sick. I truly believe that in my heart.
I feel like I'm blessed and that God is using me to teach people. Cancer effects every family one way or the other.
In mine it's changed the way we feel about the future & what our purpose is on this earth. It makes you appreciate what a gift our lives truly are. And God gave us one shot. And it's up to us how we treat it and what we do to the enviroment we live in.
One day and we don't know when or the time but the earth as we know it will change. So treat your body like it is the gift that it is. And one day you can think the man that intrusted it to you.
Make it a great day!
Patsy
P.S. I will have my next Pet Scan on April 6th and meet both with both doctors on April 7th to get my results. Thank you to those of you that continue to pray for me.
I love each and everyone of you more than you know.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
1/2 Way Through Radiation!
Well, the first of the year has gone by way too fast. Kevin had a birthday the end of January & I had one yesterday. We're good for one more year.
Thank you all for the gifts and cards (and flowers) I'm as one of my girlfriend said...I'm now double nickels...ha ha
As far as my treatments....I'm 1/2 way through them. I met with Dr. Nanda my radiation doctor on Monday, January 30th, after which had what they call mapping and simulation done.
The nurses lay you on a long skinny table, hands up over my head, feet together. (they actually put a rubber band around my feet so they won't fall open. Which is natural when you relax. That would change the line up. Then they drew purple lines all over my stomach and tattooed the points permeantly. Yep I now have a tat. Unless I showed you where to look, you'd never find them. It's a dot, early the size of a freckle. This lines you up for the actual radiation treatments.
Wednesday, February 1st was my first treatment. It's a self check in. You scan your card with a UPC label on it. The girls in the back radiation room know your there. You go to a secluded waiting room where other patients like you wait to be called away from the main waiting lobby.
The first day as really weird and sad. I saw three children. One, 10yr old boy, no hair and a good disposition, Joking with the nurses. Second, was a boy (maybe 16-17) with cerebral palsy & mentally disabled & spoke spanish and had to have an interpreter. A 14yr old girl with a truckers ball cap, splotchy, sparse hair poking out here and there. In a wheel chair with IV fluids hanging from the support.
That's when it hit me with the wave of sadness. And question, why lord do the children endure this? Needless to say, I went to work unable to shake the sadness the rest of the day.
Anyways....back to the treatment.
You lie on a table. The nurses go through their routine of lining you up with the red beams from the machine. Rubber band your feet & leave the room.
The table moves up to greet the big radiation machine. It kicks on & I start counting. One....and two....and three and...until I reach 13-14. Then it rotates around to the back and radiates from below. Again I count... one..and ...two...and...three, until I reach about 10 or 11. And I'm done. The nurses scurry back in and undo me. The table lowers and I'm done until the next day when we do it all over again.
This is the routine each day.
So far I've had 10 treatments. I will have 20 all together. The doctors see the patients every Wednesday to see how they are handling it and refill meds etc.
He's telling me I will have 15 regular treatments and 5 boost treatments. After which we wait for 30 days and do a pet scan to see how it's worked.
We've discussed the what if's....but no need to tell you that. Because this is going to work!
If you remember the 1st 2 chemo's shrunk all the cancer cells in my back and the front huge one down to 4 cm's . But in 6 chemo's it only went down 1 cm. So Dr. Nanda (rad doc) says since my body got used to the chemo. It basically stopped working. And with the radiation was tricking by frying them (my term, not his) individually to a targeted area.
Good news is my hair has started to grow back. I have a crop of fuzz going. Can't wait to stop wearing scarfs, ball caps & wigs.
And even better news, I've dropped 13 pounds, since being off the steroids. YAY
Again, thank you for your continued prayers and good wishes.
I'm still going to beat this and the "bump" is going to get smaller and smaller.
Love to you all,
and.... Make it a great day!
Patsy
Monday, January 17, 2011
Happy New Year
This past Monday the 10th of January was my last dose of chemo. YAY! It was a day of celebration. When I finished all the nurses gathered in the hall way near the exit to the chemo rooms where the "bell" sits on the wall. When you finish your treatments it's a wonderful feeling. They make you feel a huge since of accomplishment. You read a poem, and they present you with a diploma with all the nurses signatures on it.
Ring out
Ring this bell
3 times well
It's toll to clearly say,
My treatment is done
This course is run
And, I am on my way!
Rear Admiral Irve C. Le Moyne, USN
....and when you've finished you ring the bell 3 times. Everyone in all the rooms down the hall (chemo patients) clap and yell. It's an over whelming experience. You know it's coming because you've heard and joined in when others have done the same. So....having said that, there were tears, yep the faucet turned on & I could hardly get though the reading of the poem. Kevin was there the whole time filming the "ugly" cry.
I feel so blessed by all of you that have supported me through your prayers, gifts and wishes. That has truly pulled me through this journey. It's made such a difference and I have each and every one of you to thank.
From here I go into radiation. Like I've said in past post's, the chemo in the beginning kicked this cancer's butt. The first two treatments went from 11.5 cm down to 4 cm. And all the ones in my back were gone. That was so encouraging. I felt I had it licked. My doctor felt the same. He thought I'd be in remission by the 4th treatment and I'd be finishing up the last two for safe keeping. However he had to add two to the end of the treatment plan making them 8 in all. In 2 treatments it went down so drastic but in 6 treatments it only went down less than 1 cm.
So now I'm headed for radiation to finish this thing up. I met with Dr. Nanda a few weeks ago to explain what the treatment will be like. He explained it somewhat, but said I would have to have another pet scan to determine exactly how many. He predicted 17. Hopefully that will be it.
I'm scheduled for a pet scan January 24th to stage the cancer. From that they will find out if it's shrunk anymore in the last couple of chemo's. I have a muga scan on the 21st. That is where they take pictures of my heart and compare them to previous scans to make sure there hasn't been any damage from the treatments. According to Dr. Baidas, the chemo eats away at heart muscle and tissue. Which so far hasn't happened, thank God. Another part of this whole thing that had continued to amaze me.
I meet with Dr. Nanda the radiation doc on the 25th @ 4pm. Before that he will meet with Dr. Baidas and read the pet & muga scan's.
I really think this will target the cancer cells that are left in particular, like it was explained in the previous meeting with Dr. Nanda. Chemo can only reduce the cancer. Radiation eradicates it to the nth degree.
I'm encouraged that the steroids now will start wearing off. The fullness in my cheeks & other places.....will decrease & I'll start feeling like myself again.
My hair has already started growing back. I have a consistant layer of stubble. Thanks to Kamid (at work). evened out the growth with his clippers. I had a couple of areas that looked like little "tuffs" of grass, ha ha. Now I'm the same all over and it can grow out even.
I look forward to getting this radiation done and behind me and to a New Year cancer free.
Thanks again to your loving support.
Make it a great day,
Patsy
Friday, January 7, 2011
Post from December 20th
Merry Christmas my dear friends,
As Christmas approaches I was hopeful that I'd be through with the treatments by n ow, unfortunately that's not the case. The doc's added on two more chemo's. Today was my 7th chemo, my 8th will be on Jan 10th. And I got the results of the Pet Scan. It wasn't as positive as the past test have been. The tumor hasn't shrunk at all & the "area" was tagged as more "active". Of course I asked what that meant. And she was (Dr. Laura) was it's like it's trying to grow & the chemo is keeping it at bay. Which because of that news, they are adding radiation to my treatment plan. 17 rounds, one each day of the work week. The actual radiation only takes 5-10 minutes but setting it up etc, all in total will be 1 hour in the morning.
There are a couple of side effects that won't be pleasant. But there's a positive spin. Which you know I'll find.
One my hair will start growing back and two (the most important one) I will start losing weight because I won't be on the steroids anymore.
I have to get it off. We've got two weddings this summer, our nieces. Jody and Krystal. That should be time for me to drop 20 lbs in two months. Or at least enough to fit back in all the clothes hanging in my closet!!
I hope this entry finds you all happy and healthy this Christmas Season and the New Year is a blessed one.
I love each and everyone of you,
Patsy
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Good Morning Friends,
This past Monday I had an appointment with Dr. Baidas & Dr. Lori Kaiser for my results of the pet scan taken a week ago. Like I had mentioned in the last post I was hoping for total shrinkage because it had shrunk so much with only 2 treatments. Unfortunately, it only shrunk a little less than 1 cm. Acually .7 cm in technical terms. They also found what Dr Kaiser called a bone island attached to the lower iliac bone?? Which she explained has nothing to do the with the lymphoma, And is more than likely a benign bone island. I liken it to a bone spur. It wasn't there last pet scan and it's not in my bone marrow. They will wait for the next pet scan to keep an eye on it.
So basically they've added two more chemo's onto my treatment plan.
I have another pet scan scheduled for the 14th. And a muga scan (heart) scheduled for the following friday.
I also have an appointment with Dr. Nanda, a radiation doctor Monday the 22nd before Tim.
I'm also thankful for nothanksgiving to explain possible radiation after my additional chemo's are completed.
My take away from this appointment was at least it's shrinking and I'm on the down side of the bump headed for the end.
I've got a good team of doc's at MD Anderson who speak through video face to face talk with the MD Anderson Houston Texas after each of my appointments/treatments to discuss future treatments. So I've got a true team of doctors looking after me.
I had my 5th chemo after my visit with the doctors and of course everything with smoothly. I am thankful for that. In my room (of 4 chairs) there were two patients that were having problems with there ports. They could be flushed but wouldn't except the chemo. A man was there when I got there and was still there when I left. And he had a radiation appointment to go
to next. I felt so bad for him. I'm also thankful for not getting sick and not having any other serious side effects that other patients have experienced.
I get tired but that's manageable. I still play tennis a couple times a week. We get out on the weekends for Arts Festivals or just walking and or play tennis with friends. I recently have gone to a couple of my nephew Jake's base ball games (one last night, burr it was cold!) they were a lot of fun. So far they are in 1st place. And exciting to watch.
And believe it or not I've been wanting to post a picture of my wigs but haven't had the opportunity.
Our computer has been at Full Sail having work programs loaded on to it for Kevin's work. It's been gone for a week and a half. So I promise by this weekend we will have that posted.
I'm still looking forward to the holidays this year. Before with no more chemo's, but even with the extra treatments added on the holidays will be one of giving thanks and appreciating my core of family and friends that continue to surprise me with gifts, cards and support.
You know you never expect the out poring of people that really care until your faced with cancer.
I now know I am truly loved.
Make it a great day!
Love to you my friends.
Patsy
Monday, October 25, 2010
Hi Guys!
It's been too long since I've posted. I always think something needs to happen for me to write something. And people/friends comment the fact it's been so long. What's going on?
The fact is I'm doing remarkably well. I met with Dr. Baidas last Monday before my 4th chemo treatment. And he's scheduled another Pet Scan for 1 week (two weeks at the time) That will determine how much the tumor has shrunk. If it's shrunk down to nothing, he will consider me in remission & if it's being stubborn & some part of it's still hanging around he will add two more treatments. My reasoning is it's already shrunk from 11.5 to 4 in two treatments. Then 4's nothing in just two treatments. I have NO doubt that it's going to be gone if it's shrunk that much already. Remission here I come!
These last two chemo's have knocked me out. I've slept practically the whole time. Then the rest of the day when I get home.
Still no nausea or ill feelings. To that I'm amazed. The stories I hear about it "collecting" in your system just hasn't happened & I only have two more to go. I am truly blessed.
I feel SO good. Tired toward the end of the day but still playing tennis a couple times a week.
Kevin and I celebrated our 9th anniversary this past weekend in Mt. Dora where we were married. We stayed at a friends 100 year old cottage right on Lake Dora, 1 mile from downtown.
We had lunch at the Frog and Monkey Pub right in the heart of downtown. It was packed from the Art's Festival activity. But the food was good and it was air conditioned!
Saturday my sister Lori and her husband Bill came over for dinner at The Goblin Market. I don't know if you've ever been there. If not, you must make a point of going when your in the area. The food is unbelievable, and the atmosphere is even better. They decorate for Halloween and it's really cute. We laughed and shared stories way into the night and ended up at Pisces Rising listening to the band playing and watching drunk people dance. It was so much fun.
The whole evening was wonderful.
The next day we awoke to a beautiful view across the lake. Had breakfast with Lori and Bill on the long back porch overlooking the lake and laughed and shared some more stories over coffee and waffles.
It was a wonderful weekend, one I will never forget.
Today I'm going to lunch with two of my favorite designers, Jose' Caberea and Susan Ettinger. Then we're going to Ritzy Rags to get fitted for a wig. I've been looking forward to it all week. They will be one of the first to see me bald. My neighbor girlfriends Jamie and Lucy have seen me. Of course I strip off whatever I've worn on my head all day off when I walk into my house. So if you come over you will too! ha ha. Fuzz head. My sister said what she was most suprised was that it was grey. You never expect the color to come in like it was when it fell out I guess.
I wasn't thinking grey, but then I did color it at even a hint of grey. Not realizing how much I had. All vanity goes out the window, I'll tell you that much.
Off to start my day.
Make it a great day too!
Love you all. Patsy
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