Time for an Update

Gosh, I can't believe its been 2 months since I've posted anything here. We had a great time at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk - Jim and Becky couldn't walk with us as Becky was playing in the soccer State Cup final that morning, but we stayed in touch with her game through Jim's text updates - they lost in penalty kicks as we were walking down Pete Rose Way. But it was a great morning for a walk, with lots of friends joining us - I know I was pretty tired afterwards, and we came home and had ribbon bagels for brunch. Thanks to all who walked, but especially Julie Heine who joined us from Columbus for the weekend (and smiled through all the soccer games we dragged her to along the way).

A little update on Jim this time - as expected, his PSA count started rising a bit, and he received another hormone shot to kill off the prostate cancer - the doctor wants to keep the volume of it down. Jim is wishing the hormone treatment didn't come with hot sweats that wake him in the middle of the night, but he's a trooper and doesn't complain about it. The soccer schedule this fall kept him from running as much as he'd like, but he'll get back into it (I wish I could be as optimistic about getting into an exercise routine myself. I picked a rowong and cycling machine for my 30 year anniversary gift from P&G this year, and they are both still sitting in the box in the basement - one of these days......) 

I'm having a little trouble with swelling where there isn't supposed to be any - not lymphedema, but edema, and so I have to start wearing a compression vest under my clothes  - glad it's winter and its not too hot. Just a little inconvenience given everything else.

Thanksgiving was SOOOO much better this year than last - last year it was the first holiday without my mom, and I still remember my dad looking across the table at me that day (I felt lousy, and probably looked it, and was wearing my wig) and he teared up, which of course caused me to do the same. THIS year on Thanksgiving we were grateful for lots of things - though we still miss Mom everyday, Jim and I both seem to have warded off the Big C, at least for a little longer, Jim is working, and the biggest news of all - Julie and her boyfriend Shea became engaged right before Thanksgiving. After Christmas they plan to get down to some serious planning, so no date yet, but some very good news that I know Mom is enjoying from her new view - and she doesn't have to worry about what to wear to the wedding!

Love,
Teri

So Much Money!

Hello all,

We are still a few days away from the walk in Cincinnati, but have reached, and surpassed the goal of raising $1,000. I have to admit, when I saw that was mom's goal, I was a little hesitant that we would be able to raise that much. However, I don't know why I even thought that given the people that we are surrounded by. Thank you so much to everyone that has donated to the cause, we truly could not have done it without you! Your support means more than you know to mom and our whole family. As a thank you and a continuation of the celebration, we are hosting a brunch after the walk, so feel free to come back to the house. If you still would like to donate, I have listed the link below!

Thanks again,

Jenny

Happy October!

You are surely being bombarded with pink and breast cancer awareness messages already, but a quick reminder!

If you are between 40 and older, the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation recommend you get an annual mammogram and clinical breast exam. For women less than 40, current recommendations are to get mammograms only if you are at high risk based on family history or other factors. Clinical breast exams are recommended at least every 3 years for women 20-39, and every year beginning at age 40.
Here's a little summary...
For more information on what makes you at "high risk", look here.

Here is a little web tool you can use to remind yourself when to schedule a mammogram/CBE.

Mom got her mammogram that found her first cancer because a woman at work reminded her- its important!

Enjoy all the pink treats!

Come celebrate and join our team!

2011 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Greater Cincinnati Making Strides

Mom's last treatment

Lots more news lately! As Dad has continued to prepare himself for another round of therapy, as just mentioned, Mom has her last Herceptin treatment this week. She will continue to go in periodically to get her port maintained for the next year before they feel like they can take it out. I think I have been misinforming people that she was done- because I didn't even realize! So, she is getting her last hormone treatment and will also continue to take a pill.

Also- if in your mind you could share and redouble some prayers to another family fighting this fight in much need of the extra prayer time! It's been a year now since Mom's rediagnosis, and just over two since Dad's. We've been blessed with some effective treatments, and feel lucky to spread the love to other's in our community who need the support as well.

Jim finishes the 5k Prostrate Cancer Run

On Saturday, Jim ran the Cincinnati 5K Prostate Cancer run in about 25 minutes. He continues to run 4 miles or so 3-5 times a week building up his bones and heart for the hormone therapy being used to treat his prostate cancer. He has a checkup this week to see if it's time for another hormone shot or if they think he can wait another 3-4 months.

ACS's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Hello again all! On October 8th, the American Cancer Society is hosting it's annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Cincinnati, OH. It's taking place at Yeatman's Cove, and having volunteered at the event several years running, it really is a great event. In light of this year's setbacks and successes, my mom has put together a team to start to raise money for the event. Her goal is $1000, and is already on her way there. If you are able to help in anyway, or would just like to come on down to the event for a nice morning stroll to celebrate everything that we have accomplished this year! A link my mom's team is listed below.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY12EastCentral?px=22776632&pg=personal&fr_id=35969

Jenny

New Hairdo

I've been meaning to post a picture of my new hairdo, but since Jenny mentioned it, and I got a hair cut today, here it is!

No News Is Good News

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since we've made a post, but I'm happily reporting that is because there hasn't been much to report. Dad has been doing well with his workouts to keep his heart nice and strong for future hormone treatments. He has a PSA test tomorrow, so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers for the next week so that we get good results for low numbers! Mom is mostly done with recovery and very happily growing her hair back (much curlier than before she lost it!). Still waiting for things to fully heal before the decision of reconstruction is made, so for now, she is doing well and back into the swing of things! Other than that, the family is back and at 'em, so we are very happy to have both Mom and Dad available to drive since soccer and basketball season are in full effect!

Thank you again for all your support,

Jenny

Complete Radiation - Check! Now what?

As Julie wrote, I finished radiation in early June - yeah!!! What I wasn't as ready for was how bad the burn got AFTER I finished treatment. It was really bad a couple weeks after my last session, and I actually took more pain medicine than I had after the surgery. I had to watch what I wore to work, and pretty quickly revert to just a plain droopy Tshirt once I got out of work. I have to say, though, that once it stopped getting worse, it really healed very quickly, so that at my 3 week checkup, everything was pretty much healed. I could go back to wearing normal clothes, and just before we left for the beach on vacation, I finally got my long term prosthesis, which matches pretty darn well, and is so comfortable I go all day without remembering that its even there. That means I'm as back to normal as I'm going to be for quite a while, and it's a pretty good normal.

So what's next?
1) Drugs. I keep taking the hormone treatment at the chemo suite every 3 weeks until October. Besides knocking out one more of the reproductive possibilities for this cancer, it gives me a chance to say hi to the same chemo staff, and they tell me I look great, and that makes me feel good. I like to think maybe someone who has gotten through chemo and is recovering provides some hope to those in the middle of their treatments, since I know it helped me when I saw healthy looking people come in. I also started the "5 year drug" that shuts down some of the estrogen that feeds the cancer, another of the possible reproductive possibilities, and though one of the possible side effects is extreme achiness, it hasn't been too bad so far.
2) Consultations about what to do in the future - I'm working on two different consultations about where I go from here - do I have reconstruction done again, or does that help mask any future reoccurrence? if reconstruction is OK, how long do I wait? or do I go the other direction and have the remaining breast removed, just to be sure? As Julie said, I'm going to the James Center at OSU later this month, and P&G also provides a "Best Doctors" service that I'm using to ask the same questions.
3) Get back to normal - We're on vacation at the beach this week, which is really nice to have all the kids together having fun. When I get back to work next week, I'm going back with a short haircut and no wig. And now that my energy is returning, I need to keep loosing weight, since excess weight also causes extra estrogen to form, not good for the breast cancer situation, and not good for the family history of heart and diabetes problems either!

One thing struck me recently about getting back to normal - its a normal that no longer includes my mom. We might have "fixed" everything else, but that loss doesn't go away. I just have to think she's up there helping me through the rest of this crap though!

Love,
Teri

Another checkpoint!

Mom finished radiation therapy this week! Her arm and chest are pretty fried from the treatments and she has a bit of pain using that arm, but its over at last!

She will have to update you on the next stage of treatment and why they're doing it- because I frankly don't understand... and I'm studying this stuff- haha.

She'll also be making a trip to the brand new Comprehensive Breast Care Center at The James Cancer hospital at Ohio State in a few months just to catch up on the latest, developing treatments, etc. And to humor me.

Thanks again for all prayers and support! And ran into several of you (and probably will continue to on the graduation party circuit) who said you read- we appreciate that you're "keeping tuned"!

Finished with part of radiation therapy

Today I finished session 28 of the general radiation sessions they had planned. Tomorrow starts 8-10 sessions targeted at some problem areas, including the scar area from surgery. I'm glad they are done with the general sessions because I've got a pretty good burn area on my shoulder, believe it or not, right where a bra strap goes and right where your collar rubs your neck. That's from radiating the lymph nodes up above your chest (didn't even know you HAD lymph nodes there), just to be on the safe side, they haven't found anything in lymph nodes yet, and because you don't have much tissue behind that part of your chest it burns fast. It's pretty sore, though I've got several different types of medicine to slather on it, and its getting more difficult to find clothes to wear that don't rub at all the wrong places, but at least they are done radiating that part now, so it will only get better.

Also have almost two weeks back at work under my belt. Can't complain, since I leave at 2:00 every day to get to radiation. I also celebrated 30 years with P&G on May 16, the day I returned to work - seemed fitting to go back that day.

Next big milestone I'm looking forward to is when I have enough hair back to go wigless to work - been running around outside of work that way, but just not quite comfortable going to work that way yet. But I'm noticing the wig is a lot hotter on these warm days we've been having sometimes, so it's only a matter of when I give it up and go real short instead!

Love and continued thanks for all the support,
Teri

Half Way Through

Finished up my third week of radiation this past week - starting to get a nice "sunburn" to show for it. :) Radiation is pretty easy compared to chemo - other than the fact that my burn is starting to itch, it's not uncomfortable, just a daily trip to Jewish Hospital for about 30 minutes. They get me in and out right away. Two weeks ago I found myself getting pretty fatigued at night, though last week didn't seem quite as bad. I have one more week off before I go back to work, and we're busy getting ready for Stephen's high school graduation, so it will be nice to have the flexibility to take a little rest if I need it. I've also been lucky to be able to catch up with friends at lunch a couple times, and do a little shopping to make some "wardrobe adjustments". Best news of all - Jim starts a new job as a project manager in a week!! He has been working as sort of a project clerk since last July, but this is a real project manager job, he'll be doing the kind of work (and making the kind of salary :) that he used to before the bottom fell out of things in early 2009. Thanks so much to King and his electrical services company for all the support they have given him the last 7 months, keeping him busy and employed until he could land a "real" job - we are blessed by everything King and Lou have done for us the last year! Things are looking better and better every day, praise God!

After the dust settles....

It's been a crazy couple weeks, which is why I've been slow blogging since the surgery. Jenny was quite right, although I was not looking forward to this surgery, it wasn't bad. Not too much pain, since I'd been worked on there before. I took the first week pretty easy and got very re-acquainted with my Lazy Boy chair. Last week was a very different story. Lots of doctor's appointments. Started off with the surgeon and a post-op visit. She had the pathology report to share. Good news, not so good news. There was another tumor behind the reconstruction, and so it really did need to come off, no second guessing there. Not so good news - they didn't get a clean margin at one point, meaning the cancer had progressed right up to where they cut. It was microscopic at that point, so the surgeon doesn't know when she's cutting to cut a little deeper, and she said if she had cut any deeper in that region shw would have had to cut into my pec muscle. She also got me set with my first "padded bra" so I can stop stuffing that side with a sock (only kidding about the sock!) Next day I go see the Radiation oncologist. While still optimistic, she was a bit more guarded than the surgeon - course she's the one expected to successful in the next phase, so I get that. She marks me up and says lets get on with radiation next week. Next up is the medical oncologist (aka chemo doctor, who I still see because I take a hormoe drug every 3 weeks). She was "very concerned" about the pathology report. That did not leaving me feeling very good, as she is normally the most optimistic of the team. She said a lot of things but what stuck with me is that even after radiation and the hormone drug, they won't know if they got everything - it will be a wait and see game for the rest of my life. After a "pick me up" lunch with my good friend Nancy, I got a phone call from the oncologist. Once she had a chance to study the 7 page pathology report in more detail, she was more optimistic that the chemo hit the one tumor the way it was supposed to, the other tumor is of a different type and not expected to respond to chemo, but the good news is the type of cancer that was right up to that boundary is one that SHOULD react to radiation and the hormone therapy they will start me on after radiation. That left me feeling a little more upbeat, but still bummed that they can't say they got it all, and I'm just hoping that "wait and see game" is one I play for a real long time.

So its on to the next phase - radiation starts tomorrow. 5 days a week, at least 5 weeks but the radiation doctor wants to give some extra shots to the margin area, if my skin isn't burned to a crisp by then. So I guess even with all the rain we're getting, I'm starting on my "sun tan" tomorrow!

I can't say thanks enough for all the meals - people have really been generous and we've been eating much better than usual (all those brownies and chocolate chip cookies are making it hard to keep loosing weight though!). I really appreciate the time away from work, as I'm still finding a need a nap every day, and as always, really appreciate everyone's prayers and good wishes - I'm sure that contributed to making this surgery better than what I dreaded!

Love to all,
Teri

Almost a week after surgery...

Mom is doing a lot better than I think any of us expected. Still in some pain, which the medication is helping, but mentally, she's as tough as rocks. She says that her pec muscle is a little tight/sore, so hopefully that pain will diminish in the next few weeks and she will be back to normal...well as normal as anyone with only half a rack! Anyway, we would like to thank everyone that has been so supportive through meals, prayers, rides, everything. This process has been made a lot easier for us through our caring family friends. So thank you so much again, and we'll update when something new occurs!

Surgery Update

From Dad,

"Our of surgery and in recovery. Dr. said all went well and found no visible cancer. Said tissue was very healthy and she should have an excellent recovery."

The King of Pop and a surgery update

Mom's in surgery at the moment. Estimated to be about 2 hours. Dad's with her and said quote "She loved the Michael Jackson meds they gave her".

Food planning

For those of you who so helpfully offering to bring meals and such to the house, someone recommended a great site, and was kind enough to set it up for us, so we can do this 21st century style (Thanks, Mrs. Elsass!). This web page shows when people have already scheduled to bring something. Please feel free to use it to find an open time to do a dinner, if you were planning on doing so, which is so very much appreciated.

http://www.foodtidings.com/SignUp.aspx?ScheduleGuid=90eb267b-bfc0-4739-8460-b2298f0dd17a

If you were looking to do that and don't want to deal with the site, go ahead and email me at jadean12@aol.com.

And if you brought a dinner 7 years ago for the last time we did this and never got your dish back, guess now's a good time to go ahead and ask!

And finally, in celebration of almost the last teeny bit of cancer leaving mom tomorrow (though the radiation will get any bits left behind) here's a little tune.

Coming up

Mom's surgery is Thursday. If I may give an emotional status update, Mom... she is doing so amazingly better than I think is humanly possible. Not to say that she is not worried/scared/uncertain. But she is handling all of those emotions with such strength. She's been so busy I think much of the feelings toward the surgery hasn't sunk in, but she's facing it with stunning bravery and resolution. I'm sure she'd love to hear from people leading up to and following the surgery as she gets used to it all and gets through those first days of uncomfortableness. We will of course keep you updated on the developments after surgery and how she is doing, so though there hasn't been much news since the end of chemo, stay tuned since things will be picking up again, unfortunately.

Prayers appreciated as always!

On to the Next Stage of Treatment

Well, the doctors finally agreed to a plan, and I am scheduled for more surgery on March 31. It's basically a repeat mastectomy, the surgeon will remove the reconstruction they did 7 years ago this month!. They will wait after radiation several months before they reconstruct the reconstruction. Not looking forward to the whole ordeal, but the doctors said this should control the cancer locally and eliminate any microscopic cancer that they can't see, so this is their best weapon for a cure. (Of course, in the back of my head I'm thinking they also told me that 7 years ago) Logically I'm ready for this, but I gotta admit when they called me with an actual surgery date, it did depress me a bit to have to go through this all again.

Not Much New.....

It's been almost 4 weeks since my last chemo, and I continue to feel good, more energetic, and happier. I started exercising again, well, OK, just a couple times, but that's a move in the right direction. I have lost 15 pounds since I started chemo, but since I'm feeling better, I'm eating more, and I'd like to keep that 15 pounds off for good. Still in a holding pattern until I see the surgeon next week and he tells me what the MRI tells him. Most of the other doctors seem to think more surgery is indicated, but the surgeon himself says "we don't do breast MRIs very often on people who have had a mastectomy" so he wanted to consult with the radiologist, so that's what I'll hear more about next week. I had originally hoped the surgery decision would be made about 3-4 weeks earlier than it WILL be made, but I guess I get a little "feel good" time in between phases of treatment, and that's not all bad.

I took Kristin's Girl Scout troop to Savannah Ga (home of Girl Scouting in the US) over the long weekend (took Becky too) and really enjoyed getting away with them, enjoying the sun and being outside a good bit, seeing the girls enjoying themselves, laughing with the other moms, and just really feeling a little better.  I got a bit more tired walking around than I remember from the last trip, but being 3 years older will do that to you too!

Last Week After!

Not a bad week. A little tired, things taste a little off, a little moody (well, Jim might say very moody, but he doesn't read this blog anyway), but not too bad, and the best part is - LAST time! I go next week for an MRI to see how things look POST-chemo, and then the next week to the surgeon to determine what's next. I still have to go back to the oncologist for a hormone therapy every 3 weeks, its an IV drip like chemo that I've already been receiving along with the chemo, and I'll continue to receive that drug every three weeks until October. But the chemo is complete, and this hormone drug doesn't have the side effects, so that phase is definitely behind me, and I am so glad! Thanks to all for your support and your prayers, and please continue to keep praying as we figure out what comes next.

The "Almost-Kind-of-End" Part 1!!

The light at the end of the tunnel. Well folks. Here we are. Today is Mom's last chemo session of the cycle. If all holds to what the plan was- it should be the only cycle. Which means that the following week should be the last week of crappy-feelingness. It's definitely a checkpoint- a time for celebration that she has completed phase one of what really is a journey of several phases. While we know there is still radiation and at least one surgery to come, we are so thankful and proud of her to have gotten through this part with the grace, peace of mind, trust in God, and strength that she has. And hopeful that the rest of the journey will continue as positively!

And thanks to you all, again and again, for your support and prayers!

Some pictures from Disney

A Pretty Good "Week After"

It's been a week since my last chemo, and not a bad week at that. I got a pretty tired one day, but then felt better the next couple. Maybe it was the extra week since my last chemo, maybe it was the sunshine in Florida and the nice break over the holidays, maybe I'm getting used to things, maybe all those prayers made everything smoother. Two more weeks until the next chemo, and then just one more "week after" - I am SOOOOO looking forward to the first part of February when THIS phase of cancer treatment is behind me!

Wowsa.

As we enter what is usually the bad week for Mom, I was amazed to see the statistics for this blog. As of the time of post, there are over 2200 views of this blog since October. There are hits from all over the world including Canada, UK, Iceland, Sweden, Guatemala, Belgium and Singapore. Thank you all of you for fighting this fight with our family. I'd like to think that over 2200 views from all around the world means that there have been 2200 prayers from all around the world, which has got to be part of the power behind mom right now.

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.
~John Milton, Paradise Lost

Now entering the final stretch

Mom's in having her fifth treatment today. We had a great time at Disney and she was feeling very refreshed. That one extra week between treatments made a difference I think. She's been consulting with her doctors on all of the details of what comes next after the chemo. It will be a combination of radiation, more surgery to remove her reconstruction, and possibly some other things they've been talking about. She's been getting loads of second opinions from a website of doctors, so she'll have to explain those details and dad has been consulting with the same people. So they'll have to share those developments, but mostly those doctors have reaffirmed what their doctors have been saying and their methods of treatment. So after this chemo, mom has one more and then she's done with this whole pump toxic chemicals into your body thing! I know she was having a hard time visualizing getting through it back around Thanksgiving time, and now here she is and I think she's very much refocused. However, as she's nearing the end of this cycle, she seems to feel the side effects more severely in the week following treatment. She can't taste much at all. So hopefully this round that energy won't be hit so badly.

Thanks for prayers and thoughts!