Hope you don't mind!

I hope you don't mind but I wanted to put some pictures of the family.

wHAt Up?

Pictures: the one with no hair was taken in October and the one with hair was taken today.

Well I have heard how are you doing or how are you feeling a lot lately. I must not be doing a very good job of updating. Spring and summer are very busy for us. I think I have already told you that but it is very ture. Most of my time goes to the kids and there activities or just having fun together and I manage to fit in a few more things here and there. I find it harder to get to the computer and update. I am doing well and feeling great.

A few things have happened since I last updated. I recovered from my total hystorictomy really well. I was really only down for a week or so. I tried to be good about staying down and not lifting. I didn't make it the full six weeks without lifting over I think it was 10 pounds or staying down.

I was really excited after I went back and saw Dr. Muntz(Dr. that did the surgery) and talked to Dr. Malad (Dr. from Pheonix). They said that I would just need to do maintance chemo but that everything should be good now. FYI they hadn't seen my CA2729 numbers yet. I was so excited I told my kids I was done. I had never told them before that I was done because I never really thought it was over. I truely believe it was over.

When I saw Dr. Rado he informed me my CA2729 numbers went down but not that much. He also told me that I still had cancer in my pairatenial. Meaning the cancer that was floating could attach to the bowls or the lining of my stomach or whatever was left in there and start growning again. But for now he agreed to just do maintence and watch the numbers. Before surgery the CA2729 was 296. After surgery with the huge tumors being removed the number went down to CA2729 148 so in half. Then the next blood test or CA2729 was 214. That test was on the 16th.

So the Dr. wants to wait for one more blood test to see if it will go up or level off. If it levels off we will just keeping doing the maintence. If it goes up we will start scanning and try to find it and treat. Next blood test is the 5th or 6th of Aug.

So stay tuned who knows what will happen next.

Found Picture!

Surgery update and cont. treatment

I did this update back in May after having my ovaries and uterus removed. Mom said this one never showed up so I am posting it now. I think it didn't get posted because I was going to add a picture of the tumors but I couldn't get the picture scanned in the computer. Going to do another update.

So again I have been informed that I need to update me blog.

CTCA in Phoenix suggested that I look up a local doc to do the surgery while we waited to hear from CTCA in Chicago. So a friend recommend Dr. Muntz in Seattle and Northwest Seattle. I gave them a call and they said they could get me in May 12th for surgery. CTCA(chicgo) got back and said they could do it the end of June. So I am sure you can guess what I opted to do. Yep, we went to Seattle.

So last week I had my tumors removed. The tumors were the size of a tennis ball or as the doc said the size of his fists. The normal size for ovaries is the size of a walnut. There were two tumors one on each side. I am trying to get the picture upload cross your fingers.

The surgery went really well. They got everything out but one of the ovaries(tumor) was press up against the wall of my stomach. So doc scraped as best as he could. He said he couldn't guarantee that he got it all. So I will be doing a few more rounds of chemo. Doc didn't do a chemo wash. He said those were for people with ovarian cancer. I didn't have ovarian cancer it is or was the original breast cancer. So this means chemo again. The doc sent the tumors to two different labs to see how the tumors would react to different chemos. This will help us decided which drugs we will use for treatment. I am hoping for only three rounds of chem. We will have to see what they say the results come back the middle to end of June. This will be the first summer that I have had to do treatment.

I was told that I need to rest for the first 6-8 weeks. I am trying not to do to much. I am sure you all feel the same at this time of the year. For our family it is a really busy season so to rest is really hard. I did really well the first week with the help of friends, family and the kind people who brought dinner in for us. A huge thanks to those that kept our kids for the week of the surgery.

I have an appointment with Rado, CTCA and possibly Dr. M in a few weeks to decided on treatment. Hoping to be done with everything forever by the end of summer.

The gOOd, The bAD and the UglY!!!

O.k so I thought I would update some information about my trip to Phoenix. I am still here I don't get home until tomorrow. It was the best flight coming here yet. No one talking my hear off. I got to read my book and it was only a total of 4 hours from start to finish. Well five if you count the hour wait before the plane took off from Pasco. I got here safe and everything was on time planes and ride. So that is the good news and maybe a little more later.

So I saw Dr. in Phoenix. He had a lot to say and we talked about a lot of different things. I am only going to give you a shorter version. Dr. ordered a CT scan and a bone scan. And is going to put me back on Herceptin thank goodness. So I did both test today and received my infusion or Herceptin. This afternoon I got a call from Marci. She is my patient advocate. Here is what she said to sum everything up that happened and where and what we are doing.

I am waiting to go to Chicgo to have them do the surgery and chemo wash. They just respond back to CTCA here in Phoenix. They dodn't carry the same insurance in Chicgo but luckily the except my insurance. So now we are just waiting for them to except me medically. Meaning they go over my records and make sure I am a good candidate for the surgery. So hopefully soon they will here from them. We will see. In the mean time I am going to look into going to Seattle too for the surgery. So we will see who can get me in the fasts.

The CT scan this time definitely shows no blood clot. So I will stay off Lovanox(blood thinner). It also showed that there is a very, very small amount in the lymph nods in the stomach. all good news. But....o.k. here is the bad. It shows the tumors have gotten bigger since January. So the sooner we can get the surgery done the better.

My bone scan has been done but the results aren't in. I just finished the scan at 3:30 this afternoon. I told them not to call if there is nothing wrong but to please call if there is something wrong. The Bone scan is for putting me back on Zometa. The bone building infusion.

I don't think I said anything about the CA number. He ran a CA15.3. It is a little different than the CA2729. Still the numbers are going up they were 153.

Like I said there was a lot of thinking, talking, calling, verifying and scanning. In the end I had a CT scan, Bone scan, Herceptin and blood done.

We are waiting for the surgery at this point then we will move from there. So for now again a waiting game.

What's New?

So this is what my kids looked like about 8 pm every night during spring break and also now that baseball season is in full swing. I love that they get fresh air, exercise and of course are worn out and sleep so well at night.

Anyway thought I would try to do a quick update for those that are still reading. And for those that don't like to read so much info. The short of it is I am going back down to Phoenix this week for a second oppion. I finished chemo. It wasn't working anymore. So we need a new plan.

For those that want a little longer version. I finished chemo on March 8th. Received orders for a CT scan and to come back to go over them. When I saw the Dr. he said it looks like no cancer to him was left. Of course they didn't compare the last CT to the new one. They did have the last CT scan it was done down at CTCA(Phoenix) but they didn't use it I don't know why. Dr. said he could order a pelvic ultra sound and see if their was any cancer. So I had the ultra sound. The ultra sound says I still have cancer. I still haven't seen Dr. since ultra sound. They couldn't get me in for four weeks. So I am spouse to go back this Thursday to see what he says. I also leave for Phoenix on Thursday. I will see my Dr. there for a second oppion. I am hoping they will send me to Chicgo to do the surgery (take out the ovaries and the tumors) and do what they call a chemo wash. When I talked to them last week they were going to get started on the paper work for going to Chicgo.

I also saw Dr. Kris who said that he thought it was a good idea to go back down to Phoenix. So I called Wednesday right after I saw him and made an appointment to go back down to Phoenix.

My numbers have almost double in the last few weeks. CA is 200.

So baseball has started. That to me marks spring is here. To bad the last two games have been freezing cold. Granted one was at 9am and the other at 7PM at night. I am hoping the warmer weather is just around the corner.

Just thought I would give you a quick update. Finished my second round on the new chemo. Must not be doing anything because the numbers went up again on the cancer tumor marker (called the CA2729) it was 105. Five weeks ago it was 79. So today I had a CT scan. I see Dr. Rado next Thursday. At that time we will decided on a new treatment. So until then we wait.

Hope everyone enjoys their spring break. I can't wait!