Happy Birthday Tracee!!

Today is Tracee's Birthday! She is such an important part of our family! 

We love our Beautiful Tracee!!

Uncle Paul's Journey

For those interested in following my Uncle Paul's journey you can read their blog through the link below.

http://paulsgastricjourney.blogspot.com/

News on my Brother Paul

My younger brother, Paul, has been fighting stomach cancer for a year now. He is my hero! I've learned so much from him on how to fight cancer and do it with dignity. He had his stomach removed last December and started chemo not long after. His scan the next June was clear of cancer. He had another scan yesterday and did not get good news. He's in stage 4 cancer. He has it in his peritoneal cavity. That's the area around his stomach and large intestines. Surgery is not an option and chemo would only give him 3 - 4 months. He's decided no chemo. He doesn't want to be sick. He wants to spend what time he has loving his family and making memories. What can I say, I'm heart broken to say the least. I think of Sandra, his good wife, and their two daughters, Halley and Sophie. It breaks my heart in two. I've loved Paul all of my life. He is the best brother I could have asked for. We've always gotten along. When he was little he'd let me rub his head when he had a buzz. He'd let me hold his hand. That's something for a little brother. He's the best listener and he gives great advice. He's a wonderful husband and father and son and brother. It was hard to fall asleep last night but I finally did. When I woke up I had forgotten about it for just a moment and then I remembered again and started to cry all over again. I feel for my wonderful Dad. He's lost his wife and a son already. Not counting his parents and brothers and sisters. My Dad has so much faith. I'm so glad we still have him with us and that his health is so good. That is a great blessing. I know the plan of salvation and I'm so grateful for that knowledge but it is still so hard.

Last day of Radiation!!!

Yesterday November 8, 2012 was a big day. It was the my last radiation treatment! I started October 1st and went M-F until November 8th. That makes 28 treatments. It really went fast. Once I got on the table four spots would get zapped. It took less then a minute and I was done for the day. I met many woman in the waiting room. I heard their stories and shared mine. Many times I'd think how blessed I am to not have their kind of cancer. There are many wonderful and brave people out there. My experience at the Huntsman Cancer Institute was a very positive one. Every person that Worked with me was so kind and compassionate. I love them all. From and Doctors and nurses to the people in the labs and the valet parking people. I feel so blessed to have that place so close to us. So many people that come there are from out of state. I have an appointment with Dr. Poppe, my radiation Doctor, in three months. I need to make an appointment with D. Gouw, my chemo doctor. Both of these appointments are for follow ups. I don't know when I will have my next PET scan yet. All treatments for now are done. Let's have a PARADE! My hair is starting to grow back. I look like a fuzzy little duck except it's coming in very grey. Ken loves to rub my head. It's very soft. Some of the symptoms that I have had while on radiation have been nausea, diarrhea and tiredness. Hopefully these things will go away in a couple of weeks. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband, Ken, and our children and their families. I am surrounded by people who love and care for me. My Dad and my bothers and their families are so good to us. My ward and stake family have been so good to us. Kens parents and family have been so good to us. Kens coworkers and my coworkers have been to good to us. The love and support we've felt has been real and so appreciated. What an adventure this has been. And it my not be over, but we can hope. I love you all. Thanks for reading out family blog.

CHARM @ WSU

 

 Shawnee is in Weber State University's production of CHARM which opened last weekend. Please click on the link to read up on her AMAZING reviews. We're so excited for her :)

Happy Happy Birthday Dad & Shawnee!!

Happy Birthday yesterday to Dad & Shawnee! WE SURE DO LOVE YOU!

Chain of Hope: PET results

We received Mom's PET scan results on Monday. They found no new evidence of cancer :) Best news ever! The way they interpret PET scans is to have the scan read and then the Doctor's make comments on what they see. You get a print out so the Doctor reviews the scan results aka the print out with you. A PET scan really scans your whole body so they see what is going on everywhere. Well, I met the Doctor with Mom and Dad as we were read the results on Monday. The Doctor was a Resident and bless her heart I don't think she has delivered many results before because her delivery was super confusing. Let me explain.

She started by saying that the scan showed lesions on Mom's thyroid. I don't know about you, but I don't really like the word lesion and I had know idea what that really meant. Pause here...she's telling you the results of a PET scan to see if you have cancer, where it is and how big it is, so when they bring up a body part-ANY body part-you think they telling you they found cancer there. So imagine if you will my cute Mom sitting there with big eyes trying to hear the Doctor but just hearing, "Oh no I have it on my thyroid now!" So then the Doctor talks about the probability that they will order an ultrasound for her thyroid as soon as she finishes Radiation. She then starts asking if Mom's been too hot/too cold, overly tired, loosing weight/gaining weight and spends some time explaining hypo and hyperthyroidism...um...she just finished CHEMOTHERAPY so yeah...she's had all of that plus she lost her hair and she can't taste well...so pretty sure you are not going to get a clear picture on that one my friend.

(insert disclaimer: writing about this meeting in a sarcastic tone and inserting humor helps me 1) because it really was that ridiculous of a delivery and 2) because a meeting like this is one of the scariest meetings of my life and I didn't realize how long I wasn't breathing until I started breathing again)

Okay back to the PET results. After telling us about Mom's thyroid the Doctor started talking about the 1mm spot on Mom's lung they found on the PET scan in June. In June, we were told it looked like part of the way Mom's lung looks and not to worry.  So this Doctor said the spot had not grown, it looked like it was calicified BUT (with very serious eyebrows) they would continue to watch it closely. Of course I'm glad they will watch it but if it hasn't grown, doesn't light up like cancer and doesn't look like cancer how about you say-"Hey GREAT NEWS, this spot is behaving like what we believed it was back in June!" I'm sure Doctor's can't be overly optimistic but some optimism in your delivery is okay I'd think?!

The real news here is Mom's abdomen where they found the cancer initially. The cancer was not discovered in the initial biopsy they did of the tumor in Mom's uterus. It was found once the tumor was removed as they tested it following her hysterectomy. Because it wasn't found in the initial biopsy they elected to do a vaginal hysterectomy and cut up the tumor, which means the Doctor's are unaware of where the tumor was located (entirely inside or partially outside of her uterus?) and in taking it out cancer cells could have spread.

So, long explanation later, Mom is doing treatment because we don't know what's going on in her abdomen where the cancer was found. The PET scan in June showed "metabolic activity" in her abdomen but they felt confident that it was because of post surgical healing. This scan showed a "decrease in metabolic activity" in her abdomen which leads us to believe that it was most likely post surgical activity. HALLELUIAH!!

After all of this explanation we all kind of sat there in shock. I restated what we heard and asked for clarification on the thyroid issue. Apparently the lesion's were there in June, we just didn't know that and from what I can make of it, it can be pretty normal for Mom's age. I wish the Doctor would have smiled and demonstrated some kind of humanness about how the results could have made us feel. I'm a social worker, obviously I like processing feelings, and I've become accustomed to great bedside manner from Huntsman Doctors, I'll just chalk this one up to a rookie. 

Mom started Radiation treatments on Tuesday. They are focusing the Radiation treatments on her abdomen and she'll go everyday for 28 days, except Saturday's and Sunday's. So far the medication she's been given to manage nausea has helped manage any side affects she's had from the radiation. She has been working everyday and enjoying getting back into her routine.

Today when she arrived at work she found that one of her co-workers had made her a paper chain to count off the days of radiation. She told me that she cried when she saw it. The gesture just filled her with so much appreciation and hope. I'm so thankful for all the people that love my Mom too :)