Remember our friend Patty, the one who was in town for business and sat with me at chemo? Well, she's running a marathon. No big deal, right? 26.2 miles. She'll be training throughout the summer to run the Chicago Marathon in October. This ain't her first rodeo, either. Just like Chris (who is just as crazy), she has run previous marathons in Dublin, New York and Chicago.
The impressive thing with all of this running is that each time she has done it to raise money for charity. And each time she has done it to raise money for the Lymphoma Society.
When I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's, Patty reached out to her contacts at the Lymphoma Society to see if there was anything they could offer me. She sent me a link to their services, and I had no idea that they do what they do. In addition to providing money toward research on various lymphomas, they also offer support to people who are fighting the fight. From gift cards for dinners out, to support groups, to offering information about the diseases they hope to eliminate.
But she didn't stop with reaching out with the link to the charity. A couple weeks ago, she asked me if she could run the marathon in honor of me. Needless to say, I was and am touched. I told her that running the marathon is something that I could never do. (Have you ever heard the story of how I sat on the couch each Saturday and watched cartoons while Chris was training for hers?) I said that I would rather go through chemo again than run a marathon. Of course I didn't mean that, but you know what I mean.
I have been humbled that she wants to do this for me. As I've said before, I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but I was really lucky with my experience. I asked her if there may be someone else who was more worthy.
Thank you again, Patty. May your runs be fun, swift, and may you raise some money to help more people undergoing treatment for this senseless disease. Get it girl! You rock.
If you would like to make a donation to the Lymphoma Society, here is the link to Patty's donation page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/il/chicago13/pcrescenzo
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
On to Radiation and Other Updates
We met with the radiation doctor on Thursday. Before we saw her, we had to watch a short video about what to expect with radiation. At one point, Stein said, "Are they trying to sell us on radiation?" It almost seemed like it at some points in the video. A lot of the people whom they interviewed were saying things like, "I'm so glad that I'm having this done to get rid of the cancer." Or, "It was really nothing, I just went to work right after the treatment."
The doctor told us that I will be having 17 or more treatments, not the 15 that she predicted before. That was a little surprising and disappointing. We had in our minds 15 treatments, or 3 weeks from start to finish. Now we're talking more like 4 weeks.
Although I never felt terrible during chemo, I am beginning to feel more like myself. During chemo I would be winded after going upstairs or up hills. Now I feel like I have more energy. I still go to bed at 9 or 10 every night, but that's pretty normal for me, with or without chemo.
My hair is growing back now, too. It has filled in nicely in the back and sides, but the top still needs to fill in. I think a couple more weeks of wearing hats (I've switched to baseball-type hats rather than the knit ones) and then I'll be done.
Happy Spring to you!
The doctor told us that I will be having 17 or more treatments, not the 15 that she predicted before. That was a little surprising and disappointing. We had in our minds 15 treatments, or 3 weeks from start to finish. Now we're talking more like 4 weeks.
Although I never felt terrible during chemo, I am beginning to feel more like myself. During chemo I would be winded after going upstairs or up hills. Now I feel like I have more energy. I still go to bed at 9 or 10 every night, but that's pretty normal for me, with or without chemo.
My hair is growing back now, too. It has filled in nicely in the back and sides, but the top still needs to fill in. I think a couple more weeks of wearing hats (I've switched to baseball-type hats rather than the knit ones) and then I'll be done.
Happy Spring to you!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
When Negative is Positive
I was a schizophrenic mess. I went in for the biopsy, thinking it would be the same as the one I had done before. It wasn't. I tried to be brave, think of the positives, and kept telling myself how lucky I continue to be in this adventure. One part of the biopsy procedure was painful and brought on tears that wouldn't stop. Throughout the five days following the procedure, I had moments of tears in some not-so-convenient places at some not-so-convenient times. Like at the dentist's office.
We had an appointment to see my oncologist on Thursday, which meant almost a week until we got the results. I thought about calling my doctor early in the week to see if he had the results. Part of me wanted to just find out. Part of me didn't want to hear bad news. So I just tried to keep myself busy.
Wednesday was a gorgeous day. Bright blue sky, sun shining bright, and temperatures in the seventies. Friends sent me a text wanting to know if we wanted to meet them for dinner. I called Stein on the way home from school to ask if he wanted to go. When he picked up the phone, I could tell he was in a good mood. Long story short, the doctor tried to call me at home, and then called Stein to tell him the results. The good results - - Negative!
We were both so relieved. We had been holding off making plans for our trip to see Chris this summer. We both had been holding our breath, hoping that I wouldn't need chemo. And I don't!
I never thought that having radiation would sound good. I will probably need 10-15 sessions of radiation, so either 2 or 3 weeks of going everyday. I go on Thursday to have a scan done. They will use that scan to see where they will point the beam when I get the radiation. Each session takes just minutes, and the effects will be minimal and temporary.
I'll keep you posted on the next steps as we get them. Thank you for your continued support on this roller coaster ride.
We had an appointment to see my oncologist on Thursday, which meant almost a week until we got the results. I thought about calling my doctor early in the week to see if he had the results. Part of me wanted to just find out. Part of me didn't want to hear bad news. So I just tried to keep myself busy.
Wednesday was a gorgeous day. Bright blue sky, sun shining bright, and temperatures in the seventies. Friends sent me a text wanting to know if we wanted to meet them for dinner. I called Stein on the way home from school to ask if he wanted to go. When he picked up the phone, I could tell he was in a good mood. Long story short, the doctor tried to call me at home, and then called Stein to tell him the results. The good results - - Negative!
We were both so relieved. We had been holding off making plans for our trip to see Chris this summer. We both had been holding our breath, hoping that I wouldn't need chemo. And I don't!
I never thought that having radiation would sound good. I will probably need 10-15 sessions of radiation, so either 2 or 3 weeks of going everyday. I go on Thursday to have a scan done. They will use that scan to see where they will point the beam when I get the radiation. Each session takes just minutes, and the effects will be minimal and temporary.
I'll keep you posted on the next steps as we get them. Thank you for your continued support on this roller coaster ride.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The Waiting Game
Still waiting to hear results. I did hear the results of the PET scan I had, and they weren't what we had been hoping. The chemo has shrunk the tumor by 80%, but this scan was pretty similar to the one taken before it. My doctor is pretty confident that radiation will take care of the remaining 20%. However, in the meantime, he wanted me to have a needle biopsy to see if the remaining 20% has any active cancer cells. If there are any active cancer cells then I may need to have more chemo (a different kind than I had before) and if there are no active cells, then I will just go on to radiation.
I just want to be done. I want this all over, lesson learned, go on with living my life without tests, scans, and doctor's appointments. I want my port taken out, I want to see my hair grow back in whatever color and texture it will be. I want to enjoy the warm weather of spring and summer without being inside hospital buildings.
I know this is just a bump in the road, something that I will get over just as I got over all the bumps before. And I continue to see how lucky I am, from the little side effects I had, the good prognosis, and the wonderful support I have received.
I'll keep you posted. I hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are.
I just want to be done. I want this all over, lesson learned, go on with living my life without tests, scans, and doctor's appointments. I want my port taken out, I want to see my hair grow back in whatever color and texture it will be. I want to enjoy the warm weather of spring and summer without being inside hospital buildings.
I know this is just a bump in the road, something that I will get over just as I got over all the bumps before. And I continue to see how lucky I am, from the little side effects I had, the good prognosis, and the wonderful support I have received.
I'll keep you posted. I hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
It Ain't Over 'Til...
Well, the fat lady isn't going to sing, but maybe the radiation doctor will. I am done with chemo, but I still need to have a PET scan in a week (because I can't get enough of that chalky crap) and from that they'll decide if I need radiation.
So, I am done. In a way.
People have been cheering for me and asking me how good it feels to be done. I have to say, it does feel good to be done with chemo. I am glad that we don't have our lives revolving around every-other Friday and various other days being scheduled. But the weird part about this whole being done thing is that I don't feel like I'm done. Because I have not experienced many side effects, I still feel like there's more. I think to myself, there's got to be more in order to feel some of the side effects they warned me about. Oh, I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky. I'm just trying to put my finger on why I'm not more ecstatic to be done.
The other part of not being completely relieved is waiting for this scan and its results. My doctor seems to think that radiation will be recommended even if I have a small trace of cancer shown. I am hoping that I am clear and I won't have to have it, but if I'm not clear, they can go ahead and do it. In my mind, if there is a trace of cancer left, then I want that gone. Who's to say that the remaining cells aren't going to reunite and get the band back together?
In the meantime, I want to tell you about my last day of chemo. I think it went smoother than any other chemo day I've had. We went in for blood work, and the port worked like a charm. When I told the blood tech that it was my last chemo appointment, she said, "Oh, thank God. Thank Jesus." Then I was called right away to get in the chair for chemo. The port was still flowing and the medications were ready right away. I was in and out of there in record time. At the end, they gave me a certificate that said I was done. It was signed by all the nurses in the chemo rooms. I said to the nurses there, "Don't take it personally, but I hope I never see you again." They told me I could come to visit if I ever had an appointment in the Cancer Center. I don't know about that...
After chemo Stein and I went out to lunch. My mother-in-law Judi joined us, as well as our friends Johnny, Robert, and Tiffany. It was nice to celebrate being done. But the fun didn't stop there! That afternoon, my sister Mickey, brother-in-law Mike, niece Breanne, and nephew Nick came in from Indiana and surprised me. They wanted to celebrate the end of chemo, too! I was so excited and didn't feel as tired as I had on previous chemo days. We went out to dinner and celebrated. They stayed over in Ann Arbor, so the next morning we took a walk and went out for breakfast. They went home later that morning. It meant so much to have them take time off from their jobs and time out from their lives in order to see me. When I asked our nephew Nick if he had to take time off from his job, he said, "Yeah, I wouldn't miss this!" Thanks again, Zolfo family!
I almost forgot to give a shout out to our friend Patty who had business in Detroit the second-to-last chemo week. She sent me a text at the beginning of the week saying she was going to be in town and could extend her trip to sit with me at chemo. So the morning of chemo she came to our house and then came to the Cancer Center with us to sit with me during chemo. Little did she know, she was in for a long day! I was late getting called into chemo, my port was acting up so they needed to give me the anti-clot medication, and the chemo medications took a long time to come from the pharmacy. She was a trooper through it all. She even took me out to lunch. Thanks Patty!
Thank you to all who have continued to inquire about us and how things are going. I know its been a long haul, and you have stuck with us through this adventure. You all rock.
So that's where everything stands at this point. I'll keep y'all posted on developments as they come.
So, I am done. In a way.
People have been cheering for me and asking me how good it feels to be done. I have to say, it does feel good to be done with chemo. I am glad that we don't have our lives revolving around every-other Friday and various other days being scheduled. But the weird part about this whole being done thing is that I don't feel like I'm done. Because I have not experienced many side effects, I still feel like there's more. I think to myself, there's got to be more in order to feel some of the side effects they warned me about. Oh, I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky. I'm just trying to put my finger on why I'm not more ecstatic to be done.
The other part of not being completely relieved is waiting for this scan and its results. My doctor seems to think that radiation will be recommended even if I have a small trace of cancer shown. I am hoping that I am clear and I won't have to have it, but if I'm not clear, they can go ahead and do it. In my mind, if there is a trace of cancer left, then I want that gone. Who's to say that the remaining cells aren't going to reunite and get the band back together?
In the meantime, I want to tell you about my last day of chemo. I think it went smoother than any other chemo day I've had. We went in for blood work, and the port worked like a charm. When I told the blood tech that it was my last chemo appointment, she said, "Oh, thank God. Thank Jesus." Then I was called right away to get in the chair for chemo. The port was still flowing and the medications were ready right away. I was in and out of there in record time. At the end, they gave me a certificate that said I was done. It was signed by all the nurses in the chemo rooms. I said to the nurses there, "Don't take it personally, but I hope I never see you again." They told me I could come to visit if I ever had an appointment in the Cancer Center. I don't know about that...
After chemo Stein and I went out to lunch. My mother-in-law Judi joined us, as well as our friends Johnny, Robert, and Tiffany. It was nice to celebrate being done. But the fun didn't stop there! That afternoon, my sister Mickey, brother-in-law Mike, niece Breanne, and nephew Nick came in from Indiana and surprised me. They wanted to celebrate the end of chemo, too! I was so excited and didn't feel as tired as I had on previous chemo days. We went out to dinner and celebrated. They stayed over in Ann Arbor, so the next morning we took a walk and went out for breakfast. They went home later that morning. It meant so much to have them take time off from their jobs and time out from their lives in order to see me. When I asked our nephew Nick if he had to take time off from his job, he said, "Yeah, I wouldn't miss this!" Thanks again, Zolfo family!
I almost forgot to give a shout out to our friend Patty who had business in Detroit the second-to-last chemo week. She sent me a text at the beginning of the week saying she was going to be in town and could extend her trip to sit with me at chemo. So the morning of chemo she came to our house and then came to the Cancer Center with us to sit with me during chemo. Little did she know, she was in for a long day! I was late getting called into chemo, my port was acting up so they needed to give me the anti-clot medication, and the chemo medications took a long time to come from the pharmacy. She was a trooper through it all. She even took me out to lunch. Thanks Patty!
Thank you to all who have continued to inquire about us and how things are going. I know its been a long haul, and you have stuck with us through this adventure. You all rock.
So that's where everything stands at this point. I'll keep y'all posted on developments as they come.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
One More. One More?
I can't believe I'm at this point. March seemed so far away and twelve treatments seemed so daunting way back in October.
I have one more chemo treatment to go.
It's a weird feeling I have at this point. I have been extremely lucky throughout this whole experience with the minimal side effects that I have encountered. And because of this, it almost seems like I haven't even gone through chemo. At least not in the traditional way.
Sure there have been side effects. Hair loss, feeling blah, not having an appetite, or not knowing what I wanted to eat are a few of them. I braced myself at the beginning, paging through the book that I was given before I started chemo. Who am I kidding? I braced myself every single time, hearing that the effects could be "cumulative" as stated by everyone who has gone through chemo or knew someone who had. Each time I realized how lucky I was that it was just another weekend spent on the couch and not in the bathroom.
The luck didn't stop there. I've talked about the angels that have shown their never ending support along the way through packages, cards, gifts, texts, emails, phone calls, dinners delivered, and house cleaning. It has been overwhelming at times for Stein and me to receive such an outpouring of people's time, prayers, and concern. I have learned that throughout this adventure, two things remained constant and vital: support and attitude. And both of those things had the same themes: staying positive, humor, and kindness. Thank you to everyone who had a part in supporting us throughout this journey. I know you really didn't have a choice, but you jumped in and stood up to the task.
I'll have to write another post on what I've learned. That's been overwhelming, too. Needless to say, a lot of that learning has been humbling, too. Some of the things I learned have been expected, some unexpected.
I look forward to the end of this "routine". I look forward to the beginning of a new phase.
I have one more chemo treatment to go.
It's a weird feeling I have at this point. I have been extremely lucky throughout this whole experience with the minimal side effects that I have encountered. And because of this, it almost seems like I haven't even gone through chemo. At least not in the traditional way.
Sure there have been side effects. Hair loss, feeling blah, not having an appetite, or not knowing what I wanted to eat are a few of them. I braced myself at the beginning, paging through the book that I was given before I started chemo. Who am I kidding? I braced myself every single time, hearing that the effects could be "cumulative" as stated by everyone who has gone through chemo or knew someone who had. Each time I realized how lucky I was that it was just another weekend spent on the couch and not in the bathroom.
The luck didn't stop there. I've talked about the angels that have shown their never ending support along the way through packages, cards, gifts, texts, emails, phone calls, dinners delivered, and house cleaning. It has been overwhelming at times for Stein and me to receive such an outpouring of people's time, prayers, and concern. I have learned that throughout this adventure, two things remained constant and vital: support and attitude. And both of those things had the same themes: staying positive, humor, and kindness. Thank you to everyone who had a part in supporting us throughout this journey. I know you really didn't have a choice, but you jumped in and stood up to the task.
I'll have to write another post on what I've learned. That's been overwhelming, too. Needless to say, a lot of that learning has been humbling, too. Some of the things I learned have been expected, some unexpected.
I look forward to the end of this "routine". I look forward to the beginning of a new phase.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
10 Down, 2 to go. Or 5/6 done.
However you want to say it, I'm near the end. Part of me can't believe that I've gone through ten treatments of chemo. Another part of me believes it and says, "Let's get this done!"
The last treatment was pretty normal, aside from a little issue with the port. That pesky port - I love the thing because I don't have to get poked, but I hate the thing when it acts up. There's really no reason why it acts up, the nurses say that this sometimes happens. Leave it to me to be the problem patient. When they can't get a blood return on the port, I end up going through a series of different motions and such to get the return. Try back in the chair. Okay, now lean forward. And now lift up one of your arms. Try turning your head. With your head turned, now cough. This ends up being simultaneously humorous and frustrating. It reminds me of trying to get a clear station on the TV with rabbit ears antenna. Maybe if I hold a position just so, the blood will be flowing.
Mickey sat with me again this time (Thanks, Mick!) and we had a good ol' time in the cancer center. It was weird because both times in a row that she came with me, she experienced no bad weather on her drive in, some snow on Friday, and then an uneventful drive home on Saturday. I'm glad for all of that because weather here can be so unpredictable and sketchy.
Which brings me to my next item - we have a snow day today! Finally a legitimate one that I can enjoy. Can you believe that the two others we've had this year were on chemo Mondays? As I said in my earlier post, I really felt gypped with that first one, and the second one was the same. This one, however, had all the sweetness of a snow day - the wondering, the anticipating, the planning, the sleeping. I actually used this morning to get a jump start on my report cards. I also went to lunch with my sister-in-law Anne and Eric and Mia. Now I'm catching up on the blog and things around the house. And I'll wrap up the afternoon by throwing some pulled pork in the oven for dinner.
Having said that, I am really looking forward to spring and a change in the seasons. In Michigan this can be far off in the distance, but I'm ready. I'm ready for lighter clothes, walking outside without tensed neck muscles, and sunlight later than 6:00. A girl can dream.
The last treatment was pretty normal, aside from a little issue with the port. That pesky port - I love the thing because I don't have to get poked, but I hate the thing when it acts up. There's really no reason why it acts up, the nurses say that this sometimes happens. Leave it to me to be the problem patient. When they can't get a blood return on the port, I end up going through a series of different motions and such to get the return. Try back in the chair. Okay, now lean forward. And now lift up one of your arms. Try turning your head. With your head turned, now cough. This ends up being simultaneously humorous and frustrating. It reminds me of trying to get a clear station on the TV with rabbit ears antenna. Maybe if I hold a position just so, the blood will be flowing.
Mickey sat with me again this time (Thanks, Mick!) and we had a good ol' time in the cancer center. It was weird because both times in a row that she came with me, she experienced no bad weather on her drive in, some snow on Friday, and then an uneventful drive home on Saturday. I'm glad for all of that because weather here can be so unpredictable and sketchy.
Which brings me to my next item - we have a snow day today! Finally a legitimate one that I can enjoy. Can you believe that the two others we've had this year were on chemo Mondays? As I said in my earlier post, I really felt gypped with that first one, and the second one was the same. This one, however, had all the sweetness of a snow day - the wondering, the anticipating, the planning, the sleeping. I actually used this morning to get a jump start on my report cards. I also went to lunch with my sister-in-law Anne and Eric and Mia. Now I'm catching up on the blog and things around the house. And I'll wrap up the afternoon by throwing some pulled pork in the oven for dinner.
Having said that, I am really looking forward to spring and a change in the seasons. In Michigan this can be far off in the distance, but I'm ready. I'm ready for lighter clothes, walking outside without tensed neck muscles, and sunlight later than 6:00. A girl can dream.
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