Longhorn

I saw the physician's assistant yesterday. She talked to the radiologist and was able to confirm that my latest C-T scans of my lungs and pelvis show -- I believe the medical term she used was "way smaller" tumors. The tumor in my uterus is so small that the C-T scan results are within normal parameters. The next scan will be an MRI. Because the cancer has been so responsive to the chemo, we have decided to keep going with it for six rounds. I've had two rounds so far and start my third round tomorrow. I've been doing well with the chemo so I don't mind too much that I'll be having more of it since it's working so well. I think acupuncture and Chinese herbs are helping me with side effects, as well as the amazing anti-nausea and cell-building drugs. My results are so unexpected that the medical professionals at the cancer center are giddy with excitement. I think I'm trying too hard not to get my hopes up and I should Celebrate this news more. I could use your help! Thanks!

Thanks, Bobbi! Since that last update, I've had a C-T scan that shows shrunken tumors in my lungs and actually didn't even mention a tumor in my pelvis! I see the doctor on Tuesday and hope to clarify if that means it's gone. I have my third round of chemo next week and then I go to MD Anderson June 11-12 for another scan and to see my doctor. Hopefully, she and my Austin doctor will have a plan for what to do next. I had another cc of saline removed from my band yesterday. I've been maintaining my weight (about 30 pounds lost) but I don't need the added inconvenience of occasionally getting stuck. For now, when I have an appetite, I need to eat! My doctor agreed to "freeze" my free year of fills so that I can use my remaining six fills when all of this is behind me. :biggrin2: I'll update after I see the doctor next Tuesday. Thanks, y'all, for thinking of me! Oh, seeing that picture reminds me that I don't have all that hair any more! I got it cut very short (like 1.5 inches or shorter) because it thinned out quite a bit. I also got a cute wig. I haven't had any pictures taken but I'll update when I do.

I'm only posting this here since y'all know that I am battling cancer and have kept up with my story. I got an email from the Lance Armstrong Foundation about how you can make a donation to LAF and they'll send a Mothers or Fathers Day card to your honoree. Since my mother, mother-in-law and father-in-law have everything they could ever want or need, I decided to do that this year. The "suggested donation" is only $10 but I donated more since I would have spent more on a gift. If you also agonize over what to get your folks on these days, I thought I'd share. The treatments for cancer are getting better but there is so much more that needs to be done in both treating and preventing it. The longer we live, the greater our chances of getting cancer and because of our decisions to lose weight, we are likely to live longer! Here's the link to the donations page: https://www.kintera.org/site/c.khLXK1PxHmF/b.4039587/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=khLXK1PxHmF&b=4039587&en=jtJNL4PSLdKMI4OFLcLRI9MYJkIUJdMUJrJ0K5ONKkKYJmL&tr=y&auid=3617165 Thanks for listening to this November Nymph. I'm doing fine, by the way. I had a rough passage of Triscuits and spinach dip through my band the other day, which caused me to decide to get another 1cc out at my next visit in two weeks. I'm successfully maintaining (with the help of treatment side effects ) but losing weight is the least of my worries these days. I'm back into size 16 and even an occasional size 14 and feeling pretty good about that! :thumbup:

I've been losing a lot of hair this week -- due to the chemo, of course. The medicine goes after fast-growing cells, which includes the cancer cells but also includes hair cells, as well as blood cells, which is why I have to be careful about infection and bleeding. Anyway, the drugs I'm on are not supposed to cause complete hair loss but definitely thinning. I've read that you can lose up to 50 percent of your hair without it being noticeable. I have fine hair but a lot of it so it's not noticeable yet but I shed more than my dogs! Anyway, next Friday, I'm either getting a cut or a wig, depending on how much hair I have left. I was also going to get some low lights to help make my brown/gray roots less noticeable without have to apply chemicals every six weeks, as I have in the past to stay blond. My hair should grow back when I'm through with chemo but it can take awhile and I'm not finished yet. If I knew for sure I was going to lose it all, I'd go ahead and shave it off but since that's not the likely scenario, I'm trying to make the best of what I have. :thumbup:

I haven't PB'd but I've come close. The other day, I had Triscuits and spinach dip and after a few bites, it took a few minutes to go down. After that, I was a little sore but I didn't make the connection so I had some more that evening. That time, it took longer and I slimed a bit and came closer to bringing it back up. This time, the soreness lasted several hours and into the next day, especially when I ate. I was a little worried since it was now the day before my next round of chemo so I called Mindy (coltonwade on this board) who is a dear friend who lives nearby. She described how she has felt in similar conditions and that was exactly how I felt -- like I had done a bunch of abdominal crunches -- so I felt better knowing it wasn't somehow related to my illness. I stuck to liquids and soft foods for a day and now I'm fine. I think that Triscuits are so rough that they may have been abrasive to my stomach at the band. This was the first time I've had Triscuits since I got the band. I'm at 6ccs since I had 1cc taken out after my cancer diagnosis. I go back in two weeks and plan to have another 1cc taken out. I'm successfully maintaining but I don't need anything else to worry about right now! I'll have one more round of chemo in three weeks and if things continue to look good (no cancer in my lungs or elsewhere and shrinking in my uterus) then surgery may be next, followed by more chemo. I would love to get "George" out of me all at once! :thumbup:

That's great! You're the kind of person who should be in a commercial for the Lap Band -- look how it has changed your life for the better! Best of luck to you!

Your new pic is great! It's great to have you back in the States and soon in Texas. Have a great trip!

I don't dislike George in general. For example, I'll take George Clooney any day! :sleep: Thanks for the kicks and the encouragement, Sis!

Thanks, Linda! I think that there's some ginseng in the Chinese herbs that my acupuncturist gave me. I take it them in tea three times a day. This site automatically changes web addresses to the whatever the site has named the page. Nothing you did. :thumbup:

Thanks for dropping by! I appreciate the extra kicks! :thumbup:

I saw the doctor today, two weeks after my first round of chemo. I had a chest x-ray on Tuesday and she came in beaming with the results -- no visible signs of cancer in my lungs! It's working! Not only that, my cervix looks normal and the tumor in my uterus continues to shrink. We actually started discussing what we're going to do when I first the next two rounds of chemo. I realize that cancer can go away and come back but this is the best possible step in the right direction! After we shared a few tears of happiness, we shared a good laugh. There has been some disagreement about whether I have a carcinoma (MD Anderson's opinion) or a mixed carcinoma/sarcoma (Austin's opinion.) So my doctor says, "Well, I don't care if it's named George or Herman, the chemo is working!" So I commented that I think I'll name it George because I sure hate him enough and that makes it easy to visualize kicking the crap out of it. My doctor and nurse burst into laughter while we made a few more jokes at George's expense. Finally, I said, "Let's get rid of both Georges in 2008!"

I'm feeling better every day that passes and I still have two weeks before the next round. I'm drinking Chinese herbs in my tea three times a day, too. I'm down to 191 pounds -- 37 lost and 21 to go! I really need to "shop" in my closet again but I haven't had time and my clothes are really bagging on me. :tongue_smilie: Thanks for the kicks!

Thanks, Amy! The night I posted about the "special cookies," I think I was high on steroids! Not that I'm opposed to them but fortunately, the need hasn't come up so far. I took some of the anti-nausea medicine yesterday and it didn't make me sleepy so I'll bring that with me and take it at the first sign of difficulty. Hi, Sades! I understand that the side-effects can vary greatly depending on the medicine and the patient. Also, some of the anti-nausea drugs have greatly improved in the last few years. I'm so sorry that your sister had to go through that and I know it was so difficult on you, too. Thanks for being there for me! Thanks, Steph! Every kick helps! I am having some herbs this morning but they are Chinese. :biggrin: We'll see what they do for me. Thanks!

Wow, Bandpal, I'm amazed that you have lost so much weight on just one fill! I didn't feel like I had restriction until I got to 7 ccs. You've really done a lot of this on your own! Congratulations!

Well, the first round is over and so far, so good! I understand that side effects sometimes don't kick in for a couple of days but I'm glad to be feeling this well right now. I haven't needed any special Cookies, either. I had the shot today that's supposed to keep my white blood cell count up. I could experience some flu-like aches from that in the next day or so but only 30 percent of people have that reaction. I don't know why but I haven't been getting email notifications for my subscriptions so I have to check in to see if there are any responses. Sorry for the delays in getting back to y'all but you are very much appreciated!

Thanks, Foofy! I had my first session of acupuncture today. The doctor said that he didn't think he needed to treat me for nausea because the anti-nausea medicines are so good these days. He just wants to help me stay strong so that I have a better chance of fighting this. I have to admit, I felt very relaxed during the session and still feel very good now. Thanks for the suggestion! :tongue: This is very helpful! I loaned my juicer to a friend to try it out while I was in Houston and it apparently stayed in the box all week. I need to get it back and get juicing again! There's a year-round farmers' market on Saturday mornings not far from me. I hope to check it out Saturday morning and get busy! Thanks for the information! I'm so sorry about your mother-in-law and hope she can beat this just like she did the last time! I'm noticing that it's easier to stay positive when I'm busy and feeling well so that's my main goal right now. I'll let the medicine take care of the cancer, with a few kicks now and then! :w00t: Thanks, Hon! Thanks so much! A distant cousin sent me a lovely "prayer box" that I'm wearing on a chain, along with my Longhorn pendant and a hamsa. I welcome prayers and positive thoughts from any and all! :thumbup: Thanks for sharing your husband's experiences! I certainly hope to be one of those people! I'm sorry about your mother and hope she's doing well. I've had an abundance of positive energy sent my way so I'm now sending some to share with her! Take care!

No, I haven't had any "special cookies" yet -- just plain ginger Cookies. :tt2: I want to ask my doctor about it before I try the other kind. I know it's not wise to mix medicines, even natural herbs. Thanks! I'm glad there are good days to go along with the bad! :huh2:

Yesterday I was examined for the first time since I had radiation by the doctor who saw me before radiation, so the first time to measure the effects of radiation. My doctor was VERY pleased that the tumor has shrunk. She must have said three or four times how impressed she was. Then she said, "If that thing keeps getting smaller, we might even be able to take it." (Previously, it was considered inoperable.) Then she said, "If we can get that chemo to get rid of the cancer in your lungs, you just might be one of the people who beats this thing!" This is the most optimistic she has been since this all started. My radiological oncologist practically jumped up and down when he heard this news. I had a fantastic first day of chemo today -- never thought I'd be saying that -- but it was "almost" like spending the day at a spa. I had people seeing to my every need, chatting with me, and the IV and various drugs were painless. A man whose wife was getting chemo brought me a Quiznos sandwich when he was getting one for his wife! A volunteer who is a three-year cancer survivor brought me juice and crackers and stayed and chatted with me from time to time, which I really enjoyed. My nurse was fantastic -- he just got his masters degree and has become a nurse practitioner -- went to A&M and UT. I'm actually looking forward to the next two sessions. Tonight I'm feeling great! I know that it can take a day or two, or more, for the side effects to kick in but I'm enjoying feeling good right now. I have a prescription for Emend nauseau for today, tomorrow, and Friday. I also have a prescription for another drug for nausea as needed, but I understand that that can also make me sleepy. So I'm investigating the idea of making some marijuana Cookies to have on hand to help with nausea with making me sleepy (or stoned!) so that I can teach my classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. I know that ginger can also help with nausea so my daughters and I are trying marijuana ginger cookies (marijuana has been decriminalized in Texas if in small amounts.) I'm 52 years old and this will be the first time I ever try it! So do y'all have any suggestions or advice? And feel free to a kick to my cancer's ass (just don't miss! )

To all of you, and especially Bandpal, your caring and support are almost overwhelming! Thank you so much! It seems that each step of this journey brings new anxiety and then I get used to it -- as much as one can! :biggrin: My husband and I went out to dinner and a movie last night -- to a theater that offers both at the same time -- and saw Leatherheads, which was a fun, enjoyable movie. That helped me get my mind off of things for a little while. I upgraded my Netflix membership so that I could get a bunch of movies sent out tomorrow and hopefully get them on Tuesday. That will give me something to do while I'm doing the chemo since I've had trouble concentrating on reading a book -- though I'll bring one, just in case. There are four people in a "pod" and each pod has its own TV with DVD player, also, but I'll bring my laptop, just in case. I don't know if they have wireless internet but I can watch my movies or listen to music. So I'm getting psyched up kicking this thing, with your help and the chemo. Thanks again! :regular_smile:

I'm glad your case turned out so well! I won't be having surgery since the cancer has metastasized but I won't be having any more periods either (due to the radiation) and I won't miss them! Thanks for sharing! :tt1:

I met with my MD Anderson doctor yesterday morning and later, she consulted by phone with my Austin doctor and we decided on which course of chemotherapy I'll start. I'm supposed to finish radiation this week, if I can squeeze the appointments in, and then on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I'll do the chemo -- all day on Wednesday and half days the other two days -- plus a shot on Saturday to help my white cell count. I'll do this every three weeks for three sessions and then three weeks after the last session, I'll go back to MD Anderson for a C-T scan to see if the chemo has stopped the growth of the tumors or shrank them. The course we've chosen -- cisplatin and topotekan -- is supposed to have fewer side effects and I may not lose my hair. However, there is some disagreement among the pathologists on whether I have a mixed tumor (carcinoma and sarcoma) or just a carcinoma. I'll have a chest x-ray every three weeks. If the tumors aren't responding, they'll switch me to taxol (and I will lose my hair.) A friend is taking over my Tuesday-Thursday class. I'm hopeful that I will still be able to teach the other three classes that meet on Monday and Wednesday, reducing my workload to just two days a week. We just have five weeks left in the semester. I have to admit, I've been feeling a little down this week -- my husband has been sick and I've just been sitting around at my mother's house all week. It was good to visit with her but there was nothing really to take my mind off of cancer and I'm afraid I'm coming down with whatever my husband had. Anyway, it's good to be home! I was hoping I'd come away from this week feeling more optimistic but it will be several weeks before we know if the cancer will respond to the chemo so it's hard not to let fear creep in. Thanks for any positive vibes you can send my way!

I had my appointment at MD Anderson today. The doctor reviewed my records and examined me. She wants to consult further with the pathologist to try to determine which kind of cancer I have, since that will affect my treatment. She will present my case to the team of specialists on Thursday and I will meet with her again on Friday to discuss my options. We were going to stay at a hotel near the medical center but since I won't be needing further tests, I came back to my mother's house to spend the week and my husband went back to Austin to get in a couple of days work. He'll come back for the doctor's appointment and to take me home Friday. The people at MDA were great! I feel very good about entrusting my care to them. But no more news until Friday!

I've had a rough week that had very little to do with my disease! On Wednesday, I took my car to the carwash and as the attendant was driving it onto the track (that drags the car through the wash,) the airbags deployed! So now I'm dealing with getting the car inspected to determine if it was an impact or mechanical failure and whether our insurance will cover it. Yesterday, I spilled Water onto my brand new cellphone and it's not working. I'm going to have to get another one. Tuesday, my new diagnosis of an undifferentiated carcinoma was confirmed and I had four more radiation treatments Wednesday and Thursday. My radiological oncologist and I consider this better news because carcinomas aren't generally as resistant to chemotherapy as sarcomas. My "doom-and-gloom" doctor didn't see any improved outlook since the cancer is in my lungs. Needless to say, I will likely be changing doctors after I get back from MD Anderson! Yesterday, I got a phone call at about 8:30 a.m. telling me that I needed a referral to my doctor at MD Anderson and if I can't get it in time, I will need to reschedule my appointment. I spent the rest of the day calling my PCP's office, my insurance company, and MD Anderson, trying to get it straightened out. Since I got my diagnosis, my doctor went out of town for a week, the pathologist left town for a week, and the person in charge of my appointment was out for the week and "backed up" this week. Everyone has a good reason for his or her own actions in my case but it adds up to me feeling like I'm falling through the cracks! I finally got my referral but because it hasn't "hit the system" at my insurance company and that could take 24 to 48 hours, my appointment was still in jeopardy. I made several calls to my patient advocate and she finally got a supervisor to call me in a conference call and, after trying to deflect any responsibility for the last-minute problem with my referral, finally said that it would be very unusual for my referral not to go through on Monday. Unfortunately, that isn't quite enough to ease the anxiety in my chest! On the positive side, I have a wonderful substitute teacher to cover my classes and I have a reservation at a hotel near the medical center with free Breakfast, wireless internet service, and shuttle service to the medical center for patients for only $69 a night, plus 17% tax. We'll stay with my mother about an hour away Monday night and should be able to come home to our five doggies Friday afternoon. (A good friend and neighbor will take care of them for us.) So I'll bring my laptop and try to let y'all know if there's any news. Take care! Kendra

You all are truly the best and I continue to appreciate your support! I can't believe how great I've felt since I got the news! My boots and spur, your positive energy, and Bandpal's inspirational song are definitely going with me!

Oh, my, you brought tears of joy to my eyes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will print this and carry it with me! You are the best, Bandpal! :thumbdown: