Merry Christmas Everyone

We just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!

Cindy and Kyle

Last Treatment Scheduled - Yeah!!

Well - my last of 8 chemo treatments is scheduled for January 7, 2010 - YEAH!! I will begin follow-up appts. & CT scans after that on February 25, 2010. My doctor told us today that my blood work has shown that the cancer cells should be long gone by now and all should be well. I will have to follow-up and closely monitor things for the next several years as well (that includes blood work for monitoring any future blood clots).

Kyle and I received a wonderful Christmas present today with this news. The power of prayer is an extraordinary thing.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers ... you have helped us more than you know.

God Bless and Merry Christmas.

Cindy

#7 - DONE

Yeah - white blood count was up enough today so that I could go ahead and get treatment #7 done and out of the way. I haven't scheduled my 8th and final treatment yet since everything got postponed from last week. Should find out more on Dec. 17th at my next doctor's appt.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Christamas.

"And this too shall pass....."

Cindy

Only on a Monday

Well folks my 7th treatment has been delayed and messed up my schedule for the holidays. My white blood counts were a little low, so my treatment has been delayed for a week. My 7th treatment is now scheduled for Dec. 7th.

The best laid plans always go awry!

"And this too shall pass......"

Cindy

Holidays are over and back to reality

Hi All - well it's back to reality tomorrow. The Thanksgiving holiday is now over. I am feeling pretty good and was able to go all the way to East TN to visit with my parents and my siblings (along with their spouses and all my nieces and nephew). We had a wonderful and busy visit - always seems to happen when 16 people are all in one house. Abby had a wonderful time roaming free in the fields at my parents - she roused a rabbit from its morning slumber and saw two deer running in the back woods. She slept the entire 7.5 hour trip home and will most likely sleep all of tomorrow as well.

Now we are back in Memphis and have to return to our "normal" life. My 7th treatment is scheduled for just after 8 AM tomorrow and I'm not really looking forward to this week as I will feel under the weather until around Friday or Saturday.

Have a wonderful and safe week.

Cindy

Another one bites the dust

To all my friends and family,

My 6th treatment was yesterday (Wed. Nov. 11th) and I only have 2 more to go.

I was able to have my port-a-cath (2nd one - other one had to be removed because it never healed correctly) put in yesterday as well and have the Hickman line removed - Yeah!!

I have also qualified for a drup called Aranesp which helps with the production of red blood cells - this will help eliminate some of the fatigue and light-headedness as well as help me become more ready for my next treatment. My next treatments are scheduled for Monday, November 30th and Thursday December 17th. I moved them so I wouldn't feel quite so bad for Christmas and New Year's.

We are having beautiful, sunny and warm days here in Memphis which lets me get out and move around with Abby as well as run errands without having to wear duck shoes. No rain for at least the last week - yeah our yard has finally dried out and Abby isn't constantly covering my kitchen floor with mud.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and safe to all those that are traveling.

"And this too shall pass......"

Cindy

Week 17 & Alls Well

We are off to Knoxville for the weekend. I'm feeling pretty good, just a
little tired. My hematocrit is a little low but not low enough for a
transfusion.

We heard back from the geneticist this week. The good news is that I
do not have the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation (breast cancer genes). We
are now waiting to hear from the insurance to see if they will cover
one other test - looking for Lynch Syndrome. I should hear more in
another week or so.

My 6th chemo treatment is next Wednesday.

"And this too shall pass......"

Cindy

Rain, Rain Go Away!!

Treatment 5 is down and I'm on the upswing to feeling better already. Mom has been here for the last 5 days or so to help out since Kyle had to go out of town. Abby has been loving it since my Mom spoils her worse than we do. She's had more treats and playtime than ever before and will no doubt drive us crazy for several days after my Mom leaves.

I'm ready to start exercising again and get my energy level back up so I can do things around the house. My hemoglobin levels were a little lower again just before the last treatment, so they are talking about me having to have another transfusion. With any luck we will be able to talk the insurance company into paying for a drug to help with the stimulation of red blood cells instead of the transfusion. Should know more about this sometime this week. My catheter that they put in last week instead of another port-a-cath is healing slowly. The incision from my initial port-a-cath still has not healed completely, so they will leave the catheter in until then. At least they can use that instead of having to stick me everytime they need blood or I get chemo.

On the genetics front, we have yet to hear from the genetics lab with the results of my blood work. We hope to know something by the end of the week.

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

"And this too shall pass....."

Treatment 5

Well, I'm off tomorrow to spend the day getting treatment. I am now on the backside of my treatments (only 3 more after this) and I'm feeling better than I have in the last 5 months. I'm able to exercise on a more regular basis and I'm not getting light-headed nearly as much as I used to.

Mom comes in town this week to keep me company and play with Abby while Kyle is in and out of town. Supposed to be beautiful weather so I'm sure Abby will have Mom playing with the soccer ball alot in the backyard.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

"And this too shall pass......"

Oh No - I'll be 42

Well, tomorrow I turn 42 and I'm verry happy to be able to celebrate turning 42. We will be in Knoxville watching the VOLS play against Georgia. I'm hoping that the fall leaves have turned and will be able to enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

My nausea and pain showed up a little early after treatment 4, but it also went away about a day earlier than it has. I've been able to enjoy most of this week - minus the rain of course - and I have big plans for next week ...... cleaning a room upstairs and some flower beds out front before it gets cold.

Remember, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and even though you may not think that you know someone who is affected you would be surprised at how many truly are. So remind everyone to be more diligent in screening not only for female breast cancer but for male breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. These can all related genetically and can be traced to some of the same gene mutations. Doesn't hurt to be proactive in ones own health.

"And this too shall pass......"