Its been awhile

Hello everyone . It sure has been awhile since I have been here. I just thought I'd drop in and let everyone know whats up
Since I was here last I believe I had had 2 out of 3 chemo's for that cycle , Welllllll It turned into a really rough 3 weeks . From May 5 th my body just went to hell . Chemo 5th , 6th , & 7th . I had to go back in on the 7th for my shot & a few hours of fluids . I was sick as hell all week-end , lost 13 pounds ( & didn't want to lol ) Went back in Monday & Tuesday for fluids . Well on Wendsday my fever went up really fast so it was to the ER for me . Of course I was admitted for a week . I had a .5 white cell count , so basically none . I got out on the 20th & I was ready . I was suppose to start chemo back again on the 26th BUT they postponed it a week because I had been so sick . It did give me a GOOD week tho so YAY !!!!!!!!
I started cycle 2 on June 2nd . They cut the Cisplatin down some which really seems to have helped . If I have to go an extra cycle thats ok with me . I just do not want to get that sick again.
The week was pretty good fluids w/ the chemo , then back in on Friday for the shot & fluids . I got to bring a weekend back pack home with me . 2 - 10 hour bags . It kept my weight up good & hydrated really well ( along with a bag of popsicles lol)
Today I went back in for labs EVERYTHING is GOOD. I did not have to have fluids , They say what I am doing is really good. : ) I have to watch my weight daily tho for any great loss, if it happens I have to go back for fluids .
This is the biggest fight of my life & its not easy . My family & friends are the greatest. People who don't even know me are such a big part of my fight . My husband is WOW !!!!! My daughter is my best friend, she is a terrific person . A beautiful woman , a great momma, I love her sooooo much . My grandkids are such a blessing to me . I just love looking at them , hugging them , kissing them , & can ya tell I'm granny , gigee. My nieces are super special too. I just LOVE the little people in my life , that come to visit & show me UNCONDITIONAL love . There hugs and kisses mean so very very much to me .
I'm sure I have a bunch of goofs on here BUT I wanted to just say hey !!!!!
Thank-you again to everyone for all the thoughts , prayers , loves & hugs .
My love & hugs back to you all

Can't sleep !!

Good Morning every one. Its 3:50 A.M., I can't sleep . I have been up & down since 12:30.
This new chemo is kicking my butt. Its called Cisplatin, along with it I'm getting Toposar ((VP-16), which I was on before.
The 1st day went into about 7 hours ,2nd day almost 5 hours .We'll see what today brings .
There is a real good chance ( the hair I did grow back ) could be leaving me again. ( boohoo)
He told me he may only have to do 3 rounds of chemo , but the infusion lab has me down for 6, , but thats ok , All long as it gets this BEAST back out of me . Because of the cisplatin, even on my 2 weeks off from chemo ,I still have to go in on those Tuesdays because I have to have blood work done . Cisplatin can mess with your kidneys ,and other things , I'm glad of it tho because it will keep a constant watch on my white cell count , platelets , & so on & so on .
Thank - You everyone for still keeping up with my blog . I love hearing from everyone & REALLY do appreciate , all the loves and prayers

Its chemo again not radiation !!!!! & some pics

Good Morning to everyone .

I just wanted to add a bit to Jeannies awesome blog on my doc appt. I FINALLY heard from them yesterday & he chose the chemo. I feel better about 3 rounds of chemo then I do 1 zap of radiation.

He said hopefully 3 rounds will take care of it .

He had to change up on 1 of the meds from the last chemo, so I pray my body accepts it as well as it did before .

I will get a call back today, with what my appts. will be for the 1st round .

I love each and everyone of you's that have kept me in your prayers, I feel it sure worked last time & hoping for the same this time . I'm adding some pics ranging from 8-10-08 ( 2 months b-4 diagnosis) then being on predisone for 0ver 5 months till just a couple weeks ago.

Recent CT results and some ramblings.....

It's been WAY too long since I came to update here. Things have been going really well....mom has been in remission for the last 2 months and doing just what the doctor ordered. Living each day to the fullest! We took a trip to the beach a few weeks ago and I'll tell ya....that was one of the very best trips I've ever taken to the beach....we had an absolute BLAST! I just love spending time with her....she is SO fun!

Last week was CT week....just a routine CT to make sure everything is staying in check, Dr. Madden wants to stay on top of things and is doing just as he said. Today we went in for the results and he had good and bad news. The good news is that the CT of the abdomen still looks excellent. He's been very concerned about her liver since day one and so far so good. It looks great!

The bad news is that there is some change in her lung/chest area. There is some recurrance of the cancer in the left hilar region of her lungs....pretty much in her middle chest area. It is very small at this point and he thinks they are cancerous lymph nodes and again, they are very small. The largest being around a half an inch. He mentioned doing radiation to zap the one area but of course there is always the concern of other areas being involved and just not showing up on the scan yet so chemo is definately an option because of the systemic benefits. He is going to talk with the radiologist, think over how he wants to tackle this and then contact her back int he next day or two. Right now it is leaning more toward a couple or three more rounds of chemo to nip this right in the butt.

Dr. Madden is concerned about this but as he said....it is not a great concern at this point. Mom's body responds well to chemo and he has no doubt that this will react the same way. He will switch up her chemo drugs a bit (if that is the route he chooses to take with her) to make sure that the cancer doesn't become resistant to the chemotherapy.

Anyway....that is all the update for now. I will keep everyone informed on what he decided to do, as soon as we hear something.

Until next time!

Love to all!

Jeannie

Here is a pic of me and mom during our beach trip! :) Fun times!!!!

Miracles DO happen!

Mom got the results today from her CT done on February 24th, 2008.

Findings: No clinical evidence of ANY metastatic disease is present. This includes, lungs, mediastinum, liver....everywhere!

She is officially in complete remission! After 5 years in remission, she will be considered cured!

Keep them prayers coming for her!

Dr. Madden will be keeping a very close eye on her, appointments every month and very frequent CT scans. We asked about prophalactic chemo treatments and unfortunately there are no chemo's developed for maintanance of this type of cancer. Dr. Madden is very pleased with how well she has responded to chemo and appears very optimistic. He told mom that she needs to live each day like she was given a second chance at life. He mentioned that there is only a handful of people with this type of cancer that he gets the opportunity to give such good news to.

I think we can all agree that this is nothing short of a miracle....looking back at where she was at her first doctors appointment on October 28th, to where she is today...only 4 months later. Amazing!

Here is a picture of mom and me on the way home from the doctors appointment.

Add on to Movie Day

I tried to edit Movie Day at my house but I couldn;t figure it out . So I'll do a new post.

I realized after I posted it , that I had said nothing about the movie lol.
I bought Mary Poppins & with Jeannies help we put it together for the girls . ( Derrick was not interested). Anyways we had drinks , popcorn . scoops, cheese , & Denise done up a plate of cheese sticks w/ sauce ( ohhhhhhhhhh yummy ). The girls stayed interested for a good while then they started goofing off . That was ok tho we just goofed off with them . We had a ball. They had fun trying on my wigs , dancing around & of course making a mess. Best mess I ever had to clean up .
Jeannie or I one will be back in a day or so with my results from my CTScan done Tuesday . My appointment is with Dr. Madden at11:30 today. I'm scared , I don't know really how to explain it because it seems no matter whatI hear I'm scared . Be back soon hope you all have a great T.G.I.F. !!!!!@

Movie Day at my house

This is a pic of my 3 granddaughters & my 3 nieces ( my younger brothers girls who passed away 3-02 will be 1 year ) & of coure me .

LOL Jeannie is taking the pic so she don't see her.

This is what I call making memory's .

On 1-29 I went to the ER by ambulance I had a very severe pain shoot from my lower right back up to my shoulder . Well I happen to have been on the phone with Jeannie when it happened , next thing I knew it her & Emmy Belle were here and she called 911. Well it turned out to be really nothing , said I may have just turned the wrong way or something but called it a pulled muscle . Then on 2-04 I had a fever of 101.8. Carlos checks me every morning before he goes to work .So E.R. again ( 2x in 6 days ) I was admitted pneumonia both lungs but the left had more but it was still not alot. Spent 1 week in the " Big House"

I had had a head cold for a couple weeks , I thought I could get rid of it on my own. Carlos and Jeannie both were on me to go to the doctors but I told them 1 more day . Well I will never do that again . I have to realize with cancer you do not treat anything on your own. Besides $25.00 co-pay sure would have been cheaper then 7 days in the hospital.

Now for what may be some good news . I just finished cycle 6 of chemo today . So I am set up for a CTscan on 2-24 results with Dr. Madden on 2-27 and this could very well be the appointment that he puts me as stable . They will have to watch me closely ( not sure how that will be done but I quarentee I will know on the 27 th lol ) Wow it just seems to have gone so fast . By the time I get these results , It will only be 4 months since I was diagnoised . To go back and read the beginning of this blog to now . WOW I have come 1 helluva long way .

Thank- you everyone for keeping up with this and again and always thankyou all so much for all the thoughts and prayers I love you all

Did you know.....

That November was National Lung Cancer Awareness month? I just found that out today.
Ironically Mom spent the whole month of November in the hospital after just being diagnosed with Lung Cancer.

CT Update - Friday January 16th 2009

GREAT NEWS!
Mom went to see Dr. Madden today for the results of her CT scan earlier this week. I am pleased to announce the the results were beyond amazing! The report shows "significant to near complete resolution of previous mediastinal (chest) and hilar (lung) adenopathy. Lungs are completely clear. She still has seven tiny subcentimeter low density lesions on her liver but the doctor seems very confident that with the next two chemo's those should be gone as well. He will do another scan at the end of the second chemo to see where that stands then they will just watch her very closely ....no more chemo! Woot Woot!! I asked if she would be considered in remission after the chemo is over and he said that he could almost say NOW that she is in remission (not yet though). So, she isn't quite yet in remission but so damn close I can smell it! lol
Her heart is normal sized now. The first scan she had (on 10-17-08) showed it was enlarged due to the pulmonary hypertension. Since that huge mass that was sitting on her pulmonary arteries is gone the hypertension and cardiomegaly is resolved!! YAY!
This is the best news we could have gotten (aside from having complete remission of course).
Dr. Madden mentioned that had we not gotten ahead of the cancer when we did she would not have made it. Her recovery from when she was first diagnosed until now has been miraculous!

Alot of the reason for this blog about me

Yes this sign is on my back door, and not an ashtray to be seen once you are inside. Anyone who knows me knows I always said that would never happen in my home , guess the old saying is right never say never because you never know.

The other pic is just what Jeannie said it was its a reminder of my fight . I know that the good lord has given me a 2nd chance at life ,because I made it threw to Thanksgiving. I don't believe they had to much hope that I would. So ... This fight is between me and the devil ( cigarettes). In my mind I think that because I made it threw that bad time , that if I do light up a cigarette the good lord is going to say , "I gave you a chance you blew it , you let the devil win" and poof I'll be gone because I will choke to death on that puff I obviously just had to have. So what you are seeing in that pic sits on my entertainment center so I am always seeing it . I also keep an open pack with a lighter in my purse , I take it out sometimes open it smell it even have taken the lighter out , but then I put it right back again . LOL

I have had long hair for years and when I knew I had to go threw chemo I knew my braid had to be cut off . Thats what you see hanging with the beads on it , I wore it for dang near 18 years ( it hung down the left side of my head) Well Jeannie hated it was always hoping someone would cut it off me , Well I told her she had to do it of course then she didn't want to lol . Well she had Derrick and Shea with her so I told her all 3 of them could take a cut at it . Oh the gleam in Sheas eyes really scared me , she was ready . LOL Anyways Derrick had his snip and Jeannie finished it off (I believe she had the last cut , rough days back then bad memory)

Hope this was not to boring . Jeannie is much better at this stuff then me. I hope my pics come out ok . I'll find out in a minute .

I want to thank everyone again so much for all the thoughts and prayers. One of us will repost after the 16th to update Dr. Madden's visit and ct results.

Guess we were thinking about the same thing today Jeannie

I do have 1 correction to make on yours tho , This is just round 4 of chemo. Yes it has been 71 days of no smoking and no 1 is more surprised then me ( after 43 years and for a long time a 2 pack a dayer.)
I do feel good , I tire pretty easily some days , but thats ok
I am set up for another ct scan on Jan. 13th . The results from it will be on that Friday the 16th . I hope my blood work being so good the last 2 times , is an indication that things are going ok . I only hope and pray .
I also have to tell about my lunch date today . Bailey invited me for a bologna sandwich awhile ago but today it came together. She made the sandwiches herself,& she served it to me with a glass of milk. It was really nice , next time I guess its my turn at my house lol lol Gotta love them !!!!

Is there anybody out there?

Yikes! Looks like I've been neglecting the blog! The good news is that there hasn't been too much to report on. Mom has been doing so well at home! Tomorrow she'll be starting round 5 of her chemo. She has been tolerating them so well....her bloodwork is coming back great and everything.
She is on day 71 without a cigarette. Yes, you read that correctly SEVENTY-ONE days! I am so proud of her!!!! She still keeps her cigarettes around but only to remind her of her fight. I'll let her post later to tell everyone what she's done with them lol.
Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I'm glad to be getting back to a somewhat normal routine!!

Until next time!
Jeannie