New Year's Gift

CherylHutch

Well gang, the timing is just right! I have my Lung Ablation (RFA) procedure booked for December 30th! The radiologist is going to try and do two lesions/tumours in the one session... using the CAT scanner and a special needle/probe, he will go in and blast the two tumours, individually. Normally, he would only do one at a session, but he says if I'm doing well and handling it well, then he will try and do both during the same session.

Since I'll be given that conscious sedation medication (I always am wide awake through that, but it does make me very relaxed and I don't feel anything), so I won't be able to drive afterwards. They have reserved me a bed in case I have to stay overnight for observation, but the plan is that my little dog (Bridget) and I will be going to my good friend, Nancie's to stay the night before (Dec 29th). I have to be at the hospital at 8am and since we are having very snowy/icy weather, it's better that I stay close to the hospital rather than try and get there from home for 8am. Whether I end up staying overnight at the hospital or getting discharged the same day... I will stay either at the hospital or back at Nancie's since I won't be able to drive on the 30th. But the morning of the 31st, Bridget and I will drive home, I'll take my time, but will get dressed and head out to a friend's house for New Year's Eve.

That is my plan... so let's see if, weather-permitting, I can stick to that my plan of zapping the tumours and celebrating

Hugggggs,

Cheryl

KathiM

I'm sending up good weather vibes!!!
You are such a brave and strong warrior!!!

And a great way to ring in the new year....beating the beast!!!


Hugs, Kathi

CherylHutch

KathiM said:

I'm sending up good weather vibes!!!
You are such a brave and strong warrior!!!

And a great way to ring in the new year....beating the beast!!!


Hugs, Kathi

Good Weather Vibes!
Thanks, Kathi... we need all the good weather vibes we can get right now... they are predicting snowstorm after snowstorm for the foreseeable future! Yikes! I love the concept of a White Christmas, but at this rate, we may be buried under it all and sending smoke signals to the outside world

Yes... I fully plan on beating the beast!! After this ablation procedure, that will still leave 5 spots that show up on the CAT scan... 2 of which could be (yes, yes, yes) scar tissue from a bout of bronchial pneumonia some years back and then 3 "suspicious" small spots. But, if out of this whole big body, we have three tiny suspicious spots... that doesn't sound quite so scary, now does it? And I will constantly zap myself with visualizations of clean lungs so no more spots show up... even though the doctors love to scare the heck out of us by saying once the disease has metasticized then chances are many more will pop up.

But one step at a time... first this wonderful ablation procedure and then celebrating a New Year!!!

Huggggs to all!

Cheryl

dorookie

Great News
Cheryl,
I know all will go well and you will be up and ready to party the new year in! But remember to be safe! I pray they will be able to get both and that you handle it well. I am supposed to start my chemo tomorrow, scared to death, have been so nervous all day, just driving myself nuttso.

Talk to you later
God Bless
Beth

CherylHutch

dorookie said:

Great News
Cheryl,
I know all will go well and you will be up and ready to party the new year in! But remember to be safe! I pray they will be able to get both and that you handle it well. I am supposed to start my chemo tomorrow, scared to death, have been so nervous all day, just driving myself nuttso.

Talk to you later
God Bless
Beth

Beth!
Hey friend!! Don't be scared... you have been the chemo route before and that first go-round is probably the worst! From what I understand, when you have to go back on chemo, because it's not after the initial intestinal resection, the chemo the next time is not as bad. Just what I've heard and of course everyone's mileage may vary. But sometimes the worst of it is the way we scare ourselves to we are almost over the edge... only to find it may not be anywhere near as bad as we had imagined it would be!

Of course, you are going to want to check in with us and let us know how you are doing, ok?? I'll make a pact with you... you check in and give us a report... and I'll do the same after my procedure and drive back home . I have a funny feeling me dodging the roads through Winter Wonderland is going to be way more scary than this radiologist poking probes through my lungs

Oh... and pretty soon, another friend and I will have the finishing touches done where we have been able to upload the Tribute show my friends did for me back in Oct. The video is waaaay too large for anyone to download as one complete file, so we have broken it down into 8 smaller files so I will be able to share it with anyone who wants to see it and get inspiration from this wonderful thing called friendship

Hugggggs,

Cheryl

kmygil

Good Gift
If he can do both during the same session it would be awesome! I am praying for excellent weather and for you to have a safe, healthy and happy Christmas and New Year!

Hugs,
Kirsten

VickiCO

You Go Girl!
All our thoughts and prayers are with you and against bad weather! What a great New Year you will have! Please let us know when you are home safe and sound.

I do my last pre-surgery radiation treatment on the 29th, and the chemo pump comes off the same day. Our anniversary is Jan 1, so we plan to celebrate! Then it's just waiting for surgery in late January.

many hugs, Vicki

msccolon

You go girl!
Awesome news, Cheryl! He will get both and give you the good news that the others are just scar tissue, for sure! And the weather will be surprisingly clear for your drive in and your drive home! Speedy recovery and then you will be enjoying 2009 with clean lungs!
mary

ldot123

msccolon said:

You go girl!
Awesome news, Cheryl! He will get both and give you the good news that the others are just scar tissue, for sure! And the weather will be surprisingly clear for your drive in and your drive home! Speedy recovery and then you will be enjoying 2009 with clean lungs!
mary

Good News
Hey Cheryl,

Best of luck with the procedure. You will be fine! You always have the right attitude. We are getting buried in snow here in Toronto. Drive carefully out there.

Cheers, Lance

CherylHutch

ldot123 said:

Good News
Hey Cheryl,

Best of luck with the procedure. You will be fine! You always have the right attitude. We are getting buried in snow here in Toronto. Drive carefully out there.

Cheers, Lance

Good News!
Hey Lance.... us Vancouverites can actually complain about the weather just like you Torontonians can every winter. This weather is SOOOO not like Vancouver!! This is the first year in a kajillion that we are going to have a White Christmas

I'm not complaining yet about it because it still is so novel to us. BUT, for someone with the goofy neuropathy in the feet, for the first time in my life I'm now experiencing walking in snow/ice with not having the sensitivity/feeling to be confident walking in it. It's the weirdest feeling!

I have no doubt that I will sail through the procedure because I'm a social butterfly kind of gal and hey, I'm having this done during the most social season of the year! So zap them tumours and then get to the New Year's Eve party the next night . I HAVE to... afterall, I have a brand new party frock for the occasion!

Oops, the other posts are behind this one, but I think it was Mary who said that she has no doubt the radiologist will zap these two tumours and the rest will all prove to be scar tissue. I have no doubt these two are going to be zapped/cooked/killed , but the remaining 5, I think only 2 are scar tissue. Bummer about that... it means 3 of them we have to keep an eye on, and if they grow and no others show up, then they will get zapped too

I will be meeting Sharlene, my oncologist, in the middle of January to touch base and for a followup. I'm not sure that she will order another CT scan that soon after this procedure (which uses the CT Scanner for guidance during the procedure) but probably in Feb/March we'll do another CT scan to see what's happening with the little boogers

Meanwhile... the temps are falling here!! If anyone wants to see my neighbourhood on a webcam, check out this -- http://www.katkam.ca/

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

msccolon

CherylHutch said:

Good News!
Hey Lance.... us Vancouverites can actually complain about the weather just like you Torontonians can every winter. This weather is SOOOO not like Vancouver!! This is the first year in a kajillion that we are going to have a White Christmas

I'm not complaining yet about it because it still is so novel to us. BUT, for someone with the goofy neuropathy in the feet, for the first time in my life I'm now experiencing walking in snow/ice with not having the sensitivity/feeling to be confident walking in it. It's the weirdest feeling!

I have no doubt that I will sail through the procedure because I'm a social butterfly kind of gal and hey, I'm having this done during the most social season of the year! So zap them tumours and then get to the New Year's Eve party the next night . I HAVE to... afterall, I have a brand new party frock for the occasion!

Oops, the other posts are behind this one, but I think it was Mary who said that she has no doubt the radiologist will zap these two tumours and the rest will all prove to be scar tissue. I have no doubt these two are going to be zapped/cooked/killed , but the remaining 5, I think only 2 are scar tissue. Bummer about that... it means 3 of them we have to keep an eye on, and if they grow and no others show up, then they will get zapped too

I will be meeting Sharlene, my oncologist, in the middle of January to touch base and for a followup. I'm not sure that she will order another CT scan that soon after this procedure (which uses the CT Scanner for guidance during the procedure) but probably in Feb/March we'll do another CT scan to see what's happening with the little boogers

Meanwhile... the temps are falling here!! If anyone wants to see my neighbourhood on a webcam, check out this -- http://www.katkam.ca/

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

Beautiful!
Looks like you guys are having a nice one!
mary

CherylHutch

msccolon said:

Beautiful!
Looks like you guys are having a nice one!
mary

Beautiful!
Hehehehe... yep, the calm before the storm!! It is a glorious, sunny day here today... with temps at -12C (wind chill -19C or 2.2F). But, the clouds should roll in later this afternoon and the storm will hit sometime tonight and tomorrow morning! We are expecting up to a foot of snow overnight. Yikes!

Ok... time to log off the computer... and start the holiday baking!! My landlord is sending moi a few recipes he has for Grand Marnier, Bailey's and Kaluhia... which some of us gals in the apartment building have been threatening to make and share with others in the building . What better way to be apartment-bound because of the weather?? But first, I better get my baking underway

Hugggggs,

Cheryl

dixchi

Thinking of You
Your situation sounds so much better than when we first started talking about it;
I believe all will go well and you will be successful through the surgery.
Thinking of you and the best. Huggggs back!