Some happy news on our family's challenges

Some of you may remember that our family has had some challenges in the last 9 months.

1)Husband, Larry, was diagnosed with Stage IV EC (distant supraclavicular nodes involved) in late June, 2011. He had 9 rounds of Oxaliplatin and Xeloda which were effective and he tolerated well. These ended just before Christmas. PET/CT showed some activity still in lymph nodes and perhaps a place at C7. The plan was to start Taxol in mid January. The day before, a trip to ER with coughing and difficulty breathing proved to be a cardiac issue (tho' no chest pain and no previous history). Quadruple bypass surgery (which he sailed through) was performed at University of KS Heart Center in Kansas City on Jan 20 and he was dismissed Jan 27. Praise God for a cardiac surgeon who did not write off Stage IV patient! He has been doing cardiac rehab since Feb 10. The BEST news is he had a CT scan last Friday and, even with being without chemo for about 3 months, it was unchanged to better than the one done 12/17.

2) After a routine mammogram, I was diagnosed with BC around the 1st of the year. I've completed 8 weeks of Adriamycin/Cytoxan and am ready to start 12 weeks of Taxol. Tumor has shrunk a lot!!! Yay!

3) Our son and DIL were expecting their 4th and 5th girls (twins). At 20 weeks, one was found to have a very serious heart defect. It was most likely Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome requiring at least 3 very scary open heart procedures. They were born March 2 and went 38 weeks, so were 6 lbs. and 5 lbs. 11 oz. Truly miracle babies!! More BEST news! Ellie (the heart baby) was found at birth to have the small percentage best option of Critical Aortic Stenosis instead of HLHS. Balloon plasty on her aortic valve area relieved the pressure on her left ventricle and it looks like she will have a fully functioning 4 chamber heart with no surgery. Praise God! We can not stop smiling and feeling grateful and joyful! I put a picture of Savannah and Elliana under Expressions on the About Me page.

So, we're very grateful and continue on our roller-coaster. Larry and I were both supposed to start Taxol yesterday. Sunday night found us in ER with Larry with a fever of 101.7. Left lobe pneumonia. Dismissed on antibiotics and inhaler yesterday. Feeling MUCH better. My WBC was too low for chemo yesterday. The plan is for us both to start NEXT Tuesday. Our Cancer Center is excited--never had a couple start Taxol together. So, the adventure continues--

Angie