Just to Catch You Up!!

Good Morning to All!!! I know that it has been a long time since I last wrote, so will try to fill in the gaps on what's been happening.

I think that the last time I wrote, I had had to put off my 3rd A/C treatment by a week because my WBC was not high enough. Well, by the next week it had come up to the normal range, so I got my third treatment on 4/3. The treatment was followed by Neupogen shots the three days following (as will be all of my future chemo treatments). I was a bit discouraged when my WBC on 4/16 was lower than it had been the previous times on the Monday after chemo. Thankfuly, though, my WBC was up to 5.0 this Monday, so I got my fourth (and last) dose of A/C yesterday!!! YEA!!!! I am now 1/3 of the way through my treatment. Will see the radiology oncologist on 5/14 and hopefully start that then.

That catches up on treatments, now for the rest of the stuff that's been keeping me busy. Let's see.....my college age daughter was home for Spring Break from 3/19 to 4/1. We all took her back to school and went out to eat at Black Angus.....expensive, but a nice treat!!! The only thing is that she came home again the next two weekends!!! For Palm Sunday, she wanted to come home to hear the Concert Choir from Point Loma Nazarene University sing (her former boyfriend is in it---his mother passed away from recurrent BC about 2-1/2 years ago). She got someone to drive over a pick her up and take her back, so that was a plus. And for Easter, she talked her roommate into driving over with her and another girl (all swimmers!!) to spend Easter (and to eat) so they wouldn't be alone!! WOW!!! a couple of busy weekends. We managed to survive, though!!! Unfortunately, on the way out of the parking lot after my treatment on 4/3, someone was backing out and didn't see (as my husband put it) our 6 foot high, alomst 16 foot long blue van behind him and backed into us (we had to practically stop to go over a speed bump and that's when we got hit). So, right now we are driving a rental van (at the other guy's expense!!) while our "old" van is being fixed this week. The problem is that the kids (and I) wish that we could keep the rental!!! We also decided to purshase a 3rd vehicle so that when our daughter comes home for the summer, no one gets stranded without a car. The price was right and it should make a good "throw away" care---as my husband puts it1! Our middle daugher continues to do well swimming---finally got some much deserved attention in the local newspaper yesterday. The season is almost over. We will be going to see her swim in the championship meet for our area of the state on May 11 and 12. That will be five years in a row that we have gone to see this meet (the first four being for our oldest daughter). I am looking forward to that weekend....a chance to be "normal" for a bit before starting radiation.

The last few days have been a bit more hectic. Our son went camping with his boy scout troop this past weekend and came home throwing up sick---I was expecting a cold because he didn't really go prepared enough for cold weather and they got rained on one night and snowed on the next!!! By Monday AM he was complaining that his right side was hurting---I immediately thought appendix!!! So, we spent most of the day at our doctor's office and the hospital getting him checked out---blood drawn, abdominal x-rays, and a CT Scan to rule out appendicits. (The blood count showed an elevated WBC and the x-ray showed some calcification around the appendix.) After that we went to see the surgeon to see what he had to say....the verdict was that he was probably constipated (as the CT Scan showed he had a full bowel). They told us to give him a laxative and once he had emptied his bowel if he still had pain, then they would look further. Low and behold.....he was fine the next morning!!!

That baby is growing by leaps and bounds.....she is pulling herself up to stand in her crib....am about ready to lower the mattress for the second time this week!!! On Tuesday, she decided that she could crawl. So, we put something out on the floor in front of her that she wants and she goes for it. It is so much fun to watch the wheels turn as she concentrates on getting the movements together!!!

Back to me, though, I forgot to relate that I had gotten a cold right after Easter and was worried that it would delay my chemo again. So.....I amde an appointment to see my oncologist last Thursday. It was towards the end of the day, but that's OK. He gave me some Claritn-D for my congestion (boy did that work!!!). He also told me that the cold wouldn't be anything to delay the chemo unles i was to get a fever. I decided that before I went in that day I would make a list of my questions and fears and talk to him---I went without my husband, so it was easier. Do wish I had taken a tape recorder, though. I had been feeling quite down and thinking that I wasn't getting the real scoop on my cnacer and the treatment, so I told him that I had questions and asked if he had to time talk. He said yes, and sat down and told me a lot of stuff. At any rate, I came away feeling much more encouraged about the outcome of all of this. He also gave me some samples of an anti-depressent (Celexa) to try and see if that would help me get away from the dwelling on death stuff. So far, so good. I do feel a lot better and seem to be able to function more sanely and lightly--not such a dark mood. I have been trying to get into my pastor for the last few weeks, too, but he has been so busy with the Easter season and then with a couple of funerals, that it jsut didn't work out. One last thing to relate....I had my 3 month check-up since my diagnosis with the surgeon on Monday and he said (after pushing and poking around on the incision area) that it all looked fine and told me to come back in another 3 months!!! My chest x-ray was clear and my blood work (liver panel, CEA, and CA-15-3) was all in the normal range. YEA!!! (Of course, the oncologist did tell me that it would be highly unusual for anything to turn up while going through the treatment.)

I see that I have really rambled on and I really need to get off as my head is still spinning from the treatment yesterday. It is so good to be done with this much. I feel a bit more upbeat and encouraged, now. I do hope that all of you are having a great day. As always, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. Thanks for all of your responses and encouragement over the last few weeks, I shall get to each of you as soon as I can. All of your notes and checking up on me was also very much appreciated.....makes me feel sooooo good on the inside and not so alone in this battle.

Well, I hope that I haven't put anyone to sleep with my little "book" here. Just goes to show that I should be more diligent on writing more regularly!!! :-)

Better go for now! Take care.


Blessings and hugs......Wendy