Happy Valentine's Day!

Good Morning Eileen! All of us here in Connecticut want to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day and send along this rose to brighten your day! The updates on the Blog certainly testify to your ever present strength and courage. We all love you and have you in our prayers every day. Paul Andrew, Doris, & Nyero

p.s. I know you are not particularly fond of the Yankees; howver, Mom just finished Joe Torre's book and claims it was riveting and revealing regarding behind the scenes in major league baseball. She recommends it highly!

Down to the wire minus one

We just returned from chemo day 2 of 3 in the last round of Cycle I. Leenie received Gemsar yesterday, Platinum today & will have IV fluids tomorrow b/c the Platinum really depletes fluids. Her blood work is good so far with adequate white cells and a slightly low red blood cell count. This no doubt contributes to her fatigue. As to the white cells, they are reproducing but the fighting foot soldierws were too depleted for her to attend Mia's baptism in Richmond Sunday. No one there was sick but Patrick had been quarantined @ home w/ a whopping 105 "Leavy" temp, and a molar forcing through on the same side as a nasty ear infection.
So Robyn stayed home w/ him & Daddy Phil brought Declan & Molly AND was selected to do the reading for all 7 candidates. Emma was snatched away in time before diving into the font (swims @ the Y) & Poppy Phil was in charge of the video so Leenie may never see the show.
Margie & Eizabeth arrive SOMETIME Friday for a 3 day visit. We're looking forward to finding out the particulars tonight. As with Kath & the twins, we'll just avoid schedules & focus on quiet, happy chats. (But I know Leenie would enjoy at least ONE disagreement between her 2 older, more mature sibs, yes?)
Then Monday, she'll get her last chemo treatment, see Dr. Cross & meet the radiologist who does that exacting radiographic non-interventional surgery in the event the chemotherapy has not been effectively eradicating the cancer.
So. Here's to a CT that just screams, "GOTCHA!!!",
Lorane
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Optical Delusion?

And the winners are. . .

Hi!

For a minute there, even Leenie looked uncertain. BUT. As you can see in her opening victory dance (NB Bling) there was never any need for concern. It was such a warm, fun, face-stuffing, primal screaming, thirst-quenching night! (And even though Tim said if the Steelers were playing the Taliban, he'd root for the Taliban Sunday morning, he finally pledged to pull for the Steelers - just this once, for Leenie - before hanging up. And Mom said, "It's been a long 24 yrs, Tim, but it was worth the wait!"

And today, we had our appointment with Dr. Cross (schooled @ Ohio State). Thursday's MRI told him that there was not a new mass pushing on the C-5 nerve exit causing Leenie's pain - just pushy old Henry. Sooo, Monday she will start round 3 of Cycle 1 of chemo - Gemsar day 1, Platinum day 2, IV fluids day 3, Gemsar the following Monday (16th) day 4 and that's it. They will take repeat CT's during that week so we can see what the chemo has been doing. If all of the swollen nodes are down, it's Cycle II. If size is questionable, he'll order a PET scan - which shows FUNCTION within the cells - so he'll know if he's looking at mostly fibrous & necrotic matter or active Ca cells. If the latter, we go to a new regimen .

As for Leenie, she feels that the masses will have shrunk. Her weight is good @ 92, her pain is controlled, she's feisty and sleeping less during the day (most days) and she's actually taking her medicine as instructed.

So then, yesterday the Steelers, today the MRI results - both winners and both starring our favorite (at times loudest) Leading Lady. Cheers!

Lorane

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I would like to draw attention to the State Bird of Ohio....









HAPPY SUPER SUNDAY!!

X-TREE, X-TREE. Read all about it-Bloggers Return!

Well,
Eileen had had an unusually busy day yesterday. She insisted on doing several loads of laundary (& folding mine, bringing it up & putting it away). I was working on calenders for Dad & Eileen's schedules so I wasn't watching her too closely. We had slept a bit late but once up, she was eating & doing & phoning. She was also noticing a large amount of hair loss suddenly so I did some research & we selected a short wig, styled & colored like her hair Then I made a pork roast & she couldn't wait for the Doc to get home so she could eat b /c it smelled soooo good. (Very unusual). She ate well & chatted for quite some time w/ Phil so she was tired when she went to bed. (I've never seen her so active since she arrived 11/17).
This morning, our question list made for Dr. Cross - her big one "Do you think I'm going to beat this thing?" - we were ready for the appt so when she wasn't getting up, I let her sleep in. Meanwhile, I ordered the wig & accessories & got Phil's calender posted & current on the fridge (He said he thought it was Eileen's calender) We put the wreath & elf away & all of a sudden it was 11:30 & our appt was @ 1:00! I got her up, got a shower while she downed some Boost, she got showered & dressed & we were there a fashionably 10 minutes late. She had her blood drawn, weighed in @ 93 lbs on their scale (91 last weigh-in) & we waited for Dr. Cross in the treatment room. She was uncomfortable - had awakened during the night w/ pain in her R arm, R shoulder, R scapula & across the midline of her back to the L scapula area (where Henry, Jr. had been - he's since disappeared) But she had to take 2 Vicodin which is probably why she slept in.
Anyway, Dr. Cross asked lots of questions re: her reactions to treatment, energy, pain , location, any edema, new pain sites plus appetite & eating regimen. Then it was her her turn. She asked about hair loss. He said he was surprised b/c this combo of drugs doesn't usually cause loss of hair - except in the presence of general malnutrition, especially protein deficiency. So she had to fess up re: her treatment of Boost as meals, not supplements, & promised to eat more meals - like the pork roast last nite. But. He seemed genuinely happy that her wt. had gone UP b/c he had expected a drop from post chemo nausea & diarrhea. (Of course, he had covered that w/ a new anti-nausea drug given w/ the chemo so she's had NO nausea or diarrhea.)
Then she asked (after telling him how wonderful & efficient the care was Saturday @ Va. Oncology) whether she could make that her home base & have her treatments on Tues., Wed., & Thurs. w/ Bld work on Monday. He said, "SURE! and we can draw your blood Tuesday - I get the results right away & can change your dosage if necessary." We were @ Beach Gen. from noon until 9 PM Thursday & she was there from 8:30 AM until 6:30 PM Friday.Saturday, her fluid treatment was started @ 1:15 & finished @ 3:15. Her NEW schedule for the last round of round 2 is Gemzar x 1, ie, Wednesday, and NO IV fluids b/c no Carboplatin)(platinum)(got it last wk), then )her week off
So, let's follow along: Leenie is on a 3 wk (21 day) regimen of chemo. She only gets platinum once. So wk 1, Day 1 (Tuesday) = Gemzar; Day 2 (Wednesday) = Carboplatin - platinum, which depletes fluid - and Day 3 (Thursday) IV fluids. Day 4 is the following Tuesday, when she gets only Gemzar & therefore does not need IV fluids or a "day 5". The following week is her week off. In this case, at the conclusion of cycle 2 (2 wks of chemo; 1 wk off (21 days), she will have the CT's & x-rays of the neck, thorax (lungs) and C-spine, if indicated.
This last evaluation was sparked by the persistence/exacerbation of pain in R arm, now radiating to mid-back @ scapula level and the to L scapula area. Dr. Cross said the cause of this pain pattern can be 1) the radiation treatment which damaged the R brachial plexus nerves OR 2) pathology in the Cervical spine at the neck level such that the exit holes for the nerves leaving the spinal column & going out to supply the R & L shoulders & arms are being pressured by a cancer metastatic node causing interruption/aberrant signals to the muscles of both arms & shoulder areas. If this is the case, those cancer nodes must be eradicated so that nerve supply is normal again. Dr. Cross has ordered an MRI of the C-Spine to be done this Thursday @ Beach General so that he will have the results on Monday, 02/02, her next office visit.
Her White Blood Count (WBC) went from an initial 2.1 (very low) to 5.1 (very good) this wk and her Hemoglobin was 35 and Hematocrit 10 (low, but OK red blood cell count.) Don't know today's results.
When Leenie asked him how he thought she "was doing" - a toughy -, he said, "Really well. You haven't had any ill effects from the chemo; your weight is going up; you seem less tired. I'm very pleased." Eileen responded, "That makes me feel GREAT!" to which Dr. Cross did his shy smile. Then she asked, in that she's been taking all these pills, but not THE pill, could she be pregnant, and dear Dr. Cross, blushed & finally laughed, saying, "Anything's possible!"
She was flying - & craving a corned beef sandwich. So we went to "No Frills Grill", she chowed down, came home & took a nap & is contentedly reading.
And that's the truth. . . .
Lorane

PS: These words will have to be worth 1,000 pictures b/c I'm too pooped to mess w/ it.

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Wednesday - 01/21/09 - much ado about nothing, save sleep deprivation

Up @ 5:30 to wait for the call telling us to go to Norfolk or Virginia Beach General for 3 hours of Gemzar Infusion plus IV fluids. And at

10 AM a frazzled Marylyn called to say, "I guess Wednesday is a very busy day." Sooo busy that Leenie will have to wait until tomorrow. Also Dr. Cross has changed the regimen from Gemzar on day 1 and Platinum on day 2 to Gemzar days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and Platinum ONLY on day 6 of week 3. Apparently her blood work indicated that she responds better to Gemzar and he is quite convin ced that the Primary is lung for which Gemzar is the best bullet, Platinum attacking pancreatic more effectively. The dosage will be higher (if bld work permits) and the side effects less severe. So tomorrow & Friday = Gemzar & Saturday is IV fluids. Naturally, the disappointment was palpable all day and for toppers she was having increased pain on the Right rear shoulder. She DID eat well and rest with a little help from chemistry.

So here's to tomorrow and the 0utfi t that will become de rigueur in every Infusion Department in the country!

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