Gobble, Gobble!!

Since Jerry's brother finished OCS and moved the girls and mom out to Pensacola, we decided there was no sense in doing Thanksgiving for just the 2 of us, so we slept until 3:00!

I started a new job working for the CFO of the San Antonio Housing Authority on November 7. We're getting ready to start a new project for FEMA to find housing for the remaining Katrina Evacuees in San Antonio, about 2,000 families still in shelters. It sounds like we're going to get pretty busy in order to meet the January 7 deadline.

It's been awhile!!!

I haven't updated in a while, but everything is great. Have been working pretty hard over the last few months at work and other projects around the house. I just completed a 2 year employment contract with Titan Ins and am now looking for my next working adventure. I am looking forward to learning some new things.

Jerry is doing great. He transferred to a field position so he has a case load now, but he is home nights and weekends for the first time ever since we've known each other. It took some getting used too seeing each other all the time, but it has worked out pretty good.

Overall we can't really complain.

Grossly Negative...

My rost recent PET Scan has come back Grossly Negative (don't you love that in every arena other than Medicine negative is bad, but in Medicine you always want to be Negative). One thing I learned from my PET Scan is that my Ureter isn't in the right place. Instead of coming straight down, mine verves off on the left and takes a little road trip. Nothing big, just a curious side note. The only thing going on is that my Liver hasn't returned to normal like it should. My levels have come down since my Jaundice last June that led to them finding the Hodgkin's. Jaundice isn't usually associated with Hodgkin's so the 2 events really fall into the lucky coincidence category. Over the last few years, my PCP (a brilliant Dr named Denoia, who is retiring from practice to go into research unfortunately) has run so many Liver tests on me because my levels were always going up and down. So now Dr. Guzley says if they haven't gone down more on my next visit, June 30, I'll have to go see a GI Specialist. Sometimes you just want to say, Geesh!, haven't I been through enough.

Greetings!

Just a quick post to let everyone know I'm doing great! Here are some pics we took yesterday. Yes, I have some hair!

Pics of Me & Bonnie, Jerry and Courtney

Surgery is Over!!

I had my Port-a-Cath taken out today. A lot of people asked me what the port under my skin in the pictures from last July/August looked like. Well, some people may think it's a little sick, but I kept it after it was removed this morning (don't worry it's been cleaned and sterilized). It was attached to my chest wall and had a tube attached that ran into my Subclavian vein to feed into the Superior Vena Cava. I just took a picture of the top view, but it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Below is a website that explains the Port-a-Cath
http://www.breastcancer.org/tre_sys_chemo_ports.html
It really is a simple procedure. I was awake when they inserted it (kinda). I was out cold for the removal.

Happy Easter!

This has certalinly been an interesting week. Out of the blue I got an Email from one of my 2 best friends from Junior High! We ended up talking for about 2 hours on the phone. I don't think I've spent that much time on the phone with a friend since High School. This led to an Email from my other best friend from Junior High. I've bumped into Laura a couple of times around town over the last decade, but her Husband and I never got along, so we didn't really talk. Lisa I hadn't seen or talked to in 15-16 years. It was definately weird going through old memories that I hadn't thought of in years, but it was way cool (for lack of a better description).

Monday morning I have my final surgery to remove my Medi-Port and stop taking Coumadin, then I will be as back to normal as possible. Yipee!!

We're just having a ham dinner at the house with my Mother-In-Law and Grandmother today. The twins are at their Mother's until later this evening. Hope everyone has a great Easter!!

This is the week

I go for my first post-cancer follow up visit with my Hematologist on Thursday. Hopefully he'll say it is OK to have my final procedure, surgery to remove my Medi-Port, and I'll be able to go off Coumadin. It's the only med I'm still taking. If he clears me I'll be able to go to the gym and drop all the extra pounds the steroids made me gain. From the 50 I initially lost before Cancer, the steroids put 20 back on. I suppose it could have been worse, but I'm looking forward to getting at least back to where I was when I started Chemo. Of course I was still trying to lose 15 pounds when Chemo started. Figures I'd fall into the Cancer group that gains weight with their drugs instead of loosing it.

Thanks to everyone for all your phone calls and emails of support. I'll let you know what happens after I see my Doc on Thursday.

Happy St Paddy's & Anniversary to us

Today is our 6 year anniversary (together for 8). It was kinda bittersweet. We reminisced about being in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day last year. We had a blast, but I started getting sick the first day there and it peaked on St Patrick's Day in Dublin. So we didn't get to do everything we might have if I wasn't sick (ie. the pub tour by night). At the time we didn't know it was Cancer yet, thought it was the flu. So now we are planning on going back to do everything we didn't get to enjoy 150%! Don't know when for sure yet. YIPPEEE!

When we look back on this year we are very grateful. One year after the bought with the "Flu", we have had and beaten Cancer. My hair is about 1/4 inch long now, but a little thin. My co-workers say it looks like a newborns hair. I will try to put a pic up soon of the growth. Bonnie is so cute! She sat in my lap brushing my hair the other day because "brushing will make it grow Aunt Tina". She told me I had little hair but not to worry soon it would be long like hers!

Massive Hail Storm!!

We got hit with a hail storm like I've never seen today. 6 hours after the hail came it was 80 degrees out and I still had hail in my yard and driveway! It was so deep, as of right now (10 hours later) I still have some hail piles outside.

We now have hail damage to both cars, every solar screen on the house and the master bedroom window casing. The inspector is coming to look at the roof tomorrow.

Check out the pics of the hail:

http://jklineberry.com/gallery/HailStorm


On top of that, I went on a business lunch today and ended up getting violently ill! Not the best day I've ever had.

A little withdrawal

Well everything is going pretty well. I went off of one of my meds on Friday and the withdrawal is extremely annoying. It is giving me vertigo, light headness and making me weepy. Some of the craziest things are making me cry. It's actually amusing and what makes my eyes tear up. The worst is the dizziness. I found the list of possible withdrawal symptoms posted by the FDA and they include:

The Envelope Please...

The results of all my tests are in and it's official... NO MORE CANCER!!!

There are no more active cancer cells in my body. The mass in my chest is only residual scar tissue that surrounded the tumor. The actual tumor is gone. YEAH!!!

It's a Boy!!

Well I got the results of last weeks CT today. Everything is clear, except the mass in my chest hasn't changed since my last CT in November. Dr Guzley thinks the mass is just residual scar tissue, so I am having a PET scan next week to see if there are any active cancer cells.



Also my husband gave me my Valentines present today. Check him out! Isn't he too sute!

Nuttin's up!

Just a quick post to let everyone know I'm fine. Been a little tired, but actually managed to hit the double digits in hours I worked this week (10.5)! Woohoo!

It's Miller Time!

Had my last scheduled Chemo today. Now I get 3 weeks off and will have a CT on Feb 2 to check the progression of the last tumor in my chest. I'll meet with my Hematologist on Feb 10 to go over the results and determine what will happen next. There are 3 possibilities:

1. Everything is gone and I don't need anymore treatment! (I doubt that will happen because the tumor only shrank 1 cm in 4 mos and it is still 4x5 cm as of Dec 1)

2. If the tumor is not responding to Chemo anymore, then radiation.

3. If the tumor is still responding, 4 more sessions of Chemo. (probably starting on Feb 10)

On the plus side, thanks to the break in my chemo schedule, Superbowl is 3.5 weeks after my last treatment, so we will be hosting a Superbowl Party at our house. If you are in the area and would like to stop by, click on the email us link on our Home Page and we will send directions.