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.

Chemo's a No Go

My port was drawing fine, had beautiful blood return and took the drip for all the premeds fine. When they went to push my Adriamycin (the wonder drug that turns your Urine red and makes your hair fall out) it wouldn't go in. So I had too go for a dye study and have a clot dissolved. Chemo is rescheduled for Monday. WhooPee!! At least it means I can go to my office party tomorrow night. As my husband says I'll be sauced up.

Chinese Christmas Party

Well, it's chemo time again. Luckily a couple of friends of ours, Chris & Mary, threw a Christmas party on an off-chemo week. It was so much fun. This is the best group of people I have ever known. They all have such huge hearts and are so kind, but yet you can be a total smart ass with them and it's all cool. Here's a pic of me & Jerry at the party. As you can see the eyebrows are giving up their fight. I'm down to about 12 eyelashes. I thought I'd put some mascara on the other day to make them look larger. HA! Mascara looks pretty funny on just 12 lashes. I looked like some wierd anorexic Tammy Baker!

CT Results

Well I had a CT scan last week and the results are pretty good. The tumors in my neck are completely clear. The tumors on either side of my diaphragm have shrunk to almost gone and the mass under my right sternum/clavical region has gone from 6x5 cm to 5x4 cm. I have 3 more Chemo's left then we'll do another CT. If CT still looks good then we'll do another PET scan. If there are still active cancer cells, but no more shrinkage then we'll have to do radiation.

Thanksgiving is Canceled

Well Thanksgiving is canceled. I just wansn't feeling up to cooking and playing hostess, I've been too cranky. Every treatment it gets a little harder and takes a little longer to bounce back. Since I always do Thanksgiving at my house it is a bit depressing. Mom and Jeff are now eating alone, Misty has the twins and Nana's going to our friend Ginger's to spend the day with her family. They are all looking forward to it. It's better off this way anyway. The twins have been sending a cold back and forth with each other for the last week, Jeff is teaching 2nd grade and a lot of his kids are sick, so at least this way we are keeping the germs out of the house. It's a bit depressing, but I have to think of my health. I like Thanksgiving because it is the one day a year I cook usually and our house is structured very well for entertaining. This was also the last year Jeff and the girls will be here for the Holidays. He ships out for Navy OCS on Jan 22. I already bought everything so I am going to pop the Turkey in the oven and prepare the stuff that won't keep. A 12 pound Turkey for only me and Jerry! Last year I made a 16 pound bird for 18 people. We are going to be eating Turkey for weeks!



The good news is I've raised about $2,000 on Ebay in the last 60 days selling off a good portion of my collection. I figure I've sold about 350-400 doughboys so far. I still have about 200 left, but most will be gone soon. It's a little sad for me because they took so many years and travels to accumulate them all, but I'll keep a few as mementos. The treatments have gotten to the point where I can only work about 10 hours on treatment weeks and about 20 on non-treatment weeks. Since I'm paid by the hour, it is a little rougher for us. Luckily the money raised paid off my Husband's 2001 Elantra, so that's one less car payment. His was the big payment ($300, I was sending $500) and mine is only $150, so That's an extra $500 a month to play with. After I'm off all these meds we'll be able to roll his payment into mine and hopefully I'll have a clear title as a birthday present in April. I've been stockpiling meds before December 31 so I can get the most out of my deduction for this year on my taxes and will be able to save a little on meds next year. I have enough Vicodin set aside to kill an elephant now.

Nothing new going on.

Well there's really nothing new to report. It took a few days longer than usual to recover from my last treatment. Tonight I've just been listing auctions on Ebay. In the past 60 days I've had 200 auctions so it keeps me occupied and keeps Jerry busy going to the Post Office:-) Oh well, our bank account appreciates the infusion since I've only been working only 15-20 hours a week. We're not quite to the stage of only eating Ramen Noodles yet! Although even with insurance my at home medications alone run $200.00 a month. I can't imagine how people without insurance manage at all. Each of my treatments runs $12,000, and I have 12 of them scheduled! That doesn't include labs every other week and all the scans. Even after my insurance company disallows and adjusts the cost per their contracts, the treatments still run about $5,000. If you don't have insurance you get screwed more ways than one. First you have to pay out of your pocket, then you get price gouged on top of it! It's the people that don't have insurance you hear about that hospitals charge $100 for a Tylenol. For the record, after my insurance adjusts the cost of my Tylenol to 10 cents at the Doctors Office!



Oh well, I guess I'll climb down off of my soapbox before I really get going. Healthcare is an issue I have very strong feelings and opinions about and I don't want to still be writing at 5:00 am.





PS. If all goes according to plan we will be having a Superbowl/Chemo's Over party on Feb 6, so keep us in mind for your Superbowl plans, we have 2 guest rooms and Aero Beds:-) GO PATS!

I feel like an airhead

Well the fever is being controlled with Tylenol, but I'm still pretty light headed and dizzy. I'm going to rest for one more day because I don't feel like being behind the wheel of the car just yet. Walking makes me feel like I'm floating on clouds and a little swervy. I think my body has just gotten worn out and each treatment takes a little longer to recover from.