Taking the port out

Though the treatment phase of Teresa's cancer ended before the end of May, she remains on a schedule of blood test every six weeks.  Following the last test she met with Dr. Saman, August 29 and got the continued good news from a second negative PET scan taken the previous week.  Because of the continued good news we have scheduled the removal of the Port tomorrow, Wednesday September 26.  This was delayed until the probablity of more chemo diminished.  She will finally feel comletely normal again with this removed.  Even though her spirits have been exceptional this summer, the presense of that under the skin was a sourse of occasional discomfort (as when wearing a seat belt). 

 Teresa finished fifteen sessions of radiation Monday - Friday on May 18.  There were some side effects but the feeling of being done with treatments is the best.  We are waiting on a date for a PET scan but are confident it will show the same thing as the last one more than three months ago, which was no tumor.  Teresa and family are excited about celebrating the marriage of her niece next Saturday, June 9.  After that she wants to get out of town for a relaxing vacation.  A very special thanks to everyone reading this blog for all your best wishes, offers to help and prayers.  We have renewed many old relationships and started lots of new ones. 

We are ready for the closing treatment chapter.  A daily dose of radiation starts tomorrow, Monday April 30.  Teresa will get 12 to 15 treatments daily Monday through Friday.  The biggest news is the hair is growing back.  She is rarely wearing the wig thankfully because it is not as comfortable in hot weather. 

Final Chemo

Hooray! Teresa had her final chemo last Wednesday, April 4. She was surprised by the staff with a "graduation" exercise. Singing and dancing, the staff presented a diploma signed by Dr. Saman and key nurse technicians. Hopefully we will get a picture of the ceromony added to the blog soon. After a couple "bad" days Friday and Saturdays with some aches and lots of fatigue, Teresa had a very nice Easter Sunday. The chemo is done but radiation is still ahead. On the 18th we meed the radiation oncologist who will mark and set her up for 2 1/2 to 3 weeks of daily radiation Monday through Friday. This should begin around May 1.

Pet Scan update

Teresa and Tom returned from a fantastic "early spring break" at the ACC tournament in Atlanta last night. This morning we met with Dr. Saman (by now our favorite oncologist) and found that the recent PET Scan shows the lymphoma tumor is totally gone. While this is the best news we could have had, there is still work to do. Today's fifth chemo sesson will be followed by a final one April 4. Daily sessons(Monday - Friday)of radiation will begin approximately May 1 and last for three to five weeks. The purpose of the radiation is to reduce the potential for re-occurance of the cancer.

Scheduling Conflicts

I apologize for the lack of updates recently, but, as you can see from Tom's post, this whole cancer thing has, thankfully, become pretty routine.  Everything is seeming to go exactly as the doctor expects, and that's a great thing.  And with 4/6 chemo treatments finished, Mom's an old chemo pro, which means she can almost find comfort in knowing exactly how the treatments and the fatigue and pain will be and when she can expect to start feeling better. 

So, as you saw from Tom's post that we've got a PET scan scheduled for today, which will hopefully (most likely) bring back some good news.  I'm writing this post, however, to tell you guys what else is scheduled:  a trip to the 2012 ACC Basketball Tournament Championship game in Atlanta this weekend.   We are all in trouble now... Little Miss Cancer was invited to the Ball (game).   So they are packing up the car, leaving the pups and the house to Russ and Maria for the weekend, and headed to Atlanta.  Dream of all dreams if Duke is in that final game, too.  The funny part of the story, though, is that she asked her doctors and nurses to rearrange her chemo and lab schedules to accommodate the trip.  And, naturally, they said, "Sure!"  Who does she think she is?  C-card, anyone?? 

Anyway, after the PET scan and the final two treatments, Momma will start doing her radiation, which will leave her with a really cute tan in one spot about the size of a quarter.   And after that, well, Momma will have to go back to normal... serving everyone else (mostly just me). 

I CANNOT WAIT! 

And until then I'll try to make sure to update anything that is not routine or just too fun not to mention. 

Update from fourth treatment

You have not heard much recently because Teresa's most recent Chemo session was very routine. Her last one, and fourth of six scheduled, was Friday February 17. This time the normal fatigue that shows up from day three through eight was very negilble. There have been no headaches from either of the past three sessions. Apparently, the Claritin works. If you have not heard, we learned from other patients that taking Claritin before the shot that is given 24 hours after Chemo prevents the headaches. Our Oncologist confirms this but neither he nor the drug company have any idea why. We are very thankful for this discovery. We have a pet scan scheduled for Monday, March 5. Dr. Saman expects it to show that the lymphoma tumor has either gone away completely or at least shrunk to a very small size. We are optimistic at this point.

'Twas the Night Before Chemo

'Twas the night before Chemo (Round 3)

And all through the home

Not a Princess was stirring

Except the one writing this poem

The birthday tiara was placed

By the doorway with care

So that Little Miss Cancer

Could place it in her hair (wig).

Here's Mommy in the kitchen before her 3rd day of school (chemo).

She's so happy after being presented with her Princess Tiara. 

And here's Mommy at the treatment center.  Got a brand new iPad for

Christmas and what does she want to play with instead?

A crossword in the newspaper.  Typical. 

As you have probably guessed, Momma's 3rd round of chemo turned out to be on the actual day of her birth, so I thought it was at least appropriate that she be treated like a princess while she was there.  I tell you what, we got fewer funny looks than you might have expected.  I suspect that more than one princess shows up at chemo from time to time.  And I am also pleased to report that the tiara was also present for dinner that evening at Cafe Europa in Old Towne Portsmouth.   What fun! 

Blog Maintenance

You may have noticed already but we are doing a bit of comment maintenance on the blog.  I have removed some of the content from those comments that included personal information such as email addresses or phone numbers (but not before I wrote them down to save).   Unfortunately we have to keep this blog "Public" so that all of you can see it without having to sign in and create accounts so please be careful what information you post for us, because there is a small chance that it could be viewed by a stranger that happens to stumble upon across our fun!  Private email works great for sharing your phone numbers :)

But do not worry.... the Internet is still a very wonderful place!   And I'll still be here to make sure we are very careful about what information gets published and shared.  Captain Capable, I am.    

And please don't let this stop you from commenting for Mommy.  Words of encouragement and love and positive thoughts are the drug of choice for attention seekers like Momma! 

Teresa vs Cancer: Round 2

Momma had her second chemo treatment a week ago Friday.  It was a long day, but everything went pretty smoothly.   The medicine includes the equivalent of something like 8 Benadryl, so she had a lovely little nap.  And after nap time she shared her iPad with her new friend George.  She noticed that he was playing cards with, gasp, REAL CARDS!  So she showed him her fancy Solitaire machine and let him have a go at it.   

After chemo Mommy did what any other normal person would do... go out to dinner with friends, of course.  One should never let a little cancer keep one from having a good conversation with good friends over a good dinner, that's what we like to say.  So on Friday evening I made it from Richmond to Norfolk in about 75 minutes so that I could meet her and her friends for a little Italian.   Don't worry, Mom said that I could borrow her C-card if I get pulled over at any point during this little adventure, so you know, watch out if you see me coming down the road...

On Saturday Mom and I went to the treatment center together for her after chemo shot.  It was adorable.  On a normal day Mommy averages making at least 3 new friends during each outing, whether its to the grocery store or the mall or the Wal-Mart for God-knows-what.  And the treatment center is no different.  Today we sat in a chair next to a nice woman who told Mom all about her own cancer and how her hip just hurt and hurt and hurt.  And Momma shared a little bit of her story and how her hip just hurt and hurt and hurt.  And then they hugged and promised to be Best Friends Forever and would have a sleepover next Saturday.  Ok, well that part was exaggerated, but I'm sure it could have happened if their fun hadn't been cut short...  It was time for Momma's shot.  It was over before you knew it and we waved goodbye to George and headed home.  

Now, this shot might be one of Mom's least favorite things about chemo.  The medicine burns and, while the nurses try their best to make it comfortable, there's really no relief for the pain except for just waiting it out.  She describes it as "hateful."  It probably is.  Previously this shot was, we think, responsible for all the migraines.  Word on the street, though, is that taking Claritin during these treatments really helps with the migraines.  As of this posting, I think we are so far so good on this theory.  Momma did report having some of the "flu-like" achiness and fatigue that was originally to be expected from the Neulasta injection, but none of the debilitating migraines like before.  I think this is a very good sign and let's hope that it keeps up.  

So that's about all there is to report at this point.  We're resting and eating good and having fun.   Tom shared with me a couple of pictures from a recent birthday party that I'll now share with you.  

Here's Little Miss Cancer throwing her C-Card all over the dance floor.  

Hands in the air to tell cancer you just don't care.  

Where Did My Hair Go?

Remember the other C-Card we mentioned?  You know, the one about how Momma deserves more "carats" to make up for her loss of hair?  Well, we've come to the point where those diamonds need to start arriving.  She has finally started losing her hair.  Well, it started just after Christmas, but it wasn't until after New Year's that she decided it all just needed to be cut.  


We knew this would probably happen, but it was still shocking.  She asked that the family show their support and cut their hair, too.  But we all suck; we're just not brave enough.  Only Joey went through with it:  

Now that Joey had gone and shown his support, Momma decided that now was the moment.  She asked Russ to come over and help her with the clippers.  The following are some pictures from that adventure.  This wasn't the first time Joey went with such an edgy cut, though, so the Bravery Award definitely goes to Mom.  

Do match your 'do with your dog's.  

Do smile to enhance your new 'do.  

Joey's support was rewarded with lots of kisses, of course.  Most everything he does is.  Even poops.  We are very proud of pooping outside around here.  

Mom's Hawk.  Russ did a great job on the fade in the back.  And those sideburns are killer!

This picture is great because it captures everyone's normal expressions perfectly.  Mom isn't so sure about this; it's always best to question.  Russ knows everything and expects you to trust him.  Tom is figuring out a new gadget.  And Maria is wondering what's wrong with all of these people.  

After saying goodbye to the 'Hawk, I present: The New Teresa!

  

I know what you're thinking... Holy Crap this wig looks just like Teresa!   Mom has officially figured out how to turn back the clock.  She looks just like herself 10 years ago!  It's like looking back at the old Momma who used to embarrass me 'cause she was the only Mom in 5th grade with short hair.  It's ok.  I'm sure that experience was character building... 

Now that Momma's got a brand new 'do, she's just about ready to toss around that C-Card everywhere she goes.  I think she's adapting quite nicely.  Talk about character building... :) 

Happy Holidays and a Tough New Year

The Holiday Season started a bit rough this year.  A terrible headache and awful fatigue on Christmas Eve Eve threatened to ruin the week altogether.  However, come Christmas Eve Mom woke up feeling much better and Christmas morning she even reported feeling "great".  That's right, folks, the party was ON!


On Christmas Morning, we all woke up and opened presents together and no one had to pretend like they absolutely loved their gifts.  Little Miss Cancer pulled a C-Card and got an iPad.  Brat.  She also started to threaten pulling another C-Card:  The Carat Card, claiming she needed more diamonds to make up for her lack of hair due at any minute now.  I think she's getting the hang of this, no? More on the hair in a bit...


The following are a few highlights from our Christmas:  

This was the only way to get Diva to stop yipping while we were wrapping presents.  She likes attention as much as her Momma.  

It's Christmas Eve and the presents are ready to be unwrapped!

A very special present.  

Diva wanted to be a reindeer, too.  Don't let the tears in her eyes fool you.  She's having a great time.  

After Christmas we decided to bring back an old tradition that Granddad used to enjoy.  Oyster Roasting Parties.  Never one for moderation when it comes to luxury (how could you hold back at a time like this??), Mommy ordered 200 of the "biggest, saltiest" oysters the fish mongerer had.  And, HOLYMOLY were they huge!  Much harder to go through than we thought, especially with another whole seafood stew, too!  It was a really great time, though, and it was a great way to continue the Christmas festivities.  

Always the entertainer, Momma had to set up a silverware display.  Please note that all of the utencils are sitting in the tomato cans used to make the stew.  Themes... we use them.  

Santa brought Tom a grill.  Great for oysters.  

The weather actually got a little chilly and we were able to enjoy the fire pit.  

These guys are huge!  I couldn't eat a whole oyster in one bite.  

A couple of us waiting for the next batch to shuck.  Messy fun for sure.  

And that brings us to New Years'.  I headed back home to Richmond while Mom, Tom, Auntie, and Wayne went to Rehoboth Beach to see Ms. Pamala Stanely's show and catch up with all of Momma's friends in Delaware.  According to my reports they all had a great time.  Momma plastered her head down with hairspray and set out for a night on the town.  Unfortunately, the next day was not so fun.  Even without any alcohol, Momma still woke up with a terrible migraine.  It seems even staying up late with lots of fun and talking and activity is a recipe for headaches.  That's ok, though.  With the holidays over and the cold weather really starting to set it, there's really nothing else to do but cuddle up with some doggies and relax.  Ah, the life of a retiree... 

Dreaming of a White Blood Count Christmas

So its been about a week since Mom's first treatment and so far so good.  Lots of discomfort and headaches and fatigue, of course, but only a few major concerns.  She went back to the treatment center yesterday for some follow up lab work.  Most everything came back normal or low, but still ok, except for the white blood cell count, which as critically low.  This is pretty typical, of course, and the after chemo shot is supposed to jump start the production, but I guess it just hasn't done its job very quickly. 

As a result, Momma has been put a course of antibiotics to ward off any infection and now has to live her life for the next few days like a nurse would:  wash your hands often!  Other people are really germy!  Tom joked that he was going to keep her from giving away too many Christmas hugs while she's on the antibiotics, but the nurses assured her that touching other people's hands is much, much dirtier than most any hug.  So is being at the mall. 

Other than that Momma has been feeling... ok.   Lots of rest (good), lots of relaxing (good), lots of yummy food (good), lots of headaches (bad).  At first we weren't really sure what was causing the headaches that seemed to last for days.  Some theories were from the lumbar fluid extraction, others from the actual chemo itself.  However, after Momma woke up last night with a lot of pain in her back and another headache after going to bed feeling fine, almost good, I think we may finally have a good theory for the headaches.  It's her body making white blood cells.  The doctor reminded her this morning on the phone that in addition to a white blood cell factory in the back, there are also white blood cell facories in the bones of your skull.  So now we are thinking that the after chemo shot (which we were also told is on a sort of extended release cycle)  is really starting to work.  If we can just get through this achiness, and start understanding when it is going feel better, and believing it will get better, then we'll be good to go. 

Can't you just tell us what to expect?  Is that too much to ask? 

So that's where we are.  Taking it day by day.  Like a toddler with tantrums, we are just trying to figure out our boundaries for when it's appropriate to pull the C-Card on your ass.  Remember to post some messages for Momma on the blog, so that she can play the C-Card for you!  You don't need to sign up in order to post messages, you can simply post anonymously and sign your name at the bottom.  If she gets some messages, we can bait her into posting some updates herself.  She really can tell these stories much better than I can, with details about everything the nurses said, and how funny they can be, and how funny some of the other ladies at the treatment center look.  You get the idea. 

Have a very Merry Christmas! 

Cancer Class and Portacaths

When we last updated, it was understood that Tuesday, December 13 was going to be THE DAY.  The first battle of the war.  That is, until Tuesday came and all the plans changed again.   Here's what happened:

Mom showed up to her very first chemo treatment in the morning fully expecting to not expect anything at all and just get started.  She had rested and eaten really well thanks to Tom's new bestie, the Cancer Cookbook.  We're talking home cooked meals with soups made from stocks made from scratch, or poached salmon in homemade mineral broth with Morrocan pesto.  You know, the kind of stuff that people in LA pay major bucks for, but we can just eat for fun because we already know better!

Anyways, we thought we was prepared.  Eat right and sleep is all you need, right?  Well, the nurses (the ones who really know whats going on) did not seem to think so.  I imagine the conversation went kind of like this:

Nurse:  "Honey, you got yourself a portacath?"
Mom:  "Well, no, we were just going to wait and see if we needed it, right?"
Nurse:  "Oh, honey, no, that's some powerful shit.  You can't rub your skin, wash dishes, drink hot drinks. Honey, you can't do nothin without that port.  You been to cancer class?"
Mom:  "I'm sorry, what?"

And then she pulled a C-Card in the cancer treatment center.  Mom said no treatment until she gets into a class and gets herself a port, because being in the dark is uncool.  So she did.  Here is this week's new schedule:

Wednesday:  Cancer Class 
Basic Objectives:  Learning all about how little fun cancer will be.  And how much fun it will be to say goodbye to cancer.  One surprise lesson at cancer class:  It looks like we'll need to get a very nice wig sooner rather than later.  And I personally also think an Hermes scarf, or something very close to it, would not be inappropriate either.

Thursday (today):  Lumbar Sample/"Spinal Tap" and Portacath Insertion
Since we don't want to delay the start of the chemo treatments any longer than we have to, the nurses at the treatment schedule got Mom set up to receive her portacath ASAP at the hospital.  And while they were there and she'd be under some anesthesia, they figured they'd get a sample of some spinal fluid.  Not ideal to have two treatments like this in one day, but, hey, we'll take it.  At least its not multiple, separate trips to the hospital.

For those of us not in the cancer know, about the portacath:  Because the chemo medicine is often pretty toxic stuff and fairly harsh on your veins (not to mention uncomfortable), you can have a semi-permanent port implanted in the chest with a direct line into the veins wherein the nurses can administer the chemo meds.  It doesn't sound all that fun, but it helps to make a very uncomfortable procedure a little bit easier, and so we like the port.

So far Mom isn't too fond of her new port; its still a bit tight and tender and limits her movement in her arms for the next couple of weeks.   (How will we lift the Christmas tenderloin in and out of the oven!!!???) I think, though, that it's going to be a really great thing, and I'm relieved that the nurses basically insisted upon it.  The idea of having your arms free during the treatment sessions just seems so... well, free!  You can get up and dance! You can wave to your friends!

It's a good thing.

Friday:  The First Treatment
So now we've got the port, we've got most of the tests out of the way;  its finally time to start the treatment tomorrow morning.  Mom is going to get a cocktail of four drugs called CHOPS.  At Cancer Class, she learned what each of those drugs aims to do, and what kind of side effects to expect from them.  And the nurses, (remember, now, these are the people who actually know what they're doing) are all keeping an eye out and can supplement any questions that might come up over the 7-8 hours the treatment will take.  I know I'd have some; Tom would have about 100; Mom will probably want to know what's for lunch.  But hey, the nurses will have the answer to that, too!

I'm sure the treatment will go smoothly and Momma will definitely be ready for another home cooked super meal a la Chef Tom and some relaxation back home with them crazy doggies by the end of the day.

Saturday:  After Chemo Shot
Way shorter than the treatment itself and helps gets your body back to being healthy again.   I believe its meant to boost the white blood cell count.  Also a good thing.

Monday:  Baseline Heart Testing/Monitoring
Just a couple tests to get a baseline for Momma's heart and blood pressure so that we can monitor any side effects of the treatments.  Also a fun baseline for monitoring the effects of me telling Momma that I'm going to get a tattoo.


And after that, no more of this mess for at least a few more weeks.  Its time to relax, enjoy the season, have some fun, and get back to normal.

Mom's First C-Card

By now you all may know that my Mommy, Teresa, has tired of being an average gal and has joined a new, semi-exclusive club called CANCER.  

A little background:  

For a while now, I've been giving her a hard time about being a pushy, old lady who gets whatever she wants and doesn't care what you have to say about it, dammit.  You know, one who typically pulls the, "Who do I need to talk to to get some service around here?" kind of pushy, old lady.  Know what I'm saying?  

Even though I love her very, very much, I can't help but want to keep telling her the same things she used to tell me, and probably still would:  "Too bad"; "Life isn't fair"; "You'll be just fine"; and her favorite "Because I said so."  We've all gotten by with a little less than we'd prefer, right? 

Not good enough for Momma.  

That attention-seeker went and got cancer.  Now I have to do whatever she says and give her whatever she wants.  And, of course, so do you.  

So far she has only pulled the C-Card for those of us who have driven her to do so with our doting and in-your-face concern and all of those things the (not really) attention-seeker truly hates.  But your time is coming. 

We will be using this blog to give everyone some details about Momma's condition, her treatment and treatment schedules and basically everything she'll allow us to share until she is truly comfortable with pulling the C-Card during each and every exchange she has with another human being (I'm sure it won't be long now). 

In time I imagine and hope we might even get some posts from the star of the show herself in her own words!

In lieu of calling the house, please use the blog to check in with her and her progress.  I'll be posting as often as there are any new developments.  Leave any messages you'd like for her on here, so that she can keep in touch at her own pace, when she is feeling good.  At this point we have no idea what to expect, so this keeps us from being overwhelmed.

Now for some specifics:

Momma was diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma a little after Thanksgiving of this year after an MRI discovered a mass in her bones and a biopsy revealed the presence of lymphoma cells.   She immediately got in with a very nice Oncologist, Dr. Saman, who seems to have a good sense of humor, and speaks very good English (a must for pushy, old white ladies).  

According to the PET scans the lymphoma has not affected any other organs or lymph areas (THANK GOD) and her cancer is at either a Stage 2 or 4, pending the results of another biopsy.  

Regardless of stages, her treatment starts NEXT WEEK and will consist of 6 long, boring, possibly uncomfortable treatments of chemotherapy, each of them 21 days apart.  She'll have them at the treatment center right in the oncologist's office, where I fully expect her to be the "Belle of the Ball," interested in chatting with all of her new friends.  I also have wonderful visions of her being the "Popular Girl" after her good friend, Ms. Pamala Stanley,  treats everyone in the center to a private concert of all of her best disco and dance tunes.  We'll see if that one happens, but wouldn't that be so fun?? 

Here's to hoping the chemo turns out as fun as it sounds!  We'll be sure to update and let you know if our suspicions are true. 

Abbe