April 30, 2010

Mom wasn't able to take her infusion today because her platelets were too low. She has appointments next Friday, and I believe they'll do bloodwork again to check and see if her counts are high enough then. She'll also have another MRI to see if Cain & Abel have responded to the Timidar, then followup with Dr. Torres. We'll be praying for good results on this MRI!

Today, among many other things, I am thankful for my group of supportive people at school. When I have tough days they are there to pick me up, or as my dear friend Stevie just told me, "I don't know the answers to your questions and I don't know how to help you, but I'll just hug you and tell you I love you." And some days that's better than answers anyway! Maybe we should stop trying to solve everyone's problems and just hug them and say "I Love You!"

April 29, 2010

We went for another appointment today where we met with a new neurosurgeon, Dr. Harshbarger. We also saw Dr. McFadden who is a neurologist, as well, I believe. Dr. McFadden did an exam to look for any indications that she was having symptoms and said things looked very good. He was very nice and spent some time talking with us. Dr. Harshbarger, on the other hand, is the first person we've interacted with at the hospital since Mom began receiving treatment that I wouldn't recommend anyone else go see. His bedside manner was atrocious and after listening to him talk for about 20 seconds, I decided he wasn't actually talking to us, and he must have just been talking to hear himself talk. He didn't attempt to explain anything that he was talking about, nor did he make much effort to answer the questions we asked. At one point Mom tried to ask something and he just continued talking. He kept referring to "GBM", and when she finally asked what GBM was, he just plainly said, "that's your cancer," like she was some sort of idiot. Fifteen minutes earlier in the appointment I had already decided that I didn't like him and when he so coldly responded to Mom, I was ready to kick him in his arrogant face. I interjected to tell him that Mom had an astrocytoma and we'd never heard mention of GBM. He flipped through her chart and pointed to something in there and said, "it's right here, GBM," then continued to tell us their Gamma knife machine was being updated and that we should seek a second opinion with UPMC in Pittsburgh because he can't do the procedure until June or September. So, I'll have to do some research about GBM and post some information later because the "neurosurgeon" didn't bother to elaborate any further.

Anyway, from what I gathered from the appointment, (aside from wanting to begin looking for a new doctor) the lesion that wasn't responding to the infusion treatment is in the same location of her brain that the initial tumor was removed, I'm going to refer to it as Adam (as in the first man). There is a small dark spot, about the size of a nickel where the Adam tumor was. From this tumor location there are two additional spots or "offspring" where the Adam tumor is re-growing. The second tumor that has popped up since brain surgery last year (Eve) is responding to the infusion and has shrunk dramatically since January. We were able to see comparison MRI scans from January and April and it does appear that the initial lesion, Adam, has sprouted new growth (Cain and Abel), and at a rather rapid pace. This was information that Dr. Torres shared with Mom and Dad at the last appointment earlier this month. Cain & Abel are growing in the sensory area of the brain and can cause seizures or sensory symptoms, but are in a location that would allow for physical surgical removal. Eve is growing very near to the motor area of the brain. Because of the risks associated with surgery in this area, it is not a preferred option. Refer back to the blog following that last appointment to see why surgery is not a good option right now.

According to Harshbarger, there isn't research to show that Gamma knife treatment is effective in treating the type of tumor that Mom has, but he felt that it certainly was a good option to try. Dad finally got him to shut-up long enough to ask some questions and get clarification about how we should proceed. Because Mom has recently re-started the Timidar to treat the unresponsive sections of Cain & Able, we will be waiting until the MRI next Friday to make any decisions about Gamma knife treatment. Say an extra prayer that Cain & Abel have been responding to the Timidar and that we won't have to bother with the Gamma knife or Harshbarger. I had a very bad feeling about him and don't feel comfortable letting him lay a hand on Mom, let alone with a high concentration of radiation aimed at her brain.

Please know how much we appreciate what each of you are doing for our family during this time. Mom is holding up pretty well and keeping herself occupied by making thank-you cards. The first 21-day course of Timidar ended on Tuesday and she handled it well. She didn't experience too many side effects, or if she did, she didn't let on. She's been spending a little more time resting than she did at the beginning of the Timidar, as it seems her energy is depleted from all the treatments . This suits Dad, Axle, and I just fine as we're all up for some relaxing when we get home anyway. Our shopping trips aren't quite as long as they used to be either, which also suits Dad just fine.

Infusion tomorrow morning. I will try to continue posting information as I get it. It's a busy time of year at school and I'm trying to make this a priority, as well. I don't want Phyllis or Joe to get upset with me. Thank you for everything!

April 18, 2010

It's a lazy Sunday here in our house. Mom has been pretty worn out the last few days and has been taking advantage of not having anything that needs to be done. She continues to feel pretty good, aside from being tired. I haven't noticed any changes, good or bad, since the the beginning of the second treatment, so hopefully she continues to progress. Tonight will be treatment #13 of 21, so we're better than halfway there. We celebrated my birthday on Tuesday with some friends of mine from school and then she had her infusion treatment on Friday. Aside from that there isn't much else going on. Everything is greening up around here and we've had our first mowing of the year already this week. The weather had been pretty nice most of the week, but the temperature has dropped today and it's a bit chilly. Makes for a nice day to get back into your pajamas and take a nap! Our stomachs and hearts continue to be filled with the graciousness of our friends and neighbors. All of your kindness is greatly appreciated! Before I close for today I'll share a devotion from earlier in the week. After I read it initially I felt blessed to be able to surround myself with such great people!!!

Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer. Proverbs 13:20 Here's a simple yet effective way to strengthen your faith: Choose role models whose faith in God is strong. When you emulate godly people, you become a more godly person yourself. That's why you should seek out mentors who, by their words and their presence, make you a better person and a better Christian. It takes a wise person to give good advice, but an even wiser person to take it.

April 12, 2010

Seems to be another good day for Mom. She'll take treatment #6 of 21 tonight and thus far has not been feeling bad at all. We had a full weekend so she needed today to rest and relax. We went shopping in Clarksburg on Saturday, met Justin and Allison for dinner, and stopped by their house to see Echo and eat ice cream from Coldstone. Yum! We went to church on Sunday then went out for lunch followed by a trip to the movie theater. We went to see How to Train Your Dragon and it was pretty good. Maybe a little scary for kids... When I got home from work this evening we went up to the church to clean and take inventory of what we've collected for our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. WOW!!! I'm so excited at how well it's going and can't wait to assemble the boxes in November! Thanks to all of you who have been donating. It's such a wonderful organization and a great ministry. Check it out! Not too much else going on with us. Enjoying the beautiful spring weather and being thankful for the blessing we've been given! Happy Monday!!!

April 8, 2010

So far, so good. Tonight is treatment 2 of 21 and thus far Mom is handling the treatment well. She has a follow-up MRI scheduled for May 7 and we'll see how well the Timidar is attacking the anterior lesion in her brain. It's been a rainy evening and there isn't much else going on in our house. Dottie and Peggy delivered potato soup and blackberry cobbler today and Dad brought home meatball hoagies from Linda last night. We continue to experience God's blessings on a daily basis through each and every one of you. Thank you for taking the time and energy out of your lives to make a difference in ours. There was a quote from St. Teresa of Avila in my devotions that says, "Though we do not have our Lord with us in bodily presence, we have our neighbor, who, for the ends of love and loving service, is as good as our Lord himself." Please continue to remember us in your prayers. Happy Spring!

April 7, 2010

I'm home from Tennessee and had a great visit with Jenny and the kids. Wow! She's got quite a job being Mommy to three kids. It was exhausting just watching. Justin brought Mom up to the airport to pick me up today, so we got to spend some time with him. Allison is in Arizona for work until Friday. Mom's chemo arrived at the house today, so she started her treatment this evening. She takes two anti-nausea meds an hour before the chemo pills. This will continue for the next 20 days. Pray that God gives her the strength to get through this round of treatment. Her prior treatments with Timidar have been rough with nausea and vomitting, so hopefully her body will respond differently this time.

Thanks to Aunt Jean in Florida for the cute springy hat that came in the mail today! Thanks to all of you for a continued interest in your prayers. Despite the disappointing news with this most recent trip to the doctor, Mom is still in great spirits. Your cards, phone calls, and delicious meals are a blessing and constant reminder of the wonderful friends we have. A very special thank you to Jim and Tina for making room with their family and at their table on Easter for Mom and Dad. It is so comforting for me to know that I can go away and not have to worry (even though I still do) because other people are so willing to help out. It's wonderful to feel so loved and cared for!

I may have posted this before, but I stumbled across it while reading through my devotions from last year and thought it was worthy of (re-)posting.

It is an undeniable fact that usually those who have suffered most are best able to comfort others who are passing through suffering. They know what it is to suffer, and they understand more than others what a suffering person is experiencing--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They are able to empathize as well as sympathize with the afflictions of others because of what they have experienced in their own lives. Our sufferings may be rough and hard to bear, but they teach us lessons that in turn equip and enable us to help others. Our attitude toward suffering should not be, "Grit your teeth and bear it," hoping it will pass as quickly as possible. Rather, our goal should be to learn all we can from what we are called upon to endure, so that we in turn can "comfort each other and edify one another."

April 3, 2010

I am visiting Jenny and the kids in Tennessee and Stevie and Donna were kind enough to give me a ride to the airport. Mom and Dad spent most of yesterday at the cancer center for follow-up appointments and another round of chemo. She started out yesterday morning with an MRI, then saw Dr. Torres and got the results of the MRI. I briefly spoke with Mom and Dad on the phone yesterday, then got an email from Dad explaining what's going on, but from what I've understood, there are two lesions on Mom's brain. One is in the motor cortex of her brain and is responding well to the infusion chemo that she has been taking every two weeks. The other is anterior to the original lesion that was surgically removed and it is not responding to the infusion. The good part about this is that it is not in the motor cortex of her brain and could be surgically removed; however, because she is taking blood thinners with her infusion chemo, she would have to stop that treatment for 2 weeks prior to and 2 week post-operation. Dr. Torres would rather not go that route yet due to the shrinking of the other lesion. An alternative to the surgery is the Gamma knife. I believe this is another form of radiation, but is a more precise treatment that could target a more specified area. She will also begin a 21-day course of the Timidar, which is the chemotherapy pill that she had previously been taking in a 5-day treatment once a month. She had been looking forward to working early voting at the courthouse this month, but with the new developments, it looks like that's not going to work out very well. With the new course of additional treatment, she'll have to have weekly blood tests.

Please continue to remember Mom in your prayers. Pray for healing and mental and physical strength as we try out yet another treatment. Thankfully, God has allowed the infusion chemo to work on the tumor that was causing her strength deficits and peripheral vision problems, but continue to ask him to touch her with his healing powers to allow this treatment to be effective on the other tumor.

I hope all of you have a very happy and blessed Easter! Be thankful for the gift of salvation that was so graciously given for each and every one of us.