Holiday and Treatment Updates

This holiday season was filled with love. My mom has always been blessed by her co-workers and close friends. She got to experience more of the blessings of their love and friendship through their generous gifts to her this holiday season. Many thanks from my family and especially my mom.

Mom also got to spend a lot of time with family. We celebrated my brother's birthday by going to Dave and Buster's. Mom enjoyed playing a few games and watching all of us as well. Mom even ventured to the mall to do some last minute Christmas shopping. My parents hosted Christmas at their house this year. We enjoyed a great meal and time together.

Mom's had some regular appointments to the Cancer Center. At her last chemo treatment, she was put on blood thinners. In order to make sure her blood reaches the right level, she's had to go have her blood checked at least twice a week. Thankfully, today at her regular chemo appointment, her blood reached a high enough level that she could stop the injections. Yeah....as mom said!!! The only negative, regarding her high blood level now, is that she was unable to have any fluid drained from her abdomen today. Over the holidays, mom's abdomen began filling with fluid again. It's been very uncomfortable. She's been short of breathe and unable to eat very much. The doctors did make an appointment for her to come back this Wednesday to see if she can have the fluid drained then. Please be praying that she'll be able to have the procedure done.

12 pounds

After mom's blood transfusion last Tuesday, she began to experience some swelling in her stomach. The swelling caused mom a lot of discomfort. After a call in to her oncologist, she was scheduled to have an ultrasound on Friday. The ultra sound confirmed that there was fluid in her abdomen. The fluid is a common occurrence for patients with the type of cancer mom has. The doctors went ahead and scheduled to have the fluid removed. Once they inserted a small needle into her abdomen, the fluid just poured out. They were able to remove 12 pounds of fluid. Amazing, huh? Mom had immediate relief. She was able to move, bend, and even able to sleep on her side for the first time in months. The doctors said that the fluid will return again. Mom is supposed to call when she begins to experience discomfort again. She was encouraged to not wait as long as she did this time.

Today, mom had her regular chemo appointment. She was feeling great. In fact, she's felt wonderful all weekend long. Yea!! Having the fluid removed, increased her energy and appetite. She even ate some steak this weekend. Mom was able to have chemo today. Her blood work came back fine. Her red blood cell count was way up. The only complaint mom had today was some leg pain. A few days ago, she began experiencing some discomfort in her calf. The doctor was a little concerned and decided to send her for an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed that it was the beginnings of a blood clot. Thankfully we caught it early. The blood clot is located right behind her knee and causing her calf to hurt because it's cutting off the blood flow. The doctor has now put mom on blood thinners to help get rid of the clot. She has to take a pill and also give herself a shot everyday. They will continue to monitor her blood and increase/decrease the medication as needed.

Update

The holiday weekend flew by. On Thursday, mom enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal at my house along with my husband's family. Then, on Saturday, we gathered with my dad's family for desserts and a movie. It was fun getting together with so many family members. Mom really enjoyed herself. We were a little worried that she wouldn't be up for all the festivities, because she'd been feeling a little weak. Since she began her new chemo cycles, she hasn't had much of an appetite and her energy level has been low.

Thankfully we found out the reason for her loss of energy yesterday when she went in for a chemo treatment. The nurses ran her blood work and her red blood cell count came back really low. They've been watching her blood count for some time now, but this was the first time it fell below 8.0. We were told before that she'd have to have a blood transfusion if it fell below 8.0. Her blood cell count was 7.1. So, that explained her loss of appetite and especially her loss of energy. The nurses canceled her chemo and scheduled a blood transfusion.

Today, mom went in for her blood transfusion. They gave her two bags of blood. Each bag took 3 hours. They were able to give her the blood through her port as well. Everything went well. She didn't have any immediate reactions to the new blood. The nurses noted that her hands and face were a little pink after the transfusion, which I guess is a good thing. Mom went home after the transfusion and rested. So far, she's been feeling fine. She is scheduled to receive her next chemo treatment on Monday.

Please be praying that her body continues to respond well to the blood transfusion and that her energy level increases.

The New Cycle Begins...

Today mom started her new treatment regiment. She is now only receiving 1 chemo drug with each visit to Community North. The morning and early afternoon flew by. The time she was required to be there has been cut in half with the treatment changes. Also, with all the changes, she now gets to decrease the amount of medications that she's been taking. Mom gets to cut out some of her nausea medicine, since she's no longer on the more aggressive chemo drug.

Her doctors continue to be very positive about mom's response to the treatments. They plan to continue to monitor her regularly. For now, she will receive chemo treatments every week. We are not sure yet about when or if she'll get to take another break from treatments.

Last week, mom really enjoyed the time off. She was able to spend a lot of time with friends. She got to go out to eat and even do a little shopping. As the week came to a close, she was able to join the family in an early Thanksgiving celebration.

6th Cycle Complete....Yea!!

Last week we got some good news. We got the results from another CT scan. The cancer is still stable. Yea!! We continue to give praise. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Today mom finished up her 6th cycle of chemo. Another yea!! We are so glad that everything has gone so well with these treatments.

Next week Mom gets an entire week off. And yet another yea!! She has no blood tests, CT scans, or chemo treatments. It's been a long time since she's had an entire week without any appointments. She's really looking forward to that time off to rest and spend time with family/friends.

Her oncologist is still planning to have her continue chemo treatments beginning on November 16. These treatments will be slightly different that the first round she completed today. Her previous treatments included two chemo drugs. This new round only includes one. And yet again another yea!! This is a yea, because the treatment days have gone from 6 hours long to 3. We are not yet sure how many cycles this round will include yet. She will continue to get regular CT scans again once this round has started.

5th Cycle Completed

Last week Mom finished up her 5th cycle of chemo. It's so hard to believe it's already been that many. Everything continues to be going well with all of her treatments. Mom really appreciates all the doctors and nurses that have been taking care of her.....and I think many of them adore her too. For example, when we were leaving the hospital after her chemo treatment a couple weeks ago, we got to catch up with a nurse practitioner that she used to see regularly. For some reason, mom had been switched to another practitioner. With the huge number of patients being seen at the hospital, I think they try to schedule you with the same person, but as times you simply get who's available. After catching up with her for a few minutes, she said that she was planning to go and change mom's schedule so that she'd get to see her the next time. We thought that was so nice. My mom really likes her a lot and she was excited to get back on her schedule. :)

Mom's been able to spend a lot of time with family and friends these past couple of weeks. She's gone out to lunch and even went on an overnight to her friend's home in Nashville, IN. We are so thankful that she's been feeling well to get out and about.

Today she went in for a regular blood test. The doctors are continuing to monitor her red blood cell count. There is still a chance that she'll need to have a blood transfusion. We should know those results in a few days. On Wednesday, she's scheduled to get another CT scan. We ask for prayers for her on Wednesday. The scan was very uncomfortable last time, and she's worried it will be the same this time. We also ask for continued prayers that this scan will show a decrease in the cancer or that it is remaining stable. We should receive those results next week as mom begins her 6th cycle of chemo.

Stable

Yesterday we got the results from last week's CT scan. The doctor said that the cancer has not changed and that it is stable. We were really excited to hear that. The doctor is planning to have mom complete 2 more cycles of chemo to make it a full 6 cycles that she will have completed. After the 6th cycle, she'll get to take a break. She is schedule to get a CT scan every 3 weeks from now on. As long as the cancer is stable, she'll get to take some time off from the chemo. We are not sure yet how long the break will be, but we are excited that she'll be able to have a break. The other good news was that she didn't lose any weight and actually gained a few ounces. Also, her red blood cell count increased from 8.1 to 8.4 in one week.

We are so thankful for all your thoughts and prayers.

Update from Monday's Appointments

On Monday, Mom went in to have her blood tested. The doctors have been monitoring her red blood cell count very closely since she was diagnosed with anemia. If she gets to or below 8.0, then she'll have to have a blood transfusion. Thankfully, she is holding her own....as they said. For two weeks straight, she's been at 8.1. Way to go Mom's red blood cells!!! :)

Also on Monday, she went in to have another CT scan. Everything went well with the scan. We should be getting those results on Oct. 5 and I'll be sure to post an update.

Fourth Cycle Chemo and CT Scan Update

Last week, my aunt used some of her vacation time to hang out with mom. They had a great time going to the store, eating outside at Panera one afternoon, watching television, and laughing a ton. Mom really enjoyed that time with her sister.

Mom began her fourth chemo cycle last Monday. She's become very familiar with room 12 at the Cancer Center. I still can't say enough about how great the nurses are there. We've been very blessed.

Everything went well with her chemo treatment. We were a little anxious about this appointment, because we were going to get her results from the CT Scan taken the week prior. We waited and waited for the doctor. I went to grab some Oliver Garden, mom's new favorite. She loves the salad and bread sticks. I thought the doctor may come in after lunch; however, I was wrong. He came to speak to mom while I was gone. I felt horrible. Mom was a little sleepy and wasn't sure she understood everything clearly. Thankfully I was able to catch him in the hallway.
The results of her CT Scan seemed to be inconclusive at this time. He said it was a little difficult to determine whether or not the spots on her liver had increased or decreased. He also mentioned that there was something on the lining of her stomach. He was not ready to say whether or not he thinks the cancer has spread into her stomach. He decided to have her undergo another CT Scan. She's scheduled to have that done on the 28th and to get the results on the 30th. If the cancer has spread, then her chemo treatments will be changing. The doctor even mentioned getting her into some clinical trials.

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for my mom and my family. The waiting and uncertainty is tough. We are thankful that through the waiting we have received so many cards, emails, phone call, and visits from family/friends. Thank you!

Third Chemo Cycle

Mom just completed her third chemo cycle today. I went with her last Monday and my aunt was with her today. We are both so thankful that we are able to get time off of work to spend time with her.

She's been doing really well. Her nausea, acid reflux, and gas appear to be under control with the medicine she's on. She has noticed lately that her sense of smell has increased. Certain smells are beginning to cause her to get a little nauseous and at times sick. Mom has never had a weak stomach with smells, so this is something she's adjusting to.

Her blood work did show that she has anemia. She will be getting shots every other chemo day to help with this. If her levels get too low, which they doubt will happen since she's getting the shot, they will do a blood transfusion.

We did find out today that the doctor has scheduled for her to have CT scan next Tuesday. This will let us know how she's responding to the treatments. We should get those results at her next chemo appointment.

Please continue to pray for healing, patience, and peace as we wait.

HAT PARTY

On Thursday, my mom was given a surprise "hat party" by the staff at Sunny Heights. Normally on Thursdays she meets with a few co-workers for a weekly book study. This week was different.

She had no idea that the plans came into motion after she asked a friend to make her a hat for when her hair falls out. She has begun to slowly loose a few strands here and there. Mom commented that showering has become an even longer process now that she is gently massaging her scalp to delay any strands from being pulled out of its home.

The staff at Sunny Heights was quick to plan and organize this party in less than a week. My aunt and I were both invited and asked to keep it a secret. We both did a great job keeping our lips sealed. She didn't even catch that we'd both asked numerous times about whether or not she'd be going to her weekly book study. :)

Thursday finally arrived. Hats were purchased and wrapped. Cake and punch were set-up. All that remained was the surprise. My aunt and I arrived a few moments after my mom. We were quickly ushered into the library to wait. An announcement was made for the staff to gather in the library for a quick meeting. This didn't even clue her in that something may be up. After everyone had gathered, in she walked. Her face lit up with surprise and amazement that they were throwing her a party. In her shock, she didn't even see that my aunt and I had joined the celebration as well. She was amazed that we hadn't let it slip...score one for us!

As cake and punch were served, mom began to open all of her hats and scarves. Each hat was a perfect fit for her and she looked great in each one. She's never been one to wear hats, but now it seems that choosing which one to wear will be a challenge.

Thank you so much Sunny Heights for putting this hat party together. It was awesome!! My mom is so blessed to work with such a caring family. Thank you for the love, support, prayers, and now a collection of hats.

Second Cycle Complete

Mom finished her second cycle of chemo on Monday. Mom really appreciates all of the nurses and doctors that are taking care of her. They are wonderful at making her feel comfortable and at ease. Mom feels like she's getting to know many of them now and really enjoys talking with them. This is not a surprise to many I'm sure. Mom loves to talk to new people, so these treatments have been a great opportunity for her to do so.

At her treatment, mom did mention that she'd been feeling short of breathe and had been feeling dizzy at times, so the doctors decided to run a blood test to check her for anemia(which is a decrease in the normal number of red blood cells). I guess there is some medication that they'll give her if the tests do come back showing that she does have anemia. We should know more at her next treatment.

Her next cycle begins on August 24. The doctors also mentioned that she may have another CT scan sometime after this third cycle to determine whether or not the treatment is working.

Again, we want to thank all of you for your prayers and ask that you keep them up. :)

Mom also wants to express her appreciation for the cards, phone calls, and visits. They have been a great encouragement to her. She loves all of you.

Second Round....

Mom began her second round or cycle, as the doctors call it, this Monday. Her treatment went really well. Her white blood count was a little low, but within range. Her platelet count though was really high. I think last week her platelet count was in the 50s and on Monday it was in the 600s. The doctors were pleased with that.

I spoke with her today and she's feeling great. She said that this is the best she's felt after a chemo treatment. :)

My parents were able to go camping for a few days this weekend with some friends at a local campground. The weather was beautiful and they enjoyed sitting outside around the campfire.

Third Chemo Postponed.....

This past week has been great. Mom's been eating, resting, and feeling full of energy. YEAH!!!!
Since she's been feeling so well, she was able to join her small bible study group on Thursday and spent the weekend catching up with family.
Thank you for your prayers!!!!

On Monday, my aunt took mom to have her third chemo treatment. However, after her lab work came back, the doctor decided to postpone her chemo treatment. Mom had a low white blood cell count and platelet count. It was nothing to worry about, but it was too low for her to get the chemo treatment. The doctor said that she might need to have two weeks of chemo and then one week off. So, she rescheduled this appointment for next Monday.

While mom was at her appointment, she did talk with her doctor about her legs. Mom had noticed that her legs were feeling a little swollen and uncomfortable. The doctor went ahead and had mom go to Community East to get an ultrasound done to make sure there wasn't any blood clots or anything else of concern. Thankfully the doctor did not find anything.

My dad is planning to take a few vacation days this week to spend time with mom and to take her to her appointment on Monday. She is so excited to have this week off of chemo and hopes that she continues to feel great.

Second chemo treatment....

Today mom had her second chemo treatment. Mom was able to enjoy time with my aunt and a book on CD during her chemo. She also ate a pretty big lunch. :) Mom did end up losing two pounds since last Monday; however, we feel this was mainly due to the acid reflux. The doctor suggested that she continue to use the Pepcid AC. The Pepcid AC really worked for mom last week, so we're hoping it continues this week. After her treatment, she went home to rest.

Please pray that mom is able to get plenty of rest this week and that she'll be able to eat. :)

Port check-up.....

Mom went to have her port checked on Friday at Community North. The doctor told her that everything looked fine and that she was healing well from her port surgery.

After that appointment, mom decided to stop by the cancer center to ask about some other options to control her acid reflux. The gas that she'd been having did get a little better; however, the acid reflux was worse. She did have a lot of trouble eating anything on Thursday and Friday. The doctor gave her a prescription for the acid reflux, but did suggest trying Pepcid AC first. Thankfully the Pepcid AC has been working. Mom has felt great since she started taking the Pepcid AC. She's been able to eat without worry. Yesterday she even got to get some ice cream at Dairy Queen. :)

On another note, mom had a surprising phone call from her pastor yesterday. Last Wednesday, mom and I met with her pastor to talk about her journey with God. I can say that this was a part of God's timing, because he asked to share some of her story during his Sunday message. Wow, huh?

Today, we went to hear his message. He was speaking about the what the kids at their VBS had been learning about God. The big message was about how we are to not fear, for God is always with us. They learned this through the story of how God used Moses to save the Israelites from their captivity under Pharaoh. He also relayed how God is with us during all our "plagues" or challenges in life and how each one gives God an opportunity to show himself to us and bring us closer to him.

After the service, we were able to enjoy a wonderful breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Mom was excited to eat eggs and bacon. She's planning to on eating more later today and finishing the night with ice cream again. :)

For our family, we believe that this cancer is another opportunity for us to share what God is doing. We have been encouraged that mom's journey is already being used to spur others on. We pray that we will continue to be aware of what God is doing in our lives and the lives of those around us.

After Chemo....

Mom's first two days after chemo having been going well. She has been very tired and resting a lot. Thankfully, she hasn't had any nausea from the chemo; however, she has been experiencing a lot of gas and acid reflux. Last night was the worst of it. She was very uncomfortable and unable to eat anything. Mom did contact her doctor and he recommended trying some Maalox. After taking some, she did begin to feel better. We are hopeful that the Maalox will continue to alleviate her discomfort.

Today, we were able to get out of the house for a little bit. We went to her work to pick up a few items and she was able to catch up with those there. We enjoyed all the laughs and hugs. From there, we went to visit her pastor. We appreciated the time to share our story with him and receive prayers for my mom and family.

First Chemo Treatment

At 9:00 this morning, we arrived at the Cancer Center at Community North. Mom got checked in and got taken back to the area where she'd receive her chemo treatments. We thought she might be in a private room, but instead she was center stage in a large room with a few other patients. We were put in an area right across from the nurse's station. We were told this was the best location to keep a close watch on first time chemo patients.

Our amazing nurse for the day was named Beth. She began by outlining our day in detail and then got to work. First, Beth accessed mom's port. The power port she has is awesome. It took the nurse less than 30 seconds to get it in. Mom is so happy to have it!!

Once the port was accessed, the nurse took blood for labs, hooked up an IV, and then the first hour wait began. Her labs came back fine. Beth went through all of the blood work results with us and really helped us know what they are looking for. Then, mom's oncologist came to check in with us about the chemo medications and gave the go ahead.

The nurse then filled mom up with some anti-nausea meds before the actual chemo treatments began. Those meds made her a little sleepy, so she dozed some throughout receiving her chemo medications. The chemo medications were given over the course of two hours. Once those were done, we were cleared to go home around 3:30. It was a long day!!!

Overall, everything went really well today. We have continued to be blessed by outstanding nurses and doctors. Mom's plan for the remainder of the day is to rest, monitor her temperature, and to drink plenty of fluids.

Her next chemo treatment is scheduled for next Monday and will last about the same amount of time.

Note from Sue....
Thank you all for your heartfelt prayers. You are a wonderful family!!! I love you all!!!

Chemo Teach.....

Yesterday our entire family went to hear all about mom's upcoming chemo treatments. We spent about an hour hearing the lifestyle changes that mom needs to make and the good/bad of chemo. Here's the break down:

Lifestyle Changes....

1. New toothbrush every 3 months and gargling with mouthwash twice a day. Chemo patients can often develop mouth sores, so she needs to be very diligent in taking care of her mouth.
2. Nutritional diet. Mom needs to start eating more organic foods and working on keeping a stable weight. This seems very challenging, since she already doesn't have much of an appetite right now. This does change from day to day. When she is craving something, we get it for her. Last week it was Dairy Queen and strawberries. :)
3. Eating with plastic ware. Apparently the chemo makes metal taste very bad in one's mouth and can prevent someone from eating, so she's going to start caring her plastic ware with her.
   

Good/Bad of Chemo.....

Bad:

• Hair loss
  
• Loss of appetite
• Increased fatigue
• Decreased immune system
• Leaves a poor taste in one's mouth
• Nausea....but hopefully not with the anti-nausea medicine they prescribed
• Can attack good cells....like hair and red/white blood cells
  

Good:

• Attacks the cancer cells

Rough list, huh? Does anyone else hate lists that aren't equal? I know I'm one of those people.

I really want there to be more good on that list for my mom. Now I know that the main thing is that the cancer cells are about to get the stuff kicked out of them, but I want to know that she'll have more. That's the human side of me I guess. We all want the the biggest bang for the buck.

Yet after thinking about this more, I've realized that mom has already received so much in the last two weeks. The overwhelming number of phone calls, cards, emails, and more have been showering her with love. Jesus came to show us how to love. He even gave us that command in John 13:34..... Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

It's been so amazing to see God's word coming to life through those that love my mom and family. Thank you!!!

I know many have asked how you can pray or how you can help. Here are some ideas below. I will continue to offer ideas regularly.

1. Prayer for my mom and family as she begins her chemo treatments. They begin on July 13 at 9:00.
   
2. Prayer for completing the paperwork for my mom to stay off work. We have all the forms now, so we just need to get them all filled out.
   
3. I know some have offered to help with meals, but since mom's appetite is not predictable and we are trying to get her what she craves. Gift cards to restaurants that offer carry out, to Trader Joe's, or to Whole Foods would be awesome!!! Some restaurants ideas are Crackle Barrel, Bob Evan's, McAlister's Deli, Panera, Subway, Arby's, and Olive Garden.
   

One last procedure before chemo...

Today Mom had an upper GI and a colonoscopy done at the same time. Not fun!! Her oncologist wanted to have her do both just to rule out any other possible primary locations of cancer. The doctor performing the procedure today did not find anything abnormal in her colon. He felt that everything looked fine. He did note that she had some inflammation in her stomach, so he went ahead and did a biopsy of it. I believe he said it might just be some kind of bacteria. Our oncologist should have those results once we see him again on Monday.

We were so glad to have this last procedure completed. Mom was very tried today. She's been going....going....and going to so many appointments over the past two weeks. Tomorrow there is nothing scheduled, so she's planning to sleep and rest.

One huge blessing over the course of these appointments is that we've had excellent doctors and nurses. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful they've all been with my mom. Even today one of the nurses shared about how God's been working in her life. She talked about how there were days she didn't want to get out of bed, because it just seemed easier to avoid everything. As we left she reminded us to stay joyful no matter what. I'm so thankful for that because God reminded me of the scripture below through her.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How awesome is that?

Note from Sue:
I love you all and appreciate all your prayers.

Getting a port....

Today mom had a port put in on the right side of her chest at 8:00 this morning. The procedure only took about 1 hour. Everything went well and she was able to leave the hospital after about 20 minutes in recovery.

Getting this port is a huge blessing, because mom's veins haven't been very willing to be found. With all of the procedures and blood needing to be withdrawn, she's been stuck a ton. With the port, doctors and nurses will now be able to draw blood and administer medicine through it. The port will specifically be used during her chemo treatments that will begin on Monday.

The beginning....

Our journey first began two weeks ago with a trip to the ER at Community North. My mom, Sue, was given a blood test and CT scan. The CT scan showed lesions on her liver and lungs. With these results, we were then sent to the Cancer Center at Community North to see an oncologist. The oncologist confirmed our fears that she did in fact have cancer. In order to determine the primary location of the cancer, she needed to complete a variety of tests. Her liver biopsy was the one that identified the form of cancer that she has.

She was diagnosed with metastatic biliary tract cancer on July 6, 2009.

Now that we know her diagnosis, the doctors are now beginning to take steps towards developing a treatment regimen for her.

Our entire family wants to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support as we begin this journey. I will be writing updates often to let you know how my mom is doing, how you can help, and how you can pray for us.

We believe that God was with us at the beginning of this journey, is with us now, and will be with us as we take steps forward. Here is a scripture reference that has helped us get a perspective.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:2-3)