Hey there,
The Christmas season is definitely upon us and we are enjoying all the opportunities we have had which include attending our children’s choir concerts both at church and school and getting to hear Forrest play the baritone in his first band concert. It has also been fun catching up with friends and neighbors.
It’s been a good week of continued recuperation and additional tests. Last Tuesday was the echocardiogram and Thursday was the PET scan. Both tests returned results that were normal and we were very thankful. We also met with the oncologist again and were briefed on the next 9 months of chemo and radiation treatments as well as the other medications that will be administered over the next 12 months.
Last night we were treated to dinner prepared by our neighbors, the Lawsons. The meal included hard and soft tacos with ALL the fixings, Spanish rice, and Italian ice and ice cream.
Tomorrow we have another appointment with the plastic surgeon and then we go to Fairfax Hospital to have the MediPort surgically placed. The MediPort is an outpatient procedure that will have us home in time to help the kids with their home work.
It will be good to have the next couple of weeks away from all the doctors and be able to focus on the “reason for the season”. We will be spending the holidays in town with family and friends. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!
.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
December 14th update
Hey everyone,
In order to give herself time to absorb the disappointing news from the oncologist, Thursday morning Laurie focused on making the appointments for the week ahead that were recommended by the doctor. She also consulted with her family doctor who helped her understand that the recommended course of treatment was not only recommended but necessary to rid her body of cancer.
Thursday night we were treated to pot roast, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, baked apples, cookies and blueberry muffins from Tammy, my colleague and friend from Oak Hill ES. We enjoyed everything and Ridge really liked the “apple pie” and wants us to fix that more often.
Laurie felt well enough to go out and do some shopping with her mom Friday morning. The two of them had lunch and enjoyed their time together. After a nap in the afternoon and leftovers from the night before, she took Brooke to her basketball practice which made Brooke’s day!
Saturday means sports in the Wagner family and I took Forrest to his basketball game while Laurie took Brooke to hers. The afternoon was a special treat for the girls as they went to the presentation of The Nutcracker at Centreville HS with Carlene and her girls. Saturday night our dinner was provided by our neighbors Charu and Vinod. The meal included baked lasagna, tossed salad, garlic bread, and cup cakes. Another wonderful meal we thoroughly enjoyed.
Today we attended Sunday school and church. Brooke and Ridge had the opportunity to assist with the lighting of the “candle of hope” on the advent wreath since they had been baptized earlier this year. That was very special as was having my dad join us for worship which was followed by lunch at Famous Dave’s. All the excitement of the day took its toll on Laurie so she got to take a well deserved nap this afternoon. We were able to celebrate a Cowboys victory which was the icing on the cake for a great day!
We have decided to take a few weeks off from the kindness you have shown us by providing us meals since Laurie is feeling so much better. We may resume in January once the chemo begins and we get into the 2nd phase of her treatment.
Please remember that while we are taking a break from the meals, we still rely on your continued prayers. They are a constant source of strength and encouragement.
.
.
In order to give herself time to absorb the disappointing news from the oncologist, Thursday morning Laurie focused on making the appointments for the week ahead that were recommended by the doctor. She also consulted with her family doctor who helped her understand that the recommended course of treatment was not only recommended but necessary to rid her body of cancer.
Thursday night we were treated to pot roast, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, baked apples, cookies and blueberry muffins from Tammy, my colleague and friend from Oak Hill ES. We enjoyed everything and Ridge really liked the “apple pie” and wants us to fix that more often.
Laurie felt well enough to go out and do some shopping with her mom Friday morning. The two of them had lunch and enjoyed their time together. After a nap in the afternoon and leftovers from the night before, she took Brooke to her basketball practice which made Brooke’s day!
Saturday means sports in the Wagner family and I took Forrest to his basketball game while Laurie took Brooke to hers. The afternoon was a special treat for the girls as they went to the presentation of The Nutcracker at Centreville HS with Carlene and her girls. Saturday night our dinner was provided by our neighbors Charu and Vinod. The meal included baked lasagna, tossed salad, garlic bread, and cup cakes. Another wonderful meal we thoroughly enjoyed.
Today we attended Sunday school and church. Brooke and Ridge had the opportunity to assist with the lighting of the “candle of hope” on the advent wreath since they had been baptized earlier this year. That was very special as was having my dad join us for worship which was followed by lunch at Famous Dave’s. All the excitement of the day took its toll on Laurie so she got to take a well deserved nap this afternoon. We were able to celebrate a Cowboys victory which was the icing on the cake for a great day!
We have decided to take a few weeks off from the kindness you have shown us by providing us meals since Laurie is feeling so much better. We may resume in January once the chemo begins and we get into the 2nd phase of her treatment.
Please remember that while we are taking a break from the meals, we still rely on your continued prayers. They are a constant source of strength and encouragement.
.
.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Diagnosis and treatment plan
Hey there,
We’ve had a couple good days since the last update. Teachers from the Floris 5th grade provided a fabulous meal for us Tuesday night which included spaghetti lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. The meal was topped of with ice cream sundaes which we really enjoyed. Thanks Cynthie and Melissa!
We thank you for the special prayers yesterday, and are sorry we could not get back to you with news prior to now. We went to the 3 pm appointment and did not leave until 5:50, so we were overwhelmed and wiped out. We got home, and after a late dinner, spent the evening with the kids decorating the Christmas tree.
We will try to explain what we heard clinically, without much commentary. First of all, there are 5 treatment options available to cancer patients:
1) Surgery
2) Chemo
3) Radiation
4) Biological treatments
5) Hormone treatments
Since the tumor was 3.0 cm and 4 lymph nodes were positive for cancer, her stage is IIIA (1-3 lymph nodes is Stage 2, 4-9 lymph nodes is Stage 3). The single cancerous tumor was HER2 receptive and estrogen receptive (which effects how they can treat the cells). Over the next week or so, she will have to get a PET scan to make sure that there is no "active" cancer activity in the rest of her body, and assuming that is the case, they will be looking to attack the microscopic cells that may be loose in the bloodstream. That means she will get to enjoy all of the treatment options, and she's only 1/5 of the way there!
The stages left are:
1) Chemo therapy -- 3 months of aggressive therapy with 2 meds: Adriamycin & Cytoxan. This will be 4 treatments every 3 weeks. At this time, we plan to start that the first week of Jan.
2) Chemo therapy combined with biological treatment - 3 months of Taxol & Herceptin
3) Radiation - 6 weeks of daily radiation (#4 is happening at same time)
4) Biological treatment - 9 more months of Herceptin, every 3 weeks
5) Hormonal treatments - for the next 5-10 years
Needless to say, we are overwhelmed. We did not expect that the treatment plan would take so long, so we're needing a little time to read more, learn more and accept how that will work. Our focus now (besides Christmas preparations) is getting an echocardiogram for a baseline as some of the treatments can affect your heart, and having a port put into Laurie’s chest so it can be used for administering the chemo and drawing blood for check-ups. At this point, that is all we know. As we learn and understand more, we will share more with you.
By now you know that we are a family of faith and believe that because of our faith God will get us through this very difficult journey. We look forward to another opportunity to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and thank God for the gift of salvation we have through Him. As always, your continued thoughts and prayers are the best gift we could ask for from you.
Love, Laurie and Forrest
.
We’ve had a couple good days since the last update. Teachers from the Floris 5th grade provided a fabulous meal for us Tuesday night which included spaghetti lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. The meal was topped of with ice cream sundaes which we really enjoyed. Thanks Cynthie and Melissa!
We thank you for the special prayers yesterday, and are sorry we could not get back to you with news prior to now. We went to the 3 pm appointment and did not leave until 5:50, so we were overwhelmed and wiped out. We got home, and after a late dinner, spent the evening with the kids decorating the Christmas tree.
We will try to explain what we heard clinically, without much commentary. First of all, there are 5 treatment options available to cancer patients:
1) Surgery
2) Chemo
3) Radiation
4) Biological treatments
5) Hormone treatments
Since the tumor was 3.0 cm and 4 lymph nodes were positive for cancer, her stage is IIIA (1-3 lymph nodes is Stage 2, 4-9 lymph nodes is Stage 3). The single cancerous tumor was HER2 receptive and estrogen receptive (which effects how they can treat the cells). Over the next week or so, she will have to get a PET scan to make sure that there is no "active" cancer activity in the rest of her body, and assuming that is the case, they will be looking to attack the microscopic cells that may be loose in the bloodstream. That means she will get to enjoy all of the treatment options, and she's only 1/5 of the way there!
The stages left are:
1) Chemo therapy -- 3 months of aggressive therapy with 2 meds: Adriamycin & Cytoxan. This will be 4 treatments every 3 weeks. At this time, we plan to start that the first week of Jan.
2) Chemo therapy combined with biological treatment - 3 months of Taxol & Herceptin
3) Radiation - 6 weeks of daily radiation (#4 is happening at same time)
4) Biological treatment - 9 more months of Herceptin, every 3 weeks
5) Hormonal treatments - for the next 5-10 years
Needless to say, we are overwhelmed. We did not expect that the treatment plan would take so long, so we're needing a little time to read more, learn more and accept how that will work. Our focus now (besides Christmas preparations) is getting an echocardiogram for a baseline as some of the treatments can affect your heart, and having a port put into Laurie’s chest so it can be used for administering the chemo and drawing blood for check-ups. At this point, that is all we know. As we learn and understand more, we will share more with you.
By now you know that we are a family of faith and believe that because of our faith God will get us through this very difficult journey. We look forward to another opportunity to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and thank God for the gift of salvation we have through Him. As always, your continued thoughts and prayers are the best gift we could ask for from you.
Love, Laurie and Forrest
.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Update for December 9th
Sometimes people say “No news is good news”. I have been busy decorating the house for the holidays and haven’t updated the blog in a few days. Sorry about that.
Laurie has been doing quite well since the last update. She continues to gain strength and is able to get out and walk and do little things around the house. Saturday we attended Forrest’s 5th and 6th grade chorus concert at the Centreville library which we really enjoyed. Saturday evening we were treated to a wonderful home made dinner with a Chinese flair which included fried dumplings, stuffed salmon, fried rice, rosemary potatoes, fruit Danishes and dragon eye fruit. Many thanks to Manda, Jin, and Lulu for that very special treat!
Sunday we attended church in the morning and then came home and Laurie took a good, long nap in the afternoon. We attended Brooke and Ridge’s children’s choir program Sunday evening which always puts us in the holiday spirit. All the kids did a great job!
Yesterday was an R & R day to recoup from the weekend. We had chicken pot pie from Pie Gourmet last night for dinner. Thanks Terry!
We have the initial consult with the doctors of the Oncology & Hematology of Northern Virginia office in Reston tomorrow. We should find out the chemo options and treatment plan then.
I’ll update the blog tomorrow. Please continue to keep Laurie in your prayers as we begin the second phase of her road to recovery. We continue to be overwhelmed by your generosity and expressions of love.
.
Laurie has been doing quite well since the last update. She continues to gain strength and is able to get out and walk and do little things around the house. Saturday we attended Forrest’s 5th and 6th grade chorus concert at the Centreville library which we really enjoyed. Saturday evening we were treated to a wonderful home made dinner with a Chinese flair which included fried dumplings, stuffed salmon, fried rice, rosemary potatoes, fruit Danishes and dragon eye fruit. Many thanks to Manda, Jin, and Lulu for that very special treat!
Sunday we attended church in the morning and then came home and Laurie took a good, long nap in the afternoon. We attended Brooke and Ridge’s children’s choir program Sunday evening which always puts us in the holiday spirit. All the kids did a great job!
Yesterday was an R & R day to recoup from the weekend. We had chicken pot pie from Pie Gourmet last night for dinner. Thanks Terry!
We have the initial consult with the doctors of the Oncology & Hematology of Northern Virginia office in Reston tomorrow. We should find out the chemo options and treatment plan then.
I’ll update the blog tomorrow. Please continue to keep Laurie in your prayers as we begin the second phase of her road to recovery. We continue to be overwhelmed by your generosity and expressions of love.
.
Friday, December 5, 2008
December 5th update
Laurie had another good day with continued improvement. The last two drains will be removed this morning and that will make life a lot easier. Now we anticipate the oncologist appointment on December 10th to find out the chemo treatments.
The wonderful people of Oak Hill ES must think our family has ten members. We had a wonderful meal last night of glazed spiral sliced ham, pasta and cheese casserole, mixed fruit salad, leafy green salad with dressing, Great Harvest rolls and apple bread, coffee cake and a huge canister of cookies that I had to hide from the kids. Many thanks to all who helped put the meal together. Leftovers tonight, for sure!
Thanks to Laurie’s parents who have been looking out for Laurie since I went back to work.
.
The wonderful people of Oak Hill ES must think our family has ten members. We had a wonderful meal last night of glazed spiral sliced ham, pasta and cheese casserole, mixed fruit salad, leafy green salad with dressing, Great Harvest rolls and apple bread, coffee cake and a huge canister of cookies that I had to hide from the kids. Many thanks to all who helped put the meal together. Leftovers tonight, for sure!
Thanks to Laurie’s parents who have been looking out for Laurie since I went back to work.
.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Laurie continues to improve!
Hey there!
Laurie continues to show signs of improvement. She is not needing the pain meds as often and is attempting to do little things around the house. Her spirits are good and we even went for a walk around the neighborhood today. We have another follow-up appointment Friday to remove the final two drains. TMI? Sorry!
We want to thank the people from Floris ES who put together a great meal last night. Meatloaf, potato casserole, corn pudding, fresh fruit, rolls and chocolate cake. Oh my! Everything was delicious and there are no leftovers. Sorry Ron!
We continue to be overwhelmed by your cards, prayers and support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
.
Laurie continues to show signs of improvement. She is not needing the pain meds as often and is attempting to do little things around the house. Her spirits are good and we even went for a walk around the neighborhood today. We have another follow-up appointment Friday to remove the final two drains. TMI? Sorry!
We want to thank the people from Floris ES who put together a great meal last night. Meatloaf, potato casserole, corn pudding, fresh fruit, rolls and chocolate cake. Oh my! Everything was delicious and there are no leftovers. Sorry Ron!
We continue to be overwhelmed by your cards, prayers and support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
.
Monday, December 1, 2008
December 1st update
Hey there,
We were treated to a visit from Laurie’s cousins yesterday who drove up from the Richmond area in the madness of the end-of –Thanksgiving traffic and made us homemade potato soup right in our own kitchen. Laurie woke up from her nap and had a tasty bowl of one of her favorite soups. It was good to see Greg and Susan and their boys.
After watching the Redskins “game” we were treated to dinner by Krista DiVenere who brought us chicken parmesan, pasta, tossed garden salad, and Italian bread. Yum yum! Thanks Krista!
We had a good report from the doctor today. She says Laurie is healing nicely and would like to see her again in three weeks. We expect to hear the results from the surgery tomorrow which will allow us to move forward with the treatments that will be ahead of us.
We continue to thank God for all your expressions of His love and continued prayers and support.
.
We were treated to a visit from Laurie’s cousins yesterday who drove up from the Richmond area in the madness of the end-of –Thanksgiving traffic and made us homemade potato soup right in our own kitchen. Laurie woke up from her nap and had a tasty bowl of one of her favorite soups. It was good to see Greg and Susan and their boys.
After watching the Redskins “game” we were treated to dinner by Krista DiVenere who brought us chicken parmesan, pasta, tossed garden salad, and Italian bread. Yum yum! Thanks Krista!
We had a good report from the doctor today. She says Laurie is healing nicely and would like to see her again in three weeks. We expect to hear the results from the surgery tomorrow which will allow us to move forward with the treatments that will be ahead of us.
We continue to thank God for all your expressions of His love and continued prayers and support.
.
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