Hey everyone,
Last week, one of our friends, Bernadine Donovan, took Laurie to her chemo appt, and they had a great time catching up! Laurie’s hemoglobin went up .1, which was disappointing to her, but the doctor said that being stable is good. While he knows she wants her energy back, it takes a while. In the past, they had medicine that would trigger the creation of red blood cells just like Neulasta did for the white blood cells in the 1st round of chemo, but Procrit was pulled from the treatment plans about a year ago since there was evidence it caused strokes. So, Laurie will just have to be patient to get that energy back! She finds that she has energy on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but then the rest of the week she needs to take naps. Luckily, this weekend was a holiday weekend so we had a relaxing time. Ridge played in his very 1st 8U All Stars baseball tournament in Manassas, and it was only 1 game each morning (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) so Laurie could rest in the afternoons. It was strange for Forrest to be the spectator for once but he supported his brother most of the time (when he wasn’t watching other friends play or hanging out with them).
Laurie has also gotten the side effects that she was expecting between treatments 5-6 … the tingling in the fingers and toes. Since she just got it about a week ago, it hasn’t been too bad, but it may get progressively worse over the next few weeks. So please pray that she is able to cope with that symptom. The good news is that she only has 5 more of the Taxol/Herceptin treatments. Then she will have a week “off” of treatment (probably more medical appts though) and then start her radiation the week after July 4th. She will also switch to only Herceptin treatments every 3 weeks at that time, and the possible side effects are rash and heart issues (Laurie has an echocardiogram every 3 months to watch for any issues as A/C could have caused that as well.
This week, Laurie had her treatment on Tuesday due to the Memorial Day holiday and then will switch back to Mondays next week. While she had some last minute concerns to address at work related to her working part time while going on long-term disability, she was reminded while she was waiting for her monthly oncology check-up that if God takes care of the little sparrows, He will also take care of us, and all seemed to fade back into perspective (Matthew 6:25-34). Thank you God for your ways of reminding us of what really is important!
.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
May 12th update
Hey everyone!
"This is the day that the Lord has made, Rejoice and be glad in it!” This is the Bible verse that Laurie heard this morning when she was on the treadmill, and it just seemed so appropriate. She finished her 6th weekly chemo treatment yesterday, which means she is halfway through this 2nd round. And last night she was able to go to bed at normal time and sleep through the night. Her "spiritual" alarm clock woke her up at 6:30 so she went downstairs and got on the treadmill for the first time in 6 weeks, and turned on the TV, which just happened to be on this channel giving her a great verse for the day. How AWESOME is our God?
Last week, Laurie did get another sinus infection, but the Z-Pack from the doctor seemed to do the trick although she got a fever after starting the medications and had no energy on Thursday and Friday. Her great Brownie co-leader Stacey took Brooke to the Brownie Mom & Me sleepover Friday night, and then Laurie and her mom drove out to Potomac Woods (past Leesburg) for the activities on Saturday. I'm not sure if all the walking around the camp was harder for "Grandmom" or Laurie but they both made it with support from all the other mothers, and Brooke had a great time making jewelry, swap its, playing games and learning new Girl Scout songs. We got home around 4 pm, just in time to freshen up and go to Carlene's for a family celebration. Laurie's Dad turned 73 and Annie will be 17 in the next week, and of course, we celebrated all the mothers too! That night, we drove down to Ruther Glen, VA so we could be ready for the 2nd day of Forrest's baseball tournament. The first day, the team had won one and lost one. On Sunday, they won the first one, and then played against the team that had beat them the 1st day. They played like a team, very consistently, and beat that team, which placed them in the Championship game. For that game, we played the RISE team (Richmond Indoor Sports Experience), which is coached by a friend that used to go to Ox Hill Baptist with us before they moved to Richmond, Wayne Huggins. So while we lost to them 0-5, it was still good to see old friends and keep the game respectable (they got their points when they had 2 folks on base and then a home run was hit, and then 1 person on base with another homer).
On Monday, when Laurie did go in for her treatment (her Dad came with her again), her white blood count was totally back to normal days (8.3), and her hemoglobin had gone up .3 points (it was up .2 points the previous week). So while it may only be in very small increments, her numbers are slowly going back up, and that is great news! Maybe that walking around the Girl Scout camp did help! As her hemoglobin goes up, she will have more energy, which helps all of us. 8-) Yesterday, since she felt a little weak after leaving the doctor’s office, her dad and mom treated her to a High Protein Smoothie at Fresh City, and she perked right up! So she is learning new tricks for this round of treatment. And although she is going in weekly now, the appointments are only between 2.5 and 3 hours, so she can normally work the full morning on Monday and then go get treatment, and be back for Brooke & Ridge's baseball games that evening (unless they are rained out ... which luckily did not happen last night). They are both hitting the ball quite well and are making plays in the field. Every practice and/or game we see improvement and that is rewarding as one of their coaches!
So, all in all, things are going pretty well. We continue to go through each week one day at a time and praise the Lord for all he does for us. We continue to thank you for all you do for us and look forward to providing another good report next time.
.
"This is the day that the Lord has made, Rejoice and be glad in it!” This is the Bible verse that Laurie heard this morning when she was on the treadmill, and it just seemed so appropriate. She finished her 6th weekly chemo treatment yesterday, which means she is halfway through this 2nd round. And last night she was able to go to bed at normal time and sleep through the night. Her "spiritual" alarm clock woke her up at 6:30 so she went downstairs and got on the treadmill for the first time in 6 weeks, and turned on the TV, which just happened to be on this channel giving her a great verse for the day. How AWESOME is our God?
Last week, Laurie did get another sinus infection, but the Z-Pack from the doctor seemed to do the trick although she got a fever after starting the medications and had no energy on Thursday and Friday. Her great Brownie co-leader Stacey took Brooke to the Brownie Mom & Me sleepover Friday night, and then Laurie and her mom drove out to Potomac Woods (past Leesburg) for the activities on Saturday. I'm not sure if all the walking around the camp was harder for "Grandmom" or Laurie but they both made it with support from all the other mothers, and Brooke had a great time making jewelry, swap its, playing games and learning new Girl Scout songs. We got home around 4 pm, just in time to freshen up and go to Carlene's for a family celebration. Laurie's Dad turned 73 and Annie will be 17 in the next week, and of course, we celebrated all the mothers too! That night, we drove down to Ruther Glen, VA so we could be ready for the 2nd day of Forrest's baseball tournament. The first day, the team had won one and lost one. On Sunday, they won the first one, and then played against the team that had beat them the 1st day. They played like a team, very consistently, and beat that team, which placed them in the Championship game. For that game, we played the RISE team (Richmond Indoor Sports Experience), which is coached by a friend that used to go to Ox Hill Baptist with us before they moved to Richmond, Wayne Huggins. So while we lost to them 0-5, it was still good to see old friends and keep the game respectable (they got their points when they had 2 folks on base and then a home run was hit, and then 1 person on base with another homer).
On Monday, when Laurie did go in for her treatment (her Dad came with her again), her white blood count was totally back to normal days (8.3), and her hemoglobin had gone up .3 points (it was up .2 points the previous week). So while it may only be in very small increments, her numbers are slowly going back up, and that is great news! Maybe that walking around the Girl Scout camp did help! As her hemoglobin goes up, she will have more energy, which helps all of us. 8-) Yesterday, since she felt a little weak after leaving the doctor’s office, her dad and mom treated her to a High Protein Smoothie at Fresh City, and she perked right up! So she is learning new tricks for this round of treatment. And although she is going in weekly now, the appointments are only between 2.5 and 3 hours, so she can normally work the full morning on Monday and then go get treatment, and be back for Brooke & Ridge's baseball games that evening (unless they are rained out ... which luckily did not happen last night). They are both hitting the ball quite well and are making plays in the field. Every practice and/or game we see improvement and that is rewarding as one of their coaches!
So, all in all, things are going pretty well. We continue to go through each week one day at a time and praise the Lord for all he does for us. We continue to thank you for all you do for us and look forward to providing another good report next time.
.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April 28th update
Hey everyone,
It’s been a couple weeks since the last update. Laurie had her 4th weekly chemo treatment of this 2nd round (Taxol and Herceptin) yesterday and appears to be doing well. Her dad went with her this time and that gave them a chance to have some one on one time. We had been told that she will get used to the Taxol and Herceptin after a few treatments and I’m hoping that is the reason for her new found strength. The answered prayer is that we were able to drop the steriods from 5 to 2 pills on the 3rd and 4th treatment of this 2nd round, and her hemoglobin reamined the same as last week, which is very positive. It means the body is learning to create the red blood cells by itself (during the 1st Round of A/C, I gave Laurie Neulasta shots to help the body create new blood cells).
Looking back, the past two weeks were a time of trial and error. During the 2nd chemo treatment, the nurse told Laurie that her hemoglobin had been dropping regularly, and we should be watching that. When we asked how we could help raise it, one of the options was “eat red meat.” What was very interesting about that is that the weekend before this, Laurie had spaghetti with meat sauce on Friday and steak on Saturday! So even though this food leaves a metallic taste in her mouth, after this advice, she was determined to do better the following week. On Tuesday, April 14th, we went out for the twins' 8th birthday, and she got pork barbecue, and even had some dessert that night courtesy of Terry and Gail. Thanks for the pies ladies! Unfortunately, perhaps because it was too much for her system to handle, on Wednesday, she had some stomach issues that ended her work day at 12:30 and left her very weak thereafter. Over the next two days, working and resting were the only order of the day, and she was ready to make the trip on Friday to Rehoboth Beach to watch Forrest’s baseball team play in the Spring Fling tournament at Sports at the Beach.
Again, very aware of the hemoglobin deficiency, on Saturday night, she decided to get a very well done hamburger (that’s the way she likes them) at the restaurant we went to. It was very tasty but somehow, Laurie’s gastrointestinal system just wasn’t ready for it. The good cells that chemo attacks are the “fast creating” ones, such as hair and gastrointestinal ones. So these immature cells or limited cells just couldn’t manage this fantastic hamburger, so Laurie again suffered from stomach issues that evening. But Sunday brought a new day, and a softer diet. :-) At that point, Laurie decided to see if she could get a consult with the dietician on other possibilities, but if any of you health experts have ideas on how to get her hemoglobin up, please let us know!
One more note on the hemoglobin. The nurse Laurie saw during the 3rd treatment had many years of oncology experience and when asked, said there is nothing Laurie can do to increase the hemoglobin number. The body will do it by itself, and her levels should begin to increase soon on this weekly regiment as it is not as harsh to the body as the 1st round of A/C. If it doesn’t, the doctors would have to consider a blood transfusion, but that is not a consideration right now.
As noted above and in earlier notes, Laurie was very concerned about continuing on a high dosage of steriods. Since she didn't have any reactions during the first 2 weekly treatments, during her 3rd weekly treatment, the doctors let her take only 2 instead of 5 pills the night before and 2 hrs before so that she actually cut the steriods substantially. We believe this success is again a result of your prayers so thank you once again for your diligence. All went well, and Laurie felt rather good that evening. Her mom went with her to that treatment so I could work a little longer and then be with the kids that afternoon. While my bosses have been great about me going with Laurie to her treatments, we are also conscious of my work demands, so we are letting family and friends who wish to go with her to the weekly sessions have that opportunity. They just have to not mind seeing her at “her sleepiest best”. It definitely is a learning experience and gives her an opportunity to catch up with friends and family.
Also, during Laurie’s last check up with the doctor, she mentioned that she wasn’t seeing as well as before. The doctor said that although he hates the term, chemo can “accelerate aging”. Thanks Doc! Anyway, he said that other examples include bringing on menopause earlier as well as needing reading glasses and similar things. Well, the good news in all this is that within two weeks after the end of the 1st round, Laurie’s eyes were seeing better, and she was able to read Bible verses on Sunday morning again without reading glasses. Before that, most of them were blurry. Once again, God answered another prayer. Thanks God! So it seems that particular symptom was due to the first round of A/C and things are looking brighter!
You can probably tell that some of this was written last week and some written today. Yes, I tried to combine the two. I just want to get the updates out so all of you that are praying for Laurie and supporting us know what’s going on. Thank you all so much for your time, thoughts and prayers. You make it possible for us to get through this to the end when we will hear the doctor say: “Laurie is cancer free”! Keep praying and we will hear that soon. Many thanks again to you all!
.
It’s been a couple weeks since the last update. Laurie had her 4th weekly chemo treatment of this 2nd round (Taxol and Herceptin) yesterday and appears to be doing well. Her dad went with her this time and that gave them a chance to have some one on one time. We had been told that she will get used to the Taxol and Herceptin after a few treatments and I’m hoping that is the reason for her new found strength. The answered prayer is that we were able to drop the steriods from 5 to 2 pills on the 3rd and 4th treatment of this 2nd round, and her hemoglobin reamined the same as last week, which is very positive. It means the body is learning to create the red blood cells by itself (during the 1st Round of A/C, I gave Laurie Neulasta shots to help the body create new blood cells).
Looking back, the past two weeks were a time of trial and error. During the 2nd chemo treatment, the nurse told Laurie that her hemoglobin had been dropping regularly, and we should be watching that. When we asked how we could help raise it, one of the options was “eat red meat.” What was very interesting about that is that the weekend before this, Laurie had spaghetti with meat sauce on Friday and steak on Saturday! So even though this food leaves a metallic taste in her mouth, after this advice, she was determined to do better the following week. On Tuesday, April 14th, we went out for the twins' 8th birthday, and she got pork barbecue, and even had some dessert that night courtesy of Terry and Gail. Thanks for the pies ladies! Unfortunately, perhaps because it was too much for her system to handle, on Wednesday, she had some stomach issues that ended her work day at 12:30 and left her very weak thereafter. Over the next two days, working and resting were the only order of the day, and she was ready to make the trip on Friday to Rehoboth Beach to watch Forrest’s baseball team play in the Spring Fling tournament at Sports at the Beach.
Again, very aware of the hemoglobin deficiency, on Saturday night, she decided to get a very well done hamburger (that’s the way she likes them) at the restaurant we went to. It was very tasty but somehow, Laurie’s gastrointestinal system just wasn’t ready for it. The good cells that chemo attacks are the “fast creating” ones, such as hair and gastrointestinal ones. So these immature cells or limited cells just couldn’t manage this fantastic hamburger, so Laurie again suffered from stomach issues that evening. But Sunday brought a new day, and a softer diet. :-) At that point, Laurie decided to see if she could get a consult with the dietician on other possibilities, but if any of you health experts have ideas on how to get her hemoglobin up, please let us know!
One more note on the hemoglobin. The nurse Laurie saw during the 3rd treatment had many years of oncology experience and when asked, said there is nothing Laurie can do to increase the hemoglobin number. The body will do it by itself, and her levels should begin to increase soon on this weekly regiment as it is not as harsh to the body as the 1st round of A/C. If it doesn’t, the doctors would have to consider a blood transfusion, but that is not a consideration right now.
As noted above and in earlier notes, Laurie was very concerned about continuing on a high dosage of steriods. Since she didn't have any reactions during the first 2 weekly treatments, during her 3rd weekly treatment, the doctors let her take only 2 instead of 5 pills the night before and 2 hrs before so that she actually cut the steriods substantially. We believe this success is again a result of your prayers so thank you once again for your diligence. All went well, and Laurie felt rather good that evening. Her mom went with her to that treatment so I could work a little longer and then be with the kids that afternoon. While my bosses have been great about me going with Laurie to her treatments, we are also conscious of my work demands, so we are letting family and friends who wish to go with her to the weekly sessions have that opportunity. They just have to not mind seeing her at “her sleepiest best”. It definitely is a learning experience and gives her an opportunity to catch up with friends and family.
Also, during Laurie’s last check up with the doctor, she mentioned that she wasn’t seeing as well as before. The doctor said that although he hates the term, chemo can “accelerate aging”. Thanks Doc! Anyway, he said that other examples include bringing on menopause earlier as well as needing reading glasses and similar things. Well, the good news in all this is that within two weeks after the end of the 1st round, Laurie’s eyes were seeing better, and she was able to read Bible verses on Sunday morning again without reading glasses. Before that, most of them were blurry. Once again, God answered another prayer. Thanks God! So it seems that particular symptom was due to the first round of A/C and things are looking brighter!
You can probably tell that some of this was written last week and some written today. Yes, I tried to combine the two. I just want to get the updates out so all of you that are praying for Laurie and supporting us know what’s going on. Thank you all so much for your time, thoughts and prayers. You make it possible for us to get through this to the end when we will hear the doctor say: “Laurie is cancer free”! Keep praying and we will hear that soon. Many thanks again to you all!
.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April 16th Spring update
Hey everyone,
I would like to wish you all a belated Happy Easter greeting!
I have been notified by several individuals that I have not presented an update since Laurie started her second round of chemo. For that I do apologize.
Laurie’s last two treatments, this past Monday and the week before, went very well and her only side effect was not being able to sleep the night of the treatments because of the steroids. Once the steroids wore off she was fine and had a great week last week and so far this week has been good. The first treatment was a “double dose” of Herceptin which kicks off the treatment and then and also included a “double dose” of steroids. The second treatment had the normal dosage of Taxol and Herceptin and the double dose of steroids. Her treatment next Monday should be the “normal” dosages of all three so we anticipate a good night’s sleep that evening and a good week following the treatment.
We understand that after several Taxol and Herceptin treatments she may experience soreness in the joints but that has not occurred yet and we are praying that this continues.
We enjoyed celebrating Easter with our family at Laurie's sister Carlene's home. We also celebrated Brooke and Ridge's 8th birthday last Tuesday. Quite a week of celebration!
We were blessed to have Martha from Oak Hill ES prepare our meal last Thursday evening. The Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, salad, and cherry dessert were the perfect ending to an eventful Spring Break day! Thanks Martha!
We will be away this weekend at Rehoboth Beach for Forrest’s baseball tournament and are looking forward to getting away to the beach even if it is only for a couple days.
Laurie’s next treatment is next Monday. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts.
.
I would like to wish you all a belated Happy Easter greeting!
I have been notified by several individuals that I have not presented an update since Laurie started her second round of chemo. For that I do apologize.
Laurie’s last two treatments, this past Monday and the week before, went very well and her only side effect was not being able to sleep the night of the treatments because of the steroids. Once the steroids wore off she was fine and had a great week last week and so far this week has been good. The first treatment was a “double dose” of Herceptin which kicks off the treatment and then and also included a “double dose” of steroids. The second treatment had the normal dosage of Taxol and Herceptin and the double dose of steroids. Her treatment next Monday should be the “normal” dosages of all three so we anticipate a good night’s sleep that evening and a good week following the treatment.
We understand that after several Taxol and Herceptin treatments she may experience soreness in the joints but that has not occurred yet and we are praying that this continues.
We enjoyed celebrating Easter with our family at Laurie's sister Carlene's home. We also celebrated Brooke and Ridge's 8th birthday last Tuesday. Quite a week of celebration!
We were blessed to have Martha from Oak Hill ES prepare our meal last Thursday evening. The Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, salad, and cherry dessert were the perfect ending to an eventful Spring Break day! Thanks Martha!
We will be away this weekend at Rehoboth Beach for Forrest’s baseball tournament and are looking forward to getting away to the beach even if it is only for a couple days.
Laurie’s next treatment is next Monday. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts.
.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Round Two!
Ding!
The second round of Laurie's chemo began today pretty much like the previous four treatments of the first round. Temperature, blood pressure, and blood work. The results from the blood work came back and everything was good for commencing the Herceptin and Taxol treatments. The 20 minute Benadryl I.V. was administered and then the 90 minute long Herceptin I.V. was administered. The first dosage today is the double dose kick-off dosage to get the body going with the Herceptin. The 11 weekly doses that follow will be about half this initial dose. The nurse told us that the Herceptin is administered first because they have to monitor Laurie for 90 minutes once the Herceptin is finished for any type of flu like symptoms that the Herceptin may cause. The Taxol was then administered immediately after the conclusion of the Herceptin and the hour it takes to administer the Taxol is part of the 90 minute monitoring process. Any allergic reactions from the Taxol should occur within the first few minutes after the Taxol is first administered. The side effects of the Taxol include joint pains, hair loss which is not an issue now, and tingling/numbness of the hands and feet, but that does not usually happen until the 5th or 6th week.
As you probably have picked up by now, both rounds of chemo are designed to ensure there are no microscopic cells in the rest of Laurie’s body, which may have escaped from the original tumor. Although the surgery removed the tumor fully and there were no cells in the margin that was surgically removed, 4 lymph nodes did have cancer cells in them and the lymph nodes are the “side roads” of the main arteries. The PET scan, which scans the entire body from the throat down, did not show any activity but since the 4 lymph nodes had cancer cells in them, they want to be sure they kill any cells that might be elsewhere in the body.
A little background on this second round of chemo. This round of Taxol is still a chemo therapy and the Herceptin is considered a biological treatment. Everyone is allergic to the solution the Taxol is administered through, so the oncologist wishes to minimize Laurie’s reaction with a massive dose of steroids and Benadryl. Once at the office they provided Pepsid, an antibiotic, and a large dose of Benadryl to ensure she doesn’t have a bad reaction. For example, during the first round, Laurie took 2 tablets of Decadron the first 3 days of her chemo. In this round, she actually took 5 tablets the night before and 5 tablets 2 hours before the chemo. If she does not have any reaction, then they will reduce it to 2 tablets each dosage to minimize the steroids and their side effects. The theory here is if you have a very bad reaction the first time, it is very difficult psychologically to go to the next chemo session, so they would rather have a little too much than not enough. The side effects of Decadron are increased appetite, irritability, insomnia, headaches, and mood swings, so Laurie really doesn’t want to take too many of these tablets and we don't either. We want her to remain her sweet, lovable self so please pray that she will not need much of the Decadron.
The Herceptin will be given with the Taxol for 12 weeks, and then she will have just Herceptin for 9 more months every 3 weeks. Yeah, I know!
Several people have asked about particular prayer requests at this time. Laurie’s request is that the doctors are able to minimize her reaction to the Taxol without too many steroids.
Today’s first visit of Round 2 went very well. Laurie had no adverse reactions to either the Herceptin or Taxol. God has already answered another prayer! She took a half hour nap earlier this afternoon and has been feeling well all evening.
We are both very encouraged with how this 2nd round has started and have God and all of you to thank. Your prayers and support continue to give Laurie and me the strength and encouragement we need to get to the end of this long road to the cure. We could not do all of this without you and thank you again for all you have done and continue to do for us.
.
The second round of Laurie's chemo began today pretty much like the previous four treatments of the first round. Temperature, blood pressure, and blood work. The results from the blood work came back and everything was good for commencing the Herceptin and Taxol treatments. The 20 minute Benadryl I.V. was administered and then the 90 minute long Herceptin I.V. was administered. The first dosage today is the double dose kick-off dosage to get the body going with the Herceptin. The 11 weekly doses that follow will be about half this initial dose. The nurse told us that the Herceptin is administered first because they have to monitor Laurie for 90 minutes once the Herceptin is finished for any type of flu like symptoms that the Herceptin may cause. The Taxol was then administered immediately after the conclusion of the Herceptin and the hour it takes to administer the Taxol is part of the 90 minute monitoring process. Any allergic reactions from the Taxol should occur within the first few minutes after the Taxol is first administered. The side effects of the Taxol include joint pains, hair loss which is not an issue now, and tingling/numbness of the hands and feet, but that does not usually happen until the 5th or 6th week.
As you probably have picked up by now, both rounds of chemo are designed to ensure there are no microscopic cells in the rest of Laurie’s body, which may have escaped from the original tumor. Although the surgery removed the tumor fully and there were no cells in the margin that was surgically removed, 4 lymph nodes did have cancer cells in them and the lymph nodes are the “side roads” of the main arteries. The PET scan, which scans the entire body from the throat down, did not show any activity but since the 4 lymph nodes had cancer cells in them, they want to be sure they kill any cells that might be elsewhere in the body.
A little background on this second round of chemo. This round of Taxol is still a chemo therapy and the Herceptin is considered a biological treatment. Everyone is allergic to the solution the Taxol is administered through, so the oncologist wishes to minimize Laurie’s reaction with a massive dose of steroids and Benadryl. Once at the office they provided Pepsid, an antibiotic, and a large dose of Benadryl to ensure she doesn’t have a bad reaction. For example, during the first round, Laurie took 2 tablets of Decadron the first 3 days of her chemo. In this round, she actually took 5 tablets the night before and 5 tablets 2 hours before the chemo. If she does not have any reaction, then they will reduce it to 2 tablets each dosage to minimize the steroids and their side effects. The theory here is if you have a very bad reaction the first time, it is very difficult psychologically to go to the next chemo session, so they would rather have a little too much than not enough. The side effects of Decadron are increased appetite, irritability, insomnia, headaches, and mood swings, so Laurie really doesn’t want to take too many of these tablets and we don't either. We want her to remain her sweet, lovable self so please pray that she will not need much of the Decadron.
The Herceptin will be given with the Taxol for 12 weeks, and then she will have just Herceptin for 9 more months every 3 weeks. Yeah, I know!
Several people have asked about particular prayer requests at this time. Laurie’s request is that the doctors are able to minimize her reaction to the Taxol without too many steroids.
Today’s first visit of Round 2 went very well. Laurie had no adverse reactions to either the Herceptin or Taxol. God has already answered another prayer! She took a half hour nap earlier this afternoon and has been feeling well all evening.
We are both very encouraged with how this 2nd round has started and have God and all of you to thank. Your prayers and support continue to give Laurie and me the strength and encouragement we need to get to the end of this long road to the cure. We could not do all of this without you and thank you again for all you have done and continue to do for us.
.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Happy days are here again!
Hey everyone,
Laurie has felt so much better this past week. This last 3 week cycle of A/C was much more like the 1st and 2nd cycle rather than the 3rd one which came with all the extra illnesses. Her cough is now very infrequent, and she has been able to get back on the treadmill during the past week, which in turn helps her energy level and ensures she gets hydrated. After her experience of picking up those germs last cycle, she has limited her “away from home” activities so that her immune system stays strong, and we thank each of you who helped make that possible by taking our children to various activities.
We look forward to another good week and anticipate the beginning of her 2nd round of chemo which consists of Taxol and Herceptin on April 6th. We will be remaining in town for Spring Break this year which allows us the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. to see some of the monuments and museums and do some of the tourist stuff. Sadly, this is something we have never done. Better late than never, I guess.
Since we also have included “educational” information on this blog, we will admit there have been some small side effects, which Laurie calls the “small stuff.” For example, the chemo has brought on menopause and the hot flashes that accompany that. And she can’t sleep through the night since her bladder cannot last that long anymore. She does get weak from standing long periods (so she just doesn’t do that!) and she eats kids portions now so her digestive system doesn’t go into overdrive. Her allergies are more pronounced, and most importantly for her kids, she cannot wear her wig in the kitchen as sudden heat could singe it so their agreement is that she will stick to bandannas and turbans at home.
As far as me and the kids, we are busy trying to get rid of their coughs (Brooke & Forrest XIV) and sinus infections (me) and staying healthy (Ridge). We were all excited that Laurie was able to sneak out with all of us to a significant milestone for Forrest . . . his bridging ceremony to Boy Scouts! And this weekend was supposed to be the start of all 3 kids starting their baseball seasons, but only Forrest played a game last night and then the rains came. While we’re disappointed about games being cancelled, there is something nice to be said for “found” family time. Laurie decided to bake this afternoon so the house smells of cinnamon bread. The silver lining on the cloud of rain!
Our community has also experienced some strong reminders of how fragile life here on earth is over the past few weeks, and our prayers go out to the Stamps and Brewer families in the loss of a parent. We also praise the Lord that Mrs. Ricks (Wes’s mom) and Mr. Inglert (Tammy’s father) and Taylor Goodloe are doing better after serious hospitalizations. We will continue to pray for comfort and healing for these families.
We were treated three times this week to meals which meant I didn’t have to cook dinner. You don’t know how much that means when you’re trying to coordinate dinner either before or after baseball practices and games.
Monday was a surprise from Debbie Nelson, our neighbor, who brought us pork barbecue with buns, Coleslaw and corn. This was a welcome surprise that we all enjoyed. Thanks Debbie!
Tuesday the office staff at Floris ES put together a great meal of the kid’s favorite. Chicken strips from Chick-fil-A, macaroni & cheese, chocolate chip cookies and tossed salad. Thanks ladies!
Thursday's feast from Michele and Nikki at Oak Hill ES included chicken enchiladas, refried beans, sweet corn cake, Spanish rice, chips & salsa and Laurie’s favorite, Apple Crisp with ice cream. Thanks Michele and Nikki!
Once again the network of support we have is beyond incredible. Each day we receive supportive and encouraging emails, letters and cards via the post office, comments from the blog and phone calls. We continue to rely on the many prayers on our behalf. The words of encouragement make all of us smile and strengthen our resolve to move forward in this journey to completely heal Laurie now and reduce any chances of recurrence.
As always, thanks for all your continuing support.
.
Laurie has felt so much better this past week. This last 3 week cycle of A/C was much more like the 1st and 2nd cycle rather than the 3rd one which came with all the extra illnesses. Her cough is now very infrequent, and she has been able to get back on the treadmill during the past week, which in turn helps her energy level and ensures she gets hydrated. After her experience of picking up those germs last cycle, she has limited her “away from home” activities so that her immune system stays strong, and we thank each of you who helped make that possible by taking our children to various activities.
We look forward to another good week and anticipate the beginning of her 2nd round of chemo which consists of Taxol and Herceptin on April 6th. We will be remaining in town for Spring Break this year which allows us the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. to see some of the monuments and museums and do some of the tourist stuff. Sadly, this is something we have never done. Better late than never, I guess.
Since we also have included “educational” information on this blog, we will admit there have been some small side effects, which Laurie calls the “small stuff.” For example, the chemo has brought on menopause and the hot flashes that accompany that. And she can’t sleep through the night since her bladder cannot last that long anymore. She does get weak from standing long periods (so she just doesn’t do that!) and she eats kids portions now so her digestive system doesn’t go into overdrive. Her allergies are more pronounced, and most importantly for her kids, she cannot wear her wig in the kitchen as sudden heat could singe it so their agreement is that she will stick to bandannas and turbans at home.
As far as me and the kids, we are busy trying to get rid of their coughs (Brooke & Forrest XIV) and sinus infections (me) and staying healthy (Ridge). We were all excited that Laurie was able to sneak out with all of us to a significant milestone for Forrest . . . his bridging ceremony to Boy Scouts! And this weekend was supposed to be the start of all 3 kids starting their baseball seasons, but only Forrest played a game last night and then the rains came. While we’re disappointed about games being cancelled, there is something nice to be said for “found” family time. Laurie decided to bake this afternoon so the house smells of cinnamon bread. The silver lining on the cloud of rain!
Our community has also experienced some strong reminders of how fragile life here on earth is over the past few weeks, and our prayers go out to the Stamps and Brewer families in the loss of a parent. We also praise the Lord that Mrs. Ricks (Wes’s mom) and Mr. Inglert (Tammy’s father) and Taylor Goodloe are doing better after serious hospitalizations. We will continue to pray for comfort and healing for these families.
We were treated three times this week to meals which meant I didn’t have to cook dinner. You don’t know how much that means when you’re trying to coordinate dinner either before or after baseball practices and games.
Monday was a surprise from Debbie Nelson, our neighbor, who brought us pork barbecue with buns, Coleslaw and corn. This was a welcome surprise that we all enjoyed. Thanks Debbie!
Tuesday the office staff at Floris ES put together a great meal of the kid’s favorite. Chicken strips from Chick-fil-A, macaroni & cheese, chocolate chip cookies and tossed salad. Thanks ladies!
Thursday's feast from Michele and Nikki at Oak Hill ES included chicken enchiladas, refried beans, sweet corn cake, Spanish rice, chips & salsa and Laurie’s favorite, Apple Crisp with ice cream. Thanks Michele and Nikki!
Once again the network of support we have is beyond incredible. Each day we receive supportive and encouraging emails, letters and cards via the post office, comments from the blog and phone calls. We continue to rely on the many prayers on our behalf. The words of encouragement make all of us smile and strengthen our resolve to move forward in this journey to completely heal Laurie now and reduce any chances of recurrence.
As always, thanks for all your continuing support.
.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Success! Check it off!
Hey everyone,
Laurie's cough is less frequent now and her blood work came back favorably so she was able to receive her last Adriamycin and Cytoxin chemo treatment today.
This is a great milestone in her road to recovery. Three weeks from today she will begin the next cycle of 12 weekly treatments of Taxol and Herceptin which should not impact her as severely as the Adriamycin and Cytoxin did. Her blood counts should not drop like they did during the first cycle and her susceptibility to infection should decrease allowing her to be the social butterfly we are all used to.
Last Tuesday the Floris ES fourth grade team provided us a great Mexican meal which included taco soup, tacos with all the fixings, Tostitos chips, corn muffins, chocolate chunk cookies and fried ice cream. I did not know that Breyers made fried ice cream. The entire meal was wonderful and so were the leftovers!
Thursday was Oak Hill's turn. Diane and Pam put together a wonderful meal of chicken and rice, green beans, carrots and turnips, tossed salad, Italian bread, chocolate chunk cookies and a two liter bottle of ginger ale.Someone must have leaked our love of chocolate chunk cookies to the world. Yum yum!
The whole family really appreciates the efforts and support from Floris ES and Oak Hill ES as well as that of Ox Hill Baptist Church. Not having to prepare a meal and getting the chance to relax for a few minutes really does help a lot!
Now that we have completed the first cycle of chemo we check that one off and anticipate the beginning of the next one. We know that we could not have made it through this time without the love and support from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the prayers and support we have received from so many of you. Thank you again for the love and support you have shown us!
.
Laurie's cough is less frequent now and her blood work came back favorably so she was able to receive her last Adriamycin and Cytoxin chemo treatment today.
This is a great milestone in her road to recovery. Three weeks from today she will begin the next cycle of 12 weekly treatments of Taxol and Herceptin which should not impact her as severely as the Adriamycin and Cytoxin did. Her blood counts should not drop like they did during the first cycle and her susceptibility to infection should decrease allowing her to be the social butterfly we are all used to.
Last Tuesday the Floris ES fourth grade team provided us a great Mexican meal which included taco soup, tacos with all the fixings, Tostitos chips, corn muffins, chocolate chunk cookies and fried ice cream. I did not know that Breyers made fried ice cream. The entire meal was wonderful and so were the leftovers!
Thursday was Oak Hill's turn. Diane and Pam put together a wonderful meal of chicken and rice, green beans, carrots and turnips, tossed salad, Italian bread, chocolate chunk cookies and a two liter bottle of ginger ale.Someone must have leaked our love of chocolate chunk cookies to the world. Yum yum!
The whole family really appreciates the efforts and support from Floris ES and Oak Hill ES as well as that of Ox Hill Baptist Church. Not having to prepare a meal and getting the chance to relax for a few minutes really does help a lot!
Now that we have completed the first cycle of chemo we check that one off and anticipate the beginning of the next one. We know that we could not have made it through this time without the love and support from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the prayers and support we have received from so many of you. Thank you again for the love and support you have shown us!
.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A minor bump in the road
Hey everyone,
I mentioned last time the nagging cough Laurie has had the past few weeks and that is the reason her chemo scheduled for yesterday had to be postponed until next Monday. Since she had a slight fever yesterday, her doctor was concerned that she may be getting a secondary infection. Since chemo shuts down her immune system, getting a secondary infection would be quite serious and they decided to be “safe” and delay the chemo. So instead of chemo, she has an inhaler which should take care of the cough and or her "reactive airways". And she gets an extra “good week” before her 4th, and last, treatment of Adriamycin and Cytoxan, next Monday.
Three weeks after her next treatment she will begin her weekly treatment of Taxol and Herceptin. Some people have asked me where we are in her recovery so I'm including the stages of her recovery as outlined by her oncologist below.
The stages left are:
1) Chemo therapy -- 3 months of aggressive therapy with 2 meds: Adriamycin & Cytoxan. This will be 4 treatments over 12 weeks. 1 every 3 weeks. Her 1st treatment was Jan 5th, she had her 2nd on Jan 26th, 3rd on Feb 16th, and hopes to have the last one next Monday, March 16th.
2)Chemo therapy combined with biological treatment - 3 months of Taxol & Herceptin. Weekly for 12 weeks. At this time, she hopes to start this on April 6th (Spring Break) and continue through June 22nd.
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
So while this throws her schedule off a week it is always good to be cautious and we accept that. We look forward to a good week of recovery and thank God for his constant love and care.
Laurie wanted me to post the following which was given to her by Carl Bradley, a dear church friend whose wife dealt with cancer as well.
What Cancer Can’t Do
“There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15
One of the most dreaded sentences a patient might hear is “You have cancer.” These words bring a chill to the ear. Although great progress has been made in treating cancer, recovery can be long and painful and some people do not survive.
An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richardson, lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even thought the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit can remain triumphant. This poem was distributed at his memorial service:
Cancer is so limited …
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot cripple hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the Spirit
It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.
If an incurable disease has invaded your body, refuse to let it touch your spirit. Your body can be severely afflicted, and you may have a great struggle. But if you keep trusting God’s love, your spirit will remain strong. – D.G.E.
Why must I bear this pain, I cannot tell;
I only know my Lord does all things well.
And so I trust in God, my All in all,
For He will bring me through, whatever befall – Smith
Our greatest enemy is not disease, but despair.
We wish everyone well and thank you again for all your prayers and support.
.
I mentioned last time the nagging cough Laurie has had the past few weeks and that is the reason her chemo scheduled for yesterday had to be postponed until next Monday. Since she had a slight fever yesterday, her doctor was concerned that she may be getting a secondary infection. Since chemo shuts down her immune system, getting a secondary infection would be quite serious and they decided to be “safe” and delay the chemo. So instead of chemo, she has an inhaler which should take care of the cough and or her "reactive airways". And she gets an extra “good week” before her 4th, and last, treatment of Adriamycin and Cytoxan, next Monday.
Three weeks after her next treatment she will begin her weekly treatment of Taxol and Herceptin. Some people have asked me where we are in her recovery so I'm including the stages of her recovery as outlined by her oncologist below.
The stages left are:
1) Chemo therapy -- 3 months of aggressive therapy with 2 meds: Adriamycin & Cytoxan. This will be 4 treatments over 12 weeks. 1 every 3 weeks. Her 1st treatment was Jan 5th, she had her 2nd on Jan 26th, 3rd on Feb 16th, and hopes to have the last one next Monday, March 16th.
2)Chemo therapy combined with biological treatment - 3 months of Taxol & Herceptin. Weekly for 12 weeks. At this time, she hopes to start this on April 6th (Spring Break) and continue through June 22nd.
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
So while this throws her schedule off a week it is always good to be cautious and we accept that. We look forward to a good week of recovery and thank God for his constant love and care.
Laurie wanted me to post the following which was given to her by Carl Bradley, a dear church friend whose wife dealt with cancer as well.
What Cancer Can’t Do
“There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15
One of the most dreaded sentences a patient might hear is “You have cancer.” These words bring a chill to the ear. Although great progress has been made in treating cancer, recovery can be long and painful and some people do not survive.
An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richardson, lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even thought the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit can remain triumphant. This poem was distributed at his memorial service:
Cancer is so limited …
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot cripple hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the Spirit
It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.
If an incurable disease has invaded your body, refuse to let it touch your spirit. Your body can be severely afflicted, and you may have a great struggle. But if you keep trusting God’s love, your spirit will remain strong. – D.G.E.
Why must I bear this pain, I cannot tell;
I only know my Lord does all things well.
And so I trust in God, my All in all,
For He will bring me through, whatever befall – Smith
Our greatest enemy is not disease, but despair.
We wish everyone well and thank you again for all your prayers and support.
.
Friday, February 27, 2009
February 27th Update
Hey everyone,
Laurie had her third chemo treatment almost two weeks ago on February 16th. When we went in to the doctor’s office that day I wondered if her blood levels would be high enough for her to have her treatment because of the nagging cough I mentioned in the previous blog posting. Her blood levels turned out to be good and she had her treatment.
The next day, Tuesday, I came home from work and she looked great and had a great day with the exception of the continued nagging cough. That evening we were treated to dinner with a Mexican theme by Cindy and Tara from Floris ES which included enchiladas, salad and cookies. Gracias!
Wednesday was pretty much the same with feeling pretty good but the coughing continued. I expressed my concerns but Laurie continued to blame it on allergies. That afternoon I received a call to pick up Ridge from school because he had a fever. No other symptoms. Just a fever. Ridge stayed home and with Tylenol the fever was kept in check.
Thursday afternoon I received a call from Laurie and she informed me that Ridge’s fever was 102.8. She called the doctor and I took him in and he was diagnosed with Type A Flu. Yea! Our family all received the flu shot earlier this year and I informed the doctor of that. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu. While there I mentioned that Ridge has a brother and sister and the doctor prescribed a “preventative” prescription for them too. Yea x 2! Thursday evening our dinner was catered by Diana from Oak Hill ES. She brought us chicken casserole, salad and cookies. Great choice! We all love chicken!
Friday morning Ridge was feeling fine and if the schools didn’t have that 24 hour fever rule he could have gone to school. Apparently, since he received the flu shot previously and received Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of his symptom, he recovered almost immediately. Yea x 3! Laurie was still coughing and feeling more tired than normal Friday which we expected after our experiences following the 2nd treatment. We anticipated her feeling tired for a couple more days and then bouncing back like she has previously.
Sunday Laurie woke up but was still very tired and the cough was still with her. She decided to stay home from church and rest. The rest of us went to church and she slept all morning. While at church we met members of the Eppert/Ossenfort family who provided us with dinner for that evening which included smothered chicken with mushroom sauce, rice, green beans, rolls and dessert. Awesome meal! Thanks so much!
Laurie continued to be tired and still had the cough and mild congestion on Tuesday. We contemplated a visit to the doctor but ruled against it due to her low tolerance against infections from the chemo. She would just keep hoping she would feel better in a day or so. I brought home from school all the fixin’s for ice cream sundaes and a gift card for Fresh City which was provided by the Floris Kindergarten team. You guys really know how to party! Thanks!
Wednesday Laurie contacted her oncologist and explained her symptoms and was told to contact her primary care physician. She was really feeling tired and suffering a lot from all the coughing and allergy like symptoms. Once again, the fear of infection was on her mind so she emailed her doctor for suggestions. Her doctor did get back to her but Laurie did not see the email until later that afternoon since she was sleeping. She did not have a good day and there was nothing we could do for her.
Thursday she contacted her PCP again and arranged to be seen that afternoon. She would sign in and be brought back to an exam room immediately. No waiting room time! She was seen and prescribed Levoquin which is an antibiotic. She doesn’t feel like she has an infection and wonders if she has the flu since Ridge had it last week. I don’t know what she has but I do know she has been miserable the past few days and hope the Levoquin or something else will make her feel better.
Next week is usually the “good” week before her next chemo treatment and I’m praying that will be the case. I hope you will continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I believe in precision prayer and that is why I have gone into such detail above. Pray that Laurie will recover from whatever it is she has and continues to progress through these chemo treatments towards a full, complete, cancer free recovery.
.
Laurie had her third chemo treatment almost two weeks ago on February 16th. When we went in to the doctor’s office that day I wondered if her blood levels would be high enough for her to have her treatment because of the nagging cough I mentioned in the previous blog posting. Her blood levels turned out to be good and she had her treatment.
The next day, Tuesday, I came home from work and she looked great and had a great day with the exception of the continued nagging cough. That evening we were treated to dinner with a Mexican theme by Cindy and Tara from Floris ES which included enchiladas, salad and cookies. Gracias!
Wednesday was pretty much the same with feeling pretty good but the coughing continued. I expressed my concerns but Laurie continued to blame it on allergies. That afternoon I received a call to pick up Ridge from school because he had a fever. No other symptoms. Just a fever. Ridge stayed home and with Tylenol the fever was kept in check.
Thursday afternoon I received a call from Laurie and she informed me that Ridge’s fever was 102.8. She called the doctor and I took him in and he was diagnosed with Type A Flu. Yea! Our family all received the flu shot earlier this year and I informed the doctor of that. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu. While there I mentioned that Ridge has a brother and sister and the doctor prescribed a “preventative” prescription for them too. Yea x 2! Thursday evening our dinner was catered by Diana from Oak Hill ES. She brought us chicken casserole, salad and cookies. Great choice! We all love chicken!
Friday morning Ridge was feeling fine and if the schools didn’t have that 24 hour fever rule he could have gone to school. Apparently, since he received the flu shot previously and received Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of his symptom, he recovered almost immediately. Yea x 3! Laurie was still coughing and feeling more tired than normal Friday which we expected after our experiences following the 2nd treatment. We anticipated her feeling tired for a couple more days and then bouncing back like she has previously.
Sunday Laurie woke up but was still very tired and the cough was still with her. She decided to stay home from church and rest. The rest of us went to church and she slept all morning. While at church we met members of the Eppert/Ossenfort family who provided us with dinner for that evening which included smothered chicken with mushroom sauce, rice, green beans, rolls and dessert. Awesome meal! Thanks so much!
Laurie continued to be tired and still had the cough and mild congestion on Tuesday. We contemplated a visit to the doctor but ruled against it due to her low tolerance against infections from the chemo. She would just keep hoping she would feel better in a day or so. I brought home from school all the fixin’s for ice cream sundaes and a gift card for Fresh City which was provided by the Floris Kindergarten team. You guys really know how to party! Thanks!
Wednesday Laurie contacted her oncologist and explained her symptoms and was told to contact her primary care physician. She was really feeling tired and suffering a lot from all the coughing and allergy like symptoms. Once again, the fear of infection was on her mind so she emailed her doctor for suggestions. Her doctor did get back to her but Laurie did not see the email until later that afternoon since she was sleeping. She did not have a good day and there was nothing we could do for her.
Thursday she contacted her PCP again and arranged to be seen that afternoon. She would sign in and be brought back to an exam room immediately. No waiting room time! She was seen and prescribed Levoquin which is an antibiotic. She doesn’t feel like she has an infection and wonders if she has the flu since Ridge had it last week. I don’t know what she has but I do know she has been miserable the past few days and hope the Levoquin or something else will make her feel better.
Next week is usually the “good” week before her next chemo treatment and I’m praying that will be the case. I hope you will continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I believe in precision prayer and that is why I have gone into such detail above. Pray that Laurie will recover from whatever it is she has and continues to progress through these chemo treatments towards a full, complete, cancer free recovery.
.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Presidents Day Update
Here we are again at the oncologist's office in Reston for the third chemo treatment.
The past week has been a good one. Laurie has been feeling well except for a nagging cough that we believe is due to allergies.
The week began with Laurie and Brooke attending Girl Scout Day at the GMU girl’s basketball game. They got there early Sunday morning so Brooke and her Brownie friends could learn a dance routine which they performed at half time. The day was long but both enjoyed their "Girl time" together.
Then on Tuesday we were treated by Roberta and Karen from Floris ES to homemade sugar cookies and a gift card to Chick Fillet. Many thanks to you both! We enjoyed the cookies and look forward to using the gift card.
Thursday was my Dad's 84th birthday. I was able to meet him for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant which we both enjoyed. I forgot to bring the birthday cards from the family so I put them in the mail. Cards or not, it was still good to be able to see him and enjoy a quiet meal together.
Thursday evening we were grateful to receive a platter of chicken strips and a large order of fruit salad from Chick Fillet. Jesse, Phyllis and Shanan of Oak Hill ES were the thoughtful trio who put that together. Many thanks to you all!
Friday the 13th, one of my favorite days in the year, was also Laurie's Mom's 70th birthday. The family couldn't get together that evening so we hosted a birthday party for her at our house Saturday evening. Each family contributed to the meal which included steamed spiced shrimp, KFC chicken, honey baked ham, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, apples and grapes, Cole slaw, tossed salad, rolls and birthday cake and ice cream. Sounds like a lot of food but when you're feeding 18 people you have to cover all the bases. Laurie enjoyed being able to do this at our house and the timing of Mom's birthday as related to Laurie's chemo schedule was perfect. We all missed David who was sick and my Dad who was out celebrating his day again with friends.
The chemo treatment went as expected. Laurie gets a bit apprehensive before we leave for the treatments but once we get there that all goes away. Her blood levels were really good today. Her WBC was 8.3. That is close to the level she had before she started chemo. Her GRAN count was 5.8 and her PLT was 306. All three are in the good to very good range. Thanks God! The only anomaly today is that the ice chips and fruit pops that she normally eats during the Adriamycin did not taste very good this time. We were told that her tastes might change. They were right!
So, three treatments down. We know that with each step in the recovery process we are that much closer to the fulfillment of God's plan for a full recovery. We thank you for the continued prayer and support. Please don't stop. Another update will be posted in the next few days.
.
The past week has been a good one. Laurie has been feeling well except for a nagging cough that we believe is due to allergies.
The week began with Laurie and Brooke attending Girl Scout Day at the GMU girl’s basketball game. They got there early Sunday morning so Brooke and her Brownie friends could learn a dance routine which they performed at half time. The day was long but both enjoyed their "Girl time" together.
Then on Tuesday we were treated by Roberta and Karen from Floris ES to homemade sugar cookies and a gift card to Chick Fillet. Many thanks to you both! We enjoyed the cookies and look forward to using the gift card.
Thursday was my Dad's 84th birthday. I was able to meet him for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant which we both enjoyed. I forgot to bring the birthday cards from the family so I put them in the mail. Cards or not, it was still good to be able to see him and enjoy a quiet meal together.
Thursday evening we were grateful to receive a platter of chicken strips and a large order of fruit salad from Chick Fillet. Jesse, Phyllis and Shanan of Oak Hill ES were the thoughtful trio who put that together. Many thanks to you all!
Friday the 13th, one of my favorite days in the year, was also Laurie's Mom's 70th birthday. The family couldn't get together that evening so we hosted a birthday party for her at our house Saturday evening. Each family contributed to the meal which included steamed spiced shrimp, KFC chicken, honey baked ham, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, apples and grapes, Cole slaw, tossed salad, rolls and birthday cake and ice cream. Sounds like a lot of food but when you're feeding 18 people you have to cover all the bases. Laurie enjoyed being able to do this at our house and the timing of Mom's birthday as related to Laurie's chemo schedule was perfect. We all missed David who was sick and my Dad who was out celebrating his day again with friends.
The chemo treatment went as expected. Laurie gets a bit apprehensive before we leave for the treatments but once we get there that all goes away. Her blood levels were really good today. Her WBC was 8.3. That is close to the level she had before she started chemo. Her GRAN count was 5.8 and her PLT was 306. All three are in the good to very good range. Thanks God! The only anomaly today is that the ice chips and fruit pops that she normally eats during the Adriamycin did not taste very good this time. We were told that her tastes might change. They were right!
So, three treatments down. We know that with each step in the recovery process we are that much closer to the fulfillment of God's plan for a full recovery. We thank you for the continued prayer and support. Please don't stop. Another update will be posted in the next few days.
.
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