FOURTH ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY

Today went well.  We left home this morning to go to the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Mesa at 8:00 a.m. and arrived home at 4:00 p.m.

The first part of the day was meeting with our Medical Oncologist, Dr. Homsi.  He is very concerned about the overall treatment as well as my quality of life.  We discussed doing everything here in Mesa as opposed to going back and forth to Houston for scans and consultations.  He was very objective and said that it needs to be based on how we personally feel about the services here in Mesa.  He also said that if we decide to shift our treatment to Mesa, but something more serious comes up that we feel we need the experience in Houston, we could still do that.  We are very comfortable with Dr. Homsi who by the way was in Houston before he came here.

We plan to go this direction of doing everything here in Mesa. As a result, they have scheduled an MRI of my leg and pelvis on March 27 as well as a CT scan of my chest.  These will be done and compared to previous scans.  Dr. Homsi feels that if there is continued improvement in reduction of the cancer in my leg, he will have me do another round of chemotherapy at that time.  At the point when two subsequent MRI’s do not show much change, they will quit chemotherapy for a time.  I hope this all makes sense.

I am continuing the Lovenox injections for the blood thinning once a day now instead of twice, and blood samples are taken weekly to monitor the process.

Today the actual chemotherapy IV process of dripping 5 bags of medication through my pic line lasted from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.  I sit in a recliner for the treatment.  I read for a while and slept a little, then at a certain point I was totally out and didn’t wake up until I was finished.  They put some type of sedative in the IV fluid which does a job on me.  Through all this, Daryl has to be the most patient and positive person I know – just doing what needs to be done in a most cheerful & willing manner.  He is my hero!

I will go back in tomorrow and Friday for more IV fluids with anti-nausea medicine as well.  This worked great the last time in that the nausea was not nearly as bad, so I am hoping for the best and hoping that the you are enjoying “the best” in your lives at this time also.

MISSION CALL

We are so excited to have our first next generation missionary.  Steve and Dana’s, Jason, who is a freshman at BYU received his mission call one week ago.  We were all gathered around the laptop at Steve and Dana’s with him in Provo at his dorm.  It was a perfect picture and almost as good as having him there.  When he opened the call, he read every word including the addresses until he got to the actual call – no looking ahead.  He will be serving in the Mexico Tampico Mission which is on the coast on the Gulf of Mexico side.  It is a city with lots of members and a temple.  Needless to say, we are all thrilled.  Dana is especially happy that he will be learning Spanish.  Jason turns 19 on May 26th and will report to the MTC on June 13. 

He arrives here this evening for the weekend, and tomorrow evening he will be going to the temple for the first time.  I am so happy to feel well enough to go, as I have not been to the Mesa Temple since I started my chemo treatments.  I am really looking forward to being there with our family.

Two weeks down the road now from my last treatment, I am feeling a little better and stronger each day.  I did not have much nausea at all this time – just threw up a few random times, but that is behind me.  We have been walking around our circle in hopes of building up my strength and stamina. 

My next treatment will be here in Mesa on February 29, then I may not have any more treatments for a while.  We continue to be so grateful for many who tell us they are still praying for me.

THIRD CHEMOTHERAPY CYCLE

We arrived home from Houston on  Monday afternoon – very happy to be here.  There is really no place like home.

We had an appointment on Wednesday morning with Dr. Homsi and learned that we were all set up that day for my chemotherapy treatment, so we spent most of the day in the infusion center.  Dr. Homsi was also very pleased with the results of the chemotherapy on the spots on my lungs and also the reduction of the tumor in my leg.  He feels like the physical pressure of the leg tumor inhibiting blood flow is what caused the blood clots.  There is a clot in my lungs, but they are very hopeful that over time the Lovenox shots will dissolve the clots.

Dr. Homsi had me come back into the cancer center yesterday and today for IV treatments for anti-nausea and for fluids to prevent dehydration.  It is about a four hour process, so we are getting a lot of reading done.  The pharmacy mixes the fluids, and they do not even start that process until you are in the infusion center.  So far it is working, and I have not been nauseous for which I am so grateful.  I am pretty weak.  Made a batch of whole wheat bread this morning which took most of my energy. 

I received a sweet note today from Elena Cottom who was one of my achievement day girls years ago and who is now serving in the Domican Republic.  She shared D&C 90:24 – “All things will work together for our good.”  We are counting on that for us and for each of you.