CT Results....

(from Fri. 4/24/09)

Inconclusive. *rolls eyes*

I dont like ct scans, they dont show nearly as much detail as pet/ct scans do! My insurance company will only allow a pet every 4 months, but my Doctor wanted me to be scanned, so our only option was a CT. The CT still shows some abnormality, but with no other plain CT to compare it to, it doesnt really make a difference. I still have some enlarged lymph nodes, but, they arent hugely big by any means. Pretty much, the CT told us absolutely nothing, but now my Doctor has ammunition against the insurance company. He told them that I had an abnormal CT and Im assuming they went ahead and agreed to the pet, because I wasnt 3 miles away from the office when the medical assistant called me with the appointment for the pet. Either way, my Doctor was ready to argue for me! Bless his heart :) My appointment is set for Saturday morning, which I readily agreed to, only to realize once I hung up that there are a berjillion things going on Saturday and a scan will throw a wrench into ALL the plans! By the time I got home it was too late to call the office back, but Ill see what I can do in the morning.

Anyway, all I wanted to share was - inconclusive ct, needs a pet. Knew all along I needed the pet. Sigh. Boring, hey?

Thursday's Musings...

We'll start with another Mommy brag... Hannah got straight A's again! She brought her report card home beaming but trying not to take the surprise away from me! It was no surprise though, my lil gal is brilliant!





Also, we got a letter in the mail yesterday from the granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower stating that Hannah will be receiving a formal invitation to attend a World Leadership Seminar/Program (the name escapes me at the moment and she took her letter to school to show off!) for exceptional middle school students with great leadership qualities. She'll meet other kids from all over the world! We are so thrilled for her... more on that later when we get the official invitation. (This trip wont take place until 2010, when she is a 6th grader)

Ethan has Opening Ceremonies and his first ball game on Saturday. This is his first year not playing t-ball. He's done well at all his practices and is looking forward to be being a "real" ball player. When he was a baby we weren't sure that sports would be possible for him with the kidney issues he has, but luckily, he isn't held back because of them. He's on the Braves (our favorite major league team!!) and is #10.

The other kids are doing well also. Savannah continues to do well in Pre-k, we had some issues and I was thinking of pulling her out, but they've been resolved. Ella is talking just like a big kid now and is so proud of herself for being potty trained and sleeping in a big girl bed! Caleb is growing so fast, its unbelievable! He was the teensiest little man when he was born, but he is so chubby now!! He is truly the sweetest little thing. I thank God everyday that I wasnt diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the pregnancy.. I cant imagine not having him. Oh! He is also getting his first toof!!

On a totally unrelated note.. Im having a ct scan on Friday. Im hoping for a cancer free scan! Normally I'd have a pet/ct scan, which in my opinion are better and show more, but my insurance company wont allow me to have another pet for about two more months. I just had one in February. My doctor wants to go ahead and scan me though, since I am done with chemo to see where things stand, so for now, its just the ct. The nurse asked me what flavor contrast Id like to drink... banana or berry. The other times Ive drank the contrast it was plain with no flavor. I asked for Margarita flavor instead and after howling with laughter, the nurse assured me that the only choices were banana or berry, so I chose banana. I can imagine that a very thick chalky banana smoothie will be delicious. So delicious in fact, that Ill have TWO! 450 ml's EACH!! YUM!



Also, Im hoping to go back to school during the fall semester. If my Hodgkins behaves itself, I should have no trouble doing that. Ive picked up two classes. I just want to be a college graduate someday! Technically I already am, I did graduate the community college, but still... I just want a big pretty degree for my wall!

And one last thing... something that irks me to no end. My Oncology office.. Virginia Oncology (www.virginiacancer.com) is in a building complex of sorts... it sits at the end of a cul-de-sac. As we turn onto the street we pass the back side of the building that sits perpendicular to the Oncology Office. This may seem like no big deal. Its not really. But every single time we pass the back side of this building, there is always 8 or 10 people standing outside smoking! Again, not a big deal really, its none of my business. It just strikes me as odd that people dont mind standing outside smoking in the shadows of the big, ominous CANCER building!! Shouldn't the word ONCOLOGY written on the front of the building staring these people in the face be enough to scare them? Or is having the Oncology building just steps away a comfort? Knowing they have somewhere to go when their lungs are riddled with cancer? I dont know. It bothers me to know that there are ways to lessen ones risk of cancer and people choose not to bother with them. Oh well, off my soap box.

Remember to support your local American Cancer Society chapter or your Relay for Life team!

Free Wednesday!

Today is the first Wednesday in SIX months that I havent spent at Oncology! No bloodwork, no chemo, no Doctor, no nurses, nothing, NADA! Im at home! Yaaaaaayyyy!

Having said that, I really dont know what to DO with myself. I guess its just my internal clock knowing that Im not supposed to be home today. I havent really gotten anything done either, Im just kinda pacing around wondering what to do . Its like when you cant wait for some time alone, or for the kids to be out so you can get some serious stuff done around the house... but then when they're gone, somethings just not right and the silence is deafening... and nothing gets accomplished! Ha, maybe that just happens to me :)

Anywho... next Wednesday Ill be back at Virginia Oncology for a regular appointment, bloodwork and the Doctor. I should be getting set up for my next scan as well. I guess next Wed. will feel more normal, although Im looking forward to having Oncology not be part of my "normal" anymore!

Ive finished chemo!

Its so hard to beleive that this day has come... on April Fools Day, I had my last chemo treatment. Six rounds, 12 treatments in all, and its finally over. The past few months have been so surreal, its like Ive lived someone else's life. I had a beautiful baby boy and within 10 days I was in an operating room having one of many enlarged lymph nodes removed. Before he was two weeks old.. I learned I had cancer. Before he was a month old I learned just how wide-spread it was. I was stage four, with cancer in my chest, neck, armpit, mediastienum (sp?), liver, spleen, abdomen, pelvis and groin. All I wanted to do was enjoy my new baby, not deal with a medical crisis!

I was so afraid to start chemotherapy. I assumed I would be weak and tired and sick all the time but that was hardly the case! I didnt get sick, I wasnt weak, I didnt even lose my hair. I tolerated chemo very well. I was still able to take care of my kids and Im so thankful for that, because I was afraid I wouldnt be able to. Five and a half months later, Im a little nervous about stopping chemo! Its become such a normal part of my life... I cant say Ill miss it, but Id like to make sure my Hodgkins is completely GONE. Ive had my full cycle of chemo though, so its time to stop. I had my last scan in February and the cancer was nearly completely gone. I had three treatments after that and hopefully that was enough to wipe it out. Ill have another scan soon to whats up.

Now Ill start weekly appointments, then go to two weeks to a month and finally on to three months as long as things go well. Ill be having another scan soon to see where I stand. Hopefully that'll be in FULL REMISSION!!

To celebrate, B and I are planning our 10 year vow renewal for September. I can hardly beleive we've been married almost 10 years! Itll be a low key affair with a trip to the Outer Banks afterward. Nothing ritzy, not the trip of a lifetime, but something fun and just for us. Life is good :)

Relay for Life...

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09National?px=4835943&pg=personal&fr_id=19449

This is the link to my Mom's personal Relay for Life page. She's been active in the Relay for many years and asked that I pass her link on. If youd like to donate, wonderful! Please dont think you have to. Feel free to pass her link on.

Thanks :)

Just a few bits of news...

~ Hannah has been accepted to Ferrum College's Summer Enrichment Program. Its expensive but she's over the moon about it and she's going to be a Doctor someday, so its totally worth it. :)

~ Ethan went to "regionals" (sorry, dont know what else to call it) for the Pinewood Derby and finished 6th overall out of all the cars there... He had a grrrreat car this year. He's also all registered for baseball. For some reason we dont have a "local" Little League anymore and we have to go "up the road" to the next Little League to be able to play... something about not being able to have the field in town?? I dunno, I played ball there when I was little, its always been a baseball field.

~ Savannah gave herself a haircut because "she wanted to look pretty for school" the next day. Savannah's hair was well below her bottom. WAS. She had two braids in and snipped off the bottoms of them... I guess it could have been worse, she could have cut the ENTIRE braid off! I had to cut about 6 inches off to even it up. :)

~ Ella is completely POTTY TRAINED! *busts out doin' the cabbage patch*

~ Caleb is rolling over and tries to crawl! Too bad his chest stays flat on the floor, or he might sctually go somewhere! He's so darn cute with his little hiney up in the air!

~ Bobby is awaiting word on promotion... fingers crossed that he gets it! More money is never a bad thing!

And I am starting my last round of chemo this week! Eeeek! I cant believe that Im almost done with it.. Im feeling a whole bag of mixed emotions right now. In one way, Im happy that chemo is going to be over and I get to start the next phase of my life. In another, Im scared beyond belief, because as of my last scan, I wasnt completely cancer free yet. Im afraid that with no chemo, my remnants of cancer will be begin to spread again. It spread very quickly last time... Ill try not to worry though because I have a super doctor, strong faith, and a ton of prayer warriors on my side!

a cute little Proverb for today

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

~Proverbs 30:5

{I LOVE me some Proverbs!}