I'm An 11 Baby!

Just a quick update. I had my 3rd chemo treatment last friday and as usual felt like crap up until today but that's usual.

More importantly, I got a call Monday morning from one of the nurses Kathy from Dr. Moriarty's office. My cea level is an 11!!!!!!!!! That is an ELEVEN!!!!! God is so amazing.

I just want to digress from cancer talk for once (how refreshing).

I want to dedicate this great news to our dear Grandma Rose who past away last week. She has been in our lives for forever. Always remembering every birthday, anniversary, and was present for everyone's special times in life. She always took care of herself and she always looked great. She was a very thoughtful, loving human being. She will always be in our hearts. We love you Grandma Rose.

Much Love,
Karen

Here's To An Enjoyable Easter!

Hello to all. I know I haven't posted in awhile but as Sydney tells her little brother sometimes (when he asks why) "because that's just the way it is."
Well I guess first the practicals. I am going for my 3rd chemo tomorrow along with good old erbitux, and then just one more (I think) until I can get my scan on. I have been feeling good the last two weeks, and just have this REALLY annoying severe dry skin but that is really it.

I just want to reiterate my thanks to everyone out there for their prayer and support and love. I cannot believe it is almost one year ago that all of this horrible stuff started. I can't speak for other people who have/had cancer but I don't think I will ever completely get over the shock. I still have days where I think maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and this will all be a dream. I sit in chemo and think and genuinely wonder "what the heck am I doing here?" There are days when all I want to do is sit in my bed feel sorry for myself, and cry my eyes out. And there are days when I actually feel great, and have this amazing energized feeling and I think "I don't have cancer, what a joke." That thought doesn't last long but I like to pretend for a bit.
Anyhow I generally feel/am pretty positive about the whole thing. I am a firm believer in mind over matter and of course I have all my eggs in the Jesus Christ basket. (yes that was very corny, so corny I just laughed at myself so I must leave it).

Thank you to everyone for all the meals, sending housekeepers, the babysitters, the chauffeurs, the emails, phone calls, cards, letters, and those to whom I subject to my complaining (yes I complain quite a bit). I am sorry for the generalizations but you all know who you are. I don't want to list people and leave anyone out. I love you all very much. I also want to thank everyone for understanding when I don't get back to messages right away, or phone calls, and when I don't attend things (and aren't asked why). I also want to thank all those who take the time to reach out to me when they themselves are going through their own cancer battles. It really touches me and gives me great strength.

I know they don't know about the blog but I also just want to mention that I am receiving and am so thankful for the amazing care I am getting from Dr. Moriarty and the staff there. I genuinely feel like I am their only patient.

I hope everyone has a great Easter and has lots of candy.

Much love,
Karen

6th Erbitux and The Circus

Karen's doing well. We awoke the other day to find this huge oak on down after some high winds. Amazingly hardly any damage done our neighbor's house.

Don't see that every day.

Karen's at Overlook today getting her 6th does of Erbitux. She's tolerating it despite severe dry skin on her hands and some bad skin cracking and rash etc..

Yesterday was a great day. I took the day off and Karen and I took Sydney and Ethan to the circus. I don't have many pics as they didn't allow flash photography. Here's a couple we snapped off before being scolded.

As it turns out I had actually worked with two of the clowns in the circus and knew them from a previous life. I hadn't seen them in about 14 years so it was quite surreal. The kids had a terrific time and loved every minute of it. I think by the time the show was over they were ready to pack of and join the troupe.

This coming Friday is Good Friday and Karen will be getting chemo + erbitux. On Sunday I am traveling to London for a brief business trip but will be back Wednesday night to help out.

It was a lot of fun to go out as a family and we are aiming to plan many more such outings over the summer.

5th Erbitux Treatment

After another tough week, Karen's starting to feel better. She had chemo on the 28th and normally is feeling a little better by the following Sunday. This time the nausea, tiredness and crappy feelings hung around all week. She's been having massive cramping and gas among other problems. On the 6th she had her 5th Erbitux treatment. This has been tolerable but caused a huge rash and lots of related problems. The pain in her side was written off to just things settling down. Her liver function is normal and it is not enlarged by any means.

To cap things off, she ended up in hospital yesterday unexpectedly due to de-hydration. A few hours hooked to an IV solved that.

Surely all this indicates the drugs are working and we can expect great scans in another 8 weeks?

Since she's on CPT-11, her hair has given up the ghost and is falling out in determined fashion. I don't think even with her thick mane we can avoid shaving this time around, although Karen's full of surprises.

Despite paying our life insurance last Jan, they called this week and said we were late by over a month and that a LAPSE notice had been placed on our policy. What a bunch of balony! Of course our payments are well documented so they had to admit the inaccuracy.

In other financial related news, Karen has already met and exceeded our yearly out of pocket maximum yet our medical insurance continues to bill us. I need to call them.

You know what though? Life goes on, we are full of resolve, our marriage is as strong as ever, the kids are a tremendous joy to us and we're going to the circus as a family on Thursday. So screw cancer.