Same as Last Week

Unfortunately, my platelets levels are not high enough to do the chemo this week either. I am a little bit bummed out! Hopefully, they'll be at the right level next week! If not, someone is going down! :)

Please continue to pray that these numbers will rise! Thank you.

Change of Plans...Again!

So I found out this morning that my platelet levels are too low to do the chemo today. I will get my blood tested again on Monday and hopefully start next week. I am a little disappointed to not be starting now, but at least I can enjoy a sixty degree day!

I had my lumbar puncture yesterday. It went fine, as long as lumbar punctures go! I got one of the residents that has definitely improved since I first had him. And the technician knew I was a little tense and started giving me margarita recipes to try out when I can drink again. True-it doesn't make me forget that there is a needle in my spinal cord, but I appreciate her effort all the same! :)

My family has a sick sense of humor and finds the funny in weird situations.  So, of all things, the Obama campaign called for me yesterday to ask me to join their campaign. My mom answered and said that since I'll be starting chemo, I'll probably not be the best campaigner for them. The lady on the phone totally flipped out, asked how I was doing, and ended with offering positive thoughts and prayers for me. Not sure the lady wasn't even crying!

This Week

This is going to be a crazy week! I have a lumbar puncture tomorrow, which I'm not looking forward to. Thank God for lidocaine (I sincerely mean that!)! I also have to get my lungs checked out tomorrow before I start the chemo. Kinda scary that they are checking my lungs this time! It makes me start to wonder about what is in the chemo!

So I go back up on Thursday for the chemo. I don't really know much more than that now. I just ask for prayer that I would handle the chemo well and that it would work! I'd really like a "time-out" from treatment, its only been about 11 years! :)

Well, crap!

I had another MRI yesterday and apparently I have two lesions that they have been watching that are "glowing" more on the MRI scan. Apparently, that means those lesions are changing, which we're not sure what that means. And there are still atypical cells in my spinal cord fluid, so I have to get more lumbar punctures to monitor that.

My chemo has been changed again. I'm stopping the one I've done for three cycles and starting a new one, which is an infusion at the hospital.  I'm still digesting all of this and hopefully this post makes sense. At least the new chemo doesn't have food restrictions!

I feel a little bottomed out right now. I had really been hoping for a little "time out" from treatment. Please pray for wisdom in the doctor's decision and that these lesions would go away!! I even told the doctor that I gave up chemo for Lent, but he didn't buy it!

Good News

I had my long MRI today (which I had to take 2 sedatives to get through it!) and the results were mostly good. My spinal cord is still clear and the extra lesions in my brain are gone. The original tumor is still there and there is another older part that has started to change. My doctor wants to keep a close eye on it, so I'll have a follow-up MRI in 4 weeks. But, overall, it was a good visit and I'll start my 3rd cycle of this chemo next week.

Anyways, just glad that today is over! I might be going to bed quite soon! Thanks again for your prayers and support. I really appreciate it!

Thursday

So, Thursday is the big MRI day. I can feel my tension rising already. I just found out the I have to get another lumbar puncture that day to check to see if there are any cancer cells left in there. I would really appreciate prayers for that day!

P.S. We survived the big Seattle snowstorm. I think we had about 8 inches of snow at our house. I took some photos that I would post, if I knew how. I still have't adjusted to my new mac yet and can't figure out how to post to a website. I can export to shutterfly, but that is about it! :) Let me know if you know how or I'm going to become one of those people that hang out at the Apple store!

Reality TV

I took a little break from blogging over the holidays, which gave me time to catch up on reality tv! I am amazed at how much information I have learned. From Toddlers & Tiaras, I learned that breakfast can be pixie sticks and mountain dew and "flippers" are fake teeth. And you are never too young to start getting spray tanned, facials and start waxing your eyebrows!

From Dance Moms-well, actually, I can't really handle that show. I practically grew up in a dance studio and can't handle the ranting of another crazy dance teacher.

My personal favorite, though, is Finding Big Foot. It follows a team of Big Foot experts as they look for signs of Sasquatch across America. Now have they found a "squatch" yet? Not really, but they offer much insight into Big Foot behavior. My close friend Kelley Stratton sent me an email of what she's learned from the program:


Squatches are much less intimidated by women and much more apt to approach a woman
Squatches would prefer a mattress to a cold floor
Squatches are nimble gymnasts
Squatches are intrigued by music
Squatches knock to communicate with one another
Squatches are very elusive

 
I hope that you enjoy all of this knowledge! :) I finished my second cycle of chemo and am off of my food restriction today. This blog might be the result of my first latte in three weeks! I go back to the hospital on January 26th for another MRI and then we'll see what I do next. I feel pretty good right now, just have the typical fatigue.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!