The past several weeks have been rough for Cheryl. As I posted earlier, we came home early from a visit with my family in Thomasville, GA because Cheryl was having intense headaches, nausea and double vision. Friday evening, we went straight to the emergency room in Savannah where they got her pain down to a tolerable level. On Saturday, the doctor called her in a prescription for steroids to reduce what they thought might be brain inflammation. Then on the Monday after Thanksgiving she was admitted to the hospital and was diagnosed with metastatic tumors in her brain and cancer cells in her spinal fluid. She took the first four of ten whole brain radiation treatments while in the hospital and then continued the remainder as an outpatient until December 12th.
During this whole time she has been on Dexamethasone (oral steroid) and various pain killers and endured their side effects. We have both noticed that she has been having increased difficulty in standing, her balance is poor and her muscle tone is poor. She's having to use a walker for support unless she is standing next to a piece of furniture or other stable object that she can hold onto. She's also been commenting that her double vision has been getting worse.
This past Friday, we took her in to the Low Country Cancer Center for a bag of IV fluids and that seemed to help the headache and double vision for a few hours but by Saturday afternoon, she was having trouble reading the scores on her football games.
As the week has progressed, she has gotten weaker and her vision has gotten worse. She is no longer able to read texts on her cell phone and she has trouble focusing well enough to send out texts or read medicine labels. Cheryl had an appointment scheduled for this Friday with the oncologist but I called in yesterday and described her condition and they told me to bring her in today at 2:30.
Dr. Negrea had a short talk with us, looked her over and reviewed her file and let us know that because she has carcinomatous meningitis (the cancer has spread into the lining of the brain and the central nervous system) that there is not much else they can do for her. They had talked earlier of doing spinal chemotherapy but he said that doing that or the alternative delivery of putting a port through her skull directly into her brain would not be effective for very long. At best, going through either of these procedures might add a few weeks of life and that both had a lot of potentially bad side effects.
Dr. Negrea told us that in his opinion, if it were himself or one of his family members with this condition that he would not opt for the treatment. He recommended that we get in contact with one of the local hospice organizations and make arrangements for Cheryl's decline. I mentioned that in my reading and research that I'd seen prognosis for survival at about three months and he agreed that based on his experience, that is about as good a guess as anyone could make.
Before we left, he hugged Cheryl with tears in his eyes and told us to hold on to our faith. Pray for grace for us in the days to come and also remember those that spend their lives caring for people that often don't have long-term survival.
As we figure out what we are doing we will continue to keep the blog updated. Cheryl is up to phone calls. Don't worry about disturbing her, if she is tired, she will let you know that she doesn't feel up to talking at the moment but most of the time she is really cheered up by contact with the outside world.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Together for Another Christmas
Hallelujah, we get to celebrate another Christmas together. We are so thankful for all of our family, church family, friends and neighbors and acquaintances from years past that have dropped by, sent cards, called at just the right time, given rides to treatments, brought over food and have posted notes of encouragement here and on Facebook.
We thank you for being there with us for the celebration of what we thought was remission back in March. We thank you for your continued prayers during her second chemo series. We thank you for continuing to pray and encourage us as Cheryl continues the battle against brain and spinal cord metastases.
Since receiving this diagnosis, she was put on oral steroids to reduce inflammation and went through ten days of whole brain radiation to kill the tumors and treat the lining of the brain. She has continued to battle nausea, headaches and intermittent double vision. Friday afternoon, she lost her balance and fell off the couch. Praise the Lord, nothing was bruised or broken. The owner of one of the local flower shops was coming to the door to make a delivery when this happened. He helped her get situated and stayed with her until I got home form picking up prescriptions on post.
We don't know whether the symptoms she continues to exhibit are caused by the cancer, after-effects of the radiation treatment, or the medicines that she is taking. Cheryl took her final dose of steroids on Christmas Eve and we hope that dropping this plus juggling her pain meds will help get her back on an even keel.
Cheryl has her next appointment with Dr. Negrea, the medical oncologist on the 30th. We should know more about the plans for her spinal chemotherapy after that meeting. I'm off this week, the laundry's caught up and the dishwasher works just fine so we should be able to spend some quiet time together over the next few days.
Keep us in your prayers as Cheryl enters the next phase of her treatment.
We thank you for being there with us for the celebration of what we thought was remission back in March. We thank you for your continued prayers during her second chemo series. We thank you for continuing to pray and encourage us as Cheryl continues the battle against brain and spinal cord metastases.
Since receiving this diagnosis, she was put on oral steroids to reduce inflammation and went through ten days of whole brain radiation to kill the tumors and treat the lining of the brain. She has continued to battle nausea, headaches and intermittent double vision. Friday afternoon, she lost her balance and fell off the couch. Praise the Lord, nothing was bruised or broken. The owner of one of the local flower shops was coming to the door to make a delivery when this happened. He helped her get situated and stayed with her until I got home form picking up prescriptions on post.
We don't know whether the symptoms she continues to exhibit are caused by the cancer, after-effects of the radiation treatment, or the medicines that she is taking. Cheryl took her final dose of steroids on Christmas Eve and we hope that dropping this plus juggling her pain meds will help get her back on an even keel.
Cheryl has her next appointment with Dr. Negrea, the medical oncologist on the 30th. We should know more about the plans for her spinal chemotherapy after that meeting. I'm off this week, the laundry's caught up and the dishwasher works just fine so we should be able to spend some quiet time together over the next few days.
Keep us in your prayers as Cheryl enters the next phase of her treatment.
Monday, December 5, 2011
She's Not Glowing Yet
The weekend was rough for Cheryl with continued headaches and nausea. The local Wal-Mart pharmacists were able to track down and order the fast acting pain medicine that she needs but it won't be in until Friday. Until that time she is having to get by with ground up pain pills over applesauce to keep the worst of headaches at bay.
Yesterday she was cheered up by a surprise visit from our long-time friends Claire and Woody Reade. They spent the morning with her while I was at church and then headed home after lunch.
Today, Cheryl had her fifth dose of whole brain radiation (out of ten total). After the session, we met with the radiation oncologist to discuss how things are going. He is making some adjustments to the quantity and frequency of the steroids she has been taking for the past week. He wants to taper her down to a much lower dosage before she starts the next type of chemotherapy in her spine the week before Christmas.
We finished putting up our fall/Thanksgiving decorations today and have decided to do just some very basic decorating for Christmas. I assembled our tree that is lit with all white lights. We hung our 2011 ornament and an ornament Cheryl received from our friend Rachel. I made a simple paper ornament that has the words Faith, Hope, & Love printed across it that we hung facing in toward the den. Those are the things that we are holding on to as we enter the Christmas season this year.
We continue to covet your prayers for her recovery or at least for her to have freedom from the headache pain and nausea of the past few weeks. Don't just keep Christ in Christmas, keep Him in your heart.
Yesterday she was cheered up by a surprise visit from our long-time friends Claire and Woody Reade. They spent the morning with her while I was at church and then headed home after lunch.
Today, Cheryl had her fifth dose of whole brain radiation (out of ten total). After the session, we met with the radiation oncologist to discuss how things are going. He is making some adjustments to the quantity and frequency of the steroids she has been taking for the past week. He wants to taper her down to a much lower dosage before she starts the next type of chemotherapy in her spine the week before Christmas.
We finished putting up our fall/Thanksgiving decorations today and have decided to do just some very basic decorating for Christmas. I assembled our tree that is lit with all white lights. We hung our 2011 ornament and an ornament Cheryl received from our friend Rachel. I made a simple paper ornament that has the words Faith, Hope, & Love printed across it that we hung facing in toward the den. Those are the things that we are holding on to as we enter the Christmas season this year.
We continue to covet your prayers for her recovery or at least for her to have freedom from the headache pain and nausea of the past few weeks. Don't just keep Christ in Christmas, keep Him in your heart.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Home from the Hospital--- Good News Bad News
When Dr. Negrea, Cheryl's medical oncologist came by to see her this morning, he let her know that she was being discharged today. That's the good news. Then he gave her the bad news. They discussed her condition and he told her that even though the preliminary report on the fluid pulled from the lumbar puncture looked okay, the cytology report showed that the fluid tested positive for cancer cells. He told her that this is the most likely cause of the continuing headaches that she is having since the tumors in her brain are so small.
He is going to have her continue the ten whole brain radiation treatments (she took number four today). Cheryl should finish up radiation on December 12th and then she will return to the Low Country Cancer Center to receive her first dose of intrathecal chemotherapy in the spine. She will continue to receive this chemo every two weeks. At this point we do not know how long they will continue with this therapy, but by God's grace we will handle it one day at a time.
She still has a persistent headache but it is much better than it was when she went into the hospital on Monday. The doctor sent her home with prescriptions for some strong painkillers, steroids and anti-nausea meds.
Please be in prayer for us as we continue to face whatever may come next in Cheryl's battle against ovarian cancer.
He is going to have her continue the ten whole brain radiation treatments (she took number four today). Cheryl should finish up radiation on December 12th and then she will return to the Low Country Cancer Center to receive her first dose of intrathecal chemotherapy in the spine. She will continue to receive this chemo every two weeks. At this point we do not know how long they will continue with this therapy, but by God's grace we will handle it one day at a time.
She still has a persistent headache but it is much better than it was when she went into the hospital on Monday. The doctor sent her home with prescriptions for some strong painkillers, steroids and anti-nausea meds.
Please be in prayer for us as we continue to face whatever may come next in Cheryl's battle against ovarian cancer.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
A Better Day
Cheryl had a much better day today even though she is still experiencing a lingering headache. The nurses all took note of her improved color and general appearance. She was able to eat three full meals and her nausea has substantially cleared up. She enjoyed talking to several friends and family members on the phone. To see and hear her chatting away on the bed, you would never know the seriousness of what she is facing.
The preliminary results of her lumbar puncture looks good, though they are still waiting the cytology report to declare the spine clear of any disease. She had her mammogram today, but don't yet have those results either. She had her third radiation treatment today and thus far does not seem to be suffering any ill effects from it.
When Dr. Burke came by today, he explained to her that the brain lining is also being effected by the cancer and the fluid that this produces is part of the cause of the headaches along with the tumors. If she continues to progress, he anticipates letting her go home on Friday but neither she nor I want her to leave the hospital before she is ready.
Please continue to be in prayer that the radiation treatments will be effective at destroying the tumors and giving her relief from her headaches.
The preliminary results of her lumbar puncture looks good, though they are still waiting the cytology report to declare the spine clear of any disease. She had her mammogram today, but don't yet have those results either. She had her third radiation treatment today and thus far does not seem to be suffering any ill effects from it.
When Dr. Burke came by today, he explained to her that the brain lining is also being effected by the cancer and the fluid that this produces is part of the cause of the headaches along with the tumors. If she continues to progress, he anticipates letting her go home on Friday but neither she nor I want her to leave the hospital before she is ready.
Please continue to be in prayer that the radiation treatments will be effective at destroying the tumors and giving her relief from her headaches.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday Update
Cheryl had a rough morning. Still fighting the nausea and headache, she only had a few bites to eat up through lunch time. They got her on an IV with fluids as the day progressed and this seems to be helping the nausea quite a bit.
They took her down for the lumbar puncture (spinal tap) today but we have not yet received the results of that biopsy. The good news is that she had enough pain meds in her that she barely felt the local anesthetic they gave her before doing the procedure. Cheryl did not have the planned mammogram today so we are expecting that to happen tomorrow.
Dr. Burke came by and spoke with her this morning and explained how rarely he has seen brain metastases with ovarian cancer. He said that she is responding well to the current course of meds and that we will know more about what is going on when we have he other test results. I went to work today so I did not have a chance to ask him any questions.
This evening Cheryl was able to eat part of a serving of mashed potatoes with gravy and about half a chicken tender. It stayed down and the fact that she was finally able to keep something on her stomach did perk her up a bit. I left out a little before 9 PM and she was already drifting off to sleep. I'm so glad that they are finally getting the headaches and nausea under control.
Please be in prayer that this improvement will continue. Also, pray that the results of the lumbar puncture will not show positive for cancer.
They took her down for the lumbar puncture (spinal tap) today but we have not yet received the results of that biopsy. The good news is that she had enough pain meds in her that she barely felt the local anesthetic they gave her before doing the procedure. Cheryl did not have the planned mammogram today so we are expecting that to happen tomorrow.
Dr. Burke came by and spoke with her this morning and explained how rarely he has seen brain metastases with ovarian cancer. He said that she is responding well to the current course of meds and that we will know more about what is going on when we have he other test results. I went to work today so I did not have a chance to ask him any questions.
This evening Cheryl was able to eat part of a serving of mashed potatoes with gravy and about half a chicken tender. It stayed down and the fact that she was finally able to keep something on her stomach did perk her up a bit. I left out a little before 9 PM and she was already drifting off to sleep. I'm so glad that they are finally getting the headaches and nausea under control.
Please be in prayer that this improvement will continue. Also, pray that the results of the lumbar puncture will not show positive for cancer.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Day 2 Current Stay Update
The radiation oncologist came in this morning and told us that the MRI showed five small tumors in Cheryl's brain. There are two at the back, two in the middle and one in the front. He said that the largest is about the size of a Raisenette. The standard treatment is to do two weeks of whole brain radiation. Each daily session will last about 15 minutes. She can expect to lose her hair and may have some nausea and mild confusion. He checked her CT scans from last month and said the goods news is that the chemo appears to be working from the neck down and that her torso and abdomen show no signs of tumor activity.
They gave her the first radiation treatment today and will continue to do so until she gets out of the hospital. Then, she will continue daily (Monday-Friday)on an outpatient basis. Dr. Pederson (Radiation Oncologist) said that they usually have great success using radiation on brain mets and are able to stop the cancer's spread. They will do a follow up MRI in three months to make sure that they've got it all.
Tomorrow, she will be having a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to check for cancer cells in the spinal fluid and a mammogram to make sure that it has not spread that route.
She is still experiencing a lot of nausea and headaches as soon as her meds wear off. I told the nurse that we can almost set a clock by her since she starts asking for the next dose right on schedule. The past several days have been really rough for nausea as she has gotten sick on almost everything she has tried to eat. She was finally able to keep down a bowl of soup at lunch and a little jello this evening.
Please be in prayer that the radiation treatments will be effective at killing the tumors in her brain and that the other tests will be negative and that the meds will keep the headaches and nausea under control.
They gave her the first radiation treatment today and will continue to do so until she gets out of the hospital. Then, she will continue daily (Monday-Friday)on an outpatient basis. Dr. Pederson (Radiation Oncologist) said that they usually have great success using radiation on brain mets and are able to stop the cancer's spread. They will do a follow up MRI in three months to make sure that they've got it all.
Tomorrow, she will be having a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to check for cancer cells in the spinal fluid and a mammogram to make sure that it has not spread that route.
She is still experiencing a lot of nausea and headaches as soon as her meds wear off. I told the nurse that we can almost set a clock by her since she starts asking for the next dose right on schedule. The past several days have been really rough for nausea as she has gotten sick on almost everything she has tried to eat. She was finally able to keep down a bowl of soup at lunch and a little jello this evening.
Please be in prayer that the radiation treatments will be effective at killing the tumors in her brain and that the other tests will be negative and that the meds will keep the headaches and nausea under control.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Headaches and Hospitals
Cheryl went to see her oncologist,Dr. Negrea, this morning with another fierce headache. Along with that she's been having some nausea and even a couple of incidents of double vision. After a couple of hours in the office getting vitals and doing a basic exam, they decided to admit her to the hospital for further tests. Dr. Negrea wanted her to have an MRI and spinal tap along with any other test that these may point to and he has referred her for a neurology consult.
I had a brief conversation with the PA as we were on our way out and asked what they were looking for with these tests. She said that they are looking for brain mets (central nervous system metastases) or an infection.
We got into admissions at Memorial shortly after 1 PM. While there, they gave her some anti-nausea and pain meds. She finally got into a room shortly before 5 PM. The on call neurologist stopped by and did a couple of quick checks and said that the neurologist would review the MRI in the morning. Cheryl finally had her MRI done after 8 PM.
She's had several bouts of nausea today. It seems to be triggered by motion so we had the patient transport techs be very careful when taking her from place to place.
I left the hospital around 10 PM and she was settled in with the football game on. They had given her a dose of anti-nausea and pain meds and she seemed to be relaxing a bit.
Please be in prayer that the radiologist/neurologist/oncologist will be able to figure out the cause of the headaches and be able to find an effective treatment.
She is in room 435. The direct line is 912-350-5435.
I had a brief conversation with the PA as we were on our way out and asked what they were looking for with these tests. She said that they are looking for brain mets (central nervous system metastases) or an infection.
We got into admissions at Memorial shortly after 1 PM. While there, they gave her some anti-nausea and pain meds. She finally got into a room shortly before 5 PM. The on call neurologist stopped by and did a couple of quick checks and said that the neurologist would review the MRI in the morning. Cheryl finally had her MRI done after 8 PM.
She's had several bouts of nausea today. It seems to be triggered by motion so we had the patient transport techs be very careful when taking her from place to place.
I left the hospital around 10 PM and she was settled in with the football game on. They had given her a dose of anti-nausea and pain meds and she seemed to be relaxing a bit.
Please be in prayer that the radiologist/neurologist/oncologist will be able to figure out the cause of the headaches and be able to find an effective treatment.
She is in room 435. The direct line is 912-350-5435.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving with a twist
We are most thankful to have another Thanksgiving together and to have been able to see our families during October and November. Over the past several weeks, since Cheryl finished her second course of chemotherapy, we have taken the time to travel and share time with our loved ones. We've visited Michelle, Chris, Jonas, Susannah and Abigail in Owensboro,KY, Jason, Sharon and Dylan in north Georgia, Cheryl's Mom, four sisters and two aunts in Rockingham,NC, and my Mom, four siblings and their families in Thomasville, GA.
Cheryl has been having a problem with headaches for the past couple of weeks and she has also been having intermittent nausea. The pain in her head worsened to the point that she asked me to call Dr. Negrea's office while we were visiting in Thomasville. The doctor's assistant told us to get the emergency room at Memorial Hospital in Savannah and have them do a head workup to rule out inter-cranial metastasis and give her something for her pain and nausea.
We cut our visit short and left Thomasville shortly after lunch and arrived at Savannah around 6PM. We made a couple of brief stops for Cheryl to get out and move around and we stopped by the house to swap out bags in case they decided to admit her.
She received a couple doses of high strength pain reliever and repeated doses of anti-nausea medicine before going down for a CT of her head. Shortly after 11PM, the nurse let us know that her status had been changed to pending discharge since the CT had not shown any visible tumors in her head. The doctor did say that a CT is not the ideal way to check for brain mets (cancer that has spread into the cranium) but that he was sure that Dr. Negrea would order additional tests after her appointment on Tuesday. We were sent home with prescriptions for two types of pain medicine and a relatively high dose of anti-nausea medicine.
After waiting a half an hour at the 24 hour CVS, we finally made it home just before 1 AM. During the night Cheryl took the first dose of one pain med found that it made her nauseous. We are now trying to juggle the combination so she will have a good dose of the anti-nausea meds in her system when she takes her pain pills.
Cheryl is still complaining about intense pain in the back of her head and we are hoping that the medicine that she is taking will hold it to a tolerable level until she gets in to see the oncologist.
Please be praying with us that the pain / nausea meds will work and that these symptoms that she is having are not caused by a recurrence or spread of her cancer.
Cheryl has been having a problem with headaches for the past couple of weeks and she has also been having intermittent nausea. The pain in her head worsened to the point that she asked me to call Dr. Negrea's office while we were visiting in Thomasville. The doctor's assistant told us to get the emergency room at Memorial Hospital in Savannah and have them do a head workup to rule out inter-cranial metastasis and give her something for her pain and nausea.
We cut our visit short and left Thomasville shortly after lunch and arrived at Savannah around 6PM. We made a couple of brief stops for Cheryl to get out and move around and we stopped by the house to swap out bags in case they decided to admit her.
She received a couple doses of high strength pain reliever and repeated doses of anti-nausea medicine before going down for a CT of her head. Shortly after 11PM, the nurse let us know that her status had been changed to pending discharge since the CT had not shown any visible tumors in her head. The doctor did say that a CT is not the ideal way to check for brain mets (cancer that has spread into the cranium) but that he was sure that Dr. Negrea would order additional tests after her appointment on Tuesday. We were sent home with prescriptions for two types of pain medicine and a relatively high dose of anti-nausea medicine.
After waiting a half an hour at the 24 hour CVS, we finally made it home just before 1 AM. During the night Cheryl took the first dose of one pain med found that it made her nauseous. We are now trying to juggle the combination so she will have a good dose of the anti-nausea meds in her system when she takes her pain pills.
Cheryl is still complaining about intense pain in the back of her head and we are hoping that the medicine that she is taking will hold it to a tolerable level until she gets in to see the oncologist.
Please be praying with us that the pain / nausea meds will work and that these symptoms that she is having are not caused by a recurrence or spread of her cancer.
Monday, November 7, 2011
A Change in Chemotherapy
Cheryl got a call from Dr. Negrea, (medical oncologist) last week to let her know that her CA125 marker had effectively doubled in the thirty days since her last round of Doxil/Gemzar. This usually indicates that the cancer is active in the body.
Today, she had an appointment with Dr. Burke,(gynecologic oncologist that did her initial diagnosis and surgery). We discussed what the doubling of her CA125 means. He reviewed her CAT scan from August and said that it showed no evidence of disease progression but since the doubling has occurred since then, he would like for her to have another scan this month to see if anything shows up.
He said that Cheryl will no longer take the Doxil/Gemzar combination since it is not dropping or controlling her count and that he wants to put her on a different regimen of Avastin and a daily oral chemotherapy. This will all need to be coordinated with insurance and she should begin this new treatment after Thanksgiving.
Please keep Cheryl in your prayers as this new drug does have a fairly high potential for side-effects.
Today, she had an appointment with Dr. Burke,(gynecologic oncologist that did her initial diagnosis and surgery). We discussed what the doubling of her CA125 means. He reviewed her CAT scan from August and said that it showed no evidence of disease progression but since the doubling has occurred since then, he would like for her to have another scan this month to see if anything shows up.
He said that Cheryl will no longer take the Doxil/Gemzar combination since it is not dropping or controlling her count and that he wants to put her on a different regimen of Avastin and a daily oral chemotherapy. This will all need to be coordinated with insurance and she should begin this new treatment after Thanksgiving.
Please keep Cheryl in your prayers as this new drug does have a fairly high potential for side-effects.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Back Out in Public
Cheryl and I went shopping at the mall Friday afternoon and today, she was able to make it to church for the Homecoming service and fellowship afterwards. It was great to be able to see everyone and get caught up on goings on. Don't we make a cute couple in our color coordinated outfits???
We are praying that this will be the first of many weeks back in fellowship.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Chemo- Not Over Yet
Cheryl finished the second session of round six of her chemotherapy on Friday. She also had an appointment with the oncologist, Dr. Negrea. They discussed the fact that her count has not dropped as far as they would like so he is recommending that she continue chemotherapy indefinitely to keep the cancer at bay.
Since she is tolerating it well, he feels that this is the best course to follow. She will be able to go out in public again, attend church,do some shopping, etc as long as she observes reasonable precautions. The plan is for her to receive the same medicines that she has been on but it may take a bit for them to line up additional Doxil since it is in short supply. She will be on a flexible schedule so we can visit family and do some holiday traveling.
Pray that this new treatment plan will be effective and that Cheryl will continue to tolerate it well.
Since she is tolerating it well, he feels that this is the best course to follow. She will be able to go out in public again, attend church,do some shopping, etc as long as she observes reasonable precautions. The plan is for her to receive the same medicines that she has been on but it may take a bit for them to line up additional Doxil since it is in short supply. She will be on a flexible schedule so we can visit family and do some holiday traveling.
Pray that this new treatment plan will be effective and that Cheryl will continue to tolerate it well.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Round Six Underway
Cheryl had her first session of round six of chemotherapy on Friday. The session went well and she had an informative appointment with the PA. She also had a chance to show off pictures of our newest granddaughter, Abigail Rose Nebel.
Yesterday and today she has been extremely tired and feeling generally miserable. This coming Friday will be her final session of chemo so we are praying that it will have the desired effect and push the cancer into a lengthy remission.
Cheryl says that all of this is worth it since we are planning to go visit Abigail(and the rest of the Nebel family) in a few weeks.
Yesterday and today she has been extremely tired and feeling generally miserable. This coming Friday will be her final session of chemo so we are praying that it will have the desired effect and push the cancer into a lengthy remission.
Cheryl says that all of this is worth it since we are planning to go visit Abigail(and the rest of the Nebel family) in a few weeks.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Moving in the Right Direction
Cheryl had her second treatment of round five today. While there, she received a copy of her blood work from last Friday. Her CA125 dropped from 61.3 to 50.4 which is still above the desired level of 35 or less. Her other blood work and metabolic panel levels are at or close to normal values so she is able to continue treatment.
Her next CA125 will be taken when she starts round six in two weeks. Please be praying that the count continues to drop.
Her next CA125 will be taken when she starts round six in two weeks. Please be praying that the count continues to drop.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Round Five Underway
Cheryl had her first dose of her fifth round of chemo today. The PA discussed the results from last week's CT scan and said that everything looks good. The levels on her routine bloodwork are still holding up. Today's CA-125 results should be posted the first of next week but may have a day or two delay because of the Labor Day holiday.
Other than being a bit tired, Cheryl is feeling well. A couple of ladies from church dropped by for a visit this week and that did her a lot of good. We're still eagerly awaiting the news of our new granddaughter's arrival in the next couple of weeks but are a bit sad that we won't be able to travel to see her until after Cheryl finishes round six, the end of this month.
Pray that the chemo will continue to push the cancer all the way into remission.
Other than being a bit tired, Cheryl is feeling well. A couple of ladies from church dropped by for a visit this week and that did her a lot of good. We're still eagerly awaiting the news of our new granddaughter's arrival in the next couple of weeks but are a bit sad that we won't be able to travel to see her until after Cheryl finishes round six, the end of this month.
Pray that the chemo will continue to push the cancer all the way into remission.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
CA-125 Update
Cheryl had a call from her oncologist with her CA-125 results from last Friday. Her count has risen from 44 on her last test up to 61 on this test. Dr. Negrea said to not panic and that this is not unusual when taking a break during chemotherapy. She has her second session of round four tomorrow. Her next CA-125 check will be in two weeks when she starts round five.
On another note, Cheryl will be having a routine CT scan with contrast next Tuesday. This is not due to the CA-125 increase but had been planned since she started this series of chemo.
Cheryl continues to feel well, although she does tire easily. Please continue to pray with us that this rise in her CA-125 is only a temporary hiccup and that it will continue its downward path in the coming weeks. She has two great reasons to keep going- Michelle's baby girl due in four weeks and Sharon's baby ??? due in March.
On another note, Cheryl will be having a routine CT scan with contrast next Tuesday. This is not due to the CA-125 increase but had been planned since she started this series of chemo.
Cheryl continues to feel well, although she does tire easily. Please continue to pray with us that this rise in her CA-125 is only a temporary hiccup and that it will continue its downward path in the coming weeks. She has two great reasons to keep going- Michelle's baby girl due in four weeks and Sharon's baby ??? due in March.
Friday, August 12, 2011
4th Round of Chemo
Cheryl was able to start her fourth round of chemo today. All of her regular blood work looked to be in normal range. Even her white cell count has come back up during this short break. They also tested for the CA-125 cancer marker but the results of that test will not be available until the beginning of next week.
Other than being a bit tired this evening, she seems to be doing fine. We are praying that the CA-125 will still be at or below the 44 she had on the previous test and that this round of chemo will continue the push toward remission.
Other than being a bit tired this evening, she seems to be doing fine. We are praying that the CA-125 will still be at or below the 44 she had on the previous test and that this round of chemo will continue the push toward remission.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Cleared for Chemo
Cheryl had a follow-up appointment with her pulmonologist, Dr. Wumi, this afternoon. He and all of his staff commented on how well she appears to be doing. All of her vitals were good and he was especially pleased to note that her blood oxygen saturation is at 100%. So far, the cultures they took during last week's bronchoscope have shown no signs of infection but this may be due to her preceding course of antibiotics. Because of this, it may take up to six weeks for anything to show up so he will notify us and all of Cheryl's other doctors if anything appears.
At this point, her breathing is clear and her cough has noticeably diminished. He did caution Cheryl about getting close to anyone with any illness since her body is in such a susceptible state to opportunistic infections.
Dr. Wumi plans to contact Cheryl's oncologist, Dr. Negrea, tomorrow with a report of his findings and recommend that she be put back on her chemotherapy schedule.
Pray that they will be able to get her worked back in quickly and that the chemo will continue to be effective as it has been on previous rounds. Also, the national news has been reporting that there is a worldwide shortage of Doxil which is one of the chemotherapy drugs that Cheryl is receiving so also be in prayer that local supplies will be adequate.
At this point, her breathing is clear and her cough has noticeably diminished. He did caution Cheryl about getting close to anyone with any illness since her body is in such a susceptible state to opportunistic infections.
Dr. Wumi plans to contact Cheryl's oncologist, Dr. Negrea, tomorrow with a report of his findings and recommend that she be put back on her chemotherapy schedule.
Pray that they will be able to get her worked back in quickly and that the chemo will continue to be effective as it has been on previous rounds. Also, the national news has been reporting that there is a worldwide shortage of Doxil which is one of the chemotherapy drugs that Cheryl is receiving so also be in prayer that local supplies will be adequate.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Bronchoscopy Wednesday
On Monday afternoon, after reviewing Cheryl's x-rays and CT scan and listening to her breathing, Dr. Wumi determined that she has fluid infiltration of the alveoli. He heard some crackling in her inhalation and noted that her lungs are not filling completely with air. In English, that's fluid buildup around the air sacs in the lung. This can be caused by a reaction to the chemotherapy or by an opportunistic infection. If this is a reaction to the chemo, she can be given steroids to reduce the inflammation but if it is an infection, steroids are contraindicated and she would need to be given targeted antibiotics.
Dr. Wumi had planned to do a bronchoscopy with several biopsies but after consultation with Dr. Horesh, Cheryl's vascular doctor, they have decided to pass on performing the biopsies since this would require Cheryl to be off her Lovenox (blood thinner) for half a day and would require placement of another venous filter before proceeding.
Instead, Dr. Wumi will do the bronchoscopy coupled with a wash of her lung to get samples for culture to determine the cause of the inflammation.
The procedure will involve twilight sedation and should take about half an hour. If all goes well, we should have Cheryl home by mid-afternoon. She will be a bit loopy for several hours but should have no ill-effects from the scope.
Dr. Wumi had planned to do a bronchoscopy with several biopsies but after consultation with Dr. Horesh, Cheryl's vascular doctor, they have decided to pass on performing the biopsies since this would require Cheryl to be off her Lovenox (blood thinner) for half a day and would require placement of another venous filter before proceeding.
Instead, Dr. Wumi will do the bronchoscopy coupled with a wash of her lung to get samples for culture to determine the cause of the inflammation.
The procedure will involve twilight sedation and should take about half an hour. If all goes well, we should have Cheryl home by mid-afternoon. She will be a bit loopy for several hours but should have no ill-effects from the scope.
Friday, July 22, 2011
No Chemo Today
Cheryl was scheduled to start her fourth round of chemo today but that has been put on hold for a bit. She started running a fever last Saturday of around 102. The fever would drop after taking a full dose of Tylenol bu as soon as it wore off, the fever would return. The doctor called in a prescription for Augmentin (antibiotic) which she has been taking twice daily since Saturday evening and her fever continues to return when the Tylenol wears off. She has also been having a dry cough when talking or during mild exertion.
When we arrived for her chemo appointment this morning, the PA took her back to an exam room and updated her vitals. She seemed to think that there is something going on with the pleural effusion in Cheryl's right lung cavity so she had a chest x-ray done at the Lewis Cancer Pavilion. Those results were inconclusive so they sent her over to the hospital for a CT scan of her chest and have scheduled her an appointment on Monday 7/25 with Dr. Wumi. He is the pulmonologist that gave Cheryl her initial diagnosis last summer. She was given a prescription for another antibiotic to take in the meantime.
After Dr. Wumi figures out what is causing the persistent fever and gets it under control Cheryl will be put back on the chemo schedule.
Please be in prayer that this problem can be resolved quickly and that it will not delay further treatment.
When we arrived for her chemo appointment this morning, the PA took her back to an exam room and updated her vitals. She seemed to think that there is something going on with the pleural effusion in Cheryl's right lung cavity so she had a chest x-ray done at the Lewis Cancer Pavilion. Those results were inconclusive so they sent her over to the hospital for a CT scan of her chest and have scheduled her an appointment on Monday 7/25 with Dr. Wumi. He is the pulmonologist that gave Cheryl her initial diagnosis last summer. She was given a prescription for another antibiotic to take in the meantime.
After Dr. Wumi figures out what is causing the persistent fever and gets it under control Cheryl will be put back on the chemo schedule.
Please be in prayer that this problem can be resolved quickly and that it will not delay further treatment.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Celebrate the 4th with a 44.2
We got Cheryl's latest CA125 today. She has dropped from 89.6 on the test she had on 12 June to 44.2 on the test that was done on 1 July. We are very glad to see that she is responding quickly to the chemo and are encouraged that it has dropped so much after each round.
Overall, she is feeling pretty good and is able to get quite a bit accomplished around the house. Sundays after chemo are usually a down day for her, but by midday Monday, she is generally back to feeling normal.
Continue to pray that her count will keep dropping and that we eventually get a pronouncement of remission.
Overall, she is feeling pretty good and is able to get quite a bit accomplished around the house. Sundays after chemo are usually a down day for her, but by midday Monday, she is generally back to feeling normal.
Continue to pray that her count will keep dropping and that we eventually get a pronouncement of remission.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Year Ago Today ...
A year ago today, June 29th, we were told that Cheryl has cancer. In the ensuing twelve months, she has endured major surgery, hospitalizations for blood clots and lung drains, a complete course of chemotherapy, what we thought was remission, relapse and now she is two rounds into another course of chemotherapy. What a year this has been but we're still here. We had a great visit with Michelle, Jonas and Susannah this past weekend. Cheryl was able to get down on the floor and play games with both kids. I got to pick and share fresh garden produce with Susannah and Jonas had his private time with Grandmama in the Thomas the Tank Engine tent. We both immensely enjoyed Michelle's company over their three day stay.
Today, Cheryl had her follow up with the pulmonologist, Dr. Jones. They reviewed her latest chest CT scan and said that her lungs look good and that overall she is doing great. The pleurodesis procedure on her left chest cavity has had the desired result and she is no longer building up fluid there. Her coughing has cleared up and she appears to have normal lung function. Dr. Jones said that she should not have to see him again unless something else comes up later or the oncologist requests it.
On Friday, she will be going in to begin her third round of chemotherapy. At that time her CA125 and other blood counts will be taken to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment. If appearance and feeling good are reliable measures then she is definitely better off today than she was a year ago when this all started.
Please continue to pray that this chemotherapy will push the cancer into long-term remission.
Monday, June 13, 2011
A New Day and A New (lower) Number
Cheryl called in to Dr. Negrea's office today to see if her CA125 results had been posted yet. She was very pleasantly surprised to be told that the new reading is 89.6, almost 200 points below the reading they took before she began this new chemotherapy.
After Cheryl's relapse, Dr. Burke told us that his goal is to push the cancer back into remission. We are praying that this good start will carry through and that each subsequent reading will be lower yet.
Cheryl will have her second session of this second round this coming Friday then she will get two weeks off before repeating the process.
After Cheryl's relapse, Dr. Burke told us that his goal is to push the cancer back into remission. We are praying that this good start will carry through and that each subsequent reading will be lower yet.
Cheryl will have her second session of this second round this coming Friday then she will get two weeks off before repeating the process.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Celebrated #54
Cheryl had a great celebration of her birthday on Tuesday. The day started out with phone calls from her mom, followed by the grandkids and many friends. Noontime brought a group of ladies from the church who brought lunch and a cake. Later in the afternoon, she had more visits and calls from friends and neighbors. We wrapped up the day with a steak dinner and a box of Godiva chocolates. It was a day she will long remember. She is thankful to be here to celebrate another birthday.
Friday was round two of chemo. Her CBC still shows red and white cell counts in the normal range and she is experiencing no side effects from the chemo so far. They drew her CA125 but we will not have those results until some time next week.
Continue to pray that the chemo will be effective and that the side effects stay minimal.
Friday was round two of chemo. Her CBC still shows red and white cell counts in the normal range and she is experiencing no side effects from the chemo so far. They drew her CA125 but we will not have those results until some time next week.
Continue to pray that the chemo will be effective and that the side effects stay minimal.
Friday, June 3, 2011
A Good Week
This week has been uneventful for Cheryl. Other than trips to town for an echo-cardiogram and some blood work, she has not had to see any medical professionals. She is a bit tired and has been having some morning nausea but overall is feeling well.
We had an early celebration of her birthday when Jason, Sharon and Dylan visited back in May and we plan to invite folks from church, neighbors and area friends to drop in on her this coming Tuesday. I'm picking up cupcakes so there will not be a lot of overhead to get things ready.
Be in prayer that the echo-cardiogram and blood work were within normal range and that neither will interfere with her next chemotherapy on the 10th.
We had an early celebration of her birthday when Jason, Sharon and Dylan visited back in May and we plan to invite folks from church, neighbors and area friends to drop in on her this coming Tuesday. I'm picking up cupcakes so there will not be a lot of overhead to get things ready.
Be in prayer that the echo-cardiogram and blood work were within normal range and that neither will interfere with her next chemotherapy on the 10th.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Round One Down
Cheryl had the second session of this round of her chemotherapy today. This went quicker than her previous session since she only received the anti-nausea drug and Gemzar. Other than being a bit tired this afternoon, she is feeling well.
They checked her CBC (Complete Blood Count) before beginning her chemo and all of her red and white cells are still in normal range. The nurse also gave her the CA125 result from the test which was performed before they began chemo last week. The count was 282.3, a rise of 78.3 from April test. This will be the baseline that Dr. Negrea and Dr.Burke will use to determine if this chemotherapy mix is working.
Cheryl's next chemotherapy will be on June 10th and that is also when she will have her next CA125 count done. We are praying that the numbers will begin to drop after this first round of chemo but it may take up to two rounds to see if it is working.
We appreciate the notes, cards, letters, calls and rides to Savannah. We ask for your continued prayers for Cheryl's recovery.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Good Weekend Visit and Clots Are Cleared
So far, Cheryl is handling the chemo well. Other than a mildly elevated temperature and some fatigue, she is pretty well her usual self.
We had a great time this weekend when Jason, Sharon and Dylan came to visit. Cheryl was able to spend quality time with each of them. We did up an oven full of ribs on Saturday and Jason prepared a roast for Sunday lunch. We celebrated Cheryl's birthday a few days early with an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Jason and Sharon helped get the house back in order before leaving Sunday afternoon. All they left behind were some pleasant memories.
Today, Dr. Horesh, the vascular surgeon, checked to make sure that the clots in Cheryl's pelvis have cleared/absorbed. Since they were no longer visible, he went ahead and removed the filter from her abdomen. She was given Benadryl and twilight sedation. They went in through her jugular vein (just above her collarbone) to pull it out past the line of her IV port. As you can see by the picture, the filter was about two inches long.
The side of Cheryl's neck is a bit tender and she is still somewhat groggy from the medication they gave her this afternoon. With this out of the way, she is on track for her next session of chemotherapy on Thursday. Continue to pray that it will be effective in fighting her cancer into remission.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
First Day Report
Cheryl's chemotherapy session at the Lewis Cancer Center went well. Everything went according to plan, even though it was a little behind on the time. She began with an anti-nausea drug and then went on to receive Doxil and Gemzar. Her CBC (complete blood count) results were good and should help make any blood related problems such as low white or red cell counts from occurring too soon.
While there, she had the nurse/PA and doctor check out the wound from her pleurodesis procedure two weeks ago that has not finished healing. They consulted with Dr. Jones, the thoracic surgeon for his recommendation. They then cleaned it up a bit and prescribed an antibiotic and offered suggestions on care. If it hasn't finished healing by next week, Cheryl will need to go back to Dr. Jones for follow-up.
She returns for her next session of Gemzar next Thursday and at that appointment should receive her CA125 results from today.
While there, she had the nurse/PA and doctor check out the wound from her pleurodesis procedure two weeks ago that has not finished healing. They consulted with Dr. Jones, the thoracic surgeon for his recommendation. They then cleaned it up a bit and prescribed an antibiotic and offered suggestions on care. If it hasn't finished healing by next week, Cheryl will need to go back to Dr. Jones for follow-up.
She returns for her next session of Gemzar next Thursday and at that appointment should receive her CA125 results from today.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
And It's Back To Chemo...
Insurance and scheduling have all come together and Cheryl will be starting back in chemotherapy at 11 AM Thursday at the Lewis Cancer Center at Candler Hospital in Savannah.. She will be under the care of Dr. Negrea, a general oncologist for this course.
According to the plan, she will be given anti-nausea medication and will then get a dose of Doxil followed by Gemzar. This will be followed in eight days by a repeat of the Gemzar. There will be a test of Cheryl's CA-125 level at the start of each 21 day cycle to verify the effectiveness of treatment.
http://www.doxil.com/
http://www.gemzar.com/Pages/index.aspx
On another note, the vascular surgeon's office called today and has scheduled Cheryl for an appointment next Tuesday to remove the venous filter they placed in her abdomen during her last hospital stay due to the clots in her pelvis.
Please be in prayer with us for the effectiveness of the drugs and Cheryl's safety and health through all of this.
According to the plan, she will be given anti-nausea medication and will then get a dose of Doxil followed by Gemzar. This will be followed in eight days by a repeat of the Gemzar. There will be a test of Cheryl's CA-125 level at the start of each 21 day cycle to verify the effectiveness of treatment.
http://www.doxil.com/
http://www.gemzar.com/Pages/index.aspx
On another note, the vascular surgeon's office called today and has scheduled Cheryl for an appointment next Tuesday to remove the venous filter they placed in her abdomen during her last hospital stay due to the clots in her pelvis.
Please be in prayer with us for the effectiveness of the drugs and Cheryl's safety and health through all of this.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Home At Last
We finally got Cheryl home shortly before lunch today. She rested well overnight and after we saw Dr. Horesh (vascular surgeon),she was cleared for release from the hospital and normal activity.
Next week brings another round of appointments and follow ups from this stay. She will also be seeing Dr. Negrea (oncologist) about getting her chemotherapy started as quickly as possible.
They will not be doing anything at this time to treat the large hernia in Cheryl's abdomen since getting back in to chemotherapy is the priority.
We want to thank everyone for the calls, cards, visits and prayers during this past week and we continue to covet your prayers in the weeks to come. As soon as we see how well the chemo is working, I'll make a new post.
Next week brings another round of appointments and follow ups from this stay. She will also be seeing Dr. Negrea (oncologist) about getting her chemotherapy started as quickly as possible.
They will not be doing anything at this time to treat the large hernia in Cheryl's abdomen since getting back in to chemotherapy is the priority.
We want to thank everyone for the calls, cards, visits and prayers during this past week and we continue to covet your prayers in the weeks to come. As soon as we see how well the chemo is working, I'll make a new post.
Friday, May 6, 2011
We Thought Cheryl Was Coming Home
Cheryl called me this morning while I was at work and let me know that Dr. Jones removed her drains and that she was being cleared to check out this afternoon. They removed her IV and said that they would be working on her paperwork. When I got to the hospital around 4:30, I stopped by the nurse's station to let them know that I'd arrived. At that point, they were still working on getting her chart closed out.
I carried Cheryl a set of clean clothes to the hospital so she quickly got cleaned up and changed and we sat on the bed, watching TV and waited for her discharge. During the evening news, the vascular surgeon walks in and asks us where Cheryl is going. Of course, we replied that we were waiting for her discharge paperwork.
He said that he was glad that he caught us before she checked out because in going over her abdominal and pelvic CAT scans, he discovered two blood clots in her pelvic area. He said that Cheryl needed to have a filter inserted to keep these clots from migrating to her heart. He further explained that she was in grave danger without the filter and than almost any sort of movement could dislodge them.
A few minutes later, a couple of nurses from the vascular surgery department came to Cheryl's room and whisked her down to their department to get the filter inserted. Since she is allergic to iodine contrast, they gave her a full dose of Prednisone, Benadryl and her painkiller at the same time. The filter was inserted through her right groin and she had to remain still and lie flat for two hours after it was over. After the procedure she stayed pretty loopy for over an hour.
The plan is now to release her tomorrow if nothing else shows up and have her return for a follow-up in a week and then in two weeks have the filter removed.
Please be praying that she has no further complications or events to disrupt her treatment.
I carried Cheryl a set of clean clothes to the hospital so she quickly got cleaned up and changed and we sat on the bed, watching TV and waited for her discharge. During the evening news, the vascular surgeon walks in and asks us where Cheryl is going. Of course, we replied that we were waiting for her discharge paperwork.
He said that he was glad that he caught us before she checked out because in going over her abdominal and pelvic CAT scans, he discovered two blood clots in her pelvic area. He said that Cheryl needed to have a filter inserted to keep these clots from migrating to her heart. He further explained that she was in grave danger without the filter and than almost any sort of movement could dislodge them.
A few minutes later, a couple of nurses from the vascular surgery department came to Cheryl's room and whisked her down to their department to get the filter inserted. Since she is allergic to iodine contrast, they gave her a full dose of Prednisone, Benadryl and her painkiller at the same time. The filter was inserted through her right groin and she had to remain still and lie flat for two hours after it was over. After the procedure she stayed pretty loopy for over an hour.
The plan is now to release her tomorrow if nothing else shows up and have her return for a follow-up in a week and then in two weeks have the filter removed.
Please be praying that she has no further complications or events to disrupt her treatment.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Still in the Hospital
Cheryl has had another good day at Memorial. Both of her chest drains continue to produce fluid but as the day progressed they have begun to taper off some. It will be up to Dr. Jones as to when the tube(s) come out. He told us before the procedure that she may go home with the smaller tube still in place.
One of the interns came in early and gave her the good news that her abdominal swelling is not due to a tumor but is a hernia. Dr. Burke came by later in the day to follow up on that info and to let her know that since her cancer activity is in her chest/lung area that she will not be a candidate for one of the clinical trials.
As soon as Dr. Jones (thoracic surgeon) clears her, Dr. Burke wants to get her started on chemotherapy. At this point he wants to try her on Gemzar and Doxil in an every 21 day regimen. She will go through a couple of rounds of these drugs and they will continue to monitor her CA125. It it drops, they will continue with these drugs until they get her into normal range and if it doesn't work, they will try different drugs to see if they can find something that will slow/stop it.
Continue to pray for healing from this procedure and for effectiveness in the chemo once it begins.
One of the interns came in early and gave her the good news that her abdominal swelling is not due to a tumor but is a hernia. Dr. Burke came by later in the day to follow up on that info and to let her know that since her cancer activity is in her chest/lung area that she will not be a candidate for one of the clinical trials.
As soon as Dr. Jones (thoracic surgeon) clears her, Dr. Burke wants to get her started on chemotherapy. At this point he wants to try her on Gemzar and Doxil in an every 21 day regimen. She will go through a couple of rounds of these drugs and they will continue to monitor her CA125. It it drops, they will continue with these drugs until they get her into normal range and if it doesn't work, they will try different drugs to see if they can find something that will slow/stop it.
Continue to pray for healing from this procedure and for effectiveness in the chemo once it begins.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Day Two Update
Cheryl has had a good day in the hospital. She had several visits and phone calls today, which all helped to perk her up. I arrived at the hospital after work this afternoon and found her to be in really good spirits.
Cheryl's chest drains are still producing a large amount of fluid and the Thoracic PA told her that it looks like she will be staying at least two more days. This is line with what Dr. Jones told me yesterday after completing the procedure.
She is fully lucid, even though she is experiencing some pain in her upper left chest and back area. This is most likely being caused by the talc producing the desired scarring. Cheryl does not like to be in pain so whenever it starts to build up she will call the nurse and ask for her next dose of pain reliever.
Cheryl is continuing to experience abdominal bloating. During the day, she was checked by an intern and resident that are studying under Dr. Burke. She also had a visit from him and they had a brief discussion about how we will know more of what we are facing after her scans and tests are complete.
A couple of months ago during a CT scan with contrast, she showed signs that she has developed an allergy to iodine. Because of this, she had to receive several doses of medicine beginning thirteen hours in advance of the CT to avoid a reaction. The CT scans were performed on her abdomen and pelvis this afternoon so Dr. Burke should have the results by tomorrow morning.
Continue to pray for a speedy recovery from this pleurodesis procedure so we can get on with the next round of the fight with this enemy we call ovarian cancer.
Cheryl's chest drains are still producing a large amount of fluid and the Thoracic PA told her that it looks like she will be staying at least two more days. This is line with what Dr. Jones told me yesterday after completing the procedure.
She is fully lucid, even though she is experiencing some pain in her upper left chest and back area. This is most likely being caused by the talc producing the desired scarring. Cheryl does not like to be in pain so whenever it starts to build up she will call the nurse and ask for her next dose of pain reliever.
Cheryl is continuing to experience abdominal bloating. During the day, she was checked by an intern and resident that are studying under Dr. Burke. She also had a visit from him and they had a brief discussion about how we will know more of what we are facing after her scans and tests are complete.
A couple of months ago during a CT scan with contrast, she showed signs that she has developed an allergy to iodine. Because of this, she had to receive several doses of medicine beginning thirteen hours in advance of the CT to avoid a reaction. The CT scans were performed on her abdomen and pelvis this afternoon so Dr. Burke should have the results by tomorrow morning.
Continue to pray for a speedy recovery from this pleurodesis procedure so we can get on with the next round of the fight with this enemy we call ovarian cancer.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Hospital Stay Underway
Cheryl went through the pleurodesis procedure this afternoon. We arrived before 9 AM and she went through a chest x-ray, CT scan and blood work before they hooked up her IV to get her ready for surgery. It was scheduled for noon but got pushed back to 1:15.
The actual procedure took about an hour and she spent two hours in recovery before before being transferred to a room. I had several folks from my Westside and First Baptist church families that spent most of the day with me while I waited.
I met with Dr. Jones while she was in recovery. He said that he drained about 750cc of fluid from her lung and he ran in the scope to see what is going on in her pleural cavity. There are a significant number of small tumors on her pleura (lung cavity lining) and a few spots on her lung. He did not perform any biopsies due to the risk with her being on Heparin (blood thinner). He said that there is not really any need to biopsy tissue since we already know that the diagnosis is (ovarian cancer recurrence). He put in two drain tubes, a large one which will come out in a day or two and a smaller one that she may go home with. Dr. Jones said that since the procedure went well, he hopes to have her go home in three days.
When she first arrived up on the fourth floor she was still a bit groggy and disoriented but after about fifteen or twenty minutes she was very lucid. Shortly before 7 PM she began experiencing some pain in her side and the nurse came and administered her pain meds. I read to her from I Corinthians 13-14 and she began to get very drowsy. I left around 7:30 and let her settle in for the night.
The pleurodesis did relieve her breathing difficulty for now but did not address the abdominal bloating she is experiencing. While she is hospitalized, the oncologist will schedule and review CT scans of her abdomen and peritoneum.
Pray that she will have a speedy recovery and that Dr. Burke will be able to come up with a regimen of chemotherapy that will be effective in this second fight.
The actual procedure took about an hour and she spent two hours in recovery before before being transferred to a room. I had several folks from my Westside and First Baptist church families that spent most of the day with me while I waited.
I met with Dr. Jones while she was in recovery. He said that he drained about 750cc of fluid from her lung and he ran in the scope to see what is going on in her pleural cavity. There are a significant number of small tumors on her pleura (lung cavity lining) and a few spots on her lung. He did not perform any biopsies due to the risk with her being on Heparin (blood thinner). He said that there is not really any need to biopsy tissue since we already know that the diagnosis is (ovarian cancer recurrence). He put in two drain tubes, a large one which will come out in a day or two and a smaller one that she may go home with. Dr. Jones said that since the procedure went well, he hopes to have her go home in three days.
When she first arrived up on the fourth floor she was still a bit groggy and disoriented but after about fifteen or twenty minutes she was very lucid. Shortly before 7 PM she began experiencing some pain in her side and the nurse came and administered her pain meds. I read to her from I Corinthians 13-14 and she began to get very drowsy. I left around 7:30 and let her settle in for the night.
The pleurodesis did relieve her breathing difficulty for now but did not address the abdominal bloating she is experiencing. While she is hospitalized, the oncologist will schedule and review CT scans of her abdomen and peritoneum.
Pray that she will have a speedy recovery and that Dr. Burke will be able to come up with a regimen of chemotherapy that will be effective in this second fight.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Back to the Hospital
Cheryl will going into the hospital on Tuesday, May 3rd for the pleurodesis procedure. She will have a CT early that morning and then around noon, Dr. Jones, the thoracic surgeon, will drain the left lung cavity, take biopsies of her pleura and lung and will then put in talc to cause scarring that should stop or slow additional pleural effusions. The Cleveland Clinic has a good explanation of the procedure: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/pleural_effusion/ts_overview.aspx
After they introduce the schlerosing agent into the lung cavity, Cheryl will have one large bore and one small bore drain. The large drain drain will be removed within the first couple of days and the smaller drain will be removed when fluid output is controlled. Dr. Jones said to expect a two to five day hospital stay to recover and that Cheryl will be in some pain for at least a couple of weeks.
During her hospital stay, Dr. Burke(gynecologic oncologist) will have pelvic and abdominal CT scans performed to determine if there is any recurrent tumors in that region. He is planning to put her back into chemotherapy as soon as she has recovered from the pleurodesis. If the scans show that she has measurable evidence of disease, he would like to enroll her in one of two current clinical trials.
Please be praying that the procedure will go well with no complications and that the biopsies and scans will give the doctors the information that they need to help us continue this fight.
After they introduce the schlerosing agent into the lung cavity, Cheryl will have one large bore and one small bore drain. The large drain drain will be removed within the first couple of days and the smaller drain will be removed when fluid output is controlled. Dr. Jones said to expect a two to five day hospital stay to recover and that Cheryl will be in some pain for at least a couple of weeks.
During her hospital stay, Dr. Burke(gynecologic oncologist) will have pelvic and abdominal CT scans performed to determine if there is any recurrent tumors in that region. He is planning to put her back into chemotherapy as soon as she has recovered from the pleurodesis. If the scans show that she has measurable evidence of disease, he would like to enroll her in one of two current clinical trials.
Please be praying that the procedure will go well with no complications and that the biopsies and scans will give the doctors the information that they need to help us continue this fight.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Count's Up But We're Not Down for the Count
Cheryl had one scheduled doctor's appointment this morning that turned into two. This morning she saw Dr. Wumi, her pulmonologist for a follow-up after having had her pleural effusion drained two weeks ago.
He removed 1.6 liters of fluid from her left pleural cavity and sent it off for cytologic analysis. The report came back as positive for malignancy. They also did a blood panel and another CA-125 test(ovarian cancer marker).Cheryl's CA-125 was 19 a few weeks after she completed chemotherapy. In mid-March it had risen to 97.9 and this latest test showed that her level has risen to 204. This is a strong indicator of a return of cancer.
A chest x-ray done yesterday shows that about 300cc of fluid has already built back up in her chest. Due to this quick a recurrence, Dr. Wumi referred Cheryl back to Dr. Jones, the thoracic surgeon.
Dr. Jones was able to fit her in this afternoon for an appointment and after reviewing her x-rays and history has decided to go ahead and admit her to the hospital next week so he can perform a pleurodesis, a procedure where they open the chest cavity to drain the excess fluid and then blow in talc to cause scarring that should stop the pleural effusion. This will entail a two to five day hospital stay, depending on how quickly she responds to the treatment. I will do another update when we get a date/time for the procedure.
After Cheryl completed her appointment with Dr. Jones, we went down the hall to pass some info to Dr. Burke (gynecologic oncologist). He said that this quick rise in CA125 and other indicators show that Cheryl's cancer is platinum resistant. She will need additional chemotherapy and he will see if she is eligible for a clinical trial.
We are a bit shaken by all of this but we continue to hold on to our faith that God will carry us through. Keep us in your thoughts and prayer in the days to come.
He removed 1.6 liters of fluid from her left pleural cavity and sent it off for cytologic analysis. The report came back as positive for malignancy. They also did a blood panel and another CA-125 test(ovarian cancer marker).Cheryl's CA-125 was 19 a few weeks after she completed chemotherapy. In mid-March it had risen to 97.9 and this latest test showed that her level has risen to 204. This is a strong indicator of a return of cancer.
A chest x-ray done yesterday shows that about 300cc of fluid has already built back up in her chest. Due to this quick a recurrence, Dr. Wumi referred Cheryl back to Dr. Jones, the thoracic surgeon.
Dr. Jones was able to fit her in this afternoon for an appointment and after reviewing her x-rays and history has decided to go ahead and admit her to the hospital next week so he can perform a pleurodesis, a procedure where they open the chest cavity to drain the excess fluid and then blow in talc to cause scarring that should stop the pleural effusion. This will entail a two to five day hospital stay, depending on how quickly she responds to the treatment. I will do another update when we get a date/time for the procedure.
After Cheryl completed her appointment with Dr. Jones, we went down the hall to pass some info to Dr. Burke (gynecologic oncologist). He said that this quick rise in CA125 and other indicators show that Cheryl's cancer is platinum resistant. She will need additional chemotherapy and he will see if she is eligible for a clinical trial.
We are a bit shaken by all of this but we continue to hold on to our faith that God will carry us through. Keep us in your thoughts and prayer in the days to come.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
It's Not Fluid, But What Is It?
Cheryl began experiencing shortness of breath and tiredness over the weekend so she went in for chest x-ray Monday to see if the fluid has returned. I checked with Dr. Wumi's PA this afternoon and she said that the only fluid that was evident on the x-ray was the residual that had also shown up on her post draining x-ray last Thursday.
The PA said that Cheryl may be suffering from an electrolyte imbalance or partial dehydration due to the large quantity of fluid that was drained last week. She recommended that we try to increase Cheryl's fluid intake over the next several days but that if she doesn't start feeling better to go to the ER to get checked out or else schedule an appointment with the oncologist to get their take on what is going on.
After resting nearly all day today, Cheryl does feel a bit better this afternoon than she did this morning. She'll be drinking Gatorade to see if that will help with the electrolyte/dehydration issue.
We know something is not right, please be praying with us that it will either clear up or that the doctors will be able to diagnose and treat it quickly.
The PA said that Cheryl may be suffering from an electrolyte imbalance or partial dehydration due to the large quantity of fluid that was drained last week. She recommended that we try to increase Cheryl's fluid intake over the next several days but that if she doesn't start feeling better to go to the ER to get checked out or else schedule an appointment with the oncologist to get their take on what is going on.
After resting nearly all day today, Cheryl does feel a bit better this afternoon than she did this morning. She'll be drinking Gatorade to see if that will help with the electrolyte/dehydration issue.
We know something is not right, please be praying with us that it will either clear up or that the doctors will be able to diagnose and treat it quickly.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Success and Another Wait
Dr. Wumi(pulmonologist) performed a pleurocentesis on Cheryl's left lung cavity and removed 1.6 liters of fluid. He said that the fluid had increased since her CT scan that was done yesterday morning. She had immediate relief from the pressure and shortness of breath but is still a bit tired due to poor sleep for several nights in a row. On the post-procedure x-ray, we could see that her left lung was fully re-inflated. She may experience some dry coughing and bit of aching as things return to normal.
She is to have another x-ray in two weeks so Dr. Wumi can see if the fluid is recurring or not. He is hoping that this will take care of things for now but said that having this happen after surgery and chemo is usually indicative of malignancy.
If that is the case, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we pray that she quickly regains her energy and that this is just a blip and not a major turn of events.
She is to have another x-ray in two weeks so Dr. Wumi can see if the fluid is recurring or not. He is hoping that this will take care of things for now but said that having this happen after surgery and chemo is usually indicative of malignancy.
If that is the case, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we pray that she quickly regains her energy and that this is just a blip and not a major turn of events.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Fluid Is Back
Cheryl has been complaining about shortness of breath for over a week. Last Friday's visit to the oncologist did not offer any real explanation and her problem continued to worsen over the weekend. On Monday, she called Dr. Wumi, the local pulmonologist's office and they scheduled her an appointment for Tuesday afternoon.
After an exam and review of symptoms, Dr. Wumi said that she might be suffering from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung),so he scheduled her for a CT with and without contrast first thing this morning. Her follow up appointment was at 3:20 this afternoon. Dr. Wumi told us that the the good news is she doesn't have a pulmonary embolism but the bad news is that the pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the lung cavity) that she had when the cancer was diagnosed last summer is back. He let us view the CT scan and showed us that only about a fist sized portion of her left lung can fill with air due to the amount of fluid that has occurred.
This may be a sign that there is active tumor activity in the pleural lining. He won't know for sure until after they have drained the fluid and done a cytology report on it.
I will do an update tomorrow evening. Please be in prayer that this is not a recurrence of her cancer.
After an exam and review of symptoms, Dr. Wumi said that she might be suffering from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung),so he scheduled her for a CT with and without contrast first thing this morning. Her follow up appointment was at 3:20 this afternoon. Dr. Wumi told us that the the good news is she doesn't have a pulmonary embolism but the bad news is that the pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the lung cavity) that she had when the cancer was diagnosed last summer is back. He let us view the CT scan and showed us that only about a fist sized portion of her left lung can fill with air due to the amount of fluid that has occurred.
This may be a sign that there is active tumor activity in the pleural lining. He won't know for sure until after they have drained the fluid and done a cytology report on it.
I will do an update tomorrow evening. Please be in prayer that this is not a recurrence of her cancer.
Friday, April 8, 2011
No Bad News To Report
Cheryl had an appointment with Dr. Robertson(general oncologist) this afternoon as a follow up to her hospital stay last week. She has what appears to be a superficial clot on the inside of left thigh.
Dr. Robertson did a basic exam and decided that everything is "normal" at this point. They tested her blood oxygen and found that it is also in the normal range. He decided that when she finishes her current round of giving herself a 50 mg of Lovenox twice a day that she will switch to one shot a day of 80 mg. He also recommended that she take one baby aspirin a day to help prevent clotting.
She has a follow-up with him in eight weeks. Next week, Cheryl will be getting her CA-125 tested after a 30 day wait. Her level went from 19 shortly after finishing chemo to 97.6 last month. We are praying that the number will either drop or hold steady.
Dr. Robertson did tell us that they do not usually do additional rounds of chemo based solely on the CA-125, even if it is elevated.
Cheryl also has an appointment next week with the vascular doctor that followed her case in the hospital to make sure that all of her circulatory problems are being taken care of.
Dr. Robertson did a basic exam and decided that everything is "normal" at this point. They tested her blood oxygen and found that it is also in the normal range. He decided that when she finishes her current round of giving herself a 50 mg of Lovenox twice a day that she will switch to one shot a day of 80 mg. He also recommended that she take one baby aspirin a day to help prevent clotting.
She has a follow-up with him in eight weeks. Next week, Cheryl will be getting her CA-125 tested after a 30 day wait. Her level went from 19 shortly after finishing chemo to 97.6 last month. We are praying that the number will either drop or hold steady.
Dr. Robertson did tell us that they do not usually do additional rounds of chemo based solely on the CA-125, even if it is elevated.
Cheryl also has an appointment next week with the vascular doctor that followed her case in the hospital to make sure that all of her circulatory problems are being taken care of.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Going Home
After all the focus on cellulitis, the doctors have determined that this was not the problem with Cheryl's right leg. The area that had us all concerned turns out to be inflammation. The doctor discontinued the antibiotic and it appears that things are under control with an anti-inflammatory and Lovenox blood thinner.
On that note, they have decided that Cheryl is a Coumadin failure, meaning that it is not controlling her clotting correctly so she will be going on theraputic Lovenox where she will have to give herself two injections a day.
Her leg pain has cleared up and they are making arrangements to have her discharged today. The vascular surgeon said that she does not want to put in the inferior vena cava filter since it usually ineffective in cancer patients but she does want to do a follow up with Cheryl in a couple of weeks. Cheryl will also have a follow up with the general oncologist.
Afternoon update
Cheryl's discharge paperwork was finished and we were out of the hospital before noon. We stopped at Red Lobster and had a nice leisurely lunch before coming home. We stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up a few flowers to complete the project she started before she had to go to the hospital. If the weather is nice tomorrow, she expects to finish up the patio and front porch planters.
On that note, they have decided that Cheryl is a Coumadin failure, meaning that it is not controlling her clotting correctly so she will be going on theraputic Lovenox where she will have to give herself two injections a day.
Her leg pain has cleared up and they are making arrangements to have her discharged today. The vascular surgeon said that she does not want to put in the inferior vena cava filter since it usually ineffective in cancer patients but she does want to do a follow up with Cheryl in a couple of weeks. Cheryl will also have a follow up with the general oncologist.
Afternoon update
Cheryl's discharge paperwork was finished and we were out of the hospital before noon. We stopped at Red Lobster and had a nice leisurely lunch before coming home. We stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up a few flowers to complete the project she started before she had to go to the hospital. If the weather is nice tomorrow, she expects to finish up the patio and front porch planters.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Another Hospital Stay
Cheryl has been having some pain and redness on the side of her right calf since mid-March. When she saw Dr. Burke on March 16th, the area was about 2X3 inches and slightly red. He had a deep ultrasound done to rule out a deep vein thrombosis and the scan came back okay. He referred her back to our family practice. By the time she got in to their office, the area of pain and swelling was several inches long and substantially wider. They made a preliminary diagnosis of superficial thrombophlebitis and put her on Keflex (antibiotic) for several days which did nothing to slow the spread of the effected area.
On her return visit to Dr. Tomus' office, they changed her diagnosis to cellulitis and discontinued the Keflex and put her on Cipro and Cleocin (antobiotics) and gave her Vicodin for pain. Over the next several days, the pain increased and the area grew larger extending about three inches past where the NP (nurse practitioner) had marked on her last visit.
Which get us to this afternoon. The NP and doctor reviewed Cheryl's blood work and did not see an increased white count. Her hemoglobin is at 11 vs 12 but overall, the rest of her panel was in normal range. Dr. Tomus determined that the next course of action has to be hospitalization for IV antibiotics and additional pain meds to get this under control. He called in to Memorial Health in Savannah and coordinated a direct admit so we didn't have to go through the usual ER hassles.
After Cheryl was processed and was waiting to be sent to a room, we had a chance to meet with Dr. Ignacio who will be managing her care. He said that the course of treatment could take as long as five days to get the infection under control.
Before I left the hospital this evening, the had already given Cheryl her first IV bag of antibiotic and also gave her a shot of morphine to help ease her pain. The good news is, cellulitis is not normally life-threatening but it is extremely painful and can advance to other problems if it is not taken care of adequately.
Please pray that the antibiotics will be effective and that Cheryl will be released as soon as possible.
Wednesday Morning Update
Just got off the phone with Cheryl. She is feeling less pain in her right leg this morning. They did an ultrasound of her left calf since she was also having some pain there as well and they've discovered a new deep vein thrombosis. Her meds have been adjusted and they will now be monitoring the DVT on the left leg along with the cellulitis on the right leg.
Wednesday Afternoon Update
The vascular doctors have decided that Cheryl has DVT in both legs. They are going over her information to determine what else needs to be done. As of now, she will be adding Lovenox injections to her daily routine and it looks as if they will insert a filter in the inferior vena cava to prevent these clots and any future clots from migrating to the lungs (pulmonary embolism),heart or brain. We should know more by this evening.
On her return visit to Dr. Tomus' office, they changed her diagnosis to cellulitis and discontinued the Keflex and put her on Cipro and Cleocin (antobiotics) and gave her Vicodin for pain. Over the next several days, the pain increased and the area grew larger extending about three inches past where the NP (nurse practitioner) had marked on her last visit.
Which get us to this afternoon. The NP and doctor reviewed Cheryl's blood work and did not see an increased white count. Her hemoglobin is at 11 vs 12 but overall, the rest of her panel was in normal range. Dr. Tomus determined that the next course of action has to be hospitalization for IV antibiotics and additional pain meds to get this under control. He called in to Memorial Health in Savannah and coordinated a direct admit so we didn't have to go through the usual ER hassles.
After Cheryl was processed and was waiting to be sent to a room, we had a chance to meet with Dr. Ignacio who will be managing her care. He said that the course of treatment could take as long as five days to get the infection under control.
Before I left the hospital this evening, the had already given Cheryl her first IV bag of antibiotic and also gave her a shot of morphine to help ease her pain. The good news is, cellulitis is not normally life-threatening but it is extremely painful and can advance to other problems if it is not taken care of adequately.
Please pray that the antibiotics will be effective and that Cheryl will be released as soon as possible.
Wednesday Morning Update
Just got off the phone with Cheryl. She is feeling less pain in her right leg this morning. They did an ultrasound of her left calf since she was also having some pain there as well and they've discovered a new deep vein thrombosis. Her meds have been adjusted and they will now be monitoring the DVT on the left leg along with the cellulitis on the right leg.
Wednesday Afternoon Update
The vascular doctors have decided that Cheryl has DVT in both legs. They are going over her information to determine what else needs to be done. As of now, she will be adding Lovenox injections to her daily routine and it looks as if they will insert a filter in the inferior vena cava to prevent these clots and any future clots from migrating to the lungs (pulmonary embolism),heart or brain. We should know more by this evening.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Good News and Not So Good News
Cheryl had her first full follow-up with Dr. Burke Wednesday morning (3/16/11). Her physical exam went well and she appears to be making good progress. Dr. Burke said that all of her abdominal and pelvic CAT scans looked good and discussed that the lung CAT scan does still show some loculated fluid (trapped pockets between the lung and pleural lining).
As we were wrapping up the appointment, he told the nurse that Cheryl needs to have a CA 125 check since the last one was performed back in January, shortly after she completed chemo. He told us that the result of this test would likely be lower than the 19 she had on the previous one.
After the appointment, I dropped Cheryl off at home and went on in to work for a few hours and then headed over to the church to get ready for the mid-week prayer service. Shortly after 5 PM, Cheryl received a called from the Dr. Burke's nurse telling her that she needs to come back in for another CA 125 next month since this test was elevated.
By elevated, she meant that it had gone from 19 to 97.9. Dr. Burke had the nurse tell Cheryl that the elevated level may be due to the fluid that remains in her pleural cavity. There can also be other causes for an elevated CA 125 which is part of why they want to wait the 30 days to do a recheck.
With this bit of information, we are not panicked but we are most definitely praying for this level to come back down to normal range. We thank you for all of your prayers along the way and ask that you continue to lift us up to the Throne of Grace.
As we were wrapping up the appointment, he told the nurse that Cheryl needs to have a CA 125 check since the last one was performed back in January, shortly after she completed chemo. He told us that the result of this test would likely be lower than the 19 she had on the previous one.
After the appointment, I dropped Cheryl off at home and went on in to work for a few hours and then headed over to the church to get ready for the mid-week prayer service. Shortly after 5 PM, Cheryl received a called from the Dr. Burke's nurse telling her that she needs to come back in for another CA 125 next month since this test was elevated.
By elevated, she meant that it had gone from 19 to 97.9. Dr. Burke had the nurse tell Cheryl that the elevated level may be due to the fluid that remains in her pleural cavity. There can also be other causes for an elevated CA 125 which is part of why they want to wait the 30 days to do a recheck.
With this bit of information, we are not panicked but we are most definitely praying for this level to come back down to normal range. We thank you for all of your prayers along the way and ask that you continue to lift us up to the Throne of Grace.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Reason to Celebrate (through Cheryl's eyes)
Cheryl's Remission Party was a real hit. With over 100 people in attendance, it was quite a time of celebration.
I took the floor to say thank you to everyone and was overwhelmed as I looked out at all the faces of family, neighbors and friends who were so helpful in getting us to this point.
Not only was the food good, the news of remission good, but our daughter Michelle also had some good news of her own to share. She announced that she is pregnant and is due on September 14th which was Granddaddy Leo Maxwell's birthday.
This news makes me all the more thankful o be through with chemo and feeling better. It gives me one more thing to look forward to.
This Wednesday, I will go see Dr. Burke who will have the results of my recent CAT scans. Since the CA125 numbers were good, we are expecting good news. We will update the blog with new of how the CAT scans turn out.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
And the News Is -------Good!
On Wednesday, Cheryl had an appointment with Dr. Burke, the gynecologic oncologist who performed her surgery last summer. He removed her IP (abdominal) port under local anesthesia. She is now somewhat sore from the inch and 1/2 hole he made in her side to access the device. Over the next week or so, the stitches should dissolve and the steri-strips will peel off and she should feel better.
Cheryl has a follow up appointment with him next month along with blood work and a CT scan of the pelvis and abdomen to make sure that there is no residual cancer left. Based on her low count now and how well she responded to the chemotherapy, he feels that she is in remission at this time.
She will be facing blood work every three months for the next year. If all goes well, they will move the testing interval out to four month and then eventually every six months after a couple of years. As long as we can keep her cancer-free, or at least under control, we will be very pleased.
We want to thank everyone for all of their prayers, support and kind words during this past eight months.
Plans are going well for Cheryl's remission party that we are going to hold at Westside Baptist Church, 108 N. Welborn St. (off Memorial Drive) in Hinesville on Saturday, February 26th from 2-4 pm. You are all invited to drop by so we can express our thanks to you in person.
Cheryl has a follow up appointment with him next month along with blood work and a CT scan of the pelvis and abdomen to make sure that there is no residual cancer left. Based on her low count now and how well she responded to the chemotherapy, he feels that she is in remission at this time.
She will be facing blood work every three months for the next year. If all goes well, they will move the testing interval out to four month and then eventually every six months after a couple of years. As long as we can keep her cancer-free, or at least under control, we will be very pleased.
We want to thank everyone for all of their prayers, support and kind words during this past eight months.
Plans are going well for Cheryl's remission party that we are going to hold at Westside Baptist Church, 108 N. Welborn St. (off Memorial Drive) in Hinesville on Saturday, February 26th from 2-4 pm. You are all invited to drop by so we can express our thanks to you in person.
Friday, January 28, 2011
If 22 Was Good News... What Does That Make 19?
Cheryl finally got word from Dr. Robertson's (oncologist) office with her CA125 results from the January 17th test. And the number is--- drum roll please--- 19. All the more reason to celebrate as we look forward to her remission party on Saturday, February 26th from 2-4 PM. Everyone near and far is invited to come. Please drop a line, comment on the blog, give us a call or tell us in person if you will be able to attend. We hope to have a large crowd join us fir the celebration.
Cheryl is looking forward to going to church service this Sunday. This will be her first time to attend in several months. This will be our quarterly communion service so that makes it that much more special for both of us.
We continue to be encouraged by Cheryl's progress and strength. She is doing all the laundry and has even gone back to ironing my shirts. I guess she is tired of seeing me leave the house looking rumpled. Keep praying for her total recovery in the weeks and months to come.
Cheryl is looking forward to going to church service this Sunday. This will be her first time to attend in several months. This will be our quarterly communion service so that makes it that much more special for both of us.
We continue to be encouraged by Cheryl's progress and strength. She is doing all the laundry and has even gone back to ironing my shirts. I guess she is tired of seeing me leave the house looking rumpled. Keep praying for her total recovery in the weeks and months to come.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Planning a Party
The 17th of January was a really cool day for Cheryl--- not because of the temperature but because it was the 13th day past her last dose of chemo and she didn't have to go back for another round of CHEMO.
Now, we are waiting for results from her latest CA125 and planning a party for Saturday. February 26th. Cheryl will have her lower port removed on February the 16th so she she should be healed in time for the party.
The Celebration Party will be Saturday, February 26th from 2-4 PM at the Westside Baptist Church Fellowship Hall (108 N. Welborn Street, Hinesville, GA 31313). This is our way of saying thanks to all those that have supported us during this time. We hope that you all will be able to attend.
We will continue updating the blog in the days and weeks to come.
Now, we are waiting for results from her latest CA125 and planning a party for Saturday. February 26th. Cheryl will have her lower port removed on February the 16th so she she should be healed in time for the party.
The Celebration Party will be Saturday, February 26th from 2-4 PM at the Westside Baptist Church Fellowship Hall (108 N. Welborn Street, Hinesville, GA 31313). This is our way of saying thanks to all those that have supported us during this time. We hope that you all will be able to attend.
We will continue updating the blog in the days and weeks to come.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Finally Feeling Better
Last week's chemo really hit Cheryl hard. She had nausea and vomiting from Tuesday until Saturday afternoon. After a short reprieve of feeling better, she went in for her final treatment of Taxol on Monday 1/4/11. This triggered the nausea and vomiting again and it wasn't until midday today that she has started feeling human again.
In the midst of all this, we received word Sunday morning that Cheryl's Uncle Charles Gerstner had passed away at age 90. He was an Army veteran of World War II- European theater. There will be a memorial mass for this gentle, saintly man on Saturday, January 8th. We would love to be able to attend but after the problems that Cheryl experienced when we traveled to my father's funeral in November, we think it would be wiser for her to stay home.
This evening, Cheryl's energy level has improved and her stomach has finally settled. Even her voice is much stronger than it has been for the past week and a half. Now that the chemo is over, we are in follow-up mode.
Today, Cheryl had a call from Dr. Burke's office telling her that she will have blood work done in mid January. On February 16th, she will have a physical exam and will have her IP (abdominal port) removed. This will be an in-office procedure but if it is anything like the removal of her PleurX drains, she will be sore for several days following. They will also do the first flushing of her upper port which will need to be done every couple of months to keep it from clogging.
We do not have a date or time for Cheryl's follow up scans and x-rays yet but we will continue to pray that they will show that everything is clear. Our goal is to get her back up and moving/walking so she can regain her strength and stamina and be back to normal activities soon. We appreciate everyone's care, concern and prayers during these difficult months and we look forward to being able to return the favor in days to come.
Our daughter Michelle wants to make plans for a "Remission Party" when we get the word from the doctor. We are in full agreement with that. There will definitely be a hallelujah shout that day.
In the midst of all this, we received word Sunday morning that Cheryl's Uncle Charles Gerstner had passed away at age 90. He was an Army veteran of World War II- European theater. There will be a memorial mass for this gentle, saintly man on Saturday, January 8th. We would love to be able to attend but after the problems that Cheryl experienced when we traveled to my father's funeral in November, we think it would be wiser for her to stay home.
This evening, Cheryl's energy level has improved and her stomach has finally settled. Even her voice is much stronger than it has been for the past week and a half. Now that the chemo is over, we are in follow-up mode.
Today, Cheryl had a call from Dr. Burke's office telling her that she will have blood work done in mid January. On February 16th, she will have a physical exam and will have her IP (abdominal port) removed. This will be an in-office procedure but if it is anything like the removal of her PleurX drains, she will be sore for several days following. They will also do the first flushing of her upper port which will need to be done every couple of months to keep it from clogging.
We do not have a date or time for Cheryl's follow up scans and x-rays yet but we will continue to pray that they will show that everything is clear. Our goal is to get her back up and moving/walking so she can regain her strength and stamina and be back to normal activities soon. We appreciate everyone's care, concern and prayers during these difficult months and we look forward to being able to return the favor in days to come.
Our daughter Michelle wants to make plans for a "Remission Party" when we get the word from the doctor. We are in full agreement with that. There will definitely be a hallelujah shout that day.
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