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Wrapped up #12 series of Taxol 8/6/09 and have a "bye" next Thursday. Dr. Im is still deciding whether or not to continue Taxol #13 when I go back for chemo 8/20/09. Since Taxol is holding the 3 nodes static, changing to another chemo doesn't seem necessary. Don't know what a new drug might have in the way of side effects and don't know if it would even work. So think it will be a wait-and-see situation. Main side effect for Taxol is the neuropathy with my fingers and feet. Feet are more dangerous as I don't want to fall and possibly hurt/break something. So I'm careful when walking and/or going up/down stairs.
Yesterday when I went to have chemo took two boxes of donut holes from a Severna Park shop which makes them fresh nightly to the nurses at the Weinberg Outpatient Cancer Clinic. Labeled them in memory of Cynthia Foster whom I met in mid-September of 2008. We arrived on Thursdays at 9 a.m. so often talked in the lobby waiting to be called into an individual "cubby." Also made a cash donation in her name to the OPC where we developed our friendship. Her daughter asked me to notify another patient, Bonnie, of her mom's death. But when I asked Terri to tell Bonnie, Terri told me Bonnie had died more than a month ago. Bonnie, whom I met in January 08, had survived cervical cancer in 1983 and had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer 3C in 2004. Cynthia was also OVC 3C discovered in a 2005 CT scan of her gall bladder. If you are a woman, have doctors take out ovaries when they do a hysterectomy. If you still have all these things, get a transvaginal sonogram and/or a CA125 blood test (normal range is 0-35) to try to locate ovarian cancer EARLY.
Late Tuesday my cell rang at work. It was the daughter of my friend Cynthia Foster, who I often saw at the Outpatient Clinic at Weinberg. We were on similar chemo schedules. About a month ago her daughter came into the OPC and told me and several of the nurses that Cynthia was in the hospital at Mercy. I gave Cynthia's daughter, also a nurse, my cell number and e-mail address to keep me posted on how Cynthia was doing. Cynthia passed away Tuesday at home in Perryville after a 4-year battle with ovarian cancer. I wasn't expecting it. She frequently had to go into the hospital to have a stent replaced in her intestine but I thought she was stable as far as the cancer was concerned. Her death really blew me away. What a lovely lady. So please give those you love a special hug in her honor.
My recent CT scan showed the the two paracardial nodes and one lesser sac node as stable. Dr. Im continued me on Taxol, series 12 on Thursday (7/23). The major project I've been working on at USNA (72-pages of bw photos plus a 4-color cover of plebes) went to the PAO Wednesday night. Copies of the Plebe Summer Book (a scrapbook of what the plebes do in 6-wks) are handed out to their parents at Parents' Weekend registration next Thursday morning. Fortunately the Public Affairs Officer had only one minor text change. I burned all the files onto a DVD and a CD and FedExed the files to the printer Friday afternoon. That allowed me to enjoy the dinner Alex and Megan provided my twin cousins Sharen and Karen, who were in Annapolis from Wednesday-Saturday after touring DC for several days. Dylan and Christine joined us for dinner and got to see the Campbell's new LR furniture. Tuesday night I had dinner with Barb and Jim Kadlec who also came to the area to see Jim's sister and nieces in Balto and Richmond. Sunday night we briefly stopped to see Jenna and Tyler before having dinner in Ellicott City. The Kadlecs head back to Naperville, IL tomorrow. It's been a fun but very busy week.
Nurse Terri scheduled me 7/15 for another CT scan at Mercy. Dr. Im is trying to determine whether to continue on Taxol or switch to another chemo. Terri called today with results. The 3 cancerous nodes are stable. She said that is good news. Will probably continue on Taxol when I go for chemo next Thursday. I don't like that my CA125 numbers continue to creep up despite the scans showing the nodes aren't growing.
Jenna was 2 months old 7/15. She is 11 lbs. and 75th percentile in weight and 90th percentile in length. Obviously she's growing on her mother's milk.
Port surgeon oked using my port 7/9 so got final in series 11 of Taxol. CA125 went up 7.4 pts to 70.1 so not sure if Dr. Im will have me continue with this chemo. Got magnesium and potassium by IV along with Taxol. Feet and ankles have been swelling so got a daily lasix which also leaches potassium. Need to eat bananas, raisins, etc. Megan and troops returned from Boston trip on Saturday. I babysat Jenna and Tyler Sunday while Megan and Alex did errands. Tyler said, "Oma, I missed you." And my heart melted.
Megan and Alex took Jenna for her 3 month photos 8/15/09, added some of Tyler and then both. Tyler had a great time, telling me later over the phone about a wagon he got to sit on. He loves that they are going to the babysitter together. He reminds everyone she's his little sister. Isn't it great being a big brother!
