TRYING THEM ALL.......

I have now been to six different Cancer Centers for Chemo Treatment.  Its really amazing that someone can still have a great life and travel while taking treatments.  Its also surprising how different the Infusion rooms are.  Infusion Rooms are where the patients get their treatments.  Some are big rooms with recliners lining the walls and some are individual rooms that you sit in all by yourself.  I have an aversion to being in a single room with the door closed in case something were to happen like a reaction to the drug or someone getting sick.  In the large rooms the nurses have the mixing room and their station at the end of the room and they can hear anyone if they need something.  They are always walking back and forth also so I always feel safer there.  I have always had very good treatment and have nothing bad to say about any place I have been but then I always know exactally what I am supposed to be getting, how much and on what date.  I ask alot of questions and I pretty much know my own body as to how I feel and what to expect. 

Today I had treatment two of the second cycle.   I had the first one in Duluth last week and because it was 70 miles from my moms house the nurse asked if I wanted to go to Virginia instead this week as its only about 20 miles from moms house.  I did and both Jerry and I have decided that we liked Duluth better.  Howeve his reasoning had nothing to do with my health or the facility.  He likes Duluth and there is a Casino about three blocks away from the Clinic.  He always has to find something to do for the three and a half hours that it takes for treatment.  Duluth is a great Tourist town and there is lots of things to see and do.
The Clinic has a wall of windows and looks right out over Lake Superior and the famous Draw Bridge and the port where all the ships come to be loaded and unloaded.  Very interesting...

We will be leaving Hoyt Lakes after my Reunion weekend on the 8th as I will have my last treatment of this cycle back at the Clinic in Missouri on the 10th, then I will have a week off and start Cycle three before having the next PET scan. I'm hoping that I can talk my doctor into letting me come back up here for the next cycle as we still dont have everything cleaned out at the house.  Still dont know when the house may be sold as she just doesnt want to get rid of it.  Mom feels it is good to have it for company to stay at.  Also the housing market is about the same as every where else and nothing much is selling at this time.  I am willing to do as much as I can at this time as I dont know if I will be able to do anything when the time comes to finally sell. 

We have enjoyed the weather up here when we hear about the heat wave in Missouri.  It has been mostly in the 70's and only a couple days of unberable humidity.  My days have been spent going to get my Mom at Clayridge Assisted Living where she lives and bringing her here to the house until after supper when we take her back.  Last week when we went to Duluth for treatment we spent a little time shopping on the way home and the big Mall in Duluth.  The on Friday I was feelin good enough to take a  trip back to Duluth as we decided we wanted to go see the TALL SHIPS..Then Friday I was in good shape so we went back down to Duluth to see the Tall Ships.....Its an amazing fleet of tall sail boats that come into the harbor only occasionally and it was great... Big Festival....We stood in line for and hour and a half to go on one of the ships. Luckily it was not hot it was a perfect day for it..Then we did alot of walking.... my feet were numb by 2 when we left..We then stopped at Kohls to shop for awhile and I bought a few capris and a top. All in all a good day but I was glad to come home and veg out in my recliner. 

We have visited Dad several times and of course I can see him slipping by as its always a long time in between visits for me.  He has good days and bad and anyone who has dealt with dementia knows what I mean.  For the most part he still recognizes us.  But because of the medication that they have to keep him on to keep him safe he does not talk much and has no interest in TV or his beloved cross word puzzle in the newspaper or even reading a magazine.  He still enjoys eating pastry and having coffee so that is what we mostly do with him.  Its absolutly amazing that we took him to the Hospital in March 2009 and we told he didnt have very many days to live, and hes still here a year and a half later.  He just turned 94 but still looks like hes in his early 80s. 

Today is the day that Cory and Jen found out what the sex of the baby is.  I was hoping for good news at the end of a treatment day... Well it was good news that the baby is very healthy and on point as far as size and weight, etc..  Bad news for me was that its not a girl.... Oh well we will now have someone to carry on the Hansen name.   I now can buy some of those cute baby things I've been dying to buy.

I am feeling absolutly great other than the Neuropathy.  I'm hoping and praying that this treatment is working.  Sometimes when I feel so good I worry that its not working if its not kicking my but.. Oh well I'm keeping my hopes up......

Later
Chele

ON THE ROAD AGAIN.....

Gosh I just reread the last blog and cant believe how many spelling errors there was... I have not figured out how to spell check on this yet so I guess I'll have to really check better... especially when I am writing in the early morning hours and I have had no sleep.... ha ha

I had my third treatment of the first cycle of the new drugs and talked my dr. into letting me go North and have the next two in Duluth Minnesota at the Cancer Clinic there. I am on my week off this week and feeling good now.  Still able to go out to dinner and do all the things that I usually do except for drinking alcohol.  I feel like I have too many other drugs in my system and just dont want to take any chances so I refrain... ha ha   It's really not so hard... Not like I'm a big drinker anyway...

We are currently in Osceola, Neb. visiting with some friends.  Alot of the people that we are with in Laughlin for the winter live in this area and there were three birthday's so we celebrated last night. There were about 25 of us at the Country Club for dinner here so it was real nice to see everyone.

We will be leaving here on Tuesday and getting to Northern Minnesota on Wednesday.  My mom is anxiously awaiting our return.  My class reunion is the 6th and 7th of Aug and we will stay for that and then be on our way back to Missouri for the last treatment of the second cycle. 

Sorry that I have not kept up any better with the blog but somedays my fingers dont want to work because of the Neuropathy and some days I just dont have the energy to sit here and type.  Usually the first few days after a treatment I am in fatigue mode and not good for much but I recover good.

Thanks for all your good wishes and prayers.
I need them all...
Later
Chele

AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY.....

I keep thinking many times that I need to blog or journal and I just never do it... I guess I have to admit to myself that I'm just not as organized as I used to be.  I think of things all day long that I need to write down and then I just forget about it.  Usually I think of them when I am sitting on the POT... I have always said I get my best ideas there.... LOL

We are back at Lost Valley Lake.... we call it home...as I guess it is our home base.. Thank goodness for everyone that is so good to us here.

Our plans to go to Michigan to Corys for the 4th and then on to Makinaw Island and then to Door County in Wisconsin before going back to my moms in Hoyt Lakes, Minn. got changed after I had my PET Scan.
I found out that I had lots of nodules in my lungs so I had to start on an agressive new treatment.  I am having Chemo (two new kinds) once a week for three weeks out of the month and then a week off.  So I started last Wednesday and then we decided to leave in the car and not drive the Motor Home as long as we could stay at Corys house and just go to his house in between treatments.  Costs a lot less to go in the car than in the Motor Home even when we had to stay over one night in a Motel.  We had a great time with them especially seeing as how we dont get to see them more than about twice a year.  We got a wonderful tour of Detroit (other than all the bad areas).  Cory wanted us to realize that Detroit was not all as bad as what you hear on the news.  There are really alot of nice expensive housing subbarbs there and even lots of nice condos and new buildings in Detroit proper.  We went to a Festival and walked around a bit but it was really hot so not to far and then ate lunch as a realy fun little outside Cafe Bistro.  Watched the fireworks at a small subbarb on the 3rd and then on the 4th there were spectacular ones on TV from the Boston Harbor that was really fun to watch to. I didnt want to leave of course but needed to get home for a treatment.  We got home yesterday afternoon and I went in for my treatment today. 

Jen is four months pregnant and looks like hardly anything at all.  Just a small baby bump and wearing regular tops still.  Of course when you are all of 5'2" and about 100 lbs I dont imagine it will show much at all.  I am so anxious to hear what it is going to be.  They will find out in another month and I will be out buying baby clothes I'm sure...I cant belive I forgot to take pictures... I had my camera with too and she is a photographer and doesn;t even have any.  She emailed me today and said they would get some sent to me when Cory gets home next weekend as hes traveling again this week. 

Its 5:10 in the am..... not I'm not up already I have not been to bed...The steroids have really hit me this time.  The Benadryl and Zirtec the am really zonked me out on the way home but when I got here then I was really hiped up.  Kept trying to think of things to do to keep me busy... washing the five dishes that were dirty, baking cookies in the 90+ degree heat when I had to turn the Air off to keep the Convection Oven going,  pacing the floor and dancing around with myself (not Jerry) were passtimes too.  I finally calmed down about midnihgt and thought I would be able to go to sleep but ended up getting up to watch TV until 3:15.  Laid in bed for an hour and must have dozed for 5 or 10 minutes, then finally go up to type...
Unfortunatuly when I am all hyped and have the Hebbie Jebbies (as I call them) I cant sit still or focus long enough to make cards or type on the computer.

We are planning to get up in the am and go to Marshalltown, Iowa to meet up with Bonnie and Omar at a friends house.  We will stay until the next Mon. or Tues so I can get home for the next treatment.  After that one it will be my week break (hopefully) and we are planning to leave to go back up to my moms in between.  I figure if we cant take the longer trips like we planned I will have to think of smaller, shourter
trips to plan in between. Who knows how long we will be able to do it so I am going to make hay while the sun shines...

I have been feeling good except for the Neuropathy in my feet and hands.. Mostly feet.  I am very numb and have a hard time walking sometimes - have to hang onto Jerry.  He put me on another drug for it today besides the one I was already taking and thought that as long as I was not taking the Chemo drug that I had been taking since January it would subside... Not yet.... I get tired out when I do anything very physical but have not decided if it is from the Chemo or from the Cancer in the long.  I will have to check when I see the Dr. next week. 

Well its now 5:35 and I have woken Jerry up so I guess I better try to get some shut eye again... If not I'll be sleeping in the passengers seat all the way to Marshalltown.....

Later
Chele

RELAY FOR LIFE

We just happened to be here on the weekend of the Relay For Life and I got to go again this year.
I don't think any year could ever measure up to the first time I went.  I'm not sure if it was just
that I was so emotional because it was pretty raw for me or if it was really a much better program
and atmosphere.  The thing I remember the most is that Josh Grobens song "You Lift Me Up" played
the whole time the survivors did their lap around the track.  I was in tears the whole time.  Our good
friends Bonnie and Omar just happened to be here at that time and Bonnie walked with me.  It meant
so much for her to walk with me because they have meant so much to us especially in the last 15 years.
Last night was very uplifting also even tho I was only able to walk the track twice.  Hopefully they will
find a cure sometime...

Since the last entry we have been in Northern Minnesota (yes much colder weather) at my Mothers house.  My Aunt and Uncle were there for a week and My sister and her husband and two of their
boys and a wife and two childern were there too.. Jordan and His wife Stephanie made the 6 hour trip
with a 3 week old baby and a 5 year old.  Yikes I told her that I was amazed that she would come that soon after birth.. She was fine and the kiddos were just great.  So good for my mom to see the great grandkids. 

We are now back at Lost Valley Lake as I had to come back for a PET scan and a CT scan.
I will find out Monday the results and where we go from here...I have been feeling good except for the
bad Nuropathy in my feet and hands and the fact that I am worn out after any physical activity.  I keep wondering if its gotten worse in my lungs and that is what is causing it or if its just the Chemo still
causing fatigue.. Guess I'll find out soon enough.  Naturally I have been hoping and praying for the best.  I'm not asking for a miracle but remission would be nice..

Depending on how things go on Monday we plan to leave on Tues or Wed to go to Corys in Michigan for the 4th of July weekend and then up to Makinaw Island and on to Door County in Wisconsin on the way back to Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota.

Keeping fingers crossed...
Later
Chele

RENEWING MY VOWS......

Once again I am going to vow to keep up a blog or a journal... Its really more fun to type it than write it so I guess it will be a blog... I have a friend that keeps telling me - each time I tell her about something
that has happened along our journey that I need to be blogging about it...  Like when our windshield almost fell out and we had to have it scotch taped back in until we could get it  fixed and how when we went down the wrong highway to Sedona Az. from Flagstaff 15 to 30 miles and hour on a very narrow bumpy road all the drawers and cupboards were flying open in the Motor Home and things were falling out..  She thinks we are like Lucy and Desi when they were pulling the travel trailer.. 

After an absolutly wonderful three months in Laughlin, Nevada with all our friends we spent some time in Texas and then were back in Missouri at Lost Valley Lake for a month.  Jerry and I got all our yearly check ups in and dentist and eye appointments taken care of.  Also had some work done on the Motor Home.  When I got home I found out that my Cancer Clinic that I had been going to since 2005 was closing so I had to find a new doctor.  Luckily the Clinic that we have gone to for 15 years just opened up a new Oncology department and I changed over to them.  Most of the staff from the other clinic are there so I am still with my same nurses.. At this point I am not having another treatment until after I have the next PET scan which is on June 24th.  We will decided what to do after we get the results.  I have developed a bad case of Neuropathy - which is a side effect of the drug I have been getting since January.  Fortunately the drug has worked and the activity level has dropped from 16.5 to 8.7 but this particular side effect is irreversible.  I'm hoping this PET shows a very low level and maybe I can have a Chemo vacation.... YEAH...   Other than that I have been very lucky and can still function every day.  Just not as fast as I use to be but thats ok... Noone likes fast old ladies... ha ha

We are currently in Northern Minnesota at my Mothers house.  We put my dad in a Nursing Home in March and my mom in Assisted Living in October as she said she could not longer live alone in her house. We are at this time trying to get stuff cleaned up in the house so it will be ready to sell when the time comes.  After we see the Oncologist and get results of the PET scan we will take a little trip to Corys in a Detroit Sububarb and then head North in Michigan to Mackinaw Island and then thru Door County in Wisconsin before coming back here to Minnesota..  Hopefully there will be a few more trips and I will be able to post some interesting stuff.....

I am thankful every day for another day... and time with family and friends..
That is all that is important to me at this time.
Later
Chele

FREE AGAIN - I'M FREE AGAIN !!!!!

I finally got the word today.... Platlets still low but up from 36000 to 57000 and White Blood Count back to normal.  Yeahhhhhhh
As soon as I got the call Jerry and I loaded in the car and went to the Movie Theatre to meet our friends..  We saw the movie "Up In The Air" with George Clooney.  He is worth the movie in himself.. Just to look at.. ha ha His little co worker really impressed me with her acting chops.  I had never heard of her before. Very good and fun movie to see. I really felt like I had been freed from something and I didnt want to come home all day but we actually just stopped for a light lunch and then over to one of the Casinos to get a players card that will give us 25% off of our meals when we go there for - All you can eat Crab Legs on Fridays- stayed out until about 3:30 and then sepnt the rest of the day cleaning up our Coach.

Tomorrow Bonnie and I are going to play Bunco and then our whole group goes out for Margaritas at 4:30.  I'm back in business and able to run around.  However I still dont have the stamina to walk very far so could not walk the Boardwalk today like I wanted to.  I'll save that for later..

We have company coming in this weekend and there is a Festival on the Riverwalk so we will have some fun things to participate in.

I'll post again about my fun life instead of my medical history... ha ha

Later
chele

TODAY I'M BACK TO NORMAL --- i THINK

Well since I wrote that last post I have not been too many places here in Laughlin but we have sure found out where all the doctors office and Emergency Rooms are in Bullhead City. Jerry and I both ended up in the ER room on Monday morning after my treatment.  Jerry had come down with a cold while we were in Las Vegas and it just was not getting any better.  I feared I had an infected toe and possibly a bug from Jerry as I was pretty achy and coughing a lot.  Ended up he had Broncitis and I had Cellulitius. We were both given antibiotics.   I was pretty much down for the count... On Thurs I had to go for my regular blood tests and found out that my platlets and white blood cell count were both down.  Dr from Vegas called and wanted to make sure I was on the right antibotics.  Had to go back to see if the counts were up more on Friday.  I was very weak and not able to function much so I have not been out of the Motor Home much this week.  This morning I awoke with a whole different feel.   It felt wonderful... Sunshiny day and I was feeling like actually doing something.  We both had follow up appointments with a Dr. here in Laughlin from going to the ER room and he ordered another blood test.  I didnt dare go for Tacos tonight with the group and out to play cards as I didnt want to take a chance on getting any more infections. Hopefully I will find out tomorrow that my counts are up again as I do feel much better and actually almost back to normal..

I just heard from a friend in Okalhome whose husband is going thru alot of Chemo etc at this time also.  He has had lots of complications. Any of my friends who are reading this - Please keep him (John) in your prayer chains also.

More later..
Chele

STARTING OVER

Well we are in our final destination for the winter..  Laughlin Nevada.  We arrived here on Sat the ninth after a great visit with the Kinkades and the Bullards in Yuma.  The weather there was absolutly wonderful.  Its about 10 degrees cooler in Laughlin but there are so many more friends here and so many more things to do that so far we dont mind the coolness at all.  Of course I'm always cold and its actually warm enough that everyone else just has shirts on and I always have a jacket of some sort...

We settled in for two and a half days and then took off on Tues to Las Vegas.  My appointment was the 12th.  I love the doctor and feel real good about the next trial.  As I said before I'm hoping for a miracle and think that 2010 will be the year. It is a woman doctor and she has great credentials and a wonderful bedside manner.  She has conferred with my doc in Missouri and they have decided that this new drug Ixperia is the one to go with this time.  Its supposed to be easy on the side effects so I'm hoping !!!  So far its been pretty good.  I will have to go back every three weeks for a treatment but I can handle that. It is a much bigger Clinic that what I am used to but everyone was very nice and I felt quite comfortable there.

While we were in Las Vegas - my friend from Chicago was in Pheonix visitimg another friend so she came up to be with us.  We saw two shows... Terry Fator  - The winner of AMERICAS GOT TALENT and he was fabulous and then we saw the Beatles LOVE Cirque de Soleil which was really fabulous.  We had a great time and left there yesterday.  She came here to spend the night with us and will go back to Pheonix today.

On Sunday we have another couple coming to visit us on their way back to Colorado from Arizona.  I have not seen here for about four years and have been trying to get to her place in Colorado for about that long.  It will be so good to see them.  At the end of the month my ex sis in law and her husband (who we visited in Yuma) will be coming for about four days and some friends from Okla and Palm Springs will be coming in Feb.  This is great... We go on vacation and everyone comes to visit us.. ha ha... Any one else want to come...????  Glad to have you... I am going to try very hard to get to Parump Nev to see one of the Pandimites that I have know for several years but only seen once.  Cyber friends for sure..Parump is not to far from Vegas so we will try to get there mayabe next time I have to go..  Also one of the many largest Truck Stops that I am determined to see is there so I will make the trip twofold.. ha ha

Well must go get some breakfast...
Keep you fingers crossed for me that this new drug works.
I know I have lots of prayers and white lights out there so I'm counting on this being the year of remission...

Later
Chele

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well my journey for 2008 was changed to an extension for 2009 and here it is 2010 so it has now turned into more than a journey.  It is survival..

We have had so much trouble with the internet service that I have not blogged for several months. My New Years Resolution is to keep a better handle on it.  That is if it is within my control.. 

Since I last made an entry  I had three treatments of the new drug that I thought was really working as I felt no discomfort and had no side effects to speak of.  However after a PET scan on Dec 10th I was told once again that it was not working.  Dr. Greco had already made arrangements for me to have the rest of the treatments in Las Vegas at the Comprehensive Cancer Center so he suggested we carry on with our plan of going to Laughlin as its only 90 miles from there.  He was sending a tissue sample of the original Cancer to the Lab and they will shoot it with many drugs to see if there is something that they have not tried that will work.This is some new process they have been doing for about 6 months he said.  The resuslts would not be know for about two or three weeks so he was going to send all info to the Dr. that I am seeing in Las Vegas.  I am ready for a miracle.  Hoping that maybe a new Dr. may see something that Dr. Greco did not or maybe some new drug is in the works..

We spent a few days with Tiff and her family the weekend before Christmas which was very nice and then headed up to Minnesota on the 20th of Dec.  Stopped in Mpls to visit with my Aunt and Uncle and then on to Hoyt Lakes.  Mom is doing very well and Dad is as well as can be expected.  My sister and her husband came for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and we spent the afternoon with my dad on Christmas Eve.  Of course we had our traditional Lutefisk and Swedish Meatball dinner for Christmas Eve.  Jerry and I left Hoyt Lakes on the 26th and got back to LVL on the 27th.  Our Motor Home was winterized and it was to cold to unwinterize so we stayed in a Condo for three nights before taking off on our winter adventure.  On the 30th we stayed in Okc with our friend and New Years Eve finds us in Midland Texas.  We just finished watching the ball drop in New York and toasted with our soft drinks.  We will get to Yuma Arizona on Saturday where we will meet up with Bonnie and Omar and visit my Ex Sister in Law for a week and get to Laughlin by the 10th.
My doctor appointment in Las Vegas will be on the 12th so I will find out more at that time.

I hope 2010 is the year for everyone,.
I feel a good year coming on.
I feel like we are really starting to live in our Motor Home now..
Still have not killed each other or even had any really bad days yet... ha ha

Happy New Year..
Chele