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

WHAT DOES CANCER FEEL LIKE??????

I am sure that there are many people that wonder that very thing...and are afraid to ask. Some that have been diagnosed want to know what to expect and of course they went to know they have hope and all about the new drugs available
I have been asked the question.
I wondered myself at the onset of this journey what it would feel like.
I have read many stories and seen several documentaries on TV that give you a horrible account. I have not had that experience at all. In the past even when I was in the Hospital because my counts were down and my immune system was compromised I didn't really feel like I was a sick person. Today I feel I am able to answer the question with a whole new outlook.

What Does Cancer Feel Like???
Yesterday it felt like a death sentence after I was told that my diagnosis now is TNBC - Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
Today it felt like a new beginning when I read an article while waiting for my doctor appointment about a fairly new very effective drug called Carboplatin. When I got in to see him and he explained that this was the Chemo Treatment I was going to start on it was a very bright spot in the day. It felt like my lucky day... A new Treatment a new chance and a new beginning to the next phase of my journey.

Physically I can only speak for myself as I have not been fortunate to speak to any one else living with the same Cancer. In the beginning it felt like mild heartburn - recently it has progressed across the chest area and I thought it felt like adhesion's in the area of the Mastectomy and I have some stiffness in the left arm. I am so fortunate to be getting this fairly new and statistical encouraging Chemo drug and am praying this is the one that works for me now. I plan to beat the deamon..

Chele




`

JOURNEY EXTENSION

Because I had to change my email address when we left our house at the resort and moved into a Motor Home I had problems with email, phone, Internet and everything connected to those things. I have had to change the address on the blog site and it was a mess so just decided to start all over and send everyone the new spot...



The URL in case you do not get a message from me is

http://bitsybb-chele.blogspot.com/



I started this as a journey for 2008 when I was first diagnosed for the second time with Cancer.

Metastasized Breast Cancer which means it has moved onto places other than the breast. After a Lumpectomy, Chemo, Mastectomy, Radiation and many complications since then it has still not left my body unfortunately. We are still fighting this monster tooth and nail. I am about to start another round of Chemo on Monday which has postponed our plans of going south in our newly acquired home... The Motor Home which we call the Coach.. Hopefully I will be done with treatment so we can spend our annual Christmas time with our families and then go to Laughlin for the first three months of 2010 as we planned. As in the past I try to post when ever I can so I can just send out a blog note to everyone and not have to update many many times in individual emails. I still like to receive as many emails as I can tho as the correspondence by email, mail or phone is a bright spot in a sometimes dull day trying to beat the demon. So don't be afraid to correspond or send comments to me.



Since I last posted we sold everything we owned (practically) at an Auction in the front yard of our house at the resort, climbed into the Motor Home and headed North. We spent a few days with our best friends traveling to Iowa to watch Barges go down the Mississippi river and then to Nebraska to visit with the friends from Laughlin. We then went up to Northern Minnesota to help my mom for about three weeks. Following that we came back to Missouri and left our Motor Home at the resort and went to Oklahoma to meet up with our friend Kenneth and headed off to a wonderful trip to Alaska. We took a five day land tour starting in Fairbanks and ending up in Anchorage. We then boarded a ship in Seward and cruised to Vancouver. It was a great trip and we did so many fun things. There was only one disappointment in the trip. The three of us planned to take a Helicopter to a Glacier and land at a dog camp. We were then to ride the dogsleds and even be able to mush the dogs. The weather did not cooperate with us and the Helicopter was not able to take us up. When I was up north I found out that you can go dogsleding in Northern Minnesota up by where my mom lives or in Wisconsin so I guess we could still try it .... However Jerry was really enthralled with landing on a Glacier. There are none of those in Minn or Wis...



When we returned from that trip we planned to go to Indiana to the Covered Bridge Festival and then to Michigan to visit our son and daughter-in-law and then head south to Texas. I got a call from my mom and she wanted me to come help her move as she didn't feel she could live alone in her house any longer. We spent three weeks getting her all set up at an Assisted Living facility in Biwabik Mn. She is a little farther away from home than she wants to be but she is safe and has the help she needs.



When we left her we did go to Covered Bridge Festival for a couple days with our friends and just spent time wandering around as opposed to working there in the food wagon like we had for the last 7 years. They have come back here to the resort with us for a few days before they leave for Texas, their home base. We are planning to stay here at the resort while I am having treatment unless we cannot survive the weather in Nov and Dec here in Missouri living in a Motor Home. If I have complications or get to uncomfortable we will have to go to plan B which will probably be to rent a place for awhile. I'm counting on the Good Lord and my dear friends to get me thru this one again and am sure I will be back in action very soon.



Hope this is a good catch up for anyone that I have not keep in touch with.

I will appreciate any prayers, white lights or good thoughts from anyone and I thank you in advance for all of it.



Later

Chele

ALASKA AT LAST

Well here we are.... in Alaska at last...
It was a long but quite an uneventful flight. We first had a layover in Salt Lake City which we almost missed. Our flight from Okc left late and we got to the boarding gate at the last minute. They had already changed our flight until the next day. We had to scramble and the Delta people did a great job and got us on. Then we had a layover in Seattle ... So of course we ate some more junk food. ha ha... We arrived in Alaska at 1;35 am and got to the Hotel and we told that we didnt have a room for that night. Our Itineary did not start until the next night. Of course we were a bit frustrated but said what could we do but pay the $200.00 extra. This morning I find out we went to the wrong hotel. We were supposed to stay at the Super 8 at the airport and get transfered over here today. It was confusing and our trip Itinery said this Hotel and the flight Itinary said Super 8. Oh well we are here and its fricken cold. I have a turtle neck and a sweatshirt jacket on and we have not even gone outside. The guys are walking around the hotel to see what is available while I am typing so better not stay to long.

When we were in Okc we took a trip downtown to see what all had been built up since we lived there. It was amazing what a good Mayor and lots of public support can do to a virtually deserted downtown warehouse district. It was beautiful and the water taxi ride we took thru the canal was wonderful. Okc has really alot of history to it. I have a pic of the three of us on the boat and will post it sometime as the beginning of our Alaska adverture if I ever figure out how to post pics. Probably will not have time to do it on the trip but when I get home I will post lots.

Must go for now
Chele