SURGERY...

...is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24th at Baylor All Saints in Fort Worth. After recovery of 5-6 weeks, there'll be six weeks of radiation followed by a hysterectomy early summer and reconstruction surgery late summer...............I'm thinking I should throw in some dental surgery just for fun!! ha!

Chemo is over.

What A Week!!

Well, it's been a week today since my last big blast of chemo. I'm feeling mostly okay....food still tastes strange, but that'll pass soon I hope. I managed to sleep through most of these side effects so round 6 was definitely the easiest on me. (NOT FUN, but nowhere near as bad as some of the others!)

Round 6 was made considerably easier by the generosity of so many friends who supplied WONDERFUL meals for our family. Among the things we enjoyed this week were:

Teriyaki chicken
Frito Pie Bake
Cococonut cake
Chocolate cake
Cheesecake
Cookies
Shepherds Pie
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Chicken Enchiladas
Central Market Pork
Beautiful salads

I know I'm forgetting some marvelous dishes, but THANKS to all who helped this week:
Kathy C, Sandi N, Libby D, Kindall D, Elaine V, Toni N, Linda G.

You all have made the chemo experience so much more bearable!

A Million Thanks.
Karen

One of my Favorite Days

Today is January 20, 2009, a date that will forever be a part of our history in this nation. As a follower of politics and one interested to a degree in all things historical, I am certainly enjoying following the events of this great day.

AND, today I am taking my 6th and final BIG round of chemo. Feels pretty good! Although realistically I may need chemo again someday, at least this is it FOR NOW!! Thanks so much to everybody for everything...especially the thoughts and prayers! I have no doubt at all of their significance in this journey.

FINALLY, January 20th has long been a great day for me. It started on what was a cold Saturday in January during my senior year in high school. Late in the day on this dreary weathered day, my life was forever changed: I became an AUNT! I had no way of knowing how altered my life would be. I consider myself so very fortunate and blessed to have seven wonderful nieces and nephews (four more counting those acquired when I married).
One of the coolest parts about these awesome young individuals is that they all possess their own uniqueness! Our family is never boring! And, my children are so fortunate to be the youngest of their cousins – on both sides!

Back to today-- Happy 30th Birthday Cabo, Sabo, Rabo!!!!!!!!!!

You changed our lives forever!

Love,
NaNa, WahNa, Pahna…………………

An EARLY Morning Sonogram.........

tells us that there is "nothing there to measure." Those were the words of the doctor doing the ultrasound. (The same doctor who did my biopsy in September.) WOW. I knew that Dr. Jordan and Dr. Chow couldn't feel anything, but feared that there was still something pretty prevelant in there. Well, there may be something, but I guess it isn't too much since she couldn't see anything. After much searching, she said thanks to the marker that they'd put in during the biopsy, she could "kinda" see where it had been, but otherwise she'd not be able to see a thing.

Here's a plug for Dr. Schmidt, Soleis Women's Health at Baylor All Saints in Fort Worth. Both times I've seen this lady I have been soooo impressed and always feel much better when I leave. (even when she confirmed that it was cancer back in September)

Papers to grade..............

Thanks for all the prayers and concern!!
k

An Update

Well, I'm in the feeling good phase right now. I saw Dr. Chow this week. I'll see her again Jan. 27 for pre-op appointment. Surgery is tentatively set for around Feb. 24th. I have a bi-lateral mammogram set for this week. I have an appointment with my ob/gyn on Friday to discuss removal of ovaries, etc..... In the meantime, I continue with my herceptin treatments once a week and I have my last big round of chemo on January 20th. (planning to watch inauguration festivities during treatment!).

Fortunately I feel good right now because it's semester exam time and I have a busy week of grading ahead of me. I don't have a lot else to share, so I'll just add some photos........

SLOWLY Emerging.....

back into daily life. My fifth round of chemo on Dec. 29th was a full eight days getting through.....In many ways, this round wasn't as bad as others, but there's really no way to assess a round of chemo as "easy"..................I did sleep more through this one and took more medicine to ward off headaches, nausea, etc...........BUT, no matter how you slice it, chemo is chemo............and it's all CRAPPY!!!

I am finally back at work today. My white cells are low. I can tell because of mouth sores, wierder than normal taste buds, etc....

GROSS ALERT: no, I don't think I'll share those things, but suffice it to say there were many, many incidental ailments that accompanied this round...........YUCKO!

I have another round of Herceptin tomorrow followed by a 2:30 appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Chow. I'm eager and anxious to get this meeting over with. My assumption is that we will set a date for surgery. We'll see............


The first 10 days of my holiday break were awesome. I actually did holiday baking...I made the bon-bons.........then I forgot to take them on Christmas Eve to my mom's, so they stayed in my freezer until several of us came very near O-Ding on them! It was a close, close call.

Evan and the kids and I braved a cold, cold wind to shop on Monday, Dec. 22nd....we had a nice lunch out and then shopped in the COLD!!!!

Sam and Polley spent their annual Christmas Eve EVE at Ma T's again this year. They had so much fun.

We had our annual Country Fat Breakfast on Christmas day and then welcomed several family members casually as the day progressed. (I say CASUAL, because I do not get out of my pajamas all day....it's a rule!)(I really enjoyed my new vintage ski scene pajamas from Eddie Bauer.......Sam made a great shopping choice)

We had a rousing game of USA trivia later that night...........we played in teams of two and Nancy and Dustin surprised us all with a classic "come from behind" win.

Well, unfortunately, thanks to chemo brain, my memory "ain't what it used to be"...............but I had a great holiday until the 29th................pretty sketchy after that!

One more big round of chemo on January19, 20, or 21st....still solidifying the date.............WOW! one more round. I can't believe it.

Happy New Year to all!