Arrangements for Chris

Hello friends and family,

The arrangements for
Christine are as follows:

Viewing - Sunday, July 22nd, 2012 from 2-6pm at Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home, 1671 Maple Rd., Williamsville, NY 14221

Funeral - Monday, July 23rd, 2012, starting at 11am, with a viewing preceding at 10am, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1424 Maple Rd., Williamsville, NY 14221

All are invited and welcome to attend to celebrate the life of our amazing Mother, Daughter, Sister, Grandmother, Niece, Cousin and Friend.

We know this has come as a shock to almost everyone.  We feel your pain and loss as well.  We cannot adequately acknowledge  all of you for your prayers, letters, cards, thoughts, meals, monetary contributions and overall love, but we love every single one of you, as she did.

She is free.  She is home.  She is whole again.  My Heavenly Father's blessings be felt by all of you.

-Christine's Family,

Her Legacy.

Chris finished her journey

Early this morning, we lost our beloved Christine.  None of us realized, including her, that the possibility of having three months left on this Earth, would turn into eight, short, days.  Heavenly Father decided to take her quickly rather than have her linger and suffer from this terrible disease.

We thank you for all your prayers, love and support.  We can report that she went peacefully at home surrounded by all five of her precious children including one Daughter-in-Law, her Husband, her Mother and Sister. 

Services will be posted as soon as possible.  

All our love,

The Family

A new chapter . . .

I had a CT scan last Friday, and went to Roswell for the results yesterday.  Dr. K. informed us that the Votrient is no longer working.  Everything has gotten bigger.  I wasn't that surprised.  I suspected as much. I think Ken did, too.  Dr. K. gently told us that there are really no more options in terms of treatment.  He suggested we think about in-home hospice care.  We really didn't have to think about it.  We had anticipated it would be our next step.  Hospice called this morning and set up a time for a consult.  We'll be meeting with them on Thursday morning.  Everyone tells me that Hospice workers are wonderful.  I look forward to meeting my hospice nurse, Wendy.

I asked Dr. K. how my life would play out from here.  He said that he really doesn't think I'll be in any pain. Mainly, I'll begin to lose energy and want to sleep more.  Hospice will see to it that I'm comfortable and that I'm breathing OK.  I asked him the big question - how much time do I have?  He guesstimates about 3 months, maybe a little longer.  He emphasized the fact that he would still be in charge of my care.  We thanked him for everything he, and the good people of Roswell, had done for us.  He said some very nice things, then left us alone for some private time.  Ken and I both dissolved in tears and just held each other for a few minutes.  After we pulled ourselves together, my 2 favorite nurses came in and gave us both big hugs.  It was a bittersweet moment. I realized how grateful I am for the love I feel from those around me.  That love has helped to sustain me over the last 3 years and will continue to sustain me over these next few months.

We called my mom and our kids and invited them to come over for a family counsel last night. We began with family prayer which helped to bring a feeling of calm and peace.  I then explained what we had learned at the doctor's office and how we were going to proceed from here. I told them that I am completely in the Lord's hands now, and I'm more than OK with this.  I know that I couldn't be in better hands.  All that matters to me now is that we all pull together as a family and love and support each other through this.  I want us to enjoy every moment we have together to the fullest.  I want my family to have joy in this life and to be happy.  That is my greatest desire. There were a few tears. But, ultimately, we ended up in the back yard tossing the football around, watching the grandkids play, laughing and just having fun together.  It was perfect.

One of the tenets of our religion is that husbands, wives and their children can be "sealed" as families for eternity by proper priesthood authority.  Ken and I were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple on May 26, 1979.  Each of our children are sealed to us.  We may be separated for a time when I go, but we will be together again.  This is my great comfort and my solace.


In John 14:27, the Savior tells us, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  I bear testimony of this peace that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is real. I am so grateful for the peace I have been blessed with. I am so grateful for His love.


I will continue to update from time to time as long as I can.  Many, many thanks for your love, support and prayers.  Very special thanks to my wonderful husband who has been my rock through all of this.  I literally could not have gotten through this without him. I couldn't ask for a better care-giver or for a better friend.


Until next time . . .

My, how time flies!

I've been remiss again.  I've let too much time go by without updating.  I'm so sorry.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag the last few weeks.  I've had a few "blue" days.  A couple of weeks ago I mentioned to my home care nurse that I was a bit blue the day before. She looked alarmed.  I then realized she thought I'd had a problem with my oxygen level.  I reassured her I did not turn blue, that it was a mood thing. Fun with the home care nurse.

I had quite a few days where my cough was relentless.  And in spite of Ken and I draining my right lung cavity pretty regularly, it took very little exertion for me to feel out of breath.  I was sure that my left lung cavity must be filling with fluid again.  Why else would I have these symptoms?  So, we called Dr. K's office and went to Roswell for an x-ray.  Both lungs looked pretty good.  In fact, the left lung looked better than the right.  I was told to treat the symptoms.  I took Morphine for the cough.  (Who knew Morphine could tame a cough?  I sure didn't.)  It worked although it made me tired.  I made sure to use my inhaler regularly for the shortness of breath.  It didn't help so much.  I was pretty much stuck at home, not able to do much of anything.  I couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be how I lived the rest of my life.

Back to my home care nurse. She's actually very good and very caring.  Her name is Jan.  Jan came last week and noticed that there was some leakage on the dressing covering my catheter.  Even though there didn't appear to be any infection, she thought it would be a good idea to call Roswell and see if they wanted to take a look at it.  She didn't call Dr. K.  She called the thoracic clinic and asked to speak to the doctor that put in the catheter.  She was told they would get a message to Dr. Dexter or Dr. Hennon (he put in the catheter on my left side), and would call if they felt I should come in.  The next morning I got a call from Thoracic saying they wanted us to come in.  Dr. Hennon took a look at the catheter site and determined there was no infection.  But, he wanted to find the cause of the leakage.  He suggested we do a drain even though Ken and I had done one just the day before and hadn't gotten too much.  During the process of draining, he realized that the catheter was clogged from the inside.  He played with the tubing a little bit, and lo and behold, out came about 3 times as much as the day before. Apparently, I had fluid building up that wasn't able to be drained due to the clogged tubing. Since then, our drains have been much more productive.  My cough has improved a whole bunch as has the shortness of breath.  I haven't had to take the Morphine at all.  I feel like my old self again.

I've been on the Votrient for 5 or 6 weeks now.  I go in for a regular follow-up tomorrow and I'm sure we'll schedule the next CT scan.  Oh boy.

I hope you're all enjoying your summer.  Well, I guess technically it's still spring.  It sure feels like summer, though.  I'm loving the sunshine, the greenery, the flowers, the birds.  All, wonderful blessings.  Take care and enjoy.  Until next time . . .

Just enjoying life . . .

Hi everyone.  Not much new to report.  I've been feeling pretty good.  Doing a little gardening, enjoying our incredible weather.  My symptoms have been very manageable.  I'm so grateful for a bit of a respite from the drama that is cancer.  In short, life is good.  I feel very blessed.

Take good care.

Until next time . . .

Pretty good news!

Well, for the first time in a long, long time, I have pretty good news!  Of the 4 large tumors in my lungs, 2 got marginally bigger while the other 2 shrank.  The one in my pelvic lining got quite a bit smaller.  My oncologist was pleased with the results, so he is keeping me on this drug.  I go back for another CT in 2 months.  Woohoo!!  I guess I'll have to get used to living my life in 2 month increments for a while, but that's OK.


Thanks again for all of your prayers.  They really do help!


I promise to update at least once a week.  So, until next time . . . 

My apologies for not updating sooner . . .

I am so bad at this stuff.  Those of you that know me well know that I don't say a lot unless I feel I have something of importance to say.  So, when things are going well or just going, I don't think about updating the blog.  So sorry.

I'm still on the Votrient.  I think it has been going quite well.  Really no side effects to mention right now.  One that I did have for a while has settled down.  The front have of my tongue felt like I had licked sandpaper.  Anything too hot or spicy, even toothpaste, really hurt.  Kind of a pain, but it's much better now.

The catheter is in and is working well.  It's so nice not to have to run to Roswell every time I need a drain.

Last week was a bit of a crummy week.  I just didn't feel very good.  Had some stomach issues, more acute pain on the left side of my upper back, and my cough was out of control.  So, I called Roswell on Friday.  The nurse I spoke with was great.  She went down the list symptom by symptom and told me what to do to alleviate it.  I didn't have to go in - Yay!  However, she asked me to have Ken help me with a drain even though I didn't feel I needed one, and report back if it was a lot.  The drain was pretty routine, only 100 cc's, so I don't think there are any issues there.  She also moved my CT scan up to tomorrow (Tuesday, 5/15), with an appointment with Dr. K. right after for the results.  Ugh.  I was looking forward to a couple more weeks of ignorant bliss.  Not to be I guess.

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  I hope all you mothers had a wonderful day!  I did.  My husband, kids and their families cooked dinner for me, my mom and my daughter-in-law, Sara.  It was very yummy!  After dinner, we gathered together to discuss my situation and what we might hear on Tuesday.  It wasn't easy for any of us. If the Votrient isn't working, I'm just not sure what the next step should be - or even if there is one.  But, I'm truly amazed at the love and strength I felt that evening  Family is the most important unit on the face of the planet.  I am so, so grateful for mine.  I can face anything with them by my side.  I am also so grateful for my faith which tells me there is life after this, and it's more beautiful and marvelous than we can comprehend.  More importantly, our family ties don't have to end at death.  I know I'll live with my family again, if we all stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What great comfort that is.

I'm sure I will update again tomorrow or the next day to let you know my "fate". Gotta maintain a sense of humor, right?

I love you all.  Again, thank you for your prayers, love and support.

Thing are still going well . . .

I'm knocking on wood as I say that.  The little bit of fatigue I had at the beginning seems to be waning.  I'll usually get tired in the afternoon and have a nap.  Other than that, it has been pretty easy.  The one thing that is bothersome has nothing to do with the treatment.  My right lung cavity is filling up with fluid again. I get short of breath pretty easily.  That was my first clue the last time. (I'm learning!)  I have an appointment to go in and get it tapped this afternoon.  Next Thursday I have an appointment to have a catheter put in so I can do the drains myself.  Hopefully, it won't be in for long.  When they put it in on my left side a while back, I only needed it for about 2 months because the fluid dissipated on it's own.  Maybe my right side will follow suit.

Easter was lovely.  After church, we all went to my mother's house for dinner. My brother, Don, was in town.  It was nice spending time with him.  I hope you all had a lovely Easter as well.

It's a beautiful sunny day today.  I love it when it's sunny.  It's a good day for a walk.  However, I best wait until after the tap this afternoon.  It would be unsettling for the neighbors if I were to pass out on the sidewalk.

Enjoy your day!

So far so good . . .

I've been on the Votrient since Wednesday.  So far, no noticeable side effects.  Yay!  However, we did make an unexpected visit to Roswell yesterday.  Shortness of breath was really becoming an issue. At first, I assumed it was just the progression of the disease.  But, yesterday it occurred to me that it could be fluid building up again in my right lung cavity.  Turned out I was right. So, we ended up at Roswell for a "tap" to get the fluid out of there.  I'm breathing much better now.

That's the third time I mistakenly thought worsening of symptoms was due to the cancer.  (Note to self - Stop assuming you've got this thing all figured out!)

It's a beautiful sunny day today, fitting for Easter weekend.  This Easter may we all be reminded of the hope found in the Atonement and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Happy Easter, everyone!

We have insurance approval!

My insurance has approved the Votrient (Pazopanib).  It will be delivered to the house today.  It's a pill I can take at home, so no visits to the hospital!  Side effects include fatigue, maybe a little nausea and/or diarrhea.  TMI?  Probably.  Sorry.  Also, it could make my blood pressure go up - which for me wouldn't be such a bad thing because my blood pressure tends to run on the low side.  They also have to watch my liver function as it could effect that.

I can do this.  Prayers all around!

Thanks everyone!  I'll give you an update and let you know how it's going in a few days.

Still hanging in there . . .

Had my appointment with Dr. K yesterday.  There is a drug, new for sarcoma, that has been used in treating late-stage kidney cancer.  He suggested I give it a try.  It hasn’t been approved by the FDA for sarcoma yet, but if my insurance company approves it anyway, I can start in the next couple of days.  It’s called Pazopanib, brand name – Votrient.  (I’d love to know who comes up with these names!)  Anyway, it’s supposed to cut off the blood supply to the tumors.  Dr. K is also looking into clinical trials at Sloan Kettering in NYC and MD Anderson in Houston for me.  He’ll have that information by the end of the week. 

I’m not going to lie – I got the distinct impression that Dr. K doesn’t hold out much hope that anything is going to work due to the progression of the cancer.  He may be right, but I’m not ready to give up the fight just yet.  I appreciate his willingness to be supportive of my desire to keep fighting.  He could easily wash his hands of me. 

My hope is that we’ll at least find something that buys me a little more time.  I still have things I need to do! 

A friend from work shared this poem with me.  I loved it.  Thanks, Debbie!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out,
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Until next time . . .

Thanks for your prayers.

Thank you for your posts.  And many thanks to Barb for keeping you all updated.

I am home.  I'm sorry for not updating sooner.  I must admit, I've been enjoying resting, relaxing, and soaking in our beautiful weather.  I promised myself (and my husband) that when I got out of the hospital I would just take it easy and give my body a chance to get strong and heal. No housework, no trips to the store.  It hasn't been all that difficult. I think I'm a bit worn out.

It's been a rough few weeks culminating in my week-long stay at the hospital.  That is with one shining exception.  The Benefit given for our family was absolutely incredible.  The love and support we felt that night was completely overwhelming.  Heartfelt thanks to all who were involved in bringing it together, and to those who graciously donated baskets and services.  The money that was raised will help to lift the financial burden that cancer inevitably brings.  One less thing to worry about.  Thank you so much.

So, they determined that I had a virus which resulted in fever, chills and major fatigue with a side of shortness of breath.. I'm sure the fatigue was exacerbated by the chemo as well.  As Barb said, while I was there, I developed some intestinal issues.  They did an xray and a CT scan and determined that I didn't have a bowel obstruction, but instead something called an illius.  An illius is a small section of bowel that decides to take a break and stop working essentially slowing everything down.  Of course, when I heard they were doing a CT scan, I knew they'd be looking at other things as well.  Sure enough, Dr. K. came into my room after looking at the scan and said things were a bit worse.  The tumor in my pelvic lining had gotten bigger and was actually butting up against my bowel probably causing the illius.  He said the tumors in my lungs hadn't changed too much.  Guess that's good.  Always have to find something positive in these reports, but it's getting harder and harder as time goes on.  He said we'd have stop the Adriamycin.  He didn't have much more to offer at that point.  The next day, he came in and said he wanted to set up an appointment to discuss our next step, most likely a clinical trial at another hospital.  I was told that because I bounced back so well from the virus and was still relatively strong, they're not ready to give up on me yet. We'll meet with him this coming Tuesday.  My options are running low.  Plan "Z" seems to be coming up a bit more quickly than I thought it would. I know that I have more that I'm meant to accomplish before leaving this world. Pray that we'll be led to an effective treatment very soon.

I was sent home with oxygen as my levels were borderline low in the hospital.  I wear it most of the day and at night.  Even with it off, the only time I tend to get short of breath is when I go up the stairs.  So, I'm finding that it's no big deal if I don't wear it all of the time.  Of course, it's just one more thing that makes me feel like I'm one step closer to my grave.  However, the respiratory therapist assures me that many times it's just temporary until they find the right treatment.  There's that darn hope again!  Guess I'd better hold on to it.  After all, it's better than the alternative.  Feeling hopeless isn't in my nature, thank goodness.  Actually, I have the Lord to thank for that.  I know that He has been with me and will continue to be with me every step of the way regardless of the outcome.  It's because of Him my hope shines bright.

Until next time . . .

She's home and doing much better

Chris will post soon. She feels good.  She came home on Saturday. 

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss

She's not feeling so great.....

Hello Friends and Family,

Some family out West emailed me today asking for me to put an update on Chris' blog since they've heard she's in the hospital right now.  I checked with Chris, and she has asked me to go ahead and do so.  

First, I have been asked to pass along how grateful both Chris and Ken are for the overwhelming support, hard work, and generosity regarding the special benefit in her honor last week. I know I can't express how grateful I am personally for the outpouring of love and kindness shown to my Sister and her family.  I'm rather speechless about it, but I'm not surprised just how many people love the Van Ry family and would do this to help them.  Thank you from myself, who couldn't be there.  Thank you from the Van Ry kids, thank you from my Mom, Maurine, and thank you from Chris and Ken.  I'm sure when Chris feels better, she will add her thoughts.  

It's been a hard several weeks for our entire family.  Bill Shomers, who somehow became part of our family 24 years ago, passed away last week.  In fact, he passed away just days before the benefit on Wed. Those of us who were able to, scrambled to get to NY to be there for the funeral which was just this past Sat.  I was lucky enough to be able to be there for a few quick days.  This was all just too much for Chris.  While I was there, I was incredibly worried about her.  She was exhausted, almost always down on the couch, she's had a cough that's really been winding her, and she was frustrated that she couldn't keep up with everything.  This past Sunday, just hours after I left to return home, she ended up in the ER at Millard Fillmore Suburban with a 103 fever.  She was there for hours.  Her Dr at Roswell, Dr K, told her to go there.  Something about Roswell didn't have room at the moment for her.  At Suburban, she had chest x-rays and another CT scan.  The results showed fluid in her chest cavity and possibly her left lung.  (Hopefully I got that right.) She was transferred via ambulance to Roswell around Midnight.  They are testing for Pneumonia, Flu, and other infections.  She is on antibiotics and IV fluids.  The fever is down a bit, but Chris says it comes and goes.  She also had some stomach pain yesterday which she thought was from all the coughing, the Drs gave her morphine and she felt much better.  Chris hasn't had the chest tube drain in her side for quite a while now.  Because of that, they did have to tap her side and drained about a liter of fluid out of her chest cavity.  That made her feel instantly better.  Today however, her abdomen has been swollen and sore.  Per her last update, they (the all knowing "they") think it's a possible bowel obstruction.  She's been told to walk as much as she can at the hospital with the hope it will correct itself.

Because of this newest development, we really don't know when she will be released to go home.  She is in isolation at this time, and has to test clear of infection for 48 hrs before she gets to leave.  As of this time, the initial tests aren't even back yet that I know of.  

Please keep your prayers coming.  They are so appreciated and I know they are felt by her.  

I hope I've covered most of your questions and worries.  She loves reading your comments, so blow up her inbox here with them.  = )  I'll continue to keep her blog updated until she can take over again.

-Barbra

Special lia sophia fundraiser for Chris!

Hello everyone!  

In honor of my sister, I've set up a special lia sophia jewelry fundraiser for Chris.  I'm donating all of my profits from this sale to Chris for her medical and living expenses during this difficult time for her and her family.  

Chris used to sell lia sophia and got me involved in it.  It's beautiful jewelry with a lifetime guarantee. Just be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place.  There is a special this month, buy two regular price pieces, get two pieces at half price.  As always, you pay half price for your most expensive items!  

Log onto my website, click on "browse jewelry" and then enter either my name, or Christine Van Ry in the hostess info, and your order will be credited to her fundraiser.  This will only be running a few more days.  I've been advertising it on facebook, but got permission from Chris to put the info on her blog too.  

Everything will be shipped to me here in Tulsa, but I will ship the individual orders to you at no extra charge.  Thank you, and let's see what we can do to help such an amazing woman!

-Barbra 


www.liasophia.com/summerhill

All systems go for plan "G".

At least we think we're up to plan "G" by now.  My apologies for not updating sooner.  To me, all this talk of  different treatments, chemos, and clinical trials is beginning to get tedious.  Ken reminded me, though, that this blog is my only source of communication from me to many of you.  Gotta keep up the blog.  I promise I will do better.

So, last Tuesday we met with the clinical trial doctors and also with my oncologist, Dr. K.  The clinical trial people had another trial for me if I chose to go that route.  It was a Phase 1 trial, the very beginning of it.  It would be a low dose of a drug called CBLB502.  In the protocol it stated that those who received the lower dosage were less likely to see any response in their tumors.  Hmmmmm.  It took Ken and I approximately 3.4 seconds to decide against it.  We then went for our appointment with Dr. K.  I like Dr. K.  He is a good man.  We told him about the clinical study we had just learned about.  I gave him my copy of the written protocol so he could look through it.  We told him of our reservations regarding the low dosage. He understood.  We talked again about the Adriamycin with the heart protectant.  (Just to recap, this chemo was the very first chemo I was on a couple of years ago.  We got an excellent response with it.  I was only allowed 6 or 7 rounds of it because too much can damage the heart.  They give it to children and breast cancer patients with this heart protectant which seems to alleviate the risk of heart damage.)  He also mentioned the possibility of sarcoma-based clinical trials at other hospitals.  I told him we were becoming weary making all of these decisions.  I asked him what he would recommend at this point.  He said he felt that the Adriamycin was a very reasonable option.  He would have me do 2 rounds, then a CT scan, then another 2 rounds.  He said he would be comfortable doing 4 rounds, no more.  That sounded good to us.  I go for my first infusion on 2/28.  They'll give me the heart protectant first (Vinegard), then the good stuff.  It should only take about 45 minutes.  The side effects are nausea, flu-like symptoms and fatigue.  The nausea really is a non-issue with me.  They have so many wonderful anti-nausea drugs these days.  As I recall from the last time, my main issue was the fatigue, but it only lasted for a few days.  Once we're done with this, on to plan "H".  Such is my life.  Oh well.  I figure as long as there are letters left in the alphabet, I'm good.  Aside from a bit of a cough, I really can't complain.  Hard to believe it's been almost 3 years since I was diagnosed.  All in all, I feel quite blessed to feel as well as I do.

Until next time . . .

Good news, bad news . . .

The good news is the tumors in my lungs are stable for the most part.  Minimal growth for some, shrinkage for others.  If only that were the end of the story.  It seems that I have a new little growth in the pelvic lining on my right side.  It is very small, not even measurable really.  But, this new little growth is keeping me from continuing on the study.  I guess I've been lucky up to this point that things haven't spread.  On the bright side, the rest of my organs are clear.

So, what to do now?  I was handed the paperwork for a new study to read and consider before my appointment next Tuesday.  I also have an appointment with my oncologist next Tuesday to discuss the possibility of starting the Adrimicin.  We have some decisions to make.  Right now, I'm leaning towards the Adrimicin.  It's a known winner - at least in the past.  I imagine we would get some good results with it.  These studies are so unpredictable.  I don't feel like I have time for unpredictability.  That's just my opinion.  When it comes right down to it, we need to make this a matter of prayer.  We'll let the Lord guide the proceedings.  After all, He knows better than all of us.

Until next Tuesday . . .

Things were going just too smoothly . . .

Things were going relatively well after the last infusion.  Last Thursday the neuropathy started with a little more enthusiasm than last time.  Friday, the body aches set in.  I won't lie - I felt lousy.  On Saturday I noticed my breathing was a bit more shallow than usual. Ken felt my forehead and said I felt warm.  My temp was only 99.5, but I had taken Motrin about 45 minutes prior, so we knew it was probably a little higher than that. We called Roswell and spoke to one of the doctors on their service.  He said to come in - had a bed for me on 7 East.  Woohoo. Oh well.  At least it was a private room.  Ended up staying until Monday.  Turns out I had a touch of pneumonia and a staph infection.  They put me on IV antibiotics which kick-started the recovery process.  I'm feeling much better.  Still get a little winded if I forget and go up and down the stairs at my usual clip.  The nurse advised me to pace myself, so that's what I'm trying to do.

The good news is, this little turn of events didn't get me kicked off of the study.  Next Tuesday I go in for my usual follow-up and blood work.  Friday the 27th is the big CT scan which will show if we're making any progress.  It also happens to be mine and Ken's 34th anniversary. What a romantic way to spend the day!  Well, not really.  Ken will be teaching.  Too bad, though.  I would have been happy to share my berry- flavored barium with him!

Until next time, everyone stay warm.  It seems winter has finally arrived.

No news is definitely good news.

Thankfully, I have nothing exciting to report. Aside from a bit of a cough, I feel quite good. I go in for my next treatment this Tuesday.  Hopefully, this round will be much like the last. My next CT scan is scheduled for 1/27.  Keeping fingers and toes crossed for good results.  However, if the results aren't good, my doctors tell us we have 2 other treatment options we can choose from.  At this stage of the game, options are always a good thing.

My hair has started to fall out.  I had my daughter, Katie, buzz me yesterday.  I look like Sinead O'Connor.  Fortunately, I found a really cute wig at Roswell a couple of weeks ago.  I can get one free wig per year from Roswell, so it didn't cost me anything.  Their wigs are really good quality.  I was thinking of staying with a salt and pepper gray color similar to my own.  But, Ken saw a cute, dark blond wig he wanted me to try on.  I loved it.  I guess when it comes right down to it, I'm not really ready to go gray yet.  It sounds strange, but I was actually looking forward to my hair falling out so I could wear my wig!  I have no idea how my hair will come back in a third time.  The 2nd time, it was thin in spots and much straighter than normal.  I'm thinking it will only be worse the next time it comes in.  Who knows?  Maybe this wig will become a permanent fixture. That would be OK with me.

Time to get ready for church.  I love Sundays!

Until next time . . .