Day 238 - Overachiever & Achievements!

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit, I've been quite slack about keeping you up to speed! I'm now sitting a week+ behind & racking my brain to remember the past X number of days! Bear with me!


This morning was another ultrasound. I'm pleased to say that I'm no longer in the bottom of the pile for follicles! Yay! This morning found 12 follicles! Whoo hoo! It's working! I am to keep up with my shots for the next three days & come back on Sunday. Lucky me, human pin-cushion continues!


I motored home & realized that I had left Mom's cell at home. I was supposed to call Ilo when I was leaving the city, so she could meet me & follow me back to the ranch. Whoopsie! I called her as soon as I got home & to my dismay, I had the wrong number!!! The answering message that picked up was some young kid named Jordan! Oh no! I facebooked her & sent her an email, with no idea of whether or not she would actually be able to access either message! 


I laid down for a nap, waiting for the phone to ring. It didn't! I woke up & hit the shower. When I got out, there was Ilo! She found us! I quickly got ready & she decided to accompany me to my Oncology appointments. Since it was a rainy day, Shasta & Valentina came along for the ride. The first stop was blood work. It was late in the day, so the clinic wasn't busy & I made sure I didn't get the same gal who murdered my vein last time! 


Our next stop was the Social Worker. She was able to help me out with the prescription coverage application & we applied for Blue Cross coverage, but it takes 4 months to kick in! My EI benefits end this weekend & if I can qualify for sick benefits, it will only cover me for 15 weeks! Yikes! I'm feeling the pinch! It could be an interesting 6 months in so many more ways than I had imagined! 


Okay, the appointment I'm sure you're all anxious to know about. My big meeting with Dr. Daly. I had my binder of studies & tests & trials & questions (19). There he sat with his matching shirt & socks, pants pressed with a razor sharp crease & a flawless haircut. I was so nervous. I was so relieved that Ilo had come along to bring me back to reality from time to time. I started with the questions. Finally it came time to tell him about the Bleomycin omission. 


He asked me to tell him more about it, so I explained the study I'd found, what the results were & the Doctor who had done it. I told him that I'd phoned the Harvard Doctor who conducted the study. To my shock, Dr. Daly says, 'Yes, George?' He knows him! Very good! So, after I explain my reasoning, Dr. Daly says, 'Well, you sound like you're making an informed decision & as long as you're aware of the risks, that's fine with me.'


WHAT?!?! No fight? No argument? No tie me to the chair until I give in?!? Wow! That was so easy! Phew! I've just lost 10 pounds! Fantastic!


Next up, Peter Lougheed for treatments? Sure! CT scan? Well, I compromised & it will only be my neck & chest - NO ABDOMEN OR PELVIS!!!! This is turning into a breeze!


I asked about sunshine & if I could have vitamin D. He said to cover up & use sunscreen, especially if I'm going to be out all day - like if I'm doing a hike. What?!? You mean I'll feel well enough to hike?? He tells me it's much easier than I've painted in my mind. I hope he's right! I really, really do!


I also asked about the substitute Oncologist while he's away. It turns out, he's only gone for 2 weeks, so it's not such a big deal. I mentioned that I had wanted Dr. Lategan & I also mentioned that his receptionist was quite the gal. He immediately asked about HIS receptionist & was she nice. She was better than Dr. Lategan's, but she wasn't winning any gold stars... I told Dr. Daly that she was alright - he instantly poked me in the knee & roared laughing - 'Good! Because it's the same one!' Ha ha ha! Ilo, the Nurse, Deb, & Dr. Daly were all roaring. I hardly found it funny. I do now, but she was still wicked to me! Looks like we'll have to have a chat before I start visiting her every 2 weeks! :oP


With that, we finished up. I left feeling relief of some kind. My 1st chemo date is booked for June 30th. Less than 2 weeks to go. The pit in my stomach is already whirling. CT scan will be either the 28th or 29th. 


Ilo & I stopped for a Jugo Juice & some groceries from Safeway. She made a yummy sweet potato appetizer & I made (kind of) coconut french toast. We were so full from our smoothies we hardly ate anything! The highlight of the day was the photo frenzy Ilo shared with me. She spent a year in Kenya a few years ago volunteering with Global Vision. Her photographs were AMAZING. WOW! I can't wait to go there! The sunsets, the dolphins, the cheetahs, the people... Beautiful! What an experience. 


We walked the dogs for awhile in the rain. It was hilarious to watch Shasta bolt ahead & Valentina try to keep up with her short little legs! They had a blast playing! Shasta is so well behaved & she is the cutest Golden Retriever I've ever seen. She has a cute little turned up nose & beautiful eyes that know exactly what's on your mind.


We were both pretty tired, so we got ready for bed... Before we hit the hay, Ilo tried on a few wigs. It's interesting how a different hairstyle changes your look SO MUCH! I'll be anxious to see how many of my friends walk past me when I sport the wigs! :o)


Until then... Lekker slaap...
xxxxx
Maria, Valentina, Ilo & Shasta

Waiting to see Dr. Daly

Playtime!

Mushrooms & cow patty!

Catch me if you can...

Didn't think so!

You can totally rock it girl! It's Jade from America's Next Top Model!

Day 211 - Black Diamond

Today I had an appointment with my GP, Dr. Dowdall. I was pondering life the other day & thought they should make a 'Physician of the Year' award. Dr. Dowdall would get my vote! In any case, patients could go online to a website, click off the criteria their Physician met or exceeded & cast their vote. Then we could have a big black tie awards night & give due recognition to the good doctors out there! Patients could leave comments & after the voting deadline was past, the comments could be published in a book & presented to the Physician. 


It's nice to meet a Doctor who actually cares about your wellbeing. Not that most of them don't, it's just their personalities could use a little nudging to the 'I care & I am happy' side of things. So that's my idea... 


Back to Black Diamond... I was a few minutes late & had hardly sat down in the very busy waiting room when the nurse called my name. When I saw Dr. Dowdall in November, he had an Intern working with him. I confused her & eventually Dr. Dowdall answered all of my questions. She saw me today & I think I jogged her mind, as she right away asked if I needed to see him. Of course I said yes. 


Dr. Dowdall showed up & we had a lengthy chat. I was interested in getting a second opinion, although he didn't think it would happen in such short time. I told him about my studies, Bleomycin, the complications, the chemo sensitivity test, Dr. Canellos & so forth. Basically he told me that no Doctor would tell me that it would be okay to omit one of the drugs from the chemo regimen. He also told me that I was a very well informed patient & at present I understood more about the drugs than he did. I felt good about that! My homework was helping me! (I think!) He suggested I speak with a Pharmacist at Tom Baker & see what they could tell me about Bleomycin & its role in ABVD. 


He told me to keep in touch & let him know how I was doing. I'm sure he'll see me before the end of the summer! I only wish he was an Oncologist, as he's very committed to his job & he does it in a way that makes you feel like you are a person & not a number. 


After the appointment, I made my way to the pet shop. I needed some more raw food & the gal was most helpful. I picked up Cesar's other book & look forward to learning a little bit more! I also stopped in at the local art gallery & to my surprise, the folks that have been running it have sold it & are hitting the high road! They are travelling to the 'End of the World' - well, South America. I'm so excited for them! Of course we chatted for awhile & I am all for chasing one's dreams with a vengeance, especially if it involves traveling to do so! They don't leave until January, so I'm hoping to be in touch & find out more of their itinerary! 


I walked around the main street for a bit & then made my way home. I took the back way from Black Diamond to Millarville. It's a lovely drive with fantastic views. I must say, this neck of the woods is stunning come summer time when everything is green & the mountains are still snow capped. Pretty tough to beat! 


The little girls were excited to see me when I arrived home. We went for a walk to the highway & back & they were very well behaved! Valentina always needs a little coaxing up the big hill. I think she expects to go all the way to EVIC before returning home! 


Okay, sleep tight & here's to a wonderful tomorrow!
Maria & Valentina 
xxxxx

Great old sign

Pocket Garden - what a neat idea!

I've never heard of it before! But my thumb is NOT green.

Main street in Black Diamond

Looking the other way... Nice & quiet.

Day 209 - Cross Eyed Computer Day

Okay, so I spent the entire day working in Photoshop for Unka Jer & researching chemo drugs - mainly Bleomycin. My mind is swarming with statistics & information & terminology I had no prior knowledge of before today!


I researched bleomycin, Lance Armstrong, Etoposide, Isofosphamide, Pulmonary Fibrosis... my bookmarks page is a disaster now! I have so many pages saved & still plenty of reading to do. I found some pretty remarkable information out there... I won't bore you to tears with it, as it's probably not that interesting to someone who's not staring it in the face... But here's a few excerpts from the day:


"BPT (Bleomycin Pulmonary Toxicity) results in a significant decrease in 5-year OS (Overall Survival) in patients who are treated for HL (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). Age greater than 40 years seems to add substantially to the risk. In patients who do not die from acute pulmonary toxicity, both OS and PFS (Progression-Free Survival) seem equal, despite the omission of bleomycin."


"Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (a general marker of inflammation) measurements may be elevated in Hodgkin disease (Hodgkin's lymphoma). An elevated ESR has been associated with worse prognosis. However, the ESR is a nonspecific test that should not be used for Hodgkin disease (Hodgkin's lymphoma) screening." - This is the Sedimentation Rate they tested at Dr. Castillo's. Mine always decreased after 10+ days of treatment with Dr. Castillo.

"The Ann Arbor classification (1971) is used most often for cases of Hodgkin disease (Hodgkin's lymphoma). Clinical staging involves assessment of disease extent by clinical examination, history, and imaging techniques. When staging laparotomies are used as part of staging, the disease extent is designated as pathologic staging.¹⁰

• Stage I denotes a single lymph node area or single extranodal site.
• Stage II denotes 2 or more lymph node areas on the same side of the diaphragm.
• Stage III denotes lymph node areas on both sides of the diaphragm.
• Stage IV denotes disseminated or multiple involvement of the extranodal organs. Involvement of the liver or the bone marrow is considered stage IV disease. For staging classifications, the spleen is considered to be a lymph node area. Involvement of the spleen is denoted with the S suffix (ie, IIB_S).

A or B designations denote the absence or presence of B symptoms.

• A "B" designation includes the presence of 1 or more of the following:
  
  • Fever (temperature >38°C)
  • Drenching night sweats
  • Unexplained loss of more than 10% of body weight within the preceding 6 months
• An "A" designation is the absence of the above.
• An "X" designation is sometimes used to indicate the presence of bulky disease."

 - At present I have been told that I am a stage IIB, although I have not had the symptoms listed - only itching. I suppose I could have the 'X' designation. Maria X. Hmmm... Sounds like Malcom X's sister...


"Bone thinning (osteoporosis) may be related to steroid treatments such as prednisone." - Excellent.


"ABVD and other regimens containing bleomycin increase the risk for severe effects on the lungs when used before or after mantle-field radiation. EVA [etoposide, vinblastine, and doxorubicin] is considered to be an effective substitute in patients with lung disease for whom bleomycin and radiation present an unacceptable risk." - If only Etoposide didn't have the risk of bladder problems & leukemia.


'Although the exact mechanism of action of Bleomycin is unknown, available evidence indicates that the main mode of action is the inhibition of DNA synthesis with some evidence of lesser inhibition of RNA and protein synthesis.'

Regarding Bleomycin: "Improvement of Hodgkin's Disease and testicular tumors is prompt and noted within 2 weeks. If no improvement is seen by this time, improvement is unlikely."

"Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition marked by thickening and scarring of tissue deep in your lungs. It also may result in inflammation and scarring in your air sacs and their supporting structures.

If the scarring progresses, it may lead to breathing difficulties and/or impair your lungs' ability to deliver oxygen to your bloodstream. This can keep your internal organs from getting the oxygen they need to function properly."

The first page I opened, regarding a natural cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis, said this was the #1 thing to help: "(1) Serrepeptase - this should be taken at quite high doses e.g at least 160,000 IUS a day, but double that dose is safe, as people can take large amounts of this, it is an enzyme so is not toxic. Example dose 60,000 IU's three times a day. This enzyme will thin mucous so it can be expelled from the lungs and the lymph system, reduce inflammation, and in the long term help reduce the actual fibrosis itself. Furthermore it will have some calming effect on the immune system that is attacking the lungs."

"Interferon-ß Inhibits Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis by Decreasing Transforming Growth Factor-ß and Thrombospondin"

Okay, so I still have another 12-15 sites that I visited plus the articles I saved as pdf's... I won't bore you to tears, but the facts are out there! I just need to find them! I'm feeling a lot more confident in refusing the Bleomycin. I'm going to see if Jaco can reach Dr. Canellos & have a discussion with him regarding the omission of the drug. My apologies if I've bored you to tears... we can talk about embryos & sperm tomorrow! :o) Or wiener dogs... take your pick! 

Love & hugs, not chemo drugs...

Maria & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Searching for the sunlight!

Peek-a-boo!

Day 203 - Long Day in the City.

I suppose 13 is an unlucky number for a number of reasons. I've been fairly stressed these past few weeks. Can anyone understand why? I hope so! I had my first appointment at 1000 & my last appointment ending at 2200. Yes, that's 12 hours in the city & most of it spent in appointments. 


Mom decided she wanted to come along to see the Oncologist as well, so she drove. After 12 hours of her driving, well, let's just say that she has an awful lot of Angels watching over her. I have never seen anyone fail to signal, roll through stop signs without checking traffic, take so long to decide just which lane they are going to drive in or merge while doing 40 km/h. Oh my. I hate driving & I know I shouldn't complain, but I'm just sayin'.


Anyhow my Backseat Driving Vent is now complete. The first appointment was my lung function test. It was in the Foothills Hospital at the Pulmonary Lab. I had never been there before, so I asked for directions at Information. 'Oh yes, just take the elevator down one floor & head in the opposite direction.' And she points towards the Special Services building. Away I go. I walk. I walk some more. I keep walking. Still walking. Pretty soon I'm at the Nuclear Medicine desk where I was 2 days ago, which is on the border of Special Services & Tom Baker, so I know I'm totally lost. 


I ask the girls at the desk where EG3 (Pulmonary Lab) & they send me back the way I came in the opposite direction, PAST the elevators & my first left. Okay, it was my Hospital Marathon for the day. I think Information needs to talk a hike on their lunch break & learn the hospital instead of surfing on Facebook!


Eventually I find the lab. It didn't take them long to get started & the Tech was really nice. I sat in this shwanky glass cubicle & was given a new mouthpiece & a set of nose plugs. I did a lot of blowing. It was pretty interesting, but quite challenging. I don't have the length of breath that most people have. My lungs are healthy, but I'm shallow. (We knew that already!) :o) I couldn't complete the test time. (Yes, I'm freaking out a little) (I'll explain why in a little bit) The Tech assures me my lungs are fine & away I go.


Mom & I have blood work done next. The Tech there was also nice, but OH MY GOODNESS!! She slaughtered my arm! She saw my vein from the MUGA scan & said, 'Oh, you have a bruise. I better use the other arm.' I told her I had a hardened vein, so just be cautious of it. I think she used that exact vein. Either that or she completely shattered it! I was nearly in tears from the agony! OH MY STARS!!!! I could hardly bend my arm or lift anything for the rest of the day! What will tomorrow be like? To make matters worse she had to take several vials & the thin vials didn't want to fill - probably from the horrible job she did on finding a good vein! Because it didn't want to fill, she had to keep changing vials, popping them on & off, thus jarring the needle in my arm again & again. Ugh! Brutal! Where's Emily & Mika when I need them? The Nurse's from Castillo's clinic are far more skilled!!!! And much more fun to be around! :o)


Okay, next stop was Market Mall for a few things, then Costco, Ikea, Superstore & then back to the TBC. I had my appointment with the Oncologist at 1600. I was expecting him to try & talk me out of IVF & into starting chemo right away. Which was precisely what he tried to do. He told me I had a 94% chance of fertility after chemo. Wow! Impressive number! But when I asked for websites or papers, he didn't offer anything. When I asked about my heart & lung function tests, things took a shaky turn. I asked when we would do the next set of tests to see where I was at, he said we wouldn't be scheduling anything. He said I would let him know. Excuse me? How would I know? 'Oh, you'll know. You'll let me know,' he said, over & over. Great. So when I've got symptoms & it's too late to stop the damage before it starts, then you'll do a test, just to make sure? No, no, no, no, NO! Not acceptable for me!


He looked at my neck & claimed it had doubled in size since he saw me in March. I wasn't arguing with him, as it was quite 'cranky' right now & was definitely bigger. I think double might be exaggerating a bit, but... He said he also wanted to a month of radiation when I finished the chemo. After I picked up my jaw off the floor, I said I didn't like the sound of that. He said they radiate all tumors larger than 10 cm. I don't have tumors larger than 10cm. Okay, so collectively they are 10+cm, but that shouldn't count! According to him it does! 


He also tells me that he wants to do another CT scan. Ugh. Can't I do a PET? No, that's a PET-CT scan combined, so more radiation! Great. No wonder the cancer isn't going away... That will be 2100 chest x-rays in 8 months. February was the last one - which, btw, didn't show much, if any, growth, now this one & then again in 3-4 months. Then a month of radiation when I'm done?! No wonder it comes back!!! Grrr! I need a Lead paint job before I go back! :o)


I told him I would be ready to start treatment as soon as the egg retrieval is finished & he asked for it in writing. :o) At least he's getting a sense of humour along this long drawn out journey!


Btw, I've lost 10 lbs in the past 6 weeks. I'm not looking for it, so if you find it, DON'T BRING IT BACK TO ME! 


Mom & I went to CNF & then Jugo Juice for a wrap & smoothie. Jaco called & I chatted with him briefly about the appointment. Then it was time to go back to the hospital for the IVF Information Session. Mom dropped me off & headed to Neil's for prayers. 


Luckily, on my Hospital Marathon earlier today, I passed the auditorium twice, so I knew exactly where I was going! I was stunned! The room was packed! There must have been 50-60 people there! I had no clue infertility was such a huge issue! It was crazy! Dr. O'Keane, an Irish Doctor with a great sense of humour, gave the first portion of the talk. Then we heard from the Pharmacist, a Psychiatrist & a Nurse. It was fascinating! I was mesmerized by the obstacles that science has overcome - incredible! What an amazing job! The chance to give loving couples the chance to have a child of their own & the amazing ways that people have actually created to do just that! I had no clue what I was getting into when I agreed to do IVF! 


Check out their website: http://www.regionalfertilityprogram.ca & be sure to check out Dr. Foong. That's our Doctor. If you know someone who needs help, it's a great place to go! I did have the urge to stand up at the session & yell, 'I sell healthy maxipads - come see me later!', but I didn't. :o)


The session finished earlier than planned, so I called Mom & she had just left. I waited about 20 minutes for her to arrive, and while I waited, I played the Flag Game on my iPod. You gotta try it! I'm obsessed! I am learning the flags of the world. It's addicting & it's a free app... Pretty soon Mom arrived & we were on our way home. Finally! What a long day!


Before I bid you goodnight... A little more information on Bleomycin in my own understanding, which may not be scientifically correct. Correct me if I'm wrong. Bleomycin causes oxygen toxicity in 10% of patients & Pulmonary Fibrosis in 1% of patients. Basically is causes scar tissue in your lungs & if you are administered oxygen, say in surgery or while scuba diving, the scar tissue doesn't stretch like regular lung tissue. You can dive down like you normally would, but upon ascent, the lung would rupture & you would die. There is no cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis & if you get it, you're toast in about 5 years. Before you get Pulmonary Fibrosis, you'll get Pneumonitis. Guess what they treat Pneumonitis with? Yup, Prednisone. Everything about this drug just tells me to run away. Fast! 


When I got home, I googled Bleomycin & managed to find a study questioning the validity of Bleomycin in the ABVD protocol. You can read it here & tell me your opinion. 
ABVD & Bleomycin Study
Basically the people who were taking ABVD & had complications with Bleomycin stopped it. They continued with the AVD. At the end of the study, the people who took all 4 drugs for 12 rounds had a 91% success rate. The people who stopped Bleomycin part of the way through had a 90% success rate. 1% is about as identical as you can get. Lance Armstrong also opted out of Bleomycin. He did take Ifosphamide instead which causes a lot more nausea & vomiting, bladder issues & potentially Leukemia down the line, so no, I'm not taking that either. 


I'll keep researching & get a second opinion if time allows. Wish me luck on saving my lungs & my life! Sleep well - I know I will!


Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxooxoxoxoo

No photos from today... Just this one of my favourite Physician & my favourite little girl!

Day 112 - No Storm.

Starting the day running late never proves successful. You'd think I would know this by now, but apparently I just haven't learned it yet! 


Mom & I were to leave for town at 1100. We left at 1145. Of course, this put us late meeting Al & Wilma for lunch. Luckily I called & told Al we would be late & it wasn't too big of a deal. I was thrilled to see them again. Sometimes you meet some people & you feel an instant connection with them. It was this way with Al & Wilma. I swear, I can feel their warm hearts when I'm around them!


I met them flying home from the ship this last time. Funny, I spent 26 days on the same small ship with them & we never met. Then, when the cruise is over, we meet standing in line for the shuttle to the airport! Turns out, we were actually on the same snorkeling tour in Bora Bora! Ha! 


Anyhow, we enjoyed a wonderful visit & I look forward to seeing them again soon! They have a fantastic journey coming up that will take them to Cape Town, Namibia & West Africa. I am so thrilled that we share the same passion for travel & far flung destinations! I can not wait to hear all about it! I shared some tips on Namibia when I first met them & I'm sure they'll have plenty to share with me about West Africa! 


We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Earl's. It was such a beautiful day out - if it weren't for the remaining bits of snow, I'm sure they could have opened up the patio! Of course, time ticked past quickly & before we knew it, it was time for me to leave for my Oncology appointment. Valentina said a quick hello & goodbye & we were on our way!


Mom had left lunch early to run a few errands &, of course, she was running late, so I went to the appointment on my own. I did sneak out later & called her & luckily she was close by. 


I must say, it was quite ridiculous. We sat there for an entire hour before the Doctor came in to see us. When he finally did, he said he didn't have the biopsy results yet! What?!? He could have at least told me that from the beginning! Now I was going to be late for my Acupuncture appointment. Argh!


What did surprise me though, was that he had my CT scan results already! I had the scan in another town from another Doctor & he had access to them?? Well, that was the good news! He said the Doctor who did up the report didn't have my previous scans to compare them with, but from what the Oncologist could tell, the cancer hasn't spread (!) & it doesn't appear to have grown at all!! If it has, it is very minimal! YAHOO!!! I didn't get a copy of the report, but I will get that when I meet with my GP next week. Now that's what I'm talking about!!! Now, remember, I had my last PET scan the end of July. I didn't start my current protocol until the later part of October. It's working!!!! Hallelujah! 


The rest of the appointment didn't go so hot. He said he wasn't sure what the hold up was with my pathology report, but in case it didn't turn out, would I be willing to do an excision biopsy? HUH? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop the train! If I wanted to do that, why on Earth would I have you jab a bunch of big needles in my neck!?!? Do I look insane to you?!? I told him, nope. Another Core Needle Biopsy if this didn't work. Besides, he mentioned the former grumpy surgeon who would be the one to do the surgery. I commented on his lousy attitude & the Oncologist said, 'Oh, they're all like that.' I said I didn't care, that's not an excuse! I heard a Westjet joke on my last flight & I'll manipulate it to fit this situation. What's the difference between God & a Surgeon? God doesn't think he's a Surgeon! :oP


The next topic of discussion at the appointment was the Chemofit test. He completely dismissed it & said it was useless. He said it was often only done on end stage patients (of which I am no where near) & they had already been through chemo that didn't work, so how would the test prove anything? Then he said if the test worked they would already have it in place. Right. Don't even open that can of worms. Bite your tongue... Just bite your tongue. And I did! 


Then I asked a few questions about the chemo protocols. Turns out I would be up for ABVD. Yup, the one that causes cardiac toxicity & oxygen toxicity. I asked about scuba diving. At first he brushed it off, then in the end, he tells me I can kiss my scuba diving career goodbye. Goodbye?! I haven't even started!! I haven't dove the Great Barrier Reef yet! Sorry, no can do! And for those of you who are rooting for the chemo path... Even my 'Other Doctor' said NO to the bleomycin (oxygen toxicity). Pulmonary Fibrosis? No thanks. When I asked the Oncologist about my options if I didn't do bleomycin (lungs), doxorubicin (heart), cyclophosphamide (secondary bladder cancer) or prednisone (13 side effects) what my options were, he said none! And then he tries to tell me that there are more protocols for Lymphoma than CHOP & ABVD! Caught you!


I also asked about support in the line of nutritional, supplemental & so forth. Oh yes, we have therapists & nutritionists. Okay, so what kind of supplements? Oh, no supplements while you are on chemo, they could interact. Okay, what about eliminating the chemo drugs, dead cancer cells & other bodily waste? Just drink lots of water. Seriously? I can feel my poor liver wincing from here, let alone my kidneys & intestines! I have come to realize there is NO LOGIC in ANY OF THIS!!!! 


Needless to say, I am more excited to get to Mexico than ever before! Especially with the news of NO GROWTH!!!! I'm praying that my pessimistic Oncologist didn't want to share the wonderful news that it's actually smaller than the last scan! Hey, a girl's got to have some hope, right??!!


I left TBC in a state of mixed emotions & headed for my Acupuncture appointment, now half an hour late. Luckily someone cancelled & I was able to still get in! Dr. Mah tested my supplements & all but the Cayenne & Curcumin (tumeric) tested strong. I reckon it's because I loathe being in the kitchen! :o) But, he strengthened me to them & by the end of the session I was good to go! It's so relaxing. I fall asleep every time! I'm lying down with a heat pack on my neck, a heat lamp over my abdomen & then of course, the 8 needles in me. Needless to say, there's no rolling over! :o)


After the acupuncture, I headed for Community Natural Foods. Again. I had to pick up some supplements for Mexico & I added a few more to the regiment. Perhaps the funniest part of my day was when I asked for some help with the coffee. I needed to get medium roast fine grind. The fellow told me they didn't have any ground coffee, but I could use the grinder in the store. I agreed & asked which kind of coffee to do I choose? He asked what kind of flavour I wanted. *Blush* I replied, 'Well, the flavour doesn't really matter. It's for an upside down coffee.' He looked at me perplexed. I continued, 'It's for an enema.' 'Okay, well then... Do you want to go to Vienna, Guatemala, Tuscany, or Kenya on this enema?' :o) All in a day's work. FYI - It's supposed to help detox the liver. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll spare you the details.


I also bumped into Zoe, my MCP friend. We shared a big hug & I told her I'd pop in after I returned from Mexico to let her know how I was doing. Several hundred dollars later, I was on my way to prayers, only 1/2 an hour late.


Prayers are always fun. It's great to share in each others lives & share in our faith that our prayers will be answered. It's even more fun when they are immediately answered! I prayed that Jaco would find the time to update his CV so we could have it in to the recruiter before she returned from her holidays. My husband, in all his perfection, does NOT respond well to outside influences of pressure. The more I push, the more he resists. Running late? Hurry up? Drag my feet. The day of our wedding in Waterton, we had 20 minutes to get ready. He tells me, 'I'm going to the gym. See you in a bit.' AHHHHHHHHH!!!! But, luckily punctuality isn't a strong gene on my side of the family either. Hey, we'll get there! My own personal time zone! ;o) Anyhow, to my amazement, I returned home to check my emails & find his CV in my inbox! Wow! He is perfect! Two prayers answered! :o)


Exhausted I crawled into bed after a brief chat with Jaco. He was up at 0300 still packing & ready to fly home... Oh how I wish I was on that plane too!


A big thank you to my Mom for rearranging her day to come to the appointment with me. Even if we did just sit there & giggle about Valentina's flatulence!


Lekker slaap & see you soon!
Love, 
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Al, Wilma & KC

Sigh. I've only shrunk by 6 lbs. Do you think my UGG's weigh 19 lbs?

Valentina hits Tom Baker again. What a good girl!

Day 103 - Red Devil. Want Some?

Hey Everyone! 


I hope this finds you well & enjoying life! Valentina & I are having a ball over here! She has been very clingy as of late... Not sure why. Perhaps she thinks I'm going to leave her behind again soon! She enjoyed her day shredding everything I gave her. Including a disposable camera. I really didn't imagine she could put it into that many little pieces!


Well, you're probably wondering where the title 'Red Devil' comes from. Last night, shortly before I went to bed, I had the brainwave to look up the CHOP method of chemotherapy. This is the method the Doctor in Tijuana is wanting to use on me. Without boring you too much with the 'minor' details, one of the drugs is nicknamed 'Red Devil' or 'Red Death'. Sounds great, eh? Not quite something I'm ready to sign up for! It also causes cardiac toxicity. Even better! Render my heart weak for the rest of my life! FYI, it was discovered in Italy. I stand corrected. Not everything in Italy is wonderful!


But wait! It gets better! I read on... Next up is bleomycin. (ABVD Chemo protocol) Take this little baby & it leaves you with oxygen toxicity. Meaning? Well, if I ever choose to scuba dive again... BAM. Dead as a door nail. General anaesthesia applies as well, although I think if the Anaesthetist knows of your bleomycin past, you can survive this one. No heart, no lungs, no hair, no taste buds, what's left?


So the 'C' in CHOP stands for cyclophosphamide. That's the same drug I was supposed to take & didn't. I read about it... It is a known carcinogen & can cause secondary cancers, especially of the bladder. Great! Wikipedia says to drink 3.5 liters of water per day to help. At least I would be keeping Purex Pillowy Soft in business a little longer!


The 'P' in CHOP stands for, ugh, Prednisone. The dreaded drug I feel made my condition worse than it was. I was reading & counting the side effects. 13. THIRTEEN!!!! That is ridiculous! Clearly something is not right with this picture. Why on earth should I ever have that many side effects from one little pill?!?!? That gives me thirteen more reasons to go back to the Doctor & get more pills!!!! Argh! My frustration is near the breaking point! Luckily I'm no longer on the drug & do not EVER plan to take it again. If I must do the CHOP, it will be the 'HO' protocol! :o) Hello Santa! 


I also discovered a location in Toronto where I can arrange to have a tumor sample sent to NY. Why? They can culture the tumor & then expose it to the potential chemotherapy my Oncologist wants me to use. They determine the cell death time & how well each chemo works. They compile a report & then I know which chemotherapy will be best suited for my body (is there one? at all?) & which will be ineffective. I'll find out tomorrow!


Okay, so while I'm typing this, I'm not paying much attention to what's happening around me. It's late, so the house is quiet. All of a sudden I hear a gentle thud behind me. It was the cat, Adios, jumping off the island behind me. He is busily licking his lips. Hmm... I study the countertop. There isn't anything scrumptious on the counter... Then I realize he's been licking the butter! Yuck! No wonder he's not losing weight! Gross!


Today I also reconnected with a ship mate I haven't spoken to in years! Five to be exact! Jenny & I worked together on the Grand Princess in 2005-2006. She is from Scotland, but last year she moved to Australia. Lo & behold, she fell in love & is now playing the visa game to get back to her beloved. We enjoyed a fantastic visit - it was just like I saw her last week! Of course she gave a big push for Jaco & I to pick Australia! Gladly! Over this weather any day!


Anyhow, I suppose I should hit the hay for the night... I have to head to Cochrane for blood work tomorrow. Apparently I'm doing an INR test tomorrow. They want to make sure my blood will clot & I won't die on them. Gravy. And there is a possibility that I will be doing a photo shoot in the afternoon! My dearest friend, Cody & his fiance, Kelsy, are making their way around this neck of the woods & they want some engagement photos done, as well as some optics shots for one of their sponsors. Cody has his own hunting show, http://www.live2hunt.com. I'm very proud of him for following his passion in life & achieving his goals & dreams. And I'm even more excited he's found someone who shares his passion & wants to spend the rest of her life with him! 


Thanks for checking in! 18 days until Mexico! Sadly, I realized tonight that I will most likely be flying back from Mexico on the day Jaco is joining his next ship. On our 1st anniversary! Pooh. Good thing we got married three times, so we can just pick the next date! :o) You see, I was thinking! There was a method to my madness! :o)


Lekker slaap,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox


Sorry, no exciting photos for today... here's a glimpse at what Mom's Photo Booth has captured in the past year-ish...

Chatting with Jaco

Chatting with Jaco while brushing my teeth while taking my picture. Multi-Task!

Apparently the sun does shine in Canada!

Bad day at the office!

My lap cat, Adios

Mom's sexxy new do!

My personal neck warmer

3 cool cats. Mom2, Adios & Moi

Talking to Jaco while being mauled by Valentina. Perhaps Jaco was telepathically sending me kisses & Valentina interrupted the transfer?