Week of 12/16 and 12/23

Week of 12/16:

This was week three after chemo treatment number three and Nancy had a pretty good week. She was able to get out and meet with friends and also do some last minute Christmas shopping. She was also able to get out to the grocery....simple tasks that make a difference.

It was a week of great anticipation as the whole family was coming in for Christmas. Our son and his family from Napoleon, OH, her sister and husband coming in from Lincoln, NE; a nephew from Denver, CO and a nephew and his family from Bentenville, AR.

The downer was that chemo number four (of six) had to be administered on Friday 12/21 right before Christmas. The treatment went well and the great news is the tumor is continuing to shrink which means the chemo is still working. At this stage, knowing the chemo is working reinforces the courage to fight.

Week of 12/23:

Unfortunately Nancy had to have the chemo treatment right before Christmas but she accepted that as part of this process. The fact the whole family came in was very comforting.

We celebrated Christmas with her family on Christmas Eve at her mom's house and that was wonderful as usual. On Christmas Day she stayed at home to rest as most of our family went to my brother's house.

She just did not feel right the balance of the week; topped by a very bad day on Friday 12/28. Our daughter took her to get her routine blood work at the hospital which turned out okay. The nurse practitioner told her she had a reaction to the chemo. So she gave her some additional medicine to make her feel better. This seemed to help a little but she still wasn't feeling well.

Our son and his family from Napoleon stayed with us most of the week and that was fun. She continues to receive support from her employer and friends at Crossroads Hospice.

The four chemo treatments have taken its toll as fatigue has been a constant struggle. She is tired of just not having any energy. In addition the chemo has affected her eyesight and now her glasses don't help her.  She will wait until the chemo treatments are over before addressing this issue again.

So, we hope she will start feeling better and look forward to only two more treatments.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our family and friends. Thank you for your prayers, love and support.

Bob

Week of 12/9/2012

Nancy has had three chemo treatments so far. This was week two of recovery and she gradually starts to feel better about10 days after the chemo treatment.

Even though she feels a little better there are still times when her back is really hurting. This week she also had some stomach pain etc caused by the chemo. The doctor gave her some medication for that.

She was able to get out and meet with friends on Monday and Wednesday and we went to a surprise party for some friends for a while on Friday 12/14. She only lasts an hour or two before fatigue sets in.

She also got out to do some Christmas shopping and to the grocery; so it feels good just to get out of the house. Her mornings are still rough and she has probably watched more TV over the last few months than in the last 10 years; but it helps pass the time.

Her mom and sister wrapped all of the Christmas presents (except for my Lexus), so that was a big help.

This Friday 12/21  is chem number four (of six).

We continue to have friends bring over food and desserts and we appreciate everyones' generosity very much.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support.

Bob

Week of 12/2/2012

Nancy had her third chemo treatment on Friday, 11/30. After receiving the news the tumor was shrinking, and therefore the chemo is working, we were both relieved and elated.

Unfortunately the great feeling was short lived. As treatment number three kicked in, the week became somewhat difficult. Although the the doctor approved home IV fluids and she received them, she just did not feel well all week. That said, she still felt better this week than after the after the first two treatments.

On Wednesday she felt well enough to go to the Crossroads Hospice Christmas party for about an hour. It was good to visit with her coworkers.  Speaking of work, she is now officially on short term disability.

Most of this week was spent on-line shopping and watching TV. She definitely gets "cabin fever" but just doesn't have the energy to go out the week after a chemo treatment.We were able to put our tree up and decorate the house.

She really wanted to go to the wedding of our friend's son on Saturday, but did not feel well enough to go. However, today we were able to get out and visit one our friends for a few hours.

We continue to receive great support from family and friends and that helps us deal with the situation.

Thanks to all who pray for her; we know the prayers are being answered.

Bob

Week of 11/25/2012

Nancy had a very good week this week. She actually got to do do a little shopping at the mall beyond the on-line shopping she had to do for this Christmas.

On Wednesday she was able to go out to dinner with a group of friends who she had not seen her in a long time. There was lots to catch up on.

Week three after chemo is proving to be the best week in terms of energy and overall feeling well.

Friday 11/30 was the third chemo treatment; so she is half way home on the chemo treatments. She will have six treatments total with three weeks inbetween each treatment. We received great news from the oncologist after he examined her, saying the tumor in the breast was definitely shrinking and he could no longer feel it in the lymph nodes.

The doctor also gave his approval to have IV fluids given at home; administered by one of our three children who are nurses. Hands off for Tommy and me who are in sales.......imagine that.
This will save a lot of time and energy to have these at home versus going to the hospital every other day..

The fluids are critical to keep her hydrated. Without them she gets a fever and feels like she has the flu.

Nancy's mom and sister are here daily after chemo week providing a wealth of care and support.

We have recieved lots of food from friends and family and she has received many cards expressing love and prayers. This all has been so uplifting that words cannot express our appreciation.

Please keep the prayers coming as we know they are working.

Thanks,
Bob

Week of 11/18/2012

This was the second week following treatment number two. The IV fluids last week made a difference and each day she feels just a little better. While mornings are still tough, she gets somewhat better as the day goes on.

Thanksgiving was fun as almost all of the family was in town. Our son and his family came in from Napoleon, Ohio;  her sister and husband came in from Nebraska and our nephew and his family came in from Arkansas. Spending time with family is always good therapy.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, most foods still don't taste "normal" on chemo, but the turkey and fixings tasted very good to her.

Nancy was able to go to the grocery and to the mall this week but just briefly. The risk of catching something while in a crowd is serious while she is on the chemo; so she has to be careful.  Most of the Christmas shopping is being done on line and so we're keeping UPS busy...:)

This coming Friday, 11/30, is treatment number three; which is half way home on the chemo....six treatments in all with three weeks off between them; followed by surgery and then six weeks of radiation.

We continue to be very thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers from our friends, family and co-workers.

Bob

Week of 11/11/2012

Friday 11/9/2012 was the second of six chemotherapy treatments for Nancy. So this time she received IV fluids almost all week long to prevent dehydration.

The fluids made a difference as she felt better after this treatment than the first. It is all relative because the chemo itself is very hard on her both mentally (makes her feel strange) and physically (makes her feel fatigued).

Mornings are particularly tough as she has trouble getting a good night's rest. Same can be said for her appetite.

Today was the first day Nancy felt like going out of the house as we went up to the mall for a short shopping trip.

Hopefully next week she'll feel better and enjoy Thanksgiving. Several of our family are coming in for the Holidays and we are all looking forward to that.

We are grateful for all of the cards, meals, flowers, thoughts and prayers that continue to be very uplifting.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Love,
Bob and Nancy

Week of 11/4/2012

This was week three after the initial chemotherapy treatment and Nancy has been feeling better each day.
 Her appetite has still been somewhat weak; but she has been good about eating so she can take her medications.

On Wednesday of this week we went to the eye doctor as her vision was blurry. When she started her chemo treatment the oncologist told her she had to stop taking a certain medication she was on to prevent Sarcoidosis. This led to a return of the inflammation of the eyes and she had to have a steroid shot in her her eye and a second one in two weeks for the other eye.

She was able to go to work several times this week if only for a few hours. Crossroads Hospice has been very good to her. She met with the owners this week and they are wearing the "Team Nancy" bracelet. Their support has been wonderful.

Friday 11/9 was round two of chemotherapy. One big change was IV fluids Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This has been an effective change in the treatments. So far the plan is working as Nancy is up and moving around versus week one when she felt so bad she was nearly confined to bed.

After the burr haircut a few weeks ago, the balance of her hair is gone. She still looks good in baseball hats and scarves. With the cold evenings she wears cotton hats to keep warm.

Nancy's spirits are good most of the time and she knows she is a third of the way to finishing chemo. She is fortunate to be good friends with a nurse at Christ Hospital who administers the chemo. We are blessed three of our children are nurses and our sister-in-law is a doctor.

This week our son and his family came down from Napoleon, Ohio for a surprise visit and that was great to see them and the grandchildren.

Many friends have brought  food and desserts and that is much appreciated.

Thanks again for your continued prayers and support.

Bob

Week of 10/28/2012

This was week two after the initial round of chemotherapy and Nancy has gradually been gaining some strength. She did not have to get IV fluids this week and that is good news. The doctor will plan on IV fluids in round two now that he knows that she gets dehydrated.

She was able to leave the house this week a few times which was a nice change after feeling so bad last week. Her appetite has been very slow to come back but is eating a little bit at a time. She did a little shopping and also met with some friends. She also got to spend a little time with the twins on Halloween.

The week was not without some pain/complications etc. as she experienced some reaction to the antibiotics she is taking. It seems seems one medication leads to another issue but that is apparently common with chemo.

She is anxious to get back to work and may try to go for a little while tomorrow. In the meantime her employer, Crossroads Hospice,  has been very generous and understanding. This week Crossroads set up a "home office" with a laptop and printer/scanner and access to her work. When she is strong enough she can go the office or work from home.

While everyone would agree it takes a special person to work at Hospice, we experienced this week how special people can be. Her co-workers at Crossroads have donated numerous hours of their vacation and sick time (called a time bank) to Nancy's time bank so she can maintain her full time status during this period when she cannot work......unbelievable generosity.

One of our friends loaded us up with some firewood which came in handy during the recent snow and cold weather. She has received many cards along with gifts such as scarves and lotions....all of this is very uplifting.

Round two of six chemo treatments is this Friday, 11/9, so she hopes to make the most of this week since she is feeling a little better.

We continue to appreciate your prayers and support.

Thanks,

Bob

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Week of 10/21/2012

After the first chemo treatment on Friday 10/19, this week proved to be very difficult and painful for Nancy.
As part of the treatment she gets a shot Saturday following the Friday chemo treatment that is meant to stimulate the bone marrow and help bring the white blood count up.

Part of the issue with chemo is it kills bad and good blood cells. Of particular concern is the white blood cells that protect against infections. The side effect of the shot is it makes the bones ache.

Another side effect is dehydration. Twice this week she had to go to the hospital for IV fluids. So in essence this has been a week of pain and uncertainty as to what is "normal" and what to be concerned about when on chemo. All of this has affected her appetite so nothing sounds good to eat and so far struggles to eat anything but soup etc.

On Wednesday she elected to get her hair cut off....basically a burr haircut.... and she looks great! Peggy's hair dresser from the "Shear Luck" in Loveland stayed open after hours to do this for Nancy.

 She now has a great collection of baseball/running hats; scarves and a wig.

Peggy and our kids had some "Team Nancy" pink bracelets made with some special prayers engraved in them. The generosity of people continues to be overwhelming and our family is so grateful.

After a rough week she is hoping for some relief next week. The oncologist told her that now he knows IV fluids will have to be part of the regimen following the chemo treatment.

She is anxious to feel well enough to eat, feel better and get out of the house and back to some semblance of normal....see the grand kids.... get back to work.....visit family and friends.  

Thanks for all of your prayers.

Bob

The First Treatment

On Friday 10/19 Nancy received her first chemo treatment. By the time she met with the doctor and received all the instructions  it took about six hours. Since she had a port surgically implanted, it makes receiving the chemo a little easier since they don't have to stick her arms with each injection.

On Saturday she went in for a shot that stimulates the bone marrow to get her white blood cell count up. This is critical to fight infections. Then for the next two Fridays she will go in for blood work.  This will be the schedule for five more treatments

The following days have been tough as she feels the impact of the chemo.  Tomorrow she is going in to receive some fluids. Apparently this is somewhat commonplace as patients get dehydrated.

The question we all ask is how did this happen since she received a "clear" mammogram in January. Both the surgeon and the oncologist estimated this was 8 to 10 years in the making. The typical cancer, once discovered, has been 5 to 7 years in the making. The oncologist said they hope to see the cancer in the mammogram before they can feel it and therefore treat it in the early stages. As an example he said 5 billion cells can fit on the head of a pin. In essence cancer is hard to detect.

In Nancy's case the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes...so they call it invasive cancer and one of the reasons they want to do the chemo first.

We are overwhelmed with the thoughts and prayers of family and friends and right now we need all the prayers we can get.

Thank you so much.

Bob

The Beginning

Roughly one month ago (early September) Nancy noticed something was not right.
Since she had a mammogram in January that was clear; she asked the doctor to order another one.
This mammogram showed a mass 5 cm long (roughly 2").
A biopsy was performed and determined the tumor was malignant.
The next step was to find a surgeon and oncologist.
Fortunately she was able to find a surgeon to see her right away.
The official diagnosis was invasive lobular cancer; meaning it had spread beyond the breast. In this case it spread to the lymph nodes. The surgeon ordered a full scan of the body to see if the cancer had spread to other parts of the body.

After the surgeon confirmed the diagnosis, she recommended a plan.

• Due to the size of the tumor; chemotherapy first to shrink the tumor
• Chemo every three weeks ...six treatments (18 weeks total)
• Followed by surgery
• Followed by radiation...five days a week for six weeks
• Followed by follow up care

On Monday 10/15 we spent the day having MRIs and Cat Scans done to see if the cancer had spread to other parts of her body.

That evening we met with her oncologist (one of the best in the area) and also his nurse practitioner.

• The best news we received was that the cancer had not spread to other areas
• The doctor wanted to get the chemo started right away so on on Friday 10/19 we made an appointment at Christ Hospital (Nancy's request since she has a friend who works there).

Nancy and I appreciate all of the love and support of our friends and family.

Thank you.

Bob