It's a Party!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
The last kemo was today. The taxol infusion finished, they flushed the "sludge" and our blogstar was out the door!!!!

Let's all join in a celebration of a MAJOR MILESTONE!!!! Virtual champagne, anyone?
How about some cheese and crackers?Play the music of your choice and let's all dance like there is no tomorrow. That's the one thing cancer teaches us. Carpe Diem! Kathy, you've done a great job and we're all here with you at your virtual "Kemo is Over" party!!!!!

In case you aren't sure what music to play, here is what Cheryl will be playing!

Less Than 48 Hours...

...until the last kemo!!!

I'm sure the time has felt endless for Kathy, but can you believe she is almost done? It doesn't seem like that long ago that we met in the parking lot of the oncology center with presents and rowdy cheering. By this time on Thursday we can all be cheering that this phase of treatment is over!

Seems like there should be a party, but maybe Kathy wouldn't be feeling up to it. Let's have the a virtual party here on the blog! Click onto the blog on Thursday afternoon and join the party. As of today there were about 650 hits. Invite all Kathy's supporters to click onto the blog and lets see if we can harness the healing energy of at least another 100 by Thursday night.

Here are a few words from Kathy last week.
The nausea from this kemo seems to be a bit more pronounced than the last one, and I guess the next one will have the nausea fairy visiting me even more, but hey, it will be the last one! And, so far, my feet and fingers haven't gotten all tingly and numb (the side effects they told me about vs. the nausea that was supposed to disappear!). I have to say, I'd rather spend a couple of minutes with the toilet than walk around numb! Everything's relative. :-)

Hey Kathy, we're wishing you a restful 36 hours. Save up all your energy for this one last fight against those @#$%&*! cancer cells. They know they can't last against you. You know martial arts for goodness sakes!

Keeping Her Chin Up

So no news about our Blogstar since before Easter week. Sorry about that...I was out of town. I don't know how long it had been since I had seen Kathy. I didn't see her the week before spring break and I don't think I saw her the week before that when she had her 6th kemo. Our schedules at work are totally in conflict this semester. But I did manage to steal some time to stop by this morning. Here are the highlights in true Kathy fashion:

"They lie!" The Taxol treatments do make her nauseated--not the same way as her first kemo drugs, but still... Puking is puking, don't ya know!

She looks great! "But I'm getting up at 4 am so I have enough time to get my eyebrows drawn on straight!" and "I don't recommend the cancer diet, but...Don't tell my doctor, but I want to lose 7 more pounds."

All the appointments are driving her crazy--besides the kemo there are tests, and more tests, and tests on the tests and on and on and on. (See this blog to get a sense of what it is like to live on the schedule of doctors). But I did find out that it wasn't quite true that she hoped to have her surgery on a Thursday and be back to work on Monday! She figured maybe the following Monday so she would only miss about a week of classes! And she would really like to know if they could just wait a couple of weeks until the semester is over because it would be so much better to have her surgery after the end of the semester. I love this woman!!!! This even though the kemo has her @#$%&*! cancer on the run. The doctor reminded her that those weeks between kemo and a delayed surgery just might not be such a good idea!

And then, of course, we had some unbloggable talk about curriculum ;-)

Tomorrow is her PENULTIMATE kemo! I just had to use that word, it's one of my favorites. And now I have even more reason to love it. Kemo #7 tomorrow. After this one, just one more. After tomorrow she is 7/8 done. That's 87.5% finished with kemo Kathy! Ask Davis what percentage is left, he says he is doing fine in his math class!

Kick it Hard tomorrow Kathy! I can picture those poor, sad, haggard, sorry ass, limping cancer cells. They are GOING DOWN!!!!!!!

75% Done!

Kemo #2 of the second round of four Taxol infusions was yesterday. So 6 out of the total of 8 are behind her now. That's 75% done! That means only 25% of the kemos are left. (Can you tell I teach math? Sorry, can 't help it!) That is definitely good news!!!!!

Now it's time to schedule surgery--my sources tell me late April-ish. It's all moving forward even though at times it must seem very slow, right Kathy?

This coming week is our spring break and the weather is supposed to be nice from what I can tell. Enjoy it everyone. Especially you, Kathy! Rest, relax, sit on your deck and watch the weeds grow on the hills.

And don't forget to visualize all those @#$%&!* ing cancer cells gasping for their last breath and then disappearing... We will all be out here visualizing the same thing for you. (If you wonder what your visualization could accomplish, check out this link on Distant Healing from the Institute of Noetic Science webpage. Interesting and thought provoking.)

The Second Half....

...of the Kemo started off without a hitch!

Thursday was the first kemo of the round of four Taxol infusions. This phase of kemo requires some measures to prevent reaction to the drugs. The time at the center is longer because there first has to be a Benedryl infusion to prevent potential allergic reaction. Also there are some drugs Kathy is required to take the night before.

Some of us were worried that she might not get to have it (it was a week late already since she had that bad cold/flu). Others of us were worried that she might be one of those few who have a reaction. Good news! The worries were unfounded! Kathy did fine and she was feeling ok as of her last text. I'm guessing the cold/flu bug must be on the run, too, or they wouldn't have let her have the kemo.

No one said kicking the !@#$%&* cancer was going to be easy. Weeks like the last two test Kathy's strength and make her doubt her resilience. But true strength and resilience doesn't mean never going down. It means eventually popping back up after something's got you down. Remember these?

Is it the Kemo...

...or is it Us?
I got an update from Kathy just before the weekend and I thought I would share some of what was in the email.
The doctor told me yesterday that she could hardly feel the tumor, to which I replied, "So, we're done here?" To which she replied, "Uh, no!"

Thursday was my last "poison" treatment," and I'm not looking forward to the next couple of weeks of being sick, but I am encouraged by the reports of how much easier the next drug regimen is. And, I'm half-way done with my kemo!

It still seems as if I have such a long way to go, and I tried to give myself the same advice I give to students when they talk about how long it'll take to get a certificate or degree: "It's OK, you'll get there--break it into chunks (baby steps)--you'll be surprised at how quickly the time goes."

What a load of crap! Well, not really, but it's hard to take your own advice!

Anyway, thanks to everyone for helping me shrink those little !@#$%&ers with your positive thoughts and actions.

So is it the Kemo, or is it Us? I vote that we call it the combination of the treatment, Kathy's personal and family strength, and the energy we are all creating! Whatever it is, let's keep it working!!!!! When the strength of one of those things starts to flag, the others are there to take over the heavy lifting. Keep the comments coming, too. Kathy and her family really appreciate hearing from all of you out there. (255 visits to the blog as of this morning!)

TLC

Kathy has her last of the first round of nasty kemo tomorrow. Over the last three treatments the side effects have seemed to be cumulative, getting worse each time. You can imagine what that does to her state of mind. You know it's coming and you know it will probably be worse than the last time. Ugh!! The only two saving graces are 1) that this is the last one of this particular "cocktail" and 2) that if she is feeling crappy, the !@#$%& cancer cells are feeling worse. The good news is that the kemo is definitely shrinking the tumor. That makes it hard to know what to wish for her. The awful side effects seem like proof that the kemo is working, then again, none of us want her to have another week of side effects. What to do, what to do....

TLC is the answer! The kemo has to do its job, so the feeling crappy is probably a given. Doesn't that suck :-( But Kathy doesn't have to feel crappy alone! We're all here to provide some TLC. Family, friends, colleagues, anonymous blog readers, lurkers... Send some online Tender Loving Care! Let's let Kathy know that we are all out here creating positive energy to help with her fight. (Can we blow up the comments section with too many responses? We can try!) This next week will be hard, but she's tough and she has a support group behind her. This blog has had over 200 visits since I put up the counter (and that was after three weeks of blogging). That is a lot of positive energy and a lot of TLC!

Be Kind to Kemo Stomach!

The kemo stomach is not a happy stomach, and although it tries to be stoic and not complain too much, it sometimes can't keep quiet.  The stomach and digestive tract "takes one for the team" during kemo.  Those chemicals that are bad for fast growing cancer cells are also bad for fast growing cells in the digestive system and stomach cells are the collateral damage in the cancer wars.  The more treatments you have, the more unhappy the stomach gets.  So here are some recipes I found that might make life a little easier for the heroic kemo stomach!

 Banana Shake--super easy, used in a hospital
 Citrus Rice Pudding from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Why does rice pudding seem like the ultimate comfort food?
A half dozen ginger recipes, including Carrot Ginger Soup, from the Prostate Cancer Foundation
Finally, here is the recipe I found for a Kemo Smoothie by Unknownchef86.  I could imagine adding ginger to this as well.  Maybe a 2-3 TBS of fresh or 2-3 tsp of ground ginger.  I think ginger added to this would be especially good if the fruit were berries or peaches.

• 1 (12 1/3 ounce) package tofu (I like Mori-Nu Extra-Firm Silken Tofu)
• 2-4 scoops protein powder
• unsweetened fresh fruit or unsweetened frozen fruit, to taste (bananas, berries, peaches, etc.)
• whole milk, as needed
• 1 quart yogurt, any flavor (berry flavors work well)

Run the tofu through blender til smooth, adding milk as needed to thin.
Add the protein powder and fruit to the blender, scraping down sides as needed.
Frozen fruit may be added to thicken (like ice) without substantially watering down the mixture.
Add more milk to thin, as needed.Add the yogurt into the blender and thin to taste with more milk.
Pour into individual drink containers, or leave in the blender pitcher and store in the refrigerator. 
Only make as much as you need for one or two days; make a fresh batch as needed.

Cancer Cells on the Run

Just remember Kathy, if you don't feel good neither do those @#$%& cancer cells.  You've got them on the run for sure. 









Thanks to lüke's photostream on flickr for the image. 

Kemo Number Three...

...with a Curriculum Committee meeting chaser!
Yes, you read that right.  Kathy had her three hour infusion and then came to school to chair a Curriculum Committee meeting! Tuesday she and Melissa had a marathon session working on the P.E. curriculum changes that will be coming before the committee soon.  Melissa was begging for mercy, but Kathy just wanted to keep going ;-)
That is the kind of strength it takes to kick Mr. Cancer in his fancy pants and send him scurrying for cover.  You know, maybe curriculum work has some kind of curative power.  I know there are faculty who run for cover when they hear the C word (curriculum I mean!).  Maybe it will have the same effect on those cancer cells.

It will probably be a less than pleasant weekend for Kathy as she deals with the queasiness, chemo-fog and fatigue from the kemo.  Let's send her and her family good vibes for this third round of the fight.  We're all out here cheering for you Kathy!

First Week at Work

This was Kathy's first week at work since she started treatment.  (Is it fair to assume all readers know that she teaches college? We just finished the first week of our spring semester).  So how did it go?
 
Kathy was able to arrange her schedule so that she can maximize time to rest, time for appointments, etc.  I think it is fair to say that she enjoyed the first week in YEARS where she has been consistently on her way home at a reasonable hour!  (It's important to recognize those silver linings wherever they may occur!)
 
Another positive is that she looks absolutely as stunning as always in her new wig!  We liked her short haircut too, but she is wearing the wig to school and keeping her "look" for now.  I predict she may keep the wig well after the kemo days.  How nice to have your hair already done and just pop it on your head as you rush out the door!  Ok, I know it isn't quite that easy, but isn't that a fun visual?!  If the road from her house wasn't so winding she could be installing it as she drove to school, just as you see people applying makeup as they commute. ;-)  "Officer, it isn't dangerous to put on my wig while I drive, women are great multi-taskers."

Unfortunately, the nausea lasted about a week this time, so she was having to deal with that annoyance.  I wonder if these Queasy Pops from Chemochicks would help.  If not, there are always the Chick Sick Sacks.  Talk about attitude!  Here is a quote from the site.

"Nausea and yes, vomiting, is something that we really can be prepared to handle with confidence.[Blogger note: Confidence?  Really?  Wow!]  Each lightweight disposable CHICK SICK SACK comes in a set of five or twelve. The firm round holder allows you to cover your mouth area with the knowledge that you are protecting your outfit, your car, or your desk…Don’t let a little queasiness keep you at home; this couldn’t be an easier, cleaner solution!" 

These Chemochicks are hardcore!  Then again, Hardcore 101 is a prerequisite for entering the Kicking Breast Cancer Program. 
Have a great weekend Kathy!  You have a kemo free week coming up!

Great News from Kat!

The Ass Kicking Continues!

During lunch today I stopped by to see Kathy at her kemo.  She looked great and was eating ice cream while they gave her the most protective and snarling of the kemo drugs. 

or maybe

(Kemo fact:  The cold ice cream slows blood flow to her mouth and lets less of the drug into her mouth tissues.)

I also got an update on all the appointments of the past week.  The port is in, although it required a second surgery to be repositioned. It was causing an irregular heartbeat (yikes!).  But overshadowing the annoyance of two surgeries to put in the catheter, the scan results show that the cancer is confined to one breast and a lymph node on that same side.  Yay!!!!!!!  That really is good news!  They may find it in more than one lymph node once they do the surgery, but the fact that it wasn't seen outside of the one breast area  is HUGE!  Another really good piece of news is that the tumor has already begun to shrink.  The doctor said it is about 20% smaller!  "Die, you @#$%&*, die!!!"  Great job Kathy!  You really know how to Kick It!

The Ass Kicking Continues

Today is the second kemo treatment for Kathy.  I have already posted about the reason for using "kemo" instead of chemo.  I think the word treatment is better than infusion, too.  There are spa treatments, acupuncture treatments--all things designed to enhance your health.  The first part of the word is treat--now that is going a bit too far!  But words and their subtle connotations have an effect on moods and even the subconscious. 

The cancer treatment and support world agrees.  We don't have cancer patients or cancer victims, we have cancer survivors.  That is an important distinction.  But I found an even better one that has been developed by cancer bloggers.  Cancer asskicker.

Kathy, kick some serious cancer ass today at your kemo treatment!

The Worst of the First is Over

True to predictions, Kathy had an achy, tired, coming-down-with-something day on Friday and then a worse day on Saturday.  On Sunday she felt like she would be able to get up and come walk with us, but by the time she got ready she decided to stay home and do only her regular 30 minutes of walking by herself. By yesterday she said she felt well enough that if it she'd had to work she could have.  No kemo this week, but lots of appointments--a scan, installation of the port catheter for ease of kemo, another biopsy.  So we're really glad to hear that the worst effects from the first kemo are over and she can feel ok while she does all this in the coming week.

1st Kemo Update

If a group of people can make a kemo appointment into an event (group hugs, group pictures, cheering and high fives, Chinese food afterward), does that mean their lives are seriously lacking in fun????!!!???!!! No comment!  ;-)

Today's kemo went well.  Kathy came out smiling and ready to go to lunch!  She said that the minute they started the infusion she started saying to her cancer cells, "Die, you F@#$%&! ers, die!"  (Sorry Kathy if I wasn't supposed to let anyone know you swear!)   True to predictions, she felt very energetic after the kemo and joked that she would go home after lunch to vacuum and dust.  Oh Kathy, if you feel that good, don't waste it on housework!

I will post the pictures soon.  They are on Melissa's camera.  She remembered to bring a camera for blog pictures.  I didn't!  Good thing one of the support team members is always prepared! 

Kemo, All the Kool Kids are Doing It!

Today is the first day of Kathy's kemo.  (She has decided to spell it this way.  She didn't tell me why, but here's why I think its a good idea.  "Kemo" looks like the name of a pet---in fact, it was the name of my cousin's ferret.  Pets can help you through hard times, which is what these treatments will do.  "Chemo" looks like something chemical and harsh, which it is.  I'd rather focus on the fact that it is helping, wouldn't you?)

The picture above supports this view, wouldn't you say?  It's from the cover of this book for kids.  (For readers new to blogs, the blue words are a link to another webpage.  Click them to go there.)

So, today is the first day of kemo.  She will have it every other Thursday for four times.  That takes us through February.  Then there will be a second round of four biweekly treatments with a slightly different cocktail. (I'll have a kemo, please, on the rocks!)  That should wrap up in April.

The plan is that Thursdays will be kemo days.  The doctor has predicted that right after the treatment Kathy won't feel too bad, and any side effects will be worst over the weekend. Kathy is planning to keep working as much as she can during this time and if the side effects follow the schedule the doctor has predicted, working will be easier.


Ok, everyone, send good thoughts, vibrations and prayers for powerfully effective kemo!

Let the War on @#$%& Cancer Cells begin!