Wow time flies. I have not updated Lou Ann's blog since 11-1-09. Lou Ann went in for day surgery on 11-11-09 to get a port put in for her chemo. The big day was 11-12-09. Chemo was started and our lives have not been the same. She was very upbeat and eager to get started. Once treatment was started she sat and played on the computer and i-phone. Her treatment lasted about 4 hours. By the time it was over her computer and i-phone were put away and she was ready for bed. Friday the 13th was not too bad. Sat. the 14th was a different story. Nausea, fatigue, headaches kicked in. By Tuesday everything was out of control. She had lost 8lbs in 5 days and she kept saying she was going to be fine. By Wed the 18th she had lost a total of 13lbs I said enough is enough. I called the Dr. and he said go to the hospital. She was a direct admit and she told them she would be leaving the next morning so she could go have Thanksgiving lunch with Brenna. They smiled at her and said they would relay the message to Dr Pruitt. Thursday morning Dr Pruitt came in and told her she was not ready to go but he would let her if she demanded it. Then he said I will see you back in here on Friday and she would stay the weekend. She said she would stay. They kept Lou Ann until Friday after 7 liters of fluid, morphine for the headaches and continuous Zofran. Friday morning her friends from work broke her out of the hospital and went wig shopping and lunch.
Tuesday before Thanksgiving we were getting ready to leave town. Lou Ann called Misty for a hair cut. Her hair had started falling out. Misty gave Brenna the clippers and said have fun. Brenna thought that was a blast. How many kids get to say they have shaved their moms head and not get in trouble? We left for Dallas and had a great Thanksgiving. Lou Ann even felt like shopping.
We survived round 1 of chemo. Round 2 has started. 12-3-09 was the day she got to set in the chemo room and start all over. She was feeling so good. Fatigue sat in that night and by the next day she was asleep. We did go to her work Christmas party on Sat. the 5th. When that was over she has been awake a total of about 7 hours in 3 days. That is ok with me. She went back to the cancer center yesterday to get a Zofran drip to help stop some of the nausea. This did help some. The weight loss is still present. She has lost 13 lbs since Thursday. Good thing she was able to put the last 13 back on or she would be down to nothing. She goes for lab work in the morning. We pray they come back good. Lou Ann not only feels older but she really is older. She had a birthday on the 7th. She slept 90% of it. Tonight we are going to try and have cake and icecream. This is one party we will never forget. We ask that each of you keep praying for our family as we climb this mountain. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
11-01-09
We hope everyone had a good and safe Halloween. We had a great time. "Tinkerbell" Brenna, Bakugan "Dan" Bodie and I went to a carnival and trick or treating. We brought home some good treasures for mom. Lou Ann rested most of the day. She went back to work on Friday for 3.5 hours. She had no direct patient care. By the time she got home she was wiped out. She has not been to work since Oct. 4. She was excited to see and visit with her fellow workers.
Lou Ann and I went to a class on Wed the 28th to learn about chemo. The class was very educational. Some of the things we learned was that the dirtiest things in a restaurant are the menus and the salt and pepper shakers. When we go to a buffet she should only eat from a menu and not from the buffet line. Washing her hands instead of using the hand sanitizers because of the alcohol that is in them. The alcohol will cause her hands to dry out which can cause them to crack and bleed.
Lou Ann still has one drain on her right side. We are hoping that this will be removed this week. When the drain is out we will be able to get her port put in. After the port is in she will start her chemo. One year from that date is our target to be through with her treatment.
Tonight Brenna saw her moms incisions/stitches for the first time. Brenna looked at her mom with big eyes & a smile and said "I love you mom." We are so proud of her strong heart. We talked about the importance of her keeping faith and a positive attitude during our long year ahead of us. She is transforming into a beautiful young lady with a heart of gold.
Keep your faith, prayers and positive attitudes- we so appreciate them! Blessings to you!
Lou Ann and I went to a class on Wed the 28th to learn about chemo. The class was very educational. Some of the things we learned was that the dirtiest things in a restaurant are the menus and the salt and pepper shakers. When we go to a buffet she should only eat from a menu and not from the buffet line. Washing her hands instead of using the hand sanitizers because of the alcohol that is in them. The alcohol will cause her hands to dry out which can cause them to crack and bleed.
Lou Ann still has one drain on her right side. We are hoping that this will be removed this week. When the drain is out we will be able to get her port put in. After the port is in she will start her chemo. One year from that date is our target to be through with her treatment.
Tonight Brenna saw her moms incisions/stitches for the first time. Brenna looked at her mom with big eyes & a smile and said "I love you mom." We are so proud of her strong heart. We talked about the importance of her keeping faith and a positive attitude during our long year ahead of us. She is transforming into a beautiful young lady with a heart of gold.
Keep your faith, prayers and positive attitudes- we so appreciate them! Blessings to you!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Oct. 21, 2009
Lou Ann & I met Dr Pruitt on Tuesday. Dr Pruitt is her oncologist. He seems to be a very a knowledgeable and caring doctor. After going through her history and reports he explained to her that her cancer is stage 2 with a grade 3 rating. Stage 2 is an overview of how large and the spread of the cancer. Grade 3 is a grading system that tells the malignancy of the cancer, this is on a scale of 1 - 2 - 3. 3 is full malignant. They said that the 52 lymph nodes removed from her right axillary region is close to a record number for the area that was removed. Everyone told her that she must be very vascular. She was explained what HER 2 protein was and how it used to not be good, since it is very aggressive. Now it seems to be OK if it show up, with the new meds now available for treatment.
Treatment protocol for Lou Ann will be Chemo that is made up of Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin (antibody). The Herceptin is used to treat the HER 2 protein. Chemo will be used every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. Herceptin will be continued every 3 weeks for a full year. This treatment will begin after a port is put in. Lou Ann should find out tomorrow when her port is to be placed. We hope next week. This will be done in day surgery. She will also have a CAT scan of her chest and a bone scan sometime soon to in confirm that the cancer was all contained in the right breast & axillary area, as already determined & surgically treated.
As with any medications there are some side effects involved. Herceptin can affect the ejection factor of the heart. Lou Ann will have a cardiac ECHO every three months during her treatment. Other side effects are the hair loss, nausea, fatigue, anemia and neutropenia (low white blood cells). There are other side effects that could occur also. I know that she will kick these and do very well. She is a very strong lady that keeps her eyes on success and mostly on her 2 fantastic children.
We have been truly blessed in our lives and God is showing us by the outpouring of love shown to us by friends and family.
I was telling a patient of mine today about Lou Ann's strength. "I know how tough my wife is now, I dread to see how tough she will be after chemo." He said, "will she be ready for the Marines?" I told him, "the Marines will have nothing on toughness, compared to what my wife will have!"
Treatment protocol for Lou Ann will be Chemo that is made up of Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin (antibody). The Herceptin is used to treat the HER 2 protein. Chemo will be used every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. Herceptin will be continued every 3 weeks for a full year. This treatment will begin after a port is put in. Lou Ann should find out tomorrow when her port is to be placed. We hope next week. This will be done in day surgery. She will also have a CAT scan of her chest and a bone scan sometime soon to in confirm that the cancer was all contained in the right breast & axillary area, as already determined & surgically treated.
As with any medications there are some side effects involved. Herceptin can affect the ejection factor of the heart. Lou Ann will have a cardiac ECHO every three months during her treatment. Other side effects are the hair loss, nausea, fatigue, anemia and neutropenia (low white blood cells). There are other side effects that could occur also. I know that she will kick these and do very well. She is a very strong lady that keeps her eyes on success and mostly on her 2 fantastic children.
We have been truly blessed in our lives and God is showing us by the outpouring of love shown to us by friends and family.
I was telling a patient of mine today about Lou Ann's strength. "I know how tough my wife is now, I dread to see how tough she will be after chemo." He said, "will she be ready for the Marines?" I told him, "the Marines will have nothing on toughness, compared to what my wife will have!"
Sunday, October 18, 2009
10-18-09
Today is Sunday, Lou Ann has been recovering at home. She received the pathology report, on Friday, on her cancer. We have been told that the cancer is very aggressive. However, they feel they got it all. The path showed the cancer is fed by three items. Estrogen +, Progesterone + and HER 2 protein. We have been told that Lou Ann will have Chemo that will go on for about 6 months. Then a treatment for the protein that will last 1 year. We will get the final word on Tuesday this week when we see the medical oncologist. She will follow up with her surgeon, Dr. Lary, on Thursday. We hope to plan for her port placement , for chemo, at that time.
Lou Ann has been very sore under her right arm and in her chest. The pain seems to be strongest in the evening, making it difficult to rest initially at night. She is getting more active every day. As with increased activity comes the increased soreness. We went out the other evening to Toys-R-Us and she asked if she could just sit in the car while we went in. She rested and when it was time to go to JoAnns, she was good to go. When we got home she was wiped out. It was difficult for her to miss Brenna's double header softball games to finish the season today, but knew she was tired and the lovely west Texas wind would ultimately beat her down.
Lou Ann is a truly wonderful lady that is battling strong. She had a very tearful/emotional night last night, but knows that GOD is in control ! We so appreciate your continued support and prayers- GOD is so good!!
Lou Ann has been very sore under her right arm and in her chest. The pain seems to be strongest in the evening, making it difficult to rest initially at night. She is getting more active every day. As with increased activity comes the increased soreness. We went out the other evening to Toys-R-Us and she asked if she could just sit in the car while we went in. She rested and when it was time to go to JoAnns, she was good to go. When we got home she was wiped out. It was difficult for her to miss Brenna's double header softball games to finish the season today, but knew she was tired and the lovely west Texas wind would ultimately beat her down.
Lou Ann is a truly wonderful lady that is battling strong. She had a very tearful/emotional night last night, but knows that GOD is in control ! We so appreciate your continued support and prayers- GOD is so good!!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
We are now at 6 days post surgery. I want you to know that my wife is one tough lady. I do not know if I could be as strong as she is. To see her get out of bed in the morning to love her kids goodbye for the day after she has been up 1/2 the night in pain from the ports and the nerve pain shooting down her arm. We take for granted simple things such as showering, brushing your teeth and going from a seated to a standing position until you go through surgery.
Today Lou Ann got out and picked the kids up from school with me. I could tell she felt a little better while at Bodie's school. She told me I drove like a little old lady. I thought to myself - "you really don't want me to hit the bumps to fast." I just smiled because I new she still loved me. Brenna and Bodie were very excited that mom was able to pick them up from school.
Lou Ann went to start a treatment at ICAM for the lymphatics under her arm. The treatment took about 1 hour. When she finished she was ready to lay down. The treatment involved her sitting in a recliner and resting. Let me tell you that it kicked her good.
One thing that she has found is that the old "fanny packs" are a great invention when it comes to holding the drain tubes. The amount of fluid coming from the drains is getting less. She is still getting about 30-40cc / 12 hr period. The drain lines are very sore where they go into her chest.
Lou Ann is improving each and every day. Her strength and mobility is still very guarded. The one thing you will see on her face is her smile. Thanks for following Lou Ann's race. I will tell you that she is winning this thing.
Today Lou Ann got out and picked the kids up from school with me. I could tell she felt a little better while at Bodie's school. She told me I drove like a little old lady. I thought to myself - "you really don't want me to hit the bumps to fast." I just smiled because I new she still loved me. Brenna and Bodie were very excited that mom was able to pick them up from school.
Lou Ann went to start a treatment at ICAM for the lymphatics under her arm. The treatment took about 1 hour. When she finished she was ready to lay down. The treatment involved her sitting in a recliner and resting. Let me tell you that it kicked her good.
One thing that she has found is that the old "fanny packs" are a great invention when it comes to holding the drain tubes. The amount of fluid coming from the drains is getting less. She is still getting about 30-40cc / 12 hr period. The drain lines are very sore where they go into her chest.
Lou Ann is improving each and every day. Her strength and mobility is still very guarded. The one thing you will see on her face is her smile. Thanks for following Lou Ann's race. I will tell you that she is winning this thing.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sorry we did not post for 10-10-09. The last two days have been a change for all of us. The kids and I are learning how to take care of mom. One of the hard things for the kids is learning to take their plate from the table, rinse it off and put it in the dishwasher. You know I have no problem with that. Lou Ann's tough part is letting someone else do the work and still be happy with the way it is done. Lou Ann's sister left today. We will be glad when she comes back in 4 days.
Last night Lou Ann said that she felt like part of the nerve in her right arm was starting to wake up. She kept getting "electric shock" type pains shooting down into her right forearm. I can only imagine how that would hurt. I know that hitting your "funny bone" can be miserable, but doing it over and over through the night and day (yuck)! She was awaken at 5am with this pain. She said that when she moves her arms too much, a burning feeling "like a hot poker" grabs her where the ports are located in her chest wall. Bodie saw the two drains that his mom has. His curiosity drove him crazy until she allowed him to follow the tubes to her rib where they went in. After that he was satisfied. Brenna helped her mother bathe today. She stayed with her mom and helped her wash her back. Brenna is a true angel. She therefore slept a good part of the day. I am proud that she did rest. The kids played games with their grandmother and I watched some football and tried to do work on the computer.
The support we continue to get is so appreciated. If someone has to go this alone or without a support system, I don't know how they could do it. Even just for me to go to work, someone needs to be with Lou Ann to keep her from doing too much. I will tell you that the prayers that are being said for us mean the world to us. We know that God is listening. We thank each and every one for all that you do.
Last night Lou Ann said that she felt like part of the nerve in her right arm was starting to wake up. She kept getting "electric shock" type pains shooting down into her right forearm. I can only imagine how that would hurt. I know that hitting your "funny bone" can be miserable, but doing it over and over through the night and day (yuck)! She was awaken at 5am with this pain. She said that when she moves her arms too much, a burning feeling "like a hot poker" grabs her where the ports are located in her chest wall. Bodie saw the two drains that his mom has. His curiosity drove him crazy until she allowed him to follow the tubes to her rib where they went in. After that he was satisfied. Brenna helped her mother bathe today. She stayed with her mom and helped her wash her back. Brenna is a true angel. She therefore slept a good part of the day. I am proud that she did rest. The kids played games with their grandmother and I watched some football and tried to do work on the computer.
The support we continue to get is so appreciated. If someone has to go this alone or without a support system, I don't know how they could do it. Even just for me to go to work, someone needs to be with Lou Ann to keep her from doing too much. I will tell you that the prayers that are being said for us mean the world to us. We know that God is listening. We thank each and every one for all that you do.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Home from the Hospital
It has been a long day! Lou Ann got discharged by her plastic surgeon at 6:30AM, but waited until 3:30PM for her final discharge from her surgeon. Her preliminary pathology report came back with 3 out of 53 lymph nodes involved. That was great news! We were initially told that if it came back with less that 4 nodes involved, she would most likely not need any radiation. We pray the will continue to be the plan. We still do not know anything about chemo. The likely hood of chemo is high. The pathology is supposed to be sent off for further testing to see what the cancer feeds on. This will give us a better idea with chemo. The surgeon said that she does fall in the stage 2 of cancer.
At home Lou Ann is resting and trying to regain her strength. As most of you know, Lou Ann never slows down. It is very important that she takes things slowly and let herself heal. I think she understands this and is going to take the doctors advice. She was very happy that she got to eat dinner with the family. The kids are very excited to have mom home. Bodie is staying busy with his games and Brenna is staying by mom's side being a little nurse to all her mom's needs. It has been a blessing to have aunt "T" here to help with Lou Ann at the hospital at night. She has also got to share her days with the kids. We have had a great outpouring of love from everyone and we can't thank each of you enough. I am not going to mention names because I don't want to leave anyone out.
Our lives are going to change for the better and I know God has a plan for our family. We are trusting in him and thank him for our blessings. Keep praying that all will continue to go good for Lou Ann.
At home Lou Ann is resting and trying to regain her strength. As most of you know, Lou Ann never slows down. It is very important that she takes things slowly and let herself heal. I think she understands this and is going to take the doctors advice. She was very happy that she got to eat dinner with the family. The kids are very excited to have mom home. Bodie is staying busy with his games and Brenna is staying by mom's side being a little nurse to all her mom's needs. It has been a blessing to have aunt "T" here to help with Lou Ann at the hospital at night. She has also got to share her days with the kids. We have had a great outpouring of love from everyone and we can't thank each of you enough. I am not going to mention names because I don't want to leave anyone out.
Our lives are going to change for the better and I know God has a plan for our family. We are trusting in him and thank him for our blessings. Keep praying that all will continue to go good for Lou Ann.
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