Slow and easy wins the race!

I started back to work last Wednesday and had 12, 477 emails to sort through on my first day. By Friday, I had that amount down to 298. I am working a part time schedule of 4, 6 hour days a week with Tuesdays off. I take my chemo pills on Monday night and find that I am usually very groggy and tired on Tuesday. So far, the schedule works well. I get in early and get home in time to get a quick nap in before getting the kids.

It has been wonderful to get back to something normal. I am listening to my doctor and taking it very slow. I was tempted to take home some work last week and decided to force myself to rest. As they say, "slow and easy wins the race" and thankfully I have an employer who understands that concept.

The kids are both back to school and we are all falling back into the old familiar schedule. Brett's surgery that was scheduled for today has been postponed because his doctor has the flu. I think that is a blessing because I wasn't ready to start lifting Jenelle to much.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. I'll keep you posted.

Full Circle

Brett and I took the old familiar drive up the 405 today for a follow up appointment with my oncologist. Prior to seeing her, I had to have a blood draw. Today for some reason my body and veins decided to be difficult, and it took 45 minutes and 4 pokes to find a good vein. My oncologist told me it was time for some arm exercises to help build up my veins.

While I was sitting in the phlebotomist chair, another doctor walked in with a woman about my age who was very upset. The doctor asked the phlebotomist to do a panel on her and led her to the chair beside me. She was with her Mom it seemed. Even with a partition between us for privacy, I could hear her sobbing silently and her Mom telling her it was going to be OK and she was going to beat it. All this time while she was crying, I was getting poked.

A few minutes later, the nurse practitioner walked in to ask the woman for her insurance card. As the nurse walked away, she leaned over to me and whispered, "This woman just found out she has your exact diagnosis. Maybe you could talk to her?" I nodded and the phlebotomist continued to poke me. A feeling of relief fell over me. My biggest fear when I first saw this woman in tears was that her cancer had returned, and I worried that it could happen to me. It didn't dawn on me that this was new to her.

When the phlebotomist was finished with me, I stood up and peeked around the partition. I let the woman know we had the same diagnosis and that I was now cancer free. She was 41 years old and lived in Irvine with a 2 1/2 year old. She asked me my age and if I had kids. Her biggest concern was surviving the month long chemo induction in the hospital, and missing her daughter. I told her about the nice rooms and the wonderful nurses, and how UCLA had the best treatment in the country. I emphasized that our type of cancer was curable. I didn't tell her the bad things. She had long, pretty brown hair and was worried about losing it. I told her it took my hair 2 weeks to start falling out, and that eventually it would grow back.

She thanked me and I wished her luck as we left the room. As we walked down the hall, I told Brett that I didn't remember ever crying like that when I first got the news. He laughed and told me that I cried hysterically when I got the news. I guess I don't remember it that way. In fact, trying to remember everything that has happened these last 9 months is sometimes difficult for me. I don't remember much of the bad stuff. Part of me thinks that is because I'm such an optimistic person. Then I look down at my skin and see the scars from my rashes and blood draws and PICC lines, and the lost finger nails and toe nails. I run my hand through my short curly hair. These reminders will be with me for a while.

I don't know why God has given me so many challenges in my life. Just when I think I've adjusted to raising a special needs child like Jenelle, he gives me Leukemia. They say God never gives you more than you can handle. My response is that I wish he didn't think so highly of me.

My appointment went well today. My White Blood Cell count is a little below normal, but nothing like it was when I had cancer, or when I was getting IV Chemo. My doctor approved me to return to part time work. I plan to go back next Wednesday. My doctor explained that she really wanted to stress me taking it slow because fatigue can make me more susceptible to illness (especially with flu season right around the corner!) I called my boss a bit ago because I wanted her to hear it from me first and she was very excited and agreed 100% with my doctor's recommendation.

So I guess I've come full circle now. I am a cancer survivor, and I was able to pass on my personal experience to help another who is in the same place I was 9 months ago. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes. Been there, done that. I am so thankful to finally get my life back to normal. Whatever normal means for our special family.

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers. I will be seeing my oncologist again in one month. And of course I'll keep you posted!

No piggy in our house!

Finally this afternoon we got the results from Jenelle's test for Swine Flu and it was negative! Jenelle held her fever for most of the weekend and has been fever free since Monday evening. Thankfully that is one less thing to worry about - I have been healthy as well.

Brett's surgery is for a rotator tear in his right shoulder. It is an old baseball injury that has become worse over the years. Brett has been having more pain with it since coaching Jack and Jenelle's Little League the last three years so its a good time during the off season to get it fixed. His surgery has been postponed until September 15, and his recovery should take 6 weeks.

I see my oncologist for a follow up tomorrow and should know more about my numbers. Hopefully I'll get the OK to return to work! We're almost there!

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers! I'll keep you posted.

Because we don't do things half way in this family...

So, when I got Jenelle from daycare yesterday, her caregiver mentioned that she had been lethargic all day. I dismissed it thinking it was this heat, but took her temperature anyway - 100.8. I gave her some Motrin and she was happy. This morning, her temperature was 102. No other symptoms, just a fever. Thinking I didn't want things to get worse if it was an ear infection, I called her doctor to see if they could get her in. We saw the doctor this afternoon, and Jenelle is now being tested for H1N1 or more affectionately known as the Swine Flu. We will not have results until Monday or Tuesday.

With my starting chemo pill maintenance two weeks ago, you can imagine my concerns. I had labs drawn on Wednesday, but the results have not yet been faxed to my doctor. I spoke to my oncologist about Jenelle, and she was going to prescribe Tamiflu as a precaution - but like everything else in this world, I am allergic to Tamiflu (took it once and had a severe rash and some breathing problems.) So now we are just hoping Jenelle does not have a positive result, and that she hasn't passed it to me.

I have been doing really well with the pills - no reactions so far. I have some fatigue here and there, but it comes and goes. I am getting stronger every day and really feel I might be ready to get back to work! I see my doctor on Thursday and will know more.

Brett is having shoulder surgery on Tuesday the 8th. This is something he has needed to have done for some time, and should be a quick outpatient procedure. Fortunately, Jack is well and only faking illness so he can miss his first day of school this Monday. Where did summer go?

Please keep Jenelle in your prayers. As you can imagine, any illness for her is always scary as it can get out of hand very quickly. And of course, we want some stay well prayers for me as well. I am getting so close to getting back to normal, I can taste it. I wouldn't want this to slow it down!

Thanks again - I'll keep you posted.

Light the Night

A very good friend of mine from many years working together is participating this weekend in the "Light the Night" fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Victoria Craig and her husband Darrell are going to be walking around Anaheim Stadium (lucky bums!) on Saturday for this event. Victoria is dedicating her walk to me.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been helpful to many families including mine. The funds raised help individuals with travel to doctor's appointments, prescription co-pay assistance, and of course research and support groups. I personally have found the on-line support group to be very helpful. And I know that without the research funds, there might not have been a cure for my cancer.

Please help this worthy cause and follow this link to donate and support Victoria's walk in my honor. Victoria's Donor Page

Thank you all so much!

And we begin... again...

I started the chemo pills last night and am weaning off Predisone. Other than a slight headache today (which could be something else entirely) all is good so far! I am to have a blood draw to check my counts and my immune system on August 24, and am scheduled to see my oncologist on September 3. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!

Just waiting

Well, we think my rash may have been caused by the phlebotomist. It mainly stayed in the crease of my elbow where they had drawn blood. I forgot to tell him that I was allergic to latex, so we're pretty sure that was the culprit. I've been on daily predisone, and the rash is almost all gone. I am to call UCLA on Monday for more instructions and it is possible I will be starting the chemo pills soon.

I have a lot of energy now but am just waiting to see how the new chemo affects me. If I handle it well, I should be back to work very soon. My boss insists I start on a Thursday to give myself a couple of days to catch up, and we all agree I should start part time at first. So life is slowly returning to normal.

Jenelle is doing really well in her new class. In just a few weeks I've already noticed a huge difference in her. She is more patient, and she has a new word - "ba ba". Getting closer to "Da Da" which would thrill Brett to no end. Her school is teaching her to control her tantrums and I've definitely noticed a difference. She is growing up for sure!

Thanks for the continued prayers! I'll keep you posted!