Update!

It's been over 3 months since I completed radiation and life is good. I still have some residual "Pec" muscle pain, and Dr. Myers says it from the extra boost they gave me the last few days of radiation. For now I am using ice packs, and if it continues he wants me to go the physical therapy. I really don't want more "appointment" days. I can tell it's better already. My repeat mammogram was
"NO sign of cancer"!!!! I will have another on in 6 months. Wow, that will be after Christmas. What happened to this year! Mom warned me that time would fly as I got older. I've been to the dermatologist and had two "things" removed and they were non-cancerous. Tomorrow I go to the gastro doctor to do the over 50 procedure. I should now have a clean bell of health.

Rick is doing great !! After having surgery for cancer in his kidney, he has rallied and is back at work and feeling great! He doesn't have to have any treatment. The docs say that they got it all! Praise God.

We are praising God that a dear friend of ours received a kidney this summer and he is doing great and feeling MUCH better !! Yeh.

Radiation is over, and my journey forward starts !

I had my last radiation treatment (#33) on April 30th, my birthday. It was MORE than just a regular 'ole birthday! I worked on Friday, May 1st and we left for vacation on Saturday. I can honestly say it was "the vacation of a lifetime". I have never enjoyed a vacation like I did this one. We went with 2 other couples on a catamaran in the BVI. (aka: British Virgin Islands) We had a captain and a cook that could out do any cruise, or all inclusive vacation. We were on the boat for a week and enjoyed every single moment. I have over 700 pictures to prove it! My open skin areas have almost healed and other than feeling really tired I am looking straight ahead to living my life to the fullest. My radiated skin is very dark and I am quite "lop-sided" if you get the jest. I think I can deal with that for the time being. I will see Dr. Ibach, the oncologist, next week to find out if I will be taking Tamoxifen, and then will have a mammogram in a couple of months, as a follow up.

Rick is doing great! He just found out this week that is will be able to start back to work, part time. The best news is that he got transferred from the Nashville FDIC office, to Knoxville. The office location is a MILE from his house. He is so excited. This week, he and Vickie are at their condo in Myrtle Beach, and he sounds great. He is still going to Rehab for skills to improve his short term memory. He will have a EEG this next week and then hopes to take a driving test, so that he can finally get back to being more self sufficient.
Thanks to each and every one of you for all your prayers, phone calls, letters/ cards, food and encouraging words.

OUCH !!!

Almost to the finish line... and... OUCH! On Saturday night I tossed and turned all night long and felt "itchy" and "burning sensations" where I shouldn't be feeling itchy and burning. I got up early, braved the bathroom lights,(those of you who know I hate mornings) and YES I had several RAW skin areas from tape on my "radiation spot". I wanted to cry, and actually did when I got in the shower. It felt like fire instead of cooling water. I called Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, and several nursery's and NO ONE had aloe plants yet. I called my cousin and she happen to have one, and Rachel had just bought one the day before. I kept all the "weeping" skin areas covered with aloe all day and night. Today I was seen by the nurse and the doctor and they decided to move forward with the radiation, because I am in an important accumulative phase and I too want to just get this over with. I now have only 4 more treatments. I will go tomorrow and then they will decide if I will skip Wed or continue and finish on Thursday. I think I can see the end of the road...it's just sort of curvy. Look out British Virgin Isle's,.... here I come !!!!

I think I've past 3rd base...and I can see home !

To my friends, family, and supporters:
The road ahead is getting shorter. I can finally see home plate. Today's radiation was the beginning of what they call the "boost". It's a little more intensified and apparently more centralized around the cancer area. Up until now, there is a square area about the size of a large dinner plate that has been the target zone for the radiation. My skin looks like I've been tanning. I haven't had any skin break down, thanks to the cream that's prescribed. That entire area has started itching and I've been told that is to be expected. My last "zap" will be on April 30th. Couldn't ask for a better birthday present than that. The staff at Thompson Cancer Survival Center are TOPS !!! Every single person I have come in contact with has gone above and beyond anything that I expected. I can't say enough about how great they have all been. I actually think I will miss them. They have made my journey thru dealing with "C" a very tolerable experience !
Last week I took Rick to rehab and they discharged him from physical therapy. He is really doing great and they gave him exercises to continue working on. He will continue to go to rehab for speech/cognitive skills. He is working hard to improve his short term and "thinking" skills. He works lots of math problems and cross word puzzles. He has continued to keep a positive outlook on all of this, and knows he has come a long, long way. He hopes that with warmer weather that he is going to be able to get outside and walk, and to work up his endurance. He thanks all of you who have continued to keep him in your thoughts !

A small bump in the road...and hoping that's all !

Radiation has been going smoothly until a small bump... well it's really all how you look at it. This week the "machine" was "down" and I missed a treatment...doesn't sound too bad. Then today they called about an hour before my treatment and said it wasn't working again. I have to have 33 treatments in all. WELL... the problem is that 2 days after my treatments will be over I am "out of here". Jim and I are going with two other couples for a week on a Catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. We had planned this trip before I found out about the "C". SO.... being the sweetheart that my therapist Karen Myers is, she talked with Dr. Meyers (no relation) and he let me go out to the West office. They gave me an hour to get from my house, to Ft. Sanders, to pick up my mold (it's this contraption I have to lie in ), papers and get back out west. Well, I did it in one hour & 10 mins in bumper to bumper traffic. They were able to wedge me in and will also be doing my treatment in the morning. I hope the machine at Ft. Sanders is fixed by Monday. I really like the people who see me there. Let's just say they are "really friendly" and supportive ! I sure am thankful for nice people in this world. Jim and I are going over night tomorrow to Atlanta to meet up with some dear friends. We will be back Saturday and look forward to Easter Sunday at church.

I appreciate everyone's support !

I'm getting over that mid-way hump. I've got 18 more radiation treatments. All the staff at Thomas Cancer Survival Center are great. Jim went with me and he has a lot better understanding of what all is involved. They let him ask all the questions he wanted to and explained everything in detail. I think he had a whole different idea of what it really was. I see the doctor once a week and he is pleased with the progress. So far, no skin burns or irritation. I am feeling the fatigue that I was told would happen. I thought I could outdo it but I have had a rough week. I think sleeping 13 hours says that I am more tired than usual. I also was told I would loose my appetite. They don't want me to loose weight, which I need to, but I don't have much of an appetite right now. Once I sit down to eat, I have no trouble eating. I've never had to be hungry to eat ! Thanks a million to the night Circle at church for the wonderful meal, which we spread out to two nights, and for the second meal we were able to freeze and can use this week. "Comfort food at it's best". You need to know that you brought it on the hardest day I have had !!! Thanks and I love each and every one of you. I have had so many sweet cards with wonderful Bible verses of inspiration, which helps me keep my head up and thank God every day for the life he has given me.

We went out Friday night to Jimbo's play at Powell High School with Rick and Vikie. He is doing great. He was using his cane, but just for security mainly. He has decreased from 3 days a week to 2, for therapy. He is staying positive and knows that he is progressing. He is so very thankful that God has been by his side and keep him strong.

Thank you for keeping me and my family in your prayers.

Keep on Keeping on...

We had a great trip and a wonderful time with friends in Panama City. The weather was great, which provided us with great boating and wave runner days. We had breakfast with the Kleins, our Romanian friends, shopped, ate, had a wonderful dinner with the Proulx's and friends, and had an "old neighborhood" party and dinner with the Brites. It couldn't had been better....and it kept my mind off the reality that RADIATION was waiting at home for me. I am now "8" down and "25" to go. Every week day I have to stop my day and be at Ft. Sanders at 3:40pm. I am very grateful that the time wasn't smack in the middle of the day. So far I feel good, not too tired, and all skin remains intact. I got a prescription yesterday for a cream that is suppose to help my skin and hopefully keep me from burning. Jim is going with me today so that he can see just what this is all about. We both are off from work today. Our son-in-law, Brittany's husband Dave, was deployed with the 844 Engineers Reserves this morning. If anyone reads this before 5 they will be on "LIVE At FIVE" today and Dave and Eva's picture is on the front web page of WBIR.COM. We are SO proud of him and know that he is in GOD'S hands.

Rick and Vickie came over for dinner on Tuesday night. We brought oysters and shrimp from the beach. He is still going to therapy 3 times a day, and doing great. He is using a cane, but says he thinks he's about to get rid of it. His balance is very much improved. Continue to uplift Rick in your prayers. He is a miricle !

On your mark..get set...GO !

It was a breeze !! Not like a summer breeze, or the ocean breeze, but I plugged in the ipod and took myself somewhere else besides that cold room and cold table they make you lie on. I was finally glad to get this "show on the road" and make some steps forward. My time for the daily routine for the next 7 weeks will be 3:40pm, with exceptions as needed. I was just glad they didn't sign me up for an early morning time. I DO NOT do well early in the mornings. It took 10 minutes or so to set the machine up and to line it up with the "markings" they have made around the site. Then it took only about another 10 minutes to finish the radiation. Everyone has been really kind there and compassionate. The biggest complaint is that being that I am a punctual person, and like things done in a timely manner, I waited an hour to get started yesterday and 30 minutes past my appointment today. I understand, being in the medical field, but I vision all the things I could be getting accomplished, while I'm sitting there. I will keep everyone updated ! THANKS !
My friend who had surgery yesterday did great. I stopped by to see her yesterday afternoon and she was awake and in good spirits. She went home today. Thanks for your prayers for her.

Prayer !

This morning my dear friend Martha is having a bilateral mastectomy. Please hold her dear sweet soul in your prayers today. She has a very postive attitude but stated last night the she is apprehensive about today. She is married, has children , step-children and lives in Knoxville.
I go back to the Radiologist Oncologist today to be "marked" for radiation and start therapy tomorrow.

Finally a PLAN !!!

The wait is over and I finally have some direction and a plan. I saw Dr Meyers, the radiologist/oncologist yesterday. It was a very long day. I was there a 10:30a and left at 4:30pm. I had a two hour break and went over to sweet Kay Fillingim's house to visit. She was just what I needed and a strong cup of coffee. Dr. Meyers was an extremely compassionate man and talked with me for over an hour about two different options for treatment. One would take a week, and the other 6 weeks. We discussed all the pros/cons and after having a CT scan (to make the story short) I was not a candidate for the one week treatment. He then explained, step by step the 6 week process and with my "calendar" close at hand we mapped out the plan. I had to have another CT scan to so that they could "mark" me. They actually make marks on my skin that stay until the radiation is over. I will go back on Tuesday the 10th for another CT scan and the radiation will start on Wednesday. I will go once a day for 33 treatments total. He is going to let me skip 3 days so that we can take Isabella and Rachel to Panama City for a few days, and so I can visit with my dear friends, who mean so much to me. I will resume therapy the day after we get back.

Today, I saw Dr. Ibach, the Oncologist. Again, I very, very nice man, who took his time, explained options, the whys and why not's and made the whole process painless. He talked to me about an "experimental study" that Thompson Cancer Center is doing, which I fit the criteria for. After much discussion and again looking at my calendar I decided not to do it. It would be studied up to 15 years and the treatment plan he has is efficient at this time. They took 8 tubes of blood, which is more blood than most of the babies I take care of have in their whole system. He is going to determine from this blood work if I will be able to take the drug TAMOXIFAN, which is indicated for my cancer. I won't know that for a couple of weeks, but I wouldn't start taking it until about the 6 weeks of radiation anyway.

I think for the first time yesterday I felt like something was really wrong. It was the first time that I felt unsure of what decisions to make. I called my buddy Donna as soon as I was presented with options and she helped me to process it all. Thanks for the support WD! When I went to bed last night I was tearful, not boo-hoo, but just tears of "I guess this is real". Wow, who would think that life was smack you in the face with this. I know that I have a lot of living to do, and this is only going to be a temporary thing. I will march on, do what the doctors tell me to do, and maybe for once I will "try" to rely on support from others. Thanks for all your love !!!!

I went to see Rick and he is doing great. He is progressing to a cane for part of the time. He is working on short term memory skills, cognitive thinking, (math problems) and is staying positive. He is very aware of when he can't complete his sentences or when he can't find just the right word. Your prayers are working and the magic and healing is occurring everyday. He thanks you and so does the rest of our family. I will keep you posted.

Love, ANNIE