Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Benefit was Awesome
To say the evening was wonderful would be an understatement. Thank you all so very much....words can't express our gratitude. We love you!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Chemotherapy is working....YAY!!!
In spite of the hell that goes along with it, the chemotherapy is working.It's going to be for 12 more weeks of chemo. rather then 6, but after the 1st 2 treatments of the new chemo. (not counting today) we've already noticed quite a difference.
In case you don't remember the 1st round, which was more brutal, made the lesions in her liver no longer detectable as well as the lymph nodes in her chest. It shrunk the nodes in her lungs a little and also shrunk the lymph nodes under her arm a bit.
This new chemotherapy we discovered today, not only works especially well on the large, dense tumor in her breast, it will also continue to work of the other suspected tumors in her lungs, liver, and lymph nodes.
I know we still have a long road ahead, and some scary side effects to deal with, surgery to plan, and eventually 6 weeks of radiation/5 days a week, but at least we know it's working. IT'S WORKING!
I'm crying happy tears as I write this for the 1st time in a LONG time.....YAY!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Support
T and I were invited by a very special nurse to our 1st educational support group. T and I are both shy about going to things like that.....maybe "shy" isn't the right word, but you know what I mean.
Anywho, it was a great experience and I hope we go to more together and individually. There was a nutritionist, a physical therapist, and a shrink. The physical therapist was borrrrring and a bad speaker, but the nutritionist was great and the shrink was good too. The people we met were very nice also and I wish I had exchanged emails with a few of them. I'm sure I'll see some of them in a doctor's waiting room or maybe even another meeting....that would be nice.
There was something.....comforting?...about being in a room with a bunch of people who completely understand what T (and I) are going through. There was a mix of patients and loved ones in this group. There was one lady there to support her niece. Her, I'd like to keep in touch with. We had the same attitude about all this.
Something else really good came from this meeting. One of the things the shrink brought up seemed to affect us all. It was about support and telling people what you really need. Everyone spoke up about how the people in their lives reacted or didn't react. How this experience lets you see the people in your life through new eyes.
Those that are very supportive that you never expected. I have an old friend from high school who I haven't spoken to since who has made a continuous effort to contact me via Facebook from time to time. She has breast cancer, but is further along in her treatment then T.
Then there are those that you expected to be there, but haven't been.....sometimes you discover that certain people aren't worth the effort and you just cut them loose.
Everyone did make 1 very important point though....about the people who are in our lives that we DO know care, but have not been there for reasons we can only guess......perhaps they are scared they won't know what to say, or afraid they will disturb T while resting, or just don't know what to say or how to be. They said you should TELL those special people in your life what you need from them......so we've started doing that.
I can't speak for all cancer patients and their families, but for us the answer is simple. Be who you've always been. Assume we always want you to call...to text....to email...and most of all TO VISIT. Don't be afraid to do any of these things, any time.
There will be days when you call, text, or email and we will say, "not today".....but don't let that stop you. Be persistent. There will also be days we have to cancel last minute because we never know when the nausea or exhaustion will hit hard, be understanding......we hate to cancel at the last minute too, but sometimes we have no choice. Also understand that we can only handle 2 or 3 people at a time in our tiny home, and don't want everyone visiting at once anyway. Having company on a few days with different people is way better then having a lot of people all at once and being alone the rest of the time.
It worked, by the way, telling the people we care about what we need. Several friends have already called, emailed, texted, and visited and others plan to next week and regularly. YAY!
I love you guys....you know who you are.
-----------------
Next chemotherapy is tomorrow.........here we go again.........I love you baby!
Anywho, it was a great experience and I hope we go to more together and individually. There was a nutritionist, a physical therapist, and a shrink. The physical therapist was borrrrring and a bad speaker, but the nutritionist was great and the shrink was good too. The people we met were very nice also and I wish I had exchanged emails with a few of them. I'm sure I'll see some of them in a doctor's waiting room or maybe even another meeting....that would be nice.
There was something.....comforting?...about being in a room with a bunch of people who completely understand what T (and I) are going through. There was a mix of patients and loved ones in this group. There was one lady there to support her niece. Her, I'd like to keep in touch with. We had the same attitude about all this.
Something else really good came from this meeting. One of the things the shrink brought up seemed to affect us all. It was about support and telling people what you really need. Everyone spoke up about how the people in their lives reacted or didn't react. How this experience lets you see the people in your life through new eyes.
Those that are very supportive that you never expected. I have an old friend from high school who I haven't spoken to since who has made a continuous effort to contact me via Facebook from time to time. She has breast cancer, but is further along in her treatment then T.
Then there are those that you expected to be there, but haven't been.....sometimes you discover that certain people aren't worth the effort and you just cut them loose.
Everyone did make 1 very important point though....about the people who are in our lives that we DO know care, but have not been there for reasons we can only guess......perhaps they are scared they won't know what to say, or afraid they will disturb T while resting, or just don't know what to say or how to be. They said you should TELL those special people in your life what you need from them......so we've started doing that.
I can't speak for all cancer patients and their families, but for us the answer is simple. Be who you've always been. Assume we always want you to call...to text....to email...and most of all TO VISIT. Don't be afraid to do any of these things, any time.
There will be days when you call, text, or email and we will say, "not today".....but don't let that stop you. Be persistent. There will also be days we have to cancel last minute because we never know when the nausea or exhaustion will hit hard, be understanding......we hate to cancel at the last minute too, but sometimes we have no choice. Also understand that we can only handle 2 or 3 people at a time in our tiny home, and don't want everyone visiting at once anyway. Having company on a few days with different people is way better then having a lot of people all at once and being alone the rest of the time.
It worked, by the way, telling the people we care about what we need. Several friends have already called, emailed, texted, and visited and others plan to next week and regularly. YAY!
I love you guys....you know who you are.
-----------------
Next chemotherapy is tomorrow.........here we go again.........I love you baby!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Chemotherapy #2 Today
Tina is at chemo right now with her cousins who came down all the way from NY just to go sit with her while they pump her up with chemo. meds and fluids. I feel weird not taking her myself, but she wanted to accept all the offers of different cousins to go with her to a chemo. treatment.....that way she can both spend time with them and visit and also let them know that she appreciates their support.Cousins she sees maybe only once a year at a family function now and again, all stepped up when they heard she was sick. They organized a night out just to spend time together before her 1st chemo., they are organizing a fundraiser/benefit for her, and they have been writing her on-line, sending cards, and calling regularly, just so talk and offer support. It's a beautiful thing that gives me hope and it makes me so happy when her phone rings and she smiles at the caller ID and happily picks up the phone to chat with them.
I'm dreading this evening and wondering how sick this will make my girl tonight and in the days to come. I'm hoping her new medicine for the nausea will make it easier then last time and that the extra fluids will help as well.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Neulasta Shot - Mobile blogging
Wholly crap! This shot is supposed to increase her white blood cell count...but it also makes her bones ache, and makes her skin so sensitive to the touch...lots of pain.
On the plus side, I dragged a reluctant T back to the doctor today and they found the winning combo of anti-nausea meds FINALLY!
God I hope this makes the next round of chemo easier!
Another patient who did the same chemo meds said she was as bad as T her 1st round and that her 1st round was by FAR worse then the rest. That made me feel better about all this.
Until this afternoon T has been in so much pain that she spent the last 2 days mostly crying...broke my heart.
So glad she's feeling a bit better! Still to exhausted to do much, but at least she can eat now...yay!
On the plus side, I dragged a reluctant T back to the doctor today and they found the winning combo of anti-nausea meds FINALLY!
God I hope this makes the next round of chemo easier!
Another patient who did the same chemo meds said she was as bad as T her 1st round and that her 1st round was by FAR worse then the rest. That made me feel better about all this.
Until this afternoon T has been in so much pain that she spent the last 2 days mostly crying...broke my heart.
So glad she's feeling a bit better! Still to exhausted to do much, but at least she can eat now...yay!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
I Can Feel the Love
It's past midnight, Tina is sleeping next to me and I am beyond words.
Last week T's cousin cut her long beautiful hair into a cute short style and dyed it blond in preparation for her chemotherapy. She figures that until it falls out completely, she may as well look like a bad @ss for a few weeks. While we where there, her cousin suggested getting all the cousins together at a local bar before this all begins and we added some of our closest friends who are like family.
Side story, when T's mom went through chemotherapy she gave T her hair to donate, and T couldn't bare to part with it and had been growing hers to donate to replace it, soooo....when we cut Tina's hair it was long enough to donate, which made her very happy.
Anywho, getting back to the night out.....there was such an overwhelming amount of love in that room. At one point we all joined hands and several cousins voiced their hopes and prayers, there were many many hugs and kisses and just a warmth I can't describe.
As if we weren't touched and overwhelmed already..........Tina came to me in tears at one point because we discovered that one friend's dad who is going through his own personal cancer hell and hardly knows us wants to help...Very overwhelmed!
REVISED: ....and that our friends who are on the board at our local G.L.B.T. Center want to have a fundraiser for T to help pay for her treatment. How amazing is that?!?!?! .....yeah well, that's not happening anymore for various reasons....sigh!
Thankfully a few friends HAVE rallied around us and visit and call and email and text their support and concern.....THAT means the world to us both. Tina's family might pick up the ball and do a family fundraiser soon.....her family, especially the Italian side have been wonderful to say the least. It's kind of beautiful.
Last week T's cousin cut her long beautiful hair into a cute short style and dyed it blond in preparation for her chemotherapy. She figures that until it falls out completely, she may as well look like a bad @ss for a few weeks. While we where there, her cousin suggested getting all the cousins together at a local bar before this all begins and we added some of our closest friends who are like family.
Side story, when T's mom went through chemotherapy she gave T her hair to donate, and T couldn't bare to part with it and had been growing hers to donate to replace it, soooo....when we cut Tina's hair it was long enough to donate, which made her very happy.
Anywho, getting back to the night out.....there was such an overwhelming amount of love in that room. At one point we all joined hands and several cousins voiced their hopes and prayers, there were many many hugs and kisses and just a warmth I can't describe.
As if we weren't touched and overwhelmed already..........Tina came to me in tears at one point because we discovered that one friend's dad who is going through his own personal cancer hell and hardly knows us wants to help...Very overwhelmed!
REVISED: ....
Thankfully a few friends HAVE rallied around us and visit and call and email and text their support and concern.....THAT means the world to us both. Tina's family might pick up the ball and do a family fundraiser soon.....her family, especially the Italian side have been wonderful to say the least. It's kind of beautiful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)