Hello Everyone!
I was able to have a long conversation with Mama on Friday and to get some more details about the results of her cat scan and her visit with the oncologist. Apparently her blood count is still low in certain categories and she is going in for follow-up blood testing either tomorrow or Tuesday. She confirmed that one of her two remaining tumors has reduced in size somewhat and the other has remained the same size. She asked the doctor how long her "remission" would last and his "guess" was that it could be anything from three months to three years.
Mama also said she has googled for information regarding the repercussions of Rituxan treatment. She found a two-year post-market study of side effects in 50 to 80 year olds. One of them is a bad rash, which Anita has developed on her chest and inside her elbow. A second side effect, which Anita also has developed and which is one of the most common delayed factors, is mucus in the eyes and nose. However, when she asked the doctor about the pain she had in her shoulder - a pain that had most concerned her - he told her that it was arthritis! Of course Mama promptly exclaimed, "But I've never had arthritis!" To which the doctor replied, "You have wrinkles on your face don't you? Well your bones get wrinkles and those hurt. And that pain is not associated with your problem."
Her overall report then is good. The doctor will see her for check-ups every three months and in six months she will have another cat scan. Anita asked, "How will I know if it has come back?" The doctor said, "Believe me you will know. If it starts coming back you will feel pain and start losing weight again."
Now what would any of you say to your doctor after all of the above?! Bet you'd never guess - or say for that matter - this:
Anita stated that she was happy that there were no more needles for awhile (except for the blood testing this week) and then turned to the doctor and stated "You know I'm in real estate. I've got a perfect house for you! You need a write-off!" [He's new to the area and she had heard that he has been renting.] Now that attitude alone is good for another five years at least!
Have a great week everyone!
Melissa
Sunday 28 October 2007
Thursday 25 October 2007
Post #80: Preliminary Results
Dear Anita fans!
Many apologies for the long delay in writing. My husband and I have been dealing with all sorts of issues: business, health, family, you name it! So thanks for hanging in there. Mama told me that many of you have called her to inquire not only about how she is doing but also as to what happened to the postings! Thank you for being such faithful readers. It is a wonderful compliment!
The latest news I have is from my sister. As I am typing this, it is 12:40 a.m. in the morning California time (9:45 a.m. my time). So I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Mother. Anita received her cat scan results in time for her meeting with the doctor which was at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 24. Apparently her main tumors are basically the same as in her last cat scan except that one has gone down from 3.9 to 3.7 cm while the other has remained the same size. My sister reports that Anita is very positive-minded all told. She will have follow-up check-ups every three months.
I confirmed with Mama yesterday, before she went to her appointment, that she was armed with her list of questions for the doctor. I have encouraged her to not let him get by with the usual general non-answers and to really try to pin him down as much as possible. We all know that doctors these days will never say anything absolute. It exposes them to too much liability. In addition, particularly with cancer which affects every patient differently, there is no magic formula for predicting exactly what will happen to that given individual. However, he can certainly tell her what his experience has been and what the outcomes have been for patients with her type of cancer and particularly for those patients who have beaten the odds into remisssion. At least that will give her a more realistic idea of what her prospects might be.
I am happy to hear that she is still thinking positively. As my sister wrote: "She has the right attitude, anyway: live all she can as well as she can while she can!" We should all follow that mantra!
Since her last chemo treatment, she has been getting progressively better. She is still tired, but gradually getting less so, and she only feels pain now infrequently. Every time I've talked with her she is busy doing something. Getting ready to go out, to go rearrange the patio, to play with the dog, to plan getting togther with friends - in short, she's living life to the full! She recently sent me photos of the new patio, beautifully decorated now. It is an elegant outdoor living room! They have placed several of John's wonderful sculptures around the perimeter and framed the patio, as well as the whole yard, with lovely plants which by next year will have grown full and bushy and will block any views of the neighbors' houses while still permitting Anita and John to look at the mountains in the distance. I hope all of you will be able to come visit Anita & John and view the house at some point in the future.
I plan on talking with Mother later today to get more details of her visit with the doctor. I will update you as soon as possible.
Melissa
Many apologies for the long delay in writing. My husband and I have been dealing with all sorts of issues: business, health, family, you name it! So thanks for hanging in there. Mama told me that many of you have called her to inquire not only about how she is doing but also as to what happened to the postings! Thank you for being such faithful readers. It is a wonderful compliment!
The latest news I have is from my sister. As I am typing this, it is 12:40 a.m. in the morning California time (9:45 a.m. my time). So I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Mother. Anita received her cat scan results in time for her meeting with the doctor which was at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 24. Apparently her main tumors are basically the same as in her last cat scan except that one has gone down from 3.9 to 3.7 cm while the other has remained the same size. My sister reports that Anita is very positive-minded all told. She will have follow-up check-ups every three months.
I confirmed with Mama yesterday, before she went to her appointment, that she was armed with her list of questions for the doctor. I have encouraged her to not let him get by with the usual general non-answers and to really try to pin him down as much as possible. We all know that doctors these days will never say anything absolute. It exposes them to too much liability. In addition, particularly with cancer which affects every patient differently, there is no magic formula for predicting exactly what will happen to that given individual. However, he can certainly tell her what his experience has been and what the outcomes have been for patients with her type of cancer and particularly for those patients who have beaten the odds into remisssion. At least that will give her a more realistic idea of what her prospects might be.
I am happy to hear that she is still thinking positively. As my sister wrote: "She has the right attitude, anyway: live all she can as well as she can while she can!" We should all follow that mantra!
Since her last chemo treatment, she has been getting progressively better. She is still tired, but gradually getting less so, and she only feels pain now infrequently. Every time I've talked with her she is busy doing something. Getting ready to go out, to go rearrange the patio, to play with the dog, to plan getting togther with friends - in short, she's living life to the full! She recently sent me photos of the new patio, beautifully decorated now. It is an elegant outdoor living room! They have placed several of John's wonderful sculptures around the perimeter and framed the patio, as well as the whole yard, with lovely plants which by next year will have grown full and bushy and will block any views of the neighbors' houses while still permitting Anita and John to look at the mountains in the distance. I hope all of you will be able to come visit Anita & John and view the house at some point in the future.
I plan on talking with Mother later today to get more details of her visit with the doctor. I will update you as soon as possible.
Melissa
Sunday 14 October 2007
Post #79: Cat Scan Tomorrow!
Hello All!
Sorry for the time lapse here. I have been dealing with a variety of time-absorbing issues that have come up of late. So this post is a compilation from two conversations with Anita on Oct. 12 and today.
She has felt very tired after this last chemo session. But that is gradually getting better. It has been one of the normal aftereffects for her of the treatments and, as we all know, she does tend to overdo it a bit! She gets that enthusiasm going and look out world!
One of the issues she has been dealing with is some teeth problems. This too is a frequent side effect of chemo therapy. On Friday she commented that she had lost a couple of fillings and had a throbbing toothache. During our phone conversation, John had been on the other phone working to get her a dentist appointment. Bingo, he got one in the next 40 minutes and he and Mama had to dash out the door to get to the dentist's office.
Today I got the follow-up on how the appointment went. She has a bacterial infection near one wisdom tooth and of course will need to have the fillings replaced. Before he can replace her fillings he has to get permission from her oncologist, but that permission should be forthcoming shortly. The dentist has put her on antibiotics to clear up the infection, gave her a special mouth rinse, and thinks that he can save the tooth. Luckily, the rest of her teeth are in pretty good condition. The great news is that this is a new dentist for Anita, he's Irish, and Mama likes him. Since going to the dentist is one of the things she most hates doing, this is good news.
The better news is that she was able to nab an appointment for a cat scan tomorrow, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m. The results should be out in a week. Since she got the cat scan appointment earlier than she expected, her appointment with the oncologist has been moved up to Oct. 24th, also at 3:30 p.m. So things are moving along. She is in no pain - just every once in a while. She is not worried about it and is just waiting to see what the oncologist says about it at their meeting on the 24th.
Despite "eating like a pig" as she puts it, she has lost another couple of pounds putting her at 132. This is frustrating for her, but a friend who has been through chemo explained to Anita that with all those nasty chemo drugs running through your body, you simply do not absorb nutrients as well. So, in time, as the drugs work themselves out of her system, she should start putting on weight again.
One thing that really helps her spirits is how beautiful the house looks now. They have planted tons of new flowers and flowering bushes all around the yard and the new patio. There are blossoms everywhere: yellow Japanese bamboo blossoms, hibiscus blossoms, purple potatoe vine blossoms, bougainvillias, oleanders and vines with deep orange blossoms. They have new garden furniture, the patio concrete has been stained tan, the statues in the garden have been refinished, and everything is looking spectacular! And with a happy-go-lucky dog like Tristan bounding about, how can she not but have her spirits lifted!
So, she is getting tired easily and early to bed most nights. But she's always up with the sunshine and determined to think positively. Here's to all of us doing the same!
Melissa
Sorry for the time lapse here. I have been dealing with a variety of time-absorbing issues that have come up of late. So this post is a compilation from two conversations with Anita on Oct. 12 and today.
She has felt very tired after this last chemo session. But that is gradually getting better. It has been one of the normal aftereffects for her of the treatments and, as we all know, she does tend to overdo it a bit! She gets that enthusiasm going and look out world!
One of the issues she has been dealing with is some teeth problems. This too is a frequent side effect of chemo therapy. On Friday she commented that she had lost a couple of fillings and had a throbbing toothache. During our phone conversation, John had been on the other phone working to get her a dentist appointment. Bingo, he got one in the next 40 minutes and he and Mama had to dash out the door to get to the dentist's office.
Today I got the follow-up on how the appointment went. She has a bacterial infection near one wisdom tooth and of course will need to have the fillings replaced. Before he can replace her fillings he has to get permission from her oncologist, but that permission should be forthcoming shortly. The dentist has put her on antibiotics to clear up the infection, gave her a special mouth rinse, and thinks that he can save the tooth. Luckily, the rest of her teeth are in pretty good condition. The great news is that this is a new dentist for Anita, he's Irish, and Mama likes him. Since going to the dentist is one of the things she most hates doing, this is good news.
The better news is that she was able to nab an appointment for a cat scan tomorrow, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m. The results should be out in a week. Since she got the cat scan appointment earlier than she expected, her appointment with the oncologist has been moved up to Oct. 24th, also at 3:30 p.m. So things are moving along. She is in no pain - just every once in a while. She is not worried about it and is just waiting to see what the oncologist says about it at their meeting on the 24th.
Despite "eating like a pig" as she puts it, she has lost another couple of pounds putting her at 132. This is frustrating for her, but a friend who has been through chemo explained to Anita that with all those nasty chemo drugs running through your body, you simply do not absorb nutrients as well. So, in time, as the drugs work themselves out of her system, she should start putting on weight again.
One thing that really helps her spirits is how beautiful the house looks now. They have planted tons of new flowers and flowering bushes all around the yard and the new patio. There are blossoms everywhere: yellow Japanese bamboo blossoms, hibiscus blossoms, purple potatoe vine blossoms, bougainvillias, oleanders and vines with deep orange blossoms. They have new garden furniture, the patio concrete has been stained tan, the statues in the garden have been refinished, and everything is looking spectacular! And with a happy-go-lucky dog like Tristan bounding about, how can she not but have her spirits lifted!
So, she is getting tired easily and early to bed most nights. But she's always up with the sunshine and determined to think positively. Here's to all of us doing the same!
Melissa
Saturday 6 October 2007
Post #78: Last chemo treatment completed!
Dear Everyone,
I'm happy to report that Anita's latest blood test showed that the levels of various factors in her blood (e.g. red blood cell count, white blood cell count, etc.) had all risen enough to pass the cut-off level below which they will not administer chemotherapy. So Friday she had her final chemo session!
The session took a little longer than normal. She at first got an inexperienced nurse who didn't insert the IV needle correctly and subsequently caused Mama some pain in her arm. This was the first time she has felt pain during a chemo therapy session. Well, as you can imagine, Mama let her feelings about that be known! No shrinking violet this one!! As it happens, Anita's favorite nurse happened to be there that day as well, and he (yes, a male nurse) came over to see what was going on and insisted that the needle be removed and the whole process started over! At that point, Anita insisted that she would only allow him to administer her treatment! Good for her!
So her appointment had been for 10:00 a.m., they didn't get started until 10:40 and because of the mess-up with the needle, Anita didn't get out of there until after 1:00 p.m. Last night she didn't sleep too well, but she says that's normal for her after a treatment. However, today she is feeling pretty good. She still has a "palpable thing" on her neck (it's in the hollow part above the clavicle on her left side). It still has a pulse beat when she touches it which she describes as a "boom-boom . . boom-boom-boom." But there is no pain. In fact, the pain she was feeling in the past couple of weeks has gone away! That's wonderful news. However, next stop will be the dentist. Chemo therapy affects the teeth and she has apparently developed some toothache. I think Mama probably dreads the dentist more than the chemo therapy!
She is a little disappointed in that she has lost another pound. So she's now at 134. Her oncologist's nurse put in the request for the contrast cat scan yesterday. So Anita should be getting the go-ahead shortly from her HMO and then will arrange an appointment to have the scan taken. Hopefully the results from that will be back in time for her next scheduled appointment with the oncologist which is on October 30.
Anyhow, talking with her today, she was upbeat, in a great mood and we laughed and chatted and had a great talk. Sounds like my wonderful, normal Mama to me! And that's a beautiful thing.
Until next time, wishing all of you all the best,
Melissa
I'm happy to report that Anita's latest blood test showed that the levels of various factors in her blood (e.g. red blood cell count, white blood cell count, etc.) had all risen enough to pass the cut-off level below which they will not administer chemotherapy. So Friday she had her final chemo session!
The session took a little longer than normal. She at first got an inexperienced nurse who didn't insert the IV needle correctly and subsequently caused Mama some pain in her arm. This was the first time she has felt pain during a chemo therapy session. Well, as you can imagine, Mama let her feelings about that be known! No shrinking violet this one!! As it happens, Anita's favorite nurse happened to be there that day as well, and he (yes, a male nurse) came over to see what was going on and insisted that the needle be removed and the whole process started over! At that point, Anita insisted that she would only allow him to administer her treatment! Good for her!
So her appointment had been for 10:00 a.m., they didn't get started until 10:40 and because of the mess-up with the needle, Anita didn't get out of there until after 1:00 p.m. Last night she didn't sleep too well, but she says that's normal for her after a treatment. However, today she is feeling pretty good. She still has a "palpable thing" on her neck (it's in the hollow part above the clavicle on her left side). It still has a pulse beat when she touches it which she describes as a "boom-boom . . boom-boom-boom." But there is no pain. In fact, the pain she was feeling in the past couple of weeks has gone away! That's wonderful news. However, next stop will be the dentist. Chemo therapy affects the teeth and she has apparently developed some toothache. I think Mama probably dreads the dentist more than the chemo therapy!
She is a little disappointed in that she has lost another pound. So she's now at 134. Her oncologist's nurse put in the request for the contrast cat scan yesterday. So Anita should be getting the go-ahead shortly from her HMO and then will arrange an appointment to have the scan taken. Hopefully the results from that will be back in time for her next scheduled appointment with the oncologist which is on October 30.
Anyhow, talking with her today, she was upbeat, in a great mood and we laughed and chatted and had a great talk. Sounds like my wonderful, normal Mama to me! And that's a beautiful thing.
Until next time, wishing all of you all the best,
Melissa
Thursday 4 October 2007
Post #77: Chemo treatment postponed
Hello Everyone,
Anita was supposed to undergo her last chemo treatment yesterday, Oct. 3. However, they refused to administer it to her in that her latest blood test (taken Sept. 25) came back with white and red blood cell counts (plus apparently some other readings) that were too low for them to permit her to proceed with the treatment. She had a follow-up blood test done yesterday and her chemo treatment was rescheduled to tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. The blood test results should be available before tomorrow's appointment. If her blood readings have not improved sufficiently, they will postpone the treatment once again.
Actually, these blood readings are not too surprising in that it is a frequent occurence with patients undergoing chemotherapy. Anita has been fortunate in that she made it through 5 of 6 chemo and all 4 Rituxan treatments with very good blood test results. Anyhow, these low readings certainly help explain why she has been feeling so tired recently.
Unfortunately, there has also been a worrisome new development. She has discovered a "growth" at the base of her neck on the right side above the shoulder blade that "has a pulse." We are not certain of the significance of this development and Anita will be consulting her oncologist about it.
Assuming that she has her chemo treatment tomorrow, then in about two weeks she will have a contrast cat scan. Following that she will meet with her oncologist on Oct. 30th. She will only meet with him if she has all testing and scan results in hand. And Anita has stated that if during their consultation following the cat scan he continues with this "new attitude" of his, that she will change oncologists.
I will update tomorrow as soon as I learn whether the chemo treatment went forward or not.
Melissa
Anita was supposed to undergo her last chemo treatment yesterday, Oct. 3. However, they refused to administer it to her in that her latest blood test (taken Sept. 25) came back with white and red blood cell counts (plus apparently some other readings) that were too low for them to permit her to proceed with the treatment. She had a follow-up blood test done yesterday and her chemo treatment was rescheduled to tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. The blood test results should be available before tomorrow's appointment. If her blood readings have not improved sufficiently, they will postpone the treatment once again.
Actually, these blood readings are not too surprising in that it is a frequent occurence with patients undergoing chemotherapy. Anita has been fortunate in that she made it through 5 of 6 chemo and all 4 Rituxan treatments with very good blood test results. Anyhow, these low readings certainly help explain why she has been feeling so tired recently.
Unfortunately, there has also been a worrisome new development. She has discovered a "growth" at the base of her neck on the right side above the shoulder blade that "has a pulse." We are not certain of the significance of this development and Anita will be consulting her oncologist about it.
Assuming that she has her chemo treatment tomorrow, then in about two weeks she will have a contrast cat scan. Following that she will meet with her oncologist on Oct. 30th. She will only meet with him if she has all testing and scan results in hand. And Anita has stated that if during their consultation following the cat scan he continues with this "new attitude" of his, that she will change oncologists.
I will update tomorrow as soon as I learn whether the chemo treatment went forward or not.
Melissa
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