Patty saw the doctor last Thursday about the dizziness. He said it could be from some of the medication. Over the weekend it actually has improved.
Patty also has been having a feeling of not getting enough air when she breaths. She also talked to the doctor about this but he didn't seem to be too concerned. He sent her for an EKG Friday and a MUGA Scan this morning. Both are tests for your heart. The Herceptin infusions she is taking weekly have a small chance of causing heart problems. She has had two so far that have been fine. From what I've read there is a good possibility that the breathing issue is stress related.
Today will be her 23rd of 33 radiation treatments. She has been handling this like a champ. I'm starting to see the fatigue set in on her and her skin has been itching her a lot but otherwise she has not has any major reactions.
Friday she took Kendall to the zoo. She said there were 27 other schools there! Luckily, they both like the zoo. Patty walked around with Kendall and another little girl from her class whose parent wasn't there. While they were sitting eating an ice cream a bird came and, uhhhhhh, took care of business in the little girl's hair and Patty's shoulder! Next they sat down on some railroad ties and the little girl's shorts got tar all over the back of them. Patty told the teacher that this little girl's parents are going to wonder who was chaperoning their child!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Update on Patty
Patty hasn't been feeling great the last few days. She's had a light headed feeling and can't seem to get a deep breath. She's not sure if she's just become acutely aware of her breathing or what. I've read that the Herceptin can cause dizziness in 13% of patients so I'm not sure if this is what this could be or not. Hopefully, it is nothing. She's sees the doctor tomorrow so we'll see what he says. Pray that these issues resolve for her.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Team Katie & Kendall
I came home Wednesday night and Katie and Kendall had been making paper dolls. Katie told me she wanted to sell them for money to make Mommy feel better. Since its that time of year for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life fundraiser, I told her we could sell them to raise money for the ACS. They could hardly wait. They wanted to sell them right then!
So Friday night I helped them make a poster and they also made some no bake cookies with Mommy. They had their aprons and chef hats while they helped. We got up early, put on our Relay shirts, gather our signs, scooped up our paper dolls and cookies and headed down to the commons area of the subdivision. We got setup and waited, ....and waited, ...and waited, then finally we had a customer. Friends of ours Darrell & Beth were on their way to DisneyWorld so I asked them to stop by because I was afraid that we wouldn't get much business. How wrong was I?
Luckily someone was having a yard sale up the street which brought in a lot of traffic. Many drove on by but quite a few people stopped and got their paper dolls or "cow patties." Before I knew it, these little girls had raised, drum roll please.............., $80 in an hour and a half! Can you believe it? All on their own, their own idea. I was so proud of them. A silver lining on this dark cloud of cancer.
They already are bitten with the bug of success. Kendall informed next week we're going to Fountain City Park to sale them! Below is a pic of our volunteers. You can see them with their new glasses posing with their cookies and paper dolls.
So Friday night I helped them make a poster and they also made some no bake cookies with Mommy. They had their aprons and chef hats while they helped. We got up early, put on our Relay shirts, gather our signs, scooped up our paper dolls and cookies and headed down to the commons area of the subdivision. We got setup and waited, ....and waited, ...and waited, then finally we had a customer. Friends of ours Darrell & Beth were on their way to DisneyWorld so I asked them to stop by because I was afraid that we wouldn't get much business. How wrong was I?
Luckily someone was having a yard sale up the street which brought in a lot of traffic. Many drove on by but quite a few people stopped and got their paper dolls or "cow patties." Before I knew it, these little girls had raised, drum roll please.............., $80 in an hour and a half! Can you believe it? All on their own, their own idea. I was so proud of them. A silver lining on this dark cloud of cancer.
They already are bitten with the bug of success. Kendall informed next week we're going to Fountain City Park to sale them! Below is a pic of our volunteers. You can see them with their new glasses posing with their cookies and paper dolls.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Treatment Update
Patty is a 1/3 of the way through her radiation treatments now. She is doing relatively well with them so far. She has been extremely tired lately so we thought her red blood cell counts might be low but they checked it yesterday and it was ok. They're going to check her thyroid to see if there could be any issues there. She got her Herceptin treatment yesterday as well and it went as expected.
She has started to venture out without her wig in the last week. She's got enough hair to try to spike it up but it doesn't want to cooperate for some reason. It wants to merge towards the center and form a mohawk. Its also coming in a light brown rather than the dark brown she used to have. She's also began to lose some of the weight the steroids added while she was having to take those. She has also been trying to continue to work out when she can.
I plan to keep updating so keep reading! Also please continue to send Patty notes of encouragement if you want! Have a great day!
She has started to venture out without her wig in the last week. She's got enough hair to try to spike it up but it doesn't want to cooperate for some reason. It wants to merge towards the center and form a mohawk. Its also coming in a light brown rather than the dark brown she used to have. She's also began to lose some of the weight the steroids added while she was having to take those. She has also been trying to continue to work out when she can.
I plan to keep updating so keep reading! Also please continue to send Patty notes of encouragement if you want! Have a great day!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Random Musings
We had a great Easter yesterday visiting with family and friends. We also sneaked (I just learned "snuck" is not a word, lol...) in a little fun towards the end of the day with a movie.
Patty's hair continues to grow back in but it is more of a light brown rather than her normal dark brown. Her radiation treatments continue as well. She's been having back and chest pain lately which always brings her concern that something is wrong. Who can blame her?
That's one thing we will have to deal with I guess from here on out. I've kept holding out hope that things will ultimately return to normal but I'm beginning to realize that is not a possibility. A 'new' normal will have to develop which is something I'm trying to grasp.
Cancer is a journey. Long for some, short for others. But cancer is by and by becoming more and more a "chronic" disease. In the past, metastatic cancer was considered a definite death sentence but now, people are living for long periods of time even after their cancer has recurred. Just the other day I picked up a chart on a patient who had breast cancer in 1981. It recurred in 1984 but she is still alive today due to the different types of treatment that have become available throughout the years. Encouraging news for survivors such as Elizabeth Edwards or Tony Snow who recently announced they are battling metastatic cancer. Our prayers are with them in their battle.
Patty's hair continues to grow back in but it is more of a light brown rather than her normal dark brown. Her radiation treatments continue as well. She's been having back and chest pain lately which always brings her concern that something is wrong. Who can blame her?
That's one thing we will have to deal with I guess from here on out. I've kept holding out hope that things will ultimately return to normal but I'm beginning to realize that is not a possibility. A 'new' normal will have to develop which is something I'm trying to grasp.
Cancer is a journey. Long for some, short for others. But cancer is by and by becoming more and more a "chronic" disease. In the past, metastatic cancer was considered a definite death sentence but now, people are living for long periods of time even after their cancer has recurred. Just the other day I picked up a chart on a patient who had breast cancer in 1981. It recurred in 1984 but she is still alive today due to the different types of treatment that have become available throughout the years. Encouraging news for survivors such as Elizabeth Edwards or Tony Snow who recently announced they are battling metastatic cancer. Our prayers are with them in their battle.
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Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Treatment Update
Patty completed her 6th of 33 treatments today. She's 18% of the way, lol... She's handling the treatments well. Usually, side effects from the radiation treatments don't begin to develop, if they do, until after 10 or more treatments. Hopefully and prayerfully these won't develop.
Her Herceptin infusions continue to take place every Thursday through the end of the year.
Her Herceptin infusions continue to take place every Thursday through the end of the year.
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