today was treatment day.
bloodwork and organs looked good so we were a go.
i pretty much slept all day.
the fatigue is really mounting as the treatments wear on and i was lights on out the car ride over, while waiting to get called for bloodwork, the entire time i was infusion minus when my port was getting accessed and vitals were being taken, etc. very different than the days when treatment first started and i was awake the entire time and still had energy.
but i got another treatment in so i am thankful for that.
we also got good news from beth this weekend which i am also super duper thankful for.
she got into the clinical trial!!!!!!!!!!!! all of your prayers, mojo, and love worked! as you will see below, that does not change the anxiety and all the reasons she has to be scared, but she got in and i am so thankful for that. let's hope we both kick our clinicial trial's asses and are the ones that show them the best results. that is my plan for us.
here are her words:
"As I sit on the plane at this very early time of the day I thought I would give an update.
I got the call yesterday that I was accepted into the clinical trial. A spot opened up. I guess this is a national study happening at many locations. So SCCA just got their spot and Dr. Coveler got me first on the list.
I will have an appointment with my doctor when I get back to sign the consent forms and talk about next steps. They still need to get insurance to approve me. I also need to do a lot of baseline studies - labs, EKG and scans before final acceptance. The consent forms are so long so I need to spend time this week going through them.
While I am happy about getting accepted I am also terrified. They are not only trying to see the effectiveness of the treatment they are also trying to see the toxicity of using both meds. So there is always a chance I get more sick and have more side effects. Unlike with just chemo I will still have chemo every 2 weeks and then the immunotherapy drug every 3 weeks so I may not feel better on my off weeks since I will be on another drug. I will have more appointments too. Scans every 2 months. So everything starts to feel more complicated and now things are starting to feel too real.
The other night I talked to a friend’s brother in law who is an oncologist at MD Anderson in Houston. Known as the best place for cancer treatment or at least one of the best. He thinks highly of SCCA/Fred Hutch. I walked through what I knew and what they were proposing and he thought the clinical trial would be the best thing for me. He also said the plan I was given was Good. So now that I am in the clinical trial I will not be seeking a second opinion. He didn’t feel like it was a must for me. I also need to think about the affect of traveling on me for treatment.
So there is still a lot going on in my head. I am still scared and sad and angry and the list goes on and on and on. I keep wondering how I am going to live being on treatment the rest of my life. Lars and I are trying to make the most of the next few weeks as possible before I start treatment. And now that they may start treatment sooner it just seems too quick.
A lot of people have been asking me what they can do. So here are some thoughts.
Donate to Colorectal cancer research so they can develop a cure for me and for others!!! One good place is Colorectal Cancer Alliance who is just dedicated to Colorectal cancers. I have also donated to Stand Up to Cancer and the American Cancer Society.
Another thing I will need is people to go to appointments with me. I have a long haul ahead, Lars will likely not be able to attend all infusions with me so if you are willing to come with me at some point I welcome the company. It’s not something I like to do alone. Plus I am often too tired to drive.
Well the plane is taking off soon.i will update more as I know and process more. Thanks for your love, support and prayers."
I got the call yesterday that I was accepted into the clinical trial. A spot opened up. I guess this is a national study happening at many locations. So SCCA just got their spot and Dr. Coveler got me first on the list.
I will have an appointment with my doctor when I get back to sign the consent forms and talk about next steps. They still need to get insurance to approve me. I also need to do a lot of baseline studies - labs, EKG and scans before final acceptance. The consent forms are so long so I need to spend time this week going through them.
While I am happy about getting accepted I am also terrified. They are not only trying to see the effectiveness of the treatment they are also trying to see the toxicity of using both meds. So there is always a chance I get more sick and have more side effects. Unlike with just chemo I will still have chemo every 2 weeks and then the immunotherapy drug every 3 weeks so I may not feel better on my off weeks since I will be on another drug. I will have more appointments too. Scans every 2 months. So everything starts to feel more complicated and now things are starting to feel too real.
The other night I talked to a friend’s brother in law who is an oncologist at MD Anderson in Houston. Known as the best place for cancer treatment or at least one of the best. He thinks highly of SCCA/Fred Hutch. I walked through what I knew and what they were proposing and he thought the clinical trial would be the best thing for me. He also said the plan I was given was Good. So now that I am in the clinical trial I will not be seeking a second opinion. He didn’t feel like it was a must for me. I also need to think about the affect of traveling on me for treatment.
So there is still a lot going on in my head. I am still scared and sad and angry and the list goes on and on and on. I keep wondering how I am going to live being on treatment the rest of my life. Lars and I are trying to make the most of the next few weeks as possible before I start treatment. And now that they may start treatment sooner it just seems too quick.
A lot of people have been asking me what they can do. So here are some thoughts.
Donate to Colorectal cancer research so they can develop a cure for me and for others!!! One good place is Colorectal Cancer Alliance who is just dedicated to Colorectal cancers. I have also donated to Stand Up to Cancer and the American Cancer Society.
Another thing I will need is people to go to appointments with me. I have a long haul ahead, Lars will likely not be able to attend all infusions with me so if you are willing to come with me at some point I welcome the company. It’s not something I like to do alone. Plus I am often too tired to drive.
Well the plane is taking off soon.i will update more as I know and process more. Thanks for your love, support and prayers."
ok, giveaway update - are you ready for this? my awesome sister denise (aka nerd) has started an instagram page for her photography (@dfogophotography) and her own etsy shop called dfogophotography. super proud of her. so on Wednesday morning there will be a blog post about a giveaway that we are teaming up on - you won't want to miss it;) stay tuned for more details on Wednesday! who doesn't love giveaways? i know, we all do!
i wanted to say thank you for everyone who has signed up to be part of the happy mail campaign for Kaylee. crystal confirmed over the weekend that enough people have signed that up that we will be sending Kaylee mail throughout the summer and into September when school starts up again. how awesome are all of you? i think that is just amazing and makes my heart very, very happy.
last, but certainly not least, please send all your prayers, mojo and love to my friend mary in wisconsin. she goes in on wedneday for a pet scan (aka full body radioactive scan) and tests for her melanoma check ups. send all your goodness that those tests came back clean for her. i know all my fingers and toes are crossed.
happy tuesday peeps, don't miss the blog update on wednesday;)
i wanted to say thank you for everyone who has signed up to be part of the happy mail campaign for Kaylee. crystal confirmed over the weekend that enough people have signed that up that we will be sending Kaylee mail throughout the summer and into September when school starts up again. how awesome are all of you? i think that is just amazing and makes my heart very, very happy.
last, but certainly not least, please send all your prayers, mojo and love to my friend mary in wisconsin. she goes in on wedneday for a pet scan (aka full body radioactive scan) and tests for her melanoma check ups. send all your goodness that those tests came back clean for her. i know all my fingers and toes are crossed.
happy tuesday peeps, don't miss the blog update on wednesday;)
+++ sidenote: many of the awesome hats i wear (like the one in this post) are from one of my most favorite companies owned by an awesome woman named rebecca and the company is called peace within. trust me, you should check it out. like right now.
That is amazing news for Beth!! Sending lots of good vibes and juju to her!!
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