News from the Home Front

Hello Friends and Readers

Last post in July, nothing in August and here we are in the middle of September. All I can say is it's been a very busy time.

First, I finished the first round of Chemo I was going through. Good and bad news from that. Good news - the tumor in my breast is gone....Bad News, the tumors on my lumph nodes are NOT. Means I have another round to go with a different chemo. Had the first one of those late in August. The side effects are very different. First, the nausea is almost nonexistent, and that's good. Second, I developed something called "Hand and Foot Syndrome". Basically my hands and feet swelled and broke out with a rash that looked as if I had been scalded. Not really painful except when I tried to walk. Treatment? Take lots of Vitamin B6 and use something called "Bag Balm" a wonderful concoction that moisturizes with lanolin and seals the skin with a souped up Vaseline type substance. Did it work? Yes, eventually, and now my hands and feet are peeling like I had a bad sunburn. Next chemo treatment, this coming Friday. Will I develop Hand and Foot again? Most llikely. Good thing about that? I have lots of Vitamin B6 and Bag Balm.

Next, as a direct result of the new chemo I'm on disability leave from work. Love being able to sleep late every day, and not have to show up at the office. Disability leave works like this, for the next 16 weeks I will be paid 100% of what I earn when working full time. After that time my earnings go to 50%. I'm struggling with the 100%, when things go to 50% I will have to loose my car and it's huge insurance payment. Also will have to find "creative" ways to lower my daily expenses. Living on 50% of what you're used to isn't a fun thing. I just thank God that I still have some income. So many out there don't.

Yesterday I visited a Kidney specialist. I have a cyst on my kidney. It's about the size of a large melon (16 centimeters) and it also may have cancer in it. Seems there are two ways to find out if there is cancer lurking in there. First is a byopsy (and that isn't a good option here). IF there is a byopsy, it could open my whole body to the cancer there (definitely not a good option). The other option is to remove kidney and cyst. This is what the kidney specialist and my oncologist suggest. Also what I want done. I'm tired of trying to sleep on something that is huge and uncomfortable. Get this ting out! Unfortunately surgery isn't an option until I finish this round of chemo. That is 10/30/09. Then wait at least 3 weeks and build strength to face the knife. After surgery I will need to recoup for at lest 3 weeks, then on to RadiationTherapy. That is IF they don't find cancer in the cyst. If they do, I don't know what the next step will be for sure. Coould be another round of still another chemo drug. All the while my system is going down hill. (Duh, that's what happens when you intentionally poison yourself with all these chemo chemicals.) Good point to this, my nutrition is good and the gastric bypass supplements are righting an uphill battle that they will, most likely, win. (An aside here, I'm 9 pounds from my first goal - 100 pounds lost!)

Good news here is you can live with one kidney. Had offers to "share" from sisters and daughters, and even a couple of friends. It's such a blessing to have such wonderful people in my life. So onward I go, walking beside my Lord Jesus Christ, watching as he works miracle after miracle in my life. I still say that no matter what the outcome of this walk I win! IF I go to be with him I win (in my own extimation), if I stay here I get to spend more time with family and friends and that is also a win situation for me.

A little news on the side, my Mom had a mastectomy 2 years ago for breast cancer, and now my youngest sister has a possible diagnosis of breast cancer as well. Thats Mom and 2 of the 4 sisters. The other two sisters have signed up for Mammograms and Pap smears in the near future. We're waiting for news from them. I've suggested that both my daughters go get them as well. This cancer thing seems to have descended on our family with a vengence. Pray for us, and I'll be back when there is something else to share.

Kate