Visiting in Florida

While I was in Fla. I was able to go see Nick, Felicia, and Peyton who are living in Orlando now.

Above: Gigi with Peyton. She's so darn cute!!!     Below:Peyton with Nick in the background.

Then when I was in the hospital Connie & Rusty Akers came in to visit me. That was so nice of them! After I got out of the hospital Gary & Dot and I met them for dinner at the Salty Dog. That was a really nice evening too. We hope to get back down to see them again too! I think it's a good idea if I stay with nurses when out of state!! hahahahaa

Florida

Well, since Gary had a little trip to Mexico last month and I was not allowed by my doc to leave the US, my friend, Dot invited me down to see her in Florida for a week. The first few days were very nice. We did a little shopping and had some nice dinners out. We popped into the Daquiri Deck for a few yummy drinks one night.

AND THEN...
On Sunday night I fell in her bathroom and hit my head on her toilet tank. It busted all over the place!! The floor had 2 inches of water from the tank breaking. So SORRY DOT!!! Well, after that I proceeeded to have 2 seizures and so she called 911 to take me to the hospital. She called Gary to come down ASAP and he arrived on Monday. I was so glad to see him!!! I had a brief episode of ammnesia and they had to reorient me. That was kind of scarey!! So, I spent 4 days in the hospital. I continued with my dialysis as an inpatient while in there. They also had to replace my dialysis cath because it had clotted. THAT HURT!! Then Gary stayed with me until Friday, which was my date to return. He was able to get on my flight back which was nice!

Since then I have been taking it easy trying to recover from the fall. The goose egg on my head is much better but my left ribs still hurt quite a bit. I also pulled my sciatic somehow and that has really been painful. Ok, other than that, I'm doing very well.

NO ZIPLINING!
Since I am not fully recovered from this I have cancelled the ziplining adventature for this weekend. Sorry all but I know I can't put a harness around my chest! Maybe another time...

ZIPLINE Tour...coming soon!

Planning a ZIPLINE adventure for Sunday, May 20th at Tree Frog Canopy Tours in Mohigan. If you are interested please contact me! The tour is 2 1/2 to 3 hours long.  We must go off in groups of 8 every 1/2 hour. Cost is $73.00 which is $12.00 off weekend price. Close toed shoes! Weight 90-250 lbs. Be at our house at 10:00am to leave from here. Right now tentative 1st tour time is at 11:30am. Deadline to let me know is Thursday, May 17th. Thanks!!! Going to have fuuuuuuunnnn!!!!

Call me, call me, call me!!!! 419-295-5166

Our new back deck porch roof

Here is our back deck. It's about half done. Greg Pfleiderer and Gary did an awesome job so far! Can't wait to get it all decorated! I can see a cool ceiling fan and sexy lighting our there. I need more ideas though. I don't have a complete vision for it yet! Hummmmmm....send ideas my way friends!

Eating lots!!!

Feeling great today! I was in the "green" for all of my dialysis treatment today! That's good! It means that all the toxins are taken out of my body efficiently. Yellow isn't quite as effective and red is when it alarms.  OK, so I was hungry today! Look at everything I ate: I had a banana, milk, maple twist roll, turkey sandwich, lemonade, cottage cheese, 10 small tootsie rolls, 4 pringles, 6 black licorice, 4 star bursts, large green olives, 2 oatmeal cookies, 1/2 of a watermelon, large taco salad, small turnip, whole bag of popcorn with extra butter, coke, and a tomato/mayo sandwich!! Oh wow! I did get up early but doesn't it seem like I spend my whole day eating? And I still can't gain any weight! If I go a couple of days without eating a bunch then I lose weight! Never thought I'd have that problem! I currently weigh 139#. Oh, I also got my curls in line today too! My hair was just frizzing so much I looked like an old lady! But after a little time and some gelee and root lifter I got it looking pretty decent! Wish it would look like this everyday!

 Also, good luck to my daughter, Laci, who is looking for a new employer. She found out at the beginning of the year that her company (out of Chicago) had lost the contract with Abbott in Columbus. So she has been doing a little bit of interviewing recently. Today she interviewed with Huntington Bank. She said it went very well. So we will see. Good luck honey! I hope you are able to take a little time off between jobs for some relaxation. We can hang out lots! Hahahaa.

Morel Mushrooms!

Oh , my favorite! I just picked up some morel mushrooms from Coopers Market today. Yummmmm!!!! Gary and I both wish he could find a great place to hunt for them! They are too dang expensive to buy!

Curlie-Locks!

Since having chemo and my hair has grown back, it is sure curly!!! I just don't know what to do with it! It makes me look so old I think! I guess it just needs to grow out.

Misc Photos

Dad, Mom, Linda

Lisa & Todd

My family photo when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I had my hair done just like my Moms! Lisa had the cute little curls!

A great photo of my Mom holding great grandson, Colton. This is one of the last good pics that we have of Mom. Love you and miss you Mom!!!


These are the bracelets that I got many of my friends. They were all the same kind of beads with a "friends" charm and one that was purple (the color of my cancer ribbon). The tattoo is mine!

My friends have been so good to me. They worked on that fabulous benefit (along with my family) that was so successful! They have brought in food for me and stayed with me when I couldn't be alone. They have given me gift cards to help with my gas when we were traveling to Philly. They have taken me to chemo, and now dialysis, when I was unable to drive. They have done my yard work when it was needed. They have bought me beautiful gifts. And lastly, they have just been there for me, to talk to or cry with or to just be here! I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends!! I love you all!!

Working on the deck now!

We had planned to work on the basement and hire someone to do the dryway on the ceiling and walls and then get new carpet but we'll put that on hold now. Last fall Gary had asked Greg Pfleiderer to help him put a roof on the back deck. So Greg is ready to start it! So far they are tearing things apart. I'm excited to get it done! It will be much nicer to sit out there when the sun is so hot. Thanks Greg for getting us started on the project!

Easter Get Together

We had fun at our house playing with the big blocks (I finally found online) and also finding Easter eggs! I was a nice day outside. A little bit windy though but that's ok because Gary already got the kite stuck in a tree. We keep hoping it will fall out, but not yet! Maxton told his mommy that he was going to "come to Gigi & Papa's house and get a ladder and climb up that tree to get it down". Hehehee. That's ok honey, we'll wait till it comes down itself!

Our granddaughter Peyton

Nick, Felicia, and Peyton live in Florida so we don't get to see them very much. I love when they send us videos. It sure makes us miss them! This is Peyton-such a little cutie pie!! We love you!!

Spiderman is that you?

I bought the grandsons some Spiderman outfits to play in. Maxton loved the mask and cape and wore it all day! We had fun playing with other new toys I got them. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Happy birthday Marcus!

Marcus opening the presents we got him. A transformer's mask and some transformer cars.


Our grandson, Marcus, celebrated his 3rd birthday this month! Mom & Dad had a nice party for him at their house. Of course there were lots of presents to open! We had fun with a full house!Happy birthday baby!!

Sloan-Kettering Hospital

I finally heard from the nurse with Dr. Singer, the surgeon from Sloan-Kettering Hospital in NY. After reviewing all my records they have decided that I am not a candidate for surgery on my pelvic tumor. They said that I could see one of their medical docs to treat it but that would basically mean chemo. I told them no thanks, not interested in any more chemo! I have been feeling so good since I stopped taking the chemo in November. So, I guess that was my last hope for any other kind of help!I'll just keep getting dialysis and put the rest in God's hands! Thank You God for getting me this far! I'll just stick with You!

More blood & 24 Hours in the hospital

On Friday 13th, I went back to Galion to get 2 units of blood, This time they premedicated me with tylenol, benadryl and steroids. They also started an IV site in my arm instead of using either of my ports. I tolerated it fine! No problems at all! I feel as though it was not a reaction to the blood the other day but was due to using my PICC line. I had that trouble in Philly when I had a slight infection in my PICC line. This line is a different one though. Hummmmmmmmm

On Monday,16th I decided to head to Galion ER because I had been having some chest pressure since my dialysis treatment on Saturday. Of course chest pain gets you a night in the hospital! After having all the routine heart tests, EKG, chest Xray, and labs they decided I should have a CT to rule out blood clots. Everything came back negative so I came home on Tuesday in time to get to dialysis at 10am. Not sure what was wrong but I still had the same pressure till Thursday. It's mostly gone now. I was worried that it was an infection in my central line that I have in my chest. It seemed more sore on that side. I have also been running a fever intermittantly. Well, I'll just keep an eye on it!

Easter weekend

Lisa & I at Mon Ami

Well, Gary was gone on Easter so we decided to have our big family get together after he gets back. But since I did not want to be alone the whole time Gary was gone I decided to go to my sister's house for a few days. On Easter, just she and I went to Mon Ami up at Catawba. We had a fabulous buffet with breakfast food and dinner food. Including omelets, lobster pasta, shrimp, ham, prime rib, and many other items. There was also a dessert buffet. We were there for a couple of hours and really enjoyed each other's company. Her kids were with their dad at his parents. On Monday Lisa & Kenzie and I went to Cleveland for a doc appt for Kenz. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory too. Yum!! Lots of good food this weekend!

I also brought Lisa her birthday present. Heheeee. She had joked about using a salon type hair dryer for her cute little curles. So I picked one up for her. I hope it works great for ya sis!

Hocking Hills & Mexico!!

We had such a wonderful time with my family at Hocking Hills for 4 days. There were 20 of us including my sis & bro and their kids. Then our kids too except Nick, Felicia and Peyton were unable to get home from Florida. We had campfires with smores and a dance contest that Josh won. That was so much fun! Then we had a pinyta for the kids with way too much candy! We ate really good while we were there. Had way too much food! We also visited the caves and caverns. Maxton really enjoyed that! We did fingerpainting and had lots of St Patty's fun too. I hope we can make this a yearly event!! There was a cabin across the road that was a little bigger than ours. Although we had enough room, we could upgrade so some of the kids didn't have to sleep on air mattresses.

MEXICO!

Well, unfortunately I did not get to go to Cozumel. I'm upset that my doc has said to stay home! I really didn't want Gary to miss out because of me so I told him to go ahead and go with Lindy & Lisa. I won't lie though, it was hard to see him go :( But it was nice when he was home! He brought me a turquoise necklace and bracelet that I really love! Good job honey! They had a great time too!

No Blood For Me

So my HgB was 7.9 this week and Dr. Dome wanted me to get 2 units of blood today. I went to Galion Specialty Center and they got the blood started but after 1 hour I started having a reaction. I got chills really bad and ran a fever up to 101.6. I was short of breath and my whole body just ached! Felt terrible.

I had this reaction before when I was in Cancer Treatment Center in Philly. It was when I was receiving chemo through my PICC line. So anyways, they stopped my blood and will test it to see what's up. I guess I don't get anymore right now then. I will follow up with Dr. Dome later this week at dialysis.

So, I'm home now just resting. I was looking forward to feeling stronger after my blood! Darn!

Bucket List- Updated 3-26-12

Bucket List last Updated 8-30-10
1) Motorcycle to Niagara- DONE! Gary & I Sept 2008
2) Parasailing- DONE! My niece, Adriana, & I in Florida March 2009
3) Skydiving...debating this now?
4) Ride a mechanical bull-DONE! Girls trip-Cadillac Ranch in Cleveland May 2010
5) Trapeze flying- July 6th, 2010
6) Visit New York & see Staute of Liberty
7) Hot Air Balloon- July 2nd, 2010 @ Balloonfest in Ashland
8) Snorkel- Gary & I in Florida with Josh Schifer...Sept/Oct?
9) Make my own wine-with my sister. Thanks to SamHo OR girls I have a kit now!
10) Go to Mardi Gras
11) Take a train to Chicago- With my sister,Lisa
12) Watch the ball drop in Time Square on New Yrs Eve- With Michelle Baker
13) Cycle to Gatlinburg. Ride Blue Ridge Parkway
14) Make love on a beach with Gary & watch the sun come up
15) Visit Shanna in Naples-done
16) Visit Dot in Florida-done
17) Have a family vacation with ALL my family!-done March 2012
18) Take a dance class with Gary
19) Get a purple cancer ribbon tattoo- DONE! With Katie,Michelle,Kim,& Kim
20) Visit Raven's Glenn Winery- with my daughter,Laci-done Jan 2012
21) Meet Tim McGraw- DONE! (kissed him too) Private preshow party April 23, 2010
22) Zipline- soon!!
23) Meet & KISS Duane "The Rock" Johnson
24) Spend a second honeymoon with Gary in Hawaii...yeh right
25) Ride my own motorcycle in a Poker Run
26) Go to a KISS concert-done
27) Rob a bank-DONE! Aug 28th- Thanks to Jen Hageman in Ashland- FUN!!!

Yeh, yeh...such troubles. I know!

So I know most people would say "Oh, that's a terrible thing, to have to eat all the time!" But I get tired of eating!!! Ugggggg...Since I had most of my colon removed last fall I do not absorb the nutrients from the foods I take in and most foods are on their way back out within a very short time! So, if I don't eat very frequently I lose weight. I am back down to 136# today. I lost a few #'s when I was vomiting last week for two days. So now I really feel the pressure to eat, eat, eat!! I like to be around 140#. I know, add some supplemental drinks or snacks. I could but just get tired of them. Ok, enough complaining! Hehehee

I am very thankful God for the life I have and that I am feeling really good right now. AND that I am able to eat again. I guess I need to look back to the time when I had all the bowel obstructions and was unable to eat. That WAS even harder than having to eat a lot! Count your blessings Linda!!!

But I need a vacation!

I'm so confused!!! Now that we've made plans for Cozumel everyone is concerned about me not having dialysis for a few extra days! And doc says I have some kind of infection (again) somewhere and she won't let me go if I have it at that time!! This sucks! I don't want this DAMN cancer running my life! God I'm praying you lead me in the right direction!

Things are going great!

Not much to report lately. I just called Sloan Kettering Hospital today to see if they received my medical records from the 5 different places I had to call. They had NOT received ANY!!! So I had to make all the calls again. Hopefully the records will get sent now so they can review to see if they could possibly do anything for my tumor.

I'm still feeling great! Not tired or worn down like I was. Feel like doing things now! Yeah!! I have been having a little more edema in my left leg the last few days. I hope that doesn't start to increase!! Gary & I are planning to go to Cozmel, Mexico in April with Lindy & Lisa Rachel. I want to feel good for that! Dr Dome has me a little worried though. She said there is a possibility that I could go into flash pulmonary edema since I will be off dialysis for a week. They talked about me having dialysis done in Mexico but I really DO NOT want to do that! I would be nervous just going off the resort premises! And their healthcare there is just not up to US standards either! Uggggg. I hope I can go without it!

We are also planning a trip to Hocking Hills for 4 days with my family in a couple weeks. I will be able to have dialysis right before I go and when I get home so it won't be so long. I'm so excited about this trip too! We have never gotten my sis & brother and their families together for a trip. Fun, fun!! We are going to celebrate with St Patty's fun...green t-shirts, green eggs & green pancakes, etc.

We are also looking for someone to remodel our basement for us. We need a new ceiling, new drywalls, and flooring. We have done all the other work in the house and are just ready to have someone else do the work now! lol. Please let me know if you know of anyone who would be good for this job!

Still missing my Mom every day but it's getting better. I don't cry EVERY time I think about her now. :) I love you Mom!!!

New York City

Received a call from Dr Zedah today with the names of two docs at Sloan Kettering Hospital in NY that specialize in soft tissue (sarcoma) surgery. So I called to get the ball rolling. Had to have all my records sent from Everyone! Whew! That includes Dr. Lutman (surgeon), Dr O'Malley (Oncologist), Riverside, Cancer Treatment Center, & MedCentral Radiation. Wow! What a project! But if it brings good news then it's worth it. So now I just wait to hear from them. They will review all my info and determine whether they will see me or not. I'll keep you posted!

Dialysis is still going well. I'm down to 134 lbs today. Have only mild swelling in my left leg now. And nausea and vomiting are only on a rare occasion. So I'm feeling great!!!

Yesterday was a "down day." For some reason I had my Mom on my mind ALL day and was missing her so much! Just started crying for no reason. Glad today is better! I love you and miss you so much Mom!

Had a good day today with my friend Dot. She is home from Florida for a couple of weeks to visit and take care of her house. So she took me to dialysis today and we caught up on each other. Then went to Millers for a chicken sandwich. Yum! Thanks Dot. We've missed you!

My PET scan & Dinner at the Golf Club

Dr. O'Malley called to tell me that my PET scan was basically the same as it was last fall. There was NO growth!! He said it even looked a bit smaller to some degree. Hummmmm...Wow! What does this mean? That it is that slow growing or that the last chemo I had actually did help to reduce it? Oh, sooo confusing.


Last night we had a great dinner at the Golf Club in Bucyrus with Larry, Shan, Rick, Denny, Jimmy & Terri. The food was very good! I had a new york strip steak that was seasoned well and tasted awesome! Gary had the beef tips which he said was great too! The rest of the group went to the Wrens Nest to play darts after dinner but I wasn't up for it. Only because they still allow them to smoke out there and I didn't want to hang out in it! :) Overall, I have been feeling VERY good!!!

Many friends make an awesome night!

We started out planning a night with a few couples and before you know it we had a huge group of friends to join us for dinner at the Skyway East in Mansfield. Karen set it all up of course! We had a wonderful night. There were about 37 of us! We had a buffet of prime rib, chicken, and shrimp. As well as salad bar, baked potato, veggies, and rice pilaf. It was all delish!! Thanks for a terrific night everyone!!! We really enjoyed it!

Dr Zedah appt today

So I went to see Dr. Barry Zedah at GCH just to have my staples taken out (from my central line I had put in for dialysis). He starts asking me about my cancer history...and before you know it he names off some docs at Sloan Kettering, in NY, who may be able to do surgery to remove my tumor! Hummmmm....Dr Standiford at Cancer Treatment Centers of America said he could not get to the tumor to remove it?!?!? But Dr Zedah feels I should specifically speak with a sarcoma surgeon to see what they have to say. Ok, I'm up for it! I just don't want to have any more chemo that about kills me!! So I will wait for him to make the referral and then NEW YORK, here I come! They may tell me the exact same thing that Dr Standiford told me but it's worth the trip! Wish me luck...oh, and a few prayers please!

My Crawford Girls & Pizza Night

Here we are back at my house just screwing around! I had 2 wine coolers that night too! They were good! From the back: Tami, Dana, Angie, Cathy, Lori. Front: Cindy, Me, Karen, Diane

Bring on the pizza! It was really good. Just as I remembered!

So all the girls picked me up on the "party bus" or the F & L Express, for our night out at Donatos for pizza! Yum! It was so funny to see them pull up in the van! Hahaa This is a great idea to rent it for nights out! My friend, Michelle Feik and another couple (Tonya Lohr) own it.



Here we goooooo....Pizza time!

Feb 2012 ALSO...

I also had a PET scan on Monday, Feb 13th. I was just curious to see what my tumor has done since the fall. That was the last time I had any scans. So I should find out about that on Friday. Dr O'Malley is supposed to call me. We'll see...

Pain Pump: I also took my diluadid pain pump off during my Mom's funeral hours because it was so bulky. Well...I ended up not feeling any pain!! I've had this pain pump on since the summer. But now, the tumor pain that I had at my sacrum was gone!! What the heck? Where is it? Where did it go? Hummmmm....I don't know but it has been nice. I have put the pump on intermittantly for tummy pain that I have but still no tumor pain! Maybe my Mommy went to heaven and asked God for a favor...maybe it is a miracle! WHATEVER it is, I'm ok with it! Thank you God!!!!

Jan 2012

So the new year brought new feelings toward my cancer. I got tired of feeling BAD all the time. The chemo was really getting me down. My mouth sores were so bad they were effecting my eating. I was tired and worn down. I just didn't feel like fighting it any more! So along with my family, I decided to stop all chemo and any further treatment for the cancer. I was to the point that I had feared...I just wanted to give up. It was getting too hard on me! I felt like I was as weak as I could get.

So I called all my Oncologists and told them that I was done. The Cancer Treatment Center of America docs really wanted to see me again but I just didn't feel like I had the energy to make the trip at this time. Maybe later...

While I was in Galion Hospital in December I was seen by kidney doctor, Jody Dome. She, at first, didn't think that she had anything to offer for my kidney failure. But when I seen her in her office she mentioned trying dialysis to help the edema in my legs & hips. And that it might help my nausea & vomiting that I was having intermittantly. So on Feb 4th I started dialysis at the Kidney Center in Bucyrus. They are not affiliated with Bucyrus Hospital. Everyone they is just awesome!! So very nice and knowledgable!! I am doing dialysis just for comfort care and not to treat the cancer in any way. But I feel so much better!! I have lost over 20 lbs in my legs & hips. The swelling has gone way down! Yeah!!! And I'm having less nausea and only occasional vomiting. So overall I feel it's worth the effort!

I had started to see a lymphadermologist at MedCentral in Mans also to treat the swelling in my legs & hips. I had about 8 or 9 visits to them. They were wrapping my legs in ACE bandages to decrease the swelling. Then I was switched to TED hose a few weeks into it. Along with the dialysis and the hose my legs are looking very good! I have been released from the lymph clinic! Yeah!!! So now I just wear the TED hose on days when I am having more swelling. Which is not that often now!

Well, Jan also brought sad news...My Mom passed away on January 23 at Carlilse House. We were all with her. It was so sad to see her go but she is much better off. It was hard to see her suffering. This was not the life Mom would have wanted. So we had a beautiful memorial service for her and so many wonderful friends came! It's been hard. Every day I think I need to call her for something! But then realize I can't! I miss you Mom!!! I love you!

As far as me...I am feeling fantastic! I feel stronger. No shortness of breath! My mobility is awesome now since the swelling is gone! My friend Karen is planning my social calendar and has an event every week it seems. We've had fun! I will try to post pics from our escapades!

Karen & I on our trip to Snowtrails for the day. We just hung out and had lunch. It was a relaxing day! Thanks Karen!

Right now we are trying to plan a family trip to Hocking Hills for a weekend in March I hope! This will be with our family and my sis and brothers family. And also, Gary & I are planning a trip somewhere warm with aqua colored waters!!! Yeah!!

December 2011

December was a stressful month for us. I was in the hospital for 8 days over Christmas. We had to postpone our holiday get togethers also. I was in Galion Hospital due to an infection SOMEWHERE! Never found out exactley where it was. I felt a lot better after the hydration and antibiotic started working! My PICC line fell out in my right upper arm! So I had a new one placed in my left upper arm. It's working great! Thanks to all the vistors I had while in the hospital. It sure helped the days go by.

Mom is still in Carlisle House. It was hard having our holiday get togethers without her! :( She is slowly going down hill. We sure appreciate our Aunt Joanne & Aunt Marcia for visiting her almost every other day. We love you!

We put Mom's house up for sale but have had no interests yet! NOT ONE! Uggggggg!!!! Hopefully warmer weather will bring some people in.

So a bunch of my friends got together and put up all my Christmas decorations. Thank good ness for them! I was so tired and worn out. I could not have gotten it done this year! We had a good time. Thanks girls I sure appreciate it

Long time...

Wow! I'm not sure what I've been doing to keep busy but I sure forgot to update my blog!! SORRY! I have been very tired since my last chemo treatments. I started my chemo in Philly and then had my second part of that cycle at OSU. It was nice to see all my old nurses & doc.

So I was supposed to start another cycle of chemo on Wed. Dec 7th but my labs were all off. My platelets were only 9,000 so that specifically kept me from getting chemo. My next chemo will be Wed. Dec 14th if my labs are ok. I'm really not looking forward to it anyways because my mouth has been so sore for about 3 weeks now.

After I complete another cycle of chemo at OSU I will then return to Philly the first week of Jan for a PET Scan. So we will see if this chemo combo is working.

UPDATE ON MOM:
The day after Thanksgiving Mom moved to the Carlisle House in Bucyrus. We were having a hard time finding around-the-clock care for her at home. She didn't like it much at first and was crying a lot but the last few days she seems to have accepted it better. She still gets confused at times and she has falled a few times. They are working really hard to keep her safe. She has a new wheelchair that reclines and is harder to get out of. Todd & Lisa & I were out tonight for their Christmas meal that they have for the families. It was very nice!

Thursday, Oct 27th Doctors appointments

Well, Laci & I did Philly in a day this time. It was a long day but we did ok. We flew out at 7am and my first appt was at 11am. I got a massage this visit. It was really relaxing! Then I had my appts with Dr. Standiford (surgeon), Dr Willis (oncologist), pain center, and the nutritionalist.

Overall, nothing new was learned today at my visits. Dr Standiford removed my sutures and changed my PEG tube for a small button device to keep it open in case I need it later. It's much nicer than having that tube hanging around. Unfortunately, he was unable to get a sample of the tumor tissue during surgery. They were going to send it out to a company that analyzes the tissue and then tells you what chemo is best for it. So that kinda sucks! Now they have to guess!

Dr Willis will start chemo on me in three weeks. I will have a PET scan that visit also. He didn't have much else to say.

Then we were done and on our way home on the 9pm flight. Of course, our flight was delayed by an hour. It seems like we ALWAYS have some type of delay. So we got home (to Laci's house) by 12:30am. Ahhhhh...sleepy time.

We are home!

Ha! 10-14 days! I knew I would recover quicker than that! So we came home on day 8. Great to be home! Sure is cold out though. We got in at 11:30 Friday night. Gary's Mom picked us up at the airport. We had a layover this time at Reagan in DC. It's hard to get a good flight on such short notice. CTCA won't make your flight arrangements until you have been released from the hosp which all happens quite quickly.

My hospital stay was mostly uneventful except for Monday & Tuesday when they let me overmedicate myself. :( I had a PCA (patient controlled anagesia) pump that I could push when I had pain. The first few days I was really in a lot of pain so I pushed it! Uh yeh, 200 times the first night! Anyways, they didn't decrease the amount quick enough and I got really looped! THAT was weird! They had me 1 on 1 with an aide for 3 days. She was trying to keep me occupied with things like folding papers, cleaning my closet out, etc. I just know I felt like I had some really weird dreams and I was all mixed up! Thank goodness for Gary. He had to tell them what was going on and that I needed my meds reduced. He saved me. lol. So, if I talked to you or texted you during that time, please disregard what I said. lol.

I am just relaxing around the house since getting home. Went to see my Mom on Sat & Sun. She seems to be more alert than before I left. Still confused quite a bit but overall seems better. She has an oncology appt this week to see what to do from here. She had 2 days of chemo while I was gone but there is nothing further planned.

I have been eating again and everything is working well now. I have had hambugers, fried potatoes, donuts, fruit, nuts, cheese & crackers, salad, nachos and lots of other things. I am trying to eat in small amounts as my colon isn't quite used to digesting all this food yet.

I'm soooo happy!!

I go back Thursday, Oct 27th to CTCA to get my 20 abdominal sutures out and to follow up with my surgeon and oncologist. I have to get back to chemo soon to keep this monster from growing also!

My Surgery

I had my colon resection on Friday, Oct 7th at 12:00. The surgery lasted about 3 hours. Everything went according to plan. They removed the part of my colon that was bloked and moved my colostomy from my right abdomen to the left side. It looks a lot nicer that the last one I had also. It's much smaller! Yeah! I was very sore the first few days. I was surprised that my "plumbing" started working as soon as it did! I was able to start eating on Wednesday. I had TPN (IV nutrition) up until I was discharged home but the doc thinks I'll be ok without it! Yeah!!! I'm really tired of lugging that bag around every night!

Thanks to Gary for staying with me the entire week in Philly. He stayed at the Radisson this time instead of in my room. It was nice becuase he met many friends that had family members in CTCA as well. I'm glad, that helped the time pass quicker.

My Life on CD

So I have a videographer to help me capture some of my life on CD. His name is Blake Wagner and he is putting this together from past events/pics as well as videoing me with some family and friends to add to it. He would like and memories that you have of me. Please send them to bdw614@gmail.com . If you have any ideas you'd like to add please let us know! I'm so excited. What a nice guy he is and this will be something we will have forever.

Short ER visit

Last night I could not keep anything down and just felt really dehydrated. Nauseous, leg cramps, no urine output and so weak. So I went in to Galion ER for 2 liters of fluids and some IV zofran. Felt so much better after that! Lord, just get me to Friday...

Gary decided I'm too weak to head out to Philly on my own on Wednesday, so we are now flying together!! Yeah! Thanks Babe! Our flight is Wed at 9:30am. And his Mom is driving us to the airport. I'm just praying for success!! If I could eat again, I would surely gain more strength and weight. I weighted 122# Monday morning. That is the lowest I have EVER weighed as an adult.

Mom had her first chemo treatment today in Galion. Overall, she tolerated it well. Thanks Jude Crawford for all the help you are giving us with Mom. Todd , Lisa & I couldn't do this without you and all of her other wonderful friends.

Less than a week...too excited!

Hopefully this time next week I will be recovering successfully from my colon resection on Friday 7th. I am SO ready!!! I will fly out Wednesday and have pre-admission testing on Thursday. If all is good then we are on with it! Gary will fly in Thursday evening or early Friday morn. Am really tiring myself out right now though. I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with my Mom. I'm really going to miss her. Not much change with her. She was a bit peppier today. She is getting up to take a walk without being asked. :) And she has been crying less. I hope the new antidepressant the doc gave her is kicking in. She was in to see Dr. Ghany last week and he told her how important her attitude and outlook was in kicking this monster in the butt. So she will start her chemo on Monday at 9am in Galion. I hope she tolerates it well!

Surgery...really?

So I finally finished taking my IV antibiotic today and tomorrow I will have blood cultures drawn again. If those come back negative then I will have surgery on Friday, October 7th. I am to fly out on the 5th and will have pre-admission testing on the 6th. HOPEFULLY, everything will be normal on the 6th when I have testing!!! I'm so excited but hate to leave my mom:(

How's Mom doing?

Everyone has been asking about my mom. On Friday 23rd, she had an ERCP at Grant Hospital. They had thought her bile duct was blocked because of the cancer in that area but instead they found she had gallstones. So they removed them and did some scrapings. They said everything looked ok otherwise. She did very good and came home that night. Thanks to Aunt Joanne & Aunt Marcia for taking her and staying with her for the night! Love you!

Unfortunately, she has been slowly getting more confused and weaker. So for the last couple of weeks we have not been leaving her alone. She was getting her meds mixed up, burned something in the oven and had fallen once. She seems very depressed and cries frequently. I hate leaving her when I have to come home. It's sad to see your mom like this!!! :(

The plan with her treatments:
The MRI & CT scans show that her liver tumor has grown some and she has a few smalls spots on her T10-T11 vertebrae. The radiation doc doesn't feel she needs to have any radiation to those areas yet since they are small and she's not having pain there. The oncologist has suggested chemo again and she wants to have more. She goes to see him Thursday 29th to get that started. I hope it doesn't make her even weaker but I'm afraid it will! :(

Todd & Lisa & I would like to thank all the family and friends of mom who have been helping stay with her again. We appreciate your help so much! And she loves company so please pop into see her sometime.

Much love to you all...

Update: Surgery?

This hospital visit I was admited from Sept 6th to the 14th. My PET scan showed some growth of my pelvic tumor. My doc's basically left it up to me...More chemo right now or surgery to fix my bowel obstructions. I WANT TO EAT AGAIN!! So I picked surgery.

I was initially told I would get to have surgery this week but I had chills on the 2nd night I was there and the blood cultures they did showed infection. They thought that my Hickman (central IV line) was the culprit so they took that out. However, the catheter tip didn't show anything later. We never did figure out where the infection originated. I then had a new line put in. A PICC line in my right upper inner arm. It's a bit harder for me to reach so I have Gary put extension tubing on before he leaves for the day.

Everytime I have a hospital stay they have my IV cranked up to flush my kidneys because my creatnine is usually high. This time after the 4th day I finally talked them into decreasing my IV rate because I had gained 27 #. I couldn't even get my shoes on! Now, I know they added more fats to my TPN but not enough for me to gain that much! Gesh! The swelling finally went away after I was home for 9 days.

I also had to get blood when I was in. My Hgb was 7.6. It takes so long for them to get the blood ready and give it @ CTCA. Seems like an ALL DAY process with them. However, some of it is because my blood now has cold aggluants so it has to be given through a warmer or left at room temp for awhile.

Laci flew out with me on the 6th. We had thought we would probably just have office visits with my docs but when they ended up admiting me Laci couldn't stay. Matt (her husband) was graduating from college on Friday 9th and it was also her youngest son's birthday. So she flew home on Thursday night. Then when we thought I was going to have surgery, I had Gary come out on the Monday 12th. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the blood infection & that the surgery was postponed until he was in the air. Ugggggg....that sucked!!

So now the plan is to wait until my blood cultures come back negative and then schedule surgery. I'm so excited that it won't be long now. Hummmm, what shall I eat first?

Mom's Doctor Visit

Mom hasn't been feeling the best lately. She has had right-sided abdominal pain again and has been vomiting for a few days. She went to see Dr. Ursachi today. He said the CT from 2 weeks ago didn't show anything new in her abdomen but her liver tumors have grown. She will have an ultrasound done this Friday and an MRI Sept 12th. And will see Dr. Ghaney in a few weeks to see where to go from here. Possibly more chemo! Uggggg, she's been so weak I hate to see what the chemo will do to her. Then today, she had lab done- specifically her liver enzymes and urine tested. Her urine is looking more orange now. She still gets confused easily and has trouble remembering things. I don't know if he tested her ammonia levels but he did start her on Lactulose which will help with her constipation and may help the confusion if her ammonia level is high. Her blood sugars have been good so he d/c'd her metformin which is for blood sugar.

That's about all we did today. We went to lunch after and she was a little tearful about the progression of her tumors and possible need for chemo again. I now have her calling me every day when she gets up and before bed at night. There have been many times when she doesn't answer her phone and she has trouble retrieving her messages on it. On Saturday, I called her 6 times with no answer...so I went over there and she was just fine. Her phone was on vibrate all day and she didn't know how it got there.

Well, that's the update. Please stop in anytime to see Mom. She still gets very lonely and wants lots of company. She'll even take you out to eat!! :)

Labs Lookin' Good This Week!

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised because I FEEL GREAT! But my labs are much better this week! Yeah!!! I'm having some awesome days lately...feeling strong, energetic, happy, positive.

One thing...I'm having blood in my urine. Hummmm, I don't like that! I'm going to call doc tomorrow and see what he says.

Overnight hospital stay

My lab results for this week were still outta whack! My WBC's did come up to 32 but this was due to the Neulasta injection I received before leaving the hospital in Philly. So that was good. However, my HgB was still low at 7.9 so my CTCA's docs wanted me to go to Galion ER to get blood. Unfortunately, they don't do blood in ER so I was admitted overnight to receive 2 units of blood. For some reason my blood has cold antibodies now so they have to give my blood through a warmer. I'm going to have to look that up as I don't remember why that happens. :) By the am my HgB was up to 9.8 so I came home around 8:30am. Needless to say, I was up ALL night with the frequent vital signs that they do so I was Sleepy this morning. Straight to bed for a few hours to get some rest. But now, I FEEL GREAT!!! I'm so glad they wanted me to get the blood. It sure makes a difference in my energy level.

That's it folks...have a great day! I'm going to. It's SO nice outside!

I had such an action packed weekend planned but it didn't quite work out. On Friday I had my labs drawn by Home Care Matters and all of my labs were crappy! WBC 1.3 (critical low) RBC 2.25 HgB 7.8 Hct 21.6 Platelets 51 BUN 27 Cr 1.5 K+ 3.0. YUCK!!! So my CTCA docs called in a prophalactic antibiotic for me which was Cipro. They didn't give me blood which I was surprised at b/c usually they do when my HgB goes below 8.5. Normal is 12.

So because of my high risk of infection with my WBC's being low, I decided to stay home Friday night. I was supposed to go up to the Brattie with Laci, Ruth, Katie, Lisa & her high scholl friends. I just stayed with Mom for the night.

Then Saturday, Gary & I went to Kelley's Island to hang with the Dashers, Haughts, Rachels, & Buttermans. I didn't go near the dirty water to get in it though.We were on the boat for about 30 minutes. Spent time at the cottage and we jumped in the tour bus and Jeff drove us around for a tour. That was fun! Thanks Jeff & Angie Dasher for the invite!!

Almost forgot to brag about my husband!!! Gary golfed in the Brattie outing on Thursday & Friday last week. On Thurs he won first place and on Fri he won second place!! Wow! Nice job baby!! He must be practicing for the Elks Tourney coming up in a couple weeks.

So, that was my exciting weekend!! I don't have much planned for this week. I am going to P.T. today for my left wrist which is STILL sore from stirring a large bowl of macaroni salad on July 15th. I think I pulled a ligament or something. I just know it still hurts BADLY!!!! Ouch!!!

Have a great week eveyone!! It looks beautiful out so far!!! :)

Mom's doing better

Mom got the results of her CT scan and it didn't show any changes or growth. YEAH!!! So, she is taking some oral pain meds and doing better. This is good to know! Hang in there Mama!!

Mom's pain

For the last couple of days Mom has been having increased pain in her liver area. So she called Dr. Ghaney's office today and he sent her for a CT scan. No news yet on the scan. Since I took her I was at GCH for 3 hours and it was great to see some of my old co-workers! They are all so encouraging!! Thank you my friends! Hopefully we will hear about the scan results tomorrow. Prayers please that the tumors aren't growing! Thanks!!! xoxoxoxo

My latest Philly visit

Gary & I were able to fly to Philly this time. Wow, much better than driving!!! We were there from Thursday 11th to Monday 15th. I was admitted for my chemo again since I had side effects the first time around. And again, I had side effects. I was extremely shakey and jerky the first day and very weak also. I ended up falling down in the bathroom that day. I guess they shouldn't have let go of me since I was so weak. My knees completely gave out on me! Just a couple small bruises, no big deal. My weight on the day I got released was 152#. Wow! I was just 129#! What the heck? :( It was all fluids...I have so much edema in my lower body.

I spoke with my Oncologist & Surgeon during this visit. They were both very optimistic. I have been having less pain at my sacral tumor area so they were taking that as a positive sign. On my next visit in 4 weeks I will have a PET scan to see what my tumors were up to. If they stay the same or slightly grow than my surgeon said he would seriously think about doing surgery to relieve my bowel obstruction. He couldn't say what he would do with the tumors until he got in there. However, if the tumors shrink (WHICH WOULD BE FANTASTIC!!) he would not want to interrupt my chemo to do surgery. So, we shall see...

By Sunday, I was feeling good enough to be discharged but Philly airport had no flights out due to all the rain they had gotten. So we stayed one more night. On Monday we were ready to leave but found that the hospital pharmacy had thrown out my diluadid bag. They always put me on their PCA pain pump so I send my pump & bag to the pharm just to be held!!! But they decided to throw it out this time. So we had to wait for the home care pharmacy to make me a new bag and then deliver it to the hospital. Waiting, waiting, waiting...
Then when we got to the airport our flight was delayed due to the plane not coming in on time from another city. After a couple hours we did get on the plane only to have a another delay because a man was ill. It took over 45 mins to get him off the plane. Then we thought we were ready...Gary looked out on the tarmack and there were about 14 planes ahead of us...oh my, will we EVER get home? hehee. We did! We arrived in Columbus around 8pm. Were supposed to get in by 5pm. Well, it could have been worse I guess!!!

Also, my hair is completely falling out again so Gary shaved my head when we got home Monday. Burrrr...it's chilly up there! Hehehe

My next Philly appt will be Tuesday, Sept 6th. I think Laci may go with me this time. :)

Feeling great!!

This week has been much better than last. I have not vomited at all on Monday or Tuesday. And just a hint of nausea but it's tolerable. Tomorrow, I'll get packed for my trip to Philly on Thursday. I hope all goes well. I am scheduled to see Dr. Standiford, the Surgeon and Dr. Willis, my Oncologist. I'm really excited to see them. It has been 2 months since a face-to-face visit with them. I'm not sure if I have to be admitted this time or not for my chemo. I also get to meet with the Naturalpathic Dept, & Nutrition during my visit. My weight this morning was 129#. I'm hoping I can put some back on in the next few days before the nausea kicks in from Thursday's chemo. My hair is still falling out. It's just small amounts at a time so I'm not going to shave it yet! Oh, I need to get a few of my hats back from my mom. Her hair has grown back anyways so she doesn't need them. Later people...

Nausea = No fun!

I have really been feeling good except for this darn nausea. I haven't been able to keep all the fluids down that I have drank and I'm not even trying to eat anything like mashed potatoes or smoothies. I use my PEG tube to drain my stomach a few times a day when I feel like I am going to vomit. Luckily, I have NOT gotten sick today! Yeah!!
UPDATE: I DID GET SICK AT 10pm! Uck!!!

I called CTCA yesterday and talked to my Case Manager. My weight is down to 132. She was going to talk with the doc and see if anything needed to be done. They must have thought everything was ok since I haven't heard back from them.

Well, I will get to talk to the docs next week. I can't believe my next hospital visit is almost here already. Gary is going with me and we are finally going to fly again. The doc told me I only had to wait 8 weeks after having the pnuemothorax and it's been over 12 weeks so I am ready! Those long 9 hour drives are getting old! Thank you to my drivers: Laci, Lisa, Ruth & Gary! Love you guys! I don't know what I would do without you all!

Beautiful trip to the lake

On Thursday, July 28th, I went with Kathy up to her place at the lake. Then on Friday, Gary & John came up. We had a really great time. Very relaxing!!! I wasn't able to be out in the sun as much as they were but I rested in the cottage.

I've still been nauseous since I had my last chemo (Fri. July 22nd). I vomited 3 times yesterday and already 2 times today. Uggggg!! I guess I have to start taking my new anti-emetic more.
I've also been having toe and ankle cramps at night. I'm really curious to see what my lab results are today.

Mom:
I'm really happy to say that Mom is doing a lot better! She has been up walking with a walker on her own. I think by the end of the week she may not need anyone staying at night with her.
Go Mom!!!!! Love you!

Ugggggggg

I know I shouldn't complain because I have not had many side effects from any of the chemo that I have had but now I'm NAUSEOUS!!! Ugggg....have puked when I brush my teeth sometimes too. So I'm trying to take my anti-emetics on a schedule. Zofran- Compazine- Phenergan...Ativan if it's really bad. I also have ginger candy that I'm sucking on. This PEG tube comes in handle when I have to "drain" my tummy.

Any other suggestions? :)

Oh no, my phone...

Sorry If you couldn't get a hold of me from Friday through Tuesday but I dropped my cell phone in my milkshake when I was in Philly! Ugggg....What a pain it is to get a new phone activated. I'm using my sis' old phone and it's confused over which passwords I need. It wouldn't allow Verizon backup assistant to download my contacts! Finally my phone turned on for 2 minutes to get contacts! Thank you God! Uggggg...And of course we had to discuss our plan, which was soooo old we were going over our minutes! Gesh. I hate dealing with these phone companies!!! But I'm back on now, so give me a call. Have a fabulous day friends!!!

Philadelphia

I guess I need to give an update on my July 13-15th visit first. I had a PET scan done the first day I was there and then discussed the results with Deb, who is Dr. Willis' Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Willis was sick this day. :( So Deb had talked with him regarding my future plans.

Bad news is: The last chemo I was on did NOT shrink the tumors and they even grew. So, I will begin a new regimen of Ifasfamide, Mezna, and Taxol in one week. The weird thing about my PET scan was that the right upper abd tumor didn't show up this time. Hummmmm....miracle or was it the actual test or what?? Will find out more when I actually talk with the doctor!!

My Mugascan was normal so the chemo did not do any damage to my heart! Yeah! My Hgb was 8.2 so I got 2 units of blood this visit.

The nice part of this visit was that Laci & I each had 1/2 hr massages. Very relaxing!! We also went downtown and finally got to see the Liberty Bell.




Next trip- July 19th-23rd
Ruth was my chauaffer for this trip. This time I had to be admitted to begin my new chemo regimen of the above meds. They started all the pre-chemo stuff on day shift but didn't get to the actual chemo drugs until night shift and it ran for 12 hrs.
The next morning I had some weird side effects! I felt "out-of-my-body", like I was coming down from some weird high. My ears were muffled and I even had a hallucination. So they were going to keep me another day. But later in the day I felt much better and the oncologist assured us that these were NORMAL side effects. So I was ready to go home! We left about 6:30pm Friday night and got in around 3am Saturday. Long drive...

This visit I was also seen by the Urology Team because they thought I had Hydroureters because my BUN was 33 & Creatnine was 1.3. At first they had me thinking they were going to put in nephrostomy tubes or put stents in after doing a cystoscopy. But the team felt my BUN & Cr were going up and down and dehydration was the culprit. So thank goodness nothing had to be done with that. We will keep a watch on it.

Next Visit:
My next visit will be August 11th for the same chemo. I will see my surgeon first to discuss the abd tumor and my bowel obstructions. I really want to have surgery to get that fixed if it's an option!!! We will see...

Then I will see Dr. Willis and if he thinks I am doing well I will be admitted for my chemo.

I also meet with Naturalpathic team. They have me on the following supplements now to combat the side effects of the chemo.
Astragalus 300mg 2 caps 2 times a day- For immunity
Slippery Elm 7.5 grams 1 tsp 2 times a day- To protect bladder from Ifosfamide
Omega-3 2 caps 2 times a day- For over all health
Sepia 200 3 tabs sl at bedtime- Help with urinary symptoms I'm having
Co Q10 200mg 1 cap 2 times a day- Protect heart and increase energy
Ultra Flora 15 billion 1 cap 2 times a day-For digestive health

I also will meet with the dietitian to see how I am doing there. My current weight is 142. She really wants me to stay around 140-145. So I am trying to keep it on!

That's it folks...more excitement on my cancer journey! Whew, can't wait til I kill this dragon!!! There are certainly more exciting things to talk about than this! lol

Happy birthday Maxton

Gigi and her boys, Maxton & Colton. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I love you so much!!

Maxton opening his gifts. Matt had to slow him down as he was really ripping through them! Hehe

So much fun on the water slide!

All of us playing one of Maxton's games he received. Fun!!!

Our oldest grandson, Maxton, turned 3 this year. Mommy & Daddy had a nice party at their house with lots of water toys and a pool to stay cool. It's been so very hot outside!! The party was baseball themed and Matt LOVES the Reds but many of us wore Indians gear. Hehee. He didn't like that too well.

75 Aunt Joanne? Really?

My Aunt Joanne turned 75 this year and she loves to get the family together and party as much as I do, so we were all invited to her 75th birthday party at Dutch Heritage restaurant in Bellville on Saturday, July 23rd. She had close to 40 friends and relatives there. It was a very nice turnout. You really can't believe she is 75!! She sure doesn't look it OR act it!

Happy birthday Aunt Joanne! We love you!

Baby Girl, Aubre Renea McDaniel

Gigi getting her hands on Aubre for the first time. Unfortunately, I was in Philly when she came into this world.


Papa with his cute little bundle. She's looks like she'll have red hair like big brother.

Close ups already Grandpa? hehe

Josh & Katie welcomed little Aubre on Friday, July 15th, 2011 by way of C-section. Aubre weighed 8#6 oz and was born at 8:06 am at Galion Community Hospital. Both are doing well. Big brother Marcus sure likes his little sis!

Let's get caught up on Mom...

Mom has been home from the hospital for a couple of weeks now. She is feeling better but still weak. We must have someone with her 24 hrs a day. Thank you to all her friends and everyone in the family who has helped out. She has Home Care Matters coming in frequently also. There is a nurse, a bath aide, physical therapy and occupational therapy. So that keeps her busy. hehee.

On Monday, July 25th she starts her radiation at MedCentral in Mansfield. I hope the side effects are minimal. She has the tattoos already and one is in the middle of her chest. That could sure cause problems!! P.T. is bringing a walker for her this week. I think she will do better with that. She is just NOT steady on her feet yet.

Mom gets bored so give her a call if you have time.

Mom's Surgery July 5th

Mom had her back surgery on Tuesday to remove the tumor on T3 vertabrae. She was in OR for 6 hours but did well. She received 2 units blood. The tumor was very bloody. Doc said he bridged the outer vertabrae together and hopefully it will fuse well. He doesn't think he got all of it though and she will need radiation. That may interfere with fusion & healing as well.

Today (at noon) when I talked to her on the phone she sounds very peppy and in better spirits than before surgery. She has a good appetite and ate all of her breakfast. They have gotten her up to walk twice already today and will get up at least once more today. Her Hgb was low (she didn't know how low) so she is receiving 3 units of blood today. That's all I know for now. Headed over to see her...thank you all for the prayers! So far, so good!!!

Misc Stuff

Matt, Gary, Cathy, & Shannon Scheffler. RIP Gary! We love you all.

My daughter, Laci with her family. Maxton, Matt & Colton at a Reds game.

Our good friends Pat & Rick with their cute little grandaughters. Keeping Rick in our prayers. He had 3 vessel heart bypass a couple weeks ago. He's doing very well!

My sis's kids. Gary, Mackenzie, Me, Kyle, Adriana at Kyles high school graduation party.
The party was so nice. My sis does a great job! The weather was beautiful too!