A Year Later.....

Well, here we are, just over a year after I was diagnosed with this horrible disease for the third time. Last year at this time, I had had my portacath placed in my chest and had just completed my first round of very aggressive chemotherapy. I also had just been discharged from the hospital because of severe mouth sores that prevented me from drinking, eating and talking. I had even just had my head shaved with the anticipation of losing my hair because of the chemo.

This year is a little different. My family and friends all participated in the Relay For Life this weekend and raised over $6000 for the American Cancer Society. Nice work Team Tigger!!! For those of you that may have been wondering, I DID NOT shave my head this year at the Relay!! I am VERY excited that I actually have hair, as puffy as it may be, and do not plan on shaving it ever again. It was quite wet this year, as it rained most of the day and night, but the die-hards stuck it out and survived another year! I thank them for that!!

As most of you read in my last post, I was hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia. I have since returned home with a feeding tube and am unable to take ANYTHING by mouth. It is quite frustrating as I was in no way prepared for this to happen. I made it through the most difficult of treatments without the feeding tube, and now, when I am supposed to be recovering and feeling better and stronger, I have had to have it put in. As adamant as I was not to have it, it is helping me gain weight and giving me the nutrition I need to get stronger. I just wish I knew it had been coming so that my last meal would not have been a hot dog and french fries!!


So the visiting nurse comes once a week now just to check on my and my weight and make sure my blood pressure is not too low. I also have a Physical Therapist that comes twice a week to work on my neck and shoulder and I still have a frozen shoulder. I did get another cortisone in my shoulder on Friday, so hopefully that kicks in soon!! I also have a speech and swallow therapist that visits twice a week and does exercises with me to strengthen my voice and my swallowing muscles.

I have another check up at Dana Farber the end of the month. Hopefully I am getting stronger and my body is now healing faster with this liquid nutrition. I'll keep you posted with the progress.

I also want to wish my "aunt" lots of love, prayers and positive thoughts as she continues to fight her battle with this horrible disease. They have brought in the "big guns" now, so we are all praying they work. Love you lots!!

And to my parents' good friend, Dick, keep fighting and stay strong! You are amazing and doing a helluva job in your fight as well!! Keep you chin up!! Love you, too!

They say rain all week....yuck! Makes for a very depressing week!! We need sunshine!! Kacey is done with school until September when she will start Kindergarten. Cam has another 7 days and he will be finished with first grade. They grow so fast. Looking forward to the summer and spending some time with the kids doing fun things that we didn't get to do last year.

Have a good week, all!!
Love, Kris