Update!

I gained a pound this week!! Yippee!! I know....it's the little things.

So I finished radiation two weeks ago. But it has been a long two weeks. I didn't get my energy back right away. Actually, last week, I felt kind of crappy. I was tired, had no energy and no appetite. When I went to see the doctor last Wednesday, my blood counts were all good and had continued to come up on their own. But I had been spiking a low-grade fever every night. I was actually convinced that my thermometer was stuck at 99.2 every night! My doctor was still convinced that the spot they saw in my neck on the CT scan when I was in the hospital was an abscess causing the fevers, so she put me on an antibiotic and scheduled me for an ultrasound on Thursday. She also got me squeezed in for hydration that day because I felt like crap. I think my poor nurse, Whitney, got in trouble for trying to get me in!

Thursday morning, Mom and I went back to Dana Farber for an ultrasound. It is not a painful procedure, as most of you know, but my neck was pretty sensitive because of the damage to my skin from radiation, so it was a bit tender. The "pocket" of fluid was still there and slightly larger than when I was in the hospital a few weeks ago. My doctor and the radiologist that read the report with her were still convinced that this could be an abscess and causing my fevers, so they scheduled me to have a needle aspiration at Brigham and Women's Hospital on Friday.

So Friday afternoon, we headed back to Boston again for yet more fun! I am finally done with every day treatments and had to go back three days in a row!! I was extremely anxious about having this ultrasound guided needle aspiration. Just something about them sticking a needle in your neck made my stomach turn. But like Mom kept telling me, think about everything that I have been through. This would be a fairly quick procedure and over before I knew it. Ugh.
The technician took me in to do a quick ultrasound and take some pictures before the radiologist and doctor came in to do the biopsy. After the tech left, the radiologist came in and said she wanted to take a look. She looked at the "pocket" under ultrasound and said that it was not an abscess and didn't know why my doctor wanted a needle stuck in it. So she left again to call my doctor.

My doc decided she just wanted to know what the fluid was, so she asked them to do the biopsy anyway. So they "numbed" my neck some by sticking me with a needle containing a Novocaine like substance. Then stuck a fine needle in to withdraw some of the fluid or tissue from this "pocket". Before I knew it, it was completely drained! And it was so small, that they only got a 1/2cc of fluid out of it before it disappeared! There was not enough to send to pathology and to send for cultures to see if it was an infection, so because they didn't see any cells, they sent it for cultures.

I finally began to get my appetite back this weekend. I went down and stayed at Mom and Dad's because the kids were at the Cape. I finally started to eat and actually feel hungry. I even took a ride with them and the Lamontagne's to Providence to see the WaterFires!

I went back to the doctor on Wednesday of this week to have my labs drawn and check in. She was thrilled that I was feeling better, had more energy and had an appetite. She was also very happy that I had gained some weight!! My biopsy came back negative, so there is no infection. Still not sure where the fevers were coming from, but I haven't had one since I have been on the antibiotics. I finish that on Sunday, so we'll see what happens after that. I am still convinced that it is my sinuses since they are clogged up on every scan I have had.

So now I get two weeks off!! I don't have to go back until Sept. 29th! Yippee!! What will I do with all of my time!?!? EAT!!! Got to take both kids to school today and will pick them both up later. It is so nice to be home and be able to do the "Mommy" thing. I am usually at work, so that is one positive of being home! I love seeing their big smiles at the end of the day!

They scheduled me for another ultrasound in a month to check that "pocket" again. I also have my final PET scan to check my neck on Nov. 24th. I pray all is clear and I can go back to work and start to feel normal again. They say not to be surprised if I may need some minor surgery to "clean up" the remains, but I am praying it is all gone and all of those wonderful chemo drugs and radiation did the trick.

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather!!
Although I am sad to see summer go because I feel like I missed most of it, I absolutely LOVE the Fall and am looking forward to apple picking, apple pies, sweatshirts and football!!
Love to all!!
Kris

Finished!

Well, I DID IT!!! 33 radiation treatments completed!! Was not the easiest road to travel, but it is all behind me now!! Now we play the waiting game again....have to wait 12 weeks to have a scan. They want to be sure that all of the healthy tissues and cells have had a chance to recover before they do a scan or they could get a false positive reading. And we CERTAINLY don't want that!!

So now I have to rest and eat and take care of myself to get some strength and energy back. I will see the doctor next week and I am sure she will have me in periodically for hydration and blood draws, although my counts have been good and rising on their own!

Although I am not out of the woods completely yet, things are looking very favorable. Last we knew, the "tumor" was approximately 1cm and they really weren't sure how much of that was actual tumor or dead cells. It is a miracle that these drugs and radiation have worked and to think that, hopefully, I have beaten this disease for the third and final time.

I want to thank ALL of my family and friends.....you have ALL been through this struggle with me and I would not have made it through without all of the love and support. It would take me way too long to name everyone individually, and I would inevitably leave someone out, so I will just do a "blanket" thank you. You ALL mean the world to me and I thank God EVERY day for helping me through this AGAIN and for giving me the love and support I needed to get through it. I think if my parents don't see me and my kids for three months, they'll be happy!! Just kidding!!

It's time to celebrate another achievement.....although I don't really have much energy to celebrate right now. So hold that thought!! HUGE celebration coming soon!!!

Thanks again and Happy Labor Day Weekend to all!!
Lots of love,
Kris

September First...

Cameron started first grade today! Amazing!! Seems like just yesterday I was going back to work after having him! Now, six years later, he is off and running! He could not go to sleep last night, he was SO excited! Came in to me at 10:15pm and that was it! Go to sleep or your NOT going to school!! That did it!! He was asleep in no time!

Kacey starts back to Pre-school on Sept. 15th. She will be going all five mornings this year. She is so excited to go back, although, she wants to go to school with Cameron. Next year, Kac! Didn't meet the cut-off for Kindergarten! Although she is probably MORE than ready!!

So yesterday was my LAST day of chemo!! My blood counts have all come up on their own, so the doctor was thrilled with that. She said they were high enough for her to give me one last blast of chemo to help with the last week of radiation. She only gave me one of the drugs, but better than nothing, I guess! I will not miss that! My doc also said that she was impressed, overall, at how well I tolerated the treatments and how determined I was to get through them, despite the few bumps in the road. I told her there was no other way! I HAD to fight! I had no other choice! I knew what I had to do and I did it with as much dignity and strength as I could.

So as of right now, I have TWO more radiation treatments. I will continue to feel tired and have some tough days for the next two weeks, but should start to feel better every day. My doctor is going to keep a VERY short leash on me and already has me scheduled to see her next week and get hydration as needed to help me heal faster. Whatever I need to do to get stronger and feel better faster!! Although I must say, I will NOT mind not having to drive into Boston every day!! And I am sure my family won't mind either!!

Enjoy the rest of the week!!
And to my East coast family and friends, prepare for the wrath of EARL!!
Kris