Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Cycle Three Begins

We had a great Christmas filled with family, friends and lots of food! My visit on Tuesday with Dr. Chadha was the first one without getting reminded that I need to gain more weight. I have 5 pounds to go to get back to pre-surgery, so I am getting there! Unfortunately, I also have to get back to my no sugar diet which I totally ignored over Christmas :)

We have had a bit of a change of plans with my treatment. I am going to cancel my CT at MDAnderson and have it done with Dr. Chadha here. It is really stressful going to MDAnderson so we are just going to consult with them after we get the results. Currently my CT is scheduled for 1/9/11. I will start a fourth round of chemo while we are working with my team to discuss the resection of the two small tumors.

I am at chemo today starting my third round. I am always really sad to come on this day because I felt so good the last week. I just try to remind myself that I am getting one step closer to the end of this nightmare.

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Week Off!

It is my week off from chemo and I am really looking forward to it! Even though I am still working this week it feels like I am on vacation. While I can't complain too much since a lot others have it worse, it will be nice to have a week without all the side effects. I still have a few side effects on my week off but it is much less.

We are headed to San Antonio on Friday for Christmas. Hayden is very excited to go to Grandma's house!

Hope everyone is getting all of their last minute Christmas shopping done!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Second Week of Round Two

Sitting in chemo for the day and I have some good news! All blood work was great AND my tumor marker has come down within 10 points of normal! No promises until we actually have a scan, but the downward trend of the CA19-9 marker is indicative of a positive response to chemo. My carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level is now within normal range. It should be below three and it was .7. Yay!!!

I've decided to start planning my 30th birthday party in June. Can't decide between St. Lucia or St. Croix any thoughts are much appreciated :) We haven't had a proper vaca since I found out we were expecting Hayden the week we got back from Australia in 2008!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Round Two

I started my second round of chemo today. I was a little bummed because I was just starting to feel back to normal. The Internet was off and on so unfortunately I did not get to catch up on my shows. On a good note, I sat next to a really nice women, who I found out is a coworker of friend. She also found out she had cancer shortly after her baby was born. It was strange to find out how much we had in common and it was great chatting with her for the day.

Chemo is going pretty well. The nausea is generally controlled with meds, but the fatigue I just have to sleep off. The only hiccup I have had is a low white blood cell count which was fixed with a shot. Today all my blood work was good! Since it is going relatively well, we are going to do three rounds of chemo before my next scan.

I did successfully ask my oncologist a question he had never been asked. His nurse claimed she had heard it all until I asked if I could continue my laser hair removal while undergoing chemo. They got a good laugh and said I could "laser away!" I am thankful that it doesn't appear that I am going to lose my hair on the current chemo meds.

I can feel my unwelcome visitor shrinking by the day!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

For the Ladies

As I mentioned yesterday, I sat next to a lady, Jody, during my session. She was going through her last treatment for a second time with breast cancer. She was only 34 when she was originally diagnosed. Thank god she beat it again, but it was her story I wanted to share with all you ladies.

It was 6 years after her first time with cancer and she was still getting mammograms many times a year. She had Triple Negative breast cancer, so from what she was telling me, making it to the five year mark was a blessing but they will follow it very close for the rest of her life. This year she felt a bump during a self examination and called her doctor immediately. She had not one but TWO mammos that missed it. I was completely shocked to hear this. How on earth can you feel it, but it not show up on the mammos? Finally under her direct guidance they were able to locate it and perform surgery and chemo. My take home message for all you ladies is to take self exams VERY seriously and be your own advocate. If something feels funny to you, don't stop until you have received an answer you are comfortable with.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Chemo Day One Wrap Up

I was at the Infusion Center from 8:30-3:15 and it actually went by really fast. The Infusion Center is another office in my oncologists building that is staffed by oncology nurses and nurse practitioners. Eric was there until 9:30 and my sister came from 11-3:15. Another younger lady was right next to me who was really sweet. She was battling a recurrence of breast cancer (6 years after the first time!) She had a young son the first go-round and it is always nice to chat with people that had similar situations. Especially ones that beat cancer twice and are doing great(it was her final treatment :)) No crazy stories...it was pretty uneventful and strangely a pretty nice day.

One thing we do have to do is watch is germs. My chemo, like many others, brings down your white cell count so the fam and I will be using Purell like it is going out of style :)

I feel pretty good tonight, just tired. Hopefully tomorrow is just as good!

BTW-- loving the port. Only one stick and you're done!

Beginning of Chemo Day 1

By request, I am updating from my chair for the day :) I just got settled and have a thrilling seven hours ahead of me. The schedule for the day is as follows:

1 hour nausea meds (getting pre-mediciated because my Dr. promised I would not be nauseous!)
2 hours fluid (prevents harm to kidneys)
1.5 hours Cisplatin (chemo #1)
30 min Gemzar (chemo #2)
2 hours fluid (clears out the kidneys after treatment.)

Before you come to chemo you have to put medication over your port to numb it (so you don't feel them access it) and cover it with a piece of saran wrap (so it doesn't get on your clothes.) Last night we ran out so I went to HEB to get more. This morning when I opened the saran wrap it was bright red for Christmas! So I am now known as the festive patient :)

In the waiting room this morning, I noticed three different people with McDonalds. I found it odd for all these patients to be eating that crap while trying to fight this disease. However, once I got back in the infusion room I found myself craving Mc Dees- something I haven't done in years. Sadly enough, I joined the group and Eric brought me an Egg McMuffin. It was delicious!

I scored the best seat in the infusion room today! Pretty good start to the day!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Almost forgot...

I almost forgot the funniest/strangest part of my day. So the chemo takes 6-8 hours each time. That's right, hours. It is two drugs: one takes 30 minutes and the other is a pain in the butt and takes forever. Anyway, so my Dr. tells me to bring a friend, books, movies, iPad, or whatever but nothing "risqué." WHAT!!! Seriously, I can't believe they have had an issue with individuals bringing porn to their cancer treatment appointments. I don't know whether to laugh or puke at the thought of this...probably a little of both.

Chemo for the Holidays

It has been a while since I updated, but a lot has gone on. My oncologist in Austin reviewed the MD Anderson scan, he believed that it could be biopsed and got me in last Thursday to have it done. The interventional radiologist went back and forth on whether he could do it or not because it was so small and hard to find. Once he found it, he was able to get the biopsy done. Unfortunately, I found out Friday morning it was in fact cancer. It is not called a reoccurrence since it was probably there the whole time. In fact, we are lucky it was so small and not found before because I would have not been a candidate for surgery if they knew it was there.

The good news is that I finally have a path forward! This Wednesday I am having surgery to put in the port that the chemo will be given through. Next Monday I will start chemo. It will be two cycles (a cycle is once a week for two weeks and then a week off.) I will then have a scan to see if the tumor is responding and getting smaller.

I went back to work last week, which has been a great distraction from all the doctors appointments! Hayden had an awesome time trick-or-treating and has not stopped talking about all her candy. Addison missed out because it was past her bedtime. She did make it to the block party and was the cutest cow there. This morning Addison started crawling! I'm glad most of my energy has returned since we will soon be chasing her all over :)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Treatment Update

We have visited many oncologists over the last couple weeks. Every one of them has a different opinion on how to move forward. It ranges from nothing to a chemo/radiation combo. At MD Anderson they redid my scans and found 2 small lesions on my liver. Unfortunately, they can not tell if it is nothing or a reoccurrence of the disease. My surgeon is waiting for the films and he is going to weigh in. Regardless, they are too small to biopsy so we have to wait and see what the next scan shows (2 months from now). I am trying not to worry too much about it and focusing on all the upcoming holiday fun. That is easier said than done but I am getting better at it :)

Saturday, October 15, 2011

A Great Week

We have had a great week. My Mom and I went shopping a few times and it was great to do normal activities. The girls now have most their winter wardrobes! I may have over done since it has taken two days to recover from all the shopping. So worth it though!

I spend a great deal of time everyday eating and trying to take in as many calories as possible. After not eating for 3 weeks, I have to gain back 10 pounds. It is a lot harder than you would think. The liver regenerating eats up a ton of calories.

Next week is full of doctors appointments. Monday we are going to San Antonio for a follow up with my surgeon and getting a second opinion on follow up treatment from another oncologist. Tuesday we meet with the radiation oncologist in Austin and the rest of the week we will be in Houston consulting with MD Anderson. After getting three opinions, we will decide what treatment I will do. While I am not looking forward to chemo and/or radiation, I am ready to have a plan and move forward. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over!

Today is Eric's 30th birthday! We had a good day full of snacks, BBQ, and cake!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Home Sweet Home

We got home to Austin this morning! I got discharged late yesterday and we stayed one night in San Antonio to make sure all was ok. We have missed the girls so much so we left super early this morning to get home and see them. It had been a week since I had seen them and they seemed to grow so much, esp. Addison. Addison is actually sleeping through most of the night now! I swear I didn't do this so I didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night with her :)

I am feeling pretty good and look forward to a relaxing weekend with the family. It will take some time to get my strength back but the goal is to take a couple 15-20 minute walks a day to get my body back in shape after the last three weeks of in and out of the hospital.

Eric is thrilled to be able to watch football and have a few beers this weekend. It is well deserved too; I don't know how he stays so strong. I truly could not have made it through the past few months without him. I feel so blessed to have him in my life.

(OU still sucks)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Maybe Not Another Surgery...

Stacie's body decided that it didn't want to go to another surgery and the blockage resolved itself literally moments before she was supposed to go the operating room (the OR nurse was waiting with her bed outside of her room!). i texted Dr. Almeda and he ordered another xray to confirm the blockage had passed - he used an x-ray taken at 8:45am as the baseline. he said that the blockage had definitely passed and she could hold off on the surgery for another 24 hours. he thinks there is an 80% chance no surgery will be needed at all!

i guess he thought this series of events was "cool" because we could hear him talking with the nurses and staff as he showed them the differences between the two x-rays (three hours apart).

Stacie will continue to be monitored and try to drink liquids and walk as much as possible to ensure the blockage doesn't come back.

thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

- eric

Another Surgery

well, Stacie still hasn't been able to keep any food down, and the doctors think that surgery is the only solution. the problem is a blockage in the intestines that is acting as a bottleneck for fluids passing through. the blockage then causes severe nausea, bloating, and pain.

right now, she is scheduled to go in the operating room at noon today, but they don't know exactly how long the procedure will take. depending on what they see, it might be as simple as a laparoscopic operation or they may have to do an open surgery. we still have lots of questions before the surgery, but trust the doctors here to do the right thing.

- eric

Monday, October 3, 2011

Headed back to San Antonio

Unfortunately I have been in the hospital since Thurs. I have not able to keep down any fluids. This afternoon I am being transferred back to University Hospital in SA so my surgeon can help me.

Friday, September 23, 2011

There's No Place Like Home

After 8 days away from the girls and home, we made it back to Austin today. It has been a really hard recovery, but gets a little better everyday. As you read from Eric's update, my surgeons said the resection was a huge success. Dr. Almeda called this morning to give me the path results that we had been waiting on. The tumor had not invaded my lymph, vascular, or neural regions and they believe it is 100 percent gone. This was such a relief and also explained why I was not having any symptoms. The next step is to recover from the resection and decide whether or not to do chemo. Radiation is not necessary because there is no tumor to target. Chemo would be systemic since again there is no longer a tumor to target. Chemo would be more of a preventative measure at this point.

Dr. Almeda and Dr. Chadha, my oncologist, are undecided on how to move forward. They were very straight up with me and said they do not know of anyone with this cancer who has been able to have a successful resection and that it not have invaded other body systems. So there are no studies to say whether a follow up chemo treatment is beneficial. Dr. Almeda said, "This is a miracle." You do not hear that from the medical community very often.

We are very thankful to have this outcome but know we still have a long road ahead. I can not say enough good things about my surgeon. He was wonderful in every way: emotionally, physically, technically, etc.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Quick Update

Stacie is now out of ICU! she's in room 1279 at the University Hospital in San Antonio, TX.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Surgery Success!

after what was probably the longest, most anxiety-ridden night of our lives, Stacie and i woke up early this morning and headed to the hospital for her surgery. she went into the operating room around 8 am and was in ICU by 11:30am.

the results? the doctors are very confident that the whole tumor is out and they estimate that about 70% of her liver was removed along with her gall bladder. there were several concerns we had before the operation started (these are just a few):
  • was it resectable/removable?
  • was the tumor interfering with the inferior vena cava (IVC) - this would most likely result in a reconstruction of the IVC
  • was the tumor blocking both bile ducts/veins/arteries - this would result in a reconstruction of any of the "pipes"
  • will she lose too much blood?
  • will the surgeons be able to get negative margins?
the doctor said it was an excellent surgery because it was, of course, resectable, they didn't run into any of the blocking/reconstruction issues, and she lost very little blood. all of this was EXCELLENT news. the tumor was removed with what he thought were negative margins, and we'll have confirmation of those margins after a pathology report of the tumor comes back (hopefully within 5 days). on top of this news, dr. Halff and team thought the remaining 30% of her liver looked great and they anticipate a full, quick recovery.

Stacie is in ICU now and slowly getting back into the swing of things. all of her vitals are looking good and we might be able to move to a regular room tomorrow. the doctors tell us that she should be able to go home in 5-7 days and she can't wait to get back to our "boring" life with the girls.

thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers! we're not out of the woods yet, but this appears to be a huge victory in our journey.

- eric

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Surgery Plans

After visiting with both the San Antonio and Dallas transplant teams we decided to go with San Antonio. The surgery is scheduled for this Thursday and unless something changes Eric and I are headed up there Wednesday. The surgery will be somewhere between three and eight hours long. After that I will be in ICU for a couple days, then to a private room for 3-5 days. Eric will update the blog for everyone post surgery until I am able to.

I am really hopeful that they can remove all the disease with negative margins and cure me of this scary disease. I would love nothing more than to get back to our "boring" life without this huge cloud of anxiety over my head. Eric has been amazing over the past few weeks and there is no way I could have held it together without him.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

San Antonio Transplant Team

We met with Dr. Halff one of the SA transplant team surgeons today. He had discussed my case with the other transplant surgeons and they are confident they can handle the surgery. However, he can not say with 100 percent certainty that the entire mass can be removed with clear margins. He did say that he would not undertake any surgery he didn't think he could do. Since it is rather complex, all three transplant surgeons would likely be attending.

We are meeting with the Baylor-Dallas transplant team tomorrow and hope to get the same answer. If they believe they can do it, we will need to decide which one to go with. It is a little weird to think about because it literally is a question of "Who do I think can save my life."

After talking with Dr. Halff it hit me that I am really going to have this major operation. I've been so caught up with testing, appointments, work and normal life that I hadn't even thought about the surgery in detail--- the large incision, long hospital stay, 8 weeks of no lifting over 10 lbs, etc.

Wish us luck tomorrow! Eric might need the most luck with me backseat driving for 4 hours. When we got back from SA today he requested that I bring magazines, books or something to keep me occupied....

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Girls




We have been getting a lot of requests for updates on the girls. They are doing wonderful! Addison is getting bigger by the day and not a day goes by that Hayden doesn't make us laugh hysterically. The girls had pictures taken this weekend and did great!

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

The bad news...after further review the surgery is too complex for the two liver surgeons in Austin to do, so the Thursday surgery is off. They advised me that there is only one shot at this surgery and my best chance is to talk with a liver transplant center and see if they can help. It wouldn't be a transplant, but they are equipped to deal with more complex surgical cases.

The good news...Eric's Mom's neighbor is the Chair of the Department of Surgery at The UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, which just so happens to have a good liver transplant program. I spoke with one of the three transplant surgeons today and their team is going to review my scans and I will see them next week to discuss. In the next week or two we will likely fly to Arizona and discuss the resection with the Mayo Clinic's transplant team as well.

More good news...PET scan was all clear except the liver tumor.

I am finding that we truly have to take all of this one day at a time...some days even one hour at a time.

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Potential Surgery

We met with Dr. Fuller the surgical oncologist today. The best option right now is to have a liver resection where they would take 60 percent of my liver and remove the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumor is nestled in a bad location and Dr. Fuller can not be 100 percent sure he can get of all it without damaging both main bile ducts. One of the two must stay intact to survive. He is going to consult with another surgical oncologist, Dr. Fleming, that specializes in livers and decide if they will move forward. I am scheduled for surgery next Thursday assuming Dr. Fleming gives it a green light. The plan would be for them to first look laproscopically and see if all the disease can be removed. If it looks good they will continue with the resection.
We are praying really hard that they can do the resection. It will be a hard recovery, but even with removing 60 percent of the liver, it should regenerate in 6-8 weeks!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Desserts No More

Most of you are very familiar with my love of desserts. 99% of the time I would rather just skip dinner and have something sweet, so my new knowledge is very disturbing.
I was given a sheet to prep for the upcoming PET scan and it detailed that for 36 hours before I am not to eat any sugar or refined carbs. I figured I could do anything for one day. Refined carbs, no problem; no sugar, fine but only for 36 hours. Still curious about the diet, I asked why you couldn't have these two items. Apparently, the way the PET detects cancer in the body is by locating areas that consume large amounts of glucose. What!!! Not only am I saddened by the fact that I simply have to cut most sugar out of my diet from now on, but really annoyed that my cancer has been enjoying my desserts!
I started reading Anticancer and it is a great book. It is an easy, interesting read for anyone, cancer or not. It details how all of us have cancer cells in our body and how diet changes can fuel or starve these wild cells.

Friday, August 26, 2011

First Oncology Appointment

I had my first appointment with the oncologist today. Dr. Chadha was really great. Apparently my biopsy was so unusual that it went for further review at the Mayo Clinic. A few of the pathologists looked at it as well as the Chair of Pathology. It just so happened they wrote Dr. Chadha a letter and he literally received it via email before he walked into my appointment. Mayo believes that it is bile duct cancer and based upon the tests I have done Dr. Chadha concurs. This is a HUGE difference for me. They believe that the liver/bile ducts are the primary site which means that is is not metastasized.
Next week, I have a PET scan to verify that it has not spread and that the current thinking is correct. Of equal importance, I meet with the oncology surgeon next week to determine if the tumor is resectable. We are praying really hard the the PET comes back clean everywhere else and that it can be resected.
Eric and I really appreciate all the kind calls and notes. It has made this nightmare of a week a little easier. We plan on hanging out with the girls this weekend and trying to live as normal as possible. Hayden got a Dora kick board and is pumped to bring it to the pool tomorrow!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

More Data Collection

A quick update for today- the upper and lower GI tract are all clear. Not really a good or bad sign, just another data point. We meet with my Oncologist tomorrow and should have at least a short term plan forward.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Procedures and Diet

Tomorrow I have a few procedures to see if they can find the primary source. I am ready to get some answers on what it is or isn't. As many of your know, I am not known for my patience and this journey is definitely going to be an exercise in that!
For now, I am working when I do not have appointments and that helps get my mind focused on something else which is nice.
I have also spent a lot of time researching what the best diet is to aid all of the upcoming surgeries and/or treatments. When I was describing them to Eric he was less then thrilled but totally on board. He didn't seem to understand why BBQ wasn't on the list.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Beginning

Two weeks ago, I had a CT scan done and they incidentally found a large mass in my liver. After an MRI and a biopsy last week, we were told the mass was malignant. My doctor then told me that it was not liver cancer and we needed to find the origin of the cancer. I immediately knew we had a long, hard road ahead of us. I started this blog so family and friends could keep up to date on my journey.
The next step is to find where the cancer started and to work with the Oncologist to formulate a path to move forward. Eric and I feel very blessed to have so much family and support close to us.