Update for October 31

Happy Halloween!! Not sure if I'll go as my usual Ninja turtle (I like turtle energy) or something else from our costume box. I'll have to put something on Katie, our boxer, so she'll rememember this is a different occasion when people come to the door...not to scare them with the big bark!

Extreme Makeover! Since coming from my treatment in Houston, I feel as if I've been in recovery mode. My digestive system is constantly in some stop or start and challenge in feeling comfortable. Thus, this puts me on edge as far as plans to go somewhere, meet people, etc. Yet. overall, I feel well. As I mentioned, it's been wonderful to have my appetite back and I've been on a cooking streak...turkey lasagne, 5 hour stew, jambalya, pad thai, chicken lasagne, and yes....vegetables!!

As I go thru this body makeover, the house is also immersed in a makeover. The exterior facelift of removing the aluminimun and vinyl siding and replacing it with a beautiful wood porch cover and collumns and fly-tight hardy plank has ensued over the summer months. The living room has been out of commission because we replaced windows, changing carpet to wood floors and new cabinetry. Just this last week it has become more "in our face" as the entry way was full of scaffolding and being painted along with the living area. Now onto wood floors and more interior work.

All in all, it's been a good experience. It seems fitting to go thru a physical change in my home, as my body also goes thru physical change. Additionally, my cousin, Mac, is doing the work...see featured friends below!

Many of you ask if I'm still doing the chemo treatments here -- NO - I'm just doing the clinical trial out of Houston which are the periodic heat and chemo treatments. I've continued with my therapies with Joanna Lester and Debra Sharrock which don't interfere, but discontinued some of the supplements and efforts with Amy for the time being as Dr. Bull wants fewer possible conflicts.

During this last week, I've enjoyed a facial and massage from Joanne Synder (how wonderful!), visited with friends, dinner from the Jacksons (what loving energy!) and attended "Festival of the Book" featuring local authors. Thanks to Greg and Sue Super for the movie, "Some like it Hot" (Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon) - how fitting with my heat treatments!

Featured Friend(s) - Mac and Connie Campbell - What an interesting, synchronous, and supportive event! I feel like my Dad (who died in 2004) sent Mac (his nephew, my cousin) to work on this project. My Dad, who was so into family, mentored many of his nieces and nephews, but the relationships never stuck or became part of our family - we are an extended family on my Mother's side. Then, Mac and Connie, living in Seattle in 2006?, became close and visited each day at the Seattle Children's hospital where my cousin, Jami (my mother's side), was with her son, Levi at the Burn Center. There she and my other cousin, Genine, valued the "rock" that Mac and Connie provided.

I didn't even know that Mac did the kind of remodeling work that we needed done until last Christmas when we visited. He and Connie were amidst moving from Seattle to the Big Arm area near Flathead Lake. Connie took a transfer from Home Depot and now works in the Kalispell store. Thus, Mac is our contractor! My garage has never been cleaner or more organized and I've realized what a project we took on! Mac's got the expertise and handles all the extra help that we've needed. In going thru the treatments and efforts that I have, it's been nice to have someone here with a great sense of "down to earth". Connie has also made the occasional visit on days off and we've enjoyed doing some walking and she's got me going in making some wool felted slippers (we'll see!) Thanks Mac and Connie!

Update for October 20

I'm back home in beautiful Montana - feels like a sanctuary from the peopled world and of course, the large medical institutions like the Texas Medical Center. I love the drive up and down Grant Creek, trees turning fall oranges and yellows and Lolo Peak tracks the fall weather...collecting clouds or the clear, crisp fall days that are before us.

I apologize for leaving some of my fellow bloggers up in the air -- what about the treatment?? How did it go? What was it like, etc? Yes, I had a successful treatment. Dr. Bull said I got an A+ for my ability to handle it. Here's a summary:

The hyperthermia clinical trial combines chemotherapy and heating of the body to kill cancer cells and tumors. They like to do at least 2 treatments spaced about a month a part and can do up to 6 treatments. They remeasure the effectiveness of the treatments after 2 treatments (so no, I didn't get immediate feedback on its success in that way). The protocol includes a first day of receiving Cisplatin chemo drug; a second day of taking in 2 big bags of fluid because you're going to sweat it out all; a third day of the actual heat treatment; and then a fourth for recovery (spending the night in the hospital). Of the experience, the 2nd day is the most difficult or uncomfortable because you have to sit in the chemo area for a long time and you feel bloated and uncomfortable from the fluids. On the day of the heat treatment, I bundled up with blanket, etc. to get to the hospital at 7am. Sam picked up John and I and led us to the room. The heating area is just like a tanning bed with a lot of comfort...pillows, etc. I initially took Meranol (marijuana) as the relaxant. Laying in the bed, they put a lot of monitors on my body to monitor temp and body response. I felt very relaxed. They also give other sedatives and administer gemzar during the procedure. I don't remember and didn't have discomfort until the last hour or two when the drugs begin to wane. They fixed that and I made it thru. They kept my body temperature at 104 degrees for six hours. In recovery, I was mainly tired and thirsty and spent most of my time sleeping. John stayed the night as well.Then with a few more blood work tests, pills, etc., you're done! Back at home, I'm injecting myself with leukine which is a drug to enhance immune recovery. I'll get blood work done each week to see how my immune system is recovering and I need to be at certain levels for the next treatment which is scheduled around November 8. One other prescription that I got was for Megestrol Acetate as an appetite stimulant....as Dr. Bull said, "see if we can't fatten you up a bit." It works wonders and it's great to be able to eat larger portions and a variety of foods.

Featured Friend(s) - John! It's wonderful to find that your life partner is also your best friend after all these years (32+). He's shown me such support...positive, upbeat, open to talking the heartwrenching issues, and the tenacity and energy to manage the administrative requirements of all this treatment and hang in there with me! He makes me laugh....like his foibles as our travel agent where we stayed in 3 hotels before settling in or as my caregiver at the hospital where he slept like a baby leaving all that responsibility behind! Thanks John!

Update for October 11

Hi all! I qualified for the clinical trial using hyperthermia!! I was so relieved and thrilled on thursday when we received the news. As one friend recently wrote me, "Your blog is so positive, I'm sure that you've been through your ups and downs.", and yes, this is an emotional, spiritual and well as physical trial.
Last week I started off with a lung test (blowing into tubes) and a heart function (injection and watching how blood moves thru my heart. Then Tuesday, was scan day; starting with an MRI on my brain; then a CAT scan which is the usual to see the status of the pancreatic tumor; and then a PET scan which I'd never had before. The doctor explained that you're injected with a glucose that the cancer loves, but not the rest of the body. As he injected me, he said "Let the marinating begin!" All I could think of was my body lighting up like a Christmas Tree!! Wednesday was the painful day with a bone marrow biopsy where 7 attendees witnessed going into my bone but to get a piece - again wondering what that would show. And then for a bone scan. Thursday started off with a hearing test - apparently chemo affects your sense of hearing and you can be more likely to be affected by loud noises. No wonder John's and mine main arguments are his reading magazines or newpapers in bed at night or the TV volume because of John's hard of hearing! Anyway, after all that John and I had to take an emotional time out at Hermann Park where we talked about the scenarios that could unfold with our meeting with Dr. Joan Bull at 1:00. Mortality isn't easy to face!
I skipped over our initial meeting with Dr. Bull. She is a warm, wonderful woman that we met on Monday. She smiles and you feel that she likes you - I feel that she wanted to adopt me when we met. Of course, Theresa, her professional, serious and likeable nurse warned not getting ahead of ourselves. Dr. Bull is probably in her 70's, blond pony tail, wears bright beautiful clothes with a characteristic red waist pack. At our initial meeting there were the 2 of them and 2 other doctors in training.
So come 1:00 on Thursday we were delivered to Room #3 with the examining bench and one chair....I thought....well someone will come and give us the bad results and we'll be done. Prior to seeing Dr. Bull, however, Sandra came by to introduce herself and said that in the future we'd need to be doing all the scheduling for the trial. Does she know something we don't? Not getting our hopes up, we continued to wait. Fairly soon, Dr. Bull came in and jumped up on the examining bench and said, "Well, I suppose Sandra spilled the beans? You qualified! Your tests are great! Your liver looks good....there are a couple of spots on your lungs that we'll watch but I'm not worried. Last thing is that you need to meet Dr. Sue (he's the 3rd person in the triage that handles the trial). He'll look at the test results and run you up a couple of stairs and make a call on physical fitness. I met him and all went well. While we're waiting for Dr. Sue, we send out our text messages to annouce the qualification. Then we take off....We get a call from Theresa that she didn't realize that we'd left and that there were still a couple of things to cover and could be come back.
When we came back we met with the full crew this time and Dr. Bull said that there was one glitch that came thru - my bone marrow item was 35% and not the required 40% for the trial and they had to get an exception. Dr. Bull was working on a letter as we spoke, but they just wanted us to know. Later that evening I got a call from Dr. Bull that all was well!! Finally!
I finished my 1st day of chemo today, have more hydration tomorrow and then the heat on Wednesday. I envision this hyperthermia analogous to Montana hyperthermial (sweatlodge) so hopefully won't be too bad!
Love to all of you and thanks for all your prayers and wishes! -- Kerry