My life changed dramatically on Mother's Day 2013. Three days later I was diagnosed with cancer from my physician. This blog was made to keep my family and friends informed to what has been happening to me the past few weeks. When I find out news from different Doctor's through all of the procedures I have had, so many of you have wanted me to text, email, call, or someway contact you. It humbles me how many of you are concerned. Sometimes I forget to contact some of you. This way, you can stay in touch with what is happening now. Please feel free to comment. I hope I have it set up so you can. If not, I will ask Emily my daughter to help me, since she helped me get this set up.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Itching........and more itching.......and......

I have always had itching with Nexavar. I have been off of it now about a month.  A week ago I had a new sensation of itching.  From under my skin. The first night, I fell asleep at 5:30 am.  Next night, 1:30 am.  Last night I got about 3 1/2 hours.  I called my doctor for something to help me sleep through the itching.  I got Ambien, and I can't even sleep through itching with Ambien! I am goofy after taking it and can't walk around very well, but sleep?  Not through the itching.  If anyone has ANY IDEAS..... Please share.  I am taking Atarax for itching, benedryl, Allegra, trying Lortab, prescription creams, and I have tried some other things also.  And I seem to get little electrical zaps, (is what if feels like) and it makes me jump. I itch during the day, but nothing like early evening on.  Eye lids, ears, roof of mouth, palms, soles of feet, and every other body part. Help! Is this normal?

My take on it is that toxins from Nexavar are still trying to work themselves out through my skin.  Then what do I do about it?

Itch, itch.
There's not a stitch.
Of skin that doesn't itch, itch itch.

Okay.  That's corny TL

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Page views By Countries

Ok.  This blew my mind.  This is crazy..

I didn't know this existed on my blog.  I found it the other day.  It is page views by countries.  I knew there were page views, but not broken down by countries!!!!!!!!!  Get this.......

United States-------15,395
United Kingdom---943
Russia---------------283
Hong Kong---------265
China----------------146
Canada--------------114
Indonesia -----------104
Germany------------98
France---------------87
Brazil----------------73
Ireland---------------8
Phillipines ----------2
Poland---------------2

Seriously?  How do all these people know?  Why do they care about this blog?  They don't know me in all these countries.  If anyone out there wants to make a comment, I would like to know. I am truely baffled.  This blog is quite unimportant except sort of as a journal for me and to let my friends and relatives know my condition.   Somebody out there across the world cares also, for whatever reason. Thank you.  I wish I knew who you were.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Starting Path #2


My Oncologists Office;  September 9, 2014
 
 
This was a little nerve racking waiting today to see what Dr. Klein was going to have me do now that she has taken me off of Nexivar.  Last night, we prayed that she would know the direction she needed to go for me and what medication would be best for me. So..........
 
She looked at me and asked me how I felt.  I told her I feel wonderful.  All of the side effects of Nexivar are gone and I really feel fantastic.  I asked her what we were going to do now....... She rested her chin on her wrist and just quietly stared at me.  Looking right into me.  I remember thinking,
"Ok, Father in Heaven.  This is your turn now. Remember our prayer last night?  She is waiting for your answer now".
 
Then she stopped thinking and said that she didn't want to use any intravenous drugs out there for liver cancer.  They didn't work very good.  Nexivar worked best.  She said she didn't want to give me chemo that would cause toxins that would give me bad side effects and most likely wouldn't even help me.
 
She remembered how my liver cancer is different than she had ever seen.  I should have cirrhosis of the liver with hepotoma cancer of the liver and be VERY sick.  I should also have  lots of tumors in the liver.  I don't fit that scenario at all.
 
She said my tumors are more by the biliary duct going into my liver, (or was it going out?). And she wanted to check around the country looking for someone doing cancer tests on that particular place,  the biliary duct.  Then that would be fine tuned just for me.
 
All of my blood tests looked really good, especially since I was not taking Nexivar any more.  I am not sick, so she said she wants to take the time to find out something out there for me...just little ol' me! She is so awesome!!!
 
Wow......she told me to come back in 2 weeks and in the meantime, she will be checking things out, get it pre-approved by our insurance, and go for it.  I GET TWO MORE WEEKS TO FEEL GREAT!  Woo hoo. I may not be chemo sick now for my birthday!  
 
 
 
 


Sunday, September 7, 2014

This Past Year on The Nexivar Path of my life.....Starting a new path in 2 days.


Wow, what a ride this has been this past Nexivar (my Chemo) year.  This is a picture of me "pre-Nexivar".  My own hair. As I look at it, it makes me sad how this drug really aged my face. :(
 
Kim and I before Cancer


This necklace is from our kids for me to wear when I got chemo, which I never had to go get it.  I just took the oral medication below. 
 




After 5 days of taking the Nexivar, this is what happened to me.  I was covered from my scalp to my feet. You can see where they inserted "Lucy", my port in the first picture
These are the letters I got in the mail when I was feeling like I wanted my mom!  The next week, all of these letters came in the mail in my mothers handwriting, talking about her cancer to her sister.  My cousin sent them to me.  These letters came 30 years after mom died.

 
Kim and I going to "Relay For Life"  The shirts they gave us.

 
After my hair falling out so bad, I got my head shaved.

 
My two sassy wigs I got for that very bald head!

 
My BFF necklace Kim gave me for Christmas.  One for him and one for me.  He still wears it.

 
The Young Women bright me this just before they went to girls camp, and I couldn't go from being sick.
 
 
There are so many more memories than this but that will suffice.  So bring on this new path of my cancer.  I am ready.  I will tell what happens when I see my oncologist in two days.