Chemo Day 1

Sometimes when I sit down to update the blog I really have to ask myself, "where do I even start?!". Today this has really held true since I have come home from Mom's first chemo only to find my husband (Aaron) and I's dog ate three pairs of our shoes while I was gone. I am too hormonal for this doesn't he know?! At least it was just shoes :) 

After Mom's appointment last week we decided she needed a really great haircut since Dr. Sud said she would lose her hair (although apparently this is wrong information! Fingers crossed because her haircut is amazing). Mom went to see my hair dresser and I think I screamed when she sent me pictures of the final product. I will let the pictures do the talking, but holy moly, my Mom is a babe!














Mom also had her "chemo class" on Friday. Ironwood Cancer & Treatment Center's have new patient's attend a class going over their chemo regimen. Mom got to skip a lot of the nitty gritty since this is her third go around with chemo. This is when they told her she probably wouldn't lose her hair, but will have some days of feeling like crud. They also gave her a nausea medication regimen if she feels nauseated in the coming days after her chemo treatments. I loved this because they prepared Mom instead of having her call the doctor IF she got nauseated. This way she can tackle it right away vs waiting for meds ect!

My sister and my friends threw an amazing baby shower for Aaron and I this weekend. This baby is so lucky to have so many people who love him already! I could write about the shower for days, but in the end the best part was spending time with those we love!







C H E M O: DAY 1 (insert check mark here)

Mom had her first chemo today! Looking back I still can't believe how smooth it went. We went straight back and were greeted by the sweetest nurses. Mom's nurse today went over her plan and then accessed her port for the first time. Mom didn't even flinch! We were there for about 3 hours. Thankfully Mom got to sleep most of the time (they gave her Benadryl incase she had a reaction to the chemo). It was quiet for the first 30 minutes or so and then another patient had her family and probably 4 year old grandson come back. They were SO loud. We are usually not one to complain but they were so incredibly loud and the child was running around everywhere, helping himself to the "patient only" snacks, and slamming his hands on the patient computer keyboard. At one point he was in the chair behind me and I could smell the cheetos on his breath! Mom, Janet, and myself had wide eyes at each other more often than not. Writing about this is probably future child karma for me, BUT, there is a time and a place and a chemo room (where kids are not allowed anyway) where patients are trying to rest and focus is probably not the place for loud conversation and unsupervised children. I am done ranting now :). We got in the car after chemo and Mom held out her fist and said "One down!" and we all "pounded it". 


While we have been educated on the side effects of the chemo, we really won't know how the chemo will affect Mom. The majority of her side effects will hopefully only be the next few days. Mom is in good spirits and as we all know, she is going to kick ass! Thank you, as always, for all the kind words and gestures- I know we are all so appreciative! 

On the note of kind gestures, I have GOT to share a story. Back when I went to NAU, I joined a sorority [Chi Omega]. I loved Greek Life at NAU for so many reasons, but mostly because the whole Greek Life system was filled with some of the most genuine people I have ever met. I was proud not only to be apart of Chi Omega, but NAU Greek Life as a whole. Everyone hung out with everyone and supported each other no matter what fraternity or sorority they were in. This weekend I received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers from the women of Tri Delta that rushed and graduated the same time I did. I about had the wind knocked out of me. I feel compelled to share this because so often Greek life gets negative news, but the camaraderie that NAU Greek Life has does not only happen while you are in college, but well after you have graduated. Girls- I am so grateful for you and hope you know you brought both smiles and tears of gratitude to my Mom and I. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!


Mom will have blood work drawn this Friday and then we start chemo again next Monday. Looking forward to a relaxing week! 








The Plan

You know when you are a kid and you are waiting all month for Santa and it feels like no amount time will never get you there? That is what the last two weeks have felt like waiting for our next step in this journey! There has been so much anticipation for a solid diagnosis and plan...there is great uncertainty and mind wandering without a plan, it just about drove us all mad. However, while we all waited for today's appointment mom had so much love and company. Some of her best friends, Shelly and Kimmy, flew in from out of town and it was such a joy to have them here! Cannot thank you two enough, along with Sharon, for all your help with everything the last week! We are missing you gals big time already!
Sharon, Mama, Shelly, and Kimmy
Mom was also hospitalized for two days for some blood clots in her lung. She texted me one morning saying she had coughed up blood and as you might have guessed I made her pay me a visit in the ER. I won't bore you with all of the literature, but we learned that blood clots are common with cancer patients. Thankfully she didn't have to stay too long, andddd while she was in the hospital she was able to get her port placed! She is now a professional at giving herself shots in the belly (medicine to help break up the clots)... Proud nurse moment over here!

Today we had our long awaited appointment with Mom's oncologist, Dr. Sud. After some catching up Dr. Sud let us know he still did not have the pathology results we had been waiting on to determine the primary cancer source. WHAT. Thank God a nurse ran in shortly after that statement saying "we got it!" ...otherwise Mom and I would have just lost our minds. Here is what we know:

  • The pathology report stated that with 90% certainty, it is pancreatic cancer. It is also with 95% certainty NOT breast cancer. While we had a gut feeling this was the case, it didn't make it any easier to hear. 
  • We also learned from the PET scan that the cancer has only spread to the liver. While it still sucks that the cancer has metastasized, it was nice to hear it hadn't spread any further than that.
  • Mom will start chemotherapy next week. She will have a two chemo drug regimen that targets both pancreatic and breast cancer (although the pathology and PET scan show no breast involvement, her breast cancer tumor markers are still elevated). The chemo (Gemzar and Abraxane) will be once a week for three weeks followed by a "no chemo" week. This will repeat as long as the treatment is working.
  • Mom asked many of the tough questions, including what her life looks like with and without treatment. Dr. Sud said that there is no cure for stage 4 cancer and without any treatment at all she can expect 4-6 months. With treatment, people average "a couple of years" with a pretty decent quality of life. I hate prognosis statements and I hate statistics, mostly because I don't think they always hold true for every patient. However, knowing Mom, there are many, many years to come. 
I have always thought it was important to be as transparent as possible when writing. As much as I believe in positive attitudes to get you through the tough times, there are sometimes where it just isn't going to happen. The last few weeks have been admittedly really hard on everyone, especially mama. There have been days where we have all just been completely overcome with sadness and other days that are better and filled with laughter and joy. Some days (ok everyday) this just seems really unfair. While life isn't always "fair", sometimes you just wish it would cut you some freaking slack. But, as we finished up the appointment today with Dr. Sud, through the tears my mom said "well, we are going to fight like hell". And like hell we are. I have always admired my mother's ability to fight in every sense of the word. I know that we have a long road ahead but my Mom has this fierceness in her that can get her through anything. 

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers, kind words, and support. Mom is especially thankful for all of the calls, cards, flowers, etc. She cherishes every call and message but finds it exhausting to talk on the phone. We know we are not in this alone and we are so very thankful for everyone on "Team Mama Lou". 
Mom and I enjoying ice cream and saying a little "F U" to cancer
Kristen got this for Mom, could not be more fitting





The "C" Word

Hi all-

I sincerely hate to be meeting all of you here in "blog land" under the current circumstances. I was hoping that I would start a blog other than A Cup of OJ , however 2015 came and went in the blink of an eye and needless to say, no blog was started.

I am starting one today, however, for my sweet Mama Lou. Last week mom texted me saying that her stomach was bothering her. Now, those of you that know Mama Lou know she does not complain until she really is in pain. I called her from work and asked her what her symptoms were and after she listed them off I told her to come pay me a visit in the ER. Poor Mom bashfully checked in feeling like she was being a baby about her pain. [I may have complained to Mom a time or two about patients that come in to the ER for abdominal pain that check out to have ulterior motives..sorry mama]. 

After a few hours of lab work and scans, the results came back clearly as the "C" word, otherwise known as cancer. Mom and I sat quietly in disbelief as one of my favorite doctors explained the results of the scan. The CT scan showed multiple mets, or tumors, on Mom's liver as well as a lesion on the tail of her pancreas. The plan was to admit Mom to the hospital for further testing as well as a biopsy of her liver to figure out what the heck this cancer is. [Side note- I just have to say that there is something truly vulnerable about having one of your closest loved ones being taken care of medically by your co-workers. While we take care of people's loved ones day in and day out with the same work ethic as we would our own, having my co workers take care of my mom reminded me how special and important our job is, in all departments, during a patient's hospital stay. From Doctors to nurses to lab to CT staff, I can truly say I work with some of the best and am grateful for everyone that participated in her care]

Yesterday, 2/12/2016, we had a follow up appointment with Dr. Sud, the oncologist Mom saw in the hospital, to go over biopsy results. Here is what we know:
  • This is definitely cancer, stage IV cancer to be exact. Cancer is staged on a scale of I-IV, IV being metastatic, which means it has spread to more than one location.
  • While she has many tumors on her liver, liver cancer is not the primary cancer. The type of cancer cell on her liver is adenocarcinoma, which is a different type then what you see when liver cancer is the primary cancer. Adenocarcinoma is seen in breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, as well as many other types of cancer. 
  • We still don't know what the primary cancer is. Pathology thinks probable pancreatic due to that lesion I mentioned earlier on her pancreas as well as a mildly elevated pancreatic tumor marker. Dr. Sud is still leaning towards a breast or ovarian origin due to high levels of CA 27.29, a breast cancer tumor marker. This is where it gets interesting- Mom has had a total hysterectomy (removal of the lady parts) and a double mastectomy. More to come on this.
  • Pathology is running further testing to REALLY determine what we are dealing with here. While they could create a chemo cocktail to target the current known tumors, why not wait a few more days to find out EXACTLY what we are dealing with...so we can kick it's ass.
  • Next week while we are waiting for patho results, Mom will get a port placed (her veins are fried from her two previous breast cancer treatments. A port makes it easy to administer chemo without further damaging her peripheral veins) and a PET scan to see if there are anymore area's we need to look at treating.
  • Mom had the best room in the whole hospital. She spent the Super Bowl in the hospital so of course the whole floor knew Denver's best cheerleader was hosting a party, so needless to say we had a few visitors.

  • Lastly, there WILL be a treatment plan no matter what the pathology results are. Mom has so many things to do including spoiling her first grandson in 9 weeks and watching Kristen graduate with her Master's from ASU.
Having been down this cancer road far too many times before with Mom and Dad, we have a wider knowledge base but also a greater fight in us. While I truthfully feel like I am in the twilight zone and still in a little disbelief, we are ready to kick this mother fucker's ass (hopefully your children are not reading this). Mama Lou is truly the strongest woman I have ever met and I have no doubt this cancer will run for the hills when it see's her fight. After our appointment yesterday she sent me her motto (which is actually a magnet currently on her refrigerator) 

 Thank you all so much for the love and support we have been shown this week. Mom has the best team and I am so grateful she has so many loved ones standing on her side. 

.

.

Alexander Gals

Alexander Gals

.

.