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Friday, December 30, 2005 10:29 PM CST
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and wishing you a Happy New Years !!
Kathy is slowly getting her strength and endurance back, slowly.
She still seems exhausted most of the time though.
Tonight we were at friends and made lefse!! Nik was our lefse maker extraordinaire, he did a great job and everyone enjoyed it.
Kathy and I continue to pray for our friends Brenda and Andrew. Brenda continues her courageous battle with cancer.
Kathy found some passages in her bible she would like to share.
Acts 12:1-10 esp verse 5
Isaiah 38:1-5
She finds a lot of comfort in these verses when she is praying for Brenda.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005 8:49 AM CST So Kathy has a Doctor appointment today with Dr Flynn her oncologist. Just a routine checkup to make sure everything is progressing as it should be. Other then her constant battle with fatigue she seems to be doing well, the hot flashes have even subsided !!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 7:29 PM CDT Been a while I know. About the same here, Kathy still battling fatigue. Does not seem to be improving. Feels fine otherwise, has had a backache lately, but she is on her feet a lot at the Care Center and School. I do believe she has a MD appt coming up in the near future, this month.
Monday, September 5, 2005 8:25 PM CDT This week marks the one year anniversary of Kathy's discovery that she had cancer. Friday, August 26, 2005 8:49 PM CDT Today Kathy had her follow up with plastic surgeon and all is well. She also saw her MD in St.Paul for a Thyroid checkup. All is well there also, much to her relief. As she was cetain they would tell her it needed to be removed. Thursday, August 18, 2005 9:41 PM CDT Finally got Kathy home this afternoon...I probably did not score any points with the nurse....but she could have went on break after she discharged Kathy!!! Thursday, August 18, 2005 5:35 AM CDT All went great yesterday. Surgery seemed to take forever. Kathy went in at 8:00 and finally got to her room at 12:30. She was tired but pain was minimal and she felt good otherwise, no after anesthesia effects. Tuesday, August 16, 2005 11:47 AM CDT Tomorrow is Surgery Day. Hopefully the last of it and we can really concentrate on getting Kathy healed and put this last year all behind us.
Saturday, August 6, 2005 7:14 AM CDT New month and alls as well as can be with Kathy. She did find out that she will have a one night stay in the hospital after her surgery on the 17th. Originally she thought it would be a same day procedure but NOT!!! But that will be best for her as she has had trouble with the anesthesia in the past. She gets a little stronger every day, thinks she can do more and then ends up tired, tired, tired, tired..Well thats all for now...
Thursday, July 28, 2005 9:00 PM CDT So July is almost over and not much new. Kathy waits for for reconstruction and has been taking her Tamoxifen. She is still
Sunday, July 17, 2005 8:50 PM CDT Ok so its been a while since we posted anything. Friday, July 1, 2005 9:32 AM CDT Kathy saw her Plastic Surgeon yesterday and had another fill of tissue expander. Last week she had one also and was in pain all week. She was really uncomfortable yesterday and last night. She stated if she had known it was going to be this uncomfortable she would have opted not to have the reconstruction. There are still two fills to go before she has her final surgery on August 17th.
Friday, June 3, 2005 8:07 PM CDT The last chemo was today !!
Thursday, May 19, 2005 8:51 AM CDT Today Kathy will have treatment number 4 of 6. We continue to anxiously wait for June 16th and the last chemo. She is doing good, fatigue is her biggest problem right now. No nausea this round so far. Her hair is coming back, she has been told by others she will lose it, but its hanging on so far. We can't call her the amazing bald lady anymore..so we have switched to Fuzzy !!
Friday, May 6, 2005 8:18 AM CDT Treatment 3 yesterday. Went well and Kathy was up and about afterwards. Hopefully the week end will go well for her. Only 3 to go and then reconstruction time. Hopefully all will be over by the end of summer !!!
Sunday, April 24, 2005 8:36 PM CDT Chemo, two down four to go. Kathy seems to be taking the last round fairly well. Saturday she was really tired and lots of pain. Today was ok. She is getting some "fuzz" back on her head. She thinks its brown..ok I'll go with that. So she is staying on track to finish in June, we can hardly wait.
Monday, April 11, 2005 8:19 PM CDT Update. Kathy has been sick with a sore throat, stuffed up, general crud, last couple of days. Tried to get her into clinic today ended up going to ER. Strep negative. White Blood Cell count somewhat elevated...ok really elevated.. Doc thinks chemo causing it. Oncology nurse thinks she has a virus. She will have repeat labs on Wednesday, or sooner if she feels any worse. She is also starting to get the aches and pains she was warned about, sore back. As one of her nephews used to say..Oh happy joy...
Friday, April 8, 2005 3:54 PM CDT We are post treatment number one of Taxol. Kathy doing ok today. She is tired but we expect that. No nausea, but they really loaded her up with pre meds. Her allergies have kicked in with the nice weather so she is suffering from that today. Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:00 AM CST Kathy is feeling better now that she has been off chemo since last week. She does not start the next round until the 7th of April. Still fatigued though and we still need to threaten her with banishment to the couch or bedroom, when she tries to do to much. Monday we went to Abbott and met with the physical therapist on what she needs to do and watch out for. This is something that should have happened last fall after her 3rd and final surgery. Lymphedema is a real hazard she will have to watch out for, for the rest of her life, which will be LONG !!!. The next round will be 6 treatments over 12 weeks and she will be all done on June 16th. 10 months after this all started...Of course she will be seeing the oncologist every 3 months and then 6 months and then yearly for a long time... Tuesday, March 22, 2005 3:33 PM CST Wednesday the 23rd is Kathy's last day of oral chemo !! Yippee... Its been a road to remember but the end of this is near. Dr Flynn told her that she will be "cured" when he is done. None of this remission talk, cured, is what he says. Thursday, March 17, 2005 7:12 AM CST Treatment 15 is done !! Kathy has one more week of oral chemo to complete round one and a one week break and then starts round two. Friday, March 11, 2005 2:59 PM CST 14th Chemo is past. One more and on to the next round. This next round of chemo sounds like it could be a rough course for Kathy. Her labs and all were good yesterday. The biggest change I have seen is fatigue, it has gotten worse. Monday, March 7, 2005 6:23 AM CST Chemo treatment number 13 is past. No changes, other then Dr Flynn (oncologist) wants Kathy to start taking 400 iu daily Vitamin E for her PowerSurges(hot flashes). Which this wonderful chemo course has kicked her into !! Saturday, February 26, 2005 3:30 PM CST All went well this week. Kathy had chemo number 12. Labs remain ok. Blood still a little low and they are watching that. She is counting down until this round is over. And says we will be celebrating....
Friday, February 18, 2005 10:34 AM CST The chemo countdown continues. Kathy had number 11 yesterday, saw the MD on Wednesday and all looks good. Labs all OK. Forgot to ask what her weight was at, as she seems to drop a pound or two each time. Like she has any to lose !!! Emotionally she has been up and down this week. I am going to start a drive to get Oprah off the air !!!! (Insert cuss words here as that is how I feel about Oprah right now!!!) Phyisically she still tires easily and I just don't know how she manages to get the kids homework done and feed them on days I work. Its gotta be tough for her as she rests a lot when I am home. Anyone know any good crockpot/slowcooker recipes ?? That picky boyz will eat ? Something I can setup the nights before I work and start when I leave ? Friday, February 11, 2005 11:22 AM CST Chemo IV treatment number ten is done. Five more to go this round. And other then some nasty side effects, all lab work, exams look good. The kids are both battling bugs. Nik had strep this week and Nate cannot shake the cold/virus he has. Kathy is taking him to MD today. So far Kathy has avoided all this fun. Kathy seems to have had a little more energy this week. But she was fooling me and admitted last night that she was overdoing it. I had a couple of extra long shifts this week and usually came home when eveyone was in bed and had no idea she was going a bit harder. With Nate and Nik missing so much school they had extra homework and she spent many hours helping them, whilst I was gone. Nate's math is well, making us both look over his textbooks trying to remember how to do things we have not thought about in a long time...shoot my 30 year reunion is this year !! 6th grade was a long time ago !! So hopefully we did not goof him up to bad.
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 9:28 PM CST Yesterday(Wednesday 02.03.05) was not a good day. I was in a horrible mood and Kathy was having a real tough time with everything going on with her health and her treatments. She is suffering a few side effects which are really wearing at her. She had chemo treatment number 9, leaving her with 6 to go in this 1st stage. She was in much better spirits afterwards. Her lab levels are still ok although her blood was a bit low as it has been these last few times. The nurse said it is still within expected limits.
Tuesday, February 1, 2005 3:14 PM CST We are now post treatment number eight. Seven more to go in this cycle. Kathy's labs are looking good. Blood a little low, but otherwise everything looks good. The fatigue seems to be getting worse, which is not unexpected. The boyz and I are all in various stages of "The Crud" which seems to be hitting everyone we know. Nik about over it and Nate and I still dealing with it. So far Kathy shows no signs of it. Hopefully she will not come down with this. If she does and starts running a temp our orders are to get her to the ER right away. Monday, January 24, 2005 11:02 PM CST Wow, what a night. What a church we have partnered with and what a super bunch of people. We enjoyed it and how. Kathy says I should post a thank you to all involved...How can I ever do that !?? I would miss someone for sure !!
Friday, January 21, 2005 4:09 PM CST Well here we are, just home from chemo treatment number 7. Had to go to Abbott Northwestern today as Kathy had a MD appt also. Blood work all looks good, systems all ok. They did not hydrate Kathy as well as Northfield Chemo Nurse does, but that would have taken additional time so Kathy is drinking lots of H2O at home now. Shortly after we got there I received a page from the Greenvale School Nurse, Nik was in her office with a sore throat and fever..yikes. Had Nurse call Uncle Ron over at Longfellow School and he brought Nik home and settled him in, Ron had to go back to work, but left Nik every number he had just in case.
Thursday, January 13, 2005 9:58 PM CST Ok I am a day early but its been a long week. Kathy is doing ok. She has figured out how to control her nausea and has realized that she needs to rest and to rest often. I am now pretty much able to tell when its time for her to lay down as I can see it in her eyes and face. She had her chemo today and the only complaint her nurse had was she lost another pound. Thats been pretty consistent since she started chemo 1-2 lbs each time. Yeah, for those of you whom thought she was slim before, well wait til you see her...Her friends Kay and Gwen were over tonight and they both could tell she has lost weight.
Friday, January 7, 2005 6:11 PM CST Yesterday, Thursday, Kathy had her 5th IV chemo treatment. Each one seems to take more of a toll on her. She continues to work and today when Nate and I got home from his class trip to the Historical Museum in St.Paul I found the vacumn cleaner in the kitchen and Kathy laying down, exhausted. I mildly read her the riot act about this. She knows better, but seems to feel that if she feels good, she can do what she wants. Well she can't and is having a real tough time with it. The daily shots are wearing at her, she hates them, but realizes they are a neccessary evil.
Friday, December 31, 2004 9:30 AM CST Kathy went to Abbott yesterday for a treatment and MD appointment. Her sis-in-law Judy O went with her. Nate was in charge and he received frequent phone calls and a visit or two from his Dad, wonder what the neighbors think with the ambulance stopping at home all the time ??
Sunday, December 26, 2004 8:15 PM CST Ok we made it through Christmas, Kathy's Mom on Friday and my folks today, Sunday..Friday went fine, Kathy felt ok. Saturday was terrible as Kathy had a really crappy day and I was gone at work from 7am until 2am Sunday morning.
Friday, December 24, 2004 7:44 AM CST Its Christmas Eve and I would have to say we have a lot to be thankful for. Kathy had her 3rd chemo (IV) yesterday. We are somewhat concerned about some redness (about a 3 cm x 3cm area) around the incision site where they placed the port. The ER MD looked at it and felt it was a localized problem and gave her some anti-biotics to take. Another pill she groans... She has been able to control the nausea fairly well. Although not completely. Fatigue is a factor too. Thursday, December 9, 2004 7:47 PM CST Hello all this is a new page that I started for my wife Kathy.
Thursday, December 9, 2004 7:43 PM CST This page has just been created. Please check back for additional updates.
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Update
They drew blood before she left MD appt
but all looked good.
Update 11.23.05
Saw Kathy's chemo nurse today. She said all tests were AoK !!
Got our tickets for Orlando in February !! Kids and Kathy pretty excited...I would be if it were'nt for the flying bit..I still hate the thought of getting on an airplane !!
Until next time...
Its been a long tough road and one we hope to never travel again. There were some very tough, difficult, even bleak times.
But it is all in the past now, but the memories and our hope for the future. She is doing better every day, she still has discomfort from the last surgery and her strength has a ways to go before she is back, if ever, to where she was. Then there are the "hot flashes" she is experiencing, and which the boys and I get to experience with her !!...all the time it seems !!!
We cried a lot, smiled a bit and kept moving forward. We had lots of support and help from so many people. Family, friends, coworkers and members of Rejoice! our church family, and the Hero squad, many of whom have become good friends. You all know who you are !! It was a tough year on all of us, but as Nik said one day to his mother..."Budigs never quit, Mom."
Our family grew in its faith in God and its love for each other. We became stronger, although there were times it seemed we would fall apart, times when anger, dispair and fear were such powerful adversaries. We learned a lot about people giving and caring. We will continue to care for and keep Diana and Brenda in our thoughts and prayers. They also are battling cancer and have a place in our hearts forever now for being with us during this time.
So thank you all, each and everyone of you whom were there for Kathy and her family when we needed you most.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
We keep Pat and Brenda Shelby, their young sons Will and David in our thoughts and prayers.
Now we ask for prayers for Pat Shelby a good friend and Worship Leader for our Church, Rejoice!. He suffered a brain aneurysm Wednesday afternoon. He is at Abbott. And it would figure that yours truly would be working and get to respond to the 911 call to take care of him. So please keep Pat, his wife Brenda and their young sons Will and David in your thoughts and prayers.
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my
fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Kathy wanted to get out of there and was getting upset and as husbands know, when the wife is upset.....
Kathy has some discomfort(ok quite a bit) and got really sick this evening. I think it may have been from the vicoden and possible a little left over from the anesthesia.
We are praying this was the final chapter and its all over !!!
Surgeon said all went well as expected. So now we are praying its all over !!!
We have to be there at 06:00 am. Not sure where she is at in the schedule but I am hoping it is at the top of the list.
We, especially Kathy, are concerned about the tissue they will be removing from the remaining side. Will be on edge until the pathology report comes back clean. The implant itself is supposed to be fairly simple. The "adjustments" to the other side are what will be tough on her and why she will be staying overnight in the hospital. She will also be off work for 2 weeks, minimum. Which she did not like to hear !!!!
So say a prayer for her and we'll update soon.
dealing with fatigue and "hot flashes" left over from the chemo. Her last MD appt went as usual. All looking good.
Her hair is coming back and people are starting to notice it, although she firmly keeps her baseball hat or doo rag in place whenever out in public. Nothing to exciting this summer, we did go to the James Hill house in St Paul for a tour, http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/jjhh/ Kathy really enjoyed that..Until next time...
We keep marching along with our sights set on August 17th when Kathy has her reconstruction surgery. We have been up to Edina a few times and she has had her last fill, we hope, last week. The fills were painful experiences for her.
Kathy has been working at 3 Links Care Center as a dietary aide. She enjoys it, but the hours are really hard on her, at work by 6:45am. She has been really fatigued and needs to sleep a lot. Her Oncologist told her it would be 6 months before she was back to 75 percent of normal.
She has a Doctor (Oncologist)appointment this Wednesday and needs to get another mammogram before the surgery and yes that is not something we are looking forward too.
Her hair ?? Its finally longer then mine. Although not as thick, yet.
She is still dealing with the chemo induced hot flashes, although she has been done with chemo 2 plus weeks now. She has been really struggling to get a decent nights sleep. Fatigue is a big problem right now.
Next week it will just be Kathy and Nik at home as Nate leaves for Camp Tomahawk in Northern Wisconsin on Saturday and I will be joining him on Monday. We will both come home on Friday.
So keep Kathy in your thoughts and prayers as she struggles to get through the final phase of this ordeal. It will be just shy of one year from when we found out she had Breast Cancer.
Now we look forward to the final reconstruction surgery on August 17th.
Kathy will have regular checkups with her Oncologist and will be taking Tamoxifen for the next 5 years.
Tamoxifen Research News:
Tamoxifen is a powerful drug. It reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence; it decreases the chance of a new breast cancer starting; it helps keep bones strong; and it helps keep cholesterol down.
Saw Oncologist on Wednesday and he is pleased with everything.
She is whipped, tired, wore out, stressed and her feet hurt and look like hel...ck...sorry, almost slipped there. I just admire her for the way she has carried on,and kept working. The nights she struggled to help the boyz with their homework and get supper made when I was at work. She feels so bad that there are Wednesdays she just can't get Nik to WoW or she missed a PDL or two. But she would call me at work and crying, tell me how bad she felt, how tired she was and I would tell her to go to bed and not worry about it, her rest and health comes first.
We are all tired and irritable and short tempered...OK that describes myself for sure. The boyz a little.
We continue to be blessed by so many giving, kind people. That we can't wait until the this is over and we can be on the other side.
Thanks to everyone of you. I wish I could personally thank everyone of you. But there are so many !
Six more treatments and its over.
Its will be all done in June. An every other week treatment, IV only. She will have to give herself only one shot biweekly instead of daily, she is very happy about that !!
"Kathy'sRejoice!Gang" is the team name selected, (ok so I was at work when I set it up and in a hurry!!)for the May 8th Mothers Day Race for the Cure run/walk (we be walking,no running!!)... Go to www.racecure.org and look for it under the team info button. It's at the Mall of America on May 8th, Mother's Day.
Kathy wants to do this on May 8th http://www.racecure.org
it is on Mothers Day and you will find info at that site. We are thinking of creating our own team for the event. If you would be interested email us
Otherwise feel free to make a pledge.
Kathy is really looking forward to doing this and has already enlisted the boyz and I.
Both kids seem to be healthy although Nik had a migrane last night. Gets them occasionally, but last nights was a real winner. All in all was not a bad week. Now if I could figure out why I keep catching these dang colds(number 4 for me since Thanksgiving !!)......Woke up with another today..Kathy promptly made MD appt for me...Glad she has not caught any so far.
Update.. Nate also has Strep, Kathy just brought him home from school and MD office.
Today everyone seems to be in a better mood, except Nate is still sick, but feeling better as he ventures out of his room occasionally. Kathy still shows no signs of catching this bug that has floored the boys and I. We coninue to pray and hope she does not.
Sis-in-law Linda continues to come over on Saturdays and it really helps out. Plus she makes some wonderful meals !! This next week-end Linda and Nik are baking a chocolate cake. They made chocolate chip cookies a couple of weeks ago..She is going to turn my little baseball player into a cook !!!!
Last night was the Pack/Troop 344 Pinewood Derby. This year we only had 2 family members racing in it. Myself and Nik. I was not planning on doing anything for it until Saturday when Nik asked when we were building his car !! YIPES !! A quick phone call and we had a shop to go use. (Thanks Laurie and Flo !!) A little time spent there and we had two car bodies made. Then home, paint, decals and wheels and we had "The Golden Flash" and "The Green Falcon" ready to roll.. all on Saturday. But for the first time in a couple of years no trophies to bring home. Kind of disappointing after bringing home the big prize (1st-Nate) two years ago and a 3rd place (Nik) last year. Nik's car won the family match by a whisker. He won last year also, besting his Mom and brother.
So take care and keep those good thoughts coming.
But thanks to Rejoice! and all their efforts. Thanks to our families and friends who joined us. Thanks to everyone whom was there !! It was awesome.
Thanks to that little poker faced guitar player whom surprised his Mother when he walked out on stage and played a favorite song for her !! She was utterly surprised and it meant a lot to her !!
Thank you for the prayers.
Thank you Brenda and Diana and your families for being part of this and sharing it with us.
And Joy and Denny, thanks so much for praying for Kathy's nephew Andy whom is stationed in Iraq, it meant so much to them, especially his wife Katie, and Kathy's family who were there tonight.
Thank you all..
Please check the photo page out !!!
Then Kathy's cell rang quite often with Nik calling Mom to get the "When will you be home?" status reports.
We had a heck of a ride home though, was snowing and blowing pretty hard. As usual Kathy was not so concerned about us getting home but her brother getting home to Owatonna.
Took us a while to get home.
All is well now, until the next time.
Nik also got a dose of cruel reality this week when someone at school decided they needed Nik's favorite Twins baseball cap more then he did. He was pretty upset about it. It was worn all the time and had a couple of autographs from various local football players and one Northfield police officer, which I think is what really upset Nik the most.
Kathy has learned how to control her nausea pretty well. The fatigue she deals with, by resting as she needs, instead of overdoing it.
We are looking forward to Monday's benefit and hope the weather is good for everyone. We are still suffering from some mild embarrassment over this, but have been told by enough people, pointedly by some ( As my Dad said, "Shut up and say thank you !!"), to "GET OVER IT !!" and enjoy it. So we will. I hope Kathy feels well enough to enjoy it, as the 3rd day after chemo, which Monday will be, can be rough for her.
So maybe we'll see ya Monday.
Our excitement this week was with Nik, he began complaining of abdominal pain last Sunday evening and spent much of his night tossing and turning. Monday morning he woke up tired and saying his stomach really hurt. I took him to the ER, where they were unable to localize the pain and it seemed to be in the upper abdomen. We came home with some pepcid as the MD felt he was developing an ulcer !!! ( He is 10 years old !!!). Monday afternoon he said the pain was worse so back to the ER where he was given a CAT scan. Which showed nothing, but will not show ulcers so we still were in the dark. Tuesday he went to school but was still uncomfortable. That night after guitar lessons he came to us saying it really hurt. So back to the ER Nik and I went, I was mean and made Kathy stay home since I had a feeling it would be late, and it was. This time the MD was able to localize it to the lower right. AHA, we thought it is his appendix !! So blood was drawn, he had to pee in a cup and received another CAT scan. Everything was normal !!!! Still no answer. We went home with Tylenol with Codiene. Since we got home after midnight we let him sleep in. Kathy woke him about 9:00 he was still uncomfortable. I was working and at the hospital I spoke with the MD that had examined him during the night. She contacted the surgeon and off Nik and I went to the clinic. Surgeon gave him a fairly comprehensive exam. Did not feel it was his appendix. So we are still at square one. He still has pain, but I spent a lot of time talking with MDs today at work and they feel it is the stress of Mom's condition that is causing this. He is kind of a stoic, poker faced kid. Not sure yet what our next steps are.
So that was our week....
It seems as if a cloud or shroud has settled over our home now. A silence, waiting for this all to be over. The prognosis is good and I have no doubts about the outcome, but there is a little nagging voice in the back of my head saying.."what if?"..
Nik is struggling with it. He missed a couple of days of school this week, due to a tummy ache. I did take him to the MD yesterday and found out he has a mild ear infection and cold.
I cannot figure how Nate is dealing with it but he seems to be doing the best of all of us.
Kathy's hair is almost gone and that has been traumatic and emotional for her. Last Sunday Nik and I took her to Great Clips and she got a real short haircut. Its wig outside the home and stocking hats etc at home.
Tomorrow Kathy's sister Linda will be here and thats good as I will be on one of my 24 hour shifts.
Write, call, stop over, she needs that.
Kathy's appointment went well. Dr.Flynn says everything looks real good and said she gets two gold stars. Her blood levels were all good and her exam showed one lymph node on the left side as "mushy" which they feel is due to the infection she had in the port site.
She thinks her hair is starting to go and is not looking forward to that !!
She also does not sleep after the IV chemo treatment and was up reading most of the night. Today will be a good day she says, as it usually is since they loaded her up on IV anti-nausea meds. Tomorrow will be a different story. But I am off the next 4 days and we have some good friends from Iowa coming up to visit and are hoping the weather stays good.
She also heard some good news about a friend from church whom has cancer. That made Kathy very happy and you could see the lift in her spirits.
She always enjoys company, but panics that the house might be to messy. With our boyz ?? Messy ??
Well we are going to celebrate New Years Eve by going to the Olive Garden today with a gift card from my folks...Kids were clamoring for Red Lobster...I reminded them that we received the cards, not them !! Tonight some movies and maybe a brandy..maybe 2 !!
Happy New Years everyone.
But no drinking and driving !! You don't want to have someone like me peering in your broken car window asking if your ok, do you ??
Be safe, but have fun.
Sunday was rough too, but she was a real trooper and managed to get through it. It was good to see my sister Michelle and her spouse Peter(even though he is a Packer fan !!!) from out East and Dan my bro-in-law, and his kids, Sam and Heidi from KC. Only get to see them once or twice a year.
Headaches, nausea and a big problem of being unable to find anything she has an appetite for, these are the major issues right now. Plus trying to cook for herself and boyz is rough and I can't run home and do that for her. I know when she does cook the smells really bother her.
But when we get through the cooking stage she can generally eat an ok meal. And we are learning what and what not to do...I miss my fried eggs !!!! But poached work for me..
So this is but another rough spot in the road and we will get through it.
We went Christmas shopping yesterday !!! After explaining to the boys that we were going to have to cut back this year and they should not expect to much, we received a visit from a couple of elves last Sunday night (they looked suspiciously like a couple of ER employees). They left us with wonderful gift !!! This was followed by gifts from other mysterious elves, some unknown to us and some known. And anyone whom says there is no Santa Claus, can just come talk to me about that !!!
So we had a good time this morning opening our presents, it was fun to watch the boys, Nate looked at the tree and said "WOW !!!" when he got up.
(Excuse me I have something in my eye...)
Some of this may be repetitive but my forum seems to have vanished and not sure what I had posted there. And I will probably not try to replace it as it has been a bit of a problem dealing with the operators of that board.
Well Kathy wants a picture of us on our "Christmas morning"
(I work Christmas Day, so we were a day early.)
So once again thank you all and thank the Good Lord for putting you all in our lives.
Please sign our guest book!!!!
Kathy and I live in Northfield with our 2 sons Nate(12) and Nik(10), plus Fetcher (aka Foo-Foo the wonder dog)our noisy Schnauzer and Joe and Smokey, the boys cats.
Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer Friday September 10th 2004. This was after a cluster of calcification was noticed on her mammogram and subsequent needle biopsy at Abbott revealed DCIS. She then had a lumpectomy at Northfield Hospital, which did not come back with clean margins. This was followed be a simple (how can they call it simple ??) mastectomy. Again this did not come back clean as the sentinel node (lymph node test) was positive and they discovered a 1.2 cm lobular carcinoma an invasive cancer. She then had the lymph nodes in her armpit removed the following week. This finally came back clean and now we start the chemo process.
This has been quite a process. The kids are doing OK for the most part. Kathy is holding up as well as can be expected and I am hanging in there. Its not easy and when people ask how you are doing its a lie to say ok. Somedays its almost ok, many its lousy and some are, well, really bad.
But I can never adequately express our thanks to my co-workers and partners at Northfield Hospital EMS and the Emergency Department crew. To the folks at Rejoice Church, esp Pastor Dan, Brent, Pat, and Joy, what wonderful people you are. There are so many at Rejoice that I cannot list them all for fear of missing a few, but I have to mention Howard and Paula, Kenny and Kris, Lori and Flo, you guys are all great. To our neightbors Doug and Evelyn for their concern and help, don't worry Doug I am sure one of these days a redheaded boy will come knocking on your door after school,looking for you cause we got hung up in the cities. Thanks for all the food, prayers and gifts from everyone. Thanks to my main partner Mel at work for putting up with me on the days I am really onery. To my boss Andy for letting me bail out of work to take care of Kathy. Of course our families, my folks Herb and Donna. Kathy's Mom Edith and her sister Linda and Bro-in-law Jerry, her brother Ron and Sis-in-law Judy and their families.
With six months of chemo starting Friday December 10th, I feel pretty good about the folks we know and the ones we don't who have been there for us.
Thanks to you all..
----End of History----
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