Jonita Widmer

The long and winding story begins the Week of September 11, 2001.  The World Trade Centers, the Pentagon and the people  on the flight that crashed  seemed distant in my mind as I tried to cope with my situation.   You know when you know something is bad BUT you always can hope until confirmation is received. Well, that is the way it was.

Confirmation came- appointment with surgery. Surgery, port placement, chemotherapy and radiation.  All this now seems so simple and such routine.  All finished in Spring of 2002.  Time to get on with life.

Summer 2005.  Many of know my husband loves his Miatas- not more than me or his kids or his grandchildren.  But he  does like to drive them. One  days while riding in the Black and Red Miata- I noticed that the back of my leg hurt from the vibration.   I had recently transferred my care to the Texas Oncology Office in Denton. My new oncologist ordered bone scans and labs.  The scan showed some bone lesions - which he started treated immediately. Score points for TOC- my other oncologist didn't think I was a great enough risk to be scanned.

Fall 2011  Routine PET scan showed a spot in my left lung.  ( NO I do not and have never smoked.) Okay - here we go on the chemo road again. I was treated with Navelbine, a drug most people tolerate well. ( Not me, but I a nurse) I started treatment in November and by mid January looked like a zombie.  Your real friends will tell you how bad you look- trust me!! Hemoglobin was 6.7 only half of normal. So two units of blood and things are good. PET scan - lung spot is still there.  Next step- Sterotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT) at UTSW. The radiation is targeted to a very specific spot and comes from 360 degrees. Upside - only 3 txs-downside- you are expected to be still.  A little difficult for me.

Lung spot- vaporized.

Off and on - new bone spots since 2012. We treat- change protocols and move on. There is a lot more that could be included here- but ...

The road is kinda of dark and twisty right now- there is no clear path to what is the most effective way to slay this new dragon.