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John, you and Yvonne continue to be in my prayers.
Sounds like things are going fairly well!
Sounds like things are going fairly well!
flying_silverad
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Monday was Yvette's first day of Chemo. We arrived at about 12 and after they checked her vitals (which they do every apppointment) it was off to insert her I.V. line. We met with the oncologist so she could tell us what to expect and to get a briefing on the four different meds she has to take following the infusion (chemo).
She also told Yvette that her bone scan came back clean but her C.T. scan showed something on her left side. She went on to say that it was nothing to worry about and that they would do another scan in about six months. More than likely, some scar tissue from an operation she had about ten years ago.
So, up to the tenth floor we went. The social worker that was assigned to us from the beginning has become a true freind. Always being where ever we are making sure everything was going well and always re-assuring us. Today was no exception. Checked in with us all the time.
About 4PM when the Nurses received the results of the blood test results taken earlier, (The oncologist orders the prescribed meds based upon blood tests done that day then sends the orders up to the floor where the infusions are given). She started off with three large syringes of Adrmyicin (SP?) and then a large unit of Cytoxin. The whole infusion took about 2 hrs.
Well here we are, three days later and no naseau or throwing up. The drugs that she was given both before and after the infusion seemed to have done their job. She did need one shot of Neulasta due to some of her incisions not being completely healed. Thank god of insurance..otherwise I'd be swiping my card at my local CVS for $3000.00 just for that shot alone.
She has another 2 weeks before she goes back for her second treatment. There will be four in all for this first phase. 15 months in all with 3 phases. The last phase will last nine months of a wonder drug called herceptin which she will need every three weeks. DO the math...that's roughly how many trips to boston?...on top of all of the trips up to this point and the trips during phase 2 which is every week for 3 months. I figure I'll be racking up about 4000 miles on the odometer before it's all over. The driving gets a little easier every time though. I never thought I would like driving to Boston, but this is the kind of care anyone would drive 1000 miles to get, so I consider myself lucky.
She also told Yvette that her bone scan came back clean but her C.T. scan showed something on her left side. She went on to say that it was nothing to worry about and that they would do another scan in about six months. More than likely, some scar tissue from an operation she had about ten years ago.
So, up to the tenth floor we went. The social worker that was assigned to us from the beginning has become a true freind. Always being where ever we are making sure everything was going well and always re-assuring us. Today was no exception. Checked in with us all the time.
About 4PM when the Nurses received the results of the blood test results taken earlier, (The oncologist orders the prescribed meds based upon blood tests done that day then sends the orders up to the floor where the infusions are given). She started off with three large syringes of Adrmyicin (SP?) and then a large unit of Cytoxin. The whole infusion took about 2 hrs.
Well here we are, three days later and no naseau or throwing up. The drugs that she was given both before and after the infusion seemed to have done their job. She did need one shot of Neulasta due to some of her incisions not being completely healed. Thank god of insurance..otherwise I'd be swiping my card at my local CVS for $3000.00 just for that shot alone.
She has another 2 weeks before she goes back for her second treatment. There will be four in all for this first phase. 15 months in all with 3 phases. The last phase will last nine months of a wonder drug called herceptin which she will need every three weeks. DO the math...that's roughly how many trips to boston?...on top of all of the trips up to this point and the trips during phase 2 which is every week for 3 months. I figure I'll be racking up about 4000 miles on the odometer before it's all over. The driving gets a little easier every time though. I never thought I would like driving to Boston, but this is the kind of care anyone would drive 1000 miles to get, so I consider myself lucky.
falingtrea
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Only one thing to say and I know the two guys (Bill and Ted) that say it best.
Excellent!!
[edit] It sure is had to find linkable sounds.
Excellent!!
[edit] It sure is had to find linkable sounds.
PunkRocketScience
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John-
Glad to see you back around these parts! Glad to hear that your wife is taking the treatments well. You both have been in my thoughts and prayers.
Glad to see you back around these parts! Glad to hear that your wife is taking the treatments well. You both have been in my thoughts and prayers.
loopy
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Hey - it could be worse - you could be driving to Detroit! All the traffic woes, plus bullets to dodge!! woo hoo!
Glad to hear about her bone scan! Hopefully things continue to go well, and the drugs do their job to keep her feeling not nauseaus after treatments!
Glad to hear about her bone scan! Hopefully things continue to go well, and the drugs do their job to keep her feeling not nauseaus after treatments!
jerryb
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Adding you to my list of praryers.. I will also forward your wifes name on to my prayer network. Even though it appears that the worst is over for you, continued prayers never hurts.
One of the best things a doctor told me here was that in the battle against cancer, there is no good news and no bad news. Instead, you make progress, or you don't and try something different. I know that sounds silly, but it helps if you can mentally keep that distinction going in your mind when your getting results.
It sounds like you guys are on stand-by.. dont worry about those "We'll keep an eye on it" spots... the doctors always find something they want to watch.. I have one in my liver that showed up during my first bout of chemo that hasnt changed in 6 months. Remember... this is a war.. and dont get discouraged if a particular battle doesnt turn out exactly as you think it should. I've had several, that at the time, felt like the weight of the end of the world was upon me, and it passed, and we move forward.
Anyway, I'd like to share my journey with you, because it's been a difficult year in comparison to yours.. one which I'm glad your spouse was spared from.
Last April, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic Melanoma. (Skin Cancer that has spread to my spine and leg)
I have been going back and forth from home to MD Anderson in Houston for treatments.
My surgery consisted of full groin lymph node dissection (9 inch scar) and a wide area incision (13 inch scar) where the original mole was... right after surgery, my groin incision wouldnt heal, and it opened up. it took 3 months for it to eventually close over.
Then they did radiation to my leg incision and back. The radiation caused the incision in my groin to open up again, and still has not completely healed.
About two months after my surgery, a brain MRI showed some strange smears in my brain. They said they weren't tumor, but shouldnt be there. another month went by, another MRI showed the same thing. A PET scan showed that there was tumor in the base of my skull, 4 spots in my spine, breastbone,left femur and another lymph node in my leg. (this was one of those bad battle days). The doctors did a specialized stereotactic radiation treatment to the tumor in my skull, and to this day, my scans have all showed good signs of healing to the bone there.
they next started me on a chemo regimine called "Bio-Chemo" I've been told since that there is no stronger regimine of chemo except what they give you before a bone marrow transplant. It consisted of 5 chemo drugs all administered 24hours per day over a 5 day period. in-patient in ICU. fun fun fun. This was done one time per month for 4 rounds of treatments. These treatments kicked me to the curb. I had all of the horrific symptoms that chemo can throw at you, nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, loss of appetite, fever, chills, skin peeled from head to foot, swelling from head to foot, loss of memory. I lost 45lbs over a 4 month period, in general it was the worst experience of my life, so far! just about when I had recovered enough to feel remotely human again, it was time for another treatment.
This chemo got the tumor in my breastbone, and femur, but the scans before my 5th treatment showed some increase in the lymph node in my leg. since it wasnt being totally effective, they decided to STOP that horrid treatment and try something different. (this was both a good and bad battle day)
Next they put me on a med called Abraxaine. Good side, I can take this treatment locally from my oncologist at home. It has ZERO side effects for me, other than making some of my hair fall out again, not alot, but its still aggrevating. I also developed complete numbness of the soles of my feet and have tingling in my fingers. "Nothing to worry about... its the chemo" the docs tell me... its not THIER feet that are numb eh?
I took that chemo for a month, when an MRI of my spine showed that one spot was starting to bulge toward my cord. That got them talking about radiation to my spine. Last month, did 10 days worth of radiation treatments to my back. No big deal, except one of the spots was right where the junction of my stomach and esophagus are. The treatment hardened those tissues slightly, so now I have to take a medication to keep them from cramping horribly when I eat.
they also started me on an oral medication that is a tumor growth inhibitor.. blocks some enzime that the tumor cell needs to divide.. this has given me a lovely itchy rash from head to foot for the last week, but its subsiding, and I am back more toward normal now...
I've been going to work through the whole ordeal, not being able to do much, as walking from my recliner to the bathroom was a major accomplishment there for a while! for the last two month, I have been feeling great, hairs growing back, my appetite has returned, I have put on about 20lbs of my lost weight, and i'm able to drive again and do most activities that I want to do.
Like I said, I wanted to share my experience, so you could see that the battle goes on, sometimes the way you want, and sometimes not the way you want. You have to take each bit of news in context of the war, and not let it get to you too much. Trust your doctors, but dont be afraid to question them when they tell you something that sounds like they are rushing things. Remember that the patient is in control of thier treatment. NEVER let the doctors tell you different.
If you want to share a friend of mine's blog with your wife, she might find it uplifting. Julie Lyons, was diagnosed about the same time as me with melanoma, but she is stage 4 inoperable. She has it in her liver and breast. She is a real fighter, and has gone out and found treatments that MDA didnt even know about. She is getting ready to start a trial that is only the 2nd human patient its ever been used upon.
https://www.lyonsfamily.org
anyway, sorry for the novel, but I have found out that one of the most important things about putting your treatment in perspective is to hear about other people's ordeal in the battle against the disease. There is always someone out there with a story that will make you stop and go.. "boy i've had it lucky" when you hear it. I've heard several myself.
btw.. you sound like you are doing very well as her care-giver... kudo's for that. It can be just as hard for the care-giver as the patient.
later
Jerryb
aka
Gerald C. Boudreaux
One of the best things a doctor told me here was that in the battle against cancer, there is no good news and no bad news. Instead, you make progress, or you don't and try something different. I know that sounds silly, but it helps if you can mentally keep that distinction going in your mind when your getting results.
It sounds like you guys are on stand-by.. dont worry about those "We'll keep an eye on it" spots... the doctors always find something they want to watch.. I have one in my liver that showed up during my first bout of chemo that hasnt changed in 6 months. Remember... this is a war.. and dont get discouraged if a particular battle doesnt turn out exactly as you think it should. I've had several, that at the time, felt like the weight of the end of the world was upon me, and it passed, and we move forward.
Anyway, I'd like to share my journey with you, because it's been a difficult year in comparison to yours.. one which I'm glad your spouse was spared from.
Last April, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic Melanoma. (Skin Cancer that has spread to my spine and leg)
I have been going back and forth from home to MD Anderson in Houston for treatments.
My surgery consisted of full groin lymph node dissection (9 inch scar) and a wide area incision (13 inch scar) where the original mole was... right after surgery, my groin incision wouldnt heal, and it opened up. it took 3 months for it to eventually close over.
Then they did radiation to my leg incision and back. The radiation caused the incision in my groin to open up again, and still has not completely healed.
About two months after my surgery, a brain MRI showed some strange smears in my brain. They said they weren't tumor, but shouldnt be there. another month went by, another MRI showed the same thing. A PET scan showed that there was tumor in the base of my skull, 4 spots in my spine, breastbone,left femur and another lymph node in my leg. (this was one of those bad battle days). The doctors did a specialized stereotactic radiation treatment to the tumor in my skull, and to this day, my scans have all showed good signs of healing to the bone there.
they next started me on a chemo regimine called "Bio-Chemo" I've been told since that there is no stronger regimine of chemo except what they give you before a bone marrow transplant. It consisted of 5 chemo drugs all administered 24hours per day over a 5 day period. in-patient in ICU. fun fun fun. This was done one time per month for 4 rounds of treatments. These treatments kicked me to the curb. I had all of the horrific symptoms that chemo can throw at you, nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, loss of appetite, fever, chills, skin peeled from head to foot, swelling from head to foot, loss of memory. I lost 45lbs over a 4 month period, in general it was the worst experience of my life, so far! just about when I had recovered enough to feel remotely human again, it was time for another treatment.
This chemo got the tumor in my breastbone, and femur, but the scans before my 5th treatment showed some increase in the lymph node in my leg. since it wasnt being totally effective, they decided to STOP that horrid treatment and try something different. (this was both a good and bad battle day)
Next they put me on a med called Abraxaine. Good side, I can take this treatment locally from my oncologist at home. It has ZERO side effects for me, other than making some of my hair fall out again, not alot, but its still aggrevating. I also developed complete numbness of the soles of my feet and have tingling in my fingers. "Nothing to worry about... its the chemo" the docs tell me... its not THIER feet that are numb eh?
I took that chemo for a month, when an MRI of my spine showed that one spot was starting to bulge toward my cord. That got them talking about radiation to my spine. Last month, did 10 days worth of radiation treatments to my back. No big deal, except one of the spots was right where the junction of my stomach and esophagus are. The treatment hardened those tissues slightly, so now I have to take a medication to keep them from cramping horribly when I eat.
they also started me on an oral medication that is a tumor growth inhibitor.. blocks some enzime that the tumor cell needs to divide.. this has given me a lovely itchy rash from head to foot for the last week, but its subsiding, and I am back more toward normal now...
I've been going to work through the whole ordeal, not being able to do much, as walking from my recliner to the bathroom was a major accomplishment there for a while! for the last two month, I have been feeling great, hairs growing back, my appetite has returned, I have put on about 20lbs of my lost weight, and i'm able to drive again and do most activities that I want to do.
Like I said, I wanted to share my experience, so you could see that the battle goes on, sometimes the way you want, and sometimes not the way you want. You have to take each bit of news in context of the war, and not let it get to you too much. Trust your doctors, but dont be afraid to question them when they tell you something that sounds like they are rushing things. Remember that the patient is in control of thier treatment. NEVER let the doctors tell you different.
If you want to share a friend of mine's blog with your wife, she might find it uplifting. Julie Lyons, was diagnosed about the same time as me with melanoma, but she is stage 4 inoperable. She has it in her liver and breast. She is a real fighter, and has gone out and found treatments that MDA didnt even know about. She is getting ready to start a trial that is only the 2nd human patient its ever been used upon.
https://www.lyonsfamily.org
anyway, sorry for the novel, but I have found out that one of the most important things about putting your treatment in perspective is to hear about other people's ordeal in the battle against the disease. There is always someone out there with a story that will make you stop and go.. "boy i've had it lucky" when you hear it. I've heard several myself.
btw.. you sound like you are doing very well as her care-giver... kudo's for that. It can be just as hard for the care-giver as the patient.
later
Jerryb
aka
Gerald C. Boudreaux
John, you and Yvette will be in my thoughts and prayers.
And Jerry, wow, you will be too!
And Jerry, wow, you will be too!
flying_silverad
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Sorry about not keeping this thread current but on the up swing, I'm happy to report all is well.
In November (07) Yvette went for her last surgery (plastic) and has recently returned to work after a very speedy recovery. Her chemo is long since been completed and I'm happy to say there were no ill effects thanks to the regiment of medication that was available. Short of being tired for the first few days after Chemo, no other side effects popped up. We racked up about 8800 miles going back and forth to Boston in the last year and the trips are not over yet. She'll have to continue to receive Herciptin every three weeks until June.
Last month she started to go back to work and was happy to do so as cabin fever was setting in!
Anyway, all seems to be well and the worst is surely behind us. We're planning on an uneventful New Year in 08. Gonna spend some time on the porch watching the sun set, BBQ, and starting a traditional Sunday Launch at the stadium....That's if I don't find myself down at Durham!
A big thank you goes out to every single member and moderator of the forum.
You gave me a place to vent and share my fears and I'll never forget that. It's a great family we have out there. A tradition that I hope lasts all eternity.
Cheers to all!
JR
In November (07) Yvette went for her last surgery (plastic) and has recently returned to work after a very speedy recovery. Her chemo is long since been completed and I'm happy to say there were no ill effects thanks to the regiment of medication that was available. Short of being tired for the first few days after Chemo, no other side effects popped up. We racked up about 8800 miles going back and forth to Boston in the last year and the trips are not over yet. She'll have to continue to receive Herciptin every three weeks until June.
Last month she started to go back to work and was happy to do so as cabin fever was setting in!
Anyway, all seems to be well and the worst is surely behind us. We're planning on an uneventful New Year in 08. Gonna spend some time on the porch watching the sun set, BBQ, and starting a traditional Sunday Launch at the stadium....That's if I don't find myself down at Durham!
A big thank you goes out to every single member and moderator of the forum.
You gave me a place to vent and share my fears and I'll never forget that. It's a great family we have out there. A tradition that I hope lasts all eternity.
Cheers to all!
JR
Green Arrow
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Prayers sent!
Know too many fighting cancer! Wish it was the other way around!
Any time you someone to chat to I am just an email away!
Thoughts and prayers are out to you and your family.
Know too many fighting cancer! Wish it was the other way around!
Any time you someone to chat to I am just an email away!
Thoughts and prayers are out to you and your family.
Planet Andy
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John and Yvette ,
That is great news! Continued good health in 2008.
Andy
That is great news! Continued good health in 2008.
Andy
powderburner
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It's great to hear that your Yvette is doing so much better!
(You can, of course, keep right on spoiling her and doing all those little things for her-- )
(You can, of course, keep right on spoiling her and doing all those little things for her-- )
SpartaChris
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I am so happy to hear that all is going well for the both of you. It has been a long, hard fought battle, so you both deserve to take it easy for a while.
Tucker5246
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Great news John. I hope all goes well in 2008 and beyond.
AKPilot
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John, that is great news to hear the Yvette is doing much better. I know there had to been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of worry and frustration, and now there's a lot of hope and great news ahead.
Hope you're both able to enjoy this upcoming year tremendously1
Hope you're both able to enjoy this upcoming year tremendously1
agrippo
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My friend Jerryb who posted earlier in the year about his fight with skin cancer lost his battle several months ago. He was an absolutely great person to fly with and just hang out with when the launching got slow.
He has been missed by all of us around the flying fields of Louisiana but I like to think that I now have my own personal "Rocket God" up there looking out for me and all the rest of us rocketeers.
John,
It's very good news that your wife is getting better, I hope everything works out for the best.
Andrew Grippo
He has been missed by all of us around the flying fields of Louisiana but I like to think that I now have my own personal "Rocket God" up there looking out for me and all the rest of us rocketeers.
John,
It's very good news that your wife is getting better, I hope everything works out for the best.
Andrew Grippo
Starcommander
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John, post away. Anything I can do to help, let me know. Lost younger sister to "C", mother had breast "C", came through and has been in remission for 6yrs. She's 82 now.
You talk, we'll listen. We'll keep you and Yvette in our thoughts and prayers. You can PM if you wish.
Ah yes, before I forget. I told the "Rocketgirls' TARC Team (7th & 8th graders), of 2yrs ago, about your dilemma. To a girl they wish you and Yvette a great and healthy '08, better things to come. You see, John, they did not forget the little note you included in their order, and your words of encouragement. You have no idea how that boosted their morale, a "real rocketeer" writing to them!
Jack
Motörhead
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Very sorry to hear about Jerryb's passing away Andrew, sad news indeed and I'm pretty sure his contributions to the forum will be missed. Of course I can't say I knew the bloke but this forum (for me anyways) has always felt like an extended family of sorts so I feel yours and Jerryb's family's loss. And to think I'll be attending a funeral tommorow for a good workmate who died from cancer on Christmas day .... not a great start for 2008
And back to John's latest announcement, that's great news fella.
Things can only keep getting better from here, keep us all posted!!Regards ...... Pete
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