Back home . . . feels great!!

I came home yesterday from my lovely stay at Northside Forsyth. I feel soooo much better just being out of that place!!! Not that the nurses and staff weren't wonderful, they were amazing! And the room was super nice. I just hate being in the hospital! The needles, the lumpy bed, the smells, the confinement . . . it's torture! I am vowing to do everything possible to stay out of there from now on!

The thinking is that the chemo combination I had was too much. I was already run-down and not feeling great when I had it, and I just went downhill from then. My blood counts got really low and I got dehydrated from not being able to eat or drink anything. In the hospital, they gave me fluids round the clock and medicines to bump up my blood counts. Then yesterday, they decided to give me 2 blood transfusions. The sweet nurse was so anxious to get me home, she rushed everything. And I appreciated it so much because we got home before 8pm and the girls got to bed at their regular bedtimes. I got a shower to wash away the hospital cooties and curled up on my couch to spend the rest of the evening in my own home! Ahhhhh!

Today I am feeling good. I was able to eat breakfast without much nausea which is huge!!! As much as I have been wanting to lose 20 pounds, this was not the way to do it! It can be scary to go days without eating anything. John went to the grocery store and stocked us up on healthy snacks, fresh fruit, and some Boost drinks. My goal is to eat SOMEthing at every meal.

I wish I could thank every single person individually for all the help and prayers and well wishes I've received. Maybe soon I will be able to. But for now, just know that I am grateful for each of you. It overwhelms me to know how many people are thinking of me and my family. We are so blessed.

Tomorrow Dr. S is going to discuss my case with the tumor council of doctors to decide what plan to take. He is thinking of changing my drug to a different chemo. So for now, I wait to hear from him. And enjoy this beautiful day. God is giving me a special homecoming!

Update on Melinda

Hello All,

This post is going to be a little bit different, as Melinda is currently not feeling her best. So I, John, am going to update you of what is going on.

As many of you know, Melinda had her first treatment of "Round number three" this past Friday. The combination of chemo drugs were administered and we knew fairly early on that she was having difficulty tolerating them. Melinda, however, was determined to complete the infusions, return home, and start feeling better. Unfortunately, Melinda began to feel progressively worse the days that followed and ultimately had to be admitted to the hospital today. Her oncologist made the decision this morning at her regularly scheduled appointment. We all agreed that this was best, and I am now happy to report that she is feeling much better.

Many are already attempting to contact us regarding where she is and how the meal calendar will continue. Melinda is at Northside Forsyth Hospital, Cumming GA in room #5065. Yes, we will continue with the meal calendar as scheduled as the girls, myself, and other caregivers will be at the home. The meals will be a help with all that is going on. Melinda will likely be hospitalized at least through the weekend. She is scheduled to have another treatment this Friday and will be monitored closely there after.

Finally, Melinda would like everyone to know that her spirits are high and she is determined more than ever to do what ever it takes to beat this. Our entire family is grateful for all of the support we have received. Whether it's a kind word, note, card, meal, or prayers we are grateful to all of you.

-The Young Family

Meal calendar is up

My sister, Jan, has the meal calendar up and running. You can follow this link, http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/214150, and login or create an account. There are dates highlighted where you can sign up to bring a meal. Back in the summer, when we did this before, I would leave a large cooler on my front porch. People would drop the food off in case I wasn't home or wasn't feeling up to answering the door. It worked really well. I couldn't believe all the delicous food we received!!! And it was a huge help not to have to cook.

Also, someone mentioned donating gift cards. Of course that is always appreciated! You can even mail them to my address. It's here posted on the blog to the right.

I appreciate all the offers to help. I will definitely be taking you all up on them at some point. John will be going back to work in NC next week and his time at home will be limited. My mom and sister are close, but Mom has her own cancer to deal with and my sister has her plate full with me and Mom! Oh yeah, and her job and two kids!! So I truly appreciate all of you!!!

I was able to get my first chemo treatment moved up to this Friday. So, instead of waiting until Tuesday, I get to start before the weekend. John is still able to go with me. I'm hoping it's uneventful and quick!!

Healing is my job now!

Well, I finally made the difficult decision to stop teaching. It was not easy, but with the development of cancer in my lungs, it was like a wake-up call that I need to rethink my priorities. As much as I love my students, my co-workers, and teaching itself, working full-time is an added stressor. It had become more and more exhausting these past few weeks. And I felt like I wasn't able to give 100% of myself anymore. To be fair to everyone, it was best that I stopped.

So my little munchkins are now in the loving and capable hands of my assistant, Ms. Amanda. She is an amazing teacher and I feel so lucky that she is able to take over for me. She will be great!

Now my job is HEALING. I plan to focus all my energy on my health and giving this chemo a chance to work. I got the call today that I will go for my first treatment on this new regimen this coming Tuesday. I'll go in at 8:30 and should be there about 5 hours. John is going with me and will stay all day. Since one of the drugs is a new one I haven't had before, there is a chance of having a reaction to it. I've had a reaction before, and they can be pretty scary. I'll feel better knowing he is there with me.

I'm actually looking forward to this first treatment. I am hoping it will help with my breathing. I've never had asthma or breathing problems before and I know have more sympathy for those who do. Suffocating is a horrible sensation!!!

Some people have asked if I plan to start the meal calendar again. Probably, so. It just might be a while before it is up and running. I already appreciate all the offers to help! But really, the biggest way to help is to pray. God has the power to heal me and He will if only we ask him!

Not my first rodeo

I did see the lung dr and he did a bronchoscopy on Thursday. This is a procedure where they put a scope into my lungs and take fluid and tissue samples to biopsy. He called today with the results - the cancer has spread into my lungs like we thought. My oncologist wants me to start chemo next week. This new regimen will be 2 drugs on week one (Gemzar and Cisplatin), one drug on week two (Gemzar), then weeks 3 and 4 are off. I'll do this for the next 6 months. Thankfully, I shouldn't lose my hair this time. But I will have the same nausea and "yuckies" to get through.

I'm actually feeling pretty yucky already. I still have this awful cough that has made my entire torso hurt. And my oxygen level is low so I have shortness of breath and I can't do anything without huffing and puffing. The lung dr gave me an inhaler to use, so maybe that will help. He was a really serious guy and I appreciate him putting a rush on everything. He asked if it was okay to call me if the news was bad or would I rather come in to hear it in person. I said a phone call was fine, I'd heard the same news before. This wasn't my first rodeo, unfortunately.

So now I'm gearing up for my next "rodeo." I've got my vitamins and supplements stocked up. I'm planning my diet with good foods. Got my support system ready and waiting. And I'm surrounding myself with positive, inspirational messages. I've made up cards with healing scriptures that I read out loud as often as I can. I believe God will be the one to make me better. He will use the doctors and the drugs, but it will be His Will that ultimately makes it happen. I feel confident and assured that I am in Good Hands for this next part of my journey. In the words of Spongebob Squarepants, "I'm ready, I'mmm ready, I'mmmmmm ready!"

My cancer journey is not over . . .

I had my PET scan last Thursday and I talked to the nurse this evening about the results. Right now there are new spots "lighting up" indicating cancer - 2 new lymph nodes in my upper abdomen, patchy spots in my lungs, and a spot on my right femur. Apparently, all the original lymph nodes are now clear, but I have these new ones that have popped up. The plan is more chemo . . . just a different drug. But before I start that, he wants me to see a lung specialist and possibly get a scope to find out what's going on in my lungs. I still have this horrible hacky cough that just won't go away. My lungs did light up on the PET, so there's a chance the cancer is there, too. The femur thing is really weird. I've had no issues there, so who knows what that's all about!
So, I guess my cancer journey is not over yet. I was really, really hoping for a clean scan and an end finally to all this. But I know it's all out of my hands. It's hard not knowing what's going to happen in the near future or how my health will be. It makes planning anything impossible, it makes looking ahead pointless. I've just got to take it one day at a time and keep plugging along.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

And now . . . PNEUMONIA!

I've gotten through shingles and cyberknife, got back to work, thought I was on the mend. Now, pneumonia! After feeling progressively worse over the last few weeks, I finally went to my primary dr last Monday. My symptoms were a dry, hacky cough, extreme fatigue, and upset stomach. He did a chest x-ray and didn't like what he saw and wanted me to show it to my oncologist on Wednesday. Dr. S wasn't able to view it, but did have my blood test results. My CA125 is up to 59. Worst case scenario - the cancer is in my lungs. He is going to do a PET scan at the beginning of February (next week).

BUT THEN . . . I got a message from my primary and he said the radiologist looked at my chest x-ray and said I have pneumonia. I actually was relieved because that would explain all my symptoms, even the high CA125. So, now I'm on a steroid and antibiotic and go back in 10 days. Dr. S will probably want to wait until this is cleared up before doing the PET. I hope it's soon . . . and I hope it turns out clear!

I am trying to take it easy and trying to take care of myself. I'm realizing how susceptible I am to catching all this stuff, and I'm trying to be smart about it. Health first!