You Can't Have Too Many Friends

I did meet with the doctor on Friday but I didn't have any chemotherapy. After getting more blood testing done he said the latest chemotherapy isn't working and he would like to try something else next week. As you can see from the most recent cancer count it has gone up (up, up, up). We asked the doctor about a liver transplant and he said that wouldn't be possible because of the 2 - 3 month recovery time after surgery, no chemotherapy would be able to be given during that time and it might cause the cancer which is in other parts of my body to continue to spread.

Since several of you have commented on Daniel coming to town I realize I didn't clarify that very well, they won't be living with me, they will be finding their own place. How grateful I am to have them around for the next few months. He starts his job with the Air Force in January and not knowing yet where he'll be stationed it will be nice to have them close for awhile, since he may be stationed far away.

Speaking of several of you commenting, I need to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. All of your emails and comments have meant a lot to me. I'm sorry I don't reply very well but I appreciate your kind words. I have always thought a person can never have too many friends. Each of you have brought so much joy into my life. My life would not have been the same without having you in it. You have each treated me like I was your favorite, thank you for showing so much love and kindness to me. I remember having a luncheon once and my husband asked me who was coming, I said, "All my friends." He said, "Darla, there isn't a room big enough to hold all your friends." How blessed I have been to have such wonderful friendships. Thank you!

A Hope and A Prayer

Tomorrow I'll get another update on the cancer count. I'm just hoping this new treatment is working and the count has gone down. My last treatment was two weeks ago and my energy and appetite have returned somewhat. A little trepidation in the fact that if the doctor thinks this treatment is working he'll give me another treatment tomorrow and I'll start the lack of energy and lack of appetite routine all over again. But if it works!

I had a CT Scan a week ago Tuesday revealing the cancer is now in 50% of my liver. It's not concentrated in one spot which would probably make it easy to remove that portion, but it's scattered all throughout the liver. Also last Tuesday my son Daniel, daughter Jenna (and her son), and my mom came to town. It's always nice to have family support at the doctor's office when the doctor talks about the results of the CT Scan and the updated prognosis. He knows me pretty well and appreciates my attitude and zest for life, but if you pin him down he'll give the worst case scenario, that is if we can't find the right treatment, I have 2 - 3 months. His best case scenario is 2 - 3 years. As for me, I'm going with the 20 - 30 year plan.

Maybe I'll get a port, I am tired of being a human pin cushion. I just want to be better.

But the good news is my son Daniel, my daughter-in-law Holly, and their kids will be moving to Utah for 3 - 4 months. It will be great having them around along with my daughter Mauri and her family who already lives here. And how fortunate for Daniel to have found a job for those few months as well. Somebody's living right. Of course, that cougar fan will be getting here just in time for football season.

I'm still dancing and enjoying it. We'll be dancing at Tuacahn in October, along with several basketball games this season, one being the New Jersey Nets. I'm just hoping the Nets game doesn't conflict with graduation, which are both in April.

Not Recommended

It's been two weeks since I started my new chemotherapy. Not the best two weeks of my life and I certainly wouldn't suggest it as your next weight loss plan. Let's see, how am I feeling? Absolutely NO energy, definitely NO appetite, and when I do eat... I lose it, plus a constant pain in my liver. I received my third dose of Gemcitabine (the new chemotherapy treatment) yesterday, they cut back on the dosage because my liver is being negatively effected, as for now they aren't sure if it's the Gemcitabine that is causing a negative effect or if it's because the tumors in the liver are growing. I'll schedule another CT scan in a week or two and that will show more. But for now that's my situation.

Mauri, her kids, and I made a quick trip to Arizona to visit my daughter Jenna and surprise her for her birthday.

It was a fun trip and the kids had a great time together.


We brought Abbie home with us for about a week so Jenna could focus on the ice plant with one less stress factor.

I am so proud of Jenna and the hard work she and Jared are doing with the ice plant. They are extremely hard workers and selling ice in Arizona in the summer is a 24 hour a day job. They are an example to us all. I sure love my family.

Napping In The ER

Just a small update... Tuesday I woke up with pain in my neck, shoulder, and back area. I thought I probably just slept on it wrong and asked Mauri to rub it and I was sure that would help. Mauri being the doting daughter that she is said, "no way am I touching you, I'm taking you to the emergency room." In to the ER we went as the pain continued to get worse and worse. Apparently the tumors in my liver which are continuing to grow were causing pressure on my diaphragm which in turn causes pain in my shoulder. Go figure! Thank goodness for that wonderful pain medicine dilaudid, I went right to sleep and didn't feel a thing. Fortunately Mauri and my dad were in the emergency room with me and were able to listen to and talk with the doctors. They also found more tumors on the back of my neck.

As my seminary students would tell you, I have always tried to be fair, I never wanted to see one team beat the other team in a class contest. Ending the game in a tie was my ideal. So I continue with the cancer in my body, why let one area have more tumors than another area? Let's spread them around, no reason the back of my neck shouldn't have a tumor if the front of my neck already has one.

So I will start the new chemotherapy, Gemcitabine, tomorrow.

On the lighter side... my hair is starting to grow back! I still wish it were more fashionable to be seen in public with a buzz cut. Somebody didn't teach those men how to play that fair game, why can they go out in public with a shaved head and a woman can't?

Family update: My wonderful son Daniel finished taking the Arizona Bar yesterday after two long days of tests and two long months of 24 hour a day studying and three years of law school. Congratulations Daniel! He'll get the results in October.

Girls Retreat

I went to a fabulous cabin just outside of Zions with seven of my cousins and one aunt. We had an amazing time. Of course, mostly eating and laughing too much. We hiked the Narrows, played games, relaxed, and thoroughly enjoyed each others company.







Lauren, one of my cousins, is a beautician so she did all of our hair. With me, she shaved on the back "U R O C K" the 'O' is the breast cancer ribbon symbol. Here she's marking it with a marker first before shaving it. Notice my hair is starting to grow back again.

Updates Updates

Sometimes I sit at my computer and stare at the screen. What shall I say, what shall I write... do people really want to read about my health issues? Often people write or call me and ask, "How are you REALLY feeling?" I do get the impression you are genuinely interested. Keep in mind I do feel terrific! As noted from the list to the left, the cancer count did go up slightly, however it has been about three weeks since my last treatment so I was expecting some increase.

As you know the cancer is in my bones, kidneys, and liver. I got a CT scan on Wednesday, July 8 and found out that the lesions in my liver have grown. The doctor doesn't feel concerned that they have grown enough to require surgery to remove part of my liver. But he feels like the current chemotherapy treatment has run it's course and it's time to switch to something else. For those who follow the different treatments I have had, I started off with Fulvestrant (Faslodex), then Xeloda, then Abraxane, and next... we'll have to wait a few days before we see what the next one will be. He will talk to his colleagues about Gemcitabine. We'll see what his team thinks. I'll keep you updated.

But for now the grandchildren and I have parks to play in, books to read, cookies to bake, pools to swim in, and trees to climb.

More Summer Fun

I have had a busy three days. Thursday, July 9 I had the kids, who could make it, over for Mauri's birthday celebration. We went swimming first and then had a birthday dinner.


Wesley didn't think he wanted to crawl on the hot cement.

Josh and Holly

Katelyn and Mauri

Wesley

Elli and Josh

Elli, Wesley, and Katelyn

Maggie thought she'd rather sleep than swim too much.

Than on to the dinner and most importantly the birthday cake. Mauri wanted an ice cream cake this year. Cookie dough ice cream. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAURI!




Friday, July 10 I made a quick trip up to Rexburg, Idaho for the wedding and reception of one of my missionaries. The Rexburg Temple was beautiful. I had never been to that temple before.

Ed and Joanne England are now home after being the mission President in Boston and I was able to visit with them at the wedding. They are pictured with the groom's father.



After Friday's fun festivities, I headed back home to help Mauri with her yard sale she had on Saturday, July 11. She continues to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Research Foundation. It was a successful day.


And of course we continue to sell our ever popular t-shirts.

Enjoying The Summer

The day after Spring Term was over, off to Arizona I went. Oh by the way, Spring Term I got all A's and one B.

My daughter Jenna and her family live in eastern Arizona and they were waiting for me to show up because the kids were anxious to roast marshmallows.



The next day my dad came to Jenna's for Father's Day. He is our newest member of the shaven head support team.
I was able to spend a couple weeks with two of my seven grandkids.





While I was there I made a quick trip to see my good friends Rebecca and Harvey who live in Albuquerque.

And attended the Albuquerque Temple. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of Rebecca and Harvey.

I ran down to Phoenix for a quick trip for my middle grandchild's third birthday. The birthday boy is in the middle of the picture.

Then back home again for more chemotherapy...

In a few days I'll have an update on the cancer count. I'm still feeling great!

School's Out

How can a seven week semester feel so long? One of the reasons I like the Spring and Summer terms is because they go by fast. Who can complain about being in class for seven weeks? Not this student! Besides the speed of it all I enjoy being on campus with relatively few students and ideal weather. I completed two Organizational Behavior classes this term and as much as I enjoyed them, I was completely overwhelmed by how much time they required. Although the best thing about simultaneously taking two classes in the same department is that the syllabi's overlapped each other and we were concurrently studying similar concepts (added bonus).

Now that the semester is over the great news is I only have one (well two) classes left before I graduate with my Bachelors. The situation is I have one Business Management class left, but after that, I take a quick (what they call) "capstone" class to finish up my program. Yes, I have already contacted the Business Department and put my name on the list of graduates for April, 2010. I could graduate in December of this year, but they don't walk in December and after all this effort... well... a girl needs to walk!

Now even better news... as you see from the cancer count to the left this current chemotherapy treatment seems to be working pretty well, although my poor arm looks like a junkies battle zone, the count has gone down immensely. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

And thank you to all who purchased Mauri's t-shirts. She originally ordered 50 and within two weeks they were almost gone so she ordered another batch. It's not too late to order yours, it goes to a worthy cause.

I love you all!

Mammogram

To my gal pals, just a reminder to get your mammogram if you haven't lately. They say it's the people who are afraid to get mammograms who tend to have a higher rate of getting breast cancer. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET THEM! So pick up your phone right now and make your appointment. And if you have family history of breast cancer than make sure you get your first mammogram 10 years before the age of when that family member was diagnosed with breast cancer. Wouldn't hurt... well, okay, so it does hurt, but it's worth it.

Shirts For Sale

Just wanted to let you know the shirts Mauri had made to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research are available now. Purchasing one (or two) goes to a worthy cause and would be greatly appreciated. The price is $12. Just let me know how many you want and what size and I'll get it to you.

This is what they look like.



And if you have a hard time reading it, this is the screen.

Jackson Hole

The Golden Girls and I went to Jackson Hole over Memorial Day weekend to perform in the Wild West Days parade. This is the first time performing with the Golden Girls since the new group joined the regular Golden Girls in January. Mauri and her kids came with me and we all had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, the kids had fun watching a wild west shoot out, and we followed cowboys and cows herding down the road as we traveled toward Jackson. The whole trip couldn't have been better.

The Golden Girls consists of women ages 50-92.

After our performance the Golden Girls danced in the street with the audience. Here is a picture of my cousin Daneen and me dancing with two of my grand kids, Elli and Wesley.