The tumor is gone.

I had an MRI on November 30, 2010. They were not able to find the tumor. Yea!!!!!. My oncologist called to give me the results and I could tell she was excited. She said that this rarely happens that a patient responds so well to chemotherapy.

We saw the surgeon the next day and he gave me three options for surgery. 1. do a lumpectomy, remove the lymph nodes and do the oophorectomy (remove the ovaries). 2. do a mastectomy of the effected breast with reconstruction and lymph nodes, the oophorectomy will have to wait (too long on the table). 3. do a bi-lateral mastectomy with reconstruction and lymph nodes, again no oophorectomy. Big decision to make.

Geo thinks the lumpectomy is enough. I am leaning towards the bi-lateral mastectomy. I am afraid of the cancer coming back and being lopsided (yes, I am vain).

Last week I met with the radiologist. I will be having radiation five days a week for seven weeks. It will take about 30 min from start to finish and most of that time is setting up the machine and getting me positioned under it. I am suppose to go see him three weeks after my surgery. Then he will decide how soon to start the treatments.

I feel great. I am a bit tired some days but for the most part I am peachy. We are on the green smoothies. Geo is drinking them also, his blood pressure is through the roof and he doesn't want to take medication for it. So he is trying the smoothies to see if it will bring it down without medicine.

We are all set for Christmas other than I need to wrap presents. For some reason I always leave that til the last minute. I think I better get it done though in case they schedule my surgery for right before Christmas. But I guess they can't schedule it unless I tell them what I want to do. What to do, what to do.

Thank you so much for all of your prayer and good thoughts. I often wonder how all of this would have turned out if not for the prayers, blessings and inspiration to myself and others. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. My burden has truly been lightened and like Alma, I can do all things in the strength of my God(Alma 26:12).

Thanks everybody, Merry Christmas.

Catching up.

It is easier to stay up to date than to catch up, but I haven't been up to it.

The fourth treatment went about as well as the others but there was no way I was choking down a green smoothie. Just the smell made me gag. What I craved and had to have was chocolate pie and prime rib. I indulge in those terribly unhealthy foods. They didn't even taste good because my taste was gone. By the end of that cycle I was able to start drinking the smoothies again, just to start over with another treatment.

This treatment I have been drinking fruit smoothies made with plain yogurt with several pro-biotics in it and all the fruit I froze for my green smoothies. I cut up all the veggies including the kale into a soup which even though my taste buds where screwed up tasted pretty good. After having the soup my taste had pretty much cleared up. So the kale must have been able to do the job even in a soup.

I think the most frustrating thing that has happened is the loss of my eye sight. I have always had better than normal vision. My children and I would have contests when we drove to see who could see the road signs first. I always won by a long way. Eagle eyes, that was me. After the fourth treatment I tried to thread a needle and could not do it. I immediately went to see the eye doctor. I need reading glasses 1.25 magnification on the right eye and 1.50 on the left. He says my vision is normal for distances. I am not sure how they can call that normal. I feel like my whole world is fuzzy. I am hoping that when this is all over some of my vision will return. I am aware that I am wishful thinking but I can dream.

Anyway, I go in for my last chemo treatment in a week. I will be staying with mom afterwards. Then will come the surgery and radiation. We will decide when all that will start and in which order after the MRI which will happen a week after the treatment. I guess I will be staying with mom for a while. Not exactly the way I want to spend the holidays but I am grateful to have my mom, her love and help in invaluable to me.

Enzymes and Probiotics

With this last treatment, I was also taking an antibiotic. The result: not being able to digest my food. I bloated up like an Ethiopian malnourished child. At first I didn't realize what was going on. I was just getting more and more uncomfortable. I had terrible gas and diarrhea, but it was of undigested food. Really gross. When I was finally able to get out an about I went to Wal-mart and bought the only bottle of digestive enzymes I could find. Luckily it also included pro biotics. I took 3 doses that day and was feeling better with in 30 min of the first dose. Since then I have been taking at least one dose a day and trying to get more raw veggies. Raw Veggies are full of naturally occurring enzymes that break down our food.

I have also started eating plain yogurt. I have a pink smoothie most every day in addition to my green smoothie. I put strawberries and banana with the plain yogurt, a little agave, and wah la, tasty snack with probiotics for my digestive track.

One more thing I have started is sour dough bread. Again naturally occurring critters. I haven't had a very good loaf of bread yet. Our house is way too cold. I have an idea tho for the next batch. I will let you know how it turns out.

Third treatment results

I have good news. The tumor has shrunk. The Doc had a hard time finding it. I was so excited to know that it wasn't just my imagination. When we started all this, all I had to do was put my hand on my breast and the tumor would fill my palm, now I have to dig for it. Cool huh.

I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping. So when they gave me the Benydryl it made me groggy but I didn't go to sleep. So for the first time I was able to feel the chemo course though my veins. It felt like pressure and slight burning. I felt it first in my liver then across to my pancreas and gallbladder, to my stomach through my intestines, down my legs and my arms. Very interesting feeling.

I feel great today. I think the steroids are giving me the energy, or maybe the green smoothies are the trick. The Doc was all for the smoothies and said that the chemo does all that it will do in the first three hours. So I waited three hours and had another smoothie. Then when we got home my Blendtec was here and I had to try it out so I had another smoothie before bed.

When I was done with treatment I called mom to come and get me, at that time she told me that George had been throwing up and had a high fever. Miquel was going to watch George for my while I went to treatment but Attisyn had the flu and we didn't want George to get it. Too late. Atti only threw up a couple of time, George puked up his toes several times and his fever reached 103 degrees from him arm pit so I am sure it was really higher than that but I didn't want to traumatise him anymore by putting a thermometer up his butt. He is feeling much better today. He doesn't really want to eat but he is drinking almond milk and water. Can't get Pedialite down him.

More good news the scoma in my arm pit where they removed the sentinel nodes has finally started to go down. I started taking an antibiotic a couple of days ago. The redness and tenderness are less and the the lump is much smaller. yea.

Third treatment

My friend Kathy will be taking me to my third treatment tomorrow. Geo has to work. But then he will have 4 days off so he will be able to take care of me and George. I am so excited to be able to stay home this time. Miquel was going to watch George for me but Atti and Cougan are sick so we will take him with us; mom will care for him.

I forgot to get my steroids til this morning, so I was late taking the first dose. But I got it before lunch so I am guessing that I am OK. Again the steroids made water taste like chlorine and I have a very scratchy voice, almost horse.

I wonder if this treatment will finish off my hair. I have never lost all of it. I shaved it off last time thinking is would all fall out and then I wouldn't have the mess. All that did was give me really bad razor burn and lots of ingrown hairs all over my head. Not pleasant or pretty. My hair grew about an eighth of an inch in two weeks, some very fine blond hair is a quarter of an inch. Anyone know if this is normal?

Geo and I spent the last week in Winnemucca NV. We took Georgie to see his grampa Gibb and Lisa. We had a great time. Georgie loves his gampa. They had a great time playing. Gibb took us on a tour of the city and then to see old abandoned silver and gold mines. It was really interesting. He showed us a hoist with a really deep hole under it. It had been caved in so we couldn't go investigate further (thankfully). I was worried that Geo and Gibb might get to adventurous and try to get into one of them but rationality prevailed and we all returned home safely.

Another high lite of the weekend was being invited to Zachary's Patriarchal blessing. It was really special to be there and participate in the spirit that was there. I knew Zach was a special person but it was fantastic to have it manifest in a blessing from Jesus Christ thru the Patriarch.

Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend. Mom and Leonard came to stay with us. It was Atti's third birthday and Chase and Miquel were having Cougan blessed. After the fun little party for Atti we went to Win On's for dinner. Leonard has been meat free for about 4 months and I am trying really hard not to eat meat so Win On's Mongolian BBQ was perfect for us. Plus they have a really nice meat free veggie dish, veggie lo mien and veggie egg rolls. We were happy as clams.

Then we had an enjoyable evening of eating popcorn and watching "The Secret." A documentary on the Law of Attraction. I love this movie, it helps me to be positive and proactive in my life. We get what we think about, so I want to think good things.

Sacrament meeting in Lapoint was very nice. Cougan was blessed to me named Ceagan, but I guess because the paper work was correct it will go on the record as Cougan. It was a nice blessing even with the name mix up. After the blessing we again went to Win On's and then went to the mountain.

We went up Taylor Mt. to Oaks Park. I think that is the most beautiful mountain we have in our area and there are very few people up there. In a few weeks that will be a different story with all the deer hunters but for now it was rather deserted. It poured down rain on us up there so we weren't able to get out and walk around but I love just being up there. We talked of having a family camp out up there next summer, so start preparing for it everybody.

Walking

My dear friend Kathy has been walking with me and Geoy every morning. We don't walk very fast. We keep it at a moderate pace and visit. I am not sure what is more beneficial, the walking or the visiting. I love Kathy, she is so patient with Geoy and the little things that come up when taking a child walking, like him wanting to push the stroller instead of riding. He has a hard time keeping it going where he wants and refuses any help. We have been run over a few times. We also have to go to the playground after we walk. Kathy just goes along and we keep visiting while we play, slide and swing.

I had gone off of the smoothies for a few days when we came home. After being at mom's where Leonard has a Blendtec, my smoothies made with my Bosch blender was less than satisfying. In fact it was down right awful. I was still trying to eat a good diet. Lots of fruit, whole wheat bread made by my visiting teacher, and some veggies. But I realized that I was having less and less energy, so I am back on the smoothies.

I tried to get Geoy to drink a smoothie this morning. It was very simple with almond milk and a banana with a little cocoa added as incentive. When I gave it to him and he tasted it he said "it dewissius" but then he didn't drink it so maybe not so much. I will keep trying. Maybe I will find a combination that he will drink.

Haven't felt like eating

The last few days everything has tasted like bitter metal. So getting anything down has been a chore. Mom made a rice pudding last night. I had a little bit of it. There are eggs in it. My arm pit filled back up with fluid. I just can't handle any animal protein.

Today I will start my three day detox with green smoothies, that is if I can get a smoothie down. The last few days they have tasted incredibly awefull.

Good news though, I haven't had any pills other than the blood thinner. No pain killers or anti-nausia. yea. I have been taking L-Lysine for my mouth. I don't feel any sores but when I brush, my gums are bleeding so I don't want to end up with an issue. I have also taken cascara sagrada. I want to keep my bowels open.

I feel much better today and so excited to see Geo. He will be here today to get us and then we will probably go home tomorrow. I want to get some peaches on the way home and get them in the freezer.

Had my second treatment on August 16, 2010. It was easier to get the needle into the port this time. I wasn't still tender from having surgery, like I was last time.

Right after we got there I checked my phone and there was a message from mom that she had lost Georgie. I sent Geo home to check on the situation. The message was from about two hours before when we had gone to the store and taken Georgie with us. But it freaked me out for a second.

As promised here is a picture of me with no hair. I am still not comfortable showing my altogether to the world. Maybe when all the hair is gone, but right now it is just scary.

I feel pretty good today. I have been up doing laundry and dishes. Not tired enough to sleep but not energetic enough to go to the splash park with mom, Georgie, Naomi and her kids.

Nutrition

Since this adventure began I have been trying to figure out a better way to eat and feed my family. The first book I got on nutrition for cancer was from my oncologist. I have never seen so much drivel. I wouldn't feed the stuff they suggested to my cats, and I really don't like cats.

When I mentioned this to my doctor she was amazed that I would think such a thing. I asked for a nutritionist, she didn't know of any. So I went to the internet, there are two nutritionist in Utah that deal with cancer. One is in Odgen and the other is in Cedar City. I had a heck of a time tracking down a phone number for them. Their websites had bogus numbers. I still have not been able to get in to see the one in Odgen and I haven't tried to go to Cedar City. That is too far. So because once again I have been disappointed by the medical field, I started searching for the answers for myself.

Remember that old saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear, it appears that I was ready. First my Relief Society President brought me a book from another sister in our ward. It was on nutrition for cancer. I loved it so I bought one. "Healthy eating of life to prevent and treat cancer" this is where I got the info before I even went into surgery that it would be better to avoid animal protien. I felt so much better. Then after surgery we went out for chinese. I didn't think it would hurt me to have a little chicken in my chow mein. Boy was I wrong. Total pain all night long in my surgery sites. But what do doctors tell us after surgery? Get more protein you will heal faster and what do we think of when they say protein? for me I think ribeye steak.

Then next a gal in a group I belong to called healthybabybirthing posted a website to gree smoothiegirl.com. Amazing, if you get a chance to see one of her workshops it would be well worth your time. I drug Leonard to on in Orem on August 5, 2010. I bought her book as well, "The Green Smoothis Diet" by Robyn Openshaw. I have not felt better than when I am drinking a green smoothie. They taste amazing and you get between 12-15 servings of fruit and greens in on quart of smoothie. Amazing things happen while drinking them as well. I have had a large collection of fluid in my armpit where the doc removed my sentinel nodes. Before we left for Oregon the Dr removed 100 ml of fluid from it. That is a lot, like 1/2 a cup. I couldn't put my arm down. When I got home from Oregon it was backup to the same size. I started drink green smoothies 3 qt a day, the fluid is nearly gone.

Then Leonard bought the book "The China Study" by T. Colin Campell, Phd and Thomas M. Campbell II. The green smoothie girl talked about this study in her workshop and in her book. The author goes in to great detail about the studies he had conducted of the relationship with animal protien and cancer. He was a cattle rancher and started out to prove that meat was the super food that the goverment wants us to believe it is. He could not prove it.

He started out with 20 rats. He gave all of them aflataxin, a fungus found on peanuts and corn. It is a magor cancer causing agent. Then they fed half the mice a diet of 20% animal protien and the other half 5%. The group with 20% grew tumors, got fat, listless and died. The group with 5% did not grow tumors even though they had been given a cancer causing agent. A rats lifespan in around two years the group with 5% where healthy, happy and had shine full coats when they reached their two year mark.

Further tests proved that animal protien in excess of 10% will make cancer grow, at least in critters. These tests make it plausible that it would be true for human as well. The typical american is getting between 20-30% of their total consumption.

If you want to be more healthy and less likely to get cancer cut your animal protein in half. Keep in mind that butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, milk, yogurt etc. are all animal proteins.

Check out the books if you are interested or give me a call. I am more than happy to talk about it. I am kind of a zealot when I get on a tanget, and I am clearly on a tanget about nutrition. My life depends on it.

Trip to Oregon

Mom called the day after I was feeling better and asked if I wanted to go to Oregon to see my Auntie Sandy and her son Davy, his wife Robin and their children. Since I was feeling better and had nothing at all to do I accepted the offer.

We had a great time. We took my sons Zach and Georgie and my niece Breck. We took two days to get up there. We stayed in Ontario OR on the way up. It rained soooo hard that we couldn't even drive and trying to get to the restraunt next door to the hotel completely drenched us. The parking lot had so much water that the cars had water up to their floor boards. We took off our shoes to walk to the door. Well they did, I didn't want to take the chance that I would step on something and get an infection.

Dave took us boating. The kids got to wake board and knee board. We went to the ocean and spent the day and then we took the kids to the water park. Geoy is crazy. He will just jump in where ever he is 2 ft or 12 ft he doesn't care. He kicks and moves all over the pool. We had a life jacket on him. But at the hotel we didn't have one and he was the same way.

My hair started to fall out while we were there. It was coming out in big hand fulls so one morning I shaved it off. I was making such a mess, hair falling out every where I went. Once I got it shaved I realized that I still had alot of hair left. But oh well. It will be gone with this next treatment.

I will load a few more pictures when I get back out to mom today. We even have a few with my bald head. That will be a treat for everyone to see. Don't laugh too hard.

Difficult few days

Its been a difficult few days. The medication that they gave to me to build up my blood cells sent my bone marrow into over drive resulting in intense pain. I have also developed thrush, so my tongue is covered with a lovely white sweater and is totally numb. Good news though they have medication for all of these side effects. Now for the side effects of the meds to cure the side effects. Bring in on!!!!

These are the lovely ladies that filled me with the poison the other day. Very sweet girls. I didn't catch their names. Next time.

Really tired

I felt great this morning. I need to be up walking and drinking water to flush this poison out of me so I went to the club house and walked a mile in about 20 minutes. Really stupid thing to do. I had to sit by the pool for about a half hour to get enough strength to walk back to the condo.

Geo and Ted took Georgie to the airplane museum in Odgen so they were not here all day. Mom and Julie went to town so I went with them to run some errands. I did pretty well til the last stop but then I had to go to the car. I'm sure that if anyone saw me walking to the car they thought I was drunk. I would zero in on the car but then it would be in a totally different spot and I would have to redirect my feet. Freaky feeling.

I have been kind of in a haze all day, not really asleep but not a wake either. If this keeps up I am going to have to have some take Georgie for me when Geo is working cuz that would be scary to have him terrorizing the world and me totally out of it.

First Chemo

Surprisingly I feel fine. they gave me a bunch of anti-meds. The best of which was Benedryl. It knocked me out for the whole three hours and then some after we got home. I have eaten and slept the day away. I don't know what the night or next coming days will bring but they have given me more anti-meds to fight it so I am hopeful that we will be fine.

They admonished that sick people stay away, so don't feel bad if I don't want visitors. I would appreciate calls or texts. My cell is 435-790-7955. You could also send cards or letters and of course there is always facebook. Thank you so much for all of your messages. They have helped to cheer me and to know that I am thought of and loved. Thank you.

Zoo Adventure

I don't know about you guys but when we have gone to the zoo in the past there was really nothing to write home about. This time was different for us. It was as if someone was going before us and telling the animals to put on a show for us. All of these critters are the ones I always look at and they all did stuff for us. It was really cool. These pictures were really taken on June 30, 2010 not April 30, 2009 My date stamp must be off. Sorry.


This little elephant was a new baby this year. She is so cute. Elephants are one of my most favorite animals. I don't remember her name so if you know it please write it in a comment. Thanks.









Usually when I have seen a turtle in an exhibit their butts are too me and they have their heads sucked in to their shell.










This guy not only pulled his head out but he looked right at us. It was way cool.
























Ostriches are ugly birds. But we always go to look at them.

I had no idea that their feet are made up of two toes. Who knew?

This is my beautiful mother. She is a wonder to me. I love her so much. I hope I can be like her some day. Oh and that is Georgie's little head.

Giraffes are cool animals. They have the same amount of vertebra as we do. At least that is what my step-dad said.

I really thought this was all we were going to get out of the tigers. They are always so aloof. Way too important to look at humans. Now that they have their new habitat they are really important.

But while we were looking at this little princess. I am not sure what she is. She looks like a bobby cat that should be in the house but she is an amazon cat I guess. At first we thought the cage was empty but then she got out of her den and walked up a log and into the bushes and them down a log and them back into her den.

When I turned around to see what the tiger was doing. This is what followed. It was the best thing I saw that day.

Sorry my pictures don't do it justice. I am not a photographer.

I thought this guy was a prop. He was so still I thought there was now way it was really. Geo said that he was waiting patiently for some thing to land in his mouth.

We stopped to see the bird show. I have never been to one in my whole life. It was fascinating how that have been able to train those birds to do so many things. Not to mention the little critters that just made an appearance at the back of the stage. The rats, chicken, etc. I was impressed.

This little guy jumped from his perch and spread eagle between the window and his tree when my niece Breck and my son Zach walked up. He must have wanted a better look at that pretty girl and handsome boy. I wish I had gotten a picture of it. Really funny.

Orangutan's are another of my favorite critters.

"Right turn Clyde." Isn't he cute?

I started the steroids this morning, Dexamethason. They make me feel crappy. Water tastes really funny, almost like it is full of clorine. It burns my tongue. My voice has changed as well, it is very scratchy. Almost like I am getting a cold or something. This stuff lowers my immune system, so all sickies please wear masks and wash your hands really well, if you really need to come over:). Thanks.

camping season is over

We went to the mountain today, packed up the camper and brought it down. I doubt we will be back up there again to stay this summer. I guess we could have left it up but then Geo would have put it down with out much help from me and I like to do things my self and he knows it. So we will just have to be content to fishing with out camping.

Yesterday I had my hair cut off. Miquel put it up in little pony tails and then we went to see Emily who cut the little ponytails off and then cut and styled my hair. I am donating my hair to locks of love. It had to be 10" long to be able to donate it. Most of it was. But now I have a really short do til it all falls out. The day before it is suppose to fall out I think I will shave my head so I don't have a bunch of hair everywhere.

I guess it is best to start at the beginning.

I found a huge lump in my left breast in February 2010. I had recently weaned George when I went to work at Wal-mart so I really thought it was just mastitis or a clogged duct. I called my mid-wife and she started me on a few herbs. I took them faithfully for about a month but nothing really happened except my breast got larger and sore. So I called her back and she started me on a few more herbs. The swelling went down and the soreness went away. My mid-wife came to see me and during her visit she could see that I was scratching my head and looked puffy so she had me add a few more herbs to my list and admonished me to watch my diet. NO sugar, more fruit and veggies.

Immediately we had results. The swelling went down, the soreness was totally gone and we were left with a walnut sized rock hard lump. I continued to take the herbs but let off of the diet. A little sugar wouldn't hurt me, or so I thought. The lump never changed.

In June I had a dream that I had Geo call Dr Wold and make me an appointment. Dr Wold is a doctor who used to be in Roosevelt. He delivered Miquel, Vinnie and Aaron. But before I could even go to my six week check up for the birth of Aaron, Dr Wold moved to the Wasatch front and I never heard from him again. I had no idea where he even was. I thought the dream was dumb and didn't act on it. But I kept remembering it and decided to look Dr Wold up on the Internet.

Dr Wolds office is two blocks from moms house in American Fork. I called and made an appointment. June 22, 2010 I was reacquainted with Dr Wold. I don't think he remembered me. It has been 18 years, I have gained a lot of weight, and changed my name. But he tried to remember me. I don't know why we needed to see him other than it put us in to a pool of doctors and hospitals that I would not have had here in Vernal. All of my doctors are two blocks from moms house.

I was impressed with his response. He wanted me to have a mammogram and see a surgeon. They tried to get me into a doctor but she was out of town. There happened to be an opening for Dr Clark Sheffield. They made me an appointment for later that day and scheduled my mammogram and ultrasound for after lunch.

When I got to moms house they had called and the surgeon wanted to see me right away. We left right then and went to his office. He spent a good hour with us and suggested that when they do the ultra sound they also get a biopsy.

So our first official day of our cancer journey was June 22, and on that day we saw an OB, saw a surgeon, had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. All we could say was that angels were helping and guiding us to get things done as quickly and easily as possible.

The next week we took the boys out to the zoo. On our way there Dr Sheffield's office called and they said they wanted to see us. We cut our zoo visit short so we could be in their office before they closed for the July 4 weekend.

I have infiltrating lobular carcinoma. It is a rare cancer of the breast. Not necessarily harder to treat just more rare than ductal carcinoma. We would start by having a lumpectomy and then radiation. At least that is what I heard. Geo says now that there was more to the treatment plan than that but I chose not to hear it. I was in major denial. An appointment was made to see the oncologist and the plastic surgeon for consecutive weeks.

The next week we met with Dr. Wendy Breyer, oncologist. She is a cute little asian girl with beautiful legs. She changed our treatment plan. This really knocked my feet out from under me. I was able to deal with it pretty well til CHEMO came into the discussion. Again Geo says that it had been mentioned before but I had never heard it. So anyway, treatment became Sentinal node discetion>Chemo>mastectomy and oophectomy>radiation and hormone therapy.
She also did the genetics testing, ordered ct scans of my chest and abdomin and a bone density scan.

All the tests came back clear. It is not genetics, even though every person who has ever died in our family has died from cancer. So that is good news to all my sisters. There is no sign on the CT scans in my lungs or liver and I have very good bone density. I am as healthy as a horse, I just have cancer.

To date we have had the Sentinal Node Disection. Cancer is present in the nodes. They have installed the porta cath, which is a device under the skin that will allow the doctors and nurses to access a main vein. They will be able to administer all meds and do all blood draws from this little device. I am very sore and terrified to start the chemotherapy.

I have made major dietary changes. NO meat, NO sugar, No dairy. Meat is a little hard to give up but the others I have been working on for a long time. Not to hard to give them up.

Welcome!

This will be a spot were we can keep all of our family and friends up to date on our journey through cancer!
Thanks for following!