Ya gotta love Mark Twain! This is Marla, updating the fat & mean girl's blog per her request. I must add at this point, if my husband ever posted those endearing words on the internet for the entire world to read, the rumors of his death would not be greatly exaggerated. Nevermind that they might be true words. That is beside the point.
Now onto the reason for my nomination as the blog updater. It seems my sister, you know, the fat & mean one, in a moment of brain cell loss, sent out an email leading many to believe her imminent demise was at hand. This email was then followed by the last blog update by Mr. Fat & Mean which ran along the same thought track as the aforementioned email. Most people on the receiving end of these two fine literary masterpieces immediately went into hysteria, writing and/or calling Mr. & Mrs. Fat & Mean to express their heartfelt melancholy. I am ashamed to say when I opened the email my first thought was, "Kelly! Have you lost your freaking mind!?!?" Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, she has." Which brings me to one of her favorite cards she ever received. It has a silly, smiling Jack O Lantern on the front with the question, "Ever wonder why Jack O Lantern's smile like that?". The answer inside: "You'd smile like that too if half your brains had been scooped out." Ok, so I thought it was funny when I bought it and she seemed to like it so here's my point.
We are all going to die. Only God knows when.....unless your a Kevorkian follower that is. Kelly is going to die someday. So am I. So are you. She aint dead yet! My little sister has had a miserable two years that she has handled with amazing grace at times and like a pitbull on speed at others. The best I can do is refuse to be miserable for her or with her. She much prefers me when I am making my morbidly tasteless comments regarding her situation and life in general. I believe I have only had two meltdowns in the last two years in front of her. She did not dig that at all and reminded me I was not allowed to cry. Everyone else was but not me. I must remain humorous at all times per the Queen's request.
So, I was summoned by Queen Fat & Mean today and ordered to update her blog, "and be funny, change the tone, let people know I'm ok." So there you have it. I hope I was funny. I will NEVER change my tone so I hope I have changed yours. Oh yeah, and Kelly is ok.
Now go find the rudest card you can legally buy without losing your salvation, write a snide remark or two in it, and mail the little bugger to Queen Fat & Mean. You'll thank me later.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Finally an update – and David has to do it!
It's been an extremely rough year; between blood clots, several trips to Houston (in the car), and new forms of chemo, as a result, the year flew by.
The Good news is that the tumors haven't grown significantly. The bad news is that all the treatment Kelly has received over the last 11 years has really thrashed her body, from her brain to her legs. The main culprits are radiation and chemo. The doctors in Houston told her she has been over radiated way too much, way too much. Her mobility and motor skills on the right side are gone. She doesn't have any balance either. Now it's starting to effect her left side so she has to get the brain tumor removed, which is an extremely dangerous operation. We have been told that she has a 50% chance of being parallelized on the right side (which is not good). So why do the surgery? Because she is basically parallelized on the right side now and she constantly has what we refer to as “helmet head”. Helmet head is the feeling of having a tight helmet squeezed on your head and there is no way to take it off. This gets really old 24 hours a day.
Kelly's brain is swelling because of the radiation and the steroids aren't working any longer. They are making her mean and fat, and health wise, they aren't working. She really struggles to get out of bed in and out of bed just to use the restroom. This takes her about 30 minutes and is heart breaking to watch. It can take her 3 to 4 hours to write one thank you card, so feel lucky if you get one. She can barely keep up. She appreciates all your calls, emails, pictures, cards, etc and is looking forward to when she can reconnect with everyone.
I cannot tell you how much I respect her for struggling through everyday with such a positive attitude. It puts everything else into perspective, so when I have a bad day at work, I slap myself and get back to reality when I get home. She really has it tough. She wants to be independent so bad she's about to explode. As Bob Rothstein says, “she's my hero”; which I totally agree with. She is a true inspiration and model of courage. She hasn't given up to a horrible disease that would have broken my spirit long ago.
Kelly's wonderful cousins, Cherie & Kelly Fitzgerald have volunteered to drive her to Houston in their motor home for her surgery. This will make the trip so much more bearable, like switching from a covered wagon to a limousine. Kelly cannot fly because of the blood clots and I think another trip in a car would have driven her over the edge.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 9th. So everyone should put in their pray requests. The goal of the surgery is to remove the brain tumor that Hoag Hospital said was not removable. Last year at University of San Francisco we were that the total hip replacement was not possible, and that turned out great at MD Anderson. MD Anderson is a wonderful place. It was by the grace of God that we found them (and a little help from her sisters, well okay LOTS of help!).
The surgeon will have about 20 units of blood for the surgery. I think the body holds 6 or 7, so they expect a lot of blood. As I said before, there is a 50% chance of right side paralysis. We hope that she ends up on the other 50% side and is able to move her right leg, etc. Hopefully her head will clear up and she finally gets to take off her helmet. Her balance should return with a lot of hard work and physical therapy and her brain should clear up (she's currently in a fog). She should be able to stop the steroids which will put her in a much better frame of mind.
Kelly, her cousins (Cherie & Kelly), her sisters (Marla & Char) will start their road trip on Thursday, Jan 29th. Her first appointment is at 7:30 AM on Monday, February 2nd. Kelly's week is full of tests, preparing her for her Monday, February 9th morning surgery.
Please pray for her.
I will post to the blog after the surgery to let everyone know how she comes out.
Peace & Love, Peace & Love,
David
The Good news is that the tumors haven't grown significantly. The bad news is that all the treatment Kelly has received over the last 11 years has really thrashed her body, from her brain to her legs. The main culprits are radiation and chemo. The doctors in Houston told her she has been over radiated way too much, way too much. Her mobility and motor skills on the right side are gone. She doesn't have any balance either. Now it's starting to effect her left side so she has to get the brain tumor removed, which is an extremely dangerous operation. We have been told that she has a 50% chance of being parallelized on the right side (which is not good). So why do the surgery? Because she is basically parallelized on the right side now and she constantly has what we refer to as “helmet head”. Helmet head is the feeling of having a tight helmet squeezed on your head and there is no way to take it off. This gets really old 24 hours a day.
Kelly's brain is swelling because of the radiation and the steroids aren't working any longer. They are making her mean and fat, and health wise, they aren't working. She really struggles to get out of bed in and out of bed just to use the restroom. This takes her about 30 minutes and is heart breaking to watch. It can take her 3 to 4 hours to write one thank you card, so feel lucky if you get one. She can barely keep up. She appreciates all your calls, emails, pictures, cards, etc and is looking forward to when she can reconnect with everyone.
I cannot tell you how much I respect her for struggling through everyday with such a positive attitude. It puts everything else into perspective, so when I have a bad day at work, I slap myself and get back to reality when I get home. She really has it tough. She wants to be independent so bad she's about to explode. As Bob Rothstein says, “she's my hero”; which I totally agree with. She is a true inspiration and model of courage. She hasn't given up to a horrible disease that would have broken my spirit long ago.
Kelly's wonderful cousins, Cherie & Kelly Fitzgerald have volunteered to drive her to Houston in their motor home for her surgery. This will make the trip so much more bearable, like switching from a covered wagon to a limousine. Kelly cannot fly because of the blood clots and I think another trip in a car would have driven her over the edge.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 9th. So everyone should put in their pray requests. The goal of the surgery is to remove the brain tumor that Hoag Hospital said was not removable. Last year at University of San Francisco we were that the total hip replacement was not possible, and that turned out great at MD Anderson. MD Anderson is a wonderful place. It was by the grace of God that we found them (and a little help from her sisters, well okay LOTS of help!).
The surgeon will have about 20 units of blood for the surgery. I think the body holds 6 or 7, so they expect a lot of blood. As I said before, there is a 50% chance of right side paralysis. We hope that she ends up on the other 50% side and is able to move her right leg, etc. Hopefully her head will clear up and she finally gets to take off her helmet. Her balance should return with a lot of hard work and physical therapy and her brain should clear up (she's currently in a fog). She should be able to stop the steroids which will put her in a much better frame of mind.
Kelly, her cousins (Cherie & Kelly), her sisters (Marla & Char) will start their road trip on Thursday, Jan 29th. Her first appointment is at 7:30 AM on Monday, February 2nd. Kelly's week is full of tests, preparing her for her Monday, February 9th morning surgery.
Please pray for her.
I will post to the blog after the surgery to let everyone know how she comes out.
Peace & Love, Peace & Love,
David
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Back in Prunetucky
It’s exciting to be able to update my blog from home after being gone for almost four months (although I do miss my Oklahoma family & friends). Everyone, David & stable of animals, survived fine without me thanks to Sheryl (assistant/housekeeper) who has been helping us in Calif over the last several months. Since David is in the midst of opening the third store, and I haven’t driven for the last year+, Sheryl has been a Godsend for our “family”. Now on to the results from MD Andersen…….Drum roll please.
After numerous MRI’s’ CT’s, blood work and other tests, I met with Dr. Lewis who had performed my hip surgery, and Dr. Patel, my Oncologist, to review “next steps”. After review of the scans, Dr. Lewis determined that my new hip was healing according to plan and removed the brace after 12 weeks (YIPPEE!). It was a good thing as I don’t think I could have taken many more sponge baths or having my hair washed in the bathroom sink.
The next news came from my Oncologist, Dr. Patel, who was comparing scans & test results taken in December to the new test results from the week of February 11th. David, Marla and Char were there to share the news. Essentially Dr. Patel informed us that overall the scans looked good with little to no growth on any of the remaining tumors. His recommendation was to build my strength over the next three months and upon return to MDA in May, another round of tests will be conducted to compare scans. If there is no sign of “significant” growth, I’ll be sent home again for another three month break and will continue to have check-ups every three months.
My first week home was very busy as I started Physical Therapy (PT) and had to also visit my local doctors. The PT is very important right now as I learn to walk again which is proving to be a very slow and painful process. So far the biggest challenge is getting my right leg to cooperate (surgery was on my left hip) as I have been challenged for the last few years with increased numbness due to years of radiation – no I’m not glowing in the dark YET. I’m also struggling with fatigue and working to build up my stamina. Yesterday I had my first “accident” – let me try to briefly explain. David has been taking the dogs (Jack the Labradoodle & Buster Brown the Basset Hound) for daily walks and after several days of trying to convince me that the scooter was safe and there was no way I could fall, I believed him and took the plunge. On my first venture out I did great until I decided to exert my independence coming up the driveway and unfortunately proved my husband wrong (he said I couldn’t flip it over) by doing a triple somersault as the scooter slammed to the ground. Not to worry, I landed on my hard head
Thanks again for your cards, letters, thoughts and prayers that have kept me motivated to keep on going even on my worst days. Unfortunately I continue to have some “bad” days however being surrounded by positive energy from friends & family has kept me going.
Love,
Kelly
After numerous MRI’s’ CT’s, blood work and other tests, I met with Dr. Lewis who had performed my hip surgery, and Dr. Patel, my Oncologist, to review “next steps”. After review of the scans, Dr. Lewis determined that my new hip was healing according to plan and removed the brace after 12 weeks (YIPPEE!). It was a good thing as I don’t think I could have taken many more sponge baths or having my hair washed in the bathroom sink.
The next news came from my Oncologist, Dr. Patel, who was comparing scans & test results taken in December to the new test results from the week of February 11th. David, Marla and Char were there to share the news. Essentially Dr. Patel informed us that overall the scans looked good with little to no growth on any of the remaining tumors. His recommendation was to build my strength over the next three months and upon return to MDA in May, another round of tests will be conducted to compare scans. If there is no sign of “significant” growth, I’ll be sent home again for another three month break and will continue to have check-ups every three months.
My first week home was very busy as I started Physical Therapy (PT) and had to also visit my local doctors. The PT is very important right now as I learn to walk again which is proving to be a very slow and painful process. So far the biggest challenge is getting my right leg to cooperate (surgery was on my left hip) as I have been challenged for the last few years with increased numbness due to years of radiation – no I’m not glowing in the dark YET. I’m also struggling with fatigue and working to build up my stamina. Yesterday I had my first “accident” – let me try to briefly explain. David has been taking the dogs (Jack the Labradoodle & Buster Brown the Basset Hound) for daily walks and after several days of trying to convince me that the scooter was safe and there was no way I could fall, I believed him and took the plunge. On my first venture out I did great until I decided to exert my independence coming up the driveway and unfortunately proved my husband wrong (he said I couldn’t flip it over) by doing a triple somersault as the scooter slammed to the ground. Not to worry, I landed on my hard head
Thanks again for your cards, letters, thoughts and prayers that have kept me motivated to keep on going even on my worst days. Unfortunately I continue to have some “bad” days however being surrounded by positive energy from friends & family has kept me going.
Love,
Kelly
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Life on Hansen Farm
Surprise! I'm alive! Ok, ok so it's been awhile since I have updated my blog. I would say give me a break however after my total hip replacement I don't think asking for a break would be a good idea anymore.
Surgery was done on November 12 and was a complete success. I underwent 8 hours of one of the most intense surgeries on my left hip, According to my surgeon, “it was one for the books”. I like to think of it as having all new ball bearings installed. Now all I need is a new engine and starter and I will be Nascar ready.
I did have to spend 1 month in the hospital. MD Anderson in Houston is an absolutely amazing hospital. It is it's own self-contained city within a city. The food and care was amazing. It was like being in an upscale hotel..... other than the IV poles, bedpans, drugs, etc. Char & I ended up spending Thanksgiving in the hospital which actually wasn't all that bad. We had a lovely dinner and the TV all to ourselves. Which brings me to the subject of my sister, Charlene!
Let me start off by saying how much I love my big sister Char. She is an amazing woman with so many giftings. There is in fact no other person on this planet that I would want to take care of me....... if I needed a complete makeover. She is the BEST when it comes to making me look good even in the hospital. Hair & makeup are her forte. However, as a traditional caregiver Char would probably NOT be the Peoples Choice. Let me explain.
Char would rise each morning and immediately begin cleaning the room, ordering our breakfast, primp & fuss over me so I would look presentable to the world. Then the nurse would come in to perform some minor activity like check my surgical wound or help me onto the bedside commode. Char would RUN from the room making the same excuse each time that she had to make a phone call. Then there was THE NIGHT. In the middle of THE NIGHT I awoke in miserable pain. I had all the drugs onboard that I could have so the only other thing that might bring relief would be to readjust my body in bed. Being completely unable to do this myself had the effect of giving me a panicky feeling of anxiety. As I laid there whimpering for Char to help me she continued to snore in the bed next to me. Finally, she heard me and jumped from her bed. I felt a sense of relief that help was on the way UNTIL she reached the side of my bed. Leaning over the rail and getting almost nose to nose with me she FIRMLY made the following statement. " I need my rest and so do you, now GO TO SLEEP!"
Of course, to have your sister who is 15 years older go nose to nose and lay down the law instantly turns you into a 5 year old. I did what any 5 year old would do to avoid getting into further trouble. I went to sleep! The moral of this story is this. It is DANGEROUS to disturb a beauty queens sleep.
By now some of you might have noticed that I have not been home for quite awhile, in fact I haven’t been back to California since October 22nd. I have been recuperating from surgery in Oklahoma with Marla and her family since my release from MD Andersen in early December. In addition to Marla & her family taking care of me, my cousins Maureen and Larry came to visit for two weeks during their cross-country travels. Maureen cooked and baked EVERY DAY and left the freezer full, as well as, our tummies!! Also, my cousin Cher came for a week and was able to massage my “bad leg” to move after having a slight set back for the last few weeks. Both provided a lot of help and assistance to me, and a brief break for Marla who has been waiting on me hand & foot for the last 4+ months.
This week Char is coming to see Dad for a few days before we head back on Monday the 11th to MD Andersen where I’ll meet up with David. His parents will join us, in addition to his two brothers and their families for dinner one night – this will be the first time our families have met, which is scarier than waiting for the results of my tests (ha/ha) which is the reason I am actually going to Houston. I am currently scheduled to have the brace removed on the 13th, followed up by MRI’s, CT’s, blood work, etc to determine “Next Steps”. Bottom line is if the tumors are stable since the last scans/tests taken in December I will come back in 3 months for another round of tests. If there are any signs of significant growth, a chemo plan will be administered. Fortunately, if I do need more chemo, the plan will be lead by the doctors at MDA, however I will receive the drugs through the Dr’s in California.
I am looking forward to returning to California but will miss my Oklahoma family. Thank you all for your continued prayers, thoughts & good wishes.
Kelly Mae (my new Okie name)
Surgery was done on November 12 and was a complete success. I underwent 8 hours of one of the most intense surgeries on my left hip, According to my surgeon, “it was one for the books”. I like to think of it as having all new ball bearings installed. Now all I need is a new engine and starter and I will be Nascar ready.
I did have to spend 1 month in the hospital. MD Anderson in Houston is an absolutely amazing hospital. It is it's own self-contained city within a city. The food and care was amazing. It was like being in an upscale hotel..... other than the IV poles, bedpans, drugs, etc. Char & I ended up spending Thanksgiving in the hospital which actually wasn't all that bad. We had a lovely dinner and the TV all to ourselves. Which brings me to the subject of my sister, Charlene!
Let me start off by saying how much I love my big sister Char. She is an amazing woman with so many giftings. There is in fact no other person on this planet that I would want to take care of me....... if I needed a complete makeover. She is the BEST when it comes to making me look good even in the hospital. Hair & makeup are her forte. However, as a traditional caregiver Char would probably NOT be the Peoples Choice. Let me explain.
Char would rise each morning and immediately begin cleaning the room, ordering our breakfast, primp & fuss over me so I would look presentable to the world. Then the nurse would come in to perform some minor activity like check my surgical wound or help me onto the bedside commode. Char would RUN from the room making the same excuse each time that she had to make a phone call. Then there was THE NIGHT. In the middle of THE NIGHT I awoke in miserable pain. I had all the drugs onboard that I could have so the only other thing that might bring relief would be to readjust my body in bed. Being completely unable to do this myself had the effect of giving me a panicky feeling of anxiety. As I laid there whimpering for Char to help me she continued to snore in the bed next to me. Finally, she heard me and jumped from her bed. I felt a sense of relief that help was on the way UNTIL she reached the side of my bed. Leaning over the rail and getting almost nose to nose with me she FIRMLY made the following statement. " I need my rest and so do you, now GO TO SLEEP!"
Of course, to have your sister who is 15 years older go nose to nose and lay down the law instantly turns you into a 5 year old. I did what any 5 year old would do to avoid getting into further trouble. I went to sleep! The moral of this story is this. It is DANGEROUS to disturb a beauty queens sleep.
By now some of you might have noticed that I have not been home for quite awhile, in fact I haven’t been back to California since October 22nd. I have been recuperating from surgery in Oklahoma with Marla and her family since my release from MD Andersen in early December. In addition to Marla & her family taking care of me, my cousins Maureen and Larry came to visit for two weeks during their cross-country travels. Maureen cooked and baked EVERY DAY and left the freezer full, as well as, our tummies!! Also, my cousin Cher came for a week and was able to massage my “bad leg” to move after having a slight set back for the last few weeks. Both provided a lot of help and assistance to me, and a brief break for Marla who has been waiting on me hand & foot for the last 4+ months.
This week Char is coming to see Dad for a few days before we head back on Monday the 11th to MD Andersen where I’ll meet up with David. His parents will join us, in addition to his two brothers and their families for dinner one night – this will be the first time our families have met, which is scarier than waiting for the results of my tests (ha/ha) which is the reason I am actually going to Houston. I am currently scheduled to have the brace removed on the 13th, followed up by MRI’s, CT’s, blood work, etc to determine “Next Steps”. Bottom line is if the tumors are stable since the last scans/tests taken in December I will come back in 3 months for another round of tests. If there are any signs of significant growth, a chemo plan will be administered. Fortunately, if I do need more chemo, the plan will be lead by the doctors at MDA, however I will receive the drugs through the Dr’s in California.
I am looking forward to returning to California but will miss my Oklahoma family. Thank you all for your continued prayers, thoughts & good wishes.
Kelly Mae (my new Okie name)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Monday, November 12th
Finally some good news! Finally!
Well, Kelly had surgery today and it went well. Before they started the surgery, the doctors reviewed a Plan A, which is the one they really wanted to do and then a Plan B, if things didn't go so well. Well, Kelly finally has some good news and they were able to do plan A and everything turned out as good as they had hoped.
Kelly had her largest tumor removed and most of her left hip (there wasn't much left). They were able to rebuild it and put her back together. She is going to be able to walk again and most of her pain should be gone. She's getting some quality of life back. You guys really have no idea what a struggle this last year has been for Kelly, just to go to the bathroom was a major struggle, she had no quality of life.
I am so happy and excited for her I don't know what to do. All I can say is thank you to everyone who has prayed for her and helped her through this.
She is going to have to wear a brace for about 12 weeks, and I'm sure she will start complaining about it, but she is so far ahead of where she was, it's like she's ready to run a marathon.
Thanks again to everyone for their prayers, they really worked.
David
Well, Kelly had surgery today and it went well. Before they started the surgery, the doctors reviewed a Plan A, which is the one they really wanted to do and then a Plan B, if things didn't go so well. Well, Kelly finally has some good news and they were able to do plan A and everything turned out as good as they had hoped.
Kelly had her largest tumor removed and most of her left hip (there wasn't much left). They were able to rebuild it and put her back together. She is going to be able to walk again and most of her pain should be gone. She's getting some quality of life back. You guys really have no idea what a struggle this last year has been for Kelly, just to go to the bathroom was a major struggle, she had no quality of life.
I am so happy and excited for her I don't know what to do. All I can say is thank you to everyone who has prayed for her and helped her through this.
She is going to have to wear a brace for about 12 weeks, and I'm sure she will start complaining about it, but she is so far ahead of where she was, it's like she's ready to run a marathon.
Thanks again to everyone for their prayers, they really worked.
David
Friday, November 2, 2007
Finally – a plan!
Hello from MD Anderson! We received the long awaited call from MD Anderson on October 22 asking if we could be in Houston for an appointment two days later. Obviously it didn’t take much thought to answer YES to that question. Char jumped into action making all the necessary travel plans and so it was with great relief mixed with a little apprehension that Char, Marla & I met at the Houston airport on October 23.
Early October 24, the three of us met with Dr. Lewis who is Associate Professor of Surgery, Oncology and her team. In all my years of going through brain tumor surgeries, radiation treatments, chemo and the rest with some of the “BEST” doctors in California, MD Anderson and this team of doctors has by far surpassed all I could have ever hoped for. Not only is their expertise in dealing with this disease amazing, but more importantly they have given me hope. For any of you that have not watched the TV series, HOUSE, you really need to. My sisters & I have spent a lot of time laughing over how surreal this all feels and wondering if this might be a taping for HOUSE.
October 24 & 25 were spent in the hospital going from test to test. Everything had been scheduled and I was never kept waiting. The people here are professional, efficient, caring and kind. It was such a great experience to face the scary unknown of a new environment with people that were smiling, friendly and had us laughing.
The next step was to wait until my case was taken to their weekly review board which was held on October 30. We decided to just wait it out here in Houston hoping things might be approved quickly and move forward with a plan for my healing. On one of those waiting days, Char decided we needed to get out of the hotel and enjoy some Texas air. Even though I can’t walk and could barely hold my head up my two sisters poured me into a wheelchair and took off walking. We ended up miles away & did some shopping while sipping on a Starbucks. We finished the evening with a wonderful dinner at a local Indian restaurant. We had to take a cab back since it was dark by then, plus I didn’t trust Char & Marla to find their way back in the dark.
October 31 we received THE CALL! Dr.Lewis let us know that not only was I a good candidate for hip replacement surgery but the team had also come up with an overall plan for my health & welfare. All that to say, I will be having my hip replaced on November 12. Now, I am sure this is going to open me up for plenty of teasing from family and friends. Bring it on cuz I am pumped and ready!
With traveling being so difficult on me right now, Marla & I have stayed put in Houston while Char returned home to help Bob find missing work files. Seems after 38 years of marriage he falls apart when his little wife leaves town. In all fairness, Bob did tell Char she could stay longer since he has pictures of her to look at.
David is busy opening store #3 so I told him to hang tight in Salinas since Marla was here with me. We talk everyday and I sure do miss his face. I should have brought a picture! My pre-op appointment is set for November 7. Char, David, Kathy & Theresa will be flying in on November 10. Since Char has such a major phobia when it comes to flying we thought we would send her in a group this time. She seems to think the plane will only go down if she is on it alone with strangers.
Enough about me. Here is a quick update on my friend Nicole. After having to evacuate her home during the California fires, she and her family are safely back in their house. Our prayers have been answered and we are thankful.
Thanks again for all the cards & letters. I will try to be better about updates but remember you can always reach out to David, my sisters or Theresa.
God bless ~
Kelly
Early October 24, the three of us met with Dr. Lewis who is Associate Professor of Surgery, Oncology and her team. In all my years of going through brain tumor surgeries, radiation treatments, chemo and the rest with some of the “BEST” doctors in California, MD Anderson and this team of doctors has by far surpassed all I could have ever hoped for. Not only is their expertise in dealing with this disease amazing, but more importantly they have given me hope. For any of you that have not watched the TV series, HOUSE, you really need to. My sisters & I have spent a lot of time laughing over how surreal this all feels and wondering if this might be a taping for HOUSE.
October 24 & 25 were spent in the hospital going from test to test. Everything had been scheduled and I was never kept waiting. The people here are professional, efficient, caring and kind. It was such a great experience to face the scary unknown of a new environment with people that were smiling, friendly and had us laughing.
The next step was to wait until my case was taken to their weekly review board which was held on October 30. We decided to just wait it out here in Houston hoping things might be approved quickly and move forward with a plan for my healing. On one of those waiting days, Char decided we needed to get out of the hotel and enjoy some Texas air. Even though I can’t walk and could barely hold my head up my two sisters poured me into a wheelchair and took off walking. We ended up miles away & did some shopping while sipping on a Starbucks. We finished the evening with a wonderful dinner at a local Indian restaurant. We had to take a cab back since it was dark by then, plus I didn’t trust Char & Marla to find their way back in the dark.
October 31 we received THE CALL! Dr.Lewis let us know that not only was I a good candidate for hip replacement surgery but the team had also come up with an overall plan for my health & welfare. All that to say, I will be having my hip replaced on November 12. Now, I am sure this is going to open me up for plenty of teasing from family and friends. Bring it on cuz I am pumped and ready!
With traveling being so difficult on me right now, Marla & I have stayed put in Houston while Char returned home to help Bob find missing work files. Seems after 38 years of marriage he falls apart when his little wife leaves town. In all fairness, Bob did tell Char she could stay longer since he has pictures of her to look at.
David is busy opening store #3 so I told him to hang tight in Salinas since Marla was here with me. We talk everyday and I sure do miss his face. I should have brought a picture! My pre-op appointment is set for November 7. Char, David, Kathy & Theresa will be flying in on November 10. Since Char has such a major phobia when it comes to flying we thought we would send her in a group this time. She seems to think the plane will only go down if she is on it alone with strangers.
Enough about me. Here is a quick update on my friend Nicole. After having to evacuate her home during the California fires, she and her family are safely back in their house. Our prayers have been answered and we are thankful.
Thanks again for all the cards & letters. I will try to be better about updates but remember you can always reach out to David, my sisters or Theresa.
God bless ~
Kelly
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
It’s About Time…………
For an update! I know many of you are wondering why it has taken so long to update “the Blog” so I will try to summarize as quickly as possible. In a nutshell, it has been a rough month+ since I finished the last round of chemo. I haven’t been on email very much lately and hope everyone can understand if I haven’t returned a call or note(s). I have not felt good and have been working on my recovery which includes sleeping & radiation therapy.
The last round of tests, MRI’s, Scans, and X-rays prompted the doctors to advise me to prioritize my healthcare; 1) consult with an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in oncology for a possible hip replacement and 2) review the tumor in my right chest wall for possible radiation.
1) David, Theresa & I went to UCSF last week and saw the Chief Orthopedic Oncology Surgeon. Although Dr. O’Donnell has excellent credentials, and had performed hundreds of surgeries, he has never done this surgery. This is a very vascular (bloody) surgery which makes it much riskier. After “family review”, we are going to pass on UCSF. Marla & Char think they may have located a doctor out of Boston who has done this exact procedure, so that’s there homework this week.
2) Thursday, 9/27, I finished 12 days of radiation treatment to reduce the tumor size in my right chest wall. The good news is everything else looked good from the last set of tests, and this radiation hopefully gets me one step closer to remission. In the mean time, the treatment has made me really fatigued, nauseated, and dizzy and all the other fun things that come during recovery. My Radiation Oncologist is working hard to dissect many of my pending problems; for example changing medication dosage. Dr. Fischer has also referred me to an Ear Nose Throat specialist, who I will see on the 10th , as there is a possibility I could have wax build up from years of radiation treatment, which can throw off your equilibrium. It would be GREAT, if for once the solution was that easy – my fingers are crossed and daily prayers are said to unclog my head!
Other than working on these health priorities, Char & Marla are still working with the people at MD Anderson as there staff of doctors, nurses & admin gather and review all of my files – it’s HUGE!
In addition to keeping busy with me, David has just opened his second store while he is working on the third store to open in 2008. Thanks to Char & Gina who came up to stage “decorate” for the soft opening and wrapped 200+ giveaways for the Grand Opening scheduled for the 26th & 27th of Oct. Thanks also to Karen & Theresa who came up a few weeks earlier to deliver decorator product they had picked up in so Cal and delivered for the opening of Store #2. Thanks again, we couldn’t have done it with out you!
My eyes are starting to get heavy – must be getting close to knap time. Right now I must stay off my left hip as much as possible, so my days are spent trying to rebuild my energy level and making sure I don’t damage the left hip with an accidental fall, etc.
Please feel free to call David, Marla or Char for an update while I am working on my road to recovery. Also, know that I think of all of you and appreciate the prayers & letters. I look forward to when I am feeling better and will be able to “entertain” or see you soon!
God Bless – My Love to All,
Kelly
The last round of tests, MRI’s, Scans, and X-rays prompted the doctors to advise me to prioritize my healthcare; 1) consult with an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in oncology for a possible hip replacement and 2) review the tumor in my right chest wall for possible radiation.
1) David, Theresa & I went to UCSF last week and saw the Chief Orthopedic Oncology Surgeon. Although Dr. O’Donnell has excellent credentials, and had performed hundreds of surgeries, he has never done this surgery. This is a very vascular (bloody) surgery which makes it much riskier. After “family review”, we are going to pass on UCSF. Marla & Char think they may have located a doctor out of Boston who has done this exact procedure, so that’s there homework this week.
2) Thursday, 9/27, I finished 12 days of radiation treatment to reduce the tumor size in my right chest wall. The good news is everything else looked good from the last set of tests, and this radiation hopefully gets me one step closer to remission. In the mean time, the treatment has made me really fatigued, nauseated, and dizzy and all the other fun things that come during recovery. My Radiation Oncologist is working hard to dissect many of my pending problems; for example changing medication dosage. Dr. Fischer has also referred me to an Ear Nose Throat specialist, who I will see on the 10th , as there is a possibility I could have wax build up from years of radiation treatment, which can throw off your equilibrium. It would be GREAT, if for once the solution was that easy – my fingers are crossed and daily prayers are said to unclog my head!
Other than working on these health priorities, Char & Marla are still working with the people at MD Anderson as there staff of doctors, nurses & admin gather and review all of my files – it’s HUGE!
In addition to keeping busy with me, David has just opened his second store while he is working on the third store to open in 2008. Thanks to Char & Gina who came up to stage “decorate” for the soft opening and wrapped 200+ giveaways for the Grand Opening scheduled for the 26th & 27th of Oct. Thanks also to Karen & Theresa who came up a few weeks earlier to deliver decorator product they had picked up in so Cal and delivered for the opening of Store #2. Thanks again, we couldn’t have done it with out you!
My eyes are starting to get heavy – must be getting close to knap time. Right now I must stay off my left hip as much as possible, so my days are spent trying to rebuild my energy level and making sure I don’t damage the left hip with an accidental fall, etc.
Please feel free to call David, Marla or Char for an update while I am working on my road to recovery. Also, know that I think of all of you and appreciate the prayers & letters. I look forward to when I am feeling better and will be able to “entertain” or see you soon!
God Bless – My Love to All,
Kelly
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