Reelin' in the Big'uns

I have been wanting to post this entry for quite awhile now, but I tell ya, this "cancer thing" (not feeling well, being admitted into the hospital, etc) keeps getting in the way of me accomplishing things on my to do list!  Shesh!!

So first things first, if you were able to attend this year's Art Bra Austin... how amazing was that?!?  Amazing can't even describe it!  It was so much fun and there was such a loving, powerful, supportive vibe that just overtook the Austin Music Hall!  I'm so glad I participated and modeled this year!  It's an experience and memory I'll always cherish and something that will always bring a smile to my face!

Thank you all who attended!  Maybe I'm a little biased, but I think I had one hell of an impressive cheering section!  I don't think I'll be able to give a shout out to everyone I know who purchased a ticket, but I do want to give a big thank you to my friend Elizabeth Weisman/Hunter Ind. for being a Sponsor.  Sponsorships really contribute in making this event a success, so EA, I hope you don't mind me calling you out on your continuous support of being of Sponsor... this being the 3rd year in a row!  Thanks girl! 

Now lets talk about my online fundraising.  Oh my!!!  I am so impressed and in absolute awe at how generous you all have been in helping me raise money for the BCRC!  With everything that has been going on over the last couple of weeks, I do apologize that you have not received your thank you notes yet (yes, I'm totally playing the cancer card on this one.  Ha ha!).  But you have to know how much I appreciate your generosity and support!

Mark & Patti Smith

Rose Trott

Gwynn Clark

"Dr." Omar Rodriguez

Mrs. Jene Bearse

Kathryn Gibson

Liz & Jeff Keating

Johnny & Anne Weisman

Sherri Kawulok

Beth Payan

Mrs. Corinne Gafni

Mrs. Cagney Hurt

Ms. Rebecca Eaton

Camille Osterkamp

Brannon Brooke

Teresa Mize

Bill Hogan

Mrs. Debi Smith

Debra Smith

Paul & Connie McDaniel

Stephanie Jeffries

So I've talked a lot about the event itself, but lets talk a little more about the details.  All the models are clients of the BCRC.  The bras that are worn are either created by the model themselves or are designed, created and donated to the BCRC.  Considering this was my first debut on the runway, I decided that I wanted to create my own bra.  For those of you that know me... I don't have a single crafty, creative bone in my body.  That's when my friend, Brandi Wilson, swooped in, helped me design and create the bra I wore and saved the day.  Thank you B for dedicating your time and energy to this project.  I had a blast hanging out with you and not only did a learn a thing or two about arts and crafts, but I discovered that Hobby Lobby is one of THE most overwhelming stores you could ever go in!  Ha ha!  

So back to my art bra... This piece exemplifies one of my passions.  I love to fish!  It is something I enjoy to do with my husband, my family and my friends.  I worked with my friend, Brandi, along with other fishing enthusiasts, to craft a bra that embodies the excitement and thrill I experience when spending time with people I love, doing the activity I love.  Introducing "Reelin' in the Big'uns!"

Of course considering this is a charity event, another aspect of raising money for the BCRC, is their live and silent auction.  Not only are the bras modeled by BCRC clients, but the bras are packaged with other products and auctioned off.  My bra was apart of the silent auction and was packaged with a gift basket of fly fishing gear donated by Gruene Outfitters along w/ a Yeti Cooler donated by John & Lauren Damen.  A HUGE thank you goes out to Gruene Outfitters and to John & Lauren Damen for making this an awesome packaged deal!  

Thank you Amanda Fowler (redscottage.com) for not only donating the flies you tied for my bra, but for my custom made fly earrings...

Since I'm on a roll for giving shout outs... I want to thank all those involved in making this such a successful, fun event.  This includes all the volunteers who helped with hair and makeup backstage.  I also want to thank Betty Lash for donating Organic Glow spray tans to the models.  Seriously, I enjoyed every second of that tan!  Loved it and I highly recommend checking out Betty Lash's spa services if you live in the Austin area.  AND a very special thank you goes out to the women who helped me before, during and after I puked that night.  Yup, that's right... this girl puked and rallied!  I would say that nerves could have caused the upset stomach, but it's clear that a couple of days later my outpatient procedure and hospital stay with Pancreatitis was to blame for my week long unexplained bouts of throwing up.  I guess it was just easier to blame it on nerves.  But hey, the show must go on!

So this is what it comes down to... after all the hard work that was put into making this event happen and the generosity of all of those contributing (whether that was a time commitment or a financial contribution), the BCRC raised more than $245,000!!!  Talk about an amazing success and such a memorable experience!  

Again... THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

I wish I had more pictures of those who attended, but here is one with a few of my girlfriends:

Me and my hubs:

One last pose on the runway of all the models participating:

Quick Update

My week long stay at Seton is finally over.  I'm at home and starting my recovery process.  When I get a little more energy and I'm not quite so uncomfortable, I'll fill you in a little more about what's been going on.  Right now I'm getting ready to find out what's in my near future as far as what my next treatment will possibly be.  I have an appointment Monday morning at the START clinic (South Tx Accelerated Research Therapeutics) in San Antonio to discuss clinical trial options.  I can't say I'm thrilled about making the trip down to SA so soon after getting out of the hospital, but we really want to get this ball rolling to find out what our options are and getting something started ASAP.  

I still have so much I want to share with y'all.  I'll be back in touch when I'm feeling better and things calm down.

  

Another Day or Two

I'm currently still at Seton and I've been told I'll be released in another day or two.  I'm pretty sure I was told that 3 days ago, but I guess that's just the safest, non confrontational answer they're able to give with a smile on their face.  But as always, things weren't quite as "easy peasy" as they thought it would be when admitting me into Seton.  Since my last blog entry I've had two additional procedures done on the same site.  (I know, unfortunately I won't be walking out of here with a fuller set of lips and nice little butt lift).  Anyway, the two procedures were basically "tweaking" the first procedure I had done on Friday.  This of course set us back a bit in the healing process of the incision site.  We had some bile leakage issues that we needed to get control over and lets be honest, nothing good can come out of bile leakage!  Ugh!  In the meantime I also developed a minor fever that we couldn't ignore because obviously that's a possible sign of infection.  The good news today is that my diet restriction has been upgraded from a liquid diet to a soft diet.  Oh Yeah!!  Moving' on up!  Bring on the mashed taters!

So ya, we're trucking along.  Unfortunately after that last infusion I've lost a pretty big portion of my hair.  I think my prized possession right now is my lent roller.  Who would have known?!  It's amazing how much your hair can just get e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!  I guess I better be getting those hair clippers out of storage.  I guess it's great timing for summertime!  

Adios until my next entry... I'm thinking in about a day or two!

ER #14 - The Good News & The Bad News

On Friday I proceeded to have my "easy peasy" outpatient day surgery... Drains were being put in my liver to help alleviate the build up of bile.  

For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis... Then you know that things did not turn out as "easy peasy" as they should have been.  

After a seemingly successful procedure, I ended up at home and started my recovery process.  The next thing I knew I ended up in the Emergency Room a couple hours later because of a leak in my incision site.  After a CT scan, additional tests and lab work, the entertainment of listening to a crazy Friday night in the ER and realizing I was placed in the same room where they told me I had breast cancer... The ER Doctor came in to reveal the good news and the bad news.

The Good News

The drains that were placed in my liver were working (good placement, good drainage and just overall looking like a successful procedure).

The Bad News

I have Pancreatitis

I'm sorry, but the last time I was in this ER #14 I was struggling with the fact that I was being told I had breast cancer and the possibility that it had spread to my liver.  I'm not trying to downplay Pancreatitis, but I was most definitely expecting worse news.   After hearing the news and sitting there looking around at my family that was with me... I was thinking to myself "AND does this mean the cancer has spread to my Pancreas? Does this mean I have Pancreatic cancer?"  I mean when you say you have bad news... I'm expecting to hear BAD news!  Nope!  Not the case at all.  I have Pancreatitis which is basically the inflammation of the Pancreas and is probably the root of the problems/bad side effects I've been experiencing lately. 

So right now I'm still in the hospital.  I've been told I'll be here another day or two.  Of course that's something I'll believe it when I see it.  But so far and as of now, everything is shaping up nicely.  My lab work is looking great and it's amazing how much better I'm feeling.   Yes, I'm feeling better, but I also don't want to portray this as a walk in the park (well, I guess that depends on what park you're walking in).  Anyway, right now I have a pretty nasty drain coming out of my stomach that is attached to a bag that is collecting all the extra bile (trust me, you don't want me to describe this any further).  I also have not been able to eat or drink since midnight on Thurs night.  This is due to the fasting I had to do for my procedure on Friday and then once it was discovered I had Pancreatitis, I was unable to eat or drink (not even water) because we do not want my pancreas to be working or excreting enzymes.  I was finally able to start a liquid diet today.  Who knew that a 1/4 cup of chicken broth, a couple bites of red jello and a half a cup of water could be so filling!  But hey, I'm ok with baby steps!  And as many of you also know, my blog can tend to have inside jokes planted here and there, so Mawmaw, this one goes out to you... Believe me, I would have requested yellow jello if I had the chance!  ;)

Alright, I need to wrap this up.  I've been trying to get this done in between the naps and the constant rotation of doctors and nurses coming in and out.  Thanks again for all the prayers, positive thoughts and good vibes you've been putting out there for me.  I've had a couple of requests for hospital visits and as much as I'd love the company, this has been a pretty exhausting experience for me.  Besides, I may be getting out of here tomorrow, right?!?

So to sum this up, I feel like we're getting things accomplished.  We've pinpointed issues that need to be taken care of and dammit, we're taking care of them!  I'm looking forward to seeing Dr. H at some point this week and figuring out what our next plan of attack will be!

Bad news... Pleeeeeeeeeease!!!

Mellow Yellow

Over the last couple of weeks I have had so many things I've wanted to blog about and share (how successful Art Bra Austin was is a good example and wanting to share pictures of my outfit), but to be quite honest, I've been feeling pretty crumby lately (yes, I decided to go the PG route in describing how I feel).  I started my new chemo cocktail on May 8th (an infusion I would get once every 3 weeks), and even though I was told it was going to be a rough one, I kept thinking, "sure, I'll have a rough week and then I'll have 2 weeks to live it up and have some fun."  Welllllllll, that's not exactly how it went down.  The last 3 weeks have been pretty miserable (again, PG version).

On top of the extreme dehydration, nausea, stomach issues, hair loss (thankfully I've started out again with a thick head of hair so it's not too noticeable), and what turned into a constant pain in my right side (yep, the liver quiver)... there's also the chest/stomach pains I've been having.  Unfortunately these pains became so bad that I would instantly throw up.  I've been taking an anti spasm medicine for my esophagus and after tweaking the dose a couple of times, these chest/stomach pains are finally better.  The endoscopy I ended up having thankfully came back clear, but the GI Dr believes this is all stress related.  I'm sorry... stress?!?  What is that???  And what could I or my body be possibly stressed about?!  Weird!

So this is the deal... I was supposed to get my 2nd infusion this week.  After keeping Dr. H updated on a regular basis on my side effects and how I've been handling them (or not being able to handle them), and walking into her office and having her comment on how yellow I was... chemo was put on hold and a CT scan was ordered that afternoon.  

The results are in... The lesions on my liver are slightly larger, but the problem is that the lesions are interfering with bile in my liver getting to the bile duct.  

Side note:  Before I go on any further, here's a little fun fact about bile... because don't we all need to know a little more about bile!  And no, this is nothing fancy, just some quick info from Wikipedia (however reliable or unreliable you find Wikipedia)... 

A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile.  Bile, required for the digestion of food, is secreted by the liver into passages that carry bile toward the hepatic duct, which joins with the cystic duct (carrying bile to and from the gallbladder) to form the common bile duct, which opens into the intestine.  Blockage of the bile duct by a cancer, gallstones, or scarring from injury prevents the bile from being transported to the intestine and the active ingredient in the bile (bilirubin) instead accumulates in the blood. This condition results in jaundice, where the skin and eyes become yellow from the bilirubin in the blood. 

So yes, this explains my yellow hue.  Tomorrow I will have an outpatient day surgery where they will put a drain in my liver which will alleviate the backup of bile in my liver.  Next week we'll do some more lab work and see how this procedure is helping out.  If this works (or should I say when this works), I will have a lot more options as far as chemo goes.

Prayers, good vibes, positive thoughts and energy are of course welcomed!  As far as me needing any help... from what I understand, this should be an easy peasy procedure and I have a ton of family in town and coming into town to help me out.  I'll keep you posted on how things are going as soon as I can.  

I also can't wait to share with you some of the more fun and entertaining "chapters" in my cancer journey.  My Art Bra Austin experience is at the top of the list, but I also can't wait to introduce you to my new BFF!  Gotta love a teaser!  Now I just need to feel better to follow up on these blog entries!  ;)

Comfortably Numb - A New Cocktail

I'm not quite sure why I'm not freaking out at this point.  I'm still going through all the same emotions I've gone through in the past when we've switched up my treatment... I don't think I'll ever not go through the worrying, the nerves, or the "what ifs."  But for some reason this time I feel a little more numb.  Numb in a... in a way that I'm okay with.  Lets call it, comfortably numb.  

Maybe I've come to terms with and I'm accepting of the fact that TDM1/Kadcyla and the 1,000 drugs I tried before that, weren't the right drugs for me.  And maybe this next treatment isn't the right one for me either.  But what if it is?  One of these days we're bound to find the right drug.  Right?!  

Maybe this is just my new "normal."  I'm not quite sure what normal is anymore... it's been redefined so many times since I was diagnosed.  

Maybe now that I'm retired I don't have the added stress of trying to make it into work or worrying that if I don't work, I won't get paid. 

Maybe it's having faith that everything will be okay. 

Maybe I don't need a reason or an explanation as to why I feel "comfortably numb."  

Tomorrow I'll start a new chemo cocktail...

Epirubicin, Cytoxin & Herceptin 

Let's get this new treatment started!  It could be the right drug for me!

 

I... Have become comfortably numb.

Mixed Emotions

I'm not exactly sure how to start this blog entry.  I have a few mixed emotions going on here.  The new treatment I'm on (TDM1 or Kadycla) isn't exactly working.  Who am I kidding... In no shape or form is it working.  I had a PET scan on Monday and the lesions on my liver are bigger and showing more cancer activity AND it spread to a couple lymph nodes in the abdomen area (in addition to the lymph nodes that were detected on my last scan).  Well, SH*T!  Now what?!  I have no idea and I have to wait till Monday to talk to Dr. H about our new game plan.  Well, I can't say I'm that surprised in these oh so disappointing results.  I knew my body was trying to tell me something.  Over the last 2 weeks I've been experiencing this "discomfort"... not quite in my abdomen and not quite in my chest, but somewhere in-between.  I've been taking Prilosec for heartburn and then started taking Carafate which treats ulcers and was about to make an appointment with a Gastroenterologist... and then we received the PET results which helped explain the mystery discomfort.  Wouldn't you know it... (insert suspenseful music)... it's my liver!  Because this is such a different pain/discomfort then what I've experienced in the past, I never thought for a second it was my liver.  In a weird kind of way I'm relieved it's nothing new!  The 3 lesions might be bigger, but hell, things could be worse!  At one point last year I had over 20 lesions on my liver!  So ya, things could be worse!

Anyway, this week hasn't been an easy one... anticipating the possible bad PET scan results and now processing the bad PET scan results and everything that comes with it (starting a new drug, new side effects, etc).  Let's see, I'm worried, I'm pissed, I'm scared, I'm sad, I'm frustrated, I'm confused and I'm tired!  Yep, to sum it up... this sucks!  

Cancer has basically become my full time job.  It consumes so much of my life and my day to day activities... Drs appointments, lab work, chemo, recovering from chemo, more appointments, more lab work, scans... sometimes it feels like it never ends.  

I had my week planned out with lunches, get togethers and dinners.  Even though I've been feeling a little "discomfort," I was looking forward to catching up with friends and having a few laughs.  Well, after this emotional roller coaster I've been on, you have no idea how badly I wanted to bail and cancel all my plans.  And then I realized, I CAN'T and I WON'T let this disease control my life and deprive me of the fun and good times I look forward to.  And THAT is how I'm kickin' cancer's ass!!

P.S. I'm looking forward to seeing y'all at Art Bra Austin in a little over 2 weeks.  If you're unable to go and would like to help me raise money for the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC), here is the link to my fundraising page... CLICK HERE!  Thank you!

Art Bra Austin 2013

On May 18^th, the Breast Cancer Resource Centers (BCRC) of Texas will present Art Bra Austin! Art Bra Austin is my non-profit’s signature fundraiser and is a runway show featuring an eclectic collection of art bras modeled by BCRC clients—and this year I am one of 60 women who will be modeling these amazing works of art!  

This exciting event is instrumental in BCRC’s efforts to enhance awareness and expand the certified patient navigation, support groups, and education services that BCRC provides for FREE to 2,500 clients throughout Travis and Williamson County.

www.artbraaustin.org

And did I mention that I'm modeling this year?!  Ha, that's right, this is my first year to model in this event and I couldn't be more excited yet nervous and anxious at the same time.  That's why I'd love your support!  This is such a fun event and I'd love to see some familiar faces in the audience.  I hope you can make it... besides the food, drinks, entertainment and raising money for an amazing organization, you'll get to see me modeling a bra that my friend Brandi and I designed and created ourselves.  I don't want to reveal too much at once, but here's a little teaser... the title of our bra is "Reelin' In the Big'uns!"  Ha ha!  You're intrigued aren't ya?!?  Stay tuned and I'll post a sneak peak of the bra and our inspiration behind it before my big modeling debut!  But what are you waiting for?  Order your Art Bra Austin tickets today!  This event will sell out so don't wait till the last minute!

If you're unable to attend, but still want to help out in some way... The 2013 Art Bra Austin models have set the goal to raise $25,000 for the organization that served as our rock throughout our journey with breast cancer. My personal goal is to raise $500.  Whether you have donated to a fundraiser I've participated in in the past or would like to and are able to donate now, your support in helping me raise money for the BCRC means the world to me!  Not only have I seen how beneficial and much needed the services of the BCRC are to their clients, but I've also benefited from these services as well!

So please, join me and help ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone by donating to this amazing organization at Casey's Story & Fundraising Page or by copying and pasting this link...

https://secure.commonground.convio.com/bcrc/signuptofundraiseforartbra2013/project.html?personalFundraisingProjectId=a0iU00000011f8xIAA&showMessage=true

Thanks in advance!!  I hope to see you on May 18th!!

Another Cancer First & A New Drug

I have a lot to catch you up on so let's get started...

Thursday, March 14
I had a PET/CT (2 in 1) scan that we can compare to the PET/CT I had on Jan 28th.  Because I had this 2 in 1 scan, we're able to measure the size of the the lesions on my liver as well as measure the cancer activity. If only my insurance would cover this 2 in 1 scan every time!  Anyway, the results showed there are no new lesions on my liver AND the existing lesions have improved. One of the lesions measured 22.5 and currently measures 15.5 and another lesion measured 19.2 and now measures 11.1.  We couldn't be happier with these results.  Woohoo!  That means the Carbo/Gemzar cocktail is working!  Of course if you're a follower of my blog, you know it can't be that simple!  So here's the deal... The cancer has actually spread to 2 of my lymph nodes. So that means the Carbo/Gemzar isn't working?!?  So do we stay on this cocktail after seeing so much improvement on my liver??  Or switch to something else because of the slight progression of lymph node metastasis???  We ultimately decided to milk this cocktail for all it's worth!  If its working on my liver (which has always been our priority), then let's give it 2 more cycles (6 weeks) and then scan again and see where we are then.  Whew! We have a plan!

Monday, March 18
I'm all ready in the infusion room to get my Carbo/Gem cocktail and everything comes to a screeching halt (you would think that I'd be used to this by now).  My lab work came back and my hemoglobin was so low, Dr H ordered a blood transfusion.  Eek!!  I haven't ever needed a blood transfusion!  My blood work had been on the low side for quite some time, so I wasn't completely blind sided by this.  So anyway, I received my first blood transfusion.  Just as an FYI...  Possible transfusion reactions may include Kidney failure or Anemia, Heart failure, Hepatitis, AIDs, or other infections, and Xanax.  Oh sorry, just to clarify... Xanax is not a possible reaction, but was just on my list of things to refill after being told about the possible reactions.  Anyway, so far so good!  And supposedly this transfusion can help with my energy level.  Ya, I hope whoever donated this blood was an athlete and health nut... Maybe I'll all of a sudden become more motivated to make it into the gym and start eating better.  What!?  There's nothing wrong with a little positive thinking!  Anyway, the cocktail was temporarily put on hold until my blood work bounces back.

Tuesday, March 19
I found out that my tumor marker jumped from 94 on March 6 up to 110. Not a huge deal, but since this tumor marker has been pretty reliable lately, Dr H wanted to test it again on the 21st.

Thursday, March 21
Uh oh, tumor marker jumped up to 145.  So maybe it's time to change drugs after all.  Well, for the last 2 years Dr H has been trying to get me into a clinical trial with a drug called TDM1 and for whatever the reason (blood work, insurance or whatever), I never qualified to participate in the trials. Well guess what?!?  This drug was finally approved by the FDA.  The drugs new name is Kadcyla.  Seriously, who comes up with these names?!  But talk about great timing!

Monday, March 25
I started my first dose of TDM1/Kadcyla and I'll have this infusion once every 3 weeks.  I can't say I've ever been more excited about starting a new drug.  It's been out of my reach for 2 years and you have no idea how frustrating it is not having access to your doctor's first drug choice!  I told Dr H's nurse that the only reason my tumor marker started to go up was because when my body found out that TDM1 was approved and we were staying on a cocktail that seemed to be losing momentum, it responded with, "hell no!  I want the drug you've all been raving about!"  The great news is that I'm feeling great and I think we're starting out on this new drug in a good place.  And from what I understand, there are typical chemo side effects that come with this drug, but they should be minimal.  YES!!!

Lovin' my STD

I know, who would have thought I'd be enjoying my STD so much!  I mean, Short Term Disability has really helped me out!  What?!?  What were y'all thinking I meant?  Anyway, I'm thankful to have short term disability because it's making for a nice transition into my "Disability Retirement."  I've been bombarded with paperwork and unfortunately it takes awhile applying for this and that (something you can't do until you officially stop working).  So with my chemo treatments, Drs appointments and dealing with all of this... I feel like I'm still working.   And by the way, I'm not quite sure I like the way Disability Retirement sounds. From here on out we'll just call it Retirement.  Disability Retirement makes it sound like I have a terminal, incurable disease... Oh... Wait...   (Cue the chirping crickets!  Seriously, these crickets need to be on standby at all times!).

So a quick recap on what's been going on with my treatment... My tumor marker has been steadily declining which is great news.  A couple of weeks ago it took a turn and started to go up, but thankfully that didn't last long and it's heading back down in the right direction.  When I started this cocktail my CA27-29 tumor marker was at 462 and as of this week it's down to 96.8. Woohoo!  We're back in the double digits.  Dr. Hellerstedt is trying to get a PET scheduled in the next couple of weeks so we'll have something to compare to the last PET scan I had. I'll keep you posted when I find out more.

Until then, my lab work has been pretty low (WBC, RBC, etc).  I was able to get one of my drugs on Monday, but because my WBC was so low, I was given a WBC booster shot on Mon and Tues and I was back in the infusion room Wed to get the remaining three drugs.  We're also monitoring my hemoglobin which has been low.  There's a chance I'll need a blood transfusion, but I'm waiting till Dr H says I absolutely need it.

Since my schedule has been flipped around and upside down this week, I'm grateful I don't have the stress and pressure of trying to make it into work.   So yes, you could say that I'm loving my STD... Paving the road to a stress free, relaxing Retirement!

(Thanks Baby B for inspiring me to make this blog entry)

Anticlimactic

Going into my PET scan this week I just knew we were going to be getting some ass kickin' results.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and the lesions are looking worse than my last PET.  And you know what, this is the first time that this has happened and I'm completely okay with it.

Okay, I know I'm getting some head scratches, confused and puzzled faces and a few "what the hell"s from some of you.  So let me explain...

We're comparing this PET scan with my last PET scan and my last PET scan just so happened to be in July.  Let the record reflect that I've changed chemo cocktails 4 times since then.  4 TIMES!!  Obviously 3 of those cocktails were big flops with me... so you can imagine the lesions getting more and more pissed.  It wasn't until I started this Carbo/Gemzar cocktail that 1. I started feeling better  2. My tumor marker started to go down and 3. We started to see improvements on my CT scans.  Ideally it would have been nice to have a PET right before or at the time I started this new cocktail, but unfortunately insurance doesn't approve PET scans as often as CT scans.  And just as a reminder, PET scans measure cancer activity and CT scans measure the actual size of the lesions.  So there's really no way to compare this weeks PET scan with my last CT.  It would be like comparing apples to oranges.  

So yes, if I had a PET scan in November, we would have been seeing some ass kickin' results.  Dr. H is confident that we're making progress on my current cocktail so we'll keep on truckin' and I'll continue to 1. Feel better  2. See my tumor marker go down and 3. See improvement on future CT AND PET scans.  

Talk about being anticlimactic!  Oh well, I'm back in the infusion room tomorrow.  Whoa wait a second.  What is today?!?  Okay, I'm back in the infusion room on Monday.  Sorry, that's not chemo brain, that's retired brain!  Ha ha!  So even though the results weren't ass kickin', I just know this new cocktail is kickin' some cancer ass!!

Big News

Yes, I have some big news to share!  This was a difficult decision to make, but I know it was the right decision to make. I've worked for the Travis County District Attorney's office for 11 years now and I've been extremely fortunate to have continued working since being diagnosed.  However when I found out that Travis County has a Disability Retirement... Well, I decided to retire!  I'm now planning to focus all that time and energy I was putting into work, into my health, feeling better and enjoying life!  And talk about an awesome way to kick off my retirement... I just spent a fun, relaxing weekend with family and friends.  Not too shabby if my complaints for the weekend are being sore from fly fishing and not being able to find an arrowhead... even though my mom and cousin were picking them up left and right (insert eye roll).  So yes, life is good and I'm ready to get out there and enjoy it (After I recover from chemo, of course).  I mean who knew I'd be retiring at 34?!  How exciting is that?!?  Too bad I had to get cancer to do it (insert Debbie Downer music), but you know what, it is what it is.

I don't know why I, or anyone else for that matter, has gotten this horrible disease. I've had my ups and downs, but thankfully at this time we're on the right track. My tumor marker has continued to go down on this Carbo/Gemzar cocktail and next week I'll have a PET scan, so yes, I'll be anxiously awaiting those results.  In the meantime I'm going to rest up after chemo this week and after that... get ready world!  I've got some living it up to do!

So a few quick stories...

You won't believe who I was sitting next to in the infusion room today and I have a witness to prove it (thanks again Angela). But I was sitting next to Charles Barkley!!  Maybe he's friends with this "Michael Jordan!"  Check this out...  Michael Jordan Nike Commercial

And I have to admit this, but at 7:30 this morning I got on I35 and saw the backed up traffic of so many Austinites trying to get to work.  I thought to myself... SUCKERS!!!  I'm retired!!  What, what!  Doing a little retirement dance in my car.  Oh... Wait... I'm on my way to my Oncologist's office to have Chemo...

Austinites going to work 1 - Casey 0

Oh well, at least a good song was on!  So don't worry, the dance party continued all the way to Tx Oncology!  I couldn't let a good song go to waste!  Yes, I was "that person" dancing in their car. If you saw me... You're welcome for making your day!  ;)

Take it easy my blog friends!  I'll keep you posted when I get my PET scan results and I'll try to keep you posted on my life as a retiree!!

We ran into this Hebronville Hottie!  Love ya Normita and loved the Hebronville tour!