Stop suffering. Make our community No Kill with funding for vet care. | Pepsi Refresh Everything
This is a great group that helps lots of local pets and owners alike, please take a few minutes and vote for them so they can win money to keep doing the good things that they do. As you all know our animals are very important to Brian.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
weekend update
In a few short weeks, it will be a year since the nightmare began again. What a year it has been.
We have dealt with what seems to be an unending barrage of misfortune. We have not come out the other side unscathed either. This year has taken some terrible tolls on our relationships with one another and others.
There have been life altering events again....my biggest mistake was in thinking that because we'd been through this before, it would somehow be easier...we'd be prepared, able to anticipate pitfalls..etc...
no, that simply has not been the case.
At the end of all this, we can say that the fantastic part is that Brian's cancer is once again in remission...but our life?...it's looking a little post apocalyptic. It's also hard to figure out where to start the clean up when the little personal bombs are still dropping.
The stress toll has been horrific. The damage done can't be counted and evaluated for many months.
We need the fallout to stop, but it's going to be a slow recovery...there are a lot of pieces to pick up. I don't have the patience for that kind of thing, so that will be a challenge for me.
We have had a lot of surprises along the way this year, some good, some not so good. my biggest disappointment in people I expected that Brian could count on for support, and a few I expected to be able to count on as well. But we also made some new friends and there are those one or two who never let me down. Without them, this would have been even harder.
It is far from over, in fact now more then ever, we have to embrace this as our life's journey. To be ever vigilant and prepared for Brian's cancer to invade once again, but for now we rest up, regroup, refocus and recover. We move to the mop up phase for now.
Brian's port a cath removal had to be rescheduled, I'll post a date when I have one.
We have dealt with what seems to be an unending barrage of misfortune. We have not come out the other side unscathed either. This year has taken some terrible tolls on our relationships with one another and others.
There have been life altering events again....my biggest mistake was in thinking that because we'd been through this before, it would somehow be easier...we'd be prepared, able to anticipate pitfalls..etc...
no, that simply has not been the case.
At the end of all this, we can say that the fantastic part is that Brian's cancer is once again in remission...but our life?...it's looking a little post apocalyptic. It's also hard to figure out where to start the clean up when the little personal bombs are still dropping.
The stress toll has been horrific. The damage done can't be counted and evaluated for many months.
We need the fallout to stop, but it's going to be a slow recovery...there are a lot of pieces to pick up. I don't have the patience for that kind of thing, so that will be a challenge for me.
We have had a lot of surprises along the way this year, some good, some not so good. my biggest disappointment in people I expected that Brian could count on for support, and a few I expected to be able to count on as well. But we also made some new friends and there are those one or two who never let me down. Without them, this would have been even harder.
It is far from over, in fact now more then ever, we have to embrace this as our life's journey. To be ever vigilant and prepared for Brian's cancer to invade once again, but for now we rest up, regroup, refocus and recover. We move to the mop up phase for now.
Brian's port a cath removal had to be rescheduled, I'll post a date when I have one.
Friday, December 3, 2010
friday update
Brian is still at my sister's having a nice week long visit. I can only hope after all the socializing he is doing while there, he is having a good time. I know he's tired, I can hear it in his voice when he calls.
Scott is back to work..again...but he really needs a new job. At least his is taking his medication regularly and has accepted at least this week he suffers form a disease that requires daily meds.
I am plain worn out. But no rest for the wicked.
Stephanie has left me a bit disappointed in her recent choices, but we've raised her to be a good person with good values so I can only home she starts using some more common sense and courtesy soon and stops thinking with her hormones. Guess it is teenage rebellion come late...(BIG FUCKING SIGH)
Scott is back to work..again...but he really needs a new job. At least his is taking his medication regularly and has accepted at least this week he suffers form a disease that requires daily meds.
I am plain worn out. But no rest for the wicked.
Stephanie has left me a bit disappointed in her recent choices, but we've raised her to be a good person with good values so I can only home she starts using some more common sense and courtesy soon and stops thinking with her hormones. Guess it is teenage rebellion come late...(BIG FUCKING SIGH)
Monday, November 29, 2010
post thanksgiving update
I haven't really had much to talk about ...Scott has another issue with work and has been on unpaid vacation since last tuesday. He has a meeting at work tomorrow to know if we are in serious deep dodo...I am not sure what to think, I'm kind of numb, but at least he;s now taking his medication regularly. I just hope it isn't too late.
My sister came for thanksgiving and Brian went back to her house for a week for a change of scenery and it's really good for him. He doesn't need to feel like our current problems are because of him and his cancer and naturally he does. SO a week away seeing new things and visiting new places is a really good thing for him.
In the meantime, I am just coping the best I can and getting things done.
My sister came for thanksgiving and Brian went back to her house for a week for a change of scenery and it's really good for him. He doesn't need to feel like our current problems are because of him and his cancer and naturally he does. SO a week away seeing new things and visiting new places is a really good thing for him.
In the meantime, I am just coping the best I can and getting things done.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
todays update
The news today was good. The chemo and subsequent stem cell transplant did achieve remission for Brian's cancer. The PET scan results were what we had hoped for, and his blood labs were also very good.
I suggest that you take the news with guarded optimism as we are. After getting caught blind sided by Brian's cancer returning after such a long remission period and many reassurances that his type of cancer rarely comes back after such a long remission, I am guarded against such a mistake again.
There is a 60% probability that his cancer will not return. But those were about the same odds last time. And it did return.
With that in mind, he will have much closer follow up then he did before, on the advise of his transplant oncologist, he will have labs every 3 months and PET scan's every six months. We will be returning to Lehigh Valley Hosp. on 11/22 to start his follow up care with his oncologist there.
He has some significant neuropathy from the treatment and that is unlikely to get better. He also has some short term memory issues (yeah for chemobrain) but we've already started many of things we found by trial and error in the past to work. (diet supplements, whole unprocessed foods, and typical memory games as well as the much hated note pads) and he is suffering from some depression, he is on a medication that deals well with both the neuropathy and the depression for now.
On a more positive note, the skin fungus that has plagued him for 8 years from the previous chemo treatments has completely resolved. This is the first time in all that time he doesn't need creams and special shampoos. Brian is thrilled with that. This will be a significant improvement in his way of life. THat rash drove him nuts sometimes.
So the news is good, but to think he is cured would be foolish. It is time now to start putting that somewhat battle-worn shreds of normalcy back together and more forwards with positive and cautiously optimistic outlook.
The short term goal is for Brian to learn to drive and enroll (funds permitting) in one class of his choice at the local community college. We'll take the baby steps from there.
I...well I'd like a nice long vacation to a pearly white beach with beautiful water where I can swim and relax...but as we all know...it will be a long winter of trying to get everyone back to some less then questionable mental health and dealing with the inevitable fallout that comes from a crisis like this.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and everything else during the last 10 months.
I'll post his pet scan results on the blog tomorrow when I am not so tired from such a long day in the car.
I suggest that you take the news with guarded optimism as we are. After getting caught blind sided by Brian's cancer returning after such a long remission period and many reassurances that his type of cancer rarely comes back after such a long remission, I am guarded against such a mistake again.
There is a 60% probability that his cancer will not return. But those were about the same odds last time. And it did return.
With that in mind, he will have much closer follow up then he did before, on the advise of his transplant oncologist, he will have labs every 3 months and PET scan's every six months. We will be returning to Lehigh Valley Hosp. on 11/22 to start his follow up care with his oncologist there.
He has some significant neuropathy from the treatment and that is unlikely to get better. He also has some short term memory issues (yeah for chemobrain) but we've already started many of things we found by trial and error in the past to work. (diet supplements, whole unprocessed foods, and typical memory games as well as the much hated note pads) and he is suffering from some depression, he is on a medication that deals well with both the neuropathy and the depression for now.
On a more positive note, the skin fungus that has plagued him for 8 years from the previous chemo treatments has completely resolved. This is the first time in all that time he doesn't need creams and special shampoos. Brian is thrilled with that. This will be a significant improvement in his way of life. THat rash drove him nuts sometimes.
So the news is good, but to think he is cured would be foolish. It is time now to start putting that somewhat battle-worn shreds of normalcy back together and more forwards with positive and cautiously optimistic outlook.
The short term goal is for Brian to learn to drive and enroll (funds permitting) in one class of his choice at the local community college. We'll take the baby steps from there.
I...well I'd like a nice long vacation to a pearly white beach with beautiful water where I can swim and relax...but as we all know...it will be a long winter of trying to get everyone back to some less then questionable mental health and dealing with the inevitable fallout that comes from a crisis like this.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and everything else during the last 10 months.
I'll post his pet scan results on the blog tomorrow when I am not so tired from such a long day in the car.
Friday, November 5, 2010
weekend update
Brian is still suffering from depression and some serious neuropathy.
He had the PET scan done, results will follow Visit to Uof P next week.
He had the PET scan done, results will follow Visit to Uof P next week.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Pa. accuses debt company of deceiving consumers Main Headline | PoconoRecord.com
oops..my bad, this belongs on my Lucy blog.....
Pa. accuses debt company of deceiving consumers Main Headline | PoconoRecord.com
everyone knows debt collection agencies use illegal tactics....phone calls after hours, to neighbors and relatives, threats, flat out lies and misconceptions, but THIS ....really is over the top...
Pa. accuses debt company of deceiving consumers Main Headline | PoconoRecord.com
everyone knows debt collection agencies use illegal tactics....phone calls after hours, to neighbors and relatives, threats, flat out lies and misconceptions, but THIS ....really is over the top...
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