Sinus Surgery Done and Recovery Going Well

Yesterday Kathy went to the hospital to have outpatient surgery for her sinuses. They have been bothering her for a year (since the last hospital stay) and have not responded to medications. Finally, they had decided to do something more extreme and go in and do some repair work to something that was done on her last sinus surgery about 15 years ago.

After checking in at about 11am and scheduled for 2pm surgery they were running ahead of schedule so they called her in right after she got there. The surgery was completed before 2pm and her sister Darlene called me and told me she would be out to recovery shortly. I left work and got there about 3pm but Kathy wasn't there yet. After about 15 minutes they wheeled her in. She had a big gause (I can't spell) banadage taped to the bottom of her nose. She looked great!!

She was still groggy for a while so we sat and waited for the doctor to show up and tell us what he thought. That took two hours. By then Kathy was a little more clear headed and certainly more cleaned up. We washed her face off and she changed her bandage to a smaller version of the same thing. She got dressed and still we waited. Finally we told them we were leaving and I went to get the car. Of course that is when the doctor showed up and told her that it all looked good. They didn't see anything else that would cause a problem so we are hopeful this will work and she will not be dripping all the time..............time will tell.

Kathy was in no pain and slept pretty well with that gause banadage at the bottom of her nose absorbing the small amount of blood etc that drained. She says now that the draining has stopped. She is resting and taking it easy for a few days. She is doing well and we are hopeful for success.

Because of the surgery she hasn't been on her chemo meds so the side effects have subsided some. Not as much as I would have thought but enough to feel some relieve. We take the small victories we can get.

Kathy Gives Her Own Update

Dear Family and Friends:

I just sent out my annual letter to many of you that live far away and now I have my latest health update.

I had my oncology appt. today where I would learn the results of my latest CT scan taken last week. For some reason, I was really nervous about this appt. I asked Ray to go with me eventhough he is extremely busy at work. I tried to be calm, but my blood pressure and pulse were both a bit higher than normal......

Anyway, all my worries were for nothing. All is well. The scans showed that my cancer is still in check---no growth. I was so relieved!

Furthermore, I am having a sinus procedure done on Feb. 3rd and my oncologist says I am doing well enough that she recommends I take a few extra weeks off of my chemo until after the sinus thing is done. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even tell you how excited this makes me. My hands and feet will get two extra weeks to feel better before going back on the meds.

Don't get me wrong....I am grateful for the chemotherapy. I am alive and functioning (though dealing with some side-effects). I am very grateful for modern medicine and that my life is being prolonged with a decent quality to it. It is nice, though, to get a break every once in awhile so my body can heal a bit.

Thank you for all of your love and concern. I am at peace with all that is happening in my life. That is a good thing.

Love, Kathy

JANUARY BRINGS REMINDERS

The holidays went pretty well. Kathy was so busy with all the boys home that she didn't take it as easy as she should have. Instead of being just more tired it seems it affected her feet too. She had much more soreness in her feet than she had in prior weeks and would get up and walk around gingerly the whole time.

Eveyone left on Saturday, January the 2nd to go back to school etc so Mom and I and for part of the time David and Kathryn just relaxed and watched NCIS marathos on TV. It was a very lazy day and much needed. On Sunday her feet felt much better and on Monday she was back on her chemo drugs.

We changed insurance coverage at my company January 1. So we are finding out that we have to get clearance on all the drugs and procedures from the new insurer. We can't just assume it is covered. She had to buy a few drugs last weekend just to get her thru the weekend and it was over $250.00. I asked her today how much a daily dose of medications would cost and she said over $250.00. That doesn't count the infusions she gets monthly, the docstors visits, the treatments for lymphodema or anything else but the drugs. She is an expensive lady!!

I am so glad for insurance. I wonder about the future and hope we can always have the coverage we need. We would go broke quickly if we had to pay for this for long.

For now, Kathy feels good and is strong. It is January, though. Last year on Martin Luther King Jr. day we took Kathy to the hospital. Too many bad memories. Things aren't the same this year. This medication doesn't lower her white blood cell count like last years. We are hopeful.

Tired and Tired of Being Tired

It has been another three weeks of medications and this is the rest week. That also means a trip to the doctor, blood tests and a look at where we stand. Nothing has changed. That is the good news and the bad news.

Kathy continues to do OK with the medication. She wears gloves most of the time as her hands are sore and get leathery unless she keeps them moisturized. They are red and achy just like her feet. She can't really open up bottles or cans or anything as her feeling in her fingertips is not good. It makes me more valuable.

Her blood count on the white blood cells is good so her risk for infection is pretty good right now. Her hair is growing back, mostly on the top of her head but pretty much everywhere (like places it never used to but she can't complain because I have more hair in my ears and nose than on the top of my head). The tumors aren't growing so we live with all the side effects.

Her red blood cell count isn't so good so she is border line anemic. She has a hard time getting going in the morning and is always tired. The scary thing is that she is a little light headed at times. A couple nights ago she got up to use the restroom and fell down. It got me pretty excited as she banged into the dressor with her head. She was OK and a little wiser from the experience but just one more thing to live with. They say it isn't severe enough to warrent a blood transfusion or anything which made her cry cause she just has to buck up and live with it. She is tired of living with everything.

The other day in church I leaned over and said what a lousy year it had been and how I was glad it was almost over. She said some good things have happened too. I said, oh yea, name three. She wispered, "I came home from the hospital". Enough said.

Week Off Meds and All is Well

Kathy went back east with me to Mark Forsyth's memorial service. I needed the help both emotionally and travel wise. It seems the older I get the worse I travel. I don't mind the flights from a safety perspective. I feel totally safe. What bothers me is all the hassels of flying. The long lines, the scanning, the shoes on and off, the tiny seats and no leg room. What I hate the most is the worry about my carry on luggage and whethor I'll find space for it. That and knowing where the bathroom's are really seem to concern me. Weird, I know, but bathrooms have become a big part of my life.

Kathy flet well enough to go with me. I bet most people didn't notice that she was wearing a wig. They did see the arm all bandaged up due to the lymphodema but I doubt many noticed the red, pealing fingers and hands and the redness on the knees and bottoms of her feet. She didn't complain or bring up her aches with anyone, she rarely does. I guess that is all good, it was a time to mourn and not a time to discuss our problems.

Kathy has just decided to "man up" when it comes to her battles. She does an excellant job. I just hope I can continue to man up too. I've realized this past two weeks that I'm just as sensitive as I always was and that I can cry at the drop of a hat. This is not a good thing I don't believe. We have a long way to go with this cancer thing and my father still has a lot of health concerns too. I can do all I need to do but I'm just afraid I'll not feel the way I want to feel. When I start to bawl it can get others a bit concerned.

We all have troubles, no? This is Kathy's week off the medicines. She gets to recover some from the buildup before she starts again next Monday. We like this week.

Kathy CT scan results

Well I'm still suffering from the blow of learning that Mark Forsyth died in a crash two days ago (see my yesterday posting). I found an article in his local paper that was disturbing and it seems they don't know a lot about what happened. I still can't absorb this right now.

In good new.... and thank goodness that there is some. We found out that Kathy's latest CT scan results indicated that the tumors have not grown in any location. The only negative from last CT scan was that there was some unidentified cloud in the lung but even that is gone. This means a lot of good things. She gets to continue on the same medication which is great since it is just a pill twice a day. The side affects are noticable but not too drastic and her hair can grow back.

Right now her hair is longer than mine and she will be showing it off more and more in public. I still like the wig but I've never been able to talk her into the blond or redhead wigs I wanted. Oh well, she looks good with the ones she has.

Two Passings

My mother passed away on Monday, October 26th. She had been going downhill for some time and could no longer swallow without the food or drink going into her lungs. She was taken to the hospital on October 18th and after a few days we were told what the outcome was going to be and the choices to be made. Mom refused to be fed thru a tube and so tough decisions were made to let her slip away. She came home on Friday and passed away on Monday. She went peacefully and quietly surrounded by friends and family.

The funeral was held October 31st and was attended by many friends and family. Dad, Rosanne and husband Chris and Kathy and I went to Utah for the burial. She was buried on November 3rd next to my brother James who passed away in 1963 due to injuries from a motorcycle accident.

We got home last night and this morning when I came to work the first email I received informed me that one of my closest lifelong friends (and the inspiration behind these blogs), Mark Forsyth, was killed in a car accident last night. The shock and the pain is still pretty intense and I'm not able to focus too much on my work. I loved the guy. He was one of the most caring people I know and a great friend. He and I had both settled in the San Franciso Bay Area after college and even worked for the same company for a couple years. Having him near by was great even though we didn't get together as often as I wish.

We had recently talked and he had told me how much I had meant to him and the example I had set. Funny, I thought it was the other way around. Mark got me started on gospel study and mission preparation. I have often thought of those High School years and the great friend he was to me. I will miss him. My heart goes out to Liz and their family.