Radiation follow up and catch up

Doctors always want to see their patients after a major series of treatments to check their progress and plan for what happens next.  Because of this, Anne-Marie has been to see the physical therapist, oncologist and plastic surgeon all in the past week.

The physical therapist said Anne-Marie didn't need to come back.  No series of treatments or extreme excercise regimens.  Good news.  Glad that's done.

The oncologist wants Anne-Marie to begin every-third-week Herceptin treatments starting immediately.  Anne-Marie told her "no" and said she'd start next week.  Awesome.  Monday it is.  I guess that's OK news.

The big surprise is the plastic surgeon.  Surgery we though Anne-Marie would have next month has been postponed for six months to allow for recovery from radiation.  Don't know if that's good news or not.  We'd sure like to have this over with, but we also really need a break.

Radiation Certificate of Completion

While we are very glad to be finished with this chapter of the story, our hearts are heavy for so many friends and family members who've experienced tragedy and loss in the past few weeks.  I don't know why difficult news comes in waves, but we are very aware of those around us who woke up this morning with a broken heart.  We are praying for you.

Friday Harbor

A year and a half ago, we met a woman named Sarah when our kids were playing at the same play area.  She (like us) had a conspicuous family that sure looked to us like it had some Ethiopian kids in it.  When we approached her to talk about it, we found out our hunch was right.  Bekah and Benji were indeed adopted from Ethiopia.  We found out we lived not only in the same town but on the same street, so we exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch.

We became fast friends with Sarah and the kids over the next few months and were heartbroken when we found out that--due to some very tough stuff they were going through--she needed to move back home to the D.C. area.  At the same time we heard this, we found out that Anne-Marie's cancer may have returned.  In fact, the last time we saw Sarah, she was babysitting our kids while Anne-Marie went to the last biopsy for diagnosis.  It was a crummy way to say goodbye.

But Sarah didn't forget about us.  When Anne-Marie got stuck in the hospital in October, she contacted her friend, Debbie and told her about us.  Her friend Debbie owns a house in Friday Harbor on Washington's San Juan Islands.  The two of them arranged for us to be able to schedule a trip to their house whenever it would work for us.

After thinking it over, it was decided that a good time of rest would be very welcome once we were through with radiation.  This weekend my mom graciously agreed to babysit (she comes tomorrow) and we are headed for a weekend in a quiet little house in a quiet little town.

Thanks Debbie! Thanks Sarah!

What's really going on with radiation

I always want to be honest in my communication, but we all know the line between the stages of honest, painfully honest, awkward and none yo bizness.  Actually, maybe we don't all know those lines, but we probably should.

I've been pretty quiet on here about what's going on with Anne-Marie's radiation treatments for two reasons.

1.  Facebook: most people that really want to know are already friends with me on Facebook.  In my particular circle of friends there are only a few exceptions.  We usually give very short updates once or twice a week on there.

2.  It hasn't been good news...

So, here's what happened.  Anne-Marie did three days of radiation that went perfectly smooth.  On the fourth day, February 1, she was getting her extended heat therapy treatment (written about here) when something went wrong and she got horribly burned.  This probably had something to do with the combination of heat and an adhesive to which Anne-Marie is allergic.  We're still not quite sure.  We do know that she is still not quite healed over a month later and that--no--we're not going to sue.

A week after "the incident", Elisha broke out in a rash all over his body.  We think this is a carryover from a health problem he had in Ethiopia.  We didn't think it would develop into something serious, but his condition has become just as consuming and even more urgent than Anne-Marie's.  The doctors, insurance and his frustrated parents are currently in a weeks-long tussle over how to treat it.  Right now, he daily gets a special shampoo and prescription.  Poor Elisha has only left the house four times in the last month, including going to the doctor. 

Anne-Marie still goes in daily for the radiation treatments through at least March 15.  Even though she's been off of the heat treatments since February 1, she is still having problems with burns and some weird shooting nerve pain that I guess people on radiation get sometimes.  She's also begun dealing with lymphadema, for which she will go to the therapist beginning at the end of the month.

That's the scoop.  The good news is that we believe that the most difficult part of this is over with and are looking forward to two weeks from now when we can put this part of the process behind us.  The whole mess has reminded me of how much I love my family and how much it hurts to see them hurt.

More news to come, I'm sure.  I'll try to actually post something when it happens.

Radiation Eve

We made an investment in a whiteboard calendar for the radiation and hyperthermia treatments. It's vital that we stay up to date with ourselves throughout the next 7 weeks. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time could be a very bad thing.