Greetings on this hot summer evening!

I have only good news to report!

Yesterday we saw the cardiologist, Dr. Buckler. He was quite pleased with my progress and my numbers and was very encouraging about my future recovery. He explained that for my heart to recover it needs help from the meds and he alluded to the possibility that I won’t have to be on them forever (though I’m not counting on that…no hopes up too high!). For exercise, no aerobics…oh now that makes me sad…ha!! I can walk, do yoga or pilates but that’s about it for now. That suits me just fine! I’m to keep my sodium to less than 2000 g and not to drink more than 2 liters of fluids a day (that is the trickiest part right now!). He listened to my lungs and heart and heard no more leaking…everything sounds good. He wants to see me in 2 or 3 weeks. So! There you are…I’m recovering nicely I would say! 

Today I saw Dr. Kaplan, he also listened to my ticker and was quite pleased at how it was missing the leaking and the gallop. It sounds normal! He wants to see me 2 weeks after radiation, we had a little hug fest and then he sent us on our way!

Monday we see Dr. Osnis about how we proceed with radiation. I’ll let you know how it goes! 

Love to you all!

Stay cool!

Janet

If we were playing Chutes and Ladders, I just got another roll and landed at the base of a ladder! Up we go…again!

We saw Dr. Sandra Vermeulen at Swedish Cherry Hill. She literally walked into the room saying, “We can take care of this!” and then proceeded to make our day!

I’ll get a call from Dr. Robert Osnis who will be the person to put the three little pieces of gold into my liver to mark the triangle for the radiation or he may say the tumor is far enough from the ribs and small enough to do RFA, which will more or less cauterize the tumor and get rid of it right then and there…done, handled!

If he can’t do the RFA, he’ll put the gold pieces in to prepare me to go under the “cyberknife” which is very precise and accurate. I’ll then get a CT scan to make sure everything is in place and then go through maybe five 40 minutes sessions in one week with the cyberknife. That should take care of it!  She says I’ll have no immediate side effects but after a couple of weeks I’ll most likely have about 6 weeks of fatigue. No skin burn or burn of nearby organs, etc. 

It almost sounds too good to be true! She’ll put it in to my insurance today to get the ball rolling!

Thursday I see the cardiologist…I’ll let you know how that goes.

Wow, what a rollercoaster!

Love to you all!

Janet

Home again, home again...
Ok, that was super weird! Two nights in the hospital with heart failure. Well, I'm on the right track, responding well to the meds, loosing the extra fluid and my heart rate is slowly settling down. Next week I will make appointments to see a cardiologist as an outpatient and they should help me with my new life style.  So far I now have limited sodium intake and limited fluid intake, I can only have 2 liters of fluids each day. I'm sure there will be other marching orders as well, including an exercise routine to help build some strength and stamina.

I also get to make an appointment to see the radiologist. If they can radiate it, that is what we'll try to attempt to wipe out the rest of the cancer with far fewer and less intense side effects than chemotherapy. I have to admit, I'm a little excited about that!

I'm happy to be home and I'm going to be chillin' the next couple days. Working up to resuming my regular daily activities. So, maybe some more Mad Men is in my future! You gotta make lemonade, right?

Love to you all
janet

Going home!! Woo how!! 2 nights in the hospital is sure better than 3 1/2 weeks! Thank you all for your supportive messages and love. I'll post again, soon. Right now I'm going to pack up!

Just a short post to let you all know that I am doing well. I slept well and found out this morning that I lost 8 pounds yesterday! A lot of fluid left my body in one day. I'm feeling good and have been on a few lap walks around my floor (I can't leave the floor because they are monitoring my heart at all times). My laps are slow for now, but it's a start.

In talking with my lovely nurse, Maggie, I found out that I'm responding to treatment very well, quicker than many patients. That was really good for me to hear. I need to get this handled.

I'm not sure when I'll get out of here, it all has to do with my heart rate (which is still too fast), and finding the right level of medication to keep my blood pressure at an optimal level for healing.

That's all for now.  I'll keep you updated.
Thanks for all your texts emails, prayers, wishes, positive energy and good vibes; I need it all!
With love
Janet

Thank you all for your supportive and loving texts and emails. I'm not responding to most as I'm a little overwhelmed today...

Last night the meds did nothing as far as I could tell. I could not get comfortable in any position, too much pressure in my chest, and did not sleep a wink. I lasted until 4:00 when I roused a sleeping Mike and said its time. It was reminiscent of going into labor.  He jumped up all groggy and was ready to go! I talked him down a bit, I really did not need 911 and insisted we not call. He even took Gertie and Wilson around the block and let Gertie inside Betty's house (Betty is out of town).  We were on the road by 4:30. Just the right amount of traffic that time of day!  We came to Swedish first hill because that is where dr. Kaplan hangs out. We were pleased to find out he had already ordered me a room so we got to go right upstairs, no time wasted in the emergency room. I think I was in my room by 5:00!

Dr. Kaplan came in about 6:00 and shortly after that I sent Mike home to get some more sleep as really nothing was going to happen for a while. Here is what has happened: an EKG, an echocardiogram, port access, blood draws, 2 servings of lasix through my port to get the fluids out and lots of trips to the bathroom. I also have a new friend, Dr. Hauck, the cardiologist.

Here's the scoop. The epirubicin damaged my heart even though I was given less than the limit of that chemo...why? Who knows? My first symptoms were on the flight from New York to Seattle but I think the flight just exacerbated what was already going to happen. They are looking for blood clots but there have been no signs. So my heart is not strong enough to push the fluids through my system, fluids build up, it feels awful, like a weight on my chest or wrapped around my ribs. My legs feel like I'm trying to move logs and I'm out of breath with just a walk across the room, especially if I try to talk at the same time.

So after two rounds of lasix and lots of peeing I already feel so much better.

Here's the plan. I've always had really good blood pressure, even through both pregnancies and I still do under these conditions, but in order to help my heart pump properly and interrupt the process that is causing the problem I have to go on two kinds of blood pressure medicine. I will be going to an outpatient cardiology clinic that will help me through the diet and exercise to get better  and stay better.

So that is my heart.
Now for the cancer. Today I told Dr. Kaplan that I really did not want more chemo...duh...and he'll check into radiation which would have little to no side effects. But first we have to get the heart back up and running! This is totally treatable and that is just what we'll do...treat it, manage it, and get on with life!

Im posting this from my iPad and in this imperfect world the page is not letting me scroll up to correct a few things at the beginning of the post...oh well...such is life and technology.

Thanks again for all your best wishes!
With love,
Janet

There are more Ireland pictures to come (whether you want to see them or not!) but in the meantime…a health update.

The short story…

The spot on the liver is “just a hair bigger” than it was the last time. This is so shocking to us as it is the first time the cancer has grown. I do realize how lucky I am to be able to say that…every other time it has been smaller. And, it is still just a small bit of cancer left.

But there is another issue that has to be dealt with first. Since arriving back from Ireland I’ve been experiencing a rapid heart rate and a pretty extreme shortness of breath. I emailed the doc over the weekend and went in to see him on Monday. He added some extra views into the scan order for today. I just talked to him and I have fluid on my lungs and the problem is coming from my heart. I don’t completely understand that statement at this point…but that is what he said. He is pretty sure that it was caused by the epirubicin, though he stayed within the dosage guidelines. I know that every “body” is different and maybe mine is just more sensitive to that chemo.

Anyway…

Mike is heading to Walgreens in a minute to get me a couple of prescriptions; one is a diuretic that will keep me up peeing all night. In the morning, I will go see the doc. I will have to see a heart doctor next. Dr. Kaplan will hook me up with a good one, I’m sure. If the prescriptions don’t act fast enough I may have to be admitted to the hospital. I’m certainly hoping to take care of this as an outpatient.

I’ll leave it at that and keep you updated as we know what is going on.

This is not what I was hoping to write tonight…but there it is.

Lots of love to you all

janet

This one is from our last day in Kilkee with the whole family. We drove out to the tip south of Kilkee to Loop Head. We had dinner at Kilbaha and played at the playground across the street. Just like Seattle kids, Limerick kids don't notice the rain when there is a playground to be had!
This is a photo of both our families.
Thanks to the Horgans!
We had a great time playing with you all!

                                              Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway

The Cliffs of Moher

The Burren

St. Bridget's Well

Galway and Seattle are Sister Cities

View from our room

We spent 3 nights at a B and B in Kenmare and explored the Ring of Kerry, The Beara Penninsula, and a little bit of the Dingle Peninsula. This wild west coast of Ireland must truly be one of the most beautiful places on earth!

The Ring of Kerry

Muckross House in Killarney National Park

Torc Waterfall

Ladies View

Kenmare

Gap of Dunlog

From Valencia Island

On Valencia Island at Skellig Visitor Center

 The Beara Peninsula and Healy Pass...those paths are the roads!

Dingle, the Tarbert Ferry and Killkee

Tarbert Ferry and on to Kilkee

Sunset right outside our apt.

Cliff walking in Kilkee

Mike got to golf!

Galway, Turbot Island and Dublin still to come!