Toni completed her 7 weeks of radiation yesterday! The Evergreen Hospital staff awarded her a signed certificate (soon to be posted on the blog). YEAH!!!! She also had her oncology consult with Dr. Linden.
For better or worse, Toni is quite healthy... and Dr. Linden wants her to get an appropriate level of Chemo. And that means more than Toni was expecting. You see, Toni and Dr. Linden have been negotiating from the start. Although, what some may call as a "compromise" was reached, Toni was in a bit of a GRRRRR mode. She gets a respite until November 13th, in which she will start a 5 week session of chemo. This will take her to a new projected ("DONE WITH CHEMO DATE") of December 11th. Since we are planning to go back to Colorado for the holiday, Toni was hoping for more recovery time from the chemo and portacatheter being removed. Remember, the chemo is sort of lagging... and is cumulative, so she'll be experiencing peak effects the weekend we fly to Colorado (December 18th). Yet the end is in sight.
She is starting to "heal" from the radiation. The last few sessions of "tumor area focused radiation" allowed for the rest of her breast and underarm to start to heal. She "burned" pretty narly-ish under her arm. I simply choose not to look at that area. It is getting better, but bright pink skin mixed with peeling stuff...blahhh. I was able to stomach the scars and squeegying her drain tube, but there is just something about a burn I just can't handle. Once the under arm heals, I can deal with the peeling skin stuff. I have shed many a layer in my past days (probably bad, very bad).
Ok... enough of that... and onto a short VACATION. Toni and I are heading to the beaches along the Oregon coast to chill out. So stay tuned, we are going to be uploading pictures of Toni and Bry's Oregon Trail vacation. We are also trying out a GARMIN 1390 GPS. Yes, we are taking an Atlas as a backup:)
We warned Mr. Maggie that he needs to play nicely with the kitty sitter.
On another note... I am a good candidate for LASIK. Scheduled for November 6th... yeesh!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
7 weeks of Radiation almost done; Bryan starts path for Lasik
If there are any positives in the world it is time. Frequently quoted: "Time flies" and "it heals all wounds." Toni has completed 20 weeks of chemo and almost 7 weeks of radiation. At the end of today she will have 2 radiation treatments remaining on Monday and Tuesday (Oct 26 and 27) and she will complete her radiation regimen. Monday we meet with her oncologist, Dr. Linden, to chart her remaining chemo course. It should be a 2 week rest followed by 4 more CMF treatments. I am going to try to capture her last radiation treatment. (if not possible, I will get Monday's on film).
So, her right side is quite red. A most intense red. Although being more descriptive would help others to better understand what she is going through... let's just leave it at intense. There is now in the center of the red... a large egg size even darker red spot where the cancer tumor was. That is due to the focused radiation "bursts" that she is getting. According to the medical staff. The rest of her should start to heal within a week and she should begin to notice some relief. Needless to say she can hardly wait.
Toni has been sleeping better this week. As a friend used to tell me "better living through modern chemistry." She had to resort to taking Oxycodone (sp) again to pull the pain into the tolerable range.
And that is comforting in itself.
As for Bryan... I am going to get checked out for possible Lasik eye surgery. I will find out if I am a candidate for the procedure. I first just want to know if I am... and if so, then perhaps I will go for it. Even though I still will most likely have to wear reading glasses, it would simply be cool to not have to bother with glasses for a while, maybe a long while.
This is a photo of Toni and I in Vic, Spain just about 45 minutes to the north of Barcelona. What you see is a Roman Temple from 400 AD. Of note... there was a church built around this temple. You can imagine the size of the church. When the church was "demolished" the people of Vic found the temple and were able to keep it intact. Amazing.
So, her right side is quite red. A most intense red. Although being more descriptive would help others to better understand what she is going through... let's just leave it at intense. There is now in the center of the red... a large egg size even darker red spot where the cancer tumor was. That is due to the focused radiation "bursts" that she is getting. According to the medical staff. The rest of her should start to heal within a week and she should begin to notice some relief. Needless to say she can hardly wait.
Toni has been sleeping better this week. As a friend used to tell me "better living through modern chemistry." She had to resort to taking Oxycodone (sp) again to pull the pain into the tolerable range.
And that is comforting in itself.
As for Bryan... I am going to get checked out for possible Lasik eye surgery. I will find out if I am a candidate for the procedure. I first just want to know if I am... and if so, then perhaps I will go for it. Even though I still will most likely have to wear reading glasses, it would simply be cool to not have to bother with glasses for a while, maybe a long while.
Toni at the market in Barcelona, Spain last year. On her left is our "tour guide" who was a student at the local university and seated to her right is Tadashi Andoh, who works as the Service Manager for Genie Industries (the company for which I work) in Japan. The story goes... that it was near midnight in Barcelona on the day of our arrival. Toni and I arrived on a different flight and were looking to get accustomed to the time zone difference. With a little sleep. So, I get this call (at midnight) from Tadashi and he says, "Bryan, I just arrived and I am working on a deal with this guy at the hotel counter, he'll take us around Barcelona. Come on out to the lobby and let's talk about it." I threw on some clothes and stumbled out to the lobby, and the next morning, not so bright eyed and bushy tailed, off we went on a tour of Barcelona. It was awesome. Tadashi and I tipped the guy big time, and saw more of Barcelona in a day than you could ever get to in a week. It was just too cool to have Toni with us.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Radiant(ion) Toni on last week ; Toni's hearing is amazing
So, here we sit on the couch watching a Woodie Guthrie video documentary. Toni is slumped into a reclining position with Mr. Maggie on her lap in her "comfy" clothes and fuzzy pink socks. It is spending time like this with my darling Toni, that I simply love so much.
Toni had a restless week. She just had a tough time staying comfortable and getting good sleep. As she is finally nearing the end of radiation, perhaps she'll start sleeping better in the next two weeks. Last night we finally got some reasonable sleep serenaded by a near constant heavy rain. It was musical and relaxing.
Speaking of sleeping (or at least trying to)... earlier in the week, we were getting settled into bed. By the way, Toni has now developed quite the ritual. It involves a series of five pillows; the goal being to get the exact angle of her upper body (head up, slight incline) with her right arm supported to best alleviate the pain in her right side. So, after which has become usually three attempts to get comfortable, she finally seemed ready to try to go to sleep. Just as I had started to close my eyes, thinking she was settled in, she perked up.
Ever seen a deer in the forest, when it thinks it may have heard something. The eyes get focused and the ears go straight and turn quickly trying to ascertain where the noise may be coming from. Well, that is what Toni was doing. I can't hear a bloomin' thing. I do hear the normal ringing in my ears, but other than that... nothing. Yet, she stays fixated on the noise that she thinks she hears. All of sudden with resolve, she lays back and says, "oh, it is just the kitty licking himself." I am amazed. The cat is not on the bed. Still not hearing anything, I get out of bed and walk to the end of the bed. There is Mr. Maggie doing kitty yoga. Hind leg vertical, he is contorted into a position to allow him to lick... well,,,, his butt. Toni... HEARD...that. Ok, now I am impressed. Life was now good... and we could finally go to sleep.
Ok... there you go.
Toni had a restless week. She just had a tough time staying comfortable and getting good sleep. As she is finally nearing the end of radiation, perhaps she'll start sleeping better in the next two weeks. Last night we finally got some reasonable sleep serenaded by a near constant heavy rain. It was musical and relaxing.
Speaking of sleeping (or at least trying to)... earlier in the week, we were getting settled into bed. By the way, Toni has now developed quite the ritual. It involves a series of five pillows; the goal being to get the exact angle of her upper body (head up, slight incline) with her right arm supported to best alleviate the pain in her right side. So, after which has become usually three attempts to get comfortable, she finally seemed ready to try to go to sleep. Just as I had started to close my eyes, thinking she was settled in, she perked up.
Ever seen a deer in the forest, when it thinks it may have heard something. The eyes get focused and the ears go straight and turn quickly trying to ascertain where the noise may be coming from. Well, that is what Toni was doing. I can't hear a bloomin' thing. I do hear the normal ringing in my ears, but other than that... nothing. Yet, she stays fixated on the noise that she thinks she hears. All of sudden with resolve, she lays back and says, "oh, it is just the kitty licking himself." I am amazed. The cat is not on the bed. Still not hearing anything, I get out of bed and walk to the end of the bed. There is Mr. Maggie doing kitty yoga. Hind leg vertical, he is contorted into a position to allow him to lick... well,,,, his butt. Toni... HEARD...that. Ok, now I am impressed. Life was now good... and we could finally go to sleep.
Ok... there you go.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Countdown Check
Calibrating the countdown:
- Toni has 11 more daily radiation treatments along with daily chemo. Roughly 2 weeks and a Monday. Call it done on Oct 26.
- Then, 2 weeks of idle time to let her heal from the radiation (possibly starting the "C" (Cytoxan) on November 9th with the last of 4 infusions starting November 13th). All dependent on whether there is any blistering from the radiation.
- Last infusion would most likely be December 4th.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Only 11 days of radiation/chemo to go; Bryan's brother posts pic on Facebook
Toni has now completed 5 weeks of radiation. I believe she has 2 more general radiation treatments and then will start 9 days of "burst" radiation aimed directly at the tumor site. A two week rest will follow the radiation and then (cross your finger and toes) only 4 more weeks of CMF infusions and daily chemo.
During her visit with the radiation oncology team, they reviewed how her skin was reacting to the radiation. It was their opinion that she might not blister. Yesterday, Toni was waiting on her turn for radiation and was conversing with another radiation patient going through the same regimen. She told Toni the last few treatments tenderized her a bit. It also reminded Toni, that the radiation will still continue to affect her breast for another one to two weeks following treatment. So, Toni at least is cautiously optimistic, but well forewarned that things could change. When I look at how red she is, I simply grimace a bit. Rudolph (as in the reindeer) had a dimmer nose.
Looking back on the week, Toni had to take a timeout on Thursday. She woke up Thursday morning and was just too tired to go to work. Of all of the side effects (besides her lymphedema in her right arm), fatigue is numero uno. She also had a bad headache. The headache has since dissapated. In general terms... the hair loss continues to be mild, her taste buds are slightly off (oatmeal is definitely off the diet; she said it tastes like glue), but the Xeloda chemo and her are mostly getting along fine. No peeling skin on the hands or feet (a Xeloda common side effect). We are looking forward to snoozing a bit on the weekend.
In other news, my brother Brad has been busy on Facebook. I feel compelled to post other pictures in due time, but here is a picture that really stirred my emotions. He posted this picture of his re-enlistment as a 1st Class Petty Officer at the "tipping" point of his career. In other words, you're in for 20 or out at 10. The occasion took place just following Hurricane Hugo (September 1989; yes this photo is 20 years old) paying a visit to Charleston, South Carolina where Brad was an instructor at the nuclear power training school (it is a anchored submarine in the river). Well, the other guy... just happens to be me (back then Lieutenant Bryan Ross). I can't tell you, how uniquely gratifying it was to be asked by Brad, to be his re-enlisting officer at such a pivotable point in his Navy career. I would hit that "tipping" point and say goodbye to the winds and seas a few years later (leaving as Lieutenant Commander). A salute to my brother, Master Chief Machinist's Mate Bradley Ross.
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During her visit with the radiation oncology team, they reviewed how her skin was reacting to the radiation. It was their opinion that she might not blister. Yesterday, Toni was waiting on her turn for radiation and was conversing with another radiation patient going through the same regimen. She told Toni the last few treatments tenderized her a bit. It also reminded Toni, that the radiation will still continue to affect her breast for another one to two weeks following treatment. So, Toni at least is cautiously optimistic, but well forewarned that things could change. When I look at how red she is, I simply grimace a bit. Rudolph (as in the reindeer) had a dimmer nose.
Looking back on the week, Toni had to take a timeout on Thursday. She woke up Thursday morning and was just too tired to go to work. Of all of the side effects (besides her lymphedema in her right arm), fatigue is numero uno. She also had a bad headache. The headache has since dissapated. In general terms... the hair loss continues to be mild, her taste buds are slightly off (oatmeal is definitely off the diet; she said it tastes like glue), but the Xeloda chemo and her are mostly getting along fine. No peeling skin on the hands or feet (a Xeloda common side effect). We are looking forward to snoozing a bit on the weekend.
In other news, my brother Brad has been busy on Facebook. I feel compelled to post other pictures in due time, but here is a picture that really stirred my emotions. He posted this picture of his re-enlistment as a 1st Class Petty Officer at the "tipping" point of his career. In other words, you're in for 20 or out at 10. The occasion took place just following Hurricane Hugo (September 1989; yes this photo is 20 years old) paying a visit to Charleston, South Carolina where Brad was an instructor at the nuclear power training school (it is a anchored submarine in the river). Well, the other guy... just happens to be me (back then Lieutenant Bryan Ross). I can't tell you, how uniquely gratifying it was to be asked by Brad, to be his re-enlisting officer at such a pivotable point in his Navy career. I would hit that "tipping" point and say goodbye to the winds and seas a few years later (leaving as Lieutenant Commander). A salute to my brother, Master Chief Machinist's Mate Bradley Ross.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Side Bar -- Happy 20th Birthday to my son Brandon
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Toni over halfway point of radiation (9 weeks of treatment left--total)
Toni crossed another milestone this week. With 4 weeks of radiation treatments (and daily chemo) now completed, only 3 weeks of radiation/chemo are left to go. Following this regimen, there will be a two week break to let her heal a bit, and then 4 more weeks of the CMF infusions to bring her initial treatment program to an end. Still on track for the end of November or first week in December.
Of the "complications," Toni would probably say being tired (really tired) and the lymphedema in her right arm are the most notable. A recent blood test showed most everything seems to be ok. She has a significant Vitamin D deficiency. We are working on that. I would like to know where her iron levels are as well. Hopefully she can ask for that to be looked at in the next test as well.
Another snipet from the life and times of Toni and Bryan. Yesterday (Saturday) we went to our favorite Thai restaurant (Silver Spoon in Redmond, WA). Over the months we'll go there 3 times each month. Sometimes it seems like weekly, but probably not more that every other week. The food is just wonderful. Yet, that frequency and the fact that we go there on Saturdays when the restaurant has few customers has yielded an interesting relationship between Toni and I, and couple of Silver Spoon employees. Somehow, they see us coming when we park, and they will have a table selected for us with an ice tea for me and a lemonade for Toni. In addition, they have a small platter of vegetarian style fresh rolls with peanut sauce, either already on the table or being prepared in the kitchen. The fresh rolls are comprised of a Thai mix of lettuce, tofu, and other leafy vegetables rolled up and held together with a rice paper wrap. Dip that in there proprietary peanut sauce and you're hooked. They are just very kind to us.
Anyway, I told that story to tell this one... so while we are at the restaurant, out of the blue, she says "I'm tired." And the tears came. She laid her head on my shoulder as if to resign herself to how she felt. One of the reasons I like taking her to this restaurant is the way the food makes you feel. It is not heavy; instead it is invigorating. The strong mix of flavors and the spices awaken the taste buds and fill your soul with warmth. And it always seems to make her feel better. This time was no different. With a few bites, she was back and talkative. It is one of the few ways in which I can pick her up a bit.
There are many things I miss about Toni before this whole cancer thing started. Those are quite personal, and this is not the time nor the way I want to capture my thoughts. However, I am grateful to simply get a hug and hold her hand, and every weekend we lie next to each other and just talk, face to face. From time to time, fleating moments created by Toni provide me with promises that things will once again return to some sense of "before." I know that most of her health will return, save... her now life long effort to minimize her lymphedema and the threat of reoccurrence of the cancer. There are still the occasional moments when she laughs all out, when she dances to music (and let me tell you she can dance), or when she gets inspired to go places (because she thinks she has the energy to do so). I have learned to stop and enjoy those precious minutes of time and to imprint those images in my memory.
To lighten this blog up a bit... I made my own recipe for homemade ice cream. I have been working on the base flavor for sometime, tweaking the ingredients as I go. Needless to say, it put a smile on Toni's face as well. YES... another victory for me in making her feel better. I would like to share this recipe...but I might be on to something. But I will hint, that is all about organics and combination of flavors. More to come.
Of the "complications," Toni would probably say being tired (really tired) and the lymphedema in her right arm are the most notable. A recent blood test showed most everything seems to be ok. She has a significant Vitamin D deficiency. We are working on that. I would like to know where her iron levels are as well. Hopefully she can ask for that to be looked at in the next test as well.
Another snipet from the life and times of Toni and Bryan. Yesterday (Saturday) we went to our favorite Thai restaurant (Silver Spoon in Redmond, WA). Over the months we'll go there 3 times each month. Sometimes it seems like weekly, but probably not more that every other week. The food is just wonderful. Yet, that frequency and the fact that we go there on Saturdays when the restaurant has few customers has yielded an interesting relationship between Toni and I, and couple of Silver Spoon employees. Somehow, they see us coming when we park, and they will have a table selected for us with an ice tea for me and a lemonade for Toni. In addition, they have a small platter of vegetarian style fresh rolls with peanut sauce, either already on the table or being prepared in the kitchen. The fresh rolls are comprised of a Thai mix of lettuce, tofu, and other leafy vegetables rolled up and held together with a rice paper wrap. Dip that in there proprietary peanut sauce and you're hooked. They are just very kind to us.
Anyway, I told that story to tell this one... so while we are at the restaurant, out of the blue, she says "I'm tired." And the tears came. She laid her head on my shoulder as if to resign herself to how she felt. One of the reasons I like taking her to this restaurant is the way the food makes you feel. It is not heavy; instead it is invigorating. The strong mix of flavors and the spices awaken the taste buds and fill your soul with warmth. And it always seems to make her feel better. This time was no different. With a few bites, she was back and talkative. It is one of the few ways in which I can pick her up a bit.
There are many things I miss about Toni before this whole cancer thing started. Those are quite personal, and this is not the time nor the way I want to capture my thoughts. However, I am grateful to simply get a hug and hold her hand, and every weekend we lie next to each other and just talk, face to face. From time to time, fleating moments created by Toni provide me with promises that things will once again return to some sense of "before." I know that most of her health will return, save... her now life long effort to minimize her lymphedema and the threat of reoccurrence of the cancer. There are still the occasional moments when she laughs all out, when she dances to music (and let me tell you she can dance), or when she gets inspired to go places (because she thinks she has the energy to do so). I have learned to stop and enjoy those precious minutes of time and to imprint those images in my memory.
To lighten this blog up a bit... I made my own recipe for homemade ice cream. I have been working on the base flavor for sometime, tweaking the ingredients as I go. Needless to say, it put a smile on Toni's face as well. YES... another victory for me in making her feel better. I would like to share this recipe...but I might be on to something. But I will hint, that is all about organics and combination of flavors. More to come.
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