Anwers from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance - 2nd Opinon

The day after Christmas mom had an appointment at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. It is a cancer center in Seattle that is known around the world. The doctors there are very knowledgeable and caring. We had great service from setting up the appointment to our greeting at the center. The appointment was at 11:00 am and we had to register an hour before. We left at about 4 am for Seattle and made good time. We only had to stop for one potty break and thankfully it was at a rest stop and not on the side of the road (mom was worried about her tummy on the way). Anyway... we got their safe, got a bite to eat and registered. Our (mom, dad and Me) appointment was with Dr. Laurie Carr, a medical oncology specialist in lung, neck and head cancer. She was pretty young, cute and super nice. A real sweet heart I thought. She came in a did a overview of the information. They view it and look at the scans before the appointment. We verified information and compared notes to give her the whole picture, asked a few questions we had concerns with; she we get mom a port, what about possible breast tumor, etc. She took about an 1hr and 1/2 with us. She said that she was encouraged with the fact that mom seemed to be responding to the chemo treatment so far. Less pain and discomfort in her chest and so on. We asked her to be straight with us and upfront and that we wanted the truth. About her hair falling out, Dr. Carr said at the dose of mom's chemo and the combination of the drugs taxol and carboplatin that she has never seen someone not lose their hair. Usually just before the 2nd round starts. Mom was upset but was glad that she had an answer. The nurses in Kennewick kept saying, "You never know, everyone is different and some do, some don't. " I think she was holding on to that hope but Dr. Carr is certain it will go. Sooooo.... we are preparing for that stage. One step at a time. We asked her about staging and about the chemo treatment lasting 6 months, how long everything takes and what to expect. We were not prepared for our answer. The initial pre-chemo appointment with the oncologist here in Kennewick was cut short and we had a lot of unanswered questions and lack of knowledge with what we were dealing with. At one point we were told that the tumor would melt away and we were under the impression that after 6 rounds of chemo we would be good to go. Dr. Carr said that she recommended only doing 4 rounds, see how mom feels and take a break. When the symptoms from the chemo become more of a pain and hassle then the cancer itself you need to re-evaluate the situation. It is more important to take the time you have to do something you enjoy then be doing chemo, be miserable and at home in your bed for the rest of the time. Mom has always said that if she ever got sick and had to do chemo that she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to be sick and miserable and not be able to spend her time doing something fun. She wants to fish and quilt and go on a few trips. However, she is responding well to the treatment so far, so she is going to go ahead and do 4 rounds and see where she is at that time. We were told that she will not be able to beat it. She is at stage 4 at this point and that her chemo will eventually stop working. The cancer cells get sort of immune to the drugs so you can either try a different line or do a round then take off for vacation while you feel good. It is up to you. Mom wants to take it one step at a time and see how she feels before she makes a definite plan. Dr. Carr said that with the stage and type of cancer mom has that we should probably expect about one more year with her. It's hard for me to even think like that right now, but I guess I need to be strong and believe that the Lord knows what is best and has plans for her in heaven. It is in his hands now. My dad keeps saying that she can go early because she is more perfect than us. We have to let her go because the Lord has more important work for her to do. We love her so much and don't want her to go but we know that it will be alright. It will be hard but we just have to remember we will be with her again. The knowledge of the gospel is such a comfort. Please continue to pray in her behalf and for help so she may have the strength to stay with us a little longer. Thank You,

Melanie!

Christmas

We had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve the family all met at my oldest brother Monte's house at 5:00 and we ate food around 6:00. We had more food than we knew what to do with. I think it was the first Carver event that every last crumb wasn't eaten up. We had ham, smoked turkey, every kind of dip imaginable, sweet stuff including Patty's award winning apple pie and enough appetizers to keep everyone happy. After dinner we had a short program. We had some musical numbers by a few of the grand kids, Bryce played The First Noel on the trumpet and Kelsie sang another Christmas song for us. Shawn read from the scriptures and and Sherri ended with a Christmas dedication to mom. It was good... we all got a good cry and opened up presents from our gift exchange we do every year. Mom and dad got a wooden sudoku game from Patty and Shawn. If you don't know the story behind sudoku you'll have to ask my parents. They started doing it last year sometime and are pretty competitive. Its pretty funny actually because one gets mad at the other if they finish it for the other person before they have had chance. Anyway.... everyone got something they liked and mom did pretty well. We have some cute pictures. I will get them up tonight maybe.
Christmas morning at mom and dads Sherri and Darin were at my parents house. Their kids got up to open presents and they made breakfast. I had Sherri stuff stockings for mom and dad that I had prepared already so they had something to open from "Santa." Chris and I went out just before they got done and finished opening presents. For all those who don't know, for the last 6 months or so we have all been keeping a secret from my dad. My sister Sherri has published a book on our paternal grandmother behind my dads back. He lost her when he was 10 along with a lot of precious memories. Sherri was able to gather information, letters, pictures and documents and made a 40 page book for him. We all pitched in and helped and gave it to my dad on Christmas. There was one last present under the tree and we did the usual "Oh, look.... there is another present over here, I wonder what this could be." He cried so hard and it was totally worth it. It was awesome to see his face and it was everything we anticipated. All of his brothers and sisters received one for Christmas as well. It was a great experience. We have it on video as well as a couple great pictures.

Day 2 and 3 of Oral Chemo

Mom's spirts have been high. Doctor Vaz has put her on steriods which can make you kind of moody and agressive and it has been quite interesting. "She has had a little hop in her step," as dad has said. It gives her a little spunk and energy I think. She has been eating pretty good and has not had an upset stomach or any vomitting. What a blessing! I talked to the Cancer Center in Seattle today and we are set to go over the day after Christmas for a second opinion. Our appointment is at 11:00 am so hopefully the roads will be good and we will be able to find were we are going. We have a baptism for Kims boy Devon Saturday and Christmas Eve at Monte and Kelly's house Monday night. Everyone is bringing food and we are going to try and have a little program. Anyway... things are looking good so thanks for the prayers

Thank you all for your support and comments on this blog that Kim has set up. It is a good way to keep in touch. I'm taking one day at a time and every day is a new adventure. I'm trying to prepare myself when my hair falls out. Melanie gave me this poem from the cancer center. I thought it was a good way to look at a bad situation.
Today's Attitude!
There once was a woman that woke up one morning,
Looked in the mirror, and noticed that she had only three hairs on her head.
"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today."
So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror
And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today."
So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror
And noticed she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail,."
So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up and looked in the mirror
and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEAH!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. So I best be changing my attitude.

My outlook is changing as I have started the chemo. It is hard but I feel that I will beat this! Bob and I are planning a trip to Vancouver for a fishing trip in early summer. I have quilts to make and genealogy to research. I would hope that I will be more compassionate of others and their trials and be able to bring comfort to others. I have had many examples of angels around me that bring me much love and comfort. Thank you for your fasting, your prayers and many meals and thoughtful gifts. I have been so blessed. I know my Heavenly Father loves me because of the many friends he has given me to bless me at this time. Thank you all for your encouraging words and thoughts. I love hearing from you. Goodnight. I think I'd better get to bed. Love, Chris

CHEMO ROUND #1

Well, Today was mom's first day of Chemotherapy. She is receiving treatment at the Cancer Center here in Kennewick where she will have 6 rounds. Each round starts with the first day at the center getting IV therapy. Then for the following days she will take oral chemo, up to the end of her cycle. I don't quite understand the numbers here but the important part is that she is only doing IV therapy every 21 days. Okay confusing... sorry. Anyway, back to round one, day one. The day started off good. Moms oncologist nurse explained the procedure and the drugs and side effects and dad and I asked questions and took notes. The IV process itself took a lot longer than anticipated. Each person has a unique chemo treatment for their cancer. Each regimen takes a certain amount of time to administer. Moms is close to 6 HOURS!!!. Soooooooooo.... They give 3 drugs prior to the chemo. One is benadryl, one is a anti-nausea and the other I don't remember. They all help the chemo not be so harsh. The first chemo drug is called TAXOL. It is administered with a small amount of sodium chloride and can have reactions in a small percentage of patients... Ding ding ding. We won the reaction! 5 minutes into therapy she reacted and they took her off and gave her a counter acting drug. It is to be administered at 200 which represents the rate it goes into the body. At 200- it takes 3 hours. They moved her to 50..for 15 minutes. Each dose is monitored in 15 min increments. So we went from 50 to 100 and watched. Then to 150. After the 2nd round (of 15 min) she reacted again so back to 100. We finally got her to the rate of 200 without reactions and finished the IV bag at 3:00 p.m! Crazy day. What a trooper she is. I had to leave to work but the other two drugs which are; Carboplatin and etoposide were given and were fine. The Carboplatin is given in about an hour and the etoposide is over 90 minutes. She wasn't having any nausea during the infusion today. She did have some time in the potty which is probably due to lots of drugs and little food. I don't think ensure is what you would call a balanced diet. Anyway, her blood pressure was tolerable and dad said that after chemo she ate a lot of real food. She had ensure for breakfast and lunch and I am assuming they went out to eat. After the 8:15 am arrival she finally got home around 7pm. The next three days are suppose to be pretty harsh as far as symtoms go so say your prayers and keep your fingers crossed. She has been so sick already previous to the chemo that I am hoping she wont get any worse. She is use to being sick by now, maybe it will stay the same. I'll update more next time I get news. Thanks for reading. -Melanie-

Kim-Mom and Mel- Summer 07

Monday the 17th--- Melanie's update

The results of the brain MRI are good. No cancer or abnormal things going on. Last Tuesday, a upper GI scope was done to check for stomach and esophagus cancer and no cancer was found. However, her stomach and esophagus are being smushed by the tumor which is causing some discomfort and difficulty swallowing and when eating more than a little food at a time. Mom doesn't have much of an appetite and gets sick if she eats too much because of the constriction. Today she had some pre-chemo blood work done and had another CT scan done of the upper chest at Lourdes over in Pasco. This is so we have a CT from a month ago to compare to the one now (before chemo) and then we'll have another after the first round of chemo to note any changes. Her pulmonary specialist is Dr. Vaz (also at Lourdes) and he has been the Dr. draining the fluid in her lungs for her. Today, they did a ultrasound and targeted a spot a little above the one they have been draining from before and got about a liter and and half. Last week, the attempt to drain any fluid failed. She was given a breathing treatment and some prednisone (steroids) to help with the low appetite and help her lungs. Chemo starts tomorrow at 8:15 and things are looking good. The decision has been made to go with chemo and if needed, radiation later on. That is if chemo isn't doing the trick. Because the primary location of the tumor hasn't been identified, we don't want to take the risk of only treating tumor location and not the rest of the body... just in case. If local radiation is needed, we can always throw that in later on.

I was able to get moms medical records faxed over to seattle to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance today. We have an appointment set up for the day after Christmas for a second opinion... We will see if she is up to it. The cancer center over there has a team of oncologists that specialized in lung, neck and chest tumors and cancers of unknown primary. They look at her records and look over her actual CT/MRI scans and evaluate with the opinions of their own radiologist and come to a conclusion based on the information presented as well ad their own physical exam.

Tomorrow with Dr. Kevin Weeks (moms oncologist) we will see what the progress on the PET scan is (it is being sent for approval from the insurance) and see if that needs to be done and get some more information on the treatment she will be undergoing. That why we can have a heads up as far as her schedule and side effects so we can understand how we can help her a little better. She was feeling much better tonight when I spoke to her and had high spirits. She feels a ton better when she doesn't have 10 pounds of fluid floating around in her chest and she can actually breath and eat something good. Thank you to everyone who has been helping with food and comments and prayers. She told me tonight how loved and appreciated she feels. She needs all the encouragment she can get. Attitude is everything, so if we can help her with that we will be doing a lot.

Family and updates

A few weeks ago Mom was able to be with Melanie as she went to the temple to receive her own endowment and get sealed to Chris Cain. It was such a wonderful weekend to be in the temple especially with the news that Mom has cancer. The spirit touched my heart and whispered that all will be well whatever the outcome. I know that seeing Melanie take this step in her life has pleased my parents so much. I'm so thankful that she is in tune with the spirit, its come in handy so many times lately. Melanie is such a go getter and is doing so much to help my mom and Dad. I'm eager for Mel to start her own family so I can love on a baby again but I'm so thankful she is child-free and self-employed. I don't know what we'd do without her.

Mom didn't go to church yesterday. She told me that she feels like she's 9 months pregnant. The tumor is definitely causing stress to her normal body functions as she fills like she doesn't have room to breath and has difficulty eating more than she normally would. We're still waiting for the results from the brain scan and hopefully there will be no cancer to report.

What we know so far.

I want to first say that I don't know all there is to know about my mom's cancer. I think its safe to say that she doesn't know either. I'm learning that I don't know a fraction of what there is to know what it comes to the workings of our bodies, let alone how cancer works. So, I will try my best and my sister Melanie will probably add more to what I put.

• There is a tennis ball size tumor underneath my mom's sternum. (breast bone)
• The tumor has been causing her lungs some stress and fluid has built up because of the irritation of the tumor.
  She's had 5 liters of fluid drained so far.
  
• The doctors say that the tumor has come from a different source according to the biopsy report. We don't know what the primary source for the tumor is yet. This is called, "Cancer with an unknown primary".
• We can't find any other tumors besides the one under her sternum. On Wednesday, a doctor took a look at her esophagus and stomach and couldn't find cancer. The tumor is pushing on the esophagus and causing a small obstruction. This may be why she can't swallow pills very well.

• On Tuesday, the 18th of December she will begin doing Chemo.

If you have a moment I think that she'd enjoy a personal card or letter to encourage her and let her know you love her. And as always, please keep her in your prayers.