November 16, 2012 12th Treatment

 

November 16, 2012 12^th Treatment

Leland has had the last treatment in this series. His blood work looked good and his PSA is down to 7.6. He gained 1.5 pounds which offset the 1 pound loss of last week, so weight seems to be stable.

Today he had his CT scan. Unfortunately, we will not find out the results of that until Wednesday the 28th as his doctor is on vacation all next week. We are fairly sure that the Medical Oncologist will recommend at least another 6 treatments. I rather dread that as the toxic effects seem to be multiplying. Maybe a week off will be beneficial to more recovery.

We sat in the waiting room today next to a man drinking the same stuff Leland was having to drink for the CT scan. We got to talking and found out that he is dealing with 3 cancers at once-Leukemia, Lymphoma and Melanoma which he has been fighting for   2 ½ years.  We had never heard of anyone having multiple cancers at the same time. No matter how much trouble one is having, there is always someone else having a worse time.

Leland  has not been feeling very well for the last 2 weeks or so. He is unable sleep the night of the treatment, then is tired and worn out for at least the next two days. His fingers are sore, his leg muscles feel tired much of the time,  his fingernails are turning brown and he goes through Kleenex by the boxes. 

 The PA told us that sometimes people even completely lose their fingernails during chemo. One of the patients whom I have mentioned before here, Tara, had that happen. Hers have grown back now, and she is proudly sporting bright pink polish on her new nails.

Sometimes it is hard to believe we are living the cancer lifestyle-medicines, supplements, Dr. appointments, treatments, illness-and always-hope that this is not permanent but temporary.  I had an interesting phone conversation with a man who works for an organization which helps cancer patients and he told me that he was diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer 20 years ago.  He has not been “cured” but has been able to “manage” it so that he has a decent quality of life, able to work and travel.  So perhaps that is another scenario which would have distinct possibilities and be more realistic in our circumstance, while still affording quality of life for both of us.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we are thankful for each of you and the prayers you send up so faithfully for us.   

November 9, 2012 11th Treatment

I am sitting in front of a lovely fire which Leland built earlier this evening and in front of which we also had our simple supper of soup and toast. 

Leland had his 11th treatment this week, and so far seems to be feeling better than last week, more energy, enjoying the taste of food more, doing some chores and able to enjoy projects on his computer.  We talked to his ND Oncologist regarding the taste problem, and she told us to get Zinc Picolinate, 20-30 mg and take it once a day.  So we did that yesterday and it seems to be helping already. 

He lost a pound last week, but all his blood work is fine.  We borrowed Del and Chuck's clippers and gave him the "Chemo-Haircut" - very short.  But not short enough, so more will have to come off on Sunday with the new clippers we got while in town. He has lost a lot of hair and has some pretty bare spots especially on top, so it really does look better short. Will probably have to really shave it in a couple of weeks or sooner.  He was dreading it (as he told me afterward) and so was I, but really keeping it all in perspective, bald for a time is really not a big deal.  We laughed about it and I offered to shave mine too, which he declined-can't say I am sorry about that! 

We returned home via Portland this time, in order to go with Cherilyn and Todd to the 20 week Ultra Sound with them.  What a special time that was-getting to see the baby already fully formed and functioning.  We could see his little face -yes I said his!-arms, legs, hands, spinal column, brain and heart along with a very clear picture of his little "peter".  Cherilyn recognized it first, and said "It's a boy!"    Could see him moving around a lot too.  We were all thrilled to find out he is healthy and a boy.  Todd and Cherilyn couldn't stop smiling, and neither could we.  Due date is March 25 or 26 and we are planning to be there! 

We came home to a nice clean house, so all we had to do was unload our things, put away the groceries and unpack, which did not take long.  Thank you Cherilyn and Todd for the gift of help you have given us, and thank you Del for doing such a great job in all you do. We have so much for which to be thankful, in addition to Leland feeling better, and our tiny little grandson, it is  Chaunda's birthday today, and she started her new job this week. 
 

Nov 2, 2012 10th Treatment

This trip was special as Del and Chuck came along with us, and we went a day early so we would have a day to do other things in the area.  We drove up on Monday and spent Tuesday taking a ferry to Bainbridge Island to see our dear friend Jackie who has had a stroke.  She is in a very nice rehab center there, and progressing very well.  It was good to see Wes, her husband who has been staying there in Paulsbo with their son so he can see Jackie every day. 

It was a very wet and rainy day in Seattle and on the Island. Waiting for the ferry we could see the tops of the skyscrapers shrouded in misty fog. We were interested to see the Washington State Patrol K-9 unit working the waiting cars, each one being sniffed for explosives. The dogs are extremely well trained and the teamwork between them and their handlers is amazing.

 We were all glad to have Chaunda for our driver all day as she is not only fun to be with, she also knows the area much better than we do.

After seeing Jackie and Wes we explored a little of Bainbridge Island going to Indianola to see the new home which Chuck's brother and his wife recently purchased. It is in a charming neighborhood dominated by hundreds of very tall fir trees and attractive homes. We then took a different ferry back to Edmonds and meandered south to Seattle where we ended up at the Pikes Market. It was just closing so we did not see much, but we were all tired by then and ready to rest.

Leland's treatment was Wednesday morning as usual.  The chemo is beginning to affect him a little more each week, and he is not feeling quite as well as before. We saw a PA who assured us that the side effects he is dealing with are temporary, and will recede when treatment is over because the supplements he is taking are protecting him from permanent damage. His sense of taste has been affected the last couple of weeks; his food does not taste as good as good to him as in the past.  He says it is the oral equivalent of having a semi-sheer veil over one's eyes.  But even with that, he was up another 4 pounds, for a total of 16 pounds restored. The smaller clothing we bought a couple months ago is getting snug on him. Shawna, the PA said that is a very encouraging sign.   There will be two more treatments, then another round of tests to measure the progress made.   The Oncologist said that realistically he should expect to need another  6 treatments, but the test results will help to determine that. 

Thank you Chaunda for spending a whole day driving a bunch of senior citizens around-you did great :).  And thanks Del and Chuck for going along and sharing your company with us.  We always enjoy doing things with you.  We are blessed with family who are also friends!

October 25, 2012 9th Treatment

October 25, 2012 9^th Treatment

We arrived home late yesterday evening from Leland’s 9^th treatment.  The trip went smoothly;  there was roadside snow over the passes and on the peaks. The autumn leaves are still lovely especially against  dark clouds shot through with sunshine and rainbows.  It makes us wonder what we will be driving through next week!

The treatments are still going well, the blood work is stable and his weight was up another 4 pounds-yes! His hair is thinning noticeably, and he slept only 3 hours last night, which seems to be becoming a pattern for the night after treatment.  We went for a 2 mile walk today, which made him tired, but he recovered well after a rest. 

We are getting aquainted with more of the patients at the clinic each week.  Every one of them is a story of courage and perseverance, and dogged determination to find a better way.  Everyone with whom I have visited so far is a Stage IV Lung, Breast or Liver Cancer.  Most come with a spouse, adult child or friend, but some come alone.  Some look pretty healthy, and some are very very sick.  One lady, with Stage IV Breast Cancer also has mets to the brain and bones. Her husband is there every week, and very attentive to her;  interfacing with the doctors and nurses when she is unable.  She is very sweet and friendly even as sick as she is.  Another couple is dealing with his liver cancer, and doing some of the same treatments Leland is getting. His wife is struggling with his personality change as well as difficult changes in his appetite.  Another little lady with Stage IV lung cancer and mets to the bones drove all the way there with her husband from Goldendale only to find out no treatment was possible for that day because she needed a blood transfusion first.  I was visiting with them when the nurse came and told her, and said she would help them arrange for blood testing here in Goldendale before making that long trip up again.

We are  at the point of praying for one another, strangers brought together by a common enemy and drawn together by a common hope. Each one deals with it in his or her own special way, some with faith, some with a fighting spirit mixed with faith, and some just fighting, refusing  to give up until they have no other choice.   The staff is wonderful, lots of  bright young friendly efficient professionals doing their best to make their patients as comfortable and healthy as possible. The Oncologists and Naturopathic Oncologists are fighting for their patients every day, applying their considerable skill to save lives and improve the quality of life for everyone under their care. We are grateful indeed to each of them and to God for bringing us to this place of hope.

10/18/2012 Treatment #8

 

We are home from Seattle again.  It was a beautiful trip across the mountains; the fall color is really lovely right now.  Chaunda had come via Amtrak on Sunday evening from Portland and spent a couple of days with us, traveling back to Seattle with us on Tuesday.  Of course, spending time with her is always great and she drove all the way there.  Thank you Chaunda! 

She does not like my poor old dollar store mugs, so she gave us 4 of her beautiful handmade mugs with the vibrant colors and leaves on them, which are my all time favorites.  She has a job now which she will begin November 5, so her time will be more limited.

 

Leland is doing well, the sesame oil brought his platelets up enough that he does not need to take it again for a while, until the tests show it declining again.  He is having some trouble with peripheral neuropathy which can cause numbness and tingling in the extremities-in his case being sore and somewhat clumsy finger tips.  This can be caused by diabetes among other things, but in his case is one of the side effects of chemo.  He is already on a high dose of glutamine to forestall the neuropathy, but we were advised to add fish oil to his regimen.  So I have ordered the best I can find, and he will begin that just as soon as we receive it.  He is still on the vitamin cocktail administered before the chemo, and the Iscador, all of which I believe are contributing to his well being and toleration of the chemo.

His weight was stable this last week, no gain or loss.  His blood counts continue to decline gently each week, but so far are still in the acceptable range for the therapy. He had a little more fatigue this last week than he had been having, which they told us to expect, and his hair is thinner than before.  Overall, he is still doing well, and able to participate in life again.  I think a busy life  sometimes forestalls our appreciation of the ability to do the things we want and need to do until suddenly that is removed for a time.  It now seems like such a treat to go to church and stay for dinner, to be able to go out for the evening, or go to town together.  Even the ability to enjoy the trip to Seattle each week is appreciated after the summer we spent mostly unable to do much of anything.

Thank you Rosemarie and Riverside Prayer Shawlers for the beautiful purple “Prayer Shawl”. It is lovely to wrap around my shoulders in the early morning chill, or in the evening. Thank you for the love and prayers knitted into each stitch.

I will close with a thought by Stormie O’Martian in Just Enough Light For the Step I’m On,  page 131 and 132:

“God often allows hard things to happen in our lives in order to bless us in some way.  If we are willing to allow for that possibility in everything that happens, it saves us from being devastated by people and situations that are ultimately going to be used for God’s glory.  If we surrender our disappointment to God and say “Be my Light and lead me through this Lord” His work will be accomplished faster……….

It pleases God when you have faith enough in the midst of your disappointment to put your hope and expectations in Him……If you will maintain a humble submitted, faith filled  expectant heart, you will see God’s goodness manifest in the midst of all that is happening to you”

Oct 10,2012 7th Treatment

Oct 10, 2012 Treatment 7

Today was a full day-4 ½ hours of treatment at the clinic, consults with both the medical and Naturopathic Oncologists, a great lunch which Chaunda fixed for us, a little shopping and then home again.

Leland is doing quite well. His PSA went from 23 to 228 while on Protocel.  Today it was 16!!  He has blood work done every single week, and they really watch all the indicators.  His platelets (for blood clotting)  are down now because of the chemo;  we were advised to get cold pressed sesame oil-untoasted- which will assist his body to manufacture more of them.   Who knew?  I thought sesame oil was only used for Asian cooking! We found some by Spectrum and I whipped it into his drink which contains among other things, protein powder, glutamine, mannose, sesame oil, flax oil, stevia, vanilla and orange juice in a base of almond milk.  I taste test it for him, and adjust it til it tastes good.    Stevia and vanilla make most anything taste better, and adding the orange juice makes it a little like an Orange Julius.  Fortunately, most of the meds and supplements which go in are relatively tasteless.

There will be 5 more treatments, then a reassessment, and probably 6 more before going on to  the next phase.

Another piece of good news is a 3.5 pound weight gain this week, 2 pounds last week and 3 the week before!  His appetite has really improved along with everything else. We really need to watch his protein intake, as it takes much more than normal to fight cancer.  So in addition to all he protein food he can eat, we have to add two  high protein drinks.  

Dr. Chen, the Med. Oncologist believes the new bone pain from week before last was probably the result of the Zometa infusion the week before. Zometa is a bisphosphonate used to treat osteoporosis, or bone metastasis.  Leland had to take narcotics for a couple of days, then it resolved.  He is being very careful not to do things like jump down out of the back of the pickup however.

 

Our nurse introduced me to another patient today-from Goldendale also.  A feisty little lady, Edna, with Stage IV lung cancer.  She told me she went to the cancer center in The Dalles-just once.  After they told her the misery which would be inflicted on her so she could live 6 months or so, she told the oncologist there that he was wrong, she was NOT going to die in 6 months-no thanks to him,  and she fired him on the spot.  It has been nearly a year, and she is still going strong.  She found the Seattle Center the same way I did, by searching on the internet for Integrative Medicine. Why does it need to be so hard and take so long?  Everyone to whom I have spoken there has found this clinic the same way. Many of them have tried traditional treatment first, which always comes without the nutritional support which naturopaths bring to an integrative team, and which really do help support the normal cells as well as faster regeneration of those normal cells which are damaged. 

 Dr G, the head Naturopathic Oncologist told us that many people are afraid of the side effects of treatment, but he reminded us the side effect of untreated cancer is death. We were staring that in the face earlier this summer.

We were really glad Leland was able to go to Mom VanTassel’s memorial this past weekend.  He hitched up the trailer and helped with the loading and did a lot of the driving.  Del and Chuck traveled with us so Chuck could help with the driving which we really appreciated.  We had a wonderful weekend reconnecting with family and friends.  It was a good weekend to honor the life and memory of a remarkable woman. I was blessed to know her and learned much from her as a young wife. I knew nothing about vegetarian cooking except for potato salad, scrambled eggs and vegeburgers, and she gladly shared her recipes with me.  She was always kind to me from day one, welcomed me to the family, and always let me know she loved me.  She taught me a lot; I appreciate and honor her memory.

Wednesday, Oct 3, 2012 6th Treatment

We are home from Leland’s 6^th treatment which went very well.  We were able to meet our daughter, Chaunda, and go to a small Thai Restaurant for lunch, after which we went to Harborview Hospital to see a friend from church here ( Jackie) who has had a stroke and very serious brain surgery.  Our prayers are for her and her family, and we hope she will be have a smooth recovery.

Leland was sick for a couple of days last week, just after I posted the last blog.  He had another episode of bone pain, in his  lower left leg, which was new.  When I called the clinic for him, they were concerned it could perhaps be a blood clot, and they thought he should get an Ultrasound on it, but it resolved within a couple of days, so  the US was not necessary after all.  The pain meds make him feel weird, and it seemed to upset his stomach this time.    However, by yesterday he was better, the pain was gone, and he was off the meds again.

Today, he got his first dose of Iscador, or Mistletoe, an immune therapy being used quite extensively in Germany. It is given by a small needle in the   interdermal fat layer.  The nurse showed us how to do it, since I will need to give it to him three days a week. He is still getting his vitamin “cocktail” by IV every week before the Chemo, along with the other nutritional therapies.

 I have been getting acquainted with some of the other patients  while Leland is napping, very nice people, all of them struggling with this awful disease. I met a couple across the aisle from us today from Leavenworth.  They are an older couple (like us? : )) and he has liver cancer.  She is from Germany so I was asking her about the package insert that came with the Iscador since it was all in German. They told me that when her husband started the Iscador, that he really began to feel better-almost normal.  So we are hoping for the same results for Leland.  

 We had a good trip both ways again for which we are thankful. We were delayed on I-90 for an hour on the way in.  They stopped all traffic going both ways for an hour for blasting.  Fortunately we had a book to read aloud and our supper, so we took a break right there in the middle of the freeway.  It is good to be home again.