Cancer advice

[NO cancer]

Steve

Our thoughts and prayers are with Theresa and your entire family. From experience positive thinking is a powerful thing.

Chris & Sharon

[happybigblock]

Update:
Theresa had surgery Monday. Lobectomy of her left, lower, lobe. All biopsies aside from the tumor in that lobe, are negative. Good news. Still recovering from surgery with some pain and working with those meds. Did you know that in 10% of the cases, epidurals for pain don't work. Guess which percentage we ended up in. Thus, the pain afterward. Hoping to get out of ICU maybe tomorrow. She's up and walking today. Off oxygen also. Keep the good thoughts coming gang, it's working.
Thank you also for the texts, well-wishes, fruit baskets, etc. It has meant a great deal throughout this insanity.
Thanks also Joe, (RoKaNo) for you wonderful help and guidance and also helping us keep our wits about us during the trying times.

-Steve

[Rich215]

Steve,

Like others my heart sank when I read the post. Our thoughts are with you both.
We're glad to hear that the surgery went well and she's on the road to recovery.

[happybigblock]

Update: Theresa had all of her tubes, chest tubes, etc. removed yesterday and was able to walk around the hospital on her own yesterday. No oxygen! All tests for any other signs of the cancer are negative, so good news there. She should be home in the next day or two. She's a tough cookie.

-Steve

[Tak]

Awesome news! We will keep up the good wishes for her speedy recovery!!

[happybigblock]

Thanks for the continued support, cards, and well wishes. Theresa came home today. She did a short walking lap down the driveway this afternoon. Not bad for having almost half a lung removed earlier in the week.

-Steve

[bttfmk3]

Awesome news! Ang and I have been thinking of her. You two will be cruising in the Cobra in no time!

Shawn and Angela

Originally Posted by happybigblock

Thanks for the continued support, cards, and well wishes. Theresa came home today. She did a short walking lap down the driveway this afternoon. Not bad for having almost half a lung removed earlier in the week.

-Steve

[Dhungerf]

Steve: We are so excited to hear of Theresa's quick recovery, we are very happy for you both.

[modtour4]

Steve,

That is GREAT news!!!!!! I will continue to keep you and Theresa in my prayers. God Bless you both.

Russ

[happybigblock]

Theresa is on the mend. The final step will be follow-up chemo probably starting in November. Four months of low-dose, weekly treatments. We were hoping it was more like four weeks, but I guess this is the standard follow-up. After that is done, then just periodic scans.

-Steve

[daveclarkson]

Steve, that is great to hear. Hopefully the two of you can relax a bit and do some enjoyable weekend things with some of these procedures behind you. We'll be thinking of you both!
Dave

[Jon A]

Steve,

Glad to hear Theresa is doing well. In a few months this will just seem like a bump in the road. Continued positive thoughts coming your way.

Jon

[Dhungerf]

Steve: thats great news, glad to hear that Theresa is on the mend.

[happybigblock]

Update: Theresa had her port PowerPort* Implantable Port | Implantable Port Devices | Bard Access Systems installed the other day for the round of chemo. Heading in to the home stretch now. 4 months of "precautionary" chemo and she should be set. She started back to work this past week, 1/2 days.

-Steve

[Ron H.]

Hey Steve,
That is truly great. I'm really glad to hear that Theresa is doing well and I'm sure she is thrilled to get back to work.

Ron

[Tak]

Great news! We'll keep up the warm wishes!!

[Dhungerf]

Thats great news.

[happybigblock]

Month one of four with chemo is in the books. Theresa's white count bottomed out actually after week three at 400 versus a rock-bottom limit of 1400, yikes. That forced us to skip week four treatment on Friday just before Christmas with the sendoff from our chemo tech "with your counts this low, avoid people, touching, and germs. Have a happy holiday week." Two weeks off chemo and she was back to regular counts. We started month two yesterday with lowered doses and a plan to jump start her white counts as needed. As of Christmas Eve, she is also sporting a buzz cut. With her skin tone and head shape though, she rocks this look. She has quite a supply of hats too. She's not too keen on her wig yet. We took some much-needed downtime in VT over the holidays, had some massive snow up there, and my nephew came over to take the snowmobiles out with me. It was a nice week off for both of us and Theresa enjoyed some time with her Vermont friends as well. Less than three months to go to the finish line.

-Steve

[Mark9]

Good to hear Steve. Glad you two got a chance to get away too. This will be over before you know it and life will get back to normal! Just in time for another driving season!

All the best,

Mark

[happybigblock]

Latest update. Chemo is over. Theresa completed three of four months. We determined that her kidneys were not tolerating one of the two meds used and it reached a tipping point. Now we wait and monitor her kidneys the next couple of weeks to see how they, and her chemistry levels recover and rebound. She is taking it a day at a time.
-Steve

[desertdave]

Great new she is on the mend...Keep the faith brother. I am a care giver myself (wife stage 2 breast cancer). She has been in remission for 2 years now, and all is well..Take good care of her and treat her like a queen...She deserves it..It is very tough....Praying for ya..