Saturday, April 26, 2008
Freedom
After just over 24 hours in the hospital, Emily has been released! She is resting (uncomfortably, I'm afraid) back at home. She is pretty stiff and sore but she can get up and walk around when she wants to. Hopefully her recovery at home will be much more comfortable and FAST!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Out of surgery
Emily's is out of surgery and in recovery. The surgeon said that everything went smoothly and there were no surprises. Both doctors said that it couldn't have been more routine. Whew! Once Emily wakes up from the anesthesia, her release from the hospital depends upon her pain level. As soon as she is able to get off of the IV pain medication and can start taking her prescription drugs, she can go home. The doctors think it will be Saturday afternoon or Sunday for her release.
1:00 start
Emily's surgery started right on time! Miraculously, she didn't get delayed or bumped at all. Hopefully that will be the start of lots more good news for her today. Keep those fingers crossed and those prayers coming! :)
Surgery day
All systems are go for Emily's surgery today. She checks in to the hospital at 11:00 and her surgery is scheduled for 1:00. Hopefully she won't get bumped or delayed in any way. Her surgeon says that the surgery should take around 3 hours, but I don't think that includes any of the prep time needed for anesthesia and stuff. I will update the blog as I get information.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Surgery Postponed
The common cold has more power than we had imagined. Because Emily has a cold today, they cannot do her surgery on Friday. Bummer. She made it 4 months without getting sick, even when she was down and out on chemo. Now she is 4 days away from surgery and she is struck down by a cold. What timing! I'll keep the blog updated as we find out when she gets rescheduled.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Blame it on the rain
In the past two weeks, I have been desperately searching for answers. There are so many questions rolling around in my mind. How can cancer continue to grow during chemo? Why Emily? Who can I blame for this mess? The answers hold little comfort, yet I continue to ask the questions.
Emily's surgeon did shed some light on my main concern. Was this new tumor missed in the first round of scans or did it just sprout fresh sometime in the past 3 months? Chances are, it was there all along. Because Emily is so young, her breast tissue is very dense and at the time of her original body scans, the tumor was indefinable. The doctors can only work with what they can see on the scans, so there is no one at fault for missing this little devil. Rats - I really wanted to sue someone!
How can the cancer continue to grow and spread during chemo? Unfortunately, chemo cannot kill a tumor that has already formed. It works only on cancer cells at a microscopic level. Once they create a tumor, the only thing that can even attempt to shrink or eliminate it is radiation. Bummer. Alas, this new information leads me to the conclusion that I have to stop searching for a culprit to blame and start focusing my energy into something more positive.
The little silver lining on the dark cloud of breast cancer is that Emily no longer has to have radiation therapy, according to the panel of experts who reviewed her case. We are relieved to hear that piece of happy news because Emily has such sensitive skin that we though radiation might be really unpleasant for her. We will take all the good news we can get!
The next steps in the process are surgery on Friday the 18th (yep, it got bumped by a day already), a month or so of healing time, then another 12 weeks of chemo. Please keep good thoughts and prayers coming her way this week, especially on Friday!
Emily's surgeon did shed some light on my main concern. Was this new tumor missed in the first round of scans or did it just sprout fresh sometime in the past 3 months? Chances are, it was there all along. Because Emily is so young, her breast tissue is very dense and at the time of her original body scans, the tumor was indefinable. The doctors can only work with what they can see on the scans, so there is no one at fault for missing this little devil. Rats - I really wanted to sue someone!
How can the cancer continue to grow and spread during chemo? Unfortunately, chemo cannot kill a tumor that has already formed. It works only on cancer cells at a microscopic level. Once they create a tumor, the only thing that can even attempt to shrink or eliminate it is radiation. Bummer. Alas, this new information leads me to the conclusion that I have to stop searching for a culprit to blame and start focusing my energy into something more positive.
The little silver lining on the dark cloud of breast cancer is that Emily no longer has to have radiation therapy, according to the panel of experts who reviewed her case. We are relieved to hear that piece of happy news because Emily has such sensitive skin that we though radiation might be really unpleasant for her. We will take all the good news we can get!
The next steps in the process are surgery on Friday the 18th (yep, it got bumped by a day already), a month or so of healing time, then another 12 weeks of chemo. Please keep good thoughts and prayers coming her way this week, especially on Friday!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Great job, Cam!
It was a cold and nasty day up on Mt. Bachelor on Saturday but Cameron braved the elements and skied the whole day with the Riders for the Cure. He raised $1000 and was the 4th highest fundraiser at the event. Because of the value of his pledges, he also took home some great prizes like a white water rafting trip for 2, new ski goggles and backpack, a Zumiez gift card, and some other hats and t-shirts! The event raised $12,500 and despite the weather, it was well worth the effort. Thanks for participating in Emily's honor, Cameron. We are all so proud of you and love that you have such a generous spirit and kind heart. A big thank you also goes out to our family and friends who contributed to this worthy cause. Your financial support helped make this even more meaningful. Friday, April 4, 2008
A beautiful brain
The full body scan came back clear. There is no evidence of cancer anywhere else in Em's body, just the newest little lump. It measures approximately 1 cm, which is about the size of a marble. Her first tumor was just over 2 cm so this new one is a fast growing and resistant little sucker. She had an MRI yesterday along with the full body scan and the surgeon told her she had a beautiful brain. What a compliment!
She is scheduled for surgery on April 17th, though the full extent of her surgery and subsequent treatment are still up in the air. Her doctors are presenting her case to a panel of experts next Thursday to determine the best course of action. In the meantime, she has scheduled consultations with various surgeons, oncologists and plastic surgeons. Her cancer is considered "triple negative" meaning it isn't estrogen fed, progesterone fed or HER-2 positive. This is a rare combination and very aggressive.
As if she needed a little more stress and upheaval, she has decided to move out of her apartment and up to Vancouver to live with our parents throughout the rest of the treatment period. All of these months without working and surprisingly huge medical bills made this decision a no-brainer. Ideally we will have her moved out before the surgery and she can recuperate in comfort at the purple palace.
We will post information as it presents itself. Thanks for continuing to keep her in your prayers!
She is scheduled for surgery on April 17th, though the full extent of her surgery and subsequent treatment are still up in the air. Her doctors are presenting her case to a panel of experts next Thursday to determine the best course of action. In the meantime, she has scheduled consultations with various surgeons, oncologists and plastic surgeons. Her cancer is considered "triple negative" meaning it isn't estrogen fed, progesterone fed or HER-2 positive. This is a rare combination and very aggressive.
As if she needed a little more stress and upheaval, she has decided to move out of her apartment and up to Vancouver to live with our parents throughout the rest of the treatment period. All of these months without working and surprisingly huge medical bills made this decision a no-brainer. Ideally we will have her moved out before the surgery and she can recuperate in comfort at the purple palace.
We will post information as it presents itself. Thanks for continuing to keep her in your prayers!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Against all odds
Emily's cancer has returned.
She found a new lump right near her surgery scar last Friday morning. The doctor brought her right in for another mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. The results were shocking to all of us, even the doctor. I guess it is rare (though not unheard of) to have cancer continue to spread during chemo. She is scheduled for another full body scan on Thursday to determine what type of cancer this one is and to make sure that there is no cancer elsewhere in her body. Once they get the results of the scan, they will schedule another surgery for her as quickly as possible.
Going forward, this means at least one or two more surgeries and then starting chemo all over again. Other than just these facts, all I have to offer is stunned silence. I can't believe she has to endure this again. Em, you know I love you and I'm heartbroken that this isn't the end of this nightmare.
She found a new lump right near her surgery scar last Friday morning. The doctor brought her right in for another mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. The results were shocking to all of us, even the doctor. I guess it is rare (though not unheard of) to have cancer continue to spread during chemo. She is scheduled for another full body scan on Thursday to determine what type of cancer this one is and to make sure that there is no cancer elsewhere in her body. Once they get the results of the scan, they will schedule another surgery for her as quickly as possible.
Going forward, this means at least one or two more surgeries and then starting chemo all over again. Other than just these facts, all I have to offer is stunned silence. I can't believe she has to endure this again. Em, you know I love you and I'm heartbroken that this isn't the end of this nightmare.
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