Home Sweet Home

Well, it is official, Whitney Garrison has graduated from University of North Carolina Asheville.  We had a great weekend away in the mountains and seeing some good spots in Asheville before Whitney moved.  Don came home on Sunday morning and I stayed another day to celebrate mothers day with my mom and drive the moving truck with Whitney's stuff back up on Monday with dad.  Dad and I made the most of the 10 hour drive home.  I can not complain about the drive one bit.  Although I did not drive so he may see things differently.   I was able to get a couple naps in and make a pit stop in Columbus IN to see my Uncle Rich and aunt Tam's "new" house.  They have lived there for 6 years so I guess what may not be new to them, but new to me.  Beautiful home on the lake.  They surprised dad and I with a baby!  Yes, a baby….my cousin Jill was there with her daughter Quinn who is 2 months.  Beautiful surprise!  It was sad to learn at the benefit that my aunt Tam's father was diagnosed with cancer.  We received an update on him and it seems he is handling his chemo like a champ!  So good to hear.  Cancer at any age does not come welcoming. So do me a favor and please add my aunt Tam, her father and her family to your prayers.

While away, Don and I learned that his Uncle Ron passed away.  This was sad news to learn because we just saw him at the benefit volunteering.  He has 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren.  His services were held Tuesday and Wednesday.  It was a beautiful service. So another prayer request for the Pondelicek family.  Especially Ronnie Jr and Kathy, Brian, Trish, Sean and Molly and Adam, Kristi, Jeremy and Zoey. And also Uncle Ron's brothers and sisters and mom. 

On the cancer front, this is my off week.  Last week I received my chemo but also spoke to Dr. Phillips.  I could tell my nagging pain was coming back in between my regular pain pill time.  It was becoming worse and worse and I was also noticing some new red spots on my chest wall.  This told me that the chemo I currently am on was probably no longer working.  So I made the brave decision to call out the cancer this time rather than it calling me out.  What I mean by that is I was scheduled to have a repeat PET scan to see if this drug was working before moving on.  But after the uplifting benefit, I decided I was not going to let a chemo regimen that decided to fail bring me down by getting a scan and learning of a possible new location that the cancer had set up shop.  Rather I asked Dr. Phillips if we could just move on without a scan.  See my chemo treatment does not change whether the cancer stays put or travels to an organ or new nodes so my new opinion is, what I don't know can't hurt me.  I know to some this sounds like a small victory, but for me, it was huge.  Hearing we have to move on makes you feel like things are out of your control.  For me to make the decision and basically come to terms with it rather than being told by someone else, is my small way to feel in control and to feel in control to me meant not losing any of my high from the weekend of the benefit.  So there you go!  I also feel that sometimes knowing or hearing something makes me anxious and that feeling is hard to shake.  For example, when I fell playing soccer a few weeks back, I fell on my hip that has a spot that has not been ruled as cancer but has also not been ruled out.  So I limped for a week and told myself that this was it, it probably is the cancer blah blah blah.  Well, a week later, my hip does not hurt and I am not limping.  See?  See what a scan does to me?  I just would rather not know right now since my treatment plan stays the same.  

So new chemo starts next Wednesday.  I will be doing 2 drugs for 3 weeks and the 4th week off.  Week 1 I receive both drugs.  Week 2 I receive 1 drug and week 3 I receive both drugs again and week 4 is a week of rest.  I am told I should be able to tolerate these drugs about the same as the other drugs.  No new side effects that seem too scary for me.  The drugs are called Avistan and Abraxane.  

So wish us luck!  Have a great weekend!

Amber