Well Christmas came and went, and it was a wonderful time. We had a big delicious turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, with uncle Bob, Brandon, Dana and the twins, Dana's mom and her boyfriend, and Dana's brother. It was a wonderful meal and I even was able to help out making it, something I'd never imagined doing. It was also great to have uncle Bob around at Christmas again - almost 20 years may have passed, but it was just as though it were last year.
Christmas Day morning was quiet here but then we went to Brandon and Dana's for brunch (incredible waffles) and watched Jack and Davis open their mountain of gifts. I expected they wouldn't be that interested as they are only 6 1/2 months, but they were both squealing and reaching and laughing the whole time. One of the gifts I bought them is a little Sesame Street "sofa" and to see them both sitting in it was worth it! We all had great entertainment and I can't imagine what Christmas was before they came!
I am in week 2 of my usual chemo cycle, and feeling a bit of bone pain and fatigue (also all the action probably has worn me out a bit), but generally still doing very well. Aside from blood work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, I had a pretty uninterrupted holiday. Now I just want to recover and get rested for Hawaii on Tuesday! I still don't really believe I am going. I was able to get some great snorkeling gear and surfer wear (Christmas gift cards!) so I think I'll be ready to hit the water.
Several times over the past few days I have stopped to wonder at how well I am doing given where I was just a few months ago. I know now that anything can happen - with love and support of others, your own hope and positive energy, miracles are possible. Thank you again for your continued support. I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy 2007....please let me know what you have been up to or what your plans are.
Cheers
Wednesday 27 December 2006
Tuesday 19 December 2006
Mele Kalikimaka! (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas)
An early Christmas gift...pending any new unwanted developments, mom, dad and I will be spending 2 weeks in Hawaii starting January 2nd! I will still do chemo during that time, but it is all pill-form, so it's possible to do! I am now shopping for a "rash guard" which is basically what surfers wear - a skin tight water shirt with a high neck and shorts, that will cover both my graft site and my neck wound. I won't be surfing but perhaps a little snorkeling! It has been 20 years since I last visited a warm tropical beach, so I am very excited.
My trip to Vancouver this weekend was very good. It was a little hard to see grandma given how amazing she was the last time I saw her. That said, she looks pretty good, still attempts to speak,and her agility with her arms, fingers and legs has improved over the past few months, even without formal rehabilitation. I told her that I know I get my strength from her...she is such a wonderful woman. It was also fantastic to spend some time with Colleen (mom's sister), Allan, Grady and Joelle as well as my mom's brother Bob and my brother Brandon.
The trip tired me out a bit, so Monday I was a bit slow, but managed to make it to the Survivor Finale party that my PricewaterhouseCoopers Survivor Chicks had kindly delayed for me! It was great to see Shannon, Laura and Julie as we took in our favourite reality show and crowned the winner. I had picked my survivors while still in the hospital (and clearly on too many drugs) so I didn't come close to Shannon's high score. Maybe next season!
I continue to improve each day, although my stamina still is no where near normal. Today I have blood work and a few things to do before I start the Chemo day 1 again tomorrow, which may set me back slightly for a few days. I'm looking forward to Christmas with the family, seeing the twins open gifts and of course Hawaii January 2nd.
Cheers to you and yours, with eggnog (which has 10 g of protein in it by the way)!
My trip to Vancouver this weekend was very good. It was a little hard to see grandma given how amazing she was the last time I saw her. That said, she looks pretty good, still attempts to speak,and her agility with her arms, fingers and legs has improved over the past few months, even without formal rehabilitation. I told her that I know I get my strength from her...she is such a wonderful woman. It was also fantastic to spend some time with Colleen (mom's sister), Allan, Grady and Joelle as well as my mom's brother Bob and my brother Brandon.
The trip tired me out a bit, so Monday I was a bit slow, but managed to make it to the Survivor Finale party that my PricewaterhouseCoopers Survivor Chicks had kindly delayed for me! It was great to see Shannon, Laura and Julie as we took in our favourite reality show and crowned the winner. I had picked my survivors while still in the hospital (and clearly on too many drugs) so I didn't come close to Shannon's high score. Maybe next season!
I continue to improve each day, although my stamina still is no where near normal. Today I have blood work and a few things to do before I start the Chemo day 1 again tomorrow, which may set me back slightly for a few days. I'm looking forward to Christmas with the family, seeing the twins open gifts and of course Hawaii January 2nd.
Cheers to you and yours, with eggnog (which has 10 g of protein in it by the way)!
Thursday 14 December 2006
Cleared for take-off!
Another good week almost over...
I visited the bone marrow clinic on Tuesday and given my counts and the state of my chest wound, they said I was in pretty good shape. Good enough to join my mom on her flight to Vancouver tomorrow, to visit my grandma. Since her second stroke this past January, she has not been able to walk and has a limited speaking ability, so I am very happy to go see her for a couple days. I'll also be able to have a "pre-Christmas" visit with Colleen, Allan, Joelle and Grady.
Next week I start my "day one" of chemo again, which means some IV chemo and 5 days of prednisone, along with the usual 28 days of mercapturine. It also means another lumbar puncture or "spinal tap", which requires me to give myself injections of blood thinner for the 5 days before and after the procedure (uncle Tony will appreciate that). I am happy I am done Christmas shopping!
On the non-medical side of life, I was able to visit the twins a few times this week. My arm strength has finally gotten to the point where I can lift them, which is excellent. They are truly hilarious and cute, and I think they may know me now (with and without my hair on). I also got over to Tasha's place for a SingStar session, as she unfortunately got delayed until next week for her next round of chemo. I even made it to the Christmas party for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (I'm on the board) which was tiring but wonderful to see everyone there. Finally, I had lunch with an old grade-school friend of mine, Ryan, who is newly engaged!
So I am off tomorrow evening...please keep me updated on what is new in your world. Cheers
I visited the bone marrow clinic on Tuesday and given my counts and the state of my chest wound, they said I was in pretty good shape. Good enough to join my mom on her flight to Vancouver tomorrow, to visit my grandma. Since her second stroke this past January, she has not been able to walk and has a limited speaking ability, so I am very happy to go see her for a couple days. I'll also be able to have a "pre-Christmas" visit with Colleen, Allan, Joelle and Grady.
Next week I start my "day one" of chemo again, which means some IV chemo and 5 days of prednisone, along with the usual 28 days of mercapturine. It also means another lumbar puncture or "spinal tap", which requires me to give myself injections of blood thinner for the 5 days before and after the procedure (uncle Tony will appreciate that). I am happy I am done Christmas shopping!
On the non-medical side of life, I was able to visit the twins a few times this week. My arm strength has finally gotten to the point where I can lift them, which is excellent. They are truly hilarious and cute, and I think they may know me now (with and without my hair on). I also got over to Tasha's place for a SingStar session, as she unfortunately got delayed until next week for her next round of chemo. I even made it to the Christmas party for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (I'm on the board) which was tiring but wonderful to see everyone there. Finally, I had lunch with an old grade-school friend of mine, Ryan, who is newly engaged!
So I am off tomorrow evening...please keep me updated on what is new in your world. Cheers
Saturday 9 December 2006
'Tis the Season to be Merry
This week has been very merry...I have been feeling better than I have in a long long while. While my stamina still has a long way to go, my energy has improved this week.
Gifts of the week
- getting my "pick" line in my arm removed - I am officially "tubeless". My chemo now is mostly pill-form, so I'll do blood tests and my monthly IV chemo by a peripheral IV instead of having the pick.
- being told by my plastic surgeon Dr. Campbell that I don't need to come in to wound care anymore, as my wound in my neck/chest is all closed!
- having lunch with my sister-in-law Dana and my twin nephews Jack and Davis
- playing "SingStar" with my good friend Tasha (who is courageously fighting breast cancer), without our wigs on, forgetting either of us were sick
I truly hope all of you have a healthy, joyful, happy holiday season. I am so thankful for the joys of life that I am able to experience, having survived the past few months. Your wishes, prayers, energy, thoughts, words and visits have truly been spectacular, giving me some powerful strength to beat the odds. Please toast life throughout the holiday season and have an extra piece of baking for me!
Cheers
Gifts of the week
- getting my "pick" line in my arm removed - I am officially "tubeless". My chemo now is mostly pill-form, so I'll do blood tests and my monthly IV chemo by a peripheral IV instead of having the pick.
- being told by my plastic surgeon Dr. Campbell that I don't need to come in to wound care anymore, as my wound in my neck/chest is all closed!
- having lunch with my sister-in-law Dana and my twin nephews Jack and Davis
- playing "SingStar" with my good friend Tasha (who is courageously fighting breast cancer), without our wigs on, forgetting either of us were sick
I truly hope all of you have a healthy, joyful, happy holiday season. I am so thankful for the joys of life that I am able to experience, having survived the past few months. Your wishes, prayers, energy, thoughts, words and visits have truly been spectacular, giving me some powerful strength to beat the odds. Please toast life throughout the holiday season and have an extra piece of baking for me!
Cheers
Wednesday 6 December 2006
The roller coaster story (for those who don't know the whole story!)
I'll post this as an introduction....As most of you know, I am a veteran leukemia fighter...my first fight was in 1997 when I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). After months of chemo and a bone marrow transplant from my brother Brandon in November 1997, I continued on living life fully until December 2002 when the leukemia returned. More chemo and another transplant from an unrelated donor in July 2003 allowed me again to once again go on with my life. In October 2005 I moved to New York, my favourite city, to work on an internal project and continue my passion - acting. Unfortunately in July 2006, the leukemia returned once again. I flew back to Calgary to be treated.
The doctors told me a third bone marrow transplant was not an option, so I started chemo again immediately. About 10 days into chemo, with no white blood cells (infection fighting cells), I developed a flesh-eating disease in my neck and chest area. I had emergency surgery to try to remove the infected tissue and prevent further damage, which sent me into Intensive Care for several weeks. With no white blood cells to fight the various infections I had, it was nothing short of a miracle that allowed me to leave ICU finally.
My dad kept a journal of the numerous procedures, tests and surgeries that I had during my hospitalization - you can read it if you like (see separate post). I started to really recover in September, being able to breathe without oxygen, and finally was able to stand and take a few steps with a walker in early October. I had my feeding tube removed shortly after, allowing me a pass out of the hospital for Thanksgiving, and finally passed a swallowing test in mid-October so I could eat solid foods and drink liquids again! Chicken fingers, fries and a diet coke was my first meal (you can't imagine how good it tasted), and a day later I had steak and Lobster with my good friend Tasha (who is fighting breast cancer right now) at the Keg.
Since the end of October, I have been at home doing my chemo, which is mostly pill-form of various drugs, with an intravenous push every 28 days. The weeks have been flying by, as I go into the hospital or a lab nearly every day for blood work, tests, wound care, etc. and need a lot of rest. I am now walking, doing steps, driving, breathing and eating...although my stamina and strength are still coming slowly. All in all, I am so far ahead of where I was just a couple of months ago. It's truly amazing and I have no doubt that the speed at which I've recovered is due to the "balloon" of positive energy from everyone supporting me.
That's kind of the story up to now....I don't really know what's in store for the future, so I continue to try to focus on a very short-term improvement and enjoy the holidays. I'll try to keep a few updates going and look forward to hearing what everyone has planned for the holidays.
Thanks again to all for your support and remember to Toast Life everyday!
Cheers,
Tricia
The doctors told me a third bone marrow transplant was not an option, so I started chemo again immediately. About 10 days into chemo, with no white blood cells (infection fighting cells), I developed a flesh-eating disease in my neck and chest area. I had emergency surgery to try to remove the infected tissue and prevent further damage, which sent me into Intensive Care for several weeks. With no white blood cells to fight the various infections I had, it was nothing short of a miracle that allowed me to leave ICU finally.
My dad kept a journal of the numerous procedures, tests and surgeries that I had during my hospitalization - you can read it if you like (see separate post). I started to really recover in September, being able to breathe without oxygen, and finally was able to stand and take a few steps with a walker in early October. I had my feeding tube removed shortly after, allowing me a pass out of the hospital for Thanksgiving, and finally passed a swallowing test in mid-October so I could eat solid foods and drink liquids again! Chicken fingers, fries and a diet coke was my first meal (you can't imagine how good it tasted), and a day later I had steak and Lobster with my good friend Tasha (who is fighting breast cancer right now) at the Keg.
Since the end of October, I have been at home doing my chemo, which is mostly pill-form of various drugs, with an intravenous push every 28 days. The weeks have been flying by, as I go into the hospital or a lab nearly every day for blood work, tests, wound care, etc. and need a lot of rest. I am now walking, doing steps, driving, breathing and eating...although my stamina and strength are still coming slowly. All in all, I am so far ahead of where I was just a couple of months ago. It's truly amazing and I have no doubt that the speed at which I've recovered is due to the "balloon" of positive energy from everyone supporting me.
That's kind of the story up to now....I don't really know what's in store for the future, so I continue to try to focus on a very short-term improvement and enjoy the holidays. I'll try to keep a few updates going and look forward to hearing what everyone has planned for the holidays.
Thanks again to all for your support and remember to Toast Life everyday!
Cheers,
Tricia
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