So we talked to Justin and Brianne the night before we left Dylan and Jenn's. They had the kids with them, and Peyton piped up and asked, "What's cancer Grandma?" I told her that Mommy and Daddy can explain it to her after our phone call, but for now, Grandma is pretty sick so has to go to some doctors to try and get better.When we got to Salt Lake, we called Jonathon and let him know the prognosis. We decided to tell Abe when we saw him in person, and would be setting it up with Karina's school to have the counselor be with her when we broke the news since she was still away. I have to say -- on the flight back, the wind must have been knocked out of me (or maybe the cancer was catching up with me?) because I decided to avail myself of the wheelchair assistance from one airline to the next -- it just seemed like my stamina was gone for a time, so was greatly appreciated.
CANCER WARRIORS: Throughout your journey, people are going to be at a loss as to what to say or do for you. Now -- you may not WANT them to say or do ANYTHING, but sometimes you have to allow others to DO for you - simply to allow them to bless you. It's hard at times - believe me. But other times -- I truly do welcome help. So - accept it when it's offered, graciously if possible. Later, you may not have the option of accepting help -- but for now - make the conscious effort to allow others to help you, when possible. :)
We got home and told Abe what the doctor said -- with Chemo I have 2-4 years, it's all about comfort and quality of living, and so I will need him to pitch in a bit more when he is here at home, cause Dad still has to worry about his job and I won't always be able to function as well as I am now. We all sat in the living room - stunned to silence tho occasionally I would go over and hug him as he sat there crying. He took it especially hard -- my Abey Baby. We definitely did NOT look forward to the call tomorrow with Karina. Joe decided to call Pastor Paul and Margaret the next day to let them know, so they could put it on the prayer chain at church. Joe also put out an email to his team to let them know what had happened, since they had all been asking and getting the updates Dylan had been sending out all along. The prognosis was done October 13th, 2015. October 14th we arrived home. exhausted. The 15th was phone calls and emails, then off to see my Dad in Richland and Joe's folks in West Richland. We set up Karina's call for the next day, so the counselor could get it on her schedule -- I know Karina was really concerned she had done something wrong, since she and her roommate were being summoned with the ARD to the counselor's office the next day. Poor baby girl. When the call went out, she was in the place she needed to be -- surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters who loved on her in her sadness...we were so thankful that she was there when we had to give her the news. The Lord is good -- all the time.
On the 16th, we needed to get my chemotherapy set up -- Dr Javle had given me orders for either Seattle or Portland since he had associates he had worked with in both places -- we decided Portland at OHSU (Oregon Health Science University) would be the best place. My sister Cathy and her husband Bryan lived in Vancouver (not to mention Justin and Brianne, tho with the kids, we were going to have to be careful about me getting sick once the chemo started - which they totally understood). As it turned out -- all of the doctors "on the hill" were gone until November 11th -- at some convention out of state! After several phone calls, we were finally able to set up an appointment at Adventist OHSU branch in East Portland -- a clinic where we could at least speak to a doctor. The appointment was set for October 29th. Dr Mary Newman called us into her office for an appointment to go over the results again. Afterwards, she "excused" me while she spoke with Joe. Boy -- did he get an earful! Again I could hear her yelling at him as I walked down the hallway (snickering as I went -- at least I didn't have to go thru it again!) -- she said he needs to be VERY forceful getting our appointments set and getting the proper treatment. She is a passionate, caring lady - we just love her.
In the meantime, I decided I am gonna "go for the gusto". Even though I am only 60, I felt that surely I can get social security disability or something -- I mean -- there has to be perks to having terminal cancer - right? I called Nancy to see if she would be willing to help me complete paperwork if need be with SSA, she had helped people previously during her nursing career) and she also said she would be the "contact" with SSA if need be since I figured when anything happened with me, Joe would be beside himself and may not want to answer all of the questions when necessary. I went online and signed up for social security (NOT disability) and received an email back that my claim was accepted, and a response along with documentation would be needed within 6 months of the claim. Ok -- got that done - we will see what happens. Appointment is set for chemo, now just need to keep dealing with the kids, clean my house and research what the side effects of chemotherapy will be.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Thursday, December 17, 2015
At MD Anderson Cancer Center at Last
The trip to Dylan's was interesting -- we missed the first flight (having worked at Alaska Air for 8 years, I was used to running in 1/2 an hour before a flight to catch it -- but not any more!) My good friend Nancy at Alaska had us all checked in and left the tickets hidden at the counter, but I didn't see them...so fortunately, she re-booked us on the next flight, connecting us to American Airlines and getting us there at the same time Dylan & Jenn expected us. We arrived safely -- but our luggage DID NOT. Thank goodness they give out those little diddy bags with toothpaste and stuff!
CANCER WARRIORS: You are probably much smarter than I was, but carry all of your medical records, including your DVD's, in your carry-on bag just in case. Each time when you leave the hospital or clinic, go to the records department and order a copy of all of your records, including a copy of the scans. They will also forward the records to the physician or hospital you are going to, but it is ALWAYS a good idea to get a copy to carry with you, which came in handy at least one time so far for me on this journey!
We left the next afternoon (after our bags were delivered) for Houston -- a 5 hour trip -- headed for MD Anderson Cancer Center. Fortunately, Dylan was able to take some time off and "chauffeured" us -- which was a good thing cause the speed limits constantly change in Texas -- up to 75 miles an hour which meant some people were driving 90! We had reservations at the Econolodge in Houston (which we found on the Joes House website on the MD Anderson site). I have to admit -- it wasn't too fancy, but Dylan had his own little room off of the main bedroom, and Joe & I were roommates.....along with an inch and half (or better) gray cricket! Who remembers Jimminy Cricket from Walt Disney? Singing ENCYCLOPEDIA - E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A! Those were the days -- and I swear I thought that little critter was gonna start singing. That was enough for Dylan -- we moved to the Holiday Inn Express the next day before my appointment LOL!
MD Anderson Cancer Center is absolutely AMAZING! They have several high rise buildings all clustered together, with almost 20,000 employees. Everything ran real smoothly, like a well-oiled machine...they had my drug list correct (TRIOS had someone else's though we corrected it when we started going over them) and EVERYONE - from the valet park people to the doormen to the receptionists to the nurses to the doctors themselves -- were all sincerely caring about YOU. I genuinely felt like they cared about me and they hung on my every word and they were so gentle -- you could FEEL the love ooze out of them. It's almost difficult to describe. We did all of the intake info and finally got to meet Dr Milind Javle -- he said I have CHRONIC JAUNDICE and that is the first thing we will tackle. They admitted me immediately into the hospital and scheduled me for surgery the next day -- Jenn came to be with us later that night, so was there for the surgery as well. They put in a temporary (that is plastic versus metal, which is permanent) stent into my bile duct, which is the culprit that was affecting my coloring and my bathroom habits. The surgery went well enough, but I ended up getting pancreatitus - which was REALLY painful. I think I ended up staying at the hospital a total of 7 days. Dylan and Joe stayed at the hotel, which was a lot more restful than where I was. Once they got the bile under control, they were able to do another CT Scan and more blood tests. Dylan was sending out daily reports to family and close friends. They sent us home to Denton (where Dylan & Jenn live) for a few days so they could study my tests and come up with a game plan.
CANCER WARRIORS: There is literally NO WAY you are going to remember what each doctor is telling you -- from the dietitians to the anesthesiologists, to each specialty doctor you speak with. It is ALWAYS a good idea to record the doctors' conversations (iPhones are so cool aren't they?) and as in our case -- having ONE PERSON dedicated to relaying the updates and info to everyone else. Preferably this is NOT your spouse -- they will be too busy worrying about you and logistics, to send out info to everyone. I speak from experience -- we would not have been able to relay ANYTHING without Dylan taking the painstaking task of listening to each of the recordings, poring over my blood tests and other reports, and sending the information out as concisely and precisely as he did. AGAIN -- thank you Dylan O'Dell! Love you honey.....
We had a wonderful relaxing time at Dylan and Jenn's for the next several days, before we had to go back to Houston to get our results. The weather was warm and we hung out at their pool for hours -- Dylan would come home and barbecue and I laid in the sun -- turning a toasty tan instead of the yellow I had been. When it came time to go back, both of them had to work, so Joe and I did the trek alone. BE FOREWARNED. Texas has a LOT of toll roads -- which are very confusing as to WHICH ones they are - not to mention not all of them take paper money or cards and none of them take pennies! We weren't at all prepared, so went thru all of Dylan's change in the cupholder -- not to mention all of ours til we got to the point we just drove - getting our pictures snapped all the way! I think we ended up owing him over $11 after it was all said and done.....
We went to see Dr Javle, and conferenced in Dylan by phone since he couldn't get away from work. We are going to do chemotherapy and there doesn't seem to be any trial protocols that would fit my particular cancer. Joe was just about to ask the prognosis, when Dylan piped up and asked. How long will she live? The doctor turned to me and asked if I want to go there? Yes-- we need to know. Normally we don't see this cancer except in older patients - in their 70's and 80's. Most people live about 1 year, but with chemotherapy -- they could go for 2 years. You're young and strong (and I added sexy, to try to lighten things up - he smiled -- in agreement I decided) so I believe 2-4 years with chemotherapy. We sat there -- in shock and disbelief. Joe volunteered, "Well with my job, I can do it from anywhere -- we can get a small apartment -- we want to do all that we can." The doctor just said at this time, it's all about comfort and quality of life. He suggested we go home and enjoy the holidays and do what we normally do and live life as usual. So Joe asked -- "so what you are saying, short of a cure for cancer or a miracle -- you're telling me my wife is going to die?" (I was screaming/crying inside - NO!! But I sat there, stone still.) "Yes - that is right. She will NOT survive this." But -- at least my numbers improved as far as my bilirubins and blood counts... I turned to Joe and said -- "I want to go home now. Not to Dylan's -- I want to go HOME."
The ride home was really quiet....both lost in our own thoughts. I thought about not seeing Abe and Karina getting married and having kids. And not seeing my grandkids get their first car or their first lost tooth for that matter, or their first prom, or get married and have babies. And Joe -- my Joe. All of our plans to move to Ecuador or Peru -- dashed to the ground. How can we possibly survive without each other? I felt so horribly bad about leaving him ALONE. And still we sat in silence, afraid to speak the unspeakable, still in shock -- too shocked to cry or anything. I called the airlines and made reservations to go home the next day. Dylan and Jenn met us at the door -- he sent out the updates -- but just about my blood tests. He left the telling of the prognosis to us....he and Jenn agreed we should go to Paris (something I had always wanted to do) and just get in our new motorhome and travel. Take a leave from work -- just have fun -- do your bucket lists! Except when you're commission only, you don't work -- you don't get paid. And we still have Karina and Abe both semi at home. So much to think about....all I wanted to do was to get HOME.
CANCER WARRIORS: You are probably much smarter than I was, but carry all of your medical records, including your DVD's, in your carry-on bag just in case. Each time when you leave the hospital or clinic, go to the records department and order a copy of all of your records, including a copy of the scans. They will also forward the records to the physician or hospital you are going to, but it is ALWAYS a good idea to get a copy to carry with you, which came in handy at least one time so far for me on this journey!
We left the next afternoon (after our bags were delivered) for Houston -- a 5 hour trip -- headed for MD Anderson Cancer Center. Fortunately, Dylan was able to take some time off and "chauffeured" us -- which was a good thing cause the speed limits constantly change in Texas -- up to 75 miles an hour which meant some people were driving 90! We had reservations at the Econolodge in Houston (which we found on the Joes House website on the MD Anderson site). I have to admit -- it wasn't too fancy, but Dylan had his own little room off of the main bedroom, and Joe & I were roommates.....along with an inch and half (or better) gray cricket! Who remembers Jimminy Cricket from Walt Disney? Singing ENCYCLOPEDIA - E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A! Those were the days -- and I swear I thought that little critter was gonna start singing. That was enough for Dylan -- we moved to the Holiday Inn Express the next day before my appointment LOL!
MD Anderson Cancer Center is absolutely AMAZING! They have several high rise buildings all clustered together, with almost 20,000 employees. Everything ran real smoothly, like a well-oiled machine...they had my drug list correct (TRIOS had someone else's though we corrected it when we started going over them) and EVERYONE - from the valet park people to the doormen to the receptionists to the nurses to the doctors themselves -- were all sincerely caring about YOU. I genuinely felt like they cared about me and they hung on my every word and they were so gentle -- you could FEEL the love ooze out of them. It's almost difficult to describe. We did all of the intake info and finally got to meet Dr Milind Javle -- he said I have CHRONIC JAUNDICE and that is the first thing we will tackle. They admitted me immediately into the hospital and scheduled me for surgery the next day -- Jenn came to be with us later that night, so was there for the surgery as well. They put in a temporary (that is plastic versus metal, which is permanent) stent into my bile duct, which is the culprit that was affecting my coloring and my bathroom habits. The surgery went well enough, but I ended up getting pancreatitus - which was REALLY painful. I think I ended up staying at the hospital a total of 7 days. Dylan and Joe stayed at the hotel, which was a lot more restful than where I was. Once they got the bile under control, they were able to do another CT Scan and more blood tests. Dylan was sending out daily reports to family and close friends. They sent us home to Denton (where Dylan & Jenn live) for a few days so they could study my tests and come up with a game plan.
CANCER WARRIORS: There is literally NO WAY you are going to remember what each doctor is telling you -- from the dietitians to the anesthesiologists, to each specialty doctor you speak with. It is ALWAYS a good idea to record the doctors' conversations (iPhones are so cool aren't they?) and as in our case -- having ONE PERSON dedicated to relaying the updates and info to everyone else. Preferably this is NOT your spouse -- they will be too busy worrying about you and logistics, to send out info to everyone. I speak from experience -- we would not have been able to relay ANYTHING without Dylan taking the painstaking task of listening to each of the recordings, poring over my blood tests and other reports, and sending the information out as concisely and precisely as he did. AGAIN -- thank you Dylan O'Dell! Love you honey.....
We had a wonderful relaxing time at Dylan and Jenn's for the next several days, before we had to go back to Houston to get our results. The weather was warm and we hung out at their pool for hours -- Dylan would come home and barbecue and I laid in the sun -- turning a toasty tan instead of the yellow I had been. When it came time to go back, both of them had to work, so Joe and I did the trek alone. BE FOREWARNED. Texas has a LOT of toll roads -- which are very confusing as to WHICH ones they are - not to mention not all of them take paper money or cards and none of them take pennies! We weren't at all prepared, so went thru all of Dylan's change in the cupholder -- not to mention all of ours til we got to the point we just drove - getting our pictures snapped all the way! I think we ended up owing him over $11 after it was all said and done.....
We went to see Dr Javle, and conferenced in Dylan by phone since he couldn't get away from work. We are going to do chemotherapy and there doesn't seem to be any trial protocols that would fit my particular cancer. Joe was just about to ask the prognosis, when Dylan piped up and asked. How long will she live? The doctor turned to me and asked if I want to go there? Yes-- we need to know. Normally we don't see this cancer except in older patients - in their 70's and 80's. Most people live about 1 year, but with chemotherapy -- they could go for 2 years. You're young and strong (and I added sexy, to try to lighten things up - he smiled -- in agreement I decided) so I believe 2-4 years with chemotherapy. We sat there -- in shock and disbelief. Joe volunteered, "Well with my job, I can do it from anywhere -- we can get a small apartment -- we want to do all that we can." The doctor just said at this time, it's all about comfort and quality of life. He suggested we go home and enjoy the holidays and do what we normally do and live life as usual. So Joe asked -- "so what you are saying, short of a cure for cancer or a miracle -- you're telling me my wife is going to die?" (I was screaming/crying inside - NO!! But I sat there, stone still.) "Yes - that is right. She will NOT survive this." But -- at least my numbers improved as far as my bilirubins and blood counts... I turned to Joe and said -- "I want to go home now. Not to Dylan's -- I want to go HOME."
The ride home was really quiet....both lost in our own thoughts. I thought about not seeing Abe and Karina getting married and having kids. And not seeing my grandkids get their first car or their first lost tooth for that matter, or their first prom, or get married and have babies. And Joe -- my Joe. All of our plans to move to Ecuador or Peru -- dashed to the ground. How can we possibly survive without each other? I felt so horribly bad about leaving him ALONE. And still we sat in silence, afraid to speak the unspeakable, still in shock -- too shocked to cry or anything. I called the airlines and made reservations to go home the next day. Dylan and Jenn met us at the door -- he sent out the updates -- but just about my blood tests. He left the telling of the prognosis to us....he and Jenn agreed we should go to Paris (something I had always wanted to do) and just get in our new motorhome and travel. Take a leave from work -- just have fun -- do your bucket lists! Except when you're commission only, you don't work -- you don't get paid. And we still have Karina and Abe both semi at home. So much to think about....all I wanted to do was to get HOME.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
The First Results Are In
We had another appointment with Dr Ayres to go over the results. Before we started, we told him we would like to pray for him (and did)....it must be so difficult to tell people news that is not the greatest to hear - and to do it with such feeling and compassion. We could tell he appreciated our sincerity -- I suspect he's a Christ follower, but didn't want to pry. There appears to be 3 areas "that are suspect of cancer," which means they will have to be looked at closer. He can refer us to a doctor in Spokane that he has worked with, that has done a lot of gall bladder oncology. OK -- let us digest this a bit, and we'll get back to you, ASAP.
Dr Mary Newman's office called us to come in that night at 6pm for a consultation. When we got there, she had a packet about an inch thick of what gall bladder cancer entails, names of possible medications (chemo-therapies) and doctors SHE also recommended. "If it were my mother or any one else in my family, they would be going to MD Anderson, in Houston Texas. People that go there are still alive and walking around." Mind you, Doctor Mary is PRETTY OPINIONATED -- but she is almost always right on and is very highly respected by her colleagues as well as her patients. As a matter of fact, she has already called the DIRECTOR of Oncology, Dr Milind Javle, whose office will be calling to set up an appointment. She also had a lot of information on flights, housing etc for when we got there that another patient had provided to her. OK -- Texas -- here we come NOW do we know why Dylan moved to Denton?? Granted, it's 4 hours from where he lives, but it's still a darn site closer if we end up staying awhile!
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: Dr Mary Newman is an Endocrinologist, Gastrointestinal doctor that Joe and I have been going to for nearly 10 years. She saves peoples lives and is very passionate about what she does (diabetes, stomach issues, etc) not to mention she is very good at what she does. She has an office in Kennewick, a little beside Costco. Go see her -- she is terrific!
Rather than tell the kids individually, we opted to do a conference call. They didn't know WHAT we were calling about, but we texted them all in a group text and said to call us at 6pm on this date and use this phone number and code to get in (Free Conference Call is the name of the company, and it really is free). Naturally all the kids started talking smack -- what are mom and dad selling now -- we have gone thru gumball machines, Pre-Paid Legal, Weekenders clothing and BeautiControl Makeup, not to mention ShapeRite products, laser etched metal art, and who knows what else. I personally was having a ball watching it all, tho Joe's work phone was burning up. The time came and we told the kids all that had happened -- the gall bladder was removed, along with a lymph node, both stage 2 cancerous and there were 3 areas suspect of more cancer. Silence. Any questions? Silence. OK -- so it was not the best phone call to try a conference call out on -- I admit that now. I suspect the kids all called each other afterwards to discuss what they heard -- we started hearing from them the next day, individually. It was difficult explaining it all over again to each of them --no, this is NOT a death sentence, it's a heads up. We are going to MD Anderson in Texas, which we have been told is the best in the nation, if not the world for cancer treatment. They have a 99% success rate, which is phenomenal!
The most difficult call for me to get was from Justin Wayne. If the areas are just suspect, DO YOU HAVE CANCER or NOT? I felt a little bit badgered -- to the point where I was questioning the results too. I ended up calling Dr Ayres' office and asking if I have cancer? Yes -- if it's suspect, it needs to be reviewed by cancer doctors and if it's malignant or benign -- they will deal with it. Can she have the doctor talk to Justin (I was in tears by now) - I can conference call with him. Nurse Marene said Hippa Laws etc -- just invite Justin to join us in Texas. I told Justin this (was she being a smart-ass?) and finally told him, talk to dad -- I don't want to discuss this anymore. I quickly called Joe, but he didn't answer -- just to warn him Justin was calling. Too late -- about half an hour later, in walks Joe - white as a sheet. I told him what happened and he got a little upset - originally he thought Justin was calling to see how HE was doing with this news about his wife...he got a little shell-shocked. But -- people assimilate information differently and Justin's way is to ask questions. We all had questions -- but at this point -- NO ONE HAD ANSWERS.
This was the first part of September, and there were things happening in our lives that I didn't want to miss. Regardless -- Joe said when the first appointment comes up, we are heading to Houston - no matter what. His folks would be celebrating their 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY (What an accomplishment!!) on the 19th of September, and we would need to deliver Karina to college on the 27th of September. I started praying, Lord please let me be here for these functions. As it turned out, the soonest appointment they had was October 1st. Yay! The Anniversary Party was a HUGE success. It was held at my nephew Tommy & Kayla Coyne's farm out in West Richland. Connie, Joe's brother Bryan's wife, did an absolutely FANTASTIC job of putting everything together and organizing all of us, with Nancy's help. A LOT of friends and family showed up -- people the folks have known and shared their lives with throughout their 70 years of married life...5 boys, 17 grandchildren and I forget how many great-grandkids. I didn't realize it, but I had turned jaundiced. My eyes had no white and both them and my skin was an eery yellow color - this all came from my kids when here I was thinking I looked pretty great - having lost the weight and all! It continued to get worse and worse, until I called Dr Ayres office (Dr Mary was in New York doing triage work for a month) to see what he thought. I had tried eye drops to see if that would clear the yellow -- it didn't. I was getting self-conscious about how I looked (and who knows how I really felt). Now this is a gross part -- but this is important for cancer warriors (I like that term). My pee turned really dark orange and my poop was WHITE! It was the 25th of September and he wanted me to move my appointment up at MD Anderson -- no can do, got to deliver Karina to school. Then be prepared to go to a hospital in Seattle on an emergency basis. Not good news.
September 27th came...time to deliver Karina. Oh -- let me tell you about THIS blessing from God first! Remember when I mentioned we got to work at CreationFest in July -- the really huge Christian Gathering that happens annually and happened in Tri-Cities for the second year in a row? Well -- Karina came to visit us working there, and while she was there, visited all of the booths. Adelphia Bible School also had a booth, along with Gather4Him College, Liberty Christian, Northwest College, etc. "Something" clicked when she met Jim from Adelphia...they shared testimonies, prayed with each other and he wanted to meet us. Previously, she had a scholarship to Gather4Him college but turned it down a year ago, thinking she needed to "live" a bit before going immediately into school. So, even tho we prayed about it and received confirmation from God that yes -- she should go to Adelphia, we said it's her choice and she needs to pray about it -- she can't be wishy-washy and keep changing her mind, which she was famous for. She kept in contact with Jim over the summer but still didn't seem to make up her mind. She had a career started last March as a CNA and worked with 3 elderly disabled men daily -- which she loved and just blossomed at. Plus, they had just asked her to be a trainer. What to do? What to do? We were all stressing how to come up with funds for her first half of school -- with Cancer treatment looming, we weren't sure what to expect financially, especially since Joe is a commission only salesman. Three weeks before school started, we got an email telling Karina to hurry up and apply -- she has $3500 in scholarships waiting for her! Praise God! She received her answer -- loud and clear.
We delivered her to school and met all of the faculty and were feeling truly blessed -- these are all God-fearing instructors, filled with Holy Spirit and we knew she would blossom and the Lord will be using her. Fortunately, my jaundice didn't seem to be getting any worse. No unexpected hospital visits, so we were off to Dallas Texas to see Dylan and Jenn on the 29th of September.
CANCER WARRIORS: There are several organizations out there that will help with both housing and flights when you need to go out of area for cancer treatment. The one that we used this time is called Angel Flights. Normally, they will send a private aircraft to pick you and one caregiver/spouse to deliver you to and from your appointments -- free of charge. What a blessing, since most of us don't plan for such a catastrophe. However, since we were more than 1000 miles away, they booked up on open-ended tickets on Alaska Airlines (saving us over $1300!!). They just need to confirm your appointments with your provider, which MD Anderson was very helpful in doing. Here is contact info for Angel Flights 1-877-247-5433 (they must do all of the booking for you). They will only do one round trip per year for you and the caregiver, so plan accordingly. There were 2 other organizations too, Grace Flights at 1-888-500-0433, tho they didn't respond to my message. Also - Footprints in the Sky at 303-799-0461 or 303-333-3332. They cost $100 per person (2 people) each way, but mostly cover the Colorado/Rocky Mountain areas.
Dr Mary Newman's office called us to come in that night at 6pm for a consultation. When we got there, she had a packet about an inch thick of what gall bladder cancer entails, names of possible medications (chemo-therapies) and doctors SHE also recommended. "If it were my mother or any one else in my family, they would be going to MD Anderson, in Houston Texas. People that go there are still alive and walking around." Mind you, Doctor Mary is PRETTY OPINIONATED -- but she is almost always right on and is very highly respected by her colleagues as well as her patients. As a matter of fact, she has already called the DIRECTOR of Oncology, Dr Milind Javle, whose office will be calling to set up an appointment. She also had a lot of information on flights, housing etc for when we got there that another patient had provided to her. OK -- Texas -- here we come NOW do we know why Dylan moved to Denton?? Granted, it's 4 hours from where he lives, but it's still a darn site closer if we end up staying awhile!
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: Dr Mary Newman is an Endocrinologist, Gastrointestinal doctor that Joe and I have been going to for nearly 10 years. She saves peoples lives and is very passionate about what she does (diabetes, stomach issues, etc) not to mention she is very good at what she does. She has an office in Kennewick, a little beside Costco. Go see her -- she is terrific!
Rather than tell the kids individually, we opted to do a conference call. They didn't know WHAT we were calling about, but we texted them all in a group text and said to call us at 6pm on this date and use this phone number and code to get in (Free Conference Call is the name of the company, and it really is free). Naturally all the kids started talking smack -- what are mom and dad selling now -- we have gone thru gumball machines, Pre-Paid Legal, Weekenders clothing and BeautiControl Makeup, not to mention ShapeRite products, laser etched metal art, and who knows what else. I personally was having a ball watching it all, tho Joe's work phone was burning up. The time came and we told the kids all that had happened -- the gall bladder was removed, along with a lymph node, both stage 2 cancerous and there were 3 areas suspect of more cancer. Silence. Any questions? Silence. OK -- so it was not the best phone call to try a conference call out on -- I admit that now. I suspect the kids all called each other afterwards to discuss what they heard -- we started hearing from them the next day, individually. It was difficult explaining it all over again to each of them --no, this is NOT a death sentence, it's a heads up. We are going to MD Anderson in Texas, which we have been told is the best in the nation, if not the world for cancer treatment. They have a 99% success rate, which is phenomenal!
The most difficult call for me to get was from Justin Wayne. If the areas are just suspect, DO YOU HAVE CANCER or NOT? I felt a little bit badgered -- to the point where I was questioning the results too. I ended up calling Dr Ayres' office and asking if I have cancer? Yes -- if it's suspect, it needs to be reviewed by cancer doctors and if it's malignant or benign -- they will deal with it. Can she have the doctor talk to Justin (I was in tears by now) - I can conference call with him. Nurse Marene said Hippa Laws etc -- just invite Justin to join us in Texas. I told Justin this (was she being a smart-ass?) and finally told him, talk to dad -- I don't want to discuss this anymore. I quickly called Joe, but he didn't answer -- just to warn him Justin was calling. Too late -- about half an hour later, in walks Joe - white as a sheet. I told him what happened and he got a little upset - originally he thought Justin was calling to see how HE was doing with this news about his wife...he got a little shell-shocked. But -- people assimilate information differently and Justin's way is to ask questions. We all had questions -- but at this point -- NO ONE HAD ANSWERS.
This was the first part of September, and there were things happening in our lives that I didn't want to miss. Regardless -- Joe said when the first appointment comes up, we are heading to Houston - no matter what. His folks would be celebrating their 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY (What an accomplishment!!) on the 19th of September, and we would need to deliver Karina to college on the 27th of September. I started praying, Lord please let me be here for these functions. As it turned out, the soonest appointment they had was October 1st. Yay! The Anniversary Party was a HUGE success. It was held at my nephew Tommy & Kayla Coyne's farm out in West Richland. Connie, Joe's brother Bryan's wife, did an absolutely FANTASTIC job of putting everything together and organizing all of us, with Nancy's help. A LOT of friends and family showed up -- people the folks have known and shared their lives with throughout their 70 years of married life...5 boys, 17 grandchildren and I forget how many great-grandkids. I didn't realize it, but I had turned jaundiced. My eyes had no white and both them and my skin was an eery yellow color - this all came from my kids when here I was thinking I looked pretty great - having lost the weight and all! It continued to get worse and worse, until I called Dr Ayres office (Dr Mary was in New York doing triage work for a month) to see what he thought. I had tried eye drops to see if that would clear the yellow -- it didn't. I was getting self-conscious about how I looked (and who knows how I really felt). Now this is a gross part -- but this is important for cancer warriors (I like that term). My pee turned really dark orange and my poop was WHITE! It was the 25th of September and he wanted me to move my appointment up at MD Anderson -- no can do, got to deliver Karina to school. Then be prepared to go to a hospital in Seattle on an emergency basis. Not good news.
September 27th came...time to deliver Karina. Oh -- let me tell you about THIS blessing from God first! Remember when I mentioned we got to work at CreationFest in July -- the really huge Christian Gathering that happens annually and happened in Tri-Cities for the second year in a row? Well -- Karina came to visit us working there, and while she was there, visited all of the booths. Adelphia Bible School also had a booth, along with Gather4Him College, Liberty Christian, Northwest College, etc. "Something" clicked when she met Jim from Adelphia...they shared testimonies, prayed with each other and he wanted to meet us. Previously, she had a scholarship to Gather4Him college but turned it down a year ago, thinking she needed to "live" a bit before going immediately into school. So, even tho we prayed about it and received confirmation from God that yes -- she should go to Adelphia, we said it's her choice and she needs to pray about it -- she can't be wishy-washy and keep changing her mind, which she was famous for. She kept in contact with Jim over the summer but still didn't seem to make up her mind. She had a career started last March as a CNA and worked with 3 elderly disabled men daily -- which she loved and just blossomed at. Plus, they had just asked her to be a trainer. What to do? What to do? We were all stressing how to come up with funds for her first half of school -- with Cancer treatment looming, we weren't sure what to expect financially, especially since Joe is a commission only salesman. Three weeks before school started, we got an email telling Karina to hurry up and apply -- she has $3500 in scholarships waiting for her! Praise God! She received her answer -- loud and clear.
We delivered her to school and met all of the faculty and were feeling truly blessed -- these are all God-fearing instructors, filled with Holy Spirit and we knew she would blossom and the Lord will be using her. Fortunately, my jaundice didn't seem to be getting any worse. No unexpected hospital visits, so we were off to Dallas Texas to see Dylan and Jenn on the 29th of September.
CANCER WARRIORS: There are several organizations out there that will help with both housing and flights when you need to go out of area for cancer treatment. The one that we used this time is called Angel Flights. Normally, they will send a private aircraft to pick you and one caregiver/spouse to deliver you to and from your appointments -- free of charge. What a blessing, since most of us don't plan for such a catastrophe. However, since we were more than 1000 miles away, they booked up on open-ended tickets on Alaska Airlines (saving us over $1300!!). They just need to confirm your appointments with your provider, which MD Anderson was very helpful in doing. Here is contact info for Angel Flights 1-877-247-5433 (they must do all of the booking for you). They will only do one round trip per year for you and the caregiver, so plan accordingly. There were 2 other organizations too, Grace Flights at 1-888-500-0433, tho they didn't respond to my message. Also - Footprints in the Sky at 303-799-0461 or 303-333-3332. They cost $100 per person (2 people) each way, but mostly cover the Colorado/Rocky Mountain areas.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
To Tell or Not To Tell -- That Is The Question.....
Five kids, with all different emotions and reactions. What do we tell them? When do we tell them? We decided we would wait until after the CT Scan so we could let them know WHAT we were looking at. So - went to TRIOS and did the CT Scans. I should tell you about all my children (I used to love that soap opera) before we go any further.
Our oldest is Dylan O'Dell .....he just turned 37 and he is the "romantic" in the family as well as having a big heart and level head. As my firstborn, HE is the favorite of all. Halo Dylan, Halo. He was in the Air Force for 10 years, then went to work in the civil side of the same type of work and ended up living in North Carolina, so he could be near our oldest grandchild, his son Ayden - a 12 year old charmer that is equally athletic and loves science (who lives in South Carolina with his mom, stepdad and little sister). While Dylan was in North Carolina, he met a wonderful girl named Jenn and they were married last year -- Jenn is a character, bright AND beautiful, and doesn't take any guff from Dylan, which is awesome to watch. I absolutely love her. Anyway -- Dylan decided he would go to work for FEMA and since Jenn just finished school as a dental hygienist, that Colorado would be an excellent place to relocate. They found a beautiful home, bought it - but the sale fell thru since there were a few conditions the owners had to fulfill but failed to. So - they moved anyway and would just rent til they found the perfect place again. A few weeks later, ta-da! They bought a house - BUT -- it was in Denton Texas. What?!? You don't have jobs in Texas......it's okay, it'll all work out. (And work out it did -- Did I tell you God is so awesome?) From North Carolina, to Colorado, to Texas....
Our second son is Justin Wayne .... he's 35 and was in the Navy for 2 years, then in law enforcement and is currently working in his dream job for the Veteran's Association in Portland OR. Joe says he is the most intelligent person he knows -- yet I just think of him as my rambunctious little son who made me find him a "furple bike" when he was 3 or had me running all over town to find "Santa Claus' real Christmas paper like in the movie Christmas Story -- green paper with white reindeer folks. Do you know how hard that is to find when you are on a mission? After that year, Santa started bringing presents UNWRAPPED and leaving them under the tree LOL - and that's the truth. His middle name was after my Dad Wayne - so he will always be Justin Wayne and he IS the favorite of all. His wife Brianne, whom I love as my second daughter, is a classic beauty, an excellent tireless mother and has had to learn of our families' sense of humor the hard way -- and made up for it herself a few times! She takes sonograms (I never get her title right) in the pediatric department at a hospital in Vancouver WA, where they live with 3 of our other grandchildren -- Peyton (a 6 year-old long blond-haired precocious beauty), Carson (her handsome 3 year old "professional" soccer player brother) and the ever-smiling/laughing baby Kenzie, who is just almost 7 months old. I won't go on about how OUR grandchildren are the brightest and most athletic and beautiful and caring children around -- it would only make you feel bad -- besides -- I'm just introducing our kids -- FOR NOW.
Our third son is Jonathon Patrick... he will be 30 in just a little over a month and is my "best hugger" and his grin can warm even the coldest of hearts! We came into each others lives on his 3rd birthday. We have had our share of ups and downs -- but what family hasn't? We have weathered the storms and I think we have come out on the other end even closer than we could have imagined. As the son I was able to choose, he is THE favorite of all. He manages a small restaurant in Spokane and will actually end up owning a restaurant or two when he and the current owner are done negotiating -- just not sure if it will be in Spokane, Bend OR or Seattle....only time will tell. He is married to an exotic girl named Annie (I call her exotic because she has raven black hair and lived in the middle east with her parents when she was a young girl) -- who is an engineer. They are both lucky enough to switch their schedules around (and Annie can work from home 3 days a week) so that our fifth grandchild, our granddaughter Mickey who is a happy-go-lucky cherub born on my dad's birthday on March 27th and is 8 months old now, can hang with mom and dad all of the time and not have to go to daycare or a sitter - tho they do have a nanny that comes in to help. One thing I really love about Annie is that she enjoys reading instruction manuals on anything and everything (that is a part of her job, so she likes to compare verbiage and details). This comes in REAL handy when we need help setting up an electric can opener or the stereo in our truck or etc -- just have Annie explain it to us!
Our last son (and fourth child) is Abraham Joseph. He is single and just turned 22. When we named him, we had not a clue as to why people would look at us and say -- Oh Abraham -- what a fine strong name -- and what is his middle name? Joseph (after his dad Joe) and people would be even more enthused. Years later, we would learn what a Biblical name we had chosen for him. He has a heart of gold and a truly beautiful singing voice -- be it a country twang song or fly me to the moon crooning....To look at him, you would think he's part lumberjack -- full beard and handsome face, but if someone needs a helping hand -- he is the first in line and ready to go. He is so much like his daddy, but his own person too, and because of this he is the FAVORITE of all. Some day, he will be a great man -- and I pray that he will be serving God in a way that honors his name. He is a tradesman -- working construction, carpentry, and the like. I think he is going to try to join the Pipefitters Union here locally, since there seems to be a desperate need for blue collar workers any more. He makes me proud to be his momma. He was our "miracle baby". I had been "fixed" for about 10 years and Joe and I decided we would like to have a child between the 2 of us - preferably a girl, since we already had 3 boys. I worked at Horizon (Alaska) Airlines at the time and we got a new insurance in the interim of choosing our final insurance company. This particular company actually PAID for us to have my tubes put back together. (Most insurances will only cover PREVENTING more kids). So here we were - in a 3 month window -- insurance will cover it -- lets have a baby! My surgery was on Justin's birthday and even tho the doctors said there was less than a 50% chance this will work, I was pregnant and due on Justin's birthday the next year! Abe chose to come on November 8th -- and was a big strong strapping boy. A miracle indeed....
Lastly. is our "bonus child" -- our eagerly anticipated baby girl, Karina Jolynn (her middle name is Joe's name combined with my name Carolynn)..she also is single and 20 years old. We were living in a 3 bedroom mobile home in West Richland, 3 energetic boys and a new baby son....we figured it wasn't "in the cards" for us to have a girl, so decided to remedy the situation by Joe getting fixed this time. At the doctors office we were asked "Do you really want to do this?" Yes -- we have 4 boys and need to find a bigger place - we ARE sure. We have a huge yard sale this weekend - getting out of the baby business and clearing out other stuff. But wait....even tho I am still nursing Abe, I think while you get snipped, I am going to go take a blood test. Sure enough -- we were pregnant! Out comes all the baby stuff (with a few tears I might add - what if I have 5 boys like Joe's folks do??) from the yard sale. Karina was born on June 6th -- and we honestly did NOT believe the doctor when he told us we had a girl until we could check her out for ourselves. At last -- my baby girl, and for this reason she is the favorite OF ALL. When she was 3 1/2 years old, she came home from daycare and said Momma, I feel Jesus in my heart and He's going beep, beep, beep. We hadn't stepped foot in church, so this was quite a feat we thought. And God has been working through Karina for years, from curing her of McCune's Allbright Syndrome to allowing her to go on fantastic mission trips and currently she is on scholarship at Adelphia Bible School in Ravensdale WA (near Maple Valley and Covington on the coast). By the way, if anyone would like to contribute to her last half of school ($4900) which is due January 3rd, you can call the school at 425-432-4293 and give your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE contribution in her name -- I know she (and us) would be ever so grateful for both monetary contributions and prayers that the Lord will continue to use her in a mighty way. She isn't sure if she will go into leadership as a youth pastor or work behind the scenes as a pastors wife and go on missions with her husband (no one in mind -- yet!) or do worship -- she has a beautiful lilting voice and sings like an angel (no -- I am NOT prejudice!).
Our oldest is Dylan O'Dell .....he just turned 37 and he is the "romantic" in the family as well as having a big heart and level head. As my firstborn, HE is the favorite of all. Halo Dylan, Halo. He was in the Air Force for 10 years, then went to work in the civil side of the same type of work and ended up living in North Carolina, so he could be near our oldest grandchild, his son Ayden - a 12 year old charmer that is equally athletic and loves science (who lives in South Carolina with his mom, stepdad and little sister). While Dylan was in North Carolina, he met a wonderful girl named Jenn and they were married last year -- Jenn is a character, bright AND beautiful, and doesn't take any guff from Dylan, which is awesome to watch. I absolutely love her. Anyway -- Dylan decided he would go to work for FEMA and since Jenn just finished school as a dental hygienist, that Colorado would be an excellent place to relocate. They found a beautiful home, bought it - but the sale fell thru since there were a few conditions the owners had to fulfill but failed to. So - they moved anyway and would just rent til they found the perfect place again. A few weeks later, ta-da! They bought a house - BUT -- it was in Denton Texas. What?!? You don't have jobs in Texas......it's okay, it'll all work out. (And work out it did -- Did I tell you God is so awesome?) From North Carolina, to Colorado, to Texas....
Our second son is Justin Wayne .... he's 35 and was in the Navy for 2 years, then in law enforcement and is currently working in his dream job for the Veteran's Association in Portland OR. Joe says he is the most intelligent person he knows -- yet I just think of him as my rambunctious little son who made me find him a "furple bike" when he was 3 or had me running all over town to find "Santa Claus' real Christmas paper like in the movie Christmas Story -- green paper with white reindeer folks. Do you know how hard that is to find when you are on a mission? After that year, Santa started bringing presents UNWRAPPED and leaving them under the tree LOL - and that's the truth. His middle name was after my Dad Wayne - so he will always be Justin Wayne and he IS the favorite of all. His wife Brianne, whom I love as my second daughter, is a classic beauty, an excellent tireless mother and has had to learn of our families' sense of humor the hard way -- and made up for it herself a few times! She takes sonograms (I never get her title right) in the pediatric department at a hospital in Vancouver WA, where they live with 3 of our other grandchildren -- Peyton (a 6 year-old long blond-haired precocious beauty), Carson (her handsome 3 year old "professional" soccer player brother) and the ever-smiling/laughing baby Kenzie, who is just almost 7 months old. I won't go on about how OUR grandchildren are the brightest and most athletic and beautiful and caring children around -- it would only make you feel bad -- besides -- I'm just introducing our kids -- FOR NOW.
Our third son is Jonathon Patrick... he will be 30 in just a little over a month and is my "best hugger" and his grin can warm even the coldest of hearts! We came into each others lives on his 3rd birthday. We have had our share of ups and downs -- but what family hasn't? We have weathered the storms and I think we have come out on the other end even closer than we could have imagined. As the son I was able to choose, he is THE favorite of all. He manages a small restaurant in Spokane and will actually end up owning a restaurant or two when he and the current owner are done negotiating -- just not sure if it will be in Spokane, Bend OR or Seattle....only time will tell. He is married to an exotic girl named Annie (I call her exotic because she has raven black hair and lived in the middle east with her parents when she was a young girl) -- who is an engineer. They are both lucky enough to switch their schedules around (and Annie can work from home 3 days a week) so that our fifth grandchild, our granddaughter Mickey who is a happy-go-lucky cherub born on my dad's birthday on March 27th and is 8 months old now, can hang with mom and dad all of the time and not have to go to daycare or a sitter - tho they do have a nanny that comes in to help. One thing I really love about Annie is that she enjoys reading instruction manuals on anything and everything (that is a part of her job, so she likes to compare verbiage and details). This comes in REAL handy when we need help setting up an electric can opener or the stereo in our truck or etc -- just have Annie explain it to us!
Our last son (and fourth child) is Abraham Joseph. He is single and just turned 22. When we named him, we had not a clue as to why people would look at us and say -- Oh Abraham -- what a fine strong name -- and what is his middle name? Joseph (after his dad Joe) and people would be even more enthused. Years later, we would learn what a Biblical name we had chosen for him. He has a heart of gold and a truly beautiful singing voice -- be it a country twang song or fly me to the moon crooning....To look at him, you would think he's part lumberjack -- full beard and handsome face, but if someone needs a helping hand -- he is the first in line and ready to go. He is so much like his daddy, but his own person too, and because of this he is the FAVORITE of all. Some day, he will be a great man -- and I pray that he will be serving God in a way that honors his name. He is a tradesman -- working construction, carpentry, and the like. I think he is going to try to join the Pipefitters Union here locally, since there seems to be a desperate need for blue collar workers any more. He makes me proud to be his momma. He was our "miracle baby". I had been "fixed" for about 10 years and Joe and I decided we would like to have a child between the 2 of us - preferably a girl, since we already had 3 boys. I worked at Horizon (Alaska) Airlines at the time and we got a new insurance in the interim of choosing our final insurance company. This particular company actually PAID for us to have my tubes put back together. (Most insurances will only cover PREVENTING more kids). So here we were - in a 3 month window -- insurance will cover it -- lets have a baby! My surgery was on Justin's birthday and even tho the doctors said there was less than a 50% chance this will work, I was pregnant and due on Justin's birthday the next year! Abe chose to come on November 8th -- and was a big strong strapping boy. A miracle indeed....
Lastly. is our "bonus child" -- our eagerly anticipated baby girl, Karina Jolynn (her middle name is Joe's name combined with my name Carolynn)..she also is single and 20 years old. We were living in a 3 bedroom mobile home in West Richland, 3 energetic boys and a new baby son....we figured it wasn't "in the cards" for us to have a girl, so decided to remedy the situation by Joe getting fixed this time. At the doctors office we were asked "Do you really want to do this?" Yes -- we have 4 boys and need to find a bigger place - we ARE sure. We have a huge yard sale this weekend - getting out of the baby business and clearing out other stuff. But wait....even tho I am still nursing Abe, I think while you get snipped, I am going to go take a blood test. Sure enough -- we were pregnant! Out comes all the baby stuff (with a few tears I might add - what if I have 5 boys like Joe's folks do??) from the yard sale. Karina was born on June 6th -- and we honestly did NOT believe the doctor when he told us we had a girl until we could check her out for ourselves. At last -- my baby girl, and for this reason she is the favorite OF ALL. When she was 3 1/2 years old, she came home from daycare and said Momma, I feel Jesus in my heart and He's going beep, beep, beep. We hadn't stepped foot in church, so this was quite a feat we thought. And God has been working through Karina for years, from curing her of McCune's Allbright Syndrome to allowing her to go on fantastic mission trips and currently she is on scholarship at Adelphia Bible School in Ravensdale WA (near Maple Valley and Covington on the coast). By the way, if anyone would like to contribute to her last half of school ($4900) which is due January 3rd, you can call the school at 425-432-4293 and give your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE contribution in her name -- I know she (and us) would be ever so grateful for both monetary contributions and prayers that the Lord will continue to use her in a mighty way. She isn't sure if she will go into leadership as a youth pastor or work behind the scenes as a pastors wife and go on missions with her husband (no one in mind -- yet!) or do worship -- she has a beautiful lilting voice and sings like an angel (no -- I am NOT prejudice!).
Sunday, November 8, 2015
More of the back story....
Sorry this is taking so long to get the "back story" done -- I have actually been doing a LOT during the times in between posts, but I need to let you know how and what things were discovered --- it may help someone else in a similar situation. So -- please bear with me.
I had an appointment set with Dr Ayres at TRIOS Medical Center....he is a gall bladder surgeon. He is a very compassionate doctor and made me feel very comfortable while answering all of our questions -- never once did I feel like we were being "talked down to" or he was being condescending. Surprisingly, he said we were "way ahead of the game" in coming to see him. Normally, when a person "presents" like I do, heart tests like the ones at Kadlec are performed at least 4 times before someone pops their forehead and says - hey -- lets check the gall bladder! Can you imagine the insurance/deductibles that have to be paid -- 4 times $20K?!? So -- my gall bladder needs to come out -- I can wait and do it when I'm having MORE issues - or I can do it now. What did he recommend? If it was him -- he'd do it now. So we scheduled my surgery for August 26th. Everyone who knew anybody who had gall bladder surgery was telling me I am going to feel SO much better -- it's just an in and out procedure and 4 little slits and you're done. My sister-in-law Nancy (married to Joe's brother Tom) had the most information for me, from both her own experience and her experience with her previous patients when she was a nurse. My eating habits would change -- I may even turn into a vegetarian like she did! Fat chance Nanc! I LOVE meat! When I go to Costco -- I buy a rotisserie chicken every time, that being my "cheat meal".....besides. I'm the oldest child (just like she is) and NO WAY was someone going to tell me how I was going to react! (Silly me....sorry Nancy).
While at Dr Ayres office, I met his head nurse -- Marene. She seemed so familiar to me, and later we discovered our 2 oldest boys (my Dylan and Justin and her Mark and Ryan) played sports and went to school in West Richland and were actually "best buds". We attended many a game and spoke with each other throughout those years, so was such a surprise to meet her 25 years later. Small world...she is also a very caring person. Joe and I (okay -- we have the same strange sense of humor) had told them both we would like to save the gall stones after the surgery -- we can make necklaces for all the kids as a "momento"! We thought we were hilarious -- they likely thought we were nuts , but we at least cracked ourselves up! The surgery went very well -- the gall bladder was indeed enlarged, but a very routine surgery, removing a lymph node that was also attached to the gall bladder. The liver looked nice and clean and NO -- they did NOT remove any extra "padding" (ie fat) that I asked them to remove at the same time -- darn it! I went home -- but did NOT feel great....the gas they used during the surgery was giving me real issues -- it seemed to congregate in my upper back and didn't seem to want to escape any of the usual ways (burping/farting). I also had an outer cavity drain that Joe and I got to spend "quality time" draining, observing and measuring all of the fluid that was being drained from my body, for the net 10 days or so. Oh well....
The next day, Dr Ayres called me at home, asking if Joe was here too? Nope -- he's an outside salesman, so he's in the field. Do I expect him back soon? Not sure...why? As a routine service, all tissue is sent to a pathologist for testing. Much as he hates to do this over the phone, he really feels it needs to be done immediately. The pathologist found cancer. Stage 2. I just sat there stunned - and cried silently. Cancer -- the big C -- such an UGLY word. When the pathologist received the tissue, he too thought it was just a routine, enlarged gall bladder. So -- everyone was surprised to find cancer. So much so, that they ran the tests 3 times to confirm there was no mistake. He left his private number for Joe to call him as soon as he returned. When he showed up an hour or so later, he saw I had been crying. What's wrong? Dr Ayres called and wants you to call him. Why? Did he find cancer (which I believe he asked unwittingly -- not even imagining he was right). Yes. Joe called the doctor -- who was SO compassionate and caring and you could tell how sorrowful he was to have to break the news again over our speaker phone. The cancer was also in the lymph node as well as the gall bladder. It ENTERED the wall - but did NOT go through it - which was a good sign. The liver looked completely intact, no residual abnormalities. They appeared to have gotten it all - but a CT Scan would need to be done to see if it had traveled to any other organs.
I had an appointment set with Dr Ayres at TRIOS Medical Center....he is a gall bladder surgeon. He is a very compassionate doctor and made me feel very comfortable while answering all of our questions -- never once did I feel like we were being "talked down to" or he was being condescending. Surprisingly, he said we were "way ahead of the game" in coming to see him. Normally, when a person "presents" like I do, heart tests like the ones at Kadlec are performed at least 4 times before someone pops their forehead and says - hey -- lets check the gall bladder! Can you imagine the insurance/deductibles that have to be paid -- 4 times $20K?!? So -- my gall bladder needs to come out -- I can wait and do it when I'm having MORE issues - or I can do it now. What did he recommend? If it was him -- he'd do it now. So we scheduled my surgery for August 26th. Everyone who knew anybody who had gall bladder surgery was telling me I am going to feel SO much better -- it's just an in and out procedure and 4 little slits and you're done. My sister-in-law Nancy (married to Joe's brother Tom) had the most information for me, from both her own experience and her experience with her previous patients when she was a nurse. My eating habits would change -- I may even turn into a vegetarian like she did! Fat chance Nanc! I LOVE meat! When I go to Costco -- I buy a rotisserie chicken every time, that being my "cheat meal".....besides. I'm the oldest child (just like she is) and NO WAY was someone going to tell me how I was going to react! (Silly me....sorry Nancy).
While at Dr Ayres office, I met his head nurse -- Marene. She seemed so familiar to me, and later we discovered our 2 oldest boys (my Dylan and Justin and her Mark and Ryan) played sports and went to school in West Richland and were actually "best buds". We attended many a game and spoke with each other throughout those years, so was such a surprise to meet her 25 years later. Small world...she is also a very caring person. Joe and I (okay -- we have the same strange sense of humor) had told them both we would like to save the gall stones after the surgery -- we can make necklaces for all the kids as a "momento"! We thought we were hilarious -- they likely thought we were nuts , but we at least cracked ourselves up! The surgery went very well -- the gall bladder was indeed enlarged, but a very routine surgery, removing a lymph node that was also attached to the gall bladder. The liver looked nice and clean and NO -- they did NOT remove any extra "padding" (ie fat) that I asked them to remove at the same time -- darn it! I went home -- but did NOT feel great....the gas they used during the surgery was giving me real issues -- it seemed to congregate in my upper back and didn't seem to want to escape any of the usual ways (burping/farting). I also had an outer cavity drain that Joe and I got to spend "quality time" draining, observing and measuring all of the fluid that was being drained from my body, for the net 10 days or so. Oh well....
The next day, Dr Ayres called me at home, asking if Joe was here too? Nope -- he's an outside salesman, so he's in the field. Do I expect him back soon? Not sure...why? As a routine service, all tissue is sent to a pathologist for testing. Much as he hates to do this over the phone, he really feels it needs to be done immediately. The pathologist found cancer. Stage 2. I just sat there stunned - and cried silently. Cancer -- the big C -- such an UGLY word. When the pathologist received the tissue, he too thought it was just a routine, enlarged gall bladder. So -- everyone was surprised to find cancer. So much so, that they ran the tests 3 times to confirm there was no mistake. He left his private number for Joe to call him as soon as he returned. When he showed up an hour or so later, he saw I had been crying. What's wrong? Dr Ayres called and wants you to call him. Why? Did he find cancer (which I believe he asked unwittingly -- not even imagining he was right). Yes. Joe called the doctor -- who was SO compassionate and caring and you could tell how sorrowful he was to have to break the news again over our speaker phone. The cancer was also in the lymph node as well as the gall bladder. It ENTERED the wall - but did NOT go through it - which was a good sign. The liver looked completely intact, no residual abnormalities. They appeared to have gotten it all - but a CT Scan would need to be done to see if it had traveled to any other organs.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Filling in the Back Story
So there I am at Lowes, enjoying working with all of the customers, and especially the employees there. Besides Nelma, who worked for Lowes proper, I also worked with two other vendors. I was quickly "promoted" to their supervisor (no extra pay -- just the title) and they were great to work with. First there was Mario -- a wonderful 20 year old young man who, if I could choose to pick my 6th kid (am I crazy??) would be him. He has a great love for his mom, tho mixed with a bit of bitterness....he has an EXCELLENT work ethic and always went the extra mile whether with a customer or helping me or Krista or Nelma out. And very artistic, with a heart of gold. Don't get me wrong -- there were a few times I had to call him to see if he planned on joining us at work for the day (course he was also working learning to be a sous chef every night til midnight) but working with him was a joy. The same goes for Krista -- who is a beautiful strong woman who doesn't realize her worth.....she is bright but doesn't give herself credit. Hopefully she will grow out of it. Anyway -- I LOVED going to work - even during the 100+ degree days we had for over a month in a row. But something changed the first part of July. I'd wake up and NOT want to go to work. I'd drag in and sometimes get heart palpitations and just feel tired and achey. Something was wrong -- but I didn't know what. Was this heat stroke or sun stroke?
On July 10th I woke up with a toothache -- except it was where I didn't have a tooth! My jaw hurt under my bridge -- maybe I need a root canal after all? I made an appointment with the dentist and headed to work. After I pulled up, I sat in the truck and just felt "weird" - more so than normal. I called Joe and asked what he thought -- Dr Newman was out of town, so I could go to a clinic (trying to save money here cause we have a high deductible insurance). He said just go to Kadlec Hospital instead - so I did. In I walk, the emergency room filled with people, thinking great -- this is gonna be a long day. I went to the receptionist, told her what was going on and before I could sit down was whisked away into the hospital! Hmm - must be cause I'm the oldest here?? Turned out, apparently I presented 7 different signs of a woman having a heart attack. The jaw hurting, the tenseness in my back, the general achiness and fatigue and who knows what else. They immediately gave me nitroglycerin and started an EKG. By this time I had called Joe and said they are freaking me out - get here ASAP. Then they did an ECHO and when Joe got there they decided to admit me. The EKG's and blood tests continued through the night and the next day I was put through a Nuclear Stress Test. The findings? My heart is PERFECT. I have no plaque buildup -- I'm in great shape! $20,000+ later and still no answers. I still feel icky...am I turning into a hypochondriac or what?!?
They released me to go home and to follow up with my doctor and a cardiologist.
Work slowed WAY DOWN, so I chose to be the one laid off since the other two needed the funds -- plus I was still tired all the time. Plus now I was able to volunteer along with Joe to work at CreationFest for the second year in a row. If you haven't heard of CreationFest before -- look it up online. It's a HUGE Christian gathering that happens once a year -- on both the west coast and the east coast. Tri Cities was fortunate enough to be the site last year and this year -- and will also be next year. Lots of speakers, tons of well known and obscure bands both, colleges and vendors galore. As a matter of fact -- something awesome happened there (God is SO amazing how He sets things up!) -- but THAT'S another story.
Still feeling bad and trying not to complain, we were getting a little baffled. Finally, a friend of Joe's who we do business with and is in his BNI group, suggested that our doctor check me for a hernia (he knew I had been lifting heavy plants) or check my gall bladder. I made an appointment with Dr Newman since I was supposed to follow up regarding the heart stuff -- and asked her at the same time to check for the other 2 things. She REALLY wanted me to go to a cardiologist at TRIOS hospital instead -- just in case Kadlec missed something. I promised I would by the end of the year, but I would like to be checked for a hernia and gall bladder. "Well -- only if you have pain in your back on the right side." Normally the pain is on my left side -- but at that particular moment -- lo and behold -- YES -- it was on my right side! OK -- we will do the tests. After several days, we got scheduled for the sonograms at TRIOS. We asked if the girl could see anything unusual, and she said she's not qualified to say. I told her my doctor said she'd call me only if there was an issue -- and the girl said you'd probably be hearing from your doctor on Monday. To me -- this was code for there is something there -- I am NOT crazy! Sure enough -- I got a call from Dr Newman, and my gall bladder is enlarged -- I need to meet with a surgeon. Dr Bruce Ayres to be exact.
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: The friend that suggested I be checked for gall bladder is actually Dr Benson Lee of Lee Alternative Health Clinic in Kennewick WA. He is officially a chiropractor but also a Naturopathic doctor. I had gone to him previously after I had a car wreck and he got me back into ship shape and relieved the pain I had been feeling. I highly recommend him for your chiropractic issues and also any food issues you may have. Plus -- he knew what was wrong with me, when Kadlec didn't!
On July 10th I woke up with a toothache -- except it was where I didn't have a tooth! My jaw hurt under my bridge -- maybe I need a root canal after all? I made an appointment with the dentist and headed to work. After I pulled up, I sat in the truck and just felt "weird" - more so than normal. I called Joe and asked what he thought -- Dr Newman was out of town, so I could go to a clinic (trying to save money here cause we have a high deductible insurance). He said just go to Kadlec Hospital instead - so I did. In I walk, the emergency room filled with people, thinking great -- this is gonna be a long day. I went to the receptionist, told her what was going on and before I could sit down was whisked away into the hospital! Hmm - must be cause I'm the oldest here?? Turned out, apparently I presented 7 different signs of a woman having a heart attack. The jaw hurting, the tenseness in my back, the general achiness and fatigue and who knows what else. They immediately gave me nitroglycerin and started an EKG. By this time I had called Joe and said they are freaking me out - get here ASAP. Then they did an ECHO and when Joe got there they decided to admit me. The EKG's and blood tests continued through the night and the next day I was put through a Nuclear Stress Test. The findings? My heart is PERFECT. I have no plaque buildup -- I'm in great shape! $20,000+ later and still no answers. I still feel icky...am I turning into a hypochondriac or what?!?
They released me to go home and to follow up with my doctor and a cardiologist.
Work slowed WAY DOWN, so I chose to be the one laid off since the other two needed the funds -- plus I was still tired all the time. Plus now I was able to volunteer along with Joe to work at CreationFest for the second year in a row. If you haven't heard of CreationFest before -- look it up online. It's a HUGE Christian gathering that happens once a year -- on both the west coast and the east coast. Tri Cities was fortunate enough to be the site last year and this year -- and will also be next year. Lots of speakers, tons of well known and obscure bands both, colleges and vendors galore. As a matter of fact -- something awesome happened there (God is SO amazing how He sets things up!) -- but THAT'S another story.
Still feeling bad and trying not to complain, we were getting a little baffled. Finally, a friend of Joe's who we do business with and is in his BNI group, suggested that our doctor check me for a hernia (he knew I had been lifting heavy plants) or check my gall bladder. I made an appointment with Dr Newman since I was supposed to follow up regarding the heart stuff -- and asked her at the same time to check for the other 2 things. She REALLY wanted me to go to a cardiologist at TRIOS hospital instead -- just in case Kadlec missed something. I promised I would by the end of the year, but I would like to be checked for a hernia and gall bladder. "Well -- only if you have pain in your back on the right side." Normally the pain is on my left side -- but at that particular moment -- lo and behold -- YES -- it was on my right side! OK -- we will do the tests. After several days, we got scheduled for the sonograms at TRIOS. We asked if the girl could see anything unusual, and she said she's not qualified to say. I told her my doctor said she'd call me only if there was an issue -- and the girl said you'd probably be hearing from your doctor on Monday. To me -- this was code for there is something there -- I am NOT crazy! Sure enough -- I got a call from Dr Newman, and my gall bladder is enlarged -- I need to meet with a surgeon. Dr Bruce Ayres to be exact.
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: The friend that suggested I be checked for gall bladder is actually Dr Benson Lee of Lee Alternative Health Clinic in Kennewick WA. He is officially a chiropractor but also a Naturopathic doctor. I had gone to him previously after I had a car wreck and he got me back into ship shape and relieved the pain I had been feeling. I highly recommend him for your chiropractic issues and also any food issues you may have. Plus -- he knew what was wrong with me, when Kadlec didn't!
Monday, October 26, 2015
In the Beginning
I was born at 209am on May 4th, 1955. Haha -- gotcha! Guess I won't start at THAT beginning. But I will go back to this spring. I had been working with Joe (my husband) for a couple years, from our home. He's a Territory Manager for a large financial company called Heartland Payment Systems. I used to work for the same company, but they did away with my position, and we decided at that time that I should stay home and help him. So -- as the Chief Executive Assistant (meaning I "managed the manager") - his business began to thrive. So much so, that I got a little bit restless -- ok -- I got a LOT a bit restless. I decided I needed an outside job -- that maybe we were having a little bit TOO much togetherness. When I was shopping in a grocery store, I saw my old supervisor from Child Support and she said they may be looking for more people again. Then I saw 2 gals I used to work with there and they said to apply now -- they are hiring and they would even ask to be on the interview panel -- so I should be a shoe in. Alright -- medical and dental insurance -- not to mention a steady eddie income. I was set! I sent in my resume and was invited to come take the 4 hour test (again - yucka). I took the test and the last 2 questions killed me -- an absent parent asking for payment arrangements because they have more family to provide for. Oohhh - man, I don't know if I want to do this again. Oh well -- steady eddie will make up for it. Except I failed the test! What?!? This is a job I performed for FOURTEEN YEARS. How can I possibly fail the test? I was SO embarrassed. I didn't even tell the girls in Bible study I applied. I cried about it for days. How could this have happened?
But -- like I said, there's always a silver lining. My son Abe was working for a vendor that provided live plants to Lowes and they were in desperate need of another employee. I went ahead and applied, with not much hope but ta-da! ended up getting the job. It was minimum wage with no benefits -- but it got me out of the house! And I LOVED it! Having people look to ME as a plant expert. Little did they know....the running joke in my family was that Mom is not good with LIVING THINGS at all. I have some beautiful plants -- rubber tree, alfalfa sprouts, geraniums -- but they are all plastic or silks! I have one live plant that has survived for nearly 37 years now. It's a marble plant that someone gave me when Dylan (my oldest son) was born. It was in a bright yellow round Smiley Face vase when I got it, and after about 8 years the plant ended up going into a tall glass vase filled with just water, where it has lived ever since, believe it or not! So there I was -- working at Lowes, thriving in the sun daily, getting at least 12,000 up to 22,000 steps in EACH day, unloading tall towers of plants and flowers daily. This job REALLY spoke to my soul -- I mean, when someone would buy a plant or two, I would pop right over and fill it in with more plants so everything was all neat and orderly and color-coordinated (my favorite!) People asking me "What plants can survive in shade?" or "Is this blueberry plant a good producer?" After awhile, you know the answers (course it helps having a wonderful mentor like Nelma who is about 20 years my senior and knows EVERYTHING about plants and has worked at Lowes in Kennewick for over 25 years).
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: If you buy a perennial plant (the ones that come back year after year), or a shrub or tree from Lowes, and it dies before a year is up -- you can take it back to Lowes and they will give you a whole new one as a replacement! AND -- you don't even need to keep your receipt if you purchase it and use your MYLOWES reward card (which is connected to your phone number) because they will automatically have record of the original purchase. Pretty cool warranty.
But -- like I said, there's always a silver lining. My son Abe was working for a vendor that provided live plants to Lowes and they were in desperate need of another employee. I went ahead and applied, with not much hope but ta-da! ended up getting the job. It was minimum wage with no benefits -- but it got me out of the house! And I LOVED it! Having people look to ME as a plant expert. Little did they know....the running joke in my family was that Mom is not good with LIVING THINGS at all. I have some beautiful plants -- rubber tree, alfalfa sprouts, geraniums -- but they are all plastic or silks! I have one live plant that has survived for nearly 37 years now. It's a marble plant that someone gave me when Dylan (my oldest son) was born. It was in a bright yellow round Smiley Face vase when I got it, and after about 8 years the plant ended up going into a tall glass vase filled with just water, where it has lived ever since, believe it or not! So there I was -- working at Lowes, thriving in the sun daily, getting at least 12,000 up to 22,000 steps in EACH day, unloading tall towers of plants and flowers daily. This job REALLY spoke to my soul -- I mean, when someone would buy a plant or two, I would pop right over and fill it in with more plants so everything was all neat and orderly and color-coordinated (my favorite!) People asking me "What plants can survive in shade?" or "Is this blueberry plant a good producer?" After awhile, you know the answers (course it helps having a wonderful mentor like Nelma who is about 20 years my senior and knows EVERYTHING about plants and has worked at Lowes in Kennewick for over 25 years).
UNABASHED, UNSOLICITED PLUG: If you buy a perennial plant (the ones that come back year after year), or a shrub or tree from Lowes, and it dies before a year is up -- you can take it back to Lowes and they will give you a whole new one as a replacement! AND -- you don't even need to keep your receipt if you purchase it and use your MYLOWES reward card (which is connected to your phone number) because they will automatically have record of the original purchase. Pretty cool warranty.
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