2nd Day of Chemo At Home

So for those of you that know Steve well, you know that he isn’t big on fruits and veggies.  He’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy (which also means low fiber – not good for the colon I’ve learned). However, when he first found out about the cancer, he vowed to do whatever he can to get his body healthy again and that included eating fruits and veggies if needed. While visiting with the Oncologist last week, he went over side effects of the chemo and asked us if we had any questions.  Steve asked him if he should avoid any foods or eat certain foods to help repair the damage that the chemo will be doing to his body. I swear Steve had…

I just wanted to post an update since I haven’t in a while.   I realize some people are afraid to ask, but seriously you can always ask us how Steve is doing.  We don’t mind talking about it.  It’s our life now. The girls went to camp the last week of August, right before school started.  It was a camp that is only for children who’s parents have battled cancer/ have cancer.  It’s called Camp Kesem and it’s a free one week overnight camp. When we first heard of it, I immediately thought how great it would be for the girls to meet other children who have a life like theirs and to hear their stories.  But I figured they would NEVER go away for…

Yesterday  (7/21/14) Steve and I received some really good news about his Stage 4 Colon Cancer.  His CEA number, which is the tumor marker in his blood, was lower – a lot lower!  When he was in the hospital the first week of June it was 536.  Then a few weeks later it was up to 834.8.  Yesterday it was 263.1.   Needless to say we both cried when I gave him the good news. That means the chemo is working. We saw the doctor today and he was very happy as well with the results.   He said the drop in his CEA is great after only 2 treatments.  I asked him if he expects that number to go to zero at some point, if…

Steve had chemo last week and once again his side effects weren’t that bad since the reduction.  He’s even been able to maintain his weight, which is exactly what the doctor wants right now.  It’s been nice outside the last few days so that’s been helpful too.  On the cold days we had a week ago he had a very hard time.  Once his hands and nose get cold, they hurt.  He’s trying to bundle up the best he can, but if he bundles up too much he sweats.  Over time he’ll find a balance.  It’s something new to get used to. He sees the Oncologist next Tuesday and he will then make an appointment for another CT Scan.  I’m very hopeful that we will…

Steve is going this morning for his first CT Scan.  We are pretty hopeful that it will look good because of how good his CEA number has been.  But seeing it will be good to reassure us that the Chemo is working. He will also have is CEA number checked on Monday.  We will have the results of both of those tests on Tuesday when we meet with his Oncologist. Steve has been getting mouth sores the last 3 cycles and they are unbearable for him.  We’ve been trying all sorts of ways to make them better and possibly avoid them but after talking to the doctor yesterday, we are thinking of pulling back on one of the Chemotherapy drugs a little bit.  There is…

Today is a new day, and a day to look back and reflect on the year. A friend wrote something that inspired me and made me look at 2016 differently. My husband died, that was absolutely the worst thing that has ever happened to me. But I’ve grown so much through that, and I like who I am today. 2016 was a GIFT and I am thankful for that. I had Steve by my side for almost all of it…. that was not something we knew we would have back in June 2014. Friends I’ve known for a long time and a shorter time came together and became friends. And all my friendships grew, tremendously! I learned from my friends and family what it means…