New Year News on Kay's Status

As we enter the new year Kay and I look back on the last 8 2/3 years of living with cancer as time we had not expected, but are grateful to have lived and loved together.  Although there have been challenging periods, most of Kay’s days/weeks/months/years since her diagnosis have been lived comfortably and fully.  We are especially thankful for our family and friends.  From the beginning when the prognosis was grim, through her three major courses of chemotherapy and surgeries, in the 4+ years remission off treatment, and in the last year of sometimes frustratingly minimally effective treatments you have been there for us.  Sometimes it has been a phone call or letter, and sometimes a date for tea or lunch.  Sometimes a visit, a trip just together or with friends or family, and sometimes prayers we have palpably felt supporting us. Everyone’s love has been there for us without fail.

Now things are looking like we are nearing the end of effective treatment options for Kay’s ovarian cancer.  At a recent visit she told Rob McCrosky, her oncologist, that she felt like the time was approaching when her cancer was going to take over.  Kay has asked both Rob and Elizabeth Swisher this question many times, whether she was near the end.  Always the reply was certainly not, and that there were effective treatments ahead. This time Rob honestly told Kay that he agreed that the time of holding the cancer back may be past.

In the last year Kay has gone through numerous types of treatments. She has tried experimental studies with immunotherapy, as well as new and established types of chemotherapy, and none have proved effective for any prolonged period of time.  For 8 years Kay was a chemotherapy superstar, tolerating treatments well and avoiding complications.  This year has been different.  Kay had little response to treatments, then she had the bowel perforation complication from Avastin.  Since then the cancer has progressed despite continued Taxol chemotherapy, and Kay is battling a partial bowel obstruction which is  causing unacceptable symptoms when she tries to eat much at all.  Although Kay is not ready to give up hope of some more time with palliative chemotherapy, we understand the options are not promising.

We are going to take the next few weeks to see how the cancer responds to a bit of additional chemotherapy.  Last week Kay received the first dose of Topotecan, a new drug for her, that she will get as weekly infusions.   Although we are hopeful that it will be effective, the odds are not in her favor.  If as is most likely these treatments are not effective in stalling the progression of the cancer, Kay and I plan to work together to figure out the best way to live her remaining time as enjoyably and fully as is possible.

The good news today was that despite having to get new insurance when Regence dropped everyone on their individual plans, and having limited options available due to “market uncertainty” our new carrier, Kaiser, agreed to let Kay keep seeing Dr. McCrosky for 6 more months to allow transition to their system.  We are going to not worry about things more than 6 months ahead right now, and are grateful for that much of a reprieve.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas, wish you a Happy New Year.  Keep the prayers for Kay going and live 2018 with vigor and joy.