Update at the End of Chemo Course 2, Cycle 1

The first cycle of Kay's chemotherapy went very nicely. She continues to feel good, her energy is holding up fine, and good news is her CA-125 drawn yesterday was down to 32. Dr. Rob McCrosky, her oncologist warned us that the level often does not go down after the first course, and can even go up, so this nice drop is reassuring that this new regimen seems to be working.



Kay convinced them to reduce her dexamethasone treatment doses from 10 mg on Tuesdays and 4 mg on Fridays, to 4 mg on Tuesdays and none on Fridays. Dexamethasone is a very potent, short acting corticosteroid given IV. It's used to reduce the chance of allergic reactions and to reduce nausea during chemotherapy. In Kay, as in many others, it seemed to cause more fluid retention, make her a bit agitated and have trouble sleeping. It also gave her a voracious appetite, which she disliked. She seemed to do fine with the lower dose today.



Last week she spent a few days with Jean in Seattle, and they had lots of fun, and shopped relentlessly. Jean is our shopping guru, and Kay loves to shop with her. Kay's closet is looking much fuller now. They also seduced a makeup expert at Nordstroms who gave them makeup cases, lots of samples, and Kay rewarded him by stocking up the case.



My best news of the day when one of my partners, Nancy Grubb, volunteered to cover the Same Day Clinic for me on the Sat/Sunday after Thanksgiving so I can stay with Kay, Jean, Brett and the whole Colmar clan in SoCal for the long weekend. It will be the first time all the cousins are in one place since my children were very young. Everyone is excited.



Kay's white blood count was slightly low, and she is going to get a drug called Neupogen for 3 days after the infusions next week. It is an injectible med, given like insulin, that stimulates the bone marrow to hurry up and replace the white blood cells. Fortunately I can give her this so she won't have to inject herself or go to the doctor's for this. If her count gets too low she will be at risk for infection, and would need to interrupt her chemotherapy.



Pray for good bone marrow resistance, for safe passage through these courses of chemo, and of course for efficacy of the treatments to fight the cancer cells.



Love to all.



Ed

First Course a Breeze

Kay is in her "off week" of her first course of chemotherapy, and the first two weeks of infusions on Tuesdays and Fridays went uneventfully. She was a little buzzed from the high dose dexamethasone she gets prior to each infusion, but except for that really had little difficulty. The biggest thing for Kay has been that the treatments take up about 4-5 hours on Tuesdays, and 2-3 hours on Fridays. She really hates spending that much of her week in treatments. She is doing so well she has been going alone, and that has been mostly positive. She naps, reads, and watches movies, but still it's a long sit.



This week Jean has Wednesday thru Friday vacation days, and she and Kay are in Seattle having girl time. Today Jean and Kay looked at places for Jean to live, and went shopping. Lots of fun on their agenda for the next 3 days. The struggle between Mother and Daughter is Kay trying to book as much fun as possible, and Jean trying to keep Kay from wearing them both out and being sure to get lots of time to relax and enjoy each other. My guess it they'll enjoy each other, but the relaxation will be active relaxing more than lying back and relaxing.



Kay and I went to the coast with our birding friends this past weekend, and had fun in the rain Saturday, and enjoyed unexpected sunshine Sunday.



Prayers of thanks for the relative ease of the treatment infusions, and prayers for effectiveness in ridding Kay of the cancer are in order. Thanks for all your support and prayers.



Ed

Week One of Chemo is No Problem

Kay's first week of chemotherapy was really no problem at all. She had a minimal amount of nausea, but didn't miss any meals, and overall felt pretty good. We had another busy week, helping Brett move into his apartment in Seattle on Thursday, Kay getting chemo on Tuesday and Friday, but have had a relaxing weekend and feel ready to face week two of course one of the new treatments.
Keep us in your prayers.

Love,
Ed

How's Kay?

This is the question on everyone’s mind and the question I am asked numerous times every day. Each time I think about who’s asking the question, and decide on which answer to give. Is this a question that begs the same answer as, “How are you today?” If so should I answer with the equivalent of, “Fine thanks, and you?” Is this a factual question from a concerned person? If so the answer is that she feels quite well, but is in the early stages of recurrence of her ovarian cancer. We’re hoping that starting chemotherapy now will lead to her continuing to do well. Thanks for asking.” Is this a close friend or family member who wants to have a conversation about how she is doing physically, emotionally, and spiritually? If so I often don’t have the emotional energy or time to give them the information and love they deserve, so I’m going to try to lay it out here for all who are interested to read.

First we just got back from a great vacation. We left for Maine on my birthday, Sept 2, and spent a terrific week with my family, and with Jean and Marc, at our camp on McGrath Pond in Oakland, ME. We ate lobster, got to know Morgan, Allison and her husband Josh much better, and just enjoyed ourselves. We also visited Betty and Don Caton and their girls and new son in law at Little Sebago Lake after picking up Jean. We mostly slept through the rain effects a hurricane, and swam every day. My Mom and Dad are doing pretty well, and it was a great visit.

After a week, we left for Rome, and on arrival after a red-eye flight from Portland, ME à Philidelphia à Rome dropped our bags at a hotel in town and walked to the Coliseum. It was daunting to walk where the ancient Romans walked, and our sweat may be mingled with that of Caesar, as it was very warm that afternoon. That night we visited the Spanish Steps in the city lights, and had our first of many great Italian meals. We had our first 3 hour-four course meal. I could get used to that style of eating. A good bottle of red and lots of time to talk make a great meal really memorable. The next day off to Tuscany, a week at Borgo di Vagli, a 14th century hamlet far from anything, and a week of day trips to Florence, Assisi, Cortona, the Adriatic Sea, and Montepulcinno. Our trip ended with a day back in Rome, a whirlwind tour of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica, and a 20 hour, one stop flight home. Overall it was a trip to remember. I decided to post prior to having a real photo gallery to link to but here are a couple of photos to get a flavor.

Borgo di Vagli

Looking down into the Coliseum

The Spanish Steps at night

The last week has been a whirlwind of catching up, getting ready for Kay to start chemotherapy again, and preparing emotionally to start the fight again.

So, “How’s Kay.” The real answer is complicated. Physically she is still feeling quite well. She got through the initial phase of her PARP inhibitor study without any complications. She still feels strong, is exercising regularly, and feels about 95%+ in terms of health. She has been more fatigued for the last month or so, and feels slightly full in the upper abdomen, where we suspect the remnants of her cancer are hiding, aolthough no imaging has found it yet. Spiritually she stays strong. She feels and needs continued prayer support. Emotionally the situation is much more complicated. She finds it hard to dive back into chemotherapy when she feels so good. Last time we were desperate to start chemo, because we could literally see and she could feel the cancer destroying her. Chemo was clearly her friend at that time, and she could honestly call the port on her chest wall, “My life sustaining port.” Now we are treating a cancer that is only making itself known by a number we see on paper as her CA-125, and by this vague fatigue. The number today was 58, continuing its upward march, and the reason to start the chemo. She really is dreading losing the sense of normalcy that we have enjoyed for the last 9-10 months. She fears being on chemotherapy the rest of her life and never feeling fully strong and healthy again. She asks me how long until I’ll become the, “Finder of things again.” Chemo causes her to lose just a tiny bit of her sharpness for remembering where things are and she seems to misplace more stuff. The joke is that chemo knocks out part of the second X chromosome that somehow allows women to see things other than at eye level. We’ve had our share of tears over this anticipation of loss. Kay has had trouble sleeping, and I could sleep all the time. Still overall we are emotionally holding up pretty well, and feel ready for the battle.

Today Kay had her first infusion of the first course of her chemotherapy for the cancer recurrence. We did our old hypnotherapy regimen this morning and the infusion went uneventfully. Sometimes I think her judgment is impaired, as she is now out for a walk with friends, just 90 minutes after arriving back home. She thinks fresh air is going to do her well. I suggested rest, but … This chemotherapy regimen is a much more time intensive schedule than last time. She will get Carboplatin, Gemcitabine, and the PARP inhibitor on day 1, the PARP inhibitor on day 4, Gemcitabine and the PARP inhibitor on day 8, and the PARP inhibitor on day 11 of each 21 day cycle. She dreads spending four half-days getting chemo every 3 weeks. Still, Kay being Kay, she has a road trip in her plans for the first “off week” when Jean is taking a week of vacation and they are going somewhere fun together. She is hoping, probably realistically, not to lose her hair this time, though we just looked at some pretty cute photos of Kay without hair. We are both praying for great success in suppressing and possibly eliminating the cancer this time. We know that cure is not likely at all, but miracles happen. I want to thank you all for your prayer support and friendship
I hope this marathon post updates you all, and I trust you’ll keep Kay in your prayers. Love to all.

Another Port - Thankfully No Storm

Unfortunately a poor weather report in the form of a rising CA-125 makes this necessary. Kay cruised through the ordeal of the PARP inhibitor trail, and now is going to get the PARP plus two types of chemotherapy. I'll outline this in more detail, this is just a heads-up before I head to work for the morning and to be with Kay to get this port this afternoon.

Today Kay gets her port back in to be able to start her chemotherapy again Tuesday. The dreaded NPO again, though not until 9 AM an only until she gets home this afternoon.

Keep Kay in your prayers today, and next week as we go down the treatment road again.

Suture for a Living: Time for Teal Toes (Again)

Suture for a Living: Time for Teal Toes (Again)

Study Done - Gone on Vacation

A quick update before my last day of work before a long vacation. Kay found out last night that she is done with phase 1 of the PARP study, she did not have to return to collect more excrement. That's great. Now we finish packing tonight, and head for ME tomorrow AM. After Maine we are excited about lots of Italian food and culture in Rome and Tuscany.