5.16.2009

I haven't been doing much on the computer these days just because the kids were home a lot for some holidays and I've been relaxing a lot. A friend gave me an iPod Touch so I've been lurking and looking though (and calling people on Skype).

On Mothers' Day, some friends and I went for what turned out to be a 5 mile hike through a fairly well groomed trail. The younger two ran ahead and I worried a little about being such a slowpoke but they were smart enough to wait at our destination and not go off with strangers. This was one week after the 5/1 gammaknife surgery I had to blast the smaller of the two brain tumors (at a different hospital than where I had the craniotomy on 4/17) but I'd been told that I could do anything from the day after the surgery and to go ahead and dance, have wine, sing karaoke...if I wanted to by the lovely gammaknife neurosurgeon so I suppose it was OK.

It felt good to be in a forest before the heat and bugs came out but I was worried about having to go a little slowly while the kids went off ahead. They knew enough to wait at the end of the trail anyway and the friends walked ahead and make sure they were OK. I rested the next day but surprised that I had no aches or pains from all the ups and downs of the trail parts (about half of the walk was paved). The friend took lots of pictures I'm hoping she'll send some so I can post some here.

I had a round of appointments yesterday, the first since I checked out of the Ntl. Cancer Center on 4/25 and blood work and heart scans showed I was fine to start Adria/Cyto chemo so, after working out the post chemo prescriptions with my breast/lung Dr. (who seemed a little surprised and pleased I'd gone out to the mountains), I got a baseline lung x-ray and headed off to see my neurosurgeon who said he didn't need and MRI that after all (skipped breakfast for naught!). He brought up the prescription from my breast/lung Dr. on the screen to compare with the anti brain swelling steroids and anti convulsion meds he wants to decrease as one of the chemo tolerance steroids is similar. We shuffled things around a bit and I'm on a lower dose over all post chemo and then half of that until June 5, my next chemo day.

I'm planning to take the children to visit my hometown from 7/27 to 8/19 and have been making itineraries this morning. Hopefully all four can go but my eldest, J, may be too busy with the band she joined in her new high school. She's spent a summer with my parents all on her own, as has M, but the younger two have no memories of an American small town summer on the lake with Grandma and Grandpa so I really want to do this.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy, hello darling!!! I got your e-mail but late- I have a fab box to send you, for our and your kiddies, I was just waiting on one delivery from abroad (which is taking a bit long) and I wanted to apologize for the delay, and I was collecting some goods my friends sent me for you- Rita and a few other gals chipped in, and I think you'll love it, esp the goodies for the kids, if the box has not arrived from abroad I am going to ship this out first and send the second later =)

Please tell Jill I am thinking of her- and to let me know if there is anything I can do for her as well = )

I think a trip back home would be fabulous, hope you'll take a bunches of snaps to share.

Viki in Chiba said...

I'm so glad you are going home for a vacation. My prayers will go with you. We're leaving on the 24th of July so won't be on the same plane or won't meet at the airport. Hope your daughter can go too.

camtosh said...

HI Kathy! thanks for following my one and only blog post! I hope the trip home works out -- I would love to go with you, a summer by the lake sounds wonderful! catch a bass for me...

ElaineM said...

It is so good to read that you were able to enjoy some time enjoying nature and that it looks like you will be able to enjoy a trip to "the lake" with the children to see your family this summer. I am also glad to read that your medical care seems to be progressing well. I read you have been chatting on Skype. I installed Skype on my computer about a month ago, so if you are interested in chatting e-mail me for my Skype info. I don't have a web cam, but I can do chat.
Take care.

ElaineM said...

It is so good to read that you were able to enjoy some time enjoying nature and that it looks like you will be able to enjoy a trip to "the lake" with the children to see your family this summer. I am also glad to read that your medical care seems to be progressing well. I read you have been chatting on Skype. I installed Skype on my computer about a month ago, so if you are interested in chatting e-mail me for my Skype info. I don't have a web cam, but I can do chat.
Take care.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy,
Rich66 from her2 group.
I hope all is well with you.
I want to ask you if you have heard of Tranilast there in Japan. Pharmaceutically, it's
N-[3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl]-anthranilic acid.
I keep finding positive articles on it but I don't think it's available here in the US. Here are links:

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=38704&highlight=tranilast

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=39323&highlight=tranilast

Rich Reilly
608-215-3449
www.richreilly.tv