Chemo update

I received some news today.  As most of you know Dana had started with chemotherapy again because an MRI she had, had shown some growth.  This was chemo that was taken orally by pill.  She took them five days out of the week. 

Recently she went in to have an MRI to check the progress of this treatment.  Unfortunately the cancer was not affected in the way we all had hoped by the pills and is spreading.  The doctor has put her on a more aggressive IV chemo and she will have to have this once every two weeks.  We wont know the effectiveness of this new treatment until the next MRI which is 6 weeks.  

Dana is hopeful about this new treatment.  The new chemo was in a study approved for stage 4 cancer a while back and has now been approved for state 3 (which is what Dana has)!  New medical breakthrough's like this give me hope.  Its easy to be reminded of all the loved ones whom have lost their battles with cancer in our lives at a time like this, but new medical treatments are literally new chances to battle the disease.  Every cancer is just as unique as every individual.  

The neurosurgeon working with Dana is a really one of the best, he has informed her that he can perform surgery if need-be but is hopeful about the new chemo and wants to see the progress before then.  There's a reasonable chance that this chemo will be effective on both the older tumor and where it has spread.  I really hope this is the case.  

We all love you Dana and our hopes, wishes and prayers are with you.  

Less fun more chemo

Due to growth of Dana's tumor the doctor has put her back on chemotherapy.  Chemo comes in the form of pills and she has to take them 5 days out of the week. 

 According to the mayoclinic website"Chemotherapy taken by mouth is just as strong as other forms of chemotherapy and work in a similar way. It's important to realize that oral chemotherapy is not simply a pill, but a treatment that may have special instructions, precautions and side effects — much like chemotherapy given through a vein."

It also warns of possible side effects (acting differently for each individual)

• Fatigue
• Hand-foot syndrome — a skin reaction on palms of hands and soles of the feet (pain, swelling and redness)
• Nausea/vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms
• Skin rash
• Low blood counts (watch for fever)
• Hair loss and nail changes
• Mouth sores

According to Dana's mom shes having some of the side effects and is feeling under the weather at the moment.  I can imagine its a tough time but, as always, shes handling it with determination.  She will be going to the doctor/hospital on 2/18 and will continue to go every month.  There has not been talk of surgery, as far as i know, and i hope that remains the case.  Chemo, as invasive as it is, is not as invasive as having your skull cracked open and stapled back together.  I will try and keep everyone updated as i find out more information about her treatment or anything she wants to let people know.  

The pills and treatment can be quite costly, and while i dont know Dana's financial situation, if anyone wants to make a donation to help please let me know by leaving a comment below or on Dana's Facebook page.  

Important Update

It has been quite some time since my last blog post. This was a good thing, signs that the check up's Dana has been going to were fine. No growth. Everything the same as it had been... a tumor, but not a growing one. A tumor that intertwined so completely to Dana's brain that it could not be fully removed, yet let her brain function normally. I have to say that a normal Dana was more than i had even hoped for at the time of her surgery. I was really worried about losing my friend, so when she awoke the same person we were all very happy. So after many posts of the same status "checkups normal no more chemo or radiation" we all were able to stop worrying and get back to our lives. Dana's hair grew back, checkups had more time in-between and she got back to working and living normally. The thing about cancer is that it isn't content to just grow, or even to conquer, It doesn't always go for the jugular. The most cruel thing that cancer does is leave us on the edge of our seat. Whats going to happen? Should we plan for the worst? Should we wish for the best? Is it over? What do we do...? One person getting cancer doesn't just affect them. It DOES affect them, but it also affects us ALL. I always wonder: "whats the best thing i can do"? I still don't have the answer. I just try to be there for my friend and not make things worse by freaking out or becoming burdensome. I think that most people feel like i do, so completely without control. Dana has the worst of this. I wish i could take this feeling of worry and helplessness out of Dana's heart. I know she worries about her children and the many levels of surviving. Things get better with hope. Hope lets us try and lead our normal lives and enjoy things and people. I learned recently that Dana had been having some headaches lately and went back to the doctor. It turns out that there was some growth for the first time since her surgery. I'm told that the growth is minor, but to be safe, she will have to go through chemotherapy again. This, obviously, is not what we had hoped for! I am not as much of a believer of the "power of positivity" as other people, but in this case i see no other option. I choose to be grateful for the time in which Dana isn't having to deal with radiation or chemotherapy and hope for that again. I am choosing to believe things will react the way they did last time, with the chemo kicking the tumor's behind. I hope Dana's kids aren't devastated by this news, but see it as a minor setback that CAN get better (because it CAN). I hope that they know if things get overwhelming that we (her friends and family) are there for them. I hope that everyone reading this doesn't think the worst. I want them to move forward with the awareness that Dana is much too stubborn and strong to let this get her down. While we can always pray or wish for the best, know that she fought this before and will do it again!

Im sorry it has been a while since I've updated this blog, but the news is all good. Dana recently went in for her MRI and things look great! No more chemo, radiation is long gone and no growth! This is the best possible news! Your positive thoughts and prayers appear to have collaborated with Dana's strength. Let's keep it up! I hope a year from now we hear the same news. Dana, as always, sends her appreciation for your support!

Dana's in Remission!!

What does this mean? When a tumor is in remission or is stable, it means the tumor cells have entered a phase in which they generally have stopped growing or multiplying. This may or may not mean that these tumor cells will never grow again. In some cases, the tumor has actually been destroyed and the area it occupied in the brain is composed only of dead tissue, called necrosis. In other circumstances, tumor cells remain alive or viable, and retain the capacity to grow actively again, meaning that the tumor may recur at a later date. Unfortunately im not sure which is the case but it is clear that this is great news. The tumor isnt growing and its been nearly a year! The best news is that while shes in remission; no more chemo! Since there is sadly no cure for cancer, remission is the ultimate goal. Everyone that has Dana in their hopes, prayers and thoughts can keep it up this time asking that the tumor is dead, wont grow, and wont resurface elsewhere. Its time to celebrate! Congratulations Dana we love you.

Holiday update

So its been a while since Ive updated Dana's status and i wanted to let everyone know how things are going. They had to move Dana's chemo to December because of a low blood count so she will have her last round in January if all goes well. She recently caught a cold but shes getting over it. Shes been continuing to work, though now from home and putting in as many hours as she can. She will probably have to wait til sometime in February for her MRI, so until then we dont know much about the progress of the tumor (if any). Im constantly impressed with her strength and drive. Dana's birthday is this month (Dec 24th) and while this is exciting, i hope that with Christmas shopping and planning, her birthday, the onset of winter and her job that things dont get too overwhelming. If anyone would like to make a donation there is a paypal link on previous blog posts, just click and it will allow you to donate with a credit or debit card. I encourage you to read the previous posts in this blog to see how far Dana has come with this and to see the helpful links (like that to her facebook page) and how well her trivia night benefit went over last year. I hope this Holiday season that Dana gets plenty of rest, time with her family and friends and everything she deserves.

Dana's progress Oct 2011

It has been much too long since the last update of Dana's progress. She has been very busy with her job and family, there was also little new news as she was doing a double dose of chemo and had an MRI on Oct 25th. She has been having headaches and some nausea. The results of the MRI shows that the treatments have been successful, as expected by the doctors, there is no new growth.

She will continue with a double dose of chemo for three more months ending in January 2012. At that time a new MRI will be done and Dana's brain will get a rest. Dana has two types of very aggressive cancer that will be closely watched with a MRI every three months in 2012.

Dana started a new job just 2 days before she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her goal, when accepting this job was to work from home in August. With all she has gone through, she was still able to reach this goal and is now working from home...since September just one month past her goal. She's been working really hard and fitting in time for the treatments despite the side effects. I know what a relief it is for her to be home with her kids as much as possible and working from home will be a great change in the winter time from driving 30 mins each way.

I remember how frightened we all were when we initially heard the news of her cancer. I never expected her to be doing so well nor being so driven in her regular life. Shes handling everything better than I'm sure most of us would have. She has a really emotionally supportive group of family and friends. Thank you to everyone that has helped her emotionally, financially, and physically. Though i have to say she is extremely self sufficient. She's always taken care of herself in a way that was well beyond her years and now is no exception. Strength runs through her and it wont surprise me one bit if her MRI is positive in 2012. It never hurts to stack the deck so if anyone wants to send prayers or positive thoughts and actions her way its very much appreciated.