Tuesday, April 29, 2014

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.  

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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.  



Sunday, January 26, 2014

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!