Doreen....Where are you?

Hi everyone. Remember Me? Doreen...the blog writer slacker? Well, I'm back with some great news. I've been busy lately doing a lot of nothing, but I feel like I'm making progress. :)

Yesterday I started my 6th round of chemo and my sister in law Vickie took the day off to be my chemo-buddy. We went to Seattle on Monday night (in time to watch the Bachelor on the big screen TV in our hotel room) to avoid leaving Stanwood at the crack of dawn and to miss the freeway construction. We had a blast. We laughed and talked late into the night. I felt like a school kid on an overnight trip. She double dog dared me to spit out the window (5 floors down) and if someone double dog dares you....well you know what I had to do! Luckily, no one got hurt or spit on.

During my appointment, I asked how everyone else on this trial (IPI-504) was doing. Oddly enough, I am currently the only one still on it (from SCCA). I guess there are about 50 people across America in this study, but only 5 from Seattle Cancer Care. Some people had problems with their eyes, or got blood clots, or it just didn't work. I keep wondering why I've been the lucky one? When I started on Tarceva no one anticipated that I would be taking it for 30 months. Now, I find myself the only one still benefiting from this clinical trial. During my exam yesterday the doctor said she could actually hear a difference in how clear my lungs were sounding. I can feel a difference as well. The only problem I've had with this drug is that it makes my joints ache. Usually, by my week off everything is feeling better, but this time my knees and hips were still feeling the pain. But that...my friends, is something I can live with. Achy joints are a part of life as we get older anyway. I'll just start the process a little early.

Next week I have another scan to see how my body is looking from the inside out, but I feel confidant that I'm going to stay on this drug for a long time. Please say a little prayer just for me, just for good measure.

After my treatment, I came home and took a 3 hour nap, Rick woke me in time to eat a little dinner then we headed over to the high school to watch the Stanwood Spartans beat the Jackson Timberwolves. One more win and they're off to State! Tonight, Rick, my dad, and I (and Angie for a little bit) went to Post Middle School and watched Jake coach his 7th grade girls basketball team (still undefeated after 2 games), then headed to Edmonds-Woodway to watch Angie officiate a district basketball game. It was a great game that went into overtime. She did a spectacular job (as usual). Tomorrow night, Amy (who plays in a women's league in Mt. Vernon) has a game, so we might have to go watch her play as well. We've been to one other game of her's this season and she still has lots of talent. You'd never know she's almost 32.

This is what happens when I don't write for a few days....I don't know when to shut up. I've been at the computer jabbering for the past 30 minutes about stuff you could probably care less about. But thanks anyway for listening even if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

On Friday, my buddy Shelley is taking me to chemo and she's never gone with me before. The staff at SCCA loves to meet my chemo-buddies. On Tuesday my doctor said "I can't wait to see who you bring with you each time. You have such nice friends and family". Clearly, I have a fabulous doctor if she can recognize what I've known forever.

Until I write again(and there's no guarantee when that will be), DREAM BIG and LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Love you more ~ Dor