Life is Good

When one door shuts, another one opens...

2010-01-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

We're working hard to try to get the new website set up. Hopefully this is the final step.

To find us: go to ~ www.imaginenocancer.blogspot.com

I hope to keep this journey going for a long time to come. Don't forget to save this address under your favorites. :)

Dreaming Big, Doreen

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

I, like you, have checked the blog on a daily basis to see if my mom has written. After a day or two she usually logs on to tell us about her week, but this time I have noticed that we are almost to a week and I know that many of you are wondering if something is wrong. I wanted to take a few minutes to fill everyone in on the last week.

Since mom last wrote, there haven't been any medical updates. No news can sometimes mean good news, so we are fine with that. My mom hasn't had much of an appetite lately and that has been a little bit of a problem. She isn't nauseous, she just has difficult eating because she is always coughing. When she coughs as much as she does it's impossible to eat without vomiting. We've had some family discussions about staying on top of the food issue because her lack of food and/or water is affecting her ability to absorb her medicine properly. For those of you who have spoken with Dor on the phone the past week or so, you probably know what I'm talking about. She often sounds like she is heavily drugged up and has a difficult time holding a conversation for very long without falling asleep. It can be scary at times to hear her that way. With that being said, I know she is careful not to take too much medicine. She is very much aware of what she is doing, she just has a difficult time getting enough food into her system... but we are working on that.

My dad seems to be feeling alright this week, or at least he hasn't said anything that would make us believe otherwise. He took mom out for New Year's Eve so she could get out of the house and enjoy time with friends. She hadn't left the house since Christmas and with the weather being so dark and gloomy these days, I think he realizes how important it is to keep both of their spirits up. Jake & Megan spent the past week in San Diego and Dave and Val were in Eastern Washington so it was a quiet house for the most part. Sometimes quiet can be good, but this week, I think quiet was a little too quiet for everyone. I firmly believe that everyone, especially my parents right now, benefits from good company and smiling faces on a regular basis. I probably don't tell Jake and Megan thanks nearly as often as I should. I know they do a lot around my parents house and it certainly doesn't go un-noticed.

So, that is what you've missed from the past week. Mom has had better weeks, but she seemed upbeat on the phone today so maybe we are heading in the right direction. Dad is feeling pretty good, but some of that might have to do with the numerous college football bowl games that seem to be on every channel. As for the rest of us, we are hanging in there and remind each other daily how lucky and grateful we are.

After watching Farrah Fawcett's documentary back in May I had been wanting to read the book that just came out about her journey with cancer. I finally bought the book a few days ago and found that I couldn't put it down. I don't know much about Farrah Fawcett, but I will tell you, she sounds like a courageous woman who endured more than any of us could imagine, while doing her best to keep it out of the tabloids. She had dozens and dozens of surgeries and still continued to live life to the fullest. Reading the daily journal entries from the last three years of her life, I learned a lot. So many times I would read something and smile because I have literally said the same thing or felt the same exact way. As I was nearing the end of the book, there was a wonderful quote that put everything into perspective for me. It said, "Fear doesn't stop you from dying; it stops you from living". So that my friends is how I will leave you this evening. I encourage you to fear less and live more.

Sending our best from the Schmitt family to your family-
Happy New Year-
Amy

Special Gift today from Shannon's Brother Kevin

2009-12-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I got a phone call from Angie and Shannon who were out celebrating Shannon's birthday. They called with some really special news from Shannon's brother in Oregon. Kevin works for a company who was looking for an organization to invest their yearly charity money on. Kevin immediately spoke up and said I know of one. One that is close to the hearts of people I love. With that being said, he gave a brief description of the Bonnie J. Addario association and the company agreed to give their generous donation to Bonnie and company in the amount of 12 thousand dollars. I can't begin to tell them how thankful and grateful we are as a family and an organization for their generosity. Mostly, I'm so proud of Kevin for speaking up and believing in a cause that is so close to his sister and her "other family".

Now that I've shared the great news, I must share my dilemma....I have 3 blogs left with this name attached. I really need the help of all my followers. Amy and I have been working on names tonight (problem is, most of them require a swear word and that's not a good thing). Some ideas: I pee my pants every time I cough.com, somebody make that cough go away.com, cancer sucks (already taken), continue to follow the journey.com. We would love to hear your ideas so enter them under the comment section....that way, everyone can give us their input.

If I haven't said it lately, thank you EVERYONE for your continued support. We are BLESSED and not a day goes by that we take that for granted.

Dreaming Bigger than ever,
Doreen

Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT

2009-12-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

Spending Christmas eve with my parents and all the kids was a great time. Mom and Dad were having a houseful at 6:00pm so we started our evening around 4:00pm so they could get home in time for their guests. After dinner and laughter we opened gifts and felt guilty about how lucky we really are.

The kids all left the house by 9:30 this morning (or last night) and we headed over to Jeff and Dawns for Christmas breakfast. The food was wonderful and the the little kids had so much fun waiting for their gifts left by Santa.

When Rick and I got home today my mom and dad came by and spent the afternoon with us. When they left, we both took a nap and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the day.

Nothing scheduled for tomorrow, but we'll have something worked out by the time we get up.

We're both feeling well tonight, hope you are too!

Dreaming Big,
Rick and Doreen

Pre-Holiday excitement

2009-12-21T20:09:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been filled with Christmas shopping, birthday parties, Lights of Christmas, scans and doctors appointments.

I'm attaching some photos from the my nephews birthday bowling party and a little bit of silliness from the lights of Christmas.

I think I'm just about done shopping. Ok, I AM done. If I've forgotten anything, it's too late and I'm sorry.....I'll remember to put you on the top of next years list. :)

Yesterday, Rick had a CT scan and today we got the results. As nervous and antsy as we were to hear what they had to say today, it ended up not too bad after all. Some of the tumors have grown but there are no new tumors (which is fabulous news). The plan is to keep Rick on the routine he's been on for at least one more month. If things are still growing and his numbers keep rising, they have a new game plan with the drug they injected into his liver in September. They will add a few extra toxins and see how that plan works. In the meantime, they will watch for some clinical trials that might fit his needs. The best part of the day is that we still have options and that is a GOOD THING. :)

I'm exhausted after a day of shopping and doctor's visits so I think I'm going to call it a night. Sleep well and don't be naughty.....

Love you more,

Dor

Best Christmas Present Ever!

2009-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

I woke up early on Thursday morning with the intent to help Megan make cookies...so as I sat around with my hair in a fuzz ball (literally), my jammies still on, wearing my chef Doreen jacket...the door bell rang. Much to my GREAT SURPRISE, standing on the front porch was "my Bonnie " Addario and her daughters Andrea and Danielle wearing Santa hats and smiles, carrying Starbucks mochas and presents. They chartered a plane to come to Stanwood for the DAY so we could spend some quality time together. Amy helped instigate the whole thing because she stood behind them at the door wearing her pearly white grin asking "are you surprised?"

In the short while we spent together, we visited, shopped around Stanwood and Camano, ate lunch at the Chatterbox, came home and talked, rested, then finished our evening out with Rick and I, all the kids and Bonnie's clan at Anthony's Homeport in Everett where laughter was our appetizer, main dish and dessert. I can't stop smiling as I write this because the day couldn't have been more perfect.

It's amazing to receive a gift that wasn't on your list, but you later learn you couldn't have lived without it.

A BIG thank you to everyone who was in on the surprise. My day could not have been more perfect~except for the tears as we had to say our good byes tonight :(

Dreaming Big and VERY ,VERY, HAPPY,
Dor

A Day to Reflect

2009-12-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today isn't just another day. Today is December 15th, 2009... the 18th Anniversary of my Grandma Darlene passing away from her battle with cancer. I never knew cancer until she was diagnosed. Every year, December 15th makes me stop and reflect. When I hear her name, I immediately think of her last few years battling the disease. Although I was only 14 when she died, I still have plenty of positive memories of her from my childhood... yet I think about the difficult days filled with chemotherapy and her uncomfortable wigs. It bothers me that I don't automatically think of the good times. It makes me sad to think that I could someday hear someone speak of my parents and my mind would take me back to cancer, yet again.

This week I found myself day-dreaming about my Grandma and comparing her battle to that of my parents. I think about her external port that hung outside of her chest and how difficult it was for her to keep it clean. She often needed the help of others to ensure it was functioning properly and kept clean so she wouldn't get an infection. Medicine has come a long way in the past 18 years. Both of my parents have internal ports that don't require cleaning, and certainly don't hang out of their chest as yet another reminder of their daily battle with cancer.

My Grandma experienced extreme nausea from her chemotherapy and from what I remember, very few drugs were available to help keep her sickness under control. In 3 1/2 years, I have never seen either of my parents vomit from their nausea. They experience discomfort, but medicine has advanced and there are numerous drugs that help them live a normal life.

I don't remember seeing my Grandma without a wig on once she began to lose her hair. I guess it's possible that I did, but I certainly don't remember it. Back then, nobody seemed to talk about cancer. You didn't have the pink ribbons on everything at the grocery store and you didn't hear about cancer walks or other fundraising events. Whether it was because she was self-conscious about losing her hair, or because it wasn't especially encouraged by society to walk around with a bald head, she always took the time to style a wig before leaving the house. When my mom started losing her hair, we got out the video camera, opened a bottle of wine, and had a head shaving party. My mom had professional pictures taken with her beautiful bald head exposed to the world for all to see. Although it was no doubt a shock for her to see her hair falling out, she embraced the moment and viewed it as a stepping stone to recovery. As medicine has changed, so has societies view of the disease.

My dad had chemo today and he learned that his CEA count has risen to 93. That means his cancer is active. He looked exhausted tonight and he seemed a little down. My mom was scheduled to have a procedure on Friday to help resolve her acid reflux problem and help her to control her cough, but it has been cancelled. She has decided to give her body some time to react to the new drugs before she chooses to operate. Everyone seems to agree with her choice to lay low and relax for the next few weeks so she can enjoy the holidays.

As my dad and I drove to the cemetery this evening to put roses on my Grandma's grave I thought about my dad and how he must be feeling. I quickly did the math in my head and realized that he wasn't much older than me when he lost his mom back in 1991. He watched her fight for her life with grace and strength and rarely complain about a thing. I wonder if he is scared. I wonder if he thinks of her everyday and wishes he could just pick up the phone and call her. I watch both of my parents going through this difficult time and I am so proud of them for not giving up and continuing to truly live. I have no doubt that they inspire people every day.

So, as we reflect on the past and think of the loved ones who we've lost, it's also the time to appreciate the present and be grateful for the advances in medicine and the advances in society as a whole. We have come a long way in 18 years but we still have a long way to go.

Wishing on the big bright star in the sky,

Amy

Great Dr. Appointment

2009-12-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the delay in the blog report but we had some sort of malfunction on bloggger.com

Here's what we learned yesterday. After an upper GI and a breathing test, they discovered that acid reflux is making it's way up my esophagus and back into my lungs. (That's not a good thing). The good thing is, we are going to approach my cough from a different angle. Instead of just treating the cough for "lung cancer", we are going to work on reducing or repairing the acid reflux problem and see if that makes a difference with the cough.

I felt a great deal of relief when I left my appointment yesterday because it's the first time in over 3 years that we weren't blaming the cough on lung cancer alone.

I need to make some serious adjustments to when I eat, not laying down flat, taking meds before meals, limit things that produce acid. It's only been one day, but so far, so good.

I'm hopefully optimistic that some great changes are coming my way. My fortune cookie said so tonight as well. :)

Dreaming Big,
Dor

990th Blog...the countdown begins

2009-12-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

If I spread my blogging out just right, I'll be able to start the new year and a new blog at the same time. We'll see how that works out (I think it involves math...so that could be my first problem).

I'm looking forward to a day in Seattle at the Swedish Cancer Institute on Thursday (Val is going with me...we'll make a fun day of it). I hope to know some answers when I leave my final appointment. The day will be starting with some kind of test that they will perform while I'm swallowing to make sure my esophagus is working correctly, then I'll have a breathing function test to see if my windpipe and the surrounding areas are working (we already know the lungs are shot so I'm not expecting miracles when it comes to those). My final meeting of the day is with the pumnologist, Dr. Gordon who is going to explain why things haven't been working up to par for me.

Saturday night, Dave, Val, Rick and I went to a Yule fest at Tazer farm. It was a fundraiser for the Senior Center. As usual, lots of laughter took place (and not always at the most appropriate times) but we had a lot of fun. We'll have to put it on next years "to do list". After we left the Yule fest, we drove all around the neighborhood checking out the Christmas lights. The holiday is nearing...very quickly so you'd better not shout, you'd better not cry...you know why?

I spent the majority of the day wrapping gifts (it's such a relief to get the gifts stacked up out of one room and stack them into another) I say it every year, but I really am cutting back this year. None of need a thing and if we want it, we usually just go buy it. It actually feels so much better to give than to receive so we'll be doing that as well. Lot's of families need help this year I hope we can make a difference for their holiday too!

It's time for me to take a little afternoon nap (hopefully someone will wake me so I can work on dinner when Val gets back from the grocery store).

The winter freeze is upon us, so wear your hats, scarves and gloves when you go outside, drink some spiced cider and sit by the fire when you get home from work. The day doesn't get much better than that :)

Dreaming Cold and Big,
Dor

New Specalist

2009-12-03T01:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had a busy (but pleasant day with my parents by my side) at the office of a pulmonary specialist trying to figure out my problem (besides having lung cancer). First and foremost, he might have been the most attentive doctor I've ever seen. I think after reviewing my chart and looking at my CT scans he expected to see some withered, sickly woman who just seemed to cough a lot. Instead, he got me. We talked about all the ways coughing has ruined my body (through the violent coughing spells) and he said he would like to dig a little deeper into that problem instead of just covering it up with medicines to stop the cough. He also said, he wants to have all my tests run, a new pulmonary function test and the results back by next week so we can get a plan in motion so I can start feeling better for the holidays. I love that idea!

My mom has been to a few appointments with me but had never seen a CT scan result. He asked if we wanted to see my latest one and of course we said yes. As the doctor explained what it all meant, I could see my mom's eyes widen in dismay. My left lung is nearly fully of cancer so as you look at the CT scan it appears to be a white solid organ. In all actuality, the lung is suppose to show up black on the scan. My right lung shows signs of disease, but nothing like the left one. I've lived with this disease for nearly 4 years and I don't plan on letting it take over now. I'm just hoping with the help of Dr. Gordon we will find some other problem that is aggravating the cough besides the cancer.

When you know your body and something doesn't feel right, you have to keep fighting for yourself. The discomfort I've been feeling for the past few months is very different from how I felt at the time of my diagnosis. Come hell or high water....we're going to get to the bottom of the problem. Never give up....

Thanks for all your love and prayers!

Keep dreaming BIG,
Dor

Doctor's Visit

2009-11-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

I had a check up appointment today (1/2 way point for the clinical trial). After my exam and talk with Dr. West, he is almost certain that no good is coming from the trial. He gave me the option to stop the drugs, but I only have one more week until this round is over so I said I would just keep taking it and after my next CT scan, I'll stop. We talked a lot about all the discomfort I have breathing and the pain in my windpipe, so on Wednesday I'm heading to see a pulmonologist so he can scope out my throat to see what's going on. The Doc said the problem is most likely progression of the disease rather than a windpipe problem. I didn't especially like that answer, but I needed to hear it just in case they can't find anything new when they do the scope.

Val took me to my appointment today and we brought our knitting. In between each appointment, we took out our knitting needles and yarn and gabbed like a couple of old women. Oh wait, we are a couple of old women. Tomorrow, Dave is taking Rick to his chemo. It's wonderful having friends around who help break up the monotony of our day to day routines.

I'm ready to head to bed now and sleep off the news of today. I'm hoping things are brighter for Rick tomorrow and I learn some good things on Wednesday.

Keep dreaming big,
Doreen

Apple Cup Eve

2009-11-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

For the first time in many years, I did not get up at the crack of dawn (or before) and go shopping. As a matter of fact, I didn't even get out of bed before some of the "specials" were over. Oh well, I'll never know what I missed. When Rick got home from work tonight, he and I took a quick trip to Burlington and bought a few things on our list then went out for dinner.

My daughters made me very happy on this Black Friday...they've taken over where I left off. Amy and Mel were shopping at midnight, and Angie and Shannon were out shopping by 8:00am. When they were younger, I had to DRAG them shopping on Black Friday. The past couple of years Rick and Jake went with me. Thanks girls...you've made me proud :)

Yesterday we had a wonderful day at my sister in law Vickie's for Thanksgiving. The food all looked so tasty but I was nauseous most of the day so I only had mashed potatoes and some fruit salad. Later on I was ready for a piece of cherry pie that my sister in law Dawn made especially for me (cherry is my favorite kind of fruit dessert). Still feeling nauseous today....good thing I didn't bring a bunch of leftovers home. Thanks for your hospitality Vickie and Tom. We had a great time.

I really am thankful for all the family I have near me. So many families have too many miles that separate them during the holidays and I think the farthest away that anyone lives is about an hour. It's easier to hug and snuggle when you live close.

Tomorrow is Apple Cup, Huskies vs. Cougars. Rick, Jake, Megan, Amy and Mel are all going to the game. I passed on it. A little too fatigued lately and it would be a really long day. Bob and Dy are coming over tomorrow to visit so I'll be busy visiting them. Just for the sake of it, Go Cougs!

It's time for me to head off to bed. I'm hoping to take all the girls to the Skagit Nursery to see their Christmas tree displays on Sunday. It's a beautiful sight and worthy of missing a football game or two.

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Happy Sunday Morning

2009-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Last night was the 4th annual Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Gala. Although, I did not to go because of our new treatments and the way I'd been feeling, I had them on my mind all day. As Amy was helping with the set up during the day I called her to see how things were going and before long, I was crying, wishing I was on plane on my way to San Francisco to see my "other family". I'm sure the event was beautiful, successful and insightful...I'm just sorry I wasn't there to see it. Apparently I didn't win the car or bracelet because no one called to inform me. Maybe next year.

Megan and I went to a Bazaar yesterday morning to support my friend Kim's children's home in Bali. We bought some beautiful Balinese baskets and a few other things. By the looks of it, she had a very successful day too. Before we left Snohomish, we had to stop by a few of my favorite little stores in downtown...I ended up buying a couple of Christmas presents.

When I returned home, I laid down for my afternoon nap until Rick woke me for dinner with some friends in Mt. Vernon. We had a great time but all in all it made for a long day.

I just got up to take some medicine to stop coughing, but I think I'm going to head back to the bedroom and snuggle with Rick while we watch the Seahawk game.

Have a fabulous day. Stay warm and dry!

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Newest Updates

2009-11-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

So sorry it's taken me so long to get back on the blog, but life has been a little more hectic than usual.

Rick's appointment on Tuesday went pretty much as we had figured. The tumors are all bigger and he has some new ones as well. He is going to try 3 more cycles of a new combination and see how things are going. If his scans show stability we'll just keep doing the same thing. If not...we have a new game plan to look at. The most important thing is he's not in pain or discomfort. He doesn't feel much different than he has these past few years (except he's a little more fatigued than usual)

My clinical trial side effects are coming back, nausea, fatigue but with a little patience, I can tolerate all of that. My wide pipe problem seemed to be feeling better (last week), but I'm really struggling with it again. I wish I knew what was causing the discomfort, but again...we just need a little patience.

Angie had another successful "soup for a cure day". Our friend Larry Libby joined us and brought a batch of cod chowder (yummy). In only 2 short lunches, they collected over a thousand dollars. Pretty successful for lunch :) Today's lunch had some special guests, grandma Myrna, Grandpa Bob, Amy and Jana Shaughnessy.

Amy, Mel, and our friends Trevor and Lindsey are heading down to Bonnie's Gala this weekend. Trevor's mom passed away recently from lung cancer after her short diagnosis (2 months). I think it's important that they meet Bonnie and her family in person. There is nothing better than positive energy around a sad situation. I know my San Francisco family and my Stanwood family will take good care of them. (Thanks in advance).

Cancer can teach you so much. I've been learning about it for almost 4 years. But...days like today, I can't find any good reason to have it in my life. I've been sleeping all afternoon because a luncheon wore me out. Rick has been asleep in his chair since he got home from a hard day at work. Our friends and the kids help with clean up, bringing in firewood, general day to day chores. Those used to be our jobs but we have to start making choices to help with those kind of things or keep our energy for fun stuff. (I'm choosing the fun)

I know Angie wrote about it, but I wanted to give a special shout out to Jan Schemenauer for her fund raising efforts for the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation last weekend. Thank you Jan for helping raise awareness to Lung Cancer. We all love you.

It's time for me to get to bed. (Not because I haven't been there all day, but because I'm still tired). I'm getting an extra dose of beauty sleep :)

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Short Weekday Update

2009-11-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, it's been a very laid back week. Back to taking the clinical trial (which keeps me sort of groggy), today I started getting a little nauseous today (nothing bad....yet). Besides a trip or two to the grocery store, a little knitting and a few visits from friends the week flew by.

We don't have much planned for the weekend except a little game of Bunco with some friends tomorrow night. I haven't played Bunco in forever so I'm looking forward to it.

Next week we'll get the test results from Rick's CT scan and I'll be sure to share what we learn.

Have a safe and happy weekend,
Big Dreamer Dor

Where we go from here

2009-11-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

It turned out to be another long day in Seattle. First to Seattle Cancer Care for Rick's CT, then over to Swedish for my bloodwork, CT then follow-up appointment. We left around 6:45am and got home at 5:00pm ugh!

My CT scan shows only minimal growth so I can remain on this clinical trial as long as I chose to do so. Until something new comes along..I say, .keep me signed up. The CT scan didn't indicate why I'm having trouble with my windpipe, but Dr. West gave me 2 new kinds of medicine that will hopefully start working on my cough and breathing problems. I'll try anything once (ok, maybe twice). I know the appointment went fine, I wasn't told they couldn't do anything else for me, but I left the doctor's office feeling a little defeated. My breathing/coughing/shortness of breath is beginning to make me go a little crazy and I was hoping for a quick solution to the problem.

We won't know anything about Rick until next Tuesday at his chemo appointment. We do know, that what they're doing right now isn't working as planned so we need to mix his chemo cocktail a little stronger :) I've got a few ideas that involve a marachino cherry and a paper umbrella.

Thanks to Amy who went with us today. She helped keep me sane and snuggled with me at the end of our appointment when we had to wait about an hour for the clinical trial coordinator. Rick did his fair share of taking cat naps throughout the day. He's much more fatigued than usual so it only takes a comfortable chair and a little peace and quiet...and he can fall asleep in a minute.

Thanks for all your love and prayers today. They lift us up more than you'll ever know :)

Dreaming Big,
Dor

A Weekend of Goodness

2009-11-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

A team of "Doreen Supporters" showed up at Seward Park in Seattle this morning at 8:30 AM to participate in the Free to Breathe Lung Cancer walk. Nine of us planned to walk the 3 miles as a group and Jake decided to run. We bundled up with hand-warmers, scarves and hooded sweatshirts to prepare for what was sure to take us a little while. The landscape was beautiful with leaves on the ground and the lake at our side. That is, until we noticed that there was a HILL on the course just before the 2 mile marker. Who in their right mind designs a lung cancer walk/run with a HILL? It was hard enough for Mom to walk that distance on flat ground with her compromised lungs!! With her determination and spirit, she wanted to try it anyway. With about a half mile to go, we were greeted by Jake and another group of Stanwood friends that were there walking in memory of Pam Smith and in honor of Mom. They walked the rest of the way with us and supported Mom as she crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 7 minutes. We have great friends and we appreciate their support very much. Jake, our solo runner, ended up finishing in third place (21 minutes) and won a medal. Way to go Jake! Mom struggled breathing today and kept telling us that she did "so much better" at Bonnie's walk in San Francisco at the end of the summer. Let's blame it on the cold, moist weather and nothing else.

Jan Schemenaur hosted a weekend of Southern Living at Home parties with the proceeds benefiting the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the local Food Bank. Thank you Jan for all that you do to support these important causes.

Tomorrow both of my parents have appointments in Seattle. They will each get a CT Scan but only Mom is scheduled to find out the results. They will review the results and decide on her next treatment plan. It may remain the same, it may change. We will let you know tomorrow night. As for Dad, his results and future plan of action will be decided on at his appointment next week.

Dream Big my friends...

Angie

Free to Breathe

2009-11-08T00:53:00.000-08:00

I'm suppose to be asleep right now because I'm waking up at 5:30 to get ready for the Free to Breathe Lung Cancer walk in Seattle on Sunday morning. As usual, I took a nap this afternoon and didn't wake up until 6:00pm. oops..... Now, I'm having problems falling back to sleep.

I hope to have stories and photos to share after our big adventure tomorrow (actually today). I'll share them in my next blog.

Love to you all,
Dor

Good news...and not so good news....

2009-11-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

With all your votes, the Stanwood Spartans will be the featured "Game of the Week" on King 5 this week. Thanks again for helping make a dream come true. I'm sure the staff and players on the football team are thrilled knowing that they will be featured this week on TV.

Angie wants to give a special shout out to all the people who made her Soup for a Cure debut such a hit. They raised nearly $900 dollars...for the fight against Lung Cancer. She has another Soup day scheduled in 2 weeks. If you're in the Marysville area on Thursday the 19th and would like to join us, stop by Shoultes Elementary School between 11:30 and 1:00 for some soup, bread and dessert. Amy came by on her her lunch break today and helped out. It was a special day raising awareness with my daughters.

We got some "not so good news" yesterday from Rick's oncologist. He is concerned about Rick's counts so they are scheduling a new CT scan for Monday to see what kind of changes are happening inside his body. The doctor already mentioned adding a new drug to his chemo cocktail to strengthen it up. We'll find out the results of his scan during his next chemo appointment. I'm already scheduled to have a CT scan on Monday, so we'll just get it all taken care of during one trip. We'll stay in Seattle a couple of hours longer so my doc can meet with me and give me some test results. If the clinical trial didn't work, we've gotta move on to something new. I also need to find out why my windpipe is feeling so plugged.

Let's pray for a little sunshine on Sunday for our Free to Breathe Lung Cancer Walk at Seward Park in Seattle. We're all from the Great Northwest, so a little rain won't hurt us...I just don't want it to mess up my hair. Oh wait, I don't have enough hair to mess up. I think I'll just wear a cap and we should be good to go.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Vote for the Spartans :)

2009-11-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Although, I've retired as the athletic secretary for Stanwood High School, my heart can't forget about all the kids and coaches I've worked with. So, I have a favor....

In the past, my blog followers have helped me achieve all kinds of goals so I'm asking for your help again. Our high school football team made it to the playoffs and if we get enough votes, the game will be covered by King 5 sports (see the attached information below). So, if you have an extra minute, please follow the link listed below and vote for the STANWOOD vs. BOTHELL game to be the featured game of the week. The voting closes at 1:00pm tomorrow.

*At King-5 TV we are committed to covering High School sports and try our
best each week to cover our region, but we have also started up something
called "The King-5 Big Game of the Week", where we give extra time to this
game with live reports from the game during the 5, 6:30, 10 and 11 news on
Friday.

To vote log on to king5.com and click on sports or go to the link below:

http://www.king5.com/sports/high-school/The-Big-Game-65840712.html

Thanks for your vote.

Go Spartans,
Dor

Chemo day for Rick

2009-11-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

Rick's doctors appointment went well today...the CEA count continues to rise but he still feels good. I think it was the fastest chemo treatment we've ever been to (we were in an out of SCCA by noon). They have a new system at Seattle Cancer Care...I think it's working :)

With November being Lung Cancer Awareness month, I have a few things lined up (just in case I forget I have lung cancer). Thursday is soup day at Angie's school (I'll bring a soup, my appetite and money), Friday through Sunday is Jan Schemenauer's annual fundraiser for the food bank and The Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (I'll bring food, my appetite and money), then on Sunday morning a group of us are participating in the Seattle Free to Breathe Walk at Seward Park (I'll just be bringing my lungs...let's hope they have some extra air in them). If you're interested in learning more about it, go to www.FreetoBreathe.org

This is the week when I'm suppose to be feeling a lot better. I'm not as nauseous, but I am VERY fatigued (when we got home from Rick's appointment today around 1:00 I laid down and woke up around 6:15pm - oops, there goes all my sleep for tonight). On Monday I have a CT scan and the test results to see how this drug is working.

Time to get my jammies on and settle in for the night. Sleep well :)

Love you more than all the leaves blowing around in our yard.

Dream Big,
Dor

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

Not much excitement went down this Halloween. I went to the grocery store and the only thing that scared me was the amount of money I spent. I only went to the store for 4 items and spent ninety dollars, oops!

We had a total of 7 trick or treaters (6 of them had special bags with extra prizes and toys in them) and one poor little kid I didn't know was coming got half the basket of candy instead. We had 2 ninjas, 2 fairies, the bride of zombie, a monkey and a lion. We all just took showers and went as clean versions of ourselves (no need in scaring the kids).

Yesterday, Shannon's office dressed and decorated their offices to look like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She was an upaloompa. (I'll post photos when I get some). Her office won an award for the best decorated room. Megan's office was dressed as Three's Company and she was Mrs. Roper. She looked pretty cute too...gawdy jewelry, dress and strawberry blonde curly wig. Angie went as Fred Flinstone for all her students....I'm sure they loved it...even if they didn't remember who Fred Flinstone was :)

I'm hoping the kids are all coming by for a day of football tomorrow. We haven't celebrated a football Sunday in a couple of weeks and I look forward to those days. Since the Seahawk game is at 10:00am, I think I'll make waffles....

Rick has chemo again this Tuesday and I'm hoping to have all my energy back by then. I'm finding myself asleep around 3:00 everyday from a little batch of exhaustion. That is suppose to be getting better ever day. Let's hope by Tuesday...it's gone. :)

I guess I'd better get back into bed. I woke up with a little coughing spell and figured there's no better time than now, to say hi.

Hope you had a safe Halloween...now Happy November...Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Love you more,
Dor

Final pill taken, first round DONE

2009-10-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

That clinical trial flew right by. This morning I took my 28th pill and now I take the next 2 weeks off to recuperate. The nausea is under control but I'm still a little more fatigued than usual.

This morning my parents went with me to my doctor's appointment in Fremont. I saw a specialist regarding my "throat/windpipe problem". My problem isn't so much in swallowing, but rather breathing deeply, coughing and gasping for air. I feel like my windpipe has been crushed or injured. The gastroenterologist suggested that we wait and look at the CT scan on the 9th of November to see if the problem is my lymph nodes pressing on my trachea. If that's not the problem, he has suggested doing a new bronchoscopy to see if they can see any problem in the windpipe or entrances into my lungs. If that doesn't give us any solutions, we'll switch to plan B. I don't know what plan B is, but I'm sure they're drawing up the plans as I type this.

When we were done at my appointment, I took Mom and Dad out for Mom's birthday lunch. I asked her where she wanted to go, then I hinted we could eat at her favorite casino so she could play a little. She assured me they had good prime rib dips so going to the casino would be "JUST FINE". We all played the slot machines for a few minutes before we ate, then again after lunch. I ended up going home with 15 dollars more than I started with....Yahoo, that's what I call a winner.

Now that we've been gone most of the day, I'm ready for a nap. Luckily, Megan started dinner before she left for work today (she doesn't start until 1:00pm on Wednesdays) so I don't have to worry about that tonight. I haven't been sleeping well lately, so by 4:00pm I'm usually wiped out.

Rick has been feeling pretty good lately too. So far, they are sticking with the same plan he has been on since December 30th of last year. As long as the cancer stays relatively stable, he will most likely just continue with the same plan.

Heading off for a little afternoon nap,
Dreaming Big~
Dor

Soup for a Cure

2009-10-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

As we come to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month let me remind you that another important month is right around the corner. November is National Lung Cancer Awareness month. You wont find special yogurt lids to send in or see the NFL players/coaches/ officials wearing uniquely colored gear to celebrate this upcoming month. However, that shouldn't stop us from bringing awareness to this disease that plagues someone new every three minutes!

I have decided to start a new tradition this November and I am looking for volunteers to join me in this quest. Beginning next week I will be holding the first annual "Soup for a Cure" at my school in Marysville. Throughout the month I will be providing soup lunches (with bread and dessert) for my staff at lunch time with all donations benefiting the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. This will be a great opportunity to supply my co-workers with a fresh, warm lunch and fund a cause that is dear to my heart. I have created a flier that I would be happy to send to anyone interested in hosting "Soup for a Cure" at their place of employment or church. You may choose to host this event on a weekly basis throughout the month or simply pick a single day to host your "Soup for a Cure."

In addition to hosting the "Soup for a Cure" events in November I would also like to see how many businesses we can convince to displaying "November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month" on their reader-boards. I would like photographs of all such reader-boards to post on the blog.

If you are interested in hosting a "Soup for a Cure" event, would like to donate to our November fundraising goals or would like to donate your culinary skills by making a pot of soup for our events, please email me at schmitt_12@hotmail.com

Thanks again for your continued support!

Dreaming Big-

Angie

Fatigue is a dirty word

2009-10-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

Be watching for a new blog site. With less than 20 entries left until I've filled my quota, I need to start thinking of a new name....I could use your help. Who would have known that "cancersurvivor2006.blogspot.com" would have lasted almost 4 years? I need something catchy, easy to remember and pass on.

As you can tell it's 6:30am and I'm up. I've been awake for about an hour (hoping it was just a dream that I was already awake) but no such luck. The only things bothering me right now are my constant state of being nauseous (I have meds to control that) and the overwhelming state of fatigue. I want to read but my eyes won't stay open. I want to knit, but I can't get my hands to move in the right direction. After brief little naps, I take full advantage of doing the things I can, starting dinner, unloading the dishwasher, a little knitting, doing laundry....then it hits me again and I lay down on my bed for what I think is going to be a couple of minutes....and it's 2 hours later when I wake up. The good part? I only have 6 pills left to take for this cycle of chemo then I have 2 weeks off. I've got an appointment with a doc from Swedish to do an endoscope of my esophagus to see what's going on down there. I can only describe the pain as though I have a bone caught in my throat when I cough, swallow too hard, or breathe too deep. I know my body all too well and this is definitely something different. I'm hoping that once I'm done with this cycle of chemo pills that my body will start to feel like it's old self again.

Rick's chemo went well again on Tuesday. As for now, he is just scheduled for his regular routine of chemo drugs every other Tuesday until December. After that, we'll re access our plans.

Megan has been coming down with a respiratory infection of some kind, so she spends every moment she's home down in their basement apartment. If she does have to come upstairs for anything, she wears a blue protective mask with a duck face printed on the front. We're all hoping she gets better soon.

Dave and Val's house is nearing it's final stages. I know they're anxious to get all moved in and start their new life over near Leavenworth, but I'm already missing them.

Shannon had another spot of melanoma removed from her chest on Monday. Angie and I stayed in the room while they cut it out (oh my goodness they take a lot of skin for just a tiny mole). I know it's uncomfortable to have to go through this, but she's much happier to do it now while the cancer is in it's early stages rather than wait until it's out of control.

Amy stopped by last night while I was just laying down for a quick little rest. Poor thing, didn't get much time to visit with me since I was so out of it, but I got to snuggle with her until it was time for her to leave. I love that time with my kids.

Ok, I think it's time for me to head back to bed for a little early morning nap. I'm hoping to go to lunch today with some old friends...I hope I wake up in time.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Dor's Side Effect Update

2009-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

I took mom to the doctor's office in Seattle this afternoon to see why her skin is looking yellowish...or "tan" as we like to call it. Also, there were concerns about her thyroid levels being elevated. Dr. West cleared up any concerns we had about the thyroid levels, telling us that he has seen much higher levels from users of this drug. He told us not to be worried. As far as the skin color, he pretty much said..."things could be worse so embrace that it's just a tan". He doesn't have concerns about any of the new changes.

Mom mentioned the feeling in her chest that has been causing her discomfort. She describes it as the "I think I swallowed a wishbone" feeling. Dr. West is taking that discomfort seriously and has scheduled a few appointments for mom. Nothing will change until her last nine days of this trial are over, but after that she will be getting a CT scan to see what's going on inside her chest, and an endoscopy to see what is going on inside her throat. If the new discomfort is being caused by swollen lymph nodes, she will likely start radiation to attack those spots and lessen the discomfort. In the mean time, he told her not to eat any chicken bones. :)

Overall, I guess the appointment went well. Hearing the word "radiation" was something new, but it wasn't scary. Knowing that her thyroid is within reasonable limits and her new tan is nothing to be frightened about gives us hope.

Another day in paradise-
Amy

Early Morning

2009-10-19T04:08:00.000-07:00

Rick has been unable to sleep for the past couple of hours and since he can't sleep, I guess my body doesn't want to sleep either. I attempted to knit (but I needed to concentrate too much) so I gave that up. Now I'm just watching the news which is sad so I'm thinking about putting my ipod on and just listen to music instead.

This afternoon I have an appointment with Dr. West at Swedish. I've spent way too much time in a state of fatigue lately and my thyroid counts were way off on Wednesday so they want to check me out again just to make sure everything is ok. I only have about 10 days of pills left in this cycle then I have 2 weeks off. I'm looking forward to that!

I guess I'd better try and get a little shut eye before it's time to wake up again. I'll let you know how my appointment goes this afternoon.

Dreaming Big with my eyes wide open at 4:30am... ugh!
Dor

Take my breath away....

2009-10-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

When I used to say "wow, that took my breath away", it was a good thing. I had seen something beautiful, heard a speech or song that was unforgettable, but now...it means I probably walked from one end of the house to the other, made my bed, or unpacked groceries. Cancer has been attempting to kick my butt lately, but I won't cave in to it's evil ways.

This new trial drug is building up in my body a little more each day. It's now 12:30 am, I went to bed before 10 and I'm already up because I'm having problems sleeping. I talked to the oncologist today and my thyroid tests were off the chart on Wednesday and I'm looking a little yellow (tan) so we're going to head back to Seattle on Monday to see what's really happening inside my body. I feel like I have something caught in my throat all the time so we might be doing another bronchoscopy soon to check it out.

My eyes are starting to get heavy right now, so I'll try to head back to bed. I promise to write more in the morning (or whenever I get up).

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Dr.'s Visit

2009-10-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

I had a list of things to ask Dr. West during my visit today (Wednesday) all of which he said were pretty normal side effects of this drug. He is changing my anti-nausea drug in hopes that I can get a little extra relief from always feeling like I need to throw up. :) That will be nice. I was just going to go the appointment by myself until my friend Pam heard I was doing it alone...and jumped on the band wagon. I kept telling her I was fine and didn't need a helper, but now I'm so happy she went. I like and extra set of ears listening to what the doc has to say. I now just need to finish my bottle of pills, take a couple of weeks off then get a new scan. We'll know within the next month if this stuff is working.

I've really been experiencing shortness of breath, the usual cough (but not a very deep one), some kind of blockage in the middle of my chest (that seems to come and go), and a great deal of fatigue along with a few other new symptoms. Nothing a Big Dreamer can't overcome. :)

Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm not always sleeping well which is why I'm writing this blog at 1:00am. Oops. I need to get back to bed.

Rick says he's feeling "pretty good" but he seemed a little under the weather tonight when he came home. Hopefully the cabbage patch soup I fixed for dinner was just what he needed.

I'd better try and get a little sleep before morning arrives and I'm still up working on the blog.

Love you more than the blustery weather we had today....

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Happy Seahawk Sunday :)

2009-10-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one. We delivered frozen beef to Spokane to Bob and Dy which gave us a great chance to visit. We haven't been over to see them in way too long. Every time we go over to see them they've done something beautiful to their house, like painted a wall, built a bar, made a fence. I'm always envious, but I'll get over it. Way too much work to try and keep up :)We had a wonderful time but I already miss them.

After leaving Spokane yesterday afternoon, we went to Desert Aire to do a little winterizing before the bad weather sets in. I think we made it just in time. It was 19 degrees in Spokane, and 31 degrees at DA. While we were there we got to see Susie, Pat, Eric and Joe as well as Aunt Jessie and Uncle Mel. We've made our visiting rounds for at least the next couple of weeks.

We've got a fire built (upstairs and down), Megan is making a pot of chili for dinner, the Seahawks were on fire today (theywon 41 - 0). All in all, I think today's a WINNER.

Besides battling nausea, leaving my cell phone at home, forgetting my sleeping pills, and not bringing a coat everything else this weekend was great. I have my first follow-up appointment with Dr. West on Wednesday. I'm anxious to see how he feels things are going.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Another Beautiful Day :)

2009-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Since I'm home alone, I thought what a better time than now to take a self-portrait of myself with my new hairdo. I'm wearing one of my newest green scarves (that I knitted) and squatting by my front porch greenery in hopes that you would not notice how "green" I'm feeling inside. This is me on Sutent. Yesterday while I was suppose to be the good wife who was caring for her husband while he was having chemo...I had to go to my doc for some anti-nausea meds so I could make it through the day. I've now loaded my purse with all the appropriate medications needed for coughing, feeling queasy and fatigued. I'm set to go.

Chemo went well for Rick yesterday, but boy...was it a long day. We left for Seattle around 12:00 and got home at 8:30 last night. Ugh. While we were wasting time between appointments, we both got a flu shot. I'd forgotten about it until I raised my arm this morning. It's much better this afternoon. If you haven't had yours yet, don't forget. Once the swine flu vaccine comes out, you can get that one too. The needles aren't very long and the bleeding stops once they put a band aid on. Just kidding...I barely felt a thing!

We'll find out in the next few days if they are going to try to do another angiogram/chemo embolization on Rick's liver or if that option is off the table. Either way, chemo will continue and our attitudes will be great!

Hope this beautiful weather is finding you healthy and happy.

Lots of LOVE from the Schmitt House,

Dor

33 blogs left

2009-10-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

As I write blog number 966 I can hardly remember all the things I've shared with you. I never imagined that 3 1/2 years later I would still be here to send updates of life in the Schmitt House :) How thankful I am that I was mistaken. When I get to number 1,000 I'll tell you the name of my new blog site in case you want to stay in touch. Here is a little more...about our life.

Tomorrow is another chemo day for Rick. He's been feeling pretty good lately and that makes me happy. He's been well enough to be outside cutting wood and doing some of the things that make him feel like his old self. He came inside after working this weekend and sort of plopped on his chair. He isn't very good at determining when he's done too much.

I've been faithfully taking my new drug Sutent. It's caused a little nauseousness and extra fatigue, but it's all manageable. My cough however, is driving me a little crazy. I've been using the nebulizer more frequently to try and stop a coughing episode before it starts along with a cough suppressant. It seems to be working.

We'll be getting our flu shots tomorrow...don't forget to get yours. Just a reminder, if you rub it out after the injection, it won't hurt as bad the next day :)

Halloween is just around the corner, I wonder what my kids are going to dress like? Clowns?

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Friday Updates

2009-10-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it's the change in weather or just what, but my coughing spells have been happening more often and more intense. Although I don't feel fatigued yet, I find myself sleeping every afternoon for no apparent reason. I think it must just be a side effect.

I'm up writing this blog right now because I'm feeling too nauseous to lay down. Once all the side effects show up, I'll be able to manage them with breathing, or meds or a cold rag on my head (my mom always did that...I think it works for everything).

Rick has been feeling great this week. I'm so happy about that. I feel like I have my old Ricky back. Let's hope he stays that way. Quality of Life is so important :)

I'm going to go lie back down again. Hope I'm feeling better by morning.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Pill #1

2009-09-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

About an hour ago, I got the call that I could take my first chemo pill for the trial. So, we've only just begun...but I'm feeling GREAT about it.

(They are not worried about my abnormal EKG...it just throws an extra beat in every once in a while...I told them it's because my heart is so big it needs to beat more often).

Love to you all,
Dor

Extra long day

2009-09-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

After a day of CT scans (Brain, chest, pelvis, abdomen), blood work, urine sample, EKG I was exhausted to say the least. I learned a great deal about this clinical trial. The medication is very expensive (we don't have to pay for it because I've joined the trial) so they aren't sure how long it will be available on a trial basis. I got to bring the medication home with me, but I can't start taking it until all my test results come back ok. I know when I left yesterday that my EKG was abnormal but they're not sure why. It could just be from coffee. Let's hope it's nothing major that disqualifies me from joining this clinical trial. I didn't get home until after 5:30pm. The oncologist will call me by 10:00am today to give me thumbs up on whether I'm a good candidate. I believe I am....now we just have to wait and see what he says.

The side effects are the basic expected ones: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, FATIGUE, headaches, along with some other nasty things that only happen in 1% of the people. I never had problems with Tarceva so I have complete confidence this will work for me as well.

Both Rick and Amy went to my appointment with me, but neither of them came back home with me. Amy stayed in Seattle, and Rick went to the Mariner game with his friend Todd.
Rick and Todd got to sit in the Carl's Jr. Box Suite for the game, but before the game started, they were taken down on the field, shown places they didn't even know existed at Safeco Field , then had a wonderful dinner in their suite. They both had a wonderful time.

I'm writing this blog, half asleep so I'd better go get a little more rest before I start my day.

Love you more than all the raindrops that landed on the Pacific Northwest yesterday. It looks like summer is about over and fall has arrived.

Dream Big,
Dor

Busy House, Lots of Love

2009-09-27T19:39:00.001-07:00

Our full house is working out great. We're still working on who's in charge (me). They've all decided not to argue with me because I'll probably win. Having our friends and family fill our house at a time when they need us most gives me a wonderful feeling. I'm so glad our house is big enough to hold us all. It's even big enough for the whole family to be here for football Sundays and anything else we might plan.

Amy and Mel spent this weekend over at Desert Aire with some family friends (Trevor and Lindsey). They worked on landscaping and any other job that needed a little TLC. I hope they had a great time (after all their hard work). I'm not sure how we'll make it up to them but something will come along when they need us and we'll be there for them. I think it's been good for us to have a houseful of love. Cancer doesn't seem to be in the forefront anymore. I'm liking that.

Rick's energy has been good this weekend. He was out mowing lawns, and cutting wood...all the things he loves to do but hasn't had the strength to do it. His sense of humor and smarty pants attitude have joined us as well. It makes my heart happy to have him "back".

I got a message on Friday from Dr. West's clinical coordinator and it looks like I'll start the clinical trial on Tuesday. I have to call her tomorrow for the schedule but I'm ready whenever they are.

Yesterday afternoon Pam and I joined Angie, Shannon and their friend Martha from Portland for lunch at the Conway Tavern. What a busy day it was (the beginning of the "Oyster Run"...whatever that means). Shannon and Martha hadn't seen each other in a while so they stayed up late on Friday night to visit and drink a little red wine. Needless to say, time and wine got away with them and they didn't have near as much fun as we did during lunch. I hope they're both feeling better today.

Tomorrow is Megan's 1st day of her internship. I'm sure it's a scary feeling but she'll do just fine. It seems like so long ago that Jake (and Angie) were doing their student teaching and the time flew by like a hurricane. Best of luck Megan, believe in yourself and remember...you're not suppose to know everything...yet :)

I'm back in the knitting mood again so be ready to get a scarf. Every time I finish one, I think....hey, I like the colors in that one...maybe I'll keep it. I'm addicted to them and I need to start giving them away. So, if you see me out someplace with a scarf on my neck and you like it, let me know...I might just give it away.

My hair is almost getting long enough to comb. I'm hoping this new chemo don't make my hair fall out. I'm starting to like my new "do".

Love you more than all the pumpkins in the pumpkin patches,
Dor

Late night with Doreen

2009-09-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

After Rick's long day in Seattle, we've learned that he is still ineligible to have the chemo embolization in his liver again, at least for the next 6 weeks. It looks like a few of the lesions on his liver have gotten bigger, but he said that could be from the inflammation caused by the chemo. Let's pray it's nothing more than that. I'm still holding out for some good news, but until then...we'll keep looking for our own good news.

I'm feeling much better than I was yesterday. Still taking antibiotics and Tylenol to keep the fever away. I was so thankful to have Amy take Rick to his appointments today, and to have Megan here at the house with me. I was able to rest, and Amy did her best to harass her Dad every chance she got. He needed a little of that :)

It's almost 1:00am and I'm having trouble sleeping, so I'd better call it a night and try to catch a little shut eye.

Love you the MOST...
Dor

Early Morning Update

2009-09-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

After a nice day with Megan (we stopped for a coffee drink, then went to Costco and the grocery store) I got home and within about an hour I was coughing like a maniac and my fever spiked to almost 102. I started taking Tylenol immediately. We got a hold of my doctor and he called in an antibiotic and by 8:00pm I was feeling better. I woke up this morning to another rough coughing spell but after taking my new cough syrup,I'm starting to feel better.

Today is chemo for Rick along with a follow up appointment with Dr. Kooy (his liver surgeon). I'm in no shape to take him, so Amy is filling in for me. We'll be getting the results of his latest CT scan as well. Let's hope all is well. Thanks Amy!

It's time for me to head back to bed and try to get some more rest. Have another wonderful sunny day :)

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Spectacular Sunday with the Family

2009-09-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

The house was full of Seahawk fans and the smell of Thanksgiving in the air. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries and corn on the cob. Dessert was non other than....pumpkin pie. Although the Seahawks lost, we all felt like winners with our tummies full.

Jake and Megan are all moved in. (who would have known that our basement made such a cute apartment?) It was great to see all the girls. With everyone so busy at their jobs we haven't seen much of each other. We talk nearly every day, but that's not the same as a hug and/or a snuggle.

I've got lots of phone calls to make and appointments to arrange for both Rick and I. So, first thing in the morning, I'll be playing secretary and getting our schedules all in order.

I'm pretty tired after such a busy day, so until tomorrow...sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

And...don't forget to DREAM BIG.

Love, Dor

Whirlwind Weekend

2009-09-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

I had a fun afternoon with Val yesterday. We ran some errands and shopped for new items for her house such as, light fixtures, faucets....all those fun things that finish off the project.

As soon as we arrived home, I put on some warmer clothes to go to the Stanwood Spartan football game with Rick. Angie and Shannon met us there, as did my dad and uncle Richard. It was a good game but we lost 17-21. Maybe next time :( It was nice to see some old friends who I haven't talked to in a while. My friend Sue was at the game from Lake Stevens (we were old athletic secretaries together). We could talk for hours, but I knew I was there to watch the game so we only chatted for 2 quarters. Oops!

Today, we moved Jake and Megan into our downstairs "apartment". With all the help from Megan's parents, and Dave and Val we got it done in no time. It's really starting to feel like "home" to them already.

Tomorrow is Football Sunday and all the kids are coming over. I've decided we're having turkey dinner (during halftime). It's only a couple of months early but I figured why not start getting ready for Thanksgiving? I'm looking forward to a houseful of my favorite people. Family, Football, and Food...does it get any better?

Sleep well and have a spectacular Sunday. I love you more than all the stars in the sky tonight...

Dream Big,
Dor

Great Appointment

2009-09-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today, Megan and I met with Dr. Jack West, a lung cancer oncologist (he specializes in BAC) and he was excited for me to learn about my options. Currently, there is a clinical trial that is meant for people with Bronchioaveolar Carcinoma who never smoked....namely,ME. There is also a clinical trial that is closed but he anticipates it will be reopening sometime soon and that also has my name written on it.

So, between now and the next couple of weeks, I'll need a new scan, a brain MRI and and EKG. After they make sure I'm in good shape, I'll begin taking a daily pill for 4 weeks then have 2 weeks off. After the 6 weeks are up, we'll scan again and see how things are looking.

Megan and I both agreed that he is very knowledgeable and clearly has his patients best interests in mind. I feel really lucky to be a part of this new team of doctors.

I was so anxious about my appointment today that I drove half the way in the HOV lane and I was all by myself (I was meeting Megan in Seattle). Oops. I could have had a whopper of a ticket.

I'm very excited about starting on my next journey to survival. Glad you're all here to do it with me.

Keep dreaming big,
Doreen

Be SMART... for only $100

2009-09-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, the Schmitt family always tries to participate in fundraising events for Bonnie's foundation. When I saw the email this morning about the fundraiser for her November event, I knew I needed to post it on here. Many people have donated to the foundation over the years simply for the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to bring awareness to the disease. Now, there is a great opportunity to actually win something by donating to the cause. Bonnie is holding a raffle for a brand new Smart Car, and it is adorable! I've attached her email below. There are only 250 tickets being sold nationally so if you want to buy a ticket you better do it soon.

"Win a Brand New 2009 passion coupe Smart Car. The red passion coupe will be raffled off at Simply the Best Dinner Gala on November 21, 2009. To purchase tickets, please email melinda@cbcsanfrancisco.com or call 415.821.9693. Only 250 tickets will be sold at $100 each. You need not be present at the gala to win. This Mercedes Engine passion coupe is valued at $16,990. Bonnie won this at another charitable fundraiser and this is truly a gift that keeps on giving."

Good Luck!

Amy

So Hopeful...

2009-09-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

After my doctor's visit today I'm finding myself more hopeful than I've been in a long time. I've always believed in Dr. Eaton's decisions so when he told me today that he was sending me to Swedish Medical Center to a BAC specialist, I had to believe that he had put a lot of thought behind it. As luck would have it, the specialist is Dr. Jack West (the doctor that my San Francisco Specialists thought I should go see). Currently, he has 3 different clinical trials going (2 that I'm eligible for). So, on Thursday I'll be heading to my first (of many) appointment with Dr. West to get my next clinical trial underway. I can't wait to share my visit with all of you on Thursday night. It's going to be a positive appointment...I can feel it already.

Rick's CT scan went as planned and we'll get the results from that next Tuesday when he has a return visit with his surgeon (along with another day of chemo).

When we got home from Seattle today, a friend of the family who is going through massage school dropped by and gave me a wonderful massage. The table was still up when Rick got home so he is out in the living room having a massage right now as I type this blog. What a treat we were given tonight. Thank you Krystal.

I just noticed the photo I posted yesterday. Ugh...I look terrible. Honestly, I look better than that on most days. I was just trying to show you my new hair.

I'd better go start dinner. It's getting late.

Keep dreaming HUGE,
Doreen

The internet is finally working :)

2009-09-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Now I have no excuse not to post a blog more often than I have been. My computer is now fast and working like a charm.

Tomorrow is a busy day in Seattle. I have bloodwork and an appointment starting at 8:30, then Rick has a CT scheduled over at the University of Washington at 9:30. The timing will all work out. While I'm with the doc, Rick will be drinking that really good contrast stuff that tastes like berry flavored chalk. He's always so happy to do it :) When I'm done...I'll drive over to the U and pick him up.

I'm uncertain about my appointment tomorrow. I know it's just for bloodwork and a check up but I have to say I'm a little anxious about prolonging the scan for another month. I don't anticipate any changes but if there are some, at least I could make the decision to move forward with a treatment plan. The uncertainty comes from feeling so good. Besides the sore throat and ear ache I had last weekend, I really have been feeling refreshed. If I have a scan and they start a new batch of chemo, that feeling of well being may change in a hurry. I'll discuss all my options with Dr. Eaton and let you know what we've decided. I'm posting a photo of my newest hairdo (the eyelashes and eyebrows are still gone). My hair is so short I could join the military if I wasn't so old, sick and out of shape. I look a little bit like an older GI Jane :)

Rick is feeling and looking much better than he has lately. His sense of humor is returning and I was really missing that. Even his Urbitux rash is looking much better.

Dreaming Big and Wishing for great appointments tomorrow.

Love you more,

Dor

Swine Flu?

2009-09-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're getting tired of my complaining about the new internet service I signed up for....but let me say this just once more....what a bad idea this has been. They've promised me that it will all be fixed on Monday. Don't hold your breath. :)

I woke up yesterday with an earache and a sore throat. It's still bothering me tonight but I've been working hard to make it feel better by gargling with hot salt water and using antibiotic ear drops. Angie made me call the doctor today to make sure it wasn't the beginning of the swine flu. I assured her that I wasn't oinking and my tail hasn't curled, so I think we're ok. These kids...always worrying about their parents...we should all be so lucky :)

We're still enjoying our house guests Dave and Val. Next weekend, Jake and Megan will be moving in too. Megan starts her internship on the 27th so they want to get settled into our house before she starts. It will be a nice short trip for Jake every day. About 4 miles to work. The drive for Megan won't be too bad either. This winter she'll be working in Arlington which is less than 15 miles away. I'm looking forward to a houseful of people. Laughter and smiles will make the days much brighter.

Dream Big,
Dor

Chemo Tuesday

2009-09-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Rick's chemo went as planned today. He's a little tired tonight but otherwise he's feeling pretty good. He just finished a bowl of chicken noodle soup that Val made us for dinner.

During Rick's doctor's appointment today I had a little meltdown. I told the doctor how I was worried about Rick and the changes I was seeing in him. We explained how we were sad about the liver chemo embolization not working. After a much needed pep talk, Dr. Whiting reminded us about all the things that are still normal in our lives. He told us not to put so much power in the liver process (he said he has lots of patients with cancer that has spread to their liver and they don't even get to try the procedure). Rick was lucky enough to have it work at least once (and maybe more if we're lucky). He gave us some really great advice so by the time we left his office we were both feeling better about life in general.

Lately, I've allowed fear into my personal space. Today, I kicked it out.

Just keep dreaming big...
Doreen

Happy Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

After Rick was released from the hospital on Friday, we made the journey over to Desert Aire. If he needed a few days to recuperate, why not do it here? The weather has cooled off to a perfect 75 degrees. We had a little rain last night but we were inside so it never bothered us.

We spent a lot of time yesterday visiting with Rick's family. The Aunt's from Kansas are over here visiting so we got to spend a little extra time with them. Rick's cousin Lisa and her daughter who live in Walla Walla drove up and surprised us. Aunt Jessie and Uncle Mel had us all down for dinner last night to celebrate. Thanks! All of our usual buddies/relatives were over here this weekend except our kids and the boys at Eric and Joe's. Missed you all!

Though Rick didn't have any chemo injected into him on Thursday, I can tell that he isn't feeling like himself. They still did lots of poking and prodding in his tummy so I can understand why he's not really perky. I'm sure he's also processing the possibility that he may no longer have this procedure as an option. When you live with cancer, you never want options to be removed from your plate. We're not giving up on this process, but we know it will be at least another month before they even try again. :(

We are heading back home today because Rick wants to work tomorrow (since he'll be gone on Tuesday for chemo). On the way home we've decided to take a detour and go check out Dave and Val's new house. We're so excited to see the progress. Last time we were there, they had a foundation poured. Now they're putting down real floors. Can't wait to see it!

Continue having a safe and happy holiday.

Love you more than all the traffic we'll encounter this weekend...ugh!

Dream Big,

Dor

Fresh new start

2009-09-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

After a decent night's sleep (I laid on a chair/bed next to Rick all night long) we woke up this morning with bright new attitudes. We are going to spend a couple of days having fun in Eastern Washington then come back home to Rick starting back on his standard chemo. Whatever happens from this point forward is out of our hands anyway so we've just gotta believe that it's all going to work out. Rick has been fortunate to be able to try 2 unusual types of treatment on his liver. Even if those days are over, something new could come to our door and we'll be waiting to check it out.

When I sit back and think about how lucky we've been over these past few years, the support we've had from friends, family and strangers, and the success we've had with our treatments I believe we have a lot to be thankful for. You've just gotta keep Dreaming Big!

Thanks for all the love and prayers.
Rick and Doreen

Blog Posting #950...

2009-09-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

After a long exhausting day, we just got some discouraging news. Rick's liver has blocked all of its main vessels off and has made some small squiggly ones that they can't get the camera and tools though. So after hours in surgery, nothing was accomplished. Since his body is "repairing" itself, the specialist is hoping to go back in and do a CT angiogram in about 4 weeks to see if any of the new vessels are big enough to use. Currently, they can't get to either lobe of his liver.

I have high hopes that his body will heal itself again and we can go back in and do this surgery again. I'm sad for him because we all know that this is the procedure that has given him the greatest results.

Luckily, he's feeling well tonight, his coloring is great and he ate a good dinner. We're going to enjoy this weekend with friends and family and forget about cancer for a while.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Change of Plans

2009-09-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

After a terrible night's sleep (my bed was comfy, but my mind was racing about Rick's surgery) we got up and left for Seattle around 6:30am. Rick got all prepped and then we waited for a surgical room to become available. Before we got to the operating room however, they checked out Rick's blood and found that it was too thin from the Coumidin. So, they cancelled his surgery and rescheduled it for Thursday once his blood has had a chance to thickened up a little.

Amy and Megan were at the hospital today to support us. Thank you girls for spending your free time with us. Sorry things didn't work out.

I'm overly tired today/tonight so I'm going to get to bed early and start tomorrow fresh and full of energy.

Shannon's brother had heart surgery today and everything went well. Here's wishing Kevin a speedy recovery.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Visitors, Salmon and Relaxation

2009-08-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy weekend with lots of visitors. A couple of aunts from the mid west are here for a few weeks with Uncle Delmar and his girlfriend Myrna, Pat Yeoman, and old family friend was here for 3 hours today catching up on what's been happening. While I was at a party this afternoon, Uncle Chuck and Auntie Fran stopped by.

Dave and Val left early Saturday morning to head over to Lake Wenatchee. They are hoping to come back tomorrow to pick up another load of their items. Then all next week they'll be working on flooring, lights, and other miscellaneous home builder projects.

I've really been enjoying my time of feeling well. This week will be a little stressful with Rick having his chemo embolization, but I'll sleep right next to him in a hospital chair and hold his hand. That will calm my nerves. (This time I think I'll bring my own pillow and blanket).

Amy left yesterday for a funeral for one of the soldiers in her old troop. He died of complications from colon cancer. The service was being held in Los Angeles with a full military procession. She was very close to Curtis. According to Amy, he will truly be missed.

Angie and Shannon are becoming addicted to fishing. Yesterday (and again today) they were at Shelly Rubatino's house and caught 6 salmon and/or humpies. Perhaps Shannon will put some photos on the blog later so you can really get a feel for what these women have accomplished (Done, hope you like the pictures -Shannon).

I did a little bit of Christmas shopping today at the party I went to. 3 down - 100 to go :(

Dinner is about done, so I'd better say good-bye.

Love you more than all the kids out school shopping this week :)

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Enjoying our house guests :)

2009-08-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

We've had lots of fun the last couple of days with our house guests. Dave and Val are so easy to live with...I think we'll keep them.

I got an e-mail from a friend today who is also battling lung cancer. She told me that I shouldn't think of it as doing "nothing" with my cancer right now because I'm actually doing more than I think. I'm giving it a rest. I'm playing hard. I'm feeling good. My spirits are high. All of those things are great healing tools. My dear friend Diana, thank you for making me look at this in a whole different light.

Last night after a great halibut dinner, (and before dessert) I surprised Amy and Angie at their friend Allison Reid's house. Allison's kids, her sister, Erin and her mom were also at the house. When I got there, they were all playing Rock Band (the Wii version). It didn't take much persuasion and before you knew it, I too was a part of the band. I didn't stay long, but I sure had fun while I was there.

It's bedtime for the old folks so I'd better crawl under the covers.

Keep dreaming big,
Doreen

Exciting Weekend

2009-08-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the day at our friends Tom and Jana Shaughnessy's river cabin. It was absolutely beautiful. The grounds looked like a golf course and it sits right on the Skagit River. The girls all camped there on Friday and Saturday night. They spent a great deal of their time in the river with wading boots on trying to catch fish. Amy caught her first fish this morning (a 4 pound humpie). She was very excited to say the least. It was a team effort getting her little fish in. Angie stood on the rivers edge coaching her, Shannon netted it and the whole Shaughnessy gang cheered her on. Thanks Tom and Jana for sharing your little piece of Heaven with the Schmitt's. I hope we behaved ourselves and you'll let us come back.

Today Amy helped me cross one of the items off my newest bucket list. We are not gun people but I've been wanting to shoot a pistol. So, today Amy took me to the shooting range in Bellingham and she let me shoot a whole box of bullets. It was exhilarating...my adrenaline was pumping after I hit the target on my first 3 attempts. After those first three shots however, my aim was a little low and to the left. If I was trying to shoot a robber, I would have hit his liver. I still don't have any desire to own a gun, but I would go back to the range and shoot again (after my arm stops throbbing and my lower back quits hurting - apparently my stance was a little tight)

Our friends, Dave and Val will be staying with us while they finish their house in Eastern Washington. They'll be working on the house 4 days a week, then spending the other 3 with us. There is never a dull moment when we're together...I'm really looking forward to spending time with them. Bring on the laughter :)

Rick has been a little worn out this week from the chemo. I'm hoping this next week gives him a break before it's time to have the next chemo embolization. I realized today how much better I feel when I'm not getting chemo. Maybe I really did need a break after all.

Love you more than all the salmon waiting to be caught this week,
Dor

Here's what's happening with the Schmitt's

2009-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

The movie was a blast. If you ever get the chance to participate in an outdoor movie night, jump at the opportunity. Bring your blankets, chairs, cooler filled with goodies and most importantly, good friends (thanks Janeen) . I don't think it even matters what movie is playing...it's the atmosphere that counts.

Wednesday afternoon, I met my buddy Shelly and my daughter Angie out by Kayak point and they picked me up via dingy and we went out fishing in Shelly's 34 foot boat. What a blast we had. Angie even caught her first fish...a salmon. She was so excited. But like all fishermen, she was mostly disappointed by the BIG fish that got away. She had it all the way up to the boat and before we could net it...it broke loose.

This morning Angie and I helped our family friends Dave and Val prepare for the final move out of their house. They have until tomorrow morning to get everything loaded. Dave and Val will be our guests for 3 days a week until their house in Plain, Washington is finished. They'll be sleeping in their trailer on our property...but I'll have them in the house visiting everyday :)

Nothing new in the health department. Just waiting for Rick's next procedure and for my hair to grow back. Surprisingly, I have about a 1/2 inch grow-out (and most of it is gray).

I'm trying my best to enjoy the next couple of months off from cancer treatment, so with that I'm also finding that I've been a little lazy in the blog category.

We're hoping to join our friends the Shaughnessy's up at their property on the Skagit River tomorrow. The girls have all gone up to the river tonight. Amy and Mel are going to set up the tent. Angie and Shannon are going to show them how to fish. I wish I was a mouse in the corner of the tent. Oh wait, there might already be a mouse in the corner of the tent...ick.

On Thursday, Megan finished (and passed) her last day in class at the University of Washington. For the next year she'll be working on her internship at various physical therapy locations. One private location, a nursing home, then a hospital. We're very proud of our little Dr. Megan.

Jake has been working in his classroom to get it ready for his next group of students. This year he'll teach 7th and 8th grade science, and 7th grade math. He starts coaching high school tennis on Monday. Let the fun begin. :)

This afternoon, my dear friend Pam became a grandma for the 3rd time. Her daughter and son in law, Erin and Cody had their first little son, Levi. He was 8lbs, 8oz and 20 inches long. Congratulations to all of you.

Ok, I think I've mentioned everything I could think of for the moment. In case I haven't said it lately, "the trouble with trouble is that it usually starts out as fun". Have a safe and happy weekend.

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Sorry about the blog malfunction :(

2009-08-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

I wrote a blog before I left Desert Aire yesterday. I just noticed it never posted. Oops sorry. We were gone all day, today for Rick's chemo. Nothing exciting happened (which is a good thing when you want it to go smooth). We learned however, that Rick's next chemo embolization of his liver will be on September 1st now, not the 25th of August. Just gives Rick a little extra time to feel better.

During the summer, Jake works for a company (Epic Entertainment) that does outdoor movies on 40 foot screens. Tomorrow night, a whole group of us are going to Marymoor Park in Seattle and watching the "Goonies". I can't wait. It was a favorite at our house many years ago. I just learned from Jake that it's Pirate Night...Argh...

The house is still pretty warm after the daily heat wave. So, I think I'll call it a night. Get some lightweight jammies on and head off to bed. It was a long weekend, and an early morning. I could use the rest.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Beautiful Desert Aire

2009-08-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

The temperature is perfect over here at D.A. but the wind is a little wild. Not much action over here this weekend, but Bob and Dy will be joining us tomorrow and the fun will begin.

Tonight we're visiting with Uncle Mel and Aunt Jessie. They got a new puppy named Molly. A miniature Boston Terrier. What a great dog. They rescued it from a puppy mill.

Rick and I are both doing great. When my dad stopped by this morning to help us get ready to leave, I discovered that it was a little easier to get ready for the trip before cancer joined our lives. By the time we're all ready to go, we're exhausted and need a nap. Oh well, we're here now and that's all that matters.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Love you more ~ Dor

Good Morning

2009-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much to say these past few days. Now that I can forget about my cancer for a while, I've been busy doing other things. I went to Taco Tuesday with Pam, Janeen and Jacob. Yesterday I worked on a flyer for our Desert Aire house. All the while I'm doing dishes, cooking, cleaning. It feels like a normal life :)

I didn't write a blog yesterday, but I want to make sure that my "other" daughter Morgan had a fabulous 21st birthday. I've loved little Morgan since I first met her at a little cheer camp 15 years ago. Hope you had a great day.

Today is my buddy Janeen's birthday. She is not 21 and I am not allowed to publish her age :) I'm taking her to a movie today to celebrate. Happy Birthday, Neener.

Rick has chemo again on Tuesday so we've decided to head over to DA this weekend for a little rest and relaxation. We'll be meeting up with Bob and Dy (who we haven't seen in long time). I'm really looking forward to seeing them. We haven't seen our friend and neighbor Pat at DA since she turned 50 so we'll probably be doing a little celebrating with her while we're there too!

Dream Big,
Doreen

Great Scan Results

2009-08-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Cancer is a funny thing. It takes hold of you when you least expect it. Then, like today...it sits idle. Stable. No changes. So, the plan we're on is called "watchful waiting". I'm thrilled to be having a break from all the poisons and drugs BUT...doing nothing seems like a very scary way to do business with and evil client like cancer.

Dr. Eaton and I talked at length about what our upcoming plan will be. He told me of some options at Swedish Hospital in a clinical trial, and a new drug combination (that I haven't tried) Avastin and Alimta. We discussed how I feel about doing nothing, and he explained that as long as the cancer isn't actively growing it's good for my body to take a break. I keep in close contact with my team of doctors, so if anything changes before my next scan (in 2 months) then we'll change our direction sooner.

The scan shows that all the cancer is still in my lungs and lymph nodes and it still lights up on a PET scan. Since June 22nd, there seems to be no changes. Apparently it's just waiting for a day to come out and play. So until then, I'm going to just keep living and laughing.

My sister and law, Vickie and her grandson Jeffrey went to my appointment with me today. While we were waiting in the lobby, Jeffrey found origami cranes in a container. He brought one to each of us for good luck. I'm going to keep it with me for all my appointments. It seems to work :)

Dreaming Stable and Big,
Doreen

Weekend Update

2009-08-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

We're having a relaxing weekend. No where to go. Nothing to do. We slept in this morning. Had french toast. Watched some baseball. Janeen and I went to a movie and had a great time. That's about it.

I get my scan results on Monday morning. I'm not expecting any changes but I'll let you know once I get home from my appointment.

For your information, we have a new e-mail address: rickanddor@verizon.net

Until later, keep dreaming big,
Dor

I'm Back

2009-08-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Internet is up and running, we have 700 TV channels (whatever happened to just ABC, NBC and CBS?...it was so much easier but not near as much fun). The phone works (I think) and now I'm just waiting on my TIVO cable. Enough about this technology....

Our Dream Big Bed was delivered while I was gone. So when it arrived on Friday, Shelley, Pam, Angie and Grandpa Bob were all there to help get it set up. We now have an incredible bed to sleep on. Thanks for all your help and love. Rick had the pleasure of sleeping on it a few days before I got home, but let me tell you....now that I'm home, it's hard to get up in the morning. With my knees up and my head up, I sleep like a baby. I wake up in the morning exactly as I started the night before. I don't think I move a muscle (or cough for that matter). It was just what the doctor ordered...

I have so many stories and photos to share of our trip. Honestly, it was one of the greatest times I've ever spent "on the road". These girls had me laughing (and coughing) the entire time. I think I may have done my share of making them laugh as well. We didn't get to spend near enough time with Bonnie and the gang, but the Gala is coming up in November so I'll be seeing them soon. Kim Mains was the best tour guide we could have asked for. Thanks again Kimmy!

Rick had chemo on Tuesday and while at his appointment, he learned that his CEA count has dropped from over 40 to 18.5. That is terrific news since normal is between 0 and 2. That's the first time it's dropped in months thanks to the hepatic artery embolization (to his liver). We met with Dr. Kooy yesterday (the physician who performed this procedure) and he is planning to do it again to the other lobe of Rick's liver within the next month. He said it will be much easier on Rick the second time around.

I had a PET/CT scan yesterday and I'll find out the results on Monday. I don't like the wait and watch game (which is what I feel like we're doing right now) so after I hear some results on Monday, we might be starting up a new program. I'll keep you posted.

I've missed you all since I've been gone. Sorry the blogs were sporadic but I was having so much fun that I knew you'd understand.

Thank goodness the weather calmed down while we were gone.

I'm attaching a photo of my bi-monthly flowers that were delivered today. They are just beautiful. Thanks Salal Floral :)

Happy to be home,
Dor

Made It Home Safely

2009-08-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Mom made it back safe and sound last night, but she won't be blogging for a couple of days. Directv and Verizon came to their house yesterday to install internet and tv. After 9 hours with the Directv guy mom's Tivo doesn't work and we have no internet. They forgot to send the correct equipment. So........either Friday or Saturday she should be getting the correct setup for internet and she will be back in the swing of things.

Dad's appointment went well yesterday. Thank you again Grandpa Bob for taking him down there! Mom has a pet scan this morning, and I will keep you updated on the details of that.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Jake

I refused to pay $14.95 a night for internet

2009-08-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

We just stopped at a hotel in Roseburg, Oregon on our way home from the best girls road trip EVER. It is a 13 or 14 hour drive (or so mapquest says) and honestly, the time has flown by when we're together.

Our 2 days in San Francisco were so memorable. We did our best to get in every possible thing on our wish list. When we first arrived, we met Bonnie and her daughters for lunch at the World Lung Conference. After lunch, we put other peoples name tags on and toured the lung conference. Amazing things are going on when it come to keeping those of us with lung cancer alive. Thanks to all of the research scientists and doctors who are working together to make great things happen. We spent all afternoon and evening at the waterfront and got back to the room at 10:30 that night. The next day we spent walking all around Union Square until it was time to head over to Golden Gate Park for the walk.

The 1st Annual Bonnie J. Addario 5K Golden Gait Walk for Lung Cancer was a huge success. In it's first year they raised nearly 130 thousand dollars. Janeen, Cathy and Donna got to meet my San Francisco extended family and friends. The all had a wonderful time.

Kim Mains, our old family friend (who lives near San Francisco) met us and did the walk with me (by the way I finished 8 minutes before Janeen, Cathy and Donna...but who's counting?). When we were done with the walk, Kim took us over the golden gate bridge, down Lombard's crooked street and gave us lots of opportunities for photos. We were going to meet up with Bonnie when we finished, but we never connected. She had a busy day and still needed to get some sleep for the Lung Conference today.

This morning we headed out of the city around 11:00am and made a few really important stops, the Jelly Belly Factory and the Olive Pit. The car is filled with souvenirs, jelly beans and jars of olives. We need to get home since we can't fit another item in the SUV.

As much fun as we've all had, I know we're all ready to get home to our families. We miss you and love you :)

I need to go now so I can get some shut eye.

Dreaming and Laughing Big,
Doreen

1st Stop ~ Lake Oswego, Oregon

2009-07-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

After 4 1/2 hours of driving, stopping at Dick's for dinner, snacks in Cougar, Washington, we finally made it to a hotel in Lake Oswego (just outside of Portland). I could have driven for a couple more hours because the time flew by with these ladies in my car.

We brought along our travel mascot "Bare Lee" who will be joining in our photographs on this journey.

I'll write more tomorrow.

Until then,

Dream Big

Doreen and the girls

Plans have changed

2009-07-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

My road trip buddies have all agreed to leave tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Yahoo! If for no other reason we'll have air conditioning tonight when we stop at a hotel. We figured as long as we're ready to go why not leave a little early so we can spend more time in San Francisco?

We're packing up the SUV right now so I should probably go help.

I'll do my best to write a quick blog (with photos) each night if we have wireless at our hotels.

Keep Dreaming Big and Stay Cool,
Love you more ~ Dor

I'm Melting....

2009-07-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

No one told me the real down side to being bald. When the weather is 105 degrees with high humidity and you're sweating profusely, the sweat goes directly down your face and neck. It has nothing to "cling" on to, like HAIR. It is not a pretty sight and it's way too hot to wear something on my head. So, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it for a few more days.

We checked the weather forecast for California and it will be a cool 75 degrees on Saturday when we arrive in San Francisco. Hallelujah!

For those of you reading this blog who live in Stanwood or the surrounding area, you know that our weather has been record breaking and ridiculous. For those of you who live elsewhere I'm sorry if this is your usual summer weather. I wish I could stop talking about it, but it's 10:30pm and our house is still 90 plus degrees. We don't have air conditioning because we get about 10 really warm days a year (if we're lucky). We do have good heating however because the other 355 days are usually cold.

I'm not sure if chemotherapy does something to our internal thermostat but I'm starting to go a little crazy from the heat. I'll try to write more tomorrow unless I'm delirious....

Dream Big and Stay Cool,
Doreen

Happy Birthday Ricky

2009-07-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today my honey is celebrating his 53rd birthday. Who would have known that only a few years ago we acted like birthdays carried the plague, now we can't wait to have another one? We celebrated like we do most birthdays in the Schmitt house....Jimmy's Pizza. Why change a great arrangement?

This afternoon my friend Kim came for a visit and lunch. We had a very nice visit and talked for hours about life and our kids and how lucky we are. I was feeling pretty good while she was here, but right before it was time to go out for dinner the heat really got to me. By the time we made it to the restaurant, I had nausea and sweat running down my face.

Now that we're home, I'm going to get into really cool clothes and head downstairs where the temperature is about 15 degrees cooler than it is upstairs. Ugh! We have a guest bedroom downstairs and I told Rick that tonight we need to be guests in our own house. Perhaps we'll sleep better than we have the past few days.

I'm really getting excited about the trip to California. 3 friends (Janeen, Cathy and Donna) will be joining me for a very special road trip. We are planning on spending 2 full days in San Francisco (including Bonnie's Golden Gait 5K Walk) and the other days will be scheduled for traveling. We plan on stopping (whenever we feel like it) to enjoy the sights along the way. I hope to bring my lap top and share the journey with all of you.

I still have the link attached to the right of my blog for Bonnie's Walk. If you're interested in donating or joining our team, you still have a few days to participate by clicking the link. I'll be bringing back t-shirts for those who signed up but didn't make it to San Francisco.

As much as I would like to write and tell you more about Rick turning 53 and the rest of my day, I really need to get out of the heat before I get sick again.

Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Find a cool spot.

Dreaming Very Warm, But Big,
Doreen

Jake and Megan in a magazine

2009-07-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Jake and Megan's wedding was chosen as a "local wedding of note" in the Seattle Bride magazine. If you're in line at the grocery store, turn to page 124...it has a nice photo and an article about how they met and got engaged. They're the cutest couple in the article, but I might be a little biased.

Yesterday I went with Pam and bought new sheets for "the bed". The estimated date of arrival is Tuesday and I can't wait. Did I say thank you enough? If not...thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nothing much planned for today. Rick has to go to work for a couple of hours, I need to do a little housework, and the sun is going to be a scorcher again today (so I'll be working on staying cool). I hope the rest of your weekend finds you warm and happy.

Love you more,
Dor

Surprise!

2009-07-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we headed out to our friend Shelley's house for her 50th birthday party. Last year on her 49th, we threw her a 50th so this year she said she was going to throw her own party. She did throw a party, but it wasn't for her...it was for Rick and I. Many of you were in on the surprise, but for those of you who weren't, Shelley instrumented a party where people had to pay to attend and the money was going towards an adjustable bed for Rick and I. All of this started from a little broken bed incident that Shelley and I would like to forget, but can't help laugh when we think about it.

What is so amazing about this gesture is that I know I will sleep better with my head elevated. Rick will be able to adjust his side to fit his needs and I will be able to do the same to my side. I do most of my coughing at night because my head isn't elevated enough. Now that won't be a problem.

Besides the surprise of the new mattress, we were greeted by many friends who had donated towards the purchase, my parents, and the kids (minus Jake who was working). The food was incredible, the friendship was immeasurable and the night was unforgettable. Shelley painted rocks and wood from the beach with the words "Dream Big". We can't help but Dream Big on our new mattress.

Thank you everyone for the incredible gift.

Dreaming Bigger than ever!
Doreen & Rick

Rick is feeling better

2009-07-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

I think Rick is finally coming around. He's still pretty fatigued and has lost weight this week but over all, he seems more like his usual self. When he feels better, so do I. It's a love thing :)

These past couple of weeks have felt like a lifetime of uncertainty. I can't imagine how the kids, our friends, and family cope with the day to day struggles we put them through. Thank you all so much for your unconditional love and support.

Yesterday afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised with a beautiful gigantic bouquet of lillys and tulips from a friend and blog reader, Jeff. I had to use 3 different vases to get all the flowers in water. They are absolutely gorgeous. Thanks Jeff. They were just what we needed to cheer up our household.

I'm hoping to take a road trip with a few girls to San Francisco for Bonnie's Walk. We'll be leaving next Friday and will be gone for a few days. I don't think the drive to San Fran is that long (maybe 14 hours or so) and with a car full of women gabbing and laughing, the time will fly by. Let's pray my fever stays down so we can make this happen.

I guess I'd better get off the computer and think about making dinner. Mom and Dad gave us some fresh cracked dungeness crab so I think we'll have Crab Louies for dinner. MMMMmmmm Good!

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Uncertain Future

2009-07-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

This morning, Janeen picked me up for my chemo appointment, then we stopped and got Pam (because she and Janeen were having mammograms during my appointment). Well that was what we had originally planned. Today it was a very long wait for my chemo drugs because they've moved the pharmacy and are working on all the glitches. In the end Pam and Janeen were both finished (with good reports) before I even got my drip. They didn't seem too upset about it, but I hate to put people out.

I guess while I was gone today, our cows got out and my sick husband, son and daughter along with some fabulous neighbors, got them back into the field after a couple of hours of hard work. Thanks to all of you who helped Rick out today when he needed it most.

Today's appointment was a little bittersweet for me. Dr. Eaton said that today was my last treatment of this kind. Then I'll have a PET SCAN, and determining how that reads, I will go on a break. I can tell you that my body needs a break, but breaks mean NO TREATMENT, and NO TREATMENT causes growth (or so it has so far). I asked how long the break would be and he said indefinitely (until they see more growth). All of this sounds good but very scary for me.
Now, I suppose if they find that Doxataxel (the drug I'm on now) has been working according the the Pet Scan, they'll probably let me continue with it. Past Pet Scans weren't very promising so I think that's why the break will come instead. The next drug combo I'll try will be Alimta and Avastin. This is the last drug combination they have for me at this time. I could look at other hospitals for more clinical trials, but SCCA doesn't have any right now that fit my criteria.

Rick has chemo tomorrow morning (if his body can tolerate it). I know he just wants to get it over with, but he still isn't feeling well from the Artery Embolization. I'm sure he'll really be worn down after the cow fiasco today.

I'm feeling groggy after my chemo treatment today so I'd better call it a night.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Big Dreamer, Dor

Happy Sunny Monday

2009-07-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

Angie sent me a quote this morning that I thought was very fitting for the blog:
Don't regret growing older. It is a privilege denied by many. (anonymous)

This has been a very trying weekend at the Schmitt house. Rick has spent much of his time in bed. He's very fatigued, in pain, and just not himself. The doctor explained that once the chemo was shot into the liver, it eventually works it's way out to other organs or tissue in the body. He has pain near his shoulder (which they say is radiating pain) and the pain medicine just makes him confused so he doesn't like to take it. He says he's feeling better today but he isn't out of bed yet so we'll see how he's feeling once he's up and moving around.

Thankfully, the antibiotic my doctor prescribed on Wednesday hit the spot. I haven't had a fever since I started taking the prescription and I feel well (except for my heavy heart when I'm dealing with Rick).

The kids and my dad have been awesome. Stopping by to check on us, doing odd jobs while they're here. My dad stops by twice a day to feed the steers grain. I told him I could do it, but he says he likes helping out.

This morning my sister in law and nieces stopped by with some homemade cherry crisp (Dawn knows how much I love cherry desserts). It was good for my soul to see them. My little nieces, who refer to me as "Auntie" were freely handing out hugs and kisses. Dawn is careful not to bring the girls around when anyone has the sniffles or isn't feeling well.

My son is here now to visit so I'll have to say my good-byes. I have chemo tomorrow and Rick has it on Wednesday. I'll try to write something again tomorrow or if anything changes.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Chemo treatment : CANCELED

2009-07-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

My parents stayed in Seattle last night in order to save themselves from driving down there early this morning. Apparently the drive was not necessary either way. Dad is suffering from what was described to us as "typical" side effects from his surgical procedure that took place on Tuesday. He is having pain in his chest, shoulder, back and stomach. In addition, he is lethargic and literally needs assistance keeping his balance while he is walking around. Hopefully these are signs that the chemo drug is killing those tumors. I'm putting all of my positive energy into believing that is the case anyway...

I was waiting at my parents house when they arrived home from Seattle late this morning so that I would assist them in any way possible. Mom and I got Dad tucked into bed and then spent a couple of hours visiting over lunch. She keeps apologizing for what has been happening with their health lately. She feels bad that we are the ones having to help them out. I just continued to re-assure her that we WANT to be there through the good and bad that we will be facing in the future months.

On a positive note, Mom is feeling better today and is working hard to schedule a family trip for all of us later in the year. She is thinking a 4 day cruise sounds good. I would have to agree! I like the idea of planning something big to look forward to. It takes our attention off of being sick and puts it on trip planning!

I would like to once again thank everyone for the supportive cards, emails and phone calls that show us that you care. They are greatly appreciated! Thank you friends....

Dreaming Big,

Angie

Doreen is BACK

2009-07-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. It's me again....feeling much better than yesterday. Gosh, I don't know what's going on with me. One day I'm fine, the next day I'm lethargic with a fever. I felt terrible yesterday that Angie and Jake had to take care of Rick while I laid around feeling sick.

After all the sleep Rick has had over the past few days, he was up early today and thought he should go to work to do a little catch up. He was gone by 8:00am and got home around 3:30. I know he's a little wiped out right now, but he would never admit it. He feels good that he got his work done. Early day again tomorrow. Rick has chemo (does it ever end) and we hope it treats him well since he got a blast of it on Tuesday directly into the liver. Amazing what they can do now to keep people alive and thriving.

I have some clothes to fold out of the dryer and I need to think about making dinner. Until tomorrow, Stay cool and Dream Big.

Love you more,
Dor

Happy to be Home!

2009-07-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today I have several things to report. First, the good news. Dad's CT scan showed no signs of liver failure after his surgical procedure yesterday and his blood pressure is back down to a near-normal range. He is scheduled to go back to see this doctor again the first week in August. In the mean time, he will continue with his scheduled chemo treatments.

Our un-expected hurdle appeared first thing this morning when Mom woke up. She was shaking, coughing quite a bit and didn't look like she felt good. By the time we arrived at the hospital Mom grabbed my arm and said, "I am going to throw up! Where is a bathroom?" We made it to the bathroom but that was just the beginning of our day. When we arrived in Dad's hospital room I asked his nurse to check Mom's temperature. It was over 101 degrees. It was at that time that Dad was about to get released from the hospital. Jake ended up coming down to Seattle with Megan and drove Dad back in my parents car while I stayed with Mom to get checked out. By 11:00 AM she felt nausea, had a fever and was being transported around the hospital by wheelchair. They took blood, got a urine sample, did a chest x-ray and eventually released her from the hospital just after 3:00 PM this afternoon. The doctor said that her counts are elevated, which they should be because of her bone marrow building medicine, but they might also be elevated because her body has an infection. They put her on a strong antibiotic and told her to come back if things get worse and they will admit her into the hospital.

What a long day! Jake is planning to stay the night with them tonight so that I can go home and sleep in my own bed tonight. If you call the house you will find that I left a new phone message thanking everyone for calling to check on them but that I disconnected the phone in their bedroom so that they can sleep.

Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes. We can't get enough of those!!

Dreaming Big,

Angie

Rick Update from the UW

2009-07-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day at the University of Washington Medical Center. My parents arrived for Dad’s procedure at 6:30 AM and all of us kids arrived shortly after. Mom and I just left the hospital at 10:00 PM and are staying a mile away at a hotel so that she can try to get a much needed night of rest. Apparently she did not sleep for a single minute last night because she was worried for Dad’s surgery. She said that her steroids were making her feel “funny” and were also doing their part to keep her awake all night. The good news is that I ran her a bath and got her tucked into her bed nice and cozy when we got back here to the hotel. I am praying that I hear her snoring any time now…

According to Dad’s doctor, his surgery went well. The chemotherapy drug was successfully administered into his right lobe of his liver and that was the goal. He did mention that there was a minor complication during surgery that ended up working out just fine. Apparently my dad’s Hepatic vessel closed itself off sometime during his battle with cancer so it created a new challenge for the doctor who planned to travel his instrument through there today. He had to find a new vessel that was also leading to that lobe of his liver. Lucky for us he found the vessel and the rest is history.

Upon returning to his hospital room we quickly noticed that Dad was showing high blood pressure readings. Even with his sickness he tends to be like clockwork when it comes to blood pressure…120/80. After surgery it elevated from 160/100 to eventually 181/108. By that point I was getting scared and so was the nurse. They gave dad a shot of medicine to lower his blood pressure and we waited. The worst side effect of today’s surgery for Dad was that he had severe back/stomach pains and he literally could not move his right leg or sit up in his bed for 6 straight hours. He was in pain and going stir crazy because he could not move around to get more comfortable. After allowing his medication to kick in and finally being able to urinate we immediately saw a dramatic drop in his blood pressure. When we left tonight it was 144/95.
I tried to post this blog late last night (Tuesday) but the internet at the hotel was down. It is now 7:20 AM and I am trying this again before we head back to the hospital. As for an update on Mom, she seems to have slept pretty well last night. Her breathing was labored and she woke up several times coughing but I jumped right up and got her water, more medicine or just crawled in bed with her and rubbed her back for a few minutes. Each time she fell back to sleep within minutes. Her poor little body really needed some rest.

One of us will write a quick note when we get more details about Dad’s progress later this morning.

Dreaming Big and praying for a Starbucks coffee,

Angie

Chemo? What Chemo?

2009-07-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Mom this morning to inform me that she WOULD NOT be getting chemo this morning after all. Apparently they had her scheduled for the wrong chemo drug and therefore they gave her the day off. She will have chemo next Tuesday instead. Since Mom was already in Seattle with Pam and Janeen they decided to go shopping instead. I think this scheduling error may end up working out just fine. Instead of being exhausted tomorrow from her treatment today, she will be alert and ready to take good care of my Dad as he recovers from his surgical procedure and the UW Hospital. Mom mentioned that they are taking her off of the clinical trial that she is currently on (but not necessarily taking her off of the chemo drug that she is taking) because she was unable to follow the exact protocol of the experiment. She will be able to give you more details in her next blog. She was so busy shopping with the girls that she did not exactly load me up with a lot of details. When her "retail therapy" is over I am sure she will give me a call to help me understand this information a little bit better. Until next time...

Dreaming Big,
Angie

Weekend Update with Dor

2009-07-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been filled with lots of business. Rick and I met with his company president in Bellevue on Friday morning, which turned into a full day of being gone. The meeting was great and we feel good about where we're going in the future.

Saturday a busy day of doing things around the house, then heading to Janeen's to celebrate her son Will's college graduation. Go Cougs.

Today has been another productive day tied in with a little Rest and Relaxation :) You can never have too much of that. I need to start packing for a couple of days in Seattle for my chemo and Rick's surgery. Sometimes it makes more sense to just stay down there rather than making the trek back and forth.

I'm a little anxious/nervous for Rick's procedure on Tuesday. I know the outcome should be fantastic, but until they get started, I'll just keep biting my nails. :(

I have chemo in the morning, and I believe it is still just Taxotere without the fever making Gemzar. I'm not sure if I'll be getting a blood transfusion, but if that's on the menu....I'll order it. Dr. Eaton won't be at my appointment tomorrow but his associate Dr. Martins will be there. I need to make sure they are going to give me a little time off so I can go to Bonnie's "Golden Gait" the first part of August. I'm hoping a little break is in the forecast and I'll get a week off for good behavior. I could use a few days without nausea or headaches...

The kids have all been really busy this weekend, so I've hardly seen hide nor hair of them. I hope to see them all on Tuesday during Rick's surgery. I always need their moral support.

I'll try to write a quick little blog before I doze off tomorrow night after chemo, but if not...One of the kids or I promise to write something on Tuesday after Rick's procedure is complete.

Keep Dreaming Huge,
Doreen

Blog #920

2009-07-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

Blog number 920? Somebody shut me up :) I still don't have a solution to what I'm going to do when I run out of blog space, but in the end, it'll work out.

It's 6:00am and I finally just got out of bed instead of tossing and turning like I'd been doing for most of the night. My hip, pelvic and thigh bones are working overtime producing bone marrow and apparently they wanted me to stay awake and keep them company. Between the coughing and the aching you can imagine what a good night sleep I had. Maybe I should just go stay at a Holiday Inn (or whatever hotel it is where they promise a good night's rest).

Rick and I are heading to Bellevue this morning. He has a meeting and I get to tag along and take notes. (I'm hoping this will also include a nice lunch with my honey)

I met up with Janeen for lunch yesterday. She was in town doing some errands and she had her grand baby with her. What an adorable little girl with the biggest dimples you've ever seen. I had a great time, then did a few errands of my own.

Jake woke me yesterday morning with a kiss to my cheek. He worked at Sylvan yesterday afternoon, so he came up early to mow our lawns and do some odd jobs around the house that just didn't seem to get done. He is such a great help! After all his hard work was complete, he and his papa went to lunch.

I'd better end this blog. If I'm going to Bellevue soon, I should start getting ready.

Have a fabulous day and keep dreaming big,
Dor

Rick's Dr. Visit

2009-07-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This morning we met up with Angie to make the trek to Seattle to visit with Dr. Kooy who will be doing Rick's "newest procedure". Surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday and after the appointment today we all feel much better about it. They will be doing a procedure much like an angiogram only they will stop at his liver and shoot 3 different types of chemotherapy directly into the right lobe. The following morning they will take a CT scan to make sure the chemo grabbed on to the tumors and are doing their job. It all sounds intense, but it makes a lot of sense to go directly to the root of the problem. :)

Have I mentioned lately what wonderful kids we have? Tonight, they all met at the house so we could discuss everything we'd learned today at the doctor's office. Amy brought dinner (though Angie and Jake passed on it since they already had dinner plans). We had an amazing family meeting where they asked the important questions to Rick and I like, what do you need from us? How can we help you? Don't be afraid of counseling...we're all doing it and it makes the process much easier to deal with. How did they get so smart? I'm serious, sometimes I look at them and think they must belong to someone else.

We had to change my chemo routine for next week so I would be available for Rick on Tuesday. As of now, I have chemo Monday, Rick has surgery Tuesday, then a CT scan on Wednesday.....Sounds like next week is nearly full.

My Neulesta is working again. I can feel my pelvis and hips throbbing as I sit her writing the blog. I know this is a good thing. It means my body is producing bone marrow. Yahooie! I don't know yet if I'll be getting a blood transfusion on Monday, but the nurses told me it's like having an oil change. I'll feel great, refreshed, almost new afterwards. I'm holding them to it.

I'm heading to bed now. It was a long day with lots of information crammed into my brains. Thanks to all of you who've been joining our Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation team. We're currently in the lead....and we have 23 members. I'm so proud!

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Weekend Update

2009-07-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend this turned out to be. When we arrived at Desert Aire on Thursday night, I wasn't feeling well, so I went to be early to try to sleep off the crummies...I woke up Friday morning with a fever (so apparently the extra sleep wasn't what I needed). I stayed in my jammies and in bed until around 1:00pm when the fever finally broke and I felt good the rest of the weekend. Yahoo!

The temperature outside was up in the low hundreds for a couple of days so we did our best to be outside when we could tolerate it, and stayed inside with the air conditioning playing games when we couldn't take the heat.

The food was great (everyone did their part...either with a dinner, or snacks, or clean-up). We were like a well oiled gang. Never did we miss a meal or go without something cold to drink.

I'm attaching a few photos from the weekend...golf cart parade, PVC pole game (That Angie and Shannon brought...don't ask me how I did...it wasn't a pretty site) and other misc. shots.

We got home last night around 11:30pm thanks to the great driving of Ricky. I was sound asleep for the majority of the trip home. (what else is new?) Because we got home so late, we did a good job of sleeping in. Once I was awake, I took a nice warm bath, then surprised Janeen and Pam at a movie. We has a nice time and got caught up on how each of our weekends turned out. Sounds like we all had a great time. After dinner tonight, I stopped at the McCune's to wish Ann a happy birthday. She's leaving for Europe with 12 kids tomorrow morning and she's be celebrating with them in Paris on Wednesday. What a fabulous time I'm sure they will all have. I told her it would have been dangerous for me to go with...I would have kept all the kids wound up and we would all probably get in trouble.

I guess I'd better head to bed. It's getting late and I've been fighting queasiness all day. Queasiness and tears... Some lady in Bartell's saw me with a scarf on and my bald edges hanging out and nicely touched my arm and said "cancer"? I lost it. I was standing in the store bawling like it was the first time I'd heard the news. I felt so bad for her. I'm not sure what set me off. Perhaps it's because visually I now look sick. :( Whatever the reason for my outburst, I'm feeling better tonight but I still think a little extra shut eye can't help.

Until tomorrow...keep dreaming big,

Love you more, Dor

Have a fun and safe 4th of July

2009-07-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Every year I try to give you all my best advice when it comes to fireworks, matches and alcohol. I know many of you follow all of the rules (and I thank you in advance for being good students). Others however, need a gentle reminder that bottle rockets don't stand in for swizzle sticks, or straws. Please use caution when lighting anything during the driest season especially when you have no idea where the item is going to eventually land. Don't make pipe bombs out of old materials you found at your grandpa's house (I was having my appendix out 30 years ago and the girl laying next to me in the hospital lost her voice box to a "pipe bomb" that someone had just wiped up). The trouble with trouble, my friends...is that it usually starts out as fun.

Today was the golf cart parade. Our decoration committee did a fabulous job. I can't post a photo tonight, but I promise to when I get back home. The weather was a comfortable 104 degrees, ugh! We had cold water, ice cubes to cool us down and candy to throw at the kids to keep them under control. Vickie and I were the chosen ones to represent our gang for the parade. We had a great time.

Everyone is upstairs playing games, doing dishes, getting ready for the fireworks show in the park. We'll all be snuggled up on the deck watching other people shoot off their prized purchases from the local fireworks dealers.

We spent a great part of the day down at the water. We hauled floaties, umbrellas, chairs, coolers, bug spray (just in case), sunscreen and so much more to our cool little haven. If you got too hot, just jump in the freezing cold water and you're good to go for another couple of hours.

Megan is training for the Avon 3 day walk that's coming up in August. This morning, while we were all still sleeping, she got up and walked 13 miles. We were all awake when she returned, so we cheered her over the finish line. I can't imagine doing her training routine.

Ok, time for me to head upstairs and join the rest of my party. It really is one of the nicest times we've had over here. ALL the kids, Vickie and Tom and Rick and I have filled both houses with lots of love and laughter.

Love you more than all the bottle rockets shot off before it even gets dark tonight....

Dreaming Big and Sparkly,

Dor

Gearing up for the 4th

2009-07-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's time for another Independence Day at Desert Aire. Golf cart parade, Fireworks display, good food, fruity drinks, laughter, more food, water balloon fights...oh the list goes on :)

It's always nice when we go away for a long weekend to have great house sitters. This weekend is no exception. Besides taking care of the house...I'm sure the flowers will appreciate getting watered and the cows will appreciate being grain fed. Thanks for always being here for us when we're gone.

Today is Melana's birthday, so we plan on doing a little celebrating tonight with strawberry shortcake. All the kids will be joining us as well as Vickie and Tom (not to mention the whole Cherry Lane neighborhood).

I didn't feel well yesterday, but I woke up today feeling much better.

I wrote the first part of this blog early this morning. Things changed a little as the day went on. I fell asleep by 9:00pm and forgot to finish writing to you. I'm exhausted now and I promise to write something meaningful tomorrow.

Good night for now.

Dreaming Big,

Dor

My dose of Reality

2009-06-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

Doreen here. With a dose of reality. In case you hadn't noticed, I prefer to make margaritas out of limes (instead of lemonade out of lemons) but that's just a technicality.

This past week has been a little overwhelming for me, us. I know I've said it so many times before but we really have been LUCKY in the face of CANCER. Our battles have been fought with laughter, love and some toxins we can't seem to get away from. But lately, the battle gear has been a little more intense. I'm still trying to fight cancer with love and laughter, but I need something a little stronger than that. I need your prayers and some heavy artillery (chemotherapy).

Jake took Rick and I to our appointments today and was a trooper. We really enjoyed our time alone with you. Today's doctors visit left me again with a heavy heart. We've decided to cancel yet another drug that isn't doing it's job. (or to put it better, it's really do a job on me...not the cancer cells). I'm due for a blood transfusion soon, my port acted like it had a leak it in, so my chemo was given through my veins today instead (it took a couple tries to get a good vein...so I'm a little bruised up). I got another shot of Neulesta to stimulate my bone marrow (and cause excruciating pain in my pelvis and hips). They did a dye study of my port to make sure it was in working order and we're still debating what to do with it. When I got home I looked in the mirror to find my eyelashes have decided to make their departure (it's hard to have pretty eyes without mascara...and it's hard to put mascara on my eyelids). None of these things by themselves would cause anyone grief, but when I put them all together, I guess it is reason for some tears.

I prefer to share happy moments with all of you because I think it spreads hope that we can all beat this thing. I've been winning for over 3 years so I have so much to be thankful for. My glass is half full (of that margarita I was talking about earlier) and I plan on keeping it that way.

I must say that on Sunday when Amy was at the house and I was going through my morning ritual of gagging, coughing, sweating, coughing some more, etc., I didn't think much of it. I do it every day. Rick hears it and has adjusted, every once in a while he knocks on the bathroom door and says "hey, are you ok in there?". I forget that if you're not a part of it every day, it can sound scary and I'm sorry about that. Once, I finally get some of the fluid up from the bottom of my lungs, I actually feel better. Then, I take meds to keep the cough under control the remainder of the day and start over the next morning. This is my new normal.

Rick had another uneventful chemo day. He had lots of work to do once we got home so he went back to the office until after 7:00pm. He was bushed when he got home. He had a little dinner (thanks to Lindsay Smith) then went straight to bed. I hope he gets a good nights rest. He really needs it. I know he has a lot of pressure on him to stay as healthy as possible. He's still the breadwinner, the man who brings home the health insurance, and still tries to keep up with things that need to be done at home.

That is as much "real" as I can dish out in one day. I'm attaching a photo that my friend Cindy took (she came to visit me during chemo since she knew I'd be in town...I met here while she was a patient there and we became instant friends). The photo is how Rick and I were set up today during our infusion. He was in room 27 and I was in 28. Jake sat between us and kept us company.

I got this from a friend today and it's suppose to be about Sisters. I believe it's for all the people I love so I wanted to share it with you:

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance,
Grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

Dreaming Big,
The "Real" Doreen

Being Real

2009-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Most of the time Dor is very upbeat and positive when she is writing her blog entries. I guess to be fair, she is upbeat and positive about life in general. That is one of the many reasons why you guys love her. She has truly tried her best to make lemonade out of the lemons she has been handed the past few years. Lately though, mom and I have had the important discussion about writing for the purpose of being positive versus writing for the purpose of really showing what lung cancer looks like. I often ask her what the intent of the blog is... in her opinion. She is not "real" nearly as often as she could be. She paints a pretty picture most of the time so I often wonder if you are reading between the lines. I will stop by the house and see that she is shivering and wrapped in blankets, or sweaty and borderline delirious with a temperature of 103 (and has been most of the day), yet the blog entry the following morning will be about how she planted new flowers in the yard and had coffee with her friends. I appreciate her upbeat attitude but I try to remind her that it's ok to be "real". She tells me that she doesn't want pity from anyone. I try to remind her that she invited all of you on this journey with her and that it's ok to be honest when the flight has a little turbulence.

So here is the real story about how things have been lately. I was at my parents house on Sunday morning as we all got ready to attend a BBQ at their neighbors house. The steam from taking a shower has been hard on my mom for quite a while but I had no idea how quickly it has gotten worse. I will tell you, it's one thing to SEE her cute bald head or SEE her fatigued and say "it's sad to see the cancer affecting her", it's totally different to stand outside of the bathroom door and HEAR what lung cancer sounds like. The picture is not nearly as pretty as mom tends to paint. It is 45 minutes of coughing, gaging, sweating, more coughing, leaning over the sink with her mouth open hoping the fluid that is drowning her will fall into the sink and provide some relief. Watching someone struggle and knowing there is nothing you can do to help is one of the worst feelings in the world.

She called me a little while ago to tell me how things are going down in Seattle today. I was in a meeting and couldn't talk long but none of the news sounded overly positive. Nothing was horrible, but there was talk of her likely having a transfusion soon, and how they are only giving her one of the two chemos today because her body seems to be having a hard time with one of them. They can't figure out why she keeps having problems with a high temperature, and it sounds like her counts are starting to fall again. As of my last phone call with her, they were still waiting for news about my dad but they did know that his CEA counts have continued to climb and have now hit 35. For those of you who don't speak "cancer talk", we want moms counts to go UP and Dad's counts to go DOWN but today it was just the opposite.

We know how lucky we have been as a family over the past few years. We have been given far more time together than the doctors ever thought we would. We have had lots of good times and a few not-so-good times. I have no doubt that their positive attitudes have kept them alive so I anticipate they will continue to find the positive in everything that happens. It's the hard times that bring a family together so we will continue to embrace this time.

Fasten your seat belts, we are experiencing a little turbulence-

Amy

Chemo Eve

2009-06-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad are going to drive Rick and I to Lynnwood in the morning to meet up with Jake who will be our chemo boy all day tomorrow. He has a softball game in Mt. Vernon tomorrow night so we figured after the appointment he could just drop us off at our house before heading north. Now that he has the summer off from school, we hope that he can share in some of the "fun". I know the reality of treatments are something he would like to avoid, but I think it's good for him sometimes to meet with our amazing nurses and docs. They help him feel better about what's going on in our lives.

I'm pretty fatigued today so I think I'll finish this blog and call it a night.

Talk to you all tomorrow if I can stay awake long enough after I get home from Seattle.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Too tired to sleep...

2009-06-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes you're just so tired, it's hard to fall asleep? That's where I am right now. My eyes are struggling to stay open, but my insides are screaming "no not yet". So here it is, 5 am, jammies on, took my meds, Rick is in bed with the sheets all warmed up and my body is saying, "no, let's have another glass of water or a snack. Maybe we could a crossword puzzle then we can go to bed"? I said "forget it". Now it's time to wake up. I'll just have to take a nap sometime today instead.

Today we are going to our neighbors, Jeff and Ericka's house. Ericka's grandparents grew up next to my in laws and they will be in town for the weekend. We're all going down to their house to catch up on old times. Hopefully, both families will be able to make it for the visit. They used to have great times together. I'm sure many of the old stories will come out. I'm just not sure "which version" we'll get to hear. :)

I'm still feeling much better than yesterday. Let's hope it stays that way. Rick and I both have chemo again on Tuesday so I'd like to start the week on a good note. Jake will be our chauffeur to and from our appointments now that school is out.

Ok, I'm going to crawl back under the covers and o my best to fall asleep.

Wide awake but always dreaming,
Dor

Bad Day, Ugh!

2009-06-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday would not be considered one of my better days in life. As a matter of fact, it might be near the top of the bad ones. I started the morning with a low grade fever (nothing out of the ordinary...this has been happening since I started on chemo), but by noon it had shot up to 103 degrees. Oops! A little too high. I spent the rest of the day at the doctor's office having blood work done, a new chest x-ray and a urinalysis. They needed to find out what was generating this fever. It appeared I was heading for the hospital, until my fever broke while we were waiting for some results (and I was packed in ice). I wasn't very happy about going to the hospital (that is where sick people go and I wasn't ready to give in yet!). Once I got home, I slept the remainder of the day.

Today has been wonderful. No fever over 99.6. I feel good. I've been taking it easy all day only doing odd jobs around the house. Tonight Rick went to play cards with some old high school buddies so, Reid picked him up and dropped Cathy off at the house to play with me. Actually, we've made cookies, watched a movie, talked, laughed, talked some more. All in all, it's been a great day.

While I was laying in bed yesterday, our dear friends Ann and Michael came up and worked in our yard for an hour. It looks great. Thanks guys!

Gotta go check on my cookies (and my guest).
Dreaming Big,
Dor

Clam Digging?

2009-06-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty good this morning, rested, not queasy.... So I thought I would go clam digging with my Dad and Angie (Mom stayed in the car). My original thought was that I could dig some clams, perhaps be helpful, bring the clams back to the van, (just do whatever was needed of me). I have told you lately how much lung cancer sucks? I was winded before I ever got to the beach, I helped Angie get about 30 clams, walked them back up the hill (while sucking breath), then sat in mom and dad's van for the next 30 minutes trying to catch my breath. Clam digging was nothing like I remember.

Something great happened due to the clam digging... When we got back, we cleaned and ground the clams for chowder. Once I got back to the house, I made a huge stockpot filled with chowder (some for Angie to take home) and I must say...it was delicious. Fresh clam chowder on a blustery day. Now that's what I call a joyous afternoon.

I'm attaching some photos. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Love you more than all the clams we saw spitting at the beach today.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Pet Scan Results

2009-06-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

I heard from Dr. Eaton this morning about my PET/CT scan and this is what he had to say: The tumors are all stable in size according to the CT scan. 2 areas of concern are my lower left and lower right lung. Though they have remained the same size, the activity of the cancer is higher than it was a couple of weeks ago. Because the activity didn't change dramatically, I will remain on this program for 2 more cycles. That should put me at the end of July.

I felt pretty good most of the day. I got some odd jobs done, napped for a good portion of the afternoon, had dinner made for Rick when he got home in case I was napping (which I was) and didn't have to rely on anti-nausea medicine to get me through the day. I hope tomorrow will be as successful.

Rick is feeling good today, as well. When he feels good, it helps me feel better. No news yet from the specialist who is going to do his liver procedure in Seattle, but we just heard about it yesterday. I guess I need to be a little more patient. :)

Amy added a link on my blog site for anyone interested in joining our team for the Bonnie J. Addario "Golden Gait 5K" - 5K Walk/Run. The girls in California have assured me that they'll send our shirts whether we go the event or not. Just know that your $25 entry fee will sign you up and start adding towards our goal. So far, I think we have about 10 team members and have raised $550 dollars. Bonnie says "Walk. Run. Sit. Sprint. Sprawl. Crawl. Dance. Prance. Stroll. Cajole. Saunter. Meander. Hop. Skip or Jump" Whatever your choice ~ Break your stride for Lung Cancer. I love that Bonnie Girl....I wish you all had the opportunity to meet her. You would understand why I have such a passion for eradicating lung cancer.

Until tomorrow...
I'm just dreaming big,
Dor

Tuesday Updates

2009-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm going to make this quick and head back to bed...but here's what we learned today. My PET scan results did not make it back to my doc so we don't know anything new about me. (they are read by someone other than the regular person because it's a research trial and that guy is gone right now so hopefully I'll learn something tomorrow. It doesn't matter however because I was going to get the chemo anyway) . I told Dr. Eaton that I've had a rough couple of weeks and he offered me the opportunity to stop...I said no thank you. I'll adjust to the inconveniences.

Rick's CT scan showed that most of his tumors were stable or a little smaller except for the ones in his liver. So, the new game plan is to inject chemo directly into his liver as a condensed version of the drug. We're hoping that this is just what his body needs. We'll learn more about it in the next couple of weeks.

For those of you who read this blog earlier and were worried that I'd had a stroke (all the jibberish) I want to assure you that I'm fine. The computer starting typing it's own letters and I couldn't shut the computer off. Sorry if I scared you.

I slept for about 5 hours this afternoon so I think I'll be up most of the night. It's ok though because I'm feeling pretty good and I have lots of things TIVO'd.

Dreaming (with my eyes wide open) Big,
Dor

Here's What's Happening...

2009-06-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been worried for the past few days that I wasn't going to have a really good day before it was time to have chemo again. Yahoo, I woke up today feeling GREAT. Today, Rick's sister Vickie took Rick and I to our appointments. We both had scans so we won't know anything until tomorrow.

Now for some news:

I got a wig (cranial prosthesis) today. (I'm attaching a photo of me with my sister in law...I'm the blonde one on the left)

On Wednesday night, June 24 during the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants game it will be the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation night. Bonnie (and a little girl, Emma who won an essay contest about lung cancer) will be throwing in the first pitch. Bonnie also told me that a little tease of the lungblog (with Jake and I in it) will be on the big screen. So, if you get satellite TV you might be able to watch it. She said there will be a big group of people with green shirts and lung cancer signs all over the stadium. Hopefully the cameras will zoom in on them. I am so excited that her foundation has brought so much awareness to this disease. Keep up the great work Bonnie. You're the best.

Amy and Melana ran a 5K in the Lance Armstrong Livestrong event that was held in Seattle on Sunday. I'm so proud of them for participating. Amy brought home a shirt for Rick and I that says, Game on, Cancer. I love them.

I forgot to mention this last week. Jake got a job back with the Stanwood Camano School District for next year. He's so excited to know what his future looks like. Megan just has a year left at the University of Washington, then she'll be done.

Angie is taking Rick and I to our appointments tomorrow. It's always so nice to have someone else at our appointments with us. They are great at taking notes and being moral support. I have chemo (as long as my counts are good) and Rick has a follow-up appointment to see if his chemo cocktail is working. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

I'm attaching a few photos from father's day as well. I hope you enjoy them.

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is a very special day for me because most you you know...I have the greatest DAD in the World. Not just because that what his card says, but because he displays all the qualities needed for that honor. He loves us ALL unconditionally, would do anything for ANYONE, he is EVERYBODY'S GRANDPA BOB, still loves my mother after all these years, forgets that he's 76 years old and wants to do everything he can, to help Rick and I. He doesn't take no for an answer, he's honorable, loving and the kindest man you'd want to know. He's my Hero! Thank you Dad for being who you are, all you've done, and all you'll continue to be.

To all the other Dads in my life....thank you, too. Thank you for being coaches, mentors and shoulders to cry on. Thank you for taking a firm stand (when you know it's for own good), giving hugs when we need it most, believing in us when we know we can do something, and forgiving us when we apparently couldn't. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your time. But, most of all...thanks for being you!

Let's take the time to Celebrate Dads ~

I've attached a photo of my dad and I right after my diagnosis. Isn't he cute?

Love you more,
Dor

Thursday night insomnia

2009-06-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post but I haven't been in much of a mood to share. Since Tuesday, I've been housebound (working hard at getting my blood counts up) all the while....keeping my spirits up! With all the pain I've been having in my lower back, hips, pelvis I think that the bone marrow shot they gave me last week is doing it's job. I finally got out of bed 10 minutes ago because the pain is so intense I keep waking myself up from the trembling.

This evening, Amy had a few people over to the house to have a "little spa treatment" She purchased the spa basket at a Relay for Life Auction. We had a great time and bought a few items to keep us all looking and feeling our best. Thanks Amy for letting us be a part of your spa adventure. My feet feel fabulous and one side of my face looks amazing....now I need to do the other side so I don't look like I've had a stroke. Hopefully, my products will arrive soon :)

We don't have many things planned for the weekend. Maybe a little work around the house, a movie, dinner reservations?, trip to Costco, then we're wrapping up Sunday with a BBQ for both of our dads.

Monday is a busy day. I have a PET scan and CT scan at 8:45am at the University of Washington, then at noon Rick has a CT scan over at Seattle Cancer Care. At 1:00 that day I have an appointment to be fitted for my "cranial prosthesis - wig". I'm not sure if you'll see me wearing it much, but you never know. Stranger things have happened. On Tuesday, we both get results then I'll get chemo. (Rick has this week off from chemo treatments). As usual, we are anxious for the results. I just need to hear the word STABLE so I can continue the treatment plan I'm on. We would like to hear the word SHRINKAGE from Rick's oncologist. His counts have continued to raise slowly, but we're hoping the tumors are shrinking in size. Again, we'll know more on Tuesday afternoon. When we know something...so will you.

It's now almost 1:30 and I think the Tylenol (arthritis strength) is kicking in. I'm going to try the sleep thing again. If it doesn't work, you might be hearing from me again tonight.

Sleep well, and if you're lucky enough to still have your daddy...don't forget to let him know how much you love him.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Early Morning Update

2009-06-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the blog update, Amy. It's 3:00am and my "wishbones" woke me up so I thought I'd stay up long enough to drop you all a little note. To all of you blog readers, thanks for keeping Rick and I in your thoughts and prayers...we can feel the love surrounding us.

This chemo is quite different than anything I've had before. Not that it's so terrible, it's just very different. The first week is a quick dose of a drug that I barely even know I've gotten. By week 2 however, the dose is longer, stronger and they've added 2 additional drugs. At the beginning of week 2 I don't feel much different than fatigued, but by this time in the treatment, I've really got to watch the low grade fevers, ACHY hips, pelvis, knees, thighs (they gave me a shot so my body would over produce bone marrow to keep me healthy...I think it's working), nausea, loss of appetite (finally a new diet plan) and just an overall feeling of not feeling like my self. I've done a lot more resting than usual and it seems to be helping.

I've gotten used to the bald head (though I still have follicletis - an inflammation of my hair follicles) so my scalp has a little rash on it. I'm getting more and more accustomed. Now I don't scream when I see my reflection in a mirror or window or a glass of water :)

Today (technically yesterday since it's now 3:15am on Tuesday), I got an incredible gift of kindness. As you all know, I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and support I get from so many of you. From dear old friends, to some I only know through the blog, to some of you I've never met. Here's what happened: About a month ago I received the most incredible flower arrangement I had ever seen from a dear friend of Amy and Angie's, named Sabrina. It was sent to me from the Tulalip Casino's new flower shop, Salal Floral (I didn't even know they had one there). When Sabrina ordered the flowers she shared the "story of our family" to the shop owner and shared how much she loved our family over the years and what great people she thought we were. Long story short, they decided to "adopt" us and I got an e-mail from the flower shop saying they would like to send me a fresh bouquet twice a month as a kind gesture in hopes that it would keep our spirits high. Oh, my goodness. Me and fresh flowers? Are you kidding? I'm going to be elated. They will bring them every other Thursday...Am I blessed or what?

We were hoping Dave and Val would be moving in this week but it looks like there is a little glitch in the 3rd parties money. Too much feet dragging. I believe it's all going to work out, they just need our good thoughts to help push everything in the right direction. I guess it will be a little longer before the "partying starts"...Just kidding, our partying needs to be during the daylight. Otherwise, we've all fallen asleep in our chairs or on the couch. Don't worry about stopping by and interrupting our parties...you might just be waking us up :)

Well, now that's it's 3:30 and my tylenol has kicked in a little, I think I'll wrap my hips back up with a heating pad and try the sleeping "thing" again.

We're hoping this week Jake learns something about his job. They re posted a bunch of them and I think he applied for all the was qualified for. School is officially out on Wednesday, so let's hope they learn something soon. Megan has the rest of this week off then it's back to school again for her. I think the kids are going to spend a few days over at Desert Aire for relaxation and sun before Megan has to go back for her last set of classes. Once summer quarter is over, it all just hands on stuff for her. 3 months at 3 different sites. Then...she's done :) It's been a long journey, but well worth it.

Angie is officially out tomorrow so she'll join me at my next "result" appointment next Tuesday. It's nice when summer vacation comes around. The kids have more opportunities to join us at appointments and ask questions. It's also nice just to spend quality snuggling time with them. They can crawl right into the hospital bed during the infusion and no one cares.

Sorry to say this, but Amy doesn't just "get time off". She's got a great job and they will let her take time off and make it up as she needs to, but like the other 2 kids....she doesn't have an assigned "summer off". She does however join me at lots of appointments and I'm happy they give her the freedom to do that when needed.

Vickie is taking me on Monday for my PET scan then we're going to a "get beautiful" class that the University of Washington puts on for cancer patients who've lost their hair. We should have a great time. And you never know. I might come home with a cute blonde wig?

Ok, enough blabbering...time to head to bed. Someone (ME) needs their beauty sleep desperately. I should have been in be by 7:30 tonight :)

Dreaming with achy hip bones...which are connected to my pelvis bone, connected to my thigh bones, connected to my knee bone, connected...well you get the picture :)

Love, Dor

Checking In

2009-06-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Dor hasn't been writing much lately so I thought I would give everyone a quick update on their status. Dad seems to be really tired these days. I haven't heard him complain about being in pain or having chemo symptoms, but we can all tell that he is tired from the constant treatment. He has been going thru treatment for a long time without a break. Personally, I think the guy deserves a week on a beach in Mexico.

Mom has been under the weather the past few days. For those of you who saw her at the parties on Saturday, you know that she over did it. She spent most of Sunday in bed with a fever that hovered around 101. She told us that she felt a little better today but was having a hard time getting used to the new treatment. She said her hips are sore. She keeps mentioning that her hips feel like a wishbone, ready to break at all times. The new chemo is known to mess with a cancer patients bone marrow so this will be something that we keep an eye on.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that mom is sick because she is so upbeat and funny. Other times, like the past few days, she has been a normal cancer patient. These side effects aren't expected to last forever, but as long as the fever continues we will keep a closer eye on her.

We are hoping tomorrow will be a better day for both of them. Dad has chemo in Seattle. His sister Denise has volunteered to take him so mom can stay home and rest. It's always hard to tell how my dad is feeling because he has always been so quiet. We are hoping that mom takes advantage of her day at home and gets some rest. She should stay off of her "wishbones" and keep an eye on her fever but she will probably end up at Starbucks with one of her friends. Oh well, life's too short to pass up a cup of coffee.

Sleep tight.

Amy

Over did it and I have no one to blame but myself :(

2009-06-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

As you all knew, we had a very busy weekend planned. a baby shower yesterday morning as well as 2 graduation parties yesterday afternoon. I had a wonderful time at each of them but but last night at Ally's graduation party, I was beginning to feel warm and laid down until we were ready to leave the party. By the time we got home, my temperature had spiked to 101.2 and I was feeling pretty lousy. Thought I didn't sleep well last night, I must say I'm feeling much better this morning.....

Sorry for not listening to you Eric, and leaving the party earlier. I could hear your little voice in my head all night long....

I'm going to head back to bed and try to catch up on my much needed sleep from last night.

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Quick little update

2009-06-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I started out yesterday morning feeling pretty good. By the afternoon, I could feel the effects of the steroids working on my body and my skin felt like it was crawling. Today, I woke up feeling great, my friend Kim stopped by for a visit and by 3:30 I was feeling pretty cruddy again. I could feel a fever coming on and I was a bit queasy. I just need to get my body adjusted to these new drugs and then I'll be ok. I'm just not sure what to expect from week to week yet. Dave and Val stopped by to talk about the new adventures of the "4 Musketeers".

Dave and Val are in the middle of building their retirement home in Plain, Washington. We are so excited for their journey, but they are running into a few glitches along the way. We are willing and able to help with some of their problems, by inviting them to stay with us while they finish their building. Housemates at 50? We'll have the best time.... They accepted our offer (though Dave thinks he's going to make a bunch of the rules). We were hoping they would move in next week, but there are still a few things to work out with their buyers. I think we are all excited to spend more time together. I'm very sure that having them around will be as helpful for Rick and I as it will be for them.

I'm heading off to bed now with big hopes of waking up feeling great tomorrow. I've got a busy weekend planned with baby showers and graduation parties. I need to start feel better soon.

Love you more than all the beautiful flowers blooming on my porch :)
Dor

Blog Post number 900...

2009-06-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

I either need to start talking less or have my blog printed in book form. Somehow, I'm running out of space. Ugh.

Chemo went ok today. It was a long day and I fell immediately asleep when I got into Cathy's car this afternoon. I don't think I was much fun on the ride home. (Well I don't remember anything if that gives you a clue). I've been sleeping ever since I got home so now I'm awake and thought I would drop you a line to get you up to date on what's happening.

After the 2 doses of chemo, they shot me in the arm with Neulesta (a drug to build up my bone marrow over the next couple of weeks since these drugs tend to do a number on your blood counts). That seems to be the only thing that hurt tonight. The needle shot in my arm. I woke up around 7:00pm feeling a bit nauseous but I took something for that before it got out of hand and I'm already feeling better.

Tomorrow, Rick and I go in for eye exams and new glasses. My vision has gotten worse over the past couple of years, I think that's an AGE thing. I forgot I can actually blame some of my faultering body on age rather than cancer related stuff.

I'd better get back to bed before I wake myself up completely.

Dream Big Happy Dreams,
Love you MORE ~ Dor

Photo Shoot

2009-06-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today I had a little photo shoot with my friend Noel. She spent a couple of hours making me feel beautiful (with or without something on my head). I try to be the person on the side of the camera taking the photos...not the one in them...so the first few minutes seemed~oh, so uncomfortable. I've posted some pictures from today's adventure. Hope you like them.

This afternoon, Amy and I went to Mt. Vernon to sit with some friends at the hospital. Their mom/mother in law has just been diagnosed with lung cancer and they needed some 1st hand guidance. Those first few days after diagnosis are so scary. Ok, all the days are scary, but we just learn to adapt as time goes on. We were there to help ask some of the questions you wouldn't necessarily know if you didn't know much about lung cancer. I wish them all the best on this new journey their family will be taking.

Tomorrow is another busy chemo day. I'll get the 2nd part of my Gemzar/Taxotere treatment. I've got a busy weekend coming up with Pam's daughter's baby shower and 2 graduation parties. I hope this treatment doesn't knock me down too much. I'm a busy woman with things to do, places to go, people to see :)

It's getting late so I think I'll go fold some laundry and get ready for bed. 5:45am comes early for me. I have to be ready to leave by 6:30 and since I don't have any hair to fix...I can get up 15 minutes later than usual :)

Until tomorrow, Dream Big~
Dor

Wide awake at 3:20am

2009-06-07T03:19:00.001-07:00

Late night at Desert Aire. Our friends Mark and Debbie and their daughters joined us over here today to take a look at house number one, visit, and spend the night before they went on to their next journey (a graduation party in Qunicy). We BBQ'd then sat outside in our courtyard chatting until midnight. The only problem I have...no such luck with falling asleep since we came in the house. Everyone else is sound asleep (sawing logs) and I'm wide awake with no one to talk to.

Rick had a successful morning at the livestock auction (I didn't go with him since I woke up with a headache, but it went away before he returned home and I had the car packed and ready to go). He bought 5 steers from some deserving young kids who had been raising them since they were calves. He however didn't feel well when he got home. So I fed him some lunch and we got in the car and headed over. He was feeling much better this evening. He thinks maybe he was just a little hungry (and needed some of my cooking).

The weather over here today when we arrived was a beautiful 73 degrees. Nice...Not to hot...not too cold. We took advantage of the heat (or lack of heat) because those days over here come few and far between.

I guess I'll go back to bed and see if my luck changes in the sleep department.

Dreaming (ok, not really) Big...
Love you MORE,
Dor