Wonderful gifts, from my awesome friends.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
October 12 2010 What Do You Do the Day Before Surgery?
In my mind I am cleaning my house, making sure all the bills are paid, putting together a bag, water the plants, and the list goes on. My body is telling me it doesn't want to do anything. So I visit! I have had wonderful, dear friends call me on the phone, drop by with flowers, stop over to make preparations to help and visit about our friendship and love. Others are texting and emailing their thoughts and prayers for me.
THANK YOU ALL for your love, prayers and help.
I have received the call to schedule my time tomorrow. We will be at the Huntsman by 7 am. The surgery will begin around 8:30 am. It will be a couple of hours long. I will be in the hospital for a few days.
Thank you for your continuing faith, prayers, love and concern for me and our family.
This is a picture of the tumor protruding forward. The bruises are from the biopsy.
THANK YOU ALL for your love, prayers and help.
I have received the call to schedule my time tomorrow. We will be at the Huntsman by 7 am. The surgery will begin around 8:30 am. It will be a couple of hours long. I will be in the hospital for a few days.
Thank you for your continuing faith, prayers, love and concern for me and our family.
Monday, October 11, 2010
September 17 2010 ^^^^^ Let's Go See the Doctor
After the MRI I expected to have to wait until Monday’s appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon to hear the results.
However, we received a call from the doctor on a Friday afternoon. She said, "Theresa, could you come down to my office. I need to talk to you about the results of your MRI." I replied, "Yes, I will bring my husband." She responded with, “Yes, that will be good." You know from that conversation that it is not going to be good. My primary care doctor is very compassionate and caring towards me. She was very sorry to tell us that the cancer was in the humorous bone and muscles around it. The best thing she could do for me until I could see the doctors at Huntsman would be to give me pain pills. I told her I hated taking them because I do not want to get hooked on them. Her response was startling to us. At this point, we are not concerned about you becoming addicted. Wow reality has a way of slapping you in the face!
The doctor's office said that they would cancel the appointment on Monday and would set up the appointment at Huntsman for us.
However, we received a call from the doctor on a Friday afternoon. She said, "Theresa, could you come down to my office. I need to talk to you about the results of your MRI." I replied, "Yes, I will bring my husband." She responded with, “Yes, that will be good." You know from that conversation that it is not going to be good. My primary care doctor is very compassionate and caring towards me. She was very sorry to tell us that the cancer was in the humorous bone and muscles around it. The best thing she could do for me until I could see the doctors at Huntsman would be to give me pain pills. I told her I hated taking them because I do not want to get hooked on them. Her response was startling to us. At this point, we are not concerned about you becoming addicted. Wow reality has a way of slapping you in the face!
The doctor's office said that they would cancel the appointment on Monday and would set up the appointment at Huntsman for us.
September 16 2010 ** MRI
Thursday was a busy day. Tammy and I flew in from California Wyoming
This afternoon I went for my MRI. They put a brace type thing on my shoulder, laid me flat on the table and strapped me in. I asked how long it would take. She said 30 to 40 minutes. I was given a headset with the radio station FM 100 playing. I was given a ball to hold onto, if I needed to stop I could squeeze the ball.
I figured that if each song was about 3 minutes I would need to listen to 10 songs. After about three songs I began to feel great pain in my shoulder. The pain radiated down to my hand. Finally five songs had played, half way through. Oh the pain is horrible, I try to think of other things, I wiggle my toes. I realize that my shins hurt from all the walking that Tammy and I did inCalifornia
I hear the machine stop and begin thinking, is someone going to come save me? What is taking so long? I can't wait any longer SOO I squeeze the ball. Help, get me out of here. She couldn't have come fast enough. I was relieved to be able to sit up and stretch, however the pain was radiating through my shoulder up my neck and through my head. I hope to not have to do that again for a really long time.
Now waiting for the results....
This afternoon I went for my MRI. They put a brace type thing on my shoulder, laid me flat on the table and strapped me in. I asked how long it would take. She said 30 to 40 minutes. I was given a headset with the radio station FM 100 playing. I was given a ball to hold onto, if I needed to stop I could squeeze the ball.
I figured that if each song was about 3 minutes I would need to listen to 10 songs. After about three songs I began to feel great pain in my shoulder. The pain radiated down to my hand. Finally five songs had played, half way through. Oh the pain is horrible, I try to think of other things, I wiggle my toes. I realize that my shins hurt from all the walking that Tammy and I did in
I hear the machine stop and begin thinking, is someone going to come save me? What is taking so long? I can't wait any longer SOO I squeeze the ball. Help, get me out of here. She couldn't have come fast enough. I was relieved to be able to sit up and stretch, however the pain was radiating through my shoulder up my neck and through my head. I hope to not have to do that again for a really long time.
Now waiting for the results....
September 14 2010 ++ As if LMS is not enough....
So BERKLEY here we come. The University of Berkley has a camera that they use to take pictures of the retina. They are able to take each section of the eye and take detailed pictures of it. We were chosen to have picture of our eyes taken. They flew us in on Tuesday September 14th.
When we got to the pier it was cold. It was starting to get dark. We did not have anywhere that we really wanted to go. So we got back into the long line to go back to Berkley. We had not gone back to our hotel room before leaving so we did not have our jackets with us. As the sun went down it got really cold. We were the only one is line that were in short sleeved shirts, shorts and sandals. My sister saved me by running across the street and buying us sweatshirts. The trip back was much warmer, especially with the warm caramel apple cider from Starbucks.
We stayed at the Hotel Durant. It took us back to the 70s. We knew it as week walked into the room. The decor was of a dorm room. Above the toilet was a picture of two people streaking! The do not disturb sign was a plastic sock hanging on the knob. The picture in the bedroom was of the movie "The Graduate" with Dustin Hoffman. The base of the lamp is a bong. Of course, I would not have understood most of it without my sister pointing it out. How did we live such different lives? I am so naive.
We spent most of our day at the University. At five o'clock we were finished and we walked down to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and took it into San Francisco. Wow what an experience. When we got there we waited in a long line to get on the street car.
We took that to HYDE Street and Ghirardelli square and the pier. It was fun to see the steep streets of SF. The sights and sounds were wonderful. Some times I was afraid we would make it up to the top. At the bottom I wondered if we would stop. One time we almost ran over a car that got in the way. We had to stop and back down the hill so that we could get a new start up the hill.
When we got to the pier it was cold. It was starting to get dark. We did not have anywhere that we really wanted to go. So we got back into the long line to go back to Berkley. We had not gone back to our hotel room before leaving so we did not have our jackets with us. As the sun went down it got really cold. We were the only one is line that were in short sleeved shirts, shorts and sandals. My sister saved me by running across the street and buying us sweatshirts. The trip back was much warmer, especially with the warm caramel apple cider from Starbucks.
When we got back to Berkley, Tammy wanted to get a taxi. I though we could walk. It was a LITTLE scary. My poor sis had a hard time keeping up with my very fast pace. I know she was thinking I was crazy for not getting the taxi.
We had a great time together for this short time!
September 2010 WHAT A JAM PACKED MONTH--HERE IS HOW IT BEGAN
Pain** The pain in my shoulder has continued. I am at the point that Ibuprofen 600 is not working. Am I wimp? Finally I decide to make an appointment with my primary care physician. My excuse, the arm is still bothering me, I need to get refills on other meds, and I should get a flu shot. This seems like enough reasons to give the receptionist when she asks why I am coming to see the doctor.
September 9th just before noon I see the Dr. She asks where the pain is and how well I can move my arm. She pushed near the shoulder and asked if it hurt there. YES it does! She decides that I should have an MRI and an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon could decide if it is something that a shot would take care of or if it needed more.
Shane surprised me at this visit. He was able to leave work at lunch time to come check on me. What a great man! He also got a flu shot while he was there.
I left with refills, flu shot a MRI appointment (Sept 16), and Orthopedic surgeon appointment (Sept 20).
September 9th just before noon I see the Dr. She asks where the pain is and how well I can move my arm. She pushed near the shoulder and asked if it hurt there. YES it does! She decides that I should have an MRI and an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon could decide if it is something that a shot would take care of or if it needed more.
Shane surprised me at this visit. He was able to leave work at lunch time to come check on me. What a great man! He also got a flu shot while he was there.
I left with refills, flu shot a MRI appointment (Sept 16), and Orthopedic surgeon appointment (Sept 20).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
A letter Shane wrote to Family and Friends October 10 2009
With some hesitation I am writing again with an update. Theresa is uncomfortable with people fussing over her, but we also decided that the support from our loved ones is most important. Most of you will know that Theresa recently finished a newly developed radiation treatment on a tumor that she had in one of her lungs. It was the tumor that they were unable to get with the radio frequency ablation that she had been doing.
About a week ago we went in to have some scans done and to verify the tumor is dying. During those scans, four more tumors were detected. Two in each lung. The radiation and ablation doctors are hesitant to treat that many tumors at one time. We talked to the sarcoma specialist at Huntsman. They have a recipe of three chemotherapy drugs that they have used in conjunction with each other. Our hope was to never need to do chemo again, but it appears like that is our option right now.
Theresa asked about insurance coverage for this new treatment. They said there has been no problem for the most part. Just one or two insurances have denied this treatment they are developing. It just happens that the insurance we have has been the insurance that denies regularly. They are hopeful at Huntsman. They think with Theresa's history and what she has done to this point, they will be able to deal with the insurance and get the treatment approved.
We will be fasting and praying that the insurance approval will come through and that the treatment will be effective when Theresa receives it. Over the years we have felt your support. Be assured that your support is truly appreciated.
Thank you again, all of you. We love you very much. Shane
About a week ago we went in to have some scans done and to verify the tumor is dying. During those scans, four more tumors were detected. Two in each lung. The radiation and ablation doctors are hesitant to treat that many tumors at one time. We talked to the sarcoma specialist at Huntsman. They have a recipe of three chemotherapy drugs that they have used in conjunction with each other. Our hope was to never need to do chemo again, but it appears like that is our option right now.
Theresa asked about insurance coverage for this new treatment. They said there has been no problem for the most part. Just one or two insurances have denied this treatment they are developing. It just happens that the insurance we have has been the insurance that denies regularly. They are hopeful at Huntsman. They think with Theresa's history and what she has done to this point, they will be able to deal with the insurance and get the treatment approved.
We will be fasting and praying that the insurance approval will come through and that the treatment will be effective when Theresa receives it. Over the years we have felt your support. Be assured that your support is truly appreciated.
Thank you again, all of you. We love you very much. Shane
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
