All Pinked Out

Before I share my latest adventures, I wanted to explain a little about how this whole blog thing works. First of all, I don't really know.
At the end of each of my posts should be a small "comments" icon that you click to read comments posted by others and to write your own comments. On the next screen you can write your comments in the window on the right and it will go to my e-mail first, so don't be concerned if you don't see your comment right away. Most of you are sending your comments to me as "anonymous," so if you don't put your name at the end of your comment, no one ( including me) knows who you are. Lastly, I can't respond to you if you send the comment as anonymous. However, if you want me to have your e-mail address or any other personal information, you can put it in your comment and I'll modify what I publish so that the info won't show up for the world to see. Don't be shy about posting a comment and don't be afraid to be funny - laughter is the best medicine!

On Tuesday night I had a wonderful visit with a couple of angels who represented a big group of my sisters-in-Christ. They gave me the blanket, cap, and t-shirt you see in the picture as well as some other very special gifts. Mostly, they came to share the love and support of the team and to make sure I knew they were all praying for me and sending me their love. The teddy bear you see in the picture came from the FUMC in Mathis to let me know they are praying for me, too. My son has since decided he needs the bear more than I do so it currently resides in his bed. He says they pray together.

Yesterday was my third treatment and the last one I'll get through an IV in my hand- THANK THE LORD!!. My hand looks like a pin cushion and is still sore. I had a medi-port put in this morning and I can't tell you how excited I am. The medi-port is a device that is surgically implanted under the skin and into a major vein to the heart. It has a small disk of self-sealing silicon (say that three times fast) that sits under my skin so that the technician can insert a needle right into it to give me the chemo. If I had had this procedure done at MD Anderson, they would have inserted a CVC like last time.

A CVC is basically the same thing as a medi-port, but the tube comes out of your chest and has a removable end on it for chemo. They like the CVC because it is inserted with a local anesthesia and is removed promptly after the last chemo by just pulling it out (I know what you are thinking, but it doesn't hurt at all). I don't like it because I would have to inject myself with heparin (through the CVC) every day to keep the blood from clotting and someone has to clean the insertion site every week, which is a big production. Since my sister-in-law (who cleaned the insertion site last time) isn't willing to move to Corpus and I'm not willing to move to Houston and my husband doesn't even want to think about tubes coming out of my chest, much less clean the site, we would have had a problem. Furthermore, you can't get the insertion site wet - no showers, no fishing, no swimming. With the medi-port, there is no cleaning and no worries about getting it wet since it sits under my skin. HURRAY!

The only side effects I am feeling from the chemo is extreme fatigue two to three days after I receive it (which puts me on the couch most of the weekend), a terrible taste in my mouth for about a day, and- most traumatic for me- my hair is falling out. I just got it back the way I wanted it and now I want to cry. I'm thinking I might do the wig thing this time. Then again, I might decide to be a walking breast cancer awareness poster and go bald. You'll know by the pictures I post.

Thanks to all of you who have participated and shared this sight with others. It makes keeping in touch so much easier. Thanks also for your love, encouragement, and most especially your prayers. "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." James 5:15 Much love, Kelli

Heart, Will, and Determination

As most of you know, I teach at my alma mater, Gregory-Portland High School. I taught there for ten years before moving to Houston for two years and then taking a year off. I have been back since last February and I am currently teaching math and coaching the JV girls soccer team.
Last Friday was the last day before a two week holiday break, and the amazing staff and students at GPHS had a very special surprise for me...they had apparently been busy

making various kinds of hearts (when some of them should have been studying) which they presented to me in a huge jar and basket. I have pillow hearts, box hearts filled with more hearts, a unique stained glass heart (those English teachers are very talented), numerous decorated wooden hearts, Christmas ornament hearts, painted and fired ceramic hearts, paper hearts, jewel hearts, and even a heart made from a horseshoe (that sent the artist to the doctor with a piece of metal in his eye - sorry Ken!) Each heart has a special message and common theme- heart, will, and determination. Carl Prewitt, a teacher, coach and friend whom I have known since I was about twelve, wrote a poem that was the theme of each heart. The poem is mounted as shown above and is reprinted here without permission of the author...I'm sure I'll hear from him if he objects. I am TRULY BLESSED beyond measure by all the love and support...it's great to be home!

Heart, Will, and Determination

The heart is a
Thing of beauty; but
More than this,
It is the seat
Of power for all.

We align our hearts
With your heart -
Our power
With yours.

The will is a
Thing of brute force;
But more than this,
It is the feather
That makes flight happen.

We pool our collective wills
With your powerful will.
Fly!

Determination is defined as
A "firmness of purpose;"
But more than this,
It is the fuel
That enables
The heart and will
To become
The life-force that makes
All things possible.

We couple our determination
With your undeniable determination.

Heart, Will, and Determination!
Heart, will, and determination--
In all things.
By: Carl D. Prewit

A Man with Two Watches...

There is a saying that a man with two watches never knows what time it is. As of last Thursday, I now officially have TWO medical oncologists and one radiation oncologist, and they don't always agree. It was my radiation oncologist who ordered the CA27.29 blood test that ultimately discovered my cancer recurrence - apparently this test is pretty unreliable and my medical oncologist didn't like it. My personality is such that I like certainty, so I want all the doctors to agree - CERTAINTY! All the doctors did agree that the original treatment I received was a no brainer because it kills the cancer about 85% of the time...guess I am just lucky. All of them are also surprised at how widespread the cancer is given that I have no symptoms.

I almost had to break down and cry today because I called the insurance company to get information...how sad is it that I don't cry over my diagnosis, but the frustration of dealing with an insurance company makes me want to cry like a baby...anyway, mom came to the rescue and took over. I just called her at work and said, " This is what I need" and she said okay and she dealt with them!

Tomorrow during lunch I will have some blood drawn and then Wednesday at three I will have another chemo treatment. The doctor in Corpus moved the treatments from Mondays to Wednesdays, which works better for me because the soccer team I coach plays on Mondays.

Basically, that's it. Chemo every week and go to Houston about every five to six weeks. I'll let you all know how the chemo went next time. Thanks again to everyone for the love, prayers, and encouragement. If you are reading this, you are a blessing to me. Much love, Kelli

And So It Begins

We arrived at MD Anderson in Houston on Monday, Dec.5, exactly three years after I finished chemotherapy the first time. I am finally learning my way around their new building, which is very comfortable and much more cheerful than the hospital. The picture to the left shows the tree sculpture, and on the right I am doing school work while waiting for my appointment. As you can see, they have windows everywhere that overlook lush landscaping on every floor.
When we met with the doctor we were in for some shocking news...I apparently have tumors on my liver, lungs, spine, pelvis, lymph nodes...maybe more places, but I was so in shock nothing else registered. Faron and I couldn't believe it, and neither could my doctor...I just felt fine. The good news is that there weren't LOTS of tumors and they seemed to be slow growing. More good news is that the chemo I will be taking once a week does not have nearly the side effects as last time. I might lose my hair eventually, I'll get tired and winded easily, and my white blood cell count will decrease, but nothing as severe as last time.

The game plan is to take chemo until tumors are gone (hopefully) and then take a hormone therapy to keep them from growing back. When Faron asked the doctor how long it would take, he said, " as long as it takes."

After the doctor appointment, we went upstairs for chemo - no messing around. I could not believe how easily I sailed through this infusion. The picture on the top right shows me getting chemo - no steroids, no valium, no anti-nausea meds and most of all - NO CENTRAL LINE. I had an extremely bad experience getting that sucker in last time and was very stressed about going through that again. A central line is a tube that comes out of your chest to make "hook ups" easy. Instead, they just gave me the chemo through an IV that they took out afterwards. I will probably get tired of getting stuck every week, but am happy to deal with it for now. Doc says whenever I am ready, we can put the line in. Anyway, I got a fifteen minute infusion of a drug to avoid allergic reactions to the chemo, then the infusion of chemo for an hour, then they pulled the IV out and we went home. Pretty slick!
On Thursday I have an appointment with a local doctor to get myself set up to have most chemo treatments down here - I am happy to avoid driving to Houston every Monday. I will go to MD every four or five weeks for doctor visit and chemo there.

Although we are certainly in shock about the whole situation, we still feel blessed. If Dr. Perkins had not ordered the blood test which showed an increase in a tumor marker, who knows how long it would have taken us to find the tumors because I truly felt fine and had no complaints at all. We also feel blessed because this time around we are back home surrounded by family and friends, love and prayers, support and encouragement. I had a meeting at the church last Saturday and was lifted up in prayer as I was surrounded by about forty of my sisters-in-Christ. I don't know what God's plan is, but Jeremiah 29 verse 11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Prologue

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2002 at the age of 36. I had a complete mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Just prior to my diagnosis, my family had moved to Houston. For me, the move was under protest - until I was diagnosed and lived next door (by Texas standards) to one of the best cancer centers in the world - God's plan was unfolding before my eyes. During that experience I would send out e-mails regularly to everyone in my address book. Two days ago I found out that my cancer had returned. This time around, my husband decided to set up this blog for me so friends and family can check up on me when they want to and communicate with me and each other. I especially wanted to do this because my brother is serving in Iraq and feeling left out of the "loop" and this would be a great way for him to feel included...so this is for you, kid.