Support

Dear Friends,

Things have turned for the worst. We had a wonderful trip to Disneyland in May. Right now I am in the Hospice House in Bellingham. Thank you so much for all of your support through this.  It has meant so much to me. 

All my love,

Alexis

Changes

I feel like Alice in wonderland, who has fallen down the rabbit hole. I am not sure how I ended up here. Where to start? As I mentioned I continued to have shakes and fevers for 2 weeks and I wasn't sure why. Finally I found a skin infection that clued me in to the fever and shake issue. I saw my oncologist and she prescribed me an antibiotic. I returned 2 days later and it had improved but she felt I needed more antibiotics. I had just finished Cyberknife and was quite sleepy. However I was excited to return to Bellingham and spend more time with my son.

The night I returned we had a nice transition. We relaxed and took it easy.
I have been sleeping down stairs to be closer to the bathroom. I went to sleep and the chills and fever began. It was torture. Basically my temperature stayed at 102 degrees the whole night. I took tylenol. By morning I was drenched with sweat because my fever was going down. I was a mess, my body was weak and my oncologist said I should head down to the hospital. I checked in and the tests began. The fevers continued. I was a zombie for days. They narrowed it down to pneumonia, the skin infection, or a kidney issue. After a CT they were still unsure. My oncologist was on vacation so it took a little longer to make diagnosis. I was in the hospital for 16 days. I also learned that I had some tumors in my right lungs and some are pushing on some veins that are contributing to the swelling in my legs. I learned the next round of chemo will not be curative but may make me feel better. They never figured out my fevers. Even infectious disease couldn't figure it out. So I was a mystery and my fevers were labeled tumor fevers. These tumor fevers will never go away. Finally I left the hospital. I was sent home with a PCA pump attached to my port. The PCA stands for pain control analgesic. I am now walking slightly using a walker. I am at my moms in Seattle. I have home visitors coming up to 3 times a day. Helping me with walking, bathing and my PCA. I wish I could say I am feeling better. I am better since being admitted to the hospital. But for the most part I feel pretty crummy. I am trying to hang in there and work on feeling better and the fevers continue. Thank you for all the prayers and hope!!


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Shake it up!

Living with ups and downs! I have to say there have been ups and downs. On a positive note, I saw the pain service and they were thrilled with my progress and believe the Cyberknife is helping me and my pain issues. My pain has gotten dramatically better. I have started decreasing some of my meds! Yeah! So we have some victories to celebrate!! I am hoping that by removing some of these meds I may be relieved of some side effects!

On the flip side I have been experiencing "the shakes" actually pretty violent shakes on and off for the past week and a half. It happens only at night. I get cold and shake, shake shake. Then I spike a fever. It rises up to 101.5 then lots of sweating back down to normal. Makes for a scary night and exhausting. I have learned however that it could be the tumor dying off. And that all the shaking is related to the dying of the tumor cells. So it could be a good thing but a rough road. So I have to prepare myself and my mom for those shaky nights.

Thank you all for your continued support! I feel it coming through! I can do this. 4 more Cyberknife sessions to go. Then on August 6th I start my chemotherapy once every 3 weeks. This cancer us getting blasted!



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We're on the road to nowhere, I mean somewhere!

Not sure what to write. I am tired and feel a little stuck. where is my next road? Where do I turn next? I feel like I am at a fork in the road. Like Fozzie and Kermie as they're, "movin' right along". The first road I am taking is adding on 3 more days of Cyberknife. The doctor recommended I add on 3 more days for maximum treatment. So I agreed to this new road, keeping me away from home until, August, 1st. I also felt a lump in my clavicle lymph area and shared this with my cyberknife doctor. He was concerned and encouraged me to share this with my oncology doctor and start a systemic chemotherapy as soon as Cyberknife was finished. The systemic chemotherapy was always a part of the plan but it wasn't in the near future. Luckily the medicine is a dose that is supposedly "light". So maybe it will be like driving the Oregon coast, not real warm but has pretty views.

Schedule for Rides to Treatment

Thank you all who volunteered your time to help me. Here is the list. I am still short a couple rides. If you know anyone who may be interested in helping send them my way. Many blessings. Alexis

Tuesday July 17th ride from Bothell to swedish cherry hill at 1:45. My appt is at 2:30 pm then I need a ride back to Bothell around 3:30.

Wednesday, July 18 - Colleen M. Iwill give me a ride to Swedish Cherry hill.

Thursday, July 19th - Amanda S. will give me a ride from Bothell to Swedish Cherry Hill.

Friday, July 20- Dan P. Will give me a ride from Bothell at 2:45 to Swedish Cherry Hill, back up Jessica S.

Monday, July 23rd- Tracy W. will give me a ride from Bothell to Swedish.

Tuesday, July 24th I still need a ride from Bothell to Swedish cherry hill at 2:45

Wednesday, July 25th Kristi L will give me a ride from Swedish Cherry Hill.

So in summary I need some rides on July 17th and July 24th.
Let me know thank you!!
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