Well, finals were a little rough, I didn't get to finish my moulded truffles :( but they're over and I passed the class with a B (who would've thought pastry school would be so challenging???) My new class is making cakes and after only 2 days, I like it a lot better. Today we made a 4 layer chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, espresso chocolate chip angel food cake and a hazelnut torte that we will frost with chocolate mousse tomorrow... bet you all wish you lived closer, huh? Needlesstosay, I've put on a couple pounds since starting the program, but running around for 5 hours a day in class and a few hours a week at work have helped offset the damage that could be happening to my waistline!
In terms of my health issues, fortunately I don't have much to report :) I've been feeling great this week and I'm chaulking up my roller coaster from last week to anxiety and stress that seem to have diminished this week. I'm not even sure if the fatigue and disorientation I was feeling were a result of my new medication like I assumed. It seems more likely that they were leading up to the panic attack I had. I've been feeling basically normal since that night and have been much more productive.
I hope you all are enjoying our turn toward fall. I love this time of year and am looking forward to getting out of the 90's and breaking out some of my sweaters and long pants!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Update... Better news from new doc :)
Hi All,
I hope you all are doing well this week!
After leaving the meeting with the first oncologist I saw here in Sacramento, Dena and I felt like there was no hope and my days were numbered. Obviously we wanted a second opinion who might offer us a small glimmer of hope. My mom & I met with a second oncologist, Dr. Grennan, last week and we were pleasantly surprised to find him much more optomistic with plans B, C & D available as possibilities if the chemotherapy I'm doing now doesn't produce the results we're hoping for. At the same time, he says that he has a lot of confidence that this chemo should work, since it did the trick on my earlier tumor. Like my oncologist back in Santa Clara who said he had been treating someone with my type of disease for nearly 20 years, Dr. Grennan said that he has had the same success with another patient for a similar amount of time.
He also said that there is a possibility that if we treat these tumors and 1 or 2 are stubborn and don't respond to the chemo, there is a possibility of using gamma knife radiation on a couple individual tumors. This was exciting news since I had previously been told that gamma knife was not an option for me. Dr. Grennan also said that Kaiser has a new neuro-oncology department in Redwood City that works with the neuro-oncology department at UCSF, one of the best neuro-oncology centers in the country where there are often studies being done on new treatments. Though I don't want false hope, it was really nice to leave a consultation with a bit of a feeling of optomism :-)
I also saw a new neurologist last week. He's switching me to a new anti-seisure medication called Keppra because the one I've been on for 6 years, Tegretol, speeds up how my liver metabolizes medications I take, including the chemotherapy I'm doing and may make it less effective than it should be. I've been slowly increasing the dosage and just realized in the last couple days that I'm having some pretty crazy side effects. It's been making me REALLY fatigued and moody with barely enough energy to make it to school and work. Then last night I had major chest pain, pain in my left arm, nausea and a headache, totally making me think I was having a stroke or heart attack. I called my neighbor, Supriya, in a total panic and she called 911 for me and came over to help calm me down. When the ambulance came, the hot guys in uniform checked my heart rate and blood pressure and everything was totally normal. After they left, Supriya (who, to my good fortune, is doing her residency, becoming a world-class psychiatrist) helped me understand what I was experiencing was actually probably a panic attack. She told me to take a couple ibuprofen to help my chest and arm muscles relax, and I fell asleep within about a half hour.
Needless to say, I didn't make it to my 6am class today, but I felt SO much better and was able to get some stuff done that I've been too tired to do for the last couple weeks. After all this drama, I'm feeling pretty good going into my finals tomorrow and Friday. I have to make marshmallows, candied orange peels, triple chocolate mousse towers, free form chocolate truffles, moulded chocolate truffles, petit fours and peanut brittle, all in 7 1/2 hours! Wish me luck!!!
Love you all!!!!!
I hope you all are doing well this week!
After leaving the meeting with the first oncologist I saw here in Sacramento, Dena and I felt like there was no hope and my days were numbered. Obviously we wanted a second opinion who might offer us a small glimmer of hope. My mom & I met with a second oncologist, Dr. Grennan, last week and we were pleasantly surprised to find him much more optomistic with plans B, C & D available as possibilities if the chemotherapy I'm doing now doesn't produce the results we're hoping for. At the same time, he says that he has a lot of confidence that this chemo should work, since it did the trick on my earlier tumor. Like my oncologist back in Santa Clara who said he had been treating someone with my type of disease for nearly 20 years, Dr. Grennan said that he has had the same success with another patient for a similar amount of time.
He also said that there is a possibility that if we treat these tumors and 1 or 2 are stubborn and don't respond to the chemo, there is a possibility of using gamma knife radiation on a couple individual tumors. This was exciting news since I had previously been told that gamma knife was not an option for me. Dr. Grennan also said that Kaiser has a new neuro-oncology department in Redwood City that works with the neuro-oncology department at UCSF, one of the best neuro-oncology centers in the country where there are often studies being done on new treatments. Though I don't want false hope, it was really nice to leave a consultation with a bit of a feeling of optomism :-)
I also saw a new neurologist last week. He's switching me to a new anti-seisure medication called Keppra because the one I've been on for 6 years, Tegretol, speeds up how my liver metabolizes medications I take, including the chemotherapy I'm doing and may make it less effective than it should be. I've been slowly increasing the dosage and just realized in the last couple days that I'm having some pretty crazy side effects. It's been making me REALLY fatigued and moody with barely enough energy to make it to school and work. Then last night I had major chest pain, pain in my left arm, nausea and a headache, totally making me think I was having a stroke or heart attack. I called my neighbor, Supriya, in a total panic and she called 911 for me and came over to help calm me down. When the ambulance came, the hot guys in uniform checked my heart rate and blood pressure and everything was totally normal. After they left, Supriya (who, to my good fortune, is doing her residency, becoming a world-class psychiatrist) helped me understand what I was experiencing was actually probably a panic attack. She told me to take a couple ibuprofen to help my chest and arm muscles relax, and I fell asleep within about a half hour.
Needless to say, I didn't make it to my 6am class today, but I felt SO much better and was able to get some stuff done that I've been too tired to do for the last couple weeks. After all this drama, I'm feeling pretty good going into my finals tomorrow and Friday. I have to make marshmallows, candied orange peels, triple chocolate mousse towers, free form chocolate truffles, moulded chocolate truffles, petit fours and peanut brittle, all in 7 1/2 hours! Wish me luck!!!
Love you all!!!!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Chapter 2
Hi Everyone! I hope you all are doing well :)
Back in 2002 and 2003, I won the fight against a nasty brain tumor (Chapter 1). The hope, support and inspiration I received from all of my friends and family were, I believe, what ultimatley led to the destruction of that little piece of crap!!!
Well, unfortunately, it turns out that it has some little cousins who have decided to visit me as I've been told that I have a few new little tumors growing in the same general area of my brain as the original one. I began doing chemo 2 nights ago and have had no major problems or side effects. I tolerated this same chemo really well last time and so far it looks like I will hopefully be having the same experience. I don't expect to lose my hair this time, since I only lost it last time from the radiation treatments I did, and I won't be doing radiation this time... my body has already had all the radiation that it can take.
I decided to make a blog so I can let you all know what's going on with my treatments and progress if you're interested, but not bombarding your inboxes with what can be a gloomy subject. I'll update you on how I'm doing and any significant events in my life and treatment and you can check up on me if you're curious.
I've been going to pastry school since early July and expect to graduate in mid February. I'm also working as a server at a seafood restaurant here in Sacramento called Fins. I plan on continuing doing both for as long as I can or until I decide to plan a fabulous month-long trip to Europe or some other exotic location :) I'm finally realizing what I should have appreciated the first time I beat cancer... that our lives are unpredictable and we should do the things we are passionate about today. Whether we live to 40 or to 80, life is too short to put things off until tomorrow or next week or next year. Make the most of the time that you have with your friends and family and have some adventures!
Ok, so I'm getting a little deep. Being told you have brain tumors will do that to you. I gotta say though, I've had some great conversations with people I love in the last few days and, in a weird way, that makes it all worth while!
Back in 2002 and 2003, I won the fight against a nasty brain tumor (Chapter 1). The hope, support and inspiration I received from all of my friends and family were, I believe, what ultimatley led to the destruction of that little piece of crap!!!
Well, unfortunately, it turns out that it has some little cousins who have decided to visit me as I've been told that I have a few new little tumors growing in the same general area of my brain as the original one. I began doing chemo 2 nights ago and have had no major problems or side effects. I tolerated this same chemo really well last time and so far it looks like I will hopefully be having the same experience. I don't expect to lose my hair this time, since I only lost it last time from the radiation treatments I did, and I won't be doing radiation this time... my body has already had all the radiation that it can take.
I decided to make a blog so I can let you all know what's going on with my treatments and progress if you're interested, but not bombarding your inboxes with what can be a gloomy subject. I'll update you on how I'm doing and any significant events in my life and treatment and you can check up on me if you're curious.
I've been going to pastry school since early July and expect to graduate in mid February. I'm also working as a server at a seafood restaurant here in Sacramento called Fins. I plan on continuing doing both for as long as I can or until I decide to plan a fabulous month-long trip to Europe or some other exotic location :) I'm finally realizing what I should have appreciated the first time I beat cancer... that our lives are unpredictable and we should do the things we are passionate about today. Whether we live to 40 or to 80, life is too short to put things off until tomorrow or next week or next year. Make the most of the time that you have with your friends and family and have some adventures!
Ok, so I'm getting a little deep. Being told you have brain tumors will do that to you. I gotta say though, I've had some great conversations with people I love in the last few days and, in a weird way, that makes it all worth while!
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