I had a much anticipated and nail-biting doctor's appointment today at UCSF with the best possible outcome I could have hoped for! I had an MRI on March 15th to compare with one that I had taken 2 months earlier, to see if the trial drug that I have been on is working, and all signs say that it is kicking butt! It is such a nice feeling to walk into a neuro-oncologist's office and see him smiling :) During our visit, he was thrilled to hear that I have had virtually no side effects from the medication. He always does a thorough neurological exam, asking me to follow his finger with my eyes or does it feel the same when he touches one side of my face vs the other side, that sort of test. I passed with flying colors, except my bad left leg, of course, and everything seems to be stable.
I had ANOTHER issue with getting the MRI images from Kaiser, but eventually was able to pick up a CD yesterday to take to my appointment. Since I couldn't get it to him earlier, they had to reformat the pictures to be able to compare them, apples to apples, with my previous MRI, which they weren't able to finish until after we left the hospital. In the appointment, he said he had looked at the new MRI and didn't see anything that concerned him, but that he could not confirm that for a couple hours, until they could officially compare it to the previous MRI. Finally, just after 5pm, I got a call from him saying that my tumor looks stable and that he was very happy with the results :) It is SO much nicer getting to write this kind of post rather than the ones I dread!
On another nice note, my mom and I just got back from a wonderful trip up to Portland and Mt. Hood to surprise our good friend for her 60th birthday. We saw a bunch of friends who I grew up with, as well as my uncle and cousin and one of my best friends from high school. It was totally relaxing while we spent 3 nights at our friends' cabin on Mt. Hood with a fire blazing, snow falling outside and a river running past, then a total party over the weekend when we stayed at a hotel in Portland for the surprise party. We were exhausted by the time we got home, but it was well worth it!
To further add to our fun/exhaustion, we flew in to Sacramento yesterday then drove to San Francisco where my sister, her husband and my niece met us to celebrate my birthday and go to my appointment this morning. We had a great time and had a nice lunch at Fisherman's Wharf today to celebrate the good news after my appointment :) Dena's family got me an awesome new camera for my b-day, so I'm finally going to start taking pictures of the basement remodel and post them so you can see the fantastic new room Dad's finishing for me.
It's been a busy, super cool week, but I tell ya, my bed is feeling pretty friggin good right about now :) I hope this finds you all doing well, or at least reminds you that life is one big, long roller coaster. One moment you're scared as hell, going up hill with your stomach in your throat, then the next, you're screaming for joy as you zoom around the twists and turns. I just celebrated my 36th birthday and there was a time when I was worried that I wouldn't live to see my 26th! As hard as we try, we just can't plan exactly what's around the corner. I've been forced to learn to do the best with what I've been dealt and to keep flexible and adaptable when life throws me a challenge. I'm starting to realize that optimism and a good attitude really do pay off :)
With that little nugget, I bid you all farewell, I'm pooped! Until next time...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Good Grains!
Ok, to start, Erin & Tommy FINALLY got back from New Zealand, totally safe and they had an awesome adventure. Apparently the earthquake didn't derail their plans at all and they had a magnificent time. I'm gonna see my BFF tomorrow, for the first time in a month, but it feels like a year. I'm gonna have to have a chat with her about taking such long vacations from me ;)
I haven't written any recent posts simply because I haven't had much to write about. I've been taking my trial drug pills and honestly haven't had any side effects or other drama in my life, so fortunately, life's been pretty chill. I've re-established a relationship with one of my cousins, which just makes me smile from ear to ear and I've been baking like a fiend, but not too much else going on up here in the sticks.
On the baking note, I must admit that I've perfected an AWESOME multi-grain bread that will make your head spin. I just finished making 2 loaves and a dozen rolls and they turned out spectacular. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I LOVE making bread and this one kicks ass. It's got oatmeal, cornmeal, quinoa, brown rice, a nine-grain blend, flax seed, honey... it's like a meal all by itself. If I ever make a name for myself in the food industry, it will be with this bread :) I feel so in touch with my pioneering fore-mothers!
The basement is well on its way to being finished, yay! The guys are coming tomorrow to finish the bathroom and mini kitchen which should just take a couple days. They will also finish installing a propane stove to heat the joint. Dad's planning on getting some help from his BFF to install the flooring near the end of March, so it should be move-in ready by early April :) We just bought an awesome rustic armoire and nightstands for a steal which should add to the cabiney feel, plus give me some staorage space. I'll post a bunch of pix as we near the finish.
In terms of the whole "cancer" issue, I don't have much interesting to post at the moment. On March 15th, I have an MRI scheduled, my first one since starting on the trial I'm doing. It will tell if the trial drug I'm on is working (no tumor growth or shrinking) or if it isn't (tumor growth). I have an appointment with my doctor at UCSF on March 22nd where I will learn the outcome of the MRI. My 36th birthday is on March 21st. I'm planning taking a long pause to celebrate what I never thought I'd experience when I was first diagnosed at the age of 26. I never even thought to look past a few months at the time, and now I'm here, happy as a clam, nearly a decade later. I'm trying not to think too much about it and just enjoy the simple things in life like my amazing friends, family, baking, crocheting, the approaching spring, my upcoming trip to Cabo (April 22nd-May5th), the happy, frolicking cows I see as I travel down Fiddletown Road, etc. If the drug is working, I will stay on it for at least a year, assuming it continues working. If it is not, I will move onto the next trial, and so on. I've been feeling REALLY good lately, physically and emotionally, so I have to take that as good news :) My legs are getting stronger which makes walking and stairs easier to navigate and I'm just getting used to my disability, to the point where it pretty much feels normal these days.
I hope this posting finds you all looking forward to the warm breezes of Spring and the thawing out of Winter bones :)
XOXO,
LG
I haven't written any recent posts simply because I haven't had much to write about. I've been taking my trial drug pills and honestly haven't had any side effects or other drama in my life, so fortunately, life's been pretty chill. I've re-established a relationship with one of my cousins, which just makes me smile from ear to ear and I've been baking like a fiend, but not too much else going on up here in the sticks.
On the baking note, I must admit that I've perfected an AWESOME multi-grain bread that will make your head spin. I just finished making 2 loaves and a dozen rolls and they turned out spectacular. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I LOVE making bread and this one kicks ass. It's got oatmeal, cornmeal, quinoa, brown rice, a nine-grain blend, flax seed, honey... it's like a meal all by itself. If I ever make a name for myself in the food industry, it will be with this bread :) I feel so in touch with my pioneering fore-mothers!
The basement is well on its way to being finished, yay! The guys are coming tomorrow to finish the bathroom and mini kitchen which should just take a couple days. They will also finish installing a propane stove to heat the joint. Dad's planning on getting some help from his BFF to install the flooring near the end of March, so it should be move-in ready by early April :) We just bought an awesome rustic armoire and nightstands for a steal which should add to the cabiney feel, plus give me some staorage space. I'll post a bunch of pix as we near the finish.
In terms of the whole "cancer" issue, I don't have much interesting to post at the moment. On March 15th, I have an MRI scheduled, my first one since starting on the trial I'm doing. It will tell if the trial drug I'm on is working (no tumor growth or shrinking) or if it isn't (tumor growth). I have an appointment with my doctor at UCSF on March 22nd where I will learn the outcome of the MRI. My 36th birthday is on March 21st. I'm planning taking a long pause to celebrate what I never thought I'd experience when I was first diagnosed at the age of 26. I never even thought to look past a few months at the time, and now I'm here, happy as a clam, nearly a decade later. I'm trying not to think too much about it and just enjoy the simple things in life like my amazing friends, family, baking, crocheting, the approaching spring, my upcoming trip to Cabo (April 22nd-May5th), the happy, frolicking cows I see as I travel down Fiddletown Road, etc. If the drug is working, I will stay on it for at least a year, assuming it continues working. If it is not, I will move onto the next trial, and so on. I've been feeling REALLY good lately, physically and emotionally, so I have to take that as good news :) My legs are getting stronger which makes walking and stairs easier to navigate and I'm just getting used to my disability, to the point where it pretty much feels normal these days.
I hope this posting finds you all looking forward to the warm breezes of Spring and the thawing out of Winter bones :)
XOXO,
LG
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
