Chemo Update

[GrannyNanny]

Hi Seedy Friends -- I guess that title isn't so appropriate any more, since I don't read about many of you growing things from seed over the winter. However, you have been my seedy friends for so long that I can't stop now! Just wanted to keep you up to date on my chemo. I'd been off the really difficult stuff (the ones that give me the awful side effects) for six weeks, in order for my body to heal up from the previous onslaughts, and then this past Thursday I had the full treatment once more and will have two more on the two subsequent Thursdays. Since my cancer is chronic -- it's not ever going to go away completely -- what we're doing now is to give me these three extra treatments in an effort to give me what my oncologist says should be three to five years in remission before I have to go through all this again. The cancer is no longer in evidence in the scans, so this is just to "make sure" I can go longer between recurrences. So, I'm on the last of the chemos, and am VERY glad to be getting there. This bout has been worse than the two previous times; the good news is that there are a couple of brand new drugs out there that should make cancer treatments easier on me and everyone else who has it, next time this occurs. Meanwhile, I'm growing plants in the basement and waiting for spring! Love to you all, and thanks for your accompanying me through all this yet again! Phyllis

[rosemarie]

Phyllis, you are a wonder!! Keep on Keepin' on, Love!! They keep learning more and more , and maybe in "three to five years" you won't have to go through all this again! We will all have to say our prayers for you! I know these words aren't terribly adequate, but we are all pulling for you. Love, Rosemarie

[newtohosta-no more]

Phyllis...I'm praying that you won't have a difficult time with these last three chemo treatment and I hope it will be longer than 3-5 years before you have to do it again. You are truly an inspiration.

[thy]

Sad you have to tru this Phyllis and taking the next 3 in have to be difficult, but we all want you here, so if it is the deal - you just have to accept it.

How can they say there is nothing to see but it is cronical in your case
Don't it have a place to hide

Hugs
Pia

[LucyGoose]

....You amaze me....I am glad your through with it nor a while now....XOXO

[kHT]

Saying prayers for you regularly and know you are always in our thoughts and prayers. Those with cancer earn their wings as they help with research by testing drugs to put
this disease at bay. You inspire many and like the ever ready bunny keep going!! You also inspired me to grow seeds during the winter months!!

[GrannyNanny]

Pia -- Apparently there is a predisposition for the cancer to recur -- sort of like having one little cell floating around somewhere, and eventually it becomes more! I don't understand it either!!
Additional update -- since I wrote the initial posting, on Tuesday I started having bad side effects from last Thursday's treatment -- diarrhea and stomach cramps, plus nosebleeds. When I went in for my chemo today I was feeling really rotten, and after the nurse called my oncologist and told him what was going on he cancelled the treatment for today entirely, and said that we are stopping the two drugs -- carboplatin and taxotere -- that are doing all the dirty work, and will just do a maintenance program from now on, using just the third drug, Herceptin, which doesn't have any of those side effects! So, I'm essentially DONE, with just a Herceptin infusion every couple of weeks for awhile. I am SO relieved! I'll keep you posted on how I get on from here. Love to you all, Phyllis

[Linda P]

Phyllis, I'm so sorry to hear that you had to go through that whole raft of bad side effects. I understand the theory, and if you can make it through and got a few extra years before you had to run another round, it would be worth it. I am glad, though, that you have an oncologist who understands the quality of life issues, and is willing to go a different route so you are not suffering so badly. You're always in my thoughts and prayers.
Linda P

[jgh]

Hi, Phyllis

I haven't been around, but we've been thinking of you. You are truly a celebration of life!

love,
Jim & Sheila

[viktoria]

You last posted more than a week ago, so I trust you are feeling better already?

Viktoria

[Marlys]

Phyllis,

I've been wondering about you. I sent you a PM and never heard back so was concerned. I'm praying for you and think of you often. I hope you are able to be out in the garden this spring and enjoy all the earth's gifts to mankind.

I was not able to grow any seeds this winter and have missed that. I have never grown tons of seeds like some of our hosta friends. I think most of our "seedy" friends communicate on another web-site these days and facebook.

We finally had a perfect spring day here in central Iowa yesterday. Now snow forecast for tomorrow again, maybe. Beautiful life giving gentle rains last night and this morning. Everything is coming up green.

Thinking of you,

MM

[GrannyNanny]

I guess it's been longer than I'd thought since I posted last, so here goes. The short story is that I'm feeling better and better and better! Taste buds are recovering, my digestion is back to normal, and I'm even noticing a tiny fringe of hair across my forehead! I have the herceptin infusion every three weeks until further notice, and take an anti-estrogen pill called Femara once a day. Both the herceptin and the Femara cause joint and body aches, but nothing I can't deal with. I am so delighted to be through with the "bad actor" chemo drugs that I can take about anything else! Now if we could just get some springtime weather around here.....!

[Midnight Reiter]

You're in my thoughts and prayers, Phyllis.

[kHT]

GN, prayers and thought are with you daily!! Keep moving and enjoying life to it's fullest.

[LucyGoose]

Good to hear your doing good.....your amazing!

[GrannyNanny]

Yes, I'm feeling better and better and better. Hooray! I've been outside all afternoon potting up plants for the garden club sale, which happens in just two weeks. I've discovered that digging plants and potting them up encourages growth, since they warm up quicker than they would if left in the ground. It's imperative that I have SOMETHING showing aboveground by the 18th -- it is incredibly hard to convince a prospective plant buyer (especially one that is used to seeing greenhouse forced plants at the nursery) that there really IS a dormant plant down there in the dirt in that greenery-less pot!!!! The hostas are nubbins, but they are growing, so I'm hoping for a fast-growth two weeks. Thanks for all your kind words and prayers. I'll take them all!!!! Phyllis