California Here I am!

Trip was great! Any pain twinges were sporadic with no biggies. Hey I was so 
excited to be taking this trip even the airplane food tasted good! (Maybe THAT 
was the miracle of the day!)

I was all prepped to show off my "Certificate Of Implant" to someone at TSA, but 
when they took me aside for the hand-screening they said "oh yes, we have people 
come through all the time with stents!" So much for any drama! Ha ha. And such 
service when we got here, Frank's youngest brother Paul picked us up at LAX and 
brought us right to the parents! 75 degrees, no humidity, just relaxing, reading 
and hanging out enjoying Southern California. 

Thanks so much for covering that plane trip in your prayers--again, again, 
again! 

Love,
Carol

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Back in the Fight & Steppin’ Out!

Let’s see…update first. It doesn’t seem that the block was a “slam dunk” no pain whatsoever, but it certainly is much, much better than before I went in. I still am having the weird break through pain now and then that I just can’t figure out the cause or the explanation. I had lots of tests and the very best news is that the CT scan they did while I was at Johns Hopkins and during my time off chemo showed No Growth or Spreading of the tumor. I can only give God all the credit for that. He DID take care of me during that time just as we prayed.

So, I was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, then immediately went downstairs to outpatient and started up on Chemo again. It is the same combination of Oxyplatin/Xeloda that was working. –AND the good news continues that I have no nausea after the first few days. That is the best! In fact, I am feeling so spunky that we decided to FLY to CALIFORNIA, leaving tomorrow! for 10 days to see friends and family before we have to be back here again for the next chemo infusion. (I get the chemo- the Oxyplatin- by IV every 21 days and then take it (the Xeloda) orally every morning and every evening in a pill for 14 of the 21 days).

Friday (the party is on Saturday), Frank’s dad has his 89th birthday! That’s a family party we don’t want to miss! And of course…we get to see Chip, who is driving up from San Diego for the weekend in Orange County!

At some point during the following week Frank and I are going to drive up to Thousand Oaks to visit all of our friends there. In fact, Paul and Mary Anne Alexander have offered to have everyone close by to the old neighborhood come by for dessert one evening that week. (I know I am being so selfish asking you to come to me…but it would be so great to see friends! I think it might be on Wednesday evening but I guess I should check it out with Mary Anne and Paul! Hee hee. -- SOoooooo, watch this space and I’ll just put it on the blog and spread the word so we can see you!) Friday morning we are back to DC in time for chemo IV the following Tuesday.

So, either this is going to be so freeing, or I am an idiot for taking on a big trip 3,000 miles from Dr. Dan and the team! I admit feeling a little nervous. I was looking at some wedding snapshots the other day and thought, WOW what an answer to so so so many prayers that God gave me such energy on that day. Now I am asking for TEN days! Hey…your prayers were so effective for the wedding..can I ask for your prayers again as we step out on this adventure? I am praying that I will listen to my body and rest when I need rest, and don’t overdo it so that I hit the wall and later chastise myself saying “well, you did that to yourself Carol!” Although I think I am most nervous about the long flight itself.

But when we told Dr. Dan that we were thinking of doing this, he was so supportive. And I get it…at some point, I need to Live Life during the 21 days between Hopkins appointments. So here we go.

That’s the news! I will keep you posted from my blackberry!

Love,

Carol