September 29,2010 Wednesday.....This is the day we have been waiting for, my appointment with Dr. Curley and his team to find out the final results of my surgery. They released me from the hospital on Saturday a day earlier than anticipated, I think that having such an attentive personal nurse made all the difference. The official pathology report showed that the chemo had been effective in reducing the size of tumors by 50%, he removed them and also two other shadows which he then used radioablation therapy on. The rate of reacurrance when he does that is less than 2 %. So, bottom line is I have been richly blessed by your thoughts and prayers and great medical treatment. Dr.Curley recommended more chemo after I have throughly recovered from this surgery (probably after the new year.) He wants me to see him in December right after Christmas for my first follow-up.
I can return to work, with some restrictions beginning next week. Brian and I will be flying back to Alaska on Saturday.

My surgery and hospital stay were probably the hardest thing I have been through. I experienced anxiety and pain which I have never experienced before.

I will be back later with more about how the past two weeks have gone. Evelyn

Surgery Today

Hi everyone,

This is Heather, my mom asked me to post an update for her when she got out of liver resection surgery, which she just did. I will let her share the details of her operation later, because I'd probably get something wrong, but the doctor said that she did great and things were looking good. When I talked to my dad he was just waiting for the OK to go see her in recovery. He sounded relieved and at peace about things. The doctor said that it looked like her cancer had responded well to the chemo she'd had and he feels really optimistic about things. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers-- I know they have helped so much. I am so happy to have this major surgery over with!

I left Heather and the babies at the airport at Cleveland in a torrential rain storm and with lots of tears. I am thinking we won't see each other again until at least Christmas and maybe longer. However,it was so nice to have that time with them. I feel that I know Abbie and William better and that they are much more comfortable with me.
I was excited to have Brian waiting for me at the airport in Houston and to have sometime with him. He is so good to me.
On Friday, after blood tests, an ekg, more blood tests, a visit with the anesthesiologist and with Dr. Curley I was scheduled for surgery for sure on Monday at 11:00. During the surgery the doctor will do an ultra sound on my liver and take out any tumors he can find, large and microscopic. He will also be taking out my gall bladder and any lymph nodes that are supicious. The surgery will take at least three hours and if all goes well I may be able to leave the hospital on Friday.

Brian and I spent Saturday exploring some of the back roads of Houston and eating some very good mexican food. Today we went to church with the Halliday family and for a walk in Herman Park, an area with beautiful gardens, a zoo and a museum. We got caught in another torential rainstorm which was warm and refreshing. It has been a long time since we went walking in the rain and it was sweet.

Right now I am drinking lots of clear liquids and having nothing to drink after midnight. Not my favorite past time but I feel so blessed to be able to have this surgery at this time. I am feeling a little aprehensive but I am also confident that things will go well. How could they not with all the support and prayers from family and friends and many I do not know.

Things are still going as planned.
I will be flying back to Houston on Thursday the 16th, getting blood tests and seeing the doctor on Friday to make sure I am fit for surgery. My surgery is on the 20th of September and I should be back in Wasilla if all goes well on October 2 or 3rd. I am feeling so good. I am supposed to be getting lots of exercise and I am, I just don't think it is the kind of exercise the doctor was thinking of. Painting the nursery and the kitchen and running up and down three flights of stairs and going for walks with the grand kids at least once if not twice a day is the kind of exercise I am getting. After climbing the stairs the first few days I was so stiff I could hardly move up and down normally. I was moving up and down them like 20 month old Will, holding onto the rail, two feet on each step, not alternating. Now I go up and down them with little effort unless I am carrying something and the two babies are trying to go up or down with me at the same time.

Heather and Jared went to Palmyra New York on Friday with their ward and I stayed home with the babies. I told them they needed sometime together before the next little one arrives. They won't be having much time to themselves after that. The baby is due on the 4th of October, although Jared is thinking he will come early.

Today, after church and a nap Abbie and Will and I made an Oatmeal cake. Abbie who will be three on the 30th of October especially enjoyed the activity, stirring and tasting and pouring in the ingredients. William who is 20 months is more into tasting and touching everything with his hands, having a sensory experience. The cake turned out well and Abbie enjoyed helping me cut it and serving everyone a piece. You should have seen her smile. When I ask Abbie to do something she often says to me, "if you insist grandma, if you insist," with a twinkle in her eye.
She also tells us that she is growing fast so she can have roller skates soon.
I have enjoyed my time with them.

Something interesting, when I first arrived in Cleveland I got a cold. Which was frustrating because I knew I needed to get over it quickly so it didn't wear me down and so I could still have surgery on the 20th. My colds often last at least a week if not 10 days. So I brewed some of my Essiac tea and drank it 3 times a day for a few days and drank 1/2 of a lemon in a quart of water twice a day. My cold was gone in 4 days!!!! I was amazed. I know my sister-in-law says Essiac is good for colds, and sore throats and whatever ails you, as well as helping the immune system and fighting cancer and I am beginning to believe her.

The nursery is almost finished and so is the kitchen all that's left are the details. Heather and I are hoping to get all of the painting done tomorrow and we will work on curtains and decorations on Tuesday and Wednesday. It has been a great change of pace and lots of fun.

Good News!!!!
We met with Dr.Curley on Wednesday, September 1, to find out how the tests went and when and if I was still eligible for the liver resection surgery. His waiting area was full of people, many were older than we were, some were younger, a few were a lot younger and they were all there hoping to be able to have liver resection surgery. One gentleman we met was going back home to get more Chemo to see if he could reduce the number of tumors he had and their size even more so he could qualify. Another young man had developed tumors in his lungs and was waiting to see how the doctor would handle that.So we were hoping for the best, but scared to death at the same time. Brian was so nervous he took two of his high blood pressure pills.
First I was called back to get my vitals checked. My blood pressure was even a little higher than usual for me and my stomach was rumbling. Next they put us in the coldest exam room in the building where we waited, first for the nurse, who went over all of my basic medical information again, next for the PA who came in and asked about the chemo I had had and all of the side effects I had experienced, she also told us the results of the blood tests and the CT scan. MY CEA which is a tumor marker, a possible indicator that your tumors are growing was back to normal!! The two tumors in my liver were reduced in size, my lymph nodes had stayed the same and the lesions from my first surgery were still improving!!! Wow we couldn't have received better news, it was what we had hoped for. After the PA left we had a prayer and thanked our Heavenly Father for His blessings to us and for all of those who have been there for us, for their prayers and thoughts and love. Finally, Dr. Curley arrived. He indicated that I was ready for the surgery except that my liver needed some more time to heal from the Chemo. Two weeks. If he did the surgery sooner than that the liver might not heal as quickly and there would be a greater chance of infection. Surgery was scheduled for the 20th of Sept. but I will need to be back in Houston on the 17th for tests. He will be taking the right lobe and it will grow back in 6 weeks. I will be in the hospital 5-6 days and another week recuperating before going home.

I left for Heather's Wednesday afternoon to visit for those two weeks and to help her get ready for the new baby. I won't be there this time to help her when the baby comes but Jared's mother is coming thank goodness. Brian is back in Wasilla where he is preparing to head into the interior to sell boots until we meet in Houston probably on the evening of the 16th.
Today the babies and I went for a nature walk, picking up rocks and sticks and dandelions and acorns and bird feathers and mushrooms along the way. We played in the baby pool in the back yard, and read books. I helped Heather hook up the new dishwasher and the dryer vent. We are going to begin painting the nursery tomorrow. I feel so good. I haven't felt this good for a long long time. I am so grateful to have this time with Heather and Jared and Abbie and Will. Life is wonderful. Goodnight.

My last chemo was on the 9th of August. The side effects were not as serious as the previous three treatments but then I was only getting half of what they usually give me. I was still ill enough for the rest of the week to notice. The numbness in my hands and feet and my sensitivity to cold is still there and it may not go away.

Brian and I arrived in Houston Sunday evening. It has been a whirlwind getting here, lots of loose ends to tie up since we could be away most if not all of September. All of the love and support from family and friends helped. Thank you, thank you and thank you. You will never know how much your kindnesses, and thoughts of love and your prayers have meant to us.

Today was full of tests, blood tests--I thought that would be easy with no need to be stuck because of the groshan I have for chemo. But no, you have to have a note from your doctor because some doctors are afraid of infection and I haven't seen my doctor yet. They hunted around poking holes in me until they found a vein that would work for them. The chest xray was quick and easy then the CT scan, when I checked with them about using the groshan for that procedure they said it wouldn't dispense the radioactive isotope into my body as fast as a vein would, however, after I told them of my previous experience they were very careful and only had to stick me once. Everyone is very friendly to you and you are treated well and if you want to get alot of tests done fast and know the results within the next couple of days this is the place to be. I think I have mentioned this before. It is also the place to realize that my challenges are small compared to many of the others we saw there. One mother at the motel had admitted her son to the hospital today, he has brain cancer and can't see anymore and is 13 and things aren't getting any better.

Tomorrow our long time friends from Plano will be coming to visit and take us to see their youngest son, my namesake, Evan, in Austin. We haven't seen them for years, it will be a nice reunion.

After our visit with the surgeon on Wednesday I will know how the tests went and when the surgery will be scheduled. I will keep you posted.

It is 1:30 on Tuesday morning and the only reason I am writing in this blog at that time is because I can't sleep. Monday was another chemo, it has been 4 weeks since the last and I can't relax. My legs and arms and the rest of me for that matter is very anxious, not nearly a severe reaction as the last time but still there. The legs just feel like they have to be moving. However,they didn't have to medicate me so much that Brian had to find a wheel chair for me and help me to bed and let me sleep. No,I walked easily to the car, I did have a nap for a few hours, watched a movie, 7 Pounds, a sad movie, with my family, which brought me to tears, and ate dinner. We will see what tomorrow brings, sometimes the days afterward are worse. But I think this lighter dosage agrees with me..

I had almost decided to skip this chemo and perhaps never have it again. Then at my last doctors appointment he suggested cutting the rineteacan and oxy dosages in half of what I had last time but adding a bolus of 5fu without the pump and some Avastan, a full dose. After Brian and Jared did some research for me,taking the 5 fu when you have already had a reaction to it again and taking Avastan with all of it's side affects was not an option. We also contacted the md Anderson clinic in Houstan to see what they would do.
They felt like I had taken enough chemo to look at my liver tumors and see how they had responded to it. They gave me an appointment on Aug. 30th to run blood tests and a ct scan and an appointment with the doctor on the 2nd of Sept. at which point in time they would probably schedule a liver resection. So after much prayer and pondering and fasting I chose to do one more chemo but eliminate the 5fu and the Avastan and then wait until after surgery to decide on any more chemo. After all chemo isn't for everyone, and it brings no guarantees, even research suggest that about 1/3 of the people given chemo don't respond to it. I was also impressed, after receiving a priesthood blessing, to think outside of the box, which is where I feel most comfortable anyway and look for alternatives to strengthen my body and to fight the cancer more naturally.I am back on my wheat grass, my carrot juice, Essaic tea, asparagus and my supplements. I will be trying more veggies and fruits and more unprocessed foods.

This brings me back to the beginning when I first knew I had cancer and my feelings of hope and despair. I am a mother, I want to be there for my children and my grand children, I am not ready to leave them. I want to see them grow up. I am a wife to someone who has always treated me as a princess. I want to be there for him, to sing his praises to future generations. I have been blessed to have such a caring, generous husband,and father for our children. I also did not want to put that chemo in my body, a body which has served me well. I still have my moments of tears and feelings of uncertainty when I am trying to make a significant decision, because I want to do what my Heavenly Father would have me do.I keep listening for answers and they come best when I am on my knees.