Radiation is Rad!

Not much to report really.  Things are pretty good!  I'm 8 treatments into radiation. Zzzzzt ZAP!  I go every week day until the end of September.  It's a total pain because I have to drive to the hospital on Capitol Hill  (from work in Ballard) but I shouldn't complain.  Man, when I'm done with radiation I'll have been to the hospital about 50 times this year!  I'm continuing to recover from surgery and my range of motion is better.  My body is sore most of the time, purportedly leftovers from the Taxol chemo.  Blah blah blah.

Many thanks to Rachel Coburn and the rest of Team Booya (Carrie's Ta Ta's) for participating in the Alki breast cancer walk last weekend.  It was very nice to see you all, and I feel very loved and supported.

Baby West is eight months old today.  Wow.  He's crawling all over the place, gets into everything, and loves to walk if you hold his hands.  We're in for it!  (in the picture, he's trying to figure out how to wiggle out of Breck's arms and take a swim).

Booya!

Buh-Buh-Buh-BOOYA!

So I got my pathology report back.  I also saw the surgeon today who explained what it meant.  Two main points:

1)   NO RESIDUAL INVASIVE TUMOR IDENTIFIED.
2)  AXILLARY LYMPH NODE STATUS: TWENTY TWO AXILLARY LYMPH NODES, NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY (0/22)

Say what?  That means the chemo got all of the invasive cancer (more on that later).  I had a complete response.

Please indulge me.  This deserves some background music.  Click on the link below.


http://youtu.be/Dft63gHqqKo


Why is this significant?  Let me back up. The 5-year survival rate for stage 3A breast cancer is about 60-65%.  Yuck!  The 5-year survival rate for someone with a complete response to chemo is 85-90%.

That pathology report did identify some residual DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ--Stage 0 Cancer).  I guess chemo doesn't really work on that, and the course of action is to just remove it.  Done and done.  The DCIS was negligible, and doesn't affect my prognosis.

This is the result that I have been dreaming about, scouring the Internet for any data or possible treatment that improves the chances.   Only about 20% of people have a complete response.  This is why I have been closely monitoring my nutrition, juicing, taking supplements, hanging out with my naturopath oncologist, and avoiding the bad stuff that I used to regularly indulge in.  All for the hopes of a complete response.  YEA! YEA! YEA!  Although academically, a 65% chance of survival doesn't sound that bad....applying it to your own life...it's beyond awful.  Although I tried so very hard to keep my spirits up, passing thoughts of my kids growing up without a mother, Breck left to raise them, my parents growing old without their only child to take care of them, and so on, sent me into panic attacks.   Eek.

And while I'd love to celebrate to the max tonight, I am still hopped up on Vicodin, and recovering from surgery--so I guess I'll take it easy.  If you get the chance, give my family and my wonderful husband a high five.  They deserve it.  This has been so hard on them too.

Love,

Cancer-free Carrie

Post-Surgery Update

I went in for surgery on Wednesday morning.  It went well.  The surgeon said it looked like the cancer was completely gone from my breast and possibly still in my lymph nodes, but then again, that could just be scar tissue.  This is good news.  We will have to wait for my pathology, which should be ready early next week.

The bad news is...they took my breasts.  Yes, I knew this was going to happen, but it is very difficult anyhow.  In a while, I can get reconstructive surgery. It wont be the same.  I am sad.  I am very sad.  I am bald with no boobs, with no guarantees, and this really really really sucks.  Breck has been wonderfully supportive; he helps me get dressed, runs for my Vicodin, and even strips and empties my surgical drains.

I understand the bigger picture.  My health is more important.  I hope with each passing week this gets easier.

Sad panda signing off

Surgery

Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday July 3.  After going back and forth, and meeting with two surgeons, I've decided on a double mastectomy.  Bummer.  Real big bummer.

Long story short, my surgeon at Group Health recommended that I get a mastectomy based upon my young age and the nasty nature of my cancer.  I met with three doctors at Seattle Cancer Alliance, one of whom was the director of breast cancer surgery department.  He suggested that I get a lumpectomy now, and pending the pathology from my surgery and a BROCA gene panel test, I may get a mastectomy later, or not. After thinking this was the better option, I discussed with my surgeon whether insurance coverage would be available to do this in a two-step process. She didn't think so--that a subsequent mastectomy would not be 'medically necessary'  unless something funky showed up on my pathology or gene panel.  If my pathology and gene panel are clean, I would be stuck with a lumpectomy.  I don't want to close any doors.  I'm not sure how paranoid I would be about the cancer coming back--but frankly, the tumor hid from me the first time around, and I don't feel confident I could find another lump if it came back--whether it were a recurrence of the same cancer, or a new cancer.  So back to mastectomy it is.  I go in sometime on Wednesday, and will come home on the 4th.

I wont be able to lift or carry West (or anything for that matter) for a couple of weeks after surgery. I'll have two or three drains that to deal with for about two weeks also.  Breck is off work for the summer, so he'll be around to help me and the kids.

My pathology results will be in about three working days following surgery.  My pathology results will dictate  my personal prognosis.  I definitely appreciate all of the good vibes, prayers, juju etc. coming my way that the cancer is gone or almost gone.

I will recover for a month, then start radiation.  In a year, I can get reconstructive surgery.  Not sure when that will happen.  I will probably make a decision based upon how I recover from surgery, my pathology report, and my gene panel results.  If something does come up on the BROCA panel, I may need to get my ovaries removed too.

 The Seattle Cancer Alliance also reviewed my pathology and determined that my cancer tested weakly positive for progesterone--in other words, there may be some benefit for me to take endocrine therapy--hormone therapy-- after treatment.  (I was diagnosed with  triple negative cancer, meaning that there were no hormone-positive receptors that would respond to endocrine therapy.  I was told that a cancer with weak progesterone receptors otherwise acts almost identically to a pure triple negative cancer)  It was suggested that I take Tamoxifen for five years.  The side effects of that are on par with menopause--awesome--so I may need to weigh the benefits on that.

An average woman's risk of developing breast cancer over her lifetime is approximately one in 8 (12.5%).  If nothing turns up on the BROCA panel, my risk of developing a new breast cancer is slightly higher-about 16%.  That isn't that high, but hell, I've defied the odds so far.  My stupid insurance denied coverage for this test back in March.  Since then, the Supreme Court held that a patent for testing on a specific gene isn't enforceable.  It will now be more affordable to conduct the testing--and my insurance provider may be more likely to change its mind.    I will appeal that after surgery.

Sooooo....grumble grumble grumble.  On another note, Breck and I went camping with our friends last weekend on the annual rafting trip down the Yakima River.  It was super fun, as always--despite the fact that we received an emergency text about a flash flood warning when we finished the float--oops--but no actual flood.  I have about a million bug bites on my feet too.  good stuff.

That's all for now.

Carrie

MRI

I had my last chemo on Friday. WHO HOO!!!  When the medicine was done dripping, all of the nurses came in and sang me a song.  And then I started crying.  Damn--I've turned into a hot mess.

Afterwards, we had lunch in Georgetown; I almost fell asleep at the table.  (Side note --Georgetown is really turning around with lots of cool places.)

On Monday, I went in for another MRI.  My doctor called me this morning with the results.  Everything looks normal!  NORMAL!  As in, they wouldn't otherwise know there is cancer there.  My doctor could identify a 9mm spot in my breast (along with the biopsy marker clip) that is either scar tissue or a small amount of residual cancer or both.  They can also see one larger node, it still looks normal.  This definitely has scar tissue.  An MRI is generally accurate at identifying issues, and can distinguish between actively growing cancer and scar tissue--but can't find really small amounts of cancer.  The only way to know what's going on for sure is to get the pathology report after surgery.

So thanks for reading.  I hope to have more good news soon!

Carrie

Last Chemo

Tomorrow is my last chemo treatment. I'm relieved, yet still anxious because the one thing I know is fighting those cancer cells will no longer be infused into my body.  I certainly won't miss the side effects of these treatments, and look forward to growing hair, normal taste buds, and regaining feeling in my fingers!

Next week, I'll get an MRI (to assess what's going on), meet with my surgeon, and hopefully schedule surgery.  Not looking forward to surgery; I've had more than my fair share of this horseshit.  They had better give me some good drugs.

That's all for now.

Carrie

More Chemo and progress

It's been a while since my last post.  Since then, I started a second type of Chemo called Taxol--I've had three rounds, with one more to go on June 7!  Taxol is supposed to attack the cancer cells in a different way from the first drug combo.

I get this kind of chemo in a hospital bed.  Some people are very allergic to it, but thankfully I am not one of them.  The drug can cause neuropathy, a tingling and/or numbing of the hands and feet.  To attempt to avoid this, I ice my hands and feet during infusion. Then I take glutamine for a few days.  I do have some numbing, but I can still type, so not such a big deal.  I also have a roaming itch from the Taxol.  Yes, I'm sure it's from the Taxol, despite Breck's questions about the possibility of body lice.  (He's a peach)  Starting the Mondays after chemo, I get terrible joint pain and hobble around feeling like an old lady.  This lasts for a few days.  Breck makes fun of me and says things like, "My HIP" in Grandpa Simpson's voice.  When this is over, he's going to get it!  The meals delivered to our house are total lifesavers!  Thank you soooo much to everyone who has contributed!!!!!  You guys have busy lives too, and I know making us a meal is a pain the ass.  Please know how appreciated it is!!

I had a scan about a month ago prior to starting Taxol.  At that scan, the ultrasound tech and physician told me that the tumor in my breast was undetectable and the tumor in my lymph node was still there, but much smaller.  After two rounds of Taxol, my doctor and I could still feel a lump in my armpit, so I returned for another scan last week.  I was very concerned that the Taxol wasn't working and the tumor was growing back.  Not fun.

Anyhow back at the hospital, I first got a mammogram, which I briefly saw on the computer screen.  There's the tumor.  SHIT!   I was then certain the cancer was growing back.. Maybe I should have brought someone with me!  Then, time for a scan.  The ultrasound tech found the tumor right away, and went to go get the doctor to discuss my results.  Certainly not the best moment of my life.  When he came in to greet me, he told me that everything was fine--the tumor was always in my breast, but was very close to my nodes, hence the mixup.  Also, my nodes look better than last scan a month ago--no trace of a tumor and only likely scar tissue.  The armpit lump was a displaced muscle left over from an enlarged node.  The breast tumor was about the same size, but based on the change in the appearance of the nodes, the Taxol does seem to be working.  PHEW! Of course I was very relieved that things were not getting worse.  The doctor said I'm doing great--that the chemo is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.  This roller coaster ride is BULLSHIT!

After my next chemo, I'll meet with my surgeon and get a second opinion from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance about what kind of surgery to get.  A double mastectomy?  A lumpectomy?  I've heard that getting just one breast removed is a bad idea (ending up with a fake one up high and the real one down low) Either way, they will remove a bunch of nodes from my right armpit.  I'll get to wear a sleeve and gauntlet to prevent/manage lymphodema (retention of fluid in my arm due to missing lymph nodes).  Maybe I'll get one with Ed Hardy graphics ; )  I'll also wear a medical bracelet on my arm.  I wonder if they make those in diamond-studded platinum?  Yay.

 I have good days and bad days.  Every SINGLE article written about Triple Negative Breast Cancer points out that it has a worse prognosis, is more deadly, etc. etc.  Some of that is true, and some of it is media hype.  It's hard to keep my mind in the right place sometimes.  Thanks for the support!  People are coming out of the woodwork to help us and it is so great!  We feel so loved :) and it really does keep my mind on the prize.   I've got a super awesome husband and three babies who need me to stick around!


So, that's the news for now.  Carrie

Chemo and ultrasound

I finished my last  (of 4) Adriamycin (doxorubicin) and Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) chemo on Friday 4/16.  YAY!  That chemo sucked!  To keep my white blood cell counts up, I had to give myself shots for five days following chemo.  In the past, I had a little pain in my long bones. This time, it caused severe pain in my back. I was laid up all week, and Breck had to stay home with me for a couple of days. I could barely get up out of a chair, let alone take care of West.  I went through nearly 30 Vicodin!  I feel mostly better now, thank goodness.

Today, I went in for an ultrasound.  The purpose was to see if the tumor in my breast and the tumors in my lymph nodes had responded to the chemo.  If you've ever had or seen an ultrasound, you will probably appreciate as a layperson that they seem very difficult understand or analyze.  ("that's the baby's stomach?  if you say so!")  The ultrasound tech and the doctor couldn't find the tumor in my breast.  When they first found it in February, it was about 3 cm.  The fact that they can't see it now means it's shrunk down to just about nothing--maybe it's completely gone!  The enlarged lymph node is now about 1 cm.  (reduced from 5 cm as per the MRI prior to chemo)  The other nodes look pretty normal.  

So, FUCK YEAH!

A mammogram would be more accurate, and would at least find the metal markers they left during the biopsy.  I'll get another mammogram and MRI when I'm done with chemo.

I start a different kind of chemo, called Taxol, on Friday.  It's not supposed to cause nausea, which is a good thing.  There are other side effects of course, and I'll deal with those as needed.  

We are very thankful that the medicine is working.  The better my body responds to the chemo, the better my chances are of surviving this beast.  We are also so very very thankful for all of the love and support from our friends and family.  We've received several delicious meals that have really made this process much much easier.  Poor Breck has a lot on his plate, and a break from making dinner is welcome.  

I'm still not out of the woods, and I've got some touch decisions ahead about surgery and so forth.   But for now, I will enjoy my good news :)

Cheers,

Carrie

Chemo: Round 3

We're here waiting for the nurse to begin the administration of the drugs. First comes the anti-nausea, then the Adriomyocin, and finally the Cytoxin. We should be out of here by 2, and by that point Carrie will be drained but one step closer to the end of this rigorous eight-week chemo regimen. She'll then start on Taxol, which has different side-effects, and does not include nausea.

Carrie received more good news this morning from Dr. Reddy; her lymph nodes are even smaller than they were two weeks ago. The news helped boost Carrie's spirits even higher than they have been over the past two to three days since the nausea from the last round wore off.

Carrie is a warrior. She's handled this whole thing with so much grace and bravery, and that smile just tells you everything is going to be okay. Carrie is, always has been, and always will be an ass-kicker, and anything that gets in her way doesn't have a chance.

Thank you Everyone for your continued thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes; they really do make a difference, so keep them coming.

Love Breck

P.S. - Jennifer Hoyt has graciously taken the time to set up a meal calendar. Here is the link....

           >>>>>>>>>>>FOOD TIDINGS IVY SITE<<<<<<<<<<<<

Carrie before 3rd treatment, lovely as ever

Genetics and chemo progress

I recently got blood work back that I do not have the BRCA genes (the genes that can cause breast and ovarian cancer mutations).  SO YAY! YAY! YAY!  That means Astrid and June don't have the genes; it means my mom doesn't have the gene, and maybe it means I don't need to get a double mastectomy.

I had chemo a week ago Friday.  The oncologist examined me and told me that the cancerous lymph node in my armpit had significantly shrunk.  That's very good news--it means the cancer is responding favorably to the chemo.  [In treating this variety of cancer, sometimes the chemo meds don't quite work and the regimen must be adjusted]

Once I got the first anti-nausea drug via, I felt sick.  Then they force fed me ice chips to help reduce mouth sores.  Bleh.  I don't even want to think about it...bleh.  I spend the rest of the weekend in a haze, and and slowly coming out of my fog.  I'm feeling okay sometimes, and then sometimes I feel rotten.  I go for at least a 2 mile walk every day.  My dog Penelope is stoked.

Breck shaved my head.  My hair is really falling out.  I've got a couple of wigs, but they are hot and itchy.  Hats are much better.  After always have super thick hair, it feels strange to have water blast directly on my head in the shower.

My blood work also came back from my naturopath oncologist.  I have high cholesterol,  low vitamin D (a risk factor for breast cancer) and high inflammatory markers.  I am surprised by this actually.  I never really eat red meat; I'm not a couch potato; I eat a lot of vegetables and whole grains....But then again, I shouldn't have breast cancer either.

I am feeling positive that working with the naturopath will produce positive results.       I also encourage all of you readers to get a check up with some routine blood work--cholesterol, etc.  You never know what may turn up!  And it's easier to address it on the preventative end.

The kids are great; West sleeps like a champ.  Breck is super super super helpful.  So, that's it for now.

Cheers

Carrie

Nutrition

I went to see a naturopathic oncologist today.  My insurance will cover three visits per year per diagnosis.  Cancer is one diagnosis, but others can be dietary deficiency, weight loss, etc., so I should be able to see him more than three times.  Anyhow, it was very helpful.  He went through what I should be eating--very important, yet under emphasized by my oncologist.  At the bottom of this post, I included the first page of his recommendations.  These are guidelines for healthy eating for anyone, not just cancer patients.  He emphasized the importance of obtaining a wide variety of nutrients from the foods I eat.  In the past, (at least a portion) my diet was likely somewhat nutrient deficient.

I need to treat dairy as a condiment.  I can still have it, but in small quantities.  The doctor told me that dairy can cause inflammation and digestive issues.  Adults are really not designed to consume a lot of dairy.  That makes sense.  I need to stay away completely from processed meats, and only eat meat in its 'recognizable' form.  No farmed fish (duh). Sugar feeds cancer.  Refined carbs turn into sugar and therefore must be avoided altogether.  

Thanks to my aunt Martha, an ovarian cancer survivor, since my diagnosis, I have been eating pretty much along these lines already .  Martha has done exceptionally well, and attributes a great deal of her success to her persistent diet and exercise.  I intend to follow suit.

The doctor also told me that exercise and being a healthy weight drastically reduce the risk of re-occurrence of cancer.  I need to work on the latter, ahem, but it's totally doable.  I think all of these changes will be challenging.  My motivation is great.  The MRI and PET scan disclosed that the cancer has spread to more than three, but less than nine of the lymph nodes in my armpit.  That stages my cancer as 3A.  That means it's advanced.  Scary scary scary--but it can be beat.  Years ahead, my skinny, healthy body will be thankful for this wake-up call.

Chemo again on Friday.  Whoop.

Thank you everyone for your continuing support!  I have heard rumblings of wanting to make meals, and now I have some guidelines.  At the same time, I don't expect my kids, or even Breck, to stick to this.  I can probably handle my own meals, and we would welcome (healthy, but not Nazi healthy) meals for Breck and the girls.  But certainly, if you are itching to help, we are very thankful for your help.

Carrie

Chemo

Went into for chemo on Friday morning.  I first had to get a port installed in my chest to accept the chemo drugs and obviate the need to get poked in the arm time and time again.  The procedure took about an hour.  They installed a self-sealing disk connected to a tube that attached to a neck artery   It is under my skin.  I am on my way to becoming a bionic woman!

Preceding the surgery, I was given some very sage advice by the surgery nurse ("If your kids want to listen to rap music, blast polka music instead.")  Then the surgeon asked me to pick some music to play during the procedure.  I said I didn't care; he selected Hawaiian music.  So expecting to hear some ukuleles or maybe Don Ho, I was instead treated to Jason Mraz.  (Ghost World moment?).  Other than feeling pretty sore, the surgery went well.  I have two bandages on my neck, and was told that I can't shower for 5-7 days.  A head's up would have been nice.  Breck offered to saran wrap me.  Thanks dude.

An hour later I was given anti-nausea IV and the chemo drugs.  Nothing to write home about.  They let us go home, I picked out a granny wig from the wig bank.  I have already cut my hair short to ease the transition.  Apparently, my hair likes to stand up now, so the granny (or lunch lady) look is what I have going for me anyhow.  It doesn't really matter though because my hair should fall out within the next couple of weeks.  I've been stocking up on hats and scarves.  

By the time we got home, I was feeling pretty ralphtastic.  I took all of the anti-nausea meds, but they didn't seem to ease my stomach.  Poor Breck was trying to take care of me, and our three children, all of whom were crying at one point or another.

I looked on the Internet for chemo nausea.   Apparently, those with a history of motion sickness (me!), being a woman (me!), being under 50 (me!) and having a history of morning sickness with pregnancy (me!!!!) have a higher likelihood of getting sick with chemo.  Super!  The symptoms of chemo are supposed to get worse with each round.  But, I can take it.  It's a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

So that's the long and the short of it.  Cheers to modern medicine!  Also, thank you so much everyone for all of the support!  It's really great, and we really appreciate it.  I still need to speak with the oncology nutritionist and pharmacist to figure out what diet I should be eating to maximize my health and minimize interference with the specific chemo drugs.  Once we have that figured out (hopefully early this week) we can   move forward with figuring out meals, etc.

--Carrie

Good News, Finally!

Carrie had a full body PET scan yesterday to determine if the cancer has spread. The doctor called this morning and reported it has not spread! Though we're not out of the woods, this news brought much needed relief to our household today.

Carrie has an MRI tomorrow and begins chemo on Friday. I will keep updates coming as I get them. Thank you all so much for your continual support. We feel the love.

2/21: Waiting with West

Carrie is in getting her biopsy and 2nd mammogram while West and I entertain each other in the waiting room. Though he has the hiccups and just spit up about 4 ounces of formula, he is still managing to rattle off some cute sounds and a barrage of smiles.

This guy is one of many driving forces in our life. He's instant medicine. Therapeutic smiles, warmth, and plenty of love to go around. It would not be the same without him here.

Carrie's Plan

On February 11, 2013, Carrie was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer(TNBC). She found a lump in her right armpit  about two weeks after Baby West was born.  She thought it was related to breastfeeding and so did the doctor.  Just to be safe, she had an ultrasound, mammogram, and then biopsy.  They found a malignant tumor in her breast.  We have a very large fight on our hands.

First, I want to thank you all for being so supportive. We love our family and friends, all of you are always on our minds, and we know that you send constant streams of thoughts, prayers, and positive energy our way.  It has already made a difference.

I will maintain this blog in order to keep family and close friends updated on the latest news. Before I move on though, I'd like to make sure to mention that each and every one of you should examine your breasts.  Women under 40 don't usually have mammograms.  The kind of cancer that Carrie has disproportionately affects women under the age of 40. This is a very aggressive cancer, and does not respond to all cancer-fighting drugs. There is a plan in place for Carrie, and I will attempt to lay it out for you in this post.

As I said already, Carrie already had a mammogram on her right breast, and a biopsy of the lump; the results of those test came back positive for cancer. The doctor also believes that the cancer is in at least three lymph nodes that she can see. On February 21st, Carrie will go in for a mammogram on her left breast to verify the cancer is not there as well. She will also have biopsy done on a lymph node on the right side, which I already mentioned the doctor suspects is cancerous.

Carrie is scheduled for a PET scan on 2/26, which will help determine if the cancer has metastasized, or spread to any other region. This is the most concerning to us, for obvious reasons. We do have reason to believe that Carrie caught this early, which would mean it hasn't had a chance to grow and spread. I will disclose results from that test soon after we get them. Positive thoughts: send them our way.

Carrie will start chemotherapy on March 1st.   They will install a port in her chest, under her skin, to accept the chemo drugs.  The treatments will last 16 weeks; for eight of those weeks she will receive Adriamycin/cytoxan, and for the second eight weeks, she'll receive Taxol. The first round of
meds will bring on the strongest side effects, including hair-loss, nausea, and fatigue. The second round with Taxol, don't have as many side-effects, but is still no walk in the park.

After the 16 weeks and multiple other appointments, Carrie will have a double mastectomy and some lymph nodes removed, followed by a few weeks of radiation.  If all goes well, she can have reconstructive surgery a year later.

The outpouring of kindness and generosity from our family and friends has been substantial. We know we're supported, you have all made that very clear, thank you for that. Sometimes it is difficult to accept the fact that at some point we will need help, and I know that this is only going to get more difficult as time goes on, so I won't turn down your efforts to assist us. The most frequent thing people have offered to help with are meals.  Just so you know, Carrie and I have been eating healthy; we both stick pretty strictly to the Weight Watchers diet- lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. Meals that can be frozen would be optimal. Some days, we are both emotionally and physically exhausted.  Making dinner is a challenge.

Carrie will likely change her diet even more as a result of the cancer, so she has ordered some cook books that will help with that. So far, we're thinking it will focus on low fat, non-dairy (almost vegan) with lots of anti-oxidants.  Maybe if we provided recipes, those that offered to make meals could use them?  Or maybe it would be easier to put together meals for everyone but Carrie.  I don't know, maybe some feedback would help.

Lastly, Carrie is doing pretty well, although this news has shaken us up quite a bit as you can imagine.   Carrie is focusing on maintaining a positive attitude, and I am staying by her side as much as possible to see her through this. Carrie is the strongest and smartest person I ever met, and if anyone can do this, I know she can. Our children provide lots of laughs, loves, and smiles every day, and as we all know, nothing is more powerful than that. West (8 weeks old) is smiling more each day and growing so fast; he is with Carrie all day long, which makes Carrie very happy.

We do not intend to isolate ourselves from our friends and family.  Of paramount importance however, is that Carrie doesn't get sick.  This will be a challenge given my job in an elementary school and the fact that we have young kids.  Before each chemo session, the doctor will review Carrie's blood levels.  A virus or infection could delay her chemo schedule.

Thanks again for your love and support,

Updates to come....

2/16/2013

Meal update:3/30/13
Meal Website, organized by Jen Hoyt
http://www.foodtidings.com/Schedule/View/4759ae79-87c7-436f-a5b5-3e16ac940e55