After having the best six straight days of feeling good (since Oct. 31) Nancy and I decided to spend Presidents Day Weekend in St. George.  Last Friday I was going upstairs to begin packing and Nancy told me she had extreme pain in her upper abdomen.  In the hospital they always ask the patient to rate their pain 1 to 10.  Nancy said it was a 9.  Without even getting her dressed, I rushed her up to Acute Care at Huntsman for evaluation.  They gave her some pain medication (IV), then did an EKG, then 2 CT Scans of her lungs and middle.  They thought it was either a heart attack (ruled out), an upper GI bleed (ruled out – her blood work was normal) or a blockage.  Nothing showed on the scan, so just as she was to be released Friday evening, she had a flareup again so they admitted her to the hospital.

After two days of observation, they concluded it was either a blockage or perhaps the liver tumor, which had grown from the last CT Scan ,was larger and perhaps it was growing rapidly and it was pushing on other areas – thus causing the pain.  Nancy finally got things moving, the pain subsided and we went home late Sunday evening.  After being home for about 3 hours, in the space of about 10 minutes, she was pale, nauseated again and having pain in her abdomen.  We stayed home, and today she still has some symptoms, but not as severe.  We will be calling back tomorrow morning to see what they suggest.  – Kevin

Finally, after two and half months, Nancy has been cleared to get back on a chemo treatment plan.  She began taking the oral drug, Xeloda, which is 2000mg a day for 14 days, then 7 days off.  Dr. Ward indicated that many of his patients have tolerated the drug with little side effects (no hair loss but sensitivity to a patient’s hands and feet) and have been on the drug for years.  The word years to a Stage 4 cancer patient brings hope.  Her shingles seem to be fading away, but the pain still persists.  Hopefully, in the next few weeks, it will be gone.  Nancy was given some advice by a neighbor whose husband had shingles.  She was told put honey on the sores and the pain would go away.  Amazingly enough, she has no pain from the rash and sores when she swabs the areas with honey.

The trick now is to have the chemo attack the large liver and small lung lesion, reduce the Dermatomyositis, which will reduce her need for methylprednisone.  If she tolerates the Xeloda and it does it job, maybe she will begin to feel better.  Having the shingles run its course, the Dermatomysositis begin to fade,  getting her completely off the methylprednisone, and taking her off the Lovanox (she is now back on Coumadin) allows me to think perhaps she can begin to regain her strength and energy.

Nancy has been gone through a lot of pain and suffering, but the support everyone gives her by their messages, visits, dinners and prayers has helped her get through this tough time.  At least she knows everyone is pulling for her and she is well loved by everyone.  On behalf of her family, thank you for all your caring.  We all hope things get better -  Kevin

Nancy and I went to Acute Care at Huntsman today because of Nancy’s uncontrollable pain and discomfort.  With all the medicines and pain killers Nancy is taking, her immune system is low and she has now contracted Shingles.  It is located on her left side of her face, neck and into her left side of her head.  It is extremely painful.  They gave her some medication for the virus and said it should last 7-14 days.   She is very uncomfortable and very “down”  mentally.  Because these sores blister and then pop, she is on strict quarantine – including her family.  She is suppose to start on chemo this week, but it might not happen.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers – Kevin

Nancy had a pulmonary angiogram performed last Wednesday because she had been experiencing some pain just above her heart at night.   The doctors didn’t think she had a blood clot (since she is on Lovanox) but wanted to be certain.  They did not find a blood clot, but did discover a small nodule in her upper left lung.  They told us not to be concerned because once they get the blood work results and confer with Dr. Koenig, they will begin chemotherapy treatment that will attack the liver tumor, the new one in the lung and the dermatomy0stis – all at the same time.  Nancy is also now using a patch behind her ear (the same that they use for motion sickness on cruises) and it seems to be helping with the nausea.  In the meantime, we wait for the blood work results.  We are both anxious to begin the treatments so those tumors can begin to shrink and/or dissolve.  – Kevin