Alec had his scan on Tuesday and met with Dr. Allen yesterday about his results. Unfortunately I could not be there with him since I am in Texas for the week, nervously awaiting to hear the news.
There was good and bad news. The good is that the spots on his lungs and lymph nodes have shrunk.
The bad news is that the liver spot has grown 1 cm. It is unusual for this to happen and now we are unsure whether or not surgery will be an option. Dr. Allen is meeting with all the GI doctors and the thorasic surgeon as well as a liver surgeon tomorrow morning to discuss his case and carefully decide what the best option will be. If they do decide that surgery would not be an option, then they could mix up his chemo treatment and give him something that will target his liver more directly.
I guess not many surgeries have been done with this diagnosis, so there is a higher risk. We are hoping Dr. Allen will present a good case for us and that the surgeons will decide to operate.
It was not the news we were hoping and praying for, but the good news is that there was some shrinking and stabilizing of the other spots. I talked to Alec's nurse, Katie last night (on her day off, she is so awesome) and she said there are still many avenues we can take, and if surgery does not look likely, he will be on chemo for a while longer until we see the shrinkage we want.
I told Alec last night that exactly a year ago he had a huge tumor in his body. One year later we are just trying to clean up the rest of it and a few spots here and there we can manage and get rid of somehow. Look how far we have come.
We just want this to be over so we can move on with our lives. But it can sometimes take years for that to happen and we have to remember to be patient and take one day at a time and just be grateful for every day.
I will update as soon as we hear from Dr. Allen tomorrow as to whether or not we can move forward with surgery. If its a go, he could have the surgery as soon as next week or the week after.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please say an extra prayer that we get some good news tomorrow.
All our love,
Heather & Alec
& Millie
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
One year later...
One year ago today our lives were turned upside down and Alec was diagnosed with cancer. What a year it has been...
It has certainly been one wild ride. Though there have been many ups and downs, and that tunnel I always talk about, where there should be a light, is still there and we are still stuck somewhere in the middle, we continue to fight and to keep the faith. What is funny is how your brain remembers things. When I look back at the past year I mostly remember the happy times, family, friends, and all the wonderful memories we have made and the amazing people we have met along the way. I don't really recall the horrific week of finding out, then finding more cancer, the 5 weeks of chemo/radiation, surgery, etc. Through it all, we really have been so lucky, and still have that thing we could not live with out...HOPE.
Alec was supposed to have chemo yesterday. Unfortunately, after 7 treatment cycles, the chemo has started to catch up with him. His white blood counts were too low, and he could not receive treatment. He has to have a shot every day for the next 3 days which will boost his white blood cells. This is all totally normal and with the amount of chemo he has been getting we are pretty lucky that this has been our only obstacle.
We are headed back to Bar Harbor this weekend, I have to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 6:30-1:00 at a ob/gyn conference. Jill, Brian and my parents will also be in there and we are looking forward to it. By Alec not having chemo this week will certainly make the trip a little more enjoyable. He is scheduled to have his next treatment Wednesday. Then a scan on 10/19 to determine if the chemo is still working and if we can move forward with surgery. My fingers and toes are crossed, and my prayers are streaming in. We really hope that this scan will be what we need it to be and we can move forward. Surgery is the one hope for a cure and we are ready to get all this behind us once and for all.
We have been enjoying the cooler weather and Alec has already been hunting a few days. Last weekend we went to the tree farm where we buy our Christmas tree and they have old cross-country ski trails where we walk through the trails looking for partridge and pheasant. Although Alec trained Millie to be a bird dog, he said she is too much like me and becomes easily distracted. I asked him is he wanted me to run through the woods to flush out the birds (he said no, but thanks). Walking through the woods is a nice way to spend a Saturday. I am actually thinking of getting a little gun and shooting my own birds. He did not shoot anything, but we still had fun.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We really are praying and hoping for some good news in a couple weeks. Maybe then we will see that light at the end of that tunnel :)
Love,
Heather, Alec and Millie
It has certainly been one wild ride. Though there have been many ups and downs, and that tunnel I always talk about, where there should be a light, is still there and we are still stuck somewhere in the middle, we continue to fight and to keep the faith. What is funny is how your brain remembers things. When I look back at the past year I mostly remember the happy times, family, friends, and all the wonderful memories we have made and the amazing people we have met along the way. I don't really recall the horrific week of finding out, then finding more cancer, the 5 weeks of chemo/radiation, surgery, etc. Through it all, we really have been so lucky, and still have that thing we could not live with out...HOPE.
Alec was supposed to have chemo yesterday. Unfortunately, after 7 treatment cycles, the chemo has started to catch up with him. His white blood counts were too low, and he could not receive treatment. He has to have a shot every day for the next 3 days which will boost his white blood cells. This is all totally normal and with the amount of chemo he has been getting we are pretty lucky that this has been our only obstacle.
We are headed back to Bar Harbor this weekend, I have to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 6:30-1:00 at a ob/gyn conference. Jill, Brian and my parents will also be in there and we are looking forward to it. By Alec not having chemo this week will certainly make the trip a little more enjoyable. He is scheduled to have his next treatment Wednesday. Then a scan on 10/19 to determine if the chemo is still working and if we can move forward with surgery. My fingers and toes are crossed, and my prayers are streaming in. We really hope that this scan will be what we need it to be and we can move forward. Surgery is the one hope for a cure and we are ready to get all this behind us once and for all.
We have been enjoying the cooler weather and Alec has already been hunting a few days. Last weekend we went to the tree farm where we buy our Christmas tree and they have old cross-country ski trails where we walk through the trails looking for partridge and pheasant. Although Alec trained Millie to be a bird dog, he said she is too much like me and becomes easily distracted. I asked him is he wanted me to run through the woods to flush out the birds (he said no, but thanks). Walking through the woods is a nice way to spend a Saturday. I am actually thinking of getting a little gun and shooting my own birds. He did not shoot anything, but we still had fun.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We really are praying and hoping for some good news in a couple weeks. Maybe then we will see that light at the end of that tunnel :)
Love,
Heather, Alec and Millie
Monday, September 27, 2010
9/27
Today was our 2 year wedding anniversary! Normally 2 years fly by and people say "Wow, I cant believe its been 2 years!" Well, more than one person today said gosh, feels like you have been married 20 years already! And, I have to say I totally agree! Not in a bad way but it is just the fact that we have probably been through more in 2 short years than most couples have in a lifetime.
We went to Pier 77 (our reception site) tonight and had a delicious dinner. Thank you to Katie and John who had given us a gift certificate! This is the 3rd 9/27 in a row it has rained! If anyone decides to get married on the 27th of September, don't do it.
Alec had a rough week last after his last round of chemo. The side effects are cumulative and it seems to get a little worse each week. It stinks, because there is not much that can help and you have to sort of wait it out. Drinking a lot of water and Gatorade makes him feel better and that's about all I can give him. Luckily this is an off week, and he has one more week before there is another scan.
We were very disappointed that we missed Alec's friends Dave and Lisa's wedding on Saturday night, there was just no way he would have been much fun to be around. We laid low this weekend and each day he feels a little better. By the time he is back to normal will be time for another round of chemo to kick him back down.
We did get to go see "The Town" this weekend which was awesome! Such a great movie and it was so cool because we had seen them filming in Southie a couple times at the flower shop by Tina and Bobs place. We gave the movie 2 thumbs up and I was having dreams last night Alec and I started to rob banks!
Jill and Brian went sky diving for Brian's 30th Birthday. We met them over in Lebanon and watched those crazy kids jump out of a plane. Growing up Jill would not venture beyond Dumbo or the Tea Cups in Disney, so to see her sky dive was pretty wild! Alec and I are dying to go, we think maybe next summer!
Thats about all for us this week! We are praying and hoping for a good scan result in a few weeks. Please keep the prayers coming!
Thank you!
Love,
Heather & Alec and MIllie
We went to Pier 77 (our reception site) tonight and had a delicious dinner. Thank you to Katie and John who had given us a gift certificate! This is the 3rd 9/27 in a row it has rained! If anyone decides to get married on the 27th of September, don't do it.
Alec had a rough week last after his last round of chemo. The side effects are cumulative and it seems to get a little worse each week. It stinks, because there is not much that can help and you have to sort of wait it out. Drinking a lot of water and Gatorade makes him feel better and that's about all I can give him. Luckily this is an off week, and he has one more week before there is another scan.
We were very disappointed that we missed Alec's friends Dave and Lisa's wedding on Saturday night, there was just no way he would have been much fun to be around. We laid low this weekend and each day he feels a little better. By the time he is back to normal will be time for another round of chemo to kick him back down.
We did get to go see "The Town" this weekend which was awesome! Such a great movie and it was so cool because we had seen them filming in Southie a couple times at the flower shop by Tina and Bobs place. We gave the movie 2 thumbs up and I was having dreams last night Alec and I started to rob banks!
Jill and Brian went sky diving for Brian's 30th Birthday. We met them over in Lebanon and watched those crazy kids jump out of a plane. Growing up Jill would not venture beyond Dumbo or the Tea Cups in Disney, so to see her sky dive was pretty wild! Alec and I are dying to go, we think maybe next summer!
Thats about all for us this week! We are praying and hoping for a good scan result in a few weeks. Please keep the prayers coming!
Thank you!
Love,
Heather & Alec and MIllie
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