May 31, 2009

I just want to give a snapshot of this week, so you won't be too upset that I didn't share the news I got in Colorado this week sooner.

Monday: Drive to Colorado with my parents, 8 hours 27 minutes, we thought we made great time.
Tuesday: Scans at the hospital, dinner with my friend Bill Frey (Bill has been fighting Melanoma for 14 years. He is a great inspiration to me. Dinner was the best part of the trip, but we missed you Karen).
Wednesday: Appointments with Doctors, drive home. I drove the entire way. We reached Morgan in 7 hours 20 min. Got to North Ogden about midnight. We made GREAT time!
Thursday: Went to McCady's class to take some class pictures. Went home to meet eight WONDERFUL neighbors and friends who helped me pack up the house. Packed all day and moved loads up that night.
Friday: Last day of school! HURRAY! Ward and I moved more loads up with Joyce and my brother Denis and his boys.
Saturday: about 35 men, neighbors, friends, and family came to load everything in Marsha and Greg's trailer. Drove to Eden where many new neighbors, friends and family came to help move in and unpack everything.

I feel so thankful for all the people who helped us move yesterday. The amazing people who came to help just made me realize how I am surrounded by good. Friends from the North Ogden 7th Ward (I can't hold back the tears when I say how much we will miss you!) and the Eden 1st ward, and family. Thank you! Thank you! I love you. I am so grateful for you.

Results
I've been thinking a lot about the results from my visit in Colorado. How do I sum it up??? Well my friend Emily sang me this little song and I think it applies:

Same song, second verse,
A little bit louder and a little bit worse!

I had mixed results this time. I actually had one tumor decrease in size. (YAY! It's progress) It was the one around my heart. It was 3.9 cm x 5.1 cm--it went to 2.9 cm x 5.1 cm. However the other tumors all grew considerably (Crappy huh, but what do you do?). The largest in my lung went from 3 cm to 7 cm. My liver is pretty much covered with little lesions, and one in my back went from 3 mm to 27 mm. I have others, but that's enough with the details.

I wish the chemo I'd been taking had shrunk more of the tumors, but treatment works differently on every patient. I will begin a new chemo regimen on Wednesday. It's more intense and aggressive, but Dr. Gonzales arranged for Dr. Gray to administer it here in Utah--thank goodness! They are testing my melanoma to see if it has a certain mutation that would qualify me for a promising study at UCLA. I'm not sure of all the details of this study, but its an option. I've also found two people who did different treatments with Stage IV Melanoma that I'm investigating. I'm keeping my options open.

So, I'm doing fine. Still walking and running, upping my time when I can. I'm grateful Ward pushed me to move on the 30th. I wanted to wait until our house closed, but now I can see how inspired he was. Now we'll be all moved in and I won't be moving while dealing with the side effects of this new treatment. Our house is under contract and we feel like that is a HUGE blessing. That way we'll be able to have it sold by mid-June.

I'm so grateful for my life. For Ward and my girls. I look at them and I can't believe how blessed I am. I want more than anything to be here with them. It's fun to be in Eden. This morning when we woke up MaLeah said, "It smells like camping!" She was right we had the windows open and it smelled like pine trees and fresh air (Not even a whiff of cows!). We live in the most beautiful place I've ever seen. I'll post pictures when we get Internet at the house. If you feel like smelling cows and camping, and visiting the most beautiful place ever, go ahead and come visit us. We'd love to have you.