Finally

Well, as most of you know, I had a couple trips to Houston this month. They pricked and proded me, scanned me all over, and took enough blood to fill a vampire's daily thirst. In the end though, VICTORY! Yay! First of all everything came back as not having grown, which is great. There was one tumor that had increased metabolic activity, which isn't good, but the tumor itself hadn't grown. So, in a sense, its still considered victorious.

I have finally stopped chemo! Hip Hip HOORAY! I am staying on the daily drug Tykerb, which only targets the cancer cells and not the good cells. Thank GAWD! I'm telling you I probably would have lost my mind if I had to stay on chemo any longer. I am worn out and fed up. Call me self-fish but I want to start living again. I want to have energy. I want to have hair. I want to make plans and be able to follow through. I don't want to be sick anymore!!! The past year or so (at this point my memory is shot) have taken toll on my body and energy levels. I am super happy because after only a week off of chemo, I have slightly more energy then I have in awhile. Not a huge amount, but enough to get a couple loads of laundry done and a load of dishes. Then, until Madisyn got home from school, I slept. But like I said, it is more then I've done in awhile.

Madisyn's birthday was August 23rd. I still haven't had her "birthday party". Every year I have a "mini" birthday party with just a couple kids she picks, then since we have such a big family I have the "real" birthday party with family and friends. Well it is now September 15th and I still have no idea when I am going to get around to having the energy and momentum to have and plan the party this year. Normally it is something I look forward to, and absolutely love planning but this year, I'd rather sleep.

My neurologist and I are doing "a test". The overwhelming urge to sleep may be being caused by my seizure meds but we are waiting till I am off of chemo for awhile to make the judgement to change seizure meds or not. If it goes away then I stay on the seizure meds and credit chemo, if it stays around then, its being caused by the seizure meds. Right now there is no way to tell which medicine is causing it.

Some good news, is I convinced my surgeon to do the surgery to remove all my tumors. For those of you who didn't know, my surgeon in Houston was completely against the surgery and was not planning on performing the surgery. She thought that since it keeps coming back the risks outweighed the benefits in the end. Well, I begged and pleaded and even gave her a puppy dog face which she couldn't refuse. So, the outcome is, surgery....the week of October 17th...another birthday surgery. To make me smile, the surgeon promised me chocolate cake after surgery..she knows me so well. :D

So for now, that is everything. My brain has shut off and refuses to think anymore...so until next time...

Shannon