No news is good news! - by Pierre

For those that still check here every so often, rest assured that no news is good news. Laura continues to go for regular checkups and scans and everything shows normal. It's hard to believe it's been over a year now since she was done treatment. We are very thankful. God bless.

Thanksgiving Mass

Mass of Thanksgiving on Friday, June 22, 7 pm at Resurrection Parish (3155 Windsor Park Road) in Regina (click here for map in a new window).

Please join us in giving thanks to God for his faithfulness and grace during the last year. Everyone is welcome to attend and stay after afterwards for visiting and refreshments. Please let us know if you are coming so we know how much food to prepare, but please do come even if you haven't told us! You can call us (584-4140), email us, or leave a private message on this board. Unfortunately it's risky to post an email address on the web (for spam/junk mail) so we won't put ours up here. If you don't have our email a private message will work just as well. Thanks and hope to see many of you there.

The final word - posted by Pierre

Pierre here. Seems like I haven't posted for Laura in a long time. Just a witness to how good she has been feeling of late.

First of all, thank you to all who have been praying and sending best wishes on this site and in person or by mail. It is such a blessing to feel that support.

Well, we had the oncology appointment this morning and got the final word on all the scans. The CT, gallium, and PET scans all came back negative which means that there is no abnormal growths showing and no hotspots on the scans! She is done! Dr. Chalchal said everything looks great and there is no need for any further chemo or radiation. In fact, he never wants to see us again (tongue in cheek, of course).

Laura will be having another checkup in about 6 months with a different doctor, probably involving another CT scan to check on things. But that should be the end of our hospital visits for a while to come! Needless to say we have been quite happy and joyfilled today. It is a relief to hear such good news all at once (instead of the results from different scans given at different times).

Again, thanks to you all for your support and prayers. It has made a potentially difficult path significantly easier and has brought about many blessings.

Please keep posted here as we are planning to have a Mass of Thanksgiving for you all in Regina, to thank God for his care and to bless all of you (whether you can attend or not). There have been so many of you that have been a part of this journey and we would love to celebrate with you. We are organizing something as we speak and will let you know shortly more details.

YIPEE!!!

I received a call today from the cancer clinic and my PET scan came back negative!! I got off the phone a couldn't stop crying. God is so good!

I asked my nurse about the fact that my PET scan was done a week earlier than it should have been and if we should book another one just to make sure. He didn't think that would be necessary as all my other results looked good as well. He said that it will be up to Dr. Chalchal.

We still meet with Dr. Chalchal on Thursday and will know more than about the type of follow up care I will have. Sometimes they will do radiation even when all tests come back negative to reduce the possibility of a relapse. I guess we will see when we go on Thursday!

Thank you so much for all your prayers, words of encouragement, etc. We have felt so blessed through this whole experience.

Scan update

Pierre and I had a great trip to Winnipeg. I can't believe how easy it is to travel without kids! We left Monday at 2:00 p.m. and Pierre's mom came to watch the kids while we were gone. Poor Maman, we left her with sick kids.

I needed to stick to a low carb diet the day before the scan. I must say that it is extremely difficult to stick to this diet when travelling! I was so hungry by the time we got to Winnipeg. Salad can only take a person so far. That night we arrived in Winnipeg at about 8:30 our time and ate supper at about 9:30. About all I could have was a good steak so we headed out to the Keg (Pierre so kindly joined me for this!). After my omelette in the morning I started my fast at 9:45a.m. for the scan.

We were then able to go visit Pierre's two wonderful aunts. A nice treat to see them!

The PET scan went well. I just about didn't have it though. They usually don't do the scan until 30 days after the last chemo treatment. For some reason I was booked early (20 days. They like to have the full 30 days so that if there are any cancer cells left they have a chance to start growing again. The decision was left with Pierre and I if we would like to go ahead with the scan. We said yes since we were already there and we could request another scan down the road if we felt it was necessary.

I was given a radioactive sugar called FDG through an IV. I needed to lie still for an hour so that the sugar could run through my body. I was then taken in for the scan which took about 30 minutes. This is the test that will determine our next step - remission or more treatment. If the scan shows uptake of FDG then it would probably mean that the cancer is either not all gone, or is growing again. I think radiation is in the plans if it shows that the cancer is still there. I have prepared myself for both scenarios. It is not that I don't have faith or hope....I just need to prepare myself in case I need more treatment.

The test was done by about 5:30 and we went out for a burger and fries. Pierre had fasted with me during the day and so we both were very excited to eat! Our trip home went very well and we arrived in Regina at about 11:30 pm.

I have an appointment with the oncologist next Thursday and will find out the results of all my scans then (CT, Gallium, and PET). Will keep you posted once we know more.

Pierre is heading out to Charlottetown for a conference early tomorrow morning and so I will pick up the kids from school and head out to Pierre's parent's farm.
Have a great weekend!

Getting closer

On Sunday while at church Emma, my four year old, asked me out of the blue if I was done chemo. I had to answer that I didn't know. The look in her eyes as she asked me and the thought that my little girl was thinking about me being sick broke my heart. I started crying and couldn't stop! I think all of this has affected her the most. She was the one who saw me when I would come home from chemo, head to bed for naps, etc.

We are getting closer and closer to the possible end of our adventure! I have been asked many times if I am anxious or nervous about the results of my scans - I guess I am mostly curious!

Today I went for my gallium scan. The technician and a specialist commented on my first scan that it looked very good. I am not sure how the rest of the scans turned out. Hopefully just as well! I go for my CT scan tomorrow afternoon and then on May 29 I have my PET scan in Winnipeg.

I will keep you posted!

Chemo #12

Wow, two posts in one week! I am quite proud of myself.

I just got back from my chemo at 3:15 p.m. It was a long day as I went in at 8:00 a.m.!! The one chemo drug took a long time as they had to slow down the IV drip so that it wouldn't burn. Once that bag was finished (4 hours later!) things went quite quickly though I made many potty trips as I was being pumped full of saline solution.

I came home to a beautiful basket on my bed from some dear friends of mine. Thank you so much! We will use the non-alcoholic champagne to celebrate being done 12 chemo treatments with the kids.

I still can't fully celebrate yet until the scan results come back. Once I get the word that I am officially done chemo then I will definitely be celebrating. Until then I am prepared for the possibility of still needing to have more chemo. It is not that I am lacking hope....I am just preparing myself for the possibility.

Thank you all so much for all your prayers, cards, mass cards, food..... You all have been such a blessing for our family. I continue to pray for you.

Last One?

It is hard to believe that tomorrow morning could possibly be my last chemo treatment. Hopefully this is true as I only have a few good veins left!! My friends Holly and Joanne will be hanging out with my while I get my chemo. I am looking forward to the visit.

Next week I go for a CT scan and a gallium scan. I think this will determine if I am done or if I will still need four more chemo treatments. After this I will be sent for a PET scan which is the best scan to determine if we have wiped out all the cancer. That will be booked for 6 weeks after my last chemo treatment. I am not sure if I will need radiation treatment as well. So much is still up in the air!

I will try to be much better at posting in these next couple of weeks!

Wigging out!

I am officially wigless! Last week on our trip out to see Kevin and his family in Lacombe I made the leap. I had to keep telling myself to walk confidently like I chose to have such a short hairstyle!

This past week was to be my good week but I ended up in emergency on Monday night with a chest infection. Poor Pierre, I woke him up at 3:30 in the morning to tell him that I had a fever and that we needed to head to the hospital. Three and a half hours later we were leaving the hospital with a prescription in hand. My blood counts were still very low at that time and so they gave the prescription to help me in fighting it off. Sooooo, I slept lots this past week. Thank goodness for Pierre's mom and my mom coming in each day. They have been such a blessing to us throughout it all. The other day they both pulled out their calendars to coordinate who comes in on which days. Such special ladies.

Tomorrow morning we have our meeting with Dr. Chalchal so I will keep you posted on what he says!

Chemo #10

It is now Wednesday morning and chemo #10 is over and done with. I arrived at 8:00a.m. with my mom and Grams and the nurses were able to get my IV in on the first try. Yeah! I am down to only one hand and a few veins that will work to get the IV in as all the others have gotten so bruised and battered from all the IV pokes that they no longer work. I was feeling nauseous and tired yesterday but other than that all went well.

I can't believe I may only have 2 more treatments left!

Today I feel great and will be busy packing for our trip to Lacombe to visit with my brother Kevin and his family. The kids are so excited. We will be travelling on my worst days but it is worth it. I really miss all of them and with the kids off on holidays it works so well. Mom and Dad are coming along with us and so they will be able to help keep the kids occupied while I sleep in the van!

HAPPY EASTER!

We had a great time over the weekend. We went out to Moose Jaw to the O'Reilly farm to meet up with Louis, Val, and the kids. It was nice to get together out there with Maman and Papa since we hadn't done so since Christmas. The kids all play so well together that we don't see them except for meals and bedtime, and that says alot since there are 9 all together! Needless to say, it is a relatively stress-free time.

On Sunday we all went to Mass, came home for brunch, and then the kids went on their egg hunt. The Easter Bunny has personalized several plastic eggs for each kid (filled with chocolates and candies of course), hid them all around the farm yard, and then left personalized maps for the kids to find them. It was so cold outside, but that didn't stop the kids. They had a blast!

We came back home Sunday night, but left the kids at the farm since they had the week off school. Chemo #10 is tomorrow and we will also be packing for our trip to Lacombe this Thursday, so being freed like that will be a big help. Thanks Maman and Papa.

Hope you all had a great weekend and will have a blessed Easter season!

Reality Check

Chemo #9 is progressing well. I have made it through my days of exhaustion and am enjoying feeling "normal". On Monday, Maman (Pierre's mom) and I were busy cleaning the house which felt so good to do. It is amazing how enjoyable that can feel after a few days of not being able to even hold your head up from being so tired. As I dusted around the house, Emma Nicholas and I played hide and seek. Such cuties!

I also enjoy these good weeks when I am able to take the kids to daily mass, bring them to their ballet and swimming lessons....etc. You know, the normal things a mom does!

As the possible end approaches for my chemo treatments I am finding myself getting more nervous. I am trying to prep myself for whatever the outcome will be - things haven't shrunk and I will need 4 more treatments plus radiation.....or that we are done.

Last night we found out that a young mother (who Pierre went to college with) just died of cancer. We found her blog site and began reading her journey. It was very hard to read, especially as she described her past two weeks of her health deteriorating more and more. Afterwards I had a good cry. It was a good reality check for me, especially when I am feeling so good and sometimes forget I need to be careful about germs, etc. The most painful thought for me is not the possibility of my death, but the possibility that my husband and children would have to experience the death of their wife and mother and how hard it would be for them. This thought brings me to tears every time.

This Lent while praying the rosary, I have meditated a lot on the sorrowful mysteries and have really identified with the pain Christ would have felt in the garden of Gethsemene. How much he too would have wanted to protect his mother and disciples from the pain of witnessing his suffering and death. Yet he still chose to do the will of his Father in Heaven and so must I....whatever it is.

Last night, after reading that blog, I had "cancer" dreams all night long. I woke up a few times crying - they seemed so real.

I am looking forward to really entering into the Tridium. Thank goodness for our faith as these struggles or difficulties are not just something that I have to endure - I can offer them up for my family and for you. Nothing is wasted - not even suffering.

Thank you again for all your comments in the guest book. I can't even begin to describe how much they mean to me! Know that I am praying for you throughout this holy week.

12-9=3

#9 is done. 3 more to go.

The spleen explained - posted by Pierre

So, like Laura alluded to yesterday, we met with her oncologist today and asked about the spleen.

Originally, they had classed Laura's lymphoma as Stage III since the spleen was enlarged. The spleen is part of the lymphatic system so it is not uncommon for lymphoma to spread to it (thus making it a Stage III). Once they did the initial gallium scan, the results did not show any uptake in the spleen (i.e. it did not suck up any yummy gallium, as cancer tends to do, and therefore did not show up on the scan). But still the spleen was enlarged so they couldn't really say that there is not cancer there, nor can they say with certainty that there is.

The midpoint gallium scan she had recently came back with the exact same results for the spleen. It is still enlarged but did not show any uptake of gallium.

So, that basically leaves us like everything else. We don't know much. Dr. Chalchal (what a great name) doesn't seem concerned. We will take it as it comes.

#9 tomorrow.

The Gift of Silence

Hello Everyone. Thank you so much for all your messages. I check the blog everyday and your words are a great encouragement for me.

I just got back from a weekend silent retreat. It was incredible. While there it dawned on me that because of that stint of having difficulty breathing my chemo was pushed back which made it possible for me to attend the retreat! God is so good to me as he knows what I need!

While on retreat I thought a lot about how my time here on earth may be short but that it doesn't mean I can no longer do great things for Christ. I need to squeeze as much as I can out of every moment given to me - for my family, friends and my work for the Church.

In our faith nothing is wasted, not even suffering. I have the opportunity to offer up so much for my family and for you. My one fear is that I would forget this....that I would arrive at the end of my illness and realize that I wasted such a beautiful opportunity. This weekend was a good reminder for me - so I did a lot of praying for you.

Pierre and I meet with my doctor tomorrow morning and chemo on Tuesday. I am going to ask Dr. Chalchal about my spleen as it is still enlarged and hasn't changed from the beginning of my treatment. I would like to have an idea of what they will do if it is still the same by the end of my treatment.

This past week one of the mom's at the school thought I was my younger sister! Once she realized it was me we both laughed and joked about how chemo is doing wonders for me - it is making me look more youthful!

The latest, boring news - posted by Pierre

Well, not much new. The only real update is that Laura's breathing has returned to normal. Since nothing showed up on any of the tests, and she is breathing normally now, I guess it was nothing major. That is the hard thing with cancer I guess, you are always jumpy at any ache, pain, or unusual symptom. Normally it would mean nothing, but when you're immune system is down you have to be extra vigilant.

Chemo #9 on Tuesday, March 27!

No problem? - posted by Pierre

It was an interesting week last week. Laura had been experiencing some breathing problems (heaviness and discomfort when breathing deeply, as well as a couple times waking up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath). This was a concern, naturally, as it was her breathing that precipitated her diagnosis. Also, one of the chemo drugs, bleomycin, is known to cause temporary or permanent lung damage. If that is the case, they sometimes remove it from the mix.

We went to the hospital on Wednesday to get her checked out. Since her CT and gallium scans came back showing that the lymph nodes has shrunk significantly and that there was no more spread, our oncologist wanted to check for possible clots in the lungs or heart. So on Thursday she went for a different scan, and that came back as normal as well, so no clots. On Friday morning, her chemo got postponed until the following Tuesday (today) so that she could go for a pulmonary test to check out her lung capacity and such. We got word yesterday that the pulmonary test came back fine (whatever that means exactly), so the chemo could go ahead.

So, today is treatment #8, the end of round/cycle #4. She is still finding herself short of breath at times, especially when exerting herself a little. Still not sure why that is, but we will definitely be keeping an eye on it and investigating more. It is such a strange adventure and we are learning so much as we go along. I keep in touch with another lady in the US who also has been treated for gray zone lymphoma, Julia, and she has been a tremendous source of information and encouragement for us. She even put us in touch with her oncologist and we've been exchanging information. Our doctor was interested in this as well so we are passing along the contact info to him. Since it is all so new and not much data is available on treatment and results there is such a need to share as much information as possible. I guess we're making history here!

Scans - posted by Pierre

Laura had 2 scans last week. A CT scan on Wednesday, followed by a gallium scan on Friday. So, what's the diff? The following, on CT scans, is what I took from a website as it is simplest explanation I've found.

"CT's are still just X-ray images but they produce a near 3D image of the interior of the body. They do this by having the scanner spin around the body taking multiple pictures, or slices. A computer combines these images into a single image that looks like a slice taken right out of your body when looking down from the top of the head."

A gallium scan, on the other hand does more than just give you a plain picture of what's there. It differentiates between structures in the body. Basically, Laura had to be injected with gallium mixture a few days prior to the scan. Apparently cancer cells quite like gallium and don't find it horrid at all and soak it up. Those areas will light up quite vividly on the image when the scan is performed.

From my understanding, the CT and gallium scan complement each other. The CT can show structures in the body and a trained professional can see abnormalities. The gallium scan results, when matched with the images from the CT scan, will help them know if those abnormalities are likely to be cancer or just scar tissue and such (scar tissue wouldn't absorb gallium, therefore wouldn't show up on the gallium scan).

We are not sure when the results will be ready, or when we will meet with our oncologist to speak about the scans. We will be trying to get more info this week as we are quite anxious to find out the results.

Two posts in one day!

I thought I would add a bit more to the post that Pierre did today.....

I was getting pretty hopeful that all would be done by May as I seem to be responding so well to the chemo and that my lymph nodes have shrunk. I went for chemo today and the lady beside me has Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She had completed all her treatments, went for the PET scan which came back negative and then two months later the cancer was back!

Anyway, my conversation with this lady and our meeting with the oncologist yesterday has really got me thinking lots about how everything is still really up in the air. I really need to surrender my timeline to Christ and trust in him. He knows how this will all pan out and will give me the strength for whatever is ahead.

I have been trying to go to daily mass with the kids which is sometimes quite an adventure with Nicholas! Yesterday a sweet little old lady came up after mass and said that I should be given a medal for taking my kids to daily mass! It was definatly what I needed to hear as Nicholas was a real turkey yesterday. I just find
such grace and strength when I go to mass during the week....everytime we
pray the prayer "Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed"....it means so much more.

Pierre made contact with a lady in the states who also has gray zone lymphoma. This is really the only person we have been able to find with the same type of cancer as myself. It will be interesting to compare our outcomes as she was given a much
different chemo treatment than myself. We made sure to make mention of this to our doctor in case he wanted to contact the doctor she was seeing.

My hair is starting to grow back! They say that your hair can come back in a different color or texture after chemo - I was really hoping for brown hair with blond highlights......too bad, it is coming in black with lots of gray highlights!! My girlfriend today said "whoa, that is a lot of gray hair!!". I gave her a well deserved swat!

#7 and counting - posted by Pierre

Today is chemo #7!

We met yesterday with her oncologist for her monthly meeting and checkup and everything seemed OK. The one thing he did say, in response to Laura noticing that the swelling of the lymphnodes had gone down since starting chemo was that lymphoma will immediately respond to anything. Even if they just gave her steroids and no chemo, the swelling would go down. The trick is to make sure that the lymphoma responds totally, that is, goes away completely. And that we won't fully know until the PET scan after all her treatments are done. Although, her CAT scan and gallium scan in the next few weeks will give us an idea of how things are progressing.

For chemo #4 & 5 Laura was getting an extremely painful arm (in the one that chemo went into intravenously) for several days. Fo her last chemo, #6, the nurse at the cancer clinic switched up the order that the chemo drugs go in. It changed everything. The pain didn't materialize like the previous times. So she requested the same order for today. Hopefully it works again!

Saying "I do" again!

Our Valentine's event was a great success! I had my chemo the day before which meant that I was on a high for the day of the event. It was a beautiful evening and my highlight was being able to give the talk on marriage with Pierre and renew our vows.

As I was preparing for the talk and reflecting on our marriage I couldn't help but cry. I have an amazing husband! He has been such a blessing throughout my adventure with cancer. In our talk we spoke about how there are constant challenges within marriage– busyness of a young family, times of financial difficulties, miscarriages, illnesses, etc. and how throughout these challenges we always have a choice - we can turn against one another in the midst of them - in our words and in our actions – or by the grace of God we can be a source of relief, hope and life for our spouse.

I shared of how we were presently experiencing one of those big challenges within our marriage right now with me being diagnosed with cancer and how we have had to make adjustments within our marriage and family life as a result. One example I shared was how our youngest, Nicholas, who is almost two, tends to wake up early – way too early some days! Since I have been sick, each weekend Pierre is the one who gets up with him. I know how much Pierre would love to sleep in – and yet he climbs out of bed, closes the door and lets me sleep in. I've watched him care for the kids if they were sick in the night, check on Nicholas if he calls out....the list goes on and on. For me it is an act of love each time he does it. It is something so simple, yet it means so much.

Our challenge of cancer hasn't been a devastating experience for us in our marriage– it has actually been a source of many graces and blessings. I know that it is because of our faith and also the fact that we were already finding ways to show our love to one another – this adventure has just given us more opportunities!

That night, as we renewed our wedding vows we were both in tears at the part "in sickness and in health". Our "I do" meant even more!

Half way...for real this time - posted by Pierre

OK. I know we said it before. But this time it's for real. It's chemo #6 today, and that officially makes it the halfway point. Hooray?!?

It was a tougher week last week. Laura's arm was extremely sore for many days. This is a common side effect of the chemo (on the arm the IV goes in). She's experienced it being sore before, but last week it was quite intense. Alot of cold packs were the order of the day (and night), which seemed to help a bit. It's a wonder that the cold packs do more than the Tylenol! Luckily it had lessened by this week and allowed her a few good nights sleep.

Tomorrow is our Valentine's event that we are speaking at. Usually the day after chemo is Laura's best day, so we are praying that this holds true this time as well so we can have a good night. Then, that should be the last of any big planning for awhile and I know that we are looking forward the break!

10th anniversary - posted by Pierre

Yup, it's been ten years ago today since we first said "I do", and it only seems like yesterday. And when we start thinking about all the diapers, late night feedings, ballet practices, air guitar sessions (with Nicholas) and dress up fashion shows, it is hard to believe we've packed so much into so short a time!

Tonight we are going out to celebrate with supper and just hanging out, hair or no hair!

A slight miscalculation - posted by Pierre

We had our meeting with Laura's oncologist today before her 5th chemo treatment tomorrow. The basic physical went alright, but when we asked about the PET scan she is supposed to have at the end of all her chemo treatments and when it would be, we got a surprise. As I posted earlier, we thought she would be done after 6-8 treatments. Apparently we misunderstood an earlier meeting with him when he said she would have 6-8 rounds of chemo, not 6-8 treatments.

What's the difference? 1 round = 2 treatments. Today he confirmed that she will be having 6 rounds of chemo. That means 12 treatments. That means after tomorrow's she will still have 7 more to go. Not exactly what we were counting on. At least she has been lucky enough that the side effects are not that horrible or long lasting!

So it looks like she will not be done until May sometime and will go for her PET scan then. Our oncologist will send her for a CT scan and gallium scan after her 6th treatment (or, if you are keeping track mathematically, at the end of her 3rd round) and we could find out more info on how the treatment is affecting the cancer then. Can't wait!

1/2 way? - posted by Pierre

Laura had her 4th chemo this past Thursday. Our oncologist originally said that they would do 6 to 8 treatments. Naturally we are hoping for 6, but either way she is 1/2 way through. We are anxious to get the PET scan done at the end so that we can have some idea of what is going on inside of her. Beside the effects of the chemo, Laura is not really noticing anything unusual like before she started getting treatments (swollen lymphs, difficulty breathing, etc), so we are really curious to know if the cancer has been responding to the chemo. So much is still unknown with this grey zone lymphoma that there is no way to tell without the PET scan as to any results.

The Sniffles

We are truly a sick household! Two of our kids have strep throat and the rest have colds. After wiping so many runny noses this weekend I finally came down with a cold myself. It is always nerve wracking because if I get a fever I need to go to emergency. I called the cancer clinic today and they checked with the doctor to see if I need antibiotics to help me fight it. They said I didn't but to keep them posted if I get more sick. I look forward to the day when a common cold or flu is simply my only worry!

I was out buying Kleenex today and found myself complaining in my head about my wig and longing for the day when I have my own hair. Then it dawned on me (definately Holy Spirit inspired) that I was wasting an opportunity to offer it up as a prayer! How quickly one forgets. Anyway....it was a much needed spiritual "kick in the butt"!

Pierre and I have been busy preparing for the Familia Valentine's event on February 10th. It is a classy night at the Hotel Sask. where there is a talk on marriage, the renewal of vows, a live jazz band and a silent auction. In the past we have had between 50-80 couples attend the event! We had our committee meeting on Saturday night and are very excited about it. Pierre and I will be speaking at this year's event. I have my chemo on the Friday before the event and so thank goodness the next day I feel really good. Pierre and I are going to write two talks though- one that both of us would give, and another that only he would give. This way we are prepared either way!


We would love for all of you to join us at the event as it is truly a date night and a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's day! Please give us a call if you are interested or have any questions. Our number is: 584-4140

Thanks again for all your prayers and support.

What a wonderful Christmas!

Well the O'Reilly's had a great Christmas! I felt wonderful and we were really able to enjoy all the company. We were out at Pierre's parents farm until Boxing day and the kids had a blast with their cousins. We hardly saw them except to tuck them in at night! Nicholas actually started sleeping in and one day he even slept until 9:30!! That is truly a miracle.

On Boxing day we drove back to Regina in just enough time to put away a few things before Kevin (my brother), Ange and their 3 kids came. We had a great time going bowling, to a movie, tobogganing...etc. Kevin was even able to come down with me when I went for my chemo on the Thursday which was really nice.

We took the kids back out to Pierre's parent's farm today and they will stay out there till Friday. This way I have time to recoup from my chemo and the kids will have a blast. It is a lot easier for Maman to take care of them out there than for her to come in her. That way Papa has someone to feed him! Hopefully I will even have a bit of time at the end of the week where I will feel good enough to go out for supper with Pierre!

...onward to Christmas - posted by Pierre

It's been over a week since we last posted so I thought I would give an update. Laura has been doing well since her chemo last Tuesday (Dec 12) but of course gets tired easily. They sent her home with three more injections to give herself (this past Sun-Mon-Tues) to boost her immune system. This should do her well for the Christmas holidays and keep her healthy until her next chemo on Dec. 28. We are so thankful for the chemo getting pushed back so she can spend Christmas in relative good health. We are looking forward to the break as I actually get real holidays this year (until Jan.2).

We will be in Moose Jaw starting tonight (Friday) visiting with my folks and my brother Louis and family (from Saskatoon). Their five kids and our four have a blast together so they are quite excited, and Louis and I can help with the tree farm.

Then we return to Regina boxing day to visit with Laura's parents and her brother Kevin and family (from Lacombe). Another reason for our kidlets to get pumped as their three kids are right at the same age. Needless to say, the kids will have lots of fun together!

Laura and I thank you all again for the thoughts, messages, prayers, and gifts. We pray you have a blessed Christmas and New Year. Hopefully we will see some of you over the holidays. You will all be in our prayers at this special time.

Finally had it - posted by Pierre

Finally, Laura got her 2nd (3rd in total, 2nd for this cocktail) chemo today. She was supposed to go on Friday but, as she posted, her counts were too low. So they sent her home to give herself injections to get her counts up (white blood cells). She did really well sticking herself (I even watched one and didn't pass out).

Unfortunately, we didn't know that the last injection had to be at least 24 hours before her chemo. So, on Monday they sent her back home to wait until Tuesday to get her chemo.

Now it's done and we wait for the lovely side effects!

Postponed

Well, I went for my chemo this morning and was unable to have it. My blood count is .6 and it is supposed to be at 1.5 before they will give me my chemo. They taught my dad and I how to give me injections of this immune boost to help my counts go up. We had to practice 3 times giving injections to towels and then I had to try it on myself. Yuck! I got a little queasy as I was giving myself the injection. Oh well....a new skill that I have aquired! The nurse said that I picked it up really well.

I will have to give myself the injections for Sat. & Sun and then on Monday I will go to have my blood taken and am scheduled for my chemo that day. For the rest of my treatment I will need to give myself injections which will help me keep on track.

The plus about my chemo being delayed is that I will have my good week during Christmas! Instead of getting my chemo on the 22nd it is now pushed back to the 28th.

My mom, who has been helping me out each day, is sick with strep throat. Hopefully no one else in the family gets sick. It is so hard to keep those "bugs" away.

My Prayer for You!

I was laying down today for my daily nap and felt the urge to pray for all of you. The scripture came to mind about the four people who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. They carried him on a mat which created many difficulties....the busy, crowded streets, finally making it to the place where Jesus was only to find it packed full, having to figure out a way to climb up onto the roof, making a hole in it to finally lower their friend before Jesus. It was a busy day for them! I am sure though, as they watched their friend be healed that their lives were also touched. Jesus even commented about the faith of the man's friends as he healed the him!

So many people, on a daily basis, are carrying me to Jesus in prayer. Asking for my healing. Some are going to great lengths and overcoming many obstacles in order to do so. This weekend I was moved to tears by the story of one woman's decision to not have an epidural during labor and how she offered her contractions as a prayer for my healing! Another woman thanked me for helping her grow in her faith because she has decided to pray the rosary everyday for me. She shared how she didn't know how to pray it when she started but is starting to learn - and for that she thanked me. I was so blessed by this.

Everyday I receive mass cards, spiritual bouquets, words of encouragement and I am so blessed by them all. Thank you! It is you and me in this scripture verse....we are on a journey together and Christ wants to touch both of our lives in the process. I am praying for you daily and know that great things are in store for all of us!

Thanks a bunch!

I am not as creative as Pierre in his fancy titles but I thought I would post something!

Thank you so much for all your prayers, words of encouragement and at times making me giggle at your guest book entries! They all mean so much. Though it is difficult at times, we feel such joy, peace and hope through all this....and I know it is a fruit of all your prayers.

I am still getting used to the no hair/wig thing. Maria and Ruth get pretty squirmy when my hat is off and my bald head is showing! Nicholas likes to steal my hat and kiss my head, often saying "ouch" due to the stubble. Pierre and I were talking tonight and I said to him that I really miss MY hair. Oh well...something to offer up on a daily basis!

I went to the cancer clinic today because my left arm was aching. It turns out that one of the chemo drugs has somehow affected my veins and will take about 2 weeks to heal. I was given some meds to ease the pain in the meantime. The doctor said that it rarely happens....I guess that is my word of the month "rare"! I seem to like to take the road less traveled.

Thanks again for all your love and support!

In the grey zone - posted by Pierre

Hmmmmm, interesting development.

Laura and I went in to see our oncologist (fancy cancer doctor) yesterday to go get a better sense of where everything is at. He had some interesting things to say. A quick recap:

-when we saw a specialist this summer (before the big biopsy surgery) he was fairly certain Laura had Hodgkin's lymphoma
-after the biopsy, the early indications was that it was not Hodgkin's, but rather B-cell lymphoma (aka non-Hodgkins), but they wanted to send off the biopsy to BC to get further testing, but in the meantime they started Laura on chemo to treat non-Hodgkins

Now the tests are back from BC and they can't say which it is, Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's. Our oncologist even spoke to 2 of the top oncologists in Canada, asked tons of hemotologists, and even checked research and papers, with no answers but this: grey zone lymphoma.

That is the best they can explain it (but you'd think they could come up with a fancier name). There are overlapping characteristics of both Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins which usually just doesn't happen, at least not to the degree that you couldn't see definitive, tell-tale signs that shows it to be one or the other. Thus the "grey zone". It is in between Hodgkins and non. This is very rare. In fact, there is barely any research on it and our oncologist said they would be watching her case closely and writing about in medical journals. If you do a search on Google (the knower of all!) for "grey zone lymphoma", you get a few pages, but they almost all are related to a single short article/research study done with 21 cases. No other info. As such, it is hard to know what we are dealing with.

As one of the specialists put it "I would favor that this more likely represents Hodkin's lymphoma based on experience more than anything else." The other specialist concurred. So they have switched her chemo to treat Hodgkin's. It's a whole different cocktail, so we are back at square one with the treatment.

She will have 6-8 rounds, and will have to go in every 2 weeks. The side effects are supposed to be a bit harsher with this type, so we will see how she reacts to it. Then, after those 6-8 rounds, they will probably do a PET scan to see how it is going. My assumption is that they will know better how accurate their "hunch" was by how the cancer is reacting to the chemo.

Fortunately, or unfortunatey, the rarity of this means that their is little to no information. They can't give a prognosis, or tell if it is aggressive or not. We are not worried about it as it's hard to really know if the news is good or bad. So now we just wait some more!

Hairy situation - posted by Pierre

Well, it's official. Laura is losing her hair. They said it wouldn't happen until around the 3rd week, and we have just started into the 3rd week! Nothing really major yet, but she did notice a little yesterday, and a more notable chunk today. So now we go wig shopping! Thankfully Laura has the forethought to pick one out a few weeks ago, so it is just a matter or going and picking it up. I voted for her to go bald and wear some cool bandana's and hats, but I lost. Oh well. I am just waiting until she let's me shave it all off! Who-hoo!

---pierre

Family picture

Our family picture from this summer.

From the left:

Maria (6), Pierre (age withheld upon request), Emma (4), Laura (age unknown), Nicholas (1.5), Ruth (8)

Up to speed so far

For those not up to speed with everything:

After getting many tests and biopsies since this summer, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins B-Cell lymphoma, 3rd stage, on Friday, Nov. 3. They started my chemo that day and I am scheduled for 6 more treatments, every 3 weeks (hopefully done sometime in Feb.). The lymphnodes that are most bothersome are in the chest and were making it hard to breathe. This has lessened, thankfully. They also said it had spread to the spleen, which is not uncommon, but I am not yet sure what they will do about that, if anything.

I was sent home the following Monday, Nov. 6 and have been generally in good health. A bit of nausea here and there, but mostly just tired, sneaking in 2 naps a day. We have had much help, and many more offers of help, so we are well loved and taken care of. Pierre's mom has been staying with us ever since I came out and been a huge help during the week (we send her home on the weekend). Thanks Maman!

Besides that, we plug along and take it as it comes.....

Welcome!

We have so many people who are concerned with my health and want to be updated on how things are going with me and my treatment. So, tadaa, this blog (thanks for the suggestion Lashyns).

Pierre and I will try to keep it updated every week or so, even if just to say that nothing significantly has changed. Please feel free to pass along this blog address to anyone else interested, or comment if you want. Thanks.