Fall 2009: Jake and Nancy learned that Nancy's breast cancer was stage four. Winter 2013: They are still fighting. This is a gathering place to follow their story, offer support, love and prayers... to be by their side.



Thursday, December 4, 2014

Chemo update and brain radiation to boot

Hi again.  No sooner had I posted my last update, saying how my new chemo was going smoothly, when the side effects hit me like a ton of bricks.  I had awful aches/pains for about 5 days, then felt well the next two weeks, so that's the upside.  Chemo again today, in fact I'm posting this update from the treatment center.

Last week I was scheduled for a follow up brain scan, which showed that one of brain tumors was a bit bigger.  They set me up for another cyberknife, which I had on Tues this week.  It went smoothly, I'm a little tired, but otherwise have no side effects (totally amazing technology).  They will repeat the brain MRI in 8 weeks to make sure that spot is shrinking and/or gone.

In non-cancer news, we had a very nice Thanksgiving with Jason/Wendy, my mom, mother-in-law, and brother.  Jason and Wendy hosted in their beautiful new home and they cooked an absolutely amazing dinner.  It was really fun and we were so thankful to be with family and friends.

Friday, November 14, 2014

New chemo started

Hi again friends and family,
My tumor markers were rising the past month or so and a scan showed that I've got progression in my liver, so we're on to another chemo.  The cocktail of choice is Taxotere and Cytoxan.  Taxotere has a reputation for being "taxoterrible", but so far it hasn't been too rough.  Thanks for continuing to check in, hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Quick update

Hey friends and family, thanks again for continuing to check in on us and send notes of encouragement.  Jake and I appreciate it so much.  Hard to believe, but I've been dealing with metastatic disease for about 5 years now and, thankfully, continue to beat the odds.  That's a long time and we truly appreciate that you are still checking in on us.

I am doing okay, though this current chemo is not my favorite, which is a polite way of saying I hate it.   The tummy issues are miserable, though at a reduced dose I'm figuring out how to take enough drugs to counter the side effects.  Compared to late July when I literally couldn't get out of bed and had terrible pain, I'm significantly better.  Why can't I get a chemo that has side effects of glowing skin, lustrous hair, improved energy, and weight loss?  Is that too much to ask? :-)

I had my normal weekly treatment today and had monthly tumor marker (CA 27.29) lab tests.  Initially my markers went down by one point on this chemo, but they jumped up 20 points last month.  Dr. Rinn said (and I totally agreed) that it was too early to abandon this chemo because I haven't had very much of it.  I suspect this month's tumor markers will be important.  If they go up significantly, I'll get a scan and likely need to change treatments.  If they are stable or reduced, we'll stick with the current chemo, though Dr Rinn said we aren't wedded to this treatment, so if it is too miserable, she'll find something different for me.  I'll update the blog once I get results.

Thanks again for checking in on me and keeping up with the minutia of my many health updates and ramblings over the years.  We've all got something...I'm humbled and honored that you keep checking in.
Will let you know what I find in the next few days.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Chemo update

Hey everyone, thanks again for continuing to check in.  My latest chemo has been rough with terrible side effects, mostly tummy issues, but I've also had a lot of trouble with headaches.  I had to miss a treatment and my dose has been reduced to 60%, this is by far the hardest chemo I've ever had.  Side effects aside, the good news is it seems to be working as my tumor marker fell a couple points last week.  Hopefully we can figure out the right mix of dose/schedule and meds to counter the side effects and I'll get some mileage out of this drug.

I realized I didn't give an update on my last brain scan, which is basically fine, though one of the previously radiated lesions was a little bigger (could be scar tissue).  Since I have been having so much trouble with headaches, they decided to give me another scan yesterday and it looked stable, so that's good news.

Friday, July 18, 2014

New chemo starts today

Dear family and friends,
I finished my half marathon on Sunday and it was great!  Here's me with Coach Kit from Team Survivor near the finish line.

The race was just in time as I'm starting a new chemo today that probably won't be too compatible with running.  The new drug is called irinotecan (patients pronounce it "I-run-to-the-can", hahaha)...hopefully the side effects won't be too bad, but potentially this is a rough one.  As long as it is worse on the cancer than it is on me, we'll take it.
Next week I have a follow up brain scan, so I'll report back on that front.  Fingers crossed it will be okay. 


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Updates

Dear family and friends,
I had a scan a few weeks ago and the results were mixed, some of the tumors were shrinking, but others were larger and there was a new one as well.  Dr. Rinn, as always, had a few tricks up her sleeve and a plan.  She suggested getting tissue samples from the new tumor and one of the shrinking tumors to see if there was a pathological difference between the two that might be clinically relevant. Last Friday I had a liver biopsy and got the preliminary results this week and it turns out there IS a difference.  The new tumor is HER2 positive, which means I'm eligible for additional treatments like Herceptin.

In addition to the standard pathology tests, she also ordered genomic tests on the tissue.  It will take a couple weeks to get results, but potentially, the results might indicate whether I would be a candidate for certain experimental drugs available in clinical trails or through the compassionate use clause in the FDA.  More info to come, but that's the update for now.

In other news, Kate posted about my half-marathon training, which is coming along, though last week's liver biopsy slowed me down.  I'm scheduled to run 13 miles tomorrow and the race is July 13th.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Inspiring

Per usual, Thursday was a chemo day. Nancy headed downtown after lunch and was probably joined by Wendy who just sat with her. The exception to this particular Thursday, however, was that prior to getting chemo, Nancy had just finished her 10 mile training run.

Every now and then we hear one of those stories that moves and effects us in some deep, meaningful way. And every now and then, we get the privilege to be a part of that story or run alongside the main character. And we feel inspired. This story is about overcoming circumstances and doing something big. And it's about Nancy. A month from today, despite the need to start a new attack on her cancer which is constantly on the move, Nancy is running in the See Jane Run half marathon. Now the 5k would be a pretty big deal… but no, Nancy is running the 13.1 miles!!

If you're a runner, you understand that it's not just about the race. It's about the daily focus… pressing yourself and persevering the uncomfortable. Logging a lot of miles before the race. When the weather is bad, we still lace up our shoes. When we're tired or sore, we still head out the door, --because that finish line is in sight. But what all of us can only imagine, is what it's like to have the added burden of running each training mile, and running that race, with 4th stage cancer.

Although I can't physically be in Seattle to run alongside Nancy on July 13th, my heart is there with her. Thank you for inspiring me, Nancy.

-Kate


Friday, May 2, 2014

Amazing day - vow renewal



Dear family and friends,
My sis-in-law, Molly, submitted our story to a cancer charity that grants "wishes" and we were selected to have our dream of a vow renewal ceremony.  We were limited to 50 people, so it was a small gathering, but wildly exceeded our expectations!!

A sample of photos can be viewed at this link.

The video of the big day can be viewed here.

There was even a local news station that did a story on the event, seen here.




Monday, March 31, 2014

Overdue update

Dear Family and Friends,
Sorry it has been so long since I've posted anything, all is well.

I had a follow up brain scan today and, thankfully, it was clear.  We expected it to be fine as I haven't had any symptoms, but still it was comforting to get those results.  Chemo continues to go very well, seems like we've hit the jackpot with this one.  My tumor markers are nearly back to normal and the side effects are very doable, at times I almost forget I'm on chemo.

In other news, I am officially retiring from work.  I'm taking a medical retirement, something I probably should have done long ago, but I have been so fortunate to have a job that I truly love, it has been difficult to let go.  I will miss the people so much...UW Medicine has been incredibly gracious to both Jake and I with our need to take time off work.  One of the most extraordinary things is that my coworkers donated sick leave to me, which is humbling beyond words.  Jake and I went to a work-related dinner the other night (he was celebrating his 10-year anniversary with UW Medicine and I was celebrating my 5 year) and it struck us both about how lucky we are that our employer feels like family.

Lots of people have asked what I'll do now that I'm retired.  Mostly, I'm focused on my health (chemo and all that goes along with it is a lot of work), but hopefully I'll continue to feel well enough to pursue some additional interests like volunteering.  I'd like to do a little gardening this summer and, of course, the bulldogs are always game for attention.  Mostly I just want to spend quality time with Jake, friends and family.  I feel very lucky to be feeling so well after 2013 was such a bumpy year.

Final bit of good news.  My sis-in-law, Molly, submitted our story to a foundation that grants "wishes" to cancer patients and we were fortunate enough to be selected.  The organization is granting us a vow renewal ceremony, something Jake and I always dreamed about doing.  It will be a small gathering, but we are beyond excited about it.