Well, we think we've got all the shoes back on the rack; hopefully, they'll stay there!
We heard from our oncologist on Friday; the Tumor Board recommended no chemo or radiation. They feel sure that the number of carcinoma cells are minimal (of course, one is all it takes) and the side effects wouldn't outweigh any benefit that might be gained. They'll be doing a blood test for cancer markers every three months from now on and if the markers rise, he'll get a full-body CT scan to locate any new invasions. And he'll need a colonoscopy yearly from now on. So the only thing left now is the Mohs surgery for skin cancer, which should be pretty routine.
Jack has had a lumbar epidural for pain; he's going to try that before resorting to surgery. At least now, he's able to sleep in bed rather than the floor as he has been the last few weeks.
Joe is supposed to have a biopsy next week, but he has a cold and was running a fever on Friday so that will likely be postponed when he talks to the doctors tomorrow. He says he's really tired (high white blood counts do that) but hopefully that will go away when he's able to start treatment.
I forgot to tell you that last week, I met Cindy, Tammy, Judy, and Joan Schrouder for dinner. We met at the shop where Cindy works, All About Yarn, and went to dinner at Newport before going to the Tigard Knitting Guild. What a joy to see Joan again; and even better to see her presentation to the Guild of things she had knit through the years. I think my favorite was a Baby Surprise Jacket she made for a grandchild. Joan bravely knit the jacket in Oregon Beavers' orange and black, per the request of said child's father, being an Oregon Duck herself. But as they say, "the devil is in the details" so Joan sneakily put in a shadow knit pattern on the back; "GO DUCKS" in large letters. She says "the devil made her do it".
I also made it to Wednesday Knit Night last week and this one, too; I'm still working on those fingerless mitts for my co-workers. I felt nice to be "back in the fold" again!
And yesterday, my dear friend Barbara flew in from Phoenix for SOAR; she and Cindy both going for the whole week. I had the pleasure of entertaining her for the afternoon, which not a hard task at all! We sat in the living room in the fall sunshine with the fireplace going; she was knitting and I was spinning and we talked and talked and talked. I didn't realize how much I missed seeing her at OFFF this year! Then Cindy and Judy came to meet us for dinner. ToolMan stayed home (USC was playing), so the four of us had a wonderful dinner at Chinatown Restaurant. It may not look like much, but this place has the best Chinese I've ever eaten. Judy took home the doggie bag and I brought a family dinner home to ToolMan; he loves their pork chow mein!
After some good news and some good times with good friends, I feel very much rejuvenated and ready to face the world again.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Just how many shoes are there?
For the last two weeks, it seems like every time we had the worst behind us, another shoe fell.
We got the first biopsy for ToolMan, indicating clear margins around the tumor. Then another shoe fell when I talked to my mother, we found out two of my brothers are facing serious health issues; one needs spinal surgery, and the other has been diagnosed with chronic lymphoma leukemia ("CLL"). We've known Jack would need back surgery sooner or later, and now it seems he won't be able to put it off any longer. Joe has been sick the last few months with numerous infections and now a biopsy of his lymph glands showed the reason. His oncologist says CLL is very manageable with medications, so we're hoping they can get it under control pretty fast.
ToolMan saw our regular internist as a followup from surgery; he was concerned about a spot on ToolMan's ear and on his cheek. He's had minor skin cancers removed before, but the doctor was concerned about the look of these and sent him back to the dermatologist. Turns out the biopsy showed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Another shoe hit the floor. They're going to do Mohs surgery, an all day procedure where they take microscopic slices and run instant tests until they show clear, and then do reconstruction all at once. They'll do the ear first, in November, and the cheek second, sometime in December, so he has healing time in between.
ToolMan had referrals to a radiologist and medical oncologist, as followups to his surgery. He saw the radiologist on Tuesday, who said he didn't think radiation would be necessary, given that the tumor was stage 1. We were starting to feel like we had turned the corner, crested the hill, and were on good road again. Then we saw the medical oncologist on Thursday, and another shoe fell. It turns out that there were cancer cells found in the blood vessels going into and out from the tumor; it called angiocarcinoma and means basically that cancer cells are floating in his bloodstream looking for soft tissue to invade. It turns out that this development from stage 1 cancer is the hardest to treat. In stages 2, 3, and 4, the doctors have a clear plan; kill the cancer. In stage 1, it's less clear; the chances of a re-occurrence after doing nothing range from 5% to 28%, depending on whose test results you read. And with treatment, the numbers don't seem to change all that much. And we don't know how many cells there could be; is there 1? 100? Thousands? The treatment is chemo by pills daily and radiation 15 minutes per day for 6 weeks. The side effects of which can be pretty brutal. In short, we really like the medical oncologist, she's very open and generously took a lot of time to go over the biopsy, medical papers, options, and treatments. But she can't make a decision for us. We ended the meeting with an agreement that she will present this to the Tumor Board at OHSU to get further opinions, and she'll call us next week when, or if, there is a consensus from the Board and we'll make a decision from there.
Thankfully, there were some bright spots in the last few weeks. Like Spinnerati last weekend:
It's always nice to get back amongst my Spinning Sisters for an afternoon of fiber. And the hugs didn't hurt either.
Then a package showed up in the mail from Dave Daniels with my booby prize for the Summer of Spinning. This may be the softest superwash merino I have ever touched! And this picture does not do the color justice; it's more of a lavender blue; I can hardly wait to get started on it!
I didn't make it to Westside Wednesday a week ago; I was just too tired from all the ups and downs to make it. I think the Knit Sibs were trying to tempt me back, because on Thursday morning, when I went out the front door to work, this was hanging on the handle:
There's been very little spinning going on, other than Spinnerati, though that will change now that I have that fiber from Dave. But there has been some knitting, but not much. I did finish a Swallowtail scarf, but it's too dark tonight to get a good picture so that will have to wait until next week.
Our new office has huge windows on two sides and we can't seem to hit a happy medium between the folks near the window (who are freezing when the thermostat say 71 and warm when it says 78) and the folks on the other side (who are roasting when the thermostat says anything above 73). Guess which side my team is on? I actually saw one of my paralegals wearing her down-filled coat and mittens last week. At her desk. The result? Mindless knitting to the rescue!
We got the first biopsy for ToolMan, indicating clear margins around the tumor. Then another shoe fell when I talked to my mother, we found out two of my brothers are facing serious health issues; one needs spinal surgery, and the other has been diagnosed with chronic lymphoma leukemia ("CLL"). We've known Jack would need back surgery sooner or later, and now it seems he won't be able to put it off any longer. Joe has been sick the last few months with numerous infections and now a biopsy of his lymph glands showed the reason. His oncologist says CLL is very manageable with medications, so we're hoping they can get it under control pretty fast.
ToolMan saw our regular internist as a followup from surgery; he was concerned about a spot on ToolMan's ear and on his cheek. He's had minor skin cancers removed before, but the doctor was concerned about the look of these and sent him back to the dermatologist. Turns out the biopsy showed invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Another shoe hit the floor. They're going to do Mohs surgery, an all day procedure where they take microscopic slices and run instant tests until they show clear, and then do reconstruction all at once. They'll do the ear first, in November, and the cheek second, sometime in December, so he has healing time in between.
ToolMan had referrals to a radiologist and medical oncologist, as followups to his surgery. He saw the radiologist on Tuesday, who said he didn't think radiation would be necessary, given that the tumor was stage 1. We were starting to feel like we had turned the corner, crested the hill, and were on good road again. Then we saw the medical oncologist on Thursday, and another shoe fell. It turns out that there were cancer cells found in the blood vessels going into and out from the tumor; it called angiocarcinoma and means basically that cancer cells are floating in his bloodstream looking for soft tissue to invade. It turns out that this development from stage 1 cancer is the hardest to treat. In stages 2, 3, and 4, the doctors have a clear plan; kill the cancer. In stage 1, it's less clear; the chances of a re-occurrence after doing nothing range from 5% to 28%, depending on whose test results you read. And with treatment, the numbers don't seem to change all that much. And we don't know how many cells there could be; is there 1? 100? Thousands? The treatment is chemo by pills daily and radiation 15 minutes per day for 6 weeks. The side effects of which can be pretty brutal. In short, we really like the medical oncologist, she's very open and generously took a lot of time to go over the biopsy, medical papers, options, and treatments. But she can't make a decision for us. We ended the meeting with an agreement that she will present this to the Tumor Board at OHSU to get further opinions, and she'll call us next week when, or if, there is a consensus from the Board and we'll make a decision from there.
Thankfully, there were some bright spots in the last few weeks. Like Spinnerati last weekend:
It's always nice to get back amongst my Spinning Sisters for an afternoon of fiber. And the hugs didn't hurt either.Then a package showed up in the mail from Dave Daniels with my booby prize for the Summer of Spinning. This may be the softest superwash merino I have ever touched! And this picture does not do the color justice; it's more of a lavender blue; I can hardly wait to get started on it!
I didn't make it to Westside Wednesday a week ago; I was just too tired from all the ups and downs to make it. I think the Knit Sibs were trying to tempt me back, because on Thursday morning, when I went out the front door to work, this was hanging on the handle: 
Definitely no trick here; it was all treat! Inside 12 balls of lovely blue bulky yarn! I'm not sure what I'll do with this yet, but I'm thinking it will make nice hats either for chemo patients or for Outside In.
There's been very little spinning going on, other than Spinnerati, though that will change now that I have that fiber from Dave. But there has been some knitting, but not much. I did finish a Swallowtail scarf, but it's too dark tonight to get a good picture so that will have to wait until next week.
Our new office has huge windows on two sides and we can't seem to hit a happy medium between the folks near the window (who are freezing when the thermostat say 71 and warm when it says 78) and the folks on the other side (who are roasting when the thermostat says anything above 73). Guess which side my team is on? I actually saw one of my paralegals wearing her down-filled coat and mittens last week. At her desk. The result? Mindless knitting to the rescue!
Simple 2x2 rib fingerless mitts in worsted weight; I'm on the third pair in less than a week. One pair for each of female paralegals and assistants on my team so I'm making 6 pair. I do have one male paralegal; he's been seen wearing polar fleece vests in the office of late. I don't think he'd wear the fingerless mitts, so I'm thinking short finger gloves for him. Any other suggestions?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
All Quiet on the Western Front . . .
With all the sitting in waiting rooms, doctors' offices, and hospital rooms that I've done in the last two months, you'd think I'd have lots of knitted FOs to show for it wouldn't you? Truth is, most of the time I was just too distracted, worried, and tired to pick up sticks and string. Here's the only thing I've finished in the last month:
The picture really doesn't do this yarn justice; it's Glam Sock Yarn from StitchJones. Glam Sock Yarn is a blend of superwash merino, silk, nylon, and silver fibers; yes, silver. The merino and silk make it soft with just a little shine, the nylon makes it strong, and the silver gives it just the barest touch of sparkle. It's not the least bit like those "sparkle" and "metallic" yarns of the olden days; this one's got class, baby! And with over 400 yards in a skein for under $30, it's a very affordable luxury.
When Sharon got the first skeins of this about a year ago, I suggested she do a dove/pearl grey and this is the first time I've been able to grab this color; she tells me it flies out of her on-line shop as soon as she puts them up, so if you spot a color you like, better grab it while you can!
The Knit Sibs, however, seem to have been knitting their little fingers to the bone for ToolMan the last few weeks. Almost as soon as he was out of surgery last week, a basket full of love showed up on his nightstand.
Seems that Duffy, Sharon, Angela, Dana (sadly blogless), Rachel (I'm pretty sure she made one of the crocheted hearts) and the rest of the gang cooked up a secret plan that they even kept from me! They started making hearts for him back when he had the heart attack, then as things got worse, decided to wait until the storm had passed. I'm sorry if I left anyone out; most of the hearts didn't have a maker's name attached. The bear has a handknit sweater and a tag that says "Bear Hugs from Stitch Jones", so we know that one came from Sharon. The felted heart next to him (with a face and tongue sticking out) has embroidery on the back saying "Throw. Laugh. Retrieve. Repeat." and came with a note from Dana. That one was a big hit with the nurses on the Cardiac Ward! The whole basket is now residing on the nightstand, ready to be picked up anytime he needs to be reminded how many people care about him.
I didn't make it to OFFF, or to the last couple weeks of Westside Wednesday, or Saturday Spinning Our Wheels at the Grange. In fact, I've haven't spun a single thing since WWSIP, and as I said earlier, I'm hardly knitting, either. I'm just too tired right now to do much; I think the stress of changing procedures at work, moving the office, software training, and ToolMan's health issues have finally caught up with me. Now that most of the worst is behind us (Dear Jeez, I hope this is true!), I finally feel like I can let go and rest. I think the short days are making me feel even more tired; I spent most of yesterday napping either in the chair or in bed, moving only when I had to deal with loads of laundry. Of course, ToolMan is spending a fair amount of time napping as well. Both of us are ready for hibernation. And getting back to "normal" again; definitely ready for "normal".
The picture really doesn't do this yarn justice; it's Glam Sock Yarn from StitchJones. Glam Sock Yarn is a blend of superwash merino, silk, nylon, and silver fibers; yes, silver. The merino and silk make it soft with just a little shine, the nylon makes it strong, and the silver gives it just the barest touch of sparkle. It's not the least bit like those "sparkle" and "metallic" yarns of the olden days; this one's got class, baby! And with over 400 yards in a skein for under $30, it's a very affordable luxury.
When Sharon got the first skeins of this about a year ago, I suggested she do a dove/pearl grey and this is the first time I've been able to grab this color; she tells me it flies out of her on-line shop as soon as she puts them up, so if you spot a color you like, better grab it while you can!
The Knit Sibs, however, seem to have been knitting their little fingers to the bone for ToolMan the last few weeks. Almost as soon as he was out of surgery last week, a basket full of love showed up on his nightstand.
Seems that Duffy, Sharon, Angela, Dana (sadly blogless), Rachel (I'm pretty sure she made one of the crocheted hearts) and the rest of the gang cooked up a secret plan that they even kept from me! They started making hearts for him back when he had the heart attack, then as things got worse, decided to wait until the storm had passed. I'm sorry if I left anyone out; most of the hearts didn't have a maker's name attached. The bear has a handknit sweater and a tag that says "Bear Hugs from Stitch Jones", so we know that one came from Sharon. The felted heart next to him (with a face and tongue sticking out) has embroidery on the back saying "Throw. Laugh. Retrieve. Repeat." and came with a note from Dana. That one was a big hit with the nurses on the Cardiac Ward! The whole basket is now residing on the nightstand, ready to be picked up anytime he needs to be reminded how many people care about him.I didn't make it to OFFF, or to the last couple weeks of Westside Wednesday, or Saturday Spinning Our Wheels at the Grange. In fact, I've haven't spun a single thing since WWSIP, and as I said earlier, I'm hardly knitting, either. I'm just too tired right now to do much; I think the stress of changing procedures at work, moving the office, software training, and ToolMan's health issues have finally caught up with me. Now that most of the worst is behind us (Dear Jeez, I hope this is true!), I finally feel like I can let go and rest. I think the short days are making me feel even more tired; I spent most of yesterday napping either in the chair or in bed, moving only when I had to deal with loads of laundry. Of course, ToolMan is spending a fair amount of time napping as well. Both of us are ready for hibernation. And getting back to "normal" again; definitely ready for "normal".
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