Chemo Cut photos!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Here's my new haircut! Hopefully we'll have a video up here soon; in the mean time, here are some photos.

Second Chemo Treatment

Yesterday October 28th I had my second Chemo treatment at Spohn Cancer Center. They are following exactly what I had done at MD Anderson. I had the same reaction again to that Docetaxel (Taxotere)I started feeling funny in my face I could feel it barely starting to have that flush feeling. I told the nurse and she immediately stopped it, and they called the Doctor. He had them give me a steroid and Benadryl like last time and had to wait 30 minutes before giving it to me again. I did fine then,so I hope that doesn't happen every time or that is what they will have to do each time.

I will be getting a Meta port before my next Chemo. They put it in front of your shoulder it goes under your skin and that is where they will put all your medication through, so your veins do not get ruined. And I will probably keep it there all year because I will be receiving the Herceptin for a year. It makes it a lot easier for them and me. Otherwise everything went fine, my nurses were absolutely great and so funny.

My mother had taken me to my Chemo appointment and then my sister and wonderful friend Tia Nowitzky who happens to be a OBGYN and has delivered 2 of my grand kids. They came up to relieve my mother she was really tired that day, so they visited with me and brought me lunch with these huge cookies from a place called "Hesters" that we shared with the Nurses and patients, which they loved. One Nurse said "When are you and your friend coming back again so I can diet first next time." Since it was my Birthday the day before Tia had brought me 3 beautiful scarfs for my head, a pretty silver bracelet with Cancer thoughts on it, and 2 really nice books one about "The Year My Mother Was Bald" it is actually for 8-13yrs that helped her to explain to her kids about cancer, very cute.

Then "Nordie's at Noon, the personal stories of four women "too young" for breast cancer. That was very sweet of her!!!! We had a lot of fun visiting, she GAVE me some good advise about not over doing, or maybe she was scolding me.ha! Then my husband came up and brought me that new Suzanne Sommers book on Cancer. So I have lots of reading to do. He took me home later and we went out to eat.

I take Zofran (for nausea) that evening and then for 2 days twice a day and I had no nausea the first time around and so far so good. Then they gave me the steroid Dexamethasone I take the next day for 2 days twice a day.

Some ADVICE I would like to give: Please do not ask cancer patients personal questions, they will tell you what information they want you to know. Be sensitive to what people are going through it is hard enough to deal in their minds everything that is going to happen and some things are just very personal. And please do not tell the stories of Breast Cancer friends or family members who have died from this. Luckily I am a strong person and just let it go over my head but not all people are like that. So Please think before you decide to tell a story, make it a positive one not of someone dying. We have to have hope and be positive, they are doing wonderful things for people now and people are living long normal lives. I know to live a long life and recover you have to be a Positive and happy person and exercise the rest of your life and serve others most of all do not just think of yourself.

I will be going to a support group 1 or 2 times a month. I met a lady downstairs over that and I told her about my website she thought it was great. She fell in love with my attitude and wants me to come to some meetings and help others which in turn they will help me also, so I look forward to going to my first meeting. She also mentioned about helping promoting my website. Oh the "gift of gab" can be such a wonderful thing. ha.

Well my friends as usual I am just so grateful for all of you, I so FEEL your prayers I feel such strength in me I never thought possible of me, I never thought I could ever deal with this cancer the way I am, I totally surprise myself how positive I am, how I have helped people so far. I honestly know for a fact it is all the prayers and fasting that have helped me through this there is no other way, I thank you a million times over I will never forget the Love you have shown for me how much you all care that makes me so strong and want to fight so much harder and I will never give up that's for sure, I know I am going to be fine I feel it inside I feel so good! I Love you all so dearly.

Till Later, Love ya,

Debbie

Update on Chemo Treatment

I just wanted to let you know I will be getting my treatment now in Corpus Christi. The person who was helping me can no longer help me, so I can not afford to continue at MD Anderson. It is a wonderful place but very expensive. The girl who told me my Herceptin was $4,339.00, she called me and said she was $7,000.00 off, that it is $12,000.00. It would totally put me in financial debt to stay there, I will miss the people there, and if you can afford it, yes I highly recommend it, but my Doctor assures me they will do everything for me here. So I hope they will let me video and take pictures here, I am not sure yet. My next Chemo will be on October 28th,he had it scheduled for October 27th and I said oh that is my birthday, then he said "oh no we are not doing Chemo on your birthday." I thought that was nice but I really did not care. I still will have to go do my blood work that day, you always have blood work before Chemo. I pray that I will do just as good this next time, they tell me, how you do the first time is how you will probably do every time. The first week is the hardest, feeling real weak at first and getting tired so easy. So till then my friends I will be back with you soon.

I just wanted to express my THANKS to ALL of you again for your donations, to ALL of you who are friends of my family and friends and to ALL who are related to them also. To those who have heard of my site and have donated. I really really appreciate the love you have shown for me, it makes me feel so good inside to know people really care about me and what I am going through right now. Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart!!!

The Kanzius Machine - A cancer cure?

This is pretty amazing. This research is going on right NOW at MD Anderson. If they are able to do what they are showing, this could cure almost any kind of cancer! The crazy thing is that the machine was invented by a guy who isn't even a doctor!

Episode 1: First Visit to MD Anderson

I had my first Chemo on Friday, Oct. 2nd. I had to be there at 11:30am, and they took me right into a room with a bed and TV. I get into bed and they give me some shots beforehand. Then going on 12:30 they put the IV in and start the first chemo medicine which is TRASTUZUMAB (Herceptin) they all have 2 names, this is the one I tested positive for the Her2 cancer cells, unfortunately this is a very expensive drug I take this every 3 weeks with Chemo and continue for a full year, this runs $4,439.00 a treatment, wow, it is suppose to be 100% effective in killing this cancer cell. I did fine with this drug.

The second chemo medicine was CARBOPLATIN (Paraplatin) one of the side effects was tingling, numbness and pain. I had a little tingling but the time I pushed the nurses button and she came it started to go away, so I had no problem with this one, they take 1 1/2 hrs. each.

The third chemo medicine is DOCETAXEL (Taxotere) this one after she gave me with in a very short time I felt my face just flushing and getting hot I told her right away and then I felt funny in my chest, but she had immediately stopped it, she said that is why I stayed in here longer up to 15 minutes she would have, because she said the majority of people have a reaction the first time. It was kind of scary she gave me a steroid and strong benedryl and redid it 30 minutes later and I had no problem then.

I had to go to the ladies room and you have to unplug this big circular stand with all your medicines and take a plug out from stand. So I am starting out in the hall and a nurse sees me and says "Oh are you looking for the bathrooms?" So I told her, "No, I am going home!" she laughed. Oh how I really would like to of gone home and would wake up from this dream still. But I think it will really become real when I have no hair, ha. Oh, my lunch was delicious. I had a Chicken salad sub on wheat bread and fresh fruit, it was impressive.

I got a shot 24 hours later PEGFILGRASTIM (Neulasta) to help in preventing or reducing the risk of infection while I am being treated with these cancer-fighting medicines. It stimulates the bone marrow to produce white blood cells (the cells responsible for fighting infection), boosting the body's immune system. So I will do this each time after Chemo.

I can not get sick at all, I can never have a temperature over 101 or I have to go to the emergency room or I can die. They were VERY specific about that. So I will miss a lot of functions this next 4 1/2 months as flu season and colds are all coming up, and I always get sore throats and colds so this is going to be very difficult and scary time for me, hopefully it will go by fast!

I do not have the energy I had before that is for sure, I can do things and then have to go rest, I tend to overdue still but I will learn fast. Nausea not to bad I have to eat when I am hungry. Your bones get a little sore, but I have medicine. I pray it doesn't get worse I want to start walking again, they say that is good. Before I know it I will be back there. Keep me in your prayers, oh how I FEEL them. THE FIGHT IS ON! And Debbie will WIN!!! Love you all!

A Mothers Love

I want to Publicly express my Thanks and Deep Love for my children. My son Steve Reed who has worked so hard to design this website for me and get it up and running. He is trying so hard to help me from the Vegas area where he lives. He is a very talented artist, and a very humble young man, whom I love with all my heart, and will never forget the love he has for me. He has a beautiful wife Sherese, and 2 precious daughters, Sariah and Alani.

My Beautiful daughters:
The oldest, Allison who is working on a fundraiser for me, which is up she is waiting for the link. They sell T-shirts, scrubs, etc..."Fight like a Girl" is the name on items. They get half and I get the other half to my fundraiser, the link will be posted here. She is trying so hard to help me from where she lives. She has a wonderful husband AJ and 3 of the cutest boys, Jacob, Deacon and Hunter. She wants to be here to help me but of course can not, so this is her way.

My middle daughter Kami who is visiting me from Utah (with her two precious children) and youngest Samantha have been grocery shopping, cooking meals and we all pitch in to clean, I have to be doing something. What love they do show for me. Kami has a wonderful husband Adam and little boy Jaden and a little girl sweet girl Ava, I have 7 of the most precious grand kids whom I love so very very much!!! Samantha is waiting for Prince Charming to come one day.

I have been blessed with the 4 most wonderful children who want to help their mother in any way, my heart is filled with joy and I am so proud of all of them!

One of my favorite quotes is:

You may have riches and wealth untold,
Caskets of jewels and baskets of gold,
But richer than I you will never be,
for I had a mother who read to me.

I want to change the last verse to:

for I have 4 children who truly love me,
And we will be together for All Eternity.

Which I truly did read to my children all the time and now I read to my grand kids!

My husband who wishes he could take this from me, my prince for 33 years this December, I love him very much and we will get through this and be stronger because of this trial.

There has been so much more help from my Parents, and my sister Jeni which I will be eternally grateful and many more family members who all want to be here to help but I have all their prayers, and what a powerful thing to have. I love my family with all my heart I just wanted you to know that.

The Results

Today I went to my Doctors appointment; he is always so nice and positive. He told me we would start Chemo on Friday and that I would need 6 treatments 3 weeks apart, which is about 4 1/2 months. So it should all be done around January. He saw two spots on my spine or bones, but he said he was not to concerned since the Chemo would kill them. He did schedule me for a Spinal X-ray that day, and a Bone Scan the next day. I have not heard anything on those yet, but I'm not too concerned since he didn't seem to be. Just as long as that Chemo kills it, I am happy!

Later on, he is going to remove a few lymph nodes near the breast, just to be safe, and then remove tumor when it has shrunk.

So that is where I am at right now, this will be a crazy year for me, I pray I do not get very sick and weak. I will have to learn to take it easy which is very very difficult for me, so I will need to learn to pace myself. 

Thanks to all my family and friends, I love you all very much~~~