Done!!!

Celebrate everyone!

Bridget finished her last chemo this past Tuesday. She had a couple days of upset stomach but handled it like a pro. She is done!

She sees the doc again on August 11 for a check and then will see him every three months after that. Probably will have a CT scan in 6 months to see how things are going and check to make sure no re-occurances.

We have appealed SSI, have not heard anything as yet. So maybe they are redeliberating. Pray, keep your fingers crossed,, whatever works- that they say yes this time. THAT would be a huge miracle.

I will keep this blog updated from time to time but not every two weeks as I have done- when you work all day on the computer- the LAST thing you want to do is come home and jump on again.--- or at least its the LAST thing I want to do.

So, until next time---- thank you thank you thank you!!!
We so appreciate the support.

Denise

Two

We are down to one more treatment!!!
Bridget had treatment on the 30th, did well, except during the "red" chemo. Apparently the last few times, she has a funny taste when she receives the "red" chemo. I can't remember the name of the "red'" drug. Anyhoo, she had one urp session, but did fine the rest of the chemo.
Her labs continue good. Hemoglobin is at 13. something, her potassium is fine and her WBC is ok too. So she continues to respond to the chemo. After her sessions are done, then she will have to see the doc every three months for the next two years. If she does not relapse in 5 years, she is considered cured- so continued prayers for the next 5 years would be greatly appreciated, as they have all along.

She received her WBC booster shot the next day, and again had lots of bone pain, but the upside is.... this was her last WBC shot. So no more bone pain.

I have set up a donation account for Bridget at US bank. It is under her name and can be accessed at any US bank in any city. Just tell them you are looking for a donation account for Bridget Sullivan, should you want to donate.

I heard and saw NOTHING in response to the editorial I sent in to the Montana Standard. I sent it in to let others know that there is a donation account set up. I have seen other small notices in the Standard for other people that have a serious illness, notifying that donation accounts are set up, but nothing in the two attempts to contact the Mt Standard. I will be calling them today (I think they are closed tho?) or Monday and asking why.
I am also going to be printing up flyers and posting them at businesses around Butte.
We appealed SSI to reconsider Bridgets condition, have not heard a thing yet, but it has only been a few days.

So, we are down to the last chemo, set for 7-14-09. I won't be blogging as much after that last one, but probably will continue to blog at least every few months.

Thank you for EVERYTHING you have done, your prayers, love and support are most appreciated.

Denise

Countdown - three

Well, here I am again, late as usual. Better late than never right?

Bridget had her chemo last Tuesday. Did well. We had the anti nausea meds confirmed NOT to use Zofran (the one that doesn't work) and to use Compazine midway through the treatment and the two other anti nausea meds that DO work. So smooth sailing, no queasy's.
She did have more pain this time from the shot given after chemo- the one to boost her WBC's, but with Tylenol was able to manage.

We are down to two treatments June 30 and July 14th!!!!!
She can have her port removed after that if she wants to---- she does.
She does not have to have the WBC shot after her last treatment, he feels she will be able to build up White Blood Cells on her own.
Then starts the being vigilant about her health care from now on. She will have MD appts every three months with Hueftle.

So, I am pushing her to start applying for jobs! She is going to have to get a job and get some health insurance if offered. She will have bills to pay off. The bills from this journey as well as her old school loans, and any new MD bills in the future. There was an article about kids moving back in with parents and regressing- it's not going to happen here. (I know you are reading these posts Bridget) ---this is a HUGE HINT to you!! . I hope she has learned a lot of things from this journey and Responsibility is a major life lesson, but one that we all need to take on.

That said, I am home today. Writing appeal letters to SSI and Medicaid, following up with St. James on any write off they will allow, calling the bank to set up an account for her (Everyone else does it, I figure why not us), submitting an editorial to the paper on uninsured health care and how important it is to get a public option (Mr. Baucus) onto the table, and calling some people I know that can help me set up a fundraiser for additional expenses.
Speaking of fundraisers- if anyone has a special talent/product/etc that they would like to donate to a fundraiser (Baked goods, wood working projects, donated hours cleaning houses, car washes----Hey I just thought of that one- and THAT would be a GREAT thing for Zach and his friend to do!!!!) ---- please feel free to let me know, I will take any donations available.

We have two to go, all labs are great, and I can see the finish line at the end of the journey.
Again, I have to thank EVERYONE for their LOVE and SUPPORT and PRAYERS, I need to let you know--- I could not have gotten through this without all of the above. Thank you SO SO much, from the bottom of my heart.


Denise

Great news!!

I tried to think of a really catchy title, but I guess in this case- simple says so much.

Bridget had her PET scan yesterday, and her ninth chemo session today!.
Her labs remain very good, hemoglobin is 14.3, and I forgot to look at her potassium. All other labs are normal. Her PET scan showed 'essentially normal", which means the chemo did it's job and Bridget is golden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She will have three more chemo sessions after todays. Her last one will be July 14th. She will not need radiation, she won't need stem cell transplants. She is free of the lymphoma. Of course, she will have to be vigilant about her health and make MD appts when scheduled.

She was so overjoyed to get the news that she cried - tears of joy as commonly known. Me- I was so relieved to hear the great news!!! She will go for her Neulasta shot tomorrow.

Right now, she is sleeping. The antinausea meds are working, we'll see how she is when she gets up. She tolerated the chemo today great- slept through most of it. The nurses and Dr. Hueftle were happy for her. Sherrie and Roxie (who have been giving her the chemo in Patient Service Center) were ecstatic!!

Thank you for all the prayers and positive thoughts- don't quit now- keep it up please!!!

And now, knowing that SSi turned us down, and she is not eligible for Medicaid, and apparently not even for unemployment benefits! (OUR system is So messed up!) I am not going to appeal.
We turned in paperwork to have St. James write off some or all? of the bill..Have not heard on that. I turned in some medicines paid for to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to get reimbursed for that, and am waiting to see what they will/will not allow. I will be contacting Survivors and Thrivers (a Cancer group here in Butte) to see if they can help as well. I'll also contact the American Cancer Society to see what help they can give.

However, I need to ask for more help! This has been an expensive journey, our bills (when all is said and done) will be over $125,000. I don't have that kind of money, Bridget will be YEARS before she has the ability to make that kind of money. I hate begging but I have to- because I am drowning (in debt and stress from worrying about this debt). I hate begging because everyday I see SO many other people who need money just as much as I do. I hate begging because I think Butte (not to mention my family) has already given me so much. I hate begging but... I need help. I hate begging because I was raised not to- but I am pretty much forced to.

I need help not only monetarily, but in setting up fundraisers, appeals to the community of Butte, getting an account set up in case someone wants to make donations, etc. etc. etc. As most of you know, I live in Butte, and work in Helena which means 12 hour days. Which leaves the weekends. As far as I know, my bank is not open on weekends, neither is the paper. I happen to think Bridget's story would make a GREAT article on the current state of healthcare- and it's a HOT topic!! But I can't get the Standard to reply back to my inquiry on an article.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated! If you are wondering why I can't do this myself- well, let me tell you, when you are spending a lot of time worrying, and getting more stressed, you spend a lot of energy and sometimes it gets overwhelming. I am overwhelmed.

Now, before you get all down in the dumps about my situation, let me remind you- I am TRULY blessed to have ALL of you in my life, and I am TRULY grateful/relieved/ecstatic/over the moon about Bridget beating this cancer!! A miracle occured, in such a short time and WE feel blessed!!

Let the celebration commence!!!!!!!!!

Denise

Bummed

Hey all-
I am on time today!
Bridget had chemo today, labs continue good. Hemoglobin is 14.2, she is pink still. The only thing out of normal was her potassium was a little low- 3.4, so I'll beef her up with bananas. She took her Compazine before we took off for the hospital- so no nausea before OR after chemo today!
Apparently, she is tasting the first Chemo med- slight funky taste, different than the saline that she notices if she does not have gum on hand. Nothing to make her overly nauseated, but still noticeable.
She did get sleepy but less so today.
So here is the plan- this was treatment 7, she has one more and then on June 1, the PET scan.
If the PET scan shows negative, she will have a few more rounds of chemo. (Unspecified on length of time) and be done.
IF the PET scan shows stuff, she goes out to Seattle for stem cell transplant.
Initially, he talked chemo, then radiation, then stem cell. However, with her being Stage 4b, the Standard of Care is no radiation. It is figured that would lead to more/different cancers down the road. So standard of Care is stem cell.
I left at noon to get Wendy's chili, went home to grab some stuff, and picked up the mail.
Here is the bummed part-
We got the decision from SSA today- denied. They don't find her qualified for disability. They realize her illness is severe and limiting but not disabling over a one year period- so she does not get benefits. Lots of nice prose.... yadda yadda and we can appeal. Quite depressing.
Bridget (looking on the "bright" side) then indicated- well, if I need a stem cell transplant- SSA has to give me assistance.

As for me, I am praying for complete healing. I guess we'll figure out how to pay the HUGE bills later.

Well, chat later.

Denise

I'm late, again!!

Good grief!

Time flies when we are having fun. (or something like that). Apologies again for the delay in posting. This is an update from 1.5 weeks ago. (This next Tuesday will be another round of chemo)

Labs continue good- in fact Bridge's Hemoglobin is up to 14.5! So she is no longer a ghost, but nice and pink. All other labs remain normal! Her Chest Xray looked even better to us than the Xray she had done in March. Nodes appear even smaller!!! She was a little worried- as the night sweats returned- however- they have stopped and we (including Doc) attribute it to hormones. These wonderful things can go a bit wonky with chemo- which means more tears, more anxiety, some sleepless nights, etc.

She had her chemo- the anti nausea meds worked great again!! However, before the chemo even got started, she threw up- she calls it anticipatory nausea. So, now the plan is to have a Compazine before we go to the hospital. Hopefully, that will help. She tolerated the meds without any problem afterward. That was a good day.

Next day, she had her White Blood cell booster- and then had the bone pain afterward, but that is manageable.

So, we have the month of May to get through- equals two chemo sessions and then a PET scan to see what the next step is. That will be June 1.

As to Social Security/Medicaid, her records went through SS review, and were forwarded on to QA committee- SS cannot tell me a decision (yay or nay), because her file is in QA. We will only know when that committee makes a decision. How long/?? ONLY another month- How will we know- most likely a letter. But If I don't hear/get anything by week 5, then give them a call.
Now you know why government is messed up (That would be government in general- no political statements here). They require more paperwork than GOD, and take more time than GOD to make a decision. If denied by SSA, then and ONLY then can we do the same process through Medicaid (the state government). SO the clock starts ticking all over again. When we first applied for SSA benefits, it stated they take between 90-120 days to make a decision- they weren't kidding, the 120 days is up end of May. Same timeline for Medicaid- yes, the clock starts ticking when SSA decides. So we may be well done with treatment and know nothing. In the meantime, the bills pile up- Bridget figures she owes the hospital 9 of her First born children- maybe she can borrow some from the total loser OCTOMOM. (who by the way, has no trouble whatsoever getting benefits from the government to have more and more and more kids (can we say free medical care to the toon of 9 or so million, plus a new house, lots of attention,.... on and on and on, I am SURE you get my drift).

Bridget is excited (NOT) that it will probably be nice on Chemo day. The last three or so treatments the days have been nice. However, its the time after that that sucks beans. I will be excited if it does anything but SNOW on chemo day. I don't mind the daily drive to Helena to work, however, when it takes more than 1.5 hours to get there and I have to white knuckle it all the way and it's MAY tomorrow- I am so over the snow. I know its good for plants, prevents fires in the summer and generally is good for the planet, but when winter extends into Spring and it seems like its never ending, it gets old.

Ah well, I can see I am tired and frustrated by a lot of things. I probably am boring you to tears now, so I will close.
I can't promise to get these blogs more timely- but I can promise to TRY harder to get them timely. Keep your fingers crossed. ....

Denise

Latest update

Ok, I am late, apologies. It is hard to get the school kid off the computer after I get home- plus, after working 8 hours on the computer at work, sometimes I REALLY don't feel like getting on the darn thing when I get home. Enough about my tardiness. Like I said, apologies.

Bridget had chemo Tuesday. We saw the doc after labs were drawn- they are all still great, all normal!! Yay Bridge! We did talk to him about different anti nausea meds because the last two chemo's ended right away with the urp ups. So he ordered different meds- they worked great- no nausea, no urp ups!!! However, she pretty much slept the entire chemo time- and that is OK. Luckily, I brought cross stitch and nursing magazines to read. So I got caught up on some articles, and have some cross stitching done.

She woke up long enough to put in an order for a Subway sandwich. I took a nice four block walk to Subway, which helped stretch my muscles. And it was nice enough to take a walk YAY spring- is it finally almost here???

So got her home- she went to bed, I worked some, went to the store, took Zach up to get his truck- its working.....Put some elk steaks on the grill- apparently forgot how to cook on the grill, because they were on the charred and tough to eat side----oh well, I do get better with age..... or maybe not....

Bridget woke up long enough to watch a little of the Biggest Loser, and ......Go back to bed. It was all the meds- but as long as she did not throw up... we'll take Sleepy over Urpy (as the eighth dwarf, should now be named).

PET scan will be done after 8 rounds of chemo- so it is scheduled for June 1. The PET scan will show us whether chemo is the treatment of choice or whether we need to add in radiation.

So, today- or last noc- all that sleep and the Decadron she gets to calm reactions to chemo meds- made her emotional and unable to sleep. So I got a call at work. Tears, I can't sleep, I haven't slept, my hearts pounding.... I looked up reactions to Decadron- most likely that is what it is. She called the Cancer nurses and talked to them- yep for sure that is most likely what it is. They expect that the drug will wear off tonight and she will be able to sleep. So keep your fingers crossed.

Uncle tommy gave us a really good helpful hint about aspargus puree having potential cancer fighting properties. I showed her the article, but.... she STILL is not convinced that asparagus has ANY good properties, let alone asparagus puree!!! I think it is left over from being fed Baby food veggies from the Gerber jar... I didn't have the heart to tell her, she actually LOVED all the GREEN puree veggies, it was the Carrots and Sweet potatoes she spit back at me..... Oh well... some like asparagus and some don't.
But Thanks Uncle Tommy for trying. I think its like you and the mushroom phobia....... ;)

Well, enough blathering on from me.

Thank you for staying tuned and the positive thoughts and prayers! I know I have said it before, but will say it again---- We appreciate them!!

Denise

Cruising along

Hi all-

well, we are past the fourth chemo session, with at least 8 to go. Sometime in April, we'll probably get a PET scan (again) to see progress and determine if we need to add Radiation to the treatment. The way Dr. H explained it- if anything shows on PET scan- we can add Radiation to take care of the outlier areas that do not appear to be responding to chemo.

That said- her labs continue good and on exam- she has no palpable nodes in her neck or arm pits! Her hemoglobin is up to 13.4, and she has more color and energy. YAY. She has even started playing the Wii which helps her exercise-yes a video game that lets you move more.
Her liver enzyme remains normal- and her Potassium is in normal range again- thanks to Potassium rich foods- thank you Kim and Paige for helping me figure out more Potassium foods than I was aware of!

She did great through chemo today- even slept during the last one. Bridget came home and slept some more- and then the dreaded nausea hit. This happened the last time- which makes me think that the pre- chemo anti nausea med is not working anymore (This is the one that is supposed to last 48 hours). So, since it happened the last two times, I think we will add Compazine in between the 4 meds, which may help to keep the nausea "troll" at bay.
And probably we'll just stick with soup for lunch on chemo day!. and maybe more soup/broth for dinner on chemo day.

However, the nausea/urp ups only last at most two days, then she gets her appetite back. She gained 3 pounds this last two weeks up to 158. And she is eating almost anything she can get her hands on- except asparagus (can't convince her that it is a great tasting veggie?). Oh well, she will eat beets and spinach without too much protest.

Well, again - thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers. It's working.

Denise

Third week chemo

Hi all- (second time at this- the first one did not save)

Bridget had chemo yesterday (Yes there was another scheduling glitch). Other than it was a 7 hour ordeal, it went well and she tolerated things fine. We arrived at 8:20 to the Cancer center- had lab work and a Chest Xray. After those were processed, we met with Dr. Hueftle.

GOOD NEWS-
Her hemoglobin is up to 12 (she is pink, has color to her cheeks and finger nails and is no longer see thru). Her liver enzyme that was so elevated at 760- is down to normal levels at 170!! YAY.
The only concern I have is that her potassium is low at 3.2, so I am giving her all the potassium rich foods we can find. Bananas, tomatoes, cheeses, yellow and orange fruits and veggies. So with the chemo and the bananas- she MAY turn into a monkey! (joking)

Dr. H was surprised to see she has not lost all her hair. It is thinning but she still has lots of hair.
So her chest Xray- without even looking at the old one (january's), I could tell that the nodes were much smaller. BUT the comparison of old to recent- Wow- the nodes are about 1/3 the size they were. She is really responding well to chemo.

So upstairs we go for chemo. She tolerated it well. We left at 3:15, so all in all a 7 hour ordeal- I still don't get why they say 4 hours in and out--- but oh well. We get to hang out together and chat with my old friends from St. James.

Today she got the booster shot for White blood cells, so by tomorrow, she will most likely be sick to her stomach (which she describes as her tummy doing handstands and flip flops) AND her bones will ache (which last time she told me felt like little trolls jumping on her bones). Not a fun Thursday. It, so far, has only lasted one day. Then a week and a half of good things. If the weather Ever warms up (-20 in Clancy this morning???), I want to get her out walking after dinner.

We thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts. Her next chemo is scheduled for March 24th. I'll post a new blog then.
Take care

Denise

Busy week

Sorry, seemed like last week blew by too fast and I am late in putting up the latest. Apologies for that!

Bridget had her chemo last Tuesday (2/24/09) and it went well. Took about 5 hours for the infusions to go in. She went first to Chemo center for lab and MD visit. I think I reported that her hemoglobin is up (10.9) and her Liver enzymes down from 750 to around 250!! yeah!! So the chemo is working!

She tolerated chemo well. The anti nausea med lasted about 36 hours this time- she was icky feeling the next evening. More sick this time!! (probably will be as the meds buildup in her body), but she handled it well with the Compazine. The Neulasta shot (to build up white blood cells and her immunity) also must be building up in her body- this time bone pain was more noticeable. Not just twinges and cramps, but real aches and pains. This is an expected side effect of the shot. If you think about it, it makes sense. White blood cells are built in the bone marrow, so places where her bone marrow is making more WBC's in response to the shot are going to hurt more. That lasted about a day and a half, coming right on top of the 'icky' feeling- so not a pleasant couple of days for Bridge.

She has more energy, is planning future things- like what she will do this summer, what movies she wants to go watch at the drive in, etc. She did the dishes one night last week and even set up her Wii, but ended up not playing it. So things are bouncing back for her!

Next chemo is next Monday- no hiccups, we have it scheduled and planned out in advance. She will have her labs and a Chest Xray to see what the lymph nodes around her heart and lungs are doing (shrinking????).

Still have not heard back from SSA yet, I am going to call today and see what the status is, plus have Dr. Hueftle call them to see if he can push from his end. We are getting bills. I probably would have a heart attack if I did not know in advance this was going to be pricey. We'll pay what we can and go from there. Meantime, more paperwork to fill out, Now you all know why the government is in the shape its in.

Chat with you later.

Denise

Even better followed by stop wait frustration

Ok, first today's news. Bridget had labs: Hemoglobin up to 10.9!!! and the elevated liver enzymes are down 500 points!!! White count is responding to the white blood cell boosting shot- 7.3. She has color to her cheeks, and fingers, and has more energy!

Port access is in- she is good to get chemo- or so we thought.

The CA center sent us "upstairs" to get chemo. We went up to 5th floor. They were puzzled as to why we were there. Some investigation- they had no orders, and we were told we were supposed to go to Outpatient clinic for the chemo. Downstairs we go.

After a 20 minute wait to get registered- (some daft woman/patient was directing other people to go ahead of us- which I quickly put the kibosh too- turns out she was not paying attention to the people behind her (us) ) , we get registered. The outpatient nurse comes flying out- she does not have us on her schedule, she does not have orders..... can we do this tommorrow?
I have no idea why CA center would send us upstairs and not tell us we aren't scheduled. I believe it may be due to communication failures and I hope not but maybe the fact that she does not have insurance.

So. Chemo is tomorrow- won't affect her recovery at all. Yes, mom, I have a call into the CA center to find out what the deal is. Everything happens for a reason- we shall see what the reason is- maybe St James will have pharmacy meltdown or something.
Anyway, its tomorrow.

Anyway, with the increased Hemoglobin and decreased liver enzymes, Bridget has not stopped smiling since seeing Dr. Hueftle. She is so happy. She is even cleared to do one day of dishes!

She has more energy, is talking about playing the Wii (something she has not talked about while sick), getting to see movies in the summer, and getting outside when it is nicer. All good things to hear!

Thanks for checking in.

Denise

Great news!!

Bridget had her weekly lab check and visit with Dr. Hueftle. She was a "Little" anxious about the blood draw from her port, but finally calmed down. Blood draw went fine.
She had a weigh in - lost 2.5 lbs. I told her (kiddingly) she did not have to match me pound for pound while I am in Weight Watchers. She rolled her eyes- I thought it was funny!

Saw the nurse. No issues with her appetite- In fact, she is eating everything I make for her and sometimes more. She requested spaghetti the other day and had two helpings. We found a new topping for spaghetti- feta cheese sprinkled on top. Yummy! She had fajita tacos (thanks Paiger) the other day and ate every bit (this was when her tummy was doing handstands and somersaults). So I don't think the chemo affected her appetite. Tonite- she wants Tacos. No mouth sores yet. Nausea was handled quite well with Compazine. She does have some hair falling out (when I brush it, comb it, wash it), but that has evened off some- although Nancy the chemo nurse thinks she will lose more. No fever, blood pressure good (a little high from the anxiety of a port stick), heart rate good and oxygen level good.

Dr. Hueftle saw her- did his exam. Her neck nodes have shrunk significantly. He says she almost looks symmetrical now. I am thinking her nodes in the lungs are down as well, cause her cough is gone. He also said her spleen seemed smaller on this exam as well. Her hemoglobin is up to 9.6!! from 9.1, and that is without iron. So all in all, she is responding to chemo. She is so excited!!

Next chemo is next Monday! I did ask if it was ok for her to take the compazine the night before the 48 hour anti nausea med wears off- they said this was ok. So we'll try that in hopes of getting her stomach to stop the somersaults.

She is actually smiling and I could see a HUGE weight leap off her shoulders, with the news about the smaller nodes. (She was projecting and thinking things were not going to respond as much as they did).

So the prayers and good thoughts are working- don't stop now- keep up all the good work, thoughts and prayers!!

Thank you So much!

Post chemo day

Well the antinausea med that worked for 48 hours wore off, and with that- came the upset stomach. So we did not get by this time totally unscathed. Bridget has Compazine to take to help out with the upset stomach. She was trying to be strong and not take it, but I convinced her to take it this morning so that she can get a handle on the upset.
She had read that sometimes with the first chemo dose there is not a reaction, it has to "build up" in one's system. I think she was thinking she was going to go that route.

Yesterday, she got the White Blood cell booster shot. That will cause some bone pain as the shot stimulates cell production.

And of course, Social Security call did not happen. I called them after waiting a half an hour. They gave me the excuse that my phone number was disconnected and the letter returned. What did happen was that they were unable to follow clear instructions to call my cell number as long distance. They did not and did not try again. I left a voice mail message asking the manager of the Butte office to call me back- she did not. So I will call her daily until she does. That is one reason why government is the way it is. Inefficient and inability to follow instructions.

Anyway, I am at work today. Checking on Bridget by phone frequently.

Denise

Chemo day !!!

Well, Chemo day happened!! And what a LONG one it was!

We started at 8:45 in the MD office. They took vitals, checked the port, put the infusion extension cath in, answered questions and then sent us up to 5th floor for the infusion. More vitals, we got situated in the room. The nurse started with pre-meds (anti nausea med IV, Benadryl, Decadron (to lessen allergic reactions), and Ativan to help with anxiety level. These were given -oh about 1030. Nothing happening from then to noon- They had to mix drugs according to her weight etc. At noon, I was starving (having eaten at 5:30). I took a quick trip to Wendy's, by the time I got back, the first one was in.
The second chemo med (there are four) was a test dose to check for allergic reactions. We had to wait an hour after that test dose. Since no reaction- they gave that med- that took about 20 minutes. It's about 2 now. The third med took about 5 minutes to give. Then a wait for the fourth med. That one started about 4 and went in over an hour. Then the nurse held us there to make sure nothing bad happened, for an hour.
So our odyssey started at 8:45 and we left at 6. So much for the quick four hours I thought it would be.

Good thing is that she had no reactions, the Ativan relaxed her enough to take some power cat naps (she needed it cause she did not sleep well last night), and so far --- no nausea!. We have two nausea meds on hand to help in case she does get sick. Had to go fill one at Wally World, which took another 20 minutes. So round about 7:15 we had dinner. THANK YOU Aunt Miriam for the wonderful pasty!!!!! and for the fact I did not have to worry about what to fix for dinner after that long day!! It hit the spot!

Tomorrow, she has to go get a shot to boost her white blood cell count after chemo, and we have to talk to Social Security to get her set up with assistance and Medicaid. Everyone keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks everyone for all your help, your prayers and your thoughts!

Denise

Hi everyone-

Today is Feb 5th, supposed to be chemo day, but is not. They apparently were waiting for Medicaid to be confirmed, since it was not, they did not go forward with chemo. Spent the morning at the Chemo center talking with the doc. Apparently, they did not have all of the four meds at the center anyway today. (I think they were waiting to order it before confirming we had a payee source-which we don't as yet). I spent part of the afternoon on the phone with Medicaid only to be told she doesn't qualify unless she is over 65, blind, pregnant, has kids, or is disabled. To be disabled, Social Security makes that determination. That phone call happens Tuesday.

Chemo is set to happen Monday and it will, even if I have to pay Out of pocket to make it happen. I will not take no for an answer. Like Bridget said today- since when did healthcare stop being about caring for sick people and turn into a business. AND you know what, she is right. It has.

We learned the results of the bone marrow and PET scan. She has it in one side of her bone marrow- the left side. The PET scan basically confirms that it is in her neck, chest, abdomen and half of her bones. This makes her a Stage 4 B. Stage 4 means that it can be found in more than one organ system, The B means she exhibits symptoms- night sweats, cough, anemia, Shortness of Breath.... The cure rate is still 80% for Stage 4.

As you might figure, we are both down about this news. She more than I, to her it seems like God is not answering her prayers. I, being the nurse person that I am, was expecting something when I saw how anemic she was and when he asked for the bone marrow. But in her presence, I am a rock. It scares her when she sees me breakdown, and I see the fear in her eyes. SO, I am a rock.

We are moved back to Butte, and somewhat settled in the house. I have rooms set up but live among boxes. Maybe this weekend I can get boxes sorted and put away. I still have to clean the apartment in Helena Saturday, that should not take long. Leaving me part of Sat and Sunday to get into boxes.

Zach and I are adjusting to the "bedroom community commute", between Butte and Helena. I figure it will take another week to get bodies adjusted to the earlier schedule. We live for days off and weekends.

I will be here in Butte on Monday for Bridget's first chemo. I can work from home, thank God for great Bosses and co-workers who are so understanding.

Speaking of being understanding, I don't have enough words to thank everyone that helped with the move. We are so blessed to have such a great Family and great friends as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the move help, the cleaning crew, the meals for us... I SO appreciate each and every one of you!!! I can't thank you enough and I OWE you all big time.

Well, that is it for now.
Posting this, and not calling because Qwest set up my long distance screwy and it will take days to get it reset.

Love to you all.

Denise, Bridget and Zach

Initial findings ...

Thank you so much for the prayers and positive thoughts.

Today she had a bone marrow biopsy, actually two, so is a hurting unit right now. Monday she had a lymph node biopsy and portacath placed. Cath for chemo.

We unofficially had good news, preliminary reports indicate it is the "good" cancer. The cancer that has a high cure rate and good outcome rate- so we are in better frame of mind.

She has a PET scan on Sat., a followup check of incisions Monday and starts chemo Thursday next.

Again thank you for the prayers. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful and huge network of family and friends.

Set up for Denise

Hi everyone (Jen here). Denise has said that she would like to have a blog so that she can easily inform everyone of news pertaining to Bridget. But, she didn't have the 'darndest' idea HOW to do that.

I set this up for her, and will turn over the keys. As for you, you can 'follow this blog' (and I believe you are notified when new posts from Denise appear. Or, you can simply bookmark this page and come back to it when you would like to see any updates she has made.

Hopefully this will be a convenient tool for her and everyone who is wishing and praying for Bridget.