Thursday, May 2, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,
I just returned from Salt Lake City.  I had a very good result from the Cat Scan.  Both my brother oncologist and my sarcoma oncologist said I had a very good result.  I am continuing with a little more chemo therapy in pill form and another couple infusions.  I should be done with all the chemo by mid May. 

I look forward to resuming my life.  Thanks for all of your support.

Love,
Terry

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

We are back in Durango after finishing round 4. It was a little quiet this round.  Sara and Zane and Lorrie and Dave kept us company. I had a new room that was quite nice. The weather was so so. The Huntsman has a lovely patio on the fourth floor.  I enjoyed spending some time outside until the wind and rain broke through.

I am so grateful to my extended family for keeping me company all those weeks.  Maebie dog had a visit at the Huntsman as well.

Tim has been amazing.  There is no way I could have maneuvered myself around without Tim's help. He was always there for the paperwork, planning and comforting me. He initiated  labs here in Durango (when we were not in SLC.)  He spent a lot of time with me that was precious.  It is not easy to stay in a hospital for an extended visit.  He was with me most of the time, and I really appreciate our time together.


Next step.  Catscan in 2 weeks.  I will keep you posted.

Love,
Terry

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Greetings from Durango.

I will be starting my fourth round of Chemo this Wednesday,  April 10th.

I have been in Durango for a little over 2 weeks.  Thanks to my wonderful friends who have fed me, walked with me, gave me flowers, books and videos, and visited with me.

Thanks to my husband (Tim) and children (Sara and Patrick) who have taken such good care of me.  Thanks to all my 6 siblings (Claire, Kathy, Barb, Dave, Hugh and Tom) who have visited me from Kansas, California, Colorado and Utah.  Special thanks to Dave and Lorrie for arranging accomadations for our family and many wonderful meals.

My sister, Barb has been visiting with me for 3 nights this weekend.  We had a wonderful time reminiscing.  Thanks to all of you near and far that have shared your love.

Onward to Chemo 4!

Love,
Terry

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Good News From Utah

(Written by Sara)

A quick update. My parents are back in Salt Lake City. They arrived yesterday with Maebie and my Uncle Hugh in tow. My mom had her first CT since starting chemotherapy yesterday evening, and she received the results today.  We are happy to report some good news. It appears the chemo is doing its job. The SOBs are starting to shrink.

She is settled in to the Hunstman Center again. We had a great dinner at the little hospital diner. They have a killer salmon salad that's served only on Wednesdays. I joked about coming to the hospital diner on Wednesdays even when my mom isn't here. It's really a good salad. We even sneaked in some wine and had a little celebration.

She's really looking great. I saw her wig for the first time the other night and thought she did a great job picking it out. She also has some cute little hats. During her first round of chemo a nurse told her that she should expect to feel pretty crappy when she gets home after chemo, but just as she starts to feel normal again after 2 weeks, it starts all over again. It turns out that is true.

Patrick and Aunt Claire, and possibly Aunt Kathy are flying in to visit this weekend. We are looking forward to seeing them. I hope to play some banana grams and doing some knitting with my mom.

More later!


Friday, March 15, 2013

A Weekend at Mercy Hospital

Dear Family and Friends,
I returned from Salt Lake about 2 weeks ago.  During my stay in Durango was very tired.  My blood count became low and I had a fever.  I ended up in Mercy Hospital in Durango for 3 days.  I was not very happy about spending my time in the hospital rather than at home.  The staff at Mercy was very professional and helpful even if I wasn't the happiest patient.

We leave for the Huntsman Cancer Institute for round 3 of chemo this Tuesday.  The type of cancer that I have is called a LeioMyoSarcoma, which is a soft tissue cancer that are from a soft tissue part of the body.  The soft tissues of the body include fat blood vessels, nerves, muscles, skin and cartilage.

My brother Hugh is coming to visit us in Durango tomorrow.  Hugh lives in Sacramento, and has two teenage sons (Sean and Michael) with red hair, a red golden retriever, and a red headed wife names Anne.  Alas Hugh is not a redhead.

Thank you to my friends in Durango who have made delicious food for us, and also had us to their house for dinner.  I am overwhelmed with the your generosity.  Also, thank you for the many cards, telephone calls, and other kindnesses such as walking with me, wig consulting, knitting help, and sharing books.

Thank you also to my family.  I also thank David and Lorrie Gaffney and my daughter for opening up their homes to my large family and providing many wonderful meals.  I also thank all of my family that have flown in wintertime to visit me at the Huntsman Cancer Center.

On to Round 3.

Love,
Terry

Good morning to family and friends. I have completed the second round of chemotherapy at the Huntsman Cancer Center.  I returned to Durango about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, I had some trouble with low white cell count and fever. I was pretty tired the last 2 weeks.  I ended up in Mercy Hospital for a 3 day stint to revive my blood count. I must say that the staff at Mercy was excellent....even though that was the last place I wanted to be!

I am so appreciative of all the warm wishes, yummy food, cards and your loving thoughts and prayers. I am blessed with such wonderful family and friends. My Durango friends have been awesome with visits, dinner invites, knitting lessons, walking buddies, (did I mention delicious food), and even wig consulting.

The type of cancer I have is called LeioMyoSarcoma.  It is a rare form of cancer of smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscle cells make up the involuntary muscle, you cannot make these muscles move by thinking about them.

Tim, Maebiedog, my brother Hugh and I will be off to the Huntsman Cancer Center on on Tuesday, March 19th for another 5 day stint.  My brother Hugh lives in Sacramento and is coming for a short visit to Durango and then Salt Lake.  Hugh has 2 red headed teenage boys and a redish golden retriever and his wife also has lovely red hair.  Hugh is the odd guy out.....no red hair:(


Sunday, March 3, 2013


Working on knitting and view from the room.

Rainy day in SLC by Sara

I am writing an update for my mom. We are sitting in her suite. She has great views of Salt Lake City. I'll try to include a picture, but today all you can really see are clouds. Unfortunately it is cold and raining today, but that is perfect weather to watch movies, drink tea, and knit. My mom got a very thoughtful package from her cousin Sara Ransford-- a box full of yarns. I am hoping she will eventually be able to use them! She is a perfectionist and has yet to finish her first scarf, but it will be perfect when she does. I can't give her too hard of a time though as I haven't made much progress on my own project. I have been spending more time un-knitting than knitting.

Maebie is hanging out with us in the hospital today. Besides a few barking episodes she has been very good. She tries hard every day to be a good girl. :) It's hard when you come all that way from the baby dog world (a favorite saying of my mom's).

My mom has had an eventful time during this round. My Uncle Tom is visiting her from Oakland, CA. Almost every night has been a dinner party. The food here is actually very good, and it is nice that my mom has an adjoining room where we can sit and eat, and it doesn't feel like a hospital. Last night Uncle Dave and Aunt Lorrie made Coq Au Vin for dinner and brought it here for all of us. It was delicious. It is the recipe from whole foods if anyone is interested. You can find it on the internet. Uncle Dave and Aunt Lorrie continue to be very hospitable and caring. It has been a joy to spend more time with them.

The second round of chemo was completed today. The nurse is here changing it out as I write this. My mom did great this round. She was up walking around the hospital a lot, and she even went outside for a little in the beautiful 50 degree weather yesterday. Today is the first day she has been feeling a bit more tired.

My parent's and the Maebie dog are excited to go back to Durango tomorrow. Zane and I wish of course that they were coming to Salt Lake City for other reasons, but it has been really nice seeing them more and spending more time with them.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Good Morning.  At this point I am getting continuous chemo drips from 5 different fluid sacs.  I think 4 are chemo drips and one is called Mesma which is to protect the kidneys.  In case you are not aware of the virtues of chemotherapy I will elaborate a little.  The purpose of the chemotherapy is to deliver the chemo meds to specific sites in the body.  In my case, the specific site is the abdomen. The chemo meds purpose is to eliminate all the sarcomas in the abdomen.  The down side of the chemotherapy is that it can destroy some of the good cells; however, with improving chemotherapy, cells can be better targeted.

We enjoyed our drive from Durango to Salt Lake last Tuesday.   As usual, the desert was at its finest......lovely red rocks and white snow.  I have been learning to knit, so I am not at all bored on the trip. I want to thank all my dear friends and family for all your lovely cards, phone calls and good thoughts....and of course the fabulous food!  I loved my new low fiber diet.  Here is a few of the high fiber yummy stuff you have sent me:  cheesy potato salad, mac and cheese (heavy with the cheese), wonderful soups, fried chicken, bittersweet chocolate cookies.  Unfortunately we cannot eat like this all the time:(  Back to salads, fish and vegies...but it was good while is last!

I am so blessed with my wonderful extended family.  I am the second of  7 children.  We all grew up in Southern California.  Dave, Hugh and  Tom moved from Southern California to Fresno when Dave was in High School, and Hugh was in Middle School, and Tom was in grade school. I think Dave really missed the surfing and the lifestyle.
Dave is a radiation oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Center.  He has been a great source of knowledge, and his help has been invaluable for Tim and I and his patients. Hugh works for
I also have 3 sisters.  Claire is the oldest at age 60, and I am not too far behind.  Kathy is a nurse working with young mothers and babies, and Barbie (or Barb) is a saint to be a middle school teacher for over 30 years!!!!!




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Well, we drove home from Salt Lake City yesterday about noon.  The scenery between Salt Lake and Durango is pretty spectacular except for a couple of hours in the middle.  The snow on the red rocks is always special.

My daughter, Sara, helped me write the first blog. The last couple of days at the Huntsman Cancer Center was a bit blurry.  I gained and lost 20 pounds in about a week.  I am back at my normal weight now.  The Huntsman is a fabulous Cancer Center.  All the rooms have cozy chairs for visitors.  During the day I never used the bed. I am learning to knit, and it consumes a great deal of my time because I am new and learning. I am trying to learn how to unknit so I don't have to call people and for HELP!

Today Tim and I walked a mile around the block.  Maebie (our dog) was very happy to have us together as a family.  In fact, last night when we arrived in Durango, Maebie insisted that I go upstairs to the bedroom while I was trying to knit..  Maebie was tired and wanted to go to bed with the whole family....so I acquiesced.

I am excited to see my son, Patrick and his girlfriend Briana and their 6 month old puppy, Zelda in just a few days. Zelda was adopted at the Durango Humane Society about 6 weeks ago.  My friend Lorrie and I often walk dogs from the Humane Society.  If you ever have a boring moment become a dog walker and you will be busy.

Thanks to all my dear family and friends for all your help and support.






Monday, February 11, 2013

More information

A family member let me know about this website below. It is also quite informative about leiomyosarcoma.

http://www.leiomyosarcoma.info/basic.htm
Correction:

How to leave comments

We love reading the nice comments and words of encouragement. We have received some questions about how to leave comments. 

At the bottom of the post you wish to comment on, look to the bottom right hand corner and you will see either the number of comments or "no comments" if you are the first one. Hit on the word "comment" and a white box should open up where you are able to type a comment and then publish. Please let me know either here or in email (Sara.whitehead@Gmail.com).

Finishing first round

Tomorrow Tim, Maebie and I will be heading home. I have completed my first round of chemo therapy. They plan on having me back in 15 days to do it all again. Today I wasn't nearly as tired as yesterday, but I was told that I should expect to feel much more tired in the next 7-9 days. I've also been told that my white blood cell levels will drop around that time, and I will have to be very careful to stay healthy and avoid germs. I will be happy to have some visitors, but please don't come over if you are sick. Doctors orders.
I am very excited to get back to Durango. I will probably have a lot of down time, and I would love to see my friends (depending on my energy level of course-- no reason to come over while I'm napping). I've been working diligently on my knitting, so if I have some knitting friends that would like to join me then we should try to coordinate something. I would also love to borrow some good DVDs if anyone has good recommendations.

I have had a few questions about how to leave comments on the blog-- Sara tells me that at the bottom of the blog there is a white comment box where people can type a message. When you are done just hit "publish". I have enjoyed reading the comments.

I am in the process of picking out some nice wigs. It is actually kind of fun. You wouldn't believe all the options for wigs and wig accessories. I'm planning to stick to my current hair color. What do you think?

All for now. Sara tells me I will have to update this blog when I get home. Hope I will be able to figure it out. Till later!


Sunday, February 10, 2013

First Post

(This first post is written by Sara and approved by Terry) 

Hello friends and family. Welcome to my first blog! I hope this will prove to be a good way to keep everyone informed. 

Just a bit of background information to start. I was diagnosed with sarcoma Feb. 2012. A small potato sized mass was removed from my colon. After the surgery I had regular CT scans every 3 months. We were doing great, but unfortunately in January we could see that the sarcoma had returned. I was started on chemotherapy 2/7/2013, and I am now on day 4 in the Huntsman Cancer Center in Salt Lake City, UT. I am very fortunate to have my brother Dave as an influential advocate. He and Lorrie have been very kind and very hospitable through all of this. Tim has been a wonderful support and partner. Sara has also been able to visit, and she is helping me write this blog. On day 4 of chemotherapy, I am feeling quite tired.

A few answers to some possible questions:

What is sarcoma? Sarcoma is a type of rare cancer. I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma meaning that the tumors arise from smooth muscle. Unfortunately the grade of my original tumor was high meaning that there were more risks for metastasis. High grade sarcomas generally need more aggressive therapies such as chemo and possibly radiation therapy. The good news is that chemotherapy has dramatically increased survival rates. For more information about Sarcoma, I find this website http://www.huntsmancancer.org/patient-care/clinics-and-programs/sarcoma-services/about-sarcoma and   http://www.cancercenter.com/glossary/sarcoma.cfm to be informative.

What is chemotherapy like? This is day four of chemo for me. So far I've been fairly comfortable given the situation. This is not like chemo in the movies where someone sits for a few hours then goes home. I am staying in the hospital all 5 days. Despite some mild bloating due to all the fluids I am getting, so far my main symptom is fatigue. I am expecting to be very tired over the next few weeks. 

Will you lose your hair? Yes. I plan on finding some nice wigs, scarves, and hats in the meantime.  I will most likely begin to lose my hair in 3 weeks.

You may ask me questions as well, and I may or may not be able to answer them. For example we are unsure at this point in time how many chemo treatments I will need, but it will be at least 2.

Thank you for your prayers, optimistic thoughts, love, and support.