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!!!!!

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.

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!

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.