The Final Chapter

Hello everyone! So, we managed to completely bypass winter in between blog posts…don’t know where the time goes! As a result, I am not sure if anyone still checks “A Bump in the Road”:). However, as April 6^th, the one year anniversary of Jodi’s diagnosis, came and went, I thought a final blog post was necessary to let you we are doing well.

After finishing chemo in late October, Jodi went on to do six and a half weeks of daily radiation treatments in November and December. While fitting in a daily trip to the hospital was an inconvenience, Jodi was surprised at how much smoother radiation treatments went than chemo treatments. As expected, the daily treatments wore Jodi down at times, but overall, radiation was much easier on her than chemo. She finished radiation on Christmas Eve, and we celebrated the end of her treatments by bringing in the New Year at the Grand Canyon and Sedona. We enjoyed the Grand Canyon, but Sedona was the highlight. We did a number of spectacular hikes in the red rocks and came out of the trip feeling rejuvenated and optimistic for a healthy 2010!

As of February, the only notable negative side effect Jodi was experiencing from the last year was severe muscle tightness and pain in her chest. Apparently, the scar tissue from her original surgery had contracted the muscle around the expanders in her chest, causing constant discomfort. Fortunately, her follow up surgery on February 23^rd, which had already been scheduled, seems to have eliminated both the muscle tightness and the pain! Additionally, for the last month or so, Jodi has been sporting a new short “do” and looks great! Being pain free and wig free has gone a long way towards making Jodi feel back to her old self.

At this point we are back into our normal (i.e. chaotic) routines. The real estate market may be down, but you would never know it based on Jodi’s business. Additionally, I am enrolled in classes at Northwestern again after a 9 month hiatus. Having a busy schedule helps us to move forward, but we both frequently take a step back to consider the perspective and appreciation for life and each other we gained last year. This experience is something we hope to always use as a reminder to live everyday to its absolute fullest!!

Thanks for your continued support…we couldn’t have gotten to where we are now without all of you.

Love, Jason and Jodi

“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it” - C.C. Scott

A Big Hurdle is Behind Us!!

Hello - hope all is well. It has been a long time since we have updated the blog as there hasn't been much news to report. Now there is some big news to report - as of this past Friday, Jodi is done with chemo!! 4 AC treatments, 12 Taxol treatments and the Avastin clinical trial (which we found out Jodi took part in) over a period of 4.5 months are behind us! Jodi did so well through it all. She had ups and downs like anyone going through chemo, particularly during the last month as the cumulative effects of the past four months wore on her. However, her signature positive attitude, confidence and courage through it all were inspirational, and played a huge role in getting her through it. It feels like a burden has been lifted and I am so proud of her for the way she has handled it all.

At this point the cancer cells that may have had a chance to spread to other parts of Jodi's body should be dead. However, after meeting with two radiation oncologists, we have decided Jodi should move forward and go through radiation as added insurance against the resurgence of any cancer cells in her chest wall and lymph nodes. Our initial concern with radiation was that by radiating the chest wall there is a risk of small amounts of radiation to the heart and lungs, which can result in future health problems. While the oncologist can't guarantee small amounts of stray radiation won't reach the heart and lungs, radiation technology has come a long way since the 1970's when radiating someone's chest wall meant radiating their heart, lungs, and any other important organs in the chest. We have decided that the potential downside is far outweighed by the potential curing effects of radiation. Another reason to move forward is that compared to chemo, radiation should have a negligible effect on how Jodi feels. The main side effects are a sunburn sensation to the chest, some exhaustion, and the fact that Jodi has to visit the hospital every weekday for 6.5 weeks while radiation is administered...which will get old quick, but are very worthwhile in the scheme of things!!

Jodi will start radiation in a couple of weeks and will have her last treatment on December 23. Needless to say, we will be celebrating a lot more than Christmas this holiday season and have already booked a New Year's Eve trip to Sedona, Arizona to properly say goodbye to a difficult 2009 and bring in what we believe will be a year of health and prosperity in 2010!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We have been amazed at the out flowing of support through all of this...it is what keeps us going!!

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. ~Arthur Golden

We are at the halfway point!

Hello everyone. Hope all is well and you are enjoying summer! Once again, we apologize for the lack of updates. We have gotten into a good routine with chemo, and truthfully, there hasn't been much news to report, which is obviously a very good thing. Rest assured we will keep this updated anytime we have news.

Jodi wrapped up the AC portion of her treatment three weeks ago. We feel very fortunate because although AC is generally the most difficult part, Jodi reacted very well to it. As I mentioned in a prior post, her primary side effect was exhaustion, followed by the occasional stomach pain. Both are very manageable in the world of potential chemo side effects!

Two weeks ago Jodi started the Taxol portion of her chemo program. Taxol is generally considered the milder of the two chemo drugs, but Jodi's oncologist indicated that it isn't uncommon for someone who reacts as well as Jodi did to AC to have a really difficult time with Taxol. She also said that people who have problems with Taxol can have allergic reactions that require nausiating amounts of Benedryl almost immediately after being hooked up to the chemo machine. Needless to say, we were cautiously optimistic going into Jodi's first treatment.

Fortunately, just as has been the case many times during this journey through breast cancer, Jodi reacted very well to her first Taxol treatment. While she was still exhausted after the treatment, she didn't have any stomach pain, and felt better than she did after her AC treatments...what a blessing! Some treatments will be worse than others, and the fact that Taxol is a weekly rather than bi-weekly treatment will no doubt wear on Jodi's stamina, but Jodi is now halfway done with chemo and there is a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel! She is doing an absolutely amazing job of being strong and positive and is an inspiration to those around her.

Your continued prayers and support have gotten us to this point....please keep it coming! Love you all.

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss

Another treatment down...

Hello all - Happy Friday! First, we apologize for the long delay. The last few weeks have been busy as we moved into our new place. Additionally, we just got internet hooked up this afternoon. We will do a better job of keeping this updated in the future. Things here are going pretty well. Jodi had her third chemo treatment, and once again is doing very well. I think the oncologist has figured out the perfect "cocktail" of medications to keep Jodi's body regulated. Although she is exhausted, she has managed to avoid almost all the other side effects associated with chemo! Based on her experience the last time through, I would expect her to be exhausted on and off until Tuesday. After that she should feel like her normal self for another 10 days until her fourth treatment. She only has one more AC treatment, which is supposed to be the worst part of the chemo program, so hopefully her body continues to handle the chemo as well as it has so far.

The other big news is that Jodi is now bald and beautiful. She got her hair buzzed two weeks ago and got her new wig. The funny thing is, I think she actually likes it better:) She said she felt empowered having it shaved before it all fell out and she actually has a very nice looking bald head! She also is raving about the time it takes to get ready in the morning now that there is no hair to wash or fix. She puts on some make-up and pops on her hair. What might be a traumatic experience for some seems to be just another thing Jodi has made into a positive.

We're going to spend the weekend finishing settling into the new place and hopefully next week we can post some photo's.

Love you all.

"In time of test, family is best" - Burmese Proverb

One treatment down...

Hello everyone. Hope all of you had a good weekend. Here is a quick update from our end. Jodi had her first chemo treatment on Friday and has been doing pretty well. The actual treatment took about four hours, but we were at the hospital longer as we had to get lab work done, meet with the oncologist, etc. The treatment consisted of AC and either Avastin or a placebo (we won't find out for a while because it is part of the clinical trial). Since it was Jodi's first treatment the chemo was given over a longer time period to make sure Jodi's body reacted alright. Jodi reacted well to the treatments and we actually had a decent time at the hospital, or day spa, as Jodi prefers to call the first class Northwestern facilities. We went back to my family's place in Jimmerson Lake, Indiana for the weekend to relax and begin Jodi's healing process from her first treatment. She did remarkably well over the weekend. The primary side effects so far in her recovery have been a sore stomach and exhaustion, which are a lot better than nausea and the myriad other potential side effects from chemo. Hopefully the fairly mild side effects she has experienced are a sign of things to come!

Jodi's next treatment is on June 26, so we have a well deserved break from doctor/hospital visits! We will keep you updated as we progress in the treatment process. Thanks for your continued support!

"There is much in the world to make us afraid. There is much more in our faith to make us unafraid." ~Frederick W. Cropp

Here we go...

Hello everyone. Hope all is well. I apologize for the delay in blog posts, but as the saying goes, no news is good news. Other than deciding on Jodi's treatment, we have had a pretty uneventful couple of weeks. Jodi is almost fully recovered from her surgery and is doing really well....so well that we have actually been able to put cancer in the back of our minds on occasion:)

Jodi begins chemotherapy this Friday. In the end, we decided on the clinical trial for Jodi's treatment. The first two months will consist of Jodi taking AC and Avastin every other Friday. After the first two months, Jodi will take Taxol and Avastin every Friday for three more months. At that point, a computer will randomly pick whether Jodi is finished with chemo or whether she will continue to take Avastin for another six months (this is the down side to the clinical trial). After a number of tests this week, all of which came back normal, Jodi is ready to go for Friday. She is anxious to get chemo under way, knowing that the sooner she can start the sooner she can finish and move on with things.

In other news, we bought a new condo a couple weeks ago! We had been casually looking prior to Jodi's cancer diagnosis, but had put the search on hold. A couple weeks ago a larger unit in our building became available and it is a perfect spot for us. If all goes well we will close on June 22!! If any of you in the Chicago area know someone looking for a one bed/one bath rental near Union Station let us know!! Also, thanks to all of you who braved the elements and joined us this past Sunday for the Cancer Walk. We had a lot of fun and greatly appreciate your support!! I will keep you updated on how Jodi handles the chemo. We have talked to a number of people and it sounds like everyone handles it differently, so hopefully Jodi's body reacts favorably.

Thanks again for all your support!! Love you all.

"Physical strength is measured by what we can carry; spiritual strength by what we can bear" - Anonymous

Decisions Decisions??

Hi Everyone.

Its Jodi here. I'm finally giving Jason a break from all of his hard work:) I know I haven't written on here directly but I read everything and I have been truly uplifted by the love and support you all have shown. We have AMAZING family and friends and we can't express enough how much it means to us both. Thanks to all of you.

The last week or so has been draining both mentally and physically, but we know it is taking us closer to the end goal (good health and living a long happy life!). We've had a lot of appointments and have several big decisions before us.

Currently we are meeting with the radiation oncologists and medical oncologists to figure out the best plan of attack for me and my particular situation.

The first doctor we visited was the radiation oncologist. We were told that if the cancer had spread to 4 or more lymph nodes, radiation would be a definite yes as they have statistics to show its success in reducing the likelihood of the cancer reoccuring. With 1-3 positive lymph nodes however (I have 2), they really don't have much information to work with. My radiation oncologist did suggest radiation for me, but when asked the absolute reduction in reoccurance that radiation would offer, the answer is not as convincing as we had hoped for. He stated that 15% of cancer patients will have a reoccurance in the site location (the spot where the cancer started). With radiation we could reduce this % down to 5. That alone sounds good, however radiation would only be helpful if the cancer came back in that site location. Many do not. The overall reduction in reoccurance would be between 2-4% overall. There are also several short and long term side effects to consider in making this decision. My biggest fear would be the long term impact to my heart as they want to do radiation on the chest plate as well as the lymph node area, and with the chest plate, there will be at least some exposure to my heart and lungs. Fortunately, we don't have to make a decision on radiation for several months as it would be the last stage in the process and would come 1 month after completion of the last chemo treatment.

As for the Chemotherapy (our meeting with the medical oncologist), we feel pretty confident that we're getting the right recommendation for the standard treatment, but we need to decide if we want to take part in a nation wide clinical trial for Avastin. Avastin is a well established FDA approved anti-angiogenesis drug that has shown excellent results with patients with advanced stages of cancer. It has not been tested on people with early stages however, and that's where I would fit in. Many of the medical experts believe it will have very positive outcomes but obviously they don't know, which is why its in trial.

We actually got a second opinion on this trial today at a different hospital and they felt strongly that if they were in my shoes they would do the trial. They felt the potential upside outweighed the side effects and they did a good job of explaining the science to us. Bascially Avastin works to stop the production of additional blood vessels in your body. As a grown adult, I have the blood vessels I need and normally do not require additional production. When cancer tumors form however - they need the blood vessels to feed on and help them grow. There is plenty of evidence to show that when a tumor already exists, cutting off the blood vessel supply significantly slows the advancement of the tumor and in some cases has even shrunk the tumor. The hope is that along this same line, if the supply of additional blood vessels is cut off, this could prevent the tumors from forming altogether. I hope they are right. The downside of the trial is that it extends my length of treatment anywhere from 8 extra visits to 30 extra visits and there is a 20% chace that I will be given nothing more then a placebo. Like I said, not an easy decision to make!

Regardless if I choose to do the clinical trial or not, all the oncologists so far have agreed that I should receive the "standard" chemo cocktail of 4 "AC" treatments every other week, followed by 4-12 treatments of Taxol (either weekly or every other week). If I choose to do the trial it will be administered along with the standard chemo treatments.

So.. those are the decisions we are battling this week. We are taking our time however, researching everything we can and talking with as many doctors and patients as we can. We're confident that we'll come up with a plan that is the best fit for us and when we do well run with it.

I know Jason had mentioned it in a past post but we are still planning to do the Lurie Cancer Survivors Celebration walk on June the 7th. For those of you that plan to join us, make sure to sign up on the web-site and let us know so we can all do it together.

Love all of you and thanks for following!

"Drag your thoughts away from your troubles...by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it" - Mark Twain