Had a follow up appointment with my doctor today. Received my first Sandostatin injection today. This is a monthly shot that will help with my cancer symptoms. We are hoping it will also reduce the tumors. We have heard from another patient that his tumors actually shrunk from the drug. We also talked about clinical trials and treatment after my next two rounds. Not sure where this will go yet but its good to be prepared and educated. One big plus to these doctors visits is Dan and I go on dates afterward! The kids are already with a sitter so why not have a little fun :)
The new website is in full effect now! Caring Bridge is no longer active. Feel free to pass the new site to anyone! The site address is http://www.kristincare.com. I want everyone to be aware of the struggles cancer patients face and the adversity that we can overcome with support and education! Hope everyone has a good day, GO RAVENS!
This is our new website to keep everyone updated! I hope you like the format and I look forward to blogging with everyone!! As this is now my website, my old Caring Bridge site will be shut down.
So much has happened over the past month, I hardly know where to begin! Sorry that it has taken us so long to update again, we just never seem to have enough "time".
Let me start with thanking you all for supporting our family at the bull roast. The bull roast was AMAZING and a true work of art from Paul and Becky Borowski. I also want to again acknowledge all the people who gave donations, time, and money for the event. The event would not have been a success without you. It was wonderful seeing the great support network that we have. Your support and friendship will never be forgotten. After the bull roast, I had my end of chemo PET scan. The scan did not go exactly how I imagined (I wanted the cancer to be gone). The scan showed some response to the chemotherapy as some liver tumors were gone and some were smaller, however, two very small new tumors have developed in my lungs. We are now trying to figure out how to continue to contain the cancer while also trying to kill it. I was assigned a new chemotherapy regimen that I started on 11/14/13. I receive three separate chemotherapy drugs throughout the day. This cycle will repeat every 21 days until the doctor orders another PET scan. I meet with the doctors again this week to see what other treatments I will receive in the next few months. I also received a new mistletoe viscum from my complementary doctor. After the recent news, I decided to go COMPLETELY vegan. Anything with "eyes" is a no go, including dairy. Research and recommendations have led me to conclude that a true vegetarian lifestyle with plenty of protein and low sugar is one of the keys to my survival. As hard as it can be, I truly feel better eating vegetarian and I know my body thanks me. Dan completely supports this change and has decided to convert with me. He has already trimmed up, toned up, and said he feels like a new person. For those of you who help us with meals, I truly understand if this change imposes too much burden on you and you cannot continue to help prepare meals. Once we got over the initial shock of replacing dairy with almond milk and meat with tofu and beans, it all came together! I posted a photo of the flyer for another function to benefit us on December 7th. The Stables Restaurant in Westminster, MD expressed interest in hosting a night out for us. A live band will be playing and it will be a great time for all! Everyone is welcome so come have a date night with us if you are free! For those of you who ask how you can continue to help, updates are coming to the www.kristincare.com website. Check out some of the new photos that we posted! I love you lots!! Written Oct 14, 2013 10:46pm
Feeling strong and prepared for my 6th and final round this week! Can't wait to complete this part of my journey! Gonna beat this!!!!!!!! Had an absolute blast at my brothers wedding this weekend!! It was so nice seeing my family and watching my brother get married to such a wonderful woman! Having that wedding before my chemo is really gonna give me something nice to think about this week.... Regarding the bull roast/fundraiser on November 3rd, tickets must be ordered by this Friday, October 18th. If you are planning on attending and have not obtained tickets, contact Becky at 410-707-6186 ASAP. Thanks for all your continued support, I love you all!! Written Sep 24, 2013 7:32pm I wanted to take the time to show you God's gift today! I stepped out of the house and found a praying mantis on my back windshield right in the middle of my BelieveBig & Ulman Fund magnets. It was amazing & took my breath away. God has been so good to me this summer with the amazing beauty from nature. I have been surrounded by an abundance of butterflies, dragon flies, birds, amazing sunsets and today this mantis meant so much to me! It really made me think of all of you and your unending prayers!! I feel so blessed with God's gift of nature & all of you! Thank you! I did take some pics but he moved before I snapped them :-) Written Sep 18, 2013 9:19pm Just finished round 5! Man this is getting tough! I guess the chemo is building up inside me because each treatment gets harder...nausea sets in early and everything pretty much tastes like a rusty nail on day 1! Eeeeessssh! Received good news from my Hopkins doc last week that confirmed what my GBMC doc said after my midway PET scan. The cancer uptake is significantly down and its not growing. Nice to get some positive news after working so hard these past few months!!! As the chemotherapy is working as intended, it looks like a process called chemoemobilization is in store for me before radiation. Basically the chemo is going to be directly injected into the tumors during a surgical procedure. From what I hear, you get a fever but the recovery period is much shorter versus the IV chemo. I again want to thank everyone for your unending support and my family and I appreciate all that is done for us!! Written Sep 4, 2013 6:21pm Round four is done!!! I tried to really stay on top of my eating this round and I think it helped a lot. Its so hard to eat well when the chemo changes the taste of things and strips your appetite. I recovered much faster and felt like myself by the weekend. A few dizzy spells here and there but all in all, much better. Keeping my fingers crossed for round 5. On a good note, Dan's old co-workers, Paul and Becky Borowski, have put together a wonderful end of chemo party/fundraiser for our family on November 3rd from 1pm-6pm. Its a great family friendly bull roast with plenty of food, drink, and fun. If you are interested in celebrating life with my family and I, please call 410-365-1145 or 410-707-6186 for more information. A copy of the flyer is also on my Facebook page! Everyone is welcome and I would love to see you all!! Thanks for all your continued support over my journey!!! Written Aug 25, 2013 9:48pm Gearing up for round four!! I had my midway PET scan last week and met with the doctor Friday for the results. Talk about a knot in my stomach waiting for that meeting after the scan...It felt like forever!! Dan and I tried to read the scan but we soon realized why radiology is a college doctorate....that is one difficult profession! No wonder the techs refuse to say anything after the scan and look at you like you have two heads if you as them anything....they are probably more confused then you are....hell, they probably think they saw Jimmy Hoffa inside you. The test results were very positive. Significant decrease in tumor "uptake" and no spread. The tumors did not change in size but they are not growing. My diet and supplements are starving the cancer and the chemo is sickening it. This is very positive considering the aggressive nature of my cancer. We are going to finish the last three chemo rounds then go right into radiation to "seal the deal" and kill the liver tumors. The last round really took it out of me so I expect to be as tired or more then last time. I might be a little slow to respond for a few days after chemo. Please keep me in you prayers for round four! Written Aug 15, 2013 10:40am This Saturday Believe Big is raising money to support the FDA trial for mistletoe treatments. Dan's step mom Joyce is running the 10k trail run in honor of me! I am honored she is running for me and such a great cause! To help give her motivation through the trails and hills and if your able to donate to this great cause you can follow this link http://www.active.com/donate/2013RVR/curekristin Thank you!! Written Aug 12, 2013 9:09pm Coming out of the fog!!!! That last round really took it out of me. I fared well through it, I was just really tired Thursday and Friday and I didn't have an appetite. I had to work really hard to get my food down and keep my energy up. My veggie drinks and chemo definitely do not like each other! I feel much better today and had a great day with the kids. In fact, we had a really nice family weekend and got to see relatives from out of town. Luke had a blast and really enjoyed his cousins!! He was so sad to see them go back home....We even made it to pap pap's pool with them! Round four starts on the 26th so i'm gonna go enjoy my good days!!! Much Love!!!!!!! Written Aug 3, 2013 10:00pm For those of you following my journey, sorry for the lack of updates, life has been busy!!!!! I don't know where to begin!! I felt much better throughout my second round. I was able to keep my energy up and continue my new diet. Other then the perpetual tiredness, my side effects have been mild. I had the runny nose and perpetual cough this round but it was not nearly as bad as last time and I didn't end up on an antibiotic!!! Yayyyyyyy!!! My mom returned to Florida for work so things got really hectic towards the end of July...The old saying, "you don't always appreciate something until its gone", well that saying sure smacked us in the face!!!! Amy's stay was a blessing and we really appreciated all her dedication and hard work! We took a wonderful trip to beautiful Bethany Beach where we tried to get some much needed R&R. You can only get so much rest and relaxation with a screaming three year old and 10 week old baby but we sure tried!!!! Its funny how it seems like we packed every worldly possession we own for a 5 day trip.....baby bag, bag for baby bag, cancer bag, bag for cancer bag, i'm sure you are getting the point...Trips to the beach with kids pretty much take 3 hours of prep for an hour on the beach. By the time you actually get there, the kids are sleeping and by the time you crack a book, they are awake and it's time to go home!!! Luke really enjoys himself in the sand, he digs holes and drives his trucks. Natalie humored us and hung out in her stroller under the umbrella. We had access to a pool where Luke got to work on his swimming with his dad. By the end of the trip, he was swimming around with just his water wings!!!! He was really proud!!! I start chemo round three Monday, so keep us in your prayers this week. We are confident everything will continue to progress well. After this round, I will have a PET scan to determine our next course of action. Thanks for reading and I will talk to you all soon :) Written Jul 18, 2013 8:52am Well just as last time, my treatments went well. I do feel quite tired and worn out with an occasional headache. Of all the side effects, these are definitely the better ones to have. I ate good meals throughout and got some good sleep last night that will really help jumpstart my recovery. Looking forward! Written Jul 14, 2013 9:17pm Round two!! Hope the treatment goes as well as last time....My diet adjustment is really starting to take effect. Thanks everybody for your support and encouragement!! Its allootttt of work eating healthy!! After drinking some of these veggie drinks, I can see why the cancer does not like it and dies!!!!! Still handling the chemo well though I experienced my first side effect this past week. The chemo gives me postnasal drip that makes my throat sore and gives me a cough. Of course, the drip continued for days and ultimately led to a minor sinus infection. Luckily, we kept a close eye on things and got an antibiotic right away. Feeling better but the dumb cough continues.....medicine on top of more medicine....Found out this past week that my colostomy bag will not likely come out until chemo is done this winter :( Also found out that I will likely begin radiation treatment around December. Good news is that I can reattach my colon before the radiation and my oncologist is confident the radiation can "seal the deal" and kill the cancer in my liver. Continuing to educate myself on my new diet. I am going to follow "The Makers Diet". I am going completely organic and I have cut sugar completely out of our diet as it feeds my cancer. No more added sugar or sugary food. I can still have naturally occurring sugar such as fruit in moderation. Lots of vegetables, no shellfish or pork, low quantities of red meat, lots of chicken and fish. Please support us in this important change that will help save my life!! Written Jun 30, 2013 10:44pm Almost a week from my first chemo day and I feel good. A little tired at times, but nothing a little nap won't fix. Watched the Hereford parade and fireworks with my family and friends, had a great time. Off to bed, busy day filled with doctors appointments tomorrow...yayyyyy Written Jun 27, 2013 8:57pm Just came out of the chemo fog! My treatment went very well, no serious side effects, just really really tired. Each day I got a little more worn out. Went to bed Wednesday afternoon and woke up Thursday afternoon! I feel much better after the rest. Man does this stuff wreak havoc on your memory! Crazy....Just thankful for all the kind support, love to you all. Written Jun 24, 2013 11:53am Kristin is five hours into her first chemo treatment. Asleep and letting the medicine work its magic! Love to u all Written Jun 22, 2013 9:35pm Today I got ready for the loss of my hair by getting a new short do! It turned out great!!! I am really happy with short hair!! Dan was really impressed and said I'm one hot mama!! Luke said I was pretty!! Thanks for all your support everybody! Say an extra prayer for Monday as this will be my first chemo treatment. Written Jun 20, 2013 9:36pm I had my chemotherapy training today. Dan and I got a tour of the infusion center and met the staff. Not only did I run into an old co-worker, but was I recognized by people from Facebook. They had read this site! Just have to wait till Monday to start........ Written Jun 17, 2013 8:00pm We were able to escape and rejuvenate for the weekend to the beach! Natalie had her 1st beach experience & snoozed most of time away! Luke loved his "Big Sand Box!" It was one of my favorite beach times ever with children! I am feeling the best I have felt in a while which gives me great hope starting chemo next week that I am going in strong. Thanks to all the family & friends that made it possible. Written Jun 17, 2013 8:00pm We were able to escape and rejuvenate for the weekend to the beach! Natalie had her 1st beach experience & snoozed most of time away! Luke loved his "Big Sand Box!" It was one of my favorite beach times ever with children! I am feeling the best I have felt in a while which gives me great hope starting chemo next week that I am going in strong. Thanks to all the family & friends that made it possible. Written Jun 16, 2013 11:02pm Thinking of all the amazing men in my life & want to wish each of you a Happy & Blessed Father's Day!! Just wanted to thank my amazing husband for all of his support this past month his determination & passion to help me get well constantly motivates me to keep my head up & one foot in front of the other! Dan thank you for all your love & for holding my hand every step of the way! Written Jun 16, 2013 11:02pm Thinking of all the amazing men in my life & want to wish each of you a Happy & Blessed Father's Day!! Just wanted to thank my amazing husband for all of his support this past month his determination & passion to help me get well constantly motivates me to keep my head up & one foot in front of the other! Dan thank you for all your love & for holding my hand every step of the way! Written Jun 12, 2013 10:09pm Went to my surgeon and oncologist today for followup appointments. My wounds are healing well and the surgeon was very pleased. My Surgeon is very hopeful for a colostomy revision in the next few months. My oncologist went over my cancer treatment plan and set up chemotherapy to begin on 6/24/13. It will run for 3 days then I get 18 days off. The cycle will repeat for six treatments. I am ready to start my battle and WIN!!!! Written Jun 12, 2013 10:09pm Went to my surgeon and oncologist today for followup appointments. My wounds are healing well and the surgeon was very pleased. My Surgeon is very hopeful for a colostomy revision in the next few months. My oncologist went over my cancer treatment plan and set up chemotherapy to begin on 6/24/13. It will run for 3 days then I get 18 days off. The cycle will repeat for six treatments. I am ready to start my battle and WIN!!!! Written Jun 10, 2013 9:43pm The generosity and kindness shown to our family has been nothing short of amazing. We are blessed to have so many loving friends, family, and strangers. The whole world has opened their heart to our family and we are forever grateful. Please continue to follow our journey at www.kristincare.com and keep Kristin in your prayers. On a medical note, Kristin has continued to progress well from the surgery and is adjusting to her new alkaline diet. The mistletoe treatments are going as planned and hopefully will relieve some chemotherapy side effects and stop the cancer cells. Each day she feels better and is looking forward to our meeting with the medical team this week. Written Jun 10, 2013 9:43pm The generosity and kindness shown to our family has been nothing short of amazing. We are blessed to have so many loving friends, family, and strangers. The whole world has opened their heart to our family and we are forever grateful. Please continue to follow our journey at www.kristincare.com and keep Kristin in your prayers. On a medical note, Kristin has continued to progress well from the surgery and is adjusting to her new alkaline diet. The mistletoe treatments are going as planned and hopefully will relieve some chemotherapy side effects and stop the cancer cells. Each day she feels better and is looking forward to our meeting with the medical team this week. Written Jun 8, 2013 8:22pm Thanks everyone for all the wonderful food!!! Its like every night is restaurant night!! The meals really help us spend extra time with each other and our kids. The flowers have also been nice, our house has never looked so cheery!! Flowers in every room!! On a medical note, I have some doctors visits scheduled next week, so I should know my chemo treatment schedule by then. Talk to you all soon Written Jun 8, 2013 8:22pm Thanks everyone for all the wonderful food!!! Its like every night is restaurant night!! The meals really help us spend extra time with each other and our kids. The flowers have also been nice, our house has never looked so cheery!! Flowers in every room!! On a medical note, I have some doctors visits scheduled next week, so I should know my chemo treatment schedule by then. Talk to you all soon Written Jun 6, 2013 9:06pm Thank you for all the wonderful posts! It really made our night :) Written Jun 6, 2013 9:06pm Thank you for all the wonderful posts! It really made our night :) Sent from CaringBridge iPhone app Written Jun 6, 2013 12:24pm Thanks everybody for checking out the site!! Just finished getting word out. This way of communicating is much easier for Dan and I. We can keep everyone updated about treatment and needs. Sometimes we spend way to much time on the phone and the kids get a little irritated!!! This week is continuing to go well and my spirit is great! Looking forward! Written Jun 6, 2013 12:24pm Thanks everybody for checking out the site!! Just finished getting word out. This way of communicating is much easier for Dan and I. We can keep everyone updated about treatment and needs. Sometimes we spend way to much time on the phone and the kids get a little irritated!!! This week is continuing to go well and my spirit is great! Looking forward! |