Dear Randy and Becca,
Uncle Dick and I are praying daily for your entire family. We are so glad you have support from your large circle of family and friends.
One of our dear friends, a wife and mother of a four year old and truely the sweetest person we know has had a difficult struggle for close to a year an a half. She has some wonderful words to share and I think they may be of help to you both.
Love,
Uncle Dick and Aunt Linda

10/19/06

A Happy Autumn To You All!

I’m writing you with a happy heart and aching kidneys (I will elaborate in just a jiffy). It seems that I have been very bad at the update thing recently and I do apologize. The how are you doing? emails have been on the rise. But it seems that in this case, no news is good news!

Oncology Gynecologist Appt –

Dr. Kimball is my gynecological oncologist. I see him every 3 months as yet another precaution in my fight. It’s a good idea to have a specialist on your team. The fact that he is a Surgeon is a fantastic bonus that I strongly recommend! You always have a ready second opinion along with your primary oncologist as well as your primary gynecologist. Yes, I have three doctors looking after me every month to three months. I don’t just get an opinion or a second opinion…I get three. And don’t think they don’t know about each other. All of my doctors including my primary general practitioner (that makes a four Dr. team) all know each other and work well together.

I do not hide the fact that I might have asked the same question to all of them. It helps me to get better answers and ask better questions. More often than not, it’s not the question that you ask the first time that is the best question, but your follow-up question that is raised by the answer you received from that first question. I work my medical records like a salesman at a cocktail party. I want them to remember me, talk about me and keep me in mind when hearing about new or different treatment options. You don’t want to be just a file on the shelf. These are brilliant people and they know or are exposed to other brilliant people. Personalize yourself to them, tell them about your family, your wants, dreams and desires.

I don’t often go very many appointment with any of them that they don’t tell me about a new clinical trial, medication, lecture, or something. They know I’m looking for a long term answer…not to just be kept comfortable until the cancer overwhelms me. Your doctors will offer information and guidance based on what you tell them about yourself. Don’t think that every patient with the same disease gets the same options offered to them. Yes, with in reason there is usually a certain protocol involved. But if you want them to think out side of the box, work your charts, authorize tests and medications so you can qualify for certain clinical trials or tests, etc., you’ve got to make them aware that you want them to offer you any and all options they can find. It is not there fight, but yours. Make them aware of your commitment level so no one is waiting anyone’s time.

Off of my soap box now….so Dr. Kimball examined me and said I was great! He didn’t see or feel anything that caused him concern. This is very positive because this is the guy who was following the progression of my colon tumors not 6 months ago. He could actually feel them. But as far as he can tell…there GONE! Your primary oncologist can do many things, but when it’s a gynoclogical or rectal issues, get someone who can not just treat your numbers and symptoms but who can examine you and be the second opinion to the labs and scans.

So in short….trust your doctors, go see them regularly but don’t but all your eggs in one basket. Get a second or additional opinions and build a relationship with your doctors and medical staff.

At my last Dr. O. appointment I was happy to learn a few nifty tidbits!

1. My CA-125 score actually dropped 2 points from 19 to 17!
2. My other various blood work was in range and looking strong
3. The annoying blood clot issue seems to be resolving and hopefully I only have 3 more months of blood thinner injections to contend with.
4. My 9/25/06 Bone Scan came back CLEAR!!!!
5. The only not so obvious good news was that my 9/21/06 CT-Scan showed that the cancerous mass in my abdomen was GONE and the
two remaining spots in my lung as well as the persistent mass in my right pelvic region do not appear in any way to be cancerous!

Because of the nasty nature of my cancer and the fact that I seem to be a super Diva, my Dr. and I concurred that we would continue with the Cytoxin infusions for three more months. Then in January, I will re-do the CT-Scans and radiology will compare the last 3 scans taken over a nine month period looking mainly at the persistent areas. If it really is scar tissue or “nothing to worry about”, there will be no change, noduling or other cancerous activities on any of the scans.

At the “all looks clear” point, my tumor markers continue to stay low and I feel well… I will get to go on the once a day oral chemo pill that will aide my immune system in keeping the nasty cancer cells from running a muck. Then it’s cross your fingers, pray hard and hope to ride the remission wave for the next 60 years or so. Yippee!

So my next treatment (#31 to be exact) will be Thursday, October 26th at 11:00 am. Come on by if you’d like to have a Cancer Center Filed Trip. I love the company and the experience is at least an educational and interesting glimpse into how millions of people get one day to the nest with cancer.

Why do I have achy kidney’s?

Well it just so happens that I had my every three month OBGYN appointment this Monday and what had been persistent back pain, with the occasional amazing back pain, Sunday night turned into what seemed like a flaming bladder infection. So of course I mentioned this to Dr. Fillmore my primary gynecologist) Monday morning who with her superdy-durperty speedy lab (in her office mind you) determined that I was indeed…Polluted! Based on my symptoms and germ funk count, I most likely had a kidney infection that raged on and I ignored (oops). It spread to both kidneys, and I justified the pain as just aches and pains that I needed to just deal with. And because I was so ignorant and just plain clueless, the infection dropped down into my balder where it could get my attention directly and with prompt action.

Good thing I was diagnosed ASAP, I was scheduled for chemo the following afternoon. If I had gotten my infusion with this blazing germ fest going on I could have wounded myself severely and ended up in the hospital. So with 10 days of mighty antibiotics in hand I popped over to the Cancer Center and spoke with my “like a Mom” nurse, Shirley. Shirley was not going to touch me or my gunky urinary track with a ten foot pole, thus the delay in my treatment. No chemo in the world will help you if your die of some other superficial infection. So we wait!

My Oct., Nov., & Dec. Chemo Schedule

October – Thursday 10/26/06 at 11:00 am
November – Tuesday 11/28/06 at 11:00 am
December – Thursday 12/28/06 at 10:00 am

Me and the NOCC need your help!

I know I already bugged you about this and so many of your have rallied for the cause but I’ve got to make one last plea…As a NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition) board member I am very involved in raising awareness of this nasty killer and funding research to create a reliable universal early detection test (like a PAP test is to cervical cancer). To do this, we need to raise money to fund our educational materials, outreach programs, and grant donations.

On November 2, 2006 at Clocks Etc. in Lafayette (located at 971 Moraga Rd, in La Fiesta Square) we will be holding the third annual Time To Celebrate Life fundraiser. The Clock shop will be hosting a wine bar, light holdovers, fantastic gift basket raffle prizes, a Grandfather Clock raffle and an amazing inventory of in store merchandise for sale. Please come and join us from 5 – 8 pm for a fun evening and a chance to help educate hundreds if not thousands of unsuspecting women and medical professionals in the SF Bay Area. You need not be present to win, but we certainly hope you can join us.

100% of the money raised from raffle tickets will go to the NOCC. A donation from you or your business would be greatly appreciated. All donations; items to be raffled, in kind services, raffle ticket purchases and direct monetary donations are greatly appreciated. Raffle tickets are $1 each or 25 for $20. This will enter you for a chance to win one of five gift baskets valued at $300 or more! For Every $20 purchased you will receive 1 bonus ticket to be entered in the special Howard Miller Grandfather Clock drawing.

Your generous Tax Deductible Donations will be graciously accepted by myself, Julie Olson / mail your checks to me at 5503 Kirkwood Drive, Concord, CA 94521, phone (925) 876-7949 or can be directed to Clocks Etc. c/o NOCC Event ~ 971 Moraga Road, Lafayette, CA 94549. Scott or Wendy (owners of Clocks Etc.) can be reached at (925) 284-4720. Make all checks payable to: NOCC.

To find out more about the NOCC, visit their website at http://www.ovarian.org. Please direct any questions regarding the coalition’s functions to our Bay Area Chapter President, Millicent Reguzzoni at (925) 974-8189 or email her directly at ca.ba.nocc@ovarian.org.

For your reference, our Tax ID # and Non-profit status is as follows:

· National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Tax ID # 65-0628064

· Non-Profit Status – 501 (3)(C)

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer accounts for 4 percent of all cancers among women but ranks 5th as the cause of their deaths of all cancer types of both men and women. The American Cancer Society statistics for ovarian cancer estimates that there were 25,580 new cases of, and 16,090 deaths from, ovarian cancer in 2004.

Ovarian cancer is a devastating disease that doesn’t leave many survivors to warn the rest. Please help us to stop this whispering killer. Ring a gong, bang a drum let’s get ovarian cancer on the run!

One more thing before I go. I read this story and it hit close to home. I am still alive today because of many reasons including the love of my family, amazing modern medicine, talented medical professionals, a positive attitude, support from my friends and community, hope, faith and pixie dust. But what brought allot of those forces together I believe is the power of prayer. You don’t have to belong to a formal religious group to pray. Any one can do it, any where, at any time. You just have to believe…

SPECIAL GROCERY LIST

Bonnie, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her purchase a few groceries on an account.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had five children to tend to as well and they needed food.

Mr. Brown, the Grocer told her he could not give her credit, as she had no means to pay it back. The grocer scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.

Heart broken but persistent, she said, “Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.”

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

So the grocer said to Bonnie in a very reluctant voice, “Do you have a grocery list?”

Bonnie replied, “Why yes sir I do.”

“OK,” he said, “put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will credit you that amount in groceries.”

Bonnie, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down, down, down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scale, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, “I can’t believe this.”

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scale. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on it until the scale would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scale and looked at it with greater amazement.

Written was a modest list but scribbled on the bottom was a prayer, which said…

“Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.”

The grocer gave her the groceries that she had gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Bonnie thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; “It was worth every penny. Only God knows how much a prayer weighs.”

THE POWER OF PRAYER

When you receive this, say a prayer. That’s all you have to do.

Just stop right now, and say a simple prayer of thanks for your own good fortune. Then please send this to all your friends and relatives. I believe if you send this testimony on with faith in prayer, you will receive what you need God to do in you and your families’ life.

Let us pray – Dear Lord, I trust in you to help heal the sick, provide food for the hungry and clothe and shelter those that don’t have as we do, Amen.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards. God Bless

With Love & Gratitude,

Julie~Jules~Werner~Olson
The Peach Conqueror