Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:05 AM, CDT

Hello!
I started round five yesterday and hope it goes well. I’ve been feeling great and get so aggravated that I will feel lousy later this week. But I only feel lousy for about a day and half so I shouldn’t complain too much. Just enough to get Greg to wait on me!! J
I met with Dr. Walsh yesterday and we talked about my consultation with Dr. Enzinger on March 25 and my upcoming PET scan. I told him my impression was that Dr. Enzinger thinks I’m screwed; Dr. Walsh disagrees.
Dr. Walsh feels confident that the Folfox is going to work again. I had a 40% chance of the treatment working when I first started last year and had an incredible response. Although there is a chance that the Folfox will lose its efficacy, it’s also quite possible that it will work just as well again. If he were a betting man, Dr. Walsh would say I have about a 70% chance of it working as well as the last time.
What if it doesn’t? Well, if it works only “slightly” but not as good as last time, then I need to consider adding the Avastin. And I’m not even sure if it’s really a” just consider it” kind of a thing or if it will be a mandated kind of thing.
If the Folfox doesn’t work at all, we’re looking at switching the main chemo drug from Oxaliplatin to Irinotecan. When I pressed him further, he was reluctant to really put his eggs in one basket. Ultimately, I think Dr. Walsh wants to see what the PET scan reveals before he starts talking about next steps.
I’m hoping our next step is to be back in remission and on a maintenance chemo. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on that one.
He reiterated that he doesn’t think I’m screwed but thinks I need to be healthy, take care of my kids and keep myself going (alive) long enough to take advantage of any new treatments that come down the pike if the cancer stops responding to any current treatments. I reminded him that he told me I only have about five years before I run out of time and then he reminded me that five years in the cancer world is a long time with all the research that goes on and all the advances that happen every year.
Dr. Walsh also added that he’s seen people survive with metastatic colon cancer for longer than five years, and I said, promise? Swear to God? He promised and swore to God.
I also made sure he’s not planning on transferring anywhere or leaving UMass. I threatened that I would be like Bill Murray in What About Bob if he left.
Then I asked him if he knew of any good Pediatric Urologists for Katie. He mentioned that he could ask his brother who is an ER physician at Children’s Hospital. Wow, not only do big brains run in the Walsh family but they also like high stress/kinda depressing jobs!! If anyone out there can recommend a good Pediatric Urologist I’d be most appreciative. We had a great one but she moved to Connecticut.
One thing Dr Walsh brought up is exercising. He was wondering if I was keeping myself in shape. Ummmmmmm…..well……..NO!!! J After he asked, I was tempted to whip out my two Women’s Health magazines I happened to have in my bag so I could read them during my infusion. I wanted to say, “Look, I’m thinking about getting back in shape. See, both issues are promising things like flat abs, the fastest fat-burn ever, thin thighs, toned triceps and sculpted backs. Doesn’t that count for something????? Or do I actually have to do some of the suggested exercises to attain the promised results?” So although he doesn’t think I’m screwed, apparently he thinks I’m out of shape. Even he knows bathing suit season is right around the corner!!!
I guess I’ll have to finish setting up our treadmill (have I ever mentioned that we purchased one Labor Day weekend—2006 and never set it up??? Perhaps it’s time) and dust off my weights. I also have a get running program from a magazine dated October 2005 that I should get started on.
Please do me a favor, next time you see me and ask me if I’ve been exercising. Then try to figure out when I answer yes if I’m telling you the truth or not!! J
The spring weather has been great and has inspired me to shovel out some of the junk in my house. I spent the weekend cleaning out drawers and corners and other scary places in my house. Doesn’t it feel good to throw things out?? Why do I save everything???
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned my basement but it’s the scariest place in my house. Greg thinks we should have Niecy Nash from Clean House on the Style Network come in and go postal on our basement but I think it would be better if we dropped Survivor Man into the furthest corner of our basement so we could see if he could survive a week down there and find his way out!!!
But I’m getting there. I’ve got a ton of stuff to put up on Ebay and Craig’s List. So do me another favor, when you see me ask me if I’ve sold anything because I’ve had a ton of stuff to sell sitting in my dining room for about three weeks. Haven’t taken a picture of anything yet and haven’t typed up a description. They’re ready and waiting though!!!
I’m a procrastinator!!! Have I mentioned that before??
So let me get this straight: I have to exercise to get in shape and I have to actually post my things on Ebay and Craigs List in order for them to sell. Okay—got it. I’ll let you in know in my next post how I’m doing. I’m coveting a new camera that I can finally purchase with my windfall—you think that would be enough of an inspiration to get me going.
Congratulations to my cousin Jillian O’Neil who was recently selected as one of your official New England Patriots Cheerleaders!!! Is that exciting or what????!!! She is absolutely beautiful and extremely talented (obviously) She has danced her entire life, graduated from Burncoat High School and danced in their program and is graduating in the spring from Dean College with a Bachelors Degree. She is also an accomplished Irish Step Dancer with the McInerny School in Worcester (I think she teaches there too). She leaves for the Caribbean in the next few weeks for a Patriots Cheerleader photo shoot (how fun is that???). I might ask her for her autograph.
While I’m at it I’ll brag about my other dancing cousins. Jillian’s sister, Lauren, is also a talented dancer. She is a sophomore at Burncoat and dances in their program and is also an Irish Step Dancer for McInernys. Lauren was recently one of five Burncoat dancers selected by Joan Sherry to dance for Julie Andrews! My other cousins Emily and Delaney are also talented dancers. I think they were both selected to do solos this year. It’s funny to think that in a family with so many dancers that I’m actually quite clumsy. I’m not the only one though—I won’t embarrass the other members of my family who are as graceful as me…but you know who you are!!! J
Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a great few weeks. Thank God it’s spring. And don’t forget to ask me if I’m exercising and cleaning up my junk!!
Love,
Kim