Birthdays and Consultations

Hi Everyone!!

It seems like forever since my last post. I am happy you are all still following right along!! Two big things happened this past week. Lauren and Mark had birthdays and we went to Michigan to meet with Dr. Sonnenday, Lauren's surgeon.

Lauren is still doing terrific on her healthy lifestyle. She is eating right and exercising every day. On Thursday, we started increasing our time on the bike and treadmill to 60 minutes from 30. If this doesn't burn fat, I don't know what will!! All I can say is my butt is getting really sore from riding that bike for an hour!! Lauren just walks and walks until her time is up. We are running out of Sex and the City dvds, so we are going to have to move on to something else. We have tons of movies, but we like little half hour shows to keep our attention.

Mark, Lauren, and I went to Michigan on Tuesday for a consult with Dr. Sonnenday. Lauren got a port flush before we went to see him. We saw him, Lauren's nutritionist, Patti, and two of Dr.Sonnenday's nurses. One might have been a PA. Dr. S was his usual dynamic self. He said that he has been thinking a lot and might try a different approach to Lauren's surgery. This procedure is used in South America, but only tried about 50 times in the US. This would be the first time at Michigan. Basically, the larger of the two surgeries would be done first with splitting the liver in two, waiting 7-10 days and then removing the diseased side with the large tumor. I think he said he would take out the smaller tumors on the first surgery too. Lauren would stay in the hospital the whole time in between surgeries. He thinks that this might be advantageous to Lauren because the two surgeries would be closer together, thus giving the tumors less time to grow since she has been off chemo so long. He will have to decide the day of surgery after he looks around and sees how much reconstruction of veins or arteries she might need. This is a very huge, dangerous surgery, so please pray as much as you can for Lauren. We have every confidence in Dr. Sonnenday and trust him completely. Dr. S and Patti were very pleased with Lauren's weight loss and fitness. Patti told us all about post surgery and how the body needs lots of protein to heal. She also said that many people lose their appetites after surgery, so make sure to eat protein first and then everything else or drink protein replacement drinks like Boost. Next a nurse or PA came in and had Lauren sign all sorts of papers stating she understood what surgery she was having, that she might need transfusions, and that Dr. S would be doing the surgery. A bunch of other stuff too. Then a nurse came in and told Lauren all about arriving for surgery, what happens, and post surgery. Very informative. Dr. Sonnenday wanted to get another CT before surgery, so we are going back Monday March 18th for that. It's creeping up on us very quickly.

Wednesday was Mark and Lauren's birthday. Lauren, Gio, Mark, myself, Ryan and Stephanie went to Rockne's for dinner. We all had a great time and went back to our house for cake and presents. Mark had white cake with white frosting and Wo had chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. We also had angel food cake with strawberries and light whipped cream. They both got lots of nice things and were happy.

 I started writing this post on Sat. and finally finished it today (Mon.) Lauren and I are going to Delaware, Ohio tomorrow to go shopping with my sister, Linda. My Mom is coming down too. We are going to help Linda look for a dress for my nephew, Matt and soon-to-be niece, Katie's wedding in May. Katie might come too. I think we will have so much fun. My sister is a riot to be around and we always laugh and have a great time.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. We appreciate all of you so much. Here are some pictures from Mark and Lauren's birthday. Until next time....

Love, -Pam

Wo and Gio at Rocknes.

Mark and I at Rocknes.

The birthday girl and boy!

Opening cards and presents.

 

 

Fancy slippers!!

 

 

Ryan and his crazy hair. I love Stephanie in the background!!

 

 

Wo and sweet, little Peanut!!

 

Plugging Right Along

Hi Everyone,

Does everyone else wish for spring as much as we do? We are getting so tired of dreary, dark Ohio days. Can't wait for some sunshine!! Lauren is doing great with getting in shape! She is still eating right and exercising every day. She has lost 12 pounds so far and we will weigh again tomorrow. Her nutritionist is very happy with her progress.

Next week will be a busy one. We go to Michigan on Tuesday for a pre surgery consultation with Dr. Sonnenday, Laurens surgeon. I'm sure we will see the nutritionist, Patti, as well. It is also Lauren and Mark's birthday on Wed. March 6th!! Lauren will be 27 and Mark will be 54. Mark always says Wo was his best birthday present ever. I still find it crazy that these two were born on the same day!!

I have found a wonderful website with great recipes thanks to a friend from the cc.org website. It is called skinnytaste. I have made broccoli cheese stuffed chicken and turkey stuffed peppers from this site. The stuffed peppers were so good that I might make them again tonight. I keep thinking about them. Lauren wouldn't eat them, but Gio and Mark loved them too. Miss Picky usually eats a turkey sub from Subway if she doesn't like what we are having.

I know this is a very short post for me, but seriously I have nothing more to say. I will leave you with a few photos and update next week. Thank you for supporting Lauren on this journey. We love you all.

-Pam

This was us back in 1987 before Ryan was born. Just call us the little pink family. Haha. It's kind of blurry because it is a pic of a pic.

Pretty Wo.


 

Lauren and Ryan at a seafood buffet in Myrtle Beach. I don't remember the year, but it is probably around 2005. Ryan looks so young!

This is an oldie but goodie! Standing is Mark, me, Linda and Wayne. Sitting on the couch is Matt, my Mom, my Dad, and Lauren. Sitting in the front is Ryan, Kristen, and Michael.

Date For First Surgery

Hi Everyone,

Lauren got a call last week from Dr. Sonnenday's nurse and the surgery date for her first surgery is March 26th. This will be the surgery where he looks around laparascopically to make sure there are no tumors on other organs. If there are none, he will make an incision and cut out the tumors in her left side and cut off the blood supply to the right side of her liver. She is ready!!

We are so proud of Wo. She has been doing great on her "healthy lifestyle" change. She walks on the treadmill every day. I ride the exercise bike next to her and we watch dvds of Sex and the City. We started out for 15 min. the first week and now are on 20 min. It might not sound like a long time, but when you are doing it it seems like an eternity. We want to get up to 30-40 minutes each day. She is doing really well with the eating part too. She is reading labels and making smart decisions. She lost 8 pounds last week!! Her nutritionist gave her a pedometer to use and we are so surprised at how many steps she takes a day. Patti was nice enough to send me one in the mail and I love it.

There hasn't been much going on lately around here. Lauren and Gio had a wrestling party on Sunday. No, they don't wrestle!! They watch pay-per-view wrestling with their friends. We went to breakfast on Monday with our gal pals Debbie, Jill, Debbie, Chyrel, and Dawn. Always a fun time. Lauren is going out with Jill tonight for shopping and dinner. We are getting anxious for spring so we can go outside more. The treadmill started acting up yesterday, so we walked outside and it was so cold. The wind blew right through us. Mark came home yesterday and fixed it. It is pretty old and has seen a lot of miles. Mark's day off is today and he and Lauren went shopping. They wanted me to go but I took a pass because of my unlove for shopping.

I would like to wish my brother-in-law, Wayne, a Happy Birthday today!!! He is also a cancer survivor and all around great guy. We love you very much, Wayne! Thanks for continuing to support Lauren and pray she is able to have the surgeries. I will leave you with a few pics of Lauren and Gio being silly on their Mexico vacation. Until next time...

Love, -Pam

Down To The Nitty Gritty

Hi Everyone. We just arrived home from Michigan after a 3-day stay. Lauren had labs, saw Dr. Zalupski, her oncologist, and met with Dr. Sonnenday, her surgeon, and a nutritionist named Patti.The plan for surgery is set and in motion. No exact dates yet, but we should find that out on her next appointment which is March 5, the day before Lauren and Mark's birthday!!

We saw Dr. Zalupski for the last time for awhile on Wed. He has turned Lauren's care over to her surgeon, Dr. Sonnenday. This is kind of scary to think the next time we will see Dr. Z is after Lauren has surgery. We have seen him every 2-3 weeks for 16 months. It is going to be hard not seeing him for so long.We have come to love him so much. He has helped Lauren more than you could imagine and is a very special doctor.

Wo had chemo on Wed. after seeing Dr. Z. This was her last chemo for who knows how long. That is really scary because the first thought that comes to mind with no chemo is tumor growth. Dr. Sonnenday wants Lauren's liver chemo free for surgery so I guess this is normal to do. Very scary. Sis got off work and came and sat with us. She was in her scrubs and little flowery surgical cap looking so cute. While at work, her hat is her fashion statement. She loves bright colors, so you can always tell it is her with her bright cap and neon green shoes!! We were in the big semi circle room which we are not fond of, but it was ok because we were on the end. Sis left right before Lauren was done to get food for home. We had salads and garlic bread from a pizza place near their house.

Thursday, Wo had no appointments so we thought we would make dinner for Sis and Bruce. We went to Meijer and walked up and down every aisle for some exercise. They have so much of a variety to choose from. We made breaded pork chops over scalloped potatoes and green beans. Lauren also made a peanut butter chocolate dessert and chocolate chip cookies for them. You gotta understand their house. No junk food whatsoever. Cut up fruit in the fridge. Everything whole grain, low fat,or fat free. They work out practically every day!!! This is what happens when you work with sick people and see the effects of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. I guess it scares you into being healthy. I have been on the receiving end of many lectures by my lovely daughter. They did enjoy the dinner and do enjoy eating what they want in moderation occassionally. I am very proud of them.

Lauren had an appointment with Dr. Sonnenday Friday afternoon. We were sitting in the exam room and a lady named Patti came in. We had some small talk and then Dr. Sonnenday came busting in the room. He ran in so fast that he scared Lauren. He said he had to see another patient, but that Patti would talk to Lauren and he would be back. Patti told us that she was a nutritionist and that Dr. S wanted her to help Lauren get in shape for surgery. She was so nice and the thing she said that we really loved was that she didn't believe in "diets" because they aren't realistic. She gave Lauren guidelines to follow and said that if you are ever craving something, eat it. She said you will try to squash the craving by eating healthy things which won't work. You will usually eat healthy and then eat what you are craving too. So, just give in and try to eat a smaller amount. No food is bad. They mostly want Lauren to exercise every day to get her heart really healthy. I told Patti that I will do everything with Lauren. I know this won't be easy, but we are really excited for this. I will let you know our progress. So, our kitchen will soon look just like Sis and Bruce's. Dr. S came back in and said he had to run to surgery, but he mostly wanted Lauren to talk with Patti. He wanted to see Lauren in 3-4 weeks to see her progress and to give us exact surgery dates. He said the first surgery will probably be around the end of March.

Lauren has explained the surgeries on Facebook, but for those of you who don't have Facebook, I will explain. She will have two surgeries. The first one, Dr. S will go in laparascopically and look around to make sure there is no cancer anywhere outside her liver. If there is not, he will make an incision and remove the small tumors from her left side. He will also cut off the blood supply to the right side of her liver. This will be a 2-4 hour surgery. After 6-8 weeks, if all goes well, he will do the huge surgery. This will last 8-12 hours. He will remove 2/3 of her liver which includes the large tumor. There will be a lot of intricate work involved because her large tumor is leaning on many major arteries and veins. This is such a miracle that she can have this surgery. We have 100% faith in Dr. S. Each surgery will take about 6 weeks to recover from. Lauren is young and strong. She is also in the right mindset for this. So, continue with prayers, prayers, and more prayers. They really have worked for Lauren.

On a sad note, our friend, Cindy passed away last week from this cancer and is being laid to rest today. Please say a prayer for her family. This happens all too often with this cancer and it is just not fair. Rest in peace, sweet lady.

Thanks so much for your continued support. A special thanks to Mark for working so hard to support us and taking care of our pups while we are gone. We love you very much and I know it is so hard for you not to be with us every time in Michigan. Lauren will beat this!!

Love, -Pam

Wo and Gio in Mexico.

This is where you will find us every day. Geez, I think I need to dust off that treadmill!!

Ok, I Can Tell You Now!

Hi Friends,

I have been given the go ahead from Lauren to let you know the big decision. If all goes as planned, Lauren will be having a liver resection! We talked with Dr. Sonnenday, her liver surgeon, for over an hour a week ago Monday and he said now is the right time. Lauren is going to call him tomorrow and let him know. I think we were all in shock when we first heard and have finally snapped out of it. Lauren had to be 100% sure she wanted to take this on. She said she was thinking a few days ago about everything and felt happy, so she knew it was meant to be. She has made a request that she only wants to hear positive thoughts. I don't think I even need to say that to any of you who read this blog. You are all so supportive and wonderful. I think she was talking about random people on Facebook. I will go into more detail about everything later. I just didn't want to leave you wondering what was up. Much love to all of you.

-Pam

Our Christmas card this year.

A Big Decision

Hi Everyone! There has been a lot going on since last week and our heads are spinning. Lauren and I left for Michigan Monday morning. Lauren had an appointment for a physical Monday afternoon for a research study she is participating in. Basically, the study tests Lauren's DNA and tumors to see what chemo will work best for her through blood, saliva, cheek swab, and liver biopsy. The physical was done by Dr. Zalupski, Wo's oncologist, and the researcher, Linda sat in as well. Lauren had been off chemo since around Christmas because the study works better with active cancer cells. The physical was mainly to see if Lauren still felt good enough to participate in the study. Everything looked good, so the biopsy was still on for Tuesday.

Monday morning, before we left for Michigan, Dr. Sonnenday, Lauren's liver surgeon, called and said he wanted to see us when we were up there. His secretary called back and we were so see him at 4:30. Kristen and Bruce came to the appointment and we talked for over an hour. I am very sorry that I cannot discuss any of this with you since it is Lauren's wishes. I can say that she has a major decision to make and is only discussing it at this time with family and a few close friends. I will let you know the second she makes a decision. You cannot imagine how hard it is for me to keep my mouth shut!!

Tuesday was the liver biopsy for the study and Lauren was quite nervous. We had to be at the hospital for labs and to get her port accessed by 7:30. Her biopsy was at 9:00 and we had to be in the waiting room by 8:00. Kristen came to the hospital a little before they took her back and sat with me since she didn't have to work until 3:00. The nurses in the pre-op area were very nice. Lauren told them that she had a bad experience with her last biopsy and felt everything. Her nurse made sure to tell the person sedating her this and Lauren didn't feel a thing this time. They numbed her skin and went deeper to numb her liver. The nurse told her she had looked up who did her last biopsy and I guess he was a doctor nobody cared for and he was no longer at the hospital. Boy, I wish I had known that back then. That stupid doctor caused Lauren so much anxiety and pain. They must've given her some extra sedation this time because she slept through most of the 4 hours after the procedure that she had to be monitored. Kristen and I went and got her a sandwich from the cafeteria when she was able to eat. She had to eat and drink laying flat. I was praying she didn't choke! Everything went smoothly and we went back to Bruce and Sis's. Lauren was really sore. They took 6 chunks out of her liver.

Wednesday was labs again. Wo had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Zalupski and he decided to continue with chemo and give her Gemzar and 5-FU instead of the dreaded Xeloda pills. She had 5-FU before. It is the infused equivalent to Xeloda. Wo has to wear a pump for 48 hours, which she used to hate but will take it over the bad feeling effects of Xeloda any day. I think we were at the Cancer Center until 7:00 that night. Lauren is quite a popular girl up at the Cancer Center and really enjoyed telling lots of people about the Mexico trip and her engagement to Gio.

We left Michigan on Thursday and headed home thoroughly exhausted from the week's events. We are sorry that Mark and Gio couldn't be there, but they couldn't take off that much work.

We got home on Thurs. evening. Lauren was tired, sore, and didn't have much of an appetite. She rested most of the day on Friday and I disconnected her pump in the late afternoon. Saturday, she and Gio went shopping and then to his Mom's house where Lauren learned how to make homemade pizza sauce. Lauren and Gio had a pay-per-view wrestling party last night. They made homemade pizza for their guests and enjoyed Royal Rumble. Haha. Cracks me up that they all love watching wrestling. Ryan went on a road trip to Pittsburgh with friends this weekend. Crazy kids.

I am sorry Lauren has still not posted pictures from her trip. Imagine if you relied on her to write this blog. We would still be on page one! I can't blame her though. She is busy living her life. Which is exactly what we want her to do!! Here is a picture of Gio and Lauren in Mexico that she posted on Facebook. I'm sure others will come soon. Hopefully, I will have news for you soon. Until next time...
Love, -Pam

Lauren and Giovanni  at a dinner for hotel guests.

Lauren And Gio Are Home, But Not For Long For Lauren!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let you know that Lauren and Gio got home last night. Wo was really tired when Gio's Dad dropped them off at our house. She's not that tired today. They left at around 1:30 to go to a football party. They had a great time in Mexico and Lauren will post pics on Facebook when she can. Maybe I will make a music video on here of the pics. I love doing stuff like that. I think I will interview her and write about their trip on here since she doesn't care much about writing. At least then it will be told by her.

She doesn't have much time at home because tomorrow we leave for Michigan for at least 3 days. I already told you about that before, so I will spare you the details. Prayers would be nice though! Hopefully, we will find out what is in store for her next.

We had some sad news today. One of our Cholangiocarcinoma warrior friends passed away last night. His name is Joseph Garassino and he was only 29 years old. I have become friends with his Mom via e-mail. She is such a delightful woman, so full of life. He also has a beautiful sister. I can't imagine how sad they must be and it breaks my heart.

I will leave you with a picture of my choosing as I take a look through my photo library. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. We sure do appreciate it.

Love,

-Pam

The picture of Lauren that I had made into a necklace for myself, Mark, and Kristen. I have it on every time I leave the house. It says Lauren Patrice-Forever in my heart on the back. I usually rub the charm when I pray for her.