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.

Lots Going On

Sorry I haven't posted in quite some time. I think I needed a little break after the holidays to get back in the groove. Everything is fine here.

Lauren and Gio left for sunny Mexico on Sunday. It didn't start out well for them. Gio could not find his passport on Saturday while packing and everyone was freaking out to put it mildly. I told them I would come over to his house and we would go room by room and leave no place unsearched. I was half way over and I got a call that he found it in his gym bag. This was after they had been searching for at least 3 hours. I made him give me his passport and the tickets to hold until Lauren packed her purse. Kids!! Gio went out with a bunch of guys after packing and Lauren came home and I helped her pack. We went to bed about 1:30. At about 2:30, Ryan came and woke me up to tell me Lauren needed me. She had a bad stomach ache and back pain. Then at about 3:00 she threw up and the other end started. This lasted the rest of the night and they had to be at the airport by 5:30. I wasn't sure she was going to make it. We got to the airport and she said she felt sick. I saw a sign for the restroom, but she couldn't make it and threw up in a trash can. I felt so bad for her and was so worried. She said she was better so they got their boarding passes and headed for the security check-in. They got through that and we waved good bye and left. She called a little later and said she felt better. I had called a few days ahead to the airline and asked that Lauren be provided a wheelchair at Atlanta Airport because I knew it was really big. Lauren said their was someone waiting at the airport in Atlanta and Cancun and they wheeled her through the airport right to where she needed to be. I am so glad Lisa told me to do this. Thanks, Lisa. I am happy to say that Lauren and Gio are having a marvelous time and Lauren did not get sick anymore after the airport incident. I can't believe she had been sick from nervousness. She wasn't even nervous. I think it was a touch of a bug or something. God sure listened to our prayers for her to get better.

Lauren and I went to Michigan last Monday for an MRI on Tuesday. They had a hard time accessing her port and stuck her 4 times, had to get another nurse, made her sit up, lay down, sit up, push all around her port. They finally got it but that is the last time this is going to happen. From now on, we are going to the cancer center to have her port accessed. Nobody in the regular hospital seems to know what they are doing when a port is involved. You may ask why she doesn't just get an iv in her arm. When a person has chemo for as long as Lauren has, their veins are shot and are very hard to put an iv in. Her doctor doesn't like her using her port for anything but chemo, but he doesn't have to be the one getting poked a bunch of times!! I think she was more nervous than I have ever seen her for this scan. She had a terrible time the last time she had an MRI. She took 4 Ativans before this one and was still nervous. She requested the large MRI machine because the small ones totally freak her out. They told her the large one was not available, so she said she would try a smaller one. The one she had was different and it didn't bother her so much, plus someone had mentioned to put a towel over her eyes and it might help. It did and she got through it fairly well. I have never seen her so happy when she was done. Kristen called us and told us that the MRI showed shrinkage of all tumors except one and we are very pleased.

We will be heading back to Michigan next Monday thru Wednesday. Monday she has to have a physical for a study she is going to take part in. Tuesday she is having the dreaded liver biopsy. Wednesday is labs, appointment with Dr. Zalupski, and chemo. Wow!! What a busy few days. Hopefully, we will hear good news from everything.

We had lunch last Thurs. with our friend, Lisa. It was Lauren's engagement celebration and Lisa treated us. Wo loves Lisa so much that she asked her to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. Lisa is so excited, but said she thought of the Murphy Brown episode where Murphy was in a wedding and had to carry a parasol. Haha. I don't think Lauren will make her wear a hoop skirt or carry a parasol.

I can't think of much else to write about so I will post some pictures as promised from my last post. Thank you all for your continued support. We sure do appreciate it. Please say a prayer for some of our CC friends that are having a hard time, especially Cindy and Joe. Also, Lisa and Kirk who are going through radiation. Thank you.

I can't get the pics to load, so I will try in a bit. Love to all, -Pam


Here we go. Pictures from my Mom and Dad's house in Port Clinton over Christmas weekend.

Look at all that food!! Grandma Tommie looks surprised. Haha.

Mark, Wo, Gio, and Sis getting a snack.

Getting ready to open presents.

The giant tree and Ryan. Papa Ron in the background.

Linda and Wayne's dog, Ernie, opening a present.

The Big Man aka Mark.

Wayne and Stephanie.

Sis and Brucie

Sis, Stinky, Bruce, and Buzz.

Katie, Papa Ron, and Matt. Papa Ron was banished to the corner because he had a cold.

Christmas, Lauren & Gio Got Engaged, And Fun At Grandma & Grandpa's House

Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday season. We sure did and we are just now recooperating from all of the partying!

Lauren is doing ok since she is not on chemo until after the 22nd of January. She has days where she has lots of energy and days when she is super tired and sleeps most of the day. She was very nauseous yesterday, but took a Compazine and chewed some gum and it went away. If she does a lot, her back hurts so much. So she tries to take it easy for the most part, but overdoes it some days. We will be traveling to Michigan next week so she can have an MRI. This is her least favorite scan because it is about 2 1/2 hours in a small, hot tube. She really freaks out in the tube, so hopefully they will give her something to calm her down.

Wo and Gio will be leaving the next week for a trip to Mexico on the Riviera Maya. It is an all expenses paid trip won by Giovanni. I am really excited for them. They deserve this and so much more for all they have been through. Gio has traveled a lot and is really excited. Lauren has never traveled without her family, so she is pretty nervous. I am sure they will have a great time.

I am sure you all have heard, but I will tell you again. Lauren and Gio got engaged on Christmas Day after 8 (yes, you read that right) years of dating. We are all so thrilled for them. Gio came over at dinner time on Christmas. He brought Lauren a red pot and a vacuum cleaner for her presents, so she wondered what was up. He said he had a large present for her at his parent's house that he couldn't fit in his car. Lauren was in her pj's because she was napping most of the day. She threw on her coat and they left. He took her to his house, not his parent's, and helped her up the steps to the porch while she had her eyes closed. He went and did something and told her to open her eyes. Spelled out with Christmas lights was WILL YOU and then she turned around and Gio was kneeling and he said Marry me? She said she busted out crying and said Yes!!

The ring was too small, so the next day Mark and I took Wo to Hartville Coin and Jewelry. They sized her ring in a day and she was one happy girl. Here are Wo and Gio after the ring was sized.

The gorgeous ring.

The rest of this post is going to be pictures from Christmas morning at our house and then Christmas at Grandma Tommie and Papa Ron's up in Port Clinton.

Presents, presents, presents!

Our beautiful tree all decorated with lots of homemade ornaments the kids made. The big round ornament in the middle was a macaroni wreath made by Lauren when she was a little girl.

The picture we take every year!!

 

Sweet Wozer Girl.

Brucie!

 

Sissymo!!

 

Silly Sis jumping into Ryan's shot. Look at little Peanut!

 

Wo was tuckered out.

 

Little Petey. I gave him a break this year and didn't dress him in his santa outfit!

 

Little Penny watching over Lauren.

 

Stephanie. Such a sweet girl.



Ryan and his new laptop from Steph. Love those Hugh Hefner pajama pants!

The whole gang and Gio showed up!

 



Gio and Wo before the big engagement.

I think I have posted enough, so I will continue with the pics from Port Clinton in a few days. Thanks to all of you that care enough to read this blog. We love you all and wish you the best in 2013.

Love, -Pam