New Treatment Begins!

Barb and Jason’s day began today at 6:45am at the hospital. Barb went in for surgery to put in the port at 9:45am. She came out a bit groggy, but was at Dr. Merchant’s to talk about chemo at 11:30am. They talked about going on the Filfiri and possible side effects of the new chemo drugs. Barb will know in about 2 weeks if her hair will stay in or fall out.
Melissa was with Barb and Jason most of the day. Melissa’s husband Al showed up at chemo as well as Amy. Barb is so blessed with wonderful friends. It is sure hard on days like this to be so far away in California!
Barb finished chemo and went home with her pump at about 4pm. She will be getting the 5FU for 46 hours on the pump. Barb is ready with her anti-nausea drugs in case this new chemo upsets her stomach. She is off of the pump Wednesday and then gets 12 days off. According to the report from Phoenix, these drugs should be effective on Barb’s tumor….something about the biomarkers….I’ll leave that for Katie to explain to me! Barb will have her tumor marker (CA 19-9) retested in 4 weeks and then heads back to Mayo Clinic in 8 weeks. Barb is so thankful to all of you for the prayers, emails, cards, and hugs. The support of her ARMY has been amazing, and Barb gains strength knowing so many people love her. Keep the faith! Love, MK
PS Happy Birthday to Barb’s nephew Kevin Haller, who turns 5 today!

Port is IN

Dear Barb’s Army,
Just a quick update to let you know that Barb’s port was successfully put in this morning. (Monday) Barb was a bit groggy afterwards, so Jason said they were waiting to start chemo until she felt better. Keep Barb in your prayers as this chemo usually makes people throw up and have loose stools…..that’s bluntness for you! Hopefully the anti-nausea pills work well for Barb! Keep the faith. Love, MK

New Chemo Regimen

Dear Barb’s Army,
Here we go with a FULL Report: Barb was at Mayo Clinic today. There is not cancer in the top of the pancreas, but cancer in 2 lymph nodes that are putting pressure on the nerves by her spine causing the back pain. There were not other hot spots of cancer on the scan. These same lymph nodes lit up on a previous scan, but were so small they were considered indeterminate. They have now grown a lot, which means the Gemzar is not working any more. Thus, Barb is changing to a new chemo…Folfiri. This chemo is infused over 2 days, so Barb will be getting a port on Monday morning at 7am. After the port procedure and a little recovery time, she will begin her two days of Folfiri on Monday. She will have to wear a pack. After the two days she is off for 12 days.
Barb was not enthusiastic about having a port, but Dr. Grothey says this is the best PLAN for now. He told Barb she is in this for the long haul. He was extremely positive and reminded Barb that there are still many treatment options available and new treatments just on the horizon. Barb’s tumor marker was at 170 today, so no change there. The tumor marker will be checked again in 4 weeks (2 treatments), and Barb will head back to Mayo in 8 weeks for another scan. She is hoping this new chemo works well to alleviate her back pain and of course KILL those adenocarcinoma cells.
Barb told me to let EVERYONE know that she FELT all the PRAYERS today and thanks one and all for them. Also, she says to continue to believe in miracles! Keep the faith! Love, MK
PS Jason says they are almost DONE planting! Great news!
PPS Can anyone design a really COOL, TRENDY infusion pack for Barb? Just kidding! I am sure she will find a way to make it look IN VOGUE!

Pancreas Cancer Back

Dear Barb’s Army,
Well, &%#$! The cancer is back in Barb’s pancreas. There are 3 small tumors that lit up on the PET scan Barb had on Friday. The liver and lungs look clear. Barb will go off of all chemo and head back up to Mayo. Dr. Grothey is out of town next week, so she will see him the week after. This will actually give Dr. Von Hoff (Phoenix) time to review all of Barb’s scans and tissue samples, so that he and Dr. Grothey can decide on the next course of treatment. Barb is ready to battle this new situation and asks for EVERYONE to bombard God with prayers. When the doctors decide on the next course of treatment, I’ll let everyone know. Until then, keep the faith and pray for Barb and the family. Love always, MK

Bone Scan Normal

Dear Barb’s Army,
Just a quick update to let everyone know that Barb had her bone scan on Monday. The radiologist reviewed it, and there is no sign of cancer in her bones! Hurray! Barb was elated with the news. Keep the faith! Love, MK