Dec-who-rations

Most of you are curious how I decorated for our Who-bilation. Here are a few pictures. My mom made the fireplace mantel in one day out of scrap wood she had lying around. THANKS MOM!

Our Little Christmas Who

The Beginning of Who-bilation

Thursday after work we headed to Pacific Royal Resort to begin our Who-bilation. Friday was the first day of Grinchmas so we were excited. We started of our morning with Breakfast with the Grinch. Skylar did well until the Grinch showed up. She did not like the Grinch and when he approached our table she told him to stand by Blake on the opposite side of the table. The Grinch looked confused until Blake raised his hand and said I'm Blake. He was a great Grinch. Skylar never took her eyes off him as he moved table to table. A couple of who's showed up as part of the breakfast and she didn't like them either. She asked why there were mice there? Then alittle later the cat and the hat showed up with thing 1 and thing 2 by now she had had enough. Let's go she said. We then headed to Islands of Adventure to have our picture made with the Grinch. Again Skylar was having no part of that so we had to switch up plans abit. Skylar's favorite ride was the cat and the hat. Her and I rode it 16 times. She also loved the carousel. We spent most of our time in Seuss Land. Seuss land was full of who's. Skylar had the Grinch on her shirt and everytime the who's would see her they would scream and hide so Skylar would cover her shirt so the who's couldn't see the Grinch. Eventually she warmed up to the who's but is still not fond of the Grinch. We walked back to the hotel where Skylar had a small bit of sugar energy left and then she crashed.

Saturday we went to Universal Studios. Skylar didn't like The Shrek ride, she didn't like ET so we decided to hit some of the shows. We walked by Fear Factor and noticed Blake was casting for a stunt. His first stunt was to hang in the air 30+ feet his hands became sweaty and he fell :(

He then had to do the walk of shame. We went to kids land where we thought Skylar could have fun. The Nickelodeon characters were doing a show on stage. Again she was fine at a distance but did not want them close to her. So we decided to just let her play in Fivels play land - the she loved. She seem to like the Macy's Day Parade with all the floats and the characters.

We took the boat back to the hotel. Skylar was so tired she was goofy. I bathed her, dressed her for bed and she eventually crashed after we had a pillow fight. We decided to get up early, checkout and have breakfast.

Lean On Me

I arrived At Dr. Cwikla's mother's house Wednesday morning to dress her and take her for surgery. As usual I let myself in. I went to her bedroom and found her lying on the floor - she had been there all night. I phoned 911 and they transported her to the hospital. Her blood pressure was 225/90 and she was dehydrated from being on the floor all night. I stayed with her most the day. She was later taken to surg. to repair her elbow fracture.
Scott's MRI is questionable. We are not sure if the area is swelling or an increase in the astrocytoma . We will not know anything for 8 weeks.

What A Day

Scott has an appt. with Dr. Nick today. I knew he wanted to have a serious sit down with Dr. Nick so Scott went alone. There is an area called T2 that we are not sure if it is edema or mass.
Dr. Nick has increased the Avastan ( which will decrease edema) so we will have another MRI in 4 weeks and than another 4 weeks. Dr. Nick is aware, he is watching, so we have to wait. That is the hardest part. Scott atrophy and the weakness on his left side is normal because being on Dexamethsone causes weakness in the shoulder and hip. He suggest Scott continue with physical therapy, So please keep us in your prayers.

Dr. Cwikla's mother trip and fell this morning. I took her for x-rays. She broke her elbow so bad they will do surg. tomorrow morning to place a plate. She also broke her knee cap in 6 pieces but, it has all stayed together. She will be in a wheelchair for 6-8 weeks. It has left her temp. unable to care for herself for a little while.

Productive Weekend

Giving the fact that Scott had chemo twice last week, Scott is doing great. We were a little worried because Tuesday he had such a bad day. He has an appt. tomorrow to see Dr. Nick and go over a few things.
I'm beginning to feel the stress of the holiday season. I did manage to finish my decorating, some presents wrapped, my grass mowed, cleaned the house and did the laundry. I've finished most of my Christmas shopping but no ideas for Blake.

Not To Bad

The week started out rough but, got easier. Scott had chemo again on Friday He seem to be really nervous, not sure how he would feel having chemo twice in one week, so the nurse gave him alittle extra juice. He slept through chemo and through the afternoon and night. Today he sat around not really doing to much and he is feeling pretty good. We had Gail (the nurse) ask Dr. Nick if Scott had the bad headache and nausea from the exra Avastan. Dr. Nick said it should not have , so maybe it was his mind convincing him how bad he was going to feel. He even gained an extra pound : )
I had my camera class, learned the basics on how to operate my new camera. It will be fun to learn all the extra little things it can do.
I did some more decorating and wrapped a few gifts. I have already began receiving Christmas cards. Some people are so organized.

Only Report The News If You Know It

By now most of you have seen the news and the papers. Channel 3 Foxs 35 news can't even get Dr. Cwikla's name right. They continue to place Stephen his sons name under his mug shot and
they don't have the correct story either. All this over a roadblock and an arrogant cop. Everyone that knows Dr. Cwikla knows he did not point or threaten Mr.Calahan with a gun nor did he place his hand on the gun. He opened his console to see if his medical badge would help and gain him access to his home. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Yuck...I Hate Headaches

I woke up this morning with a horrible headache. Normally I can take 2 goody's PM and it takes care of it. The goody's didn't touch the headache and then I began throwing up. After 6 hours of this Scott convinced me to let him take me to the hospital. I could barely hold my head up to get dressed. I was still throwing up on the way to the hospital. We were lucky when we arrived at the hospital there were only 2 of us there. I was dehydrated so I was given a bag of sodium, phenergen, dilauded and zofran. I felt so much better when I left but, was wiped out and phenergen makes you sleepy.

Rough Round Of Chemo

Scott is having a really rough day. He didn't sleep at all last night. He was really nauseated this morning before I left for work. I had a RX for nausea so I gave him one. It seemed to help the nausea but, then he got a really bad headache. I don't know if it's because Dr.Nick doubled the Avastin or if the chemo is beginning to wear on him : ( I feel so bad for him, it breaks my heart breaks to see him so sick.

Latest On Our Chaotic Lives

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at my little sister's house. Everything was so festive, the food was really good and we didn't over eat. It's always good to see family and friends. We returned home to house/dog sit for Dr. Cwikla. We stayed until Sunday evening.
Scott had chemo today. Dr. Nick doubled up om Scott's Avastin because of the edema. Scott and I (once again) broke our rule on not reading the MRI reports. I went to get something out of Scott's truck and noticed that the seal on the MRI envelope was broken so I assumed that he read it, so I took a peek.It was a little unsettling and when I came in I ask Scott if he read it, when he replied "no", I confessed " I did". Then he wanted to read it. So we read it together. Bottom line - there is allot of swelling in the brain and sometimes it can make the lesion look bigger ( there's no way to tell if the lesion is bigger or if it is in fact only swelling) But, you can see the swelling in Scott's face. We have an appt. with Dr. Nick on Monday. We assumed their report was faxed to Dr. Nick because he doubled the Avastin - which decreases swelling. Because of the holiday weekend, Scott will have chemo again on Friday. We have never done chemo twice a week so we are not sure how it will effect him.
We have a new little squirrel. He was rescued from the road, so we named him Freeway. He 's about weeks old and very cute. Scott's thrilled to have a new little buddy.
Blake's took quite an impact on his head. Although, he made a stupid decision , he did have sense enough to wear a helmet. He showed me the helmet ( a caviler army helmet) the inside was covered in blood.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME

On my way out of town I get a phone call from Blake. Hi mom, I am @ Palm Bay Community Hospital. And why are you @ the hospital? I tried to para sail off Williams car and it didn't work. Are you serious Blake? Yeah mom I have 10 staples in my head ( mind you he is telling me this while laughing) My heart is sinking as he is telling me, they are waiting for his test to come back. I asked to speak to the nurse but she was no more helpful than Blake was. I had 1 grand baby, 3 sweet potato bakes, 1 pecan pie and on my way to Orlando. I was trying to reach his dad, after about an hour an probably 15 messages, I finally reached him. I asked him to go to the hospital but, Blake was released before he got there. Apparently, my very intelligent son had decided to para sail off the back of a car. When William stopped the car Blake was unconsious and blood was dripping from his helment. William took him to the fire station and he was transported there to the hospital. Blake decided to wait to call because he didn't want me to worry. Ok.. now think about that statment. Blake what were you thinking before or after Iam still going to worry. My first thought - WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? I worry about him going to war and now I have to worry about him walking out the front door. When I finally spoke to the nurse all his test came back neg. the only damage was the opening in his head. I tried to explain he could have ended up paralized or even killed himself. He did say that he did have some time to think and it was pretty stupid. You would think he would have thought that before he put his plan into motion.

All Signed Up

I signed up for my first class on how to use my new high tech camera. I am looking for some type of portable device that I can roll paper down for a background. So if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. We are headed to my sisters for Thanksgiving. A quick trip. I am making my famous "Sweet Potato Bake", it's expected. We will return back Thursday evening to house/dog sit for the doctor I work for. I plan to take the time to work on my who-bilation decorations.

Great Gift

Shrimp and Suds was Saturday evening, we were exhausted from the day before. I drank coffee and tea just to try and stay awake. My birthday is tomorrow but we decided to celebrate it today. Scott went and got me a ice latte while I slept - never start my day without one. Then I opened my birthday present. Well I opened the box. It wasn't wrapped in paper but it was beautifully double wrapped in love which is way better than paper. Scott spent months researching and saving for this camera and I love it. A long time ago I mentioned how I would love to have a new camera. I will need to take a class to make sure I get the most out of what it can do.
Scott and I headed to Viera to do some shopping and then we had lunch @ Pizza Gallery. I am stilll exhausted from Friday so back home for more rest.
Blake had drill weekend so he was gone until today. He came home with a "TATTOO" all the was down his arm. Scott and I told him he was crazy. But, he wears it proudly as a America Soilder. Let's see how he feel about it in about 5 - 10 years.

Girls Day Out

It was Renniger's Extravaganza, in Mt. Dora this weekend. The first day beginning on Friday.and running through Saturday. Michelle and I had intended on heading up on Saturday but decided to take advantage of our boss being in a seminar on Friday. I took my jeep because I wasn't looking for anything special. Michelle was looking for a trunk to use as a coffee table and to put Turner and Boston's (her dogs) toys in. We met up with another friend of ours and her husband. We found allot of hot deals, made three trips to the jeep and had it packed out by 2:15. The first day is definitely the day to go. We were complimented on our purchases from other buyers and we thought we were going to get oar jacked for Michelle's oars. I was trying to be smart by taking a back pack, only everything we bought was to big for the back pack. We even found a armful of things for our boss. Even though we are his only two employees, we are his favorite two : )
Michelle and I had time to meet my mother and sister for breakfast. Neither of the will go to Renniger's with me because they say I about killed them one year. It is allot allot of walking. After Renniger's we stopped by The Reptile Barn to see Don and then headed to my mom's house to spend a little time with her. We returned home around 6:00 p.m. with all our treasures.

We Made It Through

Scott made it through Chemo. Once again THANK YOU MICHELLE. I can imagine Scott must have been driving Michelle nuts. He wanted to be there for my procedure. She kept calling me wanting the details how long it was going to take etc...But, I had no idea. I told her to take Scott home but, he felt really bad he couldn't be there. Sometimes you have to scarf ice and we both had to be in different places at different times. I was in the best of hands and I knew Scott was also. It's funny, I would probably never trust anyone else to take Scott to chemo except Michelle. I can never Thank her enough or ever find the words to tell her what she means to Scott and I. I never want to offend my family because they are equally important to me but, Michelle it goes so much deeper than that. Maybe, because she doesn't have to be there , she chooses to be. We love her so much and are so blessed to have her in our lives.
Oh..I did decided not to be sedated for my procedure. I hate the feeling of the after effects of the sedation. It was slightly uncomfortable but, my head didn't feel foggy. Today I feel like I have whiplash but, my head feels clear.

Scott and I Are Falling Apart

Michelle is taking Scott to Chemo on Friday. So I can have my facets cauterized. So we will see how are weekend goes.

Neurotomy

Anatomy

Facet joints are pairs of small joints that separate the vertebra on the back side of the spine in the lumbar (low back), thoracic (mid-back), and cervical (neck) regions. These joints can become inflamed and painful from either injuries or arthritic conditions. When facet injections of local anesthetic and/or cortisone provide temporary pain relief, you may be a candidate for a facet neurotomy which can provide pain relief lasting up to six months or longer.

A facet neurotomy involves destroying the nerves that relay pain messages from the facet joints. This is accomplished by using a technology called Radio Frequency Thermal Coagulation (RFTC). Under x-ray guidance, your physician places a fine probe, not much larger than the needle used in facet injections, down to the nerves that supply the facet joint(s). A controlled heat lesion is then made using RTFC. Each facet joint has at least two nerve branches therefore several lesions may need to be done at the time of the procedure.

What will happen during the procedure?

An IV will be started so that relaxation medication can be given. You will be taken to a procedure room and positioned lying on your stomach. Monitors will be placed on you to watch your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen level.

After your skin is washed with a sterile scrub, the facet joints will be identified by your physician using a fluoroscopy (x-ray) machine. Small marks may be placed on your skin using a sterile pen. The skin is numbed with local anesthetic medication. Using fluoroscopy guidance, your physician inserts the radiofrequency probes near the facet nerves. A series of steps involving stimulating the nerves with electricity helps localize the facet nerves. Local anesthetic is then placed through the probes to numb up each nerve. The tips of the probes are then heated thus cauterizing each facet nerve.

What will happen after the procedure?

You will then be taken back to the recovery area and monitored for 30-60 minutes. Discharge instructions will be given to you before leaving the surgical center.

Due to the use of relaxation medication, you are required to have a driver to take you home.

Expectations

You should expect to have a few days of moderate post-procedure pain. It may take up to three to four weeks before you are able to determine the procedure's effectiveness. Some individuals will experience burning sensations at the skin which resolve in a few days time.

Could The Seats Be Any More Perfect

Our tickets arrived today to see John Edward. We are in Section 102 - Row D.

Chemo, Dresses, Jewerly & Lazy Sunday

Scott had Chemo on Friday. He didn't feel very well when we left, so we didn't do our regular Cracker Barrel meal. He usually always craves biscuits and gravy. So when we returned home he slept. Saturday morning I woke up @ 3:00 am. I was going to Orlando for various things. Michelle and I were getting fitted for our dresses for her up coming wedding. "No Peeking"
We had to be @ my mothers in Apopka for a jewelry party. Those parties are so boring. But, I did get to see a couple people I haven't seen in years and it's always nice to see old friends.

The youngest niece 'Briar' had learned to sit up. Briar is such a happy baby, she will let anyone hold her and she smiles and laughs all the time. Another weird thing happened. Our family has a "big" family bible that has been in our family since I can remember. I've always told my mom if anything happens to her, I would like to have the Bible. When I was home this weekend, my mother gave me the bible. It sat weird with me because I knew I was going to get in when something happened to her but, why was she giving it to me now? She said she was cleaning house and tired of all the clutter. I don't know it was just weird. Maybe she figured I needed the bible more than she did.

Sunday was lifetime day. I did nothing " except laundry". I watched lifetime & home decorating shows. Scott ordered out, when we got hungry. It was a great lazy Sunday.

Me, John Edward & The Spirits...

I love to watch John Edward on T.V. Scott thinks he and Sylvia Browne are a hoax. But, I do believe in the spirit world. John Edward was on the view yesterday, so I pulled up his website. Welcome to the only official John Edward website worldwide. I was so excited to see that he is going to be in Orlando in April. Michelle said, she would go, how could I not buy tickets. We got orchestra section, 4 rows back from the stage. Now, I am hoping some spirit energy will be connecting from him to me. Everyone thinks I've lost it but, I think it's interesting and I will be very interested if we get a connection. Stay tuned.

Am I The Only One This Happens To?

Skylar on the day of Halloween always changes her mind on what she is going to be. We had decided last weekend on her dressing as a hula girl. When I picked her up from the sitters she decided she wanted to be a witch. I told her she may scare the kids. Her reply, I'll tell them it's OK I am a nice witch. Luckily I kept her costume from a couple of years ago.

This picture to the left was her when she was 2, she hardly has changed in two years. There were so many houses decorated. If Skylar rang the doorbell and know one came, she peeked in to see what was taking so long. When I finally
taught her , she can't peek into peoples houses, if they had a place for her to sit, she sat down and waited. One house had this little Dracula and when you touched his eyes, he told you to take a piece of candy but, not to be greedy. It was really cute. Skylar had a lot of fun with him. Scott did really well walking and we did alot of walking. He was fatigued but, he hung in there like a trooper.

Publish Post

Happy Halloween

Licensed To Drive

Skylar so smart. When she got her car - there was only one problem, she didn't have a drivers license. I made her one and know she feels she is licensed to drive.

The Beginning Of Halloween

Skylar, Michelle and I went to the pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin. Skylar would try and pick up a pumpkin and if she couldn't lift it - it wasn't the right pumpkin. She found one she could lift and said perfect. After picking her pumpkin there were a couple little games there.

She actually wrangled a lollipop and won. We Then headed to the party store to pick out this years Halloween costume. I though she would make a great hula girl. We have always called her our Polynesian princess.

She didn't care what we picked she was more fascinating pushing the button where the man was lifting his head up and down.

Then we decided to carve our pumpkin , something she really enjoyed last year. She seemed a little bored when I was cutting it out. When I cut and removed the head she said it was nasty and stinking. No way was she putting her hands in there. We told her it was just seeds and pumpkin still no way. But after we were down she was happy.

I told her when it got dark we would put a candle in it

but, she never made it that far, She passed out in the bed. Hopefully, she'll sleep all night. I don't know if it was from all our festivities today or a sugar crash. I can not wait until Wednesay to go Trick or Teating with her. She's going to drive her pink power wheels escalade she got for her birthday this year.

Poor Scott and Michelle

We have a full schedule at work , Michelle is exhausted from crazy chemo day yesterday and Scott is feeling sick. As far as Michelle she says she just needs a lifetime day. I remember those, those are the best. Scott says, it's chemo brain. So I decided to research chemo brain and there is such a thing. It is the cognitive dysfunction.

Subtle Shifts' People who have chemo-brain may find themselves unable to concentrate on their work, or unable to juggle multiple tasks. Some find they don't remember things as well as they used to. "The impact on the individual really depends to a large extent on what kind of demands they have at work or in life in general," said Ahles, a professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School and director of the school's Center for Psycho-Oncology Research. "People who have very demanding or stressful jobs, or have to multitask and need high cognition, those people are going to notice subtle shifts." Subtle or not, chemo-brain is frustrating to patients, who may suddenly find themselves unable to accomplish tasks they formerly completed with ease. And it's a mystery to doctors, who are still trying to understand what causes it and who is likely to suffer. But researchers are making progress, and new studies have yielded more insights. More Than Anemia or Depression In the past, Ahles said, doctors assumed chemo-brain was merely a byproduct of other chemotherapy side effects like anemia, fatigue, or depression. All of these have the potential to cause problems like memory lapses and concentration difficulties. Treating them, though, can often resolve the problem. The real riddle, Ahles said, is how to help those patients whose chemo-brain isn't caused by one of these factors. As many as 20%-25% of patients fall into this category, but as yet there's no way to predict which patients might be affected. One reason for this uncertainty is the methods used in previous studies of chemo-brain. In most, the patients weren't given tests to measure their mental function before they received chemotherapy. Without this baseline, judging the severity of chemotherapy-related mental decline is difficult. Newer studies, though, are taking measures of mental abilities before treatment and after; those results should help researchers narrow the field of potential chemo-brain sufferers. Researchers are also studying whether certain genetic or hormonal factors may make some people more susceptible to mental effects from chemotherapy. Estrogen and a gene linked to Alzheimer's disease are two targets of investigation. Another pressing issue, Ahles said, is which chemotherapy drugs cause problems, and how. Researchers are using MRI technology to identify what parts of the brain are affected by chemotherapy. "Without knowing what the mechanism is, it's hard to develop a more targeted treatment," said Ahles. "If we knew the path, we could develop ways to prevent [the condition], or at least find ways to treat it if it did occur." Finding Ways to Cope Until such answers are found, what's a patient to do? Talking to a doctor is imperative, Ahles said. A doctor can look for the most obvious causes of chemo-brain and treat them, if possible. If that doesn't work, there are strategies that may help people deal with their chemo-brain. In a workshop held last year, breast cancer survivors described methods that had helped them function more effectively (Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 22, No. 11: 2233-2239). Many women decreased their workload and tried to avoid multiple tasks. They made lists to help themselves remember what needed to be done. They got more sleep. And they tried to avoid emergency situations where quick thinking might be required. Patients must also remember that most people do eventually recover fully from the effects of chemotherapy, Ahles said. "Lots of people have cognitive problems during chemotherapy, but there is a recovery process that goes on with time," he said. "A lot happens over 6 months, more over 1 year, and some after 2 years. "For a given individual, chances are that their cognitive function will recover to normal or near-normal levels a year or two after chemo." Additional Resources Coping with Physical and Emotional Changes: Chemotherapy Effects ACS News Center stories are provided as a source of cancer-related news and are not intended to be used as press releases.

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Chemoday

We have always done chemo on Friday's. Dr. Nick's nurse had an emergency in her family and chemo was switched from Dr. Nick's office to the fourth floor at the hospital. So on Friday we drove to Orlando for chemo and was informed his appt. was made for Monday. So Friday was kinda of a waste. Saturday and Sunday Blake had to be in Orlando @ 6:30 am, we left @ 4:45 to pick up on of his friends who needed a ride. We don't know what happened we got to Orlando and it was not drill weekend despite what the paper work had said. Michelle said if I ever needed a break she would take Scott to chemo. so today I took her up on it. Probably, wasn't a good day to ask her. It seems his appt. was @ 9:30 am but for some reason they didn't get started until almost 2:00. Michelle must be exhausted and Scott will sleep good when he get's home. I hope I am as good of a friend to Michelle as she is to me.

Happy 4th Birthday Skylar

This weekend we celebrated Skylar's fourth birthday. This years theme was tinkerbell/peterpan.Scott and I had taken her for pictures in her tinkerbell costume. I had stamps of her as tinkerbell for the invitations. I had a wooden deck built over my pool and we had purchased a kids table set that looked like a boat. We had the girls dress up as tinkerbell and the boys as peterpan. Although, the older girls wanted to be peterpan. Everything turned out nice and our signature cupcake bouquet turned out beautiful. We are still working on our website. Hopefully pictures will be up soon.

An Angel

I spoke with Skylar and she said she didn't even cry when she got her stitches out. I thought she would still be traumatized from her emergency room experience. It is still a little red and looks like it my scar. Her pediatrician called it a wellness visit and made an appt. in November for her shots. I went over and played with her in Monday after her appt. We played tag, she rode her bike and I chased her - she is really fast.

No Way Jose`

Skylar has her stitches out today and needs to be updated on her shots. Tom tried to have me or Scott take her. "No Way" It was hard enough holding her while they stitched her up. After she stopped crying she wanted to know why I held her legs down. Needless to say it's probably still fresh in her mind. I'll rescue her tonight and take her ice cream. Sorry Tom "no dice"

1:40 AM

Scott seems to waking up every morning between 1:30-2:00 AM. He wakes me up and we started talking about atrophy , so I started researching. He falls back to sleep but, I am wide awake knowing I have to get up in a hour and a half. So I start thinking about everthing I need to fit into my day. From Senior picture ads for the yearbook to Skylar's Tinkerbell/PeterPan birthday party. I need to plan my menu , and stick with it. All the invitations went out on Monday. I picked up her "PINK" escalade from Toys R Us a gift from her other grandmother and myself. Thanks "Uncle Matt" for putting it together. I still have to make the party favors, which I've already started. I just picked up Skylars Tinkerbell photos on Tuesday. It's funny how excited everyone gets over Skylar's party especially the adults, It's becoming an annual event. everyone's first question, What's the theme this year? Scott doesn't understand why we don't just have a normal birthday party. Define normal: Cake and ballons...boring....I love to see the kids faces when they walk into Skylar's party. All the hard work...it's all worth it. My kids didn't like parties. Skylar loves parties. After everything is over and she takes a nap she wakes and says that was fun let's do it again. It also gives us a chance to see friends we have not seen in awhile. Scott's busy trying to get our party business website up and running.
I know it's a little early but, I have even began working on the Christmas festivities. I received my ornaments , they are awesome. Now I need to order Christmas stockings. So much to do and so little time.