Just a keepin on going!

I'm hanging in there and trying to keep up with life.  I'm feeling better every day.  This last week I had Amy's three oldest kids for 2 1/2 days and I'm still alive to tell about it! haha - They are such cute girls, but they keep me busy.  I think this is part of running along side the wagon - because after having my grandkids, I am never so tired, but never as happy either!  Taking care of them keeps my mind off of my own problems.  It's also very rewarding after I've spent time with my grandkids, to hear what they tell their parents about the things they learned from Grandma.  Last night on the phone Amy said that whatever I say, seems to really sink in to her kids and so she requested a future teaching moment on "trust".  Last time I was with Charlene's kids for a week, we talked about "crying wolf" and the importance of being honest.  It makes me so happy when I realize that I have made a difference in my grandkids lives, because when I’m with them I can’t tell if I do or don't.

A while back Amy went to Natalie's first grade parent/teacher conference.  While she was there she looked at Natalie's journal and took some pictures so I could see them.  These pictures were right after I had surgery.  The kids had come down to the hospital and I was pretty sick.  They came into my room for a while and then Steve took them out to wait in the waiting room while Amy stayed a little bit longer with me.  I was concerned with how sick I looked to them, so I forced myself to get up and use a walker and have Amy help me walk to the lobby to show the kids I was okay enough to stand.  They were thrilled to see me walking.  These 3 pictures are her interpretation of that first hospital visit.
 
 
My fingernails are getting worse and are in the process of falling off.  I had been told that they would probably fall off, but I didn't know what to expect.  It's been interesting to see how my nails are dying on the outside tip near the finger and the new growth is coming from the bed of the nail.  I keep cutting it as it dies, so that it won't catch on things and get ripped off.  Thank goodness it is not painful like it was in the beginning.

Last week I had my follow-up CT Scan after the last treatment of chemotherapy.  It came back clean with no new growth of cancer.  We were pretty sure that it would – because of all the chemo.  I also had my CA-125 blood test taken and it is now down to 17!  Yippee!  Pretty amazing considering it started at 676 before surgery.  (Normal is 0-35). 

What happens next?  I am now on a 3 week maintenance program of Avastin for the rest of my “healthy life”.  Avastin is not a chemo drug and therefore I shouldn’t have bad side effects like I have had with the other stuff I’ve been taking.  Last Wednesday I had Avastin only for the first time and seemed to be okay.  I am still not back to normal with my tastebuds, but that should be coming along soon.  And yes, my hair is starting to grow back.  But much to my chagrin it is coming in as a “grey-like” peach fuzz.