Serry Lee

Just Hit Restart

2009-09-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well.

The big news this month is that I am moving back to Pullman on Wednesday! I am very excited and so is my family. I have been spending the last month going through my old things and giving a lot of it away to my family and Goodwill. It’s funny how losing 85 lbs. can really change your wardrobe ;).

I’ve finished up on all of my various appointments. I had an MRI on Tuesday and the lesion at the top right of my brain disappeared, so it was just an after affect of the chemo treatments. I’ve been doing lots of PT and am really looking forward to going to the gym at WSU!!

There have been a few setbacks the last few months, so I have felt like one of those punching dummies that keeps righting itself after every blow. I think I will remain upright now as all is going well.

I have been gearing up the last month for my trip back and trying to cram as much life as I can in before I start over in Pullman. It will be great to reconnect with friends there. I am really going to miss the family and friends here on the Westside, but it is good to get back to work.

I had a left accelerator pedal installed in my car Blue so that I can use my more responsive left foot to drive. As it is now, I have been driving by myself for a week now, I Love the Freedom!

Well I still have a whole room to pack so I will update again when I have wireless again and am settled.

Take Care and thanks for reading,
Serry

2009-08-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Back & Better than Ever

Hello to everyone who is still checking my blog after a month of inactivity!

I am doing well! I’ve had my PEG and Port out plus re-immunizations and follow-up MRIs. Some of it set me back for days or weeks, but I am now looking to finally healing and then strengthening for the rigors of everyday life. I have new running shoes and walking sticks so I can make it past the mailbox and on into life. I’m trying a new strategy of leaving my brace for my dropped foot at home and using the poles for stability. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

My Mom and I visited my sister in Bellingham last week and took a day to ferry over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. It was such a beautiful day, saturated with good memories and powerful surprises of how much I have healed. I now have enough wool to spin (on my spinning wheel) for a couple years after we visited the alpaca farm! It was great to go out for my first trip and to visit family and friends.

Though I have been to hell and back, I have realized that this cancer experience has affected a great scope of people, specifically caregivers. This is as much a healing time for them as it is for me. Heavy emotions and worries of my demise can now be laid down and a mantra of optimism and happiness can be picked up. I want to recognize those who have helped me and to let you know that I will be fine and that I couldn’t have asked for anything better – a restart on life with eyes grateful and happy.

I am so very much looking forward to the day I can see all of you again. Thank you for your support and I really hope you are having a great summer!

Serry

Relay for Life

2009-07-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

This winter, as you all know, I asked Serry if she would like us to start a Relay for Life team, through the American Cancer Society. With tears in her eyes, knowing that both the previous and next months of her life were going to be the worst she's ever faced, Serry joyfully said yes--YES, start a team, YES, I will be on it, YES!

After months of planning, the day for Relay finally came on June 26th. Serry had been done with treatment for just over a week; knowing that she still had (and still has) a long road to recovery and health before her, but knowing that she is ALIVE and well.

I was team captian for The Brainiacs, and tried to organize our ever-growing team. Some of us got to the high school early on the 26th to get set up--with canopies, tents, coolers, more water than we could ever drink (or wear!), blankets, snacks, food... despite this being our first year, we were prepared.

6:00 started the first lap, the Survivor's Lap, and as that time drew near, more and more of our teammates and family showed up. Serry and both her mom and dad arrived a little before 6:00... in time to register, get survivor t-shirts, and prepare for one of the most emotional laps around a track I've ever seen.

Our team had 5 Survivors on it... and I couldn't have been more proud to see them all lining up; especially since our Survivors included my sister, her mom, dad, and my dad.

At 6:00 sharp, the Survivor Lap began. I think all of us were in tears of some sort. The fact that I was watching my sister WALK 1/4 of a mile, when she hadn't walked much further than the mailbox since last summer made my heart catch and my soul surge with thankfulness.

When Serry posed for this picture, the only word that ran through my mind was VICTORY. She fought the battle and WON.

The back of her shirt says it all: SURVIVOR.
After several laps around the track (most of them in the wheelchair), we were able to convene back at our tent. If you're not familiar with it, Relay for Life is a 24-hour event. We raised money prior to the actual event, and then were able to raise even more during Relay. From 6pm on Friday through 6pm on Saturday, our team had at least one member walking the track the whole time. MIXX 96.1, a local radio station in Olympia, broadcast live from the event the entire time. EVERYONE there had a heart for seeing a cure for cancer.

Because we had almost an entire day to go, we fired up the grill and had dinner - enjoying the company of friends and family. Serry was a celebrity during this time. Many members of the team had yet to meet her, and we kept running into friends on the track who've been praying and supporting the rest of us, but hadn't had their opportunity to say hello to Serry.

For those of you not there... I haven't seen my sister so happy, so CONTENT in a very long time. She was loved. She was supported. She was making a DIFFERENCE.

Serry and many of our family and team members stayed through the 10:00 Memorial ceremony. Just before 10:00pm, teams placed Luminaria on the edge of the track. Luminaria are simply paper bags filled with sand and small candles. On the outside, however, are the names of loved ones who have passed away from cancer. Heartwrenchingly, our team placed several bags outside of our tent.
During the 10:00 hour, names previously submitted by Relay participants of those who have lost the battle to cancer were read out loud. The entire list took about an hour to read. It was sobering, silencing most who were walking along the track, quietly listening to the Memorial and reading the beautiful inscriptions and names on the Luminaria. I found out later that Serry told Grace the same thing that Gentry and I shared with each other... We were so very thankful that there was one less name to be read this year. For every moment, every smile... they did not have to read our Serry's name.
As I mentioned before, most everyone went home after the Memorial, and all but three of us went to bed (in tents, campers, trucks) after about midnight or 1 am. Don't let anyone tell you differently, even in June in Washington, the middle of the night is FREEZING.
Gentry, bundled up as much as she was, can certainly attest to that.

Blair, Gentry, and I survived the night with little to no sleep (somewhere between 50 minutes and 2 1/2 hours), and prepared ourselves for another 12+ hours of walking, smiling, laughing, yawning, and pottie patrol (Don't worry, it wasn't as bad as it sounds!).

The day dawned gorgeously (if you ever have a chance to walk from 4 am to 5 am on a nice day, DO IT--I promise you won't regret it... you'll watch the sky go from nighttime black to gorgeous sunrise... it's SO worth it!).

Saturday progressed... the sun came out, the air warmed again, we recorded approximately another $1,000 in fundraising money... Serry came for the last few hours--having enjoyed a leisurely 12-hour sleep before (OK, so I was jealous... 50 minutes vs. 12 hours!?).

Throughout the whole rest of the time, she was content... Happy.
This is what I call her chillaxin picture. :)

We finished Relay, some team members clocking 10, 18, even 25 miles walked. We were exhausted. We were happy. My sister is ALIVE.

For more pictures from Friday night, please see the slide show my uncle posted:

To Whet Your Appetite...

2009-06-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

More about Relay for Life later... for now, enjoy our victory. :)

Yes, today is the day...

2009-06-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to write right now, but guess who just called me?
SERRY.

And guess what she had to share with me?
She is no longer neutropenic. Her counts are back in the normal range.

She. Is. Alive. And LOVING it.

Here's to REMISSION. Here's to LIFE.

Serry - I am SO proud of you.

TREATMENT IS DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

That's right! No more CHEMO. No more STEM CELLS. She's DONE!!!

Of course, we still need some prayers over the next few weeks as her numbers drop. They'll head down and hover around zero for awhile--during that time she'll do the fluid, blood, platelet dance. But TREATMENT? Treatment is DONE. :)

2009-06-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Serry just texted me and said she just had her last drop of chemo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow's the day....

2009-05-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAST ROUND OF CHEMO!!!!

Monday - Wednesday is chemo, then Friday is stem cells and home.... I'm not sure if you all are seeing the picture here... We're talking REMISSION in a matter of weeks.

Let's all give Serry lots of love and hugs and encouragement for the next week. More than you've done all year!!!

SERR - YOU CAN DO IT!

Keep the prayers coming for this last round - God is faithful!!

2009-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!!

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that round three neutropenia stage is going very well. I haven’t lost my energy as I have in the past two rounds and my counts as of today are beginning to re-assert themselves. I’ll be going in for round four chemo June 1st. I have been doing pretty well over the past few days and have begun to think about life past cancer treatment. I have even begun to casually look for a small house or condo in Pullman! :) It is so exciting to begin thinking of the future! The warmth of spring has begun in earnest over her in Olympia. I am looking forward to going for walks outside when I am stronger.

Take Care all and I hope you have a lovely day,
Serry

2009-05-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

For a change of pace...

Hello all,

This marks the first time I have posted on my blog! I wanted to give Emily a break and let you know how things are going for a change since I am feeling good and able. She has done such a doggedly cheerful good job keeping everyone informed and I greatly appreciate it. Thanks Em!

Here is the update:
I became an inpatient at the hospital for the eighth time for the third round of chemo Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with re-infusion of my stem cells on Friday. Everything went smoothly and my body luckily didn’t have any unforeseen reactions. The chemo this time was reduced 10% since round two chemo was pretty hard on the old body. I was ecstatic to come home Friday evening and enjoy the beautiful spring atmosphere (what wonderfully greenery and colorful blossoms!).

The next week and a half I will become neutropenic, meaning my remaining red and white blood cells and platelets will naturally age and die, causing the counts of each to go down. The chemo killed off production & hope of replenishment of these critical cells when it hit the bone marrow. Luckily the stem cells I received on Friday will, over the coming days, mature into these three cells as my body needs them, thus I am ‘rescued by my stem cells!’ This ‘rescue’ is a great artificial means of jump-starting my recovery. As of today I have no white blood cells (for fighting infection) and will be getting platelet and red blood infusions in the next few days. This has all been a fascinating learning process and is normal for the special protocol of chemo (St. Jude’s Protocol) that I am receiving. One interesting side note is that to my Doctor’s knowledge, only 6 to 19 year olds have completed this protocol successfully, and here I am at 30!

I am at home right now and very happy to be here. I will be so exhausted soon that I will barely be able to walk, but I couldn’t be more content to be home on the family farm – it is a calm place for healing and simple joys. If all goes well I hope to start the fourth and final round of chemo at the beginning on June! WoooHooo! :)

Before I go, I must tell you all that from the beginning of this I have drawn great strength and inspiration from your comments. No matter how hard it gets, I still read and re-read your comments and manage to smile and take a heartened breath. I can feel your hope, love and strength through your words and it means the world to me. From my heart, thank you.

Here is a picture of my Mom yesterday after she got her braces off holding her congratulatory bottle of sparkling cider. What a great smile!! She is with me at every step, every day and she is my Mamma Bear, my pharmacist, my motivator, my supporter, my watchdog and yes this is cheesy, my hero. Love ya Mom and Happy Mother’s Day!

I hope that you are well and that you will have a chance to enjoy this budding spring.

Take Care,
Serry

Fishing Queen!

2009-05-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon all! You'll never guess what Serry did to enjoy the 70-something degree weather we had this Friday? She headed out to a local lake and went FISHING!!

Here are some fun pictures for you to enjoy... it was a GORGEOUS day and absolutely perfect for fishing. Here's the "gang" (i.e. Serry, my dad, and friend, Steve) out on the lake.
Steve has the COOLEST chair EVER for fishing... it's a Cabella's RECLINER. PERFECT for Serry!

Of course some of you want to know what she caught... I don't know all the specifics, but, besides all the ones they released, she brought home 16 and 17 inch Rainbow Trouts! Here's the hunter with her catch...

I LOVE this picture. All she needs is someone feeding her grapes and some palm fronds waving at her to cool her off.
I heard stories from both her and Dad about the day... it simply sounds so HAPPY. I'm really grateful that they got to have such a wonderful time!!

Today was Serry's last day of "vacation." Tomorrow she heads back up to the hospital for round 3 of chemo. Please pray for everything to go better than it ever has. Everyone is watching more and more closely each time--there are a lot of things to monitor. We need healthy kidneys, salt and potassium levels up, blood, platelets, and everything else that can be "counted" need to not drop too far.

Each time gets more difficult... We've only got two left--two more months of this and then she DONE with treatment and on to recovery. Please keep her in prayer; and drop her a note of encouragement on here. I know it's tough to go into each one of these sessions.

Healing is GOOD...

2009-04-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Quick note... Serry got out of the hospital on Sunday. She's home and LOVING IT. Has lots of doctor appointments, just checking things out and watching what's going on inside of her. It sounds like they're going to dial down the chemo a little bit next time to help protect her body. We all appreciate your prayers and support so much!! Thank you!

If you haven't donated already, don't forget about Relay for Life! Click the picture on the right and donate in Serry's name! Let's kick cancer in the can!

Hospital and such

2009-04-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all...
Just to keep you updated - Serry took up temporary residence in the hospital yesterday afternoon. Her counts had bottomed out and she was low on blood, platelets, etc. In fact, as of yesterday, she was down to 100 platelets--when 100,000 is normal!! Yikes!

After a good night of fluids, platelets, blood, and whatever else they could throw at her, her numbers have started climbing. She said she's feeling better and is so thankful for the transfusions!

Leave her a note here to help her keep her spirits up!!

A Blessed (if a Bit Blustery!) Easter!

2009-04-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, everyone - He Is Risen! :)

Serry came home from the hospital the middle of this week... she had to stay to get some of her potassium and electrolyte levels up. She's been home now for several days without crashing--a big blessing! She did have a rough start to the week, though, and felt a bit discouraged. Your notes and comments always help cheer her up and push her on--please keep them coming!

We're getting together today for a quiet Easter dinner. Gentry even came down from school last night for just a quick trip! I'm headed over soon... it'll be good to be together.

May you all have a blessed Easter, today...

Halfway Done With the Chemo Part...

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Good evening, everyone...

Serry went into the hospital on Thursday and had chemo Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sunday was a day off, with today being her transplant day for stem cells. She had a few low numbers, however (like potassium) so she's staying overnight to make sure that her body gets back on track.

I was able to stop by the hospital on Saturday and play a rousing game of Scrabble with Serry. Between her chemo brain and my trying to sound out letters to invent words, we were quite a pair. I was pretty impressed, though - after several hours of playing and laughing, we ended the game with a lonely "U" left. I've never played that well before! :) It was a good evening for me, and I certainly hope for Serr.

We've been having some wonderful weather here (think 70 degrees!) and from the view in Serry's room she can look out and see the gorgeous blue skies, birds flying around, and, I think, a bit of Lake Washington sparkling in the sunshine. I really hope she's feeling better tomorrow to be able to feel the toasty sunshine. If not, it WILL be summer later. :)

Please keep praying for our Serry. She's doing well, and sure is fighting, but this is hard. She needs all the support we can give her. :)

Tomorrow's the day

2009-04-01T20:15:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow starts the chemo process... We're rooting for you Serry!!!! Love you so much!

BTW - could we get some extra prayers for Serry's ear? She injured it awhile ago and just found out that her eardrum is ruptured. Ear drums take several months to heal if they decide TO heal... so we need it to decide to heal in the first place, and then to heal quickly. Thanks much!

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb...

2009-03-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Or is it In like a lamb, out like a lion this year? Sure is hard to tell with our weather!!!

There's not a lot to report for you all... Thank you from Serry for all of the birthday wishes. She had a wonderful day and was so grateful that all of you shared it with her! Here's a picture of her birthday night--first time she's been "on the town" since September! This is me, her, and her sister Kaiti. Almost all of us were there--Gentry was in the middle of finals so couldn't make it down.
Serry starts treatment again this coming Thursday. This will be round two of four. I think she's going into it a little better than last time. Last time she was dealing with the recent after-effects of shingles and a sore ear. The shingles have been slowly recovering, and hopefully the pain will continue to diminish. I just got word that this morning she was able to hear out of her bad ear, too!

Leave some love and enouragement here for the next round. I'll keep you updated as I have information!

TOMMOROW'S HER BIRTHDAY...

2009-03-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, on St. Patrick's Day our Serry turns the big 3-0!!!

Celebrate with us - Give her the best birthday wishes you can!!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SERRY. We love you bunches and bunches. And BUNCHES.

HOME!!!

2009-03-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

OK - So I'm a little behind here... Serry came home Tuesday! She now has some time to continue recovering from the last chemo before she has to go back in.

In the mean time... think:
GREEN...
Numbers starting with 3...
Celebration...
Irish Bands...

...more on that later!

Yep, She's Still There

2009-03-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

All of Serry's counts are still really low, at least as of yesterday. She's got some intense pain going on, so is trying to just keep things quiet and peaceful so she can get through this part. She'll probably be there into this coming week.

Please keep praying for her. She's in pain and would really like to be through this part of it. Let's keep her spirits up! Send her lots of smiles, everyone!

Hospital Visit

2009-03-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hey all -
I'm a bit behind here, but getting caught up now.

Tuesday night Serry headed up to the hospital because she was starting to hurt and just didn't feel good. They got her settled in the hospital, did lots of tests, and basically determined that what she's feeling is a result of last week's chemo. Her white blood cell count dropped down to .1--which means any issues she's having are exaggerated even more because she has no immune system to fight it off.

The doctors have said she'll spend several days there, so I'm not sure when she's getting released. Every time I talk to someone up there she's sleeping! I think that's good. It gives her body some time to just do it's thing and then start creating more white blood cells!!

So everyone... leave her a quick message, let her know you're thinking of her!

Chemo and stuff...

2009-02-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone... greetings from snowy Washington! (OK, so it was snowy last night... close enough!)

I'll be you're wondering how Serry's treatment has been going this week! Well... she started chemo on Monday night after getting all tucked in up at the hospital. They did chemo (I think I have my days right) through Wednesday. She's had days full of walks up and down the hospital hall, reading magazines, checking Facebook, chatting with family and nurses, watching Animal Planet (at least, that's what I heard was happening today!), and I'm sure more. Today was a rest day--no treatment or anything. Tomorrow she'll get some of her stem cells back and then be released to go home. About 24 hours later, she has to head back up to the hospital for a special shot... I'm not exactly sure what it does, but I think it's to motivate those little guys to do their special magic.

Monday she'll go up again for a check up, then Thursday she'll head up for a little more chemo. I'm not sure what happens after that... each "round" will take approximately a month to complete. I'm pretty excited, though, that the big guns have already fired for round one!! I am just imagining the chemo from this week running through her body screaming, "COME ON, CANCER CELLS! I DARE YOU TO SHOW YOUR PUNY LITTLE FACES!!!" I don't know what you all imagine when you think of chemo, but MY chemo drugs sure are fierce. :)

In continuing news... I want to thank everyone who's made a donation on our behalf for The Brainiacs--our Relay for Life team. You make ME stronger just knowing that you care. As a reminder, the link is always on the right of these posts, but here it is again for convenience: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/brainiacs When you go to that link, feel free to click around and see who all is on our team (we're always growing!). You can also do two special things... if you want to donate, just click the Donate button on any of our pages. If you want to join our team and have FUN walking at the Relay on June 26-27 (don't worry - it's not all about running a marathon!!), click Join Our Team at the top. The more the merrier. And if you're a survivor - make sure to include that!!

Thanks you all... you're such a blessing!!

Here We Go!

2009-02-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Serry's had a great week of healing and tomorrow starts the journey into the land of chemo!

Everyone post some extra encouragement, smiles, jokes, loves--whatever you can think of to brighten her day tomorrow!

Drumroll Please...

2009-02-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

...and chemo isn't happening this week. :) Serry's faced some snafu's this week that have caused everyone to delay chemo until next Monday. Let's pray for her that she heals from everything and actually has a RELAXING week. Much love to you, Serry!

My Sister, The Rock Star

2009-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

So... good evening! Serry had a doctor's appointment today with her neurologist. She also went in for an MRI. The doctor was very pleased with how Serry's progressing--especially in light of her MRI results. Want to know what the results were??? NO VISIBLE TUMORS. I'm going to say it again because I just can't believe it and I LOVE to hear it. No. Visible. Tumors.

The battle is by no means over. Serry starts chemo on Monday and will be fighting on that front for awhile. HOWEVER... The results from this MRI are so stinking fantastic. I thought you'd all want to know... I know it keeps making me cry. This is the best news I've gotten in a long time.

Serr - you just keep on being strong and getting healthy. We love you bunches and bunches and bunches.

Chemo and Relay

2009-02-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, here's your long-awaited update as to what's happening in Serry-Land. :)

First of all, Serry's been FABULOUS the past few days. She's gaining strength by the day, very cheerful, and has even been in a few stores finding some excellent deals! :) I'll admit it... yesterday, despite her doctor's appointment, she had WAY more fun than I did during my day.

What's next, though? Well, next Monday she'll scoot on up to the hospital for a five night stay. She will be doing chemo and stem cell transplants during that time. This dose will be a cocktail of three drugs--two of which she's already taken separately. I'm not exactly sure what the process will be, and I think the doctor's will be watching her to see how she responds to figure out just how to give her the medication. I'll keep you updated as we progress.

ALSO... we have started a Relay for Life team. :) We're The Brainiacs!! :) Here's our website: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/brainiacs We'll all be updating the team page AND our personal pages, but at least we've got a start. Relay for Life raises money for cancer research, advocacy, services, and more... it's put on by the American Cancer Society--and their goal is to eradicate cancer... can you imagine? Life without cancer... it's an amazing thought. You can help support the fight by donating today... If you'd like to be on our team, let me know. The event is June 26th through 27th... 24 hours of walking to end cancer. I'll post more about it later and add a link.

I hope you're all having a blessed week...
Emily

Done!

2009-02-03T05:31:00.000-08:00

No time to post, but...
She's done! They've harvested all that they need. They're taking out her Meherker (sp?) catheter (what they run the blood through) today and doing other stuff.

In a later post:
* Next steps
* Chemo
* The Brainiacs? Team Serry? Let's keep everyone guessing for now. :)

Doubled :)

2009-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Just FYI - She doubled her stem cell counts today - she got 3.15! Yeah, buddy!

WHO Started Stem Cell Harvesting Today??

2009-02-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

WHO Started Stem Cell Harvesting Today??

A. Barbara Walters
B. Serry
C. Kirk Cameron

To all of you who guessed B - you're right!!!! :) Serry is RIGHT NOW getting her stem cells harvested... she's snug as a bug in a rug in the hospital. Basically, her blood is passed through a machine that is able to separate the cells that are needed and store those, then deposit the rest of the blood back into her body. I believe that all of her blood will be passed through the machine five times for each harvest session. They're also trying to collect more at a time for this go-round... because she wasn't able to give as much as they wanted last time. One of the coolest (or should I say warmest?) things, in my opinion, is that they're able to keep the blood warm while it's out of the body! Serry's staying toasty!

Here's a quick view of her CD34 numbers (The ones they needed to start the harvest)...
Thursday - 2
Friday - 5
Saturday - 7
Sunday - 20!
WOOT! Remember that she had to get to TEN for them to start.

Now they're trying to harvest 10 more of the stem cells (I know, we're counting so many things!). She had 3.13 from the previous harvest. I'll keep you updated as I learn where her next counts are going. For now... keep thinking HIGH and FAST. :)

Thanks!

CD 34

2009-01-29T21:55:00.001-08:00

Serry's CD34 count is at a 2 today. We need a 10 for them to start harvesting. Start thinking big numbers!

She's so cool...

2009-01-29T13:04:00.001-08:00

WBC = 3.2 today!!!

Quick Count Update

2009-01-29T06:25:00.000-08:00

White Blood Cells (WBC) - 1.4 (SWEET!)

CD34 (for harvesting) - did the test yesterday... will see if it's high enough to draw today, definitely will start on Friday!

Count total of harvesting - 3.13 (from last time's harvest)
Desired count - at least 13.13

Updates...

2009-01-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone,

I have a quick update here for Serry... She's been feeling the effects of the chemo ever since she had it... it's dropped her white blood cell count, made her not heal from minor issues (no white blood cells = no immune system), etc. She's felt kind of funky over the past week or so - still Serry, but not quite up to snuff.

Here are some numbers for you... (let's hope I Googled some of the right numbers, GRIN) White blood cell counts measure the total number of white blood cells in a microliter of blood, reported as an absolute number of "X" thousands of white blood cells. A normal measure for white blood cell counts would be 4,500 - 10,000 (or, I think, 4.5-10). Serry dropped down to .1 this weekend. Since then, she's been increasing daily... .2 on Sunday, .24 yesterday, and .5 today! Once she gets up to 1.0, they'll start counting her CD34 - that's when they'll know when they can start harvesting her stem cells.

Serry wanted me to make sure I left you all a note directly from her, too. :) I love this part. Serry said (it's not verbatim, but it's close):

"Make sure you tell everyone how much I enjoy their words of encouragement. They are a great source of strength and joy. I read and re-read them... no matter what people write, I really appreciate that they write and how much they care."

The long overdue chemo/Stem cell/General life update...

2009-01-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone!
Last you heard, Serry was in the hospital getting chemo. She was there for 3 days--chemo on Wednesday and Thursday. Here's a fun picture of her time there...
As she said - she's "totally tubular! 5 bags up and all going in!!"

Back to the chemo, though... I was really confused as to why she had to have chemo when she hadn't been able to produce enough stem cells to HAVE chemo. I just trusted, however, that her doctors knew a sliver more about cancer and the body than I do (insert laughing smiley here). I finally had it explained to me and now it makes complete sense...

Basically... her body was really worn out from the radiation and treatments that happened in the fall. Her bone marrow was, in a sense, all dried up. It wasn't creating new stem cells in the way that it needed to. Therefore, the chemo drug that they gave her last week's intent was to kill off all of those old, dried up, unusable cells, and encourage the body to make fresh, new, eager-to-work cells. After the chemo had a chance to start it's work, they began giving her shots again every day to, hopefully, be able to start harvesting soon. She's been getting these shots since Saturday, and I believe she said that they'll check her blood either today or tomorrow to see if her numbers are up high enough to begin the harvesting process. We're REALLY hoping that this round takes - these little guys are the ones that get to save her life over the next few months!

Here's something else I recently learned... Have you ever heard of the blood-brain barrier (BBB)? The BBB is a semi-permeable structure in the central nervous system that restricts the passage of various chemical substances and microscopic objects between the bloodstream and the neural tissue itself (i.e. the brain), while still allowing the passage of essential substances, like oxygen. This means that, for the most part, drugs like the majority of chemo drugs are not allowed access to the brain. HOWEVER, when a person has brain cancer... they have to find those drugs that ARE allowed access. That means that there are a select few drugs that the doctors can use to kill off the rest of this stuff. Interesting? We thought so.

Finally, I'd just like to RE-emphasize how much your comments, thoughts, and prayers mean to Serry. I know she cherishes each of you. And a special note to the Pullman gang... she really misses seeing you every day. I just got a chance to hang out with the whole family last night (Serry looks great, by the way!) and I think that you guys are all helping pull her through this. OH... you... and cinnamon rolls. That's the final thing I want to talk about before signing off. Serry hasn't really been eating over the past few months--she's been on a feeding tube, so she's still getting "fed", but not much REAL food. Well... over the past two days, she's certainly turned around! Yesterday she ate a ton of food - and kept saying, "I'm hungry! I'm hungry!" In the morning, she mentioned to Gentry that she wanted cinnamon rolls... and Gentry provided. You all know Paula Deen on the Food Network, right? As in... "My favorite foods are mayonaise and butter!" Well, Gentry found a fabulous recipe for cinnamon rolls... and Serry got to eat one! YUUUMMM. If I had the pictures she took, I'd post them. ;)

Have a good week, everyone.

Chemo and all...

2009-01-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

OK - Here's the story as I know it.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, Serry will be in the hospital getting some pretty intense chemo. It's just two days, but this stuff is really powerful--so we want it in and out of her system as quickly as possible. She'll still be in the hospital for part of Friday - then be able to go "home" (i.e. stay with family near the hospital). Saturday morning starts the harvesting process over again. That means shots for a few days to up the production of stem cells, then the actual harvesting. Her counts for stem cells were just above 3 when they finished last time... we need, I believe, at least 10 more - 15 was what they were looking at before. It WILL work this time... Serr's had more time to rest... time to let the final effects of the radiation wind down. I'm not sure what happens after the harvest - I think right now we're just looking at the immediate procedures.

Thanks for your love and prayers. Serry can DEFINITELY use them as we head into this next phase.

Hospital

2009-01-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

Hey all... I know nothing of this other than the quick note I read from Serry... so I'm sharing with you all. Here's what she said:

"Serry is going back into the hospital on Wednesday thru friday for chemo to jumpstart my stem cells. Wish me luck as this is my last chance for the stems... ..."

So... start wishing and praying... :)

Sunday

2009-01-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

The one thing (and pretty much ONLY thing) that I like about this whole situation with Serry is that it's proving just how many people care about her! I mean--you are all HER friends, FAMILY friends, some friends that we've never met in person, even! I think that's pretty amazing.

Hi everyone, Emily here again. I apologize for the long silence... but here I am! It's time for me to catch you up...

Because Serry's numbers weren't increasing with the stem cell harvesting, they stopped the harvesting process. As Serry said, her "bone marrow was tired and there was too little to harvest." So, instead of doing harvesting this past week, they've been making sure she's taken care of in other areas... fluids, tubes and gadgets, etc. This weekend she was able to stay home and rest... eating Jell-O and watching Dog Town on National Geographic.

I would love to tell you the exact plans for the next few weeks, but I'm not quite sure myself. I think they involve people like home care nurses and nutritionists, and last I heard chemo was supposed to start around the 19th... but a different kind of chemo that they had originally planned on. I learned that the radiation is still working on her - it takes about 60 days after the last treatment to finish--which means that it should be done affecting her in the next week or two.

I'm sorry I don't have many specifics, but I think we're all just taking things as they come - kind of what you have to do in this situation! :) Serry is strong, she's uber cool, and soon she'll be DONE with this. I know we're ALL looking forward to that day.

Signing out with some loves from our old dogger... We miss you, girl!

Today's Harvest

2009-01-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Today got us up to 2.672. We need bigger numbers.

And you know what?? With all this snow and awful winter weather we've been having, why don't we all leave messages filled with sunshine here?! :) I think Serry could use the SUN, even if it's only electronically. So Serr... think SUN, WARMTH, Summer rays... We love you!!!

Harvesting Update

2009-01-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

So Serry just finished day 2 of the harvesting process. I know next to nothing about the specifics of what they're doing, but here's the latest info... She needs counts of 15 before they finish... and as of today they're only at 2.62.

Prayer requests...
~Numbers would shoot up QUICKLY so that they get what they need and it doesn't take forever for it to happen.
~Endurance for this - they're traveling back and forth from the hospital and that, combined with the stresses of the procedure, etc., are tiring.
~Continued healing... She's still recovering from the radiation/chemo from before.
~HEALING in general. As always.

Thanks everyone.

Tomorrow! :)

2009-01-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

So... as I think I mentioned in the last post, Serry's getting shots that will lead up to the stem cell harvesting. The plan was that they would be harvested some time this weekend or even as late as Monday. However, I just got news this afternoon that she's going in TOMORROW for the harvest! This is really good news - it means fewer days of shots and putting her body through all this stuff--and having the weekend OFF. :)

Please keep her in prayers for the harvesting procedure, too. I don't know much about it, but... we always need things to go smoothly and perfectly.

Isn't Serry just exceptionally fantastic? :)

Begone, Cells!

2008-12-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone. I hope your Christmas was a blessed one and you felt as honored as I did to spend it with special loved ones. It was our first REAL White Christmas (and boy was it white!)... which meant that we were able to stay home, be quiet, and just enjoy each other's company. Serry, Gentry, and I were even able to play a few games throughout the day! It was wonderful.

I just came home from seeing Serry off for her next round. Tomorrow starts the stem cell harvesting process. She has to be at the hospital early tomorrow to have a port inserted (the port will be how they give her all of her medication, pull the stem cells, etc. - she may keep it for chemo, but we're not sure yet), and to get her first in a series of 5 shots. The shots will cause her bones to produce extra stem cells for harvesting. Unfortunately, they also will cause her bones to hurt. If I understood right, she'll be done with all of this next Monday (the 5th), with the possibility of being done on Sunday. Chemo will then start 2 weeks after they're finished.

Our Serry has gone through some of the toughest fighting she'll ever have to do. It's been painful, exhuasting, scary, emotional... Having a few weeks "off" has been a nice time to rest as much as possible, I know. It's time to gear up again, though, for one last push. The stem cell harvesting is Part A, chemo is Part B of the last fight with this.

Serry... this is my note to you. You are so brave. You are so strong. You just go in there and fight, fight, fight. I am so honored to be called your sister. You know... I look at other women who are sisters and I wonder if they could ever love each other as much as Gentry and I love you. I simply don't think it's possible. So... I want to see my fiesty Serry again. The one who would climb any beanpole tree at a moment's notice; who would ride an upside down roller coaster again and again just to see what it feels like to fly... This is YOUR chance to kick this thing while it's down. We BELIEVE in you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours... May you have the merriest, most blessed, most thankful Christmas ever.

*Gentry, Serry, Emily

Tired

2008-12-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

Hi all..

Just got an update on Serry. She is pretty worn out... still hurting from the tube, still having other difficulties related to everything else. Please keep her in prayer. This is supposed to be a recovery time and that's what we NEED it to be... time to recover. She has numerous doctor's appointments tomorrow, so hopefully they'll be able to help with medication, food, treatment, whatever she needs to be HEALING.

Thanks for your support... You're amazing.

Happy Winter Wonderland... Snow is everywhere...

The TUBE

2008-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

OK - quick update... It LOOKS like the problem with the tube was actually some of the food that they were putting in it... too high in fiber or something. ANYWAY... I think Serry's feeling a little better every day! Thank you so much for the prayers! :):)

Also... perhaps you may get a visual of what we got to do this weekend?! We just have to wait to see if Gentry snagged the photos we needed--otherwise I'll have to do it when I'm around the camera. Here's hoping!

What's that TUBE doing in your stomach???

2008-12-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone - quick prayer request. Serry got to meet a bunch of new people last night... as she went to the ER with some concerns about the PEG (feeding tube) in her stomach. It seems that it's becoming uncomfortable, and when she touches the area around it, causes her some severe pain. They were concerned, so off to the hospital she went.

The doctors basically said it's her body getting used to having the PEG in it. The pain may last 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years... it's really up to each individual's body as to how it handles it.

Here's my request. Can you please pray (or if you don't pray, think happy thoughts or SOMEthing) that the pain starts to diminish immediately? That every day there is less and less pain, and then it's quickly GONE? Serry's gone through SO much... and this is her REST time. She needs to use the time NOT in pain so that she can continue to heal for the next round. Thanks everyone.

So who wants happy news?

2008-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

Serry is now officially ON VACATION. ;) She has some doctor's appointments on the 18th/19th-ish, but aside from that, they want her to take time to HEAL until they begin the stem cell stuff on DECEMBER 29TH. Note that it's AFTER Christmas!! :) I talked to her on the phone tonight (first time in forever!) and she sounded SO GOOD!! And SO excited!

So... for the time being at least, she gets to put some of this stuff aside, and just BE... Just be daughter, sister, cousin, neice, friend... and heal. I think she's glad of that.

Life in December

2008-12-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Let's just say that life in December has been adventurous for all of us... There's been a lot going on with family and memories and such--it really makes me grateful for everything I have. With all of these things happening, I'm so glad to report some good news.

As you know, Serry escaped from the hospital late last week. She is now home and resting... it took her some time to get to that point, but we're seeing small victories! Her nausea seems to have substantially decreased--WOOT! (this is HUGE :)). While she does have a feeding tube (when she's all healed from this, have her explain it to you), something remarkable happened at dinner last night. While we were sucking up our spaghetti.... Serry grabbed a spoon and ate a bit of chicken broth! Yeah buddy! This is a really big deal--if you'll count back with me a bit, it's been about a month since she's last eaten. I asked her how "Taste" was and she just replied, "Not the same..." I'm sure that'll come back. Our goal is pizza by Christmas Eve. :)

It looks like we're still on with the stem cell harvesting. We'll know more on Thursday--after her next doctor's appointment. Personally, I'm hoping that she won't be being harvested (that sounds so funny!) over Christmas--I want her HOME on Christmas Eve. BUT--it's definitely not up to me!

Some specific prayers:
* Pizza by Christmas Eve :)
* Continued healing and rest (in general)
* That she's able to start the stem cell harvesting sooner than the doctors had anticipated (so as to have more restful time at HOME over Christmas-time)
* That the doctors can get all of the cells they need (safely!) in a short amount of time (they say it's up to 10 days, but some people can do it in less)
* Serry's esophagous continues to heal
* Peace would abound in our family
* Mama Bear would be rested (we're dealing with multiple people who aren't up to snuff right now)

I'm not really sure how to sign off tonight, so I'll leave you with these two thoughts... This photo is dedicated to our grandmothers--one we knew well, the other we have yet to meet. You were (and still are) loved dearly.

This is simply to make us smile (and Serry most of all). Yes, Serr... I'm sure it was YOUR idea to get in the tree. Otherwise I wouldn't be hanging on for dear life. ;) (in the coolest shades in the WORLD.)
Good night, all... and check out the video below.

And hear the words again, "Fear Not"

2008-12-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm adding this song today... listen to the words. There's hope there, real hope. Steven Curtis Chapman and his family (also in the band are sons Will Franklin on drums and Caleb on guitar) experienced the tragic loss of their 5-year-old daughter, Maria, this May. And yet... they press on... and FEAR NOT. I just think it's appropriate. Happy Early Christmas, everyone. ~Emily

She's out!

2008-12-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

Quick post because I'm tired!

I just learned that Serry is out of the hospital and at her dad's tonight!

I Promise!

2008-12-03T17:27:00.001-08:00

I promise I posted earlier today by email!! It just didn't get posted on here for some reason! So... to all of you in Pullman... HERE I AM! :)

Serry's still in the hospital, still struggling to be able to speak well, still not feeling like her fabulous self, BUT... I got a call from her today (I haven't gotten a call from her in forever!) and guess what??? She had an MRI yesterday... and it showed that most of the tumors are GONE GONE GONE! There's still a little bit left in her brain and spine, but WOW--compared to what it looked like before (with HUNDREDS of little tumors), we're flying high!

I'm not sure if the next steps (stem cells, chemo, etc.) are still on or modified or what the deal is, but I'll update you as I know. KEEP PRAYING! We need those pesky little tumors to dissolve, we need all of our surrounding family to stay/get HEALTHY, and we need Serry to actually start HEALING from this stuff.

Thanks everyone!

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

Good morning, everyone; Emily here again.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I don't think any of us imagined that Thanksgiving 2008 would look like this, with Serry still in the hospital, looking ahead toward some pretty intense treatment. However, this year, I think more than ever, it's forced our family and friends to look harder at those things that we are truly grateful for. Will you indulge me?

I am thankful for my FAMILY.
I am thankful for my FRIENDS, especially you who read and post here.
I am thankful for the BRILLIANT MINDS who are giving Serry the medicine to heal her.
I am thankful for a GOD who cares enough to hold us together.

I was going to go and visit Serry last night, but decided not to in the afternoon--she needed her sleep and didn't need me there bugging her all evening! :) Serry's feeling pretty run down... being in the hospital and not feeling well aren't really an energizing combination! Her throat still doesn't seem to be healing well, which makes it impossible to eat or drink, or really even to talk. She's had ear infections, frequent nausea, and just plain doesn't feel that great.

So... if you're the praying sort, here are some specifics for our favoritest Serry ever! :)
* Nausea needs to GO AWAY. (that may help some other issues, too)
* Serry's throat needs to HEAL so she can drink, eat, and take medication... and then GO HOME. :)
* Ear infections clear up and her hearing is restored to what it was PRE-cancer.
* That Serry realizes even more just how much she is loved, liked, and treasured. That she can wake up every day and KNOW how important she is in the lives of so many of us.

Would you do me a favor? In honor of Thanksgiving, if you've actually MET my sister, would you post what you are most thankful about in her and your time together? I think it would be a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving present!

SHE'S DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note (since I'm in a class all day!) but...

SHE'S DONE!!!!!!

DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE!!!!!

Still in the hospital, still getting meds/fluid/care there, but DONE WITH RADIATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick Update

2008-11-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update... I have yet to talk to anyone THERE, but Serry was admitted to the hospital today. Sounds like she was having a bit of a rough time of it, and hasn't been able to eat or drink for awhile, so this is going to be a perfect solution (at least in my opinion!). It means she can be hooked up to an IV that will get fluid and things in her--including all of her medicines!--so that she doesn't have to swallow using her poor burned throat.

So please say a few prayers for our Serry--and remember... only TWO DAYS OF RADIATION LEFT!!!

If you're a reader here, post a comment today! :) (and NO, it doesn't matter if you don't personally know Serry... If you're one of my friends, you can at least tell her how cool her sister is! hehe)

Monday, Monday....

2008-11-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

...So good to me...

Well, to SERRY, that is. It's her LAST MONDAY of radiation. Anybody want to raise the roof?! :) 4 more days, one more chemo (of this cycle) and then it's OVER!!! Here's what we need:
*Continued high white blood cell counts
*SOUND sleep
*Peace and rest for Serry AND the family
*More calories going in and being digested (the radiation is burning Serry's throat--so it's pretty painful to swallow "real" food)
*The effects of the current chemo to dissipate over the next few weeks.

OK, I've promised this for awhile and (now that it's past my bedtime) it's time for me to give you a little peek into the future. Here goes:

As we all know, radiation and this round of chemo ends this Thursday (YEAH BUDDY!). :) After that, Serry will need approximately 6 weeks to recover from the treatment she's received. It's pretty amazing that the things that are designed to help us also hurt us. Therefore, I think she's looking VERY MUCH forward to some recovery time. They've said that it'll take a few weeks for her to start feeling better and for some of the symptoms to dissipate. That puts her feeling better a little before Christmas--HAPPY! :)

During her recovery time, Serry will still be actively healing. She'll be making trips up north again to allow the doctors to harvest her stem cells. There are a few ways that they can do this, but, last I heard at least, they'll be hooking her up to a machine that will filter cells out of her bloodstream. I'm not exactly sure how that works, I just know that it sounds MUCH more pleasant than withdrawing bone marrow--which was another option! They will store these stem cells for use after her next rounds of chemo.

So that brings us to the chemo discussion. After her 6-ish week "vacation," probably around the first of the year, Serry will begin chemotherapy. If you remember, the chemo that she's on right now is sort of a generic chemo. It's given to many cancer patients, and is often used as a "wake-up call" for the body. Sort of a starter chemo--like an unpleasant appetizer. The chemo that she'll be getting in January is... well, intense, to say the least. We're killing cancer here, and they're going to be treating it as aggressively as possible. After she's given the chemo, she will need to have her stem cells transplanted back into her body. The chemo will have killed off her white blood cells--and the stem cells are what will make her body produce more. This process lasts about a month. Then it's Rinse and Repeat... four times. It will be a long four months... but it will only be a memory in April or May.

If you're the praying sort, please keep Serry in prayer in preparation for that time. I'm not really sure what we're going to be facing ahead... I haven't done much reading about stem cell transplants or anything--I know it's going to be hard, but---and Serr, this note is for you---Serry can do ANYTHING she sets her mind to. (You should have seen her as a kid... shimmying up trees that shouldn't hold anyone's weight, sledding on the edge of the gravel pit--she's crazy.)

Oh, and a special note just for Serry's friends at CB (did I get the acronym right? I always get it mixed up) at WSU:
You. Are. Amazing.
Seriously. Serry got your cards and gifts on Saturday night... and cherishes everything. Your hearts, your generosity, your love... Serry was in tears--she misses you so much and can't believe how much you care. THANK YOU.

That's all for tonight.

Last Friday!!

2008-11-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Guess what everyone?! Today is Serry's LAST FRIDAY of Radiation!!! Just 5 more, and one chemo next week, and she'll be DONE with this phase!!

To the radiology doctors and nurses (I know at least one of you reads this!) - THANK YOU for everything you're doing to take care of my sister! :)

Everyone--congratulate Serry!! Just 5 more rads and she's done! :)

8 More Days...

2008-11-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Emily here... just a note tonight.

Serry has 8, count them--EIGHT--more days of radiation left. Serr - I hope you don't mind, but I snagged this off Facebook. Below, folks, is the bell that Serry will be ringing off the hook on November 20th. Ringing OFF THE HOOK. *I* can't wait for that day and I'm not even the one getting the radiation. I'm so proud of my sister!!!
I also hope Serry's Dad doesn't mind... but he commented on Facebook and I wanted to share a little. :) (I'm just plagerizing bit... I hope it's OK! It's nice to hear from more than just me on here!)

-----
Ser was home with me (Dad) this weekend. She was tired, but got lots of love from our Peke's and especially from our "Momma Kitty Callie", who soo loved laying on Ser getting "good rubbins" as we watched tv. Callie really loved Ser!

Ser got to see Kait all dressed up for a audition in Seattle. The three of us watched several movies and I got my share of hugs..... :)

I took her back to her Mom after today's radiation session (8 left). Very soon Ser will have time to recover from these sessions and she can get back to feeling better. I expect that she will get back here for another "Pig Pile" under all of our Peke's :)
-----

(Note to Kaiti - I hope the audition went well!!! :))

Please pray for strength for the next week and a half. It's almost a memory, but it's going to be tough these next few days. Strength, endurance, and most of all, I think, hope. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. ~Hebrews 6:19a

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

2008-11-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

That's James 5:16. Thank you for your prayers. Serry's white blood cell count jumped to 2600 today. THAT is good news. :)

I'll keep you updated with more later. Night!

Want to post a comment...?

2008-11-04T21:50:00.001-08:00

...but haven't been able to? Look to the instructions on the right, under Serry's picture. :)

Radiation, Chemo, Bloodcounts... Whew!

2008-11-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone, and happy election day...

I just returned home from a visit to see some birthday people and our Serry!! (It's so good to see her so much--I just wish it was for a better reason!)

I took Serry up to radiation on Monday--I got to meet the amazing staff up there... they're SO nice, fantastic at what they do... and you can tell that they really do care! I love it. :)

We had a big event this weekend... Serry is now a "free" woman! Free of the burdens of hair falling out that is! It's pretty amazing to know that with or without hair, my sister looks pretty darn amazing... and it's fun to rub her head!

Here's a specific prayer request for you pray-ers out there... Serry's white blood cell count is going down (as is expected with this kind of treatment). However, we don't want those counts to get TOO low--that could lead to other complications that we just don't want to have to deal with. Could you please pray that her counts stay where they are? We want them to stay above 1000, if possible. (Of course, the numbers don't mean much to me, either, but sometimes it's nice to have those specifics!) Thanks, everyone!

Serry's feeling pretty run down these days... again, expected. I know she has much that she wants to say to each of you... I hear your names and see the smile she gives for you all. Know that even if she doesn't post much on here, or call you, or tell you thank you herself, her heart is saying it daily--it's written all over her.

So, for tonight--thank you all. In one of the next posts I'll try to update you about our next steps (stem cell harvesting, heavy doses of chemo, etc.). For now, know that she only has TWELVE days of radiation left! WOO!!! Thanks for the love on here, everyone! Good night!

Round 11 - Done!

2008-10-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ding ding ding! Listen to the bell for Round 12, because that's what Serry's going in for tomorrow--Round 12 of radiation!

Hi everyone, Emily here again. It's been awhile since we've had an update, so I wanted to post for you all. :) As I said, Serry's on round 12 of radiation tomorrow--that means she's over 1/3 through with her radiation! She is supposed to have 30 total. She can still tell that the radiation is doing what it's supposed to--the pain in her face and leg have diminished, and I haven't seen her use her walker for a few days!

The weekend was, again, a great time of resting on the farm. Serry even got to see her best friend since 2nd grace (now a doctor in Idaho!). We picked walnuts (though I'm not so sure they were any good... ew!--beating up the tree was fun, though!), spent time resting, and simply enjoyed those toasty rays that came out. It may not be summer anymore, but the sun still has enough warmth to keep us happy!

The radiation seems to be making Serry pretty tired. It has to be exhausting--but, as usual, I'm in awe of her strength. And, as is a likely process for anyone going through treatment for cancer, her hair folicles don't seem to be as strong as they always have been.

I'll leave you with thoughts from her doctors...
Her neural oncologist told her that she doesn't even need to see her this week--because she's progressing so well and is totally responding to treatment the way she needs to be.
Her radiation oncologist said that this is an example of what radiation is supposed to be!

And Dr. Emily (or can I use my Rev. Emily here?) says that your prayers and happy thoughts are coveted, your comments on here appreciated more than you could ever know, and your love felt across the miles.

One Step at a Time...

2008-10-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Thank you so very much for all of your positive thoughts and prayers. I have drawn on your comments and posts over the past few weeks to help keep me positive, focused and feeling completely loved!

Its funny how I’ve gone through life knowing that I have good friends and family, but it wasn’t till this that I have been able to truly appreciate how special those relationships are. Thank you for your words of encouragement and for the occasional weather report J

Before I say anymore, I have to bow down and give MAD PROPS to Emily for taking on the role of communications master for my blog. Without her help I would have been overwhelmed immediately by trying to respond to everyone. She does an excellent job of managing and disseminating info and I greatly appreciate it.

~~Thanks Em~~

This has been the first week of Monday through Friday out-patient radiation and so far it has been going well. I have weekly chemo every Thursday after which I meet with my Radiation Oncologist, Medical Oncologist and Neural Oncologist.

The pain and numbness that was rapidly advancing across the left side of my face has been retreating daily for about a week now and still shrinking. It is amazing to me that the radiation treatments are so obviously nipping the tumor in the bud! My back and leg pain have also been reducing and increasing in function – My big thing today was walking for short periods without my walker!! This is a huge improvement since this time last week, I could walk 100 feet (w/ walker) and only do three stairs!!!

Thursday will be long and exhausting, but I will have family to help take care of me and let me sleep between treatments, etc. My spirits are high, though oftentimes sleepy. I look at this whole thing as a marathon or like climbing a mountain. It certainly won’t be easy, but one step, one foot in front of the other and we’ll get through it.

Thank You All and Take Care
~Serry

Week 2 is underway

2008-10-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Good evening, everyone - Emily here again.

Serry was HOME this weekend--I can't begin to tell you how GOOD it was to have her here. I ended up over there, Gentry (our little sister) came down... it was just a nice weekend.

I was there when Serr got home on Friday... Physically she looked fine, but she was slow, not feeling good, and obviously in pain. That night, however, started some of the most healing time... Here's some of the highlights:

* Smelling the fresh autumn air -- Serry's sense of smell is completely heightened right now and she can smell EVERYTHING. Sitting outside for periods of time just allowed her some peaceful recuperation time.

* Sleeping -- Serry slept a LOT this weekend! (despite staying up with Gentry and I till midnight on Saturday...)

* Fuzzies! -- She got some special fuzzies this weekend to keep her warm!

* HORSES!!! -- Some of our family friends rode three of their Clydesdales down to our place on Sunday! We spent about an hour outside in the sunshine, feeding them apples, scratching their necks and noses, using their rumps as pillows, and just laughing and talking with their humans. (On a side note--Serry and I used to babysit their kids... who are now 23 and 20! Boy do we feel old!!) Thank you to our friends!!! Your big boys sure cheered our Serry up!

* Love -- between the loves Serry gets on here and the big hugs from family... and knowing everyone is rallying around her... I'm not sure when the last time is that I've seen her glow like this.

So... When I left Sunday night, she was still tired, still hurting, but a little more ready to push forward for another week.

Oh, and lest I forget... THANK YOU to Aunt B and Uncle D for letting Serry and Mama Bear stay there during treatment. I hear only warm and happy thoughts coming from your home. And Cousin P, for letting Serry use your room... Gentry warned Serry not to look up. ;)

She's 10 feet away from me! :)

2008-10-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right... Serry's just in the other room!

Hi everyone, Emily here again. Serry and Mama Bear made it home last night despite Friday night traffic (which, if you don't live in Western WA--it's something that we all make a goal of avoiding!). For me, it was the absolute BEST thing in the world to give my sister a hug. She wasn't even out of the car when I got my first hug of the night! Although... the dog beat me to her. CW leapt up into her lap to give her as many doggie kisses as she could squeeze in!

We kept it a very mellow evening--just a quiet family dinner, then some rest time on the back deck and in front of the fireplace. Not a LOT to report... but you should know that I think Serry's time at home on the weekends will be as healing for her as the radiation and chemo are. She is getting real sleep here (as opposed to her time in the hospital when she was consistently awakened for someone to check her vitals). She's spent quite a bit of time outside, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the crispness of fall.

I asked her what she'd like to tell her loyal fans (grin) and she said to let you know how much she appreciates your comments on here. They're so heartening, and she just loves to hear from each of you. And who knows... maybe you'll hear from her one of these days...

She's escaped!

2008-10-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

That's right! At least, that was the plan as I knew it several hours ago.

Serry has been released from the hospital tonight. I haven't talked to her other than through email for about a week, but I hear that she desperately needed a new view. She and Mama Bear are all snuggled up together, outside of the hospital, hopefully getting some fresh air and GOOD sleep. Serry still has one more radiation treatment tomorrow before she can head home for the weekend. Also, I've heard that she's been getting chemo this week, but I'm not exactly sure what's going on with that.

Serry got her first tatoo (that we know of... smile) this week, too. They had to tatoo her to be able to ensure that they do the radiation correctly. Uncle Charlie wanted dragons on her back, while Mama Bear and I voted for milder things like butterflies and ladybugs... unfortunately (or is that fortunately?!), none of us won--apparently they're just little dots to help guide the radiologists. Serry said that someone described them to her as if they're just little blackheads... Great, was my thought. Just what a woman wants--more blackheads.

Tomorrow is the end of week 1 of radiation. Please, please pray that the radiation and chemo are effective, that the cancer is completely killed, that our Serry stays strong (both mentally and physically), and that there aren't any side effects to any of the treatments. It feels like we just started this battle yesterday and that we've been fighting it for a year. It's exhausting--but extremely refreshing for all of us to be able to come here and read all of your love. Thank you.

The sweet smell of the farm...

2008-10-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

...I know it's beckoning! Emily here again... with some good news. (I REALLY like good news, FYI.) Looks like Serry might be smelling some of this fall weather from HOME soon. Remember how we mentioned before that she would be getting 6 weeks of radiation, M-F? Well, this is technically week one, which means she should be heading home for the weekend to rest and just BE on the farm! :) I'm happy because it means I get to SEE her again! (please remember, just because she's home, she's still in treatment--visiting may not be the best option at this point.)

The OTHER good news I have is that, even after such a short time (since last Friday) the radiation seems to be killing what it needs to be killing! She's had a few issues (like the numbness in her face that has made it hurt when she smiles/laughs too much) that were caused by some key tumors. Those were what they first attacked with the radiation and the problems that she's had seem to be diminishing. They're still there, but to a lesser degree. I know we've got a rough few weeks (months... and more) ahead of us, but it's reassuring to me to know 1) these urgent problems are being resolved, and 2) radiation appears to be working.

There's a bunch of other stuff we could talk about on here, but I think this is enough for tonight. Again, as always, thank you for all of your well wishes, prayers, and support.

And Serry... love you, girlie.

What friends!

2008-10-13T20:47:00.001-07:00

Emily here... I just want to say thank you again and again to all of Serry's friends and loved ones... All day long there were more and more comments on here--it just blew me away! Serry... WE LOVE YOU and are WITH you through this whole thing!

I haven't personally seen Serry since Friday (both my Dad and I caught a cold and no sickies are allowed with her!), however I still get reports... Serry apparently looks fantastic--I'm not sure I could pull this off while still looking like a rock star like she is. It also sounds like some of the numbness in her face is going down... I'm looking forward to THAT--and having some sister giggle time again. :)

Anyway, keep the love a'coming! Serry--you're becoming my hero!

Serry

2008-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a difficult few days for Ser and the rest of us. But now that we have a treatment plan, I expect things to settle down a bit. Ser did pretty well yesterday with her 2nd. radiation treatment. The rest of the day was family and friends stopping by to visit her. And just for her Mom, there was not a smile to be seen all day.... :))

Today I'm taking Irene and Kaitlyn up to see her. Irene has not been able to get up to the hospital because she is taking care of her Dad who is recovering from a serious accident earlier in the year. Ser's sister Kaitilyn needs to get some time with her "big sister".

And for Ser, How do I upload my iPhone picutres again? I can't seem to get them to upload.... :)

Dad

Chemo? Check! Radiation? Check!

2008-10-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Serry has what is called Medulloblastoma. Basically, here's what's happening... The main tumor is in her brain stem. The doctors say that it looks like a bunch of spaghetti all in one tight little area. That tumor is then creating little seeds that it is dropping into her spinal fluid. The seeds then migrate through the spinal fluid until they find somewhere they like and stick there. We're not sure how long she's had this tumor/abnormality, but there are hundreds of little (and not so little) "seeds" along her spinal column.

Medulloblastoma is a childhood cancer. A rare childhood cancer. Serry's neuro oncologist made calls to her collegues across the nation to determine the best treatment for this condition. Fortunately, we have an expert in our own back yard! A doctor from the University of Washington (UW) is a specialist in this cancer--meaning that he's treated about 30 individuals with it. (Get the picture on the rarity of it?) Very, very few adults get this, and there isn't much research to go off of on how to treat it. As a result, some of the top minds in neuro oncology are focusing on Serry--wanting to learn from her, and, in my opinion, thinking about ways to kill this stuff. (I like LOTS of people wanting to find a cure!)

So, you ask... How do we treat this? Well, Round 1 just started today. Serry just took a dose of chemotherapy this morning... it was a "generic" chemo, designed to help prepare her body for the fight that it's about to undergo. This afternoon, we (yes, I got to visit today!) wheeled her down to radiology to start her radiation. Today and this weekend, they are targeting two problem areas--in her brain and her lower spine. There are some key tumors in those areas that have caused her some specific problems. Their goal this weekend is to start to alleviate the difficulties she's had so that she's stronger to fight the rest of the cancer when they start the major, full spine radiation next week. When they do radiation, they'll pretty much be hitting everything from her brain stem to her lower spine.

Radiation is going to be Monday through Friday for approximately six weeks. Pretty intense. She'll fortunately have weekends off (except this weekend), but will be in radiation the rest of the week. We're still figuring out how this all is going to work, when she'll have to stay in the hospital, when she'll be staying somewhere around the hospital, when she'll be coming home, etc. I saw tonight how exhausting radiation can be for her... we (her family, friends, loved ones) are going to have to be cautious that we don't over exert her through this. She needs her strength to push through this.

So... six weeks out (remember, that this is barring any changes of action, and that everything goes exactly according to plan--and things ARE changing hourly up there!), she will come HOME for six weeks of recuperation. I'm praying that the time frame stays the same, because it means that she'll be RESTING for Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Year's.

Once her rest/recovery time is up, chemotherapy will begin. I think that we figured that that would last (again, barring any changes, etc.) through March. Serry turns 30 in March and I think the bestest birthday present for the Big 3-0 (and for little sister Kaiti's Sweet 16!) would be a clean bill of health.

At that point, some post chemo/cancer/etc. procedures will need to happen, but we'll take them as they come. It's also possible that the chemo could cause some hearing loss; it's possible that she'll lose her hair; etc.

As I've mentioned before (and will again!), she LOVES the messages you all are sending her and the love that she's feeling. Thank you (from Serry!) for all of that love. Please keep posting on here--I'm not sure if you realize that you're not just lifting HER up, you're lifting us all up. Gentry (younger sister) and I have commented how we feel better coming here every day and reading and re-reading your comments... I'm beyond touched at how many people love her and our family.

I know there's more to add here... but again, it's nearing midnight. I'm not going to visit her tomorrow, but the other sisters are and I'm excited that they get to love on her a little.

Thanks all ~ I'm out.

Quick Midnight Update

2008-10-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a visit with Serry... let me tell you--it felt SO good to hug her and know she's REAL again. :) We have updates to share, but it's far too late for me to wax on about life... so this is just a taste--I will update tomorrow.

For now... Serry can use prayers and warm fuzzies and LOTS of love posted here. If you've already posted, you don't have to be shy about re-posting. ;) I heard from the horse's mouth (sorry, Serr... I just called you a horse) that she LOVES reading your comments and messages. Thank you all for loving on my sister.

More tomorrow.

Poking and Prodding...

2008-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

...That's what Serry got a LOT of today! The doctors are doing a lot of eliminating of problems--which I'm very fond of. :) I haven't talked to Serry personally, though our sister Gentry got about 20 seconds with her on the phone! We're still not sure exactly what we're fighting here, but they've been figuring out what we're NOT fighting today, so that's a good thing.

I just wanted to post to say thank you to you all... I know that your notes and love and prayers and support mean the world to Serry. On her behalf, THANK YOU.

Just a quick update...

2008-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Emily here again... Just a quick update because that's what I got from the hospital crew. ;)

Serry's all snuggled in at the hospital (note that I said that sarcastically... she's going to be poked and prodded all night long). I don't know all of the details yet, but it looks like they'll be starting radiation and chemo tonight or tomorrow, she gets a spinal tap, they're continuing to do biopsies, and bringing in a geneticist to check out family history.

I know that there's a bunch more that's going on, but we didn't have a lot of time to talk. Her mom and dad are totally supporting her through this, and our aunt is even up there!

It's time to rev up the prayers and love--radiation and chemo aren't the most fun things in the world--and we need Serry strong and fighting!

Thanks for everything, everyone.

The Scoop

2008-10-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, everyone...

In case you don't know me, I'm Serry's sister, Emily. Serry's trying to focus her energy on making herself healthy, so I will occasionally be updating on this blog, just trying to keep everyone in the loop. Here's the story of what's been happening the past few months...

This summer, Serry started experiencing some severe back pain. The doctors thought it was a herniated disk or sciatica. They tried treating that through the summer and into September. Finally, Serry's request for an MRI was heard, and she went in the tube last week. The results of that MRI prompted a second MRI, a CT scan, a mammogram, and an ultrasound... because it looked like she may have cancer. After those tests (which all happened last week), she appears to have cancer originating from her brain stem, with cancerous nodules throughout her spine. She has not yet had biopsies performed on any of these areas, though, so we cannot say with 100% certainty what's happening in her body. We'll keep you updated as we get more information.

She has an appointment tomorrow with her new doctors. At that time they will be doing any necessary biopsies, additional tests, reading the results of the tests she was given on the East Side, observing her, and doing whatever health care professionals do in an overnight stay in the hospital.

Serry has moved in with our parents on the West Side... so big thanks go out to them for all of the hard work and love they've put in to make her comfortable and happy already. Our sweet sister, Gentry, had the brilliant idea of giving Serry her old room (instead of having her in the busy guest room), so the four of us dug out, cleaned up, moved furniture, fixed doors, and unpacked for Serry yesterday... giving her a room that's wholly hers, somewhere safe and warm to be, with all of her own touches everywhere from the top of the dresser to the closet to the ceiling.

Please continue to check back here. I'll try to post often--I'm not sure how often Serry will be up to it, but I know that she will be loving all of your comments, well wishes, and prayers. If you've never used Blogger before (I know there are a lot of you!), simply click Comment and add your comments to any of our posts. You don't have to be a Blogger user to comment--but please remember to sign your posts if you aren't one so that she knows who you are!

Thank you EVERYONE for your love and support... I think Serry is realizing just how many people out there REALLY love her! :)

Made it to the West Side!

2008-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here on the West Side with family... waiting to get an appointment with an oncologist. Stay tuned....