Time to "Catch UP"

July 1 -- I really wanted to start this blog to give people the opportunity to find out how Nancy is doing without having to wait for a phone call from me or to call me to get the information -- not that I don't enjoy talking to people; your phone calls are always welcome. Our good friend (and Ryan's Mother-In-Law) Sue Valentine had done this with her husband, Bob after learning of his pancreatic cancer and it seemed to be a real good way to get the word out efficiently.

Nancy isn't doing so well, right now. For those of you who don't know how she has been doing lately, she was diagnosed with metastatic disease to the brain just before Memorial Day. It really hurt her to be unable to finish teaching during the last week or so of school. However, the inflammation from the tumors that were growing in her brain made it impossible to concentrate well enough to continue teaching. Nancy has been receiving whole head radiation (13 treatments) because there were multiple brain metastases and therefore surgery or focused radiation were not possible. Those treatments were completed about two weeks ago.

Just when we thought Nancy would be getting some time to recover from the fatigue associated with this type of radiation, she started feeling GI pain and was diagnosed with an intestinal blockage that resulted in a stay at St. Luke's hospital lasting most of last week.

After sucking most of her stomach and intestinal contents out through an NG (naso-gastric) tube, her doctors thought she might be doing OK, that the obstruction may have resolved itself. She was also severely anemic so they gave her 2 units of blood and sent her home on Friday with a bland diet containing no seeds, nuts, berry or vegetable "skins"-- and just about anything else that might get stuck in a "narrower than normal" intestine -- or taste good. Now I think the blockage is back (because she can't even keep jello down) so we will call the oncologist back tomorrow morning and I expect she will be back in the hospital before noon.

Also, while examining the x-rays taken to check on the intestinal blockage, her oncologist told me they noticed the metastatic tumors in her lung have increased significantly in size -- possibly as a result of the steroids she must take for the brain swelling and edema (due to the radiation treatments). Sometimes treating one "life threating" medical problem raises the "life threatening" potential of another ongoing medical problem, like Nancy's lung tumors. This cancer stuff really sucks!

Nancy is a real trooper though. She doesn't complain and still looks for the "silver lining" in almost every situation. She can often be overheard saying, "I am so lucky" when referring to all the support she gets from family and friends. Thank you , to everyone who has said a prayer, sent a card or stopped by with encouraging words. They mean everything to us right now.

Enough doom and gloom. I hope you all have a great 4th of July and enjoy every minute of your holiday. As I have learned over the last four years, "nobody is promised tomorrow, so live each day as if it was your last." That has been Nancy's mantra since her diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer three years ago -- and she has really tried to live by the spirit of that sentiment.