Friday, October 28, 2011

Fist pumps!

Well you know it's a good sign when your doctor walks in fist pumping after he has reviewed the results of your MRI! Since my last MRI that was a month ago, my tumor has done some major shrinking! A month ago it was 5 cm by 5 cm. Today it was less than 2 cm by 1 cm!!!! We've still got some work to do, but hopefully the implant radiation will do just that! Honestly, I didn't hear much else after he told us about how much my tumor has shrank so it's a good thing Jerrid was with me. He will update later regarding implant radiation and how all that will work!

Thank you for all your support and prayers...they are working! Keep 'em comin!!

Love,
Meighan

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Perks?

Well believe it or not, there are some perks to going through chemo and radiation treatment.  Because of the frequency and side effects of the treatment I had to take the entire time off work.  I absolutely love my job, and this was very hard for me at first.  But once I got into the treatments, I realized there just wasn't any way I'd be able to do both.  Teaching is an all or nothing job, it's hard to work part days while being consistent for the student's sake and keep communication clear and open between all the individuals I work with on a daily basis.  This year, I am not only wearing the hat of special education teacher, but also special education department head and a Circle of Friends Facilitator.  So adding these on top of my day to day teaching, is definitely far too much to take on in my current state.  In my absence some amazing people have pulled together to take over parts of all three of my different jobs, and I know it hasn't been easy.  It's been hard for me to stay away, so I still try to stay in the loop and help when I can (through email and phone calls), but then I'm reminded how much I'm being docked everyday, so then I ask myself...why the hell am I doing any work? :)  But...that actually doesn't stop me...even though I may not be getting paid, I can't help but continue to help whenever possible, as I want things to go smoothly while I'm gone.  I also hate that so many people are having to take on extra because I am not there!  La Vista Junior High has been amazingly supportive throughout this entire ordeal, and I am so thankful to work with such am wonderful group of individuals.

Ok...so now to the perks.  Since I'm not working, I have been able to pick up Brayden from pre-school every Thursday.  Drop-off and pick-up from preschool is usually done by his awesome babysitter, Amy.  I have enjoyed being able to see him in his element at pre-school, see the smile on his face, and hear the excitement in his voice when he sees me and yells, "Mommy!" every Thursday when he sees I am there to get him.  We have also been able to go to Avoca a lot to see Nana and Papa.  We often go on Thursdays after pre-school and stay the night and hang out all day on Friday too!  This is a lot more time than we used to get to spend with them, and we are all enjoying the extra time.  Lastly, today I was able to go to Brayden's Halloween party at pre-school...such a fun time!

He finally decided on being a cowboy after much debate between a cowboy, astronaut, fire fighter, Transformers Bumble Bee, Darth Vader, and the list goes on...
Making a bat hat craft



Playing a game

He stopped on the pumpkin when the music stopped and got a glow in the dark spider ring!

Making a bat snack.

Finished product.

Handing out treats to his class.  Halloween seems to be Brayden's favorite holiday.  He loves helping me decorate, painting and carving pumpkins, watching Halloween movies and reading Halloween books, basically doing anything that has to do with Halloween, and is really into dressing up.




So even though some days feel as if I'm going through hell, I am so happy that I have been able to enjoy some perks through the hell.  I wouldn't trade this extra time with my little guy for ANYTHING!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Short but sweet!

I'm running a little low on energy, so this post will be short!  The new meds they have put me on this week have helped drastically with the vomiting and nausea.  I have had NONE!  This has been amazing!  Of course though, as always with me, if it's not one thing, it's another!  The new meds cause insomnia...so my sleep schedule is all off and causing lovely bags under my eyes!  I've decided though, I'll take the insomnia versus the vomiting and nausea!

I met with Dr. Duckert my radiologist today and he did another exam to take a look at the tumor.  He again was VERY pleased with what he saw, saying that it has shrank 20% from just a week ago when he checked!  We still have a lot ahead of us, most importantly being implant radiation.  I have an MRI on Friday to help plan for this, but it will more than likely be 5 treatments spread out over 2 1/2 weeks starting the week of November 7th.  After all this treatment will probably be the longest road, first and foremost making sure the tumor is GONE...then getting frequent checks every 3 months for 18 months to make sure it doesn't come back!  BUT...Dr. Duckert keeps telling me, "This is so cureable, and I am so pleased with how well you are responding!"  Continuously hearing that helps me get through each day, along with all of YOUR well wishes, cards, and prayers! 

Thank you!
Meighan

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Back on my soap box...watch out!


 You're probably wondering why all of sudden I getting back on my soap box.  Well, first and foremost, I don't feel as if there is a lot of cervical cancer awareness out there, and I want to do all that I can to change that by starting with educating those closest to me.  Secondly, there have been reports in the news lately, about how there is research out there and doctor's saying that women only need to get PAP smears every 2 or 3 years.  I don't agree with this, but also don't have a lot of information on why they are saying this, only what this article has to say. 


http://www.livewellnebraska.com/article/20111020/LIVEWELL01/710209884/-1#pap-smear-can-be-less-frequent

I feel it's partly because insurance doesn't want to pay for yearly exams.  But because of the lack of information out there I plan to talk to my oncologist about this and get his opinion and thoughts.  Once I do, I will definitely share those with you all.  Lastly, tonight on the NBC Nightly News there was a story about how boys aged 11-12 should start getting the Gardasil vaccine and not just girls anymore.  It was very interesting so I thought I would share it with you all too.  


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#45023967


HPV is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer.  Although it was not the cause in my case...remember back to my post on how I am that little percentage that no one knows why I even have cervical cancer!  Frustrating as hell!  Even though it wasn't the cause, this is just my way of giving back and hopefully raising awareness and preventing cervical cancer.  Among those aged 15-49, only one in four Americans has NOT had a HPV infection.  For those of you who aren't good at math, that's THREE out of FOUR Americans have had an HPV infection.  Most often HPV produces no symptoms or illness, and so a person who has been infected may never know about it.  The virus can remain in the body for weeks, years, or even a lifetime, giving no sign of its presence. HPV infection may produce warts, lesions, or cervical abnormalities after a latent period of months or even years. Most people who are infected with HPV never know it; their virus does not call attention to itself in any way. In most cases, a person is diagnosed with HPV only because some troubling symptom drove him or her to a doctor or some abnormality was revealed in the course of a routine exam.

So how does HPV lead to cervical cancer, well...first of all, an abnormal Pap test can be caused by factors other than the presence of a high-risk HPV type. When a Pap test comes back as "abnormal," it means just that: Under the microscope, the appearance of a few cells in this sample differs in some way from the classic appearance of healthy, intact cervical cells.  The difference in these cells could be due to local irritation, a non-HPV infection, a low-risk HPV type, or even a mistake in the preparation of the cell sample.  As long as women are getting yearly Pap tests, cervical cancer is almost always prevented.  In those cases that it is not, there is an overwhelming majority of cases, in which a truly abnormal Pap test is due to pre-invasive disease.  Follow-up tests such as colposcopy and biopsy can help evaluate the abnormality and remove any potentially malignant cells. If further treatment is recommended, the patient and her physician usually have several options to consider, and time in which to consider them as cervical cancer is usually caught in the early stages.  Even supposing that a woman went untreated after repeated abnormal Pap results, she still would have the odds on her side, because only one out of four cases of cervical lesions will progress to cancer if left on its own. And treatment is almost always successful in preventing cervical cancer if the abnormal cells are found in time.  BUT this very effective system of protection can work only when each woman takes responsibility for the first step herself, by having a Pap test at regular intervals. According to the National Cancer Institute, about half of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer have never had a Pap test, and another 10% have not had a test in the past five years.  THEN there are the "me's" out there or the "me" I feel like!  Having done everything right and still somehow ending up with stage 2B cervical cancer that no one can answer "why me?"  It definitely frustrates me reading all that I do on cervical cancer and writing all of this to you because NONE of it applies to me and my cancer.  BUT, at the same time it makes me feel better sharing this information with all of you because I don't feel like people are educated enough on cervical cancer, I know I wasn't!


Lastly, a lot of people have asked me about where they can find cervical cancer shirts, pins, ect.  I have found one site that has a lot of great items.  Here is the link:

http://www.zazzle.com/cervical+cancer+gifts


Thank you for reading my rants while I'm on my soap box and all of your constant support!

Love,
Meighan





No new news!

I'm not going to post any new news today because I always seem to speak too soon...so instead I thought I would just post a couple more pictures from the wedding...enjoy!

 This was taken at rehearsal, we told him he needed to practice taking pictures for tomorrow.  Brayden did not cooperate AT ALL at our wedding with pictures so we were doing everything we could to prep him for these.  He did really well!


  


 Rehearsal dinner with the bride and bridesmaids.






 Evan and Linsey are on a billboard in Underwood, IA for Walnut Communications, a phone and internet company.  So on the way to the reception they had to stop and get pictures by it.  This pictures cracks me up though with Heath, the best man, hanging on the other side.  I can't figure out how he even got up there?
  




"Daughters are blessings that give love and laughter!"











The McCarthy's that I spoke of yesterday in my blog.











The story of my life with these two... :)







When I use my teacher/mom voice...


"Together we make a family."
Evan and Linsey


Monday, October 24, 2011

Bear with me...it's been a few days!

Well it has been awhile since I've updated, you may think this is a bad sign, but actually it's good!  Over the weekend I felt the best I have since before my surgery!  Therefore, I got out and about a couple of times and even picked up my house finally!  I'd like to think I was up to around 85%!

Friday night we went out to eat with the VanRoy's at Rock Bottom Brewery in the Old Market.  This is turning into one of our favorites!  If you haven't tried it, you should check it out.  All I wanted was their pretzels with cheese, so I ordered that before I even ordered a drink.  They tasted as amazing as I remembered, and Jerrid was impressed with how much of them I ate!  My bloody mary, on the other hand, did not taste as great.  At first I wasn't sure if it was the way they made it or if it was my messed up taste buds.  So I had Jerrid and Jeff try it and they both liked it.  Consensus:  Bloody mary's no longer taste good to me...sad day!  After dinner we went home and straight to bed.  I, as always, was exhausted but so was Jerrid as he had been at State Cross Country in Kearney and hadn't had much sleep the past couple days. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling great!  I was even craving Hy-Vee breakfast...something I haven't for awhile!  Side note:  If you've never had Hy-Vee breakfast, you should give it a try also...so good!  So off we went to Hy-Vee for breakfast and to get a few necessities!  We then headed home to watch the Hawks.  Oh yes, I almost forgot, Jerrid was a Hawk fan for the day!  As he was getting dressed that morning he said, "Honey, as long as you keep getting better, I'll do anything." and put on his Hawks shirt!  By the looks of the picture it seems that I held him down and forced him to put the shirt on, but that was not the case at all!  He did it on his own free will.  Isn't that the face of a loving and supportive husband?  After the Hawks were victorious, a couple good friends came over to watch the Huskers.  (By then Jerrid had changed his shirt.)  That evening I was still feeling great, so we got out of the house again and ran a couple of errands that we have been putting off for a couple months now, the biggest one being getting a new screen door.  We obviously are new to house repairs because we forgot to measure the size of the door before we left, so we actually were only able to look at screen doors and fantasize about which one we would like.

Sunday morning, I woke up feeling great again, so I got started on picking up my house.  (If I am feeling well, I usually don't seem to have much energy, but this weekend I did!)  I did this just in time for some amazing ladies from La Vista Junior High to come over and clean our house for us.  Yes, as if it isn't enough that they are picking up my slack while I'm gone at school, now they are picking up my slack at my house also!  Brak, Weber, Gay, and Joyce...thank you sooooo much!  That was entirely too nice of you and very much appreciated!!!  While they cleaned, I introduced Jerrid to TJ Maxx.  It was his first experience there and a very positive one.  "Honey, I bought 2 tie's and 12 pairs of socks for what I'd usually buy a tie for!"  It's the little things in life!  Before heading home we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to catch some of Jerrid's beloved Cowboys game, and grabbed a few movies from Redbox.  Around 7:30, I had a craving for an enchilada and cheese dip from La Mesa.  What did Jerrid do?  Hoped in the car and went and got it!  Again stating, "Honey, as long as you get better, I'll do anything!"  I may need to try and milk this for all it's worth while I can? 

If you didn't know any better, you may think I'm pregnant instead of battling cancer.  I'm tired, nauseous, moody (rarely though) and have weird food cravings!  Instead of gaining weight, I'm losing it though and instead of gaining a child, I gained a puppy!  A puppy who we treat like a child though.  At first we were up with her three times a night, and just yesterday we were both jumping up and down with excitement when she learned to go down the stairs by herself...oh the milestones!  Since Jerrid won't get the pleasure of dealing with the "pregnant me", it's probably only fair that I have similar symptoms right now for him to deal with!  In all seriousness though, he is probably the one most concerned with my weight (among everything else), so when I actually state that I want to eat, he makes sure I get what I want.  Thank you honey!

So, now I've finally got you caught up to today, Monday, week 5!  My mom was planning to take me today, but I was pleasantly surprised to see my dad at the door this morning!  Mom was feeling a little under the weather, so Jer came to the rescue.  If you don't know my father, he is nothing short of amazing!  He always has and always will do anything for his children.  He has worked his tail off and continues to everyday to provide for his family and give his children (and wife) all they could ever imagine!  For those of you out there who think I'm crazy for getting to school at the hour I do and working as many hours as I do, that is a trait my dad instilled in me, and I couldn't be happier and more thankful that he did.  My dad is a giver, and will stop at nothing to hep out his children.  From showing up with a brand new Chevy Traverse for me a couple of weeks ago (yes, that really happened...this one even shocked me), to running out and getting me pickles, to taking a day off a work to take me to chemo...he would do anything!  He doesn't sit still well (another trait I developed from him) so this morning while I was running between lab work, doctor's, and radiation, can you guess what Jer did?  He went to Lowe's, bought a screen door, and installed it!  I told you he was nothing short of amazing!  I may be 28 years old, but I will never be too old to be my dad's number one, as he calls me.  (This is because I was the first child, but I like it think it's because I'm the favorite...I know Cait will argue with that and she definitely has a strong argument.)  I hope to continue to learn from my father and mother, instill the same qualities in my children, and also provide for my children like he and my mom have for us!  These qualities that my father has been instilling in us, I know were instilled in him as a child.  I never knew my grandpa McCarthy, but having known my uncles, I know he was also nothing short of amazing!  It's evident throughout all that my aunts and uncles do for their families and the McCarthy family as a whole that my grandpa and grandma McCarthy did a phenomenal job raising their 10 kids.  I sometimes feel like I'm struggling raising one kid, I can't imagine having 10 of them!  I know growing up with 10 kids in the family, they didn't have a lot.  But they all worked very hard, and have gone on to be very successful in order to give their children all the things they didn't have growing up.  They may have not had a lot of materialistic things, but they obviously had much love and support.  I couldn't be happier and more thankful for my family, for all they have done and continue to do.  Having the love and strength of a family can get you through anything!

Ok...I should probably wrap this up, huh?  Sorry...it's gotten a little lengthy!  I ran into Dr. Duckert, my radiologist, this morning and he stated that he wasn't expecting me to respond this quickly to treatment and what I have is very curable!  This brought me tears of joy!  He also scheduled an MRI for Friday to help him in planning for my implant radiation.  So the plan for now is: 2 more weeks of radiation, and 2 (including today) more treatments of chemo as long as my blood levels stay where they are throughout this week.  After Friday we should have a better idea of the type of implant radiation and when.  They are also trying another new med to hopefully help with the vomiting and nausea, so we're all crossing our fingers that I have a better week this week than last!  Every week my oncology nurse, doctor, and nurse practitioner all ask me how I'm holding up and ect.  I figure they do this with all patients.  My response is always, "Good."  I honestly do feel like I'm holding up well.  I mean, obviously I'm not handling the chemo physically that great, but I figure that is just par for the course.  Well today my oncology nurse said, "So really, how are you holding up?"  I again replied with, "Good...I think?"  I guess I don't know how I'm supposed to be holding up or what is good, what is bad?  She then went on to say that I seem to be emotionally handling things better than any other patients.  I wasn't sure if this was a compliment or not, but then she stated that it was.  She said her, Dr. Morris, and Cindy (nurse practitioner) look forward to my visits on Monday because I'm always happy and never complain, and my course of treatment is a very tough course to handle.  I then told her, well it's not that I enjoy any of this, but I just keep telling myself it's hopefully only a couple months of my life and I can do anything for a couple of months!  I guess I don't know how I'm supposed to act as this whole "having cancer" thing is new to me.  :)  But, most days I'm doing really well.  Of course every now and then it's wearing on me emotionally and, of course, physically, but I really do feel like I'm handling it just fine and am doing good!  So for those of you asking how I'm holding up...there you go!

Love,
Meighan



Thursday, October 20, 2011

"The tumor is shrinking! They are very pleased!"

Now how's that for a text??? I guess I had some making up to do, and hopefully that text did just that!  As most of you probably already know, I found out yesterday that my tumor is shrinking and my doctor's are very pleased with the progress I am making!  This was great to hear, but also to see the looks on their faces!  Once again, I felt as if I was their only patient...I can't tell you enough how amazing all these medical professionals I see on a daily/weekly basis are!

Well I'm sure you've figured out by now, by reading the blog and seeing that Jerrid has posted twice this week, that I haven't been having the best week.  It seems the further I get into treatments, the worse the side effects get and the longer they last.  I think this is to be expected though.  When I get chemo on Monday's my nurses have to gown up, put gloves on, and put a special sack around the chemo when they are administering it.  This is to protect them from the toxins.  No worries though, those toxins are going into my body!  No wonder after 4 weeks of toxins being pumped into my body, I'm feeling as crappy as I am! 

I once again couldn't keep anything down on Tuesday, so they sent me for more fluids on Wednesday to keep me hydrated.  Dr. Morris also said he was gonna give me the "good stuff" (nausea meds) on his tab!  This seemed to help for a little bit, but by Wednesday evening was feeling crappy again.  I did make it out to eat with my parents and grandparents though, ate salmon and pasta, and kept it down!  This was a pretty big deal!  It's the little things in life!  After supper though, I barely made it back to the car and into my bed once we got home.  It was a little touch and go this morning, but I made it to radiation, picked Brayden up from preschool, and headed out to Avoca.  With Jerrid out of town for state cross country, and with the way I was feeling, I thought it was best that I had a little back-up...just in case.  With my grandpa and Judy still here from Buffalo, and then of course my parents...back-up I have!

Lastly, Sam wanted me to give a little info regarding t-shirts.  Some people have inquired about getting youth size shirts.  You can order youth sizes, small, medium, and large, and there will only be the front design on the youth size shirts.  Also, if you have any questions regarding shirts Sam's email is: sdeck@paplv.org.  She said she's been receiving a lot of orders, and you've got one more week to get your orders in!

Hopefully I continue feeling well and you'll hear from me again soon!

Lots of love to all,
Meighan



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Encouraging News!

Meighan had a physical exam today with her radiologist, Dr. Duckert and oncologist, Dr. Morris.  The purpose of the exam was to see if any progress has been made with all of her treatments, and to start planning for her implant radiation treatments, which are the key to "curing" cervical cancer.  During the exam, both Dr. Duckert and Dr. Morris said that the tumor was shrinking and that they were both pleased with the progress that was being made!  Obviously, this is great news that at lifted our spirits and makes the side effects of her chemo and radiation treatments a little more tolerable.

It sounds like the plan is continue with her normal radiation treatments for another two weeks--and her chemo treatments for at least one more week (two more if her body can handle it.)  At that time, she will begin 4 or 5 rounds of her implant radiation, which is like radiation on steroids.  Anyway, implant radiation will occur on Mondays and Thursdays and will be an outpatient procedure that requires her to be put under.  They will implant the device for 20 minutes while she is under anesthesia, on each of those five days. 

Well that's the news for the day.  Meighan's fatigue and nausea is lasting longer and longer each week, which isn't a surprise, but it still makes for some difficult times for her.  Continue to wish her well as she rounds the corner on her treatments and starts heading into the more rigorous treatments!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

"Honey, we have a problem."

Let's see...when would it ever be appropriate for a wife or girlfriend to send the text, "Honey, we have a problem," to her significant other...at a time when she knows it's possible he might not get it for another 90 minutes...and then not respond immediately when he tries to contact her?   
  1. Well...if he goes out with his buddies instead of being with her on their anniversary or another important date?  I would say she is justified and the message should be sent.   
  2. If he failed to put a new trash bag in the trash can after taking the trash out to the curb...for the 25th consecutive time?  Perhaps she is justified, but I'm not sure it warrants a text at that point.
  3. If the recently acquired puppy, that both the husband and wife adore, has become so attached to the wife that she sits outside the bathroom door and whines and barks while the wife is using the facilities?  Not really justified, nor does it warrant a text.
Well my lovely and amazing wife sent me that very text about a week ago and not surprisingly, sent me into panic mode!  Oh...did I mention that my wife is going through chemo and radiation treatments and had spoken with her radiologist that particular day?  Oh I hadn't?  Well now you understand my panic and borderline hysteria when I looked at my phone the other day and saw that message.  When I finally got a chance to speak to my wife she informed me that the reason she had sent that particular message was because of the scenario described in #3 above! Unbelievable!!!  Long story short...if you are battling cancer, it's never a good idea to begin a text conversation with somebody by saying"Honey, we have a problem."  I love you honey but I almost careened off the road, down a steep embankment, into a deep ravine.


Well if you haven't figured out by now, it's Jerrid this time, and not my lovely wife.  Additionally, if you didn't know it was me by this point, consider taking some reading comprehension classes.  They're called context clues...look it up.  Anyway, Meighan has been telling me to post something to the blog about how I'm doing because she's received many inquiries as to my status.  I've never seen any proof of this so I'm working under the assumption that she's trying to stoke my ego.  This is my last bit of homework for the evening...and like always, I'm saving the most difficult task for last.

I feel things are going about as well as could be expected.  My goal in life is to do everything I can to make Meighan's life as easy as possible, and Brayden's life as enjoyable as possible.  Needless to say, it turns into a full time job by itself, especially on those days when I have both of them under my care; I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, however!!  My teaching has regressed because of it and I'm certain that my kids think I'm a disorganized moron half of the time.  I apologize to them on a weekly basis and tell them this is by far my worst teaching performance in my 5 years on the job.  I'm sure the intelligent kids get it...and I'm sure the not-so-intelligent kids don't have a clue that anything is going on.  But that would be a proper description for any concept, idea, or topic in the average high school so maybe it doesn't really matter what I do or say? 


On Monday, I finally got to take Meighan to her chemo and radiation treatments.  I had taken my mom to chemo a couple of years ago so I had some idea what to expect going into it.  At one point during the chemo, while we were sitting in her private, corner room, with banks of windows on two sides, enjoying some Amigos soft shell tacos, I told her it was actually a peaceful and relaxing experience!  She agreed, as we actually got to sit and enjoy each other's company for a couple of hours. 

Monday's are kind of a cruel joke because that's the day that Meighan is feeling her best and is the Meighan at 75% that I have come to love and look forward to appearing Sunday afternoon.  By the time Monday evening rolls around, the chemo is hitting her system and she begins her slow decline to the misery that is Tuesday...when she can't stand up or consume any food without it eventually coming back up.  And yet she gets up and takes herself to the next round of radiation, and returns home, by herself.  I don't know how she does it because I turn into a wimpering fool with the slightest head cold or sign of flu-like symptoms, and she doesn't complain beyond the simple, "That sucked."  Regardless, I'm so completely enamored with 75% Meighan that I'm going to try to take her back next Monday.  Likewise, the thought of having 100% Meighan back after she kicks cancer to curb is more than I can imagine, and I will do whatever it takes to get her back!


Everybody I work with has been fantastic and done everything to try to make my life easier.  The administration has been great, allowing me to miss staff days, or take off time off at the last minute.  My fellow Biology nerds, Tim and Kristin, have been keeping my head afloat and making sure I have everything I need.  Coach Stenger has been very understanding and very accommodating with me as I have had to miss several cross country practices and meets this season.  This doesn't include the dozens of people who have stopped by to drop off food, or who have offered their services to watch Brayden.  Nor does it include my family and Meighan's family who have already made a several trips to Omaha to be with us.  I'm very thankful and grateful to all of you and wouldn't be able to get through this without you.

I see that I've rambled for much too long.  Maybe writing wasn't supposed to stoke my ego...maybe it was meant to be my therapy?  Thank you for your continued love and support...it is greatly appreciated! 


Best Wishes,

Jerrid




Monday, October 17, 2011

FYI

Just in case you missed it, I made 3 blog updates today so be sure to check them all out!

T-Shirts

A great friend of mine is hoping to raise funds to help us off-set some of our medical bills and a little loss of income.  T-shirts have been designed (design idea by yours truly), and are ready to be ordered!  Click on the link below for the flyer and order form.  She would like all orders to be returned by October 28th, so we can have a fast turn around on the t-shirts.

Thanks for your support and helping raise awareness for cervical cancer!

Shirt Order Form

Mighty Max

Many of you might know, or have heard of,  Mighty Max, a young boy from Neola, IA, who is battling cancer.  Max's wish is to receive 1 million cards.  When I heard of this last school year, I sent out an email to my staff at school asking them to have their study hall's make cards for Max.  We sent over 350 cards from La Vista Junior High.  Throughout that process I thought to myself, what a sweet kid, only wanting cards.  Most kids wish for a vacation or to meet someone famous. 

I now know why Max had this wish.  It is amazing how much one little card can light up your day.  I can not thank you all enough for all of the cards you are continuing to send me.  Everyday my mailbox has at least four cards in it!  I always think they might stop coming, but they don't and I couldn't be happier about that!  I know it takes time out of your day to sit down, write me, address the envelope, and send off the card.  (I know this because I'm struggling with getting thank-you's out, but I promise you will get one!)  I truly appreciate you taking the time to do that for me!  I keep each and everyone of your cards, and read through them on my bad days when I don't have the energy to do much else.

Along with your prayers, support, food, messages, phone calls, and gifts, your cards are the biggest help in helping me continue to fight!  They are something I can always keep and keep coming back to.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Love,
Meighan

It wasn't Vegas, but...

Well...I made it through the weekend and still have a smile on my face!  I know it's been awhile since I've updated...so let's back track a little.

I spent Thursday night in Avoca, as some of us girls got pedicures that evening.  So Friday, I drove back over to Omaha for my radiation treatment.  Jerrid had picked up all boys' tuxes on Thursday along with my cousin, Jason, late Thursday night from the airport.  So after radiation I went and got him along with the tuxes.  We then went and picked up my Grandma McCarthy and headed back out to Avoca.  While everyone was busy getting ready for rehearsal dinner that was at my parent's house, I took a nice 3 hour nap!  Rehearsal went great, the dinner was very good, and the company was even better!  I felt great the entire day and night!

Saturday morning was a little touch and go for awhile, but I pushed through.  I ended up not going down to Oakland to have my hair done with the rest of the girls so I could sleep in a little, and I was very slow moving!  I did my own hair, and it turned out just fine!  By the time pictures started at noon, I was feeling a lot better and had mentioned wanting a pickle.  My mom didn't have any in the house, and the next thing I knew my dad and uncle had went and got me my own jar of pickles!  All weekend (really throughout this entire ordeal) everyone was catering to my needs, and jumping at the chance to do something for me.  This is definitely something I could get used to! :) 

The wedding was perfect, and thanks to my Aunt Kris, Cait, and my grandma I had a very stylish PICC line cover.  My best friend, Kellie, told me at first she thought that was part of the dresses until she realized I was the only one that had one.  (She's my best friend...she's supposed to make me feel good.)  My honest and loving husband told me it looked like a floaty.  I'll post a picture and you can all form your own opinions.





I chose not to ride the bus over to the Tip Top with the wedding party, as I thought it best that I rest a little as I had a couple hours before the reception.  So...Jerrid drove and Brayden and I rested!  The reception hall was decorated beautifully, and the food was very good.  After dinner, cake cutting, toasts, and first dances the dueling pianos started!  Anyone that knows me, knows I love dueling pianos!  They were really good and I hung in there with the best of them until 11:00!  It was great to see and catch up with so many friends and family that I haven't seen in awhile. 

Yesterday, I was still going strong.  We went to brunch at Granite City with my parents, Cait, and my family from Buffalo.  After that, we headed back out to Avoca to watch the Bills game and recover from the big weekend!  Upon leaving to head back to Omaha last night, we had to say our goodbye's to the Buffalo crew, which is always sad as we have such a great time with them and don't see them near as often as we'd like. 


All in all, it was a fabulous weekend!  I'll post more pictures soon!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Riding a Rollercoaster

This entire ordeal (starting in August) has been a emotional and physical rollercoaster ride.  I never liked rollercoasters much...

Well yesterday was rough, I couldn't keep much down.  Hard to gain/maintain weight, and eat every three hours when I'm puking everything up!  I still didn't feel well this morning, but choked down some cereal before I went to radiation.  I was able to keep it down, but must not have looked the greatest because my radiation therapists were a little concerned with my "look".  Side note, my radiation therapists are amazing.  They are the most nurturing, caring, and sweet people I have ever met.  If I didn't love my job so much, I think I'd look into being a radiation therapist.  So today when I went to radiation looking the way I did, my radiation therapists, being their amazing selves, called up to my doctor to tell him their concerns.  Dr. Morris told them to have me come up right after radiation.  While at the doctor, they decided to put me on a patch that is supposed to help with nausea.  This is something I wear for 7 days.  I'm giving it a trial run, and if I like it, then I'll continue with it for the rest of treatment.  They also sent me downstairs to infusion, where I get my chemo treatments, for some nausea meds and fluids through my PICC line.  So I spent 3 more hours than expected at the Estabrook Cancer Center today, BUT it was well worth it.  I'm feeling a lot better, and have continued to keep down my cereal and a bagel so far today.  I'm also looking forward to giving the chicken enchiladas a try that are coming for supper tonight.  I'm sure you're probably thinking, after not being able to keep anything down yesterday you're going to give chicken enchilada's a try?  This isn't anything like having the flu, so it's not that my stomach can't handle certain foods, it's finding the right foods that I can stomach right now.  Oddly enough spicy foods are the one thing that sound good to me.  My nurse's have told me that my appetite and taste buds would change during chemo, and they have some.  The biggest change is that I have NO appetite...this is not normal for me!  I have always liked spicy foods though, so this is no different.  A change though has been my love for pasta...this is gone. (Along with my love for beer.)  I sure hope they both come back after chemo! :) 

I'm hoping I continue to feel well as we have a big night ahead of us.  First stop...Target.  I'm not ashamed to tell you all that we will be bribing Brayden with Lego's to ensure that he will take pictures and walk down the aisle at the wedding on Saturday.  After this, it's off to the airport to pick up Cait!!!!  We (or maybe just me) are so excited for her to come in!  I know the boys are excited too; just maybe not as excited as I am!  Then...let the wedding festivities begin: wedding errands on Thursday, pedicures on Thursday night, resting for me on Friday (while everyone else gets the farm ready for rehearsal dinner), rehearsal dinner Friday night, then finally the BIG day on Saturday!  Let's hope this patch does the trick and I continue to feel well throughout the weekend!

For now, I must go, as Brayden HAS to look at Halloween costumes online, RIGHT NOW!

Love,
Meighan

Monday, October 10, 2011

Week 3

Well today was the start of week 3.  I have felt the best I have in awhile today, and when I say "best", I mean 75%.  I don't think I feel anywhere close to 100% until long after all this is over.  I saw my oncologist, Dr. Morris today, and the first thing he said to me was: "Well this isn't as great as you thought it was going to be when you signed up, huh?"  (I'm not sure I ever thought it was going to be great.)  He then reminded me that I, number one, should still not be in his office because I had none of the risk factors and did everything that I could to prevent this, and I still got cancer...stage 2 none-the-less.  Secondly, he reminded me that this is week three and I only have 2 weeks left.  I then questioned him with, "Really?  Only 2 more weeks for sure?"  He then responded with, "Well sometimes if you buy the 5th chemo treatment you get the 6th for free."  Such a funny guy! :)  Lastly, he said most people going through what I am are twice my age and twice my weight, so considering that and the fact that I shouldn't be in his office, I'm handling this all very well...emotionally and physically.  He then told me though that I can not lose anymore weight, as this could affect my chemo treatments in the future.  It's hard to gain weight (or maintain for that matter) when you have no appetite and are nauseous half of the week.  BUT...I made a list of foods that I feel like I can stomach and we went out and bought those tonight.  I'm still have stomach issues from my surgery so portion size is another problem.  So I'm going to try to eat every three hours, and eat things high in calories and nutrients.  Hopefully this helps.  Other than my weight, my other vitals and blood work are very good and holding steady...so this is good! 

Back to Dr. Morris's comment about how I had none of the risk factors and did everything right.  If you research cervical cancer you'll find that it is almost always prevented, and in almost all cases is caught early.  BUT...of course I'm one of the few cases that it wasn't.  Cervical cancer is almost always prevented as long as you don't smoke, don't have the family history, and have yearly pap smears.  I do not smoke, there is nothing in my family history, and had yearly pap smears.  It's usually caught in the pre-cancerous stage and such procedures like a cone biopsy or a leep procedure are done to get rid of the abnormal or pre-cancerous cells.  By the time my cancer was found, it was far too late for either of those procedures.  Considering my last normal pap was in December, and I was diagnosed at the end of August with stage 2 cancer they considered it to be a fast growing cancer.  Good thing about fast growing cancers is that they are also easier to treat!  I honestly attribute my being diagnosed when I was to my being proactive.  At the first sign of something abnormal, I saw my doctor and continued to after each symptom.  I was very up front with my OBGYN, and made sure they were doing all they needed to do in order to figure out what was wrong with me.  So, if I've learned anything through this process it is to be proactive...you know your body the best!  For all the women out there it is also very important to continue with yearly pap smears, and do all you can to keep your body healthy!  I may have done this and still ended up with cancer, but I can at least say I did all that I could to prevent it and caught it as early as we could have hoped.  I hate to think where this cancer would be if I wasn't proactive and this was found at my next yearly pap in December. 

Ok...I'll get off my soap box now.  I've got a big week ahead of me and am going to do everything possible (lots of sleep, lots of liquids, eat every 3 hours, ect.) so I can enjoy the entire day on Saturday...Evan and Linsey's wedding! 

Here's to a great week!
Meighan

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Is "cruddy" a word?

Well the past two days have been, for lack of better words, cruddy!  Yesterday, I was feeling nauseous on and off, and have zero energy.  Today, I wasn't really feeling nauseous, but just didn't feel well.  I have no appetite, but know I have to eat.  Problem is it's hard to eat something that doesn't sound good at all!  So when I try to eat something that doesn't sound good then the nauseous feeling comes back...it's a vicious circle! :)  I try to do things (laundry, clean, ect.) while I'm home, but it's been tough.  That sounds a little ridiculous, huh?  But to put it in perspective...it is sometimes hard to concentrate on watching TV or reading a book...I just feel that cruddy at times!  Luckily, I don't move much while I'm home, so I don't make too big of a mess! :)  I did get out of the house though this afternoon, picked up Brayden, and went to Jerrid's cross country meet.  It was nice to get some fresh air and get out of the house! 

We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so hopefully the cruddy feeling subsides.  I've got radiation in the morning while Mogi gets her hair and nails done.  Then Brayden, Mogi, and I will head out to Avoca.  While there Brayden plans to do some combining and I've got a hair appointment myself so I look presentable for the wedding next weekend.  Lastly, mom and I have to head over to Shelby for our last dress fitting.  This will be the most I've done all week, let alone in one day, so I know a nap will most definitely be needed!

This weekend my mom's family from Buffalo starts to arrive, so we'll probably head back out to Avoca at some point to see them as it's been awhile!  I'm looking forward to hopefully feeling a lot better, and seeing the Rappold's and Walsh's! 

Lastly, I'm going to thank all of you again!  Are you getting sick of my thanks?  I sure hope not because I am not getting sick of the cards that come EVERY day!  We also are not getting sick of all the food people are bringing us, or the constant thoughts, prayers, texts, and facebook messages!  The support everyone is giving us is amazing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have a great weekend!
Meighan


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

So far...so good...

Well I'm knocking on wood as I type, but so far I'm nausea free!  I've slept a lot today, as I'm exhausted, but other than that all is well.  I'm just hoping the nausea doesn't show up later in the week once the meds they gave me before chemo wear off.  I'd rather feel crappy during the week than on the weekends.  But as they said this is all a trial and error thing, and I'm sure we'll have it figured out once I'm on my last treatment! :)

Radiation went smooth as always today, and my marks have been on for over a week now.  SO...big day...I got my tattoo's!  In all actuality these are very small little dots, and nothing that special!  I am amazed everyday by my radiation treatment.  I don't feel anything, I don't see anything, I just lay on this table and this thing swings around me and makes some noises.  It's hard to believe that this is what is curing my cancer.  BUT...I guess these people know what they are doing! :)


Well I guess that's all for today!  Nothing too exciting, but that's ok sometimes!

Meighan