Have diagnosis. Have a treatment plan.

From Mike:

We do have a treatment plan in place that will only involve chemotherapy.

Mama's "cycles" will last 4 weeks - three weeks of 1x a week infusions followed by 1 week off. Chemo treatment will use a combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine.

From the American Cancer Society:

"Chemotherapy is generally given at regular intervals called cycles. A chemotherapy cycle may involve one dose followed by several days or weeks without treatment. This allows normal cells in the body time to recover from the drug's side effects. Alternatively, doses may be given several days in a row, or every other day for several days, followed by a period of rest. Some drugs work best when given continuously over several days.

Different drugs work best on different schedules. If more than one drug is used, the treatment plan will specify how often and exactly when each drug should be given. The number of cycles you receive may be determined before treatment starts (based on the type and stage of cancer) or may be flexible, in order to take into account how the treatment affects the cancer and your overall health."

We are hopeful! Send us good thoughts and energy! love u all

Mom is understandably scared and worried, but we're here to support her! We are spending free time with mom, we will all be together for Easter and I will take mom to her chemo appts.

First oncology visit with Dr. Amanda Sun

From Mike:

Still at the oncologist's office meeting with Dr. Sun. We learned that mom has poorly differentiated non-small cell cancer that [EDIT 4-1-2010] did NOT originate in the bladder as we were initially told; the point of origin remains unclear. We are talking with the docs and researching this now.

No links on it yet because we are researching the best links to post - this is getting a little complicated and we don't want to put the wrong info out there for you guys and gals.

Driving to mama's appt

From Mike:

We are on our way from Seattle to Tacoma to meet mom and talk with
her oncologist for the first time... very nervous!!!!!!

The night before our first oncology appt.

From Mike:

Very anxious tonight about moms test results (pathology) tomorrow!

The day before the prognosis...

Welcome to our new blog!

From Mike:

Check out my mama, grandma of Ian and Amelia, above with Ian!

I don't really know what to say except maybe recap up to this point.

• mama has a large abdominal growth; it's been going on for awhile, and has been misdiagnosed for a long while now - or at least since October. Currently mama's energy is low and she has no appetite - but we are working on that!
  
• the pain is pretty severe in her abdomen and the growth has cut off her vena cava in her right leg, making it swollen; cut off the function of her right kidney; is pressing on her bladder and stomach, and is actualy pushing into the bladder
  

The initial biopsy through the abdomen wall was inconclusive, a second biopsy was done through the inside of the ladder, and the physician (Dr. Harris, Dr. of Urology GHC in Tacoma WA) was able to see the growth protrude into the bladder.

As of today, the pathology is in process and they were running a few more "dye tests". Whatever that means.

We meet with the oncology team tomorrow at Group Health Oncology in Tacoma, WA.

We are hoping for the best, full of hope but very anxious.