Hi, MK...

Saw your post under "Merry Christmas."  Not such a merry gift for your family.  I'll tell you, I remember now that JoAnnie had a number of blood transfusions, until her counts started coming back, but she felt SO much better after she had them.  They were an instant comeback for her.  I hope you will encourage Carolyn to have them when her counts are so low.  I know...she doesn't listen to her Mom all the time, and there is only so much you can do.  I just remember how glad JoAnnie was that she did it.

Hugs to you and yours...

BEV

Thanks, I appreciate all thoughts and ideas. I did suggest to Carolyn that she would feel better, but she was worried about what it would cost................. They have insurance but it is not the greatest. She doesn't say much about what they had to pay for some of the tests, I think I heard $750 for the bone marrow test. She needs to get going on her SS Disability, that may help out with some costs. I think. I will let you know what she tells me after the meeting with the dr on Monday. Hugs MK

Thanks Luci, for all the kind words and thoughts. It is great to see you here posting, today. I think of you often, too. I know you are enjoying your grandchildren as I am my great grandchildren. Somehow we just don't post as often as we once did. We have lost far too many dear friends. Now the possibility is looming that I am going to see my own daughter fight the great battle so many have fought and are still fighting. Yesterday she helped the "boys" in the family lay some of that new hardwood flooring, they tried to keep her on easy jobs. LOL. She is quite the character. Tomorrow she will learn more about her situation. She says the doctor had some more smears done with the bone marrow to determine what course might be best.

I haven't posted a lot about Carolyn, she had swollen lymph nodes in her neck in February and the biopsy showed BC had spread. She has been hurting in her back and hips for a long time. A bone scan showed hot spots, which she informed me did not mean breast cancer, it could be arthritis, too because scans don't show the difference. Yeah right. She has been on Aridea and Femara and kept telling us how they were working, yet we learned more lesions were seen in her bone scan before this last one, which did not show any new areas. Blood work showed she was anemic, so she was given a boost of medicine I had never heard of making her feel better, but one week later the hemoglobin had dropped another half point. She is in the severely anemic range, so that is why they wanted the blood transfusions. She insists she feels ok. Just tired. Then they did the bone marrow tests and found the BC cells which she still has not told me about. She did tell Erica and so did her husband tell Erica. Erica is a real worrier, but it almost seems Carolyn is trying to keep me from being upset and worried. Like ten years of being associated with a breast cancer board hasn't prepared me for just about anything.

Tomorrow we also are supposed to close on the sale of our old house. One year it has taken to sell it and already the closing was moved ten days. We are hoping to get it closed on the last day of 2007 so it won't carry over into 2008 for taxes, etc. The woman who is buying is going through a divorce so the lender is insisting on her parents being on the mortgage until the divorce is finalized.

So tomorrow is a big day. I hope things go exceptionally well to finish out 2007. And here's to a great 2008 for all of us.

Love and hugs, MK

Yes that is true here also. I think it might be a nationwide thing. My brother donates regularly in WV and he said he could transfer credit to her. I told her that. Her father has the same type blood and has offered to give her his blood if they will let him. I am still waiting to hear about her dr visit today. She told Erica she expects her blood count to be up today since she feels so much better than she did. She is drinking a glass of Blackberry wine a day to help her blood count because she learned somewhere it is good for anemia. Her appointment was at 1:30 and it is now almost 3:30. Maybe the dr told her to get to the hospital and get that transfusion???? Will post later when I know something.

We have also been waiting all day for the call to come and sign papers for the closing of our house and that call has never come, either. Funny how when you expect calls the phone never rings......... all day not one call. I called Erica to see if she had heard anything.

Hugs MK

MK, thanks for the update. I've been thinking of you today. Yes, Xeloda is with an X. Once she gets teh Her2 test, perhaps it would be good to go for a second opinion at a major cancer center? You know I am a big fan of 2nd opinions, even if they just confirm the local doctor's treatment plan.

It sounds as if she wants to focus on her health and not her illness, so as we know...it is harder for those loved ones to watch...but she is actively fighting the disease and also actively living life. She's in control, so just sit back and enjoy her too, and let us know when you need a pick me up. In the mean time, here's to 2008!

L&H,
Lori