Good News From The Doctors

Monday afternoon we had two appointments at Swedish Hospital. The news we received was about as good as it gets. First, it was confirmed that the cancer had not spread to Marce's lymph nodes. Second, the tumor(s) were indeed two small tumors rather than one larger. This is good because one factor in Marce's survivability is the size of the largest tumor. Hence two small tumors is better than one. Dr. Hanson, Marce's surgeon, took out her drain tube which had been causing her quite a bit of discomfort.

Following the appointment with Dr. Hanson we met with Dr. Kaplan, our medical oncologist who also treated my mother and Barbara Hoffman. He said that he will submit Marce's tumor for something called onco dx testing which does a genetic mapping of her cancer to see how aggressive it is, and how responsive it will be to hormone and/or chemotherapy. Dr. Kaplan said that the results so far would indicate that she likely may be able to get away with just hormone therapy, with an estrogen blocker called tamoxifen without chemotherapy. This would be a real blessing. We should know in about a month what the onco dx results are and whether she can get away without chemo. He feels the chances are good.

Thanks again to everyone for their support and prayers!

Marc & Marce

Let it SNOW!!!!

This morning, we woke up to find that our neighborhood had been transformed into a winter wonderland. We have at least four, maybe five, inches of snow. We are all SO EXCITED, because, as most of you know, Seattle rarely receives any snow. But, it doesn’t look like it will stick long: every second, I hear snow falling from the branches of the pine trees. Oh well. It should be fun while it lasts. My mom was mentioning, though, that I could go outside and play with the girls. I really hope I won’t have to, because the only snow clothes I have make me look like a ridiculous marshmallow, and besides, I'd rather do some reading. Well, maybe I can just be the photographer and take pictures of the girls making snowmen. But I really don’t want the girls to ruin the snow. It looks so perfectly divine and faultless right now, and after the girls play around, it will probably be all muddy and trampled. I snatched some photos of the gorgeous snow before the girls had a chance to play in it, so here are a few:

I absolutely love the snow, but today, it’s mixed with a twinge of disappointment. Meagan and I were planning on touring Olympia today with the Spears and their friends and even having lunch with a Republican senator for Washington, Val Stevens. But, with the snow, we unfortunately can’t make it to Olympia today. It’s ok though, because we will hopefully reschedule, and then maybe my mom can go as well!! So that definitely makes it worthwhile to wait.

Today, my mom is supposed to have an appointment with her surgeon and oncologist, but she’s not too sure if she will make the trip downtown in this weather. I really hope she can make it there, though, because the doctors will reveal whether my mom’s cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the meeting. I'm sure they can give us the information over the phone, but still, if they sit down with her, they'll probably give her more info than they would on the phone. When we figure out any more about my mom’s status, we will definitely let you all know right away.

I would greatly appreciate any comments!!

~Michelle

Post Surgery Recovery

I write this Sunday morning. Marce's mother Alene returned home yesterday after spending a week with us. It was so helpful to have her here for the last week for support and to help keep the house running. This coming week we will rely on friends and family for help with meals and transportation for the girls. Marce is feeling OK and her recovery seems to be going well. She still should not drive though until she is feeling better. Emotionally she is doing good, as she has been able to talk to so many supportive people, including those who have been through breast cancer before. Tomorrow (Monday) we have back-to-back appointments with her surgeon and oncologist, Dr. Kaplan. We will then hear what pathology found out about the tumor itself- size, aggressiveness, and risks. We will also get confirmation on the lymph node biopsy, which showed no cancer in the lymph system. This will be the basis of recommending her future course of treatment.

On Friday we also met with a naturopathic doctor Dr. John Catanzaro, who has been treating cancer for 13 years with an "integrated" approach that compliments modern medical treatments. One of his recommendations is the use of a somewhat controversial cancer vaccine that may allow Marce's immune system to pick up the cancer and kill it. Even he understands that the benefits of this vaccine may not be huge, but there may be little downside to it other than the cost, which insurance will not cover. We will definitely pursue an "integrated" approach in whatever we do, but really are not sure about the vaccine right now or which naturopathic doctor we should select.

We would appreciate your prayers that the full lymph node biopsy would show no cancer, and wisdom on the right balance of modern vs. naturopathic medicine she should undertake.

Thank you,

Marc

Home On Day One

Marce was feeling much better today, so she was released this morning from the hospital. Other than not feeling well from vicodane, a pain releiver, she is doing fine. She has elected to not use vicodane but is fighting the pain with a combination of Advil + Tylenol. She is up and around, and enjoyed watching a movie with Grandma and the girls tonight. We are hoping she will sleep better tonight than in the hospital. Next steps for us are meeting with a naturopathic doctor on Friday afternoon, then with both her surgeon + oncologist on Monday afternoon. At the Monday meetings we will have the pathology reports, which will be used to recommend the next course of action.

Marc

Successful Surgery!

This morning at 9AM Marce received an injection of radioactive marker to identify what are known as "sentinal nodes", which are the first nodes upstream from her cancer in her lymphatic system. Thankfully we didn't have to wait in the hospital until her 2:30PM surgery, so the hospital cut us loose to do what we wanted. We drove downtown, hit the mall and found an appropriate pink outfit for Marce to wear home on Wednesday. We returned in the early afternoon, but had to wait until 3:30 before she went into the operating room. Waiting was tough, especially since they were later than planned.

At 5:30PM Dr. Hanson came out and gave us the good news that the operation was a success, and that her sentinal nodes did not show signs of cancer. This "quick look" report tends to be 80% accurate, so we are hopeful the final pathology report will confirm no cancer in her lymph nodes. This is the #1 factor in determining Marce's long-term survival, as it dramatically lowers the risk that the cancer has spread in her body. The #2 factor will be the size of the tumor, which will also be determined in pathology later this week. At 6:30 I met Marce in her room, along with her mother Alene and oldest daughters Michelle and Meagan. We are all so thankful for the good news, although Marce still is struggling with the entire ordeal. Her pain is fairly low, and if things go to plan she should be released tomorrow. I am staying with her in the hospital tonight.

We want to thank everyone for their love, flowers, emails, phone calls, meals and support. While we still have a tough road ahead of us, we are thankful for the results of the surgery today. We are thankful to God for his mercy which endures forever!

Marc

One Day To Go

Today (Monday) Marce and I went into Swedish Hospital for her pre-op appointment. The reality and enormity of it all really sank into us as the nurse walked us through the details of check-in and the recovery process. The emotions have hit us again, especially Marce, as she realizes that tomorrow will be the beginning of a tough road ahead. Yet we are encouraged by so many friends and family, and realize that things could be a lot worse. Dr Kaplan called us both today just to check on us and make sure we knew he would be there tomorrow. Yesterday afternoon some dear friends come over to pray for Marce and the road before us. This afternoon we did things to take our mind off tomorrow. We have great doctors, family, friends and a God who prepares our way.

I will check Marce into the hospital at 8:30AM tomorrow, when she will receive a radioactive lymph node marker injection which will be used in the afternoon to find her sentinal nodes. Her surgery is scheduled to begin at 2:30PM and last 90 minutes. I will endeavor to update this tomorrow night with the status.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers,

Marc & Marce

Grandma Alene Arrives

Friday night Marce and I went out to dinner with a friend from Australia, Emma Moore, who was passing through Seattle on business. Emma is a fun lady and is the Boeing manager who runs Boeing Services Australia. We went to dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant in Bellevue. It was great seeing Emma, and a nice distraction from the realities we are going through. Afterwards it was 9PM so we walked into Nordstrom to check out their prosthetics. Wow, is that a whole world we never knew existed! There were few people there, which Marce and I appreciated given the somewhat sensitive nature of our discussion. We had a nice young lady explain all the options. It was great to know there are so many options in such a depressing subject.

Yesterday (Saturday) Marce's mother arrived from Spokane. She will stay with us for a week or so to help get Marce back on her feet. The girls were all so happy to have her around, as she adds light to our dark situation. We also had a good conversation with a local naturopathic doctor who is doing some innovative work in complementary cancer care, which can help bolster Marce's immune system and, if necessary, chemo side-effects. We would appreciate prayer for wisdom on if this is something we should pursue.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate it.

Marc