TWU & NEW CHEMO UPDATE
Tuesday was the annual Joyce Thompson Lecture that Lou has only missed one or two times since it was started. Lou got to sit next to Libba Bray at a small luncheon in the TWU Library and discuss women writers. I sat next to Libba's mother who is a retired Denton school teacher. Libba grew up in Denton, went to UT Austin to major in Theater, migrated to NYC to work as a playwright, met a husband in the book publishing business, switched to writing Young Adult novels and has been very successful. She has two books in a trilogy that sold out after her presentation. A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY and REBEL ANGELS will be followed by the third book this December. Lou was recognized by her good friend Phyllis Bridges, who was Joyce Thompson's great friend and who has organized the lecture series, who pointed out that Lou is only the fourth person to be recognized as a Texas Folklore Society Fellow. Libba gave a great talk and was swarmed by many of her Denton classmates and teachers. The room was a large auditorium and mostly filled. Many surrounding high schools bused in students for the lecture. Lou got to visit with Ann Barton and Dawn Letson who are planning a visit from the Library to look at Lou's papers that will go to the Library.
This morning was another oncology visit. She was scheduled for her third Doxil chemo, but Dr. Hancock said he was not pleased with the increase in CA125 marker and changed the chemo protocol back to carboplatin and taxol but changed the taxol to Docetaxel that is newer and has fewer side effects than taxol. The bad news is that the return to this protocol will mean hair loss in a couple of weeks, but Lou told Hancock that she still has her Do Rags and her Maverick ball cap now that the BB season is back. I asked him if Lou could increase her ginger intake to 6 gms a day, 2 at each meal, and he had no problem with that suggestion. It will help my feelings even if it hasn't reached the medical approval level as a treatment. Also the recent article I listed that told about cranberry juice making platins six times more effective means I will give Lou a cranberry juice glass every day. Her next chemo will be November 28. We will get her latest CA125 Friday.
We are so fortunate to have our daughter-in-law, Mary Kathryn, to stay with and to help us at the oncology clinic. We got to take her and Ashley to eat at Mi Cocina that let us catch up on Ashley's graduate work and marriage. Ross was working late and couldn't eat with us. Mark is in Bethesda getting groomed by Lockheed with executive classes and was there all week. MK drove us to the clinic and then brought us ChikFLa sandwich's for lunch, plus a brownie for me. She also asked Dr. Hancock questions such as why he didn't use surgery this time. He said that before the cancer was scattered all over the abdominal wall and that surgery can't find all of the cancer points which is why they use the chemo treatment. He will order CAT Scans later to look for indications of the cancer growths. He said that they have a lot of other protocols if this doesn't work.
I forgot to bring a book to read so MK gave me her mother's copy of Jenna Bush's ANA that I read. It is a fascinating story of a South American girl who is born with HIV and grows up watching her father and mother die of AIDS and experiences abuse from her 40 year old grandmother's boyfriend, is sent to a reform school, then an AIDS hostel, meets a boy and becomes a mother at age 16, but whose daughter is HIV free. The book ends with her at age 17 looking for a better life. The back of the book has numerous opportunities for volunteer service including a recommendation for school students to become active in Key clubs like the one we sponsor by the Kiwanis here in Cross Plains.
Coming home Lou did not have any of the predicted nausea problems. The pharmacist told her she was very fortunate not to have nausea with this chemo. Lou told me that she needed to get back to writing and not be so involved in other projects. Of course she is still judging Spur novels and I started one that she brought with her to the chemo session. It is a great read about the Lakota fighting the white man's invasion of their territory. I didn't get to finish it. Lou has a good frame of mind and is optimistic about this chemo session and is glad that she isn't having any more surgery. Having been through the hair loss she knows she can handle another session.
Also my Shingles is almost completely gone and I am feeling better. I still need and get a lot of sleep, although I have missed my afternoon nap the last two days. Lou will probably have to miss the Lord's Acre events because her immune system will again be depressed by this chemo for the next several days. MK sent a beautiful jacket she made for the auction and several jars of jelly she made for either the little store or the auction. She and Mark, Ashley and Ross all plan to come out Saturday for the Lord's Acre and I hope they can make it.
Keep Lou in your prayers. They are the most effective medicine.
Tuesday was the annual Joyce Thompson Lecture that Lou has only missed one or two times since it was started. Lou got to sit next to Libba Bray at a small luncheon in the TWU Library and discuss women writers. I sat next to Libba's mother who is a retired Denton school teacher. Libba grew up in Denton, went to UT Austin to major in Theater, migrated to NYC to work as a playwright, met a husband in the book publishing business, switched to writing Young Adult novels and has been very successful. She has two books in a trilogy that sold out after her presentation. A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY and REBEL ANGELS will be followed by the third book this December. Lou was recognized by her good friend Phyllis Bridges, who was Joyce Thompson's great friend and who has organized the lecture series, who pointed out that Lou is only the fourth person to be recognized as a Texas Folklore Society Fellow. Libba gave a great talk and was swarmed by many of her Denton classmates and teachers. The room was a large auditorium and mostly filled. Many surrounding high schools bused in students for the lecture. Lou got to visit with Ann Barton and Dawn Letson who are planning a visit from the Library to look at Lou's papers that will go to the Library.
This morning was another oncology visit. She was scheduled for her third Doxil chemo, but Dr. Hancock said he was not pleased with the increase in CA125 marker and changed the chemo protocol back to carboplatin and taxol but changed the taxol to Docetaxel that is newer and has fewer side effects than taxol. The bad news is that the return to this protocol will mean hair loss in a couple of weeks, but Lou told Hancock that she still has her Do Rags and her Maverick ball cap now that the BB season is back. I asked him if Lou could increase her ginger intake to 6 gms a day, 2 at each meal, and he had no problem with that suggestion. It will help my feelings even if it hasn't reached the medical approval level as a treatment. Also the recent article I listed that told about cranberry juice making platins six times more effective means I will give Lou a cranberry juice glass every day. Her next chemo will be November 28. We will get her latest CA125 Friday.
We are so fortunate to have our daughter-in-law, Mary Kathryn, to stay with and to help us at the oncology clinic. We got to take her and Ashley to eat at Mi Cocina that let us catch up on Ashley's graduate work and marriage. Ross was working late and couldn't eat with us. Mark is in Bethesda getting groomed by Lockheed with executive classes and was there all week. MK drove us to the clinic and then brought us ChikFLa sandwich's for lunch, plus a brownie for me. She also asked Dr. Hancock questions such as why he didn't use surgery this time. He said that before the cancer was scattered all over the abdominal wall and that surgery can't find all of the cancer points which is why they use the chemo treatment. He will order CAT Scans later to look for indications of the cancer growths. He said that they have a lot of other protocols if this doesn't work.
I forgot to bring a book to read so MK gave me her mother's copy of Jenna Bush's ANA that I read. It is a fascinating story of a South American girl who is born with HIV and grows up watching her father and mother die of AIDS and experiences abuse from her 40 year old grandmother's boyfriend, is sent to a reform school, then an AIDS hostel, meets a boy and becomes a mother at age 16, but whose daughter is HIV free. The book ends with her at age 17 looking for a better life. The back of the book has numerous opportunities for volunteer service including a recommendation for school students to become active in Key clubs like the one we sponsor by the Kiwanis here in Cross Plains.
Coming home Lou did not have any of the predicted nausea problems. The pharmacist told her she was very fortunate not to have nausea with this chemo. Lou told me that she needed to get back to writing and not be so involved in other projects. Of course she is still judging Spur novels and I started one that she brought with her to the chemo session. It is a great read about the Lakota fighting the white man's invasion of their territory. I didn't get to finish it. Lou has a good frame of mind and is optimistic about this chemo session and is glad that she isn't having any more surgery. Having been through the hair loss she knows she can handle another session.
Also my Shingles is almost completely gone and I am feeling better. I still need and get a lot of sleep, although I have missed my afternoon nap the last two days. Lou will probably have to miss the Lord's Acre events because her immune system will again be depressed by this chemo for the next several days. MK sent a beautiful jacket she made for the auction and several jars of jelly she made for either the little store or the auction. She and Mark, Ashley and Ross all plan to come out Saturday for the Lord's Acre and I hope they can make it.
Keep Lou in your prayers. They are the most effective medicine.
posted by Dr. Rodenberger at 8:46 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home