Hello,

This is Linda Puhalla today's guest writer. I arrived on Thursday for Deb's 8th round of chemo. Deb and I have been friends from grade school. Yes, I am the one who has all the stories about Deb, but we'll keep them for another day. Today I'd like to share yesterday's visit from Caring Way.

The admission nurse from the home care division of the University of Pennsylvania visited Deb and Will to discuss care and comfort for Deb. This is how the program works. Deb is assigned a personal nurse and social worker. The nurse will set-up a schedule for regular visits , assess Deb's needs, answer questions, adjust medications, and work with her oncologist. The social worker will help Deb, Will and their family with fear and stress. She will develop coping skills, adjusting them to Deb's illness. They will meet bi-weekly to discuss ways to provide the best possible care.

Their hope is there will be no discomfort. They will work very hard together to keep Deb pain-free, so she is not in distress. That way, she can enjoy living whatever way she chooses. At the end of sixty days, they will reevaluate Deb's needs and her care. Caring Way seems to be a program that will help with the every day battle they are facing. Along with Caring Way, our continued help and prayers, Deb's comfort and care will be improved.

Fortunately, a prayer has been answered and Mom was given the thumbs-up on switching oncologists. She will no longer see Dr. Sun but instead will be under the care of Dr. Titlebaum. We aren't sure if there will be any changes in the approach toward Mom's care at this point, but we do feel confident that there will be an improvement in the way this new doctor relates to Mom and Dad.

This morning, Mom's friend Linda arrived from Pittsburgh and went with Mom and Dad for today's chemo treatment. They are trying to avoid the inset of the mouth sores, Mom's latest side -effect, by creating a salty gargle that Mom will use several times a day even before she gets a sore. I talked to her after the treatment, and she seemed tired and discouraged, so your continued words of encouragement will be very important over the next several days. Mom also lost four pounds, so please pray that she can regain that weight.

We try, as a family to keep Mom's spirits up by talking about and planning for our upcoming trips to Florida and Mom and Dad's cruise to Rome, but the winter--both the physical and emotional state that we are in--seems unending at times.

Some of you have asked about Mom's employment situation. Although she is still touching base once in a while with her former colleagues regarding projects they have been working on, she is currently on short-term disability.

Despite the roller coaster of emotions we experience daily, I continue to be touched and comforted by the outpouring of love and support expressed through this blog, through hot meals delivered to Mom and Dad, through notes and scriptures written on my Facebook wall, through all the tiny gestures of friendship that are anything but insignificant.

Thank you all.

As this new week begins we have good news to report! Mom is feeling well and had a great day yesterday and today, too. Yesterday afternoon she and Dad spent time with Dad's cousin and his wife, and today she went on two "fieldtrips"--one to Barnes and Noble and another to some consignment stores, looking for clothes for our March getaway to Florida--with friends.

The jury is still out on whether Mom will switch oncologists. She needs to get permission from her current oncologist as well as the new doctor she is considering since they are colleagues.

We continue to plan for upcoming celebrations and pray for miracles. Please be in prayer for Mom this week as she will have another round of chemo this Thursday.

From Deb.....

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I feel so loved. I hesitate to write often because Nadine has such a gift of writing. However a good friend reminded me recently that I should just write what is in my heart and not worry if it doesn't sound professional.

The doctor we saw today was a colon/liver surgeon, not the oncologist we were expecting to see. He agreed that I am not a candidate for sugery. Because of the cancer in both lobes of the lungs and in the cavity between the lobes, it would be foolish to put me through major surgery of the colon and liver since there is no possibility of a cure. He encouraged us to be hopeful that I was responding so well to chemotherapy and the tumors continue to shrink.
I voiced my desire to not live my life from chemo treatment to chemo treatment, because I feel the need to build my strengh and not be so ill from chemo symptoms. I want to enjoy life.
All of these thoughts swirl around in my brain--which is fortunately still intact! I trust that the Lord will help me to make the decisions and do what is best for me and for my family.

My mouth is filled with open sores from the chemo. I find it so difficult to talk, eat or drink. I do have a mouth rinse the doctor prescribed and hopefully it will take effect soon so the pain goes away.

My heart is filled with the love from friends from all different decades of my life. May the Lord continue to hold all of you close to Him.

Much love to you,
Deb

Just a couple of quick updates on Mom since I returned to Pittsburgh. Tomorrow she and Dad have their respective support groups from 10:30 until 12:30 and then they are meeting with another oncologist at 2:15. The purpose of this meeting is just to get information and see how their personalities interact because none of us have been very happy with the approach of Mom's current oncologist. He just isn't as positive of a person as we would like and doesn't seem to be as responsive to managing Mom's pain levels, etc. as is necessary. Please pray that they will have wisdom and be able to recall all of the essential questions.

Hello from Nadine...

It's hard to believe, as usual, that my plane takes off for Pittsburgh in less than 5 hours. Coming and going has become a sort of routine for me at this point. I throw pajamas and a book or two in a bag along with the gifts Pittsburgh friends send out to Mom and make the trip, my heart rejoicing and simultaneously aching as I anticipate spending the weekend with my parents yet remember that the weekend will be shrouded in the frustration and pain of yet another chemo treatment.

Actually, Mom continues to exhibit strength that I could only hope to have in her situation. She had bouts of nausea and pain and was very tired, but I was so proud of the way she rallied with each setback and made every effort to fully enjoy our visit. A new side-effect, mouth and throat sores, kept her from getting much sleep but I made a trip to GNC for acidophilus pearls, hoping that they might help a little. On Saturday Mom, Dad, and I took a field trip to the new Whole Foods in Plymouth Mtg. and had fun sampling a variety of foods and spending some of the gift cards sent by many of you. Last night, of course, Mom and I were glued to the TV from 6-11 p.m. for every second of the red carpet coverage and the Golden Globe awards ceremony. All 3 of us filled out a ballot; Dad was pretty proud that many of his predictions rang true, but we found out later that he'd researched "expert" opinions online before voting! So tricky.

I hate cancer because it robs families of time and energy and physical stamina. And although some might say that with some of the recent setbacks we've had with Mom's situation cancer is winning, but I know it is not. Mom's heart is not gone. Her mind is still sharp. Her love for us and her dedication to what she believes in is unwavering. And all of us, united in our committment to her, will continue this fight. I have been reading a little pink and white book that mom tucked into my stocking. It is entitled simply "hope." One quote inside says this:

"As for courage and will--we can not measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust that it will be sufficient to carry us through trials which may lie ahead." My mother is teaching me lessons about both courage and will, and I continue to be honored and blessed to be her daughter.

Please continue to uphold both of my parents in prayer as my dad is the silent hero, the caretaker, and as both Mom and Dad face decisions this week about how to proceed.

Wednesday Jan. 13th - This is Will. I have come to realize how many people have no idea what Deb's chemo treatments consist of, since there are so many different types of treatment depending on the type of the cancer and how far the cancer has advanced. Deb has an aggressive cancer; therefore they have been very aggressive in the treatment.

Before I get into a typical treatment regimen, let me say these last two weeks have been anything but typical. Two weeks ago we spent an hour getting out of Roxborough, because three buses were stuck trying to get up the snowy hill with numerous cars having crashed into them on their way down the hill. Today we had to meander across the river, over to Belmont Plateau, and past the zoo, because a dump truck had spilled on the expressway - stopping traffic in our direction.

So....we arrive at the hospital mid morning. First Deb gets blood drawn, and her vitals checked. Today she gained two pounds...well I rounded it off from 1.2 thanks to those of you who bring your delicious dishes. Then we go meet with our dear friend Dr. Sun. We bombard him with questions, until he starts getting frustrated with us. From there we head off to Penn's new chemo suite. Deb gets to spend 4 hours there, where she receives infusions through her port. Her first chemo is Avastin - used to treat colon and some types of lung cancer. This is followed by Oxaliplatin, and Leucovorin. She then is discharged with a canister of 5-FU or 5-fluorouracil. This is then pumped into her port for the next two days. For the next five days I give Deb a hydration drip each morning that has antinausea medication.

Deb really didn't want to go this morning. She was feeling rather energetic the last two days. Now she has to face it all over again - the nauseousness, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody noses, and neuropathy in her hands....the chills and general exhaustion. I hate to say it - I don't know if it insensitivity on my part or just numbness - but I seem to be getting used to it. Of course a cancer patient never gets used to it - the new normal - yuck. Thanks for your prayers in the midst of this battle....will

This week, Mom is getting her chemo treatment a day early. Please pray for her on Wednesday as she endures another round. Pray that as she continues to rebound from her sinus infection she will not become extremely weak from the chemo and her pain will be at a minimum. I am flying to Philly on Friday and will stay through Monday.

Good morning, friends. Hope your new year is getting off to a great start. It is snowing in Pittsburgh for the 9th or 10th day in a row, and although it is beautiful I'm ready for some sunshine. Mom's situation remains cloud-covered as well; a call from the liver surgeon brought more discouraging news. He feels that Mom is not a surgical candidate even though the tumors are shrinking because they are not contained in one section of her liver. She is still planning to proceed with the 3 upcoming chemo treatments, and we will continue to pray for a miracle. As you are praying for Mom this week, please also pray for healing from her sinus infection, which she picked up somehow over the holidays.

On a positive note, John and I bought a house on Tuesday in Upper St. Clair, just south of Pittsburgh. USC is the next neighborhood over from Bethel Park, where we live now. We close on it the end of February and will look forward to hosting many of you this spring and summer.

As an entire family we continue to plan ways to spend as much time together as possible. We are booking plane tickets for a March trip to Florida and look forward to that promise of sunshine and relaxation as Mom recovers from the cumulative effects of her winter chemo treatments.

Only God knows what the new year holds. We continue to choose trust and faith and hope.