Update and Google Calendar Address

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give a quick update. I am up in Wheeling and have been here since early this week. Aunt Kath and Mom went to WVU on Monday and met with the orthopedic oncologist, Dr. Lindsay. Mom really liked him. He ordered a bone scan and the plan is to move forward with radiation on her back and leg beginning next week. We went to Wheeling Hospital to meet with Dr Pollack, the radiation oncologist, yesterday and he did all of the xrays and markings that he needed to do to enable them to start next week. Next Tuesday, we have to go back to WVU to meet with Dr Abraham, the medical oncologist, and then radiation here in Wheeling begins on Wednesday.

We are still planning to take Mom to Baltimore to attend her 40th Nursing School reunion this weekend. She is very excited about seeing her friends and getting out of the hospital for a few days. It will be a tough trip, but one that she really wants to make. The doctors said that she can do this and we will make sure to take enough pain meds with us to stay on top of it all.

I am scheduled to be here in Wheeling until Wednesday night, Oct 5, but am going to change my flight until Friday morning, Oct 7. We are going to work on getting a home health aide and transportation to the doctors appts, but this is a time that we could REALLY use help from our friends and family. Many of you have offered to come help, but we didn't know when we'd need you -- well now is that time. She will have daily radiation treatments until the end of October. She has been in the hospital working on her strength, but is still weak and cannot stay at home alone. Returning to the hospital may be an option as well, but she'd like to be at home if possible. So to help with trying to schedule visitors, I created a Google Calendar. The link is below. I don't know if you need to subscribe to it to be able to change it -- if so, just email me sshalowitz@gmail.com and I will add you to it. Any help, even for just a day or two, would be a HUGE help!

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=1dj6f1ci787ocmqbdjktp7huqk%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York



Thank you all for your continued love and support of our family throughout this rough time. We all really appreciate it!

-Sara

Update from Bob S.

Well, we definitely have hit a stumbling block. Marti's MRI shows the entire upper 2/3 of her right femur involved with cancer. We saw Dr. Pollack, our radiation oncologist, and he recommends radiation to the right leg and hip, and to two places in the spine. Marti is also seeing an orthopedic oncologist at WVU, Dr. Brock Lindsey, this coming monday afternoon--he sounds like a really nice guy on the phone and called me right away. We overnighted the MRI cd to him already. I am waiting for a call back from Dr. Abraham as far as recommendations for other treatment while this is going on, to keep other areas, especially the right pleura (chest) in check.
On a better note, she has been doing well in PT and is walking with a walker approx a short block 3 times a day--a marked improvment from not even being able to stand, 2 weeks ago. She is off of antibiotics and off of reverse isolation too. She been started on a pain patch to try to get her off of pain pills and control the pain more continuously, instead of the ups and downs with pain pills.
The local Catholic priest, who is IRISH, came in and spent quite a bit of time last night and we all really liked him.
We are thinking she might be going home tomorrow after PT, since there is no PT on weekends.
She really wants to attend her Nursing School reunion on 10/01 if she is physically able to go that--she will make that decision on a day-to-day basis, and start her treatments when that is over. In the meantime she will work on getting stronger, concentrating on arm strength and the left leg, and taking it easier with the right leg.
Debbie and Ed visited this past weekend and now Kathleen is back and she is a godsend, I would be helpless without her. Sara also plans to come soon.

We will keep you all posted as soon as we know the next step.
Maureen loves getting visitors--it really keeps her spirits up.

Love Bob

Update from Bob S.

Its been a stressful week to say the least, especially when Marti was doing so well a mere 8 days ago.
We went down for the consultation with Dr Abraham at WVU. He agrees that we have gotten all we can out of Taxol. He went over other options to switch to. She may be a candidate for a clinical trial which I think has an excellent chance of helping her. The problem is she would definitely have to go to WVU (Morgantown, WV) on a weekly basis--2 hours there and 2 hours back, plus whatever time she is there, probably several hours. We would definitely need significant help to do that.
However, before that decision is made, he is concerned aboout what is causing the significant weakness and the sudden major increase in need for pain meds.

Therefore, an MRI of the spine was done yesterday. I would really super worried about it, but it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it might be. The radiologist went over it with me vertebra by vertebra: Two vertebrae appear to have LESS cancer than on the January MRI. Of course 2 or 3 have a little more, also, but the overall impression is that the changes are not very much since January, and there is no spinal cord compression.

So now we are going ahead with an MRI of the R hip and R leg, where she is having a lot of pain--hopefully thurs or fri.
Debbie and Ed are visiting this weekend.
More to come soon-
Love, Bob S.

Update from Bob S.

Maureen is doing a little better--her temperature is normal but her white count is 2.2, and below 2 is dangerous, so she was given a medication to raise the white count. Her legs are still very weak but I saw her able to stand and walk a little with a walker. This all happened very suddenly, and she had been able to walk a few blocks with just a cane just a few days ago, so I hope it will also get better quickly.
She was just moved to the 5th floor which is a rehab unit, to try to increase her strength.
Sara just sent a photo album from the wedding--and Marti really enjoyed seeing that. Kathleen is here and I would be up a creek without her right now.
If Marti keeps improving, she will be able to go to her consultation with Dr. Abraham at WVU on Monday.
Sara and I will continue to post as often as possible.
Love, Bob

Update

I just spoke with my mom on the phone and she's hanging in there.
Aunt Kath is there with her in the hospital.  My dad's office is
literally across the parking lot from the hospital, so he has been
able to be there a lot today, but is back to seeing patients this
afternoon.  Mom is getting very good care and special attention.
Right now, they still don't know what the source of the infection is
and they are giving her two very strong antibiotics.  Her fever has
been fluctuating but has dropped a bit from last night.  Her white
blood count level is quite low right now, around 2.6, down from 4.0
yesterday, so people are supposed to be wearing masks in her room to
limit her exposure to other infections.  She sounds very tired, but
seemed to be coherent and even was a little positive with her "Well,
the good news is..." statement that she threw into our conversation.
For the time being, she will stay at the hospital to rest, hydrate,
and figure out what's causing the infection.

Aunt Kath plans to be in WV through early next week.  Right now, with
her current WBC levels and energy levels, it's not the best idea to
have lots of visitors and phone calls.  She is at Reynolds Memorial
Hospital, 800 Wheeling Avenue, Glen Dale, WV 26038 and their home
address is 33 Hubbard Lane, Glen Dale, WV 26003.

My dad and I will try to keep this page updated as much as possible.
We all appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

-Sara

Update from Bob Shalowitz

Maureen has been doing clinically well up until now. However, her tumor markers have been rising. She recently had a combined CT/Pet scan and we have an appointment with Dr Abraham at WVU this coming monday. There is almost certainly going to be a change to a different treatment, as we seem to have gotten the most we can out of Taxol. She may be candidate for a clinical trial through NIH, but we will know more after we see him.
However there is a new setback, hopefully temporary. She had Taxol yesterday, seemingly with no problems except for fatigue. Last night she was doing fine for a post-chemo evening. Then this morning she could not stand at all--she could not bear ANY weight on her legs, even with a lot of help. All I could do by myself was lay her on the floor, and she could not get up. I did not want to call 911 because they would have insisted on taking her to a different hospital which is closer. So Wendy, the RN from my office came over and was able to get her organized, using nursing skills which I don't have, and we got her to the Reynolds Hospital ER. When she got here she had a temp of 101.9. She is being evaluated and is being admitted to the hospital. So far her CT of the head is fine and her labs are OK. An infection is suspected so she is being put on antibiotics. Dr David Hess, our internist will be in charge, and we have a lot of confidence in him. Dr Mehotra is also consulting. She is fine so far except for being very tired.
I called Kathleen for help and she is coming. More soon.
Bob Shalowitz