Kathy,

Never having to go through what Evie is facing.....I think that you are right!!!!! Get it done and over in one day. Then she has the entire week to recover, and will have the week to deal with facing the next round.....

I know she detest people saying she is strong...But....She is my hero right now for what she is going through.....I give her tons and tons of credit....

Wendy

Hi Kathy its hard to know what to do isnt it? As you said get it over and done with in one day but can she handle that? Its going to be difficult for her maybe spread it out over a couple of days and then recover the following week?
What is Evies thought on it?
Jen

Sounds like a smart move to me!

I am crying for her.

Thank you all for the responses. Evie will begin chemotherapy this Friday, and will have radiation on the same day. Fridays are going to be difficult for her, however she seems to be in better spirits today. She is having another break from the forum, and I believe that helps her. She does get incredibly angry here, which is a shame, however it is easy for her to stay off the forum, whereas she cannot avoid her other issues. So Jim and I do believe being off the forum is best for her at the moment.

I have the same concerns Jen. Unfortunately, the way chemotherapy works, we do not have the option of spreading it over several days and/or recovering the next week. Evie's current chemotherapy protocol is for once weekly, for 8 weeks. We could have chosen to have the chemo on a different day than the radiation, however we cannot alter the fact that it is a once a week affair. The oncologist makes that decision, based on the cancer itself. Each case is unique and the treatment protocol must be unique as well.

It may prove to be quite hard on her, having everything on the same day, however; the alternative is, we must drive her to the clinic 2-3 times weekly, which is a round trip of 5 hours each time, as we live quite remotely. The other option would be for Evie to remain in the city, at the cancer lodge or the hospital, for the 8 weeks whilst she receives the treatments. Jim and I both feel however, because of her PTSD, that would not be feasible. Not to mention, two months is a long time to be away from us. She needs to be with people who love her, not alone in the city with strangers. In any event, we do hope our decision to do everything once a week is a good one. It may need to change, but we are hoping for the best.

Kathy,

Evie is a tough cookie (as you and Jim know) She has tons of love and support too, from everyone... Give her tons of love, and she will be ok.........

Sending warm hugs, and well wishes,


Wendy

Kathy, Jim and Evie
I am praying for all of you, you guys are a true testament to family and support, However I hope that this is over soon you guys have endured so much more than any family should have to. I hope that you continue to be able to keep up the levels of support for each other. Oh ya Kathy if you could give Evie a hug for me wen she is up to it I would appreciate that. ake care all I am thinking about you all. God Bless you

Thank you Wendy and mouse. Mouse, I will give her that hug from you today, I assure you. :)

The news of the day is that there is more surgery in Evie's future. Evie has had at least 20 surgeries in the past 5 years, quite frankly I've lost count. This one is minor and not related to her cancer, however it is still surgery and a concern for us considering her present condition. Last week she had a scope of her sinuses and the doctor found large polyps which are causing her breathing difficulties and frequent, chronic sinus infections. She had sinus surgery approximately 2 years ago to remove polyps and make her sinuses larger. She was breathing easier for about 18 months, however her symptoms have been getting bothersome again in the last 6 months. I was quite surprised that they were willing to do another surgery so very soon after the last one, however it is a different surgeon this time, and he claims the first surgeon didn't do a thorough enough job. Evie is surprisingly excited about the surgery, she really wants to have it, in spite of everything else. Her sinuses do bother her greatly, and along with having brittle asthma, she is miserable much of the time when it comes to breathing.

I am most impressed with this new surgeon, he is very friendly and personable. Because of the long waiting lists for surgery here in Canada, he put Evie on the urgent list and added that she was to be screened for cancer, even though that is not exactly true. However, as a result, she will have the surgery in 6 weeks, rather than waiting the typical 20 months as this is "elective" surgery. So we are very grateful to him for that.

Kathy,

Having gone through a sinus surgery for polyps that left little space for breathing in any of the sinus cavities, I can kind of understand her relief at the thought of breathing clearer. It is interesting that you say it lasted 18 months as it has been about 2 1/2 yrs for me and I have been having problems again for almost 6 months. I hope this next surgery Evie has resolves the problem, if not permanently, at least for a very long time to come.

Take care,

Zoe

Well I can't say if thats good news or not LOL sucks having another surgery.. but wonderfull you can get in so soon and I'm sure it will so help her feel better!