Hello Everyone!

Today was my 22nd radiation treatment. That means only 12 to go. This is an exciting countdown!! I saw my Dr. today and he said things are going very well. My skin has broken down in several places which is painful at times, but I am using neosporin and gobs of lotion regularly as directed. I also got a prescription for something a little stronger which I will get tomorrow.

The worst part of this has been that darn old wound from the infection. The packing of one of the holes was getting terribly painful. Dr. Godellas, who is watching the wound, came down from surgery to radiology to see me. (He also saw me at our Big Hearts concert when he came to hear his daughter sing!) He said the wound looks good considering that radiation delays healing. Now Tim only has to pack the less painful of the two holes and we can let the other one close up. Hurray!!!!!

Last Friday we were able to go out to dinner at Roy's downtown with Emily and Dan. We had a great time catching up. When we got home we watched old videos of when the kids were little. Yes, we laughed alot!

That's all for now,

Karen

Greetings friends!

Well I can't believe that I am halfway through radiation. They tell you it will go by quickly which at the time seems hard to grasp. I have 17 treatments left. So far I only have a very sore spot about the size of a silver dollar near my neck. The rest of the area is starting to turn light pink but nothing too bad yet! Last week my radiologist told me they were having difficulty lining me up for treatment on the machine. Instead of one tech, he wanted me to have two. Naturally, I can't just be the norm! This means going at lunch each day instead of after school. The traffic is better and the teachers are very helpful if I need to switch a class time. It's a long day, but I come home and nap and get to bed early. I seem to have a decent energy level so far.

Once again, it's a blessing to be so close to Loyola. One of the women I met during chemo now comes in daily from Palatine.

I got through my Valentine programs and the kids did well as always. It felt great to get home on Friday and just relax. In August I couldn't even imagine that I would be able to get through all the programs this year. All those prayers certainly helped!

Tim is still packing that darn wound twice a day. It's closed up quite a bit but still has a way to go. The radiation will probably delay the healing process. I am looking so forward to being done with that!

Thanks again for the many kind ways that you have reached out to me during this battle,

Karen

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

I've been in bed all day catching up on my sleep and trying to get rid of a nasty cough and cold. Unfortunately, I have to miss great Super Bowl party too! Next week will take all the stamina I can gather. It's the big Kdg. Valentine performance week. I have dress rehearsals on Mon. and Tues. and programs on Wed., Thurs. and Fri. Needless to say I am very much looking forward to next weekend.

Week #2 of radiation went just fine. They of course are having a little problem lining me up due to the changes that packing my wound makes. That darn infection!! It means they have to take more pictures than usual because they are being extra cautious. So far the only effect I have is a little rash near my neck. I'll talk to the doctor tomorrow about it. I will see him every Monday. I'm in the routine of driving daily to Loyola. The wonderful people that I work with are very helpful making sure I get going on time.

10 treatments down and 24 more to go. I love counting down!

Have a great week!

Karen

Hello to all you faithful followers!

I started radiation last Monday. I have gotten into the routine of going right from school and I get home between 4:15 and 4:30. This gives me time to get a nap in. Thankfully they are always on time, unlike the chemo center. I see the doctor each Monday. I don't feel anything during the treatment. They say that I will get anywhere from pink to burnt as time goes on. I lotion up generously twice a day. (After the continued packing of the wound of course!) I may also feel more fatigued with more treatments but I'm hoping that's not bad. I had 5 doses last week so I only have 29 more to go!!

I'm now on a daily hormonal therapy drug called femara. I am happy to say I've had no side effects from this. I will be taking this for 5 years. Wow!!! I also still get herceptin through my port every three weeks. I also see the oncologist at that time. The next visit is March 8th. Things are moving along. It's hard to believe that it will be a year in March that I've been dealing with all of this. Once again I say thank you, thank you, thank you for all your concern and support in so many ways! What a blessing to have such caring family and friends.

I'll try to update you again after I get through another week.

Take Care,

Karen

Oh, I forgot to say that my eyebrows are back and the lashes are coming in. It really does make a difference!

Happy New Year!

I'm praying that 2010 will be much less eventful in the medical realm. Last week I saw all my doctors. Dr. Albain (oncologist) prescribed the drug femara as my hormone therapy. I will take this for 5 years because my cancer was estrogen positive. Of course there are many possible side effects and I'm praying for none!! I also had my 3 week dose of herceptin. No side effects from that thank goodness.

Next, I saw the infectious disease doc. He said I am infection free and he released me from his care. He was a really nice man who was very informative.

Tuesday it was the radiologist and the surgeon together. They decided that it is okay to start radiation even with the open wound because it is now healing more quickly. They also ordered a mammogram which sounded just awful. It actually went well and was less painful than my annual screens. I think the area is still numb from surgery! They read the pictures right away and everything looks good so far. Yeah!!

I learned about the radiation process and all the many possible side effects. They make this as scary as possible because they must tell you everything patients have experienced, even if the chance is 1%. Let's pray that these are minimal. Tomorrow I get a cat scan that will give them the information they need to figure out exactly where the radiation will be administered. I will get tattoos ( very small ) to mark the spots. I've had several suggestions as to the kind of tattoos I should get, however, the standard issue is a small dot.

I've had a wonderful holiday with few appointments. Now I have to gear up for daily radiation (Mon.-Fri.) which will last for 6 1/2 weeks. I will find out tomorrow when I actually start. It seems overwhelming until I think about what I've already done. Hopefully I will have the energy to continue full time, at least until my Valentine programs on Feb. 10th, 11th and 12th.

That's all for now. Thanks goodness it looks like we will get warmer weather later this week!

Take Care,

Karen

Good Morning!

Well, since it's the day after Christmas, I plan to totally relax and read, watch movies and enjoy having my kids home! They are, of course, still fast asleep.

The week of the Winter programs was busy but rewarding. The kids always do a great job after all the work they do to prepare. But, as Machai, one of my first graders so clearly pointed out in one of our early rehearsals with some 80 kids waiting to sing, "Mrs. Halter, why do we have to be so perfect? Our parents are going to love whatever we do!"

This past week has been equally busy getting ready for Christmas. I was blessed to feel well enough to have guests on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was important to be able to keep our traditions going. It helps to have kids old enough to pitch in and help.

My energy level is good. I still make sure to nap and get to bed around 10:00. Tim has noticed the wound healing more quickly as he still packs it 2-3x a day. I still seem to have some signs of infection, but I am on an antibiotic and will see the surgeon on Tuesday. The lymphedema and neuropathy are most annoying. I have tingly toes and fingers most of the time. I will be getting a fitted sleeve next week. The glove is working well, just something that I have to get used to.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as we celebrated the birth of Jesus. Thank you for taking the time to share this journey with me!

Love,

Karen

All in all it's still not as bad as the chemo!

Hello Friends!

It was a crazy and busy day today. I taught in the am and went to Loyola for an 11:15 appointment. Then back to school for a rehearsal and back to Loyola for another appointment. I got home after 8:00. I saw all three of my Drs. today. My infection is under control, my wound is healing and I passed all my tests. Hurray!!!!!!

Your prayers and support are working! I still have a ways to go, but this is very encouraging.

I am looking forward to my programs this week. The kids are doing a great job. It's always alot of work but also alot of fun. The teachers I work with have been wonderful in helping me prepare for this big event.

Thanks for checking in!

Karen