With thanks to so many good friends in Florida who helped pack boxes and load the truck, Kyle was able to make it back up to NY the night before Cathy’s chemo session. On his way North, Kyle was able to stay at his mother’s in VA and to also visit with his sister and family. Since Michael and Gary volunteered to provide a storage area, Kyle drove to PA before continuing to NY. It was a very long day for Kyle but he achieved his goal.
Considering the anxieties that naturally go along with waiting for someone to arrive safely from a long journey, we’re glad to report that Cathy’s latest chemo went well and followed the pattern of previous rounds with one key difference... Up until now, the routine has been for Cathy and Kyle to visit MSK on a Thursday and then return the following weekend (after 48 hours) in order to bring back the empty canister (O'Bello) and allow technicians to remove the tube from Cathy’s port. During this last session at MSK, however, Cathy and Kyle were taught how to remove the tube themselves and did so without a problem. Since the empty canister can now be exchanged when Cathy goes in for her next Thursday chemo session, removing the tube at home saves Cathy and Kyle from having to make that weekend return trip. It’s little things like this that are a big plus.
In terms of side effects from the chemo, they have been mild so far - a touch of nausea, ‘tingling’ in the extremities, sensitivity to cold food - which Cathy has been handling very well and matter-of-factly.
The day at MSK was another long one but it allowed for an extra bonus this time. Cathy’s brother, Ken, visited with Cathy and Kyle at MSK after work and brought gyros from Gyro II (located across from Madison Square Garden and a popular pre-game stop for many New York Rangers hockey fans). Whenever Cathy attended Rangers games, she always looked forward to the gyros as much as the game so this was a real treat.
The "blue house" (NY) has been a beehive of activity since Kyle's return. The moving truck was unloaded, boxes moved and unpacked, and furniture arranged with invaluable help from Ken and brother Glenn. Team Cathy is still unpacking and finding every available storage space possible but as the pile of boxes in the living room slowly but surely shrinks, we know we’re almost there.
In the meantime, Carrigan has been delighted to ‘rediscover’ (and be reunited with) her toys as well as some favorite books; enjoys playing with her tea set and riding her tricycle; and is happy to be sleeping in her own crib again. For their part, Cathy and Kyle seem equally relieved to be back in their own comfy and familiar bed as well.
This move was also a big incentive for Cathy's parents to finally start to clean out and discard accumulations of almost 50 years! Frank and Marcia warn that this is what can happen when you never move (and are sure many blog readers are nodding their heads in agreement and sympathy right now)!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The New Normal
A friend referred to the changes in our lives as the ‘new normal’ and that term seems to fit. As the years go by, we all come into new normals - teen years, college, marital status, babies, etc. So, here’s what this looks like at the moment:
Cathy, Kyle & Carrigan will be ‘fully’ moved in with Cathy's parents when Kyle returns to New York with the rest of their ‘stuff’. Carra is looking forward to having her tricycle and teapot set as well as sleeping in her own bed/crib.
Cathy has been able to enjoy the company of old friends and renew acquaintances since moving back to New York. This is in addition to seeing siblings, cousins and extended family more often.
Kyle is getting used to being surrounded by Yankee fans (although he has taught Carra to say “go Red Sox”). He continues to work on his perpetual ‘to do’ list which includes find a job, look for new doctors, organize files related to Cathy’s treatment, plus a myriad of other tasks.
Carrigan is enrolled in a daycare center from 8-12 noon Mon-Fri. In Florida, she was in daycare full-time from the age of 4 months so she seemed to miss this in NY. She went for a ‘trial day’ last week and had a great time playing with other children and also getting to ride a tricycle. It’s going to be a part of the day that both Carra and the adults look forward to. Cathy/Kyle have also been taking Carra to local playground parks in the area. Although the ‘airplane’ park she loved in St. Petersburg will be hard to replace, they have found several parks she enjoys where she can run off some of that high energy.
Of course, all of this is going on during the new norm of biweekly (every other week) chemo for Cathy. As the next session will be only the third one, we can’t predict if the effect on her will be the same as after the first or second. However, as it continues we may be able to discern a pattern of sorts and to come to know what to expect. Hopefully some changes can be made that will make the in-hospital chemo sessions shorter and less tiring and we’ll fill you in on that if that happens. In the meantime, we make plans around the chemo days and schedule activities for the ‘off’ week.
Cathy, Kyle & Carrigan will be ‘fully’ moved in with Cathy's parents when Kyle returns to New York with the rest of their ‘stuff’. Carra is looking forward to having her tricycle and teapot set as well as sleeping in her own bed/crib.
Cathy has been able to enjoy the company of old friends and renew acquaintances since moving back to New York. This is in addition to seeing siblings, cousins and extended family more often.
Kyle is getting used to being surrounded by Yankee fans (although he has taught Carra to say “go Red Sox”). He continues to work on his perpetual ‘to do’ list which includes find a job, look for new doctors, organize files related to Cathy’s treatment, plus a myriad of other tasks.
Carrigan is enrolled in a daycare center from 8-12 noon Mon-Fri. In Florida, she was in daycare full-time from the age of 4 months so she seemed to miss this in NY. She went for a ‘trial day’ last week and had a great time playing with other children and also getting to ride a tricycle. It’s going to be a part of the day that both Carra and the adults look forward to. Cathy/Kyle have also been taking Carra to local playground parks in the area. Although the ‘airplane’ park she loved in St. Petersburg will be hard to replace, they have found several parks she enjoys where she can run off some of that high energy.
Cathy's parents, Frank and Marcia, are getting used to the child safety gates and doorknob covers which gives them some peace of mind. They are in the routine of their expanded household and especially enjoy the sound of the ‘pitter patter of little feet’ overhead in the morning as Carra runs back and forth between the two bedrooms. Listening to Carra sing and talk in that delightful 2+ year old voice is priceless. With Cathy and Kyle here, there’s usually a full pot of coffee brewed, Marcia can plan fish for dinner (for 2) and they now have an in-house computer techie. Frank has his baseball-football-hockey TV partner again in addition to gaining a history/politics conversation partner.
Of course, all of this is going on during the new norm of biweekly (every other week) chemo for Cathy. As the next session will be only the third one, we can’t predict if the effect on her will be the same as after the first or second. However, as it continues we may be able to discern a pattern of sorts and to come to know what to expect. Hopefully some changes can be made that will make the in-hospital chemo sessions shorter and less tiring and we’ll fill you in on that if that happens. In the meantime, we make plans around the chemo days and schedule activities for the ‘off’ week.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Portobello
Cathy has completed her second round of chemo. As you know from previous blog entries, Cathy has a port into which the chemo is administered over 48 hours from a bottle contained in a fanny pack. Cathy and Kyle consider the contraption part of the family now and, therefore, have taken to calling it O'Bello. (Port + O'bello = Portobello).
The only major side effects so far are sour stomach, fatigue and cold sensitivity. By cold sensitivity the doctors mean that if she drinks something from the fridge it will feel like needles going down her throat. These effects should only occur while the chemo is being administered and possibly for a few days after. The good news is that Cathy's form of chemo is not expected to cause a loss of hair, only a thinning and is supposedly mild in terms of nausea.
The only major side effects so far are sour stomach, fatigue and cold sensitivity. By cold sensitivity the doctors mean that if she drinks something from the fridge it will feel like needles going down her throat. These effects should only occur while the chemo is being administered and possibly for a few days after. The good news is that Cathy's form of chemo is not expected to cause a loss of hair, only a thinning and is supposedly mild in terms of nausea.
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