Janet’s aunt, Sandy posted this on the forums:
Am amazed this am as I try to catch up some things here on the computer how long it’s been since I posted an update on Janet. Though I thought I emailed Kathy one someone along the line?
Janet’s treatment changed to a 2 wk on and 2 wk off program. The 2wks on were in the hospital with treatment, 2 wks off we home. The good and bad of that…2 wks in gets to be very long…2 wks home well first week of that she was sick, feeling bad and not able to do much, 2nd week she usually felt pretty good and used that to catch up on her school work and do actually do a few things…then back to the grind.
The 2 wk routine continued for quite awhile, then things got really ugly. It was time for her to go back in…but she had never made it out to go home to get back in. Her poor body was not flushing the chemo, so she wasn’t able to go home. She had terrible sores…again, all in all not doing well. So, the doctors concentrated on getting her counts up, getting the poisons out of her system (meds to help her kidneys and liver with the flushing). You may remember when she began chemo she goes temporarily blind, and losing both kidney and liver functions. Docs then decided she wasn’t going to be able to get the remainder of her chemo at the levels that had been planned.. Her body just couldn’t cope with it any longer. One they got her stabilized, they sent her home to recoup. Then scheduled a nuclear scan to determine how damaged the kidneys were. Thankfully the scan showed the kidneys were coming back, however they decided she still couldn’t take the massive doseage of chemo any longer. The plan at this point then was for 2 more chemo treatments at a reduced level followed by orall medications for an unspecified period of time.
She was terribly sick with her last 2 treatments, but they are now behind her. Thats exciting on one hand, and discouraging on the other. IF, she’s unable to get the treatments she needed to get rid of the cancer…whats the state of the cancer? She’s thrilled as you can imagine to be done with it, her mother is concerned as adults tend to think of the what if’s. The amount they felt she needed to get to kill the cancer cells is not what she ended up getting, remember too; she did not get the 90% kill rate when they did the cell count back during surgery, she was put in the poor response group. So….then right before the last treatment they told her she wouldn’t be getting any oral meds either, as there really wasn’t anything appropiate for her type of cancer etc.
So, once done with the chemo, home to recoup and SHE GRADUATED from high school. She was The Master of Ceremonies at the Commencement!!! She was soooooooo happy to be able to actually physically go to her graduation and graduate with her class. She received many schlorships, and is now looking forward to attending college in the fall. The rest of us really hope she’s ready to do that; but for now she has something fun and positive to concentrate on!!
Thank you all for your prayers, your cards, your little gifts in helping her through this long and very difficult process. She’ll continue with physical therapy and continue to need nuclear scans …I think they said every other month.
Unless something happens, I’ll get to see her in a few weeks; as we have a nephew getting married and she’s planning on making the trip from Texas to Ohio for the wedding. I’ll then hopefully, be able to obtain a current report and see how’s she’s doing.
She has said many times, as has her mother that cards from the outside (meaning non hospital), and a part of the real world has been her saving grace…keeps her connected she says to the real world…the world outside chemo and outside cancer and outside hospital walls.
She is very grateful, as is the entire family.
Many many thanks to you all,
Sandy
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How about if we all send Janet a Graduation card? This young lady is so amazing and has been so courageous in her fight of cancer!
CONGRATULATIONS JANET!!!
Janet
c/o ShareaCard.org
P.O. Box 347
Campbelltown, Pa 17010-0347
Hugs,
Kath
