Happy Easter

I hope you are having a fabulous Easter. Our family just got back from church and had a wonderful time of worship. We are now headed over to my grandmother's house where many of my family will gather for a late Easter lunch. I do love spending time with my family.

Friday, we decorated Easter eggs with some friends and family. They come up with "new" decorating kits each year using almost exactly the same supplies, generating almost identical eggs as the old kits. If you decorate eggs each year, you know what I am talking about! We all had a lot of fun!




My hip and back pain has been pretty constant lately. I had a hard night and morning. Jake mentioned trying to see a pain management doctor and I think that is a good idea. Especially if it takes some time for the chemo to get working!

I did, however, have a precious morning with the girls, waking up Easter morning to a living room filled with eggs and Easter baskets filled to the brim with toys, candy and trinkets (as well as the traditional new tooth brush). They all had fun looking for eggs. Their favorite each year is when they find an egg on the living room fan and have to turn on the fan to get the egg to fly off. Bryn said that the Easter bunny must jump high.





We also each Easter try to coordinate outfits as a family. This year we were navy and white. We hope you have a blessed Easter.

Update

I am going to update my pictures with you all first. Other details to come later.

Jake took all three girls to Six Flags over Spring Break. They went first thing in the morning and came home just before it down poured and a huge storm swept through the city. They had a lot of fun. I let Katelyn take my camera and she had fun being the group photographer.







Right before spring break, we had open house at Wood and Corey Elementary for Katelyn and Jadyn respectively. We enjoyed seeing all they had been working on lately. We got to meet Jadyn's best friend Tamon.




Katelyn has had two cotillion dances in the last two weeks. This marks the last of the dances for this year. She has had a great time. She loves to dress up and go out afterwards, I don't know about the actual lessons!







My arm is feeling so much better. I have pretty good mobility and the tingling sensation is almost gone. However, I have significant bone pain in my hip. It makes it very hard to walk. Medicine helps, but I have never been more eager to begin chemo! I have my first treatment on Friday the 13th. This will not be a scary day for me, but I will be greatly anticipating the chemo drugs attacking this bone cancer, wiping it out for good!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Pictures and X-rays

First, we had the opportunity to have the girls’ pictures taken Saturday morning. I rushed out Friday to find them something to wear, and we pulled it together. I think they look great. We just bought pictures over Christmas, so we won't be buying up a lot. But, I do get a free 8x10 to pick from. It will be hard to choose!








Jadyn had her yearly appointment at Scottish Rite today. Jake and I both went to hear about her progress. For those new to our family saga, Jadyn has hip dysplasia and has been treated at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital since she was 1. She has been through traction and three different casts, but has been free from all treatment for a year. So, we were anxious to hear the news! She had an X-ray that showed improvement and healing. She does not have to come back for another 2 years! This orthopedic hospital will treat Jadyn until she is 18, and we are so grateful for the awesome care she receives there. We have several traditions at Scottish Rite: popcorn upon entering and soft serve ice cream at the end. Jadyn, Bryn and Jake also went up to the Child Life center to play for a while: Jadyn beat her Dad twice in air hockey! Bryn loved the kitchen center and all the new toys. It was a good day.

I found out that I might have to wait a few weeks for chemo, which I thought would restart this week. The jury is still out as Dr. Euhus said two weeks after surgery and Dr. Haley said 1 month. I am anxious to start as my hip is acting up and I know that the chemo was helping those tumors diminish. For now, I take my pain meds regularly and have started exercises for my arm. I am getting better each day.

Jess

My tube and You tube

I got my drain out today!! I had a drain in my arm to clear fluid from my lymph node removal surgery. It was beginning to become irritated at the site of the tube entering my arm. It was so bad, I did not like to even touch the tube. Well, today at my doctor's appointment, Dr. Euhus said it was looking great, drainage was low, and it could be removed. I was a little bit of a baby when I got it out. I have birthed three babies without any pain meds or an epidural, but try to take out a stitch, and I am in tears. Fortunately, it felt like a quick pinch, and a little pressure and it was over. My Aunt Sandy, who came with me, said my face was white as a ghost and the tube (which was about a foot long) was another 6-8 inches inside my arm.

I felt immediate relief when it came out. I have better movement in my arm and no more stinging! I now have to do exercises to get back full mobility. The big news is I can now drive. My life can get, somewhat, back to normal. I still have to take it easy, limit the use of the arm for a while, and watch out for potential side effects (lymphodema). Not having lymph nodes in my arm will be a problem I will always deal with. However, having them in would be a problem that would be too much to deal with had they grown. They removed a total of 18 lymph nodes, 10 of them cancerous.

Thank you for your prayers, calls, visits, and help with the kids and meals. You are all a blessing to our family.

We had a home study of our family tonight. I can’t remember if I have mentioned that we are going through the process of Jake adopting Katelyn. The home study is a formality, but we were still a little nervous about it. It went great by the way, but I wanted to tell you one funny thing that was said. Diane, the women conducting the interview, asked Katelyn what she liked to do for fun at home. Katelyn said she liked to play on the computer. Diane asked what she did on the computer. Katelyn said that she likes to watch You Tube. After Diane asked what You Tube was, Katelyn explained it was funny videos people submit on the internet. Diane asked if we monitor the computer use. Katelyn said, "Oh yeah, my Dad watches it with me!" After laughing, we corrected her that her dad checks it out before she sees it! I am sure Diane got an image of the family gathered around the computer watching all that bad stuff...but together!

My grandpa has a stint put in yesterday for his aneurism. The surgeon said it was a success, and he went home today. My aunt Janette in New York had outpatient surgery on her ankle today. I will let you know an update...or she can comment herself!

We pray for all our family to be covered with a hedge of protection.

Tickle Bugs

Well, I have a pretty sweet husband. He spent 30 minutes this morning unclogging my drain from my arm. Today was his early day as he sponsors a great club at his school, Eagles for Christ, that meet on Thursday mornings.

When I called my nurse at Dr. Euhus' office yesterday, one of the things she told me was the drain needed to be cleared twice a day from the top to the bottom. I was just pulling it clear about half way (as they were doing in the hospital!). Because of that, some fluid at the top was thicker and had to be pushed down with painstaking ease. I was flinching every few minutes, scared the whole tube would fall out, and feeling sharp pain at the site.

Jake was so patient. Even though he was almost late, he would stop until I felt comfortable enough to continue...We finally got the entire drain clear. I'm sure it will be easier tonight.

I am now tired from holding my arm up even half way. It is amazing how quickly you lose strength. I feel like I have done 30 pull-ups. I just wish I had the toned reward that comes after 30 pull-ups!

Jadyn and Bryn have inherited my fear of bugs. When I see one, I yell to Jake to get it. I don't necessarily want it dead, just out of the house. If this is on a shoe or in a cup, I don't care; I just want it out of sight! Well, the yikes are the same way. Until, Jake got a hold of them for a few days by himself. There have been an inordinate number of these little thin, moth like hoppers that are all over the place lately. Just walking through the grass will bring up dozens. The girls have been running from these bugs like they were a hornet, and I guess Jake was growing weary of the drama (remember, the bugs are everywhere!). He told the girls they were tickle bugs and if they catch them in their hands, they would tickle them a little. I guess that is all they needed, because now, the girls can't wait to get outside to catch tickle bugs, laughing all over the yard. They now want to bring them IN THE HOUSE! And, IN THE CAR! Enough of the tickle bugs!! I am trying not to overreact, but it is getting hard. Now, they think it is funny that I run into the house and they gallivant outside, laughing as they catch the tickle bugs right in their hands.

I have an early doctor's appointment tomorrow, a post-op with Dr. Euhus. I am hoping he will release me to drive and remove my drain. If I get my wish, I will even hold a tickle bug!

Greetings...

Hi there!

I am feeling better each day, gaining more control of my arm's mobility. As you might be able to tell from a) my even posting and b) my using capital and lowercase letters thus needing both hands!

I have been staying the days with my grandmother and the nights at home. It has been a good situation all around. I can't drive yet, and grandma helps with shuttling the kids around. She is also able to help me rest better than if I would be at home (probably trying to do more than I should). Plus--I love spending time over at her house. It's also good to be home in the morning for the kids and Jake. It is then that they feel life is somewhat normal! We'll keep this up for a few more days. Then, my grandpa is having surgery himself. My grandma is a regular home nurse!

My grandpa goes to Costco every few days and always picks up a little something extra. I can't say anything as when I shop at Target (weekly) I usually pick up something extra (Jake--It is always something we need!!). Anyway, yesterday, grandpa picked up a kite for Bryn. It was really for Bryn and Jadyn. However, Jadyn was off at school, and Bryn latched onto the kite like it was a baby doll, dragging it all over the house all day long. Did I mention the kite was so big that the tube shaped box was bigger than Bryn!? She asked incessantly when Jake was going to be home to show it to him and ask when we could fly it. She and Jake worked out a tentative date to fly the kite, however our weather forecast shows day after day of rain. I will try to post a picture when it gets off the ground. Bryn will certainly be on our case until it does!

Maid Clean

As expected Jess came home early yesterday morning. She was able to use her arm for the first time yesterday which was a big confidence booster-- I think she was beginning to think it was going to be a long time before she could use it again. She still can't drive yet and won't be able to for awhile. Right now she has no need to go anywhere though as she is resting in comfort (i.e. being royally spoiled) at her grandmother's house. This morning Jessa's mother is going to take the kids in the morning for some spoiling of their own. They have been doing really well this week with one exception. Jessa's grandmother paid for our house to be clean on Wednesday so that Jess would come home to a clean house. Well there are two types of clean "picked up clean" and "maid clean." You can imagine as we are on our fourth day now with Jess not actually coming home to a clean house yet that it has been a bit of a struggle to keep the house "maid clean." You might say that once the house was made clean it has been hard to keep it "maid clean" (groan, groan). I don't have a funny story this morning just a sweet one. Bryn slept in my bed last night since Jess wasn't here. When she woke up this morning she very sleepily said, "Daddy..." "Yes, honey" I asked her. "I love you," she said. Now, that's starting the morning off right.

Jess to stay another night

Jess is staying another night at the lovely Hilton de Zale Lipshy. There she will be able to take in a scenic view of downtown Dallas and be waited on hand and foot. She'll enjoy room service for every meal and be waited on by a staff whose only concern is her well being. Her arm is still painful enough for her not to be ready to deal with three kids just yet. Instead she will be coming home tomorrow morning from the hospital.

All three of our kids react to bugs as if they were deadly axe murders. You have may have heard their screams the last couple of nights as bugs have started coming out with the warm weather. Well Jadyn and Bryn were playing outside when they came across a gecko. Geckos are small lizards that are very plentiful where we live. Most of them are only an inch or two, but they found one that was about three inches. Well much to my surprise Jadyn got a net and caught it. Even more surprising is what Bryn called it. She called it an "Icko." For those of you who don't like creepy crawly things that name should sound just perfect.

Surgery Succesful

Jessa's surgery went very well and was done in about an hour today. I finally got to meet her surgeon, the flamboyant Dr. Euhus (Oy-hues). It might be good to have a surgeon who wasn't a people person because that means they are more likely to spend Friday night at home studying a medical book, but I like it the way Jess has it a guy that is has fabulous surgeon hands plus a personable personality. He took out the lymph nodes under her arm which he said looked "suspicious" (doctor speak for looks like they're malignant/cancerous). No surprise there. That's what the PET scan showed and that's what they were expecting. He stictched her back up and put a little baglike container under her armpit to catch the drainage. It looks like a clear grenade. If I had something under my armpit that looks suspicioulsy like a grenade it would make me nervous, but not Jess. I guess "plastic explosives" don't bother her.

We had two visits from pastors at our church today. Both of them made me realize how much our pastors are less like church staff and more like family. You can't pay someone to love your family like they love ours. Thank you Don Beach and David George from LABC. Mom (Judy) would when The Thoughtful Person of the Day award if they had it. Jess saw some really nice flowers in the gift shop that she would have liked to give Mandy (who is the brand new mother of Jace). Well guess what flowers mom bought for Jess?

When I left for the night, Jess was pretty peaceful. She was sleepily watching American Idol. Her arm was very sore and painful, but with the pain meds she will probably sleep through the night just fine.

Let me leave you with a non-surgery story. While Jess was enjoying the cold weather in NY (which they call practically summer), we were experiencing truly warm weather in Texas . Because of that I shaved off more of my beard. When I asked the Yikes (Jadyn and Bryn) if they liked it they chorused "Who are you?"

Surgery Day

I am off today for surgery. I am loving the fact that I do not have the earliest surgery time. I have to be there at 11:00 for a 1:00 surgery. I think that Dr. Euhus will have the bugs worked out by the time he gets to me! Actually, he is a wonderful doctor and I have such complete confidence in him. I am so thankful for the manner in which I found his practice and the university hospital. I am just glad that I did not have to get up at 4 in the morning to make it into Dallas on time!

I am expected to come home tomorrow, praying all goes exactly as planned. I am praying for great wisdom for the doctors. My great friend Julie told me the difference between knowledge and wisdom from a BSF (Bible study) lesson I missed recently. Knowledge is gained from training and education, life experience... and wisdom comes from God. That is the kind I am praying specifically for today.

Love to you all!
Jess

In NY

We are here in New York having a fabulous time. It is wonderful to visit my aunt Janette and her great family.

In some ways, it feels just like home with ball games, church, family dinners...and then I look outside to see a winter, snowy mountainous wonderland that feels like a picture!! We visited a winery up north yesterday and had a great time together. I will post more when we return.






Much love,
Jess

Also...we just received word that my cousin Mandy delivered a healthy baby boy, Jace Michael, this morning!!!! 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 20 in. Mom, Dad and Baby Jace are all doing fine. I will post pictures when I get back :)

Ready for NY

Hi there!

We have had a good week. Last night was open house at the kid’s schools (Jadyn and Katelyn). They were both excited to show us the things they had been working on lately.

I am going to New York today with my mom to visit my aunt Janette (the one who always leaves a comment on this blog...see, leave comments...get a visit!) Actually, I have not been up to NY since her wedding!! (Her oldest child is 12!!) She and her family have come down to Texas often, and I am SO looking forward to seeing her. I have dug out some cooler clothes and my big coat I thought that I had put away for a while...the weather is in the 20's, with a warm front blowing in this weekend (40's!). I actually prefer a little cooler weather; I just don't much care for the wind that typically comes with it.

My hip has been acting up again, making me walk funny, and slow. I have started back on my pain medicine and that has helped. I am anxious to start back on chemo after my surgery as I think that is what was helping. Could just be in my head. Usually, when I take any medicine, I feel the effects right away, which I know, is not likely!

I will have my surgery to remove lymph nodes on Wednesday the 14th. I am glad I have spoken with some people who have had it. When they told me I would have a drain, I was picturing a huge, protruding object hanging from my arm. Then someone said it looked like a little grenade and I was imagining a huge potato on my arm. Finally, someone told me the grenade was very small, just a few inches long. Okay, now I am a little calmer!! I will let you know the actual dimensions soon, which I am sure you are now dying to know.

Take care,
Those who have spring break next week as we do...enjoy!
Jess

Update

Well, hello there!

I have been super busy with my Dad in town last weekend and then the first part of the week racing like a mad woman trying to put together the program for Katelyn's 6th grade musical at school. You might think, it is just a program, what is the big deal. However, this is Wood Elementary. And, everything is bigger at Wood. For example a normal program might consist of a list of the cast and an order of acts and scenes. This was the Wood program five years ago. That said, each year has gotten bigger and more elaborate. This year, we have 18 pages of ads from local businesses or parents wishing their kids to "Break a Leg!" along with photos, and the normal order of events... This year, as to keep the bigger and more elaborate tradition, I added a full color cover page! I bet when Jadyn and Bryn are in 6th grade, the program will consist of a full color spiral bound keepsake journal and program guide!

That said, it is fun to be a part of something so special for the kids. They are all making memories to last a lifetime. The kids did another dress rehearsal today and will again tomorrow for the school kiddos. The real performances are Friday and Saturday nights.






Well, as I was saying ealier, my Dad was in from Portland Oregon. He left on Monday. We all had a great time. When he comes down, it is like he has always been here. I love seeing Dad and Cindy more often. We went to all the kids events. He got to see Jadyn almost blown away playing soccer in one of the windiest days we have ever had!!




Then, he got to go with me to take Katelyn to cotillion (dance) where this month was a country western theme. She had a blast, and Dad and I enjoyed taking her to dance and then out to a restaurant that had a big dance floor for Katie and her friends to dance and play for several more hours!




We went to go see a great movie, Bridge to Terabithia. I liked it a lot. Dad and I had to keep telling the little ones, "it is all in their imagination" on the scary parts, and "aren't we having fun!!" on all the other parts! Yet, they are still talking about the movie and how much fun they had! Monday, Dad spent some time with the little ones at the mall carousel and out for one last lunch before he had to head back home.






I got word from Dr. Euhus this week. He called to tell me that my MRI was clear, yet he wanted to consider surgery to remove the lymph nodes on my right arm. He met with the other doctors on his team and with Dr. Haley and they all had the same consensus. I am going to go in to the hospital in a few weeks for a minor surgery to remove the nodes. I will spend the night in the hospital, and then spend two weeks taking it easy on my arm in general. Tell that to three little girls! Actually, they have adapted to my not being able to lift them lately due to weakness in my back and hip. I am thankful they are a little bigger now and as a friend mentioned not in a body cast (re: Jadyn one year ago in March!) I have to be off chemo for a month before the surgery as chemo lowers your immune system. I also have to be off another drug I am on (Avastin) that had a side effect of slow healing. So, I got to skip treatment today, as I will for the next few weeks, in preparation for the surgery.

I will keep you better updated as the week goes on.
Take care,
Jess

Dr. appt

Today I had an appointment to see Dr. Euhus, my surgeon. I was long overdue to see him as I had missed an appointment back in September. However, when I found out I had some auxiliary nodes light up in the PET scan, I knew I should see him. He is the one who would remove these lymph nodes if necessary.

He was happy to see me and wants me to start seeing him again every three months. He could not feel any node inflammation on a physical exam, but wanted me to have an MRI anyway to see the area more clearly. His nurse got me an appointment right then, so I had the MRI right after seeing the doctor.

I should get a call with the results Tuesday or Wednesday. I should say that Dr. Euhus thought that surgery would not be necessary at this point. Yea! I am glad to see he is both proactive and positive about the scenario.

My dad flew in from Portland this afternoon for a weekend visit. We were all so happy to see him! We have a busy weekend with soccer, basketball, cotillion, and musical rehearsals...but it should be fun.

Take care,
Jess

Prince Charming

My sister Hope is expecting a baby soon and she and her husband have decided not to find out what they are having. Driving in the car today, Bryn out of the blue said she can’t wait to see Hopie’s baby since she does not know if the baby is a boy or girl. I asked her what she thought the baby was. She said, a girl. I asked Jadyn the same question. Jadyn thought it was a boy.

Then she said she can’t wait to see if he is handsome or not, because if it was, she was going to marry him. After laughing, I said you don’t marry family, but you marry a friend. Jadyn did her best job of rolling her eyes at me and said she knew that…she was going to marry him when they both grew up! Evidently, family is only family until you are grown.

Then Bryn chimed in that, no, you can not marry family, you must marry a prince. She then called out by name all the boys in her class she might one day marry.

I guess calling the girls princess has really sunk in.

Spanish, the new sign language

Okay, sorry for taking so long to post.

First, here is a picture of Jake and Jadyn at the dance Friday at Jake's school. Jadyn said she had a good time. I think one of her favorite parts was eating cookies!



Next, I am feeling okay. I have had what I will call a chemo tummy ache (which is so hard to describe) for the last few days. My tastes are off, and I feel like my stomach is raw or empty. Not hungry by any means, just a little nauseated. However, not too bad at all. The stomach flu has swept through our extended family, so I thought I might have that. Thankfully, I have not! I have a week off chemo this week, so I should be back to normal by the following week.

Okay, moving on to more important matters, my mom and I got a huge laugh today in the car! I love laughing. It makes one feel so much better...I am sure that there have been studies done on this very fact.

Bryn, Jadyn and my nephew Austin were in the back seat playing the quiet game. You know the one. You have just about had it and yell to the back seat, "How about the quiet game!!??" Well, Jadyn was "it" and began her routine of trying to get the others to talk, i.e. lose. She asked Austin if he wanted to go over to his cousin Zander's house to spend the night, trying to elicit a verbal yes. Austin, a seasoned veteran of the game, just shook his head. Jadyn tried again, asking Austin if he wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Austin just motioned with his hands to cut it out by crossing his hands in front of his neck.

This is when Bryn yelled to Jadyn, "Wait! I think he is trying to tell us something...in Spanish!!!"

Bryn, as usual, has the ability to make me forget about everything and laugh!

We had a fun and eventful (AZ) day.

Take care,
Jess

Feeling better with a new hair cut

I am feeling much better today. I have been taking my meds on time and regularly and I know it is helping. I have felt minimal back pain and was able to do all I needed to do today, which was a lot!

On another positive note, today I signed up with a local salon to get a free hair cut with a stylist in training. I actually got a sweet girl, Bec, who had been there for a while, just wanting to upgrade to a new level. She did a great job, even better as I got to walk out without paying for a $40 hair cut and style. Here is my new shorter look:



Jadyn and Jake went to a Valentine dance at the junior high school he teaches at. They were sponsoring a dance and thought the girls would like to go. Bryn, however smashed her fingers in her door late this evening and cried herself to sleep and did not make it :( I know she was exhausted anyway. I will post pictures of Jake and Jadyn from the dance later.

Have a good weekend!
Jess

Round 3

Today I had round three of my new chemo, Abraxane. Here is a picture of me getting treatment. It is not my favorite photo, but I will blame it on the poor indoor lighting...right?!




My treatment went well. My mom went with me this time. It was so nice being with her; we were able to work on our BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) together. Mom goes to BSF on Monday nights, I attend Wednesday mornings. My chemo nurse was Pat today. This should mean nothing to you, but to me it is a little more helpful. Pat was Dr. Haley's nurse before Carrie. So, I felt better able to tell Pat some side effects knowing she might have more knowledge than a typical chemo nurse. I told her of my back pain. She was able to get me a new prescription of my pain medicine and have it faxed over to my pharmacy right then. Also, Dr. Haley wants to reassess on March 1st with an appointment with her to go over any more bone/back pain I am experiencing. Lastly, I told Pat about my bleeding problem. I have realized over the last day or so that I do not have nosebleeds per say, I have a lot of blood in my mucus. Pat took note of that, spoke with Dr. Haley and told me to also mention in to the doctor on my next visit. It is a potential side effect, but one they like to know about and observe.

All in all, it was a good day. My pain is less today than yesterday, partly because I started taking my pain meds (which are taken as needed). I will try taking it regularly for a few days to see what happens. Thanks for your concern, and I will let you know of any changes.

On another note, the girls received Baby Alive dolls for Valentines Day. They are enamored by the dolls. Jadyn even woke up today saying she was dreaming about her Baby Alive. In case you do not know, Baby Alive actually eats, talks, wets, poops, plays, and I am just surmising here...requires a college education! So far, we have fed the dolls at least 5 times, each time requiring a new diaper change after announcing "Oh-Oh, I'm stinky!" Nevertheless, Jadyn and Bryn LOVE taking care of the dolls. Jadyn was concerned this morning when her baby was not sleeping enough, while Bryn went and checked on her doll who was sleeping snuggly in bed, at least 5 times to make sure she was still sleeping. There are now 5 kids at the Kaylor house, new additions being "Kara" and "Baby Lu". I have now put a "diaper limit" on the dolls at one per day. I do not care to buy too many more doll diapers. I just finished that with the real version and I am quite happy with the savings from that accomplishment! I wonder if there is anything else the Kaylor household can cut back to one per day. I am thinking about family emergencies, and crying kiddos for starters. It could go something like this "Sorry Jadyn, Bryn already cried once today, I will have to fit you in tomorrow." :)



Love to you all,
Jess

Happy Valentines Day from the Kaylor girls!

We love our family and friends!
Take care,
Jess

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all. Katelyn and Jadyn both had their valentine parties today; Bryn's was yesterday. They all came home with lots of candy, cards, and trinkets. Most of the candy is, not surprisingly, gone!

Katelyn's party was a bingo party. They played bingo with prizes parents donated. Katelyn was one of the winners, so she thought the party was a success!

I had a hard day today physically. I was in quite a bit of back pain, too much to bear until I got the right medicine. I will ask the doctor tomorrow if this is okay. I know that the chemo is doing its job. Hopefully, soon, I will not have too many more days like today.

I am going to post some Valentine pictures soon, but for today I will post some more fairly recent pictures from my iSight computer camera now that I have figured out how easy it is to do.









Love,
Jess

2nd round is going fine

Hi all. We have had a fun/busy weekend. I have felt good the last few days after my 2nd chemo round. I have to even remind myself I am in treatment. I found out that I do not need the red/white blood cell boosting shot at this point in my regimen. My counts have been good, and they (doctors) seem pleased. I am having some back/bone pain, but have been able to do most of my normal routine. Round three is Thursday and then I am off for a week. In between that time, I will go me another doctor, my surgeon Dr. Euhus, to get his opinion of how things are going and just get this amazing man's input. He is so wise, and yet can explain things so simply that I love going to see him!

I and another mom took Katelyn and several of her friends to see "The High School Musical" Friday night at a local high school. Katelyn's 6th grade class is performing the same musical in just a few weeks. It was fun to see the whole play and not the bits and pieces we see in rehearsal. We are all looking forward to the big show.



Saturday, my wonderful family spread out the three girls so that Jake and I could go to a marriage event at our church. It was an all day conference put on by Gary Chapman who wrote the book, The Five Love Languages. Jake and I both learned a lot of strategies, and it was also nice to spend the day with him. We did not know if we would be able to go out for Valentine's Day, so we took the opportunity to go to lunch at a fun restaurant called the Candlelight Inn. It has booths that kind of close up, with dark lighting and candles. It also had a small jukebox at each booth and I took a chance and tried it, and it worked! It was a fun date. I realized that I do not post many pictures of the two of us, so with the help f my new camera's iSight, here we go...



Jadyn and Bryn have been in rare form lately. Tonight, Jadyn obviously wanted some time alone and Bryn wanted to be attached at her hip. Bryn came running to us crying. She told us that Jadyn was making something and wouldn't let her see. I asked Jadyn what she was doing and she explained after some hesitation that she was making a picture for Bryn...for Christmas! ...and did not want Bryn to see! Here at the Kaylor house, we plan out our gifts months in advance. For example, I am sure Jake had my Valentine gift planned back in August.

A good appointment

Hi all. I had an uneventful trip to the chemo clinic today, which is a very good thing. I took an infusion of Abraxane and the second round seemed to go much like the first, only a bit shorter. We'll see how it goes. I think side effects are supposed to cumulate, but I am hopeful they will not in my case. My sister, Hope went with me and we had a great time laughing and catching up. It is always good to be with her.

Hope got to witness Bryn being extremely strong willed with me this morning as we were getting ready to go. Bryn wanted to wear a new pair of jeans someone had passed down to her and Jadyn. The moment I read that the size was 5 "Slim", I knew I should have put them up. However, she saw them too fast and fell in love with the glittery pink belt and flower appliques. She laid them out last night to wear today and anxiously got them out this morning. When we put them on, they snapped, but were very tight. I did not think she could sit up in them. I asked her to sit down "criss cross applesauce" like her teacher asks her to sit all throughout the day. She sat down, but leaned way back so her belly was straight, and not over in a sitting position. I told her to sit up, knowing they were too tight, but wanted her to realize this on her own. She refused, saying she was just fine. Well, needless to say, I had to pry them off of her and thus began a 15 minute battle of the clothes (and wills). Finally, new clothes were on, tears were wiped, and we were off to school/chemo... I try to pick my battles with Bryn. Unfortunately, this one was one I had to pick. My next parenting step will be to learn to better anticipate problems like this and hide things, OFTEN!

Three..four

Hi there! Well, you might have thought that because I failed to post yesterday, I had a bad day, but...I did NOT! I was just fine. I had a busy day at the Wood Talent Show ALL day long. But I was feeling tired only from doing hair, adjusting costumes, standing in line for a good seat, sitting for hours in a cramped cafeteria (times two performances) and then meeting 20 6th graders and their moms in an already crowded restaurant! No, I was not feeling tired from treatment. Both Saturday and Sunday mornings I woke up with dreaded anticipation that I would feel sick to my stomach, but once I woke up to daily activities, I realized this might not be so bad after all!

I have a normal week coming up and then chemo again on Thursday. I know the treatments are supposed to cumulate for three weeks, until I get a week off. However, this has been so manageable. That, and I know I have so many people praying boldy for no side-effects and I serve an awesome God!

Thanks for thinking of me these past few days. I have been so encouraged by your coming up to me, your emails and phone calls checking in seeing how I am doing. I have felt lifted up by my precious friends and family.

I so wish I could show you a blooper reel of my sweet aunt Sandy as she provided hours of fun and laughter during the talent show in between acts. From the best of my memory, she was Marilyn Monroe, a basketball coach, a grouchy administrator, a robber, a TV dance show host, a cheerleader, and on and on...Her costumes alone exhausted me just looking at them hanging up in her dressing room. She, and so many others, made this weekend so much fun for all of us. It was Katelyn's last talent show at Wood, and she had a blast.

Here are two pictures I have so far: one is Katelyn acting goofy with one of her friends. The other is Katelyn with PoPo (my mom's dad). My Grandpa has sat through I am sure hundreds of performances for his 7 children through the years, yet he and my Grandma come out each year, and wait in line for over an hour (for each act!) and come see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am so blessed to have them in my life.

Day two

Hi there!
Well, day two is here, and I feel great. (I always think of day one being the chemo day itself) No pains, no nausea, and no tiredness! This is my kind of chemo. My lovely friends and family have reminded me that it was usually day three that was hard, but I think day three will be fine too. Besides, I am too busy this weekend to be sick. On second thought, if I were sick, Jake would have to...

Katelyn is the her school's talent show which is, as are all things at Wood Elementary, BIG. Also, she is in 6th grade, and 6th graders do a lot for the talent show as they are the top dogs at school. We have been filling out dozens of papers for next year's trek into Junior High. And I think each of those papers comes with a check! Whoever says public school is much cheaper than private has not had to go through talent show costumes, musical costumes, athletic uniforms, and fees, fees, fees...(It's really not that bad, just this time of year I guess:)

Jadyn will be at Wood in kindergarten next year and I am hoping by that time I will be getting her to school on time (since I want to be a good example for my lovely principal Aunt Sandy, and because Jadyn hates being late to school). Before writing this blog, I was rushing to drop Jadyn off to school for her right-in-the-middle-of-the-day start time of 12:15. The Kaylor start time is typically 12:25. Yikes!!

I guess school is on the brain now as we are racking our brains trying to pick a school for Bryn. I wonder if I should be feeling lucky right now that I have so many choices. But, often that is the hardest thing! There are two distinctly different restaurants in town that I think exemplify my point: The Cheesecake Factory and Jo T. Garcia's. The Cheesecake Factory has a book for menu. Literally, it is a glossy spiral bound magazine. Page after page are selections and descriptions of various food and drink options. Without too much exaggeration, I would say the page totals around 25. Jo. T's is a Mexican restaurant that has no menu and two choices: enchiladas or fajitas. Here, the selection for pre-k is about like The Cheesecake Factory, and I need someone to tell me, here are your two options, no menu available! We'll make it, it will just take some time. Unfortunately, that time is coming up quickly! We'll keep you posted.

I will be sure to post pictures of the talent show tomorrow.
Take care,
Jess

New treatment today

This is a picture of the sculpture that awaits me every time I go to treatment. It is beautiful and reaches to the tall ceiling. It is a nice beginning to my day. However, my official beginning is when I am greeted my the valet service. The greeters there are so friendly and welcome me like a friend of the family. They remember me and treat me so nicely. I thought I would take pictures of my chemo experience for you. Since I forgot (and I can't really claim chemo-brain as I was forgetful before) I will post a picture from the website for now. I will try to remember to take pictures next week.

Chemo today was fine. I so enjoyed time with my mom who accompanied me this time. It was the first time for me to take this particular chemo (Abraxane) so we were met with a slew of different people explaining the drug and its potential side effects. Dr.Haley really downplayed the side effects, so I got a lot more information today. I am actually fine (and better off mentally) to know the side effects up front. I am, of course, praying that I do not get any of them. But, at least I won't be shocked one day with "My hair is falling out!!!"

Today took about 3 hours from start to finish. I think next week should be even shorter. I do not have to go back for a white or red blood cell booster for now at least. I thought that was the original plan from Dr. Haley last week, however the chemo nurses' did not have an order. I asked a few times with no great results, so I guess I will wait until I see her again to clarify. My counts were fine today and I am in no hurry to rush out to Dallas two days in a row.

My grandma was able to watch Jadyn and take her to school, which she loved. Bryn had school today and it was western day.



A few days ago it snowed and I have not been able to figure out how to post on my new computer. So here is our pathetic, but fabulous snow.



Jadyn and Bryn made a snowman. The snow was so powder-y that it was hard for the girls to gather the snow. I had to have Jadyn point at the snowman so I could see it in my camera's viewfinder! Bryn, upon seeing the snow in the morning, proclaimed "It's Christmas!" Yes, in her mind, Christmas had finally arrived at the Kaylor house! Thank goodness. Now, we can put up all the decorations!

I will try to be better at posting in the coming days. Thank you all for your prayers during this new (successful!) treatment.

We love you all,
Jess