Update from Jane

Catherine's mom, Jane, is taking a turn to share some updates. Her dad, Tom, and mom arrived late Sunday, April 10 to spend a week! From Jane:

Tom and I arrived late Sunday night to find a little fuzzy-headed chick beaming at us from the front doorway of the apartment. Yep, Catherine's hair had really started to disappear. She had gotten it buzzed in anticipation of losing it but it seems to have it's own ideas about falling out. It has fallen out in a unique style, enough to look bald but not enough to be completely bald.

Catherine had a slow day that Sunday, definitely feeling the effects of having Carboplatin the Friday before. We learned that she had been scheduled to have both the Carboplatin and the Taxol but when Memorial Sloan Kettering learned of her allergic reaction to the Taxol they did not think it best to give it to her again until she was seen by an allergist. An appointment was made for the next week. The blood test she had to prepare for the chemo treatment showed low blood cell counts, which meant getting Neupogen shots for the next two days. She hauled herself to a treatment center in Brooklyn Saturday for the shot, but had to go to Manhattan on Sunday because the center closer to her isn't open on Sunday. Catherine felt oogie (her word) and tired, bordering on exhausted, the few days after the Carboplatin. It's a feeling like having the flu - spacey, achy, lethargic. She shared with us that one day riding the subway home she was so exhausted that when she arrived at her stop she couldn't get herself to move to get off. She sat having a conversation with herself about just staying on, and dealing with how to get back at a different stop. Karma was on her side because the doors stayed open for a bit as the train was delayed from leaving and during those extra few minutes she mustered enough energy to get herself out of her seat and out the door.

Monday morning was school picture day! Catherine was really looking forward to seeing her students again. And her colleagues. I think the happiness of being able to visit her beloved students and touch base in person with her fellow teachers helped give her the energy to get going, even though she was feeling tired and oogie. Taking a car service to school didn't seem to save that much time but sure saved on Catherine's personal energy. The students were just as happy to see Catherine as she was to see them. And Tom and I got to meet them as well. So sweet! I'm smiling as I write this thinking about their eagerness to tell Catherine all the news she has missed. "My sister is two now! She had a birthday!" " I threw up!" "I got my hair cut!" "My new baby was born!" There was much discussion about Catherine's hair so she shared her baldish head with them. The comment, "That looks like my Dad's head!" made us laugh out loud. Four year olds are so refreshing, telling it like it is and letting everyone know a bald head is "normal". Just this small outing was tiring so Catherine spent the afternoon napping.

Tuesday brought more napping to fight the fatigue. A perfect thing to do on a rainy, gray day. Catherine was starting to feel better as the day went on. The four of us, Catherine, Quincy, Tom and Jane, went to a Mets game Tuesday night.We had seats behind home plate with a fabulous view of the action. We braved the chill with hot chocolate but couldn't bring home a win for the Mets.

Wednesday was scheduled to be the chemo day. We arrived early at Memorial Sloan Kettering so Catherine could do her bloodwork first. She learned she was not on the schedule. What? Apparently since she had the allergic reaction to the Taxol she wasn't going to be given Taxol until she met with the allergist so she wasn't on the schedule for a blood test. The allergist appointment wasn't until the next day, Thursday but no one informed Catherine the chemo would be postponed. One thing we've all learned during this process is that everything will take longer than you think it will. There's no use fighting it. Make peace with it and move on. Catherine and Quincy met with the oncologist later that morning and an appointment for the allergist was moved up to that afternoon rather than the next day. Yeah! Also, she did have a blood test done before we left MSK. I personally find it interesting the way blood tests are done. Catherine has a port which is so helpful for people like us that have lousy veins. Finding a usable vein in her arm is a pain, especially now that chemo has been administered. In the blood lab she has been given the option of using her arm or having a finger prick. Both painful options. Apparently, no one is certified (?) to use the port for the blood draw. I'm wondering why this is, especially at a cancer center. Don't most patients have ports? My own port was used for everything. Note to self - make peace with it and move on.

The allergist's office was across from Madison Square Park so that meant we had to have lunch at Shake Shack, right? Shake Shack! We were surprised to see that there was filming going on in the park. It was Jim Gaffigan filming a segment sitting outside of Shake Shack. After they were done as he passed by Catherine, who was taking a picture of him, he leaned in to her and gave her a big cheesy smile! With the filming done and all the extras cleared out by the time our food was ready there were lots of seats available, a bonus during a busy lunchtime in NY.

The allergist believes that Catherine's reaction to the Taxol was due to the solution that the Taxol is in, not a reaction to the Taxol itself. The next choice is a different kind of solution in which to administer the Taxol, Ebraxane, which is very expensive. If it would have been approved by the insurance company in a timely manner, Catherine would have been able to have the chemo on Friday. (Didn't happen.)

Thursday morning Catherine went to school for the next group photo day, while Tom and I started our day slowly. Catherine shared that this group of students were jumping up and down in excitement. They told her she had been sick for too many days. They are so right! Catherine invited me to go to a free yoga class with her in Manhattan for cancer patients and survivors. Y4C (Yoga 4 Cancer) offers restorative yoga and was a lovely way to end our Thursday.

By Friday Catherine did not have the insurance approval yet for the new Taxol so our day set aside for chemo got changed to a day spent at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. How nice to have Catherine feeling up to going out. Of course I made us have our picture taken under the Survivor Tree. I love that tree and what it stands for, and was delighted to see it in bloom.

It seems like all the doctors and nurses have been telling Catherine that the effects of the chemo are cumulative so one can expect lower energy levels each time. That has been her experience so far. After four rounds she can tell the drugs are taking a toll on her energy, and on a positive note, she can see/feel the effect the drugs are having on the tumor in her breast and in the armpit lymph nodes. With a little break from the chemo it was nice to feel good for a few days in a row.

Saturday was a day spent with family, enjoying a lovely brunch and a stroll through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The cherry blossoms were almost ready. Spring blossoms remind me of hope and the promise of good things to come in the future.

Catherine received the report that her blood cell counts came back with good numbers. The neupogen did its job! She is good to go when the insurance approval comes through, hopefully by Wednesday.