The Pen is mightier than the cancer

In celebration of Kirstin's remission, Terry a friend of ours who hand makes pens, designed her a cancer emblem pen which he hand crafted. Trust me these photos do not do this craftsmanship any justice ... but its the best I could do

The Violet ribbon has been crafted into the wooden grip ... how ... I got no idea!! but it looks awesome.

And ... mother was not left out of the loop here ... mom got her own exquisite pen. Now she cant wait for the next board meeting to really 'step out in style'.

Even the strong have their weak points

The chemo ... we manage that well ... the flu ... well that put a bit of  a strain on things ... but Eishh this one is a problem ...

The good side to her taking the Tamiflu is that it seems to have resolved the insomnia caused by the steroid Prednisone.
So the flu is taking its toll a bit but Kirstin is still fighting on. Its weird how sometimes a sad thing can be a motivating thing! Today at chemo was a 14 year girl with the same cancer and at least it showed Kirstin that she is not alone in this war game.

Chemo - Regimen 3 ... the half way mark

Kirstin is half way and in remission ... so lets make the best of it ...

Get your favourite magazines, Seventeen and Heat, put your feet up and lets ride the remission wave ...

And when you done with the magazine, take time out to have a serious discussion with the 'hair thief'

Just in case you forgot the connotation of the 'hair thief' ... here is a pictorial description ala Kirstin of  what was responsible for her hair loss ...

And then when you really bored ... just engage in a discussion with a new friend who has also suffered hair loss ...

And when its all over and you get home and find that your head is a bit cold ... well just put on a 'live' beenie ...

I have heard the term - Chemo Brain - but today I think I witnessed it first hand !!

PET Scan - Prelim. Results

There are many good doctors but I believe that 'extra mile' personal interaction is what makes an excellent doctor. When its your child that's in need of medical attention then one wants excellent ++ doctors and that we have most definitely got. Dr Sarli, the specialist who removed the tumour, still takes time to chat to Kirstin and has a genuine interest in her progress and well being. The 'birds of a feather flock together' statement holds true here because Dr Sarli informed us that he had chosen Dr Brittain to manage Kirstin as he felt that Dr Brittain was the right doctor to deal with Kirstin on a personal level. I do actually think that he chose Dr Brittain to manage, not only Kirstin, but more the neurotic parents.

The PET Scan results normally take three days before they are sent to the oncologist so we were geared for a three day miserable and stressful wait. The scan was done on Monday and we saw Dr Brittain on Tuesday. We had hardly sat down in the chair when Dr Brittain smiled and said don't worry "I have phoned the radiologist myself". I do not believe that I have any gay tendencies but I could have jumped up and kissed him!! And then he turned to Kirstin and said that little word that has become so sought after by us .... Remission

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer. When this happens, the disease is said to be "in remission." Semper Fi - Hoorah ... we have reached winning step No. 1! 

Obviously our goal is to hear the most important word - cured - but for two months into treatment, the word remission is worth gold. So in layman's terms ... 'its not over till the fat lady sings' but for now the remission tune is doing wonders for the neurotically insane parents. For Kirstin ...well she is happy but like she says she will hold her excitement till she hears the phrase ... No more Chemo ...

So the chemo regimen plan is going ahead and we have entered Regimen 3 now ... yes we have reached the middle - Hoorah!!

PET Scan - Semper Fi ..... Hooraah

Semper Fidelis is the the Motto of the United States Marine Corps. Latin for always faithful. Faithful to God, Country, Family and the Corps. When a marine says Semper Fi, other marines will respond by saying hoorah. I personally have always believed that it is a truly great motto but never took interest in it in any other way. Well not until Jordan starting watching her favourite series; NCIS. The motto is often used in the programme and because of Jordan's love for the programme we have used it within the family whenever something good happens.

PET Scan No. 2 - Monday 2011-05-23

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an imaging test that uses a radioactive substance (called a tracer) to look for disease in the body. The medical explanation is inserted for those that still may think that a PET Scan is a veterinary science administered by the local animal shelter.

PET Scan 2 was done before Chemo regimen 3 to enable the oncologist to determine whether Kirstin is on the right chemotherapy track. It is a long process but well worth the wait.

Lets go on a walk through into the PET Scan world:

08:00 - The radioactive substance or tracer is injected via the vein. She is then in isolation and the parents are sent to go and keep ourselves busy. The tricky part of this 'tracer' is that she has to lie still and may not move, read or do anything of the sort because any movement affects the tracer spread through the body. And as Kirstin will tell you ....its a long wait!

09:30 - The PET Scan is performed and takes approximately 30 minutes.

10:00 - Kirstin is taken to an isolation room where she must remain for 1 hour because she is 'radioactive'.
11:00 - The medical staff check that all is alright and she is released from isolation.

Work without pleasure would just be plain boring as will medical treatment be without a good laugh every now and again. And yes, Kirstin will find ways to amuse herself in any circumstance!
A huge pregnancy warning signboard is just the opening gap for a 'dash' of amusement.

Sisterly love

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us? ~Pam Brown

When we as a family decided that we would all shave our heads in support of Kirstin ... the only opposition we encountered was ... Kirstin! According to her we would look like an embarrassing version of some weird Adams family.
Kirstin's sister decided that if keeping her hair makes Kirstin happy then so be it however she, being a strong willed child, still decided that she would show support by cutting short of her beloved 'golden locks'. Once again one sees the strange side of life because we have always been used to Jordan with long hair and one does not realise how stunning she actually looks with short hair.

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child. ~Linda Sunshine

 

The Proverbial 'little finger' and the meaning of Reputable

Reputable, according to the dictionary means; 'having a good reputation; honoured, trustworthy, or respectable'.

Its great for a child to feel comfortable with a doctor but one expects that to remain on somewhat of a medical level. But No ... not for Kirstin because there are far more important questions to ask a doctor than those relating to medicine. So when the doctor, after a check up, asks if she has any questions ... the answer is Yes ... can I eat Kentucky!! So in keeping with medical diplomacy the doctor informs her that she can eat take away, now and again, as long as it is from a reputable place.

Now for Round 2; What is the logical meaning of the word reputable? No ... not what the dictionary says ... what does 'a Kentucky addict' say ... well its easy! Reputable place means the Kentucky that is still newly opened and has never caused any stomach problems before ... case closed!

To cut a long story short, we succumbed to the parental downfall of the 'little finger' and got KFC. To add insult to parental injury Kirstin had no 'side effects' as a result of the KFC so now basically we are somewhat ....

Chemo Regimen 2 is History - On paper anyway ...

Regimen 2 is done and gone by not quite yet forgotten. So far the effects are much like those after regimen 1 only somewhat more intense this time around. The good old Prednisone insomnia effect has held true and the monthly 'sheep count' has begun again. The nausea, although not really more intense, is now longer lasting but the 'new medical breakthrough' of 'force it down with food' is still proving successful.

So here is the run down of how she feels after Round No. 2:
Fatigue plus some ...

The fatigue has brought a new buddy with this time in the form of 'low energy levels'. This is seriously frustrating Kirstin given her history of obsessive sportiness. Doing stuff now takes a 'dash of effort' but luckily her frustration and dislike for laziness keeps it at bay.

Hair loss revenge ...
If hair loss is not bad enough then chemo will give an added bonus in the form of a slight and so far small follicle rash but its easily managed using Elizabeth Anne's or Johnson's Shampoo.

Smash and Grab ...

For this side effect you will need the following equipment: Broom, mop, bucket, packet and an account at Console glass ... Yes unfortunately it is a side effect ... the 'slippery hands' syndrome. If its a glass and it contains liquid, then its bound to fall. No wonder they don't let chemo patients drink alcohol ... imagine that 'balance a glass act' .... Console would become the new Bill Gates.

But the good news is that her blood count is, and I quote, very good for the end of regimen 2. Kirstin is now on 'chemo break' until the 23rd when they are going to perform the second PET scan.

Mothers Day - 'Shake' the Food Police for Supper

Mothers Day, a chance to thank mom for being mom and a golden opportunity to eat out and indulge just a little bit. Well maybe make that 'a silver opportunity' because its moms choice to eat at Ocean Basket but if it was Kirstins choice .... think about .... KENTUCKY!! But hey it still beats Mr and Mrs Bland from the home stove.

The calamari and chips, not to mention the sorbet, were a welcome change even if it requires a dash of payback tomorrow

As Kirstin will argue, she is already nauseas and tired, hey ... 'in for a penny in for a pound' so bring on the highlight of the day ... Hot Chocolate

Chemo: Round 2 - Day 1 to 3 and the Burger Pill

Regimen 1 is 'in the bag' and we have almost conquered regimen 2. Today was Day 3 of Chemo Regimen 2 and so far so good. The side effects are much like those experienced during regimen 1 except that this time the fatigue and nausea are a lot worse. Again she is battling to sleep but is however, so far, getting in a few more hours than during regimen 1. The nausea, as opposed to just during the chemo infusion, is now continuous throughout the day but the nausea pills are still 'standing their ground'.

Kirstin's medical break through - The burger pill:
Four of the drips "feel as though they are coming up her throat" so Kirstin's scientific analysis of this is that if the fluid is coming up her throat then surely she must get something to counteract that by forcing it back down!! So today, I finally gave in to that logic and got her a chicken burger which she promptly ate and ..... well apparently this 'logic' worked and she felt less nauseas. I do however have my doubts as to whether the medical industry is going to buy into this finding but I do believe that Burger King will jump at this as a source of advertising.
So the moral of the story is simple: The tools for chemo will now be ... book, PSP and a Chicken Burger.

Peoples Generosity

'Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity'
Jose Marti

One only truly realises peoples 'softer' or caring sides when one is caught up in some or other traumatic or problematic situation. Without these situations its actually easy to see the human race as nothing more than people living 'in their own worlds'. We as a family have been stunned at the generosity of friends, acquaintances and colleague's who have all somehow or somewhere shown their support to Kirstin.

The management and staff of her school, Willowridge High School, have and still are doing everything to help and guide her. Schools often profess that the scholars well being is important but 'Willows' has shown it to be true in all aspects.

People from all friendship circles continually send messages or contact us for updates, some have provided meals, others have provided moral support and comfort and some have showered Kirstin in gifts, everything from hats and scarves to books and movies and even a PSP which has proved to be a great entertainment tool for the long chemo hours. Then of course there are those that 'knock the wind out your sails', probably because one does not really expect a specific response from a specific person, like our pharmacist who specially ordered head scarves from Cape Town or a friend of ours who brought her the most awesome gold necklace and cancer pendant. The necklace has gone straight to the safe because Kirstin wants to debut it at her matric dance. For those that will not be attending the dance, here is your sneak preview: 

Like they say 'every dark cloud has a silver lining' and of the many things that we have learned on this journey so far is that people are still inherently caring and generous in many different ways.

Day before Chemo - Round 2

As Kirstin will tell you .. the chemo regimen days are not really fun days and although the chemo is actually only 4 days, the reality is that for 13 days she does not really feel like herself. So the day before chemo was also a public holiday and Kirstin is feeling strong, so then 'lets head off back to mother nature', this time we visited the Rhino and Lion Park in Krugersdorp. Its one of our favourites because one can get up close with the 'king of the beasts' and even play with them before they realise that they are destined to grow up to be mans feared friend. Apart from the lions, the park has numerous antelope and the real beauty of this park is that one is guaranteed of a 'sighting' of all the animals.

The vast lion camp allows for awesome and up close views of the lions from ones own vehicle

Today they had baby tigers which was a nice change for everyone to interact with

And Kirstin decided to break from the usual lion play to get to know Mojo, the Serval

After a good day interacting with mother nature, we are ready to tackle the 'big bad red drip' again

Chemo companion by day .... terrorist by night

Abby, the Jack Russell bought to be 'Kirstins best friend', was meant to be a hyper-active little thing that would keep Kirstin active and busy .... well nowhere in the dictionary does the word hyper-active make any reference to terrorism ... because it should!! Abby is beyond hyper-active and just has no end. In fact she causes more fatigue than chemotherapy does. She has accepted Kirstin as her mother and when Kirstin is not at home, well now ... hell hath no fury like a Abby who cant find her mother !

Stress can sometimes be 'just a wasted emotion'

How often don't we stress about something and when the day comes for us to face that stress we suddenly realise that all that stress was a bit of a wasted emotion. Kirstin like any other sane young girl had visions of looking hideous with short or no hair .... but alas she has now realised that she does not look nearly as 'scary' as she had envisaged .... in fact she actually has realised that 'its not so ugly after all'

And here are her entries for cancer patient of the year .....