NEW!

I'm trying out a new blog.  To see it click on the word "blog" below.  

                                 BLOG

spoke too soon

Guess I'm only human.  Thought my second round of chemo was going to be as "easy" as the first but....... NOOOO.  I'm experiencing way more nausea unfortunately.  I don't think the chemo got stronger but perhaps my body is a bit weaker.

However, I'm a fighter and will get continue to improve - for sure!

Thanks for all the compliments about my bald head.  :) Here's another picture from the barber shop.

Had my second round of chemo today.  It was fine and I feel ok tonight.  My uncle Eddie has been here since Tuesday.  This is a photo of us at taken yesterday at the barber shop.  Eddie leaves tomorrow.  It sure was wonderful being with him.

Time for bed!

Love to all of you.

No Words Necessary

New Look

Here I am with Ladi - the nicest hairdresser ever.  He came to my house for this big event and made me feel like it was all ok.  He even put on one of my hats!

Not ready to show any photos of me without a hat.... yet.

I'm doing ok and am really glad it's over!

Bad Hair Day

So today's the big day.  I'm shaving my head this afternoon!  My hair is falling out more each day so I might as well just do it. My hair guy (Ladi) is coming to the house - so sweet.I have a bunch of hats and scarves.  Will have to see which ones look ok.

This is going to be weird...

Back In Treatment

Hopefully some of you know about this show.  I just watched the first two new episodes with Theresa.  We are total groupies and sat here enjoying looking at Gabriel Byrne and listening to everyone else's problems!

FYI - the show is on HBO on Sundays and Mondays.  

News alert:  My hair is really starting to fall out.  Look for updated photos later this week.

Today has been a nice and relaxing day.   The weather is spectacular!  We sat by the pool, sat on our outdoor patio and pretty much did nothing!  So glad I was able to come here.  The pain is less than it was yesterday.   

More soon...

ojai

Every time I come here I love it.  Sometimes I come for workshops.  Sometimes I come for fancy spa treatments.  But not matter what- it's always perfect.  Even when it rains - like it did the last time I was here with Jessica, Katie, and Cathy.

This time I'm with Tracy and we're at the Emerald Iguana.  Some of you know it -because I've been here with you!  We have a two bedroom cottage w/ two patios, cozy living room and a kitchen.  On the agenda tonight:  dinner and movies.

Hope you all have a great weekend!  If you're still having trouble posting on my blog feel free to just email me instead.

More soon..

Answer

Well, thank you to Rachel  and Peggy  for at least trying to answer my question on the last post.

Here's the answer..... (drum roll please).......  The thing that's different is that I'm wearing a shirt that is NOT a button down shirt.   Might not seem like a big deal to you but it means that I could lift my arms up enough to get in and out of a pull-over shirt. PROGRESS!!  Baby steps - yay!!

Now that I'm going to physical therapy I should improve at a quicker speed. Action - I need it.  It's all about the solutions not the problems.

BTW I loved being at my Wed night AA meeting last night. It was wonderful to see everyone and be part of the meeting again.

I'll write to you next from beautiful Ojai.  BFN

Guessing Game

Had a great morning.  Do you notice anything different about me (not the movie star sunglasses)?  Check back later for the answer.

Night Time Blues

Nights are the hardest time usually for me.  Last night I was up from 2-4AM trying to get back to sleep but dealing with a busy head.  I was listening to Pink Martini (do you know about this fantastic band from Portland?) and the song "Hang on Little Tomato" came on.  I've heard this song so many times but last night I really heard the lyrics and found it to be a song of hope.

Click on the word TOMATO to see the lyrics.  Hopefully the link will work!

Tonight I'm going to my women's meeting for the first time in weeks.  Can't wait!

That's it for now.

I went to Century City with David this afternoon.  Only went to two stores:  The Apple Store (what was your first clue?!) and Gelsons.  

Life is good.

A Quickie

Thought I'd do a quick post before going to bed.  Had a really good day today.  Felt good yesterday too.  Looking forward to the week ahead.  Check back soon for more info!

xoox Amy

Blood Work

Today I went to Tower Oncology to do some blood work.  They pricked my finger (ow!) and filled up a few things of blood.  The results were back quickly.  My numbers are low and that is expected while being on chemo. For those of you interested in numbers and/or those that understand this - read on.

My WBC was 1.14 down from 7.9.   Biggest drop is the platelet count. It is 87,000 and before it was 256,000.  Yipes!

Mainly they told me to watch out for fevers (100.5 or higher then I have to call) and infections.  Not planning on either anyway!

Battled more today with nausea and thankfully the meds helped.

It was a long day.  Time for bed now.

xox

 

A Quiet Day

Today was a relatively quiet day.  I had a great session with Kim (as always) and spent the afternoon at home.

I spoke with an old high school friend that I haven't seen since 9th  grade.  What a trip!  She lives in Utah and has seven kids.  We found each other on Facebook- so much fun.

Tonight a great food gift arrived.  It's from a company called California Chef Services.  I got to order 4 dinners and they all got here tonight.  And the food is delicious!

Tomorrow I go to the chemo place to have my blood checked.  Big whoop...

I hope you like this photo.  Cute kids huh?!

Hope you'll continue to check in here.

Bye for now.

Coping

  My chest hurts because I had 50cc of saline injected into me today.  This happens every week.  Anyway, it was suggested that I try to distract myself from all this pain.  So I've been playing on Photo Booth on my computer.

Any other suggestions for further distractions would be greatly appreciated!  :)

Stock Tip: buy shares of Purell!

Hello friends and family--

This is Cathy. I've been back in LA since Saturday and it's been so great to be back with Amy.  While I wouldn't ever say that chemo AGREES with her, I would say that so far it's  been way easier for her than we feared.  There has been no horrible nausea, no throwing up, nothing really unbearable.  There has been some mild nausea, but it's always been wonderfully responsive to the anti-nausea meds she has.  She is tired but she has bursts of energy sometimes during the day and we've gone out for walks each of these last three days.  Very wonderful and encouraging, especially because these are the "hard days" of the first week! She even went to her women's AA meeting tonight which was great for her.

Thanks to all of you who have continued to support her, bring her food, visit, email or call her, etc.  Your love is very apparent and means so much.

Now that Amy has started her chemo cycles, I wanted to let everyone know that it is super important that exposure to other people's germs is greatly limited.  The chemo, in all it's glory, also wears down her immunity which means if someone who has a cold visits her, she is likely to get it, and it could end up being more than a cold for her--which would not be good . So please--if you do come visit, please be sure to remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water (for 15 seconds!) as soon as you arrive at the house--before hugs or kisses!  Also, if you cook any food for her, it's especially important that you create your gourmet meals with extra clean hands.  Thanks for remembering these details!

Again, many thanks for all your love and support.

Cathy

Out and About

Yesterday I went for a walk with my sister.  It was a beautiful day outside and we took this photo to show that I AM getting  out of the house!  I also wanted to show off  my new "movie star" sunglasses.

Today we went to the chemo place (also known as Tower Oncology) to get my port checked.  It's bandaged up and there was blood and that freaked me out a bit.  Needed to be sure that it was ok.  Angela - the nicest nurse practitioner looked at it and put on a new dressing and said it was fine.  I felt much better!

My appetite is very low today although I did eat a decent breakfast.  Trying also to drink a ton of water (at least it feels like that to me).  Pain is better at the moment.  Just doing it one day at a time.

More soon...

Saturday update

My friend Katie flew back to Portland this morning and I miss her already.  She took me to a zillion doctor appointments last week and went with me to my first chemo session.  More  importantly i got to just be with her and let her help me.  Again, I am overwhelmed with the love and support I have from all of you.

Jessica flew in Friday night and we've been roommates for the weekend!  LOVE having her here.  She's making dinner tonight - yay!  More good news: my sister will be here tonight and is staying until Wed.

Quick physical update:

Went for hydration yesterday.  The hard part was getting a nasty shot that is supposed to help my white (red?) blood cell count.  Mainly it hurt my arm and it's still so stiff and sore today.  I was nauseous last night for the first time but the medication helped immediately and I even slept longer. 

I rebounded a bit today and had fun visiting with Tracy, Kathy and Nynette.  Tracy and I even made it over to the new Anthropologie store that is right around the corner!

I'm feeling tired but hopeful.  Thanks again for all your love.

Day One - check it off

Well, I made it through my first chemo session.  It was a piece of cake - really.  First they did my blood work then they started hydration and then started the chemo drugs.  My port in my arm worked perfectly.  The nurses were nice and the chair was comfy. Katie kept me company.  David brought lunch and before you knew it it was time to leave!

Tomorrow I go back for just hydration.  Jessica will go with me because she will be here tonight!  Yay

Now we just have to hope that I don't get the typical side effects like nausea. 

One down, five to go.

Big Day

I tried to find a joke or cartoon to start this blog but nothing caught my attention.  So today is my first chemo session.  David and Katie are going with me.  We'll be there for about 5 hours.  I packed a bag as if I were flying on a plane to NY.  I have my laptop (of course), Kindle, magazines, cords, meds, and wallet.  I do know how to keep my self busy.

I need you guys to continue sending positive thoughts and prayers ok?  I know you will and believe me I can use it.  Chemo is needed and important and I am trying to remain grateful that there IS a treatment for me.  So my intention today is to go in there with positive thoughts and images.  Screw the fear - I can handle it.   Tougher than I look!

Check back later for an update.

xox

Too MUch Information

Today I went to Cedars to have a chemo port put in my arm.  This is a picture of it.  They threaded the blue line through one of my main arteries starting from my upper arm then across my chest.  They followed the progress on a screen.  Once the line was in place the chemo port was attached at the end of the line - under my skin.  They numbed the area and so all I really felt was pressure and some serious discomfort with the position of my arm.  Why did I do all this?  Because now each time I go for chemo they will inject the chemo drugs through the port .  The major drag was that we had to wait TWO HOURS before they did anything. This did not make me happy.

Next I went for my echocardiogram appointment but right when we got to the office we found out that the machine was broken.  So they've rescheduled me to go some place else tomorrow.

The last part of the day was at the oncologist's office for the Chemo 101 class.  Turned out to be a private class with a really nice nurse.  She explained all the crappy stuff I have to look forward to with chemotherapy.  It was way too much of a reality check and i was pretty upset for awhile.  But.... now I'm smiling again!  How can that be you ask? Two words:  Fleet Enema followed by two homemade chocolate chip cookies (thank you Shelly!).  We must always keep some sense of humor to dry the tears.

Onward and Outward!

Today I went to my plastic surgeon and he injected my breasts-to-be with saline.  This will continue weekly for about 6 times.  It was a big needle but it didn't hurt.  

Katie is here from Portland and it's great to be with her.  I want to thank you guys again for all the food, phone calls, emails and more.  You know how much I appreciate it.

Tomorrow is the chemo class so check back here soon for the next update.

xox

weekend

Well, another weekend is here.  No big plans for me!  Need to rest up because I have a busy week ahead. However, I am doing a few things.... getting a haircut tomorrow.  Will be my last one for awhile right?! I also really need a manicure!  My good friend Katie is coming to visit from Portland.  She arrives on Sunday and will be here all week. 

I guess that's all for now. Glad you guys are still reading this!  Feel free to post a comment, email me, 

and/or call.  

xox Amy

Chemo and more

Got lots of info today.  Met with my plastic surgeon who said everything looks good and is healing well.  Next Monday Dr Slate will start injecting saline into my expanders.  This will continue once/week for......?  I don't know how long.

I also met with  my oncologist Dr McAndrew .  She said I will start chemo next Thursday.  But before that I have to do some more tests including an Echocardiogram for my heart.  There's even a Chemo 101 class that they encourage me to go to.  Of course I will.

So.. time to hold on as the roller coaster starts climbing the track.  Luckily I have all of you to hold on to.

xoxAmy

PS  We're ok on the chocolate now.  Thanks.

SOS

This is Amy writing for David.  He is under a lot of stress (as you can imagine) and would really like some Sees Candy.  Wait!  Keep reading.  He likes vanilla butter creams in milk or dark chocolate.

NOW LISTEN PLEASE!  I'm trying to figure out how to not get a ton of chocolate but I don't know how to monitor  that.  So I guess send some if you can but check back here quickly in case we're drowning in candy.

Hope this makes sense!

Today was a good day.  I had less pain than yesterday and I hope that's a trend that continues.  

My friend Happy (that's really her name!) came by for a visit. She is friends with my breast surgeon and also was a close friend of my mom.

Later, Samantha came over.  She is a friend from my Wednesday night women's meeting. She brought the BC Teddy Bear you see here.  Sam designed it and it's from my whole Wed. night group.  Once again I am reminded of how cool my friends are!

There will be more medical news on Wed after I see my plastic surgeon and my oncologist.

Love to you all,

Amy

Sunday Sunday

Hi on this beautiful Sunday.   More visitors today already and it's only 1pm.  Theresa here and almost asleep and I'm thinking she has the right idea!  Wait!  Alison just walked in but she is here for serious business - helping me organize everything.  She's good at that.

Tracy and her sister Dana were here earlier.  Nancy was here too!  

And me?  Feeling good at the moment.  Taking it one day at a time.

Saturday update

It was a good day.   Spent time with Maria, Susan (she washed  my hair!), Vida, and Peggy.  Felt good most of the day but now it's night and the pain is intense,  So...

good night all.

Good Morning

Well, it's 3AM and I'm awake. Tried to go back to sleep but so far no luck.  So I decided to post a quick note before trying again.  At least I'm in way less pain than when I went to bed.  That's promising!

Looking forward to the day.  Several friends are coming to visit.  How lucky am I?  Honestly I bet I have the nicest bunch of friends in the world!  Some i've known since elementary  school and others I've known for less time - but it doesn't matter.  All of you mean so much to me.  

Ok - better go.  Getting a bit "sappy" and emotional.  :)  

My intention for today is to have a bright, positive, fun-filled day!

xox Amy

Flair

Here are some cool pins - also known as Amy's Flair.  Not really important but fun to do! Keeps me distracted from some of the pain I'm having.

Quiet day.  Took a nice long nap - miracle! The Ranchita is almost done which means we will have a very cool room to hang out in.  It has a new TV on the wall as well as......... yes.....Apple TV!  Something new for me to learn.  :)

Doctor visit

Saw both of my surgeons this morning and they agreed that I'm doing well.  I was concerned about so much bruising but they said that's normal,  Want me to continue to rest - no walks outside - not even to Urth  Cafe.  :(    Rest and more rest.  Eat well and drink lots of water.  

Will see them both again next week as well as seeing my oncologist.  Busy busy!

Protector of Women

This is a photo of  a holographic figure inside a crystal cube given to me by my aunt Dianne.  (Uncle Eddie gets the photo credit though!) The figure is of Quan Yin( Guan Yin, Kwan Yin), a beloved  protectress known all over Asia.  She is generally regarded by many as the protector of women and the champion and healer of the sick.

She is also seen as a source of unconditional love and compassion. The act, thought and feeling of compassion and love is viewed as Guan Yin.  A merciful, compassionate, loving individual is said to be Guan Yin.  A meditative or contemplative state of peace with oneself and others is seen as Guan Yin.

Very cool.

Time Out

Good morning!  I am taking a break from talking about myself (phew!) and decided to make this a fun day - starting with a fun blog post.  I was roaming around online and found some classic movie quotes.  See if you can name the movie - some are easier than others!  Here we go:

1. May the force be with you.

2. You talking to me?

3.  Here's Johnny!

4. We rob banks.

5. We'll always have Paris.

6. Is it safe?

7. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

8. I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!

9.  There's no crying in baseball!

10.  La-dee-da,  la-dee-da

I guess you want to check your answers huh?  I'll post them later today or tomorrow. Or check out the AFI website and find the answers yourself.  :)

HAVE A GREAT DAY.  

XOX  Amy

Hi.  I'm back on my dad's comfy chair again tonight.  I slept pretty well on it last night. Thinking about renting one for a few months.

Had a pretty good day.  Spent time with uncle Eddie and Dianne. 

Not much to report.  Trying to stay positive and in the moment.  Still dealing with lots of pain which brings tears.  Best part though is all of you - my friends and family.  The care and love you give me really touches me. So...thanks!

New Bedroom

So I am trying to keep a sense of humor.  This is a picture of my dad's chair - the one he's always sitting on in the living room.  Tonight it is my bed.  I'm fed up with how hard it is to get on and off my real bed.  We'll see how tonight goes.

We've been having delicious dinners from friends,  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  

Wish me luck.  Good night

A quick note hello to everyone.  Why not?  What else is there to do at 1:22AM?!

Took me forever to find a way to lie down.  Lots of pain tonight.  

I'm watching Spectacle on tv.  Have you seen it?  Elvis Costello interviews different musicians each week.  Great show! It's called Spectacle 

Click on the word Spectacle to see if my link worked.

Guess what?  All this rambling has made me feel better. Thanks for listening again.

Love you guys.

Is it hot in here?

Let's catch up for two days.  Yesterday my aunt Nancy arrived on the train from San Diego.  She and David went with me to two doctor appointments where we learned that the final pathology reports held no new newsl It is great to have my aunt here.  Today Elise came to visit and she brought her 5 month old baby girl Jensen. So sweet.  Later in the day I went to my appointment with Kim.  Honestly there are not enough words in my vocabulary to explain how much Kim helps me.  Those of you who have worked with her understand.

Tonight was our first "room service" night.  Vicki has taken this important job so if you want to bring us food please contact Vicki.  BTW it was delicious Vicki - thank you!

I am feeling better than when I last wrote here.  Mornings are my best time.  This was true even before I had breast cancer.  But now it's 10pm and I'm pooped.  Well, actually I am not literally pooped but that's another story.  :)

Good night.  Stay tuned for more exciting adventures!

Crap

Feel like shit tonight.  They took the drains out and everything hurts.

Just had to get that "off my chest" so to speak.

Luckily tomorrow is another day,  Thanks for listening.

xox

I Want to Hold Your Hand

I searched for the best sister quote but none of them could be used to describe my sister.  Cathy was with me through it all.  She even spent every night on a cot in my hospital room.   She washed my face and fluffed the pillows.  She helped me get in and out of bed through tears of pain.  Cathy showed a tenderness I knew was there but had really never experienced so personally.  She held my hand all the way.

Cathy flew back to Oakland on Monday. It was so hard to say good bye.  But I thank Janet, Caleb, and Francesca for letting me "borrow" her for so long.

I truly have the best family.

xox Amy

Shalom Cedars-Sinai Hospital!

Left the hospital today.  Felt good to get home yet challenging as well. I've been ordered to rest and I'm not so good at that even though I know it's important. Luckily tomorrow is another day. Miles and David were waiting for me in the driveway and came running up when we pulled the car in. I watched the Academy Awards but found it hard to pay attention. Had the most delicious vegetable lasagna that Rachel (Jessica's friend) made. Thanks, Rachel! There are other goodies here as well, including my big bed with wonderful, new sheets. Time to go to sleep, more soon.

A Special Get Well Card

The photo above shows a wonderful card created by Mary, a friend from my Wednesday night meeting.  She made paper doll cut-outs, individually dressed them, and then asked each of the women at the meeting to write a note to me on a doll. What's really cool about it is they are self-standing and they form a circle as if they were holding hands, just as we do at the end of each meeting. Thanks Mary, it is very special.

Good news from today: lots of small but important progress.  Doesn't sound like a big deal until it is a big deal. For example, getting up from a chair by myself, walking to the toilet and using it, all unassisted. I have new glasses so I can see clearly and walk without the walker, although the geriatrics are still passing me in the left lane. Starting to eat more, getting bothered more--I must be getting better. I'm no longer on IV meds so my pole dancing practice has ended. You didn't know I was doing that, did you...it was my secret.

I'm sad to report that there was some tension between my sister and me. A seemingly nice and very professional woman who is the Patient Relations Coordinator came into the room, saw Cathy and me, and said to Cathy, "Oh, you must be the mom, you look so much alike."  WELL! We were both appalled! It wasn't clear who she was saying was "the mom." Cathy insisted it was me, and I insisted it was her. Luckily the tension has passed...we've got other things to think about.

I picked out a gown to wear to the Academy Awards tomorrow night; that would be my pink nightgown. Have a good Sunday. More posts soon!

TGIF

Lots of good stuff to report today. Although I had a restless night, my day as been filled with great achievements. The biggest news is that I WALKED all the way down the hall and back three different times today. I wasn't the speediest person; I was in the slow lane, and wasn't thrilled that older people were passing me, but I let it go! When I wasn't walking, I was sitting in a chair for much of the day--way different than yesterday. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you: the first thing I did this morning even before getting out of bed was video Skype with my sweet boy!  Austin seems happy and is getting ready to go with a big group to Carnaval in Basque country. 

The picture above shows me with my "left-hand man," Fernando, one of  my favorite nurses.  He was my companion during each walk today.

The last bit of news is that I now need to get out of bed to use the bathroom. For some reason they gave me an extra-large commode. This insulted me, but Fernando claimed it was the only one available.  Hmmm...

That's all for now.  Glad you're still reading this blog!  You know me, I check for comments all the time.  Reminder: if you are having trouble posting your comment (and you know who you are!) just email Theresa (theresachaides@mac.com) and she will do it for you.

Beautiful Photo

I just had to post this picture of Caleb and Francesca, my nephew and niece, because it  warmed my heart. 

Day Two!

It’s already 3:45pm EST and I am finally able to sit down, put work on hold and let all you wonderful people know how the glorious Amy Halliburton is doing today.

Despite a few meds-interrupted moments, Amy slept very well last night. The pain in her chest and her arm is unquestionably still present but the intensity has begun to subside. Before Noon she was already able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. 24 hours ago she couldn’t move her arm and now she has been out of bed and plans to start walking by dinner. Speaking of dinner, solid foods are now working their way back into Amy’s diet. Rumor has it that David is concocting a fresh, scrumptious salad to celebrate. These are all very great and comforting signs of the healing progress that still has a ways to go. Not that any of us are surprised by the unwavering amelioration Amy has summoned in her body.

All of your emails and calls and blog comments are much much appreciated, I hope you all know that. Have a wonderful rest of your Thursday.

Amy's CockamAmy

Cathy here (on Amy's computer).

Since Amy got out of surgery yesterday, her usual amusing sense of humor has been greatly enhanced by her pain meds, and she has been hysterically funny. She had me rolling on the floor last night --I thought they might kick me out of the Recovery Room.  Below is a sample of some of the "gems" she has spoken to either David or me; hopefully they'll be even a little funny to you all (meaning I hope they're not all "guess you had to be there" pieces of humor). 

1. One of the first things Amy said to David when he went into see her in the Recovery Room last night was: "I caught a fish for you!"

2. "I don't know where my face cream is but I know where my emails are!"  Don't recall the context (was there one?) but it was quite amusing.

3. "Find me a listserv!"  (Some background: Amy is envious of me because I am on so many electronic listservs. She thinks it's a unique northern California phenomenon. Personally, I don't think it's so wonderful, as they mainly clog up my email inbox.)

4. "The phone keeps ringing and it's never for me! It's all about me." (Said in the busy Recovery Room with phones ringing and subsequently overhearing lots of conversations.)

5. Said under the same conditions as #4: "I can hear very well. Its enhanced my hearing to have my boobs out of the way."

6. When told that I was emailing Jessica updates about Amy's surgery when she was flying back to NY yesterday: "Jessica can have Internet access 38,000 ft up in the air and I can't get it at Marquez!" (Marquez is the school she worked at for years in the Palisades--and still works there one day a week.)

7. When waiting to be moved from the Recovery Room to her room (which of course was ready to happen right when the the nurses' shift change began): "What kind of hotel is this?  Isn't check-in normally at 4pm?"

8. Said to Dr. Slate, her beloved plastic surgeon: "I don't let anyone boss me around except you--not even my husband or my sister."

9. Followed by: "You are my new best friend; I love you."

10. Said to me when I told her she must exercise her lungs using the plastic inhalation tool: "You're mean. You're like Nurse Ratchet.  I want a nice nurse!"

11. Said to David today when describing her great room, a.k.a. the "Elizabeth Taylor Suite": "Katie Perkins told me that it's South Central LA outside one window and Century City out the other." (Only issue with this is that Amy's friend Katie is at home in Portland right now.)

12. Amy asked her wonderful nurse Edwin if there have been any stars who have stayed in her room.  He said "yes".  She said "who?" He said "I can't tell you."  Amy persisted. He then joked (since they had just bonded around both being Mac lovers) that if she gave him her new sleek Mac laptop, maybe he'd tell her.  Amy said: "I don't want to know that badly." (And, just for the record, in case there are any Cedars spies reading this blog, Edwin did his job!  He was great!  There was no way he was going to betray his patients' confidentiality...I promise.)

There you have it.  Hope this has been at least somewhat entertaining. If we're lucky, there will be more gems to come. No--actually, we're hoping for a lot less pain and a speedy disappearance of all pain meds!  

Love to you all. Your love and support is carrying Amy through this challenging time.

Cathy

The Morning After

Good Morning everyone.

I spoke to Amy about an hour ago and I wanted to send a quick update.

She sounds wonderful if a bit loopy (which is impressive considering the pain medication she is on is rumored to be eight times as strong as morphine). Amy is, understandably, still in a large amount of pain but said super drugs are definitely working. She is in a large, very comfortable hospital room which she has nicknamed the “Elizabeth Taylor Suite,” offering a wonderful view of Century City. Water has, according to her “never tasted so good” and is pretty much the only thing she can consume at this point.

Amy and I also want to take this time to mention again how fantastic Cathy has been pre and post surgery. Lack of sleep has not hindered her tenacious strength and organization with all hospital matters. Her nursing skills are incredibly impressive and much better than I could ever do.

Stay tuned for a special “Amy’s funny drug-induced non-sequiturs” post.

Finally

After almost nine hours, Amy is officially out of surgery!  As Cathy mentioned earlier, the lymph notes came back negative, there weren't complications during any of the procedures and the doctors expect a normal and healthy recovery.

Amy will most likely be in the recovery room for another two or three hours after which we'll post another update to let you know how she's feeling.  

The energy that everyone has been sending today has done wonders.  Sleep well and we'll be sure to touch base soon.   

Help Has Arrived For Posting Comments

Since some of you are having trouble posting comments to the blog, we now have a newly designated "Blog Assistant" to help you--Amy's friend Theresa has offered to help. If you need help posting a comment, you can email Theresa at theresachaides@mac.com. She can either walk you through how to post or post for you. Keep those comments coming...Amy will be most grateful.

xxooCathy

Surgery is Going Well

hi everyone,

Just want to report that the surgery is going fine so far. They're running late as they got a late start this morning. The very good news is that it's very likely that the lymph nodes are negative (analysis in OR showed they were negative, and we'll get final confirmation on that in a couple of days). This is great news! We're told Amy is doing fine in the surgery.  It should last another hour.  Wanted to send this update as we thought Amy would be in the recovery room by now and didn't want anyone to worry. Plus, Amy would be most upset if I didn't keep up with my communication responsibilities!

Love to you all,

Cathy

BiG Day

Oops clicked on publish too quickly!  Anyway off we go tomorrow.  Have  to be there at 5:30

Had only liquid dinner - very boring

Check your email between 2 and 3 for an update on my condition.

Think good thoughts.  :)   Love you all.

Tomorrow is the big day.

How to Leave a Comment!

Hi.  I know some of you are having trouble leaving a comment on my blog.  Try this:

1. Click on "comments"

2. Write your comment in the box

3. Choose "Name/Url" under profile

4. Type in your name - leave url blank

5. Click on "post comment"

6. A word for you to type should appear.  If it does, type the word and then follow instructions.

7.  If the word doesn't appear, type in some random letters and click continue.  Keep trying and you will get a word to type in.  Then click "post comment".

I know this sounds very very complicated but you can do it!  Pretend I'm sitting next to you and don't give up! I LOVE getting comments -really I do!  Get it?  Just try again - for me.  

Saturday, February 14th

Hi everyone,

The day of my surgery is almost here (Tuesday) and I've been thinking about the details of that day.  I know that I will need to get as much rest as possible and I've decided that I will not be able to visit with anyone on Tuesday other than David and my sister Cathy. The surgery will be long - six hours or even more. Of course you are welcome to be in the waiting room for any of that time if you want to. Please feel free to be there if you want to be there.  Once I'm in the recovery room Cathy will send a group email letting you know that everything went well.

I think I will be in the hospital for several days and I really hope I will be able to have visitors at some point. Jessica will keep updating the blog re: my condition.  

 Many of you have offered to bring food to my house or drive me to chemo appointments. We will be posting a calendar online that you can use to sign up on certain days to help.  This way we won't receive 5 pots of chicken soup in one day!  Information about the calendar will be on the blog soon.

Again, I want to thank you for your love and support.  I can't express how much it helps me.  I have the best friends and family in the world!

Love,

Amy

PS Hope you like the cartoon.  I'm trying  to stay positive and humor helps!

Thursday, February 12th

Serenity- the state of being calm and peaceful.  This is what I'm working on and have already found moments of peace. I am very hopeful and am trying to stay positive!  

This morning I met the doctor who will be taking out my ovaries.  He's a gynecological oncologist (try to say THAT 3 times real fast!) and I liked him a lot.  Went back to Cedars in the afternoon for a pelvic ultrasound.  I will spare  you those details.

My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.  I will  write more about that soon.

BTW - Vicki - I had an egg sandwich for lunch from the Urth Cafe!  :)

I feel blessed to have so much love and support.  Thank you.

Love, Amy

Wednesday, Feb 11th

Hi. Went to Cedars yesterday morning for pre-op tests:  EKG, blood tests and more blood tests.  Later I went to my local pharmacy to pick up some meds.  I told Ari, the pharmacist about my cancer diagnosis and he gave me this cute Beanie Baby.  He said he'd had it downstairs for three years and wanted to give it to me.  So sweet.

I'm meeting with a gynecological oncologist tomorrow because I also have to have my ovaries removed.  This is to protect me from getting ovarian cancer. Because I have the BRCA-1 gene my risk of that cancer is greatly increased.

Today is a shopping day - yay!  Looking for a comfy robe and some more sweatpants and loose tops.  Will write again soon when I have more info.

Love you!

Sunday 2/8

Hi everyone,

Like my new hair?  Decided it was the right time for a change.  In case you don't know - that's my dog Miles.  He's been staying close to me and we both like our scarves.  :)

Mainly I just want to let you know how much I appreciate all your love and support.  I'm really enjoying reading the comments on the blog - so keep them coming!

Spent Friday night in Ojai with Jessica, Cathy, and Katie (my friend from Portland).  Had an amazing session with Kim and she helped me as always.  

I have 3 doctor appointments tomorrow and should know my surgery date soon.  Keep checking the blog for the updates.

That's all for now.  xoxo

Greetings ta-ta supporters.  Welcome to the informative chemo-updating, cancer-ass-kicking and general life celebrating world of Amy Halliburton.  Here you will learn an array of matters including the intricacies of Amy's cancer and updates from the doctors.

This blog was created as a way to keep all loved ones updated at once without a particular handful of people answering the phones thirty times a day (as much as we love talking, there is laundry to be done sometimes..).  If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this site and we will make sure to answer everything in the subsequent post. 

Lastly, thank you all for your concern, your support and most of all your love.