Sweet Home Chicago

Last day in NYC. Can't wait to get home. I've never been away for 3 weeks at a crack.

Saw Dr. Fong yesterday.  The pathology on the tumors they removed showed 80-90% necrosis - meaning dead tissue.  He wants me to do scans in 3 months then 6 months so he can review.  He also recommends 3 months of chemo starting in 3 weeks, to kill any micrscopic cancer cells that may still be lingering in the liver.

So those are my marching orders.  I think I can handle it!

And Now To Move Forward, One Step At A Time

We did it Prayer Warriors...We Did It!  Yippe Yahoo and Halleluejia!!!

One week post-surgery and I am now recouperating at Miracle House, with Lee, Katie, Julie and a weekend visit from the kids. (peaceful R&R???).  I feel like someone beat the snot out of me with a brick. I have one long  L-shaped scar on my torso, so as you can imagine, the scabby, tight sutures and soreness of the area limits mobility.  But, One step at a time, one stretch at a time, one lap at a time to return to strength and comfort.  Heck, I've been through enough surgeries this past year, I know the drill by now!

Kate & I took a stroll around the neighborhood today.  I alternated between wheelchair and walking and hoping Katie wasn't going to pull a "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" on me.  That's all I need is to be catapulted out of the wheelchair onto a dog-poop filled New York Sidewalk!!!

My oncologist, Dr. Lo, called me last night and was so happy to hear the news of my successful surgery.

I'll see Dr. Fong Monday for a follow-up and hopefully he will have the pathology on the removed tumors.

I asked the rounding Doctor the other day - "So, does this mean I'm Cancer Free - NED (No Evidence of Disease) and he said the best word ever..."Yes".

I will have a lot of mental and emotioal transitioning to do in addition to my physical rehab.  After a year of complete and utter Fear, Sadness, Pain, Confusion, I now need to "live" in a new way I suppose.

So my Prayer Warriors - Rejoice in the MIRACLE you created, I sure will.

XOXOX

Peggy

Something occurred to me yesterday. Throughout Peg's journey people have said the words, "I'm praying for her." The words have been said to me, my parents, and my brothers over and over.What struck me yesterday is how far and wide Peg has been prayed for. The trickle affect of knowing someone who needs to be prayed for and passing that on is truly AWESOME.Our sister-in-law, Ruth, told me that while praying for Peg yesterday she just wasn't sure she was being heard so she wanted to make certain and asked a few of her friends to join her and when they finished she knew she was heard. Ruth is in Virginia. Lee's parents called the night before and they had their church praying for Peg. They live in California. Peg has a friend, Peter, in New York praying for her and Kirsten in South Carolina. She has made new connections and reconnected with old friends in other countries and they prayed for her.Of course, we cannot leave out all the local prayer warriors as well, but I think you get my point.  

I did speak to Peggy this morning. She sounded pretty good and is very happy with the outcome. True to Peg's nature, she is already worrying about the future and the chance of  reoccurrence. I hope she can take some time to bask in the glory of this ongoing miracle for a while.

Katie


     

Post Surgery News

Peg is out of surgery and doing well. It was expected to last 3 1/2 to 4 hours but Dr. Fong was done in about 2 hours which of course had Lee and my folks scared when he came walking out that soon. It was all good news.Only 40% of Peg's liver had to be removed. There is one tumor remaining of the 8 or 9 that he could not remove because it is too close to blood vessels. He cauterized it or as Lee put it, "fried the shit out of it" to kill any remaining live cancer cells that might be there. It hasn't been determined if she will need further treatment..

That's all for now. The rush of relief I've been waiting for has just come in a flood of tears. Can't type and cry anymore.

Thank you everyone for all your continued prayers and good wishes,

Katie

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight, Peggy's Gettin' Fonged

Last post before I go under the knife. 

Lee & I took a walk along the Hudson River from 43rd Ave up to 60th/Columbus Circle and Central Park.  The sun was finally out in NYC so people were out in droves and lovin' the Big Apple.  Tremendous people watching.

My Mom & Dad arrived at the apartment about 3 PM and Lee took them to get Bus passes, food, and they are at dinner now. 

Me.  I am nursing that nasty Magensium Citrate - I used to chug beer, you think I could chug this crud??!!!
I'll pack my hopsital bag, take a super luxurious shower with Hibiclens - some de-germing stuff the hospital wants me to use, then try and not think about FOOD.

Good Night My lovely wonderful Warriors.  It's almost embarassing the abundant, over-flowing love and prayers that are on steroids right now for me.  I thank you all, and am forever greatful for your unending faithful prayer

XOXO

Peggy

Live In New York, It's........

Lee & I made it safely to NYC Satruday.  Rained cats & dogs Saturday, most of Sunday and now just drizzly.  I'm blogging from the waiting room of SLoan Kettering Outpatient Center, waiting to do pre-op Testing:  EKG, blood draws, Chest X-Ray.  IT'll be a long wait as the waiting room is packed.  A year of chemo treatments and multiple ER visits and surgeries, I know the waiting game.

Today is the last day I can eat food, so as soon as I'm sprung this afternoon, I need to be a locust and eat my way through NYC for the next few hours.

Lee snapped a picture of Me and Dr. Fong at my pre-op visit today, I'll try and post it tonight.  He thinks this willl be a successful surgery - meaning he can get all the tumors....there's something about him that is so peaceful, yet authoritative and confident.  He can be talking Valkan and you'd beleive him!  It's comforting.

Thankk God for Lee, he has the NYC Bus system pretty much down.  I told him "Thank God you're here to navigate so I only halfpay attention"  which is about all I'm capable of right now in my spazzy pre-op state of mind.

No NY moments, except the dead umbrellas.  AFter the major storm on Satruday, all you see on the sidewalks are abandoned umbrellas, turned inside out and destroyed becasue it was soooo windy Satruday.  I'll try and snap a picutre.

Oh and ther was a guy on the bus this morning with the nastiest breath ever, it envolped me like a cloud of nastiness, and I just tried to breath into Lee's neck for a whiff of cologne, anything to disband the halitosis.

XOXOXOX

Peggy

See Ya In New York - I'm Gettin' FONGED!!!!

Why am I blogging when I should be writing lists and mailing bills and packing for New York?  well, because I have diarreah of the mouth and mind and would much rather commuicate than work!!!!

Katie will post updates post-surgery, I'll take over when I stop drooling and hitting the morphine pump.

Do you think Dr. Fong would mind that I just made a verb out of his name?

Fong; Fonging; Fonged - to perform life-saving oncological surgery on dieseased organs; to scoop out nasty-ass tumors...feel free to add your ownd definitions!

XOXOXOXO

Abundant Blessings

Two days before take off.  So much on my mind.

Blessing #525,600
Last Saturday, my school friends and their spouses gathered at Julianna and Brian's home for what has become a wonderful habit of get-togethers.  As I've blogged about in the past, this group of grade school/high school friends gathered around me last Spring and have been by my side ever since. So it took cancer to get us all back in the habit of spending time with each other, who cares.  That's not what's important, I don't have to tell you that.

It's that beauty of reconnecting with people you are so fond of.  It's the ability to fall back into comfortable, easy, I-knew-you-when realtaionships.  It's also wonderful knowing these friends as the women they've become.  We all have this abudance of life experience under our wings now and to be able to appreciate these women on a different level, applaud all their accomplishements, be empathetic to their struggles is a beautiful thing.  And a shout-out to the Spouses who so patiently step aside, let us cackle and laugh and manage 6 conversations at once, they get it, and we love them all the more for it!

Blessing #525,601
Tuesday Night was a gathering of new friends - the Women from the Wellness House Support Group.  Betty hosted dinner at her home and a beautiful evening of Cancer Warriors circled around me for my send-off to Hope.  I'm crying now as I type, so I think I'll stop now.  Here's a picture of these fierce, gorgeous cancer survivors...I love you all!!!

Countdown to New York

One week from TODAY Lee & I will be on a plane east.  Continuing the journey toward HOPE.

To kick off this last week of my physical freedom, if you will, the family is going to see Fr. Tony for a special blessing.  If you are ever in Elmhurst, IL, go to Mary Queen of Heaven for a dose of Fr. Tony, he is the absolute epitomy of what a Priest should be.

Tonight we are having dinner with my wonderful Grade School/High School friends.  I made my first bread pudding with Mom yesterday....they better wear elastic-waist pants, because it is super fattening and super delish.


If you are interested in where Lee & I will be staying, please email me p.a.luckey@att.net

XOXOX

Peggy