Tilly is Two!

Rounding out our April birthday trifecta, Tilly turned two on Sunday. She told us she didn't want any presents, but when we actually set them in front of her, followed by the cake with lit candles and singing, she literally shook with excitement...



Also, my pet scan results from last Tuesday showed no major changes from my end of March scans. (No news on the biopsy yet.) I have another round of scans next Tuesday, which hopefully will give us a clearer picture of results. I'll let you know when I hear.

Thank you for all your good wishes and love this month.
Aimee

Biopsy

I had the biopsy on my neck this afternoon. No problem...much worse in the anticipation than in the fact. It was a very big needle, but only three tiny holes. It didn't really hurt at all.

Update (as Requested by Meg)

We have been having a very good week--full of cake, sunshine (it got up to 80 here yesterday!!!) and flowers. Things continue well on the RAF front. I am feeling well. On Tuesday, I had another 8-5:30 day at the hospital with EKGs and blooddraws and so I was able to get copious amounts of grading done. My sister Maryagnes and her children came and walked the thrilled Xavier and Tilly all over Somerville--and when we came home that miracle-worker managed to have dinner and cake ready for us, despite having seven children underfoot in a small apartment. Yesterday, I had bloodwork done and a PET scan and today I will have two small tumors biopsied on my neck. This should not be a big deal; in fact, Dr. Frankenthaller, one of the top five head and necks in the country, thought it was so minor that he took the week off. Instead, Dr. Mullen will just be doing a punch biopsy, which will not involve the OR or major anesthetics. I should get results for all of these next Tuesday and we will let you know what those are. Meanwhile, I hope that you all are very well and enjoying the glorious spring weather. With lots of love,
A

Four Years Old

This last Sunday, Xavier turned four. He had a great day. We had a last minute change of plans; since cousin Vinny D's baptism had to be postponed, the cake got relocated to Somerville. Xavier requested Yoda, Luke Skywalker and Jessica Rock for guests...Jessica made it and the local Cowan contingent supplied the Star Wars action figurines that made him forget entirely that the actual Luke and Yoda never showed up. Everyone enjoyed balloon tosses, star wars and Transformer games, and enough play dough to go around. However, it was Tilly who really had the best time. We were busy organizing things in the living room when Tilly sidled up to me and announced, "Momma, I'm eatin' Bubba's cake!!" And she had the chocolate hands, face and dress to prove it. But the damage wasn't too bad to stop the rest of us from also enjoying the cake...





And here we are, happy and asleep, at the end of a long day.

Steady and Holding

The first week went well. I made friends with all the nurses on the floor, can run the EKG machine myself, and even convinced the nurses to put tape on those overly long EKG straps to save time in the daily sorting--now if only they'll pay me as an time efficiency manager...Oh, and the treatments are going very well too! The daily trips to the hospital were fine; I am really getting to know the finer points of the parking garage. Yesterday, we had our long Tuesday, with all its tests and fastings, and today I got to take home my RAF265 in 14 little lovely brown bottles, packed in what, sadly, looks like a Mike's Pastry box (and so should contain North End cannolis instead of anything else). However, besides feeling, on occasion, very tired, I am doing very well. So far, this medicine has been uncommonly friendly. I don't know if it works, but I recommend it :)

I hope you all are enjoying the spring stirrings. (We even made it to the park today for a little bit!)
With love,
Aimee

An apple juice a day...

Will and I just got home from our big introduction to the world of RAF treatments. It was a long day, but a pleasantly unremarkable one. We arrived at 8 am to the hospital, whereupon I was assigned my own room and my own nurse. She started an IV, took blood, hooked me up to the EKG pads and took my heart readings once every six minutes for seven readings in a row. This whole time, there was some fierce debate about whether I actually could get the drug today as no one had told me I should have fasted from midnight and I had happily eaten english muffins at six in order to fortify myself for the long day ahead. But finally, I was given the go ahead, the lab order was sent, and the drug came up around ten. (There are these great thick blue chemo gloves and yellow gowns the nurses have to wear around patients once the drugs are present that make it nearly impossible for them to do any of the fine detail work that they need to do--it is a bit funny.) The drug itself was not too bad; they mix it up with apple juice and I drink it in one swallow. It tastes a little funny, but we've all had worse. Then there were hourly EKG readings and blood draws, but, after three hours more of fasting, there was also lunch. They sent us home around 6:30. After today, I'll go back for about an hour daily for the week, and then will just have the once weekly long day in the hospital and take the drug at home myself on the other days thereafter.

I feel amazingly well. I may have a harder time as the month progresses and the drug accumulates in my system, but...we'll see. I've been so lucky so far...

With love :)
A