SolandMonica.com

 Wow!  Busy, busy, busy is all I can say!  I am so thankful that I have been feeling well enough to spend time traveling and visiting with people I haven’t seen in quite a while. 

Thank you for your prayers as I went up north the day after having chemo.  I didn’t have any side effects while I was there – except for fatigue.  I was able to hang out with my girlfriends, and the house we rented worked out perfectly!  We were able to put all 12 kids to bed and spend time hanging out!  There were 27 of us  all together!  One night was especially moving as we all talked and caught up on life – sharing heart issues and being real with each other.  As we talked, we all reflected on how special this group of friends is and how rare it is to have such a group in our lives.  I miss them already!  Let’s not wait 4 more years to see each other!

Also, while we were in Redding, my parents and sister (with baby) came and took us to the pumpkin patch.  We rode the train, saw pig races, rode in a canoe, and took some silly pictures.  It was a fun time with family.

The trip back from that weekend wasn’t so fun!  We missed our connection in San Francisco due to fog and had to keep Kai entertained at the airport for 6 hours.  We finally caught a flight to Santa Ana where a friend picked us up, but our luggage went to LAX.  We finally got our luggage late on Monday.  On Monday, I went home from work with a fever of 101.  I spent the whole day in bed and woke up the next morning with diarrhea.  It was no fun, but I was glad it didn’t happen over the weekend (or on the plane)!

I continued chemo on Friday, and then drove with the family to Monterey where my sister, Karen, had been all week for work.  She arranged to stay there for a few extra days so we could see her.  She lives in D.C. so we don’t get that chance all that often.  It was a fun weekend, a long drive, but a fun weekend.  We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and had a great time watching Kai discover new things.  He loves to explore and learn!  🙂  We dropped Karen off at the airport, and Kai threw a fit becuase he wanted to go on the airplane, too!  Karen actually made it home to D.C. before we made it to L.A.  So not fair!  I was so happy to be able to spend that time with her and to once again be feeling good enough to do it.

My chemo continued this past Friday (Halloween).  We took Kai trick-or-treating and boy do kids pick up the idea of spouting off a phrase when you get candy in return.  He had a great time.  He was dressed up as Batman.  He had a plastic mask that he just would not take off.  He pretty much wore it all day (he even ate dinner with it on).  He was in the parade at school waving at everyone.  Neither of us were there to see him, but our friend took some pictures and said that he just kept waving the whole time trying to see out of his mask.  It would slide down, but instead of pushing it up, he would just tilt his head back trying to see everyone!   The first thing he said to me on Saturday when I went to get him out of bed was, “My Candy?”  He made out like a bandit! 

Last night was our Sunday School ‘s annual Halloween party.  We had a potluck and played games.  It was a lot of fun!  I am so thankful that I have felt as well as I have to participate in all of the fun stuff.  Today, however, I am feeling pretty bad.  I slept in, went to church, and then came home and laid in bed for about 5 hours.  I just have a yucky feeling in my stomach and that chemo taste and texture in my mouth.  It’s a typical feeling after chemo, but sometimes it’s worse than others.

The next thing for me is a CT scan on Thursday (Nov 6th).  I don’t have chemo this week, but the CT scan effects are sometimes worse than the chemo effects.  I’ll be out of commission for the evening – staying close to the restroom!  We are hoping and praying that the scan shows continued shrinkage of the tumors – evidence that the chemo is working.  On the last CT scan, they said that the tumors had all shrunk by half, but that there was one new one showing up.  Our prayer is that this one is also shrinking and not growing.  I won’t have any report until the following week.  I have a doctor’s appointment on Friday (Nov. 14th), but will call earlier in the week (maybe Tuesday) to find out the results. 

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support even when you don’t hear from me!   One other prayer request that I have is that I have my teaching evaluation this Friday.  The Vice-Principal will be coming to observe me teaching a lesson.  I pray that my students are engaged and their behavior is top notch.  Parent conferences were last week, so there were some difficult conversations that will hopefully turn things around for some of those kids!  🙂

Thanks again,

Love,

Monica

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 So far, I’m feeling pretty good.  My new friend Shelley went with me to chemo.  She is a teacher, too, so we spent time counting ballots and grading papers!  Today actually went very quickly.  I was done in three hours.  Then I came home, finished the movie I had started and did laundry for our trip.  I guess I’m feeling ok.  I am excited about the trip, so that keeps me going – doing what I need to do.

I am so excited and a little nervous!  We are leaving in the morning for Redding, CA to see my friends and family.  It is my 10 year from college and my friends and I are hanging out.  We haven’t seen each other in a little over 4 years or met most of the kids who’ve joined the XV clan.  I am nervous because I don’t know how I’ll be feeling.  The side-effects tend to hit the morning after, and that’s when we’ll be on the plane!  

I realize that a while has gone by since I’ve posted pictures, so I am going to attach a few pictures of our recent activities: 

This is us at the Fresno v. Ucla game!  Fresno won and it was a blazing 96 degrees!  Yea and Yuk!  Notice the sea of red behind us!  🙂

These pictures are of Kai cooking and learning that the pan can get hot!  He burnt his finger!  🙁

This is us at the Hollywood Bowl.

This is Kai Cousin and Athailai Cousin!  Kai LOVED having her here!  He wouldn’t leave her alone!

And my favorite picture from our trip to the zoo on Saturday is this one:

After looking at the Flamingos, Kai wanted to get down.  he said, “look Mommy…I Kai-mingo!  He thought of it all on his own.   I know, I know he’s a genius.  I was so proud of him playing with language already.  A little joke from my little guy!  🙂  

There are more photos in the photo section of the site, if you’d like to check them out! 

Right now I am doing well, but you can pray for the plane trip.  The side effects from Chemo tend to hit hardest, if they hit at all, the morning after!  I am glad to have an aisle seat just in case!  🙂  Thank you and I’ll be posting when I get back about the fun times we had up in Redding! 

Oh one last thing…We put an offer on a house and should hear by (now they’re saying) Monday.  We’ll keep you updated.

Thanks, the morning is going to come early, so off to bed we go!  Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Love, 

Monica 

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Well, yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment.  When we showed up, we found out that the doctor had been called in for jury duty, and we would see the nurse practicioner.  He was the one who I talked with on Tuesday.  So I didn’t find out much more information.  I know that I am going to have two more cycles (8 weeks) of chemo and then another CT scan.  I guess I’d better write that letter to the hospital soon, so that I can use my port on the next scan.

Chemo followed the appointment, and it went well.  I was the only one there with my friend Keri.  We watched a movie that ended right as chemo was ending.  This morning, though, I woke up with more nausea than I’ve had in a while.  It seems to be lingering even after taking the pills.  Sol is going to be bringing me some fizzy clear drink!   Hopefully that will help.

Anyway, besides that, not too much to report from here.  We haven’t heard anything about the house yet, but we hope to hear something by Tuesday, but we’ve heard that before.  Oh well, in God’s timing.  🙂  Tomorrow we are going to be going to the Hollywood Bowl, so that will be fun!

Enjoy your weekend,

Monica

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It’s good news! The results of the scan showed that the tumors have shrunk to half of their size two months ago! It was good to hear such great news.

Part of me wants to jump around and celebrate, but part of me is hesitant to hope. Last December, I was told that the original tumor had shrunk to half it’s size, but when they took it out in March, they didn’t find evidence that 6 months of chemo had killed anything. The explanation was that the original loss of size was probably only blood volume. So I am hesitant to believe that the tumors are really shrinking this time. One major difference that I keep needing to remind myself of is that this is a different chemo! It is designed to target angiosarcoma and has so far shown it’s effectiveness! The tumors have shrunk! I will continue to remain positive and pray because those are my biggest weapons in this battle!

I will be continuing with the chemo schedule – 3 weeks on 1 week off beginning again this Friday. I also have a doctor’s appointment this Friday and will hopefully find out how long I’ll be continuing this chemo schedule and when the next scan will be.

Thank you so much for the heartfelt prayers and your continued love and support. The news is wonderful, and I need to have faith and hope that the Lord is working whether it be through chemo or His healing hand

Love,

Monica

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Today was my CT scan, and it didn’t go as planned.  I chose to have a PowerPort put in because it can handle the CT contrast injection.  It was supposed to make my life easier.  I wouldn’t have to be poked by anymore needles!  I called ahead to make sure that there would be someone who could access the PowerPort. 

So here’s the story:  I drank all that nasty Barium stuff this afternoon and headed down to the hospital.  I get there, drink more of that stuff, and they tell me the nurse is on her way down to access the port.  The nurse gets there and tells the radiologist that she isn’t allowed to do it at this hospital.  She knows how to do it, they have the needles they need, but the hospital hasn’t set the protocol for doing it.  Can you believe that?  When they told me this, I started crying.  I was so frustrated – they would have to poke my arm.  I said that I guess it would have to happen, but that I didn’t want it in my hand.  The last time I had a CT scan, the IV was in my hand, and it hurt so badly!  The radiologist was actually very understanding and apologetic, but the situation was just so frustrating!  There was nothing I could do except lay there and get it done! 

I will be writing a letter to Presbyterian Hospital encouraging them to speed up the protocol process.  This is not the first time that “protocol” has been the enemy to getting what I need/want at this hospital.  The radiologist told me that this protocol has been in the works for over 6 months!  That is way too long!  This is something that patients want and need!

So, it’s done and now we wait and pray for the results.  Hopefully they’ll be ready on Tuesday.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Monica

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Since school has started, life here has been crazy!  I find myself stretched in all different directions.  I apologize for not updating sooner.  Usually that means I’m out and about and feeling ok! 😉

Thank you for praying for my students.  So far, they are wonderful!  I have enjoyed getting to know them and being back in the classroom.  Being out of the classroom for a year, it has been hard getting back in the groove of teaching.  The piles of papers are beginning to pile up around my classroom as I try to figure out how to balance two jobs at the school.  I am teaching three periods, and I have three periods of literacy coaching.  So far the second half of my job has been distributing supplies and trying to find things that seems to be missing.  Amazingly, it has really kept me busy!  Soon I will be going into classrooms and helping teachers with Language Arts needs!  It will be both fun and challenging.

Last Friday, I had chemo, and it seems to have gone very well.  I didn’t have many side-effects, mainly just fatigue.  As I was having chemo, I signed papers on an offer on a house.  It was really kind of exciting, but I’ll tell you more about that later.  At the end of chemo, my parents, sister and niece, Athailia, came through the door.  They were here all weekend.  Sol and I had already planned to go to the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday and happened to have 2 extra tickets, so my parents were able to go with us while my sister, cousin, Rachyl, and her boyfriend, Jonathan watched Kai.  It was a fun evening of music from the L.A. Philharmonic, a fireworks show, and two crazy bus rides!  🙂  It was really nice to have my family here, even though I wasn’t feeling my best.  Althailia has changed so much in 2 months, and Kai loved having her here.  🙂 

About the house, we made an offer and are waiting to hear from the bank.  It is a short-sale, and we’ve always heard that those take a while, but this seems to be moving pretty fast.  Our agent said that we should hear by the end of the week whether or not the bank accepted our offer or will be countering.  It is exciting to think that we could be in a home by the holidays!   🙂 

This Friday is my CT scan to see if the chemo has been working.  When this all started again in July, this CT scan is as far as the doctor told me the plan.  He said 8 weeks of chemo and then a CT scan to check the tumors.  I don’t know exactly what the next steps are, but I think that if chemo appears to be working, then we’ll continue with this chemo, and if it doesn’t, then we’ll try something else.  I am really praying that the scans come back clean, and they find no trace of cancer in any of my organs!  I believe God performs miracles, and he is in control of everything.  He is the great physician and can heal me if He chooses to do so!  I am living my life one day at a time and doing what I can to live with no regrets, because none of us is promised tomorrow. 

Thank you for your support and you prayers.  Here are a few specifics:

Pray for the CT scan on Friday at 4:00.  I am very anxious about it and will have to wait until Tuesday for the results.

Please pray for Kai and for us.  He has been acting out aggressively recently at school and home.  He was sent to the office two days in a row now for biting.  Yesterday he bit a friend, and today he bit himself! 

Pray for me in terms of balancing my life – the two parts of my job, my family, Bible study, chemo and doctor’s appointments.  It is all feeling overwhelming! 

Pray for our house hunting, that we would be guided to the right house and that the offer would go through only if it’s right for our family.

Finally, our renters in Fresno just gave their 30-day notice.  Please pray that we will be able to find renters by October.  We already have a few leads and are hoping that one of them works out!

Thank you and I’m so sorry it took me so long to update! 

Love,

Monica

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Well, it is time for me to go to bed, but I just wanted to let you all know that tomorrow is the first day of school for us here in Whittier.  I am nervous, as usual, but I will get over it once the routine begins.  I feel less prepared being out of the classroom for a year but am excited about being around the kids.

Please pray for me as kids come that they will be understanding and compassionate.  Pray that I would not get sick from them and that we would have a great year together.

On Thursday morning, I have my blood drawn.  Then on Friday, I have chemo.  Please pray for no side-effects.  I will be having the 2 drugs this time and then next Friday a CT scan to see if they are working.  If it’s working, I’ll continue with the current set-up; if it’s not working, they’ll try something else.  So either way, chemo continues.  I don’t know for how long and what the next step might be.  I really don’t think I want to know that far ahead.  I just want to live right now one day at a time.

Some fun news…My parents, sister (Janelle) and baby Athailia are coming on Friday to hang out for the weekend.  Sol and I are taking my parents to the Hollywood Bowl for a fireworks extravaganza on Saturday night!  It will be the first time there for most of us!  I can’t wait.  I just hope I feel good enough to go!  Janelle will stay home and hang out with my cousin, Rachyl, and her boyfriend, Jonathan, as they watch Kai!  Thanks guys!  You’re the best.  It will be a fun time.  Then on Sunday we are all going to go see my grandma in Santa Ana.  She’ll get to see the baby!  🙂

A few last prayer requests…Kai’s little friend Madison is having some problems with her white blood count and her kidney levels are off.  They don’t know what’s wrong and might have to test her bone marrow.  My friend, Sheri, who is walking in the Susan G. Komen walk, is having some serious knee pain and is really bummed about maybe having to miss the walk.  My cousin, Heather, is in Costa Rica at language school.  When she is done she’ll be heading to the Dominican Republic for 2 years!

Thanks for all your prayers.  I am headed off to bed for a good night’s sleep before starting the new school-year!

Love,

Monica

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I am happy to report that I am feeling pretty good.  I am pretty tired, but overall, things could be much worse.  I had Chemo on Wednesday and was sitting in meetings all day Thursday.  I ended up going home and taking a much needed hour and half nap afterward.  🙂  Thursday evening we went around looking at houses and actually have one in mind that we might put an offer in on.  It is such a big decision, and we want to be sure it’s the right one for our family!

I am still trying to get everything ready for the first week of school next week.  It is a bit overwhelming still, but I am going to be there Tuesday to finish getting the classroom ready with the teacher I will be sharing with.  Then kids will come on Wednesday whether I’m ready or not!  😉  I am excited to have a group of kids this year but am not looking forward to the grading and paperwork that I will have to keep up with.

Thanks for your prayers and love!  Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  Sol’s cousin, Coti, and his girlfriend, Teresa, are here from Tucson, AZ for the weekend, so you know we’ll have a good time.  🙂

Monica

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I was going to post earlier this evening, but Sol and I went on a date!  🙂  We are just getting back from a Kai-free dinner, which was absolutely lovely!  Thank you to Chad and Alysha who took care of our precious boy, so we could enjoy a night out before chemo tomorrow!

I have been blessed the past few days with a few great people who have helped me with things related to work and setting up for the beginning of the year!  Thank you to Sunshine, Joy, Wendy, Lisbeth and Vicki, without whom, I would be drowning in not knowing where to even begin!  I am feeling much better about what has been done and not stressing as much about what still needs to get done!  Thank you! 

Anyway, I am having my chemo treatment for this week tomorrow at 2:15 pm.  I will be working in the morning, and then spending the afternoon reclining, killing cancer and hanging out with Keri!  That doesn’t sound so bad!  I had my blood drawn this morning and am praying for a high enough white cell count.  Please pray with me about that and that the side-effects would be non-existent.  I was going to ask for prayer about my cabinets at work getting unlocked, but today I went in, and they were open!  A prayer already answered!  Now I can start putting things away!  Yay!  That makes me feel good, too!

Upcoming appointments:

September 4th – Blood work

September 5th – Chemo

September 12th – CT scan to see if chemo is working

September 19th – Doctor’s appointment to discuss CT scan and next steps

Thank you for your continued prayers support and well wishes!  I love you all dearly and thank God every time I think of you!  🙂  You are my treasures here on earth! 

Love,

Monica

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Well, today I had chemo.  Usually it’s on Thursday, but tomorrow they’re having some sort of meeting.  Before I had chemo, I met with the doctor.  He said that my white count was good and that I wouldn’t need any shots this time!  Yay, I am so relieved!  I had the two drugs today and they went in smoothly.  usually I have an easy time on chemo day but feel pretty bad the following day.  Last chemo, I had an easy time with side-effects.  Today I have had some “flushing”, a rush of heat to areas of my body.  It is such a strange feeling!   I have already taken some anti-nausea drugs and hope to keep the “horse in the barn” as one of my friends says!  We’ll see how tonight and tomorrow fare, but for now, I feel pretty good.  Tired, but good.

Some fun news…Kai has been peeing in the potty at school and he even pooped in it today!  He comes home very proud of his stickers and smiley faces!  🙂   He’s also peed at home, and continues to be more interested in earning stickers for his chart.

Tomorrow we are meeting to get pre-approved for a home loan.  Please pray that we get a low rate and can start making offers on houses!  It is really exciting and scary at the same time.

Thanks for “listening” to me and checking in.  Things here keep moving along.  Many days it’s really hard to even think that I have a disease in my body because I look and feel fine.  I have been getting sad and depressed some days and would really appreciate your prayers as I begin to seek help for this.

Kai is calling and I need to go.  Sol had an emergency come up at work and had to take off.  He said it could take between 5 minutes and 5 hours.  With computers…you never know.

Love,

Monica

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