Friday, January 22, 2010

1-22-2010 Pam had a quality visit with her college roommate and several friends in the Florida Keys. The weather was perfect and she even had time to shop.

Pam's CT scan showed the cancer has spread with numerous nodules appearing throughout the abdominal area. It is clear that the six different chemo treatments have not been effective over the past 18 months and no other drugs are available. Pam will no longer be taking chemo treatments, but she asks for any and all information that may be available about experimental clinical trials for cancer of unknown primary.

Pam remains strong and will continue to work with the music ministry and other activities at church.

We thank you for your continued prayers which have guided us and helped Pam endure the cancer treatments. May God bless you all.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

1-19-2010 Pam had a CT scan today and she will discuss the results with her doctor on Friday, the 22nd. Meanwhile, Pam is still suffering from constipation and abdominal discomfort. She learned her calcium level in her blood is elevated, which may have contributed to the constipation problem. Consequently, she was administered a treatment targeting the calcium concentration.

Pam is wearing down from the continuing medical procedures, the side effects of the chemicals, and the inability to do everything she would like to do. We are going away to the Florida Keys for two days with the expectation that a change in environment will be beneficial for the psyche.

Thank you all for your continuing prayers and support.

Friday, January 15, 2010

1-15-2010 Pam opted to forgo a chemo treatment today. She just felt like she needed a break from chemo. Her doctor appreciated her concerns about persistent constipation, lack of energy and appetite and scheduled a CT scan for January 19th. Pam's last scan was in October 2009. Even if Pam had a treatment today, she would have been scheduled for a scan in accordance with her treatment plan.

Meanwhile, Pam is planning to attend a handbell workshop tomorrow and a full schedule with church music on Sunday. The church activities really seem to help her overcome the debilitating effects of the cancer.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1-13-2009 Pam has had a rough time for the past two weeks. She has had little or no appetite while experiencing abdominal discomfort and frequent constipation. These conditions have affected her energy level, yet she has been able to sing with her choirs and lead the bell choir practices.

Pam is scheduled to meet with her oncologist this week and have a chemo treatment on Friday. Her blood work has been acceptable recently and should not affect her scheduled chemo. We continue to search for clinical trials that Pam may qualify for participation, but her diagnosis has ranged from ovarian to cancer of unknown origin. Chemo treatments targeted for many different types of cancer have not yielded marked improvement, but we hope the current treatment with Doxil will provide results.