June 2011
It’s hard to believe that in less than 36 hours from receiving the call that the University Hospital in Basel could take us for this radioactive treatment, Dave and I were on a plane packed and ready to go (with all of my medications and snacks just in case 
We were able to use mileage credit and fly business class which made a huge difference given my swelling. We had a short 90-minute layover in Heathrow, which was fine, and we arrived on time
This week has been a very challenging one for me physically. The swelling continues to intensify and I am having a very hard time getting around. I have gained about 18 pounds of water weight in the last two weeks. I am in a fair amount of discomfort and have started on a pain management plan that is helping out a lot.
While we were really hoping that this Boston trial was going to do wonders, and we also understood that it might take at least a few weeks to see any results, Dave and I were having a hard time believing that it was helping at all given my debilitated state.
Hi Everyone! The last week has been a long, trying one but there were definitely some highlights to make me smile.
I finished the chemo infusion last Saturday and felt good enough on Sunday to go watch Dave play in the NY State Cup for his soccer division. It was a huge accomplishment for Dave’s team to make it to the final game. Although he doesn’t like to admit it, Dave is the “old guy” on the team so even more impressive that he played the full 90 minutes for many of the games leading up to the Championship.
Dave and I decided to start the clinical trial in Boston through Dana Farber Cancer Center. We went up on Tuesday and just returned late last night. I was very concerned leading up to our trip because my bloodwork had to hit certain criteria and it was borderline. Given how few options we have left to try, I would have been devastated if we were not able to take advantage of this trial. Thankfully, they got back in line by the time we arrived in Boston and we were approved for the trial on Wednesday morning. I will still need to be approved every 3 weeks but I was thrilled to be able to start on the earliest day possible (3 weeks post my last regimen).
Whenever I get very sad about my medical situation, I always try to take myself to a place of gratitude.
I think about the wonderfully rich life I have been privileged to have. I think about my beautiful husband, wonderful family, my large group of friends and all of the amazing experiences I have been given. When I think about these things, nothing seems too bad. It makes me even more committed to help myself get better so I can continue adding on to this life of mine that I love.