Snow, snow, go away!
I woke up this morning to a winter wonderland in Monument...the snow helped me to sleep a full 13 hours but it has also kept us homebound all day as it continues to pile up.

The good news is I am not training right now so the snow is not forcing me to workout on the trainer but it has forced the boys to shovel so we can actually get out of the garage tomorrow morning for my family's flight back to CA...somehow I don't think they will be too sad leaving this weather for 70F and palm trees. No fair!

Thank you for the Beautiful Flowers Bethie!!!

An early celebration of being done with chemo...the real party comes after my test next week and PICC line is pulled!!! :)

Round 4: Kate 4, Chemo 0
Yesterday was my last officially scheduled chemo treatment. I will find out in two weeks whether it is officially the last of chemo (and I head into radiation) or whether I need more (because there is still cancer activity in my lymph nodes). I am hopeful it was the last for good! At any rate, I have been "vacationing" with my family in Monument (Black Forest) all week. Check out the view from the breakfast nook!

After a hardy breakfast (I don't each much of anything the week following chemo), we headed down to the hospital. Since it was a holiday, my normal outpatient clinic was closed and I had to go inpatient...which meant I got my own room but it also meant three times as long. We were at the hospital for SEVEN hours yesterday. As you can see, we played Scrabble...a lot of it...at least it is my favorite board game.

Updates on the health front: I have barely any white blood cells and will likely have the immune system equivalent to an AIDS patient after yesterday's treatment. That means I have to wear a mask in public (no joke, Renee and I are going to Bedazzle it) and take prophylactic antibiotics. Also, my hematocrit has dropped to 37.8% so I have officially lost all my athlete superpowers; however, I intend to be back racing on the track next summer no matter what it takes! :) In general I am doing well after yesterday, nausea, headache, and fatigue but those all come with the territory. No throwing up yet and as long as I don't, according to my rules, I beat chemo! :)

Peter Survives the Incline
Since I am stuck in Colorado this year due to my compromised immune system and chemo schedule, my family came out here for Thanksgiving. Being excited to have the boys here, I challenged them up the Incline. Peter took the challenge and survived. In this photo we just got to the false summit...he was thinking it was a bad idea about 1 minute into the hike and here I am pretty sure he is relieved to have survived the steepest pitch; although, perhaps ready to pass out. I'm all smiles as I was going Peter's pace...which was actually pretty impressive...

He summitted in 45 minutes and 20 seconds. Not bad for a flatlander who has not been working out much at all the past few months. And he even said he would do it again! :) (For more detailed account, check out facebook...Steve, that means you actually have to get on it! :) )

After the hike up, we ran down Barr trail and met dad halfway down. It was an incredible day, 60F and sunny...not bad for November 26!

And for all of you have done the Incline before, check this out. We saw these women hiking up with two kids under 10, two old dogs, AND the lady has a kid on her back. I can hardly carry myself up there, let alone a kid on my back...and what if she fell?

Thanksgiving Dinner Round 1

Last night we all got together for our first Thanksgiving feast. The potluck dinner was incredible, a real feast with all the fixings. Our group has come a long way from meat, chips, and dessert to a complete Thanksgiving meal with everybody's favorite family recipe. Well, except mine since I lack culinary skills or desire, I brought peas! :)

T's Bridal Shower

Yesterday afternoon Mary, Mandy, and I drove to "Kansas" (east Colorado Springs) to celebrate with Teresa. Everybody was worried that I would be jealous b/c I was not wearing the tiara for the day but don't worry, I was totally okay without it! :)

A Typical Day in the Life of a Cancer Fighter
Aside from the side effects I deal with on a daily basis, there also some other "exciting" things I have to accept as part of my daily routine. The first is the fact that my hair is falling out and it clogs the drain like no other. Today I had to go buy a special snake to unclog the largest hairball I have ever seen and got this special contraption to go over my drain while showering. Please note: I am not bald and only my head hair falls out. I tried letting my leg hair grow out so it would fall out but that did not work. Dr. Beth...why won't my leg hair fall out instead?! :)

On top of drainage preservation, I have now have to include each of these elements into my daily shower to keep my PICC line dry. I am not sure whether I am more excited about no more side effects or having that darn thing out? Anyways, every shower starts with wrapping two plastic baggies over the PICC line, than attempting to saran wrap my own arm with one hand, and then ace bandaging for extra protection. Believe or not, I get out with every layer gets penetrated with wetness no matter how tight I try to wrap that stuff!

Happy Birthday Boys!


Today is Chris and Peter's birthday...they're getting up there turning a whopping 23 years old...but if they are getting old than I must be getting really old being 6 years their senior! :)

Round 3: Kate 3, Chemo 0
Well, I continue to kick cancer's butt for the most part. During my regular check up with Dr. Huff, oncologist, I found out my white blood cell counts (WBC) are up well above normal ranges as are my baby WBC parts in progress so I went from severly compromised to superhuman immune system. Okay, let's be honest, today's treatment will likely bring me down into normal ranges but Dr. Huff said no more Neulasta (bony pain shot) and I will get antibiotics at my next treatment to protect from infection. And my hematocrit went up one whole point (40%)...must be a product of my stellar trail run on Section 16! :) Also, pulmonary function tests were okay, basically I went from athlete to average person status but no reason for concern at this point. This is me calling dad to tell him I am doing okay...he always gets a call after my doctors appointment before chemo! :)

And, Mandy played hookey and hung out with me at chemo...I am not sure whether work or chemo is more exciting but I was sure glad to have her company! Mom is in town again too but off eating her hospital cafeteria breakfast. For some reason she really likes eating at the hospital?!

After chemo we went to lunch at Wooglin's (food still tastes normal for the first 24 hours after chemo), I went to a professional seminar on ED (eating disorders) and was so excited to already know all of the information presented...I really am becoming a specialist!, and then Mandy and Col (favorite dog in Colorado) came over for a walk. It's super cold (3osF) but was so nice to get fresh air. I know I am doing well because I am staying active. Oh, and Anne sent Jeremy downtown with individually wrapped lasagna portions for me (my favorite one of her meals!)...thanks Anne!!! :)

Take That Cancer!

Yesterday I woke up with no side effects and was ready to go. So, I headed to one of my favorite trails, Section 16, for a 6 mile hike/run. And, I am very happy to report, I took 5 minutes off my best time on the trail and summited the top a minute faster than I ever have in the past! Take that cancer! :)

Round 2 Update

Round 2 was definitely a bit tougher on my body as I mentioned earlier on my blog; although, it was still bearable and I am thankful for minimal side effects. The nausea and dehydration were worse, my mom thought she was going to have to take me in for an IV Monday morning. Fortunately I was feeling better that day and was able to drink more. The Neulasta shot definitely gave me 24 hours of "bony pain" (think growing pains in your low back and hips). Thursday was the most interesting day as muscle spasms slowly set in on my low back. I was not able to sleep at all that night as sitting and any laying position hurt, it was a pain I have never experienced in my life (worse than falling off horses, crashing bikes, or totalling cars) and Friday was pretty miserable. Fortunately, I had an appointment set Friday afternoon for a dressing change and my oncologist was available to see me. Appearantly, muscle spasms are not a side effect of the drugs I am getting. I think it is a combination of everything my body is going through. Fortunately he gave me a muscle relaxer and pain killer. Despite taking four hours to work, they worked and I woke up feeling normal again Saturday. I was still a little sore and really tired over the weekend but am happy to report I woke up side effect free on Monday. Four days of freedom before round 3...And, yes, I still have hair! :)

Yay for Friends who like to Cook! :)

Anne and I had a date night Saturday which started with church and then she came over for dinner and a movie. Despite being my being my guest, Anne was kind enough to cook me dinner. After living with me for four years, she was wise enough to know I would have no food in the house and hadn't had a homecooked meal in awhile so she brought food with her and left leftovers for me! :) Thanks Anne!

Still One Up on Chemo
While the chemo hit me a little harder this time around, I still feel pretty darn good all things considered. In fact, I have been going on easy rides and socializing a bit. Saturday we went to see "The Secret Life of Bees" (very good!) and had dinner at Pizzeria Rustica...good food but I may never eat it again as I did not feel too hot afterwards. I've been trying to stay away from favorites so I avoid banning them in the future. We'll see how Pizzeria Rustica fairs, definitely not a good chemo food.

Despite being super tired and dehydrated, I was pumped to attend the CC/DU hockey game. As always, it was a great game and fun to watch. CC won, 3-2, but undershot DU 18-41...the CC goalie played an incredible game!

In terms of side effects update, the nausea has been worse this time around. Diet Ginger Ale and stoneground wheat crackers have become good friends of mine but I was able to eat a real dinner tonight and was able to drink water today. My blood counts are down so I had to have a shot of Neulasta today. Appearantly that can make my bones ache like an old lady but it will also boost my white blood cell count which is important as my numbers are really low right now. I have bottles of anti-bacterial gels/lotions in all my bags, car, and coats. The good news is I am halfway through my prescribed chemo regime and still have my hair! :)