How to grow a family without your lady bits

We have let some people in on our secret, we are in the process for adopting! Yay, right?!?!

This was a journey that actually started April 2014, after my first bout with cancer but before my second round. I am going to be doing a series of posts on the subject of adoption, so stay tuned! I figured I would go ahead and answer some common questions that we get.

1. Where are you adopting from?
We are with an agency that does domestic infant adoption only. So, our baby can come from anywhere in the United States.

2. How old will your baby be when you can take him/her home?
Typically it is straight home from the hospital but we are open to up to 12 months.

3. Will you have a closed, semi-open, or open adoption?
Our agency only does open adoptions. (We will come back to this topic later for another post)

4. Did you request a boy or a girl?
We don't have an option to request this. The agency has a good point that if you are requesting a girl, the ultrasound tech and doc think it's a girl, but then is born a boy.... Gets a little tricky.

5. How does the process work?
Stay tuned :) This is a long response that will be it's own post.


This whole journey started actually in December of 2013. We started researching different agencies. We tried one Christian agency in Raleigh but was sadly disappointed with them. The director told us that she needed a letter from my oncologist stating that I would never get cancer again. This hurt for many reasons. First, why does my diagnosis mean that we can parent? Secondly, NO doctor or medical professional would write a letter stating that. As Wil told the director, "A doctor wouldn't write that for me, I could get cancer of my foot tomorrow!" So needless to say, that agency was crossed off the list. We cannot go through the state (foster to adopt) until I have been cancer free for 5 years. We didn't want to have to wait that long to just START the process.

We ended up with Independent Adoption Center in Raleigh. They have offices all over the country. You can see our profile here:

http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/wilandkatie


Wil and I feel so blessed to be able to be "live" again (our profile is back in circulation and online). We know that God has the perfect birthmother and baby waiting for us. We can't wait to see where this road takes us. Thank you all for your kind words and support over the years. It is so precious to us.

Again, stay tuned to learn more about adoption and our journey!

What's new in the life of the Warrens

It has been a little bit since I have posted, so here is the update for us. My 6 month check up at the oncologist went really well! My exam looked good and my lab results were are normal. I am still on the Tamoxifen twice daily to block any estrogen, which feeds my cancer. This drug actually started to give me horrible joint pain. The pain was the worse in the morning and in my ankles. When I got out of bed in the morning, it felt like I was walking on two broken ankles. Unfortunately, the oncologist said this is a known side effect from Tamoxifen. Ibuprofen, Aleve, Tylenol, massages weren't working. The oncologist didn't have any other options. So I tried acupuncture, and after only one session, I was feeling amazing! I couldn't believe it! Keoni Teta is now my naturopathic Doctor. He does my acupuncture now only once every three weeks. I am on some herbal supplements to help my joint pain as well. Wil calls him my witch doctor but all in a joking matter. We are throwing any and everything at this cancer to keep it away for good.

So what a surprise, this isn't the only kink in my health lately. Right after my 6 month follow up, I had my yearly exam by my primary Doctor. He saw that my thyroid was enlarged and sent me for an ultrasound. My lab functions were normal but I was diagnosed with a multicystic goiter. Dr. Hess believed that my thryroid got a lot of chemo in the last three years, so to be able to continue to put out the same amount of hormones, it made itself bigger. I went to an endocrinologist, who Wil and I both love, Dr. Trujilio. Wil loves his accent (he is from Columbia) and could listen to him all day. He said that one of the cysts could be ok or could be bad, but is too small to biopsy. So I was started on Synthroid to take some of the pressure off of my thyroid to produce it. I will have a repeat ultrasound in another 4 months. The cyst is 0.9 cm right now and they don't biopsy until 1 cm large. Since starting the Synthroid, I have more energy!

Thank you for the continued prayers and all who came to the Athena's Run this year!

3 Month Checkup

Wil and I both feel weird when we don't go to the Cancer Center for awhile. We have been so use to going almost every week, and now we only go every 6 weeks or so.

Enjoying a local baseball game

I had labs and an exam this past Monday with my oncologist, Dr. Skinner. My labs looked great! My CA-125 (my blood marker that doesn't really react with my tumors) was 4.7. Before surgery the second time it was around 7. My potassium level is finally normal but I'm still having to take 2 horse pills twice a day for them. Dr. Skinner said my exam looked the best that it has been. She is looking into another blood cancer marker that MD Anderson has been researching to see if I'm a candidate for it.

My hair is growing back in! It came in like this last time, soft and straight. It was only after it got some length, did it start to curl. We will see what it does this time! I'm happy to have eyelashes and my eyebrows back! I didn't mind the bald head as much as not having those.

I still have my port-a-cath in. I plan on keeping it for awhile. I have to go get it flushed every 6 weeks to keep it patent. It flushed great on Monday, thanks to my great nurse and friend, Lydia :) My port is still hard to access since it is tilted. There are few that I trust to access me, and she is the best!

Wil and I are still trying to eat healthy and get back into shape. My "yay we finished chemo" present was a FitBit Charge HR. I absolutely love it, especially when I am in competitions with people. It motivates me to get my steps in and be more active.

Thanks for all of the continued prayers. Please pray for my good friends, Tracy and Kim. I am close with both of them and have known them since my first bout with cancer. Tracy is battling a port infection and cancer yet again. Kim's cancer has come back and started a new chemo but her cancer has spread to her liver.

Got to see our friend Tracy when I got my port flushed

Treatment is completed, now what??

When we were first diagnosed with cancer 2 1/2 years ago, we went straight into "fight mode." When chemo was finished, we still went once a week for the clinical trial infusion. This finished last June and we had almost 2 months of NO treatments before my recurrence. Wil and I are used to doing something, anything to actively fight the cancer or from it coming back.

Now we are in a new stage, uncharted territory for us. I take Tamoxifen, an oral estrogen blocker, twice a day and we are eating healthier and both of us are losing weight. It still feels strange not going to the cancer center every Monday.

As many of you may have read, I am an open book. This blog started out as an easier way to just keep loved ones updated weekly with our condition and treatments. This has become a way for me to reach out to other survivors who may be following behind me. There are some things that you don't think about or don't know about until you are forced into the cancer world. One of these topics is what Wil and I call "survivor's guilt."

I have had my moments when I ask God, "Why me?" but the majority of the time, I think, "well why NOT me?" The connection that you instantly have with other survivors, especially ones fighting the same type of cancer, is truly amazing. It is a sisterhood or brotherhood. Wil has strong connections with the co-survivors, whether that be a husband, boyfriend, or family. We wouldn't be able to influence these people's lives without having walked that path ourselves.

So back to survivors guilt now. Since we are so closely tied into the cancer community, when things are going well for us, we feel guilty. There are so many of our friends that we know that are fighting this battle for the third and fourth time, or that their cancer is much more involved than mine was, or surgery was much tougher and more invasive. I know that we are at this specific point in our journey by the grace of God.  I don't have all of the answers and I may never know during my time on this Earth. This verse always sticks out to me and has helped me process a lot during tough times:

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 





Remission, once again

Sorry this took so long to post! I haven't had any steroids, so no more being up at 2 am with nothing on the DVR to watch. I have been busy at work and tired when I get home. It took months last go-around for my fatigue to get back to normal, so we are expecting the same this time.


I started on Tamoxifen, an oral pill that I take twice a day. It is an estrogen blocker since my cancer is receptive to estrogen. The only side effect so far is more hot flashes, which come on fast and some make me feel like I'm going to puke. Tolerable overall though, I've had worse!


I have to get my potassium checked in a couple of weeks since it was still low last time we saw the doc. I'm still on 40 mEq twice a day, for those who have taken them before, they are HUGE pills.


Right now, Wil and I are focusing on eating healthier and working out more. I have gained over 55 pounds since the start of chemo. We decided that I was going to eat what I wanted, and the 'roids wanted carbs and sweets. So now we are working on getting it off!


I will try to post photos soon! Thank you all for the prayers and support. They have meant the world to us!

Chemo 6C: LAST CHEMO EVER! (God willing)

When we first go to the waiting room, I saw Donna, she is in the GYN cancer support group with me. She always lifts my spirits and has a wonderful smile! I was so glad that I was able to see her that morning.






Labs looked good, hemoglobin was 10.3 and my ANC (mature white blood cells) was 1400. I was still cleared for treatment. They like it to be above 1500 for treatment but it's been worse before! April was our nurse and I got to sit in one of the fancy new chairs!

We also met George. Wil recognized a hat that he was wearing. It was for Carolina Cross Connection. This is camps in the mountains of NC that different churches go for mission trips. Wil went in high school and they go around to people in need to work on projects around their houses. George had a bag of goodies and snacks that he was always willing to share with patients around him. George was on his third chemo treatment and we are praying the rest of his treatments go smoothly!

Wil went to fill up our water bottles during treatment and was gone for awhile. When he came back, he told me that he ran into his girlfriend. Of course I knew who it was, Janice Moxley. I was able to see her once I got unhooked. Janice and her daughter, Goldie, make us smile and laugh!






Our friend Tracy surprised us with a visit and balloons!

Last, empty chemo bag!

Now for the big part of treatment, ringing the bell! Wil's family surprised us and were there for it with balloons. Wil and I both rang the bell since it wasn't around when we finished treatment last time.

We went out to a decorated car and came home to a decorated house! Thanks to everyone who has followed us on the journey and have been praying for us. We have a CT scan next week and meet with the doctor for the results and an exam on 3/2. I will post another update then! We are praying for a clear scan and exam and to be officially declared cancer free!

Chemo 6B: Second to last dose!

Recovery from the last inpatient chemo was more tolerable. My mom was able to stay with me Tuesday during the day so Wil could go to work. I took the whole week off from work so I could sleep as much as I needed. Wil stayed at home with me on Wednesday then my younger sister, Lauren, came up Wednesday until Friday. It was a mini vacation for her from 2 kids, I guess I'm a little easier to take care of  :) 


My nausea was not pleasant but was controlled well with my medications. Mainly, I was battling with fatigue and lack of energy. I started feeling better around Friday and felt back to normal by Sunday.


 My labs this week were WONDERFUL, this may be inflated slightly because of all of the steroids that I was on last week though. My ANC (mature white blood cells) was 2700. This is GREAT! My hemoglobin was up to 10.3 as well. I will get them all checked again next week, so keep praying for them to stay up, especially with this nasty flu going around! We made our infusion this week with the Riazzis. They have been such wonderful friends and it makes the infusions more fun!

Wil moved our chemo recliners around. That way, the girls could sit together and the boys could talk while we slept! We thank our chemo nurses for letting us sit together and move around  :) You guys are simply amazing!

I think Tracy was rolling her eyes at the boys at this point

 

Tracy is my perfect match. Her hands are always cold and mine were on fire!

Lydia was our chemo nurse for our infusion. We may have gotten some looks but we were all laughing during treatment. Tracy and I of course took our Benadryl induced nap. Wil and I are looking forward to our last treatment next week. There is a bell now in the chemo room that you get to ring on your last infusion. We are planning on ringing it twice since it wasn't there for the first go-around!

The plan so far:
Infusion on Monday
CT scan on 2/26/15
Meet with Dr. Skinner on 3/2: get labs, exam, and CT results
Will start on oral Tamoxifen (estrogen blocker) for an indefinite period since my tumor was estrogen positive

Stay tuned next week for the finale of our treatment!

Mike, Tracy, April, Wil, Katie, Lydia.
 

1/26/15 Exam with Oncologist then 2/2/15 LAST INPATIENT CHEMO!

Labs looked good last week at the oncologist. Dr. Skinner said that my physical exam look great and no issues that she could feel or see. The plan was to get pre-medicated this past weekend and go in for our last inpatient on 2/2/15. Then we have two more weeks of just Taxol, the following week will be a CT scan. The following week with be another exam and get the CT results. We aren't expecting to see anything on the scan since it didn't show anything before surgery this go around. The plan is to stay on a 3 month physical exam rotation and put my on a twice a day medication. It is Tamoxifen which is typically used for breast cancer patients. Since my tumor was estrogen positive, this medication will block estrogen in my body. At our check-up, we were able to run down to the chemo room to see our buddies, the Riazzis. Always good to see our friends who are dealing with this same horrible cancer as we are.

This weekend was tough, all of the medications take a toll on me and Wil. One I have to take every 8 hours then the other ones I have to take every 6 hours. The steroids make me irritated, irrational, hungry, exhausted but not tired. Basically a hot mess for Wil to put up with!

Wil and I checked in at 7:30 am at Forsyth Medical Center for our last and FINAL inpatient chemo. After registration, we walked up to the penthouse (9th floor oncology) and our wonderful chemo nurse, Tonya was already waiting in our room! She is always on top of things and rides pharmacy's butt to make sure all of my meds are being made lickety split!

My mom came up for the infusion and I was able to see her for a little bit before I took my IV Benadryl nap. Ted, Wil's dad, brought us up some Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Tonya gave me more pre-medications around bag 8 of 12. The first 11 bags have small quanities of Carbo with the last bag infusing over 3 hours with the majority of the medication in it. Tonya was so wonderful to have as our infusion nurse! She left around 3:45 pm and Meredith took over again, another amazing chemo nurse! Our friends, the Riazzis came up to visit us after their infusion in the outpatient unit.

Meredith and my buddy, Kristin, tagged teamed the rest of our infusion. It all went fantastic and Wil and I were headed home at 7:30 pm, much earlier than previous infusions!

I have taken off the whole week of work to recoup since the last big chemo kicked my butt. My mom hung out with me today. Wil is going to work from home tomorrow. Then my sister, Lauren is coming up Wednesday night through Friday.

Wil and I feel so blessed to be in the home stretch with only 2 more chemo infusions to go!

 

 

Wil's view from the hospital room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chemo 5C: Time with my sis-in-law

Something that a lot of people don't have to think about is being sick around a chemo patient. Even a small cold or the flu could land me in the hospital since my body can't fight it off as easily. My baby sister, Anna, was suppose to come to this infusion and we were both really excited about that! Unfortunately, she developed a sore throat and then a cough... then muscle aches. We all decided it would be best for her not to come. She ended up being diagnosed with the flu (despite getting the flu shot) so it was a really good thing we kept our distance.

It is such a blessing to have Wil's family so close to us. My sister-in-law, Holly, was able to come with me today. A big shout-out and thanks to my momma-in-law, Connie. She watched my two nieces so Holly was able to come to my infusion with me. I slept so hard in the chemo room that I forgot to take our picture today! Oops! I even caught myself snoring several times. This happens a lot in the chemo rooms, so I just fit in with the rest of the crowd. I was excited because I got to sit in a new chemo recliner! It was only one week old, had two side tables attached, and was much more comfy! It is the small things in life to be excited about. So I blame my snoring on the comfy chair.

My hemoglobin actually came up this week! I mistyped last week, it was actually 9.6 and today it was 10.4! And my ANC (mature white blood cells) was 1200! So above the 1000 mark where I am considered to be neutropenic. All that means is I have very low/minimal immunity levels. So these were both a big answered prayer. Thank you all for praying for this for us!

I thought I would share a story about how Wil and I met. It was through Holly, Wil's sister. She was actually my preceptor and trainer in ICU when I first graduated nursing school. Apparently she liked me enough to let me join the family and be stuck with me forever! I brought in a book for Holly to read when I was nearing the end of my training. At that point, she was just looking over my shoulder and had little to do. The book is called, "What's Your Poo Telling You." We deal with a lot of poop in the hospital world and this book was perfect. It was written by a comedian and a GI doc. It gives funny names for all the different types of poop and the scientific reasoning behind it. Holly read it in one shift and said "You would be perfect for my brother." Wil and I have the same sense of humor. That Christmas, Holly bought me the sequel, "What's My Pee Telling Me" and bought the first book for Wil. It has been love ever since   :)

Next week, no chemo but a check up with the doctor and labs. Thanks for checking in!

Taking a look back....

I was looking back at pictures today and found that I never posted pictures from surgery. During the first surgery and hospital stay, I only had one or two pictures. The picture I had taken was actually of my mom sleeping in my hospital bed  :)   Don't worry, I was taking a break from the bed and sitting in the recliner at that point.

I told Wil that I wanted to document this journey better this go around. So I made him take pictures of me, even if it was at my worst and I looked like crap. Looking back at 6 months ago, makes me realize how far we have come. It is tough for both Wil and me during 6 months in chemo to keep the end in sight sometimes. We tend to struggle with it the most right at the halfway point. Looking at these pictures makes me feel like surgery was SO long ago, and in a sense it was. We know that the finish line is right ahead of us now and can't wait to be done with chemo!

We will start with these photos, they are from the day before surgery. Since they cut open my abdomen to look around in there, they want you cleaned out... so that means BOWEL PREP! Not a lot of fun let me tell you. I can only have clear liquids that day (and no red dye) and I have to drink Gatorade. This is special Gatorade though. It has an entire bottle of Miralax in it... ooooo ya....

I had to drink that entire jug during the day

Our awesome neighbors, the Mazzolas, made me jello to eat. It says "Fight like a girl" in jello letters! We are so blessed to have them as friends and neighbors.

Nieces Naomi and Nola, family always makes you smile! 

This about sums up me :)

Chemo 5B: Rough recovery

Last week was a doozy recovering from the "BIG CHEMO." Exhaustion, nausea, hot flashes galore. I stayed in bed most of the week, which meant Wil had a lot of alone time at night. I worked two partial days since I wasn't feeling up to working. It took so much energy to just walk downstairs, plus the only thing that I wanted/could eat was toast, cereal, or pancakes. I started to round the corner on Friday and was feeling much better by Saturday. It was nice to be able for Wil and I to catch up with each other, relax, and to stay up past 9 pm!

My dad came into town last night so he could come to my treatment today. My labs today looked pretty good. My ANC (mature white blood cell count) was 1800 which is really good! Just continue to pray that it stays up next week, that is when it usually drops. I don't want to have to get another shot to boost my counts. My hemoglobin is dropping lower, now it is 9.8. This explains why I am getting so short of breath with stairs and exertion. It is not low enough to require any intervention right now though.

Wil and I are doing well and are in good spirits. It feels good to know that we only have ONE more inpatient chemo to go and 3 more Taxol infusions left! This has been a tough road but we know that there is a reason and a purpose for it. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

On a sadder note, my family is having to put down our dog, Kalah, today. She was a sweet dog growing up and we all had fun training her to do tricks. Plus, mom's recommendation whenever we weren't feeling good was; drink lots of water and walk the dog. It didn't matter what the ailment was, those were the solutions. We know that she won't be hurting anymore now.

Chemo 5A: Inpatient chemo went amazing!

I know that I keep bragging on my boss and my work, but Susan (my boss) coordinated such an amazing thing for us. She had personalized bracelets made that say TeamKatie and Cancer Sucks on the other side. She brought them to all of the other NC centers and sent me a collage of pictures. It meant so much to me, especially since I only have worked at one of these other centers.

Early morning!

Our second to last inpatient chemo started bright and early. Wil and I packed just in case we had to stay overnight but we were praying to be able to come home when the infusion was over. Well, plan for the worst and pray for the best! It seemed to work! We were admitted at 7:20 am. I was accessed, labs were sent, then my pre-medications started. Around bag #8 out of #12, I got more pre-medications. This seemed to be the trick! No reaction at all! Wil and I were home by 8:30 that night. It was a long day but so worth it to be able to sleep in our own bed.

I try to get pictures of all of our nurses and visitors, but I missed a few this time! Jennifer McBride (friend and old co-worker from ICU) stopped by before her shift and Wil's parents brought us dinner. Thank you all for the continued prayers and support. It means so much to us both!

Julie brought us lunch!

Tonya (my main desensitizing day nurse!) and her lunch break!

Wil trying to get some work done



May look dirty but Kristin (friend and Nurse) brought us Oreo truffles! Yum!

Night time nurses!

Friend, Kim, from my GYN cancer support group. Love her!

Wil and I getting ready for discharge!!!