I'm trying my best!

Well, I have been down for a few days but I'm at my parents house trying to get my self to go to work. Yesterday I ventured out by my self for the first time! I'll tell you what I am tired today. I realized that I can not go with out a nap during the day. I know that if I just stay at home and feel like I am doing nothing that is just as damaging to myself if I were to run a marathon right now! It is good for me to spend a few hours doing things that make me happy and then take a rest. Amy, Sam and my Mom get on me to make sure that I am treating myself well.I don't know if the blog will be as frequently written since I am not always up and around to get to a computer. Amy and I don't have one, so I have to go to Sam's or my parents. Thanks for the comments I look forward to hear from you all. Have a wonderful day!

One Chemo session down, Five to go!!

Well, hello everybody, this is Sam here with the lowdown on how things are going for Alena. Yesterday, Alena, her mom, and I all went to Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento. We arrived around 9:00am, and met with the Clinical coordinator for the oncology department. Usually there is a class held for all upcoming chemo patients, but the doctors wanted to get Alena in there as fast as they could eithout wasting any time. We sat and talked for about an hour, covering everything that is going to happen during the next 4 1/2 months that Alena will be taking chemo. This fabulous nurse was named Sherry. She was a firecracker!!She had different colored fingernails, and crazy cool socks. She even shared some funny stories about accidentally taking her husbands vicadin pills, mistaking them for her calcium pills. She was a hoot!! She answered all of Alena's concerns with a lot of knowledge, and made all of us feel very comfortable.
Here's the best part. Alena was given a prescription a few days prior to all this for a drug called Atavin. This is a anti-anxiety drug, which women take before their chemo treatment because of the traumatic experience. Well, Alena took one, and then she was still feeling anxiety when the chemo was starting, so the doctor said she could take another. Well, I have never been more entertained by Alena, and she has never been more entertained by me. Alena could not stop smiling, and she kept saying, "I'm so happy" and she also said, "I like Atavin." I zoomed around like superman on the doctor's chair, making her laugh more. All this laughter from Alena attracted the nurses, which loved to watch her laugh. Alena then started to hicc-up, and then burp, right after. She then would laugh and make everyone else laugh!!! It was great! Her treatment took about 3 1/2 hours, having all the chemo drugs injected through an IV drip. Alena said that she could of stayed for another hour because she had so much fun.(Thanks to the drugs!) I think Alena's mom and I should have taken a little drugs as well!! Ha Ha, just kidding!
We finally got to go home, and Alena was not feeling well at all. She threw up a few times through out the rest of the evening, and we ended up having to call the hospital at midnight to see if we could get another medicine to help her get rid of her nausea and vomiting. I went to the pharmacy and got a suppository, which worked like a charm to control her stomach. She is able to eat today, and is resting and sleeping, and who knows what else she will do. Alena is looking foward to going to the temple this weekend. She will be blessed and strengthened so much!! Thank you again to everyone, you are all answers to our prayers, and you are all examples to me!!! Keep up your prayers and your faith, thank you.

P.S. Alena's next chemo is June 11th, at 11:15am @ Kaiser on Morse Ave. in Sacramento. Only two visitors allowed in the infusion suite at a time. Until next time...

-Sam

Alena's First Chemotherapy!!

It is very late Monday night, or should I say Tuesday morning. Alena is sound asleep trying to keep her fluids down. We spent 7 hours at the hospital today, and we are all beat. I will write a lot more in the morning when I am more coherent. Right now I just need to go to bed. Alena is a trooper, and she even cut her hair really short in preparation for losing it. This small information will tease you until later.....Good night all you wonderful people who love and support Alena so much.

To all my supporters

I have no idea how to start this blog. I just got off the phone with Sam telling him my results from Dr. Hui. She was an oncologist I saw today. If I stay at Morris she will be my Doctor through this time of my treatment.(i may switch to a new Doctor in Roseville to be close to home) She went over with me the things Dr. Bodai told her. They both agree that my tumor is around 3.5-4 cm in size. Due to this size, over 1 cm, Chemotherapy is advised. Dr. Hui received the results back form the biopsy telling us if the tumor was Estrogen/progesterone +/- recepted. Mine came back + which opens up the opportunity to take Tamoxifen. This is the long term hormonal therapy. There is nothing pretty about this drug other than it decreasing the chances for recurring cancer. The major down side of this is the need to be cautious not to get pregnant during this time. Therefore, during the five years I need to take it I will be unable to have children. So this sounds like a downer, but honestly if this is the trial that God intended for me to have then Bring It On! I know that I will get out on top and I will have become closer to God and see more good in life. The whole purpose for us to be here is to strengthen our relationship and understanding of God. I will be eternally grateful for this trail and especially all of you. All of you have taught me so much about service and how to have a tender heart towards all that are around me. Thank you all so much for your individual love and support. Well.... Chemo starts on Monday the 21st at 10:30. Since they want to be aggressive about my treatment they wanted me in as soon as possible. Usually one will go to a chemo class, but I will get all the info on chemo an hour before. Sam will be coming with me to hear the information about chemo and he will sit with me for 3 hours while I am getting treated. Sam has been a really great emotional strength and he really keeps me happy. So far my Parents have gone to all my appointments, which have been many and they have also been a big help and support. Oh, I know that you all probably have more questions that I have not answered. If any of you have questions you can either call me or write a comment and i will respond to you. Sometimes on your comments I don't always recognize who they have come from and I would love to know who you are! Please type your name if your comment does not give clear identification of who you are. Wow, i can not believe the amount of love that I am receiving. Hearing stories about people telling people about me and the prayers and the love that is given for me is so touching. I thank you much and will be letting you all know how Chemo goes for me.

The little things in life... like puppies & mayonnaise

I sent this as an email to some friends today and Alena asked me to post it on her blog. It would have gone up a lot sooner, but I am not what you call computer savvy and Alena had to help me. Thanks mom!

Alena hasn't updated her blog recently, it has been a busy week. Well, Alena met with Dr Bodai Monday morning, and she will start chemotherapy as soon as next week.

Friday when Dr Bodai called, he informed Alena that the cancer was only in one area, and we assumed that meant no chemo. The cancerous (is that even a word) area is so large, that if a lumpectomy was done they would remove about one third of her breast. Doc doesn't want to do that, so they will try out chemo first.

Alena made it perfectly clear to me that no one will be shaving off their hair. Heather and I were planning on it and so was Alena's sister Jenny. But Alena doesn't want ANYONE to do that. I got mad at her and told her it was a good way we can support her, but she was being difficult so I dropped that subject. (Heather suggested we all cut our really short- she can't be mad about that)

Despite this shocking news Alena is doing very well. I think I have cried more than she has. Alena wants to get a dog to keep her company throughout her treatment and she wants to name him Keemo. Sam asked if we were going to shave the dog :) I want to name him Theodore Pergola - so the dog might have two names. This could be one confused little puppy.

Yesterday Alena, Sam and I went to the driving range, cooked a fancy dinner and ate it outside underneath our almost finished Top Gun patio. (If you don't know what a Top Gun patio is, watch Top Gun) We have been laughing a lot, and finding the little things in life that makes us happy. The other day Alena was making a sandwich a got out the mayonnaise. She read the ingredients and was so excited that Best Foods uses real food like soy milk, eggs and some other stuff. Life is good and we have so much to be thankful for, especially Best Foods mayonnaise.

Alena has been talking about cutting her hair really short. Before her 2nd chemo treatment, her hair will start falling out. I told her cutting it would be a great idea not only because it won't be as traumatizing, but she will also know how she beautiful she will look with short hair after it starts to grow back in.

So that's the latest. Alena is determined to plow through this and she will with a smile on her face. (I'll be the one crying, I'm really good at that) I love it when I'm talking with friends and other random folks who say they are thinking about and praying for Alena. It means so much to hear all of you say that. But just so you know, phone calls, visits, and flowers are always welcomed and they won't go unnoticed!

~Amy

My Talk with Dr. Bodai

Well, I was very excited to hear that the cancer was only in one spot, but they are still very concerned for my age and the effects for a surgery now. I was hoping more then anything to not go through chemo, but the doctor really wants me to start as soon as possible...like next week. I was shocked to hear that. Because of the size and the location he would have to take out a significant part of my breast, so they are hoping to shrink the tumor down and then have surgery. We have not received the hormone results back from the biopsy. This is the deciding factor for my treatments. I have an appointment with my new Oncologist (who is my doctor through my treatments) on Friday. By then I hope to know when the first day of Chemo is. Thank you all for your prayers. I love the support.