Full Remission

Hello!

Mom has been told she is in Full Remission! It was very exciting news. Since she responded so well to treatment, her oncologist is giving her preventative chemotherapy now. It was kind of a bombshell as we all thought mom was going to be done with her treatments. She is now receiving five shots of chemotherapy into her spine.

She had her first shot the Thursday after her chemo and it kicked moms butt! This is the first time she really had any major side effects. She has had nausea and would get headaches very easily. Yesterday was the first day that she has felt good. She will have one shot at the end of this week and then three shots each week after this.

It is a bummer that she is still being treated, but it is preventative and it is amazing she is even able to do this treatment. We are so happy that she is doing so well.

Mom was a great fighter, but now she is a survivor!

Just as a reminder, please send me an email if you have been following the blog, my email is kerrybelvill@gmail.com.

Thank you for all of your support!

Kerry

Last Treatment Tomorrow!

Hello readers!

Hope all is well with all of you. Mom has been nagging me to post to the blog (nagging is good because she feels good enough to nag me). I am finally finding some time between school and work to write this post.

Mom found out three weeks ago that after four treatments she still has no cancer activity. She had to unfortunately have a bone marrow test to be sure the cancer was gone out of her bone marrow. She made it though the test, and the results came back great. She has no cancer in the marrow either. She has been having some trouble with her legs, but the tests from that came back with no damage to her legs.

Overall, mom has no cancer activity and everything seems to be looking good. She has her last treatment tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy that I was able to take off work tomorrow to go with her. After, I am treating mom and Cyndi to an awesome lunch out! She is so happy and her spirits are still so strong. She will be heading back to work in the next couple months or so (get ready mom's work peeps).

I truly believe that my mom's amazing personality got her through this. If you know mom, she is pretty amazing and hysterical. She has had the best attitude through this journey and she has beat cancer!!!! Way to go mom. It is hard to think that just in November it was so difficult, and each day was so tough for our friends and family. I have learned that the mind is so powerful and that we have so much to live for each day. I am so grateful to have mom around and doing so well. I again, cannot imagine life without her.

When mom was in the hospital and Joe and Janet were here from Kansas, we were at dinner and it was a tough day at the hospital, Aunt Kathy asked how I felt. During this time in the hospital I was not very receptive of anyone asking how I was doing, as I was so focused on mom. I answered her, holding back tears that: I wanted mom to make it to Christmas and my graduation. Indeed, mom made it to Christmas and she is now going to be at my graduation for my masters in May. This day, May 22nd is such an important day to me, not only am I celebrating my degree, but that mom was here to see it and support me through it. As I look at it now, those two little things were the biggest things to me this past year.

As I reflect on this last year, I still am in awe that we all made it through it. I cannot tell you all enough how much the support and love was the only thing that got me through these past few months.

I know that reading this blog is sort of "anonymous" but I would like to write something up for mom regarding her journey and I would like to include those that followed and supported her and our family through her progress. Please email me your name so I can add you to the list. My email is kerrybelvill@gmail.com.

I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart, for reading this blog, for taking mom to appointments, for calling and texting her, for taking her to tea (even though she brings her own decaf black tea), and for all the prayers especially. You are all the reason we have had the strength! LOVE YOU ALL and LOVE YOU MOM! So glad you are here to nag me and read my blog.

Love, Bear

Feeling Good

Hello!

Mom is still feeling great, she has her pet scan appointment on Friday and we hope the results of this turn out well. She has been walking Buffy everyday and enjoys that time. She has been knitting like crazy, even with the numbness in her hands.

Mom's attitude and personality has allowed her to heal (at least that is what I think), she has the craziest personality and attitude.

She has truly enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. I have enjoyed receiving emails from individuals she has spoke with for years.

I wanted to post some pictures of mom, hopefully soon we will be able to post some of the videos she has made.

Me, Mom and Dad (while mom was in the hospital)

Humeno group at Emanuel's 50th Anniversary!

Thanks for reading! love Kerry

Mom is finished with four treatments

Happy rainy Thursday to all!

Mom had her fourth treatment this past Tuesday. She is responding very well to her treatments still. She will have a petscan again on February 5th to see her results after four treatments of chemotherapy. Her white blood cell counts are at the level they need to be. She has been having some issues with her legs being red and very sore to touch. They are going to conduct some circulation tests next week (or the week of the 5th). Mom has not had any major side effects from the chemo. She has not been sick to her stomach and is feeling pretty good most of the time.

For any of you that know my mothers personality, know how honest and funny she can be. She has the best outlook on this entire life experience. Who else would be so excited of the fact that my godmother is making her a scrapbook to document this life event. She cracks me up each and every day. SHe is an inspiration of what is important in life, happiness and laughter.

I have had many conversations with individuals that were so supportive during my mothers time in the hospital and during those days when we did not have a bright outlook, and they are all just amazed at how well my mother is doing. She has stage four lymphoma and has a better attitude and life perspective than anyone I have ever met. I enjoy telling others about her funny stories and her wackiness.

This evening we had dinner together and we were talking about a good friend of hers that is having a very tough battle with a lot of cancer. This woman was hositptilized shortly after my mom (kind of the same circumstances of quick admittance and treatment), and it reminded me again of how lucky I am to still have my mother responding to treatment. I am so grateful to have my mother around and to be around her positive energy. It was very grounding and a great reminder to remember how lucky I (we) truly are to still have Judy (mom) in our lives. Oh and dont worry, mom is not going away!

This past weekend mom and I attended our old church's anniversary celebration. It brought tears to my eyes (still does) to see my mom with her family and friends as the humneo group (aka helions as I say) took over the pianos and sang their beautiful songs for the congregation and onlookers. It reminded me how much music has been such a part of our strength through this battle.

I know this is long winded, but I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your continued support, love and prayers. When mom was first sick we were nervous on how we were going to handle this, balance it all. Without all of your support we would not be here. Having meals brought over allowed mom to truly rest. Driving her to her doctors appointments have not only provided rides, but love and great conversation between her and her great friends. Those that have been following and emailing me, this support is endless and unforgettable.

If moms petscan comes back positive she will only have two more treatments, if she has cancer activity, they will complete four more treatments of chemotherapy. Lets pray and hope for only two more.

While mom was in the hospital we had "parties" in her room. The pictures below are from her Sunday Night party where we had glow in the dark necklaces. One picture is of all of the girls, my best friend Cassie, my aunt Janet from Kansas, my aunt Kathy from CA, mom and me. Another picture is of me and mom!

THank you again! Love Bear

Great News!!!!!

Mom had her appointment with the doctor yesterday before her third round of chemo and she recieved GREAT news!!!! He told us that she is responding great to treatment and that she currently has no cancer activity. We were/are all so happy!!! Since she is responding so well to her treatment she is less likely to relapse after cure.

Cyndi and I stayed with her during her treatment yesterday. We acutally had a nice day there, the nurses are just amazing! Patty was my moms nurse yesterday and she was hysterical. Mom is on her steriods again, I tried getting her to rest last night but she decided she needed to clean. She has felt great all day today! She recieved a shot today to help her white blood cells. Her past two treatments she had to visit the doctors and hospital for seven days after and receive a shot everyday, this time they gave her one shot that will last her for ten days.

Some of you may know that both mom and I really enjoy music. When mom was in the hospital and not doing well I would listen to one song in my car every night as I drove home and cried my eyes out. I decided that I would only let myself cry that drive home because I was not going to give that cancer any more of my pain and tears. Last night I blasted that song and cried my eyes out because I was so happy, my mom is beating this!

She is such a strong woman and I admire her strength and determination to beat this! She is fantastic!!!

We have enjoyed this week that I am off work (I actually think mom and dad are tired of me coming over and stealing snacks and food). We are about to head to dinner, dad, mom, Jeff and I, it should be pretty fun.

Thank you all again for continuing to read this and support mom. It means a lot to us all!

Love, Bear (Kerry)

This joyous Christmas!

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. We had a great holiday.

Mom and I went to her brother Ron and sister-in-law Kathy's for Christmas Eve. Our family recieved an excellent Christmas gift that my cousin Nikki and her husband Zach are expecting. We are so excited!!!! This means we will have two Perry (Caskey) babbies in 2010. With this news as well as mom feeling so well and being able to be with us this holiday season that is all I ever wanted for Christmas. We had a wonderful dinner with the CA Perrys and mom and I ventured home as Dad and Jeff were able to get off work early.

Jeff and I had Christmas at our house in the morning with the puppies! We ventured over to mom and dads for breakfast and Christmas morning. When we arrived we were served an excellent meal from dad (homemade blueberry pankakes). Then mom and dad showed us these four packages. The four packages were left on my parents condo patio sometime in the night before Christmas. One present for dad, one for mom, one for Jeff, and the other addressed to Bear, all marked as from Santa. It was so amazing because whoever left these presents knew all of us pretty well. Mom was given a Cheifs snuggler, dad and Jeff recieved a cigar each and whiskey and vodka, and I was given an ipod shuffle (what i have been wanting for when I go running). It was absolutely touching that someone did this for our family this holiday season! SO....thank you "Santa".

Mom and dad ventured to Dave and Cyndi's where the Bryants were as well. Jeff and I ventured north to Santa Clarita to be with Jeff's wonderful family.

Overall, this holiday season was amazing. We were/are so happy that mom was here and that she is feeling so much better.

Mom has her third round of chemo on Tuesday. We find out the results of the petscan that morning as well. TUesday will be a busy day for her. She is a bit nervous (as we all are) to hear the results and hope that her treatment is working. She sure is feeling better. I am going to go with mom for her treatment, I will try to post the results of her appoinment that am while she is recieving her drip.

Dad, Jeff and I bought mom a flip camara for CHristmas, and she has enjoyed making some videos already. we are hoping that she will make videos and we can post them on here so that more of you can hear from her (instead of boring ole me).

Thank you again for all of your thoughts, prayers, hopes, emails and text messages. It is so great to continuously hear all the support we have and continue to have from you all!!!!!

Love, Bear (Kerry)

Week two of chemo treatment two

Happy Wednesday!

Mom received her second treatment last Tuesday. Cyndi took her and stayed with her all day as she received her chemo drip. She said it wasn't too bad. She had to begin receiving the shots again each day to help her white blood cell count. She has been feeling pretty good overall. Friday she went shopping, to lunch, visited me at work, and then to the cancer center for her shot. Saturday she was pretty tired and didnt feel great. With rest she felt better Sunday.

She has not been nauseous yet. She has a variety of caps to wear now, and I have enjoyed shopping for new caps for her!!!! It has definitely brought a new spice to Christmas shopping. Cassie took her Christmas shopping on Monday. Mom and dad hosted the supervisors for lunch yesterday. The Gaumer's (long time friends) visited her this evening and brought some soup and salad over. Tonight mom was pretty peppy and even helped me wrap a gift. She has a busy day tomorrow, so I made sure that she knew she needs to rest.

TOmorrow night she will help lead with Uncle Ron in the last song at the Sunny Hills Holiday Concert. Mom and I have matching santa claus beanies and earrings (we are going to be too cute).

I was driving home tonight and was tearing up just so happy to have mom around this holiday season. We are so fortunate for the amazing medical research!!!! I am so grateful for mom, family and friends all around. I am just amazed each day what amazing people we have in our lives that are there for us through this journey. I am just so thankful for the texts, calls, emails and messages from family and friends asking how mom is as well as how I am doing.

Each day I wake up and put on my LIME GREEN lymphoma cancer awareness bracelet and am happy that from amazing research they are able to treat mom. I love her and this Christmas is so amazingly special.

I want to thank all of you for continuing to read, mom is so happy to know that you are all reading and following her progress.

She has an appointment on Friday with the oncologist. Dad takes her for her pet scan next week and we will find the results of this scan on the 29th when she has her third round of chemo.

Much love, Kerry (bear)