Vacation Cancelled

Today, I had to cancel our upcoming vacation since Doug is unable to travel.

We only lost half of our money.

Karl and Audrey will pick up our friends Ken & Kim at the airport and we will look forward to the stories and photos of the trip.

But some good news, my sister Jenny and Makayla are coming for a visit March 18th - March 26.

It will be good to have some laughter in the house once again.

Jill / Josh - Wedding Wishes Gift Registry

Jill and Josh recently completed their first wedding registry at Kohls. I think they may also be considering Target and Macys.



Jill Kuklenz & Joshua Elliott
Wedding Wishes Gift Registry
Registry Number: 1148540
Event Date: 12/19/2009
Event Location: Texas













Here is the link: http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/gift_registry/kohlsgrw_bridal_landing.jsp

Mom's Radiation Therapy

Monday, Feb 23rd, my mom visited Texas Oncology for her radiation therapy consult.
The doctor reviewed her medical history and then explained the process of radiation therapy.

On Wednesday, Feb 25th Mom will go back to the oncology office for "marking".
She will receive 3 permanent tattoes.
One on her stomach and the other two on each side of her abdomen.
She will also receive an "X" to mark the spot on her right breast.
This will be covered with tape, so that it does not wash off.

On Friday, February 27th Mom will return to the oncology office
for a "mock run" of the radiation therapy.
This is supposed to alleviate any fears/concerns of the patient
and also insure that the markings are placed correctly.

Monday, March 2nd is the first day of radiation therapy.
Mom will undergo radiation therapy Monday thru Friday, approx 20 minutes per day.
Her radiation therapy will take 6 & 1/2 weeks
and is scheduled to be done around April 15th.

I wonder if she can have anything special added to those tattoes.
My mom is having tattoes!!! What a sexy chick!!
I think I'll get her a matching belly button ring!

Home from the Hospital

Doug came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon about 1pm.

He scheduled an appointment with his primary care physician, on Tuesday morning because he was not satisfied with the hospital findings.

I accompanied him to his appointment. Many things were discussed and anxiety appears to be the most likely cause of the tachycardia. The anxiety is probably caused from the long use of the high dose of prednisone. He is continuing his prednisone taper and hopes once the prednisone is low enough the anxieity will be more manageable without medicaiton. But in the time being, the doctor started him on Zoloft today. He will follow-up with Dr. Strengh in 2 weeks to see if this medication is working. We will also continue with the new blood pressure medication as recommended by the cardiologist.

We will closely monitor the blood pressure and heart rate twice a day to see how that medication is working.

Doug to the ER

Doug has not been feeling well for about a week. He's had a rapid heart-rate along with being shaky, extremely fatigued and weak. We were in Iowa for a funeral and he experienced a few bad moments, where we considered taking him to the local E.R.

He toughed it out and attributed the symptoms to all the medication he is on for his hearing loss, combined with the anxiety of traveling and dealing with the loss of a close relative ... someone near his own age.

Well we returned from Iowa on Friday evening and I thought he might "perk" up a little bit on being home in his own surroundings. That did not happen. Saturday morning we debated about going to the local ER, and the symptoms finally got the better of him so off we went to Centennial Medical Center in Frisco,TX.

We arrived in the Emergency Dept around 3pm.
They admitted him to the hospital around 6pm. Doug's symptoms on arrival at the hospital were: rapid heartrate of about 124, fatigue, weakness. On triage, they noted a slightly low pulse oximetry of 89%. He was quickly taken back and put on a monitor. They started an IV and took blood, performed and EKG and chest xray.
He was put on oxygen and his pulse oximetry improved to about 98%-99% on 2 liters. He was somewhat agitated during the whole process and they gave him Ativan intravenously and that seemed to calm him. The cardiac enzymes were fine. The only blood test that was abnormal was blood sugar...only slightly high. The chest xray showed an enlarged heart.

At 7:30pm, he was admitted to the 3rd floor. The hospitalist (on call - staff internal medicine physician) admitted Doug for telemetry(continuous monitoring of his heart). He was not oriented to the floor until 10pm, as the nurse was dealing with some other patient who was not doing well and trying to discharge another patient. Anyways. She ordered his meds at 10pm. He got his first food around 11pm. Meds arrived around 11:30pm. Some confusion with all that process...but that's another story in itself! The meds were held, because he was due to have labwork at midnight for cardiac enzyme testing that needed to be repeated every 8 hours. The labs were drawn at midnight. He got his sleeping pill and other necessary meds about 12:30am. I stayed until he fell asleep. I was home about 1:30 am.

Sunday morning, I called the kids and the parents to explain the hospitalization and then proceeded to the hospital. On my arrival, Doug was agitated...more confusion on meds...Wrong strengths of medicine, wrong doses...the errors just seem to keep piling on Doug. He's a little worried about this system but I assured him I'm here to be his advocate and haven't left his side. More labs and another EKG were done in the morning and the heart ultrasound was done around lunch time. We would have to wait until almost 8pm though, to see the cardiologist. In seems the computers were down on our floor and he never got the notation that he was to see Doug for a consult.

Anyways... The cardiologist states, Doug's heart is just fine. The enlarged heart on the ER dept chest xray was probably an ER anomaly. He states those xrays are taken with the patient sitting in bed and they don't sit up as straight as they are supposed to and can't take as deep a breath. The heart ultrasound was done to check that finding. He states the heart ultrasound was good. No enlargement of the heart noted and all the valves, etc are working properly. EKG and cardiac enzymes were negative.

His diagnosis is sinus tachycardia..which means fast heart-rate. Yeah!!! We knew that!

Well, he said that sinus tachycardia is not a cardiac problem. It is a symptom of something else going on: infection, stress, anxiety, dehydration, thyroid disorders, etc... The trick is to find out what the trigger of that symptom is might be a little tricky. He did change one of Doug's medication. He stopped his Benicar for blood pressure and started him on a betablocker: Metoprolol Tartrate (Lopressor). Doug will stay in the hospital for another night, so that they can monitor his response to this new medication. I think he will probably go home tomorrow regardless of how this medication works. Stay tuned for more updates on that!

Doug's Hearing

Last week, Doug's hearing had diminished significantly!!

He had several conversations with his rheumatologist, Dr Stanley Cohen. Dr Cohen spoke with some colleagues at the House Ear Institute in California http://www.hei.org/ and they have had some success with treating Auto-Immune Hearing Disorder with anti-viral medications.

Tuesday, February 17th - Doug was started on Famciclovir(Famvir) 250mg 3 times per day for 10 days. After 10 days, he will take the medication only 2 times per day. The hearing has improved with the anti-viral treatment and the goal is to get him off the oral steroid (prednisone) treatment. Doug is scheduled to have start steroid ear injections this Tuesday, February 24th.

I'm not sure at this time, whether the weekly Methotrexate injections will continue or not.

Goodbye Big Bob

Robert Dean Kennedy
07/21/57 - 02/15/09

God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around you
and whispered "Come to Me".

A golden heart stopped beating,
hard working hands now rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

Your life was truly a blessing
Your memory will be a treasure.
You are loved beyond all words
and will be missed beyond measure.

Dee - Doctor Update

Friday, I went to the doctor as a follow-up to my ER visit. The doctor is treating me for viral pleuritis or intercostal muscle spasms(costochondritis/Tietze's Syndrome).

The treatment is the same for both. I am currently on a Medrol dose pack for one week. I will follow-up with my doctor on Feb 22nd, if the symptoms do not resolve.

I feel it is probably the viral pleuritis. This is caused by the coxsackie B virus and I have been plagued with what I thought were cold sores, which could be hand,foot and mouth disease.

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the tissues, pleura, surrounding the lungs and lining the rib cage. It is marked by severe chest pain, which can be especially pronounced if someone is breathing hard from exertion. Chest x-ray can confirm diagnosis, though sometimes diagnosis is confirmed by ruling out other causes of chest pain like angina, as pleurisy is not always easy to visualize, even with advanced x-ray technology. Other causes of pleuritic chest pain, such as pulmonary emboli and pneumonia, need to be considered and sometimes ruled out with testing. Treatment is symptomatic, with oral NSAIDs or a short course of oral opioids if needed.

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). It causes sharp pain in the costosternal joint — where your ribs and breastbone are joined by rubbery cartilage. Pain caused by costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart conditions.
Your doctor might refer to costochondritis by other names, including chest wall pain, costosternal syndrome and costosternal chondrodynia. When the pain of costochondritis is accompanied by swelling, it's referred to as Tietze syndrome.
Most cases of costochondritis have no apparent cause. In these cases, treatment focuses on easing your pain while you wait for costochondritis to resolve on its own.

New Eyeglasses for Dee

Saturday, Doug and I went eyeglass shopping. I had only a minor prescription change, but wanted to get prescription sunglasses in time for vacation. (Vacation is only 21 days away!!!)

The top photo is me in my old glasses.

The bottom photo is my new eye

glasses. They do not have the frame on the bottom rim...and are much lighter in weight.

I only need to wear my glasses for distance...such as driving, watching tv, etc. No bifocals for me...YEAH!!

Extra Mile Awards

Jackie was able to come home this weekend for a visit. She enjoyed sleeping in her own bed, having free laundry service...but she mostly appreciates the food!!! We had homemade enchiladas on Thursday, leftovers on Friday and steak on Saturday.

She was also able to get some work hours in at Walgreens on Friday and Saturday. In addition, the store she used to work at, notified her that she won an award and they would be dropping it off for her. Jackie received the "Extra Mile" award. She was recognized by the district for excellence in customer service. She was also awarded a $25.00 Walgreens gift card.

Congratulations Jackie on a job well done!!!

Mom's Results & Radiation Therapy

Friday, February 13th

Mom received the pathology report from her most recent surgery.
The results were negative for cancer, so the doctor did a good job of making sure all of the cancer was removed. Mom will have her follow-up exam on Friday, February 20th. This will include the scheduling of her six weeks of radiation treatments.

When localized DCIS (lesion that appears in one limited place) has been detected on a mammogram or by physical exam, breast-conserving surgery in which the breast is not removed may be followed by radiation therapy as adjuvant treatment. There is a significant decrease in local recurrence of DCIS in women who receive radiation following surgery. Without the radiation therapy, there is a 40% chance of recurrence. With the radiation therapy, the incidence of recurrence is 7%.

The purpose of radiation is to destroy any potential remaining DCIS that might still be in the breast. Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays, and is given five days a week for a period of five to seven weeks.

Treatment is given on an outpatient basis. The radiation treatment itself takes several minutes. Patients are instructed to lie on a treatment table under the radiation machine. They are monitored during treatment by a therapist in the next room who uses a closed-circuit camera. Nothing touches the skin and there is no discomfort from the treatment. Patients are not made radioactive and the treatment only affects the specific area being treated.

Side-effects of treatment may include:
1) A sunburn-type appearance of the skin in the area treated, which may include blistering
2) Mild swelling of the affected area
3) Fatigue
4) Loss of appetite

These common side effects generally occur toward the middle of treatment and continue for a short time after completion of the course of radiation treatment. Radiation skin changes may persist for months after treatment completion: change in skin color, texture and sensation.

We are very thankful, Mom is here in Texas and will be staying here to complete her treatments!

Mom's Second Surgery

My mom had her second breast surgery today. She had a "partial mastectomy" which means they reopened her original incision and went and removed the surround breast tissue and ducts. The re-excision is done to achieve adequate margins/clear margins (those edges without any cancer)

She has been diagnosed with DCIS - Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.

DCIS is where there are abnormal cells involving only the lining of a duct. The cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast. Also called "intraductal carcinoma."

Mom will have a follow-up appt on Friday, February 20th and then will have to receive radiation therapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

Trip to the ER

Monday, February 9th @ 12:08pm, I was upstairs working at my desk....just updating an excel spreadsheet when I felt this huge thump in my left chest. "Wow that hurt!" I rested a few moments and then started work again when I felt another huge thump in my left chest. "Wow that really hurt!". I grabbed the telephone and walked down the stairs. I took my blood pressure. The reading 164/90. I couldn't believe my blood pressure could be that high. It is always around 124/70. I waited a few moments and took it again. 164/94. "Boy, I don't feel very good!" I was home alone. I called Doug. He was about 35 minutes away, eating lunch. I took my blood pressure again. It was 196/106. He told me to call the ambulance. I called 911 and was kept on the phone until the ambulance arrive. The blood pressure reading taken on their arrival was 212/116. I was loaded on the stretcher and taken to Presbyterian Hospital of Plano. Doug was able to call back to the house right before we left and was directed to the hospital. The ambulance personnel started an IV, gave me two aspirin kept the oxygen flowing at a good rate. I was getting more and more anxious, but the ambulance personnel did a good job of keeping me calm. I arrived at the hospital around 12:30pm and Doug was just a few minutes behind them. An ekg was done and that was normal. Blood work was drawn. Cardiac enzymes, liver and kidney functions were also normal. A leg ultrasound was done to rule out a clot with my history of DVTs. They could find no cause for my chest pain and increased blood pressure. My blood pressure was 130/74 when I was discharged. I was released from the hospital and told to follow-up with my primary care physician. I have an appt on Friday, February 13th at 1pm with my internist.

Big Bob Update - Friday afternoon

Yesterday, we received word that our brother-in-law Bob Kennedy has taken another turn.

Bob Kennedy, underwent brain surgery on Jan 14th.
Since that time he's had to deal with more seizures, trip to ICU, blood clots in his arms, bacterial meningitis, and now a brain bleed.

Bob is currently unresponsive and on a ventilator. He has had a CT scan and we hope for good news from the doctor later today.

Please pray for the entire Kennedy family and the difficult decisions that they face.

We need a miracle!

Test Results

Today, Dr Anglin called my mom to give her the results of her biopsy.

There was a small amount of cancer noted in the pathology.

Per Mom, it is the type of cancer that does not spread. Dr Anglin will do surgery on Tuesday, February 10th to remove additional breast tissue near what was removed this past Tuesday.

Chemotherapy will not be required, but some radiation therapy may be in order.

I have not spoke with the doctor yet, so I'm hearing this second hand.

Keep my mom in your prayers!

Mom's Biopsy

My mom is here visiting from Iowa. She had her annual mammogram before she left. She received the results on her way to Texas. The mammogram noted something "suspicious for malignancy".

I took her to see a breast specialist in Plano, TX. Dr Anglin suggested she have a digital mammogram. She had this and the physician noted "that needs to come out". She had outpatient surgery on Tuesday, Feb 3rd. We had to be at the hospital at 6:30am. The radiologist inserted a wire to mark the spot(s) for the surgeon at 8am. Surgery was performed at 10am. She was out of surgery by 10:50am. Little bleeding..no complications. The doctor removed two suspicious spots. She said they did not feel abnormal but would be sent for pathology. Results should be received by the end of the week. We were home by 1pm. She slept from 2pm-6pm. Ate supper and did very well. (No pain medication to date) She is staying here to sleep in a comfortable bed and not have to climb up in to the camper bed. She is recuperating nicely!

We are all praying for good results!!

Makayla's Ear

My niece, Makayla went to see an ENT specialist regarding her left ear on Monday, Feb 2nd. as her pediatrician had noted an abnormality in her ear at her 4 yr check-up.

The ENT doctor couldn't see her eardrum because of some membrane that was blocking it. They think that her eardrum might have burst some time ago and when it was healing it caused this membrane to form.

Makayla was very brave and sat very still and the doctor was able to remove most of the membrane. She was given ear drops to dissolve the remainder. She will go back to the doctor in 4-6 weeks for a check-up.

We are praying for a quick healing!