adding injury to insult...oy veh!

well it has been a crazy week...those of you on facebook have had a preview of sorts...on thursday evening ginny fell...she decided to scattered some kitty litter on the remaining ice on the driveway to make sure we didn't slip and she ended up doing just that...she went down hard and her right knee took the hit.  she managed to get inside, after lying in the driveway for some time, and in true ginny style she down played the injury...hours later her pain increased and eventually she was unable to walk on it...to the ER we went.  x-rays confirmed my prediction...she broke her knee...a vertical fracture in her knee cap...the ER staff gave her pain meds and put her right leg into an immobilizer (see pics)...we were instructed to go to see orthopedics first thing friday morning.  friday was also our scheduled appointment with ginny's oncologist.  we called ortho in the morning (8:30) and on their return call, after looking at the x-rays, instructed us to wait...wait until wednesday...the swelling needed to decrease before they could look at it...as is the ginny larsen way we are documenting everything with pictures....so here are a couple few for you...we have entitled this album "bald head peg leg"

now for the cancer update...we met with dr. john laurie (oncologist) on friday morning as planned...he was pleased that ginny handled the chemo treatment as well as she did...he said her kidney function was great and that her platelets were "perfect".  her white count is low, around 600...before she started chemo her count was over 1800...in order for her to have treatment as planned on wednesday, yes that is the same wednesday as the orthopedic consultation, her counts need to rise to 1200...we will not know if her count has risen until wednesday morning.  if the count is not nigh enough we will consult with dr. laurie again...there are a couple of options for getting the count up, the first is time, waiting for her body to increase its count on its own, or there is an injection that can be given to help the body do its thing.  If she is unable to increase the count on her own by wednesday it is likely that the dosage of her last chemo was too much...the idea is that she has chemo, her count drops week two and they regenerate or whatever they do in week three...

i will say that ginny is a little discouraged...this loss of mobility is really a pain...she must keep the leg straight and so she is not able to drive...everything takes time and movement at this point is really deliberate...it takes thought and each step is carefully taken...she is sleeping "okay"...it could be better...again she has too sleep on her back with her leg elevated...she tends to be a side sleeper so it is an adjustment...

on a personal note i have to say that i too am a little discouraged for her...the immobilizer will be on for at least 6 weeks...the chemo may impact the rate of healing...in talking with others and reading, we should expect that ginny will be more and more tired and that the chemo effectswill be cumulative...if that is so...the best weeks, the weeks she will feel up to doing more are now...ah nuts!  anyway...there are still lots of smiles and laughs at the lindbloom-larsen residence...we continue to declare love and like to each other daily...we have great hope that in the end we will be able to kick this cancer back into remission and eventually ginny's bum leg will heal...

i wanted to include one more pic...here is my wife...chemo cap...immobilized leg, crutches, her trusty "grab stick" (hanging from the crutch) and a cloth book bag around her neck containing the phone, an extra chemo cap, chap stick, her water bottle, a pencil and paper, her favorite extra strength puffs and a granola bar for when she needs a boost..."gotta keep my strength up"...

bald is beautiful...my bald ginny is beautiful

tuesday morning i was up early, working on my computer and i looked up to see ginny standing in the doorway, eyes full of tears and hands full of her hair.  despite all of the "prep" one does in anticipation of such an event...when it happens it is hard...really hard...

last night was a little rough for the lindbloom-larsen household...restless sleep and pain...seems strange to say this but ginny's hair hurts...when her hair moves at her touch or as she moves on her pillow it hurts....her scalp is super sensitive...when we finally got up this morning we agreed that tonight (wednesday) i would cut her hair and shave her head...i was so glad to be able to be part of the process...

oh how i love this woman...

some of the new head gear...

this is my favorite cap...

to update you all on treatment...ginny went this morning for her weekly blood work and we will meet with dr. john laurie on friday morning for results and update.  this is our first meeting with the austin oncologist.  Ginny's next chemo is march 3rd.

some have been asking about how i (kir) am doing...i will say that it is hard...on monday when ginny was feeling great and looking like her self it was easy to live in a little denial...tuesday the world stopped for a moment and the denial was replaced with resignation...ginny has cancer...real cancer...it breaks my heart and yet i am so blessed...so grateful to be walking with her in this...i have walked this road before...i know cancer well...the difference this time is my heart...ginny owns a piece of my heart  that no-one has ever owned...and that part of my heart hurts differently that the other parts of my heart...

we are blown away with all of the support...ginny is warming up to it...if it were up to her no one would know...i on the other hand feel great comfort in knowing that people KNOW and are thinking of us and praying for us...gin has come along way (oh my danish lutheran wife)...

kirsten

p.s. ginny would like me to report that she still has lots of energy and a fierce appetite...my cooking helps i think :)

side effects are showing up...

well we have had a pretty good week...chemo day (wednesday) went off without a hitch...energy has been good...there have been mild side effects...ginny has been hot and then cold and thursday night she has a fever for a bit...yesterday she said that she is becoming more and more aware of her abdomen...she is very tender there...she also complained this morning (she doesn't do that often) that her taste is changing...her morning coffee did not taste good...those of you who know ginny, know that she is a coffee drinker and enjoys her coffee very much...

it is a strange thing...ginny looks good and for the most part feels good...and yet her body is under attack...first by the cancer and now by the chemo...we will have blood work taken weekly to keep track of counts and to ensure that the dosage is right...

the outpouring of well wishes and food, in particular, has been overwhelming...cupboards are full!

much thanks and love...

kirstenandginny

ps...the hours of time spent this week playing scrabble with gal pal jocelyn and her byron has been a fabulous distraction....thanks guys :)

and we're off...

well chemo has begun...we started this morning at 9 am with four prep meds (one pill and three through iv)... it took about an hour to get to the BIG stuff...the chemo itself is administered in two parts...the first will take three hours...it is 500 ml of stuff that kills cells...the second drug will not take as long to administer and will keep the bad cells from regrouping (i am so not a doctor...but am doing my best to wrap my head around all of this)

the benedryl knocked ginny pretty hard...at first glance or first word one might think she had consumed a few of her famous martinis...

we have been reading, reading, reading...this has been helpful and NOT...so many opinions...so much advice...really a challenge...i feel like i want to know everything and yet too much knowing will be a problem i think...

as i write miss ginny is reading the trib...she brought stacks...she is behind and like a good dane carries great guilt about not keeping up...i will tell you that she is a bit of a flirt today...peeking over the paper and giving me "eyes"...i am so glad to have the time and the freedom to be with her today...

yesterday we had coffee with the"coffee gals"...what a gift...they came with scarves, hats and much love for ginny...we enjoyed our time very much...i am so blessed by this group of woman...truly truly truly...

will write again in the next days to update on the "impact" of the chemo...

kirsten  and sweet ginny too

cancer...this whole thing is like a bad carnival ride

I hate rides that spin around...heck, even the frickin' tilt o whirl makes me sick...today, I felt like we were riding the tilt o whirl and I am still feeling sick to my stomach...

the news (once thought to be good) is not so good...we sat with surgeons, an oncologist and consulted with a radiologist today...the good news is that the cancer is only in the pelvis/colon...the two masses are in proximity and the docs are treating them as if they are one...there is a tumor in the colon and next to it is a cancer filled lymph node...the other "suspicious" lymph node, thought to be "hot" is actually not so hot and is not a concern...

the plan yesterday was to have the masses removed surgically and to follow up with chemo to "clean things up"...today we were told that surgery is not possible...there is too much scar tissue and damage from ginny's previous procedures and radiation...I should rephrase this... it is not impossible to go in and get the tumor, BUT this surgery would put ginny at great risk and in their collective opinion...it is far too risky...

SO we went back up to our oncologist who, in consultation with radiology, has suggested that we do chemo first and in the mean time they will see if ginny would be a candidate for radiation after chemo...it was in this discussion that my stomach began to turn...the "do not worry, this is treatable" may not necessarily apply any more...I asked new questions today and the answers, given the loss of the surgery option, had changed. Ginny has advanced cancer...it is very serious. This chemo treatment NEEDS to work...if not we are in trouble...I asked about best case scenarios...best case, the chemo works and she goes back into remission...the doc was very clear that remission next time will be much shorter (a year or two) and then we will fight again...so we are digging in our heels and preparing for a long haul...ginny begins chemo on February 10th...this will be the first of 6 treatments, each three weeks apart...she will be having treatment here in austin...I have cancelled my work trips over the next couple of weeks...we are still traveling this weekend to Baltimore to see ginny's brother larry...we will return monday and start treatment wednesday the 10th...we are so thankful for our friends and family...thank you for your support in the past days...we are grateful for the prayer and promise to take people up on their offers to help out...

kirsten and ginny