Seattle scan & "ipi"

Good morning to everyone:

Calvin and I had an adventure and long day yesterday but GREAT! We started at a new place for my MRI because they didn't have time for my appointment where I usually go at the University of Washington hospital.

Then we went over to U. of Wash. and waited 2 hours to see Dr. Rockhill. Sara, his assistent came in with a huge smile after we were in the room waiting over an hour and said "do you want the good news?" What a relief. She brought up all the tumors on the screen. She told me the one Rockhill did the gamma knife on last month was a bit smaller. Everything was stable which is good in their eyes. Of course I want some shrinkage!. "Patience my dear," my mom would be saying! Dr. Rockhill came in. Said it looked good and he thought the tumor seemed to be responding. We asked him some questions about the "ipi". He said he difinately thought it to be the next best step but this new Dr. Thompson that we were going to meet afterwards would be the pro to anser my questions.

We left his office at 3:00. Drove about 30 minutes to the Cancer Alliance Center. Waited there and got in to visit with him. He explained everything to us and answered our questions. I told him that I was worried about the side affects from the "ipi". It is a trial test that has been out for 8 years but not approved by the FDA. It's sppose to be out in March. On a scale of 0 - being great and 4 - being lousy in health, they only take the cancer melanoma patience that are in the 0 & 1 range which would make me a candidate. He says they have dropped the infusion dose from 10, 3, or 1. You usually don't get side affects until after the 3rd infusion. Or sometimes they don't come until later but do not last a life time. He told us that it is certain more promising then goin back through another round of Chemo. The cancer will keep coming back. The "ipi" is much more promising. He said "Janae the chemo makes you sick also." True. He gave us a 3 ring binder FULL of stuff to go over. I asked him if I was his wife what would he do. He said he understood the tough decision but he would have her do it because it can improve the risk of cancer throughout the organs and not just the brain. It last 4 months and you go over there for the infusion every 3 weeks.

I know you have other people to pray for but please keep me in your prayers. We are thinking we may go ahead and do it. We signed the consent form yesterday because Dr. Thompson also has to sign it in your presents. We can always back out but decided to save us another trip we would do it while we were there. He checked me over and said I was great but he needed a HIV blood test and some other scary ones ran. We went down to the lab and of course, if you don't know my history, I don't like giving my blood away. They got there best man there. I have learned to give a warning before they just call me back. He poked me 5 times and kept telling me how sorry he was. By now it was 6:15 and the lights were flickering off. He got 1 tube and said they would see if it was enough.

Got home after Calvin took me to a nice dinner and ctrawed in bed about 11:00...a long day for me and I didn't even drive!

We love you all so much and appriecate your thoughts and interest this fight for life!

Janae

Hymn
"Sweet hour of pray, sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief
My sould as often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return,
Sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
Believe his word and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my every care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Good afternoon to some of my favorite people....family and friends. It's hard to believe Fall is here almost Winter and another 4 weeks has gone by. Bergen just had her triplets and Jud took me to boise for a two day "rock and hold" trip. They are well and Bergen went home lastnight. The babies will be there until around Thanksgiving. Even though means many times to the hospital which is 20 minutes away, it will give her some rest time. We left Judson there to help with Jada. She is 18 months. The house will be busy but so happy and blessed they feel for answered prayer.

I am on my way tomorrow early to have lab work done, another MRI on my brain and meet with a new doctor, Dr. Thompson. They are proposing a clinical study for me. I haven't made up my mind yet because I need more information from Dr. Thompson who I will meet tomorrow. The percentages of a cure or a better life do not impress me. The side effects are severe as they say. Diaherra, arthritis, which I already have, pitary gland problems, skin rashes, swellin in the eyeballs. Not a great quality for life. I am doing better then most that go on this.
It's called "Ipilimumah" Ipi for short. There is quite a bit of information on line about it. They will go over my results from my last gamma knife that I had Oct. 7 and then we will see what needs to happen. I guess it's good to always have something to pray about and draws us closer to our Heavenly Father.

Think of me tomorrow and remember in your prayers. They mean so much to our family.

MATTHEW 5:13-16
"Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost it's savor, wherewith shall it be salted?
it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of man.
Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put in under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

I'll write Friday morning. We usually get home to late. It's a long day!
love to you all
Janae

Wednesday - Harbor View Hospital

Good morning to all of you!

I continue to ask for your faith and prayers. We are going to Harbor View for an gamma knife. It will be Thursday morning early. I have to be there at 6:30 a.m. I will post a blog Friday or Saturday....I promise. I appreciate all the blessings I have been given this first year of this cancer diagnois. As hard has it is to always thin of myself and take of me, I have had a great year of blessings.

In the Doctrine & Covenants chapter 14, verse 7:
And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

i love and appreciate you all. May you also be blessed and protect through your channagnes and trials. I know we all have them. I also pray for you.

Janae

Dear family,

Janae has been doing well the past month or so and lately seems to be increasing her stamina day by day. Yesterday we went to the University of Washington for her latest MRI scan. We met with her oncologist, Dr. Rockhill.

He told us that yesterdays scan shows some items of concern. One of the tumors today was the size of your thumbnail. Previously it had not been detected or even tracked because it was so small that it was not a concern. Another one of the tumors that had been treated with the Gamma Knife radiation last October had additional swelling around it and it is too a concern. Dr. Rockhill said this is precisely why he recommends that we have an MRI performed every 3 months so that we can detect any new tumors or any tumors that are growing. The good news is that none of the other seven tumors which were previously treated with the Gamma Knife procedure (last October) have grown. In fact many of them have continued to shrink significantly since the last MRI scan in June.

We are discouraged that any of the tumors have grown at all, but believe it is due to Janae's having had such great results for this entire last 11 1/2 months since her last Gamma Knife procedure. Dr. Rockhill strongly suggests that Janae recieve the Gamma Knife radiation treatment again for the second time. We are in agreement and have made arrangements for this to happen next Thursday, October 9th.

We want you to know that we feel very blessed that her progress has been so significant. We continue to recieve so many kind encouragements and thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. We know they make a huge difference in the outcome. We are very thankful for each day and for her continued progress in so many ways. We appreciate all of your expressions of love, thoughtfulness, and kindness and we go through these difficult times. Your prayers and friendship mean the world to us. We love you all,

Calvin and Janae

Good after noon to all my favorite people....

We have been out of town the last 12 days and it has made me realize how fast time goes. I have missed not keeping up with you. Many of you call me by phone and I guess no news is the best news. I appreciate your prayers and love. I know many think of me still and I feel your concern.

We are going over to Seattle for another MRI on my brain tomorrow. It always makes me a bit nervous to check in but something that certainly needs to be done to know how my progress is going. I have blood work at 10:00, my MRI scan at noon, and then I see my doctor at 2:00. Most of the time they are not running on time so we get out of the hospital around 5 or 6. By the time we get home, it's pretty late. I will let you know my results Thursday morning.

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offereing
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."

Love Janae

P.S. Your prayers and fasting would be so great! Thanks again for all you do for our family and mean to us!

Good afternoon to my family and friends,

Nothing new is going on with my health conditions really. My joints are becoming more arthritic. I was born with Children Rhuemotoid? Arthritis and it is kicking in now It's not slowing me down any but causes me quiet a bit of pain especially when I have been still. I don't want pain medicine. It has more side effects that I don't want to worry about. I know I have been very blessed and thank my Heavenly Father for that. I also thank the good doctors who are watching over me.

I don't have another scan until September 29. that makes me a bit nervous but I tell myself to trust in the Lord. He is in charge if I will do what is best for me. I know he will take help me down the path that is mine.

Doctrine & Covenants 84:45 & 46

"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatso ever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

I'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost who gives me comfort each day as I call upon him to cheer me up, give me strength and help me to carry on.

Thanks again for you love, prayers and interest in me and my family.
Have a great day!

Janae

Good Evening to all my great family and friends:

I have been reminded by three doctors this week how lucky I am which I respond, "it's blessed!" My scan in Seattle was great. No new tumors and they are still shrinking. I had the cancerous mole on my back taken off. It was the size of half my little finger nail. They wanted me back Monday to take more out around it so I had surgery for that and they also open another up that they did three weeks ago to make it cleaner. Both came back this morning beign.

I am feeling better and better. I'm working on my energy, staying out of the sun and trying to get my afternoon nap in. I don't do well without my rest....then who does?

The extended plan now for me is to keep the scans on my body and also my brain and watch it all carefully. Cancer is never too far away but I have the odds for myself and the doctors.

I truly believe in faith and prayers and thank-you for all your thoughts on my behalf.

Love, Janae


"And Alma and his people did not raise to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

And it came to pass that the voice of the lord ccame to them in their afflictions, saying: "Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bodage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety the I, the Lord God, do visit my people in the afflictions.

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea; the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they didi submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you our of bondage.

Oh, how I love the Book Of Mormon!"