Hello Everyone,
Mom and Dad headed down to City of Hope last thursday with breaths held to receive the results of her latest CT scan. And as proof that prayers are heard, we had good news. The CT showed no growth in the tumor in her liver. The tumor in her lung may have grown slightly. To be considered 'significant' in terms of growth the enlargement needs to be measured at 20% or more according to Moms Dr, and the change in the growth of the lung is less than 10%. The Doctor seems amazed at the stagnant phase in Moms disease. As of now, he is suggesting holding the course in terms of fighting this illness. Mom will stay with a gemzar regime of two times a month. As usual, Mom is a bit fatigued the first few days after chemo, but strong as ever. Yesterday she even made a pecan pie!
Easter was enjoyable- even with the cloudy day! Hope you all had a good one. May 5th, will mark Moms one year since diagnosis. All of the Doctors told us she wouldn't make it for this one year mark. In typical 'Rust' form she has shown ( thank God!) her stubborn ( mom calls it determined) will. Please continue to hold her in your thoughts! I'm a firm believer in positive thoughts.
Bye for now,
Michelle

Hello Everyone,
The recent vacation at the lake was much enjoyed by everyone. Dad sure seemed happy to get his boat out on the water again!
Mom had her chemo last thursday, but there was no scheduled Dr. visit as we had all wrongly assumed. She will see the Doctor on 4/12. City of Hope did increase the pain relief on her patch, although she still seems to need to supplement it with an oral pain reliever. The pain medications along with the illness make Mom fatigued, but overall she is doing o.k. We are somewhat concerned with the level of ascities in her abdomen, she doesn't seem to get the relief she once did after draining and there is a small amount of mucous in the fluid that is removed. The Doctors are informed of this, and have told us this is not a sign of infection. Her abdominal catheter may need to be back flushed to correct this problem. On Moms next visit we should have the results of her last CT scan which should give us a clear picture of everything involved.
Ever the soldiers, Mom and Dad keep pressing on. I was at their house this morning helping Mom with her make-up and nails. They had their portrait taken today in preparation for their 50th wedding anniversary. To look at them you would guess they married at age five! They both looked stunning!
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sunday. We will be celebrating at my house, and with the exception of Mike ( he's on vacation ) we will all be together. Let's hope for good weather!
Keep Mom in your prayers!
Bye for now,
Michelle
P.S. Friday is Mikes birthday- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL !!!!!!!

Hello Everyone,
Mom and Dad are up at the lake right now enjoying a little 'spring break'. Roldan, the kids, and I will join them in a couple days. Dad is really looking forward to taking his boat out! Mom hasn't been to the lake house since her diagnosis in May of 06, so we are all looking forward to having our traditional family time in the desert!
Last Thursday, Mom had her regular chemo and all went well. I took her on this occasion to give Dad a bit of a break. Much to Dads amazement, Mom and I got to City of Hope and back without getting lost once! ( anyone who knows my Mother and I, knows we can easily get lost just trying to get out of a doctors office!) Mom will have a Doctors visit on her next chemo which is scheduled for 3/29. She has been retaining a bit more fluid in her abdomen lately, so we will need to inform the doctor of this so he can make sure there is no blockage in her abdominal area and/or catheter. We may also need to ask for adjustment concerning her pain medications. Mom was unhappy with the last meds they had given her for pain, as they wouldn't bring relief for an hour or more, so the doctors have now put her on a patch. As with any new medication dosage has to be played around with for a while until you get the right fit. They started Mom on the lowest dosage patch to start with, and Mom thinks she may need a slightly stronger dose. All of these concerns will be addressed with the doctor at the next consult.
Never one to complain, it is very hard to assess Moms discomfort. There have been several times where I have asked her how she felt that day and she says shes been fine. Then on the next day she'll say 'Oh, I feel so much better today then I did yesterday!' -- You cant help but love her!!!!
Please continue to pray for my Mother, and the entire family. Next month brings a birthday celebration for my brother Mike! as well as Easter. A eagerly anticipated Mothers Day follows in May. Then in June, Mom and Dad will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary! My wish is that Mom can continue to feel well, as we have many parties and celebrations to enjoy!!!
Bye for now, Michelle

Hello Everyone,
Mom and Dad had a wonderful birthday celebration in Maui with Uncle Duane & Kelly. Unfortunately, while over there Mom came down with the cold virus that seems to be hitting everyone! Cough, fever congestion etc. However, if you're going to be sick somewhere, I guess Maui is the place. Overall they had a good time, and enjoyed a much needed break, and Mom has now recovered from the viral illness. Mom is still on a chemo(gemzar) regime of every other week, and seems to be doing pretty well with it. Just yesterday her and dad were out and about running errands for most of the day. Dad performs her paracentesis every other day which seems to keep her comfortable. Her next visit with the Dr. will not be until the last Thursday of March, so if there are changes made at that time I'll update. Although, none of us should relax and mistakenly feel we can let our guard down with this enemy we still fight, I am so grateful ( and hopeful ) that we have had 10 months now since diagnosis, when the doctors told us 2-4. Please continue to join me and the rest of the family, to pray we have many many more days with Mom. I would love to prove those Doctors wrong!!
Bye for now, Michelle

Hello Everyone, just a quick update. Yesterday, Mom received her scheduled chemo and had a visit with the Dr. He had the CT results, but not the tumor markers. From what he could read of the scan, her liver tumors have reduced somewhat.!!!!yeah!!!! The tumor in the lung he could not decipher if it had remained the same, or increased slightly. However, overall , things are looking good! Mom & Dad are planning to celebrate their February birthday month with a week in Maui with Uncle Duane & Kelly. For two people who love to travel, they haven't had a real getaway since May 06. Maui has been a family vacation spot since the 70's, and in my opinion there is no better place to forget all of your problems and enjoy! Mom and Dad both need this desperately, so I'm very happy for them. Uncle Duane has invited them to accompany him on his plane so Mom wont have to deal with a commercial flight, thank goodness! ( Thanks Uncle Duane!) Hope everything is well for all of you. Please keep Mom & Dad in your prayers! Enjoy Superbowl weekend! Bye for now, Michelle

Hello Everyone, Sorry for the delay in recent posts. Things have been more than hectic! Anyway, Mom is doing well - the implanted catheter seems to be working, in the fact that she can relieve her ascities while in the comfort of her home. She usually seems to feel pretty good and has a good amount of energy and appetite. Of course, about three days after chemo she does get very fatigued and this usually lasts two or three days. At her last Dr. app, Mom asked if she could change chemo to a every other week schedule instead of three weeks on, one off. The Dr. said this would be fine, and should not compromise her health. This is a big relief to both Mom and Dad. They are not committed to driving to Duarte every week, and Mom gets more 'good' days in between. Today they will go to City of Hope so Mom can get her scheduled CT scan. Pray for the best! We should have the results in about a week. Then, this thursday she will receive another round of chemo. We are all looking forward to celebrating the upcoming February birthdays of both Dad and Mom. They are planning on getting away for a few days to celebrate. ( Hopefully somewhere fabulous!!= They deserve it!!) As always, a big thanks to each and every one of you for keeping my Mom in your thoughts and prayers. Keep it up!= we're not done with the fight!! Bye for now, Michelle

Hello everyone,
Finally some good news!!!
Yesterday, Mom and Dad went to City of Hope for a follow up & chemo. Dr. Shibata revealed the results of moms recent CT scan. The scan shows that the large tumor in the liver has NOT grown! Also the smaller tumors have regressed slightly. Her tumor markers are down from the 800's to the high 200's. Her surgeon Dr. Kim also confirmed to Dr. Shibata that during her catheter surgery he thoroughly examined her abdominal area and found no evidence of the cancer spreading, it is confined to the liver. We are so relieved!! Even the doctors seemed surprised! So as of now, the gemzar will remain the treatment of choice.
Keep up the prayers! There is POWER in faith!
Bye for now, Michelle