<p>I hope tomorrow will be a turning point for you Sunrise. I know that it takes a while for the infections to clear and for all of the machines/drains to do their jobs. I know you will have more energy very soon when your body heals from this. No pun intended, but it can be very draining!</p>
<p>Take care, and thinking of you often and sending healing vibes!</p>
<p>Sending peaceful and healing feelings to settle in around your body like the finest goose down comforter. Weightless but snuggle-y and never too warm.</p>
<p>I am imagining all the toxins flowing out of your body and new, healthy cells replacing them.</p>
<p>I thought of you while watching the US Open final last night and hope your journey will be like Andy Murray’s last set. After winning the first and second sets by being just that one shot better than Djokovic in the key points, he had setbacks in the third and fourth and Djokovic was looking like the better player. He regrouped in the fifth to take command and emerged triumphant. I hope your medical team is using all these devices and strategies to help you regroup, control your fever, and emerge feeling better than you have in the last few months. Sending good wishes your way!</p>
<p>2VU0609 - great analogy! More chants, prayers, and healing thoughts being sent your way…</p>
<p>Sunrise, thinking of you everyday from the east.</p>
<p>Thinking of you, sunrise.</p>
<p>Sending healing thoughts, wishing you comfort and tranquility</p>
<p>came home last night.</p>
<p>I came home with a pipe and a drainage bag. However, I “lost” the vacuum machine. A terrific trade. the vacuum machine was attached to my open surgery would to create a vacuum condition that speeds up the wound healing process. But it caused so much discomfort for me: the tight vacuum dressing constricted the whole abdominal area so much so that I felt that I was on an iron corset 24 hours a day.</p>
<p>The drainage bag is such an ugly sight but that’s that: it does not make me feel physically miserable. So, a wonderful trade.</p>
<p>I resume my recovery process. Hope to restart a chemo on Sept 25th…</p>
<p>Another bit of a cautiously positive news. When they operated on me, my oncologist (Dr. S) and I requested the surgeon (Dr. C) to collect a few tumor samples to send to a lab for in depth tissue analysis and tests, one of which is to see to what kind of chemo drugs my tumors are most sensitive to. These tests are not 100% accurate and there are a lot of controversies about the effectiveness of a test like this. However, it can be considered an additional data point to consider. </p>
<p>I was dreading the results: what if they say “Nothing works for this patient”. Fortunately, the results listed a number of drugs to which my cancer cells responded to (died), and on top of the list is the most powerful drug for people with my diagnosis. This is the drug that put me in remission initially. However, since I recurred so shortly, I was technically declared resistant to this drug. However, I knew that given a sufficient interval, the drug can work again. It appears to be the case. Dr S told me that he would build my protocol centering around this drug plus something else that may work synergistically with it.</p>
<p>These tests are not always reliable, but at least it’s better than shooting blind.</p>
<p>After whole summer of relentlessly worse news at every single turn, I am finally starting to see a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been rough, but I hope the worst is over… After weeks and months without a single day free of pain or pretty severe discomfort, today I am relatively comfortable…</p>
<p>My son whose school has a quarter system (fall quarter starts at the beginning of Oct) is hanging around with me to help me. He asked, “mom, when you are better what would like to do?” My answer…</p>
<p>“I just simply want to sit and enjoy the fact that my body does not feel like my enemy, not a source of pain and discomfort”</p>
<p>Oh, my: how people’s perspective and aspiration change… I am not even talking about doing anything that involves my intellect… let alone solving a world hunger problem… Just animal comfort…</p>
<p>Thanks for the update and good news! Hope you continue to improve and your new (old) drug will be well tolerated and effective. With no side effects! (Figured I might as well ask for the moon.)</p>
<p>Sunriseeast, great post. I am glad to read that you are feeling better, and that you are back on the drug that works.</p>
<p>I’m glad to hear you are home and feeling more comfortable.</p>
<p>Good news, Sunrise. It seems like this setback will soon be a thing of the past, and that there’s a treatment plan with a good chance of decimating those cancer cells, never to return.</p>
<p>Wonderful to hear that you are home and looking forward to the next steps. Continue healing…like everyone here, I send good thoughts your way every day.</p>
<p>Sending healing thoughts and very happy to hear that you are home and feeling more comfortable. Finally! And so well deserved.</p>
<p>Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! So happy! May your healing continue!</p>
<p>Sunrise- I am so happy that you are home and what a wonderful bonus that your son is home! I am so impressed with how you despite the pain, fever, surgery and everything else, could think that it would be a good idea to take samples and see about different agents to kill them. In a way, the lemons may truly turn to lemonade. I hope that you will continue to feel better and to regain your strength. Thank you so much for letting all of us know how you are doing. Take care, and warm thoughts to your DH, too!</p>
<p>Hi sunrise,
Great to hear this news! And you knew all along that the first drug was the one, but protocol dictated that you couldn’t stay on it. :rolleyes: I am glad that it will be reintroduced to continue the fight. I wish you peaceful, restful nights that are pain-free :)</p>
<p>I am so glad that you are home, and on your way to recovery.</p>
<p>sometimes bad things happen for a good reason.</p>
<p>I am hoping that you went through all of this bad stuff so that your doctors could get the chance to take those samples, and devise the best and most effective treatment for you. I want them to take all of those lemons that have been served to you, and have them make a huge batch of perfect lemonade.</p>
<p>Sunrise, I’m a frequent lurker but haven’t posted. It is so good to hear you sound like your old self again. We knew that when you were only able to post a short phrase letting us know of your struggles that that was all you had the strength to do. I hope your upswing continues and that the lemonade boysx3 has suggested is delicious!</p>