"Lost" - Update on Robin as of 02/05/2008

At last writing nine days ago (on 01/27/2008), Robin was starting to recover from the chemo sickness, only to have developed what I like to call, "The Opportunistic Yeast Infection from Hell." The infection was beginning to heal, and Robin had been working a few days. By Sunday, the 27th, her hair has decided it was time to leave, and her wig, which was supposed to be here by Saturday, the 26th had not arrived yet.

On Monday, January 28th, Robin's hair started coming out faster, and by Tuesday, it was coming out in chunks. She didn't wash it or comb it that day, hoping the wig would be delivered that evening. It didn't arrive. By the time she got home from work, her black sweater was covered with hair, and Robin looked like she had "the mange". Robin decided she couldn't go through another day "leaving her DNA all over town," so she had me remove what was left. Her wig was supposed to arrive at 8:30 the next morning, so she planned to wear a hat until we could get to the Wig Salon.

The next morning (Wednesday), Robin had a follow-up appointment at Advanced Wound Care Center at Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena. When the doctor saw Robin's wounds, he seemed surprised by how well they had healed. Two of the three serious wounds were completely covered over by new growth. The third, which was originally over three inches long, was now two small spots together, smaller than a dime. The doctor decided that he did not need to debride again and that Robin could be released. He told me that that I must be doing an excellent job taking care of her wounds, but I told him that I had a lot of help because there were a lot of people out there praying for Robin.

After the wound center (about 11:00), we went to the wig salon to pick up her "cranial prosthesis." Remember--- It was supposed to be there at 8:30 AM? But guess what? It had still not arrived! The owner said we could wait… It should arrive any time, but Robin still needed to have blood work done in preparation for chemo, so we didn't wait. We got the blood work done, and because the red blood cell count was so low, Robin received a blood booster shot. Then I took her to work. She called later and learned that the wig never arrived on Wednesday. On Thursday, it finally arrived. The wig lady called Robin at work and said she would stay late to fit and style the wig, since Robin could not get there before 6:00 PM. So finally, after two hairless days, she had hair again!

The weekend went fairly well. Robin has been feeling pretty good, except for the constant nausea during the last two weeks. We watched the Superbowl with a few close friends and had a great time, although Robin was not at her best. When we got home, the nausea won, and she was sick for the next 24 hours.

Today is Tuesday, February 5th, and Robin was scheduled for her second chemo treatment with Ixabepilone. When the doctor arrived for the pre-chemo exam, she was carrying a dozen roses and two greeting cards from our BFFs, Alexis and Raoul. Pretty expensive courier! And Poor Robin had to carry those flowers all over Deke Slayton Cancer Center with that ear-to-ear smile on her face all morning long. She finally settled down and started getting pumped full of chemicals about 11:00. After the antihistamines, she became very drowsy, so I killed time reviewing documents and distributing buttons from www.choosehope.com. The Ixabepilone was finally done about 4:00 PM, and we went home (via the drug store to pick up some better anti-nausea meds). The next couple of days should go well, then, about Friday, the sickness should hit. Hopefully, we can avoid the complications of bleeding wounds, and Robin should be on the mend by Monday or Tuesday.

To sum it up, Robin has lost her hair, lost her lunch, and almost miraculously, lost her wounds. On the other hand she finally "found" her hair. She is currently full of deadly chemicals, and thinks she can hear the cancer cells screaming in agony. And she has a dozen beautiful red roses and a grin that won't quit.

Please continue to keep Robin in your thoughts and prayers. We are sure that it was your prayers and God's will (not Larry's medical skills) that astounded the wound care doctor. Pray for her and everyone afflicted by this brutal disease. Prayer works.

Our love to you all. God bless you all!

                  Larry and Robin (and John, in absentia)

p.s.: Check out ChooseHope.com. Their buttons are pretty funny, and they can be seen at the following URL:

          Buttons from ChooseHope.com

There are some good resources on their website for things you can do if you know someone with cancer. If you buy something from these folks, a portion of all proceeds will go to cancer research and services.
Larry sez, "Check it out!"