Walk don't run!

Well it's taken me a couple days to try and put into words our weekend experience and I still don't know how to express it.  You see and hear the commercials about the breast cancer walks and how it can be rewarding, uplifting or emotional and life changing and think REALLY a walk, well I can attest it was every thing the commercials say they can be and more. In just a short time Reenie was able to gather a team of  70 plus family, friends, friends of family and family of friends, generated over $2200 dollars for breast cancer research and got to spend the day with each of them. Not to sound prejudice but "Reenie's Pink Warriors" also looked the best (great job on the shirts Kris). I think its remarkable to gather this amount of important people in your life for a moment like this and being able to accomplish this on Mothers Day, pretty cool. Being able to raise money for the cause is kind of rewarding and when all this research is able to help our wives, daughters, nieces and grandchildren well that is definitely life changing. Seeing your wife, her kids, her family and friends come together for her, very uplifting and quite emotional, I now understand the commercial. When you looked at Reenie on Sunday morning you didn't see a breast cancer patient, you saw a beautiful woman in the moment, the moment of Reenie. The sun was shinning and so was Reenie, I don't know the last time I saw her so happy, and for that I'd like thank each and everyone one of "Reenie's Pink Warriors" she smiled and enjoyed the whole day and she walked, she walked the complete course. Reenie was determined to not miss this day, 2 weeks ago the odds looked like 100 to 1 she would be able to walk to the car let alone 3 miles. Our warrior took a cortisone shot in the heal 1 week ago and couldn't walk for 2 days, like I said she was determined to do this walk. Reenie was able to start the day with her good friend Debbie Markham, who was, we are happy to say walking as a survivor, Debbie finished her treatments last month. The two girls have been an inspiration to each other and unknowingly daily inspirations to all of us followers. Debbie also had a team in the walk with a great turnout, 2 friends on a mission, job well done.
We completed the day with a cookout at Kristen and Josh's and spent the afternoon with our kids, Reenie's brothers and their families a couple friends and Kristens wonderful extended family..this was a good day, no this was a Great day.
Now its back to business for our fighter, we see the oncologist tomorrow (Wednesday). This will be our first visit since we stopped chemo and started the hormone treatment. We will receive our results from the tumor markers drawn last week. The doctors will assess Reenie's progress and determine whether she will continue this path or need to start another chemo regiment. The lack of chemo has helped Reenie build up strength and enjoy a more normal life style, but we need results so tomorrow is another big day.
Thanks and love to all "Reenie's Pink Warriors"

I think the roller coaster has been hyjacked !!!

Again I have let too much information get built up before putting my thoughts to print. Two weeks ago Reenie was about to get her third dose of the chemo drug Gemzar but was unable to because her platelets were too low and there was a fear that she could have a problem if she was to start bleeding for any reason. We had to delay her treatment until that count came up and there was no medical help to increase the platelets just time....which seems EVERYTHING is predicated on...need time to get her biopsy results...time to schedule an additional opinion with the University of Illinois oncolgy department...time to see if the Gemzar is working....time to get our doctors on the same page ...time. Reenie was able to get her treatment 4 days later so those 4 days or that time was spent being anxious which is now our normal frame of mind these days. Fridays treatment seemed to go ok but the weekend was HELL for our warrior, felt tired and the bone pain and musle ache was worse than the past few weeks. Sunday Reenie woke up with a swollen left arm and severe pain, now what we thought, well we have hydration Monday so we will see the docs then and explain the muscle aches and the swollen arm. I woke up Monday looked at the pain Reenie was in and thought I need to take some time off work, this could be a wild week....it was. Monday afternoon the doctors saw the swollen arm and thought "blood clot" but how could that be, the treatment causes the platelets to drop so clotting is not a problem, or so we thought. A trip to Metro South hospital and an ultrasound later we were now dealing with a blood clot. The technician explained that he was going to ultrasoumd each arm because thier facility demands that, I guess there are some facilities that only do what is ordered..good thing the clot was found in the right or opposite arm. This means more shots, shots to thin the blood, so back to the doctors office for the shots. Tuesday a new day and a new doctor, we had decided that once the cancer came back and was resistant to the second treatment of chemo we need to seek other opinions and thoughts on the case. We had scheduled this appointment weeks ago but had to wait, time to gather information, lots of information, tests,scans,diagnosis...lots of information to pass along to the University and schedule an appointment to see their director. We met with 3 doctors, one being the director of oncology for the University of Illinois and we were impressed, we were informed and we were encouraged. Encouraged being the obvious most important feeling walking away from our meeting. Before I get too far ahead with the University doctors,On Monday the day before, Reenie's regular doctors, before shipping us immediately to the hospital for the ultrasound, told us that one of Reenie's numerous weekly and monthly tests came back showing she was menopausal..this as it turns out ...big news. Reenie was always borderline and fake menopausal which determines certain treatments some are pre-menopasual and some post, we never knew for sure so this was sort of big. We now can start on a hormone treatment which will give us another line of attack. So before we left they gave our fighter a monthly shot of Faslodex which will be her hormonal treatment, which is actually another form of chemo but really doesn't have the severe side affects...I'm thinking this is good. Back to our meeting, Dr. Mehta said that the recent finding of being post-menopausal is the way to fight the beast and whoever requested this last biopsy (our Kristen) was brillant.we can now use this hormone treatment..Faslodex, I think I have a new favorite drug. He also felt that this should be the only way to fight this at the present time, he is not one to throw alot of combo medicine treatments at his patients and he had some credible backup and findings. So now lets get these two doctors together for some discussions..need time for that, later in the week that will happen. Still waiting for some biopsy results we had appointment with our surgeon and appointments with our primary to go over the increasing prescriptions and then finally chemo hydration day, yes this would be a wild week. Really I'm not sure if the roller coaster has left the track or it has been taken over by the energizer bunny, because it just isn't stopping anytime soon. So at this point our team of doctors are ALL leaning toward treating this beast with the hormone therapy drug Faslodex and ceasing the chemo therapy drug Gemzar. If this works, and we already have seen some benefits, smaller bumps, no increase in marks or bumps Reenie's quality of life should improve and that is the proverbial WIN WIN situation....Friday the day we had nothing scheduled, wouldn't stay that way too long. We recieved a call Thursday night that Shannon our oldest daughter was possibly having issues with her pregancy and had an appointment Friday morning, so Reenie as always would be there for her kids, took Shannon this morning to her doctors  to find out that her pregnacy was terminating. Shannon's rock her "mama bear" was with her this morning to console and explain how every thing happens for a reason, reasons that may take years to figure out but reasons none the less....maybe we needed another angel to look over us, and get us off this F$&#!%* roller coaster.
Love to all...

I'm a blogger not a fighter!...Reenie's the fighter

Well we have our new treatment and next course of action to tame the beast. Today we had our second dose of the chemotherapy regiment of Gemzar and Avastin. Gemzar is the newest chemo drug for our warrior who two weeks ago had an allergic reaction to Ixtempra. The roller coaster ride we hopped on a few weeks ago doesn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. Last week during our visit with the oncologist he explained how he wanted to handle our latest development of increased cancer cell activity, yes he was concerned that this monster had found away around the treatment of Abraxane that only weeks ago looked miraculous. This creature is aggressive, mean and somewhat smart, he has found a new pathway and we need to stop it's progress. Our oncologist will continue using a combination of targeted drugs which cuts off blood supply to the cells and chemo drugs which kills fast growing cells. The team (doctors,nurses,family and friends) are staying positive we will find the right combination and kill this freaking monster once and for all. We do have a biopsy scheduled for Thursday, this will verify the cancer cell makeup, we have had 2 different cancers to date and we need to positively identify the makeup of what really is the 3rd occurrence of cancer. There is no doubt that this latest turn of events has been worrisome, but our confidence is not shattered and Reenie's strength is mind blowing. I can't even explain or know what she must be feeling and dealing with as far as all the emotions she is going through daily..the unknown...the pain..the thoughts..the dreams and nightmares..I cry for her each day..but I also pray for her each day... and I believe each day.. that we will beat this. Growing up I probably thought I was tough, well I might not have won a lot of fights but I could take a punch, I would stand in there with anyone...but I know I don't have half the strength that our beautiful pink warrior has...she really is an inspiration...I am inspired each and every day.
The positive from treatment this week is that Reenie has tolerated the Gemzar so far, no allergic reaction, and its hard to say for sure but the visible bumps and marks have stayed about the same for the last few days where a week or more ago we could see the spreading of cells take place...so it may be that this new drug is already suppressing the growth....thanks to our family and friends, your support is unwavering and it is amazing the love you have bestowed on our family..the Haas'

On St. Patty's day we are looking for a little "luck o the Irish"

 Well it has been a couple very eventful weeks in the Haas' household. On Sunday March 7th our warrior woke up to find some bumps on her chest wall which looked suspiciously similar to the ones she found last fall. During the examination the following day while receiving chemo the doctors and P.A's. determined this needs to be looked into because of the previous history. Thinking back to the recent pet scan we held out hope this was just some dying tissue but we were scheduled for another pet scan and needed to have the tumor markers drawn. So another anxious week was in the forecast.
During the week of testing Reenie and I were blessed with the news that we are grandparents to be, Shannon and her boyfriend Vito are expecting and we are truly excited about the newest chapter in our lives. It has been fun to see the family get some exciting news for a change.

The emotional roller coaster has continued this week (for the record I HATE roller coasters, mechanical and especially emotional); Monday we received the results of the scans and markers. Both exams showed an increase in cancer cell activity, which means the treatment is not working, the cancer cells have become resistant to this particular therapy treatment. Devastated and disheartened we listened as the doctors explained that yes this happens and yes they have a plan, start a new medicine Tuesday and begin 6 cycles of the new drug Ixempra. This drug is given every 21 days and we are going to begin immediately.....so we thought.

Our pink warrior determined to fight but without a doubt disappointed and as I said earlier disheartened, woke up scared but dedicated to the battle Tuesday looking beautiful as always walked into the infusion room stronger than I ever could. The new drug will take 3 hours with a prep time of at least 1 hour with anti-nausea, a steroid and Benadryl to counter any possible reactions. After about 1/2 hour of receiving the new drug Ixempra Reenie's face became flush, and she started to feel anxious so they paused the treatment. The redness went away but not the anxiety so they gave her something to calm her down and resumed the treatment. The feelings were progressively getting worse and the flushed face returned and treatment had to be discontinued. She was having an allergic reaction so more disappointing news we can't use the new drug. She did have 1/3 of the scheduled dose so we need to wait a couple weeks before a new treatment can be started. Monday the 22nd we will consult with our oncology team and a new treatment will be decided on then.
Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers "keep em coming"  thanks to all our angels who are preparing unbelivable dinners and providing rides and visits everyone should know you all are playing a part in our warriors recovery process...love to all

Pitchers and catchers report

Another milestone has come and gone, cycle 4 in Reenie's treatment is complete. The pet scan that our warrior had done two weeks ago and the tremendous results have let the doctors tweak the chemo amounts by decreasing the dose about 10%. This reduction of the chemo drug Abraxane "in theory" should be more tolerable to Reenie, hopefully with less side effects....well not really much help. The bone pain in her legs and hips have lessened slightly because the need for Nupragen shots has also decreased. The latest problems have been nueropathy in her hands, leaving them tingling, numb and at times brutally painful. Her nails are discolored, tender with the possibility of loss. Reenie is also fighting a sore throat, cough and laryngitis, so she is back to texting if you are wondering why she is not answering the phone.
In keeping her wedding streak alive, 3 weddings in 50 days,she was determined to attend the wedding of friends Joe and Terry McElligott's daughter Candi to Eric Johnson, this ceremony was special in many ways, 1) well the wedding, 2) our daughter Shannon was a bridesmaid, 3) it was held in the cathedral known as "the Cell" the home of the White Sox, and 4) it marked a special passage of time for our cancer fighting warriors Reenie and Debbie Markham (Candi's aunt). The girls were determined to share this day together and celebrate not only the wedding but also the impending end to their battles. The big weekend did take a toll on Reenie for Sunday she was wiped out and unable to attend our annual Christmas dinner with the Cheer Moms or COF's.
Like I have mentioned in previous posts I was looking forward to the upcoming baseball season to help mark the time of big days in Reenie's fight. Pitchers and cathers report about the time Reenie finished up cycle 4. Opening day will mark the start of the 6st and final chemo cycle with the completion around Ryan's birthday, which by that time the Sox should be in first place by 3 games and the Cubs will be looking forward to next year.
As always Reenie sends her love to all the angels, thanks for everything and always being there for support...keep saying the MIRACLE PRAYER its working

Nervousness..scared..frightened......BLESSED

Near-resolution of prior diffuse abnormal radiotracer activity throughout the subcutaneous tissues.....
Near-resolution of hypermetabolic adenopathy in axillary regions within the subcutaneous tissues.....
THE APPEARANCE IS CONSISTENT WITH TREATED METASTATIC DISEASE!!!!

The chemotherapy, the prayers, the support and the love is all working. Today we were met in the hallway of Reenie's chemo appointment with a whisper of "we have good news" as one of our Physician Assistants walked by while attending to another patient. They brought our fighter into her infusion room and said the doctor is not here yet but when he comes we will move you into a private room. Well if we didn't hear the whisper in the hall we would have reached panic mode. I came home last night to a very frightened girl, man how much more can she handle. A wonderful weekend with an awesome wedding of friends Jim and Carole Lyke's son Phil, and a nice afternoon with her girlz ended with the reality of Monday starts round 4 of chemo and the PET SCAN RESULTS. Reenie was scared and I was nervous, yeah we had good results from the tumor markers but this beast is unpredictable. The pain that Reenie had for two weeks had let up for the last few days what a blessing that was, she was able to attend the wedding which helped the spirits of her family, we know she is felling better when she WANTS to get out. Well when the doctor and his assistant brought us into our room, well our PA was as excited as anyone she could not believe the results and couldn't wait until we got there today. Dr Baridi explained the results and after all the medical jargon he said that 90% of Reenie's cancer is gone...NINETY PERCENT after 3 rounds, pretty miraculous, like I mentioned earlier I firmly believe this has been a collaboration of many efforts, yes the medicine is doing its job and cutting off blood flow to the bad cells, and the prayers are doing their job I know there are many and keep them coming they are powerful,and the support and love from family and friends have helped Reenie keep her eyes on the prize, she doesn't have to worry about things that YOU, her support group are taking care of. The treatment will not change still 3 more cycles,3 months then we discuss the AFTER treatment,AFTER being the operative word, AFTER the cancer is GONE.
Reenie sends her love to all..keep saying the MIRACLE PRAYER

6 more weeks of winter...3 more months of Chemo

Reenie didn't see her shadow this week, cause Reenie usually doesn't see the sunlight. Well there really hasn't been too much sunlight anyway, our fighter doesn't get out much to see the sun or clouds and the last few weeks have been no exception. This was suppose to be the week of recovery, the week to enjoy not having chemo, the week to be somewhat normal. Last Friday Reenie woke up with a swollen arm and red spots on her chest and arm,she was scheduled to have blood work anyway that afternoon so she would let the doctors see the new development then. Her count was low and there was a concern she may have a blood clot in the arm so off to see another doctor. The doctors felt this wasn't a clot but most likely an allergic reaction to ...something, pain meds, food, not really sure. This was not part of the plan, to have another issue to deal with again. The treatment for the possible allergy was a mega dose of steroids, Prednezone, which seemed to work overnight. The swelling went down and the rash decreased, but with the good came the bad, her pain has been unrelenting and it seemed the steroid accentuated the pain. Reenie literally would just sit and cry because the pain would be so much, never complained, just cried and hoped for an end soon.
Today was really the first day in quite a while that Reenie felt good, so lucky her, she had a PET Scan scheduled for her good day. Reenie did have the opportunity to spend the afternoon with her girlfriend Jan from work so for Reen it was a good day.
Monday is really a big day I figure, our warrior starts the second half of her treatment and we receive the results from today's test. We don't know what to really expect other than the hope that the scans shows a reduction in cancer cells a good test that rivals our earlier news from last month's tumor markers.

Thanks to everyone for their love,support and most important their prayers.
Reenie sends her love to all