Good News!

After another 3 months of chemo, her scan results are good.  The goal of the last 3 months was to maintain as she was on a less aggressive treatment plan to hold the cancer at bay.  And, there was no change in the growth of the tumors; exactly as expected.  All reason to celebrate, and breathe a sigh of relief & thank God for answering our prayers!  

As I mentioned back in September, her spleen is enlarged, and this scan showed it is enlarged further. In addition, she has fluid near/around her spleen.  The doctors don't seem to be too concerned, explaining that this organ sits right near the diseased liver - many reasons why this could be.  He would like to watch it closer; she will have a repeat scan in mid-February (after 4 more treatments - about 8 weeks from now).  Mom is having a little discomfort from it; she tends to notice the after she has eaten (enlarged spleen is near her stomach causing less room & feeling of bloating).  She is going to have a follow-up with her surgeon next week to have an ultrasound & see how much fluid is actually there.  The doctor will make a recommendation from there on next steps.

After all of this, Mom is back to her treatment today...same treatment plan.  As I have explained in past posts, she is doing well, all-in-all, with the side effects even through the treatment is emotionally & physically draining.  But, just like typically Sharon, she powers through it and doesn't let anything stop her from preparing for the holiday season ahead.  We will remember & celebrate this holiday with gratefulness for the support of family & friends!

God Bless and Merry Christmas.

Life Changing Event...post from Tom German

From my husband, as we end another year, I thought this was appropriate to post.  Keep Mom in your prayers (as you always do), she had her 3rd scan this morning, an update on the results will be posted soon!

I think many people go though life, so busy with day to day to-do's that one day you look up from what you are doing and realize so much time has past by. People that meant so much to you just years before are not part of their life anymore and the people that are still part of your life have changed without you  noticing. Your babies that were so dependant on you for everything are now becoming beautiful independent children. Friends, though still important to you, have been put on the side burner because “life” has kept you too busy to sit down and contact them. And pretty soon living the “American Dream” has consumed your life. Life becomes a series of steps that “have” to be accomplished or you have not been successful.

Then one day all that can change, and for us that day was in February of this year. Tania’s mom went to the doctor with abdomen pain and left the doctor’s office with stage 4 colon cancer that had moved to the liver and several lymphoid. All the sudden you can have all the money in the world, the biggest house and nicest cars and it really doesn’t make a difference all you really want in life is LIFE. Your whole life’s perspective changes in one phone call. Luckily, Sharon is doing very well. She has been very positive, the doctors have done everything that they can do and God has given her good results with her treatment plan. Our friends and family have been very supportive and helpful and to that we are very thankful. Sometimes it is hard to find positive things in situations but I really think there are many good things that are still happening in this family. One is the fact that even before this happened; Tania’s whole family has been very closely connected. It always has amazed me by how the whole family makes every effort to make it to a family event whether it was a birthday of a cousin or a baptism of a great-grandson. In that respect they have not had to reconnect, they were always connected. The reality is that things like this happen to so many people and some do not have the support of such a closely knit group of family and friends. It is also a blessing that Sharon appears to be in such good health. I still think she has more energy and vigor for life than most completely healthy adults, which is a testament to the type of person she is.

This time of the year has always been a retrospective time of year for me and this year is no different. In years past, I have always thought the year as a whole has been good, even when difficult things have happened. Surprisingly, to me anyway, this year is no different. Yes, we have been though a lot of ups and downs and some of the lows were, at times, very low it has been inspiring to me how Tania and her family have responded to Sharon’s illness. She is battling a life threatening disease which is both physically and emotionally exhausting, but she still takes every opportunity to do all she can for everyone around her. The whole family and I would like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone that has prayed and supported us this past year. I personally want to thank Sharon for being Sharon, you inspire me to be every thing I should be. Happy holidays to all and remember what the season is really all about.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Sharon!

Even though I'm one day late, I thought I would still post it! Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you had a good birthday yesterday.

Thought her friends & family would appreciate the reminder of her 52nd birthday.

Quick update, really nothing new to report, Mom continues w/ chemo treatment every other week. The main issue she continues to deal with is the numbness in her feet & hands. She still has her 'bad week' and 'good week' which she seems to be working through without a lot of trouble. It has almost been 9 months (around 12.9) since she started her treatment so that means another scan to make sure the treatment continues to work.

Prayers & encouragement are especially needed during this time!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Quick Update

Hi Everyone, Time goes by so quickly; it's been over a month since I posted. Mom is doing well so far with her adjusted regimen. She still has the numbness in her hands/feet that bother her; she continues to look for anything that can provide relief. As for her treatments, they continue every other week. Everything is going pretty good, all-in-all, she is still pretty tired 2 days following the treatment and feels pretty run down, but it seems better than than the 1st 6 months so I think it's tolerable for her.

With the Holidays coming up quickly, she is making plans to switch around her weeks or take a week off so she feels good - she has that flexibility right now so that is nice!

Sharon & Tim have a few things planned coming up in the next few months - they will be visiting us in Cary (IL) in mid-November, spending Thanksgiving in Columbus (mom's hosting I think), Christmas w/ all the kids at their house, plus the Gehring Christmas too! She is staying busy which is great!

As always, keep the comments & posts coming - if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Or, you can email me @ taniatarman@hotmail.com.

Thanks for all of your support - Mom really appreciates it!

Great Results, So Much to be Thankful For!

She got her full read on her 6 month scan from the oncologist, and it was all great news. The tumors have shrunk again and it really was a great report. Her spleen is still enlarged, but has been for awhile, likely from the pressure from her liver over the past year(s). Nothing to be worried about as long as it doesn't get larger (plus, it can be removed if it causes problems) .

This report was a little bittersweet -- great results, but still such a long road ahead. Mom (& all of us) want it to be gone & how do we get to that point quicker, those answers aren't easy. We asked the doctor a lot of questions about how long? when? will it ever be gone? And the answers can only be answered with the average results from studies & how most patients respond to the treatment (we know he can't predict the future, it seems it would be much better if he could) And, as of right now none of those answers are good -- it will never be gone, Mom will always be doing some kind of treatment...so that part is hard. I'm sure a very emotional day for her. I'm even struggling as I write you this --

But know -- it's a joyful day today as the chemo is doing what it needs to -- reversing tumor growth! We are thank you & happy for such great results this far, it's a good indication that the cancer will continue to respond to the treatment.

From here, she will continue the same treatment (minus the oxaliplatin - the drug that causes in the numbness in her fingers/feet) every other week for another 3 months. The doctor said she can have a break at anytime - for the holidays, vacation, etc & they will watch it close so she has that option if she gets to the point where it's doing more harm than good (side effects & all that comes with the treatment).

Quick Update on Scan results

Hey everyone, Mom received her preliminary results last week on the CT scan to see how things were going from 6 months of completed treatment. Everything still looks good & the tumors have shrunk. The nurse & Physicians Assistant who provided the results noted 2 things of concern - her spleen is enlarged by 2cms and there was a very small spot showing on her lung. She will see the oncologist & start her next cycle of treatment on Tuesday (tomorrow) so we will get a full report then to see next steps. The PA didn't seem too concerned on the issues and said the doctor would be able to discuss further on her next appointment. More to come, but thought I would at least post this!

6 Months of Treatment COMPLETED!

What a huge accomplishment! Mom has officially completed 12 chemotherapy cycles, although it is a huge accomplishment for her she has been through so much the past 6+ months, and there is more to come. She will have her 2nd scan since she has started treatment this Friday (in a few days). We are excited to get the results and pray that the tumors are shrinking - I'll be sure to update on Friday night w/ the results we get from her general doctor.

She will hopefully get a 2 week break as she has a friend wedding next weekend so she wants to feel good. She needs & deserves a break to feel normal again even if just for a few weeks, it really does make a difference.

From here, based on the scan results, she will continue the same therapy treatment (5-FU/LV) minus the oxaliplatin (the drug that makes her hands & feet numb).

Please keep the prayers, support, phone calls, emails, & posts to this site coming. Although there is not a lot to report each week, Mom is still muscling through every other week fighting & dealing with the side effects. The more the encouragement the better!!

2 More Treatments ... until next scan

Mom just completed her 10th chemotherapy treatment. Even though these drugs are helping shrink her tumors, they are not fun. The treatment's side effects do have a cumalitive effect so Wednesday & Thursday's following her Monday treatment are the bad days -- she doesn't have much energy and the nerve ending damage seems to be getting worse in her feet. She says it feels like she is walking on sandpaper. She has figured out a few tricks to get some relief from tingling in her feet - if she keeps them warm to move the circulation in her feet moving it does help. They have lessened the dose of Oxaplantin drug, causes the numbness & tingling in hands & feet and also had effected her blood platelet count so that was the why they lessened the dose, but this last time it held so that was good news. Her white blood cell count seems to be managed with a shot to help produce more so that has helped too. She still has hard time sleeping because of the steriods that she gets in addition to the treatment.

Only 2 more treatments and then the CT scan will hopefully show the results that it was all worth it. The doctors are assuming this treatment will have near the same results as her last scan. The treatment is killing the cancer cells & shrinking the tumors so that is what we all hoped and prayed for -- now it's just managing the side effects.

The kids & I have spent most of the summer in Nebraska hanging out w/ Mom and Tim & other friends & family. The kids have really enjoyed being at grandma's & pa's house and so have I. I can't believe we are going back home in less than a week. We are going to do a few things before we go - we are going to head to Omaha next week to take the kids to the Omaha Zoo so we are looking forward to that.

Relay for Life

We attended Relay for Life in Columbus last night...what a great event and so much money raised to help in the fight against cancer. It was a fun and very inspiring and emotional night. So many that are fighting and so many more there to support and provide hope and raise funds to find a cure for this disease. Thank you to so many of you that supported the event & donated to provide a luminary for Sharon. There were so many there & showed Mom again how many people are supporting her through this.

She has been doing really great these last 2 weeks, she decided to take a "break" from the treatments after much reassurance from her doctor that is would not stop the progress. It was 'only 1 week' he said, don't worry & enjoy it. She did have a 1 drug on her normal chemo-day, but the rest that make her sick they didn't give her. She had lots of fun too during that time - we had a Summer party, went to the pool, shopping & to visit Tara in Lincoln. The kids & I have been back to Nebraska for almost 2 weeks and are going to spend a good portion of the summer here...helping & spending time w/ Mom. It seemed like a great plan and is working out fine.

A few more details...

As mentioned in my last post, we were waiting for a more detailed discussion with Mom's oncologist at her regular Monday appointment. He discussed the results in more detail and discussed the next steps to her treatment plan. She will continue for another 6 cycles (12 weeks) on the current chemotherapy mix with some adjustments to the dosage. And also discussed a few of the future treatment plans again based on her effects of the current drugs, etc. He confirmed that number of tumors has reduced and some of the larger tumors have shrunk. He read us the size reduction of the largest tumor on her liver shrunk from approx. 3.5cm x 4cm to 1.5cm x 2cm so it shrunk more than 50%. I think he actually used the words 'fabulous report' which is great.

The side effects are maintaining which is also better than expected as a few of the side effects could be cumulative and gradually get worse. Mom indicated a few side effects to the doctor that neither Tim or I had heard about before so we know she is being 'tough' and masking some of what is going on, but she still indicates that everything is fine & she really can't complain as she knows it could be much worse. The most sensitive side effect you could tell in the doctors voice is her blood platelet levels & her white blood cell count, but they are adjusting the drug dosage to manage through that as mentioned above. Plus, she gets shots to help boost white blood cell production, etc.

From Tyler Sueper...I Believe

"I Believe" Essay Assignment for English Composition Class

The Power of Friends and Family. By, Tyler Sueper

A couple of months ago my mom was diagnosed with cancer. With this disease comes a change in people’s lives. Some changes for the better and some for the worse. With friends and family to comfort my mom in her time of need, even if it was a smile that’s on her face when people come to see her, this gives me hope that my mom will win this fight against cancer. I believe the support of friends and family is the cure for cancer.

Cancer can adjusts a person’s life, even if just the thought of having this disease over their head the whole time. It also can change a person’s lifestyle and their routine. With my mom, her routine changes every week having to go to chemotherapy every other week. The chemo has different side effects on my mom’s body that makes her tired after her treatment and she is also extremely sensitive to cold food, drinks, and weather.

With the hard times come easier and better times. Since the time are family found out the bad news, friends and other family members are the ones that makes it easier, which lightens up the mood of our family. Having friends that care about you and you can always count on helps a great deal to those that are sick. Spending more time with family makes them come together and spend the time they do have with one another.

Without friends and family in anyone’s life would get lonely and boring pretty quickly. For are family, we are fortunate to have a family like we have and friends that are supportive during this time in our family’s life. Getting cards when we first learned of this disease and that continues still months after just shows how my family’s friends and family care by keeping her in their minds.

I believe that the best treatment for cancer is not the chemo, but by being around friends and family. With these changes that are going though our family it’s nice to have the friends that we do. The time that you spend with our family doesn’t go unnoticed, with that I along with my family want say thank you.

Chemo-therapy is WORKING!

Some good news! YAY! The CT scan showed good results...actually great results. The scan showed a reduction in the number of tumors on her liver and some of the larger tumors are smaller. These results are better than expected. We are so thankful. Mom is overwhelmed and waiting to be too happy until Monday when she sees the oncologist (her family doctor discussed the results on Friday so she just wants to be sure) and will get to discuss how they describe the progress so far based on the results of her scan.

Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement to Mom. She goes on Monday to continue the treatments she has been getting and will likely continue for another 6-8 more cycles (so 12 more weeks). She will know more on Monday after her appointment.

Please pray for God's healing and for the side effects of the chemo to not progress to anything new. Mom's body really has 'taken' to the treatments well, and we want this treatment to continue the way it has for as long as possible.

Checking Progress in 2 weeks

Mom went to her last chemo-day today before they check the progress of the treatment so far. In about 2 weeks (May 28 or 29th), she will have a CT scan to check the effectiveness of the chemo-treatments so far. We are hoping for "no-change" or anything better than that for the results...even a small growth would be "good" results at this stage of the treatment plan. Please keep Mom in your prayers as you go through these next weeks.

Mom is still doing great. Keeping her spirits up and been such a good sport in getting through those side effects. Sometimes we wish she would take it easy to keep her strength for the fun stuff, but she has been "caught" pulling weeds in the garden the day after chemo, painting Tyler's bedroom, and who knows what else. You all know Sharon, she can't just do-nothing.

I will be sure to post an update as soon as we get the results of the scan. Check back at the end of next week.

Almost 3 months of treatment complete

Okay, so I said I would update every week and now it has been a month since my last post. In some ways, I think that is good as things have been going pretty good so not a lot to update. Mom is doing pretty good all in all - has her "good" week and her "bad" week. Mom & Tim even made a long weekend trip to visit us in Chicago at the beginning of May. It was awesome that they could visit - lots of quality time w/ the grandkids and Mom & I even made it out for "girls night" w/ some of my neighbors.

She is still going to treatment every other Monday and almost to 3 months complete (started treatment on Mar. 9th). After her next treatment, she will likely be getting her "scan" to see how the treatment is working. They did check her "tumor markers" from her blood work about 3 weeks ago, the results were inconclusive. Although one of the checks improved slightly; another marker stayed the same or was slightly lower. I know Mom is ready to see how this treatment is going and we are all praying for the best results.

I'm sure many of you were thinking of Sharon on Mother's Day. We were sure to make last weekend special for Mom and organized for her to get 4 gifts for 4 days - one from each of us kids. She had a good weekend spent w/ family - Travis & Tara both made it back & Tyler was there to spend a great Mom's day w/ her.

Times goes by fast

I didn't realize it had been over 2 weeks since I last posted an update - not a lot has changed. Mom's completed 3 treatments w/ the next one in a few days. She is doing great so far... and we are very grateful that she has had moderate side effects (not sure if she is grateful for side effects, but chemo affects everyone differently & could be a lot worse). Still feeling tired on those few days during and right after the treatment is complete and is extremely sensitive to cold from drinking and touching cold things. She has been working full days on her "good week" (week after the treatment) and making it for 1/2 days for those few days while she has the fanny pack & usually 2 days following the treatment. She still has a poor appetite and has those moments of "can't believe this is happening" and really praying the treatment is working. At the end of May or beginning of June, she should have her first scan to see how the treatment is working, but until then just going day by day...and adjusting to this new normal. Thanks again for all the notes and support just keep it coming; it's so important!

THANK YOU!

Mom asked that I include a grateful thank you for all the notes, phone calls, cards, prayers, and support she has received. You wouldn't believe it, but she has received a card in the mail almost everyday (only 1 or 2 days she hasn't) since this all began! In only a few weeks over 50 people have left her a note on this site, and the number of phone calls & prayers are unmeasurable. Thank you so much for all everyone has done. Although not a great way to find out how many friends & loved ones are truly in your life, it truly does help Mom and all of us to know that there is so much support.

Mom had her 2nd chemo-treatment last week. Her treatment went fine, and the side effects seem similar as the last treatment although she seemed to get right through the week and even worked a few full days at the end of the week. She had a slight alteration of her drugs because of a minor infection in her incision. They are being cautious as they didn't want it to get any worse. The chemotherapy drugs do significantly drop her white blood count that drops her immune system to help heal the incision. She then received a shot after the chemo was complete to boost her body to help produce more white blood cells as well as taking an antibiotic.

We had a great visit home, and had fun distracting Mom. It just so hard to leave & just need to plan a trip home so we can count-down to that day.

Thanks again for all of your support...keep the notes, cards, and prayers coming!

Good Week!

Thank you for all of your messages. This is really great, it's awesome to know how many of you are a great support to Mom & Tim, and all of us. Mom had a good week, thankfully! I think I can quote her saying, "I almost feel like normal". The side effects from last weeks chemo have subsided & besides having a hard time sleeping, it seems a little bit more like "normal" or the new "normal". We are leaving today to head to Nebraska and we are excited. Justice keeps saying, "Grama...swimming, swimming!" Lately, everytime we see G'ma, we go swimming, and we are this time too. Mom & Tim are meeting us in Omaha w/ Kaylene's family to spend a fun relaxing day in Omaha.

Weekly Update - Chemotherapy Side Effects

A quick post just to let everyone know how Mom is doing. She completed her 1st chemotherapy treatment on Wednesday mid-day. Although she was glad to get rid of the fanny pack on Wednesday, it wasn't too bad. She was able to sleep pretty good with it and didn't have too much trouble with showers as it is air-packed & covered. The side effects are just as they described. Mom was really tired Tuesday & it got worse on Wednesday/Thursday...Friday & Saturday were better days she said. She is sensitive to cold - hands and even drinking cold drinks. She said it feels like she has a sore throat so she is drinking room temparture water, etc. As I'm sure everyone is waiting for Spring, we should hope for some warmer weather soon so the cold to her hands/feet will go un-noticed (except for the freezer/fridge - which she needs to wear gloves). She should have a better week going into this week as her next treatment is March 23rd. Alexis, Justice & I will be heading to Nebraska on March 21st and will be there for Mom's 2nd treatment. Alexis has Spring Break so the kids are looking forward to spending sometime w/ the grandparents, Tara, Travis, & Tyler.

Mom's First Chemotherapy Treatment

It was a very nerve racking day full of anxiety & lots of unknowns. Travis & Tim were both there with her today with the rest of us praying for her strength & courage. She received her treatment for appox. 6 hours today & went home with a fanny pack that she will keep with her until Wednesday mid-day. She will continue her treatment like this every other Monday for the next 2-3 months.

Travis said that the nurses were really great & that all went well. The doctor reviewed the side effects with her today...said she will likely be extremely tired for the next few days and will likely be sensitive to cold so should stay away from cold weather, foods, drinks.

For My Mom...

We are going to try out this blog to keep friends & family updated on Mom's progress. I added to posts from emails I had sent below. Travis, Tara, Tyler, Tim and even Mom will hopefully all be posting messages. The most important part of this blog is to comment & share your hope, encouragement, and love to Mom & Tim.

Update from an email sent Week of March 3rd

We went to the Mayo Clinic last Friday to meet with an oncologist for a 2nd opinion. Mom had blood work done in the morning and then had a consultation session with an oncologist in the afternoon.

Tom, the kids & I meet them in Rochester which was really great. Alexis & Justice really can bring some cheer to the room :)

There were some positive things that we got out of the trip, the oncologist gave a similar chemotherapy treatment plan recommendation so it instilled confidence in the doctors that ultimately mom will be working with every week. Surgery is not an option because of there are too many tumors/liasions on her liver.

Some people have been asking about a liver transplant, this is also not an option, the drugs she would have to receive to accept the new liver would cause fast/aggressive growth of the cancer cells that would ultimately still be in her body.

She has either later stage III or stage IV colon cancer. The goal of her chemotherapy treatment is to maintain and/or shrink the tumors that are in her liver & kill any cancer cells that maybe in her colon. The Mayo Clinic's recommendation only made slight changes mostly w/ the timing.

We received more clarity around the side effects and just as we have been hearing...the chemotherapy for Colon Cancer is relatively tolerable (using their words). The goal is to maintain a good quality of life for Mom so at least 10 out of the 14 days she should feel pretty good, but it all depends on her reaction. She will be getting treatment every other Monday in Columbus...going home w/ a "fanny pack" for 46 hours & then she will be done until the next Monday.

Mayo is also going to check her progress and will suggest different treatment plans if they think it will help at Mom & Tim's request.

Update from an email wrote on 2/18/09...

Mom is at home (she was released from the hospital on Sunday, 2/15) and is on her way to recovery from surgery. She is doing okay, still is some pain, but really glad to be home.

We received the results of her biopsy from both the tumor in her colon & a sample from her liver. It is confirmed, she has colon cancer that has spread to her liver & through her lymphnoids. The tumor was removed from her colon as well as 15 lymphnoids (10 of which were filled & broke through w/ cancer) which is likely from there spread to her liver.

We met w/ an oncologist yesterday (2/17) & spent about a 1/2 day at the offices meeting w/ the different staff - RN, Business manager (insurance stuff), etc. The oncologist explained his recommendation for her chemotherapy treatment which will likely start on March 9th (if she has recovered from surgery 100% as once she starts the treatment, her recovery would stop).

We are going to be seeking a 2nd opinion to hear another point of view...The oncologist recommended a few doctors out of Omaha as well as the Mayo Clinic (noting that UNMC does not specialize in colon cancer & if she had a different type of cancer like breast, lymphnomia, luekemia, etc - UNMC would be the place to go). We sent a request for an appointment to the Mayo Clinic today & should hear back in the next day or so.