Cycle 6 Chemo: All done for the time being!

On Rememberance Day, 11-11-11, I am happy to announce I have now gone through the 6 chemo applications for the Picasso III Trial! It is now time for a small break in treatment. YEY!!!!!!!

It means I will now still have a series of very important tests over the next 3 weeks on my major organs to ensure all are functioning properly. Even more vital, I will have a CT scan to again assess the effectiveness of the treatment delivered in this trial. This will all be followed up by monthly checks and surveys over the course of 2012.

Following the final CT scan at the end of November, a team of specialists will meet and assess my progress and decide the next course of treatment as we head into 2012.

For the future, chemotherapy is definitely on the table; Ifosfomide is the next standard treatment, and this typically requires a stay in hospital as it has highly toxic side-effects. Another possibility is a hot off the press medication which is an alternative to chemotherapy and is given orally in tablet form. It is called PAZOPANIB. It would mean having a longer break (potentially), from chemotherapy. It is a treatment in the USA, but not currently available in Australia. My specialist may be able to apply for it  on compassionate grounds.

For now, I need to continue to manage the known side-effects from my latest chemo and still avoid contact with infection. Thanks for your understanding by staying away when illness has struck. Remember, Skype is a fantastic form of contact and I am loving it when some of you folk get in touch. Cycle 5 was rough and I am expecting the same for this one.

A special thanks to our wonderful friends who visited from Adelaide for my chemo session at Peter Mac today- you know who you are. It was such a treat, and the Movido lunch afterwards capped it all off!

Love your life,
Georgia

Taking it slow after Cycle 5 Chemo

Well, I'm certainly feeling it after 5 cycles of chemo. I feel like I've taken a pounding in my abdomen. I hope a lot is going on in there- like some death and destruction to some cancer cells. I am resting a lot as I react to some side-effects.

It seems like there is so much in the media at the moment in regards to fundraising for different cancer causes.The latest stat is that 1 in 2 people will have cancer at some stage in their life. There is also a big cycling fund-raiser for Peter Mac Hospital being launched at the moment. Everyone is affected to some degree ;we are all connected by our humanity and our vulnerability.

My plea is that we all may live healthy and happy lives every day and live the joy of life in every moment; personally I believe it is all part of the cycle of life. There is a season for everything.

I do believe in fighting against illness and being as healthy and as content as I can be. I do believe in doing damage to the LMS and pushing it back, and I intend to have further success!

Cheers,
Georgia

Glad Tidings as Cycle 5 Chemo Flows In

Greetings to you all,

I have results from the CT scan post Cycle 4 treatment. Again, all is well! We give thanks for this result.

The target tumours are stable, showing no growth since the CT scan post Cycle 2. YEY!!!!!!!!!!
We celebrated by going out to Vietnamese for a light post-chemo meal.

Chemotherapy for Cycle 5 began today (Wednesday) and we'll be back for more on Thursday and Friday this week. The side-effects during Cycle 4 were more persistant when compared to the previous cycles, so I am going to take this one cautiously. I met with the Doctor today and he felt I was handling the chemo extremely well, dealing with the side-effects in a positive/preventative manner where possible. It just is the reality that the toxicity levels rise the more chemo cycles you have so the effects are longer lasting over the three week period. It was great to get this feedback as I don't have much of a frame of reference.Apart from some international forums I am participating in, I haven't actually met an LMS contact in Australia yet.

I have one cycle to go after this one (Cycle 6). The Picasso III trial should close by the end of November, apart from having monthly checks to add more data to the study.

I thought you might like to see me out and about so here are some pics:

georgia with great niece

georgia for brunch at williamstown

georgia visiting roxy in geelong 

Love your life,
Georgia

A Leap of Faith

Today I received a wonderful package that arrived in the driveway.
I have called it : The Leap of Faith. It is a brand new Holden Cruze II 1.4 Auto SRi-V.
I have taken out a four year lease on this vehicle...

Enjoy:

"leap of faith"

Cheers,

Georgia

Cycle 4 Underway

Hi All,
I am sure that news about the AFL Grandfinal (Go 'Pies!) is much more interesting, but to catch you all up with my news:

Cycle 4 Chemo is now over - I was in all day as usual on Wednesday, and spent 3 hours at Peter Mac Hospital both on Thursday and Friday. Apart from being a liitle unwell Friday morning, it all went smoothly. Thanks to my hero Sarah who has absolutely magic and my number 1 support since Day 1, I was driven in comfort and well looked after for each session this week. To make up for feeling unwell this morning, we had a great Japanese meal on Smith St Collingwood (go the 'Pies), on the way home!

I have bloods to come as usual on Wednesday morning week 2,  then in week 3 I have my next major CT scan on the Friday. This one is important as it may signal which direction my health is going towards.
Three options:
1. Tumour growth or new tumours will mean being taken off the trial and put on other meds.
2. Progression Free Comparison to the last CT scan - good news for me, and will mean staying on the trial (ends in November) with a prospect of knowing what new treatments might be going into next year.
3. Progression Free and reduction in size and/or number of tumours - great celebrations will occur, and staying on the trial!

I won't know these results until I see my specialist on Wednesday 19 October. I'll keep you all informed of the findings as they come through.

Cheers,
Georgia

Sisters - a little tribute

Hi All,
CYCLE 3
I am travelling well, but with some obligatory side-effects ofcourse...
I tend to lose my taste-buds in week 1 which is immensely frustrating. I spend a fair bit of time resting around day 4 to day 10. The effects of the injection mean that my bones are extra active in producing white blood cells, so I get qiuite achy in the pelvis, chest and limbs. I also get some osophageal and bowel problems associated with the anti-nausea meds.

By the way, my blood tests show I am travelling very well, based on yesterday's results.

Throughout all this, my beautiful sisters are always checking in with me, offering to do the most mundane tasks to lighten our load. They are gorgeous people, so here they are from Cycle 3 chemo days:

At front entrance of Peter Mac cancer centre: 3 sisters

Aren't they cute!

Treasure your family,

Georgia

Making Good Progress- Cycle 3

There is good reason to celebrate, with a good result coming through from the CT scan from last week. The tumours have not continued to grow at their rapid rate! In fact, there has been no comparative growth in number of tumours nor in the size of tumours since the last CT scan which was two weeks prior to Cycle 1 chemo beginning.

We are very happy about this. Ofcourse, I always hope for more than this incredible news and I am determined to make more impact on the DRAGON LMS!

I have just completed my 3rd round of chemotherapy and so am nearly half-way through the Picasso III trial. It is still too early to discuss the future with my Sarcoma specialist. We are just hoping to remain Progression Free throughout the trial. This term is the one used for Leiomyosarcoma patients, instead of the term:Cure! I know the one that I prefer...

I am being careful to not be exposed to much illness, thus the staying away from work, but am thinking more about the potential of when I could return. I know it is early days for this but am going a bit trippy with all the socialising and Foxtel viewing.....

I want to especially acknowlege my lovely sisters who have been so loyally by my side a great deal of the time and have also been a great support to us at home. You guys are amazing!

Hope you can celebrate my good news with me at some stage soon,
Love your life,
Georgia