The Chemo Chronicle

Marker Unveiling - The Cemetery

2009-06-29T15:29:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon all,

Just a quick reminder that the unveiling of Mom's marker is on Sunday at 11:30 am. When you get to the cemetery (see below), you will enter in the gate off of Montrose Avenue. Then, make a right at the first intersection. On the right is the Carnation Section (YFC knows what you're thinking -- it should have been an Orchid or at least a Lily). Look for the number 22 painted in yellow at the side of curb.

Marker Unveiling:
Date: July 5, 2009
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Westlawn Cemetery
7801 W Montrose Ave
Norridge, IL 60706

Click me if you need directions to Westlawn

Post-Marker Unveiling:
Date: July 5, 2009
Time: Immediately after we leave the cemetery
Location: Berba's house
4460 West Hutchinson
Chicago, IL 60641

Click me for directions from Westlawn to Berba's house

See you this Sunday...

Faithfully,
Corey

Marker Unveiling -- Further Details

2009-06-22T15:35:00.002-05:00

Greetings to the FoMmie Nation,

When we last met, Your Faithful Correspondent promised that he'd provide you with additional details as they come to light. Well, it's light out now baby, so here's the skinny...as you already know, the marker unveiling will be Sunday, July 5th at Westlawn Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. After the marker unveiling, we'll be heading to B to the Erba's crib (that's be Aunt Roberta's house) for a little nosh to celebrate Mom's life (and really, what says "you lived a remarkable life on earth" better than a deli tray anyway?).

For those of you who have never been to a maker unveiling before, here's the 4-1-1: the immediate family should be at the site of the grave before the others arrive (of course, in our family 15 minutes late seems about the norm). Family and friends gather around the grave. The cantor will begin with the recitations from the book of psalms (Tillem) and then she follows with the eulogy. After this she will recite further psalms and ends with the Kaddish prayer. The veil covering the marker is removed immediately before recitation of the Kaddish.

Some of you neophytes may notice people leaving stones on the marker and will wonder what's going on. According to Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz (who sounds like such a nice boychik, no?):

The leaving of a pebble is in a way the erection of a small, new monument-a tomb-stone to honour the memory of the dead. Indeed, the custom may have evolved from an ancient method of marking graves. So in one sense, it is simply a way of saying: here lie the remains of a person worth remembering. And the pebble also lets others know that someone did come and remember. Symbolically, it suggests the continuing presence of love and memory which are as strong and enduring as a rock. And we know that one name for God is "The Rock of Israel." So the rock is a reminder of the presence of the Rock, Whose love truly is stronger than death.

So now you know.

Clip and save:

Marker Unveiling:
Date: July 5, 2009
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Westlawn Cemetery
7801 W Montrose Ave
Norridge, IL 60706

Click me if you need directions to Westlawn

Post-Marker Unveiling:
Date: July 5, 2009
Time: Immediately after we leave the cememtery
Location: Berba's house
4460 West Hutchinson
Chicago, IL 60641

Click me for directions from Westlawn to Berba's house

YFC and 2 will see you soon.

Faithfully,
Corey

Marker Unveiling

2009-06-05T15:11:00.002-05:00

Greetings FoMmies,

Several of you have called Michelle and/or me to ask about the unveiling of Mom's marker. Without further ado, here are the details:

Date: July 5, 2009
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Westlawn Cemetery
7801 W Montrose Ave
Norridge, IL 60706

I'll provide you with additional details as they come to light.

My love to all,
Corey

A Big Revelation

2009-02-06T11:43:00.004-06:00

My Dearest FoMmies,

Enticing title, no? Well fret not, for all shall be revealed in due time. First, we must address an important issue. It has been far too long and Your Faithful Correspondent is willing to shoulder the blame. Should YFC lose the coveted "F" in his name, thus becoming Your Correspondent? Ouch, that would hurt quite a bit. YFC/YC is not one to make excuses, but perhaps an explanation is in order...

You see, it's not that he hasn't been thinking about you (for you are always at the forefront of his thoughts), it's that he's been thinking a lot about Mom. And thinking about Mom can make him a bit emotional, so the urge to write wanes a bit. Actually that's not quite correct, it's just that the task of writing can appear a bit overwhelming when confronting these emotions. So that's it, the mea culpa, the story behind the story, the ugly truth, the whole enchillada -- YFC/YC throws himself at your mercy.

(Just an aside, but you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but if everything is about what you expected, can you just be "whelmed"? YFC/YC thinks you should look into it and get back to him.)

Speaking of getting back to YFC/YC ...well, this is a doozy but here goes -- YFC/YC needs your help. Now you cheeky little monkeys are probably thinking that YFC/YC has needed help for quite sometime. Oh you are so very droll my dear simians, but can you stop acting like Jokey Jokerson and concentrate please? This is a serious matter, one of the highest order! That's right, we're in a Double Dog Dare Pinky Swear kind of situation. Never heard of it? Well, it was made up for just this occasion, that's how serious a matter it is.

Oh, for a change you've managed to make YFC/YC lose his focus. Now where were we? Right, help. Your mission, should you choose to accept it (and you shall accept it, oh yes, you shall) is to write a story. Of course there's a catch. It can't just be any old story, it has to be a story about Mom -- ideally about how she touched you in some way, big or small.

Now, as the ubiquitous they likes to say, the shoe is on the other foot. Or perhaps we should say the pen is in the other hand. Pardon? What's that, you say? You can see where the prospect of writing can be a bit overwhelming after all? Well isn't that just rich. When you callously dropped a letter from a certain someone's nom de plume, it all seemed like and games, didn't it? Save your blubbering, you'll get no sympathy here, not after the stunt you pulled. And anyhow, there's more to this tale than you realize, so blot your bleary eyes and then we'll continue.

But first, lunch.

And, we're back. Life seems so much nicer on a full stomach, no? Of course it does. Had a lovely spinach salad topped with poached salmon in case you wondered. Now back to bizness...

All rightie campers YFC/YC is going to put this out there for one and all: The Faithful One is going to write a book. If mere blogging can be intimidating, imagine what the prospect of writing a book must be like (just between us, a shipment of Depends should be arriving from Amazon later this afternoon). As you may have guessed, the subject of YFC/YC's master work is none other than Mom herself. Naturally, your stories will be an integral part of the project. Not that you'll have your name on the dustcover, nor even in the dedication. But there's a very good chance that the letters in your name will appear within the book. So, for example, when you read the word "chemotherapy", you'll know that the second "e" is a special tribute to Y-O-U.

That's assuming that you have an "e" in your name, of course. And if not, well, it's still a tribute, just not a very good one.

Moving on...

Melvin the Wonder Sis is doing well. She's still flying the friendly skies, though she let's on that things aren't quite as friendly as they once were. Rumor has it that she's planning a trip to Reno in the very near future.

The Favorite Child is also quite well, thanks for asking. He's still doing the law talking guy routine with grace and panache. No surprise there really. In fact, if Audrey Hepburn could be reincarnated into masculine form *blamo* she'd be YFC/YC.

Now what are you waiting for? Start writing!

Be good kiddies (it really has been too long).

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
A belated happy Year of the Ox to one and all.

We Can't Say Thank You Enough

2008-09-04T14:08:00.007-05:00

Greetings FoMmies,

It's been a long time since Your Faithful Correspondent reached out to you and if truth be told there's a reason for that. You see, Loyal Readers, YFC was tired. Not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally too.

Mom's passing has taken YFC and his trusty Sidekick (that'd be Michelle, who's been elevated from #2 status) on an emotional roller coaster. And not one of them new-fangled roller coasters either, we're talking the low-tech, extra-rickety variety where you wanna vomit immediately upon disembarking from the ride. In other words, the no fun kind.

Some days are better than others. On Labor Day I spent time with my friend Sue and her family. Chloe, Sue's 3-year old daughter, asked me several times where Mom was and Yours Truly got pretty choked up. Later, we took a walk to the park and YFC asked Chloe who her best friend was. "You are," she replied (it goes without saying that Chloe is exceptionally bright for her age, this statement merely confirms it). YFC then asked "who's my best friend?" to which she responded "Sharon."

From the mouth of babes...

In other news, good friends Kim & Nathan, who did a yeoman's job of supporting YFC when he needed it most, will be making a return to the Windy City this weekend. Also, YFC will be volunteering at the Lu s tgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on Sunday. Kim, like the trooper that she is, has offered to volunteer as well. It should be a bit emotional, but Your Faithful Correspondent is tough (though if worse comes to worse, Kim will just have to carry him home).

Things on the home front have been...erm...challenging. It's interesting seeing how people respond in a situation like this. Some people fold like a deck of cards (certainly not YOU, but that guy 3 names down on the e-mail list...simply awful), whereas others are like a rock (and still others are like a giant cliche from Clicheland, which attacks much like Godzilla attacked Tokyo, except instead of breathing fire, the weapon of choice is trite analogies). Hmm, there must be a point to this somewhere...ah yes, people. Well, the rock people have really, erm...rocked (note: find new editor/copywriter). The cards and phone calls of support that we've received are still so very much appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And YFC thanks YOU especially.

(The Sidekick would want me to express her thanks too, but she can write her own blog)

Ah what the heck, our most heartfelt thanks.

Faithfully,
Corey

It's been a while...

2008-08-26T22:15:00.001-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Well, as always, the title says it all. It's been a while since we last got together, so I figure that an update, of sorts, is in order.

Michelle and I were so busy in Mom's final days and the days that followed, that it was as if time collapsed onto itself. Days blended into one another with little distinction. It was pretty hard resuming a routine that had any semblance of normality. Instead, we were busy trying to attend to the many tasks which needed to be handled in the aftermath of Mom's passing. Many friends and family rushed to our aid, which made a terrible process just a little more bearable.

It still doesn't seem like things are quite real and I'm not really sure that I want things to sink in. Being in a state of semi-denial has its advantages, I suppose. Given the reality of the situation, I think its a safer place to be right now.

These days, the hardest time for me is when I'm praying. In the Jewish tradition, mourners are supposed to say a prayer called the "Mourners' Kadish" every day for eleven months minus a day (I have no idea why it lasts for such a seemingly odd amount of time, but my Cousinie Scott, the über Jew confirmed it). I often have a difficult time getting through the prayer, despite its brevity. Still, I say the prayer faithfully every day, sometimes more when I'm thinking a lot about Mom.

Actually I thought about Mom a lot over the weekend, which I spent in Cleveland, Ohio (the 33rd largest city in the U.S. in case you're wonderin') visiting my friends Kim and Nathan. Kim, who celebrated her birthday on Sunday, ran/biked in a charity biathalon and raised over $3,200 for a Jewish social services agency in Mom's name. I was extremely proud of Kim and I know that Mom would have been too.

Many thanks to those of you who sent photographs of Mom. It means far more than I can express. Our family is also deeply appreciative for everyone's support in what continues to be a difficult time.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
I recently received the remarks spoken by Rachel Rosenberg, who officiated Mom's funeral service. I've pasted them below.

----

Our rabbis teach us, that when a parent who has taught her children passes on, that passing is not a death. As long as the children live, there is a part of the parent that cannot die. When alive, a parent rejoices with children; in death, that parent will not grieve.

This is the case, I believe, with Sharon Novick. During her lifetime, although it was cut short by her illness, she was able to teach her children, extended family, and many, many friends, so many valuable lessons – above all, to live each day to its fullest and to love life. As we share some memories of this remarkable woman,

We extend to all of you our sympathy and support, especially to you -

Her children, Michelle and Corey
To Roberta and Marc
Aaron and Haley
Judy, Larry, Zack and Jake
To her mom, Beverly
To Russell
To Ting
and to all of her family and many friends

Sharon’s mom Beverly said “There are not enough adjectives to describe her.” But I thought I’d share just a few of the phrases that you, her family, used to describe Sharon and I know that everyone here will relate to these words that describe this remarkable woman:

• Extremely generous to everyone she knew
• Always giving, always thinking of others over herself
• Intuitive about other people’s needs/
• Taking ACTION to address other people’s needs
• Never complaining
• Humble
• Accepting of others of all ages, backgrounds, and orientations
• Sweet, kind, warm
• Nurturing
• A second mother
• A Jewish mother
• Always reaching out to help you – and your friends - and the friends of your friends
• Respectful
• Always teaching
• Always learning
• Artistic
• Spiritual
• Strong
• A fighter
• One in a million

That Sharon gave so much of herself to others, to all of you, has been especially evident over the last several weeks and months with the tremendous outpouring of love and support she constantly received from so many people, from her family and friends, from her building’s doorman to the waitress from the restaurant – so many dozens of caring individuals -- that her doctors were constantly saying she had too many visitors and needed to rest. The blog that Corey lovingly has maintained was read by so many, and these last few weeks have truly been a tribute to her as family, friends, neighbors, and people from all over have flocked to be with her.

Sharon grew up on the North Side of Chicago, went to Senn High School and the University of Illinois. She was married to Ivan for 14 years and together they had their children, Michelle and Corey.

Some of you may not know that when Sharon was only sixteen, she had her first bout with cancer. She needed surgery and was given a 5% chance for survival. She was strong then as she continued to be her entire life. Perhaps this experience can partially explain how much Sharon appreciated her life each and every day, and put so much care and nurturing into her relationships with others.

Sharon was constantly reaching out to people, forming relationships with whomever she met. On Kim’s first day of work when HR forgot that she was starting, Sharon took her under her wing and they became fast friends. When a new neighbor would move into her building, Sharon would send cookies. She would throw parties for the people who worked at Treasure Island to show her appreciation. She helped Aaron cope with the loss of his eyesight helping him to become self-sufficient. She accompanied Roberta to the California Health Institute to help her heal from her cancer. She would take food to a sick neighbor or take the initiative to accompany them to the doctor even if they wouldn’t ask. She would always go out of her way to say thank you as she did with her nurse in the hospital. She would hold her nurse’s hand, say thank you, smile, want to give HER food. Corey said that his mom’s true character emerged when she was ill – she became even more sweet, kind and generous.

To show how truly special Sharon is to so many people, her cousin Scott wrote these words on behalf of those who knew and loved her:

We always knew we were Sharon’s favorite anything – child, parent, sibling, niece, cousin, friend, acquaintance…. Not to be conceited but because every time you saw her or spoke to her she made you feel this way. I humbly acknowledge that she did that with everyone. I am sure that looking at the people here today that they all think they were Sharon’s favorite -- and we all know she was ours.

Sharon is an inspiration for all who knew her. She never had an attitude of “woe is me.” She fought her cancer head-on with courage and dignity, never really complaining. She always talked about how other people were doing with their lives or illnesses, not wanting to be consumed by hers.

Corey and Michelle were not only her pride and joy but her rock these past 14 months. They could not do enough for her, not out of obligation, but out of love and devotion.

Sharon formed a truly special relationship over the past six years. Zoe was her godchild, and Sharon was Zoe’s fairy godmother. (Zoe’s mother Ting is here today.) Zoe would call Sharon “Shanti,” and other children would also refer to her this way –

As “Shanti” meaning Peace. Sharon would constantly send Zoe mail and packages after she moved away to Reno. When Sharon would ask Zoe if she liked Chicago or Reno better, 6-year old Zoe answered, “Shanti, you live in Chicago, so of course Chicago is my favorite.” Children loved being with her and were another example of Sharon’s intuitive ability to relate to others of all ages and meet them at their level.

Everyone who knew Sharon knows how very spiritual she was and how she shared her spirit with those around her. She expressed herself spiritually through the combination of both yoga and Torah, and also through her art as she loved to paint. She was ordained as a swami several years ago and also began to study Judaism in earnest over the last few years, gaining insight from the teachings of Rebetzin Yungreis and Rabbi Twersky and with her study partner from the “Partners in Torah” program. When Sharon was diagnosed this time with cancer, while she fought it with her characteristic strength and courage, she also said “Baruch Hashem” blessing God no matter what. She would regularly light Shabbat candles, kept kosher, and would say “Modeh Ani” each morning, thanking God for the gift of each new day.

Corey and Michelle described how their mom worked hard to discover herself after she divorced, and how over time she became comfortable with who she was, finding ways to be at peace with herself and with her place in the world. During her last days in hospice, she was especially full of grace and beauty. She had a loving and peaceful transition because of who she was, wrapped in the prayer shawl from her guru and in and her father’s tallis, and being at peace in her children’s arms. When asked if she was afraid, she answered – “of course not – I’m going to dance with God.” And so, at the end, she asked to remain barefoot for that reason.

There are a few people who would like to share their memories of Sharon – first her cousin, Toby, and then her children, Corey and Michelle.

Toby
Michelle
Corey

So – although we so wish that we had more time on this earth with Sharon, hers was a full life that gave so much to those who loved her. Her memory lives on through all of you – her friends, her family, her children. She lives on through the many wise lessons she has taught us through her words and by her example:

- to live life and to love life as fully as possible
- to be real, to be genuine
- To be generous with your time and with your love
- To drink your MILK – m-i-l-k, MILK
- To know it’s ok to make mistakes – it’s ok to be human - Learn to fall, Learn to get back up.
- Make peace. Rise above the fray.
- If you’re not happy with your situation, change it. If you can’t change your situation, change your attitude.
- Believe in yourself.
- Don’t talk, Do.
- Be strong.
- Say thank you.
- Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers – plant your own garden.
- Know that no act of kindness is ever wasted.
- Share the unconditional love that she shared with each of you

I’d like to share this poem that seems to reflect Sharon’s beautiful spirit and marvelous attitude. It’s called:

“Do not stand at my grave and weep.”

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft starts that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Eulogies

2008-07-22T15:56:00.007-05:00

Michelle and I would like to thank the many people who attended Mom's funeral (the room was standing room only, which was a tribute to the many people that Mom touched) and the shivah last week. It was a beautiful service for a beautiful woman.

Mom deserved nothing less.

Michelle and I were asked by several people to post our eulogies online...

Michelle's Eulogy:

Baruch Hashem. Bless G-d.

Oh great spirit, saints and sages of all religions, holy Kriya lineage, please bless Sharon, my Mom, today.

Please fill her with love, peace and happiness. Please bring to her that which she needs. And that which she feels she needs. Surely, swiftly and most, most harmoniously. May her transition be a journey of ease. May she be blessed. May she be blessed. May she be triply blessed - As she has been a blessing to others.

Aum tat sa ohm.

My Mother is light and beauty. Of pure love, of pure heart, of pure spirit. I am the luckiest daughter. To be selfish, I would wish for more time with my Mother. But I know in my heart that she will always be with me, with all of us.

She touched all of you in a different way, but you all know her love, and for that, we are truly blessed.

I love you, Mommy. Be at peace.

Corey's Eulogy:

"One sees clearly only with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes." That quote, from the Little Prince, in many ways encapsulates how Mom lived her life -- with her heart. She didn’t see race or religion or national origin. She didn’t care about gender or sexual orientation or social status. Mom cared about people. All people.

And when Mom was with people, she had a way of making everyone feel special. She accepted people for how they were, and saw the potential for who they could be --- usually before they could see it in themselves. Mom just had a natural ease around people and she intuitively knew what they needed. Our former neighbor John told me a story that, shortly after Mom moved to her apartment on Lake Shore Drive, he went for a visit. Though he didn’t say anything, Mom could tell that he was just a bit uncomfortable. Mom said, “I know what you need” and excused herself to the other room, only to return in a robe, thereby putting John at ease. Mom wasn’t about appearances.

Her grace was effortless because it was innate. Mom used to tell Michelle and me that, “no act of kindness is ever wasted.” It’s a beautiful sentiment, and it’s one that Mom lived everyday. Michelle and Mom used to buy make-up together and one day they heard that the girl that used to help them was in the hospital. She asked if the girl had any family with her and when she was told no, she took Michelle to the hospital because she didn’t want the girl to be alone. As it turned out the girls her mother was there and she asked Mom why she had come. Because, my Mom explained, as a mother, I’d want somebody to do the same for my child. As fate would have it, the girl – Betsy – and her Mom – Mary – would later become Mom’s neighbors and friends. Mom gave without thinking because it was the right thing to do. And she didn’t know how to be any other way.

I received so many wonderful gifts from my Mom – my love of reading (the Little Prince was one of our favorite books), my love of whimsy, and my sense of humor (sorry Dad). I remember one time, when I was just a young boy and we were still living in Florida; my tooth fell out but I didn’t tell anyone. I placed it under my pillow and was extremely disappointed that the tooth fairy hadn’t arrived. I told my Mom the next morning and, without a moment’s hesitation she reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. I was told that it was a note from the Tooth Fairy that read the following “Dear Mrs. Novick, I had some difficulty getting into Corey’s room last night. Please give him the enclosed dollar bill. Signed – The Tooth Fairy.”

Mom loved to travel and she took Michelle and me on trips across the globe. One of my favorite memories from our travels was from a trip to New York. We had taken some breadsticks with us so we could have a snack as we walked around the city. Michele was surprised to see Mom eating the breadsticks shortly after we started walking.

“Mom” she exclaimed, “are you eating your breadsticks already?”

“No” Mom replied. “I’m eating yours.”

Michelle and I were so lucky to have our Mom for a Mother. She showed us how to deal with adversity. Mom had many ailments in her life and when she was a teenager she had cancer of the thyroid and the parathyroid. When she worried that an operation would leave a scar, my Bubby told her that she had to be strong and Mom never complained after that. And later when Mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she again refused to complain. Instead she said Baruch hashem. Bless G-d. She was more than a Mother; she was also a role model.

But perhaps most of all, Mom was our friend. Mom would always be there to listen and to laugh, to give advice without judgment and to encourage us. She would support us in whatever we attempted and we knew that regardless of the outcome, Mom would be proud of us just for trying.

Michelle and I were Mom’s pride and joy, but by no means were we her only children. She became a second mother to many of our friends. Often times they’d call Mom or want to spend time with her even when we weren’t around because they loved her too. When Michelle’s best friend Ting gave birth to her daughter Zoe, Mom was in the delivery room. Zoe called Mom “Shanti” which means peace in Sanskrit. And when Michelle was named Zoe’s godmother, Mom became Zoe’s fairy Godmother. And Mom loved her very much.

When she was working at Arrington travel, Mom’s co-workers made a plaque for her that said “Mother Novick” because our Mom was always the person that people could turn to when they needed a sympathetic ear. Or a shoulder to cry on. Or just a hug.

Our Mom was a mother to so many people and her friends were like an extended family. As everybody knows, families spend holidays together and Mom would use such occasions to open her house to her friends, some of whom had no other place to go. And if they had friends, well, they’d be welcome too. And invariably, they too would fall under Mom’s spell of warmth, and compassion, and grace.

When Mom realized that she had taken a turn for the worse, she didn’t worry about her own condition. Instead, she asked my friends to take care of her boy. That was Mom, selfless to the end.

When Mom was hospitalized it became stunningly clear that Mom had touched so many, so deeply. The visitors -- Mom’s extended family -- poured in from everywhere: Nevada, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Taipei and London. It became hard to keep track of everyone, as Mom’s visitors overflowed from her room and soon took over an entire waiting area as well.

One of the things that really struck me was that Mom’s visitors came from every walk of life. I was particularly moved when one of the doormen from Mom’s building came by to see her. He had changed into his street clothes and sat by Mom’s bedside. He held her hand. And she held his. And he kissed her hand. And Mom kissed his back. A waitress from the restaurant in Mom’s building came to visit on her off day and cried at Mom’s bedside. Mom’s impact on people was very deep and everlasting.

I was always close with my Mom, but when she got diagnosed with cancer, we became that much closer. We worked together on a blog called the chemo chronicle. And when I was a bit late in putting up a posting, she’s ask if I’d written her blog yet. Although I didn’t even realize it at the time, even as we were posting details of her battle with cancer, she was still mothering me, helping to re-ignite my love of writing, which had been dormant for so long. Even in her time of sickness Mom was still trying to help me and to guide me.

Though the past 14 months were incredibly difficult, they were in many ways the best time of my life because I was able to spend so much time with Mom – going to chemo and doctors appointments, working on the blog, having dinner, running errands. It wasn’t so much what we were doing, it was that we were doing it together. It was such a blessing to be with Mom and to be able to give back to her because she’d given so much to so many. And she was always thankful. And gracious. Because that’s the only way she knew how to be.

Mom died peacefully while Michelle and I were holding her in our arms. At the time of her passing, it seemed like the world was coming to an end. And at that time I wish it had. But we’ve received so much support from those who loved Mom and from those who love us – from Mom’s family, biological and extended alike -- I know that, although we're going to miss Mom dearly, we're eventually going to be ok.

There’s another passage from The Little Prince that I can almost hear Mom speaking to us now. It reads, "People have stars, but they aren't the same. For travelers, the stars are guides. For other people, they're nothing but tiny lights. And for still others, for scholars, they're problems. For my businessman, they were gold. But all those stars are silent stars. You, though, you'll have stars like nobody else.”

“When you look up at the sky at night, since I'll be living on one of them, since I'll be laughing on one of them, for you, it'll be as if all the stars are laughing. You'll have stars that can laugh!"

And she laughed.

“And when you're consoled (everyone is eventually consoled), you'll be glad you've known me. You'll always be my friend. You'll feel like laughing with me. And you'll open your windows sometimes just for the fun of it... And your friends will be amazed to see you laughing while you're looking up at the sky. Then you'll tell them, 'Yes, it's the stars. They always make me laugh!"

Though Mom’s body is no longer with us, we can take comfort in knowing that Mom will remain forever in our hearts. We are all better people for having known her, for having been touched by her, for loving her and for being loved by her. And when time goes by and you find yourself thinking about Mom, just remember to look up at the stars in the sky.

And laugh with her.

I love you Mommy.

Arrangements

2008-07-13T12:31:00.004-05:00

Funeral:

July 15, 2008

12:00 p.m. (noon)

Weinstein Funeral Home

111 Skokie Boulevard

Wilmette, Illinois 60091

(847) 256-5700

Interment:

(immediately following the service)

Westlawn Cemetery

7801 W. Montrose Avenue

Norridge, Illinois 60706

(773) 625-8600

Shivah:

(July 15-17th)

4460 W. Hutchinson

Chicago, IL 60641

(773) 205-6030

Shivah

Shivah Call

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

The Temple of Kriya Yoga
2414 N. Kedzie Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 342-4600

-or-

The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research
To Donate Online

Transition

2008-07-13T07:22:00.002-05:00

Dearest FoMmies,

This morning, just after sunrise, Mom peacefully transitioned. Michelle and I were holding her at the time.

Mom was a beautiful, kind and gentle woman. Her love knew no bounds.

Our family will be forever grateful to those of you who have laughed, cried and been there for Mom, especially over the past 14 months. We can never thank you enough.

Keep Mom in your prayers. Baruch Hashem.

Faithfully,

Corey and Michelle

A Surprise Twist (You might want to get the Kleenex)

2008-07-11T12:28:00.009-05:00

Good afternoon FoMmies,

Many of you know that Mom is an extremely spiritual person. She's had her chart read many times and several things appeared repeatedly, including the fact that Michelle and I would each be happily married and Mom would re-marry. When Mom was first diagnosed she said that she knew she'd beat cancer because she wasn't married yet. She repeated this refrain many more times, most recently, during her stay at the hospital.

Then, last night something magical happened.

Mom got re-married.

Perhaps it's necessary to take a step back for a moment. Russell (Mom's BFF) and Mom used to talk about how they should have been married. Then a few days ago, Russell was talking to Michelle and me and again said that Mom was the closest thing to a wife that he would ever have. Then he asked Mom to marry him.

And Mom smiled.

Last night, Mom wed Russell underneath my Papa's (maternal grandfather) tallis (prayer shawl; see photo at left). The gathering itself was small (in attendance were: Bubby, Berba, Carol, Michelle, me, and the bride and groom) but the impact was immense. Michelle, who like Mom is an ordained swami, performed the service. After the vows Mom and Russell sipped coconut milk mixed with honey to symbolize the fact that their union should always be sweet. Then we feasted on wedding cake -- technically two wedding cakes, a carrot cake and a turtle pie -- a sweet end to a very sweet evening.

When I used to attend weddings with Mom, I'd often be caught mumbling "Mom!" under my breath because, inevitably, she'd cry during the ceremony. Mom's spirit must have been with me, for last night it was yours truly who provided the waterworks. I think that the wedding was especially important because I believe that Mom can now go in peace.

...

This afternoon the hospice nurse informed Michelle and me that Mom was actively dying. She doesn't have much time, she's unlikely to make it through the weekend and can probably hold out a week at most. Needless to say, this has been an incredibly emotional time, and we are especially thankful that so many wonderful people have been there to lend their support. In fact, just moments ago, Mom's neighbor Nina volunteered her home for use by overnight guests. Of course, this brings to mind the logistics of the coming days...

I will try to post the details of what's going to happen online. It will probably be far easier than trying to call everyone, so please check your e-mail frequently over the coming week.

Please pray that Mom has a swift and painless transition.

Faithfully,

Corey

Thoughts

2008-07-11T09:30:00.003-05:00

Dearest FoMmies,

Mom is sleeping more and eating less, but she does not appear to be in any major pain. Most importantly, Mom appears to be at peace, which is a great comfort to Michelle and me.

Michelle and I have been spending most of our time with Mom, including nights. It's very difficult to see Mom in her current state, but at the same time she looks positively angelic. And despite feeling very tense these days, seeing Mom sleeping fills my soul with a sense of tranquility. I suppose that holding opposite thoughts simultaneously are par for the course these days. I cherish every moment with my Mother and want her to be with us as long as possible, while at the same time, I am hoping that she goes swiftly and harmoniously. I'm trying to take solace in knowing that quality of life has always been more important than quantity of life to Mom.

Still, it's the hardest thing I've ever faced.

Michelle and I ask that you say prayers for Mom, so that she may have a peaceful transition.

Much love to all.

Faithfully,

Corey

P.S.

We have a Filipino caretaker named Aloma who is helping us these days. Aloma is great with Mom and is extremely nurturing, just like Mom. Yesterday Aloma asked Michelle, "is your Mom Asian?" Michelle, a bit confused, replied "no, we're not Asian, we're white." Aloma responded, "oh, you Mom is so beautiful, I thought she was Chinese."

Well, I certainly agree that Mom is beautiful, but those of you who know me will understand why this exchange tickled me on several levels.

A Dinner Party

2008-07-09T11:37:00.003-05:00

To all the FoMmies out there, I send you greetings...

Mom has been sleeping a lot lately. Her appetite has waned a bit, but she managed to eat a bit yesterday. Cheerios with banana remains her favorite breakfast meal and she has very small snacks at other times. However, last night we decided to shake things up a bit and decided to host a dinner party.

The party was a small, dignified affair. In attendance were Russell (Mom's BFF), Michelle (who has been promoted to 1B), YFC and the guest of honor was none other than Mom herself. It's been a while since we all sat down to a nice meal together, so the party was a welcome respite to the hectic pace that we've been keeping.

The soiree was held in Mom's bedroom, which was tastefully decorated for the occasion. The attendees all wore their Sunday's finest (actually, I suppose that term isn't really apropos, but you get the gist of it) and dined on a meal consisting of braised short ribs with vegetables in a tomato reduction sauce (a YFC specialty) and spinach sauteed with garlic and lemon. The wine was a 2000 Napa Valley Silver Oak (courtesy of Uncle Rusty's cellar), which proved a lovely pairing with the richly flavored beef. Mom was rather entertained and it will come as no surprise to those that know her that she reveled in being the center of attention.

Of course, Mom deserves nothing less.

The stream of well-wishers continues, though the pattern has changed just a bit as more people are coming in the early evening (post-work) hours. A little birdie told me that some of the folks who came by from out of town will be making a return appearance next weekend. It's hard to say enough good things about our friends and family -- they've truly been heaven sent.

Michelle and I are praying that Mom has a peaceful transition (Dr. Mellott said that Mom would most likely go in her sleep and without pain). This has obviously been incredibly difficult, but we know that Mom loved us more than anything and that she will forever remain in our hearts.

Much love to all...

Faithfully,

Corey

A Busy Weekend

2008-07-07T09:05:00.002-05:00

Greetings to the FoMmie Nation,

Last weekend was, well, busy. Of course, the weekend only ended a few hours ago, but concepts such as time and sleep seem pretty foreign these days. Actually, that's not entirely true, Mom has been sleeping fairly comfortably, especially yesterday. I imagine that she probably slept for 22 hours yesterday, though she did wake-up to have short visits with the many people who came by the house to say hello.

And I suppose that's where the busy comes in -- Mom has had so many people stopping by that, at times, it's seemed a lot like Grand Central Station around here. Still, it's been far more manageable than it was at the hospital. It's really heartwarming to see so many people stopping by because they love Mom so much. And even though she lacks physical strength, Mom still manages to give a smile and a kiss to all those who have come to visit.

There were a lot of tears shed over the weekend and we said goodbye to the many people who came from out-of-town to spend time with Mom and to provide help to all of us. Our family and friends have done so much; we truly could not have survived without them.

It's strange being in a quiet house right now. It doesn't seem quite right, but then again, this entire journey has often seemed surreal. Still, Mom is resting comfortably now and I know that, before long, another stream of people will come through the doors to her house. It's readily apparent that Mom has had a great impact on so many people of all different backgrounds. I've always loved and respected Mom, but I've never been more proud to be her son.

Please keep Mom in your prayers.

Much love to all...

Faithfully,

Corey

Mom at Home

2008-07-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

Dearest FoMmies,

Mom has been at home for a little over two days now. She is doing a bit better in familiar environs, though it took her a bit to fully process the change. Mom has had many visitors, though it's far more manageable here than it was at the hospital because we can close off the door to her room and people can mingle in the living room area. Mom has 24/7 care right now -- an aide who can help her get comfortable and look after many of her needs. We've also been visited by nurses that are provided by the hospice and they have been very helpful too. Of course, Michelle and I also help look after Mom and we are concentrating our efforts on ensuring that she is as comfortable as possible.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few people by name. Ting, Michelle's best friend, has been like a second daughter to Mom. She has been incredibly helpful around the house and helping with Mom's care. Ting's daughter Zoe has brought Mom great joy. Michelle is Zoe's Godmother and she knows Mom as Shanti, her Fairy Godmother. Ting's extended family visited Mom in the hospital too -- the Lien's are very special people.

Kim had been a blessing for me. She has attended to my needs before I even knew that I had needs. She's also been great with Mom. Just tonight, she and her husband Nathan made a special trip to Chinatown to get Mom the bulgogi (Korean meat) that she was craving -- no mean feat either, when dealing with July 4th traffic. Mom really enjoyed the bulgogi, which just goes to show that, even in times of difficulty, the Pawlow appetite will not fail.

Many others have helped too: Margot, Maria and Wendy from Florida: John, who made 2 trips from Phoenix in a span of less than a week, and Anna Claudia, who changes her name as frequently as some people change their socks. There have been literally scores of people who have been helping out -- it's really been a fantastic thing to witness.

And I suppose that's one of the silver linings to this whole ordeal, that so many people have come together to show their love for Mom and to be there for our family. It's really been quite tremendous to see so many people showering us with so much love and affection. We are truly blessed.

I will try to send another update soon. On behalf of Mom and our entire family, we thank you for your kindness and your prayers.

Until next time...

Faithfully,

Corey

A Very Big Day

2008-07-02T09:48:00.003-05:00

Greetings FoMmies,

Once again, the title of the posting should give you a clue -- today is a VERY BIG DAY.

Mom had a Pleurx Catheter inserted in her belly. The catheter is essentially a tube that allows Mom to remove the liquid that's been collecting on her belly without going to the hospital. The procedure itself was relatively quick and painless. Moreover, Yours Truly learned how to do the draining, so in case I need to step in there won't be any problem. But though the catheter is a big deal, it's still not the REALLY BIG NEWS.

The big news is that MOM CAME HOME TODAY! She is in a home hospice program that is focused on making her comfortable. We set-up her bedroom with a hospital bed and an oxygen machine so that Mom could be cared for at home. Still, getting her home was not an altogether easy feat and many people helped to make the transition. Special thanks to Kim, John, Margot, Maria, Ting, Honey and Uncle Phil for helping with the process.

I understand that many of you will want to call and/or visit Mom. If possible, please e-mail before you come by so that we can limit the number of visitors who show-up at any given time. Also, in general try to keep your visits upbeat, as we'd like for Mom to have as many happy moments as possible. Finally, please be mindful that Mom is not doing well; accordingly, we are trying to limit visits to 20 minutes each with no more than 2 visitors in Mom's room at any given time.

Thank you for your understanding, your support, and most importantly, for your prayers.

Be well...

Faithfully,

Corey

Is it July Already? -- An Update

2008-07-01T12:43:00.002-05:00

Greetings FoMmies,

I regret to inform you that we've had a few setbacks.

We thought that Mom would be home by now, but that hasn't happened. When Mom was admitted, she was told that she'd probably by in for "a couple of days." On Thursday they were ready to discharge her, but that didn't happen. They also told her she'd be going home Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say, she was getting pretty antsy to leave the hospital.

Yesterday, after being disappointed (again) about the fact that she wasn't going home, I started to work with the medical team to attempt to arrange a transfer to Prentice Women's Hospital, a considerably nicer facility. This process started at approximately 7:00 a.m. and we probably consulted about a half-a-dozen doctors and an equal number of nurses/social workers/others. At 5:00 p.m. we were told that 3 beds opened up, that she was #1 on the list and that we were just waiting for the rooms to be cleaned. I offered to clean the rooms myself -- after all, Mom was asking me when the transfer was going to go through approximately every 30 minutes or so. They didn't take me up on my offer and around 9:00 p.m. Mom was told that there would be no more transfers for the evening.

Suffice it to say, Mom was not pleased. Mom rightly felt that she had been lied to. However, we continued to work at getting a transfer and at 9:40 p.m., we got the good news -- Mom was going to get a room at Prentice. I hugged the nurse and the doctor who relayed the information (and would have kissed them both, but thought better of it) and we went to tell Mom, who expressed a great deal of relief. Just after 10:15 p.m., they came to transport Mom to her new room and she, and her entourage of 7, were on our way.

The new room at Prentice is significantly nicer, but Mom wants to go home. She will have a tube inserted in her belly so that she can drain the fluid that's been collecting without having to go to the hospital. We hope that she'll be able to be discharged tomorrow. However, we're not really sure whether we'll be able to care for her at home, even if we get the assistance of a full-time (24/7) home healthcare aide. All the same, a hospital bed will be delivered to Mom's home in just a few minutes. We want to be ready, no matter the direction we choose to go.

As you might well imagine, we are running on fumes here, but we have more support that can be imagined. Mom's friends have come from far and wide (WI, OH, IN, AZ, NV, FL, etc.) and they have been tremendous in providing us with help and moral support.

Special thanks to the FoMmie Nation for all of your support and prayers that you have provided to us. Please keep Mom in your prayers and know that she loves all of you so very much. As much as this is a difficult time for our family, we take solace in knowing that Mom has so many people that care for her so much. We are humbled by your outpouring of love and affection.

Be well...

Faithfully,

Corey

Is It Friday Already?

2008-06-27T09:57:00.003-05:00

Hey kiddies...

So I'm here at the hospital with Mom (she's asleep now). Here's the latest...

Yesterday was a pretty crazy day...my sincerest apologies for the failure to provide an update. We were led to believe that Mom was going home yesterday and Michelle (that's 1.5's real name, in case you didn't know) and I got caught up trying to coordinate such things as home health care, oxygen delivery, out of town visitors, etc. It's mostly squared away now. Mom also had another draining and she only was able to give up 2 Big Gulps (or 1 Double Big Gulp) worth of fluid. That's a good thing really, because it means that there's less fluid collecting on her belly.

Mom will be having a CT scan of her abdomen soon because her white blood counts are a bit elevated. They switched Mom's antibiotics medicine to see if that will help get her numbers down. Also, an infectious disease doctor will be stopping by to do a quick consult to see if we can get to the bottom of the white blood cell mystery.

Unfortunately, it looks like Mom will be here at least another day, pending results of her CT scan and her blood tests. I'll try to provide another update soon. Mom is definitely a lot more lucid than when she first got here, but she remains a bit weak. However, she's not in any real pain, just some discomfort.

And speaking of comfort (well, technically I was speaking of discomfort, but I'm sleep deprived too, so grant me a little leeway), the many prayers said and candles lit have provided a great deal of comfort to Mom and to our family. Mom has been inundated with an outpouring of love that has taken many forms: a call and special blessings from Mom's guru Goswami Kriyananda (it GREATLY brightened Mom's spirits), flowers sent (special thanks to Lisa and Kim), food deliveries (too numerous to list), hospital visits (like a zillion of 'em), calls & e-mails (apologies because Mom/I can't respond quickly enough) and of course your many, many prayers. Please keep praying and Mom will do her part by fighting the good fight.

Mom sends much love to all...*

Faithfully,

Corey

* - I'm cranky, so I'm only sending a bit of love...deal with it

A Particularly Specific Request

2008-06-25T10:42:00.003-05:00

Hi there campers,

Ok, things are a bit better than yesterday but Mom is not out of the woods yet. We saw Doctor Mellott this morning, in addition to the resident that's monitoring her case at the hospital. Here's what we know:

Mom is getting a chest x-ray today, mostly as a precautionary measure (she's actually there now).
Mom should be seeing a physical therapist today. The PT should help Mom, especially with her walking. Mom has been pretty much confined to her room since she's been admitted, so this will be excellent.
Mom's potassium levels, which had been elevated, are now ok.
Mom's sodium levels are better too.
Mom's white blood cells are elevated (25,000) BUT the doctors are not worried because she is not running a fever.
Mom's hemoglobin is 11.3 -- good numbers.
Platelets are at 124 (I'm 99% sure this means 124,000 per mm3 of blood). This is a bit higher than a previous test, so that's good too.
Mom's bilirubin has dropped from 4.0 - 3.5.

Now here's where that particularly specific request comes in. Please say a prayer/a novena/a mantra/light a candle -- or better yet, all 4 -- for Mom's Billy Rubin...err bilirubin...to drop to 2.5 (or lower). At this level she should be able to resume chemotherapy and get back on the road to wellness.

So when you think of it, Mom's already 1/3 of the way there (for the less mathematically inclined among you, Mom's bilirubin levels would ideally drop from 4.0 --> 2.5...a total of 1.5. She's already dropped by .5 in the short time that she's been here...if you can't figure out the rest, just start your prayers). So do your bit will ya?

Well, what are you waiting for? Stop reading and start praying, ok?

Faithfully,

Corey

Why are you reading a PS? Just PRAY!

Tuesday Morning Update

2008-06-24T08:30:00.002-05:00

Dear FoMmies,

A quick update from Mom's hospital room...

As you know, Mom was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening. She's had some blood tests (Mom's potassium level has dropped a bit -- which is a good thing because it was too high -- though her saline is still a bit low), a brain scan (no problems) and is having an ultrasound as we speak (they are going to get a good look at the liver). Later today, Mom will have another ultrasound, which will allow the doctors to locate the fluid that has been collecting on her belly. Then they will draw a small amount of liquid and test it, to see if there's anything irregular.

Mom's been given some medicine (lactulose) that encourages her to move her bowels because that will help to flush the toxins that have been building inside her. As Mom's toxins decrease, she should have increased lucidity (thus I find myself "rooting" for Mom to go #2...what a strange position for a son to be in).

Already I can tell that Mom appears stronger and somewhat more lucid than she was yesterday. Her appetite is a bit better too. By no means is Mom all the way back to normal, but she is definitely making progress. Mom didn't sleep all that well (it's kind of hard when you're in an uncomfortable bed, hooked-up to a slow saline drip, with nurses that come in every 4 hours to take your blood pressure) and I am sure that when she gets some additional rest (and makes some additional BMs) her lucidity and strength will continue to increase.

Please keep praying for Mom's recovery. It is the single greatest gift that you could give Mom and our family. I will update you as soon as more information becomes available.

Be strong...

Faithfully,

Corey

2008-06-23T17:42:00.002-05:00

It's Corey again. Here's the latest...

Mom had a paracentesis (draining procedure) again today. After giving up about 3 Big Gulps worth, we went to see Mom's oncologist.

Dr. Mellott said that Mom's liver was failing. At this point, we do not know whether Mom can "bounce back." Mom will be admitted to the hospital fairly soon (we were waiting for a room to come open as this e-mail is being composed -- update: Mom was admitted to Northwestern, Feinberg Pavillion).

Please keep Mom in your prayers.

Faithfully,

Corey

Difficult Times

2008-06-22T17:27:00.002-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

This is Corey, filling in for Your Favorite Correspondent. Unfortunately, the title of today's post is not a double entendre; these really are quite difficult times...

Mom seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Last week she went in 3 times (Monday Wednesday, Friday) to have fluid drained from her belly, the side effect of a blood clot. Mom has been especially uncomfortable this past week and she has not been sleeping well at night. However, Mom is sleeping a fair amount in the morning and afternoon.

Mom is also a little bit incoherent. This could be a side effect of the disease, the medicine, the lack of sleep or, most likely, a combination of the three. She does have her lucid moments though, and lately she seems to be doing best in the later afternoon/early evening. While Mom's appetite has diminished somewhat, she is still eating. Still, Mom is noticeably weaker than when she started this battle. Hopefully she will regain some strength so she can proudly rule as Warrior Woman.

Last Friday they ran some blood work on Mom and the tests came back ok, save for elevated potassium levels. Mom will see Dr. Mellott tomorrow. We're hoping to get some unexpectedly good news. As it stands now, Mom hasn't been able to receive chemo because of the fluid build-up, though there's some question as to whether she's strong enough to take handle the side effects of the medicine. Mom thinks that there's less fluid building-up inside her lately, so perhaps that means that the blood clot is dissipating and that she will be able to resume her treatment.

I will send a follow-up report tomorrow; hopefully I will be able to bring you good news. I know that many of you will are fairly anxious, but it's probably best not to call Mom because she is tiring pretty rapidly these past few days. I know that many of you want to help (and I also know that many of you have been so wonderful already), so please pray for Mom. If you can, please say a special prayer for Mom at 1:45 pm Monday, which is the time of Mom's oncology appointment. At this point, prayer really is the best thing that you can do for Mom and for our family.

I hope to bring you good news soon.

Faithfully,

Corey

A New Regimen

2008-06-16T15:32:00.012-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

So here's the scoop, Mom saw the Cotton Troll last Friday and was prescribed Lovenox to help stop the fluid build-up in her belly. Don't let the name fool you though, there's very little love in Lovenox. It's actually a medicine that Mom needs to shoot into her belly 2x/day.
Ahh, YFC heard that collective groan from his Loyal Readers. He appreciates your empathy. More importantly, Mom appreciates it. Don't ask YFC how he knows, he just knows.

As if Friday wasn't enough, Mom also saw The Troll today. She said that the fluid build-up was due to a partial blood clot in Mom's inferior vena cava (or "IVC" to those in the know). Your Faithful Correspondent wasn't going to hear of it though. He said that Mom's vena cava wasn't inferior to anything or anyone. Then the Troll explained that she wasn't judging Mom's vena cava; rather she explained that the IVC is the vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower part of the body to the heart.
Apparently Mom also has a superior vena cava and believe it or not, you do too! So for my Loyal Readers who are more scientifically inclined, feel free to refer to the handy-dandy diagram that's provided for you, at right.

After Mom was poked, prodded and given the once over, the Troll decided to put Mom on a new regimen of sorts. Henceforth, Mom will have a standing appointment for paracentesis (you kiddies might prefer to say "draining" cuz it's significantly easier on the tongue) every Monday and Thursday. Hopefully, this means less time spent at the hospital. Unfortunately, Mom needed to be drained today and since she was an "add-on," we had to wait about 2 hours before she could go in. That's the bad news. Thegood news is that Mom tied her record and had another 3.75 liters of fluid drained away. With any luck, Mom should be done with this draining nonsense in 2-3 weeks.

It's fair to say that Mom is extremely anxious to end this whole water collection nonsense. Lately she's been feeling a lot like Ms. Violet Beauregarde (in case the name's not ringin' a bell, that's her at left) of Willy Wonka fame, with the major difference being that Mom didn't turn blue (of course, she didn't get to feel like she was eating a blueberry pie either). So, if you've called Mom and she didn't get back to you, please realize that it's nothing personal; she just hasn't been feeling her sprightly self as of late. You do understand don't you? Of course you do. And that's just one of the 37 reasons why YFC loves you so.

Well kiddies, you're all caught up now and YFC is sleepy. Whaddya say we call it quits, eh?

Much love to all.

Faithfully,

Corey

Yuck

2008-06-12T19:38:00.014-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Today's title pretty much summarizes the way Mom's been feeling lately. Yuck. But let's take a moment to explain how she got there...to yuck.

As you recall, when we last left Mom, she was getting her belly fluid drained (a side effect of the TheraSpheres radiation treatment -- we think). Well, it's been a week since we last checked in on her (well, last checked in on her in a blogadocious kinda way...if you include telephonic updates, YFC checks in in his Momma an average of 12.93 times a day). Since then, the news has been, well, yucky. Mom had more fluid drained on Tuesday, a whopping 3 liters worth (slighty more than 3 regular size Big Gulps). Me and Mum celebrated her draining by heading to Opera. After a nice tasty meal, we thought that Mom was well on the road to recovery. Sadly for Mom (and rather shockingly for the rest of humanity), for the first time in a VERY long time, YFC was mistaken. Mom started filling up with fluid again and today she was drained of nearly 3.8 liters of fluid -- that's nearly a gallon, or 4 Big Gulps if you're so inclined.

So you probably wanna know how Mom feels, right? Well, through the marvels of modern science, you can know exactly how she feels in just 3 easy steps!

Step 1.Remove full one gallon jug o' milk from refrigerator (note: it's important that the milk is full, preferably unopened).

Step 2.Duct tape the jug o' milk to your belly. Make sure it's nice and tight.

Step 3.Attempt to resume normal activities. For best results, leave jug in position for at least 24 hours.

After today's draining, Mom had a CT scan, which should hopefully allow the doctors to determine the cause of Mom's problems. We're hoping to get some results by tomorrow, but we expect to know something by Monday at the latest.

Oh, YFC probably should have mentioned that the duct tape is going to hurt a bit when you rip it off. Good luck.

Be good...

Faithfully,

Corey

Mom's Feeling a Bit Drained

2008-06-04T13:09:00.011-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

A happy Wednesday to all. Your Faithful Correspondent is bringing you a quick chemo update 'cause, you know, he does that sort of thing.

Mom did have chemo today and she was joined by returning Chemo Buddy Trudy who came all the way from Santa Fe. Having Trudy accompany Mom was a true pleasure, but somewhat less pleasurable was Mom's quick trip to interventional radiology. Once again she had a paracen tesis procedure (for my Loyal Readers who are somewhat less technologically inclined,when you see a word of phrase that's underlined and/or in a different color, you can click on it to link to more information). This time the doctors drained about 1.6 liters from her belly. For those of you who are having a hard time visualizing what that means, the amount of liquid drained from Mom's belly was more than a Super Big Gulp, but less than a Double Big Gulp.

Kind of draws things into focus, no?

Other than the unscheduled pit-stop, Mom is doing well. Many thanks to my Loyal Readers for their loyalty to Mom. The other bloggers are all jealous because it is well-known that my Loyal Readers are the most loyal of 'em all.

Be good, my friends...

Faithfully,

Corey

Success...

2008-06-02T22:00:00.001-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent must apologize for being just a wee bit lax with the updates -- kind of like some of you have been lax with your words of support for Mom (no, not YOU...this is being directed to the other readers of le blog). Thankfully YFC is far too big of a man to "go there".

Well, so much for pleasantries, onto the news...a number of you have inquired as to Mom's post-procedure condition. YFC can confirm that everything went both okey and dokey. Mom was a wee bit tender and groggy afterwards, but otherwise all was copacetic. Dr. Stork said the procedure went off without a hitch (or words to that effect). Mom was quick to let him know that she's be perfectly pleased if the radioactive seeds would hurry-up and finish working their magic, so that she wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense anymore thankyouverymuch.

Melvin the Wonder Sis joined YFC and helped him tend to the brave little patient's every whim (and be assured, there were plenty of whims to attend to). In fact, because she was such a good little helper (not to be confused with Santa's Little Helper, at right) Sis will go back to being #1.5, instead of her customary position as #2.

Give it another week or so and Melvin will undoubtedly be anchored in second place (incidentally, that's her, at left). Of course, my Loyal Readers are probably wondering how YFC can tell the two apart so easily. It's quite simple really; it's the tail. As anyone can plainly see (well, maybe not in this picture), Sis' tail is much, much longer.

Today (Monday...yeah, most of you will read this Tuesday, but if you read on, you'll see that Your Faithful Correspondent had a very rough day) Mom was scheduled for chemo. She met with the Cotton Troll, who gave her the ol' once over. Mom admitted that she wasn't feeling well because she felt a lot of pressure on her belly. Well, turns out she had a water build-up, so chemo was pushed back to Wednesday, Instead, we took a trip to the hospital (Stork's office is just across the street) so Mom could undergo a paracentesis procedure.

Now, I know my Loyal Readers are probably thinking "pair of saint what's this?" but allow YFC to explain...paracentesis is a procedure to remove a fluid build-up from the belly. First they start with an ultrasound to locate the fluid build-up. Then, the fluid is withdrawn with a long, thin needle. Mom went in with hardly a complaint. Approximately 50 minutes and half a gallon of belly juice later and Mom was all done.

(in case you forgot what she looked like, that's Mom with her friend Maria the Wolf, above right)

Kinda crazy, right? Oh don't worry, there's more...while all this was going on, YFC got a message from Auntie Berba that Bubbles the Clown was in the emergency room because she burned herself when her nightgown caught on fire. About 2 dozen unanswered phone calls later, YFC can report than G-Mom is doing ok. Now, this is a bit unconventional but YFC would like to ask a teensie-weensie favor for himself. Here goes: Loyal Readers, Your Faithful Correspondent implores you...please do NOT get sick, injured, maimed, bruised, hurt, harmed, wounded, etc. This is becoming a wee bit taxing so if you could see to it that you take care to take care, YFC would be much obliged.

Thank you.

Onto happier things, YFC and Mom recently celebrated Uncle Rusty's birthday with him. It was a very exclusive soiree. Natch all the most glamorous people were there, namely UR, Mom andYFC (if you didn't get an invite, not to worry...chances are you just weren't pretty enough). Speaking of pretty, that pic, at left, is Uncle R blowing out the candles of his birthday cake. Despite turning another year older, he still looks like a young Cary Grant (admittedly you hafta squint a bit). Note that the glass of wine in the foreground is a 2000 Silver Oak, Napa Valley. If you're an oenophile, your mouth is probably watering right now (and even if you're not an oenophile, just try saying the word "oenophile." No really, say it. It's decadent enough to make you want to become a wine-lover, just so you can justify saying "oenophile" time and time again). The cake was good, the food was great, the wine was simply mind-blowing. And the company...even better.

So a quick wrap-up: Mom's doing a bit better and goes for chemo on Wednesday. Bubby's ok too, but her arm's going to hurt for a while. Russell's older and has delicious wine. And YFC..well, he's just happy to be bring you all the news that's fit to print. Now do your part of the bargain and stay healthy, k?

Wishing good health to all...

Faithfully,

Corey

P.S.

You get a special bonus pic today. Think of it as YFC's way of apologizing for being a bit tardy with this posting. Why a cupcake? Nosy little things, aren't you? Well, if you simply must know, Your Faithful Correspondent likes taking pictures of food and this cupcake looked particularly scrumptuous.

It didn't taste half-bad either.

A TheraSpherific Update

2008-05-21T18:15:00.003-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

When you need the news, the real news, where do you turn? CNN? Pfft. NBC? Rank amateurs. The New York Times? Surely you jest. Fox News? Well, if you're watching Fox News, YFC wouldn't even know where to begin...Suffice it to say your #1 place for news is right here, The Chemo Chronicle. And here's the latest...

Mom will not have chemo this week 'cause she's getting ready for her TheraSpheres (radiation) treatment next Friday, May 30th (it's also the same day as the premiere of the new Sex and the City movie, just in case you were wonderin'). But the Monday thereafter, Mom will be back on the chemo wagon, so much fun and hijinks await.

That's all the news that's fit to print, no fluff today kiddies.

Be good...

Faithfully,
Corey

Good News!

2008-05-19T18:58:00.004-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is coming to you a bit earlier this week to bring you some VERY GOOD NEWS.

Mom received a call from her oncologist today and received a very positive post-PET scan report. Per the doc, there's not much activity in the pancreas (phew! this is what we were most worried about) and things are looking better in the liver too. The doctor said that her scan looked much better than it did in June of last year and that she was very happy with Mom's progress. And as YFC always says (well, always says starting today at least), if the doc is happy, then he's happy. So, even if complete recovery is taking a little bit longer than we'd like, this is still a cause for a little celebration. Anyone care to join Yours Truly for a celebratory glass of vino?

In other news, Mom and YFC passed some time at Fox & Obel today. It's worth mentioning because 1) it's uber chic and 2) they apparently have good chopped liver and good whitefish salad. Who knew?

In other news, this weekend Bubby turns the big Ocho-Cinco. For those of you who don't speak Spanish and/or who aren't very good at math, that means that my darling grandmother will soon be entering triple digits. Or something like that. So we'll be off for brunch (whitefish salad perhaps?) and hopefully that should be delish.

And speaking of delish, YFC made ice cream for the first time in his new ice cream maker (previously he made a couple of sorbets and some blueberry frozen yogurt, but that's another story). Anyhow, would you believe he made Nutella ice cream? Tis true! And it was only 2 ingredients too -- Nutella (an impossibly smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread) and evaporated milk. Unbelievably yummy, though a tad sweet (oh, and it looked a bit like poo, but this is a family blog, so we won't get into that). For his next attempt YFC will use a different brand (lower sugar) of chocolate-hazelnut spread and will substitute maybe 1/3 of the chocolatey-hazlenutty goodness for some peanut butter. Ah yes boys and girls, it's getting mighty exciting round these parts! And if you sign-up now to be a Chemo Buddy, you too might win your very own pint of YFC's home made ice cream.

Well, that wine is a callin'. Thanks again for all of your kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Be good...

Faithfully,

Corey

PET Scan Update

2008-05-16T14:42:00.002-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is back! I'd say "and better than ever" but given how good I was before, being even better would be a theoretical impossibility. Chew on that for a while...

A quickie update about Mom's PET scan...it went off without a hitch. In fact, they apparently have some new fancy-schmancy machine so instead of taking 1.5 hours the scan only took about 25 minutes.

We should get the results by Tuesday so keep an eye out for more news soon. In the meantime, have a lovely weekend and remember to THINK SHRINK.

Faithfully,

Corey

Happy Mother's Day (Belated)

2008-05-14T15:47:00.010-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers...

...or should I say Loyal Readers of Your Faithful Correspondent? As you know, these updates are most often penned by the mysterious YFC, the nom de plume (pen name...it's already been established that everything sound better in French) of...well, me. This is all getting a wee bit confusing, maybe I should take a step back and explain...

(left: Mom and Sis)

Today's posting is not going to be written by YFC or the Favorite Child or #1 (you do realize those are all one and the same person, right?); instead, it's being written by me, Corey. And let me tell you, it feels mighty strange.

Here's the latest: on Monday, Mom had an appointment with Dr. Mellott (you probably know her better as the Cotton Troll, but today everyone gets to be called by their real names). We received some news that we didn't really expect: the last CT scan revealed that there was a 1.2cm x 1.8cm tumor in Mom's pancreas. Now this was pretty shocking news for a couple of reasons. First, we thought that Mom had rid herself of the pancreatic tumor. For the last few months we've been concentrating on healing the liver. Moreover, when Mom met with Dr. Sato last week, he never mentioned that anything was wrong with her pancreas. In fact, he said that the right side of her liver (the part that was most recently treated) seemed to be responding well to the TheraSpheres treatment (radiation). So what gives?

(above right: Mom at chemo)

Unfortunately, in the shock of the moment I think a little was lost in translation. I can't really report whether the tumor was there all along and it was somehow "missed" (seems unlikely) or whether it grew back. We also don't really know about the state of the cancer itself. Apparently CT scans have limitations, like not being able to distinguish between dead cancer cells and live ones. That's why Mom is scheduled to have a PET scan Friday (tomorrow), so the doctors can get a better sense of how effective her treatment has been.

(above: Mom, Cousin Nanci & Michelle)

Often times YFC will let you know where Mom's been (for example, he might inform you that Mom's neighbor Mark took her to Ruth's Chris to make sure that her hemoglobin levels stayed nice and high) or where she's planning to go (the Royal George Theatre to see some bloke named Mark Nadler perform a one-man show called "Russian on the Side"...edit: we went last night...quickie review - meh). But since this is Corey writing and not my alter ego, I'm not going to get into that (at least not anymore than I already have).

(right: Mary, Trudy & Mom)

Instead, I thought I'd say a few words about Mom, seeing how last weekend was Mother's Day and all. Wow...this is hard. YFC never gets writer's block when penning The Chemo Chronicle, but all of a sudden I'm at a loss for words. Well, instead of writing to you the reader, I hope that you'll indulge me a bit and let me speak directly to my Mom...

Mom,

Over the years you've taught me many important lessons. Be nice to others. Look both ways before you cross the street. Always wear a clean pair of underwear...just in case. But perhaps the greatest lesson of all is one that I'm not even sure you realize that you've shared. In fact, its the one that you're teaching me right now...

It's the lesson on how to deal with adversity. It's a lesson that you teach me every day. You've persevered under the most difficult of circumstances and you've done so with incredible grace and dignity. I don't pretend to understand why you were afflicted with this awful disease; but I like to think that G-d will not present us with challenges that we cannot handle. You are a fighter. A Warrior Woman. A Survivor. And I am incredibly blessed to call you my Teacher. My friend. My Mom.

I love you very much,

Corey

Needless to say, tomorrow is a big day. We should probably get the results of the PET scan early next week. As soon as we get word, someone (be it me or YFC) will be sure to post the results. Now there is a possibility that, depending on the results, the doctors might want to explore different treatment options, but at this point it seems that Mom will be continuing with her current course of treatment. So, we expect that Mom will be continuing with her bi-weekly chemotherapy treatments and that she will be going in for further radiation treatment (TheraSpheres) at the end of the month (we don't have the date yet -- of course once known, it will be posted in The Chemo Chronicle).

(left: Mom at chemo)

Mom's had a pretty rough go of things lately. The doctor put her on a mild steroid to try to reduce some of the side effects of the disease. Hopefully that will be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of her fevers. Unfortunately, Mom's sleeping schedule has been severely disrupted as of late. I know that many of you have called to wish her well. Please try to call between the hours of 9:30am and 9:30pm because Mom's sleep schedule has been pretty erratic. In general, it's best to telephone in the morning, when possible.

Please say a prayer (or two) for Mom and keep her in your thoughts.

Faithfully,
Corey

PS

If you happen to talk with her, please don't mention the contents of this posting to my grandmother, Beverly (you may know her better as Bubbles the Clown), She'll be 85 in less than 2 weeks and to celebrate, we're going to have a small get together for her at The Drake Hotel (many thanks to Uncle Phil for helping out with the arrangements). Anyhow, we're going to hold off on telling G-Mom any details for a while. Plus, she'd kill me if she knew which picture I picked out for the blog.

Thanks for understanding.

(right: Bubby)

The Unvarnished Truth

2008-05-07T14:50:00.007-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent has the latest, if not the greatest to share with you today. Let's get right to it, shall we?

Of course, you're used to YFC putting a nifty little spin on things, but this here is the cold, unvarnished truth. Since her last dose of radiation (April 4th), Mom's been getting a lot of fevers (at least daily). When Mom gets feverish, she also has a corresponding drop in energy and typically gets the chills. Oh, and we wouldn't want to forget about the night sweats either. So, as you can imagine, Mom's had a pretty lousy month. She had a brief respite right around my birthday (again, thanks for all the cards and presents) but otherwise it's been downright yucky (that's a medical term).

Monday, Mom had a CT scan and yesterday she saw Kent "Cotton Stork" Sato, her interventional radiologist (that's him, at right). We got a bit of a mixed report. Lettuce start with the good news (get it lettuce, let us...c'mon people lighten up a bit. On second thought, you're right, it really wasn't very funny)...it looks like the most recent dose of radiation has been working like a charm. As you recall, Mom got the radioactive seeds (a/k/a TheraSpheres) directed to the right side of her liver last month. The tumor on that side appeared to have a bit of a rim around it and now that rim has gone the way of the dodo (to my non-zoologically inclined readers, that means it went bye-bye). The Doc thought that it meant* (* - more on this in a bit) that the radiation was doing it's job; or, as Zoe might say, the radiation was "kicking the tumor in its butt."

Unfortunately, things don't seem to be going as well for the tumor on the left part of Mom's liver. The left part was treated first and does not seem to be responding as well to the TheraSpheres. Ok, this might seem like odd timing, but YFC just thought of a song that Melvin used to sing...something she learned at overnight camp -- I hate liver/Cause liver makes me quiver/Liver makes me shiver up and die, die die... Finally, YFC and his sibling can agree on something...YFC also hates liver. Come to think of it, YFC thinks all offal is awful (by the by, at left is a Russian offal chart that YFC has so graciously posted for your benefit). Get it, offal...awful? Yeah, we'll stick that in the crisper right next to the lettuce joke.

Now, remember that little asterisk above? Well, it was there for a reason. The Doctor based his opinions on the results of Mom's CT scan. However, the CT scan cannot really distinguish between living tumors and a dead ones. But a PET scan (Positron emission tomography...glad you asked?) can, so 2 Fridays from today, Mom will...you guessed it...have a PET scan (the machine looks like that picture, at right). After the Stork reads the PET scan, we'll have a better idea how things are progressing. However, barring something completely unforeseen, Mom will have more seeds implanted on the left side of her liver (this hasn't been scheduled yet, but we're shooting for the end of May). Most likely Mom will get a larger dose of the seeds than she got last time cuz, you know, she's getting kind of tired of this whole tumor nonsense, so she wants to irradiate that little bugger into oblivion.

Incidentally, Dr. Stork (can't believe this didn't come to YFC sooner...Doctor + Stork = Dork. Coincidence? Methinks not. But to be clear, he's a very likable sort) said that Mom's fevers weren't necessarily a good sign or a bad sign. They might not be a bad sign, but all the same, Mom would just as soon get rid of 'em.

Finally, by popular request, YFC will again dip into his reader mailbag:

Dear YFC,
You are sooo great! I think about you all the time. Your Mom is so lucky to have you...
(Note: the superlatives went on for 6 single-spaced pages, but in the interest of time, this has been severely edited)
Is there any one quality that makes you #1?

Signed,
Your Faithful Fan

Dear YFF,

Thank you so much for your kind words. Now to answer your question: YFC is #1 for oh so many reasons, but perhaps the main reason: selflessness. YFC had dinner with Mom this Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. He also accompanied her to her appointment w/ Dr. Stork and her chiropractor. But does he do it for glory or adulation. Of course not. YFC does it because he loves his Mommy. That alone is reason enough.

Thanks for writing.

Well at any rate, it's soon to be the witching hour (no, that wasn't a comment about my Sister...although it could be). Do your bit and keep Mommy in your thoughts, k?

More soon...

Faithfully,
Corey

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2008-04-29T13:31:00.005-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

It seems like it's been forever since we last met. Well, before you hear the latest and greatest about YFC, let's dive right into Mom's World (not to be confused with the 2 guys at right)...

Yesterday was a chemo day. Mom was joined by her sister Berba, who was making a repeat appearance as a Chemo Buddy (that's her at left...way to go Berbs!). Unfortunately, the news from chemo was decidedly mixed. Mom was able to have chemo; however, her hemoglobin level was 8.6 after tipping the scales at 8.85 last time. So Mom will go in for 2 pints of blood tomorrow. Yes, that's right kiddies, it's transfusion time again. Now, I know it sounds scary, but really it's not. In fact, Mom said that last time it didn't hurt a bit. The nurses just pump the blood through Mom's port and before you can say "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" 11x in a row *poof* it's all done.

Not too shabby, eh?

Speaking of shabby, how's your memory? You know that word from Mary Poppins that you just read, the one that's also the title of this post? Wanna attempt to spell it without looking?

Didn't think so. Coward.

Sorry, you didn't deserve that. Your Faithful Corespondent has been a bit on edge cause Mom has had some nausea and high fevers this week. She's also been getting fatigued pretty easily and the low hemoglobin count is undoubtedly a factor. So topping off the tank ought to bring Mom back to her sprightly self. Luckily for YFC she perked up for his birthday bash last Monday. That's right boys and girls, Your Favorite Correspondent just turned...well, let's just all agree that he had a birthday. He celebrated in high style at Hugo's Frog Bar with Mom, Uncle Rusty, Melvin and Nat (of the non-King Cole variety) in attendance. Of course #2 is going to get mad 'cause Nat's her new beau and she will undoubtedly accuse Yours Truly of making fun of him. But you know what? Second Best should have thought of that before she tried playing with YFC's tinker toys when he was 6! Ah yes, the old saying is so deliciously true...revenge is a dish best served cold.

Well kiddies, gotta cut this short. Just be sure to send Mom lots and lots of good vibes tomorrow so that she can get her mojo back. In fact, why don't you make sure those vibes are supercalifragilisticexpialidociously good? After all, Mom would do it for you...*

* - YFC learned the art of the guilt trip (not to be confused with a road-trip, which is infinitely more fun...unless, of course, you're the one doing the guilting) from Mom herself. Jewish mothers rock!

Love to all (but most of all to You).

Faithfully,
Corey

I'm back...

2008-04-21T22:08:00.001-05:00

Dear Kriyananda, Rabbi, Family and Friends,

As the subject suggests, I am back to my old self. The two weeks since radiation were difficult, but they are behind me now. I am so grateful to be feeling well. It must have been the matzo balls at Roberta's house on Saturday and Uncle Phil's on Sunday which put me over the hump. Both were wonderful evenings as we celebrated our freedom from slavery with Jews across the world and our dear family and friends., The love I have felt from everyone has been so overwhelming, I am honestly speechless.

Not only am I celebrating Passover with family and friends, but it is a special day for me as I gave birth to my favorite son Corey 39 years ago today. We are going to have dinner with Papa (Uncle Rusty, Russell, etc.) Michelle,and her friend Nat, at Hugo's Frog Bar tonight..

What a glorious day when we are able to spend happy occasions with our loved ones..

This is a rest week. No chemo, no radiation, no worries. Life is good.

I wish you all love, joy, and bliss. May happiness fill every cell of your being.

Thank you for all that you have given me and continue to give me.

Sharon

Nausea -- A Funny Word to Spell But Not a Funny Thing to Experience

2008-04-14T10:48:00.012-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is back from Monterrey, the nacho cheese covered city (metaphorically, anyway). YFC mixed a little R&R with a little bizness, but we'll get to that a bit later. Before we get carried away, let's cut to the real star of the show, a little woman that YFC affectionately refers to as "Mom."

As Loyal Readers are well aware, Mom had TheraSphere radiation therapy 2 Fridays ago (that'd be April 5 if you really wanna know). Since then, Mom and nausea have gone together like pean ut butter and jelly but in a far less delicious way. Almost immediately after returning home from l'hôpital (things sound classier in French, non?) Mom was attacked by a bout of nausea. Of course the nausea was just the beginning. Mom has also been feeling pretty run down and has been tiring more easily. Plus she's been running fevers and getting the chills. Though the nausea and fevers subside for short spurts, overall Mom's had a pretty icky (that's a medical term) week and a half.

We're thinking/hoping/praying that the nausea and the fatigue are side effects of the radiation working its magic. And why shouldn't we think that? The TheraSphere are often referred to as seeds. Jack (of Beanstalk fame) traded his cow for 5 magic beans (which are really just large seeds) and look what happened...big tree grows, boy climbs it, steals some giant gold, everyone lives happily ever after. Well, perhaps giant wasn't so happy. Nevertheless you're missing the point: Mom has her own magic seeds growing (or perhaps more accurately glowing) inside her, so ya gotta figure that the giant beanstalk in her tummy is sapping up some of her strength. Of course this really begs 2 questions: 1) when will this all be over and 2) who's the giant?

Let's take the questions out of order, cause we can dispense with query #2 rather quickly. The evil giant (YFC added the "evil" part there, but everyone knows that giants are evil) is undoubtedly YFC's little sister, Melvin. In fact just the other day, Mom heard her exclaim:

Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!??
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.

Pretty harsh words from Sis. Now of course, YFC isn't really English, though he has been accused of being an Anglophile (as "-philes" go, it's definitely one of the better ones). Let it be clear: YFC does not condone bone grinding of any sort, especially when it's his bones in question. Guess my Sis has let sibling rivalry get the better of her.

Again.

Let's not dwell on Melvin's shortcomings, so let's hurry onto question #1. The radiation from the TheraSphere lasts for about 2 weeks, so we're thinking that Mom should be feeling better by the weekend. Mom had an appointment with The Cotton Troll today and Le Troll gave Mom a little feel-good medicine in her chemo cocktail to take away the nausea (as cocktails go, YFC is much more fond of Campari and Soda, but hey, to each their own).

Friday, Mom gets a cocktail of another sort...a blood cocktail. Mom needs to have a transfusion because her hemoglobin was low (8.95 for the medically inclined). This is the first time Mom has needed a transfusion, thankfully she just needs to be topped off a bit (she'll stop in for a quick pint). My Darling Sis (that's her on the left, getting ready for a hot date) graciously offered to suck the blood from an unwilling victim, but Mom decided to go the hospital route all the same.

Mom's appointment with Le Troll was otherwise uneventful. It's been a l-o-n-g day at chemo, but you know how it is when you start with cocktails, it tends to stretch everything out quite a bit. Not a bad thing when you're with a captivating dinner companion, not a good thing when you're at chemo. Still, it has given us a little more opportunity to spend more time with the latest Chemo Buddy, Gloria. She has been put through the rigorous Chemo Buddy initiation test by correctly answering all 5 questions right. Now, don't let the fear of standardized tests prevent you from becoming a Chemo Buddy too. After all, the questions are pretty simple.

Here's a sample question:
Who is Mom's Favorite Child?
a) Corey
b) Not Michelle
c) Both Corey and Not Michelle

Now if you'd actually visited the website (instead of being a Lazy Mazie and just reading the e-mail version of le blog), you'd immediately recognize that it was a previous poll question. So feel free to visit the website and start studying today.

Incidentally, Monterrey was very nice (thanks for asking). YFC spent a little time hanging out in the mountains of Monterreal (about 2 hours outside Monterrey, 1.25 hours if David is driving) -- very relaxing. He even got to ride an ATV (all-terrain vehicles if you're not familiar), which is mentioned not to brag, but because YFC's Dad will wonder how he could have done so without a helmet (note picture to right). It hit 100°F a couple of days on the trip, which was a nice change from the dreadful Chicago weather we've been having, but you know what? It still felt very good to come back home.

YFC certainly has prattled on a bit, hasn't he? Ah ha -- that was a trick question! Why are you nodding your head in agreement? Well, Your Faithful Correspondent can certainly take a hint. Guess we'll be cutting this a bit short. Hopefully we'll be bringing you a special update soon.

Wishing you a fabulous week...

Faithfully,
Corey

Warrior Woman Wins

2008-04-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Kriyananda, Rabbi, family and friends,

I know I was named Warrior Woman but I wasn't quite prepared for the battle with the Theraspheres on Saturday. Apparently I wasn't paying attention to the nurse who explained the side effects, since I didn't have any after the first procedure. But it seems as if the radiation builds up, and is a little harder on the body each time. The important part is that as the day went on, I began to feel a little better. Thanks to Robert who spent the afternoon with me and took me outside so we could get some fresh air.

I am feeling stronger today and I want to thank everyone for their prayers and kind wishes. I am going to leave the fun and humor to YFC who should be returning from Monterrey on Wednesday. Michelle returned from Taiwan Wednesday night so she could be at the hospital on Friday. Mom and Aaron were there also.

Hopefully, I will feel well enough today to see my beloved Kriyananda at The Temple of Kriya Yoga. So my dears, I am going to try to go back to sleep for awhile and rest up for a busy day.

Much love to all,
Sharon

Another Big Day Coming Up

2008-04-01T22:41:00.013-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Today is a very special day because Your Faithful Correspondent has another interactive posting for you. But there's a catch -- by reading any further than this paragraph you must do exactly what YFC says, no matter what. You're intrigued, no? Perhaps just a bit scared? But why? You know that YFC loves you and that he wouldn't put you in harms way. Surely you're up for it. Heck, you're up for any challenge. After all, you've probably saying to yourself, "Self, these last few days I really feel fantastic. I have increased energy. I feel more positive. And my general outlook on life has really improved. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I wonder Self, what gives..."

Well, wonder no longer my Loyal Readers for Your Faithful Correspondent comes bearing the answers to all your queries. That sense of inner well-being you're feeling has to do with the fact that #2 is approximately 7,459 miles (or 12,004 kilometers if you're into that kinda thing and you know you are --you cheeky little monkey) away. A certain someone who writes a certain blog sure feels good about it. After all, nothing says relaxation to YFC like having a good bit of distance between him and his baby sister (say oh, a minimum if 12,000km or so). Melvin is in Taipei visiting her best friend Ting and her goddaughter Zoe. You'll hafta guess which picture is Taipei and which is a picture of Ting and Zoe but my Loyal Readers are universally brilliant, so figuring out which is which will be like shooting fish in a barrel (not that YFC is advocating barrel-shooting or the senseless slaughter of fish. Your Faithful Correspondent stands for many things, and abstention from violence is right near the top of the list). Now, if truth be told Zoe is a little more grown up than she appears in the picture, but if a certain parent got off her certain body part and sent more pictures to the aforementioned certain blogger, then my Loyal Readers (and your loyalty is truly commendable by the way) wouldn't have to rely on looking at stock photographs.

All good things must come to an end, dontcha know? Melvin returns from her vacay on Friday. Now what's so special about Friday that she'd interrupt her brother's bliss? Why it the day Mom has her next procedure of course (don't look so surprised, if you'd been paying attention you would have known that already). Yep, this Friday is undergoing Round 2 of radiation treatment. The basics will be the same as before, except that last time they targeted the left side of the liver and this time they're targeting the right. In case you need a refresher on the mechanics click away... That's right kiddies, those links are actually pretty useful and they're provided at absolutely no cost to you. Why? You know it's always about love with YFC.

Now that we're feeling all lovey-dovey, let's come full circle for a moment now. Remember when YFC promised you an interactive posting and we made that little deal? Well, as you know, Mom is going to have more radiation Friday because the tumor in her liver has decided that it doesn't want to get any smaller. Somebody needs to put that ol' cancer bully in its place and that's where you come in (that's right, YFC is talking 'bout Y O U). So if my Loyal Readers could possibly say a kind word or two to the Big Guy Upstairs that would be greatly appreciated.

And speaking of appreciated, Mom still gets a lot of positive energy from reading your cards and e-mails. Thanks to all of you who continue to send her good wishes. Not only does it mean a lot to Mom, but to Melvin and YFC, as well.

Finally speaking of YFC, the fact that 1.5 is coming back in town poses is a frightening prospect. Accordingly, Your Faithful Correspondent will be heading to the lovely town of Monterrey (think Cleveland, Mexican style). Unfortunately it's only 1318 miles/2122 kilometers (we've already establish the fact that you like that wacky metric thing) away, so Sis is still a little close for comfort. Still, YFC will be visiting his amigo David (that's him, at left, making the traditional balloon presentation to YFC), so fun and excitement awaits.

Wait. No really you need to wait. Look there's a blog being written now, can you just hold on a bit? Oh all right, what is it then? You wanted to tell YFC that you're still trying to picture Cleveland, Mexican style? Oh all right, once again it's YFC to the rescue..sigh...think about a large industrial city, the kind that...oh dunno...might have it's main river catch on fire. Repeatedly. Now picture that same city topped with gobs of nacho cheese sauce, the kind you get on ballpark nachos. That's Monterrey.

Getting back to matters at hand...Oh what now? Nachos are really more Tex-Mex than Mexican? Look, YFC needs to finish up this posting. If you really feel the need to discuss this issue further (read this as "don't even think about feeling the need"), feel free to leave a comment on the blog.

Your Faithful Correspondent will try to have his first international posting next week. With any luck, he'll be able to bring you lots of great pictures from Mexico.

Now YFC has been very patient with all of your incessant interruptions, (what got into you today?). Be a dear and remember to say some kind words to the Big Man and always remember to THINK SHRINK!

Faithfully,
Corey

A Mixed-Bag

2008-03-26T16:34:00.002-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Today's posting is brought to you by the letter "H." First in your head, first in your heart. And remember, you can't spell happy without "H".

So much for commercial announcements, let's get down to business now, shall we?

As you know, Mom saw Cotton Stork (a/k/a Dr. Sato) yesterday. And, as today's title implies, the news was kind of a mixed bag. The tumor in Mom's liver has gotten both bigger and smaller. What's that, you say? How can that be? Well, if you'd stop interrupting and allow Your Favorite Correspondent to correspond, you'd already have the 4-1-1 by now.

When Mom received the TheraSphere treatment, they treated the left side of her liver. The good news is, there's been some slight shrinkage to the left side. The bad news is the tumor has grown a bit on the right (untreated) side. But the good news is there's still no sign of a cancer in the pancreas. Hmm...2 goods, 1 bad...not a bad ratio.

Now what does this all mean? Well, even though the radiation from the seeds only lasts for 10-14 days, the optimal imaging is at 90 days, meaning we still might see more shrinkage from the first treatment to the left side. It also means that on Friday, April 4th, Mom is going to have a procedure to place seeds by the right side of her tumor. So, it'll be pretty much the same process as last time, though Uncle Rusty/Papa (Mom's boss/friend, Russell) will be standing in for YFC. Of course, Russell has some big shoes to fill, but luckily he has big feet (which is only partly due to his flare-ups of gout).

In other news, Mom's blood tests were all fine, which means the liver is functioning properly. Also, Mom will not be going to chemo on Monday because she's going to get seeds next week (fret not my loyal flock, Chemo Buddy spots are still available).

Your Faithful Correspondent is already getting excited about Passover. YFC saw Cousin Nanci today and they discussed the upcoming Seder, which will take place the day before a certain favorite someone's birthday. In fact, Cousin Nanci (hey, just realized that her initials are CN, same as mine....well they're the same as mine if her real name was Cousin Nanci which, in fact, it is) confided that the Garoon clan wanted to throw a joint birthday party/Seder, but YFC politely declined. Really, once you start telling a story that involves plagues of locusts and frogs, it pretty much kills your appetite for cake (the fact that Passover is also known as the holiday of lousy birthday cakes also plays a big part...it's a leaven thing). Hey, it's the thought that counts. YFC was also lucky enough to see Cousin Lisa (hope you're feeling better) and Uncle Phil (just back from Acapulco and looking gloriously tan)...not too bad for a Wednesday afternoon.

Well, that's about all the time we have for today boys and girls. YFC will endeavor to have lots of pretty pictures in next week's edition. Until then, remember to think shrink.

Faithfully,
Corey

Full-House at Chemo

2008-03-17T14:13:00.007-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

YFC is back blogging to you live from chemo. Yep, that's Mom to the left. Pretty stunning, dotcha think? YFC certainly does and he's not even the least bt biased. Well, we have a full-house (of the non-poker, non-Bob Saget variety) today at chemo. Today Mom is joined by Aunt Berba, 1.5, YFC and her friend Carol from New York (not far from Rochester) who is being initiated as a Chemo Buddy today (At left: Carol, Melvin, Mom, Berba). In celebration of her special day, Carol brought homemade chocolate fudge to share with the other chemo patients and their helper monkeys...err support.

Mom just had her blood drawn by Shannon (on St. Patty's Day no less). Ah, now we just had a quick meet and greet with Dr. Mellott (a brief recap of the Troll's wisdom: Mom should take Advil 2x/day to reduce her incidents of fevers, Mom may need to get more TheraSphere, YFC is the favorite child).

Well we sure were in and out of there in a hurry. Since we're still awaiting the results of Mom's blood work, let's take a moment to review Mom's upcoming appointments:

March 18 - Mom works with her energy healer
March 20 - Mom has CT scan and blood work
March 25 - Mom has appointment to see Dr. Sato

YFC will wait a moment while you mark these dates on your calendar. Finished yet? Good, let's move on...

Mom attended a rockin' shindig last night at Berba's lair. Per Mom, "it was great seeing Carol visit and Addie and Roberta made a spectacular dinner." Scintillating stuff, no? The picture at left was taken before Bubbles started nipping the pink wine. (Top row: Cousin Tobi, Bubbles the Clown, Carmen, Berba. Bottom row: Addie, Mom, Carol).

So, we're still here at chemo and Mom is waiting for chemo to begin. She's been having a nice little drip of anti-nausea medication and now we're hearing a beeping sound that signals that it's time to change bags. Ah! And here comes Shannon with the Gemzar. Rock on Shannon! Later this evening, YFC will make sure to drink a green beer in her honor.

Or not.

So, YFC has a little treat for you today. After last week's lil' tiff (which, just to be clear, YOU started...not that YFC holds a grudge). That's right kiddies, as promised we're incorporating a little video in today' posting (note: if you're having trouble with the video, make sure to visit the blog , which come to think of it, you should be doing anyway):

More soon....have a blogtastic day.

Faithfully,
Corey

Better Late Than Never

2008-03-12T20:10:00.005-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Happy Wednesday boys and girls. Now you're probably asking yourself, well what kept you YFC? You're so Faithful...what gives?

All questions will be answered in due time, but really, don't your think that you're being just a tad bit hard on YFC? Don't you know that he loves you? Hasn't he proven that time and time again? Don't you think that he deserves the benefit of the doubt?

Just in case you're scoring at home (and you are, natch), the correct answers would be: yes, yes and triply yes. So let's go back to last week for a sec...as you recall Mom is on a new regimen -- one week on, one week off. And since she went last week...you see where YFC is going with this?...that's right, this was a chemo off-week. You see YFC held off on his report not for his own benefit...no, no, that would go against his selfless nature. That's right kiddies, he wanted to hold off for YOUR benefit, not his own, because he wanted to give you the latest and greatest 'bout The Mom. Now perhaps you should take a moment and reflect on why you were so quick to turn on someone who has repeatedly proven his faithfulness (heck, it's practically his middle name).

Hope you're still reflecting...

A little longer...

Ok, penance served, now onto the news. This afternoon Mom had a little test. No, but it wasn't chemo related, she just had a Momogram. Get it? Momogram. See, she had a mammogram, but I called it a Momogram because she's my Mom.

Ah never mind...when you have to explain a joke it never works. You know, that's comic gold you missed there. Or perhaps you really got it, but refused to laugh because you're still smarting from your recent rebuking. Yes, that's it, isn't it? Come now, when you really think about it, didn't you bring this on yourself? Don't worry, YFC not going to make you reflect again. After all, we've already seen that one of us holds grudges (and just to be clear, it's not YFC).

Ah loyal readers, why do you test me so? There are times when YFC feels just a bit like Job (not to be confused with George Oscar Bluth II, a/k/a G.O.B. -- just to be clear, that's him to the right) 'cept, you know, without the whole Satan thing and the punishments and the tragedy...well ok, maybe Job was an overstatement. Why don't we just make a pact...you trust YFC, YFC will trust you. Deal?

Admittedly this has become just a bit awkward, so on to more Mom-reated news, cause that is why you read The Chemo Chronicle, no? Mom is doing pretty well. She had some fevers for a bit, but they seem to have gone by the wayside. Mom was extremely happy today because she got to spend an extended period of time with YFC (and not his evil sister 1.5), who only recently returned to the land of the living. Oh, you forgot that YFC was sick (admittedly it wasn't quite Job-like, but we've covered that already, haven't we)? Well, to those of you who DID remember, thanks for all of your cards, calls and e-mails. YFC is feeling much, much better. Oh and the fruit basket that my Most Loyal reader sent? Absolutely sublime. Anyhow, Mom and YFC did all the usual stuff mother/son stuff today-- picking up dry cleaning followed by Costco and lunch with Bubby. Later, Mom allowed me to set up her new vacuum cleaner (take note: nothing says "I'm glad you're feeling better" like ordering...umm, asking...someone to set-up a new vacuum cleaner) and then we had dinner at Casa Mama with her good friend and neighbor, Milwaukee Mark. Post-dinner, we had dessert at Mark's house (lime sherbet and chocolate-covered biscuits, a curious combination to be sure) and watched the American Idol results show (technically they watched, YFC blogged).

And that pretty much brings us back to now. Hope that you're feeling all caught-up and informed 'cause that's pretty much all the news that's fit to print. Well, perhaps there's one last bit of news (you always like to holdout for that little bit more, you cheeky little monkeys) -- YFC talked to his friend David and he'll be saying "hola amigo" to his...err...amigo come April. But fret not, loyal readers, there will be plenty more blogging between now and then. And who knows, if you're particularly nice, YFC might even pick up a sombrero for you.

Finally, so sorry about that little spat earlier. But in the long run, it'll probably make us even closer, dontcha think?

My love to all...

Faithfully,

Corey

A New Schedule

2008-03-04T17:16:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

*Cough*

Your Faithful Correspondent is under the weather today. Actually, he's been under the weather for the past few days so he could not accompany Mom to chemo this afternoon. But YFC was ably replaced by Dutiful Sister and Trudy (no one person can replace YFC), who made her maiden appearance as a Chemo Buddy this week. Trudy hails all the way from New Mexico (which contrary to popular belief is not really part of Mexico at all) making her the furthest traveled Chemo Buddy to date...well done Trudy!

Dr. Mellott gave Mom the once over and pronounced her fit. However, Mom is going to be on a new chemotherapy regimine. She is now going to chemo every other week (so, since this week was on, next week is off, etc.) and Mom will be having her treatment on Mondays. Nothing like starting the week off with a bang, eh? So if you'd like to become a Chemo Buddy, check your calendars and e-mail Mom ASAP -- spaces are going to be increasingly hard to come by.

While you have your calendars out, you might want to jot down these very important dates:
March 17 - Mom's next appointment with Dr. Mellott
March 18 - Mom's energy healer will heal 'er. Get it, healer -- heal her-- heal 'er? Look, it's not comic genius, but a certain someone has already told you that he's under the weather. After all he's done for you, perhaps you should cut him some slack.
March 20 - Mom gets a CT scan and has blood work done to determine the results of last week's radiation procedure
March 25 - Mom sees Dr. Sato to get results of aforementioned tests, discusses next steps

A little birdie told YFC that one of my Loyal Readers wasn't sure what kind of procedure Mom had last week. While that was not one of the 74 updates that YFC oh-so-kindly provided, the issue had been discussed ad nauseum in previous episodes of The Chronicle. So, if you think you might've missed something, YFC invites you to check the official website of The Chemo Chronicle: www.chemochronicle.blogspot.com. You're also welcome to leave feedback for Yours Truly on the website (a special shout out to my Cousinie Scott, who is the loyalest among the loyal in this regard).

Speaking of feedback, YFC has received several requests to bring back the mailbag. So without further ado, we have this query:

Dear YFC,

As impressed as I am with your writing, I am even more awed by your faithfulness. What do you think is the source of this great attribute?

Sincerely,
I'm Not Alone Wanting Explanation

Well IN AWE, it's nice to hear from you. It's hard to pinpoint an exact cause of YFC's faithfulness, but it probably has to do with the fact that he was Bar Mitzvahed. Twice. Yes, that's right IN AWE, Your Faithful Correspondent was Bar Mitzvahed once in Chicago and once in Jerusalem (at the Western Wall). Can't get too much more faithful than that can you? Take that Melvin!

So sorry that you had to see that unseemly display of sibling rivalry, but YFC really isn't himself today with the congestion and sore throat and whatnot. Your Faithful Correspondent is going to have to cut this short -- gotta take some cold meds. Tell you what though, YFC promises to make it up to you real soon, k?

Wishing everyone the best of health...

Faithfully,
Corey

Last One (Promise)

2008-02-26T19:22:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

You can exhale now (you have been holding you breath this whole time, haven't you?) Mom is doing well in recovery. She has to lie flat for two hours and YFC is proud to report that she's got just one more hour to go...yay Mom!

Mom's posse has dwindled some, only her two children 1 and 1.5 remain. It's a little quieter this way and that's not an entirely bad thing (don't even ask about the 17-minute discussion of lemon drops over lunch). Nurse Pam claimed that our family reminded her of her own, the poor girl. But overall, Nurse Pam has been a doll. She helped comfort Mom by bringing her blankets, snacks, etc. and was just as caring as can be. In fact, they even conducted a trade, whereby Nurse Pam (note: YFC is not going to stoop so low as to anagram her name into Purse Man...it's beneath him) gave Mom her e-mail address and Mom swapped her the address to The Chemo Chronicle. We know who made out the better of that trade don't we Loyal Readers?

(just to be clear, Nurse Pam made out better...but you knew that already, didn't you?)

Dr. Stork also visited us. They will do another CT scan in a month. It's possible that Mom will have to repeat this procedure (this seems to be the norm), but if they do so, they might go in from the other side of the liver. But overall the Stork said that things went well, so mad props to him.

Well, Your Faithful Correspondent is pretty beat, accordingly this is the last update of the day and what better way to end things then on a happy note knowing that Mom will be home soon.

My very best to you and you and you...

Faithfully,
Corey

Procedure Done!

2008-02-26T17:28:00.003-06:00

Nurse Pam just came out...Mom is done with the procedure, but Doctor Stork needs to take some pictures for approximately 1/2 hour, then its onto recovery. Apparently the Stork doesn't realize that YFC has already taken pics of Mom, but who can blame him for wanting some for his personal collection?

Later kiddies...

Corey

45 Minutes To Go

2008-02-26T16:58:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Just got an update from Nurse Pam, Mom's procedure should last for approximately 45 more minutes (figure she'll be done around 1730 hours). Will update you after Mom gets out of recovery. But until then, a little picture of Bubbles and Mom to tide you over.

(by the way Melvin has arrived...she's the one looking over my shoulder now...she wanted me to write that she's the cute one, but I told her that I would never lie to my Loyal Readers)

More soon (but you knew that already)...

Faithfully,
Corey

Halfway Through???

2008-02-26T16:34:00.002-06:00

Quick update...

At 1630 hours YFC spoke with the nurse, who in turn talked with the Cotton Stork...Mom is supposedly halfway through (it almost doesn't seem right because Mom should be out by now). Will update you as soon as more information becomes available...

A TheraSpeherific Update Part 2

2008-02-26T15:23:00.014-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is missing part of his finger (and you thought YFC was kidding when he informed you that hungry relatives are not to be trifled with). Luckily, we're here at the hospital, so it should be good as new. All the same, it does make typing a bit of a chore, ao we'll keep this short and sweet.

Just wanted to afford my Loyal Readers a couple pictures of our Favorite Patient bravely awaiting her procedure. She looks pretty good for someone who's about to go under the knife, no?

Note: during the writing of this posting, Auntie Berba was staring over the shoulder of Yours Truly. Why is this being mentioned? Just remember that when you annoy the blogger, you do so at your own risk.

More soon...

Faithfully,

Corey

A TheraSpeherific Update

2008-02-26T14:37:00.003-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Favorite Correspondent is here with a quick update. Mom was wheeled to her procedure at approximately 1430 hours. Prior to that, she was visited by the Cotton Stork, who assured her that all would be copacetic.

It looks like Mom is still scheduled to be leaving the hospital around 1800 hours. The procedure is only about 1.5 hours, the rest is recovery time. There probably won't be any news to report for a while, but when we do, you'll read it here first.

Note: Bubbles, Uncle A and Berba are all waiting for me to finish this post and they seem to have funny gleam in their eyes...apparently some people are kinda hungry.

Must run...

Faithfully,
Corey

A TheraSpeherific Day

2008-02-26T12:57:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is coming to you live from the bowels of Northwestern Memorial Hospital (technically we're on the 4th floor - interventional radiology, but that's bowely enough for YFC). It's a bit intimidating to follow in the footsteps of The Mom -- her last post was a beaut, dontcha think? Well, YFC isn't going to try to compete with her, we'll leave that to her siblings (kidding...mostly. YFC is going to get in trouble for that one), instead he'll provide you with the latest and greatest of the goings on from our base camp location...

Well, mere moments ago (1300 hours CST, in case you're scoring at home) Mom was taken back for some prep work. The actual procedure will commence at approximately 1400 hours (also CST dontcha know) and should take approximately 4 hours. Mom was in good spirits as the nurse led her away. When asked for some parting words, she was heard to say "Corey is my favorite."

Certainly unsurprising news there. Most importantly, it shows that Mom is completely lucid and in good spirits.

Patiently waiting/supporting Mom today are Bubbles the Clown, Uncle A, Aunt Berba and of course, Yours Truly. Despite the fact that we have been stuck in a small waiting area for almost 45 minutes, no injuries have been reported (give it time Gentle Reader, give it time). My darling Sister Melvin will be joining us shortly. She was flying in from Newark to be here (and boy are her arms tired!...sorry, you didn't deserve that) and we are all anxiously awaiting her arrival (especially YFC...can't wait to tell her about Mom's earlier comments).

So, really the news is all preliminary at this point. When there's more to know, you'll read it here first, so keep watching this space for frequent updates.

Arrivederci, my Loyal Readers...

Faithfully,
Corey

here's the skinny, and I don't mean me (skinny that is)

2008-02-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

Dear Loved ones,

My dear sweet correspondent was unable to accompany me to chemo today, so although the prose may not be as elegant as his, I will do my best to keep your interest and fill you in on the upcoming procedures.

Chemo today was uneventful, in and out. I was disappointed that Honey Joy was unable to make it (a lot of traffic coming in from Naperville) but we have made plans to see each other on Saturday. It is always a joy to see Honey Joy. (Love the girl, love the name.)

It has been confirmed that the Thera Spheres (radiation with minute glass seeds put into the tumor) will take place next Tuesday February 26tth. I will show up at 12:30pm and hope that Dr Sato (the Stork) is running on schedule which would mean that he starts about 2:00pm. According to the nurse Sharon (no anagrams for such a lovely name) it will take about four hours. Again a twilight sleep although last time I woke up and kept jabbering. Dr Sato asked me to please be quiet, he was kind but not in a talkative mood.

I will meet back at Dr. Sato's office in a month where lab work and imaging will determine whether or not I need another dose of the radiation or if we will wait for 90 days to see if more is needed. . I sure hope he gets it right the first time!!

So what does this all mean. It means that I am grateful to each and everyone of you who has made this journey a little easier by offering me your love, encouragement, prayers, humor, and company. And because you have been so outstanding in doing your part, I promise to continue to do mine. I remain strong (warrior woman), determined, and focused.

I thank everyone who has cheered me on with all my heart, but especially my children Corey and Michelle who have been my cheerleaders and advocates throughout this learning process (Cancer for Dummies)

I end with love and light to you,
Sharon

P.S. And if you would, please say a little prayer for Dr Sato and me next Tuesday. Thanks again.,

So Much To Do, So Little Time

2008-02-19T12:46:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

So sorry to say but our time together is going to be exceptionally short today. Your Faithful Correspondent is heading out of town to handle a case in our state's capital (there's no need to remind my Loyal Readers that the capital is Springfield, right).

Mom is going to chemo tomorrow. Her friend Honey will be inaugurated as a Chemo Buddy. Ah that Honey is really living up to her name. Incidentally, her middle name is Joy as in Honey Joy...think that he parents were happy to have her?

Mom's appointment to have the TheraSphere radiation is tentatively set for Tuesday. The hospital will call later today or tomorrow to confirm the date.

Well, YFC wasn't kidding when he said he was keeping this short Think of it this way, you'll want to savor the next edition of The Chemo Chronicle all the more.

Till next week, same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.

Faithfully,
Corey

Quick Update

2008-02-13T16:53:00.003-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

A quick update on Mom's procedure because you care about Mom and YFC cares about you...

Today Mom went in for stage one of her radiation treatment. She didn't go there for radiation per se, rather the doctors performed a trial run of sorts. They needed to see whether the radioactive seeds would embed themselves in the right place (the liver) and not the wrong place (the lungs). So, Mom had some tracers inserted that will let the doctors know whether or not they can do the procedure (not to worry Loyal Readers, the nurse said 90% of people can have the radiation and as we all know, Mom's not going to accept "no" for an answer). Tomorrow we expect to receive the good news that radiation is a "go." Assuming everything goes according to plan, Mom will have the radiation the week after next; however the actual date won't be scheduled until Tuesday.

Wow, all the news you need to know in one quick paragraph. If you didn't know better, you'd think that YFC was slacking off (but of course you know that's just not in his make-up).

More news as soon as it becomes available...

Faithfully,
Corey

Never Fear, TheraSphere is Here

2008-02-12T13:25:00.001-06:00

Cheerio* Loyal Readers,

(* - meaning hello in the UK, not to be confused with the General Mills cereal)

Sorry about any potential confusion...Your Faithful Correspondent has just returned from a quick trip across the pond (of course, as ponds go, it's one of the bigger ones). YFC went for a long weekend to watch some footy (YFC understands that some of his Loyal Readers might know the game as "soccer") with his mates. It was a fantastic experience.

Particularly amusing were the terrace chants which, broadly defined, are songs sung by fans who attend football games. YFC's favourite chant of the weekend (perhaps you noticed the extra "u" in favourite...well, just to be clear, it's not a mistake, it's an affectation) was sung by the Birmingham (away) supporters to a particularly robust West Ham United (home) supporter:

(try to picture 1,500 people singing this to the tune of "She'll be Coming Round the Mountain")

Have you ever seen a salad in your life?
Have you ever seen a salad in your life?
Have you ever seen a salad,
Ever seen a salad,
Ever seen a salad in your life?

It was all very good fun and a much needed vacation. But enough about YFC, it's time to talk about Mom. So take out your FoMmie notebooks and start jotting down some notes...

Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m., YFC will be accompanying Mom to Northwestern for the first phase in her TheraSpehere treatment. As you recall, ThereSphere is the name of the treatment whereby radioactive beads are inserted to kill off the liver tumor. Here's the explanation from the ThereSphere website:

To direct TheraSphere® treatment at tumors in the liver, a physician first makes a small incision in the patient's leg and places a long, flexible plastic tube called a catheter, into the femoral artery, which is the major blood vessel in the leg. Guided by fluoroscopy (an X-ray imaging technique that projects views of the inside of the body onto a screen) the physician then moves the catheter up through the blood vessels to the hepatic artery, which is one of two blood vessels that feeds the liver. The physician guides the catheter into the branch of the hepatic artery that feeds the cancerous tumor in the liver and infuses the TheraSphere® beads through the catheter into the blood that supplies the tumor. This is usually performed in a hospital's radiology suite and patients remain conscious throughout the procedure.

Remember how YFC told you to take notes? Well, hopefully you listened 'cause there's gonna be a quiz. And if you didn't listen...well, maybe you'll realize that when YFC tells you to do something it's really not a suggestion, it's an order (for your own good of course, after all YFC may be a dictator, but he's a benevolent dictator).

Right. Moving on, so tomorrow is not the actual procedure, it's more of a training run. So, Mom won't actually get the radioactive beads, the doctors do a test to make sure they know how everything flows so that they get it right (after all, you don't want any surprises when dealing with radioactive material). Anyhow, it's sort of a long day for Mom -- about 8 hours or so, most of which will be spent in "twilight" -- so keep her in your thoughts and prayers, k?

(Ok, you how how YFC just told you that when he tells you things, it's not a suggestion, it's for your own good? Well trust him...a little prayer is good for the soul)

Loyal Readers will get a full report of tomorrow's events so be on the lookout.

Wishing you all a Tu-rrific Tuesday.

Faithfully,
Corey

An Interactive Posting

2008-02-05T12:19:00.002-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Once again, Your Faithful Correspondent is coming to you live from chemo. As you recall, Mom had a CT scan last week. Well, the results are in...there's been a slight change. The tumor in the liver has gotten a little bit bigger in the liver (it's now 4.8 x 2.8 -- approximately 1 cm longer), but there is still no sign of the tumor in the pancreas. Doctor Troll recommended that Mom should proceed with the liver-directed therapy a/k/a TheraSpheres (where the radioactive "seeds" are implanted to target the tumor in the liver).

Of course this news is a bit disappointing. Mom hoped that the tumor would be gone entirely. That's where the the interactive portion of this posting comes in (check out the title in case you missed it). Remember when you (and just to be clear, YFC is talking directly to YOU) told Mom "if there's anything I can do, let me know..."? Well, YFC is letting you know that you can do something. Your prayers and good thoughts would be most appreciated.

Well, while Mom was in with the Troll she nipped out for a sec and called the Stork. It looks like it's going to be Theraspheres for Mom after all. Mom will have an appointment with the Stork next week (the actual date hasn't been scheduled yet) and when we get further news, you'll read it here first.

Mom had chemo today (actually she's having chemo as we speak). Per the Troll, Mom's platelets are "perfect" (318), and her numbers for hemoglobin (11.1) and white blood cells (4,000 -- normal range is 3,000 - 8,000) were also good.

In other news, we christened (erm, maybe not the best choice of words) a new Chemo Buddy today. Cousin Andee accompanied Mom to chemo (that's Cousin Andee to the right of Mom, but you probably figured that out already). When asked to give a comment to my Loyal Readers, CA quipped "no comment."

Ah how very droll. Makes you want to join the Chemo Buddy program too, doesn't it?

Mom and Cousin Andee are now discussing plans for lunch. It might be Grand Lux Cafe or maybe Coco Pazzo Cafe (methinks the former is more likely than the latter). That's right boys and girls, if you sign up to be a Chemo Buddy, you too can lunch with Mom and if you're exceptionally nice (and YOU are always nice, aren't you?), YFC might also make a special guest appearance.

Well, Your Faithful Correspondent managed to forget his laptop battery so we're going to cut this a bit short. Do remember your part of the bargain -- the praying, good thoughts and whatnot -- and we'll get together again soon, k?

Positive thoughts...

Faithfully,
Corey

It's CT Scan Time!

2008-01-30T11:38:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Good morning to one and all. Your Faithful Correspondent has just finished his coffee, but it still feels like Yours Truly could use another cuppa. Anyhow, let's get right down to business...

This is a regularly scheduled off-week for Mom's chemo. However, today is still a pretty big day. That's right boys and girls, today is a CT scan day...but you probably got that from reading the title of this posting -- my Loyal Readers are such cheeky little monkeys (but just to be clear, of all the little monkeys, YOU are the cheekiest of all)! Now where were we? Ah yes, big day. And why is it such a big day? Well, this is a very important test. Here's what we're hoping for (in descending order):

a) to find out that the tumor in Mom's liver is completely gone.
b) to find out that the tumor Mom's liver has shrunk enough and in the right location (i.e., away from the heart) so that she can have the Radiofrequency Ablation rather than the brachytherapy.
c) to find out that the tumor in Mom's liver continues to respond to chemotherapy and continues to shrink.
d) Well, there really is no d. All other options are unacceptable.

So Loyal Readers, Mom's test isn't 'til this afternoon. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, think some good thoughts on Mom's behalf, won't you?

In other news, Mom attended My Fair Lady with Auntie Berba o'er the weekend. My sources tell me that Mom had a rockin' time (this comes from good authority too, YFC's source in the case was none other than Mom herself).

Also, Mom had another session with her energy healer, Tricia Eldridge. She worked on removing the cancer from the liver (previously she concentrated her efforts on the pancreas and we all know how well that worked out!). Per Trish (YFC can call her that, but she's Tricia or Ms. Eldridge to you), the session went very well. She also informed Mom that she saw her with grandchildren -- 2 girls and a boy who was smaller (probably younger...the men in our family are all big, strapping lads) than the girls.

Hmm, now that is good news. Of course, it begs the question as to what this all means for YFC and 1.5, but let's save that for another posting.

Speaking of YFC, here's another picture of him that was pulled from the recesses of The Chemo Chronicle archives. A gratuitous photo? Perhaps. Still, he cuts quite a figure doesn't he? He looks so debonair, yet pensive. It's no wonder Vanity Fair called him "A Revelation...An Enigma That Will Leave You Wanting More!"

YFC doesn't really understand what it all means either, but you can send your queries to the good people at VF. As you know (and just to be clear, YOU are the knowiest of all), Your Faithful Correspondent is the shy, retiring sort. All this publicity is really quite unexpected and most unwelcome.

Finally, just another note to say how much your calls, e-mails, cards mean to Mom. YFC had a thoughts about this...the next time you write Mom, why not also write another e-mail to someone else who's important in your life? Just a simple message to say that you care and that you're thinking about them. It's really amazing how the simplest gestures can be the most meaningful of all.

YFC's simple message to his Loyal Readers: you are all wonderful and I will be forever grateful for all of the love and support that you've given Mom and our family during this difficult time.

And you're going to remember to "think shrink" too, right? And remember, by shrink, we really mean the total obliteration of any and all tumors in Mom, wherever they might reside.

Hmm, well now that we have that straightened out, feel free to enjoy your Wednesday.

Toodles...

Faithfully,

Corey

Live From Goose Island!

2008-01-22T11:48:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is coming to you live from the Goose Island Brew Pub. As my Loyal Readers are well aware, if today's Tuesday, it must be a chemo day. So let's get right to all the news...

Chemo was attended today by Mom (of course), My Darling Sister 1.5, and YFC. Sadly, Mom was unable to go to chemo today because her platelet count was too low (those blasted platelets!) although her white blood cells were ok. So we talked to the Troll (in Trollish, the official language of trolls worldwide) and discussed options. Mom will have a new chemo schedule. Whereas she had been going 3 weeks on, 1 week off, Mom will now be 2 weeks on, 1 week off.

In other words:
Week 1: Chemo
Week 2: Chemo
Week 3: Off
Repeat

Easy as pie, no? Actually, making pie isn't so easy. YFC recently made a shepherd's pie in a pie crust...well wouldn't ya know that the recipe doesn't actually call for a pie crust? Don't ask.

In other news, we were going to initiate UA as a Chemo Buddy today but alas, Mom was already finished with her appointment with the Troll by the time he arrived, so the 4 of us just went for lunch instead. And do you know where we went? Of course you do silly willies! We went to Goose Island dontcha know?

Speaking of Chemo Buddies, Cousin Andee will be initiated as a Chemo Buddy on February 5th. Good dates are filling up fast, so get on the stick and reserve your date today!

The staff of The Chemo Chronicle want to send out our condolences to Cousin Vicki, Scott, Lauren and Seth. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

Also, although YFC doesn't always say it (althugh he is always thinking it), thank you for all of the e-mails, cards, and phone calls offering support to Mom, 1.5 and YFC. They mean more than words can adequately express, we are greatly appreciative.

Finally, another reader e-mail:

Dear YFC,
You rock. Why are you so good to us?
- Wondering in Waukesha, Wisconsin

Well, WOWW, isn't it obvious? It's because YFC loves you.

Sadly, this must be cut short. Lunch is over and Your Faithful Correspondent must swap his blogger hat for a chauffeur cap. If YFC gets anymore hats to wear, he's going to need a new addition for his closet.

Wishing you a lovely day my lovelies...

Faithfully,
Corey

Slow News Day, But Things Are Good

2008-01-15T19:11:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Let's get right to the action...today was a chemo day, sans Troll (Mom has appointments every other week). Mom was joined by Melvin the Wonder Sis and Your Faithful Correspondent. Everything was going according to plan -- Mom's numbers were good and she was able to take chemo -- when lo and behold YFC bumped into Jane (wife of John, one of YFC's soccer buddies). Well, it turns out that John had just finished up his meeting with the doctor (not the Troll, but a doc in the same practice group). One thing led to another and lo and behold, two new chemo buddies were christened.

(top row: Jane, Mom, Melvin the Wonder Sis; bottom row: John)

Well it was nice spending some time with John and Jane. John has had his own battles with cancer and it was nice to speak with people who could immediately understand the emotional roller coaster that cancer brings. Perhaps the most interesting part of the conversation was Jane and Melvin's impassioned conversation regarding nail polish. Did you know that if you don't soak your nails before a manicure the polish stays on better? Consider this a public service announcement, courtesy of The Chemo Chronicle.

Post-chemo Mom and YFC went on a Costco run. We picked up Uncle Aaron for the excursion. Who should we bump into? Why, none other than Aunt Roberta. We all had lunch together

(yours truly went for the healthy alternative --- chicken caesar salad, no croutons, light dressing) and YFC was able to snap this photograph of sibling love. Now you'll hafta figure out which is UA and which is AR, but my Loyal Readers are a pretty smart lot, so you should hopefully be able to deduce the answer without too much trouble.

After Costco, Mom returned home with all her booty (note: this term should be read to mean "pirate's treasure," in no way is it intended to refer to her posterior...she is YFC's Mom after all). Of course, she's home no longer. Nope, she's seeing Jersey Boys with her neighbors Milwaukee Mark (that's where he's from and where he spends most of his time) and Long Island Lori (not really sure is Lori is from there, but Queens Lori lacks the aliteration. Of course, Long Island Lori should not be confused with the Long Island Lolita because that would be Amy Fisher). Perhaps a review in next week's Chronicle? Only time will tell.

Now let's reach into our mailbag:

Dear YFC,

Is it really true that you're faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive?

Sincerely,

I'm Needing A Wonderful Explanation

Well IN AWE, it appears that you have Your Faithful Correspondent mixed-up with Superman. Of course this begs the question as to who would win a fight between YFC and Superman. Really the answer is quite simple...of course it'd be YFC because Superman is just a fictional creation of DC Comics, whereas YFC is the real creation of his Mommy and Daddy. So, to answer your question directly, if YFC can beat Superman and Superman can do those things than by the transitive property it must also hold true that YFC is faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive too.

Well, that's really about it. Have a blogtastic day y'all.

Faithfully,

Corey

P.S.

Special good luck vibes go out to a certain regular reader of the Chronicle -- YFC knows that you're gonna do great tomorrow (and everyone knows that YFC is rarely, if ever, wrong)!

On Opera, Energy Healing And Other Matters

2008-01-14T12:49:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

It's been too long since we last met, hasn't it? Well, time flies when you're having fun (please don't misread me Loyal Reader, for YOU are the highlight of my week), and speaking of fun...

Your Faithful Correspondent had quite an exhilarating weekend. He managed to take in La Traviata at the Lyric Opera (mini review: the score is fantastic and Renee Fleming, as Violetta, gave the best vocal performance that YFC has ever witnessed, regardless of genre) and afterwards had the desert collection at Tru restaurant (mini review: deserts were colorful and inventive and the space was simply sublime).

But of course, my Loyal Readers don't read The Chemo Chronicle because of YFC, it's Mom you care about. Well, it's no shame playing second fiddle to Mama, so let's take a moment to recap last Friday's events. But before we get there, a little background info is necessary, so here's what YFC is layin' down for ya (you might want to take some notes, so grab a pen -- you're going to want to take some noted)... Shortly after Mom was diagnosed, Uncle Rusty called his good friend Dr. Marilyn Mitchell. In addition to being an OB-Gyn, she is also a healer who works through the human energy field. Dr. Mitchell got Mom hooked up with Tricia Eldridge, another energy healer, who is the founder of the EnergyTouch® School of Advanced Healing.

(at left: Marilyn Mitchell, Mom, Tricia Eldridge)

Now, my Loyal Readers are surely wondering this is all about. Well my loyal flock, the best description comes right from the EnergyTouch website:

EnergyTouch is an off the body, healing process which allows the healer to
access the outer level energies and is based on the understanding that the human energy field or aura is a dynamic system of charkas, and related levels or fields of energy, and that these charkas and levels not only have a unique relationship with one and the other, but also with the outer level charkas and levels. By accessing these outer level energies, the EnergyTouch healer can have a profound effect on the physical health and wellbeing of the client as well as our world and the universe.

Got all that? You don't, do you? And let me guess, you weren't taking notes either. When will you ever learn that when YFC tells you to do something (grab a pen, tithe 10% of your earnings to him, etc.), you should just blindly obey? Think about it, has YFC ever steered you wrong? Of course not, because he is a Loving Correspondent. Anyhow, feel free to re-read if you like (or go to the website, that has been lovingly linked for you); meanwhile YFC is going to continue with the rest of the class, you know, the ones who follow directions...

Mom started working with Tricia before she started chemotherapy and Mom believes that it helped her keep her hair. However, they had never met in person (Tricia lives in Michigan), only be phone. So when Tricia made plans to meet with Dr. Mitchell at her office in Palatine, a meeting with Mom was hastily arranged.

Coming full circle now, on Friday Mom, Melvin the Wonder Sis (who has been so exceptional lately that she has soared up the charts from #2 all the way to #1.5...at this rate, she might well become the favorite when she reaches septuagenarian status) and Your Faithful Correspondent traveled to Palatine to meet with Tricia and Dr. Mitchell. Tricia worked on Mom for about an hour. Afterwards, she explained that she had primarily worked on removing the tumor from Mom's pancreas and was now working on removing the tumor from Mom's liver. Overall she gave Mom a very positive report, and Mom is looking forward to seeing positive results after her next CT scan.

(at right: Mom, Tricia)

Well my kiddies, that's about all for now. However, tomorrow is a chemo day so we'll be getting together again real soon. But try to get a little rest before then, your eyes are looking kinda tired.

Until tomorrow, when tales of Trolls and Storks shall surely abound...

Faithfully,
Corey

PS.
A Letter from the Reader Mailbag:

Dear YFC,

You are most wise and I so look forward to your e-mails. Thoughts of you fill my days with with warmth and nights with passion. My question is what's the best way to contact Sharon? What's the best way to contact you?

Signed,
Your Loyalest Reader

Thanks for writing YLR and for your very kind words. Well, let's skip past your platitudes and move right on to your questions...you can contact Mom by replying to this e-mail. Well clearly you already know how to reach YFC, but for those who don't know, the best place to contact YFC about The Chemo Chronicle is by posting feedback on the blog: chemochronicle.blogspot.com

Ta-ta!

Are Three Posts In One Day Too Much?

2008-01-08T21:54:00.001-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent must confess that he is dreadfully tired, but neither rain, nor sleet, nor sleep deprivation shall keep YFC from his appointed rounds.

Well, when we left off, Mom had seen the Troll and was awaiting a visit with the Stork (you'd know who that is if you have been paying attention, but just to be clear, it's Mom's interventional radiologist Doctor Kent Sato). Well, we visited the Stork at his nest...err, the hospital across the street where Mom gets chemo.

And speaking of the Stork's nest, let's get to the story behind the story. That's right, examination rooms. I counted the tiles in Troll's exam room today. It was 7x9 so assuming each tile was 1 square foot (and it seemed a bit shorter that that) it was 63 square feet -- maximum. Between the little desk, the examination table, the sink and 2 chairs it felt a little like being in a phonebooth (kind of like the picture at right, except that it felt like Mom and I were actually in the phone booth, not standing outside it). Now, by comparison, the Stork's suite oozed an opulence befitting the Four Seasons (the hotel, not the music by Vivaldi). Let me tell you, it was plush. a large couch, big comfy chairs, a tv...all the room lacked was a minibar stocked with a can of $12 macadamia nuts. Well, now that you have the visual, onto the visit with the Stork...

There's a lot to cover, so YFC will try to summarize a bit...

Mom will not be having radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The tumor on the liver is simply to close 5mm) to the heart, so that makes her a bad candidate since the heat from the ablation could possibly damage heart tissue.

Mom is a good candidate for brachytherapy. In short, this involves implanting radioactive "seeds" (they sort of look like a grain of rice), in the liver. The seeds then focus on shrinking the tumor in the liver.

Prior to the procedure, Mom would first have a mapping angiogram. Depending on what they find out, the doctors would either use Therasphere or Sir-Sphere (the two therapies are pretty similar). In either case, the basic procedure would go something like this, according to the Therasphere website:

To direct TheraSphere® treatment at tumors in the liver, a physician first makes a small incision in the patient's leg and places a long, flexible plastic tube called a catheter, into the femoral artery, which is the major blood vessel in the leg. Guided by fluoroscopy (an X-ray imaging technique that projects views of the inside of the body onto a screen) the physician then moves the catheter up through the blood vessels to the hepatic artery, which is one of two blood vessels that feeds the liver. The physician guides the catheter into the branch of the hepatic artery that feeds the cancerous tumor in the liver and infuses the TheraSphere® beads through the catheter into the blood that supplies the tumor. This is usually performed in a hospital's radiology suite and patients remain conscious throughout the procedure.

The side effects are relatively minor -- fatigue (for 7-10 days is normal), loss of appetite, mild nausea over the first few days, and dull abdominal pain.

There was a lot of information divulged by the Stork, which is pretty ironic, given that storks have no vocal organs, are mute and thereby don't give a bird call (strange, but true). Mom is still taking in all of the information and is considering all of her options, including the timing of the procedure.

Finally, given that this is the season for primaries, it seems somewhat fitting that Your Faithful Correspondent should deliver you election results. All the votes have been counted and Your Faithful Correspondent was voted the favorite child by a landslide. Melvin's concession speech was particularly touching ("thanks for letting me live past 5 when I took your Life Savers..."). But most importantly, check out the picture to the left...photographic proof of our relative status (just to be clear, that's YFC signifying he's #1 and Melvin showing that, like Avis, she's going to have to try harder).

Well kiddies, Your Faithful Correspondent is all blogged out. We'll talk again soon, k?

Faithfully,
Corey

So Far So Good

2008-01-08T12:40:00.001-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers!

Well, so far today has been a plus. Mom's numbers all looked good so, after a two-week absence, Mom is back in chemo today. She's being joined by Melvin (who we affectionately refer to as #2), YFC and a special guest chemo buddy - Cindy Wikoff. If you'd like to be a Chemo Buddy, do make sure to make your reservations well in advance (though we try to accommodate walk-ins, we cannot guarantee availability without a reservation).

Mom discussed treatment options with Cotton Troll. She encouraged Mom to have radiation therapy soon, not because anything is wrong, but because things can change (don't fret loyal readers, it's just a matter of being prudent). She's going to meet with A Cottoned Stork (Doctor Kent Sato) a bit later to further discuss treatment options. Will it be brachytherapy (radioactive seeds)? Will it be radiofrequency ablation? Will it be something completely different and unexpected? Only time will tell Dear Readers, and when it does, all the juicy details will be revealed first here in The Chemo Chronicle.

Finally, let's go to the YFC mailbag (a recurring feature in The Chronicle perhaps?)...Kurious in Kentucky (her spelling, not mine...blame it on their educational system) writes:

YFC, I have been reading you most faithfully for lo these many months now. You are so faithful and so wise and I hold you in the highest esteem. Can you tell us a little more about Cotton Troll? Is she really made of cotton? Is she really a troll?

Thank you for your accolades KK. Let's set the record straight -- Doctor Ann Mellott, a/k/a Troll Named Cotton is not a troll, nor is she made of cotton. Believe it or not she's actually a human just like you or me (well, like you anyway...to many Loyal Readers YFC is more of a minor deity). YFC has a special treat for all of my loyal readers too -- a picture of the Troll with Mom.

Pretty spiffy, eh? Look long and hard -- the Troll wasn't all that keen on posing for a picture. YFC wasn't even all that sure that a Troll's image would appear on camera (or was that a vampire? hmm...).

More after our meeting with Le Stork. We haven't met the Stork yet, but YFC has commissioned a mock-up of what we *think* he'll look like (our artist's rendition is to the right) -- a rather striking pose, no?

Ok, my Loyal, Lucky Readers. You get me one more time today. And why? Because YFC loves each and every one of you.

More soon...

Faithfully,
Corey

A Very Big Day

2008-01-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

This is just a preview to whet your appetite (after all, who doesn't enjoy a good whetting every now and again?). Today Mom has an appoinment with her oncologist, Dr. Ann Mellott (of course, you probably know her better by her anagrammical name, Troll Named Cotton). Then later in the day, Mom is meeting with the doctor who will be performing the radiofrequency ablation/brachytherapy, Kent Sato.

Of course, the fact that Mom is seeing Dr. Sato poses a dilemma...what shall his nickname be? If we anagram Kent Sato we get "Snake Tot" -- not bad, but we can do better. If we add his middle initial, Kent T. Sato becomes "Stank Tote". Clearly, this is a regression from our first attempt. Hmm, let's see...an anagram of Doctor Kent Sato yields "A Cottoned Stork." Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! So later today, after we see the Cotton Troll and the Cottoned Stork, you my loyalest of readers, will have an update.

Do YFC a favor and think good thoughts today, k?

Until later...

Faithfully,
Corey

The Name Game

2008-01-03T21:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Please don't talk too loudly, Your Faithful Correspondent is nursing a massive headache (more on that in a moment).

The Vanity Fair after-party was a delight. Everybody who was anybody was there and of course, Your Faithful Correspondent was the belle of the ball. Err, the beau of the ball. Umm, the star of the show? The life of the party? Yep, that's it. YFC was the life of the party. Liza and YFC did a karaoke duet of Arthur's Theme that killed. Then, after a little squabble with Jack (he's always has to prove he's a tough guy. YFC's verdict? Poseur.), we did about a dozen or so tequila shooters. It was so refreshingly retro! Once properly filled with liquid courage, it was time for YFC to get his groove on. He wasn't out on the floor for more than five minutes before Paris started grinding on YFC in ways that really shouldn't be described in a family blog.

Fair warning: lurid details of partying follow. Continue reading at your own risk.

So are you digging the scene kids? Pretty people, free-flowing Cristal and YFC with the opportunity to get his freak on. But then, out of the blue, a Thought Bubble appeared above his head (or was it in his head? Not sure really, the lighting at those parties is always terrible):

Thought Bubble: "Wait a minute, what are you doing?"

YFC: Go away Thought Bubble.

Thought Bubble: "But you don't even like blondes."

YFC: Shut-up Thought Bubble! YFC deserves to have a little fun once in a while. And anyhow, someone is jonesing for a little room service breakfast in a Hilton, if you catch my drift. Sadly, when YFC drinks, everyone catches his drift as all pretense for subtlety goes out the window.

Thought Bubble: "But think about the children..."

And then something miraculous happened. YFC did think about the children, or more accurately, he thought about one child in particular. Leaping from the dance floor, he tried to make a quick exit, but he was surrounded by what seemed to be the entire female ensemble of Dawson's Creek. YFC yelled "look, isn't that Zac Efron?" -- a classic misdirection ploy. While they were trying to scope out the star of High School Musical, YFC quickly ran in the opposite direction. His eyes widened like saucers as he made his way toward freedom, only to be cornered by a very aggressive Paris. Apparently, she's not the type who is used to rejection, and the slight only seemed to fuel her desire. Finally YFC looked at her in the eyes and said "Paris, there's a little girl who needs me. I'm sorry but it's just not going to happen." Paris was crestfallen and began to softly weep. YFC was almost out the door, when he saw her teary eyes and YFC knew that he needed to say a few parting words to comfort the desolate heiress:

"For G-d's sake, put some panties on!"

And with that YFC crawled into his waiting limo (complimentary, natch) and made his way back home.

So now, Your Faithful Correspondent is safely at home nursing a pounding headache (tequila shooters will do that to you...why must they be so deliciously delicious?). But with the words of Thought Bubble resonating in his noggin, he presses on....for the children....

You see Dear Reader, as mentioned in the previous edition of The Chronicle, lists are always a bad idea. It didn't help Ross from Friends and it certainly didn't help YFC, who, but for his penchant for making lists, would be having a mushroom and cheese omelette and fresh-squeezed oj served to him, tomorrow morning, at a Hilton near you (well near Pap anyway). Sadly, some rather important people were neglected in the last list, so, while this will not be comprehensive, it's incumbent that we begin with:

Zoe (age 5)/Ting/Steve: Zoe and her parents traveled all the way the Biggest Little City in the World to spend time with Mom. Melvin is Zoe's G-dmother and Mom (who Zoe knows as "Shanti") is Zoe's Fairy G-dmother. This brings to mind a story...when Zoe was talking to Mom, she asked whether Mom still had a sickness in her tummy. When Mom replied in the affirmative, Zoe said "kick it in the butt. Kick it in the wiener." Mom made a point to do just that, and she seems well on the road to recovery. Nice call Zo'.

Neighbor Mark (and Lori too): Sure he steals Mom's newspaper (didn't think anyone knew about it, did ya? YFC is kinda like Santa Claus knowing who's been naughty and who's been nice) but he almost always gives it back. But no coal in his stocking, he often entertains Mom with his yarns about Milwaukee and takes her for the occasional dinner too. For a former slumlord, he's really quite a decent sort.

Jeni: Left the comfort of her Montana yurt to visit Mom in the big city of Chicago. She also got Mom hooked-up with her herbalist. Truly a very special young woman.

Honey Joy: Can you tell by her name that her parents were happy they had her? Well, Mom is pretty happy they had her too. She makes the drive from Naperville to see Mom, and if YFC's calculations are correct, that's pretty much like traveling from Swaziland.

Jourene: Says daily prayers for Mom. She was a former nun, so one has to think she's got a little residual pull.

Lisa: Always supportive. Always positive. Always bubbly. Lovely flowers. Lovely smile. Lovely girl. 'Nuf ced.

Eli: When he's not looking down in the mouth (that's a little dental humor) he's can be found praying for Mom's recovery.

Tricia Eldridge: Mom's energy healer who lives in Lowell, Michigan. She's been working hard behind the scenes. Seems like she might need an anagram soon (hmm...Idled Geriatric or A Rigid Derelict?).

Doctor Ann Mellott a/k/a Troll Named Cotton: Last but most certainly not least, Mom's oncologist. What more is there to say other than that Mom's doing great? Clearly the lady's got skillz.

Finally, a shameless plea for the e-mail recipients to occasionally peruse the blog. There's a poll up and you can help to shake the new slogan for 2008. Make sure you click the above link and vote early and vote often.

Your Faithful Correspondent is dreadfully tired. Not looking forward to the inevitable hangover.

Till we meet again...

Faithfully,

Corey

P.S.

It turns out that the Thought Bubble was actually none other than Emmanuel Lewis, formerly of the tv show Webster. It seems that he perched himself on YFC's shoulder, not unlike a guardian angel of sorts. Not sure how he made it past security in the first place...Vanity Fair was strictly an A-list crowd (my sources are now telling me that he allegedly hid under a particularly billowy dress worn by Eva Longoria). Anyhow, YFC will forever have a soft-spot for you Webster.

Peace out.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

My Dear Sweet Loyal Readers (oh, and you too, Cousinie),

Your Faithful Correspondent rang in the new year at chez moi with The Mom and Melvin the Wonder Sis. We just had quite the feast -- brisket and soup and duck and beet salad and eggplant and....well trust me there was a lot more too (YFC still has a lot of leftovers in the fridge and the freezer...there's a possibility that he might not need to cook until early Spring. Oh, and just to be clear...not kidding).

Let's get to the chemo news, shall we? Mom saw Le Troll (she's part French) last Friday. Now, some people seem confused by references to Doc Cotton, The Troll, Cotton Troll, etc. But, as my loyal readers know (and just to be clear, of all my loyal readers, YOU are the most loyal of all) The Cotton Troll got her name because "Troll Named Cotton" is an anagram of "Doctor Ann Mellott." YFC does not hate Cotton Troll, nor is the name some snarky remark about her appearance. Everybody clear? Good. Then let the tale continue...

The big discussion of the day was Mom's impending RFA procedure. A dialogue ensued thusly:

Darling Sister: When this works, will we do it again? Melvin gets kudos for using the word "when" not "if". Do you notice these things dear reader? (Well of course, YOU do, YFC was really highlighting it for that OTHER reader...you know, the one that moves their lips as they read this.)

Cotton Troll: Yes, in a year or so.

Darling Sister: Dr. Mellott, you said a year? (YFC thinks that Sis meant to start her sentence with "Hey Cotton Troll..." but we shoot for accuracy here at The Chemo Chronicle, so you're getting the unedited version)

Cotton Troll: Yes, I did.

So what's the point of all this? Oh my sweet, sweet Reader, why do you vex me so? Let YFC do the math for you...The Troll is talking about having the procedure again in a year, but if you recall (of course YOU do), Mom's original prognosis was 6-12 months. Of course, that was over 6 months ago, so although the Troll isn't saying it directly, one can safely assume that the old prognosis has gone out the proverbial window.

Of course, life tends to be bittersweet. Cotton told Mom that she's have her procedure this week (i.e., the first week of 2008) but there seemed to be some mix-up. Now Mom is seeing the RFA doctor next Tuesday to hammer out the details of the procedure. It now looks like they might insert radioactive "seeds" rather than the ablation. Stay tuned to the Chemo Chronicle as this breaking story develops...

Your Faithful Correspondent would be remiss if he didn't say a word about 2007 and the events that brought us all together. It was a cruel shock to our entire family when we learned that Mom was diagnosed with cancer. And it was yet another blow when we were told that they couldn't determine the primary cancer. We were confused, overwhelmed, and painfully distraught.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum...the family pulled together unbelievably well. Dad was unbelievably great from the get-go, helping to get all of Mom's legal and financial matters in order. Moreover, he was a source of support not just for Mom, but also for Melvin and me. Melvin helped Mom domestically, whereas YFC took charge of communicating with the medical folks, especially those pesky folks at MD Anderson in Houston. It was kind of amazing to see everyone perform their role, efficiently, tirelessly and selflessly.

Of course, other family chipped in and so did Mom's many friends. The outpouring of love and support was, no doubt, instrumental in Mom's healing process. Mom's phone would literally ring off the hook as people checked in wanting to know the latest updates. In fact, if it hadn't been for constant phone calls, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Answering the same questions over and over again began to wear on Mom both physically and emotionally. Thus, we got the idea to send out e-mail updates, which later morphed into the blog that you affectionately refer to as "The Best Prose Ever Written" (alternately known as "The Chemo Chronicle").

It would be foolish of me to try to list the many people who have been so instrumental in Mom's recovery. But as you know, Your Faithful Correspondent is the foolish sort. This might well be a two-part list (three-part list?) because there really are too many people to adequately thank in one sitting. So here's the first cut (in no particular order):

Melvin the Wonder Sis: She gets a lot of stick in The Chronicle (most of it well-deserved), but she's been phenomenal at helping Mom in many different ways.

Dad and Sue: He's already been mentioned, but he deserves a second shout-out (note to Dad: click on the link from your iPhone). Perhaps you're more familiar with the phrase "mad props" (YFC loves that term and uses it whenever possible). At any rate, Dad came up aces...well done. And to Sue, very special thank you for the warm hospitality shown in Florida.

Bubbles the Clown: Mom's Mom (YFC's Grandmum) on hearing Mom's diagnosis remarked "well you beat cancer before (Mom had cancer of the thyroid and the parathyroid as a teenager) so you'll just have to beat it again." Classic stuff.

Mom's siblings: Always calling to check-in and find out the latest. Sometimes 6 times a day. Not that anyone is counting.

Kriyananda and Rabbi Walter: Mom has defied medical logic. There's no doubt that the assistance of a Higher Power was involved. For your thoughts, kind words and prayers, we thank you.

Rusty/Papa: The man so nice they named him twice. You've been amazing to Mom and to Melvin and YFC too. We are so grateful for everything that you do.

Mary/Carol/Champa/Gail/Nina and all of Mom's friends in the building: In some ways, they've become an extended part of the family. It's incredibly comforting knowing that people who love and care for Mom are mere steps outside her door. Ladies, you rock.

Steven Pappas: Mom's friend who is always sending his love and prayers from afar.

Gregg Ebert: Mom's friend who is always sending his love and prayers from anear. Wait is anear a word? No matter, he's been exceptional.

Corey (of the non-YFC variety) and Stefan: See Ebert, Gregg.

Robert Garza (Garcia): Well, YFC always thinks of him as Robert Garza-Garcia, since that's where David lives. Anyhow, another great source of friendship.

The Family Garroon: They really stepped-up big time when Mom was first diagnosed. Uncle Phil was willing to fund travel to Houston AND to allow us to use his condo there as basecamp. YFC was always a little intimidated by them, but now he realizes that they're just normal folks. But nicer (and maybe a bit scarier too). A special mention to Cousin Nancy for her willingness to adopt YFC. Umm...you were serious about that, right?

The Family Pawlow: The cousins have been very good at writing Mom to send their love and support. Cousinie Scott deserves special acknowledgement for becoming a Chemo Buddy. He also deserves (does YFC dare say it?...say it he does!) mad props.

Toby: We've managed to do a little adopting of our own. An endless source of support and smiles.

Maria/Margot/Wendy: They boarded a plane to spend time with Mom and reminisced about good times spent together and managed to make some new memories to boot. Most importantly, they unanimously agreed that a) Your Faithful Correspondent was the favorite child and b) that he hadn't aged a bit. Never let it be said that these ladies aren't perceptive.

John/Jim/Michael: Also boarded a plane to see Mom. Also, shared happy times. Also shared lots of laughs. Also made it unanimous -- 2 out of 2 genders agree: YFC is the favorite!

Ok, you know how YFC said this list needed to be split-up? Well, you should know by now that YFC never lies (except for those times that he does) and this time is no exception. Making a list falls under the category of "bad idea" because there really are too many folks to thank. This is becoming like an awards show and YFC is being played by Sally Field (an odd casting choice to be sure) and she's thanking everyone from the director and producer to the key grip and the best boy and now the music is blaring because the show must go on, but there are still so many people to thank. Well, let's just consider this list "to be continued..." Right now, YFC is off to the Vanity Fair after-party.

A happy new year to one and all...

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
Just to be clear...all my Loyal Readers have been wonderful (and YOU are the most wonderful of all).

Greetings to all

2007-12-26T19:54:00.001-06:00

Dear Kriyananda, Rabbi Walter, Family and Friends,

As the year comes to a close, I reflect on how grateful I am. On June 5th I was told that my prognosis was six months to a year. Today I have happily passed the six month marker, and I am looking to pass many more milestones in the future. I am eagerly looking forward to RFA (radio-frequency ablation) the first week of January. With all of the prayers and blessings I have received and continue to receive I am sure this procedure will attack the liver tumor and cause it to shrink completely. Of course, YFC will keep you abreast of my progress.

Your outpouring of love and support has been tremendous not only to me but to Corey and Michelle as well. I thank you for your all that you have done to aid me in this journey . I wish you each joy and happiness in the coming New Year. May you be blessed, may you be blessed, may you be triply blessed.

Much love and appreciation,
Sharon

The Penultimate Chemo Chronicle of 2007 (Probably)

2007-12-25T20:25:00.001-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers!

We have a mighty big Chronicle in store for you today. Well, probably. YFC doesn't really plan out each edition of The Chronicle, it just sort of unfolds. That said, you might wanna pull up a comfy chair (or one of those inflatable doughnut things if you need 'em), methinks that it's gonna be a long one...

As my oh-so-smart readers know, if today is Tuesday, it must be a chemo day. Wait, did you catch that? Of course it's not Tuesday, it's Wednesday...YFC just wanted to see if you were paying attention...he's such a silly goose! It's a BIG day today. Not only is Mom is visiting with the Cotton Troll, but Cousinie Scott has graced us with his presence. Yes, today Cousinie Scott is being inducted as a Chemo Buddy and we couldn't be prouder (Melvin thought it was no big deal, but Mom and I sure do...welcome to the fraternity, cuz). Yes, Melvin the Wonder Sis made it too...and YFC was able to capture the moment on his new digital camera (but more on that in just a bit).

Let's first me onto the chemo front...well, you know that appointment that Mom had scheduled with Dr. Mellott? Troll's being what they are (just be clear: never trust anyone who spends their free time hanging out under bridges) there was a mix-up with the scheduling. Accordingly, Mom will see her on Friday.

And sadly, we got the news that Mom's chemo will be pushed off to Friday as well. Mom's platelets were too low for chemo. Her platelets registered an 83 and they should be at 100 to have chemo (though she once was able to take treatment at 95), so it'll be put off for a couple of days. Hopefully Mom and Cotton Troll will be able to put their heads together (Mom a regular human head, Cotton, a slightly elongated troll-like visage with white hairs popping up in unexpected places).

Well, a missed appointment would normally be cause for disappointment, but for Mom and YFC it just meant that we got to spend more time with Cousinie. After Mom was told that we weren't going to have chemo today, Cousinie exclaimed "well let's blow this popsicle stand!" YFC calmly explained that this term hasn't actually been used since 1995. It wan't particularly clever then, and the dozen years since it was last used didn't improve matters any. Chaos ensued. Cousinie yelled, "let's make like a tree and leave" and again YFC was put in the unfortunate position of having to explain that his lingo was dated, in this case to 1996 (at least Cousinie was making progress, albeit slowly). "We are so outta here!" -- phrase circa 1997. Finally Mom just said "let's go to lunch" and so we did exactly that, with Scottie sulking all the way.

Lunch with Cousinie was quite yummy and it was nice to catch-up on the family gossip (one of our cousins has webbed feet! Who knew?). Still, the most important news was that Cousin Lauren (or as Scottie alternately calls her "daugher Lauren", "Lauren" and "Hey you kid that takes all my money") is doing quite well after her recent diagnosis with Crohn's disease. The entire staff of The Chemo Chronicle -- from the editor, to the reporters, to various and sundry administrative personnel -- wish Lauren well.

Well, for a day that didn't have chemo there's certainly a lot to catch up on. Last Saturday Mom, Melvin and YFC spent an evening with Uncle Russell (a/k/a Uncle Rusty, Papa, and our very own Kris Kringle). It was truly a glorious evening. Not only did we enjoy Papa's company, but we got kickass presents to boot! In fact, the very pictures that you're seeing in today's Chronicle come courtesy of the new digital camera that YFC received from his dear sweet Uncle. Speaking of, YFC is shameless (hard to believe, but true). He rather likes getting gifts, so to ensure that Uncle can continue his generous ways, be sure to stop by Colletti Gallery on Oak Street the next time you want to buy an antique poster or three. Plus, if you whisper the words "Your Faithful Correspondent" you get a generous 2% off the purchase of your new (well, new to you) Tolouse-Lautrec. When you think about it, this deal really works for everyone. You know how you're always writing to say that seeing YFC smile provides you with the warmth of a thousand suns? Well, if you go to the Gallery, Uncle Rusty will be happy. In turn, he'll have money for presents thereby making YFC happy. And as we've pretty much established, when YFC is happy the whole world is happy.

Yesterday, we dined at Chez Berba for the non-Christmas Christmas dinner. Aunt Roberta spurned the traditional Chinese feast and instead served a delicious prime rib. YFC was lucky enough to have a large hunk of meat tumble onto his shirt last night, so while typing he is simultaneously sucking on the juicy remnants of last night's spill. Mom's contribution to our non-holiday meal was an unbelievably good salad (hard to imagine that it could be so scrumptious), while YFC contributed as a raconteur, chauffeur, and as an all-around good egg.

Well, there will surely be a Friday update. Until then remember that, much like YFC is the favorite child, YOU are his favorite reader.

Faithfully,
Corey

Ho Ho Ho

2007-12-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Well, today is December 25th so there's no chemo today. Mom and YFC are at Aunt Berba's house along with UM (Uncle Marc) and Bubbles the Clown (that'd be Bubby) and we will soon be sitting down to a succulent prime rib meal. Your Faithful Correspondent can hardly wait 'cause prime rib is a personal favorite. If there's one thing that's better than prime rib, it's prime rib with horseradish sauce, so YFC made sure to bring his own (not so sure about sharing it though).

Tomorrow Mom goes for her treatment with special guest chemo buddy Cousinie Scott Pawlow. We don't get to see our Cousinie as much as we'd like (though Cousinie lives in the suburbs, he commutes to one of YFC's most favorite cities -- Toronto, Canada...pretty wicked commute, eh?). Of course, what dear Cousine doesn't realize is that part of the chemo buddy initiation process (read: hazing process) includes doing YFC's bidding. Of course, he's a good guy, so YFC will probably limit the errands to shoe polishing, sammich getting, and topping off the tank with petrol (not necessarily in that order). This will be barrels o' fun (for YFC anyway) and you'll see it all when you read tomorrow's posting.

Ah yes, tomorrow's posting. Sadly, loyal readers, today's update must be cut short for a little family time. Be sure be on the lookout for tomorrow's expanded edition of The Chemo Chronicle.

Hope you're having a FoMtastic holiday...

Faithfully,
Corey

A Remote Update

2007-12-18T13:17:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

YFC is blogging to you remotely, from the rocking town of Milwaukee, otherwise known as Rockin' MKE (for those of you not in the know, that's the code for General Mitchell International Airport). What is YFC doing in Old Milwaukee (which, contrary to popular opinion, does NOT taste as great as it's name and come to think of it, the name doesn't exactly conjure up gourmet images either)? An excellent question my dear sweet reader. YFC is here visiting Justina, a/k/a Dr. Tseng, the wanna be Ju (well, she is a Ju, but she wants to be a Jew...long story), helping her get some stuff together in connection with the opening of her new practice.

But mere distance cannot keep YFC from his appointed tasks. As my loyal readers know, if today is Tuesday than it must be a blog day. Just to be clear, YFC's motto should not be confused with those other famous Tuesday mottos such as J. Wellington Wimpy ("I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today") and Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" (hmm....ol' Mitch had Tuesdays with Morrie and you're spending Tuesday's with Corey).

A little disruption to the scheduled plan of events today...as faithful readers know, Cousinie Scott scheduled his Chemo Buddy appointment and was planning to come for a visit today. Unfortunately, his daughter Lauren has taken ill so he was unable to come today (though he has already rescheduled for next week -- such a trooper my cousinie is!). On behalf of all the staff here at The Chemo Chronicle, we wish Lauren a very speedy recovery. So, sitting in for Cousinie, who was in turn sitting in for YFC was none other than our very own Bubby (little known fact, during The War, she provided extra income to her family by performing at kids' parties as Bubbles the Clown).

Bubbles...err...Bubby and Mom reported that today's chemo session went swimmingly. Mom's white blood count was a bit low, but she was still able to have her treatment. The upshot is that she just needs to be mindful of washing her hands (no doubt she should be especially vigilant when coming into contact with Sister). YFC knows that many of my loyal readers will want to see Mom during the holiday season, so please remember, if you're feeling a bit under the weather, it's best to reschedule. No need to take chances, ya know? Finally, the radiofrequency ablation of Mom's liver tumor is scheduled for the first week of January. Needless to say, we're all on pins and needles (bonus points if you caught the reference...that means you've been paying attention) waiting for the procedure.

Otherwise Mom is doing well, YFC is always great and Sis is...well she tries hard and really that's what counts. Speaking about what counts, they say it's the thought that counts, but it's also pretty cool when you get a good present too. A little birdie whispered to YFC that Uncle Rusty might be getting him a new digital camera for the holidays. But here's the kicker -- he's getting it so YFC can bring you pictures and video(!) into The Chemo Chronicle. That makes the gift both awesomely cool and thoughtful...thanks in advance to my favorite Italian uncle and my third favorite Italian of all-time (behind only Chef Boyardee and Mama Celeste). In fact Melvin was so pleased to hear the news that she once again resorted to dance, as captured in this archival footage:

Be on the lookout for next week's special edition of The Chemo Chronicle. Until then, best wishes for surviving the holiday season.

Faithfully,

Corey

The Good News

2007-12-11T12:32:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

I'm in the examination room now with Mom and Doc Cotton. Here's the skinny...well, it has been confirmed, the cancer in Mom's pancreas has been eradicated. Well, perhaps to be more precise, the doctors don't see any cancerous cells in her pancreas, though there is always the possibility that a few stray cells remain. Still the Troll has said that this is excellent news (of course, we knew that already) and that Mom's progress is better than the norm (not only did we expect nothing less from Mom, we would have accepted nothing less from Mom).

Ok, we've moved to the chemo room now, but there's more to report...all of Mom's counts looked fine (white blood cells, platelets, et al) so chemo is a "go" today. Also, the Troll explained a bit more about the cancer in the bile duct...As my oh so loyal and oh so intelligent readers recall, biliary duct cancer can be hard to diagnose and with Mom, they never could tell what the primary cancer was (though it was either biliary or pancreatic). Well, the Troll saw no problems in the bile ducts no cancerous cells and no compression of the bile duct. Now, it is unusual for the cancer to be eradicated in the primary area before it is knocked out in the places where it's spread, but again, one must remember that Mom is not an ordinary patient. In fact, when the Troll first gave Mom her prognosis, she said "Cotton Troll, that just won't do!" Ok, Mom didn't really call her Cotton Troll (not to her face anyway), but she did express that sentiment (and as we all should remember especially in the holiday season, it's the thought that counts).

Mom and Troll also discussed the radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Cotton reminded Mom that it's not standard to do RFA and that told her that there was no guarantee that it would eradicate things or even change things. However, Troll recommended it, Mom seconded it and the motion was carried. It looks like we're shooting for a January date for the RFA....as soon as YFC learns more, it will be reported exclusively in The Chemo Chronicle.

Random notes...we celebrated Chanukkah (The Festival of Lights....what a great name for a holiday) at Uncle Aaron's house on Saturday. We had the most traditional of Jewish dinners -- Chinese Food (this brings to mind the ancient riddle: Jewish civilization is 6,000 years old, Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old. So the question is, what did the Jews eat for the first 1,000 years?...sure it's old, but it's also a classic). ...Also, Mom is having a rendez-vous with her friend Gloria post-chemo...high tea at The Drake. How frou-frou! YFC is a much more simple kind of guy, he likes his tea iced, with a slice of lime...the way G-d intended it to be served. ...Finally, Cousinie Scott (a man very deserving of the "ie" designation) will be making a special guest appearance at chemo next week as part of the Chemo Buddy program. If you would like to be a Chemo Buddy, e-mail Mom today. Don't delay or the best slots will be gone before you know it.

Finally, are you looking for a unique holiday gift to give to that person who has everything? Give the gift of inspiration by sending them a subscription to The Chemo Chronicle. Where else can you find a gift that costs so little, but means so much?

It's always a labor of love to write The Chronicles but YFC must confess that it's infinitely more fun when there is good news to report. So a good day to you, my loyal readers. I wish you good tidings and cheer to you and your kin...

Faithfully,
Corey

On Pins and Needles

2007-12-11T12:24:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

YFC is blogging to you live from Mom's examination room. We're waiting for the Cotton Troll to come in to discuss the results of the latest CT scan. Needless to say Me and Mum are...well on pins and needles. So expect a grrrrreat news post soon...but until you receive the update, think good thoughts about Mom, k?

More soon...

Faithfully,
Corey

The Best Chemo Chronicle to Date

2007-12-06T18:02:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Correspondent is going to dispense with the usual chit-chat and get directly to the point...Mom just received a call from the nurse @ her oncologist's office. Now, Nurse Larry Bomke would be special no matter what because of his unbelievably brilliant anagram (Nurse Larry Bomke = Yarmulkes Reborn...how cool is that?!?), but more importantly, he gave Mon GREAT news. Actually, that's an understatement, it was more like Tony the Tiger Grrrrrrrrreat news! Are you sitting? If you're not, you really do need to sit down (YFC likes to joke sometimes, but not now...you really need to be planted firmly on your tuchas):

The cancer in Mom's liver has continued to shrink. It was 4.5cm x 3.8cm and it's now 3.8cm x 2.9 cm. Now, the math gets a little tricky, but that means the tumors have shrunk by another 36%. DO NOT STAND UP YET! It keeps getting better...the mass on her pancreas...they can't find it! It positively boggles the mind (and my loyal readers know that YFC is not one who is easily boggled). Mom is seeing the Cotton Troll on Tuesday so hopefully we'll get a better sense of what this all means, but one this is clear...THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!

Mom, YFC, and even my normally ungrateful little sis' would like to thank each and every one of you who has kept Mom in your thoughts and prayers lo these many months. We have no doubt that her continued improvement was aided by the many people who have been praying for her health. Not only that, but your (and just to be clear when YFC say "your", he's referring directly to y-o-u) emotional support has been an invaluable assistance to our entire family. From the bottom of our collective hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you for everything.

Most importantly, we are seeing the positive results of all of your prayers, e-mails, cards, etc. So don't let up! Keep Mom in your heads and in your hearts and together we will defy the annals of medicine. Pfft...doctors, what do they know anyway?

Writing the Chemo Chronicle hasn't always been so easy, but it's days like this that I really adore being Your Faithful Correspondent. A special thanks for being such loyal readers.

Please look away...I'd hate for your to see YFC tearing up.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.

This just in...Your Faithful Correspondent was able to use his contacts at the TSA to secure file footage of Melvin when she heard the good news (see below)...

No Word Yet

2007-12-05T17:17:00.001-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

No word yet from the Troll (but then again, you probably figured that out fromn the title of this post...you clever little devils). This is where Mom and Your Faithful Correspondent differ a bit. Mom is all, "well if the Troll had heard anything she'd have called me" whereas YFC is all "we should meet the Troll under the bridge where she lives and demand an answer."

When you're going throuugh chemo, you pretty much hold the trump card or, in Mom's case, the Get Out of Jail Free Card. Needless to say that Your Faithful Correspondent was overruled in how to approach this matter. However, if we don't hear by tomorrow, all bets are off...

YFC will leave you with Mom's words of wisdom..."think shrink" (my Sis would have you think mink, but then again she's the materialistic one, whereas YFC is the more modest child). So if you would, please send Mom good mojo, wishes, vibes, thoughts, prayers and remember to think shrink.

A Happy Chanukkah to all...

Faithfully Thinking Shrink,
Corey

Today's Update is...There is No Update (Sort Of)

2007-12-04T14:49:00.001-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

The title to today's post says it all and yet it also says nothing. Do not be alarmed dear FoMmies, Your Faithful Correspondent shall elucidate you into all the goings on in the alternate reality most commonly known as the chemo world...

Well, let's do something different and begin at the beginning for a change...as y'all know (I love the word y'all...I had a friend, an Illinoisian who was transplanted to Dallas who used to say it, so quintessentially Texan...I also love the word quintessentially for that matter...and while I think of it I like but not love the word quince, but am somewhat indifferent to the fruit, though speaking of fruit, I did have some marvelous pomegranate the other day...I was able to buy just the seeds at Trader Joe's and they were simply sublime...ahh, sublime...there's another word I love...)...

Erm, you can ignore that last paragraph...for a change YFC has lost the plot. Let me start again. So anyway, Mom had her CT scan yesterday. She went to a different place than she has been going (instead of going to hospital, yesterday's appointment was in the same building where she gets chemo) and everything went smooth as silk (the fabric, not the soy milk). In fact it went even better than Silk (the soy milk, not the fabric...if you were paying attention you'd notice that the "S" was capitalized), because Mom had to drink less barium (1 2/3 bottles instead of nearly 3) and the whole process was more efficient so she was in and out in no time. Because my Loyal Readers like the inside scoop, allow YFC to let you in on a little secret...Mom was given the choice of berry or banana and she chose berry! How deliciously decadent!

As of yet, Mom has not heard of anything from Cotton Troll. We think/hope that she'll get a jingle tomorrow and as soon as Your Faithful Correspondent knows more, you'll read about it first in [cue bugles] The Chemo Chronicle.

You may now go back to your regularly scheduled program.

Faithfully,
Corey

Part II

2007-11-27T13:22:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

The FoMmie Nation must be commended as your goood thoughts and prayers have paid off. As you know, Mom's had some struggles when it comes to chemo treatment #3 (the last session of her cycle) but she was able to go today. Platelets were a little low (93, if you really must know, you nosy little monkeys), but Mom said "Let there be chemo!" Then there was chemo. And it was good.

Pardon that brief interruption (not that you noticed) Mom decided to inspect today's first installment and she was quick to point out YFC's typographical errors. Apologies to all whom I've offended by my ineptitude, it shan't happen again.

Getting back to chemo, next week is an off-week for Mom. But just because it's an off-week doesn't mean that she won't be busy, busy, busy. Mom goes in for a CT scan next week, that will allow another Cotton Troll to see how the chemo is working (now that's peculiar...Cotton Troll's initials are CT and she ordered a CT scan. Methinks something is rotten in the State of Denmark). We've had good news so far, so set your phasers to stun, light your candles, break out your mala beads, and daven like you've never davened before -- Mom's being scanned December 3rd at 2:45 pm so keep her in your thoughts, won't you?

Well, chemo has just ended and we're fixin' for a meal. Thus this posting must come to an end, typos and all.

A blogtastic Tuesday to you all.

Faithfully,
Corey

A Pre-Chemo Posting

2007-11-27T09:29:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Today, you're getting a brief pre-chemo post, which will (eventually) be followed by a chemo recap. Now I'm sure you are squirming in your respective seats with anticipation. After all, with the promise of goodies galore this is a bit like Halloween isn't it? Well, with the lone exception of Halloween candy, nothing in life if free, but more on that later. Instead, let's move on to another holiday...

As you probably guessed (not just probably, of course you did...my loyal readers are oh so smart), YFC is going to give you a brief recap of Thanksgiving. Well, it's a traditional North American holiday to celebrate the harvest. It is observed on the 4th Thursday of November in the U.S., whereas our Canadian friends celebrate on the 2nd Monday in October (ahh Canadians....they're kind of like our non-threatening, distant relatives to the North. You scarcely think about or see them, except for maybe once a year. They don't really have great toys, but they play nice and will always share with you. And when they leave you think to yourself "hey that wasn't so bad we should see them more often" and then promptly forget them and play with your new model train).

Anyhow, I suppose that FoMmie Nation knows all about the origins of Thanksgiving. You wanted to know about Mom's Thanksgiving didn't you? Of course you did. Anyhow, we celebrated at Chez Berba (better known as Aunt Roberta's house) with the family. All the usual suspects were there:

Mom, YFC & Melvin the Sis
Berba, UM (Uncle Marc for the uninitiated)
Bubby (grandmother)
Uncle Aaron, Haley (cousin, possible Canadian), Lizzy (Uncle's paramour)
Cousin Tobi and Daughter Jill (to be clear, that'd be Cosuin Tobi's daughter, not YFC's)
Isabelle and Addie (friends)

Mom's contribution to the Thanksgiving meal was a delicious chopped salad (the delicious quotient was increased markedly by Mom's inclusion of diced dates...such an epicurean that Mom o' mine). The salad was large enough that it could have sustained the French army through a Russian winter; however, with the appetites in our family, it scarcely lasted us a full 5 minutes.

YFC made a chestnut mushroom soup. If you're interested, the recipe is here (though I confess I'm embarrassed to send you to blog deux because it has been sorely neglected. It's somewhat akin to inviting one into a messy house, and if you've been to YFC's casa lately, you'd understand the analogy).

There's so much more to tell, but my loyal readers will have to wait for the follow-up post. But remember that reference to nothing being free (except for Halloween candy, but we've covered that ground already)? Well, Mom is having her appointment with Cotton Troll at 12:30 p.m. today (of course Doc Cotton tends to run on TST -- Troll Standard Time, which is about 25 minutes behind). YFC requests that FoMmie Nation send Mom some positive thoughts/prayers at half past noon. Sure it's a bit of a quid pro quo, but when you compare the cost of YFC's updates with that of a gingerbread latte from Starbucks, it's really a hellluva deal.

More soon kiddies...

Faithfully,
Corey

Tuesday's Menu = Chemo, Thursday's Menu = Turkey

2007-11-20T10:28:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Another live update from the site of Mom's chemo. Do you realize how lucky you are? I mean really, do you? Or to phrase it another way, do you know of anyone else who gets live chemotherapy updates? Of course not. You, dear readers, are enjoying unfettered access in ways that others can only dream about. But have you ever asked yourself why? Have you ever thought, "why oh why is YFC so good to me, why am I so blessed to be enlighted by Him?" Well my loyal flock, the reason is really quite simple, it's because YFC loves you. Actually love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you, two F's, yes I have to invent, of course I - I do, don't you think I do?

Well, the sentiment is genuine and yet it might look strangely familiar. For 8 FoMmie points, name the movie from which "luuurve, loave, luff" quote came from. For an additional 2 points (to make it an even 10, dontcha know), what was the name of the character who uttered the line.

Ok, so much for fun and games, loyal readers, it's time to get back to serious business...chemo business. Well, the Mom's numbers are in...her white blood cells registered 3.7 (range 3.5 - 10) so hi-ho, chemo is a go. The saline is a dripping away and soon, the gemzar will kick-in. Chemo has very much become a routine. It's no longer as scary as it seemed in the beginning, now it's just "if today is Tuesday, it must be a chemo day" (unless of course it's an off-week). Mom has really adapted well. She's come a long way from the early days when she didn't want her port. Now it's all pish-posh, bring on the next challenge...

In non-chemo related news, la familia attended Ethan's Bar Mitzvah on Saturday (Ethan = son of Nanci and Frank Leigner, grandson of Uncle Phil). The event had been the talk of the North Shore for months and it managed to live up to all the pre-event hype. It was quite the bash...all the cool 13 year olds were there. The party was a nice eSkape for Mom, she even bowled a 72 (or thereabouts)...not bad for a woman with a titanium hip!

And speaking of hip...cousin Nanci looked impossibly young as the mother of the Bar Mitzvah boy. She also said the sweetest thing to Your Faithful Correspondent...no, it had nothing to do with blogging, etc. Instead, she said those 3 little words that I've been longing to hear for oh so long "we'll adopt you." Now, to be clear, YFC loves his Mommy, but sometimes the extended family is a little wacky. The details of the transaction have yet to be finalized, essentially we're just going to rearrange some of the branches of the family tree (and perhaps prune a couple altogether) so that we can create a lovely topiary.

Well, Mom is just about to finish up here. The next update will undoubtedly cover Turkey Day festivities, including YFC's award-winning recipe for chestnut soup. Happy Thanksgiving to all....

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
The complete chemo quiz quote (chemo quiz quote, try saying that 3 times fast) "Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you, two F's, yes I have to invent, of course I - I do, don't you think I do? " was said by the incomparable Woody Allen in the role of Alvy Singer in Annie Hall.

A New and Improved Regimine

2007-11-13T19:53:00.000-06:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Today's blog is brought to you by Chemo Buddy, the most trusted name in chemotherapy. We'll hear more about that later, but for now we are back in the Windy City (and of course, I'm sure my loyal readers realize that Chicago's nickname was not inspired by weather patterns at all) and today was a family day at chemo. Now does family day mean:

a) Kids get chemo for half-price when accompanied by a full-fare adult;
b) Mum and YFC skipped chemo and headed straight for the local petting zoo; or
c) Melvin the Wonder Sis made it to today's session?

Well if you guessed (c) then you are correct (and jolly good for you if you did!). Now where were we? Yes, Family Day at chemo...well, Mom saw Troll Named Cotton for an a thorough once-over. The Doc said that Mom was still doing well and that she is a candidate for the radiofrequency ablation (RFA), but they'd probably only do the RFA to the liver tumor. The cancer needs to shrink a bit more before Mom can have the treatment -- Doc Cotton would like to see the diameter of the tumor to be < 2cm and Mom was last at 4cm. But YFC has faith that Mom can shrink that nasty tumor in no time.

Mom was also placed on a new and improved regimine (hence, the title of today's posting)...Mom is still on a 28-day cycle, but Troll-face is reducing the amount of the drugs that Mom takes in the hopes that she won't have to skip treatment due to low platelet counts. Nothing that extreme mind you, Mom went from 1800 cc's of Gemzar to 1488 cc's (now, who comes up with these calculations anyway? A drop of 312? What kind of number is that? Well, yes I know that it's the area code for Chicago...duh!...but really, there simply must be a better method for determining proper dosing).

The chemo itself (all 1488 cc's of it) went just fine. Actually, it was a treat to accompany Mom...a trick-or-treat. Ha ha ha, YFC just made a funny. Of course, it would have been much funnier had this post been about an October 31 visit. So sorry to have put you through that, gentle reader. However, the confusion was no doubt caused by the array of Halloween goodies that were available for sample at the chemo sweet table. What's that you say? You don't know of the chemo sweet table? Well, let me enlighten you, dear reader. As you surely realize, chemo can be quite an ordeal (unless, like Mom, you are accopanied by your own personal blogespondent). So fellow patients will often bring in snacks to make the day a bit more tasty. Now I'm not going to name any names (so instead, I'll just call out people by family relation) but I did notice a certain nameless Sister of mine helping herself to a Nutter Butter snack pack (and I'm pretty sure she went for seconds too!).

If you'd like to help yourself to some chemo-rific yummies, feel free to ask Mom about accompanying her to chemo. Yes, that's right, you too can be a Chemo Buddy. Also available are Chemo Buddy gift certificates. They're sure to delight anyone on your gift list this holiday season. Sessions are filling up quickly, so please, don't delay, reserve your Chemo Buddy slot today.

(note: this offer not good in Alaska and Hawaii)

Well, dear readers, sadly we must depart. But before we part ways, Mom is phoning in...(this is completely unplanned by the way...call it serendipity if for no other reason that it's simply a marvelous word to say):

YFC: Mom, your loyal fans would love to hear from you. What would you like to tell them?
Mom: I would like to tell them that it was fun to be in Florida and that I was really grateful that I had a place to go when I had to leave Maria's. So I want to thank Ivan and Sue. I had visits with Jim and Michael and Jeffrey and David that were highlights of my trip. And I also had a delightful time with Margot and Maria. And I was very happy to see Judy and Manny. And to my girlfriends...I'll never forget the Marvin story.

Your Faithful Correspondent has no idea about this so-called "Marvin Story"...sounds kinda fishy...but when the details leak out (and they always do), you'll read about it here, first. YFC also feels compelled to point out that when he encountered Margot, Maria, and Unclie Manny and Auntie Judy, all of them were kind enough to remind him about the tempertantrums that he used to throw when he was but a wee lad.

Clearly these tales of tempertantrums are utter blasphemy. Not entirely sure, but methinks that Marvin is to blame.

A very pleasant week to all (but not to Marvin)...

Faithfully,
Corey

We Made It!

2007-11-08T10:02:00.000-06:00

Greeting Loyal Readers,

Well, the good news is that la familia made it to Sunny Florida (YFC longs for the days when Florida was abbreviated Fla. rather than FL. Can't explain why it should make a difference, but it was always 75 degrees and sunny before the change). Actually, Mom started feeling better by Thursday, so we waited a couple days (just to be safe) and we finally departed from ORD early Sunday morning.

Mom has spent most of her time with longtime friends Maria "Who's afraid of the big bad" Wolf and Margot "I didn't ask for Diet Coke, I wanted" Tabb (we were still living in Florida at the height of Tabmania. YFC will never forget the horror etched on the faces of South Floridians when they learned that Coca-Cola would stop producing their little pink cans of calorie-free caffeinated goodness). Last night everyone went and we saw the Garcias -- Uncle Manny and Auntie Judy. Why is it that some aunts get an "ie" added to their names and some do not? Your Faithful Correspondent can only speculate that it's a term of endearment. Nice = Auntie. Not as nice = Aunt. Still, why don't we have any Unclies? Men can be endearing too, after all. Come to think of it, Uncle Manny would be an endearing sort. Accordingly, the Garcias shall henceforth be known as Auntie Judy and Unclie Manny.

Now where were we? Ah yes, my Auntie and Unclie (thanks for pointing me out in the right direction loyal readeries). We we saw them at the Little Italian Tavern, that despite it's name was not really all that small (although it truly was Italian). Hey reader, are you looking for a restaurant review or do you want to know about the visit? Well Mom hadn't seen UM and AJ in probably...oh...20+ years? But they were able to pick-up right where they left off and, accordingly, Auntie Judy and Mom spent the better part of the evening lamenting the demise of Tab cola.

What else would my loyal readers like to know? Well, every newsflash from South Florida should contain a weather update. YFC is pleased to report that the weather has been vacillating between fantastic and fan-freaking-tastic (warm but not hot days and cooler nights). Also, due to circumstances that are too boring for Your Faithful Correspondent to transmit, Mom is now staying with Melvin and YFC and Chez Dad. Your Faithful Correspondent was a bit concerned that things would be awkward, but we've spent the last couple breakfasts cataloguing the reasons why YFC turned out to be good incarnate, while my Little Sis trails far behind in the favourite derby (note: the extra "u" was a special nod to loyal readers checking in from the U.K. and Canada).

Loyal readers, sun and fun awaits. Early wishes for a beautiful weekend to all.

Faithfully,
Corey

Vacay Delay

2007-11-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

You might be asking yourself, why is The Faithful Correspondent blogging from Florida? Does he have nothing better to do? Well, the answer to the latter question is a resounding "no," but more importantly, we didn't make it to Florida. No need to scratch your hear Dear Reader, for YFC shall reveal all...

Mom, Melvin, and YFC were heading to South Florida for a lil' R&R. We were scheduled to leave Wedesday, but Mom had a tummy ache. We were worried because for a while there, Mom did not seem to be doing very well. But whatever was in her system left yesterday (Loyal Readers, we've established a fair amount of trust, no? Have some faith when I tell you that you don't want YFC to divulge too much in the way of detail) and today Mom seemed perfectly fine. It's fair to say we were a bit worried, but YFC can attest that Mom was in rare form tonight.

So the plan is for Mom to depart early Saturday morning. Melvin and YFC will be accompanying her on this journey, though we'll all go our separate ways once we arrive (after all, one can only spend so much time with a little sister, especially one who nicked your LifeSavers). As the news develops, stay tuned to this space to find out all the latest information.

Faithfully,
Corey

A Step Back

2007-10-30T22:28:00.001-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

There are some days when it's not all that much fun to be Your Faithful Correspondent. Mom couldn't take chemo yesterday because her platelets were low. So, assuming all goes according to plan, she'll resume chemo two weeks from yesterday. There's a possibility that she'll need a transfusion of platelets, but it's a bit early to know whether that will be necessary.

After yesterday's disappointment, Mom was mollified somewhat by a lovely dinner with her neighbor Mark Garber. Your Faithful Correspondent was invited to witness the scene at the Standard Club, where yesterday's dining took place. It was a very refined experience: attentive service, good food, very good wine (2004 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Merlot, very smooth and drinkable), and excellent company. To avoid the paparazzi, we exited via a side entrance. Of course, once we realized that we parked the car out front, it became abundantly clear that our ruse was not going to be successful.

Mom will be jetting off to the sunny environs of South Florida later today. She will spend time with Maria, Margot and perhaps even a wee bit of time with Dad and Sue. Your Faithful Correspondent will also be on the scene (as will Melvin, though it hardly seems like it's worth a mention), so My Faithful Readers may want to be on the lookout for remote updates.

Sadly, YFC must cut this a bit short. Packing calls.

Faithfully,
Corey

Mom's Night at "The Living Room"

2007-10-29T10:19:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers!

A quick report on the exploits of our favorite heroine (whether she be Chemo Queen or Warrior Woman, just make sure to answer the new poll question)...Saturday evening Mom was invited to The Living Room, Uncle Phil's oh-so-exclusive club where only the who's who of the what's what are invited to gather. It was a particularly exciting for Your Faithful Corrspondent, since Sis and I have not been invited to these events on previous occasions (undoubtedly, YFC was being penalized for his sibling's misdeeds). Actually, when Sis and I entered The Living Room we brought the average age of the house down to approximately 98.6 -- good for temperatures, not so good for a Saturday evening assemblage. Nonetheless, after making sure that Michelle promised to be on her best behavior, we joined the cognoscenti for what was billed as:

An Unforgettable Evening
The Living Room Takes Pride in Presenting
Shecky Greene - Just Extraordinary
Ryan Oakes - Conjuror - Mystifying

YFC was particularly fond of the former Mr. Sheldon Greenfield, a man who's jokes seemed frozen in time. Of course that time roughly coincided with the lifespan of the Mercury Dime. From the food to the talent to the fact that YFC was made part of the act (not by choice, mind you), it was an excellent evening. Needless to say, though say it I will, Mom was looking radiant, as always.

So what does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Gentle reader, did we not previously discuss that patience is a virtue? Well, without further ado, I bring you a short photographic essay of an evening at [dramatic pause] The Living Room...

[The rest of this post has been censored by the good people at Pravda. Something about offending delicate sensibilities. Though Your Faithful Correspondent tried to protest (for YFC is tireless in his efforts to bring you the the truth), the threat of the gulag quieted further dissention]

Sadly, on this alarming note, we must end this edition of The Chemo Chronicle. Tomorrow is a chemo day, so I am sure that there will be more soon.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.

For my loyal readers who e-mailed me to say that Pravda is the truth (Pravda -- Russian: Правда, "The Truth"), please check your snail mail. A FoMmie t-shirt is coming your way.

Poll: We Have Winner!

2007-10-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

The poll question asked "Who is Mom's Favorite Child?" and now the results are in!

Corey was the most popular response with 44% of the vote.
Both Corey and Not Michelle garned 33%.
And finally, Not Michelle earned 22% support.

Thanks to everyone who voted and look for a new poll question soon!

Update: The new poll question is up. Since one of the options is "other", please leave any other possible nickname suggestions as feedback to this posting. Finally, in true Chicago tradition, please remember to vote early and often.

Look of The Chemo Chronicle and Comments

2007-10-23T14:41:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers,

Your Faithful Corrspondent is experimenting with the look and feel of The Chemo Chronicle (or as my French-speaking readers know it Le Chronicle Chemo). Please feel free to post feedback.

And speaking of feedback...YFC has tweaked the comments section so it's easier to leave comments now (you no longer have to be a registered reader...err...user).

Muchas gracias (this is a special nod to my Spanish-speaking readers...it means much gracias)

A Joint Update

2007-10-23T09:41:00.001-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers!

Your Faithful Correspondent is coming to you live again, with more up to the minute coverage. Now, I know how perceptive my readers are, so hopefully the title didn't throw you off. No, you're not going to hear the latest on Mom's knees, elbows, ankles, etc. No, the joint part of the update means that YFC is going to have a special message from Mum today. So without further ado let's turn immediately to Mom:

I wanted to thank my friends and family (FoMmies) for all the love and prayers and blessings that they continue to send me. And thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes, I'm counting on a repeat for many years to come. I had wonderful celebrations.

Your Faithful Correspondent was able to snag an invite to several of the approximately 682 birthday celebrations and they were truly sublime. Her house was transformed into an enormous floral boutique for her birthday ( if you're reading this and you sent flowers, please note that your arrangement was Mom's very favorite).

So, in other news, Mom has her chemo drip, drip, dripping along. Mom's white counts were a smidge low -- not low enough to stop her from having her treatment today, obviously -- but she'll be coming back for a shot on Friday. The shot will boost her white counts and will allow Mom to return for treatment next week.

Note: at this point in our update Mom had Your Faithful Correspondent doing manual labor (oh the humanity!) -- nothing too taxing mind you, just pulling her "curtains" shut, which gives off the feeling of having chemo in a tent. Thankfully, the only injury to report was YFC's bruised ego.

Well, we are coming near the end of our update. If you're getting this by e-mail, check the blog later today or tomorrow for a photographic update! (if you're reading this the pics are up now...but you knew that already)

Good tidings to all...

Faithfully,
Corey

A Chemo Chronicle Live Update

2007-10-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Yes, a live update from the site where Mom is getting her chemo as we speak! As much as I'd love to give you updates on cooking, the all-important poll question on the new blog, or just blogging in general, I must instead bring you this special live bulletin...

...MOM JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!!...

So excited, so happy, I just want to dance and sing, la la la. Terribly sorry, you shouldn't have to see Your Faithful Correspondent lose his composure like that (YFC = Young, Fabulous & Composed) but this is good news dear readers. Very good news. Here are the details...

Overall the tumor in Mom's liver has decreased by approximately 60%. It started at approximately 30cm2 and is now approximately 12cm2. The tumor in Mom's pancreas has shrunk by approximately 50%. Doctor Troll's exact words were “I'm surprised by how much it shrunk.” The Troll made a minor change to Mom’s chemo regimine…Mom will temporarily be off of the Cisplatin because she’s worried about toxicity build-up. Now before anyone panics (my readers are loyal, but you’re also a panicky lot) let me assure you that nothing is wrong. Sometimes too much Cisplatin can cause a loss of balance and Doc Troll wants to avoid that, seeing how it’s irreversible and all. Mom may go back on Cisplatin in the future (probably for no more than 2 additional doses); as soon as YFC learns more my loyal readers will get the skinny.

Speaking of skinny [insert joke about sister here]

Doubtless my loyal readers are wondering, well what about that radiofrequency ablation (by the by, doesn’t that just feel so good rolling off your tongue?) that you told us about? Patience, dear readers, patience (it’s a virtue, you know). Well, assuming that we see a bit more progress, Mom could be a candidate for RFA (you did figure out that RFA = radiofrequency ablation, right? Of course you did) in December.

Well, Mom’s going through chemo now, so Your Faithful Correspondent must attend to his duties. A very happy Tuesday to all!

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
In case you missed it, the Chemo Chronicle is now available online at http://chemochronicle.blogspot.com/

P.P.S.
Since you're reading this online, you can pretty much disregard the p.s.

Birthday Fun

2007-10-14T00:02:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Tonight we celebrated Mom's birthday with the family. If my count is correct (and why wouldn't it be?) this would be Mom's 4th bash in 7 days. Mom has 1 more shindig to go, as she celebrates tomorrow with Mary and Carol, dear friends from the building.

Your Faithful Correspondent is, well faithful yes, but that's not where YFC was going was this. Hmm...perhaps it's easier to say what YFC is not. A brilliant photographer. This is mentioned because today's update is not intended to be so much a textual update, but rather a visual one.

To the left is a picture of Mom on her 65th. As always, Mom was looking quite radiant. Standing behind her (and looking quite radiant herself) is the incomparable Bubby. It was quite a nice little affair and aside from YFC suffering from a mild case of heartburn, no injuries were reported.

The Chemo Chronicles

2007-10-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Thanks to all of you who wrote me this past week. My spidey sense was tingling...methinks that Mom may have had something to do with the onslaught of mail that I received. I sincerely appreciate your words of support. To be clear, Mom should be the focus of your love and admiration for I am but Your Faithful Correspondent, a humble scribe who lives to serve and serves to live...

Now that we've straightened that out, on with the news...as you know, this is Mom's off-week but it's also a big week. Thursday is Mom's birthday and Friday is Mom's CT Scan. It's a lot to digest, so why don't we just take these one at a time?

Well, birthday week has already started. It kicked off last Saturday when Mom's neighbor Mark (who shamelessly begged to mentioned in the Chronicle -- hey Mark, how do you like your mention now?) took Mom to Greektown for an early celebration on Saturday. Thursday, we're likely heading to Roy's with Russell (hmm...Roy's with Russell...try saying that 3 times fast) for a little Hawaiian fusion cuisine. Saturday we'll be doing the family thing at Francesca's on Taylor. And on Sunday, Mom's neighbors Mary and Carol will be making Mom a party. 4 parties over 8 days = 1 busy Mom!

The CT scan is this Friday the 12th. YFC requests that you say an extra-special prayer for Mom on Friday. Last time Mom had this test, the results showed that her tumors had shrunk by nearly 40%. We are hoping for similar results -- or better -- this time around too.

Sadly, the news comes to an end here. Your Faithful Correspondent has a bit of a cold, so he is going to drink some more tea (peppermint if you're interested) and then it's off to bed. I look forward to bringing you good results next week.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
If any of you have any questions for YFC, feel free to drop me a line and you may see your query in a future edition of the Chronicle.

The Chemo Chronicles

2007-10-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings and salutations to all. Today Mom experienced another bump on the road to recovery. Mom was unable to have her treatment today because her white blood cell and platelet counts were low.

Cancer is a bully.

Of course the only way to deal with a bully is to stand-up to him and Mom shall continue to fight. We saw Cotton Troll (if you've been paying attention, you know by now that's Mom's doctor) today and she reported that Mom was still doing pretty well. Mom received a shot to boost her white blood cells and chemotherapy will resume in two weeks (October 16th).

(Incidentally, Mom told ol' Troll that YFC was writing these updates and that there was an anagram of her name...thank goodness she didn't ask what it was)

On Friday, October 12th -- that'd be the day after Mom officially becomes a senior citizen (shh...don't tell her I told you that) -- Mom goes in for a CT scan. As you recall, Mom did very well 2 months ago when she first had this test. The results showed that the tumor in Mom's liver shrunk by approximately 40% and there was progress in the other areas too. So we're hoping/praying for a similar outcome, if not better.

So what next? Well, you sure are a curious lot aren't you? Mom will have a maximum of 2 more cycles with the Cisplatin. Since Mom has now had 2 cycles in a row where she couldn't go for treatment on the 3rd week, it looks like Mom will go to a 21-day cycle. In other words:

Day 1: Cisplatin. Gemzar
Day 8: Gemzar
Day 15: Off week

Day 22 would be the first day of the new cycle.

If all goes according to plan -- and it will, Mom even has an energy healer working on her recovery (early reports are very positive) -- Mom may be a candidate for Radiofrequency Ablation. Now of course you're probably saying to yourself "radiofrequency ablation, what's that?". Well, dear reader, I'm oh so glad you asked! In a nutshell, it's a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is inserted into the tumor. Electrical energy is is delivered through the needle, which then heats and destroys the tumor. If your unquenchable thirst for knowledge has not been sated, try drinking this in: http://www.mayoclinic.org/ radiofrequency-ablation/

Anyhow, since I let the cat out of the bag on the big Six-Five (just to be clear, I'm referring to Mom's upcoming birthday now, not my darling sister's IQ) here's the skinny...rumor has it that there will be multiple events planned to celebrate the historic occasion. Our beloved Uncle Rusty ( umm, that's be Russell to most folks) is planning a bash at a not-yet-decided restaurant. Now Your Faithful Correspondent doesn't like to dabble in idle speculation (rumor and innuendo, yes; idle speculation, no) but a little birdie told me that the choices might well come down to Gibson's ( http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com/) or RL (http://rlrestaurant.polo.com/). A soirée with la familia is also in the planning stages (note: YFC offered to host a shindig at chez moi, but was rebuffed in a most brusque and gratuitous manner). Your Faithful Correspondent is not one to take a gratuitous rebuffing lying down, so I have alerted my contacts in Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Pyongyang ( hmm...notice a pattern here?)...and they will be coordinating festivities to commence concurrently with our celebrations here in the Windy City. Now I don't mean to quibble but YFC is trying to plan multiple affairs in cities across the globe...is there anyway that someone charge can make decisions about the Chicago galas anytime soon?

This just in...got a text message (YFC hates text messaging...more on that in a future Chronicle). Apparently London, New York and, yes, Paris (France, not Hilton) will also host simultaneous parties.

Just got an update from the Guest of Honor...looks like the bash w/ UR (Uncle Rusty) will be on Thursday, October 11th (the actual day of Mum's birth) and the family bash will be held on Friday @ Francesca's on Taylor.

Well, things are flying fast and furious around here, another text received...Paris (Hilton, not Texas) will also host an event in Mom's honor. She's proposing a masquerade ball... tres swanky!

Another edition of the Chronicle is coming to an end. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow (for extra credit: name the play from which this line is taken).

Sweet dreams.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
Anagrams for Faithfully Corey: Your Iffy Hellcat and Erotically Huffy (Your Faithful Correspondent is pre-emptively striking the use of the latter anagram...for goodness sakes, this is a family update!).

P.P.S.
The answer to our quiz: Romeo and Juliet. Act 2, Scene 2 ...but you knew that already.

P.P.P.S.
Took a trip to Berba's house on Sunday and prepared dinner for Mom, Melvin (the Sis), Bubby (the G-Mom) and Berba (the Aunt). New motto for Your Iffy Hellcat: have meat, will travel. On the evening's menu: Simple Salad (hearts of palm, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine topped with a homemade Dijon vinaigrette), sauteed garlic spinach, spelt and bell peppers (surprisingly good and high in fiber...spelt has an appearance and texture similar to Israeli couscous and a slight nutty taste) and the main course was a crusted rack of lamb.

P.P.P.P.S.
I just received a fax and a singing telegram from Moscow and Reykjavik, respectively....they'll also be celebrating in solidarity on the 11th.

P.P.P.P.P.S.
And finally I leave you with a quote from the well-known American/Scottish writer and suffragist Florida Scott-Macwell: No matter how old a mother is she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.

Note to Michelle: I'm pretty sure she was talking about you.

The Chemo Chronicles: Special Late Night Edition

2007-09-26T16:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

A special final call edition of the Chemo Chronicles today. As always there are spills and chills galore, but why don't we just jump right into the action and you can see for yourself?

This past week was a bit of a rough week for Mom. As you know, chemo tends to build-up in the system and unfortunately, Mom experienced a good deal of nauseousness this past week. Mom takes a medication called Emend for nauseousness Tuesday -Thursday. However, she can only take that medication 3 days a week. Mom has 2 other drugs that help with the nausea, Zofran and Decadron but they are not as powerful as the Emend. It's pretty difficult to see Mom not feeling well. Still, she's a trooper and Mom rarely lets on that she's not at her best.

Well, as you know today is chemo day (and Chemo Chronicle day too, but you knew that already) and it was a one medicine (Gemzar) kind of day. We followed the usual ritual: pick a seat (preferably one where Mom can't see too many people that really look sick), get blood drawn and then wait for the results. Well I won't keep you...the results were good, Mom passed. So Mom had her chemo and it went very smoothly. We spent much of the time looking at a cookbook that I brought ( How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, highly recommended by YFC), but more on that later. The time flew by and we were in and out in about an hour and a half.

Post-chemo we picked-up Bubby and took her to a bridge game at the Drake (tres chic Bubby...Your Faithful Correspondent considers himself lucky when he gets invited to play checkers at the "Y") and then Me and Mum were off to lunch at the Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge. Yes, the name is a bit pretentious, but the food was good and after a quick trip to Walgreens, Mom was happy to settle in for a nice nap.

And speaking of food...YFC was lucky enough to host Mom and my little sis Melvin (err...Michelle...she'd hate it if I let everyone know that I call her Melvin, so let this be our little secret, k?) for dinner. We were lucky enough to be joined by a surprise guest, Russell. When I say it was a surprise guest, I don't just mean that it was a surprise for you. I mean it was a surprise to me, Mom and Melvin too. So I understand it (YFC always aims to be understanding...perhaps a new acronym is needed -- YSC: Your Sympathetic Correspondent. You're right, we'll continue to work on it) Russell offered to drive the girls here and decided to pay YFC a visit (he wanted to talk about publishing rights or some such nonsense). Well, luckily YFC's Momma taught him well. Her first rule of cooking: Serve stew if you must, but never scrimp on the salad. No wait...I think that was the rule of Bernstein's dressings. Mom's first rule of cooking: always make 50% more food than could be reasonably devoured by the invited guests. Anyhow, it was a lovely affair. Your Faithful Correspondent made braised short ribs (aggressively seasoned with fresh rosemary and fennel) with a side of butternut squash orzo. All in all good food, good company, quite a success!

Fair disclosure: my little sis was actually a big help wen it came to clean-up time. She's gotten a fair bit of stick in these e-mails (though not nearly as much as she deserves) and sometimes ya gotta give credit where credit is due...thanks Melv!

Anyhow, in a roundabout way, this takes us back to today's chemo session, where me and Mum were reading our cookbook. Your Faithful Correspondent has decided that for the forseeable future, every Sunday will be family dinner night at Chez YFC. YFC was thinking about prime rib for next Sunday's feast, but Mom seems to be leaning to rack of lamb. I suppose we all know who's likely to win that gastronomical battle (just to be clear, it's Mom...Mom is going to win).

And why will Mom win? Well, because she's got one of these:

Ah yes, the ol' Get out of Jail Free Card (and just to be clear, she really does have the card).

And that brings us to the close of our e-mail. But before sign-off Your Faithful Correspondent has an announcement of sorts. It's kind of scary (for yours truly) but I figure that by putting it out there YFC will be forced to have some level of accountability (for those of you doing the math at home -- that'd probably include the Dad -- accountability = scary). Here goes: for many years now, Mom has been telling YFC that he/I/me ought to write. Needless to say, Your Faithful Correspondent has pooh-poohed this idea in the past but the time has come to embrace change and YFC heed Mom's words. Just to be clear, the fact that Mom has threatened to beat YFC with a wire hanger had absolutely no bearing on the decision-making process.

[YFC feels compelled to clarify for the my loyal readers who move their lips when perusing these e-mails -- no not YOU, but it's 2 names from yours on the e-mail list...shhh -- YFC was not actually threatened with a wire hanger. Mom stopped threatening me with physical violence almost 3 1/2 weeks ago.]

[Yes, that last line was a joke too. It was only 2 weeks ago.]

[Yes, that last line, also a joke.]

[By the way, does anybody know what these nifty little things on the end of these sentences are called?]

Ok, that's all for now.

Faithfully,
Corey

The Chemo Chronicles: Special Live Update

2007-09-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers!

It's been far too long, hasn't it? Well, I have a special treat for you today. I'm coming to you LIVE from Mom's chemo treatment. Undoubtedly this will be an update filled with spills, chills and surprises galore. I can hardly wait to see what's in store! Come and join me and let's discover how the day unfolds together...

Well as always, we'll start at the beginning, or at least somewhere nearby...Mom was particularly busy last week. We celebrated Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) at her sister Roberta's (a/k/a Auntie Berba) house. Then on Friday, we sprung Bubby (Mom's mom) free from the nursing home/rehab facilty where she was incarcera...umm recuperating...from her broken clavicle. We were all delighted to have Bubby home again (at least until she started ordering me around. I started to drive Bubby back to the rehab facility, but Mom said that wasn't nice so I turned back around). Also, Mom received word that Stephen, one of her dear friends, was 99% recovered from stage 4 Non-Hogkins lymphoma. It was great news to hear and made Mom even more resolute (if that's possible) to beat this cancer.

And that brings us to today's events. Michelle and I joined Mom at her appointment with Doctor Ann Mellot (a/k/a Troll Named Cotton). Well, I'm not going to keep you in suspense...things went splendidly . All of Mom's numbers were good and she was able to have treatment today (don't fret, more on that in just a moment). The good news just kept coming. Ol' Cotton Troll told Mom that she was unlikely to lose her hair at this point. Now I know what you're thinking..."whew, what a relief." Bzzzz...wrong answer! If you had been paying attention to previous e-mails (and given that I craft each e-mail so lovingly, with only you my loyal reader in mind, you really ought to have the decency to read more carefully) you'd know that the correct response would have been to a) give thanks to the Big Guy Upstairs (possible anagrams include: Big Gay Pursuits, Busy Guitar Pigs, A Rugby Pigs Suit, Sir Tubas Pig Guy -- seems like an awful lot of pork there) and b) remind the Big Guy Upstairs (I'm certainly not going to start with name-calling...use anagrams at your own peril) that we'd still like to see a full and complete recovery.

And speaking of, the Big Guy Upstairs...this is the holiest time of the year for Jews. As I previously mentioned, we just celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We will soon be celebrating Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which begins at sundown Sepember 21 (Friday), and lasts until sundown September 22 (Saturday). Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It is said that on Yom Kippur G-d seals the Book of Life is sealed and the fate of everyone will be finalized (i.e., who shall live and who shall die). I'd like to ask you to say a special get-well prayer for my mother on Yom Kippur. Even if you are not Jewish, I know that G-d will be most receptive. And let's be clear...our track record is pretty good so far. The last time I asked for a group prayer was right before Mom's CT scan (foreshadowing: Mom will have another CT scan in about 3 weeks...hint!) and her tumor shrunk by 40%, so maybe if we all pray extra hard, Mom can join Steven and be well on the road to remission.*

* - note that this is in no way to be confused with the 2002 film "Road to Perdition" starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. If you haven't seen the movie I won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say that I saw it in the theatre and it was L-O-N-G and S-L-O-W. What made it even worse was that I saw it in a very crowded theatre and I was wedged in the middle of an unusally long row. The opening credits had scarecely begun when I had to...well, let's just say that I almost resorted to waterworks atduring the movie (and by that I don't mean I was about to cry).

Well so much for that brief digression. Mom wants to again thank everyone who contributed to the cancer walk...approximately $1,000 was raised. And you know what? With all this talk of praying and movies and money-raising, Your Faithful Correspondent almost lost sight of the real reason for these updates -- Mom (of course, I couldn't ever lose sight of her really). Luckily the beeping of the chemo machines jarred me back on course. Today was Mom's "heavy" day (2 medicines) and she came through it like a champ. We'll be leaving here in just a little bit.

(You're about to eavesdrop on a genuine post-chemo interaction -- literally right after Momwas unhooked from the chemo dispenser -- between Your Faithful Correspondent and the real star of this show...YFC is typing this in real-time!)
Corey: Mom, do you want to say anything to My Loyal Readers?
Mom: Huh? What baby?
Corey: Mom, do you want to say anything to My Loyal Readers?
Mom: Just sending my love and blessings and thanking them for their love and support.

Well, I suppose that pretty much says it all, really. I'll throw in a quick reminder to say a Yom Kippur prayer and I promise to have more for you soon.

Faithfully,Corey

A Bump In the Road

2007-09-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers,

I'm afraid that today's news wasn't great. Nothing tragic mind you (no need to go running for the window ledge), but all the same, I think we'll have to save anagrams and details about FoMmie merchandise for another day.

Today Mom went in for her usual Tuesday chemo appointment. As you know, for each cycle of treatment, Mom has the following schedule:
1st Tuesday: Gemzar, Cisplatin (in case you weren't paying attention, these are chemo drugs)
2nd Tuesday: Gemzar
3rd Tuesday: Gemzar
4th Tuesday: Off

Today was scheduled to the the 3rd Tuesday of her 3rd cycle. As usual, Mom had her blood drawn prior to the chemotherapy. The purpose of this is to check Mom's levels of hemoglobin, platelets and white blood cells prior to the chemo. In theory, if any of these counts were to drop below a certain level, Mom would not be able to go through with her scheduled chemotherapy appointment. Unfortunately, today was one of those days when theory and reality met head-on. Mom's white blood count levels were low and, as a result, she could not continue have treatment today.

What does this mean (even in moments of crisis my loyal readers are asking probing questions, that's very good!)? Well, as my very loyal and very intelligent readers remember from 8th grade science class, white blood cells help the body fight infection. Mom received a shot to boost her white blood cell count today and she'll receive another shot tomorrow. But she will skip chemotherapy treatment this week and since next week is Mom's scheduled off-week, that means she won't resume treatment until September 18th, which is smack dab in the middle of the Jewish holy days, i.e. the period between Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). I think the timing of this incident is a sign. Since, Mom's news has been generally good so far (notwithstanding some nausea), I think that perhaps we've become a tad complacent about her recovery. I believe that we are expected to return to prayer during the coming weeks, to place our faith in G-d and to ask for Mom to have a full and complete recovery from her cancer.

It's important that you avoid Mom if you're sick (or think that you might be sick) and that you wash your hands if you are going to come into contact with her (this means you G.E.) to remove any bacteria. Also, kissing should really be avoided so if you receive an "air kiss" next time you see Mom don't think she's gone all Hollywood on you, she's just trying to avoid your nasty germs.

Again, thanks to those who donated to my Sister's walk. Aunt Roberta will also be walking this weekend. We're hoping that their FoMmie t-shirts arrive in time for the walk, but I was just informed that there might be a small issue...something about a child labor shortage in Malaysia (of course I'm kidding...in actuality we sourced the shirts from Bangladesh...kids work cheaper there).

Hopefully, next week will see a return to positive news.

Faithfully,Corey

P.S.
Mom's had a hard day, so won't you please make her evening a little better by sending a few words of encouragement?

The Chemo Chronicles

2007-08-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

I'm ba-ack.

Loyal Readers, it has been far too long (of course even a moment without your divine presence seems like a lifetime). Well, today I have another update for you, but before we get to today's news, let's do a quick recap.

As you know, Mom's chemo went well last week. However, she did suffer from nausea in the days that followed. We all know that the effects of chemotherapy are cumulative (and on the off chance you didn't know that, you know now), but the nauseousness was far more pronounced than before. In fact, Mom really only felt better today, just in time for more chemo. The good news is that Mom won't be taking that nasty drug (cisplatin) until her next cycle of chemo starts again (in 3 weeks).

So, onto today's news...once again Mom's blood work yielded positive results. Her hemoglobin, which was at 8.4 (if Mom dropped below 8 she was going to require a transfusion) is now 12.6. Now if I do my math correctly (and Your Faithful Correspondent always does do his math correctly...Dad is a CPA, you know) that's a 50% increase in hemoglobin levels. White blood cell and platelet (though Mom uses paper platelets when food isn't kosher) levels were good too.

We had a chance to talk to Mom's oncologist, Doctor Ann Mellott (which is an anagram for "Troll Named Cotton") prior to the chemotherapy and YFC has the skinny...Cotton...err, Doc Mellott, said that Mom would have no more than 6 treatments with the cisplatin. Since she gets that only at the beginning of her cycle that means she will receive no more than 3 more treatments of that no good nausea inducing drug (she can and likely will stay on the gemzar longer). Assuming Mom continues to make good progress (and I'm sure we can all agree that it's a pretty safe assumption), she'll stay on the cisplatin for a total of 6 doses.

Now I know what my loyal readers are thinking, "how do we know whether Mom's continuing to make progress?" Ahh yes, you're always thinking, aren't you? Well, Mom will have another CT scan after 2 full cycles of chemo (figure about 6 more weeks). In the meantime FoMmies, keep up with the prayers and the positive energies so that Mom's test result will be as good - if not better - than her last ones.

The chemo itself was a breeze. Mom takes to gemzar (today's drug of choice) like my sister takes to a sweet table at a Bar Mitzvah. Mom's hair continues to look as lustrous as ever (it's actually the cisplatin that causes the hair thinning/loss), which probably explains the longing glances that she received from the other chemo patients (of course the longing glances might well have been caused by the fact that YFC accompanied Mom to chemo today).

A quick update on My Sis Michelle (anagram: Chisel Me Slimy)...she's all signed up for the cancer walk (mad props go out to Dad for his triple digit donation). If you'd like to sponsor Michelle on her walk you can follow this link: http://www.lustgartencommunity.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=272&srcid=252&frsid=2096

Finally, I must rebuke you. Well perhaps not all of you, just those of you that deserve a good rebuking. As previously explained (*ahem* several times), YFC sends these e-mails out from Mom's e-mail address, so when you respond to these updates, Mom gets to read your replies. And Mom really loves to read replies. However, some of you seem to think that it's great to read these updates, but don't send Mom back words of encouragement, feedback, electronic gift cards, etc. And for those of you who this applies to (don't worry, I'm sure this doesn't apply to you) I can only say "for shame!" So, to get off the naughty list, please do reply to this e-mail, or the next update might just come with a nasty computer virus attached.

Well, I've said my piece. Until the next time loyal readers I bid you a pleasant week.

Faithfully,
Corey

The Chemo Tattler

2007-08-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Welcome to another chemo update. But before we get started, I have a special announcement. I understand that we have several new subscribers to these e-mails (total circulation: 34,618). I'd like to personally welcome all of you here and remind you that, with your paid subscription, you get a free FoMmie (Friend of Mom) tote bag (please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery).

Now on to the news...

Mom went in for her usual Tuesday appointment accompanied by Your Faithful Correspondent, Slightly Less Faithful Sister Michelle and Aunt Roberta. Mom did not see her oncologist today (she'll be seeing her next week) so she went straight for her blood test. Mom's blood work numbers were outstanding. Her hemoglobin was 11.5 -- a number which has been steadily rising with each passing week (not quite as importantly, I realized today that "hemoglobin" was an anagram for "goblin home"). Mom's platelets and white blood cells looked very strong too -- all in the normal range.

After the blood work came back, it was on to chemo. As my loyal readers are well aware, today was Mom's "heavy" day, i.e. Mom gets 2 drugs Cisplatin and Gemzar (by the way, if you're a new subscriber, this is where you should start taking notes, or at very least start highlighting your computer screen).

Above: Molecular diagram of Cisplatin.

To learn more about Cisplatin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin

Above: Molecular diagram of Gemzar
To learn more about Gemzar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemzar

Now I think we left off on heavy days, no? Of course we did. Well, heavy days also mean long days -- we arrived at 10:15 and left about 2:45. This meant that chemo was a catered affair today. I had suggested Chateaubriand but then, realizing that it was from the wrong part of the cow (it's a kosher thing) we settled for the next best option: Chipotle for YFC and Sis, Corner Bakery for Mom and Auntie Berba. Believe it or not, the eating was probably the most notable thing about today's chemo session (well, that and Mom complaining that it was too cold in the room, but I told her I wasn't going to mention that). This has become second nature for Mom. First Mom gets a blood test to make sure she can go through with the chemo. Next they take too long to read the results which makes all of us cranky (ok, I'll admit it, it's only Michelle that gets cranky). Then one of the nurses sticks the IV through Mom's port (working like a charm by the way. Per Mom, it doesn't hurt at all -- she's such a brave little trooper!) and Mom gets some fluids in followed by the medicine.

The entire process certainly seems less scary than when Mom first started her chemo. Chemo was a pretty big jolt to all of us, but I think we've gotten somewhat used to the rhythm. We have several factors in our favor, notably:
- Mom's chemo is only 2 blocks from her home. Not only does it reduce travel time, but it reduces anxiety (again, we'll blame this on Michelle).
- Mom isn't suffering any major side effects from the chemo. Still, I know Mom would appreciate it if you say two prayers for her -- the first for her speedy and complete recovery from cancer and the second for her to keep her curly locks.
- Mom has great faith in G-d, which is a source of her amazing strength.
- Mom (and all of us really) has a wonderful support system that is truly remarkable. YFC is rarely at a loss for words, but it is impossible for me to adequately convey how important your prayers, cards, responses to these updates, calls, e-mails and visits have been. You have been an integral part of Mom's recovery process. That said, it's not over yet. Please remember to keep those prayers coming...they have given Mom a tremendous lift.

In other news, Mom had visitors from New York (well technically New Jersey, but New York sounds so much better doesn't it?) in the form of Byron and Jennifer. We've been led to believe that all of Hoboken now has Mom in her thoughts.

Finally, My Little Sister (hmm...MLS?) is participating in the Pancreatic Cancer Walk on September 9th (Your Faithful Correspondent is also likely to attend, but MLS tried to hide the details of the walk in a misguided attempt to curry favor with Mom. For shame Sister, for shame). Details of the walk can be found here: http://www.lustgartencommunity.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=250&srcid=252).

If you would like to walk, we'd love to see you there. If you'd like to sponsor the runner-up (in both the walk and my parents affection) please make donations payable to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. You can send your check to Michelle:

I understand that Gail Zugerman, one of my many loyal readers, helped to establish this walk. I've always said that my readers were the best people on earth and this is just another example of their excellent nature (special preview: in next week's issue, we will discuss the secret of my readers' superior looks).

Until next week, my pretties...

Faithfully,
Corey

Positive News -- Special CT Scan Edition

2007-08-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers,

I'm going to forego the usual pre-report blather and get right to the point. Well my friends, I have GREAT NEWS to report. Mom received a call from her oncologist this morning. She was told:
The cancerous tumor in Mom's liver has shrunk from 5.5 x 7cm ---> 4.4 x 5.5cm. This represents an Approximately a 40% decrease in the size of the tumor
The tumor on Mom's pancreas has definitely gotten smaller (no numbers were given)
There is notably less pressure on the bile ducts
The doctor thought that all this news was very positive. Mom will maintain the same treatment schedule as she has been receiving for the time being. So you can expect more Tuesday reports from Your Faithful Correspondent for the forseeable future (and I think we can all agree that, while not in the same category as Mom's news, this is pretty great as well).

I have no doubt that medical science played but a small part in this. It is my fervent belief that Mom's recovery has been advanced moreso by the many prayers and well wishes that she has received. Friends of Mom (Friend of Mom: abrv -- FoM, pronounced fôm; plural -- FoMmies), on behalf of my entire family I thank you for all of your support. There is no way that any of is could have endured these past few months without you.

In next weeks issue, I hope to give you an update on the FoMmie merchandise (t-shirts, bumper stickers, et al) that many of you have been clamoring for. Sadly, I must inform you that Your Faithful Correspondent will not allow his face to be plastered on coffee cups (a mug on a mug if you will), despite your heartfelt pleas. As you can tell from reading these updates, I am nothing if not the shy and retiring type.

Again, all of us thank you for your continued support.

Your Faithful Correspondent,
Corey

It's an off-week, but an important week...

2007-08-13T16:07:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers,

This e-mail is going to be a little bit different than you're used to because it's not written post-chemo, but rather a pre-test (did you catch that boys and girls? -- two count 'em 2 differences...pre vs. post and chemo vs. test. If you didn't catch that, shame on you! No, I kid, but you should really read more carefully, this is important stuff). Plus, there's going to be an interactive part to this e-mail, but more on that later.

As you know from reading the weekly updates, Mom has already completed 2 full rounds of chemo, which she started approximately 2 months ago. On Wednesday, August 15th, Mom is going in for a CAT scan to see how the treatment has been working. Needless to say we are all cautiously optimistic that Mom will receive a glowing report (if Mom were getting radiation treatment her report might be glowing quite literally, but here the term was used in the figurative sense). We're hoping that the test reveals that the cancerous tumors have shrunk, which would put Mom well on the road to recovery (if Mom were looking over my shoulder now -- she does that you know -- she'd doubtless tell you that she'd also like to be on the road to Miami. So droll that Mother of mine!)...

Here's the nitty-gritty -- Mom will go for her appointment at 10:00 a.m., at which point she gets to drinks loads and loads of yummy barium (now with more fiber!). This is what she'll be drinking (albeit in liquid form):

Where were we? That's right, barium. You stayed with me that time...good! (For those of you who didn't quite catch it, that was a picture of barium.) At approximately 11:30 a.m. Mom will go in for the CAT scan, which should only take about 10 minutes. We'll probably get the results back no later than Friday.

***Here's the interactive portion that you've all been waiting for***

Many of you have asked what you can do to help and I know that you are very sincere in wanting to assist. Well, you can. I'm asking all of my faithful readers to say a special prayer for Mom this Wednesday, August 15th at 11:30 a.m. Now I know that many of you are already keeping Mom in your daily prayers and it has already helped so very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here's the idea for Wednesday: we're trying to concentrate everyone's prayers at one time so that G-d can understand how truly special Mom is. If you can't pray at precisely 11:30 a.m., not to worry (but do try to pray earlier that day, if possible).

See, I told you this would be a different kind of update. Plus, I gave you a pretty picture too. Well, we're at the time now where Mom is going to look over my shoulder to give this a once-over (she just did...I passed!) so I'll take this as my cue to wrap this up.

I thank you so very much for all of your continued prayers and warm wishes. You support means so very much to Mom and all of our family.

Your faithful correspondent,
Corey

So far, so good...

2007-08-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings loyal readers,

Well, by now you know there's another day that's been set aside each week. Saturday is the Sabbath, Wednesday is Prince spaghetti day and now : Tuesday is Mom's chemo day. Here's the latest and greatest...

Mom was accompanied today by my Aunt Margot, who is visiting from Florida. Mom had an appointment with her oncologist prior to her chemo session. Per Dr. Mellott, Mom is looking very good. Her blood tests have been positive -- her numbers (hemoglobin, et al) are where they need to be. Most excitingly, the doctor told Mom that her liver had shrunk, which is a sign that the chemo is working. Needless to say, this is fantastic news. The doctor has told Mom that she doesn't want her to lose any weight. Yes, you read that right, the doctor doesn't want her to lose any weight. I *think* Mom was actually more excited about this bit of news, than that of her shrunken liver. To celebrate, she promptly ordered a hot fudge sundae with a side of bacon.

(Of course I'm kidding about the order...we all know Mom keeps kosher. Instead the order was a hot fudge sundae with a side of onion rings)

Chemo itself went well. Today was the last (3rd) session in Mom's second round of treatment. On August 15th, Mom will be going in for a CAT scan. Please pray extra hard for Mom...this test is a very big deal. The test will reveal how well the chemo is working, i.e., whether her tumors have shrunk.

I'm pleased to report that Mom's glue appears to be holding, so her darling tresses remain in tact. Mom is in good spirits, no doubt bolstered by her many well-wishers. Aunt Margot and daughter Wendy (or Wenny Benny as her friends call her) will head back to Florida in a few hours and Mom will receive yet another out-of-towner. Jeni B. (daughter of one of Mom's best friends who died several years ago), is leaving her Montana yurt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt) and heading to the Windy City. No doubt culture shock and other hilarity will ensue.

That's all for now....

Your Faithful Corrspondent,
Corey

A Brief Update

2007-07-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

Loyal Readers,

Circumstances dictate that Your Faithful Correspondent must keep today's update brief. Please shed no tears as we will have a special expanded edition (filled with celebrity gossip, recipies and fashion tips galore) out on newsstands soon. Last week Mom had a lovely visit with her longtime friend from Florida, Maria. Together they toured the Garfield Park Conservatory and saw the Nikki in the Garden exhibit (YFC tagged along -- highly recommended http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/niki.htm), lunched on popovers at the Zodiac Room in Neiman Marcus and visited the Museum of Mexican Art. Maria was also the lucky recipient of two original paintings by Mom (I'm sure you were thinking lithos, but I assure you, they were the real McCoy). Mom and Maria spent many hours catching up and the time flew by. Two more friends from Florida (the mother-daughter team of Margot and Wendy) are expected for a visit the wekeend after next. So, now that we're done with the social news, on to the medical portion of this report...

I'm very happy to say that the news seems positive. Mom's bloodwork was excellent. Her bilirubin levels have been decreasing (by the way, try saying bilirubin 3 times fast...it's wickedly entertaining). Her numbers have decreased from .5 to .4 and now she's at a .3 (yes, that's POINT 3). Ideally, she'll get under a .1, but clearly the trend is positive. As I'm sure you all know (because in addition to loyalty, my readers are marked by their intelligence, to say nothing of their better than average looks -- more on that in the soon-to-be-released expanded edition, but I digress...) when bilirubin levels are high, jaundice occurs. Too much bilirubin may mean that too much is being produced (usually due to increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) or that the liver is incapable of adequately removing bilirubin in a timely manner due to blockage of bile ducts, liver diseases (such as cirrhosis, accute hepatitis), or inherited problems with bilirubin handling.

But of course, you knew that already. More reading on bilirubin can be found via the following links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilirubin and http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bilirubin/test.html

Now where were we? Ah yes, tests. Mom's hemoglobin was also tested. At the time of her last test (2 weeks ago), her hemoglobin was 8.4 and now it's at 10.8. Normal results vary, but in general are:
Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL
Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL
Note: gm/dL = grams per deciliter

If Mom dropped below 8.0, she would have needed a blood transfusion. It's expected that her numbers may drop a bit because of today's treatment. To keep her hemoglobin levels up, Mom is incorporating more beef in her diet after many years of a significantly reduced intake.

More links (this time to hemoglobin, but you knew that already) can be found here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobin and here http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/hemoglobin.html

Since we're on the subject of tests, here's a quick one -- Who is buried in Grant's tomb? (answer below)

While you rack your brains trying to come up with the answer, let's get back to Mom, shall we? Chemo went well. The port worked like a charm and she hardly felt the prick of the needle. Mom was joined at chemo by Cousin Tobi and they had a lovely chat. I was lucky enough to join them for lunch, than Me and Mum made a Costco run (it's becoming a bit of a pattern these days) and spent the evening together.

Which brings us to now. Thankfully Mom hasn't experienced any nausea from the chemo. However, Your Faithful Correspondent understands that the nausea might not kick-in for a while. The other bit of news that you should know is that Mom might lose her hair soon. However, she has been visualizing globs of thick glue on her scalp, which will not allow her hair to fall out. Mom asks that you not only keep her in your prayers, but that you try to visualize Mom with a glue-filled scalp and thick, luxurious tresses.

Well, dear readers, it seems our time is coming to an end. I want to close by sending you thanks for all of your cards, visits, calls and, most importantly, prayers.

Wishing you all the joys that life has to offer,
Your Faithful Correspondent

P.S.
Your Faithful Correspondent made the question deceptively easy (you had to know there was a trick). The answer to our quiz is Ulysses S. Grant...and his wife (Julia Dent Grant)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Grant_National_Memorial
I'm sure we're all happy that this is the final link of the night. We'll meet again soon, gentle reader. Good night.

7/10 and Chemo Again

2007-07-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Rabbi, Guru, Friends, and Family,

It's your faithful correspondent again. I'm writing to you from Mom's living room. It's been a very full day, but we'll get to recent events in just a moment.

I've been getting questions from loyal readers about these e-mail updates so let me explain...all of these e-mails are sent from Mom's e-mail, so when you respond to the e-mail you are responding to her. Mind you, I'm not complaining, but just wanted to clarify for the somewhat less computer savvy among my loyal readers.

Ok, now that wasn't too bad a digression was it? Anyhow, on to the day's events...today we all got up early because Mom had a port put into her chest. For those of you who don't know let me explain, because I do intend to make these e-mails as educational as possible...

An implantable port is a thin, soft, plastic tube that is put into a vein in the chest and has an opening (port) just under the skin. This allows medicines to be given into the vein or blood to be taken from the vein. This makes it possible for Mom to have treatment without having to have needles frequently put into her veins. Now for those of you who don't know, Mom has very delicate little veins and chemo constricts the veins, so the port will be a real help.

If you're really curious, here's a link that shows what a port looks like
http://www.breastcancer.org/port_chemotherapy.html the page has another link that tells you even more about ports for those of you who are really interested.

Ok, now where were we? Ah yes, early. So we (we meaning, Mom, Sis, Aunt Roberta and Your Faithful Correspondent) had to be there at 7:00 a.m. Mom was a wee bit tense, but she's a trooper. She ended up going into surgery about 8:15. Everything went smoothly, the only hiccup was that they put the port on Mom's left side instead of her right. Apparently, Mom was missing a vein as a result of an earlier (thyroid) surgery. Ah well, the port still went in fine and that's really all that matters. When Mom was in recovery, the nurse explained that she had twice as much anesthesia as the average person (I took that to mean that Mom was twice as powerful as your average person...way to go Mom!). Mom actually woke up during her procedure but they wouldn't give her any additional anesthetic and she was not happy.

They were able to move up Mom's chemo appointment. Mom got to try out her new port and she was tickled (ok, that's probably a bit of an overstatement) when they were able to draw blood through the port. Chemo was otherwise unexceptional, we were there for about two hours after all was said and done. Then we had a Costco and a Blick (art store) run...quite a long and productive day.

That pretty much brings us to now. Mom's doing ok. For the record, Your Faithful Correspondent is a bit fatigued (moreso than Mom), but if you had to wake-up for surgery at 7:00 a.m. you'd be fatigued too! Next week is an off week and then she begins her next cycle of chemo.

Not much else going on. Mom and Dad confirmed I was the favorite, but it's hardly earthshattering news is it? Hmm, maybe I could ask you to send some love to my little sis. After recently finding out her true origins (born to gypsies, raised by wolves...) she could use a little TLC.

On behalf of Mom, she sends her love thrice over.

Faithfully,
Corey***

*** This e-mail has been read and approved by Mom

July 1st Update

2007-07-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

It's your favorite correspondent again (and, as always, my parent's favorite child) bringing you the latest and greatest news from my Mom's living room...

Mom is doing well and is in good spirits. I believe that Mom already gave you the basic rundown of her schedule, but here's a quick recap: Mom's going for chemotherapy on Tuesdays. Last week was her first treatment and she was given two drugs. Now, for the next two weeks, she's only going to get one drug and then she'll have a week off. After 2 full rounds of treatment (a round meaning the heavy treatment, followed by two light treatments) Mom will have a catscan so the doctors can determine how she's responding to treatment. We're fairly confident that Mom will make such good progress that she will astound her doctors, become an inspiration to cancer patients everywhere, and ultimately become part of the American lexicon as "pulling a Sharon" will be another way of saying "making a miraculous recovery."

Not much new to report otherwise. Please look out for a special "Chemo Edition" update that is sure to arrive soon. Until then, keep Mom in your prayers and in your hearts.

G-d bless,
Corey

A Decision

2007-06-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Dear Guru, Family, and Friends:After much deliberation, I have decided not to go to MD Anderson in Houston. I will begin chemotherapy tomorrow and I am ready to be Warrior Woman (name given by my dear friend Stephen Pappas.) My hero is my cousin Dr. Alan Pawlow who was able to speak to my oncologist and then assure me that I am making the right decision by not waiting any longer to begin chemo. I feel a huge weight has been lifted and now I can concentrate on the healing. So once again thank you everyone for the wonderful energy and healing light you are sending me. My little fairy G-d child Zoe Jayne told me to kick the germs in the butt. So watch out cancer. I plan on winning this battle..

Tomorrow Roberta and Michelle will go to Chemo with me. Corey is eager to be with me too, but he will take the evening shift.

Thats about it for now. I will have Corey update in the next few days.

With love and gratitude,
Sharon

what's going on

2007-06-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

I gave Corey the day off, so I am back. I thought that yesterday we would be completely settled and have made an informed decision about chemotherapy, but unfortuately, the day did not go as smootlhy as planned. I have been diagnosed with bile duct cancer that has spread as you know into the liver. Although there is a lesion in the pancreas, I am no longer diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Corey has worked with MD Anderson for me and although they have come up with the same basic diagnosis, they can not see me until JUly 3rd. Then they have to repeat the same tests. I just don't think my body can wait to begin chemo. I feel it will take them two weeks of testing and by that time my "numbers" could be a lot worse.

So I will probably start chemo on Tuesday. The cycle will be first week two types of chemo that will be given over a 3-4 hour time frame. I was told that my hair will thin (hmmm) and that I will probably feel pretty sick to my stomach for the next three days. The next two weeks of chemo consist of only one of the drugs and takes about one hour to administer.On week four I get a break (maybe a good time to travel) and then we repeat the cycle. So I figure if I have 3 or 4 bad days out fo 28, not so bad. After 8 weeks, another cat scan. I wonder if I''ll have to drink that barium again. ugh!

The chemo is held at the oncologists office. There's a big room where everyone is together. You can have up to two visitors during chemo. Many people seem to be eating lunch and there were a lot of McDonalds bags. (I guess they don't know that food could make them really sick)

So now that we know what is going to happen, I am asking that our conversations become more positive. Answering all the questions about the cancer. has been draining. At this point I want to focus on getting healthy and maintaining a positive attitude. Even if I did not answer everything you wanted to know, please try not to ask me.

i am so grateful I have been blessed by your love and friendship. Thank you my dear friends, and family for being here for me.

I will write one more time when chemo begins and then i think we can go back to life before the diagnosis.

Love to all,
Sharon

Visit to the oncologist

2007-06-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

Hi, this is Corey. I'm writing for my Mom because she's a little drained at the moment. Today we visited the oncologist at Northwestern. Here's the skinny: we still do not know the primary type of cancer. It's possibly in the gall bladder or the bile ducts (which is in the same area). However, the treatment options are pretty much the same.

The doctor did a blood test and we will get results tomorrow. The test should show us how Mom's liver is functioning. She had the same test 2 weeks ago when we last saw the oncologist. If there's a change in the results that means that the liver is deteriorating and Mom would start chemo immediately at Northwestern and we would not go to MD Anderson in Houston, where Mom currently has an appointment scheduled for July 3rd. However, if there's no change in the test results, Mom will consider whether or not to go to Anderson. Whether to go to Anderson is a difficult decision and Mom is still processing today's information.

Mom is handling this pretty well, but it is a bit overwhelming. Actually, that's partly why she's been sending e-mail updates...so she doesn't have to keep answering the same questions and repeating the same story. We certainly realize that people are making inquiries because they are concerned (and we are appreciative for all of the love and support), but it's very draining nonetheless. She promises to write more when she gets more information.

Mom sends her love to all.

The latest and greatest...

2007-06-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hi, this is Corey. Some of you know me better as the first-born and/or the favorite child. Anyhow, I'm pinch-hitting for my Mom because she's a little groggy at the moment. Mom just got back from having a colonoscopy and she was put under for the procedure. I'm pleased to report that everything went well. They didn't find anything, which is certainly a relief. On Monday Mom is scheduled to have a test called a PET scan, which is sort of like a full body CAT scan. The PET scan should indicate exactly where the cancer is.

Mom had an appointment with an oncologist at the University of Chicago scheduled for Tuesday. However, she's cancelled that appointment, pending the outcome of the PET scan. We're still anxious to hear from Houston. Mom's case has been assigned a nurse named Sarah, who has been very good about giving us feedback. Unfortunately, she doesn't know when we'll be able to make an appointment. Sarah has led us to believe that we should know more tomorrow. We have our fingers crossed.

Otherwise, Mom remains in good spirits. She is extremely appreciative of the many cards and letters that you have sent. The outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming and Mom, Michelle and I are incredibly grateful.

Please keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers.

Corey