Chemo #15 and Busy Bees

Hey Guys! 
  It's been business as usual around here in the health department, as far as chemo is concerned.  Ken has developed a serious cough over the last few weeks, but according to the Nurse Practitioner it either "just allergies" or his "tumor has grown into the lymph nodes in his lung." The only way to determine what's going on is to do a CT scan.  We are waiting to hear from the oncologist to go ahead and make an appointment to rule out any growth.  The neuropathy in Ken's hands and feet is worsening, but according to the doctors, this is normal after stopping oxalyplatin and it can take up to a year for it to go away.  This makes buttoning a shirt, walking and even driving pretty difficult at times.  But hopefully he'll start to feel better soon.

  Living with Uncle Jim and Auntie Cappy has been great in helping Ken get motivated and out of the house.  The dogs, especially love all the extra love and attention they get! 

Nicole, however, needs to beef up on her cribbage game...due to the fact that she lost to Jim 3 games to 1 the other day and now owes him $20...

As an incentive for renting our storage unit, we were able to pick a professional sport game that we would like to attend for free.  We decided to hit up the Avalanche's second to last home game and hopefully see them clinch a playoff spot. 

We lucked out and were nine rows off the ice, just to the left of the penalty box. 









Sadly, though, the Av's lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets and didn't make it to the post season....

The next day, it was wheels up for Nicole, as she headed to Waukesha, WI to visit her bestie, Tara and family.  While there, Nicole got to celebrate Easter, and her God-daughter Kendall's 2nd birthday!

 

 


And...they may have hit up a few bars throughout the weekend!








 Ken's mom was able to make a visit to Denver while Nicole was gone, which enabled them to have a lot of quality time together.  And this past weekend, Nicole's parents stopped in to Denver on their way to Las Vegas.  So...needless to say, we've been pretty busy!  We hope you all  had a wonderful Easter and we hope to see you all soon!  Love, Ken & Nicole

More Chemo & A Move

Hey Everyone & Happy Spring!
  Well, it seems we've sort of hit our stride in dealing with this whole cancer thing.  The doctor came back with news that radiation and surgery are not options for Ken at this time.  Surgery would most definitely result in a colostomy bag and radiation presents a high risk for internal bleeding.  So, at this point in time Ken will just continue chemo every two weeks, until....well that's this BIG question.  Right now it looks like that will be forever...so we'll just have to wait and see. 

  In between chemo treatments, we entered step one of phasing ourselves out of Colorado, when we got rid of most of our things, put what was left in storage and moved in with Uncle Jim and Auntie Cappy.  They have been so gracious to let us stay in their home these last few months that we're here.  The dogs are most the most excited, however, because this means lots of pats on the head, walks outside and treats!! 

  Ken's Uncle Paul made a quick visit to Colorado this past week and Ken was able to go and have dinner with him.  It's always so nice to see a familiar face! 
  And I think that's really it to report.  We hope you all have a fantastic Easter and we'll talk to you soon.  Love, Ken & Nicole

New Chemo & Peter's Visit

Hey Everyone-
  On Monday, March 5th Ken had a GI scan with barium.  He had to drink a barium liquid and then every 20 minutes or so for an hour have scans taken of his GI track.  This is to see how his digestive track in functioning as well as to see whether or not his Crone's is isolated to just the ilium.  Then on Tuesday, March 6 he had a CT scan with contrast.  This was a routine scan to monitor the growth/shrinkage of the cancer throughout Ken's body.

  On Friday, it was time get excited when Peter landed in Denver...maybe not as exciting to some as Peyton Manning landing in Denver, but it certainly made our weekend!  And we tried to make the most of it!  Of course we took him to our favorite sushi spot, Junz.  Then made time for Nicole to kick his butt in cribbage.

 On Saturday we went downtown to REI and did some shopping and walked with the dogs along the river walk and enjoyed the nearly 70* weather.  Peter and Ken also revisited the crime scene where Lenny had his go cart crash a few years ago and decided to do a race in his honor.  There were a few spin outs, but Ken was the winner.  Later that night we went back downtown to watch the Colorado Mammoth, Colorado's indoor lacrosse team win over their opponent in a buzzer beater game.  And no trip to Denver would be complete without an afternoon at Auntie Cappy & Uncle Jim's for some delicious food, tasty wine and fabulous company.   Sunday afternoon came waaaay too quickly and we were back at the airport dropping him off.  But we all (especially Lily and Cookie) enjoyed his company and hope to see him again soon.

  Tuesday, March 13th it was back to business as usual.  This day was bittersweet.  On the one hand Ken was happy to be off of the chemotherapy that causes the neuropathy, but bitter at the fact that he needs to continue chemo.  The most recent GI scan showed that Ken's GI track is functioning mostly at a normal level, the Crone's is contained to the ilium, and that is was less inflamed than before.  The most recent CT scan showed that there was no change in the size/shape of any of the cancer in Ken's body.  Not awesome news...but what's important is that it's not growing.
  Our doctor said that she is taking Ken's case in front of "the board" later in the week.  The board is made up of medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists and GI specialists.  In fact, the first doctor who operated on Ken is slated to be present for the presentation of his case.  According to our doctor, they are going to discuss such options as a new chemo regiment, radiation and even surgery.  Our doctor thinks that perhaps surgery may now be an option, because of the amount of shrinkage of the tumor in Ken's rectum.  But for now, it's just more of the waiting game, and like we always say...we'll keep you posted.
  We hope you all are enjoying this unseasonably warm weather, wherever you are and Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of our Irish friends! :)  Love, Ken & Nicole

Chemo #12, the GI Doc and Fun in the Sun

Hey There Everyone!
  On Friday, February 17th Ken had an appointment with a GI doctor to discuss the location and possible treatment of his Crohn's disease.  Did you know that Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It usually affects the intestines, but may occur anywhere from the mouth to the end of the rectum.  Ken has had this disease since he was 15 years old.  The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. It is an autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue.  People with Crohn's disease have ongoing (chronic) inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).  Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Ken's doctor verified that he had Crohn's disease near his ilium.  However, since getting routine CT scans, there has been a discrepancy between where this doctor said his Crohn's was and where his current doctor thinks it may be.  The GI specialist will be running test on Monday, March 5, to verify the Crohn's whereabouts, and then she will decide a course of treatment.  When we met with her, though, she did say that treating the cancer was the number one priority.  We'll keep you guys posted.
  On Tuesday, February  21 it was wheels up for us as we headed to to Key Largo, Florida, for 7 days of fun in the sun!  Our trip highlights included such things as getting see old friends, boating, seeing dolphins swim off the bow of the boat after sunset, visiting Key West, feeding the manatee, snorkeling the John Pennekamp reef, swimming out to Christ of the Deep, and eating such delicacies as Stone Crab, Snapper and Grouper.  Many thanks to James and Jenn Kent for letting us crash in your vacation home and to Mr. and Mrs. Kent for making a special trip down from Coral Gables to see us!  We miss you all already and can't wait until we see you again! :)

 Also, many thanks to Kris & Lola and Jim & Cappy for taking such good care of our girls when we were gone!!  You guys are awesome! :)
  It was back to reality on Tuesday, Feb. 28th when Ken had the last of his first 12 treatments.  He discussed the possibility of radiation with his doctor, and after much careful thought and consideration, has decided NOT to proceed with it.  Due to the fact that this disease has already metastasized (moved to other parts of his body) we feel that it is better to just stay the course and continue chemotherapy.  Another CT scan will be done in few weeks, and we will know then whether or not the cancer continues to shrink.  We will make sure to keep you all posted.   

  Waiting for us in our mailbox when we got home was a package from Mrs. Katie (Beach) Beaupre!  We opened it to find a bunch of little boxes wrapped and numbered, along with a card and a short story.  As we read the story, there were instructions as to when to open each box...

As we opened each package we found many of our favorite sweet treats!  Thanks, Beach, for thinking of us!!  And for writing such an awesome and creative story!  :)
As winter winds down and begins to turn to spring, we hope you all are happy and healthy...wherever you are!
Love, Ken & Nicole

Chemo #11 & He said, She said

Hey There!
  We've been pretty busy since the last time we wrote to you all. 
  First of all, we went to get a second opinion from a Radiation Oncologist, and boy, did we learn a lot.  Did you know there different types of oncologists?  There are medical oncologists (like the one Ken has now)-they administer chemotherapy.  There are radiation oncologists-they administer radiation.  And there are surgical oncologists-they perform any surgeries related to cancer.  Pheeew-ok-now that we got that all figured out...we went to get a second opinion from a radiation oncologist to see what he thought about the treatment Ken has been receiving and if he thought Ken would be a candidate for radiation. 
  According to this doctor, radiation is inevitable.  A patient can receive radiation to shrink a tumor that is causing a blockage, pain or to ultimately get rid of a tumor.  This doctor believes the chemotherapy alone will not get rid of Ken's cancer-most importantly, the tumor in his bootie.  Having said that, he feels that the treatment Ken has been receiving thus far is what he would have suggested.  It is responding to the chemo and therefore it is shrinking.  This is when, ideally a patient would have radiation, when the cancer is on the downswing-being proactive, rather than when it is on the upswing or growing-being reactive.  This doctor specializes in a procedure called Brachytherapy, also know as internal radiation therapy.
  Brachytherapy is a form of radiation that delivers high doses of radiation from implants placed close to, or inside, the tumor(s) in the body. This technique ensures the maximum radiation dose is given to cancerous tissues, while minimizing exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.  He believes Ken is a strong candidate for this procedure.  If he were to do this, Ken would continue receiving chemotherapy, while at the same time receiving daily radiation treatments for 9 weeks. 
  Now...of course, Ken's medical oncologist would have to agree to this...and right now there is some confusion as to whether or not she is in agreement.  She has some trepidation because she is not sure if the chemotherapy will be strong enough to continue shrinking the tumor in Ken's lung.  So...we have a big decision to make and of course each option comes with its own set of risks.  But hopefully we'll have an answer for you all soon!

WOW...that was a lot!  But it hasn't been all about decision making....because we were able to get up to the mountains and go skiing!!  We weren't sure how this was going to go since Ken is so sensitive to the cold, but it ended up to be a really great time!  It had snowed the night before we went to Loveland and the trails were perfectly groomed when we hit our first run at 8:30.  It had been two years since Nicole had last skied, so she was unsure if she was going to enjoy this...but she ended up doing 11 runs that day...more than she's done in the last 2 ski trips combined!!

She even made some attempts to go through the trees. 

Skiing that much definitely made her tired!

Thanks to Sean and Maryann for suggesting we tag along!  It was a nice break to take our minds off of everything.




And now...we're getting ready to pack and head to Key Largo, FL, where the weather forecast is 85 and sunny!  We hope this post finds you all happy and healthy.  Talk to you all again soon.  Love Ken and Nicole

Chemo #10 & Good News

Hey Everyone!
  Finally...we have some good news to share!!  On Tuesday, January 24th, Ken had a PET scan at the request of his doctor.  She was concerned with the results of his latest CT scans, which showed no shrinkage in the cancerous areas in Ken's body.  However...the PET scan showed that there is barely any cancerous activity in Ken's liver, the legion in Ken's lung has shrunk from 3cm to 1cm and the mass in his rectal area went from 7 cm to 5 cm.  The technician who read the scans noted that there is a great deal of inflammation in the rectal wall as well as swelling in the rectum.  Ken's doctor believes that this is due to the crone's close proximity to the cancer and that it is making it difficult for a CT scan to show shrinkage of the tumor.  She suggested that we meet with a GI specialist in order to find out exactly how the Crone's in effecting the cancer.
  Due to the fact that we were concerned with the slow rate of shrinkage, we opted to seek a second opinion from a radiation oncologist.   We learned a great deal about radiation therapy and how it, along with chemotherapy, could result in great benefits for Ken and are excited about this possibility.  We have a few weeks to think about it, but we'll keep you all posted about what we ultimately choose. 

Last Tuesday was a milestone for one our friends, Bob.  He was able to receive to his final chemo treatment!!  We hope we never have to see him in that room again! (And we mean that in the most loving and caring way!)  We wish him the best of luck and many, many years of bird hunting to come!
 

Just when we were beginning to think winter was never going to come...it came, and it stayed!  In fact it snowed for nearly 36 hours.  The dogs loved it, we however, did not.  But we did get out to watch, what we were told, was a great college hockey rivalry, Colorado College vs. University of Denver.  Unfortunately DU lost, but our seats were great and we had a lot of fun. 

And now, we're resting up for the BIG GAME tomorrow (Go Patriots!) and trying to stay warm. 

We hope this post finds you all happy and healthy!
Love Ken and Nicole

Chemo #9 and well...what?

Hey Everybody!
  Sorry it's been so long since we last wrote...life just sorta happened!  Our puppy Cookie has decided to take up the hobby of chewing on furniture and clothing, Nicole started school and our computer had an unfortunate run in with a bottle of water and needless to say it was unable to be recovered.  But...thanks to one of Nicole's regulars allowing her to borrow his lap top, we are back on the web and ready to go!
  On Tuesday, January 17th Ken had chemo treatment #9 and received the results of his latest CT scans.  According to the scans, Ken cancer did not shrink at all over the last 8 weeks.  It didn't grow...but it didn't shrink.  The doctor ordered a PET scan that Ken had today, and we will receive the results of this next week.  She seems to be confident that the chemo is working and hopeful that the PET scan shows that the cancerous areas are less active...we'll have to wait and see.
  Now...true to form to what the Weather Channel said, this was the most depressing week of the year, for us!  We left chemo with a great deal of questions.  What happens if the PET scan comes back showing the same amount of activity as before?  What are the back up plans if this chemo really isn't doing the job?  Are they planning on treating this as a chronic illness and therefore the goal isn't to shrink the cancer, rather, just keep it from growing? 
  Because we feel sort of clueless and like we've been left in the dark about these things, we have chosen to seek a second opinion.  We figured this would eventually need to happen.  So we will meet with this doctor next week to find out what his suggestions are.  Whether he agrees with the treatment our current doctor is doing, or whether he doesn't, we are open to what he has to say. 
  But it's not all bad...Last weekend we visited the National Western Stock Show downtown.  And while we didn't get to see any of the rodeo events, we got to have a little fun!

Ken got to eat some delicious beef jerky...

We visited the petting zoo...

Got up close and personal with this guy...

And watched the collies try and herd some sheep!

Hopefully we will have answers to all of these questions within the next week or so.  Until then, we hope your winter blues aren't too overwhelming and that you all are well. 

Love Ken and Nicole

Chemo #8 & The Bronco's Win!!

Hello from colorful Colorado!
  The New Year began with chemo treatment number 8...and a few adjustments.  Due to the fact that Ken's neuropathy (numbness) continues to get worse, the doctor decided to reduce his intake of this medication by 20%.  This means that hopefully the side effects should begin to subside a little.  Ken will be coming off of this medication altogether at the end of February and according to the doctor, over time he will begin to feel better, as this one chemo causes most of the unbearable side effects he experiences.
 Today Ken went in for another CT scan, at the bargain price of $1,170!  This is a regular procedure that is done every 8 weeks to monitor the growth/shrinkage of the legions in his lungs and liver, as well as the tumor in his bootie.  Please keep him in your prayers that we will receive good news next week when we get the results.
  Congratulations to the Denver Broncos for beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at home this weekend.  Clearly we were celebrating the win...and here's a picture of Ken after celebrating a little too hard!

  The weather here has been a little wacky lately and with the temps dipping pretty low, the dogs have been forced to entertain themselves inside...for you viewing pleasure, here's a clip of what we see and hear on a daily basis...enjoy!

  We hope that you all are staying true to your New Year's resolutions and are doing well!
  Love Ken and Nicole

Chemo 7 and Fa la la la la

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
  We've definitely been slacking some on the blog front, but we've been busy otherwise!  Let's see what we've been up to since we last saw you...

 First of all, we received an early Christmas gift from Auntie Cappy and Uncle Jim.  They got us tickets to the Patriots/Broncos game on December 17th. 

Nicole had never been to a pro football game before, so it was certainly an exciting day for her. 
 It was an afternoon filled with lots of laughter, sunshine, food, parachuters, an F-16 flyover, and of course a Patriots win! Not too shabby for your first football game! :)
 
Since Ken had Chemo a few days before Christmas and because we were traveling home to New England for the holiday, Nicole needed to be creative!  So...instead of opening all of his gifts before we left, Ken got 12 days of Christmas this year.  Now we have a few things to look forward to this spring like going and watching a great college hockey rivalry and to the theater to see Wicked!!

On December 20th, it was business as usual, when Ken had chemo treatment number 7.  His neuropathy continues to get worse, while his spirits continue to remain high.  After this next treatment, should the neuropathy be the same, we will need to consider whether or not Ken will take a medication to counteract the neuropathy or to just have him come off that particular chemo altogether. 

Friday, December 23rd, it was wheels up, as we flew to the northeast to enjoy the holidays!!  We were able to spend time with and see so many wonderful family and friends and eat, eat, eat! 

We made it as far north as Rutland, VT to see JC and family. 

As far east as Framingham, MA to visit Grammy. 

As far south as New Haven, CT to visit the Peabody museum with Sophia and Joseph and to eat some delicious pizza...

and many place in between! 

 We would like to thank everyone who rearranged their schedules and drove many miles in order to see us, hotels Kent, Bolduc, Soriano, and Thulen for putting us up, especially Sophia and Noah for giving up their beds for us and to Jim and Cappy for taking such amazing care of our doggies while we were gone! 

  Now we're back in reality and awaiting chemo number 8 this week.  With 2011 in our rear view mirror, we are able to reflect on everything the year had given to us...the good, the bad, the ugly.  And while the most recent things aren't the best, we've come to realize that all of you are the ones that keep us energized, optimistic and full of love.  We consider ourselves so fortunate to have you!  It is our hope that 2012 is a year full of health and happiness for you all...oh, and a cure for cancer wouldn't be so bad either! ;)
  Cheers!  Ken & Nicole