“Anyone feel like baking?”

I had a nice little visit with Carol last night about the clinical trial which has begun. She informs me that she has weathered the first injection quite well of the estrogen blocker called- Fluvesterant (I probably have that spelling wrong.) Actually, she receives two injections - one on each side.  This will be repeated biweekly for a bit and then after that monthly.  The study that Carol is participating in is designed to give her this drug at double the dose that it is currently approved for use by our provincial formulary.  The other piece of the study is that she may be getting an additional drug (or perhaps not as it might be the placebo) which is supposed to inhibit the blood vessels around a tumor.  Along with that, she receives a bone strengthening agent also via injection on a monthly basis which strengthens her bones. (This isn’t part of the clinical trial.)  It sounds pretty exhausting as she has to undergo interviews and lots of tests to establish baselines for the trials including her heart function. 

Some wonderful news is that she is no longer on any pain medication and also reports the burning in her esophageal cavity has greatly reduced.  Carol is starting physio 2x per week after her initial regimen of 1x per week. She is also is walking 1-2x per day.  She continues to be an inspiration in her determination to be as physically active as she can- even though fatigue is a daily issue. She even turned down a hockey game with Randy knowing it would be a bit of a stretch for her.  She looks great as most of you know who’ve seen her lately.

Now to the baking….. I asked her if she had any particular food items on her wish list and she said “YES!”.  She’s asking for muffins which she can freeze and eat as a snack.  The only requirement is that she would prefer they not have sugar, oils or butter and would be made from whole wheat or at least partial whole wheat flour. She’s trying to pack as much nutritional value with each bite of food she takes.  I’m off to Seattle for a ball tourney or I would be scouring recipes.com so I thought I would throw this request out to the troops. Last time I did regards the driving- the response was amazing…

Love knowing there’s a nice wide circle with Carol right smack in the center ~~~ J    

Susan Z

EMS Fashion Show had a special guest.. . and volunteers needed for May

Hi Friends 4 Carol ,  

Nearing the end of April and Carol's health is still on our minds.  I picked her up from her medical appointment on Wednesday and she was using only a cane !  Randy passed over her bag and took off to work while I tried to keep up with her as she hoofed it back to the car .  I was thrilled with her energy !
 

On the drive home, she told me she was able to attend the EMS grad Fashion Show the night before which she co-chaired.  Though she said it was a bit long for her, she really wanted to stay until the end.   I know everyone was so glad to see her ! 

She is having weekly physio in a pool that she finds gives her great relief.  She will continue to go to BC Cancer weekly for the month of May for injections and tests.  Thanks to all the folks who haved offered to pick Carol up from her weekly medical appointments for May.   

On the food front, she is limited to "softer foods" ...soups, smoothies due to the upper abdominal pain.  She suffered some damage to her lower esophagus from the radiation treatment. This will continue to heal over the next few weeks. 

Randy and the kids are grateful for the home made meals from all her friends and family.  A group from her work have donated a number of frozen meals to help with her recovery. 

There are available spots on the MEAL CALENDAR for May.

keep in touch ..have an enjoyable Easter weekend with your family ...

Brenda

CONTINUED OPTIMISM ...

A brief up date from Carol includes several positive events…

She reports that she has experienced less nausea and pain these past few days. She is taking ½ the morphine she was taking last week and consequently is feeling less groggy and more like herself.  She is walking to the end of the cul-de-sac with the walker and begins some physiotherapy in a pool on Monday which she is looking forward to.  She got out Friday for a little drive and Randy accompanied Carol down to the beach for a walk a few days back.

Her niece and nephew from Quesnel were here for several days and they have now returned home.  Randy went into work for a few hours Friday and is likely going to work a bit next week as well.  Carol is appreciating these little steps toward normalcy.  She is very much hoping to attend the EMS grad fashion show this Tuesday evening  which she helped to co-chair. ( check if tickets are still available !!)

Her friends and colleagues at Peace Arch have banded together and are helping out with meals as well so more food is due to arrive soon.

She continues to feel everyone’s love and support~ keep it coming!

~ Susan Z

APRIL 12... A GOOD DAY

Today Carol received some good news…. The cancer has not spread to other areas in her body.  She is going to be a participant in a clinical trial which will allow her maximum dose of an estrogen blocking drug to treat the cancer in her spine.

Carol willl be monitored closely every 3 months by CT.  She is starting to slowly feel better and stronger and took a few laps around the cul de sac with the aid of a walker. 

This truly is a blessing.  Carol is so thrilled with the news and remains upbeat about her prognosis.

She even teased that Randy would be back at work on Monday and she would have to start a few day later....

Again, thanks to all of you for your continued support !  It means a lot .

MORE FRIENDS 4 CAROL

A group of students from EMS showed their support this weekend ....

Over 50 kids from EMS signed the card that Katie, Quinn and I made for Carol. Including family friends, parents, the vice principal Ms. Campbell, groups from the Fashion Show and even kids that do not know Carol personally - signed the card. Most were not sure what to write, as it is a difficult situation to find the correct words to say but it truly is the thought that counts. My mom and I stopped in for a visit yesterday afternoon. Carol was looking much better than what my Mom had told me from her previous visit. It was an amazing feeling to see Carol smile when she opened the card and read all the meaningful messages. We are all so grateful to have such wonderful people in our community and would like to share on my behalf of how appreciative Carol was Saturday afternoon, we couldn't have done it without you.

Thank-you,
Jenna W

April Meal Calendar FULL

Wow! Great how the community has come together. Carol and Randy are so thankful for all the support right now . Meals for month of May are available so hope we can keep this up and running! Check "How You Can Help" tab.

I can't forget to thank Sandy K who helped start this website for Carol. Sandy battled breast cancer in 2007. She threw her support to help us as soon as she heard of another one's fight.

The good news....happy to report that Carol is "feeling" a bit better from her 14 days of radiation. She was even talking about "rattling some pots and pans myself to prepare a meal..". Her color is great and she is more mobile which has lessened the burden on her family. Carol is not going to quit here, no way. In the words of Debi, a friend and organizer for Nite of Hope, "her attitude is positive and this disease needs a strong attitude to be beaten" ... Love that!

Take a peek at Carol's amazing video. Roll your mouse over Images of Hope and click.

There will be other places of inspiration on her web. Don't forget to pass on comments for Carol on this site. It means so much to Randy and the kids ,too ! A special hug to Hailey for the poem to her mom...

NITE OF HOPE

Last night was an amazing night at the 6th annual “Nite of Hope”- a gala fundraiser to help raise money to fight breast cancer. I was delighted to have been invited to accompany the family and attend my first Nite of Hope. Carol has been a supporter of this event and invited me last year but as I couldn’t attend -was lucky to get another invite this year. It certainly won’t be my last - it was an amazing night!!

Little old Centennial Arena was literally converted into a beautiful, dazzling banquet hall with top notch entertainment, amazing food, and lots of incredibly committed people – many with deep pockets. Last night’s gala topped last year’s earnings of $200.000 by $100.000. 3 dedicated women- one being a good friend of Carol’s and mine (Deb - herself a 9 yr breast cancer survivor) along with their committee and probably close to 100 volunteers, earned over $300.000!

The only thing missing last night which would have added more dazzle to the room was Carol. She knew a week ago that she wasn’t likely going to be able to attend but definitely wanted her family there and also urged me to accept her initial invite and attend without her. You see, this year’s Nite of Hope (view video) was due to be a special one to the family because of a personal interview with Carol and Hailey about their ‘Up Kili” climb a couple of years ago which was featured in the night’s program.You’ll all remember Carol’s and Hailey’s amazing journey up Mt. Kilimanjaro to help raise money for breast cancer. Deb wanted to highlight their experience and therefore arranged a taped interview a couple of months ago. Carol and Hailey looked amazing up there on the big screen talking about their life-changing experience.

As I sat there with Randy, Hailey, Grandma Joyce and Auntie Tammy (just having arrived from Quesnel and persuaded to jump in the car and attend), I saw and felt some more heart ache as everyone of us along with other friends in the room, felt Carol’s absence no more keenly than at that moment. Many of Carol’s friends who I have spoken with in the last couple of weeks have used the phrase “heart-breaking” to describe their feelings of sadness at learning that Carol is facing this horrible battle again. There is no more apt phrase in my opinion to describe what we feel for Carol and her family. I know I used that phrase often when I sat with my father near the end of his battle with cancer and again when my husband fought (and won) his fight with colon cancer last fall. I can feel that heaviness even now as I recall those old moments in my life now re-stirred with the freshness of our news of our dear friend Carol. I’m sure many of you have your own personal experiences of cancer touching your lives and will know exactly what I’m talking about.

As to an update on Carol, Randy shared briefly last night that Carol’s pain along her spine is definitely on the decrease and therefore the feeling is that the radiation is helping. Her last day of this regimen is today. As well, she began receiving injections 4 days ago to treat the spots in her bones. They won’t get the results from the tests done yesterday to find out if the cancer has spread to other areas in her soft tissue until next week. Her nausea is still one of the biggest problems and is making it hard for Carol to eat much. But Randy thought the anti-nausea meds are helping a bit.

So, to wind up here…hope is everywhere. I found huge hope in Carol’s own words on the screen last night for hundreds of people to hear… her dream of a world for our daughters free from the worry of breast cancer. There was indeed a hush in the room when at the end of Carol and Hailey’s interview, the screen read that since the taping of this interview, Carol had been re-diagnosed. The harsh reality of this fact may have influenced people to dig into their pockets a bit deeper…who knows. At any rate, BC Cancer agency has $300.000 more today than they did yesterday to fight this disease. More hope. Hope surrounds Carol in the faces of her loving, brave, and courageous family. They are amazing.

Last night her father-in-law who had also just arrived from Quesnel, stayed home with Carol along with Hayden and as did Carol- urged the others to go to the gala without her. More hope arrives today from Quesnel… her niece and nephew.

Thank you so much for last night Carol, I missed sitting next to you….but you were there.

~ Susan Z

Carol's progress Wednesday April 6

Today Carol completed 7th day of radiation and reports that “treatment went better today.” It seems that she is experiencing a reduction in pain around the tumor- maybe not such a little victory. She also was visited by 2 home health RN’s who are on board to help monitor the pain medication that she is on.

Carol also is receiving some physiotherapy in her home. Feels good to know she is surrounded by not only loved ones but by professionals who are helping her through this. A big challenge at present is nausea and abdominal pain. She was going to try some clear soup tonight and was also started on an anti-nausea medication today which hopefully will help.

Carol will undergo more tests tomorrow – a CT scan – to further answer questions as to what exactly, where exactly, etc. She’s also getting more radiation tomorrow and finishes this regimen of radiation on Friday.

More support arrives tomorrow in the way of Randy’s Dad Ray and sister Tammy from Quesnel. Keep the prayers, food, and love coming… she knows we’re all pulling for her.

These updates are provided by Susan Z . We can't thank you enough for putting into words the difficult treatment Carol is enduring. We will pass on info as it becomes available. Everyone remains hopeful and positive.

Thanks to the enormous out pouring of support on the MEAL CALENDAR. We are off to a running start. Please do not feel you have to commit to a specific dish when volunteering. It just gives us a way to not double up on meals and allows others to plan for future meals.

“If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell.”
Lance Armstrong

Welcome to Friends 4 Carol

Carol is once again facing a battle with cancer after 5 years remission from breast cancer. Her symptoms began with pain in her back and she was diagnosed with a tumor on her spine on March 28th. The cancer is also showing up in several spots on her bones. She was started on a regimen of daily radiation immediately in hopes of shrinking the tumor and alleviating the extreme pain the tumor is causing. She will be undergoing further tests to determine if the cancer is in other sites as well.

Randy and Carol have embraced the support of family, friends and community through this difficult time. This blog is a way for folks to keep updated with Carol’s health and to share in the ways we can help continue to help her. It will also give you an opportunity to communicate with her during her treatment.

Randy plugged in an extra fridge which is in the garage if you are feeling called, inspired or whatever and want to make something that can be frozen, etc… feel free....however, the better way to go is to sign up for the meal calendar.

We all remain hopeful for Carol. In spite of her treatment, Carol has not lost her humour. Her strength is truly inspirational.