Update

I have had a few more check ups and all is still good.

Third check-up

I went this morning for my third follow up..... all clear! I go April 21st again and then end of June. They are being serious about this check up stuff! My neck is still slightly red and Dr.Sheehan said it might not ever completely go away. Like a tattoo to remind me every day....:(

Anyway,small update but a good one!

Have a great day, enjoy the sun!

Kim

January 21st

So, the second follow up went good! i looked inside cause he tood a picture with the scope and it looked really clean and pink. Less some mucus of course! gross.

Anyway, the next follow up is March 12th and then end of April so they have me going back a lot to make sure. My throat feels swollen inside a lot of the time, but that should get better.

thanks for reading!

I need support

Hi all,

I have decided to walk in the 2008 Weekend to end breast cancer. As we all know cancer affects us all in some way or another, so please help me achieve my goal of $5000.00 to help find a cure!

www.endcancer.ca is the site to go to and you can donate to Kimberley Thomas.

Anything helps, and I can't achieve my goal without your help!

I go on January 21st for my second follow up, keep your fingers crossed for me!

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Kim

Cancer Free

Wow!

I went for my follow up on Tuesday Dec 4th, and back down with the scope he went! and found nothing. a well healing throat!

I have been given the all clear and don't have to go back for a follow up until the end of January and very 1.5-2 months until they spread the appointments further apart.

I am off until Jan 2nd to finish the recoup properly, and my work has been fantastic about it. January and all of 2008 will be a great year!


Cheers,

Kim

hey!

Hi there,

I know some of you who have been following my blog still check in daily, I am afraid I no longer have anything to write.

I have finished my final Radiation treatment on October 25th and have just been laying low and trying to heal. My neck from the outside looks great! I had some peeling and it opened a little bit but I took very good care and it is still slightly red but for the most part I no longer look like a walking circus freak. Phew.

As for the healing inside, well let's just say it changes daily. One day my voice is good and strong and I feel pretty good and they it just changes and my voice is hoarse and dry and I get super tired and it's hard to swallow. I believe the healing is going well and will find out forsure if it all worked by the end of December. I am still off work and just recovering at my home, I am taking care of John's brothers dog so I have some wonderful company during the day who is making sure I get out for a little exersise everyday. We went to kit's beach for a bit yesterday, it was nice.

Look back here on New Years Day and I will post new pics and the results, until then.......have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years Eve!

Final day!!!

This is treatment # 33, woo hoo! I saw the oncologyst for the final time on Monday, and he gave me a few more perscriptions as my neck could open up and I need to be soaking it with a solution to help. I'ts itchy. I took a few photo's this morning.

I am going to visit my nephews after my final 3pm appt and I think tomorrow I can actually sleep in.....I am so very tired and up so early every day. poor me right.

I thank everyone in their support, e-mails and comments. i read them all and appreciate each one.

I can't believe it's done!

I suppose I can't say remission until the doctors go back down to make sure it all worked, but I have faith.

Cheers!

4 more to go!

I only have 4 more to go and I am happy about that! I got a cold about two weeks ago and since then my voice is going. This weekend I could barely speak and the past few weeks were not quite as bad but the same. (sorry for not calling anyone, it's really hard to hear me) but it's better today. I am sitting here talking to myself.....and I can hear what I am saying :). it's still horse though. Dr said that will heal itself in time.

I wanted to mention for anyone who was taking any of the information I gave on driking coconut water. The company ONE who in the beginning of my treatment said they would be sending me 6 month supply of the water for free actually only sent me one box and it cost me 34 bucks in brokerage fee! Saved me 10 bucks I guess but they never sent me anymore. So I found a cheaper way to get it. If you buy the actual coconut from the store, we have all seen them I am sure, and you save 1.00 at least per glass. Just a suggestion if anyone else has fallen in love with the stuff but find it sooo expensive!

We am all moved in, not settled as there is still a few things to be done but the place looks fantastic! i will post some pics when I find my camera!

Cheers,

Kim

Funky nose

I look funny.

7 more to go.....I am still getting over my cold, stuffy nose, sore dry throat and a red and itchy neck. I saw the doctor on monday, and he reaffirmed that nobody will be looking back down my throat until mid December. Guess it will be the best or worst Christmas ever!

I am tired, but being very strong and moving over the next few days. I will post pics of the new place once we are settled.

Thanksgiving

Anthony, Gavin and Riley months and months ago....

Gavin, Riley, Anthony and Evan

So, it's over now...almost. The Thanksgiving weekend brought John's brother, wife and nephew to town. I was not able to get a photo to match the one of them when they were only a few months old but here they are now!

I am tired today and my neck hurts. Good night.

More pictures

So, now that i have figured out this whole picture thing, I took some today. This is a typical day for me these days....

And for those of you who forget.....here is what I look like! It's tough to see just how red my throat actually is, but it is like a REALLY bad sun burn, with no peel!

Weekend babysitting

treatment 16 of 33

today is so close to halfway. I really have nothing new to report, my neck is getting pretty red and sore, my throat is really dry and sore, and i get tired pretty quick.

I am trying to download pictures and i can't. I hate this blog. you can try to go to the on-line album....http://kim-thomas.magix.net and view under babysitting. if it does not work, let me know.

I go to my appt today at 1:10 and see the oncologyst after....hopefully he has the answers from my questions last week.

1/3 done...

Today marks the 1.3 the way done! 22 more treatments to go, and I still feel OK. I am finding it tough to eat still, and I have to chew a lot and eat slow and my throat does feel like it's closing up on me. As I type this I am guzzlin water trying to make it all better. It does not work!!!

I went out last week with Carmen to watch Andy's band play (i left before it started, sorry Andy!) I was tired, and it took me an hour to eat a piece of pizza....mind you we were talking but I really had to chew. I was at mom's for dinner last night and I think I did pretty good, she made some fantastic soups with A Glo on Sat so that was good. We were really full.

I had lots of questions today for Dr Sheehan, and for most of them he has to get back to me. As he said before, this new (5-7 years) cancer is still undergoing research so he does not have all the answers. I did get a prescription for liquid T3 pain meds cause it's getting really tough to swallow the pills. I have stopped taking my vitamins and stuff too, it just hurts to much. The doctor said I should not start any other natural stuff, just stick to multivitamin and that's all until treatment is done as some things can interfere with radiation...I just left it at that.

Nothing more to report.....The apartement is getting closer to being done, so moving day is approaching....not nearly fast enough as I can't wait to get into a vertually brand new place! I just have to get John to work 20hr days instead of 16....hahahha!

Thanks for reading.

Kim

Thanks,

Good afternoon!

I got home today to find these beautiful flowes at my door. I have to say, they are fabulous! They were sent from Capital West, Shaun's (my boss) sister sent them.

I wanted to send out a big thanks to everyone who has sent me flowers, cards and stuff. It really does make your day to come home and see these! I have a big smile.

How much longer? oh ya, 24 more to go! I think tomorrow I am going to ask for stronger pain medication.:(

ouch

I have 25 treatments to go! my throat is killing me! Not literally mind you......

I had to take two extra strength tylenol last night and I still woke up in pain. I have put a picture up, I think of my throat. I had it professionally taken so you will get the point i think. it seems more red in real life. I am still coughing so much, and it makes it worse.

I am still hanging in there, getting tired, had a nice long nap today.

week two...

Today was a different day. I saw the oncologyst, Dr Sheehan and the nutritionist.

The biopsy that was taken two weeks ago was not yet cancerous, but they have included it in the treatment plan to make sure it never does. Dr Sheehan still believes it is some type of infection rather than smoking and alcholol related (ye haw!) his thinking is somthing I actually do not wish to share with this blog, but he says that they are still not sure how this type of infection is caused and 5 years ago they knew even less. He has given me a few suggestions to make sure that these spots do not reoccur. He said he actually feels more optomistic about the long term outcome of my treatment than he did before. He answered the few questions I had and then off to my 6th treatment.

The nutritionist gave me some information, but all in all she would be a more beneficial person to visit when i no longer feel like eating. her suggestions mostly contain soy or milk products and really those don't go down so well on the best of days. I find milk really coats my throat and does not feel so good

I got my signed insurance forms back today, so in the mail they go, it'll be interesting to see how long they take to pay me anything.

Cheers! my chin is still up.

28 more to go....

I have been and gone from the clinic today. My appt was at 8:30. Monday I see my oncologist. I will be asking him questions, and I suppose he will be asking me some. i am not really sure what to expect. i hope he has filled out my insurance papers!

My sister had a good idea to take a weekly picture to see what changes, if any, occur in my face and neck. So i will take one later today. perhaps i will post them all after this is done and you can be the judge....i wouldn't mind losing a little pudge in my face!

Yesterday was a little bit scary, not for me but it sure had my heart racing. I went to this Chinese Herb doctor and he called me to tell me to come 20 min later cause he had a emergency. When i got there, there was an ambulance outside....uh oh. I went to the second floor hoping there were no paramedics but when the elevator opened there was a young girl on a stretcher geting CPR. She was only in her bra and underwear, looked like they cut her clothes off. she had no pulse or very little. I was having second thoughts about my appointment.

Turns out she has advanced stage of lung cancer and was going to him for some chinese medicine because she could not breath. she had a seizure and he called 911. i felt terrible for her and her husband who was there too.

Needless to say, that ruined my day and I truly hope she was OK.

Weekend is here and lee is dropping Gavin off this afternoon so we can have a visit for a few days. Should be fun times! I am going to see if i can put 10lbs on the kid.

Cheers, have a great weekend!

The first treatment

I went at 3pm on Monday. My mom met me there an was great support. We got there a little early and I picked up the moulds for me teeth so i could start the floride treatment yesterday too.

I had a lot of questions for the lady who welcomed me and she answered them and I am happy to be starting.

OK, so back into the mask i go, three people marking, taping and moving me up and down on the bed to get the angle just right. Then out the door they go, (who wants to be in the room with radiation flying all over the place)
2 minutes later, all done!
Now, they say you cannot feel anything, and they are probably right. You really have to go to a happy place and not let your mind wander, or seriously, you can feel the lazer beams going through your neck....but you can't really can you?

I am putting lots of glaxal base cream on my neck and chest to try to keep the redness and dryness away as long as I can. To be honest, I already feel a little different in the area, hopefully this is a good thing. I went today again at 8:20 and i was out by 8:30, they were right on time today, yayyyy!! I still feel good, the accumulitive effects of the Radiation will make me very tired and sore, but for this week so far I feel OK.

that's it, 31 more to go!

Kim

Monday Sept 10th...wish me luck

I just got the call from the clinic. Monday Sept 10th at 3pm is my first Radiation treatment. On this appointment I will be getting a pink card to show my week schedule. I will not have the same appointment time every day due to scheduling issues with each patient.

My heart is racing.....but as I keep saying I am excited to get this **** outta my system.

This weekend i spent way too much money trying to but better food, organic veggies and a lot of wheatgrass. I found i really like the Organic Raw almond butter in place of peanut butter, and I am drinking coconut water and Fiji bottled water. Just a few steps to try to get my PH balance back into my body and cut out sugar and processed foods. it's tough! Veggies, veggies and more raw veggies is what my book says. Can you believe that one lady actually cured herself from Breast and Cervical Cancer by changing her lifestyle (food mostly). I am not a sucker, this lady actually exists and she has a clinic in the US where docters actually send their patients who don't want traditional treatment.

I will continue to post, so please continue to read and post comments so I know who is actually keeping up and sending me those much needed prayers and thoughts!

Much love,

Kim