Hair starting to fall...out

As day six begins, I'm feeling tired but still much better than I'd imagined. I feel free from the "chemo" fog for only a few hours a day. And the rest of the time (18-20 hours), I'm sleeping, waking up/ falling asleep or thinking hard about sleeping:) I seem to be able to sleep during the day more easlily, and thank-goodness for air-conditioning. I've been camping out in the living room around that New air-conditioner and thanking God for it, (though Chris actually bought it and installed it:) I'm glad that we can financially be in a positon that we can buy an air conditioner and not have to think about it, since it's going to make me more comfortable and we've been given money to help make things easier for me. Hanging out in the living room has worked for hanging out with the girls more as well, and just being around in their space. Though Cadence got right in my chest space today and jammed my portacath very hard, that didn't feel so good:( Yeah fast acting morphine!! I think she actually moved the thing under my skin, it'll probably bruise. Oh well. I suppose I should have some pain and suffering, I feel as though I've gotten off a little easy. When I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst, this is much better than I'd hoped for. Now I'm going to drink my flat gingerale, put my feet up in front of the Great AC,have a cookie and slowly pull my hair out, (don't worry, it doesn't hurt one bit:)

Day Four

I'm feeling much better than I thought I would. I seem to respond very well to the medications that I've been given. I feel tired, exhausted, dizzy, some extremely itchy skin but mostly just weakness. I'm so glad that I've had very little nausea ( only when I smell or taste something I don't like) and NO Vomitting, Yeah! I haven't really had any of the aches and pains of muscles and bones that I was warned about. Plus the tylenol and morphine helps, "Better Living with drugs!", this is a new life modo for me:) IT seems to be working and doing it's job, just as the chemo is actively killing any AWAL cancer cells.
My friend Rachel Thiesen came and brought a meal for my family tonight, I'm so glad I've been able to eat quite well, then Rachel cleaned up my garden and planted some flowers. We've been brought so many meals, and flowers and also a few random cash gifts that we are so gratful for. Since I don't know who they are from I thought I'd say thanks through the blog. Thank-you.
Thank-you everyone for all your thoughts, prayers and gifts. We've been feeling so well cared for.

Just over 48 hours....

I'm feeling quite well for being just over 48 hours into chemo treatment. Rumor has it that days 3-4 and 5 are the hardest. I'm going off the main anti-nausea Meds, they are only prescribed the first two days. SO far no nasuea or vomitting. Lots of shakes, light headedness, clumbsiness etc. But over all I feel way better than I thought I would. Apparently the white blood cells drop the lowest at 10-15 days post chemo. So we'll see what comes, one day at a time, but so far feeling pretty okay. Eating farily normally. Though my appetite is small. I'm heading out side to watch my girls play outside, While I rest. Thanks for your prayers they are definately working.

Friends for Feather

IT seems that the "Friends for Feather" Fundraiser will be an evening Dessert from 6-8pm, instead, where men are also welcome.
IT would great to have men to come a support Chris as well, he'll be there!
For Northview it works best to accommidate the event in the evening, for set up etc. Hope to see you all there. It's only four weeks today, see you then!!


I'm just over 24 hours post chemo treatment, it's suppose to take 24 hours before the drugs kick in. So far I'm feeling fairly well. I'm not nauseated or vomitting yet, thank goodness, the anti-nausea medications seem to be doing their job. I stop taking the expensive ones tomorrow, you only take them for 2-3 days. I've heard that days 3,4 and 5 are the hardest because of that. I'm taking it one day at a time. I do feel very tired, eating fairly well,not exactly normal, but much better that I expected ( I'm knocking on a lot of wood:)) In hopes that I'll keep going this well, I've heard rumors that some people handle treament very well, I sure hope I'm one of them!

Keep in touch,

Feather

"Friends of Feather" Tea and Fundraiser

Where: Northview Community Church
When: Sunday, June 24, 2007, 2-4pm
Why: To show Feather and Chris our love and support

We need people willing to host a table.

What's involved:
1. Fill your laundry basket with table decorations and tea settings for 8 people
2. Provide the dessert for your table (menu item TBA)
3. Decorate and set your table
4. Enjoy the tea with friends
5. Take your dishes home

Please comment on this posting if you are available and willing. Thanks so much!

I'm on my way!!

I haven't written anything in about two weeks and tomorrow I start chemo, so I thought I should do an update before I'm down for a week or so. I haven't any idea what to expect from chemo really. They can try and prepare you for all the senerios but they really don't know what your body is going to do and how you will react, eveyone's jouney is personal. The one thing that has remained consistant with everyone that I speak with is that the first chemo treatment is the hardest. My biggest fear is the neausea, there's something so dibilitating about feeling sick to your stomach. I'm also concerned about my children not understanding why I'm in my room but they can't be with me. Please pray for these things.

Today I had my portacath put in, it's a minor surgical procedure that they freeze the localized area for, but nothing else, I was perfectly awake for the whole thing. From what I could tell I as the first patient for the new Dr. who was just out of training, he looked younger than me and all the nurses were meeting him for the first time, I'm not sure if that made me feel calmer or more unsettled, I decided because he was new he'd ty even harder to do a really good job:) The procedure was a little more invasive than I've first thought and really started to hurt when the freezing came out, regular tylenol wasn't quite doing the job like they said it would. Thankfully I had some T3's left over form my mastectomy and I had them with me. I'm quite concerned with how much this will hurt over the next few days, with chemo starting at the same time. The thought of this pain in my chest and neck while vomitting, scares me. I shared this with my oncologist and she got me some other forms of pain management other than oral that should work. Dr. Ho always listens to my concerns and makes me feel very well cared for, I feel much more prepared for what's ahead when I speak with her.

Chris and I are staying at a hotel tonight, trying to have a nice evening out before chemo tomorrow, which is in Vancouver as well. All of my chemo treatments and oncologists are at Vancouver Cancer Clinic. I choose to do everything in Vancouver rather than Surrey, since all of my personal connections were here from my first cancer experience. I'm writting to you now from our hotel room on our laptop at the Best Western, I've been getting half price at Best Western's because I'm still considered a staff member of abc restaurant, we got a very nice suite here.

For fun I decided to dye my hair a pink/red/purple color, I figure I'd only do it now, before it all falls out. I also cut it super short, kind like an army/pixie cut. I've been having funwith my hair theis is like the fifth style I've had in six weeks, since I cut it all off.

Yesterday I treated myself to a spa treatment, Chris had gotten me a gift certificate for Mother's Day. I went to the Wild Orange Spa in Abbotsford, my favourite, I always go early so I can enjoy the steam room and the lounge where there's tea and snacks, TV and good magazines. I always seem to run into someone and get to make a social engagment of it as well. This time I met a woman who'd never met before but I felt compelled to speak with. Her hair looked like it was regrowth after chemo and I really felt led to start up a conversation with her. I was right, she had chemo this last year for breast cancer. As we spoke I felt more and more blessed by our encounter, she to was on the drug Herceptin like I was going to be and she'd had the same course of chemo therapy drugs as I'm going to be getting. I'd not yet been able to meet someone who I'd had so much in common with, she also had a portacath in and she showed me, I'd never seen one and I was happy to be able to see what one looked like before I got mine the next day.
In the middle of my conversation she all of a sudden asked me, "Are you Feather Janz?!?!" I said "Yes", I was surprised. She didn't recognize me with my short hair and no make-up, she'd only seen my picture in the newspaper. She was excited to meet me as she said it was due to my story in the paper that she'd been inspired to and decided to under go the mastectomy over a lumpectomy. Here she'd just been inspiring me and now I found out that I'd inspired her with out even knowing. The whole experience was very uplifting for me, it was a spiritual experience that I believe God ordained to bless me and make me feel cared for, that He is in control of my entire journey, from the beginning to the end. HE even orchestrats the people who move in, out and around my life. This kind woman was with her Mother, my mother told me that she'd been to Grandpa Leo's Funeral last year, she'd known Chris's Grandpa as a young woman and her family had billeted the Janz Quartet many times. She felt very connected to the Janz Family and remembered seeing me at the funeral last summer. I felt very emotional and very moved by this meeting, I felt peace knowing that I don't have to be in control and that everything is going to turn out just as God has planned and HE always has our best interest at hand. This lady gave me her anme, phone number and email and encouraged me to keep in touch with her. Thank-you to those of you who took special time praying and fasting yesterday, I sure felt your prayers especially in that special moment. What a gift. God gives great gifts and It's such a blessing to receive them and to recognize them for what they are.

My infection clearer up well about two weeks ago, and stayed away once the antibiodics wre done a week ago. The wound was still very large, about 1 and a half inches by 4 and a half inches, open and raw so you could see the muscle. But it is about half closed up now and lookign much better. It will be about 2-3 weeks before it's completely closed.

We had a wonderful week with Chris's parent's out from London, England. The girls were so happy to spend time with their Grandparent's. Cadence decided it would be a good time to have four teeth come in, including her eye teeth, and thankfully that's when we were going away for two nights and leaving the kids with Grandma and Grandpa. Perfect timing Cadence, pay ya later. :)

Chris and I were blessed with a beautiful weekend in Vancouver, organized by the Manager of the Best Western (Thank-you MEBS!). We got to stay in a suite at the Pacific Palisades Hotel on the 22nd floor and got to have an amazing five course dinner at a 5 star restaurant, The Rain City Grill on English Bay. We were able to relax and unwind and enjoy each others company, a much needed get away for us. We were so grateful for such a wonderful gift!

Arbonne - I'm starting a new home based business called Arbonne, with Swiss formulated natural products, this is a way I'm hoping I can generate an income while laid up. Please look at my website and if you feel led please sign up and buy some products, it would really help us out. Thanks. www.featherjanz.myarbonne.com

Run for the Cure - I'm also still raising money for the Run for the Cure, if you'd like to make a donation in my honour, you can on-line at: www.cibcrunforthecure.com Click on Donate to a participant and put my name and Abbotsford as the run location. I've raised just shy of $3,000 so far!! My goal is $12,000 since it's been 12 years since my first diagnosis.

Thank-you for your on going support and encouragement it means so mcuh to me and my family.

God Bless,

Feather

Day of Prayer and Fasting

Many of us are setting THURSDAY, MAY 24 aside as a day of prayer and fasting for Feather and Chris. Please join us as you feel led.

Practical Ways to Help!

1. Go out and purchace Chris' CD, "Fly," at A & B Sound for yourself, friends, and family

2. Things to keep in mind if you are preparing meals for them:

• Chris and Feather are OK with red meat now (the type of cancer Feather has is not hormone related).
• Be health consious--lots of whole grain, low fat, nutrient rich foods.
• Smaller freezer portions--split your portions and provide two portions of the same meal.

3. Attend the "Friends of Feather" Fundraising Tea--Date TBA (either June 24 0r 30)

4. Consider hosting a table at the "Friends of Feather" Fundraising Tea.

• Decorate and set a table for 8
• Provide the dessert/goodies for the people at your table
• Clean up your table
• More info to follow--you can let me (Corina) know if you are interested in helping in this way. :)

May 6th-13th What a week...

Hello,

It's been a roller-coaster of a week, as has today been one, of mixed emotions. I was blessed with a wonderful breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. As I enjoyed my meal I thought of this day five years ago, it marks the anniversary of my best friend Carmen's passing. I decided that this day would include her memory, so I drove with my girls to Chilliwack and brought flowers to her graveside. We stopped by to see my Mom and the girl's were very excited that they get to see both their Grandma's today. Chris's parent's will be here tonight from London, England. They were in Hamiliton to see Chris's sister and her family, and their new grandson, Jacob (Jack) Alexander Colorado. He was born Monday May 7th. He is our first nephew. Chris brought me pictures of him in the hospital, he's beautiful. That was certainly the highlight of my day, if not my week!
Monday when I went to emergency, because my 4 inch incision burst open with infection, I was admitted. I was started on IV antibiotics, large doses of wide spectrum antibiotics, as well as pain medication. Not only was my situation highly uncomfortable, but I had one of the worst headaches I've ever had. I'd actually been having many very bad headaches lately, so thankfully my Dr. ordered a brain CT scan to alleviate a tumor as the problem, and it did. Thank God, I'd been rather worried. I do believe they are caused by jaw tension and teeth grinding, they are the worst when I wake in the morning. I hope they go away, I don't need them as well.
So by Wednesday I was much better and the antibiotics were doing their job. The wound opened even more, though it is healing but it will take several days more to heal completely. Thankfully it's not very painful anymore and I don't have to take any pain meds, the nerves were all cut with the mastectomy so they don't send me pain signals. I'd describe the feeling as tension and pressure, that I hope will soon pass.
I was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and went home to pack before heading to Vancouver. I picked up Heather at the airport and we ended up sacking out at the hotel. We stayed at the Best Western Sands, on English Bay, I get a super good deal as an employee of abc restaurant.
Thursday I headed to the cancer clinic with Heather and met with my radiologist. I was informed that my radiation will be five and a half weeks instead of the three weeks I was prepared for. It will be completed just before Christmas and not well before, like I was hoping. The decision was made by the oncologist that chemo therapy will have to be put off by two weeks because of my infection. I understand the decision though I'm itching to just get started. The portacath insertion surgery was also delayed until May 25th and Chemo on the 26th.
So Heather and I decided to make the best of my circumstances, so we stayed at the hotel in the city for two more nights and enjoyed shopping, the beach, pedicures, dinners and walking in the beautiful weather. It was the perfect end to a difficult week. I now feel like a cold is coming on, do pray that I don't get sick and feel better through the antibiotics and that the infection stays away once the meds are done. Plus that the wound heals as well as possible. Thanks so much for your prayers, we've seen so many prayers answered.
We feel so blessed with so much love, support and encouragement.

To another week...

Feather

For our Friend Feather

Welcome to "Birds of a Feather Fighting Together!"

The intent of this blog is to support, encourage, and bless Feather. We want you to know, Feather, that we are here to help you in whatever ways we can, and lift you up in prayer. Please use this to keep us udated as to how you are feeling and how we can pray specifically for your needs and the needs of your family.

Wishing you blessings beyond measure and a miraculous healing,
Corina

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