My life since metastatic osteosarcoma diagnosis October 2002. I am Audra, a 34 yr old female. My husband is Glen and our 6+ year old daughter is Angela.
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Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Audra F. Lloyd
Mont. Couinty Intelligencer & Bucks County Courier Times
Audra F. (Fario) Lloyd of Langhorne, passed away on Sunday, July 11, 2004, comfortably at home surrounded by her family. She was 34.
Audra was born in Philadelphia and lived in Langhorne for most of her life. She attended Neshaminy School District and graduated from Neshaminy High School as class president in 1988.
Audra worked for Fleet Bank for more than 10 years at its Buckingham and Trevose offices. She volunteered at Ronald McDonald Camp in the Pocono mountains for a number of years and for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
She enjoyed many things in life, such as cooking and hosting parties for family and friends. She especially enjoyed attending her daughter's school events.
All of Audra's family and friends were surprised by her diagnosis and referred to her as the healthiest sick person they had ever seen. She never let her disease hinder her love for life.
Audra is survived by her loving husband, Glen, and her daughter, Angela. She also is survived by her parents, Grace and Angelo Fario; her sister, Angela Fario; her brothers, Thomas, Stephen (Dot) and Paul (Nicole); her father-in-law, James Lloyd; her sisters-in-law, Cynthia Ashwell (Irv) and Karen Scott (Dave); and her aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to attend Audra's life celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and again from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Dunn-Givnish of Langhorne, 378 S. Bellevue Ave., Langhorne. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Penndel. Interment will follow in Our Lady of Grace Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Audra's memory may be made to St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center, c/o Dr. Rosen, 325 W. 15th St., New York City, NY 10011, Attn: Karen Plummer.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Audra passed away today at approximately 11:15am. Her entire family, including Angela, were at her side. Audra is at peace. She was ready.
Arrangements pending.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Quick update:
We returned from NYC Friday afternoon in what ended up being the worst drive home from the city in our history. What normally takes between 1.5 or 2 hours took nearly 3 hours.
Audra seemed to be coming around before we left the city but by the time we got home she had regressed quite a bit. We spent most of Friday evening and Saturday trying to make Audra comfortable and minimize her overriding pain, burning in her belly.
After a few hours with our tenacious hospice nurse on Saturday afternoon, Audra had all of her medications be Saturday evening.
Audra had been spitting up frequently, expending a lot of energy in the process and interrupting her sleep. The spitting up seems to have subsided and the pain medications are fully in force. Now we're waiting for a hospital bed so she can be raised and lowered with minimal effort. We're expecting the bed any minute.
Audra is quickly approaching her final hour. She is well medicated and is not often awake or completely coherent. When she does have the energy, she still manages a few zingers usually directed at on of us helping but most often she just rests.
Unless some completely unforeseen medical miracle, my next post will probably be the last.
BTW, Angela is doing quite well. She understands everything that is going on and most importantly understands that death is final. Apparently Angela has put two and two together and believes we'll be eating out a lot because daddy can't cook. She also told Audra yesterday that she knows she's going to die but is would not be today (yesterday), and she wouldn't cry until she dies. My tears, she said, weren't real. I was faking it. My laughing at her accusation didn't help convince her that I was sad. So I wonder, just how big do my tears have to be to be convincing enough?
And what about me? I cry a little bit every day just like I have the past year or so. I cry when I have to talk to someone who I haven't spoken to in the previous 24 hours. My greatest anxiety now is conveying the next "good news" which will be that Audra's struggle is over. Expect it sooner than later.
Pass the tissues please.
...gjl
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Audra started her new chemotherapy regimen two weeks ago. Audra faired well after the first treatment but the slope has been slippery since her second treatment. The combination of partial paralysis of her face and the side effects of her medications are making it difficult for Audra to eat. Add to that, the fact that the chemotherapy is causing diarrhea and it’s trouble all around. Audra has experienced some unhealthy weight loss that is hindering her from receiving additional treatments. With some encouragement, she’s beginning to come around but we’re still hoping she picks up the pace a bit. We need to fatten her up.
Audra was feeling so weak on July 4th that she insisted on going to the hospital in NYC, believing that she needed a blood transfusion. Angle and mom Fario packed for a day in the city and first thing Monday morning they were off to NY. Once there they ran tests only to find that she was a bit dehydrated. Her blood counts were fine. They did discover that she lost about 8 lbs in the past two weeks. Being that she’s not feeling well and her weight loss, they postponed this week’s treatment. Before leaving, Audra was hooked to an IV for hydration for a few hours and eventually sent home.
That’s the latest news. I wish it could be better.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Thursday, June 24, 2004
As many of you know, Audra's health has declined a bit over the past few weeks. The intermittent paralysis on the right side of her face caused by the growth of the brain tumor is no longer intermittent. Here ability to blink, swallow and speak has been compromised. She has moments when her speech is not compromised but that's infrequent. Perhaps the new chemotherapy treatment is contributing to the additional paralysis.
Audra was battling the disease, physically and mentally, until the recent paralysis. Now she seems to be questioning her fight and has significantly cutback her social activities.
On Tuesday Audra started a dual chemotherapy treatment, oxaliplatin and iriotecan (or something like that). The doctor claims that this combination showed positive results in an osteosarcoma patient who was a bit worse than Audra. If this treatment is 100% successful, Audra's tumors will not go away. This is somewhat different than most soft tissue tumors with which most of us are familiar. Best case is Audra's tumors stop growing if the chemotherapy is effective but they will not disappear without surgery. Audra has about 15 tumors throughout her body (brain, neck, back, ribs, chest, hip, sacrum, scalp, etc.). No surgeon is going to put Audra under the knife unless tumor growth/spread has been stabilized. That's the best we can hope for.
One of the side effects on the new chemotherapy is super sensitivity to the cold. Audra has to avoid the refrigerator, freezer, extra cold air conditioning and cold beverages. She seems to be handling these side effects just fine. The doctor said the side effects should last for about 5 days, after which she'll be fine. She is getting the treatments weekly for 4 weeks, so I guess she'll have two days per week when the cold isn't bothering her. We'll see.
Audra has spent the last three evenings at her parents' house while Angela and I are home. Because Angela is recuperating form some type of flu, we thought it best to keep Audra and Angela separated for a few days.
Thank you all for your wishes and prayers. I'm sure Audra will be in touch as soon as she's got the energy.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Hello everyone!
I went to see Dr. Rosen on Monday, May 24th. I had my treatment of Zomtea. This time the treatment made me feel like crap for 3 days. That has not happened in a while but I’m feeling ok now. Being that I’m posting this so late, I’m actually getting ready to go back for another treatment.
Since my last blog update my face went back to having the same problem and then got a little better. We do not know why this is happening. Like I said before we will not really know anything until we get a scan. That scan will be scheduled in the next few days before I go back for my next Zometa treatment. I also just started having problems with my tongue. A few times a day the muscles or something tighten up so I can’t talk correctly. This, as well as the face drooping all have to do with the tumor in the brain.
I asked the doctor if I need to be concerned that this might cause me to not breathe. He said no so that was a relief.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. I will write again soon. Keep me in your prayers.
Audra
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
I went to NY on Monday with my dad. That was a fun ride (ha! ha!). I can’t talk loud and he can’t hear. Dad thinks he does not need a hearing aid but I think he is wrong. I got my Zometa treatment without any problems today. I spoke with my oncologist, Dr. Rosen and his assistant Adriane. She is with him all of the time. Adriane is like the doctor’s reference library. She remembers everything for him and reminds him of things he might have forgotten. I told Dr. Rosen that I noticed the other day that I got more movement and control to my face. What I’m saying is I can move my lips together without having trouble like before. He feels that the oral chemotherapy that I am taking, Gleevec, might be doing something to the tumor. We will not know for sure until we get a scan in a month or so. Perhaps when I go back in 3 weeks he might decide to do a scan then. This could be good news. The not so great news is that the Gleevec is giving me a rash and sometimes it itches badly. The doctor said to take Benadryl for the itching. He also increased my Gleevce from 400mg to 600mg. Eventually he wants me to take 800mg. But we need to see how the 600mg go first. This chemotherapy brings my blood counts down, just like regular chemo, so I’m susceptible to colds or viruses.
Well, that was my day in NY. Keep me in your prayers. Something may be working!
Love, Audra
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Hello from Audra!
I apologize for not getting to write this sooner but I think you all understand. It has been a long few weeks. I am feeling fine, no headaches, no pain just the face thing. The “face thing” which is caused by the brain tumor, causes the right side of my face to droop slightly compared to the left side. You can’t notice much unless I show you or you really look at me closely.
Glen has explained my decision to not continue aggressive treatments to most of you. And it was a very hard decision to make but I have been through so much over the years between chemotherapy, radiation and surgery I do not know how much more my body can take. I am taking an oral chemo called Gleveec. I did take it last year but it upset my stomach so I stopped. We'll see how it goes this time. I will be going to NY on Monday to have my injection of Zometa. I have been doing this for the past year. I go every three weeks. Here's some info on Zometa:
I have been keeping myself busy. I am feeling fine. Glen and I will keep “The Blog” update periodically.
I would like to Thank everyone for being so caring and keeping me in their prayers. It means a lot to me to know so many people truly care so much.
My email address is: LloydAF@comcast.net
Love, Audra
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Over the past weekend Audra decided the she was not mentally or physically prepared to start chemotherapy treatments. At this time she has decided to forgo treatments with such significant side effects opting instead for less aggressive, but more tolerable treatments.
She will be speaking with her oncologist again later this week to determine what, if any, course of treatment will come next.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Friday, April 09, 2004
Last week, after returning from a four day visit with her girlfriend Lois in Pittsburgh, Audra began to experience numbness on the right side of her face. She also noticed that she wasn't able to form a circle with her lips, her right side would lag a bit behind the left. Audra first noticed the lip thing when she spit after brushing her teeth.
A call to her oncologist, and a stat MRI confirmed additional and continued growth of a tumor at the base of her brain. This is the same tumor that the neurosurgeon was unable to fully resect back in November of 2002.
It's been a little over a week since we first got the news and yesterday when we saw her oncologist in NY. He spoke to the neurosurgeon about going back in to remove the tumor. The neurosurgeon is reluctant to put Audra under such stress and risk if there is no possible positive outcome in the longer-term. The neurosurgeon wants the oncologist to stabilize the tumor (reduce or stop its growth), and if that happens, he may be willing to provide some palliative resection.
It's been a rough week emotionally for Audra and I but she is not in any significant pain. At this point knowing that the options are few is painful enough.
Audra will start on chemotherapy on Monday, 4/12. The goal of this round of chemo would simply be stopping or reducing the tumor growth so the neurosurgeon can/will go back in to provide some relief. She's had this drug, Methotrexate, before but we don't know how effective it was. It seems to be the "go to" drug for cancer in or around the brain.
Friday, April 09, 2004
Monday, January 12, 2004
Monday evening, 1/12/04: Audra was taken into surgery about 7:45am this morning. After about 2 hours doctor came out and told us that everything went well, just as planned. They took out two instead of three of the bumps on her head since only two really bothered her. Doctor said if the others grow or bother her he'll just do it again. He had warned Audra just before surgery that he may only take out two due to the locations (he could do two of the bumps without having to move her in the operating room).
After a quick recovery and drive, we were home about 1:30pm. Audra slept most of the morning, during surgery, the drive home and most of afternoon. Considering we went to bed about 11pm, we were up around 4:15am and at the hospital at 6am, sleep was a necessity.
It's now about 8pm and Audra is hanging out watching TV. She's having a tough time speaking. Besides the fact that her throat was bothering her prior to the surgery, she probably had a tube down her throat during surgery. She should be back to her low-talking self in a day or two.
As for the surgery sites, the bump on the side of her head was removed without much effort. Doctor just glued the incision closed. The larger bump on the top of her head was taken out along with the surrounding skin in a football shape pattern. He then stitched and stapled the wound. The staples will come out in a day or two, the stitches in a few weeks.
As the pain killers wore off, she was having some minor discomfort at the wound sites. There is plenty of medication around the house to take care of that minor pain.
She's also complaining about everything I do so she must be far along the road to recovery!
Monday, January 12, 2004
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Quick Update: Tomorrow is January 12th and Audra is having surgery to remove a few bumps on her head. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30am at MCP in North Philadelphia. We're expected to be home the same day. Audra or I will try to post an update when we return home after the surgery.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
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