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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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
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