(By Katherine, from Dawn)

Happy Easter!

Just checking in with everyone. Hope everyone is having a blessed Easter Holy Week. We are talking about potentially going back to Mexico. They want to see my scans first. We will definitely keep you updated on that.

Thank you for the books on tapes and CD. I am working my way through all of them. I am enjoying them along with books on Audible on Amazon. It's so easy because I can tell Alexa to read to me and then pick right up where i left off later on in the day. Send me good book recommendations too or you can message my sister, Katherine on Facebook or you can comment below on my blog. She is keeping a list for me.

To add to my fun of vision and hearing challenges, I had some scabby rashes on my face. Turns out, it was Shingles. Really?! It's getting better now finally.

Next chemo is on the 26th. I am still going every three weeks for now. Keep the prayers coming for continued healing. I am still up for visitors, so just let me know. Love you all, Dawn

Good News

(By Katherine for Dawn)

Hi everyone. We got some good news this week. We had a full body scan and most lesions were reduced. We will continue on the current treatment as planned. Keep the prayers coming for continued success.

I haven't been able to really see since October so here are some funnies that I have had to endure. (My sister didn't think this seemed so funny but I know my friends will laugh at this with me.) At times, my body would go numb and thankfully there would always be a couch, bed or chair to catch me. The next time this happened, I went numb, and somehow I managed to nosedive into my vomit (I vomited on the way down as I was falling). I have also fallen in my shower on my back. My mom ran upstairs and saw more than she bargained for. Another time, I was going to climb into bed and fell near the left side of the bed. Jason came running up, raised his voice "DAWN WHERE ARE YOU?"  I said "Over here on the ground." He asked "On purpose???" I said "No, I fell." Sounds scary but all pretty funny after the fact. I now realize how I will be when I am 90.

I still need help walking and I'm still unsteady. I am using my grandmother's walker on the first floor of the house...we have named it Speedy.

I am getting up more, doing more, and hoping to continue to do even more.

Please stop by and visit, I'd love to see you guys, even though I can't SEE you guys. Ha!

That's it for this update. Keep the prayers coming! Love you all.

March 2017 Update

(written by Katherine for Dawn)

Hi everyone. The last five months have been rough but I am slowly getting out of bed more and starting to feel better. I am realizing this may be my new normal, so I am trying to adapt as best as I can. Not being able to see kind of sucks to tell you the truth, in case you couldn't guess. Vision is still about 20%.

I am trying to look for ways to learn and practice Braille. We have looked on Amazon but haven't found much. If anyone knows any tips, tricks or resources, let us know. If anyone has any books on tape that sound interesting (really anything, teenage, classics, etc), i'd love to borrow them. You can drop off in the mailbox if it's convenient. Please put some tape with your name on them so we can return them!

I am still continuing the Kadcyla every third week. My body is tolerating it well but there are 5-7 days where it hits me a little harder. MRI coming soon, will let you know.

Thank you VERY MUCH for all of the food that is still coming in and the variety has been so nice. We can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to help with the meals and for continuing to love on my sweet boys.

Please remember it's very hard for me return emails, texts, posts etc. I try to have people read them to me but it's kind of sporadic. I will try to have Jason or my mom read them to me more. If there is something urgent, please reach out to Jason.

I am playing with my new Alexa (which i keep calling Aurora and Alexis- darn brain mets), so let me know if you have any fun skills or tricks to use with it. I have played 20 questions, listened to the Tonight Show monologue, read a book on Audible, etc.

I will try to update sooner. Love you all.

p.s. I am always up for visitors, would love to see you all, you can text Jason to make sure I'm up and at 'em.

Latest Update

(Katherine, for Dawn)

Sorry it's been so long. At first, physically, I was not doing well. But slowly every day i am feeling stronger. The only negative side effect is that I am literally down to 10% of my vision. Most of the time, i need escorting around the house or neighborhood. The doctors say there is nothing wrong with my eyes, it's the lesions pressing on the part of my brain that controls sight.

We just finished my second round of Kadcyla. I will have my third round on January 11th. We expect another MRI after my fourth treatment or so.

Thank you for all of the delicious food from the meal train that Tricia posted for us. Thank you all as well for stepping up and playing with my precious boys.

Because I am not seeing very well, I can't read, color, watch TV, play games, etc. We have bought some audiobooks but other than that and listening to the TV, we are a bit stumped as to what else I may be able to do. I know there are probably a lot of things we aren't thinking about, since many people have vision problems, including blindness, so please let us know if you have any ideas, tips, etc.

If you see me out and about, just know that i can't completely see you, so please forgive the lack of eye contact and let me know who you are. Maybe we should all have a secret handshake?

Despite not being able to see so well, I could hear the laughter of my family at Christmas, which was so nice.

I will try to post again a lot sooner. Keep sending the love. If you send texts, emails or notes, I am trying to have people read them to me but I may be slow on replies. Love you all.

Happy New Year!

My family and I today after a walk around the neighborhood.
(My hair! Pippi Longstocking here i come!)

I cannot believe it has been a month since I left Hope4Cancer.

What have I been doing since then?  The first week was awesome.  On cloud nine.  Then we went to the beach.  We had been planning that trip since the beginning of the year.  I was worried we wouldn't be able to go.  But we did.  We met my sister and her family there.  By the third day, I was down for the count.  Literally slept for an entire day.  They said I wasn't talking clearly and just seemed off.  By the fourth day, Jason had packed me in the car and off to the ER at 4 AM in the morning.

At first they thought I had meningitis.  Then they said no, it is a bacterial infection.  Ugh.  No, wasn't that either.  It was a UTI.  Apparently, women over 40, have the tendency with UTIs to have neurological problems.  I will take a UTI any day.

Came home and unfortunately, I didn't feel much better.  Then last week, Jason again thought I wasn't making sense. Turns out, i was very dehydrated, they gave me steroids and I got another MRI. Not good news. The lesions are growing.

We met with the oncological radiologist and my regular oncologist over the past two days. We are also in contact with my doctor in Mexico to see what they recommend.

At this point, have a new, old plan. We are restarting the Kadcyla that I had two treatments of before I left for Mexico. My oncologist felt that we didn't give it enough of a chance. I will have my first treatment tomorrow morning at 8:30am.

I know Tricia posted a meal train on the Ford's Go To Crew site. Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered to help. We really appreciate it. I am having a hard time focusing with reading so please bear with me if I don't return calls, texts, emails right away. Also, to everyone helping out with the boys, we can't thank you enough for bridging the gaps.

Keep sending prayers. Feel free to stop by and say hi. I will be honest and tell you if I am not feeling up to it. I'll try to post more soon. Love, Dawn.

We fight on!

(Katherine, for Dawn)

Tijuana - Day 21

Today is Sunday.  My last day.  I have received my box of Rigvir.  I cannot close my suitcase.  I am either going to smoosh it in there tomorrow morning or switch everything around and put it in my cloth bag I bought here.  Don't want to do that though.  Don't trust a cloth bag that would possibly pop open and have the Rigvir get lost.  That would stink!  Maybe some packing tape around the suitcase just in case.  Could use some new luggage anyway...

I decided to go for one last run today.  The weather was perfect.  76 degrees.  Went the same way I did yesterday where I ended up on the boardwalk most of the way.  About 1/4 of a mile in, my toe catches one of the board and I go flying like Superman - left arm out.  It hurt.  A LOT!  Two families stopped to help.  One gentleman offered his hand and helped me up.  In broken English, he said something about the boards.  They asked if I was okay and I said yes.  And I kept running, but ran back to Hope4Cancer to get doctored up.  It hurt like the dickens.  We put whatever it is they clean my PIC line with, some ointment, and a bandage and off I went.

After my run and a quick trip to Walmart for balloons and sharpies (139 pesos), a bunch of us decided to write on balloons and release them.  I wrote things I was looking forward to and things I was ready to let go and leave here.  We then took turns letting them go from the boardwalk.  It was pretty cathartic.

Had my last dinner: stuffed zucchini with quinoa, peppers, onions, garlic, and sauce.  Potatoes and a small salad.  Had a second one sent to my room.  I said you should get cookies on your last night.  No such luck.

Just had my pic line taken out.  Took about five minutes.  I am officially free!

I can't get pictures to load. Will send when I get home.  That's tomorrow if you didn't know!

I have packed up as much as I can.  Changed my bandaid and put Collodial Silver on the gash.  Brushed my teeth.  It is 8:00PM and I think I am ready to get into bed.  I am setting my alarm for 5:00AM and won't get home until 8:00PM.  It is going to be a long night.

Good night, Everyone.  Sleep tight.

Tijuana - Day 20

Jesus, our driver, came in my room to tell me we will be leaving for the airport on Monday at 7:30AM.  He reminded me I had to have my Rigvir in my check-in bag and my prescriptions on my person in case I am asked by security to see them.  I cannot believe I leave in two days.  I cannot wait to see my boys.  My flight lands at 7:45PM.  And then we wake up on Tuesday and life goes on.

Life goes on with lots of laughing and love and not worrying and living.  It has been a LONG four years.  I am ready.

Blogging while glowing from the light pads on my chest, liver and back.

Scrambled eggs, avocado, sprouts, fruit for breakfast.  After I finished, I asked for a second.  And then, all of a sudden, I was very nauseous.  One of the side effects of the Rigvir is flu-like symptoms.  Not sure if that was the cause because two other people at the table started feeling sick also.  I couldn't eat my second helping.  Went and got in the bed.  After about 45 minutes, felt significantly better.  Went and got my second shot of Rigvir and went on with my day of treatments.

I went for a run along the boardwalk and got some good Vitamin D.  I felt good.  A couple times I thought I couldn't make it up a hill, but I did.  Ran nice and slow and it was only in the low 80s so that helped.  Did my push-ups, sit-ups, shoulder raises, and some biceps.  I have lost a lot of muscle mass from the steroids.  Have stayed the same in weight, but have leaned out even more.  On Tuesday, I will start weaning myself off the Dex and won't have to take that again.

Tomorrow will be a lot of lasts.  Last treatments, last meals, last visit with new friends, last time in my room, etc.  It will be bittersweet.  But I will be back in January.

I will try to post tomorrow night on my Sunday, but can't promise anything.

Thank you for coming with me on this part of my journey.  I can't wait to see everyone and give big hugs.  We did it!