All Angle Attack
Sep08

All Angle Attack

We are attacking my brain tumor and CSF cells from all angles – Xeloda and Topotecan both can reach inside my brain. I am close to finishing my final day of my first Xeloda cycle. So far, so good. Strangely enough, somehow everything I have been on for awhile has apparently had a lame impact on my tastebuds and Xeloda doesn’t have quite the same impact. Sweets are DELICIOUS some foods taste off, but fruits and sweet things...

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Let’s Call a Pig a Pig
Jul15

Let’s Call a Pig a Pig

I think we are reaching a point of mental exhaustion that is just… blah. Queen of getting the rare stuff is at it again. Kadcyla makes me super tired. It kicks in the worst on Monday after a Friday infusion. We went camping right after I got home from my infusion Friday. We were out on Saturday riding 4-wheelers,, Mike on his and I was out on Ziplodicus. I was worried about the RV with the dogs in it because something set off...

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June, Hey June, Don’t Let Me Down
Jun17

June, Hey June, Don’t Let Me Down

I have been dreading and looking forward to June. My life is an exciting bunch of good and bad. June meant our big Lake Powell trip that we have been planning since last year. It has been a list item for me, I live in Utah and have somehow never been to Lake Powell. Mike loves Lake Powell and he has been aching to go for ages and it has just never been in the cards since it is a far drive and we have wanted to spend a decent amount of...

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Chemo, Fifi on the Loose, Decisions to be Made
May28

Chemo, Fifi on the Loose, Decisions to be Made

In the battle of pain, lately it has been pain 10, Mandi 0. My palliative care doctor and I mulled over the fact that we had increased my time release medication and my pain was still increasing. It was like the increase had no impact. I guess sometimes your body will just become accustomed to a pain medication and it doesn’t help much, even if you increase the dosage. So she opted to change my time release medication from...

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3 More Weeks, Another Chemo
May06

3 More Weeks, Another Chemo

The last bit has been mostly uneventful as far as cancer life goes. I have been tired, cranky, in pain and the usual bit – but have a bit of a break before my next MRI and time before we do another PET-CT. For now we just wait, hope that nothing sneaky is growing and sort of sift through what is “next” in the treatment plan as we are teetering on the brink of change. I am really lacking in the creative title...

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Fifi, The Police and The Injections of Doom
Jul11

Fifi, The Police and The Injections of Doom

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of relaxing, time with friends and just living life. We have taken Fifi out several times this summer. We have more Fifi adventures tentatively scheduled and I have been working my way through #TheMandiList, our trip to Europe is mostly booked. I am super excited, and I am nervous I won’t be strong enough for our AirBNB room in Florence that involves 5 flights of stairs, but it has a...

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