Wise words from Chloe 6 years old

Chloe's words: "You know what?! Moms knows so much more than dads, because they have eyes in back of their heads. Moms just know everything! "

Catia

@ W having lunch!

January 26, 2011 First lab work since leaving Houston

Adrian went to see Dr. H here in Austin today to do routine lab work.

His WBC is 4.2 !!!!!!!!!

This is excellent news!!!  It is all baby steps, one at the time... or it used to be. Right now everything seems to be just like normal. Like nothing was ever wrong.

I was just shutting down my computer and took a quick glimpse at CNN. Look at this article about Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. Not that Aj has implants (hope not) but still, it is the first time I see an article about his cancer.

CNN- Article

And again, I want to thank all of you sweet and warm hearted people who have supported us in all different ways. Thank you!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Cold!!!

Day 29 - January 18, 2011

Things are going really smooth here. Adrian is doing well, he is due to go to Dr. H to do blood work. (routine) and has been scheduled in the middle/end of March to do the CT, PET scans and the bone marrow biopsy @MD Anderson.
He has had a little bit of a sore throat the last week. It is hard to tell if it is allergies or not. I had it too and mine were allergies for sure. Austin is known for bringing out allergies in people. They say cedar is the worst at the moment.
He is not feeling anything else, flu or anything so hopefully it is allergies and will be gone soon. Otherwise the blood works will show different, I guess. But he feels fine. That is the main thing!

I went to a raw food cooking class on Saturday. It was very exciting. Sounds silly that a cooking class was exciting, but I do love to cook and create and the ideas here were very cool.
I cooked 3 dishes tonight and will keep on making them. It was spaghetti made of zucchini and a marinera sauce (vegetarian) and finished off with a chocolate mousse made of avocado, dates and organic cacao powder. Kids looooved the mousse :).... little did they know :)

Yet again it shows that the vitamix blender is a phenomenal tool in the kitchen! I made the sauce and the mousse with it.
The point with raw food is - nothing is heated above 105 F, IF at all. I didn't cook anything I made. This is so that none of the nutrients gets cooked away. Everything stays in the food.
Bonus is, it is really tasty.

Tomorrow it is creamy zucchini soup, cauliflower mash and grass fed beef on the menu! I will cook that beef though.

January 14, 2010 This has nothing to do with cancer at all, but it touches your heart

CNN Article

January 13, 2011

Quick update:  Adrian is doing great!

Lot of International blog readers!

We now have people in all of these countries reading the blog! I hope it is helping others out there who are in similar situation.

United States

Sweden

Canada

Netherlands

Germany

India

Croatia

Norway

Malaysia

Slovenia

Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
South Korea

Day 20, January 9, 2011

It is not a whole lot to write about right now :). Good for Adrian, good for me - good for everyone!! 

Adrian came back home on Thursday afternoon and has been home for the weekend. He left tonight to go back for lab work tomorrow and then home again. 

Then, that is it!!!!

He is doing extremely well. His counts are not sky rocketing. I think his WBC was about 2.6 on Thursday which is absolutely ok. We are a little bit cautious as of where he goes so he is not around a bunch of snotty kids who are coughing their guts up. But we went for dinner last night, sushi and then to the movies - Black Swan. By the way, what a BRILLIANT movie! Very intense and dramatic. Loved it!! 

If I told you and you didn't know Adrian had a transplant 3 weeks ago, you would never believe me. He is just like normal, minus hair, eye lashes and eye brows. He rests in the afternoons, maybe a little nap or just lay down. But other than that it is normal. 

We have gone for a few small walks on our street, the weather has been amazing. Although they are warning for 'extreme' weather this week. Extreme.... I am thinking blizzards and 5 feet of snow.... That would be a dream :). Texas extreme, most likely means in the 30's and maybe a snowflake or two. But for sure no snow that lasts after 12pm. 

Even got an email from the school saying be on the alert in case of early release due to weather. Cute. 

Adrian had a bunch of pills - antibiotics which they prescribed earlier with him to the house. The nurses told him he does not have to take any of them. The only 'medicine' he is on is some he got himself which are helping clean out his body and protect his organs. I'll let you know what they are soon.

Our main focus now is to detox, cleanse and re-engergize his body with lots and lots of healthy organic food. I am going to a cooking class next week to get some info plus there is another course starting in March which we will attend. 

The goal is to maintain the remission status and build the body to be strong and be able to fight anything on its own. 

I was wrong when I wrote, Adrian will go back to MD A for scans and biopsy in a few weeks. The nurses told him, he won't need to do that for at least 3 months. They said, if there were no cancer before they gave him the 'High Dose Chemo' then there will for sure not be any that soon after it. 

Basically - the high dose will wipe anything out for a long period of time. 

Adrian will meet with Dr. Alousi tomorrow and I will know more about it then. 

Something that is a little odd that we thought about. Dr. Alousi was introduced to us as Adrian's transplant doctor when we first went to the Transplant floor. He was the one who told us in detail how everything would work and all the steps and so on. 

Since Adrian got admitted to MD A for chemo and transplant - we have not seen Dr. Alousi. Not once. 

Now I guess that is how big hospitals like this works. They have a 'face' who you talk to and then they send you on to the next one in line. Quite similar to a factory, you go from one section to another and there are different workers in each section. Just that the patient is the 'thing' who is on the band. 

I am not saying that I am not grateful for what they do and have done. Quite the opposite. I feel we are extremely fortunate to have the knowledge and medicines that we have. I know it is not possible to treat each and every individual like they are the only patient in there. The large hospitals have to work out a system where nobody will be forgotten or put aside. Just think about every little thing that happens to each and everyone. Everything is recorded or written down and then on to the next doctor/nurse and then last but not least, billed for. I can't even begin try understand, how they get it all to work. 

What Adrian has decided after the transplant is, if he ever relapses again, he will never go back to MD Anderson, or any other cancer hospital again. Not because he doesn't like the doctors or how they cared for him. He just doesn't believe in treating the cancer with chemo anymore. Like Michael Douglas said, "Unbelievable, they have to kill you to bring you back".

The cancer comes from our food and/or environment. All the fake products which we call food and put in our bodies to digest. Things which have absolutely zero nutrients in them. Things that makes us feel full, but does nothing for our health and immune system.

We are both reading books for two different purposes and they are both saying the same things. About how we poison our bodies and what we need in order to live a long and healthy life. They are telling us about the chemicals in things like tooth paste, lotions we put on our bodies which gets sucked up in our blood streams and of course what we eat. Food who last for weeks and months without ever changing. Food that have been modified to fit in to our daily society and needs. 

It can just never be too late to change.

I have bought organic chicken, milk and eggs for a long time, years. Sometimes snacks, fruit, vegetables, granola and yoghurt too. Since Adrian's cancer, I have changed more and more. I will not buy any meat, beef or chicken which has not been grass fed. Nothing which has been corn fed at all. Basically, all I buy now is organic or from farmers markets here in Austin. 

It narrows things down a little and takes a little more time planning. But that is why I will go to these courses to learn about it all in depth. 

This way we will also teach our children to eat healthy and promote a healthy life style. When I was driving around in Houston looking for restaurants we played a game in the car, I said the name of the restaurant/chain or a kind of food and they would tell me if it was healthy or not. 

I am not saying we are going to be 100% perfect but at least give it a full hearted shot. We can't risk Adrian or anyone else getting sick again like this. 

Seriously??? In January???

Chloe bowling

Bowling !!

Adrian has been home since Thursday and is doing extremely well!

Catia

Lake Austin is lowered !

Interesting article

I saw the other post I did from my phone didn't have the link!

Blood test to spot cancer gets big boost from J&J

Teddy Bear

I just came up to our bedroom and found this dude in the bed.

This is a teddy bear the volunteers gave to him on Christmas Day. When driving home I heard the girls talk about where they should put it. They all agreed on Pappa's bed, so they wouldn't miss him (Pappa) too much. :) so they tucked him in.

Guess I have company in bed tonight!!

Day 14, January 3, 2011 First night's sleep out of hospital!

Went to visit Adrian yesterday morning. Our friends Brian and Danielle were in Houston for a football game and had come to say hello to Adrian as well. It was nice to see them. I remember first time I met them about 9 years ago, we were all having a lot of drinks on some roof top bar on the beach in Los Angeles. Good old times!!!

The surprise of the day was that Adrian was being released!! It was best news for a while!! Out of that hospital!!
We all went to have lunch and then off to the Zoo, Adrian wasn't tired at all. Just walked around and enjoyed the cool crisp weather!

His WBC had gone down to 3 yesterday but the doctor said it was the Neuprogen wearing off, nothing to be alarmed by. Today WBC is 2.8.
Nurse told Adrian this morning he can start eating fresh fruit and vegetables again. (he had to hold off because of the pesticides and it could be some dirt/bacteria from insects which could cause illness)

Girls were over the moon all day yesterday and this morning. Very excited Pappa was out. Chloe told him, she would never leave Houston without him again. :) Well... at least until this morning :)

I had to drive back with the girls today, since school starts tomorrow and wake up call is 6.30am!! URGHHHH! Not sure how that is going to go, but... I should head to bed right now for starters. :) :)

Felt quite bummed we had to drive back today, when Aj just got out of hospital yesterday. Feels like he has been in there years!

He ha some night sweat last night and had some in hospital, which they say is normal too. His body is so out of whack, it is going to take some time to get it back to normal. It is a work in progress right now.

Adrian is feeling much better than he did just a few days ago and moves around just like normal.
Pretty incredible how quickly it switches from high to low. About 3 days ago, I didn't think he was going to be released for at least another week!

Hopefully he can come back to Austin in the next week or so. I have a feeling Adrian will be back here sooner rather than later!

As for right now, he has to go for check ups ever 3 days. In 2 weeks from now, he will go back for bone marrow biopsy, CT and Pet scan. That will be the first real proof if the transplant has worked or not. After that I think it is every 3 months.

Great start of the NEW YEAR!!!

@ the zoo

Getting out!!!!!!!!!

Day 12, January 1, 2011 Pizza!

Counts are up and pizza going down.
The sore throat is getting better. I was hoping it was going to be the best pizza he's ever had. :) but his taste buds aren't back yet. At least it is some kind of food in his body. Hoping he will gain energy and strength. He amazes me though, how he is pulling through every day. Adrian is a CHAMP!

Now, since I raved about organic food yesterday, he decided on pizza tonight. :) :)
We went over earlier today for a coffee and then back tonight with pizza. We found a nice spot on the second floor where we can sit and chat. It has sky light so it is nice and bright.
I feel a lot more at ease when I see Adrian feeling a little better, huge weight off my shoulders. I know there is still a long way to go though.

It is not that easy to eat out all the time. I'm actually quite sick of it, all I want is my own kitchen!
The hotel, Medical center Mariott is really good, actually phenomenal. They will make anything you like for breakfast and not expensive.
I used to rave about the beds at Holiday Inn here, now it is all about Mariott. Everything from rooms, breakfast, gym, lobby and STAFF are top notch. The staff will go out of their way to help and are always happy.
Plus it is the cheapest hotel we've stayed at here in Houston!

WBC 3.8 !!

It is going up!!!

Catia

Day 11, December 31, 2010 New Years Eve - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Only 34 minutes left of 2011!

WBC went up to 2.2 today! Adrian's throat is sore but not as bad. Eating still hurts and I keep bringing him soup in the evening when we visit. 

Almost all his eyebrows and eye lashes are gone. But they will grow back in no time as soon as he starts recovering. He has phenomenal hair growth and when he finished the CHOP, he had a full head of hair really quick. 

Adrian said he thinks the ANC is up where it needs to be or will be by tomorrow, which means he could be released as early as Sunday. But there won't be anyone on his floor to sign release papers on Sunday, so probably Monday.  But nothing is for sure, so one day at the time. 

Dealing with cancer and its treatment is like a rough roller coaster ride. It yanks you left, right and center at the blink of an eye. Every kink of the course, you don't really know what to expect. One day it is really good, next day rock bottom, then when you think it can't get worse - it does. Couple of days later it is all good again. There is only one word for it, WEIRD. 

What we will focus (health wise) on when Adrian gets home is building cardio strength and diet. Not diet as of needing to loose weight. Diet to clean all the drugs out of his system and cleanse his body. The worry from all the chemo drugs is, of course, secondary cancer. On almost all of the papers they give him before administering the drugs, it says that one of the side effect is secondary cancer. That cancer can come in another part of the body or blood. This can happen in a few years or 20 years down the line, or not at all. There is no telling, nobody knows.

Adrian has met quite a few people during this hospital stay, who have had cancer, gone into remission and anything from 2 weeks to 12 years, relapsed with another kind of cancer. Some of them have relapsed with their initial cancer too, of course.

We were talking tonight and Adrian was saying, the doctors here do their job - treat cancer with chemo/poison or maybe a transplant. Afterwards they pat you on the back to say well done and send you home with a good luck.
There is no such thing as post treatment education class. Meaning, what you can do to lower the risk of cancer coming back and look after yourself. They don't say, stop eating processed food and take vitamins - it might help. They don't say anything at all. It is not like it would harm to you take to those measurements after gone through cancer and chemo treatment.
You can't really fight the point of organic food. The only thing I would say, YES - it is more expensive and that is a shame because everybody can't afford to buy all organic. 

The only thing we can do is to do our best to protect and nurture our bodies with as clean food as possible and teach the kids healthy eating. We have the incredible Vitamix blender and will add on a juicer as well to make veggie juices several times a day.
Again, we are so lucky to have Whole Foods Flagship Store in Austin where organic and locally grown products are available 7 days a week. Plus there are at least 4 farmers' markets every Saturday.

I have found two places to get grass fed beef, one is bison actually, which is very tasty and lean. Here is some interesting info about bison:

The Omega Connection

Grass-fed and finished bison has a healthy Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio of 4:1 or less. For grain-fed bison that ratio can climb to a very unhealthy 20:1, or sometimes even higher. High Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios have been linked to heart disease, inflammatory diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and behavioral disorders.

In hunter-gatherer times, more than 10,000 years ago, grain consumption was perhaps incidental at best. The Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio in those times was closer to 2:1 or 1:1. Our bodies haven't changed all that much in the last 10,000 years. But unfortunately our eating habits as a society, especially in the last 40 years or so, have changed dramatically, and for the worse. High Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios can be directly linked to excessive consumption of grains and an ever expanding range of derivative products.

When compared to grain-fed bison, grass-fed bison is:

• lower in total fat, especially saturated fat
  
  
• lower in cholesterol and calories
  
  
• considerably higher in beta-carotene and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), both being practically non-existent in grain fed animals.
  
  Beta-carotene is used in the body to make Vitamin A, a powerful anti-oxidant linked to preventing cancer and cardio-vascular disease. It can also give grass-fed bison fat a slightly yellow color; something that the grain-driven part of the bison industry will sometimes erroneously play up as a negative factor. Grain-fed bison has white fat, much like you see in most, if not all, supermarket beef; a fat whose health benefits are compromised by high Omega 6 content.
  
  In preliminary studies CLA, a fatty acid, has been linked to reducing the risk of cancer, diabetes and obesity.

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Look perfect timing!! It is midnight!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!

LET US HAVE A GREAT 2011!!!!!