All Is Good!

Hi Friends and Family,

I have wanted to update my blog, but I have actually been pretty darn busy. I realized a lot has happened since the last updated on 9/11.

It has now been 3 1/2 months since my surgery and things are going well. In mid-September, I had a slight set back with a bad reaction to a bone strengthening drug which is given via IV. The drug is called Reclast and generally there are not side effects. I was given this drug because I am now on Tamaxifen which can potentially weaken bones. So, I was down and out for a few days.

On 9/21 I met with both my oncologist and oncological surgeon, both doctors were pleased and glad that I was working well with the Tamoxifen, which I will take daily for the next 5 years. Tamoxifen blocks estrogen to the breast, but not to the rest of the body. The type of cancer I was diagnosed with thrived on estrogen, which is why we want to block it.

I am still seeing my plastic surgeon monthly, although I keep telling him we really need to break up! I have had a few very minor healing issues so he still wants to see me. Or maybe it's all the interns that show up for each visit?!?

On the 9/22 I drove back to AZ, with Miss Kitty and Romeo (the bird) in tow. We were back for two quick days then Mike and I along with a group of friends were off to Hawaii for a week. We followed that trip with parent's weekend in Colorado Springs to visit Monica and see how her freshman year was going, followed by a trip to CA to check on the house, see a doc, and dinner with Amanda and Elyse - not to mention pick up my finished wedding dress!

So, things are good. Most of you already knew that I was doing well. Even though I I haven't been real good about updating the blog, it has been a joy connecting with each of you and feeling such huge support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart - which is located just behind my new boob. :O Love, Katie

More Good News!

Well, I had some great news yesterday, I will positively NOT have to go thru chemo! I thought I already knew the answer to this (being an amateur doctor), but in fact I was mistaken and told that my new hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Rita Mehta, would be deciding on my treatment.

Yesterday she gave me the results of the tumor biopsy and it was found to be a colloid carcinoma type, which is good news because it's pretty rare (3-4%) and low grade which means it's very treatable and low likelihood of recurrence. It sounds like I will become a "regular" based on the follow up care. At the clinic it's interesting to hear the other stories of breast cancer survivors; a club I am now officially a member of and plan on being for a long time!

After meeting Dr. Mehta with Mike I left the appointment with a prescription for the drug Tamoxifen - which a friend calls it 'her cancer pill'. I will take this pill daily for the next few years. I had not realized just how stressed I was about this appointment until it was over, and now..........I FEEL GREAT. All is well. Thanks for the continued prayers and well wishes.

xoxoxokd

Three Weeks Post Surgery Update

It's Tuesday morning and I'm feeling great! I've been delayed in updating the blog, so thought I would do that first thing today.

Last Thursday, I met with Dr. Kobayashi and he removed the last drain - you can not believe the sense of freedom by having that thing gone (it's a bag attached to your body to collect fluids from the surgery that has to be drained daily, ugh).

Friday morning I woke up and washed my own hair (in a sink, but who cares) and got cleaned up, put on a dress and make up and waited for my sister, Barbara, to arrive with my mother for lunch. Monica Mueller, Mike's daughter joined us, and the four of us had a wonderful time. Great to see my mother and I know she felt a huge relief seeing her daughter up and doing so well. We had lots of fun hearing about Monica's plans for her first year of college this fall at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. We all felt like it would be soooooo fun to be 18 again and off to college.

Sunday was a great day, with a visit from Becky and Kevin Day who drove from their summer house in Carlsbad to Laguna to see us. The four of us, Kevin, Becky, Mike and I, had lunch at the St. Regis. Yes, that's the Pacific ocean behind Becky and me! Mike and I should have asked them the secret to marriage, since it has been 28 years ago that I was in their wedding! I have known Becky since high school and Kevin since grade school, lots of great history between us.

I met with Dr. K again yesterday, and his reassurance was a huge relief, so today I feel like a new person. His positive attitude is absolutely infectious! It is definitely contagious. Am I starting to sound like a doctor yet? I had not updated the blog because I was concerned about the pain in my right arm because I could not raise it past my hip. This lack of movement happens because the lymph nodes (7) were removed and nerves were cut. Nobody tells you much about the arm thing.

Yesterday Dr. K explained my fears away. What has happened is that when the nerves are cut, the signal in your brain indicates pain, but what's happening with your arm is not really pain, but kind of like when your arm falls to sleep. My current therapy is to retrain my arm and brain by moving it and doing exercises to get the nerves to send the right message to my brain. So, now I am moving it like crazy and although it feels strange, I am just simply waking up my arm.

Mike could have told me the same thing since he went thru this with his hip, but you know it seems more real to hear it from the doc. Plus, there is a threat, if I don't get this arm moving by this Thursday, then they will put me in physical therapy which I do NOT want...those guys are mean. Since Mike is experimenting with blogs he wanted to include his hip video. No, I won't be uploading my exercise video anytime soon!



I have an appointment this coming Monday August 10th with a new doctor, Dr. Rita Mehta who is a hematologist/oncologist, where she will determine the follow-up cancer treatment. Like my favorite soap opera, All My Children, stay tuned for the next update! Not sure what that will bring, but whatever....I feel so happy to have come this far and doing so well.

Love to all. xoxoxokd

There's No Place Like Home!

Hi All,

First let me just say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your calls, cards, emails, and blog postings. I have really loved hearing from each of you. Your love is felt.

Mike has been a rock. He put together the blog and I think/hope that it has been a good outlet for him. There is a lot of stress when you get sick and I am thankful again for Mike's calm way, strength and endless love and support.

I got home yesterday afternoon, Monday and it was nice to get back to my own place where people are not coming in every few hours to wake me up and ask me how I am doing! Miss Kitty, in the picture to the right with me in the back patio, did not even ask me where I had been. Does she not know who feeds her and cleans her litter box?!?

Mike told me that when he did the blog it should be a place where I really shared, so I want to share my thoughts with all of you. I want you all to know how thankful I am to God. I may not say this as much as I should or as publicly as I could, but I am very thankful for all that I have been given in life, thankful for each opportunity and for each challenge. My nurse, Sharon, and I had an interesting conversation about why perhaps God sometimes throws someone a certain challenge - not to punish, but to remind them that they need to remember to turn to God more often.

So, I just want to say that I am thankful in a way for this bump in the road - really I am. This has really been a time when I have slowed down and been reminded that life is really good. That I have many more good things than bad in my life. I have more people who love me than most. And, when I think of the small boy in the elevator in his pj's with a drain tube down his front, or the young bride who is just trying to walk down the hallway as she recovers from stomach cancer - I am thankful.

So, we move through the next few weeks each day making progress. And yes, many of you girls noticed - I really did have the best looking docs in the hospital - just keeping MIKEY on his toes.

Much love to all. xoxox-kd

A Birthday Celebration!

It's hard to believe looking at this picture this is a woman who just underwent a five hour surgery three days earlier! Simply amazing how fast she has recovered. Last night we all met in her hospital room for a pizza dinner to celebrate the anniversary of my 29th birthday, as my mother used to say. Well the best present I received that day is word Katie would be able to go home Monday cancer free! She is now comfortably resting at home (Dana Point).

I'd like to thank everyone for their emails, blog posts, calls and most importantly prayers. I know Katie will be reaching out to you soon too. The surgery team did an outstanding job. The photo to the left is the lead plastic surgeon Dr. Koybayashi in the middle paying a visit and his residents in training that assisted (nurse Monica on far left!) When even the doctors are high five'g each other you know it was a success!

Katie will pretty much be immobile for the next month while everything gets reconnected. It didn't stop her from watering her plants in the backyard today and brushing Miss Kitty. I guess its the small things that make you feel at home. Like falling asleep watching her favorite soap opera All My Children. Go figure!

As we were leaving the hospital a young boy in the elevator was attached to some type of portable device which reminded us both that cancer knows no boundaries. It does not discriminate. Yesterday, for my birthday, I road my bicycle from Angel Stadium (next to UCI hospital) to Del Mar with good friends Bennett Dorrance and Rick Kuhle. Rick "earned" a Livestrong bracelet for completing his first century (100 miles). Just like Sara and Terry Lee in this photo wearing the Livestrong bracelet in support, it's a constant reminder of what Katie and other cancer patients have gone through. Go Lance! Go Katie! Go little boy in the elevator! - Mike

What a ride!

The roller coaster therapy from last week worked for both of us! After gritting our teeth and shutting our eyes, just like a roller coaster ride, we opened them up to find out the worst was over. Hearing Julie's voice saying Katie's lymph nodes were cancer free was a wave of relief. The ride was over, but the anticipation was gut wrenching.

I guess part of my therapy is being able to write and read on the Internet what Katie is going through and keeping "Katie's support group" informed. It's really hard to sit on the sidelines knowing there isn't much you can do. Tough for a control freak not to be able flip a switch and make everything better! You just keep a positive attitude, trust you have the best doctors, and let God take over. It's hard not to think about Carol Waldrop, our friend, who was diagnosed with lung cancer the same week as Katie and accept the fact Carol passed away last week. It doesn't seem fair.

So here is a quick recap if you want to read on. Blogs, just like Facebook and all that other social media stuff can get boring quickly. We woke up today, Wednesday, at 5am and headed to the University of California Irvine Center to check in at 6:15am (no pets allowed so Miss Kitty didn't make the road trip). It's a pretty amazing facility and rated one of the best hospitals in the US. It even has valet parking and they serve Dr. Pepper! A special thanks goes out to Lynette and Mike Hayde. He has been a friend and business associate for over 25+ years who pointed us to UCI, the great doctors and Julie Boyle who has helped coordinate everything. Lynette has gone through a similar challenge and within 30 minutes of reaching out to Mike I heard back from him. Within hours a plan was already being formulated!

Much to our surprise we were greeted by Barb Basalone, Katie's sister. After checking in and waiting her turn, Katie was greeted by all the doctors and "marked" up. Around 8:30 she was given a sedative and wheeled in for surgery. I occupied my time figuring out how to get wireless access, putting on my headphones, tuning into Pandora, and basically ignoring everything around me to pass the time. At about 10:15 I got the call from Julie Boyle telling me everything went well and the lymph nodes were cancer free! Then around 11am Dr. Butler, the oncologist, came out and gave me the rest of the details.He operated for about two hours with a team of at least seven and removed all her breast tissue and four lymph nodes. They tested the nodes while still in surgery and they were negative or free of cancer. They are doing additional testing on the surrounding tissue and will have the pathology report sometime next week.

The lymph nodes are the biggest indicators if the cancer has spread, so he didn’t expect any different results once we get the pathology report back. Unfortunately, he won’t know what additional treatment will be necessary until after he gets that report back. He indicated that based on her earlier tests she will probably have to undergo some type of hormonal therapy, but that wasn’t conclusive. If so, it might be as simple as just a pill. There is still an outside chance she might have to have chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Just keep your fingers crossed.

If the cancer should ever re-appear he said it would be close to the skin and easy to spot. I took that as a positive. Right now she is getting “repaired” by Dr. Koboyashi. Katie probably won’t be out of surgery until 2-4 o’clock this afternoon. The reconstruction could take as long as 6 hours. Dr. Butler was able to save all of the breast but we won’t know for sure until after Dr. Koboyashi finishes. I know when she wakes up she will be glad to be cancer free! - Mike

Cancer Free!

Just a few moments ago I just got the call from Julie Boyle, the nurse helping Katie through the whole process, that Dr. Butler removed four sentinel lymph nodes and they were tested to be cancer free. Yahoo! The prayers and well wishes have been answered. She is still in surgery for another 4-6 hours while they do the reconstruction. Will keep you posted. - Mike

Surgery Date is Set - Roller Coaster Therapy!

I thought I would pass on an update. On Wednesday, July 15th I will have a very quick procedure called a lymphoscintigraphy. This procedure is performed before surgery and used to follow the flow of the lymph fluid to the lymph nodes. It will identify the first lymph node to get fluid, that node is called the sentinel node. The test helps assess the stage of cancer and treatment. AT LEAST - this is what I understand. I thought I would share with you, since this is all new information. It is an important test, one I want to come thru with an A+.

Thursday, July 16th will be my surgery day. It will start at 8:15am, although we will have to be at UCI at 6:15am to prepare. The surgery lasts about 4-5 hours and then I will stay in the hospital for 4-6 nights.

On the advise of a friend who had very extensive surgery at UCI 3 years ago, I met with a hypnotherapist, Marilyn. She has recorded three CDs for me. One I will listen to prior surgery, one just before and one post. These CDs are to help keep me calm, focused on success and recovery. She has helped many patients with surgery, so I am glad to have this as part of my overall plan.

Mike will be on duty the week of surgery and days immediately after, and then the Devney Visiting Nurse Team will take turns babysitting. I have pushed Mike and the girls to at least join in with his family reunion for the second part at Lake Okoboji, and he reluctantly agreed. I know that by the time I get home, I will probably welcome the quiet and comforts of home - plus Miss Kitty will be here as my 24 hour care giver. Isn't she just adorable?!?

Yesterday we did a family (minus Amanda) day at Knotts Berry Farm - I really never thought I could do so many roller coasters and actually enjoy them. I keep thinking, if I can go thru this surgery, then I can at least do this roller coaster for 30 seconds! We had a ball, and as Monica and Elyse said - we did not get sick of each other in the 12 hours together. :) The girls are all three so very dear, you can not even imagine.

I am in Arizona tonight with my mother Ruth, Brigid, Dan and my niece, Summer - they come for dinner here at the house in about 30 minutes! I can not wait to see them. (picture above just added from the BBQ tonight) We will do a lot of wedding talk!

All is well. Moving forward. Thank you all for the emails, calls and comments on the blog which get emailed to me as soon as you post them. If you signed up to get the email notifications about new blog posts make sure you check your inbox and confirm your request.

Lots of love. xoxoxokd

The plan is in place!

Hi All,

I just thought that I would send you guys a quick update on my doctors and what we have planned. I met with Dr. John Butler (picture on the left) last week, along with Mike. Dr. Butler is the head of the Breast Cancer hospital at UCI and is wonderful. You can check out a video of him here. He went to Sloan, and is conservative. He is ranked as one of the best doctors in America! I liked him a lot and we got an appointment quickly with him due to a good friend of Mike's. The diagnosis was the same as as Dr. Silverstein's at Hoag. You can click here to learn more about Dr. Butler and his philosophy. Make sure you click on Dr. John Butler's name.

Dr. Butler, just like Dr. Silverstein, recommended the plastic surgeon, Dr. Mark Kobayashi. who's picture is to the right. Julie Boyle, the nurse coordinator at UCI, then made the calls and Dr. Mark saw me on Thursday night at 7pm ! Dr. Kobayashi is an amazing surgeon and he will do the reconstruction which is a little bit involved as he will take some skin/muscle/tissue from my back and put it in my breast. This is called a TRAM flap. May take a few more days in the hospital, but UCI has a brand new hospital with suites.

It has all really fallen quickly into place. The docs are the best, and Julie Boyle the coordinator, has been wonderful. They have worked together for years and have a great team. Mike's contact has put me into a VIP status - really, so they all just really work to make this easy and quick. Looks like we are shooting for surgery in mid-July, so hoping to have it confirmed soon.

Mike will do the blog, but I had a couple questions from all of you and wanted you to know that we are getting things all set. We have the best and I really feel so confident. I have a small amount of fear, but who wouldn't? It is MINOR to the great way I feel about life ahead.

Bright note??? Megan and I confirmed the bridal dress on Thursday - Shelley and I found it earlier in the week and Megan loved it too. YEAH. (the photo is just one of the many dresses I tried on) I also looked at invites and flowers ideas so the wedding is starting to take shape.

Love you all. Thanks for the emails, calls etc. Your comments below also get sent to me immediately too! It's great to know I have such a strong support group.

xoxoxokd - Katie

Katie Breaks the News

Dear friends and family,

I am sending out a group email which I know may seem very impersonal, but I want each of you to directly hear from me this news.

Last week on Friday, June 19th, I was told that I have breast cancer. The cancer is in my right breast and is a .6cm tumor with 7cm of invasive cancer. I went in for a mammogram and they discovered the tumor, which was followed by ultrasound biopsy, resulting in the final diagnosis on Friday. The incredible part of the story, I was at Hoag Hospital in Newport, CA where there is a wonderful 'Breast Pavilion'. So, not only did I hear my news from the biopsy on Friday, but after 6 hours I went home having had an MRI done and having met with an incredible surgeon, Dr. Melvin Silverstein, who is the director of the Hoag Breast Center and has 30 years of experience along with having written text books on this subject.

In addition, I have an appointment on Wednesday morning with the head of the UCI Breast Center, Dr. John Butler. I will then make a decision between these two doctors, along with determining the plastic surgeon. The diagnosis is that I have stage 1, but because the cancer has metastasized to 7cm, I will have to have a mastectomy, along with immediate reconstructive surgery. While I am in surgery, the doctor will shoot blue dye into my gland which will perhaps travel to lymph nodes and then those nodes will be removed and biopsied.

I know you are probably hearing this for the first time, and could be in shock, sad, angry, confused etc. I know that I felt all of these feelings on Friday. BUT, I also left with huge hope, a game plan, and lots of support. I am not scared. The plan is to have the surgery performed in the next few weeks. We will not know until after surgery if I will need further treatment or what treatment.

Mike has been awesome, helpful and loving; as has my family and the girls. Mike will be helping me start a blog to keep you informed if you are interested. I guess my lesson is the importance of annual mammograms along with self-exam.....but don't worry I won't turn crazy on you and get on a soap box and preach. :)

What do I need?.....just a positive and happy outlook from my friends and family which is exactly what you will see from me. I love you all and thank you for your prayers for good health and quick healing.

xoxoxokd - Katie