A note from Pat, Tina and Shawna on another subject

Hello Everyone:

At Pat's request we want to explain why this blog has been updated less often than we originally intended when we began it back last July. For one thing, much of what has been happening with Marcia, especially in the last few months, has been sort of "holding pattern" stuff... dealing with side effects, trying one "cure" and then another, circumstances little changed, no new information, etc., etc. When we've had some solid news, we've been sure to report it, but sometimes it has just been more of the same with nothing really different.

But the other reason is that the writer from the beginning in July of '09, whom some of you may know, Kathie Keil Crozier, was herself diagnosed with breast cancer on October 1 '09. This was completely unexpected - no signs or symptoms at all - and came from a routine mammogram. In October and November she had three surgeries to finally get good margins on the tumor and remove lymph nodes. The cancer was determined to be stage II, with a 2.1 centimeter tumor and involvement in only the sentinel lymph node. Unfortunately they had to take 14 nodes in all for the pathology to be certain. There is no reason right now to believe that the cancer has gone elsewhere however she coming up on her third round of 6 chemo therapies. She is in two clinical trials that will support this process and follow her for the next 10 years. Daily radiation therapy for 33 days (Mondays through Fridays - apparently cancer does not work on weekends) will follow the chemo and then medication - likely a pill - for several years after that should finish up the process. Unfortunately the process has made it difficult if not impossible to do much coherent writing on some of the 21 days between chemos, so it's been necessary to seize the moments to write when she can.

We just wanted you to know about this too... life sure is interesting isn't it? On September 22nd Kathie was down at Fred Hutch with Pat and Tina for the training to be one of Marcia's helpers and on October 1st - the first day of Breast Cancer awareness month, she was in the process herself. The good news is that Marcia has another totally bald buddy... solidarity!

Thanks
Pat and Tina and Shawna
[and.... writer's note... thanks,
Kathie Keil Crozier]