Thursday, January 31, 2013

Deep Freeze

It's been a cold week here in Edmonton with temperatures + wind chill sitting around -42 degrees Celsius. Eeeek! It is finally starting to warm up and is supposed to be on the plus side over the weekend.

Uncle Kavan & Patrick
It's been a rather uneventful week for Kavan (always a good thing). He's been working and been feeling pretty well.

On Monday we went to the Oilers game and had a great night. He's really happy that hockey is back on and it is nice that he has something to take his mind off of things.

Kavan and I @ the Oilers game
So, TGIF tomorrow! Next week Kavan will meet with his oncologist to receive results from his most recent CT and MRI scans from last week. As well, he will have some blood work to determine if he is fit for chemotherapy starting on February 11th. Fingers crossed everything goes well!


Have a nice weekend!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Lazy Weekend

It's been a few days since I've blogged about Kavan. After his chemotherapy on Monday he had a couple of days off from work to recover. Tuesday morning he was feeling well enough for a swim and in the afternoon went to the Telus World of Science with his nephew and mother. Tuesday evening he went to the home opener of his beloved Oilers with his Dad. Though it was a real stinker, he enjoyed himself and managed to also enjoy some free beer (what a thing to give away-only in Edmonton!)

On Wednesday, Kavan had more scans. Another MRI of his left leg and CT scan of his chest. We don't yet know the results but Kavan says he has a good feeling that everything will be reported as "normal". Fingers crossed that this is the case!

Thursday and Friday Kavan was back at work. I think he's really enjoying his job and it has been keeping his mind strong. He said that occasionally he experiences waves of nausea during work, but has been feeling largely alright.

This weekend Kavan will relax and rejuvenate for his first full week of work in some time. Tomorrow it's on to week 30! Hard to believe it has been that long since he started treatment. About another 20 weeks to go. I've never wanted time to pass so quickly in my life!

Kavan & Patrick one year ago at Galaxyland
Have a good weekend all!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Week 29: Chemo Day

Another weekend has flown by. Kavan's beloved Oilers opened their season with a victory and he was most excited. Tomorrow he will attend the home-opener with his Dad and I don't think I've ever heard him speak so much about hockey. How many more games in the season?

Kavan & Patrick Displaying Their Team Spirit
Today Kavan had his one-day cycle of chemotherapy. He received doxyrubicin, vinecristine and cyclophosphamide. So far today he's been feeling relatively well. A little light headed but no major nausea at this time. He's getting pretty good at knowing what will trigger nausea with his chemotherapy regimen (generally it's been overeating!). One nice thing about him having chemotherapy on Mondays is the people that are available to visit him at the Cross Cancer Institute. I do not have scheduled classes on Mondays and therefore I was able to visit for a couple of hours. As well, my father teaches at the University on Mondays and so today they were able to have a nice visit. I think Kavan really does appreciate any visitors, just another something to help take your mind off of things.

Tomorrow Kavan will have the day off from work to recuperate. His employer has generously given him more days off following treatment to recover. I can't say enough how impressed I am with the compassion they have shown throughout this whole ordeal. It truly is wonderful to know that such compassion still exists within the business world.

Such a Kavan pose...Today at the Cross Cancer Institute

On Wednesday Kavan will have MORE scans. I believe it will be another MRI and a CT scan. So again, let's all cross our fingers and send well-wishes Kavan's way! Have a good week!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Woo Hoo!

Time to celebrate! It's been a good week filled with good news. Within the last couple of weeks Kavan has had an MRI of his left foot, a bone scan and a heart scan. Yesterday, Kavan had his routine pre-chemo check up with his oncologist, Dr.Chu. At the appointment they reviewed the results of the recent scans and discussed Kavan's most recent blood work AND.....

THE SCANS WERE CLEAR! Woo hoo! His heart is functioning within normal limits which is good news considering the doxyrubicin he is receiving. This chemo agent is notorious for placing strain on the heart, so it was welcome news that half way through treatment the ol' ticker is still working well. The bone scan, which was his first, was also clear. This was of great relief. Kavan's cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, is one that in some cases penetrates the bone. So good news, no evidence of it in Kavan's bones! Lastly, Kavan had an MRI of his left foot. Because of the radiation, the MRI was a month or so late. Kavan's leg was so swollen from the radiation and it is likely an earlier MRI would not have been useful as the swelling could show up as active areas which could be misleading. The MRI shows that while there is still swelling present in Kavan's leg, there are no signs of tumor regrowth! This is a great relief as we've been told that Ewing's sarcoma tends to first reappear at its original site.

Kavan and his oncologist also reviewed the blood work that Kavan had drawn yesterday morning. All of his blood levels were within normal limits. This is FANTASTIC news because it means Kavan can start his next round of chemotherapy on Monday, but more importantly it shows that Kavan's bone marrow is responding well post-radiation. The doctors had warned us that following radiation Kavan might not bounce back so quickly between chemotherapy cycles because of the impact radiation has on the bone marrow (the bone marrow is responsible for producing blood cells). Also, his hemoglobin level had also jumped about 30 points since his last labwork. This is the part of the blood that is responsible for carrying oxygen to our vital organs. People with low hemoglobin often feel easily fatigued and can be light-headed. This is exceptionally good news because it means that Kavan will not need a transfusion in the immediate future. While the safety of blood transfusions has drastically improved in the last 30 years, it is always safest to not have a transfusion. That being said, I know the day when Kavan might need a transfusion may come and at that time it will be necessary.

So, Kavan will proceed with his one day of chemotherapy on Monday as planned. He is most excited these days about the return of NHL hockey and is elated to be attending the Oiler's home opener on Tuesday night. Hopefully he will feel well following chemo and will be in optimal shape to cheer on his favorite team!

Have a good weekend and stay warm!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

No News is Good News

 It's been a few days since I've updated the blog. It's been an eventful week with my return to school, the tests Kavan has had and as a result the blog has suffered.

This week Kavan had an MRI of his left leg, heart scan and bone scan. For me, I think the hardest part of all of these tests is waiting for the results. Often, I find my mind wandering to undesirable places and playing the 'what if' game. But, we all have to remember that these test are routine and will serve to provide valuable insight into Kavan's progress. I know he is strong and feels that things are going well. So please, send all your thoughts and well-wishes Kavan's way. It's going to be a long wait until Friday when he has his appointment with Dr.Chu and is notified of his results.

Uncle Kavan & Patrick at hockey


Patrick and I
Kavan's been in good spirits lately. He's back to his beloved swimming. I think he's been finding it tiring and he's not quite at the same physical level as he was prior to the radiation. It's just a matter of time though!

Kavan & I having some photo booth fun


Kavan, Ryan, Jamie, Andrew & Tim


This weekend I think Kavan may have had a little too much fun. He awoke this morning in somewhat rough shape and as a result of his indulgences last night, spent today in bed. While I love to see him enjoying himself with his friends, I think sometimes he might forget that his body is currently under tremendous stress and he isn't quite the same as the rest of them. I suppose he's just trying to be a normal twenty-something.

Now, onto the work week. Depending on his results on Friday, Kavan is due to have one day of chemotherapy next Monday. Hopefully all news will be positive this week and we will spend the weekend celebrating, albeit slightly less enthusiastically than last night.

Me and the girls having fun at the Bridal Fair
Have a good week!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

No Place Like Home

After a two week hiatus from blogging and reality, I am pleased to say I am back home and back to school. While my family vacation in Maui was a much-needed break, I can say the statement, "No Place Like Home" really echoes my sentiments. It was hard leaving Kavan for two weeks, especially when he was still admitted to the hospital.
So now it's back to school, work and real life. I am pleased to say that Kavan is back to work this week as well. After his hospital admission in December, the Christmas holidays and Chemotherapy last week, he really hasn't worked a full schedule in three weeks. I think he is relieved to get back to work and some sort of normal schedule.
Kavan's five days of Chemotherapy went well last week. He remained in high spirits and I think, overall, felt quite well. He was given the all-clear to start swimming again and to ease into other exercise slowly. I think he's really missed being active and I know he was excited to get back to the pool!
So, on to this week. Kavan has a couple of tests on Wednesday and Friday. We are not quite sure as to which tests he will have, but it will likely be a heart scan and some sort of MRI or PET scan. While I know these tests are very important in tracking Kavan's progress through this process, they are slightly unnerving. Please send your well-wishes in Kavan's direction!
Have a good week!




Photo of Kavan and friends on New Years!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Another round...

Kavan is onto another round of chemotherapy. This time it's the five day course and unfortunately it stretched right over the New Years holiday.

He's now finished two out of five days...only three more to go. He was even able to enjoy a few New Years drinks with his friends. He was joined by Evan, Kristin, mark and Katie for New Years last night. I am so thankful that he was surrounded by family and friends last night. It makes it much easier to be away knowing that he is with people that love him.

As far as the chemo goes, Kavan has been feeling alright so far. Aside from the usual fatigue, it sounds like he's been managing quite well. So, hopefully the rest of the week goes as well.

Kav, I miss you and can't wait to see you on the weekend!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:S Kihei Rd,Wailea-Makena,United States