Yipppeee!!!!!

Mignon is all finished with her chemo.  She survived, but barely.  She is back up to a chubby 100 pounds and tearing around town like the old days.  She had a colonoscopy and just had one small polyp.  She still needs to have a CT scan.  She and the boyfriend are headed to France.

Half Way

Little Mignon is halfway through chemo.  She is so thin-thinner than normal.  Her hair is thinning too.  The weeks she has chemo she feels really bad.  The following week she is a bit better.  She never complains.  It is amazing.

Chemo Update

Mignon's white blood count is very low so chemo has been suspended for a while.  She is not feeling well.  I never think anyone can be too thin but in this case little Mignon is too thin.  She still has a great attitude.

Driving

Mignon is driving which is putting her in much better sprits.  She continues to amaze!

Surgery

Mignon's surgery was a success.  She is so amazing.  Her surgery was on Monday and she was home on Friday.  They were able to do the surgery laproscopically and went in through the scar from her previous surgery.  She is not feeling well and the doctor told her it is a six week recovery.  She will resume chemo in 4 weeks.  They did believe that they got all three lesions that were on her liver.

Update from Mignon

This is an email from Mignon.

I am going back for the scan now. I met with the liver surgeon, and he was very direct and clear. He answered all my questions. He said the operation was absolutely necessary, and he he felt 100% sure MD Anderson would agree. He said the spots had shrunk so much, they might not even be able to see them on the scan. He said the spots were probably there all along. It doesn't spread from colon to the liver by lymph nodes but would go by way of the bloodstream. The fact it wasn't in the lymph nodes is very favorable. The only reason that it coming back so quickly is a bad thing is because if you go for a longer period of time "cancer-free", it has more time to manifest itself at any place else it could recur. He said he "wouldn't be irresponsible in using the word "cure", and felt very confident it would remain that way for at least 5 years". (50% chance). The operation would be done laparoscopically. If he did it by way of open surgery, it would take 2 hours, while laparoscopic takes more like 4 hours. He just thinks given where the spots are and size, this is the best way. Less recovery and would probably be in the hospital for 3 to 5 days, no ICU. He would make an incision big enough to get his fist in. "Complete" recovery would probably be a month, at which point they would resume chemo. The risk would be the normal surgery risks of internal bleeding and slight chance of liver failure, but they would know that immediately. Once at home, slight risk of leaking bile since they cut across the bile ducts as part of the surgery, but that would be drained by needle. All of these risks are very minor. He just felt like any hospital would say the surgery had to be done. No question.

Chemo Number Four

Still not feeling well.  Hands are numb.  Tummy is upset.  And that darn fanny pack!  Mignon gets a CT scan on Friday to determine if the chemo is working and when she might be able to the the 3 lesions on her liver removed.  Will update as soon as she has results.

Chemo Number 3

Mignon had her third chemo treatment yesterday.   She is not feeling well.  Not sure if she will have chemo for 3 months or 6 months.  They will do a CT scan and see how she is responding and then decide when they will do surgery.   That is all I know for now.

The kids

The kids seem to be doing well. I photographed them for Mignon for a New Year's card. So cute!!

First Chemo

Mignon had her first chemo last Monday.  She felt terrible all week but texted me this morning that she was feeling better.  I know that if she said she was feeling bad she was really feeling bad because she never complains and always wants to go right on with her life.  And to make matters worse-she has to wear a fanny pack thing around with a chemo drip in it.  Mignon is not a fanny pack type of girl-not even if she could find a Prada fanny pack.  

I really don't know what the plan is because Mignon's doctor is in Africa so she is waiting for him to get back to give her more information.

The good news is that her cancer has not spread beyond her liver.