Zeke or Zeek is still missing and more

Hello Kathy Kerrigan fans,

The staff infection initially was thought to be nasty(by us pseudo-doctors), but should be treated and we hope that we stay on the normal chemo course of action, as exciting as that is! Kathy went down to continue her Pilates certification testing this weekend. She was concerned about her level of concentration. Ya me too; she will likely get a 98, or maybe even a 97 on this one. I of course have been incredibly supportive of the studying. I want to thank all you volunteers who have taken the heat off me here at home. If it weren't for you, I might have found myself strapped to that machine of torture. Sure, it looks easy in the video. I just keep thinking of the last scene in Braveheart. I just want to yell FREEDOM every time they strap you into a different position!

Not that I couldn't use a few hundred hours of work out time. I also want to thank each and every one of you for the delicious food that has been bestowed upon us each and every evening. I mean every evening. Chicken Parmesan, Steak Tips, Ribs to die for, Pork loin, A Full turkey dinner( a second Thanksgiving), deserts that make your mouth water. Hearty soups, Mexican dinners, tacos and burritos, stews. I literally have not eaten like this ever. I have threatened to name a dinner hall of fame, but have been advised against it. Kathy is an awesome cook, but there is something about not having to prepare things that makes it like...you are going out to dinner.

So I want you to imagine for a second what happens when you go out for dinner. You check out the menu, order, enjoy the company, eat a delicious meal ...for me most often OVEREAT. But you always find room for desert, and somehow maybe even a drink or two. Are you getting the picture. Every night.

I had to go the the Dr's the other day. I felt like I had the flu. Kevin had been sick for several days and the last thing we need is sickness near our patient.
So I am in the office feeling rather sluggish, I check in and the nurse brings me down the hall. I have my blood pressure checked, passed with flying colors. Then I had to jump on the scale. This is after YOUR meals for five weeks. I see the readout, jerk my head around to see if the nurse is standing on the back of the scale. No wonder I can't get up and down the basketball court this year. I am thinking I need to loose 5 pounds, no... how about 15 pounds. This explains alot. I only have 5 pairs of pants that I can now wear. Three of which have expanding waists. So many of you nice folks come up to me and ask how things are going. How is Kathy. How are the kids. Truthfully, everything is going pretty well and it is all because we have such nice friends and family.

I have realized what is important in life. Friends, family and a belly that hangs over my pants. Evidently this is the way I handle a little stress. Eat like Labrador retriever. There is an old wives tale that says that if you keep feeding a Lab they will eat themselves to death. Please do not test me anymore. If you are going to cook for us, and I assume some of you will, do not send along two dozen cookies each night.

OK, seriously. Labrador retriever:
Zeke is still missing. I could use some help. Many of you asked about helping. This is it. Zeke is a BLACK lab, male who weighs 100-110 lbs.(large like some one we know) He has two collars, both red one has the receiver on it for an electric fence.
He is friendly, jumps a little, eats like a horse. When we find a picture I will distribute it. He is a classic looking large black lab. If you know people in Durham, Lee, Madbury, Nottingam, Newmarket, Epping, Barrington, pls pass the word!!!
He could easily latch onto whoever is willing to feed him.

Kathy just walked in from her Certification. She may have slipped to the low 90's, but I will wait for the final score. I am betting on 97!

I thank you all for taking the time to keep up with Kathy.

Paul

Please Help Find Zeke, the Beloved Black Lab

I talked to Kath today and she said its been a rough week. She's dealt with a staff infection that is requiring some additional doctors visits and stress, but the worst of it was losing their beloved dog, Zeke. He's a two year old black lab with a red invisible-fence collar. On Tuesday, he got past their invisible fence by using a snowbank, and he hasn't been seen since. Please, please, please, if you see a goofy yellow lab trotting around your neighborhood, call "Zeke," and see if he comes. He's friendly, he'll get right into your car, and his collar has one of those finder chips, so you can call in.
Pass the word to friends if you would, and maybe we can help get Zeke back home safely.

First chemo down...7 to go

Hi Everyone,
Abby did such a great job with the pictures of my new hair cut. She is such a cutie pie! I'm already used to the new doo, too bad it won't last very long. Yes, I will lose all of my hair very soon. I may have a variety of looks to share with you all. Hats, doo rags ( as Sammy calls them), scarves and wigs will be among the styles I may be sporting.

I had my first chemo treatment on Monday. I was there for several hours and home by 1:30. Paul was there with me and I really was a bit grouchy at the start of the day. Yes, I was grouchy!! I had decided that , nope I really did not want to do this cancer/chemo thing and that we should just turn the car right around and go home. Then when we got to the Oncology department I had ants in the pants to just get the dang thing started. What is taking so long!! God bless Paul. The man is as patient and calm as a saint. He just laughs and says,"Okay Kathy. But I just want to know, are you going to be like this ALL day?". I stopped my grouchyness after about an hour. The people in that department, like in every other department at Exeter that I have encountered, were great. We read the paper, I had a chair massage, had a little lunch and I even did a little art project. Sounds almost like a spa don't you think?

Every day I wonder how I will feel. Really it is every moment of every day that I wonder what is next. I really hate the unknown and just like to be able to know what I'm up against in advance. Cancer and chemo , I have discovered, don't work that way. I guess I just need to learn to go with the flow. Any way...I feel great. I'm afraid to even say it or write it for fear of jinxing myself. Alright, not great, but quite good. No nausea, not too tired, maybe just a bit anxious. I am hoping that this is how I will weather the entire course of treatment. One down...7 more to go.

Our family is blessed to have the kind of help and support we are continuing to receive from all of you out there. The meals have been a blessing when I just don't feel up to whipping up a delicious healthy meal for the boys. You are all so generous with your time to do this for us. Thanks to all of you who have volunteered for my Pilates. Many of you said that you really felt it the next day. I love it!! It is very challenging and so good for you. My testing is next Sat. and I have all of my hours in now. Those of you who I have not had a session with, no need to worry. I still need practice. I'll get you in! You too can experience Kathy's Pilates kicker!

With hope, faith, gratitude and thanks,
Kathy

Pre-chemo haircut.

Kathy got her haircut on Tuesday. Mia, her hairdresser and friend, made this process so much easier for her. From what I heard, there were a few tears, loud music, some dancing, and lots of love and support. I think she looks fantastic!!!!! Quoting another friend, LL, "it makes sense for Kathy's hair to be short, since she herself is, well, not exactly TALL!"

Abby, Kathy's niece and budding photographer, did an "America's next top model" type photo shoot at our house so we could post some pics of the new do. We had a rough time trying to get the "fierce look" of Tyra's models, but we sure had fun. Kathy promises to let Abby capture her next during-chemo look - we know Abby can capture the true beauty of my beloved sis, hair or no hair.

It seems that despite the challenges, Kathy, her friends and family are finding the joy and the fun parts of this too.

quick update

It is now Sunday night and I am feeling SOOO much better! No need to worry or fret. The pain has subsided and I am now ready for my next step. My spirits are up again and I have been up and about today and back to my normal self. Tomorrow will bring the information I need as to my treatment with chemo and other post-op drug therapy. John had his 16th b-day today and we decided to celebrate it next weekend. All is well. Kathy

almost 3 weeks post-op

Hi everyone,
Well, it has been almost 3 weeks since my surgery. I had the port put in on Monday and it seems to not agree with me. It has been a tough week. The port has been causing me a lot of pain and there really shouldn't be any. On Thurs. they ran tests to check on the placement and functioning status of the port and for possible blood clots. Everything looked okay. We were considering taking the port out, but that would create a problem when it comes time for the chemo treatments. It seems that the problem is most likely a pinched/inflamed the nerve either up in my neck or under the collar bone or both. So the plan is to suck it up for the weekend with a little pain med. and a lot of ibuprofen and see if we can get the nerves to settle down. Cross your fingers for me will ya? I will meet with the Oncologist on Monday am and a P.T. for this nerve stuff. We then set a game plan for when to start the chemo. Remember, I WILL lose my hair. I am going to look a bit weird with either a wig or a bald head so no looking at me funny! Just say," Why Kathy, you look so good!". Just kidding!

Today my Pilates certification group is coming up so that we can practice and study together. The testing date is Feb. 23. I just have to do the teaching and written portions since I did the practical earlier... although my Pilates pals are sweating it out for that part too! They'll be fine. They are a great group of women who have been so kind and supportive to me since my diagnosis. I will be calling on you Pilates volunteers this week so I can get my hours in. Thanks to all who have volunteered. It's a big help!

My baby John turns 16 on Sunday! I hope to have a little something planned for him. He sure seems to be turning out to be a pretty great person. I am biased though. Ryan was one of the leads in his 6th grade play this week. He blew us away!! He was so comfortable acting and singing up there on stage. Many of my relatives came to the show to check him out. Sam is at UNH, but he make a point to come and even brought two UNH/ORHS buddies too. Thanks Ev and Ryan for coming. It made my Ryan feel great!

Whew! This was a long entry. Sorry if I have blabbed on! This must mean that I am feeling better already! Again, thanks to everyone. Great food. Many cards and e-mails. Paul teases me about the cards and calls them by "fan mail". Ignore him, I love mail!! The women who are cleaning my house are doing such an unbelievable job and are so sweet. What a treat to have such a clean house. All of you are making this journey a lot easier for me. Whether you know it or not, every little gesture makes a difference. I will take with me what all of you are doing for me and give the same back to others whenever I can.

Kathy

the next step

Hi Everyone,
Today I had my appointment with the cancer patient P.T. at the hospital's health club. Next week will be my first session working with a trainer. I feel so ready to get back to my usual routine. I feel like I have been sitting around resting for far too long! My family and Paul's have been so great! One of the hardest things has been not being able to wash my hair. I have had several volunteers and it just feels so good to have clean hair. That will all be insignificant in about 2 weeks. I will be starting chemo witin the next couple of weeks and the chance of losing my hair is very likely. I will probably just be proactive and shave my head before it begins to fall out in clumps. I have always had long hair and this will probably be a tough one for me, but I am trying to keep it in perspective. It IS only hair,it will grow back and there are so many other things that are far worse than a short term bald head.

I am having a small surgical procedure on Mon.am. I am having a "port" put in my upper chest as a location for the chemo to be administered rather than sticking the veins in my arm every time. After that I meet with the oncologist and off I go on my way to chemo treatment. Probably a 2 month time frame for that. Two months... I can do that! After that I just heal, get stronger and grow my hair back.

Again, thank you so very much all of you! The food has been unbelievable. The notes, cards and e-mails keep flowing. The drivers and grocery shoppers have been a tremendous help. The support and caring for me, Paul and the boys has been a life line to us all.

With thanks and gratituude, Kathy