God only made so many perfect heads....

the rest he covered with hair!! Ha ha!! So has we know I have no hair anymore of my round head. We have been wig shopping, and here are some pics from it. When I get really brave I'll maybe post a pic of my baldness on here. Good times.

the joy of a pedicure and family...

The day before my first treatment of chemo I went and got a pedicure with my Aunt Joy, Cousins's Amy and Alisa, sister Stacey and cute mom. It was a blast we all got cute toes and then went the dinner. It was wonderful. I have amazing people in my life who love me!!

If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell. ~Lance Armstrong

A little update...Kristen had her second chemo on Thursday and has been really fortunate to be feeling good. Still! The Sunday after her first chemo she was feeling pretty crummy. So we were expecting her to be sick by now. But other than a little nausea and tiredness she has been feeling pretty good. Yeah!!

Hair is overrated.

So, the last few days when Kristen has put her fingers through her hair, she has been getting some extra hairs coming out. SO, today after her second chemo treatment, I went over to her house along with Amy, and my mom, and I shaved her head. I'll tell ya, there are really no words to describe doing something you would never dream of in your life. And I'm sure there aren't many words Kristen could use to describe that moment either. It was nice to be able to be with her in that moment though. She looks great. I mean it. Her eyes really stick out and I think she looks so pretty. We also went wig shopping the other day, so she has a wig she can wear if she wants to. It amazingly looks like her real hair. The same color and texture. (Thanks Grams!)
She feels good today other than really tired. If this time is the same as last, she is due to feel sick starting tomorrow night or Saturday. Hopefully it won't be as bad as last time. We'll hope for the best. We love you Kristen!! So for you, here is a Deep Thought, by Jack Handey

"It's true that every time you hear a bell, an angel gets in wings, but what they don't tell you is every time you hear a mouse trap snap, an angel gets set on fire."

pretty flowers

I have been given many pretty flowers. Thank you to everyone for them!! Here are some pics of them!

PS these pics were taken by Amy Little, check out her blog at http://www. amylittlephotography.blogspot.com

Message from Mom

Thanks to everyone for your love and prayers and support! Kristen is being such a trooper and not complaining - out loud anyway. I really admire the way she is handling all of this. She has had her moments of course - like cutting two inches off her hair herself because she was frustrated. Other than that ... :)
It's been almost a week since the first chemo treatment and she's been nauseous, felt like she had the flu with all of the aches etc., then got a cold and today a bad headache. Her mouth and throat have sores and she's stuck eating soft foods. Luckily she's a fighter and doing her best with all of this.
Kristen - I LOVE YOU and even though I feel SO bad that you have to go through this I really admire you and the way you are dealing with it all. You well deserve all the good that is coming your way. In the words of NKOTB - you are truly "hangin' tough" and I am glad you are my daughter!

I'm grateful for....

As Stacey says, I'm not feeling so great.....it'll pass. It helps me to see all the comments of love and support on here and in my email. You all have no idea how much strength it gives.
Thanks

Picture time

Here is a picture from her appointment the other day. (Her right foot really isn't twice as big as the other.)

Hello!

So it has been a few days since Kristen's first Chemo appt. That day she felt a little strange but okay, the next day she felt sick, but still went out with friends for a little bit. That wiped her out and since then she has felt pretty crappy. She says she feels like she got hit by a truck. She feels nauseus, tired, restless, and now her mouth is hurting. All which are normal. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon.

My sister

I just wanted to say that I love my sister. Seeing her go through this is one of the hardest things I have ever done, and as it continues, I'm sure that I'll ever do. I just want her to know how much I love her and am continually amazed at her strength. Kristen has always been the most giving person I know. I'm grateful for all the people who are now giving to her, whether its in prayers, calls, treats, hugs, or even just a thought. K10, thanks for letting me go with you today, I am glad I was the one to give you company. Love you!

Treatment Day #1

So, today was Kristen's first Chemotherapy appointment. Overall I think it went as okay as something like that can go. Granted I'm not the patient but here's how the day went. The appointment was at 10:30. First, she met with the doctor who seems like a really nice guy, maybe a bit quirky, but really nice. He basically just asked if she had any questions and gave her some Tylenol saying it would help with the flu-like symptoms that can be around the first day or so. He did say that her bone marrow test came back normal and there is no cancer there. Whew!! Her heart function test was also normal. The lung test was "decreased" he said. Which he didn't really give a reason for, but said they would just keep an eye on it over the next while.
Then into the room where the chemo was done. She had a nice comfy recliner to sit in and there was a tv/dvd/vcr in there to help pass the time. It was about 11:30 when they finally got her all ready to start the IV and the drugs. So, once they started it took almost two hours which was a lot shorter than we thought. Kristen said it burned a little and that it felt cold but other than that, it was ok. She'll go in to do this every other week. It will be the same treatment with the same drugs so they say whatever side effects she gets this time, she'll likely get every time. So lets all pray they are very minimal. So far she has been nauseous but luckily they gave her some anti-nausea medicine that has helped. I wrote down a few facts people might be wondering.
-Her itching should go away in less than a week!! Yeah!!
-The doctor said to not try and tough it out, if she feels even the least bit nauseous, he said take the medicine.
-I have a very weak stomach.
-Her hair is likely to fall out in about 2 1/2 weeks from now. Her hair will hurt and her scalp will tingle first.
-She will be cold a lot.
-She is tough, and hardly batted an eye when she got the IV.
-She will have radiation after Chemo. 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
-Her cancer is likely to have been around a while. Longer than the four months since she started itching for sure.
-Fever is the biggest worry, she is suppposed to call if she gets one.
-Her nurse is Kathy.

Thats pretty much it. I probably left out some stuff, so if there's any ?'s, just make a post. Someone will update about how she does the next couple of days. Adios!

Mother Theresa once said:
"God will never give me anything I can't handle.

I just wish He didn't trust me so much!"

From the cancer patient herself...:D

Hello to all! I would like to thank you all for the love and support you have given my family and me these past weeks. They have definitely been a whirlwind and I am amazed at how many wonderful people I have in my life. Thank you!! I know there are some of you who are wondering how this all came about. Let me tell you the story…
One Sunday morning a few weeks ago I woke up and it was very hard to breathe. So since I don't like bothering doctor's, I went back to sleep. But later on that evening I wasn't any better, so my mom and I went to the InstaCare. They determined that I had pleurisy, took an x-ray and sent me on my way. The next day they called to tell me the radiologist saw a spot on the x-ray and recommended a CT scan. The following day I went and had a CT scan. I went alone, thinking it would be nothing. Bad idea!! They had me wait to talk to the radiologist-that should've been a clue something was wrong. The radiologist called the ordering doc at the InstaCare and I spoke to him on the phone. He said something along the lines of- swollen lymph nodes, sorry to tell you, CANCER, call your regular doctor and see an oncologist. All I remember from there for a few hours is tears and shock. I went to see my doctor and she got me in touch with an oncologist. It's been crazy since.
I am doing well. I am mostly optimistic but have my moments of freakimg out. I am blessed and knowing that there is a good chance of being cured, that there are people out there that love me- I can make it through this.

Hello everyone!
Thank you ALL for the love and support you have shown Kristen and our family. If her recovery depended only on the love, support and prayers of those who have expressed it she would be cured yesterday! It means a lot!
Kristen begins chemotherapy on thursday. I'm sure her fighting spirit will kick in and knowing that the "New Kids on the Block" reunion will be on TV friday morning will give her a reason to get up and get going! (inside joke) She gets to go through this every other week for 12 treatments and I am planning a big "she's cured party" for September when it should be all over with.