Sunday, June 25

Dear All,
I just wanted to let you know that I am having my liver biopsy at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Please help me pray that it is negative for Hodgkin's disease!
Love,
Sherrie

Friday, June 23

Dear All,
I had a huge problem last night. I was on my way to pick my friend Barrett up for dinner in Door County and I hit a HUGE deer! Once the police and the tow truck arrived, they couldn't believe that I hit such a big buck. It already had points on it's rack, and was a monster! I felt horrible about the deer. And my car is totaled on the front, and I couldn't get out of the driver seat.

My liver biopsy is scheduled for Monday morning at 10:30 at Northwestern. I am scared about the results, but there are a lot of things it could be other than cancer. Especially since the cancer was eradicated in my bones, and it is much harder to get rid of there.

Sherrie

Monday, June 19

Dear All,
After all that good news we are back to questionable news. It was thought the CT was clean from Friday however after Dr. Winter compared the CT and the PET today, there was an abnormal spot on both scans. Therefore, I need to have a biopsy done on the spot on my liver this week. That means I need to leave Door County, run home and be in limbo yet some more. It is so scary; I just want to be done with all of this.
Take Care,
Sherrie

Sunday, June 18

Dear Family and Friends,
I got the results of my CT scans from Friday and according to Dr. Winter, they were clean! So I guess that means I am cancer free! Tomorrow, they will compare the results from the CT to the PET scan to see what the abnormality on the PET scan was. So hopefully we can hammer out the results.

Does anyone know where the liver is in the body? That is where the abnormality was located near. I am having some pain in my ribs on the right hand side of my body and it is freaking me out because that is where the abnormality was on the PET.

Now I have to work on not worrying about relapsing all of the time! I tell ya, this cancer thing is no fun. I am so glad that for the most part, none of you have ever gone through it so extensively, and I pray to God that you never will.

I have had a fun weekend with my family in Door County, and Chris flew in Friday. Being the world traveler that he is, he is already on his way back to San Diego with a business trip to the Bay area this week, and then to the California/ Arizona border for some R&R with his family next weekend. He is quite the road warrior!

Love you,
Sherrie

Thursday, June 15

We met with Dr. Winter today. My scans were clean except for one tiny little spot near my liver. I am having 3 CT scans tomorrow to rule out the disease. Dr. Winter thinks it is highly unlikely that it is the Hodgkin's because all of the cancer all over the bone was resolved. So now we have to wait a few more days for a total clean bill of health. I know that God was the force that brought me to where I am, and he will continue to keep me in his care and allow me to have a long and satisfying life. That is one of his promises and I am going to keep believing that! So hopefully my little "spot" is nothing serious and I can move on with my recuperation. It has been a long year!
Love,
Sherrie
PS...This is a recent snapshot of my sisters and I. My brother Gary must have been wailing on his guitar when we took this!:)

Scans Tomorrow

Dear All,
I just wanted to let you know that I have my scans tomorrow. I have a PET scan at 6:30am, and MRI's at 11:15. I will be able to get films of the PET scan right after the test so I can compare them to the last scans. The last scans looked pretty clean to me so hopefully these will be totally clean! I probably won't have any official report from the doctor until Friday or Monday but just seeing the PET will ease my mind. Hope all is well with you!
Love,
Sherrie

Doctor's Visit

Yesterday, my Mom, Dad and I went downtown to see Dr. Winter. Unfortunately, she was not at the hospital yesterday so the trip was kind of pointless for good information. However, the good news is my counts look "great" and my stem cells are engrafted so we know that the stem cell transplant worked. Now we just need to see if the high dose chemotherapy worked. See the point of a stem cell transplant is that they give you so much chemo, it kills your bone marrow. Your stem cells are a rescue so that you can survive the high doses of chemo. I was told that they gave me more of the BEAM chemo then they have ever given anyone at Northwestern. So hopefully that will do the trick! They also said that because I am feeling so good, that has an impact on how much disease is left if any. Due to the fact that I feel good, theoretically the disease is minimal. Also, just having major pain from physical therapy to my surgery leg, and my back. I have been doing really well at therapy, and even rode the bike for 7 minutes today!
Love,
Sherrie

Britton and Teddy

Today my good friend Britton came to visit me with her Mom, Guerina and her new baby boy Teddy. Teddy was born premie on March 15, 2006 at 3'3". He is now bustling at 9 pounds. Here is a pic with me and the baby. Sorry the pic is blurry-My digital camera is ancient and all of the pics showed up questionable!
I see Dr. Winter tomorrow and my scans are next Wednesday!

Rock n Roll Marathon T-Shirt

The Weekend

Dear Everyone,
Sorry I haven't been posting much. There just hasn't been that much news lately. I started PT for my surgical leg this week. I have been doing the exercises at home though and am having major pain! I had a visiting nurse come today and she took 5 vials of blood from me. They are doing blood cultures etc. to make sure that my blood infection is gone. This Thursday, I go downtown to see Dr. Winter. The following week I have my day +45 scans which will determine if I am cancer free! I am so afraid to get those scans! Hope all is well with everyone!
Sherrie

A Little Evil

When Chris was here last weekend, it was his birthday! I surprised him with plane tickets to Hawaii for the day after Christmas. I should be recovered and cancer free by then! I wanted to post this picture though. He looks like an 8 year old boy up to no good!

A Great Book

Hello All,
I am finally home, hopefully to stay! I wanted to let you all know about a friend of mine named Anita Hockers. Anita is a friend and neighbor from Door County who is one tough cookie! She endured Stage III breast cancer last year, and has written a wonderful book about her journey. Here is a synopsis of her trial.


With an unfavorable genetic profile, Anita always feared having breast cancer. When her worst nightmare became reality, she confronted her illness head on. Refusing to wallow in self-pity, she relied on the love and support of family and friends, using every medical intervention available to stop this insidious killer in its tracks.

You will laugh, cry and empathize with this gritty, stubborn, determined woman as she tells how she endured the loss of her hair, fingernails and skin, and nearly every female part of her body, in her valiant fight for survival. You will spend time in her world of doctors, technicians, and nurses where chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are the draconian weapons of choice against a monstrous disease that strikes one in seven women. You will be transported as she shares her intimate thoughts of frustration, anger, fear, and hope in this inspirational narrative of an ordinary woman who faced extraordinary challenges during her diagnosis, treatment and recovery from breast cancer.

Anita Marie DuJardin Hockers was born and raised in Green Bay. She graduated from UWGB with a degree in Marketing and Communications. Anita is a twenty-one month survivor of breast cancer and tries to make every day count with a positive attitude and a smile. She lives in Green Bay with her husband Ray and their two children.

Orders can be placed by emailing breastless@new.rr.com.

I started reading her book today and I can't put it down! Anita is such an inspiration to me, and such a supportive friend!

Saturday, May 19

Dear Friends,
Sherrie is home! We're so happy. Her temperature was normal for 24 hours so they let her go home. She's a little weak but very very glad to be home & in her own bed tonight. Enough of the hospital stuff!
Gloria...

Dear Friends,
Sherrie will be staying one more day because she spiked her temperature in the middle of the night. She has to be free from
a temp for 24 hours & then they will let her go home. They are still waiting for some cultures but they suspect the infection
is from the pick line.
Gloria...

Dear Friends,
Sherrie is still pretty weak tonight & continues to have a fever. They told us she has a blood infection called
"Gram Positive Cocci Bacteria". Sounds complicated but they treat this with antibiotics. I would imagine she will probably be here till Saturday . It's very frustrating for Sherrie , but she's a real trooper. I hope the time is going by fast for her as she has been sleeping alot today due to the fever. Lizzie is on night duty tonight & I am sleeping across the street at the Wyndahm. My sister has also been with us all day as usual "we're so lucky".
Gloria...