Here's the link to the video on the Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).
http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=D8D008E2-E87A-4326-A78A-BDBF42A54D60&gsa=true
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Radiation...Again
I didn't want to post this until I knew anything for sure. Last week I went in for a follow up appointment with my radiation oncologist, Dr. Hitchcock. When she walked in the room and started talking to me, she expressed a huge concern about the tumor that is in and around my rib on my back. She looked at a scan we did about two months ago and was concerned that this tumor is too close to my spine. Also, she was saying it was about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I made her back up and clarify because as far as I had thought, it was really small. She was concerned that it has grown in the last couple months and could cause neurological problems among other problems. The only thing I know for sure, is that it is causing pain, which has gotten worse the last couple weeks. The only time it bothers me is when I am laying down to go to sleep. Dr. Hitchcock wanted to do a scan that day and start radiation treatments this week. I expressed my concerns and wanted to talk to Dr. Akerley first and see what he thought and why this hadn't been a concern until she looked at it.
So, yesterday I was on the phone and he consented that it would be wise to do this treatment. It is called SBRT, I can't remember what it stands for again. I will post the video on it again if I can get it. It will be 3-5 treatments, every other day for about a week and a half. It takes two hours per session. My last radiation if you remember was 7 1/2 weeks and 20 minute sessions. That was on my head and neck, which is the worst place to recieve radiation. This would be so much more tolerable. I won't have side effects until treatments are over. This would most likely include redness at the site and possible nausea (depends on how they point the radiation, if it hits my stomach or not), and maybe fatigue. Basically a piece of cake compared to my last radiation treatments. I am all for this if all it does is alleviate the back pain I've been having. I will go in on March 9th for treatment planning and then start approximately a week later. This will not interfere with any future treatments and can only do me some good. I'll tell ya, I was kinda scared when Dr. Hitchcock brought all this to my attention, but I have since calmed down and feel that this is a great option for me.
So, yesterday I was on the phone and he consented that it would be wise to do this treatment. It is called SBRT, I can't remember what it stands for again. I will post the video on it again if I can get it. It will be 3-5 treatments, every other day for about a week and a half. It takes two hours per session. My last radiation if you remember was 7 1/2 weeks and 20 minute sessions. That was on my head and neck, which is the worst place to recieve radiation. This would be so much more tolerable. I won't have side effects until treatments are over. This would most likely include redness at the site and possible nausea (depends on how they point the radiation, if it hits my stomach or not), and maybe fatigue. Basically a piece of cake compared to my last radiation treatments. I am all for this if all it does is alleviate the back pain I've been having. I will go in on March 9th for treatment planning and then start approximately a week later. This will not interfere with any future treatments and can only do me some good. I'll tell ya, I was kinda scared when Dr. Hitchcock brought all this to my attention, but I have since calmed down and feel that this is a great option for me.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Ok, so a friend of mine told me to read this from her friends blog. What a powerful message! It really struck me with what I have been going through.
"The Lord has made no secret of the fact that He intends to try the faith and the patience of His Saints. (See Mosiah 23:21.) We mortals are so quick to forget the Lord: “And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions … they will not remember him.” (Hel. 12:3.)
However, the Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. (See D&C 50:40; D&C 78:18.) Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.)
Therefore, given the aforementioned grand and overarching reasons to rejoice, can we not “be of good cheer” in spite of stress and circumstance?
President Brigham Young said of a geographical destination, “This is the place.” Of God’s plan of salvation, with its developmental destination, it can be said, “This is the process”!
President Young, who knew something about trial and tribulation but also of man’s high destiny, said that the Lord lets us pass through these experiences that we might become true friends of God. By developing our individual capacities, wisely exercising our agency, and trusting God—including when we feel forsaken and alone—then we can, said President Young, learn to be “righteous in the dark.” (Secretary’s Journal, 28 Jan. 1857.) The gospel glow we see radiating from some—amid dark difficulties—comes from illuminated individuals who are “of good cheer”!
To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter, to be true even when we feel forsaken—all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate, divine tutorials which God gives to us—because He loves us. (See Mosiah 3:19.) These learning experiences must not be misread as divine indifference. Instead, such tutorials are a part of the divine unfolding." (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘Be of Good Cheer’,” Ensign, Nov 1982, 66)
"The Lord has made no secret of the fact that He intends to try the faith and the patience of His Saints. (See Mosiah 23:21.) We mortals are so quick to forget the Lord: “And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions … they will not remember him.” (Hel. 12:3.)
However, the Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. (See D&C 50:40; D&C 78:18.) Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.)
Therefore, given the aforementioned grand and overarching reasons to rejoice, can we not “be of good cheer” in spite of stress and circumstance?
President Brigham Young said of a geographical destination, “This is the place.” Of God’s plan of salvation, with its developmental destination, it can be said, “This is the process”!
President Young, who knew something about trial and tribulation but also of man’s high destiny, said that the Lord lets us pass through these experiences that we might become true friends of God. By developing our individual capacities, wisely exercising our agency, and trusting God—including when we feel forsaken and alone—then we can, said President Young, learn to be “righteous in the dark.” (Secretary’s Journal, 28 Jan. 1857.) The gospel glow we see radiating from some—amid dark difficulties—comes from illuminated individuals who are “of good cheer”!
To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter, to be true even when we feel forsaken—all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate, divine tutorials which God gives to us—because He loves us. (See Mosiah 3:19.) These learning experiences must not be misread as divine indifference. Instead, such tutorials are a part of the divine unfolding." (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘Be of Good Cheer’,” Ensign, Nov 1982, 66)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Yesterday I was in my room and heard Wyatt talking to somebody. I got a little closer without him seeing me and heard him saying, "Santa don't watch me!" and again, "Santa, don't ever never watch me!" As I got closer and looked into the room, he was looking up to the ceiling talking to Santa. Also he was perched on the back of the couch about to jump off! He wanted a minute to be naughty I guess! Too funny!
Everyone keeps asking how I am doing and how I am feeling and when the next treatment is. I am doing really really well! I think my attitude has totally been uplifted since the dinner on Friday! It was just amazing to see all the friends and family supporting me! I will be thinking and looking back on this forever! I'll be honest and say I've lost a bit of sleep thinking about all that transpired that night! It was like a dream and couldn't have been more perfect.
I am still of course having side effects from treatment, but this time seem so much more bearable. I'm sure I've mentioned the book I am reading before (it's taken me like 9 months to read 3/4 of the book). It's called Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel, M.D. It's Lessons learned about self-healing from a surgeon's experience with exceptional patients. The day that Dr. Bentz told me he couldn't help me surgically anymore, he gave this to me. It has been the most inspiring book ever! I think it has taken me so long to read it because a little at a time goes a long way. I read a little bit and go off of that amount of help for a couple weeks. I'll tell you, every time I pick up this book, my whole attitude changes about my treatments and my cancer. I reccommend this book to anyone who has cancer or any other disease, or just for anyone who wants a more meaningful experience when it comes to healing your own body! It's a lot about mind over matter.
Anyway, last week while waiting for an appointment with Dr. Akerley, I was reading and read a part about hair falling out and if you meditate and think about your head as ice, it will stop. Well, at that point I was starting to freak out because the past few days my hair was falling out by the hundreds (big clumps)! So, immediately I wanted to try it out. Needless to say, I have lost no more than 10-20 hairs a day since that day, although I have been envisioning my head being concrete and not letting any more hair fall out! I can't believe it worked! I am now a believer.
I stopped complaining and even apologized to Justin for voicing my complaints about my hair. What a difference in my attitude.
At that same appointment with Dr. Akerley, he told me that I have finished two rounds of treatment and that I was done doing treatment! I was a little shocked because when I talked with Joan (my NP in charge of the IL-II) she had told me that 3 rounds was the maximum. I totally expected to do the maximum. Dr. Akerley set up an appointment to do a PET/CT on April 8 and then we would go from there. He also said that he is about 100% sure I will not be doing further treatment (meaning my scan would come back clear!) I guess I now have major reason to hope and believe him! I asked if there is some residual cancer left if I can do another round of treatment. He said we will talk about it when we get the results. Till then I guess. Hopefully I will have some fun pictures to post soon of the kids and some from dinner the other night. There are pics on the benefit site I posted in my "wow" post.
Everyone keeps asking how I am doing and how I am feeling and when the next treatment is. I am doing really really well! I think my attitude has totally been uplifted since the dinner on Friday! It was just amazing to see all the friends and family supporting me! I will be thinking and looking back on this forever! I'll be honest and say I've lost a bit of sleep thinking about all that transpired that night! It was like a dream and couldn't have been more perfect.
I am still of course having side effects from treatment, but this time seem so much more bearable. I'm sure I've mentioned the book I am reading before (it's taken me like 9 months to read 3/4 of the book). It's called Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel, M.D. It's Lessons learned about self-healing from a surgeon's experience with exceptional patients. The day that Dr. Bentz told me he couldn't help me surgically anymore, he gave this to me. It has been the most inspiring book ever! I think it has taken me so long to read it because a little at a time goes a long way. I read a little bit and go off of that amount of help for a couple weeks. I'll tell you, every time I pick up this book, my whole attitude changes about my treatments and my cancer. I reccommend this book to anyone who has cancer or any other disease, or just for anyone who wants a more meaningful experience when it comes to healing your own body! It's a lot about mind over matter.
Anyway, last week while waiting for an appointment with Dr. Akerley, I was reading and read a part about hair falling out and if you meditate and think about your head as ice, it will stop. Well, at that point I was starting to freak out because the past few days my hair was falling out by the hundreds (big clumps)! So, immediately I wanted to try it out. Needless to say, I have lost no more than 10-20 hairs a day since that day, although I have been envisioning my head being concrete and not letting any more hair fall out! I can't believe it worked! I am now a believer.
I stopped complaining and even apologized to Justin for voicing my complaints about my hair. What a difference in my attitude.
At that same appointment with Dr. Akerley, he told me that I have finished two rounds of treatment and that I was done doing treatment! I was a little shocked because when I talked with Joan (my NP in charge of the IL-II) she had told me that 3 rounds was the maximum. I totally expected to do the maximum. Dr. Akerley set up an appointment to do a PET/CT on April 8 and then we would go from there. He also said that he is about 100% sure I will not be doing further treatment (meaning my scan would come back clear!) I guess I now have major reason to hope and believe him! I asked if there is some residual cancer left if I can do another round of treatment. He said we will talk about it when we get the results. Till then I guess. Hopefully I will have some fun pictures to post soon of the kids and some from dinner the other night. There are pics on the benefit site I posted in my "wow" post.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Words cannot express...
This post is from Justin, tis is the first time I have posted on here but I thought it appropriate to start with this:
I know that Michelle has offered her perspective of what happened to us on the evening of February 6th but I could not go on without at least trying to put into words the story of what took place and how grateful we are for all the people that we know and love that were there to support us.
Greg and Stephanie Baker are two of the greatest and most charitable people that the Lord has ever put on this earth. Last year, initially after word from Michelle’s Doctor became increasingly bleak about her prognosis, Greg and Steph took us up to a nice hotel in Park City with them for a nice night out. This year, they invited us up to Snowbird for a night. We were excited for the possibility of a quiet night amongst adults so this was a treat in and of itself. Greg told me that the room was through his work so it was no big deal. I gave very little thought to it up until the night started to unravel.
Greg told us to dress somewhat nice as he had set up reservations at a nice restaurant at the mouth of the canyon. He and Steph were to pick us up at roughly 5:30. At around 5:45 there was a knock at the door. It wasn’t Greg or Steph, it actually was a limo driver and in the driveway was a beautiful, white stretch limo. The driver told us that he was there to pick us up and take us to Snowbird. The Baker’s and a couple of other families in our ward have pulled stuff like this before so as grateful as we were, we weren’t incredibly surprised by the limo. The evening continued and we began our trip in the limo. Shortly after leaving the driver told us that we would be picking up the rest of our party at La Caille (THE restaurant to eat in all of Utah). Michelle and I began to think that maybe something was up and became excited at the prospect at eating at La Caille. I’ve never been there with the exception of attending a wedding reception there several years ago.
With some careful driving and an eventual 14 point turn into the tight driveway of La Caille, we were taken up to the Green Room portion of the restaurant. When the limo came to a stop, not only did Greg emerge from the front door, but Jim Moore (one of the “big three” in our ward that would do anything for anybody in need at anytime for any reason) joined alongside him. Michelle and I could do nothing but look at each other and try to figure out what was going on. We got out of the limo and found that this was turning out to be more than just a small gathering of friends. Cody Pilcher apparently followed us with a video camera all the way from our house and Justin Brady was there to get our reaction as we walked out of the limo.
As we were trying get over the shock of what had already taken place, the real surprise was still waiting for us. We walked up the stairs to the reception area and were greeted by Stephanie, Michelle Moore, and Michelle’s parents to name a few. The shock of what was taking place was beginning to take hold of both of us and tears were seriously starting to flow. Michelle’s mom pinned on a corsage to Michelle we made our way into the Green Room where over 90 of our closest friends and family were gathered to honor Michelle.
Much of the night is a blur as it took sometime for much of the shock to wear off. It was simply amazing to see so many people that have in some way been affected by Michelle and her courageous battle with this horrible disease. There was a silent auction with many items that had been donated from places such as the University of Utah and BYU athletic departments, and many other local businesses and individuals. I would love to mention and thank many people that donated individually but I know I would forget someone and I do not want to take credit away from all that deserve it. Greg pretty much conducted the auction and recognized all those that played such a large part in putting everything together. To conclude the evening, before Michelle and I were asked to say a few words, we were presented with a gift basket of many other gift cards and other items that had been contributed by many others but than the surprise of the night, Greg presented us with a certificate notifying us that at the time over $8500 had been raised to help us with medical bills and anything else that we stand in need of. Needless to say I was at a loss for words and Michelle was much the same. We both did our best to get through what we could to say thank you to all those that were in attendance and that played such a huge part in putting everything together. This was the first time in many years that Michelle has spoken publicly as she has had confidence issues to the paralysis she suffered on the left side of her face due to the many surgeries she has gone through. I was so proud of her courage in doing so.
As the party came to a close, we were told to go to the Grand America Hotel, the only 5 star hotel in Utah. Our room was an executive suite with an incredible view of the valley. We had many hours to enjoy the room as neither of us could settle down enough to go sleep. Beyond our wedding night, this was by far the most memorable experience that either of us have been a part of. It would not be possible for me to put into words how grateful we are for all that were in attendance to make this night so spectacular.
The event was planned over several months with help of family, friends, ward members, my current and past employers and many people behind the scenes that we have never met. La Caille graciously donated the space for the party and offered each guest a $50 gift certificate for a return trip to the restaurant. The committee that put this whole operation together established a foundation in the name of Desmoplastic Melanoma, the disease that Michelle is suffering from. Dr. Bentz, Michelle’s primary physician and Joyce Pell, from Huntsman Cancer institute were an integral part of getting all the information needed to establish the charity. We could not be more grateful for all that the team at Huntsman has done to care for Michelle and make sure she is comfortable and has everything she needs to fight and recover from this disease.
We have stewed over how to show our gratitude to all those responsible for putting such an event together. I know many names have been mentioned in this blog but many people who have not been named our in our hearts and we could not be more grateful for your friendship. A special thanks to the ownership and staff of La Caille for helping make the event possible and our sincerest thanks to those friends of ours (you know who you are) that spent countless hours and sleepless nights in putting all this together. You will be in our hearts forever and we will never forget what you did for us.
We truly hope to maximize the potential and opportunities of the foundation in the future to help those individuals and families that have been affected by this or any similar disease. It is a goal of ours to be able to find a local family in a similar situation as ours that we can help in either lifting their spirits or lightening their financial burden. Please be mindful of those around you in need and pass on the spirit of charity when possible. You never know how much you can impact someone with just a little effort.
I know that Michelle has offered her perspective of what happened to us on the evening of February 6th but I could not go on without at least trying to put into words the story of what took place and how grateful we are for all the people that we know and love that were there to support us.
Greg and Stephanie Baker are two of the greatest and most charitable people that the Lord has ever put on this earth. Last year, initially after word from Michelle’s Doctor became increasingly bleak about her prognosis, Greg and Steph took us up to a nice hotel in Park City with them for a nice night out. This year, they invited us up to Snowbird for a night. We were excited for the possibility of a quiet night amongst adults so this was a treat in and of itself. Greg told me that the room was through his work so it was no big deal. I gave very little thought to it up until the night started to unravel.
Greg told us to dress somewhat nice as he had set up reservations at a nice restaurant at the mouth of the canyon. He and Steph were to pick us up at roughly 5:30. At around 5:45 there was a knock at the door. It wasn’t Greg or Steph, it actually was a limo driver and in the driveway was a beautiful, white stretch limo. The driver told us that he was there to pick us up and take us to Snowbird. The Baker’s and a couple of other families in our ward have pulled stuff like this before so as grateful as we were, we weren’t incredibly surprised by the limo. The evening continued and we began our trip in the limo. Shortly after leaving the driver told us that we would be picking up the rest of our party at La Caille (THE restaurant to eat in all of Utah). Michelle and I began to think that maybe something was up and became excited at the prospect at eating at La Caille. I’ve never been there with the exception of attending a wedding reception there several years ago.
With some careful driving and an eventual 14 point turn into the tight driveway of La Caille, we were taken up to the Green Room portion of the restaurant. When the limo came to a stop, not only did Greg emerge from the front door, but Jim Moore (one of the “big three” in our ward that would do anything for anybody in need at anytime for any reason) joined alongside him. Michelle and I could do nothing but look at each other and try to figure out what was going on. We got out of the limo and found that this was turning out to be more than just a small gathering of friends. Cody Pilcher apparently followed us with a video camera all the way from our house and Justin Brady was there to get our reaction as we walked out of the limo.
As we were trying get over the shock of what had already taken place, the real surprise was still waiting for us. We walked up the stairs to the reception area and were greeted by Stephanie, Michelle Moore, and Michelle’s parents to name a few. The shock of what was taking place was beginning to take hold of both of us and tears were seriously starting to flow. Michelle’s mom pinned on a corsage to Michelle we made our way into the Green Room where over 90 of our closest friends and family were gathered to honor Michelle.
Much of the night is a blur as it took sometime for much of the shock to wear off. It was simply amazing to see so many people that have in some way been affected by Michelle and her courageous battle with this horrible disease. There was a silent auction with many items that had been donated from places such as the University of Utah and BYU athletic departments, and many other local businesses and individuals. I would love to mention and thank many people that donated individually but I know I would forget someone and I do not want to take credit away from all that deserve it. Greg pretty much conducted the auction and recognized all those that played such a large part in putting everything together. To conclude the evening, before Michelle and I were asked to say a few words, we were presented with a gift basket of many other gift cards and other items that had been contributed by many others but than the surprise of the night, Greg presented us with a certificate notifying us that at the time over $8500 had been raised to help us with medical bills and anything else that we stand in need of. Needless to say I was at a loss for words and Michelle was much the same. We both did our best to get through what we could to say thank you to all those that were in attendance and that played such a huge part in putting everything together. This was the first time in many years that Michelle has spoken publicly as she has had confidence issues to the paralysis she suffered on the left side of her face due to the many surgeries she has gone through. I was so proud of her courage in doing so.
As the party came to a close, we were told to go to the Grand America Hotel, the only 5 star hotel in Utah. Our room was an executive suite with an incredible view of the valley. We had many hours to enjoy the room as neither of us could settle down enough to go sleep. Beyond our wedding night, this was by far the most memorable experience that either of us have been a part of. It would not be possible for me to put into words how grateful we are for all that were in attendance to make this night so spectacular.
The event was planned over several months with help of family, friends, ward members, my current and past employers and many people behind the scenes that we have never met. La Caille graciously donated the space for the party and offered each guest a $50 gift certificate for a return trip to the restaurant. The committee that put this whole operation together established a foundation in the name of Desmoplastic Melanoma, the disease that Michelle is suffering from. Dr. Bentz, Michelle’s primary physician and Joyce Pell, from Huntsman Cancer institute were an integral part of getting all the information needed to establish the charity. We could not be more grateful for all that the team at Huntsman has done to care for Michelle and make sure she is comfortable and has everything she needs to fight and recover from this disease.
We have stewed over how to show our gratitude to all those responsible for putting such an event together. I know many names have been mentioned in this blog but many people who have not been named our in our hearts and we could not be more grateful for your friendship. A special thanks to the ownership and staff of La Caille for helping make the event possible and our sincerest thanks to those friends of ours (you know who you are) that spent countless hours and sleepless nights in putting all this together. You will be in our hearts forever and we will never forget what you did for us.
We truly hope to maximize the potential and opportunities of the foundation in the future to help those individuals and families that have been affected by this or any similar disease. It is a goal of ours to be able to find a local family in a similar situation as ours that we can help in either lifting their spirits or lightening their financial burden. Please be mindful of those around you in need and pass on the spirit of charity when possible. You never know how much you can impact someone with just a little effort.
Wow!
I'm not sure where to even start. I guess I should tell my side of what happened Friday night and then I will go into my emotions.
We were asked by Greg and Stephanie if we would go to Snowbird (ski resort) with them for dinner and to spend the night up there. Of course as they are really good friends, we agreed. They told us they would pick us up at 5:30. Instead of them showing up, a limo driver picked us up. We immediatedely started trying to call them and figure out what was going on. We didn't get a response other than a text from Greg who didn't say anything about what was going on. The driver told us we were going to La Caille (the nicest restaurant in Utah!) to pick them up and then go to Snowbird. We were wondering why we would be picking them up and not eating there. I thought maybe they were getting food to go and we'd eat in the limo or something. I was clueless. So, we pulled into La Caille and went to the Green room to pick them up. He stopped the limo and got out and then opened our door. We started seeing some familiar faces and I immediately saw two cameras in front and one to the side. Justin voiced for me and said, "What is going on?" We looked completely dumbfounded. They took us up the stairs and into the first little sign in room. I saw Stephanie and Michelle sitting behind a table and I saw my parents and then I started really looking at stuff and saw my name everywhere! I started reading the paper on the table and it said benefit and silent auction for Michelle Bancroft. I looked at Justin as it dawned on me and started crying! I lost it! I think everyone in that little room lost it! My mom pinned some flowers on me and my dad warned me that everyone was waiting for me in the next room! I said "That's a lot of pressure!"
We walked in together and all I saw was lights from all the camera flashes! I felt like a movie star for a minute! I started crying again and got very emotional. I didn't quite know what to do other than start hugging everyone. I saw my brother and sister and spouses first and went to them. Then Justin's brothers and hugged them. And I just kept hugging for probably a good while. I had no concept of time at this point. I was so shocked! I could not believe how many people were there for me! I was trying to figure out how they got a hold of so many people from so many different parts of our lives! It was amazing to say the least! They even got a hold of my favorite nurse in the Head and Neck Oncology and she came! My doctor had committed to coming too, but wasn't able to make it last minute. What doctor and nurse would ever do something like this for a patient? They both even helped get this whole thing going and were a part of this all along. Wow!
I had such an outstanding time being with all of my family, friends, and neighbors! It truly opened my eyes as to how many people really care about me. I know there was a lot that couldn't make it that wanted to and there are those that didn't even find out about this.
I am truly still in shock over this whole thing. There are so many wonder ful people who donated items to be auctioned off and those who supported and bought the items. I didn't dare take a look at any of the stuff up for auction. I didn't want to know who was bidding for what and for how much, but found out later that they only wrote down a number not a name.
In this economic hard time, I can't believe how much money was raised in my behalf! As of next week, my medical bills are paid off!!!!!!! What a stress off our backs. Every single day we get a bill or a statement in the mail from the hospital or different departments. I am crying now thinking about how good it feels to know that those bills are paid for!
What an amazing night! Towards the end, Greg had asked if we both wanted to say something. We both agreed. Justin did a terrific job and was so sweet! I started talking and all I did was blubber and cry. It showed how emotional I was and how touched was by everything everyone had done for us! This was the first time since my big surgery that I have spoken in front of anyone, let alone a crowd close to 100! I didn't feel obligated to do it though, I felt so grateful that everyone was there for me. How lucky can a girl get?
They even sent us to the Grand America in the Executive Suite for the night! The room was huge and beautiful! It cost $3 for a snickers bar! I'll tell ya, we tried to sleep, but I was so full of excitement from the night that everytime I closed my eyes, I couldn't turn my mind off. I still can't believe how many people knew about this and we didn't even have a single clue hinting toward this!
Some of the stories are now starting to get to this about how this all came about. They blame Justin for getting their minds going about trying to raise funds for me. Justin had thought about making and selling t-shirts for the BYU/Utah football game to get some money to help with medical bills. It ended up being a risk we couldn't take financially to get the t-shirts made in the first place and not being sure if they'd sell.
This has been in the works for the last 4-6 months! There has been so many people involved and committees made and nights of sleep lost and so much time put toward this. It is hard to know how to say thank you. They all claim that the Lord had his hand in this as they had so many roadblocks and then the way would be paved.
They put together a foundation in my name and a website where people can sign a guestbook and donate. The website is
http://www.bancroftbenefit.myevent.com/
This has just been so overwhelmingly amazing! I am just so grateful!
We were asked by Greg and Stephanie if we would go to Snowbird (ski resort) with them for dinner and to spend the night up there. Of course as they are really good friends, we agreed. They told us they would pick us up at 5:30. Instead of them showing up, a limo driver picked us up. We immediatedely started trying to call them and figure out what was going on. We didn't get a response other than a text from Greg who didn't say anything about what was going on. The driver told us we were going to La Caille (the nicest restaurant in Utah!) to pick them up and then go to Snowbird. We were wondering why we would be picking them up and not eating there. I thought maybe they were getting food to go and we'd eat in the limo or something. I was clueless. So, we pulled into La Caille and went to the Green room to pick them up. He stopped the limo and got out and then opened our door. We started seeing some familiar faces and I immediately saw two cameras in front and one to the side. Justin voiced for me and said, "What is going on?" We looked completely dumbfounded. They took us up the stairs and into the first little sign in room. I saw Stephanie and Michelle sitting behind a table and I saw my parents and then I started really looking at stuff and saw my name everywhere! I started reading the paper on the table and it said benefit and silent auction for Michelle Bancroft. I looked at Justin as it dawned on me and started crying! I lost it! I think everyone in that little room lost it! My mom pinned some flowers on me and my dad warned me that everyone was waiting for me in the next room! I said "That's a lot of pressure!"
We walked in together and all I saw was lights from all the camera flashes! I felt like a movie star for a minute! I started crying again and got very emotional. I didn't quite know what to do other than start hugging everyone. I saw my brother and sister and spouses first and went to them. Then Justin's brothers and hugged them. And I just kept hugging for probably a good while. I had no concept of time at this point. I was so shocked! I could not believe how many people were there for me! I was trying to figure out how they got a hold of so many people from so many different parts of our lives! It was amazing to say the least! They even got a hold of my favorite nurse in the Head and Neck Oncology and she came! My doctor had committed to coming too, but wasn't able to make it last minute. What doctor and nurse would ever do something like this for a patient? They both even helped get this whole thing going and were a part of this all along. Wow!
I had such an outstanding time being with all of my family, friends, and neighbors! It truly opened my eyes as to how many people really care about me. I know there was a lot that couldn't make it that wanted to and there are those that didn't even find out about this.
I am truly still in shock over this whole thing. There are so many wonder ful people who donated items to be auctioned off and those who supported and bought the items. I didn't dare take a look at any of the stuff up for auction. I didn't want to know who was bidding for what and for how much, but found out later that they only wrote down a number not a name.
In this economic hard time, I can't believe how much money was raised in my behalf! As of next week, my medical bills are paid off!!!!!!! What a stress off our backs. Every single day we get a bill or a statement in the mail from the hospital or different departments. I am crying now thinking about how good it feels to know that those bills are paid for!
What an amazing night! Towards the end, Greg had asked if we both wanted to say something. We both agreed. Justin did a terrific job and was so sweet! I started talking and all I did was blubber and cry. It showed how emotional I was and how touched was by everything everyone had done for us! This was the first time since my big surgery that I have spoken in front of anyone, let alone a crowd close to 100! I didn't feel obligated to do it though, I felt so grateful that everyone was there for me. How lucky can a girl get?
They even sent us to the Grand America in the Executive Suite for the night! The room was huge and beautiful! It cost $3 for a snickers bar! I'll tell ya, we tried to sleep, but I was so full of excitement from the night that everytime I closed my eyes, I couldn't turn my mind off. I still can't believe how many people knew about this and we didn't even have a single clue hinting toward this!
Some of the stories are now starting to get to this about how this all came about. They blame Justin for getting their minds going about trying to raise funds for me. Justin had thought about making and selling t-shirts for the BYU/Utah football game to get some money to help with medical bills. It ended up being a risk we couldn't take financially to get the t-shirts made in the first place and not being sure if they'd sell.
This has been in the works for the last 4-6 months! There has been so many people involved and committees made and nights of sleep lost and so much time put toward this. It is hard to know how to say thank you. They all claim that the Lord had his hand in this as they had so many roadblocks and then the way would be paved.
They put together a foundation in my name and a website where people can sign a guestbook and donate. The website is
http://www.bancroftbenefit.myevent.com/
This has just been so overwhelmingly amazing! I am just so grateful!
Monday, February 2, 2009
It keeps pouring
So I thought I would try and have a normal week of recovering. Everyone was starting to feel better, so why not one more thing, right? This weekend starting on Friday I had my central line removed (I can't tell you how good that feels). Everything went well, and I was even talked out of getting the sedation this time. The lady that removed knew what she was doing. The only part that hurt was the first shot of lidocaine. It was a lot of twisting and pulling which was uncomfortable, but I would do this anyday over getting sedated.
Saturday morning I woke up and had a fever of 102. On my last central line, I got an infection, so I wasn't gonna play around. I immediately called up to Huntsman and they told me to go to Instacare and have the site looked at for signs of infection. It looked really clean, so we figured it was just a virus. I wish now we would have done blood tests, it would have showed the truth. So, I came home and my fever spiked to 104. I thought that was high for an adult to get. I tried to sleep that night, but kept waking up drenched in sweat and having shaking chills. I knew something was wrong when the thermometer read 105.4!!!! I think I was out of it. I took some tylenol and went back to bed. I was really lethargic at this point.
I called back up to Huntsman Sunday morning and got the doctor on call. She prescribed a very generic antibiotic. I started taking that around 11. Of course it was Superbowl Sunday. I have been sick the last two years and got thrown up on the year before that. We've always been invited to the same house, and I think they think I'm avoiding them. I better not be sick next year! So, I sent the family away to the party thinking I could rest while they were gone. while home, the site where the line was removed started oozing. I knew it! I was just waiting for that to happen. Shaking chills are a sign of infection. I called back up to Huntsman and was told I might have to be hospitalized for IV antibiotics. Not again! She told me she needed to call me back so she could run it by another doctor. She called back with the best news, I could take an oral antibiotic. Yay! It is most likely a staff infection, which is generally the kind of infection IL-II patients get. I told her that's exactly what I had last time. So, I think we figured it out. After sweating it out a couple more times last night I am down to 99 this morning, so I think it's working. I am still very weak and tired, but glad to not have to sit by the fire to stop shaking from the chills.
We are ready for better times ahead, I'll tell you. These last couple weeks are going down in the books for sure!
Saturday morning I woke up and had a fever of 102. On my last central line, I got an infection, so I wasn't gonna play around. I immediately called up to Huntsman and they told me to go to Instacare and have the site looked at for signs of infection. It looked really clean, so we figured it was just a virus. I wish now we would have done blood tests, it would have showed the truth. So, I came home and my fever spiked to 104. I thought that was high for an adult to get. I tried to sleep that night, but kept waking up drenched in sweat and having shaking chills. I knew something was wrong when the thermometer read 105.4!!!! I think I was out of it. I took some tylenol and went back to bed. I was really lethargic at this point.
I called back up to Huntsman Sunday morning and got the doctor on call. She prescribed a very generic antibiotic. I started taking that around 11. Of course it was Superbowl Sunday. I have been sick the last two years and got thrown up on the year before that. We've always been invited to the same house, and I think they think I'm avoiding them. I better not be sick next year! So, I sent the family away to the party thinking I could rest while they were gone. while home, the site where the line was removed started oozing. I knew it! I was just waiting for that to happen. Shaking chills are a sign of infection. I called back up to Huntsman and was told I might have to be hospitalized for IV antibiotics. Not again! She told me she needed to call me back so she could run it by another doctor. She called back with the best news, I could take an oral antibiotic. Yay! It is most likely a staff infection, which is generally the kind of infection IL-II patients get. I told her that's exactly what I had last time. So, I think we figured it out. After sweating it out a couple more times last night I am down to 99 this morning, so I think it's working. I am still very weak and tired, but glad to not have to sit by the fire to stop shaking from the chills.
We are ready for better times ahead, I'll tell you. These last couple weeks are going down in the books for sure!
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