Well friends, it’s been over a year since I’ve written which I can hardly believe. I’m sorry for my silence. When my cancer recurred in March of 2017 it was like being diagnosed all over again and I think I got jaded. I just didn’t feel l had anything worthwhile to share and it all felt pointless to write. I am ready though to get back to it.

Here is an update on my health:
I have been doing chemo for the better part of the last year. Thankfully my body has responded well once again to the same drug combination I did 4.5 years ago. (Gemcitabine/Cisplatin) In a few weeks I will do SBRT radiation to the 2 tumors we see right now in the liver. At recurrence we saw 5 liver tumors and had a few lymph nodes outside the liver with cancer. Those 3 liver tumors are still probably there, but chemo has shrunk them enough so we can’t see them. Still have lymph nodes but they are smaller.

After radiation (which is 5 treatments) I’ll do some more chemo and then we’ll see what’s next.

Chemo has been tolerable. I get it every other week. On infusion day I feel a bit icky then the two days after I feel tired and not so great. After that, I feel back to normal. I have gotten a little nephropathy this time which I hope is temporary. I walk to and from chemo instead of running. I am not in running shape at all! My kids think it’s funny that I can look at the calendar and know which days I won’t be feeling well. It isn’t ideal to lose 6 days a month feeling not so great but it’s what is keeping the cancer at bay. At some point chemo will become too toxic for me so better treatments and ultimately a cure sure would be timely.

Charlotte and some of her friends are having a lemonade/bake sale fundraiser tomorrow (Tuesday) for The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation whose mission is to find a cure for bile duct cancer. The kids made signs today and they’re really excited to contribute to this cause. If you are local, come on by at 4:00 to the corner of Preston and Harris!

I promise to get back into the swing of writing again. We are all doing well. Life is normal with cancer playing it’s part.

Nite, Nite.
xoxo Hilary