Baldies' Blog began originally in the UK by a 26 year old journalist with a blood cancer on a mission to inform the world about bone marrow donation.

He has since died, and I took on the cause of making cancer care more transparent for everybody.

Cancer is a disease that will touch everybody through diagnosis or affiliation: 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed and 1 in 3 woman will hear those words, "You Have Cancer."

I invite you to read how I feel along my journey and
how I am continuing to live a full life alongside my Hodgkin's lymphoma, with me controlling my cancer, not my cancer controlling me.

I hope that "Baldies' Blog" will prepare you to handle whatever life sends you, but especially if it's the message, "You Have Cancer."

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Vic's on a roll: Birthday Update

Hi too all
I woke up suddenly tonight at 3:46 AM. I remember this well as 29 years ago I was awaken at the same time because Nancy's water had broken and we were going to have twins!  It is a day I will always remember.At 9:15 Heather was born. No complications, everything was going great. then Hillary decided that there was plenty of room now that her sister was gone and just wanted to hang out a while. 31 minutes later, what seemed to be a lifetime, Hillary was born. Yes she had a few issues. The nurses and the 4 doctors that worked on Hillary all remember that day. Dr West, who is a great friend till this day, calls me every year. She was his toughest birth by far. 
Hillary's apguard score were 0,1. Kind of like a computer code! 0 is no breathing or heartbeat taken at birth. 1 is for breathing on a respirator at 5 minutes. She had a crushed skull from the high forceps. We were told she was a 1-1,000,000 birth with a prolapsed cord. That evening I can still see the look on Dr West's face as he told us "not expect much from Hillary." Brain damage was expected. She was transferred to Dartmouth- a place now that she visits a lot!
Needless to say she fooled everyone.!! Not only did she recover, she excelled. She has had a will to live right from the 1st day. She was born with it. We could only nurture it. 
We continue on our wild ride to this day. Hillary had a 2nd opinion on thursday last week In New York City. If you know Hillary by Now she was going to make an event out of it. Wednesday is free day at the Bronx Zoo. Jon Xander and Hillary had to go visit the tigers. Then she contacts her friends from college of New Rochelle. 6 women, most with kids, drop everything to come to visit Hillary for dinner at the hotel. I call it the meeting of the UN as they are all different nationalities from different areas of the city. She always get positive energy from these friends.
 Hillary got another opinion from a research specialist at New York University. Dr Oconner is doing trials for a drug- not chemo- that has been 75% successful in curing Hodgkin patients that have not been helped from chemo. A new trial opened at noon on Thursday. Hillary's appointment was at 1:30. She got into the study! Yes we have new found hope!!! We always thought that if she could fight long enough that research would come up with something new. Nancy and Hillary are headed back for her 1st treatment on Thursday- Our anniversary.
Last friday Hillary needed day surgery to put the stent  back into the kidney. The Cancer is growing so fast that it is already shutting off the connections. they placed a metal stent instead of plastic because of the tumor growth. She has rested and slept most of the last few days. She has to save what energy she can so she can make another trip to NY and keep fighting. The  drug has not been toxic to any of the others in the 1st trial. It shows improvement in about 3 weeks. Chemo had been almost immediate in the other 12 times that the cancer had come back. I hate the fact that this is #13. But that is Heathers favorite number so I think their bond is stronger than my superstition. 
So we have new hope. We cling to the fact that she has been a fighter all her life. we especially cling to the help, prayers and support that are friends and family have given to us. Our emotions are being held together with string and love from all of you. We thank you very much

Vic, Nancy, Grace and Patrick, Heather, Allen, Pierce and Preston, Jon, Xander and Totally Hillary

2 comments:

B. said...

Vic and Fam,

So extremely happy Hil and all of you are finally heading to O'conner, he is truly a life saver in so many ways.

My hope is that Hil doesn't have any complications at all on this treatment. Sending love and luck to you and the rest of the fam during SGN!

xoxo,
B.

Sandy said...

Amazing family support - sure has to make it easier to cope with all she is going through! Hillary is lucky to have such a supportive group behind her. =0)