Round 14

There isn't really big update about Jenna this time around. She had a treatment last Thursday. She passed around little goodies to all the nice nurses and her doctor. Her treatment went by really fast as we all chatted about Christmas, vacations, and our families. Kelly (Jenna's friend) came to visit as well.  When we left they had some ladies playing Christmas music on their violins and another lady was playing the piano. Jenna really enjoyed the violins.

I kind of covered what is going to happen next time in the last post. She is waiting four weeks to go back again so she will go right after Christmas. She will be getting a CT scan before her treatment to see how things are going. That's the update for now. She is still hanging in there and seems to be doing pretty well still. 

Round 13

I feel like it has been awhile since I posted.  Jenna had another treatment last Thursday. She had a few new people help her out this time. I don't think she liked it too much. For starters she had a new girl put in her port and she said that that hurt more than anything she has gone though with this whole process. Even more then getting the fluid drained from her stomach. 

Then she met with her doctor and they decided that Jenna wouldn't be coming back for four weeks this time because if she did three weeks it would land right on thanksgiving and nobody wants to do that. She will also have another four week break after that because if they did three again it would land on a holiday (Christmas). Right after christmas she will go in for a treatment but before that she will have another CT scan.  Jenna also got a new scheduler lady and it took her a few days to figure out Jenna's schedule. I am not sure she has it all done quit yet.

Other then that her treatment went as usual and everything seems to be going pretty good still.

On a side note a friend of mine sent me a link for a spa that was offering free service for cancer patience.  They offered pedicures, facials, and massages.  I asked Jenna if she was interested and she said, yes! So we went and I went as her care giver. I thought it was a really neat thing they did. 

Thanks for all the love and support!

Huntsman 5K

I just wanted to write and say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated to the cancer research.

My team #jennabstrong

 It felt good to participate in the Huntsman 5K, giving hope to generations! Thank you again for the support and donations!!

Round 12

This time I was able to be with Jenna right from the beginning. She starts with getting her port accessed. Then she see another nurse who takes her vitals. Next she sees her doctor and they talk about treatment. Then she waits for a bit and goes up to get her treatments. But this time, she only saw the nurse that accesses her port and then got her treatment. I got to go with her while the nurse (one of her favorite nurses) assessed her port.

I was really interested in seeing how it worked. The nurse cleans it off and then she gets the port and pokes it into Jenna as fast as she can otherwise it would hurt. Jenna said it used to hurt but now she doesn't really even feel it.

Jenna didn't meet with her doctor this time. We (Jenna, Darren, and I) just waited and chatted with Scott and Kelly until it was time to go to Jenna's treatment. Scott and Kelly had to go. Nothing has changed with Jenna's treatments. She is still having the same three treatments right now. Lately Jenna feels pretty other than right after her treatment, when she still gets pretty tired and a little sick. As of right now, things are going pretty well!

Round 11

Now that it has been over a week since Jenna's treatment, I have left you all in suspense about her CT scan. She arrived at the Huntsman at 8am for her CT scan. After that, she met with her doctor to review the results. Things are going well: the spots on her liver and her tumors are continuing to shrink! Her CEA (carcinoembyonic antigen, a GI tumor marker) levels are back to normal at 2.4 ng/ml--previously they were 100 ng/ml. That is some really great news!! She and her doctor decided that she will be doing her treatments every 3 weeks. That way, she will be able to enjoy the holiday and not have to be so sick.

She received the same treatment as the last couple times. Jenna's friend Kelly came to visit again, so that was fun and made time go by much faster.

Jenna is grateful to be here everyday! She is also very grateful for all the thoughts and prayers of those around her! She is fighting because she has lots to fight for!!

Seattle

Jenna went to Seattle with her two girls to see the "Final Five" Olympic Gymnasts perform.

They also enjoyed some of the other things in Seattle. Such as the Gum Wall,

Pikes Market Center,

and the Ferris Wheel. The ferris wheel wasn't Jenna's favorite thing. 

They did lots of walking to see all of the sights. Jenna said she was surprised that all of that walking actually made her feel better.

She enjoyed her little getaway with her two girls!

Round 10

No new news for Jenna. We are mostly just waiting for her CT scan that is going to have in two weeks, to see how things are going.

 Jenna is doing really well, these days!

Thank you, everyone for the prayers.

Round 9 and Other Fun Things

Jenna was feeling so good after her last treatment that she was able to fill her 3 weeks with so so many fun things with her family!! Week in review:

Spent time with Sage and her friend at the fair in Logan!

Sage was nervous about the Elephant ride, but after she did it, she wanted to ride again!

Sage is always there making sure Jenna is okay. 

Went to the race track in Ogden. Jenna didn't ride but all of the kids did! :)

Weekend trip to Park City.

Everyone to the alpine slide!

Watched Tanner practice for an upcoming race.

The main reason for the extra week was to watch Koby play in his soccer tournament. His team took first place!

Darren volunteers for the Preston, ID search and rescue. While he was out helping with a fire that had started, Jenna joined Koby in the farm chores.

(Koby feeding a calf that was very sick)

Koby was very impressed with his mom's muscles as she carried two 1 gallon buckets of milk to fill the bottles for the baby calfs. Way to go Jenna!

This last time at Jenna's treatment she seemed to be feeling well. She doesn't have to see her doctor the next time she comes--or even the time after that--because she will just be doing the same treatments the next two times. She will be getting a CT scan on September 22 to see how things are going. Other than that things are just the same for Jenna. Nothing really exciting to report, other than she seems to be doing great right now!

Round 8

Jenna had a blast at the Preston Rodeo spending time with family and watching all those cowboys and cowgirls!

Jenna went in for her treatment last Thursday, August 4th.  There were a few differences in the routine this time around. For starters, they drew Jenna's blood to measure her tumor marker. They said it looked good. They are going to continue everything but the oxiplatin, which is specifically for colon cancer and has a 3 hour infusion. Jenna was happy not having the oxiplatin because it meant she could drink cold drinks, she had an appetite, she didn't have the numbness in her fingers, and she got to leave around 1pm that day!!  If they have her off the oxiplatin, they can use it again sometime if they need to. They will continue doing it this way for a while.They also scheduled CT for her sometime in September. That will allow them to see how things are progressing without the oxiplatin. 

Jenna is still taking home the fluorouracil (going though her for 48 hours). She was having an at-home care nurse come take out the IV, but she is now doing it herself. 

Jenna won't be going back for another 3 weeks. This short break is so she can watch her son Koby play at his soccer tournament.

Round 7

Today marks the day that Jenna would normally go in for treatment. She isn't because she is taking a break to go to the Preston, ID rodeo.  I will post a little something on her blog now since I have been so slow on posting round 7. Sorry about that!
This time around, my Mom got to come and see how it all works for Jenna. Kenzie got to come too! We found out that Jenna's type of cancer has genetic risk factors. While I was there, Jenna gave me a pamphlet and told me to call the genetic testing lady. The genetic risk factors Jenna has are linked to cancer in females, so the girls in the family are highly encouraged to get tested once they hit 20. My sister and I will be getting tested in about a month or two. If we have that gene, we will talk about any additional precautions we need to take in the future.
During the treatment, Jenna took a little nap, which she never done while I have been there. Jenna was really antsy to leave that day. I don't think she was feeling very well. She hasn't ever acted like that with her previous treatments. I think it is because the chemo seems to be hitting her faster and her car rides home seem extra long. On a good note: her doctor is very happy with how things are going! He told her she looks too good to be there. Jenna is SO so happy to have an extra week off from her treatments!!

On a later note: Jenna went to lunch with some of her friends from high school. I think she really enjoyed being able to catch up with them!

Round 6

Today Jenna went in for her regular treatment. She visited with all of her favorite nurses. Today, she found out that one of her nurses is a roller derby player. I think she and Darren were a little surprised by that.
 

There isn't really an news other than she will be doing one more treatment on July 14th and then she will be taking a 3 week break. During her break, she's going to attend the Famous Preston Rodeo! Then she will have her last treatment with the regular 4 drugs that she gets. After that, they are going to change it up a bit. She will be getting off the oxaliplatin for sure because it makes her fingers numb and that can become permanent if she continues to take it. So they will do without that--and maybe the 5FU--and take some kind of pill in place of that one. This is all just what the tentative plan is right now, but we will see when the time comes.

We discussed about upcoming plans, and our cousin Lance came and brought lunch for Darren and Jenna and chatted until Jenna finished.

Round 5: Great News!

Treatment #5-  Wednesday night before Jenna's treatment, she went down to Huntsman for a CT scan to see if the treatments had been working.  Before her treatment on Thursday, she met with her doctor to talk about the results of the CT scan. After comparing the CT scan they took before she started treatments to this CT scan,  they saw the spots on the ovary and liver were half of their original size.  Her white blood cell count which started in the 100's was now down to 10, Yay!  Things are going in the right direction which is really good and the doctor was really happy with the results.  They will now continue with the same treatments for at least another 2 treatments and then, depending on how Jenna is feeling, they may change things a little.   We are so blessed to have great doctors and nurses at the Huntsman helping Jenna though this. We are also very grateful for the thoughts and prayers of all of our friends and family.  Keep the faith the Lord is blessing us!

Round 4

Sorry, I am a bit late posting on Jenna's 4th chemo treatment. Since Christmas, we have had a girls' weekend trip planned to go to St. George and see Tarzan at Taucahn. Jenna was supposed to come, but she knew she won't be feeling very well, so she stayed home. (We missed you Jenna!)

June 2, 2016 - When Jenna shows up for her treatments, she doesn't start the treatment right away. First, she goes and talks to her doctor about how the treatments are working for her and what the next steps will be in whole process. Then the nurses get her port all ready to access for the treatment. The nurses always welcome her with a hug, and this time Darren got a hug. He says it is because they are just warming up to him. 

During her treatment, we talked about kids, the upcoming wedding, and her upcoming CT scan.

On Wednesday evening--before her next treatment--Jenna will go and get a CT scan to see how the treatments are working for her. They'll be checking the fluid outside of her abdominal cavity, the spots on her liver, the tumor in her colon, etc. This time they will especially be looking at her ovaries. If the tumor there is getting larger they will remove them, but if it has stayed the same or gotten smaller they will just leave them for now.

A little video of The Huntsman for those interested. 

Round 3

I really like to go be with my sister while she gets her chemo treatments for two reasons: I get to be with her for a while even though I don't live very close to her, and I get to know what is going on with her. It gives me comfort to know what is going on and know that she is reacting to the treatments pretty well. Anyone can come visit if you would like.

Thursday was her 3rd treatment. When she arrives at the hospital she meets with her doctor to see how things are going and if they need to change anything. They have told her that she is reacting well to her treatments. Then she goes and gets her port ready for her infusions. Then they head over to the infusion center. When I arrived around 1pm they had already started her on her fluids that she takes first thing. She had been resting when I got there. The fluids take about 30 minutes.
She woke up shortly after I arrived, and the genetic testing lady came to talk to Jenna about whether or not her colon cancer might be hereditary. She tested negative, but they are still going to do some more testing. Jenna's friend Kelly came to visit, and while they were visiting the genetic lady asked me all about my ancestors' health history to get more information.

Jenna is almost always awake and likes to chat during her treatments. She is always thinking about her kids and wanting to make sure they are okay. Since Kelly is helping with Kenzie's wedding, Jenna spent some time talking with her about flower arrangements and decorations for the wedding reception.

Darren, on the other hand, is always looking on his phone for motorcycles. He wants to get one so he can ride with his boys.

While Jenna was getting her treatment, Skyline high school boys choir came and sang a few songs. They were pretty good! They also handed out little gift bags to each patient that was receiving a chemo treatment. Jenna was really excited about the things that came in it: lotion, chapstick, crossword puzzle book were some of them. I also learned that Jenna really enjoys crossword puzzles.

While I was there this time, Darren and I looked up the drugs Jenna was taking, what they do, and their side effects because we were curious. They give her the first chemo drug, which is called bevacizumab, for about an hour. Then she gets oxaliplatin, which is specifically for colon cancer. This infusion is about 3 hours. Even though this one takes quite a while, I think time goes by pretty fast when Jenna has people to chat with. She said that they keep getting done earlier and earlier.
Her last one is 5FU (Fluorouracil). She takes this one home with her in a sweet fanny pack. It looks a lot like a little ball. The 5FU is going though her for 48 hours, and she has someone come to her home and take it out. This is Jenna's very least favorite one of all--she says she hates this one. I stayed until the very end this time because I had heard so much about the ball that she has to take home in a fanny pack. I was curious how it worked.

You can tell how excited Jenna is about taking this home ;)

She usually gets pretty wiped out from the chemo starting Friday evening until about Monday. She has some good and bad days, and when she starts to feel good, it is time to go back for another treatment. Jenna is a fighter and things seem to be going as well as could be. We love you, Jenna, and are cheering for you and praying for you every day!

Round 2

Round 2 of chemo. This time started out better. No fluid to drain this round. Hopefully the chemo will keep the fluid from coming back. The doctor could tell right away how much better I was feeling by the way I looked. So the only thing that changed on my chemo treatment this round was a dose of 5FU. This is because they really are watching my white blood count. So I will get my blood drawn before the next treatment to make sure I can continue with my 3rd round of treatment. So it begins again one day at a time. I am hopeful that this works. I am trusting and believing. I know that heaven is cheering me on! I can do this!!
-Jenna

First Chemo Treatment

Jenna had a rough start this week. She was feeling very nausea and couldn't really keep anything down, and couldn't handle the very sight of food.

Yesterday she was scheduled for her first chemo treatment. She didn't know if she was going to be able to have the strength to go ahead with it, but she was very determined to do it. They got there and found she had fluid around her abdomen which was causing all of her pain and nausea. They waited to see if the doctor could drain it and then continue on with her chemo. They drained 2.8 liters about 7 lbs of fluid out of her. Jenna had immediate relief.  She was feeling lots better. 

Then they headed over to the infusion area, where she would be for about 6 hours. (She will be doing the chemo every other week for 6 rounds about 6 hours every time.) That is where I was able to join them for a few hours. When I walked in, it was like walking on an Emirates airplane, in first class. There were warm blankets and the employees walk around with a snack cart. Each person with their own little cubicle. Jenna seemed to be in good spirits when I got there. She was ready for something to eat and Darren was so happy to see her eating.

The nurse would come over every once in a while and give her a new bag of meds and tell her a little bit about it each time.  They said that her chemo could wipe her out for 10 days to 2 weeks at first, but with each round it should get shorter. The nurse also said that anyone who comes to see her needs to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer. Also, she said that if you have a cold or any kind of sickness, it would probably be best to stay away until you are better. She has a pretty weak immune system so she can't risk getting sick.

I stayed and got to chat with Jenna and Darren and learned some things that I suspected but wasn't certain about. Jenna has stage 4 colon cancer. I was so happy that she was feeling so much better and continued to for the rest of the day.
I loved being able to be there with her and talking to her. Love you Jenna! We are all praying, cheering, and there for you every step of the way!

St. George

After Jenna got her second colonoscopy and her stint in, some of us headed to St. George for Easter/Spring Break. Jenna didn't know if she was going to be able to go because getting the stint in was so hard on her. After a tough week and getting her strength back she made it.

We enjoyed the warmer weather, swimming, the sand dunes and a tiny bit of shopping.

Easter Sunday we hung out with friends we hadn't seen in awhile. We had a yummy Easter dinner and a very fun Easter egg hunt! Jenna didn't feel really great, just okay, while in St. George.