Chapter 25, the Cancer Spreads to the Bones

Chapter 25 the Cancer Spreads to the Bones
Easter is fast approaching. We have decided to go to Florida to visit my Mother in law Charlotte and her boyfriend Chuck. For a few months out of the winter they live in the Villages, an active retirement community not too far from Orlando. The kids are anxious to go, mostly because they think they're going to come back with a tan. We are also going to meet my sister Angie, her husband Rick and their two younger sons Sean and Charlie in Orlando for a few days of fun in the sun. Rick's two older boys from a previous marriage will be vacationing with their mother in Mexico.
There is a worrisome pain in my lower back which I've had for the last several days. The type of pain is new, one that I've not felt before. Instinctually I think it's the cancer, but I want to live with it before bringing it up to Mike or the doctor. When I get a new ache I don't like to alarm others with the news until I'm sure it is not going away and it needs to be checked. Besides, Spring Break starts in a few days and I don't want to bring down the mood for vacation, especially for the kids.
Our flight leaves at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. It is rare that we go anywhere but Minnesota so the kids can't wait to fly, because it is such a rare thing I like to make everything special for Alex, Katie and Frankie. After check in, we start off at Starbucks; a store I usually say is too expensive for coffee, move onto the drug store for magazines and then find a quick place for breakfast. Everything, like clockwork is on time at the airport. We board without any problems and are off into the air. Frankie sits by me because she is a little scared of flying. We hold hands during the take off and relax as soon as we level off in the air. The flight takes just a few hours and we land in sunny Florida.
Chuck and Charlotte are waiting for us at baggage; the car is quickly loaded and the girls settle in for a reluctant hour drive ahead. All the kids care about is getting there and swimming. "Maybe we'll meet some boys at the pool?" Katie says in a hopeful voice, "Only if you like 80 year olds," is my response. The Villages is also full of golf courses boasting various levels of beauty, difficulty and prestige. The popular choice for transportation around town is the golf cart. When the kids see this they beg to have a turn driving their Grandmother's around the block. After the driving lesson we head to the pool. You have to be 55 or older to live in this place so the only kids you see are grand children visiting. We didn't see any hot young boys but we did see a few older guys playing shuffle board.
On our first evening I decide to let the girls get their hair highlighted, by me of course. We run to the grocery store and pick up a home kit along with treats that I'll put in their Easter baskets which is just a few days away. I'm nervous to do the highlighting because I don't want to ruin their hair, but I am not about to let them get it done professionally at $60.00 a pop. Fearing making a mistake I am very slow and conservative with the die solution, praying the whole time that I don't screw up. I've done a few things to the girl's hair, like cutting it too short, or too crooked which they don't like and have had a fit about when it is done. I'm being extra careful. The finished product is to their satisfaction. The color is subtle which I like. The girls would like the color to stand out more, but they are ok with the end result, thank goodness.
The next day we are all up early to enjoy the warm weather. Mike is going golfing with my Mother in law and Chuck and the girls and I are going to the pool. They again take turns driving the golf cart, almost killing us a couple of times by running into the curb. We all lurch forward and almost fall out of the cart, but eventually make it to our destination. The pool was full of people. Apparently you have to get there early to get a seat. The kids are not allowed to use the chairs, just the adults. The girls are convinced that children are not liked in this community because many of the rules exclude them, and kids are not allowed to live there. They still manage to pull out a fun day in the warm sunny weather swimming, diving and playing games. By the end of the day we were pooped.
Tonight one of Chuck's sons is arriving so we are all going to the square to listen to music and shop at the craft fair held in the center of town. There are many bargains to be had from jewelry to watches to clothing. After stopping at every booth we sat down for an ice cream. Next on our list was a bar/restaurant called Katie Bells. We stopped in to sit down, relax and have a drink. Before you know it we are all out on the dance floor shaking to the music, even the kids. This really is an active retirement community. We saw an 80 year old woman moving like a twenty year old. Actually there were plenty of 50, 60, 70 and 80 year olds out sweating the night away on the dance floor. We laughed and danced the night away.
Today is Easter Sunday. There are Easter eggs and baskets to find before we get dressed for Mass. After indulging in some chocolate for breakfast we head out the door. Chuck and Charlotte stay home, but Chuck's son Bob joins us for the service. We went to a big, beautiful Catholic church in the middle of town. It was packed. We had a hard time finding seats, but once we did, we ended up giving them up to some of the many elderly parishioners looking for a place to rest for the hour.
The church was gorgeous! It was all white with big huge French style floor to ceiling windows. The Alter was in the center with pews and chairs flanking every side of it. The sun was beaming in from all sides and the skies were a beautiful clear blue, not a cloud to be found, really breath taking. The priest was a fabulous speaker and if I may say so, handsome as all get out, about 60 with a shock of perfect white hair. He reminded me of Father Ralph, a character in a movie called the Thorn Birds set in Australia in the 70's. The sermon was about life and appreciating it, a poignant message for me to hear at this juncture in my life. This priest could also deliver a joke as well as any comedian I've seen. The entire congregation was laughing at several different points. More people would go to Mass if they had this guy to look forward to every Sunday.
I hate to sound cynical, but this Parish seems to have some money and the parishioners, the majority of them are seniors, seniors that may be willing to give some of their money, at least 10% over to the church during their lives and perhaps more upon their passing. I wouldn't put it past the Catholic Church to send in their big guns to that type of parish to keep money coming in. That is just a thought that passes through my head during the service. I guess I don't trust organized religion too much. What the heck, I still enjoyed it immensely.
Charlotte's Easter Sunday dinner was tasty as always. The woman knows her way around the kitchen. I don't get to enjoy everything she's labored over because I am still doing the "Oil and Protein Diet" for my cancer, but what I had was good. Speaking of cancer, my back still hurts so I finally confide in Mike about my pain. I hate to do that because he gets so worried, but I'm convinced it is from the cancer so I divulge. We spend our last afternoon at the pool getting tanned and playing water games with the kids until they tire and are ready to go.
We rent a car for our final Florida destination which is Orlando to meet Angie and her family at a Marriott Extended Stay. We have so much fun with Angie and her family, the kids are close in age and The Greywitt's are born entertainers. There are plenty of laughs to go around when you're with them. We check into our hotel room and it smells like a Chinese takeout restaurant. Our neighbors are cooking some type of stir fry and the smell is coming directly through our vents. Unbearable, the stench is giving us all a headache. We had to change rooms. The new room is fine so we unpack, call my sister and head for the pool. This place is overrun with families, translation, cute boys to look at and flirt with.
Seeing Angie and her family is emotional, we quickly hug; exchange hi's and grab the first available chairs. The kids jump into the pool and start playing while the adults catch up on each other's lives, as well as jump in and out of the pool playing with the kids. We have a few drinks and lunch by the pool, the kids jump in and out to eat, warm up and jump back in.
That evening we all got dressed up and went out to a seafood restaurant. The menu was very pricey, but we were on vacation so we splurged. The kids ordered strawberry virgin margaritas while the adults had the real thing. I try hard to stick to my cancer diet so I just eat broiled fish and vegetable with a small glass of red wine. My back is hurting badly at this point, especially when I sit down or try to stand up. I let Angie know what's going on with me physically because we don't keep many secrets. She gets a bit scared, but I assure her everything is fine, just a little pain, nothing huge.
The bill arrived and we all collectively dropped our jaws. It was more than we bargained for, but the food was good and everyone had a wonderful time laughing talking and eating, well worth it. When we got back to the hotel we walked out past the property of the hotel to see fireworks. It was a beautiful evening with a warm breeze and lots of activity. We walked our dinner off and enjoyed our surroundings. Sleeping came easily because of the active day.
The next day the kids had room service in my sister's room and the adults went down for a quiet breakfast on one of the patios overlooking the property. Much to our surprise, not really, the kids were up to no good. They were out on the balcony watching the sun bathers when one of them had the brilliant idea to moon the crowd. On the count of three they were all to drop their pants. Frankie being the youngest and most naïve dropped her suit bottoms while none of the others did. They all got a good laugh at her expense and a scolding from us when we found out.
Even though we were near Disney World and with the kids we just hung out at the pool at our hotel talking and playing. We only get to see my sister and her family once a year so we just wanted to be with each other and have fun. It was enough to spend the next few days eating out, sunning ourselves, going for walks or just playing a game of basketball.
Much to our dismay our vacation time is up. The thought of going home feels sad because we've had so much fun. We say our tear filled goodbyes in the morning and head for the airport. The flight home isn't as much fun as the one there. We arrived to chilly winter weather, a disappointment after being in beautiful, warm, sunny Florida. When we got to the house we unpacked, did some laundry and relaxed. Usually it feels good to be home, but that part had not hit us yet. We still missed my sister and family and the warm weather.
I called the Oncologist early the next morning and made an appointment. My suspicions were confirmed with a bone scan and x-ray. The cancer had spread to L5 which in the lower back region. Dr. B told me that cancer in my bones was the least of my worries. Cancer in a vital organ, like the liver, is more pressing and bone cancer can be slow growing. The news didn't devastate me, of course I was disappointed, but after hearing Dr. B take the scary out of it, I took it in stride.
Femara, a hormone suppressant, had kept my cancer at bay since November 2003. Because it is no longer working I need to go on Capecitabine, a chemo therapy for metastatic breast cancer. My hair would stay intact and I'd just have to wait and see how well I handle the new drug. There is still no clinical trial drug I can take, but my current situation may get me closer. In order to get into a trial they have going on at the Clinic I've had to have failed on three other chemo treatments. If this one does not work I will be eligible. The trial is at a stage II so it has been tested on other cancer patients. If you do a stage I trial it has not been tested on other humans. The study in question is called Larotaxel, RPR110998. It is a study that will be tested around the world. I'm hoping to get into the Trial in a few months.
Advice
Go on vacations, share those special moments with your loved ones. Vacations are usually less stress so your children can see you have fun in a different environment than home.
Don't always have an agenda for the day. Enjoy peaceful conversations over delicious meals. Pay attention to your kids if you have them.
Act crazy, jump in the pool relive your more youthful days. The kids will enjoy that.
Remember that your relationships are your most treasured assests.