Hello Folks,
What a good day. I'm happy to say that I got my stitches out today. I believe there were 17 in all and not a one of them hurt coming out. Yeah awesome nurse at Dr. Levey's office.
Katherine went with me, which was awesome. We had a great day. We went to the doctor, did a little shopping, had lunch and then went to the Chiropractor (Dr. Frank) - if anyone needs a chiropractor call me - he's AWESOME!!!!
My head feels great. My biggest issue post surgery has been my upper right back - it KILLS. So we saw Dr. Frank and well I am feeling a bit better - yeah me. I will see him again Thursday and hopefully even Friday. I really do find chiropractic awesome. I'm a believer!!!
So tomorrow is a BIG DAY. Wayne and I will head downtown for a 7:00am Gama Knife Radiation appointment. I'm looking forward to getting this appointment behind me! The whole thing should be done by 1:00pm and really they all make it sound pretty darn easy - just super time consuming and involved!
I'm looking forward to getting in and getting out. Then Thursday I will go to the pulmanologist and have a slew of breathing tests to figure out why I have been coughing for 3.5 months. Seriously, it's time they figure out why the heck I'm coughing. Figure it out and FIX IT! I will keep you posted.
Then June 6 Lizzy and I will go downtown and have a bone scan and a CT Scan and then I will know if I have to start chemo again. I'm hopeful that my lung tumors are stable and that I will continue to be on a chemo break and allow my body to continue healing from the surgery.
Surgery added yet another lovely scar to my body, but I don't really care it's just another battle scar. My niece Elle calls it a booboo and I couldn't agree more. Just a booboo, which will heal and improve with time just like all of the others.
I continue to marvel at the outpouring of love from family and friends. Thank you for everything. Thank you for your patience during the healing process.
Much love to all of you,
Maria xoxoxo
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Hello All....Feeling Good and Appointment Updates
Time heals all wounds. I continue to feel better with each passing day. My family, my friends and my husband have been in a word AMAZING!!! Unreal - really. I'm so completely blessed. Cancer be damned - love concurs all.
So Tuesday, May 31 I will have my stitches taken out.
Wednesday, June 1 I will go in for gama knife radiation. While it is a long day it really doesn't sounds all that bad. Nothing better or worse than anything else.
Thursday, June 2 I will have a slew of pulmonary tests - looking most forward to this. I am sick and tired of coughing. I mean if I smoked - fine bring on a cough, but I don't so I have had it with this stupid cough. Think good thoughts.
June 4 - 5 I was originally planning on walking in the 39 mile avon walk, but shortly after surgery I decided I wouldn't, but now I'm going to walk. I'm going to walk as much as I can, but not push it. This is really just an opportunity for me to be with my friends. The last time I did this walk I was with my friend Becky. We had a good time, we laughed, we cried and well we laughed. It will always be one of my most cherished memories with Becky and it was just the two of us. I will walk next weekend and hold her in my heart. I will celebrate her life!!! Think good thoughts that I am able to walk. Love you Becky.
Monday, June 6 Lizzy and I will go for a CT Scan and Bone Scan to see what is happening in my lung. I'm hopeful that things will be stable and I will not have to start chemo again. I'm not ready to start. I need a break. My brain needs a break (literally). So when you are saying a prayer or thinking good thoughts think "no growth, no movement." I'm also gonna make Lizzy take me to lunch - I have my priorities.
Monday, June 13 I will see Dr. G and Kelly and if there are any plans to be made they will be made. If there are no plans because all is stable well then that's awesome.
Thursday, June 16 I will finally see the pulmanologist to find out what is up with my breathing, coughing issues. I'm sure it will be fine.
So those are my updates. Sorry there are so many updates, so many appointments. There is just so much happening over the next few weeks.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome of the walk. I will keep you posted on all of my appointments and the outcomes.
I'm in a really good place. Much love to you all,
Maria
So Tuesday, May 31 I will have my stitches taken out.
Wednesday, June 1 I will go in for gama knife radiation. While it is a long day it really doesn't sounds all that bad. Nothing better or worse than anything else.
Thursday, June 2 I will have a slew of pulmonary tests - looking most forward to this. I am sick and tired of coughing. I mean if I smoked - fine bring on a cough, but I don't so I have had it with this stupid cough. Think good thoughts.
June 4 - 5 I was originally planning on walking in the 39 mile avon walk, but shortly after surgery I decided I wouldn't, but now I'm going to walk. I'm going to walk as much as I can, but not push it. This is really just an opportunity for me to be with my friends. The last time I did this walk I was with my friend Becky. We had a good time, we laughed, we cried and well we laughed. It will always be one of my most cherished memories with Becky and it was just the two of us. I will walk next weekend and hold her in my heart. I will celebrate her life!!! Think good thoughts that I am able to walk. Love you Becky.
Monday, June 6 Lizzy and I will go for a CT Scan and Bone Scan to see what is happening in my lung. I'm hopeful that things will be stable and I will not have to start chemo again. I'm not ready to start. I need a break. My brain needs a break (literally). So when you are saying a prayer or thinking good thoughts think "no growth, no movement." I'm also gonna make Lizzy take me to lunch - I have my priorities.
Monday, June 13 I will see Dr. G and Kelly and if there are any plans to be made they will be made. If there are no plans because all is stable well then that's awesome.
Thursday, June 16 I will finally see the pulmanologist to find out what is up with my breathing, coughing issues. I'm sure it will be fine.
So those are my updates. Sorry there are so many updates, so many appointments. There is just so much happening over the next few weeks.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome of the walk. I will keep you posted on all of my appointments and the outcomes.
I'm in a really good place. Much love to you all,
Maria
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hello All I'm Back.....
Hi All,
So it's been one week since my surgery and I am feeling really good. I have to admit that this little bump in the road (actually in my head - hah - I still kill me) was a bit more frightening than other health related issues I have faced. With all of my other surgeries it was all "in a week I'll have surgery" and "I love you Mom and Dad", but this surgery was all "OMG I AM HAVING SURGERY TOMORROW - WOW." Also, keep in mind that this popped up while on my safe place.....that being Marco Island. I already told my little brother that we need to go to Marco together before the end of the year - I'm thinking an all day boat rental and some sun!!!
I am now feeling SO MUCH better. I'm happy to be in my own house, my own bed and looking forward to continued healing.
I must say that the immense outpouring of love has been overwhelming. This outpouring gives me strength and allows we to heal and to be strong. Thank you all for giving me this strength!
Love Always,
Maria xo
So it's been one week since my surgery and I am feeling really good. I have to admit that this little bump in the road (actually in my head - hah - I still kill me) was a bit more frightening than other health related issues I have faced. With all of my other surgeries it was all "in a week I'll have surgery" and "I love you Mom and Dad", but this surgery was all "OMG I AM HAVING SURGERY TOMORROW - WOW." Also, keep in mind that this popped up while on my safe place.....that being Marco Island. I already told my little brother that we need to go to Marco together before the end of the year - I'm thinking an all day boat rental and some sun!!!
I am now feeling SO MUCH better. I'm happy to be in my own house, my own bed and looking forward to continued healing.
I must say that the immense outpouring of love has been overwhelming. This outpouring gives me strength and allows we to heal and to be strong. Thank you all for giving me this strength!
Love Always,
Maria xo
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Surprise: Emergency Room, Surgery, Recovering
Posted for Maria by her husband, Wayne:
In her last post, Maria was in Florida with the sunshine, enjoying a nice long walk on the beach and trying to relax after a long week in Minneapolis running her trade show/conference. Unfortunately, the rest of her week did not go well.
On Thursday, May 12th, Maria started experiencing a headache in the back (between her ears) of her head. At first this was annoying but as Thursday turned to Friday, Maria called me to say that this headache had gotten worse. Friday she was in bed all day, experience nausea if she tried to get up along with feeling very dizzy.
So, on Friday I booked a ticket to Florida to arrive early Saturday morning. Maria was scheduled to fly back on Sunday, so I booked my return flight to match hers. I got to Florida and Maria was feeling horrible. She mostly stayed in the bed, tried to eat a little and drink a little, and rest before we flew back Sunday.
Of course, as things do sometimes, more stuff happened. Early Sunday morning, like 6am, I get a call from American Airlines saying that our flight from Ft Meyers had been cancelled. We were supposed to make the short drive to Ft Meyers and leave around 11:50 and arrive in Chicago at 2pm. Instead, our only option (other than connecting flights going through La Guardia) was to drive to Miami and catch a flight at 5:40, now arriving back in Chicago at 8pm. By now, Maria's headache is even worse and she is not sure she can ride in the car to Miami, much less fly. But, it was either go to the hospital in Naples, or make that drive to Miami and fly home.
We managed to get to Miami, leaving early to allow plenty of time if we had to stop, and we waited and got on our flight ... and finally arrived in Chicago. Maria was exhausted and wanted to go home and sleep before we went to the hospital.
On Monday morning, we got up and drove to the emergency room at Northwestern Hospital. By 10am they were doing a CT scan .. by 11am we were told that her cancer had moved to her brain and there was a tumor the size of a silver dollar in the back of her head, pressing against her brain and causing all of this pain. By 1pm, the decision had been made to do surgery this week and we had already met with members of the neuro-surgery team. By 5pm we were in a room here at Northwestern and the surgery had been set for Tuesday morning at 10:30 or so.
Tuesday morning, they showed up early, flipped on the lights and announced that a cancellation had occurred and we were going to surgery NOW ... of course, in hospital time that meant go now and wait .. but oh well.
The surgery went as planned and was executed perfectly. Anything that could go wrong .. DID NOT go wrong. The tumor was removed and here we sit on Friday ... recovering ... and planning the next steps.
So, our current game plan is this: Help Maria get her strength back and continue recovery, see the radiation oncologist on June 2nd for the Gamma Knife Radiation procedure (they use targeted radiation to clean up the area where the tumor was .. to be safe that they have removed the cancer .. and to radiate another small cancer deposit on the opposite side of her head, see her normal oncologist for the plan on future chemo and further tests, and also work with the pulmonary specialist to get rid of this cough that Maria has been experiencing for several months (that cough has GOT TO GO!).
The targeted radiation is said to be effective 95% of the time in truly eliminating the cancer cells. So, we are feeling pretty confident about that process and then we can just focus on keeping this cancer in its place.
Now .. how is Maria feeling today .. right now. Well, I'm looking at my beautiful wife, sitting in her hospital bed, trying to get comfortable and get more rest. She's got this bandage on her head that comes off tomorrow, and will have a new scar for her impressive surgery scar collection, covered in a "fish" blanket from her nephew Charlie, lying close to two stuffed animals (one from Grace, her niece and godchild, and the other from Mary, another niece) ... and I still see who you all know --- beautiful, warm, tough, irresistible, unstoppable, loving, kind ... totally AWESOME ... Maria. She's a little more battered and bruised, but she is not one to give up or give in .. to anything.
She will again be posting to her blog shortly ... but I wanted to at least put something up here for those that follow her journey. Her journey has taken another turn. The battle against cancer has been raised a notch. Well .. cancer .. I'm not sure you have enough game to match up with my Maria!
As I look at her sleeping now ... I just say -- I love you Maria Francesca DiNatale Madden - you are one of a kind!
In her last post, Maria was in Florida with the sunshine, enjoying a nice long walk on the beach and trying to relax after a long week in Minneapolis running her trade show/conference. Unfortunately, the rest of her week did not go well.
On Thursday, May 12th, Maria started experiencing a headache in the back (between her ears) of her head. At first this was annoying but as Thursday turned to Friday, Maria called me to say that this headache had gotten worse. Friday she was in bed all day, experience nausea if she tried to get up along with feeling very dizzy.
So, on Friday I booked a ticket to Florida to arrive early Saturday morning. Maria was scheduled to fly back on Sunday, so I booked my return flight to match hers. I got to Florida and Maria was feeling horrible. She mostly stayed in the bed, tried to eat a little and drink a little, and rest before we flew back Sunday.
Of course, as things do sometimes, more stuff happened. Early Sunday morning, like 6am, I get a call from American Airlines saying that our flight from Ft Meyers had been cancelled. We were supposed to make the short drive to Ft Meyers and leave around 11:50 and arrive in Chicago at 2pm. Instead, our only option (other than connecting flights going through La Guardia) was to drive to Miami and catch a flight at 5:40, now arriving back in Chicago at 8pm. By now, Maria's headache is even worse and she is not sure she can ride in the car to Miami, much less fly. But, it was either go to the hospital in Naples, or make that drive to Miami and fly home.
We managed to get to Miami, leaving early to allow plenty of time if we had to stop, and we waited and got on our flight ... and finally arrived in Chicago. Maria was exhausted and wanted to go home and sleep before we went to the hospital.
On Monday morning, we got up and drove to the emergency room at Northwestern Hospital. By 10am they were doing a CT scan .. by 11am we were told that her cancer had moved to her brain and there was a tumor the size of a silver dollar in the back of her head, pressing against her brain and causing all of this pain. By 1pm, the decision had been made to do surgery this week and we had already met with members of the neuro-surgery team. By 5pm we were in a room here at Northwestern and the surgery had been set for Tuesday morning at 10:30 or so.
Tuesday morning, they showed up early, flipped on the lights and announced that a cancellation had occurred and we were going to surgery NOW ... of course, in hospital time that meant go now and wait .. but oh well.
The surgery went as planned and was executed perfectly. Anything that could go wrong .. DID NOT go wrong. The tumor was removed and here we sit on Friday ... recovering ... and planning the next steps.
So, our current game plan is this: Help Maria get her strength back and continue recovery, see the radiation oncologist on June 2nd for the Gamma Knife Radiation procedure (they use targeted radiation to clean up the area where the tumor was .. to be safe that they have removed the cancer .. and to radiate another small cancer deposit on the opposite side of her head, see her normal oncologist for the plan on future chemo and further tests, and also work with the pulmonary specialist to get rid of this cough that Maria has been experiencing for several months (that cough has GOT TO GO!).
The targeted radiation is said to be effective 95% of the time in truly eliminating the cancer cells. So, we are feeling pretty confident about that process and then we can just focus on keeping this cancer in its place.
Now .. how is Maria feeling today .. right now. Well, I'm looking at my beautiful wife, sitting in her hospital bed, trying to get comfortable and get more rest. She's got this bandage on her head that comes off tomorrow, and will have a new scar for her impressive surgery scar collection, covered in a "fish" blanket from her nephew Charlie, lying close to two stuffed animals (one from Grace, her niece and godchild, and the other from Mary, another niece) ... and I still see who you all know --- beautiful, warm, tough, irresistible, unstoppable, loving, kind ... totally AWESOME ... Maria. She's a little more battered and bruised, but she is not one to give up or give in .. to anything.
She will again be posting to her blog shortly ... but I wanted to at least put something up here for those that follow her journey. Her journey has taken another turn. The battle against cancer has been raised a notch. Well .. cancer .. I'm not sure you have enough game to match up with my Maria!
As I look at her sleeping now ... I just say -- I love you Maria Francesca DiNatale Madden - you are one of a kind!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Latest Chemo Updates
Hello All,
My apologies for not updating you sooner, but there was really nothing to update. For the last several months I have been chemo free, which is AWESOME, but I have been battling a brutal cough that I just can't get rid of.....I have been to every possible doctor and so far none of them can figure it out. So I continue to cough - things could be worse.
COMMON had their Annual Meeting last week and everything went well, but it kicked my butt. I'm exhausted and for some reason I can't sleep. So while on-site I called Wayne and said I need to go to Marco...... so I am in fact on Marco enjoying the perfect Marco weather although the "Love Bugs" are out - oh well.
Monday, May 16 I will be back at Northwestern (YUCK) for some breathing tests (to deal with the coughing issue) and a CT of my chest, abdomen, pelvis and throat. Once I know the results so will you. I'm hoping for another three months free of chemo - man am I a greedy girl!!!
Anywho - for now I am enjoying Marco. The weather is perfect. There are only a few people here and instead of asking me about my hair these people are smart enough to say "love your hair", "your hair rocks" etc so I don't have to explain why I look like I'm trying to make a rock and roll statement. Gotta say the fo-hawk is totally growing on me.
Today was AWESOME. FINALLY my body did not betray me. I went for a walk on the beach and while a couple of olds still passed me I was able to walk for 1 hour and 20 minutes on the beach and I'm not in pain - YEAH BODY - FINALLY YOU LOVE ME AGAIN!!!!! Looking forward to another walk tomorrow. Trying to make sure I'm ready for the 39 miles in June - if I can walk the beach I can walk the streets easily.
So that's my story. I'm back on Marco living the good life until next Sunday. Much love to you all.
Hugs,
Maria xoxo
My apologies for not updating you sooner, but there was really nothing to update. For the last several months I have been chemo free, which is AWESOME, but I have been battling a brutal cough that I just can't get rid of.....I have been to every possible doctor and so far none of them can figure it out. So I continue to cough - things could be worse.
COMMON had their Annual Meeting last week and everything went well, but it kicked my butt. I'm exhausted and for some reason I can't sleep. So while on-site I called Wayne and said I need to go to Marco...... so I am in fact on Marco enjoying the perfect Marco weather although the "Love Bugs" are out - oh well.
Monday, May 16 I will be back at Northwestern (YUCK) for some breathing tests (to deal with the coughing issue) and a CT of my chest, abdomen, pelvis and throat. Once I know the results so will you. I'm hoping for another three months free of chemo - man am I a greedy girl!!!
Anywho - for now I am enjoying Marco. The weather is perfect. There are only a few people here and instead of asking me about my hair these people are smart enough to say "love your hair", "your hair rocks" etc so I don't have to explain why I look like I'm trying to make a rock and roll statement. Gotta say the fo-hawk is totally growing on me.
Today was AWESOME. FINALLY my body did not betray me. I went for a walk on the beach and while a couple of olds still passed me I was able to walk for 1 hour and 20 minutes on the beach and I'm not in pain - YEAH BODY - FINALLY YOU LOVE ME AGAIN!!!!! Looking forward to another walk tomorrow. Trying to make sure I'm ready for the 39 miles in June - if I can walk the beach I can walk the streets easily.
So that's my story. I'm back on Marco living the good life until next Sunday. Much love to you all.
Hugs,
Maria xoxo
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