Had a challenging week with the blog situation. Finally had to abandon the old blog and start a new one. It is very frustrating to only have a computer to yell into when having a problem; google offers no phone number to speak with anyone, very MODERN aren't they??
Some of the results of this blog move are:
> I copied old blod entries as one long story, it is one post in this blog so the beginning of the story is at the beginning and the end is at the end. How unique!
> All comments made by friends, family and other supporters were not attainable to copy. So, start commenting to fill in the gaps.
> I have had to ask everyone to rejoin, since this is a different blog. Sorry about that.
> Good thing is I am taking this opportunity to invite a gang of 1st cousins to this blog, these are e-mails I recently attained and am happy to have them all participate.
> Last, I will proceed to build a web page and leave the blog world in the weeks ahead. I do not want to loose access to what has become a very vital part of our support system again. It came at a very inopportune time for us.
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We are scheduling a Benefit Dinner Dance at Gaelic Park, Bronx, N.Y. on April 19, 2008. We need lots of support especially from those living in or near NY.
Here is what we are planning on as of now:
> having a Journal put together (selling pages to individuals and businesses)
> a silent auction
> a raffle
> 50/50
> dinner + band/dancing
We need people with connections to businesses, companies, big time donors to get some worthwhile prizes to raffle off. Could be anything from plane tickets to dinner for 2 at a restaurant or a basket of cheer, etc. etc. We need to get as much stuff donated as we can well in advance of the party. What we would like to do is list the prizes before the event to help entice the people to attend.
We are in the early stages of planning and coordinating so I will list all we need and if you have any ideas then bring them on.
>We need a printer to offer us a good price for the JOURNAL, if you know someone let us know.
> Would like to ask you to sell some raffle tickets for us, when we have them I can mail them to you.
> If you know of a caterer who might give us a good deal, that would be great!!
> Lastly, is the band. We need music, preferably a group that could play mixed music, and at least a few Irish songs.
Your input to whatever degree you can give is deeply appreciated.
Please feel free to pass the word to anyone and direct them to Karen's web page.
Keep the date open, April 19, would love to see as many there as possible.
You can e-mail your comments, suggestions, ideas to
TEAM@KARENSHEALINGJOURNEY.COM
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Karen has been continuing with her infusions, everyone who sees her says how good she looks, her big issue is the discomfort with sore throat and pain in her ear.
Doc here in town is doing baking soda infusions and injections and would do IPT at the orders of the Docs in Germany. I am going to e-mail them and ask what they suggest.
Look forward to continuing this blog and please feel free to comment.
love and blessings to all of you and thanks so much for your continued support.
Patrick & Karen
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
March 6 2006 through December 10 2007
March 6, 2006
Initial diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma (location left vocal cord) after visual viewing by local ENT with a laryngyscope
March 8, 2006
CAT Scan of chest & Karen quit smoking after about 40 years, no withdrawal symptoms. Truly a gift !!
March 9, 2006
Biopsy confirms malignancy
March 13, 2006
PET Scan to mid thigh shows cancer activity in throat area and small nodule in lung of 8mm with minimal activity
March 17, 2006
Visit with Oncologist, who describes suggested treatment of 7 weeks radiation + about 3 doses of chemo with follow up testing to be done about 3 months after completion of treatment. Insertion of a feeding tube may be necessary also because Karen's neck will swell possibly prohibiting her from swallowing. Prior to leaving Oncologist's office an appointment is made for March 20 to be fitted for a mask. The mask is to be used to hold Karen's head in place during the 7 weeks of radiation treatment.
March 18-19, 2006
Karen & I discuss the options presented and Karen is hesitant to go forward. We decide we are going to cancel appointment on Monday.
March 20, 2006
We cancel appointment with Oncological center and decide after some discussion that we would like to speak with the Oncologist again. We make appointment for Thursday, March 23, 2006.
March 23, 2006
We meet with the Oncologist, after about 90 minutes we agree to go for a 2nd opinion to a Moffit Cancer Hospital in Tampa, Florida. An appointment is set for the next day.
March 24, 2006 -We visit Moffit Center and get a 2nd opinion which is basically a rubber stamp of the first one. We are disappointed and very unhappy about what is being offered for Karen's healing protocol. We decide to do some research on our own.
March 25 - April 5, 2006
As best we can we continue our normal lives but incorporate much research on cancer into our routine. Karen receives spiritual healing from members of the local church she attends. We learn about a Rife Machine and find a member of Karen's support network who has one. Karen begins using it every other day. Karen stops eating sugar and we begin to eat organic food. We hear from a few different people about a local survivor of cancer (42 years) who works with an Oriental Doctor (OD) and they have a reputation of helping people with cancer heal. We make an appointment for April 6th.
April 6, 2006
The initial meeting with this medical team is very different than either of us has ever experienced. The cancer survivor (CS) does not take any money for his consult but does sell products to assist in healing. He told us that Karen would be cancer free in 6 months. That made me feel GREAT !! The association with the OD was via electro-dermal screening (EDS) that she
conducted on Karen. It was a form of "body speak" for want of another term. The meridians were checked for weaknesses in the body and the computer was programmed to show the products needed to help remedy any weaknesses found. Karen was prescribed an extremely rigorous protocol that included taking 150 pills per day, coffee enemas every other day, foot detoxing, lymph drainage, sauna baths etc. The initial products cost about $7500. We were desperate and believed in this person. We were desperately seeking an answer and we felt we found it.
April 8, 2006 - December 8, 2006
Karen stuck to the protocol religiously. Karen did not get any more tests done at the suggestion of the CS. We decided in early November that a check needed to be made on how things were going. Karen got a PET/CT Scan and an MRI. The results showed metabolic activity had decreased, lung nodule had disappeared but the tumor in her throat had grown. There was now activity in her lymph nodes and Karen was having difficulty breathing. Her air passage was partially compromised. We decided a more aggressive approach was necessary. These 8 months had cost us approximately $30,000 and now we were off to another country for care. Up until this point the costs were all out of pocket or I should say borrowed; it was only filtered through our pockets.
TRIP 1
December 9, 2006 - Arrival at St Georg Klinik, Bad Aibling, Germany
Well my fears were put to rest early on in this trip. The hospitality and welcoming nature found among the German people were extremely comforting, nurturing and supportive. We were met at the Munich Airport by car service and shuttled about 1 hour to Bad Aibling. Upon arriving at Klinik we were met by a very cordial and kind nurse who helped us to our room. She reviewed some paper work with us and was sure to bring us dinner and she advised us a Doctor would come to check Karen in; this was Saturday evening. The food was excellent, the room was simple with basic needs but very comfortable and clean. We were both to stay together for the 2 weeks Karen was to be in the hospital. The Doctor arrived a few hours later and spent a good amount of time hearing about Karen's history, symptoms and concerns. The temporary plan was described to us. Sunday we were to basically rest and on Monday we would meet the Doctors in charge of Karen's protocol and more precise treatment would be outlined. At this point there was clear evidence Karen had difficulty breathing and the Doctor asked if this was something new or was it also going on at home? Karen reported it was going on at home.
December 11, 2006 - Examination and visit to local ENT
The Doctors at St Georg were reluctant to begin hyperthermia treatment on Karen's neck since it would potentially cause some swelling and possibly create a crisis situation where Karen's air passage would completely block off. We were sent to a local ENT at 5pm for an evaluation. We were appalled after meeting this Doctor. He obviously was well versed in what he does but much to our surprise, he was EXTREMELY traditional, locked in a western philosophy. I think we were both under the illusion that once in Germany we would be pleasantly engulfed by Doctors open to complimentary and alternative type treatments, no matter where we went; that fantasy was blown apart. We were encouraged by the Doctors at St Georg to basically take what we need from him and leave the rest. The ENT Doctor told Karen to go home and seek radiation treatment, he had a connection with a Doctor in Miami that he could hook us up with. This was not very validating news to be told. He also recommended Karen have a tracheotomy.
December 12, 2006 - Tracheotomy
Our hopes were rapidly turning to fears. We were told by the Doctors at St Georg, based on the ENT report, a tracheotomy was necessary. Karen was scheduled to go to local hospital in Bad Aibling for surgery today at 2pm. She had tracheotomy and we were back at St Georg Klinik about 7:30pm. This began a horrendous week for her, she did not eat except liquid infusion for 7 days. Karen is thin, but lost about 10 lbs by Dec 19; weighing 100 lbs.
December 12 - Debember 19, 2006 - learning to breathe again
This week was traumatic to say the least, there were times I thought Karen was not going to make it. Sleep was a premium item, neither of us not sleeping more that a few hours at a time. Karen needed to be vacuumed, about every 2 to 3 hours with the temporary tracheotomy in, using a catheter tube. The look on her face when the mucous was being sucked from her trache was pure fright. The hyperthermia treatments began December 14 and she was to get 7 of them before being discharged, December 22nd. On December 19th we were fortunate enough to be able to have a permanent cannula placed by another ENT Doctor in an adjoining town. The permanent cannula made the world of difference for Karen.
An Angel named Claus bearing a luftbefeuchster
For the non Germans in the crowd, this is a humidifier. Karen's new means of breathing created a need for moisture in the air, since her nose was not being used to the extent it was for normal breathing. The cold German air during December did not offer much humidity and the Klinik did not have this type of equipment. I set out to get one, whether that meant to buy or whatever. I stopped in a shop just next door to the Klinik and the cheapest one they had was approximately 80 Euro. I had no choice but to buy it. I told the shop owner my circumstance and he proceeded to pack up the humidifier for me. As he was showing me how to use it, he and his wife began talking back and forth in German and after a few minutes he confirmed with me that this humidifier would be useless to me once we check out of Klinik. I said yes, the electrical feeds in the States were different. He said to me that he would lend me his personal humidifier, if I would stop back after lunch. He would go home during lunch break and return with his personal humidifier to loan to me. I was in awe, this man I never met and he was lending me something he could easily have sold to me. I thanked him and returned after lunch to borrow his humidifier for Karen. I tell everyone he was our Santa Claus during the Christmas time in Germany.
December 24, 2006 - Homeward bound after 1st trip
We left the Klinik on Dec 22 and stayed locally in a hotel, flying out from Munich on Sunday a.m., Dec 24. We landed in Miami safe and sound in mid afternoon. The trip involved a change of planes in London Heathrow and we were glad that we did not travel a day or two prior; the airport was virtually at a complete standstill with heavy cloud cover and people camped all over. On the return trip with British Airways (BA) we made sure we made use of wheel chair travel for Karen; it made travel through security a breeze, such a difference from the trip to Germany a few weeks prior. A friend of our daughter who works for BA made arrangements for us to sit in first class, but the unfortunate thing was that the seats were not together; we opted to stay in economy class so we could be together. Karen needed me near her since she was not able to talk plus her cannula was in need of frequent cleaning as well.
We had left the hotel about 5am and being novices at the cannula business were unable to take it apart to clean. We wanted to do that since we knew a long day of travel lie ahead. She made it without it, but it was uncomfortable as the day progressed.
Since having a new hole in her neck to breathe, Karen was especially sensitive to any smells. When arriving in Miami she had a hard time traveling on shuttle bus to car rental place with the smell of fumes from the exhaust. We made the trip from Miami, arriving in our own home on Christmas Eve....that was our present to ourselves.
BETWEEN TRIPS
About Dec 29 Karen began experiencing the sensation of tightness in her throat
when swallowing and thinks it is getting a little worse. Her voice had gained
volume but seems to be deteriorating a bit again. We are planning on returning
to Germany on February 4 but after telling Doctor about most recent concerns
he suggests returning sooner rather than later. We opt to go two weeks earlier
on January 20.
On January 8, Karen visited an ENT Doctor here in Sarasota, Fl. (the 2nd one
in 5 days). Karen abandoned the first one because she was very harsh and
insensitive to the use of alternative treatments. She told Karen to have her
voice box out if she wanted to live. The Doctor today examined Karen and
said her left vocal cord is very involved with the tumor and does not seem to
be functional at all. He said there could be recurrent growth of the tumor and
from his view it looks like stage T3 or T4. He was surprised at how good her
voice was considering what he saw. We asked this Doctor if he would
support Karen on her decisions and to examine her from time to time when
she wanted him to. He said "absolutely" that he realized Karen was an adult
and would respect any decision she makes. (Later entries will reveal his
attitude seems to change upon 2nd visit to him...stay tuned!)
January 20, 2007 - 2nd Trip to St Georg Klinik
For the 2nd trip we traveled from Ft Myers to Atlanta and then direct overnight flight to Munich. It was nice arriving in Germany at the end destination after traveling all night. It is tiring enough without having to find your way from one plane to another in a foreign country with different rules etc. etc. etc. Of course to make things even more challenging in Germany the primary language is foreign to us as well.
Atlanta airport is a bit burdensome but at least it was a familiar craziness. We arrived in Munich about 10am, were met by car service and made it to the Klinik for lunch (about 1 hour ride).
Karen was traveling with cannula in her neck now so it was challenging. On Delta airlines we were offered bulk head seats so there was plenty of leg room, making the long journey more manageable.
After lunch we were checked in by one of the Doctors and the following day Karen's regular Doctors set up her protocol for the 2 weeks. This time she was set to get low dose chemo for 8 days, extending through the week and over the weekend. Along with this she was to get daily doses of Hyperthermia with other various adjunct therapies e.g. ozone therapy, galvano therapy, infusions of Vit-C, etc.
We visited with the local ENT Doctor, who checked on her progress.
As compared to the first trip this one is relatively uneventful.
February 4, 2007 - Homeward bound after 2nd trip
BETWEEN TRIPS
As requested Karen waited about 3 weeks before getting retested, this was to give opportune time for the treatment, especially low dose chemo, to do its work in her body.
February 22, 2007
Karen had PET/CT Scans done. The results were mixed. The left side tumor had shrunk but there was now some growth on the right side. The metabolic activity overall continued to drop. Our visit to local ENT was not very uplifting to say the least. His comment was "I am not familiar with what they do in Germany, but it does not work". He was a person whom I asked directly on previous visit (see note above for Jan 8th Doctor visit) if you would support Karen and he answered "absolutely". That had felt good then but now he was not very supportive of Karen being an adult at all. He told Karen if she came back to see him he would refer her to Moffit, Anderson or Sloan Kettering because he was not able to care for her at the stage of cancer she had. We began discussing the results with him and he abruptly stopped the conversation saying, "look I don't want to argue with you guys". I did not hear anyone arguing, maybe someone in the room was delusional. As he left the examining room he stated, "keep us in the loop". Was he kidding or what??
TRIP 3
March 11, 2007 - 3rd Trip to St Georg Klinik
March 12, 2007 - intake session with Doctor at St Georg Klinik
What an unbelievably different experience sitting in the Doctor's office in Germany with the same test results as we had sitting before the local ENT Doctor in Florida about 2 weeks prior. I expressed our concerns about the new growth etc. His response was that if there is a train traveling at 100mph and it must be stopped, it does not happen all at once. He reassures the both of us that this is not abnormal and he prescribes a treatment protocol that will continue to work toward Karen being clear of cancer. The protocol for this trip involves low dose chemo but much more of it. There was a new chemo used that really seemed to have a substantial impact on Karen.
March 17, 2007
Imagine, we are in Germany on St Patrick's Day....who would have ever thought!!! I was hard pressed to find a parade anywhere.
March 24, 2007 - Homeward bound after 3rd trip
(details to follow)
April 16, 2007
Karen got a PET/CT Scan and the tests resuls were phenomenal. Karen's voice had returned to a great degree and the test results certainly endorsed what was now being heard. The results showed the tumor on right side had resolved and the left side was reduced substantially. The metabolic activity had continued to drop even more so than the last tests; we were elated.
TRIP 4
May 19, 2007 - 4th Trip to St Georg Klinik
May 20, 2007 - intake session with Doctor at St Georg Klinik
Karen's blood count is down and the Doctor immediatley orders 2 units of blood to be transfused into Karen before any treatment can begin. He states there is no need for chemo this trip since Karen's results are showing great progress.
June 2, 2007 - Homeward bound after 4th trip
(details to follow)
June 29, 2007 #1 injection of PROCRIT
Due to low blood count Karen begins taking PROCRIT. This is extemely expensive. We had petitioned drug manufacturer for aid to pay but to no avail since we had a little bit of insurance coverage. They referred us to a foundation that helps people with co-pays. The foundation offered us enough money to cover about 5 injections. She is to begin taking one per week and to see how much she needs with weekly blood tests.
July 1, 2007 - Low blood count
Karen's blood count has dropped to critical level and she goes into local E.R. for blood transfusion. She receives 2 pints of blood and blood count improves. She is in hospital about 10 hours, does not stay overnight.
July 6, 2007 - #2 injection of Procrit
We are in touch with the Doctors in Germany and also following the advise of a local Doctor who administers Vitamin C infusions to Karen. The consensus is to continue with the PROCRIT until blood count is within normal range, even though at last blood test it was very close. This dose does bring blood count within normal range.
July 12, 2007 PET/CT Scan
Results of this test bummed us out somewhat. There was new growth on the right vocal cord again and the metabolic activity has also increased. We were shocked!! We contacted hospital in Germany, wanting to return a.s.a.p. Much to our dismay the hospital was closing for a few weeks of reconstruction. We were offered out patient services only and that would mean staying at a local Pension (German term for B & B) and traveling to hospital daily for treatment. This did not seem to be something Karen would be able to work with. We finally opted to wait until August 19 when Klinik opened again and return at that time.
July 12 through August 17, 2007
Karen continues to get weekly blood tests, monitoring her blood count. She seems to be responding to the PROCRIT along with the blood transfusions of July 1. On August 1, 8, and 16 she needs PROCRIT injections. Her blood count was brought within normal range after the 3rd injection.
TRIP 5
August 17, 2007 - 5th Trip to St Georg Klinik
Flew direct from Ft Myers to Munich on LTU Airline; we were fortunate enough to receive 15% off on air fare, but fare was still extreme since it was heart of high season ($1900 + for two).
August 18, 2007
Rented a car at Munich since we were staying in Erding (near Munich for 2 days) and wanted to be able to travel around if we so desired. Had relaxing few nights, got to Hotel Henryabout 11am. Hotel Henry is one we found a few trips ago and used it for lodging the night before we left on flights home since it was close to airport and was reasonable to stay at (87 Euro, including free shuttle to airport + free breakfast).
August 20, 2007
We checked into hospital about 10am on Monday, Aug 20, 2007. Had appointment to see Doctor at 11am and got to see him about 11:45am for about 1 hour. His initial commment was "you are funny girl", he was relating to the cancer growth beginning on one side and moving to the other side of Karen's voice box. He suggested NO CHEMO, because it would continue to deplete Karen. He suggested 90 mins of Hyperthermia with Vit-C on a daily basis and Galvano (ECT) treatments as often as daily but whatever Karen could tolerate plus several other infusions. We felt hopeful leaving his office. Karen began Hyperthermia in the afternoon for 90 minutes. Karen was assigned a different Doctor this trip, the same one she had on the first 2 trips, we were happy with that.
August 21, 2007
Karen receives 2nd Hyperthermia treatment for 90 minutes and all the other infusions but Galvano is cancelled because she is having difficulty keeping her throat cleared and with the 90 minute Galvano treatment she would not be able to get up to clear her throat etc. The Doctor decides to suck Karen's trache to aid in romoval of mucous. Galvano is scheduled for Wed, Aug 22 at noon.
During the night Karen has much discomfort and wakes up frequently to clear her throat but is not very successful. We try relaxation exercises and it seems to help a little bit.
August 22, 2007
Karen woke me up about 7:20am in respiratory distress, she was gasping for air. She later told me she thought she was going to die. Her color was fine but she certainly could not breathe. I got nurse immediately and the Doctor came to clear the stoma in her neck with a catheter tube. She began breathing normally (at least with enough air) again. The Doctors wanted to ensure that this would not happen again, they set out to arrange for an ENT Doctor to see Karen. The local ENT (HNO in Germany) that Karen had seen before was on vacation. The only one close-by was not available on Wednesday, since many businesses close on Wednesday afternoons in town. An appointment was set for Thursday evening at 5:30pm. In the meantime all heavy treatments (Hyperthermia & Galvano) are postponed. The Doctors here want to possibly have a small cannula placed back in her neck to keep it open for breathing especially during treatments that may cause swelling.
August 23, 2007
Karen's breathing is better so apparently the swelling has gone down
but treatments (Hyperthermia and Galvano) are still postponed. Swelling was reduced using infusions of medication. We saw the local ENT Doc this evening to see about getting a small cannula placed in Karen's neck for temporary purposes but she was useless to us for that. She did not have any cannulas at all but gave us an address where we might be able to purchase one. The Doctor here at the Klinik is stumped as to what to do, he does not want to proceed with the possibility that a breathing crisis occurs again. He is also concerned about Karen traveling home and getting into trouble on plane with her breathing. He is definitely erring on the side of caution which is good.
At this point I am thinking we are going to end up staying another week since things
are off to such a slow start here. Karen was much better today. We will await for a plan to be proposed to us tomorrow. One of the possibilities is to go to Munich or Rosenheim for outpatient treatment at a Klinik for placement of a new cannula.
August 24, 2007
Today much to our surprise the two primary Doctors we are dealing with suggested low dose chemo for 5 days, the same dose as first trip. We were a bit taken back since Karen has had such a hard time with her blood count as a result of chemo over the past few months. They proposed this to reduce the tumor size, since they think it is the primary reason for Karen's difficulty breathing and this is obviously a major issue. To ward off a repeat of what happened earlier in the week they will give an anti-inflammatory prior to Hyperthermia and close monitoring will be provided throughout. Karen agreed and she began chemo + Hyperthermia in the late afternoon.
Karen had the best sleep so far since being at the Klinik tonight.
August 25, 2007
Karen received her 2nd chemo treatment with Hyperthermia today. Her congestion is being monitored and breathing being kept clear as much as possible. All seems well, she is not having any adverse reaction to chemo. She will have chemo and Hyperthermia through Tuesday, and then Hyperthermia will continue after that for the remaining days we are here. We are not sure about when the Galvano will happen.
August 26, 2007
Karen continues to improve. She had an even better sleep during the night, much less restriction going on in her respiratory track. Received low dose chemo with Hyperthermia followed by other infusions and treatment. Weather is great here, but Karen is not up for walking around too much. Not sure about length of our stay at this point, so far still planning on leaving next Saturday but we are open to staying longer to maximize the time we have here with the treatments deemed necessary.
August 27, 2007
Karen's day today was good. Her sleeping continues to be more consisitent. She is kept very busy with infusions, Hyperthermia and low dose chemo. Today the Doctors cleared her stoma (the small hole left in her neck from the cannula) so to be sure another traumatic breathing event does not occur. It is ironic, Karen and I were impatient for the hole to heal and now we want it to slow down, at least until the treatments are complete and the tumors are shrunk back and gone. The Hyperthermia treatments today were bumped up to 90 minutes in duration. Her breathing does not seem to be much of a concern for her of late, but the dry air here makes it more difficult. In addition to her breathing issue, she is dealing with being very bloated from all the infusions. At least none of this is strange to us, we have been through this before; we know the drill. The weather here remains beautiful, unfortunately Karen has not felt well enough to get out and enjoy it. Tomorrow the Doctors will discuss with us our departure date, it looks to me like it will remain to be late Friday night and fly home on Saturday morning.
August 28, 2007
The Doctors paid a very brief visit today. We were disappointed but not surprised, this is more the norm than not when the chief Doc is visiting patients. They said Karen can plan on leaving Saturday for home. I got one question in as they left room and that was about Galvano treatment; the chief said yes she can do it everyday now. That has not happened, and I think it wise, since there is already swelling/inflammation going on from the current treatments.
Karen felt more swelling going on today, apparently from the increased Hyperthermia session yesterday (90 min upped from 60 min). This coupled with the news of leaving in a few days had her upset. She does not want to have a breathing crisis after leaving here, especially with the lack of a medical support team in the US that endorses the treatment modality she is taking. We are going to speak with the two primary Doctors tomorrow and get a clear picture of what they advise and/or suggest. We are thinking we will change flight home until Wednesday, leaving the Klinik on Tuesday.
The chemo treatments have been completed today, so the anti-nausea meds will be stopped as well. Hopefully her system will slowly return to normal status within the next few days. We are very grateful for the care that is offered here. Karen's sleep continues to be consistent, she appears as at home...sleeping with remote in hand; very relaxed and at peace.
Karen will be receiving a Reiki treatment tomorrow, that will help her relax and return to center.
God bless all for your support
August 29, 2007
Karen continues to show improvement, getting back to her normal energy level and coming down to dining room more regularly to eat. We had much more productive meeting with Docs today, it was not more lengthy than yesterday but we were able to share our concerns and felt heard. The Docs and Karen & I all agreed it might be premature to leave hospital Friday night and fly home on Saturday. Rather than doing that we are going to get our flight changed until the following Friday; this will give ample time for Karen to be monitored for a period of time after the chemo.
Thank God for our children on States side helping us out with things such as phone calls to the airline and various other business like items that are just impossible to complete so far away and with 6hrs difference in time.
The concern about swelling and her breathing will be addressed when we visit with a local ENT Doc here, hopefully on Monday when he returns from vacation. We have notified our animal watchers and they are able to hang in for another week. God bless them, they have been right there for all our trips. We have been supported in so many ways.
Karen did not need as much cortizone today as yesterday. Tomorrow she is probably going to receive some Galvano treatment and there may be some swelling after that. She is a bit afraid of it, because it can be painful as well. The Docs assured her that it will be made comfortable for her. Galvano is when a low electric charge is sent into the cancer cells killing them off. One of the ideas is to put a needle into the lymph node(s) on Karen's neck. I am sure she will be happy when it is over.
Karen was referred by a lymphatic massage therapist in the States to check out an Energy Healer in a town about 2 hrs from here. Well, he was on holiday until Monday, 8/27, and he called us today to let us know he has an opening tomorrow. Unfortunately we are booked here at Klinik tomorrow but since we are extending our stay, perhaps next week he may have a cancellation.
Well, it is quite late at this point of the earth and I will sign off for today.
Thank you for all your prayers, intentions and support. It is truly felt and appreciated.
Love and Blessings to all of you.
Karen & Patrick
August 30, 2007
Well thanks to some "angels" among us we have got our flight home changed without a penalty fee. There is a person at the Miami headquarters of the airline we have been flying who has extended herself in an unbelievable manner for us. She is someone who I never met, who I don't even know her last name but she is one who remembers me when I call and has done her best to get us the best seats and as much of a discount as she can. It is amazing!! And, of course the helper angels who are members of our immediate family and network of friends helping out with phone calls and watching animals etc. The love and care extended to us during this trying time is hard to describe in words.
Well, Karen had hard day breathing, and she is really feeling bloated with all the infusions, I.V. she has been taking. This is a common complaint among all the patients, I told Karen we could get some string and tie it to them and let them all float in the air like balloons. She did not think that was too funny. She pretty much rested and stayed in room today. She did receive her Hyperthermia treatment and had her stoma cleaned by the Doctors.
We had a visit by the same Doctors as two days ago and we felt much better after today's visit as compared to the brief encounter two days ago. We got most of our questions asked and were happy about that. Our departure day will be some time next week but we have enough time to get all done that we need to before heading back to the states.
Karen skipped some of the anti-inflammatory medication and seemed to feel the absence of it with her breathing and possibly was crashing from the withdrawal.
We impressed upon the Doctors that we want to keep her immune system strong, and not have a reoccurrence of what happened between last two visits occur. We also discussed the high cost of the new medication they are prescribing and it was suggested to possibly get some in Mexico.
Some of the stories here are sad and some are triumphant. Spoke with a woman this evening who is here along and she has scheduled some surgery for Tues. She was advised by the chief Doc here that was the best thing to do, because the treatment they have used is not ridding her of the cancer. The trust level is at such a high level here, she prefers to do the surgery here rather that go back to the States where she has not found the Doctor's to be very supportive. She is making this decision even though in the States her insurance would cover the surgery, and it will not here. There is a very powerful presence here, an amazing dynamic made up of all the people working here. It is hard to explain, nothing like it anywhere I have ever been.
love and blessing to all and to all a good night..................
August 31, 2007
Today was typically routine here, nothing out of the ordinary. Karen has put off Galvano until next week after she sees ENT Doc. She continues to have some difficulty keeping respiratory passage clear of mucous but it does seem less challenging. She is going to continue daily Hyperthermia treatments over weekend, probably until we leave next Thursday evening.
Karen and I spoke with lady mentioned in yesterday's entry who was to get surgery. That has been cancelled at least temporarily; she will head home on Sunday to the States. Karen gave her a Miraculous Medal of Mary and we both told her about John of God (Joao de Deus) whom Karen is going to see in October. We are going to fill her in more tomorrow prior to when she leaves.
Karen and I are hoping to get out a bit over the weekend. The cabin fever is getting intense.
We have the DVD's. that we brought from home, memorized.
We are both glad we postponed Karen's discharge date, it makes a lot of sense to get more treatment and not to rush out of here. We are in Germany so we may as well take advantage of what is here. We are fortunate to have such a terrific support network at home in the States to permit us to have the flexibility that we need.
The return flight works out better for us, we were originally flying into Miami but the change we made is into Ft Myers; much closer to home.
It is late and I am tired. Blessing to all of you.
Bis morgen
September 2, 2007
Karen has restless night last night. She was over tired and asked for something to help her sleep. She was given a med (forgot name of it) that she had 3 times prior without a problem, but this time it caused her to feel agitated and very uncomfortable. The result was being relaxed but very irritable. That lasted for a few hours, thank God it did not last all night. She is catching up on some lost sleep now, seems to be breathing very good at this time. Today is a slow day; she is scheduled for Hyperthermia but may cancel it and just give herself a break.
We have been, unexpectedly, invited to someone's home today for tea and coffee. It is someone we have gotten close with during the visits here; she is very kind and caring to Karen, a very special person. It will be good to get out and the day is bright and beautiful today. Overall the weather has turned cool, today it is going to 66 F but after that will be in 50s and at night as low as upper 30s during the week.
Our other friend, the one Karen gave the Miraculous Medal to, has left today. We exchanged e-mails and will keep in touch. There is a unique bond made here with the other patients as well as with many of the staff. As someone we know frequently claims about a spiritual gathering we attend, "surely the presence of God is in this place". What has been formed here (the Klinik) and the people who have been drawn to it have combined to create a unique force/power; a very rich dynamic.
Many of the people who are seen daily just smile and nod in recognition but many others we have gotten to know more intimately and, for me at least, there is a struggle within dealing with the lack of continuity or integration into the rest of my life. When I leave here these people basically reside in my memory and my heart. Yes there is e-mail etc. etc. etc. but it is not the same as personal contact and interaction. I experience the same feeling with relatives who I feel a very close connection to but they live far away in distant places and several times zones apart. I suppose this is part and parcel of our ability in today's world to travel far from home establishing meaningful connections with friends and family; it is great to be able to do but at the same time there are sad emotions of loss and longing that come with the experience as well.
Then there are those who we have met who have passed on now and our meeting was very brief and poignant, equally as powerful and stimulating. Yes, dealing with this challenge of Karen's is cumbersome but it truly has some rich and rewarding benefits along the path as well. Paying attention to what is happening when we are not looking, how powerful !!
Blessings to you all...........
September 3, 2007 the cannula returns after 4 months
Today Karen went to see the ENT Doctor and after his laryngyscope exam he suggested Karen have the cannula placed back in her neck. Since there was still a small hole there, he was able to stretch it with his instruments and place a temporary slightly smaller cannula in until tomorrow. We are scheduled to return tomorrow for completion of the procedure. It was painful for her, stretching her skin, she bled a little bit and afterwards she cried. I think it was a combination of emotional and physical pain. It is clearly all for the best. Tonight she is sleeping better than she has in weeks. It is 4 months to the day since we took the cannula out. It was after the wonderful news that the tumor had shrunk to a minimal size. We look forward to that happening again in the near future but for the present it is important to be realistic and make sure she can breathe in a stress free manner. Her breathing difficulty even hampered the level of treatments she would have had during our stay here.
The ENT Doc was very patient and told Karen she was a very good patient. He let her be in charge and to stop him when she needed to. Very nurturing and caring person.
Keep Karen in your thoughts and prayers, especially tomorrow.
love and blessings to all...........
September 5, 2007
Last few days for Karen have been uncomfortable, her neck was sore up until today when she got her old cannula put back into her trache. It is much better for her now; it is amazing all the difficulty she was having before and now it has diminished drastically. She is an amazing woman !! She just goes through this stuff and just takes it in stride. The ENT Doc was wundebar, he was patient, caring and obviously concerned for her. He made space for us in his busy schedule at closing time all three days we saw him. I am amazed at some of the charges here. For the time he spent, about 2.5 hours, and the procedures he did, he charged the equivalent of $310. Maybe I am naive but it seems inexpensive to me. I don't think this procedure would have been handled as an office visit at home.
Karen's blood was checked today, the levels are normal for the most part, nothing to be alarmed over. She attempted Hyperthermia treatment today, but only endured it for 1/2 hour then stopped. She needed to clear the cannula, but she thought she was swelling. Tomorrow she may get the same treatment but not sure at this point. She appears to be stronger and much better than when we arrived. We are truly blessed.
We are either leaving tomorrow night or early Friday morning.
The weather here is really interesting. The temp has dropped and we have been getting rain as well; even hail stones at times along with thunder and lighting. The temp during day is in 50s and at night low 40s or upper 30s. The Alps which we can see from here are showing some snow cover after the inclement weather; a very pretty sight.
Just a note: The URL address for this web site is being amended and will be:
http://www.karenshealingjourney.com
the old one will still work which is:
http://karpat.blogspot.com
I will say "gut abend" with love and blessings to all Karen's supporters.................
September 6, 2007
Well we have left the Klinik and are in a hotel near Erding, Germany; a town very near the Munich Airport. We are ready for home. Today was an example of chaos moving toward organization or harmony. It seemed everything was just "nuts" today. Appointments were cancelled, then supposedly rescheduled but not. Miscommunication was at a high level and we were both frustrated with all the "STUFF" going on. For us I believe some of it was anticipating the upcoming transition from being in a safe nurturing environment with Medical Professionals who listen and have a similar philosophy to us, to something that is pretty close to being diametrically opposed to that. The support Karen has here is unmatched anywhere else, because it mimics exactly the healing path she seeks. Yes, there are some like minds here and there in the states but an institution such as this Klinik does not exist.
Out of the chaos truly did come some loving harmony. The good-byes are truly heart felt; it is like family and I feel the connections more bonding at each visit. Overall, the key players running St Georg Klinik have remained the same since we have started coming here; this provides a level of consistency that aids healing by affording the creation important interpersonal relationships with the healers during one's healing course. The generosity found here is just there and present all the time, whether it be via offering time, presents or little bits of monetary aid in various forms. There is not any penny pinching or nit picking about bills or monies; there is a very clear sense of fairness when it comes to that.
As I said, our frustration was high today, but at the end we had a very nice talk with the Chief Doctor and another one with the Doctor immediately in charge of Karen's care. It was just something that is not experienced on such a level with medical personnel in the States. I said to Karen today, that it is so much more than just a language difference here, it is an entire cultural shift; they work according to another paradigm than we are accustomed to. I never have seen any of them indicate frustration or any type of attitude that would seem in any way negative or opposed to a positive healing ethic. There seems to be a pervasive attitude among most here that things will get done when they get done and above all the patient is most important. In some ways those two things may seem to oppose each other but overall they do not; it seems there is recognition that there is a greater force at work and one must step out of the way and let it happen. One thing that impresses me is the importance and respect given to the patient's input about their care; that is not something I am accustomed to.
For now I will say good night. Look forward to seeing some and eventually all of you after we are home.
Love and Blessing to all and thanks for your continued support to Karen and me........
September 7, 2007 -- States Side Once Again.......
We arrived home safe and sound; the trip was long but uneventful, Thank God. The plane stayed up when supposed and came down when appropriate.
Karen had tough time with the dry air on the plane; she felt it more this flight than any other time we flew, so her breathing was strained to a certain degree.
It was quite a contrast leaving 50 F in German and arriving to 93 F in Florida.
The next few months will be similar to past periods of time in between trips. She will get tested and then we will make a decision as to what to do.
There are a few different things Karen is going to do, she is going to see John of God on Oct 4 and there is another woman she has spoken to and she may try her protocol. These are all in addition to, not in place of the treatment in Germany.
Some of the Meds she has been prescribed are very expensive, I am going to find out more about purchases in Mexico. I don't know how that works, if anyone reading this has any knowledge please let me know.
Just want to say thanks to all the "helpers" we have in our life today who have been chipping in when we are away traveling. Without these people stopping in when we are not hear to take care of the pets and some household items we would be lost. They just do want we need and they are just there for us; we are truly grateful to all of them.
Signing off as one tired traveler
Love and blessing to all.........
Between Trips
September 10, 2007
Calling this posting "between trips" but I really don't know if that is what this period of time is. The routine Karen has followed up until now prescribes testing between 3 - 6 weeks after she returns from Germany. We have not discussed it but I am thinking it will be mid October. This will also be after the trip to Omega Institute in NY where Karen will see the healer from Brazil, John of God. This man has a very powerful story, I refer you to his web site http://www.johnofgod.com/; he has been a medium for healing for 40 years.
So the name of this posting may not be accurate but we will not know that until we plan a return trip to Germany or not.
I have contacted the drug company selling the medication Karen needs and we are hoping they offer us some financial assistance. When in Germany it was costing $100/day. She will need to take it for at least 3 months.
Karen is resting a lot; sleeping off and on throughout the day. She was feeling some discomfort today but overall she does seem to have a good energy level.
Our primary animal watcher, Cheryl is moving out of state; she will be missed sorely, she really chips in when we need her the most. I know someone else will turn up; there is a Higher Power at work here and guess who is not it??? Having animals at a time like this in our life is a challenge but they do provide a certain degree of therapy as well.
Will sign off for now, still getting over jet lag; sleep patterns for both of us are a little crazy these past few days.
Love and blessings your way from us.........
September 13, 2007
Spent last few days continuing to catch up with personal matters and setting up appointsments for lymph massage, Vit-C infusions, local Doc etc. The Doc who Karen has been using here in town is retiring earlier than planned due to medical reasons, so Karen is establishing a connection with another Doc in town who will hopefully be able to serve as a good replacement. Currently we are working on getting meds at a reduced price from the drug company and to do this the Doc has to be involved signing and authorizing etc.
Karen is having some ear pain and discomfort when swallowing today more than other days; the ear pain has intensified as the day progressed. She also had a Vit-C infusion today, that sometimes stirs things up. Again, if support is needed here (at home) the medical safety net is not as broad and comforting as in Germany.
We have purchased some products from Bea Lydecker (from Oregon) and also were told by a friend about vitamin B-17 (laetrile) and that a good source is apricot kernels. I purchased some of them on line last night at sunorganic.com. We are keeping all doors and possibilities open.
One thing that has become very clear to me is the need for constant vigilance when dealing with this disease; it is cunning, baffling and insidious (sound familiar?).
It has been different though this time, Karen is much stronger than in the past and yesterday she got to get her haircut; she is getting it trimmed more and more each time.
Her birthday is coming up in a few days, not sure how that will be celebrated, certainly no sugar filled cakes.
Made phone call to our airline angel today just to thank her for all the help; I am amazed over and over at the kindness and generosity found in people.
Will sign off for now.......
love and blessings to all
September 14, 2007
Assuring that a loved one (or for that matter one's self) gets optimum health care and services can be a daunting task at times. Karen has been prescribed a medication which she began taking in Germany. The medication can cause birth defects, and there are other precautions that need be taken as well, so it is highly regulated and monitored both by the European Medical Admin and FDA here in the States. To obtain it, a Doctor must sign the patient up with the drug company, take a survey and use a specific authorization code on the script designated by the drug company so the patient can be tracked. In addition to that the patient must take a survey as well. It did not matter that Karen was already registered in Europe, she had to be re-registered here in the U.S. The European program was different, even though the drug company is the same.
The medication cost about $100 per pill and by law the drug company can only dispense it in a 28 pill package, no more and no less; gee who is being helped by that law???? Certainly not the poor and struggling of our nation or society. It is inconceivable how complicated it is just get a medication and once the authorization has been obtained the cost is prohibitive. There is financial help available for those who seek out and apply to various foundations. We have done that for the medication Karen uses to maintain her blood levels, PROCRIT, and we were fortunate enough to be awarded enough funds for about 6 injections. On Monday, I will apply again to seek funding for this more recent prescription, Thalidomide. The Doctor in Germany explained to us that the drug was used originally to aid sleeping and help deter nausea some years ago and it was relatively inexpensive. It has now been discovered to prevent tumor growth in cancer patients (and I believe is used by athletes as well) and the cost has skyrocketed; it is the same drug just a different time period and use.
Karen received her protocol from Bea Lydecker today, she plans on beginning that tomorrow. She also had blood work done today and it looks good. I think she was really built up while we were in Germany for 3 weeks; thank God for that. Her weight has remained about the same, balancing out to where it was prior to the most recent trip. Her discomfort continues with some ear pain, hopefully that will subside soon.
All is well, from our limited perspective it may not seem that way at times but we are being taken care of in spite of ourselves.......
Love and Blessings to All !!
September 17, 2007 <<<<< HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAREN >>>>>
It is just after midnight as the day has changed to the 17th. Karen is concerned about her swallowing discomfort, it has been going on for about 3 days now. She will get a lymphatic drainage massage later today, hopefully that will help. She seems to think it is from her lymph node being swollen on right side of her neck.
Karen's blood levels for hemoglobin are staying good, I think it is a result of the Doctors in Germany building her system up with iron supplements, thymus shots etc. It would be great if the fluctuating blood levels were all behind us.
Karen did begin Bea Lydecker's program and plans on asking her some questions tomorrow.
One thing I have noticed the last few days is that her voice is cracking through from a whisper again; she has just been whispering for about 2 months now.
Karen is spending much more time being up and about the house researching on computer, reading and sorting through old items discarding what she does not want anymore, not a lot but some!!
She has stopped watching TV, not sure if I mentioned that earlier; I tease her saying it is great Sthat she can fall asleep without the remote in her hand. She received an e-mail today from the lady in Germany who invited us to her home 2 weeks ago on a Sunday; those people are really something !!!
Well, look forward to later today and making it special in some way for her. Maybe if we just "BE", that is sufficient.
Blessings and love to all..........
Joao de Deus – NY Trip October 3rd – 5th and some additional updating
Let me first say I just have not felt like taking the time to sit and write. Seems like I am writing a lot of the same stuff over and over. So, it has been about 12 days since I last posted and that is much of the reason why.
Karen still is in pain with her ear and throat, it has been over 3 weeks I guess. Today she went to a local Doctor and got some antibiotics prescribed; I hope it alleviates her discomfort. She continues on her new protocol of herbs, supplements and detoxing...nose to the grindstone, like a real trooper.
Well we were TRULY blessed by the fact our daughter Dee paid us a visit for 4 days last week and was here to watch our animals while we went to see John of God in NY. Not only did she watch the animals, she cleaned the house beautifully and it was great to have her energy around when we arrived home; she stayed for an extra 2 days and did not stop with the domestic engineering the whole time she was here. We bathed the dogs, cut one dogs hair, cleaned gutters, trimmed bushes and I even got her to the airport with about 34 minutes to spare on Sunday night. When we arrived home from NY on Friday night we felt like we were on the Makeover Show; the only thing missing was the big bus in front of the house.
Well the trip to NY was somewhat taxing on Karen, the Omega Campus has a lot of hills and it was tough for her to climb, running out of breath. The cannula in her neck is good for breathing but when it blocks with mucous it can cause a lot of respiratory stress as well. We left home about 10am on Wednesday and arrived at Omega around 6pm. The John of God event began at 9am and it was requested all were present by 8:30am for instructions. It was awesome to see everyone wearing white; this was requested in the preliminary instructions. It was explained that when the entities scan the body, the lack of color permits a more accurate scanning to occur. There must have been about 1200 people present; for some reason I thought there were only to be 300 or 600 each day, not sure where I got that idea.
John of God, the man, (this is how they refer to him when he is not incorporated by an entity) came out and spoke to us with a translator just after 9am. That was the only time he spoke to the crowd of people. He appeared to me to be a very humble man and also had a sense of humor; there certainly was not anything audacious about him.
The day was very organized and it involved passing in front of him two times. It was requested that we meditate and pray during most of the day. Some of the people were chosen for a spiritual intervention but neither Karen nor I was in that group.
There were people there of all ages and in wheelchairs, with canes, crutches, prosthetics, limps, and various other physical handicaps, but most were there for reasons not obvious to the naked eye.
For continuity, there was soup offered at lunch that was blessed by the entities and upon leaving at the end of the day it was suggested to take some of the blessed water home as well.
It was a day where there was a lot of energy felt but because of the nature of the healing taking place there was nothing tangible to see or touch that provided absolute evidence to what was happening.
It was difficult being with so many people (and it was a warm day) and being expected to be still and meditate.
At one point I thought I was being chosen by some high and holy one because while sitting in the big tent we were all saying a prayer and all of a sudden I felt water, like rain, falling on my arm. At first I ignored it but then slowly opened my eyes and realized that it was only my arm getting wet. For a second, I thought this is it; I have been chosen. But much to my dismay, I looked up and saw droplets of water all along the roof of the tent, I imagine from the morning air causing condensate and quickly realized that I was still "unchosen", back to my normal spot as just another bozo in the tent.
At the end of the day we hung out at Omega and had dinner there; the food is just GREAT, all organic and extremely tasty. We headed to Albany afterwards and stayed at a nice hotel near the airport. On Friday, we relaxed and even took a drive around prior to going to the airport about 1:30pm; our flight was at 3:10pm. We needed the extra time, Karen needed to do some maintenance on the cannula in her neck; it was getting blocked up on her.
The flight home was good and our daughter met us at the airport and drove us home.
I think we both were glad we went; I personally think that a trip to Brazil would really be a moving experience. This man apparently only went to school for 2 years and he has this calling where he helps people in many ways and takes no money for it....really amazing !!
OCTOBER 2007 NEWS
OCTOBER 13 2007
Karen has been continuing on her healing path. She is still in discomfort with ear and throat pain. The antibiotic she received, Avelox, caused her to have some adverse effects, so she is on a different one now. The side effect caused her to feel more than usual difficulty with her breathing. She stopped it and got the Doc to prescribe a different one.
She received some Vit-C and Hydrogen Peroxide infusions yesterday and the Doc gave her some Homeopathic remedy to take for her throat as well. The homeopathic remedy worked instantaneously but did not last for long. The current medication (the replacement for Avelox) she has is Penicillin, we are hoping it brings her relief soon; she has a difficult time getting comfortable. For one thing it is a lot cheaper, the Avelox was about $140 and the Penicillin was $17.
She got a few lymph drainage massages this week and a colonic. She has been getting these 2 treatments fairly regularly since being home from Germany, 5 weeks now.
Karen is planning on getting a PET/CT Scan soon, but will probably wait to see if Penicillin works first. If there is inflammation in her throat from infection it can give a false positive on the PET Scan.
We are somewhat dismayed at the sluggish response of the health insurance company with regards reimbursement for some of Karen's treatments. They have denied twice and we have submitted to them for a 3rd time. Dealing with that "crap" is a big and very frustrating part of one being ill.
Right now, we do not have plans for return travel to Germany or anywhere else. After 5 German trips within 9 months we are a bit at odds for financial means to take another trip at this point anyway. I imagine will be discuss after the PET/CT Scan results and see where Karen's needs lie. If Karen needs to go, I trust that means will be provided to her.
The new protocol Karen is on will last for at least 6 months, so it is anticipated she will be feeling the effects of that for a while. We are very grateful for the support she is receiving from Bea Lydecker; she is very responsive when needed.
We were in contact this past week with the Doctor in Germany and we are ordering some more medication from Germany that cannot be gotten from here. The meds are to boost her immune system and to kill off the cancer.
Will sign off for now, love and blessings to all.......
OCTOBER 15 2007 --- COLD LASER
Hello everyone....Today much to my surprise, Karen's and apparently the Doctor's, she gained some relief from her ear pain with the use of a Cold Laser instrument. This alternative therapy stuff frequently amazes me. This little, but very expensive, devise with a blinking red laser light shining on the ailing part of the body has the ability to stimulate antibodies and enhance cell energy to allow for the body's natural healing abilities to work. About the size of a "mini mag" flashlight and adjustable to various frequency levels this mechanism is what relieved Karen from 4+ weeks of ear pain. We are hopeful she will continue to be absent of ear pain.
We have been encouraged by Karen's new Doctor to explore the Halleluiah Diet, a vegan raw food diet (85% raw, the remainder cooked). We are considering it; it would be in addition to the organic diet we have been on for the past 19 months.
I am pleased and very grateful that Karen has been led on her path to this Doctor; philosophically, he seems extremely similar to her previous Doctor who had to retire prematurely for health reasons.
Today, (I will call him Dr M) he read us the report from the ENT Doctor Karen saw in August and it was the same song we here from all the traditional Docs in town. Things such as, Germany is obviously not working, she needs to do radiation + chemo or her voice box will have to be removed....all doom and gloom. Dr. M reviewed her history since initial diagnosis, and he is a regular MD, and he was soooo encouraging. He highlighted as he was reading that the cancer on the left side of Karen's throat has just about gone; he said, "you must be doing something right for that to happen". He was very interested in what treatment was done in Germany, curious as to what methods are being used to help her along the way to health. That type of encouragement is invaluable and how sad it is that it is given so sparingly, especially to those choosing a road less traveled.
We are being presented with signs in our path, giving us ideas to raise some funds to help with the medical expenses. In particular, I think I have heard about 4 benefit drives going on in the last week or so. It appears that is one way we will go at some time in the future, possibly more that one mini benefit given locally and by family or friends elsewhere. My biggest challenge is getting past my reluctance to ask for help.
Well tomorrow will be a down day as far as treatments go etc. I plan on doing some of my own work.... I will be very happy if Karen remains pain free.
Will sign off for now.
love and blessings to all and thank you for your support and love..........
OCTOBER 20 2007
Karen has been doing well this week. She has been busy with her treatments, getting lymphatic massages, a colonic and infusions. The infusions she gets are Vit C, alpha lipoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, various vitamin supplements and homeopathic remedies. She also received cold laser therapy two times and thank God that has given her some relief from her ear and throat pain. She will be getting blood work this week; the Doctor in Germany asked her to get blood tests every 2 weeks or so. Her weight has been good and she continues on the new protocol she has been on for the last month; it is herbs, supplements and detoxing. She is planning on getting a PET/CT Scan within next week or so and after that report we will make a decision about what to do with regards returning to Germany or not.
Karen has been taking some other meds from Germany and we recently ran out. They are not attainable here in the States, so they are being shipped to us from overseas.
I am encouraged by her strength, physical as well as spiritual and emotional. Even though she is in pain, her appearance is good. It is not like 4 or 5 months ago when she was losing ground every few weeks with the hemoglobin, getting Procrit injections and blood transfusions just to stay abreast of the disease. She seems to be at the stage where she is able to stay ahead of it. My personal impression is that it is a matter of time and she will be free of cancer. How much time, we do not know, but she seems on the right course. She has left the door open for many modes of healing and it seems to be paying off. The spiritual part has been represented through prayer, support from family and friends, as well as visiting with John of God in New York. The physical aspect has been tended to via numerous treatments she has agreed to try.
This week our children have initiated a campaign seeking help for us; I want to thank them for that and also thank all of you for your continued support in whatever way you have done that. It is so evident Karen has huge support and love coming toward her every day.
One personal note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DAUGHTER KARA!!!
Love and Blessings to all of you....
OCTOBER 25 2007
Karen has had a tough week. Her ear pain is really stirred up and according to her seems worse. The treatments she has received caused reactions that made her feel even worse. Her body is really working hard. We began juicing on a daily basis again; we had done that religiously but fell away from it. Unfortunately, her Doctor will not be available for infusions Friday of this week, so she is only getting one of those treatments this week. Karen will get blood work done tomorrow and we are going to schedule the PET/CT Scan tomorrow for next week.
I have been pleading our case with the company doing the screenings to see if they would waive the copay cost from previous scans; they have yet to let us know their determination.
I am feeling less emotionally up at this writing than the previous one. I tend to get down if Karen is down and that is what is going on. Sometime the course of this disease is extremely overwhelming; I can't imagine how it must be for sweet Karen, she is so brave!! I am thinking that it may be a blessing in disguise that her treatments were cancelled tomorrow; it will give her body and mind a chance to catch up.
I may have mentioned this earlier, but just want to say that I am not writing daily because our routine is fairly steadfast and routine, albeit very busy. I guess my intermittent entries are a combination of just being very busy and not having much new to say...at least not new to me.
Hey here is something new...made homemade potato salad today for the first time, with Karen's guidance of course.
Will sign off for now.....Love and Blessings to all!!
November 1 2007
I am cheating, I am sticking this entry in under October News. Karen had blood work done earlier in the week and had a PET/CT Scan done today. We got the blood test results today and her H&H is low (that is medical jargon for hemoglobin and hemocrit), so we needed to get some PROCRIT to stimulate her body to bring the count up. We are somewhat surprised since her count seemed stabilized since getting home from Germany on September 7.
I am glad we caught it and knew what to do this time instead of what happened in the spring and summer when her count dropped off. At that time we did not act on it right away, and her immune system became depressed creating an environment where the cancer could regrow a little bit again; at least that is my diagnosis of the situation. What a learning experience all this stuff is!!
Karen continues to be uncomfortable with ear pain and soreness in her throat. She tried an over the counter product today, per her Doctor, and it did provide some relief but not like she would like.
The results of the PET/CT will be available early next week; will keep everybody posted on the results.
Love and Blessings to all......
BENEFIT FUND RAISER
I must say I am a bit stumped. I feel very disappointed after the raffle idea did not get off the ground. With the support of our family, we are currently brain-storming to come up with alternative ways to raise money to help with the cost of ongoing medical needs for Karen. For the time being what I want to ask the readers of this blog to do is offer any ideas you may have for raising funds in Karen's name and send them to us via the e-mail address posted for contacting us (Karpat@KarensHealingJourney.com). Secondly, to spread the news about Karen's story by letting others know about the blog. I think this is a good first step to move forward from this place of confusion.
As always we appreciate your continued love and support.....
HELPERS CORNER ADDED TO BLOG
PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THIS WEB PAGE, I HAVE BEEN PROMPTED TO CREATE AN AREA "HELPERS CORNER" FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TAKE PART IN SPREADING THE WORD OF KAREN'S HEALING JOURNEY OUT BEYOND THOSE REGULAR READERS OF THIS BLOG. THE INTENTION AND GOAL IS TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR KAREN ON HER HEALING PATH.
WITH GRATITUDE, LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL......
NOVEMBER NEWS
NOVEMBER 5 2007 -- REGROUPING
Received the results of PET/CT Scan today and the results indicated more tumor growth. I must say we were not surprised with the way Karen has been feeling, but at the same time we are VERY DISAPPOINTED. We have spoken or sent out correspondence to 3 or 4 medical people and are in the process of deciding what the next step is going to be. This is so scary, facing the unknown and having no sure fire method to deal with something. I cannot imagine how it must be to be dealing with a potentially terminal disease for about 20 months; she is so brave, it just blows me away.
In an attempt to continue to get Karen's message out and hopefully gain further support my daughter has started a group on http://www.FACEBOOK.com. It would be beneficial for any readers of this blog to consider joining that and helping spread the word about Karen's plight to more and more people.
I will sign off for now. Love and Blessings to All !!
NOVEMBER 7 2007 ---- GERMANY ONE MORE TIME !!
We are heading back to where Karen feels safe and secure in her healing process, going back to St Georg Klinik in Germany. We did some research and talking and have decided with the help of the Doctor in Germany that the best for Karen is to resume treatment, shrinking the tumor as before with low dose chemo. Some other options that have not been used before are being explored as well, e.g. IPT and cyberknife. We are remaining positive as best we can and looking forward to being back in a safe and nurturing environment. We leave wed and will be there at least for 16 days.
We have found very reasonable fares on Delta this time, leaving from Sarasota.
Had another very upsetting occurrence happen this morning, my uncle in Ireland passed away suddenly while at a local bus stop with his wife. The entire family is in shock, many are traveling to Ireland for the funeral; Karen and I would be doing the same thing if circumstances were different. He was a very special guy, extremely focused on the importance of family and the importance of caring for others. If assistance was needed by anyone, he was there to help. I will miss him very much; he leaves a void behind no other will be able to fill. He was same name as me.
Next few days will be quite busy getting things in order, wire money, getting animal sitters set up, making sure all personal matters that needs tending to for next 3 weeks or so are taken care of prior to our departure. CRAZY ! CRAZY ! CRAZY ! But a good crazy, at least for a good reason.
Thanks, as always, to everyone for their continued love and support...it helps us everyday.
Love and Blessings to all of you...
NOVEMBER 13 2007
Tomorrow we head across the pond to colder lands. Karen's first few days are already partially planned. She will be checked in by Chief Doctor, Thurs at 1pm, and then on Friday, 11:30am, will see her ENT Doctor that she has been seeing since last February when in Germany. Karen is eager for this tumor situation to be brought under control (regarding the pain) and eradicated or "pulverized" as a member of her support network stated the other day.
Just had a thought. Would like to ask everyone to imagine Karen and inside her throat each vocal cord returning to pink perfect health, and Karen singing like a bird or a choir girl.
The journey will be about 16 hours door to door. We are hoping Karen's discomfort will be manageable during the trip, without any sick reaction to the pain meds. Her health care provider here has been extremely supportive of her in this regard, working with her to find the best combination. He has been a wonderful addition to Karen's care. Karen has allergic reaction to some meds, making it more difficult to conduct pain management.
Some loose ends still need to be tied up regarding money wire and pet care, but things seem to be falling into place. Funny how that happens, makes me wonder why I stress out. I suppose I just keep trying to control things; I am sure many of you are shocked to hear that.
I will sign off and hopefully will have full computer access when we are settled in the hospital. I will update blog on a regular basis as access permits.
Your prayers, intentions, thoughts, love and support are especially needed as we embark on this next piece of Karen's Healing Journey.
Love and blessings to all.....
BLOG INVITATION AND COMMENTS
SOME PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED PERMISSION TO MAKE COMMENTS ON THE BLOG. BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY ANYONE CAN MAKE COMMENTS ON BLOG. UP UNTIL NOW IT WAS ONLY LIMITED TO BLOG MEMBERS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BLOG PLEASE E-MAIL Karpat@KarensHealingJourney.com. MANY INVITATIONS WERE SENT OUT WHEN THIS WEB SITE WAS STARTED BUT THE INVITATIONS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 30 DAYS. IF YOU DID NOT JOIN THEN AND WANT TO JOIN NOW PLEASE LET US KNOW BY E-MAIL.
THIS BLOG "STUFF" IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE PATIENT ! WE WILL SET UP A COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT IF "GRIPES" INCREASE TO AN INTOLERABLE LEVEL. KIDDING OF COURSE!
LOVE & BLESSINGS TO ALL....KAREN & PATRICK
THANKSGIVING DAY --- Nov 22 2007
Karen and I want to thank everyone who has supported us along Karen's Healing Journey. There has been a tremendous degree of love, care, concern and prayers sent our way and we think it extremely appropriate on this day of THANKSGIVING to acknowedge all of your generosity and thoughtfulness.
With Love, Blessings and Well Wishes from Bad Aibling, Germany...
Karen & Patrick
It sounds like Karen is on the road to recovery. May God bless her and heal her. She is still in my prayers.
With love,
Marshall
GERMANY ARRIVAL TRIP 6 – November 15 through December 5 2007
November 15 2007
We have arrived safely on German soil. Our departure was delayed in Atlanta for 3.5hours due to mechanical problems. Thank God, we did not have that in the sky and it was on the ground that they found it. YES !!! We have both been dragging, Karen is especially tired, she had a lot of congestion on the plane and it was hard for her because she could not clear all the mucuous from her air passage no matter how hard she tried. She finally slept for a while but not too comfortably. As usual the arrival here at St Georg Klinik was extremely nurturing and welcoming. We are familiar faces here, we are well known and quite obviously Karen/we are cared for very much.
Karen got all checked in, blood work done, protocol drawn up by Chief Doctor and she is receiving some infusions this evening as she sleeps. I am so glad she is able to sleep, she ate a little but not much, she is just too tired. The Chief Doctor here has a new approach and we are anxious to see how it will go. She starts at 9am tomorrow.
Basically, I just wanted to check in and let everyone know we are here in the beautiful part of the world called Bavaria; it is cold and there is snow on the ground, a bit different than Sarasota.
Will be in touch. Love and Blessings to All of You, your love and support are appreciated and acknowledged by both of us....
REMEMBER THE VISION: Karens pink healthy vocal cords just revving and ready to sing to the tree tops uncontrollably, supported by two healthy beautiful lungs..........
November 16 2007
Moving right along, the place here feels very familiar and safe, like somewhere we have visited frequently, I suppose that is because we have. Met with Chief Doc who did intake appt yesterday and he injected solution directly into Karen's lymph node with a needle; it was baking soda solution to alkalize the tumor creating cell death. Tumors reside in an acidic environment so elevating the ph will kill cells off. Recently a Doc in Italy conducted a study using this methodology and it was very successful. To see report go to http://thenaturalcancercure.com sign up and get report e-mailed immediately. If you like I can also e-mail a copy to you, just e-mail me at Patrick@KarensHealingJourney.com. This technique was brought to our attention by 2 members of our support network, just a few days apart; Veronica and Howard. Howard sent a copy of the article to me and we brought it with us to show the Doc here. He agreed with the philosophy and said he will do it every day with Karen while she is here.
Karen seems to be having more success here with pain meds, but this evening she did throw up after taking a heavier dose of a med she did not have a problem with earlier today (a lower dose of it).
We saw ENT Doc today so he could report to St Georg Docs what he saw. It was no surprise to us, it was just a "bird's eye view" verification that was needed for treating Docs here at Klinik.
Karen went for hyperthermia today but had difficult time with it; regular machine is not available so she is having trouble getting comfortable with the new set up. I was not there, I was doing errands but I will be with her tomorrow and hopefully she will be able to get comfortable. Be thinking of her around 8am EST or 1pm GMT; send her some good energy and prayerful, loving support if you can at that time.
Next week some low dose chemo will be given and the Doc said IPT will be used as well.
Not sure what the weekend holds, some infusions as usual I suppose and hopefully a couple of hyperthermia treatments.
Please continue to send the prayers, love and good intentions our way. The support you offer us has been a GOD send!!
REMEMBER THE VISION: Karens pink healthy vocal cords just revving and ready to sing to the tree tops uncontrollably, supported by two healthy beautiful lungs..........
Love and Blessings to You All....
NOVEMBER 20 2007
Karen is working hard as usual. Weekend was spent attempting to find proper balance with pain meds. Glad we came few days earlier than we normally would have, it gave Karen some time to settle in and adjust. Yesterday, Monday, Karen began Insulin Potentiated Therapy (IPT) and Hyperthermia Treatment. She also had her 2nd injection of Procain Base (solution similar to baking soda) directly into her swollen lymph node on her neck. Seems lymph node is decreasing in size. Today she had 2nd treatment of IPT and Hyperthermia; she will do these treatments daily. She is receiving low dose chemo and anti-nausea medication to reduce any discomfort from the chemo. The chemo can cause nausea even though it is a very low dose.
As always the care and comfort extended to Karen and myself here is phenomenal; these people are very special.
It is wonderful to have the support back home of family and friends as well. I think I can speak for both of us when I say with all the support medical and personal relationships we feel like we are being carried as though in a cocoon of safety, love and support. God is truly caring for Karen/us amidst all of this life altering experience.
One of the unique things about St Georg is that I feel and I am a part of Karen's healing plan. It is a great experience to be treated and respected as such. The philosophy being that healing is holistic in nature and the support and involvement of a loved one is a precious ingredient of that process.
And, they are even giving us Turkey for Thanksgiving, without even asking. What else could one ask for? The weather here is cold, but we are native New Yorkers and cold weather is not strange to us. The angel from our original trip is still lending us his luftbefeuchter (humidifier) to use in the room so Karen can breathe easier. Anyone familiar with cold climates is aware of the low humidity and if the heating system does not provide humidity, it can be challenging and uncomfortable to breathe with the normal use of a nose. Karen is not using her nose, so it is even more challenging. He is a wonderful, generous man.
My sleeping is getting somewhat normalized, so I am actually tired at appropriate times now. There were a few crazy nights where I was up most of the night and looking to sleep when it was daytime. Since it is that time of night now, I will sign off. In closing I ask your continued prayers, love and support not only for us but for Karen's medical team of Doctors, Nurses, and support staff here in Germany and at home in the U.S. Your support is powerful and we feel it while conducting our daily routine. The visualization is happening, Karen's vocal cords are becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, disappear and become pulverized from her entire body making her strong and healthy.
Love and Blessings to All.....
NOVEMBER 26 2007
I have to admit I did not think there would be a span of 6 days between blog entries while in Germany, but here we are and 6 days have passed. Karen had 4 IPT treatments and 3 Hyperthermia treatments last week and 4 days of low dose chemo. She was sick on Thursday and sick over the weekend as well. She was unable to eat for the weekend, and was experiencing the vomiting response every once in a while. Her stomach was hurting and throat was sore; she was afraid.
Today, some time has past for her body to regain equilibrium plus some new medications were used to help with nausea and acid stomach condition, so she has been able to eat without vomiting in fact, tonight she ate food for first time in 72 hours. It is a relief for me to see her eating again and of course for her as well.
She was somewhat puzzled because she had never experienced that level of sickness during prior trips here. Apparently it was a combination of things but probably doing too much in too few days was the primary cause.
So as far as not entering posts in the blog, I have to say it was due to having an emotional, scary and uncertain weekend; really did not know what to write or where to start.
The lump on her neck (lymph node) has shrunk quite a bit, she received another injection today of the high-level ph solution. It is so wonderful to see it shrinking like that.
So it was not a wild and crazy weekend for us, or maybe it was depending on your perception of things, and we are glad it has passed. Our plans to return home Saturday are still in place; we will leave St Georg late Friday night and stay near the airport for one night. We are ready to stay extra days if necessary but the Doctors here do not seem to think that will be needed.
I, and I think Karen too, feel very safe and secure when the Doctors are close at hand and for the most part that is always the case here at the Klinik. I can't imagine how it is on their side of the fence, (being a Doctor here) being demanded upon all the time, especially when dealing with people who have a potentially terminal disease. There is absolutely no measurable way to thank them that would fit the task, but we are truly grateful to be here among these people!!!
Our family has kept us in the loop, sending us pictures of their Thanksgiving celebrations over the past weekend. It is great to have that; family unity and closeness are wonderful parts of our support while going through this challenging time.
Please visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappear from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
Love and Blessings to All of You.....
NOVEMBER 29 2007
Things are moving along. Karen had some low dose chemo today along with hyperthermia treatment; she had the same yesterday. Seems to have been some confusion about hyperthermia machine and heating up cannula in Karen's neck and getting distorted temperature feedback but all seems resolved now. The more things come up, causing little bumps in the road while staying here the more I think it would be so much better to live here for a while. On that note we have decided to return home 4 days later than originally planned. We were able to change flight arrangements without any trouble. Karen is scheduled for an IPT treatment tomorrow and hopefully one on the weekend, and will also get some more hyperthermia treatments too. She has been getting infusions of baking soda solution and daily injections of the same into the lymph node on her neck by the Doctor. Her eating has been back to normal since last Monday, thank God!! She is definitely getting a lot of care with much love and concern.
This trip has caused many emotions to surface for us, which I think is a very good thing. We have spent some tears as well as expressed some anger with each other and at each other. It has been a very challenging time for Karen and myself; the worst piece is dealing with the unknown.
Some members of our support network have begun to pray and set intentions for Karen at 3pm on a daily basis, wherever they are, just to pray in spiritual unity. Some are praying as a novena and some are praying in their own ways but all intentions are matching and they are for Karen's healing and the continued strength to go through it. Please feel free to join in pray with other members of our support network, whether it be 3pm or any other time you happen to think of it.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
WITH LOVE, GRATITUDE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU.........
DECEMBER 2 2007
Karen had IPT treatment + local hyperthermia on Friday as planned. The first treatment was done in the comfort of her room, which was good for her. There was about 1.5 hrs between treatments, which gave her body a chance to rest a bit. Anyone interested in seeing the hyperthermia machine go to: http://www.oncotherm.org/eng/?intid=EHY2000#1
Yesterday and today, Karen has been sick. Yesterday she slept for 6 hrs in the middle of the day, skipping lunch. Today, she has not eaten at all, she is quite uncomfortable with ear pain and soreness in her throat; in general she feels sick. She has gotten some meds and it has helped a little bit. If condition persists in the a.m. we will see the ENT Doc here in Germany. Doc here at Klinik says it possibly could be a fungus infection from chemo.
We are both looking forward to returning home. It is a long stretch being in the hospital for almost 3 weeks.
Karen is very much over feeling pain and sickness as well; she had some tearful moments the last few days, it is very hard on her being ill for so long.
We both want to thank everyone for the prayers, good intentions and energy being sent our way; it is a wonderful support.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 3 2007
Karen did not see an ENT Doctor today; she seemed to be feeling better and it did not seem necessary to her especially because the end result of what the treatment has succeeded in doing will not be evident for another 4 weeks or so.
In the afternoon (4pm) she received a local hyperthermia treatment along with low dose chemo. Next time Karen gets local hyperthermia, the Docs suggest she has a plastic cannula; it is safer than having a piece of metal in her neck while the tumor (within close proximity) is being heated. The risk is that the metal would heat and burn her internally causing a big problem.
We were told late this evening that an emergency case was being admitted to the hospital tomorrow and because the house was full and we were on an extension of our reserved time, we would need to be moved to a temporary room until we check out on Tuesday evening.
We were all right with this news, not our preference but we did understand. Karen was feeling like she was beginning to move from a very safe place to a place with much less security, i.e. out of the hospital and away from St Georg. She was feeling fearful about being okay away from the hospital and understandably so.
I was beginning to feel anxious since we were planning on departing on Tuesday evening and a few very important pieces needed to fall into place before we leave; one being getting Karen's drugs to take home and another being paying bill after reviewing it. Prior to ordering the medications I depended upon the Doctor writing the orders and with a full house the Doctors were running all over. A personal issue of mine is to ask for what I need without feeling like I am a burden to others and in an environment like this that issue has been tested many times.
One plus of being here for the 6th time is that I have had this feeling and been in this situation before; I knew, as always does, that things would fall into place. These Doctors do this all the time, every day and they do it very well. So, at this point in the trip it was normal for me to feel a little more anxious and now on top of it we were told we had to change rooms in the morning.
ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE HOUR AT A TIME, ONE MOMENT AT A TIME !!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 4 2007
We moved to temporary room about 10:45am. Karen went for a Reiki session from 11am - 12noon; she did not want to return from her altered state. She began to feel nauseous and decided to stay in our new room; the Docs prescribed some anti-nausea medication for her. We had an exit interview scheduled for 1pm with Chief Doc and we did not make it since Karen was ill, instead he came to room to see her. As always his words were very encouraging, positive and uplifting, that attitude seems to trickle down from him to everyone at the hospital.
Karen had some infusions and, I think, was experiencing some anxiety about leaving. Our scheduled departure time was moved up from 7:30pm to 6pm since there was no ride available at a later time.
I managed to get medications at about 3pm and get sorted with hospital bill about 4pm. As predicted all was falling into place in perfect order. The Doctor was kind enough to supply us with a letter for Delta Airline explaining Karen's need to delay her return trip home thus avoiding a penalty fee for the change.
We managed to leave the room about 5:30pm, grab a bite to eat and get our ride at 6pm to the Hotel Henry near the Munich Airport. Karen did not eat much.
We arrived at the hotel about 7:15pm and after checking in we went to in house restaurant and had a more relaxed dinner.
We were able to get to sleep about 10:30pm, plenty of time to get a good rest to awaken for 7am breakfast and 7:45am shuttle to Airport. All is GOOD!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 5 2007 UP UP AND AWAY WE GO
Had nice breakfast at the hotel and off we went to the airport. Thank God, everything was on time and we lifted off at about 10:21am for our 10 hour 18 minute flight. As usual traveling on the plane with the dry air was a challenge for Karen; she needed to clean the cannula more often than normal, her breathing ability was compromised making it stressful for her. She ate but not much; she was feeling a little sick as well. The flight was very comfortable; flying on a 767-400 is a great way to go. We were fortunate enough to have a middle row of 3 seats to ourselves so we could spread out a little bit.
After 3 movies, 2 meals, a snack and a period of time loosing at chess to the computer we arrived in Atlanta about 2:40pm EST.
We had chosen assistance with a wheelchair, which worked out really well. Since this was the first point of entry into the U.S. we had to retrieve our luggage take it through customs and recheck it again. This was a bit of a nuisance but we knew to expect it since this is the way U.S. Customs operates. After checking our luggage, we had to go through security screening again as well; maybe it was for practice, I am not sure??
Karen got a bite to eat since she hadn't eaten much during the 2nd meal on the plane. The pickins at Atlanta Airport for someone who prefers organic meals was slim to none; so her preferences were not met.
Our flight from Atlanta to Sarasota was on time and we were met at the airport by a friend of ours who was kind enough to pick us up. It was great to fly right into Sarasota and we got home at 7:50pm.
The house looked great and the animals seemed happy to see us.
It was soooooooooooo good to be home.
All the animal sitters were OFFICIALLY relieved of their duties; what a great gift it was for them to help us out. Thanks so much to Carol, Ron, Butch, Robin & John and the understudy, Walt. It is great to have such support in this time of excessive need.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 10 2007
We have been home for 5 days, resettling is like returning from another reality to the present one. Three weeks of mail could potentially drive one into depression, gosh how much "stuff" comes in the mail. First day home was a little disturbing for me; Karen slept all day and did not eat. The next day she seemed better and began eating. She rested up for a few more days and today began her updated protocol prescribed by the Doctors when we left Germany. She is taking some chemo orally and the protocol is designed to mimic IPT treatment. Her blood sugar is being lowered via meds and the chemo hopefully will be absorbed more readily into the cancerous cells.
Spoke to an individual this evening who at different times made me feel very angry. What I was feeling was that I was getting advice by a self-appointed expert on cancer care. My reaction showed me what is really going on inside of me, I am on "go mode" and not spending much time feeling what is happening internally. I am scared at times, afraid of loosing my partner. I really fluctuate throughout the course of a day or a few days and my response to life is directly related to how I perceive Karen is doing. I hate how she is when we arrive home from intensive treatment in Germany.
Karen is scheduled to remain on oral chemo for about 7 weeks, so she may feel sick for a long time; we do not know at this stage. I am hoping her throat begins to feel better soon. She has not been speaking for a while and she is also having some tough times swallowing. She has lost some weight this trip, which is not a surprise since she did skip eating for 5 or more days while on our journey.
Karen will be starting back on her infusion therapy this week, probably by Friday; she will also need to get blood work done to keep a check on blood count. Our grant for the PROCRIT injections is about exhausted, so we will need to seek resources for that elsewhere. This is like running a small business, thinking of this and that, applying for one thing or another and following up with things....WOW !!
Some of our support network met this evening to begin putting fundraising events into place. Right now the focus is on NY but I want to get some fundraisers locally here in Florida as well. Stay tuned, more info to follow on that. Anyone with ideas is welcome to come forward and share them with me. We are going to establish a foundation in Karen's name to help her and others with similar challenges. Something good WILL come of all this!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
Initial diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma (location left vocal cord) after visual viewing by local ENT with a laryngyscope
March 8, 2006
CAT Scan of chest & Karen quit smoking after about 40 years, no withdrawal symptoms. Truly a gift !!
March 9, 2006
Biopsy confirms malignancy
March 13, 2006
PET Scan to mid thigh shows cancer activity in throat area and small nodule in lung of 8mm with minimal activity
March 17, 2006
Visit with Oncologist, who describes suggested treatment of 7 weeks radiation + about 3 doses of chemo with follow up testing to be done about 3 months after completion of treatment. Insertion of a feeding tube may be necessary also because Karen's neck will swell possibly prohibiting her from swallowing. Prior to leaving Oncologist's office an appointment is made for March 20 to be fitted for a mask. The mask is to be used to hold Karen's head in place during the 7 weeks of radiation treatment.
March 18-19, 2006
Karen & I discuss the options presented and Karen is hesitant to go forward. We decide we are going to cancel appointment on Monday.
March 20, 2006
We cancel appointment with Oncological center and decide after some discussion that we would like to speak with the Oncologist again. We make appointment for Thursday, March 23, 2006.
March 23, 2006
We meet with the Oncologist, after about 90 minutes we agree to go for a 2nd opinion to a Moffit Cancer Hospital in Tampa, Florida. An appointment is set for the next day.
March 24, 2006 -We visit Moffit Center and get a 2nd opinion which is basically a rubber stamp of the first one. We are disappointed and very unhappy about what is being offered for Karen's healing protocol. We decide to do some research on our own.
March 25 - April 5, 2006
As best we can we continue our normal lives but incorporate much research on cancer into our routine. Karen receives spiritual healing from members of the local church she attends. We learn about a Rife Machine and find a member of Karen's support network who has one. Karen begins using it every other day. Karen stops eating sugar and we begin to eat organic food. We hear from a few different people about a local survivor of cancer (42 years) who works with an Oriental Doctor (OD) and they have a reputation of helping people with cancer heal. We make an appointment for April 6th.
April 6, 2006
The initial meeting with this medical team is very different than either of us has ever experienced. The cancer survivor (CS) does not take any money for his consult but does sell products to assist in healing. He told us that Karen would be cancer free in 6 months. That made me feel GREAT !! The association with the OD was via electro-dermal screening (EDS) that she
conducted on Karen. It was a form of "body speak" for want of another term. The meridians were checked for weaknesses in the body and the computer was programmed to show the products needed to help remedy any weaknesses found. Karen was prescribed an extremely rigorous protocol that included taking 150 pills per day, coffee enemas every other day, foot detoxing, lymph drainage, sauna baths etc. The initial products cost about $7500. We were desperate and believed in this person. We were desperately seeking an answer and we felt we found it.
April 8, 2006 - December 8, 2006
Karen stuck to the protocol religiously. Karen did not get any more tests done at the suggestion of the CS. We decided in early November that a check needed to be made on how things were going. Karen got a PET/CT Scan and an MRI. The results showed metabolic activity had decreased, lung nodule had disappeared but the tumor in her throat had grown. There was now activity in her lymph nodes and Karen was having difficulty breathing. Her air passage was partially compromised. We decided a more aggressive approach was necessary. These 8 months had cost us approximately $30,000 and now we were off to another country for care. Up until this point the costs were all out of pocket or I should say borrowed; it was only filtered through our pockets.
TRIP 1
December 9, 2006 - Arrival at St Georg Klinik, Bad Aibling, Germany
Well my fears were put to rest early on in this trip. The hospitality and welcoming nature found among the German people were extremely comforting, nurturing and supportive. We were met at the Munich Airport by car service and shuttled about 1 hour to Bad Aibling. Upon arriving at Klinik we were met by a very cordial and kind nurse who helped us to our room. She reviewed some paper work with us and was sure to bring us dinner and she advised us a Doctor would come to check Karen in; this was Saturday evening. The food was excellent, the room was simple with basic needs but very comfortable and clean. We were both to stay together for the 2 weeks Karen was to be in the hospital. The Doctor arrived a few hours later and spent a good amount of time hearing about Karen's history, symptoms and concerns. The temporary plan was described to us. Sunday we were to basically rest and on Monday we would meet the Doctors in charge of Karen's protocol and more precise treatment would be outlined. At this point there was clear evidence Karen had difficulty breathing and the Doctor asked if this was something new or was it also going on at home? Karen reported it was going on at home.
December 11, 2006 - Examination and visit to local ENT
The Doctors at St Georg were reluctant to begin hyperthermia treatment on Karen's neck since it would potentially cause some swelling and possibly create a crisis situation where Karen's air passage would completely block off. We were sent to a local ENT at 5pm for an evaluation. We were appalled after meeting this Doctor. He obviously was well versed in what he does but much to our surprise, he was EXTREMELY traditional, locked in a western philosophy. I think we were both under the illusion that once in Germany we would be pleasantly engulfed by Doctors open to complimentary and alternative type treatments, no matter where we went; that fantasy was blown apart. We were encouraged by the Doctors at St Georg to basically take what we need from him and leave the rest. The ENT Doctor told Karen to go home and seek radiation treatment, he had a connection with a Doctor in Miami that he could hook us up with. This was not very validating news to be told. He also recommended Karen have a tracheotomy.
December 12, 2006 - Tracheotomy
Our hopes were rapidly turning to fears. We were told by the Doctors at St Georg, based on the ENT report, a tracheotomy was necessary. Karen was scheduled to go to local hospital in Bad Aibling for surgery today at 2pm. She had tracheotomy and we were back at St Georg Klinik about 7:30pm. This began a horrendous week for her, she did not eat except liquid infusion for 7 days. Karen is thin, but lost about 10 lbs by Dec 19; weighing 100 lbs.
December 12 - Debember 19, 2006 - learning to breathe again
This week was traumatic to say the least, there were times I thought Karen was not going to make it. Sleep was a premium item, neither of us not sleeping more that a few hours at a time. Karen needed to be vacuumed, about every 2 to 3 hours with the temporary tracheotomy in, using a catheter tube. The look on her face when the mucous was being sucked from her trache was pure fright. The hyperthermia treatments began December 14 and she was to get 7 of them before being discharged, December 22nd. On December 19th we were fortunate enough to be able to have a permanent cannula placed by another ENT Doctor in an adjoining town. The permanent cannula made the world of difference for Karen.
An Angel named Claus bearing a luftbefeuchster
For the non Germans in the crowd, this is a humidifier. Karen's new means of breathing created a need for moisture in the air, since her nose was not being used to the extent it was for normal breathing. The cold German air during December did not offer much humidity and the Klinik did not have this type of equipment. I set out to get one, whether that meant to buy or whatever. I stopped in a shop just next door to the Klinik and the cheapest one they had was approximately 80 Euro. I had no choice but to buy it. I told the shop owner my circumstance and he proceeded to pack up the humidifier for me. As he was showing me how to use it, he and his wife began talking back and forth in German and after a few minutes he confirmed with me that this humidifier would be useless to me once we check out of Klinik. I said yes, the electrical feeds in the States were different. He said to me that he would lend me his personal humidifier, if I would stop back after lunch. He would go home during lunch break and return with his personal humidifier to loan to me. I was in awe, this man I never met and he was lending me something he could easily have sold to me. I thanked him and returned after lunch to borrow his humidifier for Karen. I tell everyone he was our Santa Claus during the Christmas time in Germany.
December 24, 2006 - Homeward bound after 1st trip
We left the Klinik on Dec 22 and stayed locally in a hotel, flying out from Munich on Sunday a.m., Dec 24. We landed in Miami safe and sound in mid afternoon. The trip involved a change of planes in London Heathrow and we were glad that we did not travel a day or two prior; the airport was virtually at a complete standstill with heavy cloud cover and people camped all over. On the return trip with British Airways (BA) we made sure we made use of wheel chair travel for Karen; it made travel through security a breeze, such a difference from the trip to Germany a few weeks prior. A friend of our daughter who works for BA made arrangements for us to sit in first class, but the unfortunate thing was that the seats were not together; we opted to stay in economy class so we could be together. Karen needed me near her since she was not able to talk plus her cannula was in need of frequent cleaning as well.
We had left the hotel about 5am and being novices at the cannula business were unable to take it apart to clean. We wanted to do that since we knew a long day of travel lie ahead. She made it without it, but it was uncomfortable as the day progressed.
Since having a new hole in her neck to breathe, Karen was especially sensitive to any smells. When arriving in Miami she had a hard time traveling on shuttle bus to car rental place with the smell of fumes from the exhaust. We made the trip from Miami, arriving in our own home on Christmas Eve....that was our present to ourselves.
BETWEEN TRIPS
About Dec 29 Karen began experiencing the sensation of tightness in her throat
when swallowing and thinks it is getting a little worse. Her voice had gained
volume but seems to be deteriorating a bit again. We are planning on returning
to Germany on February 4 but after telling Doctor about most recent concerns
he suggests returning sooner rather than later. We opt to go two weeks earlier
on January 20.
On January 8, Karen visited an ENT Doctor here in Sarasota, Fl. (the 2nd one
in 5 days). Karen abandoned the first one because she was very harsh and
insensitive to the use of alternative treatments. She told Karen to have her
voice box out if she wanted to live. The Doctor today examined Karen and
said her left vocal cord is very involved with the tumor and does not seem to
be functional at all. He said there could be recurrent growth of the tumor and
from his view it looks like stage T3 or T4. He was surprised at how good her
voice was considering what he saw. We asked this Doctor if he would
support Karen on her decisions and to examine her from time to time when
she wanted him to. He said "absolutely" that he realized Karen was an adult
and would respect any decision she makes. (Later entries will reveal his
attitude seems to change upon 2nd visit to him...stay tuned!)
January 20, 2007 - 2nd Trip to St Georg Klinik
For the 2nd trip we traveled from Ft Myers to Atlanta and then direct overnight flight to Munich. It was nice arriving in Germany at the end destination after traveling all night. It is tiring enough without having to find your way from one plane to another in a foreign country with different rules etc. etc. etc. Of course to make things even more challenging in Germany the primary language is foreign to us as well.
Atlanta airport is a bit burdensome but at least it was a familiar craziness. We arrived in Munich about 10am, were met by car service and made it to the Klinik for lunch (about 1 hour ride).
Karen was traveling with cannula in her neck now so it was challenging. On Delta airlines we were offered bulk head seats so there was plenty of leg room, making the long journey more manageable.
After lunch we were checked in by one of the Doctors and the following day Karen's regular Doctors set up her protocol for the 2 weeks. This time she was set to get low dose chemo for 8 days, extending through the week and over the weekend. Along with this she was to get daily doses of Hyperthermia with other various adjunct therapies e.g. ozone therapy, galvano therapy, infusions of Vit-C, etc.
We visited with the local ENT Doctor, who checked on her progress.
As compared to the first trip this one is relatively uneventful.
February 4, 2007 - Homeward bound after 2nd trip
BETWEEN TRIPS
As requested Karen waited about 3 weeks before getting retested, this was to give opportune time for the treatment, especially low dose chemo, to do its work in her body.
February 22, 2007
Karen had PET/CT Scans done. The results were mixed. The left side tumor had shrunk but there was now some growth on the right side. The metabolic activity overall continued to drop. Our visit to local ENT was not very uplifting to say the least. His comment was "I am not familiar with what they do in Germany, but it does not work". He was a person whom I asked directly on previous visit (see note above for Jan 8th Doctor visit) if you would support Karen and he answered "absolutely". That had felt good then but now he was not very supportive of Karen being an adult at all. He told Karen if she came back to see him he would refer her to Moffit, Anderson or Sloan Kettering because he was not able to care for her at the stage of cancer she had. We began discussing the results with him and he abruptly stopped the conversation saying, "look I don't want to argue with you guys". I did not hear anyone arguing, maybe someone in the room was delusional. As he left the examining room he stated, "keep us in the loop". Was he kidding or what??
TRIP 3
March 11, 2007 - 3rd Trip to St Georg Klinik
March 12, 2007 - intake session with Doctor at St Georg Klinik
What an unbelievably different experience sitting in the Doctor's office in Germany with the same test results as we had sitting before the local ENT Doctor in Florida about 2 weeks prior. I expressed our concerns about the new growth etc. His response was that if there is a train traveling at 100mph and it must be stopped, it does not happen all at once. He reassures the both of us that this is not abnormal and he prescribes a treatment protocol that will continue to work toward Karen being clear of cancer. The protocol for this trip involves low dose chemo but much more of it. There was a new chemo used that really seemed to have a substantial impact on Karen.
March 17, 2007
Imagine, we are in Germany on St Patrick's Day....who would have ever thought!!! I was hard pressed to find a parade anywhere.
March 24, 2007 - Homeward bound after 3rd trip
(details to follow)
April 16, 2007
Karen got a PET/CT Scan and the tests resuls were phenomenal. Karen's voice had returned to a great degree and the test results certainly endorsed what was now being heard. The results showed the tumor on right side had resolved and the left side was reduced substantially. The metabolic activity had continued to drop even more so than the last tests; we were elated.
TRIP 4
May 19, 2007 - 4th Trip to St Georg Klinik
May 20, 2007 - intake session with Doctor at St Georg Klinik
Karen's blood count is down and the Doctor immediatley orders 2 units of blood to be transfused into Karen before any treatment can begin. He states there is no need for chemo this trip since Karen's results are showing great progress.
June 2, 2007 - Homeward bound after 4th trip
(details to follow)
June 29, 2007 #1 injection of PROCRIT
Due to low blood count Karen begins taking PROCRIT. This is extemely expensive. We had petitioned drug manufacturer for aid to pay but to no avail since we had a little bit of insurance coverage. They referred us to a foundation that helps people with co-pays. The foundation offered us enough money to cover about 5 injections. She is to begin taking one per week and to see how much she needs with weekly blood tests.
July 1, 2007 - Low blood count
Karen's blood count has dropped to critical level and she goes into local E.R. for blood transfusion. She receives 2 pints of blood and blood count improves. She is in hospital about 10 hours, does not stay overnight.
July 6, 2007 - #2 injection of Procrit
We are in touch with the Doctors in Germany and also following the advise of a local Doctor who administers Vitamin C infusions to Karen. The consensus is to continue with the PROCRIT until blood count is within normal range, even though at last blood test it was very close. This dose does bring blood count within normal range.
July 12, 2007 PET/CT Scan
Results of this test bummed us out somewhat. There was new growth on the right vocal cord again and the metabolic activity has also increased. We were shocked!! We contacted hospital in Germany, wanting to return a.s.a.p. Much to our dismay the hospital was closing for a few weeks of reconstruction. We were offered out patient services only and that would mean staying at a local Pension (German term for B & B) and traveling to hospital daily for treatment. This did not seem to be something Karen would be able to work with. We finally opted to wait until August 19 when Klinik opened again and return at that time.
July 12 through August 17, 2007
Karen continues to get weekly blood tests, monitoring her blood count. She seems to be responding to the PROCRIT along with the blood transfusions of July 1. On August 1, 8, and 16 she needs PROCRIT injections. Her blood count was brought within normal range after the 3rd injection.
TRIP 5
August 17, 2007 - 5th Trip to St Georg Klinik
Flew direct from Ft Myers to Munich on LTU Airline; we were fortunate enough to receive 15% off on air fare, but fare was still extreme since it was heart of high season ($1900 + for two).
August 18, 2007
Rented a car at Munich since we were staying in Erding (near Munich for 2 days) and wanted to be able to travel around if we so desired. Had relaxing few nights, got to Hotel Henryabout 11am. Hotel Henry is one we found a few trips ago and used it for lodging the night before we left on flights home since it was close to airport and was reasonable to stay at (87 Euro, including free shuttle to airport + free breakfast).
August 20, 2007
We checked into hospital about 10am on Monday, Aug 20, 2007. Had appointment to see Doctor at 11am and got to see him about 11:45am for about 1 hour. His initial commment was "you are funny girl", he was relating to the cancer growth beginning on one side and moving to the other side of Karen's voice box. He suggested NO CHEMO, because it would continue to deplete Karen. He suggested 90 mins of Hyperthermia with Vit-C on a daily basis and Galvano (ECT) treatments as often as daily but whatever Karen could tolerate plus several other infusions. We felt hopeful leaving his office. Karen began Hyperthermia in the afternoon for 90 minutes. Karen was assigned a different Doctor this trip, the same one she had on the first 2 trips, we were happy with that.
August 21, 2007
Karen receives 2nd Hyperthermia treatment for 90 minutes and all the other infusions but Galvano is cancelled because she is having difficulty keeping her throat cleared and with the 90 minute Galvano treatment she would not be able to get up to clear her throat etc. The Doctor decides to suck Karen's trache to aid in romoval of mucous. Galvano is scheduled for Wed, Aug 22 at noon.
During the night Karen has much discomfort and wakes up frequently to clear her throat but is not very successful. We try relaxation exercises and it seems to help a little bit.
August 22, 2007
Karen woke me up about 7:20am in respiratory distress, she was gasping for air. She later told me she thought she was going to die. Her color was fine but she certainly could not breathe. I got nurse immediately and the Doctor came to clear the stoma in her neck with a catheter tube. She began breathing normally (at least with enough air) again. The Doctors wanted to ensure that this would not happen again, they set out to arrange for an ENT Doctor to see Karen. The local ENT (HNO in Germany) that Karen had seen before was on vacation. The only one close-by was not available on Wednesday, since many businesses close on Wednesday afternoons in town. An appointment was set for Thursday evening at 5:30pm. In the meantime all heavy treatments (Hyperthermia & Galvano) are postponed. The Doctors here want to possibly have a small cannula placed back in her neck to keep it open for breathing especially during treatments that may cause swelling.
August 23, 2007
Karen's breathing is better so apparently the swelling has gone down
but treatments (Hyperthermia and Galvano) are still postponed. Swelling was reduced using infusions of medication. We saw the local ENT Doc this evening to see about getting a small cannula placed in Karen's neck for temporary purposes but she was useless to us for that. She did not have any cannulas at all but gave us an address where we might be able to purchase one. The Doctor here at the Klinik is stumped as to what to do, he does not want to proceed with the possibility that a breathing crisis occurs again. He is also concerned about Karen traveling home and getting into trouble on plane with her breathing. He is definitely erring on the side of caution which is good.
At this point I am thinking we are going to end up staying another week since things
are off to such a slow start here. Karen was much better today. We will await for a plan to be proposed to us tomorrow. One of the possibilities is to go to Munich or Rosenheim for outpatient treatment at a Klinik for placement of a new cannula.
August 24, 2007
Today much to our surprise the two primary Doctors we are dealing with suggested low dose chemo for 5 days, the same dose as first trip. We were a bit taken back since Karen has had such a hard time with her blood count as a result of chemo over the past few months. They proposed this to reduce the tumor size, since they think it is the primary reason for Karen's difficulty breathing and this is obviously a major issue. To ward off a repeat of what happened earlier in the week they will give an anti-inflammatory prior to Hyperthermia and close monitoring will be provided throughout. Karen agreed and she began chemo + Hyperthermia in the late afternoon.
Karen had the best sleep so far since being at the Klinik tonight.
August 25, 2007
Karen received her 2nd chemo treatment with Hyperthermia today. Her congestion is being monitored and breathing being kept clear as much as possible. All seems well, she is not having any adverse reaction to chemo. She will have chemo and Hyperthermia through Tuesday, and then Hyperthermia will continue after that for the remaining days we are here. We are not sure about when the Galvano will happen.
August 26, 2007
Karen continues to improve. She had an even better sleep during the night, much less restriction going on in her respiratory track. Received low dose chemo with Hyperthermia followed by other infusions and treatment. Weather is great here, but Karen is not up for walking around too much. Not sure about length of our stay at this point, so far still planning on leaving next Saturday but we are open to staying longer to maximize the time we have here with the treatments deemed necessary.
August 27, 2007
Karen's day today was good. Her sleeping continues to be more consisitent. She is kept very busy with infusions, Hyperthermia and low dose chemo. Today the Doctors cleared her stoma (the small hole left in her neck from the cannula) so to be sure another traumatic breathing event does not occur. It is ironic, Karen and I were impatient for the hole to heal and now we want it to slow down, at least until the treatments are complete and the tumors are shrunk back and gone. The Hyperthermia treatments today were bumped up to 90 minutes in duration. Her breathing does not seem to be much of a concern for her of late, but the dry air here makes it more difficult. In addition to her breathing issue, she is dealing with being very bloated from all the infusions. At least none of this is strange to us, we have been through this before; we know the drill. The weather here remains beautiful, unfortunately Karen has not felt well enough to get out and enjoy it. Tomorrow the Doctors will discuss with us our departure date, it looks to me like it will remain to be late Friday night and fly home on Saturday morning.
August 28, 2007
The Doctors paid a very brief visit today. We were disappointed but not surprised, this is more the norm than not when the chief Doc is visiting patients. They said Karen can plan on leaving Saturday for home. I got one question in as they left room and that was about Galvano treatment; the chief said yes she can do it everyday now. That has not happened, and I think it wise, since there is already swelling/inflammation going on from the current treatments.
Karen felt more swelling going on today, apparently from the increased Hyperthermia session yesterday (90 min upped from 60 min). This coupled with the news of leaving in a few days had her upset. She does not want to have a breathing crisis after leaving here, especially with the lack of a medical support team in the US that endorses the treatment modality she is taking. We are going to speak with the two primary Doctors tomorrow and get a clear picture of what they advise and/or suggest. We are thinking we will change flight home until Wednesday, leaving the Klinik on Tuesday.
The chemo treatments have been completed today, so the anti-nausea meds will be stopped as well. Hopefully her system will slowly return to normal status within the next few days. We are very grateful for the care that is offered here. Karen's sleep continues to be consistent, she appears as at home...sleeping with remote in hand; very relaxed and at peace.
Karen will be receiving a Reiki treatment tomorrow, that will help her relax and return to center.
God bless all for your support
August 29, 2007
Karen continues to show improvement, getting back to her normal energy level and coming down to dining room more regularly to eat. We had much more productive meeting with Docs today, it was not more lengthy than yesterday but we were able to share our concerns and felt heard. The Docs and Karen & I all agreed it might be premature to leave hospital Friday night and fly home on Saturday. Rather than doing that we are going to get our flight changed until the following Friday; this will give ample time for Karen to be monitored for a period of time after the chemo.
Thank God for our children on States side helping us out with things such as phone calls to the airline and various other business like items that are just impossible to complete so far away and with 6hrs difference in time.
The concern about swelling and her breathing will be addressed when we visit with a local ENT Doc here, hopefully on Monday when he returns from vacation. We have notified our animal watchers and they are able to hang in for another week. God bless them, they have been right there for all our trips. We have been supported in so many ways.
Karen did not need as much cortizone today as yesterday. Tomorrow she is probably going to receive some Galvano treatment and there may be some swelling after that. She is a bit afraid of it, because it can be painful as well. The Docs assured her that it will be made comfortable for her. Galvano is when a low electric charge is sent into the cancer cells killing them off. One of the ideas is to put a needle into the lymph node(s) on Karen's neck. I am sure she will be happy when it is over.
Karen was referred by a lymphatic massage therapist in the States to check out an Energy Healer in a town about 2 hrs from here. Well, he was on holiday until Monday, 8/27, and he called us today to let us know he has an opening tomorrow. Unfortunately we are booked here at Klinik tomorrow but since we are extending our stay, perhaps next week he may have a cancellation.
Well, it is quite late at this point of the earth and I will sign off for today.
Thank you for all your prayers, intentions and support. It is truly felt and appreciated.
Love and Blessings to all of you.
Karen & Patrick
August 30, 2007
Well thanks to some "angels" among us we have got our flight home changed without a penalty fee. There is a person at the Miami headquarters of the airline we have been flying who has extended herself in an unbelievable manner for us. She is someone who I never met, who I don't even know her last name but she is one who remembers me when I call and has done her best to get us the best seats and as much of a discount as she can. It is amazing!! And, of course the helper angels who are members of our immediate family and network of friends helping out with phone calls and watching animals etc. The love and care extended to us during this trying time is hard to describe in words.
Well, Karen had hard day breathing, and she is really feeling bloated with all the infusions, I.V. she has been taking. This is a common complaint among all the patients, I told Karen we could get some string and tie it to them and let them all float in the air like balloons. She did not think that was too funny. She pretty much rested and stayed in room today. She did receive her Hyperthermia treatment and had her stoma cleaned by the Doctors.
We had a visit by the same Doctors as two days ago and we felt much better after today's visit as compared to the brief encounter two days ago. We got most of our questions asked and were happy about that. Our departure day will be some time next week but we have enough time to get all done that we need to before heading back to the states.
Karen skipped some of the anti-inflammatory medication and seemed to feel the absence of it with her breathing and possibly was crashing from the withdrawal.
We impressed upon the Doctors that we want to keep her immune system strong, and not have a reoccurrence of what happened between last two visits occur. We also discussed the high cost of the new medication they are prescribing and it was suggested to possibly get some in Mexico.
Some of the stories here are sad and some are triumphant. Spoke with a woman this evening who is here along and she has scheduled some surgery for Tues. She was advised by the chief Doc here that was the best thing to do, because the treatment they have used is not ridding her of the cancer. The trust level is at such a high level here, she prefers to do the surgery here rather that go back to the States where she has not found the Doctor's to be very supportive. She is making this decision even though in the States her insurance would cover the surgery, and it will not here. There is a very powerful presence here, an amazing dynamic made up of all the people working here. It is hard to explain, nothing like it anywhere I have ever been.
love and blessing to all and to all a good night..................
August 31, 2007
Today was typically routine here, nothing out of the ordinary. Karen has put off Galvano until next week after she sees ENT Doc. She continues to have some difficulty keeping respiratory passage clear of mucous but it does seem less challenging. She is going to continue daily Hyperthermia treatments over weekend, probably until we leave next Thursday evening.
Karen and I spoke with lady mentioned in yesterday's entry who was to get surgery. That has been cancelled at least temporarily; she will head home on Sunday to the States. Karen gave her a Miraculous Medal of Mary and we both told her about John of God (Joao de Deus) whom Karen is going to see in October. We are going to fill her in more tomorrow prior to when she leaves.
Karen and I are hoping to get out a bit over the weekend. The cabin fever is getting intense.
We have the DVD's. that we brought from home, memorized.
We are both glad we postponed Karen's discharge date, it makes a lot of sense to get more treatment and not to rush out of here. We are in Germany so we may as well take advantage of what is here. We are fortunate to have such a terrific support network at home in the States to permit us to have the flexibility that we need.
The return flight works out better for us, we were originally flying into Miami but the change we made is into Ft Myers; much closer to home.
It is late and I am tired. Blessing to all of you.
Bis morgen
September 2, 2007
Karen has restless night last night. She was over tired and asked for something to help her sleep. She was given a med (forgot name of it) that she had 3 times prior without a problem, but this time it caused her to feel agitated and very uncomfortable. The result was being relaxed but very irritable. That lasted for a few hours, thank God it did not last all night. She is catching up on some lost sleep now, seems to be breathing very good at this time. Today is a slow day; she is scheduled for Hyperthermia but may cancel it and just give herself a break.
We have been, unexpectedly, invited to someone's home today for tea and coffee. It is someone we have gotten close with during the visits here; she is very kind and caring to Karen, a very special person. It will be good to get out and the day is bright and beautiful today. Overall the weather has turned cool, today it is going to 66 F but after that will be in 50s and at night as low as upper 30s during the week.
Our other friend, the one Karen gave the Miraculous Medal to, has left today. We exchanged e-mails and will keep in touch. There is a unique bond made here with the other patients as well as with many of the staff. As someone we know frequently claims about a spiritual gathering we attend, "surely the presence of God is in this place". What has been formed here (the Klinik) and the people who have been drawn to it have combined to create a unique force/power; a very rich dynamic.
Many of the people who are seen daily just smile and nod in recognition but many others we have gotten to know more intimately and, for me at least, there is a struggle within dealing with the lack of continuity or integration into the rest of my life. When I leave here these people basically reside in my memory and my heart. Yes there is e-mail etc. etc. etc. but it is not the same as personal contact and interaction. I experience the same feeling with relatives who I feel a very close connection to but they live far away in distant places and several times zones apart. I suppose this is part and parcel of our ability in today's world to travel far from home establishing meaningful connections with friends and family; it is great to be able to do but at the same time there are sad emotions of loss and longing that come with the experience as well.
Then there are those who we have met who have passed on now and our meeting was very brief and poignant, equally as powerful and stimulating. Yes, dealing with this challenge of Karen's is cumbersome but it truly has some rich and rewarding benefits along the path as well. Paying attention to what is happening when we are not looking, how powerful !!
Blessings to you all...........
September 3, 2007 the cannula returns after 4 months
Today Karen went to see the ENT Doctor and after his laryngyscope exam he suggested Karen have the cannula placed back in her neck. Since there was still a small hole there, he was able to stretch it with his instruments and place a temporary slightly smaller cannula in until tomorrow. We are scheduled to return tomorrow for completion of the procedure. It was painful for her, stretching her skin, she bled a little bit and afterwards she cried. I think it was a combination of emotional and physical pain. It is clearly all for the best. Tonight she is sleeping better than she has in weeks. It is 4 months to the day since we took the cannula out. It was after the wonderful news that the tumor had shrunk to a minimal size. We look forward to that happening again in the near future but for the present it is important to be realistic and make sure she can breathe in a stress free manner. Her breathing difficulty even hampered the level of treatments she would have had during our stay here.
The ENT Doc was very patient and told Karen she was a very good patient. He let her be in charge and to stop him when she needed to. Very nurturing and caring person.
Keep Karen in your thoughts and prayers, especially tomorrow.
love and blessings to all...........
September 5, 2007
Last few days for Karen have been uncomfortable, her neck was sore up until today when she got her old cannula put back into her trache. It is much better for her now; it is amazing all the difficulty she was having before and now it has diminished drastically. She is an amazing woman !! She just goes through this stuff and just takes it in stride. The ENT Doc was wundebar, he was patient, caring and obviously concerned for her. He made space for us in his busy schedule at closing time all three days we saw him. I am amazed at some of the charges here. For the time he spent, about 2.5 hours, and the procedures he did, he charged the equivalent of $310. Maybe I am naive but it seems inexpensive to me. I don't think this procedure would have been handled as an office visit at home.
Karen's blood was checked today, the levels are normal for the most part, nothing to be alarmed over. She attempted Hyperthermia treatment today, but only endured it for 1/2 hour then stopped. She needed to clear the cannula, but she thought she was swelling. Tomorrow she may get the same treatment but not sure at this point. She appears to be stronger and much better than when we arrived. We are truly blessed.
We are either leaving tomorrow night or early Friday morning.
The weather here is really interesting. The temp has dropped and we have been getting rain as well; even hail stones at times along with thunder and lighting. The temp during day is in 50s and at night low 40s or upper 30s. The Alps which we can see from here are showing some snow cover after the inclement weather; a very pretty sight.
Just a note: The URL address for this web site is being amended and will be:
http://www.karenshealingjourney.com
the old one will still work which is:
http://karpat.blogspot.com
I will say "gut abend" with love and blessings to all Karen's supporters.................
September 6, 2007
Well we have left the Klinik and are in a hotel near Erding, Germany; a town very near the Munich Airport. We are ready for home. Today was an example of chaos moving toward organization or harmony. It seemed everything was just "nuts" today. Appointments were cancelled, then supposedly rescheduled but not. Miscommunication was at a high level and we were both frustrated with all the "STUFF" going on. For us I believe some of it was anticipating the upcoming transition from being in a safe nurturing environment with Medical Professionals who listen and have a similar philosophy to us, to something that is pretty close to being diametrically opposed to that. The support Karen has here is unmatched anywhere else, because it mimics exactly the healing path she seeks. Yes, there are some like minds here and there in the states but an institution such as this Klinik does not exist.
Out of the chaos truly did come some loving harmony. The good-byes are truly heart felt; it is like family and I feel the connections more bonding at each visit. Overall, the key players running St Georg Klinik have remained the same since we have started coming here; this provides a level of consistency that aids healing by affording the creation important interpersonal relationships with the healers during one's healing course. The generosity found here is just there and present all the time, whether it be via offering time, presents or little bits of monetary aid in various forms. There is not any penny pinching or nit picking about bills or monies; there is a very clear sense of fairness when it comes to that.
As I said, our frustration was high today, but at the end we had a very nice talk with the Chief Doctor and another one with the Doctor immediately in charge of Karen's care. It was just something that is not experienced on such a level with medical personnel in the States. I said to Karen today, that it is so much more than just a language difference here, it is an entire cultural shift; they work according to another paradigm than we are accustomed to. I never have seen any of them indicate frustration or any type of attitude that would seem in any way negative or opposed to a positive healing ethic. There seems to be a pervasive attitude among most here that things will get done when they get done and above all the patient is most important. In some ways those two things may seem to oppose each other but overall they do not; it seems there is recognition that there is a greater force at work and one must step out of the way and let it happen. One thing that impresses me is the importance and respect given to the patient's input about their care; that is not something I am accustomed to.
For now I will say good night. Look forward to seeing some and eventually all of you after we are home.
Love and Blessing to all and thanks for your continued support to Karen and me........
September 7, 2007 -- States Side Once Again.......
We arrived home safe and sound; the trip was long but uneventful, Thank God. The plane stayed up when supposed and came down when appropriate.
Karen had tough time with the dry air on the plane; she felt it more this flight than any other time we flew, so her breathing was strained to a certain degree.
It was quite a contrast leaving 50 F in German and arriving to 93 F in Florida.
The next few months will be similar to past periods of time in between trips. She will get tested and then we will make a decision as to what to do.
There are a few different things Karen is going to do, she is going to see John of God on Oct 4 and there is another woman she has spoken to and she may try her protocol. These are all in addition to, not in place of the treatment in Germany.
Some of the Meds she has been prescribed are very expensive, I am going to find out more about purchases in Mexico. I don't know how that works, if anyone reading this has any knowledge please let me know.
Just want to say thanks to all the "helpers" we have in our life today who have been chipping in when we are away traveling. Without these people stopping in when we are not hear to take care of the pets and some household items we would be lost. They just do want we need and they are just there for us; we are truly grateful to all of them.
Signing off as one tired traveler
Love and blessing to all.........
Between Trips
September 10, 2007
Calling this posting "between trips" but I really don't know if that is what this period of time is. The routine Karen has followed up until now prescribes testing between 3 - 6 weeks after she returns from Germany. We have not discussed it but I am thinking it will be mid October. This will also be after the trip to Omega Institute in NY where Karen will see the healer from Brazil, John of God. This man has a very powerful story, I refer you to his web site http://www.johnofgod.com/; he has been a medium for healing for 40 years.
So the name of this posting may not be accurate but we will not know that until we plan a return trip to Germany or not.
I have contacted the drug company selling the medication Karen needs and we are hoping they offer us some financial assistance. When in Germany it was costing $100/day. She will need to take it for at least 3 months.
Karen is resting a lot; sleeping off and on throughout the day. She was feeling some discomfort today but overall she does seem to have a good energy level.
Our primary animal watcher, Cheryl is moving out of state; she will be missed sorely, she really chips in when we need her the most. I know someone else will turn up; there is a Higher Power at work here and guess who is not it??? Having animals at a time like this in our life is a challenge but they do provide a certain degree of therapy as well.
Will sign off for now, still getting over jet lag; sleep patterns for both of us are a little crazy these past few days.
Love and blessings your way from us.........
September 13, 2007
Spent last few days continuing to catch up with personal matters and setting up appointsments for lymph massage, Vit-C infusions, local Doc etc. The Doc who Karen has been using here in town is retiring earlier than planned due to medical reasons, so Karen is establishing a connection with another Doc in town who will hopefully be able to serve as a good replacement. Currently we are working on getting meds at a reduced price from the drug company and to do this the Doc has to be involved signing and authorizing etc.
Karen is having some ear pain and discomfort when swallowing today more than other days; the ear pain has intensified as the day progressed. She also had a Vit-C infusion today, that sometimes stirs things up. Again, if support is needed here (at home) the medical safety net is not as broad and comforting as in Germany.
We have purchased some products from Bea Lydecker (from Oregon) and also were told by a friend about vitamin B-17 (laetrile) and that a good source is apricot kernels. I purchased some of them on line last night at sunorganic.com. We are keeping all doors and possibilities open.
One thing that has become very clear to me is the need for constant vigilance when dealing with this disease; it is cunning, baffling and insidious (sound familiar?).
It has been different though this time, Karen is much stronger than in the past and yesterday she got to get her haircut; she is getting it trimmed more and more each time.
Her birthday is coming up in a few days, not sure how that will be celebrated, certainly no sugar filled cakes.
Made phone call to our airline angel today just to thank her for all the help; I am amazed over and over at the kindness and generosity found in people.
Will sign off for now.......
love and blessings to all
September 14, 2007
Assuring that a loved one (or for that matter one's self) gets optimum health care and services can be a daunting task at times. Karen has been prescribed a medication which she began taking in Germany. The medication can cause birth defects, and there are other precautions that need be taken as well, so it is highly regulated and monitored both by the European Medical Admin and FDA here in the States. To obtain it, a Doctor must sign the patient up with the drug company, take a survey and use a specific authorization code on the script designated by the drug company so the patient can be tracked. In addition to that the patient must take a survey as well. It did not matter that Karen was already registered in Europe, she had to be re-registered here in the U.S. The European program was different, even though the drug company is the same.
The medication cost about $100 per pill and by law the drug company can only dispense it in a 28 pill package, no more and no less; gee who is being helped by that law???? Certainly not the poor and struggling of our nation or society. It is inconceivable how complicated it is just get a medication and once the authorization has been obtained the cost is prohibitive. There is financial help available for those who seek out and apply to various foundations. We have done that for the medication Karen uses to maintain her blood levels, PROCRIT, and we were fortunate enough to be awarded enough funds for about 6 injections. On Monday, I will apply again to seek funding for this more recent prescription, Thalidomide. The Doctor in Germany explained to us that the drug was used originally to aid sleeping and help deter nausea some years ago and it was relatively inexpensive. It has now been discovered to prevent tumor growth in cancer patients (and I believe is used by athletes as well) and the cost has skyrocketed; it is the same drug just a different time period and use.
Karen received her protocol from Bea Lydecker today, she plans on beginning that tomorrow. She also had blood work done today and it looks good. I think she was really built up while we were in Germany for 3 weeks; thank God for that. Her weight has remained about the same, balancing out to where it was prior to the most recent trip. Her discomfort continues with some ear pain, hopefully that will subside soon.
All is well, from our limited perspective it may not seem that way at times but we are being taken care of in spite of ourselves.......
Love and Blessings to All !!
September 17, 2007 <<<<< HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAREN >>>>>
It is just after midnight as the day has changed to the 17th. Karen is concerned about her swallowing discomfort, it has been going on for about 3 days now. She will get a lymphatic drainage massage later today, hopefully that will help. She seems to think it is from her lymph node being swollen on right side of her neck.
Karen's blood levels for hemoglobin are staying good, I think it is a result of the Doctors in Germany building her system up with iron supplements, thymus shots etc. It would be great if the fluctuating blood levels were all behind us.
Karen did begin Bea Lydecker's program and plans on asking her some questions tomorrow.
One thing I have noticed the last few days is that her voice is cracking through from a whisper again; she has just been whispering for about 2 months now.
Karen is spending much more time being up and about the house researching on computer, reading and sorting through old items discarding what she does not want anymore, not a lot but some!!
She has stopped watching TV, not sure if I mentioned that earlier; I tease her saying it is great Sthat she can fall asleep without the remote in her hand. She received an e-mail today from the lady in Germany who invited us to her home 2 weeks ago on a Sunday; those people are really something !!!
Well, look forward to later today and making it special in some way for her. Maybe if we just "BE", that is sufficient.
Blessings and love to all..........
September 18, 2007 - 12:20am
Karen's birthday was calm and relaxing, nothing crazy. Karen got a treatment for lymph system, we went to lunch, visited with a friend of Karen's, Karen had some calls from family and friend with well wishes and we ended evening with a movie, Wild Hogs.
I contacted about 6 foundations seeking some financial assistance for meds + treatment costs not covered by insurance; will continue with that tomorrow. So far 4 of the 6 have criteria that we do not meet.
Karen continues to be concerned over her ear and throat pain, we e-mailed the Doctors in Germany this evening; we look forward to hearing from them.
It is sad to see her uncomfortable for such a long time. I believe it is part of the healing process; it is very recent since we were in Germany. We contacted Bea in Oregon and she assures Karen that as she progresses with her protocol the symptoms will subside. We eagerly await that to happen.
Will sign off now.......love and blessings to all.
September 20, 2007
Received some good news yesterday, the drug company (Celgene) that supplies Karen's new medication, Thalidomide, has approved our application requesting assistance with payment, which I think means they are going to give it to us when she needs it again. Unfortunately they do not offer help retroactively, so the $3500 spent already in the last month is gone for now. We are applying to some foundations for help with copays etc. as well; it is great what is out there when you seek it, but so time consuming chasing it. Some of foundations we have been directed to have criteria too strict for us to meet and some others do not offer help for people with Karen's diagnosis but we are continuing to plod on and search.
We have been brainstorming the last 2 or 3 months about getting a fund raiser going and we approached a local church who we have a connection with to act as a sponsor. The Minister(s) supported our ideas wholeheartedly and tonight I presented my ideas before the Board; the result is that they are cautious about jeopardizing their 501(c) 3 and want to consult with their Attorney before commiting to sponsorship. Additionally, they are reluctant to set precedent helping one individual rather than the community as a whole, so there are 2 issues standing in the way. I am turning it over to a Higher Power, I have put in the foot work and will wait for further guidance.
Karen is still struggling with ear pain and discomfort swallowing. Because of the pain, she is progressing more rapidly than initially planned on her new protocol taking an herbal extract specific to tumor destruction. The side effects are predicted to make her feel ill but she is willing to take that for the more positive long term outcome; she is an amazing woman.
In 2 weeks we will be seeing John of God, in fact 2 weeks from today. I am sure that will be an amazing experience.
Personally, my work is on hold; I just don't have time right now. I will get to it when I can. I spent a few hours yesterday working at a local school where I volunteer my time counseling; that is a good distraction for me. The people there are wonderful and are very concerned about what Karen and I are going through, just a great support for me to be around.
We are seeking a way to continue with Karen's Vit-C infusions since her Doc has retired. We have called around but have not found an easy transition as of yet. Karen is coninuing with other treatments in the mean time, lymphatic massage and other modalities for detoxing and we hope to get back on the Vit-C a.s.a.p.
Will sign off for now, be in touch again within next few days.
love and blessings to all........
September 23 2007
Weekend flew by with seemingly not enough time to get done what was needed. I imagine it will all get done in due time. Karen is feeling sick today, herbs side effects are apparently kicking in, it must be awful to be sick for so long; I wish I could do something to just take it all away for her.
Karen wants to get back to Vit-C infusions a.s.a.p., she does not want to continue skipping them; we need to get that in place again this week.
I will focus next few days on prepping for a meeting I must attend on Wednesday; it will be a struggle for me to give up focusing on applications to foundations etc. but I need to do it. My personal work has been ignored for past month of so and I need to keep some attention that way.
We hope in the future to start a foundation in Karen's name, in my enthusiasm I locked in a URL address the other evening, so we have it when we want to use it. I really feel excited that this life challenge of Karen's will potentially turn into something positive for others and also something that Karen and I can both work on.
But, in the meantime first things first, we need funds now to help with Karen's healing. I spoke to someone via e-mail today who has been advising us legally and he encouraged me to set me sights lower and seek out some other local churches. I think that is very good advice and I plan on doing that later this week, when the dust settles from a few other things.
As a political snippet, let me ask that you go to http://healthcarevoices.org/ and fill in a petition to our political leaders to get their butts in gear about improving our health care system in this country.
Well my mind is full, too much is spinning around inside to get it on paper. Will sign off for now. Have a good night all.......love and blessings your way !!
September 27, 2007
Not much changes here, Karen feeling "yukkie", reacting to herbal protocol she has begun about 10 days ago or so. We are set to travel to NY next week to see Joao de Deus from Brazil; looking forward to that. Our daughter has offered to visit next week and her visit will take a big load off of us regarding animal sitting; it will be wonderful to have her here as well for a few days after we return. Things do happen that are beneficial when I stand out of the way.
I have actually begun doing some work again on my own "stuff", feeling good about that.
No lightning strikes bringing a bright light revelation yet showing us the way for directing a fund raiser; but it will be coming any day now...I am looking for it. Clarity will probably come when I can handle it.
Karen is getting blood work done tomorrow, has been 2 weeks; she seems fine compared to how she was prior to Germany.
Will sign off for now.......love and blessings to all
Joao de Deus – NY Trip October 3rd – 5th and some additional updating
Let me first say I just have not felt like taking the time to sit and write. Seems like I am writing a lot of the same stuff over and over. So, it has been about 12 days since I last posted and that is much of the reason why.
Karen still is in pain with her ear and throat, it has been over 3 weeks I guess. Today she went to a local Doctor and got some antibiotics prescribed; I hope it alleviates her discomfort. She continues on her new protocol of herbs, supplements and detoxing...nose to the grindstone, like a real trooper.
Well we were TRULY blessed by the fact our daughter Dee paid us a visit for 4 days last week and was here to watch our animals while we went to see John of God in NY. Not only did she watch the animals, she cleaned the house beautifully and it was great to have her energy around when we arrived home; she stayed for an extra 2 days and did not stop with the domestic engineering the whole time she was here. We bathed the dogs, cut one dogs hair, cleaned gutters, trimmed bushes and I even got her to the airport with about 34 minutes to spare on Sunday night. When we arrived home from NY on Friday night we felt like we were on the Makeover Show; the only thing missing was the big bus in front of the house.
Well the trip to NY was somewhat taxing on Karen, the Omega Campus has a lot of hills and it was tough for her to climb, running out of breath. The cannula in her neck is good for breathing but when it blocks with mucous it can cause a lot of respiratory stress as well. We left home about 10am on Wednesday and arrived at Omega around 6pm. The John of God event began at 9am and it was requested all were present by 8:30am for instructions. It was awesome to see everyone wearing white; this was requested in the preliminary instructions. It was explained that when the entities scan the body, the lack of color permits a more accurate scanning to occur. There must have been about 1200 people present; for some reason I thought there were only to be 300 or 600 each day, not sure where I got that idea.
John of God, the man, (this is how they refer to him when he is not incorporated by an entity) came out and spoke to us with a translator just after 9am. That was the only time he spoke to the crowd of people. He appeared to me to be a very humble man and also had a sense of humor; there certainly was not anything audacious about him.
The day was very organized and it involved passing in front of him two times. It was requested that we meditate and pray during most of the day. Some of the people were chosen for a spiritual intervention but neither Karen nor I was in that group.
There were people there of all ages and in wheelchairs, with canes, crutches, prosthetics, limps, and various other physical handicaps, but most were there for reasons not obvious to the naked eye.
For continuity, there was soup offered at lunch that was blessed by the entities and upon leaving at the end of the day it was suggested to take some of the blessed water home as well.
It was a day where there was a lot of energy felt but because of the nature of the healing taking place there was nothing tangible to see or touch that provided absolute evidence to what was happening.
It was difficult being with so many people (and it was a warm day) and being expected to be still and meditate.
At one point I thought I was being chosen by some high and holy one because while sitting in the big tent we were all saying a prayer and all of a sudden I felt water, like rain, falling on my arm. At first I ignored it but then slowly opened my eyes and realized that it was only my arm getting wet. For a second, I thought this is it; I have been chosen. But much to my dismay, I looked up and saw droplets of water all along the roof of the tent, I imagine from the morning air causing condensate and quickly realized that I was still "unchosen", back to my normal spot as just another bozo in the tent.
At the end of the day we hung out at Omega and had dinner there; the food is just GREAT, all organic and extremely tasty. We headed to Albany afterwards and stayed at a nice hotel near the airport. On Friday, we relaxed and even took a drive around prior to going to the airport about 1:30pm; our flight was at 3:10pm. We needed the extra time, Karen needed to do some maintenance on the cannula in her neck; it was getting blocked up on her.
The flight home was good and our daughter met us at the airport and drove us home.
I think we both were glad we went; I personally think that a trip to Brazil would really be a moving experience. This man apparently only went to school for 2 years and he has this calling where he helps people in many ways and takes no money for it....really amazing !!
OCTOBER 2007 NEWS
OCTOBER 13 2007
Karen has been continuing on her healing path. She is still in discomfort with ear and throat pain. The antibiotic she received, Avelox, caused her to have some adverse effects, so she is on a different one now. The side effect caused her to feel more than usual difficulty with her breathing. She stopped it and got the Doc to prescribe a different one.
She received some Vit-C and Hydrogen Peroxide infusions yesterday and the Doc gave her some Homeopathic remedy to take for her throat as well. The homeopathic remedy worked instantaneously but did not last for long. The current medication (the replacement for Avelox) she has is Penicillin, we are hoping it brings her relief soon; she has a difficult time getting comfortable. For one thing it is a lot cheaper, the Avelox was about $140 and the Penicillin was $17.
She got a few lymph drainage massages this week and a colonic. She has been getting these 2 treatments fairly regularly since being home from Germany, 5 weeks now.
Karen is planning on getting a PET/CT Scan soon, but will probably wait to see if Penicillin works first. If there is inflammation in her throat from infection it can give a false positive on the PET Scan.
We are somewhat dismayed at the sluggish response of the health insurance company with regards reimbursement for some of Karen's treatments. They have denied twice and we have submitted to them for a 3rd time. Dealing with that "crap" is a big and very frustrating part of one being ill.
Right now, we do not have plans for return travel to Germany or anywhere else. After 5 German trips within 9 months we are a bit at odds for financial means to take another trip at this point anyway. I imagine will be discuss after the PET/CT Scan results and see where Karen's needs lie. If Karen needs to go, I trust that means will be provided to her.
The new protocol Karen is on will last for at least 6 months, so it is anticipated she will be feeling the effects of that for a while. We are very grateful for the support she is receiving from Bea Lydecker; she is very responsive when needed.
We were in contact this past week with the Doctor in Germany and we are ordering some more medication from Germany that cannot be gotten from here. The meds are to boost her immune system and to kill off the cancer.
Will sign off for now, love and blessings to all.......
OCTOBER 15 2007 --- COLD LASER
Hello everyone....Today much to my surprise, Karen's and apparently the Doctor's, she gained some relief from her ear pain with the use of a Cold Laser instrument. This alternative therapy stuff frequently amazes me. This little, but very expensive, devise with a blinking red laser light shining on the ailing part of the body has the ability to stimulate antibodies and enhance cell energy to allow for the body's natural healing abilities to work. About the size of a "mini mag" flashlight and adjustable to various frequency levels this mechanism is what relieved Karen from 4+ weeks of ear pain. We are hopeful she will continue to be absent of ear pain.
We have been encouraged by Karen's new Doctor to explore the Halleluiah Diet, a vegan raw food diet (85% raw, the remainder cooked). We are considering it; it would be in addition to the organic diet we have been on for the past 19 months.
I am pleased and very grateful that Karen has been led on her path to this Doctor; philosophically, he seems extremely similar to her previous Doctor who had to retire prematurely for health reasons.
Today, (I will call him Dr M) he read us the report from the ENT Doctor Karen saw in August and it was the same song we here from all the traditional Docs in town. Things such as, Germany is obviously not working, she needs to do radiation + chemo or her voice box will have to be removed....all doom and gloom. Dr. M reviewed her history since initial diagnosis, and he is a regular MD, and he was soooo encouraging. He highlighted as he was reading that the cancer on the left side of Karen's throat has just about gone; he said, "you must be doing something right for that to happen". He was very interested in what treatment was done in Germany, curious as to what methods are being used to help her along the way to health. That type of encouragement is invaluable and how sad it is that it is given so sparingly, especially to those choosing a road less traveled.
We are being presented with signs in our path, giving us ideas to raise some funds to help with the medical expenses. In particular, I think I have heard about 4 benefit drives going on in the last week or so. It appears that is one way we will go at some time in the future, possibly more that one mini benefit given locally and by family or friends elsewhere. My biggest challenge is getting past my reluctance to ask for help.
Well tomorrow will be a down day as far as treatments go etc. I plan on doing some of my own work.... I will be very happy if Karen remains pain free.
Will sign off for now.
love and blessings to all and thank you for your support and love..........
OCTOBER 20 2007
Karen has been doing well this week. She has been busy with her treatments, getting lymphatic massages, a colonic and infusions. The infusions she gets are Vit C, alpha lipoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, various vitamin supplements and homeopathic remedies. She also received cold laser therapy two times and thank God that has given her some relief from her ear and throat pain. She will be getting blood work this week; the Doctor in Germany asked her to get blood tests every 2 weeks or so. Her weight has been good and she continues on the new protocol she has been on for the last month; it is herbs, supplements and detoxing. She is planning on getting a PET/CT Scan within next week or so and after that report we will make a decision about what to do with regards returning to Germany or not.
Karen has been taking some other meds from Germany and we recently ran out. They are not attainable here in the States, so they are being shipped to us from overseas.
I am encouraged by her strength, physical as well as spiritual and emotional. Even though she is in pain, her appearance is good. It is not like 4 or 5 months ago when she was losing ground every few weeks with the hemoglobin, getting Procrit injections and blood transfusions just to stay abreast of the disease. She seems to be at the stage where she is able to stay ahead of it. My personal impression is that it is a matter of time and she will be free of cancer. How much time, we do not know, but she seems on the right course. She has left the door open for many modes of healing and it seems to be paying off. The spiritual part has been represented through prayer, support from family and friends, as well as visiting with John of God in New York. The physical aspect has been tended to via numerous treatments she has agreed to try.
This week our children have initiated a campaign seeking help for us; I want to thank them for that and also thank all of you for your continued support in whatever way you have done that. It is so evident Karen has huge support and love coming toward her every day.
One personal note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DAUGHTER KARA!!!
Love and Blessings to all of you....
OCTOBER 25 2007
Karen has had a tough week. Her ear pain is really stirred up and according to her seems worse. The treatments she has received caused reactions that made her feel even worse. Her body is really working hard. We began juicing on a daily basis again; we had done that religiously but fell away from it. Unfortunately, her Doctor will not be available for infusions Friday of this week, so she is only getting one of those treatments this week. Karen will get blood work done tomorrow and we are going to schedule the PET/CT Scan tomorrow for next week.
I have been pleading our case with the company doing the screenings to see if they would waive the copay cost from previous scans; they have yet to let us know their determination.
I am feeling less emotionally up at this writing than the previous one. I tend to get down if Karen is down and that is what is going on. Sometime the course of this disease is extremely overwhelming; I can't imagine how it must be for sweet Karen, she is so brave!! I am thinking that it may be a blessing in disguise that her treatments were cancelled tomorrow; it will give her body and mind a chance to catch up.
I may have mentioned this earlier, but just want to say that I am not writing daily because our routine is fairly steadfast and routine, albeit very busy. I guess my intermittent entries are a combination of just being very busy and not having much new to say...at least not new to me.
Hey here is something new...made homemade potato salad today for the first time, with Karen's guidance of course.
Will sign off for now.....Love and Blessings to all!!
November 1 2007
I am cheating, I am sticking this entry in under October News. Karen had blood work done earlier in the week and had a PET/CT Scan done today. We got the blood test results today and her H&H is low (that is medical jargon for hemoglobin and hemocrit), so we needed to get some PROCRIT to stimulate her body to bring the count up. We are somewhat surprised since her count seemed stabilized since getting home from Germany on September 7.
I am glad we caught it and knew what to do this time instead of what happened in the spring and summer when her count dropped off. At that time we did not act on it right away, and her immune system became depressed creating an environment where the cancer could regrow a little bit again; at least that is my diagnosis of the situation. What a learning experience all this stuff is!!
Karen continues to be uncomfortable with ear pain and soreness in her throat. She tried an over the counter product today, per her Doctor, and it did provide some relief but not like she would like.
The results of the PET/CT will be available early next week; will keep everybody posted on the results.
Love and Blessings to all......
BENEFIT FUND RAISER
I must say I am a bit stumped. I feel very disappointed after the raffle idea did not get off the ground. With the support of our family, we are currently brain-storming to come up with alternative ways to raise money to help with the cost of ongoing medical needs for Karen. For the time being what I want to ask the readers of this blog to do is offer any ideas you may have for raising funds in Karen's name and send them to us via the e-mail address posted for contacting us (Karpat@KarensHealingJourney.com). Secondly, to spread the news about Karen's story by letting others know about the blog. I think this is a good first step to move forward from this place of confusion.
As always we appreciate your continued love and support.....
HELPERS CORNER ADDED TO BLOG
PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THIS WEB PAGE, I HAVE BEEN PROMPTED TO CREATE AN AREA "HELPERS CORNER" FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TAKE PART IN SPREADING THE WORD OF KAREN'S HEALING JOURNEY OUT BEYOND THOSE REGULAR READERS OF THIS BLOG. THE INTENTION AND GOAL IS TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR KAREN ON HER HEALING PATH.
WITH GRATITUDE, LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL......
NOVEMBER NEWS
NOVEMBER 5 2007 -- REGROUPING
Received the results of PET/CT Scan today and the results indicated more tumor growth. I must say we were not surprised with the way Karen has been feeling, but at the same time we are VERY DISAPPOINTED. We have spoken or sent out correspondence to 3 or 4 medical people and are in the process of deciding what the next step is going to be. This is so scary, facing the unknown and having no sure fire method to deal with something. I cannot imagine how it must be to be dealing with a potentially terminal disease for about 20 months; she is so brave, it just blows me away.
In an attempt to continue to get Karen's message out and hopefully gain further support my daughter has started a group on http://www.FACEBOOK.com. It would be beneficial for any readers of this blog to consider joining that and helping spread the word about Karen's plight to more and more people.
I will sign off for now. Love and Blessings to All !!
NOVEMBER 7 2007 ---- GERMANY ONE MORE TIME !!
We are heading back to where Karen feels safe and secure in her healing process, going back to St Georg Klinik in Germany. We did some research and talking and have decided with the help of the Doctor in Germany that the best for Karen is to resume treatment, shrinking the tumor as before with low dose chemo. Some other options that have not been used before are being explored as well, e.g. IPT and cyberknife. We are remaining positive as best we can and looking forward to being back in a safe and nurturing environment. We leave wed and will be there at least for 16 days.
We have found very reasonable fares on Delta this time, leaving from Sarasota.
Had another very upsetting occurrence happen this morning, my uncle in Ireland passed away suddenly while at a local bus stop with his wife. The entire family is in shock, many are traveling to Ireland for the funeral; Karen and I would be doing the same thing if circumstances were different. He was a very special guy, extremely focused on the importance of family and the importance of caring for others. If assistance was needed by anyone, he was there to help. I will miss him very much; he leaves a void behind no other will be able to fill. He was same name as me.
Next few days will be quite busy getting things in order, wire money, getting animal sitters set up, making sure all personal matters that needs tending to for next 3 weeks or so are taken care of prior to our departure. CRAZY ! CRAZY ! CRAZY ! But a good crazy, at least for a good reason.
Thanks, as always, to everyone for their continued love and support...it helps us everyday.
Love and Blessings to all of you...
NOVEMBER 13 2007
Tomorrow we head across the pond to colder lands. Karen's first few days are already partially planned. She will be checked in by Chief Doctor, Thurs at 1pm, and then on Friday, 11:30am, will see her ENT Doctor that she has been seeing since last February when in Germany. Karen is eager for this tumor situation to be brought under control (regarding the pain) and eradicated or "pulverized" as a member of her support network stated the other day.
Just had a thought. Would like to ask everyone to imagine Karen and inside her throat each vocal cord returning to pink perfect health, and Karen singing like a bird or a choir girl.
The journey will be about 16 hours door to door. We are hoping Karen's discomfort will be manageable during the trip, without any sick reaction to the pain meds. Her health care provider here has been extremely supportive of her in this regard, working with her to find the best combination. He has been a wonderful addition to Karen's care. Karen has allergic reaction to some meds, making it more difficult to conduct pain management.
Some loose ends still need to be tied up regarding money wire and pet care, but things seem to be falling into place. Funny how that happens, makes me wonder why I stress out. I suppose I just keep trying to control things; I am sure many of you are shocked to hear that.
I will sign off and hopefully will have full computer access when we are settled in the hospital. I will update blog on a regular basis as access permits.
Your prayers, intentions, thoughts, love and support are especially needed as we embark on this next piece of Karen's Healing Journey.
Love and blessings to all.....
BLOG INVITATION AND COMMENTS
SOME PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED PERMISSION TO MAKE COMMENTS ON THE BLOG. BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY ANYONE CAN MAKE COMMENTS ON BLOG. UP UNTIL NOW IT WAS ONLY LIMITED TO BLOG MEMBERS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BLOG PLEASE E-MAIL Karpat@KarensHealingJourney.com. MANY INVITATIONS WERE SENT OUT WHEN THIS WEB SITE WAS STARTED BUT THE INVITATIONS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 30 DAYS. IF YOU DID NOT JOIN THEN AND WANT TO JOIN NOW PLEASE LET US KNOW BY E-MAIL.
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LOVE & BLESSINGS TO ALL....KAREN & PATRICK
THANKSGIVING DAY --- Nov 22 2007
Karen and I want to thank everyone who has supported us along Karen's Healing Journey. There has been a tremendous degree of love, care, concern and prayers sent our way and we think it extremely appropriate on this day of THANKSGIVING to acknowedge all of your generosity and thoughtfulness.
With Love, Blessings and Well Wishes from Bad Aibling, Germany...
Karen & Patrick
It sounds like Karen is on the road to recovery. May God bless her and heal her. She is still in my prayers.
With love,
Marshall
GERMANY ARRIVAL TRIP 6 – November 15 through December 5 2007
November 15 2007
We have arrived safely on German soil. Our departure was delayed in Atlanta for 3.5hours due to mechanical problems. Thank God, we did not have that in the sky and it was on the ground that they found it. YES !!! We have both been dragging, Karen is especially tired, she had a lot of congestion on the plane and it was hard for her because she could not clear all the mucuous from her air passage no matter how hard she tried. She finally slept for a while but not too comfortably. As usual the arrival here at St Georg Klinik was extremely nurturing and welcoming. We are familiar faces here, we are well known and quite obviously Karen/we are cared for very much.
Karen got all checked in, blood work done, protocol drawn up by Chief Doctor and she is receiving some infusions this evening as she sleeps. I am so glad she is able to sleep, she ate a little but not much, she is just too tired. The Chief Doctor here has a new approach and we are anxious to see how it will go. She starts at 9am tomorrow.
Basically, I just wanted to check in and let everyone know we are here in the beautiful part of the world called Bavaria; it is cold and there is snow on the ground, a bit different than Sarasota.
Will be in touch. Love and Blessings to All of You, your love and support are appreciated and acknowledged by both of us....
REMEMBER THE VISION: Karens pink healthy vocal cords just revving and ready to sing to the tree tops uncontrollably, supported by two healthy beautiful lungs..........
November 16 2007
Moving right along, the place here feels very familiar and safe, like somewhere we have visited frequently, I suppose that is because we have. Met with Chief Doc who did intake appt yesterday and he injected solution directly into Karen's lymph node with a needle; it was baking soda solution to alkalize the tumor creating cell death. Tumors reside in an acidic environment so elevating the ph will kill cells off. Recently a Doc in Italy conducted a study using this methodology and it was very successful. To see report go to http://thenaturalcancercure.com sign up and get report e-mailed immediately. If you like I can also e-mail a copy to you, just e-mail me at Patrick@KarensHealingJourney.com. This technique was brought to our attention by 2 members of our support network, just a few days apart; Veronica and Howard. Howard sent a copy of the article to me and we brought it with us to show the Doc here. He agreed with the philosophy and said he will do it every day with Karen while she is here.
Karen seems to be having more success here with pain meds, but this evening she did throw up after taking a heavier dose of a med she did not have a problem with earlier today (a lower dose of it).
We saw ENT Doc today so he could report to St Georg Docs what he saw. It was no surprise to us, it was just a "bird's eye view" verification that was needed for treating Docs here at Klinik.
Karen went for hyperthermia today but had difficult time with it; regular machine is not available so she is having trouble getting comfortable with the new set up. I was not there, I was doing errands but I will be with her tomorrow and hopefully she will be able to get comfortable. Be thinking of her around 8am EST or 1pm GMT; send her some good energy and prayerful, loving support if you can at that time.
Next week some low dose chemo will be given and the Doc said IPT will be used as well.
Not sure what the weekend holds, some infusions as usual I suppose and hopefully a couple of hyperthermia treatments.
Please continue to send the prayers, love and good intentions our way. The support you offer us has been a GOD send!!
REMEMBER THE VISION: Karens pink healthy vocal cords just revving and ready to sing to the tree tops uncontrollably, supported by two healthy beautiful lungs..........
Love and Blessings to You All....
NOVEMBER 20 2007
Karen is working hard as usual. Weekend was spent attempting to find proper balance with pain meds. Glad we came few days earlier than we normally would have, it gave Karen some time to settle in and adjust. Yesterday, Monday, Karen began Insulin Potentiated Therapy (IPT) and Hyperthermia Treatment. She also had her 2nd injection of Procain Base (solution similar to baking soda) directly into her swollen lymph node on her neck. Seems lymph node is decreasing in size. Today she had 2nd treatment of IPT and Hyperthermia; she will do these treatments daily. She is receiving low dose chemo and anti-nausea medication to reduce any discomfort from the chemo. The chemo can cause nausea even though it is a very low dose.
As always the care and comfort extended to Karen and myself here is phenomenal; these people are very special.
It is wonderful to have the support back home of family and friends as well. I think I can speak for both of us when I say with all the support medical and personal relationships we feel like we are being carried as though in a cocoon of safety, love and support. God is truly caring for Karen/us amidst all of this life altering experience.
One of the unique things about St Georg is that I feel and I am a part of Karen's healing plan. It is a great experience to be treated and respected as such. The philosophy being that healing is holistic in nature and the support and involvement of a loved one is a precious ingredient of that process.
And, they are even giving us Turkey for Thanksgiving, without even asking. What else could one ask for? The weather here is cold, but we are native New Yorkers and cold weather is not strange to us. The angel from our original trip is still lending us his luftbefeuchter (humidifier) to use in the room so Karen can breathe easier. Anyone familiar with cold climates is aware of the low humidity and if the heating system does not provide humidity, it can be challenging and uncomfortable to breathe with the normal use of a nose. Karen is not using her nose, so it is even more challenging. He is a wonderful, generous man.
My sleeping is getting somewhat normalized, so I am actually tired at appropriate times now. There were a few crazy nights where I was up most of the night and looking to sleep when it was daytime. Since it is that time of night now, I will sign off. In closing I ask your continued prayers, love and support not only for us but for Karen's medical team of Doctors, Nurses, and support staff here in Germany and at home in the U.S. Your support is powerful and we feel it while conducting our daily routine. The visualization is happening, Karen's vocal cords are becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, disappear and become pulverized from her entire body making her strong and healthy.
Love and Blessings to All.....
NOVEMBER 26 2007
I have to admit I did not think there would be a span of 6 days between blog entries while in Germany, but here we are and 6 days have passed. Karen had 4 IPT treatments and 3 Hyperthermia treatments last week and 4 days of low dose chemo. She was sick on Thursday and sick over the weekend as well. She was unable to eat for the weekend, and was experiencing the vomiting response every once in a while. Her stomach was hurting and throat was sore; she was afraid.
Today, some time has past for her body to regain equilibrium plus some new medications were used to help with nausea and acid stomach condition, so she has been able to eat without vomiting in fact, tonight she ate food for first time in 72 hours. It is a relief for me to see her eating again and of course for her as well.
She was somewhat puzzled because she had never experienced that level of sickness during prior trips here. Apparently it was a combination of things but probably doing too much in too few days was the primary cause.
So as far as not entering posts in the blog, I have to say it was due to having an emotional, scary and uncertain weekend; really did not know what to write or where to start.
The lump on her neck (lymph node) has shrunk quite a bit, she received another injection today of the high-level ph solution. It is so wonderful to see it shrinking like that.
So it was not a wild and crazy weekend for us, or maybe it was depending on your perception of things, and we are glad it has passed. Our plans to return home Saturday are still in place; we will leave St Georg late Friday night and stay near the airport for one night. We are ready to stay extra days if necessary but the Doctors here do not seem to think that will be needed.
I, and I think Karen too, feel very safe and secure when the Doctors are close at hand and for the most part that is always the case here at the Klinik. I can't imagine how it is on their side of the fence, (being a Doctor here) being demanded upon all the time, especially when dealing with people who have a potentially terminal disease. There is absolutely no measurable way to thank them that would fit the task, but we are truly grateful to be here among these people!!!
Our family has kept us in the loop, sending us pictures of their Thanksgiving celebrations over the past weekend. It is great to have that; family unity and closeness are wonderful parts of our support while going through this challenging time.
Please visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappear from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
Love and Blessings to All of You.....
NOVEMBER 29 2007
Things are moving along. Karen had some low dose chemo today along with hyperthermia treatment; she had the same yesterday. Seems to have been some confusion about hyperthermia machine and heating up cannula in Karen's neck and getting distorted temperature feedback but all seems resolved now. The more things come up, causing little bumps in the road while staying here the more I think it would be so much better to live here for a while. On that note we have decided to return home 4 days later than originally planned. We were able to change flight arrangements without any trouble. Karen is scheduled for an IPT treatment tomorrow and hopefully one on the weekend, and will also get some more hyperthermia treatments too. She has been getting infusions of baking soda solution and daily injections of the same into the lymph node on her neck by the Doctor. Her eating has been back to normal since last Monday, thank God!! She is definitely getting a lot of care with much love and concern.
This trip has caused many emotions to surface for us, which I think is a very good thing. We have spent some tears as well as expressed some anger with each other and at each other. It has been a very challenging time for Karen and myself; the worst piece is dealing with the unknown.
Some members of our support network have begun to pray and set intentions for Karen at 3pm on a daily basis, wherever they are, just to pray in spiritual unity. Some are praying as a novena and some are praying in their own ways but all intentions are matching and they are for Karen's healing and the continued strength to go through it. Please feel free to join in pray with other members of our support network, whether it be 3pm or any other time you happen to think of it.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
WITH LOVE, GRATITUDE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU.........
DECEMBER 2 2007
Karen had IPT treatment + local hyperthermia on Friday as planned. The first treatment was done in the comfort of her room, which was good for her. There was about 1.5 hrs between treatments, which gave her body a chance to rest a bit. Anyone interested in seeing the hyperthermia machine go to: http://www.oncotherm.org/eng/?intid=EHY2000#1
Yesterday and today, Karen has been sick. Yesterday she slept for 6 hrs in the middle of the day, skipping lunch. Today, she has not eaten at all, she is quite uncomfortable with ear pain and soreness in her throat; in general she feels sick. She has gotten some meds and it has helped a little bit. If condition persists in the a.m. we will see the ENT Doc here in Germany. Doc here at Klinik says it possibly could be a fungus infection from chemo.
We are both looking forward to returning home. It is a long stretch being in the hospital for almost 3 weeks.
Karen is very much over feeling pain and sickness as well; she had some tearful moments the last few days, it is very hard on her being ill for so long.
We both want to thank everyone for the prayers, good intentions and energy being sent our way; it is a wonderful support.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 3 2007
Karen did not see an ENT Doctor today; she seemed to be feeling better and it did not seem necessary to her especially because the end result of what the treatment has succeeded in doing will not be evident for another 4 weeks or so.
In the afternoon (4pm) she received a local hyperthermia treatment along with low dose chemo. Next time Karen gets local hyperthermia, the Docs suggest she has a plastic cannula; it is safer than having a piece of metal in her neck while the tumor (within close proximity) is being heated. The risk is that the metal would heat and burn her internally causing a big problem.
We were told late this evening that an emergency case was being admitted to the hospital tomorrow and because the house was full and we were on an extension of our reserved time, we would need to be moved to a temporary room until we check out on Tuesday evening.
We were all right with this news, not our preference but we did understand. Karen was feeling like she was beginning to move from a very safe place to a place with much less security, i.e. out of the hospital and away from St Georg. She was feeling fearful about being okay away from the hospital and understandably so.
I was beginning to feel anxious since we were planning on departing on Tuesday evening and a few very important pieces needed to fall into place before we leave; one being getting Karen's drugs to take home and another being paying bill after reviewing it. Prior to ordering the medications I depended upon the Doctor writing the orders and with a full house the Doctors were running all over. A personal issue of mine is to ask for what I need without feeling like I am a burden to others and in an environment like this that issue has been tested many times.
One plus of being here for the 6th time is that I have had this feeling and been in this situation before; I knew, as always does, that things would fall into place. These Doctors do this all the time, every day and they do it very well. So, at this point in the trip it was normal for me to feel a little more anxious and now on top of it we were told we had to change rooms in the morning.
ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE HOUR AT A TIME, ONE MOMENT AT A TIME !!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 4 2007
We moved to temporary room about 10:45am. Karen went for a Reiki session from 11am - 12noon; she did not want to return from her altered state. She began to feel nauseous and decided to stay in our new room; the Docs prescribed some anti-nausea medication for her. We had an exit interview scheduled for 1pm with Chief Doc and we did not make it since Karen was ill, instead he came to room to see her. As always his words were very encouraging, positive and uplifting, that attitude seems to trickle down from him to everyone at the hospital.
Karen had some infusions and, I think, was experiencing some anxiety about leaving. Our scheduled departure time was moved up from 7:30pm to 6pm since there was no ride available at a later time.
I managed to get medications at about 3pm and get sorted with hospital bill about 4pm. As predicted all was falling into place in perfect order. The Doctor was kind enough to supply us with a letter for Delta Airline explaining Karen's need to delay her return trip home thus avoiding a penalty fee for the change.
We managed to leave the room about 5:30pm, grab a bite to eat and get our ride at 6pm to the Hotel Henry near the Munich Airport. Karen did not eat much.
We arrived at the hotel about 7:15pm and after checking in we went to in house restaurant and had a more relaxed dinner.
We were able to get to sleep about 10:30pm, plenty of time to get a good rest to awaken for 7am breakfast and 7:45am shuttle to Airport. All is GOOD!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 5 2007 UP UP AND AWAY WE GO
Had nice breakfast at the hotel and off we went to the airport. Thank God, everything was on time and we lifted off at about 10:21am for our 10 hour 18 minute flight. As usual traveling on the plane with the dry air was a challenge for Karen; she needed to clean the cannula more often than normal, her breathing ability was compromised making it stressful for her. She ate but not much; she was feeling a little sick as well. The flight was very comfortable; flying on a 767-400 is a great way to go. We were fortunate enough to have a middle row of 3 seats to ourselves so we could spread out a little bit.
After 3 movies, 2 meals, a snack and a period of time loosing at chess to the computer we arrived in Atlanta about 2:40pm EST.
We had chosen assistance with a wheelchair, which worked out really well. Since this was the first point of entry into the U.S. we had to retrieve our luggage take it through customs and recheck it again. This was a bit of a nuisance but we knew to expect it since this is the way U.S. Customs operates. After checking our luggage, we had to go through security screening again as well; maybe it was for practice, I am not sure??
Karen got a bite to eat since she hadn't eaten much during the 2nd meal on the plane. The pickins at Atlanta Airport for someone who prefers organic meals was slim to none; so her preferences were not met.
Our flight from Atlanta to Sarasota was on time and we were met at the airport by a friend of ours who was kind enough to pick us up. It was great to fly right into Sarasota and we got home at 7:50pm.
The house looked great and the animals seemed happy to see us.
It was soooooooooooo good to be home.
All the animal sitters were OFFICIALLY relieved of their duties; what a great gift it was for them to help us out. Thanks so much to Carol, Ron, Butch, Robin & John and the understudy, Walt. It is great to have such support in this time of excessive need.
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
DECEMBER 10 2007
We have been home for 5 days, resettling is like returning from another reality to the present one. Three weeks of mail could potentially drive one into depression, gosh how much "stuff" comes in the mail. First day home was a little disturbing for me; Karen slept all day and did not eat. The next day she seemed better and began eating. She rested up for a few more days and today began her updated protocol prescribed by the Doctors when we left Germany. She is taking some chemo orally and the protocol is designed to mimic IPT treatment. Her blood sugar is being lowered via meds and the chemo hopefully will be absorbed more readily into the cancerous cells.
Spoke to an individual this evening who at different times made me feel very angry. What I was feeling was that I was getting advice by a self-appointed expert on cancer care. My reaction showed me what is really going on inside of me, I am on "go mode" and not spending much time feeling what is happening internally. I am scared at times, afraid of loosing my partner. I really fluctuate throughout the course of a day or a few days and my response to life is directly related to how I perceive Karen is doing. I hate how she is when we arrive home from intensive treatment in Germany.
Karen is scheduled to remain on oral chemo for about 7 weeks, so she may feel sick for a long time; we do not know at this stage. I am hoping her throat begins to feel better soon. She has not been speaking for a while and she is also having some tough times swallowing. She has lost some weight this trip, which is not a surprise since she did skip eating for 5 or more days while on our journey.
Karen will be starting back on her infusion therapy this week, probably by Friday; she will also need to get blood work done to keep a check on blood count. Our grant for the PROCRIT injections is about exhausted, so we will need to seek resources for that elsewhere. This is like running a small business, thinking of this and that, applying for one thing or another and following up with things....WOW !!
Some of our support network met this evening to begin putting fundraising events into place. Right now the focus is on NY but I want to get some fundraisers locally here in Florida as well. Stay tuned, more info to follow on that. Anyone with ideas is welcome to come forward and share them with me. We are going to establish a foundation in Karen's name to help her and others with similar challenges. Something good WILL come of all this!!
Please continue to visualize, from time to time during your day or whenever you can, Karen's vocal cords becoming pinker and pinker being surrounded by loving blue light as all the cancerous cells die off, becoming pulverized and disappearing from her entire body leaving her strong, whole and healthy.
With Love and Blessings to All…
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