Saturday, January 31, 2015

Next phase

We just received the results from the latest CT scan and the results are good! The cancer has shrunk by 50% again! Mama Pham is truly kicking cancer's butt! Since the cancer continues to respond to the Chemo Ifex (ifosfamide) the doctors have decided to see if we can continue to shrink the cancers using a new kind of chemo making surgery easier with a greater expected success rate.  The doctors also want to make sure that the cancer is in fact dead and not just dormant from these strong medicines, so they are using all the tools in the medicine cabinet to attack the "roots" of the tumor.

At this point we have to stop her current chemo regimen because at a certain point the chemo becomes toxic outweighing the benefits.  This particular Ifex has been shown to cause major bone damage after the 6th round due to the rapid creation of white blood cells- and she is now at that point. So starting next week we will be switching to the GAT chemo ( gemcitabine, adriamycin & taxotere).  When I get more information about the medications I will share it in future post.  The new routine will be 3 weeks on 1 week off.

As Mama Pham prepares for this next phase of battle she has decided that she would like to finally shave the rest of her hair and become the official Cancer Warrior! 







Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Phamily weekend retreat


Last weekend we were blessed to be able to enjoy some wholesome Phamily fun. What a way to kick off 2015!! :-)
We surprised mom and dad with a 32nd wedding anniversary trip to Lake Tahoe! (But the best part of the surprise was that all of us were coming along for the long weekend!)  We rented a cabin, played board games, admired the little snow there was, enjoyed sightseeing, made yummy meals, roasted s'mores and even held the first annual Phamily talent show! Joelson & Grandpa Matt played in the snow as Grandma (Mama Pham) watched happily while the rest of us kids went snowboarding. We went tubing for the first time too, it was lots of fun! Mama Pham got to see the Squaw Olympic Village and enjoyed hot tea while watching her minions play. Everyone had so much fun & Mama Pham was so relaxed that she didn't want to go back to the real world. We've made a new resolution that we are going to try to vacation together more often! Now we are starting to plan our next trip!

Happy Anniversary!
Squaw Village.
Gondola to the Ritz.
Tubing races!
Northstar Villiage, shutting down the place.
Sleepy travelers.
Successful snowboarding day. :-)
Breathtaking.
Admiring the gorgeous views of the lake.
Lounging around the cabin.
Sharing bedtime laughs.
Cuddle buddies! ☺️
Walking around the hotel village.
Snowboarding day.
S'more night... Yum!

No snow! View from the balcony.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

We Wish You A Merry Christmas... and a Happy New Year!

Today marks the beginning of a new year. As we reflect upon the wild year we’ve made through, there were very humbling experiences, and countless things to be thankful for.

First and foremost all of our family and friends who have been following our journey, continuing to pray for our Phamily, always keeping us in your thoughts and sending all of your love our way. We honestly could not have made it through without all of you. We thank you for your unwavering friendship, constant prayers, and unconditional love. All of the beautiful cards, letters, emails, texts, and phone calls are very deeply appreciated and cherished.  

We hope you all had a wonderful and joyful Christmas spent with all of your loved ones! We had a pretty busy holiday season, but we were able to sneak in some very quiet relaxing days. That’s exactly what we needed to recharge us for the New Year. We are back on the chemo cycle, we’re so sorry for not updating as often as we were supposed to. ((Opps, that is entirely my fault! :-))

We wish each and every one of you and your family a Happy New Year, filled with everlasting JOY, deep LOVE, great HEALTH, and LAUGHTER. May 2015 bring you many lasting memories to be made, fresh starts, and plenty of adventures!

Love and Hugs,

Xoxo The Phamily

P.S. There was snowfall for the second time in our entire lives here in Southern California, and it was beautiful white New Years Eve! :-)