Valentine by Alden

Our Nephew Alden made this for us. We had so much fun babysitting for him and his brother Gavin last night.  It is GORGEOUS! (this is his new word)

Happy Valentines Day!

Snowshoeing at Crystal Springs Sno-Park

Brandon and I went snowshoeing today at the Crystal Springs Sno-Park on Stampede Pass with my sister Jenny and her family. Alden, our 3 1/2 year old nephew got a chance to try out his new mini snow shoes! He did a great job keeping up with the big kids. Click on photo below to see more photos of our snow day.

Foggy Day on Cougar Mountain

 

Saturday we went hiking on the De Leo Wall trail loop on Cougar Mountain. It was a beautifully strange day, full of lots of fog and sunshine. Moss seemed to cover everything and icicle pellets sparkled everywhere. Enjoy a few photos from our hike by clicking on the photo .

Peaceful Sunday on Vashon Island

It’s official..we are moving to the Eastside and this was our last weekend before we have to get to work and serious about packing. We decided to spend a lazy Sunday exploring Vashon Island. On our way to the Fauntleroy Ferry we stopped at one of our favorite coffee shops, the Java Bean, for some yummy coffee and eggels. Once on Vashon we visited Point Robinson Park for a short hike down to the beach and up to the Pt Robinson Lighthouse. We found a cute swing at the far end of the beach where we took a moment to swing in peaceful silence. The day got increasingly more chilly and dreary and so in town we found the Vashon Tea Shop where we relaxed and read the newspaper with a pot of delicious Rooibos Tea. It was a good day.

Natural Factors Whey Protein

If you’ve read our earlier blogs or talked to Brandon you know that he loves his smoothies! They are the one thing, along with fresh fruits and veggies that he can tolerate to eat on his bad days. Because he is loosing a lot of weight, and because his body is under a lot of stress processing the interferon, it is important he eats good quality protein.  At least 3-5 times a week I make smoothies with whey protein for Brandon and I in the morning and sometimes to go along with dinner (I’ll post some recipes later). Good quality whey protein can get pricey though so I was happy when I recently found a website with really good prices: iHerb.com or if you go to Natural Factors website they’ll tell you where to find locally.

Whey Factors is the highest quality natural whey protein I could find (and I did a lot of research). This product is a pure source of high quality whey protein, with no added sugar that provides support for muscle development and repair as well as the immune system. It has been recommended for cancer patients. Here are some things that make it better than the other whey protein out there:
* No sugar added, No artificial sweeteners, GMO free * BSE & rBGH free! (From cows that have not been treated with growth hormones) * Non-denatured, which means it’s processed at much lower temperatures & put through a filtering process to maintain purity. *microfiltered pure whey * Low in lactose – only 1 g per serving  * High in protein-15 grams per serving * Rich in glutamic acid and branched chain-amino acids (BCAA) * Provides beneficial whey protein microfractions including; immunoglobulin and lactoferrin

Biopsied Mole Benign!

Good News!  Brandon got his test results from Dr. Argenyi and the most recent mole biopsy taken from his back is benign. Now we are trying to get in for Grid Photography. All current appts are completely booked so we are on the waiting list. We’ll keep calling and calling them till we get in!  Through this treatment we’ve learned how important it is to be persistent despite our obstacles.

Our nephew Bryce turns 6

This last weekend we took a trip up to Camano Island, about 60 miles north of Seattle, where my sister’s family lives to help our nephew Bryce celebrate his 6th Birthday! It was a good chance to play with our niece Sabrina, visit with my sister and my mom who flew in town for the party. The skies were clear and on the way home we stopped to view beautiful Mount Baker and watch the amazing fall sunset in Everett. Click here for more photos from that day.

Day 100!

Today is Brandon’s 100th day of treatment! We celebrated with a Naturopathic Oncology Appointment at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center where we received some helpful guidance on symptom management from Dr. Gignac. Then over to Massage therapy where Brandon got his first official Manual Lymphatic Massage and lastly we attended a lecture provided by Fred Hutch Research Center on “Cancer Survivor Symptom Management” given by Dr. Mark Jensen. He covered how change in diet, increase in exercise, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, and Self Hypnosis can improve your symptoms. It was a good day and we have more tools under our belt to help deal with the fatigue, insomnia, pain and stress this cancer has brought us. We are blessed to have so many great resources living here in the Northwest!

Dermatopathologist Appointment

Today we saw Dr. Argenyi at the UWMC Dermatology who specializes in pigmented lesions and dermatopathology.  Because of Brandon’s history with Melanoma he is at risk for new melanoma moles. The last Dermatologist we saw referred him to a Pigment Specialist since he has many dysplastic nevis, which are moles whose appearance are different from that of common moles. First a Resident Doctor gave Brandon a thorough exam, then Dr. Argenyi did another thorough check of his entire body with a Dermoscope. This is a diagnostic tool which is like a very high magnification lens with a built-in illuminating system to view of skin lesions not normally visible to the unaided eye. They marked 4 moles to watch and one to later biopsy.

Then they took digital photography of all 5 moles and one photo of his entire back and mapped the location of all the moles.  We will get the results back from the biopsy in about a week. The next step for monitoring Brandon’s moles is Grid Photography. Grid Photography will allow them to watch pigmented lesions and moles for change to catch any possible melanoma early and avoid biopies of moles which are benign.  After Grid Photography we will continue to see Brandon’s Dermatologist Dr. Newman in the next 3-6 months and in 1 year we will go back to Dr. Argenyi for more monitoring with the mapping and photography. We will continue to do Home Skin Check Exams to watch for any changes or new moles. We felt good after our appointment today knowing we are using all available tools to help prevent new melanoma.

Home Skin Exam

Suggestions for a Skin Exam: The best time to perform a skin exam is after a shower or bath. You should check your skin in a room with plenty of light, and you should use a full-length mirror and a handheld mirror for this skin exam. Begin by learning where your birthmarks, moles, and other marks are and their usual look and feel.

Check for anything new, such as:

• A new mole that looks different from your other moles
• A new red or darker – colored flaky patch that may be a little raised
• A new flesh – colored firm bump
• A change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole
• A sore that does not heal

Check yourself from head to toe including:

1. Your back, scalp, genital area, and between your buttocks.
2. Your face, neck, ears, and scalp. You may want to use a comb or a blow dryer to move your hair so that you can see better. You also may want to have a relative or friend check through your hair. It may be hard to check your scalp by yourself.
3. The front and back of your body in the mirror. Then raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.
4. Bend your elbows. Look carefully at your fingernails, palms, forearms (including the undersides), and upper arms.
5. The back, front, and sides of your legs.
6. Your feet, including your toenails, your soles, and the spaces between your toes.

By doing a skin exam regularly, you will learn what is normal for you. It may be helpful to record the dates of your skin exams and to write notes about the way your skin looks. If your doctor has taken photos of your skin, you can compare your skin to the photos to help check for changes. If you find anything unusual, talk with your doctor as soon as possible.