Cancer Picked the Wrong Chick!!!
Hi All,
We want to start off by telling you that Kira is doing so well because of the love and support that our family has received from everyone - our relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, doctors, nurses, and even strangers – the compassion that everyone has shown has made this time so much more bearable and we cannot thank you enough.
Over the past 9 months…
Our journey with Kira started back in December of 2010. Kira had extremely itchy skin, general body weakness, a cough, and chest pain. In the past 9 months her symptoms would come & go - but the itchy skin never subsided. We have seen our family practitioner at least six times; four or so visits to the dermatologist; visited the Northwest Allergy Center for seasonal & environmental allergies testing; visited an ear nose throat doc; tested for food allergies at a Naturopath; and took one trip to the emergency room at Children’s. Even though these doctor visits seemed thorough, none of the docs ordered blood tests or chest x-rays so the Cancer went undetected. She did have a sinus scan at the ear, nose, throat doc - her sinuses were clear. She also had several mono tests at our primary doc - they were negative.
She had several rounds of antibiotics from the primary doc as they suspected a sinus infection was the culprit; Kira was also prescribed multiple pain killers for her chest pain over the spring/summer (they thought she had sore muscles in her chest from a lingering cough); the dermatologist had her on antibiotics for skin lesions (a result of her incessant scratching) and performed several skin biopsies. Multiple doctors have told Kira that her itchy skin was in her head and suggested anxiety meds.
One month ago…
We didn't have an answer for these random symptoms until we took her to a new primary care doctor on August 22nd, 2011. The new doc ran blood tests to get a baseline and found that her Lymphocyte (white blood cell) count was very low. The next morning we were back in his office. He ran follow-up tests and he sent us over for a chest x-ray. The x-ray revealed a 6" mass in her chest and a large amount of fluid around her left lung. After several days of further imaging & procedures we met with an Oncologist at Swedish Hospital and they diagnosed Kira with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 2A with bulk.
We finally had an answer - shocked that it was Cancer - not anything that you ever want to hear...not for yourself, and especially not for your child. We were told that if you are going to get Cancer, this is the one to get. Not that we want it, but we are so relieved that it is highly treatable. The cancer is in two of her lymph nodes (one in her chest and one in her neck). Her lymph nodes were not working properly so the fluid they would normally process was being discarded into her chest around her left lung, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her lung capacity was at 50%. They were able to drain that fluid (just under a liter) for her immediate relief.
We were confident with the abilities at Swedish, but we felt the need for a second opinion. Both Swedish and Children’s Hospital have leading Oncologist teams here in Seattle. Kira is 16 (turns 17 on Oct 7th) so naturally we chose to consult Children's. After considering the plans from two excellent programs, we chose to go with Children’s.
A statement from Seattle Children's Hospital: Our outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma at Children's are among the best in the nation. Our five-year survival rate is higher than the national average. Our rate is 97.5%. The national average is 93.1%.
Three weeks ago…
So, now we know what the problem is, we have a plan of action, and we feel she is in excellent hands. The treatment that we have begun at Children's Hospital is 12-weeks of Chemotherapy (4 rounds of chemo, every 3 weeks, 3 days each). She may need radiation therapy as well but that won’t be clear until we are through with the chemo.
The day before Kira's first round of chemo, she had surgery to place a portacath in her chest - this is a central line for the chemo administration. Due to the anesthesia used for surgery and the fluid that has been around her left lung, the bottom of her left lung had partially collapsed. They monitored her after surgery & said her breathing was good so they weren't concerned. Kira started the first round of chemo on September 9th. She was in the hospital 5 days, battled a lot of nausea...then we were able to go home.
It was great to be home. There were so many people around the country (thanks to FB) praying for our Kira. We received so much support (phone calls, texts, emails, fb posts, visits, cards, care packages, food deliveries, and carpools) it was overwhelming.
Two weeks ago…
We had been at home for a few days and Kira started to have chest pain. We took her to the ER and they did a chest x-ray. We were all astounded to see on the x-ray no fluid in her chest - none at all - and the ER docs estimated the mass had already shrunk by at least 50%. This was an amazing relief!!! Thank you for all of the prayers - they are working. They did not know what caused her pain - but can only guess that it was her lung re-expanding from the previous portacath surgery. Both lungs looked beautiful and clear on the x-ray. The pain subsided and they sent us home that night.
It was a huge relief to see proof that her treatment was working - but Kira had a tough week at home. She lost a lot of weight in a very short time. She was still quite nauseated and we battled that by taking her back to the hospital numerous times for fluids & IV anti-nausea meds - this helped greatly.
Last week…
She finally started feeling better a few days later and it was wonderful to see her smile return. She has been eating and drinking normally and the nausea has gone. She is (and will continue to be) very tired.
We are so proud of Kira – she has kept such a positive attitude from day 1 of this experience – she is truly amazing! Right before Kira’s first chemo treatment she got a very short haircut. Just this week her hair started falling out & in her words it was “really depressing”. Instead of letting it get her down, she texted her friend (Miss Caitlin Pitt – we love you!) to see if she had clippers. When Caitlin responded excitedly YES, she headed over to her house for a buzz cut. This may have given Caitlin’s poor father a rise in his blood pressure, but Kira felt so much better to have it all shaved off. We are so proud of her courage…and thankful for her wonderful friends!
This weekend was amazing – there was a fundraiser in Seattle led by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thanks to all of you, at least 70 people walked for Team Kira and we have raised $6000 and counting!!! Our thanks to Lora Baier & Karen Pruitt for making Team Kira a reality! Kira was not feeling well enough to walk – we stayed home while Jeff, Kelsey, Meg & Graham participated. We missed you all and Kira is looking forward to walking next year. Your donations and participation made this a special night and we are deeply touched – just another way you are helping with her recovery!
This week…
Kira’s 2nd Round of chemo will start this Thursday September 29th (we will be admitted Thursday and if Kira feels well enough we will return home on Saturday 10/1). Our goal is to update this site daily. In the next few days, we will be posting a request for help with carpooling, meals and our horses.
We are so touched by the outpouring of love that we have witnessed in the past month – thank you for the support you have given us. Please keep Kira in your prayers – we love you!
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