I TOLD SHAWN TO NOT CALL ME UNLESS HE REALLY NEEDS TO SO I WILL EMAIL YOU BOTH EVERY DAY AND I'LL EXPECT YOU TO E-MAIL ME EVERY DAY ALSO. EVERYTHING IS FINE. SPOKE TO THE DR TODAY AND WE WERE ABLE TO RELATE BETTER TODAY. I WILL GET A CT SCAN TOMORROW TO SEE HOW THE BONE THING LOOKS. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW EVERYTHING IS GOING EVERY DAY OK HITA? DON'T YOU WORRY I'M DOING JUST GREAT SO IS AUNT EILEEN. I LOVE MY CRAZY LADY. YOUR MOMMA PS WHILE I SEND THE E-MAIL EILEEN IS GETTING GREAT AT PUZZLES
1/10/03 -- (Kim) On Friday, she said that she started the B17 injections. They inserted a port near her neck, as far as I heard her describe. She said that it was a little painful and couldn't sleep with it, without asking them to give her something for the pain in her muscles. They gave her Decadron. You probably already know what that is, being that we learn things we hadn't intended on, when ourselves or a loved one is hit with this disease. It's dexamethasone, a synthetic steroid used for many things, from allergies, asthma, and anti-inflammatories to different forms of cancer.

Anyway, I told her to watch for side effects and tell her doctor if she had any. She also had her second enema (I think she had the first one either Friday morning or Thursday night). They do coffee, chamomile and another type of enema. I'm not sure which one she had. I've read that these stimulate your liver and help to detoxify your liver and help detoxify you from chemotherapy. She said that food is better, they use sea salt, so now she's very happy. I really had to laugh and smile at that statement.
1/11/03 -- Day 3 (Polly) HITA, I'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO OPEN ONE E-MAIL FROM YOU (IT SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE SENT ME 3 BUT I WAS ABLE TO READ ONLY THE FIRST) COULDN'T GET TODAYS. ANYWAY TODAY I STARTED THE OZONE TREATMENT (OXYGEN) ALSO HAD ONE ENEMA. I HAD TO TAKE THE PAIN INJECTION LAST NIGHT AROUND 10 PM ALSO AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY INJ. AND SLEPT VERY WELL. THE DR AND I ARE RELATING MUCH BETTER NOW SO DONT WORRY. YOU KNOW I WILL CHANGE TO THE OTHER ONE IF I FEEL I NEED TO.

WE'LL BE GOING TO CHURCH TOMORROW MORNING AT 10 AM. THEN A TRIP TO SOME SHOPPING CENTER. I'M DOING GREAT NO SIDE EFFECTS. THE FOOD IS GETTING BETTER. WHEN YOU CALL ME AT&T SHOULD BILL YOU AS IF YOU WERE CALLING E. IN THE STATES. THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY EXTRA CHARGES FOR YOU. THERE IS AN EXTRA CHARGE FOR ME WHEN I CALL YOU ABOUT 25 CENTS A MIN. I'LL E-MAIL YOU AGAIN TOMORROW. I LOVE MY CRAZY LADY. KISS SCRAPPY FOR ME. CALL UNCLE BEN AND TELL HIM I'M HERE AND OK, IF YOU CAN. YOUR MOMMA WHO LOVES YOU.
1/11/03 a.m. -- (Kim) While we waited at the airport for her to board the plane, she began to cry. It hit her again as to what was happening and going on inside of her. She tries so hard to be so strong, so much of the time. Every now and then she can't handle it anymore. I try to be the one she can lean on. We cried together and prayed and I told her not to give up on faith and hope. When she called me from Oasis, she was a little annoyed with her doctor from the start… said she wasn't relating to him very well. My Mom has a really strong personality, and it just takes a day or so to realize who she is, but once he did, he was more compassionate and now they're relating a lot better.

I told her to ask for another doctor, if she didn’t feel comfortable with this one. She seems very excited about the other patients, and is befriending as many of them as she can. I think that must be one of those things.. people who've never been through what YOU and her have been through, just don't understand in the same way. I wish I could feel her pain and frustration for her. I'm aware that my vision of what she's feeling can't even come close. She didn't feel well when she started the B17. She was weak and didn't want to leave her room to eat. So, my aunt brought her food to the room. She was better later that afternoon.

She said that there's a spread of vegetables and fruits in a buffet type style that's always available to them. There's also a juicer, so they can create their own juices with the fresh fruits and veggies. She seems to find the nurses to be nice. She said that mostly, they're quiet. She said that she butted heads with her particular doctor from the start, but only because he was "macho". heheheh She's cute about those things. She said that NOW, he's being a lot easier to relate to. I think he just had to get to know her. That's all I know right now, I'll call her tonight and find out what went on during the rest of her Saturday. I'll write to you as soon as I know. Kimberly
1/11/03 p.m. -- (Kim) Saturday, she started on the Ozone therapy (Oxygen). They use the same port for this, as they use for the B17. She commented on the food being very good again. She seems to like her doctor and definitely likes the other patients very much. It seems as though they all bond as a little family while they're there. I hope she keeps in touch with the ones she gets closest to. She met a young girl of 26 years, who is there with her Mom (they can take a companion along, my Mom took my Aunt). The girl had cancer on the majority of her tongue and had most of it cut off. She now has it in her neck and several other places. Say a prayer for this girl too, her name is Erica.

My Mom talked about going to church tomorrow with the group. Then they'll go to a shopping center. She broke her glasses the first night she was there, so she'll buy some at the shopping center. I bought her a calling card to call me, but mostly I call her because the hospital charges an additional 25cents per minute for them to call out. She seems happy. We definitely have hope! I'll let you know more as soon as I know more. Kimberly
1/12/03 -- (Polly) WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME LAST NIGHT??? WHY HAVEN'T YOU E-MAILED ME TODAY??? YOU CAN CALL ME ON 10 10 220, WE CAN TALK FOR 20 MINUTES AND THE CHARGE TO YOU IS ONLY 99 CENTS. TRY THAT, I JUST FOUND THAT OUT TODAY. EVERYTHING IS DOING JUST FINE, TOMORROW I START MY 2ND OXYGEN. IT WAS NO PROBLEM THE 1ST TIME. I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY READ ALL YOUR E-MAILS, A NICE LADY SHOWED ME HOW. THE PATIENTS HERE ARE WONDERFUL. SO NICE, SO HAPPY AND HELPFUL! WE'VE BECOME A FAMILY AWAY FROM HOME. THEY TAKE US ON TRIPS TO MALLS AND TO THE BEACH, THEY SHOW MOVIES AND GIVE DEMONSTRATIONS. SO FAR I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO ON TRIPS BECAUSE THE TIME IS USUALLY TAKEN OVER BY THE TREATMENTS AND SOME OF THEM ARE OVER 1 OR 2 HOURS... BUT, I HOPE I CAN GO WITH THE GROUP SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.