Well, Christmas is over, its a mixed blessing i guess...the stress is over but i really enjoy the attitude of the hollidays. i have a little news. last Monday i had my first physical therapy apointment. after that i had severe pain reacure which i have been having in my right side. i have even been to a pain specalist, who thinks its nerve damage affilliated with my mastecomy which is causing deabillitating pain. which has been annoying me for about a month, maybe longer...(another side effect of the chemo is my memory is shot to hell, my time line is no more...i cant tell, whether something happened two days ago of 5 days ago...its fun when your trying to tell a story or explain symptons to your docter....) anyways, everyday is different, some days i am a 5 on the pain scale other days im an 8, and good days im a 3!...anyways back to my story....so after my physical therapy i was about an 8, which lasted untill the next day whch was chemo day...(i should also mention that i had been having other symptoms as well, such as severe shortness of breath and coughing, i was walking up the stairs a few days pryer and almost passed out because of the horrible shortness of breath...)i went in and had a fever of a 101.4. plus the forementioned pain and shortness of breath and so on...well, in lue of making this story realy long, i will cut to the chase...they think my disease is getting worse...bummer, huh? anyways, happy new year! PS, my second PT appointment is tomorrow…

12/28/2008 10:57 PM

12/21/08

I have a little sad news to share the other night we had to put my childhood pony Classy down. she was having seizers which we and Dr. Gelvin attributed to either a blood clot that went to the brain or a brain tumor or something along those lines....it was very tramatic for me to wittness, she was my best friend from the time i was 7 till i was about 15. it happened all of a sudden. one minuite she was fine and eating and drinking, the next she was on the ground seizing....she was only 24....im still crying everyday....on a different note, im doing ok...i have gained about 15 pounds since thanksgiving everyone says that i look healthy....i say, im a cancer patient, im supposed to be skinny! anyways...have a great christmas!

12/18/08

I have no real pending news at the moment...i just want to say, merry christmas and have a happy new year eveyone! I feel verry blessed to have all of you on my side praying for me and sending me your good thoughts....you are the reason that i am getting better...thank you all...have a wonderful holiday season....erica

ericatomsha said...
Cute Pic! thanks for adding that Robyn! Well, i have some good news....finally! i recently had a new CT scan and a bone scan, the bone scan was completely clear of cancer, and the CT showed marked improvement!which is super awsome. i also had the BRACA testing done, which tells you whether or not you have the "Cancer gene" the test was negitive, so that means my sisters and my cousins are not at any super huge risk...that also means that im probobly not going to have a hystorectomy...which is good news also!!! anyways, have a great holiday season, and i'll try to do the same....i love you all....erica

Darcy and Kelly selling earrings and t-shirts at the bazaar.

Erica's aunt and uncle made the t-shirts with "cancer sucks" on them and we tie-dyed some of them. Sales were slow but steady and we made over $1000 to help out Erica.

Thanks to all who helped with the bazaar.

Hi all my Faithfull readers…ive been feeling much better lately, I know my last entry was a little depressing, but im doing a better now, im seeing a counselor now every week, tomorrow will be my 3rd session, its nice to have someone to talk to. I want to go see the hypnotist again also but extrodinally I have a pretty busy week.
I had a CT scan last week…the findings are not bad, but the are not exactly good either. And , remember how I said that while i was on the cruise, I was coughing and I heard a pop, well, I did actually break a rib from coughing….im watching HOUSE now so I gotta go….peace……erica

11/17/2008 5:17 PM

Erica is having trouble accessing internet so thought I'd update everyone on her progress. She is continuing with the chemotherapy and supplementing that with some additional naturopath vitamins and stuff. She has her good days and her not so good days when she wants to sleep all day.

Darcy and I had lunch with her today and she was anxious to go out trick or treating tonight. She saw a hypnotherapist last night and thought that was interesting even though she couldn't remember an hour of the session. He gave her some good information on pain management.

I have scheduled a table at the Quota bazaar on Nov 22 at Alaskaland to sell items to raise money for Erica. For those of you who volunteered to knit or make earrings please get them to Deb or I by Nov 21. Thanks to all of you who continue to support Erica, Robyn

Hey, Is everyone as cold as I am? After the cruise it seems colder than ever up here…oh well, I had a BLAST! I owe most of it to the people I was with, they were wonderful, keeping me company in my room when I was tired, and just being great, I choose a good group to go with me. But next time I want to invite more people…the more the merrier! I pampered myself on the ship…I got acupuncture, and a full body massage, with a facial, it was heaven! Darcy mentioned that I went zip lining, that was an experience I hope I don’t forget. We were up 80 feet in the air and went from tree to tree for an hour and a half. It was exhilarating! But im back in Alaska now, back to chemo, back to cancer…I am so tired of having cancer, every day I think about how much different my life would be if I never got sick. And then I wonder what my life will be like when I get better. I feel like this is all my life has become. I don’t know what im going to do…its kinda scary, not knowng…..

Leaving Cabo San Lucas. Lover's Beach in the background
At dinner with the whole crew (Chelsea, Kent, Chris, Darcy, Aubray, and Erica). We had a window seat, so we were able to watch the sunset every night.
At a little bar in Ensenada. They had Rattlesnake Tequila, but no one was brave enough to try :)

back from the cruise!

Hello everybody,

I just wanted to let you all know that we made it safely back from the cruise to Mexico. The hurricane affected our schedule a little bit (we had to skip Mazatlan and go to Ensenada instead), but we enjoyed warm weather the whole trip. We all came back with some extra sun, and needless to say it was nice to get away from the cold for a little bit. I enjoyed all the delicious food and wonderful hospitality. I will post some pictures of the trip later on, and hopefully Erica will be on to write about her experience. She went on a zip line tour of the Peurto Vallarta tree tops, and it sounded very exciting!

Darcy

Hi all. I finally got off my sad sack and am updating all of you loyal readers. I was pretty depressed for a while after I got the news that the cancer traveled to my lungs. But I’m feeling much better now, I am once again trying to take control of my health. And that makes me feel much better about my life and my future. I am very touched by the community’s support with the earrings for Erica it’s bringing in more revenue than any of us expected. I don’t want to brag but I am very excited because I am going on a cruise on Saturday night for a week. It’s so nice to have something to look forward to after over a year of treatment. I have good friends going with me and it will be so nice just to forget all of my problems for a week.
Not a whole lot else is going on in my world, just the weekly chemo treatments, and feeling like crap a couple days later. On a good note, my breathing has gotten better; I am on oxygen every night though, that helps for sure! Alright, well have a good night all. I’m so excited I probably won’t be able to sleep for the next couple of days. But it will be WORTH IT! erica

10/02/2008 9:31 PM

update

Erica continues to struggle with being tired and congestion. She is again spending time in Nenana in the sauna which makes her feel better. She has plans to go on a cruise with her friends in a week. Some sun and fun will do her good. Pray for her strength.

Erica continues to breathe easier and feel better. She was able to go to their farm in Nenana for some relaxation and sauna time.

I talked to Erica today. She is doing better, not coughing as much, sleeping better and eating a little. She felt good enough to go out shopping. Go Erica!

Erica has been having a tough time since returning to Alaska. She spent almost a week in the hospital with stomach pains and breathing problems. The doctors continued to treat her for pneumonia and did multiple tests to try to figure out where the pain was coming from. The saw her lungs were cloudy and assumed that was from the radiation and pneumonia. A week ago they decided to put a tube into her lungs to figure out what was going on. The days following the procedure she was pretty out of it, had difficulty even getting out of bed. She got the results on Friday that the breast cancer had spread into her lungs. From what I understand it is not like a tumor in her lungs but more a general infection. She started agressive chemotherapy on Friday.

Erica is very happy with her new doctor, Dr. Cox. Dr Cox is hopeful that now that they know what is going on they can kill the cancer cells and get Erica into remission.

Right now Erica is miserable. The coughing & not eating or sleeping has made her weak. I'm hopeful that the steroids she is now taking along with oxygen she is now using will calm her lungs and she'll get her strength back.

Cards or phone calls would be appreciated. You can email Erica at Tomsha_7@yahoo.com or call her at 805-458-0643. Her mailing address is 1470 Westmoreland Ave. Fairbanks, Alaska 99712

I'll try to keep everyone updated on her progress on a more regular basis.

Thank you for your prayers, Robyn

On another note. We continue to do well with the earring sales. Deb and I are going to do a bazaar or two and need to have a lot of earrings for that. If you have some free time and would like to contribute to the bazaar we could plan a earring making party. If you like to knit I have a pattern for a prayer shawl that I think may sell. Let me know if you are interested in either of these ideas or have another idea. Thanks, Robyn davrobyn@hotmail.com or 322-5086

ericatomsha said...
hey all. So i have been home for a couple of weeks now, but i spent a week of it in the hospital...so im trying to recover now...I ll write more when im feeling better...

9/03/2008 11:39 AM

Hi all of my loyal readers. I am coming up to Alaska on Thursday! I am so excited! I have been here in Seattle for 6 weeks I have two days left of radiation. I am SO relieved. My skin is very burned. Its like the worst sun burn you have ever had, except instead of it getting better it just gets worse. My skin is literally falling off. It is very painful, it itches, and it burns. They give me special creams that they give to burn victims, but it doesn’t relieve the pain. They told me that it will continue to get worse for a week after it’s over and than it will start to get better.

It has been a rough couple of weeks. After I got out of the hospital with pneumonia, I was in the ER 3 more times! The first time I went in because I had really intense pain in my stomach, I thought I had food poisoning. But after a CT of my abdomen, they discovered that I was VERY constipated. (I know that this is kind of a gross subject but it’s actually pretty serious.) I realized I hadn’t gone in about 2 weeks. When I was in the hospital for a week I was on morphine, which is very constipating. So, they gave me an intense laxative and sent me on my way. The next day I had the same crippling pain which sent me right back to the ER, this time they gave me 3 enemas, none of which worked at all. So they gave me a different laxative, and sent me on my way. So I started taking both laxatives, plus a couple over the counter ones I took all of them for a few days, which still didn’t work. By about the 4th day I started having even more intense pain than before. So I went back to the ER, they gave me another CT, but the only thing it showed was a swollen colon. After some thought, the Docs decided that I was having severe cramping from taking too many laxatives, they kept me over night, however, just to be sure. It was still a few more days before I was relieved, but now I feel much lighter! Anyways, that has been my life. My Brother is here with me I am very lucky to have such a supportive family. My mom went back home about a week and a half ago, she knew I was in good hands with my bro. I’m sure I have mentioned that I have to do another year of chemo, but this time I’m going to try to get Alaska Medicare so that I can stay home and hopefully go to school and maybe even get a job. I need to start earning my own money. All of you have been so generous but that money doesn’t last forever, plus I need something to take up my time otherwise I will go stir crazy. Well that’s it for now, sorry I have been so flakey keeping up on this blog. But I have no internet where I’m staying, so it’s pretty hard. Anyways, that’s enough excuses. Thanks for taking the time to read my poop story…..peace out!

Erica coming home Wednesday

ericatomsha said...
Hi all. Im sorry it has been so long since I have written. Im doing much better, and my bro is down here with me right now, so I have been staying pretty busy with him. I only have 2 weeks left of radiation than I get to go home to Alaska! Im so excited! Im actually thinking about going to UAF this fall. something to keep me busy. Im doing pretty good with my treatments right now, my skin is getting a little burned from the radiation but they give me good creams and stuff. Anyways thanks for checking in….erica

8/06/2008 1:22 PM

update

I just spoke with Erica. She is home from the hospital. Still really tired but enjoying having her brother there to visit.

Monday update

Hello! Thanks for checking in on Erica’s website. Right now, Erica is a patient at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. She became ill last week with coughing and fever. Her doc said she needed to be admitted after x-rays came back showing signs of pneumonia. She has now been here for six days. She is definitely getting sick of being sick. The thing about cancer is, that it isn’t always the cancer that makes people sick. For Erica, it is the cure, which has compromised her immune system to make her susceptible to troubles like pneumonia. So now unfortunately she is stuck here until the antibiotics and other treatments put her on the mend. She is definitely getting great care here however. From her hospital room, there is a view of Seattle and Puget sound and the Seattle docks. It’s quite spectacular. Erica has a couple weeks of radiation left, so the docs are having her continue with that.

We are looking into alternative cancer treatments also, as a complimentary therapy. It mostly supports the body and the immune system so you can get through the conventional cancer treatments like chemo, radiation, and any operations….Here is a web sight which we look .to for information.

www.cancertutor.com There are quite a few links to other web sights so one can look further into ways to treat ones own body. It gives hope and a feeling of some control. Erica also sees more than one naturopath to get more ideas to help herself. One of the main theorys to help ones self is to alkalize the body. One can do this by eating plenty of fruit and veges, particularly lemon, lime, cucumbers, wheat grass juice. The idea is that cancer cannot exist in an alkalized body. In places in the world where cancer is rare, the water is said to be very alkaline. This is just one of many things I’ve learned of the course of this journey. There are many minerals and supplements that are simply not in our current food supply. So we try to buy mostly organic veggies.

All For now! Erica will be the next one to write. Looks like she’s turning the corner into Wellsville.

See ya! Anita

Breast Buddies

When we found out our friend Marilyn has breast cancer a group of us decided to show our support for the courage both her and Erica will need in their fight to cure cancer. We decided to become “Breast Buddies” and get pink ribbon tattoos. Dinner, margaritas and tattoos made for a great bonding experience. We all wish Erica could have been there.

Update

Erica has been in the hospital (Swedish) for the past 4 days. She has come down with a bad type of pneumonia and will be in the hospital for the next few days. Please send her your thoughts and prayers, and give her a call if you can - she is just lying in bed with nothing to do. For those that would like to send flowers or gifts, the address is:

Swedish 1st Hill
747 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122-4307

Erica Tomsha, Rm 1209

There is a really nice online gift store at Swedish online http://www.swedish.org/body.cfm?id=67&oTopID=12 , and it will be delivered directly to Erica.

She also wanted me to let you all know that she will be responding to all her emails when she gets out of the hospital.

Thanks,

Darcy

Ok…im finally writing again, it seems like every time I try to write on this thing, I finish my thoughts which usually takes me about, oh, 20 min or so, I go to save it on my blog and it has kicked me off the internet…needless to say I get fairly discouraged. So I’m writing now in hopes that I don’t get the boot! Ok, on to the good stuff. I had a Dr. appointment last week with my old Dr., Dr. Chue. I went back to him because he doesn’t give up like a lot of Dr.s do. And we came up with a plan. I am going to be on this stuff called Tamoxifin, which blocks estrogen production. (So I will be going into menopause for a while) The purpose of blocking the estrogen is to starve any and all cancer that is estrogen dependent (which in my case is about 85%) after about 3-6 months of that we will go straight into chemo, I will do one chemo for 3-4 months than another chemo for 3-4 months and so on for about a year. The theory behind this plan is to not let the cancer build up immunity to the chemo’s, thus making it more effective. So, that’s my plan for the next year. I’m hoping that will be the end. Send me your thoughts on this and if you hear of any new treatments let me know, I can use all the info I can get. Peace

7/20/2008 2:30 PM

ericatomsha said...

I am very sorry i have not written in such a long time, i know the last time i wrote i told you that my cancer had come back, and i was supposed to write again to inform you what the PET scan said. However, i have needed the last week to digest the seriousness of the situation. The scan showed the lymph nodes under my breast bone between my lungs and near my aortic chamber, are positive for cancer, there are quite a few positive nodes. The Doctors tell me that my cancer will never go away at this stage, my best bet is that i will be able to manage it...i say f*ck that! i am going to do anything in my power to try to get rid of this horrible sh*t! i have completely changed my diet, i am doing hi dose vit C infusions, which is basically another way to kill off the cancer but it is not recognized by main stream medicine. i am also going up to Victoria BC on the weekends to go into a hyperbaric chamber, or an oxygen chamber which puts your body under pressure and you breath in pure oxygen. Cancer cannot survive in an oxygen environment. there are a few other alternative treatments that im looking into so i can KICK THIS CANCERS ASS!!!! well, thats what ive been dealing with for the last week, i need your thoughts and prayers now more than ever...please pray for me.

7/08/2008 4:30 PM

This is Robyn. I wanted to update everyone. Anita went to Seattle on Sunday to be with Erica while they await the results of the PET scan. They should hear on Wednesday whether or not the cancer has spread. Anita's sister, Barbara, is staying at the Grizzly Lodge and running the bed and breakfast. She may need some help with some of the chores. If you would be willing to help out please call or email me, I'll keep phone numbers and coordinate any help she may need.

We have been busy making Earrings for Erica to sell. If you know of a business that would be willing to help sell them please let me know. Currently they are located at Alaska Feed, Holm Town, Grubstake, K-Bar-D, Alaska Hair Cutting and Music Mart. They are in self contained boxes and donations are requested. The store owner only needs to display the box.

My email is davrobyn@hotmail.com or phone number 322-5086. Thanks, Robyn

6/26/08

I am not happy about the letter I am writing. I left Fairbanks on Monday night so that I could make a doc appt tues am. when I got to my appointment I showed my dr the ever worsening rash that I have over my mastectomy scar (they MRIed the rash about two months ago and it showed no signs of cancer)he immediately ordered another chest MRI followed by a biopsy of the skin and the swollen lymph nodes that have become apparent in the last couple of weeks (I of course was trying to deny they were there). Of course the MRI Showed us our worst fears...the cancer is back with a vengeance. It is now on my chest wall, it has invaded my skin (which by the way none of the 3 Docs I saw that day have ever seen anything like it before) and the scariest part is it’s in more lymph nodes. I will have a PET scan on Fri to determine whether or not it has spread to any other organs, if that’s the case I’m a stage 4 for sure, if not they are not quite sure what to stage me at, but they were hinting that it probably would be bad.

On a lighter note, the applause letter that I submitted to the newspaper was in the Tuesday edition...check it out and tell me what you think...Also, I will probably be going to AK on the occasional weekend, if this is serious I want to spend as much time there as possible. And for those of you who are wondering, I’m not going to do radiation up there, I don’t take care of myself as well as I should while I’m there, there are too many distractions, I can really focus on myself while I’m in Seattle. One last thing, I start Radiation on Monday and I will also be doing Chemo at the same time, so I will be starting that sometime next week as well....keep me in your prayers...erica

Hi all my devoted readers...sorry its been a while, my life is so full of DRAMA right now its crazy! I will take a minute to fill everyone in...
First off, my Grandfather Passed away on Sat. June 7th, so i will be in Fairbanks for about another week. The Service will be held at 4pm at the First Presbyterian church down town followd by a celebration of life at 316 front st by the river right next to pro music...it is a potluck so bring a dish, we are expecting lots of music and dancing, this is not a sad day...he is in a better place.
Next, i broke up with my Fiance German, again, don’t be sad for me, i love German to death, however i am not ready to get married and start a family. this whole cancer thing has opened my eyes to the fact that i want to be free a little while longer...
I will go back to seattle on probably the 22nd and start my radiation after that. i was trying to do it up here, however it is too expensive and I’m in a great hospital down there, i really trust my Docs...so, all in all i have been having a lot of fun here with my family and friends, and im happy i can stay for a while, obviously not under the circumstances, but i love the sunshine and the good people up here. I’ll miss you guys when i leave....erica
6/13/2008 3:41 PM

How’s it going everyone? I’m doing fantastic! I’m loving alaska so much right now! Its been a little on the chilly side the last week or so. but hopefully it will warm up soon. i went down to our farm in nenana this weekend, i had SO much fun! i didn’t want to leave! I’m actually going to try to do my radiation up here. i just cant bear to leave for 6 weeks during the nicest time of the whole year! so wish me luck on that!
I again would like to thank everyone who has supported me this year, i feel so blessed to be from a community that comes together in such a positive way...im very touched...
anywho...i have been riding my horse a lot, he is very cool, but he has SO much dang energy! wow, i cant keep up with him, i figured that as out of shape as he is it would be a piece of cake...wrong! He works my butt every day! if i do get to stay here for my radiation, my goal is to show him in the show in late June? i think that’s what i heard...keep in touch everyone....chow
5/28/2008 9:19 PM

Hi everyone. I got over feeling yucky the other day...im so glad to be over it...NO MORE CHEMO!!! im so stoked!
German comes to town on Sat night, im pretty happy about that. ive just been sitting at home helping out the family. The farrier is coming tomorrow so im going to start riding here pretty darn soon. im going to get King Aurthur whipped into shape before i go again, maybe someone can keep him going for me before i come back.
I was thinking about coming back to the old AK after my radiation to recover. plus i don’t really want to miss the summer. its been a few years since i was here for the summer, plus my boss in Cali told me to take as much time as i need. she will always have a position for me. I think that is so awesome! I made a good friend out of her, plus im getting my foot in the door with a lot of big time trainers down there.
ok, well, im gonna go back out and enjoy the beautiful day! dont be strangers!
5/15/2008 3:04 PM

Hey all, its me again...im writing back so soon! its amazing! anyways, i just got to Alaska tonight, im surprised how warm it is...its nice. well, my radiation oncologist canceled our appointment at the last min. this am...she had to go to an emergency dentist appt? its ok though, today was just going to be a meet and greet type of appt, so we will have a big appt in a month where we talk about our plan of action and get everything started all at once, i didn’t want to stay in seattle for another 5 days just to see what the woman looks like...Im also going to get my final scans when i get back...i know some of you want to know the results right away...but honestly...i know im healthy...so quit worrying...just joking, you all can worry about me as much as you want...anyways i should get some sleep, i just need to get used to the sunlight again...good night all! erica
5/09/2008 1:16 AM

MY LAST CHEMO IS TOMORROW!!!! I am SO Friggin EXCITED! (can you tell?) i am being flooded with so many emotions this last few days...First, i feel like the luckiest girl in the world because of all of the wonderful people who went to the Silver Spur on Sunday, i had no idea so many people know who I am...i wasn’t there but my parents told me that the turn out was amazing (my dad and my bro both cried), and no one expected the amount of money raised. Thank you all so much...sniff sniff...I want to send out a heart felt THANK YOU to everyone who made the benefit possible...you are all in my prayers...
My second emotion i felt was sadness, i had to leave california again...its not the state that i will miss, its the people...German of course...it gets harder to leave him every time. i don’t have very many close friends down there(not like i do in Alaska) but the ones i do have are wonderful, like my boss Jill. i got to teach her kids while i was there(to some people teaching sounds like work, but to me I’m getting paid to pass on a love of horses). On top of everything she is just waiting with baited breath for me to be able to come back to work...sweet! (It sure is nice to be needed)
And finally, i am STOKED! One treatment left!i still have radiation but six weeks sounds like a breeze compared to what ive been through. I have an appointment with a radiation oncologist on thursday in the AM and i will find out for sure what my plan is...but i am preparing for the best possible scenario (Some people say prepare for the worst...but honestly if i would have been going around preparing for the worst all the time i would be way sicker than i am now).
Well, you just got an in depth look into Erica's emotional closet...i hope i didn’t frighten anyone...ha ha...good night all...
5/06/2008 10:23 PM

hi all. I’m sorry I’ve been a little flakey updating you on my progress...i have just been having so much fun down here in california i have been slacking on my responsibilities. it has been a pretty good week. i have been giving a lot of lessons and spending a lot of time in the sun...its wonderful down here...I’m leaving monday however, back to gloomy old seattle, to have my last treatment! I’m pretty excited about that. Then, i will be up in Alaska for a brief recovery before i start my radiation which goes on for 6 weeks every day...and than...hopefully i will be done...after a year i will be done...i can see the light at the end of the tunnel...sweet!
5/03/2008 6:40 PM

First i want to say sorry for not writing in so long...i am in Cali right now and have felt pretty yucky for the past week. Second, I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me through this experience. i would be lost without you. i want to thank those of you putting on the benefit. i wish i could be there...it would be fun to go dancing at the spur...
like i said I’m in beautiful california now...don’t be too jealous its really windy right now. but I’m going camping tomorrow for 3 days in santa barbara! im really excited about that! i just hope I’m not nauseous like i have been for the last few days...any who...i will try to stay more in touch...thank you everyone! peace!
4/23/2008 4:34 PM

Music Mart and The Silver Spur are coordinating a spaghetti feed benefit for Erica and the Tomsha family. This family fun affair will include spaghetti (donate what you want/can), silent auction, guitar raffle, live music and other prizes and giveaways. The fun begins at Silver Spurs, 285 Romans Way, 4pm on Sunday, May 4th. Organizers would appreciate donations for silent auction and door prizes. Also if you are a musician or know a musician who would like an opportunity to "jam" this benefit is the time. Please call 452-4500 or 456-6300 for more information.

Well, its been a pretty hard week for me. i cant get chemo now until tuesday...and ill tell you why. I woke up Wednesday am and went to brush my teeth and passed out 2 times hitting my head against the mirror. i was pretty out of it so i didn’t realize what was going on. i went into the kitchen to get a drink of water and passed out again. i obviously didn’t feel very well, so i took my temp. i had a fever of 104.3! i was pretty delirious but i was able to pull it together enough to call my Dr. who told me to come in right away. i obviously couldn’t drive so i called an ambulance. it was really scary! I’ve never been that sick before! they kept me in for 3 days, they couldn’t figure out what happened. they took blood, urine, chest xray, and an MRI all were normal, so they decided it was a virus that kicked my ass! of course my mom freaked out but i told her to stay in Alaska, she is needed more up there. plus i was already in the hospital, there’s nothing she could really do. she did say that she’s never letting me come here by myself again...my dads cousin Mary Jo came and picked me up from the hospital, she’s a very nice lady, we went for a walk around greenlake yesterday(its about a 3 mile walk) it was so nice out, it was 82 degrees...take that Fairbanks!
So i cant go down to Cali until Wed or thur...bummer....ill let you all know if i run into any more excitement....chow
4/13/2008 1:04 PM

Well, I’m back in Seattle, i got here yesterday. i came a day earlier than i thought because i have physical therapy this afternoon and i canceled my last appointment with them so i figured it was important for me to keep this one. There are a few people that i didn’t get to see when i came to town. im very sorry to those of you i failed to get a hold of...ill be back to town in about a month so don’t be shy to call me...that might just be the best way to get my attention.
ill be here in Seattle for a few days, i have Chemo on Thursday, i have to get a shot on Friday, so I’m gonna try my hardest to jump on a plane Sat. am to Santa Barbara where my wonderful fiance will pick me up and take me home....im so excited to see the sunshine! it was really cold when i left AK and of course its raining here in the rainy city...go figure...
I’ve been feeling really great the last week and a half! im impressed with how much abuse my body can take. if i get through this i KNOW i can get through anything. Have a wonderful week everyone....peace out!
4/08/2008 12:50 PM

Darcy, Deb and I had lunch with Anita and Erica on Monday. Erica looked great with her new red hair. I am so proud of her and how she is staying strong and fighting to be healthy and happy. Her attitude is amazing. We all learned a lot talking them about all the research they have done. One thing I am going to do is start taking a Vitamin D supplement to strengthen my ability to stay healthy. I guess now that we all are getting outside more it is not as important but those long winter months must deplete our bodies of Vitamin D.

I also learned that she has about 6 weeks more chemo, than she takes a break at which time they do a bunch of different scans, after that she starts her radiation for perhaps 6 months. Sounds like it could be a while before she is really able to work. Deb, Darcy and I have started a new fundraiser, Earrings for Erica. We are making earrings to sell around town. Look for them in stores hopefully within the next two weeks.

Keep up the great attitude Erica. Rest assured that all of you who have donated money have helped to make Erica’s life easier so she can focus on staying healthy and fighting her cancer. Robyn

Hey, well I’m feeling much better the last couple of days...i wanted to give everyone an update...i had a chest MRI the day after my chemo and it was clean! now don’t start jumping up and down just yet, i still need my bone scan, PET scan and CT scan(don’t ask me what all the letters mean, all i know is they are super high tech cancer screening scans) but i am keeping my fingers crossed. i have been getting my cancer vaccine every week which means i have been giving myself SUPER painful shots. Anyways, i am enjoying my time in the frozen tundra. i went and listened to some music last night and I’m going to a comedy show with my good friend Darcy on Friday which I’m super excited about. well, keep in touch!
3/27/2008 1:05 PM
ericatomsha said...
PS i went and bought a couple super cute wigs yesterday! They make me look hot!

Happy Easter All. I am in Alaska now, i was able to get my chemo...however, driving back from spokane my car broke down, i need a new transmision...but i got there anyways, im feeling pretty tired these days, but i will write again when im a little more peppy...chow

3/24/2008 2:19 PM

Hi everyone! im sorry it has taken me so long to post an update. it has been a really long week for me! I got in to Seattle a week ago, everything went well. my bro flew in the next day, he had a 12 hour layover, so i picked him up and we hung out for the day...that was pretty fun. the next day i got my vitamine drip and my first cancer vaccine...which hurt like a mother by the way...that night i took my temp (im in the habbit of taking my temp in the am and pm) and it was 102.5 so i drove myself to the hospital, where they took my blood, urine, and that kind of stuff...they concluded that i just had a minor bug, so they sent me home that night. when i woke up the next morning i had a fever of 103 i called my doc and he said that because all the tests the night before were neg i sould just stay in bed all day. well i stayed in bed and my temp was down by about noon. the next day was chemo i went in excited beause i was supposed to go home to fairbanks the next day. however when i got my blood drawn they discovered that my platletts were too low for treatment, you can only imagine the look of dissapointment on my face! Some good came out of it however...instead of staying in seattle and feeling sorry for myself, i decided to drive to eastern Washimgton to visit my Family...so thats where i am now...things didnt work out the way i had planned but if they did i wouldnt be here. i will drive back to Seattle on tuesday to try to get chemo again on wednsday. wish me luck...i need all i can get!

3/15/2008 9:44 AM

Hey everyone. I will be leaving for Seattle tomorrow. I’m super bummed because I don’t think my brother will be able to meet me there. the rules of his ticket and because its spring break, he wont be able to leave Seattle until the 20th...its ok though, I will leave on the 13th, so I will only be there for a few days by myself...plus I have some family in the area to drive me home from chemo, I’ll be fine.
I wanted to send a special thank you out to Robyn and Darcy Davies. They have made my life much easier. They have done everything, from setting up this blog to introducing me to Susan Afton(who has been an angel with plane tickets)thank you SO much!
I start my cancer vaccine on Monday...apparently it hurts a lot! I’m not necessarily looking forward to it. Especially since I’m going to have to give it to myself while I’m out of Seattle...ouch! well, wish me luck...
3/07/2008 10:44 AM

So, another good day today. i was able to go ride horses on the beach! it was so good to get out in the sunshine! German and i just got back from bible study, we had a good evening. i have been having good days here, the weather has been working in my favor for sure! well, i made plans with my bro today, he will be the one to meet me in seattle this time, and than i will go back to fairbanks with him. so thats the runndown for now...bye

2/28/2008 10:52 PM

Hey everyone. I am feeling good here in Cali. I feel the best that i have felt in a long time. I even went and rode today! I am going to go ride everyday this week! I feel better having a purpose. otherwise i feel like i have nothing to do. I talked to my brother yesterday, i think he will meet me in Seattle this time, he will be on his way back from arizona, so it will be perfect timing. Im going to a bbq tonight. im pretty excited. i miss socializing, im having a great time, dont feel too sorry for me, its 70 degrees here, im loving every minute of it! ill let you know how its going later in the week...

2/26/2008 3:10 PM

hi all. I had chemo on wed. im in california now. its raining...im not feeling too sick yet, hopefully i wont get too sick this time. anyways, i have my computer with me so i can check in all the time. feel free to write...ill be here for a couple of weeks...ill write back soon...peace

2/23/2008 3:11 PM

Hi everyone. Sorry i didn’t write yesterday, i tried but my computer was acting up. anyways, i had an appt with my naturopath yesterday, it went well, i got a vitamin infusion and the took my blood for the cancer vaccine that i will be getting, i know i previously mentioned that they were going to use tumor tissue to make it up, however, even though i was told they could get it, the only sample that the hospital kept was enough for the pathologist to examine and that sample is dead...bummer. they can use my blood, its just not quite as effective. because they took a blood sample i had to pre-pay for the vaccine which was $1750, plus the vitamins and some supplements, the total came out to be $2230! Health care is very expensive! I want to send out a special thank you to the hard working guys who work for Norcon up north. These wonderful men gathered up a sizable donation which has been a saving grace. Everyone who has been able to help is an angel...thank you so much. Every bit touches my heart beyond mention...thank you.
On a different note, Im feeling pretty darn good today, im a little sleepy, but that’s because i drank caffeinated tea too late and was not able to sleep last night. my body is not used to caffeine, so a little goes a long way. I have chemo tomorrow, it will be my 3rd treatment out of 6...half done! yah!I will be going to Cali on friday, i get to hang out with my love for 2 1/2 weeks! im so stoked! and than i will come back to seattle have another treatment, start my vaccine, than possibly go to fairbanks. my dad will be working up north so my mom will have to stay home, which means i will have to go somewhere where i have someone to watch over me...i sound like i need a babysitter...jeeze. im excited not just to visit german but to get out of this city. its starting to wear on me, i have been here for 8 months and its starting to feel like 8 years...i wish i could enjoy it, but i know why im here...so its not so much fun...by the way, if anyone out there has extra airline miles not being used feel free to pass them my way...traveling isn’t cheep...Alright everyone, have a wonderful week...hope to hear from all of you very soon. keep in touch, i enjoy phone calls...bye
2/19/2008 2:29 PM

hey all! did I tell you that i am moving? I will be house sitting for a woman for about 6 months! I move today! I'm very excited! I like new places and new experiences! the womans name is Doreen Barnett. She is from Fairbanks. I wonder if she is one if the original Barnetts? anyways, she has a CUTE house, its very sunny and has good energy, which is very important to my recovery. She's a grandmother so she has lots of knick knacks all over her house, very adorable! I think i will be very happy there! I also have a new mailing address, its PO Box 1725 Lynnwood, WA 98046. if anyone wants to come visit, feel free to give me a call, I have an extra bedroom. Ok well...I gotta go pack have a great day all!

2/16/2008 9:35 AM

ericatomsha said...
PS: I guess I should mention that i am feeling pretty darn good today! I slept good for the first time in a long time. That's definitely a praise report! I have an appointment Monday at my Naturopath I have to pay for my cancer vaccine than...wish me luck!

2/16/2008 9:39 AM

Well, today was a good day! My Mom and I walked around the city, (she was my date for a movie also) we did a bunch of window shopping, we had a blast! its the most fun I've had here in a long time! that's definitely a praise report! I also got a call from my Naturopath, they will be able to get a sample of my tumor tissue to make the vaccine! it should be ready in about 2 weeks, even though i have to pay for it on Monday I can get my first shot when I get my next treatment (I'm going to wait till than because im going to go back to see German in Cali for a couple weeks!). I'm going to be moving in a couple days. I will be house sitting for 6 months! Ill be able to come and go as I please and best yet...its free! I'm telling you God is smiling in my direction! Because I will be moving I will change my mailing address, ill let you all know as soon as I do. I will prob get a PO Box so i wont have to change it again. Well, happy valentines day Ya'll. Ill check back in soon. God Bless...

2/14/2008 11:47 PM

ericatomsha said...
PS if anyone wants to read about the cancer Vaccine that i will be getting there is a link at the right hand bottom of this page. its very interesting...check it out! luv ya

2/15/2008 8:44 AM

hey. well, i had my appt at the U of Wash yesturday. it went well...the Dr. agreed with everything I am doing now, he said he wouldnt change a thing! What good news! that takes a lot of pressure off. i also went to my naturepath today, they said that they really think that the cancer vaccine will help so they are going to do it for $1750 instead of $7500! that is an answer to my prayers! thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! keep it up! its helping!

2/12/2008 5:53 PM

Did you all miss me? Sorry for the long break...i know you are all rivited by my juicy life(ha ha). Anyways, i am back in Seattle(woohoo), I had a FANTASTIC time in Cali with my Fiance(I love saying that...)It was so beautiful there, Ill spare all you Alaskans the warm weather details, i dont want to make you jealous. I will say that I spent more than half my days at the beach...
Ok, down to business, I have an appointment with the U of Wash on Monday. I am very curiouse about what they have to say, I think its going to be very informitive. I spoke with a lady who had breast cancer and went there, she said you get a lot of attention, because its a teaching hospital, she said they sit you on a tabe in the middle of like 10 Docs and take turns talking about you! Cool! Well, my Mom is meeting me here in Seattle this time, its her turn ya know. Shes on her way now, i have to pick her up from the airport in a couple hours. Im very excited to see her. Dont get me wrong, i loved having my Pops here with me, but he wont do girly things with me like window shopping and seeing chick flix. My Mom and I are going to have fun, as long as im feeling ok. Im finally feeling better. This round of Chemo is kicking my ASS! excuse my language, butI have felt like Crap untill 2 days ago, not to mention ive lost about 8 pounds. and im going to feel good for a week untill i get treatment again in the 19th. This chemo stuff is getting old FAST! Anywho, I will let you all know how my appointment goes tomorrow! Pray for me. I also wanted to give you all a heartfelt Thank You. I have gotten so much wonderfull support. Not just emotionally, but finantialy as well, it is so appreciated and needed. Thank you. Peace out!

2/10/2008 9:47 AM

Hey Everyone! Im so excited! Im going to Cali tomorrow to see the love of my life! I cant wait! I can only stay for 10 days though, because i have an appointment with the U of Wash! I got in! The appointment is on the 11th! Hopefully they will be able to shed some more light on my situation...
Today was not such a good day for me. When i woke up this am I felt like i fell out of a truck! I hurt SO much! I wasnt able to eat anything untill night time, and than i threw most of it up:( I did go get my nails done, that made me feel better, If any of you come to Seattle, go to the Belleview Club and get a mani/pedi from a girl named Jennifer. Shes the best! Anyways, if you dont hear from me for a few days dont fret, Im with my lover...

1/31/2008 10:05 PM

Hi All. I am in the RAINY city again. I just had chemo today. This was my 2nd treatment this round. It didn't go too bad. I hope i dont have to spend any time in the hospital this time. Well im going to try to go see German between treatments. I am going to try and leave on Friday. So before than im going to get a vitamin infusion and some accupuncture before I go. Also, to prevent possible hospital visit, my Doc prescribed me some antibiotics to try to keep my blood counts up(at least my white ones). Keep praying for me! Oh, and before i forget, if anyone has tried to contact my myspace, its messed up, i cant even use it....sorry. Ok, Peace out yo!

1/29/2008 8:49 PM

Hi all. Well im heading back to Seattle in the am. There is a huge snow storm here right now, the airport is shut down, they even cancelled Church! It will be a slow go tomorrow, but we'll make it. Im not too excited about getting treatment, but i guess its necessary. Im hoping that after this treatment i am able to go to Cali and see German, (isnt he cute?!) Im praying that my Dr will give me the ok. Even if its just for a week. Pray that I have a safe trip back. See ya on the flip side!

1/27/2008 12:06 PM

Erica and German, her fiance, last Thanksgiving,

Today I scheduled my next Chemo appt. Tues. the 29th will be the big event! Yippie!(I hope you can tell im being sarcastic) When i woke up this am my right arm and hand were numb, and I had a pain in my hand. this had happend the last few mornings. I finally called my surgions office today and asked what it could be. The worry is if it is Lymphodema. which is a lifelong condition and can get very painfull, but the nurse eased my mind and said it could be a number of things. so we scheduled an appointment for tuesday am before chemo, Im praying that its nothing, I would appreciate it if you all do the same thing. So I will be driving back to Seattle on Monday hopefully i will be coming back this direction as soon as possible after chemo. I love it here!(not as much as California of course!) Peace out my homies.

1/24/2008 5:43 PM

Jan 9th (old post)

This is a post from January 9th that was overlooked. oops!

1/09/2008 6:13 PM

Well, today was filled with dr. appointments all day! I had an appt with a shrink this am...I didnt really want to go, but it wasnt so bad...she was very nice and said that I didnt need to see her on a regular basis, but I can call her anytime...so thats nice, Its good to have some of that kind of support in my corner. After that I had to get a shot and than I had to get an echo of my heart, because apparently this new Chemo can damage your heart muscles. Say a little prayer for me! And I wrapped my day up by going to get a bra prosthesis. Those things are expensive!!! I spent $330! On a Bra!!!! oh well, I guess I needed it. Did you know that if I didn't get the fake boob, because of the uneven weight your spine can curve? I just learned that fun fact today... anyways, good night all!

1/22/2008 8:28 PM

Yummy Juice! My dad and i just finished making more juice. its SO good! Here's a hint, if your not a big breakfast eater, or don't have time for breakfast, make up a batch the night before and you have a wonderful, nutritious, quick breakfast to-go(I suggest putting it in a thermos). Also, to make it sweeter, grapes are a wonderful addition. I went to the hospital today, I was scheduled to go in for a blood draw. My blood was, to my gleeful relief, terrific. That made my day. I also talked to my Doc about doing chemo over here(north of Spokane), he would take all of his orders from my Doc in Seattle, I would still be getting good care, and I would be with family, which trumps them all. He thought it was very do-able so i will talk to my "Big City Dr." and see what he thinks. I will still go to Seattle and get check-ups whenever necessary. This is my plan but it all hinges on what they say at U of Wash. which hasn't contacted me yet regarding my appt...frustrating. The last few days I have been feeling pretty good. I have been throwing up however, I ralphed about 6 times yesterday...yuk! On a related note, I started loosing my hair today, but this time I'm going to shave it off before i make a mess like last time. I learned my lesson the hard way. Have a wonderful night ya'all. Peace out.

erica

p.s. I found a blog that didn't get posted if anyone wants to take a peak. Its under the Jan. 5th heading, I wrote it on Jan 8th. See Ya on the flip side!

out of the hospital

1/19/2008 2:16pm

Hey Everyone! Im out of the Hospital...finally! I got out yesterday. It was so boring. Im feeling a little better today, but im getting tired easily, i wish i had more energy, all I seem to want to do is nap. I did go to spokane today, Dad and I went to pick up a juicer. I got one for christmas but I left it in Alaska. I can tell that I need the veggies and fruit i get when i make my own juice. I feel so good after I drink one. I put so much good stuff in it; carrots, celery, beets, collard greens, apples, berries, pears, kiwi...you can put anything in it that you want. You can make fresh orange juice. they are so worth the couple hundred bucks you will spend. I highly recommend a juicer to anyone! Stay healthy and have a good day!

Erica

in the hospital

Hello everybody,

I talked to Erica on the phone a few minutes ago. She wants everyone to know that she was admitted to the hospital at 2am Wednesday morning because she was running a fever. The doctors told her to go to the emergency room if her temp ever got above 100.3 and she was at 100.8. The fever is under control but the doctors noticed that her white blood cell count is low, so they are keeping her there to pump fluids and to decrease the chance of an infection, since her body is not able to fight sickness very well right now. Hopefully she will be out of the hospital tomorrow, but she doesn't know. She and her father are still visiting family outside of Spokane, so she is at St. Josephs Hospital in Chewelah. The doctor at St. Josephs is in close contact with Erica's doctor in Seattle. Erica said that it is somewhat common for chemo patients to be admitted for fevers and low white blood cells, so don't worry too much, but do send your thoughts and prayers out to her! She is also bummed because this turn of events will most likely put a stop to upcoming travel plans she had to visit California. Go ahead and give Erica a call on her cell phone, I think she is pretty bored right now (805-458-0643)

Darcy

http://www.sjhospital.org/

Well, Im feeling better day by day...If this is the worst they can throw at me, its not bad! I helped my uncle today, I went and shovled snow for about an hour, so I got my workout for the day. My Dad and I decided to stay here for as long as we can. Im going to try to get a vitamine drip while im here. Of course if the university of Wash. calls I will get back for that appointment, and if my Dr. calls and wants to take blood or something i guess i will have to go back. but right now im just going to enjoy being here...

1/13/2008 4:13 PM

Hi All! I had another great day today. I shoveled more snow, im getting a great workout! My Dad and I are helping my uncle put an addition onto his shop, so we have a project while we are here. I did some reserch to try to get a vitamine infusion and I have to go to Spokane which is about an hour away(we are in a little town called Valley, which is about an hour north of Spokane)to get one however, so I might wait a couple of days. University of Wash. emailed me today! The woman Ive been corresponding with emailed me today and thanked me for dropping off my charts(which are like 3 inched thick!) and said she will contact me again either at the end of this week or early next week with an appointment time. They are going to review my charts in the meantime. Well, thats all the news for today....Peace out!

1/14/2008 8:08 PM

Hey all out there in computer land! I’m In Spokane this weekend. Its about 300 miles east of Seattle, My dad and I decided to leave gloomy Seattle for a few days...(as many cancer breaks as I can get the better) right now we are at my uncles house watching the football game...apparently its a big weekend for football...anyways, I have a naturopath appointment this week, hopefully I will get a vitamin drip too. they make me feel so good! I had a physical therapy appt last week that i had to cancel, I felt pretty crappy wed, thur, and fri. I feel much better today though. Change of scenery always helps...well, keep praying for me...have fun!!!

Im back in Seattle now, I had a Dr. appt today plus I had Chemo. The Doc said that this round will be much tougher than the last round. I think im up for it. We also talked about Duke and he said that he was going to look into it for me. I also mentioned University of Wash and he thought it was a great idea. he evan gave me the name of a Dr. that he has heard great things about. That gives me hope....Well, Im not working for the horse trainer down here anymore. I probobly wont be very reliable, so I decided it was prob best not to put that stress on her.
Have a good night everyone!

1/08/2008 6:45 PM

Well, my time in Ak is winding down, I go back to Seattle Mon. morninng, which is my b-day(bummer), and have a dr. appt. tues. morning. I will start Chemo on tuesday also. I talked to my Dr. and he said that instead of me going all the way to N. Carolina @ Duke he will try to talk to the Docs there and see what they say! so hopefully that will save me a trip. I am still planning on going to U of W even though I don't have an appt as of yet, Im going to wait till I get there and just walk in and see what they say. Anyways, If I dont get back online this weekend, I will as soon as I get back to Seattle. Peace out!

1/04/2008 6:53 PM

12/31/2007 10:46 AM
ericatomsha said...
Hey, Ive been in Alaska for a few days now. time sure does slow down when you're up here. My recovery is going good, I am thinking more and more about U of Wash. they may be my best bet when i go back . its a lot to think about. Anyways, Im having a great time. everyone have a happy new year!

1/02/2008 5:47 PM
ericatomsha said...
Hi, I just want to tell everyone to have a happy new year! I called Duke today to reconfirm my appointment on the 7th. and of course they had no record of it! So i have another appointment for the 16th. this one is for sure. My plan now is to head back to seattle this weekend and hopefully get a round of chemo so i dont feel like im just sitting around waiting. Hopefully things will start working out for the better. Ill update you when I learn more!