Healing Path

After over two years of struggle with lung cancer Sherri Walters passed away on Monday, February 21st, 2011, in the presence of her sons Daniel and Matthew and her husband Andrew.

Please read the memorial page for further information.

Sorry for the mix-up with the website. Somehow with perfect timing we let our old web address expire. It has now been corrected by my web master son, Andrew with everything set up under my name.

We had a bit of a heat wave yesterday. I was able to set out on the deck and soak up some rays from the sun. It was 40 degrees. You could hear the dripping of the water as the snow melted. It will take quite a bit of dripping before we are close to seeing anything like the ground. A sunny day sure puts a smile on your face in the middle of a long winter, though.

Pleasure in the little things….

I made myself an eggs and toast breakfast.
I helped do dishes!
I walked the stairs to the landing twice!

I’ve made my first transition toward health, leaving the Concord Hospice House on Thursday and moving to our friends at Little River B&B in Peterborough, NH. We will be moving into a house in Peterborough in the next week or so. I have an amazing support team here so we have decided to transition to Peterborough for the time being. Daniel will be moving in with us to be my caregiver while Andrew is off to work. We can be reached by email, phone and cell phone.

Each day I receive Meaning & Purpose Words for Wellness from Cancer Research and Wellness

One I recently received stated: When motivated by goals with deep meaning, by dreams that need completing, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life!

Even as my health has been compromised over the past months I need to hold on to my dreams and sense of meaning to life.

For over two years I have gone the route of traditional treatment of my cancer along with alternative therapies to complement. I have always wondered while doing this how much focus needs to be placed on what caused this cancer of mine and the cancers of oh so many others. Cancer rates have not declined over the past years during which we have been waging a war on cancer. We need to be looking for a reason along with our search for a cure. Perhaps they are complements to each other.

As a goal for myself in this direction I am hitching my wagon to a star in Sandra Steingraber with her book and newly released documentary film Living Downstream. I have purchased a copy of the film hoping to be a support in its being shown around New Hampshire and beyond.

We had some challenging days together after Christmas this year as my health took a turn for the worse. Breathing issues brought me to the ER room at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital where eventually after a few days I was stablized. I have been staying almost a month at Concord Hospice House in Concord, NH.

One exciting happy outcome of all our troubles was the lovely wedding of my son, Andrew, and his dear girlfriend, Angela. They had all of four days to plan. She was a most lovely bride. Follow this link to see some pictures.  Wedding Pictures The wedding was held at the Hospice House. It was quite a highlight for all involved.

As my breathing and health continue to stablize we are making plans to move from here. We will keep you posted as to how that goes.

In the mean time I am thankful for each day I have to live with my family. I am making plans for the future. Each day that I have is a gift.

Let’s catch up! (This one is out of order…but it will let you know about this past Summer and Fall)

At the end of May Bonnie and I went to Rockport MA to check it out in the Spring. We usually go with our Mom in the Fall. It was great! The flowers were beautiful. Much more sun. After starting the day at Helmut’s Strudel for coffee, tea and a strudel just across the street from our hotel we discovered lot’s of places to walk getting some much needed exercise. I was feeling much better on my new clinical trial getting along without  using O2.

Pansies do it every time!

Our trip inspired much gardening at my own gardens. I started small with window boxes.

My life was full of Homeschool Evaluations April through June and even into July and August.  Visits with homeschool families offering inspiration and support is a favorite part of my year. In fact I’m finally working on my homeschool website as part of my teacher certification hours I need every three years. Feel free to visit the work in progress. Living, Loving & Learning Together!

Andrew and I drove to North Carolina for a lovely wedding in June also celebrating our own 10 year anniversary. This was where we received the news that the clinical trial I was on seemed to be working. Time for jumping up and down with hopeful happiness.

I continued to feel well until August. After a CT scan it was determined the cancer had made its way around the treatment on the move again. We tried to hold off from starting another chemo to wait for a slot in another clinical trial. This was not to be. I was not feeling so good.

With decision making assistance from my boys and parents we decided to try another chemo treatment. This one called Irinotecan was started on August 11. The main side affect seemed to be watery eyes and runny nose.

While not on a clinical trial I have taken the opportunity to try some alternative therapies. I am doing Iscador (Mistletoe) treatment and Low Dose Naltrexone

Just a few weeks ago we noted my O2 levels were not so good again. After the latest CT scan we are off to try something else. I’m continuing with the above alternatives. We have sent a blood sample to Greece and received input from there. My name is on the list for three potential trials.

Somewhere in my memory I  recall my Mom saying in a voice a few decibels higher than normal “Shut the door, Richard!”

Close the door, Richard!

I always wondered who Richard was but I did know I was receiving much more than a hint that I had left a door open to the cold or the bugs. I found out a month or so ago that my body has ‘left a door open’ or the ‘water running’ within my genes releasing a protein that my cancer needs to survive.

I found out in January that I did not have the ALK mutation I was hoping for. A several weeks later, Dr. Alice Shaw, from MGH called to say she had sent my samples in again and a HER2 mutation was found. I don’t quite understand all of the science but it seems this trial is trying to close the door (turn of the water) to keep the protein out (or in) that causes  my cancer cells to grow.

I have a CT scan a week from tomorrow that will let us know if that process has started.

In the mean time I’m trying to live my life.

Sorry for the delay in posting. In November and December we were busy exploring  the possibility of gene mutation testing to try to pinpoint a new therapy available through a clinical trial. We visited with Dr. Alice Shaw of Mass. General Hospital who is involved in clinical trials for lung cancer there. See Genotyping at Mass General The mutation we were hoping for was called ALK for short. The woman in the video above had that mutation with amazing results using the trial drug. In mid December I had a biopsy to discover if I the ALK mutation as well as many other possible mutations that may be useful  for future trials. New discoveries are being made all the time.

I had a few complications after the biopsy which caused me to require a 5 day stay in the hospital. Because of my lung not wanting to stay inflated I had a Talc procedure done that was a little on the painful side. Thankfully all that is over. I was able to be home in time to enjoy a wonderful Christmas with my family. Mom and Dad, Bonnie’s family and Dave’s family were able to gather with us in Bon’s inviting lake house to celebrate Christmas together.

Sherri (in red) and Bonnie (in green) just crossed this bridge over 100 feet in the air. Brave huh? or Crazy!

It was a little bit of a low time as the Talc procedure set me back a little. When you are feeling well it is easy to be up. The opposite being true…it is easy to be discouraged when you are not feeling well.

Time passed and we received the news that I did not have the mutation we were hoping for. I took a few minutes to be sad and disappointed. It was time to cross the next bridge. We had been preparing ourselves for that. With the new year I started a new chemo regiment. I seem to be handling this one even better than the last two. I do not get sick, or tired (maybe 2 or 2 naps in the days following the chemo) and my thin hair seems to be filling in from the last chemo.

So to the bridge picture in this post. Bonnie and I took an adventure last week to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Our theory being that we would have to take matters into our own hands. Since I didn’t have the mutation we were hoping for we would scare the cancer out of me. We decided to take a Canopy Zip Line Tour. If you know my sister, Bonnie, you might think this is more of a ‘Bonnie Thing’ and you would be right. I did not sleep well the two nights before the tour. But I survived no worse for wear. It was beautiful to make our way through the snow covered trees in the softly falling snow whether on the ground, zipping through the air or crossing between tree platforms on a rope bridge. Along with zipping, Bonnie and I enjoyed four hours of cross-country skiing helping me to realize I had recuperated from my hospital stay.We were royally treated at the Mount Washington Resort Hotel. I especially enjoy the waffles at the breakfast buffet, the Victorian Afternoon Tea in the Princess Room, a night swim in the heated outdoor pool and relaxing in front of the many fireplaces scattered throughout the hotel. (THANK YOU Bonnie and Frank for a mostly relaxing break!!!)