The Kathy Spurlock Blog

Kathy Memorial Video

2010-06-23T23:57:00.003-06:00

The viewing and funeral were beautiful, and well attended, thanks to you.
Here is a miniature of the video shown at the viewing, dedicated to Kathy and her life.
Thanks to everyone for your love and support of Kathy and Larisa.
She will be missed...Greatly!

Kathy's Obituary

2010-06-19T15:30:00.006-06:00

Kathryn Joyce Lindow Spurlock, age 43, died June 17th, 2010. She was born November 5th, 1966 in Provo Utah to Kay Dexter and Joyce Hansen Lindow. She grew up and spent most of her life in Alpine, Utah. She married Robert Spurlock on January 27, 1989 in the Salt Lake Temple and later divorced. She was blessed with a beautiful daughter, Larisa, who became the center of her life. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She had a deep love of all four legged creatures and leaves a special cat, named Hannah, behind. She spent her years in learning and sharing. She achieved three associate degrees with the last being radiation technology, which work she truly loved. She was a peacemaker and always looked for the opportunity to lend a helping hand. Although her life was much too brief, it has meaning and impact because of the values she lived. She is survived by her loving daughter, Larisa, her father, Kay Lindow, brothers and sisters; Peggy (Robert) Boehner, Diane (Richard) Butler, Ruth (Pierce) Peterson, James (Lisa) Lindow, Benjamin (Eden) Lindow, Jeannette (Patrick) McCormick, Jonathan (Sherry) Lindow, Shawn (Bobette) Lindow. After a long struggle with cancer, she will be welcomed home, by her mother Joyce.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday June 22, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in the Fort Canyon chapel located at 900 North Main Street in Alpine, Utah. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service.

Friends may visit with the family Monday June 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Warenski Mortuary located at 1776 North 900 East, American Fork. Burial will be in the Alpine City Cemetery.

Kathy has Passed Away

2010-06-18T06:38:00.004-06:00

I am saddened to write that our dear Kathy passed away last night, Thursday June 17th, at 11:30 PM. She will be missed greatly. Thanks to all of you for showing Kathy your great love and support throughout her illness.

A Brief Update

2010-06-16T22:59:00.006-06:00

A lot has happened since the Christmas cruise - which by the way was a success, and quite fun, though tiring for Kathy. After the cruise, Kathy started chemo up again. It wasn't easy, but she kept going, even when the doctor kept bringing up the 'H' word - 'Hospice'. Then, a couple of months later, Kathy was admitted to the hospital. She was re-hydrated, and the pain meds were adjusted. After much contemplation, she decided it was time to go on hospice. She felt better and was able to get out once in a while, until recently...

Here are a few pictures taken during the cruise.

2009-12-10T23:35:00.009-07:00

Last time I wrote, Kathy was in and out of the hospital quite frequently. The last time she almost had a kidney failure! It was decided to stretch out each cycle of chemo from two weeks to now three weeks, so her body could handle it better. And Kathy changed doctors, switching from Dr. Wendy Breyer to Dr. Steve Wallington for chemo, and Dr. Gardner for pain management. This has been a Godsend for Kathy, as she has not had to go to ER even once since making the change, whereas before she was there every couple of weeks. The new doctors are monitoring her vitals, like Potassium, more closely, and she now gets needed hydration through an IV every night.

Kathy finished her set of chemo in October, and the test results showed the chemo was effective in preventing the cancer from spreading, and in some places reducing it slightly, and more significantly in one - so it's being kept under control. We would have all preferred that the cancer had been eradicated, but it was still good news nonetheless. Dr Wallington is very good about laying out all the options for Kathy, and letting her choose. Since the chemo did do some good, Kathy is continuing with it. Every three months she'll get a progress check, including a CT scan - the next one being Dec. 15th.

Last month was momentous, as Kathy was able to attend her father's wedding to Merlene at the Mount Timpanogos temple. Here is a picture niece Sarah Boehner McConkie took of Kathy and Larisa. Don't they look great?!! Oh yes, and you'll notice Kathy is looking much slimmer. She's lost 80-85 pounds, but doesn't recommend this particular diet! If Kathy seemed wobbley, blame it on her shoes! It was the first time wearing regular shoes in quite some time, and they did not help her balance. She thanks all those who were looking out for her and keeping her upright.
Kathy also made it to the large Thanksgiving gathering, and was happy to see everyone, and us to see her.

Kathy and Larisa are really excited to be going on a Mexican Riveria cruise on Dec. 21st. The doctor says this will be great medicine for her well being, and has given his full approval. Watch for an update following their return!

2009-06-28T20:30:00.001-06:00

As I write, Kathy is in the hospital as of yesterday, when she checked into ER with weakness. This happened a couple of weeks ago as well, and she was given blood transfusions to bring her red blood cell count up. She was scheduled to start another round of chemo tomorrow, but this is, of course, now on hold. Since the last update, Kathy has had some really good days. She's had relief from the pain, and even as of a few days ago was feeling relatively good. We missed her at the Lindow and Hansen Reunions that just took place on Friday and Saturday, but it was great seeing Larisa. I'll keep you posted as we know more...

Catch Up

2009-05-29T05:35:00.001-06:00

A lot has happened since last posting an update... Kathy completed her first 2 months of Chemo the end of April, and was tested to see if it was working. Hooray! The tumors had shrunk by about 25%. But intense abdominal pain prompted a visit to ER on May 1st. It was thought emergency surgery was required, so Kathy was transported by ambulance from the AF Hospital to UVRMC. The culprit was an infection, so no surgery was needed, except to implant a new port. Kathy spent a week in the hospital, and Jeannette, who'd flown in from Washington, spent most of that time with her.

Once out of the hospital, chemo treatments commenced again. The chemo is expected to last 6 months, so Kathy is now half way through.

It has been a rough row for Kathy. With nausea and lack of appetite, she has lost 50 pounds in 3 months. Coupled with intense and near-unrelenting abdominal pain, Kathy can only sleep a few hours at a time, leaving her very weakened and fatigued. This pain has prompted several visits to the ER, the most recent being just a few days ago. But in the past couple of days, a stronger pain patch has helped ease the pain, which has made a huge difference for Kathy. Just yesterday she got a cute new haircut, her shortest ever. Her hair continues to thin from the chemo, but still looks great!

If you visit Kathy, she is proud to show off the beautiful quilt made by her co-workers at the AF Hospital. Each square represents something about Kathy, or contains a message.

2009-04-04T10:16:00.001-06:00

MESSAGE FROM KATHY

To my dear family and friends,
This diagnosis hit me like a speeding train from nowhere. I was not expecting this when I went to the Emergency Room. To say the least I have been quite overwhelmed. I am so thankful for all your well wishes and prayers. I am doing better each day and as Jim says, I'm keeping my toes pointed forward. I have chemo every other Wednesday and it wipes me out for about 4 days. Remarkably I still have my hair although it is starting to thin. Thank you again for all your words of encouragement it has helped more than you know. I love you all.
Love, Kathy

2009-03-09T20:58:00.000-06:00

Today Kathy had her first chemo treatment! The chemo is called FOLFIRI, where a round consists of 3 days of chemo followed by 11 days off. The first day consists of a 4 hour drip administered in the doctor's office. On the second day, chemo is administered at home through a pump. The pump is removed on the third day, and a shot administered. After two rounds of chemo, Kathy will be retested.

Kathy has been very weak and extremely nauseated (before the chemo), so her oncologist, Dr. Wendy Breyer (she was Jim's chemo doctor too!) was going to delay starting the chemo, until they found elevated CEA levels, and thought it best to not wait.

There was hope that Kathy would also be able to participate in a colon cancer trial with the Huntsman Institute, but she was disqualified when the KRAS test came back positive for an abnormality in the DNA that prevents the treatment from being effective.

Friday Jeannette flew down from Seattle to see Kathy, and help in any way she could. Jeannette is also an invaluable resource in cancer related treatments.

Last week, Friday February 27th, Kathy had a port surgically implanted, to make it easier to administer the chemo.

Kathy, we love you and think about you, and pray for you all the time!

2009-02-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

No new changes. The doctor's will be meeting soon to decide the next course of treatment. Stay tuned...

This coming Fast Sunday, March 1st, we're asking all who can to include Kathy in your fast and prayers. And also Bob and Peggy Boehner (Bob recently lost his job.)

Jen Armstrong is going to help us out on this blog. She has done a wonderful job on her own family's blog at: http://swimmingwithoutalifejacket.blogspot.com/ and we're thankful she has offered her services. Thanks Jen!

Information on Colon Cancer Compiled by Jeannette

2009-02-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Diagnostic and Staging Information
Need to get PET Scan, CEA, Surgical report and Pathology report. We also need to know more about the number and sizes of the liver lesions and the venious involvement you described. Before chemotherapy, ask to get tested for the KRAS gene mutation because it can affect which drugs you should be given. We know your cancer is advanced stage because of the lesions in the liver and abdomen.
The following also affect prognosis and we need to know the status to help make decisions. Differentiated histology, venous invasion of tumor and preoperative elevation of CEA.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA Information)
It is a complex glycoprotein that is associated with the plasma membrane of tumor cells, from which it may be released into the blood.
The CEA has been sugested as having prognostic value for patients with colon cancer. Preoperative CEA values have been positively correlated with stage and negatively correlated with disease free survival.
Although not satisfactory for screening a healthy population, CEA has been used to monitor recurrence. Early data suggested that CEA prededed clinical relapse by several months. Determinations of CEA should be done frequently: at a minimum of every 3 months and if possible every 1 month to 2 months. Elevations above baseline should be verified rapidly to exclude laboratory error.
The CEA is of some use as a monitor in treatment. Usually the CEA returns to normal within 1 to 2 months of surgery, but if it returns elevated persistent disease may be indicated. The test is not infallible in patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy but can be useful in those whose tumor is not measurable.
Chemo information with and without links:
Chemotherapy is used to reduce the likelihood of metastasis developing, shrink tumor size, or slow tumor growth. Chemotherapy is often applied after surgery (adjuvant), before surgery (neo-adjuvant), or as the primary therapy (palliative). The treatments listed here have been shown in clinical trials to improve survival and/or reduce mortality rate and have been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. In colon cancer, chemotherapy after surgery is usually only given if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (Stage III). At the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, researchers announced that colorectal cancer patients that have a mutation in the KRAS gene do not respond to certain therapies, those that inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)--namely Erbitux (cetuximab) and Vectibix (panitumumab). Following recommendations by ASCO, patients should now be tested for the KRAS gene mutation before being offered these EGFR-inhibiting drugs.
Adjuvant (after surgery) chemotherapy. One regimen involves the combination of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or Capecitabine (Xeloda) Leucovorin (LV, Folinic Acid) Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
Chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Commonly used first line chemotherapy regimens involve the combination of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) with bevacizumab or infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with bevacizumab 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or Capecitabine UFT or Tegafur-uracil Leucovorin (LV, Folinic Acid) Irinotecan (Camptosar) Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) Bevacizumab (Avastin)
More Chemotherapy Drug Information
Cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs are taken up by dividing cells, including normal cells, such as those in the lining of the mouth, the bone marrow, the hair follicles, and the digestive system. A cytotoxic drug is often combined with others to increase the likelihood that all the cancer will be destroyed.The newer chemotherapy drug practice is called “targeted therapy”, in which the drugs attack cancer cells without destroying normal cells. These drugs are also called “biologics.” Some targeted therapies focus on the internal components and function of the cancer cells. These therapeutic agents use small molecules that can get into the cancer cells and disrupt their function, thus causing the cancer cells to die.Other targeted therapies, including the monoclonal antibodies, focus on receptors on the outside or surface of the cancer cells. Still other targeted therapies, anti-angiogenesis inhibitors, focus on preventing blood vessels supplying oxygen to the cancer cells, causing the cancer cells to starve and die. Biologic therapeutic agents seem to produce less severe side effects, compared to cytotoxic agents. Unfortunately, the present generation of biologics is often not adequate to destroy all the cancer cells unless combined with cytotoxics. The goal of research into biologics at the moment is to find an effective combination of biologics, without having to add cytotoxics, to destroy the cancer.Because cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs cannot distinguish between cancerous cells and normal cells (especially the blood cells; the cells in the mouth, stomach, and bowel; and the hair follicles), side effects occur. Most normal cells will grow back and be healthy, but, during treatment, the patient may experience: low blood counts (neutropenia, leading to infections; anemia, leading to fatigue; and low platelets, leading to bleeding); mouth sores caused by swelling of the mucous membrane (stomatitis); nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; and/or hair loss. Each chemotherapy drug, or combination of drugs, has its own set of side effects.Research has shown that combination therapy enhances the strength of each anticancer drug administered. The regiment depends on the type of cancer being treated, the stage at which the cancer has progressed, the timing of the cell cycle, and the patient’s overall health.Other drugs, besides cytotoxics and biologics, are administered in conjunction with these chemotherapy agents to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. For example, leucovorin, citrovorum factor or folinic acid (trade name calcium leucovorin), is used with chemotherapy drugs, such as fluorouracil and methotrexate, to enhance anticancer effects or to prevent or lessen side effects, respectively.
Cytotoxics
Fluorouracil, 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU (trade name Adrucil®): An antimetabolite drug that attacks cells at specific phases in the cell cycle (cell-cycle specific). Fluorouracil interferes with DNA synthesis and disrupts protein synthesis when also incorporated into RNA. Fluorouracil is a pyrimidine antagonist. Fluorouracil was developed nearly 40 years ago.There are numerous 5-FU dosing schedules. In the adjuvant setting, these include: bolus (rapid infusions) daily for five days every four weeks (the Mayo Clinic regimen); weekly for six out of every eight weeks (the Roswell Park regimen); and infusional schedules. In the advanced disease setting, both weekly bolus and infusional schedules have been used. The various regimens differ as to their toxicities. The bolus schedules tend to have greater bone marrow suppression and mucositis, whereas the infusional regimens (which require central venous access) cause more hand/foot syndrome. Overall, prolonged infusion schedules appear to be marginally more effective and less toxic.Side effects of 5-FU include: diarrhea, mucositis, hand/foot syndrome (plantar-palmar erythema), and moderate bone marrow suppression.Capecitabine (trade name Xeloda®): An antimetabolite drug that attacks cells at specific phases in the cell cycle (cell-cycle specific). Capecitabine is the pill form of fluorouracil and is a pyrimidine antagonist.The convenience of oral therapy and the prospect of avoiding long-term intravenous access complications, such as thrombosis and infections, have stimulated the development of oral fluoropyrimidines. Capecitabine, a fluoropyrimidine carbamate that is converted to 5-FU in tumor and normal tissues, is the most widely used. Twice-daily oral administration of capecitabine simulates continuous infusion of 5-FU without the costs and inconvenience of an infusion pump. Preclinical studies have shown that capecitabine is an important component of targeted therapy because capecitabine exhibits selectivity for tumor tissue.Leucovorin (LV), calcium leucovorin, citrovorum factor, folinic acid: Leucovorin is used in combination with other chemotherapy drugs, such as 5-FU, to enhance effectiveness in treating advanced disease, or, as an antidote to the effects of drugs, such as methotrexate.
Side effects of leucovorin include: allergic reactions (rash, itching, facial flushing), and, rarely, nausea and vomiting.
Oxaliplatin (trade name Eloxatin™): An alkylating agent of the metal salt type that is most active in the resting phase of the cell (cell-cycle nonspecific). Oxaliplatin was recently developed and approved by the FDA.Oxaliplatin was initially approved as a second-line therapy with 5-FU/LV, but, studies established FOLFOX as one of the preferred first-line regimens.Oxaliplatin was recently approved for use in the adjuvant setting after a study showed that patients who received FOLFOX had improved, disease-free survival years later. Stage III patients derived more benefit than Stage II patients. Although no improvement in overall survival has been seen yet, this study established FOLFOX as a solid option in the adjuvant setting.Side effects of oxaliplatin include: bone marrow suppression and, a sensory neuropathy that is exacerbated by exposure to cold.
Biologics
Bevacizumab (trade name Avastin®): A monoclonal antibody, or angiogenesis, drug that works by interfering with the process of angiogenesis by targeting and inhibiting human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Bevacizumab is used as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen.Bevacizumab is FDA-approved for use with either FOLFOX or FOLFIRI (see below) as prescribed. Side effects include impaired wound healing and bleeding or clotting, so most medical practitioners wait at least four weeks after major surgery to administer it.In a randomized Phase II trial, adding low-dose bevacizumab to weekly 5-FU/LV, in patients with advanced colorectal cancer, improved the response rate, median time to progression, and, as a secondary endpoint, median survival. Two recently reported Phase III trials have confirmed these early positive findings, including the addition of bevacizumab to FOLFOX. Side effects of bevacizumab include: reversible hypertension and proteinuria, as well as rare serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal perforation, surgical wound dehiscence (rupture), bleeding, and clotting.Cetuximab, C225 (trade name Erbitux™): A monoclonal antibody and signal transduction inhibitor that targets and binds to epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) on the surface of the cell. By binding to these receptors, cetuximab blocks an important pathway that promotes cell division, and causes apoptosis (cell death).Cetuximab is approved for use, typically as a third-line treatment, in chemotherapy-refractory disease (cancer that resists chemotherapy treatment) after oxaliplatin and irinotecan have failed. Cetuximab works better when combined with irinotecan, even after irinotecan alone has failed.Side effects of cetuximab include: an acneiform rash over the face, chest, and back occurring in most patients; and, allergic reactions.
FOLFOX and FOLFIRI
The chemotherapy schedules known as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI are the lynchpins of chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer. FOLFOX consists of leucovorin (FOL), fluorouracil (F), and oxaliplatin (OX). FOLFIRI consists of leucovorin (FOL), fluorouracil (F), and irinotecan (IRI).These are known as infusional schedules because the fluorouracil is given as an infusion over 22 to 46 hours after the other drugs are given as boluses (relatively rapid injections). Both schedules are given every two weeks. The infusion pump is usually disconnected at home by a home health care nurse, so only one visit every two weeks to the outpatient clinic is needed. Some patients even work full-time during chemotherapy.When faced with treating a patient with advanced colorectal cancer in the first-line setting, doctors often question whether to start with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI. There is no direct evidence favoring one treatment over the other, although comparative trials are underway.Given the neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin, patients with preexisting neuropathies, such as diabetes, should receive an irinotecan-based treatment regimen instead. Patients who have underlying bowel dysfunction, which could be exacerbated by irinotecan, should be started on an oxaliplatin-based therapy. Patients with renal dysfunction may need to avoid oxaliplatin, since the renal system is the principal route of elimination. Patients with liver dysfunction need to be wary of irinotecan.

Multiple Targeted Therapies Not shown to be better:
For the study, Eli Lilly & Co.’s Erbitux was added to standard treatment, which includes Genentech Inc.’s Avastin. Since both are “targeted” drugs and attack tumors in different ways, the thinking was that the combo would do a better job of keeping the cancer from growing.
But the results show “more is not always better,” said Dr. Robert Mayer, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He wrote an editorial published with the study in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.

What makes the results even more compelling, Mayer said, is that another similar study reached the same conclusion. That study, released in December, tested another targeted drug that works the same way as Erbitux.
“This is the first time we’ve seen harm by combining targeted therapies and it tells us we need to be cautious,” said Dr. Jordan Berlin, a gastrointestinal cancer specialist at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn.
More about KRAS
The KRAS test, though, is expected to be very helpful in deciding when to use an EGFR MAb. One reason to avoid giving EGFR MAbs when a KRAS mutation is present is to avoid unnecessary side effects. “About 85% of patients using EGFR inhibitors develop a significant rash,” said Dr. Eng. While treatable with topical and oral antibiotic therapies, the rash represents a quality-of-life issue; it can be painful and pruritic and can cause a patient to be self-conscious about his or her appearance.
A more dangerous side effect to be avoided is a severe allergic reaction. This occurs rarely in most patient groups—usually less than 5% of patients are affected. Panitumumab, a second-generation EGFR inhibitor under FDA review, should reduce the chance of allergic reaction in all patients to less than 1%. Still, the rash is expected to remain a problem with panitumumab, as it occurs with all EGFR inhibitors.
The high cost of anti-EGFR therapy—about $10,000 a month—also makes it important to avoid treating patients who would derive no benefit. But perhaps most important of all, the time wasted on such therapy could be better used treating patients with therapies that have a possibility of producing a tumor response, such as FOLFOX (a combination of folinic acid [leucovorin], 5-fluorouracil [5-FU], and oxaliplatin) with bevacizumab; FOLFIRI with bevacizumab; or investigational VEGF inhibitors.
Liver metastases
According to the American Cancer Society statistics in 2006, over 20% of patients present with metastatic (stage IV) colorectal cancer at the time of diagnosis, and up to 25% of this group will have isolated liver metastasis that is potentially resectable. Lesions which undergo curative resection have demonstrated 5-year survival outcomes now exceeding 50%.
Resectability of a liver metastasis is determined using preoperative imaging studies (CT or MRI), intraoperative ultrasound, and by direct palpation and visualization during resection. Lesions confined to the right lobe are amenable to en bloc removal with a right hepatectomy (liver resection) surgery. Smaller lesions of the central or left liver lobe may sometimes be resected in anatomic "segments", while large lesions of left hepatic lobe are resected by a procedure called hepatic trisegmentectomy. Treatment of lesions by smaller, non-anatomic "wedge" resections is associated with higher recurrence rates. Some lesions which are not initially amenable to surgical resection may become candidates if they have significant responses to preoperative chemotherapy or immunotherapy regimens. Lesions which are not amenable to surgical resection for cure can be treated with modalities including radio-frequency ablation (RFA), cryoablation, and chemoembolization.
Patients with colon cancer and metastatic disease to the liver may be treated in either a single surgery or in staged surgeries (with the colon tumor traditionally removed first) depending upon the fitness of the patient for prolonged surgery, the difficulty expected with the procedure with either the colon or liver resection, and the comfort of the surgery performing potentially complex hepatic surgery.

Therapy for Liver Metastisis
Surgery is currently considered the "gold standard" treatment for stage IV patients having limited liver/lung metastases and is potentially curative (in about 1/3 of patients who are eligible for liver resection). Many patients are not eligible for this potentially curative surgery due to size/location of liver metastases. There are several new options for these patients detailed below, such as Radiofrequency ablation, Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump, and Stereotactic Radioablation. Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump (HAI) Go to Page Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Go to Page Stereotactic Radioablation/Conformal Radiotherapy Go to Page Therasphere Go to Page Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Go to Page
The questions below are useful in engaging your Medical Oncologist about treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer.
o Has the cancer spread to other parts of my body? If so, where?
o What are the treatment options available for my kind of cancer?
o How effective are these treatments?
o How are these treatments given?
o How long will I have to be on these treatments?
o How will I know if my treatment is working?
o Is there any way to lessen the side effects?
o Should I change my diet during treatment?
o Where can I go for more information and support?
o If I decide to receive adjuvant chemotherapy, what is my prognosis?
o If I decide not to receive adjuvant chemotherapy, what is my prognosis?
o Are there specialized tools that can help estimate survival based on my personal information?
o Given my diagnosis, what are the drug options and schedules of treatment?
o Are there any "high-risk" features of my tumor that make it more important for me to consider adjuvant therapy?
o Are there any medical factors related to my overall health that would make it harder for me to undergo adjuvant therapy?
o What are the side effects and other risks of the treatment regimen prescribed for me?
o Is there a clinical trial appropriate for my situation?
o Is there anything else I should know to help me make this decision?

The Kathy Spurlock Blog

2009-02-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

This blog has been created to help all of Kathy's friends and family keep in touch and updated, as she undergoes her latest... what should we call this? Adversity? Experience? Trial?
Kathy, we want you to know our thoughts and prayers are with you and Larisa and Dad!

An update on the events: [I'll make the format prettier later on!]
Mon. 2/9/09 Kathy was experiencing a lot of stomach pain.
Tues. 2/10/09 Kathy was taken to ER, but released.
Wed. 2/11/09 Another trip to ER. Tests.
Thurs. 2/12/09 The diagnosis: Colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver!
Fri. 2/13/09 During surgery, 30" of the small intestine is removed, and 10" of the colon.
The doctor noted prolific cancer seeds in Kathy's abdominal cavity, small but visible, and
3-4 main spots of cancer on the liver. The doctor felt it would take a specialist to work with
the liver.
Mon. 2/16/09 Kathy remains in the hospital, but is recovering well from the surgery.
Tues. 2/17/09 Home from the hospital, Kathy is resting comfortably.