Meet Billy the Kitten, 8 weeks old

A few weeks ago, Kris' sister's husband Steve found a new litter of five tiny kittens in an abandoned truck and took them home. Karin and Steve were fostering them until they could be adopted. Last Sunday we went to a family barbecue at their house. I should have known something was up when Kris packed an empty cat carrier in the car. I assumed she was planning to donate our extra carrier to BARKS, an animal rescue organization which Aunt Carol works with.

Soon after arriving Kris introduced me to a tiny, grey & white, 8-week-old kitten named Billy. If you know mid-1960s rock group trivia, and that our two black cats at home are named Dino and Desi, you already know the end of the story. We are currently slowly introducing the increasingly rambunctious Billy into the menagerie. We are all adjusting to the tiny, hyperactive family addition. Murray the dog, who has been somewhat standoffish is very patient when Billy plays with and nips his ears; while Dino and Desi are still undecided but curious, expressing their feelings with an occasional hiss or growl. In the end, Karin kept two of the kittens and Aunt Carol took the remaining two for future adoption. Karin now has 6 cats, a dog Madeline, and a parrot. On Friday, Billy had his first trip to our Brooklyn vet for treatment for an eye infection.

Kris is feeling better, vacuuming the backyard

Her hands are a little better since she added a low dose of Prednisone to her daily regimen. She has been spending a lot of time working on the backyard garden. Only Kris would clean the yard with a Shop-Vac. She is currently cancer free.

Great news and another challenge

Last week Kris had her last Chemo appointment followed by a CAT scan Monday and a meeting with the Oncology team on Tuesday May 12, 2015. The great news is her scan was completely clear with no traces of cancer. And her blood work has greatly improved as well but she is still somewhat anemic. We also met Tuesday with the Genetics Counselor who had recently performed a genetics test on Kris which came out negative on 23 cancer markers, including brca 1 and 2. But while this is all good news, Kris' type of cancer has a 75-80% chance of recurring and the projected survival rate is ten years. Let's all hope and pray she beats the odds.

The new/old issue which we are now dealing with is Kris' Psoriatic Arthritis, a degenerative joint disease and autoimmune disorder that she has been treated for since the early 1990s. When she received the cancer diagnosis she was being treated somewhat successfully with Remicaid, a biologic which is administered via an infusion every 8 weeks. 

Unfortunately, due to possible conflicts with her chemo, her Remicaid infusions were suspended and she instead went on a new "safer" oral drug called Otezla (which btw costs over $2G a month). However, as indicated by her painful inflamed hands (see photo) the Otezla is not working yet. The doctors say it may take 6 months to a year to work. 

After much discussion with her oncologist Dr. Blank and Kris' new Rheumatologist (whose specialty is Psoriatic Arthritis), the doctors have decided to supplement the Otezla with another drug, Methotrexate, and wait and see. If this treatment does not work she can always go back to the bi-monthly Remicaid infusions, however Remaicaid comes with a million warnings against possible links to cancer. which was why they stopped it last November. So, as you can see, while this is a time for celebrating and catching our breath, we are still not completely out of the woods.

Chemo: 2 more to go and then another CT Scan

So far everything is on track. Kris will go for a CT Scan to review the progress on May 11, a week after this round of chemo finishes  Unfortunately, going forward, she may have to have a CT scan 3-4 times a year.

Better news: Kris was approved for her Social Security Disability benefits, which start in May. Her monthly amount is equal to her full SS retirement benefits. She can still work but has a strict earnings limit. She got turned down for SSI - because we have assets over $3,000. but overall, the application process was surprisingly easy and pleasant. 

We also got a new Tommy Hilfiger denim duvet cover which looks like blue jeans. We hope it is Murray-proof -- his claws accidentally ripped two old bedspreads. Only $49 at Marshalls! See photos.

Happy Tax Day

Our cat Desi helping with the taxes

Kris had her 6th chemo session yesterday. So far so good.  She is now taking a new daily oral medication in pill form called Otezla for her Psoriatic Arthritis, another of her ongoing medical issues. Prior to her cancer diagnosis, she was being treated with Remicaid, an infusion-only biotech drug every 8 weeks. The Remicaid was 
put on hold. However, because of her painful psoriatic arthritis, mostly in her hands, she may have to go back to Remicaid when she's done with her chemo. 

Social Security Disability

On Easter Sunday with her sister's
new kitten, Sophia

We have been putting off signing Kris up for Social Security Disability for months. It is a big milestone with lots of emotional meaning and ramifications that neither of us wanted to deal with. Kris loved her job and had worked there for 19 years. The owners and co-workers are like family to us. Once she starts receiving benefits, even if Kris feels up to working, she will not be able to earn more than $700 a month. Life really is unpredictable; you can leave work on any evening and never return. Since we finished the online application (which took hours!) we have already gotten three helpful phone calls from Social Security, which was totally surprising. Apparently, if you have cancer your disability application is fast-tracked. 

Walt Disney World for her birthday/Halloween?

Happy 12-Year Anniversary

Paris Las Vegas hotel: The happy couple waiting for the limo to wedding

Today is Kris and Abby's wedding anniversary. We were married on April 1, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the height of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The wedding party stayed at the Paris Las Vegas hotel, which was near empty due to the anti-French backlash at the time (Remember freedom fries?) Too bad the hotel had no connection to France except for its theme and decor. We all had a great time.

Kris inside chapel doorway
on right.

The ceremony took place at The Little Church of the West – the same wedding chapel where Elvis Presley and Ann Margret got married at the end of the film "Viva Las Vegas." The Little Church is unique in other ways; built of California redwood, it is a detailed replica of a typical pioneer town church. And, as the oldest building on the Las Vegas Strip, it is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.