My scan came back with no growth!

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Well I not only made it through the CT but had pretty good news. My scan came back with no growth so that’s awesome! The more we look at it we’re not sure that I don’t have a 2cm reduction which would be absolutely amazing as I work towards a reversal surgery and remission. I was very nervous about the test but thrilled with the results. My oncologist told me that he couldn’t argue for chemo with results like that and wanted to know a little more about what I was doing. I am thrilled with my decision to change to Dr Dan. He said to come again in 6 weeks and repeat the scan in 3 months.

Also I had some good family news this week as well.

After some consideration I decided to approach Dr Mark about a “clean” food Cafe’/Gluten free bakery. Because if my diet restrictions I can’t go out to eat or have as many options for food when I’m out and about. I’d like to make foods that are gluten free and “clean”(meaning no canola/vegetable oil, refined sugars or flour ect) He seemed excited about it and I think we may move that direction. He told me that he would love to make “the market”(his store) a lunch place where you could get great food which is exactly what I was thinking. If I did it out of the market I would have access to fresh organic ingredients and a fully functioning kitchen. I’m excited to see what comes of it!

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It’s been a year since my diagnosis and first surgery.

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (1)
Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Well I’m finally slowed down enough to write an entry. It’s been a year since my diagnosis and first surgery. I find it kind of ironic that almost a year to the day of my diagnosis and thinking my life was ending I watched my beautiful niece being born and her life just beginning. Also when I got home I threw a surprise party for my best friend with her husband. It made me so grateful to be healthy enough to enjoy these moments and look forward to many more. I am so busy since I got home and am doing a modified fast before my CT next week. I’m a little nervous about my scan since I didn’t do as well on my diet while on vacation as I should have but feel pretty good over all. Praying for great results. I was recently given a kitchen gadget called a norwalk juice press by a lovely lady who happened upon my yard sale. They are incredible little things. They do juice, nut butter, salads ect and am so blessed to have one. Yesterday the girls and I juiced about 16 qrts of juice and froze several for them for school. It was a lot of fun, today maybe some sunshine and relaxation…after bills and laundry.

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Today is kind of a hard day for me.

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Today is kind of a hard day for me. I have a hard time with hospitals sometimes and the chain of interventions that often happen here. This hospital is nice though. We’ve had pretty good nurses and my sister is doing really well

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Katie was such a champ and I felt so blessed to be a part of it all

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Friday, August 6th, 2010

Good morning. Shortly after my last journal entry we kept up the vigilance and began a little petocin to get things going again. It didn’t take long after that, she started pushing and at 10:13 pm we welcomed Sienna Crystal Millette 7 lbs 9 oz, 21 inches long. It was such a beautiful thing to be a part of. Moe(my step mom) and I were in the room with her and I got to cut the cord! All 3 of us were in tears and it was amazing. Katie was such a champ and I felt so blessed to be a part of it all. After all settled down and we started discussing the plans for the night, it was decided that I was going to be the person to spend the night with her. Finally at 1 am we got to sleep and slept on and off between nurse visits until 4am when they came in to help Katie get things changed around and check vitals on the baby. shortly after that she nursed and then I got to hold her for 3 hrs and sleep with her. It has been a beautiful day. I’m sure the adrenaline will wear off soon and sleep will be necessary, but for now I’m just taking all of it in.

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Today is an amazing day.

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Today is an amazing day. Today I will get to see my niece Sienna Crystal Millette. My sister was up about 3 a.m. with contractions and we finally headed to the hospital about 8:30. They said that she was in very early labor and would have probably sent her home for a bit except that her blood pressure was high so they decided to admit her and give her some magnesium as a preventative. I’m not a big fan of preventatives as everyone knows. I’m more of an address the problem when it occurs kind of girl but I’m glad that she is safe. Due to the magnesium she has to be bed ridden for duration of the labor and 24hrs after so she and I were both disappointed that she couldn’t get up and move around and get in the Jacuzzi like we had planned but I tried to console her that she could still do this and that no matter what we would have the same out come no matter what. She has battled through like a champ. Just a few minutes ago she decided to get the nubain but still stood strong in her plan not to have the epidural. She is now resting and the contractions are much further apart but still coming. I’m glad she can rest. There was a few moments that were very moving that only sisters in our shoe could share. At one point she was upset about how she would feel with guests coming tomorrow with the catheter and not being able to shower ect and I told her to try to focus on the good stuff and that when I woke up from my surgery so disappointed I had to try to see the positives even when its hard and she got teary and said “I’m so glad you’re here” and then I got teary too. It was a very special moment. It brought me back to laying in my bed sore from surgery and puking sick from chemo and my little sister coming out of the bathroom shaking and saying “Oh my Gosh! You were right, I am pregnant” and then a few moments of feeling sick at the thought that I might not be alive to see that day. Now fast forward to July 22nd and I am on a plane to Florida not only alive but well enough to travel. This has been a great trip. Sisterly bonding and some rest and relaxation and a new niece. Pretty good stuff. Well at last check she was dilated to a 7, I better get back to being a good birth coach.

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I am enjoying the time with my sister.

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Sunday, July 25th, 2010

No baby yet but we are passing the time relaxing, washing baby clothes and putting together the baby furniture. I am enjoying the time with my sister. The last time we were together she was in Idaho helping me recover from surgery and going through the most nasty chemo there is. It is so nice to be here helping her and be able to sit up and function. It’s nice to be able to take care of her this time. I’ve been cooking healthy meals for them and staying inside as Tropical Storm Bonnie came and went. It’s beautiful today but the time inside gave me a day to sit and start putting together and outline for my book. It’s starting to come together a little more every day. Today I am going to a pool party/fundraiser with my uncle Brenden, finally I get to enjoy some Florida sunshine.

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I have decided that I WILL write a book to share my story

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (1)
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

I’m sitting in the airport waiting to board my flight and I feel so excited to get some rest and sister time in. I have never been away from my kids for this long but I know it will be really good for all of us. Yesterday was an exciting busy day. It started with one of my best friends and biggest supporters Jenna having shoulder surgery. She did really well despite the fact that she had a really unusual tear. The Dr said in the 10 years he’s been doing that surgery he’s never seen one like it but feels confident that they got a good repair. I was really glad that I got to be there for her as she has been by my side through my entire journey. She and I had lunch within hrs of hearing that something was desperately wrong with my body, she took me to my CT, let me stay with her before, after and during all of my treatments and procedures and was by my side every chance she had. She is a real gem and was so funny and brave through out it all.

While she was in surgery I went over to the chemo suit and had my port flushed. Every time I walk in there I feel very overwhelmed with emotion. I notice the people who have all their hair and you can tell are getting ready to “start” this journey. They are unsure of what to expect and some of them look defeated already but my favorite are the ones who look so determined. I only hope that fire and fight don’t fade as the effects get more and more uncomfortable. There are those of us with a variety of short hair styles anxiously waiting to see if we are maintaining those oh so important numbers and praying that we never have to go back to the beginning ever again. The hardest ones to see are those who are bald, quietly covering their bald bodies with fake eyelashes, painted on brows and the little scarves and hats that mostly keep your head warm and provide you a little security to feeling like people don’t know how you look under there. I wish there was a way for me to tell everyone how they can make a few lifestyle changes, whether they stay on chemo or not, that could dramatically affect the out come of their lives. It’s for that reason that I have decided that I WILL write a book to share my story. There are many details that I still need to work out about how I intend to go about it but last night I met with my uncle Marty’s girl friend who a published author and an English professor. She told me that she would be glad to help me and connect me with her publisher and other connections as I progress. I am very excited about where this will lead. I also met with another woman, who I met through facebook, to discuss our plan to start a cancer clothing line for people with scars, appliances and other medical “defects” A lot of exciting stuff to come. I am excited to start filling my thoughts with all of this new passion instead of cancer. Those days are coming. For now..off to Florida to welcome a new baby niece into the world and nurture a relationship with a sister :)

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Day 12 is finally here!

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (0)
Sunday, July 18th, 2010

I barely made it but Day 12 is here and I had cauliflower for brunch :) Gary and I have a pretty busy day shooting events at shore lodge/white tail today and the food is supposed to be amazing tonight so I hope I feel well enough to enjoy it. I am grateful for all the prayers and encouragement the last few days. I have a busy few days and then headed to Florida to see my niece be born. This birth will be very special because my sister was here after my November surgery(when I was told there wasn’t much hope) and spent a month with me. She found out that she was pregnant while she was here and we weren’t sure I would be around for this occasion so the fact that I’m here and feeling well enough to go is a gift in it self. Back to work :)

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Fasting…why, and is it healthy?

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (2)
Monday, July 12th, 2010

I’m supposed to limit my computer and phone time so this will be brief. Today is day 7 of an 11 day water only fast. I keep getting asked about “why” and “is that healthy” so here’s a little information. There is a difference between fasting and starving. Starving is when you stop eating and you keep active, therefore your body burns muscle and important stuff making you feel awful, with headaches ect. Fasting is when you stop eating and try to relax, then it burns up the garbage in your body including fungus, bacteria and even tumors. Because it is burning up the yucky stuff you often notice bad breath and some body odor being excreted. You have to excrete through respiration, perspiration and urination because your bowls shut down. It can be very beneficial if done correctly. Thanks for all the support this week it has been a little rough at times but its all for long term benefits.

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Today is day 2 of a 10 day water only fast

By Crystal Heimgartner · Comments (2)
Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Today is day 2 of a 10 day water only fast. People keep saying how hard that must be and how strong I am. All I can say is fasting is no where as hard as the chemo I was on. I felt weak and sick and all of that on chemo for a lot longer than 10 days. I’m not kidding myself that this won’t test me physically and emotionally however. Mark wants me to spend this time really thinking about how much time I spend thinking, directly or indirectly, on having cancer and what I am going to do with that time once I don’t have to have appointments and tumors and ostomys to think about. I have thought about that some and the first 2 things that have come to mind are building my photography business with Gary and writing a book. I have never wanted to write a book but for some reason I feel compelled to tell the story of ovarian cancer. I was watching TLC yesterday and a woman’s Dr thought she had ovarian cancer but instead she was pregnant and didn’t know it. The statement that really caught my attention was :

Cancer of the ovaries is the most deadly form of female reproductive cancer. By the time its detected its usually too late to be effectively treated.

I have heard that statement in one form or another for the last 10 months and it makes me crazy. Not only is it treatable it can be detected if there was more awareness for it. All we ever hear about breast cancer. i have nothing against breast cancer but why are they the only ones getting attention? All cancer is hard and deserves awareness and attention so my goal is to get some more awareness and options out to those who need to know. Also I would like to let people know about the options there are in the holistic realm as well. I want to talk about the chemicals and junk in our food and how it plays a factor in our health. I haven’t really thought it through a lot on how I want to go about it exactly but it something I am seriously considering.

I am still thinking through other options as well but I am excited at the thought of doing something besides thinking about being sick :)

I’m 2 days into this fast and I’ve already lost 3 lbs. I find it kind of funny honestly. At least I can wear some of the clothes that I don’t usually get to during this time when I’m not worried about the ostomy. jeans and swim suits. wooo hoo. I have had to adjust my wardrobe so much over the last 10 months but I feel better and better about it all the time. I do miss jeans however. SOON….

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