Mom's Blog

1 Year

2009-03-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a year since my mom passed (not long after my brother.) If you would like to share something about our mother, a funny story, how she impacted your life or anything at all please feel free to leave a comment. I am not sure how many people even view this site anymore, but we have keep some places open for Caleb's friends to still be intentional about there processing (Caleb's facebook page and calebott.com) and we thought mom's friends and family might also find use of such a place.

It still hurts and we still miss her...everyday.
Thank you for your support and prayers.

Welcome to Mom's fight against Pancreatic Cancer.

2008-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have decided to leave this blog online, for an undetermined amount of time. Not just to give honor to the life of my mother. But also because public access allows this blog to raise some awareness of this terrible and all too often fatal disease. You will find the story of mom's sickness throughout the posts. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, please know there is always hope. People do beat it.

To learn more about pancreatic cancer please visit: http://pancan.org/Patient/pancreatic.html

This disease is often diagnosed at a late stage due to the lack of early onset symptoms and dificulty screening. It is very difficult to treat and the success rate for those suffering from this most terrible type of cancer is very low. On top of that hardly any progress has been made in the treatment of pancreatic cancer in the past 30 years. This is largely due to a lack of Federal funding, which attracts young "out of the box" researchers to the fight. These researchers are very much needed. I would ask you to support pancreatic cancer research through donating to one of the following organizations.

Sincerely,

Josh

2008-05-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

Mom's Memorial Video

2008-04-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Eulogy

2008-03-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Mom

The words seem strange coming out of my mouth after all that we have been through, but I have been blessed by so much. In spite of the great trauma and hurt the last 2 and a half weeks have brought me and our family, I am reminded of what I have had. Not to long ago I was able to stand up here and talk about how beautiful my little brother Caleb was and is. I miss him everyday but everyday I am reminded of how blessed I was by him. And now I am honored to be able to say how blessed I have been to have Lynne C. Ott as a mother.

She will be missed very much by us.

She was our mom but she was also our biggest fan. I remember how proud she made us feel when she would look at Caleb’s pictures, or when she would visit Matt’s worksites or offices, or when she would call me to tell me Luke finished some more paintings. She would call me all the time to talk about my brothers and how talented they are and how beautiful they are. I would be amazed when, Jim, our multimedia guy here at church would tell me that four cds were requested of my last sermon. The next week he would hand me four cds with a smirk on his face and say “Could you give these to your mom for me.” Her I pod was filled with pictures of us, and Taylor, with pictures of our work and with pod casts of my messages. She just could not stop being proud of us and she could not stop expressing her pride to us. There was not a doubt in our minds that we were her world. That her family was what she loved most in life.

She was our mom and she was our protector. I remember the first camera I ever had was a gift from her. It was awesome and I loved it so much I was so proud if it she had entrusted me with her spare camera and she told me to take care of it. I took it down to hang out with the older kids in the neighborhood. I was probably around 6 or 7 years old, and in my youth I left it outside on a ledge down the street. When I realized that I had left it an hour had passed and I hurried back to where I knew it was to find the older kids playing catch with it. I ran home crying and my mom walked hand in hand with me to get it back. I remember her yelling at the older kids as I stood behind her crying. She retrieved my now broken camera and when we got back to the house she held me as I cried. She always protected us, she was our advocate, our fortress, and when we were with her we felt safe. Even as she fought cancer in her presence we were the ones being helped.

She was our mom and she was our comforter. The day after Caleb passed away I crawled into her bed. I was a mess and as I lay next to her and we cried together, my tears turned to sobbing, I felt her hand rubbing my back, and I felt like a child again. As she rubbed my back I felt calm coming over me, there was peace found in her touch, in her hugs, in her soothing voice.

She was our mom and she was our creativity. She instilled in us our love of the arts, our love of music and our love of creating. She was a creator and one of here greatest gifts to us was our gift of creating. Matt creating buildings, Luke creating beautiful paintings, Caleb capturing beautiful images on film and my ability to create programs and creative messages. While others bought VBS curriculum, she created it. Her classrooms became playgrounds, the church became a wonderful world for kids to come and learn about God to come and have fun. The church became a place where kids could be themselves.

She is our mom and she instilled in us a love for God. She loved him when things went great, when things at church got hard and frustrating; she loved Him when she was wounded, when she lost things that were dear to her. She loved him when she was diagnosed with cancer, when she was filled with fear wondering what the future held, she loved him when she mourned the loss of so many dreams she had for us, for our children, for her husband. She even loved him as we mourned the loss Caleb, taken from this earth at the age of nineteen, just over two weeks ago. And so while life has become extremely hard and painful, we will love him as she did.

She is our mom and she has given us so much. She gave us so much more than I could ever capture in words here tonight, but I will end with this.

She gave us our family. My mom and my dad have instilled in us this deep love for each other, which in all honestly makes all of this hurt so much more. But I would not trade the deep love we share for each other for a break in all of this pain.

It is this great love for each other that will make us whole again as we learn to live with the immense loss we now face. It is this love that will bring us and keep us closer as a family than we have ever been.

I can’t wait to see Mom and Caleb again but until then Mom is not only written on our DNA but she is also written on our hearts and minds and souls. She will always be with us, even while she is in heaven with her creator, with her savior and with her youngest, most beautiful son. We will always have her here in our family, in our love of God, in our love of life and in our great love for each other.

Service Times

2008-03-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Viewing will be Monday the 17th of March from 4:30-7:00

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 7:30.

For the gravesite Service, Tuesday the 18th of March, we will be meeting at the church at 10:00 AM.

All Services will held at:

Grace Evangelical Free Church

101 Graeff St.

Cressona, Pa 17929

Friday the 14th of March

2008-03-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mom passed away at about 10:20 this morning. Her fight is over and she is resting in heaven with her son Caleb, whom I am sure greeted her with his famous grin and a big hug. Thank you for your prayers and support.

The family is having a peacful time together. We are not quite ready to receive sympathy calls from anyone. Please give us a few days to be with eachother and to rest.

Thursday the 12th of March

2008-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's procedure has left mom considerably more comfortable and has eased her breathing. Mom is receiving nutrients and fluids through IV. We continue to cherish your support and prayers.

Wednesday the 12th of March

2008-03-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

We managed to get the doctors down here at Thomas Jefferson to drain mom's fluid today (with the help of some of mom's nurses). They drain 3800 milliliters. We hope that this has a profound impact on mom's comfort and quality of life.

Wednesday the 12th of March

2008-03-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Mom's condition has taken a turn for the worst. We are at Thomas Jefferson where we desperately await a procedure where they remove some fluid from mom. This would give her back a few days. Unfortunately they do not have mom scheduled for this procedure until tomorrow. Originally they had said it would be done this morning. We have urged them to do the procedure today but we are unsure if they will respond. Please pray that they would allow us to have this procedure done shortly.

Friday the 7th of March

2008-03-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Today mom headed to Thomas Jefferson where she will stay until Monday. They will try to help her gain strength until Monday where they hope to treat the newest complications with chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment for Monday is still unclear. Please continue to pray for her as she fights this disease.

Also please continue to pray for Dad, Matt, Luke, Josh and Mom as they grieve the home going of Caleb. He is missed every second of every day. We thank God that we will see him again but until then it will be hard without him.

Tuesday the 4th of March

2008-03-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

Mom is in Thomas Jefferson Hospital. She needs to get a stint put in her artery to alleviate a blockage. This should alleviate her symptoms. It is an outpatient procedure that will either be done tonight or tomorrow. Hopefully they will be back by tomorrow morning. We have a private family viewing tomorrow at 1:00. We need a miracle right now to get her back here so that we can continue to grieve our loss. Please pray.

There is a memorial website for Caleb. www.calebott.com
You can log in using the username and password in the side column to write a post or add a picture.

Monday the 3rd of March

2008-03-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

Mom is in need of your immediate prayer. She is having some physical problems, partly due to our loss and due to her condition. Please pray for her. They found a blockage during the ultrasound and she has an appointment tomorrow, but more immediate action may be necessary.

Sunday the 2nd of March

2008-03-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

Last night Caleb Ott, our youngest brother, was in a fatal car accident. We know he is with Jesus and in no pain, but it sure hurts down here as we miss him already. Please pray for us as we grieve the loss of one of God's most beautiful creations.

Friday the 29th of February

2008-02-29T06:32:00.001-08:00

Mom was not able to receive a full treatment yesterday because her biliruben count was still to high. The big concern now is that there is nothing major effecting this count. Mom will go for an ultrasound today at Pottsville hospital. Our hope is that there is nothing major affecting this count and that whatever is causing the biliruben count to rise is correctable.

On a more positive note mom's weight continues to move in the right direction. Yesterday she weighed 96 pounds (some of that weight is due to fluid retention.) Also her tumor markers have continued to drop.

Tuesday the 26th of February

2008-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Mom will head down to Philadelphia for another chemotherapy appointment Thursday at 10:00. Mom's blood tests are very important this week. If her biliruben dropped she can receive a full treatment putting her back on a 21 day cycle. If her tests are not sufficient she will receive a gemsar treatment. Please pray for this important appointment.

Friday the 22nd of February

2008-02-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately mom was not able to get her full treatment last week due to high biliruben counts. Dr. Mitchell decided to give her a gemsar treatment every week until her liver levels are ok enough for her to recieve the full treatment. Mom's chemotherapy includes three drugs. Two of them were administered this past Thursday. If mom's liver values are appropriate she will receive a full treatment this coming Thursday and go back on a 21 day cycle. If her biliruben is still high she will continue on weekly gemsar treatments until the full treatment can be continued.

Thursday the 21th of February

2008-02-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I just received word from my father from Thomas Jefferson. The new MRI did not show an increased size in the mass they were concerned about in mom's shoulder. Infact the MRI did not show anything more than the previous MRI(that is a good thing). This means that the mass will most likely not require any other form of treatment. Mom's weight was up 2 pounds and her blood work was ok so she is receiving her second treatment as I type this. During her first treatment her tumor activity reading from her blood work was consitantly dropping, during the second treatment it rose significantly. The test performed this week indicates that the tumor activity level is again headed in the right direction.

*Updated Correction: Previously I mentioned, as was reported to me, that the mass was not causing the problems with mom's right hand. This was not correct. The mass is contributing to the problems with mom's hand. But because the mass was not as severe as they feared no additional drugs will be added to mom's current treatment. The doctor said that, in time, as the treatment works, the symptoms in mom's hand will fade. Sorry for the mis-information earlier.

Tuesday the 19th of February

2008-02-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow mom will head back down to Thomas Jefferson for another more specific MRI. The MRI will begin at 3:30 and will likely last 2 hours. Mom is anxious not only about the test itself but also about the results. Thursday mom will have her 2nd chemotherapy treatment if the blood work allows. Please continue to pray for mom as she continues to fight this disease. The next few days will be stressful so please also pray for her to be able to rest and have some peace.

Thursday the 14th of February

2008-02-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

Mom had her appointment with our doctor at Thomas Jefferson today. In spite of some bad news the appointment was a positive one. The unfortunate news is that they suspect there is a new tumor on the bone of mom's right shoulder. They are going to take another, more specific MRI, next Wed. to confirm and to decide what the appropriate course of action will be in dealing with this specific challenge. The most likely course of action will be the addition of a new medication that would specifically attack the cancer on the bone. The doctor told mom that she thought she looked better. The 2nd cancer treatment is scheduled for next Thursday and our hope and prayer is that as we get into the new treatment a few weeks that we will start to send the cancer into remission. The fighting spirit her boys inherited and, unfortunately, often misused is needed now more than ever. Please pray for and encourage this fighting spirit in mom. Thank you for your continued love and support.

Monday the 11th of February

2008-02-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

Today mom is heading to Thomas Jefferson for an MRI on her neck and right shoulder. For the past few weeks mom has had a significant decrease in the use of her right arm. Her arm feels numb but and she has trouble using her right hand. Mom has been trying to do some exercises to increase the use of her hand but they do not seem to be helping. Our hope is that today's MRI offers us a simple and not very serious solution to this challenge. Please pray for the MRI that it would give some insight into the problem mom has had with her right arm. Please also continue to pray for mom's healing. She could really use you encouragement right now. Thank you for already playing a huge part in our lives.

Thursday the 31st of January

2008-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

As I am typing this mom is receiving her first new treatment. I am still unsure as to what exactly this treatment, but will update this blog with more details as I receive them. Her weight went up 1.4lbs, which is great. Please pray for mom's physical health as well as her emotional health. This long battle has been wearing on her as of late. Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement!

Wednesday the 30 of January

2008-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well mom is back on the treatment schedule with her first new treatment scheduled for 10:15 at Thomas Jefferson. We are excited about starting this new treatment. Please pray that all goes well and mom receives her treatment and that it works!

Monday the 28th of January

2008-01-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

Mom has received approval for her treatment, so she should be getting a treatment sometime this week. There are still soem insurance issues that need to be resolved so please continue to pray that all will work out in regards to these issues. Also mom has been struggling with some pain which as you could imagine makes the emotional fight tough as well. Please continue to pray for mom as she fights this disease one day at a time. We appreciate all you have done for us. Please continue to send your loving words of encouragment to mom. Thanks again.

Thursday the 24th of January

2008-01-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

Mom had her second appointment with Dr. Mitchell at Thomas Jefferson and will be starting her new treatment in the next week or two depending on insurance clearance. We would like to thank all of the Doctors, PAs and Nurses at Geisinger who provided mom with her treatment for the last 4 months.

Sunday the 20th of January

2008-01-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Mom's appointment went great. Mom liked the Doctor at Thomas Jefferson who is also a researcher and helped develop the treatment she is on now. She has another appointment with this doctor Tuesday. Mom is no longer on the MacroBiotic Diet and is trying to put on some pounds. We will have more information this upcoming week. We would like to thank all of those who helped mom maintain her very strict diet while she was on it. Please continue to remember Mom. This treatment is still very hard on her system.

Sunday the 13th of January

2008-01-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

Mom's last treatment went great. Her blood work and weight were all okay and she was able to receive her treatment. Please continue to pray for mom as this treatment really wears mom out. Thank you all for your continued love and support. We have also started the process of meeting with a few other doctors to discuss any other possibilities in mom's treatment. It would be great if you could also remember these appointments in your prayer. The first appointment is this Thursday.

Thuesday the 8th of January

2008-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Mom's second trip to Geisinger for this new treatment is Thursday. Mom will get her labs done at 10:15, then she will meet with Dr. White at 11:00 and, if all goes well, will receive tretament from 12:00-3:30. This last treatment was very hard on mom's system, and the pain is still a struggle so please remember to pray for mom not only Thursaday but throughout the week as well. Thank you all for your unending support and love.

Thursday the 3rd of January

2008-01-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Many people have asked for an update on mom's condition. While we are just one week into the new treatment mom's condition has been a struggle as of late. Mom is experiencing a significant increase in pain which has made it hard to maintain a balanced outlook. We are currently seeking the opinion from a few different hospitals on clinical trial options . Today is the best mom has felt since her last treatment, but her system is still out of whack. Mom has been struggling with doubts about her treatment and diet. Please pray for mom's current condition. She could really use your encouragement this week. Her next chemotherapy treatment is the 10th.

Thursday the 27th of December

2007-12-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Mom heads to Geisinger to start her new treatment today at 2:00. Luke will be making the trip with her. There will not be any blood tests or appointments today just the treatment. This new treatment takes a lot longer to administer and has more side effects. Please remember mom in your prayers, especially in the next few days as we see how she will react to this treatment. Thank you all for your love and support. Happy holidays.

Thursday the 20th of December

2007-12-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Mom did not receive chemotherapy treatment yesterday. The meeting with Dr. White to review the radiologist report on the cat-scan did not turn out as we had previously hoped. The report indicated that the gemsar/tarseva treatment that mom has been on did not inhibit the cancer as much as we thought. Mom's pancreatic tumor has shown some more growth, the lymph node on mom's lungs looked a little bit larger and there were a few more spots of cancer in mom's lungs. The treatment will be changed to a much stronger, newer type of treatment combining gemsar with an intravenous drip of oxaliplatin. The treatment will be bi-weekly and will take three hours to administer as oposede to the previous 30 minute treatment. We still have many questions that we are working through with our doctors and we hope to have more details on mom's cancer and treatment in the near future.

Please continue to pray for mom and our family as we continue to fight the cancer.

Tuesday 18th of December

2007-12-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is another big day in moms treatment. At 2:45 mom will get her blood work taken, 3:30 mom will meet with Dr. White to further review the Cat-Scan results from last week and to evaluate the current treatment plan if every thing goes well mom will receive her treatment at 4:30. Please continue to pray for this process. Anticipating the appointment with Dr. White will be sure to test moms nerves. Please keep the encouragement comming. Thank you all.

Thursday the 13th of December

2007-12-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Mom's cat scan results were reviewed today by Dr. Sheldon, our surgeon. His reading of the cat-scan shows that there has not been any more growth from the tumors in mom's body. They are not, for the time being, shrinking, but the report is encouraging considering that in early September the tumors were growing at a very rapid pace. The lymph nodes in mom's body also looked a bit healthier, which is more encouraging news. The doctors are remaining cautiously optimistic. And we will continue to pray form mom's healing. The treatment plan will most likely continue as it has been. We will meet with the chemotherapy doctor, Dr. White, to review mom's case next week. Thank you all for you love and support. Please continue to pray for mom as she fights this disease.

Tuesday the 11th of December

2007-12-11T15:16:00.001-08:00

Tommorrow is our first look at the cancer since mom started treatment. As you can imagin this is going to be a stressful week even still we look forward to getting some good results. Please pray for this test and mom's and all of our anxiety as we await the report. The test is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9:30am. Mom has an appointment with Dr. Sheldon (our surgeon) Thursday. This week, as allways, mom and our family really need your support, encouragement and prayers (leave a comment the keyboard won't bite). She has allready exceded the normal tolerance for the chemotherapy and now we look forward to hearing how well her treatment has been working.

Sunday the 9th of December

2007-12-09T10:11:00.001-08:00

The Ott family wanted to share some of our holiday cheer with all of you. Please click the link bellow. Thank you all for your unending love and support.

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Wednesday the 5th of December

2007-12-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ooooppppsss. The radio spot was on 1360 WPPA. Sorry for all of those who were listening. The spot went great special thanks to Joe Hull who has been taking care of all of the details, Ark Rentals who paid for the advertising, Lazy Dog Coffee House for opening their doors for 3 hours past normal closing, and Soji who brainstormed this entire idea. The Lazy Dog will be open until 9:00 and have decided to extend their kitchen hours to 7:00 for those who want to eat. There will be a 5 dollar covercharge. All procedes will go to mom's medical costs. Here are some of the artists that will play.

Stand By Me

www.tommydeemusic.com

Soji's Myspace

Tuesday the 4th of December

2007-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Mom received her chemotherapy treatment today. Her blood work looked great and her weight had a slight dip. So please continue to pray that mom could put on a few pounds. Next week mom will get tested to see how well the chemotherapy has been attacking the cancer. It will be a real important week for mom. Please pray for the scan and that the results would be worth celebrating. Also pray for mom as she anxiously awaits these tests.

Tomorrow at 9:30 Ark Rentals has purchased advertising time for us to talk about the benefit concert for mom that will take place at the Lazy Dog Coffee House this Sunday from 6-9. Turn your radio dial to T-102 (101.9) and check it out. We hope to see a lot of you at this concert.

Monday the 3rd of December

2007-12-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Mom goes for treatment number 9 tomorrow. Please pray for mom's blood work and weight. Mom's appointment is at 10:45 and the chemotherapy is scheduled for 12:30.

The holidays always remind us to be thankful for the relationships we have. And so again we say thank you for allof your love, support and prayers. It means a lot to mom and it encourages her for this fight.

Tuesday the 27th of November

2007-11-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

Mom received treatment number 9 today. All of the blood work looked good and mom's visit with Dr. White was very reassuring. Her weight was up a few ounces. Mom now weighs in at a whopping 96+ pounds. All went well today and treatment number 10 is scheduled for next Tuesday.

On another note: The Deacon board at GEFC has asked the church (friends are welcome to join in) to fast and pray for mom's health tomorrow the 28th. The church will be open from 6:30-8:30 in room 107 for anyone who would like to pray at the church.

Monday the 26th of November

2007-11-26T05:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow at 12:45 mom goes for her 9th Gemsar treatment. Please pray that mom's blood counts and weight will enable her to receive this treatment. Also pray that the treatment will continue to destroy the cancer cells in mom's body. The family spent a wonderful weekend together up in the Poconos. Much fun was had by all. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

December 9th there will be a contemporary/secular awesome benefit concert for mom at the Lazy Dog Coffee House. (www.lazydogcoffeehouse.com) The concert will be from 6-9 pm. There will be a cover charge at the door and 100% of it will go to mom's medical costs.

Tuesday the 20th of November

2007-11-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today mom received treatment number 8. All of her labs came back great, but her weight continues to be a concern. Mom has lost a few pounds and may need to make some dietary adjustments. Please continue to pray for mom as her body uses these drugs to battle the cancer. Thank you all for your continued support.

Monday the 19th of November

2007-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

Mom goes to Geisinger for her 8th treatment tomorrow. Lab tests are at 10:45, followed by the office visit at 11:30 and treatment at 12:30. Please pray that mom will be able to get her treatment tomorrow and that the treatment will attack the cancer in mom's body. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Don't forget to get dinner at Friendly's in Pottsville. Details are in the side column.

Wednesday the 14th of November

2007-11-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Today is Lynne Ott's Birthday. The birthday girl turned 57 years young today. To start her birthday celebration mom was treated to a (very long overdue) pedicure by a friend. She is relaxing at home at least until Grammy, Poppy and Aunt Sandy get up from Philly. Tonight we are having a family celebration and tons of fun. Wish her a Happy B-Day and continue to keep her in your prayers. Thank you all for all of your love and support.

Friday the 9th of November

2007-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Mom received treatment number 7 today. Her blood counts were good and she weighed 99 pounds (a small increase from last weak.) It was a long trip to Geisinger today but we did get to see the first snow flakes of the year. Mom will continue treatment as planned with a slight variation in the scheduling. Mom's next Gemsar treatment will be in two Tuesdays.

As a side note mom now has an AOL IM (instant messenger) account. Her handle is SuperChicknLynne so all of you IM people out there can add her to your buddy list.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers.

Thursday the 8th of November

2007-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been almost two months since mom was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Mom has been handling the treatments well and is in less pain than this summer, so we have a lot to be thankful for. We are also thankful for all of you. Your outpouring of love and support has been incredible.

Here is someone special that we are also so thankful for...
I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to our new friend. Her name is Vicky (aka from blog comments: Vicky D). Vicky received the same diagnosis as mom this past spring. To date she is 20 treatments into getting better and is doing great. It has been a great joy to have been encouraged by her story and emails as she is winning the battle against pancreatic cancer! Please pray for Vicky, she has become so important to us.

Mom's goes for treatment number 7 this week. Her laboratory tests are scheduled for 1:15, followed by an office visit at 2:00 and if all of her blood levels are sufficient she will receive her Gemsar treatment at 2:30. Please continue to pray for mom's blood levels, weight and treatment.

Friday the 2nd of November

2007-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Mom was able to receive her chemotherapy treatment today. All of her blood counts were up! Her weight has dropped a little, this could be from the chemotherapy, the cancer, the diet or because she eats like a mouse and doesn't know where the stove is.

Three shots to maintain her white blood cell count will continue through this week. Dr. White has been encouraged by mom's ability to continue on the seven week straight plan. Please pray for the upcoming cat-scan test which will be conducted in the near future and the upcoming 7th treatment. Thank you all for your love and supprt. We love you all.

Friday the 2nd of November

2007-11-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today Mom will go to Geisinger for her 6th chemotherapy treatment. Mom will meet with Dr. White who will explain the chemotherapy treatment plan for the next few weeks. If all goes well and mom's blood levels are okay, then mom will receive her 6th dose of Gemsar. Please pray that mom will be able to receive this treatment and that the treatment would kill the cancer.

Monday the 29th of October

2007-10-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend we all had. First it was an exciting day following chemotherapy: Taylor, Caleb and myself all crashed at Mom's Saturday morning. Her energy left the three of us (who were exhausted) feeling a bit jealous. Mom's energy carried her through Saturday and a busy Sunday at my house with a crew from GEFC and our family. Of course mom is always entertained when Matt starts smirking. This is because when Matt starts smirking, trouble is in the air and the Otts love trouble (despite what our very down to earth, mild mannered reputation might suggest). Luke panicked when Matt convinced him to be in charge of the hayride from the trailer and then added..."and Luke start yelling if we are going to hit (the ground), because someone or everyone will probably get thrown off (the trailer)." It wasn't long after that Luke started yelling like it was the end of the world (Luke gets frightened easily). Matt just laughed and laughed and egged Luke on some more. Good Times! Tonight, Mom/Granny had a little elephant show up at her door looking for some tricks or some treats. What a fun night. With all of this fun please pray that mom will be able to catch up on some rest and please pray for her body and the chemo as they fight the cancer. Thanks for all of the love you have poured on us these past few months...keep it coming (especially in the form of your wonderful comments.)

Friday the 26th of October

2007-10-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Mom received her chemotherapy treatment this week. Her white blood count has continued to rise, her platelet count has stayed around 115 (100 is the cutoff for treatment, so continue to keep this in prayer), and her weight dropped only a few ounces (from 99.9 to 99.6). Treatment number 5 is completed, 2 more to go before testing. Please continue to lift mom up in prayer and support. Thank you all for your encouraging words...keep them coming.

Friday the 26th of October

2007-10-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today mom travels to Geisinger for her 5th Chemotherapy treatment. Her blood will be tested at about 12:45 and chemo will most likely start around 1:30. Please pray for mom's blood count and weight. Also pray that mom would be able to get the treatment and that the treatment would work. Thanks so much for your continued support.

Wednesday the 24th of October

2007-10-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your unending support and prayer. Please continue to pray for mom's blood counts, weight and dietary needs. Also pray that she is able to rest enough to provide her body with the much needed energy to fight this disease. We are two days away from treatment number 5.

Friday the 19th of October

2007-10-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Mom's white blood count and platelet count are back up! So the 4th gemsar treatment will begin any minute. Mom was also elated to find out that she will only need 4 shots (previously 5)to maintain her white blood cell count. Dr. White laid out the treatment plan for mom today as well. She will continue with chemotherapy every week for 7 weeks (this was week 4) and then mom will go onto a 3 week on 1 week off cycle. Dr. White is going to get a catscan and run some tests after week 7 to see how the treatment has been working. Mom was very encouraged by the visit she had to Geisinger this week. Keep praying that the chemo would destroy the cancer and that mom's blood counts will be stable enough to allow her to finish the last 3 chemotherapy sessions in this phase of the treatment.

Thursday the 18th of October

2007-10-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow mom goes to Geisinger for her fourth chemotherapy appointment. She is scheduled to have blood drawn and tested at 12:45. If her white blood count and platelets are high enough chemotherapy will begin at approximately 1:15. Please pray that mom will be able to receive the treatment and that it will work! Thank you all, so much, for your love and support, please continue to pray for our mom and continue to encourage her as well.

Monday the 15th of October

2007-10-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Mom's next appointment is Friday at 12:45 for blood work and if all goes well the chemotherapy will start at 1:30. Please pray for mom's white blood count and platelet count. Mom has had two days of injectable treatments to help boost mom's white blood cell count. We are extremely thankful for Anne (mom's neighbor) who is a nurse and has been administering the shots. Mom also made it to church Sunday and hung out in the sound room with Caleb during the service. Please continue to pray that mom would keep gaining weight, that she would be able to receive chemotherapy on Friday and that the chemotherapy would attack the cancer. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Friday the 12th of October

2007-10-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Mom's in chemotherpay! Her blood count was borderline but she is receiving her treatment as I type and she has also gained 3 pounds since her last visit. Sunday she starts 5 injectable treatments (one a day) to boost her white cell blood count. Her plateletts dropped a little bit this week so please continue to pray that these will not continue to drop so that mom can continue treatment as scheduled. Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to lift mom up.

Friday the 12th of October

2007-10-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Chemotherapy is scheduled for today, mom will travel to Geisinger, get her blood tested and meet with Dr. White. If all goes well mom will be able to receive her third treatment of chemotherapy. If mom's white blood count is too then she will not be able to receive today's treatment. Please pray for the trip and mom's blood count.

Wednesday the 10th of October

2007-10-10T12:09:00.001-07:00

Mom accomplished her first fearless visit to Geisinger today and had a very nice visit with Dr. Sheldon who has been a continual blessing to us through this whole process. Mom would like to thank all of you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that mom's white blood count would enable her to receive chemotherapy on Friday. Mom has also gained two pounds in two days, which was extremely encouraging news to her.

Wednesday the 10th of October

2007-10-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today mom has an appointment with Dr. Sheldon at Geisinger Medical. Mom also met with a dietitian this week who expanded her diet to help her get more of the calories she needs to maintain her weight. Please continue to pray for her white blood count to recover, for her weight to be up and for the chemotherapy and diet to attack the cancer in moms body. Continue to pray for God to do the miraculous!

Sunday the 7th of October

2007-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

After a stressful weekend of contemplating dietary need, white blood counts and other exciting cancer related topics, Mom bounced back with a visit to church today (despite her fears of getting sick). She had to pop into the Kid's Connection room and say "Hi" to some of her favorite people, the kids of GEFC. It was a joy to see mom ducking the service in the sound room with her youngest son.

Please remember not to visit if you suspect that you have or may have been exposed to a cold, the flu or a virus. Also children with immunizations should not be around mom either while her blood count is low.

Please continue to pray for her weight, white blood count and cancer treatments. Your support has meant everything for us.

Friday the 5th of October

2007-10-05T10:50:00.001-07:00

Mom's white blood count was low, but they went ahead with today's treatment and it went great (mom gets braver every week). This may mean that mom will need other injectible treatments to help her white blood count stay high enough for the chemotherapy to continue as planned. Dr White is pursuing approval of these injectible drugs so that they will be available to mom next Friday if her count remains low. Unfortunately the supplemental drugs to help moms blood count will not be in time for next weeks treatment. Mom will go to Geisinger next Friday to get her blood counts tested again and her white blood count is high enough they will administer a third treatment. If mom's blood count drops she will not be able to get chemo next Friday. Please pray that mom's white blood count will be high enough for a third treatment without having to take a week off.
Dr. White is also concerned about mom's weight. She has lost about 10% of her body weight since August. While mom continues to maintain a strict, cancer fighting diet (one that is very lean as well) she also needs to up her caloric intake. Please pray for mom in this area as well.

A Prayer Blog For Mom

Thursday the 4th of October

2007-10-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (Friday the 5th) mom goes for her second chemotherapy treatment. Her blood work is scheduled for 12:45 with the chemotherapy following at 1:30. Please remember to pray for mom specifically during this time. Please pray that mom's second treatment goes great, that her blood counts are appropriate for the treatment to occur and that the chemotherapy would attack the cancer.

Mom had a great time at the Phillies game and getting to see everyone from down there. Thank you for your continued prayer, for the support and for the encouraging comments. Keep them coming.

Tuesday the 2nd of October

2007-10-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

"For my God shall supply all your needs..." Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, financial help and love. I can't express how much you all mean to me. You are all a precious gift from God. Please keep praying and writing, it gives me much strength to face each new challenge. I appreciate your prayers for strength, courage and healing. It's hard to express but please know my love. My heart has been touched.

Love,

Lynne

Psalm 118.

PS. Tomorrow I am going to the Phillies playoff game with Randy, Dee and Sandy. Go Phils.

Tuesday the 2nd of October

2007-10-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today upon pulling into my mother's driveway, I was greeted by the UPS delivery man. The gentlemen asked, "Are you Ott?" I said yes and he handed me a small package and left. The contents of this package was the drug we need to help the chemo fight the cancer, Tarseva. It was a little ironic to be given life preserving meds so casually. We are very thankful to finally have the medication after a few days of difficuty. Our insurance company has been a wonderful help in getting the medication approved.
We have the drug! Please pray that it would be effective and powerful and that it would clear the cancer from mom's body. Please continue to pray, encourage and comment. Mom's spirit has certainly been lifted by all of your many kind words and prayers.

Friday the 28th of September

2007-09-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today's chemotherapy went extremely well. Mom was a little scared anticipating what very well could have been a very difficult procedure. After a few hours of waiting she was nicely surprised to feel nothing at all when the chemotherapy was administered. The only complaint of discomfort came after they attached the port for the IV fluids to her chest. Geisinger Hospital has a very comfortable facility and the nurses and physician assistants that took care of us were incredibly comforting and pleasant. After our second unfortunate run in with the local CVS pharmacy (who truly needs to get their act together) mom received a few doses of the Tarseva drug previously mentioned. So far there have been no side effects from the chemotherapy. Please pray for mom's comfort and healing. We cannot see the effect the chemo is having on the cancer but we pray that God will use the chemo to get rid of the cancer. Please pray to that end. Also pray for mom's comfort through all of this and you can also pray that her blood count would remain high enough to continue treatments without interruption.

If you have a transmittable disease or infection (such as a cold, the flu, a virus of some sort) please call the house before visiting. If mom's blood count is too low, it will be easier for her to "catch something" which could potentially interrupt her treatment. The visits have been a great comfort to our mom. Keep them coming.

Friday the 27th of September

2007-09-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today, Friday (this is being posted thursday night) mom will go for her 1st chemotherapy treatment at Geisinger. The chemotherapy apointment is for 1:30. Please pray for this treatment that will last at least 1 and a half hours. Pray that mom's body will react in a possitive way and that the chemo would shrink and even eliminate the cancer.

Wednesday the 26th of September

2007-09-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

We received word from MGH in Boston. They agree with our other doctors and said that mom's treatment plan of aggresive chemotherapy is what we need to be doing right now. Chemotherapy will begin Friday as opposed to Monday. We will be sending test results to John Hopkins in the upcomming days.

Mom also met with a nutritionist today who has added some supplimentation to promote organ health and to help her body attack the cancer naturally.

Please continue to pray that the chemotharapy will shrink, even eliminate the cancer. Thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support.

Tuesday the 25th of September

2007-09-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today we received word from Thomas Jefferson Hospital. After reviewing the test results they agreed with our current treatment plan set up by Dr. Sheldon and Dr. White. We will continue to pursue an opinion from MGH in Boston and we will begin seeking an opinion from Johns Hopkins in Maryland.

Monday the 24th of September

2007-09-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today we met with Dr. White our Chemotherapy doctor. He was very nice and has a gentle and loving spirit about him. He has set mom on a treatment plan which includes Gemsar (the chemo) once a week for two 3 month cycles with Tarseva which is a fairly new drug taken once a day orally. Tarseva has been shown to help Gemsar attack pancreatic cancer. Because this is a fairly new drug the Dr.'s office has a health insurance specialist working on getting mom this drug. We should hear from this specialist Tuesday and he will let us know how to procede in aquiring the drug. Please pray that there will not be any snags in getting the Tarseva in a timely manner. We were under the assumption that the actualy Gemsar treatment would begin today. That assumption was wrong. It is scheduled for next monday and the treatment will repeat every monday for the next 3 months as long as mom's blood count allows. Both Dr. White, Dr. Sheldon and our nurses assure us that waiting a few more days to begin this treatment will not have any affect on the outcome. We are so thankful for Dr. Sheldon who has given us his cell phone, taken calls from Matt and has answered our many questions. We have another appointment with him the 10th of October and he has suggested we request a CT-Scan about half way into treatments (about 6 weeks). Please continue to pray that the cancer would respond to this treatment and keep the encouragemment comming!

Monday the 23rd of September

2007-09-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Monday begins the chemo treatment at Geisinger. Please pray for our appointment with Dr. Sheldon and then our appointment with Dr. White who will be in charge of my mother's chemotherapy. The chemotherapy appointment begins at 2:00 pm and may last a couple of hours (at this point we do not know how long the treatment will take). Please commit to praying for my mom between 2 and 4 pm. Pray that God would use the chemotherapy to push back and eliminate the cancer cells. Pray that her healthy cells would remain strong and that she would heal as only the hand of God can heal. Also pray that the side-effects would be minimal if not abscent.

Thank you all for your prayers!

Friday the 21st of September

2007-09-21T20:11:00.001-07:00

Today's biopsy results confirmed that the pancreatic cancer has spread, so the treatment plan will follow the path discussed at the last appointment over a week ago. We will start chemo monday. Please pray with us that the Chemo would shrink and even wipe out all of the cancer that has spread and that the chemo would start to shrink the tumor in mom's pancreas making it operable.

Dr. Sheldon remained hopeful, saying that mom is in great health (except for this bout with cancer), seems physically up to the challenge and is younger than most people who go through this kind of cancer and treatment.

Dr. Sheldon hands us off to Dr. White, our new chemotherapy doctor, on monday. Please pray that the chemo treatment will go well and that it will start to shrink the cancer imediately.

Thank you so much for all of your support, comments, cards, gifts and visits. Please continue the flow of support and prayer, it has been a great encouragement to our Mom and our entire family.

If you would like to order a wristband (to show your support for mom, help with her medical bills and remind you to pray for her) please email Josh or send a check for two dollars to his home address with a return address so that we can, mail one (or more than one) back to you.
Or just bump into him somewhere and he can hand you one. We have lots of these things so don't be shy ;)

Friday the 21st of September

2007-09-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Surgery started at 7:30 this morning and is expected to last 2 hours.

Mom came through surgery well. I will update the details from today's tests later tonight. Chemo starts MONDAY thanks to Dr. Sheldon our very good doctor from geisinger who ordered the chemo a week ago after the initial meeting with my mother!!!!!! Pray for these treatments to have the desired effects.

Thursday the 20th of September

2007-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mom's appointment at Geisinger is scheduled for 6:15 am - tomorow (Friday the 21st). This procedure will include placing a stent into my mother for the distribution of the chemotherapy and a biopsy of the two spots on the liver. Please pray for some good news tomorrow!

Monday the 17th of September.

2007-09-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Mom went to Geisinger for her preop today. This has been a significant day for my mom's fight. We were in contact with Dr. Yeo from Thomas Jeffeferson Univ. Hospital. They have requested to see our cat-scans and other reports, it will take Dr. Yeo two days to review the reports, once they arrive at Jefferson and then he will meet with my mom the thursday after he has been able to review all of the information to discuss the possibilities of surgery. Dr. Yeo and his department are highly experienced with pancreatic cancer and is one of the best pancreatic cancer surgeons in the world. Please pray for that appointment. We have also decided on a third step that we will begin to persue if we need another opinion on overall treatment. Thank you so much for all of your suggestions and concerns regarding the treatment of our mother's cancer. We have persued and are persuing the best programs in the US and have been made aware of all of the wonderful doctors that have done so much to fight pancreatic cancer. Keep praying.

Wednseday the 12th of September

2007-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

It was a rough report today. The surgeon at Geisinger Hospital met with mom today to review the biopsy results. After reviewing the results they took another more detailed catscan. This catscan revieled that the tumor is pushed up against a major artery that goes into her pancreas. Unfortunately this means, according to this surgeon, the tumor is inoperabole until its size can be reduced through chemo and radiation. The ct-scan also revealed two small but suspicious spots on her liver and one small spot on her lung. If the spots on her liver are cancerous then radiation can not be used. We need the chemo to have a strong affect on both the spots on the liver and the pancreas. If the liver spots can be reduced to nothing then radiation can be added to the treatment of the tumor in her pancreas. It will be a hard road ahead, but mom has promissed to fight and we have promised to fight right along side of her. Monday mom goes for preop at Geisinger, Danvil. Friday mom will have the liver biopsied and will have a stent put in so the newest chemo treatment can be administered directly where it needs to go. Keep praying and thanks for all the love so many of you have shown our family.

In His Hands.

Monday the 10th of September

2007-09-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

We found out that mom has pancreatic cancer. The initial tests showed that the tumor in her pancreas was cancerous and she has a suspicious lymph node. Test results on these biopsys will come back Wed.