Caring for Caroline

2009-10-25T09:35:00.001-05:00

Funeral and Viewing

2009-10-23T03:53:00.002-05:00

Mom's viewing will be Sunday night from 5:00-9:00 at Schrader Family Center--14960 Manchester Road at Holloway Road, Ballwin, Missouri 63011 (Telephone 636-227-5511, Fax 636-227-7108). The funeral will be Tuesday at 11:00 am at the St. Louis Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 15081 Clayton Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63017.

We look forward to visiting with you.

We Need Your Stories

2009-10-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

The word Amazing doesn't begin to describe our feelings about Caroline Hemming. Talented, Strong, and a valiant follower of the Gospel might begin to tell her story.

As we mourn her passing we are all wondering what we can do to support the Hemming family, especially those of us who are not in St. Louis. They ask for so little that we wanted to find a way to help.

So here is the plan:
We need your stories. We need you to put in writing. We want your memories, your feelings, anything that you would like to share with the Hemming Family. What do you remember about Caroline? How did she touch your life? What will you miss most?

After we collect your letters, we are going to compile them for the Hemming Family. Thank you in advance for your quick response.

Please email your letters or stories to: jennwehr@yahoo.com. Please put "Caroline" as your subject.

Saying Goodbye

2009-10-22T16:08:00.002-05:00

In the presence of close family and friends, Caroline passed away at 1:50pm today. We love her and miss her already, but we know we will see her again. Families are forever.

Funeral arrangements are under way, and we will post details as they come along. Thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Last hours

2009-10-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

It was a difficult night for Caroline and the family. The doctors have not been able to get Caroline's kidneys and liver to function. As of Thursday morning, it was determined to stop treatments and let her pass on. Family and friends are with her today. We expect that we will be making funeral arrangements soon and will post any new information as soon as we can.

The prayers and acts and words of kindness have been a tremendous blessing. Thank you all for caring so much.

Heavenly Father has a Plan for Us

2009-10-21T22:14:00.002-05:00

Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and that plan--in the end--is to become like Jesus. This life is all about refinement. It's a difficult process, which at times seems unfair, unbearable, awful, pick your adjective. But in the end, if we choose to stay close to the Lord and endure his refining we will be as He is. We chose this His plan long ago, and we know that we want what you get at the end if you stick to the plan: A Forever Family.

It's going to be a long night, but we know the true ending. Thank you for your prayers and service. It hasn't gone unrecognized by the Hemming family or Heavenly Father.

Update

2009-10-21T15:32:00.003-05:00

Caroline is a fighter, and she's fighting through another rough day at the hospital. We hope that, by tomorrow morning, her mind will have cleared and her blood counts will have gone up. In the meantime, she's receiving a variety of treatments to boost her platelet and white blood count levels.

Eric (Caroline's son) has arrived and is watching mom at the hospital, with the help of some great friends. LuCille (Caroline's mom) will arrive late tonight; she will likely spend the evening at the hospital.

Thanks again to everyone who is helping our family. We certainly appreciate the prayers and encouragement.

More Blood Platelets, Please

2009-10-20T10:57:00.002-05:00

This morning Caroline's oncologist stopped in and found that her blood counts were still too low, so Caroline will be having a blood transfusion and a blood platelet transfusion later today. The Hemmings & Friends are taking shifts at the hospital today and tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who is helping us out in all of the ways that you are!

A Fresh Batch of Blood Platelets

2009-10-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

Caroline's transfusion yesterday was successful. By the end of the evening she was a little more with it. Hooray for blood platelets! Everybody needs them, you know. And, if you can, why don't all of our dear readers donate some blood in the name of Caroline? She's O negative and can only receive O negative, but someone out there needs YOUR blood. It just probably isn't Caroline. Unfortunately, Caroline's daughter who has O negative can't donate due to the oh-so-lovely RHOGAM shot she got when her baby turned out to be O positive!

Anyway, we don't know just yet when she'll be leaving the hospital. It'll be soon, and both LuCille and Eric said they're going to get her back in the game. What kind of game? Don't know. Caroline hates games.

She's One Tough Cookie

2009-10-19T15:33:00.002-05:00

Caroline's battle with this cancer has been going on for quite some time now. (Too long if you ask her or any of her family... or friends... or enemies, even. Okay, she doesn't have any enemies... that we know of.) The latest round of chemo finished last Wednesday, and her health since then has gone downhill considerably. She has been admitted to the hospital this afternoon (Monday) so that she can have a blood platelet transfusion done. They'll keep her overnight most likely to monitor her and make sure she stabilizes before sending her home.

On the upside, Caroline's mom will arrive on Wednesday, and Eric is planning to come then, also. Eric will be here a week to be the errand boy, and LuCille will be here indefinitely. She's the ball of fire that we need! Everybody needs their mom every now and then, right?

One last thing: If you're reading this blog, you apparently have some interest in the wellbeing of the Hemming Family. We appreciate your kindness and your prayers. We'll let you know if there's anything else more temporal you can do. We'll also try to keep the blog updated a bit more regularly!

And We Try Again

2009-10-09T13:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Caroline visited with her doctor again, and she's now on a new chemo treatment. It's 5 days of chemo followed by 2 weeks off. The one downer: nausea is the main side effect. Cross your fingers and keep saying those prayers!

CT Scan Results....Not the Best

2009-09-30T10:44:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad went to the doctor today to receive the results from last week's CT Scan. Turns out that Gemzar is not working after all. The cancer hasn't gotten worse, but it hasn't gotten any better. Next Steps: A new chemotherapy treatment. Mom's abdomen has also swelled greatly over the last two weeks, so tomorrow she is going to the hospital to be "drained" of all that extra liquid. Mom told the doctor that she doesn't want stretch marks, so let's get this done!

Even though this is not the news any of us wanted to hear, Mom is still in good spirits. She received a priesthood blessing this morning that told her she'd get better, though the road to recovery will have its drawbacks. So, we're pressing on with faith that she will get better again.

Things are Looking Up!

2009-09-11T13:19:00.006-05:00

GREAT NEWS! The doctor called Mom this morning to report that recent tests show improvement in both Mom's lung and her liver! These results will be confirmed when mom has a CT scan in a couple weeks, but its great to hear that her blood and calcium counts continue to trend in the right direction. It sounds like the Gemzar chemotherapy treatment is doing its job!

On another high note, Heidi's baby was blessed a few Sundays ago. Here's mom holding Erin in her pretty white dress (which was made using the same material as Crystal's wedding dress). Grandma McDaniel (Mom's Mom) and Heidi are also pictured here. Four generations of ladies!

Gemzar - the Gem

2009-08-27T12:43:00.008-05:00

Mom had chemo and a doctor's appointment today. The doctor said her test results are trending in the right direction (yay!). She also thinks the liver has decreased in size quite a bit. Mom will get a CT scan in about a month to confirm the progress, but we're glad to hear there's hope that this medicine is doing its job!

Mom's Feelin' Good

2009-08-20T21:27:00.003-05:00

Mom's feeling good! She's been up and around the past two days. She's surprised herself. And Heidi had her baby Erin today!

Mom is Home

2009-08-20T14:17:00.001-05:00

Our grandma (mom's mother) is in St. Louis for the next couple of weeks to take care of mom. Mom is very excited to see her and to have her around the house. We are grateful that grandma was able to come. She also plans on coming in November for two weeks as well. Keri will be in St. Louis from September 4-7.

Gemzar: Round Two

2009-08-19T14:52:00.001-05:00

Mom went into the doctor today. Her blood tests were much better this week after they gave her a shot to help her make more white blood cells. Since her blood count was much better, she received chemo today. They lowered her dosage. She just went out to lunch with Elisa Parks.

Gemzar Treatment Update

2009-08-10T07:50:00.002-05:00

Caroline had her second Gemzar treatment last Wednesday. Unfortunately, the first treatment made her blood counts go way down, so she's officially anemic now. Because of this they reduced the amount of Gemzar that they gave her. Following the chemo treatment, she got a crazy headache and other side effects, which subsided by the weekend. This Wednesday is her last treatment of Gemzar (this round!), and we hope that it works out a bit better this time. They'll be adjusting the amount of Gemzar they give her so that the blood counts won't be as affected but it will still do some good to those evil cancer cells!

Latest Chemo Drug of Choice: Gemzar

2009-07-30T11:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Caroline went in for a new treatment. First, her blood work looked great, and the doctor seemed to think that the liver had gotten smaller. We like that! Then she had a chemo treatment using Gemzar this time. Gemzar is given through an IV, just like the first one she tried. This drug supposedly has much milder side effects than the others. So far (day two) Caroline hasn't really experienced any of them! She will have to go in weekly for this chemo treatment. Two more sessions, then a week off, then a trip to see the doctor before starting round two.

On To Drug Three

2009-07-24T11:01:00.003-05:00

Caroline started a pill-based chemo treatment on Wednesday, and by Thursday she was super sick! So, after getting a blood test today, the doctor has decided to switch to yet another medication. Caroline is on the mend and feeling much better today, and will meet with the doctor next week to determine next steps. Wish us luck! We appreciate your prayers.

New Treatment Plan

2009-07-10T13:41:00.004-05:00

Today Caroline received the results of her latest CT scan. The cancer in her liver and lungs have grown merely .1 cm since her pre-chemo scans. So, while the cancer hasn't grown much, the last three rounds of chemo haven't yielded enough improvement. The good news is that there are more chemo drugs out there! For the next six weeks, Caroline will try a pill-based chemotherapy drug treatment that targets GI cancer (which is where most of mom's symptoms are). Then, she'll get another CT scan to measure the progress. It sounds like there are a lot of chemo drugs to try, so we'll keep moving forward until we find one that works!

The good news is that Caroline no longer has to endure 5 - 6 hour chemo sessions at the medical center (being hooked up to an IV for that long is no fun). And, this particular drug should have fewer side effects than the taxol (that's a relief!)

Chat with Mom

2009-07-04T11:57:00.004-05:00

Mom is handling the "low point" of this chemo's cycle pretty well. She's a bit exhausted and tired of drinking so many liquids, but she's doing her best to keep her spirits high.

This'll be a big week for her. She gets a CT scan on Wednesday to determine what the chemo has done, and she will know the results on Friday. We hope its great news!

Want to chat with Caroline? Give her a call or drop by for a visit. If she gets too many calls or visits, we'll let you know!

3rd Chemo Treatment

2009-06-24T12:13:00.003-05:00

Mom is in chemo right now. She is not allergic to the drug! This is great news. The doctor has scheduled to meet with her on July 10. They're going to do a catscan on the liver. It looks like it is still enlarged. Then, she will have another round of chemo a week later. She is still in chemo treatment right now with Crystal by her side. Her blood levels are fine.

Keri & Mitch's Wedding

2009-06-14T07:52:00.001-05:00

Keri and Mitch got hitched on Friday! And Mom survived it all. Now we're off to Branson for a family reunion.

Keri & Mitch Shurtliff

Keri & Mom

The Grandkids

Keri Went Through the Temple Yesterday

2009-06-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

Keri went through the temple to receive her endowment yesterday and my mom felt good enough to stay for the whole thing. Here's Keri, her fiance Mitch, Caroline and Bruce after the session. Doesn't Caroline's wig look good?

Neulasta Shot

2009-06-04T15:30:00.002-05:00

Mom got neulasta shot. Her calcium level was still high, but lower than before. She had to get a 20 minute chemo treatment for that with a different kind of medicine. This is normal for chemo patients. She dropped from a 14 to a 12 in calcium, so this is good! Mom's gonna make it to my bridal shower tonight.

Good News!

2009-06-03T14:46:00.002-05:00

Caroline had her second chemotherapy treatment today. Before the nurse hooked her up to an IV, the oncologist gave mom a check-up. Mom's liver has shrunk already! This is EXCELLENT news; the oncologist was very happy and says "We can do this!"

Chemo Treatment Round 2

2009-06-03T14:44:00.006-05:00

This is Keri. Mom had chemo today. We went in at 9 a.m. Chatted with the doctor for a little while. The doctor is very optimistic, and she said, "Yeah, this is good. This is doable." This gave mom a lot of peace and comfort. Mom's liver is smaller - good news. The doctor hasn't taken any tests on it or anything, but just by touching the outside she can tell there is some progress. Mom hasn't had any nausea. She is not having as many stomach issues.

Mom fell asleep the first hour. Doctor says that she will experience the same things that she did in round 1. However, she won't have as much achiness in the feet. Doctor gave her permission to go to Idaho if she feels up to it. She'll have a neulasta shot. This medicine is used to stimulate the growth of "healthy" white blood cells in the bone marrow, once chemo is given. This is not a chemo drug.

That's about all, folks! :)

Cleaning the House

2009-05-31T19:44:00.005-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Keri here. I deep cleaned the kitchen last night, parts of the bathroom, the computer room, and parts of the living room. I vaccumed the entire top floor and stairs. I'll take on some more parts of the house tonight and tomorrow. Mom is now wearing a wig. She likes it, too. You'd never know she lost her hair. She looks good in it. Her hair dresser always wanted her to have this "haircut" - the wig. Mom went to Sacrament meeting today. That's all. Takin' it easy for the next few days. I'm taking her to her next chemo treatment, which is this Wednesday. Sister Cindi Noble (mom's counselor in the Relief Society who is a nurse) said that mom looks good for having chemo. Good news. Mom's got a little cough. She's got sore feet and head. Other than that, she's feeling a whole lot better. Heidi and Crystal are taking care of the wedding. Things are going well. Got enough cheesecake! That's all you need, right? Mitch comes in town on Friday. He's gonna help me clean on Saturday after I go through the Temple.

Although the house is cleaner, it was pretty clean to begin with.

New Hair Cut

2009-05-30T21:23:00.001-05:00

Caroline received a new haircut tonight--courtesy of Heidi. Now she's sporting an incredibly short hairdo--really short. But, this will all help with the falling out process. There's only a small bald spot right now, but her new rug will hide that! Caroline is a good sport about it all. Nothing that can't grow back--right?

Recovering from Chemo

2009-05-29T20:54:00.002-05:00

Caroline had her first chemo treatment just over two weeks ago. She felt pretty "yucky" the first week and completely exhausted the second week. Fortunately, during that time, her good friend Ronnie has been available to hang out with Caroline during the day and has made Caroline & Bruce dinner a number of times.

Caroline went shopping with her daughter, Crystal, yesterday. It was the first time Caroline had left the house in about a week. She felt much better and more energetic than in previous weeks, but she still needs to take it easy.

Caroline's head has started to tingle, which is the first sign of hair loss. We expect she will lose her hair this upcoming week. Fortunately, we found a great-looking wig that looks much like her natural hair style and color. When she wears it, I doubt you'd be able to notice much of a difference.

And, if you didn't know, Caroline's daughter Keri is getting married in a few weeks. Keri comes in town tomorrow and has vowed to clean Caroline's house from top-to-bottom. Sounds good to the rest of us!

Update

2009-05-26T13:53:00.002-05:00

Not much happenin'. Mom just stayed inside all weekend. She bought a wig that looks like her hair. That's about all I know. She feels better.

First Chemo Treatment: Finished!

2009-05-14T18:11:00.003-05:00

After five hours of chemotherapy, Mom is drugged, sleepy and in good spirits. Overall, the chemo went well; however, by the last hour her muscles started to ache. The nurse had mom lie in a bedroom, gave her a sedative, and let her sleep for an hour. Then, Mom felt much better and - best of all - she was finished!

Tonight she needs to take it easy (no cooking, no cleaning, etc.) She might feel achy over the next few days, but she'll have all sorts of strong medicines to help her feel better.

So what's next? Mom's immune system will be weakest 10 - 14 days from now: that'd be Memorial Day Weekend. During that time she shouldn't go anywhere (except church, the nurse says). She'll likely lose her hair around that time, too, so Mom will be wig shopping this week!

Chemo on Thursday

2009-05-11T14:27:00.001-05:00

Mom visited her friendly oncologist today and scheduled the first chemo treatment for this Thursday. The doctor said that, with the medicine they'll be giving her, Mom shouldn't feel sick after the chemo at all. Sounds good!

Yard Party Thanks

2009-05-10T22:00:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who participated at Saturday's Yard Party. There was a good turnout, and much was accomplished. We couldn't have gotten all of that work done without you. The whole Hemming family thanks you for coming!

Still No Starting Place

2009-05-09T08:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Mom had a colonoscopy and some kind of stomach test to see if the cancer started in either place. Mom was nearly certain it started in the stomach, because her stomach has been doing a real number on her over this last year.

But, according to her tests, it's not there. They still don't know where it started. So, what's next? Mom will meet with the oncologist on Monday. She'll likely start chemotherapy on Wednesday or Thursday.

Caroline's Diagnosis: Metastatic Adenocarcinoma (Cancer)

2009-05-05T17:17:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, Caroline has been feeling ill over the last year. Through a series of medical tests, her doctor has diagnosed her with metastatic adenocarcinoma, a TREATABLE type of cancer. While we do not yet know where the cancer started, we have learned that it has travelled from her liver to her lungs.

The good news is that this type of cancer is treatable! This is great news! Caroline will take a few more medical tests later this week - in an effort to spot where it started - and she will begin chemotherapy treatment next week. She will likely have chemo for five hours every three weeks. At this point, there has been no talk of radiation.

Caroline, her family, and her doctors are very optimistic! We hope as this news digests that you will feel the heavenly peace and comfort that we have felt since we first heard the news.

Please feel free to leave comments and questions.