News from Corsica!

Bonjour everybody!

I know I know it has been sooooo long since I gave you news….I’m sure that you will forgive me ;)
So where to start…because I’ve a few things to tell ya!

So I came back home (Corsicaaaa) the 10th of September as my little sis told you.
The man of my life (Matthew ;) spent 2 months in Corsica. So we had time to visit a little the island. I’ll post pictures on Facebook. I’m supposed to do that since a while….my apologies!

My body is getting stronger. I’m finding back my muscles! It’s a good feeling. The pain is less and I try to slowly reduce the medication. I also try to remove the corset a few hours per day. I still walk with 2 crutches but I can walk with one only and with none in the house. I’m going to physical therapy twice a week but soon I’ll go three times a week. I’ll try as well to go to the swimming pool to strengthen my back.
My hairs are slowly growing back and they are slightly curly. So soon I’ll have an afro! Lol

I went to Paris mid-November to see my oncologist, my surgeon, a doctor for the pain and I did some exams to check my bladder and my lungs. My bladder works well and my lungs have doubled their respiratory capacity (I’m at 50%, still half way ;). So far they were all satisfied with my results, I’m in constant progress and my scanner and MRI are clear from any scary bad tumors! So these are good news!

I have a few more very important announcements to make my friends!!!
The 31st of October, Matt, my boyfriend, proposed to me! So we are officially engaged ;)
And one good thing not coming alone…we are getting married early June 2010!!!
Matt and I are super excited for our W-Day!

My friends Liz and Delisse (who I know from WSU in WA) came visit for three days in Corsica and we had an awesome time!!! Thanks again! It’s always fun and warming my heart to have friends around and to have a chance to make them discover my island!

Thank you again all for your support through these difficult and happy times!!!
I hope that you are all doing well and I wish you the best!

I’m sending your way tons of love and bisous!

Felicia

Back in Corsica !!!

Hi everybody !

Tomorrow (10th of September) Fely will come back in Corsica !!!!!
It’s a very good news, she’s so excited !! And Matt will arrive the 13th !!
She will have a rest, and she’ll make reeducation at the hospital of Bastia.
Her scanner and MRI of August were fine ! She made progress again, now she succeeds in walking a little with only ONE crutch !
Thank you for all your messages !
Bisous

Chloé

Message from Fely ! 09 august 2009

Yo my friends !!

It has been a long time since I gave you some news… but I’ve been busy working on my legs ! I’ve finished all my treatments so I feel better now and I can be more active despite my back pain. I still need medication to relieve the pain from my right side (where I had my surgery). I’ve made a lot of progress walking with the crutches. I go also to the swimming-pool twice a week. I feel good to be back to the water even if for now I swim only on my back with a floating belt.
I’m doing this month a scanner and a MRI to see if the cancer is leaving me alone and if my bones and muscles are fine. After that I’m going back to Corsica the 10th of September and Matt will meet me there the 13th … I’m super excited !!!
And thank you for all your messages of support and gifts ! I can never say thank you enough !
You will find some pics attached to this message : one is a message that John Butler (an artist that I really like and who I saw play in Corsica) wrote for me. Chloé went to see him after a concert that she saw in Nice. The other pic is me wearing my corset (for back pain) customized with stickers by Chloé and my wig. I hope that you will like them !
I send you my love and tons of bisous !
Feli


Gros bisous
Chloé

News from Fely 27 May 2009

Hello everybody !
A long time has passed since I wrote you some news… so the surgery is behind me, it was one part of my treatment I was the most scared of. My back still hurt and my body looks a little “weird” and different but it is something I have to get used to. My last chemo has been really difficult. I got an infection and I had fever and cold sweats for a week … Not fun at all! Now I feel better and I’m almost done with a different chemo, one where I have pills to swallow instead of having the product going through my veins.
I’m going to start the radiotherapy the 8th of june for 4 weeks and a half, 4 days a week for 10-15 min.
Regarding my legs, I’ve lost a lot of muscles because of the surgery and the chemo. But since a few days I’m able to do a few steps alone between the parallel bars.
I’m not as good as before but it’s slowly coming back. My family is as usual a great support and my sister came visit for a week. Matt left to go back to RI to work and to finish his thesis. I miss him tons but he’ll be back in September and hopefully I’ll be able to go for a walk with him by then !
As usual, I don’t have the opportunity to go to internet often so my sister wrote that email for me (how lucky I am ! Thank you little sis ! ).
And of course thank you for all your messages of support ! That always draws a big smile on my face !
I’ll try to give you more news soon !
Big Bisous
Félicia


Salut tout le monde !
Ça fait un moment que je ne vous ai pas donné de nouvelles… Maintenant l’opération est derrière moi, c’était la partie du traitement qui m’effrayait le plus. Mon dos me fait toujours mal et mon corps n’est plus comme avant mais je dois m’y habituer. Ma dernière chimio a été très difficile. J’ai eu une infection et j’ai eu de la fièvre, des sueurs froides et des nausées/vomissements durant une semaine... Maintenant je me sens mieux et on m’a prescrit une nouvelle chimio par voie orale.
Je commence la radiothérapie le 8 juin pour 4 semaines et demi, à raison de 4 jours par semaines pendant 10-15 min.
Au niveau de mes jambes, j’ai perdu pas mal de muscles à cause de l’opération et de la chimio. Mais depuis quelques jours je suis capable de faire quelques pas seule entre les barres parallèles. Ça revient doucement…
Ma famille me soutient toujours autant et ma sœur est venue pour une semaine.
Matt est rentré à Rhodes Island pour travailler et finir sa thèse. Il me manque beaucoup mais il sera de retour en septembre et j’espère être capable d’aller faire une promenade avec lui d’ici là !
Comme d’habitude, je ne peux pas aller sur internet souvent donc ma sœur a écrit cet email pour moi.
Et bien sûr merci pour tous vos messages de soutien ! ça me remonte toujours le moral !
J’essaierai de vous donner plus de nouvelles bientôt !
Gros bisous.
Félicia


Bizouxx
Clo

News 24 avril/april 2009

Bonjour,
Un petit mot pour vous dire que Felicia a repris la chimio mercredi dernier pour quelques jours. Une 2e séance aura lieu dans 3 semaines/1 mois puis elle fera de la radiothérapie. Ma mère et Fely ont pu voir les docteurs lundi dernier et ils nous ont assuré que l’opération s’était bien passé et que Felicia était à présent en rémission !! Les prochains mois vont encore être durs mais Fely avance jour après jour et sa victoire sur la maladie est au bout ! C’est une battante comme nous le savons tous et nous essayons de l’aider autant que possible. Gros bisous (de Fely aussi!)


Hi,
Felicia went back to the hospital the 22th of April for beginning again chemotherapy for a few days. She will have chemo again three weeks or one month after, then she will have “radiotherapy”. My mom and Fely met the doctors the last Monday and they assured us that the surgery went well and that Felicia was in “remission” ! The next months will be hard but Fely makes progress day after day and her victory is at the end ! She is a winner like we know! and we try to help her as much as possible. Bisous ! And a lot of bisous from Fely

Clo

News 13 avril/april 2009

Salut tout le monde ;)
Tout d’abord, Felicia vous envoie de gros bizoux et vous remercie pour vos messages et attentions !
Elle a réintégré le centre de rééducation de Coubert le lundi 06 avril. Elle récupère peu à peu. La kiné l’aide à se mettre en position debout mais cela lui donne encore de vives douleurs. Elle lui fait faire également des exercices avec les jambes. Elle va mieux mais souffre toujours, elle a donc un patch de morphine. Elle progresse de jour en jour, il faut être patient…
Les chirurgiens nous ont assurés que la coupe effectuée était saine, tout a bien été enlevé et il n’y a pas de fuites, ce qui est très important et annonce une bonne voie de guérison. Concernant la chimio, la dernière cure n’a pas fonctionné comme ils l’espéraient donc un nouveau protocole va être mis en place pour les 3 mois à venir. Nous en saurons plus la semaine prochaine. A bientôt, gros bizoux et merci d’être là pour elle.

Hi everybody ;)
Felicia sends to you a lot of bisous et thanks everybody for your support !
She was back to the reeducation center since the 6 of April. She feels better little by little, but she has still pain so she has a patch of morphine. The physiotherapist helps Fely to stand up but it’s very painful, and she does exercises with her legs. Patience…
The surgeons said that the surgery was healthy, it’s very important for the recovery ! Fely will have a new chemotherapy the next three months because the last chemio didn’t go well. We’ll have news about that the next week. Bisous and thank you for Fely

Clo

News 30 Mars/March

Bonjour à tous !
Voici enfin quelques nouvelles de Fely.
Elle va bien mais est très fatiguée, elle parle mieux. On lui a enlevé sa sonde gastrique le 21 mars, depuis elle se réalimente petit à petit. A présent elle mange solide. Il parait que ses cicatrices sont belles.
Les 23 et 24 mars, son cœur battait trop vite, son pouls était à 150, elle a eu un traitement, il rebat normalement à présent !
Le 25 mars, Fely a quitté le service de réa pour aller en soins intensifs. Ma mère est à ses côtés depuis, nuit et jour. Elle est ainsi rassurée et encore plus entourée.
Pour soulager son dos et ne pas avoir d’escarres, elle dort sur un lit à air.
Le 27 mars, son dernier drain a été enlevé (c’est un tuyau qui est dans la plaie pour enlever toutes les impuretés, sang, sécrétions…), et ils l’ont mise en position assise pour la première fois !! pendant 1h30-2h !!
Les 27 et 28 elle a eu de la fièvre, elle est donc sous antibiotiques.
Un kiné vient régulièrement lui masser et bouger les jambes.
Fely est toujours sous morphine car la douleur est toujours bien présente et constante, 4 sur 10.
Elle est donc toujours très fatiguée, mais ça suit son cours. Elle va mieux petit à petit, jour après jour. Il faut être patient…
Je monte sur Paris demain pour la voir, jusqu’au 8 avril.
Merci pour tous vos messages de soutien que je lui transmets et lui font très plaisir.
Bizoux

Hi everybody !
Sorry for not writing earlier…
Fely is well but very tired. She’s able to talk better. She eats more, and “solid”, little by little. Her scars are “beautiful”.
The 23 and 24 of March, her heart beat quickly (her pulse was at 150), but she had a treatment and it’s ok!
The 25, Fely left the intensive care and now she’s in a bedroom with my mother who is with her all the time. Fely sleeps on a mattress with air, it’s better for her !
The 27, they removed her last “drainpipe” (who was in the wound), it was for the blood, secretions… and she sat down for the first time !! During almost 2 hours !
The 27 and 28, she had fever, so she had medicine. A physiotherapist comes steadily for moving and massaging her legs.
She has still morphine permanently, because she still suffers… her pain is at 4.
But she feels better, little by little, day after day…We must be patient…
I’ll go to Paris tomorrow for seeing Felicia. My dad was with her from the 17 of March to the 29. Matt goes to the hospital every day.
Thank you again for your message that I forwarded to her, they bring happiness to Fely !
Bizoux

Clo

News 20 Mars 2009

Bonjour,

Voici quelques nouvelles supplémentaires.
Hier (19/03) Felicia était encore sous assistance respiratoire, intubée. Elle est sous morphine, elle est branchée à toutes sortes d’appareils. Elle souffrait beaucoup hier (elle était à 7 sur une échelle de 1 à 10). Mes parents et Matt ont pu la voir hier et aujourd’hui. Le service de réanimation est très bien et elle est très bien entourée.
Aujourd’hui (20/03) ils ont enlevé l’assistance respiratoire, elle parle difficilement. Mes parents ont rencontré l’un des chirurgiens. Ils ont enlevé et fait ce qu’ils voulaient. Au final, ils ont enlevé la tumeur, 2 côtes complètement (n°9 et 10), un morceau de la côte n°8, un morceau de la côte n°11, les 3 demi vertèbres. Une plaque de titane remplace les demi-vertèbres, et une greffe a été faite également pour consolider sa colonne. Elle a une sonde gastrique pour l’alimentation.
Felicia souffrait un peu moins aujourd’hui (elle était entre 3 et 4 sur l’échelle).Une kiné vient aussi la voir pour ses jambes.
Elle va rester encore quelques temps en réanimation, puis elle ira en soins intensifs puis elle regagnera une chambre.
Nous saurons dans 3 semaines / 1 mois quel protocole sera mis en place pour la suite de son traitement.
Merci pour vos messages.

Hi,
I’m going to try to give some news in English.
Yesterday (19 March), Felicia had an assistance for breathing. She suffered a lot (7 out of 10). She has morphine permanently. My parents and Matt saw her yesterday and today. The intensive care and the team are very good.
Today (20 March) she suffers less ( 3 or 4 out of 10). My parents met the surgeon. During the surgery, they removed the tumor, the ribs n°9 and 10 completely, a piece of the n°8, a piece of the n°11, 3 half vertebras. They put titane instead of the vertebras, and they made a transplant for consolidating her spine.
A physiotherapist came for moving her legs.
Thank you for your messages, and thank you for her

Gros bizoux

Chloé

L’opération – The Surgery

Un petit message pour vous rassurer, l’opération s’est bien passée ! Félicia est allée au bloc vers 10h ce matin, elle a rejoint le service de réanimation seulement vers 20h30 – 21h. Elle va y rester au moins 48 heures. Les chirurgiens sont contents. Fely saigne encore un peu, son cœur bat encore un peu vite mais c’est normal. Ils ont prolongé son endormissement pour cette nuit afin qu’elle ne souffre pas. Nous aurons un compte rendu des chirurgiens demain.

The surgery went well (from 10 AM to 8 PM) ! Fely is in intensive care (during 2 or 3 days). She bleeds a little, her heart beats a little quickly, but it’s ok ! They gave medicine to Fely for sleeping this night, so that she doesn’t suffer. We’ll have a report tomorrow from the surgeons.

Bizoux

Chloé

Bonjour de Feli!

Bonjour les amis!

It took me a while to understand how to post someting on this website...
Thank you for all your messages, phone calls and gifts for my special day! I've been really touched and spoiled ;)Even if I don't need all that to know how much you care for me and support me, I loved all of them (stop it or I'm going to get used to it;)!
I wanted to say also thank you for your donations. Matt keeps me updated and I'm amazed every time by your generosity and support. Thank you! It will really help!
Last week has been a little tough on me like my sister explained. But I feel better now and I'm back to the reeducation center.
The surgery is not the 9th anymore but the 19th. So I have more time to get ready for it and to work on my legs ;)
The weather in Paris is ugly and/or cold. I cannot wait to go back to Corsica!! It might be in August as I hope to finish my chemotherapy in July. It will depend also if I can walk or not...So far I can stand up without holding myself to something and I'm making progress everyday on how to walk again (but holding someting). So I still need a little more time before I can run a marathon with Dawn or surf the waves of the North Shore! However, I'm sure I can dive in a little yellow submarine to count the "concombres de mer"...;)
Also, I never thought that I would miss american food, but you should have seen how happy I was when my mum and sister bought for me oreos and pepperidge farm cookies! And nuggets, fries and BBQ sauce have been the only warm food that my belly was tolerating the past 2 days ;)

I miss you all and I hope that you are all well!
I'm sending you tons of bisous!

Feli

Thank you from Fely

Hi everybody,

Fely is at the hospital, she is very tired, and I’m not in Paris. So I’m going to try to write you a message and give you some news but it’s not easy for me in English !

First, thank you from Fely for all your messages for her birthday ! I forwarded them to Fely and she was very happy. Thank you for your support. It was a good day. Matt, my parents and me were with Fely.

But since Friday, she’s very tired. She went back to the hospital because with the last chemotherapy, her white blood cell and “blood bars” were very low, too low. She needed a blood transfusion and treatments. She had also nausea, fever…

Wednesday, she met the surgeon. She will have the surgery the 9 March. It will be a very big surgery, during one day and consisting in removing the tumors, 3 ribs and 3 half vertebras. It will be very painful. She will have a piece of titanium instead of vertebras.

So, Fely is not in very good spirits... It’s difficult and she has a lot of apprehension for the surgery.

I know, it’s not very good news, sorry… She needs of you and your support.

Bisous
Fely send you a lot of bisous !!!

Chloé and Fely

Some pictures

News from Fely !!!

Hi everybody !

I hope that you are all well and thank you again for all your messages and support !
Because of internet issues (not easy to access for me as usual) my sister is once again the one in charge of putting online this message.

I'm at the reeducation center since the 12th of January but I go back to the hospital every two weeks for the chemotherapy for a few days.
My legs are moving but I cannot walk yet. Patience... patience...
I'm going back to the hospital the 6th of February for some heavy chemotherapy and I have the surgery around mid-March. Then I'll do more chemotherapy but I don't know for how long. It will depend on the tumor's tissues analysis. If the analysis shows that the treatment I have been taking was effective enough I should be done with chemo by July.

My family and Matt are great to keep me motivated and they surround me with great energy and love. Also, you should see my bedroom, it is filled with cookies, candies and other "food"... it is a good way to escape a little from the hospital cuisine... my mum cooks sometimes for me as well.

Oh, I almost forget to tell you some good news : the tumor reduced of almost 50% ! The treatment is really intense but at least it is working ! Also, the doctors told me that I should be able to walk again but we don't know how long it will take.

Sorry if I've been unable yet to reply individually to your messages but internet access at french hospitals is a long story.

I'm sending you lots of bisous !

Félicia

A new message from Feli !

Happy New Year 2009 !!!

Matt and me are sending you all our best wishes and Love !
And thank you for all your messages that my sister forwarded to me.

I'm still at the hospital (and no internet until the 6th of January, so my sister is my secretary again !). I'm starting my 3rd chemotherapy Friday and hopefully I will be at a rehabilitation center next week until the next chemotherapy. I will work hard overthere to get my legs back.

I'm allowed to get out of the hospital one afternoon this week so the plan is to have a car tour of Paris. It's exciting but also a little scary to get out after such a long time !
Matt will go visiting the city with my sister and my cousin this weekend. I'm excited for him !
Finally he'll be able to see something else than a french hospital !

I'm thinking a lot about all of you !

Gros Bisous

Féli and Matt


Happy New Year !!! ;)
Bisous Bisous
Clo