Thank you all for following our journey, we have left this page up for everyone to still be able to read through our journey from the beginning. Our new page created is our 2020 journey with all the new obstacles we face.
Thank you for your ongoing support towards our wee family
Kiri, Andrew, Tyler and Kobi
With this support page coming to and end I want to thank you all for your generousity over the 6 months
We haven't had the best time over the past month. Xmas and new years was amazing and so many beautiful memories were made to remember forever.
Andrew has had chest pains making it difficult to breath at times and a chronic headache that wouldn't go away.
Monday was our follow up appt where I had to push for the CT scan to be done now and not in Feb when it was booked for.
They admitted him for a few days, pumped him with fluids and steroids and we got the CT done. Unfortunately the results from scan have shown that it has unfortunately spread and he now has 10 mets on his brain, his liver and lung masses have increased aswell as 2 new bony mets in his sternum and spine.
This means they have pulled him off these expensive drugs and we will begin a new treatment plan that has not yet been put in place. We are discussing radiation and chemotherapy through IV, but also gamma knife, or another immunotherapy drug are options. So much to get our heads around.
Im truly heartbroken with the outcome after such a battle we put up. I tried so hard to keep up and understanding what was happening and how to make him comfortable and smiling that I didnt see how bad the headaches were becoming.
Hes such a strong willed man and I'm stubborn and strong minded, I hate feeling defeated so Imma upgrading the armour around my heart to super strength thats unbreakable and I will keep his spirit and thoughts out the darkzone.
Today marks a year since the biopsy was taken. So we celebrate surviving a year on the journey
Your support has been our savior
Keep us in your hearts xx
Kiri and Andrew Hercus xx
Tyler and Kobi xx
Pupo Rox xx
Aroha mai aroha atu xx
Merry Xmas everyone
Today was our last appointment of the year and Dr said everything looks good.
After last months change in meds we haven't had a set back and it has been a sick free month with only the standard side effects which are part of daily life now anyway.
We have learnt to adapt to this new life and are still learning how to manage through summer when hes pretty much instantly sunburnt if the sun touches his skin longer than 15secs. But we will continue to make his home more comfortable and hopefully with less restrictions.
Its crazy to think last year we were chasing the sun and bearly thought about reapplying sunscreen where as now im so sun conscious now it annoys other.
The Doctor was proud of how Andrew is doing when at the beginning of the year we were possibly looking at him not being here to celebrate xmas at all.
So for now we will continue on this lower dose of zelboraf for another month to enjoy the rest of this year and start 2020 with laughter and Joy surrounded by those we love.
Thank you all for following our journey of 2019.
With your donations We have raised enough to keep ahead of the medical bill as we enter our 6th month of being on these drugs, We will now try to relax and enjoy xmas with the kids.
We hope 2020 is a much better year so please keep us in your thoughts and keep those positive vibes coming our way.
This page will shut down at the end of January so I will again just like to thank you all for the kindness you have given Andrew and I.
Stay safe everyone.
Hi All Thanks for following our journey
This past month was mostly managed from home but his monthly visit ended in an overnight stay being pumped with fluids.
He had his normal cycle of side effects during the third week but unfortunately he may have overdone it in the garden the week before, where the strength of his mind was stronger than his body, meaning he needed some extra hydration to help power through this cycle.
His Blood work came back with no visable issues with liver or kindney but that his white blood cells count was low.
Doc said she is happy with how we are coping to manage things from home and that we can carry on doing so in a more comfortable place. We were sent home with a follow up appointment next week.
These meds work wonders for Andrew. Though the side effects are still there they are not as intense as Keytruda combined with radiation.
I am so thankful for these meds. I feel like my husband will be here on earth with me for longer now at a quality worth fighting to live for. Sometimes I can see it in his eyes, the "I wanna give up" "im too tired to keep fighting and I just wanna rest" look. That look deep within his soul, and as his soulmate, I feel his pain, but somehow I'll turn it into strength and through me, together we will continue to battle through it and when that good day is back, after a day of rest and recharge, we make memories somehow.
Our memory created this past month was Halloween as a family. We dressed up and scared the neibourhood trick or treaters from our fence and had such a great laugh doing it. Andrew doesnt usually dress up or get into these sort of things but this year he did and the kids loved it.
Andrews my world, he is what gives me the strength to keep fighting his fight, while raising our kids together as a unit.
Im still working fulltime, to pay our everyday bills but I have to keep raising these funds for these meds and on a single income unassisted its hardwork. I have to raise $2500 a week for this wonder drugs.
Its your support and kindness that keep the smile on my face and the happiness bubble inside still inflated.
I am so greatful for the money raised and cannot thank you all enough so please keep those positive vibes coming our way and Thank you for following our Journey
Mrs Kiritea Hercus
Thank you all for your support.
This past month has been mostly really good days.
The school holidays were full of laughter as we had a cousin stay over.
Andrew and I were given an amazing prize. A gourmet dinner for 8 so we invited our guests to thank them for hosting our wedding reception. It was served by a lovely young girl raising funds for her school trip to samoa and cooked by her and her mother. They put so much thought into the menu, which was absolutely beautiful and made our night one to remember.
With all the positive few weeks we've had, it made last week hard to except. It started off as the standard chills, followed by extreme fatigue but then nausea and diarrhea began. When he didn't get out of bed 24 hrs after falling ill to the side effects, we thought that we were heading for hospital. Thankfully that didn't happen, and with a few days rest and recovery hes doing well again now.
We met with our oncologists today and it was all positive information, his blood work looked good, and better yet the two lesions on his back have each measured 2mm smaller than last month. Woop Woop
She is proud of him for his progress. Exceptance to our new life, Managing to get his body to accept the meds this month without a rash or fever.
We are really Happy with those results and will continue staying positive. We have everything in place for next 'monthly cycle of side effects' as we try get prepared and can make him as comfortable as possible in his own home.
Thank you again for following our journey, sharing our page and donating what ever amount you can, when you can. Every dollar donated is a blessing for us.
These drugs are working, I can see that in the shrinkage, so I have to continue paying $1031.90 for them every month. There aren't enough people on these meds to get put on the list to parliament for funding but we are on a list, a terminal cancer patient list. Current life expectancy has upgraded to 18months, (if he stops treatments) but these meds if his body except them will keep him alive for 4-5years. ( not enough research to know if anyone made it longer than 5 )
I have high hopes with these chemo meds that he will still be around 4 years time from now, with the hopes that its a good life, a happy and comfortable life. Hopefully in that time we make the list.
But for now just keep those positive vibes coming our way
xxxx Waikanae beach xxxxxx
Kiri Hercus
The medication is still $10031.90 sorry i forgot a zero
This past month has been a highlight with shifting our focus from increasing our knowledge of Melanoma and BRAF inhibitors, to putting his energy into letting his body recover and except the drugs, and hope for a "good day health wise" for our Wedding day.
This was something on his bucket list of things he wish he'd achieved aswell as wanting to share that moment with the kids at an age they would remember.
We had a lovely small ceremony with a handful of guests and a beautiful family photo shoot on the beach to capture these memories forever.
Our night ended with freinds and family toasting to our new beginning where we hope to rewrite what the future had planned for us.
Our oncology appointment today showed that our positive attitude and careful recovery has made great progress and we are now back at full dose again ( lowered for a week to reduce swelling in hands to fit the ring)
Side effects are currently fatigue and joint pains of the lower limbs in the morning and super sensitive to the sun. He got sunburnt hands while walking the dog before 9am 2 weeks ago, it turned to third degree burns and is still healing now.
We have cotton gloves now for walking the pup and thicker tints on the car.
We see the Oncologists again in a months time to have scans to see how these drugs have effected his cancer.
But for now he will carry on doing his best to best this thing.
World cup should be a great distraction. Go the ALL BLACKS!
Thanks again to everyone who follows our journey, shares our page or donates as everydollar counts.
Keep the positive vibes flowing our way. Proven to help him get through. Xx
Kiri and Andrew Hercus
Tyler and Kobi xx
We continue to send healing energy your way. Congratulations on your wedding. Mary, Anne, Clare and Kathleen.
Thank you again to all who have shared and donated to our family💗🙏🤜🤛❤
What a rollercoaster of a month it has been on these Chemo meds. We have began to take the full dose again as we know it was working, his body just wasn't prepared enough to know how to cope with it. So now one month in with all side effects in play, we are greatful for the knowledge we now know and can try keep the upper hand on it.
His side effects are; rashes covering majority of the body - hot and itchy at times, Eczema look but sun burnt feeling. Hes also super sun sensitive and has joint pains in the legs. We have done what we can to make him as comfortable as possible at home and with all the pain meds and creams in place to attack it as each thing occurs.
On the good days; hes walking the pup down waikanae beach and reserving the rest of his energy till the boys return home from school.
Fatigue is the main culprit for the bad days. If he cant get out of bed we already know the days not going to get much better. Though staying in bed is how the rash gets to the hot or itchy phase, so he will try not sleep all through the day, though thats what his body is telling him to do.
We spent a day picking out matching suits for our upcoming vows ceremony in two weeks time and had an amazing day doing it. We choose to focus on a happy event to help him through our recovery after our trauma experience and what better way than a vows ceremony with the kids. 💗
We really don't know how much time we have but we feel positive that these meds are going to work and he will still be walking our beach in years to come.
Thank you all for following our journey and supporting us even if it's just sharing our page to the ones who can help. Without it we wouldn't have the hope we have today.
Postive though🙏 Still got this.🤜🤛
💗 Kiri and Andrew 💗
❤ Tyler and Kobi ❤
The words Thank you just don't seem enough for the support we have already received. The fundraiser set up are all starting to take shape and fall into place. Xxx
UPDATE: 25th AUGUST 2019
After being on these Chemo meds a fortnight now, a few things have happened. We started with 10 fantastic days; no nausea or diarrhea and minimal headaches. Day 11 a rash started to appear all over his body which wasn't hot or itchy.
Day 12 We had a traumatic experience in the morning where Andrew and I saved our neighbors life by giving compressions for 7 mins to restart his heart after finding him pulse less on the footpath; lawn mower idle and wearing earmuffs
Both the adrenalin and energy used, and the come down from this sent Andrews body into a chemical imbalance and knocked him out for 3 days flat in hospital. The rash got red hot keeping his temp above 38 and diarrhea put us in isolation for a week (I was not leaving his side)
8 days later the doctors were able to settle the rash; give us a cocktail of meds to help side effects and a bit of re adjusting the chemo dose, with the attempt to slowly building it back up again.
Once the redness had gone it was visible to see that some of the lesions and scarline spots have faded or look smaller so they are differentially working. We feel more prepared now and are determined to keep the upper hand over this.
We thank the Oncology ward at Wellington hospital for listening to what we were saying were the issues, and managing them so well. We hope to not be admitted again anytime soon, but that at each visit its good news and the time we have left will be of good quality happy memories.
We are so greatful for the donations we have received so far its so humbling and we appreciate every Minute you donated already.
Still staying postive...WE GOT THIS ....
