Counting down the days...

Sorry it has been so long. Life just happens! These past couple weeks have been pretty hectic. My grandpa got really sick (They found 15 lesions on the liver and 1 on the pancreas). However we just found out yesterday that the tumor is extremely slow moving and treatable and not aggressive like we thought. We are planning an appointment with an oncologist very soon so that he can start treatment. Please keep him in your prayers<3 (He is 88 years old and said to me, "I still got another 5 years!") Now I know where I get my strength from!

Today I had my last "pre-chemo checkup". My white count was low as usual, so I got my last round of shots for the week. Next Tuesday (January 4th) I have my last treatment! I am so excited. This last half definitely went faster than the first half. Then the following Tuesday I check up with my oncologist and make my appointment for my PET scan. Then, that's it! It is going to be a great next couple weeks. I will do a better job of posting updates :), promise!

Always,
Amber :)!!!

Best day of my life

As you all know I went for my CT scan results today. The doctor said that 90% (yes 90%!!) of the tumor is gone! You do not understand just how relieved and ecstatic I was. He said at first the tumor was quite large (in the left lung), now however, it has basically flattened out and is now against the trachea/esophagus. Again, I was just stoked. My doctor also stated that the remainder of the tumor could just be dead cells. (In other words, no more cancer.) But since it was just a CT scan and not a PET scan he cannot tell for sure. (At the end of my second half of chemo I will finally get that PET scan!) When he said, "You are on your way to remission", I just felt so good. Today was amazing and I finally feel "normal" again.


My white blood count was down again, but that is typical due to the chemo. So they sent me home with 5 shots (one per day) that I will give myself. Not sure I trust myself with a needle, so I will probably have my mama do it ;). Then I have my 7th treatment on Tuesday. I have no doubt that this second half will destroy it completely!

Again, thank you all for the support. Your love and kindness keeps me going.

Always,
Amber :)

6 down, 6 to go!

Today I had a CT scan and Friday I get the results. I am really optimistic and think that everything will turn out okay. I can't wait to start this second half and just be done! I do not see how I could be worse because I feel so good. So no bad thoughts here.

So here's to the second (and last) half! Cross your fingers :)

Always,

Amber :)

:)

http://create-inspire-progress.tumblr.com/

Tomorrow I have my 5th chemo treatment. One more to go after that then I get a PET scan to see how everything looks inside! Last week my blood results came back completely normal. The doctor said that I was getting stronger and stronger, which he stated was unusual due to the chemo. However he said that was excellent. I hope I don’t get as sick as I did last time and I hope the nausea doesn’t last as long. It always fluctuates though, so who knows!

I have definitely been feeling back to normal and I really hope I can at least start working again. I miss it (mostly the people :)). We will see after the scan and see how I am feeling. As of now though, I am feeling fantastic.

Always, Amber :)

What a wonderful week

I can definitely say that my “free week” (no chemo) was definitely well spent! I got to see my best friend Joe over the weekend and it is pretty much impossible not to have good time with him. :) I visited with family and had lunches/dinners everyday with some of my favies. I have such great people in my life.

As far as my health goes, everything is going very smoothly. I don’t feel sick at all really and I still got a head of hair. So no complaining here.

I have my 4th treatment on Monday, not too worried. Anticipating the stomach aches, but the anti-nausea medicine pretty much gets rid of it. Going to try to just go in, go out. The chemo is going fairly quickly. Weird to think that I am already almost half way done. Time really does fly by.
The doctor said I can start up running again, which I am stoked about. I am so ready to get back into shape again. So I am definitely going to take the time I have to get that going. I have been thinking of things to do with the months I have ahead since I am not in school and I cannot work. It is so rare now to find this amount of free time, so I definitely want to take advantage of this opportunity.

If I feel good enough I really want to start walking/running next week. I can’t wait!

I am feeling so good and ready for the 4th treatment. The secret? I truly stay positive and surround myself with the most caring and amazing people. People who make me smile and laugh so hard that it makes me forget that I am even sick. People who I love so very much.
What can I say? I’m a very lucky girl.

Always, Amber :)

My other (but same!) blog :)

I have another blog on Tumblr (http://create-inspire-progress.tumblr.com) where I put exactly the same posts, but with pictures and such. I am more familiar with Tumblr, so it is easier for me to use! I will still copy my entries from my Tumblr blog to here though :)

Thanks everyone!


Amber :)

My weekend/Chemo: Round 3!

My cousin, Michelle, from Miami, her beautiful fam, and my uncle came to visit over the weekend. We have not seen her in years, so it was amazing to get to catch up and just spend time with each other! Sunday we went to Fashion Island. So pretty! We window shopped, walked around, and ate a lot of yummyness. Spending this time with ALL of them is so rare because they both live so far away. They will be staying for 3 1/2 weeks, so I know there is a lot of fun times ahead! (Such as having a “Mario Party” Party on N64. We used to play all the time when we were younger with Michelle.) Yessssss.

I had my 3rd round of chemo today. I realized I am already 1/4 of the way done! (12 rounds for 24 weeks). So crazy how time goes by so fast. I feel like I was just in the hospital. I would call today a bad-ish day. I had chemo at 9am (never doing that again). I went to bed way too late (my own fault), so in the morning I was so tired, which really didn’t help. Josh went with me to the appointment and when we walked in the waiting room wasn’t too full. We then go into the room where everyone gets their chemo and it was packed! Every chair was occupied. One woman, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer, made homemade red velvet cupcakes for everyone. That was really neat. It was actually her first chemo treatment.

The nurse came over to take blood, now a routine, to check that everything was up to par so that I can get the chemo. She came back and said that my white blood cell count was low, but that the doctor said it was fine to proceed. I was going to be so bummed if they could not do it! I asked if it was something I did, but she said no, it’s just the chemo. So tomorrow I have to come back and get a shot.

Since it was so crowded it was hard to read my book, so I pretty much became a creeper and just people watched :) It made the time go by so fast! It is so interesting to hear everyone’s story and what kind of cancer they have. Everyone is so different but yet we all have so much in common.

At my first visit to the doctor’s after I had been released from the hospital, I was getting my blood drawn and my mom and I started talking to this man who was sitting next to me getting his blood drawn as well (he looked about my parents’ age). He was talking about running and how much he loved it. I believe he ran marathons. So my mom told him about me running the half marathon in May. We kept talking and he was just so nice and optimistic. His daughter (a little older than me) was the same way. So sweet. He even said that he ran 5 miles yesterday! I looked at my mom like, “why can’t I do that?!!” But she shot me a dirty look like, “no way.” ;) He pretty much started his chemotherapy at the same time I did, so I told him I hoped to see him again. Well, today I had just started the chemo when he walked in and sat right across from me. It was nice to see a familiar face who is going through the same thing. We talked and as I finished up and left he just said, “Keep smiling!” What an awesome, awesome person. I really hope to have another treatment again with him. He has his every two weeks as well, so I think it is a high possibility.
Anyways, after chemo I was hungry so Alyssa, my mom, and I stopped by the mall and ate some sandwiches. I learned from last time not to eat a ton after because my stomach killed. We left and then that stupid stomach ache started again. It is where you smell something or you see something and I just feel gross. We got home and I decided to lay down and rest. My stomach ache proceeded to get worse so I went upstairs to take a nap, hoping I could sleep it away! I fell asleep for about 2 hours and it still lingered, but not as bad. I wanted to eat dinner but absolutely nothing sounded good. So I opted for a protein shake. My mom said to take the nausea medicine that my doctor prescribed for times like this. I decided to take it and it did wonders. My stomach ache disappeared, thank goodness!

Tomorrow, I go back to the doctors to get a shot, Mama goes back to work, and Alyssa starts at Chapman! I am pretty bummed that I have to take a semester off and cannot be with Alyssa. I am going to make sure that I keep myself busy though! I have many things in mind :)

Alright, thanks all for listening. You guys are great. Goodnight!

Always, Amber :)

Give Back Night!

Yesterday will be a day that I will never forget. I have never seen more love and support in one room. I cannot express just how thankful I am. My mom and I knew it was going to be busy…but not that busy! It was so great seeing old friends, some that I have not seen for years. It was so wonderful to have my friends, family, teachers, customers, and neighbors all in one place! I am so grateful that I have such a huge support system. I wish I could have hugged every single person in the restaurant and personally say thank you. It meant so much to me to have you all there. From the time I arrived at 12pm to when I left at 12am, I had such a blast. I laughed and smiled so much all day and night that my cheeks were crampin!
I also want to thank all of my best friends: the whole Chili’s staff. I have never seen anyone work as hard as they all did. Some worked the entire day, with extremely short breaks. So thank you guys, you truly are the greatest<3 I appreciate everything you guys do.

The whole day turned out extremely successful! I could not have asked for a better day! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! :)

Today I went to pick my wig up! As I said before, it looks so natural and I actually WANT to wear it. The owner said to start wearing it now so that it starts forming and fitting better to my head. So no more flattening and dealing with my natural hair. It’s kind of nice! My hair is slowing coming out still, mostly just thinning out because my hair is so dang thick. I’m pretty much over being sad about it falling out and more annoyed of it tickling me as it falls out. Everyone says to just shave it off because it’s less messy and stuff, but I don’t mind it. I’m just going to let it go! I have talked to my mom about being scared of it falling out, due to my appearance changing. But then I thought about it. I have had my face reconstructed my whole life and never hid in a room because of how I looked. How is this any different? This is nothin compared to that. So now I am over it. And who know’s, maybe it will just thin out? Whatever happens, I am ready.
I was thinking last night how I have met so many new, amazing people. Also how my relationships with people have changed. The relationships I have with some friends and family have grown immensely. I feel like I am so much closer now to people that I was not so close with before. Some may say that this experience would ruin their life, but really it enriched mine. I cherish my relationships so much more. Each one is so precious to me.

I cannot say it enough, thank you everyone for everything. Your faith in me helps me have faith in myself.
I’ll put up pictures from the event up soon!

Always, Amber :)

TODAY!!!

Bracelet distribution will be at Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch, Florence Joyner Park in Mission Viejo, and Arroyo Vista Park in RSM from 1-4pm!!

Don't miss out on your chance to buy some for the whole family! Or your neighbors! Or the paperboy! Every bracelet donation made today goes straight to Amber Pangan and her family.Thanks so much for your contributions and let's get these bracelets SOLD!!

Cash only. Please be ready to specify child size or adult.

Bracelets are IN!!

The bracelets finally got delivered so we're going to try to do this again. I'll be putting them together all week with friends and then Saturday we will have distribution. Same as the plans last week.

We will have people at Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch, Florence Joyner Park in Mission Viejo, and Arroyo Vista Park in RSM on Saturday, August 14 from 1-4pm. Please bring CASH and be ready to specify child or adult sizes.

Also, we will have extras to sell so if you know someone who wants to buy one but didn't "pre-order", no problems, just send them to one of our locations on Saturday! :)

Please text me at (949)235-7302 if you can't make it to one of these locations at these times so we can arrange for you to pick up your bracelets.

Amber's Chemo

She had her first round of chemotherapy last Tuesday and of course, took it like a champ. She had it at 5:30 pm and when I saw her at 8:30, she looked better than she had the entire previous week of her stay in the hospital. She was discharged Wednesday and I believe she has another round in a week or two. She is so happy to be home and I am happy to see her so much like herself again. Please keep up the prayers for Amber that she continues to stay strong in this difficult battle. Thank you!!

ATTENTION!!

The bracelets did not arrive on time and cannot be expected to be delivered until Monday at the earliest. PLEASE do not go to the parks as we WILL NOT be there to distribute. I will update as soon as we figure out a new way and time to distribute them. Thank you for your patience.

SATURDAY! Bracelet distribution!

This Saturday, from 1-4pm, Amber's Allies will have people at Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch, Florence Joyner Park in Mission Viejo, and Arroyo Vista Park in RSM collecting/distributing/selling bracelets. If you can't make it to one of these locations at these times, please message me so we can find a solution. Cash only, child or adult sizes. Thanks!

Give Back Night at Chilis for Amber

Date: Wednesday, August 25th

Time: 11:00am - 10:30pm

Location: Chili's Grill and Bar - Foothill Ranch, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Yorba Linda, Orange, and Buena Park

Amber, daughter of Claudia Pangan (who manages a Chilis), and twin of Alyssa Pangan, is the sweetest, most caring, kind-hearted person you could ever befriend. She never talks bad about anyone and has such an amazing group of friends. She goes by the name of 'wildcat' from her closest friends. She loves art, the Lakers, baking and most of all her family and friends.

Her favorite quotes are: "Don't lose the passion or the fighter that's inside of you."
and "A day without smiling is a day that is lost."

Amber has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph nodes in the chest. Although she is considered stage IV (disseminated involvement of one or more extralymphatic organs), the cancer is 100% curable by chemo.

On a lighter note; we all can help!!! Chili's will be hosting an area wide give back night scheduled for Wednesday, 8/25, any guests dining at our area Chili's will be donating back 15% of the check to Amber and her family. This is an entire day event, from open to close (11AM - 10:30PM).

*Note: when dining at any Chili's, please be sure to mention you are there for the Amber Give Back Night!!! (If possible, please print the coupon to ensure credit is accounted for the sale) Thanks!!!!

All you have to do is eat at the above-mentioned Chili's and you can HELP!!!

Thank you for your support...

- Amber's Family and Friends

PS: Please spread the word and add more people!!!!

Get the word out!!

Join the fight, bracelets unite! 

Help out Amber Pangan in her fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma by buying a silicone bracelet for $4, 100% of which goes towards the Pangan's bills.

Our not for profit organization, Amber's Allies, was founded solely to provide economic relief to the Pangan family after Amber was diagnosed July 29, 2010 with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 

If you'd like to purchase a bracelet, please contact me by text message (949)235-7302 or email "erynsmith22@aol.com".

We are also in the process of setting up a bank account for Amber's Allies so that if you'd like to donate directly, you may.

Thank you so much for your contribution and let's keep fighting with Amber!!

(Please note, the writing will not be white, it is merely white in the picture so that the text can be seen. The entire bracelet is purple.)