Over the last month, Teresa has been able to keep a "normal" routine with the chemo treatments. This is due to the fact that the 2 shots after treatments has helped with the low white blood count issues. This past Tuesday, she had an appointment with Dr. Gupta. During the appointment, we asked if he had any plans to check the tumor on her liver. He responded by offering her the opportunity to get an ultrasound on her liver the following day.
Well, Teresa went and had the ultrasound and got immediate feedback from Dr. Pearce (Radiologist). Although the ultrasound and PET are two totally different scans, Dr. Pearce said he could see enough of her tumor in order to gauge that it had shrunk approximately 2 cm. Needless to say, this was the greatest Christmas present that we will get this year!
As a result, she will keep the same regimen for a while and get a PET scan after a couple of more rounds. That means she got treatments today followed by another on December 30th. It will be a busy next week or so with family coming in from Ohio and Florida but Teresa is looking forward to it.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.
Rob
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Please take time to enjoy your family and friends this weekend. Thank God for all of your blessings."It is good to give thanks to the Lord.." Psalms 92:1
I also wanted to update everyone on my health status. I apologize for not posting anything sooner. After a I get a few phone calls from folks that check my blog regularly, I realize that I better post something.
I was not able to get my regularly scheduled chemo this past Friday, November 18th. All of my counts were way too low to administer chemo. Dr. Gupta put me on a really strong antibiotic to help my body fight infection. He decided to let my body get built back up and then do chemo as scheduled on Friday, December 2nd. I will then get some sort of "booster" type shot on December 6th and 7th. The shots are supposed to boost my counts back up, so I can get chemo again on December 9th.
If the shots work, then I will probably continue to follow this schedule for the rest of my treatments. Dr. Gupta has not set a date for my next scan, yet. I figure it will be at the end of December or first part of January. He will determine at that time if my body is responding properly to the treatment or if we need to try something else.
The blessing in all of this is that I have been feeling pretty good despite what is going on in my body. I am so thankful that the pain in my lower back and leg is gone. The radiation did the trick! I am thankful that we live in the same town as the cancer center and that Dr. Gupta travels here to see patients. I am thankful for all of our friends and family that mean the world to us. I am thankful for all of Rob's co-workers that do special things for us all of the time. I am thankful for all of the prayers that continue to bless us. And most importantly, I am thankful to God for giving us the strength that we need to get through this.
I also wanted to update everyone on my health status. I apologize for not posting anything sooner. After a I get a few phone calls from folks that check my blog regularly, I realize that I better post something.
I was not able to get my regularly scheduled chemo this past Friday, November 18th. All of my counts were way too low to administer chemo. Dr. Gupta put me on a really strong antibiotic to help my body fight infection. He decided to let my body get built back up and then do chemo as scheduled on Friday, December 2nd. I will then get some sort of "booster" type shot on December 6th and 7th. The shots are supposed to boost my counts back up, so I can get chemo again on December 9th.
If the shots work, then I will probably continue to follow this schedule for the rest of my treatments. Dr. Gupta has not set a date for my next scan, yet. I figure it will be at the end of December or first part of January. He will determine at that time if my body is responding properly to the treatment or if we need to try something else.
The blessing in all of this is that I have been feeling pretty good despite what is going on in my body. I am so thankful that the pain in my lower back and leg is gone. The radiation did the trick! I am thankful that we live in the same town as the cancer center and that Dr. Gupta travels here to see patients. I am thankful for all of our friends and family that mean the world to us. I am thankful for all of Rob's co-workers that do special things for us all of the time. I am thankful for all of the prayers that continue to bless us. And most importantly, I am thankful to God for giving us the strength that we need to get through this.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Brain MRI Clear!!
Well, we can all breathe a little easier again because the MRI of my brain was clear. No cancer was found!! Words cannot describe the relief we felt when Dr. Gupta read us the results. Now, we can just focus on the current chemo treatment regimen that I am doing and pray for good results.
The chemo did not have any bad side effects for this first round. I mostly felt fatigued. The anti-nausea meds did the trick. I am hoping to feel as good for this next round on Friday.
Thank you again for all of the prayers. We truly believe that God is giving us the strength to battle this again. Keep the prayers coming!!
Love,
Teresa
The chemo did not have any bad side effects for this first round. I mostly felt fatigued. The anti-nausea meds did the trick. I am hoping to feel as good for this next round on Friday.
Thank you again for all of the prayers. We truly believe that God is giving us the strength to battle this again. Keep the prayers coming!!
Love,
Teresa
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Not the News We Wanted to Hear
We met this morning with Dr. Rhees (Radiation Oncologist) to discuss the results of the PET Scan that Teresa had on Monday. Dr. Rhees informed us that the cancer had spread to two more bones (base of neck/right hip) and that the spot on her liver had increased from 3 cm to 6 cm since the last PET Scan in June. Needless to say, this was not the news that we wanted to hear. Especially since she had been feeling better in the last week or so. Dr. Rhees told us that she knew Dr. Gupta would want to start chemo in order to treat the liver. So, before we left the office an appointment with Dr. Gupta was scheduled for next Tuesday. However, we didn't have to wait until Tuesday to find out the course of action.
Dr. Gupta called me this evening and talked about his plan. Teresa is going to start chemo on Friday. She will be given Gemzar and Carboplatin. These two drugs will be given one time per week for two weeks and the third week will be off. Dr. Gupta said that the side effects will not be as harsh as TAC was over 2 years ago. At this time, he said that we are not backed in the corner. However, he said that he is concerned with how fast it is growing on the liver. Dr. Gupta feels that there are two things that are working positively in her favor as she heads into the treatment. First, the spot on the liver is smaller than the first time. Second, the treatment the first time had significant response from her body for a long period of time.
I know that Teresa is a strong individual and she will attack the chemo and cancer with the same attitude that she has had over the last 2 1/2 years. Her spirits are down but she will battle. Her faith in God and the love for her girls will continue to help her through the next few weeks. Please keep her and the rest of the family in your prayers. We know that they have been answered to this point and have no reason not to believe that they won't be in the future.
Dr. Gupta called me this evening and talked about his plan. Teresa is going to start chemo on Friday. She will be given Gemzar and Carboplatin. These two drugs will be given one time per week for two weeks and the third week will be off. Dr. Gupta said that the side effects will not be as harsh as TAC was over 2 years ago. At this time, he said that we are not backed in the corner. However, he said that he is concerned with how fast it is growing on the liver. Dr. Gupta feels that there are two things that are working positively in her favor as she heads into the treatment. First, the spot on the liver is smaller than the first time. Second, the treatment the first time had significant response from her body for a long period of time.
I know that Teresa is a strong individual and she will attack the chemo and cancer with the same attitude that she has had over the last 2 1/2 years. Her spirits are down but she will battle. Her faith in God and the love for her girls will continue to help her through the next few weeks. Please keep her and the rest of the family in your prayers. We know that they have been answered to this point and have no reason not to believe that they won't be in the future.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Done with Radiation!
I received my last radiation treatment on Thursday morning. Dr Rhees said she is confident that they treated the right area, but it may be 4 - 6 weeks before I feel real relief. She said that obviously the tumor had done some nerve damage and it will take a few weeks for the nerve endings to re-train themselves on how to respond to movement, etc. I will meet with her again on Tuesday to go over my treatment plan regarding all of my prescriptions.
My tumor markers had gone down from 63.4 to 42.6 in just a short amount of time. We usually celebrate that as good news; however, Dr. Gupta said he is not sure that we are going to be able to rely on those numbers anymore to accurately pinpoint what is really going on with the bone cancer. He scheduled a PET scan for October 17th to get another clear picture of where the cancer has spread, tumor sizes, and locations. I will get another tumor marker test at the end of October to see how they have changed in a month. I am scheduled to meet with Gupta on November 1st to go over results and set up my next treatment plan.
I have been very thankful that I have been able to drive and take my girls to all of their activities. I have been able to attend all of their sporting events, too. It is the simple day to day tasks that really mean the most to me. We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that offer to help us out, too. We really appreciate it!!
My tumor markers had gone down from 63.4 to 42.6 in just a short amount of time. We usually celebrate that as good news; however, Dr. Gupta said he is not sure that we are going to be able to rely on those numbers anymore to accurately pinpoint what is really going on with the bone cancer. He scheduled a PET scan for October 17th to get another clear picture of where the cancer has spread, tumor sizes, and locations. I will get another tumor marker test at the end of October to see how they have changed in a month. I am scheduled to meet with Gupta on November 1st to go over results and set up my next treatment plan.
I have been very thankful that I have been able to drive and take my girls to all of their activities. I have been able to attend all of their sporting events, too. It is the simple day to day tasks that really mean the most to me. We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that offer to help us out, too. We really appreciate it!!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Week #2 of Radiation Completed!
Two down and one to go. I will finish up my radiation treatments on Thursday. The doctors said that the radiation will continue to work in my body up to a month after the treatments are finished. The main way we will know if this has worked will be my pain level.
I finally started a new drug called Neurontin on Friday evening. The doctors had been trying to get me to use it two weeks ago, but I was very hesitant about starting it. The potential side effects made me nervous, but I felt I had no choice but to try. I just needed some relief.
Amazingly enough, I felt so much better yesterday. It was the first time in weeks that my pain was minimal. My goal all week had been to feel well enough to go to Indianapolis with Rob and the girls to the Sagamore Athletic Conference football games at Lucas Oil Stadium. I had my heart set on the spicy shrimp cocktail at Harry and Izzy's, too.
We had a parking pass and the restaurant was very close, so I didn't have to do too much walking. We had an awesome lunch with friends and did a little shopping. Western Boone also thumped the Chargers, so that was fun to watch, too.
I had my tumor marker test on Friday and will get those results at our meeting with Dr. Gupta on Tuesday afternoon. I am also scheduled to get my once monthly infusion of Zometa and Faslodex injection on Friday, but we are not sure if Dr. Gupta is still going to go with that plan or change it.
Please continue to pray for us as we go through this and that these treatments and medicines work to control my pain.
I finally started a new drug called Neurontin on Friday evening. The doctors had been trying to get me to use it two weeks ago, but I was very hesitant about starting it. The potential side effects made me nervous, but I felt I had no choice but to try. I just needed some relief.
Amazingly enough, I felt so much better yesterday. It was the first time in weeks that my pain was minimal. My goal all week had been to feel well enough to go to Indianapolis with Rob and the girls to the Sagamore Athletic Conference football games at Lucas Oil Stadium. I had my heart set on the spicy shrimp cocktail at Harry and Izzy's, too.
We had a parking pass and the restaurant was very close, so I didn't have to do too much walking. We had an awesome lunch with friends and did a little shopping. Western Boone also thumped the Chargers, so that was fun to watch, too.
I had my tumor marker test on Friday and will get those results at our meeting with Dr. Gupta on Tuesday afternoon. I am also scheduled to get my once monthly infusion of Zometa and Faslodex injection on Friday, but we are not sure if Dr. Gupta is still going to go with that plan or change it.
Please continue to pray for us as we go through this and that these treatments and medicines work to control my pain.
Friday, September 16, 2011
First Week of Treatment update
The radiation treatment is going fine. They are zapping the tumor from three different directions, so hopefully it will do the trick. I am taking steroids twice a day to help lessen the inflammation. They also put me on an acid-reflux medicine to help with a few stomach issues that started this week.
I continue to take Ibuprofen for the pain. I am trying to hold off on having to use something stronger. I want to be able to drive and do things for the girls that need to be done. I don't want to be wiped out and sleeping all the time.
Thursday was my worst day. I was in a lot of pain and had severe nausea, so the doctor upped my steroid dosage. Thankfully, I feel a lot better today. I just feel tired today and have some pain, but I don't feel like I am going to get sick at any given moment. The doctor said I might feel worse, before I feel better. I am hoping that day was yesterday and all the rest will be better!
I wanted to thank everyone for all of their kind words, calls, prayers, and cards. We feel so blessed to have so many people that care about us.
I continue to take Ibuprofen for the pain. I am trying to hold off on having to use something stronger. I want to be able to drive and do things for the girls that need to be done. I don't want to be wiped out and sleeping all the time.
Thursday was my worst day. I was in a lot of pain and had severe nausea, so the doctor upped my steroid dosage. Thankfully, I feel a lot better today. I just feel tired today and have some pain, but I don't feel like I am going to get sick at any given moment. The doctor said I might feel worse, before I feel better. I am hoping that day was yesterday and all the rest will be better!
I wanted to thank everyone for all of their kind words, calls, prayers, and cards. We feel so blessed to have so many people that care about us.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Good News and Bad News
I thought I would update everyone on my latest news. I have been experiencing a lot of pain in my left hip region for the past few weeks. I had an MRI of the left hip done on Tuesday. The hip looked good. Then, they did an MRI of my lower lumbar region on Friday. The MRI showed that one of the tumors in my L5 vertebrae/sacrum area is pushing on nerve endings.
The Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Rhees, recommended that I do radiation Monday through Friday for three weeks. This should shrink the tumor and relieve the pressure. This treatment should not have any bad side effects. The doctor prescribed meds for nerve specific pain and a steroid to reduce the inflammation caused by the radiation.
I had my tumor marker test on Thursday. The results showed that my markers went up from 52.9 to 63.4. We are not sure if Dr. Gupta will change my current treatment of Faslodex to something else. Dr. Rhees said that I will definitely keep doing the once monthly infusion of Zometa. So, I guess we will just wait and see what he decides is best.
We were really impressed by this team of doctors and their proactive response to my situation. They are all big believers in "quality of life" and recommend treatments that support that philosophy. We feel I am in good hands.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
The Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Rhees, recommended that I do radiation Monday through Friday for three weeks. This should shrink the tumor and relieve the pressure. This treatment should not have any bad side effects. The doctor prescribed meds for nerve specific pain and a steroid to reduce the inflammation caused by the radiation.
I had my tumor marker test on Thursday. The results showed that my markers went up from 52.9 to 63.4. We are not sure if Dr. Gupta will change my current treatment of Faslodex to something else. Dr. Rhees said that I will definitely keep doing the once monthly infusion of Zometa. So, I guess we will just wait and see what he decides is best.
We were really impressed by this team of doctors and their proactive response to my situation. They are all big believers in "quality of life" and recommend treatments that support that philosophy. We feel I am in good hands.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Good News!
I just wanted to share that my new treatments seem to be working. My tumor markers dropped ten points. I will continue using this treatment on a monthly basis. My next appointment with Dr. Gupta is scheduled for September 27th and we will get the results of the next tumor marker test then. Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! Please continue to pray that this treatment protocol works. My body is accepting it really well with no adverse side effects.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Happy 40th Birthday!!
I turned 40 on June 17th and had a great birthday. However, Rob pulled off the surprise of my life by throwing me an awesome party at French Lick a week later. All of our immediate family was there. I couldn't believe everyone had come down to help celebrate my big day.
We all stayed at the West Baden hotel. It is really spectacular. It is something you have to see in real life to appreciate the beauty of it. Some of us even had balconies that looked out into the atrium. It was so neat at night.
Some of the guys golfed while a few of us girls hit the spa. Everyone hung out by the pool and enjoyed visiting. Rob arranged for a trolley to take us to Hagen's for dinner. The setting was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious!
Dancing, bowling, and a little bit of gambling at the casino made for a lot of great entertainment for all. Some of the kids even went horse back riding. The girls loved hanging out with all of their cousins. We all had a blast.
It was a great weekend. One that I will never forget. Rob did an incredible job planning the whole weekend. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he spent to pull it off. Now he has another year to plan my next birthday surprise! :)
We all stayed at the West Baden hotel. It is really spectacular. It is something you have to see in real life to appreciate the beauty of it. Some of us even had balconies that looked out into the atrium. It was so neat at night.
Some of the guys golfed while a few of us girls hit the spa. Everyone hung out by the pool and enjoyed visiting. Rob arranged for a trolley to take us to Hagen's for dinner. The setting was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious!
Dancing, bowling, and a little bit of gambling at the casino made for a lot of great entertainment for all. Some of the kids even went horse back riding. The girls loved hanging out with all of their cousins. We all had a blast.
It was a great weekend. One that I will never forget. Rob did an incredible job planning the whole weekend. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he spent to pull it off. Now he has another year to plan my next birthday surprise! :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Lastest Diagnosis
We just returned from Dr. Gupta's office. Unfortunately,the breast cancer has spread to her bones. She has spots on the last 2 vertebrae and 1 on her left shoulder. He is going to treat with a different type of drug called Faslodex. It is a hormone therapy that is administered through a shot once a month. Right now, he does not feel that it is necessary to go with chemotherapy. She will also have Zometa administered through an IV once a month to help keep bones as healthy as possible.
As far as cancer spreading, Dr. Gupta said that it going to the bone is better than flaring up in her liver again. The cancer in the bone usually grows at a slower rate. He really thinks that he can keep it in check without taking drastic measures. Her next appointment is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th. Hopefully, we will be able to see some results by that time. However, he told us that it may take a little time for the medicine to work its magic.
Obviously, this is not what we wanted to hear. If one thing is for sure, Teresa will keep a positive attitude and battle the cancer. Please continue to keep Teresa in your thoughts and prayers.
Rob
As far as cancer spreading, Dr. Gupta said that it going to the bone is better than flaring up in her liver again. The cancer in the bone usually grows at a slower rate. He really thinks that he can keep it in check without taking drastic measures. Her next appointment is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th. Hopefully, we will be able to see some results by that time. However, he told us that it may take a little time for the medicine to work its magic.
Obviously, this is not what we wanted to hear. If one thing is for sure, Teresa will keep a positive attitude and battle the cancer. Please continue to keep Teresa in your thoughts and prayers.
Rob
Thursday, June 2, 2011
PET Scan
I haven't been feeling very good the past few weeks, so I got my tumor marker test done about 4 weeks early. My markers had gone up from 49.7 in March to 62.9. Dr. Gupta ordered a PET Scan so that we can see what is going on. I am getting the scan done this Friday at 2:00. He said the increase means that the cancer has spread or that the tumors have started to grow again. It has been two years since my numbers have gone up. I have been so lucky that it has taken this long for the numbers to start increasing again. I will see Dr. Gupta on Tuesday at 3:00 to get my results. Please pray for us as we await the results.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Happy Spring!
I am so happy that Spring is here! I love to see the buds and blossoms on trees, green grass, and flowers popping up. It makes everything seem alive and renews my spirit.
I love playing outside with the girls. Everything is such an adventure with Kendal. She has a great imagination. We are counting down the days until we open up our pool for the season.
Kendal's birthday is next week. I can't believe my baby will be six years old. The time goes by so quickly.
We have been busy with Rachel's AAU basketball this spring. She is really enjoying it and absolutely loves spending time with the girls on team. It is a lot of fun for all of us.
I have been feeling good, but I am definitely ready for some warm, sunny weather. I am excited about getting our garden planted soon. It is a lot of work, but is really rewarding. The girls enjoy helping with it, too.
Only four more weeks until the girls are out of school for the summer. We are all looking forward to that. I love having them home!
My next doctor appointment is scheduled for June 21st. Dr. Gupta thought we should wait until after my 40th birthday. He said we better have a big celebration!
Thank you so much for your constant prayers and support. It means so much to us to have so many people keeping us in their thoughts. It has definitely made a difference.
I love playing outside with the girls. Everything is such an adventure with Kendal. She has a great imagination. We are counting down the days until we open up our pool for the season.
Kendal's birthday is next week. I can't believe my baby will be six years old. The time goes by so quickly.
We have been busy with Rachel's AAU basketball this spring. She is really enjoying it and absolutely loves spending time with the girls on team. It is a lot of fun for all of us.
I have been feeling good, but I am definitely ready for some warm, sunny weather. I am excited about getting our garden planted soon. It is a lot of work, but is really rewarding. The girls enjoy helping with it, too.
Only four more weeks until the girls are out of school for the summer. We are all looking forward to that. I love having them home!
My next doctor appointment is scheduled for June 21st. Dr. Gupta thought we should wait until after my 40th birthday. He said we better have a big celebration!
Thank you so much for your constant prayers and support. It means so much to us to have so many people keeping us in their thoughts. It has definitely made a difference.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Defying the Odds
We completely spaced it and did not post the results of the check up on March 15th. Anyway, the tumor marker continues to decrease. It went from 64.8 to 49.7 over the last ten weeks. We want to thank everyone for the continued prayers and concerns. We know that God is answering and blessing us each and every day! The next appointment will be on June 21st.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Update......
I thought I better post something on here or my faithful followers will quit checking in on me. Thankfully, we have not had any medical updates in awhile. I have been feeling great. The girls and I have had to battle sinus infections and colds all winter, but nothing major.
I will get my tumor marker test this Friday, March 11th and will meet with my oncologist on Tuesday, March 15th at noon to get the results. As always, we are praying that my tumors continue to shrink and that the cancer has not spread.
Please continue to pray for us and hope for good news again!
I will get my tumor marker test this Friday, March 11th and will meet with my oncologist on Tuesday, March 15th at noon to get the results. As always, we are praying that my tumors continue to shrink and that the cancer has not spread.
Please continue to pray for us and hope for good news again!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Prayers Answered
All of our prayers continued to be answered. Teresa's tumor marker was down to 64.8 today. This is a great way to start the new year. Thank you all for your continued prayers and concerns.
God is good!
God is good!
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