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.

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.

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.

Martina McBride - I'm Gonna Love You Through It

Martina McBride - I'm Gonna Love You Through It

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.

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! :)

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