Update

Not too much has been going on here since my last post. Just more of the same really. I have had about seven "good" days from early October until now. I keep fighting the nausea and just basically feel crappy all of the time. I have absolutely no energy and usually not much appetite. The good news is I have not had any pain. They keep lowering the dosage of my pain meds and I am getting along fine with that so far. They adjusted my nausea meds again last week, and they seem to be working better. I had chemo yesterday, so I will see how my body reacts to them with that in my system. My big problem seems to be the high calcium level. It just won't go down to a normal level. I get Zometa and Saline to flush through my body, but it isn't really lowering it to an acceptable level. We got the impression from Dr. Gupta yesterday that he thinks my liver/tumors are causing it to be high, which might mean that the chemo isn't doing its job. I will finish this round of chemo next Tuesday and then have the week off from treatment. I am scheduled for a scan on November 25th and will also get a tumor marker test at that time. Dr. Gupta wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to do this, but Rob and I didn't want to wait. We would just rather get the results and see what is really going on. Please continue to pray for us. It really helps knowing that so many people are lifting us up in prayer. It is very comforting to us as we go through all of this.

September 8 - October 6, 2013 Update

I had more blood work on September 8th. My Calcium level tested at 11.3 and I had a few other elevated levels related to my liver function. The next day, I had to get an xray of my bowels to check for possible blockages, because I had been having a lot of issues with constipation. I also received chemo that day. On Thursday, September 12th, I was in extreme pain again, so I was admitted at St. V in Indianapolis and stayed there until September 19th. I received wonderful care from the nurses on their Oncology Floor and also really liked working with Dr. Brown and the whole Supportive Care team. I also got to see Dr. Gupta every day I was there, so that made me feel better too. They figured out the best way to keep my pain under control and also a bowel protocol that works for me. We also found out that even though my port has worked, it has not been fully functioning on all levels. Dr. Patel performed surgery to remove the old one and put in a new one on the other side. It works great now! We also found out that my tumor marker test revealed that it is 630, so that is up from 129 in July. Last week, I just rested and hung around the house. I was able to do a few of my normal household chores that I enjoy doing. I even went to the girls soccer games. It was so comforting to be in a little bit of a normal routine again. I had my family and friends help with all of the tasks that I can't do. Since I was feeling better, I had to turn down a few offers, but I told them they will probably get a chance again sometime soon. Everyone's help means so much to me. Whenever I am able to drive again, I think it will make things easier around here. I appreciate all of the prayers, cards, heart felt notes, gift baskets, flowers, food, phone calls, and visits. Everything means so much to us. We have so many people praying for us. It is just astonishing! It is helping us fight this bravely knowing that God is on our side. I started chemo, October 1st. I am using Taxol and Gemzar again. I have received these drugs before and had great success. Dr. Gupta and a group of his colleagues decided that this was where we needed to start. I will receive 4 to 6 treatments, and then get a scan and tumor marker test to see if we are making any progress. We will also keep my pain treatment regimen at the same level, unless something changes. I will receive chemo two Tuesdays in a row, receive a Neulasta injection, and then I will have one week off. We will just have to wait and see how my body responds to these meds. We don't know which days I might feel worse than others, nauseated, or tired, etc. We will just take it one day at a time. I felt fine on Wednesday and then the nausea really started to kick in on Thursday. By the time Friday arrived, I was vomitting and felt horrible. I ended up with a type of Zofran that dissolves on my tongue and starts working immediately. I had to go to the hospital Friday evening, where they administered nausea meds intravenously and gave me some fluids to help with dehydration. I finally got some relief by Friday night and felt a little bit better on Saturday. I have been able to eat and drink a little bit, but nothing sounds good or tastes good. I get my usual bloodwork tomorrow and then should get chemo again on Tuesday, October 8th. I am hoping that I feel better this time around. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support!

Forget my "no news is good news" motto..........

Well, first things first. I said I was going to change my blog layout, but that hasn't happened yet. I need to recruit my girls to do that for me. I am a little challenged in that area. The last two weeks have not been good around here. My "off week" from chemo did not turn out the way I was hoping. I ended up having to get blood work done twice and had to go to the cancer center twice for infusions. My calcium levels kept going up higher on the high risk scale. As a result of that, I did not feel good at all. I even had to miss two of Rachel's soccer games, so that really bummed me out. Sunday night, September 1st, I started having a lot of pain on the right side of my abdomen, around the side, and back. I couldn't get a deep breath and it hurt even worse if I tried. It lasted all night, so Rob took me to the E.R. Monday morning. They ruled out a blood clot right away and determined that it is my liver that is causing me all of the pain. They put me on various medications to help get the pain under control. As with anything, every medication can cause another symptom, etc. so it has been a vicious cycle. Today, is the first day that I have felt like sitting out in the family room in the recliner. I am thanking God for all of my special care takers this week. You are a God send. Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers. It has been rough, but I feel a lot better knowing that I am in God's care. I get blood work again tomorrow and then chemo again Tuesday. I am hoping that things settle down soon and God keeps giving me the strength to fight.

First Round Complete

I had my third cycle of chemo on Tuesday, so my first round is officially complete. It has been an interesting three weeks to say the least. I am hoping the next round goes a little smoother! A few days before I started chemo, I had to stop taking the medicine that I had been on for the past 8 months. Unfortunately, my body had a negative reaction to not having that medicine in my system anymore. I was in alot pain and couldn't sleep. Then it was time to have my first treatment. I was very nauseated and fatigued, so I was mostly on the couch for four days. I started feeling better Saturday and then it was time to have my second treatment on Tuesday. They changed my dosage of nausea meds, which helped immensely, but unfortunately it caused my vision to be blurred and my eyes couldn't focus. It was such an odd feeling. I started feeling better again on Saturday, but started not feeling well Monday night. We found out my Calcium levels were elevated along with a few other things with my liver. Also, my white count was really low. I went ahead and got a reduced amount of chemo on Tuesday and then had to go back yesterday for an infusion of Zometa to help lower the Calcium and also received a Neulasta shot to boost my white cell count. I also received a bag of Saline to help hydrate me and flush my system. Unfortunately, the Neulasta shot does not kick in for 6 days, because it is designed to start elevating my white count closer to my next chemo treatment. I am praying that nothing else creeps up next week, so that I can enjoy my week off from treatment! In spite of this bumpy start, I have had a few good days mixed in with the bad. I really appreciate all of the cards, phone calls and words of encouragement I have received. I have really appreciated all of the meals and other special things that my friends and family have done for us. You are such a blessing!

New tumors

I apologize for not keeping this blog more updated, but you can always assume that no news is good news. I have had a wonderful Spring and Summer. I have not had chemo since January. It has been especially nice this summer not having to schedule our life around doctor appointments, tests, and treatments. Unfortunately, things are about to change. I had a tumor marker test July 12th and my tumor markers had gone up from 37.0 to 102.3, so Dr. Gupta had me do the test again the next week to verify the results. The numbers went up again to 129.0 in one week. I had a PET scan on July 29th and the scan showed that I have several new tumors growing in my liver. They said it was hard to differentiate how many, because they were all meshed together. I will start chemo on August 6th and will have treatments three weeks in a row in then get one week off. Dr. Gupta is going to try the drug Abraxane, which is a sister drug to Taxol. He said he is confident that I will respond well to the treatment, so we are hoping that he is correct. I am so thankful that we were able to have a few months of normalcy in our household. It was good for all of us. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we start this roller coaster ride again.

Good News on MRI

I had an MRI of my liver done on Monday, April 8th. Dr. Martinez was really happy with the results. The sections of my liver where he had done the Y-90 radioembolization looked good. There were three scars where he had treated the lower lobe, but no tumors. The upper part of the liver where the tumors have always resembled a big claw, was the smallest it had ever been. My liver was almost a normal shape. It was really neat to see. The only area of concern was a 6mm spot that showed up on the right lobe just outside of the treatment area. He said it is too small to show up on the PET scan, so we do not know if it was there in January or not. He said the tumors need to be 8mm to 1 to show up on the PET. He was going to discuss the MRI with Dr. Gupta and then decide what I need to do. He was going to recommend just waiting a couple of months and then do another MRI to see if there has been any significant changes. I meet with Dr. Gupta on the 23rd, so I will find out the treatment plan then. I have been feeling really good and enjoying my time off from chemo. I am hoping and praying that I do not have to start anything again for a while.

Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have been feeling really good and have my energy back. I also finally have some hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Yippee!! I will get an MRI on April 8th at 10:00 a.m. and then will meet with Dr. Martinez immediately following. My next appointment with Dr. Gupta is scheduled for April 23rd. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

PET Scan Results

I had a PET Scan on January 14th. We met with Dr. Martinez on January 16th to discuss the results. We were so happy and relieved to see that two of the tumors in my liver had completely resolved and the other one was considerably smaller. He said we could definitely say that the Y-90 treatments were a success! We met with Dr. Gupta yesterday and he was pleased with the results also. He thought it would be best if I had a break from chemo for awhile since I have been receiving treatments since June. I am going to take Arimidex orally everyday. It works to lower estrogen levels and is a sister drug to Femara. Since I had such good results with Femara in the past, we thought this drug was the best choice for me at this time. We remain cautiously optimistic that the cancer will not grow or spread for awhile, so that my body can get built back up for future treatments. We are so thankful for everyone's prayers. We truly believe in God's power and ability to heal. He gives us strength and hope. Please continue to pray for us as we are on this journey.

Newspaper Article

My mother nominated me as a Christmas Angel for the Danville (IL) Commercial News. Here is the link. http://commercial-news.com/local/x1633432113/Cancer-takes-backseat-to-children-faith

Update

I thought I better do a quick update, since it has been awhile since my last post. I received radioembolization/Y-90 treatments on October 30th and November 15th to the tumors in my liver. Both procedures went well with very few side effects. I resumed my chemo schedule on November 30th. Dr. Gupta is giving me the next two weeks off from chemo. He wanted me to get my energy level back up, so I could enjoy Christmas Break with the girls. I was so happy! I will get chemo again on January 2nd and 9th. I will get a PET Scan on January 14th and then meet with Dr. Gupta again on January 22nd. The scan will let us know if the Y-90 treatments worked by shutting off the blood supply that feeds the tumors. It will also show if anything new has developed since the last scan. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:5-8

First Treatment Complete

I received my first Y-90 Radioembolization treatment yesterday. It was another tiring 12 hour day, but everything went pretty smoothly. I am sore and queasy, but feel pretty good. Thankfully, the medicines seem to be helping control the pain and nausea. Dr. Martinez gave me a really heavy dose of radiation to the tumor on the left lobe of my liver. The next procedure is scheduled for November 15th. He will focus on the two tumors on the right side. Because of their location, he cannot get to them directly. He will give me a small dose of radiation to that general area. He said he will treat the tumor on my left side again that day. Two weeks after that, he is going to use some other type of procedure called RFA to directly blast the two tumors on the right. Then, I will get a scan two weeks later to see if the tumors responded to the treatments. I am also scheduled for chemo to continue during this time. It sure seems overwhelming thinking about all of this and what I have to put my body through. However, I know it is what I have to do to attack the cancer. I am just praying that all of this works, so I can get a break for awhile. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Keep them coming!!

Vein Mapping Complete

Dr. Martinez did the vein mapping procedure October 18th. It was a long exhausting day. We were supposed to be there 6 hours and ended up being at St. Vincent's for 13 hours. The end result was good though; everything looked good in order for me to receive the radioembolization treatment. My radioembolization is scheduled for Tuesday, October 30th. It will be an outpatient procedure like the vein mapping. I will have the same recovery period. I may experience flu-like symptoms from the radiation for the first 24-48 hours. After the mapping, I was just a little sore and bruised, but it was not that bad. I just met with Dr. Gupta today and he does not want me to take chemo for the next two weeks. He said there is no need to push my body. I will resume chemo the week after radioembolization. I think I will just get Taxol and I am not sure what my treatment schedule will be. He will let me know later. I am looking forward to the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk this weekend. I appreciate the support of my friends and family at this event. Please feel free to join us on Saturday at Wabash College. Registration begins at 8:30 and the walk starts at 10:00. Dress warm! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. It helps me keep pushing through. It really means alot to me and my family.

Radioembolization

We met with Dr. Martinez in Indianapolis last week. He made a good first impression; Rob and I really liked him. He was really friendly and very knowledgeable. He showed us the most recent CAT scan of my liver. The mass on my left lobe is the main problem. The tumor kind of looks like a hand spread out with fingers. This is the tumor that the doctors always refer to as the "mean, ugly one". Then on the right side of my liver there are two "normal" shaped tumors. Dr. Martinez explained the treatment called Radioembolization. It is a targeted treatment for liver tumors that delivers millions of tiny radioactive beads called SIR-Spheres microshperes directly to the tumors. It has proven to be 80% - 90% effective in treating liver metastases. It may work at shrinking the tumors and/or preventing them from growing for at least 5 months. Sometimes it is effective 10 - 14 months, depending on the patient. As with any type of treatment, each person responds differently. If this type of treatment is successful and my body holds up, he can do the procedure again. He can continue to treat me on an as needed basis. It is not a one shot deal. However, if the tumors do not respond, then the next step would be Chemoembolization. Chemoembolization is much harder on my body as a whole. He said it still may be a great treatment option for me on down the road. So, hopefully we will not have to resort to that right now. After the insurance gets approved, the first step will be vein mapping. Hopefully, all of my veins are working properly and flowing the way they should. If there is any abnormality, Dr. Martinez will not be able to perform the procedure to administer this type of treatment. There is too much risk involved. If the vein mapping turns out regular, then we are all set for things to move forward. Needless to say, Rob and I are very encouraged by these treatment options. It is just the type of hope we needed.

Great Results!

We got the results of the PET scan yesterday. It showed that the tumors have shrunk considerably and nothing new showed up. We were thrilled with the good news! Dr. Gupta wants me to do 6 more rounds of chemo (12 treatments). I will follow the same regimen that I have been doing the past few months. Hopefully, the tumors will keep responding to this treatment and shrink even more. I will meet with Dr. Martinez sometime in the next few weeks. He is the doctor that will be doing the chemo embolization whenever the tumors get the correct size. We are anxious to learn more about this treatment. We feel so blessed to have so many people praying for us. It provides us with so much comfort and strength. Our faith in God is what helps us get through each day.

PET Scan scheduled

After my appointment with Dr. Gupta last week, we left the office with mixed feelings again. We got my tumor marker results back, and they were not good. My tumor markers had increased by 25. Since I have been taking chemo for the past twelve weeks, we thought they would have gone down. But, Dr. Gupta said some times the numbers go up before they come down due to the timing of the test. I am scheduled for a PET Scan on Monday, September 10th to get a clear picture of what is going on with my tumors. I will get the results the next day. We are praying that the tumors have been decreasing in size and that no new tumors are growing somewhere else. Please continue to pray that my body stays strong for the fight.

Feeling Good

I have been feeling pretty good during this whole round of treatments. My energy level is low and I get tired easily, but I have been very lucky to not feel sick. I battled one infection a few weeks ago and ended up in the ER. After some strong meds and bed rest, I was back to normal four days later. I will have chemo tomorrow and then will have another treatment the following Thursday. Dr. Gupta said I will do a PET scan after that to see how the tumors have been responding to the treatment. Of course, we have been praying that the chemo is working its magic and that the rest of my body stays strong to continue the fight. Thank you to everyone that has offered to help with various things. So far, we have been fortunate enough to handle most daily tasks on our own. We are very thankful for my dad being my chemo buddy for all of these weeks. I'm sure it is the most boring thing ever, but we have nice visits and the time seems to pass pretty quickly. Please continue to keep us in your daily prayers. We feel truly blessed to have so many people praying for us. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." Romans 12:12

Hair We Go Again :)

I had an appointment with Dr. Gupta today. He said that he wants me to complete 2 more rounds of chemo before he does another scan. He was pleased that I am feeling okay so far with these chemo drugs. I have had a few side effects pop up, but nothing major. The biggest news is that my hair started falling out last week, so Rob had to shave my head. Kendal is probably bothered by it more than anybody, because she thinks it really makes me look like I am sick. She said, "Oh, great! I guess that means I am going to have to ride the bus to school this year." She is really worried about me and scared that I won't be able to take care of her. Even though I have had treatments recently, she doesn't remember what it was like when I was really sick from the chemo. She was just 4 years old then. So far, this treatment has not had that effect on me and I have been able to do my usual "mom" things. I am so grateful for that. We were able to go on our Orlando trip as planned. We had a great time and are so thankful for the opportunity to get away. An added bonus to the trip was that Rachel's AAU basketball team finished in the top 12 in the Championship Division at the National Tournament. We also really enjoyed hanging out with my sister-in-law, Michele, and nieces, Aubrey and Sasha. The girls loved being with their cousins. I will complete cycle 2 of round 2 of chemo on Thursday morning. My blood work was good, so I do not have to get any type of white cell booster shots prior to the chemo. We were really happy about that. Please continue to pray for us as we continue this journey.

Hit a Snag

I got along fine with my first cycle of chemo last week. I did not have any bad side effects and the nausea meds worked great. However, we hit a little snag yesterday when my blood tests came back. My counts were too low, so I could not get chemo today as scheduled. I received a Neupogen shot yesterday and then got bloodwork done again this afternoon. Thankfully, the shot worked and got my counts back to where they needed to be. I will get my second cycle of chemo tomorrow at 11:20 and then a Neulasta shot Friday afternoon. I will have a week off after that. Please continue to pray that this chemo works to shrink the tumors and that my body stays strong for the fight!

Teresa had chemo on Wednesday and has not experienced any complications. Fortunately, we were able to get away for a few days without the kids in order to attend a retreat at French Lick. This meant that she only had to take care of herself and enabled her to get plenty of rest. She has another treatment scheduled this Wednesday. In addition, she will also get a shot on Thursday to boost her white blood count. From our previous experiences, this shot is what will wipe her out for about a day. She is not looking forward to getting it but she knows it is a necessary evil. Thank you all for your continued prayers and concerns. We are very fortunate to have each of you in our lives.

The results from the PET Scan were not what we had hoped. It showed that the tumor on her liver has grown significantly enough to warrant starting chemo again. As a result, Teresa will start it on Wednesday, June 20 at 1:00 p.m. Dr. Gupta has decided to use Gemsar and Taxol this time around. His goal is to "back it into a corner" in hope of trying some sort of treatment aimed directly at cutting the blood supply off to the area where the tumor is growing. He is not sure of an exact procedure but is going to talk to some colleagues this next week at a conference. As you can imagine, Teresa is upset about the idea of starting chemo again. However, the good news from the PET Scan was that only one other small area showed up. This was located on her right hip. This Sunday is Teresa's 41st birthday. So, we have a couple of celebrations planned. One of them is a trip to the Oceanaire Seafood Room on Friday evening with some great friends. Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. They have been answered time and time again over the last 3 years. We have no reason to believe they won't be this time as well. Rob