CA 27-29 Blood Test for Tumor Marker Levels Tomorrow

I just wanted to let you all know that I am getting the CA 27 - 29 blood test done on Tuesday, September 1st. This test checks my tumor marker levels. We are praying that the results will show that there has been no major change since the last test I had done at the end of July. That would mean that the tumors are still contained in the liver and have not gotten any bigger. I meet with my oncologist, Dr. Gupta, on Wednesday, September 2nd at 3:20 to discuss the results and next steps. Please continue to pray for us, especially as we await the results of this important test.

I also wanted to ask for prayers for J.D. Taylor and his family. J.D. is an 8th grader at Northridge Middle School that is battling cancer. He was most recently diagnosed with inoperable tumors on his spine. Please keep this family in your prayers as they go through this tough time.

Sincerely,
Teresa

Back to School for the Ramey Family

A lot has been happening at the Ramey household the last few weeks. We went to King's Island for one last hurrah before school started. We had a great time and felt very fortunate to be able to go. Thank goodness for scooter rentals for me..... they help me get around on big outings, so I don't tire as easily. I've been feeling really good and always thank God for every day that I feel normal. I do get pretty tired and my legs feel like they weigh about 20 pounds each, but I'll take that with a smile. I'm so happy to be able to do my regular mom type of things. That's what I missed the most when I was feeling sick.

Rachel started 6th grade at Tuttle Middle School last week. She absolutely loves it and really likes all of her teachers. She is riding the bus this year to and from school, so she has to be ready to go at 7:10 a.m. That seems pretty early for us, but everyone is adjusting fine. Kendal has been getting up at 5:30 a.m. so she doesn't miss seeing Rachel in the morning. I told her she could sleep in a little later and still see her, but she doesn't buy it!!

Kendal has her preschool open house this week. She starts school next Monday. She will go three mornings a week. She is so excited about going to her school again. She loved it last year and learned so much.

Rachel starts soccer practice this week and Kendal should start her soccer practice soon. I am looking forward to watching them play. It will be interesting to see Rachel competing with seventh and eighth graders. It is a combined team of 6th - 8th girls. She is really excited about the upcoming season. This will be Kendal's first venture into competitive sports....... it should be a real hoot!!!

Please continue to pray for me and my family. Pray that my tumors do not grow and that the cancer stays contained in my liver. Pray that I continue to feel good, so that I can enjoy my family.

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and good wishes. I am very positive that is the reason I have been feeling so well. With God all things are possible. We are still praying for a miracle.

Love,
Teresa

Happy Anniversary Rob and T!

Happy Anniversary Rob and Teresa!

Six Weeks off and Praying for More!

Teresa had her appointment with Dr. Gupta on Wednesday. He said that the tumors in the liver had shrunk in size fairly significantly since she started the T.A.C. in March. As a result, he feels that it is best to give her body a rest. He has put her on hormone therapy (Femara). The drug is suppose to suppress the remaining 2% of estrogen that her body produces through fatty tissue. He will do a CA 27-29 tumor marker test the first week of September. We will meet with him on September 9th to see how effective the drug has been at keeping the cancer at bay. The goal is to keep the tumor marker reading in the 300 range. Otherwise, she will have to resume some sort of chemotherapy. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. We really feel that they are being answered and continue to hope that a miracle will occur.

Prayers Answered

Teresa just got off the phone with Dr. Gupta. Her CA 27-29 marker was slightly lower at 320. However, her tumors had reduced in size even further and nothing new had popped up. This is great news!! We will meet with Dr. Gupta on Wednesday, July 29 to get a plan of action in place for the next 6 weeks. In the meantime, we are going to enjoy the weekend with family and friends. Thank you all for your continued prayers. They are working!

Marker Test Results and CAT Scan

The trip to Orlando was very enjoyable. Not only did Kendal get to go to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach for the first time, but Rachel played in the 10U AAU National Tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Kendal enjoyed her time and Rachel's team played very well against teams from all over the United States. They ended up finishing 6th out of 24 in the classic bracket of division II. Overall, the girls went 3-4 for the 5 days. What makes this special is the fact that they only played with 6 girls. By the last game, they were exhausted!

We also got to spend a lot of quality time with Scott, Michele, Aubrey and Sasha. It was great being able to see them each of the 8 days that we spent in Florida. They went to the theme parks with us and to all of Rachel's games. Teresa got along well and really enjoyed her time. We rented a scooter and it was well worth the money. The long walk to the sports complex and the walk around the theme parks would have been too much for her. Not once, did she ever get too tired or have any cold sweats at night while sleeping!

Please keep Teresa in your thoughts and prayers over the next 24 hours. Today, she went and got the blood test done for the CA 27-29 marker. Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. she gets the CAT Scan done. Hopefully, we will get good news that the tumors have shrunk. She does not say much, but I know that she is starting to get a little anxious. It is our hope that she will get the results before tomorrow evening. That way, we do not have to sit on pins and needles the whole weekend.

The Ramey's Go to Disney World