2 Month Check-Up

On Tuesday, May 25th, Teresa has her 2 month check-up with Dr. Gupta. The days leading up to the appointment are always stressful for her and the rest of the family. Please pray that she handles the stress well and that her tumor marker comes back with good numbers. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Rob

Spring Break

We were able to get away for a vacation during Spring Break. We had such a great time! It was wonderful to spend so much time together. The girls loved playing on the beach. We went with another family and really enjoyed hanging out with them for the week. We had great weather, an awesome condo, and lots of good food.

What a difference a year makes..... this time last year, we didn't even know if I'd be around to go on a Spring Break vacation. We thank God every day for making me feel good enough to enjoy activities with the girls. We are finally used to the new "normal" for us and all have adapted well.

We feel truly blessed to have such great friends and family. We appreciate everyone keeping us in their prayers.

A quick update on my dad: He finished his 9th week of radiation treatments on April 9th. He will be off work for 2 more weeks as his body tries to heal. He has had a lot of discomfort the last 2 weeks. Pray that his upcoming scan shows that the cancer is gone.

Good News!

I had my appointment with Dr. Gupta this evening. My tumor marker levels had dropped from 157 in November to 152. Not a huge drop, but we'll take it! All of my other blood work came back great and my liver is still functioning normally. I do not have to get any tests until the end of May. Please keep those prayers coming my way!!

Brief Update

I just wanted everyone to know that everything is still going well at the Ramey household. Rachel is in the middle of her 6th grade basketball season and is really enjoying playing with her friends. Kendal continues to keep us entertained at home and is loving her hip-hop/jazz dance lessons. I am feeling fine. I am really thankful to be able to take the girls to their activities and enjoy watching them play/perform.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and concerns. My next scheduled tumor marker test is March 12th. I will get the results back on March 16th.

A quick update on my dad, Bob Denhart: Dad just finished week #3 of radiation treatment for his prostate cancer. He has to do it for 6 more weeks. He seems to be getting along really good with the treatments so far. Thankfully, he has only had pain a few times. Please continue to pray for him, too.

One Year Ago.......

On January 27, 2009, I received my 2nd cancer diagnosis. I remember everything about that day. What a punch in the gut! We were definitely not ready to hear those words again. We were shocked. That wasn't the way things were supposed to happen. The breast cancer I had two years prior was the non-invasive kind. No lymph nodes were involved. I had the radical mastectomy to just make sure it was gone. I remember thinking, "How on earth did this happen?".

I was most worried about breaking the news to Rachel. She was at Hoover playing in her first 5th grade basketball game. Rob had to go to the game and act like everything was fine. He avoided eye contact with my dad because he didn't want to tell him the news. My mom and grandma stayed home with Kendal and me. What a terrible night!!!!

My first oncologist painted a grim picture for us. He said I could try chemotherapy, but with Stage IV Breast Cancer in the Liver, it was very advanced and aggressive. He predicted that I could be dead in 3 months.

We wouldn't accept that. Dr. Williams suggested another oncologist that he thought we would like, Dr. Gupta. He gave us hope. I'll never forget his words, "Your cancer is not curable, but it is treatable." He confirmed that the cancer was advanced and aggressive, but he said we would treat it aggressively. He also stressed quality of life. He wanted me to be able to be a mom to my girls. That was so important to us.

With a lot of hope, faith, and prayers, I am still around. My tumors continue to shrink. I have not had chemo since the first week of July. My liver function is normal. Overall, I feel really good.

Please continue praying for us as we are on this journey. Thank you so much for praying for us and keeping us in your thoughts. I think it is fitting to end the post with this: Nothing ahead of you is bigger or stronger than the power of God behind you.

Great News!

I just returned from my appointment with Dr. Gupta. My tumor markers were down to 157 compared to 185 in November. What a relief!!! It feels so good to know that my tumors continue to shrink. My last chemo treatment was in July, so my body is getting a really nice break.

My bone density scan showed that I have experienced some bone loss, so I am starting on Boniva for that and also increasing my dosage of Calcium and Vitamin D. I will continue taking Femara on a daily basis. I don't have to see Dr. Gupta again until March 17th.

I bet we all sleep better tonight. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Lets keep praying for a miracle!

Tumor Marker Test

I just wanted to remind everyone that I get the results of my tumor marker test tomorrow. The CAT scan that I had done the week of Christmas showed that the tumors were getting smaller and had not spread to other areas. We are praying that the blood test will show that my tumors are still shrinking (or at least not growing at this point).

I did not feel well last week; I did not have a single ounce of energy. Of course, our minds started wandering.... what if the cancer is growing again, what if the calcium levels have spiked, etc. Thankfully, I started feeling better yesterday. I'm still tired, but do feel better than I did last week.

My doctor's appointment is at 3:00 tomorrow. Please pray for continued good news and the strength to deal with whatever comes our way.