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

Results

I just wanted to let everyone know the latest results. The ultrasound showed that the tumors in my liver are still about the same size and nothing new showed up there. However, my tumor marker numbers increased. I will be getting a PET Scan on Monday, June 11th at 3:00. I will get the results from Dr. Gupta on Tuesday, June 12th at 1:00. Please continue to pray for us during this time of uncertainty.