It's Been A While...

Hello family and friends. Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! Yes, it's been a while since I have visited my blog. The last time I was here it was last June. Since then, in July, my doctor decided to place me on a vacation from one of my chemo drugs. I did not argue with that and gladly accepted. However he did keep me on a maintenance chemo pill called Xeloda that seems to be keeping things stable. The regimen for these pills are one week on and one week off. I did have scans last week. They looked really good. No new areas were seen and nothing moved around or grew. It all stayed in place. My tumor markers were up a bit and of course Dr. Ibrahim was not bothered by it. Was I? Well...it concerned me a little, but I'm not stressing about it. When I see him again in June, I plan to have those numbers back down. God has truly blessed me. He has placed people in my path that is helping me and supporting me through all this. I read a lot of stories, some inspiring and some not so inspiring which keeps it real. I also read about new research being done, trials and new medicines being developed for advanced stage breast cancers. I started going to a Metastatic support group at M.D. Anderson and have met some courageous women. We share our stories and feelings with one another.

Yall pray for me some will power please. I love good food and love to cook and it's showing. Wait...maybe it's the steroid in the meds. I think I will use that as an excuse. LOL.

I'm looking forward to a few important life events happening this year. Graduations, my 50th birthday, ny niece Nicole is getting married soon, spring baseball season is here...right now it's track and softball season that's keeping me going and I'm happy I can go.

This month five years ago I received the news that I had Stage IV breast cancer. To God be the glory I'm living my life one day at a time. I've been pondering on a celebration, but to me each day I wake up is a celebration of life and I thank Him every morning when I open my eyes.

Love yall and thanks for all of the love and support.

The Week of June 10th 2014

This has been a blessed week for me. on Tuesday God blessed me to see my 49th birthday. I started the day thanking Him for another day and another year and for all my blessings. The day was good. I did just what I wanted to do...as little as possible. I spent time on the sofa with a good book I checked out from the library early that morning and later that evening my family and I went out to dinner. I felt like a celebrity because Ramsey kept taking pictures of all of us with his Iphone. He probably has a hundred photos of us on that phone. He takes the good and the bad pics...he just like snapping. He makes us all laugh. It's a joy having him visit us during the summer. Before we even go into the restaurant he takes about five family photo shots of us. And when I check his phone later he has one of the pics of Fred and I as his screensaver. I smiled at that. Okay, so before we go out to eat, Fred, Janee' and I have this discussion about the birthday songs that are sung at the restaurants. Well my darling husband hates all that attention and don't like all that singing and loud noise. So as we finish up dinner and pay for our food and as I am about to get up, here comes the crew with a dessert and a candle. They were clapping and singing loud right over his head. I laughed at him remembering what he had said. He is smiling really big. I had no idea they were gonna do that. Come to find out Asa got up to go the restroom and on her way she told our waiter about my birthday. Then found out Janee' had told him too while she was placing her order. I just missed all that. It really was a surprise to me. And the song they sang wasn't the typical birthday song...it was extra cute. I really enjoyed that evening with them.

So today is Friday and the day started out hectic. First of all I got up too late. I woke up at 8:15 thinking it was 6:00. Did my usual morning cookie baking and burned two batches and had to make some more. All in the midst of baking I am also multitasking by washing clothes, straightening this and that, trying to decide how and when my son is gonna get the other car today, making phone calls, gathering all my ingredients for ice cream sundaes I plan to have at my brother's retirement after party in Jasper, Asa was waiting on me to stop what I was doing so I could do her hair etc.,. etc.,. I then look at my cell phone and my sister text me and ask If I was still going with her at noon. I didn't answer right away because in the back of my mind I'm thinking there is no way I can go with her. Now she told me a week or so ago that she had signed us up to go this event. With my chemo brain I forget things pretty often. This I had forgot about and told her to remind me a few days before. So I got my cookies finished and packed up. By this time it was about 10:30 and I had decided to go. She said she will be at my house by 11:30. I said okay. So I leave the house at 11:00 to go deliver cookies. When I go in to deliver the cookies the people at the front desk wants to chat and I am steady checking the time. I finally leave and then I look at the gas needle and realize I need to put gas in the car for Fred so he won't have to worry about it when he gets the car. So I stop and put gas in the car. By this time it's 11:15. I needed to stop by the bank and make a deposit, but I knew I did not have the time, so I came home. I had on a wrinkled up Tshirt and some tight jeans. Yes I said tight because I have been eating a little too much lately. Oh I forgot to plug in I went for a walk in our new walking park yesterday. I'm going to try to keep that up and maybe my jeans will get loose again. I knew I couldn't wear what I had on because she told me she was wearing a skirt, so I figured I better throw on something a little better than what I had on too. So anyway I ran in the house and as soon as I get to my bedroom I get a text from her that she is outside. I text her back and said "ok" knowing that I was no where near ready. I got ready so fast, because the event started at 12 and I didn't want to make us late. Okay so she had to wait on me for about five minutes, but we made it just in time. We arrived at the place and went right in straight to the food line. On the way there I told her that I hope they had food because I didn't find time to eat that morning. So they did and the food was soooo good. The menu was this delicious pasta dish, lasagna, salad and bread.
The event was for National Cancer Survivors Day to celebrate life and honor cancer survivors of cancer. The event was great! I was so glad I decided to take the time out to go. It was refreshing, inspiring and encouraging. The speaker was a Stage four cancer survivor like myself. He is an eleven year survivor of kidney cancer and he really looks good for a 63 year old man. He is actually a trainer so he must have plenty of energy. After we ate and after the speaker finished we all went outside for a letting hope soar-balloon release. Thank you Shamarion for making sure I got there and for signing us up for this event along with encouraging me to come. That moment was right on time and the right time of day especially after my hectic morning. It just relaxed me to go into my hectic afternoon. Because when I got home my husband had gotten this raggedy trailer from the country to pull my son's car on. All the while I thought he was getting a nice one from Uhaul. But nope...guess he was waiting on me to do it and so I did. That took about an hour, Asa had to leave at 4:00, by the time I got home it was 3:30 just in time to do her hair and send her off. A mommy's job is never done, but I'm so happy to be one. This weekend I am closing my birthday week at home with family celebrating my brother's retirement. Can't wait to get there! Below is a picture of the cancer survivors and caregivers waiting to release our balloons. This was really a touching moment.

Update Time...Spring 2014

Today is May 6, 2014. The last time I updated my journey was on August 2013. Wow! Time travels so fast. Where does it go? Well really I have been dealing with hand and feet syndrome and so typing has really been a chore for me. This syndrome comes along with the chemotherapy I have been on (Xeloda and Ixempra). It's where your fingers are tender and sore to touch and so are your feet. They get all red and spongy in some spots, cracked and dry. Soft fluffy socks has been my friend lately and sometimes that's all I want to wear, even when I go places. Shoes are not very comfortable during those times. Along with that, I have also been dealing with neuropathy in the same areas. I recently started accupuncture to try to get some relief for that. I really can't tell if it's helping yet. I have only had four sessions and I will go for the fifth one tomorrow. Apparently you have to have several sessions before you can see results. Even though I have these complaints this particular chemotherapy has been keeping things stable. The last time I updated my journey I was just starting on these new drugs and they are keeping things in check. Even though they have their side effects, I am still grateful. Remember the progression on the liver I mentioned in the last post? Well it is stable and has been reduced in size. That was really good to hear.

April 3 was the last time I had a doctor's visit. March 31st were my last scans. They all came out well. My Numbers were not up or down and I didn't have any new issues. I was so happy to hear that news. So my doctor placed me on a chemo vacation for a while. First he took me off the chemo pills (Xeloda) for 3 weeks and reduced the time to take them from 2 weeks on and 1 week off to 1 week on and 1 week off. And he completely took me off the infusion (Ixempra) until I don't know when. We will see what the plan is when I see him in July. Yes I said July. I was doing so well he said not to come back for 3 months. So I will go in for more scans at the end of June and I will see him in July. Let's pray together that all will be well at that time.

I am truly enjoying the energy I have these days and enjoying my taste buds being back. Yes, and you can tell I'm enjoying eating I have even picked up a few pounds. It feels so good not to feel so bad. My hair is slowly growing back. I'm enjoying being able to do things and go places with the family. I do feel a bit out of shape though and trying to build my strength up by exercising. Thanks to mom who sent me her exercise bike. I try to ride it at least four times a week. With the weather being so beautiful I need to incorporate some outside walking...after I invest in some good walking shoes that don't hurt. I took my husband shoe shopping with me a few weeks ago. I bet I tried on ten pair of tennis shoes that evening. Have you ever see on TV where the shoe clerk is carrying a stack of shoe boxes for the customer to try on? Well that's the way my husband looked while helping me out. i had him weighted down with boxes and boxes. He was so patient. Needless to say I left the store without any shoes because none of them made my feet happy.

Thanks to all of you who continue to check on me, encourage me, send cards, flowers, food and most of all those that continue to pray for me. I have the best support system ever! And that's part of my healing and I have you all to thank for that.
I have a list of things I wanna do before summer is over, so if you try to contact me and I don't answer, I may be horseback riding, sailing, camping or maybe at an O'jays concert...LOL.

Love you much...until next time.

Update Time! Summer 2013

Hello!! Yes, I know it's been a while since I have visited and updated my blog. And I know you have been wondering how I am doing because I know you love me like that. Well, I had a round of testing in July and the CT scan revealed a lesion on my liver had increased in size. My doctor recommended a liver biopsy which was done as an MRI guided biopsy and the test came back showing some progression. Of course that brought about a change in my chemotherapy. New drugs were introduced. So as of today I am on 8 pills of Xeloda a day for two weeks and off 7 days and Ixempra which is given through an IV for 3 hours. This is still done every 3 weeks. And of course I get my healing juice delivered to me on a regular basis by my dear sister. The healing juice consist of lots of green healthy organic vegetables and delicious carrot juice. She delivers it and expects me to drink one of the little cute jars she so kindly package the juice in, every hour. One day she delivered 8 jars. So each hour I had a jar of juice to drink up until bedtime. It seem like those hours were coming every minute :o). The juice really gives me energy. It gives me so much pick me up to where I have even been getting in a little exercise this summer by doing some bike riding and doing some water aerobics when I feel like it. I really enjoy bike riding and plan to do more of that after my husband fix the flat tire. Not sure what's taking him so long.

I can't believe summer is almost over. It went so fast! We didn't go to Hawaii, Jamaica or anywhere like that. But, we got our pool up and running...it was a mess!! It look like Shrek and alligators lived in it. I have the best pool guy ever!! My husband! He got that pool so crystal clear and we couldn't wait to get in it. So we spent a lot of time in the back yard. And of course they had their share of movie watching. So now they are all back in school. I want to know when does the tears stop flowing?? Frederick left on Saturday headed back to Austin and I was all teary eyed once again watching him drive off. He forgot something and had to turn around and I was so glad to see him...like he was coming back to stay. I just got all teary eyed again when he drove off. When Monday morning came and Asa left to begin her Junior year, I got all teary eyed watching her leave. When the twins Alafia and Assata got all dressed and I dropped them off at school, I just shook my head and said, I don't have anymore babies. When Janee' got in her car I watched her drive off to school and yes, I got all teary eyed again even though she would be back in a few hours. That's just me! Before you know it, they will be grown and gone and I will miss them.

Ok, back to the new chemo...the new chemotherapy hits me right away, unlike the last chemo Kadcyla. But this one puts me on the couch a little longer. My dear friend Chris told me that when I'm feeling that way, the chemo is kicking those cancer cells to the curb. And I believe that is so true. My hair is growing back, but the doctor told me that it will all come out again. So we will see what happens. My head has a mind of it's own and it just might want to keep hair on it this time. This Friday will be my second round of the new chemo and I am looking forward to it because I want to get to those remission numbers. When the doctor told me they were changing my chemo again, I wanted to just quit and I mean quit. I was ready to stop it and just do my own thing. After a long conversation with my husband he convinced me to hang in there because I was to close to my numbers. And I agreed. I agreed to continue the fight. Even though I have achy feet along with the neuropathy and restless nights, I am still staying positive because I do know that this too shall pass.

Well, I am going to call it a night by drinking these last two jars of healing juice my sister made for me. Praying that it's restoring all those cells that need to be restored.


Goodnight!

Update!

Hi family and friends. Yes, it has been a while since I dropped in to post something along my journey. A lot has happened since I was here last. I have lost a few toenails along the way...now that took me by surprise. I actually cried when I looked down at my feet and they were missing in action. My acne and skin rashes are much better. The acne is leaving some not so cute marks. I will have to find me some kind of scar cream to cover those spots. I was blessed to see my 48th birthday on June 10th. And I am on a new chemo drug. My doctor recommended a new one because the other one stopped working so it was time for a change. I am now on a drug called Kadcyla (TDM1). So far it is working well. The side effects doesn't seem to be as harsh as the drug that I was on before. I seem to be tolerating this one fairly well. I do tend to run a low grade temperature along with some fatigue around the third day after I have received chemotherapy. I can see a little hair growing and my taste buds are much better. Don't know how good that is because I tend to eat a little more. My fingernails are looking better and my markers are back on the downward again. Praying this time I hit the remission mark.

It's summertime, it's hot and the kids are home in full force. Continued thanks to those of you who help by bringing food and goodies by to us. It sure does help out a lot. Fred is in Austin going to summer school and playing baseball with a summer league. Janee' is in summer school for both summer sessions. Asa just signed up for driver's ed. and she is also gearing up to teach swimming lessons to a couple of our church members children. Alafia, Assata and Ramsey are hanging out in the pool and playing video games. They need to get busy doing something else. Ramsey is our little extra six year old boy who loves to come spend time with us any chance he gets. He will be leaving us on the 15th of July. I think I want summer to slow down. I enjoy having the kids around. Fred is working with a few days off here and there.

Exercise is on my schedule. I really need to tone and I think that will help with the numbness in my feet and fingers.
The plan is to do water aerobics, walk and ride the bicycle once my husband air up the tires. Eating healthy is still on my list(sometimes I take a detour) but try to continue on path along with juicing...my goal is to totally be off chemo once I hit the remission mark. Keep on praying for me. Love yall!

Good News!

The Definition of tumor marker is a biochemical indicator of cancer presence: a substance in the blood or urine that indicates, either specifically or by its high level, the presence of a malignant tumor in the body.
I am so happy to report that my tumor went from 67.7 to 49.7. In October it was 147. God is soooo good.

Nails Gone!

Hi yall!

Well a couple of posts ago I mentioned my nails were looking not so pretty and I was having issues with them. Because chemotherapy is very drying to your tissues, your nails can become brittle and yellow. Dry nails will break and crack easily. This is all due to one of the meds I'm on called Taxotere or Docetaxel or Taxol. So to date I have lost the top half of my fingernails on two fingers and it doesn't look so cute. I think I need to go find me one of those back scratchers, because with these nails I can't scratch a good itch. From what I have read the fingernails will recover and so will the toenails, it will just take them a bit longer. But that's okay, this too shall pass. Right? Have a wonderful blessed day!