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!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
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!
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!
Spring Surprise!
On Saturday morning I was in the kitchen about to cook breakfast and heard a knock at the door. I went to the door and there stood my Ponderosa Family once again with a big surprise. They were here to beautify my yard!!! And to see this is the way their kids spend their time on spring break to help and bless others, were amazing. They were very hard at work. They cleaned flowerbeds, planted flowers, palm trees, and beautified two areas in the yard with a truck load of flowers! They even scheduled a professional lawn crew to come cut, edge and trim. They did a great job also. When I look out my kitchen window I see all these beautiful flowers and that puts a big smile on my face. Thanks so much to the Wyndham's, Reed's, Ransom's and the Schmidt's. Here is a photo of some of their beautiful hard work. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Results
Hi yall! Today is a great day! Thanks for praying for me.
This past Tuesday was a long day. Sham and I arrived at MDA at 11:00 for my 11:20 visit to see Dr. Ibrahim. They called us right on back, surprisingly not a long wait at all. Guess he was anxious to deliver my good report he had for me. First of all I have this awesome nurse name Kris. She's a sweetie and she always encourage me to bring along my good luck charm, my sister...Shamarion. Yes she has earned that title, LOL. Anyway...my tumor marker numbers were stable this time around still hanging around the 60's. The Dr said that's nothing to be alarmed about as long as the numbers don't shoot up by ten points. The CT scan came out really good. No new areas were seen and my liver is looking good also. They did see some healing of lesions on my sternum which is good to know. Who knows all the lesions on my bones may all be gone one day. Let's pray about that too. The echo-cardiogram looks normal which is a good thing. One of the meds Herceptin sometimes affects the heart. I have been on that since the beginning and so far my heart still looks normal and is functioning well. I have a couple of nails that act like they want to lift, but are hanging on. The nurse said they looked really good, but not to me. She said she has seen worse. My feet are cracky, my skin is just really dry these days and the cold weather is not helping either. Well when it was time for my chemo, we didn't get so lucky to get right in. The IV team was backed up and the beds were all full, so we had to wait for a while for a room. Oh, I almost forgot...my magnesium was a little low, so Dr I put in orders to administer magnesium along with my chemo. Magnesium numbers should range from 1.8 to 2.6, mine was a little low hanging around 1.6. It was a 2 hour drip added to the already 3 hours of chemo and that took us to around 7 p.m. and we were home at around 8 p.m.
It's really weird how after my chemo I am in speed mode. It's the premed steroid that they give me before the chemo starts to help with side affects. Well yesterday I spent all day in the kitchen. For some reason I miss being in the kitchen. I miss chopping and stirring and whipping up stuff. So when I'm feeling like it, I go for it. So yesterday I whipped up this mexican dip with refried beans, avacados, sour cream, olives and cheese. I made enchiladas from a recipe I ran across in a magazine, I made my husband a pot of pinto beans and sausage which he has been wanting for a while. I baked cookies for the kids dessert. I didn't take a nap all day. I actually stayed up and finished my income taxes and before you know it, it was 2:30 in the morning. So I turned off the tv and the computer took a long 30 minute shower got in bed and I'm guessing I fell asleep around 3:30. Today the steroid affect is almost gone. I'm feeling a little sluggish and not much of an appetite. Assata is at home sick again today and I'm trying to stay upbeat for her to care for her. Hopefully she will feel better on tomorrow and she can head back to school.
Oh, almost forgot this bit of info...I did ask the question how much longer will I be on chemo. Well the answer I got was, "we will not put a number or time, just keep watching things as we go, it's important to keep the numbers from going up." The goal is for the numbers to be 35 or below. However, with my breast cancer being a Stage IV, I could always be on some type of medication for maintenance, being that it is labeled as a chronic disease. So let's pray that away too prayer warriors.
Thanks again and I will write to you soon. I will try to do better with updates. I know I'm a little slow.
Keep the prayers coming. Love yall!
This past Tuesday was a long day. Sham and I arrived at MDA at 11:00 for my 11:20 visit to see Dr. Ibrahim. They called us right on back, surprisingly not a long wait at all. Guess he was anxious to deliver my good report he had for me. First of all I have this awesome nurse name Kris. She's a sweetie and she always encourage me to bring along my good luck charm, my sister...Shamarion. Yes she has earned that title, LOL. Anyway...my tumor marker numbers were stable this time around still hanging around the 60's. The Dr said that's nothing to be alarmed about as long as the numbers don't shoot up by ten points. The CT scan came out really good. No new areas were seen and my liver is looking good also. They did see some healing of lesions on my sternum which is good to know. Who knows all the lesions on my bones may all be gone one day. Let's pray about that too. The echo-cardiogram looks normal which is a good thing. One of the meds Herceptin sometimes affects the heart. I have been on that since the beginning and so far my heart still looks normal and is functioning well. I have a couple of nails that act like they want to lift, but are hanging on. The nurse said they looked really good, but not to me. She said she has seen worse. My feet are cracky, my skin is just really dry these days and the cold weather is not helping either. Well when it was time for my chemo, we didn't get so lucky to get right in. The IV team was backed up and the beds were all full, so we had to wait for a while for a room. Oh, I almost forgot...my magnesium was a little low, so Dr I put in orders to administer magnesium along with my chemo. Magnesium numbers should range from 1.8 to 2.6, mine was a little low hanging around 1.6. It was a 2 hour drip added to the already 3 hours of chemo and that took us to around 7 p.m. and we were home at around 8 p.m.
It's really weird how after my chemo I am in speed mode. It's the premed steroid that they give me before the chemo starts to help with side affects. Well yesterday I spent all day in the kitchen. For some reason I miss being in the kitchen. I miss chopping and stirring and whipping up stuff. So when I'm feeling like it, I go for it. So yesterday I whipped up this mexican dip with refried beans, avacados, sour cream, olives and cheese. I made enchiladas from a recipe I ran across in a magazine, I made my husband a pot of pinto beans and sausage which he has been wanting for a while. I baked cookies for the kids dessert. I didn't take a nap all day. I actually stayed up and finished my income taxes and before you know it, it was 2:30 in the morning. So I turned off the tv and the computer took a long 30 minute shower got in bed and I'm guessing I fell asleep around 3:30. Today the steroid affect is almost gone. I'm feeling a little sluggish and not much of an appetite. Assata is at home sick again today and I'm trying to stay upbeat for her to care for her. Hopefully she will feel better on tomorrow and she can head back to school.
Oh, almost forgot this bit of info...I did ask the question how much longer will I be on chemo. Well the answer I got was, "we will not put a number or time, just keep watching things as we go, it's important to keep the numbers from going up." The goal is for the numbers to be 35 or below. However, with my breast cancer being a Stage IV, I could always be on some type of medication for maintenance, being that it is labeled as a chronic disease. So let's pray that away too prayer warriors.
Thanks again and I will write to you soon. I will try to do better with updates. I know I'm a little slow.
Keep the prayers coming. Love yall!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Coming up...round seven!
Hello everyone! Yes I know it's been a while. I've missed you! Round seven of chemotherpy is coming up on March 5. Echocardiogram, CT scan, xray, and blood work is scheduled for Friday March 1. Praying all scans produce good results. Since I last posted, my body has gone through a lot of changes. My hair is all gone, my nails are sensitive to touch and may be lifting soon and I may lose a couple...ouch! The doctor recommends soaking my nails in vinegar and water to help with the healing process...stinky!! My feet are darker and my toenails are looking funny and has this funny looking color. I'm expecting them to pop up and off too. So I will not be sporting sandals or flip flops anytime soon. Love my flip flops and will miss them dearly! I have lost 46 pounds which feels great to have off. Praying I'm able to maintain the pounds off when I'm all done. Some of you may be wondering when that will be. Well...me too. My tumor markers are still going downward according to the last vist. They started at 147 and they are now at 64. Dr Ibrahim say that our goal is to get to the thirties. So in a few days we will see where we are.
Before I go...I just have to say THANKS to those of you who have brought hot meals by, gifts, sent cards filled with encouraging words and funds to help us out as needed. And many thanks to my church family who watches over our children and encourage them when I'm not in attendance. Miss you all much! More thanks for the phone calls, emails and text messages of encouragement and visits that I receive from time to time. Thank God for family, friends, my church family and my neighborhood family. Love yall much and you are a blessing to us.
Before I go...I just have to say THANKS to those of you who have brought hot meals by, gifts, sent cards filled with encouraging words and funds to help us out as needed. And many thanks to my church family who watches over our children and encourage them when I'm not in attendance. Miss you all much! More thanks for the phone calls, emails and text messages of encouragement and visits that I receive from time to time. Thank God for family, friends, my church family and my neighborhood family. Love yall much and you are a blessing to us.
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