New Scans

Copy of RADRPT 07-13-2018-RADRPT 07-13-2018-1

There are two scans there, just click the links.

New scans and another wait and see.  Friday there will be a meeting on my body scans.  Do we add to Xeloda or make a total change?  That is the question.  Tomorrow I will see my radiology oncologist and will either start or make a plan to start radiation on my right arm/shoulder.  I have been in so much pain the past few days.  Even my pain meds don’t help.  I got a stronger pain medication today.  I don’t like it, it makes me nauseous, but it takes the pain away.  That’s where I’m at until tomorrow.  I’ll let you all know when I have a definite plan.

 

Sending love to you all!  Get out and make some memories!💕

Brain MRI Results

TAMMY CARMONA

FINDINGS

BRAIN AND EXTRA-AXIAL SPACES: In the interval, there is significant enlargement in the multifocal areas of enhancement in the medial right temporal lobe since the previous exam of 04/23/2018. There is a dramatic increase when compared back to 01/22/2018. The inferior component of enhancement is without significant change measuring 1.3 x 1.8 cm (transverse by AP), as seen previously. However the superior component measures 1.6 x 2 cm and previously this measured 0.9 x 1.5 cm. In addition there is a more anterior component of enhancement that measures 1.3 x 1.1 cm that previously measured 0.8 x 0.4 cm. Thus, there is significant increasing enhancement in the medial temporal lobe. Surrounding edema in the right temporal lobe extends back little more posteriorly than previously. Perfusion images however do not show significant increased perfusion. Perfusion images suggest that these changes are related to radiation necrosis. However given the significant progression, I am concerned this is progressive neoplasm at this site..

The 2 mm focus of enhancement laterally in the right cerebellum on image 23 of series 10 is unchanged. The small focus of hemorrhage superiorly in the left superior cerebellum is unchanged.

No new areas of enhancement are visualized.

VENTRICLES: Normal in size and configuration.

SELLA/PARASELLAR REGIONS: Partially empty sella is again visualized.

VESSELS: Normal flow related enhancement in the major vessels of the circle of Willis and the major dural venous sinuses.

CALVARIUM AND SKULL BASE: No calvarial abnormalities are identified. PARANASAL SINUSES/MASTOID AIR CELLS: The paranasal sinuses, middle ear cavities and mastoid air cells are well-aerated.

ORBITS: Within normal limits

CRANIOCERVICAL JUNCTION: Within normal limits

OTHER FINDINGS: No other significant findings are seen.

IMPRESSION:

1. Interval significant increase in enhancing multifocal areas in the medial right temporal lobe since the previous exams of 4/23/2018 and 1/22/2018. Although this could still be radiation necrosis, recurrent neoplasm is an increasing concern.. MR cannot definitely differentiate these.

2. Unchanged tiny punctate focus of enhancement in the right cerebellum and small focus of hemorrhage in the left cerebellum.

3. No new areas of abnormality.

I love my radiology oncologist. She’s always honest with me. She’s says this is not good. We are not sure if it’s cancer or necrosis from radiation. There will be a meeting on my case on Monday. Then we will have a new plan. Right now the plan is to add another drug to my Xeloda and rescan in 2 months. If the progression is still as fast as it has been the past two months then brain surgery is my option. This plan may change after the board meeting. They will also consider some clinical trials. It seems to be another wait and see.

For now, I’m going to enjoy summer! I’m still going to the beach for a week and then the 🍒 on top is Lynard Skynard in September!😂. This has already been an eventful summer! I tell myself daily that I am blessed to be here and still be making memories! I have watched as T.J. got his first job, his first checking/ savings account, and finished drivers ed! He will be driving me around next week! I told him one day he will wish he didn’t have to work. I said don’t you want to hang by the pool, kayak and do things like that this summer? He said “Mom, I’m building my resumé”. 😂. How do you say no to that? I’ve also had so much quality time with my precious grand babies! You know I’m including pictures!

Thank you all for your love and support. You all bring sunshine to my life! I may make cancer look easy, but it’s not. When you see my adventures on Instagram or Facebook, know that I’m in bed on pain meds the next day. It’s so worth the memories I’m making! Life is so good! Get out and enjoy it and make some memories!!!!!Sending love to each and everyone of you!💕💕💕💕

Rising Tumor Markers

I have lived with metastatic breast cancer for five years. Throughout this time my CA 27.2 marker has been an accurate indication of what’s going on inside my body. It’s steadily been on the rise. This month it jumped another 170 units. My hope is that cancer is dying and not growing while I’m on Xeloda. I have a new brain MRI and a chest and abdomen CT scheduled in two weeks. If the tumor in my brain is bigger my only option seems to be surgery. I’ve decided to have the surgery if necessary. But first, I’m going to the beach for a week and I’m going to see Lynyrd Skynyrd the first weekend in September! I’m going to enjoy summer, make some memories and not stress the outcome of my scans. If I have to deal with it I’ll do it in mid September.

Here are my recent tumor markers. They seem to be rising since I started Xeloda.

CA 27.2

1311.8 units/mL
Date:
Jun 11, 2018

1141.6 units/mL
Date:
May 11, 2018

1084.6 units/mL
Date:
Mar 16, 201

1037.9 units/mL
Date:
Feb 16, 2018

1057.4 units/mL
Date:
Jan 26, 2018

968.0 units/mL
Date:
Jan 04, 2018 n

263.3 units/mL
Date:
Nov 24, 2017

268.7 units/mL
Date:
Oct 26, 2017

216.2 units/mL
Date:
Aug 11, 2017

232.8 units/mL
Date:
Jul 27, 2017

199.3 units/mL
Date:
Jun 28, 2017

160.1 units/mL
Date:
Jun 01, 2017

Despite all this cancer chaos, I’m still alive, so I’m still smiling. My Javiee and I celebrated another anniversary on June 5th. Here’s a picture….We went to The Conundrum escape room in Asheville. If you haven’t been to an escape room, you should definitely go! We didn’t escape but we had a blast! Here’s our picture…..My precious granddaughter, Evie, had her first birthday! You know a picture is coming!

Thank you all for your love and prayers! I’m sending love to each and everyone of you! It’s summer! Get out and make some memories!💕💕

Brain MRI Update

I was concerned about this MRI because it was to determine if I would be having brain surgery in May.  One 3mm lesion is gone.  Others have decreased in size.  The one that was most concerning has grown a little.  My board of doctors met and decided we should do scans again in two months to see if it changes.  The hope is that it’s brain necrosis and not a tumor.  I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon next week.  I think it’s good to be prepared for anything.  I feel better knowing I have a plan if something doesn’t go my way.

I’m happy with these results. I’m excited that summer is on the horizon! Time to make some memories!

I have to share a few memories from the past month!

My precious grandson turned 3!  I’m so blessed to be here to  get to know him!

He saw Spider-Man at the circus and asked him to come to his birthday party. 😍. Spider-Man came and was awesome ( Thanks Chris)!!!!

I kept Little Miss Evie for the first time.  This is a big deal, she’s a Mama’s girl!

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Jax and I usually paint rocks.  Last week we made our own teepee.  He loved it.

Next week Miss Evie will have her first birthday party.  Here’s to more memories, get out and make some!💕💕

All my love to you guys!  Thank you for the love and prayers! 💕

 

 

 

Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Not in Hall County, Georgia……This Is Not A Cancer Story.

Like the title says, this is not a story about cancer. It is, however, a story of recent events in my life. If you think your safe and the justice system protects you, your wrong. There is no innocent until proven guilty. I could file a false report on you today and have you arrested. If you don’t have thousands of dollars to fork over for a qualified lawyer you could sit in jail for 6-9 months. You could lose your job, your car, your house…..everything. It’s true and it’s exactly what my daughter has been dealing with the past 7 months.

Not only did she lose her job and her car, She missed Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family. It gets worse. She missed her Maw’s funeral. They did, however, bring her in handcuffs and ankle shackles before the funeral and gave her 15 minutes with her Maw. If you were a witness to this you would have thought she was a convicted murderer. For me it was heartbreaking.

The records are public so I have no angst in telling the story. I feel like it needs to be heard.

My daughter married a woman named Jennifer. I liked her at first. She told me she was going to school to find new medicines for cancer. Ha! So not true! They moved in with us for a while. That’s when I began to see her manipulative personality. One weekend she decided she was leaving my daughter. So she left. It was a Friday and by Sunday she was crying at my door. She was claiming some boy from work had held her hostage, drugged her and raped her. I didn’t believe her, but I said she could stay if she called the police. Long story short, she called the police and then she decided it wasn’t true. Lucky for this guy, he didn’t have to sit in jail for months because of her lie.  This is the Facebook message he sent me…..

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After this they moved to Gainesville, Georgia. My daughter called me and said Jennifer had filed for a divorce. I said Kris, please move up here with me. She does not want you to be in divorce court and she will find a way to put you in jail. Don’t trust her……famous last words.

A few weeks later my daughter is in jail on 4 felony charges and a $60,000 bond. What were the charges? 1st degree Burglary, stalking, false imprisonment, and sexual battery. Insane! She filed for a public defender because she didn’t have the money for a lawyer and obviously I didn’t. That request was denied! Why? Because she had a job. It didn’t matter that she’s in jail and couldn’t go to work. She had a job when she was arrested so she had to sit in jail and wait 30 days to reapply. Finally she gets a public defender. Andy Maddox. He’s the lawyer you want if you enjoy jail. He did nothing for my daughter. She sat in jail for 5 months with him doing nothing! I took it upon myself to become an investigator. I found pictures from my daughter s phone that proved Jennifer was with her willingly. In one picture she was on her phone and sitting across the room. If I were being held hostage I think I’d dial 911. I printed the pictures with the date stamps and searched for the guy that she claimed raped her before. I had him saying call the police and get the false report she made against me.   I had all the pictures from that weekend and her public defender never returned a call or an email to me. Finally, her public defender was replaced.

She had court this week.  I’ve never been more afraid of our justice system as I am now.  The accuser sat on the stand laughing at one moment and crying the next.  When asked why she didn’t dial 911 when she was on her phone across the room, she said she was afraid to.  Let me tell you if someone has broken into my house and is holding me hostage and I’m sitting on the toilet on my cell phone……I’m dialing 911.   Here’s the picture and another one of the “hostage” drinking a beer and using her phone…….

When asked why when they were shopping together in Walmart she didn’t scream or yell or just lay down in the floor….she said she was scared to.  Now if you kidnap me and take me to Walmart I’m not leaving that store with you!  I would grab someone’s leg and hold on while screaming.  That didn’t happen.  Jennifer even took pictures of Kristen in a sharks head at Walmart.  Here are the pictures….

They bought groceries and the accuser cooked a delicious meal (she said that on the stand).  There were pictures presented of her half naked and cooking.  Why didn’t she run?  She was afraid to.  Here are the pictures….

She even sat on the stand and asked the court stenographer if she was doing good.

Then her Christian  grandmother, who doesn’t like same sex couples, takes the stand and says she had to drive to Waynesville multiple times and pick up Jennifer where Kristen had beat her.  She said she was bruised and had bloody lips.   That was a flat out lie.  They lived with me for months and then moved right down the street from me.  Jennifer worked a block from my house.  There wasn’t a week that went by that I didn’t see her.  I never saw her bruised and bleeding.  I did, however, see the manipulative games she played with Kristen when they lived with me.  I wasn’t called to the stand to testify.  This was a case built on lies.  I haven’t told you half of them.   Simply. because Jennifers family doesn’t want her with a woman. When they figured out Jennifer was spending the weekend with Kristen, Jennifer’s way of handling it was to call the police and say she didn’t invite her, that she broke in.

Blatent lies that completely changed my daughters life forever.

There were 12 jurors, one who kept napping.  They fell right in to Jennifer’s act.   With all the pictures, I thought the verdict was obvious.  How are you being held hostage when your running around town together and sitting in your house on your phone?  How is it sexual assault when you sit on the stand and say you had consensual sex?  How is it burglary when there’s nothing stolen and no evidence of a break in?

I was blown away when after many hours the jury came back and said guilty on all counts.  Four felonies.  I saw one juror crying and knew what was coming.  I still can’t understand this.  There is no justice in our justice system.  My daughter was given almost 20 years in prison.  I think the judge saw more than the jury did.  She cut the time down.  So with the 7 months she’s spent waiting for trial she will still be away from us for another year or a year and a half.  Then she will be a convicted felon and a registered sex offender.  Is that Justice?   To those good Christians that lied on the stand, under oath,  you really have something to pray about now.  You have marked my daughter for life with your lies.

This is my blog, these are my words and it has nothing to do with my daughter.  Every picture you see and everything you read is public record.  I am writing this so that everyone, especially those that saw Kristen at the funeral home in cuffs and shackles, knows what happened.  The truth is in the pictures which were presented in court.  Obviously ignored, but presented.

If anyone has a problem with my post.  I don’t mind.  It’s called freedom of speech and like I said earlier,  it’s public record.

Another Weekend In The Hospital

Let me start by telling you I told my Javiee last week that I was craving mashed potatoes and meatloaf. I never eat that! You’ll understand why I told you this soon. On with my story. I received a call from my cancer center telling me they were now doing special chemo drugs and they wanted to send me my Xeloda instead of it being shipped from out of state. I agreed, it sounded like a good idea. I started my 4th cycle of Xeloda last Sunday. Monday I started feeling weak and it worsened as the week went on. I figured it was my 4th cycle and it would get harder with each cycle. Thursday I received a call from my cancer center saying I had an appointment Friday. I said no, it’s next Friday. She looked and said your right, I don’t know what happened but your also scheduled for this Friday. I decided to keep the appointment and cancel the next one. My mom picked me up and drove me to the cancer center. I was too exhausted to drive. By the time I made it from the car to the door of the cancer center I was out of breath and couldn’t walk. My mom wheeled me up in a wheel chair. They checked my heart rate and sent me straight to the hospital. My room was waiting for me when I got there and my heart rate was over double what it should have been. I went straight to CT. They were looking for a pulmonary embolism or a clot in my lung. There was nothing. When I got back from CT my hospital food tray was waiting for me. It was meatloaf and mashed potatoes. ( I was right where I was meant to be). They stabilized my heart and told me to stop taking Xeloda. I went to my purse and my Xeloda pills were scattered in my purse and the bottle was closed tightly. Not taking those! I’m home now and feeling like I should be. My heart is stable and I will go back on Xeloda, but from the original pharmacy. There was something going on with the pills from the cancer center. We’ll find out more about that this week.

I give God the glory…..

The unexplained appointment ( I was told if I had waited another week I would have had a heart attack)

The pink Xeloda pills in the bottom of my purse and don’t forget…….

The meatloaf and mash potatoes….yes meatloaf and mash potatoes!

God is Good!

Now for some pictures from the weeks before this mess!

At the Circus…making memories 💕💕

T.J’s now playing tennis……

Good food and beautiful faces….

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You never know what tomorrow holds!  Get out and make some memories!  I love you all!!  💕💕

 

New Brain MRI Results

I love my radiation oncologist, Dr. Smathers.   When it comes to living with cancer  the most important things to me are quality of life and honesty.  I don’t want anything sugar coated!  She understands and that’s what she gives me.  I love to see her walk in with a smile.  I didn’t get that last month.  I got it today!  My scans showed nothing new.  It showed the little brain mets were no longer there.  The belief is that Xeloda took care of them.  The tumor in my left frontal lobe has grown 2mm.  Her hope is that Xeloda will reach that tumor and shrink it.  We have a new brain MRI scheduled in two months unless I start having symptoms.  The most common symptoms  would be dizziness, headaches and nausea. That’s the plan as long as I feel good.   If nothing changes on the next scan we will consider adding Methotrexate.   If it continues to grow brain surgery is my other option.   It’s another wait and see.

I give God the glory.  Five tumors gone in a month is amazing.  Thank you all for your love and prayers!  They mean so much to me!💕💕

I’m grateful for another month and for more memories!

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We taught Jax how to play Candy Land.  He won his first game!  I love being a glamma!

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I had another Valentines Day with my sweet Javiee.  This man is my rock!❤️

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T.J. joined ROTC (Air Force).

This has been a month full of memories!  Some deserving a title of their own.  I’ll add them soon!

Until then……Get out and make some memories!💕💕

 

Wednesday…Mammogram Day..Feb 6, 2013

Tuesday, February 6, 2018 I hit my five year mark. Five years living with metastatic breast cancer. Being diagnosed at Stage 4 means I’d unknowingly been living with cancer for a while. This was just the day I first heard “you have cancer”. I’ve been blessed the last five years with so many memories. Tonight, in reflection, I’m going back to my first ever blog post. I actually started the blog for my sister who lives in North Dakota. It grew into so much more. You all have become a huge part of my life and I’m grateful. 💕💕💕

Tammy Carmona

Today’s Wednesday. I love Wednesday, it’s my favorite day of the week. My Javiee is off on Wednesday, so it’s always a special day for us. We go out to breakfast on Wednesday, then we go shopping and get what we need for the week ahead. I know it sounds pretty simple, but it’s our time and we enjoy every second of it. Today’s a little different. Breakfast and then a mammogram (I found a lump in my left breast). I’m thankful my Javiee is with me for my appointment. I wasn’t really worried, I thought it would be nothing. The lady doing my mammogram was so nice, but when she saw the image and said wait right here a minute while the doctor looks at this, he may want to do an ultrasound , I knew there was a problem. Ten minutes later another lady is doing an ultrasound…

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Brain MRI Results

I’m going to keep this simple for you guys.  I have a new tumor in my brain.  It’s in the superior left cerebellar hemisphere. WBR and the cyber knife took the initial tumor away back in 2016.  This tumor is growing right underneath where the initial tumor was located.  Radiation is not an option for this tumor.  My doctors are getting together Friday with other specialists and going over my charts to figure out what my options may be.   Here’s some good news……

Two rounds of Xeloda cleared my liver!  Those liver mets are gone.  It’s been four months since my previous brain MRI.  Our hope is that this tumor in my brain was bigger and xeloda has shrunk it.  There’s no way to know because my previous brain MRI was clear. Our plan, for now, is to keep taking Xeloda and do a new brain MRI next month.  If the tumor is smaller then we will continue with Xeloda and monthly scans.  If the tumor is the same size or bigger next month the only option will be brain surgery.  That’s the plan right now.  This could change after our meeting Friday.  Another wait and see!

I have chosen to not worry about this.  I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and see what next month brings.  What does worrying help anyway?  Tomorrow I’m going to pick up my sweet little Jaxon and we are going to watch T.J. wrestle.

I love you guys! Get out and make some memories! 💕💕💕

My song for the day….Click here. 😂

An Update

I’ve  had so much going on lately!  I feel like I just can’t keep up.  I didn’t even mail Christmas cards this year!

I finish my second cycle of Xeloda tomorrow.  I can’t really complain with the side effects, I’ve dealt with worse.  I’m exhausted and my feet and legs hurt.  It’s like walking on pins and needles.  I’m handling it and praying it works.  After my first cycle of Xeloda (14 days) my tumor markers jumped from 263 to 968.  They’ve never been so high.  I have new blood work next Friday and I’m hoping to see a drop.

I had a tumor removed from my neck two days after Christmas.  My doctor was concerned that it was lymphoma.  It turned out to be breast cancer.  That was good news.  Now I have two new tumors in my neck and one on my jawbone.  The one on my jaw bone has caused numb chin syndrome.  It’s just like it sounds.  My chin and botttom lip are numb.

Last week I woke up vomiting.  It turned to blood and I ended up staying in the hospital for a few days.  They sent me home saying it was diabetes.  The truth was the vomiting is what made my blood glucose rise.  They sent me home and then called and said I wasn’t supposed to be released because my oncologist had ordered scans.  I told them to just schedule me for the scans and I would come in for them. I’m home now and resting.  I have three different scans scheduled for next Monday.  I will get the results of the brain scan on Wednesday and the throat and body MRI results will be Friday.  Until then it’s another wait and see.

I want to thank you all for the love and prayers sent my way.  You all make my life a little brighter!  💕💕

Get out and make some memories!