chemotherapy

by

Still Recovering

I have to tell you all I’m walking around the house better. I walk a little and take a break, walk a little and take a break. I am on strong pain medication for my spine. Most of the time it helps but there are days that it doesn’t help the pain at all. I do what I can and I’m thankful for being able to do it.

I haven’t really been Christmas shopping much this year. I always love getting out at Christmas. This year I can’t get to my favorite stores but I’m thankful for the times out I’ve had!

I went to the Winter Lights with my family and the grandbabies. I even drove there and back! I paid for it with massive leg pain the next day. Somethings are just worth the pain. I’ll post a picture.

Now my plan is to see my oncologist on January 2nd. We will go over everything and make a plan. Right now it seems the only option is to put a port in my brain and try to get another medication to work. I really don’t know until we talk. Then I’ll do my research and figure out what’s next. Until then, I’m just enjoying what I can do. I love the holiday season.

Thank you all for the love and prayers. I believe in them! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! Sending you all love!💕

by

Rest and Recovery

I have to update you all because I was in really bad shape in my last post. That was the closest to death I’ve ever been. The chemo therapy elevated my calcium levels so much that it almost killed me.

I came from the hospital and had a home care nurse visit twice a week and a physical therapist visit weekly. My vitals slowly became better and my strength started coming back. I can walk again! I’m not back to where I was. I can walk around inside my house. I can get out of the car and make it inside the grocery store to the wheelchair. Oh, the joy of going to the grocery store again for the first time! I can’t drive and still have to take a lot of breaks. I can’t do steps, but I do see progress!

I made it outside on Halloween and sat around a bonfire with my family! Memories💕. I will include pictures.

I see my oncologist again on the 28th of this month. Until then my plan is to rest and try to recover more.

Thank you all for the love and prayers. They mean so much to me!

Enjoy the holiday season and make lots of wonderful memories!💕

Beyond Time for An Update.
by

Beyond Time for An Update.

I have been home a few days now. I’ve spent the last 10 days or so in the hospital. Unknowingly, In the hospital. I honestly thought I had been kidnapped. I know it sounds crazy but it’s not. My Mom and my husband were trying to get me up from my bed at my house. I would vomit every time they tried. I couldn’t speak to them. I couldn’t walk. I was completely unaware. They called an ambulance, if they hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here today. It seems to be the chemo therapy I was on caused Cancer-Related-Hypercalcemia. My calcium levels were so high, I was literally out of my mind. I’ll follow up on this later. Right now I’m just trying to give you an idea of what’s going on.

Though my brain looks better, I’m actually doing worse than I’ve ever been. I now have leptomeningeal metastases which have spread to my meninges and spinal fluid. It can’t get much worse for me. I have two more days of radiation. I don’t know what’s after that. So far I’ve heard there is nothing else to do.

Right now my plan is to rest and get through my last two radiation appointment’s. My doctor has said I can have no visitors until she sees me next week. The least little germ could kill me right now.

I’d love to see you guys, I just can’t. I saw my kiddos the other day, so I have a few pictures. For now that’s really all I know. I have to give this to God right now. I’m serious when I say I can’t even walk alone. My mama and my Javiee have been doing everything for me. Stop and think about that. It’s so hard, but I’m so blessed to have them here right now. I will update you all as soon as I know more. I love you all! Thank you for the love and prayers. Get out and make some memories!💕💕

by

Dropping Tumor Markers!

After one triple dose of Paclitaxel my tumor markers have dropped from 1615.9 to 999!  It wasn’t easy, but so worth seeing such a big drop after one treatment!

I was down for a while and was extremely weak.  I still managed to have a day out with my grandbabies Sunday.  My legs were still weak.  I sat down with Evie and T.J. had to help get me up.  First to my knees, then to my feet.  Exhausting but so worth it!  Here are pictures….

Then they spent the night with me on Monday!  I miss them so much after chemo!  Jax always has to have a pizza party in our bed and Evie wasn’t feeling well that night.  I was just so happy to spend time with them!  More pictures…

Now I’m off with my Javiee to see Lynyrd Skynyrd this weekend in Atlanta!!  I come home to port surgery on Tuesday and chemo on Wednesday!  At least I’ll have a good weekend before!

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

by

Time to say goodbye to Afinitor–A Scan Update

Some treatments are easier to handle than others.  Afinitor was fairly easy on me. I had many adventures and made lots of memories this summer while on Afinitor.  I wish it would have worked longer.

My new scans showed two tumors in my liver.  I had cancer in my ovaries and I had them taken out.  I can’t just take my liver out.

Time for a new plan.  Xeloda is what’s next for me.   I’m not ready for new side effects and fatigue.  It is what it is.  I will adjust and carry on.  I have so much love in my life, so much to live for.  That keeps me going.

I love you guys!  I’ll keep you updated! 💕

 

 

 

by

Back to Cancerland

The past two years have been fantastic.  Zoladex and Femara have served me well, until now.  I ended up in the emergency room on our beach trip with a massive headache.  I was treated for a migraine.  My headache never went away.  I had blood work done at the cancer center when we returned home.  My tumor marker was on the rise.  Scans showed a tumor in my ovary, two on my hip, on my ribs and on my spine. A brain MRI showed it had also metastasized to my brain.

There are no words that can begin to express how devasting this news is to us!  What a change in only three months!  We have cried, screamed and cried some more.  There is nothing left to do but fight this.  My big girl panties are back on. (Thanks to words of wisdom from a dear friend, Anya)

So, what’s next?  Tomorrow I will see a radiation oncologist.  I will find out exactly what the brain scans show and get ready for radiation.  I will be starting a new chemo (Ibrance and Faslodex) next week.  Three weeks on and one week off.  I will be getting xgeva monthly for my bones.  I will also be having surgery to remove my ovaries.  Wow!  This is not what I had planned for this summer!  I will keep you updated.  I’m grateful to have all your support!  You all make my life brighter!💕💕💕

I have so much to share about our Little Pink Houses Of Hope trip.  Life has been crazy!  I will share pictures from our trip soon!

 

by

Last round of Taxol today!

I go in for my last round of Taxol this morning!  It’s hard to believe I’ve made it through 16 rounds of chemo!  After four rounds of AC I didn’t feel like celebrating because I knew there was more chemo coming.  Today I celebrate!  This has not been easy, but I did it!  I will have a new PET scan next week and the results will decide my future treatment plan.  I’m not going to worry about that today.  It’s been a long six months!  Today I celebrate!!

image

by

One more round of Taxol to go!

It’s Monday and I’m feeling good!  I did round 11 of Taxol Friday.  I go in this Friday for round 12, the last one!   I remember the day my oncologist told me I was going to do 12 rounds of Taxol.  I was devastated!  Twelve more weeks of chemo!  How was I going to make it through that!?  Well, I did it!  One more round to go!  The inner strength you find when dealing with something like cancer is amazing!  The strength and love that the people in your life give you is also amazing.  I couldn’t have made it through this part of my journey without all the support I’ve had.  I have to say thank you to my sweet Javiee for taking such good care of me.  For working all day and coming home to make me yummy dinners and yucky juices!  For telling me I’m beautiful when I just don’t feel beautiful!  He is always there for me, he’s my rock and I couldn’t do this without him!  My kiddos have also been so strong.  How unfair is it that they have to deal with this!!  They also give me strength.  I fight for them!  To all my family that came a thousand miles to visit me ( Daddy, Joyce, Laura, Betty, Diane, Danny & Patsy) Thank you!  It was so good to have company, even when I was feeling my worst!  To all my family at Denny’s,  Arvin’s and Noah’s Ark, you guys have made this horrible time so much easier for us!  For that my family thanks you!  We love you all!  Then there’s my mama who has been with me every step of the way.  She took so much time off work to be at my many appointments.  I couldn’t imagine having done this without her!  I am thankful to have such a great support system!  I am a long  way from home, so I know a lot of you can’t visit and you follow me on my blog or my facebook.  Thank you guys for all your support!  It means so much!  You encourage me daily!

As far as my treatment goes, I will do my last round of Taxol this Friday.  The following week I will have another PET scan.  That will show us if the past five months of chemo has gotten this cancer under control.  The results of the PET scan will decide my future treatment plan.  For now, I’m just praying for good scans!

On a happy note, my son, Kori, turned 21 this week!  21!  He’s making me old!  Happy Birthday Kori!  I love you with all my heart!

Image

That’s my oldest, Kori.  Happy Birthday Kori!  I love you!!!

 

by

27…. My new favorite number!!!

I have spent the last four Fridays in the chemo chair getting my weekly dose of Taxol.  I finished reading The Giver, highly recommended by my little T.J.   I finally caught Mrs. Mary in The Candy Crush Saga and I beat my daughter Kristen’s high score in Dots.  Eight more Fridays to go! 

Taxol has been much easier on me than the AC.  I come home from treatment dizzy and tired. I sleep the night away and wake up feeling good.  I don’t know how long this will last, but I’m enjoying it!  

Good news!!!  My tumor marker is 27!  Can I tell you how happy I was to hear that number?! Happy…Happy…Happy! 

 

Image

 

by

I have recovered from chemo round 3!

I’m up and feeling good today!  I think I have finally  recovered from round 3 of chemo!  It’s true that each round gets harder!  I felt the effects immediately after chemo this time.  I’m used to doing chemo on Friday and feeling good until Sunday.  This time I was in the bed right after chemo.  It made me so tired!  I can’t even explain how tired I felt.  It also makes me feel dumb, like I can’t think straight.  I guess that’s why they call it chemo brain!  Good news is I have one more round of chemo then I get new scans done!  So I’m praying this poison I’m putting in my body is doing some good!  I’m praying for good scans!

 

For now I’m thankful to be feeling good!  I’m thankful for a lot of things!  Today I am going to focus on one of those things.  My daughter, Kristen.  She turns 19 today!  I’m so proud of her!  I have watched her grow and mature so much this year!   She’s got a job that she loves and she’s bought a new car.  She was a handful for a few years and there were times when I thought she was never going to get it together.  Now I know she’s going to be just fine.  I’m so thankful for that!  Happy Birthday Sis!  I love you with all my heart!  You are a blessing to me!!!

 

 

My daughter....Kristen.

My daughter….Kristen.