August 9, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

Back In The Chemo Chair….An Update

Xeloda has not been good to me. My tumor markers are higher than they have ever been. They are sitting at 1613.9. It’s usually accurate with what’s going on in my body. 70 percent of my bones have been invaded by cancer. We still are not sure if it’s new cancer in my brain or brain necrosis. I will have new scans in another month to reevaluate exactly what it is. If it’s necrosis then we don’t want to go cutting on my brain. Wait and see. For now I’m taking Paclitaxel. I’m doing it once every three weeks. It can also be given once a week for every three weeks to lessen the side effects. My oncologist thinks once every three weeks is a better punch. That’s what I’m doing. It’s day two and I’m exhausted. I feel so weak. It’s actually hard to get out of bed right now. I’m just dealing with it and resting. It will be worth the down time if it works. Some pictures from my first day back in the chemo chair. I’ll go in one day soon for a port. My arm can’t handle this kind of treatment. I did it, but my arm was on fire afterward.

We used my arm beacause I don’t have a port. Port surgery is next.

It was an hour and a half treatment. I slept.

My, Javiee, my rock, hanging out with me in the chemo room.

I love you Guys! 💕 Plan something fun for the weekend! Make some memories and send me a picture! 💕💕 I’ll do a friends adventure post. We may have cancer, but we’re still loving life!

August 9, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

Sharing My Family Vacation!!!!!!!! …………………………………………………………………………………… We just spent a week in North Myrtle Beach as a family. It was the best trip ever!   I was worried if we would even make it there. My arm was in severe pain and I was doing radiation treatments until the morning we left. I was in radiation at 8 am and we were on the road soon after. Thank you mama for driving! My oncologist prescribed me steroids and morphine to keep the pain flare ups away, it worked! Thank you Dr. Smathers! You know I adore you! The afternoon before we left I was going to let T.J. drive me around town ( He got his learners permit!!). My car wouldn’t start. I was devastated because it was after hours and no shop was open. A few years ago we went on a Little Pink Houses of Hope beach trip. I ended up in the hospital with brain mets. We planned a trip to the beach at Bear Island the next year and I ended up in the hospital with treatment induced diabetes. Was it going to be my car this time? I asked God “Why can my family not have a beach trip without something happening.” My Javiee happened to be at Auto Zone when I called to tell him the car wouldn’t start. He met a mechanic that said he would come to my house and look at it. He came out and put a new starter on my car and didn’t even try to overcharge us! Change of perspective……”Thank you God for letting this happen before we left on our trip and for putting that mechanic there”. I knew this trip was blessed! Here are some pictures…… .

That’s my Javiee and I with our grand babies. Then my son, Kori, his wife, Emily, and our grand babies. Then my sweet mom and I. The next one is my oldest son, his wife, me, my mom and my youngest son.

My grandbabies at the beach. My mom and I with T.J. at one of his favorite places. That’s me. Then my daughter in law, Emily, my mom and me again.

That’s my mom and I, My Javiee and I, My youngest, T.J and I, My oldest, Kori, and I. Then Kori and I with my grandbabies.

My grandbabies! I love being a glamma! That’s Jax and I at the pool. Then my favorite! This little lady has sas!

My mom and granddaughter. My daughter in law, Emily. My oldest and youngest boys. My grandbabies at the beach. My mom and I in a shark head. My guys going on a helicopter ride

That’s my Javiee and I on date night in a helicopter. I love this man!

For our last laugh we stopped at Dicks. The food was horrible but it was so much fun to laugh at each other.

I love you all💕 Thank you for your love and support! Summers almost over! Get out and make some memories! 💕💕

July 18, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

New Scans

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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!💕

July 12, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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!💕💕💕💕

June 16, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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!💕💕

March 18, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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!! 💕💕

February 21, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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!💕💕

February 5, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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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January 24, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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. 😂

January 19, 2018 by Tammy Carmona

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!