Merry, Merry Christmas

OK, this is a really SHORT one, because I’m running out the door, but I wanted you all to know. Fabulous test results yesterday. Believe it or not, my tumors have shrunk 30% overall, which just barely puts me into a category called “partial remission.” I guess when tumors shrink by 30% or more, but are still present, that is considered partial remission. My doctor was very excited, because they rarely see such accelerated progress this early in treatment. He’s convinced I’m getting the PARP inhibitor. Me too.

I believe God has worked through me, my doctors and all of you who are praying for me. I am so grateful and could not have asked for a better Christmas present. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas – I’ll check back in soon.

Filling in the blanks

Tomorrow is Tuesday, our weekly doctor day. This week we’ll be doing a full battery of tests again, including a CT scan to see if we are holding the cancer at bay, or if it has spread. I’m convinced that the treatment is working already. The subcutaneous lumps I have been developing are getting smaller, so even without actual tests, my doctor and his team are very optimistic. The extensive tests are administered after every two cycles, but as close to the upcoming cycle as they can to give the drugs a chance to do their job. After reviewing the test results the doctor will determine whether or not I will continue on the trial. I’m confident we’ll continue. Because of the short week with Christmas, they wanted us to wait until next week for test results, but John talked them into letting us come back Wednesday for preliminary findings. I think they just wanted to make him shut up! I’ll keep you all in the loop.

When we were in last week, my white blood cell count was pretty low, but not as low as the previous week. After cycle one they dropped way down and we were on the border line as far as staying on schedule for the treatment. I needed a minimum of 101(thousand) to continue and the morning of the treatment I squeaked by with 105. It is normal for the counts to drop after treatment, then slowly rise on their own. So far, mine have behaved admirably.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I love and count on your continued prayers and well wishes. You’ll hear from me again before Christmas. Love to you all, Shelly

Ding Ding - Round Two!

Whew! I survived the second cycle of chemo and thankfully it went much smoother than the first. First of all, let me just say that I feel GREAT (now)! Round Two was Dec 1 through Dec 7. One of the good things is that I was able to enjoy Thanksgiving and John and I had it up at the house as is our tradition. It was such a treat to be surrounded by family. My sister, Candace, came in from Oregon and stayed with me through the chemo treatment – what a God send.

I was so sick during ‘Round One’ I have to say I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the nausea, although I was anxious to attack the cancer again. And while it wasn’t a complete ‘walk in the park,’ it was so much better this time around. I was still sick but nothing like the previous cycle. The doctors gave me a different anti-nausea pill since the two I tried on the first cycle didn’t work. They also gave me an anti-anxiety pill to take prior to taking the treatment pills. I felt like the “Anti’ pill queen.

So this is how a typical pill taking episode would go: one hour before I was to take my treatment pills I would put an Adivan, my anti-anxiety pill, under my tongue and let it melt. Then I would take an anti-nausea pill, either Reglan or Zofran. I would wait for everything to take hold, then assume the position. This meant going outside in the freezing cold, often with Fandango turned out in the arena next to me to oversee the process and give me strength. Then I would pray while someone would press on the pressure point of the anti-nausea bracelets that adorn my wrists during this special week in my life. When I felt centered, I would take a pill. In the morning this meant 11 pills (7 chemo and 4 PARP inhibitors). I found that taking them one at a time offered the best results. While my sister is a workout guru, she found her weakest body part – her thumbs! Apparently pressing on my wristbands, caused cramping on her part – go figure! At least it added another lighthearted moment to this ritual.

Another interesting thing I found is that after I get through the treatment and the nausea has completely subsided – usually a couple days post pill taking, I have this absolutely unbelievable burst of energy for about two days. I run around like a little energizer bunny, and then things go back to normal. That’s where I am right now, feeling pretty normal. Anyway, more to tell, but I’ll take a break and try to fill in some details shortly.

Love to you all!