Appointment Update

Jason and I met with Dr Helsten today. The shock and disappointment from last week's scan results have lost its sharpness and become our new reality. That's how it goes...we get comfortable where we are at (danger zone!) and then "new and different" barges in, uninvited, and slaps us in the face when we are just going about our business. 

But, this reminds me that my ways are not His ways. (Isaiah 55:8)

Just because I hear that my cancer is growing in 3 spots doesn't need to mean I lose hope. It's just a new "new and different". Only God knows the number of my days...secretly (but not now I guess) I'm glad I don't know how long I have. This will keep me on my toes!

So, together we talked about different treatments. There are 2 different targeted therapies that both tested positive for possibly working on "part" of my cancer's DNA (one FDA approved/one still in a trial period). Each of these drugs have to be paired with another drug, each for different reasons. And while this might seem promising, after hearing all the side effects, I think I'll put them off for as long as I can. 

The reason being, my Dr said once I stop chemo, or any other drug, it's off the table, and you don't go back to it. I asked her a billion questions. She gave a billion answers. 

Quality of life is so important(why I'm not doing iv chemo), and this is something both of us agree on. Who wants to have x amount of crappy years of always feeling tired, always needing to rest, not being able to be apart of my family's world, day in and day out? (*this is my opinion and I'm not knocking anyone who is undergoing iv chemo...cancer, unfortunately, if different for each person, requiring different treatments)

I choose to keep fighting through a balance of both holistic therapies and traditional medicine. I'll currently stay on the oral chemo and radiate the 3 spots that show activity...detoxing all the while;).  If I'm able to, I may kick up hyperbaric therapy also. Uppercut, uppercut...take that crappy cancer! 

So, that's where we are. And still, there is so so so much to be thankful for. 

Eucharisteo

~no new spots showed up on the scan

~the fluid near my lung hasn't returned 

~still feeling pretty good (though I currently have whatever is going around)

~I'm sooooo supported & encouraged through all of this by my cheer squad aka you;) (Truly thank you ALL for the messages, prayers, gifts...it helped me a lot this past week or two)

~God is still God, unchanging in character and loving me through it all

Requests

~that the chemo would kill the cancer cells, having new potency in me

~that radiation would be short & effective

~for my kids to not worry

~that God would be glorified

Scan Update

The grey sky outside depicts exactly how I'm feeling right now. I finally got my scan results and it looks like there has been progression in my disease. This threw me for a loop since I've been feeling so good...but should I expect anything less from crappy cancer? In a few weeks I will be following up with my natural MD, to see how the treatment from Greece worked, but I'm completely convinced it did nothing, except maybe grow the cancer, from these scan results. Very frustrating. 
I'll meet with my oncologist Monday and will have a better understanding of exactly where it's growing, but from what I read and think I understand, it's spread from one of my ribs to another bone, a few lymph nodes, as well as the pelvic area, which they said is unchanged from last scan, but we (us and my DR.) didn't even know about.
No doubt treatment will change.
Prayers appreciated because I do not have the strength or words to pray for myself right now.

Scan, Take Two

Last Friday my oncologist let me know that while "everything looked very good" on my scan, she also saw 2 existing spots that looked like they had new activity and "she didn't like the way they looked". 

Huh?!!!? That news seemed to contract itself but I'm following up with a scan with contrast today, to look into this further. If it is growing in these 2 spots we'll address them immediately with new treatment perhaps, but, my prayer is that the activity showing is the SOT taking action and KILLING....what they do best;)!

Hopefully these questions will be answered by tomorrow, with the results. I'm still feeling pretty good, except for some pinched nerve in my neck/shoulders that is annoying, but that's nothing new;). 

Thank you for the prayers.