July 23, 2008

Mark and I met with Dr. Aggarwal yesterday, and we’ve decided to switch chemo treatments since the one I’ve been taking doesn’t seem to be working. I’ll start a weekly chemo treatment tomorrow that will include drugs I’ve had success with before. This will be done at the chemo office through my port, and it takes about 1-2 hours.

I’ve been feeling terrible lately, so I’m ready for the change. I’m having problems with throwing up, diahrea, and it’s not fun. I haven’t been able to eat any meals without throwing them back up for two days. I will talk to the nurse tomorrow when I come in for chemo, and I’m hoping they’ll have some ideas. This is aweful.

I need your prayers for strength, both mentally and physically, right now. Bless you.

Sandy

July 17, 2008

Mark and I have decided to meet with Dr. Aggarwal again next week for more information about the decisions we need to make. We just don’t feel comfortable with the information we have right now. We’d really like to meet with the Radiology Oncologists to learn more about the liver radiation procedure. This is all scary stuff to both of us.

I’ve been feeling very tired and having continued trouble with my digestive system and pain. I’m trying a new drug for pain, and it seems to help more. I’ve also been trying to only work 4 days per week, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. This is a VERY busy time of year for me at work, and with my graduate studies it is amplifying the stress.

During my devotion time this morning I came across a great quote from Helen Keller. It helps me put things into perspective and be reminded that I’m never alone in my journey. Her quote was, “Faith gives one a reason for trying to draw harmony out of a marred instrument. Faith is not a cushion for me to fall back upon; it is my working energy.” WOW…God knew in advance that we’d need “working energy” to make it through our trials, and he’s provided access to this energy through faith. My body is a marred instrument, just like Helen’s while I’m fighting cancer, but faith keeps me going…in a real, recognizable and confidence-building way…EVERY DAY.

I don’t know what I’d do or how I’d have the energy to get up every day if this wasn’t available to me. May you also find your way to this faith.

Sandy

July 11, 2008

Mark and I met with Dr. Aggarwal yesterday, and she ordered a new scan of my abdominal and pelvis areas. She also gave me a prescription to try if my pain medication doesn’t seem to be working. I won’t use that until the weekend because I don’t know if it will make me really tired.

We had the CT scan in the afternoon yesterday, and she called me today with the results! There is only minor growth in the spot on my liver (2 mm), and she wasn’t concerned about it. There was no growth or shrinkage of the tumors in my abdominal lymph nodes. We were hoping for shrinkage, and this is the first time I haven’t responded immediately to treatment. This means that we have to decide what to do next.

Our options are to continue the same chemo I’m on and see if it works after another month, or change my treatment. I could also have cyber knife surgery to remove the spot from my liver, but I still have to be treated with chemo for the other spots. Mark and I will talk about the options and pray for some direction before we tell Dr. Aggarwal what we want. I’m not too excited about surgery if chemo would take care of both problems. I’m not feeling much better, and I still have the pain and nauseau that I’ve described before.

A blessing yesterday was that Mark and I got to spend most of the day together, even if it was just for appointments. I couldn’t even eat before my scan, so I watched him eat and he watched me work briefly. Our dates are getting pretty funny these days, but we’re both grateful for the time together. We sure appreciate the people (Whitney & John) who help us at the store on a moment’s notice.

Thanks for praying for us!

Sandy

July 8, 2008

Your prayers worked! We had a great time at camp (both weeks), and it was extra special spending individual time with the girls. We all came home exhausted, but it was worth it.

I was not feeling very well last week, and it seems like I’m needing my pain medication more often instead of less. This week has been better after getting some rest, but I’m still pretty nauseous, throwing up sometimes, and having pain. We see Dr. Aggarwal on Thursday, so we’ll find out what she wants to do. Probably more scans, medication changes, etc. Our prayers are that nothing has grown or spread. Mark and I are both a little nervous about the increase in pain instead of a decrease. This is the first time I haven’t had an immediately great response to treatment.

We covet your continued support as this situation never really goes away. We need strength to continue fighting on a daily basis.

Thanks.

Sandy