Long time, no blog

Whew! First of all, let me apologize for taking so long to update you all on my progress. I have been so busy with work and mom duties, this spring and summer have really gotten away from me.

Well, let's just get right to it: I am once again happy to be keeping company with NED. That's right; my latest scan (June 20) showed No Evidence of Disease!

I finished chemo in February and was supposed to continue on two other drugs for up to a year, but unfortunately the dreaded cardiac toxicity side effect got me again, so I had to stop those. So as of now, I am not taking any meds, just enjoying life.

I had some bloodwork drawn last week to start keeping track of something called tumor markers. As long as those remain in the normal range and I don't have any suspicious symptoms when I am tested again in three months, I will be off the hook for another three months. Then I think we will consider doing another scan.

Thanks to everyone for all the continued prayers and support. A friend asked me recently if I ever get tired of kicking cancer's ass. And the answer, of course, is a resounding yes! But I am blessed to have the love and support of so many; I could not do it without you.

When shrinkage is a good thing

Just got the results of my scan from last week and I have some good news to shout from the mountaintops!

THE TUMORS HAVE SHRUNK BY 50 PERCENT!

PRAISE GOD!

DIE, CANCER, DIE!

Greedily, I was hoping for a total response (i.e., no evidence of disease), but I will take what I can get.

I'll have three more chemo sessions (next one is Friday) and re-scan for more good news.

Thanks to everyone for all the prayer, love and support. We could not do this without you.

Love,
M

Better late than never

Hi everyone!

First of all, let me apologize for letting so much time lapse between blog updates.

I had my second treatment on Dec. 6 and the aftermath was nowhere near as bad as the first time, thank goodness. I made a conscious decision to not give in so much to the fatigue, a little mind-over-matter if you will. But I imagine it was mostly due to you and all your prayers! THANK YOU!

Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel great, but I was able to function much better during the day and just crash early every night. I even played two tennis matches within a week of treatment, something I couldn't even come close to doing the first time!

Next up was a repeat heart scan to see if my heart function was doing ok. It has dropped a bit, but not enough to consider discontinuing treatment at this point. I will go to see a cardiologist next week for continued monitoring, but I was very relieved to be able to receive my third treatment this past Friday. I really wanted to get to No. 3 because of our plan to do a scan after three treatments to see if we are making any progress against the beast.

I will have my scan on Friday, Jan. 10, so please pray as hard as you can for a good, positive result and some sign that the meds are working!

As always, thank you for all your support and prayers. We couldn't do this without you.

Love,
M

Whew!

Well, it has been 11 days since my first infusion and I am finally starting to feel like myself again. That one was a doozy!

When I did chemo via infusion the first time way back in 2005, I would be really sick, practically bedridden for a few days and then bounce back. This one is so different. Only a couple of times have I felt so bad that I had to just retreat to bed, but I have been hit with the widest array of side effects imaginable. They come and go with no discernible pattern. Crazy. A partial list:

-- Extreme fatigue
-- Headaches
-- Back spasms
-- Severe chills
-- Indigestion (and assorted other digestive issues)
-- Blurred vision
-- Hot red rash on face that appears out of nowhere and fades quickly like a giant attack of temporary rosacea
-- Bone pain
-- Mouth sores
-- Metallic taste in mouth
-- Itchy, sore scalp
-- Dry, peeling skin on palms
-- General out-of-it feeling
-- Red, itchy rash on neck (new today!)

I have been able to get through the bare minimum each day, but poor Todd has had to take over all household duties when he gets home from work each day. And of course, he does so willingly and without so much as hinting to anyone that he himself may be tired, stressed, etc. I thank God every day for that man.

Anyway, today is a much better day! So that means I should hopefully have a week and a half or so of feeling good before the whole process starts again.

More good news -- I love the oncologist I have been seeing at Emory's St. Joseph's campus. He and his staff are great and the location is relatively new, so it's not too crowded. The infusion nurses are great, too. And it's much more convenient, so that is all working out well so far.

And on the we-are-blessed-with-amazing-friends front, my house is clean, I mean really CLEAN, for the first time in years. :) Three angels, also known as Cecilia and friends, swept in here last week courtesy of the generous parents from my soccer team and worked their magic. I will be eternally grateful.

Speaking of grateful, we have also been blessed by an outpouring of food and restaurant gift cards! This is an absolutely amazing gift. We have a binder full of gift cards from nearby restaurants that we can use as needed. Many, many friends contributed money and instead of casseroles, we get takeout! (I, mind you, like any good Southern girl, love casseroles. But my family, alas, does not.)

And every day, new goodies appear. A bracelet in the mail. Brownies on my front porch. Homemade bread in my mailbox. A beautiful, meaningful hand-me-down wig. A prayer book, Bible verses and muffins in a bag. Dozens of "thinking of you" texts  and e-mails every day. You all sure know how to make a girl feel loved and I love you right back for it.

Please keep those prayers coming. Next chemo is Dec. 6.

Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you as He has blessed me and mine.

Love,
M

Here we go again

In the words of our wise, wonderful and witty pastor, "Sometimes life sucks."

It does suck, but it is what it is. Dwelling on it doesn't change it. Doctors, drugs and prayer will change it.

We found out last week that my breast cancer has returned for the third time, this time in my lungs.

The spots are relatively small and have not been growing quickly, so we are hopeful that it can be kicked to the curb once again. Third time's the charm, right?

Starting tomorrow, I will begin a new treatment regimen of three drugs, one of which is a chemo. One of the non-chemo drugs is a new one, just approved by the FDA within the past year or so to treat aggressive cancers like mine. It showed great results, and even my oncologist seemed to think we had a good chance of seeing a complete response.

I'll do three treatments (all via infusion at Emory's St. Joseph's location), one every three weeks, and then have a scan to see if we are making progress. Then, even if I have a complete response, I'll have at least three more chemo treatments and potentially continue for months on the other two drugs, which fortunately seem to have mostly minimal side effects.

Unfortunately, the chemo I'll be doing is one of the harsh ones, so I will be losing my hair again. I really hate that part, not from a vanity standpoint (ok, maybe a little bit), but mostly just because I feel like I am walking around wearing a sign that tells people I'm sick.

As always, we have lots of support from our amazing friends and family. If you feel the need to "do something," PRAY! A lot. And help me not dwell on it. For me, one of the biggest victories I can have over this disease is to not let it affect how I live my life day-by-day. I still want to work, coach soccer, play tennis, pick up my kids, teach Sunday School, etc.

Love to all. Try not to worry about me -- I hate that part.

-- Faith makes things possible, not easy.

Still in the clear!

I had another scan this morning and it still shows "No Evidence of Disease!" Love that NED guy!

This scan was scheduled for three months after I came off the Tykerb, which I took for an entire year. I went in first thing this morning and my oncologist just e-mailed me the news! It's always such a relief to get through one of these without a bad result.

I will see the doctor in person tomorrow to discuss what's next. Most likely another scan in a few months. I am also going to see my plastic surgeon in a few weeks. Unfortunately, my right side implant is not handling the effects of radiation scar tissue that well, so we'll see what he says. I suspect it may need to come out. Not sure what this means for my reconstructive future, but maybe it means I'll finally get to go bigger. Who knows? :)

Love and hugs,
M

Taking a break from Cancerland

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were as full and blessed as ours were. We had a great time with family and friends celebrating Jesus' birth.

I saw my oncologist around the beginning of December just to check in with her after my (CLEAR!!!) scan. No real news. I will continue on the Tykerb until the end of March, which will have put me on it for a year. Then I will have a scan in June to see if NED will hang around even without the meds in my system.

When I am in the midst of treatments, scans and doctor's appointments, I often say I am stuck in "Cancerland." It's not a very fun place. So I am happy to take a break for now, until June at least. Ready to be just plain, old Michelle for a while instead of that chick who has breast cancer again!

Hugs and love to all.

Special prayers for Bill, still stuck in Cancerland. Thinking of you always, my friend.

Still dancing with NED!

Just got an e-mail from my wonderful oncologist -- no sign of disease on my scan! One node in my groin area keeps lighting up but it has already been biopsied before so we are just going to keep an eye on it.

Thanks to everyone for all the prayers. They worked!

Love to all,

M

Checking in, scan tomorrow

Good morning! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you all were able to spend some time with those you love.

I have a PET scan tomorrow (12/2), so please pray that the scan comes back clear. For some reason, I am feeling more anxious than usual about the results of this one. I never enjoy the scans, especially the part about no food or drink beforehand, but something is bugging me about this one. Hopefully it's nothing, but you all know I am not shy about asking for specific prayers.

Please, please, please pray that my scan is ALL CLEAR!

In the breast cancer world, doctors don't use the term "cured" or "remission," but they will tell you there is "No Evidence of Disease" or NED. I'm enjoying spending time with Ned right now and I hope he is not planning on leaving me anytime soon.

Hugs to all,

M

Slightly crispy but happy

Yep, that's me. I am finished with radiation! I have one spot on my collarbone that is pretty burned and quite painful, but that's it. Not bad for getting zapped with some pretty strong radiation 28 times!

All in all, this wasn't too bad. The worst part of the whole thing was the inconvenience of driving to Midtown and back every day. All the staff in the radiation oncology department at Emory Midtown were amazing; they were so fun and made each treatment a lot more tolerable.

I am looking forward to getting some energy back; this whole thing has left me pretty drained. Thanks to all for the love and support. I couldn't do this without you.

Next up: PET scan on Dec. 2 and then appointment with oncologist Dec. 7 to determine what's next. For now, still taking five horse pills a day (Tykerb) and staying busy.

Happy Fall!

Halfway home

Today I completed No. 14 of 28 scheduled radiation treatments. I go five days per week at 2 p.m. each day to Emory Midtown to get zapped. So far, it has not caused any major skin irritation. Just feeling a bit fatigued and run-down.

Will finish radiation around Oct. 18. Then will get a break from Cancerland until another scan at beginning of December.

Hugs to all.

Ready to roll

Just a quick update -- I am all set up and ready to start six weeks of radiation on Thursday. Still hoping for minimal discomfort, so keep that in your prayers.

Love to all.

On the right path

By now, most of you have already heard my good news this week: the results of my PET scan from Monday were good -- no evidence of disease! Looks like the chemo really did a number on the beast. Take that, you stupid, nasty, tryin'-to-kill-me cancer cells.

Next up: radiation. I have my "simulation" appointment tomorrow (Thursday). I think this is where they put you on the table and set up in the computer exactly how they want the radiation delivered each time. It should make the daily appointments (likely starting next week) quick and painless.

Please pray that my side effects will be tolerable.

That's all for now. Love and hugs to all.

Matthew 7:12

Radiate me, baby!

Finally, the next step has been determined -- I will definitely do radiation, five days a week for six weeks starting at the end of this month. I met with the radiation oncologist today to get all the details. There are, of course, risks for short- and long-term side effects, but we feel the risks are worth the benefit.

First I'll have a scan on Aug. 23 to make sure nothing has resurfaced since I stopped the chemo. I'll start radiation the next week.

Several of you have asked me why I need to have radiation when my scan is "clear." I'm supposed to be cured, right? Unfortunately, the scans can't detect the presence of individual cancer cells or even really tiny clusters of cancerous cells. So, in theory, there could still be some cancer cells floating around in there that don't show up on the scans.

Cancer treatment involves two types of therapy: systemic (like chemo and other drugs) and local (surgery and radiation). It's important to combine both types of treatment to increase your odds of survival. So I've blasted the cancer with a very effective chemo; now we'll deliver a direct knockout punch with radiation to the affected area.

Prayer requests:

-- A clear scan on Aug. 23

-- Minimal side effects from radiation

-- Strength and healing for friends fighting their own battles, specifically Christopher N. and Bill R.

The prayers are working. Keep them coming! Love to all.

M

Slow and steady

Well, Todd and I are back from seeing the wonderful folks at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. As we expected, the docs there are on the same page with Emory when it comes to surgery -- not an option for me right now.

Since I had such a great response to chemo and nothing is showing up on the PET scan or on the ultrasound I had while at MD Anderson, the surgeons would be "going in blind" to dig around in an area that has already been opened up several times. This presents several possible complications, including nerve and/or muscle damage, that both the surgeons and I feel are not worth the risk.

So for now, it looks like radiation is the next step. The MD Anderson docs are presenting my case at their weekly multi-disciplinary board meeting (I am unusual and constantly getting discussed at these things!) to make sure all the different docs from the various treatment areas are in agreement that radiation is the way to go.

I will meet with a radiation oncologist here at Emory next week to learn more about what exactly the treatment would entail. We won't start anything, however, until after my next full-body scan on Aug. 23. Assuming it is still clear, radiation will likely start soon after. If something shows up on the scan, we're back to square one and will likely consider surgery, more chemo and then radiation.

As always, thanks for all the love, support and prayers. It means the world to me.

Holding pattern

I haven't posted lately because there hasn't really been much going on. Which, when you are a cancer patient, is good and bad. It's good because you get a break. It's bad because not being in treatment and wondering what is going on in all those microscopic cells can drive you crazy!

I do still take five pills a day of a drug called Tykerb. Luckily, the side effects from this one are minimal. My body is STILL recovering from the onslaught of chemo from before, but every day gets a little better.

Most of you have already heard that I fell and broke my wrist while crossing a creek in North Georgia a few weeks ago. Two more weeks in a cast and then I will have a bone density scan (since this is my second broken wrist since my original diagnosis) to see if I need to start taking osteoporosis drugs. Great.

Todd and I are flying to Houston on Aug. 1 and will see a surgeon there at 9 a.m. the following day for our surgical second opinion. I'm actually praying that the Houston docs are comfortable not doing surgery since I had such a great response to chemo. But if they have a less invasive option that can give us more peace of mind, I guess it will be back to Houston in the coming months for surgery. Looking forward to someday getting back to normal.

Two new prayer requests:

-- Please pray that the Houston surgeon has a plan we can all feel good about.

-- Please pray that my next full-body scan, on Aug. 23, comes back clear.

And while you're at it, say a little extra prayer for all those we know and don't know who are fighting the beast. I am "lucky" to be one of the ones diagnosed with a big-budget cancer with lots of money going toward research. I am also blessed to have the ability and means to travel to another state to see some of the finest doctors in the world. Not all are so lucky. Keep them in your hearts.

Love to all.

Decisions, decisions

Well, the good news is I am finished with my four cycles of chemo. Thank goodness; that was not easy, but I am so grateful that it worked. I saw my Emory oncologist today and we talked about what's next.

What's definite:

-- I will have a scan at the end of August to see if my cancer comes back after discontinuing the chemo.

-- Todd and I will fly to Houston in the next few weeks to get a surgical second opinion at MD Anderson. If they are of the same opinion as the Emory docs, then it looks like surgery will not be an option.

-- After meeting with the MD Anderson surgeon, I will see the oncologist who gave me the second opinion on my treatment plan to get his input on what he thinks we should do next.

What's undecided:

-- Whether I will have surgery.

-- Whether I will have radiation.

Thanks to all for the love, support and prayers. Please pray that God will lead me in the right direction. My head is spinning as I try to figure out the best way to go.

Slow news day

Not much to report, but here goes. I have been feeling okay. This week is my "good week," which is week one of Xeloda pills. I guess it takes a while for them to build up in my system. Weeks two and three will be pretty bad, especially this time since I will be in my second back-to-backer. That seems to really make it worse. But of course, I am not going to complain too much since it is working. Praise God!

I will see my oncologist on June 22 to discuss whether to do more chemo (will have completed four rounds) or go right to radiation (if I do it at all, still undecided). I am also going to contact the docs in Houston for a surgical second opinion (hopefully over the phone). The Emory docs don't want to do surgery because it will be too invasive and could leave me unable to lift my arm over my head. (Not an option for me; how would I hit serves and overheads?) I am going to double-check and make sure the Houston docs don't have a better solution, possibly something more advanced and less invasive.

Interesting news on the horizon about a possible breast cancer vaccine. Works great in mice; pray that it will do just as well in humans when testing starts, probably next year.


That's it for now. Thanks for all the prayers, love and support.


Happy Summer!

Good news!

Not just good news, the best possible news ... no sign of cancer on my scan! The chemo is working!

Praise God. Thanks to all for the support and prayers.

Next up: two more rounds of the same chemo, which all of a sudden seems more tolerable now that I know it is working!

Save the date

Ok prayer warriors, I've got a new specific prayer request for you. I will have a scan on Monday, May 3 to check to see if we've made any progress against the beast. I'll see my oncologist the very next day for the results.

Nothing really exciting to report from my visit to the doctor today. She was suitably impressed with my ability to handle the horrific side effects most people seem to get from these drugs. I attribute this to all of you who have been praying for me. God has answered the "minimal side effects" prayers for sure. Keep them coming!

She did suggest something new to try for my mouth sores -- club soda. Apparently the carbonation in club soda helps for some reason with this specific type of sores. We'll give it a try.

That's it for now. Thanks for everything. I am feelin' the love!