We made it...

We are home sweet home once again. Mom had pretty good day. Doctors confirmed once again cancer isn't anywhere in her body except for the large tumor. (Insert huge sigh of relief and lots of thank you's to Heaven here.) I'm exhausted and will give you a more detailed post tomorrow. I just didn't want you, our faithful, very faithful, followers to be concerned.

xoxo,
c


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a day in pictures...

getting all checked in...

patiently waiting...

happy that it only took 1 stick this time...

free with the purchase of a port...

oh gosh, time to go...

roll out...

recovery, with low oxygen...

finally got her oxygen up...

removing iv in recovery...

dad doing the usual...texting, emailing, phone calling...

MORE waiting after the port for lab work...

MORE waiting for a ct scan...

"mom, how as your day?!"

thank you so, so, SO much for the thoughts, prayers, and encouragement throughout the day.  it made our day go by so much faster.  we will be going back for round 2 tomorrow....bone scan in the morning then we are running away before they schedule something else. 

back in the 'ham again...

Gosh, it seems like we live here now!  Seems like as soon as we get back home from one trip, the doctors are calling to schedule more appointments.  We are back in birmingham tonight.  Mom is going to have her port placed early tomorrow morning, as well as more tests for the trial.  She is really, really nervous and scared about the anesthia tomorrow for the port, so please say a speical prayer for her.  It will be like an outpatient surgery and should take all of the morning.  She will only wake up to having more bloodwork and scans done in the afternoon.  Oh the fun we're having people, the fun! :(

The Game Plan...

We met with the oncologist today and decided on a game plan. After lots of thought and prayer, she is going to participate in a clinical study that UAB has just started within the last 3 months that's specifically designed for triple negative breast cancer. It consists of two drugs that will be mixed in with her chemo. She will take chemo once a week, for as long as it takes. Really, they couldn't give us a time frame. She will get it until the tumor shrinks or she can't tolerate it anymore. In order to participate in the trial, she has to have another biopsy, scan, and more blood work, which we hope will all get scheduled for next week. That way, maybe she could start treatment the following week. She also wants a port put in this go round, which we hope will be placed next week too.


It's been another long day, and our prayer tonight is that we helped make the right decision with her. This is going to be a long journey...

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Here we go again...

Had to take some time and step away from the blog for a second, but I'm back with news.

Birmingham called today to confirm that mom's tumor is still very much cancerous. The did a biopsy, a very painful biopsy, last week and just got the results back today. Moms has a type of cancer called triple negative. The best way I know how to explain it is aggressive. Here's what the breast cancer foundation has to say about it...

In other words, a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means that the offending tumor is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative, thus giving rise to the name "triple negative breast cancer." On a positive note, this type of breast cancer is typically responsive to chemotherapy. Because of its triple negative status, however, triple negative tumors generally do not respond to receptor targeted treatments. Depending on the stage of its diagnosis, triple negative breast cancer can be particularly aggressive, and more likely to recur than other subtypes of breast cancer.

So, now the next step is for her to undergo a very high dose of chemo. She's had all the radiation her body can handle, because Dr. Keene gave her the highest dose possible. Dr. Bland still can't operate because the tumor is still very large and pressing on lots of nerves. Hopefully, chemo will shrink this monster enough so he can go in and remove it for good.

We go back to Birmingham Thursday to meet with her doctors again and possibly start treatment. We would appreciate your prayers very much. I remember the awful, awful effects chemo had on her body 5 years ago, and I'm NOT looking forward to a heavier dose this go around.




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Ready for normal...

Because this blog is real and shows both the good and bad...

Tonight I'm mad. I don't want to go on and on about her day and how she only got out of bed a couple of times. I don't want to talk about the pain she is in. I don't want to talk about all the medicine she has to take, just to be somewhat comfortable. I miss the days that didn't have to be planned around trips to the doctor in Birmingham, scheduled medicine, or going and doing as we pleased. I don't want to pretend anymore that tomorrow is going to be a better day, when it probably won't be much better than today.

If only we could go back to our "normal."

I just have to face the fact that it may not be coming back for a while.

Tonight, I'm mad.


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Ouch!

First things first...a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging and supportive these past few days. Your kind words have made our very long, hard days seem a little brighter. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. Every phone call, text, email, and Facebook message or post has deeply touched our lives and provided some much, much needed encouragement.

We just got home from Birmingham, but still really have no answers. Mom had lots of appointments today where several doctors put their heads together to come up with the best game plan for her. She had lots of tests, where she was cut, stuck, pressed on, and forced to hold her arm in painstaking positions for what felt like forever to her. She's tired and in some pain. It's been a day that I hope to forget...the waiting, the unknown, the waiting, the tears, the fear, the waiting, the pain, etc.

We won't really know anything more until next week when the results from the tests come back. We will go back to Birmingham and meet with her doctors again.

That's all I got for y'all tonight.

Still not wanting to admit she STILL has cancer,
c


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Location:Ouch!

The one I've been dreading...

Quick and simple tonight...it's been such a long day, and I've been dreading to do this post. The small spots around her chest wall and lymph nodes are gone, but the big, bad tumor is still very much there. Radiation barely put a dent in its size.


I'm frustrated and disappointed (just like mom)....I just knew I would be bringing great cancer-free news to you all tonight.


Still lots more tests and appointments. We will find out the next treatment option(s) hopefully tomorrow.

Really wishing this was all just a bad dream, but thankful her cancer hasn't spread throughout her body,
c


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on our way...

We are on our way!  We were all hoping for a "good" day today, but no such luck...here's the patient in the backseat, sick on our way up :(

Tomorrow is the BIG day!!!  Keep those prayers coming our way. 

xoxo,
c

One more week...

Hey y'all! Long time, no blog! Everything is still about the same with mom, and that's why I haven't posted lately. There have been some good days and some not so good days. We are anxiously awaiting June 14th when she goes back to Birmingham for more appointments and the long awaited PET scan. Please remember her in your prayers this week, prayers calming her anxious thoughts and fears, and prayers to help with the pain.

I can't help but to be reminded of this verse every time my mind starts thinking of the "what if's"...

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Be back soon...promise!

xoxo,
C

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