Good news

 

Thank you for praying! We have received all good news in our follow up appointments.

 

The general surgeon reports “no residual invasive carcinoma” and my lymph node was also “negative for carcinoma”. Praise the Lord for no cancer!

The plastic surgeon says everything is good. There has been no tissue damage and I have good blood flow to the skin and I will see him for the next several weeks then wait 3 months before (what should be) a final surgery in early May.

 

Before surgery I arranged for some ladies to “babysit” me during the day for a few hours so Scott could get some work done. These ladies jumped in and did whatever was needed - from getting meds and meals for me to catching me when I fainted and helping manage drain tubes. I have been so blessed by friends old and new.  (Thank you so much Angela, Kelli, Kim, Luci, Kristen, Julianne, and Patti!)

Monday morning, I spent a few hours in the ER and it turned out to be an amazing blessing as well. A lovely PA walked me through all my post-op issues and was really reassuring (after some imaging for blood clots) that all was well and that with some easy techniques I could manage all that brought me to the ER. I am so thankful for her kindness and thoroughness! After my time with her I felt confident to manage my symptoms at home.

Our church family has provided cards and texts and various meals since August through each chemo and surgery. The meals have not just provided food for our bellies, but have shown the overwhelming love of Christ in a tangible way. We never felt alone in our difficulties. People constantly offered grocery & errand runs and whatever we needed. Thank you so much to everyone!

 

Please rejoice with us and continue to pray for complete healing.

Surgery #1 of 2 complete

 Today’s surgery went well. I am home. Praise the Lord!

The general surgeon will know at my appointment next week, whether there was any cancer found or not. This will determine treatment going forward.

The plastic surgeon was unable to complete reconstruction today. At my appointment with him next week, we will schedule a second surgery for reconstruction.

This is disappointing but we knew it was a possibility so not fully unexpected.

I am still in God’s hand and His perfect plan is good.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;” Lamentations 3:21-25 NIV

Surgery Tomorrow - 12/30

 

Surgery is tomorrow. I am nervous but hopeful. 

 

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”

Lamentations 3:21-22 NIV

 

This 6-hour outpatient(!) surgery plans to accomplish a double mastectomy and reconstruction and should be a final big step in this season of cancer. Recovery from surgery will be 2-6 weeks. The big window is because 1 in 3 patients have complications. So it’s actually likely I will have some issue causing a longer recovery time. So while we pray for a quick recovery, we know that healing may come more slowly. 

If you asked about helping after surgery, 

there is a meal train here: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/q23mer 

and a sign up to babysit me here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10bIpOLSaK4iYpi-bXvhUawloufU7FaTuw4TwT_PlJDM/edit 

Scott has been taking excellent care of me and him working from home has been extremely helpful. But since I will be unable to use my arms for a bit I need some extra help so that he can actually get work done! So the sign up is to come to our house and hang out with me (babysit) for a few hours. I don’t completely know what I need yet but I know Scott will spend all his time serving me if I need it and don’t have other help. 

Additionally, after surgery, I will continue to have immunotherapy treatments every 3 weeks at the chemo infusion center. This will continue until August making 1 complete year of treatments. 

Two of the 4 drugs I received every 3 weeks at the infusion center were immunotherapy while the other 2 were chemotherapy. So although chemo is done, I will still get treatment there every 3 weeks. This treatment should be easier - not causing nausea and allowing my hair to grow back. Theoretically I get to go back to “normal life”. 

I am so thankful that, as of Christmas Eve, I am eating more normally and starting ti feel better. My exhaustion is lifting though I am still experiencing GI issues and my fingernails are trying to die making my fingertips all swollen and painful. It’s hard to do anything with your hands when your fingers all hurt!

 

Please pray for surgery and recovery, for GI issues that will likely continue with immunotherapy and for my fingers!

 

“I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:24-26 NIV

LAST Chemo! Yay!

Friday was my last chemo. I hardly had good days last round and the oncologist was wondering if I could handle it, but I told her now or never - I didn't want to drag it out. So we went ahead and had treatment on Friday and it has had it's ups and downs. New side effect: stomach pain - so much so that I was in the ER on Sunday, but after that trip have not had pain since (maybe some discomfort, but no pain requiring meds). While I am thankful, I have no explanation because they only gave me pain meds and did not really treat any cause. 

Psalm 34 says, "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." He delivers me. I know He is good. I lack nothing. 

I am happy to not be in pain. I have continued to be extremely weak and my intake has been very sparse. Slowly but surely I drink water. Slowly but surely I take small bites. And sometimes those things stay down and my body can survive another day. I have gone for IV hydration three times and that is carrying me through. I am so thankful that it's almost over.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. - I Thessalonians 5. I am joyful even in this. I am holding onto what is good. He is faithful.

Next up, surgery on Dec 30. Then I will be in recovery for 2-6 weeks. 1 in 3 patients have complications from this surgery, so it is likely, though not inevitable, that I will experience some setback(s) and be on the 6-week timeline. During that time, I will need more help as I will have very restricted use of both arms.

But before all that, I get to see all my kids as everyone will be home the week of Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Savior! Hooray for the time to reflect and celebrate and have the whole family together for the occasion.

struggling

It's been fun to be in my "best-managed cycle" and feel like "we've got this" just to be humbled again. I do not "have this", I am still at the mercy of my body on chemo. So I am struggling, yet trusting and asking God for mercy to make it through this cycle just as He's brought me through the last four. Thankful that although I am not in complete control of my body, I can trust the One who is. I will rest in that - though I have to fight myself to not be anxious. I will keep up the fight and trust.

From my grandfather's grave: "This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." (Psalm 34)

grateful

I am grateful... I think this has been my best-managed chemo cycle so far. We planned AND followed through on hydration at days 2, 5, & 7 and that seemed to keep me from spiraling into dehydration and all the bad that comes with that. Yay! At the same time, I am feeling the build-up of the chemo and though I feel like we're managing well, the miserableness and other side effects seem to be affecting me longer and more deeply - if that's a thing. The brain fog is real. I am functioning at a slower pace than normal - and that's okay.

Please pray for my body to handle the chemicals as well as possible. I feel it in my teeth, my brain, my skin. Pray for no long-lasting bad effects. 

"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" - Psalm 17

thankful

During this month of thankfulness, I am thankful I was able to go to church today for worship. It has been tough being isolated because I feel so awful most of the time. So, it is a treat to get together with others. I am thankful that this Thursday will be treatment #5 and that before the month is over, I will finish with #6 also. Though it has been challenging, the time has gone by somewhat quickly. Praying for continued endurance as I finish this part of the treatment and more endurance as I head into surgery on December 30 and recovery for the following 4 weeks.