In my last blog, I promised a demonstration of my puzzle box from Guatemala, so here it is! The video is only 3:33 minutes long, and you’ll get to see the treasures inside.
This week I have been finalizing all my personal appointments along with a few trips to the Airstream to get ready for our big road trip. One more sleep! 🤩🤩🤩
Scans (CT and Bone) were completed on Monday (my body is still stable, PTL ❤️❤️). Filled up my pill box. Got my hair done. Cleaned the house. Got my treatment (well, getting treatment while blogging). My nurse thought I was working, as many people do that during treatment. I told her I did that for many years, and I decided it was just too much. I’m so glad those days are behind me. Now I can do what I enjoy doing without the stress of the job.
Today is chemo day, and after that we should be ready! Aside, my doctor decided I don’t need bloodwork before my treatment anymore, so that was one less thing to do. It’s a beautiful day outside!
I admit I’m a little tired. Time for a nap! 😴 I’ve been so keyed up at night thinking and planning for the trip, I have had some trouble falling asleep. Last night I put all our stops and parks in the calendar so we can ensure we remember where we are going, and which days we are scheduled to work (er, when Tim has to work haha). It’s a very big trip and I look forward to sharing it with you as we go.
Living life to the fullest in spite of MBC!
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Nearly three weeks ago I lay on the MRI table, once again checking my brain. The reason? I had an eye exam and my double vision has gotten much worse since the last time i was in the eye doctor’s chair. So much that my optometrist won’t put that much prism in my glasses. The double vision results in some dizziness, a few headaches, and, of course, two of everything. Some things are good to double; others…one is enough. My last MRI was in February, and usually I go annually. But my oncologist wanted to double check it.
I don’t get super concerned, anxious, or panicky when I see something show up on the test results. I respond like the line from Bridges of Spies, “would it help?” Worrying doesn’t help, but I do think about it at times.
I get my test results within a few days, before I see the doctor, so I tend to Google everything I don’t understand (which is most of it 🙄). However, I know if there is a cause for concern, my oncologist will call me at some ungodly hour of the morning or night. The dude never sleeps, but he is on top of it. I knew I had an appointment with him today, so even though something new popped up on this one, I just decided to wait and see what he thought about the result.
After three years of reading, “No evidence for intracranial metastasis,” this is the first time I’ve seen “lesions” show up in my brain scan since the gamma knife zapped those little suckers, so naturally I had a few questions brewing. They were described as “punctate,” which means smaller than a millimeter. More specifically, “there are 2 punctate enhancing lesions in the right-sided cerebellum and cerebellar vermis,” with “suspicious for metastasis” and “further follow up” written into the impression and recommendation. They are in the same spots where I was treated for lesions with gamma knife in 2019.
Dr. K. is not overly-concerned. He’s going to do the right thing, and watch them closely, but we aren’t getting too worked up about it and over scanning my brain either. He’s going to send over the images to the radiation oncologist just to be sure, but he doesn’t think I will need to be scanned for a few months or so.
He explained it this way. The MRI takes slices of your brain, and those slices are about 3mm apart. The chances of them catching something as small as these are very slim. They could have been there all along. Regardless, it’s most likely they are showing the healing in my brain from the gamma knife. Or, they could be some residual metastasis. Apparently the gamma knife decreases the size, but doesn’t typically eliminate them entirely (that was news to me 😳). It’s possible the MRI just happened to slice the brain on them this time, and the radiologist decided to write about it.
He did order my regular bone and CT scans, so I can get those out of the way before our big summer road trip. Which is NINE DAYS away 🤩🤩. He didn’t seem bothered by us Airstreaming, going out of town, or missing a treatment. In fact, they are all very happy for us to travel and enjoy life. We can continue with our adventure as planned.
We will be back at the end of July, and I can get another MRI done then if needed. If they want it sooner, I will be home in June for my grandson’s first birthday. Of course I won’t miss that!
Tim went with me to this appointment. Typically I go by myself. Whenever he goes with me, Dr. K. is very chatty. Not so much about cancer, although that’s part of it, but we talk about world politics, society, how it is changing, the extremes and the middle-ground, and how we all have to learn to just live with it. But we are also looking forward to the day when we no longer have to live with it. *Sigh* 😔
I’m reminded of the song, “This world is not my home!” Aside, Dr. K. is a Christian, too. 🥰
We talked about the visit on the way home, rain pouring over our sunroof. I told Tim I was glad to hear what Dr. K. had to say about the MRI results, and the lesions (or whatever they are) in my brain. While I don’t get overly anxious about it, I said, it has been on my mind.
“Literally.” He replied.
We both had a good laugh.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Have I told you I am a published author? I published a couple of professional books and articles while I was working in my career as a marriage and family therapist and full-time faculty, but now I have stepped into a totally different genre. It’s kind of a second career for me. I have had these ideas swirling around in my head for many years, so I finally decided to just go for it when my full-time career came to a halt.
I guess one could argue it’s more of a hobby, as my expenses are way more than I bring in 😂🤪😂🤪, but I am taking on the identity of a children’s author and loving this new lease on life. I have published three children’s books (a picture book and two chapter books), and I’m working on writing some more. I also illustrated my chapter books.
I have a new website, primarily devoted to my books. Please, check it out! www.lucindawest.com. Also, join my Facebook page Books by Lucinda, if for no other reason than to boost my fragile ego 😄. No, I’m not Lucinda Riley and I did not write the Seven Sisters LOL. Rather than search for books by Lucinda, click on the link provided above to find the right page.
First Day (Afternoon Slot)Second Day (Morning slot)Texas Library Association
I recently had the privilege of attending the convention of the Texas Library Association (TLA) in Austin. I met a bunch of librarians and other authors. It was quite an event! Apparently TLA is the largest in the United States.
Standing with other authors at the SCBWI booth.
I joined an organization as a children’s writer. It’s the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). They offer a lot of training and resources, as well as camaraderie. They purchased an exhibit booth at TLA, then extended to all the authors an opportunity to sign up for a time slot and sell our books. It was a little challenging, since so many authors were giving books away for free. But I did sell a few, and it was a great networking event. I had a great time!
It was too far to drive for an early morning time slot. Since I also saw the afternoon slot open up the previous day, Tim drove me out there and we stayed overnight in the Fairmont. It’s right by the Convention Center, with a unique canopy connecting to it. It’s a relatively new, high-end hotel, and I highly recommend it if you are looking. Tim enjoyed working from the room while I attended the convention. We lucked into a special rate on the room, or we might not have stayed there.
Fairmont Canopy (that’s the convention center on the other side). The open sides were a bit daunting 😳😳. It crosses the street below.
We left town right after my early morning MRI (of the brain) on Thursday and made the three hour trek to Austin. I had chemo the next day (Friday) in the afternoon, so the time I had at TLA was limited. I did get to walk around after my Thursday afternoon book signing and talk to some of the exhibitors. We had to leave after my time was up Friday morning.
Needless to say, I was a bit tired after all that setting up and tearing down, and travel back and forth (plus the two visits to MD Anderson), but I’m just happy to be alive and have the opportunity to do things like this. I just schedule life and then rearrange my doctor’s visits accordingly. If it’s last minute (like this kind of was), I make it work in between.
Most people see me and have no idea. I kind of like it that way. That’s life with metastatic breast cancer.
One of the hardest parts about being an author is the marketing side of things. Most authors are introverts, and they are asked to make public appearances, reach out to venues, and talk about their books. A wise author once told me, writing and speaking go hand-in-hand like a ball and glove. You can’t have one without the other.
Publishers will often help with that, but I decided to go the self-publishing route instead of hiring a literary agent. I’m still learning how to get into various venues, and searching for the best ways to reach people with my books. Lots of people say they love the concept, and love the books, but sales are low.
I have reached out to schools (they are much harder to get into than they used to be). I also have some events scheduled in Krogers, and created banners to draw attention to my table. I’m going to set it up outside our Airstream at the International Rally in Wyoming (coming soon). I just sat with a friend who gave me heaps of ideas as well as contacts, so that’s my next list to address. Although I’m open to traveling and conducting book tours, I’m working on strengthening my brand in the local market.
I am also considering ways to market to grandparents. After all, parents and grandparents are the ones who will buy the books. So, that’s one of my next steps. Unfortunately no, AARP doesn’t permit personal ads 🙄🙄.
In addition to writing a new picture book (a sequel to Onomatopoeia), I’m working on a second edition to my camping (chapter) book. Hopefully this will generate more interest as the cover will be simpler and well designed. (I also get to correct that typo in my mail address 🙄). I’m contemplating hiring an illustrator for the next edition when I get to that point, but I haven’t decided for sure. There are pros and cons!
If you have any ideas on how to market children’s books, or would like to let me know if you think I should hire an illustrator, please comment below. I’m also open to comments about ways to improve my writing. Just be kind, please 😁. Thanks so much for your feedback, and of course your support!
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
I have been accepted to participate in a study at MD Anderson titled, “Optimizing Neurofeedback to Treat Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.” That’s a mouthful! Basically, they are looking at neuropathy treatment options, and we will be making history. In case you don’t know what neuropathy is, you can read more here. My mom had diabetic neuropathy, and I never fully understood what she was experiencing. Now I do.
I don’t talk abut side effects of my treatment much, but when this study came up I thought it might help. My mother’s neuropathy was much worse, but I do have chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy in my feet, legs, and hands. My fingers tingle and itch at random times throughout the day. It makes playing the piano and typing on the keyboard a bit of a challenge. My legs feel like I have 20 pound weights tied to them, so I walk slower than my usual slowness. I sometimes have trouble with balance because my feet do not fully feel the ground beneath me. I have not fallen so it could be worse. And my feet feel like I am wearing socks with gravel inserted just south of my toes. Even when I am wearing sandals or walking around barefooted.
This study is looking at whether medication alone, neurofeedback alone, or the combination of the two has the best effect on peripheral neuropathy. At least that’s my understanding. We will be randomly assigned to the three groups listed above. Since everyone in the study gets some form of treatment for neuropathy, I agreed to try it out. It will last about a year and I will need to come downtown 2-3 times during that period. All the rest can be done from home. They hypothesize that since neuropathy is a neurological disorder, neurofeedback should help. They believe the treatment will retrain the brain to re-connect the nerves where they are intended to feel. Pretty cool when you think about it. Our brains are amazing creations.
I am here today to do the initial screening, and find out what group I’m in. Tim was kind enough to drive me downtown, and we actually got here early! My arm feels naked. This is the first time I’ve been to MD Anderson at any facility when they didn’t give me an armband with my MRN and DOB on it. No armband at all.
During today’s appointment they will be taking an EEG. It will be my first time doing that scan as well. This entails wearing a cap, which will contain a conductive gel on the inside. This gel will be coming in contact with my hair and scalp. They say the gel has no odor and comes out easily in the shower. I told Tim I might have a funny hairdo when I come out. They will be doing some brain mapping.
All expenses, including parking if I drive myself here, will be covered by the study. They will ship me the neurofeedback equipment (if I’m in one of those two groups). Unfortunately, it only works with Windows on a PC. If you know me at all, you know I’m definitely a Mac person so I will need to get a PC with Windows to participate in the study. It could be helpful to have an inexpensive computer for back-up and for guests to use. It’s either that, or I have to come downtown three times per week to do the treatment.
I’ll keep you posted on how the treatment goes, as well as the study if I am privy to the results.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
It’s 1:28 PM and the day is only half over. The morning started with a drive through traffic to MD Anderson in The Woodlands for my 8:00 AM bloodwork. Third Floor.
Then I was off to getting prepped for CT scans of the chest, abdomen, pelvis and whole body bone scan (access port, drink the peach tea contrast, inject the nuclear tracer). First Floor.
A few abnormalities happened to me today, but since I’m used to the process I didn’t panic. A little trouble with blood return. Raise your hand. Make a fist. Lay back. Cough… That did take care of it. In addition, they had too many nuclear medicine tracers in my room. Three to be exact. Fortunately, I had a savvy nurse who quickly figured out which one is mine. Is it a full moon? 🙄🙄
The CT tech took me back a little early, so that cleared up some time between scans to go and eat the oatmeal I had brought with me. I also bought some tea in their café. Second Floor.
I’m pretty good at math, but when the bone scan tech said today was a slow day with about 120 patients, I was quite surprised. They normally have between 150-160 patients every day 😳.) I couldn’t wrap my head around it. They only have the one machine. Mine takes about 15-20 minutes. How do they fit them all in? It’s one of those mysteries I may never know the answer to.
After some humorous comments by the bone scan tech about various people snoring over the loud speaker, I’m pretty sure I fell asleep 🥱. He concurred, but he said he didn’t have any recording to prove it. Whew 😅. First Floor.
I normally do these scans about every four to six months. My oncologist brought me in at the three month mark this time due to some pain in my right ribcage. It comes and goes. It is reminiscent of when and where the cancer started in my left ribcage, so he’s scanning a bit earlier than normal to be certain. I suspect all will be clear, but you never know with this disease.
That took us until noon. We should get the results in the next few days.
They left my port accessed for chemo (immunotherapy). Tim picked me up for lunch, and we left the building. We also got to pop into Circle K and say hello to Elizabeth. It was nice to see her in the middle of the day. She looks tired, but I think she is doing okay. I’m really proud of her for working so hard to keep her family afloat.
I came back early for chemo, with hopes of getting in and out a bit early. I just checked in, and pulled out my computer while I am waiting. I am an hour early, so who knows whether they will call me early or not. Third Floor.
When I opened my computer, I was welcomed by the normal MD Anderson Internet connection. But this time a special announcement came with it. A press release dated today caught my attention. This is just one more reminder of what a wonderful facility I am blessed to be a part of.
MD Anderson just opened a research center in his name, devoted to the work of immunotherapy. If you want to read more about it, click here. Very incredible work they are doing!
Jim Allison is an interesting scientist. They really should make a movie about him. He’s the one who said our immune system can fight cancer, while all the others in the field laughed at his ideas. Well, we all know about immunotherapy now, and how much it has changed the health world. Amazing stuff. He was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize for his immunotherapy treatment. Totally brilliant.
“Mr. West?”
“Who are you looking for?”
“Mr. West?”
“What’s the first name?” I said this with some degree of hopefulness.
She double-checked. It’s a guy. Rats. Looks like I’ll be waiting a bit longer.
At least they won’t have to poke me again. There’s always an upside.
Not everything I do medically is because of breast cancer, but it certainly has an impact.
I saw Dr. Knapps, a colorectal surgeon, for a consult today. Don’t worry if you don’t know what that is. The benefits specialist at my insurance company didn’t know what it is either. (I’m not sure he spoke English, to be honest.) But, it’s covered, so that’s all I wanted to know.
I was referred by my gastroenterologist, who did my colonoscopy.
He reviewed Dr. Maheshwari’s reports, looked at the path report and determined we are not in an emergency state. Whew! I knew that, but it’s good to hear him say it. The pathology report on the piece of the polyp already removed shows it is benign. But they have to take it all out to ensure there isn’t something else lurking underneath. Since it’s in the fold, I was referred to a surgeon.
The good news is, he can attempt to do it with another colonoscopy. (Yay! More prep 🙄.) Since he’s a surgeon, he can clip more aggressively to remove the whole polyp. If he accidentally clips my colon in the process, he can repair it. My gastroenterologist can’t do that, so they are more careful when dealing with the folds of the colon. He said I can do that in a couple of months or so. If that doesn’t take care of it, he may remove a section of my colon. I prefer the former option, so I’m praying that works.
In the meantime, I got a referral from my oncologist to see one of the MD Anderson colorectal surgeons for a second opinion. I’ll see her on the 24th, and then I can make my decision. If she says the same thing, I’ll most likely go back to Dr. Knapps. I liked him, and Tim liked him, so there’s that. Another benefit…He can do it locally rather than downtown Houston.
I prepped on Thursday (I already blogged about that fun process 🙄), and I had a colonoscopy yesterday 😳. The doctor also did an endoscopy (a scan of the stomach and esophagus.) More on the results in a minute. But first…
Public Service Announcement. If you are over 50, and you have never gotten a colonoscopy, NOW is the time to do it. The prep is awful. I can attest to that! It’s 24 hours of liquid diet including a total colon cleanse. I imagine this is probably why most people don’t get one. When will I have the time to do that? They ask. Or, they think it’s too expensive (insurance will cover it 👍.) And, you can’t drive yourself home. You can get a DUI for that. Trade off with someone you know. Drive them to get their colonoscopy.
Regardless of the inconvenience, a colonoscopy is the bestway to prevent colon cancer. You won’t feel any symptoms until you have cancer and it is so far along it may or may not be treatable. You don’t know what’s lurking in your system until it has been scoped. It is much better to prevent cancer than to deal with it. Believe me, I know about dealing with cancer!
If you have a family history of colon cancer, you should probably start getting a colonoscopy even before you turn 50. Maybe as early as 40, they are now recommending. My grandfather died from colon cancer, my mother had lots of polyps, and there are others in the family who have had bowel resections as well as other colon related issues. I make sure when it’s time, I get my body checked for this one.
I waited until I was 50. The doctor found a huge polyp during my first colonoscopy, and another one a year later. We don’t know how long the big one had been growing, but fortunately we caught it at the “pre-cancerous” stage. If I had waited, I could have added colon cancer to my litany of medical problems.
After a clear scan, he finally gave me the 5-year approval, which landed us to the present. The last thing I remember before the procedure was the nurse saying, “have a nice time at the beach,” and then I woke up.
Results. I would like to say I am totally free from polyps, or any other colon related issues. However, he found another large polyp in my colon 😫, as well as some spots in the esophagus that he will continue to watch. He took several biopsies, which will come back in a week or ten days. He was unable to remove the polyp as it is in a colon fold, so he referred me to a surgeon to remove that section of my colon. Yep, I’m having yet another body part removed soon. They can do it with a small incision, apparently.
I don’t know what all of this means as of yet, but I guess I’ll know more when I see the surgeon. He wants to wait until the biopsies come back so we know more on what we are dealing with. I’m not worried, but I do wish my family history was a bit less tarnished with cancer. It’s a horrible disease.
My husband is one of the lucky ones. He has clean scans, and gets to repeat in five or ten years. I pray you are also one of the lucky ones.
I get to repeat this again in another year. Oh the joy…🙄🙄
Bloodwork, Oncologist, MRI, Chemo AND prep for a colonoscopy, all on the same day. I know…I’m a little crazy for scheduling it this way. This fulfills that saying when it rains it…well you get the idea. It all started at 7:45 AM. Traffic was bad coming through The Woodlands. I’m tired thinking about it , but we’re nearly through the day at this writing. At least it’s not raining outside. The weather is beautiful; it feels like a spring day instead of winter. I’ve been going in and out to my car all day between medical appointments. The girls at the front just wave me in at each return.
Bloodwork. First, the bloodwork. Everything looks good. My glucose was a little higher than normal (165). Probably because I drank some OJ before bed, and then I had some apple juice right before I came in 🤷♀️. I often fast before coming in just so I can monitor where it really sits, but I knew I wouldn’t get to eat today so I drank the juice. We don’t worry about it typically, especially if I haven’t been fasting. I am careful, however; my family has a way of attracting diabetes.
Medical Oncologist. I do have a nagging pain on my right ribcage that has crept up in the past few weeks, so I mentioned it to my oncologist. This is how the tumor started on my left ribcage that lead to the Stage 4 diagnosis. A nagging pain that would come and go. I was between doctors at the time, as my oncologist left and I was seeing a physician assistant. He remembered that history, and he doesn’t like to leave stones unturned. They checked it out, and didn’t see anything, but he decided to have me go back for my bone scans a little earlier than usual just to be sure. We aren’t expecting anything nefarious to turn up.
In addition, he said there is some new research on Zometa. This is the infusion I get every three months to strengthen the bones. I was supposed to get it today, but he’s holding off. Researchers are debating how long is long enough, versus how long is too long, etc. I’ve been on it for about 5 years now, and they think 2-3 years is long enough. While it strengthens the bones, it makes them solid. Bones are not naturally solid. This is actually a weaker frame than the bones I call “suspension bridge” bones. He’s ordering a bone density to see where we stand before continuing the Zometa. I haven’t had one of those in a long time, so I don’t even remember what it’s like. I guess I’ll find out soon enough whether I get to snooze in that one.
MRI. After my oncologist and I chatted about our families and the joys of grandchildren, I went for my MRI. I did get a little nap during that one in spite of the noise and shaky table 😴😴. They took me in early, which was a blessing. A little trouble getting blood return on my port, but it didn’t stop the process. They are looking at my brain again. It’s a routine thing, and we hope it’s nothing, but they do a great job of keeping an eye on everything. I follow-up with my radiation oncologist next week for the results.
Lunch…
Ordinarily I would go to Panera Bread for lunch, and hang out in between scans or treatment. But it just so happens that today is the day before my five-year follow-up colonoscopy. 🙄 If you’ve ever had one, you know all about the prep. I’ve been on a clear liquid diet since I woke up. I had juice for breakfast, and two bowls of vegetable broth for lunch. I was thrilled to see they have added a machine with ice cream and popsicles to the café at MD Anderson. That was a welcome surprise! I can’t have the dairy, but the popsicle was a delight to bite down on–guilt and sugar free!
Chemo. I checked in two hours early, but they took me back nearly 30 minutes late. The sun will be setting on my way home, and I’ll catch the commuter traffic *Sigh*. Fortunately they didn’t have any trouble with blood return. At this writing, I’m on my second bag and almost done. One of my previous nurses told my current nurse that I am an author. She asked about my children’s book! She has a 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son, and she said she is going to order one. I hope she does. 🥰 If so, it was worth the wait. I told her I’m also working on sequels, to her delight.
Prep. While waiting for the chemo to infuse, I started prepping for my colonoscopy. This involves taking double doses of Miralax, followed by 12 horse pills an hour later, instead of all the gallons of that liquid we used to have to drink. So far, the effects have not been overwhelming. I’m hoping to get home before it reallyhits. Before bed we rinse, repeat.
Admittedly, I was a little frustrated when my internist’s office called and said they don’t have my cardiology release for the colonoscopy. MyChart comes in handy at this point. I can see everything in my medical record. The note said they faxed it back in September, but I had to send it to her again. If I went to all this trouble to prep and they don’t let me do it tomorrow…I just might shed some real tears. 😫😭 They have been behind communicating with me about all the prep. Yesterday I had to drive to Willis to get the pills, because no other Walgreens had them in stock. Sheeeeez.
Yet another day of life in our current dystopian world. 🙄🙄
Here at MD Anderson for my oncology check-up. I was first diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago this month. The second time (stage 4) I was diagnosed was five years ago this month. Always right before Christmas . I was secretly hoping to avoid any scans before Christmas, but he wants them done before the end of the year, even better since copays start over in January.
I come in to see the doc about every three or four months. Everything is still good right now. He schedules my chem and imaging, and refills my prescriptions. As of now, my blood looks good and imaging is good. It’s been about six months since my last imaging so we will do that before the year ends.
Update: Scans are scheduled for Friday, December 17th. Then, hopefully we will only receive good news Christmas week.
They are always very encouraging whenever I come in here. I love my doctors and all the people who see me at MD Anderson. Every time I come I see a lot of people, including the phlebotomist who draws my blood, the tech who takes my vitals, the nurse who knows me by name and asks lots of personal questions, the physician assistant who checks my heart and lungs, and the medical oncologist. They are like family and friends and they genuinely seem to care. I will be on round 70-something next week, so we’ve been connected for a while now. I am so thankful for my team of experts who are keeping me alive.
God is not a God of statistics…
FIVE years! FIVE! I’ve lived to see five more Christmases. We made it! God is good. My husband has been there beside me the whole time, and I couldn’t have done it without his support. To put it into perspective, only 20-30% of women who are diagnosed MBC live five years, with the average being about three. The numbers are hard to track, because there isn’t a good tracking system nationwide. So that’s the best we know.
Also as a point of interest (and a shameless plug), “only 2%-5% of funds raised for breast cancer research is focused on research for the already metastasized patient.” Much more research needs to be done to better understand this disease. Metavivor is my favorite organization, since 100% their donated funds go to research.
As a friend of ours reminded us nine years ago this month after I was first diagnosed, “God is not a God of statistics.” Only He knows the future. He is the supernatural healer and certainly defies the odds. I trust Him.
Drinking peach tea flavored oral contrast for the CT is a delight.
Just got off the phone with MDAnderson. CT/Bone Scan look good. No progression. Scan still shows the metastasis in the lower spine (which is why my bones are degenerating and I have lower back pain), but nothing is progressing and there is no new growth. That’s the last of the scan results from July 28, 2021. Last week I heard the results of the brain MRI. My brain is also stable. No new lesions noted since January 2019. All is stable. ❤️
Praise the Lord!
Wash-rinse-repeat. Follow-up in 3 months for the CT/Bone Scan. Follow-up in 6 months on the MRI of the brain. Continue on the same line of treatment.
“Never stop praying.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 CEV
Thank you all for your continued prayers. I know sometimes we may pray and just want to be finished praying, because it’s a long haul with cases like mine. We just want to hear “your prayers are answered,” and “treatment is finished.” We want to hear the bell ring. Your persistence is very much appreciated!
With Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (or any terminal illness for that matter) each day, week, month, and year is a gift. I want you to know that your consistent and fervent prayers are what keeps me going. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I couldn’t go through this without the support of my sweet family and all the rest of you prayer warriors. God has indeed blessed my life.
. I was secretly hoping to avoid any scans before Christmas, but he wants them done before the end of the year, even better since copays start over in January. 