2015 ~ Chemo Treatment #12 is Complete!

Treatment #12 is in the books!!!

I began this weekly treatment on May 6th and have had to miss 4 treatments, but we are getting closer.  I will do 6 more treatments and then return to MD Anderson to have scans once again.

Please pray that I can feel pretty good on my lighter "taxol only" weeks.  Last week I was in bed about a day and a half, but didn't feel very good for about 3 1/2 days. It was good in comparison to my "BIG" treatment that comes every 3 weeks.  I'm so grateful I only have 2 more of those before we reassess.  The journey is feeling long, so please pray for my patience, my caregivers, my husband and children to all persevere in a big way! 

I so appreciate those of you who have brought hot meals, frozen meals, gift cards to restaurants and Visa cards to pay toward our rising medical debt. 



Several weeks back a family in our community group found us someone to come help in our home 2 hours a week and kicked off paying for the much needed help.  Others have given as well since this was added to my care calendar.  This has been a godsend as my energy is less and less as the treatment compiles and I fight for good blood counts. 

Thank you so much for your extreme generosity and non-ceasing encouragement and prayer!

Love - Kristi

A Turn for the Better...

Last week's treatment makes me want to play hookie tomorrow. In fact, I'm pretty sure my husband may be praying my blood counts won't let me have chemo this week! But, I took a huge turn for the better today! Got out of bed and put together for a great outing to sonic happy hour, to visit my parents and to Isaiah's 8th grade open house. A giant day of activity compared to the last week of sleep and bed rest. Grateful for this day! 

I'll check in at 1:15 pm tomorrow for bloodwork. We'll see if my white blood cell shots helped. If so, treatment directly follows until 4:30 or so. 

A rough go...

I haven't updated as this has been a rough round of treatment. My white blood cells (WBC)  were still declining so after chemo onWednesday, I began a series of 3 shots to tell my bone marrow to build WBC.  We traveled to HOG in Rogers Thurs and Fri, but had to go to Fayetteville on Saturday. I hadn't been down there since my first battle with cancer in 2010-11. Katy & I couldn't even remember where we were going exactly, which seemed crazy after daily visits there. 

I've slept and slept this time and had a very sour tummy and some vomiting. Body aches and extreme fatigue are my daily companions. Yesterday I missed celebrating my moms bday with the family and ate a light dinner on the couch with Billy for our 18th anniversary. The future with this feels long, but we know it will pass.  We are choosing to stay on track counting on the end results to be great....life giving. The treatment feels more like it's taking life than giving it. They say that means it's working. 

Please pray for my body to recover and be able to continue getting treatment. Pray for endurance, perseverance and patience for all involved. In my heart 8 weeks more feels very very long.  

With love, 

Kristi

Kicking off our next rounds of treatment.

I awoke fully dreading the "feeling bad" part of treatment, but I know scripture specifically tells us not to be in dread....not to be terrified......not to tremble.....depending on your bible translation. I really like the version that uses the word "dread" because I tend to feel and relate to this emotion more than trembling or being terrified. I'm not afraid to step into what God has called me to, knowing he carries me through it. He proven it over and over.  However, I still dread the effects of the hard journey we trudge through together. 

The Lord my God, my mom and I checked in at 11:00 today, but didn't get started until around 12:30 because my bloodwork came back with low white blood cell counts again. My platelets, however, jumped from in the 70's to 250! My Medical Oncologist approved treatment today, though with slightly lower doses of both chemo drugs, leaving Avastin the same. I will have to go in the next 3 days and get a shot that will tell my bone marrow to produce white blood cells. They said this causes the large bones in the body to ache. Since the Avastin already makes my muscles ache I'm not looking forward to that, but it will allow me to continue treatment and for that I am grateful. 2nd Round - 1 punch down; 8 to go! I do not dread the finishing punch of this round so I can go to MDA for scans and I plan to be told there is no evidence of disease (NED), putting me in remission! 

Please God, may this be so! Help me to be strong and courageous between now and then! Amen.