Treatment still on hold 🙏🏻

I had an oncology appointment today and unfortunately we couldn’t re-start treatment yet because I’ve caught a virus that’s caused me a fever the last two days. 102.3 yesterday and 101.5 today. Hoping tomorrow is much better and I get back on track to have treatment again next Tuesday. Please join me in praying for this. I’m only allowed a 57 day break and next Tuesday will have been 42 days since my last treatment.  

My girl is also real sick, so please keep her in prayer as well. 

Thankful we made it through Thanksgiving before this hit our house as we were blessed to host Billy’s family this year in Arkansas. 🍁

Treatment on hold again

Just when I knew I was feeling your prayers and turning a corner to feel better last week...I crashed. Last Thursday night I was in so much abdominal pain with nausea and repeatedly vomiting. It was a very long night even with prescription pain pills and anti-nausea meds. After about 5 hours I got some relief. I didn’t understand what was causing me to feel so badly for the better part of 3 weeks until I met with my oncologist and clinical trial coordinator this past Tuesday. They ruled out infection and felt certain that the immunotherapy treatment had caused my immune system to wrongly attack my GI tract causing a level 2 Colitis. UC is treated with steroids due to inflammation so we’ve had to put treatment on hold again so that we can treat the Colitis. I cannot have immunotherapy and steroids at the same time. It would be counter intuitive. The nurse couldn’t believe I didn’t go to the ER Thursday night, but I know I’m a complicated case and I’d rather wait to see someone who already has my history if I can make it! I barely did! 

 They gave me IV steroids and fluids on Tuesday and now I’m taking Prevacid and 80 mg of Prednisone (steroid) each day. Let me tell you, with all those steroids my brain was moving so fast on Thursday my body could barely keep up! I am not sleeping well, but I am feeling lots better already. PTL!  🙌🏻✝️

I will see the doctor again in 3 weeks to determine if I can go back on the trial or not. In the mean time I’ll step down the steroid dose by 20 mg each new week. 

We need to pray that I can start back on the trial and that the Colitis flare up will be gone and not come back. And that I don’t have anymore side effects to cause the treatment to go on hold again. Per the trial rules I have a scan next Monday in Fayetteville and it’s supposed to snow here in Arkansas that day! It could be a very good day all the way around if it’s white outside and I have more shrinking spots in my lungs! 

May it be your will, Lord. 🙏🏻

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call uponMe and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.…

God knows...so let’s keep asking.

Hi prayer friends. Please be in prayer for my side effects. I’m not sure if there is something else going on, or if this is all stemming from my treatment, but I am sure struggling with some GI pain, nausea, weakness and fatigue. It’s been going on for a couple weeks and doesn’t seem to want to resolve itself. Saturday I had to take some prescription pain meds and go down way too early for the night. I believe that God knows the source of the problem and can heal me in all aspects. Whether this is from a hidden infection or from treatment side effects, God knows. Join me as we keep asking for healing from cancer, infections and side effects! ✝️🙌🏻🙏🏻

#keepseeking #keepknocking #keepasking 

In His Timing

Completed treatment with both IV Meds today in Fayetteville. Billy and I got to visit several hours with this sweet woman named Beth. Today was her first treatment of chemo. Please keep her in your prayers friends. This could be a tough week for her. She will be there every other Tuesday also! Perhaps we were brought together for a reason! 🙌🏻

Dr B says my treatment is working and it’s giving the research team such joy and purpose in their job! I couldn’t believe it when I found out, but i am taking two of the three meds that recently earned two doctors the Nobel prize! It’s amazing and humbling. I’ve waited and waited for this! Oh how I wish my mom was here to hear this. But then again, she sees with heavenly eyes now, so she’s way ahead of me! I’m just reminded again of how faithful God is to His people.  In His timing he always comes through. 👆🏻✝️🙌🏻

Back to treatment!

Look! Approved for treatment and comfortably drinking through this iv tube in my recliner! I start a new 6 week cycle today with both immunotherapy meds. 

Prayer Requests:

1) After being really sick for 3 1/2 weeks with inflammation causing Pleuritis and sinusitis and a respiratory infection I finally felt all better last Friday! PTL! Please pray that this treatment doesn’t stir any of those issues back up. 

2) I also had Ecoli in my urine a couple weeks ago and took antibiotics for that. Do pray against a repeat urinary tract infection though. I am still showing slightly positive for an infection. White blood cells are up a little again also, but they don’t want to give me any antibiotics bc the ecoli can be so tricky that my test actually showed two strands last time and they say I’ll need IV antibiotics if I become symptomatic again! 😬 They consulted an infectious disease doctor on their decision not to treat until I become symptomatic as to not cause my kidneys to be resistant to anymore antibiotics. Pray that I do not become symptomatic or have to do iv meds please! 

Appreciate you all so much! 🙏🏻✝️⭐️

I felt so discouraged, but then this happened!

I had a my CT scan this morning, with IV contrast, and outside of a little itchiness, no allergic reaction! Praise and answer to prayer! What is REALLY AMAZING & HUMBLING is that there is no blood clot in my lung as they recently suspected and my cancer has SHRUNK! It’s shrunk! I can hardly believe it. Just since my last scan two weeks ago. PTL! ✝️🙌🏻 A huge positive answer to prayer! 

Also, Dr B. thinks the two antibiotics and the three 50 mg steroids I’ve taken since last night should have me on the mend soon with a minor case of Inflammation in my lungs, probably pleuritis caused more from being so sick with the respiratory infection, rather than the clinical trial meds. This is painful inflammation in the lining of my lungs, which adds to my fatigue and discomfort. The steroids will stay in my body for a few days and keep working on this. Next treatment is in two weeks - skipping today due to inflammation and infections. 

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you Mama! (I think she talked to God for me!) Thank you God!💜👆🏻 I’ll be smiling and napping off all my benedryl now!

Satan wants us to wonder if our prayers matter. He wants us to stop asking because we are discouraged. Whatever you face today dear friend, keep seeking Him, keep knocking at His door, Keep asking for what you need and want and hope for! ✝️👆🏻

Prayer Requests Today

Today I should be going to have my clinical trial treatment, but following 11 days of feeling really really really crummy I’m on my way to have a CT Angio to look for a possible blood clot in my lungs. I really don’t believe this is going to be the case, but I am concerned I may have their next suspicion of Pleuritis - inflammation in the lining of my lungs. 

I will need to be on strong steroids to remedy this and I have to be off of my trial temporarily to take steroids. I feel crummy enough for his is okay with me. 

Also I had hives about 8 months ago with my routine Ct scan IV Contrast so they have refused to give me the contrast and just added an MRI to my routine. Today, however, I have taken 13 hours of pre-meds so that I can have the IV contrast and hopefully not go into an allergy attack. 

Please pray I have no allergic reaction. Pray there is no blood clot. Pray that my body can recover and heal so I can get back on my clinical trial to fight this cancer, and get back to living. 💜🙏🏻✝️👆🏻