Hi, Mom & Dad! I can't wait to meet you!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
rehearsal
Good advice from David . . .
"When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of You." -Psalm 42:6
I was planning on posting more details about our talk with Dr. Tauer, but today I've spent more time on some much-needed rehearsal. I have flash cards for this task. One day I'll show you.
Details and specific prayer requests coming tomorrow. Or the next day. Or sometime in the next 5 weeks. ;-)
"When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of You." -Psalm 42:6
I was planning on posting more details about our talk with Dr. Tauer, but today I've spent more time on some much-needed rehearsal. I have flash cards for this task. One day I'll show you.
Details and specific prayer requests coming tomorrow. Or the next day. Or sometime in the next 5 weeks. ;-)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
expect the unexpected
The roller coaster continues. The lymph nodes did show up as positive on the PET. However, they are too small to biopsy, and Dr. T's not going to do anything without a biopsy. So the plan is to watch them and do another scan in 5 weeks. Both breast and pancreatic tumor markers are normal. I think Dr. T expects this to be breast cancer that has become resistant to herceptin, but he's encouraged by the normal tumor markers. Or it could still be something benign. 5 weeks to pray. You're not limited to Mondays. ;-)
I'll post a more detailed update later today.
roller coaster
Trish, Little P, and I are headed to see Dr. T with our roller coaster faces on! I'll post when I have some news.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
further explanation and some more good news!
Okay, so today I'm sure I have good news. Trish's tumor markers (for breast cancer) are totally NORMAL!
A little lesson in tumor markers for the non-cancer folks . . . certain cancers cause certain tumor markers in the blood to rise. Not all cancers have reliable tumor markers, but Mom's particular breast cancer (BC) has always resulted in elevated tumor markers when it's growing. Usually the markers will rise before the cancer is big enough to show up on a scan. Tumor markers are not used to diagnose (it's more like they give little hints), so we still can't rule out a recurrence of breast cancer until after Thursday's PET scan. But normal tumor markers are definitely a good sign. :-)
I should also mention that, although there is a tumor marker for pancreatic cancer (PC), it is not nearly as reliable as the BC ones. In fact, Dr. Tauer wouldn't even run it if we didn't ask him to. We don't know if it's normal right now or not - they'll do that test on Thursday (per Mom's request, per my request).
And now for some further explanation of yesterday's visit with Dr. T . . .
These every-3-months CT scans are mainly to check for recurrence of Trish's pancreatic cancer (PC). Her surgeon once told her that PC has a 90% chance of recurrence after surgery, and, as I've mentioned before, it's very difficult to treat. So we have to keep a close eye on it. If the PC returns, it's likely to show up in the abdomen (probably the liver, which could get tricky since that's the last place her breast cancer was!). Because the CT scan of Mom's abdomen was all clear, Dr. T feels pretty certain that Mom is still free from pancreatic cancer. This is great news! Miraculous, actually.
As I said yesterday, the scan showed some enlarged lymph nodes near Mom's original breast cancer site (from way back in 2001). Any number of non-cancerous things can cause lymph nodes to swell, so we're hopeful this is nothing to worry about. Dr. Tauer did not act alarmed or grim (both of which we've seen from him before). However, given Mom's history, this is something that needs to be further investigated and quickly - just in case it is something to worry about. Hence the PET scan on Thursday.
And that brings me to my next lesson for the non-cancer peeps - PET scans! If you're wondering why Trish needs a PET scan when she just had a CT scan, keep reading. A CT scan shows any type of lesion - it's basically a bunch of x-rays. It can't differentiate between malignant and benign tumors/masses/lymph nodes. A PET scan can (usually). With a PET scan, the patient is injected with a radioactive substance that makes areas with abnormal metabolic activity "light up" on the scan. Thus, cancer will show up as a "hot spot." A PET scan cannot differentiate between different types of cancer. So if Mom's enlarged lymph nodes show up as hot while her breast cancer tumor markers are normal, a biopsy would probably be the next step. Hot lymph nodes could mean the pancreatic cancer has worked its way up to the chest (possible, but not likely), the breast cancer has returned without affecting Mom's tumor markers (also possible, but not likely), a new cancer has started from scratch (possible, but seriously?!), or something else weird and random has happened. The point is this: pray for no hot spots on the PET scan!
Trix will remain radioactive for several hours after the PET scan. But she will not glow in the dark. Bummer, I know.
Typically, Mom sees Dr. T after a scan and gets the results immediately. But since they didn't have a lot of notice with this one, it had to be scheduled on a day that Dr. T is out of the office. :-( So it's possible - if not probable - that we won't find out the results of the PET scan until Mom sees Dr. T again next Tuesday. Can you say 'long weekend'?
Anyway, here are the latest prayer requests . . .
Lots of you have asked how we're doing. We're doing great! Really. I'm not sure if that means we have a freakishly unshakable faith (doubt it) or we're crazy (probably) or that cancer has beaten us down so much we've become desensitized to the punches. Probably a mix of all of the above. Whatever the reason, we're having a good week here at home. Thanks for being a part of it. Your prayers and encouragement mean more than you know. :-)
A little lesson in tumor markers for the non-cancer folks . . . certain cancers cause certain tumor markers in the blood to rise. Not all cancers have reliable tumor markers, but Mom's particular breast cancer (BC) has always resulted in elevated tumor markers when it's growing. Usually the markers will rise before the cancer is big enough to show up on a scan. Tumor markers are not used to diagnose (it's more like they give little hints), so we still can't rule out a recurrence of breast cancer until after Thursday's PET scan. But normal tumor markers are definitely a good sign. :-)
I should also mention that, although there is a tumor marker for pancreatic cancer (PC), it is not nearly as reliable as the BC ones. In fact, Dr. Tauer wouldn't even run it if we didn't ask him to. We don't know if it's normal right now or not - they'll do that test on Thursday (per Mom's request, per my request).
And now for some further explanation of yesterday's visit with Dr. T . . .
These every-3-months CT scans are mainly to check for recurrence of Trish's pancreatic cancer (PC). Her surgeon once told her that PC has a 90% chance of recurrence after surgery, and, as I've mentioned before, it's very difficult to treat. So we have to keep a close eye on it. If the PC returns, it's likely to show up in the abdomen (probably the liver, which could get tricky since that's the last place her breast cancer was!). Because the CT scan of Mom's abdomen was all clear, Dr. T feels pretty certain that Mom is still free from pancreatic cancer. This is great news! Miraculous, actually.
As I said yesterday, the scan showed some enlarged lymph nodes near Mom's original breast cancer site (from way back in 2001). Any number of non-cancerous things can cause lymph nodes to swell, so we're hopeful this is nothing to worry about. Dr. Tauer did not act alarmed or grim (both of which we've seen from him before). However, given Mom's history, this is something that needs to be further investigated and quickly - just in case it is something to worry about. Hence the PET scan on Thursday.
And that brings me to my next lesson for the non-cancer peeps - PET scans! If you're wondering why Trish needs a PET scan when she just had a CT scan, keep reading. A CT scan shows any type of lesion - it's basically a bunch of x-rays. It can't differentiate between malignant and benign tumors/masses/lymph nodes. A PET scan can (usually). With a PET scan, the patient is injected with a radioactive substance that makes areas with abnormal metabolic activity "light up" on the scan. Thus, cancer will show up as a "hot spot." A PET scan cannot differentiate between different types of cancer. So if Mom's enlarged lymph nodes show up as hot while her breast cancer tumor markers are normal, a biopsy would probably be the next step. Hot lymph nodes could mean the pancreatic cancer has worked its way up to the chest (possible, but not likely), the breast cancer has returned without affecting Mom's tumor markers (also possible, but not likely), a new cancer has started from scratch (possible, but seriously?!), or something else weird and random has happened. The point is this: pray for no hot spots on the PET scan!
Trix will remain radioactive for several hours after the PET scan. But she will not glow in the dark. Bummer, I know.
Typically, Mom sees Dr. T after a scan and gets the results immediately. But since they didn't have a lot of notice with this one, it had to be scheduled on a day that Dr. T is out of the office. :-( So it's possible - if not probable - that we won't find out the results of the PET scan until Mom sees Dr. T again next Tuesday. Can you say 'long weekend'?
Anyway, here are the latest prayer requests . . .
- praise and thanksgiving for a clear abdomen and normal tumor markers!
- praise and thanksgiving for the fact that Trish is still feeling great!
- a clear PET scan on Thursday (i.e., no "hot spots")
- complete healing from pancreatic cancer and breast cancer and whatever could be causing enlarged lymph nodes
- God to reveal his glory every step of the way . . . us not to miss a moment.
Lots of you have asked how we're doing. We're doing great! Really. I'm not sure if that means we have a freakishly unshakable faith (doubt it) or we're crazy (probably) or that cancer has beaten us down so much we've become desensitized to the punches. Probably a mix of all of the above. Whatever the reason, we're having a good week here at home. Thanks for being a part of it. Your prayers and encouragement mean more than you know. :-)
Monday, July 18, 2011
good news? bad news?
Little P is rather unhappy with me (and, apparently, life in general) right now, so I'll just post a quick update that some of you have probably already seen on facebook.
Sorry to keep you in suspense. Even more sorry that I can't just post "all clear" and be done with it. Here's the news from today, which we know isn't the worst, but may not be the best . . . Mom's scan showed some enlarged lymph nodes around her original breast cancer site. Because her abdomen was completely clean, Dr. T feels that this is very unlikely to be related to the pancreatic cancer. He feels that it's more likely related to the breast cancer, but most likely to be something totally random and not caused by either cancer. Still, he wants to do a PET scan just to be sure. Mom will have that done on Thursday morning. Still waiting on her tumor markers from today. Keep praying!
I'll try to post more details later if Little Miss P will cooperate. :-)
Sorry to keep you in suspense. Even more sorry that I can't just post "all clear" and be done with it. Here's the news from today, which we know isn't the worst, but may not be the best . . . Mom's scan showed some enlarged lymph nodes around her original breast cancer site. Because her abdomen was completely clean, Dr. T feels that this is very unlikely to be related to the pancreatic cancer. He feels that it's more likely related to the breast cancer, but most likely to be something totally random and not caused by either cancer. Still, he wants to do a PET scan just to be sure. Mom will have that done on Thursday morning. Still waiting on her tumor markers from today. Keep praying!
I'll try to post more details later if Little Miss P will cooperate. :-)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
3 months later
Three more months have come and gone, and a beautiful three months they have been. We got home last night from a week at the beach (Little P was so excited to see us that she stayed up 'til 3am just to play - what a sweetheart!). Now it's back to the real world - a world that, unfortunately, includes doctors' visits and CT scans and chemo rooms. A world that, fortunately, is only temporary.
It's time for another CT scan for my mom. Tomorrow morning she'll have a scan (as well as blood work) to check for any signs of cancer recurrence in her body. We pray for another good report, but we're very aware - as we are on every scan day - that tomorrow could bring news we don't want to hear. [Oh, by the way, I. hate. scandays.] Trish is feeling great, though! She said a few days ago that this has been her favorite summer ever. We are blessed.
As usual, we'd appreciate your prayers . . . for a scan that's all clear, for normal tumor markers, for peace that passes understanding, for trust that seems crazy, for God's glory to be revealed. As usual, I know I don't even have to ask. After all, it's a Monday anyway. :-)
I'll update tomorrow.
p.s. If you've ever wanted to meet our favorite oncologist, Dr. T, check out this video. He's recently appeared on two episodes of the Lifetime morning show, The Balancing Act (you can find the other video if you search "breast cancer" on the site). What I'm trying to say is, we'll be hanging out with a celebrity tomorrow. I'll try to get you an autograph.
Friday, July 15, 2011
sandy
"No, Chase, you can't take a picture with my camera right now because you're too sandy. You might get sand on the camera."
Apparently that was not what he wanted to hear.
Apparently that was not what he wanted to hear.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
back in the saddle again
In the notes section of my phone, there is still a to-do list labeled "BW", which stands for "Before Whipple." Little did I know when I entitled that list that is exactly how time would be measured over the next several months. Before Whipple. After Whipple. Everything was normal before the Whipple, before my mom got pancreatic cancer. So much was not normal afterward, for so much longer than we expected. However, little by little, normalcy (or something like it) has crept back into our lives and we (mainly Mom) have found ourselves experiencing so many things for the first time again.
First day home. First trip to church. First time to go out to eat. First time to go shopping. First time to sleep all night. First time to stay awake all day. First Christmas. First time to hold a baby. First time to celebrate a birthday. First time to eat lunch with Tekia at school. First garden.
We had another first last week - our first vacation! (our trip was amazing, we made so many great friends, and I'll blog about it soon!) Trish did awesome. So awesome, in fact, that two days after getting home she added another first to the list.
First foster baby.
Yep, seriously. Are we crazy or what?
Foster care was one of the many "normal" things that cancer took from us. Last fall, we weren't sure that Mom would ever have the opportunity or the ability to care for another baby (and neither would Dad or I, as we'd be taking care of her and the kids). But after her last clear CT scan back in April, one of the first things I did was send our social worker a text from the chemo room telling her she could put us back on her "list." :-)
So here we are. Meet Little P.
A sweet baby girl who was born last week and needs a place to stay for a little while. Maybe a few days. Maybe a few weeks. Whatev.
Wanna guess what the P stands for? Oh, you know, just Patricia. As in, my mom's first name. How great is that? We hadn't planned on taking any babies until we were done with our summer traveling (we're going on our original family vacation with the whole family next week) . . . but how could we say no to a Patricia?? Especially a Patricia who didn't have anywhere to go? So we didn't say no, because that would've been silly.
We originally thought she'd move to her new family by the end of this week, but now it's looking like she'll be around a little longer. So she'll stay with another family while we're on our trip and will likely return to our house when we get back (unless she's able to go to her adoptive family before then, which would, of course, be great for her). For now we're enjoying getting to love on her while we can! Jamal and Kia are at camp this week, so Little P has our undivided attention.
On the schedule for tomorrow is her first photo shoot. But right now I'm headed up to my area of the house with a baby, a bottle, and a binkie (normally I prefer paci, but obviously binkie sounded cooler here). I'm off work tomorrow, so I'm on baby duty tonight.
We are so happy to be back. Can't believe we've been blessed enough to get to do this again. :-)
First day home. First trip to church. First time to go out to eat. First time to go shopping. First time to sleep all night. First time to stay awake all day. First Christmas. First time to hold a baby. First time to celebrate a birthday. First time to eat lunch with Tekia at school. First garden.
We had another first last week - our first vacation! (our trip was amazing, we made so many great friends, and I'll blog about it soon!) Trish did awesome. So awesome, in fact, that two days after getting home she added another first to the list.
First foster baby.
Yep, seriously. Are we crazy or what?
Foster care was one of the many "normal" things that cancer took from us. Last fall, we weren't sure that Mom would ever have the opportunity or the ability to care for another baby (and neither would Dad or I, as we'd be taking care of her and the kids). But after her last clear CT scan back in April, one of the first things I did was send our social worker a text from the chemo room telling her she could put us back on her "list." :-)
So here we are. Meet Little P.
A sweet baby girl who was born last week and needs a place to stay for a little while. Maybe a few days. Maybe a few weeks. Whatev.
Wanna guess what the P stands for? Oh, you know, just Patricia. As in, my mom's first name. How great is that? We hadn't planned on taking any babies until we were done with our summer traveling (we're going on our original family vacation with the whole family next week) . . . but how could we say no to a Patricia?? Especially a Patricia who didn't have anywhere to go? So we didn't say no, because that would've been silly.
We originally thought she'd move to her new family by the end of this week, but now it's looking like she'll be around a little longer. So she'll stay with another family while we're on our trip and will likely return to our house when we get back (unless she's able to go to her adoptive family before then, which would, of course, be great for her). For now we're enjoying getting to love on her while we can! Jamal and Kia are at camp this week, so Little P has our undivided attention.
On the schedule for tomorrow is her first photo shoot. But right now I'm headed up to my area of the house with a baby, a bottle, and a binkie (normally I prefer paci, but obviously binkie sounded cooler here). I'm off work tomorrow, so I'm on baby duty tonight.
We are so happy to be back. Can't believe we've been blessed enough to get to do this again. :-)
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