Eight more chemos...and counting!

Hello friends and family!

We apologize for not blogging in a while, but as they say, no news is good news! Mom continues to thrive and exceed everyone's expectations as she recovers. She is back doing chemo every other week (on Mondays now, instead of Thursdays). The doctors were going to try to have her go every week for three weeks and then have one week off, and so on. However, Mom's white blood cell count still drops pretty low after each treatment, so they decided to switch it to just every other week.

The chemo still causes a lot of fatigue and muscle aches, but we have so much to be thankful for. Every check up has gone well, and she has great range of motion of the side of the surgery. Although, we still might have another surgery to go, she is so healthy and strong (both physically and spiritually) that we know she can conquer anything. What a joy it is to be able to let everyone know that their prayers were answered and that the cancer is gone! The journey was not easy, but so rewarding! She has had such endurance throughout this race to the finish line, and she shows no signs of slowing as we approach the end of chemo! We can't help but be inspired, humbled, and so grateful when we are with her.

Thank you again for your support! It has meant the world to ALL of us as we went through it all.

We love you!

The Kids

CANCER FREE!!!

Nothing but the best news to report!! Mom is continuing to heal, and we all just marvel at her! Although she has had some discomfort with the drains, she has not had to use any of her pain medication. Her visit to the doctor went really well. She still has one drain in, and hopefully it will come out next week. But, the best news was when the doctor told her that they got ALL the cancer out!!! He thought the margins were great, and although we knew that the one lymph node they took was infected, the others were not. It's the best news we've ever heard! They got it all! Thank you, Jesus!!!

The timing of this good news was perfect, too. Her sisters have been here for the last week taking care of her, and they can fly back home tonight knowing that their beloved sister is cancer-free!! Mom will still continue with the chemo treatments as a preventative measure. She will meet with her oncologist, Dr. Reyes to find out when she can start again, but we anticipate a few more weeks still without any chemo so that she can continue to heal.

We are all feeling SO relieved and SO grateful! Praise to the Lord for what He has done! We can not begin to thank you all enough for your support, prayers, love and kindness. Mom and the rest of us were always blown away by the thoughtfulness and generosity of her friends and our family. You all have made this easier to go through. Thanks for cheering her on! She's quite a fighter, and she's WON!

We love you!

The Kids

Successful Surgery!

Thank you all for your prayers! The surgery was successful and Dr. Lara was able to remove all the infected tissue this morning! He did not see anything unexpected, which is just how we liked it. He removed some of the lymph nodes, which he was going to do, and he will have them tested to check for any irregularities. We should have those results in just a few days.
Mom is looking great and already wanting to come home. She is recovering so well, but will still have to stay at the hospital overnight at least. We hope she can come home tomorrow to heal, and we are all taking shifts to help out. (even her sisters are coming all the way to California for a few days; she is so excited!) She will need to stay in bed for about a week and have to deal with some annoying drains; however, she hopes the pain will continue to minimal and looks forward to a speedy recovery. We hope to have more updates tomorrow for everyone.
She loves you all and appreciates all the cards, notes, and prayers!!! We have all known how brave she is, but today she overwhelmed us all by her calm strength. She is our HERO!!!

All our love,
The Kids

Last chemo before surgery

More good news! Mom went in and saw Dr. Reyes yesterday, who had the results of her most recent MRI and her BRACA test. The tumor is completely gone! Although some of the IBC remains in the tissue and nodes, the mass has completely gone away! Also, the BRACA test results came back negative, which means that this is not something hereditary. Mom, of course, was very worried that this was something she could pass on to us, but now as she puts it, "if you guys get cancer, it's your own fault". We have SO much to be thankful for!
The surgery for the single mastectomy has been scheduled for August 1. She will most likely stay in the hospital for 1-2 days to recover, and then at home to rest. The doctors want Mom to totally recover before going for more chemo, so she will most likely not have any treatments until September. After she has completely healed, the other surgeries will be scheduled. We were a little disappointed that there will be multiple procedures, instead of just having everything done in one surgery. However, the doctors think it is wise to take it slow and to do all the procedures one at a time. After processing everything, we are so grateful that Mom has such thoughtful doctors who are taking such good care of her. The picture to the right is Mom's chemo nurse, JoAnne, who we have all grown to love.
Thank you for celebrating the good news with us, and we are grateful in advance for your prayers and support throughout the surgery and recovery. Until then, please continue to pray for Mom's post-chemo well-being. The fatigue does get worse with each treatment. Mom's spirit though does not grow weary! She is SO brave, SO positive, and SUCH a fighter. It's truly awesome to watch her.
We love you all!
The Kids

Back At It...

Mom got back home Monday night from her road trip. She had a marvelous time enjoying the beautiful scenery, amazing people, and wonderful adventures! The highlight was the Relay for Life Cancer Walk in South Dakota, with family and loved ones (the photo on the right was taken here!). However, we are all glad to have her back where she belongs.

Today, we met with Dr. Reyes who confirmed what Mom thought- the IBC is receding!!! Thanks for the prayers! She would like to still do one more treatment with the herceptin before surgery, but we will know more in a few weeks. Today, Mom had a full day of treatment and is feeling great. Her next appointment is scheduled for July 10 with an MRI and surgeon consultations prior to that.

Our prayer requests are for: wisdom for the doctors, continued recession of IBC and of course good health throughout. The whole family would like your prayers as we make decisions about surgery plans and treatment.
We love you and are so grateful for your prayers!
The Kids

South Dakota Bound!

Mom will leave on Friday for a road trip with her friend, Denise Celse, to visit family. We are excited that the doctor's have allowed Mom to go ahead with her three week trip, since the girls have had this planned for the last two years; however, we are still nervous for her safety and health. Please be praying these next three weeks that the trip will go smoothly and that Mom's health remains in good condition.
The new treatment with the herceptin seemed to work well. Mom did not experience any new side effects, although the fatigue continued. She pushed through a long weekend, filled with graduations and small trips, so she is doing her best to recover from that before heading out on Friday. Her white-cell count came back pretty low (1.9), so she had a booster shot yesterday and then will have another shot today. Our prayer is to get the count back up before Friday morning!
Once she returns from her trip, we will go ahead and have one more treatment, with the herceptin, before scheduling the surgery. Her next treatment is planned for Wednesday, June 18. Thanks for praying!
Love- The Kids

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It is appropriate that we got news worth celebrating yesterday at the oncologist appointment, since it is Mom's birthday today! The tumor has shrunk dramatically; so much so, that the oncologist had trouble even finding it during the exam! Her hope is that by the time the surgeon goes in to remove it, that cancer will be gone.

With Mom doing so well with her chemo treatments, Dr. Reyes recommended doing one more treatment before the surgery. This would push the surgery to July, and we would have one additional chemo treatment in June. After recovering from surgery, Mom will continue doing small doses of chemo and other maintenance treatments for the next year to get rid of the IBC. We still have a long way to go, but she's doing it! GO, MOM! This cancer obviously had no idea who it was messing it with!

Happy birthday, Mom! You have always been an inspiration to us, but never more so than in these last months. Your strength is outstanding, and although you say you're tired, it never seems to show. Your faithfulness is a true testimony to those close to you and those who watch from a distance. It's seems funny to be thankful for the blessings that came from this awful situation, but we can honestly say it has been our honor to go through this with you and witness your spirit. You manage to show God's love, endurance, and even joy through it all. We love you more than you'll know, and today we celebrate you!

All the kids

ps- Thanks for the hats, Patti!

Happy Mother's Day!

The whole family got together yesterday to celebrate Mom. Of course, this year seemed particularly significant, and we are so grateful that she is doing SO well! We got the chance to attend Joseph's church in Hollywood and hear him preach and sing. Mom said it was her best Mother's Day by far!

This past week, Mom felt good; although the fatigue is a constant struggle. She wants to do so much and anyone would be frustrated if they didn't have the energy to do it all. However, we are all thankful it is just tiredness that we have to deal with and not the pain or nausea we were dreading. This week, we will meet with the oncologist on Wednesday and hope to have an update on the surgery and progress. We are still on schedule to have the last of the four rounds of treatment on Tuesday, May 20. As always, thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement!

We love you,

The Kids

Another good chemo day!

We got Mom hooked up this morning at 9am, and after 5 hours of treatment, we are all done with another chemo session! Only one more to go in this round, and we have scheduled that final treatment for Tuesday, May 20. Mom switched from her normal Thursday appointment, so she can be well enough for the graduations that we will have later that weekend. (The doctor gave her the 'OK' to fly up to San Francisco on May 23, so she can attend Jeremiah's graduation from Berkeley!)
The next treatment will probably be the new blend, with a targeted chemo for the IBC. She is feeling well, and the only side-effects are the fatigue and the sore throat. She continues to inspire us and the other patients at the doctor's office. In fact, one of the nurses at treatment today asked if she can offer Mom's telephone number to another patient that is having a hard time dealing with her diagnosis. They all admire her positive attitude and bravery!
Thank you for the cards and faithful prayers. Your kindness and generosity continues to bless us all. (The beautiful quilt in the picture was done by our Aunt JoAnn to remind Mom that she has a lot of people pulling for her. Thanks, Aunt Jo!) We love you and will keep you up-to-date with the progress!
The Kids

First Little Speedbump

Everything has been going very well, and we are so grateful for Mom's good health and strength. She takes everything on so gracefully, while relying on God's faithfulness. Yesterday, Mom went in for a check up with her oncologist, Dr. Reyes. The doctor was pleased that Mom's blood cell count was high, in fact it was 8! More good news came when Dr. Reyes reported that the tumor in the breast has reduced to half the size!

The only bad news was that the IBC appears to be spreading. Apparently the type of chemo that Mom has been taking has been very effective for the tumor, but they will need to switch the chemo cocktail to directly attack the IBC. Mom will still do the same chemo that she has been doing at her next treatment. (Her next treatment is on May 1.) However, the final treatment before surgery will be this new kind of IBC focused chemo.

Mom is still on track to have surgery to remove the tumor in late June. After she recovers from the surgery, she will continue with this new chemo for the next year. The doctors are fantastic and will be monitoring her throughout the process to adjust as necessary. We will, of course, keep you updated. Thank you for praying!

We love you,

The Kids

Half way there!

We had treatment again today. Mom did great and is still feeling well! The nurses just love her and are taking such good care of her. We were told by the doctor that this round might be a little tougher than the last since her body has had time to adjust the chemo. However, they said she should be good at least through the weekend. We did get some good news; because her blood count was so high, she gets to eat salad and fresh fruit until Saturday. I know this sounds like a small thing, but I guess you never know how much you really want something until someone tells you that you can't have it. After they told her no fresh fruit and veggies, all she has been craving is a big salad!

Along with this small sacrifice are other larger ones, of course. Mom started to lose her hair last weekend, so it has been a little bit of an adjustment. We did find out that she looks very cute in hats and scarves! This also proved something that we have always known...it is not her hair that makes her beautiful.

We are continually grateful for all your prayers! Thank you all for the cards, comments, flowers, gifts (like the quilt in this picture), phone messages, texts, and e-mails. We can not begin to tell you how encouraging it is for us as her family and for our mom. She will go in for another booster injection tomorrow morning and then blood work next week. We will keep you posted.

We love you,
The Kids

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Message from Mom

Mom's white cell count is up...way up! As you recall, she was down to .9, and we were hoping for something closer to 3. Well, her blood results came back, and she is at 7.8! Can you even believe it?!? God is SO good! With such a high count, she finally got to break her "house arrest" and do some shopping and eat out. We hope this continues throughout the week, so she will keep feeling good before her treatment on Thursday. Thank you for your prayers! Mom had this to say...

"To those I love,
I am so grateful for all you are doing. So grateful! I feel positively "transported" through these days and nights. Your prayers have more than sustained me; I have felt them every step. I've had minimal nausea, minimal pain, but oh, so much joy......May the Lord return to you the blessing you are to me.
With love and thankfulness,
Barb"

First Treatment Update

On Friday, we went in for a post-chemo evaluation. That morning, Mom had a battle with some nausea and pain, so when she came in on Friday morning, the nurses hooked her up to an IV to get her re-hydrated and back to feeling good. After only a few hours, she was back to normal. It's amazing what those doctors can do!

The results from the blood work came back, and her white blood cell count is pretty low. (She is at .9, and we were told normal is 3.) That means she will have to avoid public places, grocery shopping, working outside, and cleaning (the cleaning part wasn't so bad.). The doctors also said she can't kiss Dad until her count is back up. Mom said that is the worst side effect of all.

We also got some good news at the appointment. The results of her bone scan came back completely negative! Also, the tumor swelling is already down! So far, it appears that the chemo is doing its job. She will still have to go in weekly to get blood work done so the doctors can monitor the progress, but we are in very high spirits! She continues to inspire us with her bravery and positive outlook; she is truly the most amazing person we know!

Please keep the prayers coming! We feel them, and thank you for continuing with us on this journey. Mom's next chemo treatment is on Thursday, April 10 at 9:30 am. Before this appointment, we hope she will only have to go in for blood work and a consultation with her surgeon. However, we will continue to keep you all updated. Thank you!

One down;three more to go!

Yesterday, mom had her first treatment. Thankfully, it was pretty non-eventful. She went in at 9am; they sat her in a recliner and hooked her up to the IV. After the anti-nausea medication, they gave her the chemo and she just sat in the chair, reading and visiting to us and the other patients. It turned out to be a long day (she was not done until after 3pm), but she was not in any pain or discomfort. Thank you, God!

All your prayers are definitely working, and mom wanted to let you know that her two biggest requests were answered: she was not nauseous and our dad's spirits are up. Of course, this has been very rough on our dad, but yesterday he was able to smile and joke around a little bit. We all think that humor is one of God's many gifts that will get us through this, so this was great!

The nurses were able to sit with us and talk about which meds to take, what to do, and what to expect. They are so helpful, and we are very grateful that they have taken such good care of mom. They told us that she will not begin to feel pain or discomfort until about Sunday, so we are all just watching her like some sort of time-bomb. We just kept asking "how are you feeling now?", and then five minutes later "how about now?".

This morning, she went in for another quick injection, which should help boost her white cell count. Apparently, this injection, Nulestra, might cause some bone aches, but so far so good. She is pretty fatigued, and she said that she feels a little "floaty", like you would after taking cold medicine or something. All in all, today was a good day. She had some pain in her lower back and experienced a little spell of nausea, but she was able to relax and rest.

We can not thank you all enough for your prayers! They are felt throughout the day and continue to give mom strength. She is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love by everyone and feels very blessed. Our prayer requests are that she can continue to get the rest she needs and that she is protected from catching any other sicknesses that might compromise her health.

Thank you all so much!
The Kids

Getting caught up...

As our family found out, a lot can change in just two weeks. As most of you have heard, on March 6, we received the news that Barb/Mom has Inflammatory Breast Cancer, which had spread through the lymphatic channels. At that time, the doctor diagnosed her at Stage IV. We all took turns feeling shocked, breaking down in tears, encouraging each other, hugging, getting mad...the whole gamut of emotions. However, true to her character, it did not take long for Mom to begin reading all about IBC. We found out that it is a very rare type of breast cancer that only affects 1%- 3% of people with breast cancer. It does not show up in mammograms and is very hard to detect. We also found out it is pretty aggressive and can spread within a matter of weeks. This explains why it did not show up in the bloodwork that she had done in January. That was the good news; we caught it early.

Mom went in for a PT Scan the following week, and we found out more good news last Thursday. The cancer has NOT spread, and there are no other tumors anywhere in her body! Thank you, God! The oncologist revised her stage as Stage IIIB and put together an action plan for her. This plan consists of four courses (each course lasting three weeks) of chemotherapy, beginning Thursday, March 20. She will be examined throughout the treatment to monitor how the cancer is reacting to the chemo and any necessary adjustments will be made along the way. After this first round of chemo, she will undergo a surgery to remove the tumor from the breast. The surgery will be followed by more chemotherapy. Although we do not know how long all of this will take, we are anticipating a tough year ahead. However, out of us all, my mom is probably more ready for it than anyone!

From the very beginning, when the first doctor told her she had IBC, she quoted scripture right there in the office. Her bravery is evidence of her unwaivering faith. At times, it is my mom who is encouraging the rest of us, telling us it will all be OK. As we have been our whole lives, we are just amazed by her!

Although her spirit is strong, we know there are tougher times ahead. We hope this blog will be a great way to keep everyone updated on her health, but also a way for you to share your prayers, words of encouragement, favorite verses, or advice for her to use as she battles this disease. We will print out the posts for her to read during treatment. Please feel free to pass the site along to those you know who are praying for her. Finally, our hope is that this can serve as a testimony to others going through similar issues and a way to journal this upcoming year.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! We need them and appreciate your support and love!
Love,
All the kids