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