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