Wohoo!!! My bilirubin is down from 3.5 to 2.3!! Normal is under 2.0, so I'm getting quite close!
This means I can start the 3rd chemo at half dosage (I need my bilirubin to be under 2.0 to take the full dose) that is meant to help my liver. Hoping, this will help shrink the cancer in my liver.
Chemo #5 here we go!
CT scans were done yesterday and today, we talked to our oncologist about it. The CT scan did not show any significant reduction in the tumor in the liver. However, he was very pleased that my blood work shows my liver function improving and that I am feeling much better.
The plan is to continue chemo for another 4 rounds, then do another CT scan, then do another 4 rounds. We are hoping that my bilirubin will go under 3.0 (before Chemo #4 it was 3.5), so that we can add the third chemo to the regiment.
The liver is still our biggest concern. If my liver function would go back to normal, then that could open up other options later on.
So, here we go with Chemo #5 starting on Sunday!
Update:
Nathan's fever has come down and he's back to his old self again. His voice is still a little horse but he says it doesn't hurt to swallow. He is enjoying playing and watching on the iPad and eating ice cream.
So far, my other two have not shown any symptoms!
Update:
Thank you for all your thoughts & prayers! Mike is doing much better. The only symptoms he had were headache, tiredness and some coughing. I think it was good he was able to get some "forced" rest for a few days. He'll probably be going back to work maybe as soon as tomorrow. No one else is showing symptoms! Very grateful!
I had my start of chemo #4 yesterday and I didn't throw up for the first time! They lowered the steroids I get with my anti-nausea medication by half and the nurse slowly put the medication into my IV. I did get nauseous for about 5 min but then it passed and the rest of the time no negative side effects!
We left the house about 7:15am in the morning and then came about around noon. I slept mostly while they gave me the chemo and then took another nap from noon till 4pm. Unlike last time, this time I couldn't sleep till 1:30am and then woke up around 4 am this morning. I think for a couple of days as this chemo passes through, I'll just do what my body tells me to do. If I get sleepy, I'll sleep and if I am awake, I'll just eat or watch TV and take it easy. See how that goes. It's 7:45am, I think I'm about to take my first nap. 😀
Praying my liver function keeps improving and that my energy level continue to increase. First time since my diagnosis, I was able to play board games with my boys and made some brownies with my daughter this weekend! Grateful to God, for continued improvement in my health!
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support! I am truly touched by all the love and care for our family.
An Answer to Prayer!! My bilirubin is now at 3.5!
On my very first blood test, a week before Thanksgiving, my bilirubin (one of the indicators on how my liver is doing) was < 2.0, which is at normal levels. By December 2nd when I went to MDA, my bilirubin shot up to 5.7, which prompted the "You need chemo NOW". At blood test #2, my bilirubin increased to 6.7 and then at blood test #3, it went down to 6.0. Now it's at 3.5!!! Wohoo! I never expected it to decrease so much!
Thank you again for your continued prayers, encouragement and your thoughtfulness for my family! It is so special to me that I have all of you that I can share this great news!
Next up, Chemo #4 of Sunday, then CT scan the following week! Praying my bilirubin would go down to normal levels with Chemo #4!
I know many of you were praying for mom to be able to come back from Paris back in November. I wanted to give a quick update/summary of what transpired back then.
Before I was diagnosed, my parents planned to go to Paris for Thanksgiving week, since my dad had a conference there and my parents had an old friend living in Paris. My mom would stay with their friend while my dad would attend the conference.
Once I was diagnosed, my mom offered to just stay back. At the time, I didn't know exactly when chemo would start and I thought it wouldn't start to mid December. I told her to go ahead and go and enjoy eating some good French food and catching up with an old friend.
She had a great time eating, shopping and catching up with her old friend. The day before she was supposed to leave, she went and got her PCR test. To her total shock, the test came back positive! She had absolutely no symptom. Once they found out, her friend sent her up to a room upstairs which also had a bathroom. The French government even requires that when you are in quarantine that you have your own room and your own bathroom. They even call every day to make sure that she is staying in her room.
My dad came back that day from his conference. Even though, my dad offered stayed with my mom, she told him to go to the airport and get a hotel. She told him that he needs to at least get back to take care of me. And it would be a nightmare if he got Covid-19 too! He boarded the plane the next day and made it home.
My mom's gracious friend let her stay at her house for another 2 weeks and brought her meals to her room. They would also setup chairs on opposite side of the hall, and wearing masks, they would also chat throughout the quarantine. Thankfully, her friend's family never got Covid-19 during that time. During this time, it was a huge struggle to figure out what she needed to do to get back home. She couldn't not even get through to the airline on the phone. Therefore, her friend had to call the French government to figure out what she needed to do.
They told her not to take the PCR test again because it would come back positive for 2 months. Instead she needs to get these government document signed by a doctor certifying her that she is well. Her friend called a bunch of doctors but the only appointment she could get was 5 days after her quarantine ended.
She and her friend's husband went to the doctor's appointment to get these documents signed. However, the doctor was reluctant to sign these documents because he had never done anything like this before. The husband basically told the doctor, we are not going to leave until you signed these documents. Of course, all this conversation was in French. I have no idea what my mom would have done if she didn't have such a good friend living there.
With the documents in hand, she tries again to board the plane. However, they don't even look at the documents. They tell her, she needs a negative PCR test to board the plane. She argues with them, that she was told that she just needed these documents signed by a doctor to board. Their reply was "Rules change everyday!". Which also translate too, no one is exactly sure what the rules are. They tell her that there is a pharmacy inside the terminal and she should get a PCR test.
While she tries to figure out where this pharmacy is, she meets 2 nice college students from the US. One has a green card and the other is a US citizen. As my mom waits to get her PCR test with the college student with a green card, the college student tells my mom, if you are a US citizen, you should go to the pharmacy outside the terminal. My fiend just told me, there is no line and it was quick. (This poor college student was not able to leave terminal because of her nationality.) My mom, then heads to outside the terminal to the pharmacy. The lady at the pharmacy gives my mom a quick swab, barely going into her nose (the one she got the first time was the one they swab all the way up your nose, the one that makes you cry) and then 15 min later, she lets her know she's negative! With that piece of paper, she goes back to the airline counter to reschedule her flight. She had to wait 2 hours in line. She was very fortunate that she was able to reschedule it for the next day. That day, she had arrived at the airport at 6:30am and by the time she was able to reschedule the flight, it was 3:30pm. An exhausting day.
She was finally was able to board the plane and make it home! Her one week Paris trip ended up being 3 weeks.
"When I found out my PCR test was positive two days before my return flight, I thought it was a nightmare.
When I had to struggle for two weeks to find out how I can go home, I though it was the worst experience of my life.
I told God with tears, "I need to go home to take care of my daughter. She needs me!" But I had to keep postponing my return flight due to various reasons. Finally, I came back home and saw my daughter one week after her first chemo. I was very grateful that when I could not help her, my husband and my children were able to help her.
When I look back at the time I stayed at my friend's house in Paris, I see the many blessings God had provided.
My dearest friend Dominique and her husband were very kind and taking care of me very well. I stayed in a very spacious room with a great view and had French meals and deserts. Even though Dominque had a bad cold (I didn't have any symptoms), she called the French government many times and did all of the paper work. It was a wonderful blessings to be able to chat with her every day, even during the quarantine time. When we said good bye, she even told me she was happy that I was able to stay with her longer.
After I left Paris, the number of Covid-19 patients increased tremendously. If I had to stay any longer, I don't know if I would ever be able to come home. Now I know God provided me with a best friend, best fellowship, a wonderful room and best time with my friend when I was thinking it's the worst experience of my life because I didn't know when I could go home.
Now I am staying at my sick daughter's house and I don't know how long she will need my help. Learning from my time in Paris, I am sure when I look back at the days in Dallas several years later, I would say that this was a special time where I was blessed to be with my daughter's family."
Update:
I slept soundly from 11pm-7am, only waking up twice. I feel like my body is going back to it's old self! It's 9:30am right now and I'm thinking I could use another nap. 😁
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Ever since about High School, I LOVE to sleep. My family called me "sleeping beast" because if they woke me up, it apparently was not very pretty.
By God's Grace, today I felt the best than I have felt in a long time!
No nausea. My stomach has gotten smaller. My swelling in my legs went down. I could eat more without feeling ill. I genuinely felt good!
When I was first diagnosed, I weighed at 125 lbs. By the time I started my first chemo treatment few weeks later, I had ballooned to 146 lbs. My stomach had gotten that much bigger. Today, I weighed myself and I'm at 131 lbs! My stomach is still bloated but nothing like before. I think I look like 6 months pregnant instead of 9! I am so grateful!! I just feel so much better.
It has been a difficult journey. In the beginning there were so many unknowns, what treatment I will getting, how my children will react, how we can manage everyday life through all this, etc.
It is because of ALL of YOU we have been able to come this far. THANK YOU!
We could not have gotten where we are today without all of your prayers, thoughtful gifts, meals for our family, encouraging cards, emails, texts and all the love that you have showered on my family. No words can express how grateful we are. With all of you, you have helped us carry our burden, encouraged us during my "bad days" and rejoiced with us when my health had improved.
I'm sorry I have not been able to personally thank some of you. Please know that we are truly grateful all you have done for us.
Thank you for being on this journey with me.
I feel so much better today. YAY!!!
I started my 3rd round of chemo on Sunday.
