Blood Test #7 - Bilrubin back to NORMAL!!

 Praise God!  My bilrubin is back to normal! 

Thank you so much for all your prayers!!  This means my liver is functioning much better!!  

Also, my CEA number is down too 4 digits now!  8121.9!!

Thank you again for all your thoughts, support and prayers!  I wouldn't be able to get to where I am without all of you!  Thank you!

Carcinoembryonic Antigen Test (CEA)

I had an appointment with my oncologist today and he was very happy to see my CEA numbers going down as well!!  CEA test is used for some cancers as tumor markers.  CEA measures the protein in the blood.  Normal levels are below 5.  They use it to monitor how well the chemo is working.  Mine was 20,000 ng/mL in Nov and then went up to 26,000 ng/mL on 1/14 ( before Chemo #4).

Then after Chemo #4 it went down by 20%.  After Chemo #5 (with the stronger chemo), it went down by another  38%!  Wohoo!!!!  This is great news!!

Thank you again for all your prayers and support!  It's such a blessing that I have all you guys to be rejoicing with me!!  

Can't wait for blood test on Friday!!  Hopefully, more amazing news!!

Fort Worth Judo & Zoo

We headed out to Fort Worth this weekend for a Judo tournament that Hannah and Nathan competed in.  We made it into a weekend family trip.  It was another first since Cancer!

They had their tournament on Saturday and both of them did well.  Hannah got first out of 3 girls and Nathan won 2 out of 5 matches.  Afterwards, we went out for BBQ and then tried to go swimming in the hotel swimming pool.  However, we found out it was an "indoor" swimming pool but not a "heated indoor" swimming pool. We put our toes in the freezing cold pool and then headed back to our room.  Then we enjoyed laughing together watching the "ugliest house" in America on HGTV!

On Sunday, we headed out to the Fort Worth Zoo.  The weather was perfect and we enjoyed seeing all the different animals.  My kids enjoyed pushing me around in the wheel chair.  I felt like I was teaching my kids how to drive as I yelled - "slow down!", "Ahhhh .. don't hit/ram people", "don't get too close because they may stop all of a sudden!".  Afterwards, we headed out to ice cream and I think I had a little too much.  Ooops ... it gave me some diaharea at night.  😅

Very grateful that we were able to go out and spend time together.  My kids favorite animal at the zoo  - the Hippo and the baby elephant!

Chemo #6

 Chemo #6 went pretty much as expected.  I had dizziness again on Sunday, which subsided by 8pm.  I just slept it off till then. Then nausea on Monday.  However, since I knew nausea was coming on Monday, I was able to pre-empt it by taking my anti-nausea medication starting on Sunday, that helped a lot.  By Tuesday, the nausea was gone!  On Tuesday, I had to go in to get some IV fluids and to disconnect the chemo from my port.  We were going to try the IV fluids to see if that would increase my energy but instead, I had to go pee like 4 times on Tuesday night.  I think I might forgo this IV fluid next time and get some rest at night instead!

I'm halfway there!  The plan is to have 12 rounds of Chemo and then go from there.

My kids have a judo tournament in Fort Worth this weekend.  We are thinking of making a weekend trip out of it.  Maybe go to the zoo on Sunday after the tournament.  I'll probably be in a wheel chair but just a month ago, I wouldn't even consider going!  God is Good.

Thank you for all you continued prayers!  I feel soo supported by everyone that it brings tears to my eyes!!   Thank you!

Blood Test #6

 Wohoo!!  We are down too 1.6 for my bilirubin!!  Only 0.3 to go to get to "normal" levels (1.3).

I've had so much more energy and stamina this week!  First time since chemo, 

• I've gone grocery shopping to Aldi and Kroger
• Went out to eat with friends for lunch
• Drive myself to the doctor's office to get blood drawn
• Gone out to get shaved ice with my kids after going to the playground

It's funny though.  If I do too much, my body basically tells me "no more" and I get really sleepy and tired.  One day, my body said "no more" and I took a nap from 6pm to 10pm.  Then still fell asleep at midnight till then next morning.  Trying not to do too much but also, trying to do more to gain more stamina and strength back.

Thank you so much for all your prayers!  Everyday I feel like I am getting stronger.  I really feel all the love and support from all of you!

Lots of Things to be Thankful For

This week's first highlight is, of course, the 2 snow days!  On those days, I felt like it was the first time in a while, I was doing "mother" stuff - like finding their snow boots, mittens, plastic bin to slide down a hill and making some hot chocolate when they came home.  It felt great that I had enough energy to do those things.  Until then, my "mothering' was lying on the couch and yelling at my kids to get ready for school while my mom made breakfast.  😓

This week is also the first time, I moved from sleeping on the couch to sleeping in my own bed!  It was the first time I slept through the night too!  Wohoo!!

My youngest son, Daniel, loves the gigantic pancakes at Maple Leaf.  He's been asking to go there for the past month.  We went there as a family for the first time since I started my Chemo treatments this morning!  I could barely sit at the table for 10 min after my first Chemo treatment.  What a blessing it is to be able to eat together as a family again!

I pulled up some photo's from November to today.  I didn't want to take pics while I had the gigantic stomach but now I wish I did.  It was a good reminder of where I started and where I am now.  I am so grateful for where I am now with more energy, no gigantic stomach and only a couple of "bad" days after chemo treatment.

There have been lots of "first" this week!  Thank you again for all of you that have continued to support us during this journey.  It's really been one step at a time and I really appreciate all the support, prayers and encouragement from all of you to lighten the burden on this journey.  Thank you so much!!

 

11/20/21 - Around the time I was first diagnosed.

New Years 2022 - Right before Chemo #3 when my stomach was still big.

First time going out after starting chemo treatments.

Chemo #5

Update: Snow did come!  Two days of snow days.  Pic of them playing with a neighbor!  2 boys and the Eskimo is my kids.  They are having tons of fun and we haven't lost electricity!  Wohoo!