Butterfly Sparks Designs

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Chemo Round #5

Hi friends,

Just posting a quick update to let you know how Treatment Round #5 went today. I arrived at the office at 8:30 and left at 4:00. Everything went great. The day was long becuase all my drugs rotated to be due on the same day. I received 3 chemo drugs, a bone strengthener, an antibiotic, and avastin - the one that impacts the blood to the tumors,plus all my pre- chemo drugs. It just took forever.


You may not know but I've been to the doctor's office a lot in the last three weeks. They determined that the urinary tract infection was resistant to my oral antibiotics so after three rounds of those - they put me on a ten day regimen of rosefin(sp) which is given by iv. So I've been driving to the doctor's office every single day since last Tuesday. I've not had a lot of side effects except I do feel more tired.


My doctor finally gave me some hint as to his plan for the next season. First of all they are scheduling a pet scan for October 7th. Bottom line is no firm decisions about timing of future treatment will be decided until that tests is complete. I asked him about chemo and he said he is planning 8 sessions. That means my last session would be on November 18th, I think. If the pet scan reveals my hip is doing well - then we'll stop avastin for the month of December and probably plan surgery for January. If my hip is not responding as well as the tumor in my breast - we'll make changes in the treatment plan, but delay surgery. I learned today that you can only take so much of the "blood of Jesus" so I'll be finishing that particular drug at 7 or 8 sessions. So I know a little more about what's going on in my doctor's head, but in the end no decisions will be made without further testing.


So bottom line, I'm hoping for an easy weekend and a quick recovery! I'm working the Pink Boomer Luncheon tomorrow morning and really looking forward to it! After that I'm home for awhile.


Prayer needs:

1) Two of my boys have been sick with cold like symptoms this week. They each missed some school. Please pray they are well before the weekend so I won't be totally confined to my room.

2) My mother in law Molly has been having a bad stretch again. So weak and so tired.

3) Please pray for Mark. He is an independent storm adjuster for a company that represents State Farm. He's been working from home for 19 months. He's currently working the tail end of busy storm season in the metroplex, but the work is thinning out. He could be released from his assignments at any time. This means he'd be home waiting on another storm and could be sent anywhere in the US. It's been a miracle that he's worked out of the Dallas offices for 19 months - never heard of that before. We need the miracle to continue!

4) Do you mind praying for Ashley? She turned 19 this week - wow! The prayer request is for her studies. Next week she has four tests in a row plus her work. She needs an excellent GPA this semester. We still haven't heard about her financial aid requests either. Praying for favor in this area as well.


Thanks for being such a good friend! I hope to return the favor to you!

Love,
Jan

3 comments:

Melissa Terry said...

Beloved Jan,

Thank you for keeping us updated! It is desperately needed in the place of prayer and I so appreciate you sharing the requests for the rest of the family too! We are standing with you and believing for continued miracles on all fronts.

I love you!

marsia said...

Hey friend~ just checking on you and all of team greenwood! I'm hopeful for all of the good and standing firmly against all of the bad. love your precious family and will continue to pray for favor and miracles in every area. I love you and just want to make sure that you know. I know you know but, you know. much love~m

minda312 said...

Jan-
reading this post- a couple days late- so is it weird for me to ask if all the recent storms created some more work for Mark?!?! :-) I'm praying it did!!!

love.