Prayer request

We're all keeping y'all, especially Elaine, in our thoughts and prayers Don.
 
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Millie said:
If she needs to talk to someone who went thru the cancer journey we can work that out. I hope she has a good sense of humor....she's gonna need it! I'd like to help if she needs to vent or whatever.
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She about had her surgeon rolling in the floor yesterday during the follow up exam so yeah, she's got a sense of humor. And thank you very much for offering to talk to her! I'll pass that along.
 
Don said:
She about had her surgeon rolling in the floor yesterday during the follow up exam so yeah, she's got a sense of humor. And thank you very much for offering to talk to her! I'll pass that along.
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She can do email, phone, text, forum...however she's comfortable.
 
Well we spent most of the morning at the hospital getting her CT scan and bone scan done. I got a call from the oncologist's nurse saying that we had an appointment tomorrow at 11:30. Then someone must have figured out that we were at the hospital because she called back and said to just come over to the Breast Center and he would see her to discuss the results of the test he had run on the breast tissue.

Long story short: He had told us that if the score on the test was under 25, he wouldn't recommend chemo. If it was over 25, he would. Guess who's score is exactly 25...

He's recommending a 4 dose regiment of chemo. I'm looking at the graph and going "Ok, with a score of 25 there is a projected 17% chance of cancer coming back somewhere else in her body if she takes the estrogen suppression pills. With a score of 24, where he wouldn't have recommended chemo, it's a 15.x% chance. So for a gain of 1.x% she needs to take chemo? WTH???" (Now with the chemo the projected chance drops to 7% but still...)

I've told her that if it was me, I'd play the odds; but that I will support the decision she makes.

So.........at this point we are waiting for the results of the CT and bone scans and she is deciding about the chemo.
 
Don said:
Well we spent most of the morning at the hospital getting her CT scan and bone scan done. I got a call from the oncologist's nurse saying that we had an appointment tomorrow at 11:30. Then someone must have figured out that we were at the hospital because she called back and said to just come over to the Breast Center and he would see her to discuss the results of the test he had run on the breast tissue.

Long story short: He had told us that if the score on the test was under 25, he wouldn't recommend chemo. If it was over 25, he would. Guess who's score is exactly 25...

He's recommending a 4 dose regiment of chemo. I'm looking at the graph and going "Ok, with a score of 25 there is a projected 17% chance of cancer coming back somewhere else in her body if she takes the estrogen suppression pills. With a score of 24, where he wouldn't have recommended chemo, it's a 15.x% chance. So for a gain of 1.x% she needs to take chemo? WTH???" (Now with the chemo the projected chance drops to 7% but still...)

I've told her that if it was me, I'd play the odds; but that I will support the decision she makes.

So.........at this point we are waiting for the results of the CT and bone scans and she is deciding about the chemo.
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Sounds like you gave her a sound opinion to me, Don.
 
Don said:
Well we spent most of the morning at the hospital getting her CT scan and bone scan done. I got a call from the oncologist's nurse saying that we had an appointment tomorrow at 11:30. Then someone must have figured out that we were at the hospital because she called back and said to just come over to the Breast Center and he would see her to discuss the results of the test he had run on the breast tissue.

Long story short: He had told us that if the score on the test was under 25, he wouldn't recommend chemo. If it was over 25, he would. Guess who's score is exactly 25...

He's recommending a 4 dose regiment of chemo. I'm looking at the graph and going "Ok, with a score of 25 there is a projected 17% chance of cancer coming back somewhere else in her body if she takes the estrogen suppression pills. With a score of 24, where he wouldn't have recommended chemo, it's a 15.x% chance. So for a gain of 1.x% she needs to take chemo? WTH???" (Now with the chemo the projected chance drops to 7% but still...)

I've told her that if it was me, I'd play the odds; but that I will support the decision she makes.

So.........at this point we are waiting for the results of the CT and bone scans and she is deciding about the chemo.
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Well, with all the issues I still have because of chemo I'd still do the exact same thing! Mine was stage 2, HER+++ ( very aggressive!),ER-PR neg. I told them to gimme what they had! I was on 4 kinds of stuff over 15 months....pretty tough stuff, but that was in late 2004, and here I still am!!! I was lucky enough to get into a trial of herceptin, which cuts recurrence way down....so far so good! I've been so lucky! I wish her the best in making such tough choices.....I'm here if she needs to rant!!!
 
Update: we got the results of the CAT scan and the bone scan back today: NO SIGN of any metastatic (cancer) disease any where else in her body!!!

Now she's still considering chemo, but at least we've got this going for us.

I'm getting quietly drunk tonight...
 
Don said:
Update: we got the results of the CAT scan and the bone scan back today: NO SIGN of any metastatic (cancer) disease any where else in her body!!!

Now she's still considering chemo, but at least we've got this going for us.

I'm getting quietly drunk tonight...
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I'm so happy to hear that!!! Whew! If she decides on chemo, depending on which type, she can ask me or the girls at bcsupport.org. I've got plenty to say about several kinds...lol.
 
Sitting with Elaine in the hospital waiting for her to be taken back to have the chemo port "installed". Will update later this afternoon.
 
Y'all are in good hands. Keep us updated.
 
Just spoke to the Dr. She came through the procedure just fine. He also removed the last drain tube from the mastectomy. He said I could probably see her in about 45 minutes. He also said that she could shower in 24 hours. She's going to love that!

Thanks to all for the prayers!!
 
Don said:
Sitting with Elaine in the hospital waiting for her to be taken back to have the chemo port "installed". Will update later this afternoon.
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Well, the port is a good idea....makes things easier. I kept mine for a couple of years after chemo was done, just in case, but it got annoying after awhile, plus I had to go have it flushed every week... Made it harder to forget the whole nightmare and get on with my life. So out it came. I'm sure she'll do fine! Have her contact me if she needs to, though! Wishing you both the best!
 
I don't know how I missed this thread. I just finished praying that 1) the cancer will be healed/eliminated/destroyed 2) That the presence of Christ will be with you, your wife and family 3) that this will sharpen your focus and joy at the thought of the age where all effects of "the big ugly" are gone.
 
Don said:
Elaine had her first chemo session today. So far you wouldn't know she'd even had an infusion! Just hope it stays this way...
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Me too...after my first one I felt pretty frisky and got a cheeseburger on the way home.....big mistake! My food choices got pretty limited in short order. Lol. I hope they have better anti nausea drugs now! I ended up using the "all natural" option for nausea, sleep and anxiety relief... Lol. I fervently pray her side effects are minimal and the chemo does its work well.
 
Don, I'll be praying too. My first infusion went pretty well too, then after the worst side effects were the cold sensitivity and neuropathy in my hands and feet (still have the neuropathy in my feet).
I was only able to tolerate 3 infusions, the rest of the chemo was pill-based. Even then they had to stop after 6 cycles due to low platelet counts, but for me it worked.
I sincerely pray Elaine will do better than I tolerating the drugs.

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Don said:
That's an option for her too. She's also going to try crystallized ginger for the nausea.
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I tried everything before a friend said try the "other" natural remedy... I had a speech all planned for the court if I needed it. This was ages ago, not sure I'd do it again! But it helped more than the fancy pills.
 
Oneofsix said:
Don, I'll be praying too. My first infusion went pretty well too, then after the worst side effects were the cold sensitivity and neuropathy in my hands and feet (still have the neuropathy in my feet).
I was only able to tolerate 3 infusions, the rest of the chemo was pill-based. Even then they had to stop after 6 cycles due to low platelet counts, but for me it worked.
I sincerely pray Elaine will do better than I tolerating the drugs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120AZ using Tapatalk
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Isn't the neuropathy awful. Even a decade + later, I still have it! Not sure I'd do Taxol again if I have a recurrence. Did a year of herceptin to keep recurrence chances low-ish.
 
I actually felt bad and STILL do that my experience didn't seem to be that bad. My onco told me the neuropathy could last a year...
The infusion drug I had was oxalaplatin and the pills were Xeloda (capcetabine).


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Oneofsix said:
I actually felt bad and STILL do that my experience didn't seem to be that bad. My onco told me the neuropathy could last a year...
The infusion drug I had was oxalaplatin and the pills were Xeloda (capcetabine).


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120AZ using Tapatalk
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I've resigned myself to living with the hip pain and neuropathy. I don't think it's going away! But I'm happy with the chemo choices I made...so far no recurrence. I'm grateful, because I know lots of people who are dealing with it again! But I was "lucky" enough to have the kind of cancer that allowed me to take herceptin. The recurrences I personally know of didn't have the HER-2+++ type...that does make me feel pretty bad.
 
Keep us updated, @Don .
 
She's got 'em Don.
 
Prayers for a great week. Please share our thoughts with her Don.
 
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