Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! I feel the prayers daily.
This last week is a bit of a blur. The weeks seem to be flying by right now. I guess because I have so many doctors appointments.
On Tuesday I went to see Dr Patt (Orthopedic). I kept telling him that it hurts where my left leg connects to my body, especially when I am walking. He kept saying you mean your butt. LOL! So he took some x-rays and confirmed what my oncologist had suspected. I have several micro fractures in my left ischium. Which is the bone that you sit on. Essentially your butt. That is one of the bones that had cancer from the metastasis. He explained that the cancer ate the bone and left holes in its place and now that the cancer is shrinking in that area it is leaving the bone very fragile. When I walk the muscles that attach there pull on the bone causing the pain that I am having. He said that time will heal the bone but until then he prescribed me a cane to use if I feel I need one. I am also going to be starting on some different calcium supplements as I know that I don't get enough nutrition through the foods I eat.
Wednesday was chemo infusion day. My friend Kim went with me to keep me company and also so that Devin could work. We left the house at 6:30AM and got back at 6:30PM. Long day! When we arrived I had my port accessed for my blood draw with no problems. Then we went to talk with Dr Brown (oncologist). All my blood numbers were good except my thyroid. My TSH levels had doubled in three weeks. That means that my thyroid is under attack. We knew that from my previous round of chemo and blood draw. That is why she set me up to see an endocrinologist. I am so thankful that they watch my blood work so closely.
On Friday I went to see Dr Sudhakar (endocrinologist). She looked over my thyroid blood numbers and confirmed that I need a prescription of Levothyroxin to help my thyroid. She said that my thyroid is in a hypo or underacting state. This makes sense to me since I gained 7 lbs in 2 weeks and I wasn't eating as much as I had been. Plus I have been tired more lately. This is happening because my immunotherapy drug (Keytruda) is attacking my thyroid. She will follow up with me in 6 weeks to see if we need to increase my dose or not.
Yesterday we went to the mall because some of us needed some shorts as the weather is getting warmer out. It was nice to spend time with the family even if I do detest shopping. I'd rather shop from the comfort of my couch, as long as I can get free shipping.
I have added a new therapy to my daily routine. It is called a BioMat. It is used to help keep healthy cells in my body healthy and kill off the cancer cells. Plus it will help to raise my body temperature which normally runs 97.8 degrees. There has been scientific evidence that shows that a low body temperature is related to sickness and disease. I will write a blog post about it in a few weeks after I have used it for a bit.
Prayers:
- Continued prayers for my bone pain in my legs ( the ones I get following chemo for a few days) So far it is contained to just my feet this time around.
- Prayers that my body can restrengthen my ischium to repair the micro fractures.
- That my thyroid would get straightened out and that the Keytruda will stop its attack on it.
Praise: Devin seems to be doing really well on his new supplements for his stomach and hasn't taken any prescriptions in almost 8 weeks. He has had two mild cases of stomach pain in that time but it was manageable.
Pic: My friend Kim and I at my infusion on Wednesday.
This week was a complete blur. I was either busy or sleeping. It was also spring break for us. On Tuesday we had a family day and went into Charlotte. It was a beautiful day, sunny and 72 degrees. We ate lunch at Cabo Fish Taco and then rode the Lynx into uptown where we explored the Charlotte Shout art exhibits. Here is some of the art we saw.
Wednesday I had another acupuncture treatment. It always leaves me feeling really relaxed. I'm still not sure if it is helping my neuropathy or not. But to be fair I wasn't able to get in every week for four weeks. It ended up being about every two weeks instead. By the time I got home from this treatment I started to feel awful. I ended up with a slight sore throat and went to bed early. When I woke up Thursday morning I was so congested and still felt tired. I went back to sleep and slept most of the day. I never ran a fever fortunately. So all was good.
Friday I got my port put in. I felt your prayers and was calm. The surgical site was a little sore later in the day after the anesthesia wore off.
Saturday I attended another nutrition continuing education seminar and got another 6 hours done. That's 12 of the 18 hours I need for the year. My port site was very sore so I took some Ibuprofen to alleviate the pain and that helped.
Prayers:
- For answers as to why my left leg has been hurting so bad. I see ortho on Tuesday.
- For a good infusion on Wednesday.
- For answers for my thyroid on Friday when I see an endocrinologist.
PS the pic is from breakfast this AM. I was drinking fresh squeezed OJ. YUM!
Happy Easter! HE has RISEN!
The prayers worked! Thank you! I didn't have leg pain like I normally do after chemo. Praise God! I did have foot discomfort though for two days. It felt like I was walking on rocks. I'm thinking that has more to do with the neuropathy than from the chemo. I also felt kind of dizzy for about 3 days. So I just laid low and read a book.
I'm going to be real with you for a bit. I felt frustrated this week. Human limitations were at play and have been for awhile but this week it left me feeling frustrated. I get very tired doing anything. Getting ready for the day tires me out and makes me have to rest for about 20 - 30 minutes before I can do anything else. Any time I exert any energy doing anything requires me to sit down and take a break after. I know that it is what it is, but I don't get as much done as I would like. Devin always reminds me that my only job right now is to rest and heal but I still like to help out around the house when I can.
I didn't have any appointments this week which was a nice break. Next week is jam packed!
Prayers:
- That I will not get anxious about getting my port next Friday.
- That I will recognize that the human limitations I am having are only temporary.
- That Devin will continue to not have stomach pains. He seems to be doing well with the new supplements.
As many of you know cold laser therapy is one of the many treatments that I am using during my cancer journey. It is helping my neuropathy in my hands and feet. Here is why I am using it and why you might want to consider using it too.
Cold laser therapy is an increasingly popular form of treatment for a variety of medical conditions. It's non-invasive, pain-free, and requires no downtime. But what are the real benefits of this type of therapy? Let's take a look at five ways cold laser therapy can help you feel better and improve your quality of life.
1. Reduced Pain & Inflammation
Cold laser therapy has been proven to reduce inflammation and decrease pain by targeting tissue cells with low levels of light energy. This energy helps to stimulate the body’s natural healing process and reduce inflammation in the affected area. It also increases blood flow, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach the tissues that need it most. As a result, pain is reduced and the body’s natural healing mechanisms can kick into gear more quickly.
2. Improved Flexibility & Mobility
Cold laser therapy can also help improve flexibility and mobility by reducing stiffness in joints and muscles. By increasing circulation to these areas, cold laser therapy helps to improve range of motion in joints and muscles, allowing you to move more easily with less discomfort or pain. This makes it ideal for those who suffer from arthritis or other inflammatory joint conditions such as bursitis or tendonitis.
3. Speeds Up Healing Time
One major benefit of cold laser therapy is that it speeds up the healing process significantly compared to other forms of treatment like medications or physical therapies. Research has shown that cold laser treatments can help wounds heal faster without scarring or damage to surrounding tissue due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, because it doesn’t require any downtime after treatment sessions, patients can get back to their normal activities much sooner than they would with other forms of treatment.
4. Faster Recovery After Injury
Cold laser therapy is also beneficial for those who have recently suffered an injury such as a sprain or strain as it helps reduce swelling and inflammation while stimulating the body’s natural healing processes. This speeds up recovery time so that patients can return to their normal activities sooner rather than later, reducing long-term physical effects from their injury such as stiffness or loss of range of motion in affected areas.
5. Increased Blood Flow
Finally, one major benefit of cold laser therapy is that it increases blood flow throughout the body by stimulating capillaries near the treatment area which then carry oxygenated blood throughout the body quicker than usual. This increase in circulation carries vital nutrients needed for repair directly to injured tissues which allows them to recover faster without any external intervention from medication or physical therapies required on your part.
Cold laser therapy has many benefits including reduced pain and inflammation, improved flexibility and mobility, faster healing time after injury, increased blood flow throughout the body, and much more! If you are looking for an effective way to treat chronic illnesses or injuries without any downtime required on your part then this may be just what you need! Talk with your doctor today about how cold laser therapy could help you feel better faster! And if you are in the Denver, NC area reach out because I have a wonderful Dr you can go see.
As always I can't thank all of you enough. I wouldn't be where I am without your continued prayers!
Wednesday was a long day. I had my pre chemo blood draw early in the morning. Then we met with my oncologist Dr Brown before my infusion. This was the first we had seen her since my PET/CT scan. She went over all the scans with us and was very excited at my outcome. Just like what we had read on the report all cancer in my body was decreased by 50% or more and some were in normal range or completely resolved! PRAISE GOD!!!
Some other things we discussed with Dr Brown were that in the last week before my chemo infusion my left leg pain that I had initially before I was diagnosed with cancer had returned. It had previously gone away sometime during my radiation treatments. She talked with us about how the bone remodels during treatment and that sometimes fractures can occur. She is referring me to Orthopedics for further testing. I have to say though that since my infusion on Wednesday the pain in my leg has gotten better. I will still have it checked out further. Dr Brown is also referring me to an Endocrinologist to have my thyroid checked out. My blood work on Wednesday showed that my immunotherapy drug Keytruda is attacking my healthy cells in my thyroid. She assured me that a prescription for thyroid medicine will fix it, so we can continue with the immunotherapy drug. I'm scheduled to see the endocrinologist on the 21st. We did decide to lower my dose of one of the other chemo drugs that causes neuropathy(tingling/numbness) in the hands and feet. My hands have responded very well to the laser treatments we have been doing for the neuropathy but my feet aren't. We are doing this to keep my feet from getting worse. Once I start to experience pain in my feet I have been told there is no reversing the damage and we want to try to keep that from happening. Dr Brown said that lowering this drug dose won't affect my great outcome with the cancer. So we are relieved about that!
The last thing we talked about with Dr Brown was about a port implantation. I was hoping to avoid it but alas here we are. They have been having trouble accessing my veins the last two times(this is normal with chemo treatments) and the port will alleviate that. So I am scheduled to have that put in on the 14th.
Yesterday I had my third acupuncture treatment. I can't say that I have noticed much difference in my symptoms but they do leave me very relaxed and in need of a nap. I do like feeling relaxed!
Prayers:
- That the bone pain in my legs that I have been getting following my chemo treatments would subside or not come at all! It usually happens about 3-4 days after my chemo. So today or tomorrow. We shall see.
- That I won't get anxious about getting a port. It is a surgical procedure and they said I would be under for about an hour. I've only ever been put under once in my life. For my wisdom teeth removal as a teenager.
Update on Devin:
We just started him on some new supplements for GI health and are hoping this helps his gastritis. We should know in about 10 - 14 days if it will help. He has been doing pretty good as of late. No real bad attacks just some small stomach pains is all. He hasn't taken any prescriptions in about 10 days. Continued prayers for him as well.
PS. I wanted to make a handout to help people who are going through a rough day so I turned to my Facebook friends for help. Here is a compilation of things to do to help you through a rough day. Feel free to download it. I hope it brings you help in a time of need. Enjoy!
Luckily for me this has been a pretty uneventful week. I made it through my low white blood cell count without getting sick.
On Wednesday Devin and I went to get a second opinion at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital with Dr. Kelly. Only because I thought it would relieve some of Devin's stress and a friend of ours recommended Dr. Kelly to us. It was no surprise to me when he reviewed all my records and scans and told us that there was nothing about my care that he would change. He said I was doing really well with the course of care that Dr Brown had laid out for me.
Friday I had my second acupuncture treatment. So far I haven't really noticed any change in my symptoms. It does make me relaxed and very sleepy for the rest of the day.
Devin also had an appointment with a urologist this week. Everything checked out great. He got the all clear there too. No problems.
Yesterday I went to a Quick Response Nutrition Testing seminar. Just trying to get some of my continuing education hours in early this year. Last year I accidentally left all of them for December and it stressed me out getting them all in. Anyhow I learned about some supplements that we are going to order for Devin to see if he can get some relief for his stomach with them. I think they will help with the root cause instead of the bandaid response the prescriptions do. We will see.
I am set for my fourth chemo treatment on Wednesday. It surprises me how fast three weeks goes by. I do have an appointment with Dr. Brown before my treatment.
Prayers:
- That Dr. Brown will have some explanation about the leg pain I have been experiencing again this week. I haven't had this since I was in radiation. It is in an area that I have some cancer so not sure if the bone is remodeling or what is going on.
- That I will tolerate the chemo again. I was reminded that with each treatment since they have cumulative effects that the side effects might get to a point that we need to change things up or decrease doses.
- That the laser therapy we are doing keeps working. This is for my tingling and numbness in my feet and fingers.
Pic is of one of my dogs Noel because she was looking really cute! She doesn't leave my side most days.
