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.
Liposomal glutathione is a supplement that helps to boost the immune system and combat oxidative stress. It’s an especially helpful supplement for cancer patients as it can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Let’s take a closer look at what liposomal glutathione is and how it can benefit you.
What Is Liposomal Glutathione?
Liposomal glutathione is a supplement made from liposomes, which are tiny bubbles filled with liquid nutrient like vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants. It also contains glutathione, which is an antioxidant that helps combat environmental toxins, boosts the immune system, and reduces inflammation in cells. The liposomes make it easy for the body to absorb more of the nutrient quickly and efficiently.
There are numerous benefits to taking liposomal glutathione (here are just 7):
1) Protects Against Oxidative Stress: Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. This can lead to cell damage, inflammation, and even cancer itself. By taking liposomal glutathione, you can protect your cells from oxidative damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
2) Boosts Immune System Function: The antioxidants in liposomal glutathione help boost the immune system so your body can better fight off infections or illnesses while undergoing treatment for cancer.
3) Reduces Side Effects Of Chemotherapy And Radiation Treatments: Many cancer patients suffer from nausea, fatigue, hair loss, stomach pain, skin irritation or other side effects. Taking liposomal glutathione can reduce these side effects so you feel better during your treatments.
4) Improves Energy And Cognitive Functioning: Liposomal glutathione helps improve energy levels by boosting oxygen uptake in cells and providing your body with more energy-producing nutrients like B vitamins. It also helps improve cognitive functioning by reducing inflammation in brain cells which improves memory and concentration levels.
5) Increases Production Of Healthy Cells: The antioxidants in a liposomal glutathione supplement help increase production of healthy cells while decreasing production of unhealthy ones that could lead to further health problems down the road.
6) Prevents Skin Damage From Radiation Treatments: Radiation treatments can cause skin irritation or discoloration in some cases but taking a liposomal glutathione supplement before treatment can actually prevent this damage from occurring.
7) Prevents Hair Loss During Treatment: Chemotherapy drugs often cause hair loss but taking a liposome supplement beforehand can help prevent this from happening as well as stimulate new hair growth after treatment has finished up.
As you can see, taking a liposome glutathione supplement has many benefits for cancer patients including protecting against oxidative stress, boosting the immune system function, reducing side effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments, improving energy levels and cognitive functioning, increasing production of healthy cells, preventing skin damage from radiation treatments, and preventing hair loss during treatment periods. If you’re currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer then talk to your doctor about incorporating a liposomal glutathione into your diet today!
*The glutathione that I use is from Quicksilver Scientific and can only be bought from a healthcare practitioner. Reach out if you need help getting this product.
Thanks for continuing to support me and my family during all this. We truly do appreciate each and everyone of you!
About three days after chemo the leg(bone) pains started in. This time around I had pain not only at night but during the day too. I'm not going to lie, it was rough for me. I had to make the decision on a few occasions to take the pain prescriptions that I don't like to take due to their side effects, just so I could get some rest.
Wednesday I woke up and my legs didn't hurt. I thought this is going to be a great day. I got ready for the day. Then I started to feel dizzy and I passed out. Like sprawled out on the floor not sure what happened. Luckily for me a friend was here and she helped get me to the couch where I proceeded to rest for the morning. I'm ok except for a really big bruised left knee and some sore muscles.
That afternoon I had an appointment with my pain doctor. I told him about the incident, so he did an exam. He said all was good and that I needed to remember that my body is going through a lot right now. He was going to write up his report and send it to my oncologist for me so it can be monitored.
On Friday I had another PET/CT Scan. The results are in. As far as we can tell from the report all cancer has shrunk by at least 50%!!! Praise God!!! My oncologist will go over the results when I see her in a week and a half unless she calls me this week.
Prayers:
- For the tingling/numbness in my feet and hands to get better with laser treatment.
- For chemo to completely remove ALL cancer from my body
- For answers to the cause of Devin's abdominal pain. He is trying another new prescription this week.
Pic is a random one from Pixabay that I found. Maybe someday I will get a pic of me in a sunflower field!
Chemo number three is in the books. When I went Wednesday morning to get my blood work done prior to the chemo they had some trouble accessing a vein. It took them three tries. This is very common in chemo patients. As the treatments go on it gets harder to get a vein accessed. The nurse who was working with me was new so after the first poke she went to get me someone more experienced. This nurse also had some trouble and gave me two more pokes. The words "we might need to put a port in soon," was talked about. I really don't want a port if I can keep from it. So, we were given the go ahead to try some alternative therapies for three weeks to try to get my veins working better again. I will talk more about this in another post soon.
Today I went to my first acupuncture treatment. It went well. This was something that my oncologist wanted me to try for four sessions to see if it can help me with some side effects from the chemo. Mainly, constipation and the tingling in my fingers and toes. So keep your fingers crossed!
Prayer Requests:
- I am heading into the 3-4 days of nightly leg pain that comes after chemo. Praying that it doesn't keep me awake at night.
Praise:
Kylie had to take her written drivers test twice but she passed it earlier today!!! We are so proud of her. This gives her her permit for the next year to practice on the road to be able to take her driving test.
Its been a pretty uneventful week. Which is good. I was able to stay healthy while my white blood cell count was low. I was also able to catch up on some sleep and with the warm sunny weather get some walks in with the dogs.
Devin had me start taking a liposomal glutathione this month. What is this good for you might ask? Glutathione is essential for the immune system's proper functioning and is vital in building and repairing tissue. It acts as an important antioxidant, the only antioxidant that doesn't interfere with chemo, which helps protect your body from damage to cells caused by free radicals. I think this helped me to stay healthy while my daughter got a 24 hour stomach bug a few days ago.
Devin didn't find out anything at his doctors appointment last Friday. They did an exam and set him up for some follow up testing later in the month. So far the antispasmodic prescription he was put on has kept the abdominal pain away. He has invested in some new cold lasers for the office and is starting to use them on himself. Our hopes are for this to help heal him at the cellular level so he won't need to do further testing.
Tomorrow morning really early I will report for routine blood work to check all my levels. As long as everything is good I will then get my 3rd chemo infusion. If this month is the same as the last two, I will be pretty good for the first two days or so and then I will have a few rough nights with some bone pain. I have a couple different homeopathic remedies to try out this time around. So we will see how that goes. I will keep you posted.
Prayers:
- That the lasers will help to heal Devin of his abdominal pain
- That I will be able to find something to help with my bone pain
PS the pic is of our cherry tree in our front yard. I think it is pretty.
