What's new in the life of the Warrens

It has been a little bit since I have posted, so here is the update for us. My 6 month check up at the oncologist went really well! My exam looked good and my lab results were are normal. I am still on the Tamoxifen twice daily to block any estrogen, which feeds my cancer. This drug actually started to give me horrible joint pain. The pain was the worse in the morning and in my ankles. When I got out of bed in the morning, it felt like I was walking on two broken ankles. Unfortunately, the oncologist said this is a known side effect from Tamoxifen. Ibuprofen, Aleve, Tylenol, massages weren't working. The oncologist didn't have any other options. So I tried acupuncture, and after only one session, I was feeling amazing! I couldn't believe it! Keoni Teta is now my naturopathic Doctor. He does my acupuncture now only once every three weeks. I am on some herbal supplements to help my joint pain as well. Wil calls him my witch doctor but all in a joking matter. We are throwing any and everything at this cancer to keep it away for good.

So what a surprise, this isn't the only kink in my health lately. Right after my 6 month follow up, I had my yearly exam by my primary Doctor. He saw that my thyroid was enlarged and sent me for an ultrasound. My lab functions were normal but I was diagnosed with a multicystic goiter. Dr. Hess believed that my thryroid got a lot of chemo in the last three years, so to be able to continue to put out the same amount of hormones, it made itself bigger. I went to an endocrinologist, who Wil and I both love, Dr. Trujilio. Wil loves his accent (he is from Columbia) and could listen to him all day. He said that one of the cysts could be ok or could be bad, but is too small to biopsy. So I was started on Synthroid to take some of the pressure off of my thyroid to produce it. I will have a repeat ultrasound in another 4 months. The cyst is 0.9 cm right now and they don't biopsy until 1 cm large. Since starting the Synthroid, I have more energy!

Thank you for the continued prayers and all who came to the Athena's Run this year!

3 Month Checkup

Wil and I both feel weird when we don't go to the Cancer Center for awhile. We have been so use to going almost every week, and now we only go every 6 weeks or so.

Enjoying a local baseball game

I had labs and an exam this past Monday with my oncologist, Dr. Skinner. My labs looked great! My CA-125 (my blood marker that doesn't really react with my tumors) was 4.7. Before surgery the second time it was around 7. My potassium level is finally normal but I'm still having to take 2 horse pills twice a day for them. Dr. Skinner said my exam looked the best that it has been. She is looking into another blood cancer marker that MD Anderson has been researching to see if I'm a candidate for it.

My hair is growing back in! It came in like this last time, soft and straight. It was only after it got some length, did it start to curl. We will see what it does this time! I'm happy to have eyelashes and my eyebrows back! I didn't mind the bald head as much as not having those.

I still have my port-a-cath in. I plan on keeping it for awhile. I have to go get it flushed every 6 weeks to keep it patent. It flushed great on Monday, thanks to my great nurse and friend, Lydia :) My port is still hard to access since it is tilted. There are few that I trust to access me, and she is the best!

Wil and I are still trying to eat healthy and get back into shape. My "yay we finished chemo" present was a FitBit Charge HR. I absolutely love it, especially when I am in competitions with people. It motivates me to get my steps in and be more active.

Thanks for all of the continued prayers. Please pray for my good friends, Tracy and Kim. I am close with both of them and have known them since my first bout with cancer. Tracy is battling a port infection and cancer yet again. Kim's cancer has come back and started a new chemo but her cancer has spread to her liver.

Got to see our friend Tracy when I got my port flushed

Treatment is completed, now what??

When we were first diagnosed with cancer 2 1/2 years ago, we went straight into "fight mode." When chemo was finished, we still went once a week for the clinical trial infusion. This finished last June and we had almost 2 months of NO treatments before my recurrence. Wil and I are used to doing something, anything to actively fight the cancer or from it coming back.

Now we are in a new stage, uncharted territory for us. I take Tamoxifen, an oral estrogen blocker, twice a day and we are eating healthier and both of us are losing weight. It still feels strange not going to the cancer center every Monday.

As many of you may have read, I am an open book. This blog started out as an easier way to just keep loved ones updated weekly with our condition and treatments. This has become a way for me to reach out to other survivors who may be following behind me. There are some things that you don't think about or don't know about until you are forced into the cancer world. One of these topics is what Wil and I call "survivor's guilt."

I have had my moments when I ask God, "Why me?" but the majority of the time, I think, "well why NOT me?" The connection that you instantly have with other survivors, especially ones fighting the same type of cancer, is truly amazing. It is a sisterhood or brotherhood. Wil has strong connections with the co-survivors, whether that be a husband, boyfriend, or family. We wouldn't be able to influence these people's lives without having walked that path ourselves.

So back to survivors guilt now. Since we are so closely tied into the cancer community, when things are going well for us, we feel guilty. There are so many of our friends that we know that are fighting this battle for the third and fourth time, or that their cancer is much more involved than mine was, or surgery was much tougher and more invasive. I know that we are at this specific point in our journey by the grace of God.  I don't have all of the answers and I may never know during my time on this Earth. This verse always sticks out to me and has helped me process a lot during tough times:

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 





Remission, once again

Sorry this took so long to post! I haven't had any steroids, so no more being up at 2 am with nothing on the DVR to watch. I have been busy at work and tired when I get home. It took months last go-around for my fatigue to get back to normal, so we are expecting the same this time.


I started on Tamoxifen, an oral pill that I take twice a day. It is an estrogen blocker since my cancer is receptive to estrogen. The only side effect so far is more hot flashes, which come on fast and some make me feel like I'm going to puke. Tolerable overall though, I've had worse!


I have to get my potassium checked in a couple of weeks since it was still low last time we saw the doc. I'm still on 40 mEq twice a day, for those who have taken them before, they are HUGE pills.


Right now, Wil and I are focusing on eating healthier and working out more. I have gained over 55 pounds since the start of chemo. We decided that I was going to eat what I wanted, and the 'roids wanted carbs and sweets. So now we are working on getting it off!


I will try to post photos soon! Thank you all for the prayers and support. They have meant the world to us!

Chemo 6C: LAST CHEMO EVER! (God willing)

When we first go to the waiting room, I saw Donna, she is in the GYN cancer support group with me. She always lifts my spirits and has a wonderful smile! I was so glad that I was able to see her that morning.






Labs looked good, hemoglobin was 10.3 and my ANC (mature white blood cells) was 1400. I was still cleared for treatment. They like it to be above 1500 for treatment but it's been worse before! April was our nurse and I got to sit in one of the fancy new chairs!

We also met George. Wil recognized a hat that he was wearing. It was for Carolina Cross Connection. This is camps in the mountains of NC that different churches go for mission trips. Wil went in high school and they go around to people in need to work on projects around their houses. George had a bag of goodies and snacks that he was always willing to share with patients around him. George was on his third chemo treatment and we are praying the rest of his treatments go smoothly!

Wil went to fill up our water bottles during treatment and was gone for awhile. When he came back, he told me that he ran into his girlfriend. Of course I knew who it was, Janice Moxley. I was able to see her once I got unhooked. Janice and her daughter, Goldie, make us smile and laugh!






Our friend Tracy surprised us with a visit and balloons!

Last, empty chemo bag!

Now for the big part of treatment, ringing the bell! Wil's family surprised us and were there for it with balloons. Wil and I both rang the bell since it wasn't around when we finished treatment last time.

We went out to a decorated car and came home to a decorated house! Thanks to everyone who has followed us on the journey and have been praying for us. We have a CT scan next week and meet with the doctor for the results and an exam on 3/2. I will post another update then! We are praying for a clear scan and exam and to be officially declared cancer free!

Chemo 6B: Second to last dose!

Recovery from the last inpatient chemo was more tolerable. My mom was able to stay with me Tuesday during the day so Wil could go to work. I took the whole week off from work so I could sleep as much as I needed. Wil stayed at home with me on Wednesday then my younger sister, Lauren, came up Wednesday until Friday. It was a mini vacation for her from 2 kids, I guess I'm a little easier to take care of  :) 


My nausea was not pleasant but was controlled well with my medications. Mainly, I was battling with fatigue and lack of energy. I started feeling better around Friday and felt back to normal by Sunday.


 My labs this week were WONDERFUL, this may be inflated slightly because of all of the steroids that I was on last week though. My ANC (mature white blood cells) was 2700. This is GREAT! My hemoglobin was up to 10.3 as well. I will get them all checked again next week, so keep praying for them to stay up, especially with this nasty flu going around! We made our infusion this week with the Riazzis. They have been such wonderful friends and it makes the infusions more fun!

Wil moved our chemo recliners around. That way, the girls could sit together and the boys could talk while we slept! We thank our chemo nurses for letting us sit together and move around  :) You guys are simply amazing!

I think Tracy was rolling her eyes at the boys at this point

 

Tracy is my perfect match. Her hands are always cold and mine were on fire!

Lydia was our chemo nurse for our infusion. We may have gotten some looks but we were all laughing during treatment. Tracy and I of course took our Benadryl induced nap. Wil and I are looking forward to our last treatment next week. There is a bell now in the chemo room that you get to ring on your last infusion. We are planning on ringing it twice since it wasn't there for the first go-around!

The plan so far:
Infusion on Monday
CT scan on 2/26/15
Meet with Dr. Skinner on 3/2: get labs, exam, and CT results
Will start on oral Tamoxifen (estrogen blocker) for an indefinite period since my tumor was estrogen positive

Stay tuned next week for the finale of our treatment!

Mike, Tracy, April, Wil, Katie, Lydia.
 

1/26/15 Exam with Oncologist then 2/2/15 LAST INPATIENT CHEMO!

Labs looked good last week at the oncologist. Dr. Skinner said that my physical exam look great and no issues that she could feel or see. The plan was to get pre-medicated this past weekend and go in for our last inpatient on 2/2/15. Then we have two more weeks of just Taxol, the following week will be a CT scan. The following week with be another exam and get the CT results. We aren't expecting to see anything on the scan since it didn't show anything before surgery this go around. The plan is to stay on a 3 month physical exam rotation and put my on a twice a day medication. It is Tamoxifen which is typically used for breast cancer patients. Since my tumor was estrogen positive, this medication will block estrogen in my body. At our check-up, we were able to run down to the chemo room to see our buddies, the Riazzis. Always good to see our friends who are dealing with this same horrible cancer as we are.

This weekend was tough, all of the medications take a toll on me and Wil. One I have to take every 8 hours then the other ones I have to take every 6 hours. The steroids make me irritated, irrational, hungry, exhausted but not tired. Basically a hot mess for Wil to put up with!

Wil and I checked in at 7:30 am at Forsyth Medical Center for our last and FINAL inpatient chemo. After registration, we walked up to the penthouse (9th floor oncology) and our wonderful chemo nurse, Tonya was already waiting in our room! She is always on top of things and rides pharmacy's butt to make sure all of my meds are being made lickety split!

My mom came up for the infusion and I was able to see her for a little bit before I took my IV Benadryl nap. Ted, Wil's dad, brought us up some Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Tonya gave me more pre-medications around bag 8 of 12. The first 11 bags have small quanities of Carbo with the last bag infusing over 3 hours with the majority of the medication in it. Tonya was so wonderful to have as our infusion nurse! She left around 3:45 pm and Meredith took over again, another amazing chemo nurse! Our friends, the Riazzis came up to visit us after their infusion in the outpatient unit.

Meredith and my buddy, Kristin, tagged teamed the rest of our infusion. It all went fantastic and Wil and I were headed home at 7:30 pm, much earlier than previous infusions!

I have taken off the whole week of work to recoup since the last big chemo kicked my butt. My mom hung out with me today. Wil is going to work from home tomorrow. Then my sister, Lauren is coming up Wednesday night through Friday.

Wil and I feel so blessed to be in the home stretch with only 2 more chemo infusions to go!

 

 

Wil's view from the hospital room