Hi! It's me! And.....I am sooooooo happy!!! My doctor's appointment yesterday went perfectly. God is so good to me. He is so good......period! I clung to those verses I posted yesterday and knew that God would be there with me and He was! I have been walking around with a smile on my face ever since we left the office and every time I think about how it all played out...I get tears in my eyes thinking about God's goodness.
Let me give you a little background concerning the Tamoxifen issue. I know I've mentioned before that I have researched it and have friends that are on it. I've been very concerned about taking it because of its side effects and have prayed (and sorry to say, I've worried) about it a lot. I just didn't feel like it was worth 5 years of side effects when it will only reduce my recurrence by a very small percentage. The percentage wasn't high enough for me and I felt like I could rely on God and his percentage would be WAY higher. Anyway, each time I was with the doctor (my MIL, parents and Kevan have all been there with me) he would talk to me about Tamoxifen and how I would need to take it for 2 years, take 2 years off to try to get pregnant, once I have a child (or not) I would go back on it for the remaining 3 years. EVERY TIME I was there he discussed this treatment in some way.
Well, after much prayer by so many of you, me, my parents, my MIL and Kevan....God answered those prayers so perfectly. My oncologist walked into the room yesterday and the first thing he mentioned was that he didn't think I needed to do Tamoxifen. It was amazing. We didn't even bring it up yet! I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking about it. I am sooooo incredibly happy. I was dreading the conversation with the doctor, trying the medication, the side effects, etc and God removed this burden altogether. I didn't even have to have the conversation. I had asked God in my prayers that it would be obvious to me what I needed to do. The doctor's abrupt change in treatment totally confirmed for me what I have been feeling the Holy Spirit tell me from the beginning. Truthfully, I wasn't sure if it was just me being stubborn and I was imagining God telling me not to take it. So, it was great to walk out of the office yesterday FULLY knowing God's answer to our prayers. Thank you so much for your prayers for me.
Also, God didn't just answer my prayer about the treatment....he blessed us even more. The doctor told us that once my period returns (since I've been in menopause from the chemo it hasn't returned yet) we can start trying to get pregnant right away! He doesn't think we need to wait a year and his nurse explained that sometimes when couples have problems getting pregnant (like we have) that chemo can sometimes knock your system into working and couples that couldn't get pregnant before get pregnant right away. I don't know if this is what God has planned for us and I do not want to let myself think about it too much because I will be disappointed like I was for so many years before cancer. But, it would be pretty awesome. Really though....I'm open to whatever God has for me. I would love nothing more than to be a mom and for Kevan to be a father, but I don't know if that is in God's plan. I also wouldn't care if I had my own baby, used a surrogate or adopted.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
When I arrived in their office they took blood (ouch! but....they only had to stick me once! YAY!). My WBC counts were a little low (3.1), but RBC and platelets were good. I also had a fever for some reason. We also discussed some side effects I'm still having from chemo with the doctor and his nurse. My arm is still burning sometimes from my last chemo (since it leaked out of the veins over time). They said this would go away over time, but to keep my arm out of the sun. My feet continue to burn on the bottom and especially hurt when I stand for a long period of time. The nurse explained that this is neuropathy and it will go away as well, over time. She suggested that I take Vitamin B6 as this has shown to help with the pain some. We talked to him about my menopause side effects and he referred me to my "female" doctor. So, I will be going to see her. He said that it takes quite awhile for the symptoms from chemo to away and that by January 2013 I should be doing a lot better. Also, I was told that I could NEVER take birth control pills/patch. Nothing that has hormones (no estrogen/progesterone for menopause symptoms). I wouldn't want to take birth control anyway. (FYI...if I had taken Tamoxifen we could not get pregnant while on this so we would've had to use some sort of birth control and it could not be anything that contained hormones - so another reason I am so glad that is not the treatment). He did say that I could use estrogen cream (I won't go into detail here. lol!)...as studies have shown that it does not get into the blood stream and is not systemic so it would be okay to use. Also, in the end he said he didn't think I needed any scans (no PET Scan...yay!) and that I wouldn't need to come back until January. PTL! He said, I am CANCER FREE!
It was a great day. It is amazing to watch how God works in our lives. If we just involve Him, pray to Him and ask Him...He will show up. :o) Oh, how I love Him so!
"As the Father has loved me, so have I
loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will
abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide
in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in
you, and that your joy may be full." - John 15:9
My joy is full.
Showing posts with label Tamoxifen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamoxifen. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Today I am a CHEMO GRAD!!!!!!!!!!!
My parents went with me to my treatment today. It was so nice to have them there. They got up VERY early this morning so we could leave at 7AM this morning to drive the 2 hours and 15 minute (it was longer due to stopping for gas and morning traffic) drive to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville. My counts were okay. My WBC count was 6,500...they said they like to see it higher, but since I'm going to have the Neulasta shot on Thursday I should be okay. I am also a little Anemic. My RBC count was 3.8 and the lowest of the good range is 4.04, but they said it was okay. I was actually feeling really good so I surprised my RBC count was low, but I see that my thyroid was VERY high and he didn't even mention it. I only noticed it because I asked for my records. I had my thyroid radiated in 2004 due to Graves Disease so I have no thyroid anymore...the radiation killed it. I do not take my thyroid medication that well. So, I am pretty surprised. I am taking it better though since the doctor suggested putting it on my nightstand and taking it before bed. I actually remember now. :o) Maybe the thyroid grew back from the chemo treatments. LOL!
Anyway, they confirmed that my burn on my hand was from the taxotere chemo drug, but it is so much better today that they aren't worried at all. I will try to take a picture in a few days. I forgot to mention that I did stop by their office last Tuesday to talk to them. I had to see a chemo nurse because they were gone for the day. She said it didn't look too bad at all and to just keep putting Aquafor on it and keep it out of the sun. The doctor told me that because I was on the Doxycycline it really helped it to not become worse. Big Praise!
I talked to him about my hot flashes and how they are driving me crazy and messing up my sleep. So, he gave me Megestrol (20mg). He thinks he will help and has promised it won't contribute to my weight gain (since it is such a low dose) even though a side affect is weight gain.
The doctor also confirmed that I will be going on Tamoxifen soon. I told him I wasn't sure I wanted to be on it, but I will try it. I just feel like if the side affects are bad I might be okay with declining it. I don't know. My biopsy was only 20% estrogen positive. I will have to take it a total of 5 years (2 full years, try to have a baby for 2 and then 3 more years). I am concerned about weight gain and hot flashes....well...and of course I would like to try for a baby sooner than 2 years. But, I guess I can always pray for a miracle adoption. :o) He told me that tamoxifen won't make me gain weight or have hot flashes. I'm going to ask a few of my friends that are on it and do a little research though. Also, I want a little time to go on a diet/exercise first before I start it. He wants me to wait 3-4 weeks to start my diet, but I can start the exercise now, on my good days, if I don't over do it. Last week I did go for a couple walks. One was almost 2 miles. I thought that was great for someone on chemo.
Chemo Experience
So, at 11am I was sitting in the chemo room...waiting in the chemo recliner for my IV (note: GET A PORT if you ever have to do chemo). It is funny because they are doing construction in the building so every time I come in for chemo the room is totally different. It was nice today because I found a recliner with 2 guest chairs! Normally, each recliner has only 1 chair because you are only allowed one guest, but I asked and they let them both stay with me. :o) It was a blessing! The nurse was great and only had to stick me twice to get blood! YAY! It worked on the 2nd try. I know there were some praying about this so thank you so much! My eyes were actually tearing up already the 2nd time because I was a little scared that we were going to have a replay of last time...but God was gracious. We met many sweet chemo patients today. It was a great way to end my treatment being able to talk about our stories together. I gave them my card and I hope I can keep in contact with a few of them. I got their first names so I could pray for them and I hope I hear from them so I know how to pray specifically for them and because I will always wonder how they are doing. It was not their last treatment and have different cancers. :o( So, they will need much prayer. At 2:30pm we were talking out the door.....so happy that this was it! I'm a chemo graduate! Another thing I can add to my list of experiences. I'm glad I will be able to truly say that I understand what someone else going through chemo is going through. It is rough! But, the Lord walked through it with me and when I prayed (and you prayed) He answered. What an Awesome God we have. A personal God that loves us so much.
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| Jayde getting chemo. Celebrating SEC football starting on Saturday by wearing her Auburn University head covering (it was a sweet gift), earrings and shirt. WAR EAGLE!! |
I was pretty out of it after chemo and very drowsy, but I wanted to celebrate so we went to Red Lobster for a late lunch. It was so good, but the last two chemo treatments I've had a weird thing happen when I eat. My throat won't swallow without me concentrating on it. I know, it sounds weird. I had to pause and think in order to swallow my food sometimes. Strange! Also, my mom hinted to the waitress that this was my last chemo day and she brought me a cheesecake with chocolate drizzle and it was VERY good. Thank you Red Lobster!
Apples
We arrived back home at about 6pm. I was tired and I have 3 boxes of apples (about 60) that need to be preserved before my side affects get too bad. My father-in-law was gracious and let me take what I wanted. His apples are SO GOOD! They are organic since he doesn't use any chemicals or sprays on his trees which is so great. My dad did most of the work for me on Sunday by picking them, climbing the ladder and fighting the bees. Thank you both!! I did help to pick some and paid for it the next day with muscles spasms at the top of my right tissue expander. Luckily, it was only bad yesterday and has not been too bad today. It was VERY sharp pains yesterday. It was fun to throw a few of the bad ones to the cows and donkeys (the horse was MIA at the time) and watch them eat them. One of the donkeys let me hand feed him. :o) They are pretty small apples so I don't think they will take too long to process, but it still requires energy. I have a magic apple peeler, corer and slicer...it does all 3 at the same time! The magic apple tool makes it go very fast. So, tonight I did 26 apples while sitting at the table (I will finish the rest in the next few days). I would put them in a solution so they wouldn't brown since I was VERY slow I didn't want to miss this step. Then, I blanched them for 2 minutes, vacuum sealed them, labeled them and froze them. I was able to do 17 cups tonight (3 bags of 4 and 1 back of 5 cups). I'll be able to make pie, cobbler or other dessert with them later. I have been so blessed during this journey with so many giving people. We were ready to put our garden in the week I found out I had cancer so we decided not to have a garden this year. YET, God provided. I was able to preserve tomatoes, green beans, okra, apples and one other veggie, but I can't remember right now. LOL! My brain is so fried.
So, with that....I can't type anymore. I'm going to bed and praying that I can sleep tonight despite the steroids they pumped into me today. Love you all! God bless you. I'm sorry for any typos or sentences that don't make sense.
Leaving you with a pic of Kevan and I. We went to a movie last week on one of my good days. You can see how chubby my face is getting. :o(
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| A friend of mine, who's initials are WDB confirmed that I have a double-chin and that I'm starting to look more like him everyday. Thanks WDB! Thanks a lot. lol!! |
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