Christmas was memorable!

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for praying.  My mom was able to stay hydrated enough to stay out of the hospital over Christmas.  

We just learned today that the tumor is pushing on her esophagus and that is why she can't eat.  She finished radiation on her brain today and will start radiation on the tumor pushing on the esophagus on Thursday.  Please pray she will have enough energy to start another 3 week round of radiation and that it will be successful in shrinking the cancer so that she can eat again.  

The doctors are holding off on the chemo until she is more nourished and isn't so weak.

Thank you for your encouragement to my mom.  If you would like to contact her or encourage her, please go through me. 

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for my mom and our family.  

Love,

Carol

Please pray for Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

The cancer is paralizing my mom's vocal cords and swallowing mechanisms.  She is not able to eat or drink very easily and is therefore dehydrated and very weak.  The weakness is also due to the radiation.  

We have just learned she will not be able to get hydrated this weekend as the doctor originally planned for her.  Would you please pray she will be able to drink enough fluids to stay out of the hospital?  And please pray her swallowing mechanisms will start working again.

Thank you for praying for us.  We covet your prayers!

Carol

November Update

Dear family and friends,

 

Last Wednesday my oncologist stopped my trial drug for 4 days because my neuropathy was getting worse.  There is a nerve in my chest that is paralyzing my right vocal cord  along with the other neuropathy symptoms I am having.  Yesterday I had a Ct of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis earlier than scheduled because I was so weak and short of breath.  The scans did not show any reason for the weakness so the doctors believe this is also a side effect of the trial drug.  Today I am feeling a bit better.  I will start taking steroids for 6 days to help my breathing.  

 

The CT scan showed the cancer in my lungs is stable, but I now have three metastatic lesions in my liver and one on my adrenal gland.  This means cancer growth in the abdomen which was not there before.  I will not continue with this trial drug since the side effects are great and it is not working in all areas of my body.  

 

I have a couple of standard chemotherapy options and I can be put on a wait list for a new trial.  At this time, I hope to have a more detailed phone conversation with my oncologist in Boston about options.   Today I talked with a "fellow".  

 

I will have a brain MRI on Friday to see if the cancer has spread any more to the brain.  Please pray for no metastatic lesions in the brain and that God would stop the progression of this disease.  Please be in prayer over my circumstances and ask the Lord to lead and guide my decisions.  I know that God is in control and His plan is perfect even when it doesn't seem perfect to us.  We need to praise Him in the storm for His love, kindness, grace, and mercy.  Thank you for your continued prayers, words of encouragement, love, and kindness to me.  God bless you.

 

In His hand and with love,

Sue

How October was

Dear family and friends,

Last week in Boston was a bit rough.  I was sick all 5 days we were there, mostly because of the bronchoscopy.   The doctor did a biopsy and found that there are cancer cells inside one of the bronchial branches and it is obstructed 85%.  The cancer cells are irritating nerves in the bronchial branch and causing me to have a bad cough.  I have been taking a steroid for the cough and other medicines and they are helping.

The new genetic treatment gives me fatigue and makes me nauseous for a few hours in the morning, but after eating and resting I feel better in the afternoon and evening.  

Gary and I will fly back to Boston tomorrow, Wednesday, and return home on Friday.  We will have 2 more trips in Nov. to monitor my blood and how my body is reacting to the new drug.

I am grateful for this opportunity that the Lord has provided for me.  He has opened the door for me to be under such specialized care.  Please thank Him with me and pray that this new treatment will reduce the cancer in my body.   Psalm 32:8 says the Lord will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and He will counsel you with His loving eye upon you.  (My paraphrase)

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Next Step...Boston

Dear family and friends, 

I am 99% sure I will go to Boston for my next treatments.  They have a phase 1 trial that I qualify for.  I was hoping for a phase 2 or 3, but I feel encouraged about it.  It would be a pill and I would stay 5 days the first week, then go once a week for 4-5 weeks, then once a month as long as it is working.  Nurses at Massachusetts General Hospital said this is the best Dr in the country for my EGFR mutation.  They even have a Dr that specializes in the next level of my mutation which is Exon 20 insertion.  I am pleased!  I will pray more about this decision in the next days, but I am hopeful this is where the Lord wants me.  I could start within 1 week to 1 month.  Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Clinical Trials

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let you know that Washington University has 3 clinical trials that I qualify for.  Two of them are phase 1 which means they have never used the chemicals on people before.  The other is a phase 2 trial and requires another biopsy.

The oncologist thinks trials are good and that a patient can always get the regular treatment, but a patient may not always qualify for a trial.  Sometimes too many previous treatments can disqualify you.

I hope Boston will have more to offer me.  Thank you for your prayers.  I will keep you informed.

In His hand,

Sue

Praise Report!

Dear family and friends,

I have good news!  Praise the Lord with me for answered prayer!  My MRI Spectroscopy showed no new tumor growth. I truly believe God worked a miracle in my life.  This week in Chicago, the radiation oncologist made a mask for steriotactic radio surgery and said he would be ready to treat me next Wed. if I had new tumor growth.  I believe he was confident it was cancer. 

 I have texted with Dr. Fidias, my first oncologist, and he said he would start the process to get me to Boston to go to Massachusetts General Hospital.  Dr Fidias has a colleague there who works specifically with the gene mutation that I have.  

Please pray for God to give wisdom to  these doctors and to me.  I am asking the Lord to open the correct doors and close those He does not want me to walk through.  

I can not express my gratitude to the Lord and to all of you who have prayed so diligently for me.  Thank you so much for your prayers.  The Lord is gracious and merciful to me. Please join me in praising the Lord and thanking Jesus for answered prayer. 

In His hand and with love,

Sue