MRI

This afternoon I had my MRI...I prayed and before falling alseep, my mind went back to my first MRI, I still remember praying with tears streaming down my face as the MRI was being conducted-that was in the diagnostic phase but God is GOOD and He is FAITHFUL. The second MRI was right around the time of the surgeries (I want to say it was right after the surgeries). This MRI is to see where we're at now-having by the grace of God completed 10 chemo/treatments, 2 surgeries, and 6wks of radiation and now 7 chemo/treatments left, and on anti-estrogen. I'm expecting the results to present more evidence of God's Healing Power in my body. It was a blessing to be able to go to sleep in the midst of all the noise-I don't think I've described the just how noisy the MRI machine is in previous posts but just to give you an idea, they put earplugs in your ears and special headphones with music to try to block some of the noise out and even with that it's still loud-but God still blessed me to get a nap in while all of that was going on. The only thing was because my head was facing down (in the breast MRI machines one lays on their stomach)and so tired I slobbered while I was sleeping and felt the need to apologize to the nurse for slobbering on the machine LOL. Results usually take a week. Still trusting God and I regardless of what you're facing in life, I hope you are too. God Bless & KTF :-)

Update 6/19/14-GOD is GOOD!

God continues to cover me...He is so GOOD! Yesterday while driving to work on one of the main highways, my front passenger side tire blew out. Not only did God bless me to slow down and get over to the shoulder while keeping me from getting into an accident doing that. Then he blessed me to inch along on the shoulder until I could get of the highway. My goal was to make it to the Good Year that's near my workplace. While crawling along with my emergency lights on in the downtown area, while I was on the phone with a friend who was checking on me, I heard a tap/knocking on my car. It was one of my co-workers who had recognized my car and had circled back around to see what was going on. He instructed me to pull into a nearby parking lot where he put my spare tire on, which turned out to be on the flat side itself. However it was good enough to make it to the Good Year. While There I was informed that the tire I needed was on-sale AND while the guy said he wasn't sure if my spare would be any good after driving around on it being on the flatside and that I may have to buy a new spare from the dealer, when they called to give me the report of the work done he mentioned that my spare was holding air, so I wouldn't need to buy a new spare after all. Then later on that morning, I got a call from the treatment center informing me that the insurance had approved the MRI, which means no out of pocket expense! The MRI is scheduled of Wednesday of next week. God brought my white blood cell count into a range that was acceptable for treatment so I was able to have a treatment today-this time in the afternoon because it was scheduled so late last week, my normal time slot was not available, but I was just thankful God blessed me to get another treatment knocked out. Only 7 left now. God keeps on marching me right on through. And of course I'm always blessed in spending time with my daddy:-) Treatment days he's here except that one time when one of my aunts filled in because he was out of state. I'm also really thankful that I didn't have a treatment last week because even though I didn't have a treatment my body felt so tired and run down that I felt like I had had a treatment that day. Much better shape today-TGBTG- He ALWAYS knows and does what's BEST. That's why even when He says wait/not now, we have to trust that it is for our good. He sees and knows what we do not. Oh and the decision was made to go ahead and switch me to the neulasta shot staring tomorrow morning. It's stronger/lasts longer than the neupogen shots and I will only have to come in for one shot on the day after treatments rather than coming in on the following 2 days after treatments to receive the shot. I do remember in the hospital when they gave me the shot, it made my back ache to the point of having to take tylenol (which is something I very rarely do) but it's all good-gotta do what we gotta do. If it will give my immune system that extra boost that it needs then it's well worth it. I'm also blessed to report that since I've been back on the Tamoxifen, it has not been causing issues. I'm thinking now that the weekend when I got hit pretty good with the digestive issues, that maybe it was a stomach bug rather than the medicine, though I did give my body some days off the medicine which could've also helped it to flush out any residue from the medicine that was building up in my system. Either way the main thing is all seems to be well again in that area. I added my probiotics by RAW Vitamin Code back to my daily regimen as well, which also seems to be helping (side note: gut/intestines and immune system are connected-healthier our gut, the better shape our immune system will be in). I heard back from the producer of Best Docs Network and we've set a date for the interview, it will be in the 2nd week of July. I'm thankful for how God worked the scheduling out with that because I'm expecting to have more to add to the praise reports with the results of my MRI being in by then. Everyday this week God has blessed me to sell 1 or two books out of the stash that I carry around with me and tomorrow suppose to meet a couple others who are interested. To God Be ALL the Glory!

Praise Reports

As mentioned in the previous post today was the day that I was suppose to get the results from the ultrasound and mammogram prior to having my treatment. The first part of the praise report is that the mammogram looked good and my breast care doctor was pleased, said there was no longer anything there that looked suspicious. They still have to check with the insurance company to see if the MRI that I need to have will be covered or not. Either way I am planning to have the MRI. If the insurance doesn't cover it, thank God there is a payment plan available. At the conclusion of this visit she asked me if I would be willing to participate in the Best Docs Network. I would basically be interviewed and have the opportunity to share with others regarding this journey and she said I could even mention the book. God just keeps on blessing. I'm thankful for the opportunity. She sent me a link to the Best Docs Network website where they also did a survivor segment featuring her as she is a breast cancer survivor herself. After meeting with one doctor for the results, I met with the assistant who works with the doctor that is responsible for the chemo part of my treatment process. She shared with me that in spite of the 2 neupogen shots that I had been receiving-Friday and Monday after Thursday's treatment-my white blood cell count was still low and this time low enough for concern that giving me a treatment today could drop it even lower and cause me to end up in the hospital, so instead I received another neupogen shot today and I'm scheduled for another one tomorrow. Next week I'll go in for bloodwork on Tuesday and chemo on Thursday if God says the same. She also said that after the next treatment they may switch me to the neulasta shot, which is suppose to last longer. That's also what they gave me while I was in the hospital for that pneumothorax in addition to a white blood cell count that was on the low side. She also said that because I was premenoposal, the Tamoxifen was the only type of estrogen blocker they could give me, so I'll be starting that back up tonight...so the day did not go as "planned" but I do believe it went according to God's plan and I still hold onto Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." And you know what it's a blessing to have doctors that care enough to deviate from the schedule as needed in order to do what's best for the patient's health-that's another reason I can still title this post Praise Reports. God always knows best. I know He's still got me and I'm still not worried. He's God and He changes not! He's still God, still Good, and still BLESSING!

Update 6/6/14

Ever had a moment when the Holy Spirit revealed to you that you were tripp'n? (Raising my hand) Last weekend the Tamoxifen really seemed to cause some digestive/stomach issues to flare up again-solid foods kept running through and my usual go-to's were not working. As I was doing some research on the best time and way to take Tamoxifen, I discovered that it contains lactose-something that I don't tolerate well and that diarrhea is one of the side effects of Tamoxifen itself. Decided to give my system a break and wait until I could ask one of the doctors on the medical team that is responsible for my treatment when I went in on Wednesday to have a mammogram and ultrasound-I was hoping they'd be willing to switch the medicine. But in comparison to the side effects God has kept me from with regard to the Tamoxifen, the digestive issues are as one of my sister described it, more of an inconvenience. I've gotten a little spoiled with the way God has blessed my digestive system to recover from the pre-surgery chemo as well as the other ways that He is restoring my health and healing my body that when this new/old issue flared up, my tolerance level was lower than it should have been. Now I still hope they can give me an alternative that is still effective but without the digestive issues, but if not, I know God will give me the grace to do my part. I thank Him for lovingly bringing to my attention, as a good Father and Best Friend would candidly say, "you know you were tripp'n right?" The plan is to continue to let my system have a short break from the Tamoxifen while I wait for a call from the treatment center but if I don't hear anything by Monday I plan to try it again. God is already blessing my system to recover. Next week before chemo, I have an appointment with one of my doctors to get the results of the mammogram and ultrasound that I had done earlier this week. On Wednesday night God blessed with a faith boosting word from my pastor-a challenge to elevate our level of expectation. I'm encouraged to continue to LIVE by faith and not to place limits on what God will do in and through my life because of a lack of faith. I capitalized the word "LIVE" because our faith can literally be the difference between life and death. Without faith it can be quite difficult to really live life; enjoy life the way God intended. Father please help us to believe you for EVERYTHING you want to do in and through us-"elevate our expectation" not in man but in You, for You are the only Sovereign God; the only One with ALL Power; the only One in Whom there is no failure.