3rd Treatment...good news!

Monday Tom and I went to talk to the doctor and for me to get my third treatment.  We had some things we wanted to discuss with her, and we felt like the appointment went very well.   She changed or adjusted some of my meds, which were good changes.  I asked her how she is monitoring the progress right now and when would we do the next scans.  She said that it was too early to do scans at this point. It wouldn't show progress yet from the treatments.  She wanted to do a few more treatments (maybe 4) then we would schedule the scans.  In the meantime, she's looking at 3 lab tests for monitoring the progress.  One is my calcium level and the other two are tumor marker blood tests.

After seeing the doctor, I went in for the chemo treatment.  In the middle of treatment the nurse came to see me and she had gotten back lab results already.  My calcium was normal AGAIN  (Yay!!!) and both of the tumor marker blood tests showed improvement!  The numbers had gone down significantly since the last time they checked.  That all translates to believing that the chemo is doing what we want it to do...halting the growth of cancer.  That is GREAT news!!!  Thank You, God, so much!!!

Still, I would really like to see the scans to know for sure what is going on inside, but these tests are signs of good progress.  SO...I'm very thankful for the results!

In the meantime, the treatments are still physical hurdles in this race.  Each time I have treatment, Monday is very good because I receive 3 pre-medications that included steroids.  So, that first day I have lots of energy that is not my normal level.  This Monday... I actually got on a bicycle and rode a short distance that afternoon with our son Jamie jogging next to me. :-)  That was so fun!  It felt really great to do something like that!  But the next day and today the steroids had faded and I was moving slow again, feeling pain again.  This seems to be the pattern. But also... the post chemo effects usually get better each day away from treatment.  So tomorrow should be better than today.  That's good. That's what I'm hoping.

Prayer requests...mostly the same.  For our whole family to be filled with peace and strength from Jesus.   For the treatments to kill the cancer and for my body to be healed .  For my appetite to improve.  And for the pain to lessen as my body is restored with healing.

O God,
Thank You so much for the great lab results!  I am grateful, completely praising You for this good news!
Thank You for holding me up day by day, hour by hour.  I am trusting You, Father, with everything...medicines, emotions, pain, food, sleep...all of it, I am leaning on You for each day.  I praise You and thank You for sending family and friends to lift our family up.  It is life giving manna.  Thank You.  With a grateful heart and all my love,
Lisa