Week 15 Update

It happen... I had to wait a week but I was able to get chemo on Tuesday March 24th. 15 treatments completed. That meant in my mind YAY one more left! To me this is what is pictured in my head. I am at the last turn I see the finish line in my sight. The crowd is getting excited and cheering me on! I am so close to running through that ribbon and getting my metal! As Jesus said on the cross "It is finished" I will be so glad to say those words! I know I am going to have bittersweet tears! Tears of where I came from and where I am headed! Not going to dwell on what was but what's the next step to finally Kicking Cancer's Bootie! 

I will meet with my surgeon on Good Friday! I am so hoping for "Good News". I hope they do an ultrasound and see nothing but where the cancer was! And the Doctor will tell me the details of how he will do the surgery. I hope the nipples will be able to be saved and have one less thing in the reconstruction process. 

I know he will be thrilled to know how good the tumor responded to chemotherapy. He was the one that encouraged me to do chemotherapy first and see that tumor shrink! I will update you on Friday. My last and final chemotherapy will be April 7th. Stay tuned that day. I am sure I will be posting more than once that day. Sorry I haven't posted until tonight. I had a pretty rough week. Chemo was the same ,touchy stomach,not really wanting food and trying to drink lots of fluids. The Neulasta shot of course hurt like the dickens! (What is a dickens?) :) My bones were super sensitive!! Putting on or taking off a shirt hurt. I could not even wear a seatbelt or my purse on my shoulder. It's was a rough 3 days after that shot! I know it was just doing its job with helping my RBC but oh man, it made me HURT! 

Well thank you all for following my blog! I hope it encourages you in some way! I know God uses experiences in our lives to be able to help someone else along the way! I know someone else reading this blog might face this beast too and I want them to have HOPE! To be BRAVE. And most of all remember that God is with you every step of the way! Somedays He has to carry me but others days I run with all I have to make up for the days I could not run and He had to carry me! 

I leave is with this verse:

“In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak. (Job 4:3 NLT)

Brandi

What A Week

This week has been ROUGH! Tuesday was Chemo day. Or so I though. I went in like normal got my labs,waited in the room for the Doctor and when she came in she was like "you can't treatment but that's not the bad part." I was like what is the bad part? She said "the bad part is your RBC is 6.9 and I normally put people in the hospital and give them units of blood". She asked if I have been feeling bad. I said no. Tired as usual. But I told her I had been tearing up the floors and laying new floors down at our house with my Husband. She could not believe it. She also questioned me about my fit bit. I said what it was that I had getting 7500 steps a day. She could not believe that I had been going as much as I did with my counts the was they were. So she decided NOT to put me in the hospital but to be admitted me and give me a unit of blood and then I could go home after that. I was told to come back today. I went in at 12:30 to get my labs. They stuck me 2 times and could get blood.(I made a joke saying yall just gave me blood and my body doesn't want to give you any back). So I ended up having to go into the infusion room and one of my regular nurses drew blood from my port. And then the labs came back and it was a no go! My counts were up. Which was a praise. RBC was 8.8 My neutrophil count were 200 on Tuesday and up to 600 today.  I am rescheduled for March 24 at 10:30 so please pray everything will be back to normal and I can get this 3rd treatment. 

Switching gears this week... It has been the kids SB and we were blessed to have Spencer's Mom come up. Boy we had know idea what a week we would have. We hope to take the kids to do something fun tomorrow since this week has been a roller coaster. 

The benefit for me down in Tallahassee is this weekend and my family and friends have been work so hard to make it special. I hate I won't be able to come but I will FaceTime and see how it's going!

This week has been a reminder that God is in control and I must trust Him in all things. He knows what's best for you and me! I may think I do. Someone once said To make God laugh tell him your plans! :) I need to let me poor body recover a few more days. So that's what I  will do. Here is a picture of Spence and I on our day date! 

In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. (Psalm 25:1 NIV)

Brandi 

Mouth Sores

This is my off week and made it through Round 2 but not without minor side effects. Mouth sores. Ouch! My mouth is very tender. Brushing my teeth is not fun at the moment. Some soreness on the roof of my mouth and tongue. Thank goodness I have have a Perscripton mouthwash to help. 

Two more rounds. Two more rounds! 

Brandi

2 Down 2 Left!

Good Afternoon Blog Followers!

It was a go yesterday for Round #2. Yesterday I was tired. But was able to eat dinner last. That's a praise from last week. I had my appointment this morning for my Neulasta shot. So when I got there I was 3 days off from being 14 days from the last so I wasn't able to get it. Insurance is a double edge sword! Err!

But they pulled my labs from yesterday and my counts are really good so they said no need coming back again this week. So everything should be on track for Round #3. I am taking my Meds. Thanks for your prayers! Hoping for a better week. 

Update on my Tumor. It's original size was actually 3.8 cm and shrunk down to 0.7 cm. Wow that's just amazing! It shrunk 3.1 cm. It was very pleasing for the Doctor to know and see that it had shrunk as much as it did. Just a miracle from My Lord. 

I leave us with one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! 

Brandi

Chemo Eve and Another Funny

It's the eve before round 2 of my AC chemotherapy and I am a little anxious. I am not ready to feel like I did the first go around. Many days after those rough 2 days I still wasn't feeling too well. But on the bright side I will only have 2 left after tomorrow. 2 out of the 16.  Wow! I can hardly believe that. What a journey this has been. 

I have a little funny story to tell you. It's about what my innocent little Izzy asked me last night while sitting on my bed with me. She asked "Mama when you have your surgery will they give you metal boobs with skin over them?" Well I was surprised by what she said and caught Spence in the closet door way stopped and having a silent laugh. I answered her by saying "You said metal boobs! No honey...(laughing myself) they won't be giving me metal boobs. Then she said "Well, baggies filled with water in them?" We all 3 laughed again and I said "yeah something like that". One last funny. Braxton and Izzy are wondering about my wig coming off in the ocean when we go to the beach. They don't want the waves to take "Brandi" away!  Bald Head probs! :) 

OMGoodness, I love her so much! I am so glad she is asking and wondering about the next steps. I am glad she feels open and not scared like she was when we first told them about my cancer. 

I leave us with this scripture: 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

 1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

<3

Brandi