Abcnews.com ran an article about me! Please click on the link below scroll down and read all three pages. I am so excited I was able to have this opportunity. Thank you Dr. Pennell for suggesting me to the media department.
http://abcnews.go.com/health/mindmoodnews/parent-cancer-million-parents-young-children-cancer-survivors/story?id=11013334
Bracelet
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
doc's visit 6/22/10
We went to see Dr. Pennell on Tuesday and the update is that My scans look great, I have small spots on my lungs but he isn't too concerned with them, they haven't changed since my last scans.
So he gave me the option to do maintenance therapy or I can take a break from the chemo for two months...hmmm what to do...he said I will be fine taking a break my cancer isn't aggressive and of course any symptoms between now and then give him a call. So, I am Chemo free for two months and hopefully it keeps being that way based on my two month scans. I feel great, I simply cannot complain! I look forward to good news in August, should it not be good..then we keep fighting! God is good. Faith and fear cannot coexist.
Thank you to everyone that checks into the blog for your continued support.
So he gave me the option to do maintenance therapy or I can take a break from the chemo for two months...hmmm what to do...he said I will be fine taking a break my cancer isn't aggressive and of course any symptoms between now and then give him a call. So, I am Chemo free for two months and hopefully it keeps being that way based on my two month scans. I feel great, I simply cannot complain! I look forward to good news in August, should it not be good..then we keep fighting! God is good. Faith and fear cannot coexist.
Thank you to everyone that checks into the blog for your continued support.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Checking in
Chemo sucks but it could always be worse....Doing better than ever right now, I can't wait to go back to Cleveland for scans at the end of the month. will update after Cleveland!
I am currently working on getting a smoking law put into effect. The law will prevent people from smoking with children in the car or they will be ticketed if caught. It is already a law that has been passed in other states so hopefully I can piggy back on that. Heres to giving kids clean air!
I am currently working on getting a smoking law put into effect. The law will prevent people from smoking with children in the car or they will be ticketed if caught. It is already a law that has been passed in other states so hopefully I can piggy back on that. Heres to giving kids clean air!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Over due update
Went to Cleveland clinic for my 9 week check up...no doubt in my mind the news is going to be "NO cancer showing up on your scans" I have been praying, positive, hopeful, and fearless.
I guess that is the thing about cancer you can't predict it's next move. So I have some growth near a lymph node primarily near my surgery sight. It is the same spot(s) Dr. Pennell has been keeping a close eye on for the past maybe 6 months or so. Dr. Pennell has taken me off of the Tarceva and we are on to the next treatment why risk this getting out of control? The cancer is telling us that is is becoming resistant to the Tarceva. I am relieved a little, I know the Tarceva has got me this far however I have a hand full of side effects that you probably would never hear me complain about. I am grateful for Tarceva NO question, I just won't mind a break from it. The next treatment is IV therapy (chemo) every three weeks for the next nine weeks then we will test and see if it is getting rid of this whatever you want to call it. I am still extremly optimistic just a bump in the road as to be expected, I am in great hands between Dr. Pennell and Dr. Rixe at (the barrett cancer center UC) I literally trust them with my life I know God has his hands in this! No one said life was supossed to be easy. :o) I will get through it.
I guess that is the thing about cancer you can't predict it's next move. So I have some growth near a lymph node primarily near my surgery sight. It is the same spot(s) Dr. Pennell has been keeping a close eye on for the past maybe 6 months or so. Dr. Pennell has taken me off of the Tarceva and we are on to the next treatment why risk this getting out of control? The cancer is telling us that is is becoming resistant to the Tarceva. I am relieved a little, I know the Tarceva has got me this far however I have a hand full of side effects that you probably would never hear me complain about. I am grateful for Tarceva NO question, I just won't mind a break from it. The next treatment is IV therapy (chemo) every three weeks for the next nine weeks then we will test and see if it is getting rid of this whatever you want to call it. I am still extremly optimistic just a bump in the road as to be expected, I am in great hands between Dr. Pennell and Dr. Rixe at (the barrett cancer center UC) I literally trust them with my life I know God has his hands in this! No one said life was supossed to be easy. :o) I will get through it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
sorry it has been a while
Okay we have some catching up to do. Since my July appt. I have followed up most recently Oct 27th and the spots are still in my lungs with what Dr. Pennell calls Cancer characteristics. I am continuing on the Avastin every three weeks. He deemed my condition stable, the spots have not grown nor gone away. I am thrilled to be stable I feel great, everyday is a blessing with or without cancer. I am always praying and who knows the next visit it may be gone.
Also I have a new Dr assis. well not new to her position just to me :) her name is Tara and she is awesome. Adam and I talked her ear off and she seemed fine with it hahaha so far I have taken it easy on emailing her. She has been great and very helpful.
Katie has a new position at the Cleveland clinic, no longer in the cancer center, of course Adam and I will miss seeing her at appointments.
My friends and family walked a 5k lung cancer walk on Saturday Nov 7th for an organization called Free to breath. The walk was in Dayton,OH and the turn out was amazing. My friends and family really showed their support not to mention our team had the most donations at about $1300 to go to lung cancer research. All of the teams did great, I also had the pleasure of meeting a woman in her 70's (whom won the 3 mile run in her age group) diagnosed stage IV in 2007 spread to her bones. It is 2009 and she runs miles every morning and she looks great! What an inspiration. Not to mention she told me I could not be a day over 20 yr. hahaha I love her. Well I will have a special post for the walk once I get the pictures.
nationallungcancerpartnership.org
Well there is my update next one will be pics of the walk.
Also I have a new Dr assis. well not new to her position just to me :) her name is Tara and she is awesome. Adam and I talked her ear off and she seemed fine with it hahaha so far I have taken it easy on emailing her. She has been great and very helpful.
Katie has a new position at the Cleveland clinic, no longer in the cancer center, of course Adam and I will miss seeing her at appointments.
My friends and family walked a 5k lung cancer walk on Saturday Nov 7th for an organization called Free to breath. The walk was in Dayton,OH and the turn out was amazing. My friends and family really showed their support not to mention our team had the most donations at about $1300 to go to lung cancer research. All of the teams did great, I also had the pleasure of meeting a woman in her 70's (whom won the 3 mile run in her age group) diagnosed stage IV in 2007 spread to her bones. It is 2009 and she runs miles every morning and she looks great! What an inspiration. Not to mention she told me I could not be a day over 20 yr. hahaha I love her. Well I will have a special post for the walk once I get the pictures.
nationallungcancerpartnership.org
Well there is my update next one will be pics of the walk.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Strictly for entertainment 8/31/09
So, we go to UC to meet the new doc, after waiting about 30 minutes, I ask when we will be seen, the doctor comes in immediately after that. He is talking to us everything sounds good, he understands that he is just taking direction from Pennell great, right. Then another doc comes in the first one leaves. Adam ask him about how he has seen Tarceva work on different patients he doesn’t answer just kinda goes around it by saying “ it should work well on her and she isn’t the typical patient for this” So he leaves the first doc comes back in. Adam tells him “ I don’t really like that doctor that just left” The doc says oh he is just in training don’t worry about him. WHAT? Okay, at this point my patients are running out a little bit. So then the doc proceeds to tell us today is his last day. WHAT, really? He drops hints as to where he was going otherwise it would be soliciting. (which I didn’t pick up on, adam did) I just ask where are you going, can we follow you. He mentions Bethesda north..That is where I had my surgery and wonderful Dr. Ward. I ask “are you working with Dr. ward?” he says no he is in a different practice..WHEW. Now he leaves a few minutes later the two doctors come back and a third joins them, a lot goin on here. He starts talking and I literally cannot understand a word he is saying. I am just looking at the other doctors with a blank stare and they start reiterating what the 3rd doc is saying…This guy is talking about alternative treatments, telling me I should go to Dana farber because they have back up drugs they are working on if the 1st line fails…he is just doing way too much. I said well actually Dr. Pennell is out of Dana Farber SO I am sure he will let me know what is out there SHOULD IT COME TO THAT….why is this doctor progressing me lol he is talking about getting another biopsy and all kinds of stuff, I think to them I was an experiment cause my age. Again The original doc jumps in and says we are only taking direction from her doctor, it isn’t that hard. Thank goodness this 3rd guy that I can’t understand is WAY ahead of himself.
Question why did I need to see three doctors and I left knowing nothing. Except if I have to pick one, I pick # one, Whom understands he is not treating me.
Now on the scheduling to treatment, Monday the 10th ok fine.
The latest appt time please. 1:00 is what she gave me I said that will not work well guess what I left with a 1:00 appt. and she said it will take an hour and a half. WHY it should only take a half an hour. On top of it all the first doc asked do you have insur? Yes, well you can be seen at the Medical arts building. This area is mostly patients without insur. WOW really. I thought the office was kinda eww especially to be at UC but now I felt bad why can't everyone be treated in the same place?
This took up 3 hours of my day. Bottom line I am trying to follow the first doc as long as he isn’t affiliated with (Dr.death sentence Ward). Closer to home and work anyways.
One more thing to top it all off....... the lady doing my registration had my id, asked my nationality cause she didn't want the doctors to be confused when they saw race as Black because my fair skin BUT WAIT I AM BROWN Not, fair! I am mixed but they don't put mixed on your id. LOL
she proceeds to say(looking at my ID picture hair down my back) you cut all of your hair off. REALLY are aware that you are working in a CANCER CENTER.
I hope this made you laugh cause it was fuuny once I got out of there!
Question why did I need to see three doctors and I left knowing nothing. Except if I have to pick one, I pick # one, Whom understands he is not treating me.
Now on the scheduling to treatment, Monday the 10th ok fine.
The latest appt time please. 1:00 is what she gave me I said that will not work well guess what I left with a 1:00 appt. and she said it will take an hour and a half. WHY it should only take a half an hour. On top of it all the first doc asked do you have insur? Yes, well you can be seen at the Medical arts building. This area is mostly patients without insur. WOW really. I thought the office was kinda eww especially to be at UC but now I felt bad why can't everyone be treated in the same place?
This took up 3 hours of my day. Bottom line I am trying to follow the first doc as long as he isn’t affiliated with (Dr.death sentence Ward). Closer to home and work anyways.
One more thing to top it all off....... the lady doing my registration had my id, asked my nationality cause she didn't want the doctors to be confused when they saw race as Black because my fair skin BUT WAIT I AM BROWN Not, fair! I am mixed but they don't put mixed on your id. LOL
she proceeds to say(looking at my ID picture hair down my back) you cut all of your hair off. REALLY are aware that you are working in a CANCER CENTER.
I hope this made you laugh cause it was fuuny once I got out of there!
Avistin 8/20/09
Follow up to 8/11 My PET scan came back inconclusive may be cancer may not be, a relief to me. Dr. Pennell decided to treat me as if it is cancer as oppose to ignoring it. So I will do three treatments of Avistin given through IV. I had one treatment already while I was in Cleveland on the 20th. So two more over the next 6 weeks then I go to cleveland in an additional 3 weeks to give the Avistin time to work and follow up with test and pray my scans are once again clean. Tarceva is known for causing chest colds so that could be what is showing up on my scan as well as inflamation. I am completly fine with all of this mostly cause I don't know what it is, I am going to fight regardless. The treatments only take a half an hour, I am going to look for an oncologist locally to get the treatments, the doc will follow Pennells instruction.
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