Radiation

Once again I am late in posting...Sorry.  I started radiation on Monday of this week.  There is no pain involved while receiving the radiation; and only mild discomfort on Thursday and Friday after the treatments.  It's kind of like a pink sunburn, but in a sensitive area.  For those of you who haven't heard my dad had a major heart attack last Sunday at Conroe Regional Hospital.  The Lord had him in the right place at the right time.  He had 5 way bypass surgery on Wednesday, and is doing fabulous now.  My nephew in love, James, had his surgery on Thursday morning to remove his cancerous liver tumor, and lymphnodes.  He too is doing well on his way to recovery.  Please continue to keep my family in your prayers.  Our Lord and savior is still in the healing business.  Thanks for your love and support.

Praising our Lord....No more Cancer

We received great news on Tuesday from the Pathology report, and I'm sorry I'm so late in posting.  The chemo did it's work and killed all the cancer in the lymphnodes, and almost all the cancer in the tumor.  Only 3mm of live cancer cells were in the tumor area, and the surgeon took a golf ball size amount of tissue from the area with wide clear margins.  It has taken me much longer to get over this surgery than I thought... My arm is still really sore, and it doesn't move like it should.. I am exercising it to get my mobility  back, and anxiously awaiting the removal of my drain tube..They say Monday...I am trying to be patient, but it's not my strongest quality!  Thank you all for praying, and I will keep you posted.  Radiation won't start for another few weeks. 

TIME TO GO HOME I HOPE

Looks like time to go home just waiting on doc to give thumbs up.  We want to thank all of you guys for prayers and support please call and come by to see us welove to see our friends. I will let DONNA TAKE OVER BLOG UP DATING ASAP.  See ya soon 

Surgery Done

Praise the Lord Donna's out of surgery everything went fine according to surgeon she should be in room in 1-2 hours wil watch over night then let everybody know tomorrow details of surgery

It's 2:00 pm and they have just taken Donna back for surgery.   Surgeon said should be about 3 hrs we,re gonna get something to eat and i will let everybody know something when they tell us. tanks talk later Greg

It's 10:40 am and one procedure is done now waiting to start actual surgery. Nurse said we could see her before big surgery will post later. Thank you for Prayers please keep praying. Oh and by the way this is Greg typing so this thing may not be grammaticly correct

Here we go again...

Hello my loyal bloggers.  I am feeling much better than last weekend, and I am soooo ready to have surgery on Monday. I didn't go to work this week in hopes of not catching anything; and remaining healthy.  The surgery is scheduled for noon this Monday.  I should only be in the hosipital over night, and then come home.  I appreciate your continued prayer support.  Love to all..

God's Timing

His timing is not always ours.  I got sick over the weekend, and the doctor was not comfortable doing the surgery until I was feeling better.  Hopefully later this week, but probably Monday of next week.  Thanks for the prayers, and please keep them going.  God has been so good to me through all of this, so this is just another small bump in the road.  Have a great week!

Surgery Time

Sorry it's been a month since I posted...I am back a work and doing good.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful; and the married couple are back and keeping busy.  Baby Jolly is due to arrive April 14th.  I will have a lumpectomy and lymphnode removal on Monday 9/12.  Please pray for all to go well and for me to experience the Lord's peace that passes all understanding.  Also please keep the firefighters in your prayers as well as the many people who have been effected by the horrible fires.  The firefighters are working long hours, and need our prayers and support.  Will post after surgery..Thanks for the prayers. 

No More Chemo!!

I took my last chemo treatment yesterday. Praise the Lord!  He has been so good to me with very few side effects.    Greg and the boys are good and the wedding is in 16 days!  Thank you for all the prayers and support.

One more to Go...

    I took my 3rd FAC treatment on Friday, 7/22.  One more to go on August 10th if all goes as planned..Side effects have been minimal and I am feeling pretty good now.  Met with the surgeon on Thursday, and it looks like surgery will be around September 12th.  I think I am going to have a partial mastectomy since the chemo is working to eliminate the tumor..plus it is much less evasive, with shorter recovery time. To me the worst part sounds like it will be the axillary lymph node dissection where they will remove all the lymph nodes from that area.  Not going to lie I'm kind of freaked out about the drain thing....but it is what it is. Recovery time is 3 to 4 weeks, but hopefully it won't take me that long to be up and about.  Then I will begin 6 to 7 weeks of radiation.
   Other news..Wedding plans are still on the way for a wonderful day on August 27th!  I am looking forward to having an amazing daughter in law, and getting to see lots of family and friends.  Beau is currently in New Mexico playing in an independent professional baseball league.  It has always been his dream to play so he's going for it, and I am so proud of him for doing so.  Greg is working like crazy and taking care of me (which is a full time job). 
   I thank God everyday for the people he has put in my life to help me get through this battle with cancer.  The cards, the notes of encouragement, the visits, and lunches, as well as the prayers all mean so very much to me.  Thank you for your support, and I look forward to being myself again!

Halfway through FAC

The Lord has really blessed me with feeling good during the last couple of weeks.  I took the second of four FAC treatments on Sunday July 3rd.  Since it was Sunday we had to go downtown, but it was no big deal.  Nurse was really nice, they fed us lunch, and then we came home.  I still felt good on Monday, so Greg & Beau played golf while I drove one of the carts for 9 holes before I called it quits.  Just Too Hot!! Yesterday and today have been yuck days, but still not as bad as last go round.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support....I feel them everyday!   

A Good Week

Praise God for a really good week.  I have had energy and been able to get out and about.  I enjoyed having lunch with a couple of friends from school yesterday and then went and played games with my mom and dad. Greg is good; just working all the time and then taking excellent care of me when he gets home.  My next treatment is this Sunday July 3rd.  Thank you all for your prayers and support.  I couldn't do this without you. Please keep James and Amy in your prayers as we are trusting in God for His grace; mercy and healing.  Check out their blog at alwaysabell.blogspot.com....Thank you all!  

Just to let you know...

I'm sorry for not posting earlier.  I am doing so much better this week.  My strength has returned, and I have a wider variety of foods I can eat.  My fingers, and feet are still tingling, and unfortunately I have ulcers in my mouth from the chemo.  Other than that I am as good as new! hahaha  Remember to keep my nephew and niece in your prayers as they possibly start a clinical trial with possible surgery.  They are on vacation this week with James' family in Kentucky.  Pray his pain will be minimal and they are able to enjoy their time away.  You are all the best! I thank you for going through this with me and I hope you are all enjoying your summer. 

In the middle of it

The doc was right no energy and everything taste like metal! Well enough of that just wanted everyone to know I am doing o. k. really and I love hearing from you.  Keep praying and keep in touch, love to all.

Praising God for great news

We had a great weekend,enjoyed seeing many friends. Today's meeting with Dr.Coscio was fantastic tumor had shrunk by 80% and lymph nodes by 75%!!!PTL.... Started new chemo today.  Doc said feel ok for 1-2 days then possibly feel like I was ran over by a Mack truck. But good news is this should only last 5 to 7 days Yippie.  We are fixing to take a nap and if I feel ok we are going to eat at the new Red Lobster in Conroe. Keep praying; He's listening and we are receiving the blessings.  Thanks to all and keep in touch :)

I Love Fireworks

We went to the Astros game last night and they got thrashed 11-4. Greg and I still had fun; he bought me a jersey and we were able to enjoy the fireworks set to Frank Sinatra music.  Slept in til 8 this morning, had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, and then we headed home.  We'll leave about 3 today going to my brother's place in Grapeland, and then to a wedding reception for a dear friend's son who got married in Jamaica last month.  Feeling much better today, and will begin FAC on Monday.  The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful caring husband and I am so very thankful for the next few days we have together. 

Yucky

I'm trying to keep everyone posted; with both good news and not so good news.  So here it goes....I got sick Tuesday night after chemo, but felt o.k. most of the day on Wednesday.  Wednesday night unfortunately I got sick again, and have not felt up to par yet today.  I know it's just one of the side effects, but I don't like not being able to trust my stomach.... Please keep Greg and I in your prayers tomorrow as we go to MD Anderson for mammogram, and ultrasound.  We are praying for no new biopsies needed, and for the old tumor to be undetectable.  Dr. cancelled on us so we won't see the doc, but we are going to the Astros game and hopefully we'll see some fireworks.  Thanks to Andrea from Sunday School, we are staying in a hotel tomorrow night instead of having to drive home.  Thanks for following along on our journey! 

Trying to do the right thing....

They say exercise helps people manage the side effects of chemo, so I thought o.k. I will do my best.  I started water aerobics yesterday, and came home totally exhausted.  I then proceeded to take a 2 hour nap.  When I woke up I did feel pretty good and cooked Greg some supper.  Today I did water walking, and still feel pretty good.  I go for chemo at 2; so want to get some stuff accomplished before I get my poison.  God is good all the time; all the time God is good! Hope you all have a blessed day!

Round 1 almost over...

After 11 weeks of Pacitaxel, Taxol for short, I'm doing pretty good.  The good news is after about the 4th week; the lump in my breast is undetectable.  Dr. says lymph nodes are almost down to correct size.  Few side effects which are to be expected but thank God I was able to work most of the time.  School is out for summer, and I will begin second round of chemo FAC, (the bad stuff), on June 14th.  We will do our best to keep you posted as to my progress.  Leave us a post; we love to hear from our friends.  I want to thank everyone for prayers and support; they really mean a lot. 

When it all started.....

January 2011 I felt a lump in the top portion of my left breast.  I had felt one about two years ago, and through testing the lump was benign.  I knew I needed to get a mammogram as soon as possible but wasn't too worried.  To make a long story shorter, I had a mammogram, a week later an ultrasound, and a few days after that biopsies.  On February 14th, the Love Holiday, Dr. Moonatt called me at school to tell me I had breast cancer, and she wanted to see Greg and I tomorrow at her office.  Thank God Chris Kuempel was in my room working on RtI with me at the time; who is a cancer survivor.  Greg and I found out I have invasive ductile carcinoma which is about 80% of all breast cancers.  She recommended an Oncologist, and said we were waiting on the hormone receptors to determine the type of cancer.  Dr. Moonatt called school again to give me good news, and bad news.  The good news was that my liver and chest show no sign of cancer from the lyphmnodes; bad news is my cancer is a triple negative.  That means it is not Estrogen, Progestern, or Her2 fed cancer.  On February 18th we decided to get second opinion from MD Anderson.  Two and half weeks felt like forever, but on March 4 we met with Dr. Ronald Walters (really smart dude) who visited with us for 1 1/2 hours and explained everything.  He wanted all ultrasounds and mammograms redone at MD Anderson.  These people are thorough!  Since cancer is Triple Negative, plan is chemo first, then surgery, and possible radiation.

Welcome

Thanks for joining me on my journey through breast cancer.  I will do my best to keep everyone informed, with the help of my husband, mom, and wonderful niece Amy!  I appreciated your thoughts and prayers more than you can know.  My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is with me as He promised He would be; and I will not fear!  I pray for the grace to fight this battle and for His glory be revealed on the journey through this valley.  Even in the valley God is good. 

Donna