J is for Jim

Today I would like to share a very special person with you, my brother-in-law Jim. There were so many special things about Jim's life that I can not list them all here. I will write about some of the most powerful ways Jim impacted my life and gave me strength and courage to face what was ahead.

Almost four years ago, we found out that at age 38 our brother  had Leukemia. He was treated very quickly and aggresivly. This is where Jim became a hero to so many of us. He was so young and strong and fought with everything he had. Trial after trial he hung in there, when most people would not have been able to. In just 3 short months and one very courages battle, Jim went home to be with the Lord.

Jim taught us all how to love and give with everything we have. How to hold on and fight until God says "it's time". We witnessed suffering and miracles. We loved, laughed, cried and lost together.

Feeling so helpless we wanted to do something special to honor Jim's life. This was the beginning of "Team Ambo" and my start as a runner. Six of Jim's family members trained and ran the Dallas Half Marathon, including myself,my husband and son, Jim's wife, sister and brother-in-law. It was a bitter sweet race!

TEAM AMBO!

During training and only 4 months after we lost Jim I was diagnosed for the 2nd time with Stage 4 cancer. I don't think either my husband or I really ever considered not finishing what we had started. So, with the approval and support of my doctors I began treatment and continued training.

There were so many days that I had to pull from this experience with Jim. I would picture him in my mind when I was having trouble running and think about how strong he was and how hard he fought. "If Jim could go through what he endured I can do this"!  We lost our sweet Jim on April 26, 2007 and finished the race in November of 2007.
                      In memory of our hero.. James Patrick Minich...Ambo!

J is for JIM

I~ INTENSE!

Following up my post on "Home" comes the letter I for INTENSE! Spring has arrived in Texas and with it comes our spring storms.
We were woken up at 1 AM last night to the sounds of hail pounding against the glass and strong winds. The power was out and the only light we all had was from our cell phones. In this part of the country you have a designated spot to take cover in the case of tornadoes. This storm had all the makings of a tornado with the hail, winds that sound like a train coming, green skies and the outside moving around in all different directions.

We grabbed our cat, dog, pillows and blankets and headed for the pantry, our "shelter". The storm came and went quickly, but left our yard in shambles.
We all went outside to evaluate the damage. Several of the neighbors were outside as well. Fortunatly all the damage was to the yards. No homes or people were hurt that I am aware of.

Our backyard was hit the hardest. We lost 2 trees. The first one was planted for me on my first Mothers day when we moved in 13 years ago. This tree has always been special to me. It was not just my first Mothers day in our new house, it was also my first year with cancer. The tree has always represented life to me. As I sit here and write this I am looking outside at what is left of it. It is battered and torn but...still standing! Maybe a better way to look at it.

 I also lost my wooden chair swing..also a Mothers day present from many years ago with so  many special memories.

 Our tree landing in several neighbors yards. I am sure they just love that!

 The winds were so strong, the tops of the onions in the garden were torn right off. The yard smelled of onions when we were out there at 1 AM.

 The second tree split right and half, crushing the swing.

I~ is for the Intense Texas spring storms! My daughter-in-law (to be) just left me a message with the word "INSANE"! I think that fits as well today.

H~ Home

Spring 2011

 Once again, I had a different topic I was going to write about today but as the day when on and my husband and I worked in our yard, I felt this was better suited for today.
Tomorrow marks the day we moved into our home 13 years ago. At the time, my youngest son was 7 with his 8th birthday just 2 weeks away! I remember setting out their Easter baskets in the kitchen for their first morning and Easter in our new home.
We have watched our kids grow up here, literally going from boys to men. As with any family, we have laughed, cried, celebrated and said good-bye during these past 13 years.
Home has been a place of love and comfort for me. Especially during the difficult times going through all the treatments, surgeries and challenging moments. It is a place of refuge where I feel warm, safe and loved.
There really is no place like HOME!

Winter 2011

G~ Grandparents

My sons still talk about those special memories they had when they were younger with all of their grandparents.
From swimming at G&G Ski's house with all their cousins to sneaking more Dr. Peppers than they were supposed to have.
The funny times when G&G Ski would come over on Halloween to help us "haunt the house". Grandpa Ski even played along as a scary monster sitting under a tree and scaring the kids who dared to poke him to see if he was real.

Each summer the boys traveled to Tulsa to spend a week at G&G Minichs. These grandparents, sadly are no longer with us but the memories will be there forever.
Like G&G M. opening up a world of different experiences for them. From the musical "Oklahoma" to photographing the buffalo and visiting with a local artist. And who can forget "the camper ghost" with Grandpa M. or helping at meals on wheels with Grandma M.
.
We now find ourselves getting ready to take on this role of Grandparents to our first grandchild who will be here in October! We look forward to loving and creating new and special memories with each of our grandkids!

At age 34 I prayed God would let me raise my kids and be here till they were grown. At age 43, when my kids were all grown, I prayed I would be here to see them get married. At age 46, we have skipped right to praying to live to be 96 and be Great-Grandparents!

F~ Fatigue

Fatigue~ not the topic I had planned to write about today. Unfortunately Fatigue is a very common and frustrating side effect that I ( and most survivors) have to live with.

It interferes with many parts of your life and the daily plans you may have, as it has done today. Sometimes you can feel it creeping up on you and other times it just hits you like a ton of bricks.

After I finished teaching my 5k class tonight I planned to go home and take it easy, as today has been one of those days that it has been "creeping" up on me. However, tonight was supposed to be a "run" night with my husband. So, I told him I was ready to go but it wasn't going to be pretty.

Off we went for a 3 mile run. Although I didn't feel good, I consider myself very Fortunate just to be out there running. Even if it isn't pretty :)

E~ is for Elisa & Nathan Bond

Elisa & Nathan Bond are a young and loving couple with an adorable 18 month old daughter.  I have been following their story of struggle, life and most of all, extraordinary  love.

They were featured on The Today show this morning.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42450455#42450455

Their strength and positive attitudes are exceptional. Please keep this beautiful family in your prayers. To visit Elisa's blog go to;

http://familybondingtime.blogspot.com/

D~ Determination

There were many "D" words I wanted to use today, but I am going to go with DETERMINATION!
I chose this word on my way home this morning from teaching my Outdoor Fitness Group, basically a boot-camp. I could not help but think of how hard all my clients work. They do or try anything I ask of them. Including  army- crawling through sand. Not their favorite :) Tonight I will be introducing a longer run with more hills to my 5k class. I am sure they will attack it with the same determination.

It is the essence of living a strong and healthy life as a survivor....yup, DETERMINATION!

C~Cancerversary!

Cancerversary! I am not sure where I first heard someone use this term, but I decided I liked it! Your cancerversary is the anniversary of the day one becomes a survivor, which is from the moment you are told you have cancer. A day you will never forget and one which you will come to celebrate year after year.Some people make it a very special day, like a birthday, others simply acknowledge the day in smaller ways. I like to go for a run, a swim at the lake, things like that. Just enjoying the fact that I am healthy enough to do it.

       I am happy to tell people which birthday I am celebrating or how many years I have been a survivor, as it means "I am still here"!
My next Cancerversary is August 21 and it will be 13 years!

  Happy Cancerversary to all of you that will celebrate your special day of survivorship!

B ~ Blogging, should I or not?

When I received the 2nd diagnosis nearly 4 years ago that the cancer had spread to my bones and was now considered Stage 4 metastatic cancer, I had many decisions to make. One of them being who do we tell and how do we tell everyone without having to say the words over and over again?

My first thought was "No WAY am I going to start a blog"! I guess I didn't want my life to be another sad story. After thinking about it and much consideration, I decided not only would it be a very helpful tool to let everyone know what was/is going on but a great way to seek support, ask for prayer requests and maybe even provide a little healing therapy for me.
It has turned into all of that and more, which i will save to write about in another post during this challenge.

April has brought a new challenge!

 

What is the A to Z Challenge?

It’s blogging a letter of the alphabet every day the month of April (with Sundays off for good behavior.) It begins April First with the letter A and ends April 30 with the letter Z.

My first post for April is 

A is for April ( don't worry I will get more creative as time goes on 

I have entered this blogging challenge on day 4, so I have some catching up to do).April has brought a new and interesting challenge for those of us who love to blog. I have decided to take this challenge on in hopes that it will help me be more creative as I write about daily life as a person living with metastatic cancer.

2011 Komen Survivor brunch and fashion Show

I spent a wonderful morning Saturday with my friend and sister survivor, Natasha at the 2011 Komen Survivor brunch and fashion show. I am not sure if we were wind blown,in a hurry to get our raffle tickets or simply needed more coffee in this picture. But, it was the start of a fun morning!

Elayne & Natasha

A highlight of the morning for us is getting our raffle tickets and picking from all the wonderful prizes! We always try to win the garage door opener, kind of as a joke ...this year Natasha won it!! We laughed so hard! I won a spa package from L'Occitane for my  beat up feet :) Great stuff.

Natasha and I with our prizes!

It has been announced that this will be the first year Race For The Cure will be held in Denton, on Sept. 24th! The organization is now reaching 8 ( I believe) counties vs. the 3 it has been at for many years.
$800,000 was awarded in grant money to local organizations that are working for the cause. We watched a few survivor stories of how women and their families have been helped through Komen when there was no where else to turn.

They do a beautiful job of making all survivors feel special.From the elegant brunch to the recognition of all survivors. From those diagnosed just a few months ago, all the way to a 39 year survivor...who gives all of us hope!

I was the person at our table with the pink card..Longest Survivor :)

I ran into a special group of women who I call "The Lewisville Ladies".These were the women who mentored me from my support group back in 1998 when I was first diagnosed at 34 years old. It is always nice to spend some time celebrating survivorship with all these fellow survivors. A lovely morning brunch :)

While looking at the Komen website I found these pictures of Olympic Gold medal winner Nastia Liukin signing my race bib # after one of the races! Put on your running shoes and participate in one of the local 5k Komen Race for the Cure events...you will be helping many people!

Nastia Liukin signing my race bib!

Elayne with Nastia Liukin after the Komen race

Visit to the neurologist today

Today I finally went to the  neurologist. The appointment overall went well and I really liked him and his assistant.
The diagnosis was no surprise to me of Migraine Disorder. The part that surprised me was his concern of the cancer cells spreading through the spinal fluid to the meninges in the brain. I asked if that would have shown up on the MRI or PET scan, both of which were clean.He said no, not if it is in the beginning. I am trying not to be too worried about this, but I would be lying if I said we are not concerned.
 My sister ( who is a nurse) knows this doctor well and said if he was really concerned he would have done tests or contacted my Onc. today. There is a possibility I may have to have the spinal fluid biopsied.
"DIAGNOSIS OF SPINAL FLUID METASTASES A lumbar puncture [Lumbar puncture, also called spinal tap, is the insertion of a hollow needle into the subarachnoid space of the lumbar spine to withdraw a sample of spinal fluid for examination in the laboratory. A local anesthetic is administered prior to the procedure.]" 
 After lots of paperwork and questions he decided he wants to "observe" me for a few weeks. I am to keep a headache journal daily. He is also having me take 12 Advil a day for inflammation, as I am waking up every morning with a headache. Three at every meal and before bedtime. I will do this and log how I am doing everyday for 2 weeks. He will then assess everything again. He also gave me a nasal spray to use when the migraines get really bad.
I know it sounds kind of scary, but I will say he has to be cautious and consider this given my history. I think that is a good sign of a good doctor. I told Chris on a scale of 1-10, I would say his level of concern (to me) seemed about a 3. There are also MANY reasons I may be having these headaches/migraines from my age, meds I take, stress, teeth grinding and more. So....it will be a few weeks of trying the Advil and journaling.
In the meantime prayers are always appreciated for both relief from the headaches and future results. Thanks all~

PPE..Who knew?

I have been recently toying with the idea of running the Big D half marathon with a friend of mine. I had not been "officially" training but a few of us have been running/walking and adding the miles up.
So... I decided to go to one of our favorite places, the Greenbelt Corridor to walk and see how it would go. I had somehow hurt my shin, calf and ankle so I had no idea if or how far I would go. Tried running on it, but it still hurt. Walking however was fine, so off we went on the trail through the trees, open fields and enjoying the beautiful Texas spring day.
About 4 miles in I asked my friend, how much further do you want to go? Remember we have to walk back. She said to the half way point which was 6 miles one way. Feeling good, I said sure. All was great till about mile 10.
 At this point my feet felt like they were burning and really starting to hurt. I did have new shoes but had been wearing them for about 3 weeks both running and walking. As many miles as I  have covered I never felt anything like this. I seriously had trouble getting to the car and back into the house.
  I sat down and began to take off my shoes...they were not coming off, not with out the feeling of ripping my feet off with them. Carefully, I took them off to find blisters over both my feet. First thing I did was soak them in ice water as they were burning and the cold water felt good.
  As time went on and days passed they got worse and I could barley walk. They not only burned and stung, there was a deep throbbing and sharp shooting pains. Advil did help. But, I could not understand why it was this bad. On Saturday I gave in and let my husband "drain" the blisters. Again, the pain was so much worse than a regular blister. Just touching my foot hurt and I yelled and cried like a baby.
Today is Monday, 4 days later and I can finally put my feet down flat and walk. Have not been able to put shoes on yet. I had planned to go to the doctor this morning but I did feel improvement so I did not go.
Then...I remembered reading about a side effect from taking Tykerb.

Hand-Foot Syndrome

Other terms: Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia;  PPE
Following administration of chemotherapy, small amounts of drug leak out of very small blood vessels called capillaries in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.  Exposure of your hands and feet to heat as well as friction on your palms and soles increases the amount of drug in the capillaries and increases the amount of drug leakage.  This leakage of drug results in redness, tenderness, and possibly peeling of the palms and soles.  The redness, also known as palmar-plantar erythema, looks like sunburn.  The areas affected can become dry and peel, with numbness or tingling developing.  Hand-foot syndrome can be uncomfortable and can interfere with your ability to carry out normal activities. 

• Avoid increased pressure on the soles of the feet or palms of hands.
• No jogging, aerobics, power walking, jumping - avoid long days of walking. 

For more info., prevention, care and advice on PPE click here; 
http://www.chemocare.com/managing/handfoot_syndrome.asp

Tomorrow I go back to teaching my outdoor group fitness class. They will be in their running shoes..I will be in slippers. I will be letting my doctor know what happened to be sure this is from the medication. For now, as much as I hate reading all the possible side effects of each drug I have to take, I am glad I remembered this one.

Inspired To Run

My journey as a runner began nearly four years ago after the loss my brother-in-law Jim. He  lost his short but heroic battle with leukemia after just seven months.I, along with five other family members decided to  train for and run The Dallas  Half Marathon in memory of our hero Jim.

I myself would be running as a cancer survivor of 9 years. While  in training I decided to have a physical due to worsening pain in my back. The results from further testing were unexpected. The cancer had spread to my bones and was now considered stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Now facing more treatments and very difficult decisions. including, whether or not to keep running. I did and completed the  Dallas Half Marathon. Thoughts of Jim in his heroic battle inspired me throughout the training and motivated me to complete the race.

Once I finished the half marathon I knew I wanted to complete a full marathon. While in High school I ran track and was introduced to the  Dallas White Rock Marathon.It was a race I had  contemplated doing since then.. The decision was made and training began. Again, the cancer roared it's ugly face. This time spreading to the pectoral muscle. More treatments, surgeries and tough decisions to be made. All this combined with the loss of several family members within a years time took it's toll. Running provided the physical and emotional outlet I desperately needed.

 I have been fortunate to have support from my doctors, family and friends. They  encourage my running and do everything to help me reach my goals.On  December 5, 2009, I completed my first marathon with my husband and running partner by my side. A highlight during the race was seeing our kids cheering us on at the finish line!

 Running has not only helped improve my life but has provided me with ,both physical and emotional healing, It has become my passion.

  I decided to become a Personal Trainer and share this love with anyone that will run with me. I now teach 5k  run groups and boot-camps. The joy I have teaching and sharing my running experiences is what gets me up each day and keeps me going as I continue to fight for my life.
By~ Elayne Minich

The right decision

One of the hard parts of living with any kind of illness that is  on-going are the side-effects. Whether they are from past surgeries and treatments or present treatments and medications, it causes day to day fatigue and problems.
With this comes the dilemma of never really knowing how you will feel day to day and week to week. Because of this I did decided to request exemption from jury duty, which was granted. 
I went to bed Sunday night with a terrible headache and woke up at 6:30 AM with another horrible migraine.Spent all day very sick in bed, not able to hold anything down including medication for nausea and pain. My BP reached 168/100, which is common when I have these headaches. This would have been the morning I would have had to report for jury duty.
I do not know what is causing these migraines. I have said before I will be seeing a neurologist. Just have to get up the courage to get started with yet another doctor.
Today I am feeling better. Wiped out but better. Thanks to all of you for your prayers.

Please Vote for my picture!

Hello everyone!
 I entered a photo in a  contest just for fun :) However, I worked VERY hard to get this picture by climbing Mount Brandon  a 952 m (3123 ft) mountain  on the Dingle peninsula in Ireland.
It is the highest of the unnamed central mountain range of the Dingle Peninsula and the 9th highest peak in Ireland.
It is a beautiful shot and I am trying to get in the top 10... I have a long way to go!
If you want to vote for my pic. just click on this link and hit vote...thanks!

http://baggagelabel.klm.com/Taggallery.aspx?image=97083&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d769a556995cae2%2C0

What's in a name?

This has been an important question for us as we are expecting our very first grand-baby! Of course there is the traditional Grandma and Grandpa but...we don't always like to do things the traditional way so we have been pondering this.
I realize as many of you have told me that we will be called whatever the baby calls us, but we can certainaly try to establish a name...right??

Do you pick a name easy for a baby/child to say? Or one you just want to be called? Maybe something to do with family heritage? One that is a version of your own name, like Grandpa Chris, or ..just make one up, like Grandma Opal!
My parents go by G&G Ski, a shortened version of their last name and easy for the boys to say when they were little. Chris's parents went by G&G Minich.

Here are some we have looked at and the one we are most leaning towards.
Mama and Grandpa Minich ( all the kids already call me mama Minich, (so it fits).
Nonnie or Nonna, which is Italian for Grandma but Chris does not like Nonno for grandpa.
In Scotland, they call their grandma either granny or nanna. Grandpa is granda (pronounced gran-da).
"Seanmhathair" is Irish for grandmother - . It literally means 'old mother' and is pronounced like this: shan- waw - her. WAY TO HARD!
In Yiddish, they say…
Grandpa = zeyde
Pronounced zey’∙deh
Grandma = bobe
Pronounced boh’∙beh / boo’∙beh
I’ve always heard it as bubbie or bubby( ah, don't think so :)

German is Oma and Opa. With baby Minich's last name and the easy pronunciation, Oma and Opa are growing on us and leading the way!

So, what do you think or like?Are you a Grandparent? What do you go by or what do you call your grandparents??

Super Bowl Sunday Surprise!

It's official... we found out on Super Bowl Sunday that we are going to be first time Grandparents! That still sounds so weird to me even as I write it and I have had two weeks to absorb it :)
We are thrilled about baby Minich who we will get to meet in September. My middle son Kevin and our daughter-in-law Nikki are the proud and happy parents.

 We are looking forward to the blessings God is bringing us this year with our youngest son graduating from college, our oldest son getting married, our newest daughter-in-law and now Baby Minich! God is so good :)
Prayers for Baby and mom throughout her pregnancy are appreciated!

My baby is going to be a daddy!

Our Kids...Timothy, Stephanie, Nikki, Kevin & Matthew

I could have done without seeing that!

Today was my monthly Faslodex shot. This time when I went to the infusion room there was no-one at all there. Just me, nurse M ( who I think may like giving me my shots :) and this! Course mine was the big one. She opened the package, got the needle ready and then I noticed it, looking bigger than ever, or maybe I just never looked before. I laughed and said " oh, I really didn't need to see that"! The usual "stick" and I was on my way after getting to talk with M about gardening.Headaches and BP are ok once again. Told M about 'going vegetarian" and she said we will check with the next round of blood-work to make sure everything looks ok.

No stop at Starbucks today for my usual peppermint latte'. Had to hit Wal Mart instead :(

Going vegetarian, again!

• 1. Why go Vegetarian?
  This may be  the question those of you who love meat are wondering. This is not a new experience for me. I have gone through periods of cutting meat out of my diet as far back as a pre-teen. The main reason being that I simply don't like meat, of any kind. I have never liked fish so that was not an issue. I gave up red meat when I was first diagnosed with cancer 12 years ago. Since then, I have gone through periods of eating red meat but only organic. Chicken and Turkey are the last two to give up. Also, with my cancer being estrogen + and my therapy being hormone therapy used to omit as much estrogen as possible from my body, I feel it is better not to add the additional animal estrogen's.
   
• 
  2.Cookbook for Christmas
  Tim & Stephanie gave me a good, simple vegetarian cookbook. The recipes are pretty easy to follow. I have not had trouble finding the ingredients and it is filled with pictures so you can see what it is supposed to look like. I find it easier to cook vegetarian. No worries about not thawing meat from the freezer to prepare for the evening dinner.Just like planning  your usual dinner menu, I look through the different chapters of the book or recipes I find on line to mix it up.
• 
  3. New Food experiences
  So what is "seitan" anyways?? A challenge of the vegetarian diet is some of the new foods and terms you are introduced to. If I have no idea what the recipe is calling for I google it. If I don't think the local grocery store will have it, I just google "substitute" for..... Overall, we have enjoyed the new food experiences!
• 
  4.Nutritional concerns
  Between ongoing treatment for cancer and being a runner I definitely have concerns  about meeting my bodies nutritional needs, particularly with protein, iron and vitamin B12. I do take a daily multi-vitamin supplement and plan to add additional supplements as needed. I will let my doctor know about this change and continue to educate myself to keep myself healthy and well balanced.
• 
  5. Feeling Lighter
  I find I do not have the heavier feeling when you eat meat based meals but may need to snack a bit more often. I try to eat a small meal/snack every 3 hours 4 to 5 times a day. Including a protein source each time such as eggs, beans, nuts, milk, etc.
• 
  6. Other Veggie People
  I am fortunate that my husband/family does not mind the vegetarian meals. Several of our family members and friends are also "veggie people" so getting together is easy as I usually have an option for both groups of people, like a vegetarian lasagna and a meat lasagna. It is nice to have others around to share recipes and outcomes with!
Any suggestions/tips or favorite recipes are welcome in the comments section!

Super Bowl Sunday followed by Super Sick Monday

Sunday was a great day spent with family and friends having dinner and watching the Super-bowl.Monday was a whole different story. I had a really rough day that began with another headache I could not get under control. Which led to 16 hours of nausea and vomiting. Chris ended up calling Dr. A at 10:30 PM. Dr. A asked if I had anything for nausea.  Fortunately, I had some phenergin(sp?) at home and it worked. I was then able to sleep through the night. The past two days I continue to have the headache and fatigue, still don't feel well, but getting better.

This has been happening enough that we are noticing some patterns and one common trigger that we notice is; any time I have a very long, hard, day( working long hours without a break, having people over for a big get together, all day tests done at the hospital, etc.) it is almost always followed by what happened Monday, just not usually as bad. It seems to be the common link and I don't know if this is simply part of living with stage 4 cancer ( although everything seems to be ok right now from the recent testing, no evidence of disease) or if possibly there is something, unrelated to cancer going on?  Dr.A had mentioned seeing  a neurologist  concerning the headaches. 

Spoke with a few other people about what might be causing these headaches and "stress" is the key word that keeps coming up.

We have decided to "lay low" for a while and see if the headaches ease up. Keeping in mind I have already had a brain scan, which was normal and have explored nutritional triggers as well. As much as I love having everyone over and being busy with our "projects"

http://corinthminichs.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-old-houseunder-construction-again.html  

It looks like some R&R is in order. Today I made reservations for a small get a way for Chris and I in the future.

If any of you, especially those that have been through cancer/treatments recognize this pattern I would be very interested to hear from you. What you experience and what you are doing to help minimize the headaches.
For today, enjoying the snow, fire and rest :)

To Best Fight Cancer, New Guidelines Urge Exercise - Cancer Information (Cancers, Symptoms, Treatment) on MedicineNet.com

A great article on the benefits to exercise while fighting cancer. Just click on the link ( appears as the title, To best Fight cancer...) below.

To Best Fight Cancer, New Guidelines Urge Exercise - Cancer Information (Cancers, Symptoms, Treatment) on MedicineNet.com

Blogger Friendships

I have been thinking about how well you can get to know someone, learn from them, laugh with them and cry with them...yet you have never even met them. I have several of these "blogger friendships" and we usually share one common bond, cancer.
These friends are an important part of this journey because they understand when others simply can not. Especially when you are, as I am, stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
This brings me to one of those friends that just lost her fight early this morning. Her name is Daria from~  
http://daria-livingwithcancer.blogspot.com/ 
Many of you know Daria through her blog, and I am sure you are feeling the sadness from the loss of this wonderful lady.
As hard as it is each time we loose someone else to cancer, I sure am glad to have shared part of the journey with each of them. Daria..you will be missed by many.

When do you want to do this again??

Interesting question for my Onc. to ask at the end of our visit with him but it was a great question to answer! I said 6 more months? He said yes, I said will I ever be able to say 1 year till I have to come back? He said NO :)
Yes... all my tests were clear and I go back in another 6 months!

My lab results showed everything was good. They do 2 tumor marker tests, one was in normal range and the other was slightly elevated. Normal range is < 38, my # was 41. Dr. A said with all the tests coming back clear he is not concerned. I do feel a bit worried about this because this test 6 mo. ago was 27.

My muga scan was also in normal range at 50, which is considered "low end of Normal". Again, he is happy with that result and said I should continue with the Tykerb and training for an event if I want to. My original muga was 58 and I was hoping it would be higher, but as Dr. A said "normal is normal".

Same goes for the PET scan which is the "scariest" of all the tests as far as waiting for results. Nothing showed up, so that is good news :) It was a very long day with a very bad headache, but it is over and I am feeling better.
My BP was very high at the apt. 167/97. After a few days of tests and a visit to Starbucks before the apt. I guess it might be high. He does want me to track it several times a day for a couple of weeks and told us what to watch for with the upper( systolic) and lower ( diastolic) #'s. So I am monitoring that. It has continued to be elevated, with the exception of after my running.

We went in with a list of 12 questions, most regarding side effects, medications and dealing with the emotional side of things. Many of the side effects led him to wanting me to be checked by a neurologist as there may be some nerve problems from where the cancer was in my neck. He took time, as he always does to discuss the difficult emotional parts of all this  for both Chris and I and our family. He helped me understand what other stage 4 cancer patients go through and assures me I am doing well.
So...for now, we stay the course! All meds stay the same with the exception of trying to take me off Lupron. So we will plan to stop this drug which keeps me in a medical menopause and hope it works! Otherwise, back on it.
This was a long post, but it was a lot to cover. Praying for the next 6 months to go well :) Thanks all~

Two down... one to go...and our night with Chicago!

I  had my faslodex and Lupron injections on Wednesday and have felt unusually good! The side effects I tend to have in the first few days have been minimal. So, that is great!
Yesterday was a long day starting with the muga scan. I do not have "official" results yet but it looks like it is ok. Will have to talk to the Dr. about getting back on the Tykerb. My feeling is that it will be a yes.
After the scan, I went for labs and they are checking for everything! Also have no results back from those either. Matt came with me and we spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch at Cheesecake Factory and shopping. He got a sweatshirt and I got a pair of black boots..both on clearance! I was glad to have him with me :)
 Last scheduled test is the PET scan Monday morning. The hardest part of this test for me is the no caffeine or sugar ( the caffeine is the issue:) for 24 hours. No exercising either.
The weather forecast is calling for rain, snow and very cold temps. beginning tomorrow and into Monday. It is about an hour drive to the hospital so I REALLY hope we don't have to cancel. I want to get it over with and I really don't want to have to go 24 hrs. with no caffeine twice!
It is probably making sense why I received $75 in Starbucks gift cards for Christmas :)
Here are a couple of pics from Wed. night when Chris and I saw Chicago at the Myerson playing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra! Great time strolling down memory lane! We are all a little older, bigger, grayer or bald. Instead of jeans, t shirts and funky styles of clothing it is now suits, dresses and a very classy symphony center.It is funny how music can take us all  back 25-35 years ago in one simple evening. Great time!

We were not allowed to take pics, so this is with my cell before the show.

Elayne & Chris after the show

Elayne

Chris

I walked away humbled

Yesterday I went to the infusion center to get my injections. Before I got to the room I was talking to the nurses in the hallway about the migraines. We decided to try a new prescription if or when they return. I was feeling pretty good as my headache had finally went away and I had a date night with my husband later that evening.
I stepped into the infusion center and it was more crowded than normal, which struck me right away. I sat down, waiting for my turn and heard the conversations all around me. One couple discussing ending chemo vs. quality of life because the husband is so sick and tired that he no longer has a quality of life.
Then a husband helping his tiny, frail wife in to a seat. The nurses talking about sending her to the emergency room. Looked to my left and the women all alone, hooked up to her chemo, asleep and looking so worn.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.... "headaches" really?? That's what I need help with? My heart hurt so bad for these people, I could not stop the tears from flowing. My heart ached for them because I know what they are going through, I have been there.
God, in the way only He can do it, reminded me yesterday that right now, today, He has given me life to live! At any point in time any one of us can be the person in the chair, maybe for the first time, maybe for the last. But right now, I am blessed with the life He has given me.
I told my nurse how I was feeling.She told me not to think that way. She said " you have your own battle, and this IS your reality". I appreciated her encouragement and must say I appreciated my date night with Chris more than ever! I most defiantly walked away humbled.

Some days it is just in the moments...

I woke up this morning with OUT a headache and my heart racing!! Now....to enjoy this for the next 3 hours before my injections. Oh well, savoring the moment :)

Here we go...

 In Bold is the upcoming tests and days. For those of you that are interested in what all of it means ,the italicized descriptions are for your reading enjoyment :)

Wednesday~ Lupron & Faslodex injections
Lupron is a man-made form of a hormone that regulates many processes in the body. Leuprolide overstimulates the body's own production of certain hormones, which causes that production to shut down temporarily. It reduces the amount of testosterone in men or estrogen in women. 
Faslodex, is used to treat hormone receptor positive breast cancer (breast cancer that depends on hormones such as estrogen to grow) in women who have experienced menopause (change of life; end of monthly menstrual periods) and whose breast cancer has worsened after they were treated with antiestrogen medications such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex). Fulvestrant is in a class of medications called estrogen receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of estrogen on cancer cells. This can slow or stop the growth of some breast tumors that need estrogen to grow.

Friday~ Muga scan and labs
MUGA scans are also used to evaluate heart function prior to and while receiving certain chemotherapies (e.g. doxorubicin (Adriamycin)) or immunotherapy (specifically, herceptin) that have a known effect on heart function.
A tumor marker is a substance found in the blood, urine, or body tissues that can be elevated in cancer, among other tissue types. There are many different tumor markers, each indicative of a particular disease process, and they are used in oncology to help detect the presence of cancer. An elevated level of a tumor marker can indicate cancer; however, there can also be other causes of the elevation.

Monday~ PET scan and apt. with my oncologist to go over everything.
PET can help physicians effectively pinpoint the source of cancer. This is possible because many cancer cells are highly metabolic and therefore synthesize the radioactive glucose (sugar) that is injected in the patient prior to the exam. The areas of high glucose uptake are dramatically displayed in the scan imagery, as opposed to the anatomical imagery of CT or MRI, which cannot detect active, viable tumors.

Thank you in advance everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

It's time again....

After having a rough weekend with migraines and an elevated blood pressure of 152/106 and pain in my lower abdomen ( pelvic area) it is time for more tests :(

First one up is a muga scan to check my heart. The medicine Tykerb I take at night can effect the heart. I have also been having numbness and tingling in my left arm/hand. I decided to stop taking the Tykerb for a few days and that has gone away, however my BP was way too high yesterday. I have had an abnormal muga scan before when I was on Herceptin, which then had to be stopped. So, it is time to take a look at my heart again and see if the Tykerb is having the same effect. For now, they are having me remain off the Tykerb.

After that will be a PET scan, labs and visit with Dr. A to go over all the results. In the meantime I have my Faslodex AND Lupron shots on Wednesday. As of this morning my BP is remaining normal but I still have the headaches.
I have been doing some reading on migraines and am realizing in my case,there may be some food triggers that are setting them off. I will be omitting those foods from my diet and adding more of the foods that help. Fortunately, those foods where already part of my diet,so I will just increase them.

Gonna be a bumpy road....your prayers for all of this and the upcoming test results are greatly appreciated.

2010~ A Year in Review

It is the last day of 2010 with only a few hours left till a New Year begins. As I have looked back over the past year I am overwhelmed by how much has happened in just 12 months. Some very good and some very difficult. I am thankful for the year that God has given me.
2010 in Review~

1) We were fortunate to take 3 trips~ Chris and I spent New Years at Lake Murray. We like to get a cabin, hike and plan for the New Year.
A camping trip with Matt, Kevin and Nikki over spring break. Started out with warm weather in shorts, woke up the next day to 6 inches of snow. Just one of the unexpected snow falls last year!
Our "trip of a lifetime" to Europe! We visited Prague, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Holland and England. What a great experience!

2) This was a more difficult year for me health wise.I had my 3rd diagnosis with cancer.It had spread to the pectoral muscle and a scare of uterine cancer, resulting in 3 more biopsy's, 2 more surgeries, 25 more radiation treatments, several new medications and lots of side effects. I finally gave in when I could no longer read and have glasses I need to wear nearly full time

3)We sadly and tragically lost two more very special family  members. Chris's mom, Lois and our nephew Joey.

4)During radiation treatments my son Kevin ran a half marathon for me! I can't say I did not consider doing it with him but I stuck with some smaller races this year.Chris and I both placed first( in our age divisions:) in a small, local 10k. I had always wanted to organize a race, so on Thanksgiving along with 17 others we ran our first Annual Minich 5k Turkey Trot!
A few other Mountains we climbed... well literally, we climbed  MT. Brandon, the 2nd highest mountain( 2775 ft.) in Ireland.Hiked Sir Arthur's seat, which overlooks beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland. And took a beautiful 26 mile bike ride from Brugge, Belgium to Holland.  

5) A few special events/ celebrations.Went to my first Komen Brunch for survivors with my great friend and sister survivor, Natasha. While at the brunch I won 8 tickets to the Texas Rangers game which is how our family and the Weeks family spent Mothers day!Our daughter-in-law Nikki, was the graduate this year from UTD Suma Cum Lade! And finally, just last week we celebrated my dad's  75th BDay with a huge surprise party!
6) Our son Tim  moved back home from Prague, engaged to our newest daughter-in-law to be Stephanie. She is from England where her family lives and she has recently moved to Texas. Another wonderful family addition, we are so happy she is here.
7) Around the house~ I decided to get some help this year and am so very thankful for Maria who comes every 2 weeks. Yay!
My garden was a bust and I don't know if I will continue it this spring/summer. We are working on some remodeling with the addition of wood floors ( currently being installed by Chris) and a new tile entry way which is done!


8)By having some help with the house I am able to continue training and teaching my 5k run groups,Ladies boot camps, swim lessons,and personal training. This year was a full and rewarding year getting to work with so many wonderful people and families!

9) A wonderful Halloween,Thanksgiving and Christmas with our kids, family and friends. Always reminded how special everyone and the time together is.


10) And lastly, my personal victories for 2010. Celebrated my 12 year cancerversary, 46th Birthday and 26th wedding anniversary!

I enter 2011 with cautious optimism.HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
"hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favorable or hopeful view."

Every time I think it can't get any better, it somehow does...

Before Christmas I wrote "All wrapped up".It was a difficult time and quite honestly I was really feeling estranged from everything. And then Christmas came with all the joy, wonder and excitement that always comes with this special time of year.
As Chris and I were all bundled up walking Ryo one night I said " every time I think it can't get any better, it somehow does". He asked me what I meant by that. Well, last year we had our very first white Christmas and although it was still a difficult year, there was just something about the "first white Christmas" that made it so very special.
With how I was feeling this year I never thought it could be better than last year. Once again, God reminds me to trust Him and He is bigger than anything I can possibly imagine.
The day before Christmas Eve I spent with my son Matt,shopping for presents, eating out for lunch and ending the day with a peppermint latte' from Starbucks. Everyone was home from work on Christmas Eve day and little by little the kids started trickling in. Tim and Stephanie were the first to arrive and we were all so happy they were "home" this year.
Little did I know as I braved Wal Mart on Christmas eve I would run in to my son Kevin who was there getting supplies to make his special person gift...which happened to be me :) He made me a beautiful keepsake box that reminds us both of the beach. I love it! He helped me with the shopping and then we went out for lunch. I made a huge pot of minestrone soup followed by baking cookies with my newest daughter-in-law to be, Stephanie. Our son Tim once again got his "mulled wine"going in the crock pot.
Chris and I along with our 5 kids headed off to the Christmas eve service where it was so nice to see everyone and be surrounded by my family. A last minute invite to join us at our house led to a house full of family, friends & laughter, with 10 unexpected guests! What a wonderful time we all had and I was very glad I had made all that soup!
As we do every Christmas eve we exchange our "special person" gift. This year I picked my daughter Nikki and had a great time putting together a photo scrapbook for her. Scouring through Facebook and blogs to find highlights from her year.After a long night, all the stockings were hung by the chimney with care... and the rest of us headed off to bed.
Christmas morning with adult children means a later morning for all to sleep. Little by little everyone woke up to the smell of sourdough bread in the bread maker and fresh coffee...ahhh. Then it was time to exchange gifts. We open presents one at a time so everyone shares in the joy of giving a gift. Stephanie's mum sent her some special gifts from England to remind her of home. It was very sweet.
All these special little moments made this one of the best Christmas' yet. I was able to enjoy everyone all at once and special moments with each of them. God knew exactly what I needed and I am so very thankful for Him.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas & a Happy, Healthy 2011!

 

All wrapped up for Christmas

I am lying in bed with my head buried in the pillow, blankets over my head and my finger blocking the sound of the song "One Last Christmas" playing on the radio from the other room. For so many of us the holiday's are  a time of struggle. Whether we have lost ones we love and are going through Christmas without them or we fear the very words that are sung in this song. Perhaps these songs bring comfort for some, but for me it is a time I have to turn the radio off, or, if I don't want to get up, block my ears :)

This time of year brings so many emotions all wrapped up at the same time.I can't wait to get out the decorations &lights. Pick out the perfect tree that "has to be taller than our kids".Play Christmas music without everyone telling me "it's too early"!Oh how I look forward to the celebration of the season and then it hits me... I find myself struggling with sadness and fear, wondering... what if? Scared for me, scared for my family. I try to remind myself that I go through this every year but somehow it just doesn't help.

So... what is one to do with all these feelings at the same time? I am trying to focus on the JOY of celebrating the birth of Christ and the special time with family and friends and the PEACE of knowing we have a loving, all knowing God that knows the plans He has for us.
When I find myself straddling this fence I work hard to stay positive through
 Prayer, He knows our fears and how to help us with them.


It is a great time to focus on giving to others. This always brings Joy.
We have talked about  making some changes that may help make this time of year a bit easier.Nothing big, just some small changes.Well, this is about the 6th time I have tried to write and finish this as I find this a difficult topic but yet one I am sure many understand. Tonight Chris and I both were having a tough day so we dragged ourselves up and out the door to run. Four miles later and we both feel a lot better...always does the trick!

FIRST ANNUAL MINICH FAMILY & FRIENDS 5K TURKEY TROT!

"Dream with me.... what would you like to do with your running if you could take it to the next level"?
"I would like to start with local runs, like 5 and 10k's and grow it from there. Maybe into a foundation one day".
Dream it...and then do it.... 

 

Adding a "little spice"...

Once a month I head in to my doctors to receive my Faslodex injection which I did again today. Each time I go I swing by Starbucks on the way home and treat myself to a latte. Today I enjoyed one of my favorites... Pumpkin Spice latte!

FIRST ANNUAL MINICH FAMILY & FRIENDS 5K TURKEY TROT!

This Thanksgiving we will run in the the First Annual Minich Family & Friends 5k Turkey Trot! So far we have a good number of people signed up considering this will be the first year and with 2 weeks notice. I hope each year it will grow and the predicted cold weather does not keep people from coming.

We will meet in the Starbucks parking lot and we will Trot @ 8 AM. The 5k (3.1 miles) will take us through some beautiful country back roads heading towards the lake and back to Starbucks where all the frozen runners and walkers can enjoy a cup of coffee.
A great way to start your Thanksgiving Day, thankful for good health that allows us to do this and great friends & family to share the time with.

MOVE YOUR FEET BEFORE YOU EAT!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

The Fall Flu and other health updates

It's Fall and Flu season. As I write this I have a nightstand full of medications and have gone through close to a whole box of tissues.
I started feeling bad Thursday and have been in bed all weekend. I think I am over the worst part now, have slept a lot and watched many movies. I did not get a flu shot this year. No particular reason. I am not convinced one way or the other on the flu shot. I did get it last year and had the flu anyways. I will say it did not seem as bad as this year.

The Flu was preceded by 2 UTI's which required 2 rounds of antibiotics and a message from my doctor that if I have another one I will need to see a urologist. I think it is a side effect from the Faslodex injections as they come after I recieve the shot and it is listed as a side effect. Next shot is at the end of November so I will see if it happens again.

 The migraine headaches have stopped and my nurse gave me some medication to try if they come back again. Hopefully not. With those under control my BP is also back to normal.
A much needed trip to the dentist revealed 2 cavities, which I had filled and 2 crowns that are needed. I have not made that apt. yet.

Besides the above mentioned I am doing pretty well. My next visit to the oncologist and round of tests will be in February. I continue with the hormone therapy, once a month faslodex injection, every 4 months Lupron injections and daily dose ( 4 pills) of Tykerb. I will admit all of this combined with the regular fatigue and side effects have been a bit tough to deal with lately and my visits to Dr.K, my psychologist have become more frequent again. Just thankful I have the option to see him when I need to.
I do not know how long I will stay on any or all of these treatments.If all goes well with my next set of tests I plan to ask Dr. A.
That's about it on the "medical" side of things. Next post will be on the more fun things in life!

Our first place 10k race :)

This morning Chris and I ran in the Lake Cities  Spirit of Christmas run. We participated in the 10k  ( 6.2 miles) race. The run was all along the lake and quite nice.Weather was humid as we have had storms all day but were fortunate enough to get the run in before they hit.
This event was a small community race to raise money and toys for local families for Christmas.

Receiving my 1rst place medal

Chris receiving his first place medal

Chris and I both placed first in our age divisions which was not hard to do given most people were younger than us :) But.... race completed and we are happy with our first place medals.
Chris had a good race, I have had better :) We have noticed I am having so much trouble with fatigue ever since the last rounds of radiation which ended the end of May. It is showing up everywhere, including my running.

Chris keeps reminding me it has not been that long but it is difficult when you can't do what you used to be able to do.Time...time..time.

Chris crossing the finish line

 There were several members from our church there and all first place winners! Yay for FBC!!

FBC Corinth Runners!

Conflicted....

I came across this on Facebook from the Lance Armstrong foundation. With this being October and breast cancer awareness month I do find myself at times feeling conflicted over the "pink" advertising you see everywhere.
On one side of things,the awareness and support is wonderful. If the proceeds are truly going towards breast cancer research and helping survivors and their families it is a great thing.
I myself support research, raise money and participate in events all the time through organizations like Komen, American Cancer Society, Team In Training and Livestrong. The money raised, research, help and support to patients and their families is invaluable.I guess the conflict for me is feeling it has become commercialized. Breast cancer is neither pretty or pink. The picture above is the absolute reality of breast cancer.To many the pink is a sign of hope and support, it can also be a label that none of us ever  wanted and a constant reminder everyday of what we have been through and what we still live with.
I knew I had been feeling conflicted about this lately so one day I decided to see what would happen when we went to a restaurant with a large group of people that  was all decorated with pink balloons, hats, shirts, ribbons, etc. I wondered if they truly supported the "cause" they were displaying everywhere.I asked if there was anything special they did for breast cancer survivors.  He asked me if I was a survivor and I told him yes, of 12 years. After dinner, he and the manager brought out a huge desert with several spoons for me and our table to share. And share we did, passing it around the table 2 times before we  were all too full to finish it. My wonderful family and friends sang "Happy Survivor Day" showing their support as they always do. Kudos to On The Border!
As the title indicates "Conflicted"....on this one.

You have a brain!!

Yes, this is how I get my test results (which I love having such a good & fun relationship with my oncology team :) I do have a brain and it is alone with only the parts and pieces that should be there.So, YES my test results are fine!
Thank you everyone, once again, for your prayers and support. Now to find out why I am having these migraines??
After talking with my nurse here is what we plan to do;
I will begin keeping a journal to see if there are patterns ( foods, weather, stress,etc).
I will have another faslodex injection on the 25th. At that time they will give me some stronger pain meds in case the headaches return due to the faslodex and we will see if there is a connection to the drug.
As of this morning I do not have a headache ( yay) and hope it has passed. If the migraines return before the 25th, I will call the doctor again.
That is about it for now~ thanks everyone!

Feeling better today

only a slight headache this morning, getting ready to leave for the MRI. My son Kevin is going with me and then we will go out for lunch :)

Me and Kevin having fun at the lake

 

Update and MRI tomorrow

Tomorrow I will be having an MRI of the brain due to migraine headaches I have been having for the past 3 weeks. They are definitely causing a problem in my day to day activities and Dr. A wants me to have the MRI done to make sure there is nothing going on.I have had 2 of these done in the past and do fine with the test itself.
Would appreciate prayers that this test result comes back with no problems.
Thanks!

HAPPY LIVESTRONG DAY!

 

To all cancer survivors, their families, friends, doctors and support teams "Happy LIVESTRONG DAY"! Thank you ALL for helping me to "LIVESTRONG"!

If you celebrated LiveSrong day and have pictures I can add to this post please e-mail them to me...thanks!