Tomorrow, I will have a muga scan to check my heart again. Before the Herceptin treatments my injection fraction number was 54 ( I believe 50 is normal). It dropped down to 45, showing damage to the heart, which is why the Herceptin had to be stopped.
We are praying that tomorrow's test will show that number back in normal range. We would like to ask for your prayer support on this as well as all the test results on Thursday with my oncologist.
Thanks everyone for your support this week~ Elayne
Monday, September 8, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Scan/test Day
On Wednesday Chris and I spent most of the day at the hospital getting my scans and tests done. I had to drink 2 bottles of contrast first thing in the morning but handled it much better this time. Thanks for those of you that were praying about that :)
I had a chest x ray, CT and bone scan done. What I do know so far is that my blood work looked fine, kidney function is normal ( important because of the Zometa) and tumor markers remain normal. I think from what we could tell, the bone scan looked good, just don't have official results yet. Don't know on the CT and X Ray.
Chris and I meet with my doctor on Thursday for the results. I would like to continue asking for prayer on ALL the test results.
Chris was able to come back with me during the bone scan and see what I look like as a full size Halloween decoration. This is Deb getting me ready for the scan.
I had a chest x ray, CT and bone scan done. What I do know so far is that my blood work looked fine, kidney function is normal ( important because of the Zometa) and tumor markers remain normal. I think from what we could tell, the bone scan looked good, just don't have official results yet. Don't know on the CT and X Ray.
Chris and I meet with my doctor on Thursday for the results. I would like to continue asking for prayer on ALL the test results.
Chris was able to come back with me during the bone scan and see what I look like as a full size Halloween decoration. This is Deb getting me ready for the scan.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
To All Survivors~
" A survivor is a triumphant person who lives with, after or in spite of a diagnosis or traumatic event. Survivors refuse to assume the identity of their adversity. They are not imprisoned by the constructs of a label. Instead survivors use their brush with mortality as a catalyst for creating a better self. We transform our experience in order to further evolve spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Our reality challenges us to go deeper.
Survivors cultivate an essence that will never be victim to a word."
From the book ~ Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Survivor by Kris Carr.
Survivors cultivate an essence that will never be victim to a word."
From the book ~ Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Survivor by Kris Carr.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
From Fear to Faith
This is what our pastor spoke about yesterday. Before he began our music minister, Mark, asked everyone to pray for one minute. During that time I asked God to continue helping me get from Fear to Faith, not knowing what Pastor Bruce was about to say. It is amazing how God works!
Getting to the place where you have "really" gone from fear to faith has been difficult, and I am still working hard to get there. It is a surrendering of yourself and a complete trust that God knows the plans He has for you.
Pastor Bruce said the more you get to this place the dimmer things of this world become. God knows the desires of my heart and I am still working on having the faith that Habakkuk had and excited to see the plans He has for me. I ask for your prayers this week to have this kind of faith as I have another complete round of tests tomorrow and it will be a long, hard day.
Although Habakkuk was afraid and did not understand he said;
"yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength" Habakkuk 3; 18-19
Thanks for your support and prayers ~ Elayne
Getting to the place where you have "really" gone from fear to faith has been difficult, and I am still working hard to get there. It is a surrendering of yourself and a complete trust that God knows the plans He has for you.
Pastor Bruce said the more you get to this place the dimmer things of this world become. God knows the desires of my heart and I am still working on having the faith that Habakkuk had and excited to see the plans He has for me. I ask for your prayers this week to have this kind of faith as I have another complete round of tests tomorrow and it will be a long, hard day.
Although Habakkuk was afraid and did not understand he said;
"yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength" Habakkuk 3; 18-19
Thanks for your support and prayers ~ Elayne
Monday, August 25, 2008
Time again for treatment and tests~
Hi everyone~ tomorrow, I will be having blood work and a Zometa treatment @ 11 am. The following week I will have another CT scan, bone scan and chest x ray. When all that is done, Chris and I will meet with my doctor to go over all the results.
I'm not sure if this part ever gets easier~ please be in prayer for ALL the test results to come back well and that I will handle the Zometa tomorrow with no problems.
I had been having a lot of pain in my back which has eased up lately.
Thanks all for your continued support~
Elayne
I'm not sure if this part ever gets easier~ please be in prayer for ALL the test results to come back well and that I will handle the Zometa tomorrow with no problems.
I had been having a lot of pain in my back which has eased up lately.
Thanks all for your continued support~
Elayne
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
August 21 ~ 10 years!
Today is my 10 year anniversary as a cancer survivor and coming up on the 1 year anniversary of my recurrence.
What if....
What if I never had cancer? My life would have been so much easier but I would not have been pushed and challenged in every way possible, to see what you are really made of and then realize you cannot do this alone.
What if, I never had to go through all these treatments and side effects? Then I would never have been able to understand what others are going through and be a friend in their time of need.
What if this happened when I was 84 instead of 34? Then I might not have cherished all the little moments watching my boys grow up and my time with my husband~ my best friend.
What if it didn't come back a second time? I would not have had the courage to do so many things and make so many changes.
What if I didn't have to face the unknown? Then I might be worrying about the future and not seeing each day for what it is ~
What if this happened to someone else instead of me? That is harder to endure.
What if I had the choice? Then I may not have realized that my life is not my own and I am not in control.
What if I didn't believe in prayer? Then I would not be able to see the power of it.
What if I didn't have comfort, peace, trust, love, strength? Then I would not have had Christ.
LET MY LIFE-SONG SING TO YOU!
What if....
What if I never had cancer? My life would have been so much easier but I would not have been pushed and challenged in every way possible, to see what you are really made of and then realize you cannot do this alone.
What if, I never had to go through all these treatments and side effects? Then I would never have been able to understand what others are going through and be a friend in their time of need.
What if this happened when I was 84 instead of 34? Then I might not have cherished all the little moments watching my boys grow up and my time with my husband~ my best friend.
What if it didn't come back a second time? I would not have had the courage to do so many things and make so many changes.
What if I didn't have to face the unknown? Then I might be worrying about the future and not seeing each day for what it is ~
What if this happened to someone else instead of me? That is harder to endure.
What if I had the choice? Then I may not have realized that my life is not my own and I am not in control.
What if I didn't believe in prayer? Then I would not be able to see the power of it.
What if I didn't have comfort, peace, trust, love, strength? Then I would not have had Christ.
LET MY LIFE-SONG SING TO YOU!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Jewelry Box
I received a very special gift from my brother on my birthday. My birth mother ( Barbara) died many years ago and I never got to meet her. I have however known my birth family for the past 15 years and I have two brothers, Marco & Dana.
When Barbara died Dana kept her jewelry box and recently decided to send it to me. It is the first "piece" of her that I have. I opened it up and saw a mirror in the lid of the box. I looked at it and wondered " I bet she never thought it would be my face in the reflection of the same mirror she must have looked into so many times." I went through the whole thing, piece by piece, even finding some pieces that I can wear. I can smell her perfume in the box and on the jewelry and wonder what the story is behind each piece in the box.
I believe God is in control of everything and He knew before I was born that I would not be raised in my birth family and had a different family chosen for me. He has allowed me to have both families in my life, which I am grateful for.
So for now, I have this small piece from her life to hold on to. Thank you Dana!
When Barbara died Dana kept her jewelry box and recently decided to send it to me. It is the first "piece" of her that I have. I opened it up and saw a mirror in the lid of the box. I looked at it and wondered " I bet she never thought it would be my face in the reflection of the same mirror she must have looked into so many times." I went through the whole thing, piece by piece, even finding some pieces that I can wear. I can smell her perfume in the box and on the jewelry and wonder what the story is behind each piece in the box.
I believe God is in control of everything and He knew before I was born that I would not be raised in my birth family and had a different family chosen for me. He has allowed me to have both families in my life, which I am grateful for.
So for now, I have this small piece from her life to hold on to. Thank you Dana!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Dosage back up for blood pressure
I tried taking the half dosage for the BP med. for 3 days and my BP went up immediately. I felt all those feelings coming back again when it was too high. Called Friday to ask my doctor if I can raise it back up and expect to hear from them tomorrow. In the meantime I went back to the original dosage and my BP is back to normal.
I have been having a lot of pain in my back lately but it does seem to be easing up. Chris and I notice that when we have rain or storms coming it will hurt and also when I am stressed and there is a lot of tension in the muscles. Please continue to pray that this pain will go away completely. My last tests did not show any areas of concern and actually showed healing in the rib and spine. So... hopefully it is something else. I ran the last two days and that also seems to help. I think I am out of alignment :)
Also, my certification exam is this Wednesday. I have been studying very hard for it and ask for prayer that my comprehension, retention and memory will be very strong this week as I am going to need all of them :) This has been difficult to do given the last year and half and the different medications I am on. Please pray that I will do well.
We have had a quiet weekend, both Chris and I have been studying ( Chris for his professional engineer cert.) and take breaks to watch the Olympics! Go USA!!
Have a good week, thanks for checking the blogs and for all your support ~ Elayne
I have been having a lot of pain in my back lately but it does seem to be easing up. Chris and I notice that when we have rain or storms coming it will hurt and also when I am stressed and there is a lot of tension in the muscles. Please continue to pray that this pain will go away completely. My last tests did not show any areas of concern and actually showed healing in the rib and spine. So... hopefully it is something else. I ran the last two days and that also seems to help. I think I am out of alignment :)
Also, my certification exam is this Wednesday. I have been studying very hard for it and ask for prayer that my comprehension, retention and memory will be very strong this week as I am going to need all of them :) This has been difficult to do given the last year and half and the different medications I am on. Please pray that I will do well.
We have had a quiet weekend, both Chris and I have been studying ( Chris for his professional engineer cert.) and take breaks to watch the Olympics! Go USA!!
Have a good week, thanks for checking the blogs and for all your support ~ Elayne
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Good news at the Cardiologist
I saw my doctor yesterday and expected him to raise the Beta blocker ( for my heart). I didn't like the idea of raising the dosage as it makes me tired and dizzy each time it is raised.
My blood pressure is back to normal~ actually lower than normal now, so he decided not to raise it AND cut my blood pressure med. in half! I go back in October for another echo to check my heart. We are praying that all will be back to normal with my heart and I will get the ok to begin training again. Meanwhile running has been moved indoors due to our heatwave here. We are anxious to get back outside:)
I would like to ask for prayer that my BP remains good while the dosage is being lowered and for my back. I have had a lot of pain the past week or so and continue to pray for healing. We used to tell our boys when they were little~ "Do your best, God will do the rest"!
My blood pressure is back to normal~ actually lower than normal now, so he decided not to raise it AND cut my blood pressure med. in half! I go back in October for another echo to check my heart. We are praying that all will be back to normal with my heart and I will get the ok to begin training again. Meanwhile running has been moved indoors due to our heatwave here. We are anxious to get back outside:)
I would like to ask for prayer that my BP remains good while the dosage is being lowered and for my back. I have had a lot of pain the past week or so and continue to pray for healing. We used to tell our boys when they were little~ "Do your best, God will do the rest"!
RUN 4 YOUR LIFE! Monday, August 4, 2008
Continue to do the things you love....
Cooper getting his swimming sticker.
My aunt Dena is great at encouraging me to "do the things you love to do". Teaching swimming is one of those things. I just wrapped up a 2 week session with 3 classes, water tots, preschool and adult.It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed teaching the kids and parents.
Next week I take my Personal Trainer Certification exam. This also will allow me to do those things I love and work with people through fitness & health. Please keep this in prayer as it has been a long, hard road to prepare for this over the last year.
An update on 2 prayer requests~ My brother Dana had open heart surgery last week and is back home and doing well! Cracking jokes and teasing me like a big brother does :)
Our neighbor Byron was hospitalized on Friday and last I heard the doctors told his family he will not be coming home, the cancer is very advanced. Thanks to all of you that have kept these 2 families in prayer, please continue to do so.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Prayer For Byron
My neighbor Byron was diagnosed with esophageal cancer one month ago. His family just came over and asked Chris to help get him in the car to take him to the hospital. This cancer is spreading quickly and he is in a lot pain. He has had radiation and just started chemo last week.
Please pray for Byron and his family. My heart hurts watching yet another person and another family going through this.
Byron is 61 years old and a sweet, sweet man. Please lift him up in prayer.
Thanks~ Elayne
Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," (Matthew 18:20)
Please pray for Byron and his family. My heart hurts watching yet another person and another family going through this.
Byron is 61 years old and a sweet, sweet man. Please lift him up in prayer.
Thanks~ Elayne
Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," (Matthew 18:20)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Randy Pausch
http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/summer/an-enduring-legacy.shtml
Click on the link to read about a very inspirational man, Randy Pausch who lost his fight to pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.
I have his book, "The Last Lecture" in my list of recommended books.
Click on the link to read about a very inspirational man, Randy Pausch who lost his fight to pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.
I have his book, "The Last Lecture" in my list of recommended books.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A Day Of Celebration!
Lauren & BillyOn Thursday my family and our good friends, The Reeds spent the evening at the lake.We were there to celebrate my birthday, baptism, friends & family.
We had a great BBQ for dinner and yogurt pies for desert~ blueberry (my favorite) and strawberry. I may be one of the few people that enjoys having birthdays and getting older, I turned 44 and enjoy every birthday!
I was baptised in 1994, but wanted to re-commit my life to Christ as well as be baptised by submersion, which I had not been. Our great friend Billy baptised me at the lake with both our families there, it was a very special time. Thank you Billy !
Elayne
Justin
My Baptism at the lake.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Mission Moment on DVD
This is the link to watch the DVD made for Team In Training. I was asked to come out and share my story for the "Mission Moment". Part of that is on the DVD, about in the middle. Enjoy, and see how a TNT team prepares for a half/full marathon.
http://click.lls-email.org/?ju=fe3f15757564067f761671&ls=fdf411777064067972167670&m=fefd15707d6001&l=fe9115787760017b71&s=fe0515717364067574177277&jb=ffcf14&t=
http://click.lls-email.org/?ju=fe3f15757564067f761671&ls=fdf411777064067972167670&m=fefd15707d6001&l=fe9115787760017b71&s=fe0515717364067574177277&jb=ffcf14&t=
Monday, July 14, 2008
OK, even though this was a whole lot of fun it probably was not the smartest thing to do given the condition of my rib and spine. I am pretty sore today and will skip the tube ride, at least for a while :)Friday, July 11, 2008
So Far, So Good
It has been over 24 hours since the Zometa and I am feeling ok. I have continued to take the Advil/Tylenol today and stayed home to take it easy. A little tired ,weak and my back hurts some, but overall, ok. I must have had a virus right after the last treatment or maybe this one was just easier. So, it looks like I will be able to continue with the Zometa to strengthen my bones. Click on the link below to see how Zometa works.
Thanks for the prayers~ God hears us when we pray!
Elayne
http://www.us.zometa.com:80/info/therapy/how_it_works.jsp?irmasrc=ZOMWB0084?source=etp&uuid=1178761764238303367
Thanks for the prayers~ God hears us when we pray!
Elayne
http://www.us.zometa.com:80/info/therapy/how_it_works.jsp?irmasrc=ZOMWB0084?source=etp&uuid=1178761764238303367
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The best Oncology Team!
Today I had my Zometa treatment again. So far so good, however I will not know till later if I have any negative side effects from it like last time. I am taking Advil/Tylenol every 4 hours just in case.
Matt was able to go with me to keep me company. He was able to meet my doctor and the nurses. They are such a great group of people with a sense of humor that I love and they truly care about and listen to their patients. Here are some pics of " my awesome team".
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