Decision to try the Zometa again

Hi everyone!
Well, I have discussed trying the Zometa ( to strengthen the bones) with my doctor and we have all decided that I should try it again. Because Chris got sick a week after I was sick, it may have been a "bug" that just hit at the same time.
So... I will receive an IV infusion this Thursday. The nurse said they will be pro-active with me and start me on Advil/Tylenol rotation every 4 hours from the start. So, we'll see what happens.

Otherwise, I feel good, strong, just get tired and have to slow down now and then. I am continuing to run and feel really good, I am not having any problems with my heart. Actually, at this point my pace and distance are greatly improving. Trying to run 18-20 miles per week. That keeps me where my cardiologist wants me and works for me, for now :)

I am "trying" to get back to some "normal" things in my life again. I am continuing to study for my Personal Trainer Certification exam which is coming up very soon in August. This has been a difficult course to wrap my brain around while going through all this. I will be happy when it is done :)
I have started training a friend of mine and just getting back to working feels great and confirmed for me how much I love working with people with fitness and nutrition. In the next few weeks I should also be teaching a Water Tots class for some friends with little ones. I am appreciative and thankful that I am able to work again and be a part of things that I could not do just a little while ago.
This next month I will be working very hard studying for my exam, please keep this in prayer as every time I have a bad reaction to a medication or get "thrown off" it sets me back with studying and is really hard to keep catching up.
Also, for this Thursday that the Zometa treatment goes well and I have no negative side effects.
Thanks for your continued prayer support and encouragement!
Elayne

This is a story my brother Dana sent me about the attitude we choose each day ~
You have two choices
Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood.
When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply:
'If I were any better, I would be twins!'
Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs,
so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant.
Why? Because Jerry was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling him how to look
on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him
'I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'
Jerry replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today.
I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood.
I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose
to be victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining
or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life.'

'But it's not always that easy,' I protested.
'Yes it is,' Jerry said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice.
You choose how you react to situations..
You choose how people will affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.
It's your choice how you live your life.'
Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed
to do in the restaurant business.
He left the back door of his restaurant open And then in the morning, he was robbed by three armed men.
While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination.
The robbers panicked and shot him.
Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments
of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.
'The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,' Jerry replied.
'Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices:
I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared' I asked?
Jerry continued, 'The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine.
But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the
doctors and nurses, I got really scared.
In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man..
I knew I needed to take action.' 'What did you do?' I asked.
Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me,' said Jerry. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything.'
'Yes,' to bullets, I replied.
Over their laughter, I told them: 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'
'Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it.
The only thing that is truly yours - that no one can control or take from you is your attitude,
so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Stress Test Results

Hi all~ saw the cardiologist yesterday and my stress test results were fine. No blockages or problems other than what we already know, that there is a slight decrease in the function of the heart.
He did raise the dosage of the beta-blocker and will do so two more times over the next few months. I will also have another Muga scan and echo cardiogram in a few months.
I did walk away feeling frustrated however. I felt that he was getting aggravated with my questions about raising the dosages and wanting to train for a half or full marathon. I guess he and I have different ideas of what is best for me.
I am doing what he wants me to do but will need to pray about discernment in this situation.

On another note~ if you remember I got really sick after the Zomta treatment a few weeks ago. Well, interesting Chris one week later had all the exact "flu like" symptoms. So... now I am not sure if it was the Zometa that made me sick or just a coincidence that I had a "bug" right after receiving the medication. Waiting to hear back from my oncologist about whether or not to have another Zometa treatment next week.
Please be in prayer about these continuing medical decisions ~ thanks!

Mission Moment for TNT

Saturday morning at 6 AM I had the privilege to speak to a large group of runners that are preparing for 1/2 and full marathons with Team In Training for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society.

I was asked to share my story and also my brother-in- law Jim's story. I was able to share some stories about Jim in his life and passed his picture around so people could put a face to his name.

I was also happy to share my story and hope that it was of encouragement. They made Chris and I feel very welcome and we hope to have more opportunities to share these stories with others.

Thanks for having us come out TNT!

Father & Son Video Part 2

Ok, if you missed the video in the previous post, click on the link in yesterday's post and watch it first. These two videos are so inspiring for anyone and will make you realize that you CAN do all things through Him. This video is the story of Team Hoyt.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=4e7679f8a731d6cce58a

Incredible video about the relationship between a father and son.... and God's relationship with us.

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together.
Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' to.

For those that don't know, the Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island .

Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

Last Test~again.

Tomorrow, I will try again to get this last test done. I have a stress test in the morning and am once again on a "no caffeine" for 24 hours rule. If you are a coffee ( or any kind of) caffeine drinker, you know what this feels like. I will be glad to get this over with :)

It is the treadmill part of the test and I am feeling really good while running, going further and at a faster pace so I don't anticipate any problems but please do keep this last test in prayer for me, as we are praying that all is ok with my heart so I can keep running.

As far as my oncologist, I see him in 3 months~ yeah! I will have another CT scan and Muga( (heart) before that visit. Still unsure about doing the Zometa again in July, will need to talk with Dr. A on that. Chris and I are also praying that the muga scan will show improvement when I have that done in a few months.

Thanks for the continued support~ have a great weekend!
Elayne

The previous post

The other day I wrote about the effects that the Zometa had on me last week and I received a couple of comments from people urging me to talk with my doctor and consider continuing the treatments.I will definitely talk to Dr. A about it as well as pray about continuing.

Because one of the comments was from someone I do not know but truly appreciated her encouragement, it made me think about others that may be facing all of this and decisions about what medications to take or not to take. We are all so different and some things work well for one person and not well for another. With that said, I would never want to discourage someone else that may be following my journey because I had a bad experience. I typically do not tolerate medications well. I think the Zometa itself is a very promising drug for people with metastatic cancer in their bones.

I have had cancer now for almost 10 years and one thing I have learned is to listen to your body and that sometimes we have to go through some tough treatments but we are ultimately the one 's that have to make the final decisions on what to do. I have said yes to some and I have also said no to others. My cousin Robin told me "There are no right or wrong answers here". You just have to make the best decisions you can based on the information you have at the time and PRAY DILIGENTLY!
Ann & Diane~ thank you both for your words of encouragement. Ann, I left you a message in the comments from the last post.

Well, that didn't work!

As I wrote in the previous post I had a Zometa ( for strengthening the bones) treatment on Thursday which is administered by IV. I was not supposed to have any side effects but.... I had many if not all the "uncommon" side effects.
Around 7 pm I began to feel very fatigued, almost lethargic. Then at 2 AM I woke up feeling horrible. Best way I can describe it is like having a bad case of the flu after being hit by a bus. This was not fun and lasted all day yesterday, and until 5 am this morning when I woke up feeling bad again. Today I feel better but still weak and my body still hurts. The nurse has me alternating Tylenol and Advil every 4 hours.
So... it appears I will not be taking the Zometa anymore. Some of the more serious side effects are that it can damage your kidneys and deteriorate your jaw bone. Based on how sensitive I am to meds and the reaction I had after one treatment I just don't feel I can take that chance with this medication.
I was unable to finish the 2nd part of my stress test yesterday as well as having to miss the "mission moment" with Team In Training this morning where I was supposed to speak to a group of runners preparing for 1/2 and full marathons to share my story and Jim's. Both will be rescheduled soon.
Have a good weekend and Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's!

Going over test results with Doctor A

Today's visit with my oncologist went well. He went over all the test results with us and like the nurse said last week everything looks good! No signs of spread or new areas affected.
I know some of you have asked or may be wondering since the tests came back not showing any new cancer and the rib and spine are showing healing "do you still have cancer"? The answer is yes ( I asked today too :).
We will continue on as we have been with the hormone treatment which includes taking tamoxifen daily and keeping me in a medical menopause. I was supposed to get a Lupron injection today ( this is how they put you in menopause) but the doctor felt like I had enough so the injections have stopped.
I did however go ahead and get my first Zometa treatment which is given by IV in about 15 minutes. This strengthens the bones, helps with pain from the damage the cancer did to the bones but also they have done studies that show it helps with the metastasis of the cancer in the bones. In other words may help stop or slow the cancer from spreading in the bones.
Our hope and prayers are that we have "put this cancer to sleep" for a very long time. What we do know is that God can heal ~ I will wait for the Lord to help us.. My only hope is in Him.
Isaiah 8:17
Tomorrow I have my last test of 6 at the cardiologist which is the treadmill part of the stress test. I will see him on Monday for those results. I return to the oncologist in 3 months for some scans, blood work and to meet with him. Otherwise, I go once a month for Zometa treatments.
Please pray that this last test goes well and there are no side effects from the Zometa I received today.
Thanks everyone~ Elayne

Race For The Cure!

Saturday was the Race For The Cure. We had a fantastic time and a great race. Chris, Cindy and myself all ran the 5k race (3.1 miles) together. Kevin was kind enough to get up EARLY with us and come take pictures. These first pics are of us arriving and jogging to warm up before the race.
It was cloudy so the heat was not bad until the very end when the clouds broke ~ then it was hot. After the race they had all the Survivors line up and go on stage for survivor recognition and to remember those that have lost this battle.
I was able to run this race in a personal best time and together we raised $715 in less than 4 weeks! Thanks everyone for the support, prayers and encouragement!

15,000 people & Ronald MCDonald getting ready to start.

After the race and the survivor ceremony.

Crossing the Finish Line!

Me, Chris & Cindy crossing the finish line in 31 minutes which was a personal best time for me at 10 minute miles! Cindy and Chris were patient to slow their pace down for me :)

O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Psalm 30;2

Ok, first things first... All the Glory goes to God ~ He is an awesome God and has answered our prayers!

I just received my test results and they are ALL good! The rib and spine are showing healing, the nodules and pleural effusion on the lung are gone. My tumor markers are normal, no new lesions or growths and lymph nodes are clear. These were the results read to me by the nurse over the phone. I still go see my oncologist on the 12th to discuss in further detail. If anything changes from that visit I will let you all know. For now, this is great news!

Thank you all for the prayers, support and encouragement these last 10 months. I realize this will be on going for the rest of my life and ask for continued prayer support. I still have 2 tests to go with the cardiologist. Tomorrow and then next week.

I feel good and strong and hope to have a GREAT race on Saturday! I would love to hear from all of you. Some of you say your having trouble posting a comment on the blog. You may have to just sign up with an account, then you can post comments on any one's blog by Google. It's free and easy. You can always e-mail me too.

I look forward to what God has planned for me. Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Your job right now is to rest,heal and get better.....

These are the words I am fortunate enough to hear from my husband. However MANY women also fighting breast cancer do not have this option along with good insurance, family, friends, church and community support. I thought about this as I was sitting in the waiting room with a friend this morning at the cancer center waiting for my PET scan and seeing the faces of so many people all in this same situation.
Many are not able to see a counselor to help them work through the decisions, fears and anxieties of going through a cancer diagnosis and treatments. Some do not even have the resources to get to their treatments, purchase wigs when they loose their hair or get their needed medications. Some are single parents trying to raise kids alone while going through this and holding down a job. God has blessed many of us that these are not the situations we face. Some do not even know God.
In 5 days I will run the Race For The Cure for these women and all women fighting breast cancer. Please help and remember what they and their families are going through. Please keep them in prayer and if you would like, make a donation of ANY amount. The money raised goes directly to women in need right here in my surrounding communities.
Thanks to all of you that have already made donations and sent encouragement and prayers, I appreciate it! Below is the link to my Race page, it is also located on my blog above the map if you have trouble with this link.
http://race.komennorthtexas.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1020&px=1217796

RUNNING 4 LIFE ~ Elayne

PET Scan On Monday

Hi Everyone~ the next test will be on Monday. This is the last test from my oncologist to establish a new base line.
I will have 2 more stress tests with the cardiologist after Monday. We have a busy weekend ahead so I thought I would get this out today.
Please be in prayer about the PET scan on Monday and the following results.
Thanks all, have a good weekend!
Elayne

I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. Psalm 62;5-7

Tests today are done!

Ok, three tests down, three to go. My day started at Donise's with 2 huge bottles of " banana smoothie" ( yea right) contrast. After a few sips of bottle #1 I started to feel sick and thought "this is going to be a rough day". Thankfully, it went away and I was able to get the 2 bottles down.
I had the CT and bone scans as well as a chest X Ray done. I want to thank so many of you that have been and were praying this morning. I could truly feel it during my tests and felt completely calm, no anxiety at all. I do not have any results yet, but will let you know through the blog when I know.
We had a 2 hour break in between tests so Donise and I went to MiMi's Cafe for brunch and did some shopping. I am pretty wiped out now, plan to take it easy tonight.
Thanks again for all the prayer support, please continue to pray that the test results come back fine over these next couple of days.
Elayne

Tests tomorrow

Tonight I will be spending the night with my friend Donise. She lives close to the hospital and I have to be there early ( without my coffee:) for the first 3 tests.
I will be having a bone scan, chest X-ray and CT scan. Donise will be taking me.

I am doing pretty well with the beta blocker so far. I have noticed that my heart is not racing and having the palpitations nearly like it was before. Also, my blood pressure seems to be dropping even further. So, it does seem to be doing what it is supposed to do. However, I do feel more fatigue now.

One of the meds I am on is causing sleep problems and I usually only sleep about 4-5 hours at night. I then have to take a different medicine to help me get back to sleep. It is quite a balancing act with all these different medications.

I know many of you are praying along with us for these tests over the next 2 weeks. I truly appreciate that. As you can imagine there is a lot of anxiety that comes with having these tests done. Today, I am feeling surprisingly calm. Please pray that I will remain this way tonight and tomorrow. I am looking forward to "girl time" with Donise.

Thanks everyone for your prayers and support! The tests tomorrow begin at 9 am.
Elayne

In The Shadow Of Your Cross

As I was running last night listening to my I pod the song Shadow Of Your Cross by Joel Engle played and the words really struck me as so appropriate as I head into my upcoming tests these next couple of weeks. Here are some of the words from this song ~

IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR CROSS, I WILL LIVE FOR ALL MY DAYS.
HOW COULD I FORGET THE PRICE YOU PAID
IN THE SHELTER OF YOUR LOVE, I WILL GIVE ALL MY PRAISE
IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR CROSS I WILL STAY.

Cardiologist apt. yesterday

Good morning everyone~ Chris and I saw another cardiologist yesterday and the visit went well. He was very thorough and answered almost every one of our questions we had written down before we even asked.
After talking with him, I better understand the reason for the beta blocker he wants me to be on and began a low dose last night. He will work the dosage up over the next weeks/months. I will then have another muga scan to see if there is improvement with my injection fraction number. Last test it showed 45, normal is 50. Mine was in the 50's before the Herceptin. He feels that I have a good chance at getting it back up on the medication or at least keeping it stable at 45.
For now, he said I need to let my heart get stronger. I can still run but only 5 or 10 K's, no half or whole marathons for now. His goal is to get that number back up and then I can resume the more intense running.
So... I am still good to go for the upcoming 5K ( Race For The Cure) but unsure about the half marathon in January.
Next week he will have me come in for a stress test on the treadmill with pictures of my heart. I then go back the next day for a "resting" test. This will be done to make sure there are no blockages or other problems. So, it looks like we are on the right track for now.
Over these next few weeks I will be going through a battery of tests and doctors apts.

Please be in prayer with our family that EVERY test comes back with good results, that there is no spread,the pain in my back eases up and for total healing. Also that I will not have any side effects from the new med. for my heart, that it will do only what it is supposed to do.

Thanks to all of you so far for the encouragement, support and donations for The Race For The Cure! I will leave the link for that web page located above the map.

Those who hope in the LORD, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary. Isaiah 40:31