My PET Scan scheduled for Tuesday had to be moved to Thursday. There are several types of contrast they can give you and staff at the radiology center gave me the wrong type of contrast on Monday for my CT scan so I could have a PET Scan completed on Tuesday. I am not supposed to have any caffeine or sugar for 24 hours prior to the PET Scan. The contrast they gave me was flavored and had sugar in it. I knew it tasted too reasonable to be legal. We are now scheduled for our PET Scan on Thursday. It will be next week before we will know any of our results.

I ran a fever Monday night through Tuesday evening. It never got above 101. I ended up sleeping most of the day, Tuesday and just resting. It is Wednesday morning and I am fever free. I start my 24 hour caffeine free. Sugar free seems to be easy but I love my ice tea and coffee. Oh well, H2O is good for you too.

School has started for David and all seems well. David also got his learning permit for his driver’s license Monday. John is going to “parent teach” David like he did with Jennifer. Funny they have already had their 1st conflict. John told David to stop; he was in the middle of the road and no cars were coming. David did a quick road check finished crossing the intersection. He then asked his dad why he would have stopped in the middle of the intersection. John told him it was a test. He needed to know David would listen to him.

My blood counts were all above the “no-go limits” today and I was able to receive my chemo as planned. As usual I received my shot for my red blood cell count and will take my shots for my white blood cell count for 6 days. Next week will be a my off week for chemo. My liver enzymes and tumor markers dropped initially and now they have began climbing rather rapidly over the past couple of weeks. We would like for them to drop and stay down.

Dr. Young has ordered several tests to evaluate the status of the tumors. I will have a CT Scan on Monday and a PET Scan on Tuesday. The team will review the entire package: lab and radiology tests. They will determine if we stay on our current course or change courses. John and I will meet with the team on Friday and get our results.

We remain optimistic and hopeful we will be able to get this tumor in remission. We know with God’s help and the power of great medicine all things are possible. Prayer… between us and you guys we have this covered.

I have continued to tweak the site and thought I would drop some “how to” directions. I have removed the requirement for you to be registered to leave a comment. Now, anyone can leave a comment.

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I heard from the team at The Center today. My lab work continues to trend up which is the wrong direction. They are going to schedule me for a PET scan. Someone should call tomorrow with a date and time. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a unique type of imaging test that helps the team see how the organs and tissues inside my body are actually functioning. PET scans are most commonly used to detect cancer, heart problems, brain disorders and other central nervous system disorders.

A PET scan can measure vital functions such as blood flow, oxygen use, and glucose metabolism, which helps doctors identify abnormal from normal functioning organs and tissues. One of the main differences between PET scans and other imaging tests like CT scan or MRI is that the PET scan reveals the cellular level metabolic changes occurring in an organ or tissue. This is important and unique because disease processes often begin with functional changes at the cellular level. A PET scan can often detect these very early changes whereas a CT or MRI detect changes a little later as the disease begins to cause changes in the structure of organs or tissues. The scan can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of my treatment plan, allowing the course of care to be adjusted if necessary.

So my mighty warriors let us pray:
Dear Lord,
We ask you to guide and direct the medical team helping them find clear direction and the identification of a treatment plan that will be successful in battling this disease. We pray for comfort and a sense of peace for all that are worried and fearful about this battle. We know through you all things are possible. We thank you for the many gifts you have given us.

Amen

Grace & Peace,

Stephanie

Saturday I attended a brunch with a group of survivors from Fort Worth. We went to the Anatole in Dallas for a Joanie Hatcher Pink Hat Luncheon. I gave Dad my concept for my hat and the genius built it. It was a white cowboy hat with pink trim and pink hat band. He mounted a survivor ribbon to it, attached lights and connected it to an iPOD. He made a special circuit board that synced the lights to blink to the beat of the music. I carried a small speaker system in my purse that played the music. I found songs from Olivia Newton John and Melissa Ethridge. Both of theses singers have been impacted by breast cancer and have songs about their battle. The hat is really cool and was quite a hit at the event. There were about 2500 people at the brunch. It was my 1st time to attend and hope to attend again next year.

Stephanie

Friday we were scheduled for the 3rd dose of Course 2. Unfortunately my platelet count was too low. Taking the chemo would have put me at too great risk of bleeding. Platelets help you stop bleeding. They also reviewed my lab work: liver enzymes and tumor marker. Both were to dropping with this new chemo, however they went up last week. They drew lab work this Friday but it was not available for them to review. Their plan is to huddle on Monday reviewing my case: lab work and trends. They will determine next steps. They said they would call Monday.

The team at The Center was very comforting but I still found myself sad and frustrated; I cried. I hate missing my treatments. I know I can beat (extend) their time line. I am afraid that when I miss treatments I will not be able to accomplish this goal. So my might warriors, we need a plan and directions for next steps. There are still many chemo therapy drugs out there for us to use. I’ll post an update as soon as I have one.

Grace & Peace,
Stephanie and the gang

Finished chemo yesterday, all my counts were within a safe range. We are getting Epogen every Friday with my treatments. It is keeping my red count up and the 5 shots of Neupogen are keeping my white blood cell count within the zone. It was my week for Avastin too. I tend to refer to it as my full meal deal package. I don’t imagine it’s the average price of any value meal any of us have eaten.

The heat outside is a bit tough, I don’t seem to tolerate it very well. I am thankful for the mild summer we have had until now. The heat is interfering with my training for my Triathlon and I am way behind schedule. We are doing very well with David’s fundraising and I thank everyone that has donated to the event.

I am going to Dallas next weekend for a luncheon. It is put on by a gentleman who’s wife died of breast cancer. Dad and I are working on a zany hat for it. The truth is Dad is building the crazy hat for me. The hat will have a pink survivor ribbon on it that flashes to the beat of my ipod. I have some Melissa Ethridge and Olivia Newton-John songs they have done for survivors. There will be a table full of us from The Center going. It should be a grand time. I will post pictures from the big event next week.

We have started this blog site and are still adjusting it. We hope you find it inspiring and informative. One of my big hobbies is photography and we are trying to get a gallery installed that will allow you to see one of the gifts I believe God has giving me. Each day there are so many simple wonders. I try to use my camera to capture the moment, the beauty, the serenity of life. If you find something you really like and want to download it as a background feel free. If you are looking to print it , you might need to send me an email. I have tried to optimize the images for online viewing and depending on the size you are trying to print, the quality of the image may not be high enough.

Stephanie