PET Scan Results

Today we met with the doctor and heard the results of the PET scan that I had on Monday. PET scans look for metabolic activity in the body, usually cancer activity. The good news is that my tongue, head, and neck are clear – NO cancer activity in the original site of the tumor or lymph nodes!

However, they did find a nodule on my thyroid. In June I will have a needle biopsy done to determine whether the nodule is cancerous. If it is cancerous, it would be thyroid cancer (so a second cancer), completely unrelated to my original tongue cancer. This is still good news as thyroid cancer is much less dangerous than the tongue cancer. The treatment would involve surgery and radioactive iodine therapy, NO radiation and NO chemotherapy. He said the treatment would be a “walk in the park” compared to what I’ve already been through. The doctor says he hopes that the biopsy reveals that the nodule is nothing; if so they will just watch it closely. But he did remind us that I am at a higher risk for thyroid cancer since my thyroid was heavily radiated during my tongue cancer treatment.

Either way, we are encouraged because for now my tongue cancer appears to be gone, and this cancer is the aggressive type and more worrisome. We feel we have received a good report. Please continue to pray that the nodule on my thyroid is nothing and even that it disappears completely. You might remember that at one time, my lymph nodes appeared to have contained cancer, but when they removed them, the lymph nodes were clear. We believe that was healing from the Lord, and we know He can do it again! If we do have to face cancer again, we KNOW that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. Such an amazing promise!!

Brady and I leave for Iowa tomorrow so I will be MIA for over two weeks. I'll miss you! I'll be better about the blog when I get back...I really promise!

Scenes from Dinnertime

Conversations with a Toddler

Me: Ducks say "quack quack"!
Brady: NO!
Me: Quack Quack!
Brady: NO!
Me: Quack Quack!
Brady: NOOOOOOOO!
Me: (sternly) Brady, don't say "no" to mommy!
Brady: (big smile) Quack Quack!

ARGH!

Just a quick update...my mouth has healed to the point that I have tried different foods and been able to taste them! Yay! I also received approval from my oncologist to have my feeding tube removed. I am still taking in most of my calories in liquid form, but this is a step in the right direction.

Get this...you might want to stop reading if you are squeamish...I asked how the tube is removed. The nurse said that the doctor has me take a deep breath...and then he just PULLS it out. Right out of the lining of my stomach. Um, GROSS! And OUCH! I think Brady could remove it just as effectively! (And believe me, he has tried!)

Also, I would appreciate prayer on May 10 and the days leading up to it. At 7:30 AM that day I will be having my first follow-up PET/CT scan to see if there is any cancer activity in my body. Of course we are praying for clear scans with zero activity! I am sure my nerves will start to get the best of me soon, even though I am confident in my treatment and the LORD who is my healer!

Thanks again, everyone!

A Different View

Sorry for the close-up view of Brady's diaper and our messy living room! But this is still a cute video :)

And YES, I did change his diaper after I put away the camera! :)

Easter Weekend

We started off the weekend by going to the zoo. I got one good picture before the camera died.

"Daddy please don't feed me to the turtle!!"

We went to Gary and Lola's for Easter dinner after church. Brady got his hair spiked and wore a pair of shorts from his Granny. The weather was beautiful! (And it is now Monday morning and his hair is STILL spiked. Mommy's hairspray is strong!)

He got the hang of it real quick. He would open every egg as soon as he picked it up and see what was inside.

My favorite picture of the day!

Brady was easily distracted by the dog, an airplane, the slide, a stick, or the wind.

Daddy didn't help much.The kids looking at their haul with Grandma Lola, Jamie, and Scott

Brady's friends Cole and Chloe

And the red-faced tired little boy finally stops to take a breather...

Chloe loves Brady!

I was determined to get a family picture that day...and I love it!

After a relaxing afternoon, Brady and mommy settle in to watch some baseball.
Happy Opening Day, everybody!

One Video showing a determined little boy!

Catch-All Catch-Up Post!

Life is almost back to normal for the Hubbies, with the exception of me being asleep on the couch every night by 8 PM and in bed by 10 PM. Nothing short of a miracle there. I might actually be turning into a morning person after a lifetime of dedicating myself to the night life. Wait - nope - scratch that, I think I'm getting ahead of myself!

Many of you have asked me how I am feeling...the answer...GREAT. Anything is an improvement from the past few weeks...but really, I feel pretty good. I am still dealing with pain in my throat and mouth so I am still on some heavy pain meds. But I have been able to gradually reduce my doses and frequency of doses which is great. The doctor says I shouldn't rush it, so we are just taking it day by day. I am still unable to eat and take everything by liquid in my feeding tube. I am still really tired and try to take a nap when Brady does. I am also back to work - part time and from home - so not a huge adjustment - but it feels good to be back in the saddle. I would say I'm not quite 100% but almost!

The redness in my face has gone down a lot, but you won't see it in these next pictures. They are from my last days of radiation and also a few pictures from our End of Radiation Celebration that we had at Haven of Rest on the Monday following my last treatment. We wanted to PARTY and also thank everyone who had been praying for us. I wish all of YOU could have come too! I'd be happy to celebrate again with any or all of you!

Jason and I on the last day of radiation, with five dozen chocolate chip cookies for the doctor, nurses, and radiation techs. We were popular that day! And there is my famous RED BEARD again!

Brady thought all the balloons were for HIM.

The cake for the celebration

The three of us...please Jason, open your eyes...

Hugs all around!This is what's known as a giddy, red-faced grin.

Me sitting with "Grandpa Gary" and "Grandma Lola" and "Aunt Gail" and Brady's buddy Cole, who all (even Cole) really helped us out with Brady during my treatment!

Sometimes he just gets shy :) Our friends Lee (behind Jason) and Jim (making ninja moves)

Trying to keep the boy corralled after the party :)

Somehow he always ends up on my lap...love him!

Special time with Grandma - sharing chips :)

More evidence of my super-organized boy and possible future diagnosis of OCD. He lines up his little people perfectly, and gets mad if you touch them! Look the the left Brady, those two are a little close together...better fix it!

Finally it is nice enough to play outside, or "help" Daddy build the new fire pit. Even in his styling pajama pants and boots.

Brady's first pair of muddy boots - a milestone!This picture is the only shot I managed to get of him when he found one of my feeding tubes and filled it up with his cheez-its. He also lifted up his shirt and put the tube up to his belly button, but I couldn't coax him to do that again!

This is what's known as his "you have got to be kidding me" face - I get it a lot lately!

See?

THANKS for checking in with us again! We appreciate your continued prayers for healing.

Radiation Photos...and what I look like now

I AM FINISHED! No more radiation for me...ever. Radiation is a "one shot deal" meaning that even if the cancer comes back, it will have to be treated another way. Not that we are focusing on the cancer coming back...because it's NOT. With all the people praying for me, it wouldn't dare!

Now, don't be scared by some of the photos that I am posting. We wanted to get some photos of the radiation process, my lovely mask, and what I look like now that radiation is completed. They aren't exactly the most flattering pictures. Even though these past couple of weeks weren't exactly the best of times, we still want to remember all that we can from what God taught us and how He healed me.

First off, a few photos of how cancer took over our home. The counter next to the sink and the cupboard above was overflowing with meds, syringes, Ensure, vitamins, and yes even lovely items like Maalox and Milk of Magnesia. What can I say, cancer isn't exactly glamorous! You see all those red bottles in the cupboard? All mine. See the bottles full of morphine? Mine. Boxes of fentanyl patches? Yeah, mine. Everything here is mine. And all were used on a daily basis. I still have lost track of how many prescriptions I am on.

And then the dresser in the bedroom, where my nightly meds were dispensed and my dressing on my feeding tube was changed. Every night, Nurse Jason would transport all of my needed meds upstairs and keep my chart updated. He's the best male nurse in the world!This is the radiation room where I spent M-F, 15 minutes per day for almost seven weeks. That is my mask laying on the table. The radiation lights would surround me and rotate throughout the sessions.

Here I am being lifted closer to the lights on the fancy schmancy table.

And this is the creepiest picture of all. This is me strapped into my mask. Can you see now why I would struggle with claustrophobia?? You can see the curve of my nose and then there is a mouthpiece underneath the mask that is holding my mouth open and my tongue perfectly still. I kinda look like a corpse, don't I? The hard, plastic mesh is pushed up directly on to my skin. I usually had "waffle face" when I was finished.

This was me after a few days of treatment and into second week of chemo. Just starting to burn and have sore lips, but really doing just fine.

And this is me now, red beard and all. I decided to wear my stripes with pride. Lost about 35 pounds,* gained new perspective on my life, gained new attitude and appreciation for the goodness of God.
*Just a friendly reminder, if you say I am "lucky" or you are "jealous" because I lost weight then I will punch you in the face. In love, of course :)

Here is our "before" family picture during Christmas...

And again, here we are now. You might notice a trend with the boy. He's not exactly cooperative.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers. The way you all rallied around me and cheered me through was amazing. I have the best support system. Thank you for joining us on this cancer journey!

First haircut

During my treatment, Jason and Granny took Brady for his first official haircut, which made him look about 12 years old. I've trimmed up his hair myself quite a few times, but this was his first trip to the salon. I couldn't keep up with the mop any longer, as he was looking rather neglected and not like a baby version of Jim Halpert like I hoped! Although I was sad that I couldn't go with them, I practically pushed them out the door as the mop was gaining a life of it's own. Jason took about 50 pictures so I didn't really miss much!

"Before"

"During" (yes, he has TWO lollipops)

"After" - handsome boy all ready for sixth grade!

Calling all Prayer Warriors

Still here, and I apologize for being a bit sporadic with my blog posts. I still can claim lack of energy, right?

This week is my final week of treatment - only five more treatments - I am so excited for Friday to get here! However, my treatments are now a source of anxiety for me, as my pain continues to increase. But the biggest source of fear for me is the claustrophobia of being trapped in the mask, unable to move, with a slightly compromised airway.

If you are able and available, I would appreciate your prayers this week from 4:00 PM to 4:15 PM EST. This is when I am actually in treatment, and when my anxiety is at its highest. I am usually on the brink of panic during this time - it is hard for me to describe since I've never struggled with anxiety before. My doctor and nurses have been extremely understanding. They now allow Jason to go back into the treatment room with me until they start radiation, and then he goes to the patient waiting room (as opposed to the lobby, where all the other family members must wait) and prays for me the whole time. I am sure he would love all you prayer warriors out there to join him. I know I would appreciate it too!

Jason's mom left yesterday. Brady had so much fun with Granny - we are so thankful for help and her willingness to put her own life on hold to take care of us! My mom arrived just as she left, and Jason only had to make one trip to the airport to complete the "Mom Swap" - God sure worked out those details!

Thanks again for praying for us. We have consistently felt love and support from all of you, and we are so thankful.

Love,
Angie (for the Hubbies)