The Summer I Turned....... Sixty

You might have heard about the Amazon Prime series "The Summer I Turned Pretty." I don't know anything about that series, but I thought it was a great play on words for my blog title.

August 11th

So far, this summer has been FANTASTIC!!! The Lord has been so good to me!!! So, here's what I've been up to since I last blogged at the end of May. BTW - I'm referring to meteorological summer (June, July, August).

June started with attending the graduation of one of my BFF's son from Trinity Prep. Congratulations CR!!!

Another BFF and her family arrived from Germany where they serve the Lord to drive to Texas and visit some supporters and visit some colleges/universities along the way. I didn't get to see them as much as I wanted, but I was glad for the time that we did get to be together. 

On June 15, I had my oncologist's appointment. My CA125 was finally under 90. Not by much, but it was 89!!! I still have a long way to go to get below 35, but down is the right direction!!! My main complaint was my horribly itchy feet due to the Doxil. They were so bad, that the doctor actually took pictures and recommended seeing a dermatologist before getting any more Doxil. My appointment with the dermatologist is on Wednesday, August 2. More later.

At our June Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild meeting it was time to turn in our color challenge. We were tasked to make an 18" by 18" finished quilt using the Kona color of the year (Crush) and one other color. All the mini quilts will be shown at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza in Oaks, PA from September 14-17. If you love quilts and live in the Philly area, check it out!!! Here is my mini quilt:

On June 29, I had what I call "Part B" of my infusions. All went well for that day. 

Around the beginning of July, I began thinking about what my oncologist said about not getting Doxil until I see a dermatologist. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed a chemo break. In messages back and forth with my doctor's office, I decided to cancel my July appointment and infusions and give my body and mind a much-needed rest. 

But did I really rest??? You decide.

July started with a bang. On July 4th, I was supposed to have dinner with another BFF and her Mom and then watch our town's fireworks. Unfortunately, God gave us his own sky show. Late in the afternoon, the sky opened up and it poured rain for several hours. It ended up flooding our street and cancelling the town's fireworks. The dinner & town fireworks were postponed until the following day. It was a great night until I got up from my folding chair on the street and slipped and fell on my backside. One good thing was that it was almost dark. My back was stiff & sore for a couple of weeks, but no broken bones. Yeah!!! 

Fireworks finale

Flooded street

On that Saturday, July 8, Triple Threat Theater, an organization that runs several summer drama camps for ages 8-18 was putting on "Music Man, Jr." at a local church. Several of my friend's children were in the cast. They did a great job!!!

Then with much anticipation on Wednesday, July 12, I boarded a flight at 5am and flew to Atlanta, picked up a rental car and began my trek north to Charlotte to attend She Speaks 2023. More about the conference in another post. But if you know me, I love taking the road less traveled. In planning my trip, I Googled things to do between Atlanta and Charlotte. And what did I find??? The Blue Ridge Parkway!!! So, after I picked up my rental car, I headed north out of Atlanta. I had also found a bakery with good reviews in Gainsville, GA. If you're ever in the area, go to Diletto Bakery. This is where I finally had my yummy breakfast.

Then onward to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center. The drive was longer than I expected, but it was a nice drive on back roads. I finally arrived at my destination. And they gave me a map and some basic directions. I got back in my car and continued north, finally on The Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a beautiful day with abundant sunshine and a nice breeze. There weren't many cars on the Parkway, but at the first overlook, I met a couple who had driven from Texas. Somehow, they got ahead of me and we laughed many times when I pulled in after them. I jokingly told them that I was not stalking them!!! LOL!!! I finally lost them or they lost me, but I drove up to Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. From the upper parking lot, I still had to hike up the paved trail about 300 yards to the observation deck. For me, it was a bit challenging, but I hadn't done any incline walking in quite a while. I made it and I sure glad I did. The vistas were incredible. Thank you, Lord, for your beautiful creation!!!

From there, I really needed to start down the mountains and head to Charlotte. It was a very winding road down. Then it was back on the highway with the sun in my rear-view mirror. My prayer was that I would get to the hotel before it got totally dark. After a stop at a Chick-fil-A drive thru for dinner, I arrived at my hotel with 5 minutes to spare. Whew!!!

After She Speaks, I took the "faster" route down to Easley, SC to have lunch with a long-time friend. After some good BBQ at The Smokin' Pig, we said good-bye and I realized that neither one of us took a picture. I continued the drive south to Atlanta to stay with my Georgia family until my flight departed late Sunday night. It was the perfect ending to a great trip. I got to cuddle with the littles and spend quality time chatting with the adults. Good food & good fellowship is so good!!! My flight departed after 11pm on Sunday night. I walked into my house around 2am. I had no problem falling asleep!!!

Thankfully, I took the next week off from work. It was filled with doctor appointments for myself and my Dad. After my mammogram on Tuesday morning, I headed to Camp Fellowship to check out Camp Wired. WOW!!! What a great day camp program for kids from grade 1 to 8!!!

Thursday afternoon, I took my Dad to our former church for the seniors program. It was a hymn sing led by the former choir director and friends from the former choir. It was a great program. As much as I love singing the new worship songs, I also love singing the old hymns of the church. The singing was followed by an ice cream social. Win-win!!!

Going back to work was tough, but getting together with a beautiful young lady was the highlight of my Monday. We met at a local TCBY and spent the next hour or so catching up on her first year of college, her dancing, her family, and what she's done on her summer vacation. She was quite busy!!!

Then on Sunday, July 30, I went to visit Cedarbrook Camp in PA (CCPA), now Cedarbrook Camp Mid-Atlantic, to help with registration and see many friends who I either served with over the years or I was their cabin counselor, many, many years ago. For almost 40 years, it's been so great to be part of a ministry to girls & boys and see girls that came as campers now bringing their children and are now counselors. What a legacy!!!

Long time "bird" friends
Hum & Phoenix

One of my campers
who is now a counselor!

Line up, time for dinner

Well, that gets me to the end of July and I'm sure you're as exhausted reading as I was living it. 

Have you ever lost something important? 

I forgot to tell you about when I went to the Philadelphia Airport to meet my BFF and her family arriving from Europe. I parked in the short-term lot close to the international terminal. After finding a spot, I looked around and tried to find something to remember where I parked. Now this is where my memory gets fuzzy. I'm sure I took the elevator down to cross the bridge to the international arrivals area. At this point, I thought I missed them and went down to where you pick up the bus to go to rental cars. I looked around and then went back up to the arrivals area and finally, they came through the doors and I finally was able to hug them. We all walked and talked down to the outside area so they could get the bus to pick up their rental car. We hugged again when the bus came, they got on and I went back to the parking garage to get my car and go home. The problem was, I thought I was on the 2nd level, but my car wasn't where I thought it should be. I took the elevator down to the 1st level, but where was mine. I then tried the 3rd level, no car. Had my car been stolen??? Moved??? Disappeared into thin air??? Oh Lord, HELP!!!!!

At that point, the Parking Authority was driving around and asked me what was wrong. I advised the driver that I lost my car. He kindly asked me to get in the truck and we drove around the levels as he hit the panic button for my car. Finally, we heard my car alarm and we found it, right where I left it. I thanked the driver and got into my car. 

This reminds me of many places in the Bible where things or people are lost - sheep, coins, sons, riches, hope, and many other examples (Read Matthew 15). Many of these examples are in the form of parables or short stories that Jesus told his disciples and others to explain spiritual truths. When Christ talks about lost items, he is basically letting us know that we are the lost ones without His saving grace, His redeeming love and our belief that He rose from the grave on the third day. I'm thankful I found my lost car, but I'm more thankful I'm no longer lost. I've found salvation in Jesus Christ. I pray that you are not lost. I hope you have found Jesus and accepted his free gift of salvation!!!

Prayer Requests:

August 14 - Labs - Please pray that my numbers are good, especially a lower CA125.

August 15 - Meeting with a new family doctor

August 16 - Follow-up appointment with dermatologist

August 17 - Oncologist appointment followed by Chemo "A."

August 31 - Chemo "B."

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!!! Again, I will be walking in The Together in Teal Run/Walk on September 9 at Neshaminy State Park in PA. If you would like to donate to my campaign, please use the following link:

SANDY Perry - Fundraising For National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (donordrive.com)

And thank you in advance!!! Please let me know if the link doesn't work.

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Having a Groovy Time

Hello Everyone - Sorry for the long delay in blogging. 🙁

Over the past several weeks, I've been having a groovy time doing life with family & friends, plus a mix of infusions and doctor appointments. On May 4, I had my Avastin infusion in the morning and my primary care physician (PCP) appointment in the afternoon. My doctor felt my blood pressure was a bit too high and called in a prescription for an additional pill to help lower my blood pressure. Scheduling my April, May, & June chemo follow-up appointments and infusions was a challenge that could raise your blood pressure!!! Plus throw in a CT scan scheduling nightmare. Just that was stressful with emails back & forth with my oncology nurse, Clare. She, however, was a rock star throughout the whole process!!! At first, the only time they could schedule me for the CT scan was June 14. This just would not work since my oncologist wanted me to have it before my May appointment. Finally, while getting my infusion on May 4, they called and scheduled the CT scan for the morning of May 12 at the hospital in Camden. YEAH!!! Then, they scheduled my port access in Voorhees. If you don't live near me, the two locations are about at least an hour's drive from each other on a good morning. Again, Clare to the rescue!!! I was rescheduled for Camden and at the correct time. 

On Friday, May 12, I arrived to get my port accessed on time, no problems and walked across the street to the hospital, checked in, and then started drinking the yucky tasting contrast. Approximately an hour later, I was laying on the table ready to "shoot the donut." Of course, nothing is ever easy with me. After they pumped the contrast into me and started taking pictures, what do I do??? .... Sneeze!!! Ooops!!! Now they need to take several more pictures that aren't blurry from my sneeze. Then I get a lecture about the possibility of being allergic to the contrast. What a fun time!!! After the scan, I walk back over to MDA for one of the nurses to de-access my port. I advise the receptionist that I'm back and they just need to call back and let them know. I take a seat and wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, after about 20 minutes, I return to the receptionist desk. Did she call? No. Did the other receptionist call? Yes. And within 2 minutes, the nurse came and took care of me and sent me on my way home. Now comes the waiting for the results to arrive in my portal. I knew that unless there was something on the scan that needed immediate attention, I wouldn't get the results until Monday. I did get the results on Monday and in my opinion, there was nothing horrible. I love the line in the results that states: "BONES: Intact." It just makes me giggle. Unfortunately, I still have some small plueral effusions. 

I had my oncology appointment on Thursday, May 18 with Clare & Jackie (APN) before my infusions of Doxil & Avastin (8A). Although Clare has seen me every month, I haven't seen Jackie since last year. She walks in and says, "You have hair!!!" The rest of the appointment we talked about my numbers, local eateries, itchy feet from the Doxil, and future appointments. I love my MDA oncology team!!! 💙

After my appointment and scheduling the next 3 months, I took the elevator up to the infusion floor and waited to be called back for my time in the chemo chair. I didn't have to wait long to be called back, but I did have to wait a bit because my blood pressure was too high. So after about 10-15 minutes and the nurse taking my blood pressure about 5 times, it was finally low enough to start chemo. Hallelujah!!! 🎉🎉🎉

This infusion was what I consider my "A" treatment. Specifically, 8A. And since my CA-125 only went from 105 to 101 (massive disappointment), I feel like I will be on this schedule for a long time. Lucky me. Lucky, lucky me!!! 🍀

If you were alive in the 60's & 70's, you'll remember that everything was about being groovy and world peace with protests and sit-ins and rock and roll festivals like Woodstock. On Saturday, May 4, I attended a Ladies' High Tea at a friend's church with the Feeling Groovy theme. It was a wonderful afternoon of goodies, a 60s/70s fashion show, a craft, a game (which I won), tea - of course, and a wonderful message about the true peace found in Jesus Christ. 

L - Groovy cookies that I won.       R - Yummy treats.

In fact, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of over 300 verses about peace, depending on what version you are reading. Then you're thinking peace.... really? Those verses must have only been applicable in "Bible times," not in 2023. God really doesn't understand today's world. It's different now!!! There is no peace in the world. There's a big war in Ukraine with the Russians wanting to take over, there is a war in Sudan, there's famine everywhere, there are floods, massive snowstorms, tornados, forest fires, there's probably in-fighting in every democratic government, plus there is so much poverty around the world, homelessness, uncurable diseases, broken relationships, gun violence, mass shootings, and the list could go on and on and on and on. But in Mark 13:5-8, Jesus says, "...See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains." Sound familiar? 

But in John 16:33, Jesus says. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Read that verse again!!!

You can have eternal peace through faith in Jesus Christ. He didn't say believe in me and you won't problems, like cancer. However, he did promise me peace during my problems. This is from Philippians 4:5-7, "Let your reasonableness (or gentleness) be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." WOW!!! Thank you Jesus!!! (my emphasis)

Are you feeling groovy or feeling anxious? 

Let the peace of Christ reign in your heart - now & forever!!! 

Prayer Requests:

June 1 - Chemo 8B - Avastin only

June 13 - Labs - draw blood & urinalysis - please pray for lower CA-125

June 15 - Doctor appointment followed by Chemo 9A - Doxil & Avastin

June 29 - Chemo 9B - Avastin only

July - attending She Speaks - please pray for the Lord to protect my family while away

July 18 - Labs - draw blook & urinalysis - please pray for a lower CA-125

July 20 - Doctor appointment followed by Chemo 10A - Doxil & Avastin

August 3 - Chemo 10B - Avastin only

August 11 - My birthday - please pray for the Lord to use me for His glory.

August 14 - Labs - draw blood & urinalysis - please pray for lower CA-125

August 15 - appointment with new PCP - please pray for a good first meeting.

August 17 - Doctor appointment followed by Chemo 11A - Doxil & Avastin

August 31 - Chemo 11B - Avastin only

Do you notice a trend? As of now, I will be on this type of schedule for the foreseeable future. 

Looking forward:

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - On September 9, I will be walking again in the 2023 Together in Teal Run/Walk for the Mid-Atlantic region at Neshaminy State Park in PA. I would love your support for research to find a cure, help newly diagnosed patients, provide assistance to caregivers, and heightened awareness of the signs & symptoms of this silent killer.

This link should take you to the NOCC fundraising page:

togetherinteal.donordrive.com -- Cut & paste this link to another tab.

When you see this screen, type my name (Sandy Perry) in the Fundraiser Search box (top right) and it should take you to my page.

Any support you can give would be greatly appreciated!!!

Only through His Strength,

Sandy

PS - Until the speaker at the Tea explained, this was information I had never heard before. In my Christian church upbringing, I always heard that the peace sign was a broken cross. So, I looked up the information and this is what I found on Brittanica:  

Occasionally, maligned as an anti-Christian symbol (an upside-down broken “Nero-cross”), a satanic character, or even a Nazi emblem, the iconic peace sign is apparently not so innocent to everyone. Thankfully, the symbol has a clear history, and its origin is not so controversial. The modern peace sign was designed by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958. The vertical line in the center represents the flag semaphore signal for the letter D, and the downward lines on either side represent the semaphore signal for the letter N. “N” and “D”, for nuclear disarmament, enclosed in a circle. Holtom also described the symbol as representing despair, with the central lines forming a human with its hands questioning at its sides against the backdrop of a white Earth. It is said that Holtom originally considered using a Christian cross but disliked its association with the Crusades and ultimately chose something he considered to be more universal.

Time Keeps on Ticking

 Just FYI – I started this post in the beginning of March and here it is, the middle of April.

                               

What a crazy ride the last few months have been!!! Between work, taking my sister to/from work in the city, managing my father's appointments, email, and bills plus dealing my own health and personal issues, I seem to have very little time to relax & enjoy life. I'm so thankful that I've been able to get together with friends. This has definitely been some much needed time for laughter and self-care!!! One of the big highlights of the past few weeks was spending an afternoon at the Philadelphia Flower Show with a friend and her Mom. Words cannot express the beautiful and colorful displays throughout the venue. Another blessing is that due to a change in my sister's job situation, compounded by some mobility issues, she took a little bit of early retirement!!! Now, I have an extra 2 hours a day to get things done and of course, take a nap!!! Hallelujah!!! The last highlight was spending 2 days with my quilting friends from the Philly Modern Quilt Guild at our Spring Retreat. I wasn’t too productive, but it was nice to see everyone and their creativity. 

2023 Philadelphia Flower Show - The Garden Electric

It's been soooo long since I’ve blogged and with all that’s going on in my life, I’ve developed a bit of writer’s block/lack of inspiration. I’ve heard some great messages, read some great devotions, and seen God working, but nothing, right now, is reaching into my spirit, my soul, and my heart that I feel led to share with you. But just you wait when the Lord shows me what to write!!!

As for my health, I’m doing pretty good except. Over the past several months, the one chemo drug I’m on once every 4 weeks is Doxil, causes an extremely annoying side effect officially called Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. More commonly known as Hand-foot syndrome. The bottom of my feet look like they've got a bad sunburn!!! It is described as “a side effect of some chemotherapy drugs that can cause redness, swelling and blistering on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.” The only thing that “helps” me is putting lotion on my hands & feet in the morning while getting dressed and at night before I go to bed. The worst thing for me is how itchy my feet are, sometimes even after I put on the lotion. The funny thing is that it seems like one night it’s my right foot and the next night it’s my left foot. At times, it feels like I’m going to scratch my feet so hard that they will start bleeding. Thankfully, that’s never happened!!!

The other chemo drug that I’m on basically every other week is Avastin and for me, this drug causes nosebleeds. Over the past months on a daily basis, they’ve ranged from very mild to feeling like I’m going to use a whole box of tissues to stop it. Plus, it’s allergy season so I never know what’s going on with my nose. As they say ...

Avastin® (bevacizumab) works differently than chemotherapy. Avastin is used with chemotherapy and hits your cancer from another angle. Avastin is a tumor-starving (anti-angiogenic) therapy. The purpose of Avastin is to prevent the growth of new blood vessels. This includes normal blood vessels and blood vessels that feed tumors.

 

As for my numbers, they continue to go down, just not fast enough in my opinion.

On February 14, my CA-125 was 136.

On March 21, my CA-125 was 115.

Considering normal range is below 38, I’ve got a looooong way to go!!!

 

Prayer Requests:

I will find out how much it goes down after next week's blood draw on Tuesday morning, April 18. Please pray for lower numbers and good numbers/readings on all the other tests.

My follow-up oncology appointment is scheduled for Thursday, April 20 @ 10am followed by getting both drugs. The only difference is I’ll be seeing the APN (Advance Practice Nurse) instead of my regular oncologist. I’ve never seen this APN, so I’m hoping for a good first meeting.

Then on Thursday, May 4 around 12noon, I just have to have the Avastin pumped into my body. Then later in the afternoon, I have an appointment with my family doctor for a regular appointment.

After that, I’ll be scheduled for another CT scan and another oncology follow-up to see where we go from there. Most likely, I have several more treatments of just the Avaastin to keep beating the beast down, but only time will tell.

On personal note: I have again signed up for the Proverbs 31/First 5 app Bible Study writing challenge that could be published on the app next year. I have the passage Matthew 26:47-56. The assignment is due at the beginning of May.

I have also signed up to attend She Speaks 2023 in July.

 Prayers appreciated for all requests!

This song/video has been playing on K-LOVE and I love the lyrics. It reminds me of the verse in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." The song is sung by a group called, Consumed by Fire.

Only by His Strength,

        Sandy

What's next?

I know, I know. It's been a long time since I've blogged. Life is just incredibly busy right now and unfortunately, I'm stuck in a cycle of drive, work, drive, sleep, help Dad, repeat. I'm so thankful that our company meeting was a few weeks ago in Atlanta and I was able to enjoy time with work friends and collegues, plus the added bonus was spending time with our Georgia family for dinner and fellowship on Sunday afternoon. Win-Win!!!

Since the beginning of 2023 - 

• I've finished the original 4 cycles of chemo started on November 3, 2022 and all the lab work associated with those cycles. 

• My CA-125 on October 18 was 309. As of January 17, it was 177. It's still not in the "normal" range (less than 38), but it's going in the right direction!!!

• I just had a CT scan on February 9, and I received the results. Having no medical training, in my humble opinion, it looks pretty good. But, I'll admit, I did look up several words/phrases on Google.

I have a follow-up appointment with my oncologist on Thursday morning, February 16. At that point, I'll find out "what's next." More chemo??? Or no more chemo??? Or something else??? Prayers for peace and wisdom are most appreciated!!!

What I do know is that God is in control, and nothing happens to me that He doesn't know about. 

Happy Super Bowl weekend!!! 

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Only by His Strength,

   Sandy

PS - I'll blog again after Thursday's appointment.

Giving Thanks

Sorry for the delay in blogging. Life has been busy. This blog post was started on December 4, 2022 and finished on December 20, 2022. 😳

It states in 1 Thessalonians 5:18a "in everything give thanks..." And so, as I continue on this journey, I try to give my Savior & Lord thanks for the good and the not so good. As you know, it's much easier to acknowledge good things and show gratitude than it is to when everything is crumbling around you. I'm learning that it's all in your attitude. When my attitude isn't what it should be, I am not a great person to be around!!! And I need a lot of prayer and an attitude adjustment!!! I hope over the past weeks, you took a few moments to thank the Lord for the many blessings in your life and I pray that you will continue to do that daily!!!

My doctor appointment was early on Thursday, November 17. It was a short and sweet appointment, and she was pleased with my numbers and how my lungs sounded. I wasn't as pleased with my CA-125 number. It only went down to 287 which was about 20 points from the end of October, but I was hoping for a bigger drop. Maybe next time. After my appointment, I headed up to the infusion floor and waited to be called back to my lovely chair.

After I got hooked up, I had a cup of tea and relaxed a bit. I had just finished my drip of Avastin when suddenly, the fire alarm went off. And it's quite loud and annoying. We were told it was not a drill and we would need to evacuate the building. YIKES!!! They nurses worked quickly to unhook everyone from their various treatments. Once I was unhooked, I grabbed my coat, handbag, and backpack and headed to the emergency exit. We walked down the three flights of stairs and headed through the lobby, out the front door and onto the little island across the street. As I didn't see flames shooting out the windows or roof, I figured it was some sensor that picked a really bad time to go bad. Of course, it was a very cold day, and I was sure glad I put on my coat. Finally, the firemen gave us the all clear and then we all had to make our way back into the building and get to our various floors and appointments. Thankfully, I could take the elevator back to the third floor. 

However, just as I made it back to my chair ... the alarm went off again. UGH!!! However, after about 15 seconds, it stopped. And then about a minute later, it went off again. But it only stayed on for about 5 seconds. Finally, I was hooked up again and able to finish my infusion without interruption. What a day!!!

I think the worst side effect this time around is the constant fatigue. Sometimes I push through and sometimes, I take a nap. However, I'm thankful that my employer has changed my hours and allowed me to work 5 hours a day/4 days a week. And I have every Friday off!!! WooHoo!!! And my sister's employer offered her the same type of schedule, so we both have Friday off!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! And, to top it off, my employer was just named one of the top 5 places to work in Alabama. Way to go Adtrav!!! 

The week following Chemo 2A was Thanksgiving. We decided to do something we had never done before. We ordered a complete dinner from Cracker Barrel. We picked it up the day before, popped it in the fridge, and just had to reheat most of the items on Thursday. It wasn't exactly what we usually have, but it was good and for a dinner that was listed as serves 4-6, we got 6 dinners for 3 plus an extra turkey sandwich! Gobble, gobble!!! And guess what? We ordered Christmas dinner from Cracker Barrel again. Prime Rib ... yum!!!

Pumpkin Roll from Wegman's

December 1st was Chemo 2B. Of course, I had done the required labs (urine test) on Tuesday, received the results on Wednesday and knew I was good to get chemo on Thursday. After dropping my sister at work in Philly, I went right to MDA and waited for them to call me back to my chair. Again, they wanted to take more blood, but after speaking with my doctor and the nurse at my appointment, they advise if it happens again, to have them call and verify that I did not need to have blood drawn. So, I waited for them to contact my doctor. Finally, I was called back to my chair. They reached my doctor and she advised that although it is their protocol, at least for me, I would not require blood work before my "B" treatment. My wonderful nurse, Amanda, advised that she put that info in my chart and hopefully, I would not have to wait again. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!

And guess what??? I had an uneventful day ... finally!!! I finished my infusion before noon, set up my schedule for Chemo 3A & B, and went home for some lunch and a nap. 

As I now approach treatment 3A, I'm so thankful for so many people and so many experiences over the past month. From the beautiful message at Hope Community Church Ladies' Christmas Event, "A Weary World Rejoices," to singing with many choir friends at the Sage Christmas Banquet at Fellowship Alliance to the Sunday Advent message series at Hope, "Missing Christmas." I'm reminded in this season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ; we do live in a weary world - COVID, RSV, flu, inflation/recession, broken relationships, job stress, and the list goes on and on. I know I'm weary of this cancer journey.  How on earth could I or anyone rejoice? Like gratitude, rejoicing is more than just being happy. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about joy. In fact, in this past Sunday's Advent message was on Joy. Bible Project was quoted, 

"Joy is an attitude God’s people adopt, not because of happy circumstances, but because of their hope in God’s love and promise. The joy of God’s people is not determined by their struggles, but by their future destiny. Christian joy is a profound decision of faith and hope in the power of Jesus’ own life and love."

If you'd like to watch the entire video about joy from Bible Project, please click on the following link:

Watch: Joy (Chara) Advent Word Study Video | BibleProject™

As you gather with family & friends during the Christmas holiday, I truly pray that you can find true joy, hope, love, and peace that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can provide.

When I first started this post, several weeks ago, I heard this song and it got me thinking about being a thanks giver. I'm hoping you'll be a thanks giver and a joy giver, too!!! The song is by Crowder. 

Prayer Requests:

Thursday, December 22 - Dr. appointment & Chemo 3A - 8:45am

Tuesday, January 3 - Labs (urine test) - approximately 7:00am

Thursday, January 5 - Chemo 3B - approximately 9:00am

MERRY CHRISTMAS from my family to yours!!! 

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!!!

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

A Series of Unfortunate (and Wonderful) Events

Many of you know that I started back on chemo on Thursday, October 20. In preparation for this round of chemo, I was required to get an ECG (echocardiogram) to make sure my heart was in good shape. So, after work on Friday, October 14, I went and had the test done. I was the last test that day. I figured if there was a problem, I'd hear about it over the weekend and get the results in my portal on Monday -- at the very latest, Tuesday. Well, I waited and waited and waited some more. 

On Thursday morning, I treated myself to breakfast at a local diner. I had one of my favorite choices -- Cinnamon Bun French Toast. YUMMY!!! It was nice to have a little me time before I started more chemo.

My oncologist appointment early Thursday afternoon before my infusion. They, too, were waiting for the results. The nurse even called the Cardiology department to find out why my results were delayed. Nothing. The only bummer of the appointment was that they forgot to tell me and give me orders for one of the tests that I need to have before chemo -- a urine test. I would need to do that before I could get chemo. I finished with my appointment and the good news ... my CA-125 had gone DOWN exactly 100 points since August 16!!! Why??? My doctor thought it might have been the COVID booster that I got, but I informed her that I thought it was a God thing. She agreed. After listening to my lungs, she also thought that my "large" left pleural effusion was not quite so large anymore. I also think that the decrease in fluid around my lung was also a God thing!!! God does work in mysterious & wonderful ways!!! It reminds me of these verses - Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV says:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways"

After hearing that news, I headed up to the infusion floor and waited to be called back to my lovely chemo chair. Once there, I was given the little cup and pointed towards the bathroom. I finished my "test" and brought back the cup and it was taken to be tested. So, the nurse hooked me up and started me on fluids. Since I also had to have infusions of both magnesium and potassium, they could be given without the urine test or the ECG results. 

While those two drugs were dripping into my body, the urine test results came back and I would be able to get the Avastin, but they were STILL waiting for the ECG results. My doctor even said that she was okay with using my ECG results from February if I was okay with using them. I just wanted to get this treatment in the books, I said, "Go for it!!!" As they were getting the Avastin ready to start dripping into me, SURPRISE, the ECG results finally populated into my portal. I will never know WHY it took so long to get the results. I only know that I now had them, and I was good to go to get the Doxil, too. However, because you can't get these two drugs at the same time, it was going to be a long day in the chair. I'll refer to this part of my chemo at the "A" portion (both drugs). In fact, it was 7:55pm when I finally got in my sister's car to go home and have dinner. At that point, I was so thankful that I had requested Friday off.

Philly sunset from my chemo chair.

On Friday, I relaxed, napped, and got a few personal things done before my sister & I had an event that evening. My friends, Jenn & Amanda, have started a ministry for women called The Remember Collective - We exist to create a collective of women who will use their various gifts to make God known and desire to call all women to remember God's Word & faithfulness. They are Godly women who have been gifted with making the Bible understandable to every woman. If you are in the Philly area, sign-up at the bottom of their website to be informed of events in the area. You won't be disappointed!!!

By Saturday morning, chemo fatigue started catching up with me. As much as I wanted to get things done, I just had no desire or energy. I could barely get to the post office and home without needing a nap!!! It became a lazy afternoon of attempting to watch college football between naps. Of course, napping all afternoon makes for a bad night of sleep!!! But I pushed through and went to church. Although the missionary message was good, I don't think I heard every word. It was good to relax again on Sunday afternoon and watch my Phillies clinch the National League pennant and head to the World Series for the first time in many years. 

Then it was back to work on Monday morning and although still tired, I pushed through. I was never so thankful that my employer is allowing me to work part-time. Afternoon naps are a necessity for me to keep going. On Friday, October 28, I was invited to attend a High Tea and learn about survivorship presented by The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) - Mid Atlantic Region. The event was held at a lovely tearoom in Flemington, NJ. I did a lot of driving that day, but it was well worth it. 

And just like that, it was another weekend and although fatigue is always tapping me on the shoulder, sometimes I try to fight it and sometimes I succumb. Most days, I get a few things done and then I'm done. However, I have noticed over the past couple of weeks that I don't get as winded as I was even a month ago. I think that God is slowly draining the nasty pleural effusion and allowing me to slowly get some energy and lung power back. I won't know "officially" until my next CT scan, but I can tell it's going. Thank you, Jesus!!!!!!!!

On Thursday, November 3 was what I refer to as the part B of a "round" of treatment. Again, there was a miscommunication and I had they had to draw blood before I could get my Avastin treatment. I had gone on Wednesday morning to the lab to do the urine test. I could have gotten the blood test then, but I wasn't told I needed it. I was not a happy camper, but thankfully, the infusion went well, and I was soon on my way home. I felt pretty good on Friday and worked my shift. And then Daylight Savings ended and theoretically, I got another hour of sleep. However, it didn't help that the Phillies were playing that night. Unfortunately, they lost, but I think most sports fans near Philly have Phillies Phatigue, but we are so proud of our team and how far they went this season. 

During Bible Study this fall, we started going through a book "Prayer Journal for Women" by Shannon Roberts. This is not your typical journal. It has prompts and scripture throughout and is loosely divided into sections such as love & inner beauty, strength through faith, fear, etc. Each week, we were encouraged to memorize a verse(s) of scripture that correlated to that week's questions. One of scriptures that hit me was Psalm 139:13-14 NIV, 

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

When we arrived at class that week, we were challenged to write a characteristic on the board that you were grateful to God for giving you. I really had to stop and think for a few minutes. In fact, I really struggled with something to write. I finally settled on that I was an encourager. After some discussion time, our leader challenged us to come the next week with a much longer list. But over the next week, any time that I thought of something that God created in me, I thought, "I am fearfully & wonderfully made!!!" I haven't finished my list. Maybe I never will be finished!!! Since it's Thanksgiving season, what characteristics are you thankful to God for creating in you??? Your list should be very, very long!!! 

While thinking and listening to music over the past weeks, I prayed that God would show me what He wanted me to use. And even though this wasn't truly on my radar, it is exactly what I want to use. The song is "Faithful Now" sung by Vertical Worship. It's amazing how God works!!!

On Sunday, November 20, I will "celebrate" God's faithfulness to me. It was on that Wednesday night in 2013 that God changed my life with the cut of a knife in the operating room. It was a night I should have been at choir rehearsal getting ready for the cantata. But God had other plans. God is still working in my life and even with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, I can say with confidence ... "I am fearfully & wonderfully made!!!" 

Prayer Requests:

Tuesday, November 15 -- Labs @ 7:30am ET 

-- lower CA125 and proper levels for the tests needed to get chemo

Thursday, November 17 -- Oncologist appointment @ 8:30am ET followed by Chemo 2A

Tuesday, November 29 -- Labs @ 7:15am ET

-- proper levels for the tests needed to get chemo

Thursday, December 1 -- Chemo 2B

Only by His Strength,

Sandy