Platelets, Pomegranates, and Prayer

 Yes, this blog post is brought to you by the letter "P."

With the stomach bug in my rear view mirror, I began eating "normally" and enjoying every bite. In fact, I probably enjoyed it too much!!! However, I think I was able to keep a few pounds off the scale. Hooray! 

Early on Friday morning, January 14, I headed to LabCorp for my blood draw. I could tell the nice girl who walked into the cubicle was a newer employee. After verifying my information, she attempted to find the vein in my right elbow. She thought she found it, but she went to get the needle, etc. and came back she couldn't find it again. She went to do my hand, but had some trouble and called for back-up. I'm so thankful that the back-up person was able to help her get the needle where it belongs and finish my blood draw. It took a lot longer than I expected. I then drove my sister to work in Philly and then came home and had my breakfast. 

On Saturday morning, I received the results on my portal. To say that I was shocked and worried would be an understatement. My platelet count was 75!!! In order to receive chemotherapy, your platelet count needs to be over 100!!! I put out an urgent prayer request on my personal Facebook page and in my Christian ovarian cancer group. I was truly blown away with so many comments to pray for my pesky platelets. One of the girls in my cancer group commented that a nurse told her to drink pomegranate juice, milk, eat avocados, and red grapes. I also read online to eat meat, poultry, and pork, plus tomatoes, potatoes, egg yolks, cereal, leafy greens, peanuts, and a few other things. I went to the market and found pomegranate juice and bought red grapes. The juice is very tasty and I love red grapes. I also contacted the oncologist nurse and she didn't seem too concerned. She just advised that I should go to get my blood drawn again on Thursday morning before my doctor appointment and hopefully by the time my appointment would be over, we'd have the results and know if I could continue with chemo for the day. 

This guy was hanging in the cubicle with my favorite phlebotomist ... Marge. His name is Vinny.

Well….. I got ready to have my exam. In comes the nurse, a medical student who wasn’t introduced, and Courtney, a Gyn Oncology Fellow who is shadowing Dr. K. She answered all my CT scan questions and said everything on the CT scan looked good. They left for a few moments and then they all came back with the doctor. She checked me over while I provided comic relief. In fact, I was wearing my new Faithlet bracelet and Courtney asked what it was. I was happy to share that it read “I CAN DO ALL  THINGS.” I told them that this is my verse and that it ends with “THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHS ME.” During the exam, I did express that I was concerned about being short of breath quite often. Now, I know I’m horribly out of shape, but it feels different. Therefore, the doctor ordered both and EKG and an Echocardiogram. She definitely didn’t want the chemo to be successful and then me have heart problems. And considering I have a bit of a family history, I don’t want to take any chances.

At this point, the nurse had slipped out, she came back with a fabulous announcement. My platelets were …. Drum roll please ………….

235!!!!!!!!!!!

I think my jaw hit the floor. When I picked it up off the floor, I do know is that I shouted …. “PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!” I was so shocked that I had to double check the number again. She really said … 235!!!! With that everyone left the exam room and I did a little happy dance!!! I texted my sister and a couple of friends with the great news and headed up to the infusion floor. The picture below is after I was hooked up to Mr. Chemo. And by the way, my CA-125 is down to 85!!! And that's another "P" ... Praise!!!

Prayer. It’s this amazing conversation with the God of the Universe. The God who created EVERYTHING — from the smallest micro-organism that might not even be discovered yet, to each and every one of you reading this, to the baby in the womb, to the centenarian in the nursing home, to our entire universe, and to every animal, bird, reptile, and invertebrate — has a desire to have a personal relationship with you & me. He really does. So many times, we think of prayer as a last resort. A cry for help. When, in fact, He is interested in your daily life. The highs and the lows. The times when we question everything and the times we are just numb to everything. There are so many verses in Scripture that show that He cares about every detail and how we should pray. Just Google verses about prayer and you'll get over 2 million results. Some of my favorite verses on prayer are as follows, but there are so many:

Matthew 21:22 - "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

Romans 12:12 - "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

Philippians 4:6 - "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

James 5:13a - " Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray..."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Enjoy this song from Santus Real titled "Pray." It's been out for quite a while, but it's a good reminder of how we need to pray.

Prayer Requests:

Tuesday, February 1 - EKG & Echocardiagram - approximately 2pm ET

Friday, February 11 - Blood work - 7:30am ET - Lower CA-125 & good platelet number

Monday, February 14 - Doctor appointment with my Hematology doctor - 10:20am ET

Thursday, February 17 - Follow-up appointment with APN - 9am ET followed by Chemo #5 / Day 1 (if numbers are good) - Pray for no reactions

Friday, February 18 - Chemo #5 / Day 2 - start approx. 10am - Pray for no reactions

Other notes of interest:

I entered another Proverbs 31 writing challenge. I won't know if my devotional was accepted until sometime in March. 

*** Save the Date *** -- For those of you in the Philly area, the NOCC Together in Teal Run/Walk is scheduled to be in person this year on September 10. I'm hoping to form a team to run/walk and raise money to find a cure!!! If you're interested in participating on my team, even if you live somewhere outside of the Philly area, let me know in the comments below or send me a Facebook message.

Thanks again for all your encouragement, hugs, but especially, your PRAYERS!!!!!

Only by His strength,

Sandy

Halftime

The time clock clicks down .... 3. 2. 1. 0. The players leave the field and head to the locker room to hear from their coach regarding the game so far.

Here I am again, with 3 rounds of chemo down & (hopefully) only 3 to go. 

Strike up the band. It's Chemo Halftime!!!

The weeks between round 2 & round 3 went quickly as they usually do when approaching the Christmas holiday. Bible Study finished. Our church had a Christmas party with games, cookie decorating, singing, a story for the kids, and a devotional for teens and adults. I had lunch with friends. And then it was time to pack for our trip to Georgia to see our "family" for Christmas. I had my blood drawn the morning we flew. The flight down was uneventful and I got to watch one of my favorite Christmas movies, "Elf." Our family picked us up and we went to dinner at another family member's home. It was fun seeing them and seeing how much the kids had grown, but we were all tired from a busy day, so we headed home, found our rooms, and said good night.

The next day was a beautiful, sunny day. A bit cool for Georgia standards, but a least the sun was shining AND it was Tea Party Day for four lovely ladies and one 4-year-old princess!!! We had a lovely time eating little sandwiches, scones, desserts, and drinking ourselves silly with different flavors of tea. Our little princess even danced a bit. Here are some pictures from our party:

The following day, we were just going to bum around, maybe go to a movie, but that all changed when Dad got sick. We think he picked up a 24 hour stomach bug. So between my sister and me, we took care of him throughout the day. Finally, on Christmas Eve, he started feeling better and could keep down food. We stayed home from their church and watched our home church on YouTube and had a late lunch. Later, that afternoon, I was feeling tired, so I went up to my room to take a nap. When I woke up, I really wasn't feeling great and guess what .... now I had the stomach bug. YUCK!!!! I was so thankful that my room had a private bathroom! I think I wore a path in the carpet between the bed and the bathroom. Finally, about 1 am Christmas morning, I was finally done and I crawled back in bed and slept. When I finally dragged myself out of bed and threw some sweats on, it was after noon!!! I drank some of the Pedialyte that we got for Dad, had a banana and a piece of toast. Of course, we do things as a family, so, my sister got the bug overnight. We did, however, have a very nice Christmas dinner, just without my sister.

Again, on Sunday, we watched our home church service in NJ and our hosts actually went to their church's service. The family from our first night came back over for some fun and pizza dinner. The kids had fun with a Lego train that actually went around on the track. In fact, the little boy thought it was fun to see how fast the train would go before it derailed!!! LOL!!!

Monday came too soon and it was time to repack everything and go back to the airport to fly home. Although our flight was delayed, we were so glad that Southwest was not one of the airlines that was cancelling many flights. Thank you Lord!!! We got home after waiting in the covered parking for a rainstorm to pass, getting dinner, and stopping at Wawa for milk, etc. After eating dinner, we dragged the suitcases in from the car and went to bed. Because you see, my sister had to go to work the following day and I had to see the APN & start the next round of chemo!!!

After getting my lunch & stuff ready to go, my sister drove me to MDA for my long day in the chair. After a long wait for the APN, we went over the numbers, etc. and all looked good. My CA-125 dropped from 138 to 108. Not as big a drop as the first time, but I'll take it!!! My platelets were also good, so ... off to the Infusion floor. The only extra thing is that I will need to have a CT scan before my next appointment and chemo.

With all the travel and sickness, as soon as I was hooked up, it was off to slumberland. Upon waking and having lunch, I got busy doing "stuff" and trying to occupy my time until I was disconnected and I could go home. Although, since I return the following day, they kept access to my port so it is easier the next day. I really appreciate this!!! My sister picked me up, took me home, we had dinner, and I went to bed. The next morning, a good friend took me back to MDA for day 2. I was lead to my chair and a new nurse - Janine, AND I did not have a window seat! She got me hooked up and guess what, I took another snooze. Thankfully, no problems or weird reactions, just boredom. I did however, finally address my Christmas cards to the girls in my ovarian cancer group on Facebook. As I was address the last one, the last of my treatment sounded and I texted my sister and she came and picked me up. I thank God for 2 uneventful days.

Usually, on the slug days following chemo, I have some energy, but I just had nothing. The tank was empty. Since my stomach was still not 100%, I ate bland foods and drank plenty of water to "flush out" my system. I just felt blah. Nothing I ate seemed to stay in me. I felt weaker and weaker. Finally, I contacted the nurses at MDA and explained my situation and asked if I should take Imodium. They said I could take it and to drink Pedialyte. After several doses, my body seemed to get the idea that food was good for me and I started feeling like my old self - several pounds lighter - but feeling good. 

During my slug days, I watched a LOT of college football bowl games. I got to do a LOT of thinking about my life while I drifted in and out of naps. And just like the team heads back to the locker room in the stadium, I headed to the locker room of my mind with my coach, Jesus. I don't think He made any major changes to my life plan, just a few tweaks. I still have a long way to go, but my goal is heaven and I'm following after Him. Have you had a half-time with the Savior? What would He tell you? Do you need to make some tweaks to your life - spiritual, physical, or mental? It's never too late to hit the locker room with Jesus!!!

This is the song that was playing on my Apple Music Worship Now channel when I finished writing. This kind of sums up my feelings. It's "Give Me Jesus" by UPPERROOM. Hit play, sit back and worship for a little over 8 minutes. You'll feel a LOT better!!! I promise!!!

Prayer Requests:

Wednesday, January 12 - CT Scan - 1:00pm ET - pray that there are no signs of cancer

Friday, January 14 - Blood draw - 7:30am ET - pray for lower CA125 and good platelet numbers.

Thursday, January 20 - Doctor appointment & Chemo #4 / Day 1 - pray for good report from doctor and no side effects while getting chemo - also pray for good weather

Friday, January 21 - Chemo #4 / Day 2 - pray for good day getting chemo and no side effects

Thanks for all your prayers & encouragement on this journey!!!

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Still the Same?

They say some things never change, but on the other hand, they say change is good. 

When it comes to my body and chemo, the first round really had me worried that I now would respond differently each time. I can honestly say, I'm experiencing ... Adventures in Chemo Land!!! 

Right before my last blog post, I attended my quilt guild's fall retreat. I had a great time seeing friends and sewing/quilting for a weekend away. My sister & I also took our business stuff and vended. After getting home and carrying all the stuff back in the house, the next day, my back was sore and I had developed a "rash." I thought, that was odd, but I was carrying boxes, a sewing machine, etc., so I put some "Icy Hot" on it and hoped it would go away. By the next day, the soreness had not gone away and my sister kept saying the rash looked worse. I went to Bible Study, stopped & ordered our Thanksgiving pie (by the way ... it was yummy), came home, had lunch and continued on with my list of things to do. By Wednesday, the bumps were getting bigger and more annoying!!! Finally, on Thursday night after choir rehearsal, I asked my nurse friend to take a look at the rash. She said she wasn't sure, but it looked like .... Shingles!!! 

The next morning I was on the phone shortly after 8am to see if I could get in to see my doctor. Unfortunately, she had no available appointments, but thankfully, I was able to get an appointment with another Cooper doctor that morning!!! Of course, that was the morning I had an appointment to shave my hair off and I had to take my Dad to get both his flu shot and his COVID booster (in 2 different places). I arrived at the doctor appointment and soon was called back to an exam room. Soon the doctor came in and looked at my rash and confirmed ... yes, you have Shingles!!! And of course the rash is on the same side as my huge bruise from when I passed out in the shower. She prescribed some medicine and I asked the important question, can I get them again? And, unfortunately, I can. Gosh, that made me jump for joy!!! Not really. I stopped by the drug store later in the day and picked up my 2 new drugs.  

Of course, I had 3 different activities planned for that Saturday, all in different directions and different places. However, due to the shingles and the "pain spikes", I only attended one of those activities. I laid pretty low the rest of the weekend, took my meds, and tried to rest. I watched lots of football, napped, ate, and napped some more!!! By Tuesday morning, I was more than ready to go to Bible Study. As I was driving, I prayed and asked God to relieve the "pain spikes" so that I could enjoy Bible Study. I know it sounds trivial, but God heard my prayer. Not only did I not have any "pain spikes" during Bible Study, but I didn't have another one. None. Zero. Zip. Nada!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! And yes, when chemo is over, I'm getting a Shingles shot. 

Then on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I went for my pre-chemo blood work. I thought my numbers would look better than after feasting on turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, etc. Because it's been so hard to find a vein in my elbow, I just give them my hand and that has worked out pretty good. I received the results back on the following Monday and PRAISE THE LORD ..... my CA-125 dropped from 210 to 138!!! That's 72 points lower!!! It still has a long way to go to get to "normal" or lower, but I'm on the way!!! And my platelets were higher!!! I don't know how that happened with chemo and the fall, but they were much higher. WooHoo!!!

Then I had my chemo follow-up on Tuesday morning. I got to see my Advance Practice Nurse (APN), Jacquie. We hadn't seen each other since March. During the exam, we laughed a lot, discussed movies, my numbers, etc. and spending Christmas day in pajamas. I then headed up to see Mr. Chemo and spend a long day in the chair. By the time they hook you up, give you the pre-meds, I'm ready for a nap!!! And because I've had a reaction to Carboplatin in the past, they check my vitals every hour. I'm usually one of the first people in a chair in the morning and I'm one of the last to leave in the evening. My nurses Jenn & Jalpa were great. Finally, it was time to be unhooked and go home. The one good thing is that they leave my port access in and just tape it up so I they don't have to poke me again the next day. 

My Tuesday view

Wednesday was a later start time, so one of my bff's was able to take me. I checked in and took a seat in the waiting area waiting to be called back. I watched people come, get called back, more people came, and got called back, but not me. After a while, I wondered, did they forget me? I mean, I was sitting almost in front of them!!! Finally, I asked one of the check-in girls, did you forget me??? Within a few minutes, they came to get me and they took me to a PRIVATE ROOM!!! I had requested my Tuesday nurse, Jenn, and sure enough, she was my nurse for Wednesday, too!!! She took my vitals, got me hooked up to Mr. Chemo and what did I do??? If you guessed took a nap, you'd be wrong!!! I actually ate lunch, and believe it or not, I brought a quilting project to cut out. (see pictures) I didn't get it all cut out, but I made good progress!!! Again, I was one of the last people to leave the floor. 

The days after chemo are what I fondly call "slug days." I have little to no energy to much of anything. My mind is foggy and my body just wants to stay in one place. Usually, I don't have much appetite and sometimes food doesn't taste very good either. This past time, food tasted fairly good. And since I don't do much during the day, sleeping at night is a problem. The only thing that seems to help is listening to someone read Scripture on a video on YouTube. It's a horrible cycle and only time can correct the imbalance. However, once the nasty chemicals are "flushed" from my system, it's like night and day. I still get tired easily, but at least I have energy to do things around the house and to write!!!

Over the past month or so, I have heard some incredible teaching from the Bible. I'm going to try and keep it short & sweet, but God's words are so powerful. 

I was able to jump in on Tuesday morning Bible Study. They were doing an overview of the entire Bible called "The Story of Scripture." Quite a feat in only 13 weeks! By the time I was able to attend, they were at the end of the Old Testament. The next lesson was not the start of the New Testament, but what scholars call The Intertestamental Period or The Silent Years. This was 430 years where God's people did not hear from God. But as we learned, God was still working during those years. If you studied that time period, you would be amazed at what transpired. Little did God's people know, He was still in control and preparing the world for the arrival of His Son, Jesus Christ. In all my years in church, I don't think I had ever heard such a concise and understandable lesson about this time period and the significance of it in the history of the church. It strengthened my faith to know that even when I think God is silent in my life, He is still in control. He is still working. And He still hears my prayers. 

The other Bible teaching is from my pastor, Seth McCoy. For advent, he is taking a character from the Christmas story and looking at that person with perhaps, a different perspective. The first Sunday of December, we studied Zechariah from Luke 1:5-25. I think the part of the message that got to me is to never stop praying and believing that God will answer. Zechariah & Elizabeth prayed many years for a child and had probably given up hope, but God answered when they least expected it. In fact, because Zechariah didn't believe the angel Gabriel, God silenced him until his son was born. 

Last Sunday, we looked at John the Baptist from the passage in Luke 1:39-66. John was the son that Zechariah & Elizabeth had been faithfully praying. This passage tells about the visit of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. Mary was newly pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth was in her 6th month. Luke tells us in the first part of verse 41, "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb." At those words, I stopped to ponder, do I "leap" for joy when I see a brother or sister in Christ? Do I "leap" for joy when I hear what God is doing in someone's life? Do I shout praises to God for what He has done? Or has this current life that I live with COVID protocols, chemotherapy, and dealing with NJ disability claim cause me to become passive with others blessings? I pray that I would rejoice always - through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I pray that you can, too!!!

So, to wrap up:

God is always in control. 
God is always listening to our prayers. 
God is always answering our prayers and sometimes it takes a while. 
God is always waiting to hear our praises in all things and in all situations. 

I recently started hearing this song from Sanctus Real on Christian radio. It's called "My God Is Still The Same." The words remind me of the Bible teaching I've heard over the past month. I pray that you will be blessed as you listen. 

From me & my family, I wish you & yours a very, Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year!!! 

Joy to the world ... the Lord is come!!!

Prayer Requests:

December 21 - Pre-chemo blood work - pray for a lower CA-125 & good platelet number

December 28 & 29 - Follow-up exam (Tues.) and Round #3 (Tues. & Wed.)

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

And Round One goes to ...

After my last blog post, I thought I would begin chemo in early October, but God had other plans. Little did I know that my health insurance and MD Anderson (MDA) would haggle for several weeks over dollars and cents and other medical stuff that I may never know. All I do know is that I finally was scheduled for my two days of chemo on November 3 & 4. In the meantime, I received my Covid booster shot, cortisone shots in both knees, and I had more blood drawn. Unfortunately, my CA-125 went up to 210!!! YIKES!!!

Since I was filing for disability, my "last day of work for awhile" was October 29. I was blown away that my team held a "special" team meeting to say good-bye and wish me well. I was touched and moved to tears. It's times like these when you realize that family is not just the people who share the same DNA, but the people you work, worship, and walk with through life. I am truly blessed to have family in all those categories.

After two days of getting things done around the house in preparation for the "yucky" days, it was finally time to deal with Mr. Chemo again. My sister dropped me off before 8am at MDA and I headed to the infusion floor armed with things to do while sitting for 6-7 hours. Day One was the slooooow infusion of Carboplatin. The day before chemo, you take steroids to pump you up, then when you get there, they pump you full of things to relax you before the actual drug pumps through you. Up & down, up & down. Geez!!! Since I was so relaxed, I settled in, put on some music and took a nice nap!!! Next thing I knew, I was time to eat my lunch! After lunch, I watched some TV and soon, Day One was over. So much for getting something done!!! Day Two was much the same only this time, a slooooow infusion of Taxol. I was done much sooner than anticipated. As always, the nurses are super nice and friendly. 

In previous rounds of chemo, by the day after, food starts tasting blah, especially dairy products. Therefore, I eat bland foods like chicken noodle soup and jelly sandwiches. This time, food tasted okay, but I didn't really have an appetite. I just ate smaller portions because I knew I needed the nutrition. On Saturday morning, I had a big muffin and a cup of tea. I decided I felt good enough to take a shower. I got my stuff together and headed for the bathroom. I got in, shampooed my hair and started cleaning my body when all of a sudden, I felt extremely light-headed. I grabbed the handle where the soap sits and thought "dear Lord help me." The next thing I knew, I was at the bottom of the tub with the water running. After I realized what happened, I turned off the water and made sure I could move my arms and legs. Thankful that I did not hit my head!!! After maneuvering my body around so that I was on my hands and knees, I turned the water back on and finished rinsing. I slowly got up and got out of the shower. I sat on the toilet seat with my head between my knees for several minutes. When I finally felt better, I headed to my room wrapped in a towel. I laid down and asked my sister to check me for blood. Again, so thankful that I was not bleeding, but she did notice I had two large bruises - one on my side and one on my leg. So... I just took it easy for the rest of the day. And I ate more food!!!

The next few days, I made sure to eat and get plenty of rest. Thankful again for an extra hour due to the end of daylight savings. Since feeling better, I've attended Bible study, a high school play, my quilt guild's weekend retreat, and Family Missions Night. 

I started a First 5 study on Joshua a couple of days before chemo. One verse that jumped out to me was Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It was exactly what I need to read before starting chemo ... again. In fact, I have part of that verse on my bulletin board above my desk. It's comforting to know that whether your sitting in a chemo chair, at a desk at work, a driver's seat, a wheelchair, or a recliner, that the Lord is with you!!! Knowing that He's with me gives me strength and courage to face anything that comes my way. I pray that you have that same assurance.

I love this song by Dante Bowe called "Joyful." I makes me smile and reminds me that "This is the day that the Lord has made!" I hope it makes you smile, too!!!

May you & your family celebrate a blessed & happy Thanksgiving!!! Remember, that even though there is still so much unrest and discontent, we each have so much to be thankful for this year. Count your blessings!!!

And as a side note, Saturday, November 20 marks 8 years since the surgery that changed my life. It's been a journey, but God has been with me every step of the way and he'll continue to be with me every step of the way.

Prayer Requests:

- Blood work - Wednesday, November 24 - pray for lower CA-125

- Appointment & Chemo #2 - Tuesday, November 30 & Wednesday, December 1

- Pray for the days after chemo that I would eat enough to keep my strength and that the food will taste good!!!

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

As the iconic Michael Buffer steps to the middle of the ring and holds the microphone at a boxing match or pro-wrestling match, you immediately know the first words from his mouth with be, "Let's get ready to rumble!!!" Those words have become a part of pop culture and are used frequently.

But, can you imagine .... The Israelite army shouting those words to their enemies??? In most battles, I'd like to think they relied on God more than their own strength to win each battle and secure the Promised Land for future generations. Just like we should rely on God more than our own strength and wisdom to win our battles - large or small!!!

Since my last doctor appointment and CT scan at the end of July, it was a long month of waiting and wondering what was going on in my body. I finally received word that another CT scan was approved by my health insurance and I could now schedule the scan. On Friday, September 17, I went to get the scan in the afternoon and then had to wait until Thursday, September 23 to get the results. Since they didn't call that afternoon, I figured they didn't see anything horrendously bad, but I still had this horrible feeling that I would be needing to go to the hospital to get that left pleural effusion drained.

Finally, Thursday came!!! I had my family doctor appointment in the morning. Everything was "normal" as normal can be for me!!! LOL!!! Although, she did put me on some blood pressure med because my BP tends to be a little on the high side. She renewed my other prescription and I got a flu shot. She also told me that she didn't think my pleural effusion was big enough to drain. WooHoo!!! She even showed me the CT scan of my lungs. WOW!!! Now to go home get some lunch and pray & prepare for my afternoon oncology appointment.

After waiting in the exam room, I was first "interviewed" by a medical student. He asked a LOT of questions and then listened to my heart & lungs. He couldn't even hear the pleural effusion!!! Then the doctor came in and talked to me about the CT scan, how my CA-125 went from 71 to 127, and her meeting with the tumor board. At the end it came down to ... 6 more rounds of chemo!!! She confirmed that the pleural effusion wasn't big enough to drain and the lymph nodes weren't big enough to biopsy. We are hopeful that chemo will knock these things out of me for a good long time!!! So .... I'm ready to rumble with my 4th Recurrence of this silent killer. 

Again, I'm waiting on insurance to approval my chemo treatments. Then, we can figure out a starting date with Mr. Chemo. I will also be taking disability from work during treatments

In the meantime, I would appreciate your prayers as I do battle with this cancer again.

I'll update again when I have a starting date.

This song is soooooo good. Sung in this video by the amazing CeCe Winans. It's "Never Lost." I know that someday, I may lose this battle with cancer, but HE will NEVER lose. And as Paul states in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Prayer Requests:

• For strength & energy to keep my body strong & healthy while getting chemo.
• That my body will tolerate a slightly different mix of chemo drugs and that I will not have any allergic reactions.
• For my family as they are again thrust into the caregiver role.
• That I would be a shining light for Jesus wherever I go.

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Go For the Gold

Note: Started writing this about 2 weeks ago!!!

Except for this past year, every 4 years athletes from around the world gather to compete in both winter & summer sports. They have spent countless hours training to have that one or two moments of competition. When finished their event, they hope to be standing atop the podium as a gold medal is placed around their neck. However, most competitors at the Olympics will never have that feeling of winning the gold, but they all say just being there was worth everything. 

If you know me at all, I love most sports. In my younger years, I played a bit of softball, a bit of field hockey, but my biggest disaster was gymnastics. An armchair athlete is all I'll ever be and I'm fine with that. Although right now, I'm running a different race. A race that is mentioned in the Bible in Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

During the week of July 19, I ran through another round of blood tests, a CT scan, and finally, my doctor appointment. While many scenarios played through my mind, I tried to keep my focus on the things above. Sometimes it was easy, and other times, not so much. Especially when I received my blood test results while drinking the yucky contrast before my CT scan. Oh no!!! They went up from 56 to 71. This can't be happening again!!! It's too soon!!! Soon, I was called back to have the scan done. Then, I was back home and back to work - numbers temporarily forgotten. Thankfully, work has been fairly busy and I don't have much time during the day to think on these things. 

Finally, Thursday afternoon came and I was off to MD Anderson to find out what all the results were and what did all that mean to me. As I waited for the doctor, and waited, and waited, I just read, prayed, and sang in my head. I may not remember all the words to songs, but usually one or two lines of a song are on constant repeat. Music always calms my heart and spirit. 

When my doctor finally came into the exam room, she sat down and after initial greetings, she sat down and started going over my test results. Because at our last appointment she didn't have all my CA-125 results from the beginning, I had charted everything and printed out a copy for her. I think she was impressed!!! She was concerned that my CA-125 numbers had taken another big jump, but she then went over my CT scan results. Apparently, some of my pelvic lymph nodes have decided they wanted in on the action and have started growing a little bit. As the doctor stated, not enough to be considered "enlarged," but in my opinion, any growth is not good. She indicated that at some point we will need to do a biopsy and determine if it is high grade serous or low grade serous. Apparently, I have both. I don't know if this is fairly common or fairly rare, but knowing what is making these nodes grow will determine how I am treated moving forward. She also said that according to the CT scan, I have a small pleural effusion. This time on my left lung. Oh goody!!! 

Although I know the doctors at MD Anderson regularly discuss cases, she told me that she would be bringing my case to the meeting and they would discuss the next best steps. I couldn't ask for more. I just need to be patient because they only meet about every 3-4 weeks. I do know in early September I will probably have another CT scan and more blood work. So, in the mean time, I'll try to enjoy some summer activities and put numbers and scans in the back of my mind. 

The dictionary defines endurance as "the ability or strength to continue or last ..." When I think of endurance, I think of triathlon or ultra marathon participants. These athletes spend hours and hours training to swim, bike and run miles and miles and miles. Some do it for the rush and some do it to win a race.

The Bible defines endurance a little bit differently. In Romans 5:1-5, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." One thing I know is that through this journey, I may sometimes shed tears, but I still have joy. I may sometimes be anxious, but I still have peace. I may sometimes feel this situation is hopeless, but I still have hope. I know that whatever I'm "enduring" is for my good & His glory!!!

We all endure different struggles in our lives - physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual. How you think of these struggles is the key. It also depends who your "Coach" is while you "endure." My "Coach" is Jesus Christ. He walked this earth over 2,000 years ago and endured so much in his short life, even death on a cross!!! But because He endured and WON, I have complete faith and trust that He will be with me every step of this journey - good or bad. The world wants you to put your faith in yourself, but you can't do it alone. Maybe it's time you get on God's Team!!! I love cheering for Team USA, but I know when my time on earth is done, I am getting the gold .... the streets of gold in heaven with Jesus, my Savior and Lord!!!

With all that's going on and the waiting and waiting for what's next. This song by Bethel Music sung by Kristene DiMarco has been one of those "on repeat" songs. I don't remember when it came out originally, but this was one of the worship songs during She Speaks Online 2021. I was and I still am blessed with the message of the song. I hope you are, too!!!

Also, I am again participating in The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's (NOCC) Together in Teal - Everywhere as One from now thru the end of September. Due to the pandemic, the run/walk portion of the event has been postponed. However, they are encouraging everyone to walk/run at least 30 miles in honor of their 30th anniversary. I am going to attempt to do that, but with my work schedule, etc. I'm not sure if I will make it. BUT, I'd still love your support and your donation to help find a cure for Ovarian Cancer. I'm well on my way to my first goal, but I'm hoping to smash that and set a new goal. Here's the link to my fundraising page:

https://give.ovarian.org/participant/SANDRA-PERRY

Thanks in advance!!! ☺

Remember -- September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!!! Think Teal!!!!!!!

Prayer Requests:

* Peace in the waiting

* Blood work on Thursday, September 9 @ 7:15am ET

* Doctor appointments on Thursday, September 23 @ 9:40am ET & 4:00pm ET

* Wisdom if decisions need to be made

* Prayers for healing for Bob, Marlene, & a young girl, Miss J. who is in the hospital

* Time & energy to walk for NOCC

Answered prayers:

* My friend Joy is now in the arms of Jesus

* My friend Michelle D. is out of the hospital from her long bout with COVID-19

Only by His Strength,

Sandy

Say What?

I'm going to keep it short & sweet.

Unfortunately, my CA-125 number went up ... a LOT!!! 

It's gone up before, but this time, it really got to me. I really had to lean in to my faith, my family, and my friends. I had my appointment with my new oncologist, Dr. K. She is wonderful. She wants me to get a CT scan and I have another appointment with her on July 22. I currently don't have an appointment for the CT scan, but I'll post on Facebook when it is scheduled. 

I'll post more later, but I'll leave you with this song that has been playing on repeat in my mind. It called "Promises" by Maverick City Music.

Prayer Requests:

A clear CT scan

More blood work - July 19 - 8am ET

Doctor appointment - July 22 - 4:15pm ET

Wisdom & words for Proverbs 31 Bible Study writing challenge on Leviticus 27 - due July 22

Only by His Strength,

Sandy