CONGRATULATIONS...

CONGRATULATIONS...

 

I would like to Congratulate Vickie Johnson on winning the 40 pound Beef Raffle!

 

I would like to just say our raffles are not rigged!! ha ha

There has been a few lucky family members to win the raffles we have put on. 

 

Congratulations again mom for winning the raffle!!!

 

A special thanks to those of you that participated in the raffles and all the other fundraisers we have put on in the past 4 months.  It is greatly appreciated, without each of you none of this would ever be possible.

 

I love you all so much!

 

T



Crossbow Fundraiser...

Just a quick post...

 

We did the drawing last night for the Crossbow, and we had drawn out Micah Chlarson!

Congratulations Micah, enjoy your new Crossbow!!

Just in time for the Holiday!

 

ENJOY

 

:) 

and the RESULTS...ARE IN...

My results are in and YAY!!

I am very happy to report that my levels are up!! I can't tell you how excited I am.

Finally!

 

I had blood work drawn on Monday and I waited the 10 minutes for the results.  Andrea the RN tells me "your labs are up, but I need to run them past Michele" (she is Dr. Borst's PA) I am freaking out thinking they are still low and I am going to have to start the other chemo drug.

She returns and says "your good to go, your WBC is great, but your platelets are low. We like them at 100 or higher, and they are at 85, so just don't go running around your house with a knife and you should be good" ha ha

 

Such a joker that one!!
I am still waiting to see if I will need to do the other Chemo Drug, if my labs are up next week, we probably won't have to do it! YAY!!

 

I am just so excited!! No more house arrest for this girl! YAHOO!!!

 

Later in the day yesterday I got a call from Michele, (Dr. Borst's PA) with my results for the biopsy they did last Tuesday. She says "Great news, the pathology on the tissue sample we took came back and we have nothing to worry about. The tissue was just inflamed and due to the radiation, that explains the discoloration so your all good! Merry Christmas"

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS is right!!

This and my labs just made it a fantastic day!! I can go up North and just relax and enjoy the family, winter weather and Christmas!

 

I have so much to be thankful for!

 

Thank you everyone for all the prayers, they are greatly appreciated, keep them coming he hears us!

 

Tata

PRAYERS...

The power of Prayer is amazing!!!

I have so much to be thankful for and I can't even begin to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

 

I am part of a support group on Face book for SCCC (Small Cell Cervical Cancer) and LCCC (Large Cell Cervical Cancer) a few months ago they posted about the Allyson Whitney Foundation Inc.

I submitted all my necessary information and my essay to the foundation, I got a call yesterday from the foundation Representative telling me I was chosen and they were going to be sending me the Grant.  After a few questions and exchange of some information all was complete. I can't believe it!!! I am so thankful for all this, it's so wonderful. The money will go to the rest of my medical bills. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful and appreciative I am.  I know I have been praying and so have many of you.  I thank you so much for that! :)

Please continue sending prayers up, I know he hears us.

 

On November 5th I had my last Radiation treatment and exam by Dr. Zaky. 

She is my Radiation Oncologist.  When she did my final exam post treatment (this includes a physical) she found a spot on the left at the surgical site.  She descirbed it as either a suture with scar tissue formed around it, or just scar tissue.  She wanted me to see Dr. Borst my Gynecology Oncologist/Surgeon for a second opinion.

 

Today was that day. I have been a nervous wreck for the past three days and my emotions have been running at an all time HIGH! ha ha I went in thinking I was going to be seeing Michelle, Dr. Borst's PA.  As all my treatment and appointments are usually with her. So when I called her today to let her know The Allyson Whitney Foundation Inc. would be calling her today to have the last few questions answered, she asked me if I was in the office.  I was surprised by this, since my chemo appointment today wasn't until 2pm. After sounding shocked and saying "no" she asked I come in about 1145am, as Dr. Borst wouldn't be in the office for a full day and the exam would be with him.

I hung up freaking out...as I was thinking it has to be bad news if I need to see my Surgeon again. I went in and saw Michelle PA first, she did the exam and said she saw just what Dr. Zaky had and she too thought it was just scar tissue, she was going to biopsy it, but wanted to talk to Dr. Borst first.

He came in the room and said it was great to see me and knew I would be holding up well. He then said he wanted to be the one to take a look and see what was going on.  He did another exam and said he saw just what everyone else had. He complimented Dr. Zaky for looking so closely as the spot they are looking at is about the size of a BB. He did the biopsy and said he believes it is just scar tissue that was radiated, but wanted to make sure.  He did the biopsy and will send it off to Pathology.  I will have the results back within 5-7 business days. Please continue to pray for a good Pathology report.  Please pray it is just scar tissue like Dr. Borst thinks.

After seeing Dr. Borst and having my exam, I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I have been saying my prayers it's not Cancer. I will continue to say my prayers. 

 

I think that about wraps things up. I am sorry to not post often and then all of a sudden 3 back to back! ha ha :)

 

I love you!

 

Tata

RAFFLES...

Just a reminder...

 

We have a 40 pounds of beef to raffle off, donated to us from a local butcher shop in Queen Creek.

The drawing will be on December 22nd. 

I do believe the 40 pounds will be in all different cuts!!

 

Each ticket is a $1.00 or 6 tickets for $5.00.

 

Please contact Malisa Caldwell @ 480.206.5457 or Cathi Bell @ 480.510.7135!

 

Special thanks to Melisa Caldwell and Cathi Bell for putting this raffle together and getting donations! It wouldn't be possible without your hard work!! :) I love you girls both so much!!!

 

Thank you again! :)

 

ALSO...

Don't forget about the COACH RAFFLE either...see the flayer below for more details!!!

 

 

 



Round 4...

Here I sit in the chemo chair, waiting for the news on my levels.

It's a long 10 minute wait.  I have had this uneasy feeling all morning.  I know it's partly because  I never know what my levels are going to be or if I will get treated, and partly because if I do get treated I know what's in store for me. 

Round three was very difficult for me.  It was Thanksgiving week and I spent the whole week more nauseous than one might get on a sit and spin for 8 days straight!! I would get extremely nauseous just rolling from my back to my side.  I spent Thanksgiving alone, in bed with Sophia and Bailey at my side and choking back vomit. Nice visual huh? I was suppose to have Thanksgiving at my house and the whole family was suppose to come over for a BIG celebration. Well, the Monday 3 days prior to Thanksgiving, I got word my levels were down yet again.  I could still have Thanksgiving at my house just make sure to wear my mask and not be around anyone that was sick. I decided to cancel the Thanksgiving at my house to be on the safe side. Boy am I glad I cancelled it.

I had blood work drawn on the following Monday (last week) and I texted my doctor on Tuesday to see what my levels were. She called me and the word she used to describe my levels was...LOUSEY! :( My first reaction was "WHAT!!" I am not sure how this is possible.  As most of you know I have been fighting with my levels staying at a normal level.  The higher my levels are the better off I am. The lower my levels are the more prone to infection I am and the worse off I am. She told me come in right away we need you to get your Neupogen injections. 

For those of you that didn't read my previous posts, Neupogen injections is a series of three injections that help your bone marrow produce quicker. This is suppose to keep my levels at a normal level so I don't have to wear a mask all the time, or worry AS MUCH about catching something.  When my levels are low this means I don't have an immune system, if I were to catch something I wouldn't be able to fight it off, increasing my chances of death.

So you see my anxiety for that 10 minute wait at the beginning of every week. Today I got the news that my levels were yet again too low. To put it into numbers for you to better understand my WBC should be between 4.0-10.5 and my Nuetraphils (the baby WBC) between 2.2-4.8.  Last weeks Nuetraphils were .8!!!! That's the lowest they have been since I have started. As for this week, WBC is 2.5 and Nuetraphils are 1.03. 

When I talked to my doctor, she decided we are going to decrease my Cistplatin (the harsher of the two chemos) by 20%. This is the second time I have had to decrease the Cistplatin by 20%.   Basically what is happening is my Bone Marrow (the WBC) is being knocked down by the chemo, and the Neupogen injections are suppose to help rebuild the bone morrow, but aren't rebuilding the bone marrow as quickly as they like. Since I had the injections last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and today is only MONDAY, I should have levels OFF THE CHARTS. 

My doctor will be talking to Dr. Borst and seeing what he wants to do for further treatment.

The word right now is that since my body is having a hard time tolerating the Cistplatin drug, he might decide to change to another chemo drug. If that happens I will have at least 4 more added rounds.  For now I am getting Chemo this week days Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday then get one injection on Thursday and draw labs next Monday.  Those labs will show if the injection and the decrease of chemo is working, and if my body will be able to tolerate it.  If my body can, we hopefully will go about life as normal.  If I can't then they will change the drug and add 4 more rounds to my treatment. They are talking about still possibly adding 4 more rounds to the treatment either way. It will all depend on how my labs come back next Monday. Please say your prayers that my labs are good next Monday and they decide not to add the other 4 rounds. 

If they add the other 4 rounds, we will do a scan between now and before starting the next 4 rounds to see if there is any Cancer tumors present. 

Depending on the results to the scan will depend on the course of action.