Update on Mary: Round Two

Today Mom started her second round of Abraxane. Her white blood and platelet counts were high, which was good news. The not as good news is that Mom has been very sick lately and has been experiencing an increase in pain. Typically she bounces back a little on the week she has off from chemo, but this week she never rebounded. It has been very discouraging for her because she really enjoys being able to get out and about, and that simply has not been possible these last few weeks. She also is having trouble eating again, and is spending more time than not sleeping. She is increasing her dose of pain medication and planning to have a CT at the end of the week, She had to cancel her last CT because she was just too sick to go on. Perhaps it will shed some light on her current issues.
Please pray that mom would have relief from her pain, and that the pain medication would have minimal side effects.
Pray that she would be able to eat more, sleep well at night and need fewer naps, and have an increase in her energy.
Pray that the abraxane would be effective in fighting her cancer and that her blood counts would be high enough for this treatment to continue.
Pray for strength and peace for Dad as he cares for her, and for renewal when he has down time (Emily is helping out now so Dad gets breaks).
Thank you all for your prayers. We have been so blessed to have so many good months with Mom, I have to admit that it was easy to forget how hard this is when it isn't going well. As we struggle we are so thankful to have you holding us up. God is good, even when cancer is bad. What a blessing that he has placed you in our lives for times like this.

Update on Mary: One Round Down

I am so happy to say that Mom made it through all three weeks of her new treatment and now gets to have a week of rest and recovery. Mom went into this treatment rather sick, so it is hard to know if the chemo is making her much sicker than she would be without it, but either way she has not been feeling fantastic lately. On the bright side, her insurance approved her request to get her shots at home, so she no longer has to go to the doctor's every day following chemo. This is a huge blessing.
Please pray that this new treatment would be effective in fighting her cancer and that it would shrink the tumor away from whatever organ or valve or whatever it is currently pressing on that is causing mom so much discomfort.
Pray for Mom's platelets to stay up, they were very low this week.
Pray that mom would come to terms with losing her hair (a side effect of this chemo). It has been nice for mom to spend the last few years not really looking like she has cancer, so this will be an adjustment for her.
Pray for my dad as he works so hard to care for mom, that he would get good sound sleep and that he would have peace.
Thank you all for your many prayers! We are so grateful for you.

Update on Mary: Week Two

Today Mom began her second week of her new treatment. She did not feel well last week, but she has been feeling so badly in the weeks leading up to this new treatment that it is hard to blame the chemo for her illness when the most likely culprit is the cancer.

Her latest blood work shows that her cancer count/CA-19 marker is up another hundred points, so it is a good thing that mom decided to switch to a new treatment this month. In positive news, the shots that she is taking to keep her white count up appear to be working well, which means she only needs to go in three days a week for shots. It is still a brutal schedule, but it could be worse. Also, mom has been able to eat a little more this past week than in the previous few weeks.

Please pray for:

Strength and stamina to endure the new chemo/shot schedule.

Good platelet levels, as the shots apparently can't help this.

No nausea, no vomiting, good sleep and lots of energy.

That Mom's insurance will cover her getting her shots preloaded so she can inject them at home.

Thank you all for your prayers. We appreciate them so much.