More Faces

 Continuing to bring you the faces in my prayer list. 

Today I am adding two folks that just recently received news of their cancers and are still trying to come to terms with the roller coaster ride they are just beginning. 

This is Harold E. Harold was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Harold has had a full bone scan and will be having a body CAT scan on the 16th of August, so we are still waiting to hear what his treatment options will be.  I've known Harold almost all of my life. This face is personal to me,  Harold married my aunt when I was just a young girl.  I babysat their children and now their grandchildren are having babies.  I will keep you updated on Harold as we get news.

Harold E

This is Beth H. Beth also was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. This prognosis came as a complete surprise. I met Beth at an ABC conference for bridal consultants. We connected almost immediately and have kept in touch since.  Caught off guard, Beth texted me from her hospital bed asking me to step in at a wedding where she was the wedding planner. Beth has already had two surgeries and expects to be on chemo for 3-5 months. She is very tired and still trying to process all that has occurred in a short month since her diagnoses. 

Beth H

Please keep Harold and Beth in your prayers as they begin their journey of cancer treatments.

FACES

It's been quite a while since I last posted on this blog. I am thankful that my oncology visits are routine with no news to really report.  I continue to pray for those on the right column of this blog. I hope those of you who visit this site do as well.

Since my last posting in February, I've been made aware of more people who I know or know of, who have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer. Can I just say cancer sux.  

The folks I know though are FIGHTERS!  I want to share with you just a few faces of the beautiful people I am praying for. Some of these have been on my prayer list for awhile, while others are new.  I hope these faces make these folks more real for those of you who do not know them, and for those of you who may know them, I hope this posts helps to keep their journey relevant and before you.

Let's start with Jenny L. I've know Jenny since the mid-70's but many years passed before we connected again through Facebook. This beautiful and talented woman of God, still has a smile that will brighten any room she walks into.  Jenny had breast cancer several years ago and was loving counting her survivor years. On her sixth year follow up visit, the doctors found cancer in her bones. All of us who know her were in shock with this news. Jenny, however kept only positive comments on her FB page and continues to live life regardless of her devastating news. She has faith like a rock.

Jenny says she has to have 3 shots once a month and her oncologist wants to do more scans towards the end of summer just to see how her bones are looking. Jenny is convinced it will show a huge improvement because all the pain is gone now except when it's about to rain, she still feels it, but then she says she's only "a little achey... but that's it"! Jenny shared that the nurse who gives her the shots says when bones are getting weaker like hers were, that's when they ache. So the fact that Jenny is virtually pain free now is great news! Jenny says " I'm walking a mile most days now and can do things I couldn't do last summer and didn't know why. God is GOOD!!!"

Jenny L

DeAnn L is another friend.  I've never met DeAnn face to face, but she is a dear friend of some of my family members who used to live in her state.  DeAnn and her family have had multiple physical issues in the recent years. Breast cancer was her diagnoses earlier in 2013. After a lumpectomy, another surgery was required to remove a second spot that was missed during the first surgery. Doctors recommended an aggressive treatment for DeAnn. 

DeAnn just went in for her  fourth chemo treatment. She was not looking forward to it as her last treatment really knocked her out., She spent many days in bed after treatment # 3, anemia having set in. DeAnn hasn't checked in with us since starting treatment # 4, but she was hoping her red blood counts had "fixed" themselves enough so that she could continue her treatments.  She stated before she left for her treatments this time "I am always resting in His everlasting arms to what ever comes my way, Thanks for the prayers..."

DeAnn isn't shy about showing off her loss of hair. She is fighting a battle, hair isn't her big concern.

I hope you will put these ladies on your prayer list.  Stay tuned for more FACES and updates soon.

Super Bowl Sunday

Today is a day when millions of people are celebrating Super Bowl Sunday. All eyes are on two teams being led by brothers who, this week anyway, are not feeling very brotherly toward each other. Everyone is excited to see who will win the game of all football games. Millions will tune in to watch the game, watch the commercials and watch Beyonce's lips. The day is one big party from the food to the game.

I too am sitting in front of the tube,  albeit waiting for the commercials, and although it's just me and my honey quietly sharing TV time at opposite ends of the couch, I could care less which team wins. Both are awesome teams or they wouldn't have made it this far. In my book, they are both already winners.

Today I am celebrating more than just the Superbowl.  Three years ago I finished my last radiation treatment.   See the post "Done is Good" for the information I shared that day. Even though I still had plenty of healing to overcome, that day started my count down in survivor hood. Each year presents another milestone, with the excitement of looking forward to that magical fifth year. That fifth year I get to stop taking daily post chemo drugs, I get to stop saying I'm in remission and start saying I am cured.  Many ask if we can ever really talk about a cancer cure. The sites I read generally say the answer is no. However, the odds of recurrence may be so low that a person can essentially say they are cured. 

I have a few naysayers around me that feel it their duty to remind me that the cancer is lurking in my body and the chances of recurrence is likely. Logically I know that is a possibility, but please, do I have to be reminded of that probability? There is also the likelihood that cancer may NOT come back. Can we focus on that?  As you can probably imagine, I have been reading and researching about causes of cancer and the speculations as to why it is on the rise.  More and more people, scientists and doctors are coming to the same conclusion. Our food, our environment and our stress levels are the culprit for this crazy increase in this nasty disease.  Slowly, word is getting out about the causes of cancer and what we can do to prevent getting this disease, stopping it or even reversing it.  I am learning about upgrading my eating, getting more exercise and giving thanks in all things instead of stressing about them. (God commands us to do that anyway...if we only would listen).

But regardless of the "things" I can do, I still ultimately put my faith in God. I refuse to live with the when or “what ifs”. Matthew 6:34 says "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." And Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 12:22 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." So, I choose not to live in fear and worry if cancer will return. Instead I will learn what God wants me to learn and  make changes in my life, but most importantly I will  continue to put my faith in Him. 

Today is MY Superbowl. I'm already a winner, I have made it this far!  Happy 3 year survivor Anniversary to me!  Thank you Jesus for walking me down this path!

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Today is My Favorite Day

Today is my favorite day.

You may ask why and my answer is simple. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps 118:24

It is simple in it's decision, but not always simple in it's action. There is so much in this world that makes it easy for us to feel alone, bitter, and afraid. These feelings lead us to anger and destructive behavior. We can be of no help to anyone when we let our emotions rule how we respond to the hardships that we encounter in this world. We must remember that Satan is out to destroy those who follow God. But we can kick Satan's butt. We can choose to speak to our emotions and follow God's will, which is a win-win for us and God while at the same time we're spitting in the devils face and putting him in his rightful place...under our heels.


Ps 31:7 says "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." God doesn't promise any of us a nice cushy life. What He does promise is that He will always be there for us. Gods plan for us, and for the world, is perfect. We may not always think that when it's our turn to make an impact, especially when it involves unpleasant circumstances that we must go through, but God sees the big picture, we don't. He knows how to run the universe and knows the chain of action our little part makes in that big picture.

At times we go through a long dark tunnel, and while there Satan will take full advantage of our situation and taunt us that God has forgotten us. " In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!"... But God IS there, He does hear us. This is when we have to have faith in what He tells us and believe that His word is true... " Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help." Ps 31:22

This week I received news about 2 women. One is a young mother who was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. The other,a breast cancer survivor in mid-life who was just told that her cancer has returned. This time in her bones. My heart is heavy.

PS 31:24 says " Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." "... the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." Ps 33:18-19

We cannot look at what is presented to us when it contradicts what the bible tells us. We must look to God and His word. We must have faith that God doesn't lie, that His word is the truth. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Heb 11:1

Does this change my circumstance today? No, but I can change my outlook today. I can choose to rejoice in His love. I don't rejoice at these women's illnesses, but I do rejoice that they both love and serve our God and that He will be with them through these trials. He will use these circumstances to draw them and those around them, even closer to Him.

Today is a day fresh from the hand of God. When we are raised up from sickness, or are going through it or other dark times, it seems a new life is given to us. Each day, week, month, year that we live is added to our lives, as if it were created anew for this very purpose, that we should rejoice in God's love for us. We should, therefore, regard life not as our own, but as so much given to us by the special mercy and providence of God.

In honor of these two women, I choose to rejoice and be glad today for this is the day that the Lord has made.

Life goes on....but not like before.

Wow, I cannot believe how long it has been since I last posted an update.  Life has pretty much settled back into a routine of sorts. Life does go on for a breast cancer survivor. However it's not the same as before.  Some things are sweeter, others are not.  I am more sensitive to the blessings in my life,  my family, my friends, and others who are suffering. And I have less patience with those who are ungrateful and ignore their abundant blessings, instead focusing on minor inconveniences.

Physically, I am dealing with the side affects of the chemo drugs I will continue to be on for the next three years.  I am (thankfully) off of Tamoxifen and as of this past February, started taking Arimidex. The blessings to this new drug is I rarely have severe cramping now. My leg cramps were so intense on Tamoxifen that I was often in tears, trying to walk off what wouldn't release for many, many minutes. Seemed like hours some times. I was cramping in my hands, my ribs, my glutes, and always, always from the knees down. Have you ever cramped on the outside of your knee?? There isn't much you can do to release that area. I am very thankful to be off that drug! 

This new drug has it's own side affects. They aren't fun either, but I have to say, it is the lesser of the two evils.  This drug makes me feel like an 80 year old woman. My joints hurt, my knees swell and my hands are very stiff. Arimidex depletes my bones of calcium, so the risk of fractures and breakage is very real. And I feel constantly fatigued, yet  if I get woken up in the middle of the night (and that happens frequently) I cannot go back to sleep for a couple of hours. It is very frustrating.  I don't recover from exercise quickly either. I gardened last week and for three days I ached EVERYWHERE!  I am not exaggerating. I could barely stand up straight and hobbled and shuffled like.... yep, an 80 year old woman.  I am way too young to feel this old.

Then there is the weight. Within less than two weeks of starting this new drug, I put on 8 pounds! I gained weight right away with Tamoxifen too, but managed to get it under control and lose the weight.  With Arimidex, I've yet to lose all that I've gained.  I've lost about half of it and am managing to not gain anymore, but that other 4 pounds just dosen't seem to be coming off.

There are other side affects that I won't go into here, but for those of you who have gone through menopause, I have those issues too. There was nothing gradual happening in that area. Chemo threw me under that menopause bus and the chemo drugs since then have stomped on me to make sure I stay there. I talk to my doctor about issues that I never dreamed of discussing with anyone.

In the days since I have "quieted down" with all my treatments, I have started studying nutrition and the effects the foods we eat have on our body. I am amazed at what I am finding. One of the biggest "aha" moments came when I watched the DVD "Forks Over Knives".  This DVD is not for casual health nut. The information presented is both scientific and clinical studied and will challenge anyone on their idea of eating healthy.  I am not a 100 % convert, but I cannot ignore the studies presented either. In a nutshell, it proves that cancer is directly related to the American diet, and other countries diets that are similar to ours.The doctors and scientist in the DVD endorse eating a whole plant based diet and steering clear of animal based anything. If you're curious, check it out. It definitely has some information in it that is hard to ignore.

Life has changed for me. Not all of it good, but so much of it is. I found the courage to quit my corporate job and have started my own businesses.  Check out my website and give me some honest feedback on it. I'm new at this entrepreneur business, so I welcome your suggestions.  I am so loving being challenged. It's up to me to make it happen, set my schedule, give myself a raise and to do what I love instead of working for someone else and finding it hard just to get  up every morning.  Be sure to visit my website, then come back here and let me know what you think.

Thanks for sticking around when I vacated over the entire summer! I have been trying to get into a new normal, but have realized there is no such thing as normal when you own two businesses and are exploring all avenues of interest.  I'll give you more insight on that in some other posts.  For now, click on my link to check out my website, Make My Day.  I'm on Facebook too as Make My Day, LLC. Like my page to see what I'm up to there.  Talk to you soon.  I'll be writing again, more often.

www.MakeMyDayMindyKaye.com

My First Haircut....

I finally gave in and got my hair cut tonight.  Let me preface this with, I was planning on NOT cutting it at all until my 5 year "all clear" was given. But practicality won out with the realization that with uneven growth and really dry ends it wasn't very nice looking. It was getting very long, which I'm OK with, but had no shape to it. And with all my new found curls, I didn't know what to do with it except let it air dry.

So I visited my friend Bonnie over at La Bella's salon in Medina for a consultation on what we could do with my hair while still letting it grow out. One of my fears was that all my Shirley Temple curls would get cut off. I didn't want that as I've grown very fond of my much curlier hair growth.  My hair has also come in much thinner since chemo and the longer it grew, the more it pulled out any body on the top of my head.

So, once Bonnie and I caught up on the last 2 years of not seeing each other, (she had the advantage as she keeps up with my blogs), she gave me a look that I could either air dry and show off my tight little curls or I could style very quickly to add fullness while keeping curl in my hair, as in the picture below.  What do you think?

Bonnie, you've been a blessing in my life. It was so good to see you again, and I thank you for such a nice cut and time of fellowship. My hair already feels so much healthier.

I had my quarterly visit with my oncologist yesterday. As of 2012, I will only have visits every 6 months and annual mammograms! That means I've graduated to the next level of survivorhood!


He switched my drug from Tamoxifen to Arimidex  I told him I will finish out the next 3 months of Tamoxifen first. ( I just got my next bottle of 90 days in the mail!)  That will give me 2 solid years of Tamoxifen and will put me at almost 3 years since my last period. I was heading down that menopausal route before I was diagnosed, but chemo cut my journey short.  Arimidex has it's own set of risks and side effects, however it seems to have a better statisitical rate of non-reoccurance of breast cancer.


Below are some highlights I found while researching this new drug. And new is the key word. Tamoxifen has been around for over 20 years. Arimidex is relatively new and thus not as much research has been done.

In a woman who has gone through menopause, the adrenal gland is the largest source of estrogen. Arimidex works by preventing the conversion of steroids made by the adrenal gland into estrogen.

Statistics:

With an average of four years of treatment on the ATAC study, hormone receptor-positive participants taking Arimidex were 22 percent more likely to be cancer-free than those taking tamoxifen. As more study results become available, the curves will probably continue to diverge, and we expect that over another five or ten years, we’ll see an even greater difference between the effectiveness of the two drugs. We also expect that Arimidex will improve overall survival rates, because we’re seeing fewer recurrences in distant organs among women taking Arimidex.

In the study, more than 5,000 women with hormone-receptor-positive tumors were followed for more than three years after treatment was stopped. The researchers show that an additional 25% of recurrences were prevented by Arimidex, compared with tamoxifen, says John F. Forbes, MD, professor of surgery at the University of Newcastle in Australia.

More than eight years after treatment started -- and more than three years after it stopped -- Arimidex scored better than tamoxifen on almost every measure:

• It lowered the risk of breast cancer relapse by 15% compared to tamoxifen

• It reduced the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or liver by 16% compared to tamoxifen

• It slashed the chances of a tumor in the other breast by 40% compared to tamoxifen.

Benefits:

There haven’t been many breast cancer-related deaths so far among study participants, so we haven’t yet observed a difference in survival. The ATAC study also indicated that Arimidex is better tolerated than tamoxifen.

Arimidex offers a small but real improvement over tamoxifen, and in general, side effects are minimal.

Dec. 14, 2007 (San Antonio) -- Even after treatment ends, Arimidex beats out tamoxifen in preventing breast cancer recurrence in women with hormone-fueled tumors.

Studies have shown that Arimidex is better at preventing relapses than tamoxifen during the five years that women are being treated with these drugs

Risks:

Updated results from this landmark trial also show that the increased risk of fractures associated with Arimidex therapy disappears after treatment stops.

During treatment, nearly 3% of women taking Arimidex had bone fractures vs. only 2% on tamoxifen. More than three years after treatment ended, the percentage was about 1.5% in both groups.

Arimidex side effects are often predictable in terms of their onset and duration. The most common side effects of Arimidex are:

Hot Flashes

Nausea

Decreased energy and weakness

Bone pain

Cough

Most people do not experience all of the Arimidex side effects listed


So, as you can see, I could use your prayers.  I hope for none of these side effects, but covet the wisdom to deal with them if I do get any. I was just getting the hang of dealing with Tamoxifen side effects, but hopefully these new ones, which I won't start until about March of 2012, will prove themselves to be less painful and risky. 



Resources:

oregon.providence.org/.../

www.webmd.com/

www.everydayhealth.com/

breast-cancer.emedtv.com/arimidex/arimidex-vs.-tamoxifen.html

Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure - Cleveland July 2011

Early morning July 28th at the Port Authority. These illuminated balloons were guiding beacons for a large group of pumped up walkers ready to walk for a fantastic cause.

Team 'Marcia's Girls' were one of the top fundraising teams. Thank you to all who supported us!

I was a flag bearer in the opening ceremony. What an awesome experience.

Belief was the flag I carried. What an honor to be a part of such a moving ceremony.

Here I am with one of the many fun sweep van teams. These "Elvis's" were there to make sure all the walkers were safe and taken care of.

The neighborhoods we walked in showed their support of the walkers in several ways.  These little beauties were out in the heat offering lemonade and water along with these beautiful smiles.  I walk to find a cure so little girls like these never have to experience breast cancer.

This guy was sporting a t-shirt his group sold to raise funds. Love the saying!

Morning of day 3, we stopped at the blister tent to tend our wounds. This was one of the busiest sections of base camp each morning.

My new friend Kris and I posed before heading out on day 3. Both of us with blisters and gimpy knees. But we were determined to finish the day and walk into closing ceremonies on our own two feet.

This young man was totally into the fun and  spirit of the walk as he walked for his aunt.

One of the final pit stops, Kris and I were hot and tired and limping, but as one button we saw said.."Limping doesn't need chemo".

My last medical tent stop and I had to get a picture with my buddy and therapist Jeremy. Jeremy made sure I was ready and able to finish walking on day 3.

One of the many chalk messages along our path. These messages were encouraging and inspiring. Thanks to the crew members for writing these every night.

Walking into the closing ceremonies with other survivors and flag bearers. We were all totally pumped. I was thrilled to see my family in the crowd!

Part of the closing ceremony, raising a shoe in memory of those who couldn't join us and those who are fighting the battle.

Closing flag ceremony. An extremely moving event.

I cannot begin to put into words the amazing and moving experience I had during the 3-Day for the Cure walk. I hope if you ever have the chance to participate in an event like this, don't hesitate to sign up. Whether, I walk, crew or just cheerlead, I plan to be a part of this event as often as I can.

In 16 days, I will join 100’s of other men and women in Cleveland on a 60 mile, life changing journey. So many of you have been affected or know someone besides me who has suffered from this terrible cancer. It is for all of us who have been touched one way or another that I am fighting and walking for a CURE!

Words cannot express my gratitude for your support over these past couple of years since my diagnoses. Time is a precious commodity and social economics are even tougher, but one way or another you have stepped up to show your support. Maybe it was your card or note of inspiration; maybe you took the time to walk with me during my months of training or you attended a fundraiser. Maybe it was your words of encouragement or maybe it was a donation you made to support my walks. Whatever your contribution was and is, I am blessed and forever grateful for all you have done.

You know it’s not about the 60 miles, or the 3 days, or the 24 weeks of training, or even the dollars raised…it’s about the research and finding a cure to END breast cancer. It’s about the hope of living in a cancer free world one day.

Thank you doesn’t seem to be adequate, but please accept my HUGE THANKS for joining me in this effort to fight back against a nasty disease that engulfed over one year of my life and still affects me and millions of others every day. Not all of us are fundraisers, or can give the time to commit to these types of events. But today, right now, I CAN! And thanks to your support, you are fighting this battle right along side of me.

I will write again, after the walk with a photo or two to share. Much love and appreciation to all of you.

Ten Miles and Tired Dogs

I just wanted to provide an update. After all the set backs I've had recently in preparing for the 3 Day, 60 mile walk, I am proud to tell you that I managed to walk 10 miles recently with most of my team mates.

Four of us met in Mansfield on a Sunday morning and chatted away for about  3 and 1/2 hours and 10 miles. It was a perfect day for a walk. Partly sunny and temperatures in the upper 60's to mid 70's.  Overall I felt pretty good.   Once I drove the hour plus back home I checked out my feet to see how they held up.  My right foot, well, I will have pain in that foot until I decide to take medical procedures serious and fix that issue, but other than the pain due to an injury years ago, the right foot held up well. The left foot had a small blister on the right side of my heel. This is the first time I've worn my orthotics such a long distance so I was curious to see how that would hold up.  I felt the edge of the orthotic while I was walking and figured I'd end up with a blister.  I am surprised that a small blister was all I got.  I think I must need to loosen up my shoe laces because the top of my left foot was red when I took my shoe off and it was sore for a few days. So I still need to experiment with my footwear to find that right balance. At the end of the 10 miles my dogs were tired but I was pleased with the overall results. I will still need to double that distance and do it again for 2 more days after that at the actual event. That's just a little intimidating

After completing my online check in for the walk, Komen wanted me to check with my doctors that it is OK for me to participate in the walk. I checked with my oncologist as well as my cardiologist and both gave me the thumbs up!

I have a fundraiser planned July 11th at the Brunswick Applebee's. I am so close to my fundraising goal, but still have a little way to go. That night will be fun. All diners who bring in a flyer will have 15% of their meal donated back to my fundraising efforts.  I'll also have some baskets to raffle off and daughter will be giving back massages for a fee that she will donate back to the fundraiser! There will be other fun things planned as well. If you're in the area on that Monday, stop by!

I am seriously excited that the walk is soon to be a reality. I can still only imagine how tired I will be at the end of the 20+ mile days, but am looking forward to experiencing the excitement and weariness for such a good cause.

I will update again closer to the start day.  Stay tuned!