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HEALING PROCLAIMED & SURGERY PLANNED


Praise God! My first post-treatment scans were clean.

The CT scan was performed to look for evidence of cancer, and there was nothing large enough to detect. This is especially encouraging because I was unable to complete my entire chemotherapy regimen and have several risk factors that place me at a higher risk for both recurrence and metastatic disease.

God heals. Just as Jesus healed the sick, the lame, and the blind throughout Scripture, I believe He has touched my body and continues to sustain me through this journey.

There are so many signs of healing and restoration that I am grateful for. My hair is growing back soft, thick, and curly, and I have been enjoying the new pixie style. I get lots of compliments on it! I have gained weight back, my appetite has returned, and my white blood cell count is continuing to improve. It is not quite back to normal yet, but it is moving in the right direction. I am walking regularly, doing some light weightlifting, enjoying time on the boat with my family, reading, and preparing for my 20th year of teaching. I have also been blessed by visits from family and friends and have even enjoyed having my grandbaby spend the night a time or two.

That said, I experienced something very real in the cancer world this past week: scanxiety. Scanxiety is the fear and anxiety of waiting to see what a cancer scan will reveal. As I underwent my first bone scan and CT scan to check for any residual, recurrent, or metastatic cancer, I certainly felt it.

My oncologist shared that I have a greater than 50% risk of recurrence, so she wants to monitor me closely with scans every six months and monthly appointments for the next five years.


She also started me on a medication that can lower my recurrence risk by about 30%. It is a once-daily pill that blocks testosterone from being converted into estrogen, since estrogen fuels my type of cancer. Some of the side effects include fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, osteoporosis, and an intensification of the 37 symptoms of menopause that were medically induced following my surgery in April.


So far, the medication has not been too difficult, but I have noticed that my body requires more recovery time after workouts or lifting weights. My hands are swollen, and my feet and back often hurt.

After much prayer and careful consideration, I have decided not to take one of the additional medications offered to reduce recurrence. It is a very aggressive treatment, similar to taking a daily chemotherapy pill for the next five years. Common side effects include hair loss, nausea, diarrhea, and a general feeling of being unwell. From the beginning, I have said that I would choose quality of life over quantity of life. After praying about it and weighing the potential benefits against the cost to my daily life, I have decided this treatment is not the right choice for me. There are no guarantees that it will prevent recurrence, and I do not believe it is worth being sick for the next five years.


My bone scan also revealed osteoporosis, which can be a side effect of the chemotherapy treatments I underwent throughout the fall and winter. I will be working closely with my oncologist to determine the best plan moving forward. My spine showed the most significant bone loss, which may explain the back pain I have been experiencing.

As I celebrate this good report, I am also preparing for a major reconstruction surgery on June 25. The procedure will require doctors to use tissue from multiple areas of my body to reconstruct my chest because I do not have enough tissue in any one area to harvest. It will involve an eight-hour surgery, five surgical sites, three days in the hospital, four drains, and a compression garment that I will need to wear for six weeks.

I am scheduled to begin teaching again in mid-July, and I am understandably nervous about returning to the classroom while recovering. I wonder how comfortable I will be and whether I will feel like myself again so soon after surgery.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for a smooth procedure, rapid healing, and strength during recovery. Specifically, I am praying that the drains can be removed quickly, that my healing progresses well, and that I am able to return to the classroom ready to teach and serve my students.

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support. I am deeply grateful to each of you who has walked alongside me throughout this journey.

                                                     

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