Happy Holidays!

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season...with lots of happiness, love, peace, calmness, and great health!

Quick update...my numbers were up for my last tx (12/10). I am due for my scans and am just waiting until Jan. (after the holidays).

We went to meet with a new oncologist at Dana Farber. Her name is Erica Mayer. We really liked her and will plan on continuing with her in Boston. Still keeping Dr. Shea in NH.

Bones and joints hurt sometimes but doing my best to remain positive, upbeat, and highly functional.

Still participating in reiki, acupuncture, massage, yoga, cancer well fit, regular exercise, and diet/suppliments.

Will keep you all posted. Next tx scheduled for 1/7/10. Will also have scans then.

Peace,

Lisa

Hello All,

I have great news from treatment yesterday. My CA 27-29 went back down and is now 42!!!! That means 4 more points and it will be in the "normal" range. I did a dance in the bathroom after hearing the news!

Now, we are trying to keep sickness and flu out of the house. Alayna is under the weather right now. She was sent home yesterday with a temp. She has not had one since being home but the doctor's office recommended she stay home today to rest so that is what we are doing.

We hope that all is well, happy, and healthy with all you readers.

Take care and until next time,

Lisa

Hello All,

I hope you are well, happy, healthy, and adjusting to the time change and the early dark evenings.

First order of business is to clear up a misunderstanding...While I am working really hard at becoming cancer free-I am not yet! My Breast MRI came back showing no cancer in my left breast but the PET Scan and Lumbar MRI still shows cancer. In fact, the cancer in the L4 continues to get bigger. We are hoping that the treatment will kick in and it will begin to shrink but as of my last scans-it grew.

Hopefully a fluke, but my tumor marker went up at my last tx. Not "scientifically significant" (47-51) but psychologically significant. I want the numbers to go down-not up. I am hoping that the numbers are back down for my next tx.

I will continue to have monthly tumor marker labs and will repeat the MRI and PET in January.

Alayna, Darrell, Khaya, Mor and myself walked in the Annual Making Strides walk. Was a rainy and cold day but we did it and had fun. Thank you to those of you who donated to the American Cancer Society and supported us.

I have also decided to try a new oncologist down at Dana Farber. The initial oncologist down there was not the "right" fit and will embark on finding one who is. My local oncologist is in full support.

I have also been blessed with meeting and making friends with 5 other young upbeat women who have been dx with breast cancer. While I wish none of us have to go through this, it has been great to meet others, share stories, ask advice, get feedback, and experience similar fears/concerns/joys/etc.

Well, this is all for today. I hope you all have a great, happy, healthy, and fun week.

Take Care,

Lisa

Hello All,

Not sure if friends/family are still keeping up with the post as there have been no comments on my last couple of posts but will continue to try to keep you all updated on the medical progress.

I received great news yesterday from my oncologist in regards to the breast MRI. It came back "clean" for both breasts. No cancer!!!!

Tomorrow, I have the PET Scan and next week the lumbar and pelvic MRI's. Will keep you all posted as I get these results...which I know will be great news...showing NO CANCER!!!!

Also, would like to take this opportunity to share with you all that we (Mor, Darrell, possibly the girls and my dad, and me) will be participating in our 3rd annual "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk on October 18th. I am looking and hoping for donations for this walk. Any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated and is all tax deductible. If willing or interested in donating, please make checks out to the American Cancer Society and mail to me. If you need my address, please e-mail me at my private e-mail address or post a comment and I will e-mail you my address. As you know, this support is extremely dear to my heart as I have hope that with the money raised, a cure will be found, and I will be blessed with the ability to live a long and happy life with my family and friends.

Thanks again for all your love, support, prayers, and postive thoughts. Please keep them coming.

Lisa

Hello All,

Great news! My CA 27-29 is down to 47!!!! Woo Hoo! 9 more points and clean scans and I am in REMISSION!

I have my Breast MRI in Boston on Thursday (9/3). I have my PET Scan on Thursday (9/10). I am in the process of scheduling my Lumbar and Pelvic MRI for next week also.

Will keep you all posted on the results!

Please continue to send the prayers, positive thoughts/energy, and e-mails my way. They are surely making a world of difference!

Take care,

Lisa

So, it's pretty bad when Darrell posts that I am a "slacker."

Some updates...

CA 27-29 was 55 for May and June's tx. CA 27-29 was 52 last week. Normal is less than 38. Great news is the trend. We want stability and for it to continue to drop.

MRI and PET were both the same in June. PET does not show any additional spots and much blessings that it has not spread to other places. MRI shows same spots but stability with them. They are not getting bigger after 3 months of MRI's. This means 1 of 2 things. Either the tx is keeping them at bay or they are dead tissues that just show an abnormality on the MRI.

I hope you are all well, happy, healthy, and enjoying life. We are trying to enjoy the very humid and rainy summer.

Lisa

Seems like I always say it's been awhile and yet I never seem to be any more consistent with updating this blog.

So, here's a brief update.

PET Scan came back the same as March 2009. Thankfully, no new growths seen on PET. MRI machine was broke x 2 so we have rescheduled it for this Sunday at 7 a.m. Once my doctors get the results from this MRI, my case will be presented at the Tumor rounds on Wed. and the powers that be will "pow-wow" about their recommendations.

I will have bld. work this week for my CA 27-29. I also have treatment on Friday.

Will keep you all posted and will blog once I get some great results this week.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there reading this blog.

xoxoxoxo

Lisa