Round Three

Round three was supposed to happen last week. I felt like I was already for round three, but after the labs came back my platelets were too low to move forward without waiting a little more time. My doctor said by this week I would be ready to go ahead. I started my fast from food Sunday night. I was able to learn a little bit more about the fasting. My plan at this time is to wait till Wednesday afternoon to eat. See the post Round Two for more information if you missed it. I do drink water.

I am feeling a little too good, the steroids have me awake and it is 1:50am. After my hike to the cave last week I decided to have a big goal each time I am in my really good week. Today I worked pulling and cutting weeds for 4 hours in my garden. The Bindweed had vined and was seeding. Bindweed is in the top 10 list for noxious weeds and the Dandelions were exploding umbrellas with seed presents for me for next year all over the place. It looks much better now.

If you are nearby and like Swiss Chard let me know I'll try to bring you some.

Its 2:25am now. I'll make another attempt at sleep and will attach any further developments later today in this post

I'm at the end one day out on my third chemo. I am amazed at how well I have done this time. WOW! I think my fasting from food, from Sunday evening until 2:00 today, Wednesday, has paid great dividends in how well things are going. All side effects have been greatly reduced compared to my other infusions.  I also did acupuncture today. I was speaking with the acupuncturist today I told her about my fasting, hypnotist appointment yesterday, and my great support team and prayers. I told her how much all of this was helping me. She told me about a patient that, as he started to get better his wife had called and told many of their friends and family that he was doing better. The prayers stopped and he began to do poorly again. He said he could physically feel that the prayers weren't there. His wife recalled everyone and the praying resumed, he could feel those prayers and began to improve. I just want to let you know that I feel your sustaining prayers in my behalf. Thank you for helping me do so well and keeping me in your prayers.

Caren

Guess What We Did Today In The Rain

 

 

 

 

 

 Clues in the Background

Prayers, Peace and Faith

Prayers, Peace and Faith are getting me through. I am participating in a study that is tracking symptoms and genetics to see if they have any correlation. I may be skewing the study a small bit, because I know that what I am dealing with is far less because of the power of prayer, peace, and faith. When Mark bore his testimony on Sunday he shared that he felt grateful that the Lord has and continues to hear his prayers.

When the Lord stood at the tomb Lazarus from the scripture in John 11
  39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
  40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
  41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
  42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
  43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
  44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

I know that your prayers for me have also been heard. My miracle is that I will be healed and make it through this experience.

 A few days after my last treatment I was able to make it to the temple. It was a good opportunity to feel the Peace that the Lord has to offer. This last time I had a more difficult time feeling deeply relaxed. So, on the surface I might be able to say I'm relaxed but it is as if the cells in my body were on high alert saying What are you doing to us".  I needed something above my own abilities. The peace that comes from the Lord can lift us above the stress and trials that we have to face.  When I was in the temple I had the opportunity to read these verses from Paul. 

 Romans  5
   1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
  2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
  3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
  4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
  5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
  6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
  7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

  8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

  9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
  10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
  11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

I have had to work on increasing my faith in these principles. I know they are true as I work to apply them in all things that I am challenged with. I know they are more powerful and strengthening  then anything else we can use if we will Remember them.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I share this testimony with you in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
With Love
Caren

Naked Mole Rat

On the 5th of August I finally told Mark he could use the clippers to remove my remaining hair. It had gotten very scraggly but hadn't all fallen out. After he did it. I told him I looked like a naked mole rat. I did have him leave a small tuft of hair right in the front which some people like and some people tell me I need to get rid of it, But it is still there. When I put a scarf on there is still a small illusion of hair, but I am probably not fooling anyone as to what the real situation is.

I was born with this cute little curl right in the middle of my forehead. So it has always been a favorite of my mom's to continue on with the poem and when she was good she was very very good and but when she was bad I was horrid. I've kept my little curl so far.

Being a naked mole rat does have some benefits apparently.

They don't get cancer so this little guy is going to be my friend.

If you want to learn more about it here is a website with a great article on why.

Naked mole rats have many interesting characteristics that could be useful to science

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130731093255.htm

 

Surprisingly I still have some hair and it is growing. I don't know if more will fall out or if it will stay. hopefully it will fall out if the hair that grows back in is going to do some thing different than the hair I have. Maybe I will have to stay in the naked mole rat condition till things even

out. I have been told that my head has a lovely shape

 so I shouldn't worry about it.

 Caren

Round Two

Tuesday I went in for my second round of chemo. I had a pretty good week before I went in so I was hopeful that it would be easier this time instead of last time when I was still recovering from surgery. In talking to people I am beginning to see that going through chemo may be like having children. You don't know what to expect because it could be different every time.  Well it has been easier in many ways this time.  I have been blessed with  no nausea. My food tastes ok, but I have almost zero appetite. I have had fatigue but I have been able to sleep much better at night this time. I also have a little neuropathy but I have been going to acupuncture for that. Since chemo kills the fast growing cells in your body, most noticeable of course is your hair falling out, but the lining of your mouth, through he gut and all the way down to the end are also fast growing cells. This leads to some discomfort also, but that is better this time.
Well the other thing is my hair is getting pretty thin. We are rapidly moving to there being about as much hair as scalp.

One of the things that Mark and started doing right before this all started was to do what is called intermittent fasting. There is some very interesting research regarding the health benefits of this. I recommend looking at the research. There are many ways that people do this. So the idea is to not necessarily reduce calories but reducing the time that you consume food. So our goal is to eat in an approximately 8 hour time period. This puts the cells in your body into a repair mode instead of a replicate mode.  It also reduces inflammation in the body.

One other thing I read in regards to fasting is, they are just started human trials on fasting right before chemo for the same reason. Mice studies showed this to be protective to healthy cells during chemo. So I decided to do my own trial this time. It may have been one of the things that has helped me do better this time.

This morning my side affect seem to be reducing so I am hoping for a great day.

My Way Prepared

And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led. 1 Nephi 17:13

  I want to share with you how this little journey started. First some back ground. I have had PTSD symptoms associated with the medical community from several very bad experiences with doctors at Kaiser in California. I will let you know they most likely saved my life as many times as they tried through neglect to kill or seriously harm me. So I am grateful for being alive but they do not have any excuse for their other repeated bad behavior. When I moved here I was not in the mood to see any doctor for any reason my mistrust was so high.

Since moving here we have had a different experience than we had with Kaiser. With very few exceptions, people have been amazingly kind and listened.

There have been many blessings for us being in Utah but for Mark and I our health may have been the greatest. I met my surgeon when I went with my sister Lora to one of her appointments when she had cancer 3 years ago. I was very impressed with her surgeon and felt comfortable with her so I new immediately when I was diagnosed with cancer I would go to see her. She recommended my plastic surgeon who has been excellent. When she mentioned doctors near by for oncology though I new that didn't feel right to me. Because Mark has been seeing a doctor at the University of Utah, I was aware of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I gave them a call and explained my situation of first and foremost needing a doctor that would listen. I have a great oncologist , she is also a cancer survivor herself. The people there are fantastic.
My best blessing is having such a great Team. Number one on my team is Mark I don't know how I would do this without him. To have someone to grow closer to everyday. To trust and hold you when you're afraid. To hold the priesthood to give blessings of healing, comfort and hope. And all the other stuff like get the ice bags and a ride to the doctor and tell me to eat even if I have no appetite and massage my toes.  Then my family is been so great to me. I feel so much of their love and prayers and help. And then all my dear friends spread across the world. You all mean so much to me. To literally feel your love and faith in my behalf strengthens me. Thank you all for being part of my Team.

In May Mark and I were able to take a Panama Canal Cruise. It was a blessing to just relax and have fun together. One of the things I did was to read a book called Change Your Question, Change Your Life. Having a fresh focus on good questions was a great blessing at this time. I think that when we find ourselves in a hard place the questions we ask have a huge impact on our outcome. So that of instead of, Why me? I have tried to ask myself things like, What can I learn from this? How will it help me to serve others? What new opportunities will I have because of this experience? What things are most important right now?

  In May after we got back I decided to go in for my annual physical.  I wanted also to see about getting some help for my back. I made the appointment for the physical therapy. I had gone last year they had helped me some with my shoulder but the exercise seemed to aggravate my back. After telling them this multiple times I felt they were not listening so I quit going.  I made this new appointment hoping to do something to help my back.  The morning of the appointment I started to worry that they might not listen to me, it turned to PTS  and I cancelled out 45 minutes before the appointment. I felt so traumatized about it I told Mark I didn't want anything to do with the medical field because I was not happy with them. I think that was on a Thursday. As I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday the Spirit began to work on me.  To calm me down and tell me to make an appointment for a mammogram. That next Wednesday I was having an ultrasound and mammogram and was scheduled for a biopsy.

I am so grateful for the blessing of the Holy Ghost to lead me past my own fears and inclinations. I feel the hand of the Lord in my life. He has prepared the way for me to be able to take this journey to be healed. I am very blessed.

Thanks again for being part of my Team
Love Caren