First Annual Tanger Fit for a Cure 5K Walk in Lancaster, PA

"We have an unwavering commitment to fighting breast cancer across the country," remarked Stanley K. Tanger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. "Great strides are being made but we must continue working hard to put an end to this terrible disease that affects so many."

To register: http://www2.tangeroutlet.com/tangerstylefitness/

This race benefits the Stanley K. Tanger Breast Cancer Research Fund at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center!

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Surprises, hot flashes, and a prayer...

It's been a week since I've started taking Tamoxifen and all of this seems so surreal. I woke up in the middle of the night the other night and actually had to walk into the bathroom to look at my name on the prescription bottle before I was convinced that this hasn't all been just a dream.

After having doctor appointments several times a week for the past two months, it was strange to have nowhere to go this week. Without the distractions of a busy schedule, it was very easy to slip into “why me” mode which allowed the doubts and discouragement to creep in. There was a lot of crying and questioning God about what was happening.

It wasn't long before my doubts had consumed my thoughts to the point where I had completely lost sight of Gods grace. Imagine my surprise when, out of the blue, my seven year-old son starts to recite his Bible verse for this week:

"Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,

so great is his unfailing love.
For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.”
(Lamentations 3:32-33)

Despite my doubts and weakness, God is faithful! I continue to be amazed at the way He reveals himself to me especially when I'm not even looking!

Here's an update on my treatment plan.....
I have made the decision to pursue treatment at Hershey Medical Center. Not only do they provide exceptional care, but it is only a few minutes away from the clinic where Rich works which will make it easier for him to attend appointments without having to excessively dip into his vacation time.

In addition to taking Tamoxifen daily, and receiving the Zoladex injection every three months to keep me in menopause, I'll soon receive my first dose of Zometa. This medication is a 15-minute infusion (through an IV line) that helps to stimulate healthy bone growth. It is used to prevent or delay bone damage by slowing the destruction that occurs with cancer and by fighting the abnormal cells that cause bone to wear away.

My next doctor's visit will be on September 2. During this visit, I'll have blood tests to make sure that my Estrogen levels are dropping (as if the hot flashes aren't enough of an indication!?!) and also to keep an eye on my “tumor markers.” These are markers in the blood that will tell us if the treatments are working.

It's expected that I'll have my next set of scans in early October. These scans will give us our first true indication of how well each of the tumors are responding to treatment. If all looks good, we'll continue with this treatment and have scans in another six weeks. If those scans look good, we'll wait eight weeks and scan again. If those scans look good, we'll wait three months and scan again. If those scans look good.....well......you get the picture.

“Lord, You have promised that when I am weak, You are my strength. You said that though I fall, I will not be cast down because You will hold me with Your hand. Thank you, Lord, that I do not face times of discouragement and disappointmnt alone.

You have promised to never leave me or forsake me. I place my trust in You and believe that these circumstances will be the means to draw me into a closer relationship with You.”

Taken from II Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 37:24, Hebrews 13:5

Adapted from "This Is Life . . . And I Need More Answers"

Let the treatment begin!

The liver biopsy indicated that the spot on my liver is, as expected, breast cancer that has spread. This is good news because now everything should respond to the same hormone treatment.

We've decided to start with a medication called "Tamoxifen." Tamoxifen is a pill that blocks the cancer's ability to use estrogen. I took my first dose tonight. Woo Hoo!!!! The biggest side-effect from the medication is more menopause-like symptoms. Please pray for my family!

More updates to come.....

Worry is like a rocking chair...

I had a liver biopsy on Friday, and now we're just waiting for the results. We should have results by Wednesday and then the doctors can determine which treatment plan will be best.

Telling someone like to me "wait" is like telling my kids to "sit still" - it just doesn't work. I've always been what you would call a "worry wart" and all of the waiting along this journey is taking worrying to an entirely new level. I recently read that"Worry is like a rocking chair...it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere." I can't tell you how many times I've recited that in the past few days.

I've started to read the book "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George. (I'm only on Chapter 4, but highly recommend it!) The introductory paragraph says "would you like to exchange doubt, discouragement, depression, and fear for energetic faith and joy?" My answer was an emphatic"YES YES YES!!" My reading this week ended with a focus on these promises from the Bible:

• Nothing will ever happen to me that God does not already know about (Psalm 139:1-4)


• Nothing will ever happen to me that is a mistake (Psalm 139: 4,16)


• Nothing will ever happen to me that I cannot handle by God's power and grace (II Corinthians 12:9-10)


• Nothing will ever happen to me that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in my life (Romans 8:28)


• Nothing will ever happen to me without God's presence (Matthew 28:20)

Boy, that certainly gives me a lot to think about while I'm waiting for the biopsy results!

...and more Tests!

The appointment with Dr. Horenkamp at Oncology Physicians of Lancaster went well today. She agrees with our first opinion that our best option at this point is to treat with hormone therapy. The cancer is not curable, but we have a pretty good chance of it at least being treatable.

My liver biopsy has officially been scheduled for Friday morning at 9:00 at Lancaster General Hospital. I met with the radiologist this morning to discuss the procedure. Doesn't sound like it'll be a fun one, but at least it's our last diagnostic test for now. We should have the biopsy results by Wednesday. As long as the results show that the cells in my liver have the same characteristics as the rest of the cancer cells, we'll start hormone therapy next week. Woo Hoo!

We have had several meals provided by some very dear friends. My family is very thankful to have "real food" again. For a while, I could only muster the energy for cereal or pizza. The boys loved it, but I think Rich was actually eyeing up a cook book to see what he could make.

Speaking of the boys, we had the opportunity to talk to them a little bit about what's going on. Alex had been asking about my "boo boo" and we felt that he was ready to see part of the first biopsy site now that the swelling has subsided a bit. I explained to him that he can't really see the "boo boo" because it's inside of me. He seemed confused, so we compared it to what it's like when you have a cold. You know you have it, but you can't really see it because it's inside. I explained that the doctors are giving me some very good medicine to help.....of course Rich added that the medicine might "make Mommy grumpy." Boy, after my first set of hot flashes yesterday, I think that was an understatement!

Things I've learned today

• God's plan is perfect!!
• I am not alone

Tests Tests and More Tests.....

The bone scan results came back yesterday and the doctors weren't surprised. The scan confirmed that there is evidence of cancer in my bones at least seven spots - hip, pelvis, sternum, neck, ribs, sacrum, and a small spot on my skull. At this point, these results do not give us reason to alter the treatment plan and we plan to proceed with hormone therapy.


We meet with Hematology/Oncology Physicians of Lancaster on Wednesday for a second opinion and then only one more test to go this week......a liver biopsy on Thursday.

Things I've learned today

• Every 2 minutes, there is a new breast cancer diagnosis


• 85% of all diagnoses have no family history


• 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
  

The first 10 days

On July 20, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Hearing the words "breast cancer" was devastating enough, but the news was followed by hearing that I have two different types of cancer - "invasive duct carcinoma" and "mucinous adenocarcinoma." We were encouraged to hear that both lumps were small and the doctors were using words like "treatable" and "curable."

We had a surgical consultation on July 21 and decided that our best chance of preventing the cancer from spreading was to have a mastectomy. An MRI scan on July 29 showed three more small spots of "unidentifiable abnormalities" in my breast and also indicated that the cancer had most likely spread to at least one lymph node. That was the confirmation that we needed to know that a mastectomy was the best option and surgery was scheduled for August 10. Hooray...we have a plan!!

On July 29, we received more devastating news. A CT scan showed a 1.8cm spot on my liver, a spot on my left lung, and two spots on my spine. The assumption is that the cancer has spread to these organs. Surgery was cancelled and immediate and aggressive Chemotherapy seemed to be the only obvious option. So much for our plan!?! A huge thank you to everyone who prayed with Rich & I this day. We were completely drained of all emotion and your prayers helped to fill us with the love of God and reminded us to rest in His grace.

On July 30, we travelled to Hershey Medical Center and were blessed to have met Dr. Leah Cream at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute. Dr. Cream reviewed all of my scans & lab work and was very happy to see that both tumors are "hormone receptive." Everyone had been saying that this was a good thing, but Dr. Cream was the first to explain why this was so important. It means that the tumors are being fed by hormones - in particular, Estrogen. The theory is that if the Estrogen supply is eliminated, the tumors will shrink, and even potentially disappear.

I asked the obvious question....."how do you eliminate the Estrogen supply?"....and the answer was quite simple. I was given a drug called Zoladex that will initiate menopause. (and Rich thought I was moody before...yikes!!) I completed a full-body bone scan today (Saturday) and expect to have those results sometime next week. We're expecting to see some bone involvement, but pray that it's minimal. A liver biopsy is scheduled on August 5 to clearly identify if the spot is the same type of cancer that started in my breast. As long as all of the tumors are "hormone receptive" they should all respond to hormone therapy. Dr. Cream cited an 85% success rate with hormone therapy for this type of cancer. Hooray...we have another plan!!!

Things that I've learned in the past 10 days

• Any plan that I may have is inconsequential compared to the greater good that God has in mind for my life. I really don't need a plan after all....all I need to do is to trust God. Nothing will ever happen to me that God doesn't already know about (Psalm 139:1-4)



• A good girlfriend is cheaper than therapy!



• Nothing will ever happen to me that I cannot handle by God's power and grace (II Cor 12:9-10)



• MRI rooms are very cold - always wear socks!