Fantastic Week

Today is Friday! Madison comes home and we have all missed her very much! Alana talks about her every day and wants to make her a welcome home banner! Overall it has been a really good week! I decided to wean myself off of Prednisone. I figured if I had a choice on what chemo I was going to take last week well then I should be able to make the educated decision on steroids since I know how they affect me. I’ve really felt good and I am not quite sure how I am going to know what to do with myself for four weeks, but I am hoping and praying and hoping that they are much easier than most I’ve had recently! I didn’t get massive Alimta, I tolerated Carbo fine so far, this is recipe for feeling amazing, unless I guess the cancer begins to grow back in warp speed, then I guess we would have a problem. I am going to cut out all sugar and bread since we know cancer thrives of sugar and my body uncharacteristically so. But other than that, I’m free!

I was driving over to Publix this morning to fax some things and I just laughed out loud, giggling, wondering if it was even real. The Sun was lovely, the pastures were beautiful, the air is cool, and I realized yesterday was my anniversary! I have exactly 3 months left and I make it a year as a stage 4 breast cancer survivor, and I’m currently an 8 month Leptomeningeal Disease survivor! Pretty darn sweet! Isn’t it funny? Three to four months to live, no we are looking at 3-4 months to making it a full year?!

I still need prayers for new appointments and switching everything, for insurance to work with us on timing of scans, and flights to be changed easily without fees. We are a good month out from all of that and my last visit to NorthSide will be on July 7. I am sad and happy. I’ve been corresponding a lot with my oncologist at Emory, and I think we are going to be good for each other.

Lots and lots to do in four days, but they basically gave us an extra week to play out west. Not sure how this is going to even go, but if it goes really well, maybe we can add a few places, and if it’s bad, we can come home early and recoup before entering the world of Emory. (The busiest hospital I’ve ever been to)

Thank you for all of the lovely prayers. Our miracle is coming. I feel it. Valerie Harper news came out yesterday and she is now a three year survivor of LM from Lung at 75 years old!!! Her husband gave me all of her secrets (exercise, acupuncture, meditation, etc.) in addition to the number one healer, STAYING POSITIVE. I’ll be the three year survivor of LM from breast and we will be LM-Opdivo sisters forever!

Lastly, I have a prayer request for another sister battling her little heart out. Brittany Black. I emailed a doctor at MD Anderson to get a referral and the doctor came back with a very positive response to review her records. This is HUGE. She is in a nasty amount of pain, possibly LM, but has several spots on her spine. She is very young with 2 adorable little kiddos and needs to get out to a specialty cancer hospital. Please pray it goes well and they can get her there as quickly as possible. I've begun a friendship with her on facebook, one of many, and I know that pain. It was in my brain and it is nasty. Brittany, #teamnadine is with you too! Hang on! We will get you to MDA!