In December I had to change to a different chemo, because the current chemo stopped working. The new chemo made me lose my hair, again. I had two courses of this treatment only to find out it wasn't working. Instead the cancer continued to grow and my tumor markers were at a number I have never seen. So, we changed to another drug... Which again didn't work. My tumor markers continued to steadily raise by a pretty good amount each week.
At this point there aren't very many chemo treatments left for me. However, there is a new drug that we have been waiting on the FDA to approve (TDM1). Two weeks ago when we found out the treatment wasn't working, this drug was still not approved. My doctor felt it would be a good time to stop chemo and wait fore the approval of this drug. It was scheduled to be approved the end of February. This gave me 3 weeks of treatment. Of course, this was not the best choice, but really the only choice.
In order to start the new treatment I needed to be off treatment for 2 weeks anyway, and we wanted to avoid any complications taking another chemo could cause. I am extremely afraid of the cancer growing while not receiving treatment. It was scary to think of it growing while on chemo and how much more it will grow with nothing on its way.
The new drug has been approved and we are now waiting for the pharmaceutical company to ship it to the hospital. I am hoping by the end of this week. I have been having other issues that lead me to believe the cancer is growing. I want to start on the new drug as soon as possible. I have a PET scan tomorrow morning, bright and early and should know the results by tomorrow night. I am pretty nervous about this scan... More so then any other scan over the last 4 years... By I am still praying for a miracle... I want a complete cure. I know God can do that!
We have also been so blessed. I have been concerned about how we are going to meet our deductible this year. It has been 2 years since. Have had any fundraiser and the money is almost gone. My mother in law and a couple friends have been working on a spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser for March 9th, and then a couple days ago we received an unexpected visit from a lady, whom I have never met. She had heard about me from a friend and had seen a flyer for my fundraiser (which I believe is an old one, because we had not put one up where she saw it).
Her husband has cancer. He was diagnosed last year. At that time the community rallied around him and raised money for their medical bills. She was approached this year by an organization who needed a recipient for their fundraiser. She said they were doing well at this time and wanted to give them my name. So she found out where I lived and stopped by to ask if she could give them my name and number. I was so touched by her selflessness and kindness!
In less then an hour I received all call from the organization. It is a bunch of local church choirs who get together and put on a concert for a free will offering, and a Lutheran bank had offered to match whatever they raise up to $3000. They would then split it between two recipients.
I am very excited about the Lords provision... And a little nervous as I am supposed to speak in front of everyone that attends, but I feel The Lord has dropped this opportunity in my lap.
