Tuesday, October 23, 2012

September NIH Visit

Missy's visit to the NIH in September showed new growth of her cancer.  She began a new treatment for this growth three weeks ago.  We will not have the new MRI results for another nine weeks, but the treatment went well and has not been too hard on her physically.  She is very tired, but thankfully has not been ill.  She is doing very well.

We are all hoping and praying this treatment will stop the new growth.  Please pray for healing while we wait for the new MRI results.

Friday, July 27, 2012

July NIH Visit

Hello everyone! I am so sorry it has been so long since I have updated here at Kicking Cancer.  I am going to make a real effort to post after every NIH visit from now on, even if it is a simple one or two line update just saying "Things are great! See you in eight weeks :)" .  I know people check here to see how our sweet Melissa is doing, and I am sorry I have dropped the ball.  Now on to the update!

Missy's MRI today showed that both the aggressive and the non-aggressive cancers are actually shrinking! This is wonderful news.  The Avastin is still working to shrink the aggressive cancer, to the point that even the tiny peripheral dots were smaller.  She is now also on Carboplatin for the slower growing cancer in her tumor, and it that too is shrinking.  We are so thankful for this update!
Recently Missy has needed a few blood and platelet transfusions before her bi-monthly treatments.  This is a side effect of the Carboplatin, and thankfully was not a sign of any other issues from the cancer.  Because of this side effect, they are reducing her dose of Carboplatin, but are keeping her on the medication since it is working so well to fight the cancer.  She is of course staying on the Avastin for the aggressive cancer too. We love Avastin!

So, that's the update for now!  Missy is doing great! She is feeling tired from the carboplatin and her lower blood levels, but mostly she is truly wonderful.  Since I last updated, Missy had her 30th birthday and we have taken a family vacation.  I will end with a few pictures of our sweet girl so you can all see how great she is doing!
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In the pool, enjoying the Florida sun
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The entire family on the beach
 MIssy's 30th Birthday
With some of her best girlfriends at her birthday party
MIssy's 30th Birthday
Sisters at the birthday bash
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Love :)

You can see lots more birthday party pics HERE and more vacation pics HERE :)

Thanks for continuing to check in, even when I don't update often, and thank you for all of your prayers and support of our sweet Melissa!

Monday, January 30, 2012

January NIH Visit

Missy and our parents headed up to the NIH last week for her follow up scan following her six weeks back on Avastin.  The tumor had an amazing response to the medication and is dramatically smaller!  This is such wonderful news and we feel truly blessed.

The doctors explained to Melissa and our parents that there are three categories of people when it comes to Avastin.  There are the people who do not respond at all, then there are the short term responders and the long term responders.  There is no way to know if Missy is short term or long term, but the fact that she has been on the medication for nine months and during those nine months it was continually effective in suppressing tumor growth is a very good sign. All we can do now is leave her on this medication and closely monitor any tumor activity.  There are "Long Term Avastin Responders" who have been on the medication for years and it continues to work.  We continue to pray that Missy will be one of these people.  Time will tell, but for now this was absolutely the very best news we could have received.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support of Missy and our family.  We are so thankful for you all.  She will go back up to the NIH in two months. I will update again at that time to let you know how she is doing.