Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have not been on here to update in so long. I have no real excuse except to say that things have been going very well for Missy, and so it hasn't really occurred to me to post. I will try to do better and at least post a general update every month or so, just so that people using this blog are in the know about our sweet Melissa.
Several weeks ago Missy went back up to the NIH to have a repeat MRI to see how her current treatment is working. The scan showed that everything is looking wonderful! That the cancer is under control and her brain is healing and looking much healthier than it has since this all began. We feel so very thankful and blessed.
With her health finally looking better and under control Missy has been enjoying her summer. She is looking for a low stress part time job, since her full time position in research was just too much for her at this time. She has taken a couple small trips this summer and has been enjoying quality time with family and friends. Her treatments, along with the travel to and from the NIH every 8 weeks, is taking a lot out of her, but she is feeling much more like herself and is very thankful for that.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We all appreciate all you do as she continues down this road of treatment and recovery.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Follow Up at the National Institute of Health
Missy and Dad flew up to the National Institute of Health yesterday for a follow up MRI and to meet with her doctors about the effectiveness of her current treatment plan. She found out this morning that the scan shows her cancer is responding exactly as they hoped to this new treatment! This is such amazing news! We were all very hopeful that it was working well, since she seems to been feeling more like herself lately, but there was definitely the fear that we would get a report of new cancer growth as we did last time. Hearing the words that this is working like it should, to just continue on with treatments as planned, it's just such overwhelming and wonderful news.
Missy and Dad will be flying home tonight, and she will continue on with her current treatment plan here at home. She will go back up to the NIH for another MRI in two months, just to keep an eye on things and to make sure nothing has changed.
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support. They mean so much to us all.
Missy and Dad will be flying home tonight, and she will continue on with her current treatment plan here at home. She will go back up to the NIH for another MRI in two months, just to keep an eye on things and to make sure nothing has changed.
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support. They mean so much to us all.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Update
I am so sorry that it has been so long since I have posted an update here on Kicking Cancer. Time has just been moving since Missy's surgery and it doesn't feel like there is much to report. Still, I know you all use this site as a way to know how our sweet Melissa is doing, and I will try to do better with updates, even if they are just to say she is doing good and there isn't anything new to report!
Since my last post Missy has recovered very well from her surgery! She is back to work part time, which is the plan for the foreseeable future. She is just not up to a full work week with everything she has going on. She tires easily and really needs that extra time to focus on recovery. Luckily her amazing job has worked it out for her to stay on at the hospital in a part time roll. She is currently still in the Cancer Research department and we hope she will be able to stay there, but we are just very thankful for all they have done to keep her on as part of the Central Baptist team.
A little over a month ago Missy started her new treatments and they seem to be going well. For the last few weeks she has been fighting off a terrible flu like virus, and then a sinus infection and bronchial infection, but she seems to be feeling better. It is just extremely unfortunate that when you are fighting things like cancer your immune system is down and you end up picking up every bug that comes down the line. Hopefully with the start of spring she will be feeling better!
Thank you all for stopping by the blog to check in on her. She so appreciates all of you!
Since my last post Missy has recovered very well from her surgery! She is back to work part time, which is the plan for the foreseeable future. She is just not up to a full work week with everything she has going on. She tires easily and really needs that extra time to focus on recovery. Luckily her amazing job has worked it out for her to stay on at the hospital in a part time roll. She is currently still in the Cancer Research department and we hope she will be able to stay there, but we are just very thankful for all they have done to keep her on as part of the Central Baptist team.
A little over a month ago Missy started her new treatments and they seem to be going well. For the last few weeks she has been fighting off a terrible flu like virus, and then a sinus infection and bronchial infection, but she seems to be feeling better. It is just extremely unfortunate that when you are fighting things like cancer your immune system is down and you end up picking up every bug that comes down the line. Hopefully with the start of spring she will be feeling better!
Thank you all for stopping by the blog to check in on her. She so appreciates all of you!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Treatment Plan
This morning Missy, along with our parents, met with her doctors at the National Institute of Health (NIH). The lab tests done on the tumor removed during her 2nd surgery shows that she has a Grade 3 Astrocytoma. We had feared it may be a Grade 4, so this is good news. Her original tumor contained a less aggressive cancer type along with the Astrocytoma cells, but they now seem to be gone.
After meeting with the doctors and discussing options it was decided that the best thing for Missy at this time was an FDA approved IV treatment that will cut off the blood supply to the tumor. The IV treatment drug is called Avastin and she will receive it once every two weeks. Along with that she will take a chemotherapy medication called Temodar each evening. Hopefully these two medications combinded will stop the growth of the cancer and shrink the existing cancer cells. Both treatments can be done in Lexington, so she will only have to travel back to the NIH every eight weeks for monitoring.
Missy is doing amazingly well. She is exhausted, but ready to continue this fight. She is so thankful for all of your love and support during this time. You all mean the world to her and to all of us. Thank you for all for your prayers and constant support!
After meeting with the doctors and discussing options it was decided that the best thing for Missy at this time was an FDA approved IV treatment that will cut off the blood supply to the tumor. The IV treatment drug is called Avastin and she will receive it once every two weeks. Along with that she will take a chemotherapy medication called Temodar each evening. Hopefully these two medications combinded will stop the growth of the cancer and shrink the existing cancer cells. Both treatments can be done in Lexington, so she will only have to travel back to the NIH every eight weeks for monitoring.
Missy is doing amazingly well. She is exhausted, but ready to continue this fight. She is so thankful for all of your love and support during this time. You all mean the world to her and to all of us. Thank you for all for your prayers and constant support!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Resting
Hi everyone. I just wanted to drop in and let you know that Missy is doing really well, and that there isn't really any new medical information at this point. She got home at the end of last week and since then has been at my parents house resting and recovering from the surgery. We spent the day with her Saturday and had a wonderful visit. It was good for my heart to see her sweet face. She came to town Monday for a quick check in with the doctor and stayed in Lexington to spend time with her boyfriend. I know she was very happy to be back at her house and to spend time with George. Tuesday she headed back to my parents so she can continue the recovery process. She is very tired and sore, but is so strong. She is doing amazing.
The next step will be to head back up to the NIH and find out the lab results and get her new treatment plan. As far as I know, the NIH likes to start treatment four weeks after surgery. We are expecting her to go up for the meeting with them at the end of next week or possibly the beginning of the first week of March. The date has yet to be set, but we know it will be soon. At that point we will have more information and a course of action. For now she is just trying to feel better and be as ready as possible to start fighting this cancer with her new treatment plan!
The next step will be to head back up to the NIH and find out the lab results and get her new treatment plan. As far as I know, the NIH likes to start treatment four weeks after surgery. We are expecting her to go up for the meeting with them at the end of next week or possibly the beginning of the first week of March. The date has yet to be set, but we know it will be soon. At that point we will have more information and a course of action. For now she is just trying to feel better and be as ready as possible to start fighting this cancer with her new treatment plan!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Home Again
I am really sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days! Time just got away from me. Missy is doing amazingly well. She is actually flying home this evening! She has had a good last couple of days, just resting and healing at the NIH hospital, and she is now ready to continue healing here at home. Both of our parents are still there with her and will be helping her make the trip home. Lucky she has a direct flight right into Lexington, so it will be as easy as possible. She will then be going to our parents house for the next week or two to continue recovering from the surgery. We will not have any lab results or treatment plans until she goes back up to the NIH in three to four weeks. For now we are just so happy to have our sweet girl back home!
Many of you have asked if you can do anything to help once they get home. First we want to say thank you for all that has already been done for her and our family. Your donations, thoughts and prayers have made a huge difference during this time. Plane tickets, food baskets, money to cover bills, constant messages of support. These are things that have meant the world to all of us and the words Thank You just don't seem to feel like enough. You have all done so much already, the question of "what can we do?" is hard to answer. Not because we do not need things, but because we already feel so blessed to have you all.
That being said, we continue to appreciate your desire to help. Food or gift cards to restaurants that do takeout would be very helpful and make life a little easier as everyone attempts to get back to a normal routine. Donations to Missy are also always extremely appreciated to help cover expenses while she is off work. Details of how that can be done are on the left sidebar of this blog or you can contact me (biogirl79 at gmail dot com) and I can help. As always, good thoughts and prayers are appreciated more than we can say. We are so thankful for all of you and your support during this time.
Many of you have asked if you can do anything to help once they get home. First we want to say thank you for all that has already been done for her and our family. Your donations, thoughts and prayers have made a huge difference during this time. Plane tickets, food baskets, money to cover bills, constant messages of support. These are things that have meant the world to all of us and the words Thank You just don't seem to feel like enough. You have all done so much already, the question of "what can we do?" is hard to answer. Not because we do not need things, but because we already feel so blessed to have you all.
That being said, we continue to appreciate your desire to help. Food or gift cards to restaurants that do takeout would be very helpful and make life a little easier as everyone attempts to get back to a normal routine. Donations to Missy are also always extremely appreciated to help cover expenses while she is off work. Details of how that can be done are on the left sidebar of this blog or you can contact me (biogirl79 at gmail dot com) and I can help. As always, good thoughts and prayers are appreciated more than we can say. We are so thankful for all of you and your support during this time.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday Update
Just wanted to post a quick update to let everyone know that Missy got a lot of much needed rest last night. In the early evening she developed a bad headache, but they got that under control and she was able to feel better and rest well.
We found out that the MRI done after surgery showed that they were able to removed the 90-95% of the tumor that they were expecting. We are really happy with this result. They said today that her recovery was going great and that she would really just be staying there the next few days to keep the pain under control and to get her ready for the flight home. We can't wait to get her back here, but we know she is in awesome hands.
We found out that the MRI done after surgery showed that they were able to removed the 90-95% of the tumor that they were expecting. We are really happy with this result. They said today that her recovery was going great and that she would really just be staying there the next few days to keep the pain under control and to get her ready for the flight home. We can't wait to get her back here, but we know she is in awesome hands.
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