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.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
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!
In the pool, enjoying the Florida sun
The entire family on the beach
With some of her best girlfriends at her birthday party
Sisters at the birthday bash
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!
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!
In the pool, enjoying the Florida sun
The entire family on the beach
With some of her best girlfriends at her birthday party
Sisters at the birthday bash
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Update on December NIH Visit and Conference Call
Melissa and my parents had the conference call with the doctors up at
the NIH and after meeting and discussing Missy's case the doctors
decided that Missy does NOT need surgery right now! This is such a
blessing. These surgeries are extremely difficult on Missy and come
with a ton of terrifying possible complications, so avoiding surgery is
the greatest news we could have possibly gotten today.
The doctors made their decision based on the fact that although the growth of the tumor over the last eight weeks is alarming, the tumor is not extremely large. Combine that with the fact that she is having no side effects from the tumor, and it makes them think surgery is not what she needs at this time. There is the IV treatment, Avastin, that prevented any new growth of this tumor the entire time she was on it, so they believe that is the the best treatment is to go with for now.
So they want her back on her IV meds as soon as possible. She has an appointment with her local doctor to hopefully set up an infusion before the end of the week. She will do that treatment right away, then another in two weeks. Two weeks after that she will go back to the NIH for another scan. Hopefully it will show no new growth. The option for surgery is still on the table at a later point, she is very strong and the tumor is operable, they just do not think the benefits out weight the risks as of today. We are hoping this medicine continues to work and she does not need surgery any time soon!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. We are so very thankful for you all.
Merry Christmas!
The doctors made their decision based on the fact that although the growth of the tumor over the last eight weeks is alarming, the tumor is not extremely large. Combine that with the fact that she is having no side effects from the tumor, and it makes them think surgery is not what she needs at this time. There is the IV treatment, Avastin, that prevented any new growth of this tumor the entire time she was on it, so they believe that is the the best treatment is to go with for now.
So they want her back on her IV meds as soon as possible. She has an appointment with her local doctor to hopefully set up an infusion before the end of the week. She will do that treatment right away, then another in two weeks. Two weeks after that she will go back to the NIH for another scan. Hopefully it will show no new growth. The option for surgery is still on the table at a later point, she is very strong and the tumor is operable, they just do not think the benefits out weight the risks as of today. We are hoping this medicine continues to work and she does not need surgery any time soon!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. We are so very thankful for you all.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
December NIH Visit
Missy had her 8 week scan up at the NIH on Thursday, and the results were not what we expected. Her MRI came back showing aggressive new growth of her tumor. So aggressive that the doctors think the best action to take is most likely going to be to go in and remove the new growth. Her doctor will be meeting with the board to discuss options on Tuesday, but when they spoke with him on Friday it seemed most likely they they would opt for surgery. Of course this news has been very difficult for Missy and everyone in the family, but we feel very blessed that they are options of ways to fight this cancer. We have aggressive treatments to fight aggressive growth, and that is a good thing.
We have two treatments that the doctors and Melissa feel will give her the best chance to fight. Four months ago the doctors took Missy off an IV infusion treatment, Avastin, that was meant to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. The six months she was on that medication there was no growth. She was also on a chemotherapy pill, Temodar, which they left her on during her break from Avastin. Without the Avastin the tumor has grown out of control.
Fighting cancer is very hard. And the most effect way to fight it is to remove as much as possible. And that's what we are fairly sure they want to do. The most effective treatment. Because she is very strong, she is fighting very hard, and they want to give her the very best chance to beat this. And that means taking out what they can, then putting her back on the medication that we now know works to stop growth of whatever is left. So we think that is the plan. Tuesday we will know for sure, but we are expecting surgery in early January.
Missy and the rest of our family are very happy to have two ways to fight this cancer. We know another surgery will be very difficult for Missy, but she wants to do what is most aggressive to kill this cancer. She is very brave, very strong, and she wants to do whatever it takes. We are leaving that decision up to her doctors.
I will update again next week after we hear from the doctors about surgery details, if they do decide surgery is the best option. Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time. They mean so much to Missy and our entire family.
We have two treatments that the doctors and Melissa feel will give her the best chance to fight. Four months ago the doctors took Missy off an IV infusion treatment, Avastin, that was meant to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. The six months she was on that medication there was no growth. She was also on a chemotherapy pill, Temodar, which they left her on during her break from Avastin. Without the Avastin the tumor has grown out of control.
Fighting cancer is very hard. And the most effect way to fight it is to remove as much as possible. And that's what we are fairly sure they want to do. The most effective treatment. Because she is very strong, she is fighting very hard, and they want to give her the very best chance to beat this. And that means taking out what they can, then putting her back on the medication that we now know works to stop growth of whatever is left. So we think that is the plan. Tuesday we will know for sure, but we are expecting surgery in early January.
Missy and the rest of our family are very happy to have two ways to fight this cancer. We know another surgery will be very difficult for Missy, but she wants to do what is most aggressive to kill this cancer. She is very brave, very strong, and she wants to do whatever it takes. We are leaving that decision up to her doctors.
I will update again next week after we hear from the doctors about surgery details, if they do decide surgery is the best option. Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time. They mean so much to Missy and our entire family.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
October NIH Visit
Hello everyone! Just wanted to stop in and let you know that last week Missy had her eight week check up with the NIH and things went well! There was no new growth of the tumor, which is always the best news. They are watching the tumor closely to evaluate if she can continue her break from the IV treatment she was previously doing along with her chemo. She will go back up in eight weeks to have another scan and they will go from there. For now, the doctors felt good about the visit and told her just to stay with her current treatment plan.
Everything around here is going really well for our sweet Melissa. She has started keeping Henry (her nephew) one day a week and they are both loving this schedule! Henry loves his Aunt Mimi! She is spending lots of time with family, friends and her boyfriend George and she is feeling good.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. They mean so much to us all.
Everything around here is going really well for our sweet Melissa. She has started keeping Henry (her nephew) one day a week and they are both loving this schedule! Henry loves his Aunt Mimi! She is spending lots of time with family, friends and her boyfriend George and she is feeling good.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. They mean so much to us all.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Recent NIH Visit
Missy and Mom went back up to the NIH last week for a follow up MRI. On the plane from here to the DC airport they realized they were traveling with a celebrity!
John Wall had been back in town to play an exhibition game and was flying back to DC at the same time as Missy and Mom. It makes any trip more enjoyable to see someone famous at six in the morning!
The visit to NIH went very well. The MRI showed that the tumor had no change, so the treatments are working well to prevent new growth. They are making so changes to her medications, taking her off one for the next eight weeks to see what the effect is, but all in all things are going very well and Missy is doing great!
Thank you all for your continued support. We appreciate you all so very much.
John Wall had been back in town to play an exhibition game and was flying back to DC at the same time as Missy and Mom. It makes any trip more enjoyable to see someone famous at six in the morning!
The visit to NIH went very well. The MRI showed that the tumor had no change, so the treatments are working well to prevent new growth. They are making so changes to her medications, taking her off one for the next eight weeks to see what the effect is, but all in all things are going very well and Missy is doing great!
Thank you all for your continued support. We appreciate you all so very much.
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