More News 3-31-09
As requested, Kecia's surgery has been scheduled for "sooner than later". She recieved a call on Friday telling her that even though her surgeon doesn't usually do operations on Fridays, they had scheduled her with their first available spot. It just happens to be on Friday, April 10th. Not a bad day to go under the knife....Good Friday! She will probably be there for 5-7 days. Since her cultures came back negitive for infection she will be allowed to proceed with the surgery and they will treat the bacteria in her bladder after she is all healed. They did say that her symptoms are most likely caused from damage to her bladder as a result of the radiation done so close to it back in July. It could heal up on it's own with time but they aren't sure. She is very happy that they were able to schedule the surgery so quickly and looks forward to getting it over with. She is however very concerned about her port again. You will remember all the trouble she had with it a few months ago. It was infected and got very sore. She is experiencing some of the same problems with it and fears that it may be infected again. If it is, they will not do her mastectomy until it is cleared up. She is asking that we all pray for her body to stay healthy enough to get the surgery and that the port will clear up quickly without hospitalization. I'll give you the updated schedule of events as they unfold. Your prayers are very powerful. Thank you for every minute that you spend in prayer for Kecia.

Kecia's first appointment this morning with the plastic surgeon who will be in the operating room during her mastectomy. Not alot of new information was given but it was encouraging to hear that both surgeons are in agreement with this process and will be working together quite well. She is basically just waiting for them to coordinate their schedules to get the surgery. Her appointment this afternoon was with the infectious disease doctor. She learned that there definately is bacteria growing in her bladder but she shows no other signs of an infection so they are doing tests and cultures to determine if it is also an infection or not. If it is NOT an infection, they will probably leave the bacteria until after she had healed from her mastectomy. This sounded a little scary to me because I'm thinking "won't that give it time to over run her body and be even harder to treat?" But the specialist (who may know a little bit more about this than I do) reminded us that there is always bacteria throughout our bodies and most is not harmful unless accompanied by an infection which then attack the body and fuels the bacteria to go wild. If she DOES have an infection then they will have to put her surgeries on hold while they aggressively treat it. This will include hopitalization, IV antibiotics, and support meds to combate all the side effects of the strong antibiotics needed to keep it under control. Sounds like alot, but so much better than Tuesday when they said it was a bacteria that couldn't be treated. Kecia is doing well both emotionally and physically. She said she feels alot better knowing that there is something they can do, and physically she is feeling great. (aside from that "I feel like I've gotta pee all the time" feeling) While she isn't happy about needing it, she is still "okay" with having the surgery. Now we are just praying that there will be no signs of infection, that the bacteria will stay under control, and that the surgery will be scheduled sooner than later. Will let you all know as soon as we hear anything.

Update

When I spoke with Kecia earlier this afternoon she was pretty upset about the news she was given from her surgeon-to be. She told Kecia that they could not do the reconstruction at the time of her mastectomy and that it would not only be 2 surgeries as Kecia has feared, but 3. Based on her estimated time table she thought they could meet with the reconstruction specialist next week, the anesthesiologist the following week and coordinate the first surgery for sometime in the next two months. She would leave the hospital in about 5-7 days with a drainage tube from the breasts that would need to be cared for daily until removed about a month later. And then they would begin preparation for the next surgery. It may seem like a little thing when sitting on the other side of the fence, but for Kecia who was thinking things would move a little quicker (and therefore closer to recovery) all the waiting is very unnerving. She was feeling discouraged and sad and got off the phone to take a nap. (side note: I found out later that she did NOT take a nap, but did some work on the computer instead...just like Kecia!) Anyway, she called a few hours later in much better spirits with the news that the doctor's office had called and already had her set up for a meeting with the reconstruction specialist for Thurdsay morning and the anesthesiologist Friday. Just feeling like the "ball is rolling" helped her get through that discouraging hump. She also has an appointment with the infectious disease specialist for her bacterial infection on Thursday afternoon so I should have alot to report on by the end of the week. Please pray that they will find a way to treat and beat this bacterial infection. Also, during this whole ordeal, and interesting thing happened (or should I say, another interest thing) Kecia has torn her house apart looking for the paperwork about a previous lumpecotomy she had back in '98. Her doctor had said it would be very useful information for the surgeon to have and review before working on Kecia. She couldn't find it anywhere and couldn't remember who the surgeon had been. Then, through a very strange twist of events, the surgeon that her doctor so highly recommended she use, suddenly broke her back and is forced to retire from surgery and will now only be teaching the trade. So, disappointed that "the best in the field" is no longer available, she calls a few of his other referrals. One doesn't accept insurance, and the other left Kecia with a really bad feeling. She ended up meeting with one from her insurance list that someone else recommended and after speaking with her Kecia is astonished to learn that this woman is partners with the surgeon who operated on Kecia in '98. She told Kecia, "Oh yes, I have all of your records and I've already looked them over and feel very comfortable with the planned procedure." Just a coincidence? I think not! How cool is that!!!! I don't know about ya'll, but I feel so honored to be a part of this amazing journey with Kecia. Certainly, if I could, I would take it all away for her. But since I can't, I am so proud to be one of the people who gets to take this walk with her and I must say that I am learning so much along the way. I'm so glad that you all chose to join us!

Update 03/23/2009

Well, once again our celebration is overshadowed by bad news. Kecia has been battling a urinary track infection for about 2 weeks. Not suprising since her counts are still alot lower than that of someone with a healthy immune system and it takes her longer to heal or recover from even small stuff. She wasn't really concerned but due to the discomfort of it, she brought it up to the doctor again. They did some testing and called today to tell her that not only does she have a bacterial infection, but it is not treatable. How many times is she going to hear that she has something that doctors can't really do anything about? She is very frusterated and emotionally tired of this rollercoaster. The pure joy that came from being told she was beating cancer is immesurable and then to be told that she has contracted a deadly infection that will probably kill her is just too much to comprehend. She's starting to wonder.."w hat is God doing to me...? How much more..?" and it's just so hard to accept. My heart is breaking for her. I have total belief that God has brought her to this place for a reason, but I know this would be much easier for her to deal with if He chose to reveal Himself to her. Her doctor is making her an appointment with an infectious disease specialist to see what options she has and what he recommends for her. All this, on top of her appointment tomorrow to determine what type of mastectomy she will have. Not to mention, that while all of this is going on, Kecia is still working full time from home. She is a perfectionist and takes great pride in her work. She is extreamly thankful to her managment team as they have bent over backwords to accomodate her every need. But her worries about not keeping up with her work load is putting alot of stress on her right now. She is just emotionally overloaded and needs o ur prayers! I will update as soon as I know anything tomorrow.

Update 03/21/2009

How many of you are still in the WOW stage from Kecia's last update? I spent the day with Kecia. First we met at church, stayed for a luncheon, then to Grandad's to cut coupons while baby boy napped. Once he awakened we wisked the children to a drop off point where I handed them off to their daddy, and away Kecia and I went to do our grocery shopping. You may not realize what a HUGE deal that is, but 3 months ago she could barely get to the bathroom. I expected her to ride that motorized cart thing, but she insisted on walking...slowly...and kindof limpy...but walking the whole way! She is still in pain but nothing like before. She has decreased her pain meds to an "only as needed" basis (which Im sure will be tonight after her big day) I have realized two areas where Kecia is in need of prayer though. First, the Herceptin that she takes weekly has caused a condition for which I can't remember the name, but it makes her feet numb which is another reason that she has trouble walking and needs to shuffle her feet in order to prevent falling. That is annoying, but manageable. Unfortunately, her feet started tingling a few weeks ago and her doctors say that is also the effect of this chemo. She says the tingling is the same as when your foot is asleep and you can't feel it and then it gets those horrible prickly pains all over it. For us, that would only last a few minutes. For Kecia, it has been going on for over a week. The constant pain and discomfort in her feet is causing her to have restless leg syndrome and makes it very hard to sleep. Obviously, this is one of those areas where we can help by lifting this concern up to the Lord. Also, I think the realization that she is about to enter the hospital "a full woman" and leave it without breasts has really hit her hard the last few days. She wants them removed because it is necessary for her in order to avoid a relapse, but how difficult this must be for her. There is a chance that she can have reconstruction done at the same time so the physical shock would be lessened which would in turn reduce the inner turmoil that comes from this type of surgery. She is preparing herself for the fact that it might not be the case for her and she will have to deal with the physical loss of her breasts. She really needs our prayers and uplifting words during this time. Please join me as I pray that God will send her an inner peace to handle whatever surgery she is faced with. Also, if you get a minute, drop a card in the mail or make a quick call just to check on her. She is feeling good enough to take calls and have visitors and go places now, so this would be a great time to see if you can hook up with her. She has a doctors appt on Tuesday to discuss the type of surgery she will need. We'll let you know how that goes. As always, we appreciate each and every one of you!

PS Jeanie (kecia's mom) got a call on Friday that one of her long time, best friends has a grapefruit sized tumor in her stomach. They are doing a biopsy to determine malignancy but she will need surgery to remove it either way. Her name is Carmen.

Update

Since our latest big news, Kecia has been busy making appointments, meeting with doctors, and doing research on her mastectomy procedure. She got her first round of lower dosed chemo late last week. It was MUCH better than the usual but still left her in bed "sleeping it off" for 3 days. She has already bounced back quite nicely and has been very busy. She had another breast sonogram done and has an appt. with the surgeon who will do the mastectomy on Tuesday. At that time they will schedule the surgery and give her all the details as to what she can expect. She is excited and optimistic as she knows this will be one more big step out of the way, but as with all surgeries she is somewhat apprehensive. They have told her that there is a chance that she will be able to have reconstructive surgery done at the same time which would greatly reduce the mental anguish over loosing her breasts. Most of you don't get to see Kecia on a regular basis and she forbid me from putting her "cancer pictures" up on the web, so you haven't seen the dramatic physical changes that have occurred in her over the past 9 months. I reported to you that she had lost all of her hair, including eye lashes and eye brows. During the 10 dry weeks without chemo, Kecia started getting her facial hair back and a small bit of fuzz on her head. (we teased that she looked a lot like a chea pet) I am happy to report that her buzz cut is now thick enough that no scalp can be seen. She hasa nice thick helmet of black hair. (and boy is it soft like a baby's) It's only about an inch long but it's a nice start. She looks great...even healthy! I can't tell you how good it feels to report good news! Thank God for miracles! Hopefully the worst is behind us, but please stick with us and continue to pray for Kecia regularly. I have absolutely no doubt that they are what pulled her through this difficult time and we want you with us until the end. Thanks for your continued support...

OUTSTANDING news!!!

Prayer Warriors, I've been sitting infront of this computer trying to think of a way to say this that would do it justice..but the words won't come to me. Nothing I think of, can convey the full range of emotions that I feel right now. So I will just say it. Kecia was given her results from the scans that were taken last week and she is in remission! There is NO ACTIVE CANCER IN HER BODY! I dare someone to tell her this isn't a GOD thing!! He is so amazing. He waits until she has been chemo free for a good 10 weeks and then heals her so that credit can't be given to the medicine. Kecia's doctor was beaming when he gave her the news. And he can't explain her recovery medically since he had already told her "there is no cure for cancer once it is in the bones, but we are close to a cure and we'll just keep you around until the cure is found." Too bad for him cause God did it first! Technically, Kecia is n ot cured..she is in remission which is different. She will still need to have both the mastectomy and hysterectomy in order to prevent future growth but just a month ago, her doctor didn't know that she would ever be physically able to handle the surgeries so that was still in question. Now, he is talking about doing the mastectomy early May and the other later in the summer. We had been looking toward the summer as Kecia's "light at the end of the tunnel" to mark her journey as half over through the worst part, but now we are thinking that this summer may actually be the "end of the tunnel" when life returns to a more normal state for her. At church the other day our pastor called on us to gather around members of the church who were in need of God's assistance and pray over them as a group. About 25 people gathered around Kecia and prayed for her. Anyone who knows Kecia well, knows that this is way out of her com fort zone and she felt a little wierd being the center of attention, but she was thankful that so many people care about and pray for her. Today, after hearing the results, she joked that the pastor should have had them "lay hands" on her alot sooner so she could have just skipped all that chemo! Join me tonight as I hit my knees hard in a prayer of thanksgiving because God is good all the time....and all the time God is good! She will still need to do the lower doses of chemo until all of the surgeries are completed and possibly for awhile afterwards, but it shouldn't be nearly as hard on her as the high doses were. We are praying that she will continue to respond favorably to the treatments and handle the chemo without too much discomfort. I can't possibly tell you all how much we love and appreciate you! There are no words that can accuratly express our thanks. Having you all here beside us every step of the way makes the sorrow easier to bear and the good news better to share! But don't leave us yet. We're not finished with this journey and we want ya'll here all the way. (written by Jennifer, posted by Lacey)

More Good News!

Prayer Warriors,

I am so sorry to keep you waiting but we just got the call from Kecia's doctor. They have set up a meeting one week from today (next Tuesday) to sit down together. They will go over the scans, discuss results and any new courses of action. He said her scans look good. There is no new cancer growth even though she has been without the Taxitere (the strong stuff) for 8 weeks. In addition, several of her tumors are still shrinking! For these reasons, he wants to let her have another week "on break" from the Taxitere because, while it is the most powerful cancer fighter, it is also the most damaging to her body. She is doing great without it and it seems that the Herceptin (less powerful "maintenance" chemo) is doing just fine. She is SO excited! I can't even tell you how good she has felt over the past week in comparison to the two previous months. She actually drove herself to my house yesterday. (her mom was with her, but Kecia drove) Praise God!
I mentioned in my last update that the woman doing Kecia's sonogram had a very difficult time even finding the tumor. That is because it is so small now it is no longer technically a "tumor". Now it is just a legion with no active cancer growth!!! Her doctor is actually starting to discuss the surgery which is a huge deal because he was afraid they may not be able to do it based on the type of cancer Kecia has. Now, he is positive they will be able to do the surgery and they will discuss that next week. Thank you all for sharing in the ups and downs of this journey with us. We have no doubt that even the faintest of our prayers is heard, but there is something so reassuring about knowing that our prayers go up to Heaven like the bold cheers at a stadium game instead of like a fearful whisper in the night. Your numbers bring us encouragement! We are so thankful for each and every one of you!