kecia gets bad news

Kecia had her routine scans done and was given some very sobering news. 33% of her heart is no longer functioning. Her cardiologist actually said "it appears that 33% of your heart is dead". This is obviously very serious and her doctor wants to start her on some heart medicine that can possibly rejuvinate the heart if it is not actually "dead" and is just dying. To increase the chances that it will be a successful attemp, her doctor wants to stop all chemo for one month and allow the heart meds their full impact. Kecia feels sure it is the chemo, Avastin, that is responsible for this rapid decline in her heart function because she has been on the Herceptin for her entire 3 year battle and all heart scans up until now have shown her heart at full function. She would like to stop the Avastin and continue the Herceptin, but her doctor is strongly advising against it. This is scarey for Kecia because she knows that even a short time off her chemo usually means that cancer spreads to a new place in her body. She is having to choose to stop chemo to strengthen her heart, but risk new cancer growth, or continue some chemo at the risk of a heart attack. She has been told the issue is so serious that she needs to drastically limit her intake of water (and all fluids, I think) because it can pool around her heart and cause pericardial effusion. (sack around the heart fills with fluid and "smothers" it) She is inclined to trust her doctor on this one and will probably stop her chemo for the month as he is suggesting, but this means she will be going in to find out how much damage has been done right after her birthday (june 7th). While it might be silly to some people, this time of year is always a nervous time for Kecia since it was the week after her birthday, 3 years ago that she was given this horrible diagnosis. She is really struggling with fear vs faith and could use all the prayer you can offer. Jeanie is also in a very difficult place. Both are trying to be so strong for the other, but inside they are frightened and confused and need God's hand on them during this unthinkably difficult time. Please pray for them.

prayer needed

My last update was a very happy one, telling everyone that Kecia had been told to "ring the remission bell" at her treatment center. To all of us, that sounded like wonderful news, but what Kecia realized just a few days later, is that it meant very little for her in the way of "quality of life". Most people who are told they are in remission get to stop treatment, grow their hair back, feel better and begin living again. For Kecia, however, this is not the case. Very little changed for her. She is so thankful that the cancer is not growing right now and feels blessed to be out of that part of her diagnosis, but she is still taking a full load of chemo, feels sick everyday, rarely leaves the house, and has what most would call a rather poor quality of life. She is told by her doctors that to stop or even measure down the chemo would mean it would instantly grow back. Each time it begins again it is harder to get rid of. So she feels like this is it. If there is no cure any time soon she is destined to feel like this and live like this for a very long time. Some days, she is very strong and believes God has helped her to overcome so many odds. She believes He has a purpose for her life. But on many days, she says she thinks she might just want to quit all treatment and go "home" to heaven to be with her Nanny so all this misery can just stop. She is in need of our prayers! In addition to that, Kecia is asking prayer for her mom. Jeanie has spiraled downward in depression over this past year. She has suffered several severe panic attacks and it is affecting her ability to even function in her normal life. She rarely leaves the house for fear of having a panic attack which is keeping her away from church and her support group. I have no doubt this is satan attacking her at her weakest point. Please rally with me in prayer for our two girls. June 7th is Kecia's 31st birthday. She will have been fighting this deadly disease non stop for 3 years! She sees no end in sight and she is tired. Thank you in advance for your continued support. Without all of you, I would have noone to share all of these burdens and prayers!

more prayer needed

Haven't had much to report lately. Kecia has been in the bathroom for the past 4 months with sickness related side effects. She hasn't been out of the house except for doctor visits in a long time. But finally, I have some good news to report. Kecia had scans done this week and yesterday afternoon her doctor said "well Kecia, I guess you get to ring that bell again" (refering to the bell in his lobby that patients ring when they have been given the "you're in remission" news) Several of Kecia's nurses were out there and they started crying..lots of hugs for everyone. Her doctor explained that once again, there is no cancer detected in her body and only the "scars" from where they were remains. There is a tiny exception to that, being the pin point dot on her brain that is literally the size of a pin point. All of the other spots on her brain are gone and this one has been this size for a long time with no changes so he feels confident it is dead as well. YEAH!!!!! But what we are even more excited about is the change that will occur in her chemo treatments. Back when Kecia was first diagnosed (2 and a half years ago) her doctor had said that his goal was to keep her alive until cure for this type of cancer was discovered. That hasn't happened yet, but a really great med has finally been approved for use. It has been in trials the whole time Kecia has been in treatment. I cant remember any of the names but Im going to attempt to explain this to you. She is taking 3 different chemo meds right now. The most powerful one she takes (which has these horrible side effects) she will not take anymore. Instead, she will take this new chemo which is a once a month shot. It is supposed to be more effective on this type of cancer but have less side effects. YEAH YEAH!!! The other 2 meds, she will continue to take but at a very small dose. Currently she is taking enough to treat an elephant, is what her doctor says. It will take a few weeks for the strong stuff to get out of her system so relief of symptoms wont be immediate, but we are expecting her to feel alot better by next month!!! This is such wonderful, blessed news. Her mom said "I don't know why I worry so much. Every single time there has been a need God has jumped in and taken care of it". God is so good! I couldn't wait to share this news with you! Kecia's birthday is June 7th and I am praying that she feels great, is cancer free, and up being productive again by then. I have been encouraging her to seek God's will and guide her to her "after recovery plan" where she will be able to be a light in the dark for other people. I know God wants to use Kecia for powerful and mighty things! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your prayers. Kecia is a living miracle and she couldn't have made it without all of the prayers and support of friends and family. Last night she said "Im ready to LIVE and be more than just ALIVE"

A Great Way to Start Off the New Year! Just after Christmas, Kecia was given the results from her total body scans. As you remember, the three spots on the brain had been down sized to just two spots at her last scan. Well God has down sized again as only one remains! Every inch of her body was checked and no new cancer can be detected anywhere. They found that the severe pain she continues to have in her lower back is not due to deterioration of the bone due to cancer as they had feared, but a slipped disc instead. She is scheduled to see a spine specialist this next week to see if it will need surgery or if it can be fixed otherwise. This is serious, I suppose, but Kecia is so thankful its a "normal" injury and not a sign that cancer is eating away at her bones. So she was very happy with the results. They did find that she has a slightly irregular heart beat (beating slower than it should be) but he is not overly concerned. Based on statistics, the cancer was supposed to have killed her by now, and if it hadn't, the damage that the chemo did to her organs should have. Just another reminder that God has certainly placed His hand of protection over her! Her doctor does want to have a specialist look at that too just so they can keep a close watch on it, but he assured her it is nothing to worry about at this point.



AND.....if that's not enough.....God shows Himself to Jeanie (Kecia's mom) once again. It all began a few months ago when both Jeanie and Kecia fell into a pretty serious depression. Kecia did nothing but go to treatments, sleep and get sick. She felt horrible every single day and though tests said her body was getting better, I was feeling worse. She started asking "If it's going to be like this then what's the point?" She wasn't able to go to church, be uplifted at her Bible study, or hang out with friends or family. She was falling into a deep dispair and noone knew how to help her. Seeing Kecia so miserable and being helpless to change anything for her, left Jeanie deeply depressed. To add to their downward spiral, both of them struggled with guilt over the belief that "if they really trusted God they wouldn't feel this way." Jeanie started praying that God would send a friend to Kecia. It would have to be someone special because Kecia can't really go anywhere or do anything fun. This friend would have to be okay just hanging around the house and it would have to be someone Kecia was very comfortable with because she's funny about people seeing her when she's down and out. For about a week she prayed everyday not even knowing who, exactly, she was praying would come. Then...last week after infusion, Jeanie suggested they stop by one of their favorite stores for a few minutes just to get Kecia out of the house. Kecia didn't feel like going but said she would (just to get Jeanie out of the house). At the last minute, Jeanie said "I could tell Kecia really wasn't feel very good so I suggested we go another time." Kecia was relieved and they headed home. Just a few minutes later a car pulled into the drive and three women got out. Jeanie assumed they had the wrong house. I guess she forgot that she had specifically asked God to send Kecia a friend. And not just any friend. Gina and Kecia had been best friends all through elementary school. Jeanie worked with Gina's mom and the girls spend weekends and summers together. If Gina was staying with Kecia it was not a bit unusual for both girls to come spend a few nights over at my house too. She was just extended family as far as we were concerned. The moms (Jeanie and Elva) were best friends too. And so much fun to be around. When these two ladies got together there was always so much laughter Im amazed they ever got any work done! Anyway, Gina is EXACTLY the kind of friend Jeanie had been praying for. Gina and her family had no idea that Kecia had cancer and were in complete shock when Jeanie told them. They explained that they had come by 2 other times in the past year but noone had been home. Jeanie too had tried to contact them, but they had moved, gotten new numbers and remarried since they had lost touch. It occured to Jeanie that if they had gone to the store as she had planned, they would have missed each other again. When Jeanie called to tell me this story she was crying. She said "I just can't believe that I ever doubt God. EVERY SINGLE TIME I have asked Him for something he has delivered it." She started listing things for me like...the time she asked Him to get them to the right surgeon and then give them a sign that it was the right one. Not only did He get them to Dr Ladely, but she walks in WITH THE LOST INFORMATION Kecia needed and said "I just happen to have this file on you Kecia because that procedure you had done TEN YEARS ago was done by my partner...so we have everything we need. If that wasn't enough, she quoted to them something very specific Jeanie had been saying in her prayers the night before. A few months ago Kecia was told there was probably going to be a 6 month lapse in her health care coverage. The people from long term disability said she'd probably have to go on COBRA but she was gonna end up paying out of pocket for all her medications. That would have been literally thousands of dollars per month. They expected it too take 4-6 months for her paperwork to be approved. We all prayed about it and God came through. The next to last day of the month, her paperwork was appoved. Not ONE SINGLE DAY did she have to miss medication or pay out of pocket. And now, He sends Kecia the exact friend she needs just when she needs it most! If that's not enough, He sent Elva for Jeanie because He knew she needed a friend too! So her prayer wasn't just answered, it was answered two fold!! It's easy to believe that God cares about big stuff like life and death, sickness and war. But He reminded Jeanie and Kecia that He cares about the little stuff (that sometimes ends up being more important than we realize) too. He cares about friends, and car payments, and medical bills. He cares about the house we move to and the schools our kids attend. I often wonder if Kecia REALLY knows how special God's plan for her is. We are so excited to be able to share this great story with all of you who pray so faithfully for Kecia and our family. Our prayers are heard and answered at every turn! Thank you for walking this out with us. Now go and make all your little bitty prayers, that you thought weren't important enough to ask for, known. Because you serve a Great Big God who cares about even your little bitty requests! HAPPY 2011 from the Snyder/Rezaie Family

11-2-10 FINALLY, some GREAT news to share! At Kecia's visit with her primary oncologist she learned that God is still working miracles for her. As you know, she has been doing tests to determine the amount of damage that the chemo is doing on her organs. It's not one big test, but rather a test for the heart one day, the lungs another and so on....Her doctor came in and apologized that he had not reviewed the report on her bones yet as it had been a hectic morning. They looked over it together. He looked shocked and reread it several times before saying "well Kecia...your tests reveal that your bones don't look any different that a normal persons bones" He reminded her that its not really possible to have cancer in your bones and then kill it with 3 times the amount of poison that is given to most people and then have no visible signs of the damage! He can still see the scars from her cancer but even that bone marrow is strong. Kecia thanked him profusely and said that he and God had saved her life. Then, her doctor who is not a professed believer stated "Kecia, you are the poster child for miraculous healing". Even he admitted that science can do amazing things, but that in Kecia's case, medicine could not take the praise for her healing! This certainly does not mean that her battle with cancer is over, but it is one more confirmation that God does want to heal Kecia. How long this road is going to take we can't even begin to guess. But she is NOT going through this alone and I believe God has big plans for Kecia. I can't wait until she's healthy enough to see exactly what that is!

10-26-10 Kecia's visit with the doctor on Thursday went well. He confirmed what the nurse had already said...there are no new tumors and no new growth on the little ones at the base of her brain. Still can't tell for sure if those are dead (and the spots are just the scars) or if they are still very small active cancer spots. The only way to know for sure is to do a biopsy and they wont do that due to its location and the fact that messing with this type of cancer usually makes it spread like crazy. He believes it is just the scar but either way there is no new growth. So praise God for that!! She will have alot of tests run over the next few weeks to test her organs and see how much damage the chemo has done to them. Based on how much poison has been pumped into her body to fight the cancer, it is a miracle that her organs arent shutting down. I have been praying against that almost from the beginning so I am not expecting bad news in this area. It is obvious that God has been protecting her organs because to date she has had zero issues with them being damaged by the chemo. Unbelievable, if you ask me! These tests will be done a little one day and more on another. The first one is testing her heart but I don't know when. Next week I think. Will let you know when I hear something.