Journal entry by Courtney Powell —
Jessica began chemotherapy treatment today (5/2) at UCHealth in Denver. She was given the FOLFIRI chemotherapy infusion, which lasted an hour and a half, while premedication administered prior to the infusion lasted a half hour. Blood work completed prior to treatment today looked excellent. CEA (tumor marker number) did go up; however, this was not entirely unexpected given the nature of this particular cancer. UCHealth is confident in their ability to treat the cancer with the current regimen.
Jess described the experience today as positive overall, stating that the facilities were very nice and the staff with whom she interacted were upbeat and positive as well. She was sent home with a chemotherapy pump to wear for approximately 46 hours following the infusion.
She is currently resting at her home-away-from-home in Denver with Taylor and his parents. The plan is to complete this regimen (FOLFIRI infusion followed by 46 hours of chemotherapy pump) biweekly for a total of 6 rounds. In June, she will go in for additional scans to assess her progress.
Jessica is remaining hopeful and feels confident in the current treatment plan. Please continue praying for Jess, Taylor, and their families. Consider donating to the updated GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/jessica-pryor-cancer-treatment?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1) to help ease the financial burden of cancer treatment.
As Jess begins this next round of chemotherapy treatment, let’s be reminded of God’s words in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God has been with Jess every step of this journey so far, and we know He will only continue to be her source of strength.
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