It's been a little over two months since I have posted an update.   Everything had been stable and good so I didn't have much to share.   During that time Mike and I joined my parents in cancun for spring break.   Amazing time sitting by the water and jumping around in the waves.   We also went snorkeling,  to some Mayan ruins,  and took a cooking class.   So wonderful to have the energy to participate in all of that!!

During that time I also had a CT scan that showed the tumors in the liver are still shrinking despite the rising CEA numbers.   We're going to wait a little longer,  do another CT scan,  and likely change the chemo treatment at that point. Meanwhile I continue to have pretty good energy and love being able to still work full time. 

This week however was a doozie. Tuesday I woke up to my ostomy pouch full of blood.   I cleaned up and contacted my ostomy nurse at 5am.  She got back to me fairly quickly and said the pics I had sent looked good,  and if the bleeding had stopped i was probably ok, but to check back in with her if anything changed.   By early afternoon the pouch was full of blood again,  and shooting out the side of the stoma.   A relief that it was coming from outside and not internally.   I toyed with the idea of finishing my last class and then going to the hospital,  but better judgement prevailed.   I got someone to cover my class and my principal drove me to the ER.  Mike joined me there and the doc examined me and consulted with the surgeon from a year ago. They concluded it was just irritation and I needed to cut my pouch barriers a little bigger, then sent me home.   I had one more pouch full of blood that evening but have been fine ever since. Just a little terrifying for family and students as they weren't completely aware of details for several hours.

Then on Wednesday on my way to chemo treatment I had a blowout.   For my fellow ostomates,  you may know what this is like.   I cleaned myself up and then realized that after the previous day's troubles,  I didn't have all the supplies I needed in my travel bag.   Ended up having to create a makeshift pouch to get through the rest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, after two days of irritation,  I had a very painful skin rash to deal with. So glad Thursday and Friday were better!

Thanks for all of the continuing prayers over the past year.   Current prayer requests...
1.  Oncologist would find the right replacement med when the time is right. 
2.  Skin irritation can be kept to a minimum. 
3.  God would continue to speak wisdom into my thick skull so I don't ignore warning signs.