Journal
Hey there, faithful friends and family! Alert: this is long, so you may need to read it later!
It has been over a year since I have given an update to my health journey, and that’s a GOOD thing! Up until now, things have gone very smoothly. I have responded well to the Lanreotide injections I have been receiving this past year, and I am grateful. There has been very little to report besides the lack of progress of my disease, so that is the reason for my lack of posts for a while. As many of you know, I have a tendency to talk even when there’s nothing to talk about, and I have been trying to work on that! 😂So many of you reach out regularly for updates, though, and since I actually have something to report now, I decided it was time to share!
My most recent appointment with Dr. Paulson last week revealed a change. In a nutshell, my liver tumors have increased in number and size (about 10%) from my last scan 3 months ago, indicating more rapid (aggressive) growth of my disease. Dr. Paulson called the growth “significant“ but said he would not yet characterize it as “substantial.” He went on to say that the significance was enough to “add to the arsenal” of current treatment I am receiving.
Dr. Paulson said that this progression was to be expected but candidly admitted that he was hoping it would not have happened this soon. As I have shared with some of my close friends, while I did not fully expect this, I have been feeling slightly worse lately—specifically more fatigued, and experiencing more moderate pain and unexplained digestive issues—so the news did not take me completely by surprise.
As for next steps, Dr. Paulson (whom I affectionately call Dr. Teenager—He’s so young, y’all!) outlined a variety of options— a total of about 9 actually (I honestly lost count!). The options included everything from several types of targeted radiation treatments, oral chemotherapies, and targeted drug therapies, as well as an array of clinical trials. Naturally, I asked for his advice, and based on my particular patient profile and his research (he runs the largest clinical trial network for Neuroendocrine cancer in the country so I respect his take!) together we landed on a particular targeted drug therapy as the next “tool to remove from the toolbox.”
So, I am about to begin taking a daily pill called Everolimus (aka Afinitor) that has been discovered to be effective specifically for neuroendocrine tumors. The goal of this therapy is similar to goal of the injections (which will continue). Simply stated, the main goal is to keep my tumors in stasis. Shrinkage is not expected, but the hope is that they will be “still” for as long as possible!
Now to my specific prayer requests. School is getting ready to start, and this treatment will be a bit of a disruption in several ways. First of all, I will need to get lab work and have doctors visits much more often, so pray that I may continue to work hard and teach effectively. As well, there is a potential LARGE myriad of more significant side effects, including mouth sores, nausea, weakness, infections, diarrhea, skin rash, fluid buildup, and more…It’s a pretty long list, and a little daunting to read. Please pray that I will tolerate the drug well, experiencing a minimum (or no!) side effects. And it probably goes without saying that I would appreciate prayers for the effectiveness of this new treatment. Finally, pray that I won’t let fear control me. I guess it’s natural to go down the “internet rabbit hole” to read about how my prognosis has statistically changed based on the addition of this new treatment. (Dr. Google has SO much to say!) But I also know that only God has the bird’s eye view of my health journey and life expectancy. And I also know that as my friend Melba says, “When you’re worrying you could be praying. Worry accomplishes nothing. Prayer accomplishes everything.” It’s kind of like the “Readers Digest version” of Philippians 4:6-7. ☺️
I will never be able to thank all of you enough for your continued support and kindness to me over the past couple of years. I have received so many blessings, and I know that your support and love is adding immeasurably to the quality of my life, and even extending my life! My first doctor once told me that he has noticed three common qualities of his most successful patients:
Faith, positivity, and a strong support network. I was reflecting this morning that my incredibly positive support network is in great part responsible for the growth of both my faith and positivity.
I am truly humbled by and dependent upon your love and support, so thank you♥️
Gratefully,
Shelly
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