Rise

Rise by Katie Perry  I do not own the rights to this music.

This song is perfect for where I am in my life right now. Although things are not exactly looking rosy, I am committed to take charge of my destiny and "Rise" to the occasion. Take a listen if you are so inclined.

Brief update on the cancer front. One tumor marker heading down, one heading up. I just have to shake my head  ... "Whatever"!  Liver enzymes are good, other blood work is good. This Friday is the last chemo session of the cycle. PET scheduled for 4/7, review results and next steps with Dr. Kocs on 4/14, follow-up MRI on 4/19, then the appointment to go over results with Dr. Cohen on 4/21. I am not expecting great news on the PET front, anticipating a change in treatment protocols (hello #6). I am hoping we get the all clear on the MRI. I will NOT be happy if more brain invaders show up. Not that I won't deal with whatever comes ... I will ... I just won't be happy about it. 

Okay, enough of the Debbie Downer cancer crap! Let's chat about what keeps me excited these days! I AM TAKING CHARGE!! 

If you read my last post, you know that I decided that if God is doing his/her part in watching over me, the least I can do is make life changes to help myself. I started these life changes on Monday. And I remain excited!

I started a 7-day Alkaline Detox, with the intent of following up another three weeks on the 21-/Day Alkaline Diet Plan by Laura Rimmer. First, I bailed after five days on the detox. I am still eating the smoothies and soups included in the Detox, just not in the order provided. For example, I have no desire to make and eat Carrot and Lemongrass soup. I will stick to the leek/fennel root soup and the lentil soup I made earlier. Both are delicious! I also have no desire to ingest a coconut and turmeric smoothie. Instead, I will sub for the Kale/Orange smoothie and the Chlorophyll Zinger. Technically, I am still on the detox through the weekend. 

To date, my favorites for the detox include:

• Vegetable Detox Soup (basic vegetable soup, plus a beet.
• Hearty soup - this is the leeks and fennel root
• Tomato basil soup
• Greens and lentil soup
• Keto alkaline green smoothie
• Kale/Orange smoothie
• Chlorophyll Zinger
• Keto blueberry blast

I also drink a glass of warm lemon water every morning.

Note on the Chlorophyll Zinger: This smoothie detoxes the liver and the blood cells. My cancer is considered "blood borne", plus I have three lesions on my liver, so this is one I will definitely repeat every week if not twice a week.

I am already noticing a difference. I have not aged well and I look at least 10 if not 15 years older than I am. Five days into this detox and I already look younger. My body is more hydrated from the fresh fruits, veggies, and alkaline water. In just 5 days!! I keep this up and any future face lift is off the table!

This is the perfect time of the year to start on this new life style change. The farmer's markets are full of wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables. Although my husband is not going vegetarian, he is committed to eliminating processed foods from his diet and using fresh whenever possible. What does this mean for the Bishop house? So much fresh produce that we needed to rearrange our kitchen a bit to accommodate our latest haul from the farmer's market. Our kitchen island was overrun with fruits and veggies. So we created a fruit/vegetable bar in the kitchen, complete with our new food processor, our new blender, and four baskets of fruits and veggies we need for the week. We still have a bowl for apples, pears, and bananas on the island. Going forward, our "grocery shopping" for the week really means a couple of trips to Eli's for more fresh stuff.

I have also stocked up on vegan/vegetarian staples: lentils, the seeds (flax, chia, hemp), the coconut and almond milk, the coconut and alkaline water, agave, pure maple, Tahini, and spelt flour.  I have a new vegetarian cookbook scheduled for delivery on Monday. Meanwhile, I am planning on eating the rest of my detox soups this week, plus cooking a couple of vegetarian dishes: Chiles Rellenos with Black Beans (hubby will eat this with me) plus I am going to try roasted sweet potatoes with Miso, ginger, and scallions, then roasted cauliflower, some interesting stuff with brussels sprouts for snack, and more. 

Now this may not seem like a big deal to anyone, but I assure you, my family is in shock! I do not cook. Correction ... I DID not cook; I do now. I am cooking almost every day ... and enjoying it, much to my surprise! I look forward to finding and trying new recipes every week. I am also looking forward to experimenting with vegan desserts that will satisfy my sweet cravings.

I am very blessed! I am excited about the path I am on. Why don't you join me?

Radioactive

Radioactive by Image Dragon I do not own the rights to this music.

The song is appropriate for the blog, but I purposely did not link the the video. It's a bit dark ... cute cuddly stuffed animals getting beat up. I'm probably being a bit of a prude, but I still find it violent, stuffed animals or not.

Thursday was zap the new tumors day! I wasn't sure what to expect other than my head would be held immobile via a mask snapped onto a board during the 45-minute treatment. My biggest fear is that my nose or face would start to itch ... and I wouldn't be able to do anything. Mind over matter techniques are a must for this. So I counted the songs they were playing in the room, thinking we would go through up to 10 songs. This would help me gauge where we are in the process. I also sang the songs in my head ... and dozed off. My snoring woke me up a couple of times. It was a bit embarrassing to be honest.

Here is a picture of the mask. Freaky, right?

Anyway, all went well. I start stepping down the steroid dose Friday and will be off them entirely by 4/3. Thank goodness! I hate steroids ... more on that later.

So what's next with my little brain invaders? Well, hopefully we sent them to the tumor graveyard. Dr Cohen ordered a follow-up MRI for the end of April, then every three months until who knows when.

Continued prayers that this chapter is behind us and we can focus on killing the invaders in my neck and chest. Sneaky and resilient little suckers!

Friday was chemo day. After labs were drawn, I head in to see Rachel. We went over bloodwork, the radiation, follow-up treatment, and overall general commiserating. One thing I realized is just how blessed I am. Rachel ordered the CT to find out why my arm was swelling and .that caught the first of two brain lesions quite by accident. We did an Ultrasound the Friday before to rule out a blood clot. Truth be told, most would stop there and not push further. Rachel pushed. And the radiologist just happened to see the lesion on the front lobe out of his/her peripheral vision. Had the tumor been elsewhere ..... it's scary to think of the repercussions had we not caught them now. Again, I am so blessed. Even though the news is not great, it is evident that my "grace" and God continue to look out for me. I don't believe in coincidences. How could this incident be anything less than divine intervention? This realization has given me a lot of peace and calm in the roaring storm. It has also strengthened my resolve to do my part to beat this disease (more on that later). I am happy 😇

I learned something else Friday that was disconcerting. My tumor markers from February are up by 40 points. How did I miss this? I suspect it may be due to the treatment interruptions during the winter apocalypse. Regardless, I am not letting this latest news pierce my newfound peace. Liver enzymes are in normal range. White blood cell and ANC counts are high, typically indicating infection; this is from the dreaded steroids. We stay the course. I have a PET on April 7th. Let's see what that brings.

Chemo was brutal on Friday. Not the treatment itself, but the appointment. It was a long one. Thank goodness I got there early:

• Labs
• Visit with Rachel
• Iron treatment (my last one) for one hour
• Chemo for 30 minutes
• Potassium for 90 minutes

I don't know what the caused the potassium to drop, but the nurse caught that the levels were way low, alerted Rachel, and the potassium drip was added. I also have a one-week prescription because the drip is typically 2 hours but we didn't have enough time for a two hour treatment. 

I got there at 12:30 and left after 5. Wore me out.

This is where I start doing my part: Alkaline diet.  I had always heard that cancer likes an acidic body. I am sure with all the sugar I ingest that my body is as acidic as it gets. I have resisted this path for a long time because I saw person after person after person eat "clean", avoid chemicals, with no impact on their cancer diagnosis or longevity. My mantra? Why give up Blue Bell Ice Cream if it wasn't going to change anything?

So what changed? Staring mortality in the face. And thinking my time is running out. I realize I can just sit here and let it happen or I can at least TRY to take some control over my own destiny. Will it help? Who knows. It can't hurt. 

I get my second COVID shot today. Expecting to feel horrible, I've decided to wait until Monday to start the one week Alkaline cleanse before I begin the 21-day Alkaline diet. I have purchased all the non-perishables I will need (this stuff is expensive) and will be sending Mike to the store for the fresh fruits and veggies I will need for soups and smoothies. I had previously purchased fresh veggies for the the soups I would need for the first two days. I made and froze one last weekend. I couldn't sleep, so I made my second soup at 4:30 this morning. I also ordered a food processor (chopping, slicing, dicing), ph strips, and spelt flour.

Although I can't eat bread on this diet for the first month, I am told spelt bread, in moderation, is okay. My spelt flour came in this morning. I am going to make a loaf today just to see if this is something we want to continue.

Wish me luck on this new adventure! I promised myself I would give it six months and see if  tumor markers and PET results improve. I don't expect any impact on the 4/7 PET. I hear week three on this diet is a major milestone, so I am anxious to get there.

Watch this space 😏

CT And MRI Results

 For those that are interested, here is the CT result and pictures to help you understand what they are talking about:

CT scan Exam: CT SOFT TISSUE NECK WITH CONTRAST

FINDINGS: Intracranial Structures: 13 mm x 8 mm enhancing mass in the right superior frontal gyrus was not included on the field-of-view on referenced imaging. Paranasal sinuses: Visualized sinuses are well aerated. Mastoids: Well aerated. Orbits: Normal. Skull Base: Normal. Masticator Space: Normal. Salivary Glands: Normal. Nasopharynx: Normal. Oral Cavity and Oropharynx: Normal. Hypopharynx and Larynx: Normal. Trachea, Aerodigestive tract: Normal. Thyroid: Normal. Lymph Nodes: Index nodes are as follows: The ill-defined left level IV lymph node conglomerate with invasion of the adjacent scalene muscles measures approximately 3.4 cm x 3.3 cm, 3.3 cm x 3.7 cm on 02/03/2021 and 4 cm x 4.8 cm on 01/31/2020. There is questionable enhancement of the regional brachial plexus. Left node of Rouviere measuring 9 mm x 9 mm, 9 mm x 11 mm on 02/03/2021 and unmeasurable on 01/31/2020. Left level Ia measuring 12 mm x 12 mm, 12 mm x 7 mm on 02/03/2020 and 10 mm x 6 mm on 01/31/2020. Left level IIa measuring 13 mm x 10 mm, 11 mm x 11 mm on 02/03/2021 and 10 mm x 11 mm on 01/31/2020. Small bilateral level I and left level V lymph nodes are stable compared to 02/03/2021 and mildly increased compared to 01/31/2020. For example, a right level I node measuring 8 mm x 6 mm, unmeasurable on 01/31/2020. Vessels: The carotid arteries and jugular veins are patent. Osseous Structures: No destructive changes are found. Small sclerotic foci in T3 and chronic T5 compression deformity are redemonstrated. IMPRESSION: 1. Several cervical lymph nodes are stable compared to 02/03/2021 but mildly increased in size compared to 01/31/2020. 2. The left level IV lymph node conglomerate is stable compared to 02/03/2021 and mildly improved compared to 01/31/2020. There is questionable involvement of the regional brachial plexus, which can be further assessed with brachial plexus MRI as clinically necessary. 3. Small right frontal metastasis, which was not included on the field-of-view on referenced imaging.

Here is the MRI:

MRI BRAIN WITH AND WITHOUT CONTRAST

 FINDINGS: Brain: Mild nonspecific signal abnormality in the deep white matter should represent old small vessel ischemic damage. 10 mm x 6 mm enhancing lesion at the depths of the right superior frontal sulcus and 3 mm enhancing lesion in the left occipital lobe. No significant associated mass effect. Incidental left posterior frontal opercular developmental venous anomaly. Midline Structures: The midline structures of the brain are normal. Ventricles: The ventricles, sulci and cisterns are within normal limits. Vasculature: The vascular flow voids at the base of the brain are within normal limits. Calvarium: The visualized osseous structures are unremarkable. Sinuses: Minimal scattered atheromatous calcification. Orbits: The orbits and globes are unremarkable. Mastoids: Partial bilateral mastoid opacification. Extracranial soft tissues: The visualized extracranial soft tissues are unremarkable. IMPRESSION: Small right frontal and left occipital metastases without mass effect or hemorrhage.

Cover Me In Sunshine

Cover Me in Sunshine by Pink, Willow Sage Hart  I do not own the rights to this music.

This song is a call to action for friends, relatives, and blog readers. I am struggling to remain upbeat and positive, so critical in this battle. Please take a minute and "cover me in sunshine"! Send all the prayers and positive vibes you can spare my way. Thanks in advance!! 

Here is what rocked our world this past week:

When meeting with Rachel pre-chemo, I showed her a lump on the inside of my elbow. Full disclosure, right? Is my arm swollen? When we compared the left to the right ... yep, the left was larger. So, while I was going through chemo, Rachel ordered an ultrasound at the hospital next door. We need to make sure I don't have a blood clot (same arm that had lymphedema at the beginning of this journey ... only to find out it was a symptom of the metastases).

Chemo done, I head to the hospital. They got me in right away. Thirty minutes later I'm done and headed home. I was home 30 minutes when Rachel calls, says no blood clot, but let's monitor over the weekend and see if the swelling goes down. So Mike and I measure my left arm.. and right arm for comparison.. all weekend. I send Rachel a note early Monday AM with the results. Later that morning I get a call from Rachel. We need to order a CT and see what's causing the swelling. I head to TX Oncology for my CT Monday afternoon.  Note: Rachel doesn't play!! Can you tell?

Can I stop for a sec and let you know something I've noticed the past few weeks? I don't stress test results anymore. Those of you that have gone through any type of serious illness, waiting for test results is typically torture. I belonged to that "torture" club for a long time. But I've found I no longer check the patient portal every hour or leave messages/notes for the doctor to post results ASAP. I have finally realized that all my stressing and hand-wringing isn't going to change the results. It's liberating! Only took me 7 years to get there. 

Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon, I get another call from Rachel with CT results. As with recent scans, the results were mixed. Some stability, some progression. But this CT showed something new we haven't see before. Seriously? AGAIN?! Turns out there is a possible lesion on my right frontal lobe of my brain. We need an MRI to be sure. Once again, Rachel springs into action. I am getting an MRI at 10:30 Wednesday morning. Rachel calls Wednesday PM with results ... we don't have a brain lesion, we have TWO brain lesions: one 13mm x 8 mm in the right frontal lobe and one 3 mm in the left lower lobe. That's the gut punch, folks! Now what? For starters, Rachel prescribed steroids to prevent brain swelling. And radiation. I am scheduled with the radiation oncologist for next week ... or so I thought. 

Once again, TX Oncology is jumping through hoops. The nurse called back and moved the appointment from next week to Friday morning. This may not sound like much, but Dr. Cohen doesn't work on Fridays; she came in today specifically to see me and get the party started! Now do you know why I love this place? 

Unable to sleep Wednesday night, I started checking on treatment options for MBC brain metastases. Typically, doctors use radiation to zap the tumor, then monitor. Sometimes more lesions show up, many times they never see them again. I vote for door number two! I also checked in with Breastcancer.org and checked out the brain metastases thread. The general consensus for most ladies mirrored what the doctors and other research had told me: this is an inconvenience and something we need to deal with and monitor, but it's not an automatic death sentence. Yeah, I asked that question. Told you I was in a dark place.

I met with Dr. Cohen, the radiation oncologist this morning. The plan is to zap both lesions at the same time with targeted radiation, then we followup with MRIs every three months until ... forever. This will take about 45 minutes. Once we finish the treatment ... one and done... she will start weaning me off the steroids. Thank you, Lord! But, before we can schedule treatment, they have to make a mask to hold my head still during radiation. 

I must say, this was a trip going through this process. It didn't hurt, it isn't scary. But here I am, lying on the CT scan "bed" and I have three people putting this warm mesh thing behind my head and they are are mashing it this way and that. It felt like a neck message! Once they get that part how they like it, they bring over a large warm mesh thing to put head and face, leaving my eyes and nose exposed. Again, I've got three people mashing this way and that to get it real tight. Apparently, I am tiny ... coulda fooled me ... so they were having trouble getting it real tight. They snapped it into place. There is no way my head or neck is moving once snapped into place. Once they were done, they took it off and let me up. I got to see the mask. It's pretty cool! The best part? I get to keep it when we're done. Nice! I'm going to embellish that sucker, put a wig on it, and put her in my office. I may even give her a name. Feel free to send suggestions.

Here is what a mask looks like. Do you see where it is snapped down?

Hubby is expecting me to glow in the dark so much that we won't need a light on to read in bed. Sure would hate to disappoint 😊