Happy July, everyone! ☀️
Exactly one year ago, on July 1st, a perfectly normal summer day turned our lives upside down. My brother Jeremy and his family were visiting, and we were having the best time—playing mini-golf, eating good food, and just hanging out. Around 4:30 PM, we all headed to the local water park to catch their after-5 PM discount. Drew was back home working, but I was there with my kids, my brother, and his family, having a blast.
Then, out of nowhere, things took a terrifying turn.
My left foot started moving uncontrollably, swirling around. Fearing the worst, I sat on the ground. Suddenly, I lost the ability to speak. Feeling like I was about to die, I tried to mouth the word "help" to a woman staring at me from across the way. None of my family was right next to me at that moment.
My very next memory is being wheeled out on a stretcher. I remember looking up and seeing my kids crying as the paramedics wheeled me past them. I had suffered a full-blown seizure right there in front of everyone. Having never had a seizure before, it was the scariest moment of my life.
At the hospital, the nightmare continued. I felt a second seizure coming on, and this time, Drew was by my side to witness it—which was incredibly traumatizing for both of us. After extensive testing, we got the devastating news: my cancer had not only metastasized to my brain, but specifically to the leptomeningeal area (where spinal fluid circulates). Along with my metastatic breast cancer, I now had a new diagnosis: Leptomeningeal Disease (LMD). It was heartbreaking, especially knowing how difficult the prognosis typically is.
Which brings me to today. To be standing here, one year later, is a huge PRAISE! 🙌
I just had a new brain MRI on June 30th and met with my amazing neuro-oncologist. He is so pleased with the results. While there are still tiny bits of cancer in the leptomeningeal space and a bit on my cerebellum, the disease is stable and not growing. Even better, the new drug I’m on is known to successfully cross the blood-brain barrier. He told Drew and I today that he is really hoping for all the cancer in my brain to clear up. It is so nice to have such a positive physician who believes I can heal there!
To backtrack a little bit to earlier this week: on Monday, I officially started cycle 3 of Trodelvy.
Going into the appointment, we really weren't sure what my oncologist would decide to do, especially since my tumor markers and liver enzymes have been on the rise since starting this new drug. But when she walked into the exam room, her first question was simply, "How are you feeling?"
Since our last visit, she had bumped my dosage up from a 50% dose to a 75% dose. I was happy to tell her, "I'm actually feeling surprisingly good, all things considered!" While chemo always brings a whole slew of side effects, it’s nothing I can’t handle right now.
When we looked at the lab results, it was a bit of a mixed bag and tricky to interpret. On one hand, my tumor markers are still increasing, and my liver enzymes remain high (though they do fluctuate). On the other hand, my circulating tumor cells actually seem to be going down. We really are hoping my tumor markers come down. Right now the biggest concern is the cancer in my liver.
Because my body is handling the higher dose relatively well—thanks to bone marrow stimulating injections that keep my white blood cell counts from dropping too low—we decided to move forward with another treatment cycle. The real answers will come at the end of the month, when I have a PET scan that will give us a much clearer picture of how well this treatment is working on the areas other than my brain.
My brother Jeremy and his family just headed home yesterday after another wonderful visit., one year later. This time around, there were no seizures, no ambulances, and absolutely no traumatic events—just pure quality time. It was such a gift to have a visit that wasn't overshadowed or tainted by my health issues. Even though I had to slip away for a few medical appointments while they were here, it comforted my heart to know that Luke and Abbey were having the absolute best time making memories and hanging out with their cousins.
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| Top Golf |
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| Backyard basketball |
God is good, and I am so grateful for another year, stable MRI of the brain, and all of you. Thank you for walking this journey with me! Now, let's pray this treatment starts working on my bones and liver!
