Post-hospital stay update

After receiving so many texts from friends asking how my second treatment with Eribulin went—the treatment that landed me in the hospital—I realized I’m overdue for an update.

I was originally scheduled to receive my second treatment the Thursday (August 13) after my first treatment. But after spending Saturday through Tuesday in the hospital with neutropenic fever, my doctors wanted to give my body a little more time and check my blood counts before moving forward. The plan was to give me a 20% reduced dose if my counts were high enough.

Unfortunately, even after receiving an injection to stimulate my bone marrow and boost my white blood cells, my counts actually dropped.

So, I received another injection and was sent home with strict instructions to avoid germs as much as possible because my immune system was so compromised that even a simple infection could potentially land me back in the hospital—or worse, lead to sepsis.

That meant going into full lockdown at home. No church. No watching my kids play volleyball. No normal activities. Just staying home and trying to protect my body while it worked to rebuild my immune system.

I went back to the oncology office Thursday last week for more bloodwork, and I honestly couldn’t believe the results. After a second injection, my white blood counts were somehow even lower. My neutrophil count was only 0.07, which meant my immune system was essentially nonexistent.

They gave me yet another injection, and after consulting with my doctors, we made the decision to skip that week’s treatment altogether and start all over with a new treatment cycle beginning the following week. My body clearly needed a break.

And the problem hasn’t just been my white blood cells. My red blood cells have also taken a major hit. I’m anemic, and both my hemoglobin and platelets have been dangerously low. No wonder I’ve felt so incredibly weak!

I went back Monday for more labwork, and thankfully, we finally got some good news: my white blood cell and neutrophil counts were back in the normal range! 🙌

So we scheduled treatment for Wednesday.

On Wednesday, my white counts were still looking good, but my hemoglobin and platelets were still too low. So once again, we decided to wait and recheck everything today—Friday, August 21.

And that brings me to where I am right now. I’m sitting at Texas Oncology as I type this, waiting for my lab results and praying that my numbers have come up enough for me to receive treatment today. If they are high enough, I’ll receive the Eribulin with a 20% dose reduction. If my red blood counts are still too low, we may be looking at an iron infusion or even a blood transfusion.

It has definitely been a frustrating and exhausting few weeks. It’s hard to feel like you’re moving forward when your body keeps saying, “Not yet.”

But there is another piece of good news that I’m choosing to hold onto.

Despite everything my body has been through—including the chemotherapy, multiple injections, and strong IV antibiotics during my hospital stay—my liver enzymes are dropping. ❤️

One of the biggest goals of this treatment is to get the cancer in my liver under control. So while I’ve only been able to receive one treatment so far, I’m choosing to see those falling liver enzymes as a little glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this treatment is doing what we desperately need it to do.

So today, I’m praying for good lab results, a strong enough blood count to receive treatment, and continued signs that this medicine is working.

One day at a time. One lab result at a time. One treatment at a time.

And through all of it, I’m continuing to choose hope. ❤️🙏

Update: I'm now in the infusion chair and will be receiving an iron infusion as well as a reduced dose of the chemotherapy.

August has started out providing new challenges

Happy August, everyone!

It’s been a little while since I’ve updated, and unfortunately, a lot has happened since my last post.

I recently had a PET scan, and the results confirmed what my bloodwork had been showing: the Trodelvy I had been on did not work, and the cancer has progressed significantly—especially in my liver, but also in my bones. I’m still waiting on the results from the brain MRI I had this morning to know whether the treatment had any effect there. The progression in my liver also helps explain the pain I’ve been experiencing there. It’s difficult to process news like this, especially when you’ve been hoping and praying that a treatment will work.

So, it was back to the drawing board. As I mentioned in my last update, I had an appointment scheduled with a doctor who specializes in a treatment called histotripsy. Histotripsy is a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment that uses focused ultrasound waves to destroy tumors in the liver. Rather than surgery, radiation, or heat, it uses microscopic bubbles that rapidly expand and collapse, mechanically breaking apart tumor tissue. I actually met with this surgeon before I met with my oncologist, so he was the one who shared my PET scan results with me. Unfortunately, because of the amount and extent of cancer in my liver, I am not a candidate for histotripsy. That was definitely a disappointment.

Then, on Monday, I met with my oncologist. Since the PET scan showed that Trodelvy was not working, we decided to move forward with trying to get insurance approval for another chemotherapy drug called Eribulin. There is a significant downside to Eribulin: it does not cross the blood-brain barrier, so it won't treat the cancer in my brain or spinal fluid. But right now, the most urgent concern is my liver. There is a very large amount of cancer there, and getting that under control is critical.

Last Monday, I also received a new injection called Xgeva, which is intended to help strengthen my bones and reduce the risk of fractures from the bone metastases.

Then, on Thursday, I found out that Eribulin had finally been approved by my insurance. They were able to squeeze me in that afternoon, so I started treatment immediately. The infusion itself is actually pretty quick, and I only had one pre-medication—an anti-nausea medication. I was also told that Eribulin shouldn't be as hard on my blood counts as some of the other treatments I've been on.

Unfortunately, my body had a very different experience. By Friday and Saturday, I was extremely fatigued. I just wanted to lie down or sit and rest. Then on Saturday, I started having chills and felt warm. Since I had been using a heating pad, I initially wondered if that was why I felt hot. But Drew took my temperature, and sure enough, I had a fever.

I have always been told that if I ever develop a fever over 100.4, I need to call my doctor immediately and go to the hospital. I had never actually had to do that before, so let's just say I was a little surprised when I found myself calling the Texas Oncology after-hours number. They told me to go to the hospital immediately.

Long story short, we ended up spending several days in the hospital with neutropenic fever. It is a serious and potentially dangerous complication, so they treated me very aggressively—essentially as though I could be septic. I received IV antibiotics around the clock and had frequent bloodwork. And unfortunately, my blood counts just kept falling. Not only were my white blood cell counts extremely low, but my red blood counts dropped as well. When I was discharged yesterday, my white counts were still incredibly low, so they gave me an injection of filgrastim, a medication that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. I’m heading back to Texas Oncology this afternoon for more lab work and possibly another injection. If my red blood counts are still as low as they were yesterday, I may also need a blood transfusion.

And then tomorrow, I’m scheduled for my next treatment. Obviously, after what happened following my first treatment, I imagine there will be some adjustments to the treatment plan. It’s a little ironic—and frustrating—that I was told this drug shouldn't be as hard on my blood counts as the previous treatments, only to have my body respond this way.

So right now, there are a lot of unknowns. But there is one thing I know for certain: God is not surprised by any of this.

He already knows the entire story.

He knows what the scans will show. He knows how my body will respond. He knows which treatment will work. He knows what tomorrow holds, even when I don't. And that gives me peace.

I pray that God will use every part of this journey—even the scary, uncertain, and painful parts—to bring glory to His Kingdom. If I have to walk through this difficult road, my prayer is that my life and my story can somehow point people toward Him.

I also had a telemedicine appointment on Monday with MD Anderson to discuss Phase 1 clinical trials. Since my doctor there wasn't able to get me into a Phase 2 or Phase 3 trial, we're now exploring Phase 1 options. Phase 1 trials are very early-stage treatments—new ideas that are being tested in people for the first time. In many ways, it would be a “Hail Mary,” but we want to have options available if this new treatment doesn't work.

The biggest challenge is that participating would likely mean traveling to Houston every week, which would be difficult with everything we have going on at home with school, sports, activities, and just everyday life. But for now, we're taking things one step at a time and trusting God to make the path clear.

I'm thankful for all the friends who have helped with meals, rides for the kids since we couldn't be in three places at one time, sitting with me at my infusion, visiting at the hospital (even though they had to mask up due to neutropenia precautions), hosting our kids when we were in the hospital, and for praying and checking in on me. It means a lot.

So, if you would pray with us, these are the things especially on my heart right now:

• That the Lord would heal and strengthen my bone marrow and my body, allowing my blood counts to recover so I can continue fighting this cancer.
• That my appetite improves. I haven't eaten much in the past couple of weeks. I try to think of something that sounds good, land on something, but try to eat it and only eat a few bites.
• That my body would be able to tolerate this treatment—with whatever adjustments are necessary—and that the treatment would be effective, if it is the Lord’s will.
• Most of all, that the Lord would completely heal me and that He would use this entire journey and my story to bring glory to His Kingdom.

There is a lot we don't know right now.

But we know the One who does.

And for today, that is enough. Hopefully I can find time to do another post about all the fun stuff going on with our family. Activities have kicked in, and we are managing to squeeze them in between all the doctor appointments (or during with the help of friends).