Sunday, July 15, 2012

Baby Steps!! (a little good news)

Hey friends!!!

Here I am, making a long overdue post. :)
Just wanted to make a quick update. I had a PET/CT scan and also a brain MRI at the end of June. The results were a bit a good news... The brain MRI looks great-- no sign of recurrence (hallelujah!) ... The lymph nodes under the arms are now all clear. The SUV numbers, which reflect how aggressive or "hungry" the cancer is, are lower all over the board. Also, the number of lesions we have been watching has gone from 10 spots to just 4!! As you can see, definitely some good news!!
That being said, we are still keeping a close eye on the 2 spots on my sternum, as well as another couple of areas. We feel that the treatments prescribed by the Burzynski Clinic have been effective. We have spoken to my doctor their, Dr. Kubove, and have determined to keep on the same regime for the time being.
I appreciate all of the prayers and ask respectively that you keep them coming!
Below are a handful of photos I've been meaning to post since March.  Enjoy!
Me with Dr. Kubove, my head physician.


....with THE Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski
My Burzynski Clinic oncologist, Dr. Yi.

Let's kick it!!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Howdy from TX!

Hello, All!
I just wanted to drop you a quick line/update to tell you how things are going.
Everyone at the clinic is really nice. I especially like the doctor who is heading up my case, Dr. Kubove, and the head oncologist, Dr. Yi. Both are very knowledgable and seem to really listen to my concerns and desires.
Yesterday was my first day at the clinic and they started me on PB (Sodium Phenybuterate) which is metabolized in the liver to become an antineoplastin, which fights cancer on a cellular level. Work with antineoplastins is what Dr. Burznynski is best known for. I am on a step therapy of PB.... Yesterday I took 1 pill every 3 hours, to equal 4 for the day. Today I am taking 2 pills every 3 hours.... tomorrow I will take 3, etc., on up to 6 pills every 3 hours, to equal 24 day if I can tolerate that much. We will find out what the best dose is for me.
Today, in addition to increasing the PB, we added Xeloda, a chemo drug. According to their treatment plan, I will be taking about half of the standard dose, because they believe it will be a theraputic amount, but less toxic. I expect to have to deal with burning skin sensations on my hands and feet, but should not really lose my hair or be very ill.
Tomorrow we will add another medication called Tykerb, which will help control the HER2Neu receptors on my cancer cells. This will probably have some side effects for me to cope with, as well, but I am willing to do what is needed.
I am optimistic about my care, and want to assure all of you that I am continuing to seek the Lord's guidance in everything I am doing. I trust Him completely, and know that He will lead me as I ask. I also know He has carried my burdens, and I have no reason to fear. He will make the load light upon my shoulders.
I am blessed.
Once again, I thank all of you who helped make this visit to the clinic possible. I am touched and grateful beyond measure.
More to come.
xo,
Jenny

Friday, March 23, 2012

Big Birthday!

Who wants to get her first new cancer treatment on her birthday?
ME! ME!
I wanted to update you all and let you know I leave for Houston on Monday, March 26th, and meet with the doctor & get started on Tuesday, March 27th (yes! my bday!!). Thanks to all of you, I have already received an amazing abundance of gifts -- that of donations from so many kind souls!
I am so grateful for the help we've received to make this treatment possible for me. :')
We have now raised just over $23K!!! WOW!!!
I love this: One loving friend optimistically penned on the notes line on her check what she was purchasing at the fundraising garage sale last weekend:
"1 miracle."
Amen, Amy!! Amen!
I hope to have many many many more birthday milestones to celebrate!
I will keep you posted on progress! Please pray for me!
XO,
Jenny

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Fantastic Fundraisers!!

This is a bit overdue -- but I wanted to give a BIG THANKS to all of those who came out to the 5K fundraiser on 3/10/12! We had a good turn out and it was tons of fun!! I am so grateful to Lorene Eisenhauer, Tara McMurdie, Jim Dilworth of 3D Promotions (for the Tshirts!) and everyone else who did so much to make it happen! Kudos to our winners: Mark Shields for the men, and Alish a Rose representing the chicks! Thanks also, to our celebrity, John Rhode (winner of season 12 of Biggest Loser) for attending and showing support! It was so great having him there!























Just an update... As of now, we have about $19,000!! We are so amazed by all of the donations we have received, many of which have been anonymous. Our hearts are full beyond measure. Hoping to head to TX in the next few days! We will keep you posted as things come together! Again, thank you so much for everything!! It is all humbling and powerful and overwhelming all at once! We will keep you posted!!!





























Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Book Proceeds for Little Me?? :D

Check this out! My friend, Alisha, told me that her beautiful, talented, benevolent, strong, SURVIVOR sister-in-law, Holly Rose, is currently donating 100% of the proceeds from her book, Live and Give, to me!! I am so honored that a warrior like her would be so gracious as to donate earnings to benefit me in my fight! Thank you, Holly!! You are an amazing woman!
To order Holly's book, go to www.liveandgive.net.

--and don't forget Yoga-for-Jenny on Wednesday nights at Alisha's! (see post below) Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

"Yoga for Jenny"

Alisha Rose presents "YOGA FOR JENNY"
starting this Wednesday, February 22, beginning at 8:3opm, at her house in Norterra. Address: 28119 N 17th Dr., Phoenix 85085 Phone: 801-694-5299
All donations will go to Jenny's "No Pouting" Breast Cancer fight!
(Thank you, Alisha!!)
The class will be a one hour restorative yoga session. It is a calm and peaceful way to end the day and to help us all stay in a positive mindset for wellness!
We hope to make this a regular event. As our group grows, Alisha will scout out a larger location.
Let's get into wellness!
So excited!
See you there!!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Upcoming Fundraiser -- 5K Run!





















It’s a 5K WALK/RUN, as well as a One Mile FUN RUN for KIDS!
Saturday, March 10th, 2012, beggining at 8am.


The Event will commence and end at the Weathersby’s Ranch:
28015 N. 37th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85083


Cost for adults is $20/person if you pre-register (This fee includes the event T-shirt!) Day of event, registration is $25 per adult. Kids’ registration is just $5!
...Of course, additional donations are always appreciated!


To participate, please email Lorene @ Ikeof3@yahoo.com for a registration form.


See you there!! And, as always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Dain Bramage??

Get comfy. This is a long one. :)

On Wednesday, December 7, 2011 my world basically turned upside down. You might say it was a day of infamy for me. That morning, I didn’t feel quite right. (In fact, others tell me that for a few days leading up to that, I had not been “myself,” but I was unaware.) But that morning and early afternoon, due to some unusual experiences, I knew something was wrong with me. I was watching a documentary on the internet (The Burzynski Movie!) when I realized that I could not read letters or numbers, nor could I write. Soon thereafter, I lost the ability to speak in full sentences. My husband rushed home from work, and I soon began to seize. He called 911 and I was rushed to the hospital.

Long story short, it was discovered that my breast cancer had metastasized to the brain, and I had two tumors that had to be removed. I, of course, was oblivious to all of this. Minutes before my seizures on Wednesday, Scott had me lay on the couch to rest . . . and immediately I felt myself shutting down, like a dark curtain were coming down. The next thing I knew, I awoke on Saturday night, recovering in the ICU. I’d had surgery on Friday afternoon/evening.

During this ordeal, our friends and family were amazing!! We were showered with support, love, service, and gifts. Some amazing angels broke into our home and decorated our Christmas tree and our home, inside and out. Gifts magically appeared under the tree! I woke in the hospital to find my brother had flown in the day of my surgery. I also woke to find myself sporting a new pair of cozy Christmas socks, and covered in a new, hand-made Christmas blanket. Rumor has it that the ICU waiting room was packed with loving friends, such that there was scarcely a chair for anyone else’s family and friends! Thanks to all of you for your amazing love, support, and prayers!!

Despite the challenges of this new metastasis and all that it entails, I had some miraculous blessings which I would not trade for the world! There were two in particular: For one thing the Lord showed us that he was absolutely aware of us. At the moment of my first seizure, my friend Lorene felt a strong prompting to call me. She was busy at the time, and almost dismissed the thought, but it would not leave her. Right after Scott called 911, Lorene called my cell phone only to have him inform her that I was seizing. She was there by my side within minutes, and her husband was just behind her. She was able to assist the paramedics who attended me, and her husband, Bruce, was able to help Scott to administer a priesthood blessing before I was whisked into the ambulance.

The second miracle is that, to me, I truly feel that the Lord has been guiding me on my path. Most of you know that since my diagnosis almost 3 years ago, I have felt prompted that the standard treatment of chemo and radiation was not right for me. I have been seeing naturopathic doctors and taking the best and most sensible treatments they could offer me (high dose Vitamin C, Iscador, Thymus, Laetrile, etc.). Six months ago, after my July PET scan (the one referenced in my last post-- where things seemed to still be stabilized--better than the previous PET actually!), my oncologist had warned me that the type of breast cancer I had will often metastasize to the brain. She admonished me to watch for signs, which included headaches, blurred vision, and/or confused thought. If I were to experience any of these, she would order an MRI of the brain, she’d said. Well, I experienced none of those symptoms. That is, not until the very day of my seizures. The miraculous part of this struggle is that I know that all of my experiences of that day were leading me on a path the Lord wanted me on. Allow me to explain:

For years a handful of women in my life had been telling me to look into the Burzynksi Clinic for treatment. A year or so into my cancer journey, I did contact the clinic, but felt that it was too expensive to afford, so I had dismissed it. Well… Late Tuesday night, Dec. 6th, I saw where my dear friend Cheryl posted on FaceBook a news story about her cousin, Margaret Manning, who had been cured of her cancer by Dr. Burzynski. Despite the late hour, I watched the news clip and also read the transcript of the story, crying through the entire thing. At the bottom of the article, there was a link to more information about Dr. Burzynski: www.settingthemfree.org That took me to a page where the entire Burzynski Movie was embedded. I clicked the link and watched about half of the documentary before I gave in to exhaustion and went to bed. I resumed the film the next morning after taking kids to school and performing my usual routine. This is what I was watching when the symptoms showed up. When my husband came home that day (in response to me not being able to speak full sentences!), I pointed at the computer, and he asked, “Is this where you want to go?” Yes!!

After my surgery, the brain surgeon told my husband that he was astonished at how healthy I was, and indicated that I was so viable for the procedure because my cells were so healthy, because I had not taken chemo. Validation!

I did know that I wanted to pursue the Burzynski Clinic, though I did not know how, as the cost is a bit prohibitive, but our friends kept asserting that we needed to figure out what we wanted to do, and they’d “make it happen.” We had enough money to send them me records, and they accepted me as a patient, saying that I was a “good candidate” for his treatment. We were thrilled!

My niece’s wedding was on February 4 – the perfect timing—in Houston. So Scott and I made plans to go, and also made an appointment with the Burzynski Clinic. Again, God stepped in, and miraculously we had enough money for the trip and for the appointment! And an even further blessing—we found out from the financial counselor whom we met with, that our brand new insurance (as of 1/1/12) is the ONE AND ONLY insurance plan in the world that pays 80% for their treatments! It is still going to cost us a lot of money, both up front and ongoing, (which we don’t have, but are trusting God will provide), but we were thrilled with that news.

The Lord has truly opened doors for us and led us on this path. I am so grateful for the blessings of knowing that He is mindful of little me. He is working in my life. Despite all of the challenges that come with cancer, I can honestly say I would not trade my experiences for anything. God loves me. This I know.

More to come! Stay tuned!