October 17 UPDATE

Hello All~
Just wanted to give you all the latest update. I have been busy the last several weeks getting scans, labs and a biopsy. I have decided to participate in a clinical trial, and I was glad to find out I qualified for it! I got my dr's blessing for it, with an assurance that I could stop it at any time and can go back on what we know has been working. My last scan after 6 weeks of Abraxane showed great improvement! When I thought about doing a clinical trial, I did not realize that you basically had to do this research on your own. The docs aren't out there trying to save "Leslie Miller". They are just doing what they are allowed to do, until better drugs become available. So hopefully I can be part of that process. I have thought this through, because my feeling is that I would like to be able to help myself as well as someone else. So when I called about this particular trial, all the doors seemed to open for me to do this. I feel like I have nothing to lose, and it may help those of us fighting this beast! I started taking the drug today, which is for chronic myleiod leukemia. Apparently, there are some similarities with breast cancer. The drug is not new, so I'm at ease with trying it. It does not seem much different from trying something new, as the dr. has before! The study is through Duke, but I will see the study dr. in Kernersville. I went to Forsyth Medical Ctr. yesterday for the biopsy. Thankfully, these have not been great distances to travel to and from.

Keep me in your prayers as I go along this new path. I'll be anxious to see what the results will be in 4 weeks. Thanks to you all for all the prayers sent up on my behalf this far. I know the Lord has truly been looking after me throughout this ordeal. My strength has come from Him to endure it all!

August 25

Hello!
Just wanted to touch base to let you all know how things were going. I've had 2 weeks of Abraxane and feeling ok. I've had ups and downs with the side effects. If it weren't for that I'd probably feel pretty good. I've just been taking it one day at a time, and trying not to worry about the rest of the days until they get here!

Working on a scrapbooking fundraiser for FRIENDS FOR AN EARLIER BREAST CANCER TEST to be held Sept. 27 10am – 6pm at Pleasant Garden Community Center. We'll have lunch, several workshops and fun with our friends, all for $25. All the proceeds will benefit FRIENDS. If interested email me or fccscrappin@yahoo.com. It will be loads of fun!




















Hope all is well with everyone!
Leslie

Thought I'd show you one of my purses I knitted and felted recently. I have several in the making to post soon. Have been making use of idle time I have here and there knitting and scrapbooking.

Went to see the dr. yesterday; my scans only showed slight improvement but I am having side effects from the daily meds I've been on, which I had considered minor, but I suppose they could get worse the longer you're on them. So the dr. is changing it up abit for now to a weekly treatment of Navelbine and Abraxane beginning Aug. 15. He also informed me that I'm looking at treatment for this indefinitely. That has been tough to swallow considering I thought I would eventually get to the end of this sometime. So my goal now is to.."put my big girl panties on and deal with it"!! (LOL!) Keep me in your prayers that all goes well with this new stuff!
Thanks to all for your love and support!
{Hugs}
Leslie

The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come.
Song of Solomon 2:12

Hope all is well with everyone~
All went well with my colonoscopy, it was just as everyone claimed, the prep beforehand was the worst part! All was good, with a few minor exceptions~~thankfully! I don't think the dr. was so sure going in (no pun intended!!) considering my history. Glad that one's over!

Was able to visit my sister and family at Nags Head for July 4th. We had a great time although it seemed like a short time. Ellen and Shawn's new restaurant (Food Dudes Kitchen) did a record weekend! Even for a small place, it is alot of work! Keith and I enjoyed the fireworks they had at Nags Head Pier. Good times!

Have a CT and bone scan coming up on Tuesday. Please keep me in your prayers! I'm praying the meds I have been on have shown improvement with my lymph nodes. They held my Avastin treatment again this past week due to the fissure found on the colonoscopy. I think they are just trying to be cautious; apparently there can be problems with the Avastin. The PA reduced my dosage of Xeloda due to dry cracking feet. I thought I was just in desperate need of a pedicure! Oh well, so I've had to go to bed with A&D ointment and socks on to remedy it! So much for getting a pedicure~they don't even recommend it--darn it!

Take care! {Hugs to all!}
Leslie

Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to touch base and let you all know I am doing well. Have had a few annoying side effects from the new medication I've been on, and will skip the Avastin treatment today so that I can get a colonoscopy in sometime soon.(I am NOT looking forward to that!!) What fun that will be! LOL! I think I'd trade the infusion treatment any day for that one. I'll keep you posted on the outcome~haha

Just wanted to post this link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer/2008/06/my_cancer_1.html I read this blog everyday and have learned so much from it. It makes me realize that I'm not the only one dealing with stuff. I am so very thankful for every day and all the good things in them~

Hugs to all!
Leslie

Just wanted you all to see my nephew's newest pics! Aidan just turned 15 mths old and is getting into everything, as you can probably guess! He and Ellen came to visit a few weeks ago.

Thanks to everyone's emails for your love and support, it really means alot! I will continue to keep you updated.
Love to all~
Leslie

I have neglected to keep this up lately, so I thought I would give you an update. I've been keeping up with everyone else's blog posts though!

Had another CT scan last Tuesday, and met with the dr. on Wed. My scans showed no spread to my organs or bones (good news!) but my lymph nodes in my abdominal/pelvic area have shown some growth (bad news). So my dr. is changing up the meds a little, adding another to the mix, reducing the dosage of Tykerb, also because it is irritating my liver. I had really hoped for NED! So I've felt sort of down about this, but at least there seems to be some other options. If you only knew how tired I am running from this beast! I'm sure all those out there fighting feel the same way. You think you get to a point of trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it grows dim again! Overall, I can't really complain, I have felt very good (with the exception of a few side effects), and I have been able to work every day. I've tried to stay busy scrapbooking with friends, knitting and watching my youngest son play baseball. Going for treatment has become part of my routine. Mentally it is very hard to block all this out every second of the day. At least it hasn't made me sick or kept me from doing what I want to do. So therefore, I'll just keep on keeping on until I can't go no more!!!

Today's thought: "If we stand and face the battle, we cannot lose the war."

More updates soon!
Hugs to all~

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"
~ Hebrews 11:1

Hi All!
Sorry I've been away! Have been busy and not much time to sit down. Just to give you an update; I had another Avastin infusion last Friday and have been taking a new "maintenance" medication daily. I think between the 2, I have been experiencing the fatigue the pamphlet warned about. It comes and goes, but overall I have felt pretty good.

For those that are interested in knowing, I have been undergoing chemotherapy over the last year for a recurrence of breast cancer. It has been one LONG roller coaster ride. Thankfully, I have been able to work (I have to have health insurance!!) and my employer has been extremely understanding. At this point, my doctor is treating me as a chronic condition. I never thought I would be in this boat, but here I am. I am trying to stay positive and keep the faith! All the sayings about "taking one day at a time" fit me! I have to say I have a great support group and we all can identify with the same feelings. I have wonderful friends who keep in contact and my friends at church have lovingly brought meals.

I'll try to do better at keeping you posted. Thanks for checking in with me!
Hope you all have a great day!

I was on my way to work the other morning and saw this message on the side of a truck. It's amazing sometimes how God speaks! I needed to see that!

Starting out with this new venture...sharing photos and insights to various topics and thoughts. Thanks to my friend Jennifer in helping me set this up.