So, we are almost ten months into our journey. The journey feels much like a roller coaster ride, “The roller coaster ride through cancer land”. I almost feel as though we were naive and innocent to the “c” word before brandon’s diagnosis. We knew cancer existed out there (the outside world) but it didn’t make its way to our door step until last summer. Since then, I have found many, many fellow survivors and have even made close friendships with some. There is often an immediate bond with someone living in the cancer bubble just as we live daily. I have sadly seen some of those wonderful people earn thier angel wings. this has probably been the most heart wrenching of all. to connect with others that are fighting the good fight and then to see them escape the disease by means of gaining eternity. Its almost paralyzing to us at times. We are young, we are just starting to live and damn it, we just want what most take for granted; TO GROW OLD TOGETHER! We have came to the conclusion that this cancer, this disease, this hurdle, this valley, is just that. God, for some reason believed this cross we could bare. He knew that before we did. I am not gloating, but we have a wonderful life, a great marriage and two precious children. I guess god thought we could make room for the “c” word. God never promised that life would be easy, but he always promises to be there when it isn’t. I am more thankful for that then I have ever been. FAITH is what has made it possible to get from point A to point B. in the beginning, point A was finding a way to get out of bed and point B was to get through the hour following the one before. now, point A is feeling elated from having a perfect pet/ct scan to point B, having faith that the next pet/ct scan in 3 months will reveal the same news. Well folks, its that time again. Brandon will be having his pet/ct scan this Wednesday. We feel as though more good news will be revealed because he looks wonderful, he feels great and IT JUST HAS TO BE PERFECT NEWS! I also think god is ok with the deal we made in the beginning (to god: you let me keep my husband and i will shout as loudly as I can to get this under funded disease the attention it needs). so, we are proof that hurdles can be jumped over and hoops jumped through. Brandon has been and is the meaning of a TRUE SURVIVOR! You have the ability to be one as well!
p.s. sorry its been so long since the last update, WE HAVE BEEN LIVING LIFE. ; )
So this past week I attended a targeted therapies meeting for lung cancer in Santa Monica California, and can I just tell you, WOW! So much to “inhale” and absorb from that experience. Sitting in a conference room with some of the brightest minds in the world (well my world at least) was spellbinding. These people have dedicated their lives to better ours.
The fact that this meeting is called “targeted therapies” is simply wonderful because that title speaks volumes. It means that this disease is recognized on an individual level and treated as so. There may be two people with stage four lung cancer sitting next to one another and each have a completely different type of cancer. We have known for several years that certain gene mutations are present in certain types of lung cancer, (now the “ah-ha” factor) but what we are learning now is which medications will successfully “target” certain types of gene mutations. This is so important because if someone is diagnosed with lung cancer and has gene mutation testing done as soon as possible following the diagnosis, the chances of being matched with the most effective medications (as first line therapy) are much higher and this could make all the difference. This could potentially save the patient from harsh unnecessary treatments. There are several recognized mutations that can be tested for, the problem is, this is NOT a standard of care at every single oncology office. So, this is why BEING YOUR OWN ADVOCATE is crucial.
I would love to share a few tips that I have learned on our journey through cancer land.
1. There is nothing wrong with seeking a first, second or even third opinion about your treatment options.
2. If you have found something, heard of something, or read something that sounds promising in the treatment of your lung cancer, ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT. Your doctor should be able to expound upon what you have presented to him/her giving you an even better understanding of it. (if the doctor is consistently not receptive to you, use tip number one and seek out the second and third opinions).
3. Nobody has set your future in stone; you are making your own, so FIGHT FOR IT!
Ok enough of the “tiffisms”.
The targeted therapies meeting also provided the opportunity for me to meet with the Lung Cancer Foundation of Americas founders and other patient advocates. This was so awesome to see all of these passionate minds collaborate and make big plans for the future of lung cancer outcomes. To actually be part of a foundation that literally turns every penny given to them into research dollars that lead to future promising treatments is extraordinary. So, everyone that has donated to this foundation, please know that I am so grateful to you and please know that it is making a difference. I wish I had better, bigger verbiage for that, but it really is MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Thank you. Even more promising treatments are on the horizon and the funding is desperately needed to make them happen.
I almost forgot to tell you, my husband is doing WONDERFUL. He continues on the avastin as maintenance, which he receives intravenously every twenty-one days. He recently had scans that even showed improvement in certain areas. We are blessed! Even in the midst of this disease, we have been shown so many blessings and now ~life just tastes sweeter~
My husband has endured six rounds of chemotherapy consisting of Carbo, Taxol and Avastin from the beginning he was told he was a stage four and if he was able to gain “stability” from chemotherapy that, in itself is a milestone. Well, the tumor didn’t just stay “stable” (meaning that it did not shrink or grow during chemotherapy) but it turned into scar tissue! When he was first diagnosed the primary tumor was a whopping 6cm. Now it’s dead!
We believe so much of this success comes from the Avastin. This drug is a “tumor-starving therapy”. In order to survive, grow, or spread, tumors need a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients, which they get by creating their own network of blood vessels. This process is called angiogenesis (an’-gee-o-jen’-i-sis). Avastin is thought to work by blocking a protein released by both normal cells and cancer cells that helps cause angiogenesis. This protein is called VEGF and is produced throughout the life of the tumor. By controlling the growth of blood vessels, Avastin can starve your cancer of the nutrients and oxygen it needs to grow and spread.
Brandon will be staying on Avastin as a “maintenance” therapy for an indefinite amount of time. He will receive it once every three weeks intravenously and the process will last about 30 minutes. This is so minuscule compared to the cards our family was initially dealt this past summer. Keep fighting the good fight, my husband is proof that this beast is beatable!
If our family would have been asked a year ago, what month represented lung cancer awareness, we would not have been able to tell you. Well, it’s November and that will forever be engraved in our young family’s minds. Three months ago my 29yr old husband was being treated for what our family doctor thought was pneumonia. Two weeks later, the cough persisted and a ct scan was performed. We fell to our knees in despair upon the results. A 6cm mass had been found in Brandon’s left lung as well as malignant fluid surrounding it. Not only were we told that Brandon had lung cancer but that he was in stage four of this disease. Within one day, our lives were forever changed.
The moment after we were told the diagnosis, I mentally removed myself from the conversation and visualized myself standing on a stage looking at a room full of people listening as I told of our journey and how we made it. Now I know this was such an odd time to be practicing visualization techniques but, to this day I know that it wasn’t me doing this, it was God showing us the way!
Of course, after I returned to our, oh, so very scary reality, I went home and puked my guts out, I asked God why and how and what about my two babies? They need their daddy. I don’t know how to teach my six year old son Eathen how to throw a football and I am definitely not great camping material. Did God forget about us?
After two good, solid weeks of utter grief, I snapped out of it and went into action. I “googled” all sorts of concoctions, trying to locate survivors. I thought there must be some out there. There were, just not as many as I had hoped to find. That is when realized my calling.
This was never the path we would have chosen for our family, but this is where we are and this is what we have been called to do. At some point, I made a silent plea with God. I begged him to let me keep Brandon. Let him be “living” proof that there is always hope when determination exists. I asked him to allow us to pay this experience forward and continue to help others in creating awareness and striving for the cure!
So far, Brandon has completed five chemotherapy treatments consisting of Carboplatin, Avastin and Taxol. He has showed a wonderful response thus far. After his third treatment, a pet/ct scan was performed which revealed that the mass had shrunk 30% and the level of cancer activity in his body has decreased by 50%. We will continue to fight until we have declared victory against this disease!
