Stable

Good Morning! I wanted to let you know my recent update from the doctors. I have been having some pain in my lumbar region and in my pelvis bone and some small skull lumps have reappeared. We radiated these areas back in June & July. So even though my tumor markers have been decreasing, Dr. Crane decided that we needed to have MRIs and CT scans done on these areas and my other vital organs on Tuesday and Wednesday. My lasts scans were in June. He did not want to continue this chemo if the cancer was progressing. I got the results back on Thursday. The Lungs and Brain are normal - thank god. I have many bone mets (lesions) and many small liver mets which we have always known since this diagnosis in Feb. But he feels that the liver mets have gotten a little smaller from our last CT scan. There may be one or two that look a little bigger but he can not really know for sure. The bone mets and liver mets seem to have stabilized. No progression. All my markings - tumor markers, liver enzymes, bone levels, have all decreased since June when they were at their highest. So Dr. Crane is happy with the latest results. Even though stable is good, I was disappointed that the liver still has many lesions but will have to learn to look at the good news I got this week instead of dwelling on the negative. As for bone pain, it kind of comes with the disease. I don't have anything debilitating right now so we are not looking into radiation. I'm pretty good with pain so I have learned to just deal with it. Most of the aches and pains are just annoying. So I have a small pharmacy over here! But I think we have figured out what works for me now.

Since there doesn't seem to be any progression right now, we are going to continue on the same chemo treatment. I am to let him know when (or if) I have any new pains or if the treatment gets too much for me to enjoy my life. We will do scans again if I have any new pain or if any of the numbers increase. I am going to try to work part time starting November 1st - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday - 9 to 4. (thank you to my family at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney). I need to get back into some type of normal life if possible. I will continue to have chemo on Thursdays and have Fridays and the weekends to rest and hang out.

This cancer is hard to figure out. I have been on 2 different types of chemo since March. I had three chemos 4 years ago. So thats 5 all together since my first diagnosis on March 1, 2006. You sometimes forget that the chemo can't cure this disease. But not progressing is the next best thing. So thats where we are right now - stable.

Thank you again for your prayers for the Phelps Family. It means so much to us all. I can truly feel the love everyday. And no matter where this journey takes me, I have been so lucky to have each and every one of you in my life.

Special thanks to my ladies that I have met through my support group 4 years ago - BreastFriends. The calls, walks, dinners, emails, sitting in chemo when mom can't come, have truly given me the strength I need to push through my down days. Love you.