Update

Hi everyone,
Sorry for being so deliquent in updating the blog - I have been feeling exhausted this week and also still having to deal with the stomach pains, cramps and general uncomfortable feeling whenever I eat anything. Even drinking water causes pain. Since I have these stents, I am supposed to eat a very processed diet - the opposite of what I have been eating - one doctor called it "The Twinkie Diet". This diet should be composed of highly caloric processed foods - UGH - because I don't have to eat much to get a large amount of calories. While I haven't really taken this diet seriously, I have not been able to eat much fresh, raw foods without experiencing intense pain - so no fruit or vegetables. Everything has to be cooked or processed in the food processor - like baby foods or smoothies. Smoothies sound good - I just have to find some recipes that don't have milk - it seems that milk products cause stomach aches as well.

I saw Dr. Berlin today and found that my white and red counts are down (as expected) and that is the main reason for the exhaustion. My next round of chemo is on Wednesday, December 17. Please pray for the effective killing of the cancer cells and that the Lord, in His mercy would subdue some of the awful side effects from the chemo.

While I was in the hospital so many of you called/visited/prayed. I want you all to know how much you ministered life to me both physically and spiritually. How much we need one another as we go through all these suffering circumstances.

I am so grateful to the Lord for each day. His mercies are new every morning. His rich supply is like the manna - the fresh dew each morning. His grace is sufficient and is available for timely help. His throne is a throne of grace, where I can come boldly. Hallelujah! Again I enjoyed this great hymn by Fanny Crosby:

1 Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.

2 Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.

3 I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

4 I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.


I especially enjoyed the lines I sing for I cannot be silent - His love is the theme of my song! I'm sure you all know about Fanny Crosby, but in case you don't - she was blind from a baby and wrote over 8,000 hymns in her lifetime. On her tombstone is inscribed "She did what she could."** Wow! You never sense in any of her hymns anything but rejoicing! What a wonderful testimony.

**see next post in blog.

Love you all,
Joanne

Home for Thanksgiving!

Because of all your prayers and petitions, I was home for Thanksgiving with my family and friends. Even though the floor I stayed on is very "spa-like", home is most definitely better! I am feeling the side effects of the chemo - so please pray for less nausea/fatigue as the Lord leads.

I had to go into Dana-Farber yesterday to have IV fluids since I was so dehydrated from the nausea/vomiting etc. from the chemo. I feel MUCH better today.

I found this hymn for Thanksgiving that I thought I'd share with you: it might be a repeat from last year - please forgive me if it is:
Here is a link to the tune: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=1342&f=mid

Our praise we are bringing
With hearts of thanksgiving,
With joy and with singing,
We thank You, O Lord.
Your goodness surrounds us,
Your power astounds us.
Our wonder abounds as
We thank You, O Lord.
Behind and before us,
You heal and restore us,
Your love evermore is
Our strength and our song.
Our praise we are bringing
With hearts of thanksgiving,
With joy and with singing
We thank You, O Lord.

For laughter and living,
Receiving and giving,
For love so suplifting,
We thank You, O Lord!
So freely You bless us,
You daily refresh us
Through people so precious.
We thank You, O Lord!
For tenderly caring,
For guiding and sharing,
For giving, for bearing
Through all of our needs.
Our praise we are bringing
With hearts of thanksgiving,
With joy and with singing
We thank You, O Lord.

The Bible is full of verses about how good it is to give thanks to the Lord, or to be thankful. Thank you Lord for Your bountiful supply which You so richly pour out on us daily.

Love you,
Joanne

Chemotherapy Tomorrow

My mom was moved over to the Connors wing at the Brigham and is back on floor 7. She calls it "the spa". She found out today that she will begin chemotherapy tomorrow. Her note to me says "I will be having chemo tomorrow-carboplatin and taxol. I was on these drugs before I had the IP chemo. Please ask the saints to pray for a complete defeat of the cancer." These two drugs have been tough in terms of side effects as well and my mom is getting ready to say goodbye to her hair. She will receive the chemo over 4 hours tomorrow and will probably be released to go home on Wednesday. Another treatment option they are considering is radiation to deal with the tumor under the duodenum but they will begin with the chemo tomorrow. Please pray that the chemo shrinks and kills the tumors.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Stent Procedure Update

My dad just called to let me know that the procedure was over and my mom is now resting. The doctors believe it was successful. My mom was awake during most of it which was somewhat uncomfortable but regardless they completed the procedure. My dad mentioned that the doctor performing the procedure was Dr. Carr-Locke who is an expert in his field. He was able to put in two stents which overlapped and would allow to expansion. Two stents were necessary because of the length of the narrowed portion of the intestine affected by tumors. They were able to take the NG tube out and release some of the gas pressure which was good. Now, she is just resting from the endoscopic procedure and will work on getting her strength back so she can begin chemotherapy to shrink the tumors. She will begin with a diet of clear liquids and move to whole liquids. The hope is she will be ready to begin chemo sometime next week.

She now has three teams working on her case, the cancer team, the OB/GYN team, and now the GI team. She will be moving from the "Towers" at Brigham to the cancer floor in Connors. There she will have a private room and we know most of the nurses.

Thank you for continued prayer and support. We will keep you updated. If you are interested in visiting, please contact my dad or Mrs. Connors as they will have the most up-to-date information about how my mom is feeling and whether or not she can receive guests.

Thank you for your care for our family. My mom mentioned that she can sense the love of the Body.

Anna

Intestinal Stent Procedure

Today at 3:45pm my mom will have a stent procedure done. The doctors found tumors outside the upper part of her small intestine are pressing against it causing irritation and compromising proper function. Rather than surgery, they will do an endoscopic procedure in which they will place a stent in that part of the intestine to push it open and fortify it. The doctor is supposed to be one of the best but there is some concern that the the stent will shift or will not settle in the correct place. Please pray that the doctors are successful with the placement and that the stent helps restore the function of the small intestine so my mom can eat. They were hoping to begin chemotherapy today but cannot until she is able to eat.

The NG tube is still in place although 1000ml of fluid have been drained. My mom is still uncomfortable and somewhat anxious that about the procedure. Please pray for her comfort and her peace as well as the effectiveness of this stent.

Thank you.

Anna

Text received from my mom at 9:50AM

"Pls pray-pain is unbearable from nose tube. O Lord!"

They can't take out the tube until 1PM.

Thanks for praying.

NG Tube

My mom had an NG tube put in at 3:30AM to drain the fluid from her stomach. She is very uncomfortable but said that the NG tube has relieved some pressure and helped ease her nausea. Hopefully it will only remain in while her stomach drains. Doctors will meet today and give her their observations and recommendations. Pray that they are able to come to a swift decision and determine an effective course of action.

Thank you.

Update

I just spoke with my mom. She has a bad stomach ache and has heard no results from today's test. The doctors will be meeting tomorrow to discuss her case and make a recommendation for going forward. She wishes she could eat and asked that you pray that she would be able to rest.

Thanks.

Anna

Please pray.

From Anna:

On Sunday, my mom was brought to the emergency room because she was having abdominal pain and could not keep any food down. Her oncologist suspected some kind of bowel obstruction and sent her to the hospital. The doctors did another CT scan and an ultrasound but did not find the cause of the obstruction. My mom is in pain and is uncomfortable. She has been unable to take anything in. Tuesday, doctors deliberated on the next step and there was some disagreement concerning whether to perform an endoscopy (which is a scope of the digestive tract from the top). The oncologist wanted the procedure done and the gastroenterologist felt that the procedure was unnecessary. The oncologist prevailed and yesterday my mom had the endoscopy which did reveal what they believe to be the cause of the blockage. There appears to be a tumor or piece of scar tissue on the duodenem which connects the stomach to the rest of the small intestine. They were able to take some biopsies although they are not sure they actually biopsied the right tissue. Biopsy results take time and none have come back yet. Today, my mom did a barium swallow with a goal of tracking the path of the barium through a series of x-ray images. Unfortunately, this test was inconclusive because as her bowel system is obstructed, the barium did not move and has settled in her stomach.

Please pray for the doctors to gain some conclusive insight into what this obstruction is and to quickly determine a treatment plan. Pray that my mom would be a strong advocate for herself and that the communication between the doctors would be clear. Also, pray that the pain would be managed. My mom has not been able to eat, so please also pray that her system would not become too depleted and that she would be strong for the next step. Pray too for my dad as he cares for Elizabeth and my grandmother.

Thank you for your continued love and support. We appreciate the supply through the members of the Body.

Feel free to contact me with any questions: ms.annaharris@gmail.com

Anna

CT results

Hi Everyone,
I spent a rather eventful day at Brigham and Women's Hospital - I've been having a lot of stomach pain and Dr. Berlin recommended I go to the ER in case I had a bowel obstruction. I spent all day there and - they did not find any obstruction! I am still in some pain but thankful that there is no obstruction. I see Dr. Berlin tomorrow to discuss the details of the CT scan, but she called me last night and basically said "things are not moving in the direction we had hoped" so I have to go off the study drug and go on one of more standard chemo drugs starting next week, I think. I will have more details after speaking with Dr. Berlin tomorrow.

I walked out of the hospital and I had this chorus on my heart.

God is good all the time
He put a song of praise in this heart of mine
God is good all the time
Through the darkest night, His light will shine
God is good, God is good all the time

AMEN!

I'd better go to bed - I'll give an update after my meeting with Dr. Berlin. Thank you all for your continued prayers - I am sustained, uplifted and refreshed by them.

Much love,
Joanne