Hello to everyone following my updates. I'm so bad at this, really. I put it off for so long and then things change so quickly sometimes too. Forgive me for being scatter brained and please be patient. So much has happened, bare with me, I may even forget something and have to blog another round.


About a month or so ago, Amanda had a PET scan (1/2 way between the 16 rounds of chemo treatments). We attended that appointment with high hopes that the chemo was working. And IT WAS!! The chemo had taken care of the cancer in her liver, it was completely clear. The cancer in her pelvis was "residual." Residual? That's all that was left? I was ecstatic to say the least. I cried and thanked God for this amazing news! The doctor said that since the chemo was working then we would continue the treatments, finish it off and see how things are when the rest of the treatments are over (in 14 weeks or so). I left Iowa with such happiness! I was so happy to hear that my baby girl was better.


She wasn't though. She wasn't feeling better. She was not even "better."


She has been in pain the entire time. Her back aches so bad. Her sleep was up to 14hrs a day. Caring for the little ones was becoming difficult.


Three weeks ago they started a round of chemo and in the middle of it she began having seizures, smacked her face on a table during her convulsions and chemo was stopped. I mean stopped permanently. The team of doctors and nurses that came rushing in decided that it was time for another scan. She had a CT and lo and behold, they believe she now had cervical cancer. Iowa then gave up. There was nothing else they could do, nothing more they wanted to do. She was referred to Rochester. After calls to Rochester were made, she could not get it until July 13th. It would be about 5 weeks before she would be seen in Rochester and in the meantime, no chemo, no medications, I would hope that the cancer would not spread during this long wait.


Last week, June 18 and 19th, we had appointments in Rochester. Yay! A nurse Amanda had in Sioux City, Iowa called and said she had a friend that worked in Rochester and was able to get her into one of the best cancer doctors in the US. So almost a month sooner than the previous appointment and I was happy that they were not waiting so long. They had received her records and knew they had no time to waste. Scary really!


Amanda had a day full of appointments on Thursday. Blood draws, weight and all that. It was a busy day but not stressful. The anticipation of meeting with the doctors on Friday was causing us to think of this that and the other about what was going to become of the meeting on Friday. Now, I wish I could go back and freeze time. I don't want this to be real. I want to wake up and it all be a horrible fake misbelief!!


We had appointments at 1030am and 3pm. The 1020 appointment was with her new cancer doctor. He was fabulous, as far as a doctor goes. We loved him. My sister in law went with. She loved him too. Amanda thought he was great. He was thorough. Hmmmm, I wish that was all it took to make things all better. You can be the best doctor, run all the tests you want, describe things to a "T" and yet, when they give you the news, you don't even care about the rest anymore.


Amanda has cancer in her left ovary now. (The right one had been take during the surgery when they first found the cancer). That (RESIDUAL) in her pelvis is now (3 or 4 weeks later) LARGER than a softball. It is causing her colon to not work properly and moving her insides off kilter. We are hopeful that the tumor in her pelvis is keeping her bladder from being infected (that's the best news yet, I guess). July 15th is surgery. Today is only June 22nd but operating any sooner is not an option since she had Evastin just 3 weeks ago. We have to wait a minimum of 6 weeks before surgery is an option. July 15th it is!


There will be a team of doctors. At least one to work on protecting her bladder. At least one to assist with the ovary and complete hysterectomy (remember, she is only 25!), at least one to work on cleaning the cancer off both sides of her abdominal walls and at least one to work on removal of her colon ( remember, she is only 25!). At minimum, she will have an ostomy placed. We will not know until after surgery if she will have a colostomy. She WILL receive a blood transfusion, no question about it. I asked if I could donate and was told no. It takes too long to get mine ready but they will have it ready for her the morning of surgery.


They will begin with scoping her first to be sure it is safe to even do a major surgery such as this. If it is safe, they will cut her "from top to bottom" and begin to remove all her cancer and the insides beign affected. She will be in the hospital for a min. of 5 days. Recovery will be 8-12 weeks and then they will look at beginning a different type of chemo.


I will repeat exactly what the doctorS told, several times. "It is important to know that she will not be cured. There is nothing we can do to make this go away. It is not curable."
There really is no idea of her life expectancy at this point. We have to get her thru this surgery first. It is very risky, they have not performed many of this type and not on a 25 yr old (female). There are numerous dangers. I am trying to get all her siblings together for the day of surgery in case anything were to go wrong. I'm not trying to be negative but after all we have been through, I believe nothing is done until it is done! When she comes out of surgery and she opens her eyes, I will relax.


If you are a praying person, please pray for Amanda. It's the only hope I've got left, a miracle from God.