Treatment Plan

Nov 14

We now have the treatment plan to try to keep the cancer down.

1.  Oophorectomy:  Ovary removal surgery.  In December I’m going to have another surgery to remove my ovaries.  Since my cancer is estrogen positive, it feeds off of estrogen.  Taking my ovaries out will eliminate this fuel source for the cancer.  There are significant side effects (instant menopause–yikes), but it is necessary to take this step.  I met with Dr. Knockout (OB/GYN) this morning and she is in agreement with Dr. Wonderful and we are moving forward.

Please pray that my body would adapt to this change and for the side effects to be tolerable.

2.  Chemo:  I’ll be getting 6 chemotherapy treatments spaced 3 weeks apart (18 weeks total).

    • Taxotere:  The chemo is a pretty harsh one, and the double-whammy is that once you have been through chemo once, subsequent rounds are harsher on you.  Dr. Wonderful said to expect more side effects and fatigue because of this double-whammy factor.  Taxotere is the same drug that my mom had last year.  I’ll definitely be bald by Christmas.

Please pray for immune strength, blood counts, energy, no nausea, and physical comfort.

3.  Targeted Therapy:  These are not chemo drugs, they are drugs that increase the death of cancer cells.  The great upside to these drugs is that they do not have significant side effects.  The plan will be to continue to use these drugs indefinitely as long as I have NED.

    • Perjeta:  New drug, less than 12 months old. (**Super expensive; Dr. Wonderful’s team is working on getting the insurance to approve it.  Please pray approval would be granted!)
    • Herceptin:  I’ve been on Herceptin since June 2012, and will continue indefinitely.

Please pray for insurance approval, and that these two drugs would be effective at keeping the cancer down.  They are both far more tolerable than traditional Stage IV treatments, so we really want them to work for me.  Please also pray my heart will tolerate the dosage, as my heart has been sensitive to this in the past.

The Chemo and the Targeted Therapy drugs will be administered 6 times over 18 weeks.

November 25

December 16

January 6

January 27

February 17

March 10

Scan: We will scan in mid-March to confirm that I still have NED.  (And, due to the harshness of this chemo, we are expectant and hopeful that I will be NED at this scan.)

Ongoing:  Assuming that scan is clear, I will continue taking Herceptin and Perjeta indefinitely.  We will scan every three months.

 

So that is the explanation of the medical side of things.  During all of the above, I have two little girls to raise, which feels a little bit daunting to combine the two, to tell the truth.  I’ve got several months of crumminess ahead of me, yet it has never been more important to be SuperMom for Maren and Greta.  We’re figuring out where and how people can help us, so we will post that when we have identified our needs.

Please pray for an aura of protection enfold my beloved daughters: I ache for them to feel loved, safe, secure, happy and healthy during this challenging season.

We’re working to fill in the details of our plan: hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and live for today.

Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes!

 

33 comments

  1. My heart aches for you; yet I know you are a woman of strength and faith and those will guide you along. You and your family are in my prayers.

  2. Oh my, Jen – you certainly have *way* more than your fair share ahead of you — on top of all that you have so graciously endured so far! And though it certainly will not be an easy road, I have faith that with your beautiful family and incredible support system by your side, you will indeed be enjoying the next 48 1/2 years together.
    Sending tons of good wishes and many virtual hugs your way!!

  3. Mary Ann /

    Praying, praying, praying. You and Brad are encompassed by His love. Your beautiful daughters will be blessed by who you have chosen to be in all of this.

  4. That sounds like a great treatment plan. How fortunate we are these days to have ongoing technological advancements to give us so much more hope than we would have had years back. Lifting you and all of your concerns up in prayer. You continue to be such an inspiration in so many ways. Sending you a virtual hug from New Mexico!

  5. Jen, I am one of your unknown internet followers/admirers/inspired ones. I just finished the same Taxotere/Herceptin (plus another chemo drug ta’boot) protocol that you are facing. I read how you endured your first chemo treatment and you are a rock star. While I had a tough second half of the protocol, my doctor told me that my reaction was not unheard of but was indeed unusual. So I have a firm belief that you will weather the Taxotere with as much grace and power that you have weathered everything so far. While it will be a long road — you will have many tender and bittersweet rest stops! Wishing you the best and praying for continued NED. –

  6. Becky Palmieri /

    Sending lots of love and prayers for you and your beautiful family through this season. Your girls are blessed to have YOU for a mom! Continuing to pray . . . .
    -Becky

  7. Jen with two boys /

    This sounds daunting, but I know you will soldier through and keep a great attitude through the whole process. You’ve got this, Jen! Stranger friends everywhere are praying for you.

  8. Lisa Smith /

    What Becky said: Your girls are blessed to have YOU for a mom. And we are blessed to have YOU for a friend/inspiration/all-around ass-kicker of metal attitudes/human-bar standard-raiser. Wow Jen. Sending every ounce of love and courage I have within me and prayers from the very deepest parts of my heart and soul. I LOVE YOU.

  9. Sending prayers and love to you and your family from Nebraska!

  10. Elevator girl /

    You are a Jesus loving, super woman, fantastic mama and one ass kicker of cancer!!!
    Praying , praying….
    Love u!!
    Elevator girl
    Heather

  11. Standing with you in prayer with GREAT hope for the future and all that lies ahead. God’s got this. Love hugs and prayers from Texas!

  12. Erica Allen /

    Praying for you and your family!

  13. Prayers are always with you Jen. The one thing about it to is that everyday they are coming up with new ideas and drugs for treating new diseases. I pray you get the next 48 1/2 years with Brad and your girls. Hugs to you

  14. Banita Bailey /

    Jen, praying for you and your family for strength during the months ahead!

  15. Jessica Ney /

    Daunting. BUT YOU HAVE A PLAN and EVERYTHING is better with a PLAN! I pray for you and think of you very often even though we are “strangers”. I was actually telling a good friend your story today and I started out with “my friend Jen” and then said, “Well, I really don’t know her but I feel like I do”…. Thank you for your transparent writing and for letting us all in on your journey. My girls are the same ages as yours so I am often just overwhelmed with empathy for you and those littles. I will pray for the Hedge of God’s Love to grow around you in ways that none of us can understand.

  16. Colleen /

    I am so happy to hear that you have such a great team of doctors by your side and they have formed a treatment plan for you so quickly. That speaks volumes to me. I am really glad that they are removing your ovaries to eliminate a possible threat to your body. You can do this!! That should be a piece of cake compared to what you have already been through. Just a little sooner in life than you were expecting. Hang in there and cherish every moment with your girls. They couldn’t ask for a better role model! Continued prayers for you and your family.

  17. Praying for April to come quickly this year. God is big and kind. Praying you and your family will see evidence of this every moment.

  18. Lindsay /

    Round 2… You’ve got this, girl. Lots of prayers are sure being lifted up for you and your sweet family…May you have comfort in that and also that all along this was part of the Story. I’ll be sure to check the calendar for needs that you guys have, but know I’m in WC and can help on a whim. Take care Jen.

  19. …I don’t know you and you don’t know me, yet I have tears for you as I read this. This is a really hard gig you’ve been handed, yet you handle it with such grace and honesty and surrender. You are an incredibly admirable and wise and inspirational woman. There is no doubt in my mind that your beautiful girls are and will continue to feel loved, safe, secure, happy and healthy because it seems that even when you aren’t intentional about it, you emulate all those things. Thank you for being a woman of valor – you are an inspiration to me.

  20. Tiffany Green /

    I’ll definitely be praying for each request above. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you so just take it one minute of each day at a time. You are loved and you are blessed and you are covered in prayer!

  21. Prayers and love from WA. It sounds like a really tough balance between SuperMama and Cancer Warrior, but I think you.can.do.it. Quality over quantity moments. The Lord will carry you through the sand during this difficult season.

  22. Sharon Hajek /

    Science and faith working hand in hand. Great plan. An army of believers surround you and wrap you in love and prayer. And a corps of medical angels surround you with skill, determination, and love. Believing in you, trusting in God.

  23. Bonnie B /

    My heart and my prayer support are forever with you !! In the Bible there’s a verse that states, ” without a vision the people will perish”.. prov.29:18. And in the margin I jotted. We need a vision to be able to go on. We function in the plan – Jen ,you’re covered with prayer, love and support from those who love you dearly! !

  24. Kristina /

    Your strength shines through whether you are “feeling” it or not. Thank you for having this blog. My prayers are with all of you.

  25. Emily Parker /

    Sounds like a plan! You and your family will be in our prayers always. Your strength and beauty are humbling and remarkable! I’m going to do my best to live today well, my dear! Healing and peace!

  26. First thing every morning, last thing every night and at least 10 times during the day, I stop what I’m doing and have a little conversation with God about the darling Anderson family and how much they need to have a miracle shower rain upon them. Jen, you are surrounded with “extraorinariness”…husband, children, parents, siblings, relatives around the world, neighbors, dear friends, college friends, old friends, new friends, elevator friends, friends who share the same name, “stranger” friends, exceptionally brilliant doctors, nurses and miscellaneous medical staff…every single one of them is extending the power of prayer and positive energy to you. Did you know that one’s brain has healing abilities? I have personal experience with this. Find time to meditate daily. All of this wonderfulness will somehow come together. FAITH is powerful. BTW, God still has his finger on you ♥

  27. Hillary S. /

    Like so many, I check in with your blog and can not wait for updates. In the face of this fight you continue to demonstrate such courage and love for all around you, it is staggering. Just want you to always remember you have so many praying for you and your family— across the globe. We are here and we are praying nonstop. We are thinking positively and sending ferocious fighting/healing energy. Just absorb it all!
    I also learned that if you go to the perjeta.com website and join their Genentech BioOncology co-pay program they will help with costs. Hope that helps a little.
    Hope you are resting when you can. Please know that we are all hugging you from afar!

  28. Hillary S. /

    PS From Delaware Hillary with lots of love!

  29. Anne Jutt /

    You are on my mind all the time, Jen. SO awed by you! We are praying and praying!

  30. “No eye has seen,
    no ear has heard,
    no mind has conceived,
    what God has prepared for those who love him.”

    I Corinthians 2: 9

    Praying for you.

  31. Holding you and the family up the Universal Healing Power and knowing that all will be as it should. you are surrounded by love and help and super family and friends for which you are appreciably thankful. It’s a great time to be aware of who stands by us when we need them.

  32. My heart breaks that you’re having to go through this again. And I am so inspired by your strength and resolve. Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. You are in my prayers. As is your entire family. Love to you!