Prayer 'Alert Level' Upgraded to Orange

Dearest All,

We are asking you to kick up the prayer level a bit as we have been presented with some additional challenges this week. I had my routine scans and unfortunately, there are a couple of areas that are of a “concern” to my Oncologist. My adrenal gland is enlarged again and this was a gland that was problematic initially. There is also some “shadowing” outside where my lung was removed that was not there previously. These areas were clear nine weeks ago when I was scanned. They are both close to where the original tumor was.

I will be having a PET scan on Monday, 8/31 and the results will be definitive as to whether the cancer has reared its ugly head. We meet with the doctor on Wednesday to get the results. We also have a meeting with a radiation oncologist to discuss radiation options as both of the lesions are small. We have had discussions about going to see Dr. Patel at Northwestern. She is a world renowned lung cancer specialist who is on the cutting edge of clinical trials and treatment. If the current treatment isn’t working, we will need a new cocktail mixed. The good news is that there still appear to be some treatment options. Also it was good to get the news that the cancer is not in my liver or in my brain.

We also will be investigating some new diagnostic options and lung cancer markings which are used to customize treatment being offered at Mass General in Boston.

The good news is I feel great and find it hard to believe that I may not be as healthy as I feel. My hair is filling in really fast and I have ¾ inch alfalfa sprouts all over my head under the long thin hair I have never lost. I have a great deal more energy than before and “feel normal”. My life is good today.

Well, these were not the results we were hoping for as things were returning to some semblance of normal, but we do have options to address this current situation in the event the news is that the cancer has returned.

I cannot thank you all enough for all your love, prayers and support. You all have been incredible especially Patricia B. and Jaki C. who do not let a single week go by since January without dropping a note…adding a prayer or Bible verse. I cherish each and every word from each of you. It is funny because I was getting ready to tell ‘you all’ to knock it off and focus on someone who needs support and ‘save’ my help for when I really need it…and now I am asking for your thoughts and prayers and support as we face these current challenges. Please keep me and all of my family in your prayers.

Love,
Lynn, Tim and family

I will update my blog as we get more information. I know you all want to chat or have me drop a note or e-mail but I just don’t have the time. Just know I love you all and I thank God every day for each of you. I am truly blessed to have all of you in my LIFE.

Another Milestone

Well, the first 6 rounds of “Big Girl” chemo is finished…thank God! It really was not fun and I’m happy it’s over. Fatigue is my biggest complaint right now, plus substantial hair loss and migraine headaches. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we got the results of the scans and the results were very positive…what I mean is that the scans were clean and there is no evidence of any active cancer right now. They will never say “cancer free” but this is probably as close as I’ll ever get. Dr. Choong and his staff are also pleased and said he does not see these kinds of positive results at my stage very often. He said I am a patient that will make him famous.
I have now started “phase 3” of the treatment (surgery & chemo being phases 1 and 2). Phase 3 is maintenance chemo. Originally the plan was to continue on one of the drugs from my initial chemo that really wasn’t a chemo drug but rather, a targeted agent called Avastin which I understood to have no side effects. But when I arrived for my first maintenance chemo, Dr. Choong said the recent clinical studies showed much greater success with the continuation of another drug, Alimta, which is a chemo drug. While I wasn’t expecting any side effects, I am going to have some-but nothing in comparison to what I have been going through for the first 6 rounds. As long as it is working, it will be ok. The schedule is still every three weeks, but it does not take as long so I call it “Drive- Through” chemo. They will continue to scan me every three treatments (nine weeks) to keep me monitored. If I remain stable, I can receive this treatment for up to two years. I have already had 1 treatment and have another one this Wednesday, July 8th. There continue to be some bumps in the road, but overall things are going pretty well.
We continue to count our blessings and words cannot express the gratitude that I have for such beautiful family and friends. Thank you for your unending prayers, thoughts and inspirational cards…I feel your prayers every day. As you think of me and of my family, please keep in mind all the others who suffer from this and other illnesses. It is almost beyond comprehension the people I know and love who are also suffering.
I will keep you updated but if you do not hear anything for awhile, things are going pretty well. I also try to answer e-mails as I get time. If I do not answer right away, please understand I’ll get to you as soon as possible.
Much love to all,
Lynn

LAST CHEMOTHERAPY this Friday!!

It's my last chemotherapy and when I meet with the MD on Friday, I find that I have lots of questions...why no radiation therapy?? Why 2 more years of chemo?? Can I be any more fatigued? So, if you have any questions, let me have them so I can ask the questions that YOU have also!! I will check in after Friday! Lots of love to you and your families. Lynn

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY

#5 Chemotherapy from last Friday is history!

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY TO ALL!! I FEEL GREAT AND HOPE YOU DO ALSO!

I always feel great on that Chemo Friday and usually on Saturday-then by Sunday (BUT NOT TODAY ON MOTHER’s DAY) I start feeling “funky” is the only way to explain it…each day presents some new issue and each day is touch and go. And then by Thursday afternoon, I go back to being and feeling pretty normal and on Friday I am ready to return to life.

I am at the point in my treatment that some symptoms are progressive. My sore mouth, tongue, and throat are really sore. My voice is going quickly. I get frequent headaches. The fatigue is the worst of it from my lowered red cell count. If I am up at 6 a.m., naptime could be at 9, noon, and 3 p.m.-tired all day right now but the fatigue and the migraine frequency should subside after the next, #6, chemotherapy.

And while we are looking forward to the end of THIS cycle of chemotherapy, it looks like I will begin a different “cocktail” regimen of 2 of the same drugs I receive now BUT not the one nasty drug that really gives me all of the side effects so that sounds much more pleasant to me. This maintenance chemotherapy will be given every three weeks and may be given for up to another 2 years—which is the maximum length they can give.

Dr. Choong explained that radiation is not preformed on Stage 4 lung cancers that have metastasized. ABSENT THE MIRACLE FOR WHICH WE HAVE ALL BEEN PRAYING, they do the best they can to keep you living with the cancer and keep it controlled in your body. They will continue to scan me about every 3-4 treatments and I think they try other chemotherapies if it starts to metastasize again. We have again been given some time on the horizon for which we are thankful.

Thanks to all of you for your continues PRAYERS, support, flowers, gifts. Thanks to GOD for taking such good care of me so far, and PRAY that this next round of maintenance chemotherapy brings along with it all peaceful, prayerful, and asymptomatic days.

Trips to Phoenix and Denver were great…but Denver was a bit of work just doing normal activities at the higher altitude. I am glad Dan is coming back!

The rest of the Steinles’ are doing well. Jake loves his sales exec job in Chicago with UNUM. Dan graduated last weekend from Regis University and will be coming back to Milwaukee to teach for one year at MUHS in their Alumni Service Corp program. He will likely teach either Art History or English Literature and HOPES to use his Visual Arts Degree with Photography is some way. He will move back at the beginning of August. They will supply his housing and a stipend for meals…he may need a part time job!!!
Abbey successfully completed her Freshman year at St. Mary’s in Winona, MN…and can’t wait to return…long summer coming!

All kids are coming back for the Memorial Day Parade and it will be a feeling good week for me!! Hope to see you all as the weather warms up.

I continue to be blessed every day of my life because of my wonderful husband who is taking such good care of me every day, and my family and friends!
Love to all of you, Lynn

P.S. I tried to change the settings on this blog so you can leave comments for me...or email to me at above address.

ALLELUIA !!! Some long-awaited GOOD news!!!

I had my brain MRI and CT scan of the rest of my organs on Good Friday as planned. We expected results this Friday but got the call today with the GREAT results. The brain MRI was clear!!! The CT scans showed that the chemo is working. The spot on my liver is gone!! The shadows around my adrenal gland and other “watch” areas are all gone!! The one cancer remaining is in that lymph node in my chest area which they could not remove because of the entwinement with an organ (my heart, I think). That lymph node should shrink with the chemo and I still do not know if I am a candidate for any radiation. I will ask that question on Friday when we see the Dr. before my next chemo treatment #4.

It’s such a great news day today! I hoped and prayed every day for this good news and thought it would be good because other than those 5-6 funky days (as I call them) after chemo, I am feeling so good…still fatigued, a few aches and pains, but otherwise, really good for where I am in this process.

My friend Jaki, shared one of her favorite verses with me and I will share it with you, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,…plans to give you hope and a future…You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart”. Jeremiah 29:11,13 Thanks, Jaki!! Spring HAS refreshed my spirit with new hope and new strength.

It looks like future travel plans for my national SEBS meeting in Scottsdale, and Danny’s graduation from Regis University in May are a GO!

All I can continue to do is to say thanks to everyone for helping me through this very difficult journey. Even if we don't speak, I benefit from your prayers, cards, gifts, good wishes and positive thoughts. I continue to be blessed every day of my life because of my friends!
Love, Lynn

P.S. I tried to change the settings on this blog so you can leave comments for me...or email to me at above address.

CHEMOTHERAPY---3 DOWN, 3 TO GO

It’s Friday, the day of chemo which is over, but I feel pretty good! We will sit around watching some good basketball tonight and for the next few days. We will return on Sunday to the cancer care center for preventive fluids and anti nausea drip drugs to insure a good vs. bad next week. The trip to FL did me good! We arrived home last night before chemo. Moderate sun intake, moderate Malibu rum intake (with every healthy juice mix available-including digestive friendly PLUM JUICE)…trying to be good! I was very relaxed and when TIM wasn’t snoring, I slept very well…as did the rest of the house guests. Developed some migraine headaches down there which COULD have been due to the MU WARRIOR loss!! I even had my ‘Buck the Fadgers’ t-shirt ready in case MU met UW in the sweet sixteen…back on the shelf until next season.

April 10th, Good Friday, I will be having a CT scan of my chest, liver and other body organs and also a brain MRI to see if we are making progress with the chemo. Since everyone I know MAY be in prayer mode on this day, please say one for me…that I get some really needed good news after these diagnostic tests.

Read a great book in FL that I highly recommend to all…’The Shack’…Great story and you will see God in a whole new light!!

Tim’s family will be coming to visit at Easter…we have never been home for Easter, always in FL so this will be new to us. We will welcome Maggie and Tim, Beth with son Matt and new fiancé Shannon, Charlie (Anne) and maybe Charlie and Franny…Jake and Abbey and Tim and I can’t wait to see you! Danny is gearing up for graduation and cannot make the trip.

I came home to some great cards from the loyal crew that sends them every week to keep up my spirits!! THANKS to Jaki & Mike, Patricia, Mary A., Aunt Evie, Aunt Dorothy, and Joanie B. (Mrs. B)

Creative Happiness 24/7

I am finding how hard it is to always stay happy and positive these days. YOU have all done such a great job of lifting my spirits (even though I cry when I am happy now-HAPPY TEARS) and have shared some really powerful prayers from a variety of sources. I keep your individual names on each of these prayer snipits or books and smile with thoughts of you as I pray each day.