Update from surgery & December scan

Sorry for the delay in providing an update.  It was a long week and I just didn't know how/what to say. 

In mid-October, Mom had surgery for radio-frequency ablation. They removed most of the growing tumor on her liver, but were not able to remove it all due to the location being so close to her colon (they didn't want to damage her colon).  Early last week, she was back in for another scan to see the status of the tumors on her liver.

In the past months, we have been hoping & praying that the one tumor that had begun to grow was just an odd case and not an indication of the cancer starting to out smart the treatment plan. Unfortunately that was not the case and more of the tumors have grown.  A few spots on top portion of her liver and the rest of the tumor they attempted to remove also grew.  They also are seeing an indication of the cancer in 6 of the liver's lymphoids. On Monday (12/6), Mom's treatment plan was changed.  The chemotherapy treatment will add another drug into the current 5-FU that she has been getting for the past 21 months.  This new treatment brings a more aggressive course of action which also comes with more side effects.

Mom had a tough week overall, physically & emotionally.  Please keep her & Tim in your prayers as she adjusts to the new treatment.  We pray this slight change in her treatment gets the tumors back under control and the side effects of this new drug are minimal.

Some more ... My mom is awesome!

I just had this feeling of a robot posting the specifics on Mom's blog on next steps and immediately realized how awesome my Mom is.  She is step-by-step so focused on beating this disease, I wonder how she stays so strong. She must be scared, I am.  She just pushes right through ... not once complaining of the colonoscopy she had yesterday (wow, that is fun right). Keeps going, planning the next weekend ... lives each day and doesn't stop, ever.  I was talking to her yesterday (she was resting, I know ... shocking) and she just says I need to get up and do something or make something, she laughs slightly. But, she's serious.  I think I'd take every opportunity to just watch a movie on the couch.  But not my MOM, she doesn't stop.  No matter what.  Keep those prayers coming! Read below for the details!

Surgery is scheduled. Need all of your prayers!

Mom had the colonoscopy yesterday to check the proximity of the tumor on her liver to her colon and everything turned out fine.  They are able to move ahead with the procedure - Radio Frequency Ablation which is good news (see below post for more details on the procedure).  The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, the 5th at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.  She will be in the hospital overnight for pain management. The doctors say she should be on her feet within a few days following the surgery.  Please keep Mom in your prayers for a successful surgery & quick recovery AND success with this procedure.  For those of you who know Sharon, she has plans over the weekend she doesn't want to miss! 

How can you help? Buy a $2 bracelet!

HOPE ... DREAM ... BELIEVE ...

In an effort to raise awareness of the many types of cancer and the many people it affects, friends of Sharon Sueper and Darcy Loseke are selling bracelets as a fundraiser and all proceeds will go to the Sueper and Loseke families to help subsidize the costs of treatment, travle, and the many other expense they may incur. 

Special thank you to Shellie Ramaekers and Janice Zach for putting this effort together.

If you'd like to order one or more bracelets, they are $2/each, please let me (Tania) know or you can contact Shellie or Janice!  Send an email to ttgerman@gmail.com.

Results of the scan and her treatment.

The results from Mom's scan she did in Omaha yesterday came back today.  This scan was to check the one tumor that showed growth about a month ago. And, that one tumor again has grown. The others still remain the same size and some are even smaller.  Good news?  Not really, but it still could be much worse.  Because mom's treatment has worked thus far way better than the doctors ever expected, Mom's case will be treated differently than the doctors would have predicted earlier.  Because her cancer seems to still be responding to the current treatment, they don't want to change the chemotherapy at this point, but rather, they are going to treat the one tumor that is growing.  (it's best for Mom to continue on her current chemotherapy treatment as long as possible so she has more options as time goes on)

Her doctors are recommending she have a relatively minor surgery to have a procedure called Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) performed on this tumor.  Here's a link for more info about the treatment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiofrequency_ablation.  She will have a colonoscopy this week to make sure the tumor on her liver is not too close to her colon.  There are a few risks/side effects associated with this procedure ... bleeding, pain, or obstruction of other organs near the RFA location.

If the results from the colonoscopy come back fine, they will schedule this procedure as soon as possible in Omaha and likely have an overnight stay mostly to manage the pain.  From here, the plan is for Mom to jump right back into her every other week chemotherapy treatment and monitor the cancer.

Please keep Sharon in your prayers this week and next ... pray for the doctors best guidance and for successful results from the procedure.

There's a plan.

Here's an update on today's appointment with Dr. Matthews.  He was able to explain why the unclear message last week.  Because the radiologist had provided the doctor with an incomplete report, the doctor had to back track when he received the complete information.

Although we wish the outcome would've been different, Dr. Matthews was able to be give a clear and confident recommendation on Mom's care. 

One of the tumors has grown 1/2" (doubled in size), but that is the only one.  The others have stayed the same and some even decreased in size.  Dr. Matthews explained it can mean that the cancer is growing again or that this one tumor had morphed and changed position which can mean growth, but not necessarily.  Because some of the tumors have gotten smaller, the results are inconclusive, they don't know.  She will have another scan in 4 weeks (Sept 27th) and continue with chemotherapy in the meantime.  Because this is the second incomplete radiology report she has received, Mom will have her next scan in Omaha at Immanuel Medical Center.  (the doctors she sees in Columbus are based out of this hospital)  We agreed as this is an important scan as the results will drive the next course of treatment for Mom.

She will continue with the same chemotherapy treatment in September. Depending on the results of the next scan, there are a few options that Mom has. We're praying for no change in the tumor and that she continues the maintenance chemotherapy she is currently on.   Keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers this coming month. 

Quick update today .. more to come.

Mom had another scan to check her progress last week and received the results on Monday at her regular chemotherapy appointment.  As most of you know, Mom continues every other Monday with her chemo-treatments ... same formula and process since they changed in September '09 (yes, she's been at this for almost 1.5 years).

Back to the update, I've been struggling to write this as it seems as though the results of the latest scan are a little unclear.  Most of the tumors on her liver are the same size and some a little smaller which is GREAT news, but it appears according to the radiologist and a seemingly confused oncologist that one of the tumors has grown in size.  First response from the oncologist (via the radiologist report) explained that one of the tumors has grown slightly and by the end of the appointment (after double checking w/ the oncologist and the oncologist following up w/ the radiologist who reported on Mom's scan) that one of the tumors doubled in size (growth was a ~ 1/2 inch).  But, they didn't make any change in the treatment, she still continues on the same maintenance plan.   

It's making all of us a little uneasy on sitting and waiting to see if it grows more (why wait right?).  She decided she is going back in next Monday just for an appointment with the oncologist to discuss further and ask more questions to understand the recommended protocol.  It will be a different oncologist next Monday so it will be good to hear a 2nd opinion.  More to come.  More prayers.  More Support.  More PRAYERS!

Another good report

Earlier this week, Mom received her results from her regular CT scans to see how the treatment is working......and so far so good!  This is fantastic news and can't tell you how relieved to hear another good report.  The treatment plan is keeping the cancer in check, no smaller, no growth so exactly like the doctors want.  (I would say us too, but we would prefer if the tumors would be smaller and start disappearing).  It's truly great news and God continues to answer our prayers.  To all of you that are supporting Mom, checking in on her, and being positive for her --- a sincere THANK YOU.  You do not know how important that is for her!

As most of you know, Mom stays busy (TOO BUSY) with all of us kids and doing all the extras she does.  Tara graduated from NE Wesleyan last weekend so a fun day in Lincoln!  Travis' baby will be arriving in a little over 2 months (WOW, time goes by fast, at least for us, maybe not Shere).  Mom has been busy helping Travis paint his apartment and getting his apartment ready for a new addition.  Plus, lots of planning happening for an upcoming baby shower.

Again, thanks for all of your support!

Our prayers continue to be answered!

Our prayers continue to be answered!  As most of you know, Mom continues to beat the averages of what doctors said would happen so far.  Oh, we are so thankful!  Yesterday, Mom had another CT scan to check the progress of her treatment. The results were good - no change.  The tumors have stayed in check!  There is still concern for her spleen that they will continue to watch (read last CT scan update from December).  All in all, everything looks fine.

Mom will continue the same treatment plan every other Monday for another 2 months when they will do another CT scan. This treatment plan is to maintain & keep the cancer in check and is relatively tolerable for Mom so the benefit of the treatment out-way the side effects.

Mom & Tim had a nice vacation in Arizona last week; I know they hoped to return to much warmer weather!  They said it was relaxing and fun and were not too excited about coming back.  At least their trip back returned them with some good news!

Again, thank you so much for all of your prayers & support for Mom...keep them coming!  -- Tania

It's Been Awhile...

Hi everyone, sorry, it's been awhile since I posted.  I really hadn't realize...time goes by fast when everything is silent I guess! 

The good news is everything is going ... just fine.  Mom continues chemo treatment every other week - doing her best to keep her spirits high & stay positive.  Almost every week, she gets a shot to help boost her white blood cell production so that tends to make her body ache a bit.  So, she still has those few bad days every other week that tend to make her feel a little down. We all know how good Mom is at sitting & resting?!?!

Mom & Tim are heading to Phoenix, AZ this weekend for a week long vacation which is great; much needed for them.  They're going with some friends, Brenda & Dave Luckey and to visit Sharon's parents (Melvin & Verona).  I'm so happy they are going.

When they come back, Mom will have another CT scan to get an update on how things are going.  Please keep your prayers with them on their travels and for another good report from the scan.

Check back on Feb. 23rd for an update.  I always have to end with a thank you for all of your support to Mom as she continues to battle her cancer.