Counting Blessings — Always

 This month brought another round of scans, and while some of the news is encouraging, I want to be straightforward: the results do show some progression of disease. The encouraging part is that the changes are happening more slowly again, and overall my doctors still consider my cancer to be largely stable under treatment.

The PET-CT showed that many of my tumors have remained stable—what that actually means is that some grew a little and some actually shrank a little. Some showed more “activity,” while others showed less than before. Another piece of good news came from my recent blood work: my numbers were excellent and show that my organ function is strong all around. The brain MRI also brought us relief: there were no new tumors, and the areas treated last year continue to shrink little by little. Some of the changes the doctors see are thought to be the result of treatment and healing rather than new disease, which is reassuring. It’s never easy to hear that there is still progression, but I try to hold onto the bigger picture—that the treatment continues to keep things from moving too quickly, and that stability still outweighs the setbacks.

Day-to-day, my treatment remains the same. I continue with my monthly Opdivo injection and take my Votrient tablets daily. One very positive development is that my headaches, which were once intense and disruptive, are now mostly gone. We believe this improvement is connected to the change from Cabometyx to Votrient, and I am grateful for the relief. I still deal with some bone and muscle aches, as well as fatigue, but those feel more manageable now, especially compared to the relentless headaches I was facing earlier this year.

Beyond the medical side of things, I’ve been—and will continue—focusing on living as fully as I possibly can. Travel remains one of my greatest joys, and I try to get away and see new places whenever it’s humanly possible—we already have a trip booked for December that will take us to, among other places, Morocco. At home, I find happiness in the little things—our new parrot, Babu, who has already filled our days with chatter and personality; time in the kitchen, especially cooking and baking with the grandkids when we get the chance, where sticky fingers and laughter are part of the recipe; and time spent practicing my new skill, crocheting, which has become both a soothing and creative outlet. These simple, joyful moments remind me that even though cancer is part of my life, it doesn’t define all of it.

For now, the plan is to continue with the same treatment and keep monitoring with regular labs and scans. “Stable with slow progression” may not sound like a victory, but in the world of advanced cancer, it truly is. It means we have more time—time together, time for small joys, and time for the possibility of new options down the road.

When doctors describe my scans as “stable with slow progression,” it means that most tumors are holding steady, with only a few new or slightly larger spots. The disease is still active, but the treatment is working to slow things down. In advanced cancer, this is often considered a positive outcome because it keeps the cancer under control and buys valuable time.

As always, I am deeply grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and positive thoughts. Please continue to join me in holding the intention of stability and shrinkage. I truly believe those intentions matter.