Update

We decided that since it's been almost a month (a month tomorrow actually) since my surgery, I should be fine not having someone with me all the time.  Our community and church has been amazing, in providing all of our meals since we have been home.  Danielle, my super amazing best friend, also worked out a schedule so that I had people sitting with me and helping me with things around the house until I felt strong enough to be home by myself.  I have honestly been going stir-crazy not being out and about and working!  My radiation nurse encouraged me to be as active as I feel I can be and I will know my limit.  So, this week I have been working from home lots and I have even gone in a couple times to work! I'm so excited!  I really missed my Oaklane family!! 

Just so you are aware, I made my decision on chemotherapy.  It really wasn't too difficult of a decision, after I started researching and praying about it.  I figure let's tackle this with all the resources we have available to us.  Yes, I may have days where I don't feel well and we will have to be slightly more conscious of the people I'm exposed to.  But in all honesty, like the nurse said, we are fortunate that it's getting to be Springtime and flu season has passed; all in God's timing! 

So, we go up on Friday for a radiation "verification" session, where they make sure the mask and mouth piece fit and are all aligned properly with the radiation beams.  And my first actual day of both radiation and chemotherapy is Monday, April 1st! 

Tonight, Danielle is hosting the first planning meeting for my benefit that her and my family and friends are throwing, in order to raise funds for my medical bills.  It's strange, but I have no doubt that all will work out financially.  I was nervous about it all right after we got home from the hospital; you see, we haven't gotten all that far in the Dave Ramsey baby steps.  Even though we were working hard to pay off debt, we still have quite a bit left to pay down.  And after I logged into my online health insurance claims website and saw that many of the amounts billed to my insurance were posted, totally over $80,000, I honestly started to get a little worried.  But all Travis could do was laugh.  He just kept telling me that "God will provide." After lots of prayer and my husband holding me accountable, we both feel at such peace with the bills.  If I've learned anything from this experience, it's that I'm not in control, God is.  And I need to trust in his provision for us. 

Matthew 6:26-27 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" 

I hope you have a wonderful last week of March, friends!  Remember to live your life for Christ and that you are not in control.  :-) 

God bless,
Alicia

God will provide us all our needs! 

Big Decision

We went to Iowa City yesterday to meet with our team of specialists.  I love my radiation doctor!  He explained the process so clearly and answered all of my questions.  I will start radiation probably the last week Monday of March.  It will last 7 weeks and I will go Monday-Friday to Iowa City.  I choose to complete this at Iowa City instead of Burlington, because the machines are much different; the one in Iowa City is more precise and targeted, hopefully causing less damage to healthy cells.  My Grandpa and Grandma Phillips, who have experience with the Iowa City Cancer Center due to her having cancer, have offered to take me to treatments 2-3 days per week.  This takes a large burden off of us, because it is going to get expensive to drive to Iowa City each day.  I'm super excited that they will be taking me some, too, because growing up we weren't all that close.  This will be such a wonderful opportunity to get closer to them!  So, I will work on getting a schedule made up, with who will fill in the gaps on the other days of the week.  I'm hoping we can find friends and family to drive me up in my vehicle the other days. 

After that wonderful appointment with radiation, we met with an older doctor in Chemotherapy.  With my type of brain cancer (anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3), there is not a great deal of research that's been done in the field.  For a grade 4 cancer of the same type, doctors have a very clear cut action plan, but not so much with my grade 3.  After the doctor tried explaining the cancer and the research (in a way that was way above our heads), we almost left the appointment more confused than we entered.  But we asked to talk to the nurse and she really cleared up lots of our fears and questions.  The downfalls to doing them simultaneously is that it may lower my immune system, so we would need to be more careful about keeping me healthy and it may cause some issues with low blood platelet counts.  The main reason to do chemo, in conjunction with radiation is: They were able to remove 95% of the tumor during surgery, but there is around 5% left and the cells may choose to divide quickly, causing another tumor to form.  The chemo may help kill these extra cancer cells before they split.  If I choose to go the chemo route, as well, I would start on the first day of radiation.  It involves just taking one chemo pill per night before bed, at the same time.  I would do chemo all throughout radiation, so for 7 weeks.  And then for another 6 months after radiation. 

This chemotherapy plan is better than some, in my opinion, because at least I get to take it at home and if I start feeling bad, at least I would be home and comfortable.  The more I think and pray about it and do my own research, the more I lean towards just doing it and tackling this cancer with everything we've got! 

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!  Please continue to pray for God to be glorified through this situation!