Here I Come to Save the Day!

If you know me at all, you know I do not wait well. And this past week was a week of waiting. A long week of waiting. I had appointments scheduled for Friday to begin the new immunotherapy and chemo regimen but they were tentative, dependent upon receiving insurance approval. I tried to be patient, I really did. I waited until Tuesday to contact the research nurse at MDA—still waiting on insurance. Wednesday afternoon she called to update me—still waiting on insurance. I asked if it would help if I called Blue Cross and she said it couldn’t hurt. I called and late Wednesday, after being on hold for about an hour while supervisors and medical directors were consulted, I was told the new chemotherapy drug had been approved and they would fax the approval to MDA. Hurdle one complete. The research nurse called me on Thursday morning—they were still waiting on the “official paperwork” from Blue Cross to issue the go ahead, and she would let me know as soon as they received it. Gary and I were packed and ready and finally, about 11:00 am, we received word of the official approval and headed out the door! We made it to Houston just in time for my 3:45 appointment for bloodwork.

In the waiting this past week I did a lot of praying. I also did a lot of housecleaning and ironing to burn off some nervous energy! As difficult as waiting is, I know that God has a purpose for it. So many of the psalms instruct us to wait for the Lord, to wait patiently for the Lord, because He is our help, our shield, our salvation and He hears our cries and has mercy on us. As I waited somewhat patiently, I had to trust that His timing is always best. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Perhaps the purpose of this extra week of waiting was to not only renew my physical strength, but my spiritual strength as well. There was absolutely nothing I could do to speed up this process. All I could do was place my need squarely in God’s capable hands and allow Him to do the rest, trusting that whatever happened, He was in control.

God was also squarely in control of that 3:45 appointment for bloodwork. I knew I had to do some additional blood tests before I could be officially enrolled in the clinical trial but I did not realize the results could exclude me from receiving the new treatment. I am so glad I was unaware of that possibility or I really would have been a basket case all week! My kidneys, thyroid and liver were all “perfect” and I would receive my first infusion Friday morning! The same internal voice that urged me to question the initial mammogram finding has continually affirmed my need to participate in Artemis to be healed. God’s guiding hand has led me to this point and I am confident the treatment I am receiving will result in no more cancer and many years to enjoy life!

Like most kids growing up in the 60s and 70s, the Saturday mornings of my childhood were spent watching cartoons and eating Froot Loops. The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, Pink Panther, Underdog, the Flintstones and of course Looney Toons, were some of my favorites. I can still sing the theme songs and catch phrases from almost all of the childhood cartoons I watched.This past Friday morning, the day I got the first infusion on the clinical trial, the theme from Mighty Mouse played on repeat in my head—“Here I come to save the day!”

As I watched the atezolizumab, the immunotherapy drug, drip through my IV, I envisioned these tiny superheroes preparing to attack my cancer. No, I was not loopy on premeds—with this regimen I received zero premeds—so this was entirely my own wild imagination! The mean old cancer had put blinders (think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s) on all the t-cells in my immune system. The atezolizumab superheroes were racing through my system—Here I come to save the day!—ripping off the blinders and wearing them as capes. The cancer cells all started screaming and shrinking in fear of the mighty t-cells! At least that’s my scientific explanation. 

So far I feel incredible. No premeds, no anti-nausea meds—the only medications I received were the atezolizumab and the abraxane. I’ve had no nausea, no overwhelming tiredness, no neuropathy. I enjoyed my dinner and I slept well. When we got home yesterday I walked two miles. I felt good enough to keep going, but it was hot and I’m trying to listen more to Gary when he reminds me not to overdo it—as if I’ve ever been hard-headed and pushed myself too much! I know as the chemotherapy builds and my blood counts go down I may begin to feel tired and experience some side effects. That’s ok, I’ll worry about that when it happens. As for today, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24. I will enjoy every single second of today.