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First of all, I would like to thank everyone for your prayers and concerns. As you have read I recently went through a molar pregnancy back in September. With a molar pregnancy there is a lot of things involved. However, the number one thing that the doctor wants to be sure of keeping in check is making sure your HCG levels stay at zero. My levels had went down to zero after surgery and a shot of a chemo drug called methotrexate. However, when I went back about three weeks ago for my monthly blood check up my levels had gone back up to 11,000. So I had to go for scans to make sure the mole hadn't spread anywhere else in my body because there is a risk of it breaking off and spreading and turning to cancer. Praise God the tissue was contained and hadn't spread anywhere besides my uterus.
11/12/07 I just finished up a round of chemo which is actually 4 treaments of IV injection to try to kill the tissue. I want to thank God because I didnt' really have any side effects from the chemo. My hair didn't fall out and I wasn't sick besides just being a little tired. I went to get my HCG levels checked last Wed. and they have dropped to 6,000. Hopefully this Wed. they will have dropped even more. Once they have dropped to zero I will go through another round of chemotherapy which is 4 more treatments. I will try to make updates as I progress. Thanks again for your prayers!
11/26/07 Hello everyone! Hope ya'll had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Well I thought that I would update you on my progress. Previously in my last update I mentioned that I had to get my blood checked weekly until my HCG levels came down to zero. Well, two weeks ago my levels had dropped from 6,000 to 2,700 which is good. However, today I called to get my results and my levels this week only had dropped to 2000. My doctor didn't seem to think that was a very good drop considering the weeks before, so he wants me to go ahead and start my second round of chemo this Wed. Nov. 28. He was going to wait until my levels had reached zero but since it is dropping at a slow rate he thinks this is best. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I go thru another round of chemo. Thanks again for all your prayers, I really appreciate it! God is Still Good!!!
Cassie
1/5/08
Hey everybody! Hope all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! We had a good Christmas and a couple of weeks off from traveling which is nice to have a break! Well I thought I would update you who have been wandering on my progress. As you know, in the last month I completed another round of chemo which went really good. My levels were dropping consistently down to 386! However, three weeks ago my levels went up to 450 which is not what they needed to do. So my doctor wanted me to go the following week for another check on my levels to see what they would do. In turn they went up to 550!
At that point the doctor told me that I may have to go to another type of chemo but he wanted to wait one more week to see what my hcg levels would do again! He said that if they didn't go down that I would have to start this other chemo drug this monday Jan. 7th for 5 days. During this past week we were praying and believing God to do a miracle in my body and when I went to have my test done this past Wed, Jan 2nd I really believed that they would be down, however they were up to 592! Let me just say this, even though my levels didn't go down that doesn't mean that are God isn't in the miracle working business! Obviously there is a reason why I'm having to go through this trial and at the end of the tunnel I believe that there is a great blessing in store for my life! I have no doubts that I am going to be healed of this in Gods timing!
Until then please keep me in your prayers during this coming week! I will have this other chemo 5 days in a row and the doctor told me that the two main side effects is loss of hair and it effects the bone marrow! Please pray that I will go through this with good health. God is still on the throne!!!
Update 1/21/08
Hi guys, hope all is well with everyone. Well, I finished my first week of treatment with this new drug two weeks ago. This drug is definitely worse than the methotrexate as far as the side effects. I must say that I was pretty sick towards the end of the week. I felt totally exhausted and very nausea's. Friday was an awful day! Its crazy what chemo can do to the body. After I got through the week, I was feeling much better as far as being nausea's but then I started getting soreness of the mouth. I could barely brush my teeth, my doctor told me that was normal. My head has been sore also, especially when I wash my hair. However, I started feeling much better by the middle part of last week.
I went last Thursday to get blood work done to see what my HCG levels were at. The good news is that they are down to 124. Praise God! Thats the lowest that they have been, but they do have to reach zero and stay there before this can all be behind me!
Today, I started my second week of treatments. I will go this week for another 5 days in a row. Usually the first day goes pretty well. I came home this afternoon and took a long nap. My hubby, Mike has been so good with me. He has me spoiled!!!
Well, I will try to post another update in a few days. Thank you again for all of your prayers. God is Good!
Love, Cassie
2/4/08
Hello to all! I'm late as always about getting my progress updated! Anyways as you know I had another week of treatment two weeks ago. I will have to say that this last treatment really took its tole on my body! I was pretty sick during the week of treatment and then the week after it was like I got hit by a mac truck!
I experienced upset stomach, body aches and the worst was mouth sores. They are still lingering around and it has been a week since they have started. I haven't been able to eat for about a week and I can't talk. The only thing that I can drink is water because everything else burns. It burns even in my ears and it was burning all the way down into my stomach! I have had a rough week! I think to myself each night when I go to sleep that tomorrow is going to be better but for the last week I haven't seen where it has been better.
I have started to lose my hair, I don't have much left! Thats probably been one of the hardest things that I have faced! I know that it will grow back but its still hard!
I did get my blood work done last Thursday and my levels are at 49! I was supposed to start another week of chemo today, which is Feb. 4th but my doctor told me that my mouth had to get better before they could do more treatments. I'm still keeping the faith and believing God for a miracle in my body. Please continue to pray for me during this time in my life.
God Bless
Cassie
3/4/08
Hey Everyone! I apologize for taking so long this time to get my update posted to the website! The chemo that I'm on makes me really tired and I find myself not wanting to do much of anything.
After my mouth sores got better I was supposed to start another week of chemo, however the week I was supposed to start my white blood count was down which meant that I couldn't have chemo until they came back up! In the meantime I had another blood test about three weeks ago to check my hcg levels and they had dropped to 30!
Two weeks ago my white blood count had came back up and I was able to have a week of treatment! I felt pretty good that whole week as far as the chemo goes but I did end up catching a pretty bad cold so that wasn't much fun! This time around I had munched on ice chips during treatment because someone had told me to try this because it stopped the blood flow to the mouth and tongue! I was willing to try anything to stop the mouth sores from coming. I believe it did help but after tuesday of the following week I ended up getting them on the left side of my tongue, however that was much better than last time because before they were all over my tongue!
Last thursday, Feb. 28th I went for another blood test to check my hcg level and they dropped to 16!!! That is the lowest that they have been! Praise God!
Yesterday, March 3rd I started chemo which will last all week! So far I'm feeling good just tired. We are praying and believing that next time I get my levels checked that they are going to be at zero and then I will only have to face one more week of chemo for extra precaution! However, If they don't go to zero I will be looking at two more weeks of chemo after this week! I have the faith that they will be at zero! Please pray for me this week and ask God to spare me of the mouth sores because they are extremly painful and when I get them I can't talk, eat or sing! We have had to cancel the last few weeks because of this! Please keep our ministry in your prayers also because our schedule is getting really busy and I pray that God will give me the strength to be able to fulfill the dates. Singing is my passion and I miss it when I'm not able to go!
I would like to thank everyone for the prayers, emails, cards and love and support. I have been blessed by so many of you! God has showed me his love through his people during this time in my life and I love you all. I will try my best to get an update posted much earlier next time!
God Is Good!
Cassie
( I do want to say that the cause of all of this that I'm going through is from a Molar pregnancy! Most cases of molar pregnancies are not worrisome after a D&C. With a D&C the surgeons are only able to scrape the lining of the uterus. However, my case turned into what is called an invasive mole which it embeds itself into the muscle of the uterus causing it to be harder to kill! So thats why the D&C didn't get mine because it had already embedded itself deep into the muscle! It is very rare for molar pregnancies to turn invasive!)
4/8/08
Hello everyone, I've got some wonderful news! I finished my last chemo treatment on Good Friday and I'm feeling much better! Still a little tired and weak but I am definitely on the road to recovery. However, that is not the only good news. Last Thursday I went to get my hcg level checked and my levels are at 0.1 which makes two weeks they have been at 0! Praise God!
I want to thank everyone for your prayers and support during this time in my life! Please continue to keep me in your prayers that my levels will stay at 0! I go next Thursday to get my levels checked again and then I will be checked once a month for a year. As long as they stay at 0 for 1 year, then Mike and I will be able to try for a baby! Yeah!
God is so Good! He has been my strength through all of this! Without him, I don't see how I could have made it through. He is my Healer!
Love You All
Cassie
5/16/08
Hello again! I am late as normal getting an update posted to the web. Anyways things have been going really good. I am pretty much back to 100%. I just went this past Thursday, May 15th, to get my levels checked and they are still at zero! This makes nine weeks that they have been at zero Praise God! I have been healed! I don't have to go back to get blood work for a month. Its great to be back in the routine of things! Sometimes we take or I take so much for granted in our everyday life. God has blessed me more than I could ever imagined. We serve an awesome God! I am so thankful to be back on the road singing for the Lord!
By the way, if any of you are wandering about the hair, it is starting to grow! Please pray for super fast hair growth!! Ha Ha I'm a little tired of wearing hats and my wig! All I want for Christmas is HAIR ON MY HEAD!
Well I will try to continue to post updates every now an then! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers. Please continue to remember me and my family in your prayers!
With Love
Cassie
July 30th 2008
Hello Hello! Well, as you know already, I am so behind on my update. Have you ever had something that you knew that you needed to get done but just keep putting it off because something else pops up and then before you realize it weeks have gone by? Well thats kind of what happened with my update!!! I'm sorry!
However, I am doing wonderful! God is so Good! My levels have been at zero for 4 months now! I found out the other day that instead of going next month for blood work, I can wait two months before I have to go!
I've really noticed a change in my voice in the past few weeks as far as gaining more strength and endurance. Thank you for praying! You all should see my hair, it's definetly growing and its dark!! I'm not use to seeing myself w/dark hair, however, that is my original color, I just chose to hi-light it before! Never satisfied with what we have!! Ha Ha!
Well, once again I'm sorry for the usual late update! I will try to do better next time! (I know you all are laughing)
Love, Cassie
October 2nd 2008
Hey everyone, well it's time for an update on my health. I haven't had any new information for awhile because my doctor had me wait two months this time before I had any blood work done. However, I had blood work done the third week in September and I just found out last week that my levels are still at zero, Praise God! That marks my halfway point to my year that I have to wait before Mike and I can try for a baby. God is so Good, I'm so thankful for my healing.
Oh by the way, I couldn't resist but I hi- lighted my hair a couple of weeks ago! I've been spiking it up, it's pretty punky!
I will continue to post updates but it will be another two months before I have blood work done so I will try to post something in December! Thank you again for your continued prayers
Love, Cassie
January 3rd 2009
Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to a great year in 2009. I'll have to say that I was ready to see 2008 go by. It was a rough year for me and my family but God was faithful!
Well I had blood work the first of December and the results were once again ZERO! I also had a doctors appointment back in December and he told me everything looked good. He also said that when March came and my HCG levels were still at zero Mike and I could start trying for a baby. The month of March will make 1 year that my levels have been at zero. I will still be checked the rest of my life to make sure everything is okay.
I will keep you posted on any updates and once again Thank You for your continued prayers. God Is Good!
Love, Cassie
February 2nd 2009
Hey guys its that time again for my update. I went on January 23rd for blood work and my results were once again zero. That made 10 months of zero levels so far Praise God. My doctor told me that my next blood work will be scheduled for April. I'm excited for March to get here because that will mark my one year anniversary of zero levels. I thank God everyday for healing me! God is Good. Thank you once again for your continued prayers. I will let you know my results in April.
God Bless
Cassie
March 4th 2009
It's a time of celebration, lets have a party!!! Hey guys, it is my one year anniversary of being cancer free. Praise God! Actually March 13th will be one year exactly of my leves being zero! I'm so thankful for my healing. I stand in awe of what God has done for me! I've learned so much and drawn closer to the Lord through this trial. It was difficult in the midst of the storm but now I can say that I have the victory through Jesus Christ. Thank you once again for your prayers. I do have blood work sometime in April so continue to keep me in your prayers!
Love and God Bless
Cassie
May 2nd, 2009
Hey guys, I recently had blood work on April 29th and I found out that my levels are once again zero! Praise God. It had been three months since I had any blood work done so I was excited to find out the results. I never want to miss the opportunity to Prasie God for my healing. My next blood work is scheduled in three months. Continue to keep me in your prayers
God Bless
Cassie