Okay, I am going to try to do two entries tonight because there has been so much that has happened since July and I want to get you all up to date. I am not the most patient person, can you tell?? If you haven't read the blog just below this you will be lost so go there first. I tried to figure out how to switch the order and obviously am not smarter than this program and Taylor and Natasha are asleep, so just read the one below first!! :)

So, I left you with us having appointments at Bay Medical Center on July 10th with Dr. Murshed. Dr. Murshed is a great radiologist who has a team of people with whom he works that are so kind and caring to say the least. Each one of the staff members came out and met Taylor and I and told us what their role with the practice was. We were impressed to walk into the waiting room where there was a coffee/tea maker that was just like ours at home with an endless supply of variety of coffees and teas...yum! I like this part already!

We go back and meet with Dr. Murshed who explains the regiment that he has planned for me. I will be treated Monday-Friday for 15 minutes per day with radiation. The beams would enter my body just below my abdomen from four different angles. I was introduced to one of the techs and led into a room where I was placed on a table and had a foam thing (bean bag) placed between my knees and feet. I was told to lie comfortably and the air was sucked from the bean bag thus forming a mold of my body. Pretty neat!! While lying there I was given three stickers with big X's on them. One just below my belly button, one on the left and one on the right side of me. This would mark where the radiation would enter my body. I was told it would also come under the table through my backside as well. Since the tumor was so low they were trying to angle things to get to it correctly, without jeopardizing my female organs or bladder function. The thought of having permanent damage to my bladder was quite scary, but a fact that I was now facing. Fortunately, just before having Logan Taylor and I decided that she would be our last baby and I had a tubal ligation done during the C-section. So, the female organs were not of great concern to me. This also gave the doctors a sigh of relief! After leaving Bay Medical I felt so sure, confident and pleased that this is what I needed to do! Now, on to meet with the Chemotherapist, Dr. Johnson in Sandestin.

Taylor had a meeting to attend so I went to Dr. Johnson's office on my own. I was quite sure of myself by now... besides he couldn't give me any news I didn't already know right?? Our meeting was very pleasant. He explained the drugs he would put me on, pre op, and then what I would be on post op. He explained each drug in detail so that I would understand what I would be taking and how it would react with my body and what would work best to help me deal with the drugs. I left his office feeling very sure of my self with exception of the blood work that he was requesting! YUCK.... don't these guys know how much I hate bloodwork!

I had my prescriptions to start Xeloda an oral chemotherapy on the first day of radiation and take it Mon-Friday as I did radiation. I would be back in to see him weekly after beginning. So, here we were on our way! Since today was July 10th, I was expecting things to begin by the middle of next week! Yay, we have a plan and we are attacking!!

Well after the next week came and went I had not heard back from Bay Medical about my start date I call and check in. I am told that Dr. Murshed is on vacation for the week and he can not approve care plans nor can they begin without his approval.

YIKES, this is where reality hits me hard. I can remember like yesterday looking around the room at home and locking eyes with Taylor and he and I were the only ones in the room and I said, "Oh my God Taylor, I could die, I could really die... I have cancer and people die from cancer everyday, oh my God, please help me, I can't die, I have babies, little babies, three of them, and you Taylor and our businesses, I can't die Taylor, I can't, what am I going to do?" This was honestly the first time the thought of death had entered my mind. I still remember the thoughts, the emotions, his expression, his reaction and everything from that one small moment. Taylor ran to me and said, "You aren't going to die, I'm not going to let you, I am here to stay, I said for better and worse and I meant it, you will be fine, we will fight this and we will win. You Misty are the strongest person I know and we will beat this, I promise." I started praying harder than I had every prayed on that very day.

On July 21st, I was researching the nation's best colorectal surgeons and found Dr. Emina Huang, from Shands UF. I called her office and asked if I could come in for a consultation just to get another person's input on my case. I was given an appointment time of 8:30 the NEXT morning. I am not sure how many of you are familiar with Shands but that is quite unheard of! People wait for MONTHS to see doctors at Shands and I was just given an appointment for the very next day! Not only would I meet with Dr. Huang on the 22nd, but I would also meet with Dr. George (chemotherapist), the tumor board, and Dr. Zylotecki (radiologist) on the 23rd. Thank you God, I know you were working with me now! :)

Good night for now, love you all and hope you have full tummies from Thanksgiving! God is good and deserves our thanks year round, don't forget that!! :)

Okay, so I left you all knowing that we had an appointment on the 9th of July at UAB to meet with the Chemotherapist, Radiologist and have the PET scan. So, as most of you know I research EVERYTHING! What is a PET scan, does it hurt, how long does it last, etc..... I found out that a PET scan is something that every human being should get at the age of 18 I think!!! A PET scan is when your body is injected with a radioactive nuclei and you have a scan which is similar to a CAT scan, but closer (not good if you are claustrophobic). The cancer cells are supposed to light up since they are faster growing and require more glucose to grow. Thus, showing where all of the cancer cells are in your body. My only fear was ----radioactive---- nuclei---- I am not a scientist, but that sounded pretty darn scary! Will I like glow in the dark after this?

So, here we go. Our first appointment was at noon with Dr. Jacobs, the radiologist. We met with Dr. Jacobs who agreed with Dr. Arnoletti that it was best to have treatment at an 'all inclusive' center where all doctors could have access to your charts at any given time. I understood their logic, but it really was not what was easiest for me! Dr. Jacobs gave me the name of a radiologist that he would recommend in the area, after he assured me that there was NOONE that he would recommend that lived in our area... he says, "How far are you from Panama City Beach?" HELLO!!!! WE are neighbors!! He had a contact there that he felt comfortable with and would have an appointment scheduled before I left that day! :) Okay, things are looking up!

Next appointment was for the PET scan at 1:45. This appointment was in the basement. Picture a basement of a hospital, an OLD hospital, a REALLY REALLY old brick hospital......that is what I was thinking before I went into my appointment since that is where I was!! I was in a small room with a recliner, a sink, a trash can and a curtain. I was asked to take everything off except my bottoms and put on the "gown".... why are these things made for people that are built like a brick that is 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall? I do not get why they don't come in sizes!! So, Taylor is allowed back there with me and we get me ready for the injection. When the nurse comes back in he has on goggles, blue (dishwashing gloves), a robe, and a large silver syringe. OK, now I am convinced that I am going to glow in the dark after this procedure! He injects the contents of the silver syringe (the top part of the syringe, where the meds go, is about as big around as a soda can) into my butterfly and then leaves the room. He promptly returns to tell Taylor he must now leave me and they are turning off the lights giving me a pillow and blanket so that I can rest.... um, what if this stuff makes me uh, die?? There will be noone here to save me. Oh well, guess that wasn't one of their concerns because I was left alone! Off to dream land I went. I was awoken and asked to go to the restroom to empty my bladder. When I got into the room for the scan they explained that first there would be a CT scan first and then the next machine would be the PET scan. I would move very slowly through the PET scan as multiple (hundreds) images were taken. I handled the CT portion fine, this was my 10th scan, not really but close! Well when it came time for the PET I was shocked at how close my nose was to the machine.... don't sneeze in there or you will get a concussion! The test did take much longer than the standard scan, but I just went away to my happy place and was awoken when it was over!

Last appointment wasn't until 4. But, we knew that we could either see Dr. Pasche early, or wait and get the results of the PET scan during our meeting with him...... so we waited. We went and had lunch, walked around some and then decided to go back to the basement to ask for a copy of the PET scan. Duh, why hadn't we thought of that earlier It is patient rights to be able to get your test result scans, even all doctors' notes. So, here we go to get the disc. They have it, it is here, we grab the laptop, slip in the disk and are beyond lost at what we see. There were only two things that we were able to identify and those were both round and at the top of my torso.... everything else.... who knows what we were looking at!! There goes that bight idea! Time ticks on and it is time to meet Dr. Pasche! He assures me that chemo can be done locally with no problems at all. He says yes, there are some uptakes in my inguinal glands (lymph nodes in my groin) and a few fuzzy spots on my hip... he would not worry about those. As for lungs, liver, brain and pancreas, things look great!

So, on this day we learned that we do have cancer cells in the groin, and the rectum but those are the only locations. We also find out that there is an option to do treatment at home, so we don't have to move to Birmingham and the kind doctors there made appointments for me to meet with Drs. in Panama City on July 11th... YEAH! Things were finally looking up!

So, Taylor and I go meet with Dr. Rusynyk on June 16th to get the biopsy results. When we get there we are told that there is indeed a mass at the base of my rectum. The exact location is the line of dentation which is where the muscle in your bottom is located. I have to give a brief anatomy lesson here for those of  you who were like me and had never (cared to) known the process of the body. The food you digest goes through the small intestines, into the large intestines, through the colon, into the rectum, and exits your body through your anus. Okay, with all of that being said, my tumor was a transitional tumor that was beginning to transition into stage one located very low in the rectum and according to the recommendations of Dr. R would need to be removed. We had several options for removal; however, Dr. R is not a surgeon. He shared the option of laser removal, scooping or an actual surgery that would result in a colostomy. Since he felt as though the location of the tumor would result in most local surgeons jumping the gun and just having a colostomy installed and according to the biopsies he took we had some time to play for vanity issues he recommended I see a doctor from UAB.

Okay, so my thoughts: colostomy- no way are you crazy that is so out of the question. I have minimal cancer that is so low and no big deal. Besides, I had a dear friend whose Mom had gone through a similar experience and ended up with no surgery since the tumor vanished with radiation.

Our next appointment would be at UAB with Dr. Eloubedie (I am sure I misspelled that, sorry). On June 29th, Taylor and I left for Birmingham to be sure we could find the hotel and judge the driving distance to the hospital in downtown Birmingham. I was to have an EUS, basically a colonoscopy that was an ultrasound at the same time so they could get a better judge on the size of the tumor as well as the depth. -side note- your colon has 5 layers, cancer can be contained within these layers or spread outside to additional organs. Well, once again I got to do the PREP...UUUGGHHH! This was even worse than the last time since I was bleeding much worse and my body was so sore. The hotel we stayed in did not have a 'courtesy fan' in the bathroom so I sent Taylor to the movies for the duration of the prep. He happily obliged my request! :)

The next morning our day began with the EUS with Dr. E. From there we went up to have bloodwork done again and then were to meet with the surgeon I had been assigned to Dr. Arnoletti. Let me begin by saying that if you have never been inside UAB's hospital it is quite intimidating. There are several very very tall red brick buildings that are VERY old. Our first appointment was on the sixth floor and after waiting to be seen by the doctors for 20 minutes I asked where the restroom was and was sent to the first floor. Yes, the first floor. There were no public/patient restrooms between the second and sixth floors... strange! Well, after going back into the procedure room,where Taylor was actually allowed to go in the room with me and meet Dr.E I was quickly given my IV of happy juice and sent off to sleep. When I awoken Taylor was right beside me assuring me that things went well. Since I wasn't sure what 'went well' meant I was happy! From there I was placed in a wheelchair and taken to the clinic across the road since I was way too loopy to walk for bloodwork. After having the bloodwork done we got a short break for lunch. By now, I was alert and capable of walking and actually had an enjoyable lunch with my husband. We waited around for an afternoon meeting with Dr. Arnoletti so that he would have the results of the EUS to give us a little guidance on our mission.

When we met with Dr. Arnoletti and his team, there were a total of three doctors and a nurse who was frantically dictating everything the doctor said we were not prepared to hear what he had to say. I can remember hearing, you have cancer, the tumor is much larger and much more progressed than what we previously thought. He pulled out an image chart and showed us where the tumor was. He said the tumor was after the review with the EUS at least a stage two possibly a stage three tumor. The invasion of the muscle had occurred which meant there was no chance of saving the muscle of the sphincter (your anus). He recommended that I have 28 days of chemotherapy and radiation there at the clinic so that the entire team of doctors could oversee my progress and chart any issues that might arise. Did he not know that I had a family of three perfect little girls, businesses to run, and school was starting in only one month? From that point on I really don't know what all was said, I can remember Taylor asking questions and the doctor answering them and the conversation seemed to last for hours..... I just sat there thinking, I can't have cancer, that is not an okay thing for me. I am a healthy person, I am not sick, I can not do this. Is he sure, is he sure he has the right chart, maybe there is a mistake..... Then I heard Dr. Arnoletti ask me if I was okay, and he gave me his card and his wonderful nurse who I am sure holds some type of record for number of words written in a minute hugged me and gave me her card and they left the room. I just sat there.... now what?

Taylor and I found our car in the parking garage and got back on the interstate to head home. I really don't remember what we talked about or if we even talked at all. I know that I drove, as I always do. I cried and kept telling him that I was sure that all of those doctors in that room thought I was a battered woman who was too scared to speak when her husband was in the room. Although, I am a very well educated female with a Master's degree and more than capable of researching the cures and treatments for rectal cancer. When we got home Mom was here with the girls and I would not talk to her inside because I wanted to keep this from them...they are so young and so vibrant why would I want to cast this ugly shadow on their lives? So, Mom came outside and I told her everything that I had learned. Step by step what they said, of course Taylor had so much more information that I was sure he had made up since I didn't here any of the doctors saying those things.. Our next appointment would be at UAB on July 9th with the radiologist, chemotherapist, and for a PET scan.

Wow, this might be as much therapy for me as it is for those of you who are reading! I am shocked at how well I can remember each detail. I can even recall what some of the doctors were wearing when we met...strange! I hope to pick up a little more tomorrow, since I am leaving you at the end of June and beginning of July there is much more story to tell.

I do have a challenge for each of you, look at your week and think of that really crappy day that you had and how much it affected you, don't let that happen again. God gives each of us trials to overcome, some are small and some are huge. You can do each of them with His grace. Know that you are never alone and that no matter how dark it gets there is always another day just waiting for you tomorrow! Love to you all! M

Well, here we are! I want to begin by thanking each of you for all of your support and for visiting this amazing site set up by Natasha. I want to share my story but really am not sure where to begin, how far back is too far and how early is too early? So, I will start with what I call the beginning of my journey and if you have questions I can rewind as needed! Here we go....

In May of 2008 Taylor and I found out we were expecting baby number three. We had NO plans of having another child since we had already been blessed with two perfect little girls, Lauren and Londyn. After many weeks of tears and asking God if He was sure this is what He wanted for us we began to accept the idea of another baby. We quickly realized this pregnancy was not like the other two. With Lauren and Londyn I gained 16 and 15 pounds respectively and with baby 3 the weight was quickly piling on! (hee hee) At six months pregnant I began having problems with my sciatic nerve and noticed that my right leg would just quit working. My biggest problem with this wasn't the pain it was the fact that my entire family would walk way ahead of me when my leg was dragging behind me! I am sure I looked quite humourous! 

Logan blessed us with her presence two weeks early on January 13, 2009. She was the most perfect little bundle of joy.  She weighed in at 7lbs and 10 ounces, our largest baby which helped to explain the reason that I gained 31 pounds with her!! Yes, the same combined amount I gained with each of the big girls! Now our family was perfect and complete. Taylor and I had what could not have been anything better than a fairy tale. We loved our girls more than anything on Earth and had an amazing marriage on top of that.

Shortly after Logan was born I began noticing bleeding when I would have a bowel movement. I didn't think much of this since I did gain a TON of weight with Logan and she was a chunky monkey...I am sure the pressure from baby caused my body to adjust in some way! As the bleeding became more and more often I began to worry. At this point I started seeing a chiropractor, my dear friend Jennifer Laird. I explained the still lingering pain in the sciatic and the bleeding. After several adjustments I began to see some improvement in the sciatic but still had a twinge of pain on occasion. I even allowed her to do acupuncture on me thinking I had hemorrhoids. Ok, for those of you who know me you know that I HATE needles... I see or feel a needle and I am usually awakened with smelling salts! It really wasn't too bad and would recommend it for anyone who was debating the idea! The bleeding kept on and began getting worse. I called my OB/GYN of 9 years and he called me in a hemorrhoid cream convinced that was the problem. After a month of cream and still bleeding I called back and he told me that it was time to find a general practitioner. I do not go to doctors for reasons other than having babies, remember I am the healthy one?!

So, I had to find a general practitioner! I found one right next door to our Destin office which was perfect. I could drop the girls off with Taylor at work and run in to the doctor! I go in and fill out the 100 pages of history that they ask for all of which is no in my case, and am finally seen. I have to drop my drawers, explain the bleeding, etc to the PA that I finally see and I am told 10 minutes later that I need to be referred to a Gastroenterologist for further evaluation because they are sure I have internal hemorrhoids! YIKES that sounds painful! So, a week goes by and it is now the end of May. I have an appointment with Dr. Rusynyk in Santa Rosa Beach scheduled for May 26th at 7:45. My question a.m. or p.m.? The answer was p.m. I was immediately shocked that he saw patients that late. So, I went in and saw Alex, as he introduced himself to me as. He assured me that for sure the culprit was internal hemorrhoids. He wanted to schedule a colonoscopy and planned to remove the hemorrhoids and I would be back to normal by afternoon. Since I am as previously stated a wimp I told Dr. Rusynyk that I was sure things would clear up and if they didn't I would call and schedule a colonoscopy.

Reality was the problem wasn't getting better but much worse and the bleeding was awful and getting worse by the day! I called and scheduled the colonoscopy. The date would be June 12th at 9 am at Sacred Heart. I am not sure how many of you reading this has ever had a colonoscopy but if you have then you know the prep is by far the worse part!! I pledged I would NEVER EVER EVER do that again to my body. It was awful! After I completed the nightmare of the prep I reported for my appointment the next morning. I was placed in pre op section where I was given an IV (and I did not pass out) and a little happy juice to relax. As I lay there I repeated to each nurse what my name was, my birthdate, and what procedure I was having done. I could hear the people in the curtains just down from me and they all were there to see the same doctor for the same reason! He was a busy busy man! As it was my turn to go back I remember being rolled into the procedure room as another person was being rolled out only to see Alex with a Diet Pepsi in his hand dancing around to the music that was blaring on the radio and the lava lamp on the shelf bubbling away. I explained to him that I was very impressed with his operations here and he told me it was, 'just like the Jiffy Lube.' Are you serious did he really just say that? The next thing I know I was waking up in the recovery room.

I was shocked to hear that I could not drink or eat anything until I saw my doctor; although my Mom and sister were proudly displaying my order from that morning, an iced tea from McAlister's and a biscuit from Whataburger. When Dr. Rusynyk came in his demeanor was completely changed. He was very nervous, serious, and quite pale in color. He explained there was a spot at the bottom of my rectum that was of question. He told me he took three biopsies around the perimeter of the 'mass' to be tested. From there, I would go to have a color contrast CT and a complete round of bloodwork done. Finally, at lunch time we were done! I was a little concerned but not terribly. I had an appointment scheduled to meet in Dr. Rusynyk's office on Tuesday, June 16th for the results of the biopsies.

Since I need my medical binder, that has all of my info in it and it is gone with Taylor and the girls I am going to stop right here for now. I want to be sure I have all of the correct dates of the MANY appointments and tests that I have had done. I promise to pick up soon! Love you guys so much and hope you stay in touch with us here on http://www.fightformisty.com/. I really hope we can kick this thing. Remember that your prayers are priceless! God Bless You All!

PS... I made the font a little bigger because it was hard for me to read... let me know what you think, too big, too small???