The Anderson Family

Just had a CT to check treatment response. Mixed results: Slight (1-2mm) increase in a few lung nodules, but otherwise good lymph response (“significant” decrease in large Level 3 node, and 50% reduction in mediastinal node near A/P window/heart); and stable primary breast lesion (unchanged since baseline CT).

Additionally, I have continued to have good immune responses to the functional integration IVs I am doing with each round: PICO/CBD infusions. They make me horribly sick for about 8-12 hours with a high fever and flu-like, detox-like symptoms (which shows a good immune response). I wake up the next morning with terrific vitality and energy—so much so that I can’t even imagine how sick I felt just hours before. My labs also are proving the effectiveness of the PICO, as my numbers are maintaining well. The liver values that were climbing are back to normal range and I am rebuilding WBCs each round (they take a hit, go back up, then a hit, then go back up…). So I will continue to pursue these PICOs as I am able and as they are beneficial.  

We are awaiting copper labs. The copper balance is key right now as far as guarding against angiogenesis & mutation. I am eager and hopeful to see if the new functional fct/creative therapy was helpful. We have also had an army of people praying about this specifically so I am filled with hope!  

I have had some intense onset of hand/foot syndrome pop up this round. We will discuss this, along with CT and any dosing changes before next infusion this week.  

All of the things I am doing to support my body and survive the treatments I am called to do are out of pocket and so every bit of help truly helps. Whether its enough for another bottle of supplements, or another big IV, or help offsetting a medical bill … it all helps and is so much appreciated. We literally could not do this without your support. Thank you so much.

Because of all we are doing functionally right now to support my body and maintain my chemo schedule, our biggest need right now is Medical Bills. But we are grateful for however you are led to give. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️    

Chemo Round 2 went well. I am on my “break” and doing all the detoxing I can! 

I started a new integrated FCT protocol last week with Dr. Rob (my neuro-metabolic functional chiropractor, who has been with me on this since day one). When we ran it by Dr. Kotulski, he was excited and hopeful, saying, “Boy if this works, that would be great!” 

Dr. Kotulski has said that getting the copper in balance is the biggest game-changing thing I can do in my specific cancer “war,” so I need to stay the course (I am already doing everything I can), and pray it goes down. 

This new protocol is a creative way (on Dr. Rob’s part) to tackle this. And if it works, it may help others like me, who are playing “copper-tug-of-war” with strong cancer cells. I am compelled to also ask for fervent prayer over this protocol. That my body will respond well; that my liver will be strengthened for the task, that I will work diligently on my existing detox protocols (walk/run/bike; tub; sauna; foot bath) as I should.

Not unlike homeopathy or essential oils; my RIFE machine, (which uses light frequencies), or PEMF (which uses pulsed electro-magnetic frequencies), FCT uses imprinted water to deliver specific, known frequencies to the body. Those frequencies inform my body’s systems what to focus on & execute. (Isn’t our Creator Amazing? There is so much “genius” and still “unexplainable” science in his creation that we get to discover—imagine all that we don’t know yet!!) 

Chemo Round 3 is Weds. Please pray for my numbers to be good & strong for this leg of the journey!

And thank you for supporting us—everything we are doing to work on this copper is out of pocket, but we believe integrated cancer care has been the best thing for me! And we could not continue with this care without your help. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

Thank you!

Infusion was uneventful on Tues, but the oral chemo is still kicking my butt a little, even on the lowered dose. Today will be rest and taking in as much good nutrition as I can handle.   

I am losing my hair this time, even though I am supporting my healthy cells. I do want to be sure my healthy cells repair well, as I need these cells to fight. I am choosing to look at my hair loss not as an indicator of healthy cell damage, but an indicator of good treatment response.   

I am in the “soaking” phase of my integrated plan: both chemos are doing their job while my body is saturated with chemo. After their half-life, I will actively detox them out and repair my healthy cells. For now taking it more slowly and navigating side effects.   

Thank you for your encouragement and support—it means so much and we could not do this without you. Thank you!!

On Wednesday, I had round one of the new chemo protocol. Over the weekend, I developed a chemo fever and extreme fatigue and some heart symptoms. We have adjusted dosing and monitor from here.

I have battled this every step of the way with staying active and shoring up my immune system and supporting my body with good nutrition, supplements and functional medicine. So having such limited energy and mobility after just round one was disheartening to say the least. I know it is best to be able to stay active and to stomach the good foods that heal. I am staying clean on my diet (still zero sugars, zero grains, limited fish or poultry, everything organic... all the things) but I am struggling to get raw crunchy nutrients in. I am hoping with the dose reduction this will change.

My latest copper check was not what we wanted. We cannot figure out where the excess copper is coming from that my body is holding on to. I have been on a chelator, and a binder to draw it out. Yet it is still climbing. I have checked the water in our well, as well as the water at the spring where we draw from. We do not have copper pipes. I have had ZERO chocolate and have been on a low copper diet for two years. We just don't know why right now. What we do know is that this copper needs to go down. Please pray that it does.

On a positive note, my arm and shoulder/back pain and swelling seems to be trending down. I originally thought it was the steroids (and likely was) but the fact that the pain is somewhat less intense even after the steroids are out of my system is a hopeful thing. I am thinking that Docetaxel is doing a good work on those area lymph nodes. I still have severe pain in my thoracic spine, which is next to a rib that keeps going out, and my rhomboid muscle that keeps locking up to guard against the pain of the swelling in that area. I have been seeing the chiropractor about every week to stimulate the nerves and free up those locked muscles. It has helped immensely with gaining back some mobility in my neck. I am also using heat therapy in this area.

I will have as CBC to check my numbers and confirm dosing this week. After that, we will also decide whether another PICO infusion will be good to get during this round. My latest CBC showed my WBCs doubled (up to seven!) in just a few days after the last PICO. And the liver numbers that were high and climbing went into normal range. My hemoglobin was still low, but not enough to delay chemo any further. Still, it would seem these PICO infusions were helpful in preparing me for chemo. I am grateful for the support that enables me to seek this functional integration—it is all out of pocket, and between the IVs and the Doctor visits and supplements and integrative treatments, it all adds up. We simply could not do this without your support. We are so very grateful.

This is a new week, filled with hope and new dosing and hopefully some crunchy veggies. Sometimes it is tough for me to see past the circumstances. But I am trying to keep looking beyond, remembering what I can and cannot control. And surrendering more. My faith is being tested and strengthened as this road gets harder and more painful and I reach the end of myself more quickly each day. But that is not the worst place to be. Because it is the beginning of surrendering the outcomes. I will fight. I will continue to do all the things I know to do. I will integrate functional medicine with oncology as long as we are able. And I will chase down the copper—whatever it takes—I will fight to be here for my family. I cannot control what is happening to me, but I can control how I respond. The ultimate outcome is in God's good hands. I trust him to keep leading us one step at a time. Thank you for following along with us and cheering us on. We so treasure your support and prayers.

Ive now had three PICO infusions. They are rough—PICO causes an immune response and big fevers, but this is what we want. Sometimes to heal we must walk a rough road.  I am finally scheduled again for chemo, with revisions to the plan. With me restaging to 4 on account of finding the lung nodules, my care team also changed the rcmd from AC to Xeloda & Docetaxel. Both of these chemotherapies showed high sensitivity in my latest RGCC testing, so we are eager to get started with the new plan.   As I mentioned before, no matter how I am staged, we are still doing everything we can and are going for cure.  I am grateful for the support that offsets the cost of these functional treatments that seem to be helping me. Thank you so much!! We could not walk this road without your love and support!

I have gotten too good at identifying facts but then assigning all kinds of meaning to them that are not all fact. I am making more deliberate efforts to look at every fact at face value and refrain from speculating. For this reason, my update will focus only on facts as I understand them. This has also grown my faith as we step out into a new unknown.  

Fact: My recent CT showed nodules in my lungs. At least ten bilaterally. (This means at least ten in each lung.)

Fact: We have no "meaning" to attach to this yet. since this was my first-ever CT, we "have no idea how long they have been there." (I always thought a PET or MRI would show anything of concern in the lungs, but according to the Radiologist, this is not the case.)

Fact: We have no way to know the direction things are going.  Were the nodules there when I alerted my care team of the dry cough I developed last summer? We can't know.  Is disease progressing? Or going in a good direction/are there fewer now than before? We can't know.

Fact: God saw fit that we would "know" about the nodules now, no matter how long they’ve been there.

Fact: In oncology, I am officially Stage 4 on Palliative Care (this means no longer going for cure).

Fact: Curt and I are still going for cure!

Fact: I have good, high-sensitive treatment options in the new "Stage 4 / Palliative Care" Track!

Fact: Our oncologist is being very deliberate right now. (I am watching with hope.)

Fact: The CT indicates the reason for my acute pain is "likely" advancing disease in my lymph nodes. But we cannot know for sure.

Fact: My recent CTC count (circulating tumor cells) indicates it is "unlikely" that cancer is advancing through my lymphatic system. But we cannot know for sure.

Fact: Cancer hurts.

Fact: Healing hurts.

Fact (and this I know with my whole heart, and boldly state as fact): Since Feb 2, 2022, I have followed the Lord, surrendered with my WHOLE heart, to whatever he would call me to do in this cancer story he is writing in me.

I have done my imperfect-best to follow where God has led me in this, every step. And he provided a clear path every time. God knows I cannot even follow him rightly without his grace. For the times our hearts wanted to follow, but our feet would not go, I am convinced he grabbed us by the hands and dragged us through. WE ARE IN THE CENTER OF HIS WILL.

Fact: God reigns.

Next Steps:

I will have a second PICO infusion tomorrow, in anticipation for chemo eventually starting back up again. Trusting God with every detail.

Updated pathology is due in. We speak with oncology tomorrow, as well as our integrative team. We will make the bew plan tomorrow! We are doing everything we can.  

We absolutely cannot do this without your support! 

If you feel led to give, our greatest need right now is Medical Expenses. Thank you so very much!

Can’t thank you enough for your prayers and support during this time!

Biopsies and baseline imaging was completed last week. We met with Oncology yesterday to discuss and have decided to get more detailed pathology and regroup in a week. Due to the history of known heterogenity we want to be as thorough as possible.

I was supposed to begin AC Chemo last week, but did not. To our shock, the hospital called to cancel my infusion while we were on the way there. The hospital has been disorganized about my insurance coverage (they stopped accepting it after being in network for over the last year). Our insurance (it is actually Medishare, a cost-0sharing and not technically insurance) has agreed to continue coverage under "continuation of care," and had been trying to work with the hospital on pre-authorization and even pre-payment. But the hospital was ill-equipped to work with them. We were told then (after working with the hospital's Social Worker on our case), to sign as a cash-pay patient and then submit the bill directly to Medishare. However, hospital infusion billing refused to accept my signed waiver (nor did they accept the pre-authorization or the prepayment directly from our agent). They were completely disorganized. And they sent me home. This was so absurd, we decided it was an act of God. We had prayed, and surrendered to his timing, his plan, his way. We could not force this to happen. So, we went home and regrouped (and I resolved again to fully trust God with what I cannot see or control).

Instead, I spent a day in Mankato where I had a couple Functional IV treatments aimed at keeping up the fight while we wait. I was blessed with a lovely day and the ability to sit outside and do some of my artwork. It was healing on every level.

At last check, my copper was still high in the RBC, which causes suspicion that while the chelator is pulling copper out, my body is then not releasing the chelator. We have added a Binding supplement to aid with this. Since cancer cells can use copper for energy, we want this copper in right balance.

Since January, after my first SOT treatment, I had a big flare of lymph swelling in the left axilla (which is an expected response). I have had difficulty clearing that lymph ever since, and it has remained swollen and now increasingly painful. I understand this can (on the oncology side) be disease progression. I also understand this can (on the functional side) be cellular debris from cancer cell death and a good response. I also have come to know there can be an emotional component (we are fearfully and wonderfully made beings!) and that the "stuck" lymph can be connected to unresolved emotional storage, or a healing crisis after working something through. I have been intentional with all three areas throughout this journey, prayerfully integrating standard oncology treatments with functional treatments available to me while being intentional in healing emotionally and spiritually, asking the Lord to reveal and heal those broken places in me. I am working every angle I have been led to.

I have also been receiving Physical Therapy on my left arm and shoulder and it has been helping greatly. The recent biopsies in those areas have aggravated the swelling and I was so very grateful to finally be able to see the chiropractor yesterday! My rib was out, which is painful enough all on its own--ha! But my range of motion increased and my pain was 50% less immediately and remained so through the night! Finally rested well through the pain at night! So grateful for the functional treatments I am still able to do, and for your support that helps me do them!

Next week we will know more regarding oncology options. I am incredibly grateful for every bit of help, support, encouragement, prayer and cheering us on as we walk this long, hard, "twisty-turny" road!

Biopsies and baseline imaging was completed last week. We met with Oncology yesterday to discuss and have decided to get more detailed pathology and regroup in a week. Due to the history of known heterogenity we want to be as thorough as possible.

I was supposed to begin AC Chemo last week, but did not. To our shock, the hospital called to cancel my infusion while we were on the way there. The hospital has been disorganized about my insurance coverage (they stopped accepting it after being in network for over the last year). Our insurance (it is actually Medishare, a cost-0sharing and not technically insurance) has agreed to continue coverage under "continuation of care," and had been trying to work with the hospital on pre-authorization and even pre-payment. But the hospital was ill-equipped to work with them. We were told then (after working with the hospital's Social Worker on our case), to sign as a cash-pay patient and then submit the bill directly to Medishare. However, hospital infusion billing refused to accept my signed waiver (nor did they accept the pre-authorization or the prepayment directly from our agent). They were completely disorganized. And they sent me home. This was so absurd, we decided it was an act of God. We had prayed, and surrendered to his timing, his plan, his way. We could not force this to happen. So, we went home and regrouped (and I resolved again to fully trust God with what I cannot see or control).

Instead, I spent a day in Mankato where I had a couple Functional IV treatments aimed at keeping up the fight while we wait. I was blessed with a lovely day and the ability to sit outside and do some of my artwork. It was healing on every level.

At last check, my copper was still high in the RBC, which causes suspicion that while the chelator is pulling copper out, my body is then not releasing the chelator. We have added a Binding supplement to aid with this. Since cancer cells can use copper for energy, we want this copper in right balance.

Since January, after my first SOT treatment, I had a big flare of lymph swelling in the left axilla (which is an expected response). I have had difficulty clearing that lymph ever since, and it has remained swollen and now increasingly painful. I understand this can (on the oncology side) be disease progression. I also understand this can (on the functional side) be cellular debris from cancer cell death and a good response. I also have come to know there can be an emotional component (we are fearfully and wonderfully made beings!) and that the "stuck" lymph can be connected to unresolved emotional storage, or a healing crisis after working something through. I have been intentional with all three areas throughout this journey, prayerfully integrating standard oncology treatments with functional treatments available to me while being intentional in healing emotionally and spiritually, asking the Lord to reveal and heal those broken places in me. I am working every angle I have been led to.

I have also been receiving Physical Therapy on my left arm and shoulder and it has been helping greatly. The recent biopsies in those areas have aggravated the swelling and I was so very grateful to finally be able to see the chiropractor yesterday! My rib was out, which is painful enough all on its own--ha! But my range of motion increased and my pain was 50% less immediately and remained so through the night! Finally rested well through the pain at night! So grateful for the functional treatments I am still able to do, and for your support that helps me do them!

Next week we will know more regarding oncology options. I am incredibly grateful for every bit of help, support, encouragement, prayer and cheering us on as we walk this long, hard, "twisty-turny" road!

Just a quick update: CT is scheduled for May 13. Multiple biopsies are scheduled for May 14. Chemo is scheduled for May 15. May will be a busy month, but we are doing all we can to get at this with wisdom and intentionality. I am still in the SOT window and we are hopeful for this second injection to be fruitful and produce cell death in cancer, both in tumor, nodes, and circulating cells. We continue to seek as much functional treatment as I can do, so that we keep an unrelenting attack on this aggressive disease.  My faith is strong, my hope is high. My gratitude is abundant as I reflect on all the blessings in this. Thank you for your continued help and support. We could not do this without you. Thank you so very much!

SOT was delayed from Greece, so we are hitting things hard while we wait. I am typing this update from the infusion chair! I am doing high-dose vitamin C+K3 infusions until the "SOT window" -- in which I cannot do any cytotoxic treatments for two weeks prior to SOT administration. (Then two weeks after SOT, I can proceed with chemo). The C+K3 infusion is intense. It takes about four hours and is quite painful--particularly in cancerous sites and any area of inflammation. I am a pretty tough cookie with pain, but this is quite intense! (But I actually don't mind because it gives me hope in its effectiveness! It is going right to the known cancer places!) These C+K3 treatments (as well as the SOT, which will be in a few weeks), are cytotoxic--aimed at promoting cancer cell death. The C+K3 will also weaken the "resistant outer layer" of the cancer cells so that any cells that do not die have a better chance of dying when I start chemo. (The cancer that I was diagnosed with shows a high level of treatment resistance--which is why I am doing these treatments in this particular order, instead of jumping to chemo first.)

These treatments are all out of pocket. We simply could not proceed with the treatment that seems to be best for me without your continued help and support. We are also working with our Medishare Plan coordinator to find a solution, as the Oncology Hospital where I receive chemotherapy has made a change to their network and will no longer accept our insurance, which effects our billing in a big way. We so much appreciate any help! Thank you so much!