Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2023! I wanted to take some time to update everyone on my health since completing chemo #6 on 12/16, and our exciting January to come!

I am so happy to report that I officially finished my chemo on 12/16. The last two weeks I had some side effects with my mouth and being tired but overall it was great, and I am so thankful for all the prayers I and Lyla were covered in, in order to finish all 6 cycles. My cousin, Alexa came with me for my last infusion so it was extra fun to spend some time singing in the car and making memories ❤️ At this time I have not completed any scans to see my total response but I'll share below some of the positive responses we have noticed.

With the rest of December we were blessed to spend time with both sides of the family celebrating Christmas! I also have been very busy at work getting everything set up for my maternity leave. As many of you know one of the good responses we have been able to see is that the tumor on the outside of my chest completely died throughout receiving chemo. Although I was so excited for it to be dead it was a pretty disgusting huge thick scab throughout this whole time, constant reminder of what I am battling and not letting me wear most of my normal clothes. Albiet, these issues sound small in the grand scheme it can be frustrating in the day to day. I have been praying fiercely every day that that tumor would first off die, and then second be removed from my body. When asked for what I want for Christmas this year, my first thought after remarkable healing from cancer was that the huge scab would be gone. Christmas morning I woke up to go to the bathroom, and the entire thing fell completely off. Underneath looks just like new fresh skin healing, completely amazed I was so excited to share that with my loved ones all day!

On top of that I continue to not have shortness of breath or any type of fluid accumulation that I can tell (from previous when I had the chest tube). I have even been working out every single day! My parents got me a new journal for Christmas, when I unwrapped it, I told them thank you for picking the bookmarked verse. They said they had no idea what I was talking about, I feel that it was yet another nudge from God that morning that he is hearing all the prayers.

On Christmas evening, Justin and I took maternity photos with my extremely talented aunt, as we are so excited to say Lyla will make her entrance on 1/12/23!

The Birth Plan? Currently stubborn little Lyla is breech. If she stays this way, I will have a c section on 1/12/23. Her last weight per ultrasound was 4 pounds 2 ounces which is great! So currently no absolute need to go to NICU but we will deliver at a NICU capable hospital for assessment and just in case since I'll be healing from the c section.

Future oncology treatments:

I get the month of January off! On February 1 I will go to Gainesville to get a PET SCAN, and to start a monthly injection called XGEVA that will help with bone health throughout treatments. Once we get PET SCAN results I will start a targeted therapy called LYNPARZA which targets my BRCA gene mutation. It's a tablet that I take at home twice a day :)

Prayer Requests:

Thank you all so much for all the prayers throughout the last 3.5 months. I know they are making a difference every single day. If you could please continue to pray for Lylas health and a smooth c section and delivery, and boldly praying for a pet scan that shows "no evidence of disease". While I can never be cured from metastatic breast cancer, this is the absolute best possible news you can get - noting that the cancer cells are too small to detect on scan, giving the best possible starting baseline post chemo for maintenance therapy.

I have finished reading through Matthew, and started a bible study on Mark. I will be reading through the gospels hopefully finishing them prior to Easter along with starting spring bible study at church. I really love the proverbs31 app for bible studies if you are looking for something :) The last few days I have started my first prayer journal and can already see how cool it's going to be to see prayers continued to be answered throughout the year.

I can't wait to share with Lyla how amazing our God is and how loved she is by SO many people. God truly showed us miracles happen when we got pregnant after my first chemo regimen and all the maintenance therapies I was on for years. I am trusting that there will be more to come and for our family to have peace through the ups and downs 💗

Until next time,

Sami