Team Tina

My heart is so full.

This weekend I felt the love, prayers, and support of my family and friends in an incredible way. I will never forget it.

Several family members flew in on Friday from out of state and joined local family and friends to participate on Team Tina for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday morning.

After the race we caravanned over to our church for a celebratory breakfast so I could thank all of my dear friends and precious family for all they have done (and continue to do) for my family and me.
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I have a love/hate relationship with the contents of these bags. Monday afternoon, as I laid in that hospital bed and watched the nurse attach the bags to my IV pole, I mentally calculated how long it would take them to catch me if I took off running.

I’m not sure exactly how long I decided it would be, but it was in the seconds, given the fact that I have very little strength these days. And I didn’t want Patrick to fuss at me. So I stayed put and dutifully allowed the nurse to connect the bags into my port.
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I completed my third chemo treatment last Monday. As my doctors predicted, each week takes a tougher toll on me physically. The effects are cumulative and as of this week, are now very visible.

Currently my treatment regimen consists of two standard chemo drugs, Paclitaxel and Carboplatin, and a clinical study drug called Panitumumab.

Clinical studies are quite interesting, and while I don’t want to bore you with details, I will tell you that each study has four phases. I am in a phase two study with the Panitumumab.

Phase two allows 40 participants and I am number 29. I don’t have much information at this time on how the 28 women before me fared while on this treatment, but I can tell you, many of the side effects they warned me about have affected me. The skin rash and acne are the most notable.
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I have amazing friends and family. Amazing. Every member of my family and every sweet friend I have, has done something to make me smile over the last few weeks. Every. Single. One.

I am incredibly blessed.

Today some very special and extremely talented friends at Conway Christian school unveiled the latest act of kindness bestowed upon me.

How cute are these shirts!
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