A Beautiful Life - Stephanie Vest

Friday Update

Eric has been joined by an army of friends and family in Rochester. Troy (their minister) just called with an update:

At this time, Eric's main focus is to spend quality time with Stephanie and to make her as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, her liver functions continue to decrease, and her bili counts continue to rise. We ask all of the warriors to please pray for peace and comfort for Stephanie throughout the day.

no word yet...

While we wait for an update from the Rochester gang...I thought it would be fun to check out some pictures from last year's Christmas Caroling group. Enjoy!

 

 

today's news from rochester

After an encouraging report on Monday, it seems that Steph's liver has continued to be problematic. We are hoping, waiting, praying for her liver to respond to the protein-based treatments.

The following is an email from Eric:

This message will be brief and to the point.  The primary prayer point right now is for Stephanie's bilirubin to decrease.  Stephanie received 2 doses of Mustine (chemotherapy) and a series of Chempath (a antibody treatment over 3 days) over the last 6 days.  The goal of each of these treatments is to kill the cancer cells in the liver that are blocking normal functionality.  Her current bili level is 24 - normal is under 1.  The count has increased to this level over the last 6 days. 

The decreased functionality of her liver increases toxicity in that organ, and subsequently, to the rest of Steph's body.  Each person's tolerance to that toxicity differs, so there's no way to assess her general health based on the bili alone.  Her condition is more easily assessed by observation.  At this time, she is somewhat alert and no signs of confusion (potential risks from toxicity). 

PLEASE PRAY FOR STEPHANIE'S LIVER TO HEAL. 

We are focusing on quality time with Stephanie at this time, so we will do our best to maintain the updates.  -Eric

Monday evening update

Just a quick note...Eric should email a more complete update in the near future. 

 

Stephanie is stable and has moved from ICU to the floor! This is wonderful news. She has a mild cough, but her lungs improved enough to leave ICU. She can talk and communicating well with everyone. And of course, she is being her sweet, cordial self. She is such a kind person, even when she's sick and tired of being "sick and tired." God love her.

 

Well, here's the news. They have stopped the mustard-based chemo because she has been identified as a candidate for protein based therapy. This is great news, because if her body responds properly, the cancer on her liver could literally melt away. This protein therapy is given three times a week, should destroy the cancer cells, allowing the liver to heal. Once the liver has healed, she will go back to the "real deal" and start the CHOP chemo (which is the most aggressive type of chemo for this type of lymphoma). This is the chemo to fight the cancer in her entire body...not just the liver.

 

At this time, the cancer cells in her liver are not consuming the organ, but rather they are blocking some of the critical functions. This is causing pain - so please pray that the protein therapy starts working immediately to relieve her discomfort.

 

Praise Points:

-Exciting medical news: There has been a new chemo drug approved as of last week that was specifically designed for Stephanie's type of T-Cell cancer. The only catch is that Steph's liver needs to be healed before she can try it. Pray for the quick and complete healing of her organs.

-Dr. Ansle, Steph's oncologist/hematologist, has been an amazing source of strength and comfort to the entire Vest family. He leads the way giving hope to Stephanie, and he even busted out in prayer with Eric this weekend. This physician is an amazing man who has greatly impacted their experience in Rochester.

-A comment was made by a doctor that Steph "looks better in person, than she does on paper" - meaning that she is one tough cookie. Most people experiencing this type of liver failure would not even be conscious, let alone pleasant to speak with. She is a miracle.

-Most importantly, her liver function numbers have flattened out and not increased. That is a good sign.

 

Prayer Points:

-We need desperate prayers to make this treatment work!

-She is in a fair amount of pain with body aches and discomfort in the abdomen.

-Her bellirubien numbers continue to go up, which is not good. Please pray for these to start going down.

 

At this time, Eric and Steph are joined by Grandma Faye, Steph's dad Steve and her friends Natalie and Christa. Please pray for an uneventful night of healing.

The next 24-48 hours...

We are at a very critical point.  We need to pray for Stephanie's liver to heal immediately - we need the cancer to melt away!  The liver counts continue to increase - even 36 hours after the chemo on Friday night.  We didn't expect a decline in the numbers immediately, but they just haven't shown a sign of leveling out or trending down.

Plan of Action:

• They will give Stephanie another round of the same chemo today (a mustard based chemo that is not intrusive to the liver)
• They will be testing her body with another chemo to see if she tolerates it.  This is a back-up plan.  If the liver does not show signs of improvement by tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest, the new chemo could be used.  It's a chemo that has to be titrated up over 2 or 3 days, so rather than wait to test her later, they will test her to see if she tolerates it now so that they can be prepared to give it to her tomorrow or Tuesday if they need to.

Praise Points:

• Steph got to spend some great quality time with the kids yesterday and today - even while being in the ICU.  HUGE thanks to Brooke, Angela, Macy and Vicki for bringing them up!  And thanks to my aunt and unce, John and Janet, for taking the boys to the local nature/animal park - they really enjoyed that!
• Steph's lungs improved quickly!  Her lung challenges were the primary reason for being transferred to the ICU.  They used a dieretic to relieve her body of some fluids, and this helped remove the fluid from her lungs.
• Her kidney counts are elevated, but her kidneys are still functioning
• Her vitals are stable

Prayer Points:

• The chemo/steroids need to melt away the Lymphoma in Stephanie's liver
• The liver counts need to come back down
• They will be collecting some sputum from her lungs for testing (to rule out pnemonia and/or other complications) - please pray for a successful procedure/outcome and for Stephanie to be as comfortable as possible
• For her kidney's to heal - the kidneys are most likely acting up because of the liver

We know that God has heard us and answered many prayers before, and it's time to ask for and expect another miracle today!  Thank you to all of you!

God bless! -Eric

good news and bad news

The good news: that Stephanie didn't have unnecessary surgery last night and that the doctors are being pro-active and not re-active with her situation. Before they scheduled the surgery (to remove her spleen and gallbladder), they ordered a biopsy on her liver.

The bad news: Stephanie has cancer in her liver. After they determined that her liver is sick, the immediately ordered a round of chemo. She had that chemo treatment last night at about 10:00 p.m.  But in true warrior fashion, Steph & Eric ordered dinner from Taco Bell before the chemo. And the family was able to enjoy some good "comfort food" together last evening.

She tolerated the chemo well last night, but at this time, she is not feeling well. 

The goal is that the chemo drugs will properly attack the cancer on the liver and keep that growth at bay. The next 48-72 hours are extremely critical, as the doctors anticipate the levels of the liver function to be compromised due to the chemo. Please pray that her organs start to repair themselves.

The facts are: her lungs are sick again and there is cancer in the liver. She also had a blood transfusion because her hemoglobin dropped severley. But the tranfusion injured her lungs. Why? Well, it's very complex, she just has a lot of fluid on her body right now because of the chemo, IV's, etc.   She is on oxygen, but not on the vent. And because her liver is not working properly, that in turn, makes her kidneys sick. It's all an interconnected "tangle" of issues.

Right now she is surrounded by friends and family - Eric, her three children, Brooke, Angela, Macy and Vicki. Please pray for everyone's strength during the next few days...as this is the start of another arduous battle for Steph's little body. But man, she is tough!

by popular demand...

...photos of the actual Pink Laundry Room!

 

Steph's adorable chalkboard/mural!

 

And if you didn't think she was already girlie enough...please notice her Barbie collection showcased in the background!

 

Yes, that's a zebra-painted ceiling.

 

Closeup of the gorgeous chandelier

 

To quote Oprah Winfey, "Love is in the details." And I don't think Steph missed one opportunity to customize her mundane laundry room into a sassy sanctuary. She is the master of details!

the power of prayer

Thank you for all of the prayers!  We got some great news yesterday and this morning!  The PET Scan revealed that Stephanie has less cancer in her body, overall, than she did when she came in!  PTL!!!  This is VERY good news considering the fact that she was originally supposed to have 3 chemo treatments by this point. 

The PET Scan revealed that Steph's spleen is still enlarged and does seem to have a significant amount of cancer in it.  In addition, they also found that Steph's gallbladder is thickened - which could indicate infection.  Steph had an ultra sound at 8 AM today to look at the gallbladder a bit closer - we are waiting for the results. 

Here's the good news in those findings:  The doc said that the majority of Steph's cancer is in her spleen!  So, taking it out would benefit her greatly!  It is a very simple procedure, but Steph's current condition overall certainly presents a few extra risks.  However, they seem quite confident that she could tolerate the procedure - if they decide to go that route.  The other piece of the puzzle is the gallbladder…  If the ultrasound of the gallbladder does show infection, or issues of any kind, the surgery team, along with our other teams, may consider taking the gall bladder out.  So… there is a chance that both the gallbladder and spleen could come out at the same time. 

We don't really know what is going to happen at this point…  Please pray that the docs will make the very best decisions when compiling all of this information!

I want to reiterate how amazing it is that Steph's skin still doesn't have any new Lymphoma spots!  This is a HUGE answered prayer!  The docs are amazed by this too - primarily due to the typical severity of Cutaneous T-Cell Gamma Delta Lymphoma!  One of the docs said, "sometimes there is power higher than humans."  I told him God was our higher power, and showed him the bracelet on my arm that proved that we are expecting a miracle with Steph!!!  This same doc told Stephanie last night, that based on how well her skin has responded to the first round of chemo, he is very optimistic that she can beat this thing! 

Keep the prayers coming!  We still have a very long way to go!  We should know shortly about the possibility of surgery - I'll get another update out to let you all know!

Thank you - God bless you all!
Eric

Hump Day Report from Dr. Steric

We are thankful for another day!  We are also thankful for the Fan Club Warriors!  Each time we have a new test or procedure pop up on our schedule, the first thing Steph asks me to do is send out an update on the blog for prayer support!  You all mean so much to her - she knows that the support that each of you offer is incredible!  So, here's the immediate request for today:

Steph has a PET Scan scheduled for 2 PM CST today (they just came and said it will be earlier).  This test will allow the docs to see the current cancer activity in her body. They would typically do this test right before the next round of chemo. The reason they are doing it now is to see if there is something new going on that might be causing the increased fever incidence.  Weeks ago, they found that Steph's spleen was enlarged.  They are speculating that the spleen may still be enlarged and may be the culprit of the increased fevers.  What will the results mean?  Regardless of what they find today, it won't change anything dramatically in terms of what they are currently doing - it will most likely cause a future adjustment in terms of the cancer treatment.  With that said, the PET Scan results will basically serve as the final piece to the fever question puzzle…

What else is goin on???

• Steph's blood counts continue to drop a bit - her platelets and hemoglobin count
• Due to Steph's continuous drop in blood pressure, they are discontinuing the ace inhibitor for now - this is the medication to help her heart - they will still be using the beta blocker

Prayer points:

• Both of the "what else is going on" points
• The PET Scan - for the procedure to go well, for Steph to not have anxiety, and for the results to be positive (to give them an answer but not be a new complication)
• For the fevers to go away or at least be manageable

Praise points:

• The bone marrow results reported NO NEW hemophagocytic syndrome activity - PTL
• Appetite is good
• She is resting well

Thank you for keeping Steph in your prayers!  Eric

Pink Laundry in St. Louis

Yes, that's right...there is going to be another Pink Laundry 5K Run on behalf of Stephanie and her family! For all of the warriors located on the other side of Missouri (St. Louis, that is!) there will be a 5K run on November 15th, 2008.

Cost is $25 before November 5, 2008 (t-shirt guaranteed) and $35 the day of the event. (Please note, t-shirts may not be available to those who register on event day.)

For more info please call (314) 681-5385

Check-in: 8:00am – 8:30am on 11/15/08

Location: Richmond Heights Community Center (The Heights – 8001 Dale Ave)

Time: Race begins at 9:00 a.m.

Please make checks payable to: the Pink Laundry 5K

Mail to: Serge Taylor, 7477 Drexel Drive, University City, MO  63130

For additional details: visit Facebook.com and search events for "Pink Laundry"