Author: ashley

Hello my dear Prayer Warriors

I know I havent updated in a while so here it goes.

I had a different Pet scan that scans for neuroendocrine cancer because that is the most probable type of cancer that they think is the origin. The Pet scan showed no new cancer in body. It did show regrowth of the cancer in my brain. It was difficult to hear that. We are praying that the radiation treatment kills the regrowth.

It was interesting because I saw 2 oncologists. One is a more general oncologist at City of Hope and 1 is more of a neuro oncologist at Hoag. The Hoag oncologist saw the regrowth of the brain cancer and seems more convinced that there was no other cancer in my body. The City of Hope oncologist did not say anything about the regrowth of brain cancer and was not convinced that there is no other cancer in my body. He ordered a lot more bloodwork (5 large viles and 4 small viles to be exact) and a 24 hour urine sample. He wanted me to do colonoscopy, endoscopy and swallow a camera to check small intestines, MRIs and all sorts of tests. While Im glad he wants to be thorough, it is so much.

I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy on the 30th. They did not find any cancer.

I had a women wellness check, mammogram. The mammogram came back normal! I had an MRI of my abdomen and pelvic area. I am awaiting the results of that. On Thursday I have a follow up with the City of Hope Oncologist to go over bloodwork and MRI results.

I still have not decided if I want to swallow the camera. I feel like it is over kill. They did 2 pet scans and then Friday’s MRI. If they dont find anything on the MRI,then I will talk to my oncologists about possibly or not doing that. Also, my mammogram came back normal but they want me to do a MRI of my breast. All these tests are so much radiation,contrast and medications, that Im afraid all these will cause cancer. Im praying all the tests I have done find no cancer.

This past week I have been feeling the effects of the radiation treatment. Im losing my hair in the treatment area on top of my head. I didnt think that I would lose so much and it does make me sad, it keeps falling out in chunks everyday. I can feel how thin it is. I just need to offer it up to Jesus. My left leg is weak and foot is numb. My head is super tender, itchy, and feels like it is on fire at times. Cali made a joke and said I am like Hades from Hercules movie with fire coming off my head. So true. I can feel the heat on my head sometimes. Im tired and have very little energy. Im hoping to feel better in the next couple weeks.

My mother in law is in the process of moving in but is almost done.

Damien and I have been praying the surrender novena on repeat. It has been so comforting and brought us peace. God will take care of everything. Thank you all for your continued prayers, meals, friendship and love. I love you all. Jesus we trust in you. There is hope that I will be cancer free, Lord willing.

God Bless,

Ashley

Good evening friends,

There has been a lot happening in the past week. I was suppose to start radiation last Wednesday, but there was an issue with insurance. They denied it at first. I was not informed that they denied it, then there was a miscommunication and all my appointments were canceled. I spent most of last Wednesday and Thursday on the phone trying to figure everything out. I finally got approved and got my appointments made again. A big thank you to Cindy at City of Hope for helping me figure it all out. She was great.

I had radiation on Friday and I felt so awful afterwards. I had internal shakiness, tired, headache , my lips went numb during the treatment but nurse said it was from mask. Saturday I felt a tiny bit better. We went to Marcos funeral. I was able to make it through the mass but could not go to internment. I spent the rest of the day in bed. Sunday was a little better. I made it through mass and spent rest of the day in bed. Today I woke up and felt much better. I was very nervous to another radiation treatment but it ended up being much better. The only side effects were tired and a little headache which was to be expected.

Tomorrow I have my last radiation treatment! Then in the afternoon I will have a special type of pet scan that will check for neuroendocrine cancer cells. Please pray for a clear scan. I have a doctor’s appointment Thursday to go over those results.

Wednesday I have my first appointment with the oncologist at City of Hope as well as a genetic counseling appointment.

After Thursday I have a little break from appointments until December 30th. On that day I will have a colonoscopy. Im very tired and going to bed now. Love you all.

God Bless all of you. Thank you for your prayers, acts of love, and meals. I will update later this week.

God Bless,

Ashley Dennis

Hello Friends,

I pray everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Kolbe had a little scare when the urgent care told us to go to the emergency room because of his breathing distress. He ended up testing positive for rsv but doctor said he is doing well and felt comfortable sending us home. We are on our way home now. Im very tired and not feeling the greatest. Hopefully we can get some rest tonight.

Tomorrow morning, I have an oncology appointment at Hoag to go over Mayo clinic results and MRI in depth.

On the 1st, I went to City of Hope. Things went quickly. I had a CT scan and they heated up this plastic mesh that cooled and molded around my head. Then we watched a video about general radiation treatments, side effects and information. We were able to ask questions and then they scheduled the radiation appointments. I will have radiation on 12/10, 12/11, 12/12 and possibly on 12/15 and 12/16. Most common side effects are fatigue and headaches. Praying I get mild side effects and not the more severe ones. We were told that side effects can build up and you feel them 4-6 weeks later. Please pray my side effects are mild and don’t have any severe side effects.

Thank you all for your prayers. Im very tired so I will post more later.

God Bless,

Ashley Dennis

Good afternoon friends,

Here is a quick update. I went to the neurosurgeon (Dr. Lucas, Hoag) on the 25th. It went very well. I am recovering well. The MRI looked great and the tumor bed is 20% of the original size. I asked him about doing radiation at Hoag vs. City of Hope. Hoag is one time only radiation treatment with screws in your head called gamma knife. City of hope can be done several times w/o screws and less radiation at one time because they can spread it out. He was honest and said if it were him he would go to City of Hope. We agree that City of Hope is the best choice. I expressed my frustration with being easily tired and overstimulated and thought I would be able to do more. He told us that life after brain surgery is never the same. He explained that it will be around a year of getting tired and overstimulated. He said to block out time to go to a quiet room and rest. He also said I may always get headaches when Im more stressed, loud noise, or too much stimulation. This is not really what I was expecting to hear. I am thankful to God for how well I am doing and offering up all my suffering. I am at peace with this plan and feeling very blessed to have the options that I have.

Upcoming appointments: Dec. 1st with City of Hope for “mapping ” to make plan on radiation.

Dec. 3rd- Oncologist with Hoag to go over new results from Mayo clinic.

I will have radiation in Dec but will know more of timeline after Dec. 1st appt.

Thank you for your prayers, love and support. God bless you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Dear Friends,

Praise be to God. This is the most I have ever felt God’s presence in my life and it is incredible. I feel Him so close and opening all the doors I need opened so quickly. He is so good. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for everything. The meals,calls, texts, prayers, help, rides, love and support are so appreciated.

On Monday I had my last Physical therapy session. I graduated!! I am much more steady on my feet. I can go up and down stairs, get in and out of the car by myself, walk longer distances, bend over to pick things up, and walk slowly while holding the baby. I just need to continue to build strength and stamina. I tire easily and get headaches if there are long periods with a lot of noise and things happening. My recovery is going very well and smooth.

Today I had an MRI at Hoag to see size of tumor bed and make sure nothing is growing back. It was long but everything went fine.

The 25th I meet with the neurosurgeon Dr. Lucas to discuss MRI and hopefully get 1 more test result from mayo clinic that we were waiting for.

Dec. 1st I have a planning appointment at City of Hope for radiation.

I do have some very sad news. Our dear Marco passed away on Nov. 15th. Damien, my aunt and I were able to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at his bedside on Nov. 13th. We talked with him about Jesus. We never know God’s plan and our prayer is that Marco soul was crying out to Him in those last days. God’s mercy and love are endless. Jesus we trust in you! Please pray for the repose of his soul, for my mother in law, for our family, and for his family. We thank God for His perfect plan and ask Him to comfort all of us who are grieving him. We love him and will deeply miss him.

God Bless you all!

My dear friends,

I want to give you an update and ask for your continued prayers.

Im recovering well. Im walking around much better. Im stable and able to walk up and down stairs. Yesterday I made the boys eggs! It was the most I have been in the kitchen since my surgery. I went to see my amazing OB who has been with me for all of my babies. It was so nice to see her and talk with her a little.

As far as radiation, I had a consult with the Gamma knife doctor at Hoag last Thursday. A nurse came in and showed us a video. Then the doctor came in explained the procedure and answered our questions. I was still feeling unsure and nervous about everything because of the side effects. He said they were rare, but everything about my case has been rare so that was not comforting at all. The nurse returned and asked ” So are you going to do it, or not?” I felt very pressured and like they had been giving me a sales pitch. They didnt have any other options for me. I said i guess I will do it. Many people were telling me to get a second opinion, but this made me want it more.

Today, I had a second opinion with City of Hope. I want to thank Stephanie for getting me in touch with someone from City of Hope. God paved the way and I was able to get an appointment very quickly. The appt was very good. During the appt. Dr. Schwer asked me who I knew because the Chief officer at City of Hope told her to do this appointment with me today. I was so surprised that someone that high up was helping me when they dont know me. I know the creator of the universe and He made this appointment happen. Both Damien and I were in agreement that we wanted to go to City of Hope for radiation treatment. The treatment is more advanced and you can do it several times which allows for less side effects and more effectiveness than the gamma knife radiation especially since my tumor bed is so large. I feel much more comfortable with this decision. I postponed my gamma knife till December and will cancel it if everything works out with me receiving radiation treatment at City of Hope. She said I will need 3 to 5 sessions because the size of the tumor bed.

My next issue is that I have HMO insurance and also have a claim so it would be difficult to switch networks. I was on the phone with people for a while trying to figure it all out. Decided it would be best to switch to PPO so I can go to Hoag and City of Hope. I got on the phone with insurance and was able to switch to PPO starting 12/1! It will cost a lot more but I know God will provide. God is so good to me and will not leave me.

I have a bad headache right now but I really wanted to update everyone. Thank you to each of you for everything. All your prayers are so efficacious and God is opening doors and giving me peace.

I will be getting an MRI and then meeting with my neurosurgeon on the 18th.

I have another prayer request for my mother in laws long time boyfriend. He is like a grandpa to our kids. We love him and he loves us. He suffered 2 strokes and was in a nursing home. We were not able to get much information from his family. Then we found out he had another stroke, suffered brain damage and is on a ventilator. He is a fallen away Catholic. Please pray for him to make a full recovery and for him to return to the faith. Jesus we trust in you.

I love you all. Thank you for loving us and praying for us.

God is so good. I had an appointment with my oncologist this morning. The great news is that there is NO detectable cancer in my body right now! He said my case is very rare. I say it was a miracle. After the surgery I had the incredible opportunity to be blessed and prayed over with St. Faustina relic. After this I had the Pet scan and blood tests. Pet scan and blood tests all normal! Plus I had a faithful community of brothers and sisters praying,offering sufferings, and sacrifices for me. All this is a miracle to me. Im so beyond thankful to God. I praise Him for his love, mercy and hearing all of our prayers! Its so incredible. God heard our prayers and they were efficacious! I will never be able to thank you all enough or show my gratitude for every prayer or act of charity each one of you have done. May God reward you all.

The oncologist explained that the brain tumor was cancerous and most likely traveled through the blood stream. The brain’ s immune system did not detect it and allowed it to grow. They sent the tumor to 3 different places and none of them have been able to identify the type of cancer. We are waiting on 1 more test from Mayo clinic that could tell us where it started but it could also remain a mystery. It would be nice to know so we know where to focus but Im also fine if it remains a mystery.

My next steps are the one time radiation treatment (gamma knife) on Nov. 13th in the spot in my brain where the tumor was. They are not able to do margins in the brain so they do radiation to make sure it doesnt grow back. Praying that I can recover quickly and without side effects from it. After that I will just be monitored very closely for the foreseeable future (1-5 years). I will continue to pray that it doesn’t grow back. I ask for your continued prayers as well. God was with me and will continue to be with me. I pray this experience helps me to continue to grow closer to Our Lord, grow in virtue, and grow in love. I love you all.

I will update again after radiation. Overall recovery is going well and will just take time for me gain all my strength back. To God be the glory now and forever!

God bless,

Ashley

Today I had physical therapy and Don said I made great progress. I surprised myself in the exercises I struggled with less than a week ago that I can now do. Praise God! Im getting stronger each day. Recovery from the surgery is going well. God has used each of you to help carry me and get me to this point. We are so overwhelmed by all the love you have shown our family. I can not thank you enough.

I also received a call from Jen (Nurse Navigator). She told me the results of my PET scan. The PET scan showed no cancer. Damien and I thought this was wonderful news. She informed us that it is good that it is not a large mass but that it is bad that we still dont know the source or type of cancer. We need to pray the guardant blood test and biopsy results come quickly and have clear results. Mayo clinic biopsy can take up to 6 weeks, but mainly they take 2 weeks. The blood test takes about 2 weeks as well. I’m praying we receive the blood test by Friday and the Mayo clinic results early next week. This news does help me be more hopeful. I know it is not large and it is not all over my body. Jesus, I trust in you. Please help me trust you more. I have been offering up my suffering for all of you, my family and friends. Now we wait and pray more.

Jen made appointments with the radiation doctor for a consult for Gamma Knife radiation on Nov.6th and if we decide to move forward with it, the radiation will be on Nov. 13th. Im praying for God’s guidance. Mother Mary wrap me in your mantle of protection. I pray God uses this suffering to help me become a better servant and witness to Him, a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. Lord have mercy on me a sinner. Help me to show your love, do your Will, and sin no more.

Psalm 86:3-6

Good morning my dear friends,

Yesterday was a big day. I had a nurse come in the morning. My incision is healing nicely and my left hand and leg are getting stronger. After the nurse left I got a call telling me that the PET scan machine is broken and asking to reschedule my appointment for Monday or I could come in to the Newport office to get the injection then drive to Irvine for the PET scan. I didnt want to wait so we decided to do the ladder. As I was getting the injection he told me I need to not hold or be by the baby for 24 hours. I told him I have 8 kids. He was surprised obviously and said the older kids are fine but I should not be around the younger kids. I didnt realize that. I was very sad because before I left the boys were crying and grabbing me, not wanting me to leave. I told them I would be right back but I couldn’t. I ended up spending the night at my parents house. I was able to video call the boys which made them happy. The PET scan went fine. I should find out results by Tuesday. This scan should show where the cancer is. The blood test results will hopefully be ready by Friday and same with the biopsy of brain tumor they sent to Mayo Clinic. Im very nervous to get results but I want them so we can figure out the best way to treat this. I will post an update when we get results back.

Im home now and happy to be with the kids and hold the baby. Thank you all to each of you for helping us carry this cross. I thank God for His mercy and love. May God reward you all. Please be assured of my prayers for all of you.

God Bless,

Ashley Dennis

Thank you to everyone for all the prayers, masses, sacrifices, support, meals, encouragement, and generosity. The generosity has been overwhelming and bringing me to tears. People I haven’t even met bringing meals and giving gifts. We are so blessed.

My days have been full this week and I have been tired. I had the blood test, neurosurgeon appt, 2 physical therapy sessions, a nurse came out and then tomorrow is another nurse coming and the 2 hour PET scan at 12pm. I have loved all the visits, texts and phone calls scattered in between.

I have seen progress in just a few days with physical therapy. Things I could barely do the first time, I could do today! I have gained feeling back in my arm and hand. I have a little weakness in them but it is much better. My left leg has more feeling in my thigh to upper calf. My lower calf and foot are still numb. Im getting stronger with walking and can walk short distances by myself. Stairs are difficult but I can do them holding someone’s hand.

Today Krista arranged for us to be blessed by a relic of St. Faustina and St. Charbel oil. It was an incredible experience. Father asked me to surrender everything to God and have faith. I will continue to surrender to God and trust in Him. Im very thankful for every blessing. God is with me and I see Him in all of you.