This blog post is the 26th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date.  To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.

First of all, before diving into this post!, we are placing orders for tshirts raising awareness for breast cancer! If you want one for $20, fill out this form! Shirts are $20 and $8 goes directly to support Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota! My twin sister is showing hers off in the featured photo above!!

Okay, so on to our story!: My twin sister has now completed 4 of her 14 T-DM1  infusions, so she’s 28.5% of the way done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen! She did great at her infusion. The first question she had was about her white blood cell counts: Every time she gets a chemo infusion, she has to have a blood test first to make sure her levels are high enough to go through with the infusion. The main question this week was whether or not her platelets and neutrophils would be up to the level they needed to be–at her last visit 3 weeks ago, her levels were relatively low, so she was a bit concerned that they may need to postpone this infusion to help the numbers get up to where they needed to be.

Thanks so some healthy eating–she and her husband were intentional about eating lots of leafy greens and high-protein foods this past three weeks!–and exercising (walking outside and on a treadmill and lifting weights in their basement!), she got her numbers up to where they need to be! We’ve also had our Bible study and family and friends praying for her levels and so, thanks to healthy foods and Jesus, she was green-lit for her treatment today WOOHOO!

As you can see, it’s a miracle!! Based on a healthy diet full of great foods high in protein and iron and vitamins, my twin sister was able to raise her levels of neutrophils and platelets over the last 3 weeks! Take that, CHEMO!!! Also, Thank you JESUS!

The infusion went great! She got to talk with her nurses and technicians all about the Boston Terrier puppy she and her husband are adopting next month (!), which was a highlight. She’s been feeling a bit tired and a little sick the day after her infusions the past couple of infusions, but she is still feeling much better overall than she did after the infusions she had of TCHP before her operation. Also, because her infusion was on a Friday, she’ll have the weekend to kick back and relax. 🙂

Here is my twin sister and her supportive hubby, after knocking out infusion #4 of TDM1 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester!

Diagnosed with “Microcystic edema” (what is that??) and PSA: DON’T USE OPTI FREE REPLENISH AS YOUR CONTACT SOLUTION!!!

Remember when I got a weird rash that I thought might be melanoma that ended up being pigmented purpura one month into my surgical recovery? Well, my twin sister has now been diagnosed with “microcystic edema,” which is kind of worse than that. A couple of weeks ago, she realized she was having trouble seeing street signs and made an eye doctor appointment right away. At her exam, she found out she has developed small cysts on BOTH of her corneas that are causing blurred vision.

Her first thought was that these cysts must have been caused by her chemotherapy regimen or Tamoxifen, but her eye doctor said those treatments tend to affect the retinas rather than the corneas where these cysts are. And the doctor told my sister her retinas looked “excellent.” So, instead of it being a side effect of her chemotherapy regimen, her eye doctor said it’s very likely that the cysts she’s developed on her corneas were caused by frequent use of contacts and/or her use of Opti Free Replenish contact solution.

Say what?

Apparently, sometimes, contact lens users come down with a condition like this, and my twin sister is one of the “lucky ones” who came down with it. Also, less than 10% of patients who use Opti Free Replenish as a contact solution are susceptible to this problem. So, it’s probably best if you use this solution, that you stop now! 

“How is that possible that the product is still on the market?!” my sister asked in disbelief.

“Well, it’s less than 10% of patients who it happens to, so they figure they’ll keep selling it,” her eye doctor said.

My twin sister, being the lawyer that she is, said: “I guess there haven’t been enough lawsuits yet!” Ha, ha.

Apparently, patients can use the contact solution for years with no problem then all of a sudden it causes an issue. The eye doctor recommended Acuvue contact solution instead. So my sister is going to buy some of that.

We are grateful it was nothing more serious than some cysts on her corneas, but it’s still cysts on her corneas.

“Poor Steph!” one of my friends texted to me. “It’s just one thing after another!” Yep, it sure is. Which makes her all that much more of a champion. She is one of the strongest women I know!!!!!

According to the eye doctor, the cysts should go away within two weeks if she stops wearing contacts and wears only glasses, which she has been doing. (Thanks Warby Parker! :))

We are praying for miraculous healing! Cysts be gone!!!

We are grateful it’s not worse than it is. The eye doctor said some patients present with white blood cells attacking the corneas, and bad cysts and scarring. He said my twin sister’s cysts aren’t nearly that bad and aren’t going to leave any scars!

Hallelujah!!

And so we press on, one more day at a time. If things don’t improve or if she needs a second opinion, she’ll get one at Mayo Clinic in Rochester based on a referral from her oncologist. God is still good!!!

Thanks to stylish and functional Warby Parker glasses, hopefully my twin sister’s corneal cysts will be all gone in two weeks’ time! Prayers up!!

Next steps

My twin sister has her follow-up eye doctor appointment on Tuesday, August 4th, and we are praying for the cysts to be completely gone at that point!! If they’re not, she’ll schedule a second opinion appointment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Her fifth infusion of T-DM1 takes place in three weeks, on Friday, August 14th; her sixth infusion takes place on Friday, September 4th; and her seventh infusion (HALFWAY THERE!!!) takes place on Friday, September 25th.

Thank you all for your continued prayers for 1) No reactions to her new chemo drugs 2) Her complete healing and 100% effectiveness of the treatment so her cancer never ever comes back!! 3) Side effects to be minimal / nonexistent!! And for these silly cysts on her eyes to go away!!

Our verse for these next few weeks is Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

From YouVersion 🙂

This blog post is the 26th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date.  To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link. To order a tshirt raising awareness for breast cancer, fill out this form by Friday, July 24th–shirts are $20 and $8 goes directly to support Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota!

BY SANDRA GUY

The growing COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting community health centers’ critical, though little-known, role in serving those most at risk and the growing numbers of the unemployed and uninsured.

The country’s nearly 1,400 community health centers provide services for 28 million people each year at more than 13,000 sites. They’re often the only point of care for the poorest and most medically vulnerable, including Black and Brown communities whose lack of access to quality healthcare, fresh foods and other systemic disadvantages have increased their coronavirus risks.

The community health centers act as “the shock absorbers for hospitals,” as Steve Carey, chief strategy officer for the National Association of Community Health Centers, put it — not only by keeping uninsured patients out of the emergency room but also as a first line of defense against COVID-19 and by serving COVID-19 patients with milder or moderate symptoms.

Just as National Health Center Week’s recognition nears — it’s Aug. 9-15 — the demands on the centers’ services look to become overwhelming, since an estimated 5.4 million Americans have lost their healthcare insurance since the pandemic lockdowns started four months ago due to job losses. That’s more people who’ve become uninsured ever in a single year, surpassing the 2008-2009 recession, according to a study by the nonpartisan consumer advocacy group Families USA.

Another study found that more than 80 percent of uninsured children and adults younger than 65 live in working families, and that recent immigrants accounted for a relatively small proportion of the uninsured (fewer than one in five).

The patients have a voice in the way the health centers are run: By statute, patients must make up more than 50% of each community health center board.

Patients and community members also have a voice in electing the U.S. Congressmen who vote on the health centers’ budget. The U.S. Senate is now poised to act on the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, which, in the U.S. House version, would provide $7.6 billion in emergency funding to help the overwhelmed community health centers.

But some lawmakers say more far-reaching efforts are needed. For example, one proposal calls for $77 billion in funding for community health centers over five years so the centers can set up telehealth services and offer critical job-training programs such as the National Health Service Corps and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., are sponsoring that funding proposal.

Hand-in-hand with greater funding is the idea of universal healthcare coverage. Supporters of Medicare for All and other guaranteed healthcare proposals see community health centers as a key piece of such a system. Another expansion would enable the centers to hire hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans who’ve lost their jobs and train them to be a corps of COVID-19 contract tracers. The long-term goal would be for many of those workers to progress into chronic disease management positions.

To keep up with the latest news about the health centers’ evolving role, see
https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/preventionthroughhealthcare/healthdepartments/commhealthcenters.htm

After college football programs across the country shut down workouts in March, Kare’ Lyles was at a loss.

“I spent two weeks just trying to get a grasp on what was going on,” said Lyles, the starting quarterback who led Southern Illinois to a 7-5 record last season, its best since 2013.

Longing to keep the momentum going from a breakthrough season for the Salukis – who haven’t been to the FCS playoffs since 2009 – Lyles had an idea. He would drive from his home in Madison, Wis., to Carbondale, which is nearly 450 miles, for anyone who wanted to stay sharp.

He contacted his receivers and invited those who could make the drive to Carbondale to unique workouts.

“I make the 7-hour drive frequently to see my family,” he said.

In April, Lyles was joined by juniors Avante and D’Ante’ Cox from Rochester, Ill., near Springfield, and redshirt freshman Branson Combs, who lives in Evansville, Ind. The group spent several weeks working out together five times a week, according to Lyles, at any local field they could find to prepare for – hopefully – a full 2020 season.

Lyles said the group took plenty of precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were wearing gloves,” he said. “I wore a glove on my left (non-throwing) hand. We were always (socially) distanced from each other.”

Along with running routes, the Cox brothers added their special touch to the workouts.

“Avante and D’Ante’ come from a track background,” he said. “So we all did these speed and agility drills. It was really good. The only thing we didn’t have was a weight room. That was different.”

Lyles said he returned each month for at least two weeks at a time, and as local public health restrictions loosened, more players joined the workouts.

“We were getting in some good work,” he said. “I was always willing to take that 7-hour drive.”

Driven by winning

Kare’ Lyles

Coming from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College to SIU, Lyles was used to helping programs succeed.

“The biggest thing for me is winning,” he said. “Ever since I was young playing quarterback, I’ve never had a losing season. I’ve been blessed to be a part of great teams.”

When the Salukis put together a five-game winning streak during Missouri Valley Football Conference games in October and November last season, they forged a new identity, according to Lyles.

Winning in one of the nation’s most talented conferences has provided a lift for the Salukis, who are scheduled to open the season Sept. 3 at Tennessee-Martin.

“That all came down to our practice mentality,” Lyles said. “You could see a big jump. That really pushed us over the edge. Now, you can see that consistency and that mentality in the off-season.”

Lyles noticed a change in mentality during 6 a.m. workouts over the winter months.

“Now guys are more focusing on their nutrition,” he said. “They’re making better choices off the field.”

What’s ahead

While Lyles took over in the third game of the season from an injured Stone Labanowitz and held the job for the remainder of the season, the passing game wasn’t SIU’s biggest weapon.

The Salukis ran for 231.8 yards a game – which ranked 12^th in the nation — and 28 touchdowns last fall. A powerful offensive line and a backfield led by breakout freshman running back Javon Williams Jr. helped the Salukis control games and wear down opponents.

The challenge for Lyles and his receivers this season is to rev up a passing game that ranked 93^rd in FCS with 185.2 yards a game.

Though Lyles threw 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions, his pass efficiency rating was fourth in the league and his 62.9% completion percentage was 23^rd-best nationally. He also threw more than one interception only once in game last season.

“My expectations are always going to be high,” Lyles said. “The things I can change are just being more comfortable in the system and knowing that I’m the starting quarterback.”

Lyles said his focus is on three main tasks this season.

“All good quarterbacks limit the mistakes, they take advantage of each opportunity for an explosive play (in the pass game) and they move the chains,” he said. “Those three things are always something you want to evolve in.”