Guess who's back! Where do we go from here?

So...now that I have officially ended chemotherapy common questions that are asked are 1. How are you feeling? AND 2. What's next? I really didn’t observe the days that changed my life as an anniversary. I was very reflective but I mainly treated them as a typical days. So...

1. I'm feeling great!
Going through this process has changed my thoughts and my life. When I told my family about my diagnosis I said that this was going to be very "revealing". I remember it like it was yesterday. When I said it, I was ready for it to reveal more about others but mostly it has revealed more about me. My strength and power - even I was amazed. Since it's unexplained, I'll just put it in the category of "It's a God thing." I know that some things are not for us to know so I'll be thankful and proceed. I want to be on this side for as long as I can (with happiness and joy) so I've been working on being improving me. (This will probably be another post later).

2. These are the things occuping my thoughts and time…
First, I still go to Texas Oncology every 3 weeks for Herceptin infusion. http://www.herceptin.com/breast/herceptin
This is given to me through my port. For about 2.5 months before the chemo treatments ended I was taking it with the chemo. This will go on until February 14, 2018 (one year from when I started the medication). I have not had and obvious side-effects from this treatment but I continue having regular appointments with my oncologist and echocardiograms so I can keep tabs on that. Every 3 week Herceptin and the occasional Echocardiograms are the only reminders that I have been through what I have been through. I’m thankful that the treat ment is avaliable to me (because there was a time when it was not) and I’m thankful that this very expensive therapy has not caused me any financial burden. In 2012, thr cost of one year Herceptin was $70,000.

Also, I need to make an appointment to go and see my fertility doctor. Hopefully, I’ll get that set before the end of the week. She told me to set my next appointment in August and since there was so much going on we are in September and I sill have not set this appointment. I’ll probably have a dedcated post to the fertility topic after that appointment.

Oh there’s more, I still need to finish my reconstruction surgery. I would like to have this done before the end of the year and I know that the surgery times fill up toward the end of the year. My extra cautious surgeon (who I am very thankful for) told me the deal last year when we first got started on this. I would need to lose 50 lbs prior to the surgery. I’m down about 25-30 and I just have a little more to go. Most days I feel I’m so close but yet so far! I think it’s time to refocus and get this done. Please continue to pray for me because I think it would be best to get this surgery done in 2017 and not take that with me into 2018. I’ll probably seek more advice on this and decide very soon. I’ve been keeping up a very intense work/activity schedule and I know I will have to take time out for this. Finding the best time for this next stage is what I’m struggling with at the moment….but I'm sure it will all be worked out.

Chemo #4 in 2017…in the books, bye Nurse C, you’ll be missed!

Sorry for the delay in this post but this is what is on my mind at the moment.

I felt like writing because it’s crazy how quick a space can turn into a second home. When I go to the chemo center I like to sit in the same chair every single time I go. Creature of habit I guess…when I was whiney about being isolated the other week they moved me one chair away from my chair so I would not be next to anyone. Just territorial..hmm. I also learned my nurse that I’ve had since week 2 of 2016 chemo is leaving to another hospital for a new opportunity. If I knew she was going to an infusion center would I follow her I could? She has just been the best nurse for me and I’m bummed to see her go - but so happy for her new opportunities. I knew Nurse C was my nurse when I had an episode of my one and only nausea and she cleaned it up and didn’t make me feel bad about it or anything. She always comes to check in on me during those terribly boring sessions and if I want the TV changed she’s quick to help me out with that as well. I’ll get to see her one more time before her last day (next Monday) and I’ll send her a link to the blog and to the Facebook page because many times people in those professsions go underapprciated way too much for way too long. She has definatly made an impression on me and Mother for being a true professional!

Two more chemo treatments to go and I will be ringing the bell and remembering all the people that have kept me uplifted during my season of chemo.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 - 3:1 (CEB) A season for everything
1 There's a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:

YouNow! Part 1 and 2

LONG chemo day in the Lay-Z-Boy. Let’s do this!

Part 1:

https://www.younow.com/HCTSCC/154587580/35805438/d204394x/b

Part 2:

https://www.younow.com/HCTSCC/154587667/35805438/578478qt/b

“No Mamm to Gram” and other glorious news!

My title is a direct quote from my medical oncologist/breast surgeon yesterday at my first official post op appointment. It made me chuckle and that’s why I wanted to start this post on a funny note. I was going through my mental check list of everything I wanted to ask her and things I needed ask since my surgery on January 5th. I’ve heard from her but since but usually I was not in the right mind place to ask the questions I needed to ask yesterday. I was asking her the items I needed to follow up on now that the first surgery has taken place and I’m healing. It’s crazy to me that the one and only mammogram I will have in my life confirmed a cancerous tumor and saved my life…and another one is never needed. They now recommend that women at average risk of breast cancer start mammography at 45, that they undergo annual mammograms from 45-54, and continue to undergo mammography every other year after that. If I would have waited until age 45 – I could be dead. If you feel something, say something and get it checked out ASAP (more to come about this on a later post). 

Let’s go back to where I left off on the last post…

• The results from the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy reported that there was NO cancer found in the lymph nodes. Even though we found out that result before my surgery on January 5thit was confirmed in the pathology report that a received yesterday.

• When I went to the plastic surgeon (who is over part 2 of this surgery journey) he informed me that I was going to have radiation after the initial surgery. I received different information from my surgical oncologist so I was taken aback by this information. I thought I was told that if I got the double mastectomy that there would probably be little/nothing to radiate. This was a big reason why I decided to go with such an invasive surgery. So, I was prepared after six months of radiation – I would also need to prepare my body for part 2 of the surgery. This would be to help reduce the risk from the surgery by reducing my BMI (more to come about that on a later post).

• Yesterday, I went for the first post-op appointment with my surgical oncologist and I found out that from the results of the pathology report that RADIATION IS NOT NEEDED. I REPEAT – NO RADIATION! When she told me this, I was truly elated and I felt so blessed. The one thing I did not want was radiation. I’ve heard stories and read about the side effects. The margins were negative, the lymph nodes were clear, the size of the tumor all indicate NO RADIATION. This wasn’t just one doctor’s decision – it went to conference and for my instance radiation is not dictated at this time.

What’s next…

• I’ll be returning to work next week – working from home (since I still can not drive). No worries, I’m one of the weird ones that enjoys working…the routine helps!

• Appointment with the plastic surgeon on Tuesday, January 24th to see if I can get the 2 JP drains removed. Here is a link about the drains https://www.verywell.com/surgical-drain-locations-after-a-mastectomy-430399. Once they are removed then I can ease back into driving since it’s been almost a month of no driving.

• On Tuesday, January 24th, I’ll also have my first follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist. She will probably go over the pathology report and tell me the next steps for treatment. There is a chance I may have to take chemo in a pill form but I do not know about the specific duration or dose. I know that God is in control and I’m thankful because the weekly visits to the infusion room at the Cancer Center should be behind me.

That’s all for now but I’m sure I’ll have an update sometime next week after my two appointments. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the positive thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, food and etc. I love you all!

The countdown has started…

This morning I got up around 3:15 AM since I had to check into Margot Perot Day Surgery at 5:30 AM for a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. My last water was at 11:50 PM last night and my last food was around 7:30 PM last night. This is going to be a long day…the biopsy does not start until 1:30 PM. You’re probably wondering why I had come so early today. Before this procedure I had to go to nuclear medicine to get dye injected near the tumor to help my surgeon and pathology see possible cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Here is a link about this procedure. 

What’s next…

• We will stay in the hotel at Presbyterian Dallas the night before the surgery on Thursday. That will give me an extra hour or so of sleep since I’ll just go downstairs to report for surgery.

• Double-Mastectomy…what a big surgery. Praying for a swift recovery!

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet