5 rounds down...3 to go!!!

I am over the hump and on the downhill slope of chemotherapy!  Last Tuesday, the 24th of January, was my first round of the second half of treatment.  I am doing Taxol treatments now and will be done March 8th, if all my blood counts continue to look good!


So glad that I am done with the extra nasty chemo.  I am hoping that the next 5 1/2 weeks will be a little easier than the last eight weeks have been!  So far it is much more tolerable.


I have learned a lot in the last few months.  Here are just some of my random thoughts...


1.   Cancer has shown me who I really am, which I already knew.  But, it's like being given a microscope and you are given a glimpse as to how Heavenly Father sees you!
2.   The things that you always knew weren't very important REALLY ARE NOT important and you have no choice but to let them go.
3.   The love, help and prayers from family and friends, and faith in God can get you through ANYTHING!
4.   What a gift it is to be able to hold my children.
5.   I appreciate the tiny little increases of energy and the moments I am given not to have to be in bed!  These moments give me hope for complete recovery and helps me look forward to returning to 100% and pay it forward.
6.   There are so many ways that it could be worse.  I actually appreciate my current situation.  I know that sounds strange!
7.   A positive mental attitude (pma) can make the most terrible thing (you think) tolerable and even life evolving and enriching.
8.   Nurses and other healthcare workers that truly love their work are little angels on earth!
9.   Hair is really not that important but sure does keep your head warm!


On the horizon...surgery.  Most likely I will have my mastectomy surgery toward the end of March or beginning of April.


But, I am focusing right now on getting through this first step of treatment and finishing strong.


I have been racking my brain (chemo brain sometimes!) on a great way to celebrate finishing chemotherapy.  If any of you have any ideas I would love to hear about them.


A big, huge THANK YOU to everyone that have brought us dinners, watched our children, and cleaned our house.  Words cannot express how amazing you all are!  


Hugs and blessings,
Becky

Breast Cancer Clinic Summary

A breast cancer clinic is a phenomenal thing.  We met with all the experts (surgeons, oncologists, cancer nurse, patient advocate, etc.) in basically one meeting, well, one-on-one over the course of a morning.  It was a tiring day, but a good opportunity to get the facts and all of the experts recommendations.  It's also getting a second, third, and fourth opinion!   I feel like we're all on the same page.  Very helpful!


The unanimous recommendations that came from the Tumor Board meeting (all the doctors met together to discuss my case) was that I have a PET scan to rule out any cancer that may have spread to other organs, genetic testing done, another biopsy on a lymph node that showed up on the MRI, neoadjuvant therapy (to shrink the tumor first), and a simple mastectomy.  


I don't think "simple" is really a word I would use with mastectomy, but I guess it's the medical way of saying it's not a radical mastectomy, which would include removing muscle and lymph nodes.


So, plans have changed a bit.  After a lot of prayer I do feel confident that the doctors recommendations are the way to go.  Surgery will come later at the end of March.  Next week is going to be a busy one.  But, as I have learned in the last two weeks, things can change, and quickly!
Monday - PET scan
Tuesday - port-a-cath surgery
Wednesday - oncologist meeting to set up therapy
Thursday - lymph node biopsy


Again, thank you to everyone for your continued prayers, concern, help and support!

My diagnosis...

I have always supported the pink ribbon and its efforts to help find a cure.  I’ve admired those that I saw on t.v. that were fighting this terrible disease with courage and grace.  I’ve even run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure a few times.  But, now it’s personal!

I found the lump myself.  Thought it might just be something leftover from nursing (infection or cyst) so I didn't do anything about it for about two weeks.  But, then I was watching The Talk one day.  The entire show that day was dedicated to breast cancer awareness.  Watching that show took some of the fears away and convinced me to get the lump checked out.  Good thing I did! 

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Halloween, October 31, 2011.  To be specific: ER positive, PR positive, HER2 negative (which is good).

My diagnosis was given over the phone.  My first thought was, “Really?  You are really telling me this news over the phone?!”  But, after I hung up I was really glad that I was sitting at my kitchen table, wearing my cozy slippers, and looking at the wonderful smile on my baby’s face!  It took the sting out of the news I had just received.  I was in shock and probably still am in shock.  It was definitely a crappy day.

The past five days have been filled with doctors appointments, concerns and questions, an overload of information, learning a new language (the cancer language), a little bit of fear and a couple tears (still waiting for the moment I really freak out!).  But, most importantly it has been filled with an abundance of care, concern, and help from friends and family.

I never thought I would be diagnosed with cancer let alone be grateful for Sharon Osbourne!!!  Life is definitely filled with surprises!

I just pray that I am granted a little bit of patience and grace to get through this challenge...it’s a doozy!