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

2 down, 6 to go!

It's bad, so bad.  But, it could be so much worse!  I realize that.  The fatigue is overwhelming at times.  The muscle pain was worse this time around.  Nausea comes in waves (especially with smells, sounds and bumps to the bed) but, is manageable with the meds.  And...I lost my hair with this last round.


I didn't prepare myself for how painful losing my hair would be.  The first round made my hair follicles tingly, but this time each follicle was on fire!  It was a burning pain.  Sherwood shaved my head for me.  That took the pain down a couple notches which was very helpful!  It was quite a shock to see myself for the first time in the mirror.  I still can't really look at myself with patchy stubble all over my head!  Not the greatest look.


My next round is Dec. 27th.  Hopefully I will have a good couple of days to enjoy with my family before I start it all over again.


Thank you Dr. Lewis for highly recommending the port-a-cath!  It's made the awful a little more manageable.  Not having to get poked makes it better!


I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!  May you hug your loved ones a little tighter, realize you are blessed a little more and have a larger measure of peace this time of year!!!


Hugs,
Becky

Chemo round #1

Well I made it through the first day of the first round of chemo.  It was not bad at all.  I think having the port-a-cath really helped with that.  I barely felt anything.

The nurse first gave me the anti-nausea medicine (quite a "cocktail") through the "iv" in the port.  Then she pumped in the first drug.  The second drug was "dripped" in so it took a little longer.  But, it all took only 2 1/2 hours.  So, not too bad.

I'm starting to get a little tired and "fuzzy".  Just waiting for the fatigue to set in and hoping to keep the nausea at bay!

One down, seven to go.

Hugs.  

Oncologist and chemo

Things are moving right along!  It was a super busy week.

I met with my second oncologist on Wednesday.  She is very matter of fact (which is how I like it come to find out!).  The unanimous opinion is that I start chemo before having the surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) and I concur.  So, I will be starting on November 29th.  It will be every two weeks for 16 weeks.  I will be able to have it at Alta View Hospital.  Then, after chemo I will have the surgery, which will put it around the end of March or early April (hopefully after spring break!).

Thursday I had the lymph node biopsy (still a little sore today, but healing).  Hoping the results comes back clean.  If not, I will have to have lymph nodes (on the one side) removed when I have the mastectomy.

Friday, I went to the dentist and got my mouth all taken care of before I start chemo.  All these things you have to take care of that you just don't think about!!!

I am thankful for ALL the people that have gone before me that have blogged and written about their experiences.  It will hopefully make my experience a little more tolerable!

We are still waiting for the genetic test to come back as well.  Should be hearing back this week.  That will change up some decisions if I have the breast cancer gene (BRCA 1 or BRCA 2).

Just a couple more doctors appointments this coming week.  AND...gearing up for a good Thanksgiving, maybe sneak in a little pampering, and try to get as much done to prepare for Christmas as I can.  Hoping my energy level cooperates!

Oh, and everyone has been asking if I need anything or if they can do anything for me.  I really appreciate it.  To help with this I have created a list of things I will need during chemo and some things I would like on my wish list with Amazon.com.  Let me know if you would like to look at it and I will send you the link.  (privacy issues as this is a public blog).  Thanks!

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Hugs,
Becky

PET scan and port-a-cath surgery

Well...it's been a busy week already!  Yesterday I had the PET scan (positron emission tomography).  It went really well.  They put in an iv and then had me drink 16 ounces of "lemonade", then they introduce the tracer in the iv.  I got to take a 45 minute nap (sorely needed) to help the tracer circulate throughout my body.  Then, I got to drink 16 more ounces of the lovely lemonade they provide.  Refreshing beverage!  No, it's really not that bad.
After a quick stop in the restroom I hopped onto the scanning bed (on my back this time!) and snuggled down into the headrest with a nice leg rest under my knees and warm blankets on top of me.  It was a 20 minute test.  The bed moves back and forth 3 times.  I imagined I was at Disneyland on an incredible new ride.  I was tempted to open my eyes but that would have ruined the illusion.  I didn't want to have had a little panic attack.  They certainly don't make those machines very large.  I guess I am a little claustrophobic!  The key for me is keeping my eyes closed and practicing my yoga breathing!!!  
The purpose of the PET scan was to rule out any other cancer in my body.  Really praying that is so!


I had my port-a-cath placed today.  It was an outpatient surgery and it went well.  It will be very helpful in receiving treatments.  The other option is to get an iv each time.  Since treatment will last 16 weeks I opted for the port.  It is placed under the skin near my collarbone.
When I saw my surgeon (who is awesome by-the-way!) before the surgery he said my PET scan was clear except for two lymph nodes that showed up.  I am quite relieved about that.  So, I am having a lymph node biopsy in two days and we'll see if I need my lymph nodes removed or not.

Oh, and I got my hair cut very short!  I think the kids need to see me in transition.  My two older kids said I looked like a teacher and like a different Mom!  My baby just smiled and laughed.  My kids are so funny and so honest.  I love them so much!!!


And, here's a tip...don't watch clips of Modern Family and Suburgatory when you're healing from any surgery.  Laughing hurts!!! :)


On to the next!

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!

MRI

I had my MRI yesterday.  It ended up being an intravenous MRI which surprised me a bit.  So, it wasn't quite without pain as I had imagined, but I am getting more used to being poked.

This MRI was a lot different than I imagined too.  I was put face down with my mumma's (as my kids call them!) sticking through holes in the MRI bed.  Awkward!
They slid me backwards into the machine.  This was actually good because I couldn't see how close the thing was around me.  I looked at it afterward and I probably would have had a little panic attack.  It was pretty close!

The entire test took about 40 minutes.  20 minutes without iv and 20 minutes with iv.  A pretty long time to have to be perfectly still, but I made it through.  The last five minutes of the test I felt like my breast bone was going to fall off.  They don't pad the bar that goes between the mumma's!  And, yes there is a reason for that.  Apparently it would mess up the test if there was any padding between.  Yikes!

So, I am expecting the results in a another day.  I am actually looking forward to it and hoping that it clears up any lingering questions about the tumor and anything that the mammogram may have missed.

Right now I am still scheduled for surgery on November 16th.  Today I am expecting to have a mastectomy.  The tumor is 8 cm (which is considered quite large).  Although the surgeons seem to think that breast conservation (lumpectomy) is doable, I have a feeling it won't work.  But, either way it is coming out.  It hurts and I want it gone!

Thanks to everyone for your continuous prayers and positive thoughts.  I am feeling the strength of them!