Updates

 It's been 3 weeks since my major surgery.  I've been at my parent's house the entire time.  Recovery is going much better now.  I can do pretty much everything by myself now. There is still daily pain, but it is manageable with OTC and ice. I was getting pretty restless last week, so we decided to spend a few days away.  We traveled down to the Bloomington area and stayed 3 nights at the Canyon Inn in McCormick's Creek State park. We had great weather and it was so nice to get away and be outside. Nature is very healing for me. I had a great time away!  We returned just in time to see my nephew win 2nd place in his lacrosse tournament for Westfield youth. 

Here are some upcoming dates:

June 1st-return to work

June 16th-surgery for port placement

June 21st-first chemo injection

July 5th-second chemo injection

Some people have asked what they can send me to help with treatments.  Even though I have been through this before, the chemo medicine will be different and therefore the side effects may be different.  I have made a small Amazon Wish List based off what I think I may need.  You may also send me earrings.  I like studs or small dangles. 

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1WP7KX0Z68G7S?ref_=wl_share

(copy and paste link into your browser)  Send to my parent's house, email or text for address.

 

Wish the news was better...

 My visit with the Oncologist was yesterday.  I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, but it was still upsetting.  Going through chemo was the hardest thing I did 8 years ago, and I did not EVER want to go through it again. But of course, the doctor said it was necessary this time too.  I will have to do 4 rounds of Adriamycin (Red Devil) and then 12 rounds of Taxol.

Since my last update, the pathology has come back and I have found out that my cancer is stage 3. This is mostly due to the lymph node activity.  With all the prior tests I received, the cancer was only seen in one lymph node. A biopsy of that node was done and a marker was put in to mark that particular node for surgery. Therefore, going into surgery we only suspected cancer to be in one lymph node.  It's my understanding that you can't just surgically remove one lymph node; they are in clusters and the entire cluster of nodes must be removed.  Pathology reported that 18 lymph nodes were in the cluster that was removed during surgery and 7 of the 18 were cancerous! SEVEN, not one.  Of course, this was shocking to everyone, including the doctor. I also found out today, that the tumor itself measured 1.3 cm and he said that all the cancerous lymph nodes measured larger than that. It's a pretty serious thing once cancer gets into your lymph nodes, especially that many.  So, that is why chemo has been recommended. Chemo will start in 4-5 weeks after I heal from surgery and last several months.  Then, I will go through radiation.

Chemo is a pretty terrible thing, something I would never wish on anyone.  I am not looking forward to it, but I'm hoping that with advancements over the last 8 years, my journey will not be quite as rough this time around. Prayers for peace of mind, healing and bravery are appreciated right now.

Recovery is slow

 It's day four of my recovery, and I've been resting at my parent's house.  My mom is retired and taking excellent care of me! It has been a struggle to keep the pain under control, as the pain meds aren't working.  To make matters worse, I am intolerant/sensitive or allergic to all the good pain meds (Hydrocodone, Percocet, etc).  So there is little at my disposable to work with. Thankfully, each day I feel a little better than the day before. I've been keeping the areas iced and doing small exercises each day.

The surgery went well and the surgeons were pleased with what they could do.  The Breast Surgeon started off the surgery by removing the tumor, along with a cluster of lymph nodes that showed positive.  After his 2 hour surgery, the Plastic Surgeon came in for reconstruction.  Heading into the surgery, he didn't know exactly what the reconstruction was going to entail, because it depended on how much tissue the breast surgeon excised.  The Plastic Surgeon ended up working on both breasts.  He replaced the implants in both breasts and inserted one drain.  The pathology on the tumor and lymph nodes will take a week to come back.  

I'd like to thank everyone that sent me flowers, cards, presents and gift cards, and everyone praying for me.  It means so much to me and is keeping my spirits high.  If anyone would like to come visit, please call/text first.  I can only entertain for about 45 min right now before getting tired. So, short visits are appreciated. My biggest prayer request at the moment is that the margins of the tumor come back clear and I don't have to go in for another surgery. As well as getting the pain under control.  I'll have another update once the pathology comes back.