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. 

Here We Go Again!

7 years and 361 days! That's how long I lived with  he knowledge that I was cancer free. Four days shy of my 8 year cancer-versary, I was diagnosed with breast cancer again.  Devastating news that you don't want to hear once, let alone twice.  So far, the month of April has been full of doctor appointments, tests, and exams. My weekly personal calendar is nearly maxed out.  There are still so many things that need answered; so many more test results that are needed.  Right now, all I know is that my breast cancer this time is ER +, PR+, Her2-, Grade 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Staging won't be done until after the first surgery is completed, which is scheduled for May 7th.  Most of the needed answers will come from the pathology after this surgery.  I know right now I will need radiation, but they are not sure about chemotherapy yet. 

I never thought that I'd be reactivating this blog, but this is where I will keep everyone updated.  Please follow this blog for updates.  When I am ready to share any updates, they will be posted here.  Please do not contact me asking for updates, as getting numerous emails, texts and phone calls each week explaining the same thing can be exhausting.  

If anyone feels the need to mail me anything, please send it to my parent's address.  I will be recovering from surgery at their house, and I see them at least once a week right now as my mother is going to most of my appointments with me.  Plus, I recently had a care package stolen from my house.  Contact me for their address. 

The best thing you can do for me right now is pray. I believe it the power of prayer and that with God, all things are possible. He helped me through cancer in 2013 and He will help me through it again. Positivity is the best medicine for a cancer diagnosis and I plan on applying this approach again.  While I don't have all the answers right now to put my mind at ease, God's will shall be done. 

Cancer Celebration

  My parents have been my biggest supporters in every way throughout my cancer journey.  They have gone to almost every appointment with me, every chemo treatment I allowed them to attend, and every surgery I had.  My mother stayed by my side all through the horrors of chemo and nursed me back to health after each surgery. My dad went to a lot of appointments with me and drained my tubes every 4 hours after my mastectomy.  Without them, I couldn't have made it through this.  So after I was done with all my treatments, I wanted to take them on a trip, to show my appreciation.  It was going to be a Cancer Celebration trip.  The final hoorah to celebrate to end!  For several years I have wanted to go to Yellowstone National Park.  I have heard how beautiful it is and I wanted to see it for myself.  I almost went 3 years ago with a friend, but the plans fell through at the last minute.  So, when a breast cancer organization was willing to give me a substantial check, I knew exactly what I was going to use the money for.  On July 15th, my parents and I embarked on a two week trip out west to Montana and Wyoming to visit Yellowstone National Park.
  We drove my car out there, and it took us four days to get to Big Sky, MT where our resort was.  We took the northern route along I-90, so we could drive through South Dakota.  On the drive there, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore, The Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, an 1880 Town and Custard's Last Stand. When we arrived in Big Sky (which is actually the #1 ski resort right now, even beat out Vail), we had a day to relax before going to Yellowstone.  Our resort was WAY UP on this mountain.  We had to take a winding road 13 minutes (9 miles) up to the top where the resort was.  I can't imagine how busy that place is during the winter.  Anyway, for our day of "relaxation" we decided to partake in some of the extracurricular outdoor activities that MT had to offer.  I really wanted to learn to fly fish, but mom and dad thought it would be too boring.  So, instead we decided to go zip lining and white water rafting.  The first time to do both for all three of us.  It was really fun!  The zip line course had 3 lines and I was sooo scared to do the first. My hands and legs were shaking.  But by the third line, I was going hands free!  We did white water rafting down the Gallatin River in 2-3 rapids.  Our guide said that was the river that "A River Runs Through It" was taped on.

  By the 7th day of our vacation, we finally made it to Yellowstone National Park. We'd planned on spending four days there.  Our first day at the park, I'd planned as "pink day".  We all wore pink.  I wore my shirt that said "Heck yes they're fake.  My real ones tried to kill me".  Our four days in Yellowstone were awesome!  We saw a TON of wildlife, including buffalo, elk, pronghorn, marmots, chipmunks, a bald eagle, osprey, killdeer, a coyote, a grizzly bear and a black bear with her 3 cubs.  We went to every part of the park.  With the hour drive we had to and from our resort each day, we'd be gone from sun up to sometimes past sundown.  It was an exhausting four days, but very enjoyable.  We got to see Old Faithful go off several times along with other geysers, we saw several buffalo herds with their babies.  We even got as close as 6 feet to one buffalo that was grazing.  We also had a buffalo cross the street right in front of our car.  We also went on two different Ranger-guided hikes.  For those that are thinking of going to Yellowstone, four days is just the right amount of time.

   After Yellowstone, we left our resort and headed south through Grand Teton National Park.  It is much smaller and not very much to do in this park.  So we just drove through it in about 2 hours or so.  The Teton mountains are gorgeous!  We got pretty close to them.  The first town outside Grand Teton NP is Jackson, WY.  This was our next stop.  We stayed here for two days.  Jackson is a cute tourist town.  Expensive shops and restaurants surround the town square.  As soon as we got into town, we went to town square to watch their nightly "Shootout".  A local theater group reenacts an old western shootout every night at 6pm.  It drew a large crowd.  The next day we explored Jackson some.  We went to Sky King Mountain and went horseback riding and alpine sliding.  Alpine sliding was sooo much fun!  It is a giant slide that you ride down the mountain on in a cart thing.  If you ever get the chance to go alpine siding (they have them in several places), I would highly recommend it.
   Jackson was our last stop before heading back home.  We took another four days to get home, and this time we took I-80 through Nebraska.  We made stops at the Frontier Prison Museum in Rawlins, WY, and at Laramie for their Frontier Days.  This was basically like our state fair.  It was at a fairgrounds, and they had things like a rodeo, an Indian village, shops, food, etc.  We finally made it home after 15 days on the road, exhausted, but thankful!

The Fat Lady Sang!

Wow, it has been awhile since my last posting.  Good news!  I am completely done with all of my treatments!!  I went into the cancer center on June 4th for my last Herceptin treatment.  This was exactly 14 months after my diagnosis (April 4th).    My oncologist is keeping me on Tomoxifen for 5-10 years.  I asked him, "well which is it 5 or 10 years, how will I know when to stop taking it?"  He said it all depends on the research that is conducted between now and then and the recommendations that arise from that research.  He said there isn't enough research right now to pinpoint the longevity of the medication.  So, right now I only have to get my port removed (8/7) and then follow-ups with my surgeon and oncologist. Today, I am cancer free and have been released by all my doctors!

My Wonderful Oncology Nurses: Linda and Janice

 

 

I leave Tuesday for a 2.5 week cross country road trip to Yellowstone National Park for my "Cancer Celebration".

Race for the Cure!

April 12, 2014 in Indianapolis, IN was the annual Race for the Cure.  I gathered my crew, Brittney's Beauties and we all dressed in our best pink.  I made crowns and sashes for each team member to wear, including the kids.  I also made some pink ribbon cookies to snack on.  I arrived at Military Park around 7am and there were already hundreds of people there.  I met up with some family and then I headed to the survivor's tent for the start of the Survivor's Parade.  They line up all the survivor's according to how many years they have survived breast cancer, with the longest survivor's in the front.  So, of course being a 1 year survivor, I was way at the end.  A marching band lead us through Military Park as everyone stood along the route with maracas and cow bells cheering us on.  Then we were lead to the main stage for the opening ceremonies, where WTHR news anchors were the emcees.  A band played music, they had a Zumba warm up, and several people gave us pep talks.  Then, I met up with the rest of my crew and we headed to the start line.  We took so long to get to the start of the race that we ended up being some of the last people to complete the race!  HAHA.  The fire engine marking the end of the walk came up behind us about the half way point and continued to stay behind us until the end.


All in all it was a fantastic day!  Great weather, great company, and great outfits!  I am so thankful for all the support I have received for this year's race.  I had a goal of raising $500 this year.  I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to raise that much.  But to my amazement, I was able to far exceed that goal and I raised $1, 050!!!  I am so thankful for generous hearts.  I am also so thankful for all my family and friends who came out to supports me.  My cousin had plans for the day, but got up bright and early just to spend the morning with us, before the race began.  My friend drove 2 hours to spend all day with me.  I am one blessed girl!


I can't wait to make this annual event.  Mark your calendars for next year...April 18, 2015.

One whole year!

I can't believe that on April 4th, 2014 it will have been one whole year since my diagnosis of breast cancer!  So much has happened in the past year.  I will never forget April 4th, 2013.  At 8:30am I was woken up by a phone call from my gynecologist telling me that my breast biopsy results were in and that it showed I had breast cancer.  I immediately began crying.  Although I suspected this result, I was not prepared for it.  Once those words sunk in, I gathered myself and asked "what's next?"  Thus, began my journey.  The next day I met with the breast surgeon and met my breast navigator.  I was administered chemotherapy from May 7th-July 27th, had my double mastectomy on August 29th, and reconstruction on December 6th.  Right now I am continuing Herceptin every 3 weeks through June and am taking Tamoxifen for several years.  Currently, I am in good health, feel great and am having no side effects from medication.  I can definitely see the end of the road!  It has been a very long year for me, but thankfully it has gone by quickly.  This is definitely not something I would have ever imagined dealing with at this age, but with the support and encourage from family, friends and co-workers I have made it through.  I SURVIVED!!




Update:  Genetic testing for BreastNEXT test (which looks at 18 genes) has been completed and the results were given to me today.  All 18 genes were negative for mutation.  This means that I do not have an increased risk for breast cancer or other cancers associated with these genes.  While this is good news for me and my family members, it is also disappointing, because it still does not explain why/what caused my cancer.


What's Next?  Herceptin every 3 weeks until June.  Then, surgery to have my port-a-cath removed.  Then, nothing except check-ups and taking Tamoxifen.