I'm on day 6 of chemo and I sure wish I could go back to day one. It's not that I'm ultra sick or achy or anything, I just feel off. My beloved Diet Coke and Bud Light taste horrible, which I was sure would never happen to me! I am able to go to work and for the most part be productive - except during these lovely waves of dizziness I keep getting. Don't worry, that's from the stomach stuff they give me. Speaking of stomach stuff, I can't seem to get enough food in my mouth - it's a strange way to be. I feel completely bloated and full, but need to keep chewing all day long in order to feel semi-okay. Since this is just the first chemo, I'll probably be looking back on this week as a good one - ha ha! Enough complaining, though. I am trying to visualize the chemo as Ms. Pacman and she's eating all the icky cancer pellets. When she gets caught by Inky, Blinky, or Clyde, that's the side effects. I'll eventually get the high score and be worshipped by all, and okay, that's where the metaphor breaks off....
Getting my hair cut off this Thursday and all I can think about is the disastrous haircut Julia Roberts gets in Steel Magnolias. Please Lord, don't let me look like that! Anyway, Erika is no Truvy, so I'm sure it will be as hip as can be for the couple of weeks I'll actually have it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
CHEMO - Round One
Hi All,
Got back from chemo around quarter to 4. My aunt Deb, sister Jen, and I got there at a 8am, so it was quite a long day. I had lots and lots of drugs administered, some of which took 90 minutes a piece. Next time it won't take so long. The Benadryl they put in the IV is lovely and I was able to nap quite a bit. I have every type of anti-nausea medication they could give me, so I'm hoping that will be one thing I don't get. I feel pretty good right now! I'm on steroids, so they make me a little hyper. I got 4 hours of sleep last night because of them, but I have a sleeping pill to take tonight - woo hoo!
The results of the CT Scan, Muga, and Bone Scans were all good. No problems with my liver, so bring on the Bud Light! Dr. Rinn was quite pleased with the lack of any cysts or irregularities as that is pretty rare - so yay me!
They changed my herceptin schedule, so I will be doing that every week instead of every three, but after the next two, I can switch over to Ballard and get this when I do my blood draws. I am so lucky I have such a great workplace where everyone is so supportive of all this time I take off.
Is it no wonder that I love my job?
Anyway, off to give Connor a bath. Night, Night, All!
p.s. I thought of a new nickname for me last Saturday - "Half Rack" or "Lefty Half Rack" - kind of sounds like a country western singer, right?
Got back from chemo around quarter to 4. My aunt Deb, sister Jen, and I got there at a 8am, so it was quite a long day. I had lots and lots of drugs administered, some of which took 90 minutes a piece. Next time it won't take so long. The Benadryl they put in the IV is lovely and I was able to nap quite a bit. I have every type of anti-nausea medication they could give me, so I'm hoping that will be one thing I don't get. I feel pretty good right now! I'm on steroids, so they make me a little hyper. I got 4 hours of sleep last night because of them, but I have a sleeping pill to take tonight - woo hoo!
The results of the CT Scan, Muga, and Bone Scans were all good. No problems with my liver, so bring on the Bud Light! Dr. Rinn was quite pleased with the lack of any cysts or irregularities as that is pretty rare - so yay me!
They changed my herceptin schedule, so I will be doing that every week instead of every three, but after the next two, I can switch over to Ballard and get this when I do my blood draws. I am so lucky I have such a great workplace where everyone is so supportive of all this time I take off.
Is it no wonder that I love my job?
Anyway, off to give Connor a bath. Night, Night, All!
p.s. I thought of a new nickname for me last Saturday - "Half Rack" or "Lefty Half Rack" - kind of sounds like a country western singer, right?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Port and I
Hi All,
I got my port on Thursday. I will take a page from my sister Jen's book and substitute "barnacles" for swear words. So, holy barnacles that port hurt the first day! It's day 4 now, so the pain is subsiding, but I swear getting the boob lopped off hurt less. Also, the day after the port I had a Muga (heart) test, bone scan, and ct scan of my liver, abdomen, etc. The solution they give you to drink is absolutely disgusting - like liquidated vanilla chalk and I had to drink 2 bottles of that barnacle! So, hopefully the test went well and I'll have no problems getting the chemo this Thursday.
I went out this Saturday for my last hurrah before the chemo starts - it was so much fun! Thanks to Kelley for planning it! Thanks, Alissa, for the cool bandana, too! I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of it. Now, I'm not saying that was the last Bud Light I'll ever drink because my doc said I could have beer if I felt like it, but I won't be having 5 in a row for quite a while. She actually thinks I won't want it because everything is going to start tasting funny. Oh well, I can still hang out with you all while you're tossing them back! It'll be like when I was pregnant.
The week after chemo I have decided to go get my haircut really, really short, so the next time you see me I may either be "rocking the baldness" as my brother-in-law would like or have the Heidi Fidanque-type do, at least.
ciao for now!
I got my port on Thursday. I will take a page from my sister Jen's book and substitute "barnacles" for swear words. So, holy barnacles that port hurt the first day! It's day 4 now, so the pain is subsiding, but I swear getting the boob lopped off hurt less. Also, the day after the port I had a Muga (heart) test, bone scan, and ct scan of my liver, abdomen, etc. The solution they give you to drink is absolutely disgusting - like liquidated vanilla chalk and I had to drink 2 bottles of that barnacle! So, hopefully the test went well and I'll have no problems getting the chemo this Thursday.
I went out this Saturday for my last hurrah before the chemo starts - it was so much fun! Thanks to Kelley for planning it! Thanks, Alissa, for the cool bandana, too! I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of it. Now, I'm not saying that was the last Bud Light I'll ever drink because my doc said I could have beer if I felt like it, but I won't be having 5 in a row for quite a while. She actually thinks I won't want it because everything is going to start tasting funny. Oh well, I can still hang out with you all while you're tossing them back! It'll be like when I was pregnant.
The week after chemo I have decided to go get my haircut really, really short, so the next time you see me I may either be "rocking the baldness" as my brother-in-law would like or have the Heidi Fidanque-type do, at least.
ciao for now!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
No boob for you!
Well, Righty 2.0 is being pushed back until after chemo is done. After talking to the plastic surgeon on Monday the 5th and then the oncologist on the 9th, it's the best decision. There's just too much risk if I get an infection while my immune system is lowered. I am truly okay with this, foam booby seems to work just fine. I haven't heard any whispering behind my back, so I must be looking fairly symmetrical:)
By the way, Edie and I have decided to invent a boob "purse" - basically, it will be a neoprene-fiberfill form with a hollow middle for holding dollars, keys, what have you - might as well make the boobless side work for me, right? See what drinking at Bleachers will inspire one to do!
My first chemo starts on January 22nd and I will have to go every 3 weeks for 6 rounds and also have herceptin infusions every 3 weeks for a year. I liked my oncologist a lot, so I've decided to get the chemo at Swedish on Capitol Hill, since she doesn't travel to Ballard. I may change to the Ballard site when I'm just doing herceptin and I can get blood draws in Ballard too. So, my last chemo will be at the end of May. Yay, just in time to go camping! If all goes well, I'll get my expander put in in June and then have the implant done in August or September. I may be putting the goods in the window at Halloween!
And yes, for all who are wondering, I will be losing my hair. Dr. Rinn says it will fall out 14-21 days after my first round of chemo. I'm planning on getting my hair cut really short before then and then buzzing it when it starts to come out. I will be wig shopping too, so those of you who love costume shopping can come with me and help me pick out something groovy.
Next week is gonna be fun, bone scans, heart scans, blood tests and port placement, oh my!
Can't wait to get out with my peeps next Saturday for a little fun before the real work starts!
By the way, Edie and I have decided to invent a boob "purse" - basically, it will be a neoprene-fiberfill form with a hollow middle for holding dollars, keys, what have you - might as well make the boobless side work for me, right? See what drinking at Bleachers will inspire one to do!
My first chemo starts on January 22nd and I will have to go every 3 weeks for 6 rounds and also have herceptin infusions every 3 weeks for a year. I liked my oncologist a lot, so I've decided to get the chemo at Swedish on Capitol Hill, since she doesn't travel to Ballard. I may change to the Ballard site when I'm just doing herceptin and I can get blood draws in Ballard too. So, my last chemo will be at the end of May. Yay, just in time to go camping! If all goes well, I'll get my expander put in in June and then have the implant done in August or September. I may be putting the goods in the window at Halloween!
And yes, for all who are wondering, I will be losing my hair. Dr. Rinn says it will fall out 14-21 days after my first round of chemo. I'm planning on getting my hair cut really short before then and then buzzing it when it starts to come out. I will be wig shopping too, so those of you who love costume shopping can come with me and help me pick out something groovy.
Next week is gonna be fun, bone scans, heart scans, blood tests and port placement, oh my!
Can't wait to get out with my peeps next Saturday for a little fun before the real work starts!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Path to Recovery!
Went to the breast center yesterday to get my drain out - yay! No more carting the bulb around, looking like I've shoplifted something and put it under my sweater.
My surgeon is out of town, so I met with an RN to get the pathology results from the mastectomy. My tumor was 1.6cm with an 8mm satellite tumor. The margins are clean, so no cancer in the chest wall, thank you! No cancer in the nodes, which we already knew. Then she tells me that I'm triple negative and that's not good. Triple negative means that you don't respond to hormone blockers or herceptin and it's more aggressive. "Huh?" I say to her, "before I was Her2neu positive." I didn't really question it because she's reading the report, not me. I'm just happy to have the drain out and get the okay to go back to driving, working, etc. - I can even wear a bra! So, I get home and I'm getting ready to go to work when she calls me back and tells me she read the report wrong and I am Her2neu positive - yay! She also forgot to give me a copy of my pathology report, so now it's in the mail. I will not name her, but she seemed a little scattered. I know they are really busy, but jeez! Oh well, at least it was good news.
Next stop - Plastic Surgeon on the 5th!
Also, to all of you who have called, emailed, sent flowers, books, ipods, cards, dropped off food, and generally been there for me these last couple of weeks after surgery - THANK YOU!! I am overwhelmed by the generosity I've been shown. You are the wind beneath my wings!
My surgeon is out of town, so I met with an RN to get the pathology results from the mastectomy. My tumor was 1.6cm with an 8mm satellite tumor. The margins are clean, so no cancer in the chest wall, thank you! No cancer in the nodes, which we already knew. Then she tells me that I'm triple negative and that's not good. Triple negative means that you don't respond to hormone blockers or herceptin and it's more aggressive. "Huh?" I say to her, "before I was Her2neu positive." I didn't really question it because she's reading the report, not me. I'm just happy to have the drain out and get the okay to go back to driving, working, etc. - I can even wear a bra! So, I get home and I'm getting ready to go to work when she calls me back and tells me she read the report wrong and I am Her2neu positive - yay! She also forgot to give me a copy of my pathology report, so now it's in the mail. I will not name her, but she seemed a little scattered. I know they are really busy, but jeez! Oh well, at least it was good news.
Next stop - Plastic Surgeon on the 5th!
Also, to all of you who have called, emailed, sent flowers, books, ipods, cards, dropped off food, and generally been there for me these last couple of weeks after surgery - THANK YOU!! I am overwhelmed by the generosity I've been shown. You are the wind beneath my wings!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
It's Christmas Eve and it's snowing again - aaargh! As you all know, I am not a fan of the white stuff, so this past week has been a bit torturous. We've been making the best of it by walking up to our local video store, coffee shop and watching the sledders go up and down our hill, but boy will I be glad when the snow is gone. We managed to get our Subaru out today, so we're gonna make the trek to Bothell for our annual family Christmas Eve - yay! I hope you are all able to make your holiday celebrations as well. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends soon! Being at home is for the birds.
I called a co-worker yesterday and got a ride into work. It was wonderful! I got lots done and was even able to do some final shopping at Fred Meyer. I can't wait to get back into my normal routine. After my visit to the breast surgeon on Monday, I'm hoping for an "all clear" to go back to work full-time and start driving. I haven't really needed my narcotics since I came home, so that should help. I'm also getting my drain out - can't wait to get this grenade off my body!
Anyway, that's the news for now. Back to watching Dora for the thousandth time with Connor!
Have a wonderful Christmas, everybody!!
I called a co-worker yesterday and got a ride into work. It was wonderful! I got lots done and was even able to do some final shopping at Fred Meyer. I can't wait to get back into my normal routine. After my visit to the breast surgeon on Monday, I'm hoping for an "all clear" to go back to work full-time and start driving. I haven't really needed my narcotics since I came home, so that should help. I'm also getting my drain out - can't wait to get this grenade off my body!
Anyway, that's the news for now. Back to watching Dora for the thousandth time with Connor!
Have a wonderful Christmas, everybody!!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
I'm back!!
Hey all,
the surgery on Tuesday went really well. They found no cancer in the lymph nodes they took out. I will find out the final pathology on the 29th.
Since you're probably wondering what Righty looks like, I'll tell you. She's deflated, kind of like an underdone pancake. have to call and make an appointment with the plastic surgeon to see when they can start reconstruction, but if I have to stick in a cutlet for a while that's fine.
Amazingly enough, losing this boob hasn't bothered me. It's an interesting specimen now. I've been cleaning my drains myself and have almost normal use of my right arm. Doing the exercises really helps. I can't lift Connor, but so far that's the only downside to this experience, as yet. Percocet is lovely, but I am mostly relying on ibuprofen. My pain level is pretty minimal except when Connor accidentally elbows me or the cat jumps on me.
I am trying to take it as easy as possible, the snow actually helps since I can't go anywhere.
I feel like I could go into work right now for 8hrs, but I promised I'd slow down a bit.
Anyway, I'll continue to keep you all posted. If I don't see you, have great holiday!
the surgery on Tuesday went really well. They found no cancer in the lymph nodes they took out. I will find out the final pathology on the 29th.
Since you're probably wondering what Righty looks like, I'll tell you. She's deflated, kind of like an underdone pancake. have to call and make an appointment with the plastic surgeon to see when they can start reconstruction, but if I have to stick in a cutlet for a while that's fine.
Amazingly enough, losing this boob hasn't bothered me. It's an interesting specimen now. I've been cleaning my drains myself and have almost normal use of my right arm. Doing the exercises really helps. I can't lift Connor, but so far that's the only downside to this experience, as yet. Percocet is lovely, but I am mostly relying on ibuprofen. My pain level is pretty minimal except when Connor accidentally elbows me or the cat jumps on me.
I am trying to take it as easy as possible, the snow actually helps since I can't go anywhere.
I feel like I could go into work right now for 8hrs, but I promised I'd slow down a bit.
Anyway, I'll continue to keep you all posted. If I don't see you, have great holiday!
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