Thursday, September 30, 2010

Oncology Appointment.

Oh my goodness. What a day! We left the house at 8am and returned at 7:45pm. Ugh! I overdid it and I am literally lying in my bed all day tomorrow doing NOTHING. Working and watching TV is as much as I will do. I can’t wait for my mom to come over because my house is a mess. LOL.


Okay, so I am super tired but I want to give all the details I can about my appointment but I might miss A TON! But I will give you the important stuff.

First of all let me just thank those who have prayed for my handpicked doctors. I have been truly blessed with an amazing Breast Surgeon and Oncologist. God totally knew what He was doing when He paired us up. She is AMAZING!!! She came in the room, soft spoken, humble, reserved and very interested in me and my lump. She asked me about me, how long I have been married, how many kids, my job, when I found the tumor, what was my reaction, my fear, my concerns and my reservations about chemo. I LOVED THAT. When she asked me my main two fears of chemo, I started to cry. I said “my hair and the vision of my children watching me be sick in bed”. She went and got some more tissues because we ran out and I told her I was good and she turned around and said “no, I might need one too”. Dr. Obenchain really cared about me. I wasn’t just another patient. I was her new friend that I will see for a year on a weekly basis. So thank you Jesus for pairing me up with such amazing women!

Okay so here is my treatment plan. I first have to have 3 things done before chemo starts. I have to have a heart test to make sure my heart can handle this medicine, a pet scan to alleviate any “what if’s” and quick outpatient surgery to insert the port into my chest. This will be used to inject the chemo since my right arm can’t be used since I had lymph nodes removed and they don’t want to tear up my left veins so it’s easier to do a port. It’s a quick surgery…less than an hour. So..After those tests are done I will start the chemo. She said probably the 3rd week in October I will have my first round. So…depending on my heart tests will determine the medicine, but it’s basically 6 or 8 treatments. Once every 3 weeks.

Now because my tumor was estrogen negative, I have a different chemo that is separate from the 6-8 week treatment. I will receive that once a week. That is not nearly as harsh as the other treatment. So for one year, I will have chemo. Then I’m done.

Some other facts we found out. My tumor was graded twice on two different charactistics. When they removed my tumor they sent it to pathology and reviewed it deeper than they did when they did the biopsy of course. The grade came back as a Grade 3. This means that my tumor is aggressive. Was aggressive….haha, we cut that little sucker out.  Also, it was graded based on my protein receptors. You should have just a perfect amount of those. I have too many. So I will have medicine to block some of those receptors. All this sounds like mumble jumble right? Ya…after 2 hours…it did for me too.

Also I won’t be able to get my implants in till I’m done with my 6-8 treatment plan. Super sad. But whatever…I have my life..I’m not complaining.



Hair loss will happen about week 3 after my first treatment, and of course, I have to be super careful when I am on my “off” week because that is when my white blood count is at its lowest. Lots of sanitizer…no sick people…avoids germs, etc…

Anytime my body temputure rises to 100.4…I need to call the doctor. No fresh flowers due to the bacteria that I could breathe in if the water isn’t changed quick enough and no cat litter which that is taken care of.

You might wonder…how do I feel? Well….I feel blessed. I feel God has really given me great doctors. And I’m thankful. I am still emotional about the whole thing. Who wouldn’t be? But my support system is incredible and contagious. My desire in the next year is that Jesus would shine through me at each chemo treatment and people around me would crave the relationship that I have. That’s how I feel right now.

Game’s on. I’m ready to play and I’m ready to win. I’m ready to cut my hair, I’m ready to mentor other patients that are going through this and I’m ready to be a survivor.

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