Just a quick photo update.....
(I had them on the last post, but they seemed to disappear)
Friday, June 15, 2012
1 year ago
Well its been 1 year (+ 1 day) since I was diagnosed. It has definitely NOT seemed like a whole year. June 14th, 2011 was the day that changed everything. Boy, have I been through a lot since then.
Heres the rundown.....
1 biopsy
- recovery, scar #1
1 port surgery
- recovery, scar #2
8 rounds of chemo
- side effects, nausea, hair loss, neurapathy, ect.
2 lumpectomy surgeries + 2 lymph node dissections
- recovery, numbness, scar #3
34 radiation treatments
- burning, peeling, itching
mammograms
MRIs
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments
now on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years
- luckily, so far so good : )
Through all of that I can say that I made it out the other side still smiling. I don't think too many people can say they would have handled my situation as well as I did. I have said from the beginning that breast cancer is just something else that I had to deal with, and thats exactly what I did - I dealt with it, and overcame it! I still have appointments and such, but nothing major till October. The summer should be pretty "normal".
Yay me!
Heres the rundown.....
1 biopsy
- recovery, scar #1
1 port surgery
- recovery, scar #2
8 rounds of chemo
- side effects, nausea, hair loss, neurapathy, ect.
2 lumpectomy surgeries + 2 lymph node dissections
- recovery, numbness, scar #3
34 radiation treatments
- burning, peeling, itching
mammograms
MRIs
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments
now on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years
- luckily, so far so good : )
Through all of that I can say that I made it out the other side still smiling. I don't think too many people can say they would have handled my situation as well as I did. I have said from the beginning that breast cancer is just something else that I had to deal with, and thats exactly what I did - I dealt with it, and overcame it! I still have appointments and such, but nothing major till October. The summer should be pretty "normal".
Yay me!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
New Happenings & Surprises!
Things have been moving right along since I have last updated. I've had since January 19th (the day of surgery) to recover and to get the swelling under my arm consistent. I went to see the surgeon for a follow up about a week and a half ago and he gave me the go ahead to schedule radiation. I will be going for a "planning session" tomorrow - Feb. 24th. The session will consist of a CT scan, meeting, and getting "tattooed" so they know how to line up the machine each time. Hopefully things will go smoothly so that I can start my radiation treatments in a week or two! Then (keep you fingers crossed) I will have about 36 treatments - Monday through Friday - and then be DONE! Although you are never completely done, there are always check-ups, blood work, mammograms and MRI every so often.
The swelling and numbness on my right side is getting much better. I am only numb on the underside of my arm, and my range of motion is getting way better. I am able to reach over my head and do mostly everything that I can on my left side. I can finally sleep on my right side again, which is so nice to be able to do! Its the little things that make you happy I guess!
On another subject, my 30th birthday was on February 19th. I don't know how she pulled it off, but my mom (with the help of others) planned a SURPRISE party for me. The funny thing is that I had absolutely NO IDEA, even up to the time that I walked in the room! I was shocked at the amount of people that came, and that not one of them said or did anything beforehand to make me think there was a party for me! Even thinking about it now blows my mind that I didn't know!!! I need to say a big thank you to everyone that came!
Another interesting thing that is going on is I will be taking part in the Miss Pink Pageant on March 17th at the Danversport Yacht Club. It is a pageant for women that have or have had breast cancer. I am both nervous and excited at the same time. All of the participants get to be pampered for the day, strut their stuff on stage and make a speech about their experience with breast cancer. Anyone that knows me, knows that I do NOT like to be the center of attention and I do NOT like public speaking! So this should be interesting!
The swelling and numbness on my right side is getting much better. I am only numb on the underside of my arm, and my range of motion is getting way better. I am able to reach over my head and do mostly everything that I can on my left side. I can finally sleep on my right side again, which is so nice to be able to do! Its the little things that make you happy I guess!
On another subject, my 30th birthday was on February 19th. I don't know how she pulled it off, but my mom (with the help of others) planned a SURPRISE party for me. The funny thing is that I had absolutely NO IDEA, even up to the time that I walked in the room! I was shocked at the amount of people that came, and that not one of them said or did anything beforehand to make me think there was a party for me! Even thinking about it now blows my mind that I didn't know!!! I need to say a big thank you to everyone that came!
Another interesting thing that is going on is I will be taking part in the Miss Pink Pageant on March 17th at the Danversport Yacht Club. It is a pageant for women that have or have had breast cancer. I am both nervous and excited at the same time. All of the participants get to be pampered for the day, strut their stuff on stage and make a speech about their experience with breast cancer. Anyone that knows me, knows that I do NOT like to be the center of attention and I do NOT like public speaking! So this should be interesting!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Finally some good news!
I finally have some good news.... I am CANCER FREE!
I had my second surgery last Thursday (January 19th). The surgeon took out some more breast tissue and what he believes is anywhere between 15-30 lymph nodes. Well he called me tonight around 5pm to let me know that the pathology report had just came in and that everything was clear! Margins were all clear and all lymph nodes were negative for any cancer! What GREAT news!!
Now don't get me wrong, even after 3 other surgeries, I was no where near the "perfect" patient. I still freaked out, had a panic attack and was what one would call "emotional". You would think that after being through other surgeries, I would be used to the routine. Not so much! But its done, and I don't need any other surgeries until I get my port out - which will not be for a while.
I am really sore from this time around. My arm, side, and back are all numb. Hopefully most of it is just temporary. I also have fluid built up under my arm which swishes around like a 1/2 filled bottle of water. I went yesterday to see if it needed to be drained, and my surgeon said that the amount that's there is "normal" and it will drain back into my body on its own. He also said that I am healing really well and that there is not much swelling (in his eyes) at all. Me on the other hand, think that there is a lot of swelling. Sleeping is hard to do, as I usually lay on the side that is swollen. I need to just give everything time, and hope that I will get back to normal.
Up next will be radiation. I need to recover for about a month and let the swelling go down. I think radiation will start sometime in early March. I will need 6 weeks of that then be DONE!
I had my second surgery last Thursday (January 19th). The surgeon took out some more breast tissue and what he believes is anywhere between 15-30 lymph nodes. Well he called me tonight around 5pm to let me know that the pathology report had just came in and that everything was clear! Margins were all clear and all lymph nodes were negative for any cancer! What GREAT news!!
Now don't get me wrong, even after 3 other surgeries, I was no where near the "perfect" patient. I still freaked out, had a panic attack and was what one would call "emotional". You would think that after being through other surgeries, I would be used to the routine. Not so much! But its done, and I don't need any other surgeries until I get my port out - which will not be for a while.
I am really sore from this time around. My arm, side, and back are all numb. Hopefully most of it is just temporary. I also have fluid built up under my arm which swishes around like a 1/2 filled bottle of water. I went yesterday to see if it needed to be drained, and my surgeon said that the amount that's there is "normal" and it will drain back into my body on its own. He also said that I am healing really well and that there is not much swelling (in his eyes) at all. Me on the other hand, think that there is a lot of swelling. Sleeping is hard to do, as I usually lay on the side that is swollen. I need to just give everything time, and hope that I will get back to normal.
Up next will be radiation. I need to recover for about a month and let the swelling go down. I think radiation will start sometime in early March. I will need 6 weeks of that then be DONE!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Update 12/31
I know, I know, its been a while since I have last updated. Well here it goes...
I need another surgery. : ( I had what I thought would be my only surgery on December 8th. The MRI that I had done a week or so prior had shown no cancer remaining. This should have been a good thing - meaning go in for surgery, take out the remaining scar tissue, check a few lymph nodes and be done RIGHT? Well it didn't quite turn out that way, which sucks!
The results of the pathology report were that the top margin was not clear (there was still cancerous tissue in the breast) and 1 out of 3 lymph nodes that were taken out had cancer in it. What a let down.
I had also been having back pain off and on for a few weeks. In my mind, the positive lymph node plus the back pain meant that the cancer had spread to other parts of my body. I let my doctor know and he scheduled me for a bone scan. I went and had that done and then went over to the oncologist right away so he could read my results. The bone scan showed NO areas of concern. So, I'm not sure what was/is causing my back to bother me, but its not because of my cancer. That's one good thing!
I have to allow my breast to heal before my surgeon can go back in and operate again. My "repeat" surgery is scheduled for January 19th (one month before my birthday). He will be taking more tissue from the area that was not clear as well as taking out more lymph nodes to check them fully. Keep your fingers crossed that the outcome will be better this time around.
Because I need another surgery, I have to put off radiation until a later date. Hopefully I will be ready to start radiation by my birthday.
On a good note though, my hair is starting to grow back! I have eye lashes, eye brows, and hair on my head all starting to come back - although it is all baby fine and still teeny tiny!
I need another surgery. : ( I had what I thought would be my only surgery on December 8th. The MRI that I had done a week or so prior had shown no cancer remaining. This should have been a good thing - meaning go in for surgery, take out the remaining scar tissue, check a few lymph nodes and be done RIGHT? Well it didn't quite turn out that way, which sucks!
The results of the pathology report were that the top margin was not clear (there was still cancerous tissue in the breast) and 1 out of 3 lymph nodes that were taken out had cancer in it. What a let down.
I had also been having back pain off and on for a few weeks. In my mind, the positive lymph node plus the back pain meant that the cancer had spread to other parts of my body. I let my doctor know and he scheduled me for a bone scan. I went and had that done and then went over to the oncologist right away so he could read my results. The bone scan showed NO areas of concern. So, I'm not sure what was/is causing my back to bother me, but its not because of my cancer. That's one good thing!
I have to allow my breast to heal before my surgeon can go back in and operate again. My "repeat" surgery is scheduled for January 19th (one month before my birthday). He will be taking more tissue from the area that was not clear as well as taking out more lymph nodes to check them fully. Keep your fingers crossed that the outcome will be better this time around.
Because I need another surgery, I have to put off radiation until a later date. Hopefully I will be ready to start radiation by my birthday.
On a good note though, my hair is starting to grow back! I have eye lashes, eye brows, and hair on my head all starting to come back - although it is all baby fine and still teeny tiny!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Moving Along
Thursday is the big day... Surgery Day! I will be having a lumpectomy to take out the scar tissue that is remaining from chemo. The surgeon is also going to take a lymph node out to test and see if any cancer has gotten past the lump that was present. He does not expect to have any of it come back as cancerous. (keep your fingers crossed) When the MRI and 3-D mammogram reports came back, my surgeon referred to them as "boring"! That is a good thing, because it showed that the chemo did its job!
I also met with the Radiation Oncologist last week. I will be having radiation - between 30-36 treatments total - starting either the first or second week in January. If all goes according to plan, I will be done with everything by the end of February!
Its been a month since my last chemo treatment, but my hair has still not started to grow back. I've read that it should start growing back around 4-6 weeks after your last treatment. Hopefully it will start happening soon!
But the best part of all is that very soon I will be able to say that I am truly a SURVIVOR and that I am CANCER FREE!
I also met with the Radiation Oncologist last week. I will be having radiation - between 30-36 treatments total - starting either the first or second week in January. If all goes according to plan, I will be done with everything by the end of February!
Its been a month since my last chemo treatment, but my hair has still not started to grow back. I've read that it should start growing back around 4-6 weeks after your last treatment. Hopefully it will start happening soon!
But the best part of all is that very soon I will be able to say that I am truly a SURVIVOR and that I am CANCER FREE!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Ending a chapter
Here's an EXCELLENT subject, tomorrow is my LAST CHEMO TREATMENT!!!! Can you tell that I'm glad? Hopefully #8 goes as smoothly as the #7.
After chemo is done, I have a 3D mammogram, MRI, meeting with my surgeon, and numerous meetings with my radiation oncologist either already scheduled or waiting to be scheduled. I will then have surgery (lumpectomy), followed by 6 weeks (M-F) of radiation. If I can make it through 8 rounds of chemo, I can make it through anything!
Here's a pic from chemo #7, not sure if i put it in the last blog.
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| Looking at this pic, it looks like I really have it made - Munchkins, Juice, People Magazine, iPhone, recliner! I promise, Chemo really does suck! |
You have to have some humor with all of this, so here's a funny story. Our tub was draining slow, so Mike got the snake out, and headed to the basement to see if he could clear out the drain. He pulled out the biggest, smelliest, most disgusting wads of hair! I say wads - plural - because it didn't end after the 1st one. Mike continued to pull 2 more (equally large) hairballs out after that! He looked at me as the culprit, and i said it couldn't be - I DON'T HAVE HAIR! hahaha!
It was probably me, from when I did have hair, but it was really funny at the time! I said I was going to take a pic of the hairball, and Mike said to put as a caption "the upside to chemo - this will never happen to your drain!" Again, humor is needed when going through chemo, its the only way to survive! : )
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