Surgery was yesterday morning. The first part of the surgery was the mastectomy. It took about 1.5 hours. The surgery went well. The surgeon was pleased with how things looked and went.
The second part of the surgery was inserting a tissue expander in preparation for reconstruction in the future. That took about 1 hour. Once again, the surgeon was pleased with how things went.
She has what is called a "drain." It is a tube that is connected to a little "bulb" that fluid collects in. She will have this for a few weeks to keep fluid from building up in the surgery site.
She spent about 1 hour in the recovery room and was then brought to her regular hospital room. She was hurting, but they were giving her medications. She ate a bowl of chicken soup and was nibbling on a few other dishes. I left at about 8:00 to be home with the kids.
Thanks for all the prayers and support.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Chemo Side-effects are reducing!
Just thought I would share the good news! I can now enjoy chocolate again, because the metallic taste in my mouth is greatly reduced. It's still there, but not enough to be very bothersome, and food is beginning to taste more and more normal. When that taste is strong, chocolate really tastes horrible. But, starting last night, ahhhhhh, it was wonderful again. ;)
Also, no more bloody nose! Just a few days ago, a bloody nose was a common and frequent occurance. Not huge ones, usually, but I definitely would have to carry a tissue. Now, not at all! Now I just need to get rid of this little sinus infection, and I'll be ready to go! Yippee!
Also, no more bloody nose! Just a few days ago, a bloody nose was a common and frequent occurance. Not huge ones, usually, but I definitely would have to carry a tissue. Now, not at all! Now I just need to get rid of this little sinus infection, and I'll be ready to go! Yippee!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Met with the Surgeon
So yesterday I met with my surgeon. Here's the plan. He will remove my affected breast, and all of the lymph nodes in the armpit next to it. Then the boob doctor will come in and place a tissue expander. This will stretch the skin to get it to the size I want. Then she will close up, leaving some drains in place for fluid build-up. The drains sound kinda creepy, huh?
At first I was very upset when my surgeon told me he would be removing all of my lymph nodes. My chemo doctor had said that the surgeon probably wouldn't have to remove all of them. But apparently there is no test or anything the can do while in surgery to see which exact lymph nodes need to be removed, and it is just safer to remove them all. So after I got all done being upset about that, and worried that I would develop Lymphedema, I talked to some friends, and found out that Lymphedema is not a guaranteed thing, nor does it stay for life if you happen to develop it. It kinda comes and goes like strep throat can. So that is a big sigh of relief, and I won't worry about it anymore.
I still need to decide what size I want to be when all is said and done. Do I go with my breastfeeding size (which is hard to find bras for in the regular stores, but will balance out my gut better), or regular me (which is a good size too, but not as big and fun, though I will fit into button-up shirts better). The insurance will cover "adjusting" the unaffected breast to match, so I can go either way I want. But I won't get that surgery until about 6 months after the radiation is completed, so that the skin will be all healed up and acting normally by the time we need to bother it with the surgery.
Fun stuff, huh?! It is really different/interesting/frusterating/fun trying to decide what size I want my boobies to be. I guess I'll look pretty normal no matter what. So, here's to deciding. (Cheers!)
At first I was very upset when my surgeon told me he would be removing all of my lymph nodes. My chemo doctor had said that the surgeon probably wouldn't have to remove all of them. But apparently there is no test or anything the can do while in surgery to see which exact lymph nodes need to be removed, and it is just safer to remove them all. So after I got all done being upset about that, and worried that I would develop Lymphedema, I talked to some friends, and found out that Lymphedema is not a guaranteed thing, nor does it stay for life if you happen to develop it. It kinda comes and goes like strep throat can. So that is a big sigh of relief, and I won't worry about it anymore.
I still need to decide what size I want to be when all is said and done. Do I go with my breastfeeding size (which is hard to find bras for in the regular stores, but will balance out my gut better), or regular me (which is a good size too, but not as big and fun, though I will fit into button-up shirts better). The insurance will cover "adjusting" the unaffected breast to match, so I can go either way I want. But I won't get that surgery until about 6 months after the radiation is completed, so that the skin will be all healed up and acting normally by the time we need to bother it with the surgery.
Fun stuff, huh?! It is really different/interesting/frusterating/fun trying to decide what size I want my boobies to be. I guess I'll look pretty normal no matter what. So, here's to deciding. (Cheers!)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Last Chemo!
Hello all. Here is my report on my last real Chemo. It is over and done with! Woohoo! The doctor said I was clinically considered to be in remission. So that is great! WonderfulHubby came with me to the appointment, and was very supportive as I fell asleep for the first hour or so. ;) One of my friends who works in the hospital stopped by to say hello, and brought me some yummy brownies. She had thrown a party for me the night before with a few friends to help keep my mind off the appointment. It was very fun, just a small gathering of friends to gab and laugh with.
So the chemo (on Friday) went well, and I went in the next day for my Newlasta (sp?) immune booster shot. My oldest Daughter was baptized on Saturday (it also happened to be her 8th birthday!). My parents had brought my Grandpa to the baptism, driving him the three to four hours it takes to get from his house to ours. It was so very nice to see him, and all of the other family that were able to make it. I gave a talk about the Holy Ghost at the service, and helped her change after WonderfulHubby baptized her. I was pretty tired by then, and my inspired Sister-in-Law had offered to arrange a get-together for the family afterward, so I was abl to come home and lay down in piece, and my daughter was able to celebrate her birthday and baptism with her family.
So that night I got sick once, but it wasn't too horribly bad. And that was it, as far as getting sick goes. I had been so nervous because the previous treatment was so hard on me, and I was so very sick, but this time around, I was still very tired, and somewhat nauseated, but not sick. Thank Goodness!
And that is pretty much the story. We have scheduled my Mastectomy (just the affected side will be removed) for March 8th. Not looking forward to that, but am not as nervous about it as I was the last chemo treatment (yet). Thank you all for your support. Sorry if this entry is a little scattered, but well, hopefully you understand all that I was trying to express. :)
So the chemo (on Friday) went well, and I went in the next day for my Newlasta (sp?) immune booster shot. My oldest Daughter was baptized on Saturday (it also happened to be her 8th birthday!). My parents had brought my Grandpa to the baptism, driving him the three to four hours it takes to get from his house to ours. It was so very nice to see him, and all of the other family that were able to make it. I gave a talk about the Holy Ghost at the service, and helped her change after WonderfulHubby baptized her. I was pretty tired by then, and my inspired Sister-in-Law had offered to arrange a get-together for the family afterward, so I was abl to come home and lay down in piece, and my daughter was able to celebrate her birthday and baptism with her family.
So that night I got sick once, but it wasn't too horribly bad. And that was it, as far as getting sick goes. I had been so nervous because the previous treatment was so hard on me, and I was so very sick, but this time around, I was still very tired, and somewhat nauseated, but not sick. Thank Goodness!
And that is pretty much the story. We have scheduled my Mastectomy (just the affected side will be removed) for March 8th. Not looking forward to that, but am not as nervous about it as I was the last chemo treatment (yet). Thank you all for your support. Sorry if this entry is a little scattered, but well, hopefully you understand all that I was trying to express. :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
5 Down, 1 to Go!
Well, I had chemo on Thursday, January 14th. I forgot to schedule it when I was in before, so I had a later starting time, Noon. But I had a good friend come up and go with me. I dropped my kids off at the usual sitter (Thank you!), and we both drove our cars over to the hospital because she was going to have to leave before I was all done. Which was okay, if I have someone to distract me the first little bit, the rest is no big deal. I had a batch of cookies that the daughter of one of WonderfulHubby's coworker's made for me to pass around, and they were a big hit with everyone that had them. The Doctor did his exam, and said the denser area is much smaller, and that he wouldn't be surprised if I was in remission by the time I had surgery. (WOW!!! YAY!!!!!)
My dear friend went and got lunch for us after I was hooked up in the chemo room, and I fell asleep for about an hour. They give me benedryl as part of the pre-chemo meds, and IV benedryl can really knock you out! When I woke up we had a great visit for the rest of the time. She was so sweet and had brought a game to play and dvds to watch, but I was content to just chat with her. I mean, how often do I get a chance to talk to a friend for that long with no kids interrupting or the phone battery dying?
I drove myself home when I was done, and WonderfulHubby had gathered the kiddos from their various playdates and gotten them started on homework. A neighbor brought over dinner, which was totally devoured by the kids, super yummy! (I really do need to collect all these recipes that people make for us and post them here.... I'll have to make a note somewhere I will see it)
Now for the bad news, ickiness set in the very next day. Yup, no day of reprieve like usual, right into the stomach problems. Luckily WonderfulHubby had a four day weekend (again, thank goodness he is a school teacher!), and was there to pick up the slack. Littlest Boy also had stomach issues starting that night, so he and I must have given it to each other or something. I was worried about him on Saturday because he really wasn't holding anything down, but then we tried gatorade, and that worked. I called the on-call doctor for our family doc, and he said I could also give him benedryl, that it would help his tummy settle too! Crazy, huh?! But we didn't bother because he came out of it okay. Me, I was still sick and exhausted Saturday and Sunday. Monday I was starting to feel a little less nauseated, but very tired and nothing sounded good yet. So I called my mom to come help out Tuesday.
So Monday night while WonderfulHubby was out running errands and picking up dinner, a nice neighbor brought by some soup and potato casserole that his wife had made. I had not bought soup before this go around, and it was so glorious to have something light, but filling that I could test my tummy out on. And it tasted good too. Really, just wonderful, thoughtful people out there! Oh, and dinner was brought to us Saturday and Sunday, too. Now this happens every time, the nice ladies in my church make arrangements for dinner to be brought in for two nights after chemo. I don't know if I mention every entry these individual meals, but they are all so great! I mean, I can't enjoy them at the time, usually, but I can hardly wait until my tummy settles down so I can!
And today, my mom came up. I was feeling pretty much all back to normal, so felt a little guilty at first. But it is always nice to have my mom around. And when I needed to take a 3 hour nap after lunch, there were no worries. Maybe that's why I'm up at almost Midnight posting this, but still it was a great nap!
So now, just to troop on through until the next treatment. I tell you, I hate these treatments. Each one gets worse, and even just thinking about the chemo room makes me a little nauseated (not that I ever got sick in there, but still). I will be SO glad when this is done. We will still have to do the Mastectomy, and then radiation, and then easy chemo (should have no side effects, just one medicine) to finish up a full 12 months. And somewhere in there reconstruction (woohoo! Got to keep my eyes on the prize!). But I think the yickiest is over, though recovery from the surgery will not be fun, at least I should be able to eat just fine! Okay, now it's off to bed with me! Good night!
My dear friend went and got lunch for us after I was hooked up in the chemo room, and I fell asleep for about an hour. They give me benedryl as part of the pre-chemo meds, and IV benedryl can really knock you out! When I woke up we had a great visit for the rest of the time. She was so sweet and had brought a game to play and dvds to watch, but I was content to just chat with her. I mean, how often do I get a chance to talk to a friend for that long with no kids interrupting or the phone battery dying?
I drove myself home when I was done, and WonderfulHubby had gathered the kiddos from their various playdates and gotten them started on homework. A neighbor brought over dinner, which was totally devoured by the kids, super yummy! (I really do need to collect all these recipes that people make for us and post them here.... I'll have to make a note somewhere I will see it)
Now for the bad news, ickiness set in the very next day. Yup, no day of reprieve like usual, right into the stomach problems. Luckily WonderfulHubby had a four day weekend (again, thank goodness he is a school teacher!), and was there to pick up the slack. Littlest Boy also had stomach issues starting that night, so he and I must have given it to each other or something. I was worried about him on Saturday because he really wasn't holding anything down, but then we tried gatorade, and that worked. I called the on-call doctor for our family doc, and he said I could also give him benedryl, that it would help his tummy settle too! Crazy, huh?! But we didn't bother because he came out of it okay. Me, I was still sick and exhausted Saturday and Sunday. Monday I was starting to feel a little less nauseated, but very tired and nothing sounded good yet. So I called my mom to come help out Tuesday.
So Monday night while WonderfulHubby was out running errands and picking up dinner, a nice neighbor brought by some soup and potato casserole that his wife had made. I had not bought soup before this go around, and it was so glorious to have something light, but filling that I could test my tummy out on. And it tasted good too. Really, just wonderful, thoughtful people out there! Oh, and dinner was brought to us Saturday and Sunday, too. Now this happens every time, the nice ladies in my church make arrangements for dinner to be brought in for two nights after chemo. I don't know if I mention every entry these individual meals, but they are all so great! I mean, I can't enjoy them at the time, usually, but I can hardly wait until my tummy settles down so I can!
And today, my mom came up. I was feeling pretty much all back to normal, so felt a little guilty at first. But it is always nice to have my mom around. And when I needed to take a 3 hour nap after lunch, there were no worries. Maybe that's why I'm up at almost Midnight posting this, but still it was a great nap!
So now, just to troop on through until the next treatment. I tell you, I hate these treatments. Each one gets worse, and even just thinking about the chemo room makes me a little nauseated (not that I ever got sick in there, but still). I will be SO glad when this is done. We will still have to do the Mastectomy, and then radiation, and then easy chemo (should have no side effects, just one medicine) to finish up a full 12 months. And somewhere in there reconstruction (woohoo! Got to keep my eyes on the prize!). But I think the yickiest is over, though recovery from the surgery will not be fun, at least I should be able to eat just fine! Okay, now it's off to bed with me! Good night!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Week after Chemo
So I had a great Christmas, no worries. The next morning youngest Girl fussed on and off for quite a while in the morning (she usually wakes right up). I brought her in bed with us, but she still didn't settle. My mommy-sense was tingling, so I got her out of bed and walked into the bathroom in time for her to throw up in there. It had been all night, so there wasn't much mess. But I knew this didn't bode well for me. She only threw up one more time a little later, but again, not much of a mess.
I went in to the hospital for my booster shot (the nice Doctor came in on a Saturday so he could give me my immune booster shot, wasn't that so nice?!). WonderfulHubby stayed home with the kids because I was still feeling well enough to go by myself, and we didn't want to take the little one anywhere when she might toss her cookies again.
When I got home, I took a nap. When I woke up, I was starting to feel sick, and really, it all went downhill from there. I didn't keep track of when I took my regular anti-nausea medicine (I can take it every 6 hours), and couldn't find the samples the doctor gave me initially. I ended up getting pretty sick that night, running to the bathroom a few times. I slept a lot, ate hardly anything (this was a bummer because dinner that night was pizza a very nice lady from church ordered for us and it smelled SO good, but it wasn't to be for me, everyone else enjoyed it), and got sick occaisionally. I kept better track of my medicine, and was slightly less sick the next day,Sunday, but still very tired. My mom came up to take care of me, in case I needed it, while WonderfulHubby and the kids went to church. We visited, and then I napped. WonderfulHubby dropped the kids off and ran back to church to take care of his responsibilities there. My mom stayed and helped with the kids until he got back. I felt a little better that night, but got sick again Sunday night/Monday morning. This was the stomach bug that wouldn't die! I was so glad WonderfulHubby had the whole week between Christmas and New Years off (there are a few benefits to him being a teacher), so that I could sleep and recover without worrying about who to call to help with the kids. Now don't get me wrong, I have a long list of wonderful people who have helped and have offered to help, but I know the holidays are a busy time and I didn't want anyone to have to change their plans to watch my kids or feel bad for having to say no. Anyways, it went just fine. By the time New Years Day rolled around I was done with tiredness, nausea and excess gas, which really was the most lingering problem. I wonder if chemo has killed off all the good bacteria in my tummy. Luckily, yogurt seems to help.
And today, I was feeling well enough, I went to church with everyone else.
Happy New Year!
I went in to the hospital for my booster shot (the nice Doctor came in on a Saturday so he could give me my immune booster shot, wasn't that so nice?!). WonderfulHubby stayed home with the kids because I was still feeling well enough to go by myself, and we didn't want to take the little one anywhere when she might toss her cookies again.
When I got home, I took a nap. When I woke up, I was starting to feel sick, and really, it all went downhill from there. I didn't keep track of when I took my regular anti-nausea medicine (I can take it every 6 hours), and couldn't find the samples the doctor gave me initially. I ended up getting pretty sick that night, running to the bathroom a few times. I slept a lot, ate hardly anything (this was a bummer because dinner that night was pizza a very nice lady from church ordered for us and it smelled SO good, but it wasn't to be for me, everyone else enjoyed it), and got sick occaisionally. I kept better track of my medicine, and was slightly less sick the next day,Sunday, but still very tired. My mom came up to take care of me, in case I needed it, while WonderfulHubby and the kids went to church. We visited, and then I napped. WonderfulHubby dropped the kids off and ran back to church to take care of his responsibilities there. My mom stayed and helped with the kids until he got back. I felt a little better that night, but got sick again Sunday night/Monday morning. This was the stomach bug that wouldn't die! I was so glad WonderfulHubby had the whole week between Christmas and New Years off (there are a few benefits to him being a teacher), so that I could sleep and recover without worrying about who to call to help with the kids. Now don't get me wrong, I have a long list of wonderful people who have helped and have offered to help, but I know the holidays are a busy time and I didn't want anyone to have to change their plans to watch my kids or feel bad for having to say no. Anyways, it went just fine. By the time New Years Day rolled around I was done with tiredness, nausea and excess gas, which really was the most lingering problem. I wonder if chemo has killed off all the good bacteria in my tummy. Luckily, yogurt seems to help.
And today, I was feeling well enough, I went to church with everyone else.
Happy New Year!
Christmas Eve Chemo
You know what, I started this entry on Christmas Eve, the same day I got chemo. Darn if life doesn't get distracting...
A wonderful friend who only has one little boy (right around 2 yrs old), watched all my kids for me today. I am so thankful, I didn't even ask. I explained my predicament of asking someone to watch my kids one night (I mean, who wants to mess with someone's Christmas Eve Plans?) and she offered the next morning. The kids were pretty good about going, so that was a big relief.
I stayed up very late the night before Christmas Eve wrapping presents. ~ A side not about this. THANK YOU! We had people who helped with Christmas in various ways, and a lot of anonymous donations. So what was going to be a small, but sufficient Christmas, turned into a large outpouring of love from other people. I just can't say thank you enough.
Anyways, so happily wrapping presents, up until 1:30 am last night (partly because I am easily sidetracked or paused to decide exactly who which gift should go to or how to wrap the odd shaped presents, and partly because it just seemed to take forever to get the kids settles in bed. This made for a tired mommy when the kids started waking up around 5:45 (Little Boy!!! He wakes up hungry, but he will happily take a banana to eat while he watches Sesame Street.) WonderfulHubby and I took turns getting up with them until Little Girl got up, and I just knew she wouldn't let me hide back in bed. But it was good to get up. I laid on the couch for a bit, then started washing dishes.
I wanted to make a treat to take with me to chemo, but it just didn't work out. But I did get a shower, which I don't always make time for, but really enjoy. So we got every fed and out the door to my friend's house, and then off to the hospital. I got a little weepy on my way in, just thinking about the idea of having chemo today, and the things I didn't get done that I wanted too. But WonderfulHubby was supportive, and I was okay by the time we got in the door.
The office ladies said it was a slow day, and I got right in with Nurse Jennifer to do the blood check. Everything was fine, so in to wait for The Doctor. During the examination he said it was remarkable, that if he didn't know where the lump had been before, he wouldn't be able to pinpoint it. He stepped out and had his Nurse Practitioner come in to see if she could tell which breast it had been in (she hasn't examined me before). She said she could tell, but merely because it was thicker than the other one, and that anyone who hadn't examined so many breasts probably wouldn't be able to tell. The Doctor said that on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not remarkable at all) my results were a 10! Nice! And then we asked about the Lymphedema. See if they remove all or most of the Lymph nodes by my arm, I would develop lymphedema. I would have to take special care of this arm for the rest of my life, with special exercises, etc. But The Doctor said where the cancer was responding so well to the chemo, the surgeons would not likely have to remove very many lymph nodes at all. The surgeons would just use a dye to determine which nodes would need to be removed, and that it wouldn't be a big deal. This was a HUGE relief. The lymphedema seemed like a bigger deal to live with than new boobs and frequent mammograms. We also spoke to him about doing a double mastectomy. He said that it was up to me, but if I were his wife, he would say to just get the one done. Where I do not have a genetic inclination towards cancer, the chances of me developing another primary cancer site in the other breast was only 1% per year, and with the close monitoring of it, any developing cancer would never get anywhere close to as big as what this cancer had been, and would be much easier to deal with. So, I am taking his advice and only doing the one side. This saves me from the few months of being chestless between the mastectomy and the reconstruction, however long the radiation takes (should only be a couple of months). That is a relief.
So we did Chemo, I was the last one to leave, but the nurse didn't mind, and we went home and had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas. Yay!
A wonderful friend who only has one little boy (right around 2 yrs old), watched all my kids for me today. I am so thankful, I didn't even ask. I explained my predicament of asking someone to watch my kids one night (I mean, who wants to mess with someone's Christmas Eve Plans?) and she offered the next morning. The kids were pretty good about going, so that was a big relief.
I stayed up very late the night before Christmas Eve wrapping presents. ~ A side not about this. THANK YOU! We had people who helped with Christmas in various ways, and a lot of anonymous donations. So what was going to be a small, but sufficient Christmas, turned into a large outpouring of love from other people. I just can't say thank you enough.
Anyways, so happily wrapping presents, up until 1:30 am last night (partly because I am easily sidetracked or paused to decide exactly who which gift should go to or how to wrap the odd shaped presents, and partly because it just seemed to take forever to get the kids settles in bed. This made for a tired mommy when the kids started waking up around 5:45 (Little Boy!!! He wakes up hungry, but he will happily take a banana to eat while he watches Sesame Street.) WonderfulHubby and I took turns getting up with them until Little Girl got up, and I just knew she wouldn't let me hide back in bed. But it was good to get up. I laid on the couch for a bit, then started washing dishes.
I wanted to make a treat to take with me to chemo, but it just didn't work out. But I did get a shower, which I don't always make time for, but really enjoy. So we got every fed and out the door to my friend's house, and then off to the hospital. I got a little weepy on my way in, just thinking about the idea of having chemo today, and the things I didn't get done that I wanted too. But WonderfulHubby was supportive, and I was okay by the time we got in the door.
The office ladies said it was a slow day, and I got right in with Nurse Jennifer to do the blood check. Everything was fine, so in to wait for The Doctor. During the examination he said it was remarkable, that if he didn't know where the lump had been before, he wouldn't be able to pinpoint it. He stepped out and had his Nurse Practitioner come in to see if she could tell which breast it had been in (she hasn't examined me before). She said she could tell, but merely because it was thicker than the other one, and that anyone who hadn't examined so many breasts probably wouldn't be able to tell. The Doctor said that on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not remarkable at all) my results were a 10! Nice! And then we asked about the Lymphedema. See if they remove all or most of the Lymph nodes by my arm, I would develop lymphedema. I would have to take special care of this arm for the rest of my life, with special exercises, etc. But The Doctor said where the cancer was responding so well to the chemo, the surgeons would not likely have to remove very many lymph nodes at all. The surgeons would just use a dye to determine which nodes would need to be removed, and that it wouldn't be a big deal. This was a HUGE relief. The lymphedema seemed like a bigger deal to live with than new boobs and frequent mammograms. We also spoke to him about doing a double mastectomy. He said that it was up to me, but if I were his wife, he would say to just get the one done. Where I do not have a genetic inclination towards cancer, the chances of me developing another primary cancer site in the other breast was only 1% per year, and with the close monitoring of it, any developing cancer would never get anywhere close to as big as what this cancer had been, and would be much easier to deal with. So, I am taking his advice and only doing the one side. This saves me from the few months of being chestless between the mastectomy and the reconstruction, however long the radiation takes (should only be a couple of months). That is a relief.
So we did Chemo, I was the last one to leave, but the nurse didn't mind, and we went home and had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas. Yay!
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