First came the lumpectomy and it wasn't as bad as you might think. First let me explain. The breast cancer was closer to my chest wall and since I crossfit 5-7 days a week for about 6 years my body fat percentage is not too high which translates into not very large chest. The scar was about 2 1/2 inches and within a few days looking alright. Maybe the worst part was the removal of lymph nodes. Dr. Wilkie took 9 lymph nodes to test and cutting those nerves in my arm pit made it feel numb and that continues to a little bit today and this surgery was back in November. No working out, nothing over head, nothing heavy, and rest were Doctor's orders. The lymph nodes were sent off for Oncotype testing. Waiting for the results would determine if there was to be chemo but radiation was a definite go.
Thanksgiving holiday leads into Christmas and still no test results. I call and no one seems to be able to give a date for the test results to be in so let's go ahead and start radiation. 20 treatments over the month of January. The radiologist and the technicians are so nice and 10-15 minutes a day seems to go fast. I will have to say I was still getting up at 4am to workout at 5:30 teaching my full day until 2:30 and then receiving radiation. I will also tell you I was in bed around 4:30-5 each afternoon because I was tired. Thank goodness Kaile and Carson were able to drive themselves to school, work, make dinners and help out around the house. Tim went to every single appointment and treatment. We would talk all the way there, while we waited in the waiting room and all the way home. He was my rock! Then as I was getting ready to meet with the radiation oncologist the nurse says yay we have your results today. What oh good-everyone has said all along don't worry your score should be below 26 you are so healthy, eat right and exercise. Dr. gives us the paper and right smack in the middle is 28. What does that mean? Chemo? for how long? chance of reoccurrence? would it make a difference? is the breast cancer going to come back? We are filled with questions and when is someone going to tell me I don't have to go through chemotherapy.
I call my Breast Navigator to talk. She tells me there is a weekly meeting and all the doctors will meet and talk over the score to recommend should we or should we not. Time is standing still until this meeting. Every doctor at the meeting recommends chemotherapy because they would have been happier with an Onkatype score of 16 because of my age-great 48 but if I were 50 then maybe no chemotherapy.
Recommendations are 4 treatments of 2 cocktails every 3 weeks. Yes all chemotherapy for breast cancer makes you lose your hair. What am I going to tell the kids at school? We had a teacher pass this year and I am not sure how I can do this at school. What about Kaile and Carson? Am I going to be sick all the time? Tim helps to calm me down and gets me to take one moment at a time. He reminds me I will get through this, like the surgery, the radiation, the Murph each year, and 12 weeks will go by in a flash. "1becomes 2, 2 becomes, 5 and before you know it you have 10 pull-ups." I replay it over and over in my mind. Now I have to call my mom and dad and tell them our next step is chemotherapy.
Before chemotherapy a port must be put in and that ends up falling to the day before my first chemo treatment. The first chemo treatment is long like 9-2:30 long but I feel alright. The nurses are so helpful. I hear it is the shot the next day that will take it out of me. Make sure to take Claratin before and during the first few days to help.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Saturday, April 4, 2020
World wind of appointments...
They don't tell you all the appointments you will then have to attend. MRI is first and that is what I got on my 48th birthday. It wasn't too bad. Just hearing them tell you if you move we will have to restart the test and then might be later today or maybe next week...I was still for the whole time. By the way there are no earplugs or earphones you listen to the thumping and pounding the whole time. It wasn't that bad and over before you know i, if you close your eyes like I do.
Next you meet with the surgeon and Dr. Wilkey in Daytona Beach, Fl is amazing. She was so thorough with her explanation and answered every question I had written down in my pink cancer notebook. We were hoping for a lumpectomy but there was the genetic testing and what happens if it is in my lymph nodes? All the uncertain means you take precautions and meet with everyone you MIGHT need to have on your team to fight cancer.
Then there is the radiation oncologist meeting and he was super nice and helpful. Dr. Factor explained it would be a routine once we found out about the tumor and what it contained. Almost equated it to a bad sunburn but to make sure the area was taken care of and kill any remaining cells where the tumor was in my body.
Then the plastic surgeon in case of a mastectomy, which we needed to wait to hear back from the genetic test. At one point during the reconstructive talk I had to have him stop because it was not a breast enhancement procedure it is a reconstructive where they go in and add a little each time until the achieved result. Oh my goodness women who go through this have to be the strongest women of all time. I could barely talk about it without tearing up.
Then there is the medical oncologist meeting, Dr. Chew. I of course said all my doctors are not thinking I will have to go through chemotherapy so this meeting was merely a formality. He was pleasant and our children are in band together. We will wait for testing the Oncotype-DX of the tumor but everything will be fine.
The whole month of October it was one meeting after another but I have to give it to Florida Health Care the appointments were planned and moving right along to prepare for a lumpectomy the first week of November. I had all of the prerequisites in place so we could tackle this breast cancer and come out on the other side. Family was informed and questions were asked and we felt like we were as prepared as anyone could be facing the circumstances.
Next you meet with the surgeon and Dr. Wilkey in Daytona Beach, Fl is amazing. She was so thorough with her explanation and answered every question I had written down in my pink cancer notebook. We were hoping for a lumpectomy but there was the genetic testing and what happens if it is in my lymph nodes? All the uncertain means you take precautions and meet with everyone you MIGHT need to have on your team to fight cancer.
Then there is the radiation oncologist meeting and he was super nice and helpful. Dr. Factor explained it would be a routine once we found out about the tumor and what it contained. Almost equated it to a bad sunburn but to make sure the area was taken care of and kill any remaining cells where the tumor was in my body.
Then the plastic surgeon in case of a mastectomy, which we needed to wait to hear back from the genetic test. At one point during the reconstructive talk I had to have him stop because it was not a breast enhancement procedure it is a reconstructive where they go in and add a little each time until the achieved result. Oh my goodness women who go through this have to be the strongest women of all time. I could barely talk about it without tearing up.
Then there is the medical oncologist meeting, Dr. Chew. I of course said all my doctors are not thinking I will have to go through chemotherapy so this meeting was merely a formality. He was pleasant and our children are in band together. We will wait for testing the Oncotype-DX of the tumor but everything will be fine.
The whole month of October it was one meeting after another but I have to give it to Florida Health Care the appointments were planned and moving right along to prepare for a lumpectomy the first week of November. I had all of the prerequisites in place so we could tackle this breast cancer and come out on the other side. Family was informed and questions were asked and we felt like we were as prepared as anyone could be facing the circumstances.
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