Let the Cancer Killing Begin! (With Some Bad News Too)

I showed up at the oncologist's office for my first chemo session for the second time.  Only this time, I got to actually have a treatment!  Therefore, the "butt kicking" has officially begun!  :)

My first chemo treatment was yesterday afternoon.  Since it was MLK day, Jack and Lucy were home to send me off.  Jack had made me a special Rainbow Loom bracelet over the weekend to wear.  I wore it proudly, telling him that it makes me feel stronger and braver.  Lucy loaded me up with Hello Kitty stickers all over my arm before I left!  She insisted that I leave them on while I was at the doctor, and I did!  It was so nice to carry these wonderful reminders of my sweet children with me!  (And yes, the stickers did raise a lot of comments and questions from several people in the office!)

I did well during the treatment.  I was most worried about them sticking the needle in to access my port just because it is still so sensitive to the touch.  However, the nurse sprayed it with a numbing spray first, and it was fine!! The rest of the treatment progressed without incident.  I had a wonderful nurse, who was so kind throughout the entire treatment.  I was in the chair for three hours, but it actually went really fast.  Quentin was with me the entire time, providing his typical comic relief.  :) The only other thing I had time to do was respond to a few texts and emails.  I love the quote one of my dear friends found and sent to me today, "Chemo is like childbirth, you don't remember much afterwards and it is totally worth it in the end!"

Ready to rock chemo!

One of the anti-nausea medications apparently also has an anti-anxiety effect, which made me feel slightly "weird" during the treatment.  I came home to my kids, feeling the same way.  I just felt a little out of it, and as the evening progressed, I felt worse.  I ended up feeling very nauseous and, quite frankly, all-around awful!  I followed the recommendations I'd received to take my nausea medication at the first sign of nausea, and it seemed to help some.  I ended up passing out on the couch for a couple of hours, until Quentin woke me up and insisted I go to bed.  I was very worried about how I would feel today, since almost everyone has advised me that day 2 and 3 are the worst.  I woke up this morning with a headache and feeling a little tired.  I took it easy most of the morning and was feeling significantly better by the afternoon!  The day turned out a little bit different than I had planned.  Since it was a snow day for the kids, I had some extra company!  My mom came over early this morning to provide extra support.  Jack and Lucy were so good!  They each spent some time hanging out on the couch with me, reading or playing games or talking.

It was a stay-in-your jammies kind of day!

I had to go in for a shot this afternoon that is supposed to help boost my white blood cell count.  That is something that I will have to do the day after every treatment. That went fine, but I'm a little worried about how I'll react to that tomorrow.  I've been warned that it's common to have some bone and joint pain with it, so we'll see how that goes!

So, now for the bad news....I got my biopsy results from the oncologist before my treatment. Unfortunately, both of my biopsies were positive.  That means that the cancer is in at least one lymph node on the right side, where I found the original tumor.  The lump in the left breast is also cancer. This places me among a very elite group of women with bilateral breast cancer.  While not unheard-of, it's very rare.  Quentin's always told me that when I do something, I go all out!  I guess it even holds true for cancer!  This news doesn't change any immediate treatment plans.  I'll still be doing the same chemotherapy that was originally prescribed.  It does mean that my surgery will definitely be a bilateral mastectomy, which is what I wanted anyway, as well as a lymph node dissection on the right side.  It also means that radiation will be added after surgery to help make sure all lymph nodes are clear.  So, enough of the bad news!  Let's just remember that those chemo medications are working in my body right now to kill any and ALL cancer!  :)

Before I close this post, I just want to mention all the wonderful people who are helping me through this journey.  My oncologist, Dr. Joseph, is wonderful!  She has been so kind and down-to-earth, everything I could hope for in a doctor.  She is even coming in during her vacation so that I can see her rather than one of her partners for my next appointment!  And then there's my husband....Quentin has been beside me for every step of this journey.  He has accompanied me to countless doctor's appointments and been my extra set of ears to help me navigate this new and confusing world.  He has also helped me keep our household running so that our family can continue to function in as much of a "normal" way as possible.  My mom has kept Jack and Lucy more times than I can count while I'm running to the doctor or not feeling well.  She did tons of laundry and other household chores for me when I was recovering from having a port placement surgery and two biopsies all in one week.  And the kindness of so many others who continue to check in on me, pray for me, and cheer me on. THANK YOU!!!!