Scratch Off One More Thing

I am trying to post this from my phone and under the influence of drugs.  I hope it all will make sense.

Port was inserted at about 8 this morning.  I was home by around 11.  Okay this procedure hurts like hell!!!  I guess having nerves cut during the mastectomy had advantages!  I am definitely staying on top of my pain meds.  The doctor says it will get better.  Well that is the only direction it could go.  I just checked off one more thing on my list to get through in the next 6 months.

I just talked to the oncologist's nurse.  Echocardiogram came back fine so now just waiting on oncotype results.  Looks like I will have this week to continue to recover.  Thank goodness!

Hope all of you in Kansas City can enjoy the next few days of beautiful weather.  The end of the week doesn't look springlike!

I have thanked God for being right beside me today.  He continues to answer my prayers.

Have a great week!

Ready for Spring!

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous in Kansas City but today it has been rainy and chilly again.  This weather is much like my life these days!  I am ready for it to stay warm.

I will have a port inserted Monday morning.  Once again I think Rick wishes I could drive myself because we need to be at the surgi-center by 6:30 a.m.  If I understand the procedure will take place about 8:15 and will only take about 45 minutes.  I will stay in recovery for awhile and then head back home.

The oncologist's office called today.  They have still not received the results of the echocardiogram.  Chemo will not start until they have those results and the oncotype results.  So as it stands right now I don't think chemo will begin next week but will start the following week.

I am so hoping little Mr. Newsom will make his debut soon.  Karlene goes back to the doctor on Tuesday so hopefully we will have a better idea as to when to expect his arrival.

There won't be anything to post until Monday afternoon.  The only plans I have for the weekend is to babysit Ethan on Sunday evening.

Have a great relaxing weekend.

Making me dizzy....

This cancer journey is making life a total roller coaster.

Monday I went back to the surgeon because I thought there was some swelling happening around the site of where one of the drains were located.  Yeah....no swelling just fatty tissue:)  But I talked with him about his opinion of a port.  He advised me that a port was needed since I can't have any blood pressure or sticks on my right arm (no lymph nodes) and the left arm has been compromised because of the sentinel node biopsy.

So today I went to visit with the nurse practitioner and have an echocardiogram.  I explained the surgeon's opinion and she said she would discuss it with the oncologist.  (Needless to say I am having a port inserted.)  She discussed all the side effects of the chemotherapy and just generally scared the shit out of me!  But most of it I all ready knew from the experiences of my sister.  I signed paperwork and now we are just waiting on the oncotype results. This may take up to 7 business days.  I also need the results of the heart test which should be available tomorrow.

It looks like my first infusion will be the week after next.  I will find out tomorrow when the port will be inserted.  In the meantime I got the new "boob" look and going to get my wig tomorrow.

This is about all the excitement I can handle for the week unless that grandson of ours decides to make his entrance soon.

Enjoy the warm weather that is finally coming to Missouri.

I said "yes"!

Let me explain today's post.

Many of you know the story but this is for those that don't.  More than 40 years ago Rick did not really propose to me.  He did not ask the words "will you marry me?"  Instead as we were walking the mall one evening we passed a jewelry store and I began looking at the rings in the storefront.  He stood by me and asked "do you want one of those?"  That was my romantic husband's proposal!

Fast forward 40 years and last night he asked "will you marry me?" and put a beautiful anniversary ring on my finger.  (I wonder what he would have done if I said "NO"?)  Of course through tears I accepted.  We went out for a lovely dinner and finished the evening at a piano bar.  He truly does have a romantic side to him.

Last night was a much needed evening for me.  I had a long day yesterday feeling angry and mixed up about my cancer journey.  I think I forgot to ask God to help me and thought I was fighting this battle all by myself.  About mid-afternoon I realized the whole day had been about me and not asking God for His guidance.  I was forgetting to give control of my life and future to God...let go and let God.  I am in a much better place today.

This week is full of appointments.  I will be getting my new "boobs" and "hair" this week.  Also I will meet with a nurse practitioner on Wednesday to have an echocardiogram done to see if my heart will withstand the chemo treatments.  I have several questions for her so I am sure it will be a long appointment.  I have a dental appointment because I will not be able to have any dental work done after chemo begins.  Onward and getting closer to the next winding road on my journey.

Once again if I do not post anything don't worry.  Some days there isn't anything more to say!

I will end with this Bible passage that will guide me on this part of my journey.

"He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge."  Psalm 91:4

Chemo Plan

I was so hoping that I would not have to travel this part of the cancer journey but looks like I will.  Dr. Davis said at this point I have about a 20% chance the cancer will come back but with the chemotherapy and hormonal therapy I will decrease those odds by more than 10%.  I will begin treatment the last week in April.  I will have 4 cycles of adriamycin and cytoxan every 3 weeks.  He did order the oncotype on the right breast.  After he sees the results of it he will decide if I need another treatment of taxol which will be administered every week for 12 weeks.  At this point I am not having a port inserted per the doctor's decision.  If I do the every week regimen I will need one at that time.

So I guess next week I get to decide if I want to look like Dolly Parton with big boobs and a wig:)

I know I will get through this part with God's hands directing the doctors and nurses and giving me strength.

I am going to the movies this afternoon and going to enjoy this weekend with my loving husband.  Our 40th anniversary is this weekend and we will be doing a trip to the ocean when this part of the journey is finished.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

Retail Sales on the Rise

I would like to first say thanks to God for watching over my friends that are at the Boston Marathon before I comment on the title of today's post.  They are safe but very shaken by the events of today.

Rick and I ventured to the grocery store today.  It sure did feel good to get out of this house.  As we were leaving I asked Rick for the car keys.  Of course he immediately pretended to get in the back seat and strap himself in!  I drove home without a problem.  I don't think I am quite ready for any long distance driving but the mall is not out of range:)

Looks like I will have plenty of time to catch up on cleaning the house this week.  The weather forecast is for rain and cold temperatures.

I probably won't be posting anything until after my visit to the oncologist on Friday.  I am just trying to get stronger each day and continuing to stretch my arm muscles for increased range of motion.

Have a good week.

Good Morning!

A friend of mine is going to run in the Boston Marathon this weekend.  I am so very proud of her.  Although I feel like I did my own marathon this morning.  I walked a mile on the treadmill!  Now I was not a speed demon but I got the mile completed.  I am trying to get my strength back and be in the best place possible for chemo.

 I cannot believe how my range of motion in my arms has been compromised.  I am doing the exercises the physical therapist assigned but they kick my butt.  Lifting my arms over my head is a workout in itself.  I do not go back to the physical therapist until the first of May so I will just stay on this path of workouts.

Yesterday Karlene and Ethan spent the morning here.  He is such a great distraction for me.  I think of nothing but his joy for life while I am with him.  Of course Karlene is looking like the next little Newsom man could enter this world at anytime.  He is not due until May 11th but this week the doctor said it looked more like an April delivery.  I know God will do what He thinks is right but I would love to have a new grandson before I start chemo.  Only God knows the answer to this.

I am going to enjoy this weekend.  It is suppose to be beautiful weather before a cold blast happens again next week.  Rick is playing golf and I am going to spend some time on the deck.

I hope everyone will have a great weekend also.

Woohoo!!!

Drains are out!  Thanks be to God!

I called the surgeon's office yesterday and said two of the drains had less than 30cc of output (which was the guideline for removal).  They said to come into the office at 8 this morning to have them checked.  I never knew a doctor came into an office that early:)  Of course I took a pain pill before I left this morning because the term "yank it out" didn't sound very pleasant.  Once he examined them he decided to take out all 3 because one was getting a little red and he was worried about infection.  I babbled like a Chatty Cathy doll (some of you are too young to know what that is!) to distract myself from the procedure.  What a feeling of relief!  I texted my nurse navigator at 9:00 am and asked if it was too early for a celebration.

The actual incisions are healing well also.  He removed what sutures needed to be and I do not see him again for 4 months.  I also received an all clear to begin some stretching exercises assigned by the physical therapist.  My range of motion has definitely been compromised but I will diligently work at getting that back.

After we came home Rick crashed!  I think he has been under just as much stress as I have been and his body needed to rest.  On the other hand I am trying to keep from jumping up and down.  I will sleep well tonight.

It is a cold cloudy day in Missouri but the sun is shining brightly in my little part of the world.

Thank you dear Lord for holding me up on this journey.

Cloudy Day

Today has been a cloudy spring day.  For those of you not in Missouri it is a very warm humid day and thunderstorms are predicted for tonight.  All of this has just set the stage for the news I heard today.

The nurse navigator called after she talked with my oncologist.  He says there is no need to do the ocnotype test because I will have to have chemotherapy regardless.  I was so hoping to avoid this but I am learning that this journey still has all sorts of twists and turns.  As I said yesterday one of the three cancers was an invasive aggressive tumor.   In case a cancer cell is floating out in my body the chemo treatment is to attack it.  I will not know the exact protocol until April 19th but it will be a 3 to 6 month plan.

I am just trying to recover from the surgery and these dang drains!  Once I can get my feet back on the ground from this I will be ready to deal with this next part.  I just keep telling Rick he had better be ready for some great vacation travel next winter:)

Just received a text message from a friend that says alcohol may improve breast cancer survival.

Cheers!

Thanks Be to God!

Wow God does answer prayers!

I just received the pathology report.  On the right breast they took 19 nodes and the only one that was positive was that first sentinel node.  The left breast showed all negative nodes.  Margins were clear.

Now does that mean no more treatment?  Not necessarily.  The right breast had a grade 3 invasive cancer which means it was highly aggressive.  My oncologist is having an oconotype test done which will help him decide the chances of recurrence of the cancer.  Therefore I may still need chemo but it looks like radiation is out of the picture.  Of course I know I will still be doing a hormone therapy treatment for 5 years.  At this point I just feel blessed that I had a radiologist that was my angel looking over my shoulder.  He did not give up and made sure I was going down the right path.  The tumor was only 1.6 cm in the left breast and usually that type of cancer is not found until it is over 7 or 8 cm.  I keep telling myself that this is a process but I am getting antsy.  I am hoping to get a couple of the drains out by the middle of this week so maybe I will feel a little better.

Rick and I are beginning to test our almost 40 year marriage!  Female vs. male perspective on things are getting a little touchy.  But I can't say it enough times that he has been absolutely amazing.  I love him with all my heart.

Hope everyone has a great week.

"Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with whole heart, I will praise His holy name."  Psalm 103:1

Good Morning to all

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Today is Karlene's birthday so I can't think of anything better to post than Happy Birthday to my youngest daughter.   If I can remember that far back I think I was in more pain that day than I am right now:)  And it was the last time I was in the hospital before this surgery.  But the pain of that day has faded and so will this.  God does have great things in store for me!

Yesterday was a really rough day.  I had always heard that the third day after surgery was hard but for me it was the fourth day.  I hurt, had no energy and just didn't feel well.  But a pain pill and over 9 hours of sleep make the start to a new day much better.  I even helped fix breakfast.

Our routine in the morning takes a while but Rick and I did it in record time today.  I even got to dry my hair!  Amazing how little things mean so much.  Perhaps that is one of the things God wanted me to notice.  Believe me He has done a good job to make me slow down!

Rick will go to work this afternoon.  A friend is coming over to stay with me.  Of course I would like to stay by myself but I think Rick thinks I might try to do something I shouldn't.  (Don't know why he thinks that since I sit back and take it easy so well.)

Hopefully each day will be a little better.  I am getting use to my new normal.  I must be feeling better though cause I am pointing out to Rick all the things that need to be cleaned.  Of course he says they did not get dirty in the last three days!

Have a great day!

I'm Back....

I really thought about letting my family continue to update the blog since they have done such a great job at writing.  But I am afraid Rick may have some different words to write after three days of home health care!

We are beginning to settle into our new "normal" for awhile.  I have felt okay.  The incisions are not giving me any problems.  But I have three drains that they inserted and they are a pain. (both figuratively and literally)  I really feel once they are taken out I will feel so much better.  Unfortunately it may be up to 3 weeks before they can be taken out.  I will get through this part too.

Monday I will find out the pathology report.  But I do not have an appointment with the oncologist until April 19th.  I am sure I will have some sort of follow up treatment if there were cancer cells that traveled to the lymph nodes under my arm.  Also there is something called the "oconotype" of the cancer cells that will also determine my follow-up care.  I have asked God to continue to hold me up during this next part of my journey.

Once again thanks to all of you for everything.  This is so hard for me to accept all the food and gift cards but thank goodness for your help.  I can't imagine what we would be eating otherwise:)

If there isn't anything posted on a day don't worry.  I get tired easily and Rick is too busy with household chores to write!

Love to all of you!

MAMA IS IN THE HOUSE

Well Mama is back in the house and is taking charge.  We made it home a little before noon today and said goodbye to the hospital.  Now she has to listen to the Alzheimer's person in bed with her rather than the one down the hall last night.  We are currently learning how to deal with the the drains that have to be emptied three times daily and new sleeping positions and locations.  Not to mention house cleaning, laundry, and cooking classes.  Thanks to everyone for their prayers, it is amazing the power of so many prayers.  This power should never be taken lightly, so please do not pray that we have any  additional children.

Will attempt to keep everyone informed as to our new learnings and again thank you for being our friends that we will never possibly be able to repay.

Truth Comes Out...

Mom is on some good pain meds, or truth serum as we call it :) She is in a room now and resting. So far her pain is being well managed and everything looks good. Aside from Karmen pushing the wrong button on the blood pressure machine everything is pretty uneventful which is a good thing. Hopefully she will sleep it off and feel better in the morning. Again everything is looking good and we will continue to keep you updated on anything new. 

Update

Mom is out of surgery and CANCER FREE!! Those were the most important two words we heard from the surgeon. Surgery went well. The sentinel lymph nodes on the left side were clear on initial tests so they didn't remove any extra nodes on that side. The sentinel lymph nodes on the right side did show some cancer. They took a second level of lymph nodes on the right side just to make sure they got everything. So in total she had a bilateral mastectomy, and a lymph node dissection on the right side. We won't know more regarding treatment plan in the future until final pathology reports come back. She is in recovery now and we are waiting to go and visit with her. They expect she will be able to go home in the morning and start her recovery process. We will keep everyone updated as we continue through the day. 

Thank you for all of the emails, thoughts, and prayers we really appreciate them all. And just because its good news I have to say again mom is CANCER FREE!!

Off She Goes...

Now you will see a change in pace with the blog posts...its Karmen, Karlene, and Rick now! Mom is off to surgery now. They estimate she will be in there for about 2+ hours. We will post again once we know how she did, etc. So far so good!