Nadir Appointment #4

Today's appointment went very smooth and was pretty quick! My sister-in-law Cheri was by buddy for this appointment. She picked me up a little early which was great because I had some insurance issues that I needed to talk about with the Insurance lady at the Cancer center. I was 15 minutes early and within 5 minutes they called me back to have my port accessed. This port access was pretty smooth with very little discomfort. The nurse had a difficult time getting my blood to flow through the port and had to back flush it to get it working, but it was no big deal and no pain on my part. (Thank goodness!)
My friend Myrna was having her port accessed at the same time as me so we were able to sit and visit while we waited. Her last chemo is on the same day as my next chemo. I'm really excited to hear her ring the bell! I told her not to ring it too hard because I want it to still be there for my turn next month! :)
I didn't really have any new questions for the Dr. so the meeting with him was fast. He was happy overall that I seem to be handling the chemo treatments. At the start of my chemo it was harder on me than it has been the past couple times.

My blood work results:
Red blood count- 32. Normal is 38, this is the lowest I have been so far. This means I'll get winded easier and feel more tired. (I was surprised by this as I have been feeling pretty good. I haven't had to take naps, but I do notice I get worn out quickly.)
White blood count- 6.6 Normal is between 4-10, so I'm right in the middle. A safe place to be.
Platelets- 151. Normal is between 120-420. Looks good, the Dr. was happy.

This past chemo was probably the easiest one so far. Friday after chemo I felt blah, but not sick. Saturday I felt pretty ok too. I helped Dave do some yard work even. Sunday was a tough day, I felt AWFUL all day! This Sunday was comparable to my 1st chemo Sunday. Monday was a good day. Tuesday was a good day, I spent a few hours at the park, sitting in the shade, with my kids, a sister-in-law, a couple of my cousins and my Grandparents. I was thinking that Wednesday would be a good day too, but it was not. Wednesday was the day my bowels had had enough of all those chemo chemicals. Spent the day at home, close to the toilet. Felt wiped out and tired most of the day. Thursday was better than Wednesday, however I stayed close to home and the toilet again. Friday I was finally confident enough to go out and have some fun with my kids. I helped Bradley with a lawn mowing job and spent the evening at my Dad's retirement party.
I am currently still feeling good. Each day I feel a little stronger physically, but mentally I feel challenged. Chemo brain is a hard thing to get used to. I forget things easily. My patients is short. I have little energy or drive to be productive, and if you know me you know how bizarre that is! My emotions have been a bit tender. I get frustrated and cry easily about my limitations and upcoming events in my journey. I think this is normal and nothing to be worried about. Most people going through difficult things hit a wall and feel discouraged, I think that's where I am. It's just a temporary stage. These emotions are part of the journey to being a stronger, more confidant person, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

The other day I got a letter in the mail from a cousin. Totally out of the blue, and totally unexpected. Those kind of acts bring more sunshine to my day than anything! So if you find yourself looking for something to do and feels like there's nothing to do, send me a note of encouragement. Notes of encouragement and support are better than GOLD! I save them and pull them out to read on hard days.

My next appointment is for an echo cardiogram. I'll update you on that if there's anything exciting to tell. I'm sure it will be an uneventful appointment. My next chemo is June 26th. This will be my 5th and next to last chemo. There is an end in sight, at least to the chemo part and all the days that follow being sick. I'm looking forward to the not being sick and I'm super looking forward to my hair growing back. Until then, I need to remember to take baby steps! Nothing about this process is fast or quick, it all takes time...

I love you all!
Christy

Chemo #4

These chemo appointments don't get easier! Knowing what to expect is nice, but oh boy do I get nervous!! Today's appointment was no exception. I'm so thankful for the text messages and emails of encouragement I received this morning! They were just what I needed!
Today my chemo buddies were: my Dad and Dallas.
My port access was not painful at all! Happy, happy, happy!
I had Dallas come with me in the exam room so she could meet my Dr. and hear the Dr. discuss all my MANY questions. She said she liked him a lot! I'll see him one more time on the 26th and then he retires on the 27th. At my next appointment I'll find out who my new Dr. is and meet him if he's in the office.
Now for a run down of my questions and the Dr.'s answers:
Me: How long will I have my port?
Dr.: I see no need for you to keep it once your don't with the Herceptin chemo next year in March. So plan on it being removed once I'm done with that. (I like this answer!)
Me: Will I have the drug Emend as part of my chemo today?
Dr.: Yes. He was happy to hear my nausea wasn't as severe this last time.
Me: Are my odds increased to have cancer again because I've had cancer before.
Dr.: There is always that risk. Any new cancer, wherever it is in my body will be classified as Breast cancer because I had that type to begin with and any new cancer if most likely cells left behind that have matastasized. (I don't like this answer. I'd like to think I'm done with cancer for the REST of MY LIFE!)
Me: Who is my new Dr. and when will I meet him/her?
Dr.: I will see Dr. Harker one last time on the 26th and he'll tell me then who the Dr. is and if he's in the office I'll meet him.
Me: When do I need to call my Surgeon to discuss my surgery?
Dr.: Following the last appointment is soon enough. (My Dr. mentioned that because my tumor is gone I may be a candidate for just a lumpectomy. My surgeon is an advocate for complete mastectomies though. Doing a lumpectomy AND radiotion will achieve the same success rate at doing a mastectomy)(This leaves me feeling like I'm not sure what I'm going to do. My fear of having cancer again is HUGE!)
I'd love your prayers specifically on this matter to help me make this decision. It's a big one and one there scares me a lot!!

Following radiation I will start taking tomoxifen. This is a hormone pill that will be taken every day. Checkups while taking tomoxifen will be every 3 months. I will take this for 5+ years.
And, for clarifiction, because I've been mentioning it wrong- The herceptin chemo that I receive after the hard chemo is not a hormone chemo, it's an antibody chemo. I learned something new today. So now that that's cleared up I feel better.

Now for the blood work and weight check.
I weighed 139 pound, down 2 from my nadir.
My white blood count is 5.5. Normal is between 4.2-10.5.
My red blood count is 3.43. Normal is between 4.04-5.48
My HCT is 33. Normal is between 38-48
Platelets were 158. Normal is between 140-450.
So, the only thing that's a little low was my red blood count. Not bad!

Upcoming appointments:
My nadir is July 16th at 1pm.
Echocardiogram is June 23 at 11am.
My next chemo is June 26th (the day before my Bday!) at 9:30am-3pm

Melissa or Sarah will be contacting you in the next week or so with upcoming needs. Watch for their emails.

Thank you for all those who responded to my email! It sounds like it's working much better than the blog! I love getting your responses and I LOVE your supportive words! Thank you for lifting me and reminding me I stronger than I feel. I love you all!

Changing the communication

I figured out the best way to share my journal entries and calendar items. Here's the new deal.
I will still post journal entries here (mostly to keep my journey in one nice and neat place), and I will be sending an email to those of you who view this blog. I've created a group and will send emails as 'bcc' so that your information is not shared. The journal entries will come from my email address. For calendar items I have two people who will take of that. My sister-in-law Melissa will be emailing those of you who are family & friends that do not live in my ward. My friend Sarah will be emailing my ward. When calendar items come up I plan to split them up so that more people have an opportunity to help. These calendar items will be first come, first serve, so reply to the email quickly if you want a certain assignment. I think this part of the change will be the nicest- replying to the email is easier than logging in to my blog and looking through the planner. I'm excited for that change. Calendar items will include: Meals, checking in on me, and attention dates for my kids. Sarah and Melissa will be sending an email later this week or next week. Any questions about the new plan? I'd love to hear them.

My meals for this next chemo are all filled. Thank you to those who are doing that!
Instead of having people scheduled to come during the day and take care of me I'm going to gather a list of names of people I can call if I need help. My kids will be home for the summer and they should be able to help me somewhat, or at least I'm hoping they will :)

Today I've had a lot of nervous energy in anticipation for my next chemo. It's hard to know what to expect when the side effects have been different after each chemo. I'd like to think it'll not be as hard as my first chemo. It's hard not knowing. This nervous energy is a lot like nesting when your pregnant, I'll be doing lots of cleaning and errand running :)

Hope you are all having a great Monday!
I Love you all!

Nadir Appointment #3

Why am I oinking like a pig? Could it be because I gained 5 pounds since my last chemo? Or could it be because I found out today that I am a guinea pig at my cancer treatment center? The answer is yes to the later, but I really did gain 5 pounds. The doctor I saw today told me that I am the first person that they have tried 'my' chemo cocktail on. Most people with breast cancer have surgery FIRST and then chemo, which would be TC chemo (taxotere and carboplatin). The cocktail I'm receiving is TCHP. My cocktail includes herceptin and perjeta. Herceptin is a hormone blocking chemo and the perjeta is like a super charger that help the herceptin do its job better. Up until Dec 2013 this was only given to those who's cancer had matacisized. But they discovered it would work well on shrinking large cancerous tumors that were spreading fast too. My tumor was the size of a lime and had already spread to my lymph nodes. My doctor decided I would be the first patient at their clinic to try this new concoction. Three weeks after my 1st chemo the tumor was GONE! They are very pleased with how well it's working. They love that my body is handling it so well too. The goal with this new type of chemo is to shrink the tumor and kill as much of the cancer BEFORE surgery so that when surgery does happen there are fewer cancer cells left behind. And then any cancer cells that may be left behind will get a nice 6 week dose of radiation EVERY weekday. Sounds to me like I win and cancer loses! At the end of my TCHP chemo I will continue having H (herceptin) chemo every 3 weeks until March of next year. That hormone chemo will not make me sick and each treatment will last 30 minutes.

My port access today was more painful than I remember. My port site hurt for a good hour after my blood draw. Not sure why that was the case, but I'm just glad it's over.
My white blood count is down to a 3, between 4-10 in normal. I'm at an increased change of infection so I need to be careful. The doctor mentioned that when the white count is low I have a greater change of mouth sores, but so far my mouth has not been as bad as past chemo's. Having a low white count can also effect my gut, so we discussed adding a pro-biotic pill or yogurt to my daily routine.
My platelets were good. They were at 135 and I believe the low end of normal is 140, so I'm just a little low.
My red blood cells (hgt) were at their lowest too. They're at a 32 and normal is between 38-48.

Please check the calendar and see if there is anything you can do. I know there isn't a whole lot on there right now but there are some attention dates with my kids and I think 1 more dinner.

I'm thinking of changing up how I send out my journal updates and calendar items. I can't tell if this blog is reaching as many people as I had hoped for. And, now that I've used this blog I'm not sure it's everything I had hoped for. My idea is to send out an email when I have a new journal update or calendar item to those people who's emails I already have viewing this blog. I'm working out the logistics of how to make that work so until then keep checking here for updates and calendar items. Leave me a comment if you love this blog or have any suggestions. I'd really love feedback!

Could you all do me a favor after you read this entry by clicking on the heart so I know who has seen this?

My next chemo is on Thursday next week at 8:30am. My kids last day of school is Friday next week. If you'd like to play with my kids that following week while I'm sick let me know. Comment below or call me and we can arrange a play day if you are interested.

Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for continuing to love and strengthen me. I have the best support group of friends and family! I love you all!

Onset of chemo symptoms

I started feeling sick much quicker with this treatment. By lunchtime on Friday was feeling icky. I was able to function, but the yucky feeling worsened and by 7pm I took a pill and went to bed. I think the onset of this was because I didn't sleep well the night before. Taking my steroid pill late threw off my sleeping schedule.
Saturday morning Dave fed me eggs and toast in bed just before 7am. I was able to fall back to sleep after. I got up and helped 'encourage' the kids to do their Saturday jobs. (Dave was working today). The boys went and played kicked ball with a big group of friends. Throughout the day I felt yucky, with no energy, no motivation, with nausea just always lurking in the background.
After work Dave got our swamp cooler hooked up and going. Having a cool house will be nice this coming week!
Drea and the boys went to a movie with our neighbor. After the movie Bradley and Dave went and mowed Bradley's 'lawn job'. I went with them and relaxed at my Dads.

I slept great last night! And because I was feeling half-way decent I went to church just for the sacrament part today. While the rest of my family was at church I listened to conference talks and took a long nap.
Dave and Dallas made dinner. And now Dave is off with the boys getting some fresh air, which is providing me with a quiet house.

Chemo #3

I'm half way done! Hurray!
My appointment time was 8:30. That proved to be a little difficult but I made it by the skin of my teeth! Next time I won't do carpool drop off, which will help me be more on time.
I was called back pretty quick. The port access was about as comfortable as a port access can be. Not the best one I've had. My weight is back to 136, which is where I started. That's good news.
Had a great appointment with the Dr. He is retiring in June so the next chemo will be my last appointment with him.
Here's what was discussed today:
-The lump is still gone. There is NO sign of it at all! The chemo is still working. With that being said the Dr. sees no need to do an MRI. The fact that he can't find it means the chemo is doing its job. If there is any cancer lurking it'll continue to be killed by chemo and then removed at surgery. No MRI makes me uber happy! I hate MRI's.
-A new drug will be added to me chemo today. It's called emend, and will help with nausea. I was only told it stays in my body for 72 hours. We'll see how well it works.
-My blood count shows my platelets went up from 119 to 135, but are still lower than the low point they want me at. My red blood count, hgb and hematocrit are all still low too. My white blood count is still within normal.
-Before my 5th treatment (June 26th) I need to have an echo cardiogram to make sure my heart is still strong and not too stressed out. I'll schedule that for the beginning of the week to make sure the results are back in time for chemo.
-I need to keep up on moisturizing my nose after chemo to help with nose bleeds. I seem to only get them for about 10-12 days after chemo. The worry is that my platelets are low and they don't want me to not be able to control the bleeding. If it were to get bad enough they'd send me to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I'd like to avoid that so I'll be diligent in vaselining my nose and using my humidifier.
-At my last chemo (July 25th), after I ring the chemo bell my doctor will walk me over to radiology to set me up as a patient. Radiation will begin about 3 weeks after surgery.
-Surgery will happen about 2-3 weeks after my last chemo, but my doctor wants to make sure I receive my hormone chemo before I have surgery so I won't have to come into chemo a few days post surgery with a hurting boob. With that being said I'll most like have my hormone chemo 3 weeks after my July chemo and have surgery the following week.
-I will call my surgeon as soon as my July 25th chemo is done to schedule surgery. Remember, this surgery is the temporary one. The incision will follow where the cancer was found. An empty spacer will be inserted. After surgery I'll have to go in regularly to have the spacer filled (slowly to a nice size, and tight breast)
-About 3 weeks after surgery and the spacer is filled the radiation will begin. Every weekday for 6 weeks. The whole breast will be radiated along with the area that had the 2 effected lymph nodes. Can you say red, hot and crusty?

My chemo buddies today were, my dad (which reads- MY HERO!), Julia- one of my Mom's caregivers, my Aunt Pam and my son Bradley. Our time was spent playing games, eating suck on candies, visiting, and having Bradley get us free snacks from the kitchen area in the chemo room. Bradley loved meeting Trent the Therapy Dog! He loved being there and said it was fun. Fun must be relative to him. I don't view chemo as fun, but having good company makes it funner (not a word!).

Today I began paying off all the medical bills. I've hit my out of pocket maximum, which was reached quickly. Now I just need to find out if I have to continue making my co-pays. If I do, I'll be making a co-pay every day I have radiation. A phone call to my insurance will be made tomorrow! I looked at my insurance EOB's and my insurance has already paid out over a quarter of a million dollars! And that doesn't include today's chemo! Thank goodness for insurance!!

Please check out the planner! There are attention days to claim. Dinners, and check up on me times too.

And because I haven't said anything, not because I've forgotten! I want to thank all those who came and supported me at the Race for the Cure! I had a total of 37 team member. 36 of them came out and walked! It was a day I'll never forget! And it's something I'll be doing again next year!

And last, I have to remind all of you of how much I love you! You are all so great at reminding me I'm loved and now it's my turn to tell you! I am blessed by your prayers, your thoughts and your outreaching on my families behalf! I pray that you will be blessed for your love and service!

I love you all!

Nadir Appointment #2

Today was my nadir appointment. It was a great pleasure to have my Aunt Pam (My Mom's sister) be my support and extra ears for this appointment. She lives in Washington state and it just worked out she was in town. I really enjoy my time with her, and I love how much she reminds me of my Mom.
Back to my appointment...
The wait to be called back for the port access was extra long today. I think we ended up waiting about 35 minutes. They checked my weight first; I gained 3 pounds, which isn't a big surprise because I wasn't as sick after this last chemo (and I ate a ton of food this past weekend!!). My blood work came back with my White blood count being a 6. They want me to be between 4-10. My platelets were low, which means bleeding can be a problem. I was aware of this already as I've had quite a few bloody noses. I have also been experiencing a period that just won't end. My red blood count was 119,000. The low end of normal is 140,000. So I'm lower than the low. I could tell my red blood count was down as I've felt really tired and have been taking naps almost daily. They expect my red blood count to continue on a down hill trend, which means I'll be more tired after each treatment. If my count gets as low as 30,000 then they'll intervene and do a blood transfusion. I assume I can continue receiving normal chemo treatments until it reaches that point, but I didn't ask to make sure.
As for the period that isn't ending if it continues until Friday then I need to call in and they'll have me see an ob/gyn to see about getting help to have it stopped. For the bloody noses they want me to continue doing what I have been doing- putting Vaseline in my nose and using a humidifier at night. If I have a bloody nose that I can't get to stop then I need to call in and be seen.
After my appointment my Aunt and I went out and celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having Mexican food for lunch.

My next chemo appointment is May 15th at 8:30am. I hope I continue to gain my strength and energy in time for them to knock me down again :)

I love you all!