Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Chemo completion celebration!

And yes, I'm all done with chemo. Finally. Friday the 13th was my last treatment, complete with tears, hugs, a certificate and cookies. It doesn't seem possible that this journey started a mere 6ish months ago. Seems like forever, seems like yesterday.
After my treatment, lots of my wonderful supporters joined me for drinks and laughs at All Star Pizza, and we laughed it up til the wee hours of the morning. Many of you from far away sent me mesages you were having a drink in my honor that night, thank you too, I felt your love and toasts! The night wasn't complete without breakfast at IHop with my bestie Carissa! Thank you everyone who joined us in this journey, sending us support and love and prayers. I know I couldn't have gotten through it without the laughs. Thank you to all of you who let me approach this with my warped sense of humor and joined right in. I have said for years of dealing with Ethan ups and downs; if I didn't laugh every day, I'd spend every day crying. Well, this journey wasn't any different, and the laughter sure helped.
Thanks to those Rads who didn't let me put shitty work through-just because I had cancer....
Those of you who told me how I rocked a do-rag....
Those of you who always told me how great I looked, even though I know I didn't...
Those of you who said they were impressed with me coming to work during chemo that I still worked as hard as before I was sick.
I received some of the nicest compliments from people, and I will never forget them, or who said them. And those of you who called me your hero, I really don't feel like one, but thank you.
I'm saving a drunken post for "what NOT to say to people with Cancer" because it seems that even with all the wonderful things people said to me, there were still quite a few people who need some social tips on that.
My last dose of chemo was a doozy, had to have a blood transfusion the day before to ensure my labs were high enough to get my last one and not drag this on any longer. I also got some extra steroids to take after treatment to help with the bone pain, and even with both of those, I had a couple of really bad days when counts were at their lowest. I have been feeling pretty good the last two days, but how hard is it to just rest in beautiful Colorado and let your husband and Aunt do all the cooking for you?? I'm pretty spoiled, and I'm loving it!
We are in Colorado until the end of the month, thoroughly enjoying spending time with the Aunts and cousins and the nicer, cooler weather!! Once back in KC, it's back to work full time for me, and on my new shift-I can't wait!! I will see Dr Sheehan on the 2nd, get my port taken out on the 3rd if my labs are ok, then start Tamoxifen in late August. I will be following up with labwork every three months for the first year. The CA27.29 is the tumor marker they will watch, though it's not completely accurate, it's the best we have for breast cancer recurrence. But my prognosis is 95% cure at 5 years, and I'm pretty pleased with that.
I think I've found my plastic surgeon, and it's a woman! Once back in town, I will be calling to make my consultation appointment. There have been a few weeks of researching reconstruction that I was quite the emotional dishrag and pretty tearful. My scars are hideous, and I try to never look at them. And when looking at surgery options and possibly more scars, I lost it. Once I found this surgeon's bio, and a fellow survivor sent me an email about her personal experience with her, I knew I had found the doctor for me! I'm in no hurry for more surgery, but being done with chemo means moving forward to the next step, and new boobs!
But of course, what would our crazy lives be without a little added drama now that one step is done?? Ethan had his three month Cardiology appointment the day before we left town. Ethan got his EKG and echo, and then we waited for Dr Kaine to come and give us the results, fully expecting to be cut loose again, and maybe even being taken off his Lasix or Digixon. What is usually a thirty minute wait turned into an hour and fifteen minutes. That long a wait is NEVER good news in Cardiology clinic-or any clinic for that matter. Dr Kaine came in and stopped in his tracks. My do-rag threw him for a loop. So you can imagine once I told him what we have already been dealing with this year, how sad he was to tell me that that new pulmonary valve they put in last September is showing mild leakage already. Ahem. I sighed and smiled through my complete and utter shock, and he wiped a big tear from his cheek.
We will watch the leakage, and good news is that since he now truly has a donor valve, it should last a lot longer than his previous transannular patch with leaflet did. Since that one was supposed to last Ethan "well into his teens", and lasted 5 years, you can imagine my concern about already showing leakage at 10 months post-op. Oh, and Ethan is showing bradycardia, and a sinus arrhythmia on his EKG different from before. The bradycardia we knew about last year, and the arrhythmia appears to be 'an ok new normal for Ethan'. Whew. A new normal. Whatever would we do with just normal?? We did get to stop his Lasix for now, but he has to stay on his Digoxin. Woo-hoo. Did I say something earlier about laughing or I'll cry???
Oh well, a wise person told me things WILL get back to normal eventually, a NEW normal, but normal nonetheless. Nope, same old normal craziness here....
Did I mention my hair is growing back in? I will share a pic soon-it's hysterical looking.
In the meantime stay cool. I will post some pics from Dolls with Balls PINK Bingo we are attending here in Denver on Wednesday night. My cousin is the host, and I can't wait!
Love, hugs and normalcy.
whatever that might be....

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

7 of 8....done!!

Yep, treatment #7 was last Friday, and went well. My youngest sister Kate, and Hailey went with me. They decreased my dose significantly, and I must say, it has helped. I'm usually confined to bed on the Monday following treatment due to bone pain, and can barely make it to the cancer center to get my Neulasta shot. I'm beyond thrilled to report yesterday wasn't bad at all, and I even worked 8 hrs today. The 8 hrs of work damn near did me in, and I'm happily laying in bed with the kiddos right now debating what movie to watch and relishing the thought of all of us sleeping in tomorrow!
So 7 of 8 done, and #3 of 4 Taxol, leaving my last Taxol dose for Friday July 13th. Seriously. What was I thinking??? I know, I was thinking "get this last tx scheduled, done, and over with-the sooner the better!!!". So, party on the 13th-maybe a GNO-Chemo's Done Happy Hour?!?!?
At one point just a couple of weeks ago, I was ready to throw in the towel and be done. I was pretty sure I wouldn't and didn't want to live through another dose of Taxol. Aside from the pain, my abdomen is terribly bloated, and my face is rounder than ever from the steroids, my shingles came back, the fatigue is horrible, and really hard for a person in constant motion like me. I've felt like a terrible wife, mother, friend and co-worker. Oh, and did I mention the early menopause this is throwing me into accompanied by drenching night sweats and hot flashes?? Awesome, they are. Add to that the 100+ degree heat and our bedroom is above the garage, and gets full sun during the afternoon. To put it mildly, I've been kind of a cranky biotch. Who wants her life back.
So this biotch is taking her life back. One moment at a time.
We bought Hailey a car-which she can't drive without one of us for 2 more months, so I am enjoying tooling around in her cute little VW convertible, with the top down and so not having to worry about messing up my hair!! And I've even gotten brave enough to let her drive me on the highway!!
 
I had a date with Parker on his 13th birthday, and had a delicious lunch at Fuji-his choice!
Parker on his birth day!  7/2/1999
I got brave and sent food to school with Ethan so his amazing teacher Ms Kristi can work on "tastes" with him. And he LOVES the strawberry fruit strips, hits a switch to ask for MORE, and hasn't had an allergic reaction or aspiration pneumonia!
 
And Brian and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last week!
14 years ago.  love at first sight.
 
And those are the moments this biotch is not letting cancer take away from her!
In the meantime, I am going to be researching plastic surgeons for my reconstruction surgery, as I plan to start doing some consultations after the kids start school, and need recommendations-so send me the name of your favorite boob guy! Surgeon that is, not your husband! Board certified is a definite requirement!
Have a safe and Happy 4th of July tomorrow. Thank you to all of those who serve this wonderful country!