HI All!
Well, last Thursday was a very long but cloud-lifting day for us. We had 4 appts so we were in Columbus for a long time and it started with a wig fitting. The first step is looking thru catalogs to find the style that you want, then select the hair color. I picked out several styles that are close to how I used to wear my hair (pre AN surgeries), but of course, none of them come in my color which is black with some gray starting to come in. The boutique carries many in stock and luckily, most of mine were there to try on, but none of my picks had a hair color remotely close to what will be needed for me. So, the first wig came out of the box....My daughter and I had the biggest laugh when this very nice woman put it on my head! She flopped a mass of white hair on my head and before she tossled it to get it into the style it was intended, I looked like Martha Washington!! That was a great start to the day. We finally ended up selecting 3 possibles, so we go back next week to narrow it down - she was kind enough to order them in the hair color I wanted so we can better tell what I should get.
Physical therapy was next and I now know what exercises to do to regain full motion in my arm while minimizing a start of lymphedema. I can start the exercises tomorrow and I can't wait!
3rd appt was fabulous - got the last of the 3 drain tubes removed!! Yay!!!
Last but not least was my first visit to the oncologist - we were with her and her nurse practioner for 2 hours, and I loved them both. My husband and daughter were there with me, too, so we all heard about the journey ahead. Here's the plan:
Chemo begins on March 4. I will have infusions every 2 weeks. The first 2 months will be a combo of drugs that does have the nausea/vomiting potential side effect (and hair loss), but with anti nausea drugs, they said I should do just fine. (fingers crossed...I hate to puke!) Hair loss will be within the first 2 weeks, so the length of anticipation time will be small. My neighbor across the street is a barber and is ready to lend a hand when I say the word (he knows the drill because his wife is battling ovarian and uterine cancer). The last two months of chemo will be a different drug that does not cause nausea/vomiting - and it is possible that hair can start to come back during this time. I will have to give myself injections every 2 weeks throughout treatment that will spur the development of new white blood cells.
Only about 3% of their patients have to delay the frequency of treatments due to side effects, so that's a pretty good track record.
Then, once chemo is over, I'll start radiation. I didn't ask how many treatments - I figured I would cross that boat when we get a bit closer.
Because of the advanced stage and lymph node involvement, there is a higher risk that the cancer is elsewhere, too. But, it's not a guarantee. And, if it is, the treatment plan will be exactly the same because is tailored for my specific type of cancer...lobular breast cancer, estrogen/progesterone receptor positive. If, later, we find that the cancer has spread, we'll cross that road and deal with it accordingly. I am having an adominable catscan due to some current symptoms that are concerning to me, but the oncologist says it does not sound like cancer at all. (fingers crossed, please!!!) I asked about a PET scan (full body catscan that can detect the presence of cancer anywhere and very expensive), but the oncologist reiterated that no matter what the results, the treatment will be the same...and if down the road, I have symptoms that lead us that direction, we'll deal with it then. Her opinion is that if we deal with what we know for certain in an aggressive and targeted manner, that is best. It could very well be that if there is cancer elsewhere when we begin, it will be dealt with also during the original treatment plan. And, as I already knew, she told me that if cancer is elsewhere, I have stage 4 cancer, which is incurable...and I will live with cancer, dealing with what I can to maintain a high quality of life for as long as I can. If it is not anywhere else, it can be cured. I really like the latter, don't you?!
We all really like this oncology team and feel we are in very capable hands. After we left her office at 7:00pm that evening, we were tired, a bit giddy, and felt like an enormous cloud had been lifted. Having a plan of attack is very calming...as all of us in the AN world know very well!!!
Oh, and speaking of the AN...the staph infection seems to be disappearing. The healing incision has never looked better and I have 2 1/2 weeks left of IV antibiotics. The end date for them is 3/3 - one day before chemo begins. They will give my 1st chemo treatment through this line and then it will removed for good afterward. Before my next chemo treatment, my surgeon will put in a port that will be under the skin and much easier to deal with.
So, (for anyone who is still reading this very long post!!!), all is in order. I'm in good spirits, I have a few weeks to get my house in order (literally and figuratively), and to get my library of movies ready!! Once again, I have surrounded myself with a great team of medical professionals, and I have the best of the best support team at home and in cyberspace...thanks to all of you!!!!
I'll keep you all posted, as always, and thank you for your prayers, laughs, and kind words for me and my family.
Kathy
