Surgery

Just an update for everyone. I am having surgery on the fifth of January at the Mayo clinic in Phoenix. I will be in the hospital for a week with two of the days in ICU. It is a pretty extensive and delicate surgery. I have a two month recov ery. Look for me to be climbing the walls. But after all is said and done I should be able to live my life pretty normally for a few years. I look forward to that.

Feeling Great

Just a quick note. I am feeling great!!! I have met with both the cancer surgeon and the reconstructive surgeon. l The surgery they think will be best for me has quite a long time recovery time. I should know in the next couple of weeks when my surgery is going to be. I am looking forward to a healthy holiday season and all my kids and grandkids coming for Christmas.

PROGRESS

So I went back to work yesterday and it went great. I felt good all day and was really tired last night but it was a good tired. I met with the surgeon on Monday and he wants to do surgery before the end of January.I meet with the Reconstrution surgeon this coming Monday. Then we will decide a date for surgery. They say my bone cancer is in remission and we are going to chop the rest out so I am on the mend. Thanks for all your support.

Been a Long Time

Well it has been a long time since I posted on the blog. I apologize. I really haven't had anything to say that I thought was significant since my last post until my recent hospital stay and then I couldn't post. I did give Tara posting rights so if this happens again she can update. So I will give a quick synopsis of what happened. Ever since my fourth Chemo I just haven't bounce back like normal. I was always tired and on any exertion I was short of breath. It just kept getting worse and worse. Well on the 26 th of October I was so short of breath I called and talked to my oncologist office and they had me come in to be assessed by the nurses because it was my doctors day off. They sent me next door to the hospital to have a CT scan to see if maybe I had a pulmonary embolism. It came back negative so I set an appointment for the next day to see my oncologist. The next morning it took me two and a half hours to get ready for work because I had to keep laying down I was so short of breath (should have been my first clue). Then when I did get to work I had to sit down in the lobby because I was so short of breath (should have been my second clue). Anyway way I stayed till one then went home and then went to my doctors office. When I got there I was coughing really badly and when they took my vitals my O@ sats where 84% ( they should be 100%). I walked around the office and they dropped to 65%. The doctor immediately put me in a wheelchair with oxygen and they took me next door to the ER where I was admitted. I stayed for one week. Had every test known to men. Had a Pulmonologist, Cardiologist, Oncologist, and Hospitalist all trying to figure out what happened but no answers. I got released this last Wednesday. I have to wear oxygen on activity but am fine when I am resting. I won't know the results of one of the tests till next week but not real hopeful it will tell us anything. My Oncologist said I don't have to have last chemo which does not hurt my feelings at all. I meet with the surgeon in two weeks. I think this is as updated as I can do for now. I will try to be better.

Great News

Tara is right we got great news from the doctor yesterday and it couldn't have come at a better time. I have been so sick and we found out yesterday I have pneumonia so that answers that but my doctor called about six last night and was so excited. He said that a lot of the cancer is gone and the other that is still there has shrunk a lot. He said it was better then he ever even imagined. He wants me to meet with the surgeon before I have anymore chemo treatments so I will call him on Monday and get an appointment. So a definite ray of sunshine on a day that was really needed.
Thanks everyone for all your support.

Tara's Post

So there's bad news, good news, and great news. The bad news is that my mom has pneumonia and that's why she's had such a hard time getting better from this chemo. The good news is that this means the next chemo will not be this bad (as long as she doesn't get pneumonia again). The great news is .... her PET scan results are in and the cancer is almost GONE!!! She can give you more details, but the bottom line is that the chemo is kicking cancer's butt!!!! Thank you everyone for all your prayers. Our family appreciates it so much and can feel your love.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

It has been a week since my last Chemo. The new wonderful drug that was supposed to help me only added a symptom but did not take away. I was not able to get out of bed because if I did I fell down. One time I got up to go to the bathroom and ended up on the floor next to the bed. That is where Kay found me. It was several days before I was able to sit upright. I will not do that drug again. I have not been able to go to work and that has been the most frustrating. I have a PET scan today to see what progress I am making. They inject me with a drug and I have to sit for over an hour perfectly still while the drug makes it's way through my system. Then I lay flat in a machine while it does a full body scan. Fun Huh. Sorry this post has been so negative. I am trying but it is getting to me. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Bouncing back

I haven't written for a long time so I thought I would update. This last chemo really took it out of me. Usually I am back in the swing of things within a week but not this time. I am still dragging and it has been over two weeks. I have chemo again on Wednesday. I hope the new nausea med helps and I am able to function better. But at least I am halfway done.

THREE DOWN THREE TO GO

This last round was interesting. I got sicker faster, harder, and longer. I talked to the doctors office and they are going to try a completely different anti nausea med next time so we will see how it goes. I did go back to work yesterday and as long as I stayed sitting down most of the time I was fine. I really enjoyed Kathy being there though. I was terrrible company though.

Another Treatment

Had chemo yesterday. The doctor said I was doing so well he upped the doses on all three chemos so we will see how that goes. I am going to work today. My big sis is coming tomorrow. Thanks for all the support. Nicholas went with me yesterday to chemo. That is sacrifice we were there for five hours.

Better in Some Ways

So this tme has been a little easier as far as the nausea goes so the medicine must be working. The problem this morning is I get really dizzy if I get up and walk or move very much and my heart starts racing then I feel like I am going to pass out. My head is busting open also but no nausea...

And So It Begins

I went walking this morning with Bev and my mom. I had to have Kay come pick me up. I have rested some so I am going to try and go to work. We will see how long that lasts. Love the Chemo.

Doctors Appointment

I went to see the oncologist today. Everything is fine. He gave me a different prescription for nausea so hopefully this will work a little better. Tomorrow is Chemo #2. Soooo excited. My mom is coming down on Wednesday so that will be nice to have her here to help. (Hopefully she will be bored and clean my kitchen cupboards.) Shhhh don't tell her I said that.

New Port

I got a port placed under my skin on Thursday. This means I won't have to be stuck with IV's anymore. It was a little painful for a few days because it was surgically placed in my muscle but it is getting better and they will be able to use it tomorrow.

IT'S ALL GONE

So Yesterday I came home from walking and told Kay to shave off he rest of my hair. It was so bad. It was patching all over and constantly coming out. It was easier to see me bald then to see me with all the patches. It's also the first time I could see the scar from my car accident. UGGGG

RESULTS FROM CHEMO

Well I haven't been able to write anything because I have been very sick the last several days. I have been nauseous, had serious heartburn, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and stiff neck. I kept thinking this would last only a couple of days and here we are on the fifth day. Well I have hope for tomorrow.

I had my first chemo treatment today. Everything went fine. I was there for about five hours but it shouldn't take that long the next times. I had a bad moment in my head for just a few minutes because I think it hit me that I really do have cancer because I am sitting in a room with 12 other people having chemotherapy. But the moment passed and I was fine. There were people there from young to old. At least there wasn't any children. I don't know if I could handle that. So I guess I wait and see how the side effects happen.

Mom's first chemo treatment is tomorrow, Friday at 1:00. She is so brave and doesn't seem to be nervous at all. The chemo room has tons of stuff to do like movies, video games, books, games, etc. She'll be there for about 4 hours, so I think we've decided to watch Avatar. Everyone pray that there are as few side effects as possible and that it KILLS that stupid cancer quick!!!

Love,

Tara

Today I saw a one of our ER doctor's in the hallway that I have become friends with and he asked me why I was at work. I asked him what he thought I should be doing and he asked me if I ever saw the movie The Bucket List. I looked at him and said I wasn't going to die. He basically told me I was. It was a little disconcerting. So when I met with the surgeon today I asked him if I was going to die.Basically he told me that I wasn't going to die anytime soon but my chances of making it much past five to ten years was slim. I am still processing that. From the time this all started I never thought I was going to die and I still don't think I will. I keep telling everyone I am a tough old broad so I guess it is time to prove it. I meet with my oncologist on Wednesday and then I should start Chemo on Thursday or Friday.

STAGE FOUR CANCER

Today the doctors office called and said my biopsy from my back is positive which means it has for sure metasticized. I am now in stage four cancer. The good news is I don't have to have any more tests for a while. I should probably start chemo next week. All your prayers are really appreciated. I can really use them.

NOT A GREAT DAY

So I got a call from Dr. Grays office today. They called to give me results of a couple of tests. First of all they confirmed that the lymph nodes are indeed cancerous which I already knew anyway. Then they said that the other mass in my breast is most likely cancer which just means that I don't have the option of a lumpectomy. She also said that there are some legions on my sternum that are much bigger then they were a month ago so that is a concern. I didn't even know I had legions on my sternum. It just keeps getting better and better.
After that I headed to Mayo for my bone biopsy. That was not a fun experience. My last bone biopsy was no big deal but this was a whole different experience. The doctor decided he just wanted to do this by local sedation so everytime he moved the needle deeper it would hurt so then he would give me more local sedation. This went on and on. I tried very hard to be strong but I have to admit that the tears did escape once in a while. It took a very long time and the doctor said it was the hardest one he had ever done but he did say he got an awesome sample so woohoo for that. Anyway tomorrow is another day.

So we just got back from our little mini vacation. It was great except I kept getting really tired. This is going to be a busy week. l am having a MRI at Mayo Clinic tomorrow to see if there is another tumor in my breast and then on Thursday I am going to Mayo again for another Bone biopsy. The radiologists there think there is a possibility so here we go again. I wish I could just start treatment and get on with it.

MEETING WITH THE SURGEON

So here we go another update. I met with the surgeon at Mayo Clinic today. His name is Dr. Richard Gray. I was so impressed with him. He spent over an hour with us answering all our questions and going over everything piece by piece. It was very helpful. He concurred with everything my oncologist has been doing. He also is very suspicious of the spine and requested that his radiologists look at all my films and determine whether I need another biopsy in the spine or not. Also I am going tomorrow to get another US of my breast. There is another spot that he wants to confirm whether or not it is malignant.The reason for this is if it is malignant then I will have to get a masectomy. If it is not then I can have the choice of a masectomy or a lumpectomy. So we will see. More tests, yeah. I must say it is getting exhausting. Dr. Cavalcant called tonight and told me that he was very excited that Dr. Gray is on the case. He said it will be good to have the teamwork. I truely believe I am in as good of hands as possible.

Okay so Jeremy was a little annoyed at the lack of information that I posted so I guess I will be more specific. So I had the MRI today and the liver was clear. One of the great things about working where I do is I can get most of the tests done and get the reports quickly. I talked to my oncologist tonight and he is still cautiously optimistic but is still concerned about the nodes in my chest cavity and he still is concerned with my spine.

So he talked to another radiologist today and was told that the nodes in my chest cavity are too small to biopsy so he wants to do another lumbar biopsy only this time do it on the L3. I believe that will happen on Monday. I think he is about ready to start me on Chemo I am guessing that will be next week. I am also meeting with a surgeon that works at Mayo Clinic on Monday mornning. So I will be able to have both opinions on what needs to happen. I am feeling much better now and more optomistic. I must admit on from Monday till today I have not been as upbeat. So I think that is all the details now. I should talk to the oncologist tomorrow and find out for sure the plan.

LIVER CLEAR, YEAH!!!!!!!

Yesterday I got the results back from my bone biopsy. It was negative. YEAH!!. My Oncologist is cautiously optimistic. Today I am getting a MRI of my liver. Then we will do another biopsy on the nodes in my chest wall. More tests but if they all come out negative it will be worth it.

Yesterday I had my bone biopsy. They gave me some serious sedation so I slept quite a bit. The radiologist that was going to do the procedure came and talked to me before hand and was pretty open about all of it. He thinks the cancer is also in my liver. He said it wouldn't change my prognosis or treatment. I should know by Wednesday what the result is. There is no good answer to this. If it is yes then the cancer has metastisized and I now become a Stage 4 if it is no then I have to have another bipsy in the chest wall. I gotta say it is starting to wear me out. Thank goodness work is being so supportive. Thanks to all of you also.

THE NEW ME

We went wig shopping yesterday and these are the two I narrowed it down to. Which do you think I should pick.

THE BAWDEN GIRLS

Last night I had a surprise visit from the Bawden girls. Tamra, Janae, Amber, Kelly, and Shanna. It was great. We laughed about the silliness we used to do and talked about fond memories of their mom Ginny, She was one of my closest friends who died seven years ago from Breast Cancer. Thanks girls for coming and making me laugh and making Kay laugh. We love you.

STILL NO ANSWERS

Did anyone know that there is a huge Roller Coaster in Mesa. I have discovered it or at least I think there is one because I have been on one heck of a roller coaster ride the last couple of weeks. Last night I was confident that I did not have cancer in my spine and now my oncologist thinks there might be after all and I might have it in my chest. So now I get to have more tests. The first test I am having is a biopsy in the Lumbar spine. I think it is going to be on Monday. So no definite answers yet again. Please keep us in your prayers.

I got more results from tests today and it looks like I have no cancer in my spine like we were worried about. I meet with the oncologist tomorrow and I am hoping to have a plan when I walk out of his office. Going wig shopping this weekend.

Tests and more tests

I met with my Oncologist today. I really liked him a lot and finally felt like we were getting somewhere. I have cancer in at least two places in my right breast. Several lymph nodes in my right under arm and now I might possible have it in my Lumbar spine. Today I am having a MRI of the spine, a PET scan which shows everything in the tissue, and a Bone scan which shows anything in the bones.The doctor wants to start me on Chemotherapy right away because he says the Lymph nodes are three times larger then they should be and he wants to shrink them some before the surgery. The surgery will definitely be a Masectomy. I will probably lose all my hair. Any requests for color or styles you would like to see me in. The only good part of this is when it is all over I will get reconstruction and have perky boobs for the rest of my life.

Cancer

I decided the best way to keep everyone informed about what is going on is to use the internet so I am going to post on this blog and for those on Facebook there will be a special facebook page.