Friday, August 28, 2009
Update 8/28/09
I thought I would take a stab at updating Deb's blog because a lot has happened in the last couple of days. This last Wednesday Deb had a Mugga Resting test at Beaumont Hospital which is a test to see if the heart will stand up to Chemotherapy. As far as we know the results were good, no problem noted. Thursday Deb got up with extreme back pain which really effected her breathing, to the point I almost took her to Beaumont. As the day progressed the pain seem to lighten up a bit so we didn't go to the hospital. Friday AM the back pain was the same as Thursday morning, extremely hard to inhale. She was scheduled for a CAT scan Friday AM which she did. After the CAT scan we went to the plastic surgeons office to get the last drain bulb removed which made the day a really good one. All was going well until we got half way home. We got a phone call from Beaumont instructing us to return ASAP to the Emergeny area of Beaumont. The CAT scan picked up a blood clot in her right lung. She is now in the hospital and at this point we have been advised that she will be there for anywhere between 3 to 10 days depending on whether the clot desolves. This next Thursday she was scheduled to have a port installed in her chest to accommodate one years worth of Chemo. That has now been pushed out for a couple of weeks. Because of the blood thinners that she will now be on, when it comes time for the port to be installed, she will have to spend a week in the hospital. You know what they say, when you are having a bad day there is always someone having a worse one.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
August 26, 2009
Hi to everyone who's following my progress and recovery,
Well, maybe I'm a baby, but it's still very tough for me here. I am still in a good deal of pain and discomfort, I still move very slowly, and am still in bed an awful lot. My surgery was three weeks ago tomorrow now. I would have thought I'd have felt a bit better by now, and I do ... but I am far from on top of my game.
I had two doctor appointments on Monday of this week, one with my plastic surgeon (he is the one who is also managing my two drains), and one with the oncologist.
The plastic surgeon was able to remove one of my drains, THANK THE LORD, and he hopes to be able to remove the second one by the end of this week. They are terribly uncomfortable; I will be so glad to have them GONE. He also put the second "fill" into the tissue expander which was implanted during surgery. This second fill was difficult. Though I am still in pain, I also experience a very large area of numbness in my chest, right side, and right arm. The nurse doing the fill asked me to let her know when I began to feel the fullness. But since I am numb, I couldn't feel it. Long story short, I just chose an arbitrary moment to tell her to stop, and I wish I'd opened my mouth sooner. I have been miserable ever since, due to the large amount of saline injected into the already-ucomfortable tissue expander. I am still very injured in that area, and to add that much fluid only made my discomfort more intense. I'll know next time ... I have a whole year ahead of me to "expand my tissue;" no need to make me look like Dolly Parton on my first visit! Yikes!
Meeting for the first time with the oncologist on Monday was yet another very scary day of anticipation for me, but we got through it. I now know so much more about what is ahead for me. I learned that I did NOT catch my cancer as soon as it could have been caught, and had I waited much longer, I would not have had the chance at life I have now. PRAISE GOD! Remember ladies, I found my lump via a self exam, so please, never EVER underestimate the importance of self exams! I was not due for another mammogram until October; had I waited until then, it would have been too late to save my life. My cancer was very aggressive and fast growing. This in itself shook me up so much, I have not been able to talk about it until today.
The oncologist said that since I caught it when I did, that my prognosis is "good." Because of the mastectomy, all the cancer is gone, except for the one tiny spot I spoke of in my last blog. The oncologist feels confident that with both chemo and radiation, that spot will be irradicated as well. I had three tumors, but the pathologist said that two of them were so close together, they counted them as one. Therefore, one tumor measured 6 cm; the other 5.5 cm. Both pretty large, which put me at a stage 3 cancer (there are only 4 stages).
My chemo will be aggressive. I will have 6 chemo treatments over the course of 4.5 months, one treatment every 3 weeks; each chemo treatment will last 3.5 hours. After chemo treatments end, I will still go back to the chemo clinic for 7.5 months of intraveneous treatment with a drug called "Herceptin," which is an antibody I will need, since my cancer was "HER-2." My understanding is that the Herceptin is an anti-estrogen drug to fight my being "estrogen-receptor positive," to bring down my estrogen levels and prevent a recurrance. The Herceptin treatments however, will only be 1.5 hours each, once every 3 weeks, and won't prevent my hair from regrowing, after losing it all during chemo.
Because my treatment will require many "pokes" in the veins, I am going to have a port implanted in my chest (another surgery, though minor compared to what I have been through) so that my veins won't be compromised with all the IV treatements I'll need. Surgery for the port will be Sept 3. Wish me luck ... again.
And, after all my treatments are through, I will be on a drug called "Arimidex" for 5 years; more insurance that I won't have a recurrance.
So, we are preparing for a very long year ahead. Today, I had a "MUGA" test on my heart, to make sure it is strong enough for the chemo drugs. On Friday, I will have a CAT scan, as well as a consult to discuss the particulars of the port that will be implanted next week.
There is a LOT to this. And my husband, Larry, remains by my side, patient and resolute. We are learning a lot about the "sickness and health" part of the marriage vows, and he is doing an exemplary job of upholding those vows and taking care of me. I don't know how I would manage without him.
And Larry is patient, too. This has been a very emotional situation for me. I cry at the drop of a hat, I am still so frightened, and still need tranquilizers to keep my nerves under control. Not only is this a physical challenge, it's an emotional one as well. Thank you for the prayers.
Of course, I am always so thankful and grateful for all the encouragement, emails, cards, gifts, thoughts, prayers, and comments here on my blog. I read each one over and over, and I meant it when I said they keep me going. My appreciation runs very deeply, and I hope someday, I will be able to thank each of you properly and personally. This is such a difficult journey for me though, and is very hard for me to talk about. Saying everything once on this blog makes it easier on me. I am glad I am able to keep everyone in the loop this way. And I am glad there are so many who care. What a blessing!
So once again, until next time, please know that I feel and appreciate your prayers and good wishes. The concern of all of you has been an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise that has sustained me and will continue to do so. Thank you to all of you!
Hugs and humble thanks,
Deb
Hi to everyone who's following my progress and recovery,
Well, maybe I'm a baby, but it's still very tough for me here. I am still in a good deal of pain and discomfort, I still move very slowly, and am still in bed an awful lot. My surgery was three weeks ago tomorrow now. I would have thought I'd have felt a bit better by now, and I do ... but I am far from on top of my game.
I had two doctor appointments on Monday of this week, one with my plastic surgeon (he is the one who is also managing my two drains), and one with the oncologist.
The plastic surgeon was able to remove one of my drains, THANK THE LORD, and he hopes to be able to remove the second one by the end of this week. They are terribly uncomfortable; I will be so glad to have them GONE. He also put the second "fill" into the tissue expander which was implanted during surgery. This second fill was difficult. Though I am still in pain, I also experience a very large area of numbness in my chest, right side, and right arm. The nurse doing the fill asked me to let her know when I began to feel the fullness. But since I am numb, I couldn't feel it. Long story short, I just chose an arbitrary moment to tell her to stop, and I wish I'd opened my mouth sooner. I have been miserable ever since, due to the large amount of saline injected into the already-ucomfortable tissue expander. I am still very injured in that area, and to add that much fluid only made my discomfort more intense. I'll know next time ... I have a whole year ahead of me to "expand my tissue;" no need to make me look like Dolly Parton on my first visit! Yikes!
Meeting for the first time with the oncologist on Monday was yet another very scary day of anticipation for me, but we got through it. I now know so much more about what is ahead for me. I learned that I did NOT catch my cancer as soon as it could have been caught, and had I waited much longer, I would not have had the chance at life I have now. PRAISE GOD! Remember ladies, I found my lump via a self exam, so please, never EVER underestimate the importance of self exams! I was not due for another mammogram until October; had I waited until then, it would have been too late to save my life. My cancer was very aggressive and fast growing. This in itself shook me up so much, I have not been able to talk about it until today.
The oncologist said that since I caught it when I did, that my prognosis is "good." Because of the mastectomy, all the cancer is gone, except for the one tiny spot I spoke of in my last blog. The oncologist feels confident that with both chemo and radiation, that spot will be irradicated as well. I had three tumors, but the pathologist said that two of them were so close together, they counted them as one. Therefore, one tumor measured 6 cm; the other 5.5 cm. Both pretty large, which put me at a stage 3 cancer (there are only 4 stages).
My chemo will be aggressive. I will have 6 chemo treatments over the course of 4.5 months, one treatment every 3 weeks; each chemo treatment will last 3.5 hours. After chemo treatments end, I will still go back to the chemo clinic for 7.5 months of intraveneous treatment with a drug called "Herceptin," which is an antibody I will need, since my cancer was "HER-2." My understanding is that the Herceptin is an anti-estrogen drug to fight my being "estrogen-receptor positive," to bring down my estrogen levels and prevent a recurrance. The Herceptin treatments however, will only be 1.5 hours each, once every 3 weeks, and won't prevent my hair from regrowing, after losing it all during chemo.
Because my treatment will require many "pokes" in the veins, I am going to have a port implanted in my chest (another surgery, though minor compared to what I have been through) so that my veins won't be compromised with all the IV treatements I'll need. Surgery for the port will be Sept 3. Wish me luck ... again.
And, after all my treatments are through, I will be on a drug called "Arimidex" for 5 years; more insurance that I won't have a recurrance.
So, we are preparing for a very long year ahead. Today, I had a "MUGA" test on my heart, to make sure it is strong enough for the chemo drugs. On Friday, I will have a CAT scan, as well as a consult to discuss the particulars of the port that will be implanted next week.
There is a LOT to this. And my husband, Larry, remains by my side, patient and resolute. We are learning a lot about the "sickness and health" part of the marriage vows, and he is doing an exemplary job of upholding those vows and taking care of me. I don't know how I would manage without him.
And Larry is patient, too. This has been a very emotional situation for me. I cry at the drop of a hat, I am still so frightened, and still need tranquilizers to keep my nerves under control. Not only is this a physical challenge, it's an emotional one as well. Thank you for the prayers.
Of course, I am always so thankful and grateful for all the encouragement, emails, cards, gifts, thoughts, prayers, and comments here on my blog. I read each one over and over, and I meant it when I said they keep me going. My appreciation runs very deeply, and I hope someday, I will be able to thank each of you properly and personally. This is such a difficult journey for me though, and is very hard for me to talk about. Saying everything once on this blog makes it easier on me. I am glad I am able to keep everyone in the loop this way. And I am glad there are so many who care. What a blessing!
So once again, until next time, please know that I feel and appreciate your prayers and good wishes. The concern of all of you has been an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise that has sustained me and will continue to do so. Thank you to all of you!
Hugs and humble thanks,
Deb
Saturday, August 22, 2009
My Turn to Wear the Pink Ribbon
Hello everyone,
Since my breast cancer diagnosis and the surgery that followed, the outpouring of love and support for me and my family has been humbling and so heartwarming! I never knew so many people cared about me and what I was going through. There will never be an adequate way to express my deep and heartfelt thanks for all the love, support and prayers from all of you. From the depths of my heart, THANK YOU ALL.
It has now been 17 days since my mastectomy. I am still very weak, I tire easily, and it's difficult to get around, I still experience significant pain and discomfort, and of course, I am scared out of my wits. It's been hard to manage my emotions too; the change in my appearance has been difficult to accept. I am still in bed a good bit of the time, I have very limited use of my right side as yet, and I still have two drains inserted to drain fluids and excess blood. (Not much of a walk in the park so far.)
I have had numerous emails inquiring as to my conditon, but with my right side being as it is, as well as considering how easily I tire, I have been unable to answer each and every one, as much as I would like to. And ... there's an emotional side to this for me too. This all happened to me so fast, I have hardly had a chance to absorb it all and wrap my mind around it. Thus, it has been very, VERY hard to speak with anyone about what I have been through, except for very few. I do speak occasionally to other breast cancer survivors, to whom I don't have to re-live my experience, because they've been there. For the most part though, I am not yet up to talking about my experience in person; as much as I would like to be. I'm just not yet up to visitors.
Therefore, I created this "blog" (a new concept to me) in order to keep all who are interested in my progress informed as to how things are going. And your interest touches me deeply and warms my heart.
All this said, I am asking for your understanding in that I have not properly thanked each and every one of you personally for your inquiries, gifts, cards, tokens, words of encouragement and support, and most of all, your prayers. I FEEL THEM, and THEY GIVE ME STRENGTH. Please don't stop praying and encouraging -- it is what keeps me going! My having a positive outlook is what is going to help me beat this. Thank you SO MUCH!
Going forward, I'll try to post my progress here as my treatment proceeds, and try to let you know how I'm doing. And I will do my best to keep the details of my progress current. It will also serve as a way for me to journal the path of my journey, in the hope that one day, I can look back and see how far I've come! So, check in from time to time if you like. I would love to read your comments if you feel inclined to leave them, as I consider all of you my cheerleaders, and envision all of you wearing the "pink ribbon" on my behalf, as well as for so many other women like me!
At this point, I need to offer a special thanks to those who've been by my side since this ordeal began: my sister Brenda, who was at my side not only at the hospital, but when I got home as well, as were my dear sons, Mark and David, who keep me going. And my very special husband, Larry, who is my primary caregiver. He cooks, cleans, sets his alarm at various intervals through the night to give me my meds, he helps me shower and dress, drives me to every doctor appointment, waits on me hand and foot. and has been here for me 24/7. My appreciation for his devotion is beyond measure.
From now on, my blogs will likely be shorter and more concise. Thank you all for reading this very first blog, and I look forward to posting regular updates to all my beloved "cheerleaders!"
My sincere love and thanks to each and every one of you, and I truly mean that.
Till next time,
Deb
Since my breast cancer diagnosis and the surgery that followed, the outpouring of love and support for me and my family has been humbling and so heartwarming! I never knew so many people cared about me and what I was going through. There will never be an adequate way to express my deep and heartfelt thanks for all the love, support and prayers from all of you. From the depths of my heart, THANK YOU ALL.
It has now been 17 days since my mastectomy. I am still very weak, I tire easily, and it's difficult to get around, I still experience significant pain and discomfort, and of course, I am scared out of my wits. It's been hard to manage my emotions too; the change in my appearance has been difficult to accept. I am still in bed a good bit of the time, I have very limited use of my right side as yet, and I still have two drains inserted to drain fluids and excess blood. (Not much of a walk in the park so far.)
I have had numerous emails inquiring as to my conditon, but with my right side being as it is, as well as considering how easily I tire, I have been unable to answer each and every one, as much as I would like to. And ... there's an emotional side to this for me too. This all happened to me so fast, I have hardly had a chance to absorb it all and wrap my mind around it. Thus, it has been very, VERY hard to speak with anyone about what I have been through, except for very few. I do speak occasionally to other breast cancer survivors, to whom I don't have to re-live my experience, because they've been there. For the most part though, I am not yet up to talking about my experience in person; as much as I would like to be. I'm just not yet up to visitors.
Therefore, I created this "blog" (a new concept to me) in order to keep all who are interested in my progress informed as to how things are going. And your interest touches me deeply and warms my heart.
All this said, I am asking for your understanding in that I have not properly thanked each and every one of you personally for your inquiries, gifts, cards, tokens, words of encouragement and support, and most of all, your prayers. I FEEL THEM, and THEY GIVE ME STRENGTH. Please don't stop praying and encouraging -- it is what keeps me going! My having a positive outlook is what is going to help me beat this. Thank you SO MUCH!
Going forward, I'll try to post my progress here as my treatment proceeds, and try to let you know how I'm doing. And I will do my best to keep the details of my progress current. It will also serve as a way for me to journal the path of my journey, in the hope that one day, I can look back and see how far I've come! So, check in from time to time if you like. I would love to read your comments if you feel inclined to leave them, as I consider all of you my cheerleaders, and envision all of you wearing the "pink ribbon" on my behalf, as well as for so many other women like me!
At this point, I need to offer a special thanks to those who've been by my side since this ordeal began: my sister Brenda, who was at my side not only at the hospital, but when I got home as well, as were my dear sons, Mark and David, who keep me going. And my very special husband, Larry, who is my primary caregiver. He cooks, cleans, sets his alarm at various intervals through the night to give me my meds, he helps me shower and dress, drives me to every doctor appointment, waits on me hand and foot. and has been here for me 24/7. My appreciation for his devotion is beyond measure.
From now on, my blogs will likely be shorter and more concise. Thank you all for reading this very first blog, and I look forward to posting regular updates to all my beloved "cheerleaders!"
My sincere love and thanks to each and every one of you, and I truly mean that.
Till next time,
Deb
Friday, August 21, 2009
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