I AM TIRED!

This is a very strange experience. I have never had so many different kinds of drugs in me. I wouldn't ever take sudafed for a head cold because I hated the way it made me feel & now look at me - (a glass of wine is another story.)

Anyway, I am holding my own. Haven't been sick...just feel dizzy at times and the car ride to get my white cell booster shot was a wee bit too long. I was ready to get back home to my comfy bed.

Jack is off with the Swanson family at the NU basketball game and Ava is having an overnight at Grandma & Grandpa Teig's! WOW! this would be a perfect date night for me...too bad I will be sleeping in about an hour and a half.

Blessings to you all!

~K

First one down

I survived - it was very easy.
We will see what the weekend brings...tomorrow I go back for a shot to boost my white blood cells.
More later.
~K

Port is in!

It wasn't too bad.
I think he used a chisel and hammer to place it - and now I can't lift either arm above my head. I am sure range of motion will come back...someday. I went to bed last night at 4:00 pm. I am at work today - feeling groovy - more good pain meds! Don't worry I hitched a ride with my co-worker Denise.

More tomorrow night or Friday about the chemo.

~K

Here We Go!

Today is the day for the port surgery.
I have been told by some it is not big deal and others that it is very painful. I guess y'all had better check with me tomorrow and I will let you know!

I will be home this afternoon after surgery. Tomorrow and Thursday morning I plan to work and Thursday afternoon I start chemo.

This is it - after Thursday I will know what it feels like have chemo.

I have SHORT hair - Jack tells me I look like a boy.

Stay tuned...I will update again soon!

As Always -
Thanks for the positive thoughts - please keep them coming

~K

It's a Go for the Chemo

Dr. Duven gave me the ok to start chemo on Jan 29.
The drugs I will receive will be
Adriamycin & Cytoxan
I will have these every other week for 8 weeks.
Then I will have Taxol for 12 weeks and after that start the Herceptin which I will have for a year.
My port will be in for the entire year - however, I am told my hair will start growing back after the 20 weeks of the first 3 drugs.
After the chemo I will have radiation - which I haven't received the details on yet.
If my results for the breast cancer gene test come back positive it has been recommended that I have a double mastectomy and hysterectomy and I would not have radiation. I do not expect to have the results of that test for a month or two - so that decision will be down the road.

I got the drainage tube taken out yesterday - what a great feeling!

Keep the positive thoughts coming for little or no side effects from the chemo & for a negative result on the breast cancer gene test!

I will let you know how surgery goes next Tuesday!

~K

Whoo Hoo!

Great News - The cancer has not spread!
We are moving on to the next step - port placement and starting chemo on Friday, January 29 (if Dr. Duven gives the ok.)

I am walking on air!
So very thankful that my cancer was caught early - was removed and now we are going to zap any remaining unwanted guests (if there are any) and be done with it all!

I will still have some decisions to make regarding the BRAC1 BRAC2 - but that will be a few months down the road.

It is one month to the day from the mammogram - bad news in December - but, good news for January and the future!

Love to you all!
~K

Testing, testing 1,2,3...

Back to reality - I returned from my yearly trip to the CASE Conference yesterday. It was nice to get away and always nice to be back. I am moving forward with all the tests tomorrow. I will head back to ADI for a brain CAT scan and a PET scan in the morning (I am looking forward to the nap - as I have to sit still and be quiet for over 90 minutes for the PET scat). Then later tomorrow afternoon I will head over to Allen Hospital for my Echo Cardiogram. After all that fun stuff I get to go to my first class of the semester for grad school (classes actually started Monday eve - but I was in St. Louis).

I am hopeful that the scans will give me positive news - and that I will be able to begin chemo in February. I am healing very well from the surgery - so nothing should delay my start at this point. I have an appointment on Jan 26 for the port placement. Dr. Duven says I can place it pretty much anywhere I want - so I am going to go put on my bikini and draw an X where I want it - so no one will know I have a port scar when I frolic on the beach this summer.

Thank you all for the constant support, cards, cookies and calls. I feel very fortunate to have the love and understanding of all of you who care so much.

More later...
~K

Dr. Singh (My Oncologist)

I was able to see the Oncologist for the first time today (he used to live next door to my Aunt Nadene & Uncle Gary) so I got in sooner than Jan 19! Hurray! The news was ok...not all good news - not all bad news. He has ordered the PET scan, a brain CT scan and an echo cardiogram. I already have the echo cardiogram scheduled for next Thursday at Allen and have asked for Miranda at ADI to do the other two tests. These tests will let me know if the cancer has spread. One negative to my cancer is that it tested abnormal for HER2 - which has to do with my receptors and cells...it is a negative factor for Dr. Singh's computer statistics - however, they have a new drug that will increase my survival rate. There is also the fact that I could carry the breast cancer gene (this is the BRAC1 BRAC2 that you hear about in the news.) Down the road if I decide to do the genetic testing this could impact my health if I am positive - but we are not going to concentrate on that now.

Dr. Singh recommends having a port put in for my chemo treatments (I have heard good & bad about ports.) These treatments will start when I am healed from my surgery (Dr. Duven will give the ok). I will have 4 heavy duty chemo treatments - they will be every other week for 8 weeks with IV bags/2hr sessions. Then it gets a bit easier for the next 12 weeks with chemo shots. Then following chemo I will have radiation.

So -
Positive thoughts for the scans that I will be having and that I will heal well from my surgery and possible port placement.

~K

Stage 2a

Happy Monday!

I spoke with Nikki at Dr. Duven's office this morning to get the scoop on my pathology reports. They tell me I have Stage 2a cancer. Basically - out of the 4 nodes that were taken at the start of the surgery - 1 tested positive. Dr. Duven then took the rest in that line and one out of the 12 that he took tested positive. So - 2 out of 16. Nikki says those are pretty good odds. She can't give me a 100% guarantee that the cancer hasn't spread - but odds are in my favor. I need to have the scans ordered by the oncologist to know for sure. I am healing well - actually back at work this morning. I stopped the vicodin in order to drive Jack and Ava to school - that medication sure did take the edge off of the discomfort! I will see how long I last today...Nikki wanted me to go back home and rest and that just might be what I do!

Now I have to wait...wish I could see the oncologist today!
Let's get this party started!

Health & Happiness to you all!

~K

Happy New Year - I have Clean Margins!

The call came from super nurse Nikki yesterday that Dr. Duven was able to remove the tumor and the margins were clean. NO MORE SURGERY! I was asleep when the call came in - so the news on the nodes got lost in translation (Travis took the call). I believe that the report is - out of the 14 nodes that were taken 2 tested positive. My guess is that they were the first two in the chain. I won't be able to talk to someone in Dr. Duven's office until Monday.

This is very good news - as I need to recover and heal from the surgery before I can start radiation and chemo.

Keep the positive thoughts coming my way...I have started down the road to recovery - but the road is a long one.

Happy New Year to all of you wonderful people in my life that give me strength and encouragement.

~K