Long Day!!

Well yesterday was a long one for me!!! Showers wear me out--which is really sad to say, but true. I needed one though. Had my post op appointment with the dr, and since I have not been able to use deodorant since surgery, I start smelling pretty quick! So that wore me out.

Then off to the drs office. Got the drains out--YEAH!! And he said I could start using deodorant again. He numbed around where the drains went in before he pulled them. I'm glad. It was a little uncomfortable, I can only imagine if I hadn't been numbed! One of them on the left was a little difficult to get out. I was sore in my upper chest afterwards. I am thinking that must be where the end of it was. I am SO glad I didn't know what the end of the drains looked like before he pulled!! They were a little bigger than I thought! He also took out half the staples. John was checking out the staples he pulled. I know he was curious as to what they looked like. He also gave us the path report--which had just come in that morning.

Right side (side I found lump on)--tumor size 2.1 cm, clear margins (meaning they got it all),stage 2B (I think it is automatically a 2 if tumor is over 2 cm.), Er/pr,her2 negative. This means it wasn't fed by hormones or proteins.

Left side-tumor size .9 cm, DCIS throughout (I was told this is precancerous, the very beginnings),clear margins, Stage 1, Er/pr negative, her2 positive (does feed off certain proteins).

Originally we thought both side were triple negative. I kind of wish it would have stayed that way.

I have to go back next Wednesday to get the rest of the staples out. He'll also write a prescription for a prosthesis then.

We had time before my oncs appointment, so John and I went and had some lunch. Then back to the Medical Center.

The dr said if you looked at each side separately, the left wouldn't warrant chemo on it's own. And the right would be arguable. But, because of my age, chemo is a safeguard. I will be doing 4 rounds of AC-a combo drug, names Adriamycin and Cytoxan. Then 4 rounds of Tax (Taxol). While doing the Tax, I will also start herceptin, the new cancer wonder drug for her2 positive folks. This I would not have had to take if I would have truly been triple negative on both sides. The herceptin lasts for a year (every 3 weeks). It supposedly doesn't really affect you. It is so targeted you don't have the normal chemo side effects. My hair will start growing back on it, and it doesn't affect how you heal, so I should be able to start reconstruction after I am done with the Tax. I will confirm this with my Plastic Surgeon on Friday. Puts treatment longer than I thought, but what can I do?? The AC and tax is what I will lose my hair on, and have the other typical symptoms with. The last Tax should be June 4 if I calculated right. I had the choice to do dose dense (DD)--every 2 weeks, or every 3 weeks. John and I talked about this, and I am going to start with the DD, if that doesn't work, I'll go to every 3 weeks. That puts me with the last Tax on August 13. I would rather get it done. I start all this on Feb. 26th. I could have started a week earlier, but since I don't know how I will react, I wanted to wait until after the girls' birthday. So, from what I have heard from others, approx. 15 days after that, the hair will start coming out. The nurse said she can write me a prescription for a cranial prosthesis!! Fancy name for a wig--but that is how you have to write it for insurance.

The nurse showed us around the chemo area after our appointment. It is in the drs office. She also gave us a lot of literature to read, as well as showed us a port. This is a device I will have implanted under my skin to make all the chemo and blood draws easier on me and my veins. I will have to talk to Dr. B. about this at my appt, next Wednesday. I hope that I do not have to be put out for it!!! Not up for that.

I was a little bummed out that chemo is going to take longer than I thought, because of the herceptin. But if it keeps me cancer free, it is worth it.

Then I had the Relay for Life kick off meeting. Luckily it was an open house. John and the girls came with to Ann's, then Ann and I went to the meeting. I met the wonderful lady I talked to last month about Dr. Semba. It was nice to meet her in person. Although, I have to admit I was pretty wore out by then. And a little sore.

John wanted me to try to sleep in the bed since the drains were out. I tried,I might have dosed off for an hour or so. But my sides had huge wads of gauze where the drain holes were, and that was like trying to sleep on something. Not quite as hard as a rock--but not comfortable! I ended up going back out to the recliner. I had to make some big movements to try and get comfy, and I kept waking John up.

I am tired today. I did a little running, emailed and called some people to let them know how things went. Now I need to sit down and relax!!