The Journey so far - Photos

This is the day of surgery- amazing how the kid ( and by that I mean Tara)  can get you to take a picture in the recovery room!  LOL  - showing off the lovely blue tube top that I got to wear.

This is one of the pictures that Andre took of me - the pre chemo hair do!  Not too sure if I will be sharing any of the bald head ones,  only time will tell!

Tanya insisted that this one picture be included!  She likes the hollow cheek look I think! 

First day of Chemo - And look - they want me to do the cooking!  Actually these are the ice mitts that I get to wear during my treatment to protect my fingernails from discolouring and splitting and falling off.  Cold hands - warm heart?

Today, Sunday - I am feeling ok, just very sore joints and legs.  I am tired but doing really ok.  Hoping for a good tomorrow as I have to go to work and get a flu shot.

Now here is a weird question!

I have been approached by many people this month asking me the following question, or some variation of it:
"Would you like to support breast cancer by buying my cookies?"
And here is the response I would like to give:
"I MOST certainly DO NOT support Breast Cancer!!!  There is no part of my being that thinks that Breast Cancer should be supported!!!" 
Of course I would have to quickly follow that up with,  "I WILL SUPPORT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH"

That is what I wanted to say.  Here is what I have said, while smiling.  "I would love to buy your cookies! As a matter of fact I will take two, you see, I have breast cancer and am happy to help you raise funds."

And that my dear friends, ends my rant on the support of Breast Cancer!

The Storm thus far....

Ok, it is Tuesday - yesterday Peggy had her surgery.  Surgery went well.  One lymph node looked suspicious so it was removed and sent off for testing together with the rest of the removed stuff.  And now, we wait. She should be out of the hospital tomorrow or the day after.

Monday afternoon I attended Chemo School.  Tanya emailed me in the morning and asked if I was going to get an A.  I think that I did pretty good!  I am planning on acing all the exams!  Still have moments of feeling totally overwhelmed, but really now,  I think that is to expected!!!

Phil had his knee surgery today, and it appears that all went well.  He is expected to come home tomorrow.  This evening the whole family went to visit.  Tara had been there all afternoon.  Brian and I headed up after work.  Tanya, Andre, Warren and Xavier came and brought dinner for Tara, Brian and I.  Everyone had a short visit with Phil and then we all left him to sleep! 

Tomorrow should be an almost normal day around here.  Phil will be home relaxing and recuperating, Tara will be his caregiver for the day.

Thursday I start the first of my pre chemo drugs.  Getting a bit anxious about my appointment on Friday.  I will update you all later!

Make that a TYPHOON!!

What could be worse than a deluge you ask?  In my experience a typhoon!  A cyclone! Accompanied by whirlwinds and strong rain! 

Today I met with the Medical Oncologist, specializing in Breast Cancer.  After our discussion, I decided to go ahead with the recommended chemotherapy.  He told me that there would be few steps before the first treatment.  Chemo School, blood test, get some prescriptions filled.  I thought that would take a few weeks. 

WAS I WRONG!!  Chemo School is full next week, so I will be having a private lesson on Monday -- yup -- that is what I said, MONDAY!  and the first treatment - FRIDAY!  yikes. 

Add this to what is already going on around here and the deluge is now a TYPHOON!!

It's a DELUGE!

The old saying is "when it rains, it pours".  Well in my house - it's a freaking DELUGE!!!!

As you may or may not know, Sept 15 I had surgery for breast cancer.  The surgery was successful!  Yahoo!

That very same day, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 3 Endometrial Cancer.  That was a shocker to say the least.

A couple of days later, I developed a post operative infection.  Got to spend the next 10 days going back and forth to the Outpatient clinic for IV antibiotics.

I got the results of my pathology - the cancer has not spread beyond the tumor, that is good news, there was no cancer in the lymph nodes, more good news!  Then came the small piece of bad news, my tumor was what is called Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  That is the one that does not respond to any hormone treatment. It is often treated with traditional chemotherapy.

Thursday October 20 I get to see the oncologist where I will learn what type of treatment they think will be the best attack on my cancer.  Radiation for sure, maybe chemo,  We will see.

While all this is going on,  Phil finally got a date for a knee surgery he has been waiting for, October 25.  Then my sister got her surgery date, October 24.  Yup that is just how we roll around here!

Oh yeah, and then my infection came back. At least this time I am on oral antibiotics. 

Then last night, Phil's face started to swell up.  He looked  a bit like Martin Short in that movie where his character was allergic to bees and got stung repeatedly!  So off to the hospital we went!  Spent 5 hours there to find out that he has a plugged saliva gland and needed to go home and suck a lemon (not a lemming, Tanya!).

Today - it happened again.  So off he went back to the hospital.  Now he has to suck a lemon, drink lots of water, apply heat and massage.  Hoping that this will not postpone his surgery.

So here is what I can expect in the near future:
Husband - Knee recuperation time 6-8 weeks, no driving for a good portion of it.  And now coping with the plugged duct
Sister - Radical Hysterectomy  - recuperation time 6-8 weeks and then treatment for cancer - radiation and possibly chemo
Myself - antibiotics for 6 more days, starting treatment to eradicate any left over cancer cells.

So there is my update!! IT'S A DELUGE!!!!!!  Anyone got a huge umbrella for all of us to hide under?