Well went to the radiation oncology yesterday to sign my paperwork that I understand what is going to happen during the treatment. So we are getting closer to the next to last step in treatment. One good thing is that I am going to have it a the brand new hospital. So everything is new. And the doctor told me I will be patient #1 to get the CT Scan and radiation in the brand new ultra updated machine. So that is kinda of cool. Hey I have to look at something as a postive in this craziness.
Well I get four new tattoos, not the kind I like to have but going to be another reminder of all the steps I am taking to make sure that I a live a long and health life.
So one of the long term effects of radiation is permanent tanning of the area that they give you radiation. So I think to myself wow now I am going to have left boob tan and right boob pastey white. LOL
Well my hair is starting to grow back, even on my legs. I actually have shave now every week or so now. Again another perk of chemo, not having to shave for a while. But as far as my hair on my head it is coming back rigt now. It is kinda of like a baby hair. So maybe I would have enough hair by christmas to not have to wear a hat.
Still feeling the after affects of chemo. I haven't had a visit from aunt flo since May. I guess you can say this is a perk, but the bad thing about not having aunt flo visit you get pre-menapause symptoms. Right now I am exhausted, because I don't sleep because I get night sweats. Well not only night sweats, but also hot flashes and start to sweat anywhere it comes on. The doctors have said that aunt flo may come back because of my age. But I won't mind if it didn't, but if it does tht only means that I have to go through these symptoms when I get to the age that is is suppose to stop. Well that sucks.
This morning I was watching the news and they story about the little boy leaving his football game because his coach told him he couldn't wear his pink gloves. That hit home and I got very emotional. I was fortunate enough be involved in a great organization that is looking forward to wearing pink as well as participated last season in a date dedicated to breast cancer awareness. I just think some people are ignore. I am not sure how I would react to a grown man being that ignore to what is happening in his players lives.
Well I am going to try and get some sleep but October 3rd I get my scan and then a few days later I will start 5-1/2 weeks of radiation therapy. Keep sending good throughts and prayers we are almost through it.
Jenn
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Last Chemo Treatment
Well I know I haven't written in a while. Just have been so busy living life. That is right people I won't let having cancer stop me from being me and living life. Tomorrow is my last chemo treatment. Funny it seems like it went so fast just like summer does. I am very glad to be done just one more weekend of feeling like crap after the chemo drugs are in my system. Bad new is that I do have to do radiation. Not to happy about it, but the radiation oncology feels that it is the best thing to do again as preventative care. She said why would be make sure we killed any cancer cells in your blood stream with chemo and not make sure we go after anything that may been unlying in the skin that has been left from the mastosmcy. And yes I could have said no I don't want it, but I have come this far I am going to make sure that I take every precaution that we got all of the cancer. Even though Dr. Levy feels that she got all of the cancer with the surgery we still have to make sure it is gone for good. I get to recover from Chemo and have to get one more fill in the Foobs before we start radiation. And since the hospital is moving, I will have to wait until October to start radiation. So I get either 5 or 6 weeks of radiation ( yes people it is an every day thing)! UGH!! But again it is what the doctor's feel is the best. And then I have to wait 3 months to recover from the radiation to get the permanent implants put in. So that puts us at March so almost 1 year from the initial surgery I will be foob free and have new perk BOOBS! And the best part will be that they will be cancer free.
My hair has started to come back, slowly but it is still coming back. I have read that usually by about 4 months after chemo stops you have a boys hair do that you can stop wearing your hats. So that means for my 40th birthday I will have hair. Love that present. :)
I am looking forward to calling the surgeon who put my port in and see when I can get that taken out. I really can't wait for that day. I hate the way it looks and it hurts. Out of the pain that I have went through that pain has been one of the worst.
Well my since my Foob filled on Monday they are also becoming a little uncomfortable, because they have to be filled larger than my actual implants to make sure there is enough room for the radiation scarring to happen. As Dr. DiBello has filled them they have become a little more oblong than round and I have part of the foob under my left underarm (Kathy Dr DiBello's assistant did tell me he would fix that at implant surgery time), but it is uncontrol. And it isn't like I can just push it over or hold it in place with a bra. Oh yea I haven't needed to wear a bra since March. So I guess that is one good thing about having this whole procedure done. They don't move. :)
Well keep your prayers and thoughts coming they really do mean a lot. Hope everyone had a great 4th. We just chilled at home and enjoyed the down time.
Jenn
My hair has started to come back, slowly but it is still coming back. I have read that usually by about 4 months after chemo stops you have a boys hair do that you can stop wearing your hats. So that means for my 40th birthday I will have hair. Love that present. :)
I am looking forward to calling the surgeon who put my port in and see when I can get that taken out. I really can't wait for that day. I hate the way it looks and it hurts. Out of the pain that I have went through that pain has been one of the worst.
Well my since my Foob filled on Monday they are also becoming a little uncomfortable, because they have to be filled larger than my actual implants to make sure there is enough room for the radiation scarring to happen. As Dr. DiBello has filled them they have become a little more oblong than round and I have part of the foob under my left underarm (Kathy Dr DiBello's assistant did tell me he would fix that at implant surgery time), but it is uncontrol. And it isn't like I can just push it over or hold it in place with a bra. Oh yea I haven't needed to wear a bra since March. So I guess that is one good thing about having this whole procedure done. They don't move. :)
Well keep your prayers and thoughts coming they really do mean a lot. Hope everyone had a great 4th. We just chilled at home and enjoyed the down time.
Jenn
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
2 down 2 to go
Ok mom told me that I was lacking in my communications lately. Just been either busy or sleeping trying to get through the treatments. So far so good. Have had two treatments and the first two treatments went ok. The weekend after my treatments have been rough but I have been able to get through them. By Monday I start to feel normal again with just feeling tired but able to push through.
My hair started to fall out on day 17 after my first treatment so I texted my girlfriend and asked her to shave it. It felt much better than just waiting for it to fall out like hairballs. I do have a sampling of wigs, but I have chose to just wear my hat most of the time. The wig bands just itch too much. My hats don't look too bad. I still have some peach fuss but it is slowing coming out. I am thinking by week two of this treatment I will not having anything. I just hate looking like a cancer patient now. I know I have been a cancer patient since December but it never showed. I never felt sick. Now I have both. UGH!!! Oh well it is just a sign that I am fighting the cancer and winning. The hair will come back.
Oh there is a little update. I will write more as we go into the 3rd treatment.
Thanks again for all the postive thoughts and prayers. They are truly working.
Love you
Jenn
My hair started to fall out on day 17 after my first treatment so I texted my girlfriend and asked her to shave it. It felt much better than just waiting for it to fall out like hairballs. I do have a sampling of wigs, but I have chose to just wear my hat most of the time. The wig bands just itch too much. My hats don't look too bad. I still have some peach fuss but it is slowing coming out. I am thinking by week two of this treatment I will not having anything. I just hate looking like a cancer patient now. I know I have been a cancer patient since December but it never showed. I never felt sick. Now I have both. UGH!!! Oh well it is just a sign that I am fighting the cancer and winning. The hair will come back.
Oh there is a little update. I will write more as we go into the 3rd treatment.
Thanks again for all the postive thoughts and prayers. They are truly working.
Love you
Jenn
Sunday, May 6, 2012
4 days down
Wow I thought I was going to be ok but last night was really difficult. They said after all of the pre drugs that they give you start to wear off you could feel like you had the flu and start to feel the effects of the chemo drugs. I was feeling ok up until last night. Tired but nothing I couldn't deal with just relaxing and taking a nap here and there. Still feeling that way. Hoping that I can make it through a work day tomorrow. Well shall see. If not I will just come home and relax. Work has been so wonderful working with me through this.
Well I have never had the flu but yesterday night definately felt that way. Chills, sweats just plain old feeling shit. But went to bed and woke up this morning feeling a lot better. I am hoping that was the worst of this for this treatment. Funny people say that you might want to eat. I am having the totally opposite effect. I want to eat everything. Making sure that I am drinking too.
So now we just wait until the rest of the effects start. Maybe maybe not. Time will tell.
Just a small update on how I made it so far.
TTYL
Jenn
Well I have never had the flu but yesterday night definately felt that way. Chills, sweats just plain old feeling shit. But went to bed and woke up this morning feeling a lot better. I am hoping that was the worst of this for this treatment. Funny people say that you might want to eat. I am having the totally opposite effect. I want to eat everything. Making sure that I am drinking too.
So now we just wait until the rest of the effects start. Maybe maybe not. Time will tell.
Just a small update on how I made it so far.
TTYL
Jenn
Friday, May 4, 2012
First Chemo Treatment
Ok I survived my first chemo treatment. It was rather easy. Show up talk briefly to the doctor and then find a chair and wait for them to hook you up many bags of drugs. They first hook up the anti nause meds and then the bendryl and then you get another bag of anti nause meds and then the give you the chemo drugs. I am doing a cocktail of T/C. It wasn't so bad except that they come at you with this really big needle and stick it into your port. Wow it hurt. Thank goodness I only have to do that three more times. So you sit there and just wait while the drugs go into your system. You don't feel anything. The nurse said that I did very well. And shouldn't have any problem. No allegeric reactions at all. She was very impressed. Funny thing is that we were talking and I told her about my Gastric Bypass Surgery and that I had lost 145 lbs and mom showed her the progression photo and she couldn't believe it was me. She even said that the last phone I might have been too thin. I only was 5 lbs from where I currently am.
So today we had to go back and get a white blood cells booster shots. And that really hurt too. But again it is all doing what is necessary to make the side effects less. Right now I don't have any side effects accept that I am a little tired. I can't even say I am tired just feel sluggish. Was definately a good idea taking off today and resting. I have spent the day relaxing on the couch. Taking cat naps here and there but physically feeling ok. I have been able to eat and keeping hydrated.
In two weeks we go back and have my counts looked and and then May 24th, we go an have our second treatment. One down, three to go. So far so good.
I am all ready got my wig and lots of hats. They did say most likely in the next two weeks the hair will start to fall out. Well hell watch out hair cuttery because as soon as I have the first signs, here we come get the clippers out. Rocking the wigs. Oh yea and the last fill of the foobs wasn't that bad but we are getting up there with the cc's and this time I am having more discomfort with regards to the stretching of the muscles. I guess this is my body telling me that we are almost there too.
Well there is the update so far.
TTYL
Again thank you everyone for the prayers and good thoughts we are almost at the end the finish line is coming closer! :)
Jenn
So today we had to go back and get a white blood cells booster shots. And that really hurt too. But again it is all doing what is necessary to make the side effects less. Right now I don't have any side effects accept that I am a little tired. I can't even say I am tired just feel sluggish. Was definately a good idea taking off today and resting. I have spent the day relaxing on the couch. Taking cat naps here and there but physically feeling ok. I have been able to eat and keeping hydrated.
In two weeks we go back and have my counts looked and and then May 24th, we go an have our second treatment. One down, three to go. So far so good.
I am all ready got my wig and lots of hats. They did say most likely in the next two weeks the hair will start to fall out. Well hell watch out hair cuttery because as soon as I have the first signs, here we come get the clippers out. Rocking the wigs. Oh yea and the last fill of the foobs wasn't that bad but we are getting up there with the cc's and this time I am having more discomfort with regards to the stretching of the muscles. I guess this is my body telling me that we are almost there too.
Well there is the update so far.
TTYL
Again thank you everyone for the prayers and good thoughts we are almost at the end the finish line is coming closer! :)
Jenn
Sunday, April 29, 2012
short update!!
Sorry all for having posting in a while! Just been busy busy with life. Well the boys and I are doing well. We are trying to be back in the swing of things with life in general. Work and baseballs have been taking up most of the free time that we have. But loving every minute of it. I love being at work and keeping busy. Hate having to go to the follow up appts with the doctors and physical therapy. But a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Look forward to having this all behind and starting a new me. Right now any free time I have away from work is running to baseball, being a mom and help my friend Tanya run the snack stand. I know everyone keeps asking me how do I do it. Well I love doing it! It makes me feel alive. As many of you know I don't do well sitting still for a long period of time.
Had the port put in last Thursday and that went well. Still a little sore but pushing through as always. Have my last weekly scheduled fill for the foobs on Monday. Then after that I have to schedule two more around the chemo treatments. Because they don't want to stick a needle in you after they just push toxic drugs through your system until you are on the upswing of your body repairing itself. Right after the fill on Monday I am headed to Bryn Mawr hospital to have my wig fitting. That sounds so much like an old lady. But if I am going to lose the hair I am not going to walk around without any. That is the one thing I really am going to hate. And I think worry the most about. Losing my hair. Not that I think my hair defines me but I enjoy being a girly girl when I want to or putting on my baseball cap and my makeup.
I start chemo on Thursday. They say this first one is the longest (5 hours) of just sitting in a chair and letting toxic drugs run through your body to kill any cancer cells that may be there from the surgery. I am hoping I am going to be able take some naps. Because I can't even start to think about sitting there for 5 hours and trying to read. I am going to go crazy. But it is for the best. I am hoping to feeling ok to at least attend Jason's game on Sunday. I hate missing him and the boys play. They are doing so well and I am so proud of Jason as well as his teammates. They really have come together to stay the first half of the season as undefeated. 5-0. I am so proud of my little man.
Today is Jason's 10th birthday. I can't believe my little boy is growing up so quickly.
Well there you go peeps. A little update on what is going on. Keep praying and sending those great thoughts my way. I still have a long road ahead and I think this might just be the hardest of the journey so far. We are praying that everything stays on the right track and we can be done treatments by July 4th. If everything goes according to plan.
TTYL
Jenn
Had the port put in last Thursday and that went well. Still a little sore but pushing through as always. Have my last weekly scheduled fill for the foobs on Monday. Then after that I have to schedule two more around the chemo treatments. Because they don't want to stick a needle in you after they just push toxic drugs through your system until you are on the upswing of your body repairing itself. Right after the fill on Monday I am headed to Bryn Mawr hospital to have my wig fitting. That sounds so much like an old lady. But if I am going to lose the hair I am not going to walk around without any. That is the one thing I really am going to hate. And I think worry the most about. Losing my hair. Not that I think my hair defines me but I enjoy being a girly girl when I want to or putting on my baseball cap and my makeup.
I start chemo on Thursday. They say this first one is the longest (5 hours) of just sitting in a chair and letting toxic drugs run through your body to kill any cancer cells that may be there from the surgery. I am hoping I am going to be able take some naps. Because I can't even start to think about sitting there for 5 hours and trying to read. I am going to go crazy. But it is for the best. I am hoping to feeling ok to at least attend Jason's game on Sunday. I hate missing him and the boys play. They are doing so well and I am so proud of Jason as well as his teammates. They really have come together to stay the first half of the season as undefeated. 5-0. I am so proud of my little man.
Today is Jason's 10th birthday. I can't believe my little boy is growing up so quickly.
Well there you go peeps. A little update on what is going on. Keep praying and sending those great thoughts my way. I still have a long road ahead and I think this might just be the hardest of the journey so far. We are praying that everything stays on the right track and we can be done treatments by July 4th. If everything goes according to plan.
TTYL
Jenn
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Feeling more normal
Well I am feeling better and in very nice recovery mode right now. I guess you can say that I am feeling more and more normal. I am still getting the foobs filled every Monday. Dr. DiBello is putting in about 75 cc's each visit. Right now I am about 300 cc's in foob. And I have three more appts scheduled which will be put me at 525 cc's in each before I start chemo. I start chemo on May 3rd. I only have to do 4 rounds which I am very happy about. But I have to schedule my fills around my chemo. So hopefully we will be almost done during chemo. Last week I went and got my hair cut very short because I don't think I am going to be able to deal with my long hair falling out. I am hoping that it being shorter it won't be as bad.
Well Jason's Opening Day for baseball was a huge success. It was very fulfilling and helped keep me busy and focused to recover so that I could fulfill my duties. Everyone was so impressed and loved the day. It was so rewarding to be a part of it.
Now onto treatment and to attend and help out at as many of Jason's games that I can. I truly love being involved with the organization. I am hoping that my treatment doesn't put me down for too long or too bad because I want to be there for J and show him my support. To show him that I am a fighter and stay focused on what is important. He is doing so well right now and really showing how mature he is becoming as well as a team player.
TTYL
Jenn
Well Jason's Opening Day for baseball was a huge success. It was very fulfilling and helped keep me busy and focused to recover so that I could fulfill my duties. Everyone was so impressed and loved the day. It was so rewarding to be a part of it.
Now onto treatment and to attend and help out at as many of Jason's games that I can. I truly love being involved with the organization. I am hoping that my treatment doesn't put me down for too long or too bad because I want to be there for J and show him my support. To show him that I am a fighter and stay focused on what is important. He is doing so well right now and really showing how mature he is becoming as well as a team player.
TTYL
Jenn
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