A Preview Of Chemotherapy ( 8 )

Chemotherapy. That's the next step for me. On Monday  (Sept. 26) I went to the Cancer Center for a brief educational tour of the Infusion center. The wing had a very open floor plan, but still afforded privacy for each patient. Each patient area had a comfortable (treatment) lounge chair, tv, chair for a companion, and access to beverages. My visit (lasting about one hour) was a one on one mini tour with an experienced Infusion floor nurse. She explained procedures to me ... side effects ...  advised me about medications I would be taking during my Chemo treatments, and answered all the questions I had.  She had also given me a packet of literature covering a wide range of information concerning chemotherapy treatment. 

When all is said and done, I left the Cancer Center feeling overwhelmed.  Maybe consumed is a better word. Fear, anger, sadness ...  I knew I would only be going for 4 treatments of chemo ... but that didn't make it any less consuming. Why was this happening to me? was all I could think of.

Another Long Day At The Cancer Center ( 6 )

Yesterday was a long day.  Went to see the whole team.  I started with the medical oncologist first.  CHEMO. I don't hate the word. It is just a word that frightens me. As she had originally told me, the doctor again recommended 4 treatments at 3 week intervals. I know it is the best recommended treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. And I know that different people react differently to the treatment. I have stomach issues ... and Chemo tends to make nausea all the more intolerable. I was told about nausea medications administered during treatment and for after. Maybe I'll be one of the fortunate ones and things won't be so bad. Either way I can't do much about it. I will take each treatment as it comes.  There is really no choice here. Maybe God will give me a break with this one. It's bad enough I'll probably lose my hair. But on the plus side ... I love wearing hats! I don't know if I want to do the ... wig thing. My first treatment will be October 6th. Hopefully I will be finished about 2 weeks before Christmas.

Second stop ... the surgical oncologist.  My incisions healed beautifully. No problems except a slight allergic reaction to the bandages (actually the edges where it adhered to my skin.) Steri-strips were put on and will no doubt be falling off in a few days. Good movement in my arm and shoulder. I believe that's due to the fact that I'm left-handed and my surgery was on my left breast. Had been using my left hand and arm quite a bit during the past 2 weeks after surgery. Couldn't help it. I am VERY- LEFT HANDED ... if you know what I mean.

Third stop ... radiologist.  He explained things to me very clearly.  About a month after Chemo ends I will be seeing him 5 days a week for 6-7 weeks. He told me his patients tell him that radiation is a "piece of cake" compared to everything else. I will probably be one more patient that will be saying the same thing to him.  At least, I hope I'll be.

I guess I am ready  ....

9 Days Past Surgery ( 5 )

It's been nine days since my surgery. Most of the bruising has faded. The incisions are healing very nicely. Not a lot of pain, only twinges now and then. I did have one issue a few days later that drove me ... crazy! Blistering and itching where the edges of the bandages covering the  incisions under my arm and on the top of my breast met the skin! 

Naturally, I panicked. I called the oncology nurse and described what was going on and she made an appointment for me to come in see my surgeon on September 12th. My husband, Bill - my rock - was right beside me.

It turned out to be nothing serious. Probably a reaction to the tape edges of the bandage. My Oncology surgeon checked me over ... happy with the way everything was healing. As far as the blisters and the itching, he cut the tape away from the area that was causing my discomfort and advised me to use some Bacitracin for the blistered skin. 

I left the office feeling relieved, but found the situation hadn't really resolved itself when I followed his advice after I had gotten home. All the Bacitracin did was leave the skin continually moist and the blisters kept reforming. I decided to try another course. Twice a day I gently washed the areas and carefully patted them dry. Then I took a small bit of talcum powder and lightly dusted the areas where the tape and skin met.  Voila! Problem solved in less than two days! 

You might think I had over-reacted a bit, and I probably had - but the visit  had also ended with an unexpected bit of wonderful news. The doctor had gotten my test results back and everything was - great! My lymph nodes were unaffected by the cancer - and the margins around the removed tissue were clean! Thank you, God!

My first follow-up appointment with my team is September 20th. Wish me luck!

I've Had My Breast Cancer Surgery -Lumpectomy/Segmental Mastectomy ( 4 )

Three days have past since my surgery.  I am sore, bruised, have some swelling, and feel tugging when I move my left arm. When I look at myself, it isn't a very pretty sight.

At least I still have almost all of my left breast. The Oncology surgeon removed the cancerous lump or "tumor" as well as some of the healthy tissue that surrounded it called "margins". In my case, the surgery was a "wire-localized" lumpectomy. Because my lump could not be felt by the surgeon, prior to the surgery, under local anesthesia, a radiologist had placed a thin wire into the abnormal area in my left breast to guide in the removal of the cancerous growth during the actual surgery.

Can't forget the blue dye. The radiologist also did a Sentinel Node Mapping procedure. Also under local anesthesia, the radiologist injected a blue dye/radioactive substance into my breast above the nipple. The dye then flows to the first lymph node - The Sentinel Lymph Node. The Sentinel Lymph Node is the first node where cancer would most likely have spread. In my case, the surgeon removed two lymph nodes which would be sent out for additional testing.

After the above two procedures, I remember being wheeled out of my room and down the hall toward the operating room. Someone remarked that they were giving me some "Happy Juice" to help me relax. I remember being wheeled into the operating room ... the bright overhead lights ... and then nothing until I woke up in recovery a few hours later.

I had spent about 9 hours at the hospital in total. I arrived home about 5:30 that evening. Although I had not eaten since the day before the surgery, I was not all that hungry when I got home. I managed to eat some crackers and jello. I was actually more thirsty than anything else, but took only small sips. I didn't know how my stomach would react. During the surgery I was given drugs to control any problems with nausea. Thankfully, I had no problems then or afterward.

That night I "hurt", but did manage to sleep for short stretches. I was glad the day was over.

My Breast Surgery Is In Two Days ( 3 )

It's Monday September 5th, 2016. It also happens to be Labor Day ... the last hurrah to Summer. I'm in a low key, mellow mood. At least I'm trying to be. 

I am having a breast lumpectomy on Wednesday, September 7th.  I've had a few surgeries in my 65 years ... a gallbladder removed in 2008 and a hernia repair in 2010. Yes, women do get hernias. This upcoming surgery though is different. Guess you could say it's more ... personal. More woman defining. 

I'm trying not to dwell on it, but that's easier said than done.  I am not a religious person ... but I am a spiritual person. I trust in a higher power and that gives me ... comfort.  There are many ugly things in this world, but beautiful things far out way the ugly.  A sunrise ... a baby's smile, a flower ...  just to name a few.  I intend to enjoy the lovely things for a long, long time .... 

the sight of a Heavenly Blue Morning Glory to greet me as the day begins

and the image of a White Moon flower to brighten my spirits as the evening sets in.

The Journey Begins .... ( 2 )

My journey began on Wednesday, August 10, 2016. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. The week before I had a mammogram that was deemed abnormal. Further testing resulted in a breast biopsy two days after. On August 10th, 2016 I sat silent as the doctor went over my test results with me. Breast Cancer. My initial reaction ... I felt numb. I heard the words. I understood what they meant, but it was as if my doctor was talking about someone else. Yet, it was me she was speaking about. My treatment plan would begin when I met with my team on August 16th.

On August 16th I arrived at the Cancer Center with my husband, Bill. What an absolutely beautiful building. White walls, tall glass windows, curved halls. In an odd way though it reminded me of an airport terminal ... but gorgeous.

The clinical and clerical staff were all efficient, pleasant. Registration was quick and easy. The registration person was the first person I dealt with. I can't recall her name, but she was young and very nice. She had a lovely smile. As a matter of fact, all the staff seemed to be smiling ... all the time. A bit unnerving.

Then my husband and I returned to the waiting area. While sitting in a blue chair ... funny how you can remember such an unimportant detail, I noticed a woman on the other side of the large waiting area. I really couldn't estimate her age.  She wasn't elderly in my opinion, but I really couldn't tell. I looked at her for a moment or two. She was completely bald and very pale skinned. I quickly looked away. A short while later my nurse navigator greeted me and escorted my husband and myself to an exam room.

The next person I met was my intake person ... a young, smiling black woman. Can't recall her name. She took general information ... my health history, medications I took, etc. When she was finished she asked me to take off  my bra and blouse and put on a hospital gown. The gown was very short and barely fell to my waist. She said the Oncology doctor would be in shortly.

My medical Oncology doctor came and introduced herself. She was young. At least it seemed that way to me. Slender, not very tall. She had reddish, straight chin length hair. She had a light spattering of freckles across her cheeks. She spoke with a slight accent I could not discern. She was pleasant, but formal in her approach. I understood some of what she told me, but much of it was very clinical. I did get the gist of it though. In her opinion, my course of treatment should begin with surgery to remove the cancerous growth from my left breast (lumpectomy) and also to remove a few lymph nodes for further testing. 

She recommended 4 Chemotherapy treatments. The reason for the chemo was more of a precautionary nature. I was not a candidate for pills as part of my treatment because of the type of breast cancer I had - triple negative. My age and my body's negative receptive factors played greatly in her decision. She also recommended radiation treatments.

My Oncology surgeon was the next person I met. He was very friendly, warm, and patient. He asked me to tell him, in my own words, what the Medical Oncologist had told me. In simple terms I repeated what I had comprehended from the conversation I had with her. He seemed satisfied that I had a basic, but decent grasp of things. He then began to explain about the surgery, which he scheduled for September 7th. In response, I brought up a few issues I had such as needing anti-nausea medication administered during surgery since I was prone to having terrible side effects from anesthesia. He told me I would be able to discuss those concerns with the anesthesiologist before the surgery. He mentioned that a small patch placed behind the ear was the method of choice now. I thought that was pretty amazing. How things had changed since I last had any kind of surgery. As I write this today it occurred to me ... it would be similar to going on a cruise and using a patch to prevent seasickness.

The last doctor I was supposed to meet that day was the radiologist. He had a conflicting schedule and I didn't get to meet him. I expect I will meet him in due time.

During the course of the afternoon I met with 2 social workers and an oncology medical assistant. I can't recall just when I met them during my visit. Whether it was before one doctor came in ... or when another doctor left the room, I really don't know. Stress can make you easily lose track of things. All I know is that it was a very long day for me. I felt wiped out. So much information to process. Fear, anger, sadness, and self pity washed over me for the rest of the day into the night. Early the following morning as I lay in bed next to my husband I finally gave into those feelings. I cried ... and my husband held me and comforted me. 

If the stress of my breast cancer diagnosis wasn't enough, I had something else to contend with during this past week. I broke a tooth. My own dentist tried to save it, but there just wasn't enough to work with. So, I went to the oral surgeon and had it pulled 3 days later. I haven't had a tooth pulled since I was 18 and that was for the removal of 4 impacted wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth can often be the bane of a young person's existence, but older people have their set of problems, too. Now at 65 I have to contend with teeth that can easily fracture. Not funny, God.

Rolling right along, today I had an appointment to see my gynecologist for a routine pelvic exam. She was aware of my circumstances. When the exam was finished she asked me if she could give me a hug? "I can use all the hugs I can get," I laughed as she hugged me. You might not realize it, but it's a little things, the little acts of kindness, that can make such a difference in a person's day.

I Want To Share My Journey With You ( 1 )

You may know me from my other blog "Janie's Pocono Mountain Garden". I still intend to continue writing that blog, but have also decided to start this new one, "Janie's Journey With Breast Cancer" since I was recently diagnosed with Stage 1 - Triple Negative Breast Cancer. My writing will not be very clinical or preachy. It will just reflect my feelings and emotions as I start down a path I had never anticipated. I have a long road ahead of me and this new blog will give me an outlet to express everything I am feeling whenever I need to.  I may post every day or .... maybe not for a week or more. 

Maybe tomorrow or the next day I will begin to share my journey with you. Please follow me ....

                           To help you keep track, I will number each post in the                                      POST TITLE.