And Then There Were Two!!

I saw Dr Camberos my plastic surgeon on Tuesday and the appt went really well.  My lovely mom went with me and we were able to enjoy a yummy lunch together before the appt.  We all had a laugh when Dr. Camberos first came in the room because he didn’t’ recognize me when I said hello to him in the hallway walking down to the room.  He was wondering why this gal he didn’t  know and hadn’t met with before was so friendly saying hi to him.  We laughed because the first time he met with me I had a different wig on and a hat.  The second time he saw me was in the operating room when I had on the oh so adorable cap they put on you before surgery (it resembles a shower cap).  So I totally threw him off with my different wig without a hat. J  I joked with him that next time I will come in with a completely different wig or maybe no wig at all! J

He took out two of the four surgical drains (hallelujah!!) and will take out the other two most likely at my next appt which is scheduled for this coming Tues the 30^th.  He said he put in four to be sure I would drain well and to avoid a possible infection or build up – makes sense!  I was just so happy to have two removed and boy does it hurt when they are removed but so worth the momentary pain to get those suckers out.  I had gone earlier that day to get the pathology report at the hospital and was so pleased to read that there was no cancer found in the right breast tissue – chemo did its job!!  Praise the Lord!!  I was expecting that news but it is certainly reassuring to see it on paper.

Dr Camberos took off all my bandages and said I was healing nicely.  To be completely honest, it was very difficult to see my chest like that.  I had to fight back tears in the room because I was so overcome with emotion when I saw what was under those bandages.  I know in time my chest will look better once the swelling goes down, the scars fade, he continues to fill my tissue expanders and eventually puts in the implants but it definitely shocked me to see myself looking like that – almost in a deformed manner.  I was so happy and anxious to cover up again with new bandages.  My incredibly sweet and encouraging husband told me yesterday that I was a like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a beautiful butterfly.  It made me cry to hear that – it was so comforting and loving to hear those tender words!  I love you Babe!

Yesterday I went to see Dr. Subramanian my oncologist and had a great appt with her.  My next stage of treatment is hormone therapy which I will begin in two weeks.  Hormone therapy involves me getting a monthly injection of Zoladex for two years which will stop my ovaries from producing estrogen and progesterone (my breast cancer was considered estrogen and progesterone positive – which means it was basically feeding off my hormones) which in turn will cause me to go into early menopause.  I will also be taking a daily pill called Tamoxifen for five years which blocks my estrogen and helps prevent the breast cancer from recurring.  Even though I have had a bilateral mastectomy, the cancer can still come back in another part of my body.  It would still be considered breast cancer since that is where the cancer initially was found.  Let’s pray that won’t happen – which I am sure it won’t!  Go Pink!!

I was initially concerned about the side effects of hormone therapy but my oncologist said the more severe ones such as uterine cancer, heart disease, blood clots, and stroke are usually a concern for women over 60 who are post menopausal.  The most I will have to deal with will be menopausal side effects such as night sweats and hot flashes and possible bone/muscle pain.  I will need to take calcium supplements and vitamin D to maintain healthy bones.  I left the appt feeling much more comfortable about going through hormone therapy. 

Dr. Subramanian said since I had the bilateral mastectomy I won’t need mammograms or MRIs in the future.  My blood will be checked every three months for cancer markers and if they are high then I would go in for a scan.  Since they did all those scans early in my treatment I won’t need another scan unless the markers are high.  She said to report any pains in my head or back or elsewhere that are unusual or persistent. 

While I was waiting to see Dr. Subramanian I was talking with her super sweet medical assistant who was commenting on my ring back tone “I Praise You in This Storm” by the Casting Crowns and how she played it for her brother.  They both really liked it.  She told me she really wanted to get back into church.  I asked her if she used to go and she said yes – she was raised Catholic.  She said she had her first three kids baptized but will have her younger three make that decision when they are older and understand what it is all about (yes she has 6 kids, she’s 36 and looks great!).  I told her about North Coast and if she was interested we would meet her there one Sunday so we could sit together.  She seemed really interested and said she would check it out, so we shall see….  J  I was so stoked after our chat because one of my biggest prayers going through this journey is to glorify God and be a witness to others. 

Overall I feel great!  The pain is pretty much gone and the range of motion in my arm improves each day.  Once I get the last two surgical drains removed I will feel so much more comfortable.  I still feel pressure on my ribcage and chest wall from the expanders (its like I have a rubber band around my chest – not too tight though just a bit annoying) and my skin is still numb around where I had my surgery but in time that will diminish.  I have all my eyelashes back (if only my upper lashes were a bit longer!) and my eyebrows are almost completely grown in (I have never been so happy to pluckJ).  My hair continues to grow but I am still not comfortable going out with my super short hair – my sweet and encouraging friends and one of the nurses in the hospital said I look great without my wig.  Maybe I will give it another month and see.  If I wait a couple months, maybe I can “reveal” my new look on Halloween! J

I continue to relish how faithful God has been in healing me – it just shows you the power of prayer and how much He cares for and loves His children!  Thank you all for everything!!!  I am one blessed pink lady!!

Lots of Love,

Kelly

Back Home and On the Way to Recovery

I am back home after surgery and it feels wonderful!  Don’t get me wrong I was in good hands at the hospital (nurses were great and the food wasn’t half bad) but nothing beats the comfort and familiarity of your own home as well as being able to take a shower (thank God for waterproof bandages).  I have been home since Thursday night around 7p and have been taking it real easy resting.  Me being the busy body I am, I am already getting bored and antsy so these next couple weeks are going to be long ones.

My surgery went well – it was shorter than expected, four hours instead of five.  There was no cancer found on the left side.  Praise Jesus!!  My surgeon took out three nodes under my left arm and all three were negative.  We are still waiting on pathology for my right side – the side I originally had cancer.  I should get the results on Thursday when I meet with my oncologist.  I could go to the hospital and request a copy of the report which I just may do in the next few days.  I am not too worried because I am sure the chemo took care of the cancer and the breast tissue has been removed from my body.  However it will be reassuring knowing I didn’t go through chemo for nothing. 

The tissue expanders were put in because unfortunately there wasn’t enough skin left over after performing the mastectomy.  I was disappointed at first but am glad my surgeons made the safe and healthy decision.  My next surgery will be strictly reconstruction involving my plastic surgeon taking out the expanders and putting in the implants.  It is a less invasive surgery and it is outpatient.  I have a follow up appt with him on Tuesday so I will get a better idea of when I can expect to have that surgery.

I am pretty sore which is to be expected but overall I am doing well.  The pain is tolerable which I take extra strength Tylenol to help ease.  I think the worst part is I have not two but four surgical drainage devices (Jackson Pratt is the medical term) attached to my body (and they are not small).  I had one with my last surgery so I was expecting two this time since they had operated on both sides so I was quite surprised (and not happily) when I saw four attached to me.  I am not sure why Dr. Camberos attached four to me – I am anxious to ask him when I see him Tuesday.  I will spare you the unpleasant details of what these devices do and what I have to do to maintain them, I am sure you get the point by what they are. J  Usually you have to wear these devices for approx two weeks so my optimistic side is thinking “Well I have four instead of two so maybe I only have to wear them for a week instead of two weeks”  I may be dreaming – we shall see……  The challenging part is trying to hide these under my clothes.  Hiding one or even two under baggy clothes isn’t too hard but trying to hide four is impossible.  I look like I put on a few pounds and have a lumpy stomach. J

Thank you for all your love, prayer, support, words of encouragement, sweet cards and beautiful flowers.  I am so blessed to have such amazing family and friends who uplift me and encourage me the way you all do.  It makes this difficult journey that much easier.  I am getting teary eyed as I type this reflecting of how blessed I truly am.  God has been so faithful in answering your prayers as well as mine and I know He will continue to heal me and take care of me.  I thank Him daily for being my healer, protector and shelter from this storm I am in.  I do have my times of sadness, frustration, and impatience but in those times I turn to my Jesus for strength, courage and hope to help me endure this journey.

Love and Blessings,

 Kelly~

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, His my refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust”

Psalm 91:1 & 2

Well tomorrow is the big day and I am beyond ready.  Since I can’t eat breakfast or drink coffee in the morning, my sweet hubby took me to Denny’s tonight so I could have breakfast for dinner and have my cup of joe (thus the reason I am still up at this hour – I can just sleep tomorrowJ).  Luckily we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 (did I say luckily??) and surgery is at 7:30 so I won’t have to go too long wishing I had my morning cup of coffee. 

The girls in the pool at the timeshare we stayed at in Vegas

Me and my big girl at the bowling alley

As I have shared with some friends and family, I am anxious to have the surgery but am also anxious to get it done (if that makes any sense).  Looking back I am so glad I did not have the surgery last month as I initially thought.  The last few weeks have been awesome – spending quality time with my girls and hubby, having fun making memories, and enjoying some R &R.  Recovering from surgery would have thrown a huge wrench in the fun we had.  We spent a week in Vegas and a week at the Harbor in Oceanside.  Good times and fun memories were made.  In Vegas we swam, visited the M & M factory, went to Gameworks, ate at the Rainforest café as well as saw a comedy/magic show with a friend and his daughter, saw a mermaid show, visited Mt. Charleston where we went hiking with some friends (it was 30 degrees cooler than Vegas – a nice change for a day), went bowling a few times and of course did a little gambling which involved Shawn playing craps with Steve and me playing slots.  We didn’t bet much and didn’t win much either, but that is okay since its more entertainment then anything with us.  The Harbor was a blast too with hanging at the beach and swimming at the pool at the condo we stayed at (thanks to my lovely in-laws).  We also celebrated Karyssa’s 6^th birthday there with family and friends – such a fun time!

At the Lodge in Mt Charleston

Waiting for the Mac King Magic Show to begin

My hair continues to grow – yeah!  It’s simply marvelous to see hair on my head again even though it’s much darker than I had anticipated.  Oh well, nothing that a box of hair color can’t change in time.  What was crazy is that I lost my eyebrows and the last of my eyelashes after I was done with chemo and they are finally growing back as well.  I couldn’t believe how fast my eyelashes grew back.  I only had to go a week without any eyelashes and now I have lashes all the way across on both lids.  My bottom lashes are much longer than my top so hopefully my top with catch up and then some.  Thinking about my hair loss and re-growth adventure I came up with some observations and thoughts on the whole ordeal:

©       Losing my hair and watching its slow re-growth makes me appreciate “bed head” which I had for the first time (in a long time) the other morning

©       I have never been so happy to see my cowlick

©       My natural hair color is revealed after “hiding” for the past 11 years

©       For the second time in my life I have non-treated, non-colored baby soft hair that I can’t stop touching (Shawn will ask me why I keep rubbing my head and I just tell him I love the way my hair feels as well as its soothing to touch it – I know I am strange)

©       Being bald you get to see the true shape of your head and mine is not pretty with a flat part in the back followed by two bumps.  Thank God my hair is long enough now to cover all that!

©       One word – sideburns

In about three weeks my mom and my girls will be heading up to Forest Home in the San Bernardino Mountains for the annual Mother Daughter retreat.  My mom and I have been going to this since I was a little girl.  What is really cool and special about this year’s retreat is that one of the speakers has been on her own personal breast cancer journey.  How awesome is that!?  Just another example of how God works in our lives and gives us little blessings for us to enjoy. 

Fun at the M & M factory

Of course we had to get a pic of the dads

Regarding the reconstructive portion of my surgery, there is a chance that Dr. Camberos my plastic surgeon may be able to do immediate reconstruction and put the implants in tomorrow at time of surgery.  If that happen then I would not have to deal with the expanders, having them filled over time and them going back for an additional surgery to have the implants put in.  It all depends on how my skin looks and if there is enough of it.  Dr. Camberos said if my skin looks healthy and there is enough skin left he will put in the implants and call it a day.  Okay not his exact words, but you know what I am saying.  Please pray that he will make the best decision tomorrow in the operating room.

Celebrating Shawn's bday at the Rainforest Cafe. 

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Prayer is powerful!  This past Friday I was not doing so hot.  I had body aches, chills, slight fever, sore throat and glands the size of golf balls.  My first thought was, “No we can NOT delay surgery.  I have to get better by the end of the weekend.  I really really want to have surgery on Wednesday”.  I asked for prayer and by the end of the weekend I was 100% better.  Thank you Jesus and to all of you that lifted me up in prayer!

Me and my fabulous hubby!!

Celebrating Karyssa's bday

I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous about tomorrow but at the same time I rest in peace in my Heavenly Father’s loving and healing arms.  Just this morning my mom sent me the below email she had received from a dear friend.  It ministered to me and encouraged me – just what I needed as I reflected on what was to come.  I see myself as one of those little birds being protected and safe under my Father’s wings. 

No idea who caught this shot, but one thing for sure they were at the right place at the right time

Reminds me of Psalm 91:4, He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

The photographer caught this special moment, what a privilege to see

If all goes well I should only have to stay in the hospital for one night.  I have confidence in Jesus that He will be in that operating room with my surgeons watching over me.  He is so faithful in taking care of me and healing me which fills me with such comfort and peace.  Your prayers and encouragement continues to bless and uplift me – thank you!!! 

Resting in Him,

Kelly

Waiting for the Next Adventure......

It has been over three weeks since my last and final chemo treatment which was June 28^th and boy does it feel great!  To know I have completed the most difficult part of my cancer treatment gives me such a feeling of freedom, relief and joy.  I am so thankful to my Jesus for carrying me through such a difficult part of my cancer journey.  I don’t know how I would have made it through chemo and did as well as I did without Him.  It feels wonderful to have my energy back and to feel like my old self again.  I am having such a blast with our girls – filling our days with activities such as going to the park, beach, pool, movies, spending time with friends & family.  I look forward to our much needed family vacation the first part of August.  My hair has even started to grow.  It is still very short (less than ½ inch) and I still look bald since the hair growing is very light blonde (I will be wearing wigs for awhile) but it sure is wonderful to see my hair growing!  I am getting back into my exercise routine of going to the gym a few times a week as well as jogging on our treadmill the days I can’t make it to the gym.  I didn’t have the energy or stamina to run while going through chemo and it sure feels exhilarating to be able to run again which in turn gives me more energy. J  I have been told it can take up to six months for my body to recover from chemo – once the healthy cells have had time to grow normally.  It can take up to ten years for the residual side effects to go away (such as chemo brain) so please have patience with me if I come across more scatterbrained than I was before J 

Me and my lovely hubby hangin' out during chemo.  He has taken work off to come to all my chemo appts - so awesome!

Me and my wonderful chemo nurse Celina who took such good care of me

I know a lot of you are wondering if I had surgery on Wed the 20^th as I stated in my last update.  Unfortunately there have been some hiccups along the way and I will now be having surgery on Wed August 17^th at 7:30 AM at Tri City Hospital.  If all goes well I should be able to go home the next day.  It’s always challenging trying to find a date where all parties involved (my breast surgeon, my plastic surgeon, the hospital) are available.  My plastic surgeon will now be Dr. Camberos since Dr. Batra would not be available until September.  I was informed that if I wanted Dr. Batra to do the reconstructive part of the surgery I would have to have an additional surgery six weeks after my mastectomy to have him put in my tissue expanders.  I really did not want to have to go through an additional surgery to run the additional and unnecessary risk of infection and/or complications.  Fortunately Dr. Batra’s colleague Dr. Camberos is available on the 17^th so he will be putting in my tissue expanders once Dr. Toosie has completed the mastectomy part of the surgery.  At first I was frustrated with the new surgery date because I was anxious (and impatientJ) to get the surgery done.  Again the Lord was teaching me patience and to put my complete trust and faith in Him.  After thinking and praying about it I realized it was actually a much better date for a number of reasons.  My body will have had more time to heal and become stronger from chemo, I can enjoy our vacation and the rest of summer without dealing with recovery, and the girls will be in school so it will be easier to recover.J  Their first day of school is actually the 17^th so I am pretty bummed that I will miss taking them to school – thank goodness for Grandma who will be taking them instead.  It is only one year out of many more to come.

The girls having fun at the Del Mar Fair

We watched the Doggie Wild West Show and the girls got to take pictures with the doggies afterwards - so fun!

Tuesday we met with Dr. Camberos for a consult/pre-op appt and we really liked him.  I had done some research on him and after meeting with him Tuesday it just confirmed what I had read about him.  Not only were his credentials impressive (double board certified, 11 years of experience, advanced training) but his bedside manner was great which I had read about in his patients’ reviews.  He was very easy to talk with, comfortable, easy going, spent plenty of time meeting with us and didn’t make us feel rushed at all.  I left his office feeling at peace knowing I was in good hands.  Dr. Camberos explained to us that his part of the surgery will take approx two hours (one hour for each side).  He will be putting in tissue expanders which are filled with saline over time to stretch the skin to allow breast implants to be put in at a later date.  Since some skin is taken at the time of the mastectomy, the remaining skin on my chest needs to be stretched, to make up for the skin lost during surgery.  At the time of the surgery Dr. Camberos will fill the expanders with some saline to start the expansion process.  I will see Dr. Camberos approx every other week 2 to 4 times for him to expand the tissue expanders.  He will fill the expanders by inserting a needle into my skin to inject saline into the port under my skin near my breast which is connected to the expander.  This port is very similar to the port-a-cath that was used to administer my chemo.  Thank goodness that port will be taken out during surgery – yeah!!  If all goes smoothly with the tissue expansion then I should have breast implant surgery six weeks after my last tissue expansion.  I would say late October or early November is when I can anticipate surgery.

The girls and their cousins getting ready for the annual 4th of July parade at Grandma and Grandpa's

Kyle and Samantha hangin' out in Auntie Lisa's jacuzzi on the 4th of July

As I anxiously (and patientlyJ) wait for the next adventure in my cancer journey, I marvel at God’s constant faithfulness and goodness in taking care of me these past 7 months and I know He will continue to do so.  I am so thankful that I have the Lord Jesus Christ to put my hope and faith in.  I wanted to share this interesting and encouraging footnote in my bible I read in regards to the verse Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.

“Two words describe faith: sure and certain.  These two qualities need a secure beginning and an ending point.  The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character – He is who He says.  The end point is believing in God’s promises – He will do what He says.  When we believe that God will fulfill Him promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith.”

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was in ultimate shock and disbelief.  I felt like I was in a bad dream that I could not wake up from.  I was scared and worried about what the coming months, years would bring.  I was concerned on how this was going to affect my family especially our precious little girls.  The moment I went to my Jesus to express how I was feeling, a wave of peace, calmness and certainty came over me.  I knew my Jesus was cradling me in His arms saying “Hush my daughter, I will take care of you and protect your family, your daughters.  There is no need to worry or be frightened for I am with you every moment of every day”.  I knew from that moment that if I continue to put my faith and trust in the Lord and believe what He told me that day, that I was going to be okay.  Don’t get me wrong, there have been times throughout my cancer journey so far that I have been scared or worried but when I have turned to my Jesus, He has taken those burdens off my back and replaced them with hope, peace and comfort.  I remember the time when Shawn and I were waiting for my oncologist to bring in the results of my scans.  I was nervous and worried on what the results may show.  I was asking God what if there is cancer somewhere else in my body, what if we didn’t catch it early enough.  I looked over in the corner of the room and could see Him standing there reassuring me that all will be just fine, He was there with us.  At that moment I felt a feeling of warmth and tranquility, like He had put a warm blanket on me that had just been taken out of the dryer.  Dr. Subramanian came moments later to share the good news!

Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support.  I am so blessed to have you all to share my cancer journey with.  Thank you for taking the time to read my updates and to lift me and my family up in prayer.  Please share with me any prayer requests you have, I would love to pray for you.  Until next time………

Resting in Him,

Kelly~

The long awaited day is finally here.....

My LAST chemo treatment!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yeah!!  Woo Hoo!!  Halleluiah!!  Yee Haw!!  Yes!!  I can’t believe it is finally here!  I am excited beyond words and just praise Jesus for He has brought me through this.  What a journey this has been.  It’s definitely not over yet but chemo was one if not THE most difficult hurdle to get through in this crazy and emotional adventure I am on called breast cancer.  In some ways it still seems so surreal that I am going through cancer treatment.  You hear about it through family, friends, media, etc but you never expect it to happen to you and when it does it just rocks your world. 

I have experienced a plethora of feelings and emotions including anger, sadness, fear, doubt, peace, joy, hope, laughter.  Angry asking why God?  why me? why so young?  Fear that the cancer could come back, that my children would take on the burden of their mommy having cancer (hasn’t happenedJ) or that I would have a terrible time going through chemo.  Sadness that I would lose my hair, go through menopause, five years of hormonal therapy.  Peace knowing God will take care of me and be by my side every step of the way.  Joy seeing my incredible husband, family and friends step up to help me, support me and pray for me; being able to share my story and encourage others.  Hope knowing whatever happens I am a child of God and I truly have nothing to fear. Laughter being able to find the humorous things about going through chemo and laughing about it.  I am so thankful I have had my Jesus as well as my husband, mom, family and friends to share these roller coaster of feelings/emotions with.  Having cancer definitely changes your perspective on many things.  It gives me a deeper appreciation and love for my husband, my children, my family, my friends and by far my Jesus.  It gives me greater empathy for those who are sick, in need or disabled.  It gives me a desire to reach out to others who are on the same journey as I. 

If this treatment goes anything like my previous treatment, it shouldn’t be too bad.  My rough days were the Friday through Sunday following my treatment.  They only bummer was that it was Father’s Day weekend and I missed out on some really awesome family time.  I got through it though and enjoyed better days this past week.  I do however look forward to feeling more like my old self soon - having more energy and not being so tired.  I look forward to enjoying the summer with family and friends.

Happy Father's Day!!

We met with Dr. Toosie my surgeon on Friday to discuss surgery which will most likely be on July 20^th.  We are just waiting to hear back to confirm that there is an opening at the hospital (Tri City) and that Dr. Batra (the plastic surgeon) or his colleague Dr. Camberos are available that day. After much prayer, thought and talking with other breast cancer friends I have decided to have a double mastectomy even though there was cancer only in my right breast.  Since I am still relatively young (and hope to live many more years) and I have family history of breast cancer on both sides of my family I feel it is best to have a double.  I feel at peace with this decision and feel confident it’s the right thing to do.  Dr. Toosie will be sending both breasts to pathology during surgery to be sure there is not only no left over cancer in my right but also to be sure there is none hiding out microscopically in my left that chemo did not get rid of.  She will also be doing a sentinel node biopsy on my left side (she did this on my right during my lumpectomy in Feb) which is where I am injected with blue dye to help her locate that first sentinel lymph node under my arm so she can check to be sure there is no trace of cancer there.  When Dr. Toosie told me all this, it just validated my decision to have the double mastectomy.  Thinking back over the series of events since I was diagnosed, I realized that if I had had my mastectomy before chemo as originally planned I would have just gone ahead and had the right side done.  I remember being so upset and scared to start chemo early and have to wait to have surgery until afterwards.  Now looking back I see God’s sovereign hand in all this.  He never ceases to amaze me with complete control and perfect timing!

The girls and the beloved Mugsey(my parents' pug) 

I wanted to leave you all with an excerpt from my devotional Jesus Calling I read this morning which was so encouraging and just what I needed to hear.  I hope it encourages you as much as it did me.

“Rest with Me a while.  You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days.  The way ahead is shrouded with uncertainty.  Look neither behind you nor before you.  Instead, focus your attention on Me, your constant companion.  Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.”

Thank you all again for everything!  Your prayers and support have absolutely made my cancer journey more bearable and easier to get through.  I thank God for blessing me as He has. 

Love & Blessings,

Kelly

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”

Romans 12:12

Almost There - I Can See the Finish Line

As I sit here writing this I find myself excited to go to chemo today.  I know – I am one strange cookie huh?  I asked my friend Hana on Saturday who is also going through breast cancer treatment if I was weird for feeling this way and she said no not at all (thanks for the encouragement HanaJ).  I told her I start feeling a little excited as my next treatment approaches because I know that it will be another one down and I am getting closer to the end.  After today I will only have one treatment left.  Hallelujah!!!  I am so over this chemo thing. J

The girls and Bella showing the mug they made for me - thanks Irene!

This last treatment I had on May 31^st was an adventure to say the least.  Since I had done so well with my first Taxol treatment two weeks prior, my nurse felt comfortable increasing the drip time of Taxol in my IV.  Due to that Taxol was entering my body much faster than it had with the first treatment.  Hopefully I am making sense here and haven’t confused you all.  Since my body was taking in Taxol at a faster rate I unfortunately had a reaction to it which was pretty scary.  I was sitting in my nice comfy chemo chair talking to my friend Hana when all of a sudden my chest starting feeling tight and I couldn’t breathe very well.  My face turned red hot and I started sweating.  My eyes began to water partly from the reaction and partly because I was scared and had started to cry.  As soon as she saw me, Selena my nurse rushed over and quickly adjusted the drip and within five minutes I felt fine again.  Those five minutes though were very scary but having Shawn and Hana there to comfort me was a huge blessing.  There is no rushing Taxol this time. J

Shawn and Karyssa waiting for their turn to bowl

I did go to my hydration appt this past treatment and it did help the side effects.  I also started taking glutamine powder which helps minimize the swelling and redness of my hands.  The bone and muscle pain only lasted about three days so overall I had more good days than bad days.  I haven’t experienced any nausea with Taxol which has been great.  To be honest, I will take being tired and muscle and bone pain over nausea any day! 

The girls and I before the Stawberry Festival kids run

On Saturday I went to a luncheon that was hosted by the Young Survival Coalition of San Diego www.youngsurvival.org/sandiego .  It is a non profit organization that helps support and encourage young women dealing with breast cancer.  It was such an incredible time of meeting and connecting with other young women who have or were currently going through breast cancer treatment.  It’s amazing how many young women are out there who have been diagnosed.  There were a few women there who had been diagnosed in their twenties and there were some who didn’t even have family history.  More than half I would say had already finished treatment and were on the survival road.  One woman had been diagnosed in 2000 is doing just fine – healthy and strong.  I left there feeling so hopeful, happy and encouraged – such a blessing!

Celebrating Kyle's high school graduation - a year early!

My sweet beautiful girls

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this.  I continue to rest peacefully in God’s powerful and healing arms daily while being uplifted by your prayers and support.  Thank you - I can’t say it enough!!  

Love to you all,

Kelly

Five Down, Three to Go!

I can’t believe I am more than halfway through my chemo treatments.  All I can say is that the time has flown by – don’t’ get me wrong, there were some days that dragged – but overall the weeks since my first treatment on March 22 have passed by quickly.  Thank you Jesus!  I can’t wait until this is over.  Chemo sucks big time but believe it or not there are some perks.  On that note I have come up with a list.  Here goes…

1)                   I only have to shave my legs about once a week and I don’t have to shave other areas at all

2)                   No bad hair days

3)                   I spend less time getting ready due to shorter showers (washing my peach fuzz takes less than a minute) and not having to do my hair

4)                   Free services such a facials (thanks to Facelogic in Encinitas) and massages (thanks to my cancer center US San Diego Cancer Center) and attending a beauty class for cancer patients on how to apply makeup, take care of my skin and nails, fashion tips to cover my bald head (they also gave me a bag of free make up and skin products)

5)                   Losing a little weight

6)                   My highlights never fade

7)                   Getting a break from cooking and cleaning

8)                   Finding an awesome support group – thank you Toni!

9)                   Being uplifted in love, care and prayer from family and friends

10)               Growing closer to my Jesus due to my complete trust and faith in Him

As I stated in my last update this past treatment on May 17^th was my fourth one and I was to be given a whole new chemo drug.  I was done with Adriamycin and Cytoxan – from this treatment on (my last four) I would be given Taxol.  The treatment took longer than my first four because Selena my nurse had to monitor how I was reacting to Taxol.  I was first given Benadryl because Taxol can cause an allergic reaction.  Due to that, Taxol is given at a very slow rate and once the patient is reacting fine to Taxol, it can be given at a faster rate which means the iv drip can be adjusted to drip faster.  Luckily I had no reaction to Taxol so after a little while Selena was able to adjust the iv drip to a faster speed.  Since I was given Benadryl and I was up until the wee hours of the early morning (thanks to Decadron the steroid medication I take the day before my Taxol treatments which is an anti-inflammatory medication, helps decrease swelling, and helps fight vomiting and nausea) I slept for most of my chemo treatment. 

Since this was a brand new treatment it came with brand new side effects.  One good thing is that I did not deal with any nausea but bad thing was the new side effects.  The flu-like symptoms were not fun and my hands were not happy.  The flu-liked symptoms caused my bones and muscles to ache and throb and my hands became swollen and red to where it was painful to do simple things like tie shoelaces and open up cans/jars/etc.  The worst days were Thursday through Sunday after my treatment.  I finally had a break from those symptoms by Tuesday of last week and I felt pretty good through the weekend.  Today I felt great but now I can’t sleep again thanks to Decadron.  Oh well I will just sleep during my treatment tomorrow like I did last time. J 

I have to admit, I made a big mistake this past treatment.  I did not go in for my hydration appt the day after my chemo appt like I had done with my previous treatments.  With my last four treatments the hydration appt is optional because the Taxol treatments are not as tough as the Adriamycin and Cytoxan treatments.  With that information, I thought I would not need the hydration but after what I went through this last treatment I will be definitely going in for my hydration after my last three treatments.  I don’t know what I was thinking….

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I pray you are all doing well.  Please let me know if there is anything I can be praying for you about.  I would love to hear from you.  I am so thankful to be blessed with you all as my family, friends, prayer team, support system….  God never ceases to amaze me with how He takes care of and provides for His children.  God Bless!

Love & friendship, 

KellyJ

Psalm 29:11  “The Lord gives strength to His people, the Lord blesses His people with peace”