His remains are HISTORY !!
The pathology report shows no trace of him remaining. From this day forward, I feel I have joined the ranks of Cancer Survivor !!
Hopefully his demise was SO painful, humiliating and gut wrenching, he'll never have the nerve to show his disgusting, stinky, slimy self again. The doctors at Massachusetts General have a new one/two/three punch course of treatment in mind for me to ensure he stays away forever.
Starting next week I begin PT at the hospital, geared toward limbering my left arm, which right now is pretty stiff. Radiation begins the first week of June. I'll go once a day, Monday through Friday, for 7 weeks. Each treatment will take about 15 minutes. Both of my arms need to be flexible enough to stay overhead for this procedure, so I have some work to do between now and then.
I'll start chemotherapy in pill form at the same time, for 12 weeks. Hopefully side effects will be minimal.
Radiation/chemo together is the one/two punch. Here's the third: I'll be visiting the infusion floor again, once every 3 weeks for a year, to receive the drug Herceptin. Just when I thought I could say goodbye to the power port, it needs to stay a while longer. This protein based drug has an impressive cure rate for HER2 positive tumors like mine. According to my medical oncologist, I'm on the cutting edge of treatment with this drug combination. Though not a place I ever thought I'd be, I'm extremely grateful for the timing to be there now.
I thought I might be able to have a few of the radiation treatments at Cape Cod Hospital so I could spend more time down the Cape this summer. However, I've decided to stay with my team at the General. The hospital's just 8 blocks away, very close if I need to get there in a hurry, and a sure way of getting my daily exercise if I choose to walk.
I'm continuing to recover from surgery, a little slower than the first go round, but no complaints. I just thank my lucky stars I'm headed in the right direction, with an end in sight.
Every single day I'm grateful to you for making all things possible. Your caring notes, emails, thoughts and prayers are my support. Know you are special beyond words to me.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Dasvadanya Igor, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
Two weeks after surgery and I'm feeling GOOD. My left arm is much better, just a little tingly and numb. I'm able to do physical therapy at home, this is the good news. The not so good news centers around the conversation Steve and I had with the surgeon about the pathology results. It appears not even 2 lumpectomies would be sufficient to rid my body of Igor. Nothing short of a mastectomy will do the trick, so "off with his head" tomorrow morning.
Not only were 10 lymph nodes positive out of the 24 removed, and margins not clean in several places, the tumor didn't respond to chemotherapy in the way they had hoped. Instead of deflating like a balloon, Igor stood tall, riddled like Swiss cheese. Not ONLY is he a persistently annoying, clinger-oner piece of SLIME, he's a STINKY YELLOW ROTTEN piece of GARBAGE. I'll have to give the devil his due for being so tenacious, but ENOUGH ALREADY.
After his one-way trip to the BIN tomorrow, to help seal the deal of his demise, in 4 to 6 weeks I'll start radiation, accompanied by another round of chemo. This time it will be in pill form, one a day for 6 weeks, following each radiation treatment. Apparently a toxic mix, but the doctors think I can tolerate it, and it will be strong enough to kill any errant, lingering cells. EEEEUUUU, the THOUGHT of Igor procreating is NOT a pretty picture. This time, as his days are truly numbered, losing his cozy little home in the place called MY BREAST, should come as a BIG surprise.
This weekend I've been enjoying time down the Cape, with Steve and the kitties. Felix, who you may remember started licking the fur off his legs the day I began losing my hair, is doing better. We've taken him off kitty Prozac and put him on steroids. Very low strength, they seem to be working. Or maybe it's because my hair is starting to grow back, too.
Hope all of you are doing well. My thoughts are with YOU, and the many blessings you bring to me each and every day. Thank you so much for your comments, well wishes and prayers. I LOVE the idea of a voodoo Doll, Annie. Thick pins ONLY. The thought of an African fertility doll makes me LAUGH, Sarah. Bring them all on. You are my strength.
Not only were 10 lymph nodes positive out of the 24 removed, and margins not clean in several places, the tumor didn't respond to chemotherapy in the way they had hoped. Instead of deflating like a balloon, Igor stood tall, riddled like Swiss cheese. Not ONLY is he a persistently annoying, clinger-oner piece of SLIME, he's a STINKY YELLOW ROTTEN piece of GARBAGE. I'll have to give the devil his due for being so tenacious, but ENOUGH ALREADY.
After his one-way trip to the BIN tomorrow, to help seal the deal of his demise, in 4 to 6 weeks I'll start radiation, accompanied by another round of chemo. This time it will be in pill form, one a day for 6 weeks, following each radiation treatment. Apparently a toxic mix, but the doctors think I can tolerate it, and it will be strong enough to kill any errant, lingering cells. EEEEUUUU, the THOUGHT of Igor procreating is NOT a pretty picture. This time, as his days are truly numbered, losing his cozy little home in the place called MY BREAST, should come as a BIG surprise.
This weekend I've been enjoying time down the Cape, with Steve and the kitties. Felix, who you may remember started licking the fur off his legs the day I began losing my hair, is doing better. We've taken him off kitty Prozac and put him on steroids. Very low strength, they seem to be working. Or maybe it's because my hair is starting to grow back, too.
Hope all of you are doing well. My thoughts are with YOU, and the many blessings you bring to me each and every day. Thank you so much for your comments, well wishes and prayers. I LOVE the idea of a voodoo Doll, Annie. Thick pins ONLY. The thought of an African fertility doll makes me LAUGH, Sarah. Bring them all on. You are my strength.
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