Me on the day before my chemo

 

My wonderful husband Wayne and his dream truck

Two of my best friends and hiking buddies, Judy, Patti and me having a seafood dinner at Kure Beach.

 

 

First of all I would like to thank my Husband first and foremost and family and friends for their strong support as I go through this challenging time of my life.  I have been blessed with being as healthy as a race horse my whole life.  Never having anything major going on with my health.  Now at 61 years of age it's my turn in the barrel, so to speak.  I told my sister-in-law Barbara that this is not a road I would have chosen to go down but I didn't have a choice.  It just happened.  I decided to name my blog The Road Less Traveled because I love hiking.  I don't get to do it as much as I would like but hopefully that will change later on in the year depending on how my recovery progresses.  I had a training hike with my good friend Patti from Ohio scheduled for May of this year.  It is a training hike and orientation for future hike which will prepare us fro hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in 2015.  I have a chemo treatment scheduled for the day we were supposed to start the hike.  Patti is a trooper though and is still going!!  You go Patti!  Barbara is going through this same thing and is near the end of her treatments and for this I am thankful as I know she is.  She has been a source of strength for me with her advice and love and caring.  We always have a good laugh when we talk.  I also have another friend I met through my friend Cooter Heath.  His girlfriend, Debra, has also been going through breast cancer treatment and surgery and she is also a source of strength.  Thank you so much, Debra.

Chronology of events:

Jan. 14, 2013, Monday:  I found a lump under my right armpit while showering. I thought I had pulled a muscle while working out and told Wayne that if I was going to give it a week and if it was still there I would see the Dr. about it.  A week later it was still there only not as swollen.  I called my GP and they were able to get me in to see them on about Jan. 22.  My regular physician was unable to see me so I saw another Doctor (Dr. Forsytek) in the office which happened to be female. 

Jan. 22, 2013, Tuesday:  I went in to see DR. Forsytek for an exam of the area in question.  She could not find it until I put my finger on it and then she could feel it.  She set up a diganostic mammogram and sonogram for Jan. 28.

Jan. 28, 2013, Monday:  I went to Delaney Radiologist for full mammogram of both breasts and extra scans of my right breast and a sonogram of right breast.

Jan. 29, 2013, Tuesday:  I received a phone call from Dr. Forsytek that the lump was 2cm and suspicious.  She then arranged for a consultation with Dr. Charlie Scott, General Surgeon at Wilmington Health at 1202 Medical Center Drive in Wilmington, NC for Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

Feb. 5, 2013, Tuesday:  Wayne and I Arrived for my appointment with Dr. Charlie Scott for consultation for him to do a biopsy.  He did a sonogram on both breasts and took a biopsy of the suspicious growth.  He said it was most likely cancer but we would no for sure once he received the results which would be the next day. 

Feb. 7, 2013, Thursday:  Wayne and I went back to see Dr. Scott and he confirmed that it was a cancerous tumor.  Invasive ductile carcinoma.  This is the most common breast cancer in women.  Needless to say I don't remember much of that conversation.  All I could think about was that I was going to die!  Of course I wept.  I did hold it together enough to ask questions and so did Wayne.  He said we didn't have to decide anything right away and when we left his office our brains were overloaded with information.  He talked percentages of it coming back based on options we might choose, whether it was lumpectomy, on breast removed, both breasts removed or doing nothing.  He said if we did nothing the lump would probably double in size in about 200 days.  He said mine was a medium growing cancer.  He also said I had a suspicious lymph node and he thought, based on his experience that it was 'involved' ie, was cancerous.  He did not want to biopsy it because he 'knew' what the results would be and it wasn't necessary.  Wayne and I went home and we were both in shock.  Dr. Scott said I would go through depression and that was a normal progression of my emotions throughout this ordeal and to be expected.  He said that was good to go through it because if I did not then when it was all over that my depression would be even worse.  Well, maybe that's what 'most' people do but depression is a cold, dark place and not where I want to go.  I admit that I was always on the verge of tears when I would talk about it and if my family or my friends broke down and cried while we talked then I would too.  I can't stand to see my family or my friends cry even if it is for me.  I don't want them to hurt.  I know I am strong and can and will get through this.

Feb. 11, 2013, Monday:   Dr. Scott order a body cavity CT Scan.  Wayne and I went to Wilmington Health for the scan.  The morning of the scan I had to drink this clear stuff mixed with water or anything I wanted to use.  I was only using half of the bottle for the first dose then drink the rest within an hour of the scan.  I was told it was 'nasty'.  I mixed the clear solution in cold water and slugged it down.  It only tasted like water.  Hahaha.  I have become a human pin cushion and it is not fun!  My veins go into hiding when I am around anyone in a lab coat.  I was called into the room and took off my shirt and bra.  I was covered in one of those beautiful gowns that tie.  It was obviously made for a little person because it would not meet across the front and came up 6 inches above my waist.  I lay down on the table and the tech tried both arms at the inner elbow for a vein.  No luck.  She finally used my hand at the right wrist.  She put a port so she could inject her solution.  The table moved me in and a voice would tell me to take a breath and hold.  Then release my   breath.  This happened several times and the table would move in and out and in and out and you could hear something start up like a jet engine.  There was a glass view of whatever that thing was that was rotating at a high rate of speed.  It would speed up and slow down over and over.  Finally the tech. came back into the room.  She started injecting the solution and told me I would feel warm in my pelvic area and perhaps other places.  Talk about a strange feeling!  I could feel heat running down my right arm to my chest then straight down to my pelvis.  I could feel a spot on the center of my head getting hot and one place on my right foot near the arch.  It almost felt like I peed on myself!  Hahaha.  The scan didn't take very long and she took out the port, let me dress and I was on my way.  Did you know that one CT Scan has the amount of radiation in 200 X-Rays!!  Not good.

Feb. 12, 2013, Tuesday:  Wayne and I went to see Dr. Scott for test results on CT scan and have a portacath installed.  We talked more indepth as to what type of surgery and treatment would be the best for me.

Did not get portachath.  Maybe we misunderstood?

Feb. 13, 2013, Wednesday:  No appointments.  Dr. Scott’s office called me at work and wanted to meet with us at 9:45.  We were very anxious.  Told us about the spot on my adrenal glands.

Feb. 14, 2013, Thursday:  Second opinion with Dr. Bebb.  After work.  Dr. Bebb wants to biopsy my lymph nodes and find all the cancer in my body.  If I should need chemo, he wants to do that first for 18 weeks then do any surgery I may need.  I go back to him on Monday, Feb. 18 at 4pm for portocath install and biopsy of lymph nodes.

Feb. 15, 2013, Friday:  Made call to Dr. Scott to let him know I was going to use Dr. Bebb as my physician.
 

Lymph Node biopsy

 

Feb. 18, 2013, Monday: Wayne and I  went back to Dr. Bebb.  He performed a biopsy of my 1 lymph node that was most likely cancerous.  So far with the exception of my first biopsy there was no pain.  The only reason for pain in the first instance was the numbing shot did not completely numb all the areas it should have.  He will call with the results tomorrow.  The picture above is just before he did the biopsy.

Feb. 19, 2013, Tuesday:  Dr. Bebb called and said the lymph node tested positive for cancer.  He set me up with an appointment to see Dr. Arb who will be my Oncologist.

Feb. 25, 2013, Monday:  Wayne and I went in to see Dr. Arb.  She is a sweet lady, short in stature and a great personality.  I really like her.  She went into in depth teaching about cancer in general, cancer of the breasts and assured me there was nothing I did to cause it, nothing I could have done to prevent it, and it is not attributed to my diet, eating sugar, meat or fat.  She said the prognosis is good in my case and I should live a long life.  As far as diet goes, I think there are things I can do to help myself get better and stay healthier......  She had me scheduled for a bone scan.  They are doing all the necessary tests to make sure there is no cancer any place else in my body.

Feb. 27, 2013, Wednesday:  Wayne, my sister Wanda and I went to Cape Fear Hospital for my bone scan.  They gave me a shot and then I could leave and come back in 2 hours.  We left and got some lunch and came back for the scan.  It only took about 20 minutes.  I am somewhat claustrophobic and this scan had me lying on a table and a large part of that machine rolled all the way up to my head.  It had a flat plate facing me.  I closed my eyes and when I opened them again it was about 3 inches from my nose.  My claustrophobia kicked in and I was ready to scream to get off of that table.  I took deep breaths and closed my eyes and pretended I was somewhere else.  It worked.  Finally the plate moved further down my body and I was o.k.  I could see the computer screen with the scan and it was really strange.  The results of the scan showed I was fine but I had some degenerative arthritis in my neck and on the back of my right heel.  Not a problem.

Feb. 28, 2013, Thursday:  Chemo School at Dr. Arbs office.  Actually her office is in the Cape Fear Cancer Specialists building where I take all my treatments.  For my Chemo School Wayne and my two sister's, Wanda and Cindy also came along with me.  Nurse Crystal gave the teaching.  It was information overload for the most part but she gave me plenty of reading material for me to brush up on.  I didn't read it right away but a few days later I had some weird 'pain' in a tiny spot on my left ankle and underneath my left and right elbows.  It was really strange and like I say it was a small spot.  About the size of a pencil eraser.  I had no idea it might have something to do with any of the shots I was having to take for all my tests they were doing on me.  After reading the info I was given, the medicine they injected in me for my bone scan was the culprit.  That is one of the side effects!  It only lasted a couple of days and it was just a very minor issue.

March 4, 2013, Monday:  The only thing holding me up from starting my chemo treatments was having a heart scan.
I had one today.  It was at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in the Radiology Department.  I had a nuclear shot just like for the  bone scan and had to wait an hour before the test.  This test was kind of like the bone scan with a large part of the machine rolling up to my chest and then rolling to the left .  This is looking at the blood flow coming out of the bottom chamber of my heart.  They want to make sure my heart is strong enough to take the chemo.  It is!!!!!  Yaaayyy!

Cindy, me and Wanda.  My two sisters are normally brunettes but they could not

resist trying on the blonde wigs.  I stayed with mostly the brown ones and somewhat red ones. 

This is not the one I purchased.

March 5, 2013, Tuesday:  Wig Day!!!  Today my two sisters, Cindy and Wanda went with me to Sheila's Wigs to see if we could find on for me that was like my own hair.  Well, my hair is pretty curly.  We started trying them on and I tried on straight ones, red ones and in between ones.  Sheila let my sisters try on wigs too and it was a hoot!!!  Wanda did some Marilyn Monroe and Farrah Fawcett blonde wigs and OMG it was funny.  She started singing Happy Birthday to the President (like Marilyn did for JFK).  It was the funniest thing ever.

March 6, 2013, Wednesday:  Wanda and I went to see Dr. Bebb today and he installed a portocath in my left arm just above and on the inside of the elbow.  It took 7 people and Dr. Bebb to do the job.  He cut my skin and then he first pushed a line into my vein and watched it on the sonogram to make sure it was going into the vein o.k.  After that was done he turned it over to a nurse/PA? to actually install the port and another line into my vein.  The length of this cath goes from my elbow and snakes up my arm the over to the top of my rib cage down to the second rib below my clavicle.  Nothing hurt until the second guy took over.  Obviously the numbing meds had not done the job because when he started making room for the port.  This port is about a nickel size in diameter and about 3 nickels thick.  The center is hollowed out and there is a substance inside that looks like it has been filled with clear silicone and left to dry.  When an injection is made the area is sterilized and then it is sprayed with a very cold spray to numb the skin then the injection can be made without any pain.  Thank goodness.

 

My nurse Crystal

 

March 7, 2013, Thursday:  Today Wayne and I went in to see Dr. Arb.  Mainly it was to talk about what was to come with the chemo I was having shortly after the visit.  It also gave us an opportunity to ask questions which we did.  We then left her office and went into the Chemo Room.  It was 9:30 am by then and I was taken to the waiting room by nurse Joyce.  She handed us off to Chemo Nurse Crystal.  Everyone there is so nice and I got a real southern (maybe redneck) nurse.  A kindred spirit!  Hahahahaha.  She explained what she would be doing and all then proceeded to set it all up and drip, drip, drip it began.  She had to give me each drug separately because they could not be mixed.  As a result it took 4.5 hours.  The only time I experienced anything out of the ordinary was when she started the A drug which is red and what causes the hair to fall out.  A minute or so after it began I felt really light.  Like my body was floating and I was a little light headed but nothing severe.  The whole time I was there I was working on this blog using their wireless network.  There were a lot of people there some having chemo and some having other infusions or whatever.  One guy next to me was in pretty bad shape.  He had a fever and didn't want to go to the hospital so the chemo doctors gave him antibiotics, reduced his fever, gave him fluids as well as his chemo.  Wow!!  And I heard the nurse call him Doctor.  I will find out more about him next time if he is there.  He has quite a story but he slept most of the time he was there.

At about 4pm today I had to go to Castle Hayne to do a little shopping.  While I was there I started feeling really tired or really sleepy.  I couldn't figure out which it was.  Last night I woke up at 3:30 am and never went back to sleep.  I had to take two pills before going to bed.  It was steroids and the nurse said it would keep me awake and it also made me 'nervous'.  I am looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight.  I have not experienced any nausea as of right now.  Fingers crossed.  Tomorrow I go in for a 'booster' shot or 'Superwoman' shot as they told me.  It has steroids and blood boosting stuff to boost my immunity and protect me from infections. 

I have had a lot of friends and family contacting me and wishing me well and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.  They are keeping me in their prayers and for that I am truly Blessed.  The Power of Prayer is unlimited.  Thank you all so very much. 

My portocath and the hookup for my chemo

 

I will be posting more photos later, until next time, have a great day.

Glenda