H&P#42 + ECHO

I have people ask all the time, "How is your chemo?"

The drugs I take ARE cancer-fighting drugs, but they are also remission-maintenance drugs.  I call them "chemo," but what I do every three weeks, is MUCH less strenuous than a heavy-duty chemo treatment.  There are a few unpleasant side-effects, but nothing that can't be managed.  The one BIG one is cardiomyopathy.  (And, for those of you who are not fans of the similar diagnosis from Beaches, these drugs can mess with my heart.)

Thankfully, this cardiomyopathy is not viral and can be reversed, just by stopping the drugs.  We hope NOT to have to stop them, because cancer can kill ya, too, just not as quickly as heart problems.  

I had an echo the week after surgery.  (That week also held orthodontist appointments, a child's birthday, a well-check appointment at the pediatrician, and a concert.  Who needs sleep?)

Echocardiograms are SO easy.  No IVs, no big machines, no radioactive substance...just lying half-naked on a bed with a left-side trapdoor, for access to scan the other side of the heart, while a tech, who's "not supposed to give me any results" scans and listens to my heart to make sure it's healthy enough for chemo. 

And, what do you know.....my heart RULES!  Still pumping after all the crap its been put through.  

Probably because I'm so loved.  

(Cuz, it's DEF not from working out!)

My time here is short.  It's sad that I'm leaving such a HUGE part of my Cancer Warriors and searching out a new crew.  Hopefully, I can come back anytime I need a "second opinion" or just when I want to go where everybody knows my name, and they're always glad I came!

My new office will learn all about my fight to BTHO cancer AND kicking it to the curb with my fancy shoes.  

Oophorectomy

Fighting cancer and raising boys during a record-breaking heat summer, while trying to keep a house pristine in order to sell it, and trying to work around Stephen's insane work schedule......not my favorite.  I had so many plans for this summer, and then we decided to move, and instead of an enriching summer school for the boys, complete with cooking classes and field trips, we've upped screen time and throw in swimming to break it up.  

The boys and I were also able to sneak away for another week of vacation and surprising family with a visit.  Family is everything. 

And, then it was STRAIGHT back into our real world of fighting cancer and raising boys and hot days and attempts at a pristine house.  That week back, I met with Dr. Goble on Monday, saw Dr. Fleener on Tuesday, had an unrelated appointment on Wednesday, and pre-registered for surgery on Friday.  YES.....what would all of the fun of this summer be without surgery?!

I was originally scheduled to have my ovaries removed on July 31.  However, with all of the aforementioned activities{?} planned, I attempted to move up the date.  I hadn't heard anything, so Dr. Fleener contacted Dr. Jansky right then...during my appointment!  There was a VERY good reason why my case had fallen through the cracks, and it didn't matter because they could squeeze me in for the following Monday.  

Thank goodness for our support system to help out with childcare!  (Maybe they did a better job of providing an enriching array of activities.  Or, maybe they stuck with screen time.  By the time I got home, everyone was still alive, so who cares?)

Thankfully, I didn't have the first case of the days, which meant I could show up at a reasonable hour, you know, after the sun had risen.  The later-in-the-day surgery, DID mean I had to go longer without eating or drinking, but not too much.

  Stephen was able to be with me AND handpick anesthesia.  

Port accessed!  No worries about IVs!  

I took a few pills beforehand, and we were off!  

Apparently, those pills were all the pain meds I needed DURING SURGERY!  Afterwards, I was so out of it, I just wanted to sleep!  They (including Stephen) kept asking me if I was in pain or needed anything for pain, and I was just tired.  (I remember NONE of this.)  Since I wasn't hurting at all, I didn't even get any pain meds for at home.  Apparently, all I need is a good drug-induced nap every now and then, even when REMOVING MAJOR FEMALE ORGANS FROM MY BODY!  Who needs something for the pain?  

I really did feel fine.  In fact, I finally took my kids to the library to redeem their summer reading...THE NEXT DAY....to the complete shock and chagrin of my mother.  (Remember all else that we're dealing with this summer?  Laparoscopic surgery......I've dealt with worse.)

Speaking of worse, I still carry many of the physical scars to prove it.  Thankfully, Dr. Jansky used the biggest of those, just adding a new one to the existing line, along with accessing my fake belly-button and adding a new mark to the mix, but only the tiniest of openings.  These are the battle scars, four days after surgery.  Still bruised and stitched, but no pain.  

I'm hoping this newest treatment in my arsenal will ease the need for so much emphasis on the estrogen-blasting front. I'm done with babies.  My eggs were no good, anyway.  Plus, I'm pretty sure there's a 100% chance I don't have to worry about ovarian cancer, but leave it to my body to still find a way!

Follow Up MRI #2, Results

With no changes in symptoms, I was pretty confident that the results from this MRI would also show no change.  

Thankfully, my lovely nurses at the Cancer Clinic were wonderful enough to access my port, thus relieving much of the stress involved with the actual procedure.  

Then, it was time to hurry up and wait.  

By now, they recognize me pretty well there.  

The test was in and out.

I was a little surprised that they just asked, "you know your way out, right?"

I guess I'm becoming to much of a regular.  I don't even get escorted back to the front desk.  

At least my nurses laughed about it and promised to never treat me with a "don't let the door hit you on the way out" kind of attitude.  

I sure am going to miss them!

Later that afternoon, I headed out for what I thought was an appointment with Dr. Hoover.  However, sometime during my trip to the lake (with no cell or internet service) I missed that my appointment had been canceled.  So, when I thought I'd get to see and hear the results of the MRI quickly, I'd have to wait until after my next trip.  But, after pleading and playing the cancer card, I was able to get a promise that Dr. Hoover would go over my results STAT and get back to me ASAP.

I didn't want to wait, so I called Dr. Goble's office to see if he'd received any reports.  He got on the phone to tell me that the results were great.  The spots in my brain were actually smaller than before.  This was good news, as this change suggested that they were NOT CANCER!!!!  

If there was to be a change, THIS was the type of change I was hoping for.  

I had also put in a call to Dr. Fleener's office, and received a report of good news from one of the nurses there, as well.  

A few days later, as I was packing for my next trip, Dr. Hoover called.  His report was even better than the others.  He explained that radiology described the spots in my brain as having decreased.  In his opinion, for someone who didn't know about my history and was doing an MRI without any others to compare, the spots were so insignificant that they might not even notice them!  From a doctor who originally assumed that these spots would eventually grow into cancer, this was HUGE. 

Miracles continue.  

I cannot express my gratitude.  

I am humbled and often feel like I am not worthy of so many amazing blessings, but how thankful I am that they keep coming.  

H&P #41 + Appointment with Fleener

Just another day in paradise.  

This summer has been crazy already:

Trying to keep the house show-ready at all times,

trip to Arkansas,

trip to Utah,

herding three wild kittens who are out of school for the summer,

preparing for oophorectomy.  

Gotta just keep on kicking cancer to the curb.