Got back from chemo about 2 hours ago. It was #6 of 6 – the final one,Yay! I started the day flushed, as you can see in the first photo. Probably from the steroids, that’s normal for me. I didn’t sleep well last night so I laid down for a nap but just spent an hour tossing and turning. Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight. There are a few more pictures from my session. Thank you!!
Saw the oncologist today. Everything is going well and is where it’s expected to be (white blood cells, hemoglobin, etc). I see them again on Jan 18 for follow up labs to make sure my levels are returning to normal. I had to change my plastic surgeon’s appointment to Jan 17 because it conflicted with another appointment. So, my upcoming appointments are:
I felt good enough to go to the Christmas Eve service.
Thank you to everyone for all the support you’ve shared during the last six months. It means more than you’ll ever know.
Went back to work today after a week off, the usual routine. I’m beginning to understand what it means that chemo is cumulative. Where I used to have a good weekend right after chemo and an okay weekend after the yuk week, those days are quickly becoming yuk days too. Today I am still weak and worn out. Not as bad as last week but much more so than after round 4 (this was round 5). Only one round left than hopefully a month or more of rest. Yay!!
I’m almost completely recovered from round 5 of chemo. Same side effects as usual: profound weakness and fatigue. I also had to run interference with the VA and the plastic surgeon.
The plastic surgeon whom my breast surgeon works with (the only 1 she works with) used to be in a group and was certified by the VA through the group but he hasn’t put in paperwork to become certified now that he has his own practice. The initial consultation, surgery, and first 3 post op visits are covered under the referral to my breast surgeon. After that we have to jump through some hoops if his certification hasn’t come through yet.
Please continue to pray that his certification will go through quickly and smoothly. Thank you!
I had chemo number 5 today but yesterday I saw the Nurse Practitioner for my labs, etc. My magnesium is still low, even on supplements so they added another bag of fluids today and added magnesium to it. Hopefully it will come back to normal once my last chemo is done. I also asked about muscle twitching I have been having, especially around the eyes and she said that was probably from fatigue and suggested a natural sleep aid for me. I tried it last night but I was busy doing some things during my “fall asleep window” and ended up being up all night. Oh well. Hopefully tonight will go better. It’s a melatonin sleep aid with 10 milligrams of melatonin, a fast acting one and an extended release one. Today chemo went fine, no side effects yet, expecting those Sunday afternoon or Monday. Of course, I am fatigued but who wouldn’t be, right? LOL.
Meanwhile, I spoke with the Office of Community Care at the VA, the plastic surgeon’s office and left a message at my breast surgeon’s office. We are trying to get the plastic surgeon approved through the VA. So far, they are approved on the referral for the breast surgeon but that only lasts until Feb. So, I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon on January 10th, my breast MRI on January 11 and my follow up with the breast surgeon on January 17th. The plastic surgeon’s office said they are going to try to get a rush on the surgery to get it in before the current referral expires. I called community Care to see if we can extend the current referral time and left a message with the breast surgeon’s office about how to accomplish that. I am hoping to get the referral dates extended because my mom wants to be here for the surgery and we were planning on February or March.
That’s all for now. Thanks for all your support!!
My appointments have changed: my next breast MRI is January 11 and follow up with the breast surgeon is January 17.
So, one of the chemo drugs I take, a targeted immunotherapy agent specifically, can be hard on the heart so the standard is to get an echocardiogram every 3 months. Mine is due tomorrow (Monday).
UPDATE: The echocardiogram came back perfectly normal!! Woohoo!!
I’ve had 3 doses of antibiotics and the fever has stayed down since Thursday. The cough still comes and goes. All in all, I think I’m getting better!
Oh, and my COVID test was negative.
Last night my temp spiked to 102. The on call oncologist called in a prescription for antibiotics but it didn’t get there before the pharmacy closed. Please pray I will be able to pick up the prescription today and that I don’t have anything major.
UPDATE: noon ET
The fever has stayed down since I took the Tylenol. I’ll pick up my prescription after I get IV fluids at the oncologist’s this afternoon. For now I’m just vegging.
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| Huge thank you to my husband, Kenn, for all his support! |
I saw my oncologist last Thursday and discussed a few things. Due to swelling in my ankles, I need to wear compression socks. I will see the plastic surgeon on Jan 8th and schedule my surgery. Friday was chemo #4. Two more to go!
Thursday I went in and got some IV fluids. I was scheduled for it because of getting so dehydrated after my last chemo. About halfway through I could feel a difference. Afterwards, I felt a lot better. Still easily worn out but not nearly as bad as before. Things are looking up!! 😀 Thanks for your prayers and kind comments!!
Well, it’s Tuesday night after chemo #3, I have been weak and nauseous since yesterday. I have meds that are keeping the nausea at bay for the most part. I’m thankful I’m not throwing up although I almost did yesterday. I’ve only left the bed to use the restroom. I’m feeling discouraged. I know God will get me through but have been thinking about how much more I have ahead of me. Please pray for me to get out of this funk. Thank you!
And some not so good news:
My bone scan showed I have low density – osteopenia – so she put me on calcium supplements and increased my Vitamin D. More pills, oh joy. She said down the road we’ll have to address it with other meds but I don’t remember the name.
Apparently I am very dehydrated. My blood pressure is running around 90/60 and I’m very weak. Already made a trip to the ER, got fluids and an EKG and some labs, everything was normal except for being dehydrated. I felt a lot better when I left there but am still feeling pretty yucky. Took a nap when I got home and now I’m just vegging. Have some Gatorade to drink, hopefully it will rehydrate me.
Went to the oncologist’s today for some IV fluids. We made the appointment after my last chemo side effects waylaid me like they did. I did feel better after but still not real good. Still taking it easy. This time, instead of things tasting generically yucky, everything I drink tastes extraordinarily sweet. Got some tips from the nurse to help that.
Thanks for your support!! Please continue to share my fundraiser as I look to being out of work for 1 week per chemo cycle. I have chemo every 3 weeks.
We had a bit of a wild ride yesterday at chemo. While infusing the pre-meds for nausea, I got extremely flushed, looked like a lobster apparently. All the way to my ears and down the front of my neck and chest. They stopped the infusion, administered Benadryl and determined I have an allergy to Emend, the med they were infusing. We had to stop all infusions except for some plain fluids and wait for the flushing to go away before we could continue. It took about an hour as I recall. Here are some pics:
We finally got the flushing back down to a more normal level for me and began the chemo. Shortly after starting I got nauseous. So they gave me some Pepcid IV and ginger ale and crackers. As soon as that resolved we continued with the chemo. I was of course, wearing fun socks again:
The rest of the Docetaxel went in fine, followed by the Carboplatin with no further complications. However, I did notice I was still really flushed on the way home, much more so on my left side than the right:
The flushing finally went away a couple hours after getting home. I have noticed that I do not have the energy that I had after the first chemo. I am feeling worn out still, a little bit anyway. I came home yesterday and napped for a while, then when Kenn got off work we went to Culver’s for dinner. Today we’ve been running errands but I took a nap part way through. I feel slightly more prepared for the side effects to hit but am also concerned that some new ones may crop up, especially after the difficulties we had with the pre-meds and chemo. I will continue to update as I feel able.
I don’t remember if I signed myself up for a package from an online group or if it came from someone else, but it has been amazing. I received 3 turbans/beanies, lightweight and very comfortable as well as the following items.
The angel is going to go on my Christmas tree so I can remember this fight each year and remember to be thankful for all the little things in life (as well as the bug things, like surviving cancer!!)
Here is their contact information:
The Turban Project, www.turbanproject.com, turbanproject@outlook.com
I’m going to try to attach some pics of me in their turbans.
And here I am in one of the turbans/beanies. I don’t have any pics of me in the other ones yet.
Well the day has arrived. This morning when I got out of the shower, my hair was uncharacteristically tangled. When I finally got the first tangle out, it came with a large clump of hair. Everything I read about hair loss said that it would happen about 2-3 weeks after the first chemo. For me it has hit exactly 14 days after my first chemo. Not sure how well you can see in this picture, but I combed my hair later in the day today and as you can see, the hair is still falling out at an alarming rate.
So, we are off on a new adventure of hats, scarves and turbans. I’ll take some pics to post here in the next few days or so.
Today went fairly well I made it to work and saw my first client. My second client was in home and I felt too lightheaded to drive but as it turned out they needed to cancel. So I went home and laid down for a few hours. I was able to get up and do a little puttering around the house off and on. I feel a lot better than I did but still nowhere near 100%. I expect the curve to continue upward though.
This is Sheri’s mom, on a cruise, attempting to post updates for her.
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Written 9/18/2023 8:41PM
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Well, I managed to get myself to work today. I’m extremely exhausted, weak and moving very slowly. I was able to see 3 clients in the office, then 1 at their home before I had to end my day. I had to call off on one client. I’m not going to be up to my early client tomorrow either.
I have a bone scan tomorrow at 1100 and when it’s done so is my day. I will try to rest.
So far, the flushing and sleeplessness has resolved but now I have the gut upset, exhaustion, and bone pain. The bone pain is from the shot I get the day after chemo that stimulates WBC production.
Hoping I’ll feel a little better tomorrow and more so by Wednesday. Just taking it day by day right now. It’s so surrreal!!
Thanks for listening!
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Written 9/19/2023 5:04PM
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Today I had a bone scan to get done so I had to get up and shower. That was difficult. I am still exhausted and having bone pain. The Advil takes care of the worst of the bone pain, so that’s good. My bone scan was at 11:00 and I’ve been resting since. I don’t feel too bad as long as I don’t try to exert myself. I have company on the bed with me~ [photo of Sheri with her pup]
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Written 9/23/2023 1:37PM
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Two days ago I had to go to the ER due to having a fever and sore throat. Both the Covid test and the strep throat test were negative. All my labs came back at expected levels for where I am in the chemo cycle. I had an appointment with the oncology PA yesterday (Thank goodness for Zoom!!). She gave me a prescription med for the diarrhea and two doses this morning seems to have knocked it out. The abdominal cramping continues. The PA said it should resolve as the diarrhea resolves. It makes it very hard to move because that’s when it hurts. It hurts to roll over in bed and to pull/push myself to a sitting position.
The exhaustion seems to be getting better slowly. I’m not sleeping as much during the day and when I’m awake and laying in bed, I can hold my phone for more than just a minute or so. The PA encouraged me to drink more fluids and that would help resolve the fatigue. So far today I managed a 20 ounce container of tea and a protein shake and am switching to water now. I’m trying really hard to drink more because I know I need it but it’s hard when things taste weird.
I really hope I can make it to church in the morning. Just because I want to go but also it’ll be like a test run for Monday, being able to be out and about.
The bone density test I had on Tuesday came back showing I have osteopenia so we may have to adjust my chemo or treatment meds to account for that. Also, I need to take more Vitamin D than I was taking so Kenn got some from Walmart when he picked up my prescription.
Thank you all!!
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9/25/2023 10:07PM
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Went into the doctor’s today for some extra IV fluids and labs. They’ve scheduled me to come into the office for both of my non chemo weeks, for extra IV fluids. Not sure what lab work was drawn.
It took the whole weekend with the new meds to control the diarrhea but it seems much better now. I still have the abdominal cramping, hoping that resolves soon too. I have much more energy (though nowhere near normal). Managed to go with Kenn to get the calcium supplements I need, but had to stop and rest several times. And I move so slow!! It’s crazy.
Will try to update tomorrow about how the day goes. Thanks!
Tomorrow I hope to be back at work. It’s only 2 clients so it should be an easier way to ease back into the flow.
Well, I was doing good with very mild side-effects until about half-way through the day today. My face was flushed and I had a mild headache, indigestion, and dry mouth. All very tolerable and manageable. This afternoon though, the fatigue has set in. I’ve sIept on and off since 230. I finally took some migraine medicine (can’t take Tylenol right now due to elevated liver levels) and got rid of the headache. I’m attempting to post this from my phone while lying in bed. I’ve had chills, plus I’m still flushed from the steroid. The flushing should go away tomorrow.
In good news, I got this lovely scarf from a charity that uses the scarfs to share women’s stories of their cancer journeys. You use the scarf until you’re done, then send it back along with your story and the charity cleans it and sends it to another person. Here are a few pictures ~
So, that was my cheery item yesterday. Today has been a day of rest. I’m hoping and praying I’ll feel up to working tomorrow. Thank you for your support!!
I was up all night due to the steroids they give you to help manage symptoms. So I got all my snacks and lunch prepared and got out my dad’s old cooler to take my cryotherapy mitts and booties into. So my dad who passed of cancer in 2004 was with me in spirit.
The cryotherapy helps to keep the chemo from getting into your hands and feet by constricting the blood vessels. That in turn helps prevent peripheral neuropathy.
I got to the center and got hooked up to my port for the pre-medications. I had a cozy jacket especially for chemotherapy with zippers for ports and all but I wasn’t cold so I didn’t need to zip up. This was a gift from a dear friend.
While the pre-meds were infusing, I had to put on the cryotherapy mitts and booties. they are to be on for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the Docetaxel plus the 60 minutes of the Docetaxel infusion. Not gonna lie, it was brutal to wear those for that entire time. My hands were hurting bad, the feet not as bad. Luckily I had to take a bathroom break and had to take them off for that and that gave me just enough break to get through the full 90 minutes.
During the cryotherapy I was able to cover up with my fuzzy blanket. Oh, I forgot to tell you, all during the cryotherapy, I was also being fed ice chips by my sweet hubby, to reduce the chance of getting mouth ulcers.
After the cryotherapy was done, I put on these great fuzzy socks that my mom got for me.
They felt sooo good!!! Here’s closer picture of them, they’re great!!
Meanwhile my son decided to join in solidarity with me (how I will likely be in a few weeks)
All in all it went very well. I didn’t have any side effects and was even able to run some errands today and go thrifting. Praise God!! I am praying that this symptom free time will continue or at least return by Monday so I can go to work. Thanks for all your support!!!
From time to time, I (Sheri’s mom) will post something. Today is one of those days. Sheri is getting her first chemo infusion. While her son, Ryan, couldn’t be there, he posted this photo on Facebook showing his support for his mom.
I just got a call from the oncologist’s nurse. Apparently my magnesium is a little low so they’re going to prescribe SlowMag for me. Also one of my liver enzymes is slightly elevated so I have to abstain from Tylenol (and Excedrin for my headaches) and alcohol until the liver enzymes come back up. What a ride this is going to be!!
Well, my first chemo infusion is in 2 days. Friday morning at 10:00 MST. Tomorrow morning I have to get labs drawn and I see my primary care practitioner. I got a book, Dear God, They Say It’s Cancer, and I’ve been reading it and journaling about the first days after I was diagnosed. I find it somewhat comforting to get those facts down on paper and journal about how I felt at that time, as best as I can remember, lol. Eventually I will “catch up” with where I am currently at and will continue to journal.
I’m pretty nervous about chemo and what side effects I will have. Honestly, I’m just plain scared. I am hoping to rest the rest of the day on Friday and Saturday as needed, Sunday too. And then be able to go to work on Monday. That way I will only miss one day of work per chemo cycle. I have read a lot of horror stories about chemo reactions but I have also read some from people who were able to do the chemo, rest a few days and then get back to regular activity, albeit slower than previously.
I think have prepared myself and the house as much as I think I can. I have stocked up on soup and fruit and will get popsicles this weekend when we go grocery shopping. I have all the anti-nausea meds that they prescribed. I have a bag with a blanket and small pillow, change of clothes, ear buds, phone charger, books and a chemo symptom tracker for the actual time I will be at chemo. I also have a set of cold mitts and booties to decrease the chance of getting peripheral neuropathy from the Docetaxel, the first chemo med that will be infused. I will also be drinking a Slurpee (if we can find a flavor I like on the way there, lol) or eating ice chips to cut down on the chance of mouth sores.
I will have a total of four medications. The regimen is called TCHP: Taxotere (or Doxetaxel), Carboplatin, Herceptin (Trastuzumab) and Perjeta (Pertuzumab). As I understand it, the Doxetaxel and Carboplatin are the actual traditional chemo and the Herceptin and Perjeta are for the HER2 positive portion of the tumors. The total infusion time will be about 2.5 hours. The Doxetaxel takes about 1 hour and the Carboplatin takes about 30 minutes. The Herceptin and Perjeta are going to be injections, as I recall. I’m not sure yet where the rest of the anticipated time goes, maybe to saline flushes and other sundry items. I will know soon enough I suppose.
The day after the chemo, I go in the morning to Penrose Hospital, very close to the house, to get an injection of a drug that helps to increase your production of white blood cells (WBC), particularly, the neutrophils. This will be my schedule for each cycle – Thursday morning: get labs drawn and see the doctor, Friday: chemo infusion and injection, Saturday: injection for WBC production. Then in 3 weeks, we do it all again. I will do this for 6 cycles. If all goes well and I tolerate the chemo well, my last day of chemo will be December 29.This will place my first surgery around the end of January to mid February.
I will update about the first chemo as soon as I feel up to it. As always, thanks so much for your support and your thoughts and prayers!!!
I saw the surgeon on Friday, September 8. She said basically what we knew already, that I have to have a mastectomy. Even if the chemotherapy shrinks the tumors, they are so far apart that we wouldn’t be able to get a cosmetically pleasing effect from taking out only the tumors. Plus, if we only did a lumpectomy, we would have to do radiation afterwards, which would further change the look of the end result.
I am choosing to have reconstruction, which will take place 4-6 months after the mastectomy. They do this so that the first surgical site can heal appropriately before doing the reconstruction. As my surgeon said “We fix the cancer first, then do the reconstruction.” When they do the mastectomy, they will put in devices called expanders that will be used to stretch the remaining skin to accommodate the reconstruction.
Praise God I chose to sign up for short term disability in my benefit package this year in June, just a month before my diagnosis. This should cover some of my lost income from at least one of the surgeries. I am still trying to find out all the details about the coverage for the second surgery.
My fundraising Tupperware online party has been a huge success and I can’t thank those of you who have participated enough! Not only will the funds that Michelle is donating be a big help but we also get a bunch of Tupperware for our kitchen! If you are interested in Tupperware, please see my friend Michelle here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6103469066358153
My mom sent me a Wool& dress for me to wear to chemotherapy since the neckline allows for access to my port and the Merino wool (not your mother’s wool!!) will keep me warm or cool, as needed. I wore it to church today and grabbed a pic of Kenn and I.
My son Ryan decided to surprise me with a visit form Kansas this past weekend. He showed up on the front porch Saturday morning. He said he had an appointment in Denver to get to so we chatted for a while and he headed out, letting me know he’d have all day Sunday to hang out with us. We had grocery shopping to do and other errands on Saturday anyways. Sunday morning he met us at church, then we went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. We hung out at the house for a while (everyone napped) and then went to the Labor Day Lift Off Balloon Glow that night. Before we headed out, he showed me what his appointment in Denver had been for. He had gotten his first tattoo in honor of me!! I was so touched!!
Here are some photos from the Balloon glow ~
Here’s the sunset over Pikes Peak ~
and my son Ryan and I ~
Sunday Kenn and I went to Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Neither of us had been there yet, even after living here for 10+ years and 30+ years (me and him). Here’s a few pics form there ~
All in all, it was a great weekend!! Yes, that is Kenn there at the Cliff Dwellings. LOL.
I will post more after I see the surgical oncologist this Friday.
I have moved the blog to WordPress since people couldn't sign up to follow by email here. The new address is:
Thanks!!
Finally got home and settled in after seeing the oncologist and going to the pharmacy. Here's the schedule for Sep:
Sep 8 see the breast surgeon to discuss the new surgical plan
Sep 14 get labs and see my primary care physician
Sep 15 First round of chemo at 10:00 am, should last 2.5 hours
Sep 16 get an injection to increase production of white blood cells (this will be done after every round of chemo)
Sep 19 bone density scan.
Thank you so much for all your support!! It means the world to me!!
The port placement yesterday went very well. I was awake the entire time but didn't feel any pain after the little pinch of the anesthesia. I rested at home most of the rest of the day.
I had only gotten 3 hours sleep the night before the procedure so we figured for sure I'd sleep during it. Nope. Nor was I able to sleep later that day, at least not until bedtime. Here's a couple of pictures:
I also got some beautiful flowers from my grandkids in Kansas
And a beautiful Survivor figurine from my mom:
Today I had a CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for baseline information. I expect to get those results over the weekend. I have chemo teaching on Aug 31. Hopefully I will start actual chemo shortly after that. I am hoping and praying I can get it done on a Thursday or Friday so I can recuperate over the weekend and be back to work on Monday. Then, 3 weeks later I will repeat the process, for a total of 6 cycles.
I see my surgeon on September 8 to discuss the new surgical plan and talk about scheduling. I need to know the date as soon as possible because my mom is planning to fly out here from Tennessee and my son also wants to be there. He lives in Kansas. September 14 I have my annual appointment with my primary care physician and September 19 I have a bone density scan. That's all the appointments for now.
The MRI I had done on August 10 showed a second spot, as well as my first spot being 3.6 cm not 1.7 cm as the ultrasound had measured it. So, I had an ultrasound and a biopsy for the second spot. It came back showing cancer, measuring 1.3 cm.
Because of the size change in the first spot, and the addition of the second spot, I am no longer a candidate for lumpectomy. I have to have a mastectomy. Because I want reconstruction to be done at the same time as the mastectomy, it will take some time to arrange.
So, I will be doing chemo first. I get a port placed this morning (in about 4 hours). I should start chemo soon, don't have a date yet. I will be doing 6 infusions of 4 different chemotherapy medications (TCHP : Taxotere® [docetaxel], Carboplatin, Herceptin® [trastuzumab], and Perjeta® [Pertuzumab]). I will have 1 infusion every 3 weeks and will be doing chemo for 4 1/2 months.
Not gonna lie, I'm starting to feel the gravity of the situation. The infusions will last for 4-7 hours each time. There are a ton of side effects. And then I have to face major, life altering surgery. I've only slept about 3 hours tonight. I know I'll sleep during the day today, both during the procedure and after I get home.
My husband, mother and son have been my biggest supporters but I worry about them. I wonder how I would feel if my spouse, daughter or mom had cancer. This has been a bumpy ride so far and today marks exactly 2 months since my diagnosis.
I have missed 6 days of work so far and had numerous appointments I scheduled around work. I am a behavioral counselor for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and am an independent contractor. If I don't see clients I don't get paid. Because of this and because I expect to be out a lot more days over the course of my treatment, I started a Gofundme. Please give if you can and if you cannot, please share my link. To those who have already donated, I am eternally grateful!! Thank you!
https://gofund.me/4d057759
I had my MRI 2 days ago. It was fairly quick and definitely easy. I'm not sure when I'll get the results. I think the results will be sent to the VA first. I will have to check in Monday.
I heard this song on the radio a few days ago and it really resonated with me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Lyrics
There are a lot of things I have to have done!! Both to me and for me. Here's the current rundown:
August 9
9:00 am - Video visit to get the genetic testing started
11:00 am - IUD removal at the VAMC in Denver
August 10
4:30 pm - MRI
August 11
9:30 am - Dental check up
August 15
8:30 am - placement of a magnetic locater for the surgery (the size of a grain of rice)
Aug 16
7:30 am - meet with the oncologist
August 23
5:30 am - check in for a 7:30 am surgery
And even after all this, there is still one more procedure I have to schedule. The one where they use dye to locate my Sentinel nodes (the first lymph node that that area of the breast empties into).
