Act 1 - Chemotherapy
Act 2 - Surgery
Act 3 - Radiation
Act 4 - Herceptin infusions (Herceptin will continue every three weeks until first week in March 2016)
Act 5 - Tamoxifen (or some similar estrogen inhibitor for 5-10 years)
As long as my blood tests come back OK on Monday, my last chemo will be on Tuesday! So let's all cross fingers (or hold thumbs as you would say in South Africa!) that my blood cooperates...If all goes according to plan, Act 1 will be finished on Tuesday (followed by two weeks or so of feeling sort of crappy during the "intermission"). But hey, it is the last one so I will power through! The twist in this act is that I had some problems with my port-a-cath (see photo below). The upper incision never seemed to heal properly and on Friday, I thought that I could see my line in the upper incision. So I went by my surgeon's office on Friday to ask her to look at it. Guess what? I was indeed seeing my line! Evidently this is very dangerous as it can lead to infection and sepsis. So my surgeon, Dr. Grafton said, "right this needs to come out now - as in right now". So she had me go into one of their consultation rooms and boom, within 30 minutes she had removed my port-a-cath. I can only say that I can't imagine having had such amazing access to my surgeon at UCLA (I found Dr. Grafton in her office on a Friday at lunchtime and within 1/2 hour Dr. Grafton had sorted me out!).
My port - when it was intact. |
Dr. Grafton and her nurse - after removing my port. |
Here is what lived in my chest and neck for 3 and 1/2 months! |
Go Mom! |
Go Dad! |
Thank you Tim and Martha for all of your support! |
At the San Ysidro Ranch with Chris. |
I have saved the best news for last...I had a dye MRI a few weeks ago and they found that there was no dye update in the MRI. As you may know, the cancerous tumors take in dye - and thus show up on the dye MRI. So the fact that there was NO dye uptake (and this was before my fifth chemo) is absolutely amazing! This does not guarantee that all of my cancer is gone (there can be micro-cancers), but it does mean that I may have had a complete pathological response. HOORAY! I was then sent in for a mammogram, while Chris was here, to check for DCIS (pre-cancerous - microcalcifications) - and I appear to be clear here as well. HOORAY! So hopefully, this means I will have a lumpectomy instead of the mastectomy that we had thought I would have to have. This is a great ending to Act 1!
Thank you all for all of your love and support! I really do believe that it has made (and will continue to make) a big impact on the success of my treatment. As a side note, some people have asked me if I still need to have surgery and radiation, since my tumors appear to be gone, and the answer is yes. The surgeon will be taking samples of tissue to ensure that I don't have any micro-cancers that could turn into new tumors. The radiation will help ensure that any remaining micro-cancers are destroyed. So we will all have to sit through Acts 2-5! But I promise to do my best to make the upcoming Acts powerfully successful...
x
Jodi
Our walk at Hendry's Beach. |
Get it tough girl!!!!! Love you.
ReplyDeletexxoo,
Dani
Thanks Dani! You and Morgin have been such great cheerleaders for me during this process! :)
DeleteYAY for no dye uptake!!! That is such happy news :) You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteI hope your platelets behave themselves today so you can take a much deserved interval between Acts!
Much love from the BG's x
Thanks BG's! Platelets didn't behave, but we will still get there...xx Jodi
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