A Christmas Gift

This post is long overdue and I apologize.  The last couple of weeks have been extremely busy... keeping up with the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, going to doctors appointments and trying to keep some normalcy in our lives.  

I met with my radiation oncologist right before Thanksgiving and did all the prep work to begin radiation. Then I got a call from them about the possibility of doing a clinical trial- partial breast radiation vs. full breast radiation.  I won't bore you with all the details except this is a common practice with women over 40 and they have found it to be just as successful as the whole radiation.  Whole breast radiation is 30 sessions usually with 5-8 additional power boost sessions.  The partial breast is done twice daily for 5 days.  In women under 40, there isn't enough evidence at this point to know for sure if partial works as well as whole.  The trial that I was interested in is a Phase 3 trial and I felt very comfortable applying for it.  So after weeks of filling out paperwork, I was finally accepted into the trial and randomized into the partial breast radiation.  I went in for more set up (including tattoos) and finally on Monday, December 19 at 6:30am I was able to start my treatments.  Over the past week I went twice a day (6 hours apart) at 6:30 and 1:30pm.  Of course mother nature played a significant role this week with a snow storm on Tuesday morning and then another big one on Thursday.  Needless to say, I woke up really, really early to get there and was praying that the radiation tech would be there too... and she was!  

There are three different methods of partial breast radiation and I did the more traditional one call 3d conformal external beam radiation.  This radiated the tumor bed area and some surrounding tissue rather than the entire breast.  I was amped up with about 3850 cGY over the past week.  I have been tired, not sure if that is from the treatments, getting up at the crack of dawn or stress relating to getting up so early and the snow.  It could also be a combination of all of the above.  I am a bit sore and swollen with what looks like a sunburn, thank goodness there are no blisters!  Yesterday after my final treatment, I was discharged from radiation treatments!  I have to go back in a couple of weeks to get checked out and and then again later in January.  With my participation in the trial, I feel the doctors will be watching me even more closely than if I had done the regular whole breast radiation.

So what's next??  In two weeks I get to start my anti-estrogen drug, Tamoxifen.  This will be a part of my daily life for the next 5 years, awesome!  There are some potential side effects but the benefit of the drug to stop producing estrogen to keep any cancer cells from growing should outweigh the side effects.   I also have to see the surgeon again and then in early February see the oncologist who will schedule my next follow-up, mammogram or MRI every 3 months.

I have been the brunt of some jokes this week by my sister...I am so not offended, in fact the laughter is what keeps us going...

• The three wise men don't need to follow the star in the east, just follow the glowing from her boob
• Santa doesn't need Rudolph this year
• And finally, our row at church tonight won't need candles during Silent Night

Again, I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and support over the past 90 days.  It hasn't been fun but each and everyone of you have helped me through it.  The journey isn't over but it is quite shorter now.  I can't thank you enough for everything, the calls, the texts, the meals, the emails, the hugs, everything...I am truly grateful for all of you (as is Rob and Madison).

Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you.

Love,

Stephanie

Thanksgiving 2011

23 years ago on Thanksgiving Day, November 24 my dad died from cancer.  Not a day goes by where I don't think about him.  And obviously not a Thanksgiving day goes by where I don't remember the happenings of Thanksgiving day, 1988.  I know my dad is up there watching down on me and my family.  Death has a tendency to tear people apart or bring them closer together- thank goodness it brought my family closer together.  My mom, my sister, my brother and I have an amazing relationship.  We have been through the hard times and yes there are more hard times, but together we have stayed strong and faithful.  

A lot of the emotions I have felt lately are reminiscent of what I felt after my dad died- pissed, angry, why me, it's not fair, etc... the list could go on forever.  I still feel those emotions from my dad's death but they have lessened over the years.  I know the same holds true for my current situation- they don't go away but they definitely will get easier.

Now I need to wipe my tears and rejoice for what I have in my life!  Thanks for my family- Rob, Madison and my chocolate girls; my mom, my sister and her family, my brother and his family, Vance, my aunts, uncles, cousins around the country and in Canada too!  I love each and everyone of you.

And then to my friends... I am blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life.  You are all too numerous to mention but know that I appreciate you and your friendship and everything you have done for me over the past 60 days.  You truly are awesome!

And I am thankful for my health...things could be a lot worse for me than they are.  Yes, it still isn't easy but it could be worse.  I also need to be thankful for all the doctors, nurses and medical procedures that I have been through lately.   Their jobs are hard and I admire them for what they do.

I feel like I could go on forever today but then I'd miss the turkey, mashed potatoes and of course, the wine!  Count your blessings this holiday season.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Love, 

Stephanie

Doctor's Report

So I have been a bit delinquent in updating the blog but now I have this post and I just posted  Hawaii pictures too.

So Monday's doctor appointment went well.  My MammaPrint test came back as low risk which is awesome.  This means no chemo!  So what's next...I was suppose to meet with radiation oncologist on Wednesday but that appointment got pushed back to next Monday.  I need to have 2 appointments with them before I can start treatments and they also have to make sure I am all healed from my surgery.  I hope to start the week after Thanksgiving.  It will be 5 weeks of radiation, going every day and then 8 additional sessions of targeted radiation to the tumor site.  It is a lot but generally last only 10-15 minutes and while a pain, it does help reduce the risk of recurrence.   Finally after radiation is complete, I will go on Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen drug.  Since my tumor was estrogen + this will help block estrogen that I am producing and again reduce the risk of recurrence.  So all in all, I am calling this the best case scenario of a bad thing.  Things could be way worse than they are now and I am thankful it's only what it is!  It still sucks having to have gone through what I already have gone through and what left to come.  Oh well, as one 3rd wrote me, God gives you what you can handle.

I was truly blessed Wednesday morning upon my arrival at Madison's school.  The 3rd graders and their parents wrote me individual notes of encouragement and prayer requests.  I was emotionally overwhelmed and started bawling after reading them. These 3rd graders and parents are truly amazing!  I have an wonderful group of people praying for me and my family!

Madison has also been convalescing this week.  On Tuesday, she had 2 baby teeth pulled.  Like her mother, she was making herself upset before her appointment.  Once we got there though she was a trooper and the teeth came out.  Afterwards, I was willing to take her to get an ice cream shake, frozen yogurt, etc and she didn't want anything.  I finally convinced her to go and get a Coke at McDonald's.  We stayed there for about 10 minutes as she wanted to get back to school.  I dropped her at school and about an hour later got a phone call from her wanting to come home.  Poor thing, she relaxed on the couch and enjoyed some mashed potatoes.  On Wednesday morning, she got up like she normally does and was ready to go!  I went to chapel with her this morning and then came home and went out to lunch with my mom and Frannie.  I got a phone call while at lunch that Madison was running a fever.  So off to school I went to pick her up.  I am hoping it is all related to having her teeth pulled and she will be good to go to school on Thursday.  And if it is a cold, I guess I am glad that she got one before Thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Stephanie

Hawaii Pictures

Here are some highlights from our trip last week.  I guess I don't take as many pictures if Madison isn't along with us!

Sunrise at Haleakala... it was a bust, the clouds covered most of the view.

Lucy and Linus... our horses on our Haleakala volcano ride 

View from the Haleakala crater.

Foster drinking a Foster's...isn't this what vacation is all about?

Mrs. Foster drinking a sip of Foster's

Our snorkeling adventures

The turtles were the highlight of the trip...amazing.

Sunset on our first night in Oahu at Disney's Aulani Resort

Mickey anniversary cake!

View from our balcony in the morning.

Looking out onto one of the private lagoons in Ko Olina

Hanging Loose with Mickey Mouse

Christmas card picture taken at the luau

We tried super hard to get this picture, it almost turned out.  We need to work on our night time photography!

One of the amazing sunsets we saw.

Disney's version of the luau- Starlight Hui (this was the end of the show, they actually did have some hula dancers)

Almost home!

I am sitting here by the pool reflecting on what has been a fabulous trip. We have definitely used our trip to our advantage. Lots of lazy days at the pool and beach. A really long drive yesterday around the island of Oahu looking for turtles. Didn't find the turtles but ate at one of the famous shrimp trucks as recommend by Christine and Kristen! That was well worth the drive. We also stopped for shaved ice at the north shore. Weather has been pretty good with the exception of the wind, it feels just like Highlands Ranch with all the wind!
Things are definitely busy here in Ko Olina. Honolulu is hosting APEC and lots of foreign dignitaries here messing up the traffic. Thankfully we leave Ko Olina before Obama gets here and creates a traffic nightmare!
Looking forward to getting home and seeing our girl. We have missed her tremendously and will bring her next time! Also missing our 4 legged ladies too.
I am a bit apprehensive about coming home as I have an appointment with the oncologist on Monday afternoon. I will find out what my treatment plan is and frankly I am scared. I have tried not to stress and know it is out of my control but it doesn't make it any easier. Ahhh, I am going to try and enjoy our remaining 36 hours here.

Steph

Maui

I obviously had some technical difficulties as I had written a post while in the SFO airport and now it isn't here! Not too much to say this morning other than Maui is beautiful and we are both relaxed! More later!

Out of Surgery

Today is Stephanie and my 15th wedding anniversary and she just game me the best gift ever! She just finished surgery and things went well. All the tests in the OR indicate they got everything and no lymphnode involvement. There will be more results from the detailed pathology tests, but those take a few days.

I should get to see her in about an hour. I'll get more information out later.

This step in the journey can get behind us. There is more to come, but today is a day to celebrate for a whole bunch of reasons.

Thank you to everyone for your love, support, and prayers!

Hawaii here we come!!!