Busy Week & Start of Chemo

March 21 - First off I had my right breast biopsy done on Tuesday.  As expected, it was a papilloma and I got the results yesterday.  Victory - it was benign.  It's nice to have little doses of good news.  The plan right now will be to remove it when I have the mastectomy.  The gene mutation test will take approximately two more weeks.

After the biopsy, I met with the social worker and the chemo nurse.  They both gave me tons of good information.  What to expect, support services and a nice file to keep myself organized as far as meds, invoices, appointments, etc.  

My parents came and picked me up on Wednesday, March 20 to get my port placed.  I was happy to learn that it wasn't going to be a general anesthetic.  They used Propofol which I was in and out of during the 45 minute procedure.  Everything went fine.  I am still a little tender but controlling the pain with Tylenol.  My mom spent the night with me just to make sure all was well, and to the relief of my dear husband!

Today, Thursday, I woke up after a good nights sleep with a little nervousness setting in.  My biggest fear is the nausea.  I just hate that feeling.  Fortunately they start you out with a couple of anti-nausea medicines in the IV before starting the chemo drugs.  I am on Adriamycin, which they pushed through the port, and also Cytoxin which took about 45 minutes to go through the IV.    

An order was written for me to get an injection tomorrow which I will get at our local Mercy Cancer Center for a drug called Neulasta.  This will help to stimulate the healthy white blood cells in the bone marrow that the chemo drugs are killing along with the cancer cells.  I will receive this 24 hours after each of my first four sessions of chemo.

So far, so good.  I feel fine, just a little tired.   I was informed again that I would start losing my hair in 10 - 14 days.  Dr. Coplin already told me that I would be bald by the 14th day.  The Chemo Center had a few head coverings that I could look at and pick out a few.  Most of them were for winter weather, but hey, how long is this cold sticking around?  You have to start somewhere.  Plus my mom thought she could probably make one out of a lighter or cooler material.

So, I don't go back until April 4.  It will be every two weeks for 4 sessions, then we will schedule surgery for middle of May.  I think I covered it all!

Again, I want to thank you all for the good thoughts and prayers.  It really helps to know all the support I am getting.  A big thanks to my sister Mary for taking notes and being my extra set of ears when Dane couldn't be there for the meeting with Dr. Coplin; and to my parents for taking me for surgery and chemo.