7 down 5 to go...!  Woohoo...!  I CAN SEE THE END...THE END OF CHEMO IS IN SIGHT!

Each Friday I get a card before I go to my chemo appt. A perfect card from a sweet, sweet, good friend and neighbor, Nancy. She's been by my side, checks on me daily, and is always there to make me smile! Unfortunately today she is moving to Austin. I know it's not far, but when a neighbor & good friend moves its a sad day. But, I refuse to be sad (sorry Nancy), I'm happy for y'all, sad for us, but I won't let it get to me-not today!!

Chemo was easy. The nurse was surprised to see me with hair and that my side effects are minimal! I curiously asked about my next and final round that will start in December. She reassured me that I just need to stay on top of my nausea meds. Even though my body will be exhausted to fight it and force myself to get up, move, walk around, shower, eat, etc. The more I lay around the worse I'll feel. That's encouraging!  I CAN DO THIS!!  I can!  I'm so excited, so lifted up!

Thanks to everyone for each and everything you do for me! You give me gifts (although completely unnecessary), cards, emails, texts, hugs, food, etc. YOU lift me up, YOU give me strength, YOU are my support and YOU are fighting this fight with me!

The past week has been pretty busy as I had all my check ups, PT, and met with Dr. Nelson (my oncologist!).

I ended last week with a visit to Dr. Gordley-we are FINALLY finished draining my pit area that was still draining from surgery! Yes, that's right, finished with him until the new year. Where we will have to drain and start radiation! Then of course we will have to refill and hopefully we'll know what my final surgery will entail!  Pray for an easy surgery (outpatient, quick recovery), and no skin grafting-which would mean a tummy tuck (an 8 hr surgery and many weeks of recovery). I also asked Dr. Gordley what limitations do I have. He said NONE. Yep, that's right, I can do anything!  So, yes, I indeed went for a run. I will say it was not very comfortable at all, but with a little walking added in, I ran just under a mile and walked about 2!  I ran again on Sunday and again when I went to boot camp, I pretty much did everything. Even push-ups! Well, I did the wimpy push-ups from my knees, I'll eventually get back on my toes!  The only thing that was completely uncomfortable was jumping. As you can imagine! Or not? I've realized being healthy has gotten me down this road fairly unscathed, so I need to get back in top shape, or at least close to it. And plus it's good for my soul!

Last week Rob brought home a gift box full of little things and a ton of cards and notes, something like 22 cards. They were all from one of his hospitals. Four nurses told their friends about me and they sent cards with prayers and all kinds of words of encouragements. I CANNOT get over their outpouring of generosity to share, their love and their prayers. About 4 of the cards were from survivors themselves. It meant a lot to me to get all the cards from strangers. I don't even know these nurses, but they know Rob and they were so kind in all their words and prayers!!

On Monday I had my first PT appointment. I got there to find that I have full range of motion (I figured, I worked hard after surgery to regain it). I will only need appointments to get rid of the cording. These cords appear after a mastectomy and lumpectomy, they start down the arm pit near the ribs and can stretch all the way to your wrist. Mine stop at my elbow, I can see them and feel them. The therapist will make them 'pop.'  And I'll also learn about lymphadema and how to spot signs of it.  Needless to say the therapist said I probably need about 6 appt. whereas most need 15.  Woohoo!

I don't want to say that I am completely free of side effects from chemo. I have some, albeit very mild. It could be much, much, much worse and for that I am so grateful, so thankful. The main effects I'm feeling are chemo brain-brain farts, flushed face and eyes the day after, some sleepless nights the few nights after, dry mouth and hot sweats. Yep, I get them, mostly at night, but I get them! They don't last long and I don't break out in a total sweat, just a simple hot flash for several minutes. Of course I'm losing my hair-everywhere! I've stopped having to shave under my arms, my legs haven't been shaved in forever. Its not like the hair is gone from my legs and arms, just not growing longer! However, my eyelashes and eyebrows look fine!  Thanks to a friend (Shane) and Latisse (look it up) I'm looking pretty good up there!
Speaking of side effects. There's one I didn't mention and most people don't either. But, I'm going to break code and discuss the money portion of being diagnosed with cancer. Prior to cancer, I never thought much about insurance. We have it, we have private insurance as Rob is self employed. We have a copay, deductible and we've never met a deductible in any given year. Never needed to. All that said, the cancer made me nervous about what is covered and what is not. I will say, we are so very fortunate to have insurance. This is one less thing I, well Rob needs to worry about. Who wants to get bills every month saying you owe thousands of dollars and you don't know were you'll get the money to pay it and you are trying to recover. Needless to say, I met my deductible within the first month of my diagnosis. By time I'd had surgery and before I started chemo, my bills had topped over 6 figures. My chemo treatments started and therefore by time I finish 12 treatments of taxol I'd be able to pay for 1 of my kids college public school tuition for 1 ½ years. I still have another round of chemo after taxol, radiation after that and a final surgery. I am so grateful my insurance isn't that bad after all! NOW, the reason I mention all this, what about all the people out there that don't have good insurance, or any at all? My heart goes out to them and please say a prayer for those in need and have this one added bit of pressure! We can all imagine how lingering bills affect our outlook.

My appointment with Dr. Nelson was easy. I had to get blood work first, so over to the hospital (an hour before appt.) and then go back over to the MDA building. Up here in The Woodlands, the buildings are all spread apart and driving between is easy and valet allows me to leave my car in the driveway for that quick 5 min. blood draw.  Dr. Nelson is super nice and you can just tell he's a genius and that he cares deeply about what he does. He went over my blood work and told me not to worry. The only thing he'd watch is my liver enzymes. They are elevated but that is normal with Taxol.  Good thing I wasn't a heavy drinker! What they look at and watch closely are my WBC. They have dropped since my initial blood work. But, they are still within normal ranges. And as stated in a previous post, the reserve baby WBC, the ones my bone marrow produces are good and actually higher than they were 3 weeks ago. I'm showing a little sign of anemia, but he said that is completely normal for any female my age.  And, I've always had issues with that. SO, no worries. The final thing they look at in my blood work is my platelet counts. The last blood draw is the lowest it's been since I started chemo. However, weeks 4, 5, & 6 were actually higher than weeks 2, 3, & 7.  So I don't think that says much!  Regardless, Dr. Nelson said he's not worried and he wouldn't change a thing. I trust him, it's his job and he gets paid to worry and to know what is best!  And lastly we planned out my final dates for my chemo. Yes, that's why I SEE THE END IN SIGHT.  I'm so happy with the schedule because my treatments fall on 2 big holidays and MDA up here is closed. So, I'll take have #11 chemo on Friday, 11/21. Turn around and have my 12th and final taxol on Wed. the day before Thanksgiving...WOOHOO!!! That will allow me a little over a week for my body to do some quick recovering to start the AC (the red devil or the cocktail, as everyone calls it. The A is a red liquid that causes you to urinate red for several days). I will have AC for 4 rounds, every other week. That will be (yes, I know the Type A is coming out, but seeing it, is finishing it!), 12/5, 12/19, 1/ 2, and my LAST AND FINAL chemo treatment will be on 1/16... I'll keep everyone posted, obviously to make sure we are still on that schedule. Because when I ring that bell, (It's a big one people) and I'm going to ring it LOUD, I'd be honored if you would ring the bell with me, some bell, anything, a clap do it for all those people that ring the bell each and every day.

Alright here's my science lesson in chemo for the day. We all know chemo kills cells. They kill healthy cells, the bad cells, etc. Chemo even causes the cancer cells to turn on one another, causing them to attack and kill one other! We all have cancer cells in our body, it's when the cells multiply too rapidly that our killer cells can't attack them all. Let's think a moment of my side effects and how the chemo affects those cells. What in your body is constantly growing?  Your hair!  We lose about 200 strands a day but the new hair is growing so fast you hardly notice. The chemo is killing my new hair cells,  that's why my hair is thinning. The old hasn't all fallen out, as it's just taking longer to die off because it's been around so long. In my case it must be pretty stubborn because although it's thinning, I've still got it! Beyond the hair is the mouth. Your mouth is a super fast healer, get a cut and within days you're healed. The chemo is killing all the healthy cells your mouth produces. Therefore it's getting dryer and more prone to ulcers, dry mouth, etc. Maybe you knew this info, maybe you didn't. I just thought it was interesting to know it affects our healthy cells that reproduce more rapidly at a faster rate than cells that take longer to redevelop.  I'm still amazed after 7 rounds of chemo that I still feel so good!  Attitude and Faith are everything!!!

With that I will leave you with what inspired me to have such a great day Thursday and Friday.
(From the Lakeside nurses)
I have Fire in my Veins and a Will in my heart. When going through Hell I must NOT stop! I must keep moving even when I don't want too. I declare and I decree that I will be healed from the inside out. I will LIVE and NOT DIE. I speak life into my body and to my blood. I speak Psalm 91 for my protection prayer, because I know that this life I live is Never Fair. But as long as I have Faith and I Believe in my SAVIOR. I know HE will Bless me with unmerited favor...For I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

And this too:
Our stories of pain, adversity and overcoming in Christ are meant to serve as a testimony of God's faithfulness and power, evidence that God really can take what the devil meant for evil and use it for good. God NEVER wastes our pain. Only we do that. God has a plan for great purpose and a beautiful future for all who believe in HIM. Not despite our past, but because of it.


Love, hugs, & prayers to you!  I think of you all often and am so blessed, thankful, and truly lifted up each day by you!  THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME THROUGH THIS!  THANK YOU FOR STANDING BY MY SIDE...Words are not enough, please know in your heart that without you, this journey would be very difficult.