by Jennifer | Mar 20, 2016 | Blog |
I think we are all starting to feel better, finally. 3 of us have coughs which will be around for a while and I’m still pretty weak feeling and get tired easily. But overall, we are doing much better, finally!!
As I think back on my life before diagnosis, I have no idea how I did it all (cleaning, cooking, laundry,taking care of the girls, volunteering in the classroom, serving at church, etc.) I’m still not doing much cooking or cleaning and feel like I’m barely keep up with things. Maybe one day . . . but for now, thank you to everyone who continues to help us!! We really appreciate it.
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by Jennifer | Mar 11, 2016 | Blog |
It’s Friday evening and I’m still waiting to feel like I’m done with chemo. 🙂 I’m not complaining (at least not much), just stating the facts.
Each day gets a little better. This morning was the first morning since Monday I was up and dressed in the morning. I guess that’s progress. I spent the morning working on a website for Tom’s restaurant group, which allowed me to sit on the couch. Tonight we have a fun family movie night planned, which will again, allow me to sit down. I’m up doing something, get tired really fast, and then am back down. But at least I can do a little around the house!
I guess I thought my energy would come back faster. But as Tom pointed out, not only did I not get chemo on Wed., I also did not get all the pre-meds (including the steroid which usually gives me a boost of energy).
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by Jennifer | Mar 1, 2016 | Blog |
It’s been a LONG 4 1/2 months of chemo.
But here I am, the night before my last chemo. I can’t believe it will be over tomorrow (well not really, but at least the infusion part of it).
4 1/2 months ago we prepared for the worst – my full time care with Tom working from home and a friend here the day he was up in Seattle working. Fortunately, it was not as bad as we had prepared for. There were some very hard days, but there were also some good days. It’s the very end of chemo and today, I was able to be a normal mom, taking our 6 year old to the Dr. for her allergies and going to school play auditions for our 2 oldest kids. I am so thankful my body handled the chemo as well as it did!!
I’ll be honest, I have mixed feelings about tomorrow being my last chemo. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very glad it will be over. I just really want it to be my last one, forever. I don’t ever want to walk back in the infusion center again in my entire life, for me or for anyone else I know.
It’s not a horrible place. The nurses and people that work there are wonderful and I have loved getting to know them. They are very friendly and kind. They know us by name and greet us with a smile each week. I’d love to run into them when we are out and about. But never want to see them at the Infusion Center again. 🙂 I look forward to saying goodbye tomorrow and taking them some yummy blueberry scones as a “Thank You” for taking such good care of me these past 4 1/2 months.
We have been focusing so much on chemo and managing the side effects that come and go each week. It seems strange to be coming to an end of that.
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by Jennifer | Feb 24, 2016 | Blog |
Another chemo is done and it was again, uneventful. I slept most of the time as I was very tired and a bit achy today. I also took a couple small naps today and laid down until the kids got home from school.
There was not much new news at my Dr. appointment yesterday. The tumor seemed about the same size. After Tom and I coordinate a couple calendar items, I can call the breast surgeon and get that appointment set up to talk about surgery. We are hoping to schedule surgery the week after Spring Break (April 11- 15). I also have an appointment on March 25th to hear the results of my pet scan which should be done a few days prior to that.
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by Jennifer | Jan 13, 2016 | Blog |
Chemo knocked me out today . . . even fell asleep at the infusion center so here’s a quick update and hopefully I won’t fall asleep while typing!
Dr apt. yesterday:
- tumor has shrunk 1 cm in both length and width
- a PET scan will most likely be done before my surgery to see how well the chemo worked and to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else
- Radiation after surgery might not be done if, 1) the cancer has spread somewhere else or 2) the Dr. is confident the chemo killed all the cancer. I believe this decision/recommendation will come from a radiation oncologist which we have not met with yet.
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