Ultrasound & Round # 3

I had an ultrasound to check response to treatment on January 12th.  The results: "ultrasound shows stable to interval decrease in size of breast mass, which is what we want. No other abnormalities noted." Good news, right? Well, I was a disappointed because I believed they were going to tell me that it had shrunk significantly. By nature, I'm an optimist almost to the point of being a bit delusional. 😬 When news isn't as positive as I would have expected, I turn into what I call a "brightsider". This is where I automatically find the bright side of the situation. The bright side: I was supposed to have had the ultrasound after 3 cycles over an 8 week period. Because of the chemo delays (due to low counts), I had only had 2 cycles over an 8 week period. I'm so thankful my doctors decided to wait to remove the mass after chemo. Had they removed the mass before chemo, there would be no way to tell if chemo is working.

I was due to have my 3rd cycle of chemo on Jan. 16th but Mother Nature had other plans. Texas closed for 2 days because of icy weather.  My doctors rescheduled me for the 18th. I was so happy to finally get to have chemo that I didn't care if it was on my birthday! This time, my amazing Dad took me. I love talking to him and hearing all of the stories of what life was like when he and my mom were young youngER 😜 and living over-seas. Not sure what I would do if I didn't get to see and kiss their faces on a regular basis. 

Chemo cycle #3 with Papi 💜

Today is day 4 post chemo and symptoms have been the same as the previous 2 cycles.  I'm still only taking 1 of my nausea meds for the first 3 days. I don't get brave enough to stop taking it until day 4. 

It's incredible how precise it is though. I take it every 12 hours (8:00am and 8:00pm). I feel nausea kicking in exactly 15-20 minutes before I'm due for my next pill.  The steroid (bloating) is bothering me a little more this time around because I feel like I'm 3 months pregnant. 😳  I'm getting better at pacing myself so that I don't get too fatigued. Besides the week of chemo, I'm walking 2 miles with my dad and dog and biking 10 miles on the spin bike 4-5 days a week. I hope I can keep it up as the months progress. 

In summary, things are very GOOD! 💃 Thank you for constantly checking on me and showing me so much love.  You may not know it, but it helps me so much! 

Chemo Round #2

I was finally able to get my 2nd treatment on Dec. 19th. This time, the most selfless-caring-bestmom-always-happy, woman in the world took me. I am so lucky that God made her my mom.

Thankfully, I continue to feel GREAT and tolerate chemo incredibly well! I have some side effects, but only consider them a little annoying. Even if I feel terrible during my remaining 6 treatments, I feel so happy that I felt great during the first 2!


Nausea/ fatigue- This cycle I didn't experience ANY nausea and felt a lot better than during the first cycle. I only took 1 of my nausea meds for the first 3 days, versus 2 meds for 6 days. The fatigue is still there but I've learned to pace myself. Such an adjustment for me since I rarely ever sat down.

Stomach / Pain- I also experienced the stomach pains/cramps one night. It's painful enough that it prevents me from sleeping.  Thankfully, it only lasted 1 night.

An unexpected side effect this time around, has been an itchy rash on my scalp. Gross, right? Annoying more than anything because it makes it hard to wear my wigs. I've actually even resorted to wearing just a beanie around the house... My oncologist believes it's related to the 20 mg of steroids I get during my chemo treatment. He prescribed a topical antibiotic in hopes of preventing an infection.

White blood cell counts- My nadir period is 10-15 days after chemo day. This means that my white blood cell count (specifically, my neutrophil count) is at its lowest during those days. This causes neutropenia (link for more info). Even normal bacteria can cause infections. So, I have to stay away from public places. A challenge for me since I love being out and about!

Appetite/weight- I want cake with icing and ice cream constantly and have been eating ice cream nightly.  😳 I am loving fruit and eat things like melons, papaya, grapefruit and pomegranate. I've always LOVED vegetables, but fruit? NOT SO MUCH.  Prior to chemo, I had to force myself to have 1 apple every month or two. My weight continues to stay the same. Thank goodness for that because the amount of time I spend sitting plus the cake and ice cream made me wonder if I would be the first cancer patient (ever) to gain weight during treatment... 😆

I go back to MD Anderson on January 12th for an ultrasound to check response to treatment.  I am glad they placed the markers on each end of the mass to track it's size... On January 16th, I am scheduled for my 3rd cycle although I have this urge to call my doctor and beg him to let me get it TODAY.

Cheers to a happy and healthy 2018! For us, 2017 will be hard to top. We were very blessed all year. We traveled a ton and had a blast! Although 2018 won't include as much travel or fun... It will be a  year of healing and familial growth. Best of all, we get to enjoy the heightened awareness and perspective of the little moments in our lives. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

New Hairdo...

[DISCLOSURE: I normally do NOT take this many pictures of myself. 😂]

On Friday December the 8th, I had 6 inches of my hair chopped off in hopes of prolonging the amount of time I had with hair by making it appear fuller.

Just 4 days later, I told Joe and the boys that I needed them to stand-by for moral support while I shaved my head. They asked if they could help, but I needed to do it alone. I made 4 ponytails and cut them close to my scalp. Then, proceeded to shave. But first, I had to cut a mohawk to show the boys. After all, I did shave a mohawk on Cole's head when he was 8 weeks old. 😏

I'm officially a cancer patient when I look in the mirror. Interestingly, I have not felt emotional about my hair. When I look in the mirror, I see a cancer patient, but that patient is not me. Maybe it's due to the fact that I (thankfully) continue to feel GREAT physically.

The pictures below were taken a couple of days ago. Today, I barely have any left.

Here are some of my different "hairdos". This is my brunette "halo" hair and supposed to be worn with hats and beanies.  Think tonsure... 😜

Thank you, Crystal Clear Mortgage for donating the hats. 😂

Below is the wig that I hated the least out of all of the ones I tried.  I feel very UNcomfortable in it, but it's nice to not have to wear a hat. 

This is my blonde "halo". If the kids didn't mind me wearing a pink one, I would buy one of those too! I wish I could wear a t-shirt or a sign that says "dealing with cancer. this isn't a lapse in judgement." I may as well experiment, have fun and not try to conceal the fact that I'm wearing a wig. 

I went in for my 2nd chemo cycle but was turned down due to low white blood cells. This was incredibly disappointing because I WANT chemo. I want to kill this thing so bad. My oncologist now wants me to try again on Tuesday December 19th and to return every 4 weeks, instead of every 3 weeks. I was originally scheduled to end chemo mid April. Now, I won't finish until the end of June. I'm quickly learning that I can't focus on dates and always need to be prepared for the unexpected. 

Emotionally, I continue to feel strong and ready to battle. Thank you for continuing to show me so much love.  I'm so astounded by it.  I hope every person battling cancer, has an unbelievable support system like the one I've got. 💗