Two More Down!

I had my third radiaiton treatment today.  I am amazed that it takes much longer to undress and get dressed (in that adorable hospital gown) than it does to actually get the treatment.  They radiate from two different directions and each time it is about 24 seconds.....the machine with this big eye thing comes up and around and you hear it make noise and that's about it. I am sure I will eventually see the results.  I also visited with the radiation oncologist today and she checked to make sure there isn't any effect from the radiation yet.  It still looks good and she also said I probably won't see anything until around two weeks.  So far so good.  I did go purchase the "Vanicream" which they recommend for sensitive skin and people going through radiation.  It is a special cream/lotion that is free from fragrence and chemicals which can irritate healing and damaged skin.  They sell it everywhere here but I don't think I have ever seen it anywhere else. It was specially developed here at Mayo and is nice stuff so we hope that it does the job.  I have one more treatment this week because of New Years Eve and then a full week for the next 3 weeks and then one more day....if all goes as planned. So I will be posting again probably tomorrow after I see the nurse educator about preventing radiation damage.  Should be interesting.  Until then....hugs to all.  Love, Patsy

Back in Rochester-One Down, 19 to Go!

I'm back in Rochester after about 3 and a half weeks of healing at home.  The incisions are still a little tender but mostly ok.  The trip over allowed us to spend a little time with Bill's dad and sister in Mitchell.  We arrived late last night with the roads being decent but not great.  What I really didn't like was in and out of all the fog.  Hate driving in fog!!!  I like to be able to see where I am going!  So we are at Krista's until I can get a room at the Hope Lodge for patients undergoing treatment.  We decided that I would need a quiet place by the time I got toward the middle of treatment. As of today, I am number 6 on the list.  So probably sometime next week.  

As for the actual treatment.......I'm not sure that they did anything.  ;o)  Until the cumulative effect kicks in you do really wonder if they are doing anything...but of course we know that they are.  I checked in and they called me almost immediately.  I headed into the dressing room where you get to take off everything from the waist up and put on a lovely hospital gown.  Then its into the treatment room which has all this sci fi looking equipment all over the place.  My special little pillow was laying on the table.  Before I left last time I was fitted with this pillow that your head, arms and upper body lay in and then somehow it hardens so that when you come in everyday they can get you in the exact same position.  They also tattooed 4 markers to help with the positioning-never quite envisioned having a tattoo but in all actuality, they are barely more than a pencil dot.  After being all positionedand told to just breath normally, the therapists left the room and came back about 4 minutes later saying I was done for today!!!  Hmmmmm!  So for now I guess it will be pretty easy going.  They did say that I probably wouldn't notice any side effects until the 10th treatment which for me is half way.  I pray that is true.  I made the mistake of reading about some of the side effects on the internet so that kind of freaked me out!  Wouldn't recommend doing that at all!

Over the last couple of weeks I have also been contemplating the title of my blog and have decided, yes it is an unwanted journey, but we all have unwanted journeys throughout our life of one sort or another.  There are several people/families right now that I have decided have much rougher journeys than mine.  So all in all, I remain extremely thankful that my journey is one that has been a little bumpy but overall, worth the trip.  Every event in our lives is an opportunity to grow and experience the love of God, family and friends.  I'm never quite sure what God has in mind but it will become abundanty clear to me at some point-it always does, even if it is years down the road. 

So, I will update you again in a couple of days.  Hopefully it won't be with news of more snow....man they have a lot over here!  Hugs to you all.  Love, Patsy

Home again!

It is good to be home....my own bed will feel wonderful tonight!!  But do miss the grandboys already!  I am just so thankful that all has gone so well so far.  I can't thank all my praying friends enough for their prayers which I know God answers.  I feel that I am a third of the way through the journey and now have the radiation to do and then some hormone therapy which will last 5 years. Hormone therapy is well proven to help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer and actually is what I was on the study for. 
My appointment with the surgeon was very short....he said my incisions looked good and the tumor was less than a centimeter with lymph nodes being negative (which I already knew from the radiation oncologist).  The incisions may look good, but the one under my arm is driving me to distraction!!  Everything seems to rub and it is just really tender.  But I know it is just temporary and will eventually get better!!
The appointment with the mecial oncology people was a little weird....and long.  My appointment was at 2:15 and we got in there about 2:40 but didn't get out of there until almost 5!! :o(  I have to say though, of all the appointments I have had at Mayo, that was the worst wait I have ever had!  I guess I just knew we would do hormone therapy when all was done because of the time I spent on the study and talking to my other doctor.  So, for me it seemed a little redundant but then again maybe some people need all that information.  I will be checking with the Dr. that I did the study with for her final ideas on that one.
So, I am home until Christmas and it is off to work tomorrow.  It will be good to get back into the routine.  Big hugs to you all.....and many praises for the positiveness of this experience.  God is good!

Good news again!

Just returned from my radiation oncology appointment and she was able to confirm that there were no cancer cells in the lymph nodes.  Yay!!!  God has been so good through this.  I am so blessed.  I liked Dr. Yan and we have decided on a 4 week treatment that will start December 27th.  They actually worked me in to get all my appointments done for the work up for my radiation treatments.  So I now have 4 little tatooes to make sure everything gets lined up again when they do the actual radiation.  I still have my surgical follow-up and a medical oncology appointment and then we are heading out.  It will be good to get back home.  Get things back to normal for a little while. So I will let you know about the other appointments on Wednesday when we get home.  Hugs to all.  Patsy

OK a little nervous again!

It's Monday night and I am getting ready for bed realizing that I am a tad nervous to hear what the doctors all have to say tomorrow.  My first appointment is with the radiation oncologist. She should have all the news about what they found when they sliced and diced my lymph nodes because she determines the course of radiation treatment.  My next appointment will be with the surgeon.....I can't wait to get these bandages off.  The one under my arm is like really annoying, itchy and at times a little painful.  So hopefully  getting the bandage off will help.  Then I also get to see a medical oncologist.  Will let you all know about that.  Have no idea what all of these people do....just glad they are all so skilled.  All in all, I am still feeling blessed through this whole ordeal.  We never know where the path leads.....but God does and He always has a plan!!!  Hugs to all. 

3 Days Later

Well, it is 3 days post surgery, and I have to say it's not been too bad.  I feel good although I find myself taking naps which I usually don't do.  I got a shower yesterday which felt amazing.  Thursday I spent all day in my pajamas.  The pain is pretty non descript.......once in a while when I lift my arm too fast but for the most part nada.  The incision under my arm is by far the worst part. Proabably because it is involved in so many movements. However in retrospect, thinking back to my shoulder surgery after my car accident, this really is a piece of cake! I took one pain killer the first night and two extra strength tylenol the next day, but otherwise nothing.  Actually, pain stuff makes my stomach hurt worse than what little pain I might have.  So just thought I would let you all know that things are going well.  The worst part is wanting to pick up Nathan which I am not supposed to lift over 10# for at least a week. But all in good time.  They had about 6-8 inches of new snow here last night so I guess we wouldn't have been heading home yesterday even if they hadn't scheduled me for appointments on Tuesday.  All in all, I am still extremely thankful for the way everything has turned out.  God is good!  So hugs to all....I will proabaly update again on Tuesday after my appointments unless something else exciting happens.  ;o)  Patsy

It's Over and Good News

Man, I thought yesterday was a long day......we had to report to the hospital at 7:15 so it was hurry up and wait.  They admitted me to a room and I got my IV in right away and then we waited until 10:30 before they moved me to pre-op.  Pre-op was more questions to make sure that I was the right person and I knew what they were going to do.  I also will not forget my name or birthday when I have alzheimers in my old age! :0)
Pre-op was approximately another hour before I actually went into surgery.  Then it was a blur until I woke up at around 2:00.  I was in recovery for another 45 minutes to an hour and finally back up to the room.  Then we had to wait for the doctor to call and the news was good!!  He got clear margins on the lesion and the lymph nodes were clear as well.  He took the 3 sentinel nodes and then 2 others becuase he thought they felt funnybut they too were negative under the microscope.  So I am thankful that this is the news.  They will do a more thorough study of the nodes and will find out for sure at our appointment on Tuesday. So far it is uncomfortable but not awful.  I have drugs if neccessary but don't like to take them so will see how it goes.  So we just got home and I am starving but supper smells wonderful.  Thank you all for your prayers and love.  I will keep you updated over the next few days on how I am doing. Hugs to all.  Love, Patsy

I'm Radioactive!!!

So, it was a long day but we are ready for tomorrow.  Saw the surgeon first thing this morning for a rundown of what will happen tomorrow.  He was positive and said things look good but they can always be surprised.  We made the decision to go ahead and do a mastectomy if they find more than what they anticipate and a lumpectomy is no longer an option.  So we are praying that is not the case.  He also talked about the lymph nodes and that they would initially take the first ones and if there were no obvious cancer cells that would be good and he could stop there.  That is also a prayer!  If they have to take more lymph nodes I will need to be in the hospital overnight as well as if they do a mastectomy.  I am planning on coming home!  Hopefully not wishful thinking.  Dr. Jakub seemed competent and had a good demeanor so I liked him and he is supposed to be the best. 

I next had a nurse consult to go over information once again.  All seemed to be what I was expecting so I feel good about what will happen.  I had to call tonight to get my surgery time.  I report at 7:15 but actual surgery happens about 2 hours later.  Surgery is supposed to take about 2 hours if it is as they anticiapte....longer of course if not.  Then a couple of hours in the recovery room and then out the door.  I knew that I had to do a follow up appointment and had things planned in my head for Monday the 13th but they have it planned otherwise.  My appointments with the medical oncologist, the radiation oncologist and a follow up with Dr. Jakub will be on Tuesday the 7th so now we are just going to stay here.  Too much driving otherwise. 

My next appointment was right after lunch where I was injected with a radioactive material into the breast so it will follow the lymph system.  They used lydacaine to deaden the area and then made 4 small injections around the nipple.  Each one felt like a bee sting but didn't last too long.  During surgery tomorrow they will inject a blue dye so they can follow it to the sentinel lymph nodes which they will remove to check for cancer cells.  They also use like a geiger counter to find the nodes.  If they need to they will follow up to the next ones.  I guess the blue dye kinda stays for awhile so it will look interesting.  I was also informed that you actually poop and pee blue.  Won't that be fun!

I went from that appointment back up to the mammogram area where I had a radioactive seed planted right in the middle of the lesion that they will remove.  That was done under local anethesia with the aid of ultrasound.  It was amazing how quick it was.  They also marked me to notate exactly where the spot should be.  Here again I guess the geiger counter thing comes in handy.  At that point I thought I was done but, oh, no, they still needed a mammogram picture to make sure the seed is actually there.  I guess sometimes it sticks in the hollow needle.  Thank goodness that was not the case.  Then I was done until tomorrow morning.  So, I guess I should sign off and try and get some sleep.  I will update again tomorrow night.  Love and hugs to all.  Patsy

We Made It!

Well, it was a pretty uneventful trip...what a blessing...and we are here.  I actually decided it will be nice to have a day of rest before this all gets going.  Bill and I will have a fun day with our grandsons tomorrow.  Not sure what we will do but it will be a nice distraction.  I was just looking at the weather back home and decided it probably was a really good thing we went ahead and left. Snow is not fun to drive in.  So will report in again after all of my appointments on Tuesday.  Hugs to all.  Love, Patsy

On My Way

Well, the plan was to leave on Monday but weather is threatening so we are off Sunday morning.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Krista and family here along with Bill's brother Bob. (They were elk hunting in Wyoming and not so thankful! Those critters were elusive to say the least.) During the season of Thansgiving I have been reflecting on how thankful I really am.  I have wonderful family, many praying and supportive friends, a good job, a warm house to live in, plenty to eat (can we say Thanksgiving dinner?) and I think my scenario with breast cancer is about as good it can be.  I still get anxious thinking about the possibilities if it isn't as good as they think....but I guess I will cross that bridge if I have to.

The trip to Rochester from here is 600 + miles and takes a little over 10 hours so it will be a long day in the car!  We will have Monday to rest and my pre-op appointments run all day Tuesday with surgery being sometime on Wednesday.  So, I will let you know how that goes.  In the meantime, hugs to you all!

Thank You!!!

I truly have been so touched by the outpouring of caring that I can't begin to express my feelings.  Cards, phone calls, emails and one of my families is putting together a photo album of the little ones I see every month.  Sometimes, one never knows how much people care until something like this comes up.  I guess it's a lesson in maybe we should all tell each other more on a daily basis how much we care.  I am so thankful for each and everyone who has touched my life in so many ways.  Hopefully, I will be able to do the same for others over time.  Maybe that is part of the plan here.......But in the meantime, I just want to say thank you to all.  You are such a blessing to me.  Everyone have a great day.  Love, Patsy

Why "The Unwanted Journey"

     I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.....the path it takes me is unkown and unwanted but I am determined to make the best of it.  So for some of you, here is the history leading up to this time and place on the journey.
    Six years ago, after a mammogram that showed a suspicious area, I had a biopsy of my right breast.  Although it was considered benign, it did show atypical hyperplasia which is essentially a pre-cancerous condition.  I traveled to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion where I became aquainted with Dr. Pruthi.  After much discussion and thought, I chose to go on a breast cancer prevention study.  I have traveled to Mayo every 6 months for the last 6 years.  The study was called the MAP3 and was examining aromatase inhibitors which keep your body from producing estrogen.  Aromatase inhibitors are well proven for the prevention of the recurrence of breast cancer but they wanted to know if it would prevent breast cancer in women like me with atypical hyperplasia.  It was a blind study with half the women in the study on the drug and the other half were on a placebo. I recently traveled back to Mayo for my last appointment in the 5 year MAP3 trial where during my check-up they did discover breast cancer.  Needless to say, they unblinded me in the study and I was taking the placebo.  The good news of the bad news is that it is categorized as stage1, grade1.  So for that and the early detection, I am extremely thankful.  Had I not been on the study I might not have been diagnosed as early.  I have chosen to do lumpectomy surgery which is scheduled for December 1 and after approximately a month of healing, I will travel back to Mayo clinic to begin 5 weeks of radiation treatment.  I am thinking the surgery will be a piece of cake compared to my shoulder surgery after my car accident, but I am thinking the radiation won't be all that much fun.  But then again, it might be fun just from the aspect of my daughter, Krista, who lives in Rochester, is good friends with some of the girls in the radiation therapy department. I am sure they will take good care of me. God is good in so many ways.
     My doctors at Mayo are amazing, caring and compasionate.  I have much faith in their abilities and I know that God will be with me through all of this.  I am confident that all will be OK when I have completed this journey.  The name for my blog was from a friend who said she would pray for me while I traveled this unwanted path. So thank you Ginny!!  I am so thankful for my many praying friends who have come along side to lift me up in prayer.
    So you are invited to join me on this "Unwanted Journey" with breast cancer.  I will update this as time goes along and things happen.  Right now we are 16 days and counting until the surgery.  Hugs to all!!!

I need a new picture.

As I am looking at my newly created blog, I think I need to find a new picture.  But I love my grandsons so I guess for that reason it is a good picture.  I thought the pink was appropriate for the content of the blog.  I also just bought pink pajamas.  I might be tired of pink by the time I complete the journey.  :o)  Everyone have a great day!!