Genetic Gene Counseling

Guess where I got to go yesterday? Answer: to the oncology center again!!! Yep, everyday (almost) it seems I get to go to a doctor's office, hospital, or chemo center for one reason or another! One day you are COMPLETELY fine, and the next thing you know, people are cutting on you and you are showing your boobies to just about everyone!

Yesterday, I talked to a Genetic Gene Counselor. She is gathering all the data regarding my family history and putting it in a data base, which will tell her approximately what my chances are that I am predisposed to getting cancer again. She said right now it looked like about 10% chance. The 2 reasons I wanted to know was for Alison's sake, and do I have a chance of getting this cancer again (because you basically cannot do the same chemo again). As for Alison, she says she should go every year from age 30 for a mammogram and ultra sound just to play it safe. Since I will be monitored closely in the future, I may take my chances, or I might wait for this chemo stuff to get over and then get the testing if insurance pays for it. It is $3100 to have it done and there is only one lab in the country that does this testing.

Thanks to everyone who has called me, sent cards, sent goodies, etc. I just have the most amazing group of friends that anyone could possibly have. I love you all!!

Love, Deb

Chemo School

Today, Kent and I went to patient education to learn about what to expect from chemo. All the nurses were just super friendly. I am on the A Team! They divide all 8 doctors and all the nurses up into 2 teams (A and B). They try to make it a happy place. They have a big beverage center, where you can get soft drinks, tea, coffee, juice. They even have blankets in warmers for you since they keep it pretty cold in the fusion room.

Sounds like there is going to be some rough roads ahead, but the nurse I saw today told me they really work with you and monitor you all the time. I have to go back the day after each chemo and get Neulasta put in. That is supposed to help build the blood so you don't get run down (the most vulnerable time is 7-14 days after the chemo treatment). This lets you go back to your next treatment hopefully with plenty of red and white blood cells.

Yesterday, I got a surprise in the mail. Teri Nelson sent me a whole bunch of head covers. They are so cute. She did good pickin' them out! I loved everyone of them. I even modeled some of them for Kent. Thanks, Teri!! I know that I will be wearing these alot!!

Aaron and Audra were here over the weekend. Audra brought me some comfy clothes to wear during chemo and a book. Her mother sent flowers. I am getting spoiled (but I like being spoiled)! We did have a great time with them. Of course we had to go to Harry's and Trader Joe's. We had beef bourgandy for dinner (which was from a cookbook Lucia gave me). It was delicious! Thank you, Lucia!!

Well, all for now. Thursday, I go for genetic gene counseling to see about getting tested for that. I will let you know how that goes. Love you all, Deb

The Port

Just wanted to let you all know that I am having a port put in on February 5. I will go to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and they will have me in a surgery room because they have to monitor the port going into the vein. It will be placed under my right collarbone just above the right breast. When I have chemo, they won't have to stick my veins each time and this also helps with the vein not collapsing. I will be going to a place soon and get fitted for a wig!! Now, I am not big on wearing wigs, but I think I would feel better in a wig going out to church or a nice restaurant. I am sure most of the time I will wear hats and scarves. I just can't imagine looking in the mirror and seeing my bald head! Yuck! Well, this is about all the info I have for now. I love hearing from you all. Deb

Chemo update

Today was the visit to Dr. Andrews, my oncologist. We have the game plan down on how the chemo treatments will work out. I will have 2 different parts. The first part will be Cytoxan and Adriamycin. I will go every 2 weeks for 4 times (eight weeks). Then the second part will be Taxal every 2 weeks for 4 times (another eight weeks). He said I will definitely have total hair loss. I gotta tell you I am not looking forward to this at all! The only thing making this tolerable is the fact that I have friends who will come and be with me. Otherwise, it would be too overwhelming! I will be having a port put in on my right side thru which they will give the chemo. I have to have an echo cardiogram to make sure my heart can take all this. I better start exercising again!! I am also going to talk to a gene counselor regarding having the gene test to see if I am likely to get breast cancer again, or if Alison could be passed the gene. The reason you have to talk to a counselor is just in case they determine that you might get cancer for sure again, many women opt to go ahead and have their breasts removed. They help you make that decision. When Kent and I left the doctor's office, I felt rather down in the dumps, just knowing what lies ahead. But, I am trying to stay upbeat. It is especially difficult with Kent's current job situation. If you are a prayin' person, please say prayers that he finds a job very quickly. Alison will be down here in May to start work with Ernst and Young CPA firm. It will give me something to look forward to. American Idol is on tonight! I love watching the tryouts! I will write something tomorrow after my appt. at the surgeon's office for the port consult. Take care. Love, Deb

Jan. 18, 2008 Update

Well, this is not a good way to start the new year. But, Tuesday, Kent and his boss parted ways. Kent could not please him hard as he tried. The man was a bully and had no heart at all. But, as Aaron said, I think the Lord put you in Marietta because of the good health care you are getting, and you got health insurance when you needed it most. Hopefully, a more perfect job will happen for Kent. We are both devastated by all of this, but we do have faith and I feel good vibes for him. He has already had some contacts and conversations. Please keep us in your prayers. We are willing to relocate as we really do not have any ties down here. It would just be hard to sell the house, but I am sure that would also happen.

I had a follow up today with the radiation doctor. Everything looked good. He reiterated my chance of survival which is 95%. He told me that there is grade 1, 2, and 3 cancer, and 3 is the most aggressive, and that is what I had. But the good news is it was small and caught early. But, chemo is what will destroy any remaining cancer cells that could be floating thru my body. He said there is a better chance of my right breast getting cancer than getting it in my left breast again, so that is another reason for chemo. He said my oncologist, Dr. Andrews, will be the most important doctor and I will see him often. I will find out on Tuesday what the plan is for me. I am just ready to get it started!

Well, I know I need to keep positive, and I hope you all do as well -- send me those good vibrations.

Thanks, friends!

I just want to thank you all for your nice comments and emails. If anything positive comes out of all this, I think it will be that I have reconnected with some old friends! Not that I ever felt we were really apart, but it is nice to be chatting again!

Well, Kent and I ended up not going out for Mexican last Friday. I had made chili that day (before the balloon removal), and it just sounded so good, we ate chili. But, we did go to the movies after dinner and saw Charlie Wilson's War. We did not really like it that much. Tom Hanks did play a pretty good Texan though!

I also have to tell you that the balloon removal HURT LIKE HELL! They had to pull it out of the incision. Wow that was painful! Thank goodness it only lasted a few seconds. Then they took Derma glue and glued me back together. My left breast looks like it has fought a war all by itself! I have three incisions healing there!! I feel like I am on vacation this week. I have no appointments or treatments!

Yesterday, I got my hair cut. I went to a new salon that my friend, Anne Manning recommended to me. It was really nice. They even give complementary hand massages complete with a wax treatment to all their color clients. I am going back on Thursday to have a pumpkin facial peel with some massaging included. It lasts 90 minutes. I think I deserve it, don't you??!!

Saturday, my friend Genia will be here. I will be going to the Atlanta Market with her to help her by for the store. Hmm, I wonder if I will see anything I might want!! Do ya think?? I told her to bring me a Trapp Wild Currant candle. It is my favorite, and I havn't found a place that is close to me to buy Trapp candles. We plan on doing some antiquing while she is here too.

So, if you all don't here from me for a few days, you know that I will be shopppppppppppppping!

Have a blessed day! Love ya, Deb

Blog is set

Hey everyone,
Sorry for the constant changes in the layout of the site. We have been trying out a few different templates and upon mom approval this is the one we will stick with.

Also I added a call button on the blog on the right hand side. If you click on the button and then put in your name and phone number it will call your phone and then call my parents house phone. I mostly put it on there for people who do not have their number, but anyone can use it. It is free for you and free for us (standard cell phone rates apply).

Thanks
Aaron

Radiation Update

Well, day 4 of my 5 day radiation treatment is done! I have 2 treatments left for Friday, and then they take the balloon out! That is the worst part -- living with the balloon. Talk about firm breasts, boy my left one is showing off for the right one! The balloon is very hard, and then your body senses that something foreign is there and fills in around it with fluid. It really isn't painful except to try and sleep on that side. I met 2 ladies today, one had stage 3 and the other stage 4 breast cancer. Neither of them had regular mammograms. So, ladies, all I can say is be diligent about having regular mammograms, because it makes a world of difference! I think Kent and I will go out and celebrate Friday night with some Mexican food! I will let you all know how the balloon removal goes. Love ya all, Deb

Comment Problems

Hey everyone,

My mom informed me that some people may have had issues posting comments. I changed some settings to allow posts from anyone, so there is no longer a requirement to set up a google account or log in. I hope this resolves any issues.

If you want to leave a comment just click on the part below the post that says how many comments there are and then type your comment. After that you can click on Nickname and put whatever name you want the comment to show up under.

I have also added myself as an author to the blog. So if there are any issues regarding the blog feel free to email me at arosenbury at pcsopen dot com.

Thanks,
Aaron

Finally, everything is set up for my blog. This is pretty cool. As you all know, I am NOT a computer person (like my son)! Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update as to what has been happening since we moved to Marietta. I saw an Oncologist on Nov. 30. His name is Dr. Andrews and I really liked him. He told me I would need a surgeon first, so he called Dr. Fine who could see me on the following Monday. I had told some of my friends that I would be seeing this guy on Monday, and I got a phone call from Teri Nelson who told me she was coming down. What I did not know was that she was planning on being here in time to go to my appt. with me! It was so great to have her here because, as you can probably imagine, your head is spinning getting so much information! She was able to go along, take notes, and help me remember things! I really like Dr. Fine. He is all business, but is supposed to be one of the finest surgeons on breast cancer in the Southeast. Now, I need to backup for a minute, because how I found him was thru Dr. Andrews, who was recommended to me by Dr. John Peach in Nashville. He and his wife, Dawn, our dear friends of ours and it helped so much to have him call Andrews office and get me in FAST! So, back to being at Dr. Fine's office. He told me he wanted me to have an Breast MRI before surgery if he could get me in. This would tell him if there was any occult cancer in the right breast, and possibly if there was any lymph node activity. The surgery was scheduled for Dec. 12 at 9:30 in the morning. I had to be at the hospital at 6:15 so they could inject a radioactive dye into the left breast which would track the lymph nodes and they would be able to remove them easier. SO, Dawn Peach decided she could come down for the surgery. Boy, that was a life saver! She came down here armed with casseroles, ingredients for soup, and ready to cook! We had a great dinner the night before surgery at The Buckhead Diner. It really helped to have her support here for Kent and I. The next day we went to the hospital and we even found things to laugh about while waiting for the surgery. When I woke up, Kent and Dawn came into my room, and they were smiling ear to ear. MY LYMPH NODES WERE CLEAR! THE MARGINS AROUND THE BREAST TISSUE WERE CLEAR! That was the BEST news. Later that day, I realized I had carried around a huge burden on my shoulders worrying about that, but God took care of me! I felt so damn good! It is hard to explain the feeling. So, since then, I had a balloon implanted in my left breast to get radiation. I go 2 times a day for 5 days. So far I have had 2 days of treatments. I will finish this Friday and get the balloon taken out. I will see Dr. Andrews on Jan. 22 to go over my plans for chemo. Yes, I have to have chemo because of the type of cancer I have, but my survival rate is very high. So, I think I will start chemo on Jan. 28, but I will let you all know because now I have my blog!! Hopefully, the rest of the updates will not be so long! I hope you all have a Happy Healthy New Year! Love, Deb