10/1/2012

It's been a while and it's been great not to have any major news to report! We enjoyed summer vacation. We spent time with family and went on a long road trip to visit friends. In between all of that I continued to get my Herceptin treatment every three weeks at the clinic. I had my reconstructive exchange surgery on Aug 1st and everything went really well. It was much easier than the mastectomy, thank goodness. I have healed well from that surgery and so far everything looks pretty good. I started school at the end of Aug. I am really enjoying being back at work. I have been feeling great, working out, and living life. On Sept 18th I had my last final Herceptin treatment and I have officially completed all my treatments. I will see Dr. Thomas in three months. He will check my blood work and monitor my heart. I still have my port and will hopefully get that removed sometime next summer. I have follow up appointments my plastic surgeon, Dr. Jones, in Oct. And I will have follow ups with Dr. Mammolito, my breast surgeon, and Dr. Khater, my radiation oncologist later in the year. It's hard to believe everything that has happened over the last year. It's hard to believe that I am actually finished. It's a little scary not having the safety net of going in every three weeks, but it's also freeing and it is good to be able to move forward. I wish I could say that I will be getting back to "normal", but in reality it will be more like a "new normal". Having cancer has definitely changed me, there is a greater sense of fear and anxiety, but also a deeper appreciation for life and love of family and friends as well as compassion for others dealing with illness and other life challenges. I hope to focus on the positives as I continue to live a LONG and HEALTHY life! I am forever grateful to everyone to who prayed for me, thought of me, wrote me, supported me and loved me...I can never fully explain how much it helped me get through it all....THANK YOU! Love, Colleen 

PS. I am rocking a serious afro! 

4/29/2013

Just a quick update, I am feeling really great. Work has been really good. I recently had my quarterly ECHO, to check on my heart because of the Herceptin, and everything is good. I also had an x-ray and ultrasound on my hip because I had been having a little weird pain, but again all good. I have been working out more and feeling energetic and stronger. I will have a few follow up appointments with my doctors this summer and continue to get the Herceptin every three weeks. I am scheduled for my exchange surgery on Aug 1st. No bigs news to report and I like it that way :)
Looking forward to a relaxing summer break with Tony and the kids. Lots of love sent out to all of my friends and family, I am always grateful of the support system I have.

4/20/2013

Just wanted to give a quick update on how things have been going. I have been feeling really good. I went back to work last week. It is so great to be back and doing something normal. My colleagues are awesome and my students are sweet and everyone has helped make the transition back to work easier. I am so grateful to work at such an amazing school and to really enjoy my job. I have a Herceptin treatment next week and an appointment with Dr. Thomas. My hair is growing back and I am sporting a super short cut, but hey, I have hair, so can't complain. I still have some small side effects from the chemo and radiation, but overall I feel good and I am continuing to workout which really helps with my energy and overall well being. Tony and the kids are great and we are all adjusting to our new schedule. We are also starting to look forward to this summer. We are so thankful for all of the support and kindness given to us.

3/23/2013

I finished radiation on March 13th! I'm so happy to be done with this part of my treatment. Overall everything went really really well. Dr. Khater and his team were so great. The most irritating part was a burn under my armpit, but it healed up pretty quickly. I tried to get some exercise in almost everyday and I think that really helped with fatigue. I went to see Dr. Jones on March 18. I was kinda nervous about that appointment, because I hadn't seen him since I started radiation and was curious about how he thought my skin looked in terms of reconstruction. I know radiated skin can be more challenging for plastic surgeons. But the it went really well! Dr. Jones couldn't believe I was only 6 days out from radiation. He thought my skin looked great. He was very impressed with Dr. Khater's work and even wanted me to make sure I let Dr. Khater know how impressed he was. Yay! So I had a fill on my right side, I only have one more to go with that. And I was able to schedule my implant exchange surgery for August 1st! I am a little anxious about it, especially with all the issues I had with healing for the mastectomy, but I am mostly excited to move on to this next big step and I just need to have faith everything will go smoothly. I am planning on going back to work on April 8th and I'm excited about that. I still will be getting my Herceptin every three weeks. I have a lot of follow up appointments to go to...but I am just hoping everything continues to go well and I will continue to move forward!

Right now we are in Florida with Tony's family and it's awesome....warm weather, family, and fun. Tony definitely needed a break, he has been so amazing through out everything.
I have such a huge and strong support system, I am so grateful for everyone's thoughts, prayers, and actions....I truly feel lucky and blessed! THANK YOU!

3/8/2012

I'm at the clinic today. I'm getting Herceptin. My ECHO results were good. My blood counts are still a little low, but higher than they were last week. The nurse says sometimes it just takes a little longer for some people to bounce back, but at least it's improving, so soon it will be back to normal. I have finished 30 out 33 radiation treatments, my last treatment is this Wednesday. Whoo-hoo! So excited to be done with this part. It's been going really well. My armpit is burnt and irritated, but it's manageable and I can get thorough it...almost done! I will see Dr. Jones next week and hopefully he will say my skin looks good and I can finish up getting fills on my right side. I don't know when I will have my reconstruction surgery, I haven't really thought about it too much, but I will probably start to talk Dr. Jones about a general game plan. I have been feeling pretty good. I have been trying to exercise a lot, it helps with the fatigue and feels great that I can tell I am getting stronger. I also finished up seeing my physical therapist for the lymphedmema. She was awesome and very helpful. I don't have any more swelling and feel like I have a handle on how to manage it. My hair is coming in, it looks darker to me, so it will be interesting to see what it ends up looking like. I'm still wearing a hat, but maybe I will be able to go "topless" this summer or sooner? Can't wait! I'm starting to get ready to go back to work and really looking forward to it. It will be quite a change from being home myself to back in a middle school, I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited. I work with such wonderful people and have such nice students, I have really missed being there. We are also going to Florida with Tony's family for spring break, it will be great to celebrate completing another part of my treatment and just have a fun, warm, relaxing time together. We are really looking forward to it. The farther I get from chemo the better I feel. I am so happy to not feel sick, to able to workout, to be able to get out of the house and see people...I know it will take a while before I am 100%, but it so awesome to know that each day gets better and better. I know I have made it this far because of my amazing support system, thank you so much for all the prayers, positive thoughts, and kindness.

2/15/2013

I'm sitting here at the clinic getting my Herceptin. I everything is going smoothly, my white cells are still a little low, but I feel good, so it's just a matter of being patience and giving them more time to come back up. I have completed 15/33 radiation treatments. My skin is starting to get a little pink and I am a little tired, but that's about it. The treatment takes about 5-10 minutes and to me the last three weeks have gone by pretty quickly. I have been seeing a physical therapist twice a week and she is really nice and its been very helpful in reducing any swelling in my arm. The farther I get out from chemo, the better I feel, even with having radiation treatment. I am really working on trying to get my energy and strength back up and I really do feel a difference even in the last three weeks. I am just impatient and want to feel better, sooner, faster! But it's happening and I a moving forward. My hair is started to grow back very S L O W L Y....I am still bald, but it's coming. I have started taking weekly pictures so I can see the growth a little better. Tony still has more hair than me, but soon......:)

I see Dr. Mammolito next Tuesday for a follow up appt. I will also be getting another ECHO to check on my heart, I get one every four months while I'm on Herceptin.

I am grateful to be feeling better. I am so thankful for all the prayers and support I have gotten. I am so touched by all of the kindness people have given to my family and I...so amazing!

1/28/2012

Today is my first day of radiation. I will be getting 33 treatments for the next 6 weeks. I went in on Tuesday the 22nd and got my CT scan, which took 3D pictures of my body. I also got 4 little tattoos, tiny dots. Dr. Khater used those images from the CT scan to make plan of exactly where I will receive radiation. The tattoos are used to line up the machine correctly. On Friday I went in for a practice run. Dr. Khater explained to me that statistically they know where a reoccurrence is most likely to occur and they used that information in addition to the CT scan to determine where and how much radiation I will receive. I have heard that radiation is easier than chemo, so I'm hoping that is the case. Dr. Khater and the techs are so great and helpful. I am feeling ready to get started.

Last Wednesday I had my first Herceptin only infusion. It took about an 90 minutes and everything went smoothly. I saw Dr. Thomas, I had lots of question about my hair growing back, my nails getting better, when I would have more energy....basically he said be patience and that everything I was experiencing was pretty typical. I did have some swelling in my hands and he checked me out and said I had some slight lymphadema. Because I had lymph nodes removed during surgery, I am at risk for swelling on my left side. I was pretty disappointed in that news. Dr. Thomas sent me to a physical therapist who specializes in treating LE. I met with her on Friday. She was really nice and informative. I have to see her a couple times this week, but the good thing is we noticed it really early and it can be managed.

I also saw Dr. Jones. The incisions are looking good. He was able to do my last fill on my left side before beginning radiation. I also got another fill on my right side. I am not scheduled to see him again until March! Right now I am just hoping that the radiation treatment will cause any issues and everything will go smoothly.

So I am feeling pretty good. Tony says he thinks he sees a little hair growth! I have been trying to be more active and I think I am slowly getting a more energy and stamina...baby steps. Feels really great to be done with chemo and out of that cycle. Now I am just trying to be patient with my body as it heals...mentally I want to be 100% better, but physically that will take some time...but really each day gets better.

Thanks so much for all the love and support!

1/3/2013

Happy New Year Everyone! Even though 2012 was challenging, I definitely feel it was a very good and lucky year for me. I found my lump, was diagnosed, and able to start treatment. I can't even imagine where I would be if I hadn't gone to the doctor when I did. However, I am ready to ring in 2013 and keep moving forward. I had my last chemo yesterday and I am back at the clinic today getting a Neulasta shot and some fluids. It feels so good to be done! I know in the next few weeks I will deal with the side effects, but to know that I don't have to do it all over again is awesome! I will still need to come back every three weeks for Herceptin, but it doesn't have the side effects of the other drugs and I am sooo looking forward to growing some hair.

I saw Dr. Jones, my plastic surgeon, on Monday. Things are looking good with the incisions. I am stitches-free! He removed the stitches and I was able to get another fill on both sides. I will have my last fill on Jan 18th before I begin radiation. I am hopeful that this will be it with the incisions, no more issues! Fingers crossed!

Also we met with Dr, Khater, my radiation oncologist, yesterday. I will go in for mapping and a scan on Jan 22. On Jan 25 I will have practice run and then I will begin the six weeks of radiation on Monday Jan 28th. Dr. Khater is so great and the primary rad tech is a women named Angel, who is a breast cancer survivor, so even though I have some nervousness about radiation, not really sure what to expect, I know I am in good hands.

I just want to thank everyone again for all the support. I truly feel surrounded by love and kindness from all over. I really feel lucky. I know there are people going to chemo and dealing with cancer and other illnesses and doing it by themselves and I can't even imagine how tough that must be. I have always felt all of the prayers, positive thoughts, acts of kindness and love. It has been an incredibly important part for me in getting through all of this and staying strong and focused. I am forever grateful. And I know I will continue to have support and love as I continue on to the next steps, thank you.

I also want to give a quick shout out to Tony, my parents, and my in laws. They have been so amazing, helpful, and there for me every step of the way. They are awesome.

12/14/2012

I had chemo #5 today. Everything went really well. Tony, my parents, my in-laws, and my sister in law, Christy, were all part of the crew today. I am so lucky to have such a supportive and loving family.
Lots of good news to share:

1) I had an ECHO and a chest x-ray on Tuesday, both results were good. The ECHO is because one of the drugs I have to take for a year, Herceptin, can cause heart damage, but only in a small percentage of people. I had a baseline ECHO in July and I will get one every 3 months to make sure everything is all good with my heart and I can continue with the Herceptin. I am happy the ticker is ticking.
The chest x-ray was just because I have been having a cough, but lungs look good and it's probably allergies/post nasal drip...totally manageable :)

2) Saw Dr. Jones on Tuesday. The right incision looks really good. I still have stitches in, but I was able to get fills on both sides. Getting the fills has been pretty easy and I haven't been too uncomfortable afterwards. I am just happy to be moving forward on the reconstruction part of things.

3) I am hoping everything will go as well as it can over the next 3 weeks and I am hoping to have my LAST chemo on Wednesday Jan. 2nd....I asked Dr. Thomas if I could have it two days earlier just because I really want to be DONE and he didn't have any problems with that, so yay... fingers crossed that's how it all works out.

I am very grateful for all of our friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers who have been so incredibly kind and generous. I am truly amazed at how much support and love has been given to us and I am so thankful. It really really makes an impact on helping my family and I keep moving forward, getting through, and focusing on the positives. Thank you.

12/2/2012

Chemo #4 is done and am starting to feel a bit better now that I am a week post treatment. I can feel the cumulative effects more this time, fatigue, soreness, wacked out GI system, etc.... but everyday is a step closer to being done. I am hoping to just stay healthy and on schedule for #5, which should be on Dec. 14th. Just one more month left, yes. So in addition to the chemo, I had a little set back with my right incision. On Monday I noticed that it hadn't completely healed. I went to see Dr. Jones on Tuesday and unfortunately there wasn't an adequate blood supply and he needed to redo the incision. I was really disappointed and frustrated and it was a tough day. I have about  6 internal stitches and 6 external stitches and kinda felt like I took two steps backwards. On Friday I went back for a follow up and Dr. Jones was very happy with the way everything looked. Hopefully this will be it and everything will do what it is supposed to and heal. In the meantime, I'm just going keep on going and focus on getting through chemo. I see can see the light at the end of the tunnel which is great. And I really can't wait for my hair to start growing back. :)  Please keep the thoughts and prayers coming, all the support really helps me stay positive and strong.....THANK YOU!

11/23/2012

I hope everyone had a restful, relaxing, and Happy Thanksgiving. I've been in Peoria for a few days, celebrating my birthday and thanksgiving with my family, it's been great, so thankful for the amazing supportive family I have. Well chemo #3 went really well, no major issues, no trips or calls back to the doctor, the side effects were pretty manageable, grateful for that. I've been able to have some friends come out and visit and that has been really wonderful and uplifting. My cousin Kelly was able to come for a quick visit last weekend, which was so fun, lots of laughs, so thankful for laughter!

A few decisions were made about surgery and radiation. I will not have my implant surgery before radiation. I will hopefully be finishing up chemo in the beginning of Jan and I need to start radiation by Jan 26th. Dr. Jones didn't think that would be enough time to complete the surgery and heal, especially if there were any complications or delays...that would push back rads, which we don't want to do. So I will recover from my last chemo and start 6 weeks of radiation. I'm a little nervous about it just because I'm not totally sure what to expect, but mostly excited to think about moving forward and on to another step. And to just be DONE with chemo. The implant surgery will be done at least 3 months after radiation, possibly longer depending on the effects of radiation, but I'll get there. I also got my first fill of the tissue expander on Tuesday. Which means a couple things...my incisions are finally, finally, finally healing enough to be moving forward with that process, thank God. I can start doing a little more exercise that just walking, which is really good for me physically and mentally. I look a little more filled out and balanced, which is good for my self esteem, yay. The procedure was quick, easy, and pretty painless.

Today hopefully will be chemo # 4. I will be getting it at the clinic here in Peoria. My family will be joining me in shifts because there are so many of them that want to be there, I'm so lucky. My brother Patrick is home from CO, and coming with me this morning. I am hoping the next three weeks go by smoothly and without any issues. I really hope with all the craziness of the holidays that the next three rounds will go by super fast and I'll be done before I know it. Please keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming. I am so thankful for everyone's support and love, I am truly blessed.

11/4/2012

Whoo-hoo! Half way done! Had chemo #3 on Friday. Everything went smoothly, Tony, my dad, and my friend Carrie were with me. Dr. Thomas said blood counts were back up and throat looked good. I was very happy not to have a delay. I will be going back to the clinic on tuesday to get a neulasta shot, to help keep my blood counts up. We also met with Dr. Khater, my radiation oncologist, and we  are going to start formulating a plan for radiation and my implant exchange  surgery. Basically I have two possible scenerios: 1) complete the exchange surgery before the radiation begins or 2) get the radiation and wait at least 6 months to 1 year to get the surgery. Dr. Khater is going to speak to Dr. Thomas and Dr. Jones and the three of them will make a decision together. Although I am very anxious about the surgery because of the delays I had with the masectomy, I feel confident about my doctors and I am really glad we are starting to talk about this now, as opposed to waiting until the last minute. So I'm going to try not to stress about it and just believe it will all work out. Right now, I am feeling ok, tired, little nasaua, some side effects, but they are manageable and I am just resting and taking it easy. Thank you for all of the prayers, support, positive thoughts, and love sent our way. I am so thankful. 

10/27/2012

Hello! I'm feeling much better. As much as I hated the idea of taking more drugs, the antibiotics and shots definitely worked their magic and I'm grateful for that.  I haven't had a fever since Wednesday and my throat is getting better. I guess I just need to lay low and take it easy for awhile, which is kinda of a bummer...but I am trying to learn patience with this whole experience. I'll get my blood work on Thursday and see Dr. Thomas on Friday and hopefully everything will be good to go for chemo. One of my dearest and oldest friends, Carrie, is flying in for a visit on Thursday. She also happens to be a oncology nurse practitioner and has been my medical expert through everything. I am really looking forward to her visit. Violet and Leo are keeping us laughing and busy. I have also become obsessed with the show Homeland, so I can catch up on that. :) Just focused on staying healthy, staying positive, and moving forward....everyones' thoughts, prayers, concern, and support helps me do that...thank you.

10/24/2012

Just wanted to give an update on how things were going. Colleen had a good first week after chemo and didn't have any of the big problems with naseau she did the first time. However, this week she hasn't felt that good. After a couple of days with a sore throat and a low fever Dr. Thomas ordered a blood test and follow-up appointment today.  The blood tests revealed a very low white blood count.  Because Colleen is so susceptible to infections, and her throat showed signs of an infection, Dr Thomas ordered an IV of antibiotics and two oral antibiotics adding to the increasing total of medications.  Hopefully this regiment will knock out any concern and Dr. Thomas is confident they will do the job. Colleen also received a shot in her stomach to stimulate her bone marrow to increase white blood cell production.  She will receive a similar shot tomorrow.  Again, the very reassuring Dr. Thomas was confident her counts would be up in a couple of days.  The shots will now be part of the chemotherapy regiment. Colleen is doing okay and hopes the antibiotics will kick in and she'll be feeling better soon. We are very thankful for everyone's thoughts and prayers along with your cards, posts, and concerns. They keep our positivity and energy and reassure us how much love surround us.  Thank you.

10/16/2012

I had the second round of chemo on Friday and everything went really well. They gave me a new anti-nausea medication called Emend, which the nurse referred to as "the big guns". Plus, we adjusted some of my other medication and this time around has been so much better than the first. So that has been a huge relief! I still have some nausea, tiredness, and other side effects, but it is much more manageable. I had an appointment with Dr. Jones today, everything is looking good. He hopes to take out the last stitch from my incision next week and possibly start filling the expanders in November. I also had an appointment with Dr. Mammolito and everything looks good, my range of motion is great, and I don't have to see her again for four months, yay. The next round of chemo is scheduled for Nov 2nd, hopefully we'll be able to stay on schedule and be half way done!  Thank you for all of the prayers, thoughts, kindness, and love sent our way....it helps me know I will get through this and helps me stay strong.

10/11/2012

It's been a great few days for the most part. My appetite and taste came back, I have been getting some good walks in, my energy has been up, and the appointment with Dr. Jones went well. I only have one stitch left in the right incision and one little spot that is slowing healing, getting there. The left side is good, no stitches, no bandages, no band aids, just a normal scar, which is good! The only thing that has been tough is that my hair is gone. I got a pixie cut on last Wednesday because I was shedding everywhere. It was definitely not a cut I would have ever done before, but once I got used my hair does start to grow back, that I will look ok with short hair. By Sunday, it was really shedding and even though I still had a lot on my head, it was definitely coming out. So my wonderful mother-in-law (plus a little help from Leo ) shaved my head. It's been an adjustment and kind of tough because now I really look like I have cancer. However, it is somewhat of a relief that this thing I was so anxious about is over with. So now we are focusing on moving forward and getting ready for chemo tomorrow. Hopefully everything will be good to go and the side effects won't be so bad, but whatever happens I'll get through it.  We tremendously grateful for our family, our family's friends, our friends, people we don't even know who have been so amazingly supportive through their prayers, thoughts, words, and actions....THANK YOU!

10/1/2012

Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know I have been feeling so much better since last week. I feel almost back to normal and have really been able to enjoy the weekend and spend time with family and friends. I am a little more tired than usual and sometimes things have a weird taste, but my appetite is back and I am doing good. My next treatment is scheduled for Friday Oct. 12th. I'll have blood work the day before and hopefully everything will be good to go and I can get another round down and keep moving forward. I still have my hair and it's kinda weird to be just waiting for it to go, but I think I will be ready when it happens. I also see Dr. Jones on this Friday to check on the incisions. Thank you for keeping my family and I in your thoughts and prayers. 

9/25/2012

Well, it's been a rough few days. Starting Saturday I was hit with some pretty bad nausea, none of the medication seemed to help. Sunday I was still feeling awful and got some new meds, but that didn't work and things just got worse. On Monday it was not good and I was given another medication to try, but that didn't work. I basically spent the past four days in bed. Today, my dad came to Morris and brought me to the clinic in Ottawa. There they gave me I.V. fluids, steroids, and medication. I started to feel much better. After the I.V. we drove down to Peoria to see Dr. Thomas. He adjusted the medication and has me coming into the Peoria clinic tomorrow for more I.V. fluids and meds. He doesn't seem too worried and thinks we'll be able to get things adjusted. I always appreciate his calming demeanor. So hopefully I'll be feeling good soon and the next treatment won't be quite so bad. I definitely feel better and am able to drink and eat a a little bit. Maybe it's good that the first time was so tough, because it will make the next five treatments seem like a walk in the park. ;)

I also saw Dr. Jones today and the incisions are looking good and slowing healing. Of course, I get to see him again next week. I have been there every week since surgery and at this point it would just be weird not to see him, ha, but I am really grateful that he is attentive and cautious.

I want to give a shout out to Tony because he has been super amazing as always, taking care of the kids and me and the house and everything! I am so lucky.

I also want to just let everyone know how much I love all of the prayers, the thoughts, the kindness, the cards,  the comments, the meals, and the support. We are soooooo thankful.

9/15/2012

I met with Dr. Thomas yesterday. We have decided to start chemo on Wednesday 9/18. My incisions are looking good, but we just want to give them a few more days to completely heal. My port looks good and I haven't had any problems with it, it's just a little sore. Dr. Thomas sent my pathology from the surgery to another lab for testing because there was a discrepancy in the hormone receptor status. Originally I was hormone receptor negative, then after the surgery the pathology indicated I was hormone receptor positive. After sending the sample to another lab, that does more extensive testing, the results were hormone receptor negative. This means for me that I will not have to take Tamoxifen for 5 years as part of my treatment. I am still definitely HR2 positive and will need to have Herceptin for a year.

I have an appointment with Dr. Jones on Tuesday to follow up on the incisions.

My entourage (Tony, my mom, and my sis) and I will all be heading to Ottawa on Wednesday morning to start chemo. :)  I am feeling ready to begin this next phase. I am hoping and praying that the next four months of treatment go smoothly and go quickly!

Thank you so much for all the prayers and kindness. I am so grateful to have such an amazing support system. Please keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming! Thank you!

9/11/2012

The port surgery went well. I had a great nurse who got my IV started with no problems, which was a huge relief! I was so thankful. Tony and I went back to Morris today. I am pretty tired and a little sore, but so happy we were able to do this today. I will see Dr. Thomas on Friday and hopefully be able to begin chemo then or very soon after. Big thank you to all of the love, support, prayers, and kindness from everyone!

9/11/12

We met with Dr. Jones (the plastic surgeon) earlier this morning to check to see if there was sufficient healing of the incisions.  Thankfully this was the case and he gave the go ahead with Colleen's scheduled port surgery today.  The procedure lasted about 30 minutes with no complication.  Dr. Paulsen (the general surgeon who performed the surgery) said everything went well.  The IV was completed on the first attempt and Colleen was very, very grateful for such a talented nurse.  We are just about to go see Colleen and will let you know how she is feeling.

9/7/2012

Just a quick update....I saw Dr. Jones on this Tuesday. The incisions seem to be healing, but we are going to wait another week before I can move forward with the port surgery. I will see him this coming Tuesday in the morning and hopefully everything will be good to go and I will have surgery at 11:30 am on the same day. I also have an appointment with Dr. Thomas on next Friday and may be able to start chemo. Until then we are just taking things one step at a time and staying positive. Thank you so much for all of the kindness and support!

8/31/2012

Well, there has been some change in the plan. I am not having my port surgery today. My incisions have been not healing as quickly as we would have liked. Two weeks ago Dr. Jones had to re-suture my left incsion. At that point we were just going to wait and see how the right side was doing and hoping it would heal up on it's own. Dr. Jones went on vacation for two weeks. Last week I saw his P.A. and the left side was looking good and the right side hadn't really changed, but we thought port surgery would still be ok. My right side continued to not make any progess and on this Wednesday I noticed that it seem to be worse. On Thursday, I called the office to tell then about the situation and they had me come in that day. I saw Dr. Mammolito, Dr. Paulson, and Dr. Rashid, another plastic surgeon in the pratice. The good news is that there was no sign of infection on the right side and the left side looked good and seems to be healing correctly. Dr. Rashid needed to withdrawl some fluid from the expander to release some pressure and then he re-stitched up that side. Dr. Paulson did not want to do the port surgery on Friday, he thought it would be in my best interest to give the wound a chance to heal a bit more and did not want to increase my risk for infection. Although I am disappointed in the delay, I really do appreciate his concern and caution and I know I am good hands.

So, I have an appointment on Tuesday with Dr. Jones and Dr. Mammolito. Dr. Jones will need to assess the situation and let me know when I can have the port surgery and start chemo. There is a chance if everything looks good to go on Tuesday that I can have the port surgery on Tuesday afternoon, but it all depends on how everything is healing.

It is a little frusterating, but I am trying to remain postive. I am mentally ready to move forward and start my next treatments, but my body is just not quite there yet. We will get there and I am just working on healing, getting ready for the next steps and focusing on the positives. My sister, two awesome friends, and I went wig and scarf shopping last weekend in Chicago and had a blast and a lot of laughs. Starting the school year has been great, I have really nice students and my colleagues are so supportive and fun. We are celebrating Violet's first birthday this weekend, I can't believe she is going to  be one! :)

Thank you so much for all of the support, prayers, and kindness!

8/18/2012

Just a quick update on how things are going. I went to see Dr. Jones on Tuesday and determined one of my incisions wasn't healing as quickly as we would have liked. I went back to see him on Friday and he cleaned up the wound and re-stiched it up. It wasn't too bad, it looks much better, and I am glad he did it. Hopefully that will do the trick to get things healing correctly and quickly. Once I am completely healed then I will be able to start chemo...just not totally sure when that will be. Other than that I feel good. I am going to start the school year on Monday and I am really looking forward to that. It will be great to get out of the house, see friends, meet my students, and focus on something else for a little while. :)

Again, a big thank you to everyone for their support, prayers, and words of encouragement. I feel so lucky and blessed to have such a vast network of wonderful people wishing me well! Thank you.

8/12/2012

The appointment with Dr. Thomas went really well. There was a discrepancy in the original biopsy report and the final pathology report after the surgery. A small percent of my tumor was estrogen positive. This means in addition to the chemotherapy and the herceptin, I will also be taking tamoxifen, a pill for 5 years. Dr. Thomas is also going to get a second opinion on the pathology, just to be sure we are all set before we begin treatment. I still need a few more weeks to heal from my surgery before I begin chemo. Right now the plan is to have my port surgery on Friday August 31st. I am told this should be a fairly simple procedure and I will be going home the same day, so I am hoping that is the case. Assuming everything goes smoothly with my recovery, I will be starting my first round of chemo the first or second week of Sept. I will be getting 6 treatments every 3 weeks. The treatment will last between 3-4 hours. If everything goes well with no delays, I will be finished with the chemo right before Christmas. The drugs I will be getting are Taxotere and Carboplantin. According to Dr. Thomas, the side effects of this treatment aren't usually too bad, but everyone responds differently, so I'm just hoping for the best. I will be losing my hair, ugh. Dr. Thomas is calm and confident about everything, so that is reassuring to myself and my family. 

I still need to clarify a few things with Dr. Jones, my plastic surgeon and Dr. Khater, my radiation oncologist, but I think the next steps will be to recover from chemotherapy, have my implant exchange surgery, recover from that, and then begin radiation treatment for 6 weeks. 

Right now I am just focusing on healing from the surgery. It's been about 2.5 weeks and it's amazing how much better I feel. I have been working on my arm exercises, taking walks, and was able to spend some time with friends last night, which was awesome. I still get tired a little more easily than I am used to and I can't pick up the kids yet which is really tough, but temporary. But I really feel pretty good. My incisions seems to be healing well and I have follow up appointment with Dr. Jones on Tuesday and hopefully he thinks so too. I am also preparing for starting chemo, I have a "chemo class" on Tuesday as well. 

I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for all the support and love I have. Tony does an unbelievable job of taking care of Leo, Violet, myself and everything else, I am so lucky. Our family and friends have been amazing, thank you so much for everything, the cards, the food, the help, the prayers, the words of encourgement, and the positive thoughts...it has made such an impact on helping me staying strong and happy! Thank you so much.