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. 

8/7/2012

I finally got the last two drains removed today, what a relief. We are so happy they are gone.
Dr. Mammolito's P.A. gave me the go ahead to start moving my arms and working on some arm exercises and I can drive again! Dr. Jones said things are looking pretty good. The incision on my right side is great, the incision on my left has a little redness. We are just going to keep an eye on it, change the bandages three times a day, and keep it covered in antibiotic cream. I will be going back to see Dr. Jones next week for a follow up. I am also going to postpone the port surgery at least a week to make sure everything is continuing to heal. We also need to have my appointment with Dr. Thomas on Friday to coordinate when to have the port surgery and when to begin chemo. I am feeling good, so thankful to have some more movement and freedom. We are looking forward to the appointment on Friday to get more information and to get a better understanding of what the next few months will look like. Thank you so much for all the support, kindness, prayers, and positive thoughts. It is so appreciated and needed through out this entire experience. 

8/3/2012

The appointment with Dr. Mammolito went well. I was able to get one of the three drains removed, so I guess that is better than none. She was pleased with the way everything is healing. I have another appointment next Tuesday with Dr. Jones and Dr. Mammolito's P.A. I will mostly likely get the other two drains removed then (can't wait). We also met with Dr. Paulson, the surgeon who will put in my port for chemotherapy. He was really nice and reassuring. We tentatively have a date scheduled for that surgery in two weeks.  I  still need to have my appointment with Dr. Thomas, my oncologist, on the 10th to determine when I will be able to start chemo. I am continuing to feel better each day. Thanks again for all the support!

7/31/2012

I am feeling much better and happy to be home. I am taking short walks, watching the Olympics, and resting alot. Tony's parents dropped the kids off last night and it is so good to have them around. It's tough not to be able to hold Violet, but I am just trying to remind myself it is only temporary. Leo is hilarious and very interested in my tubes and drains. He has a lot of questions, like, "can I smell them?" :) He is also very sweet and trying to be as gentle as a three year old boy can be. Tony has been awesome, he is definitely super dad and super husband. Thankfully, we have also had family members here to help out.

We got the pathology report today. The cancer is a stage 3A, I pretty much knew it was going to be a stage 3, so I am happy that it is the lowest form. The tumer was 4.5 cm, which is smaller than the MRI indicated, which is good. 12 lymph nodes were removed and 4 were positive and 8 were negative. At this point, my treatment plan will remain the same, chemo followed by radiation. We will be meeting with Dr. Mamolito, my surgeon, on Thursday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to get the drains removed, that would be really great, because honestly they are kinda gross ;) . Next week I will meet with Dr. Thomas, my oncologist, and discuss the treatment plan more specifically.

Now, I am going to continue to focus on recovering and healing from the surgery. The human bodêtre pretty amazing, every day that goes by I can feel myself getting stronger and getting better. Thank you so much for all the support, prayers, and positve thoughts. Thank you so much for all the cards and messages. Thank you so much for all of the food, help, gifts, etc. We are so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so much kindness and love.

7/28/2012

Saturday morning was a little rough for Colleen. On Friday in the hospital, before she was released, Colleen had an allergic reaction to the pain medication administered to her.  The reaction consisted of extreme itching and a rash from her drain tubes on the sides of her body. She switched medications and was given something to alleviate the itching before she was released.     We think coming off all the medications caused her some bad nausea Saturday morning.  This was coupled with the process of dealing with a pretty horrible experience when getting her iv before surgery as well as issues with the anesthesiologist.  Both of the situations led to significant anxiety.
Once we got that under control, the rest of the day was good. She took some little walks, showered, and she is dealing with the surgery really well. We spent some time resting and relaxing with her family.  Her mom, her aunt Erin, and her sister have been a tremendous help in Colleen's recovery.

By Sunday Colleen was doing really well.  Not surprisingly she is a little tired. We have made the short journey back to our home in Morris and are resting comfortably. We both miss the kids and are looking forward to my parents bringing them home tomorrow.

Thanks again for all of the texts, phone calls, cards, packages, flowers, prayers, and thoughts.

Love,
The Cozzis

7/27/2012

Colleen was discharged from the hospitl around 5 pm this evening. It was a blessing to enjoy some time outside in the fresh air this evening at her parents house. We will be spending a couple of nights here at her parents before returning to Morris. Colleen's strength continues to improve and her positive attitude remains intact. Thank you all for your prayers and good will. We are inspired by our family and friends.

7/26/2012

Just wanted to give everybody a quick update. Colleen is doing well. Dr. Mammolito and Dr. Jones saw Colleen this morning and were pleased with how things looked. She is going to spend one more night in the hospital and should be released tomorrow morning. All of the nurses have been extremely kind and helpful. She is resting now and catching up on Project Runway. We are hoping for a good night of sleep and will then spend a couple of days at Colleen's parents house in Peoria before hopefully heading back to our home in Morris. Thanks so much for all of the texts, comments, thoughts, positive vibes, cards, prayers, and notes...they bring joy into our hearts. Love, The Cozzis

7/25/2012

Colleen was released from the post-recovery room around six and transfered to her own room. The nurses and doctors have been wonderful. She is in pretty good spirits, but tired. Dr. Mammolito will be checking in with Colleen in the morning. Colleen may be able to leave tomorrow afternoon or Friday depending on how she is doing. Thank you for all of the prayers, well wishes, positive comments, energy, and thoughts. They have been a blessing and very uplifting. Love, The Cozzis

7/25/2012

Colleen is in recovery after a 4 hour surgery. Both doctors (the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon) said everything went well. We will receive the pathology report in approximately a week. Colleen is currently in recovery and will be brought to her room in about an hour. Updates will follow.

7/23/2012

I had my plastic surgery consultation on Friday morning with Dr. Jones. He was great, very kind and compassionate. I have decided to do a bilateral mastectomy. I will be removing both breasts and getting immediate reconstruction. Dr. Jones would like to put the implants in during surgery, but he won't be able to know if that is possible until Dr. Mammolitto has completed her portion of the surgery. So I will either wake up with implants or expanders.

Today, we had an initial consultation with Dr. Khater, my radiation oncologist, at the Cancer Care Center in Ottawa. I wanted to talk with him about his perspective on my surgery and reconstruction. He was really nice and spent over an hour talking with us and answering our questions.  He is comfortable with the surgery plans. It was good for me to see the facility where I will be receiving my chemo and radiation and the staff there was really sweet and supportive. We will be heading back to Peoria tomorrow and surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. I will stay in the hospital for one overnight and then go back to my parents house. I am not sure how long I will stay in Peoria. I am hoping I will be feeling pretty good and would like to get back to Morris over the weekend.

At this point I am feel ready to move forward. I trust that I have fantastic doctors and I am in great hands. I know I have an amazing support system of awesome people. All the prayers and positive thoughts are so greatly appreciated, please keep 'em coming! Thank you.

7/19/2012

We just got back from Florida with my family and we had a really great time. I also got some great news on the trip. I have tested negative for the BRCA breast cancer gene, very relieved not just for myself, but for my other family members as well! So happy! We are heading back down to Peoria today and I have my consultation with Dr. Jones, my plastic surgeon on Friday morning. We'll come back home for a few days and then go back to Peoria on Tuesday. Surgery is set for Wednesday. I am feeling nervous and anxious, but ready as well. 

Thanks again for all of the comments, cards, phone calls, and texts it has really made me smile to hear from all of the people who have reached out. It helps to know there are so many friends and family from all over sending me prayers and positive thoughts. Thank you! 

7/10/2012

I had my PET scan and ECHO on Monday. We were able to get the results back from the PET scan that afternoon and nothing else showed up except for the left breast and lymph nodes, which we already knew about. Thank God! :)  It was such a huge relief to get that information and I am so thankful I was able to get the results so quickly. I had to call the nurse back today, because I realized I completely blanked everything else she said once I heard the good news.

So basically I am all set for surgery on the 25th in Peoria. I am still waiting for the BRCA genetic test results. I also still have the consultation with the plastic surgeon on the 20th. In the meantime, I am looking forward to taking a little vacation with my family before everything really gets going.

Thanks again for all of the love, prayers, and support from everyone. I need it and I am grateful. It is instrumental in staying positive and getting through everything.

7/06/2012

Well, we got some disappointing news, the results from the lymph node biospy came back postive. So, that's not what I wanted to hear, but it is a bump in the road and we need to just keep on moving forward and staying positive. We met with Dr. Thomas on Tuesday and he was wonderful, reassuring, and very positive about my diagnosis. My blood work and the chest x ray came back normal. I will having chemotherapy and radiation after my surgery. I have decided to have the chemo in Ottawa, IL which is about a 25-30 minute drive from my house. Dr. Thomas will be my oncologist in Ottawa. On Thursdsay, we met with Dr. Le-Lindqwister, a breast oncologist, in Peoria. She was also great and will be collaborating with Dr. Thomas on my care. I feel like I will be in excellent hands.

I have a PET scan and an ECHO on Monday. I will have surgery on the 25th. There will be a 4-6 week recovery before I begin chemotherapy. Chemo will be every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. After chemo, I will have radiation. I also will need to be on Herceptin for a year, every 3 weeks, given by I.V.

It feels good to have an idea of what the game plan will be, but also kind of scary and overwhelming. I am just trying to remain positive, hopeful, and grateful for all of the support and love. Thanks again for all of the postive thoughts and prayers.

7/3/2012

Just a quick update on how things are going. Yesterday, I was able to schedule my consultation with Dr. Jones, the plastic surgeon, on July 20th and I have a surgery date set for July 25th. Today I was able to get to Peoria for some blood work, a chest x-ray, and a lymph node ultrasound. On the ultrasound, there was one lymph node that looked a little thick, so they decided to do a fine needle aspiration biopsy. The procedure itself wasn't bad at all, except for my fear of needles :) We should get the results at the end of this week or on Monday, just working on a lot of positive thoughts and prayers that it comes back negative. I also have an appointment this afternoon with Dr. Thomas, an oncologist. He is the doctor who treated my dad and was kind enough to get me in at the last minute today, I am so grateful. He will be able to give us more information on treatment options.
Thanks again for all of the thoughts, prayers, and comments. It is amazing to know that there are so many people supporting me and it really helps us in remaining positve and keeps us smiling. Thank you!

6/30/2012

We met with the surgeon, Dr. Mammolito, this morning. We didn't really get a lot of new information, but it was good to move forward in planning. I still need to determine if I have tested positive or negative for the breast cancer gene (BRCA). I will also be getting an ultrasound to check for lymph node involvement. I will be getting a mastectomy on my left side with reconstruction. At this point, I haven't decided what I will do with my right breast. I will also be getting chemotherapy. I don't know about radiation, that will depend on the lymph nodes. We are hoping and praying the genetic testing is negative and there is no lymph node involvement. All the of the kind thoughts, words, and prayers have been incredibly meaningful and so helpful in maintaining a positive attitude and getting through everything. We are grateful. We will keep you posted. Love, The Cozzis

6/28/2012

Hello Everyone, First thank you so much for all of the positive thoughts, prayers, and love sent our way during this time. It has really helped make a difference in dealing with the breast cancer diagnosis. Through this process we will be updating this blog to try to keep everyone informed on how everything is going. Here is a little background information: At the end of the May I noticed a lump in my left breast, I was still nursing Violet, so I wasn't really sure what it was and made and appoint with my ob/gyn. He sent me to get mammogram and an ultrasound on the 15th of June. That Monday I got the phone call to come into his office to discuss the results. I pretty much thought, crap, this isn't good. The results of the test were highly suspicious for cancer and he sent me to a general surgeon that afternoon. I met with thr Dr. and he told me the same thing and was able to get me into a biopsy that afternoon. Soon after the biopsy it was confirmed that I had breast cancer. On Wed my parents, Tony, and I met again with the surgeon to review the pathology report. I have invasive ductal carcimnora. We have decided to go with a breast surgeon in Peoria. I had a breast MRI on Monday June 25. The MRI indicated the area with malignant cells was about 6 cm. We will be meeting with the breast surgeon in Peoria on Sat. morning to determine the next steps. At this point I am really hoping and praying that there is no lymph node involvement. We are all trying to stay positive, strong, and hopeful. I know I have an amazing and loving support system and I really am so grateful for everyone. Thank you!