After waiting a long five days, I got the news today.
I was told I would get the results yesterday… of course with the holiday Monday there was a delay! Always something, but I will take these tiny little disappoints especially when there is GOOD NEWS! I called doc yesterday and the results were not in at noon. I waited and waited all afternoon, but no call. I called again this morning and nurse said the results were in and she would have the doc call me as soon as possible. Well, doc was in surgery all morning, so more waiting… tic toc…
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t too miserable while waiting. I managed to keep my mind off of it because I was able to drive and I ran some errands! I was in Hobby Lobby (yes, that is an errand!!) in the restroom (albeit I was finished and ready to leave) when my “other doctor” my oncologist called me and said he just received the report. EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR!!! Just perfect results. Clear, clear, clear! Our prayers have been answered. This is everything that I had hoped to hear. Doc said, “My chemo (meaning HIS chemo choice) worked and there is no evidence of cancer left in the tumor and cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes.” My response was “Thank you so much! I am thrilled to hear this! Exactly what we were hoping for!” which echoed back at me in the very large restroom at Hobby Lobby (where I was the only one in there, thankfully). I will see my oncologist for a follow up in a couple of weeks. Then about an hour later, now I am at Kohl’s… and my surgeon called with the results (he was the one who I should have heard from first) and I did not tell him that I knew already. Shhhh…. He was just so happy and was thrilled to tell me the GREAT news, so I proceeded to tell him how happy I was (as though I had not learned the great news an hour earlier!!) and I thanked him for his call. I will follow up with him in a few weeks as well.
I’m so happy! This means no more chemo. Yay! And… as far as my recent surgery, I am on the mend. Feeling better daily. I got the okay yesterday at my follow up appointment to drive, shower, sleep in my bed (as opposed to the recliner), and to start walking a little bit each day. Can I tell you that I barely made it to 800 steps each day since surgery!! Today is the first day of really moving around and I did a lot of walking during my little shopping spree, so now I am really really tired. I sure got a lot of rest these past 5 days, but that is what I needed to heal. My daily movement consisted of going from recliner to bathroom and back to recliner (20 steps maybe?) and then recliner to kitchen and back to recliner (20 steps round trip). I cannot lift anything too heavy and can begin walking my hands up the wall to stretch the arms a bit. The only really sore spot is under my left arm where he removed lymph nodes. I do have some pinching and stabbing pains sometimes, but that is not a bother as it comes and goes pretty quickly and is not very often. Otherwise, I am doing just fine.
Now it is a matter of recovering fully from this surgery and in 3 or more months, a full mastectomy with expanders placed under the chest muscle, followed by implants 6 months later. Yes, a bit TMI, but I figured you know so much already why hide all the other fun stuff. This 2-step surgery process was recommended to me for several reasons related to the size of my breasts and skin that was already radiated 10 years ago. It is our hope that my skin and everything will heal up nicely before the full mastectomy. It is not fun to think that there is another surgery in my future. The next one definitely has a longer recovery period, but I really do not want cancer to come back so there is no way around it.
My plan for the near future is to take my vitamins (D is the most important one right now!), exercise and make better food choices. I am quite tired of looking like a stuffed sausage and my face and neck blew up like a balloon from my treatment. Being bald does not help this “new look” either.
On another note… remember how I had BIG plans for a tropical vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October to celebrate my BIG birthday??? Well I am now putting this destination on hold for a few reasons… First, Cabo was supposed to be the destination for one main reason to see Sammy Hagar during his birthday bash concerts which take place every year the 2nd week of October. Just so happens to coincide with my October 7th birthday and then Sammy and John share a birthday, October 13th. Sammy is turning 70! OMG! Those who know me, know I just love his music and his attitude and had plans to go for my 40th birthday which was ruined by my previous cancer diagnosis. So this time around, I was certain to make it happen if I was cleared by docs to go. So in the past several weeks, I tried no fewer than 8 different times to get tickets, first by registering for each of 4 concert dates in his “lottery” system. No luck! Then, in the second-chance lottery for those who did not claim their winning tickets from the first go-round – for each of 4 concerts!! Again, no luck! So frustrating. I also had a friend who was trying too and had no luck either! She has gone several years in a row and this year the competition was tough. Too many people and not enough tickets. Oh and there are those who say you might have a chance at getting dinner concert tickets if you camp out in front of Cabo Wabo Cantina for days before they go on sale. Yeah, sorry… I am not in any condition to camp out for tickets. So… for that reason and the fact that there has been some crime and that whole tainted alcohol thing going on there, Cabo has lost its appealo appeal for me right now. Oh, and not to mention — there are dangerous tropical storms and hurricanes that keep popping up there ! Not a great time to travel to Mexico or anywhere in the Caribbean right now. BUT, I still want to go somewhere for my birthday, so I am trying to think of something that we could do. Still thinking… but, I am sure we’ll figure something out!
Thank you all for following along and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I feel it. It keeps me going when I feel like I want to just curl up and cry. I read through your comments and it lifts me up. So thank you for that! I cannot believe how many wonderful people have provided fantastic meals for us. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! John asked me one day if I tell people that he is a bad cook. Ha ha ha! I laughed an evil laugh… of course not, John! He, in turn, said he was surprised that there are so many people who care about me. Touché John, touché…
XoXo
Kathy
And, so it begins... AGAIN!! 