Lights... Camera... Action...

... or in my case:

Treatment... Side-effects... CURE!

I know it's been almost a month since the last update.  I am very happy to say that the results from the sentinel node biopsy were not nearly as grim as previously stated.  I've thought back over what I and my sister heard post surgery and I really have no good explanation for the disparity between what we heard and the actual outcome.  BUT, the good news:

... I did not have 3 nodes test positive

... I did not have 30-40 nodes removed

According to the pathology report, confirmed by my oncologist, the first sentinel node (which is the first lymph node into which the radioactive solution drained) did test positive.  It contained a tumor about 4mm in size, so pretty small.  Due to the 1st node testing positive, they performed the axillary dissection to remove the tissue containing the related nodes.  Post-surgery, they determined that tissue contained 12 additional lymph nodes... and NONE of those tested positive for cancer.  YAY!

I had to deal with the annoying drain tube for just over 2 weeks.  It was finally removed November 30.  Thankfully, my employer (Greenway Health) has been fully supportive through this whole process and I was able to work from home during that time.  I want to send a HUGE thank you to them and my team members in Carrollton, GA and Alachua, FL for their support.  A second HUGE shout-out goes to my sister, Jana, and my cousin, Tonya.  They made sure I had easy to heat / prepare food those first few days after surgery.  I finally returned to the office on December 1 and was happy to do so.  Working from home full-time is not for me.  I got tired of the walls of my home and I missed the interaction with my co-workers in Carrollton - they are such a fun bunch to work with!

While most of the pain is gone, there are some residual effects from the surgery including some remaining numbness and lack of 100% range of motion in that shoulder.  Some of the numbness may likely be long term, but I'm working on the range of motion all the time.  I'm about 95% there.  The incision is healing wonderfully and the hole where the drain tube was connected has closed and is healing just fine as well.  For the rest of my life, however, I'm going to have to be extra careful with my right arm, to prevent injury or other damage.  What would be a mild or inconsequential injury in most cases could turn into something very serious since I am missing those lymph nodes in that area.

Now that we have all the information and I'm almost fully healed from the surgeries, it's time for action.  Because one node did test positive for cancer, my oncologist stated that my cancer has been classified as Stage 2 and we have a plan to fight it: 1) Chemotherapy, 2) Radiation, 3) Tamoxifen

Part 1:

Part 1 will be chemotherapy.  I will receive 4 treatments at 3 week intervals.  My first treatment will be this upcoming week on Wednesday, December 9.  Because I will only be receiving 4 treatments, I will receive the infusions via IV instead of having a port.  This is good news since there are drawbacks from using a port, including scarring and risk of infection.

My chemotherapy will consist of a combination of 2 drugs: Cytoxan and Taxotere.  The side-effects are expected to be typical and include nausea, low blood counts, fatigue, and hair loss (among others).  The nausea can begin as early as the same day, though I will receive medication in the IV to help with this as well as receiving a prescription to take once I am at home.  The hair loss will begin 2-3 weeks after the first treatment.  It will grow back once the treatments are complete and may even come back with a different color and/or texture.  It will be interesting to see how mine grows back. :)

During this time, I will see my oncologist weekly so they can keep check on my blood counts and make sure they are staying within acceptable ranges.  I will also have to be very careful to avoid any situations that might compromise my immune system or make me ill.

At this point, I'm hoping to be able to continue working during this stage, but we'll play it by ear as we see how this first treatment plays out.  Again, I am so very blessed to have a job and an employer that allows me to work from home when needed.  If the side-effects for me are a worst case scenario, I do have short-term disability compensation available.  We are going to pray very hard that I don't have to use this.

Part 2:

Once the chemotherapy is complete, there will be several weeks of radiation.  This will be received daily during this time period.  I have confirmed that we are going to set this up so I can receive these treatments in Carrollton instead of in Austell.  Since I work in Carrollton, traveling to Austell on a daily basis once we get to this point would have definitely been an issue.  But, once we get started, the treatments themselves take very little time each day - just a few minutes.  I'll have more information on this stage once we get closer to it.

Part 3:

After the radiation is complete, I will be on an oral medication called Tamoxifen for 5 years.

Wow... that sounds like a lot of negative huh?  A bunch of people may think so.  I know the next few months are going to have some hard times.  You know what though?  I received a poem at my surgeon's office that very clearly sums up how I feel:

As always, thank you all for your thoughts, concern, love, and prayers.  The next few months are going to be interesting and challenging, but...