Seasons: Round 4, Dose 2



Valentine's Day has passed,

so before we picked my mom up for chemo today,

Olivia and I stopped at Target

and found some cool stuff on clearance. 

I know Kohls has a "Lowest Prices of the Season Sale"

-like once a week-

and I am reminded...

to everything there is a season.




There is a time to color Hello Kitty.




A Time to munch on Valentine Treats at 50% off!




A Time to apply Valentine Chapstick



carefully to "my yips."



 There is a Time to Smile.



A Time to Dance



and skip



(turn, turn, turn)



and a Time to put your hand up in the air
just because it's fun



to twirl dizzy-fast.



There is a Time to check out who else is going potty.



And a Time NOT to be defined
by what life puts in your path.



There is a Time to cuddle with Mom,



while she rubs your back
and makes you feel safe and warm.



 

"To everything,

there is a season.

And a time to every purpose

under Heaven."

-Ecclesiastes

-Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919- January 27, 2014),

may he rest in Peace

Where's the chemo???

My mom and I went to Mercy Hospital Infusion Center for my first dose of my 4th round of chemo.  I had my PIV started, labs drawn and we waited.  We watched Ellen and laughed and looked at Pinterest ideas on our phones.  Then, my nurse said the Pharmacy couldn't find my chemo.  We waited some more, then were told to come back tomorrow.  Not happening.  Monday at 4pm is the only time I have for chemo. 

When the hospital can't find your chemo, I figure it's a Snow Day for me!  Dinner and stopped at Target to look around. On the bright side, now my chemo day won't fall on my birthday Monday!  Score!

The Results are IN

Drumroll, please... First, the rash on my left arm is a bacterial infection to be treated with oral antibiotics. I started them and broke out in hives on my arms, legs and abdomen. These were discontinued and I started an antibiotic cream.

The lymph node results came back as NO CANCER CELLS!!!   However, the radiologist (who was the same one who read the last PET/CT scan results) was unsure if they got the correct lymph nodes, so we scheduled another biopsy for the coldest day of the year Monday, January 6.. The nurse wanted to make sure my car would start, so I was scheduled at 8:30 am.  My mom already had a cough and cold, so I told her to stay home and stay warm. Mark could drive me in his fancy car with seat heaters. Another ultrasound and some small talk about Olivia Joy with the ultrasound technician.

This Breast Center was the same clinic that made my official breast cancer diagnosis over 4 years a ago. This time, they took samples of 2 lymph nodes.  The one from last time and the one just below it.

Biopsy Part 2

We waited and waited (cue the crickets :) and....NO CANCER CELLS!!! 

This morning, Dr. Laudi discussed the plan. I am going to stay on course with Erubulin for 2-3 more rounds at a slightly increased dose, then do another PET/CT scan to check progress. 

To recap:  Liver spots are gone, L4 spot is significantly smaller, there appears to be a questionable faint spot on my right scapula.  The rash was a bacterial infection and Dr. Laudi thinks the lymph node activity had to do with that infection. 

Skin rash after a dose of oral antibiotics and a few days of antibiotic cream.  Healing nicely.

Mommy's little helper.

I appreciate all of your prayers and thoughts and support.  Through these years I am grateful to know I am here today and Olivia is here, because of all of you.  From my heart, I THANK YOU!

Ding! Ding! End of Round One!

On November 25th, I got my second dose of chemo- completing Round One. 



My chemo is given over a 5 minute slow push.



That little syringe knocked me to the mat!  My blood counts dropped.  I got a fever, which is treated as life-threatening to someone with low counts, so Dr. Laudi sent me to Mercy Hospital ER for blood cultures and antibiotics. 

Blood Cultures

 

After a week to recover, Round Two started on December 9th.  When I went for the second dose on the 16th, my counts were too low, so I got a "Snow Day" and finished up some Christmas shopping with my mom.  Dr. Laudi ordered 6 days of Neupogen shots (I can't stand those things!  More about that later) 

On 12/20, my ANC was 1.7, so my chemo was a go on the 23rd.  Ding! Ding! End of Round Two!

My New Haircut and Sweet Amore!

After Christmas we will do another PET and CT scan.  Please pray that everything is getting smaller or is gone!  I hope the New Year brings peace and love and joy to all!

Dooms Day: or Eribulin Dose 1

The Infusion center called over the weekend to say they are having trouble finding my chemo. We were called around noon today to inform me they had found it. Yay. Not.  All chemo wipes me out for a few days and I don't know what new side effects this one will hold.  I choose to have my chemo on Monday, so I can be ready for work on Saturday.

 I work every weekend, so Monday is my big cleaning day. I get the older girls up and off to school. Olivia helps me pick up the kitchen and start laundry. Cleaning done and laundry still washing. We make a grocery list including easy foods for Mark to cook.  At the store I pick up my post-chemo cuisine: 7up, ginger ale, crackers, vegetable broth, rice.  I stop by the by the pharmacy to pick up my pain meds and zofran. Grocery shopping done and put away.  Amore walked.  Lunch made and eaten.  Time to go.

Olivia stayed home with her Dad.  Amore and I drove to my parent's house.  Amore sang the whole way anticipating our destination!  She was so happy to see her sisters!  My mom was getting ready.  She worked the overnight shift the night before.  I asked my dad if he wanted to come along.  He said, "Yes."   Off we went.

I haven't been to the infusion center at Mercy Hospital for months, so it was like a reunion of sorts.  My favorite room in the corner was taken, so instead of waiting, I picked a room with a hospital bed.  My parents took turns sitting on the bed with me while my PIV was started and I got a half hour infusion on an antiemetic and an IV push antiemetic.  The chemo itself was pushed into the IV line over 3-5 minutes.  PIV out and done. 

My parents took me out for a veggieburger and onion rings, leaving Amore at their house.

When I got home Olivia asked me many times about her Amore.  I told her she is having a sleepover with her sisters.  She got my car keys and told me, "Go get my Amore.  I love her.  She's my friend."