It’s Christmas morning and the kids (not really kids anymore) are asleep. My husband and I are drinking coffee and pretending that everything is normal. But it’s not. Just two days ago, we went over everything with my doctor and I had my first treatment.
The Plan
The breast MRI showed no lymph node involvement, which is fantastic. However, the insurance denied the CT scans and bone scans. Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive and can spread without lymph node involvement. The doctor was concerned about my weight loss and fatigue over the last few months. But, despite an appeal and additional documentation, the insurance company wouldn’t budge.
During our visit, she checked my breast, and the tumor is larger with another lump growing on it. My Ki-67 was high (69.75%), which indicates a rapid proliferation rate. Without the additional tests, it is impossible to know if it has spread. Because of the size, it is Stage II.
I will be having eight cycles of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Each cycle lasts 3 weeks, with labs every Friday and treatment every Monday. Once I complete the 24 treatments, I will have surgery to remove the tumor. After surgery, I will continue with the immunotherapy and either chemotherapy or radiation along with it for another six months.
The Treatment
We spoke to the doctor for a half hour or so before starting the treatment. The facility is clean and bright, the people are friendly. It wasn’t scary or intimidating at all. I was given three pills right away: Tylenol, Benedryl and an anti-nausea medication. Then, they took blood and hooked up the machine to administer the meds. It was my first time using the port and it was so much easier than an IV!
It took almost five hours for the medication to get delivered. I was very happy to have the quilt because I got cold.
When it was over and we got home, my daughter had hung pink ribbons everywhere. Such a nice surprise and it put a smile on my face.
I’ve definitely been feeling sick, nauseous with a headache. My mouth is constantly dry and I haven’t been able to sleep. The worst part, though, is the fatigue. I don’t have much energy at all, so I feel pretty useless.
Still, I’m grateful that it isn’t worse. I feel a little better this morning, ready to celebrate Christmas with my family. Some of the kids are sick, so they won’t be able to come over. But this is our new normal: protecting my compromised immune system so that I can fight this thing.
And fight it we will… together!