Hi everyone!
I'm finally able to tolerate the computer again, our family has had it rough since I came home from the bilateral and lymph node surgery. Unfortunately, my surgeon could not remove all of the cancer - a giant tumor replaced the lymph nodes under my left arm. WHat he took out was the size of an orange, but what he had to leave was wrapped around the nerves and the cancer had also become the wall of the vein, and maybe the artery. Removing all of the cancer would mean they'd have to amputate my arm - I was told they can't graft the vein, and scraping cancer from the nerves would result in nerve damage (can't move arm). From what the surgeon could see, what he left in was 4.5 cm in diameter and at least 2.5cm back under my arm. All of my post op scans (PET, MRI, CT) reported a size like 8.6cm x 6.4cm x 9.6cm, not sure how much is post op swellling or cancer, and my shoulder blade is thinning from the pressure of the tumor. Oct. 13 and Nov. 3 I had more AC. The blood tests showed I was anemic (hemoglobin at 7.3)and I got the bonus of going into menopause at 33.
Our two bigger kids had respiratory infections that lasted six weeks, and shared with me when I came home from surgery, then DH came down with pneumonia just after Halloween, then I came down with pneumonia a couple weeks later, too, but I had the pleasure of staying at St. Joe's hospital for four days. The nurses there are so great.
I came home Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, and thankfully am doing better, but I'm at about 45% of myself, which is better than the 0% I was for all of November. I was supposed to have two more AC (which would have been 7&8 of AC), but my heart scan showed my ejection ratio went down from 78% to 65%.
My onc switched me to Xeloda, I'll do two cycles and then see onc in January, as long as I can behave while I'm on it. So far, it's been three days, and the worst I have is being tired, which could be from the pneumonia.
Thanks to the ladies who sent cards - it was so nice of you! I had no idea I could be this sick.
The baby (Angelina) has been at my mom's since Halloween, since we've been so sick - I hadn't seen her for three weeks, but I did get to see her last night. It is sad that she doesn't know me, but when we're well enough she'll be home and get to know everyone all over again. I'm still working on getting a home health aid, which my insurance company will pay for 4 hours per day. Because of where the cancer is, I'm not allowed to lift anything over 5 pounds or drive. The problem is when I tell the nursing company what I need, they won't do the work because a baby is involved. So I'm still calling companies.
Anybody bored to death of this post? I am. I can't wait to feel good enough to be funny again!
-Jen