Clarification

I've had several people ask me what the fact that I'm cancer-free means.  "Does that mean you won't have to do radiation?  Does that mean you won't have to do any more non-ooky chemo?"  The answer to both is "no."  I will still have to do radiation  (although it might be less than 5 weeks worth, we'll have to wait and see), and I will still have non-ooky chemo through April.  The best analogy I can give is antibiotics.   You have to complete your antibiotics even when you feel better for them to complete the job.  In my case, the radiation and chemo are maintenance which is supposed to keep me cancer free.

Keep in mind that while the fact is that there is no cancer left in my body, the medical community won't say that officially for 5 years.  That's another reason for the radiation and chemo to continue - it is recognized medical best practice.  

My surgical oncologist wants me to have a month to heal before starting radiation.  Her office puts in the call to the radiology dept. as a referral,  which she said they would do last week.  Then radiology will contact me to set up a pre-radiology appt, where I will meet my radiology oncologist.  S/He will have reviewed all notes from the surgical and medical oncologists and will make a recommendation for when to start radiation and how many weeks to do.  Right now, it looks like radiation will start mid-Octoberish, but I won't have firm dates until I meet with the radiology oncologist.   I will post the date of the pre-radiology appt once I know it.

Thank you all again for all your prayers.   I'm not sure I've fully accepted the fact that I'm cancer free yet - I still wake up and have to pinch myself!  Our God has done "exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine" as I personally never expected this outcome prior to radiation.   I stand in awe of God's magnificent healing for me....I don't know why He chose me to heal when so many others don't get that, but I am thankful for His healing hand on me.  I have to wonder if those Jesus healed while He was here on earth felt the same way, and how long it took them to stop pinching themselves when they woke up each day.  I can guarantee you they never took their days or health for granted...I have a new appreciation for both.

Continuing to praise His name,
Sherri

Post Op

I am COMPLETELY cancer free!!!  When she did the surgery, she found "no distinctive mass," meaning, she found NOTHING to take out!!  She did take out the clip and calcifications, but there was nothing there!!!  She told me this is the best report she's given in a long time. 

Sing with me, "What a mighty God we serve, what a mighty God we serve. Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve!!" It is by His hand alone that this has come about, and your prayers have played a huge part.  Thank you for your support and prayers.  God is good all the time, but I am very thankful that He has seen fit to make healing part of my journey this side of Heaven!!

Full of rejoicing,
Sherri

Surgery aftermath

Here I am just before going in for surgery (this was a lumpectomy) yesterday.  I felt good, and was ready to get it done!

I am doing very well today!!  I am home (this was out patient surgery, so I came home yesterday), and have very little pain.  It has been easily controlled with ibuprofen. 

We didn't get to talk with the doc after the surgery yesterday - the best we could figure, the frantic couple who came in while Mom, Dad, and Steve were waiting to talk to the doc was her next appointment for surgery, and they were late.  I know the OR was reserved for specific times, so we think she had to get in to do that surgery right away.  When we said something to the nurses in recovery about not having spoken with the doc, they said that was odd (and she had said she would go out to talk to the family after the surgery ), and went to find her, but she was already in the next surgery.   They said they would say something to her,  so I halfway expect to hear from her this weekend sometime.  They made sure they had my number.

My post op appointment is Thursday,  which is when I'll find out if she got clean margins,  meaning she got all the cancer.   If she did, I will be done with surgery.   If she didn't,  she'll have to go back in.  We are hopeful that she got it all.

I am thrilled that I am feeling so well today. The nurse had said I would probably feel yucky today and tomorrow,  but so far that has not been the case!  Thank you all for all your prayers - I am sure they are part of the reason I am having such an easy recovery!   God is good all the time, but I am always thankful when He allows things to be a little easier for a time 😊!

In His care,
Sherri

THE MOST AWESOME STAFF IN THE WORLD!!

My ENTIRE staff dressed in pink to send me off today!!  I was so humbled and blessed by their sweet, fun thoughtfulness!!  I don't know the "secret email" they used, but I knew nothing about this until I got to school today and kept seeing pink everywhere!  LAMS is truly THE best place to work on the planet!!

PET scan and echocardiogram results

The doctor's office just called: the echo cardiogram was normal; the PET scan said "no new lesions or abnormalities were visualized."  So we're set for tomorrow!!

Exciting Quick Post

Monday, I had my pre-op mammogram and ultrasound.  The tumor has shrunk to approximately 1 cm x 2 cm!!!  There are a few areas of calcification they will also remove, but the doc who read the results to me before I left was practically jumping up and down she was so excited!  She was the same one who read these the first time, and she let me see the x-rays from before and after chemo side by side.  The difference and change is quite remarkable!!  Nothing at all was said about my lymph nodes, so I anticipate hearing they are clean.

The medical oncologist says my white blood cell count is back to normal, so my immune system is also back to normal.  My platelet count is down a bit (I am bruising easily, don't feel the bruises, and they're slow to heal), but it is nothing to worry about, and the expectation is that they will recover just fine. The fits-and-starts tastebud thing is normal, and may need another week or two before it's back to normal.  Long term, they will be watching my blood counts mostly, and of course doing lots of mammograms on the affected side.  My nails have all started looking a bit odd in the past two days, and I've heard some people lose theirs after chemo, so we'll see what happens there.  My strength is completely back (woo hoo!!!!), and the non-ooky chemo truly is a breeze!

Next up: PET scan and echiocardiogram Monday; surgery Friday, Sept. 4, then out for a week to recup.  Pray for school planning and prep in these last few days before I'm out, smooth operations in the class while I'm out, and clean lines in the surgery so we don't have to go back in and I can get back to school :D!!  I have great kids and classes, and I hate to miss like this, especially this early. 

With a heart FULL of praise,
Sherri

Quick Post

I am alive and well :)  I have made it through a week and two days  of school, all the days we've had students so far.  I was able to make it to all the really vital staff meetings prior to school, and am feeling stronger with each day - yeah!!  My taste buds are just beginning to come back, although it is still hit and miss on some days.  I can have a great breakfast and lunch, and then the taste buds go south; or I can have an entire day of everything still tasting bad; or I can have a fine breakfast and part of lunch before things start tasting funky - so, it's coming, but in fits and starts.

I go in for my first round of "non-ooky" chemo tomorrow morning - it will be much shorter and NO side effects.  I plan to ask the doc about when life should go back to "normal," meaning, when my immune system is back to full strength, when I'll finally have my taste buds back, when the polka-dots on my arms and head will disappear, and what kinds of long-term effects I should be watching for. 

I am frantically trying to get everything ready for school for the time I will be out for surgery - still LOTS to do and barely a week to get it done in!!  But I knew some of you were wondering.

I'll post more later - probably closer to surgery.  I will be out all day again next Monday for my PET scan and some other pre-surgery stuff, so my days are flying!!

Thanks for all your prayers and support - they are felt and appreciated!!

Love,
Sherri