Category Archives: Uncategorized

After finally finishing my checklist prior to starting chemo, it was time. Chemo Day #1 Every chemo session starts with a lab draw, doctor’s appointment, and scheduler visit. Then to the chemotherapy suite for infusion. It’s quite the ordeal, spending nearly 6-8 hours at Cancer Care Northwest (CCNW) depending on how backed up the doctorContinue reading “Chemotherapy…”

Next up on the checklist before starting chemotherapy was getting a port placed. A port is placed so the chemotherapy is infused into a larger vein and is distributed faster. If they use a smaller vein in the arm, the chemotherapy will ruin the veins and the infusion is at a way slower rate. TheContinue reading “Port”

I have never liked the word or idea of a “diet”. I feel you have to choose a lifestyle and make decisions every day to stick with the lifestyle you want for yourself. However, it’s easier to use the word diet for now. So what I did next… I took all of the research IContinue reading “Diet”

One other resource that I decided to try out, again recommended by Dr. Moline, was a consultation with the registered dietitian at Cancer Care Northwest. I was actually pretty excited about this appointment because I had done so much research already on diet for cancer treatment and cancer prevention. I was certainly ready for thisContinue reading “Nutrition”

Speaking of my poor husband… I haven’t really talked about my emotions through this entire process, and that’s because I didn’t really have any. It was an odd feeling of not having any feeling, if that makes sense. I was always in a fight or flight response, on a mission of “what’s next” that IContinue reading “Emotions”

One more medication that would not be over the counter or prescription would be the Lupron shot. To protect my ovaries during chemotherapy and to hopefully preserve my ovaries for a chance of having children later on, the Lupron shot slows the blood floor to the ovaries and puts your body into a temporary stateContinue reading “Lupron”

What the heck is that? Chemo teach is what they call the Chemotherapy education before you start chemo. It’s about an hour with a nurse practitioner who goes over all of the possible side effects of chemo, what to look out for, what medications you will need, etc. So possible side effects of chemotherapy andContinue reading “Chemo Teach”

All the other tests and scans came back clear- bone scan, brain MRI, echocardiogram (they complete an echo before chemo to get a prior scan of your heart due to the harsh effects of chemo on your cardiac function). All scans came back clear EXCEPT for a small spot on my liver showed up onContinue reading “Next up-“

What are all these tests for anyways? Making sure the cancer hasn’t metastasized in my bones, organs or lymph nodes. The first place breast cancer usually metastasizes is in the lymph nodes. One of my lymph nodes was a little inflamed so we decided to get it checked out. So next up… lymph node biopsy!Continue reading “Biopsy”

As you can see, nothing about this process screams modesty. While I’m talking about the scans I might as well tell you about a bone scan and CT. The bone scan was done at local hospital in the radiology department. They have you come in about 2 hours before your scan and inject a radioactiveContinue reading “It’s going to feel like you’re peeing your pants”