Winter 2011-2012

It has been a long time since I have posted here. So much has happened since then! We had a wonderful Christmas with family. The kids were spoiled and had a great time.

Before Christmas on Dec 13,2011 I had a hysterectomy/ oophorectomy.  They had found a polyp on one of my fallopian tubes during a regular ultra sound. They wanted me to have a D&C but I wasn't happy with that decision. I was suppose to get regular scans to make sure that I didn't develop ovarian cancer as that is related to the breast cancer. I would be scanned every 3months for the next 5yrs until I was 40 when they would do a hysterectomy/ oophorectomy.

After talking with my oncologist and my APRN we decided that the surgery would be the best way to go for me. I was already in temporary menopause so we were hoping that the side effects from surgery wouldn't be too different. We thought that this would be less stressful than being tested every 3 months, and if they found something then I would have a D&C and wait for the results for the next 5 years.

As we were planning this surgery I contacted all the doctors to make sure I could still do the Jan surgery.  All of them said that it would be fine. Well that is what all of the offices told me, but little did I know that the doctors were not on that same page!!  As I was discussing this surgery with my GYN oncologist I asked again about the Jan surgery. He said that there was no way he would say 5 weeks between surgeries would be enough. He called the other doctors and they agreed that it wasn't long enough. I was upset to push out the reconstruction but realized it was for the best. I called my surgeon's office and discovered that the next opening was in April. I booked it, hung up the phone and bawled my eyes out! I was devastated, but quickly tried to settle with the fact that this was for the best.

My hysterectomy went smoothly. Auntie Linda came up and took me and stayed with me after my surgery. Bob had started a new job the day before I was scheduled so he couldn't come with me.  Although he was able to come and stay until I went into surgery. That was thanks to Linda forgetting her phone at the house! Bob came to see me after work. By that time I was not quite as drugged and could carry on a conversation. The 3 of us had dinner together and then they headed home.

As I approached the 5wk out mark, I was glad I had postponed the Jan surgery. I continued to heal and continued to have my herceptin treatments. Herceptin can cause heart issues, so I have been having MUGA scans to check on my heart function, every 3 months. Bob's new insurance kicked in and we found out that they wouldn't cover the MUGA so we had to get an echo cardiogram.  I do not have a baseline echo and the doctors thought they saw something. To be sure that it wasn't an issue, I then was scheduled for a nuclear stress test. That is a stress test without the running/walking. Instead they inject a radioactive dye that causes your blood vessels to open up and simulate you exercising. It is easier to see the heart this way. It isn't fun though!!  I then wait for those results.  Everything they saw looked great, the problem (you had to know that was coming!! LOL) is that they couldn't see the front of my heart. Soooooooo, herceptin is still on hold and I will be going for a CT scan on Thurs.  I am expecting this to show that my heart is fine and continue with the herceptin next week.

Through all of this Robert has been struggling with his temper. He is very stressed out about school and the CMTs (Connecticut Mastery Tests) that are starting next month. We are working on different areas with him to help him learn how to "be angry and sin not".  We are seeing small improvements and are happy with the small victories.

We all have been fighting different viruses. Abby had pneumonia, Robert had croup and then breathing problems from it, so he is now on an inhaler for the time being. Eli is doing well, but we have discovered that if he gets a bad enough headache he will throw up like his dad and sister. Bob has been pretty healthy and I have had an ear infection and a horrible sinus infection. We are all on the mend and hopefully we will stay that way!

I just keep reminding myself that God is in control and He knows about everything that is going on. He has blessed me with an amazing husband and wonderful friends and family.