December-03-2007

Where there is patience, there is hope

This is a bit long, but I have a lot to catch you up on! :)

I hope and pray that Thanksgiving 2007 was exciting and stress free for all! Like I mentioned before, I was able to go with Ben's family to a mountain house at the border of North and South Caroline. The house sat on a cliff looking over all of the valleys of the Carolina's. The view was gorgeous! I attempted to shoot clay pigeons off of cliff, played games and puzzles, watched the sun set, and ate so much good food (including an organic turkey and more hot cocoa than I could ask for! Thank you so much!). It was a great time!

Since I returned, I had an interesting week or so. I was scheduled to receive round 4 of chemotherapy on Monday (11/26). However, when I went in for my routine appointment prior to getting chemo, my oncologist through a curve ball at me! Upon examination, she grew immediately concerned about my left lymph nodes in the armpit. Remember, I had a lymph node biopsy in September, which was thankfully negative. After the biopsy, I had localized swelling that took awhile to go away, but it eventually did. Now something is back, and she wasn't sure what. Therefore she wouldn't allow me to get chemo until I went to see my surgeon the following day. Her thinking was that if the cancer had spread, I would need surgery right away. So we went home.

The following day (Tues 11/27), we drive the hour back to Annapolis to see my surgeon. After a very long wait, she tells me that it is probably a seroma (similar to a cyst), which can form because of the surgery in September. Therefore, she numbs my armpit and attempts to drain the "seroma". Nothing comes out. Uh oh! That isn't typical of a seroma. Now no one is sure what to do! I get a thorough sonogram next door to get the dimensions of this "thing". as well as the breast tumor, while my surgeon prepares to send the little fluid she did get out to pathology for results. The GOOD news is that the breast tumor is over 50% smaller than 3 weeks ago. Therefore, the new drug Taxotere, is working. The frustrating news is that behind the "thing" in my armpit shows another large lymph node. The pathology would take 3 days to come back, and because of the success in the breast, my surgeon sent me to get chemo. So we get chemo, go home, and wait. Ive never been excited to get chemo before, until now.

I was waiting, not only for the results of the test, but also for those horrible side effects to kick in that I had in round 3. I get a phone call Friday and the first "thing" is negative! Probably a localized infection or irritation from the chemotherapy. Praise God! Also, the side effects never came! Prayers answered! I must have had such a hard time last round because of the bronchitis I was fighting. I am still going to be monitored for the second lymph node. On Dec 14th, I go back for a sonogram to see if it is still enlarged. My surgeon thinks that it might simply be reacting to the inflammation due to chemo. However, if it is still enlarged, she will probably sample that one also and send it to pathology to be sure. In her 15 years of being a surgeon, she has never seen someone have a negative lymph node biopsy and have the cancer spread while on chemo, especially with the breast tumor shrinking. But it is better to check everything thoroughly, and I am so thankful for their insight!

I am so thankful that God led me to do chemo before surgery because we have the knowledge of what drug is working (or not, in the case of the first two drugs). I am also so grateful that I am not experiencing the side effects that I had last round. My hands and feet are peeling, but I have no pain or sensitivity! Lastly, I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who came to the fundraiser Friday night. We had a huge turn out (almost 100 people) and everyone who came had a lot of fun. I hope all of you are enjoying the winter air and shopping season! I will update again after my next appointment. Keep praying, its working!

Jami :)

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10