After having healed from my implant/expander surgery I was ready for the next phase in my treatment. Radiation.
Before you can get started, there is a process that needs to be followed to make sure that the radiation machine is entirely programmed for you, your body and to ensure the radiation goes to specifically measured areas in your body.
Continue reading “Bring on those rays”After completing four rounds of AC treatments and 11 rounds for Taxol, radiation was next on my treatment plan.
During my mastectomy, the plastic surgeon had implanted the latest version of breast tissue expanders: AirXpanders. The technology was still very new at that time.
Continue reading “I am not your guinea pig”After meeting with my medical oncologist, it was clear that I was going to get chemotherapy. One of the side effects of the AC chemo is that you will lose your hair.
I had long, thick, curly hair and I have had a life-long love-hate relationship with my hair. I tried short hair, straighten it, leave it curly. Most of the time I had my hair in a messy bun. At the time of my diagnosis my hair was pretty long, probably hitting the middle of my back.
Continue reading “Boldly Bald”After my first check up with the surgical oncologist after my mastectomy, he recommended I go and see a physical therapist specialized in the prevention and treatment of Lymphedema.
Lymphe-hoobie-whatty????
Continue reading “Lymphedema and prevention”After four rounds of AC chemotherapy and a break for the holidays, it was time to resume my treatment.
Next on the schedule was 12 rounds of Taxol.
Continue reading “Taxol takes a toll”Fighting cancer and undergoing chemotherapy can take a toll on not only your body, but also your wellbeing in general. It can often feel like you are stuck on the hamster wheel of endless doctor’s appointments, infusions, tests and treatments. On top of that, you need to manage your side effects, fatigue and everything else.
You can’t just take a day off from cancer. Impossible.
Continue reading “The importance of Self-Care”Steroids, they are the necessary drug during chemotherapy, but boy did they give me a hard time.
From the very first chemo session, they gave me a headache-like feeling mainly in my forehead and behind my eyes. A feeling I can still recall a little over a year since my last chemo session.
Continue reading “High on Steroids”I really didn’t know what to expect from chemotherapy. I had seen some images of people getting chemo but had never been to the infusion area of the hospital until my first round.
I choose to have my sessions on Friday afternoon. Mainly, out of practicality to not have the chemo interfere with work too much and the advantage of going straight into the weekend after infusion so I could recover. I had arranged to also have the Monday following chemo off, if I needed extra time.
Continue reading “Meeting the Red Devil”Only two weeks after my mastectomy I was back in the operating room. This time a small, relatively easy, procedure after which I was able to go home the same day.
My surgical oncologist installed a chemo port. A chemo port is a small device that is implanted right underneath the skin. The silicone tube is then attached to the jugular vein. Having a port allows the administration of the chemo drugs directly into the vein.
Continue reading “I feel like alien with my chemo port”August 30th, 2017 was the day my boobies had to go. I was scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy.
I had received a call from the hospital the night before to inform me I would be first on the schedule at 8am and had to check in at the hospital at 6am.
Continue reading “The day my boobies went”
Bump In The Boob 