Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Preparing for biopsy surgery

I had a wonderful week with my son, during his spring break.
Then I headed off to Atlanta to do Christmas buying for Topiaries.
Buying trips are fun and exhausting at the same time.  I got it all done, I just had to take naps during the day.  I feel it is very important to keep my future going.  I got back home last night. I also had lots of helping hands, you see I have been going there two times a year for 18 years so I have made some great friends.  Gary and Frank came up from South Carolina to help out, again.  Frank squeezed limes for me daily while Gary helped me spend money.  We had a blast.  Jackie made sure I had homemade soups everyday, and muffins, cuties and bananas, to take back to my hotel, and to the airport.  Awesome friends!!!!

Today, I had my meet and greet with the surgeon that will be doing my surgical biopsy next week.  When Carolyn and I got there the receptionist said we have you down for two weeks from now.  OMG!!  I have been off chemo for 6 weeks now, another 2 weeks to meet the doctor and then another week or two for surgery.  This means my biopsy wouldn't even get to Boston until the end of April.  REALLY!!

Most of you know I have run my own business for over 20 years.
If the scheduler had said you can meet the Doctor in April, my response would have been, I should fly to Boston and get it done quicker!  Back to today, I told the receptionist I may look healthy, but I have stage 4 lung cancer and I can't wait weeks!!!!!!!  I told her I am staying here until I talk to my oncologist.  She came back out to the waiting room and said they could squeeze me in.  We waited another two hours (he is the best in this area) and he came in and discussed the surgery.  He will cut a two inch opening, entering just above my breast and remove some cartilage and then cut off a peice of the tumor to send off to Boston for testing. Since lung cancer can mutate, they need a current sample.  After a trying day, I was sent for labs, 5 tubes of blood, EKG, x-ray, and the special of the day, a painful draw of blood from my artery.  Very long day to say the least.  My surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday.  I will be in the hospital 1 or 2 days.  At least the ball is starting to roll.  The Bug is not for SISSIES!!!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Good News...Bad news...

Bad News.....I have been waiting for today's doctors appointment for my results of my recent scans.
I was feeling really great lately, certainly breathing better and coughing less.
So of course I am thinking the chemo is working and I am going to get a good report.
The bad news the chemo is not working and in fact the bug really likes my bones and is spreading that way, and the tumor has not shrunk at all. Wow that was a shock I was not ready for. Next I will be going to go into clinical trials. My Doctor is going to confer with the leading doctor in lung cancer at the Boston cancer center. If needed I will go up there for treatment.

Good News... no chemo today yeah, my son is home from college this week so we can do a lot more together since I won't have the "flu". I am also going to Atlanta to buy Christmas, the following weekend, for Topiaries (since I could not go in January due to treatments) and again all my blood will be normal without the chemo, and not have the fatigue. That is also where I see lots of friends and enjoy buying. So the break for chemo could not have come at a better time so I can really enjoy the next two weeks. Then when I come back Monday I will start my new treatments on the Wednesday in two weeks.

Please keep praying for these next treatments to remove the cancer from my body. I do believe in miracles and medicine working together.
 I am ready to get back to the fight when I get back from a real break from all this.
Thank you so much for all your support xoxo
Gail