Today brings me one step closer to the finish line. Excitement(YEAH!) and apprehension(What if something goes wrong?) have invaded my mind as I approach the finish line. I imagine my fear is fairly common among those of us that have walked in these shoes.
I continue to be asked about my prognosis. After I had surgery and one microscopic cancer cell was discovered in my lymph nodes a course of action was presented to me.
1. A highly toxic dose of chemicals that make your hair fall out, beat up your immune system and make you feel like crap would be administered four times in three week intervals.
2. A continuation of one chemical for a full year (that's the Herceptin that has a high risk of destroying the heart and causing heart damage through heart attacks).
3. Thirty-three days of burning radiation.
4. Hormone therapy for five years. (Before insurance coverage each pill is $10.00.)
Each action reduces the chance of re-occurrence by a fairly small percentage. If I recall correctly, the percentage reduced by radiation was about 7%. All these steps combined reduce my chance of re-occurrence to about 25%.
Is there a magical blood test that they can give me to see if breast cancer cells are floating through my body? Darn...not yet! Why bother with mammograms if that were the case?
Am I cured? In my mind, you bet! In the medical profession? No, I am in remission. I am not cured until I have been cancer free for five years.
Each one of you that has shared your prayers with me, held my hand, shouldered a tear, cheered me on from the depths of despair, sent those cards to make me laugh, and rallied for this finish I thank you. My words are so little for your actions that have been so BIG. You truly have made PINK TOUGH.
Make Pink Tough and Expect Great Things
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My dear warrior,
ReplyDeleteI have been so wrapped up in my own stupid life and all the changes happening here at this house I forgot to wear Pink. I didn't check your blog. But know you are always on my mind! And now I read your blog, and I am angry at myself for all the piddly ass shit that has taken me down the doom and gloom path the past few weeks. If that was all you had had to worry about this past year.
I love you Leah. I love you for all the things you have taught me and so many others over the last year.
I know you have kicked butt on this cancer and there is no going back. You are a true survivor, a true warrior and incredibly tough! I am here for you!
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