December 12, 2021

Happy Sunday Funday!

I am sorry that I haven’t had a chance to blog much this week.  It’s been a crazy busy week as I am sure most of you are experiencing as well.  This was an extra crazy busy week for Mano and I since we were in Houston on Monday and then coming back to play catch up at work the rest of the week.  It’s been nuts – Tis the Season, right?

So there are some common questions that I am getting from people so I thought I would address those here so that everyone is updated on what my next steps are in my cancer journey.  Feel free to ask any questions that I haven’t addressed and I will be happy to address those in a follow-up post.  Here goes!

Q:  How much more Chemo do you have?

A:  My next round of Chemo is a drug called Taxol (details on Taxol can be found here).  That treatment starts on 12/17 and is weekly until 03/04.  I am still on a Friday schedule for Taxol except during the holidays which will be on Thursdays since the doctor’s office is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  Some additional details to know is that Taxol is “said” to not be as harsh as the AC treatment that I just completed.  Allegedly, Taxol does not come with nausea or bottoming out of my white blood cell count each treatment as AC did.  Taxol has other fun side effects the most common being Neuropathy.  I spoke to my PA on Friday on what to expect on when the neuropathy would start if I am one of the people who have that side effect and she stated that it’s usually between treatments 4-7 and that is for approximately 70% of the people.  However, she was kind enough to point out that 30% of people do not get this side effect.  My PA stated she knew I would be part of that percentage because that I how I roll.  I think she’s finally getting me y’all! 

Q:  What is after the next Chemo?  

A:  Surgery will follow the Taxol chemo treatments.  Per my conversation with my surgeon at MD Anderson, they need to do the surgery within 4-6 weeks of my last Taxol treatment.  As long as I stay the course and have no delays that would mean I will complete Taxol on 03/04 and surgery should be sometime between 04/01 and 04/15.

Q: What surgery will you need to have? A: There are choices for surgery and this is something I am still not sure about what path I will decide on as my surgical path.  The choices are (1) lumpectomy on my right breast with a lift on the left breast, (2) single mastectomy on the right breast with reconstruction and/or some type of surgical procedure to match the left breast to the right (3) double mastectomy with reconstruction.  Seems like the choices should be easy, right?  Not necessarily, there is another factor to all of this as well – radiation.  Per MDA a lumpectomy + radiation = mastectomy.  Also, per my oncologist at MDA, if I choose a single mastectomy then radiation may not be warranted.  My local oncologist does not agree with that path. In her opinion, because I have very aggressive cancer and I’m so young “Why wouldn’t I throw everything at it?”  If I were to do the mastectomy, in her opinion, I should also do the radiation as an extra added protection.  See what I mean??  Lots of decisions still to make.  The bottom line is there are still decisions to be made.  Help me Jesus and Pray for me.  This is where my anxiety has come from lately.  I do believe by the time I make it to the date that I need to make my decision I will have the answers I need to do so.

Q:  Will I need radiation after chemo and surgery?
A:  My gut is telling me that no matter what I decide from a surgical path there will be (some sort) radiation.  Additionally, my understanding is that the radiation is somewhere between 28-32 doses basically every (work) day for 32 doses.  I also know they may or may not want to do a booster to the “affected area” which is another 10-14 doses but aimed specifically at where the current tumor is/was located.

Q:  When do you see your surgeon next?
A:  I have a visit to MD Anderson on 1/12 to see: 
My surgeon, Dr. Isabelle Bedrosian – website found here.
My breast reconstruction surgeon, Dr. Ashleigh Francis – the website is found here 
My radiation doctor, Dr. Benjamin Smith – the website is found here. 
That will be a BIG day with lots and lots of questions being answered.  After this visit, I will see my local oncologist on 02/04 at which time I will consult with her on any final questions and concerns my prayer is that I am ready to make the appropriate surgical decision for myself after this visit at which time I will need to get back with the MD Anderson team to get the surgery scheduled.  I have chosen to have my surgery in Houston at MD Anderson with Dr. Bedrosian and her team.  She is amazing and highly, HIGHLY, recommended by everyone there.  (Prayer request for clear surgical decision).

As you can see this is EXACTLY why I have called this journey a marathon and not a sprint.  For this next week, I would like to ask for prayers for no allergic reaction to the Taxol on the first dose and that my body will tolerate it with NO neuropathy side effects.  

As always, I can’t thank you all enough for being part of my village. There will be a day in the future that this will be behind me and I will be helping someone else through a journey similar to mine.  I wish that weren’t the truth, but it is.  I know that God is providing me the voice today to help someone else behind me.  

Have a wonderful Sunday Funday – here is a photo of Mano, his sister Vickie, Nick, and Ava at Hamilton.  It’s okay, my boo-hoo moment over missing the play has passed.  I’m off to get a shower and then fire-up Disney + on the tv and watch Hamilton at home.  Enjoy your Sunday!

Xo,

Tracy