Airport Security

This is funny. I'm on the way to Disneyland with my family. We are a traveling roadshow with four roller bags, four backpacks, a bunch of miscellaneous electronics, baggies of toiletries, Amanda's walker and wheelchair. Imagine us at the security check point leaving SeaTac. Shoes off, jackets off, putting stuff in the plastic bins, Amanda escorted aside for her chair to be scanned, back in the chair, shoes back on, etc. The bags are coming out the other side. I'm thinking we're on our way. Nope. They needed to take a look inside my bag. The TSA agent zips it open, takes out my "swim boobs" (a combo of fiberfill and sand, they are quite realistic in the suit, actually)... he has one in each hand and looks right at me... "What are these, ma'am?" I tell him, "Well, I'm a breast cancer survivor, I've had a double mastectomy and those are my swim prosthesis, also known as my swim boobs." I could barely keep a straight face. You should have seen his. He said he'd never seen anything like this in eight years. Really? He proceeded to feel them and toss them in the air a little bit. Mind you, they are a very full size D cup. He asked, "Is there sand in here?" "Yes," I said... wondering what else he was going ask. Then he said he'd need to scan them again. So, there they go - all alone on the conveyor belt, each one in it's own plastic tub, bouncing along. They came out the other side. I put them back in my bag and away we went. Austin missed all of this because he was busy helping the kids regroup. I explained what had happened and he just cracked up. It makes a good story. I'm glad the swim boobs made it, because I'm afraid the pool chemicals may have damaged my regular silicone-filled ones which run $400 each.

Remission

I saw my oncologist today for a three month follow up. He said I'm doing great! He also said technically I'm in remission because it's been over one year since my last surgery. At the time of the last surgery all remaining signs of the cancer were gone. I thought it was one year from my last chemo, but I was wrong. So, that's good news. There is currently "no evidence of disease". I'm in remission! There is still a 25% chance the cancer could come back. My type, triple negative, is the most aggressive, but also responds best to treatment. Overall, this is very good news. If I make it five years without a recurrence I'm considered cured. I also had a blood draw today for the tumor marker test. My last tumor marker was extremely low, which is wonderful news.

[Remission -- This term is heard very frequently. It refers to the response of a cancer to the treatment. It dose not mean that a cancer is cured. Complete remission refers to the situation where the disease disappears completely with the treatment. Partial remission refers to the situation where the disease shrinks but does not disappear completely with the treatment. Cure means complete freedom from the cancer. To render someone cured of cancer, one has to wait and see if the cancer will ever come back. So, time is the crucial factor. If a patient remains in remission for a few years, the cancer might be cured. Certain cancers can reoccur after many years of remission. The status of remission is determined by a series of tests and examinations to determine whether a cancer has responded to treatment or not. Patients are examined by the medical oncologist as often as needed. The type of tests performed depend on the kind and extent of cancer. If a cancer that is seen on regular X-rays, or CT Scans, etc., they should be repeated after a while. Tumor markers are also used to determine the response to therapy and for early detection of a recurrence.]

Cheering for the 3-Day Walkers

Nathan and I went with Amanda's Girl Scout troop today to cheer on the walkers finishing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure. It was an inspiring and meaningful experience for everyone. We had a beautiful sunny 75 degree Seattle day and a perfect spot in the shade. The event raised 5.5 million dollars in Seattle alone. Go Pink!

Summer Update

Overall I am doing great! I look and feel tired and I'm still not sleeping well, but I think that's just the way it goes after going through what I've gone through. I will recover and plan to slow down a little after school starts.

After going in for my pre-op appointment to begin reconstruction I've decided to hold off for now, for reasons I can't really talk about in this format. Suffice it to say I have a new plastic surgeon and will be getting started in October. I wanted to enjoy the rest of my summer pain free (the expanders can be painful for the duration they are in, as they are enlarged each week to stretch the muscles). We are also planning a vacation to Disneyland with the kids in October, so I'd rather not be in pain or on drugs for that experience either.

The lymphedema in my left arm is getting worse. My arm feels heavy and it is swollen. It feels spongy, like a sand-filled stress ball. I'm also retaining fluid around the incision site on the left side. I really need to stay in bed and elevate my arm, but I can't do that - it's summer and I'm having fun with my kids and husband! I do elevate it when I can... mostly late at night after I've taken my lorazepam (relaxing medicine). Austin makes pillow piles for me to rest my arm on. I'm currently re-decorating Amanda's room, it's an easy project that will be done by Saturday (hopefully). I know the painting will aggravate the swelling, but it's worth it to accomplish this for her. I see a specialist at the lymphedema clinic on Tuesday. They will probably give me a compression sleeve to wear, which I'm sure will help some. My attitude (which is not what the doctor wants to hear) is to to for the gusto until I see the specialist - maybe I'm not the best patient right now, but I am living life and doing what is important to me.

On the last day of school we made a list of fun things we wanted to do this summer. We've done a lot - so far: hiking, puppy classes (our dog failed puppy class, that's another story), camping, Mariner's game, picnic, sleepovers, go karts, drive-in movie, have lunch with dad, swim, go to camp, vacation bible school, plant flowers, bike riding, get ice cream from the ice cream man, Nathan's birthday, go to Corbin's house, ferry boat ride, Orcas Island, camp fires, s'mores, lots of reading and fireworks. Left on our list are: make home made root beer, soccer camp (planned), water park (planned), Cannon Beach with friends (planned), ride the ducks (planned), sail boat ride, dig clams(planned), car races and fishing (planned). Whew! It has been awesome!! To top it off we had an absolute blast at my brother's 40th birthday party. I've never had a better roasted pig. Loved it!

I have been busy making two family picture walls, one going up the stairs and the other at the top of the stairs. I've also framed some pictures from our trip to France. This has been a big project because I've never ordered prints since switching to digital in 2003! It is easy and now I'm hooked. This is very morbid, but honest - in case I die I want lots of pictures of me around the house. A dear friend of mine made a CD for me when I was going through chemo. It has the song "Keep on Rollin'" by REO Speedwagon on it. I've been listening to that CD in the car a lot lately. It is exactly what I have got to do - physically, mentally and emotionally - Keep on Rollin'. I listen to my chemo play list all the time and have added that song to the list. Every day cancer free is another day toward full recovery. I continue to pray for full recovery and complete healing. I am also able to attend my young survivor's breast cancer support group more regularly, which is very helpful. My next appointment with the oncologist is the last week in September.

We Walked

Look at my beautiful family! I love you guys! We walked together in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last weekend. It was a very emotional day, bitter sweet - so awesome to see the "sea of pink" with thousands of people showing their support, at the same time I was reminded of all the women who have lost their battle to this horrible disease. Lots of tears, but I'm glad I did it. I met some of my Young Survival Coalition friends there. We walked in the survivor's parade after the race. I will be honest and say that I don't really feel like a survivor yet. I am glad to have survived four rounds of chemo. I am thankful to be alive. I will feel so much better after I make it through the first year without a recurrence, then, each year after that. After I hit the five year mark I'm sure I'll feel safer, but even that's not a guarantee. I think my friend Maria said it best, "I won't feel like a survivor until I hold my grandchildren".

3 Month Update

I saw my oncologist last week. Everything looks good. He did some blood work, which came back fine. I have the green light to get started with reconstruction! I don't have to wait until fall. So, I need to get in touch with the plastic surgeon, have a consult, pre-op and surgery to put the expanders in. I chose one of the top plastic surgeons in Seattle who specializes in breast reconstruction. He works closely with my breast surgeon. The expander is basically an empty implant that is placed under the pec muscle. Each week it is filled with a bit more saline and over time the pec muscle stretches out. After that process is complete I'll have a "swap out" surgery. After all I've been through this seems pretty easy. By this time next year I should have the new "girls".

Cruise to Cozumel

Fun long weekend cruise from Galveston to Cozumel to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday. Lots of reading, relaxing and sun! No, I don't have the swine flu. I was barely in Mexico (just long enough to walk to the snorkel boat) and nowhere near Mexico City. It was fun to wear a hat because I wanted to, not because I had to cover my bald head. I enjoyed snorkeling in the warm water and saw a barracuda up close and personal. The reefs were still partially covered in sand, due to Hurricane Ike, but I saw a lot of beautiful fish. Austin stayed home and took care of the kids. It's good to be home.