An Update: Genetic Testing Results, Chemo Round 6, and More!
Sorry I’ve been MIA this past month— life decided to test my strength even further (on the personal front). I’ve been great though, honestly, all things considered..!
How cute are these babies?!
Here’s what I’ve been up to this last month…
Meeting New People: I’ve been connecting with new people in Abbotsford— going for coffee, dessert, dinner, walks around the park, taking drives on rainy evenings. It’s been nice getting out and socializing more and getting to know the city I live in.
Going to Events: With the family we always find something fun to do, whether that’s going to the Wellness Show, Pet Expo, out for dinner, or Arcade!
Working Out: My strength has declined so much and my body sure has changed as well, but I’ve been staying active most days. At the bare minimum I go for a 30 minute walk and on my good days, I go weightlifting at the gym. I’ve also decided to join Pole Fitness which starts March 4th so I’ll be sure to keep you posted on how that goes (hopefully my wig stays on— but if not I’m sure the women I will meet there will be lovely and not care, haha! I feel like this will be the ultimate women empowerment move. I’m excited as I’ve always wanted to dance!)
Work: I work part time… and some weeks I work less than others depending on when my hospital appointments land, but it keeps me busy and I’m so thankful to have something to keep me on schedule/routine. My team is so supportive— I am beyond thankful to my work team every day!
This new round of drugs doesn’t keep my skin as clear (Damn! Haha, that was the ONE perk of the first round of chemo…) Also, I officially have no eyelashes now!
As for my health, here’s an update…
Chemotherapy: I’ve completed Chemo Round 6/8! It feels like the final countdown is ON! If all goes according to plan, my LAST day of chemo will be March 31st, 2020… (set your timers! Haha!)
These rounds of chemo are SO long and boring. We’re at the hospital for about 7-8 hours all said and done… (thanks Mom and Dad for having the ultimate patience!)
The side effects have so far been the same…
I feel great for 2-3 days then the joint pain kicks in and I feel as though I’ve aged 50 years. I force myself to go on walks and get out regardless, though.
I’m hoping the itchiness doesn’t happen this time around though because the oncologist thinks it may have been a fluke allergic reaction to something… I suppose we’ll see! If it happens again, we’ll just know it’s a strange side effect (due to Taxol) that kicks in late and I’ll have to hop myself up on Benadryl.
I do fear neuropathy. I get slight strange sensations in my hands and feet which I worry is the start of nerve damage. And considering I need to be on Herceptin for the next year of my life… I’ll have to pay close attention to this.
Overall I feel fine for now, though!
Waiting for that Benadryl to kick in…!
Genetic Testing Results: Well the results are in…! Out of 85 genes to test, I tested NEGATIVE for all of them. This means that we don’t know why I got cancer, basically.
Which is both GREAT and kinda… ehh.
It’s GREAT because that means I don’t have a higher chance for recurrence or cancer elsewhere than the average person. And my family doesn’t have to worry so much (hey to my female family, go get mammograms every 2 years regardless, though!) This also means I don’t have to do a double mastectomy or further surgery elsewhere if I don’t want to…
It’s kinda ‘ehh’ just simply due to the fact that it’s unknown as to why I got cancer. And that drives me a little crazy. Environmental factors? Birth control? Alcohol? Who knows…
I did turn up with one ‘unknown’ odd ball gene (but more testing must be run in the years to come to determine what this means and whether or not it impacts my body and getting cancer). I’ll follow up every few years to do further testing and to see if this particular gene has been researched further. The genetic/hereditary side of cancer research is ever-evolving..!
Genetic testing and Mastectomies…
Surgery: I had my consult with the general surgeon and am awaiting my consult with the plastic surgeon (that’ll be March 4th, so stay tuned). I am fairly certain I know which option I am going to choose but the chat with the plastic surgeon should help me with my final decision.
The surgeon— Dr. Dyck, who also happens to be the woman who gave me my diagnosis on October 11th, 2019, was happy with the progress of my tumour shrinking… she also couldn’t feel it just like my oncologist couldn’t! I don’t want to get too excited but it’s a win for sure.
I signed for a single mastectomy with lymph node removal and am awaiting my surgery date (if all goes according to plan it should be the first week of May).
Here is what I’m thinking…
I am thinking of going for a double mastectomy with reconstruction (implants).
Now, hear me out…
I don’t have to remove both breasts.
But I feel like, at my age, with my relationship status, I want to feel myself (aka young and cute haha) for more years to come. I want to look symmetrical (like I’m used to), feel confident, and like the way I look (I’ve been working on my body for so many years now and I have always loved my natural breasts). I think if I were to just go with one, I wouldn’t like the outcome…
The pros of doing a double:
Symmetry (better chance, anyway)
Looking good
Feeling confident in clothing (hopefully anyway, once healed)
When I fluctuate in weight and age, I won’t feel like two different people
The cons of doing a double:
More of a risk (infection, something going wrong)
More pain
Long healing time
More scarring
Can not feed children naturally in future if I were to become a mother (very unlikely I will go this route though…)
No real nipples (no sensation in the breasts. So sexually, that game will be over. Sorry, TMI. I’m an open book! I want women to be aware of the good, bad, and ugly! I don’t believe in hiding certain facts.) I will have to tattoo on 3D nipples.
Some women can do reconstruction with their own body fat— they take stomach fat and insert it into their breasts. The surgeon doesn’t believe I have enough stomach fat for this despite being small chested… and I’m okay with that… that helps me avoid even more scarring. (I would also have to go to Vancouver for this, if interested as Abbotsford doesn’t offer this choice of surgery…)
I will have to go with implants. And it will be painful. Once they remove the breast they have to “fill” aka stretch you out every few weeks before inserting the final implant. I am not sure yet if I’m able to go slightly bigger than my natural set, but that would be one small nice ‘perk’… right now I’m hovering at about 110lbs and have lost weight (aka boob size), so getting back to a more average size (at least for me) would be nice.
Even though they’re faded as heck, I’m so very thankful I had my eyebrows tattoo’d on years ago…!
So that’s it from me! Thank you for reading, and again, I apologize for not posting for so long. I’ve needed some time to myself to think about life, take care of myself, and to just get out and LIVE!
I’m always here to chat though. So feel free to email me at shestaysstrongblog@gmail.com should you have any questions or want to chat about your situation, and if you’re not already, follow me on Instagram @shestaysstrongblog for daily stories and updates!
Love you and thank you for your support! XO
