I wanted to write on this blog one last time to let everyone know that my sweet Andrea has gone to meet our Lord on August 16 2016 at 1127 hrs. She passed away while holding my hand and kissing me good bye. She will be forever in our hearts, may her soul rest in peace and may her memory lives on forever in the hearts of our beautiful girls. We love you Andrea Jean Teran Chavez.
Now I will take care of our gils like you wanted me to, I will mold them into great women that will change those around them.
your Loving Husband (baby)
David
The Chavez Family
Day of the Gamma Knife procedure 128//15
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
New Chemo
So now I am taking Zeloda. It is an oral chemotherapy that I take twice a day for 14 days, then rest for 7 days. My first round was pretty hard: rash, hand-food syndrome (so i couldn't walk d/t pain), fatigue, dizziness, major dehydration, uncontrollable urination (d/t all the water I was drinking). It was just terrible. My ecologist said I was on the highest treatment regimen, but I couldn't handle it. Whether is was coming off steroids for a long time, or the chemo, I don't know, but I was miserable!! I reduced by next dose by 25% and this round is much better. I'm watching my diet, eating less, walking on my treadmill and stretching. My only major "complaint" is that I sleep a lot! 10 hours at night and then a 2-hour nap in the day time. I also am not working, so I don't have to multitask, just focus on myself and the girls (who are now 14,10, and 8). I am so thankful I got all these years with them! I just am focusing on getting a couple more years in there to help them grow in responsible, mature people! I have faith in Jesus that he will protect me and allow me to lead my children in Jesus' path. I continue to have faith that this new chemo will control the growth of the tumors and give me the most time to focus on my kids!
So now I am taking Zeloda. It is an oral chemotherapy that I take twice a day for 14 days, then rest for 7 days. My first round was pretty hard: rash, hand-food syndrome (so i couldn't walk d/t pain), fatigue, dizziness, major dehydration, uncontrollable urination (d/t all the water I was drinking). It was just terrible. My ecologist said I was on the highest treatment regimen, but I couldn't handle it. Whether is was coming off steroids for a long time, or the chemo, I don't know, but I was miserable!! I reduced by next dose by 25% and this round is much better. I'm watching my diet, eating less, walking on my treadmill and stretching. My only major "complaint" is that I sleep a lot! 10 hours at night and then a 2-hour nap in the day time. I also am not working, so I don't have to multitask, just focus on myself and the girls (who are now 14,10, and 8). I am so thankful I got all these years with them! I just am focusing on getting a couple more years in there to help them grow in responsible, mature people! I have faith in Jesus that he will protect me and allow me to lead my children in Jesus' path. I continue to have faith that this new chemo will control the growth of the tumors and give me the most time to focus on my kids!
History of my journey
So, just a little background into the history of my breast cancer journey. I was diagnosed in September 2010, during a breast biopsy that was required by my surgeon before she took out some lumps. Turns out the lumps were positive for breast cancer, Triple Negative - meaning no estrogen, progesterone or HER2 cells that can be killed by specific treatment. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is high aggressive and difficult to treat, but they say the first 5 years is when re-growth is going to occur. I was in Harlingen, TX at the time, so I didn't want to do major surgery down there with 3 young children, so I did chemo first, then continued chemo when I got a new job and moved back to Arlington TX. David stayed in Harlingen to finish his degree in 12/2011.
So I finished chemo in May 2011, had my bilateral mastectomy with sentinel node dissection schedule for June 2011. I had 1/7 nodes come back with tumors, so they wanted to do a full axillary node direction to be sure there were no other tumors. After that surgery, I still only had 1 node out of 11 positive for TNBC. So, while I was told I wouldn't need radiation, I was then advised to do breast radiation because of the positive lymph node. But, I had planned on delayed reconstruction, so I needed to get implants placed. I did this in August, so in September I could start radiation, which I did every day for like 3 weeks. At which point, i felt another lump in my chest wall, and after a biopsy - yes the cancer had regrown! So I had a lumpectomy and then restarted chemo for a last 9-day "boost". The pathology came back that this tumor might be sensitive to the HER2 medicine, so I started that in October - only to have a horrible migraine with it - which I have never had a migraine before, so it was really concerning to me. I had a brain scan, and lo and behold, it was breast cancer metastasized to my brain. I had surgery to remove it in November and started whole brain radiation after David graduated. Once that was done, I continued with the medication and routine scans, which were all normal. In October 2012, I was complete with the special medicine and had "no evidence of disease"
At this point, I started to feel empty, because I'm taking my kids to church school and getting them baptized so they can take the sacraments in a catholic church, but I'm Lutheran, and am not allowed to participate in the Eucharist because of that. So I started taking religious education classes in late 2012, and had my introduction into the Catholic faith on Easter 2013. It was so nice to be able to partake in the Holy Communion and be a part of the Holy Trinity again. It filled the empty space in my soul and I am so happy I did that.
With the grace of the Holy Spirit and my knowledge that Jesus and His Father were protecting me, I scheduled by reconstructive surgery in June 2013. Please be aware that I took time off for surgeries, the basically I worked full-time through this process. David was just getting started in his new profession, so I was pretty much the bread-winner the entire time. That was another thing that kept me going. I had to be strong for the family and for the girls. I didn't want them to worry. I think I was pretty successful with that - as my oldest (9 at the first round) doesn't seem to think I was in any danger! :)
Fortunately I had 2 years of clear scans with "no evidence of disease". What a blessing to have that extra time. Unfortunately, I did not take advantage of it. I continued to work full time and multitask the girls activities with my work responsibilities. I think I was expected a lot out of me. I didn't eat healthier, I didn't start to exercise, I didn't try to cut down on stress. I thought I could do it all.
Well, obviously I couldn't! I started having problems with swelling in my arm and a scan revealed new tumors in my chest wall (not operational), as well as some area in some lymph nodes. Then my routine brain scan revealed "numerous small tumors all thought the brain" My radiation oncologist recommended that I get the Gamma Knife procedure, which is done at a local hospital here. I had my first Gamma Knife 12/8/15. Gamma Knife is basically pinpoint radiation, given from a lot of different areas, so the surrounding tissue is not receiving the full brunt, but it does get some. Where the tumor was located, that area got the most intense radiation. I was very positive that this would work, but my follow up exam showed growth in some of the tumors and new growth all through the brain. So after a consult at MD Anderson, one of the premier cancer center, I decided to do another Gamma Knife, which we did on 4/28/16. I have a follow up scan schedule later this week. Keep you fingers crossed!!!
So, since the original chemo did not do anything to the body (systemic), have stated an oral dose of chemo (I take pills) for 14 days, then have a 7-day rest period and then start again. It is good for metastatic breast cancer and seems to have some blood-brain barrier transmission. So, in addition to all this, my short-term disability I'm paying for will not pay out because of my pre-existing condition (cancer), my FLMA is about to expire, at which point I'll be on long-term disability. None of these things come with any financial resources. So, we are living off David's pay check - very easy to do - he works A LOT!! But Im also having to pay my insurance premiums so I can keep my insurance. I don't want to have to go to Social Security Disability Insurance - basically Medicare!
So that's my "brief" synopsis of my cancer journey!
So I finished chemo in May 2011, had my bilateral mastectomy with sentinel node dissection schedule for June 2011. I had 1/7 nodes come back with tumors, so they wanted to do a full axillary node direction to be sure there were no other tumors. After that surgery, I still only had 1 node out of 11 positive for TNBC. So, while I was told I wouldn't need radiation, I was then advised to do breast radiation because of the positive lymph node. But, I had planned on delayed reconstruction, so I needed to get implants placed. I did this in August, so in September I could start radiation, which I did every day for like 3 weeks. At which point, i felt another lump in my chest wall, and after a biopsy - yes the cancer had regrown! So I had a lumpectomy and then restarted chemo for a last 9-day "boost". The pathology came back that this tumor might be sensitive to the HER2 medicine, so I started that in October - only to have a horrible migraine with it - which I have never had a migraine before, so it was really concerning to me. I had a brain scan, and lo and behold, it was breast cancer metastasized to my brain. I had surgery to remove it in November and started whole brain radiation after David graduated. Once that was done, I continued with the medication and routine scans, which were all normal. In October 2012, I was complete with the special medicine and had "no evidence of disease"
At this point, I started to feel empty, because I'm taking my kids to church school and getting them baptized so they can take the sacraments in a catholic church, but I'm Lutheran, and am not allowed to participate in the Eucharist because of that. So I started taking religious education classes in late 2012, and had my introduction into the Catholic faith on Easter 2013. It was so nice to be able to partake in the Holy Communion and be a part of the Holy Trinity again. It filled the empty space in my soul and I am so happy I did that.
With the grace of the Holy Spirit and my knowledge that Jesus and His Father were protecting me, I scheduled by reconstructive surgery in June 2013. Please be aware that I took time off for surgeries, the basically I worked full-time through this process. David was just getting started in his new profession, so I was pretty much the bread-winner the entire time. That was another thing that kept me going. I had to be strong for the family and for the girls. I didn't want them to worry. I think I was pretty successful with that - as my oldest (9 at the first round) doesn't seem to think I was in any danger! :)
Fortunately I had 2 years of clear scans with "no evidence of disease". What a blessing to have that extra time. Unfortunately, I did not take advantage of it. I continued to work full time and multitask the girls activities with my work responsibilities. I think I was expected a lot out of me. I didn't eat healthier, I didn't start to exercise, I didn't try to cut down on stress. I thought I could do it all.
Well, obviously I couldn't! I started having problems with swelling in my arm and a scan revealed new tumors in my chest wall (not operational), as well as some area in some lymph nodes. Then my routine brain scan revealed "numerous small tumors all thought the brain" My radiation oncologist recommended that I get the Gamma Knife procedure, which is done at a local hospital here. I had my first Gamma Knife 12/8/15. Gamma Knife is basically pinpoint radiation, given from a lot of different areas, so the surrounding tissue is not receiving the full brunt, but it does get some. Where the tumor was located, that area got the most intense radiation. I was very positive that this would work, but my follow up exam showed growth in some of the tumors and new growth all through the brain. So after a consult at MD Anderson, one of the premier cancer center, I decided to do another Gamma Knife, which we did on 4/28/16. I have a follow up scan schedule later this week. Keep you fingers crossed!!!
So, since the original chemo did not do anything to the body (systemic), have stated an oral dose of chemo (I take pills) for 14 days, then have a 7-day rest period and then start again. It is good for metastatic breast cancer and seems to have some blood-brain barrier transmission. So, in addition to all this, my short-term disability I'm paying for will not pay out because of my pre-existing condition (cancer), my FLMA is about to expire, at which point I'll be on long-term disability. None of these things come with any financial resources. So, we are living off David's pay check - very easy to do - he works A LOT!! But Im also having to pay my insurance premiums so I can keep my insurance. I don't want to have to go to Social Security Disability Insurance - basically Medicare!
So that's my "brief" synopsis of my cancer journey!
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