And the Winner for my Cancer Treatment is...

It's been a long two weeks.  For any of you not familiar with my story, click HERE to learn all about it.  

It actually took the entire 10 business days to get the results of the Oncotype test back.  This last Tuesday, the 5th, I received the phone call that I've been basically waiting for since January 31st when I found out I have breast cancer.  I already know that I will need radiation therapy.  But was I going to also need chemotherapy?  The test gives you a score from 0 - 100.  If you reach a score of 26 or higher, you will benefit from chemotherapy.  I scored a 30...BARELY out of range.  So yes, I will be receiving chemotherapy treatments.

My consultation appointment was this afternoon.  When I walked up to the receptionist to check in, to my left was a room I recognized from YouTube videos.  It's the room where chemotherapy treatments happen.  I sat down and had to hold it together because I just wanted to cry.

My doctor went over all the different types of chemotherapy that are options for me.  There are two that can cause issues with your heart.  Thankfully, I don't need those.  I will have what's called TC (docetaxel and cyclophosphamide).  It will be given via IV once every three weeks.  Thankfully, I won't need a port.  Each infusion will take roughly 4 hours, so this will take about three months to complete.  I will then be reevaluated to see if I need a second round.  Chemotherapy will take the odds of cancer returning to different parts of my body from 19% without it, to about 4% if I have the treatment.

Side effects can be brutal.  The doctor let me know that I will definitely lose my hair.  Period.  I'm glad that I'd already come to terms with this.  About three weeks into my treatment the hair will begin to fall out.  Nausea is another huge issue.  Luckily, I will not only receive medication to help prevent it before my infusion, but also to help with it afterwards.  Constipation and diarrhea are also possible.  Yuck.  Neuropathy is also something I could be facing.  The idea of loosing the feeling in my hands and feet makes me nervous, so here's to hoping I don't have to deal with that.  The biggest side effect will be the fact that my white blood cell count will go down.  I will be more susceptible to getting sick and contracting infections.  Because of this, I will be given an antibiotic to take home and use the moment I'm not feeling well.  For someone who doesn't get sick very often, and works with children, this could be interesting.

I was told that during this first infusion I will discover the side effects I will face for the entire round.  The doctor believes I will be able to keep working, which is fabulous.  Since there are only about 6 weeks of school left, I'll only have two infusions before summer break.  I've decided to begin chemotherapy the first day of my spring break, April 18th.  This will give me the week to see how I will feel.  The doctor told me that the 1st week is always the worst, and by the third week I'll be feeling back to normal...just in time for the next infusion!  

I'm ready to lose my hair.  I've watched videos of women who wait to cut their hair until it begins falling out in clumps....DISGUSTING!  Why would you wait that long?!?  That must make the process even more depressing.  Plus, hair everywhere makes me want to throw up!  I plan on cutting my hair next weekend, before my first infusion.  My hair is currently quite long.  It's been DECADES since my hair has been as long as it is now.  It falls about four inches below my shoulders.  I'm actually looking into the possibility of creating a wig with my hair.  I have no idea if it will work.  If not, I'm hoping to be able to donate it since I will be losing more than the amount needed to do so.  I'm already looking into purchasing head scarfs and turbans specifically made for chemotherapy patients.  Maybe even a wig.  I've had really short hair before, so I'm not scared of it.  The only difference is that last time I was about 40 pounds lighter, so I have NO IDEA if I will be able to rock it this well:

So much has happened since January 31st.  I'm doing all that I can to "keep on swimming", through this, but like I said in my first post about this:  I fear that this may be the challenge that breaks me.  Between the regular day-to-day things in life, being diagnosed with breast cancer, having gone through a lumpectomy, and now the unknown territory of chemotherapy, I'm tapped out.  People ask me how I'm doing, and I've decided to no longer just say, "I'm doing good".  Nope.  I'm now telling the truth.  When I'm asked how I'm doing, I let them know I'm not doing well.

I try to keep smiling through EVERY health issue I've faced in my life, but this is how I really feel right now: