It's Monday, ten days post op, and today we hit the chemo, radiation, and hormone therapy trifecta.
With all of the pathology results in, we finally now know why Tracy’s arm hurts so much. Officially, fourteen lymph nodes were removed during surgery (along with everything else), not just few which is what both of us of sort of remember from the foggy haze of last week.
The numbers are: three of the fourteen axillary lymph nodes removed were determined to contain cancer, and the official size of the main tumor mass was between four and five centimeters. These stats, combined with a few other things like having positive hormone receptors, and testing negative for the HER2 oncogene, lead to an official recommendation of: 16 weeks Chemotherapy, several weeks off for rest, followed by seven weeks of radiation, topped off by a multi-year (five) course of hormone therapy. Definitely not the E-ticket ride we were hoping for unfortunately.
If that wasn’t enough, the “dose dense” cocktail being recommended, Adriamycin / Cytoxin / Taxol, is a definite hair-today, gone-tomorrow thing… As with just about everything else that has hit us over the last two months, we learn more each day about what is happening and what it will take to beat this. I know we say it over and over in the blog, as well as to those of you we've seen in person - but your support, thoughts, and positive comments are uplifting and keep both of us moving forward.
Bill
Hard road ahead but I know you're going to beat this. It it will make you feel better I volunteer to shave Maureen's head when thr time comes.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a helluva trifecta, but my money is still on Trace. It may be true that blondes have more fun, but this might be a good time to see if Bill likes redheads or brunettes (maybe both?!)
ReplyDeleteHow long before you start chemo? Where will you have the treatments? As you learn more, please let us know. I'm available for transportation, in-house surveillance(!), shooting-the-breeze during rxs, whatever....
Just when the wind gets taken out of your sails, another big gust comes along to fill them up again and sets you back on course for your destination...good health. May the love, prayers, and good wishes of all of us that love
you fill up your sails today and keep you positive and moving forward against the waves.
xoxo,
Jude
Morning to two special people, off we go camping tomorrow, if the hurrican hits you may see a pop up go flying by, just wave to the old people in it, it will be the Pelletiers Jrs.Good seeing you this week, you are our joy Tracy, and so is Arthur the 3rd. Gloria...
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