Meeting with the oncologist on 4-22-2022

Hello again.

Update #2 for Lauren. 

 

Today was a much better day for us.  Yesterday was a total brain draining moment meeting with the first oncologist.  In the first few minutes of the meeting, I wasn’t sure how it was going to end, but things did turn around and it got better.  The amount of information given to us was information overload, but we did have a general understanding of scope of the treatment plan.  I won’t get into details of the previous oncologist’s plan as it was similar to the oncologist we met today.

 

Today we met with Dr. Vandermolen, an oncologist with Keck Medicine of USC & Hoag Family Cancer Institute.  The meeting went exceptionally well and we immediately knew we wanted him to treat Lauren.  Dr. Vandermolen spent a great deal of time discussing the treatment plan, what to expect, and the overall success rate in curing Lauren of breast cancer.  As I had mentioned in my previous text, although Lauren’s cancer is considered aggressive, that type of cancer is more receptive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which is great news.

 

Starting next week, Lauren will have a MUGA Scan which will monitor her cardiovascular system to ensure it can handle the large doses of medicine being introduced into her body.  Next will be a PET test which will do a full body scan to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else, although Dr. Vandermolen seems confident it has not.  Following the PET test, Lauren will have a port (catheter) medically placed near her collarbone where the medicine and blood tests will be given from.

 

Starting the week of 5/9, Lauren will begin her regiment of chemotherapy one dose every 2 weeks for 4 sessions, followed by one dose every week for 12 sessions for a total of 5 months.  Surgery to be done 1 month after chemotherapy is complete.  Immunotherapy will continue for a complete year following chemotherapy.  

 

Lauren understands she will lose her hair, but I told her we can both embrace our baldness as husband and wife.  To help lessen the blow of hair loss, Lauren will be seeing her hair stylist next Friday to dramatically shorten her hair and is planning to donate it to Locks of Love.  I also told her that at least I won’t’ have to call the plumber while it’s falling out. =-)

 

Please continue to send all your thoughts and love to Lauren and me.  We are truly blessed and humbled for everything everyone has helped us with so far.