October 19 Update - MRI All clear & other things.

October 19

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks, so much so that we didn’t get a chance to update the blog.

 

For those who may have missed the instagram post, Dr. Vandermolen wanted 3 tests conducted after my chemotherapy had completed to make sure there was no signs of cancer.  As discussed in one of the previous blog posts, my mammogram and ultrasound came back negative for cancer.  But the most important test was the MRI, which also came back clear!  Dr. Vandermolen was extremely happy with the results of the MRI and some of the nurses came over to congratulate me and were pleasantly surprised at how clear the results were, saying a lot of times they don’t see that in post treatment MRI’s.  

Even though Lauren has been off chemo since 9/26, the vomiting has been persistent and it occurs anywhere from 2-5 times a day.  It’s not always food that comes up or the fact that she’s not necessarily nauseous, its just a lot of mucus and bile, it’s happening so much that its taking away all of my energy.  Quite frankly, Lauren is nervous of eating too.  Dr. Vandermolen is concerned something else is going on, so he has ordered 2 additional tests on top of the H. Pylori test ordered by the GI Doctor.  Dr. Vandermolen wants an endoscopy of her upper abdomen down to the stomach to see if there are any lesions or ulcers or polyps.  The other test is an MRI of her brain to see if there are any neurological nuances causing the gag reflex in her stomach to trigger all the time.  The H. Pylori test was this past Monday at the GI Doctor’s office and the test was simple.  Lauren blew into 2 bags, 1 prior to drinking this super tart lemonade drink and the 2nd time 15 minutes past drinking the juice.  From there they’ll test both bags to see if H. Pylori bacteria is present and put her on an antibiotic.  As you would have guessed the very tart lemonade came up minutes after leaving the doctors office, of course.  The MRI of the brain is scheduled for Thursday, September 20th and the endoscopy is scheduled for Monday, September 24th, we’ll be sure to keep everyone posted.  The vomiting has been extremely hard, on both of us.  It’s exhausting, makes me anxious and there are lots of tears out of frustration and wanting it to stop.  Tastebuds have been tricky to manage during this and then the fear of ruining foods because of it are becoming harder to manage.  

Surgery is scheduled for November 7.  Of course if the vomiting hasn’t stopped, surgery will get postponed so we are anxious for next steps with the GI doctor to happen so we can get Lauren better and stronger for surgery.  It should be a fairly easy recovery from surgery from what the doctors say, just taking it easy and trying not to exert herself or move her arms much.  During this surgery, the double mastectomy will occur and the reconstructive surgeon will begin to do her part to get Lauren started on some new boobies!

Chris is heading back to work tomorrow and he is quite anxious.  Chris worries about not being around to easily help me out as much.  During the 9 weeks he’s been off, he has become accustomed to carrying for someone 24/7, taking care of the house and chores - it’s going to be an adjustment for us both.  

Lauren’s hair has been growing back quite nicely.  Some areas faster than others, but it is really soft and fluffy.  Eyelashes and eyebrows are coming back slowly, along with nose hairs - which is causing Lauren to itch and sneeze quite a bit.  Lauren was finally able to use a real razor again to shave her legs - her platelets have rebounded nicely which is why an electric razor was needed previously - but a real razor was quite a nice surprise.  

Lauren has had a lot of hydration treatments, about 3 times a week, which requires a visit to Keck.  As we look back the scheduled treatments were easy to manage but now going to Keck 3 times a week, sometimes 4, plus doctors visits, scans, ER visits, it’s become quite exhausting and time consuming to go around to all of these places.  We anxiously await the days where things are easier and less chaotic.  

Apologies for jumping around between 1st and 3rd person, Chris and I are both trying to write this together and we are both scatter brains at the moment.

Thanks to all for the love and support you continue to show us.  For those that are coming on Sunday, we look forward to seeing you there.  Lauren will be in a wheelchair as she has no strength for that long of a walk (apologies in advance if there is vomiting!), but we will miss those that can not make it.  

Love,

Chris & Lauren

Breast Cancer Walk info/update

Hi All,

 

We are 2 weeks away from the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk!  No pressure to participate, let alone donate, but I wanted to share some helpful information my sister found if you are interested in joining the walk.  Chris and I are hoping to be at the walk (won't be walking), but it depends on how I am doing and where my strength is as we get closer.  I do have shirts if you are joining the walk, my sister will have them, so please make sure you get one from her!

 

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

Date: October 23rd 

Time: 8 am registration, 9 am walk time 

Location: Costa Mesa, CA

 

You can sign up using this link.  Follow these steps for signing up: 

 

1. Click "Join This Team" - my team is called "LOLO"

2. Fill out the email form with - it will prompt you to start an account

3. Once you've opened your account, it will ask "what drives you", feel free to click any/all that apply...

4. From there scroll down and you'll see "Whats your fundraising goal?" - this can be set as low as $1 or as high as you'd like.  This is NOT a separate fundraising goal, the funds that are raised as an individual are automatically applied to team "LOLO"

5. Continue to scroll down and fill in your contact information

6. Lastly - click Sign Up

 

Using the provided link above it will automatically prompt you to sign up under team LOLO.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, and if you want to bring anyone with you, please do so!

 

Finally. Something positive. Something spectacular.

10/6/2022 Update

Last week we met with the plastic surgeon who would be performing my reconstructive surgery.  Dr. Ng was great, she was super informative and very thoughtful in how she explained things to us.  I have 2 surgeons, 1 to perform my bi-lateral mastectomy (Dr. Guerra) and the other to do the reconstructive surgery (Dr. Ng).  They work together during my mastectomy to prepare me for the reconstructive surgery that I will have 4 months later.  Once the breast tissue is removed in my first surgery, Dr. Ng comes in and places temporary ‘deflated bags’ into my chest to allow scar tissue to grow where future implants will be.  During the course of the 4 months post my mastectomy, Dr. Ng will ‘inflate’ the bags every few weeks to allow my skin to heal around what will be my new boobies.  Once everything is in place, she will go back in and place the implants in, removing the bags that were there for temporary support.  

 

NOW FOR THIS WEEK….FINALLY SOME AMAZING NEWS!

 

Monday we went to Dr. Vandermolen and I was very very anxious.  I was starting to feel depressed with how things were moving so slowly, I’ve never felt like that before – weighed down like you couldn’t get up, it was becoming extremely hard to see the end of the journey.  After writing down questions for Monday’s appointment, Dr. Vandermolen comes in, he asks how things are going; I thought I was going to be strong enough to ask him my questions, but all I could do was hand him the paper and let him read it himself while I cried.  After reading my first question of if there was any chance at this point to be done with treatment considering how my body has been responding and also considering how I’ve been feeling, he says ‘I think that is definitely an option.’  He says about 25% of patients do not complete treatment for various reasons and considering how I’ve been doing and how close we are to being done and the treatments have done what they needed that we could be DONE with chemotherapy!!!!  I broke down crying, smiling, and just could feel my body relax for the first time in months.  

 

So now that treatment is over, I can start to work on recovery, slowly.  I know it’s going to take time.  It’s been 11 days post a treatment and I still feel exhausted and am still vomiting 4-5 times a day.  Its going to take time, but I’m ok with this time because this is the time to get back to being me instead of never feeling myself and never knowing when treatments would be over.  I still have to go in for hydration and blood work and doctors visits and tests which is almost daily at this point, but it’s all for good reasons like checking my progress, keeping my body hydrated from all the vomiting, and to get me feeling better. 

 

Now yesterday, was also great news.  I had a mammogram and ultrasound scheduled per Dr. Vandermolen.  I went in, slightly nervous, but not so much because I knew in the back of my head after 5 months of chemotherapy it had worked and taken care of the tumor based on all of the feedback the doctors had given me.  I went back, did both tests and the doctor gave me the results immediately – he says, we do not detect any cancer!!  I cried again, just hearing the confirmation based on the actual imaging vs touch and assumptions was so relieving.  I walked out of the testing, my mom had taken me, I told her the good news and we both started to cry, called Chris and you could hear in his voice how happy he was, it was so heartwarming to know that after all of these months of going through this we had finally come to a great place, that the chemo did its job and that we could start to move forward.  

 

I met with the GI doctor today, she is wanting to do a H. Pylori test on me in the coming weeks to make sure I have no infection in my gut.  But, we have to wait a week or two because of a medication I have now stopped that could create a false positive.  I’ve also scheduled myself to meet with a hypnotherapist to see if he can help with the vomiting.  Trying anything I can to get this to vomiting to stop, it’s been a little over 6 weeks and it’s taking a toll on my weight, my health and my appetite.  

 

So all in all, a really really great week with lots of progress made.  I had hydration today, with an added dose of potassium (my potassium numbers had dipped for the first time – all due to the vomiting) and have it again tomorrow.  Today I felt pretty decent and know that each day, little by little, I’ll start to feel like myself again.