Cancer Update

Today I had my regular monthly check-up with my Oncologist. This time Eric wasn't able to come because he had the early shift at work, so it was just Brandon & myself. All of the ladies there love him. And I mean LOVE! He lights up their faces. Everybody from the Receptionists Jo and Karen, to all of the nurses in the unit Kellie, Jessica and Kristi to name a few. I like to think that he brings a little hope and joy to some of the other patients there also. The ones who get to see him in the waiting room at least. He's such a happy boy. Always smiling. So who couldn't love him, right?

Ok, back to my update. We went back with Kellie and talked about everything that we usually talk about. How I am feeling, how Eric's doing, what new thing Brandon is doing now. At today's visit I brought some pictures I had been promising her of Brandon. She only asked for one, but I brought her three. How can you pick just one picture of this sweet boy? I know I can't. That's probably why my phone gets filled up so fast. After the chatting and the weighing and the blood pressure taking we went into the exam room. She entered my information into my chart on the computer, talked to Brandon a little more and then said she would let Dr H know I was ready. The waiting is always the tough part. It never used to be until August 19, 2015. My diagnosis day. Doesn't matter how good I'm doing, I always get nervous while waiting. Usually I can make small talk with Eric, but since he wasn't there today, it was all about small talk with Brandon. Which meant making goofy faces and smiling at him while talking to him.

A few minutes later Dr H came in. It was the same thing, all about Brandon again. He too has a brand new son. Just a little over a month younger than Brandon. After the hellos and talking to Brandon, we started right in on how I'm going with treatment and my labs. Now, to remind you, back in November when I started my chemo treatment my numbers were around 5000. Within a month they were down to around 500 and steadily going down since then. For the last month or so they have been fluctuating between 4-16 or so. Which is really good. Well, this week they were at .65. Not 65. There is a decimal point in front of the 6. As in LESS than 1! I was in shock. Still am at it's almost 12 hours later. This shows that the treatment I am getting is working for me. It shows that I am responding very well to this treatment. Of course, that number can go back up some next week, but to be below 1 is pretty amazing in my eyes. After this announcement, he asked how I was feeling and then did the usual check up of checking my lungs and heart and stomach. Before we left, we made plans for my bone marrow biopsy I need to do for my transplant. No set time yet, just a day and that it'll be in the morning. The last one I had was the day of my diagnosis. The lidocaine was the worse part of it all. There was some pressure when Dr H was pulling and tugging to get the bone marrow out, but that lidocaine hurt so bad. Now, to back track just a little. Dr H is about 5'2" or so. Smaller than myself. I was laying on the table on my left side, pregnant belly out there and Eric and Kellie were on the front side of me helping to keep my calm and comforted. Eric told me, because I couldn't see this, that Dr H was basically bracing himself with one foot on the table and pounding the needle into my hip to get to the bone marrow. As funny a sight that must have been, and how much that lidocaine hurt, it's well worth it if it means it's going to show how well I'm doing. Before I left, he asked if I could redo my phosphorous lab. Of course I could. I was going to be down in that area already.
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{^^ That right there was Brandon helping his mommy write}

After that appointment I went down to fill a prescription and then also do the one lab Dr H wanted me to redo. My phosphorous came back a little high from my labs on Monday, so he wanted to see if it came down since then. The lab tech I got is amazing. She's an older lady that wears blue eyeshadow and does her hair kind of big. Like she's living life as her younger self again. Don't get me wrong, she's very professional. Looks can be deceiving. She's probably my favorite lab tech. The reason being is because when she sticks me, I don't feel the needle. At all! By the time I was done and I walked across the lobby to the pharmacy my prescription was ready. I stood in line for about 5 minutes, got my prescription and then was off to just wander and walk around before going to pick up Eric from work for the next appointment.

After Brandon and I left Kaiser we went to Target to get some diapers to hold off until we could get the CostCo ones. Then it was off to Buy Buy Baby to walk around, because who doesn't like to walk around a baby store? Next we went to Michaels because I love to walk around and get ideas for my next craft. I get so many ideas in my head it is hard to keep them straight sometimes, but walking around Michaels or even JoAnns helps get them in order. It helps get my creative juices flowing again. After Michaels, I decided I needed something to eat. And I wanted to be closer to CostCo where Eric works so I went to El Pollo Loco. It has been years since I ate there. Probably since 2001. It's still good, but I think because of my allergies and the fact my throat is probably scratched up from coughing so much, the spiciness of the burrito I ordered hurt, and I only ate half of it.

After lunch I decided to go ahead and go to CostCo. Eric still had an hour, but of course I could walk around the store and get a little more exercise. First place I went when I got into the store was to the back. To the deli where Eric works. I figured that even if he was in the chicken room or in the production room, he would still see us and know we were there. As I walked towards the back I saw him there at Poke. That made it so much easier to say hi and for him to get a little Brandon time too. He still needed to take his last break so I went over to say hi to Jen, Rosie and the rest of the guys and gals in the deli with Brandon. They, like everybody at oncology, love to see him. I let Jen know that Eric needed his last break and then went back to Eric. Not knowing Jen was right behind me to give him a break. We walked around and sat for about 10 minutes before he had to get back. Brandon was getting tired so I told him that we would be up front waiting for him. 30 minutes later, there he was and we were off to my next appointment. My Echocardiogram.

Yes, I am 37 years old and had an echo done of my heart. It's just a standard test for my transplant. Next week I have my pulmonary test. We got to Kaiser, got to Cardiology and checked in and only had to wait maybe 10 minutes. We went back and I got dressed for the test. I will have to say, this was actually really cool to see my heart. To see it beating. To see the vales. To HEAR my heart beating. The last time I heard a heartbeat and saw the fluttering of a heart was Brandons at my prenatal appointments. It still amazes me how we can do all these tests and ultrasounds to see and hear parts of our bodies nobody really sees or hears. Well, except for our doctors. Eric and Brandon were of course in the room with us and got to see and hear my heart also. Both Eric and I think that when we heard my heart, it was a soothing sound for Brandon. A familiar sound. I could see how that would be too. For the 8 months he was in me, he heard it. There is a saying I saw on Pinterest when I was pregnant with Brandon. "Your child will be the only person to hear your heartbeat from the inside". How true is that? About half way through, Eric decided to take Brandon out to the waiting room and walk around with him because he was getting a little fussy and needed some movement. The tech and I finished and she helped me get everything out to the waiting room. Everything being his carseat. She let me know that everything looked great but if anything was wrong, I would hear from Dr H. By this time, Brandon was asleep and we got situated and left to go get Erics car and go home, but not without stopping for some frozen yogurt. A long day like today called for some.

So, all in all, it was a long busy day, but a productive one at that. We are now in bed, both writing with Brandon sitting between us. He is starring at my screen. Like he's reading what I am typing. But really I think it's the bright shiny light of the computer screen he's looking at. Everything I've done in the last 7 months is all because of him. Without him, we probably wouldn't know about my cancer. I could be sitting here with it and not know. I owe everything to this little guy who stole my heart a little over a year ago when we heard his first heartbeat and saw it fluttering so fast at that first prenatal appointment. Who would have thought at that moment, he would be saving me. His mommy he hadn't actually met yet. He will always have my heart along with Eric. These two keep me grounded.