I have been taking the chemotherapy drug, Xeloda, for 12 days now. So far the only side-effects I have noticed are headaches, minor stomach problems, and decreased appetite. That's not too bad. I have 2 more days of taking the medicine and then I get 7 days without it.
I worry sometimes if I'm going to forget to take Xeloda. I have to take 3 pills 2 times a day for 14 days.Then I get 7 days off of it and then do the whole thing over again. I just hope that this medicine works. I don't want to have my treatment changed once again.
My trust in God has not changed. I still believe that everything that I'm going through is for a reason. He's making me as gold purified through flames.
"After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again and there'll be beauty from pain. YOU will bring beauty from my pain." ~ Superchick "Beauty from Pain"
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
My Cancer Battle
On March 10th, 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had to go through getting a port (“port-a-cath” or “medi-port”) inserted in my upper chest wall for chemotherapy, having to actually go through getting chemotherapy, having my hair fall out, and everything else that comes with having breast cancer. After my partial mastectomy on August 17th later that year, I ended up getting an infection where the lump was taken out and had to go through being cut open again and letting it heal slowly that way (with the help of a visiting nurse).
The year 2010 arrives and I'm healed up, hair growing back, having to go to routine check-ups every couple months. My lower back then started hurting really badly around the end of May/beginning of June. I went to my family doctor who said that it was probably a pinched nerve and gave me medicine for the pain. A couple weeks later when I saw my oncologist, I told her that I had had back pain so she decided that she wanted me to get an MRI done, just to be safe. It's definitely a good thing that I told her about the back pain.
The MRI was done on June 16th, 2010. The following day, my oncologist calls to set up an appointment so that she can speak with me that same day. Very last minute. I guess I should have known that it wasn't good news. My oncologist told me and my sister, Sarah (who had been taking me to all of my appointments), that there were abnormalities in my lower back and left shoulder. Following a biopsy later that month, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. More treatments were on the way.
I went from taking Tamoxifen to taking Femara. Having to stop that and getting infusions of Zometa and a Zoladex injection in the stomach (which I hated) once a month. Then stopping the Zoladex and getting Faslodex instead. And now most recently after a routine PET scan (5/31/2011), I was told that the Faslodex will be stopped and I will be taking Xeloda pills. First the cancer in the lower back had spread a little bit, but now it's the cancer in the left shoulder.
Did I mention that I was still 24 when I had breast cancer? I'm 26-years-old now. I haven't gotten my period in a very long time now due to my medications. I'm not planning on having children though so it doesn't really bother me.
I've gone through a lot these past couple years. I have a great support group though. My family is awesome and I love them very much. But if it wasn't for God, I don't know where I'd be right now. He has been my strength and courage from the very beginning. Even before I was diagnosed in 2009, I had put all my trust in God and I would tell my family that "it's whatever God wants." Whatever HE wanted for me is what was going to happen. That doesn't mean that I haven't cried. Believe me, I've cried. But I know there's a reason behind all this. I've seen changes in the people around me and changes in myself. Good changes. God knows what he's doing.
It's been almost a year now since my diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, but my trust in God has not faded. He is in control of everything.
The year 2010 arrives and I'm healed up, hair growing back, having to go to routine check-ups every couple months. My lower back then started hurting really badly around the end of May/beginning of June. I went to my family doctor who said that it was probably a pinched nerve and gave me medicine for the pain. A couple weeks later when I saw my oncologist, I told her that I had had back pain so she decided that she wanted me to get an MRI done, just to be safe. It's definitely a good thing that I told her about the back pain.
The MRI was done on June 16th, 2010. The following day, my oncologist calls to set up an appointment so that she can speak with me that same day. Very last minute. I guess I should have known that it wasn't good news. My oncologist told me and my sister, Sarah (who had been taking me to all of my appointments), that there were abnormalities in my lower back and left shoulder. Following a biopsy later that month, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. More treatments were on the way.
I went from taking Tamoxifen to taking Femara. Having to stop that and getting infusions of Zometa and a Zoladex injection in the stomach (which I hated) once a month. Then stopping the Zoladex and getting Faslodex instead. And now most recently after a routine PET scan (5/31/2011), I was told that the Faslodex will be stopped and I will be taking Xeloda pills. First the cancer in the lower back had spread a little bit, but now it's the cancer in the left shoulder.
Did I mention that I was still 24 when I had breast cancer? I'm 26-years-old now. I haven't gotten my period in a very long time now due to my medications. I'm not planning on having children though so it doesn't really bother me.
I've gone through a lot these past couple years. I have a great support group though. My family is awesome and I love them very much. But if it wasn't for God, I don't know where I'd be right now. He has been my strength and courage from the very beginning. Even before I was diagnosed in 2009, I had put all my trust in God and I would tell my family that "it's whatever God wants." Whatever HE wanted for me is what was going to happen. That doesn't mean that I haven't cried. Believe me, I've cried. But I know there's a reason behind all this. I've seen changes in the people around me and changes in myself. Good changes. God knows what he's doing.
It's been almost a year now since my diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, but my trust in God has not faded. He is in control of everything.
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