Next Steps

I'm supposed to start chemo next week, and I think the treatment will last about four hours. I will get treatments every two weeks.

The BIG picture of treatment is:
-Chemo treatments starting next week, every two weeks. They will use the ACT chemo. During that time I will have injections of blood builders to keep my body as healthy as possible.

-I will then have a double mastectomy.

-Then comes radiation, which I will have five days a week for five to eight weeks. During this time I'll receive a drug to kill the receptors on a gene that causes my body to produce the wrong kind of cells.

-Then I will have reconstructive surgery, which comes a year to a year and a half after the mastectomy.

-Then I will be taking drugs (no, not the fun kind) for eight years after that.

SO, that's the super-exciting 10-year payment plan of Cathy kicking cancer's butt.

Please continue praying specifically:
-that my heart will be strong because one drug I will be on can cause heart failure

-that my body will be strong enough to accept chemo treatments every two weeks. I will start chemo next week and it's the most aggressive type of chemo treatment they can do.

-that I will not develop allergies to Herceptin. Many people do because it has mouse proteins in it.

Surgery #2

Well, I officially feel like a push-pin doll. :) I had my second surgery today to insert a port in a deep vein on the right side of my chest and to have a centinal lymph node biopsy. The port will be used to inject chemotherapy, antibiotics, and other medicines into later in my treatment. The suspicious-looking lymph node that they found on the 20th was actually a healthy lymph node, so they left it in. I'm happy for that answer to prayer.

I can really feel the prayers of the prayer warriors out there. I never realized how many wonderful friends I have until now. It's your prayers that get me through and allow me to have an attitude of thankfulness right where I'm at. I'm overwhelmed with the love that people have shown me and the servant-hearted attitudes of those closest to me. I really feel like God touched me and that's why the cancer isn't anywhere else in my body. To those of you out there who have said, "I will pray for you"--thank you.

Isaiah 41:10, 13

Psalm 138:7-8

Cathy's Cancer History

A short introduction for those of you who don't know the story:

On January 29th I was diagnosed with breast cancer. An MRI and blood smears determined I had ductal carcinoma. The next day I found out that tests aren't perfect. The doctor called me back and let me know that the cancer was actually invasive and I needed to have a biopsy.

I had two core biopsies and an MRI on February 5 that revealed that the cancer was extensive, running about 7.6 centimeters and overlapping a couple lymph nodes. My daughter says that I did super well with the surgery. The doctor said there was a chance that the cancer had spread to other parts of my body. Many people started praying about this...

...and God answered! After more doctor visits, I had blood tests, CT scans, and bone scans on February 20th. The blood work was normal; the bone scans were normal; and the head, abdomen, and pelvis on the CT scans were clear. The CT scan showed a very tiny spot on the sternum that they believe is arthritis and a lymph node was just slightly larger than normal. Now you are up to speed and I'll keep you up to date as I have new updates.