Only a couple of more days until I have my first chemo treatment. I'm not feeling too hot today. I have to keep reminding myself that my body wen through a pretty traumatic procedure yesterday, but my leg hurts, too. Hopefully only a couple more days of the leg pain. I can't imagine not having pain! I'm supposed to lay low today. Since my ovaries are so big, the doctors are worried about OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome). I've only had a few of the symptoms so far, but I have to take it easy. If it gets bad, I'll have to go back and have another procedure done to help. Ick!
The embryologist called this morning to give me an update on the eggs/embryos. Only two of my eggs weren't mature enough to freeze, so they were able to freeze 18. As far as the embryos go, they have fertilized 18 and are waiting the 5 days to see which ones make it. She said she expects 9-10 to make it to freezing stage. I am still so amazed by all of this! I can't thank them enough for helping me through all of this. I'll be able to start chemo on Wednesday more at ease knowing I have so many frozen! They'll call after day 5 to give me the final embryo count. But so far, 18 eggs and 20 embryos.
Please cross your fingers that I survive my first day of chemo. I was reading all of the side effects last night and I'm not looking forward to it. I have to be in Portland at 8:30 on Wednesday and they expect chemo to last for 6-8 hours that day. My dad has been talking to a lady that's on the LCC Foundation board with him who has gone through this and she said that I have to think of chemo as my best friend. It's the thing that's going to save my life! It just so happens that this "best friend" doesn't care too much about me and does its best to make me lose my hair, get sick and feel miserable throughout treatment! I just have to keep reminding myself of what she says. It's all about attitude and starting Wednesday, when I have my first encounter with the chemo, I am officially on my road to recovery!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Third entry of the day....I'm just so excited!
We're back from Portland and I'm feeling pretty good all things considered. The procedure went great this morning. I was put to sleep, so I don't remember much. Apparently I kept saying how hungry I was and that I wanted to go to the Screen Door! Joe said when Dr. Bankowski came and told me how many eggs they got I said, "Holy schnikies!" Are you kidding me?! I haven't said schnikies since middle school! I don't remember any of that though and when he told me again later how many eggs they got, it was like I was hearing it for the first time. Pretty funny! Hope those are the only two crazy things I said!
Words can't describe how thankful I am for having the opportunity to do this. I'll be able to start chemo on Wednesday with a lot less worry of infertility. I can't stress enough how important it is for young women like me to be educated about options before starting treatment. The first doctor I saw didn't even mention it until we said something about it.
If you're someone who has just stumbled across this blog and you've recently been diagnosed with cancer (I sound like a commercial or something!), know that there are options out there for you! When I first heard that I had the nasty "c" word, the first thing that went through my head was, "I'm not going to be able to have kids!" NOT TRUE. Get help....it's amazing how people will reach out to help!
If you're someone who has just stumbled across this blog and you've recently been diagnosed with cancer (I sound like a commercial or something!), know that there are options out there for you! When I first heard that I had the nasty "c" word, the first thing that went through my head was, "I'm not going to be able to have kids!" NOT TRUE. Get help....it's amazing how people will reach out to help!
Here are the two websites that I am most thankful for and have great information about getting help:
They didn't fertilize the eggs until this afternoon, so I wont have pictures of the embryos until Tuesday or Wednesday. Some of the 48 wont make it to the next step, but from what the embryologist said, they all look very good.
Here's the picture they gave me.....the dark spots eggs. This is just a few of the 48. Truly amazing.
Mission accomplished!
Just got out of recovery so I'll write more later, but they were able to get 48, yes FORTY EIGHT eggs!!!
The big day!
Morning! In ten minutes we're leaving for Portland. The egg retrieval is today! At my appointment on Friday, I had about 20 follicles on each ovary. They're very intrigued by my response to the all of the shots I had to take. Especially since their average patient is about 35. They expect me to have lots of eggs! They will fertilize half and leave the rest as they are. They freeze them through vitrification. Vitrification rapidly freezes the egg in such a way so as to prevent ice crystals within the egg that could shatter the delicate structure of the egg. The eggs and embryos will then be stored in liquid Nitrogen until (or if) we need to use them.
Both "soon-to-be grandma's" are going with us. The dads decided to pass. :)
I'll post pictures of the embryos later! Looks like we'll be having a litter!
Both "soon-to-be grandma's" are going with us. The dads decided to pass. :)
I'll post pictures of the embryos later! Looks like we'll be having a litter!
Friday, March 28, 2008
SO happy!
Yesterday we went for a third opinion with Dr. Craig Nichols at Providence in Portland. We decided to go to this appointment because the first two doctors had different treatment plans. We were told the risks of having too much chemo, so I wanted to make sure I got just the right amount.
Dr. Nichols said his treatment for my cancer would be 3 rounds of chemo followed by 4-6 weeks of radiation. He said that with someone young like me, having 6 rounds of chemo can cause permanent damage to the heart and increase my chance of becoming infertile. He said if 3 rounds didn't take it away, 6 wouldn't either, so more isn't always better. I really liked this doctor and I've decided that this is where I'll be getting treated. He was very friendly, personable and easy to talk to. Not that the other two doctors weren't, I just really felt comfortable with him. And he treated LANCE ARMSTRONG!! I think that's so awesome!
The nurse came in after he was done to look at my veins and they determined I wont need a port! Not even a pick line! They said I have very good veins and with only 3 rounds of chemo, he doesn't think it's necessary to have a port. YAY!! I was pretty freaked out about that!!
Anyway, I feel very encouraged. I haven't felt this good since before I found out I had the nasty c word! There's a light at the end of the tunnel.....and I'll be done with chemo at the end of April!! He even said I may not lose all of my hair! It will get thin, but since I have enough hair for 4 people, I may not even have to wear my super cool wigs!
My first treatment will either be next Tuesday or Wednesday. I really feel that I've made the right decision and look forward to getting on with my life. I'm so thankful that I was able to get to see Dr. Steinberg. He was the one who questioned 6 rounds of chemo, so if it weren't for him, I'd be getting poisoned for a lot longer than necessary!
George asked the doctor (yes, everyone in the family goes to all of these appointments!), why the doctor in Seattle suggested 6. Of course, Dr. Nichols said he can't speak for him, but he said Seattle is used to treating cancers that are more involved and a higher stage than mine. He also said that when he has tough lymphoma questions, he doesn't call Seattle, he calls somewhere up in B.C. because they're one of the biggest lymphoma places on the west coast. That made me feel good too.
Today I only have one appointment! It's another appointment at the fertility clinic (I've gone everyday this week). They'll do another ultrasound and see how things are looking. They called yesterday after they got my blood work back and said that my estradiol is over 3,000. That's the highest it will ever be! The follicles are getting so big! Joe and I have to be down there again on Sunday for the retrieval. Both of our parents are going to go too, then I think we'll celebrate the first grandchildren (there may be a lot!) after. I know that's kinda dorky and a little overboard, but we're so excited about this! It's been one of the only things thats kept me going throughout all of the other crappy cancer stuff.
Happy Friday!
Katie
Dr. Nichols said his treatment for my cancer would be 3 rounds of chemo followed by 4-6 weeks of radiation. He said that with someone young like me, having 6 rounds of chemo can cause permanent damage to the heart and increase my chance of becoming infertile. He said if 3 rounds didn't take it away, 6 wouldn't either, so more isn't always better. I really liked this doctor and I've decided that this is where I'll be getting treated. He was very friendly, personable and easy to talk to. Not that the other two doctors weren't, I just really felt comfortable with him. And he treated LANCE ARMSTRONG!! I think that's so awesome!
The nurse came in after he was done to look at my veins and they determined I wont need a port! Not even a pick line! They said I have very good veins and with only 3 rounds of chemo, he doesn't think it's necessary to have a port. YAY!! I was pretty freaked out about that!!
Anyway, I feel very encouraged. I haven't felt this good since before I found out I had the nasty c word! There's a light at the end of the tunnel.....and I'll be done with chemo at the end of April!! He even said I may not lose all of my hair! It will get thin, but since I have enough hair for 4 people, I may not even have to wear my super cool wigs!
My first treatment will either be next Tuesday or Wednesday. I really feel that I've made the right decision and look forward to getting on with my life. I'm so thankful that I was able to get to see Dr. Steinberg. He was the one who questioned 6 rounds of chemo, so if it weren't for him, I'd be getting poisoned for a lot longer than necessary!
George asked the doctor (yes, everyone in the family goes to all of these appointments!), why the doctor in Seattle suggested 6. Of course, Dr. Nichols said he can't speak for him, but he said Seattle is used to treating cancers that are more involved and a higher stage than mine. He also said that when he has tough lymphoma questions, he doesn't call Seattle, he calls somewhere up in B.C. because they're one of the biggest lymphoma places on the west coast. That made me feel good too.
Today I only have one appointment! It's another appointment at the fertility clinic (I've gone everyday this week). They'll do another ultrasound and see how things are looking. They called yesterday after they got my blood work back and said that my estradiol is over 3,000. That's the highest it will ever be! The follicles are getting so big! Joe and I have to be down there again on Sunday for the retrieval. Both of our parents are going to go too, then I think we'll celebrate the first grandchildren (there may be a lot!) after. I know that's kinda dorky and a little overboard, but we're so excited about this! It's been one of the only things thats kept me going throughout all of the other crappy cancer stuff.
Happy Friday!
Katie
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Port of Katie
Hello! I only have two appointments today! All of this running around is really starting to wear me out. I'm anxious for my chemo to start and be on a regular schedule. Chemo once every three weeks. Hopefully I'm able to live a normal life between treatments!
Last night we went to the cancer class and once again, enjoyed it very much. The nurses are great and I learn so much every time! Although I'm the youngest person by 20+ years, it still helps to know that I'm not the only one going through this. One of the things I learned about was the port. Holy crap! I don't think I want one! I mean, I do and I don't. It makes things a lot easier (they only have to poke me once as opposed to several times each treatment), but it looks so creepy. It will be right below my collar bone. It's a surgical procedure, so I'll be put to sleep for it, but once they're done, it stays in until I'm done with treatment. It just creeps me out to know that it's under my skin. I've always been very squeemish (is that a word?!) about things like this. I can't stand IVs, I don't even like tags! How am I going to manage with a port for 5 months?!
Seattle called yesterday and they have me all set up for Monday. Here's the agenda:
9:00 am: Blood Draw
10:00 am: Appointment with doc
11:00 am: Port of Katie installed
2:00 pm: First chemo treatment
It's going to be a busy day. She said chemo should be done at around 8. I can't believe it takes so long! We'll probably have to spend the night up there on Monday.
My ovaries are really starting to be achy. They're getting really big. I feel like with every shot Joe gives me, they get a little bigger. I have another ultrasound and blood work today, but they seem to think the retrieval will be on Saturday. Poor Joe, he can't go to Whistler. :/
Alright, that's all for now. We're super busy and trying to get everything figured out. Only a few more days until I start chemo though! I'm scared, but also excited. I'll be able to WALK again! They said they expect the tumor to start shrinking within 24 hours of treatment. Yay!
GO COUGS!!!
Katie
Last night we went to the cancer class and once again, enjoyed it very much. The nurses are great and I learn so much every time! Although I'm the youngest person by 20+ years, it still helps to know that I'm not the only one going through this. One of the things I learned about was the port. Holy crap! I don't think I want one! I mean, I do and I don't. It makes things a lot easier (they only have to poke me once as opposed to several times each treatment), but it looks so creepy. It will be right below my collar bone. It's a surgical procedure, so I'll be put to sleep for it, but once they're done, it stays in until I'm done with treatment. It just creeps me out to know that it's under my skin. I've always been very squeemish (is that a word?!) about things like this. I can't stand IVs, I don't even like tags! How am I going to manage with a port for 5 months?!
Seattle called yesterday and they have me all set up for Monday. Here's the agenda:
9:00 am: Blood Draw
10:00 am: Appointment with doc
11:00 am: Port of Katie installed
2:00 pm: First chemo treatment
It's going to be a busy day. She said chemo should be done at around 8. I can't believe it takes so long! We'll probably have to spend the night up there on Monday.
My ovaries are really starting to be achy. They're getting really big. I feel like with every shot Joe gives me, they get a little bigger. I have another ultrasound and blood work today, but they seem to think the retrieval will be on Saturday. Poor Joe, he can't go to Whistler. :/
Alright, that's all for now. We're super busy and trying to get everything figured out. Only a few more days until I start chemo though! I'm scared, but also excited. I'll be able to WALK again! They said they expect the tumor to start shrinking within 24 hours of treatment. Yay!
GO COUGS!!!
Katie
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Who do we listen to?
I went to another appointment yesterday with a doctor in Vancouver. Since Dr. Petersdorf said my treatment is "bread and butter" I thought I'd see what the guy in Vancouver had to say. It would be a lot easier to go to Vancouver than to Seattle all of the time. I thought yesterday would just be determining which doctor I felt most comfortable with. Wrong. He came in and had questioned everything the doctor in Seattle had told us. He doesn't seem to think I need to be treated as long, he wants me to have more biopsies, etc. We left feeling pretty dazed and confused. What do we do now? Who do we listen to? I don't want to have more chemo than I need, but I sure as heck want the cancer to be killed! After talking to everyone, we decided to try to get an appointment for a third opinion. On Thursday I'll be seeing a doctor that was recommended by another doctor in town (who also has lymphoma). I read a little about the doctor I'll be seeing and found out he was one of the doctors who treated Lance Armstrong! I thought that was pretty cool. We'll see what he has to say. Hopefully he doesn't have another different approach.
Whatever my decision is, chemo must be started next week. I can't wait any longer. I haven't gotten the results from my PET scan back yet, but it freaks me out to know that it's just eating away at me. I want it GONE!
I've been totally lethargic the last few days. The doctor increased my oxycontin from 40mg twice daily to 80mg twice daily with breakthrough oxycodone in the afternoon. Perhaps that explains the sudden tiredness. I sure hope so. My appetite is still on vacay though. Nothing sounds good, nothing looks good...I basically have to force myself to eat.
Well, I think that's the latest! I think I'm leaning more towards Seattle at this point. The cancer center I went to yesterday was really depressing to me. Everyone in the chemo area was just lined up chair after chair getting injected. In Seattle, I'd have my own private room with a bed and TV...sounds so much more comfortable, especially since chemo is pretty much an all day thing.
Please pray that my PET scan comes back clear. I've been very lucky so far. My CT scan was clear, my blood is normal....as of now, it appears to only be in my femur.
Thanks for reading my blog. It's pretty boring stuff, but I know everyone is curious as to what's going on. :) Thanks for the cards, prayers, flowers.....all of you mean so much to me and I wouldn't be able to make it through this without all of the support!
Love, Katie
P.S. I always get busy with all of the crappy cancer stuff and forget about the exciting fertility stuff!! I'm up to three shots daily now. Joe has taken over as my shot-giver and he's doing a fantastic job. Sue had to give me one today though, as for the next two days I have to have an additional one at noon. I have another internal ultrasound and more blood work tomorrow. It looks like the retrieval will either be Saturday or Sunday! Yesterday I had 20 follicles on each ovary. Each of those follicles have many eggs inside, so I'll have a very good harvest. That sounds kinda weird, but I guess that's what it is! They said they can take pictures of the embryos before they freeze them, so Joe and I will have a little memento and something to hang on the fridge! Pretty neat!
Whatever my decision is, chemo must be started next week. I can't wait any longer. I haven't gotten the results from my PET scan back yet, but it freaks me out to know that it's just eating away at me. I want it GONE!
I've been totally lethargic the last few days. The doctor increased my oxycontin from 40mg twice daily to 80mg twice daily with breakthrough oxycodone in the afternoon. Perhaps that explains the sudden tiredness. I sure hope so. My appetite is still on vacay though. Nothing sounds good, nothing looks good...I basically have to force myself to eat.
Well, I think that's the latest! I think I'm leaning more towards Seattle at this point. The cancer center I went to yesterday was really depressing to me. Everyone in the chemo area was just lined up chair after chair getting injected. In Seattle, I'd have my own private room with a bed and TV...sounds so much more comfortable, especially since chemo is pretty much an all day thing.
Please pray that my PET scan comes back clear. I've been very lucky so far. My CT scan was clear, my blood is normal....as of now, it appears to only be in my femur.
Thanks for reading my blog. It's pretty boring stuff, but I know everyone is curious as to what's going on. :) Thanks for the cards, prayers, flowers.....all of you mean so much to me and I wouldn't be able to make it through this without all of the support!
Love, Katie
P.S. I always get busy with all of the crappy cancer stuff and forget about the exciting fertility stuff!! I'm up to three shots daily now. Joe has taken over as my shot-giver and he's doing a fantastic job. Sue had to give me one today though, as for the next two days I have to have an additional one at noon. I have another internal ultrasound and more blood work tomorrow. It looks like the retrieval will either be Saturday or Sunday! Yesterday I had 20 follicles on each ovary. Each of those follicles have many eggs inside, so I'll have a very good harvest. That sounds kinda weird, but I guess that's what it is! They said they can take pictures of the embryos before they freeze them, so Joe and I will have a little memento and something to hang on the fridge! Pretty neat!
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