So here it is: 20 weeks total of chemotherapy. 8 weeks of Adriamycin and Cytoxan, given every other week. Then 12 weeks of Taxol, given every week. After chemo I will also have radiation, although we won't go into the specifics of how many treatments until that time gets closer. After all chemo and radiation treatments are finished I will also have 5 years of hormone therapy, but that is just medication taken by mouth.
They are hoping to get started either the first or second week of April, depending on how well I continue to recover from the most recent infection and procedure.
So my goal is that by Christmas of this year I will be pronounced cancer free!
I know this won't be easy, but I am ready to get started. Thank you for your prayers today and everyday. Your prayers and support, as well as God's strength, are what keep us going each day.
***As a side note: We did not see the doctor we were supposed to see today...not sure what happened. But after waiting 45 minutes back in a room, the doctor I had already seen before surgery came in to tell us the treatment plan. I know they all work together so, I am trying to decide if it matters which one I see when I go, as long as I feel comfortable and get all my questions answered, which I did today. Jury is still out on how I feel about this.
3 comments:
Andrea, you are one amazing woman!!! To even be able to speak so positively about all this--even after all your setbacks so far--is unbelievable! You can beat this--God is obviously with you!!!!! I am just one among the many, many prayer warriors you have and I love you! I pray for your strength, peace of mind, and endurance as you proceed from here! I pray for you to feel good as much as possible and to be able to enjoy your sweet family! I pray for you to heal and be able to do whatever you need to do to keep your peace of mind and positive attitude. After watching my sister go through all this (while in Alaska and her husband in fighting in Afghanistan), I realized that while you need to rest and take it easy as much as possible, you also need to work (in her case) or just be a mom... or whatever it is for you... so that you can keep your sanity and be okay. That is important in this process too. So do whatever you have to and most of all know that God's hand is with you!!! I am glad you have a plan--that does help! And you obviously have God and tons of family and friends to help!! Lean on them! You are such an encouragement to me and so so many others!!!! Love you--Lori Hill
Lori, thank you for your comment and prayers. Finally someone who understands why I am so ready to get back to work! Yes, I must rest, but also for my mental health I must continue with all of my routines in life, which includes being a mom, wife, and educator. Sitting at home with physical restrictions makes me feel useless...I can't play with my kids or even lift Anderson . I cant cook or clean or do anything around the house. And I can't drive or go to work. So, it's those "normal" everyday things that I can't wait to get back to doing. Those things are important to me and they help me stay positive mentally. Others keep fussing at me about not going back to work and staying home to rest, but what they don't realize is how being physically ale to go back o work is the best therapy I could have!
Thank you for your sweet words. God is giving me a sense of peace throughout all of this. When I stay focused on him, I feel him by my side. It's when I try to take all of this on by myself that I lose focus and become discouraged. Please continue to pray for strength and peace of mind.
Andrea, Your latest blog made me remember something I read by Henri Nouwen this morning. He was talking about the Spirit which is poured out on us being the life breath of God himself. He said that this life breath frees us from fear and gives us new room to live. He also said that a person who prayerfully goes about her life is constantly ready to receive the breath of God, and to let her life be "renewed and expanded." If ever I knew someone who prayerfully goes about her life, it is you. You and Jamie both. I send these thoughts to you in hopes that they can be a little bit of an inspiration to you because you are such an inspiration to the rest of us. We love you. --- Mary Jane H.
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