The schedule 11/8-16

 Here's the schedule from now until my first infusion. I wanted to give an overview so you know what our week is looking like a how to pray for us.

Monday, November 8th, I’m having a small surgery in the morning to place a port.  When it’s done, I’ll have a small bump under my right clavicle where they’ll have quick and easy access to my veinous system. They’ll use the port to take blood samples when needed and it’s where I’ll receive all of my infusions. To be honest, I’m completely grossed out by the idea of having this tube thing running directly into my vein, so I’ve tried not to google it too much. It should only be painful while it’s healing, and hopefully it will make life easier for me through treatment. The biggest win for me is that I won’t have tubes in my arms during infusions so my hands will be free to knit!

Tuesday, I’m scheduled for an echocardiogram. There is a small risk that the chemo could damage important organs like my heart and liver. The purpose of this echocardiogram is to get a baseline on my heart now, so they can compare and monitor my heart function throughout chemo. They’ve also run some bloodwork for the same purpose. 

Wednesday, I have a chemo teaching session. This is a hourlong download of all the info I need to know before I get my first infusion. Along with the actual chemo drugs, I’ll be prescribed another army of drugs to mittigate the side effects of the chemo. I’ll have steroids to keep my energy up and stool softeners to combat the constipation those steroids induce. I’ll have a patch to deliver medicine to increase my white blood cells, but then I’ll experience diarrhea. Doesn’t it sound like a roller coaster of fun? The teaching session will help me to know when to take the right medicines, what  side effects to expect and what would warrant a call to my oncologist. I’m so thankful for the wealth of knowledge doctors have now to make chemo as manageable and easy as possible. 

Thursday, I’ll have an MRI guided biopsy of a second suspicious spot on my breast. If this spot is cancerous I will for sure have a mastectomy when it comes time for surgery. There are still a lot of questions I need answered before I make the decision between mastectomy and lumpectomy, but I would like to keep that option open. Please pray that we don’t discover cancer in this spot and for my comfort during the MRI. I have to lay on my stomach during the MRI and it’s possible that my newly placed port will still be tender. 

And finally the big infusion day!! My first of six infusions is scheduled for 7am, Monday, the 16th. The infusion lasts for 5hrs, so I’ll likely be at the hospital for 6ish hours. Due to covid, I’ll be going it alone and wearing a mask the whole time. I have mixed feelings about these circumstances, but I’m going to make the most of it with knitting and Netflix.