90% Risk Free

New Boobies = New Beginnings = No More Cancer (hopefully)



So I have not been "blogging" in a long time.  I have not been doing anything worth you all hearing about I guess.  The same ole, same ole.  Working and trying to pay the bills.  November 16th, as you saw in my last blog was my last Chemo treatment!!  YAY!!   I have had 2 treatments of just Herceptin.  Both of those treatments went well.  No side effects from these treatments, however I am still trying to recover from side effects from my first and last two rounds of chemo.

The last two rounds of chemo left me with Neuropathy in my hands and feet.   My hands continue to get numb, tight and stiff throughout the day and night. I loose sensation in my fingers where it is hard to feel things as you normally would.  (It's hard to explain.  I can feel that it's there, but the sensation is different.)    Sometimes my hands also are super cold as well. The pain often extends up through my arm. I have a hard time bending my fingers. These symptoms are worse in the morning and when I wake up.   It really helps when I either massage my hands, have someone else massage my hands or I use a squeeze/ stress ball.  My feet also get numb, sensation is also lost in my feet (much like when your feet falls asleep from sitting on it too long), also it feels like my feet get super hot and super cold, even though the temperature of them has not changed, pain extends up my legs as well.  My ankles crack and toes are sore.

I also am retaining water.  My ankles, legs, face, and body is slightly bloated.  I have been unable to wear my shoes at times.  For one week I had to wear slippers.  I bought Dr. Scholls For Her Fast Flats.  (They look like ballet shoes, but are a little more sturdy.)  Now I can wear shoes again for most of the day, but by the end of the day my feet are swollen again and burning. 

I have been given meds for both....but it is going to take a while for them to help, more so the meds for the Neuropothy.  I was told that rebuilding the nerve cells takes time.  It could be 4 months to a year.  UGH!!! Not Fun!!

 

 

My first treatment as you remember I started to loose my hair....well, it has started to grow back!!  Yay!!  Slowly...but it is growing back.  It is so soft.  I love touching it.  I think it is like 1/4th of an inch.  A few strands may be a bit longer.  I am so ready for it to be longer.  I am still wearing my wigs.

Now let's get to the fun stuff!!  I have gone to my plastic surgeon (at Georgetown), my oncologist, my original breast surgeon, a new breast surgeon (at Georgetown), a hematologist and had a pre-op for surgery.  I had to schedule and meet a new breast surgeon because I wanted to have my plastic surgeon do my reconstructive surgery, and he only practices at Georgetown.  My Breast Surgeon only practices at Fairfax.  I like my new Breast Surgeon.  My Plastic Surgeon (Dr. Scott Spear) recommended my breast surgeon (Eleani Tousimis), also at Georgetown  (she was also just on CBS talking about the #MissUSA who is also going to have a double mastectomy.  I am also scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday at 8:45am.

 

 So the big day is December 16th.  I have to be at Georgetown at 10:30am and my surgery starts at 12:30pm.  I am having a bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using allerderm (tissue expansion.)  I will have to be in the hospital that night at the minimum; one night more if I need it.  The 18th, in the afternoon, I have a herceptin treatment.  UGH!!  I was told it would take at least a week for me to have tubes which need to have tubes which need to be drained.  Depending on how well I heal, I will try to go back to work after a week, otherwise I will take off more time.  I really can't take off more than a week due to 1.) Needing the money to pay all the bills.  2.) My clients needing me.  I don't want to take more than a week not seeing them.

 

While I am laid up for a week or more, my wonderful co-worker/ boss and office manager are giving me movies (Twilight and several Romantic comedies) and some great full TV series to watch (Big Love and Sex and the City).  Hopefully my girlfriend Denise will be able to come up and take care of me, otherwise my mom will be taking care of me.  I hope to be able to stay at my place, as I want to sleep in my own bed.  It would be so much better!!! While I am laid up, please feel free to contact me, e-mail me or call!!  I would love to hear from you!!

So all of the doctors appointments, the herceptin treatments and the surgery will probably max out my deductible and out of pocket payment for my health insurance right at  the start of January.  My deductible is $2,500 and my out of pocket is $5,000.   Each Herceptin treatment alone is close to $9,000.  I have no idea how much each doctors visit is going to be, how much the MRI will be on the Sunday before the surgery, how much the pre-op appointment will be, nor how much the surgery will be.  But I do know that when I stayed in the hospital last January for my migraine in the ER, the bill was over $8,000.  I am sure this surgery will be way more than that.

 

I will have to pay for my bills up to the first $2500 (my deductible), then I pay 30% of the fees until I reach my out of pocket maximum ($5000).  By the end of January 18th, I think I am going to reach that, and I have NO idea how I am going to pay it!!  I surely do not have that kind of money.   I am still trying to pay back my medical bills from last year, despite all of everyone's help.  I still have several thousands of dollars left to each one.  AYE!!  Also I am going to have to start paying my student loans, which I have been lucky to defer for a long time.  My deferment period is going to end in March and I have no extension time left.  I just want to get out of debt so that I can enjoy life and do fun things.  I want to be able to go on vacation.  I want to be able to not feel guilty for eating out.  I want to not feel guilty if I buy anything that is not a necessity.  I feel like I have to work consistently

so that I can make as much money as I can so I can pay back my bills. Money is always on my mind, and I don't want it to be.  I have the lowest cable, internet, and phone plan possible.  I eat and buy as little as possible.  I rarely buy anything new in regards to clothes or gadgets/ items.  I have not been on a vacation in a long time.  My parents pay/take me to the VT Hokie games.  I save up/ put on my credit card a trip to go see a friends wedding, but do the shortest trip possible and try to do the cheapest way I can.  Hopefully one of these days money won't be as big of an issue and.  Hopefully I can feel like I can save money and feel free to enjoy some life too.

Biopsy, Echocardiogram, Fertility Testing Oh My!!

So since my last posting it has been a little crazy to say the least.  I have wanted to post, but I have been running around a bunch. Let me fill everyone in on what has been going on in Jenna land.

I had a fairly relaxing weekend.  I went to the pool during the day on Saturday.  Then I meet up with two beautiful girls in Bethesda. (Bebe and Tara) and had a wonderful girls night out.  We had a drink at the Barking Dog.  And then had Tapa's at Jaleo.  YUM!! We met an guy who was very talkative and had an artistic talent with regards to paper.  I personally did not mind him, although Tara did not like him to much.  :-)

Sunday was spent relaxing, doing laundry, cleaning a bit, picking up prescriptions and going to the grocery store.

Monday 79/12 Was very busy.  I had two medical appointments.  I started the day at 8:15am to get my mediport checked.  Everything was okay there.  They needed to make sure it was healing okay.  I asked questions about what signs I needed to look for, in case of infections.  As I am at risk of blood clots.  She said, fever, soreness in the arm, no muscle tone, swelling in the arm and neck. 

After that appointment I had to go to have an echo cardiogram.  This appointment was at 9:40am This is where they basically look at your heart with a sonogram machine.  The appointment was to last about 40min.  You lay on your left side propped up with some cushions, laying your head on a pillow.  97% of the way in to the procedure, the power goes out in the building and the building next to us.  The office is in Fairfax across from Fairfax Hospital.  I was told to wait on the table for about 5 min until they could figure out what was going on.  They were all walking around with their phones using the flashlight apps, it was very comical.  I got dressed by *my* flashlight app, and was escorted out.  They said they got the most important scans.

I then went on to work and had four clients that day from 11:30 - 4:00. 

on 7/10/12 I went in for my MRI biopsy.  Let me just tell you, this was a bizarre experience.  So it starts off like the regular Breast MRI, except only my right breast hung through the opening.  They started the scan like they usually did, administered the dye when they needed to, until they found what they were looking for, and then pulled me back out.  All the while I needed to remain still.  Then they cleaned off the area, pricked me with the anesthesia drug and numbed the area asking me if I still felt anything.  I said no at some point.  The she said I would hear a drilling sound when she was putting the biopsy needle in.  This was different than the other biopsy.  At some point I began to feel it.  I felt burning.  She had to stop and give me more anesthesia.  But was so nice.  Quickly did that, apologized.  And then started up again and it was over real quick.  The put a marker in.  Mary the nurse clean the area and bandaged it, and then took me upstairs for a Mammogram for images of the marker. After that she cleaned the area and put gauze on it.  She gave me instructions for the next few days and sent me on my way. 

I went to work for a consult from 10:00 - 10:30 came home and then went back to work from 4 - 6:30.

On 7/11/12 I went to the Fertility Clinic as scheduled as I had thought I had started my period on Monday 7/9/12.  But it stopped 7/10/12 and did not reappear.  But they went forward with the blood work and ultrasound anyway.  It came back that my hormones were not ready and it might have just been a false start of my period due to stress.  They wanted me to come back today 7/13/12 to check again.  I then had a 11:00 client and a 12:00 consult.  I was supposed to have a client at 4:00 but at 3:00 they canceled because the little girl had a fever.  So I went home early.  That night I met up with a great old friend from high school, Shannon, who is in the states from Canada.  It was great fun visiting with her.

7/12/12  My day started off very nice, I got to have breakfast with a college buddy, Clay before I went to Therapy.  We shared Bagels.  Then I had Therapy before heading to a long day of work.  I worked from 12:00 - 6:00  Three clients and 2 consults.  I had a date at 7:00.  He was really nice and I hope I get to see him again.  But I think it will be hard to explain the whole cancer think.  I don't know how to do that, and what he will think.  Or when to do that.

7/13/12.  I have no clients today.  YAY, except, this week was one of the smallest amount of clients in a long time and that does not bode well with my budget.  I really need to get more clients that (10 a week)  I need 2x that many.  UGH!!  But today I went back to the fertility clinic and my period I think is beginning...and we are set to begin today.  So I am to take the Femara pills tonight with the Lovenox shots.  Then in two days begin the Gonal F and the Menopur shots. 

At 12:00 I am going to meet up with two old work buddies for lunch in Alexandria and then I have an appointment to talk with someone about wigs.  So a busy day. :-)

More Cancer???

So today I am to have my second Biopsy.  I know what to expect this time, so I was not to nervous.  The people at Washington Radiology Associates are awesome.  Today though, I had to wait a lot longer than usual.  They were behind schedule.  Mary was my nurse again.  She brought me back and went over the same questions as before.  I was ready for the biopsy and waiting for the doctor to come in.  Today I had Julianne Greenburg, MD.  She is actually the Director of Mammography at WRA.  She was super nice and as I talked to her, she actually knew my plastic surgeon who I want to use if needed.  It is kinda cool that all of the doctors I am using know each other and have worked together.  It makes me feel good.  Especially since they all are at different hospitals. 

She was able to see what they had noticed in the left breast and able to do a biopsy on the left one, but unable to see what the MRI picked up on the right breast.  She had said that most likely the doctor will want to do a MRI biopsy of the right breast to make sure there is nothing in the right breast.  I was thinking, UGH!!  Just another appointment.  I am not concerned or worried that there is anything there....I am almost certain it is NOTHING.  I am just tired of all the appts, and the cost, don't let me get to you on how the cost of this  is scaring the heck out of me!!

After the biopsy, you have to go in and have another mammogram.  A couple of scan where they squeeze your boobs.  Not fun after they put a needle in you boob. 

So they bandaged me up, gave me a little ice pack to put in my bra and sent me on my way.  I went on my way to work to wait to hear the results.  (Negative to any cancerous cells BTW ;-) )

My Breast MRI

I was sent to have a breast MRI.   I have had many MRI's in my life, so I was not worried about this one.  I hate them, they are loud and they take forever. Luckily I had talked to Chris, my friends sister, who had this done before and she informed me that for Breast MRI's you lay on your stomach. 

It was weird.  I was on my stomach, in a hospital gown pulled to my waist.  Your breasts are laid into this area and you have to stay still with your arms stretched over you head.  I had to have contrast, so yet another injection in my arm.  They had this mirror where you could look behind you when you kept your head down.  It was weird. 

It is hard to stay still.  And the noise is awful.  But the procedure was not painful in anyway....well except getting stuck by the needle.  I hate needles. 

I was told I would know the results by Monday or Tuesday.  Oh joy!!  But again I was not worrying that anything would come of it.