T-minus one week until the big day….Chemo Day 1 is March 26!

Today is March 19, and the start of my final week of normalcy before chemo begins.

My Upside Down Week Before Chemotherapy

Everything is normal, yet it is not.

Everything seems upside down in my life right now….hey, maybe I’ll get a cameo in Stranger Things! 

You see, everything is normal because I have energy, hair, fingernails and an appetite. Copa & I are eating anything & everything we want this week. We know that once the chemo drug, affectionately known as the red devil ,hits my body, all bets are off in terms of food choices!

Once chemo begins, I will stick to bland foods and roasted, light proteins. Fats, sugar, fast food and cheese will increase my nausea and aren’t great for cancer prevention, so guess who just ate a big ‘ole lunch from Tijuana Flats just now?!? 🙂

Ok, I know it’s bad to load up on unhealthy foods before chemo….but I do run a tailgating website, and I want to enjoy foods as much as possible before the mouth sores kick in!

Oh, and as of right now, I have not hit menopause. That will come next week! YEE HAW!

True March Madness.

The chemo drug arrives, so does menopause.
(Is this TMI???? If you are expecting chemo for bc, it probably isn’t!)

So, normalcy for us.

But, no.

This isn’t normal.

My boobs were amputated. Cancer clouds my thoughts. I have trouble sleeping because of the expanders and sutures. And, the doctor appointments  already blur together this week!

That said, my mastectomy surgery & recovery went really, really well!

Things are the same around here, but they are rapidly changing!

My Upside Down Week Before Chemo

I never knew how many tests were needed before chemotherapy begins!
Here is my week, Monday – Friday:

• Echo-cardiogram (to make sure my heart can handle the chemo)
• Cat Scan
• Bone Scan (to see if this nasty cancer has moved into my bones)
• 2 doctor appointments
• Outpatient surgery at the hospital (to get my port placed)

How I Am Coping Before Chemo

Whew…were do I begin on this one?!?!

I have my moments, rest assured, where I get a little bit down. After all, I was not supposed to NEED chemo! At this point in my recovery, I was supposed to be getting fills for the expanders and marching towards the expander/implant exchange. I was looking forward to being back at work next week!

However, I am so grateful for the incredible medical team that is navigating this new course in my cancer chapter. I’m glad they caught this cancer!

This new chapter in my cancer story is not a surprise to God. So, we are moving forward with positive thoughts and actions!

Praying helps! Copa reminds me to let the Lord do the worrying for me, and to relax. He’s sooooo right. We pray separately and together. We always have.

#JoyOfJesus

Hugs,

Heather

PS – Remember, I am not a doctor! Information in this blog is not meant to be taken as medical advice or opinion.