We have a winner...

Today Mark & I met with another oncologist who was highly recommended from a few people. We made the decision. She's the one who will manage my chemo treatment. I knew she was the right one for me just a few minutes after talking with her. She is personable, warm, caring, calm, a good listener and objective. Her staff is friendly, her office is calming and it's only 5 minutes from my house. All these things add up and make her the right fit for me. I feel such a sense of relief & excitement that I'm moving forward and feel confident about my choice. It's a good day!

I will start my first chemo treatment next Thursday. I know you've heard this before, but this is the real deal. My appt is at 9:00am and I will likely be there 3-4 hours. The protocol I will have is the one Sloan-Kettering recommended. It's called ACT-H dose dense for the first letter of each drug.

A=Adriamycin (Doxorubicin)
C=Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide)
T=Taxol (Paclitaxel)
H=Herceptin (Trastuzumab)

The first phase of treatment is AC four times, 2 weeks apart. Then T four times, 2 weeks apart. At the same time as T, I'll get H every week. Once T is done, I'll get H once every 3 weeks for approx 10 months. Sometime after AC, I'll have radiation on my right armpit and right chest wall. I'll be meeting with a radiation oncologist in the coming weeks to determine the appropriate action.

ACT-H dose dense is an aggressive treatment.....these drugs are nasty. However, I'm young, healthy & strong so I should tolerate them well. I'll still be tired & guaranteed to lose my hair on about day 10 after my first treatment. Last weekend I made a trip to my local wig store with a sweet friend to try on wigs. It was actually kind of fun.......should I be a blond, a red head or go jet black!? I'm actually very conservative with my real hair.....I've never chemically treated it....so maybe I'll try a little something new and just have fun with it. You may not recognize me soon!! Ha! :-)

Another interesting experience......yesterday I got fitted for my new breast forms & bras. So much fun stuff in one week! I can hardly contain myself. Most people probably don't even notice I'm missing something up top......so getting forms isn't all that important to me. We'll see how they work. I was told they are hot.....that can't be good in an AZ summer. Ugh! You'll never guess how much they cost.....$330 each. Wow! Thank goodness we have amazing insurance.

Monday I had my last PT treatment. I've made quick progress getting back to full range. My left arm is back to normal and my right arm is very close. I need to continue stretching. Radiation will set me back on my right side, so I may go back to PT after radiation. She was a great therapist and helped me get back to normal much faster. I'm so thankful for her.

That's enough on the medical front.......on Saturday is the SheROX triathlon for women at Tempe Town Lake. I've always wanted to do this race, but Tempe Toilet has scared me off. I'm going down to Tempe on Saturday early morning to watch the race.....at least the swim part. I want to compete next year. I want to face my fear of open water swims & the yucky Tempe Toilet. If you're up for this challenge, put it on your radar for next year and come watch it on Saturday. Later this year is the Race for the Cure on October 11. I plan to run in this. I'm also looking for a long bike race......maybe Tour de Scottsdale on October 4. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for your prayers & loving concern. I feel your healing energy and am grateful everyday for all my friends and family. Love, srb