Ending the Year with a Bang

2014 was definitely a difficult year for me, but through my trials this year, I have also had a lot of wonderful things happen that never would have otherwise. I am at chemo today (New Year's Eve), but just like I said on my birthday, health is the best gift I could possibly receive. What better way to ring in the new year? 

I am overwhelmed by the love and support I have received in the last year from friends, family, and even strangers. All of the gifts, letters, notes, and prayers have meant to much to me and have helped me get through this difficult time. I don't know what else to say except that my heart is full of love to ring in this new year. 

Long Time Overdue

Sorry, I know I have been M.I.A. once again. I have been super busy, which has been a good thing for me, because it is DECEMBER. In two weeks, I get to go up to Boise to watch my husband graduate! And then, the most important part, move him to back to Sacramento with me! But anyway, I'm sure most, if not all of you, are looking for a status update. I will be better about updating in the coming weeks!

I am continuing to feel pretty good. I am definitely more tired as I have more treatments, but it's nothing to complain about. The anti-nausea medication I was given has been the ultimate lifesaver. I started out being able to do only Zofran, but these last couple times I've added some Decadron (which is a steroid--yay) to take the edge off.  Also having my port (or, #surfport or, #PORTition)* has been incredible. I haven't had any vein problems with my last two treatments :). I just had my 8th treatment (of twelve) yesterday, so I am officially 2/3 of the way done! I will have one more treatment and then Nate will be able to start coming with me. All the nurses at the infusion center are looking forward to meeting him, because I talk about him all the time, and he hasn't been able to be at a chemo with me yet. So, our first appointment together will be New Year's Eve! I am going to take in headbands, sparkling cider, and some kind of treat, just to make it fun for everyone (because ain't no one wanna be there). (Sorry to all the English professors reading this, but there was just no other way to put that. And, I have chemo brain, so I can't be held responsible for grammatical errors.)

Here I am at chemo #8! (staying hydrated)

And another big update: I have busted out my wig. 

It is definitely a strange adjustment, but I have gotten used to it pretty quick. It's nice to have a little more hair for a change. Here is what my hair looks like now: 

It has definitely thinned out, but it is GROWING in the back. I styled it in a mohawk just to show the growth I've had! And yes, this is my natural hair color. To have this much hair this far into my treatment is incredible to me. My doctor told me I would be completely bald within a month of starting treatment. 

I still feel comfortable wearing it out like this (if it's styled), but the wig is fun. If it starts getting more patchy, I will probably cut it all shorter, just so it's evened out. 

I have also been able to experiment with some new #cancercouture looks! The scarves have been fun (once you figure out how to tie them to your head!) Here is the "chemo glow" I have been telling some of you about... there's more about this down below. 

I have come across a YouTube channel called "Confessions of a Bald Girl" that is done by a girl who just survived Breast Cancer! She is super stylish, and has a lot of good tutorials like this one. I love the bow! 

One DEFINITE bonus from having chemo-- it is like getting botox and a facial every time you go. It, like, perfects your skin. I had heard other people say they had had this as a side effect, but I didn't believe it until I saw it on my own face. A lot of people ask me if I've been out in the sun or using tanning products, but it's just the "chemo glow!" Obviously I don't recommend taking this route for skincare haha, but it has been nice to have #flawless* skin for once in my life!





*Some of you are wondering about some of the funny hashtags on my chemo posts from Instagram. I have a little group of friends that I have met on IG (there are 5 of us, and we are all around the same age and all were diagnosed with Hodgkin's in 2014, so it has been an AMAZING support for me). So to make things fun, we incorporate Beyonce songs into our everyday chemo posts. If you've heard the songs, it is probably all clicking for you... "surf port, surf port...." If you don't know the songs, just disregard it ;)

The Port

I got my port! I am so excited to be able to use it at my next treatment. This experience definitely made me appreciate the idea of timing in all things. If I would have gotten this port at the very beginning of treatment, there's no way I would appreciate it as much as I do now. I was actually against it at first because, to me, it was an extra procedure that would have to be done before I started treatment and I was already feeling pretty inconvenienced. 

In all the research I did about Phlebitis, the most common answer/advice people gave was "GET A PORT." I kind of rolled my eyes at the idea of it because it still was an extra procedure that I had to get done on top of my other appointments. But, the pain in my arm got so bad that I finally got to the point where I begged my doctor for it. The pain was so bad that I had trouble sleeping, and I was constantly alternating heat and ice over my vein to try to sooth it. One night, I woke up in the middle of the night crying and I prayed and prayed that this pain would go away. It didn't. It was frustrating for me because I knew I had faith that this could go away and I could be healed, but the pain continued on. I realize now that God was trying to tell me that I needed this port. If the pain hadn't been as bad and as debilitating as it was, I still wouldn't have it, and the resulting vein damage would have been a lot worse and more permanent. See? Timing in all things. 

My doctor ordered me a port, and I had an appointment to have it put in right before my sixth chemo treatment, so I wouldn't have to use my veins again. The day of my appointments, I got a call from the doctor's office saying they needed to cancel my surgery because a trauma patient came in and it was going to be hours before they could get me in. So, I rescheduled for the next morning at 6:30 am and went to chemo as normal. As soon as the medicine was going through the IV, there was inflammation in my vein. Here is a picture (this is a week post-treatment, but it shows how bad the damage is!) 

The line on the left is the Phlebitis, and that vein has already completely hardened, so they now call it a "cord." 

So, the next morning I got up for my surgery, and everything went AWESOME. My prep room was directly across from the operating room, and since I was the first patient in, they were setting up the room and jamming out to classic rock. I've been saying this entire time that they really need to have music playing when you are getting these procedures done. Especially with PET scans. I met the surgeon and he was really nice and just basically went over the procedure. They put me under conscious sedation, and so I was awake the entire time! They numbed the area, so I really didn't feel anything. We listened to Journey and Foreigner and chatted about the Sacramento Kings, Hodgkins Lymphoma, and The New Orleans Saints. The whole thing probably took about thirty minutes. 

All done! 

Apparently I was sending this selfie to people after, haha! 

So, I get to use the port at my next appointment! Cheers to no more vein damage! 

Back in Action

Sorry! I have totally been MIA. But, I have been keeping busy! Last weekend I went to Light the Night here in Sacramento.

Here I am with my Grandma Carol (who came to visit from Utah last weekend!)

Here I am with my Grandma and Grandpa Eide (who came from the Bay Area)

Here I am with my lantern! The white ones were for cancer patients and survivors.




Light the Night was awesome. Thank you again to everyone who donated! We were able to raise over $1000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I am already looking forward to next year! The event was really well done. My team raised enough money so that every member was able to get a wristband for the event. With the wristband, you earned a t-shirt, lantern, and food. We waited to walk in the end of the line, which actually turned out to be a good choice. You could see the parade of people walking toward Downtown Sacramento with all of their lanterns, and it was BEAUTIFUL. Especially with the city buildings behind it all. My picture is kind of hard to see, but you get the idea. The red lanterns were for supporters, family and friends, the white lanterns were for patients and survivors, and the gold lanterns were "in memory of..." It was awesome to see the community come together to support the cause, and to see all of the support for Leukemia and Lymphoma specifically!

I have also been busy with Phlebitis! For those of you who have experienced this, I know you are cringing. Phlebitis is inflammation of the vein, usually due to some sort of trauma. Last week, I started having terrible pain in my arm (specifically my vein), where I had my chemo injected at my last treatment. It lasted for a couple of days and would not go away. In fact, it seemed like it was getting worse. I called the Oncology department, and they wanted me to go in immediately to rule out a blood clot. With my parents at work, luckily my friend Marili was able to take me (and we even went to lunch before to keep my mind off it)! So, I checked into the hospital and had my ultrasound. The technician isn't supposed to give me results, but she did tell me that if something was wrong, they wouldn't let me leave. But... they let me leave. The results were looked over by a different Oncologist (mine had left for the day), and he said there wasn't anything to be worried about and that he checked my file, and I could take ibuprofen. I called my doctor the next day to see if I could get something for the pain and if she could tell me what was going on with my arm, since it wasn't anything they were initially worried about. I only spoke with the receptionist, but she told me my doctor said it was ok to have Aleve and to apply heat to it. I guess with the collection of prescriptions I have already, I really couldn't get anything stronger. I did some research about vein pain after chemotherapy, and I self-diagnosed myself with Phlebitis. I read some other blogs and some discussion boards of other patients who have had it, and with their descriptions of it, I knew that that's what it had to be. My favorites were "it feels like your arm is caught in a deer trap," and "it feels like there is a little double-edged knife that is continually going up your vein." That's really what it feels like. Like spot on. I also found out that the type of chemo that I am on (ABVD), is one of the most damaging to the veins. So, to prevent any more damage or pain, I am going in TOMORROW before chemo #6 to have a port put in! I am excited to know I won't have pain like this again. It was TERRIBLE!


Ready for my ultrasound! But first, a selfe:



Chemo #6 means I will be halfway done with treatment! It has gone really fast so far, so I am hoping with the holidays, and with Nate graduating and moving to CA, the second half will go by just as fast. Thank you again everyone for your thoughts and prayers-- they are working!

Two Great Causes

Connie Caps

I can't even begin to explain how amazing social media has been throughout this journey. I have been able to connect with so many amazing people who have also been affected by cancer in some way, and also some really great organizations that support those who have been affected.

I have connected with a lady named Linda, who has a 501c3 (nonprofit) organization where she hand knits hats for cancer patients. She will mail you a free hat of your choice if you are a current cancer patient. She just requests that you refer her to your place of treatment, so she can send them cards to give to other patients! I immediately went on and picked what style I wanted, along with the color. She immediately posted on Instagram that she was working on it, and that it would be ready for the next day's mail (which would have been Friday). I got the hat yesterday!

I ordered the "Rachel" style in Ivory. I LOVE it. She is so creative and has so many different styles and colors to choose from.

Now if you are not a cancer patient and would like a hat, she just requests that you make a donation (each hat has a requested price). These hats would make great Christmas gifts!

Now it gets better....

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen my Mohawk hairstyle I did last week.

Well, the iconic hairstyle now has a hat designed after it! May I introduce "The Cessiley:"

And it is available here:

http://conniecaps.org/cessiley.shtml

Since she hand knits these hats to order (and from what I hear, it's a pretty intricate design), she is requesting a donation of $45 for this style. She will add hats in different colors to her website as she makes them and as they come available, unless they are specifically requested! Her contact info is on the website.

For more information about what she does, you can visit her website: http://conniecaps.org/about.shtml



Light the Night

The second thing I discovered this past week was the "Light the Night" walk sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. My friend Jessica went to the one in Boise and tagged me in her Instagram post about it :)

So, naturally I did some research and found that Sacramento is having one on Saturday, November 1 at Raley Field. http://www.lightthenight.org/sac/

Light the Night is a walk and fundraiser for cancer patients and their families to educate the community and come together to honor those affected by these cancers. I have put together a team-- Team Cessiley for anyone who wants to walk or come and show support at the event. Here is a link to join the team or to make a donation:

http://pages.lightthenight.org/sac/Sacra14/TeamCessiley

We have a team goal of raising $1,000, and donations for Light The Night:

• Fund breakthrough therapies for blood cancer patients.
• Provides Free educational materials, support programs and events.
• Powers advocacy to ensure access to treatments.
• Helps provide personalized assistance through our Information Resource Center (from the LLS website)

Thank you again for all your love and support!

The Birthday

First off, wow! THANK YOU to everyone who showed their support on Wednesday, and for the birthday wishes! I can honestly say that it was the best birthday I've ever had. Which might be funny to say, because I had my third chemo treatment that day.

But, I was so occupied by the constant notifications popping up on my phone, the whole thing flew by. What an amazing gift it was to see the support of friends, family members, and even people I haven't met. The photos and selfies were all amazing, and it warmed my heart to know that together we made the world leopard print and violet for a day :)

My best friend took me to chemo, which was also a good distraction--for everyone. I think I can safely say that the Kaiser Infusion Center didn't know what hit it. We took cupcakes and had music, and had the whole staff laughing. 

One of the highlights of the treatment was that the IV went in on the first try, which made EVERYTHING easier. And, I have to say, the anti-nausea pills I have are phenomenal. The nurse called them "party favors"! Which is appropriate, because I need them to keep the party going! 

Even though it was on my birthday, I am so grateful that I am able to get treatment to beat this! As of my last treatment, I am 1/4 of the way done. I am really anxious to have my next PET scan to see the progress. My doctor was surprised at how much my lumps on my chest and my armpit had gone down after just the first treatment. She said it normally takes at least two treatments to see any shrinkage. She also said that it is kind of nice to have a visible lump to begin with, because then you can actually see the progress! Neither of the lumps are even visible anymore, which was the case after the second treatment, I just forgot to mention it in my last post! 

Now here's the downer: 

I have had a few brave strands of hair exit the premises. BUT, my doctor said this would happen within the first two weeks of treatment, and this didn't happen until day 23. So, I'll take it! I thought for sure I would be bald by my birthday, but it wasn't the case. I'm so grateful it stuck around as long as it has. 

Here's the plus side:

I get to experiment with fashion! I have gotten a ton of new scarves and hats, which I have "selfie'd" and branded as "Cancer Couture." I am constantly posting my #cancercouture on my Instagram account (@cessiley), so you can check that out for more constant updates and looks. I have connected with a few other Hodgkin's patients, so I may post some scarf tutorials on here at some point. I am also attending a class in a couple weeks that is hosted by Kaiser, called "Look Good, Feel Better." They go over adjusting to hair loss and have wig and scarf tutorials, and also have cosmetologists come in to give makeup tips. I was encouraged to sign up by the nurses, because they give you a $300 designer makeup kit for FREE! Not passing that up! Upon signing up, I had to give the woman on the phone a description of my complexion. I told her, "white...?" and she responded with "Gwyneth Paltrow white or Jennifer Aniston white?" I said, "somewhere in between those two." She put me down for "Kelly Ripa white." ha!

Here is Scarf look #1

The most important thing I have learned so far on this journey is advice I got in a card from my Uncle Ron. He said, "Keep a positive attitude so your body can function at an optimum level. You are a strong an courageous person and you will win this battle."

From experience, I know this is true. The second I started feeling down or like this was unfair, my physical health and strength took a toll. I was way more fatigued and run down, and it was obvious that my body wasn't working up to it's full potential. Attitude makes all the difference while enduring trials. I know without a doubt that everyone's support, thoughts, and birthday wishes had me functioning at an optimum level last week. It was definitely the quickest recovery so far!

Hodgkin's Lymphoma Awareness Month

September is Hodgkin's Lymphoma Awareness month! Which, in my opinion, is appropriate since it's also my birthday month! Upon finding this out, my sister introduced me to a website called www.choosehope.com. It's a website with all sorts of merchandise that supports cancer research and helps bring about awareness (sorry Sam Harmer, I am trying to limit my use of this word). I encourage everyone to look at the website, and maybe even get some gear to support the cause!

I did get a great idea this weekend. My Aunt Lana ran a half marathon this past weekend, and in my honor, wore a leopard bracelet while she ran. For those of you who know me, you know leopard is my "signature color." I want to find a pattern for bracelets to make that incorporates violet and leopard ribbon. Violet, because it is the color that represents Hodgkin's, and leopard to personalize the bracelets. If anyone has any ideas or knows a good way to do this, please let me know! I want to make a bunch and send them out to friends and family :).

As for my progress, I am doing great. I had my second treatment last week, and feel just as good as I did after the first one. I can tell my food preferences have definitely changed, but that is about it. I was lucky to have my Grandma with me for treatment this time. On the way to the appointment, I was bragging about how nice the veins in my arms are and how I have never had any problems with IV's. After we got there and the nurse had two failed attempts at getting the IV needle in, I was immediately stuffing my Ugg slipper in my mouth. My grandma helped keep me calm amidst the stress of the stubborn veins/needles, and the third time was a charm. The nurse and I both decided that this was a fluke, since neither of us have problems with this normally. Fingers crossed for the next treatment!

This is the perfect blanket (thank you, Anne!). It is violet AND leopard! 

I continue to feel strengthened by the prayers, love and support from all of you. I can't even begin to explain what a blessing it has been to have so much support. I am overwhelmed by the thoughts, packages, cards, and emails I have gotten from so many of you, and I feel incredibly loved. Nate and I appreciate everything and are so grateful for all of you.

The Beginning

Anyone that knows me or has spent any time with me in the last year would probably agree that I live a very healthy lifestyle. I eat gluten free and don't eat anything processed, I am a licensed Zumba instructor and had the intention of running two half marathons this year. So anyone that knows me will probably be shocked to know that I have been diagnosed with cancer, more specifically Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 

Looking back over the last year, I have had just about every symptom of the disease, but the symptoms are so subtle and are ones that are easily overlooked and diagnosed as something more minor. It took five different doctors to figure out something was not right and to actually get the diagnosis. 

Let's rewind to earlier this year. January, to be exact. I noticed that I had been sweating when I was sleeping at night. It seemed a little odd to me because of my age, so of course I googled it to see what the potential cause could be. The causes ranged from anxiety to cancer to tuberculosis. I told myself that I am just a warm sleeper, and that my body was just overdoing it with trying to make up for how cold it was outside (it was winter in Idaho, after all). And I didn't really think anything of it after that. But one morning a few weeks later as I was getting ready for work, I noticed I had a lump in my left armpit. The first thing I did was obviously google it to see what it might be. It was either nothing or something serious. I knew I wouldn't have peace of mind unless I had it looked at, so I made an appointment to see my doctor in Sacramento. 

My doctor (doctor #1) looked at it and very confidently diagnosed it as a lipoma (benign tumor). I did mention to her that I had been having night sweats, but she said it was nothing to worry about. I was so relieved to hear this, especially with how confident my doctor was. I went back to Boise and carried on with life. 

Last spring, I decided I was going to do a half marathon. I registered to run the Famous Idaho Potato Marathon, and started training with a friend. About 2 weeks before the race, I woke up feeling really ill. My throat burned, and my body felt weak and tired. It took about five or so days to feel better, but I could only miss so much work, so I was getting up early and working long days while I was trying to recover. It seemed like a bad flu that "had been going around," but I felt like I never fully recovered from it. I was constantly tired and just felt off. I would recover for about a week or so, and then feel really fatigued again. I didn't feel like I had adequate energy to run 13.1 miles, so I didn't end up running the race. After a few weeks of not feeling well, I decided to go to an urgent care to get checked out. Based on my symptoms (fatigue, flu-like symptoms, weakened immune system, swollen glands) the doctor (doctor #2) determined that I had a "mono-like" virus, and should fully recover in about a month. I didn't mention the armpit lump to her, since I knew it was benign. During that month, my husband, Nate, got the stomach flu, so inevitably I got it too. Once I recovered from that, I started taking Airborne every day to try and build my immune system back up. In the mean time, I had signed up for another half marathon (which takes place on September 20th), and one of the incentives of signing up was a 30-day pass for one of the gyms in Boise. I started getting up before work and going to fitness classes, along with running on the treadmill. I was running on a treadmill after a weight-lifting class on a Saturday morning, when I noticed my reflection in the TV attached to the machine. There was a small bulge right below my collarbone. When I got home, I examined it in the mirror a little bit more, and wondered if it was from weightlifting, or if it was another lipoma. I had read that it's not uncommon to have several lipomas throughout your body, so I assumed that's what it was. I took a picture and sent it to my mom, letting her know I thought I had grown another lipoma. 

This one was about the size of a golf ball. Since Nate and I had planned a trip to Sacramento a couple weeks after this, I decided to schedule an appointment to have this one checked out while I was there.

 I wasn't able to get an appointment with my regular doctor, so I was scheduled to see another doctor (doctor #3). This doctor looked not only at this new lump, but at the one in my armpit as well to compare the two. By feeling it, he said he thought it was probably a lipoma, but that he thought I should get a biopsy to be safe, since it is unusual to have two lipomas that close together. This was on a Friday, and the soonest I could get in to meet with a surgeon was the following Wednesday. Nate and I had flights to go back to Boise on Sunday, so I had to reschedule to go back Wednesday after my appointment. 

Wednesday came up quickly, and I met with Dr. Bow (doctor #4) that afternoon. He examined both of my lumps, and asked me a series of questions to rule out what it may be. Cat Scratch Fever was an option, I will have you know (yes, it is an actual condition, but I don't know how you could take it seriously). After talking to him for a few minutes, he left to get another doctor for a second (or fifth) opinion. This was doctor #5. She looked and felt both of the lumps and was the first doctor of the five to actually say that this could possibly be cancer. The lumps were in places where there are lymph nodes, and to her, they didn't seem mobile enough to be lipomas. My mom asked if there would be any other symptoms if this indeed was the result. The doctor's response? "Not necessarily-- but the most common are night sweats and fatigue." My heart sank. I think I knew at that moment that this is what it was, but I wished so badly that it wasn't that I wouldn't let myself accept it. Dr. Bow performed the biopsy, and let me know that he would call me the next day with the lab result. After the appointment, I immediately went to the airport to catch my flight back to Boise. My stomach was in absolute knots, not to mention I had just had minor surgery. 

The next day I was a wreck waiting for this phone call that would change my life forever, regardless of the results. I got sick to my stomach when I saw the call from Elk Grove, CA coming in. I answered and had Dr. Bow on the line. He told me that my biopsy was going to another lab in the Bay Area for a second opinion, but that the initial results looked like it was Hodgkin's disease, which is a type of cancer. He immediately followed up by saying that Hodgkins is very, very curable, but that he wanted to let me know right away because I would need to make arrangements to come back to California for treatment. Cancer? Even though I was pretty sure I knew deep down, just hearing the confirmation was unreal. And how was I going to break the news to my family and friends? I called my mom and my husband first thing, and then we slowly spread the word to extended family and friends to start the prayers. 

I got the confirmation phone call from Dr. Bow the next day (which was Friday). When I got off the phone with him, I sat, just stunned that it was actually true. But at the same time, I had an overwhelming feeling of peace. I knew right then that everything was going to be ok. And I have had this feeling with me through the whole process so far. Dr. Bow referred me immediately to the Oncology Department, who followed up the following Monday. They wanted me in the office that week to get things going. I was expecting to have the whole week to slowly pack up (since I would be moving to my parents' home), so it was a little stressful to pack what I could in a suitcase and leave for California again. Nate is finishing his last semester at Boise State, so we decided it would be best for him to finish up and then move out to Sacramento in December, after he graduates. Luckily, we have been long distance before, so we have been prepared for this. 

I had my first appointment with my Oncologist, Dr. Rodriguez, on Wednesday (August 13th). She talked to me about what to expect with treatment (chemotherapy), and what testing was needed to determine my staging, thus determining how long treatment will be. I was scheduled for four different tests, all of which would happen within the next week, and was scheduled to start chemotherapy two weeks from that date, August 27th. We started with a lung test, where I basically looked like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland for 45 minutes while my breathing and lung strength were tested. See for yourself:

And I know my face was extremely red, but yours would be too if you had to blow into a bong for 6 seconds. Next was a heart test, called the MUGA, where they intravenously inject dye into your bloodstream to test how efficiently your heart pumps blood through your veins. The PET scan was scheduled next, and for this one, I had to completely avoid sugar, carbs, and caffeine for 2 days. It's a terrible diet to be on. But the test is exactly what you would think-- a full body scan in a claustrophobic tube. And last but not least, the lovely bone marrow biopsy. I am so scarred from this that just the name makes me cringe. For this one, they use a needle to extract a piece of bone containing bone marrow, and then go back in to get a marrow sample. I will just say that yes, they numb your skin before they do it, but there is nothing they can do to numb your bone, which is the part that is actually being handled. And you can hear the needle touching/extracting your bone. It's bad. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. I got my results about a week later-- Stage 3. Stage 3 for Hodgkin's means that I have lymph nodes that are affected above and below the diaphragm. Which makes me wonder how long I have actually had this. The doctor said that Stage 1 can last up to 9 months! The best news I have gotten in the last month though is that the cancer is NOT in my bone marrow! 

And then I started chemotherapy. I started last week, on August 27th. Before I started, Dr. Rodriguez explained the medicine to me. It is a new kind of chemotherapy that has just been developed within the last three years, and is specifically for Hodgkin's disease. This chemo has had amazing results, with little side effects. Any side effect that may occur has a drug that can be prescribed to offset it. She expected that I would probably just be tired for a few days after, and that my tastebuds would change, so I should just eat whatever sounded good. So I went to my first chemo appointment pretty confident, but still a little nervous. I did get a new pair of Banana Republic lounge pants and made sure I had The September Issue for the appointment, so that made me feel a little better. 

Off to chemo. But first, a selfie:

And here I am getting infused:

The only side effects I have to report are a little bit of tiredness and lots of appetite. On the way home from the appointment, I got a pizza and ate most of it. It has been a little over a week since my first treatment, and I actually feel better than I did before I started. The lump in my armpit (which was the size of a tennis ball) is already gone, and the lump in my chest is not visible at all! It makes me feel so much better to have the visual results. I have a good amount of energy, and I have been able to swim and to go on walks almost every night (including the night of the infusion)!

I am extremely grateful to everyone for the thoughts and prayers. I feel very loved and know that I would not be this well off without them :)