Two down

We are home safe and sound after round 2 of adriamycin/cytoxan. Not only home, in pajamas and in bed. Dr. O was quite surprised at how quickly the side effects hit me last time--24-36 hours is the norm, not 3-4! But I was also nervous about the process & coming off a minor surgery the day before for my first infusion. The fact of the matter is: I'm not taking chances and have made myself comfortable in anticipation of however it works this time!

But--it doesn't really matter what the effects are because this stuff works--my large tumor shrunk a third in size after just one round of AC! WOOHOO!!!!

We had another lovely pre-treatment dinner last night with family and I forgot to get a picture! We have really enjoyed all the fun and delicious dinners before all of the appointments and treatments...Indian, Japanese, Mexican & Italian...it's been a very fun global experience, and really helps as a fun distraction before a day of chemo.

Mom came with us this trip. She was great company in the infusion room. It's always nice to have your mom there to take care of you, even when you're 38! My parents have been a huge support on the Austin end of things, so I was thankful that my mom was able to meet my oncologist and generally be a part of the "action" today (because sitting in a chair for four hours is so action packed! Ha!)

My sweet inlaws Lorne & Michelle also made for great company during my treatment today. And of course David! The nurses were quite impressed with my constantly rotating parade of visitors. It was crowded in the infusion room today, and I was one of the only people with visitors, and most certainly the only one with four visitors! It makes the time go by more quickly and much more enjoyably when I have such great family there.

So sweet friends and family, I'm halfway through the highly effective "red devil" part of the chemo, which is great news! I'll check in tomorrow or the next day with another update. Xxoo

Time for a new look!

So this was a big milestone to pass.  And a pretty scary one too, but we decided to take a little bit of control (which is not always an option when cancer is involved) and do it on our terms.  Yesterday afternoon, David shaved my head preemptively.  No, my hair had not started to fall out just yet.  That will probably be Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  The more I thought about having to deal with clumps of hair coming out, the more I knew that would not resonate well with me.  I will be honest--shaving my head wasn't exactly what I wanted to do, but it really did seem the better option for me personally.  Plus, David and I talked about it and decided it would be best for this to be fun!  So at more or less the last minute and with the help of my sweet friend Ashley and our wonderful families, we threw a little party….I think every single person there agreed it was their first "Head Shaving Party"--hey, there's a first for everything, right?

Reese's sign greeted everyone.

Me, pre-shave, with my father-in-law Lorne (official family photographer), my aunt Janise and cousin Stephanie.

David beginning the process!  Shannon and Reese have a front row seat.  

I am the luckiest woman around, and I realize this.  David trimming and shaving my hair was about the clearest and loudest act of love I could think of.  I can assure you that we are both in this for better or worse!

And he did a great job!  You might have guessed he has had some practice with this particular hairstyle!

What is the saying about the longer couples are together, the more they look like one another?

Posing with David and my mom Pam.

My dad Mike and grandmother Margaret jumped in as well.

A great pic of all of my family that was able to attend the party.  I love you all!

And my wonderful, smart, funny, beautiful friends.  I love you too!  These two pics (family and friends) are a great representation of a big part of Team Shelly!

With Cathleen, Monique, Ashley and my daughter Reese in a pink wig.

Thank you, Ashley, for coordinating food, drinks, and everything for the party!

Trying to figure out the wig.  Still working on this….you have to really know how to adjust and style them…hopefully this talent will come to me….

Otherwise I will just have to wear one of my many cute hats!

And so my hair is gone.  Understandably, this is a scary part of the process for many women.  While it's temporary, it is a hit to your vanity and self image, and makes you feel exposed and vulnerable in some ways.  But I could not be more pleased with the way the evening went last night.  I am so thankful to have such amazing family and friends who are the very best support network!  I am also thankful that I no longer have to dread the hair loss and now I can check that one off the list! It really is a relief in many ways.

I will sign off with some positives that come to mind:

Silver lining: not having to spend $$$ at the salon getting my color and cut done for the next several months! But I will miss going there to see my friends.

Major blessing: amazing family and friends supporting me constantly, which was evident at the BEST HEAD SHAVING PARTY EVER!!!!

We clean up okay!

David and I had a big night out last night at the Dell Children's Hospital Gala!  It's been awhile since we've attended a gala, and it was really wonderful to get dressed up, hit the town, and see so many great friends, all for a wonderful cause.

Fashionably Austin posted a pic of me (and about 100 other women) from the event.  It's not often (ever?) that I make a fashion blog, so I was very flattered and had to include the pic!  I seriously loved wearing this dress and was so happy I bought it on a whim this week.  It covered my port and scar on my chest and fit like a charm, plus it was comfortable to boot.

And in the celebratory mode, it was also my last night with my very own hair on my head.  I have decided to jump ahead of the "hair falling out" portion of this process.  David is going to shave my head this evening.  I have several sweet family and friends coming over to celebrate this scary milestone with me and I am honestly looking forward to it.  Wigs, scarves and hats are ready and waiting!  Pics will follow tomorrow!

Nap buddies

It appears my two furry babies have had no trouble adjusting to the idea of my daily naps. They were sitting here waiting for me to come snooze with them! Night night from me, Greta & Roscoe!

The new normal

Life is certainly full of changes and adjustments, and this new journey has been no different.  I am feeling pretty good physically but get extremely fatigued.  All of a sudden, it feels as if I am made of lead and I literally cannot move at a normal speed.  So, I am incorporating long, restful naps into my daily routine.  And honestly, I really can't complain about that!  I think slowing down, letting my body heal and rest, and taking time to be thankful for everything in my life is a positive change.  During the past few weeks, besides hearing the scary C word and grappling with all the unknowns associated with it, I have actually noticed a lot of positive changes.  I have also noticed they generally fall into one of two categories in my mind: silver linings or major blessings. For example, silver lining = getting to lay down and take a nap every day.  Major blessing = having family and friends that will come to me and watch my kids so I can take that healing time for myself.

It's not a stretch to say I was rushing around too much, hurrying from one thing to another and always overbooking myself in recent weeks.  In many ways, it is a gift to myself to clear my schedule, take plenty of down time and focus on my health and my family.  There really isn't any other choice, so it is nice that it brings me relief.

David and I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of prayers, love, support, and help we have received recently.  It is humbling to have so many people willing to lift you up, willing to lend a hand, willing to step in.  We love you all so much, and it is not an exaggeration to say that we feel all of this support and love wrapping around us and helping us on a daily basis. We really would not have the positive attitude to face this challenge without all of you!  xoxo

Figuring it out

Hi family & friends, thank you for all the prayers, support, comments and love! I just wanted to write a quick entry following my first chemo to let everyone know I've survived (am surviving?) the initial treatment side effects. If this follows a pattern, my side effects hit hard and fast. I even started feeling nauseous and fatigued during my infusion. Last night, I definitely experienced nausea, exhaustion, aches and a headache. I think knowing this, we just need to rush home so I can take all my meds immediately and go to bed.

Today I'm much better. Definitely eating bland foods and feeling tired-- I napped twice, which is big for a girl who never naps! I'm so thankful for my parents. They are in overtime care giving mode! They took care of our kids while we were in Houston, took care of me while David took R to Mystic movie night last night, and took care of me all day while D was at work (minus when he came home to give me my Neulasta shot). From letting me nap to coming along on a short, much needed walk on this beautiful day, it has made such a difference in how I'm feeling. Sometimes you just need your mom & dad!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Fight like a girl!

We had a great evening with family last night. What could have been a nerve wracking, anxiety filled evening ended up being a night filled with blessings and laughter.

The W5 gave me signed pink boxing gloves! Love love love! I'm hanging these up at home and putting them on when I need them.

Ready for the fight!

David and I are at the Baylor Clinic. I'm nervous but ready to begin this battle.

It's almost anticlimactic to sit here receiving the infusions. I'm ready to fight! I keep reminding myself this is a huge part of the fight. Make no mistake, there is some heavy duty weaponry pulsing through my veins now. If you look carefully, you can see why they call Adria the  "red devil"! It's literally Big Red color. Thank you Kathleen for teaching me that term--the nurse got a kick out of the fact that I knew that. :)

Thank you everyone for your prayers, love, and support. I am very relieved to report the battle has truly begun! Go Team Shelly! Xoxo

Update

David wants everyone to know he's feeling fine and his spirits are good. In all seriousness, the port was installed and everything went smoothly. By total chance, my surgeon graduated from my high school and we have mutual friends. (Go chaps!) So we are ready for the next step....which is definitely chemo since my HER2 result is negative!

In sickness & in health

We are all checked in at the hospital and waiting for my port installation surgery. David has absolutely been--and will continue to be-- my rock during this process. We are ready to begin the battle! Here we go!

Care Calendar

For those interested in helping the Bain family over the next few months, here is the information to access their care calendar:

visit http://carecalendar.org/logon/171111 and enter

the following information in the appropriate spaces:

     CALENDAR ID   :   171111

     SECURITY CODE :   1591

 

 

Once treatment begins and a routine forms, play dates for Reese and Weston will also be added to the care calendar. 

 

Thank you all so much for loving and helping Shelly and her sweet family!

 

Love-

Ashley Ohls

Retail therapy

My sweet friend Alyssa went hat and scarf shopping with me today--so much fun! Newsboys, cloches and beanies galore! 

Chop chop!

I got my hair lopped off as a transition before it falls out. I'd like to say it was to help the kids get used to it, but who am I kidding? It's as much to help me prepare for what's next! I'm loving it shorter and have decided my goal is to have this style by next year at this time!

Reality

I'm not particularly excited about the entrance of worry-induced insomnia into my life recently.  I'm not a great sleeper normally anyway, but it has really been evading me the past few weeks.  Now I have been up for a few hours, my mind whirring through what lies ahead in the next week or two.  While I still feel thankful to have a plan and know what we need to do next, it also has become much more REAL.  Everything has been very surreal the past few weeks.  I certainly have experienced and processed the reality of the situation--the fears, the stress, breaking the news to family and friends in the way I wanted it to be handled.  But now, I know I am entering chemo soon, which causes me anxiety.  It's necessary and I know this.  It has to happen, and I really am okay with it.  Part of me even wants to start as soon as possible to begin to really wage this war and take control, bit by bit.  But at this point--it's not really something I can control.

I am realizing I need to reevaluate a lot of things at this point.  I need to slow down, allow myself to be weak, ask for help.  I need to clear my busy schedule entirely and focus on myself and healing.  None of these things have been part of regular routine, but it's the new normal, my new reality.  Healing, praying for healing, planning for healing--this is what I try to focus on every hour these days.  Hopefully, the restorative sleep will come soon….

Plan of attack!

Today we had our first post-biopsy appointment with my oncologist in Houston.  Dr. O reviewed the results with us, which confirmed the presence of cancer in both the tumor area and the lymph node.  Tests found that my cancer is ER+, PR+ and most likely HER2 negative, although they are re-testing the HER2 result as it wasn't completely clear.  If HER2 does in fact return negative as they suspect, we will proceed to round one of chemo, beginning next week.  First, I will have a port surgically installed to receive the treatments.  The next day I will have my first round of AC (adriamycin/cytoxan) chemo, which is the type with the stronger side effects.  I will have this treatment for 8 weeks, and immediately follow it with an 8 week round of Taxol chemo (with different and less intense side effects), for a total of 16 weeks of chemo.  After the four months of chemo, I will go in for the mastectomy, then possibly radiation.  However, I am trying to focus on things week by week at this time, which is hard for someone who likes to plan everything out months in advance.  But it does give me some comfort to have a plan in place and to know what to expect next!

I cannot tell you how overwhelmed David and I have been by the outpouring of prayers, love and support.  We appreciate it beyond words!  My goal is to post here every week or two with updates for the family and friends who are interested in following my journey as I beat this cancer!  Please feel free to check in any time.  xoxo, Shelly

Update: here is some more info in Q&A format--thank you for the great questions!

- Are you getting all your treatments in Houston?If so, will you be coming home in between?

I'm definitely getting the first two rounds of AC chemo at Dr. O's office in Houston.  After that, I might opt to get them here, or a combination of the two.  Each infusion lasts about 4 hours, with a follow up shot 24 hours but David says he can administer it.  I will definitely be back in Austin in between treatments.

- How long does a round of chemo last?

The actual sitting in the chair getting the infusion part is 4 hours.  The first round of dense dose chemo (I think I'm recalling that correctly) is 8 weeks, with an infusion every other week (total 4 infusions) Taxol is also 8 weeks, infusion every other week.

- If you have side effects, did they estimate when you're likely to feel them?

Apparently the intensity and extent of side effects can vary pretty widely from person to person.  They say most people experience side effects 2-4 days after the infusion.  There's also often and cumulative effect where you feel the effects more strongly and longer with each infusion. Yippee!

- Are there some medications to help with said side effects?

Yes definitely.  There are great meds for nausea, and they can actually give the infusion every other week because the injection D will give me afterwards to boost white blood cell count.

- If the HER2 is + not -, does that change the protocol?

Yes.  I will still have the port installed but will go through a course of different type of infusion prior to beginning chemo.  Basically, the chemo will get pushed back but we will start next week regardless.

New blog!

Hello family and friends!  I am starting this blog as a way for us to provide updates to any family and friends who want to follow our journey as I battle breast cancer.  David or I will be regularly updating the blog with info on surgeries, treatments and doctor appointments.  I am sure we will also use it as an outlet for other emotions and experiences that come up throughout this process.  Thank you for joining us!  We are thankful for any and all prayers, positive thoughts, good energy sent our way!  We will get through this!