Milestone #1

I'm going to jump around chronologically this post because I have to immediately share that yesterday was my FOURTH AND FINAL Adriamycin/Cytoxan infusion! I'm done with red devil!!!! My next four infusions are a type of chemo called Taxol, but more on that at a later date because I'm really wanting to focus on this milestone. It's my first big treatment milestone--done with red devil, halfway through chemo! And Dr. O confirmed that the tumor continues to shrink. It's not a huge difference, but as he tells me, the estrogen receptor positive tumors don't often respond drastically to chemo. I'm just thankful that we are continuing to see shrinkage and positive changes! All of our prayers are working!

I had many infusion room visitors yesterday. David and mom dubbed us "The Bain Train" as we moved all through the doctors office to the infusion room, and the nurses picked up on it. Each time someone new popped in, they'd make a comment about the Bain Train!

I didn't get pics of everyone, so please know that David, my mom Pam and my mother-in-law Michelle were all visitors as well.

My sister-in-law Christine and father-in-law Lorne were great company, as you can see below. I really love all the visits as it makes it so much faster and more fun.

Now stepping back a day. Wednesday was a day filled with so much "new." I met the two surgeons who will work in tandem on my mastectomy and reconstruction in a few months. They gave me all sorts of options to consider, things to think about, and of course, a few new concerns to ponder.  It comes with the territory.  David, Mom and I spent a loooong time in the medical center, meeting with both surgeons and members of their staff, having our questions answered and listening to their explanations of the procedures. The surgeries, especially the DIEP flap reconstruction, are going to be a marathon event.  I will be on the table a very long time and in the hospital several days afterward, but it really sounds like while this is a lot to deal with the few weeks following the surgery, it is by far the best option in the long run.  My surgeries are scheduled for May 27th. More to follow on those in future posts, I can assure you!

Afterwards, we had a wonderful time at La Casa de W5. It sounds like a trendy Houston restaurant! My sister-in-law prepared an amazing Mexican meal, and we had a lovely evening with our Houston team! Blake, Christine, Georgia, Bain and Mary Blake were excellent hosts, and Lorne, Michelle, Blaise and Lissa joined to entertain the Austin contingency. We are getting so spoiled by all these fun and delicious pre-treatment dinners. It really makes our visits so much more fun!

Here's our Houston team displaying the Team Shelly shirts, hot off the press!

My two cuties modeling their shirts too! The fabulous design is courtesy of my dad (we will feature a pic of him in his shirt soon!), and printing was coordinated by dad and my friend Melissa. Thank you!!! I love it!

Jumping to current time (I promised you it would be a chronologically challenging post!), I'm feeling remarkably well so far. Usually Saturday and Sunday are quite a bit harder, so I know I'm not out of the woods, but I've rested, had a good lunch, and even managed a short walk on this beautiful day. This is my nap time view, aka "the bed hogs!"

So I will just wait to see what the weekend holds, but in the meantime, farewell to the red devil! Don't let the door hit you on your way out!