Thank the Lord the EMTs weren’t coming for you. That would have been too much if they’d come running in, then stopped in front of you.
Delays are horrible. Even under the best of conditions, two hours just sitting would be difficult for me. I’ll have to follow your lead, Jilly, and take my laptop.
Hang in there, Lady Jilly, and I pray that the days ahead won’t be too horrible.
Jane
It turns out that I am not estrogen positive after all. What that means, among other things, is that I probably won’t need any estrogen inhibitors.
The results from the molecular study of the cancer cells are being re-run and I go back to the oncologist for a final update this Friday. By that time, I should have a report that either confirms the first finding or one that points us in a different direction.
The oncologist is recommending a regimen of 4 cycles of chemotherapy, followed by radiation. That’s an aggressive treatment plan, owing to the suspicion that it’s always possible that some marauding cancer cells could have disguised themselves and are lurking in shadows somewhere in my body. The chemo will take care of them and zap them right out of existence. Cancer cells are good at playing those kinds of games but I definitely do not want my body being the host of a masquerade party. I’ll take an aggressive treatment plan any day. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons why the survival rate for breast cancer is increasingly higher and higher.
My big excitement of today was going back to my primary care physician for a pneumonia shot after Quint and I met with the oncologist. Can’t be too careful. And they’re supposed to be good for ten years. So let’s see, I had my flu vaccine when Quint and I were at the doctor’s last Friday. I hurried and got a shingles vaccine last year when Quint got shingles. That’s very painful so I definitely wanted no part of that.
I’m on hold until Friday, after which appointment I will probably get scheduled for the chemotherapy, starting sometime during the first week of December, then a three week wait, then another cycle of chemo, etc. etc. It will take 12 weeks to get through the four cycles of chemo.
I’m finally getting used to saying “me” and “chemotherapy” and “cancer” in the same sentence. Guess that’s an improvement.
My peace comes from knowing that the number of days of my life were determined by God before I was even born. So worrying about how long I’ll live is not going to add one minute to my life.
Besides, I have things planned since I’m now President of the Effingham/Shelby County Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Things like, oh, I don’t know. I’m already starting to go around to the different Ladies Aid groups to meet other women in the Zone and am enjoying all of them tremendously. I thank God for all my friends at church. They are such a comfort as they pray for me and help me keep my chin up.
They are so genuine and loving and I thank God for bringing each and every one into my life.
I mean it.
— Jane Reinheimer