The start of the new normal

Winter is coming faster than we'd like. Everyone is busy getting wood in, tidying up outside before the snow covers everything and making sure everywhere is as weather tight as can be.
David has just got a new toy to help with some of these jobs and to plow us out this winter.

Meet Tommy the skid steer! I think a few people in this household are going to have lots of fun with this.

Our life is pretty surreal at the moment, David says it's like living in a parallel universe half the time. Numerous times a week we end up sitting in some hospital waiting room waiting for some appointment or other. 

My treatment plan is much clearer now since getting all the results of my recent tests back. My CT and bone  scans both came back negative which is great news. It means all the treatment from here on in is preventative. 

My oncologist has decided that I will have 4 courses of chemo, followed by 1 month break then 21 days of radiation, after my chemo has finished one of the drugs they are giving me will continue to be given to me for a total of 17 treatments (approx 1 year) this drug will still be given through IV but it isn't a traditional chemo drug so the side effects should be minimal. 

I can't say I'm looking forward to the following few months but I just want to get it over with now. They were really struggling to give me injections for all the tests I've had recently. Since having surgery they can only use 1 arm to inject me which happens to be my left arm which has not got good veins. It became so swollen and bruised last week and was quite distressing when an IV popped out in a scan, that I opted for a port to be permanently inserted in my arm while I'm having treatment. This morning I went in for this to be inserted under local anesthetic, Once it's settled down this will really minimise the distress of my treatment.

So Monday 2nd November will be the start of our new normal for a while. I am booked in to start my chemotherapy. Initially my treatments will take approx 3+ hours but this will reduce each time as my body gets used to the drugs.

Happy Thanksgiving

This past weekend was Thanksgiving, we celebrated with a lovely meal at Rich and Jen's. We didn't have a traditional turkey in the freezer but we did have a duck!!! close enough. It as very yummy.

Isaac started his new job at Degree Technology last week and is enjoying being back in his chosen trade. Josh had some midterm exams last week and Harriet did well in her cross country trials and has now finished for the season. David has done a good job of the dormer in Isaac's room and just has some finishing off in there to do now.

I went to see my oncologist today and because of the grade of the cancer they removed I will have to have chemotherapy followed by radiation then hormone therapy. All this will start in a couple of weeks time after I've had some tests and meetings to prepare me for it.

On the plus side I should still be able to travel to the UK at Christmas if all goes well.

We would really appreciate your continued prayers during the next few months as we progress down this new and ever so slightly daunting road.

good news

So today was the appointment with my surgeon to get the results from my recent surgery.

He said they had removed all the cancer and it hadn't spread to the lymph nodes!!! good news indeed.

I will still need further treatment to do all they possibly can to prevent it from coming back in years to come. This is likely to be radiation and who knows what else so now I have to wait for an appointment with my oncologist to work out the next steps.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, visits, gifts and messages throughout the past few weeks. I think I'll need patience for the next stage as it looks like it will be a lot of waiting and meetings before treatment will begin again. At least it gives me time to heal and get my strength back.