ALMOST HALF WAY!

I'm looking forward to the day when I no longer worry about how cancer is EFFECTING my life and instead CELEBRATE how it changed me for the better, the day I can say I'm a SURVIVOR.

ONLY one AC treatment left! SO EXCITED to not have the extreme nausea with TAXOL. However, it does have some rather scary side effects of its own.

- joint pain

- muscle pain

- 3 hours of infusion ( because there's a likely chance anyone will have a pretty severe allergic reaction to it )-> you actually used to have to be admitted for 24 hours after but they've got it down pretty good now :)

- Nail destruction... from lifting to falling off completely. Think like.. when you break you toe or finger and the nail bruises and falls off its that process but all over :/ ick

- All the stubble/eyebrows/lashes that have so far been holding on for dear life will probably abandon me :( but that is not for certain.

On another note to those ladies out there who may be just starting or looking at chemo in their future, it's not as bad as you imagine. The nausea they talk about is that knot in your throat and an uneasy tummy - kind of like a bad hangover that lasts 4 days. (with AC) and you will get tired and fatigue, but if you make sure you eat healthy things in little amounts through out the day this really helps, and currently I only get hit maybe twice in two weeks with that "i got hit by a truck fatigue" which usually resolves itself with a 3-4 hour nap :)

Sad to say my wonderful chemo nurse got another job offer, so I now have a new equally wonderful chemo nurse who I like very much. She also offered me ice chips this time! There are studies that if you chew on ice chips during infusion you can reduce the chance of mouth sores. (with the Adria) I had never been offered this before but i'm usually drinking ice water so I believe this really helps because I haven't encountered mouth sores! Also the Alo drinks you can get at Jewel or Trader Joe's are something I will never stop raving about.

Last night was rough but we didn't hit horrible traffic and I didn't sleep the best but I do feel better this morning :) better... not great or even good, I'd say OK. Which is not bad! I can't wait until the day I cant feel these tumors at all- Then I'll know he Chemo will have WON and so will I :D

IMPORTANT FACTS:

I inquired yesterday as to if there were any other young people-as young as me that my WONDERFUL oncologist was treating and was SHOCKED by her answer.......

- 2 more women diagnosed at 24 (early stages like me) -getting chemo

- 1 woman diagnosed at 23 Stage 0 DCIS (this means it is non invasive) - no chemo needed but she elected to have a Bilateral Mastectomy anyway. I say good for her!

- 1 woman DIAGNOSED at 22yrs old- Stage 4 Which means that it had already spread to other areas of her body AT 22! That was years ago and she's now in her 30's but her treatment will possibly never end.

***There are three things about breast cancer that TRULY THREATEN YOUR LIFE.

1. It doesn't discriminate against age any longer 1 in 8 women WILL get breast cancer

2. 85% of diagnoses is in woman who do not have family history- So you may not expect it, So look twice as hard.

3. If you have a genetic mutation- you need to act aggressively even if you don't yet have cancer, And truly the only way this type of cancer CAN - NOT WILL BUT CAN kill you is if it has spread outside of the breast.

Which is why early detection BY YOU as a young woman WILL SAVE your life. If you are under the standard age for MAMMOGRAMS you are your only advocate - learn your body- and you'll know when something isn't right. If you have a family history fight for the right to get mammograms NOW even if you're in your 20's. If insurance turns you down reach out to foundations/organizations that will help you get them. If you catch it at Stage 0 you avoid the need for chemo and extensive surgery... unless you chose to fight aggressively which many do even with know diagnoses.