Chemo #10

Today I completed the 10th treatment of my 16 treatment plan ... 63% done!

Next Tuesday I have the 2nd appointment with my surgical oncologist, and we can get additional info about the surgery process and hopefully final confirmation on the surgery date. I'm tentatively set for the week of September 24 ... either on the 24th or the 27th, the final date to be determined by the decision of at which Peoria hospital the surgery is done. One hospital is a little smaller and there is a better chance for a private room, etc. But I want to talk with the surgeon about her perspective on it all, and I'll put my full trust and faith in her expertise and recommendation of which we should go with.

At any rate, that is only 9 weeks away and surgery is beginning to loom larger in my everyday thinking. I've never had a surgery where I was out completely ... my two c-sections left me awake and part of a happy operating room experience. Recovery both times brought discomfort and fatigue, but like anything else I pushed through it and most people around me didn't even know I was in pain or overly tired. We had help from family with early duties and a few meals came in from neighbors and friends ... but for the most part, life stayed at a normal pace. I hope to find a similar level of strength and determination to get me through this new surgical journey, although I do find myself being more open now to outside help and meal preparation in hopes of just keeping the family functioning normally!

About halfway through my treatment today a woman came in for her very first treatment, and we chatted a bit. She asked me a lot of questions about losing my hair, how that felt, how soon it happened, how I've adjusted. We chatted about side effects and telling people about your diagnosis, comments from friends and strangers. It felt really good to be on the giving end of support since I have been on the receiving end of so much love and support.