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Re: Port In
Dawn,
I agree with Ellie...the port is the way to go! I love that little thing and would love to hug the inventor of it. Makes things much, much easier.
As for you with your children, even though I was diagnosed at an earlier stage, I understand your concern. I could look at my kids and feel the tears well up, and when I was struggling, they could give me the biggest boost. They truly are my biggest strength and inspiration.
Before I even told my children, I researched a ton on how to talk to children, and even scripted out the points that I wanted to be sure and talk about. I keep my kids involved and have done so from the beginning and continue to do so at a high level. I bought books for kids that explain cancer and read it to them. I also got the book from the area where I went for chemo called "Helping your Children Cope With Your Cancer" written by Peter Van Dernoot. I cried all the way through it, but really thought it was a helpful book and would recommend it to you as well. My kids were 8 and 5 at the time of my diagnosis. My daugher, the oldest, took it very hard even with my prognosis being very good. I took them with me to try on wigs (got a crazy one that they picked out...even wore it to their school for lunch), and took them to meet my oncologist and her PA and also let them peer into the room where I got my chemo. It seemed to take all the mystery away and really helped calm my daughter, in particular. I made a big deal about the comfy chairs I get to sit in and how I got to take a nap when I was having treatment.
The biggest thing that helped my children was having them do the one mile Susan G Komen walk in September with me. I was in the middle of treatment, but to see all those women in pink was HUGE to not only me and my husband, but to my children. Long term survivors came over to me as soon as they saw my children and shared how many years out they were. That walk was an enormous turning point for my daughter.
Please keep us posted. I think and pray for you (and many others on this board) each day.
__________________
Hayley
Oklahoma
3/35/2009 - Diagnosed, age 39
5/7/09 - Mastectomy and reconstruction started. Two tumors found. Tumors were side by side. DCIS tumor was 2.8 cm, ER-, PR-, grade 2. Invasive tumor was 1.1 cm, poorly differentiated, grade 3, ER+90%, PR+95%, HER2+3. Thankfully, no node involvement.
5/29/09 - Second surgery resulting from difficulty healing from mastectomy.
6/2/09 - Began Herceptin treatments
6/23/09 - Began Taxotere and Carboplatin treatments along with Herception every 3 weeks.
10/06/09 - Completed Taxotere and Carboplatin - Yeah!!!
10/27/2009 - Herceptin maintenance and began Femara
12/10/2009 - 2nd stage reconstruction surgery
2/2010 - Body rejected saline implant
3/18/2010 - Second stage reconstruction using silicone implant
5/4/10 - Completed Herceptin - YEE-HAA!
May '10 - Body rejects silicone implant...taking a break.
11/29/10 - Hysterectomy
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