Did you know.....

Everyone knows chemo causes your hair to fall out but did you know the Taxol I'm on now can cause you to loose your finger and toe nails too?  The Dr told me to take vitamin B6 to help with the burning I was feeling on my nails.  She also prescribed pain meds for next time for the bone, muscle, joint pain.  Not looking forward to my next treatment Monday.  Chemo can take your hair, nails, boobs, who knows what else?  But it can't take your spirit. Time to let that little light shine.  

Bad Side Effects!

I didn't like the new side effects.  I don't do pain well.  Wednesday after my last treatment I woke up and it felt like my finger and toe nails were on fire at 5 a.m.  So I put ice on my fingers and toes then came the bone pain.  I think it was more than bone pain everything below my belly button was in pain. By Thursday night I could hardly walk.  Thank God it only lasted two days but Sunday I had some pain in my lower back.  The rash came after the pain along with a fever and the chills. I've also had some numbness on my right foot.  On the bright side I have had three great days starting on Brock's Birthday.  We were able to go to Pat's cousin's Wedding in Aberdeen and enjoy family.  The scary thing about pain is you think it is never going to go away.  People have been so helpfull.  I am very thankful for the meals, cleaning, cards, help with kids and people putting up with me whinning about my pain.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Chemo #5

I survived chemo treatment # 5 with no allergic reactions.  My white count is still low but not low enough to not have chemo.  They have me on antibiotics for that.  Tomorrow I get a shot like I do after every chemo treatment.  My hemoglobin is going up.  I've been eating lots of spinach and I did force myself to eat liver.  Pat took me to my treatment today.  It is always scary when you don't know what to expect.  Today I started different chemo meds. I slept some during treatment.  Pat watched the Olympics.  I'm almost done with the book the Lucy One. I like to read when I can, it takes my mind off of the cancer.  Hopefully the watery eyes will go away with this treatment.  I've read all the Fifty Shades books and two of the Hunger Games.  Recommend all of them. 

Just got out of the hospital

My sister inlaw Erin brought me in  Sat afternoon after experiencing a fever and chills.  When they took  my blood we found out my counts were very low which means I was at high risk for infection.   I was on the border to receive a blood transfussion.  The Dr. said at my age I should be able to get my counts up on my own.  I was happy to have my Dad pick me up  today on his birthday.  There is always some good with the bad.  One good thing about being in the hospital was watching the movie The Help I highly recommend it. Another nice thing was hearing that I was young.  You get cancer at 40 you suddenly become young.  Go figure.  I would rather be all wrikled up and old with out it but it is out of my control.   As alway I am very grateful for all the help from friends and family. Chemo is not easy I just have to stay positive.  They have a great staff at Sandford very happy to have my friend Brenda working on my floor. 

Round 4 Half way baby!

Two weeks from today I start a new round of chemo meds for the next four treatments.  New side effects but they told me it should be easier.  Not as much nausea but could have tingling in fingers and toes or it is common for people to be allergic to the medicine. They said my energy will still be low.  GRrrrr.  When I hear about other people who have gone through this it gives me strength.  I really hope my friends and family know how much I appreiciate the cards, gifts, flowers, food,donations for a wig, prayers, friendship the list goes on. Kari and Jennifer always have a basket of suprizes for me on chemo days.  My friends Heather and Amy were with me today.  I don't think I would have gone if I didn't look forward to their company.  The nurse told me last time they had some complaints that we were a little to loud.  I said I was trying to get kick out of this place.  She said your last treatment we will kick you out and tell you not to come back.  Yeah! Attitude is a choice and Positivity is contagious!  Memorize it! Live it!  I will be a survivor!

3rd round of chemo

Checked in at 7:30 for my blood test to make sure I'm heathy enough for chemo.  Met with the oncologist at 8:30.  She said I am starting to get anemic so I should eat meat and green leafy vegatibles and liver would be really good.  Thanks to my Dad's farm raised beef and hunting husband I have a freezer full of meat.  Wasn't planning on eating the liver but what ever it takes to get me through this.  Then at 9:00 my friends Katie and Heather show up to get me through the chemo. We have so much fun talking I don't even think about the Chemo.  Pat leaves me with the girls and later another good friend Mary joined us.  I'm suprized we don't get kicked out of the place.  Jeanette and Andrew stopped by at the end.  Not sure how many visitors you can have but that place needs it we livin it up.  Katie drove me home after Blooms N Lattes for lunch. Then I crash until Sunday morning. 

Yes it's a wig!

It felt good to have my head shaved today.  My hair actually hurt.  I was tired of shedding.  When I warned the boys about my hair last night, Brock said, "its ok mom you will still have the same smile."  That warmed my heart.

What everyone wants to know.........

How did you find out you had breast cancer?  My doctor found a small bb size lump at my yearly exam.  She said to watch it.  This was my first year for a mamogram and it came back fine in December.  A few months later due to dry itchy winter skin I accidently found my lump it was now the size of a small marble.  I'm forty it must be the hormones everyone talks about.  Not really sure if what I was feeling was really a lump I finally made an appointment.  I felt like a hypochondriac going to that appointment because I wasn't sick and avoided all the colds and flu everyone caught last winter.  I just had a lump I thought about waiting until my next yearly exam to have it checked.  May 9,2012 after the exam for my lump I was sent to have mammograms and an untrasound.  That lead to a biopsy of my breast and lymph nodes.  The next day I received the results.  Invasive Ductal Carcinoma with positive lymph nodes.  Later I found out my cancer is also tripple negative.  That means they don't know what feeds it.  There are many different kinds of breast cancer.  Some are fueled by estrogen, progesterone or HER2.  Tripple negative is aggressive and more likely to recur.

Chemo Treatment #1

This is Jen's friend Katie telling Chemo #1 from my perspective!  Jennifer and Pat were met at the Cancer Center by her friend Amy, Heather and me.  She was quickly ushered upstairs and had her labs drawn to make sure all her "levels" were where they needed to be before proceeding with her first treatment.  She said that it didn't hurt at all when they assessed her port, even though they had told her that it wouldn't!  She was pretty excited about that!  It took about an hour to get labs back, and they all looked good.  In the meantime, Jennifer talked with the nurse practitioner and signed her consent forms and asked any questions she could think of.  Chemo started at about 11, and Jennifer took it like a champ!  About half way through (maybe more), she started having an odd sensation about her nose.  She compared it to the feeling you have when you laugh really hard, and water or pop come out your nose.  It eventually got so bad that she kind of freaked out.  We got the nurse over.  Apparently this is a very common side effect to one of the drugs.  They stopped that drug for about 30 minutes while the strange effects wore off.  They started it again at half the rate, and about two minutes later, she was done!  PIECE.OF.CAKE!  Then, after a "short" trip to the pharmacy down the hall, we were on our way!  I (Katie) took Jennifer to Beresford so that she could reassure her co-workers and friends that she had made it through!  We also stopped to get some special mouthwash and toothpaste. 

Jennifer is now at home, and hopefully she has been able to get some rest.

I have known Jennifer for 15 years, and her attitude regarding this bump in the road has been incredible.  I feel so fortunate to be her friend, and I know that she is going to beat this stupid cancer! 

Please continue to follow Jennifer's Jacked Up Journey on this blog!  Who knows, maybe she will let me do a guest stint sometime in the future!

Amy, Jennifer, Heather, and Katie (The Fab Four!)

Our Hero!  Jennifer! 

Katie Hilfiker