Halfway there!

So, I haven't been so great with keeping up with my blog in the past week....SORRY!!!
I was busy with chemo and visiting with some of my loving and supporting friends! I even played the role of the witch, in Snow White with the beautiful Lauden! It was too much fun being around a 2 and half year old that kept saying she was 5! Love, love, love Tracy, Baba, Lauden and the rest of her crew! I'm blessed to have friends who are beautiful, selfless, generous and loving! I hope I can repay her generousity in someway, someday. <3

So, here is the latest:
I am now OFFICIALLY halfway through chemotherapy!! YAY!! I was able to get the third infusion of the third round. I've learned so much about Oncology and chemotherapy, but a diagnosis like mine and being a left brain kindof girl, I research everything!

I'm one of the lucky and few that are able to be on the protocol of 3 weeks on, one week off for Gemzar, so far! According to my Onc NP, most people have to do 2 weeks on, one week off. For 2 rounds (months) in a row, my bloodwork actually IMPROVED from infustion 2 to 3. I swear, it has to be the blackstrap molasses! If you know anyone who is on chemotherapy, it's at least worth a try to bump up their red blood cells with the molasses.

This weeks infusion was, as usual, a crap shoot. I lucked out with my bloodwork improving. The worst part of chemo is the port flush. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. That awful smell/taste when they flush your port with saline and then heparin. YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! It's what makes me nauseated!

After I had my infusion, I went and met with Dr. Georgia Weisner, Geneticist. We talked for over 2 hours about family history and my cancer. Based on the information I had, it appears it may have come from my Dad's side. It was interesting being on the other side of genetic testing. There isn't a panel for the genes she wanted to test me for, so we opted for 2 separate tests. She mentioned Lynch Syndrome, which I have since researched. She is also testing me for BRCA 1 & 2, FAMM and a host of others I can't recall, at this time. I should have the results back in 6-8 weeks. Sitting with Dr. Weisner really made me miss work! I can't wait to get back!

Now for my reaction to infusion 3, round 3. The headache, bodyaches and fatigue still continue and I'm on day 4 post infusion. Still no appetite, but I had gained back 7 pounds since surgery! I know my chemo could be much harsher, but I have to say, any chemo SUCKS! You never know how you're going to react. I was hoping for a consistent response to chemo, but that hasn't been the case for me. I continue to lose more hair and am seriously considering just shaving my head at this point. For a girl, it's really hard to lose a handful of hair everytime you take a shower and then run a wide tooth comb through your hair and have another handful come out.

On a final and sad note, a precious 8 and half year old boy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer yesterday. Please pray for his family.
You see, this is not a cancer that only affects fat, diabetics as many Doctors have been trained to believe.
This cancer does not discriminate. Last year, a 15 year old young, athletic boy from Tennessee died from PC. I know of a young, beautiful 28 year old battling stage IV PC, a 32 year old young man with Stage III and a 40 year old mother of 4, with stage IIB. There is NO profile for this cancer. Yes, if you're overweight and diabetic, you are at greater risk, but for those, like me, they can't figure out why. Hopefully, I will have answers from my genetic testing. In the meantime,  please donate to pancan.org or lustgarten.org to help raise research dollars.

Thanks you!
Love y'all!